485BPOS 1 e73881_485bpos.htm PROSPECTUS

Securities Act File No. 333-183155

ICA No. 811-22732

 

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 21, 2017

 

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

FORM N-1A

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 

  Pre-Effective Amendment No.  __   [    ]
       
  Post-Effective Amendment No. 37   [ X ]

 

and/or

 

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940

 

  Amendment No. 39   [ X ]

 

(Check Appropriate Box or Boxes)

 

HORIZONS ETF TRUST I

 

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

 

c/o

Horizons ETFs Management (US) LLC

1350 Avenue of the Americas, 33rd Floor

New York, NY 10019

(Address of Principal Executive Offices)(Zip Code)

 

(212) 205-8300

(Registrant's Telephone Number, Including Area Code)

 

Corporation Service Company

2711 Centerville Road, Suite 400

Wilmington, DE 19808

(Name and Address of Agent for Service)

 

Copies of communications to:

 

Bibb L. Strench, Esq.

Thompson Hine LLP

1919 M Street, N.W., Suite 700

Washington, D.C. 20036-1600

 

Approximate Date of Proposed Public Offering:

 

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

( ) immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b).

(X) on (April 24, 2017) pursuant to paragraph (b).

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

( ) on (date) 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.

 

 

April 24, 2017

PROSPECTUS

Horizons ETF Trust I

Horizons China High Dividend ETF (HCHD)

 

April 24, 2017

Principal U.S. Listing Exchange for the Fund: NYSE ARCA

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

Shares are bought and sold at market price (not NAV), are not individually redeemable, and owners of the Shares may acquire those Shares from the Fund and tender those shares for redemption to the Fund in Creation Unit aggregations only, consisting of 50,000 Shares.

 

 

 

 

Table of Contents

 

Summary Information - Horizons China High Dividend ETF 1

More Information About the Fund

Additional Information About the Fund’s Principal Risks

Other Risks

8

9

16

Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings 18
Fund Management 18
Portfolio Managers 19

Shareholder Information

Distributions

Tax Information

19

21

22

Index Provider and Index/Trademark License/ Disclaimers 25
Financial Highlights 26
Premium/Discount Information 26
General Information 26

 

 

 

Summary Information— Horizons China High Dividend ETF

Investment Objective

The Horizons China High Dividend ETF (“Fund”) seeks to track the investment results that correspond (before fees and expenses) generally to the performance of its underlying index.

Fund Fees and Expenses

The table below describes the fees and expenses that you pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund (“Shares”). Investors may pay brokerage commissions on their purchases and sales of Shares. These costs are not included in the expense example below.

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment) None
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a
percentage of the value of your investment)
 
Management Fee 0.70%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees None
Other Expenses(1) 0.00%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses 0. 70%

 

 

(1) “Other expenses” are based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year and are calculated as a percentage of the Fund’s net assets.

 

Example

This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. This example does not take into account brokerage commissions that you pay when purchasing or selling Shares.

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

1 Year 3 Years
$72 $224

 

 

 

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Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it purchases and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may result in higher transaction costs and higher taxes when Shares are held in a taxable account. These costs may affect the Fund’s performance. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, may affect the Fund’s performance. Because the Fund is newly organized, there is no portfolio turnover to report.

Principal Investment Strategies of the Fund

The Fund is an index fund that employs a “passive management” investment strategy in seeking to provide investment results that, before fees and expenses, generally correspond to the performance of the Hang Seng High Dividend Yield Index (the “Underlying Index”).

 

The universe HSHDYI ("Universe") for the Underlying Index includes all securities and real estate investment trusts ("REITs") that have their primary listings on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong, excluding securities that are secondary listings, foreign companies, preference shares, debt securities, mutual funds and other derivatives. The Underlying Index is net dividend yield weighted, i.e., the weighting of each constituent is calculated in proportion to its net dividend yield. The net dividend yield is calculated by dividing the dividend per share after deducting withholding tax (if applicable) by the price at three days preceding the rebalancing date. Index rebalancing is conducted annually after market close on the first Friday in June, and comes into effect on the next trading day.

 

When it rebalances, the Index Provider screens the company securities in the Universe to determine which securities are eligible to be in the Underlying Index. The Index Provider computes the turnover velocity in each of the past 12 months for each security in the Universe. A minimum turnover velocity of 0.1% is required for a company security to be included in the Underlying Index. The turnover velocity of a new company constituent entering the Universe must meet the minimum requirement for at least 10 out of the past 12 months and for all of the latest three months. The turnover velocity of an existing company constituent of the Universe must meet the minimum requirement for at least 10 out of the past 12 months. Furthermore, to be eligible, a company security must have paid a cash dividend of at least three consecutive fiscal years.

 

After this eligibility screening, the top 25% of the eligible securities in terms of one-year historical volatility, i.e. standard deviation of daily logarithmic return for the past 12 months to the review cut-off date, are excluded from constituent selection. Securities that pass the historical volatility screening are ranked by net dividend yield, which is calculated by dividing (1) the dividend per share (after deducting withholding tax) by (2) the price at review cut-off date. The top 50 securities in terms of net dividend yield are selected as constituents of the Underlying Index. At each index rebalancing, the weighting for each constituent is capped at 10%.

 

 

 

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The Fund generally uses a replication methodology, meaning it will invest in all of the securities comprising the Underlying Index in proportion to the weightings in the Underlying Index. The Fund seeks correlation over time between the Fund’s performance, before fees and expenses, and that of the Underlying Index of 0.95 or better. A figure of 1.00 would represent perfect correlation. However, the Fund may from time-to-time utilize a sampling methodology under various circumstances where it may not be possible or practicable to purchase all of the equity securities of the Underlying Index. A “sampling methodology” is an indexing strategy that involves investing in a representative sample of securities that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Underlying Index. The securities selected are expected to have, in the aggregate, investment characteristics (based on factors such as market capitalization and industry weightings), fundamental characteristics (such as return variability and yield) and liquidity measures similar to those of the Underlying Index. The Fund may or may not hold all of the securities in the Underlying Index.

 

Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets in the securities of the Underlying Index and in depositary receipts representing securities in the Underlying Index. The Fund may invest the remainder of its assets in securities or instruments not in the Underlying Index or representing securities in the Underlying Index, including instruments that Horizons ETFs Management (US) LLC (the “Adviser”) or Mirae Asset Global Investments (Hong Kong) Ltd. (the “Sub-Adviser”) believes will help the Fund track the Underlying Index, as well as cash and cash equivalents. The Fund’s 80% Policy may be changed without shareholder approval upon 60 days’ prior written notice to shareholders.

 

The Fund will concentrate its investments (i.e., hold 25% or more of its total assets) in a particular industry or group of industries to approximately the same extent that the Underlying Index is so concentrated. Based upon the current constituents of the Underlying Index, the Fund is expected to concentrate its investments in a single industry or group of industries in the financial sector. The Fund is non-diversified and, therefore, may invest a greater percentage of its assets in a particular issue in comparison to a diversified fund.

 

The Underlying Index is provided by Hang Seng Indexes Company Limited, which is unaffiliated with the Fund, the Adviser and the Sub-Adviser. Hang Seng Indexes Company Limited maintains, calculates and publishes information regarding the Underlying Index.

 

Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund

There is no assurance that the Fund will meet its investment objective. The value of your investment in the Fund, as well as the amount of return you receive on your investment in the Fund, may fluctuate significantly. You may lose part or all of your investment in the Fund or your investment may not perform as well as other similar investments. Therefore, you should consider carefully the following risks before investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the FDIC or any government agency.

Authorized Participant Concentration Risk. Only an Authorized Participant (as defined in the Creations and Redemptions section of the Fund’s prospectus (the “Prospectus”)) may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with the Fund. The Fund has a limited number of

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institutions that act as Authorized Participants. To the extent that these institutions exit the business or are unable to proceed with creation and/or redemption orders with respect to the Fund and no other Authorized Participant is able to step forward to create or redeem Creation Units, Fund Shares may trade at a discount to NAV and possibly face trading halts and/or delisting.

 

China Risk The risks of foreign securities are typically greater in less developed countries such as China, which are sometimes referred to as emerging markets. For example, political and economic structures in these countries may be changing rapidly, which can cause instability and greater risk of loss. These countries are also more likely to experience higher levels of inflation, deflation or currency devaluation, which could hurt their economies and securities markets. For these and other reasons, investments in emerging markets are often considered speculative.

 

Investment exposure to China subjects the Fund to risks specific to China. China may be subject to considerable degrees of economic, political and social instability. China is a developing market and demonstrates significantly higher volatility from time to time in comparison to developed markets. Over the past 25 years, the Chinese government has undertaken reform of economic and market practices and expansion of the sphere for private ownership of property in China. However, Chinese markets generally continue to experience inefficiency, volatility and pricing anomalies resulting from governmental influence, a lack of publicly available information and/or political and social instability. Internal social unrest or confrontations with other neighboring countries, including military conflicts in response to such events, may also disrupt economic development in China and result in a greater risk of currency fluctuations, currency convertibility, interest rate fluctuations and higher rates of inflation. Export growth continues to be a major driver of China’s rapid economic growth. Reduction in spending on Chinese products and services, institution of tariffs or other trade barriers, or a downturn in any of the economies of China’s key trading partners may have an adverse impact on the Chinese economy. A natural or other disaster could occur in the geographic region in which China is located, which could affect the economy or particular business operations of companies in the specific geographic region, causing an adverse impact on the Fund’s investments in China. China has privatized, or has begun the process of privatizing, certain entities and industries. Privatized entities may lose money or be re-nationalized. China has experienced security concerns. Incidents involving China’s security may cause uncertainty in these markets and may adversely affect their economies and the Fund’s investments.

 

Concentration Risk. The Fund seeks to track the Underlying Index, which itself may have concentration in certain regions, economies, countries, markets, industries or sectors. The Fund may be susceptible to an increased risk of loss, including losses due to adverse events that affect the Fund’s investments more than the market as a whole, to the extent that the Fund’s investments are concentrated in the securities of a particular issuer or issuers, country, group of countries, region, market, industry, group of industries, sector or asset class.

 

Currency Risk. Foreign securities typically are issued and traded in foreign currencies. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates will affect the value of the Fund’s securities and the price of the Fund’s shares. Generally, when the value of the U.S. dollar rises in value relative to a foreign currency, an investment in that country loses value because that currency is worth fewer U.S. dollars. Devaluation of a currency by a country’s government or banking authority

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also may have a significant impact on the value of any investments denominated in that currency. Currency markets generally are not as regulated as securities markets.

Depositary Receipt Risk. Depositary receipts may be less liquid than the underlying shares in their primary trading market. Any distributions paid to the holders of depositary receipts are usually subject to a fee charged by the depositary. Holders of depositary receipts may have limited voting rights, and investment restrictions in certain countries may adversely impact the value of depositary receipts because such restrictions may limit the ability to convert the equity shares into depositary receipts and vice versa.

Equity Securities Risk. Equity securities are subject to changes in value, and their values may be more volatile than those of other asset classes.

 

Foreign Securities Risk. Foreign securities may be subject to different and, in some cases, less stringent regulatory and disclosure standards than U.S. securities. Also, political concerns, fluctuations in foreign currencies and differences in taxation, trading, settlement, custodial and other operational practices may result in foreign securities being more volatile and less liquid than U.S. securities. Foreign regulatory and fiscal policies may affect the ability to trade securities across markets. Foreign markets also may differ widely in trading and execution capabilities, liquidity and expenses, including brokerage and transaction costs. Brokerage and transaction costs are generally higher for foreign securities than for U.S. securities.

 

As a result, their values may be affected significantly by changes in exchange rates between foreign currencies and the U.S. dollar.

 

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

 

Hong Kong Risk . Investments in Hong Kong issuers subject the Fund to legal, regulatory, political, currency, security and economic risk specific to Hong Kong. Hong Kong investments involve special risks, in addition to the risks described above investing in China. China is Hong Kong’s largest trading partner, both in terms of exports and imports. Any changes in the Chinese economy, trade regulations or currency exchange rates, or a tightening of China’s control over Hong Kong, may have an adverse impact on Hong Kong’s economy. The Fund may also invest in SARs, B-Shares, H-Shares, Hong Kong listed Red Chips (CACs) and OLs. SAR companies are companies

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that conduct business in Hong Kong and/or mainland China. China-affiliated corporations, also known as “CACs” or “Red Chips,” are mainland China companies with partial state ownership listed in Hong Kong, and incorporated in Hong Kong. B Shares are mainland Chinese companies listed on the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges, available to both Chinese and non-Chinese investors. H Shares are mainland Chinese companies listed on the Hong Kong exchange but incorporated in mainland China. OL companies are Overseas Listed companies are companies that conduct business in mainland China but listed in overseas markets such as Japan, Singapore, Taiwan and the United States. Hong Kong companies deriving a significant amount of their revenues from business conducted in China (regardless of the exchange on which the security is listed or the country in which the company is based). Hong Kong has few natural resources. Any fluctuation or shortage in the commodity markets could have a negative impact on the Hong Kong economy.

 

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

 

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

 

Market Risk. Overall market risks may affect the value of the Fund. Factors such as domestic economic growth and market conditions, interest rate levels and political events affect the securities markets.

 

Mid-Capitalization Company Risk. Compared to large-capitalization companies, mid-capitalization companies may be less stable and more susceptible to adverse developments, and their securities may be more volatile and less liquid.

 

Non-Correlation Risk. The Fund’s return may not match the return of the Underlying Index for a number of reasons, including: the Fund incurs operating expenses not applicable to the Underlying Index, and incurs costs in buying and selling securities; the Fund may not be fully invested at times; the performance of the Fund and the Underlying Index may vary due to asset valuation differences and differences between the Fund’s portfolio and the Underlying Index resulting from legal restrictions, cost or liquidity constraints; and, if used, representative sampling may cause the Fund’s tracking error to be higher than would be the case if the Fund purchased all of the securities in the Underlying Index.

 

Non-Diversification Risk. The Fund is classified as “non-diversified.” This means that the Fund may invest a large percentage of its assets in securities issued by or representing a small number of issuers. As a result, the Fund may be more susceptible to the risks associated with these particular issuers or to a single economic, political or regulatory occurrence affecting these issuers.

 

Passive Investment Risk. The Fund is not actively managed and the Sub-Adviser does not attempt to take defensive positions under any market conditions, including declining markets.

 

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Real Estate Investment Trust Risk. Adverse economic, business or political developments affecting real estate could have a major effect on the value of the Fund’s investments in real estate investment trusts (“REITs”). Investing in REITs subject the Fund to risks associated with the direct ownership of real estate, such as decreases in real estate values, overbuilding, increased competition and other risks related to local or general economic conditions, increases in operating costs and property taxes, changes in zoning laws, casualty or condemnation losses, possible environmental liabilities, regulatory limitations on rent and fluctuations in rental income.

 

Sampling Risk. The Fund may utilize a representative sampling approach to track the Underlying Index. ETFs that utilize a representative sampling approach are subject to an increased risk of tracking error because the securities selected for the ETF in the aggregate may vary from the investment profile of the underlying index.

 

Sector Risk. Sector risk is the possibility that securities within the same group of industries will decline in price due to sector-specific market or economic developments. If the Fund invests more heavily in a particular sector, the value of its shares may be especially sensitive to factors and economic risks that specifically affect that sector. As a result, the Fund’s share price may fluctuate more widely than the value of shares of a fund that invests in a broader range of industries.

 

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

 

Tracking Risk. Index-based ETFs such as the Fund may not be able to replicate exactly the performance of the indices they track because the total return generated by the securities will be reduced by transaction costs incurred in adjusting the actual balance of the securities.

 

Performance

Because the Fund has only recently commenced investment operations, no performance information is presented for the Fund at this time. In the future, performance information will be presented in this section of this Prospectus. Also, shareholder reports containing financial and performance information will be mailed to shareholders semi-annually. Updated performance information will be available at no cost by visiting http://us.horizonsetfs.com/.

Advisers

Horizons ETFs Management (US) LLC is the investment adviser to the Fund. Mirae Asset Global Investments (Hong Kong) Ltd. serves as sub-adviser to the Fund.

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Portfolio Managers

Byung Ha Kim, Co-Chief Investment Officer; Jin Kim, Portfolio Manager; and Jacky Leung, Portfolio Manager, each of Mirae Asset Global Investments (Hong Kong) Ltd., sub-adviser to the Fund, have served as Portfolio Managers of the Fund since its inception.

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

The Fund issues and redeems Shares at NAV only in a large specified number of Shares each called a “Creation Unit,” or multiples thereof, and only with “authorized participants” who have entered into contractual arrangements with Foreside Fund Services, LLC, the Fund’s distributor (“Distributor”). A Creation Unit consists of 50,000 Shares. Creation Unit transactions are typically conducted in exchange for the deposit or delivery of in-kind securities in the Underlying Index and/or cash.

Individual Shares of the Fund may only be purchased and sold on a national securities exchange through brokers. Shares of the Fund are listed on NYSE ARCA and because Shares will trade at market prices rather than NAV, Shares of the Fund may trade at a price greater than or less than NAV.

Tax Information

The Fund’s distributions generally are taxable to you as ordinary income, capital gains, or some combination of both, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account, in which case your distributions generally will be taxed when withdrawn from the tax-deferred account.

Payments to Broker-Dealer and Other Financial Intermediaries

If you purchase Shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary, the Adviser, Sub-Adviser or other related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Shares or 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.

More Information About the Fund

The Fund, using an “indexing” investment approach, seeks to provide investment results that, before fees and expenses, correspond generally to the performance of its Underlying Index. The Fund seeks correlation over time of 0.95 or better between its performance and the performance of its Underlying Index. A figure of 1.00 would represent perfect correlation. A number of factors may affect the Fund’s ability to achieve a high correlation with its Underlying Index, including the degree to which the Fund utilizes a sampling methodology and/or invests in index futures. There can be no guarantee that the Fund will achieve a high degree of correlation.

 

The Adviser or Sub-Adviser may sell securities that are represented in the Underlying Index or purchase securities not yet represented in the Underlying Index, in anticipation of their removal from or addition to the Underlying Index. There may also be instances in which the Adviser or Sub-Adviser may choose to overweight securities in the Underlying Index or purchase or sell securities not in the Underlying Index which the Adviser or Sub-Adviser believes are appropriate to substitute for certain securities in the Fund’s Underlying Index or utilize various combinations

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of other available investment techniques in seeking to track the Underlying Index. The Fund will not take defensive positions.

 

Additional Information About the Fund’s Principal Risks

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

Authorized Participant Concentration Risk. Only an Authorized Participant may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with the Fund. The Fund has a limited number of institutions that act as Authorized Participants. To the extent that these institutions exit the business or are unable to proceed with creation and/or redemption orders with respect to the Fund and no other Authorized Participant is able to step forward to create or redeem Creation Units, Fund shares may trade at a discount to NAV and possibly face trading halts and/or delisting.

 

Concentration Risk. The Fund may concentrate its investments in a limited number of issuers conducting business in the same industry or group of related industries. Market conditions, interest rates, and economic, regulatory, or financial developments could significantly affect a single industry or a group of related industries, and the securities of companies in that industry or group of industries could react similarly to these or other developments.

 

China Risks . The risks of foreign investments are typically greater in less developed countries. The Chinese economy is subject to a considerable degree of economic, political and social instability. Chinese investments involve special risks, including:

 

Political and Social Risk : The Chinese government is authoritarian and has periodically used force to suppress civil dissent. Disparities of wealth and the pace of economic liberalization may lead to social turmoil, violence and labor unrest. In addition, China continues to experience disagreements related to integration with Hong Kong and religious and nationalist disputes in Tibet and Xinjiang. There is also a greater risk in China than in other countries of currency fluctuations, currency convertibility, interest rate fluctuations and higher rates of inflation as a result of internal social unrest or conflicts with other countries. Unanticipated political or social developments may result in sudden and significant investment losses. China’s growing income inequality and worsening environmental conditions also are factors that may affect the Chinese economy.

 

Government Control and Regulations : The Chinese government has implemented significant economic reforms in order to liberalize trade policy, promote foreign investment in the economy, reduce government control of the economy and develop market mechanisms. There can be no assurance these reforms will continue or that they will be effective. Despite recent reform and privatizations, significant regulation of investment and industry is still pervasive and the Chinese government may restrict foreign ownership of Chinese corporations and/or repatriate assets. Chinese markets generally continue to experience inefficiency, volatility and pricing anomalies that may be connected to governmental influence, a lack of publicly-available information, and/or political and social instability.

 

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Economic Risk : The Chinese economy has grown rapidly during the past several years and there is no assurance that this growth rate will be maintained. In fact, the Chinese economy may experience a significant slowdown as a result of, among other things, a deterioration in global demand for Chinese exports, as well as contraction in spending on domestic goods by the Chinese consumers. In addition, China may experience substantial rates of inflation or economic recessions, causing a negative effect on its economy and securities market. Delays in enterprise restructuring, slow development of well-functioning financial markets and widespread corruption have also hindered performance of the Chinese economy. China continues to receive substantial pressure from trading partners to liberalize official currency exchange rates.

 

Expropriation Risk : The Chinese government maintains a major role in economic policymaking and investing in China involves risk of loss due to expropriation, nationalization, or confiscation of assets and property or the imposition of restrictions on foreign investments and on repatriation of capital invested.

 

Tax Risk : Developing countries, such as China, may subject the Fund’s investments to a number of tax rules, and the application of many of those rules may be uncertain. Additionally, China has implemented a number of tax reforms in recent years, and may amend or revise its existing tax laws and/or procedures in the future, possibly with retroactive effect. Changes in applicable Chinese tax law could reduce the after-tax profits of the Fund, directly or indirectly, including by reducing the after-tax profits of companies in China in which the Fund invests. Chinese taxes that may apply to the Fund’s investments include income tax or withholding tax on dividends, interest or gains earned by the Fund, business tax and stamp duty. Uncertainties in Chinese tax rules could result in unexpected tax liabilities for the Fund.

 

Hong Kong Political Risk : Hong Kong reverted to Chinese sovereignty on July 1, 1997 as a Special Administrative Region (“SAR”) of the People’s Republic of China (“PRC”) under the principle of “one country, two systems.” Although China is obligated to maintain the current capitalist economic and social system of Hong Kong through June 30, 2047, the continuation of economic and social freedoms enjoyed in Hong Kong is dependent on the government of China. Any attempt by China to tighten its control over Hong Kong’s political, economic, legal or social policies may adversely affect Hong Kong’s economy. In addition, the Hong Kong dollar trades at a fixed exchange rate in relation to (or, is “pegged” to) the U.S. dollar, which has contributed to the growth and stability of the Hong Kong economy. However, it is uncertain how long the currency peg will continue or what effect the establishment of an alternative exchange rate system would have on the Hong Kong economy. Because the Fund’s NAV is denominated in U.S. dollars, the establishment of an alternative exchange rate system could result in a decline in the Fund’s NAV.

 

Geographic Risk : China is located in a part of the world that has historically been prone to natural disasters, such as earthquakes, hurricanes, typhoons and tsunamis, and is economically sensitive to environmental events. Any such event could result in a significant adverse impact on the Chinese economy and the securities in which the Fund invests.

 

Privatization Risk : China has privatized or has begun a process of privatizing certain entities and industries. In some instances, investors in newly privatized entities have suffered losses due to

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the inability of the newly privatized entities to adjust quickly to a competitive environment or changing regulatory and legal standards or, in some cases, due to re-nationalization of such privatized entities. There is no assurance that such losses will not recur.

 

Security Risk : China has strained international relations with Taiwan, India, Russia and other neighbors due to territorial disputes, historical animosities and other defense concerns. Relations between China’s Han ethnic majority and other ethnic groups in China, including Tibetans and Uighurs, are also strained and have been marked by protests and violence. These situations may cause uncertainty in the Chinese market and may adversely affect the Chinese economy.

 

Currency Risk . Foreign securities typically are issued and traded in foreign currencies. When the Fund invests in foreign currencies or securities that trade in foreign currencies, the Fund may be adversely affected by the changes in exchange rates of foreign currencies. When the foreign currencies depreciate relative to the U.S. dollar, the Fund’s investments in foreign currencies or securities that trade in foreign currencies may lose value. Foreign currencies may fluctuate due to various factors, including, but not limited to, changes in interest rates, foreign government interventions, adverse political or economic conditions of certain countries, changes in investors’ risk appetites, and changes in policies of central banks or supranational entities such as the International Monetary Fund.

 

Depositary Receipt Risk. Depositary receipts may be less liquid than the underlying shares in their primary trading market. Any distributions paid to the holders of depositary receipts are usually subject to a fee charged by the depositary. Holders of depositary receipts may have limited voting rights, and investment restrictions in certain countries may adversely impact the value of depositary receipts because such restrictions may limit the ability to convert the equity shares into depositary receipts and vice versa. Such restrictions may cause the equity shares of the underlying issuer to trade at a discount or premium to the market price of the depositary receipts.

Equity Securities Risk. Equity risk is the risk that the value of the equity securities the Fund holds will fall due to general market and economic conditions, perceptions regarding the industries in which the issuers of securities the Fund holds participate or factors relating to specific companies in which the Fund invests. For example, an adverse event, such as an unfavorable earnings report, may depress the value of equity securities the Fund holds; the price of common stock may be particularly sensitive to general movements in the stock market; or a drop in the stock market may depress the price of most or all of the common stocks and other equity securities the Fund holds. In addition, common stock in the Fund’s portfolio may decline in price if the issuer fails to make anticipated dividend payments because, among other reasons, the issuer of the security experiences a decline in its financial condition. Common stock is subordinated to preferred stocks, bonds and other debt instruments in a company’s capital structure, in terms of priority to corporate income, and therefore will be subject to greater dividend risk than preferred stocks or debt instruments of such issuers.

 

Foreign Securities Risk. Foreign securities, foreign currencies and securities issued by U.S. entities with substantial foreign operations can involve additional risks relating to political, economic, or regulatory conditions in foreign countries. These risks include fluctuations in

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foreign currencies; exchange rates; imposition of additional taxes; trading, settlement, custodial and other operational risks; and risks arising from the less stringent investor protection and disclosure standards of some foreign markets. All of these factors can make foreign investments more volatile and potentially less liquid than U.S. investments. In addition, foreign markets can perform differently from the U.S. market. Foreign investments involve special risks, including:

 

Foreign Banks and Securities Depositories Risk. Some foreign banks and securities depositories in which the Fund generally holds its foreign securities may be recently organized or new to the foreign custody business. In addition, there may be limited or no regulatory oversight over their operations. Also, brokerage commissions, and other costs of buying, selling or holding securities in foreign markets are often higher than in the United States. This can reduce amounts the Fund can earn on their investments. Foreign settlement and clearance procedures and trade regulations also may involve certain risks (such as delays in payment for or delivery of securities) not typically involved with the settlement of U.S. investments. Communications between the United States and emerging markets countries may be unreliable, increasing the risk of delayed settlements or losses of security certificates. Settlements in certain foreign countries at times have not kept pace with the number of securities transactions. These problems may make it difficult for the Fund to carry out transactions.

 

Limited Availability of Information and Legal Recourse. There may be less information publicly available about a foreign company than about most U.S. companies since foreign companies are generally not subject to accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and practices as stringent as those in the United States. Legal remedies for investors in foreign companies may be more limited than the remedies available to investors in U.S. companies.

