0001558107-14-000021.txt : 20141117 0001558107-14-000021.hdr.sgml : 20141117 20140829150042 ACCESSION NUMBER: 0001558107-14-000021 CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE: CORRESP PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT: 1 FILED AS OF DATE: 20140829 FILER: COMPANY DATA: COMPANY CONFORMED NAME: ALPS Series Trust CENTRAL INDEX KEY: 0001558107 IRS NUMBER: 000000000 STATE OF INCORPORATION: DE FISCAL YEAR END: 0930 FILING VALUES: FORM TYPE: CORRESP BUSINESS ADDRESS: STREET 1: 1290 BROADWAY, SUITE 1100 CITY: DENVER STATE: CO ZIP: 80203 BUSINESS PHONE: 303.623.2577 MAIL ADDRESS: STREET 1: 1290 BROADWAY, SUITE 1100 CITY: DENVER STATE: CO ZIP: 80203 CORRESP 1 filename1.htm Converted by EDGARwiz


ALPS Series Trust

1290 Broadway, Suite 1100

Denver, Colorado 80203

August 29, 2014

VIA EDGAR


Mr. John Grzeskiewicz

Senior Counsel

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission

Division of Investment Management

Disclosure Review Office

100 F Street, N.E.

Washington, DC  20549


Re:

ALPS Series Trust (the Registrant), on behalf of its series the New Sheridan Developing World Fund (the Fund)

File Nos.  333-183945 and 811-22747


Dear Mr. Grzeskiewicz:

On behalf of the Registrant, attached hereto is Post-Effective Amendment No. 29 (PEA 29) to the Registrants registration statement filed pursuant to Rule 485(b) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act).


PEA 29 is being filed to update and complete the Registrants disclosures in Post-Effective Amendment No. 21 (PEA 21) filed on June 13, 2014 on Form N-1A. PEA 29 (i) reflects changes to PEA 21 made in response to oral comments provided by the Staff of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the Staff or Commission) on July 28, 2014, (ii) includes certain other information not previously included in PEA 21, and (iii) includes certain other required exhibits.


Set forth in the numbered paragraphs below are the Staffs oral comments provided on July 28, 2014 to PEA 21, accompanied by the Registrants responses to each comment. Capitalized terms not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings given to them in PEA 21.




Prospectus


SUMMARY SECTION

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

1.

Staff Comment:  With respect to footnote 3, the Staff requests that the Registrant supplementally confirm that the agreement to limit the amount of the Funds Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses will be in effect for at least one year from the effective date of PEA 29.  

Registrants Response:  The Registrant hereby supplementally confirms to the Staff that the agreement referred to in footnote 3 will be in effect through January 31, 2016.  This date is also currently reflected in footnote 3.  


Principal Investment Strategies of the Fund / Principal Risks of the Fund

2.

Staff Comment:  In addition to describing the 80% of the Funds net assets that will be invested in equity securities of issuers who are economically tied to a developing country, the Staff requests that the Registrant include disclosure regarding the possible investments the Fund could hold in the remaining 20% of its net assets.   

Registrants Response:  Comment complied with.  Based on information provided by the Adviser, the Registrant has added disclosure to the Funds principal investment strategies regarding the assets expected to be in included in the portion of the Funds portfolio not composed of equity securities of developing country issuers.  

 

3.

Staff Comment:  The Staff notes that the Funds list of principal risks includes a discussion of Foreign Sovereign Risk.  In light thereof, the Funds discussion of its principal investment strategies should include additional detail regarding investments of this type.  Such details may include, for example, information regarding the anticipated maturity, credit quality and duration of such investments, and the Registrant should also consider whether enhanced disclosure regarding interest rate risk and credit risk is warranted.  

Registrants Response:  Based on information provided by the Adviser, the Registrant has deleted Foreign Sovereign Risk as a principal risk factor of the Fund, as the



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Adviser does not expect to hold such credit instruments in the Fund.  As a consequence, the Registrant will not be adding disclosure related to such instruments to the Funds principal investment strategies.    


4.

Staff Comment:  In addition to the New Fund Risk, the Staff requests that the Registrant consider including risk disclosure if the adviser has little or no experience managing investment companies registered under the 1940 Act.

Registrants Response:  Since the adviser to the Fund has prior experience managing an investment company registered under the 1940 Act, the Registrant has declined to add risk disclosure regarding a new adviser.


5.

Staff Comment:   The Staff requests that the Registrant delete the cross-reference to the section of the statutory prospectus titled What are the Principal and Non-Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund? as the disclosure included in the Summary Section should stand on its own terms.

Registrants Response:  Comment complied with.  The Registrant has revised the disclosure in accordance with the Staffs comment.


6.

Staff Comment:  The Staff requests that the Registrant consider Guidance Regarding Mutual Fund Enhanced Disclosure (IM Guidance Update No. 2014-08, June 2014), in particular the observation therein that the principal investment strategies and risks, required by Item 4 in the Summary Section, should be based on the information given in response to Item 9 of the Form, and should be a summary of that information.

Registrants Response:  The Registrant and the Funds Adviser have considered the disclosure appearing in the Funds Summary Section as well as in the Statutory Prospectus, and believe that the level of disclosure currently appearing in PEA 29 is appropriate for both Item 4 and Item 9 of Form N-1A.




Statement of Additional Information

7.

Staff Comment:  The Staff requests that the Registrant consider whether any portion of the Funds disclosure appearing in the Statement of Additional Information might materially affect either the performance of the Fund or influence an investors decision to invest in the Fund.  If so, the Staff notes that such disclosure should appear in the Funds prospectus.

Registrants Response:  The Registrant has reviewed the Funds disclosure in the Statement of Additional Information, and believes that any such disclosure required to be provided in the Prospectus has been adequately discussed.  


* * *


The Registrant and the Fund hereby acknowledge that:


·

the Registrant and the Fund are responsible for the adequacy and accuracy of the disclosure in the filings;


·

should the Commission or the staff, acting pursuant to delegated authority, declare the filing effective, it does not foreclose the Commission from taking any action with respect to the filing;


·

the action of the Commission or the staff, acting pursuant to delegated authority, in declaring