 

Limited Markets. Certain foreign investments may be less liquid (harder to buy and sell) and more volatile than most U.S. investments, which means the Adviser or Sub-Adviser may at times be unable to sell these foreign investments at desirable prices. For the same reason, it may at times be difficult to value the Fund’s foreign investments.

 

Political and Economic Developments . The political, economic and social structures of certain countries may not be as stable as those of the United States. Therefore, foreign investments remain subject to political, economic and social developments in such countries. In addition, foreign investments may be subject to the risks of seizure by a foreign government, imposition of restrictions on the exchange or export of foreign currency, and tax increases.

 

High-Dividend Yield Style Risk. While the Fund may hold securities of companies that have historically paid a high dividend yield, those companies may reduce or discontinue their dividends, reducing the yield of the Fund. Low priced securities in the Fund may be more susceptible to these risks. Past dividend payments are not a guarantee of future dividend

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payments. Also, the market return of high dividend yield securities, in certain market conditions, may perform worse than other investment strategies or the overall stock market.

 

Hong Kong Risks . The Fund’s investments in Hong Kong issuers subject the Fund to legal, regulatory, political, currency, security and economic risk specific to Hong Kong. Hong Kong investments involve special risks, in addition to the risks described above under “Risk of Investing in China.” China is Hong Kong’s largest trading partner, both in terms of exports and imports. Any changes in the Chinese economy, trade regulations or currency exchange rates may have an adverse impact on Hong Kong’s economy. Hong Kong is a small island state with few raw material resources and limited land area and is reliant on imports for its commodity needs. Any fluctuations or shortages in the commodity markets could have a negative impact on the Hong Kong economy.

 

Issuer Risk. Changes in the financial condition or credit rating of an issuer or counterparty, changes in specific economic or political conditions that affect a particular type of security or issuer, and changes in general economic or political conditions can affect a security’s or instrument’s value. The values of securities of smaller, less well-known issuers can be more volatile than those of larger issuers. Issuer-specific events can have a negative impact on the value of the Fund.

 

Large Capitalization Company Risk. Returns on investments in securities of large companies could trail the returns on investments in securities of small- and mid-sized companies. Larger, more established companies may be unable to respond quickly to new competitive challenges such as changes in consumer tastes or innovative smaller competitors.

 

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 the securities markets generally or a specific issuer or market.

 

Mid-Capitalization Company Risk. As of the date of this Prospectus, the Underlying Index of the Fund includes mid-cap companies. Securities of mid-sized companies may be more volatile and subject to greater risk than securities of larger companies. Mid-cap companies may have limited financial resources, product lines and markets, and their securities may trade less frequently and in more limited volumes than the securities of larger companies, which could lead to higher transaction costs.

 

Non-Correlation Risk. The Fund’s return may not match or correlate to the return of its Underlying Index, either on a daily or aggregate basis, for a number of reasons. For example, the Fund incurs operating expenses not applicable to the Underlying Index, and incurs costs in buying and selling securities, especially when rebalancing the Fund’s securities holdings to

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reflect changes in the composition of the Underlying Index. In addition, the performance of the Fund and the Underlying Index may vary due to asset valuation differences and differences between the Fund’s portfolio and the Underlying Index resulting from legal restrictions, cost or liquidity constraints. Imperfect correlation between the Fund’s investments and those of its Underlying Index, rounding of share prices, changes to the composition of the Underlying Index, regulatory policies, and high portfolio turnover rate may also contribute to the Fund’s tracking error. In addition, mathematical compounding may prevent the Fund from correlating with the monthly, quarterly, annual or other period performance of its Underlying Index. Tracking error may cause the Fund’s performance to be less than expected.

 

Non-Diversification Risk. Although the Fund intends to invest in a variety of securities and instruments, the Fund will be considered to be non-diversified, which means that it may invest more of its assets in the securities of a single issuer or a smaller number of issuers than if it was a diversified fund. As a result, the Fund may be more exposed to the risks associated with and developments affecting an individual issuer or a smaller number of issuers than a fund that invests more widely. This may increase the Fund’s volatility and cause the performance of a relatively smaller number of issuers to have a greater impact on the Fund’s performance.

 

Passive Investment Risk. The Fund is not actively managed. Therefore, unless a specific security is removed from the Fund’s Underlying Index or the selling of shares of that security is otherwise required upon a rebalancing of the Underlying Index, 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 Fund’s Underlying 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 Fund’s Underlying Index. The Underlying Index may not contain the appropriate mix of securities for any particular economic cycle, and the timing of movements from one type of security to another in seeking to replicate the Underlying Index could have a negative effect on the Fund. Unlike with an actively managed fund, the Adviser or 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.

 

Real Estate Investment Trust Risk. Adverse economic, business or political developments affecting real estate could have a major effect on the value of the Fund’s investments in REITs. Investing in REITs may subject the Fund to risks associated with the direct ownership of real estate, such as decreases in real estate values, overbuilding, increased competition and other risks related to local or general economic conditions, increases in operating costs and property taxes, changes in zoning laws, casualty or condemnation losses, possible environmental liabilities, regulatory limitations on rent and fluctuations in rental income. Changes in interest rates may also affect the value of the Fund’s investments in REITs. Certain REITs have a relatively small

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market capitalization, which may tend to increase the volatility of the market price of these securities. REITs are dependent upon specialized management skills, have limited diversification and are, therefore, subject to risks inherent in operating and financing a limited number of projects. REITs are also subject to heavy cash flow dependency and defaults by borrowers.

 

Sampling Risk. The Fund may utilize a representative sampling approach to track the Underlying Index. ETFs that utilize a representative sampling approach are subject to an increased risk of tracking error because the securities selected for the ETF in the aggregate may vary from the investment profile of the underlying index. Additionally, if using a representative sampling approach, an ETF will typically hold a smaller number of securities than the underlying index, and as a result, an adverse development to an issuer of securities that the ETF holds could result in a greater decline in NAV than would be the case if the ETF held all of the securities in the underlying index.

 

Sector Risk. Sector risk is the possibility that securities within the same group of industries will decline in price due to sector-specific market or economic developments. If the Fund invests more heavily in a particular sector, the value of its shares may be especially sensitive to factors and economic risks that specifically affect that sector. As a result, the Fund’s share price may fluctuate more widely than the value of shares of a fund that invests in a broader range of industries. Additionally, some sectors could be subject to greater government regulation than other sectors. Therefore, changes in regulatory policies for those sectors may have a material effect on the value of securities issued by companies in those sectors. The sectors in which the Fund may more heavily invest will vary.

 

Financial Sector Risk. Companies in the financial sector are often subject to extensive governmental regulation and, recently, government intervention and the potential for additional regulation, which may adversely affect the scope of their activities, the prices they can charge and the amount of capital they must maintain. Governmental regulation may change frequently and may have significant adverse consequences for companies in the financial sector, including effects not intended by such regulation. The impact of recent or future regulation in various countries on any individual financial company or on the sector as a whole cannot be predicted. Certain risks may impact the value of investments in the financial sector more severely than investments outside this sector, including the risks associated with companies that operate with substantial financial leverage. Companies in the financial sector may also be adversely affected by increases in interest rates and loan losses, decreases in the availability of money or asset valuations, credit rating downgrades and adverse conditions in other related markets. Insurance companies, in particular, may be subject to severe price competition and/or rate regulation, which may have an adverse impact on their profitability. In the recent past, deterioration of the credit markets impacted a broad range of mortgage, asset-backed, auction rate, sovereign debt and other markets, including U.S. and non-U.S. credit and interbank money markets, thereby affecting a wide range of financial institutions and markets. A number of large financial institutions have failed, merged with stronger institutions or have had significant government infusions of capital. This situation created instability in the financial markets and caused certain financial companies to incur large losses. Some financial companies experienced declines in the valuations of their assets, took actions to raise capital (such as the issuance of debt or equity securities), or even ceased operations. Some financial companies borrowed significant amounts

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of capital from government sources and may face future government-imposed restrictions on their businesses or increased government intervention. Those actions caused the securities of many financial companies to decline in value. The financial sector is particularly sensitive to fluctuations in interest rates.

 

Tracking Risk. Index-based ETFs such as the Fund may not be able to replicate exactly the performance of the indices they track because the total return generated by the securities will be reduced by transaction costs incurred in adjusting the actual balance of the securities. In addition, index-based ETFs may incur expenses not incurred by their applicable indices. Certain securities comprising the indices may, from time to time, temporarily be unavailable, which may further impede an ETF’s or other investment company’s ability to track its applicable index or match its performance.

 

Other Risks

The following section provides information regarding certain other risks of investing in the Fund.

Asset Class Risk. Securities and other assets in the Underlying Index or in the portfolio may underperform in comparison to the general financial markets, a particular financial market or other asset classes.

 

Costs of Buying or Selling Shares Risk. 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.

 

Cybersecurity and Disaster Recovery Risks. Information and technology systems relied upon by the Fund, the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, the Fund’s other service providers (including, but not limited to, the Fund Accountant, Custodian, Transfer Agent, Administrator, Distributor and index providers), market makers, Authorized Participants, financial intermediaries and/or the issuers of securities in which the Fund invests may be vulnerable to damage or interruption from computer viruses, network failures, computer and telecommunication failures, infiltration by unauthorized persons, security breaches, usage errors, power outages and catastrophic events such as fires, tornadoes, floods, hurricanes and earthquakes. Although the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser and the Fund’s other service providers have implemented measures to manage risks relating to these types of events, if these systems are compromised, become inoperable for extended periods of time or cease to function properly, significant investment may be required to

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fix or replace them. The failure of these systems and/or of disaster recovery plans could cause significant interruptions in the operations of the Fund, the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, the Fund’s other service providers, market makers, Authorized Participants, financial intermediaries and/or issuers of securities in which the Fund invests and may result in a failure to maintain the security, confidentiality or privacy of sensitive data, impact the Fund’s ability to calculate its net asset value or impede trading. Such a failure could also harm the reputation of the Fund, the Adviser and Sub-Adviser, the Fund’s other service providers, market makers, Authorized Participants, financial intermediaries and/or issuers of securities in which the Fund invests, subject such entities and their respective affiliates to legal claims or otherwise affect their business and financial performance.

Exclusion from the Definition of a Commodity Pool Operator Risk. With respect to the Fund, the Adviser has claimed an exclusion from the definition of “commodity pool operator” (“CPO”) under the Commodity Exchange Act, as amended (“CEA”), and the rules of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) and, therefore, is not subject to CFTC registration or regulation as a CPO. In addition, the Adviser is relying upon a related exclusion from the definition of “commodity trading advisor” (“CTA”) under the CEA and the rules of the CFTC.

 

The terms of the CPO exclusion require the Fund, among other things, to adhere to certain limits on its investments in “commodity interests.” Commodity interests include commodity futures, commodity options and swaps. Because the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser and the Fund intend to comply with the terms of the CPO exclusion, the Fund may, in the future, need to adjust its investment strategies, consistent with its investment objective(s), to limit its investments in these types of instruments. The Fund is not intended as vehicles for trading in the commodity futures, commodity options or swaps markets. The CFTC has neither reviewed nor approved the Adviser’s or Sub-Adviser’s reliance on these exclusions, or the Fund, its investment strategies or this Prospectus.

 

Fluctuation of NAV Risk. The NAV of the Shares will generally fluctuate with changes in the market value of the Fund’s securities holdings. The market prices of Shares will generally fluctuate in accordance with changes in the Fund’s NAV and supply and demand of Shares on the Exchange. It cannot be predicted whether Shares will trade below, at or above their NAV. Price differences may be due, in large part, to the fact that supply and demand forces at work in the secondary trading market for Shares will be closely related to, but not identical to, the same forces influencing the prices of the securities of the Underlying Index trading individually or in the aggregate at any point in time. The market prices of Shares may deviate significantly from the NAV of the Shares during periods of market volatility. While the creation/redemption feature is designed to make it likely that Shares normally will trade close to the Fund’s NAV, disruptions to creations and redemptions may result in trading prices that differ significantly from such Fund’s NAV. If an investor purchases Shares at a time when the market price is at a premium to the NAV of the Shares or sells at a time when the market price is at a discount to the NAV of the Shares, then the investor may sustain losses.

 

Market Trading Risk. Although Shares are listed for trading on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for such Shares will develop or be maintained. Trading in Shares may be halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the Exchange, make trading in Shares inadvisable. In addition, trading in Shares is subject to trading halts

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caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant to Exchange “circuit breaker” rules. There can be no assurance that the requirements of the Exchange necessary to maintain the listing of the Fund will continue to be met or will remain unchanged or that the Shares will trade with any volume, or at all.

 

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

 

Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings

The Fund’s portfolio holdings will be disclosed each day on its website at http://us.horizonsetfs.com/. A description of the Fund’s policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Fund’s portfolio securities is available in the SAI.

Fund Management

Adviser . Horizons ETFs Management (US) LLC, located at 1350 Avenue of the Americas, 33rd Floor, New York, NY 10019, serves as the investment adviser to the Fund. The Adviser is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Fund. The Adviser is a wholly-owned indirect subsidiary of Mirae Asset Global Investments Co., Ltd. As of January 31, 2017, the Adviser provided supervisory and management services on approximately $95 million in assets, and approximately $159 million in assets when combined with its affiliate’s assets under management.

 

The Adviser administers the affairs of the Fund, subject to the oversight of the Board and officers. 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 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 Adviser is paid a fee equal to an annual rate of [0. ]% of the average daily net assets of the Fund. The fee is calculated daily and paid monthly.

Under the Investment Advisory Agreement, the Adviser is responsible for substantially all expenses of the Fund, except interest expenses, taxes, brokerage commissions and other expenses connected with executions of portfolio transactions, acquired fund fees and expenses, future distribution fees or expenses, and extraordinary expenses.

A discussion regarding the Board of Trustees’ approval of the Investment Advisory Agreement and Sub-Advisory Agreement with respect to the Fund will be available in the Trust’s next annual or semi-annual report to shareholders.

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Sub-Adviser . The Adviser has retained Mirae Asset Global Investments (Hong Kong) Ltd. (the “Sub-Adviser”) to act as a sub-adviser for the Fund. The Sub-Adviser, located at Level 15, Three Pacific Place, 1 Queen’s Road East, Hong Kong, is an SEC registered investment adviser, and was established in December 2003 and engages in portfolio management activities primarily for individuals, institutional investors and investment trusts. The Sub-Adviser is wholly owned by Mirae Asset Korea. As of February 28, 2017, the Sub-Adviser had approximately $4.5 billion in assets under management.

 

Pursuant to the Sub-Advisory Agreement between the Adviser and the Sub-Adviser with respect to the Fund, the Sub-Adviser is responsible for making investment decisions for the Fund and continuously reviews, supervises and administers the investment program of the Fund, subject to the supervision of the Adviser and the oversight of the Board. Under the Sub-Advisory Agreement, the Adviser pays the Sub-Adviser a fee, which is calculated daily and paid monthly based on a percentage of the average daily net assets of the Fund.

Portfolio Managers

Byung Ha Kim, Co-Chief Investment Officer (“Co-CIO”); Jin Kim, a Portfolio Manager; and Jacky Leung, Portfolio Manager, with the Sub-Adviser, are responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund. Mr. Byung Ha Kim began his employment with the Sub-Adviser in 2005 as a Senior Portfolio Manager and became Co-CIO in July 2013. Mr. Jin Kim has been with the Sub-Adviser since February 2016. Prior to his employment with the Sub-Adviser, he served as a portfolio manager in the ETF Management Division at Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. (Seoul) from 2012 to February 2016 and on the Index/ETF Management Team at Mirae Asset MAPS Global Investments from Nov 2010 to 2012. Mr. Leung has been with the Sub-Adviser since 2015. Prior to his employment with the Sub-Adviser, he served as an Assistant Vice President of Global Asset Management firms at FactSet Research Systems from 2013 to 2015 and on the Equity Finance Middle Office team at Société Générale from 2012 to 2013.

Shareholder Information

Determination of NAV

The 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.

Expenses and fees, including the management fee, are accrued daily and taken into account for purposes of determining NAV. The NAV of the Fund is determined each business day as of the close of trading (ordinarily 4:00 p.m. Eastern time) on the New York Stock Exchange. 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.

 

The values of the Fund’s portfolio securities are based on the securities’ closing prices on their local principal markets, where available. In the absence of a last reported sales price, or if no sales were reported, and for other assets for which market quotes are not readily available, values may be based on quotes obtained from a quotation reporting system, established market makers or by an outside independent pricing service. Prices obtained by an outside independent pricing service use information provided by market makers or estimates of market values obtained from

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data related to investments or securities with similar characteristics and may use a computerized grid matrix of securities and its evaluations in determining what it believes is the fair value of the portfolio securities.

 

If a market quotation for a security is not readily available or the Adviser or Sub-Adviser believes it does not otherwise accurately reflect the market value of the security at the time the Fund calculates its NAV, the security will be fair valued by the Adviser or Sub-Adviser in accordance with the Trust’s valuation policies and procedures approved by the Board of Trustees. The Fund may also use fair value pricing in a variety of circumstances, including but not limited to, situations where 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 (such as 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. Fair value pricing involves subjective judgments and it is possible that a fair value determination for a security is materially different than the value that could be realized upon the sale of the security. 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 Underlying Index. This may adversely affect the Fund’s ability to track the Underlying Index. To the extent the Fund invests in securities that are primarily listed on foreign exchanges or other markets that trade on weekends or other days when the Fund does not price its Shares, the value of the Fund’s portfolio securities may change on days when an investor will not be able to purchase or sell its Shares.

 

Buying and Selling Exchange-Traded Shares

The Shares of the Fund are listed on the Exchange. If you buy or sell Shares in the secondary market, you will 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. In times of severe market disruption or low trading volume in the Fund’s Shares, this spread can increase significantly. It is anticipated that Shares will trade in the secondary market at prices that may differ to varying degrees from the NAV of Shares. During periods of disruptions to creations and redemptions or the existence of extreme market volatility, the market prices of Shares are more likely to differ significantly from the Shares’ NAV.

The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) serves as securities depository for Shares. The Shares may be held only in book-entry form; stock certificates will not be issued. DTC, or its nominee, is the record or registered owner of all outstanding Shares. Beneficial ownership of Shares will be shown on the records of DTC or its participants (described below). Beneficial owners of Shares are not entitled to have Shares registered in their names, will not receive or be entitled to receive physical delivery of certificates in definitive form and are not considered the registered holder thereof. Accordingly, to exercise any rights of a holder of Shares, each beneficial owner must rely on the procedures of: (i) DTC; (ii) “DTC Participants,” i.e., securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and certain other organizations, some of whom (and/or their representatives) own DTC; and (iii) “Indirect Participants,” i.e., brokers, dealers, banks and trust companies that clear through or maintain a custodial relationship with a DTC Participant, either directly or indirectly, through which such beneficial owner holds its interests. The Trust understands that under existing industry practice, in the event the Trust

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requests any action of holders of Shares, or a beneficial owner desires to take any action that DTC, as the record owner of all outstanding Shares, is entitled to take, DTC would authorize the DTC Participants to take such action and that the DTC Participants would authorize the Indirect Participants and beneficial owners acting through such DTC Participants to take such action and would otherwise act upon the instructions of beneficial owners owning through them. As described above, the Trust recognizes DTC or its nominee as the owner of all Shares for all purposes. For more information, see the section entitled “Book Entry Only System” in the SAI.

The Exchange is open for trading 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. Because non-U.S. exchanges may be open on days when the Fund does not price its Shares, the value of the securities in the Fund’s portfolio may change on days when shareholders will not be able to purchase or sell the Fund’s Shares.

Distribution and Service Plan

The Board has adopted a distribution and service plan (“Plan”) pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”). Under the Plan, the Fund is authorized to pay distribution fees in connection with the sale and distribution of its shares and pay service fees in connection with the provision of ongoing services to shareholders. No Rule 12b-1 fees are currently paid by the Fund, and there are no current plans to impose these fees. In addition, no such fees may be paid in the future without further approval by the Board.

Frequent Purchases and Redemptions of Fund Shares

The Board has evaluated the risks of frequent purchases and redemptions of Fund shares (“market timing”) activities by the Fund’s shareholders. The Board noted that Shares can only be purchased and redeemed directly from the Fund in Creation Units by Authorized Participants (“APs”) and that the vast majority of trading in Shares occurs on the secondary market. Because the secondary market trades do not involve the Fund directly, it is unlikely those trades would cause many of the harmful effects of market timing, including dilution, disruption of portfolio management, increases in the Fund’s trading costs and the realization of capital gains.

With respect to trades directly with the Fund, to the extent effected in-kind, those trades do not cause any of the harmful effects (as previously noted) that may result from frequent cash trades. To the extent that the Trust allows or requires trades to be effected in whole or in part in cash, the Board noted that those trades could result in dilution to the Fund and increased transaction

Distributions

Dividends and Distributions

 

The Fund intends to qualify each year as a regulated investment company under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). As a regulated investment company, the Fund generally pays no federal income tax on the income and gains it distributes to you. The Fund expects to declare and distribute all of its net investment income, if any, to shareholders as dividends quarterly. The Fund will distribute net realized capital gains, if any, at least

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annually. The Fund may distribute such income dividends and capital gains more frequently, if necessary, in order to reduce or eliminate federal excise or income taxes on the Fund. The amount of any distribution will vary, and there is no guarantee the Fund will pay either an income dividend or a capital gains distribution.

 

Annual Statements

 

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

 

Avoid “Buying a Dividend”

 

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

 

Dividend Reinvestment Service

Brokers may make available the Depository Trust Company book-entry dividend reinvestment service to their customers who own Fund Shares. 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. In order to achieve greater correlation with the Underlying Index, Fund shareholders are encouraged to use the dividend reinvestment service. 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 Fund shareholders to adhere to specific procedures and timetables. If this service is available and used, dividend distributions of both income and realized gains will be automatically reinvested in additional whole Shares of the Fund purchased in the secondary market.

Tax Information

Tax Considerations

 

The Fund expects, based on its investment objective and strategies, that its distributions, if any, will be taxable as ordinary income, capital gains, or some combination of both. This is true whether you reinvest your distributions in additional Shares or receive them in cash. For federal income tax purposes, Fund distributions of short-term capital gains are taxable to you as ordinary income. Fund distributions of long-term capital gains are taxable to you as long-term capital gains no matter how long you have owned your Shares. A portion of income dividends reported

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by the Fund may be qualified dividend income eligible for taxation by individual shareholders at long-term capital gain rates provided certain holding period requirements are met.

 

Taxes on Exchange-Listed Share Sales

 

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

 

Medicare Tax

 

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

 

Backup Withholding

 

By law, if you do not provide your proper taxpayer identification number and certain required certifications, you may be subject to backup withholding on any distributions of income, capital gains or proceeds from the sale of your Shares. Withholding is also imposed if the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) requires it. When withholding is required, the amount will be 28% of any distributions or proceeds paid.

 

State and Local Taxes

 

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

 

Taxes on Purchase and Redemption of Creation Units

 

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

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

 

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

 

Foreign Tax Credits

 

If the Fund qualifies to pass through to you the tax benefits from foreign taxes it pays on its investments, and elects to do so, then any foreign taxes it pays on these investments may be passed through to you as a foreign tax credit.

 

Non-U.S. Investors

 

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

 

Other Reporting and Withholding Requirements

 

Under the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (“FATCA”), the Fund will be required to withhold a 30% tax on the following payments or distributions made by the Fund to certain foreign entities, referred to as foreign financial institutions or nonfinancial foreign entities, that fail to comply (or be deemed compliant) with extensive reporting and withholding requirements designed to inform the U.S. Department of Treasury of U.S.-owned foreign investment accounts: (a) income dividends and (b) after December 31, 2018, certain capital gain distributions, return of capital distributions and the proceeds arising from the sale of Fund shares. Information about shareholders in the Fund may be disclosed to the IRS, non-U.S. taxing authorities or other parties as necessary to comply with FATCA. Withholding also may be required if a foreign entity that is a shareholder of the Fund fails to provide the appropriate certifications or other documentation concerning its status under FATCA.

 

This discussion of “Dividends, Distributions and Taxes” is not intended or written to be used as tax advice. Because everyone’s tax situation is unique, you should consult your tax professional about federal, state, local or foreign tax consequences before making an investment in the Fund.

 

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Index Provider and Index/Trademark Licenses/Disclaimers

 

The Hang Seng High Dividend Yield Index is a net dividend yield weighted index that is rebalanced annually. Hang Seng Indexes Company Limited serves as the calculation agent for the Hang Seng High Dividend Yield Index. The Hang Seng High Dividend Yield Index is a product of Hang Seng Indexes Company Limited and has been licensed for use by the Adviser and Sub-Adviser.

 

The Hang Seng High Dividend Yield Index is published and compiled by Hang Seng Indexes Company Limited pursuant to a license from Hang Seng Data Services Limited. The mark and name Hang Seng High Dividend Yield Index are proprietary to Hang Seng Data Services Limited. Hang Seng Indexes Company Limited and Hang Seng Data Services Limited have agreed to the use of, and reference to, the Hang Seng High Dividend Yield Index by the Adviser in connection with the Fund, BUT NEITHER HANG SENG INDEXES COMPANY LIMITED NOR HANG SENG DATA SERVICES LIMITED WARRANTS OR REPRESENTS OR WARRANTIES TO ANY BROKER OR HOLDER OF THE FUND OR ANY OTHER PERSON (i) THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THE HANG SENG HIGH DIVIDEND YIELD INDEX AND ITS COMPUTATION OR ANY INFORMATION RELATED THERETO; (ii) THE FITNESS OR SUITABILITY FOR ANY PURPOSE OF THE HANG SENG HIGH DIVIDEND YIELD INDEX OR ANY COMPONENT OR DATA COMPRISED IN IT; OR (iii) THE RESULTS WHICH MAY BE OBTAINED BY ANY PERSON FROM THE USE OF THE HANG SENG HIGH DIVIDEND YIELD INDEX OR ANY COMPONENT OR DATA COMPRISED IN IT FOR ANY PURPOSE, AND NO WARRANTY OR REPRESENTATION OR GUARANTEE OF ANY KIND WHATSOEVER RELATING TO THE HANG SENG HIGH DIVIDEND YIELD INDEX IS GIVEN OR MAY BE IMPLIED. The process and basis of computation and compilation of the Hang Seng High Dividend Yield Index and any of the related formula or formulas, constituent stocks and factors may at any time be changed or altered by Hang Seng Indexes Company Limited without notice. TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, NO RESPONSIBILITY OR LIABILITY IS ACCEPTED BY HANG SENG INDEXES COMPANY LIMITED OR HANG SENG DATA SERVICES LIMITED (i) IN RESPECT OF THE USE OF AND/OR REFERENCE TO THE HANG SENG HIGH DIVIDEND YIELD INDEX BY THE ADVISER IN CONNECTION WITH THE FUND; (ii) FOR ANY INACCURACIES, OMISSIONS, MISTAKES OR ERRORS OF HANG SENG INDEXES COMPANY LIMITED IN THE COMPUTATION OF THE HANG SENG HIGH DIVIDEND YIELD INDEX; (iii) FOR ANY INACCURACIES, OMISSIONS, MISTAKES, ERRORS OR INCOMPLETENESS OF ANY INFORMATION USED IN CONNECTION WITH THE COMPUTATION OF THE HANG SENG HIGH DIVIDEND YIELD INDEX WHICH IS SUPPLIED BY ANY OTHER PERSON; OR (iv) FOR ANY ECONOMIC OR OTHER LOSS WHICH MAY BE DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY SUSTAINED BY ANY BROKER-DEALER OR SHAREHOLDER OF THE CHINA HIGH DIVIDEND YIELD ETF OR ANY OTHER PERSON DEALING WITH THE CHINA HIGH DIVIDEND YIELD ETF AS A RESULT OF ANY OF THE AFORESAID, AND NO CLAIMS, ACTIONS OR LEGAL PROCEEDINGS MAY BE BROUGHT AGAINST HANG SENG INDEXES COMPANY LIMITED AND/OR HANG SENG DATA SERVICES LIMITED in connection with the

25

 

Fund in any manner whatsoever by any broker-dealer, shareholder or other person dealing with the Fund. Any broker-dealer, shareholder or other person dealing with the Fund does so therefore in full knowledge of this disclaimer and can place no reliance whatsoever on Hang Seng Indexes Company Limited and Hang Seng Data Services Limited. For the avoidance of doubt, this disclaimer does not create any contractual or quasi-contractual relationship between any broker-dealer, shareholder or other person and Hang Seng Indexes Company Limited and/or Hang Seng Data Services Limited and must not be construed to have created such relationship.

 

Financial Highlights

 

Because the Fund has only recently commenced investment operations, no financial highlights are available for the Fund at this time. In the future, financial highlights will be presented in this section of the Prospectus.

 

Premium/Discount Information

Information regarding how often 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 past four calendar quarters, or since inception, as applicable, can be found at http://us.horizonsetfs.com/.

General Information

Continuous Offering

The method by which Creation Units are created and traded may raise certain issues under applicable securities laws. Because new Creation Units are issued and sold by the Fund on an ongoing basis, a “distribution,” as such term is used in the Securities Act of 1933 (“Securities Act”), may occur at any point. Broker-dealers and other persons are cautioned that some activities on their part may, depending on the circumstances, result in they 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 customer may be deemed a statutory underwriter if it takes Creation Units after placing an order with the Distributor, breaks them down into constituent Shares, and sells such Shares directly to customers, or if it chooses to couple the creation of a supply of new Shares with an active selling effort involving solicitation of secondary market demand for Shares. A determination of whether one is an underwriter for purposes of the Securities Act must take into account all the facts and circumstances pertaining to the activities of the broker dealer or its customer in the particular case, and the examples mentioned above should not be considered a complete description of all the activities that could lead to a categorization as an underwriter.

Broker-dealers who are not “underwriters” but are participating in a distribution (as contrasted to ordinary secondary trading transactions), and thus dealing with Shares that are part of an “unsold allotment” within the meaning of Section 4(3)(C) of the Securities Act, would be unable to take advantage of the prospectus delivery exemption provided by Section 4(3) of the Securities Act. This is because the prospectus delivery exemption in Section 4(3) of the Securities Act is not available in respect of such transactions as a result of Section 24(d) of the 1940 Act. As a result,

26

 

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 overallotment within the meaning of Section 4(3)(A) of the Securities Act would be unable to take advantage of the prospectus delivery exemption provided by Section 4(3) of the Securities Act. Firms that incur a prospectus delivery obligation with respect to Shares are reminded that, under Rule 153 of the Securities Act, a prospectus delivery obligation under Section 5(b)(2) of the Securities Act owed to an exchange member in connection with a sale on the Exchange is satisfied by the fact that the prospectus is available at the Exchange upon request. The prospectus delivery mechanism provided in Rule 153 is only available with respect to transactions on an exchange.

In addition, certain affiliates of the Fund and the Adviser and Sub-Adviser may purchase and resell Fund shares pursuant to this Prospectus.

 

 

Investment Adviser

Horizons ETFs Management (US) LLC

1350 Avenue of the Americas, 33rd Floor

New York, NY 10019

 

Transfer Agent

U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC

P.O. Box 701

Milwaukee, WI 53201

Sub-Adviser

Mirae Asset Global Investments (Hong Kong) Ltd.

Level 15

Three Pacific Place

1 Queen’s Road East

Hong Kong

 

Distributor

Foreside Fund Services, LLC

Three Canal Plaza

Suite 100

Portland, ME 04101

 

Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

BBD, LLP

1835 Market Street, 26th Floor

Philadelphia, PA 19103

Custodian

U.S. Bank National Association

1555 North River Center Drive

Milwaukee, WI 53212

 

 

Legal Counsel

Thompson Hine LLP

1919 M Street, N.W., Suite 700

Washington, D.C. 20036

 

 

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For More Information

Existing Shareholders or Prospective Investors

·         Call your financial professional

·         http://us.horizonsetfs.com/

 

Dealers

·         http://us.horizonsetfs.com/

·         1.866.641.5739

 

 

Additional Information

This Prospectus does not contain all the information included in the Registration Statement filed with the SEC with respect to the Fund’s Shares. Information about the Fund can be reviewed and copied at the SEC’s Public Reference Room and information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling the SEC at 1.202.551.8090. The Fund’s Registration Statement, including this Prospectus, the SAI and the exhibits may be examined at the offices of the SEC (100 F Street, NE, Washington, DC 20549) or on the EDGAR database at the SEC’s website (http://www.sec.gov), and copies may be obtained, after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following email address: publicinfo@sec.gov, or by writing the SEC’s Public Reference Section, Washington, DC 20549-1520. These documents and other information concerning the Trust also may be inspected at the offices of Horizons ETFs Management (US) LLC, 1350 Avenue of the Americas, 33rd Floor, New York, NY 10019.

The SAI for the Fund, which has been filed with the SEC, provides more information about the Fund. The SAI is incorporated herein by reference and is legally part of this Prospectus. Additional information about the Fund’s investments will be available in the Fund’s annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders. In the Fund’s annual report, when available, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance during its last fiscal year. The SAI and the Fund’s annual and semi-annual reports may be obtained without charge by writing to the Fund at c/o Foreside Fund Services, LLC, at Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME 04101 or by calling 1.866.641.5739 (9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern Time).

 

(Investment Company Act file no. 811-22732)

 

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HORIZONS ETF TRUST I

STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Dated April 24, 2017

This Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) is not a prospectus, and should be read in conjunction with the Prospectus of Horizons ETF Trust I (“Trust”) dated April 24, 2017, as amended (“Prospectus”) for the following series of the Trust, as it may be supplemented from time to time:

Fund   NYSE ARCA Ticker Symbol
Horizons China High Dividend ETF   HCHD

 

Capitalized terms used herein that are not defined have the same meaning as in the Prospectus, unless otherwise noted. A copy of the Prospectus and the Trust’s Annual Report may be obtained without charge by writing to the Trust or the Trust’s distributor, Foreside Fund Services, LLC, at Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME 04101 or by calling 1.866.641.5739 (9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern Time).

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST 1
INVESTMENTS AND RELATED RISKS 1
INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS AND POLICIES 21
BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE TRUST 24
INVESTMENT ADVISORY AND OTHER SERVICES 31
PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS DISCLOSURE 36
QUARTERLY PORTFOLIO SCHEDULE 37
CODE OF ETHICS 37
PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES 37
BROKERAGE TRANSACTIONS 38
EXCHANGE LISTING AND TRADING 39
BOOK ENTRY ONLY SYSTEM 40
CREATION AND REDEMPTION OF CREATION UNITS 42
DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE 53
DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS 54
DIVIDEND REINVESTMENT SERVICE 55
CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL SHAREHOLDERS 55
TAXES 55
CAPITAL STOCK 73
SHAREHOLDER REPORTS 73
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 73
APPENDIX A - Horizons ETFs Management (US) LLC AND HORIZONS SERIES TRUST I PROXY VOTING POLICIES A-1

 

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST

Horizons ETF Trust I (the “Trust”) is an open-end management investment company. The Trust currently consists of five investment portfolios. One investment portfolio is described herein: Horizons China High Dividend ETF (the “Fund”). Four other investment portfolios, Horizons DAX Germany ETF, Horizons NASDAQ 100 Covered Call ETF, Horizons USA Managed Risk ETF and BullMark LatAm Select Leaders ETF are set forth in another Statement of Additional Information. The Fund is classified as a non-diversified management investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (“1940 Act”), and, as a result, is not required to meet certain diversification requirements under the 1940 Act. The Trust was organized as a Delaware statutory trust on May 17, 2012. The shares of the Fund are referred to herein as “Shares.” Horizons ETFs Management (US) LLC (the “Adviser”) and Mirae Asset Global Investments (Hong Kong) Ltd. (the “Sub-Adviser”) act as investment adviser and sub-adviser to the Fund, respectively.

INFORMATION ABOUT INVESTMENTS AND RELATED RISKS

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

General Considerations and Risks

An 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.

In the event that the securities in the Underlying Index are not listed on a national securities exchange, the principal trading market for some may be in the over-the-counter market. The existence of a liquid trading market for certain securities may depend on whether dealers will make a market in such securities. There can be no assurance that a market will be made or maintained or that any such market will be or remain liquid. The price at which securities may be sold and the value of the Fund’s Shares will be adversely affected if trading markets for the Fund’s portfolio securities are limited or absent or if bid/ask spreads are wide.

The Fund is not actively managed, and therefore the adverse financial condition of any one issuer will not result in the elimination of its securities from the securities the Fund holds unless the securities of such issuer are removed from the Underlying Index. The Fund may underperform mutual funds that actively shift their portfolio assets to take advantage of market opportunities or to move to defensive positions to less the impact of a market decline or a decline in the value of one or more issuers.

Authorized Participant Concentration

Only an Authorized Participant may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with the Fund. The Fund has a limited number of institutions that act as Authorized Participants. To the extent that these institutions exit the business or are unable to proceed with creation and/or

1

 

redemption orders with respect to the Fund and no other Authorized Participant is able to step forward to create or redeem Creation Units, Fund shares may trade at a discount to NAV and possibly face trading halts and/or delisting.

Borrowing

The Fund may borrow money to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act, as interpreted or modified by regulation from time to time. This means that, in general, the Fund may borrow money from banks for any purpose in an amount up to ⅓ of the Fund’s total assets. The Fund also may borrow money for temporary administrative purposes in an amount not to exceed 5% of the Fund’s total assets.

Specifically, provisions of the 1940 Act require the Fund to maintain continuous asset coverage (that is, total assets including borrowings, less liabilities exclusive of borrowings) of 300% of the amount borrowed, with an exception for borrowings not in excess of 5% of the Fund’s total assets made for temporary purposes. Any borrowings for temporary purposes in excess of 5% of the Fund’s total assets must maintain continuous asset coverage. If the 300% asset coverage should decline as a result of market fluctuations or other reasons, the Fund may be required to sell some of its portfolio holdings within three (3) days (not including Sundays and holidays) to reduce the debt and restore the 300% asset coverage, even though it may be disadvantageous from an investment standpoint to sell securities at that time.

The Fund also may enter into certain transactions that can be viewed as constituting a form of borrowing or financing transaction by such Fund. To the extent the Fund “covers” its obligations or liabilities by the segregation or “earmarking” of assets, in accordance with procedures adopted by Board reasonably designed to be consistent with the regulations, rules and SEC staff interpretations under the 1940 Act, such borrowing will not be (i) considered a “senior security” by the Fund or (ii) subject to the 300% asset coverage requirement otherwise applicable to borrowings by the Fund. Borrowing will tend to exaggerate the effect on the Fund’s NAV of any increase or decrease in the market value of the Fund’s portfolio. Money borrowed will be subject to interest costs which may or may not be recovered by appreciation of the securities purchased. In addition, the Fund may be required to maintain minimum average balances in connection with such borrowing or to pay a commitment or other fee to maintain a line of credit; either of these requirements would increase the cost of borrowing over the stated interest rate.

Concentration

The Fund may be susceptible to an increased risk of loss, including losses due to adverse events that affect the Fund’s investments more than the market as a whole, to the extent that the Fund’s investments are concentrated in the securities of a particular issuer or issuers, country, group of countries, region, market, industry, group of industries, sector or asset class. Shares are subject to the risks of an investment in a portfolio of equity securities in an industry or group of industries in which the Underlying Index is highly concentrated. In addition, because it is the policy of the Fund to generally invest in the securities that comprise the Underlying Index, the securities held by such Fund may be concentrated in that industry or group of industries.

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Currency Transactions

The Fund may enter into non-U.S. currency spot or forward transactions and non-U.S. currency futures contracts to facilitate local securities settlements or to protect against currency exposure in connection with its distributions to shareholders, but may not enter into such contracts for speculative purposes. The Fund does not expect to engage in currency transactions for the purpose of hedging against declines in the value of the Fund’s assets that are denominated in a non-U.S. currency.

 

A forward currency contract is an obligation to purchase or sell a specific currency at a future date, which may be any fixed number of days from the date of the contract agreed upon by the parties, at a price set at the time of the contract. At the maturity of a forward currency contract, the Fund may either exchange the currencies specified at the maturity of the forward contract or, prior to maturity, enter into a closing transaction involving the purchase or sale of an offsetting contract. Closing transactions with respect to forward currency contracts are usually effected with the counterparty to the original forward contract. The Fund may also enter into forward currency contracts that do not provide for physical settlement of the two currencies but instead are settled by a single cash payment calculated as the difference between the agreed upon exchange rate and the spot rate at settlement based upon an agreed upon notional amount (“non-deliverable forwards”).

 

Under definitions adopted by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) and SEC, non-deliverable forwards are considered swaps, and therefore are included in the definition of “commodity interests” for purposes of regulation under the Commodity Exchange Act, as amended (“CEA”). Although non-deliverable forwards have historically been traded in the over-the-counter market, as swaps they may in the future be required to be centrally cleared and traded on public facilities. Forward currency contracts that qualify as deliverable forwards are not regulated as swaps for most purposes, and are not included in the definition of “commodity interests.” However, these forwards are subject to some requirements applicable to swaps, including reporting to swap data repositories, documentation requirements, and business conduct rules applicable to swap dealers. CFTC regulation of forward currency contracts, especially non-deliverable forwards, may restrict the Fund’s ability to use these instruments in the manner described herein or subject the Adviser to CFTC registration and regulation as a commodity pool operator (“CPO”).

 

A currency futures contract is a contract involving an obligation to deliver or acquire the specified amount of a specific currency, at a specified price and at a specified future time. Currency futures contracts may be settled on a net cash payment basis rather than by the sale and delivery of the underlying currency. For more information about futures contracts, see “Futures and Options.”

 

Currency transactions involve a significant degree of risk, and the markets in which currency transactions are effected are highly volatile, highly specialized and highly technical. Significant changes, including changes in liquidity and prices, can occur in such markets within very short periods of time, often within minutes. Foreign exchange trading risks include, but are not limited to, exchange rate risk, counterparty risk, maturity gap, interest rate risk, and potential interference by foreign governments through regulation of local exchange markets, foreign investment or particular transactions in non-U.S. currency. If the Adviser or Sub-Adviser utilizes

3

 

 

currency transactions at an inappropriate time or judges market conditions, trends or correlations incorrectly, foreign exchange transactions may not serve their intended purpose of improving the correlation of the Fund’s return with the performance of its Underlying Index and may lower the Fund’s return. The Fund could experience losses if the value of its currency forwards, options and/or futures positions were poorly correlated with its other investments or if it could not close out its positions because of an illiquid market. In addition, the Fund could incur transaction costs, including trading commissions, in connection with certain non-U.S. currency transactions.

 

Custody Risk

 

Custody risk refers to the risks inherent in the process of clearing and settling trades and to the holding of securities by local banks, agents and depositories. Low trading volumes and volatile prices in less developed markets make trades harder to complete and settle, and governments or trade groups may compel local agents to hold securities in designated depositories that may not be subject to independent evaluation. Local agents are held only to the standards of care of their local markets, and thus may be subject to limited or no government oversight. Communications between the United States and emerging market countries may be unreliable, increasing the risk of delayed settlements or losses of security certificates. The less developed a country’s securities market is, the greater the likelihood of custody problems. Practices in relation to the settlement of securities transactions in emerging markets involve higher risks than those in developed markets, in part because of the use of brokers and counterparties that are less well capitalized, and custody and registration of assets in some countries may be unreliable. The possibility of fraud, negligence, undue influence being exerted by the issuer or refusal to recognize ownership exists in some emerging markets, and, along with other factors, could result in ownership registration being lost. In addition, the laws of certain countries may put limits on the Fund’s ability to recover its assets if a foreign bank or depository or issuer of a security or an agent of any of the foregoing goes bankrupt. The Fund would absorb any loss resulting from such custody problems and may have no successful claim for compensation.

Derivatives

 

A derivative is a financial contract, the value of which depends on, or is derived from, the value of an underlying asset, a commodity (such as gold or silver), a currency or an index (a measure of value or rates, such as the S&P 500 Index or the prime lending rate). Compared to conventional securities, derivatives can be more sensitive to changes in interest rates or to sudden fluctuations in market prices and thus the Fund’s losses may be greater if it invests in derivatives than if it invests only in conventional securities. Derivatives are also subject to counterparty risk, which is the risk that the other party in the transaction will not fulfill its contractual obligations.

With respect to the Fund, the Adviser and Sub-Adviser have each claimed an exclusion from the definition of a CPO under the CEA, and the rules of the CFTC and, therefore, are not subject to CFTC registration or regulation as a CPO. In addition, the Adviser and Sub-Adviser are relying upon a related exclusion from the definition of “commodity trading advisor” (“CTA”) under the CEA and the rules of the CFTC.

 

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The terms of the CPO exclusion require the Fund, among other things, to adhere to certain limits on its investments in “commodity interests.” Commodity interests include commodity futures, commodity options and swaps. Because the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser and the Fund each intends to comply with the terms of the CPO exclusion, the Fund may, in the future, need to adjust its investment strategies, consistent with its investment objective(s), to limit its investments in these types of instruments. The Fund is not intended as vehicles for trading in the commodity futures, commodity options or swaps markets. The CFTC has neither reviewed nor approved the Adviser’s, Sub-Adviser’s or the Fund’s reliance on these exclusions, or their investment strategies or this SAI.

 

Generally, the exclusion from CPO regulation on which the Adviser and Sub-Adviser rely requires the Fund to meet one of the following tests for its commodity interest positions, other than positions entered into for bona fide hedging purposes (as defined in the rules of the CFTC): either (1) the aggregate initial margin and premiums required to establish the Fund’s positions in commodity interests may not exceed 5% of the liquidation value of the Fund’s portfolio (after taking into account unrealized profits and unrealized losses on any such positions); or (2) the aggregate net notional value of the Fund’s commodity interest positions, determined at the time the most recent such position was established, may not exceed 100% of the liquidation value of the Fund’s portfolio (after taking into account unrealized profits and unrealized losses on any such positions). In addition to meeting one of these trading limitations, the Fund may not be marketed as commodity pools or otherwise as vehicles for trading in the commodity futures, commodity options or swaps markets. If, in the future, the Fund can no longer satisfy these requirements, the Adviser or Sub-Adviser would withdraw its notice claiming an exclusion from the definition of a CPO, and the Adviser or Sub-Adviser would be subject to registration and regulation as a CPO with respect to the Fund. In that case, the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser and Fund would need to comply with all applicable CFTC disclosure, reporting, operational, and other regulations, which could increase Fund expenses.

Equity Securities

Equity securities represent ownership interests in a company and include common stocks, preferred stocks, warrants to acquire common stock, and securities convertible into common stock. 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 net asset value per Share (“NAV”) of the Fund to fluctuate.

Types of Equity Securities

Common Stocks - Common stocks represent units of ownership in a company, including a real estate investment trust (“REIT”). 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 stock dividends are subordinated to the liabilities of the issuer. Unlike common stocks, preferred stocks are generally not entitled to vote

5

 

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 values 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.

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.

Equity Securities Risks

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

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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.

Because preferred stock is generally junior to debt securities and other obligations of the issuer, deterioration in the credit quality of the issuer will cause greater changes in the value of a preferred stock than in a more senior debt security with similar stated yield characteristics.

Fluctuation of Net Asset Value

 

The NAV of the Fund’s Shares will generally fluctuate with changes in the market value of the Fund’s holdings. The market prices of the Shares will generally fluctuate in accordance with changes in NAV as well as the relative supply and demand for Shares on the NYSE ARCA (“Exchange”). The Adviser and Sub-Adviser cannot predict whether the Shares will trade below, at or above the NAV of the Shares of the Fund. Price differences may be due, in large part, to the fact that supply and demand forces at work in the secondary trading market for the Shares will be closely related to, but not identify to, the same forces influencing the prices of the stocks of the Underlying Index trading individually or in the aggregate at any point in time.

 

Foreign Securities

 

An investment in the Fund involves risks similar to those of investing in portfolios of equity securities traded on non-U.S. exchanges. These risks include market fluctuations caused by such factors as economic and political developments and changes in interest rates and perceived trends in stock prices. Investing in securities issued by issuers domiciled in countries other than the domicile of the investor and denominated in currencies other than an investor’s local currency entails certain considerations and risks not typically encountered by the investor in making investments in its home country and in that country’s currency. These considerations include favorable or unfavorable changes in interest rates, currency exchange rates, exchange control regulations and the costs that may be incurred in connection with conversions between various currencies. Investing in any of the Fund also involves certain risks and considerations not typically associated with investing in the Fund whose portfolio contains exclusively securities of U.S. issuers. These risks include generally less liquid and less efficient securities markets; generally greater price volatility; less publicly available information about issuers; the imposition of withholding or other taxes; the imposition of restrictions on the expatriation of funds or other

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assets of the Fund; higher transaction and custody costs; delays and risks attendant in settlement procedures; difficulties in enforcing contractual obligations; lower liquidity and significantly smaller market capitalization; different accounting and disclosure standards; lower levels of regulation of the securities markets; more substantial government interference with the economy; higher rates of inflation; greater social, economic, and political uncertainty; the risk of nationalization or expropriation of assets; and the risk of war.

 

ADRs, GDRs and EDRs

 

The Fund may purchase equity securities of non-U.S. issuers. To the extent the Fund invests in equity securities of non-U.S. issuers, certain of the Fund’s investments in such securities may be in the form of American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”), Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”) and European Depositary Receipts (“EDRs”) (collectively, “Depositary Receipts”). Depositary Receipts are receipts, typically issued by a bank or trust issuer, which evidence ownership of underlying securities issued by a non-U.S. issuer. For ADRs, the depository is typically a U.S. financial institution and the underlying securities are issued by a non-U.S. issuer. For other forms of Depositary Receipts, the depository may be a non-U.S. or a U.S. entity, and the underlying securities may be issued by a non-U.S. or a U.S. issuer. Depositary Receipts are not necessarily denominated in the same currency as their underlying securities. Generally, ADRs, issued in registered form, are designed for use in the U.S. securities markets, and EDRs, issued in bearer form, are designed for use in European securities markets. GDRs are tradable both in the United States and in Europe and are designed for use throughout the world.

 

The Fund will not invest in any unlisted Depositary Receipt or any Depositary Receipt that the Adviser or Sub-Adviser deems illiquid at the time of purchase or for which pricing information is not readily available. In general, Depositary Receipts must be sponsored, but 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. Therefore, there may be less information available regarding such issuers and there may be no correlation between available information and the market value of the Depositary Receipts.

 

Asia

Investments in securities of issuers in certain Asian countries involve risks not typically associated with investments in securities of issuers in other regions. Such heightened risks include, among others, expropriation and/or nationalization of assets, confiscatory taxation, political instability, including authoritarian and/or military involvement in governmental decision-making, armed conflict and social instability as a result of religious, ethnic and/or socio-economic unrest. Many Asian economies have experienced rapid rates of economic growth and industrialization in recent years, and there is no assurance that these rates of economic growth and industrialization will be maintained.

Certain Asian countries have democracies with relatively short histories, which may increase the risk of political instability. These countries have faced political and military unrest, and further unrest could present a risk to their local economies and securities markets. Indonesia and the Philippines have each experienced violence and terrorism, which has negatively impacted their

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economies. North Korea and South Korea each have substantial military capabilities, and historical tensions between the two countries present the risk of war; in the recent past, these tensions have escalated. Any outbreak of hostilities between the two countries could have a severe adverse effect on the South Korean economy and securities market. Increased political and social unrest in these geographic areas could adversely affect the performance of investments in this region.

Certain governments in this region administer prices on several basic goods, including fuel and electricity, within their respective countries. Certain governments may exercise substantial influence over many aspects of the private sector in their respective countries and may own or control many companies. Future government actions could have a significant effect on the economic conditions in this region, which in turn could have a negative impact on private sector companies. There is also the possibility of diplomatic developments adversely affecting investments in the region.

Corruption and the perceived lack of a rule of law in dealings with international companies in certain Asian countries may discourage foreign investment and could negatively impact the long-term growth of certain economies in this region. In addition, certain countries in the region are experiencing high unemployment and corruption, and have fragile banking sectors.

Some economies in this region are dependent on a range of commodities, including oil, natural gas and coal. Accordingly, they are strongly affected by international commodity prices and particularly vulnerable to any weakening in global demand for these products. The market for securities in this region may also be directly influenced by the flow of international capital, and by the economic and market conditions of neighboring countries. Adverse economic conditions or developments in neighboring countries may increase investors’ perception of the risk of investing in the region as a whole, which may adversely impact the market value of the securities issued by companies in the region.

China

Investments in securities of companies domiciled in China involve a high degree of risk and special considerations not typically associated with investing in the U.S. securities markets. Such heightened risks include, among others, an authoritarian government, popular unrest associated with demands for improved political, economic and social conditions, the impact of regional conflict on the economy and hostile relations with neighboring countries.

Military conflicts, either in response to internal social unrest or conflicts with other countries, could disrupt economic development. The Chinese economy is vulnerable to the long-running disagreements with Hong Kong related to integration and religious and nationalist disputes with Tibet. China has a complex territorial dispute regarding the sovereignty of Taiwan that has included threats of invasion; Taiwan-based companies and individuals are significant investors in China. Military conflict between China and Taiwan may adversely affect securities of Chinese issuers. In addition, China has strained international relations with Japan, India, Russia and other neighbors due to territorial disputes, historical animosities and other defense concerns. China could be affected by military events on the Korean peninsula or internal instability within North

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Korea. These situations may cause uncertainty in the Chinese market and may adversely affect performance of the Chinese economy.

The Chinese government has implemented significant economic reforms in order to liberalize trade policy, promote foreign investment in the economy, reduce government control of the economy and develop market mechanisms. But there can be no assurance that these reforms will continue or that they will be effective. Despite reforms and privatizations of companies in certain sectors, the Chinese government still exercises substantial influence over many aspects of the private sector and may own or control many companies. The Chinese government continues to maintain a major role in economic policy making and investing in China involves risk of loss due to expropriation, nationalization, confiscation of assets and property or the imposition of restrictions on foreign investments and on repatriation of capital invested. In addition, there is less regulation and monitoring of Chinese securities markets and the activities of investors, brokers and other participants than in the United States. Accordingly, issuers of securities in China are not subject to the same degree of regulation as are U.S. issuers with respect to such matters as insider trading rules, tender offer regulation, stockholder proxy requirements and the requirements mandating timely and accurate disclosure of information. Stock markets in China are in the process of change and further development. This may lead to trading volatility, difficulty in the settlement and recording of transactions and difficulty in interpreting and applying the relevant regulation.

While the Chinese economy has grown rapidly in recent years, there is no assurance that this growth rate will be maintained. China may experience substantial rates of inflation or economic recessions, causing a negative effect on the economy and securities market. China’s economy is heavily dependent on export growth. Reduction in spending on Chinese products and services, institution of tariffs or other trade barriers or a downturn in any of the economies of China’s key trading partners may have an adverse impact on the securities of Chinese issuers.

The tax laws and regulations in the People’s Republic of China (“PRC”) are subject to change, including the issuance of authoritative guidance or enforcement, possibly with retroactive effect. The interpretation, applicability and enforcement of such laws by PRC tax authorities are not as consistent and transparent as those of more developed nations, and may vary over time and from region to region. The application and enforcement of PRC tax rules could have a significant adverse effect on the Fund and its investors, particularly in relation to capital gains withholding tax imposed upon non-residents.

Hong Kong

Investments in Hong Kong issuers subject the Fund to legal, regulatory, political, currency, security and economic risks specific to Hong Kong. China is Hong Kong’s largest trading partner, both in terms of exports and imports. Any changes in the Chinese economy, trade regulations or currency exchange rates may have an adverse impact on Hong Kong’s economy.

Political and Social Risk. Hong Kong reverted to Chinese sovereignty on July 1, 1997 as a Special Administrative Region of the PRC under the principle of “one country, two systems.” Although China is obligated to maintain the current capitalist economic and social system of Hong Kong through June 30, 2047, the continuation of economic and social freedoms enjoyed in

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Hong Kong is dependent on the government of China. Any attempt by China to tighten its control over Hong Kong’s political, economic or social policies may adversely affect Hong Kong’s economy.

Economic Risk. The economy of Hong Kong is closely tied to the economy of China. The Chinese economy has grown rapidly during the past several years and there is no assurance that this growth rate will be maintained. China may experience substantial rates of inflation or economic recessions, causing a negative effect on the economy and securities market. Delays in enterprise restructuring, slow development of well-functioning financial markets and widespread corruption have also hindered performance of the Chinese economy, and China continues to receive substantial pressure from trading partners to liberalize official currency exchange rates.

 

Futures and Options

 

Futures contracts and options may from time to time be used by the Fund to simulate investment in its Underlying Index, to facilitate trading or to reduce transaction costs. The Fund may enter into futures contracts and options that are traded on a U.S. or non-U.S. exchange. The Fund will not use futures or options for speculative purposes.

 

Risk of Futures and Options

 

There are several risks accompanying the utilization of futures contracts and options on futures contracts. A position in futures contracts and options on futures contracts may be closed only on the exchange on which the contract was made (or a linked exchange). While the Fund plans to utilize futures contracts only if an active market exists for such contracts, there is no guarantee that a liquid market will exist for the contract at a specified time. Futures contracts, by definition, project price levels in the future and not current levels of valuation; therefore, market circumstances may result in a discrepancy between the price of the stock index future and the movement in the Fund’s Underlying Index. In the event of adverse price movements, the Fund would continue to be required to make daily cash payments to maintain its required margin. In such situations, if the Fund has insufficient cash, it may have to sell portfolio securities to meet daily margin requirements at a time when it may be disadvantageous to do so. In addition, the Fund may be required to deliver the instruments underlying the futures contracts it has sold.

 

The risk of loss in trading futures contracts or uncovered call options in some strategies (e.g., selling uncovered stock index futures contracts) is potentially unlimited. The Fund does not plan to use futures and options contracts in this way. The risk of a futures position may still be large as traditionally measured due to the low margin deposits required. In many cases, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in immediate and substantial loss or gain to the investor relative to the size of a required margin deposit. The Fund, however, intend to utilize futures and options contracts in a manner designed to limit their risk exposure to levels comparable to a direct investment in the types of stocks in which they invest.

There is a risk of loss by the Fund of the initial and variation margin deposits in the event of bankruptcy of the FCM with which the Fund has an open position in a futures contract. The assets of the Fund may not be fully protected in the event of the bankruptcy of the FCM or central counterparty because the Fund might be limited to recovering only a pro rata share of all available funds and margin segregated on behalf of an FCM’s customers. If the FCM does not

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provide accurate reporting, the Fund is also subject to the risk that the FCM could use the Fund’s assets, which are held in an omnibus account with assets belonging to the FCM’s other customers, to satisfy its own financial obligations or the payment obligations of another customer to the central counterparty.

Utilization of futures and options on futures by the Fund involves the risk of imperfect or even negative correlation to its Underlying Index if the index underlying the futures contract differs from the Underlying Index. There is also the risk of loss of margin deposits in the event of bankruptcy of a broker with whom the Fund has an open position in the futures contract or option. The purchase of put or call options will be based upon predictions by the Adviser or Sub-Adviser as to anticipated trends, which predictions could prove to be incorrect.

Because the futures market generally imposes less burdensome margin requirements than the securities market, an increased amount of participation by speculators in the futures market could result in price fluctuations. Certain financial futures exchanges limit the amount of fluctuation permitted in futures contract prices during a single trading day. The daily limit establishes the maximum amount by which the price of a futures contract may vary either up or down from the previous day’s settlement price at the end of a trading session. Once the daily limit has been reached in a particular type of contract, no trades may be made on that day at a price beyond that limit. It is possible that futures contract prices could move to the daily limit for several consecutive trading days with little or no trading, thereby preventing prompt liquidation of futures positions and subjecting the Fund to substantial losses. In the event of adverse price movements, the Fund would be required to make daily cash payments of variation margin.

 

Futures

 

Futures contracts provide for the future sale by one party and purchase by another party of a specified amount of a specific asset, currency, rate or index at a specified future time and at a specified price. Stock index futures are based on investments that reflect the market value of common stock of the firms included in an underlying index. The Fund may enter into futures contracts to purchase securities indexes when the Adviser or Sub-Adviser anticipates purchasing the underlying securities and believes prices will rise before the purchase will be made. To the extent required by law, liquid assets committed to futures contracts will be maintained.

 

Futures contracts may be bought and sold on U.S. and non-U.S. exchanges. Futures contracts in the U.S. have been designed by exchanges that have been designated “contract markets” by the CFTC and must be executed through a futures commission merchant (“FCM”), which is a brokerage firm that is a member of the relevant contract market. Each exchange guarantees performance of the contracts as between the clearing members of the exchange, thereby reducing the risk of counterparty default. Futures contracts may also be entered into on certain exempt markets, including exempt boards of trade and electronic trading facilities, available to certain market participants. Because all transactions in the futures market are made, offset or fulfilled by an FCM through a clearinghouse associated with the exchange on which the contracts are traded, the Fund will incur brokerage fees when it buys or sells futures contracts.

 

Upon entering into a futures contract, the Fund will be required to deliver to an account controlled by the FCM an amount of cash or cash equivalents known as “initial margin,” which

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is in the nature of a performance bond or good faith deposit on the contract and is returned to the Fund upon termination of the futures contract, assuming all contractual obligations have been satisfied. Subsequent payments, known as “variation margin,” to and from the FCM will be made daily as the price of the instrument or index underlying the futures contract fluctuates, making the long and short positions in the futures contract more or less valuable, a process known as “marking-to-market.”

 

At any time prior to the expiration of a futures contract, the Fund may elect to close the position by taking an opposite position, which will operate to terminate the Fund’s existing position in the contract. This transaction, which is effected through a member of an exchange, cancels the obligation to make or take delivery of the underlying instrument or asset. Although some futures contracts by their terms require the actual delivery or acquisition of the underlying instrument or asset, some require cash settlement. For example, cash-settled stock index futures contracts may allow the Fund to obtain exposure to its Underlying Index without having to actually purchase the underlying securities comprising the index.

 

A call option gives a holder the right to purchase a specific security at a specified price (“exercise price”) within a specified period of time. A put option gives a holder the right to sell a specific security at a specified exercise price within a specified period of time. The initial purchaser of a call option pays the “writer” a premium, which is paid at the time of purchase and is retained by the writer whether or not such option is exercised. The Fund may purchase put options to hedge its portfolio against the risk of a decline in the market value of securities held and may purchase call options to hedge against an increase in the price of securities it is committed to purchase. The Fund may write put and call options along with a long position in options to increase its ability to hedge against a change in the market value of the securities it holds or is committed to purchase. Investments in futures contracts and other investments that contain leverage may require the Fund to maintain liquid assets. Generally, the Fund maintains an amount of liquid assets equal to its obligations relative to the position involved, adjusted daily on a marked-to-market basis. With respect to futures contracts that are contractually required to “cash-settle,” the Fund maintains liquid assets in an amount at least equal to the Fund’s daily marked-to-market obligation (i.e., the Fund’s daily net liability, if any), rather than the contracts’ notional value (i.e., the value of the underlying asset). By maintaining assets equal to its net obligation under cash-settled futures contracts, the Fund may employ leverage to a greater extent than if the Fund set aside assets equal to the futures contracts’ full notional value. The Fund bases its asset maintenance policies on methods permitted by the staff of the SEC and may modify these policies in the future to comply with any changes in the guidance articulated from time to time by the SEC or its staff.

 

Options

 

An option on a futures contract, as contrasted with the direct investment in such a contract, gives the purchaser the right, but not the obligation, in return for the premium paid, to assume a position in the underlying futures contract at a specified exercise price at any time prior to the expiration date of the option. The writer of the option becomes contractually obligated to take the opposite futures position specified in the option.

 

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Upon exercise of an option on a futures contract, the delivery of the futures position by the writer of the option to the holder of the option will be accompanied by delivery of the accumulated balance in the writer’s futures margin account that represents the amount by which the market price of the futures contract exceeds (in the case of a call) or is less than (in the case of a put) the exercise price of the option on the futures contract. The potential for loss related to the purchase of an option on a futures contract is limited to the premium paid for the option plus transaction costs. Because the value of the option is fixed at the point of sale, there are no daily cash payments by the purchaser to reflect changes in the value of the underlying contract; however, the value of the option changes daily and that change would be reflected in the NAV of the Fund.

 

The Fund may purchase and write put and call options on futures contracts that are traded on an exchange as a hedge against changes in value of its portfolio securities, or in anticipation of the purchase of securities, and may enter into closing transactions with respect to such options to terminate existing positions. There is no guarantee that such closing transactions can be effected. The Fund’s use of options on futures contracts is subject to the risks related to derivative instruments generally. In addition, the amount of risk the Fund assumes when it purchases an option on a futures contract is the premium paid for the option plus related transaction costs. The purchase of an option also entails the risk that changes in the value of the underlying futures contract will not be fully reflected in the value of the option purchased. The writer of an option on a futures contract is subject to the risk of having to take a possibly adverse futures position if the purchaser of the option exercises its rights. If the writer were required to take such a position, it could bear substantial losses. The potential for loss related to writing call options is unlimited. The potential for loss related to writing put options is limited to the agreed upon price per share, also known as the “strike price,” less the premium received from writing the put.

 

Investment Companies

 

The Fund may invest in the securities of other investment companies, 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 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 and while they have no current intention to do so, the Fund may invest in different types of investment companies from time to time, including

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business development companies (“BDCs”). A BDC is a less common type of an 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 the Fund in the Fund’s financial statements, which more accurately reflect the Fund’s actual operating expenses.

Large Capitalization Companies

 

Stock prices of large capitalization companies may be less volatile than those of small- and mid-capitalization companies. However, larger companies may not be able to attain the high growth rates of successful smaller companies, and thus, returns on investments in securities of large companies could trail the returns on investments in securities of small- and mid-sized companies.

 

Mid-Capitalization Companies

 

Stock prices of mid-capitalization companies may be more volatile than those of large capitalization companies and, therefore, the Fund’s Share price may be more volatile than those of funds that invest a larger percentage of their assets in stocks issued by large capitalization companies. Stock prices of mid-capitalization companies are also more vulnerable than those of large capitalization companies to adverse business or economic developments, and the stocks of mid-capitalization companies may be less liquid, making it more difficult for the Fund to buy and sell them. In addition, mid-capitalization companies generally have less diverse product lines than large capitalization companies and are more susceptible to adverse developments related to their products.

 

National Closed Market Trading Risk

 

To the extent that the underlying securities held by the Fund trade on foreign exchanges that may be closed when the securities exchange on which the Fund’s shares trade is open, there are likely to be deviations between the current price of such an underlying security and the last quoted price for the underlying security (i.e., the Fund’s quote from the closed foreign market). These deviations could result in premiums or discounts to the Fund’s NAV that may be greater than those experienced by other exchange-traded Fund (“ETFs”).

 

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Non-Correlation Risk

 

An investment in the Fund should also be made with an understanding that the Fund will not be able to replicate exactly the performance of its Underlying Index because the total return generated by the Fund will be reduced by transaction costs and other Fund expenses, whereas such transaction costs and expenses are not included in the calculation of the Underlying Index. In addition, it is possible that, for periods of time, the Fund may not fully replicate the performance of the Underlying Index due to the temporary unavailability of certain Underlying Index securities in the secondary market or other extraordinary circumstances. Such events are unlikely to continue for an extended period of time because such imbalances made be corrected by means of adjusting the composition of the securities in the Underlying Index (pursuant to the Underlying Index methodology) or in the Fund’s portfolio, respectively. In addition, it is possible that the composition of the Fund may not exactly replicate the composition of the Underlying Index if the Fund has to adjust its portfolio holdings in order to continue to qualify as a “regulated investment company” under the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (“Code”). Because the Fund reserves the right to issue and redeem Creation Units principally for cash, the Fund may incur higher costs in buying and selling securities than if the Fund issued and redeemed Creation Units principally in-kind.

 

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 an Underlying Index of the Fund 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 Code.

 

Operational Risk

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

Passive Investment Risk

 

The Fund is not actively managed and the Adviser and Sub-Adviser do not attempt to take defensive positions under any market conditions, including declining markets.

 

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Real Estate Investment Trusts

REITs may be affected by changes in underlying real estate values, which may have an exaggerated effect to the extent that REITs in which the Fund invests may concentrate investments in particular geographic regions or property types. Additionally, rising interest rates may cause investors in REITs to demand a higher annual yield from future distributions, which may in turn decrease market prices for equity securities issued by REITs. Rising interest rates also generally increase the costs of obtaining financing, which could cause the value of the Fund’s investments to decline. REITs may also be affected by the ability of tenants to pay rent.

Certain REITs have relatively small market capitalization, which may tend to increase the volatility of the market price of securities issued by such REITs. Furthermore, REITs are dependent upon specialized management skills, have limited diversification and are, therefore, subject to risks inherent in operating and financing a limited number of projects. By investing in REITs indirectly through the Fund, a shareholder will bear not only his or her proportionate share of the expenses of the Fund, but also, indirectly, similar expenses of the REITs. REITs depend generally on their ability to generate cash flow to make distributions to shareholders.

In addition to these risks, REITs may be affected by changes in the value of the underlying property owned by the trusts. Further, REITs are dependent upon management skills and generally may not be diversified. REITs are also subject to heavy cash flow dependency, defaults by borrowers and self-liquidation. The above factors may also adversely affect a borrower’s or a lessee’s ability to meet its obligations to the REIT. In the event of default by a borrower or lessee, the REIT may experience delays in enforcing its rights as a mortgagee or lessor and may incur substantial costs associated with protecting its investments.

 

Repurchase Agreements

 

A repurchase agreement is an instrument under which the purchaser (i.e., the Fund) acquires the security and the seller agrees, at the time of the sale, to repurchase the security at a mutually agreed upon time and price, thereby determining the yield during the purchaser’s holding period. Repurchase agreements may be construed to be collateralized loans by the purchaser to the seller secured by the securities transferred to the purchaser. If a repurchase agreement is construed to be a collateralized loan, the underlying securities will not be considered to be owned by the Fund but only to constitute collateral for the seller’s obligation to pay the repurchase price, and, in the event of a default by the seller, the Fund may suffer time delays and incur costs or losses in connection with the disposition of the collateral.

 

In any repurchase transaction, the collateral for a repurchase agreement may include: (i) cash items; (ii) obligations issued by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities; or (iii) obligations that, at the time the repurchase agreement is entered into, are rated in the highest rating category generally by at least two nationally recognized statistical rating organizations (“NRSROs”), or, if unrated, determined to be of comparable quality by the Adviser or Sub-Adviser. Collateral, however, is not limited to the foregoing and may include, for example, obligations rated below the highest category by NRSROs. Collateral for a repurchase agreement may also include securities that the Fund could not hold directly without the repurchase obligation. Irrespective of the type of collateral underlying the repurchase agreement, in the case of a repurchase agreement entered into by a non-money market fund, the repurchase obligation of a seller must be of comparable credit quality to securities that are rated in the highest two

17

 

 

short-term credit rating categories by at least one NRSRO or, if unrated, deemed by the Adviser or Sub-Adviser to be of equivalent quality.

Repurchase agreements pose certain risks for the Fund if it utilizes them. Such risks are not unique to the Fund, but are inherent in repurchase agreements. The Fund seeks to minimize such risks, but because of the inherent legal uncertainties involved in repurchase agreements, such risks cannot be eliminated. Lower quality collateral and collateral with longer maturities may be subject to greater price fluctuations than higher quality collateral and collateral with shorter maturities. If the repurchase agreement counterparty were to default, lower quality collateral may be more difficult to liquidate than higher quality collateral. Should the counterparty default and the amount of collateral not be sufficient to cover the counterparty’s repurchase obligation, the Fund would retain the status of an unsecured creditor of the counterparty (i.e., the position the Fund would normally be in if it were to hold, pursuant to its investment policies, other unsecured debt securities of the defaulting counterparty) with respect to the amount of the shortfall. As an unsecured creditor, the Fund would be at risk of losing some or all of the principal and income involved in the transaction.

Reverse Repurchase Agreements

Reverse repurchase agreements 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. 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 advantageous only if the Fund has an opportunity to earn a rate of interest on the cash derived from these transactions that is greater 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 Adviser or Sub-Adviser believes it will be advantageous to the Fund. The use of reverse repurchase agreements may exaggerate any increase or decrease in the value of the Fund’s assets. The Fund’s exposure to reverse repurchase agreements will be covered by liquid assets having a value equal to or greater than such commitments. The use of reverse repurchase agreements is a form of leverage because the proceeds derived from reverse repurchase agreements may be invested in additional securities.

Sector Risk

Sector risk is the chance that significant problems will affect a particular sector, or that returns from that sector will trail returns from the overall stock market. Daily fluctuations in specific market sectors are often more extreme or volatile than fluctuations in the overall market.

Financials Sector Risk

Companies in the financials sector include regional and money center banks, securities brokerage firms, asset management companies, savings banks and thrift institutions, specialty finance companies (e.g., credit card, mortgage providers), insurance and insurance brokerage firms, financial conglomerates and foreign banking and financial companies. Market conditions and

18

 

regulation of the financial sector in China may be particularly subject to change based on government policy. The global financial markets have experienced very difficult conditions and volatility as well as significant adverse trends. The conditions in these markets have resulted in a decrease in availability of corporate credit, capital and liquidity and have led indirectly to the insolvency, closure or acquisition of a number of financial institutions. These conditions have also contributed to consolidation within the financial industry. In addition, the global financial industry has been materially and adversely affected by a significant decline in the value of mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities, and by the sovereign debt crisis. The prospects of many financial companies are questionable and continue to evolve as financial companies revise their outlooks and write down assets that they hold.

Most financial companies are subject to extensive governmental regulation, which limits their activities and may affect their ability to earn a profit from a given line of business. Government regulation may change frequently and may have significant adverse consequences for companies in the financials sector, including effects not intended by the regulation. Direct governmental intervention in the operations of financial companies and financial markets may materially and adversely affect the companies in which the Fund invests, including legislation in many countries that may increase government regulation, repatriation and other intervention. The impact of governmental intervention and legislative changes on any individual financial company or on the financials sector as a whole cannot be predicted. The valuation of financial companies has been and continues to be subject to unprecedented volatility and may be influenced by unpredictable factors, including interest rate risk and sovereign debt default. Certain financial businesses are subject to intense competitive pressures, including market share and price competition. Financial companies in foreign countries are subject to market specific and general regulatory and interest rate concerns. In particular, government regulation in certain foreign countries may include taxes and controls on interest rates, credit availability, minimum capital requirements, ban on short sales, prices and currency transfers.

The profitability of banks, savings and loan associations and financial companies is largely dependent on the availability and cost of capital funds and can fluctuate significantly when interest rates change; for instance, when interest rates go up, the value of securities issued by many types of companies in the financials sector generally goes down. In other words, financial companies may be adversely affected in certain market cycles, including, without limitation, during periods of rising interest rates, which may restrict the availability and increase the cost of capital, and during periods of declining economic conditions, which may cause, among other things, credit losses due to financial difficulties of borrowers.

In addition, general economic conditions are important to the operations of these companies, and financial difficulties of borrowers may have an adverse effect on the profitability of financial companies. Financial companies can be highly dependent upon access to capital markets and any impediments to such access, such as adverse overall economic conditions or a negative perception in the capital markets of a financial company’s financial condition or prospects, could adversely affect its business. Deterioration of credit markets, as experienced in 2008 and 2009, can have an adverse impact on a broad range of financial markets, causing certain financial companies to incur large losses. In these conditions, companies in the financials sector may experience significant declines in the valuation of their assets, take actions to raise capital and even cease operations. Some financial companies may also be required to accept or borrow

19

 

significant amounts of capital from government sources and may face future government imposed restrictions on their businesses or increased government intervention. In addition, there is no guarantee that governments will provide any such relief in the future. These actions may cause the securities of many companies in the financials sector to decline in value.

 

Securities Lending

 

The Fund may lend portfolio securities to certain 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 each lending Fund or through one or more joint accounts or money market funds, which may include those managed by the Adviser or 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 of Trustees of the Trust (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.

 

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.

 

Investing cash collateral subjects the Fund to greater market risk, including losses on the collateral and, should the Fund need to look to the collateral in the event of the borrower’s default, losses on the loan secured by that collateral.

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Short-Term Instruments

The Fund may invest in short-term instruments, including money market instruments, on an ongoing basis to provide liquidity for cash equitization, funding, or under abnormal market conditions. 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 Standard & Poor’s Financial Services LLC, or if unrated, of comparable quality as determined by the Adviser or 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 Adviser or 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.

 

When-Issued Securities

A when-issued security is one whose terms are available and for which a market exists, but which have not been issued. If 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.

INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS AND POLICIES

The Trust has adopted the following investment restrictions as fundamental policies with respect to the Fund. These restrictions cannot be changed without the approval of the holders of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities. For purposes of the 1940 Act, a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund means the vote, at an annual or a special meeting of the security holders of the Trust, of the lesser of (1) 67% or more of the voting securities of the

21

 

Fund present at such meeting, if the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund are present or represented by proxy, or (2) more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund. Under these restrictions:

  1. The Fund may not make loans, except that the Fund may: (i) lend portfolio securities; (ii) enter into repurchase agreements; (iii) purchase all or a portion of an issue of debt securities, bank loan or participation interests, bank certificates of deposit, bankers’ acceptances, debentures or other securities, whether or not the purchase is made upon the original issuance of the securities; and (iv) participate in an interfund lending program with other registered investment companies;
  2. The Fund may not borrow money, except as permitted under the 1940 Act, and as interpreted or modified by regulation from time to time;
  3. The Fund may not issue senior securities, except as permitted under the 1940 Act, and as interpreted or modified by regulation from time to time;  
   4. The Fund may not purchase or sell real estate, except that the Fund may: (i) invest in securities of issuers that invest in real estate or interests therein; (ii) invest in mortgage-related securities and other securities that are secured by real estate or interests therein; and (iii) hold and sell real estate acquired by the Fund as a result of the ownership of securities;
   5. The Fund may not engage in the business of underwriting securities issued by others, except to the extent that the Fund may be considered an underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (“Securities Act”), in the disposition of restricted securities or in connection with its investments in other investment companies;
   6. The Fund may not purchase or sell commodities, unless acquired as a result of owning securities or other instruments, but it may purchase, sell or enter into financial options and futures, forward and spot currency contracts, swap transactions and other financial contracts or derivative instruments and may invest in securities or other instruments backed by commodities; and

 

  7. The Fund may not purchase any security if, as a result of that purchase, more than 25% of the Fund’s net assets would be invested in securities of issuers having their principal business activities in the same industry or group of industries, except that the Fund may invest more than 25% of the value of its net assets in securities of issuers in any one industry or group of industries if the index whose performance the Fund seeks to replicate concentrates in an industry or group of industries. This limit does not apply to securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities.

 

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The following explanations may assist investors in understanding the above policies and restrictions:

 

Borrowing. The 1940 Act presently allows the 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).

 

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, including options on currencies.

 

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.

 

Lending. Under the 1940 Act, the 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.

 

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).

 

Senior Securities. Senior securities may include any obligation or instrument issued by the 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.

 

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

In addition to the investment restrictions adopted as fundamental policies as set forth above, the Fund observes the following restrictions as non-fundamental policies (i.e., those which may be changed by the Board without a shareholder vote upon 60 days prior written notice to shareholders). The Fund will not:

  1. Purchase any security on margin, except for such short-term loans as are necessary for clearance of securities transactions. The deposit or payment by the Fund or initial or variation margin in connection with futures contracts or related options thereon is not considered the purchase of a security on margin; and

 

23

 

 

 

  2. Purchase securities of open-end or closed-end investment companies except in compliance with the 1940 Act, although the Fund may not acquire any securities of registered open-end investment companies or registered unit investment trusts in reliance on Sections 12(d)(1)(F) or 12(d)(1)(G) of the 1940 Act.

The Fund also has adopted a non-fundamental investment policy in accordance with Rule 35d-1 under the 1940 Act to invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the value of its net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes, in securities of its Underlying Index or in Depositary Receipts representing securities in the Underlying Index. The Fund also has adopted a non-fundamental policy to provide its shareholders with at least 60 days’ prior written notice of any change in such policy. If, subsequent to an investment, the 80% requirement is no longer met, the Fund’s future investments will be made in a manner that will bring the Fund into compliance with this policy.

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 will be continuously complied with.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS OF THE TRUST

The Board of the Trust consists of four Trustees, three of whom are not “interested persons” (as defined in the 1940 Act), of the Trust (“Independent Trustees”). Robinson C. Jacobs, an Independent Trustee, serves as Chairman of the Board. The Board is responsible for overseeing the management and operations of the Trust, including the general oversight of the duties and responsibilities performed by the Adviser, Sub-Adviser and other service providers to the Trust. The Adviser is responsible for the day-to-day administration, operation and business affairs of the Trust.

The Board believes that each Trustee’s experience, qualifications, attributes or skills on an individual basis and in combination with those of the other Trustees lead to the conclusion that the Board possesses the requisite skills and attributes to carry out its oversight responsibilities with respect to the Trust. The Board believes that the Trustees’ ability to review, critically evaluate, question and discuss information provided to them, to interact effectively with the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, the Trust’s other service providers, counsel and independent auditors, and to exercise effective business judgment in the performance of their duties, support this conclusion. In reaching its conclusion, the Board also has considered the (i) experience, qualifications, attributes and/or skills, among others, of its members, (ii) each member’s character and integrity, (iii) the length of service as a board member of the Trust, (iv) each person’s willingness to serve and ability to commit the time necessary to perform the duties of a Trustee, and (v) as to each Independent Trustee, such Trustee’s status as not being an “interested person” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Trust. In addition, the following specific experience, qualifications, attributes and/or skills apply as to each Trustee.

References to the experience, qualifications, attributes, and skills of Trustees are pursuant to requirements of the SEC, do not constitute the holding out of the Board or any Trustee as having any special expertise or experience, and shall not impose any greater responsibility or liability on any such person or on the Board by reason thereof.

24

 

The Trustees of the Trust, their addresses, positions with the Trust, years of birth, term of office and length of time served, principal occupations during the past five years, the number of portfolios in the Fund Complex overseen by each Trustee and other directorships, if any, held by the Trustees, are set forth below.

25

 

 

Independent Trustees

Name,
Address1
and Year of Birth
  Position(s)
Held with
the Trust
  Term of
Office2 and
Length of
Time Served
  Principal
Occupation(s)
During Past
Five Years
  Number of
Portfolios in the
Fund Complex
Overseen
  Other
Directorships
Held By
Trustee During
Past Five Years
                     
Mark W. Buckley-Jones, 1979   Trustee   Since July 2014   Controller and Chief Compliance Officer, Numina Capital Management, LLC (January 2014-Present); Chief Financial Officer, VS Capital Partners, LP (August 2011-December 2013) and Berman Capital Management, LP (May 2007-July 2011).   5   None.
                     
John L.
Jacobs, 1959
  Trustee   Since September 2015   Independent Consultant (January 2015-Present); Executive Vice President, Global Information Services, of The NASDAQ OMX Group (January 2010-January 2015).   5   None.
                     
Robinson C. Jacobs, 1978   Trustee and Chairman of the Board of Trustees   Since July 2014   Comprehensive Financial Management (Investment Management) (August 2016 – Present); Analyst, Gagnon Securities (September 2012- August 2016); Vice President, CSL Capital (April 2011-May 2012); Consultant to various hedge fund groups.   5   None.

 

1. The address for each Trustee and officer is 1350 Avenue of the Americas, 33rd Floor, New York, NY 10019.

2. Each Trustee serves until resignation, death, retirement or removal.

 

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Interested Trustee and Officer

Name,
Address1
and Year of Birth
  Position(s)
Held with
the Trust
  Term of
Office2 and
Length of
Time Served
  Principal
Occupation(s)
During Past
Five Years
  Number of
Portfolios in
the Fund
Complex
Overseen
  Other
Directorships
Held By
Trustee During
Past Five Years
                     
Garrett K. Paolella, 1986   Trustee, President and Chief Executive Officer   Since November 2013   Managing Partner, Horizons ETF Management (US) LLC (October 2011-Present); Executive Director, MKM Partners (research, sales and trading firm) (June 2008-January 2011).   5   None

 

1. The address for each Trustee and officer is 1350 Avenue of the Americas, 33rd Floor, New York, NY 10019.

2. Each Trustee serves until resignation, death, retirement or removal.

 

Officer Information

The Officers of the Trust, their addresses, positions with the Trust, ages and principal occupations during the past five years are set forth below.

Officer’s
Name,

Address1 and
Year of Birth

 

Position(s)
Held

with the
Trust

 

Term of

Office and

Length of

Time Served

 

Principal Occupation(s) During The Past Five

Years

             
Christopher W. Roleke, 1972   Treasurer   Since February, 2017   2011 to Present – Fund Principal Financial Officer, Foreside Fund Officer Services, LLC; (2011 to September 2011).
             

 

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Officer’s
Name,

Address1 and
Year of Birth

 

Position(s)
Held

with the
Trust

 

Term of

Office and

Length of

Time Served

 

Principal Occupation(s) During The Past Five

Years

             
Troy M. Cates, 1976   Secretary   Since March, 2016  

Partner and Head of Trading, Horizons ETF Management (US) LLC (September 2014 - present); Executive Director, MKM Partners (research, sales and trading firm) (July 2006–August 2014).

 

 

Rodney L. Ruehle, 1968   Chief Compliance Officer   Since December, 2017   Fund Chief Compliance Officer, Foreside Financial Group, LLC (2016 to present); Director, Beacon Hill Fund Services, Inc. (2008 to 2016); Chief Compliance Officer of Context Capital Funds (2015 to present); Chief Compliance Officer of Praxis Mutual Funds (2015 to present); Chief Compliance Officer, Asset Management Funds (2009 to 2016); Chief Compliance Officer of Tributary Funds, Inc. (2009 to present); Chief Compliance Officer, Penn Series Funds, Inc. (2012 to 2014).

 

 

1. The address for each officer is 1350 Avenue of the Americas, 33rd Floor, New York, NY 10019.

 

The Board met four times during the fiscal year ended October 31, 2016.

Board Committees

The Board has an Audit Committee consisting of the three Trustees who are Independent Trustees. Mark Buckley-Jones currently serves as a member of the Audit Committee and has been designated as an “audit committee financial expert” as defined under Item 407 of Regulation S-K of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (“Exchange Act”). Mark Buckley-Jones is the Chairman of the Audit Committee. The Audit Committee has the responsibility, among other things, to: (i) oversee the accounting and financial reporting processes of the Trust and its internal control over financial reporting; (ii) oversee the quality and integrity of the Trust’s financial statements and the independent audit thereof; (iii) oversee or, as appropriate, assist the Board’s oversight of the Trust’s compliance with legal and regulatory requirements that relate to the Trust’s accounting and financial reporting, internal control over financial reporting and independent audit; (iv) approve prior to appointment the engagement of the Trust’s independent registered public accounting firm and, in connection therewith, to review and evaluate the qualifications, independence and performance of the Trust’s independent registered public accounting firm; and (v) act as a liaison between the Trust’s independent registered public accounting firm and the full Board. The Audit Committee met three times during the fiscal year ended October 31, 2016.

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The Board also has a Nominating Committee consisting of the three Trustees who are Independent Trustees. The Nominating Committee is responsible for recommending qualified candidates to the Board in the event that a position is vacated or created. The Nominating Committee would consider recommendations by shareholders if a vacancy were to exist. In considering Trustee nominee candidates, the Nominating Committee takes into account a wide variety of factors, including the overall diversity of the Board’s composition. The Nominating Committee believes the Board generally benefits from diversity of background, experience and views among its members, and considers this a factor in evaluating the composition of the Board, but has not adopted any specific policy in this regard. The Nominating Committee met one time during the fiscal year ended October 31, 2016.

The Board has determined that its leadership structure is appropriate given the business and nature of the Trust. In connection with its determination, the Board considered that the Chairman of the Board is an Independent Trustee. The Chairman of the Board can play an important role in setting the agenda of the Board and also serves as a key point person for dealings between management and the other Independent Trustees. The Independent Trustees believe that the Chairman’s independence facilitates meaningful dialogue among the Adviser, Sub-Adviser and the Independent Trustees. The Board also considered that the Chairman of the Audit Committee is an Independent Trustee, which yields similar benefits with respect to the functions and activities of the various Board committees. The Independent Trustees also regularly meet outside the presence of management. The Board has determined that its committees help ensure that the Trust has effective and independent governance and oversight. The Board also believes that its leadership structure facilitates the orderly and efficient flow of information to the Independent Trustees from management of the Trust, including the Adviser and Sub-Adviser. The Board reviews its structure on an annual basis.

As an integral part of its responsibility for oversight of the Trust in the interests of shareholders, the Board, as a general matter, oversees risk management of the Trust’s investment programs and business affairs. The function of the Board with respect to risk management is one of oversight and not active involvement in, or coordination of, day-to-day risk management activities for the Trust. The Board recognizes that (i) not all risks that may affect the Trust can be identified, (ii) it may not be practical or cost-effective to eliminate or mitigate certain risks, (iii) it may be necessary to bear certain risks (such as investment-related risks) to achieve the Trust’s goals, and (iv) the processes, procedures and controls employed to address certain risks may be limited in their effectiveness. Moreover, reports received by the Trustees that may relate to risk management matters are typically summaries of the relevant information.

The Board exercises oversight of the risk management process primarily through the Audit Committee, and through oversight by the Board itself. The Trust faces a number of risks, such as investment-related and compliance risks. The Adviser’s and Sub-Adviser’s personnel seek 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 Trust. Under the overall supervision of the Board or the applicable Committee of the Board, the Trust and the Adviser and Sub-Adviser employ a variety of processes, procedures and controls to identify such 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. Different processes, procedures and controls are employed with respect to different types of risks. Various

29

 

personnel, including the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer, as well as various personnel of the Adviser, Sub-Adviser and other service providers such as the Trust’s independent accountants, may report to the Audit Committee and/or to the Board with respect to various aspects of risk management, as well as events and circumstances that have arisen and responses thereto.

The officers and Trustees of the Trust, in the aggregate, own less than 1% of the Shares of the Fund as of the date of this SAI.

For each Trustee, the dollar range of equity securities beneficially owned by the Trustee in the Trust and in all registered investment companies advised by the Adviser (“Family of Investment Companies”) that are overseen by the Trustee is shown below.

Name of Trustee   Dollar Range of Equity
Securities in the Trust
(As of December 31, 2016)
  Aggregate Dollar Range of Equity
Securities in all Registered
Investment Companies Overseen By Trustee In Family of Investment Companies

(As of December 31, 2016)
         
Mark W. Buckley-Jones   None   None
John L. Jacobs   None   None
Robinson C. Jacobs   None   None
Richard M. Keary*   None   None
Garrett K. Paolella   None   None
         

* Mr. Keary resigned as a Trustee on January 30, 2017.

As to each Independent Trustee and his immediate family members, no person owned beneficially or of record securities in the Adviser, Sub-Adviser or Foreside Fund Services, LLC (“Distributor”), or a person (other than a registered investment company) directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by or under common control with the Adviser, Sub-Adviser or the Distributor.

Shareholder Communications to the Board

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

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Remuneration of Trustees

The Trust pays each Independent Trustee an annual retainer of $3,000. The Trust also reimburses each Trustee for travel and other out-of-pocket expenses incurred in attending such meetings. No pension or retirement benefits are accrued as part of Trustee compensation.

The table below shows the compensation paid to the Trustees by the Trust for the fiscal year ending October 31, 2016. Annual Trustee fees may be reviewed periodically and changed by the Board.

Name of Trustee  

Aggregate Compensation

from Trust

 

Pension or Retirement

Benefits Accrued as Part

of Trust Expenses

   

Total Compensation

from Trust and Fund Complex

Mark W. Buckley-Jones   $3,000   None     $3,000
John L. Jacobs    None   None      None
Robinson C. Jacobs   $3,000   None     $3,000
Richard M. Keary1   $2,500   None     $2,500
Garrett K. Paolella    None   None      None
               

1. Effective January 30, 2017, Mr. Keary resigned as a Trustee of the Trust.

 

INVESTMENT ADVISORY AND OTHER SERVICES

 

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

 

Investment Adviser

 

Horizons ETFs Management (US) LLC acts as investment adviser to the Fund pursuant to an investment advisory agreement between the Trust and the Adviser with respect to the Fund (“Investment Advisory Agreement”). The Adviser, located at 1350 Avenue of the Americas, 33rd Floor, New York, NY 10019. The Adviser is a wholly-owned indirect subsidiary of Mirae Asset Global Investments Co., Ltd. (“Mirae”). Mirae is a leading financial services company in Korea and is the headquarters for the Mirae Asset Global Investments Group, of which the Adviser is a member.

 

Under the Investment Advisory Agreement, the Adviser oversees the day-to-day operations of the Fund, subject to the oversight of the Board and the officers of the Trust. Under the Investment Advisory Agreement, the Adviser is also responsible for arranging 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

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office facilities and equipment and certain clerical, bookkeeping and administrative services, and permits its officers and employees to serve as officers or Trustees of the Trust.

After the initial two-year term, the continuance of the Investment 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 Investment 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 Investment 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, on 60 days’ written notice to the Adviser, or by the Adviser on 60 days’ written notice to the Trust. As used in the Investment 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 services the Adviser provides, the Adviser receives from the Fund a fee equal to 0.70% of the average daily net assets of the Fund. The fee is calculated daily and paid monthly.

The Adviser’s unitary management fee is designed to pay substantially all the Fund’s expenses and to compensate the Adviser for providing services for the Fund.

Sub-Adviser

 

With respect to the Fund, the Adviser has entered into a sub-advisory agreement with Mirae Asset Global Investments (Hong Kong) Ltd., pursuant to which the Sub-Adviser makes investment decisions for the Fund and continuously reviews, supervises and administers the investment program of the Fund, subject to the supervision of the Adviser and oversight of the Board. The Sub-Adviser, located at Level 15, Three Pacific Place, 1 Queen’s Road East, Hong Kong, was established in December 2003 and engages in portfolio management activities primarily for individuals, institutional investors and investment trusts. The Sub-Adviser is wholly owned by Mirae Asset Korea. Mirae Asset Korea is a leading financial services company in Korea and is the headquarters for the Mirae Asset Global Investments Group, of which the Sub-Adviser is a member.

 

For the services it provides to the Fund, the Adviser pays the Sub-Adviser a fee, which is calculated daily and paid monthly based on a percentage of the average daily net assets of the Fund.

 

Portfolio Managers

 

This section includes information about the Fund’s portfolio managers, including information about other accounts they manage, the dollar range of Shares they own and how they are compensated.

 

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Compensation

 

Byung Ha Kim; Jin Kim; and Jacky Leung of the Sub-Adviser serve as the Portfolio Managers of the Fund (collectively, the “Portfolio Managers”). The Portfolio Managers and all other staff receive a base salary and a discretionary bonus tied to the overall profitability of the company and their performance.

 

Shares Owned by the Portfolio Managers

 

The Fund was not in operation as of the date of this SAI.

 

Other Accounts

 

In addition to the Fund, the Portfolio Managers are responsible for the day-to-day management of certain other accounts, as listed below. The information below is provided as of February 28, 2017.

 

Name

Registered

Investment Companies

Other Period Investment Vehicles Other Accounts
Number of Accounts

Total Assets

($ millions)

Number of Accounts Total Assets  ($ millions) Number of Accounts

Total Assets

($ millions)

Byung Ha Kim1 0 $0 21 $1,783.92 0 $0
Jin Kim1 0 $0 21 $1,783.92 0 $0
Jacky Leung1 0 $0 21 $1,783.92 0 $0

 

1 None of the portfolio managers managed any accounts or assets that charge performance-based fees as of February 28, 2017.

Conflicts of Interest

A conflict of interest may arise as a result of the Portfolio Managers being responsible for multiple accounts, including the Fund which may have different investment guidelines and objectives. In addition to the Fund, these accounts may include other mutual funds managed on an advisory or sub-advisory basis, separate accounts and collective trust accounts. An investment opportunity may be suitable for the Fund as well as for any of the other managed accounts. However, the investment may not be available in sufficient quantity for all of the accounts to participate fully. In addition, there may be limited opportunity to sell an investment held by the Fund or the other account. The other accounts may have similar investment objectives or strategies as the Fund, may track the same benchmarks or indices as the Fund tracks, and may sell securities that are eligible to be held, sold or purchased by the Fund. The Portfolio Managers may be responsible for accounts that have different advisory fee schedules, such as performance-based fees, which may create an incentive for the Portfolio Managers to favor one account over another in terms of access to investment opportunities or the allocation of the Portfolio Managers’ time and resources. The Portfolio Managers may also manage accounts whose investment objectives and policies differ from those of the Fund, which may cause the Portfolio Managers to effect trading in one account that may have an adverse effect on the value of the holdings within another account, including the Fund.

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To address and manage these potential conflicts of interest, the Adviser and Sub-Adviser have adopted compliance policies and procedures to allocate investment opportunities and to ensure that each of their clients is treated on a fair and equitable basis. Such policies and procedures include, but are not limited to, trade allocation and trade aggregation policies and oversight by investment management and the Compliance team.

Distributor

Foreside Fund Services, LLC (“Distributor”) serves as the distributor of Creation Units for the Trust on an agency basis. The Trust has entered into a Distribution Agreement with the Distributor (“Distribution Agreement”), under which the Distributor, as agent, reviews and approves orders by Authorized Participants to create and redeem shares in Creation Units. The Distributor’s principal address is Three Canal Plaza, Portland, Maine 04101. The Distributor is a broker-dealer registered under the 1934 Act and a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”). Shares will be continuously offered for sale only in Creation Units. The Distributor will deliver a prospectus to Authorized Participants purchasing Shares in Creation Units and will maintain records of confirmations of acceptance furnished by it to Authorized Participants. The Distributor has no role in determining the investment policies of the Fund or which securities are to be purchased or sold by the Fund. No compensation is payable by the Trust to the Distributor for such distribution services. However, the Adviser has entered into an agreement with the Distributor under which it makes payments to the Distributor in consideration for its services under the Distribution Agreement. The payments made by the Adviser to the Distributor do not represent an additional expense to the Trust or its shareholders.

The Distributor may also enter into agreements with securities dealers (“Dealers”) who will assist in the distribution of Shares. The Distributor will only enter into agreements with firms wishing to purchase Creation Units if the firm qualifies as an Authorized Participant (as discussed in “Procedures for Purchase of Creation Units” below) or DTC participants (as defined 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 of 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.

Distribution Plan. The Trust has adopted a Distribution Plan (the “Plan”) in accordance with the provisions of Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, which regulates circumstances under which an

34

 

investment company may directly or indirectly bear expenses relating to the distribution of its Shares. However, no Rule 12b-1 Plan fee is currently charged to the Fund, and there are no plans in place to impose a Rule 12b-1 Plan fee. 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 Shares of the Fund pay 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 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.

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Transfer Agent and Administrator

U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC (“USBFS”), located at 615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, WI 53202, which is an entity affiliated with U.S. Bank, serves as the Fund’s transfer agent pursuant to a transfer agent servicing agreement. USBFS may be reimbursed by the Fund for its out-of-pocket expenses. In addition, USBFS provides various accounting services to the Fund pursuant to the Fund accounting servicing agreement. The Trust pays USBFS for the transfer agency and fund accounting services that USBFS provides to the Fund.

The Trust and USBFS have entered into the Fund administration servicing agreement (“Administration Agreement”). Under the Administration Agreement, USBFS provides the Trust with administrative services, including providing certain operational, clerical, recordkeeping and/or bookkeeping services.

The Administration Agreement provides that USBFS shall not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by the Trust in connection with the matters to which the Administration Agreement relates, except a loss resulting from USBFS’ refusal or failure to comply with the terms of the Administration Agreement or from USBFS’ bad faith, negligence, or willful misconduct in the performance of its duties under the Administration Agreement.

The Trust pays USBFS for its services under the Administration Agreement.

Custodian

U.S. Bank, N.A. (“U.S. Bank”), located at 1555 North River Center Drive, Suite 302, Milwaukee, WI 53212, serves as custodian for the Fund pursuant to a custody agreement between the Trust, on behalf of the Fund, and U.S. Bank. As Custodian, U.S. Bank holds the Fund’s assets. The Bank of New York Mellon, located at One Wall Street, New York, New York 10286, serves as sub-custodian for the Fund with respect to certain cash and cash items. The Trust pays U.S. Bank for the custodian services that U.S. Bank provides to the Fund.

Counsel

Thompson Hine LLP is counsel to the Trust, including the Fund and the Trustees that are not interested persons of the Trust, as that term is defined in the 1940 Act.

Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

BBD, LLP, serves as the Trust’s independent registered public accounting firm and audits the Fund’s financial statements and performs other related audit services.

 

PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS DISCLOSURE

The Fund’s portfolio holdings are publicly disseminated each day the Fund is open for business through financial reporting and news services, including publicly accessible Internet web sites. In addition, a basket composition file, which includes the security names and share quantities to

36

 

deliver in exchange for Creation Units, together with estimates and actual Cash Amounts is publicly disseminated daily prior to the opening of the Exchange via the National Securities Clearing Corporation (“NSCC”), a clearing agency that is registered with the SEC. The basket represents one Creation Unit of the Fund. The Trust, the Adviser, Sub-Adviser, Administrator, Custodian and Distributor will not disseminate non-public information concerning the Trust.

QUARTERLY PORTFOLIO SCHEDULE

The Trust is required to disclose, after its first and third fiscal quarters, the complete schedule of the Fund’s portfolio holdings with the SEC on Form N-Q. Form N-Q for the Fund will be available on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. The Fund’s Form N-Q may also be reviewed and copied at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C. and information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling 202.551.8090. The Fund’s Form N-Q will be available through the Fund’s website, at http://us.horizonsetfs.com/ or by writing to USBFS, 615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, WI 53202.

CODE OF ETHICS

The Trust, the Adviser, Sub-Adviser and Foreside Financial Group, LLC, on behalf of the Distributor and its affiliates, have each adopted a Code of Ethics pursuant to Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act, designed to monitor personal securities transactions by their personnel (“Personnel”). The Code of Ethics requires that all trading in securities that are being purchased or sold, or are being considered for purchase or sale, by the Fund must be approved in advance by the CCO. Approval will be granted if it is determined that the personal trading activity will not have a negative or appreciable impact on the price or market of the security, or is of such a nature that it does not present the dangers or potential for abuses that are likely to result in harm or detriment to the Fund. At the end of each calendar quarter, all Personnel must file a report of all transactions entered into during the quarter. These reports are reviewed by a senior officer of the Adviser, Sub-Adviser or the Distributor, as applicable.

Generally, all Personnel must obtain approval prior to conducting any transaction in securities. Independent Trustees, however, are not required to obtain prior approval of personal securities transactions. Personnel may purchase securities in an initial public offering or private placement, provided that he or she obtains preclearance of the purchase and makes certain representations.

PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

Information regarding how the Fund voted proxies related to portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 is available, without charge, upon request, by calling (203) 900-1400 or on the Fund’s website, and on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. Proxies for the Fund’ portfolio securities are voted in accordance with the Adviser’s and Trust’s proxy voting policies and procedures, which are set forth in Appendix A to this SAI.

The Trust is required to disclose annually the Fund’s complete proxy voting record on Form N-PX covering the period July 1 through June 30 and file it with the SEC no later than August 31. Form N-PX for the Fund is available through the Fund’s website, at http://us.horizonsetfs.com/, or by writing to USBFS, 615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, WI 53202. The Fund’s Form N-PX will also be available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

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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, Adviser and 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 Adviser and Sub-Adviser will rely upon their experience and knowledge regarding commissions generally charged by various brokers and on their 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.

 

The Adviser and Sub-Adviser each owe a fiduciary duty to their clients to seek to provide best execution on trades effected. In selecting a broker-dealer for each specific transaction, the Adviser and Sub-Adviser choose 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 Adviser and Sub-Adviser will also use electronic crossing networks (“ECNs”) when appropriate.

 

The Adviser and Sub-Adviser do not currently use the Fund’s assets for, or participate in, any third party soft dollar arrangements, although they may receive proprietary research from various full service brokers, the cost of which is bundled with the cost of the broker’s execution services. The Adviser and Sub-Adviser are responsible, subject to oversight by 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 Adviser or 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 Adviser and 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

38

 

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.

 

The Fund was not in operation during the fiscal years ended October 31, 2015 and 2016 so no brokerage commissions were paid.

 

The Fund may execute brokerage or other agency transactions through registered broker-dealer affiliates of either the Fund, the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser 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. The Fund was not in operation during the fiscal years ended October 31, 2015 and 2016; therefore, no brokerage commissions were paid by any Fund to any broker-dealer with which such Fund may be deemed to be an affiliate during those periods.

 

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. The Fund not in operation during the fiscal year ended October 31, 2016.

 

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 Adviser and Sub-Adviser based upon their knowledge of available information as to the general level of commissions paid by other institutional investors for comparable services.

The Fund was not in operation during the fiscal years ended October 31, 2015 and 2016.

 

EXCHANGE LISTING AND TRADING

A discussion of exchange listing and trading matters associated with an investment in the Fund is contained in the Prospectus under the headings “Summary Information—Principal Risks of

39

 

Investing in the Fund” with respect to the applicable Fund, “Additional Information About the Fund’s Investment Strategies and Risks—Risks of Investing in the Fund,” “Shareholder Information—Determination of NAV” and “Shareholder Information—Buying and Selling Exchange-Traded Shares.” The discussion below supplements, and should be read in conjunction with, such sections of the Prospectus.

The Shares of the Fund are listed on the Exchange and will trade in the secondary market at prices that may differ to some degree from its NAV. The Exchange may but is not required to remove the Shares of the Fund from listing if: (1) following the initial twelve (12) 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 Underlying Index or portfolio of securities on which the Fund is based is no longer calculated or available or (3) such other event shall occur or condition exists that, in the opinion of the Exchange, makes further dealings on the Exchange inadvisable. In addition, the Exchange will remove the Shares from listing and trading upon termination of the Trust. There can be no assurance that the requirements of the Exchange necessary to maintain the listing of Shares of the Fund will continue to be met.

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

In order to provide investors with a basis to gauge whether the market price of the Shares on the Exchange is approximately consistent with the current NAV on a per Share basis, every 15 seconds throughout the Exchange’s regular trading hours, an estimated intra-day NAV is calculated and disseminated in accordance with the relevant listing standards of the Exchange. The Fund is not involved in or responsible for the calculation or dissemination of the intra-day NAV and make no warranty as to its accuracy.

An intra-day NAV is based on a securities component and a cash component (or an all cash amount) which comprises that day’s Creation Deposit (as defined below), as disseminated prior to that Business Day’s commencement of trading.

BOOK ENTRY ONLY SYSTEM

The following information supplements and should be read in conjunction with the section in the Prospectus entitled “Shareholder Information—Buying and Selling Exchange-Traded Shares.”

The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) acts as securities depository for the Shares. Shares of the Fund are represented by securities registered in the name of DTC or its nominee and deposited with, or on behalf of, DTC. Certificates will not be issued for Shares.

DTC, a limited-purpose trust company, was created to hold securities of its participants (“DTC Participants”) and to facilitate the clearance and settlement of securities transactions among the DTC Participants in such securities through electronic book-entry changes in accounts of the DTC Participants, thereby eliminating the need for physical movement of securities certificates. 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

40

 

Exchange 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 (“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.

Conveyance of all notices, statements and other communications to Beneficial Owners is effected as follows. Pursuant to the Depository Agreement between the Trust and DTC, DTC is required to make available to the Trust upon request and for a fee to be charged to the Trust a listing of the Shares holdings of each DTC Participant. The Trust shall inquire of each such DTC Participant as to the number of Beneficial Owners holding Shares, directly or indirectly, through such DTC Participant. The Trust shall provide each such DTC Participant with copies of such notice, statement or other communication, in such form, number and at such place as such DTC Participant may reasonably request, in order that such notice, statement or communication may be transmitted by such DTC Participant, directly or indirectly, to such Beneficial Owners. In addition, the Trust shall pay to each such DTC 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 Shares 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 aspects of the records relating to or notices to Beneficial Owners, or payments made on account of beneficial ownership interests in such Shares, or for maintaining, supervising or reviewing any records relating to such beneficial ownership interests or for any other aspect of the relationship between DTC and the DTC Participants or the relationship between such DTC Participants and the Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners owning through such DTC Participants.

DTC may determine to discontinue providing its service with respect to the Shares at any time by giving reasonable notice to the Trust and discharging its responsibilities with respect thereto under applicable law. Under such circumstances, the Trust shall take action either to find a replacement for DTC to perform its functions at a comparable cost or, if such a replacement is

41

 

unavailable, to issue and deliver printed certificates representing ownership of Shares, unless the Trust makes other arrangements with respect thereto satisfactory to the Exchange.

CREATION AND REDEMPTION OF CREATION UNITS

The Trust issues and sells Shares of the Fund only in Creation Units on a continuous basis, 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”). The NAV of the Fund’s Shares is calculated each business day as of the close of regular trading on the Exchange, generally 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time. The Fund will not issue fractional Creation Units. A Business Day is any day on which the Exchange is open for business. Purchases of Creation Units may be subject to Creation Transaction Fees (“Creation Transaction Fees”) (as later described herein), and redemptions of Creation Units may be subject to redemption fees (“Redemption Transaction Fees”).

Fund Deposit

 

The consideration for purchase of a Creation Unit of the Fund generally consists of 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 Fund’s Underlying Index and the Cash Component (defined below), computed as described below. The Fund may permit or require the consideration for a Creation Unit to consist solely of cash. Notwithstanding the foregoing, 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 or all of the Deposit Securities. When accepting purchases of Creation Units for all or a portion of Deposit 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 associated with the acquisition of Deposit Securities (“Non-Standard Charges”) 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 initial investment amount for the 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).

 

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The Fund, through NSCC, makes available on each Business Day, immediately 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 a Fund Deposit for the Fund changes as rebalancing adjustments and corporate action events are reflected from time to time by the Adviser and Sub-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 Underlying Index.

 

The Trust reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of an amount of cash (i.e., a “cash in lieu” amount) to replace any Deposit Security, which shall be added to the Deposit Cash, if applicable, and 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 the NSCC or DTC; (iii) may not be eligible for trading by an Authorized Participant (as defined below) or the investor for which it is acting; (iv) may not be eligible for trading due to local trading restrictions, local restrictions on securities transfers or other similar circumstances; (v) 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 (vi) in certain other situations (collectively, “custom orders”). The Trust also reserves the right to include or remove Deposit Securities from the basket or to reject subscriptions of Creation Units in anticipation of or implementation of Underlying Index rebalancing changes. The adjustments described above will reflect changes, known to the Adviser and Sub-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 Underlying Index being tracked by the relevant Fund or resulting from certain corporate actions.

 

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.

 

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Procedures for Purchase of Creation Units

 

To be eligible to place orders with the Transfer Agent 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 and taxes.

 

All orders to purchase Shares directly from the Fund must be placed for one or more Creation Units and 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 applicable order form. With respect to the Fund, the Transfer Agent will notify the Custodian of such order. 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 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 Fund or the Transfer Agent or an Authorized Participant.

 

Fund Deposits must be delivered by an Authorized Participant through the Federal Reserve System (for cash) 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

44

 

 

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 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. 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 on the Order Placement Date and the federal funds in the appropriate amount are deposited by 2:00 p.m. or 3:00 p.m. Eastern time (as set forth on the applicable order form), with the Custodian on the Settlement Date. If the order is not placed in proper form as required on the Order Placement Date, or federal funds in the appropriate amount are not received by 2:00 p.m. or 3:00 p.m. Eastern time (as set forth on the applicable order form) 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, 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 Distributor, the Adviser and the Sub-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 following the day on which the purchase order is deemed received by the Transfer Agent (i.e., T+3). However, as discussed in the “Regular Holidays” section, the Fund reserves the right to settle Creation Unit transactions on a basis other than T+3 in order to accommodate non-U.S. market holiday schedules, to account for different treatment among non-U.S. and U.S. markets of dividend record dates and ex-dividend dates (i.e., the last day the holder of a security can sell the security and still receive dividends payable on the security), and

45

 

in certain other circumstances. The Authorized Participant shall be liable to the Fund for losses, if any, resulting from unsettled orders.

 

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. 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 Participant Agreement will permit the Trust to buy the missing Deposit Securities at any time. Authorized Participants will be liable to the Trust for 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 market value of such Deposit Securities on the day the purchase order was deemed received by the Transfer Agent 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 Transaction Fee as set forth below under “Creation Transaction Fee” will be charged in all cases, unless otherwise advised by the Fund, and Non-Standard Charges 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 primary exchange on which the securities of the Underlying Index are traded is closed on that Business Day or the next Business Day; (c) 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; (d) the investor(s), upon obtaining the Shares ordered, would own 80% or more of the currently outstanding Shares of the Fund; (e) acceptance of the Deposit Securities would have certain adverse tax consequences to the Fund; (f) the acceptance of the Fund Deposit would, in the opinion of counsel, be unlawful; (g) the acceptance of the Fund Deposit would otherwise, in the discretion of the Trust, the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser, have an adverse effect on the Trust or the rights of beneficial owners; (h) the acceptance or receipt of the order for a Creation Unit would, in the opinion of counsel to the Trust, be unlawful; or (i) in the event that circumstances outside the control of the Trust, the Custodian, the Transfer Agent, the Adviser and/or the Sub-Adviser make it for all practical purposes not feasible to process orders for Creation Units.

 

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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 Fund or the Fund’s designee 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.

 

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 Fees

 

A purchase (i.e., creation) transaction fee is imposed for the transfer and other transaction costs associated with the purchase of Creation Units, and Authorized Participants will be required to pay a Creation Transaction Fee regardless of the number of Creation Units created in the transaction. The Fund may adjust the Creation Transaction Fee from time to time based upon actual experience. In addition, the Fund may impose a Non-Standard Charge of up to 0.02% of the value of the creation transactions for cash creations, non-standard orders, or partial cash purchases for the Fund. The Fund may adjust the Non-Standard Charge from time to time based upon actual costs incurred by the Fund through Creation experience. 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 Fees 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 Non-Standard Charges are payable to the Fund as it incurs costs in connection with the issuance of Creation Units, the receipt of any Deposit Securities and Deposit Cash and other transactions costs associated with using the cash to purchase the requisite Deposit Securities.

 

The following are the standard creation transaction fees for the Fund:

 

Fund Transaction Fee
Horizons China High Dividend ETF $1500

 

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,

47

 

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. 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(3)(C) of the Securities Act, will be unable to take advantage of the prospectus delivery exemption provided by Section 4(3) of the Securities Act.

 

Redemptions

 

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 immediately 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 and a positive or negative cash 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 Non-Standard Charges. In the event that the Fund Securities have a value greater than the NAV of the Shares, a compensating cash payment equal to the negative cash amount is required to be made by or through an Authorized Participant by the redeeming

48

 

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

 

The Trust may at its discretion 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 Amount to be paid to an in-kind redeemer.

 

Redemption Transaction Fees

 

A redemption transaction fee may be imposed for the transfer and other transaction costs associated with the redemption of Creation Units, and Authorized Participants will be required to pay a Redemption Transaction Fee regardless of the number of Creation Units created in the transaction. The redemption transaction fee is the same no matter how many Creation Units are being redeemed pursuant to any one redemption request. The Fund may adjust the redemption transaction fee from time to time based upon actual experience. In addition, the Fund may impose a Non-Standard Charge of up to 0.02% of the value of a redemption transaction for cash redemptions, non-standard orders, or partial cash redemptions for the Fund. 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 following are the standard redemption transaction fees for the Fund:

 

Fund Transaction Fee
Horizons China High Dividend ETF $1500

 

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.

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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 Authorized Participant Agreement. Investors should be aware that their particular broker may not have executed an Authorized 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 Authorized 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.

 

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 of the trade date. However, as discussed in the “Regular Holidays” section, the Fund reserves the right to settle redemption transactions and deliver redemption proceeds on another basis to accommodate non-U.S. market holiday schedules, to account for different treatment among non-U.S. and U.S. markets of dividend record dates and dividend ex-dates (i.e., 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 “Regular Holidays” section hereto identifies the instances, if any, where more than seven days would be needed to deliver redemption proceeds. Pursuant to an order of the SEC, the Trust will make delivery of redemption proceeds within the number of days stated in the “Regular Holidays” section to be the maximum number of days necessary to deliver redemption proceeds.

 

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 relevant Fund next determined after the redemption request is received in proper form (minus a redemption transaction fee and additional charge for requested cash redemptions specified above, to offset the 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.

 

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

50

 

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 such Fund, shareholders may not be able to redeem their Shares of such Fund, or to purchase or sell Shares of such Fund on the Exchange, on days when the NAV of such Fund could be significantly affecting 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 Exchange, or the primary exchange on which the securities of the Underlying Index are traded, is closed (other than customary weekend and holiday closings); (2) for any period during which trading on the Exchange, or the primary exchange on which the securities of the Underlying Index are traded, is suspended or restricted; (3) for any period during which an emergency exists as a result of which disposal of the Shares of 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.

 

Regular Holidays

 

For every occurrence of one or more intervening holidays in the applicable non-U.S. market that are not holidays observed in the U.S. equity market, the redemption settlement cycle will be extended by the number of such intervening holidays. In addition to holidays, other unforeseeable closings in a non-U.S. market due to emergencies may also prevent the Trust from delivering securities within the normal settlement period.

 

The securities delivery cycles currently practicable for transferring portfolio securities to redeeming investors, coupled with non-U.S. market holiday schedules, will require a delivery process longer than seven calendar days, in certain circumstances. The holidays applicable to the Fund during such periods are listed below, as are instances where more than seven days will be needed to deliver redemption proceeds. Although certain holidays may occur on different dates in subsequent years, the number of days required to deliver redemption proceeds in any given year is not expected to exceed the maximum number of days listed below for the Fund. The proclamation of new holidays, the treatment by market participants of certain days as “informal holidays” (e.g., days on which no or limited securities transactions occur, as a result of substantially shortened trading hours), the elimination of existing holidays, or changes in local securities delivery practices, could affect the information set forth herein at some time in the future.

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In the calendar years 2017 and 2018, the dates of regular holidays affecting the relevant securities markets in which the Fund invests are as follows (please note these holiday schedules are subject to potential changes in the relevant securities markets):

 

2017

China
January 1 February 2 October 2  
January 27 April 4 October 3  
January 30 May 1 October 4  
January 31 May 29 October 5  
February 1 May 30 October 6  
Hong Kong
January 2 April 14 May 30 December 26
January 30 April 17 October 2  
January 31 May 1 October 5  
April 4 May 3 December 25  
         

2018

China
January 1 February 21 June 18 October 4
February 15 April 5 September 24 October 5
February 16 April 6 October 1  
February 19 April 30 October 2  
February 20 May 1 October 3  
Hong Kong
January 1 April 2 June 18 October 17
February 16 April 5 July 2 December 25
February 19 May 1 September 25 December 26
March 30 May 22 October 1  
         

 

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Redemptions

The longest redemption cycle for the Fund is a function of the longest redemption cycle among the countries and regions whose stocks comprise the Fund. In the calendar years 2017 and 2018, the dates of regular holidays affecting the following securities markets present the worst-case redemption cycles* for the Fund as follows:

 

2017

 

 

Country/Region

   Trade
Date
   Settlement
Date
   Number of
Days to
Settle
China    1/25/17    2/7/17    13
      1/26/17    2/8/17    13
      9/28/17    10/9/17    11
      09/29/17    10/10/17    11

 

 

 

 

 

Country/Region

   Trade
Date
   Settlement
Date
   Number of
Days to
Settle
Hong Kong    1/24/17    2/1/17    8
      1/25/17    2/2/17    8
      1/26/17    2/3/17    8

 

 

* These worst-case redemption cycles are based on information regarding regular holidays, which may be out of date. Based on changes in holidays, longer (worse) redemption cycles are possible.

 

DETERMINATION OF net asset value

NAV 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

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the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (“SIFMA”) announces an early closing time.

In calculating the Fund’s NAV, 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), (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) or (iii) based on amortized cost. In the case of shares of other funds that are not traded on an exchange, a market valuation means such fund’s published NAV. The Adviser and 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 pricing procedures require the Valuation Committee to determine a security’s fair value. 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 Funds’ index providers). 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 Underlying Index. This may result in a difference between the Fund’s performance and the performance of the Fund’s Underlying 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 “Shareholder Information—Distributions.”

General Policies

The Fund expects to declare and distribute all of its net investment income, if any, to shareholders as dividends semi-annually. The Fund will distribute net realized capital gains, if any, at least annually. The Fund may distribute such income dividends and capital gains more frequently, if necessary, in order to reduce or eliminate federal excise or income taxes on the Fund.

 

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Dividend Distributions

 

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.

 

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.

 

CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL SHAREHOLDERS

A shareholder who owns, directly or indirectly, more than 25% of the Fund’s voting securities may be deemed a “control person” (as defined under applicable securities laws) of the Fund. A control person’s vote could have more significant effect on matters presented to shareholders for approval then the vote of other Fund shareholders.

 

The Trust does not have information concerning the beneficial ownership of Shares held in the names of DTC Participants. The Fund had not yet commenced operations as of the date of this SAI.

 

TAXES

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

 

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

 

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

 

Taxation of the Fund

 

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

 

The Fund has elected and intends to qualify, or, if newly organized, intends to elect and qualify, each year as a regulated investment company (sometimes referred to as a “regulated investment company,” “RIC” or “fund”) under Subchapter M of the Code. If the Fund so qualifies, the Fund will not be subject to federal income tax on the portion of its investment company taxable income (that is, generally, taxable interest, dividends, net short-term capital gains, and other taxable ordinary income, net of expenses, without regard to the deduction for dividends paid) and net capital gain (that is, the excess of net long-term capital gains over net short-term capital losses) that it distributes to shareholders.

 

In order to qualify for treatment as a regulated investment company, the Fund must satisfy the following requirements:

 

·Distribution Requirement—the Fund must distribute an amount equal to the sum of at least 90% of its investment company taxable income and 90% of its net tax-exempt income, if any, for the tax year (including, for purposes of satisfying this distribution requirement, certain distributions made by the Fund after the close of its taxable year that are treated as made during such taxable year).
·Income Requirement—the Fund must derive at least 90% of its gross income from dividends, interest, certain payments with respect to securities loans, and gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities or foreign currencies, or other income (including, but not limited to, gains from options, futures or forward contracts) derived from its business of investing in such stock, securities or currencies and net income derived from qualified publicly traded partnerships (“QPTPs”).
·Asset Diversification Test—the Fund must satisfy the following asset diversification test at the close of each quarter of the Fund’s tax year: (1) at least 50% of the value of the Fund’s assets must consist of cash and cash items, U.S. government securities, securities of other regulated investment companies, and securities of other issuers (as to which the Fund has not invested more than 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets in securities of an issuer and as to which the Fund does not hold more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of the issuer); and (2) no more than 25% of the value of the Fund’s total assets may be invested in the securities of any one issuer (other than U.S. government securities or securities of other regulated investment companies) or of two or more issuers which the Fund controls and which are engaged in the same or similar trades or businesses, or, in the securities of one or more QPTPs.

 

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In some circumstances, the character and timing of income realized by the Fund for purposes of the Income Requirement or the identification of the issuer for purposes of the Asset Diversification Test is uncertain under current law with respect to a particular investment, and an adverse determination or future guidance by the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) with respect to such type of investment may adversely affect the Fund’s ability to satisfy these requirements. See “Tax Treatment of Portfolio Transactions” below with respect to the application of these requirements to certain types of investments. In other circumstances, the Fund may be required to sell portfolio holdings in order to meet the Income Requirement, Distribution Requirement, or Asset Diversification Test, which may have a negative impact on the Fund’s income and performance. In lieu of potential disqualification, the Fund is permitted to pay a tax for certain failures to satisfy the Asset Diversification Test or Income Requirement, which, in general, are limited to those due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect.

 

The Fund may use “equalization accounting” (in lieu of making some cash distributions) in determining the portion of its income and gains that has been distributed. If the Fund uses equalization accounting, it will allocate a portion of its undistributed investment company taxable income and net capital gain to redemptions of Shares and will correspondingly reduce the amount of such income and gains that it distributes in cash. If the IRS determines that the Fund’s allocation is improper and that the Fund has under-distributed its income and gain for any taxable year, the Fund may be liable for federal income and/or excise tax. If, as a result of such adjustment, the Fund fails to satisfy the Distribution Requirement, the Fund will not qualify that year as a regulated investment company the effect of which is described in the following paragraph.

 

If for any taxable year the Fund does not qualify as a regulated investment company, all of its taxable income (including its net capital gain) would be subject to tax at regular corporate rates without any deduction for dividends paid to shareholders, and the dividends would be taxable to the shareholders as ordinary income (or possibly as qualified dividend income) to the extent of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits. Failure to qualify as a regulated investment company would thus have a negative impact on the Fund’s income and performance. Subject to savings provisions for certain failures to satisfy the Income Requirement or Asset Diversification Test, which, in general, are limited to those due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect, it is possible that the Fund will not qualify as a regulated investment company in any given tax year. Even if such savings provisions apply, the Fund may be subject to a monetary sanction of $50,000 or more. Moreover, the Board reserves the right not to maintain the qualification of the Fund as a regulated investment company if it determines such a course of action to be beneficial to shareholders.

 

Portfolio Turnover. For investors that hold their Shares in a taxable account, a high portfolio turnover rate may result in higher taxes. This is because the Fund with a high turnover rate is likely to accelerate the recognition of capital gains and more of such gains are likely to be taxable as short-term rather than long-term capital gains in contrast to a comparable fund with a low turnover rate. Any such higher taxes would reduce the Fund’s after-tax performance. See “Taxation of Fund Distributions - Distributions of Capital Gains” below. For non-U.S. investors, any such acceleration of the recognition of capital gains that results in more short-term and less long-term capital gains being recognized by the Fund may cause such investors to be subject to

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increased U.S. withholding taxes. See “Non-U.S. Investors – Capital Gain Dividends” and “– Interest-Related Dividends and Short-Term Capital Gain Dividends” below.

 

Capital Loss Carryovers. The capital losses of the Fund, if any, do not flow through to shareholders. Rather, the Fund may use its capital losses, subject to applicable limitations, to offset its capital gains without being required to pay taxes on or distribute to shareholders such gains that are offset by the losses. Rules similar to those that apply to capital loss carryovers of individuals apply to RICs. Thus, if the Fund has a “net capital loss” (that is, capital losses in excess of capital gains), the excess (if any) of the Fund’s net short-term capital losses over its net long-term capital gains is treated as a short-term capital loss arising on the first day of the Fund’s next taxable year, and the excess (if any) of the Fund’s net long-term capital losses over its net short-term capital gains is treated as a long-term capital loss arising on the first day of the Fund’s next taxable year. Any such net capital losses of the Fund that are not used to offset capital gains may be carried forward indefinitely to reduce any future capital gains realized by the Fund in succeeding taxable years. The amount of capital losses that can be carried forward and used in any single year is subject to an annual limitation if there is a more than 50% “change in ownership” of the Fund. An ownership change generally results when shareholders owning 5% or more of the Fund increase their aggregate holdings by more than 50% over a three-year look-back period. An ownership change could result in capital loss carryovers being used at a slower rate, thereby reducing the Fund’s ability to offset capital gains with those losses. An increase in the amount of taxable gains distributed to the Fund’s shareholders could result from an ownership change. The Fund undertakes no obligation to avoid or prevent an ownership change, which can occur in the normal course of shareholder purchases and redemptions or as a result of engaging in a tax-free reorganization with another fund. Moreover, because of circumstances beyond the Fund’s control, there can be no assurance that the Fund will not experience, or has not already experienced, an ownership change. Additionally, if the Fund engages in a tax-free reorganization with another fund, the effect of these and other rules not discussed herein may be to disallow or postpone the use by the Fund of its capital loss carryovers (including any current year losses and built-in losses when realized) to offset its own gains or those of the other fund, or vice versa, thereby reducing the tax benefits Fund shareholders would otherwise have enjoyed from use of such capital loss carryovers.

 

Deferral of Late Year Losses. The Fund may elect to treat part or all of any “qualified late year loss” as if it had been incurred in the succeeding taxable year in determining the Fund’s taxable income, net capital gain, net short-term capital gain, and earnings and profits. The effect of this election is to treat any such “qualified late year loss” as if it had been incurred in the succeeding taxable year in characterizing Fund distributions for any calendar year (see “Tax of Fund Distributions - Distributions of Capital Gains” below). A “qualified late year loss” includes:

 

(i)any net capital loss incurred after October 31 of the current taxable year, or, if there is no such loss, any net long-term capital loss or any net short-term capital loss incurred after October 31 of the current taxable year (“post-October capital losses”), and

 

(ii)the sum of (1) the excess, if any, of (a) specified losses incurred after October 31 of the current taxable year, over (b) specified gains incurred after October 31 of the current taxable year, and (2) the excess, if any, of (a) ordinary losses incurred after December 31 of the current taxable year, over (b) the ordinary income incurred after December 31 of the current taxable year.

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The terms “specified losses” and “specified gains” mean ordinary losses and gains from the sale, exchange, or other disposition of property (including the termination of a position with respect to such property), foreign currency losses and gains, and losses and gains resulting from holding stock in a passive foreign investment company (“PFIC”) for which a mark-to-market election is in effect. The terms “ordinary losses” and “ordinary income” mean other ordinary losses and income that are not described in the preceding sentence.

 

Undistributed Capital Gains. The Fund may retain or distribute to shareholders its net capital gain for each taxable year. The Fund currently intends to distribute net capital gains. If the Fund elects to retain its net capital gain, the Fund will be taxed thereon (except to the extent of any available capital loss carryovers) at the highest corporate tax rate (currently 35%). If the Fund elects to retain its net capital gain, it is expected that the Fund also will elect to have shareholders treated as if each received a distribution of its pro rata share of such gain, with the result that each shareholder will be required to report its pro rata share of such gain on its tax return as long-term capital gain, will receive a refundable tax credit for its pro rata share of tax paid by the Fund on the gain, and will increase the tax basis for its Shares by an amount equal to the deemed distribution less the tax credit.

 

Federal Excise Tax. To avoid a 4% non-deductible excise tax, the Fund must distribute by December 31 of each year an amount equal to at least: (1) 98% of its ordinary income for the calendar year, (2) 98.2% of capital gain net income (that is, the excess of the gains from sales or exchanges of capital assets over the losses from such sales or exchanges) for the one-year period ended on October 31 of such calendar year, and (3) any prior year undistributed ordinary income and capital gain net income. The Fund may elect to defer to the following year any net ordinary loss incurred for the portion of the calendar year which is after the beginning of the Fund’s taxable year. Also, the Fund will defer any “specified gain” or “specified loss” which would be properly taken into account for the portion of the calendar year after October 31. Any net ordinary loss, specified gain, or specified loss deferred shall be treated as arising on January 1 of the following calendar year. Generally, the Fund intends to make sufficient distributions prior to the end of each calendar year to avoid any material liability for federal income and excise tax, but can give no assurances that all or a portion of such liability will be avoided. In addition, under certain circumstances, temporary timing or permanent differences in the realization of income and expense for book and tax purposes can result in the Fund having to pay an excise tax.

 

Foreign Income Tax. Investment income received by the Fund from sources within foreign countries may be subject to foreign income tax withheld at the source and the amount of tax withheld generally will be treated as an expense of the Fund. The United States has entered into tax treaties with many foreign countries which entitle the Fund to a reduced rate of, or exemption from, tax on such income. Some countries require the filing of a tax reclaim or other forms to receive the benefit of the reduced tax rate; whether or when the Fund will receive the tax reclaim is within the control of the individual country. Information required on these forms may not be available such as shareholder information; therefore, the Fund may not receive the reduced treaty

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rates or potential reclaims. Other countries have conflicting and changing instructions and restrictive timing requirements which may cause the Fund not to receive the reduced treaty rates or potential reclaims. Other countries may subject capital gains realized by the Fund on sale or disposition of securities of that country to taxation. It is impossible to determine the effective rate of foreign tax in advance since the amount of the Fund’s assets to be invested in various countries is not known. Under certain circumstances, the Fund may elect to pass-through foreign tax credits to shareholders, although it reserves the right not to do so.

 

Purchase of Shares. As a result of tax requirements, the Trust on behalf of the Fund has the right to reject an order to purchase Shares if the purchaser (or group of purchasers acting in concert with each other) would, upon obtaining the Shares so ordered, own 80% or more of the outstanding Shares of the Fund and if, pursuant to Sections 351 and 362 of the Code, the Fund would have a basis in the Deposit Securities different from the market value of such securities on the date of deposit. The Trust also has the right to require information necessary to determine beneficial Share ownership for purposes of the 80% determination.

 

Taxation of Fund Distributions

 

The Fund anticipates distributing substantially all of its investment company taxable income and net capital gain for each taxable year. Distributions by the Fund will be treated in the manner described below regardless of whether such distributions are paid in cash or reinvested in additional Shares of the Fund (or of another fund). You will receive information annually as to the federal income tax consequences of distributions made (or deemed made) during the year.

 

Distributions of Net Investment Income. The Fund receives ordinary income generally in the form of dividends and/or interest on its investments. The Fund may also recognize ordinary income from other sources, including, but not limited to, certain gains on foreign currency-related transactions. This income, less expenses incurred in the operation of the Fund, constitutes the Fund’s net investment income from which dividends may be paid to you. If you are a taxable investor, distributions of net investment income generally are taxable as ordinary income to the extent of the Fund’s earnings and profits. In the case of the Fund whose strategy includes investing in stocks of corporations, a portion of the income dividends paid to you may be qualified dividends eligible to be taxed at reduced rates. See the discussion below under the headings, “– Qualified Dividend Income for Individuals” and “– Dividends-Received Deduction for Corporations”

 

Distributions of Capital Gains. The Fund may derive capital gain and loss in connection with sales or other dispositions of its portfolio securities. Distributions derived from the excess of net short-term capital gain over net long-term capital loss will be taxable to you as ordinary income. Distributions paid from the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss will be taxable to you as long-term capital gain, regardless of how long you have held your Shares in the Fund. Any net short-term or long-term capital gain realized by the Fund (net of any capital loss carryovers) generally will be distributed once each year and may be distributed more frequently, if necessary, in order to reduce or eliminate federal excise or income taxes on the Fund.

 

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Returns of Capital. Distributions by the Fund that are not paid from earnings and profits will be treated as a return of capital to the extent of (and in reduction of) the shareholder’s tax basis in his Shares; any excess will be treated as gain from the sale of his Shares. Thus, the portion of a distribution that constitutes a return of capital will decrease the shareholder’s tax basis in his Shares (but not below zero), and will result in an increase in the amount of gain (or decrease in the amount of loss) that will be recognized by the shareholder for tax purposes on the later sale of such Shares. Return of capital distributions can occur for a number of reasons including, among others, the Fund over-estimates the income to be received from certain investments such as those classified as partnerships or equity REITs (see “Tax Treatment of Portfolio Transactions - Investments in U.S. REITs” below).

 

Qualified Dividend Income for Individuals. Ordinary income dividends reported by the Fund as derived from qualified dividend income will be taxed in the hands of individuals and other non-corporate shareholders at the rates applicable to long-term capital gain. “Qualified dividend income” means dividends paid to the Fund (a) by domestic corporations, (b) by foreign corporations that are either (i) incorporated in a possession of the United States, or (ii) are eligible for benefits under certain income tax treaties with the United States that include an exchange of information program, or (c) with respect to stock of a foreign corporation that is readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States. Both the Fund and the investor must meet certain holding period requirements to qualify Fund dividends for this treatment. Specifically, the Fund must hold the stock for at least 61 days during the 121-day period beginning 60 days before the stock becomes ex-dividend. Similarly, investors must hold their Shares for at least 61 days during the 121-day period beginning 60 days before the Fund distribution goes ex-dividend. Income derived from investments in derivatives, fixed-income securities, U.S. REITs, PFICs, and income received “in lieu of” dividends in a securities lending transaction generally is not eligible for treatment as qualified dividend income. If the qualifying dividend income received by the Fund is equal to or greater than 95% of the Fund’s gross income (exclusive of net capital gain) in any taxable year, all of the ordinary income dividends paid by the Fund will be qualifying dividend income.

 

Dividends-Received Deduction for Corporations. For corporate shareholders, a portion of the dividends paid by the Fund may qualify for the 70% corporate dividends-received deduction. The portion of dividends paid by the Fund that so qualifies will be reported by the Fund each year and cannot exceed the gross amount of dividends received by the Fund from domestic (U.S.) corporations. The availability of the dividends-received deduction is subject to certain holding period and debt financing restrictions that apply to both the Fund and the investor. Specifically, the amount that the Fund may report as eligible for the dividends-received deduction will be reduced or eliminated if the Shares on which the dividends earned by the Fund were debt-financed or held by the Fund for less than a minimum period of time, generally 46 days during a 91-day period beginning 45 days before the stock becomes ex-dividend. Similarly, if your Shares are debt-financed or held by you for less than a 46-day period then the dividends-received deduction for Fund dividends on your Shares may also be reduced or eliminated. Even if reported as dividends eligible for the dividends-received deduction, all dividends (including any deducted portion) must be included in your alternative minimum taxable income calculation. Income derived by the Fund from investments in derivatives, fixed-income and foreign securities generally is not eligible for this treatment.

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Impact of Realized but Undistributed Income and Gains, and Net Unrealized Appreciation of Portfolio Securities. At the time of your purchase of Shares, the price of Shares may reflect undistributed income, undistributed capital gains, or net unrealized appreciation of portfolio securities held by the Fund. A subsequent distribution to you of such amounts, although constituting a return of your investment, would be taxable, and would be taxed as ordinary income (some portion of which may be taxed as qualified dividend income), capital gains, or some combination of both, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account. The Fund may be able to reduce the amount of such distributions from capital gains by utilizing its capital loss carryovers, if any.

 

Pass-Through of Foreign Tax Credits. If more than 50% of the Fund’s total assets at the end of a fiscal year is invested in foreign securities, the Fund may elect to pass through to you your pro rata share of foreign taxes paid by the Fund. If this election is made, the Fund may report more taxable income to you than it actually distributes. You will then be entitled either to deduct your share of these taxes in computing your taxable income, or to claim a foreign tax credit for these taxes against your U.S. federal income tax (subject to limitations for certain shareholders). The Fund will provide the information necessary to claim this deduction or credit on your personal income tax return if it makes this election. No deduction for foreign tax may be claimed by a noncorporate shareholder who does not itemize deductions or who is subject to the alternative minimum tax. Shareholders may be unable to claim a credit for the full amount of their proportionate shares of the foreign income tax paid by The Fund due to certain limitations that may apply. The Fund reserves the right not to pass-through to its shareholders the amount of foreign income taxes paid by the Fund. Additionally, any foreign tax withheld on payments made “in lieu of” dividends or interest will not qualify for the pass-through of foreign tax credits to shareholders. See “Tax Treatment of Portfolio Transactions – Securities Lending” below.

 

Dividends Declared in December and Paid in January. Ordinarily, shareholders are required to take distributions by the Fund into account in the year in which the distributions are made. However, dividends declared in October, November or December of any year and payable to shareholders of record on a specified date in such a month will be deemed to have been received by the shareholders (and made by the Fund) on December 31 of such calendar year if such dividends are actually paid in January of the following year. Shareholders will be advised annually as to the U.S. federal income tax consequences of distributions made (or deemed made) during the year in accordance with the guidance that has been provided by the IRS.

 

Medicare Tax. A 3.8% Medicare tax is imposed on net investment income earned by certain individuals, estates and trusts. “Net investment income,” for these purposes, means investment income, including ordinary dividends and capital gain distributions received from the Fund and net gains from redemptions or other taxable dispositions of Shares, reduced by the deductions properly allocable to such income. In the case of an individual, the tax will be imposed on the lesser of (1) the shareholder’s net investment income or (2) the amount by which the shareholder’s modified adjusted gross income exceeds $250,000 (if the shareholder is married and filing jointly or a surviving spouse), $125,000 (if the shareholder is married and filing separately) or $200,000 (in any other case). This Medicare tax, if applicable, is reported by you on, and paid with, your federal income tax return.

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Sales, Exchanges and Redemption of Fund Shares

 

Sales, exchanges and redemptions (including redemptions in kind) of Shares are taxable transactions for federal and state income tax purposes. If you redeem your Shares, the IRS requires you to report any gain or loss on your redemption. If you held your Shares as a capital asset, the gain or loss that you realize will be a capital gain or loss and will be long-term or short-term, generally depending on how long you have held your Shares. Any redemption fees you incur on Shares redeemed will decrease the amount of any capital gain (or increase any capital loss) you realize on the sale. Capital losses in any year are deductible only to the extent of capital gains plus, in the case of a noncorporate taxpayer, $3,000 of ordinary income.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Tax Basis Information. A shareholder’s cost basis information will be provided on the redemption of any of the shareholder’s Shares, subject to certain exceptions for exempt recipients. Please contact the broker (or other nominee) that holds your Shares with respect to reporting of cost basis and available elections for your account.

 

Wash Sales. All or a portion of any loss that you realize on a redemption of your Shares will be disallowed to the extent that you buy other Shares in the Fund (through reinvestment of dividends or otherwise) within 30 days before or after your Share redemption. Any loss disallowed under these rules will be added to your tax basis in the new Shares.

 

Redemptions at a Loss Within Six Months of Purchase. Any loss incurred on a redemption or exchange of Shares held for six months or less will be treated as long-term capital loss to the extent of any long-term capital gain distributed to you by the Fund on those Shares.

 

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Reportable Transactions. Under Treasury regulations, if a shareholder recognizes a loss with respect to the Fund’s Shares of $2 million or more for an individual shareholder or $10 million or more for a corporate shareholder (or certain greater amounts over a combination of years), the shareholder must file with the IRS a disclosure statement on Form 8886. The fact that a loss is reportable under these regulations does not affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayer’s treatment of the loss is proper. Shareholders should consult their tax advisors to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances.

 

Tax Treatment of Portfolio Transactions

 

Set forth below is a general description of the tax treatment of certain types of securities, investment techniques and transactions that may apply to the Fund and, in turn, affect the amount, character and timing of dividends and distributions payable by the fund to its shareholders. This section should be read in conjunction with the discussion above under “Description of Permitted Investments” for a detailed description of the various types of securities and investment techniques that apply to the Fund.

 

In General. In general, gain or loss recognized by the Fund on the sale or other disposition of portfolio investments will be a capital gain or loss. Such capital gain and loss may be long-term or short-term depending, in general, upon the length of time a particular investment position is maintained and, in some cases, upon the nature of the transaction. Property held for more than one year generally will be eligible for long-term capital gain or loss treatment. The application of certain rules described below may serve to alter the manner in which the holding period for a security is determined or may otherwise affect the characterization as long-term or short-term, and also the timing of the realization and/or character, of certain gains or losses.

 

Options, Futures, Forward Contracts and Hedging Transactions. In general, option premiums received by the Fund are not immediately included in the income of the fund. Instead, the premiums are recognized when the option contract expires, the option is exercised by the holder, or the fund transfers or otherwise terminates the option (e.g., through a closing transaction). If an option written by the Fund is exercised and the fund sells or delivers the underlying stock, the fund generally will recognize capital gain or loss equal to (a) the sum of the strike price and the option premium received by the fund minus (b) the fund’s basis in the stock. Such gain or loss generally will be short-term or long-term depending upon the holding period of the underlying stock. If securities are purchased by the Fund pursuant to the exercise of a put option written by it, the fund generally will subtract the premium received from its cost basis in the securities purchased. The gain or loss with respect to any termination of the Fund’s obligation under an option other than through the exercise of the option and related sale or delivery of the underlying stock generally will be short-term gain or loss depending on whether the premium income received by the fund is greater or less than the amount paid by the fund (if any) in terminating the transaction. Thus, for example, if an option written by the Fund expires unexercised, the fund generally will recognize short-term gain equal to the premium received.

 

The tax treatment of certain futures contracts entered into by the Fund as well as listed non-equity options written or purchased by the Fund on U.S. exchanges (including options on futures contracts, broad-based equity indices and debt securities) may be governed by section 1256 of

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the Code (“section 1256 contracts”). Gains or losses on section 1256 contracts generally are considered 60% long-term and 40% short-term capital gains or losses (“60/40”), although certain foreign currency gains and losses from such contracts may be treated as ordinary in character. Also, any section 1256 contracts held by the Fund at the end of each taxable year (and, for purposes of the 4% excise tax, on certain other dates as prescribed under the Code) are “marked to market” with the result that unrealized gains or losses are treated as though they were realized and the resulting gain or loss is treated as ordinary or 60/40 gain or loss, as applicable.

 

In addition to the special rules described above in respect of options and futures transactions, the Fund’s transactions in other derivative instruments (including options and forward contracts) as well as its other hedging, short sale, or similar transactions, may be subject to one or more special tax rules (including the constructive sale, notional principal contract, straddle, wash sale and short sale rules). These rules may affect whether gains and losses recognized by the Fund are treated as ordinary or capital or as short-term or long-term, accelerate the recognition of income or gains to the fund, defer losses to the fund, and cause adjustments in the holding periods of the fund’s securities. These rules, therefore, could affect the amount, timing and/or character of distributions to shareholders. Moreover, because the tax rules applicable to derivative financial instruments are in some cases uncertain under current law, an adverse determination or future guidance by the IRS with respect to these rules (which determination or guidance could be retroactive) may affect whether the Fund has made sufficient distributions, and otherwise satisfied the relevant requirements, to maintain its qualification as a regulated investment company and avoid the Fund -level tax.

 

Certain of the Fund’s investments in derivatives and foreign currency-denominated instruments, and the fund’s transactions in foreign currencies and hedging activities, may produce a difference between its book income and its taxable income. If the Fund’s book income is less than the sum of its taxable income and net tax-exempt income (if any), the fund could be required to make distributions exceeding book income to qualify as a regulated investment company. If the Fund’s book income exceeds the sum of its taxable income and net tax-exempt income (if any), the distribution of any such excess will be treated as (i) a dividend to the extent of the fund’s remaining earnings and profits (including current earnings and profits arising from tax-exempt income, reduced by related deductions), (ii) thereafter, as a return of capital to the extent of the recipient’s basis in the Shares, and (iii) thereafter, as gain from the sale or exchange of a capital asset.

 

Foreign Currency Transactions. The Fund’s transactions in foreign currencies, foreign currency-denominated debt obligations and certain foreign currency options, futures contracts and forward contracts (and similar instruments) may give rise to ordinary income or loss to the extent such income or loss results from fluctuations in the value of the foreign currency concerned. This treatment could increase or decrease the Fund’s ordinary income distributions to you, and may cause some or all of the fund’s previously distributed income to be classified as a return of capital. In certain cases, the Fund may make an election to treat such gain or loss as capital.

 

PFIC Investments. The Fund may invest in securities of foreign companies that may be classified under the Code as PFICs. In general, a foreign company is classified as a PFIC if at least one-half of its assets constitute investment-type assets or 75% or more of its gross income is

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investment-type income. When investing in PFIC securities, the Fund intends to mark-to-market these securities under certain provisions of the Code and recognize any unrealized gains as ordinary income at the end of the fund’s fiscal and excise tax years. Deductions for losses are allowable only to the extent of any current or previously recognized gains. These gains (reduced by allowable losses) are treated as ordinary income that the Fund is required to distribute, even though it has not sold or received dividends from these securities. You should also be aware that the designation of a foreign security as a PFIC security will cause its income dividends to fall outside of the definition of qualified foreign corporation dividends. These dividends generally will not qualify for the reduced rate of taxation on qualified dividends when distributed to you by the Fund. Foreign companies are not required to identify themselves as PFICs. Due to various complexities in identifying PFICs, the Fund can give no assurances that it will be able to identify portfolio securities in foreign corporations that are PFICs in time for the fund to make a mark-to-market election. If the Fund is unable to identify an investment as a PFIC and thus does not make a mark-to-market election, the fund may be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a portion of any “excess distribution” or gain from the disposition of such shares even if such income is distributed as a taxable dividend by the fund to its shareholders. Additional charges in the nature of interest may be imposed on the Fund in respect of deferred taxes arising from such distributions or gains.

 

Investments in U.S. REITs. A U.S. REIT is not subject to federal income tax on the income and gains it distributes to shareholders. Dividends paid by a U.S. REIT, other than capital gain distributions, will be taxable as ordinary income up to the amount of the U.S. REIT’s current and accumulated earnings and profits. Capital gain dividends paid by a U.S. REIT to the Fund will be treated as long-term capital gains by the fund and, in turn, may be distributed by the fund to its shareholders as a capital gain distribution. Because of certain noncash expenses, such as property depreciation, an equity U.S. REIT’s cash flow may exceed its taxable income. The equity U.S. REIT, and in turn the Fund, may distribute this excess cash to shareholders in the form of a return of capital distribution. However, if a U.S. REIT is operated in a manner that fails to qualify as a REIT, an investment in the U.S. REIT would become subject to double taxation, meaning the taxable income of the U.S. REIT would be subject to federal income tax at regular corporate rates without any deduction for dividends paid to shareholders and the dividends would be taxable to shareholders as ordinary income (or possibly as qualified dividend income) to the extent of the U.S. REIT’s current and accumulated earnings and profits. Also, see, “Tax Treatment of Portfolio Transactions — Investment in Taxable Mortgage Pools (Excess Inclusion Income)” and “Non-U.S. Investors — Investment in U.S. Real Property” below with respect to certain other tax aspects of investing in U.S. REITs.

 

Investment in Non-U.S. REITs. While non-U.S. REITs often use complex acquisition structures that seek to minimize taxation in the source country, an investment by the Fund in a non-U.S. REIT may subject the fund, directly or indirectly, to corporate taxes, withholding taxes, transfer taxes and other indirect taxes in the country in which the real estate acquired by the non-U.S. REIT is located. The Fund’s pro rata share of any such taxes will reduce the Fund’s return on its investment. The Fund’s investment in a non-U.S. REIT may be considered an investment in a PFIC, as discussed above in “PFIC Investments.” Additionally, foreign withholding taxes on distributions from the non-U.S. REIT may be reduced or eliminated under certain tax treaties, as discussed above in “Taxation of the Fund — Foreign Income Tax.” Also, the Fund in certain

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limited circumstances may be required to file an income tax return in the source country and pay tax on any gain realized from its investment in the non-U.S. REIT under rules similar to those in the United States which tax foreign persons on gain realized from dispositions of interests in U.S. real estate.

 

Investment in Taxable Mortgage Pools (Excess Inclusion Income). Under a Notice issued by the IRS, the Code and Treasury regulations to be issued, a portion of the Fund’s income from a U.S. REIT that is attributable to the REIT’s residual interest in a real estate mortgage investment conduit (“REMIC”) or equity interests in a “taxable mortgage pool” (referred to in the Code as an excess inclusion) will be subject to federal income tax in all events. The excess inclusion income of a regulated investment company, such as the Fund, will be allocated to shareholders of the regulated investment company in proportion to the dividends received by such shareholders, with the same consequences as if the shareholders held the related REMIC residual interest or, if applicable, taxable mortgage pool directly. In general, excess inclusion income allocated to shareholders (i) cannot be offset by net operating losses (subject to a limited exception for certain thrift institutions), (ii) will constitute unrelated business taxable income (“UBTI”) to entities (including qualified pension plans, individual retirement accounts, 401(k) plans, Keogh plans or other tax-exempt entities) subject to tax on UBTI, thereby potentially requiring such an entity that is allocated excess inclusion income, and otherwise might not be required to file a tax return, to file a tax return and pay tax on such income, and (iii) in the case of a foreign stockholder, will not qualify for any reduction in U.S. federal withholding tax. In addition, if at any time during any taxable year a “disqualified organization” (which generally includes certain cooperatives, governmental entities, and tax-exempt organizations not subject to UBTI) is a record holder of a share in a regulated investment company, then the regulated investment company will be subject to a tax equal to that portion of its excess inclusion income for the taxable year that is allocable to the disqualified organization, multiplied by the highest federal income tax rate imposed on corporations. The Notice imposes certain reporting requirements upon regulated investment companies that have excess inclusion income. There can be no assurance that the Fund will not allocate to shareholders excess inclusion income.

 

These rules are potentially applicable to the Fund with respect to any income it receives from the equity interests of certain mortgage pooling vehicles, either directly or, as is more likely, through an investment in a U.S. REIT. It is unlikely that these rules will apply to the Fund that has a non-REIT strategy.

 

Investments in Partnerships and QPTPs. For purposes of the Income Requirement, income derived by the Fund from a partnership that is not a QPTP will be treated as qualifying income only to the extent such income is attributable to items of income of the partnership that would be qualifying income if realized directly by the fund. While the rules are not entirely clear with respect to the Fund investing in a partnership outside a master-feeder structure, for purposes of testing whether the Fund satisfies the Asset Diversification Test, the fund generally is treated as owning a pro rata share of the underlying assets of a partnership. See, “Taxation of the Fund.” In contrast, different rules apply to a partnership that is a QPTP. A QPTP is a partnership (a) the interests in which are traded on an established securities market, (b) that is treated as a partnership for federal income tax purposes, and (c) that derives less than 90% of its income from sources that satisfy the Income Requirement (e.g., because it invests in commodities). All

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of the net income derived by the Fund from an interest in a QPTP will be treated as qualifying income but the fund may not invest more than 25% of its total assets in one or more QPTPs. However, there can be no assurance that a partnership classified as a QPTP in one year will qualify as a QPTP in the next year. Any such failure to annually qualify as a QPTP might, in turn, cause the Fund to fail to qualify as a regulated investment company. Although, in general, the passive loss rules of the Code do not apply to RICs, such rules do apply to the Fund with respect to items attributable to an interest in a QPTP. Fund investments in partnerships, including in QPTPs, may result in the fund being subject to state, local or foreign income, franchise or withholding tax liabilities.

 

Securities Lending. While securities are loaned out by the Fund, the Fund generally will receive from the borrower amounts equal to any dividends or interest paid on the borrowed securities. For federal income tax purposes, payments made “in lieu of” dividends are not considered dividend income. These distributions will neither qualify for the reduced rate of taxation for individuals on qualified dividends nor the 70% dividends received deduction for corporations. Also, any foreign tax withheld on payments made “in lieu of” dividends or interest will not qualify for the pass-through of foreign tax credits to shareholders.

 

Investments in Convertible Securities. Convertible debt is ordinarily treated as a “single property” consisting of a pure debt interest until conversion, after which the investment becomes an equity interest. If the security is issued at a premium (i.e., for cash in excess of the face amount payable on retirement), the creditor-holder may amortize the premium over the life of the bond. If the security is issued for cash at a price below its face amount, the creditor-holder must accrue original issue discount in income over the life of the debt. The creditor-holder’s exercise of the conversion privilege is treated as a nontaxable event. Mandatorily convertible debt (e.g., an exchange traded note or ETN issued in the form of an unsecured obligation that pays a return based on the performance of a specified market index, exchange currency, or commodity) is often, but not always, treated as a contract to buy or sell the reference property rather than debt. Similarly, convertible preferred stock with a mandatory conversion feature is ordinarily, but not always, treated as equity rather than debt. Dividends received generally are qualified dividend income and eligible for the corporate dividends received deduction. In general, conversion of preferred stock for common stock of the same corporation is tax-free. Conversion of preferred stock for cash is a taxable redemption. Any redemption premium for preferred stock that is redeemable by the issuing company might be required to be amortized under original issue discount principles.

 

Investments in Securities of Uncertain Tax Character. The Fund may invest in securities the U.S. federal income tax treatment of which may not be clear or may be subject to recharacterization by the IRS. To the extent the tax treatment of such securities or the income from such securities differs from the tax treatment expected by the Fund, it could affect the timing or character of income recognized by the fund, requiring the fund to purchase or sell securities, or otherwise change its portfolio, in order to comply with the tax rules applicable to regulated investment companies under the Code.

 

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Backup Withholding

 

By law, a portion of your taxable dividends and sales proceeds may be withheld unless you:

 

·provide your correct social security or taxpayer identification number,
·certify that this number is correct,
·certify that you are not subject to backup withholding, and
·certify that you are a U.S. person (including a U.S. resident alien).

 

Withholding is also imposed if the IRS requires it. When withholding is required, the amount will be 28% of any distributions or proceeds paid. Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld may be credited against the shareholder’s U.S. federal income tax liability, provided the appropriate information is furnished to the IRS. Certain payees and payments are exempt from backup withholding and information reporting. The special U.S. tax certification requirements applicable to non-U.S. investors to avoid backup withholding are described under the “Non-U.S. Investors” heading below.

 

Non-U.S. Investors

 

Non-U.S. investors (shareholders who, as to the United States, are nonresident alien individuals, foreign trusts or estates, foreign corporations, or foreign partnerships) may be subject to U.S. withholding and estate tax and are subject to special U.S. tax certification requirements. Non-U.S. investors should consult their tax advisors about the applicability of U.S. tax withholding and the use of the appropriate forms to certify their status.

 

In General. The United States imposes a flat 30% withholding tax (or a withholding tax at a lower treaty rate) on U.S. source dividends, including on income dividends paid to you by the Fund, subject to certain exemptions described below. However, notwithstanding such exemptions from U.S. withholding at the source, any dividends and distributions of income and capital gains, including the proceeds from the sale of your Shares, will be subject to backup withholding at a rate of 28% if you fail to properly certify that you are not a U.S. person.

 

Capital Gain Dividends. In general, capital gain dividends reported by the Fund as paid from its net long-term capital gains, other than long-term capital gains realized on disposition of U.S. real property interests (see the discussion below), are not subject to U.S. withholding tax unless you are a nonresident alien individual present in the United States for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the calendar year.

 

Interest-related dividends and short-term capital gain dividends. Generally, dividends reported by the Fund as interest-related dividends and paid from its qualified net interest income from U.S. sources are not subject to U.S. withholding tax. “Qualified interest income” includes, in general, U.S. source (1) bank deposit interest, (2) short-term original discount, (3) interest (including original issue discount, market discount, or acquisition discount) on an obligation that is in registered form, unless it is earned on an obligation issued by a corporation or partnership in which the Fund is a 10-percent shareholder or is contingent interest, and (4) any interest-related dividend from another regulated investment company.

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Similarly, short-term capital gain dividends reported by the Fund as paid from its net short-term capital gains, other than short-term capital gains realized on disposition of U.S. real property interests (see the discussion below), are not subject to U.S. withholding tax unless you were a nonresident alien individual present in the United States for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the calendar year. The Fund reserves the right to not report interest-related dividends or short-term capital gain dividends. Additionally, the Fund’s reporting of interest-related dividends or short-term capital gain dividends may not be passed through to shareholders by intermediaries who have assumed tax reporting responsibilities for this income in managed or omnibus accounts due to systems limitations or operational constraints.

 

Net Investment Income from Dividends on Stock and Foreign Source Interest Income Continue to be Subject to Withholding Tax; Foreign Tax Credits. Ordinary dividends paid by the Fund to non-U.S. investors on the income earned on portfolio investments in (i) the stock of domestic and foreign corporations and (ii) the debt of foreign issuers continue to be subject to U.S. withholding tax.

 

Foreign shareholders may be subject to U.S. withholding tax at a rate of 30% on the income resulting from an election to pass-through foreign tax credits to shareholders, but may not be able to claim a credit or deduction with respect to the withholding tax for the foreign tax treated as having been paid by them.

 

Income Effectively Connected with a U.S. Trade or Business. If the income from the Fund is effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business carried on by a foreign shareholder, then ordinary income dividends, capital gain dividends and any gains realized upon the sale or redemption of Shares of the Fund will be subject to U.S. federal income tax at the rates applicable to U.S. citizens or domestic corporations and require the filing of a nonresident U.S. income tax return.

 

Investment in U.S. Real Property. The Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act of 1980 (“FIRPTA”) makes non-U.S. persons subject to U.S. tax on disposition of a U.S. real property interest (“USRPI”) as if he or she were a U.S. person. Such gain is sometimes referred to as FIRPTA gain. The Fund may invest in equity securities of corporations that invest in USRPI, including U.S. REITs, which may trigger FIRPTA gain to the Fund’s non-U.S. shareholders.

 

The Code provides a look-through rule for distributions of FIRPTA gain when a RIC is classified as a qualified investment entity. A RIC will be classified as a qualified investment entity if, in general, 50% or more of the RIC’s assets consist of interests in U.S. REITs and other U.S. real property holding corporations (“USRPHC”). If a RIC is a qualified investment entity and the non-U.S. shareholder owns more than 5% of a class of Shares at any time during the one-year period ending on the date of the FIRPTA distribution, the FIRPTA distribution to the non-U.S. shareholder is treated as gain from the disposition of a USRPI, causing the distribution to be subject to U.S. withholding tax at a rate of 35% (unless reduced by future regulations), and requiring the non-U.S. shareholder to file a nonresident U.S. income tax return. In addition, even if the non-U.S. shareholder does not own more than 5% of a class of Shares, but the Fund is a qualified investment entity, the FIRPTA distribution will be taxable as ordinary dividends (rather

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than as a capital gain or short-term capital gain dividend) subject to withholding at 30% or lower treaty rate.

 

Because the Fund expects to invest less than 50% of its assets at all times, directly or indirectly, in U.S. real property interests, the Fund expects that neither gain on the sale or redemption of Shares nor Fund dividends and distributions would be subject to FIRPTA reporting and tax withholding.

 

U.S. Estate Tax. Transfers by gift of Shares of the Fund by a foreign shareholder who is a nonresident alien individual will not be subject to U.S. federal gift tax. An individual who, at the time of death, is a non-U.S. shareholder will nevertheless be subject to U.S. federal estate tax with respect to the Shares at the graduated rates applicable to U.S. citizens and residents, unless a treaty exemption applies. If a treaty exemption is available, a decedent’s estate may nonetheless need to file a U.S. estate tax return to claim the exemption in order to obtain a U.S. federal transfer certificate, which permits the decedent’s property to be transferred without federal estate tax liability. The transfer certificate will identify the property (i.e., Shares) as to which the U.S. federal estate tax lien has been released. In the absence of a treaty, there is a $13,000 statutory estate tax credit (equivalent to U.S. situs assets with a value of $60,000). For estates with U.S. situs assets of not more than $60,000, an affidavit from an appropriate individual that states that the decedent’s U.S. situs assets are below this threshold amount may be sufficient to transfer the Shares.

 

U.S. Tax Certification Rules. Special U.S. tax certification requirements may apply to non-U.S. shareholders both to avoid U.S. backup withholding imposed at a rate of 28% and to obtain the benefits of any treaty between the United States and the shareholder’s country of residence. In general, if you are a non-U.S. shareholder, you must provide a Form W-8 BEN (or other applicable Form W-8) to establish that you are not a U.S. person, to claim that you are the beneficial owner of the income and, if applicable, to claim a reduced rate of, or exemption from, withholding as a resident of a country with which the United States has an income tax treaty. A Form W-8 BEN provided without a U.S. taxpayer identification number will remain in effect for a period beginning on the date signed and ending on the last day of the third succeeding calendar year unless an earlier change of circumstances makes the information on the form incorrect. Certain payees and payments are exempt from backup withholding.

 

The tax consequences to a non-U.S. shareholder entitled to claim the benefits of an applicable tax treaty may be different from those described herein. Non-U.S. shareholders are urged to consult their own tax advisors with respect to the particular tax consequences to them of an investment in the Fund, including the applicability of foreign tax.

 

Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (“FATCA”). Under FATCA, a 30% withholding tax is imposed on the following payments or distributions made by the Fund to certain foreign entities, referred to as foreign financial institutions (“FFI”) or nonfinancial foreign entities (“NFFE”): (a) income dividends and (b) after December 31, 2018, certain capital gain distributions, return of capital distributions and the proceeds arising from the sale of Fund shares. The FATCA withholding tax generally can be avoided: (a) by an FFI, if it reports certain direct and indirect ownership of foreign financial accounts held by U.S. persons with the FFI and (b) by an NFFE, if

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it: (i) certifies that it has no substantial U.S. persons as owners or (ii) if it does have such owners, reporting information relating to them. The U.S. Treasury has negotiated intergovernmental agreements (“IGA”) with certain countries and is in various stages of negotiations with a number of other foreign countries with respect to one or more alternative approaches to implement FATCA; an entity in one of those countries may be required to comply with the terms of an IGA instead of U.S. Treasury regulations.

 

An FFI can avoid FATCA withholding if it is deemed compliant or by becoming a “participating FFI,” which requires the FFI to enter into a U.S. tax compliance agreement with the IRS under section 1471(b) of the Code (“FFI agreement”) under which it agrees to verify, report and disclose certain of its U.S. accountholders and meet certain other specified requirements. The FFI will either report the specified information about the U.S. accounts to the IRS, or, to the government of the FFI’s country of residence (pursuant to the terms and conditions of applicable law and an applicable IGA entered into between the U.S. and the FFI’s country of residence), which will, in turn, report the specified information to the IRS. An FFI that is resident in a country that has entered into an IGA with the U.S. to implement FATCA will be exempt from FATCA withholding provided that the FFI shareholder and the applicable foreign government comply with the terms of such agreement.

 

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

 

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

 

Effect of Future Legislation; Local Tax Considerations

 

The foregoing general discussion of U.S. federal income tax consequences is based on the Code and the regulations issued thereunder as in effect on the date of this SAI. Future legislative or administrative changes, including provisions of current law that sunset and thereafter no longer apply, or court decisions may significantly change the conclusions expressed herein, and any such changes or decisions may have a retroactive effect with respect to the transactions contemplated herein. Rules of state and local taxation of ordinary income, qualified dividend income and capital gain dividends may differ from the rules for U.S. federal income taxation described above. Distributions may also be subject to additional state, local and foreign taxes depending on each shareholder’s particular situation. Non-U.S. shareholders may be subject to

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U.S. tax rules that differ significantly from those summarized above. Shareholders are urged to consult their tax advisors as to the consequences of these and other state and local tax rules affecting investment in the Fund.

 

CAPITAL STOCK

The Trust currently is comprised of five series. The Trust issues Shares of beneficial interest with no par value. The Board may designate additional series of the Trust.

Each Share issued by the Trust has a pro rata interest in the assets of the corresponding Fund. Shares have no pre-emptive, exchange, subscription or conversion rights and are freely transferable. Each Share is entitled to participate equally in dividends and distributions declared by the Board with respect to the Fund, and in the net distributable assets of the Fund on liquidation.

Each Share has one vote with respect to matters upon which a shareholder vote is required consistent with the requirements of the 1940 Act and the rules promulgated thereunder and each fractional Share has a proportional fractional vote. Shares of all series 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. Under Delaware law, the Trust is not required to hold an annual meeting of shareholders unless required to do so under the 1940 Act. The policy of the Trust is not to hold an annual meeting of shareholders unless required to do so under the 1940 Act. All Shares of the Trust have noncumulative voting rights for the election of Trustees. Under Delaware law, Trustees of the Trust may be removed by vote of the shareholders.

Under Delaware law, shareholders of a statutory trust may have similar limitations on liability as shareholders of a corporation.

SHAREHOLDER REPORTS

The Trust will issue through DTC Participants to its shareholders semi-annual reports containing unaudited financial statements and annual reports containing financial statements audited by an independent auditor approved by the Trust’s Trustees and by the shareholders when meetings are held and such other information as may be required by applicable laws, rules and regulations. Beneficial Owners also receive annually notification as to the tax status of the Trust’s distributions.

Shareholder inquiries may be made by writing to the Trust, c/o U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, 615 E. Michigan Street, Milwaukee, WI 53202.

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

As of the date of this SAI, the Fund has not commenced investment operations. When available, you can obtain copies of the Trust’s Annual Report and Semi-Annual Report for the Fund are available at no charge by calling 1.866.641.5739 during normal business hours.

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APPENDIX A


Horizons ETFs Management (US) LLC

AND HORIZONS ETF TRUST i

 

PROXY VOTING POLICIES

Proxy Voting — Fund Portfolio Management

Horizons ETFs Management (US) LLC (the “Adviser”) manages the affairs of Horizons ETF Trust I and its series (the “Funds”). As part of its fiduciary obligations to the shareholders of the Funds, the firm exercises its voting rights in the companies in which it invests.

The overriding objective of the firm’s proxy voting activities is to enhance shareholder value on a long-term basis. As a result, our proxy voting guidelines have been developed in a manner which the firm believes is consistent with this goal. However, it is important to note that this document contains guidelines only, and not rigid, inflexible, voting directives. We will evaluate each voting matter on a case-by-case basis and may vote in a manner contrary to the guidelines if we feel that this would ultimately enhance long-term shareholder value.

18.2.1 Guidelines Pertaining to Routine Matters

The Adviser will generally cause the Funds to vote in favor of management proposals on routine matters such as the election of directors, appointment of auditors, indemnification of directors, and receipt and approval of financial statements, provided it is in line with the other guidelines set forth in the Proxy Voting Guidelines.

18.2.2 Guidelines Pertaining to Non-Routine Matters

With respect to non-routine matters, such as take-over defense measures and changes in capital structure, the Adviser will examine proxies and recommendations for special proposals to assess the impact on the value of the securities, generally voting in favor of proposals that would enhance the investment value of the relevant security in the long term and against proposals that increase the risk level and reduce the investment value of the relevant security in the long term. Other issues, including those business issues specific to the issuer or those raised by shareholders of the issuer, are addressed on a case-by-case basis with a focus on the potential impact of the vote on shareholder value.

18.2.3 Guidelines Pertaining to the Board of Directors

Ideally, the Board of Directors will comprise a majority of unrelated experienced directors, where an unrelated director is independent of management and is free from any relationship or interest that conflicts with the director’s ability to act in the best interests of shareholders. A Board of Directors should be large enough to allow for sufficient coverage of responsibilities, but should not be so large that meetings and discussions become cumbersome. All boards shall have an audit committee headed and staffed by

A-1

 

outside directors. We are generally opposed to cumulative voting proposals, but acknowledge that it may be a useful tool if a board is unresponsive to shareholders. A staggered board is one in which some directors are elected to terms greater than one year. Our preference is for all directors to stand for election on an annual basis. While attendance is only one factor in evaluating a director’s effectiveness, we view absences without extenuating circumstances negatively. We believe that directors should be provided insurance against liability claims, so long as their actions were taken honestly and in good faith with a view to the best interests of the company. We will generally support the auditor recommended by the audit committee, but will review proposed changes in auditors on a case-by-case basis.

18.2.4 Guidelines Pertaining to Executive and Director Compensation

We consider individuals within a management team as integral to the execution of the company’s strategy. As a result, attracting and retaining qualified individuals through competitive compensation is necessary. Competitive compensation is considered in the context of what other leading companies in the same industries are paying to attract and retain their managers. Compensation should be tied to measurable performance and motivate managers to reach longer-term targets, rather than used as a reward for past performance. Furthermore, compensation should be tied to shareholder value so that the interests of both shareholders and managers are aligned.

We are not opposed to stock options as a form of compensation, but we are critical of compensation packages that have excessive granting of options; that cause substantial dilution of the existing shareholders; that have no, or very short, vesting periods; and/or that have options priced below the current market price. We will not support the re-pricing or extension of previously issued options held by senior management. We prefer to see stock options distributed to key contributors to corporate prosperity, but generally do not support plans that are excessively concentrated in the hands of a single individual. We support companies that encourage their executives to buy and hold a meaningful number of shares in the company so that they have the same financial interest as other shareholders. Compensation measures such as “golden parachutes” and corporate loans to individual managers are often justified by companies as ways of attracting and retaining quality managers; however, these compensation items are often abused, and we are opposed to compensation measures that are excessive and outside of competitive industry practices.

With respect to director compensation, appropriate board members provide valuable experience and strategic support to the company, and competitive compensation is necessary to attract and retain these individuals. Compensation should be aligned with the interests of shareholders and managers. We support companies that encourage their board members to buy and hold a meaningful number of shares in the company so that they have the same financial interest as other shareholders.

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18.2.5 Guidelines Pertaining to Takeover Protection

Takeover protection measures are created to guard against takeover bids that do not represent a fair value for the company’s assets. The main purpose of a shareholder rights plan is to ensure equal treatment for all shareholders and to provide the board sufficient time to consider alternatives. We generally will not support plans that are anti-takeover in nature and serve to entrench the power of incumbent management and boards. However, we will generally support takeover protection measures that protect the rights and interests of all shareholders and seek to maximize shareholder value.

18.2.6 Guidelines Pertaining to Shareholder Rights

A multiple-voting class structure refers to unequal voting rights between classes of shares. This potentially allows minority shareholders with multiple voting rights to impose their interests over those of all other shareholders. Therefore, we generally will not support the creation or extension of multiple-voting structures. We will support the replacement of multiple-voting structure with one vote per share, given the cost of such change is modest and is in the best interest of non-controlling shareholders.

While supermajority requirements are appropriate in some circumstances, it can be subject to abuse and act as an anti-takeover mechanism. While a two-thirds supermajority (66.7%) is most common and is considered reasonable, we will review supermajority proposals requiring more than a two-thirds majority on a case-by-case basis.

We acknowledge that the Board may need the flexibility to issue shares to meet changing financial conditions, such as stock splits, restructurings, acquisitions, stock option plans, or takeover defenses. We will review proposals on a case-by-case basis to determine if the amount requested is necessary for sound business reasons.

“Blank cheque” preferred shares usually carry a preference in dividends, rank ahead of common shares upon liquidation, and give the board broad discretion (a “blank cheque”) to establish voting, dividend, conversion, and other rights in respect to these shares. Once those shares have been authorized, shareholders have no further power to determine how or when they will be allocated. Due to the potential for abuse, we generally will not support the authorization of, or an increase in, “blank cheque” preferred shares.

Linked proposals are resolutions that link two issues together. They may be used to pass proposals that would not be approved if they were proposed individually. We generally will not support linked proposals except in the case where each individual issue contained in the proposal is in the best interests of shareholders. Each issue within a linked proposal will be considered as being mutually exclusive of each other.

Shareholders should have the right to bring relevant proposals to the annual general meeting. These proposals should be included on the proxy ballot for consideration by all shareholders. Certain shareholder proposals put unreasonable constraints on management and the Board, which may hinder the company’s ability to create long-term shareholder value. We will review shareholder proposals on a case-by-case basis.

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18.2.7 Voting Procedures

The firm is responsible for directing how proxies relating to any securities of the Funds are to be voted. The firm is required to follow the guidelines set forth in this Proxy Voting Guideline. The Board of Directors of the firm oversees the proxy voting process and reviews proxy voting results, policies, and procedures on an annual basis to ensure that securities held by the Funds are voted in accordance with the Policies.

18.2.8 Conflicts of Interest

The Adviser may have a conflict of interest in voting a particular proxy. A conflict of interest could arise, for example, as a result of a business relationship with a company, or a direct or indirect business interest in the matter being voted upon, or as a result of a personal relationship with corporate directors or candidates for directorships. Whether a relationship creates a material conflict of interest will depend upon the facts and circumstances.

The Adviser will use its best efforts to identify and resolve potential conflicts of interest. When the firm becomes aware of any vote that presents a conflict, the conflict will be reported to the CCO and proxies will be voted in a manner consistent with the best interests of the firm’s clients and shareholders of the Funds, without regard to any other business relationship that may exist. In cases where a conflict of interest arises between the interests of shareholders of the Trust and those of the Adviser or any affiliate or associate of the Trust, the Adviser will always vote in accordance with the best interests of the Trust.

The Adviser may determine that there is a conflict of interest as a result of:

   • Significant business relationships. The Adviser will consider whether the matter involves an issuer or proponent with which the firm has a significant business relationship. The Adviser has significant business relationships with certain entities, such as other investment advisory firms, vendors, clients, and broker-dealers. For this purpose, a “significant business relationship” is one that is reasonably likely to create an incentive for the adviser to vote in favor of management.

 

   • Significant personal or family relationships. The Adviser will consider whether the matter involves an issuer, proponent, or individual with which an employee of the firm has a significant personal or family relationship. For this purpose, a “significant personal or family relationship” is one that would be reasonably likely to influence how the adviser votes the proxy.

In the event the CCO determines that the firm has a conflict of interest with respect to a proxy proposal, the CCO shall also determine whether the conflict is material to that proposal. The CCO may determine on a case-by-case basis that a particular proposal does not involve a material conflict of interest. If the CCO determines that a conflict is not material, then the firm may vote the proxy in a manner consistent with the best interests of the firm’s clients and shareholders of the Trust.

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In the event the CCO determines that the firm has a material conflict of interest with respect to a proxy proposal, the firm will vote on the proposal in accordance with the determination of the CCO. Alternatively, prior to voting on the proposal, the firm may:

  Contact an independent third party to recommend how to vote on the proposal and vote in accordance with the recommendation of such third party (or have the third party vote such proxy).

 

  With respect to clients that are not subject to ERISA, fully disclose the nature of the conflict to the client in the case of the Trust, the Trust’s CCO, and obtain the consent of the client or the Trust’s Board of Trustees (“Board”) as to how the Adviser will vote on the proposal
   Otherwise obtain instructions from the client or the board as to how the proxy should be voted.

The Adviser may not address a material conflict of interest by abstaining from voting unless the CCO, the third party, the client, or the Trust’s CCO or Board, as appropriate, has determined that abstaining from voting on the proposal is in the client’s or the Trust’s best interests or that the potential costs involved with voting the proxy outweigh the potential benefits to a client, the Funds, or their shareholders.

The CCO shall document the manner in which proxies involving a material conflict of interest have been voted as well as the basis for any determination that the adviser does not have a material conflict of interest with respect to a particular matter.

18.2.9 Books and Records Relating to Proxies

In connection with voting proxies and this Proxy Voting Policy, the firm shall maintain (in hardcopy or electronic form) such books and records as may be required by applicable law, rules, or regulations, including:

  The firm’s policies and procedures relating to voting proxies

 

  A copy of each proxy statement that the firm receives regarding clients’ securities, provided that the firm may rely on:

 

  A third party to make and retain, on the firm’s behalf, pursuant to a written undertaking, a copy of proxy statements or by obtaining a copy of proxy statements from the SEC’s Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval (EDGAR) system;

 

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  A record of each vote cast by the firm on behalf of clients, provided that the firm may rely on a third party to make and retain, on the firm’s behalf, pursuant to a written undertaking, records of votes cast;

 

  Copies of any documents created by the firm that were material to making a decision on how to vote proxies on behalf of a client or that memorialize the basis for that decision; and

 

  A record of each written client request for proxy voting information and a copy of any written response by the firm to any written or oral client request for information on how the firm voted proxies on behalf of the requesting client.

Such books and records shall be maintained and preserved in an easily accessible place for a period of not less than five years from the end of the fiscal year during which the last entry was made on such record, the first two years in an easily accessible location at an appropriate office of the firm.

 

 

 

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PART C: OTHER INFORMATION

Item 28. Exhibits

 

(a) (1)(A) Certificate of Trust of the Registrant dated May 16, 20121
   (1)(B) Certificate of Amendment to the Certificate of Trust of the Registrant dated August 29, 20132
   (2)(A) Agreement and Declaration of Trust of the Registrant2
   (2)(B) Amendment No. 1 to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust of the Registrant dated August 29, 20132
(b) (1) By-Laws of the Registrant2
   (2) Amendment No. 1 to the By-Laws of the Registrant dated August 29, 20132
(c) Not applicable.
(d) (1) Investment Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and Horizons ETFs Management (US) LLC  with respect to the Horizons NASDAQ 100 Covered Call ETF3
   (2) Investment Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and Horizons ETFs Management (US) LLC with respect to the Horizons DAX Germany ETF and Recon Capital FTSE 100 ETF4
   (3) Form of Investment Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and Horizons ETFs Management (US) LLC  with respect to the Horizons Currency Hedged DAX Germany ETF and Horizons Currency Hedged FTSE 100 United Kingdom ETF5
   (4) Form of Investment Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and Horizons ETFs Management (US) LLC with respect to the BullMark LatAm Select Leaders ETF5
   (5) Investment Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and Horizons ETFs Management (US) LLC with respect to the Horizons USA Managed Risk ETF7
  (6) Investment Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and Horizons ETFs Management (US) LLC with respect to the Horizons China High Dividend ETF8.
  (7) Sub-Advisory Agreement between Horizons ETFs Management (US) LLC and Mirae Asset Global Investments (Hong Kong) Ltd. with respect to the Horizons China High Dividend ETF8.
(e) (1) Distribution Agreement between the Registrant and Foreside Fund Services, LLC 5
   (2) Form of Third Amendment to Distribution Agreement between the Registrant and Foreside Fund Services, LLC7
  (3) Fourth Amendment to Distribution Agreement between the Registrant and Foreside Fund Services, LLC8
(f) Not applicable.
(g) (1) Custody Agreement between Registrant and U.S. Bank National Association6
   (2) Fund Accounting and Servicing Agreement between Registrant and U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC6
   (3) Fund Administration Servicing Agreement between Registrant and U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC6
   (4) Transfer Agent Servicing Agreement between Registrant and U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC6

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   (5) Expense Limitation Agreement with respect to Horizons USA Managed Risk ETF7
(i) Opinion and Consent of Counsel with respect to the Horizons China High Dividend ETF8
(j) Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm with respect to Horizons China High Dividend ETF8
(k) Not applicable.
(l) Not applicable.
(m) Distribution and Service Plan8
(n) Not applicable.
(o) Not applicable.
(p) (1) Code of Ethics of the Registrant2
   (2) Code of Ethics of Horizons ETFs Management (US) LLC 4
   (3) Code of Ethics of Foreside Fund Services, LLC5
  (4) Code of Ethics of Sub-Adviser8

Other Exhibits: Powers of Attorney6

1 Incorporated herein by reference to the corresponding exhibit of the Registrant’s Registration Statement, SEC File No. 333-183155, filed August 8, 2012.
2 Incorporated herein by reference to the corresponding exhibit to the Registrant’s Registration Statement, SEC File No. 333-183155, filed September 4, 2013.
3 Incorporated herein by reference to the corresponding exhibit to the Registrant’s Registration Statement, SEC File No. 333-183155, filed November 19, 2013.
4 Incorporated herein by reference to the corresponding exhibit to the Registrant’s Registration Statement, SEC File No. 333-183155, filed August 27, 2014.
5 Incorporated herein by reference to the corresponding exhibit to the Registrant’s Registration Statement, SEC File No. 333-183155, filed March 2, 2015.
6 Incorporated herein by reference to the corresponding exhibit to the Registrant’s Registration Statement, SEC File No. 333-183155, filed May 18, 2016.
7 Incorporated herein by reference to the corresponding exhibit to the Registrant’s Registration Statement, SEC File No. 333-183155, filed September 16, 2016
8 Filed herewith

 

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

 

Not applicable.

 

Item 30. Indemnification

 

Pursuant to Section 9.5 of the Agreement and Declaration of Trust (the “Declaration”), every person who is, or has been, a Trustee, officer, or employee of the Trust, including persons who serve at the request of the Trust as directors, trustees, officers, employees or agents of another organization in which the Trust has an interest as a

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shareholder, creditor or otherwise (“Covered Person”), shall be indemnified by the Trust to the fullest extent permitted by law against liability and against all expenses reasonably incurred or paid by him in connection with any claim, action, suit or proceeding in which he becomes involved as a party or otherwise by virtue of his being or having been such a Trustee, director, officer, employee or agent and against amounts paid or incurred by him in settlement thereof.

 

No indemnification shall be provided under the Declaration to a Covered Person to the extent such indemnification is prohibited by applicable federal law.

 

Item 31. Business and Other Connections of the Investment Adviser

 

See “Management” in the Statement of Additional Information. Information as to the directors and officers of the Adviser is included in its Form ADV filed with the SEC and is incorporated herein by reference thereto.

 

Item 32. Principal Underwriters

 

(a)

 

Foreside Fund Services, LLC (the “Distributor”) serves as principal underwriter for the following investment companies registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended:
   
   1. ABS Long/Short Strategies Fund
   2. Absolute Shares Trust
   3. AdvisorShares Trust
   4. American Beacon Funds
   5. American Beacon Select Funds
   6. Archstone Alternative Solutions Fund
   7. Ark ETF Trust
   8. Avenue Mutual Funds Trust
   9. BP Capital TwinLine Energy Fund, Series of Professionally Managed Portfolios
   10. BP Capital TwinLine MLP Fund, Series of Professionally Managed Portfolios
   11. Braddock Multi-Strategy Income Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust
   12. Bridgeway Funds, Inc.
   13. Center Coast MLP Focus Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust
   14. Center Coast MLP & Infrastructure Fund (closed-end non-interval, exchange listed fund)
   15. Context Capital Funds
   16. CornerCap Group of Funds
   17. Corsair Opportunity Fund
   18. Direxion Shares ETF Trust
   19. Eaton Vance NextShares Trust
   20. Eaton Vance NextShares Trust II
   21. Evanston Alternative Opportunities Fund
   22. Exchange Listed Funds Trust
   23. FEG Absolute Access Fund I LLC
   24. FlexShares Trust
   25. Forum Funds
   26. Forum Funds II
   27. FQF Trust
   28. FSI Low Beta Absolute Return Fund
   29. Guinness Atkinson Funds
   30. Henderson Global Funds
   31. Horizon Spin-off and Corporate Restructuring Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust (f/k/a Liberty Street Horizon Fund)
   32. Horizons ETF Trust I

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   33. Infinity Core Alternative Fund
   34. Ironwood Institutional Multi-Strategy Fund LLC
   35. Ironwood Multi-Strategy Fund LLC
   36. John Hancock Exchange-Traded Fund Trust
   37. Little Harbor Multistrategy Composite Fund
   38. Lyons Funds
   39. Manor Investment Funds
   40. Miller/Howard Funds Trust
   41. Moerus Worldwide Value Fund, a series of Northern Lights Fund Trust IV
   42. Montage Managers Trust
   43. Palmer Square Opportunistic Income Fund
   44. PENN Capital Funds Trust
   45. Performance Trust Mutual Funds, Series of Trust for Professional Managers
   46. Pine Grove Alternative Fund
   47. Pine Grove Alternative Institutional Fund
   48. Plan Investment Fund, Inc.
   49. PMC Funds, Series of Trust for Professional Managers
   50. Quaker Investment Trust
   51. Ramius Archview Credit and Distressed Feeder Fund
   52. Ramius Archview Credit and Distressed Fund
   53. Renaissance Capital Greenwich Funds
   54. RMB Investors Trust (f/k/a Burnham Investors Trust)
   55. Robinson Opportunistic Income Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust
   56. Robinson Tax Advantaged Income Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust
   57. Salient MF Trust
   58. SharesPost 100 Fund
   59. Sound Shore Fund, Inc.
   60. Steben Alternative Investment Funds
   61. Steben Select Multi-Strategy Fund
   62. Strategy Shares
   63. The 504 Fund
   64. The Community Development Fund
   65. TIFF Investment Program
   66. TrimTabs ETF Trust
   67. Turner Funds
   68. U.S. Global Investors Funds
   69. West Loop Realty Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust (f/k/a Chilton Realty Income & Growth Fund)
   70. Wintergreen Fund, Inc.
   71. WisdomTree Trust

 

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  (b) The following are the Officers and Manager of the Distributor, the Registrant’s underwriter. The Distributor’s main business address is Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, Maine 04101.

 

Name   Address  

Position with

Underwriter

  Position with
Registrant
Richard J. Berthy  

Three Canal Plaza,

Suite 100,

  President, Treasurer and Manager   None
    Portland, ME 04101        
             
Mark A. Fairbanks  

Three Canal Plaza,

Suite 100,

  Vice President   None
    Portland, ME 04101        
       
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,

  Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer   None
    Portland, ME 04101        
             
Jennifer E. Hoopes  

Three Canal Plaza,

Suite 100,

  Secretary   None
    Portland, ME 04101        

 

(c) Not applicable.

 

Item 33. Location of Accounts and Records

 

The books, accounts and other documents required by Section 31(a) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the rules promulgated thereunder are maintained in the physical possession of Horizons ETFs Management (US) LLC, 1350 Avenue of the Americas, 33rd Floor, New York, NY 10019, U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, 777 East Wisconsin Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53202, U.S. Bank National Association, 1555 North River Center Drive, Milwaukee, WI 53212. Foreside Fund Services, LLC maintains all records relating to its services as Distributor of the Registrant at Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, Maine 04101.

 

Item 34. Management Services

 

Not applicable.

 

Item 35. Undertakings

 

Not applicable.

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Registrant certifies that it meets all of the requirements for effectiveness of this registration statement under rule 485(b) under the Securities Act of 1933 and has duly caused this Post-Effective to its Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the city of New York, and State of New York, on the 21st day of April, 2017.

 

 

  Horizons ETF Trust I
  By: /s/ Garrett K. Paolella
  Name:  Garrett K. Paolella
  Title: Trustee, President, and Chief Executive Officer

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, this Registration Statement has been signed below by the following person in the capacities indicated on April 21, 2017.

 

Signature Title    Date
           

/s/ Garrett K. Paolella

Garrett K. Paolella

Trustee, President, and

Chief Executive Officer

   April 21, 2017
           
John L. Jacobs* Trustee    April 21, 2017
John L. Jacobs         
           
Robinson C. Jacobs* Trustee    April 21, 2017
Robinson C. Jacobs         
           
Mark W. Buckley-Jones* Trustee    April 21, 2017
Mark W. Buckley-Jones         
                 
/s/ Christopher W. Roleke
Christopher W. Roleke
Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer    April 21, 2017           
               

 

*By:   /s/ Garrett K. Paolella  
    Garrett K. Paolella  
       
    Attorney-in-Fact, pursuant to Powers of Attorney filed on August 24, 2015 or February 26, 2016 and incorporated by reference herein

 

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Exhibit Index

 

(d)(6) Investment Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and Horizons ETFS Management (US) LLC
(d)(7) Sub-Advisory Agreement between Horizons ETFS Management (US) LLC and Mirae Asset Global Investments (Hong Kong) Ltd.
(e)(3) Fourth Amendment to Distribution Agreement between the Registrant and Foreside Fund Services, LLC
(i) Opinion and Consent of Counsel with respect to the Horizons China High Dividend ETF
(j) Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
(m) Distribution and Service Plan

 

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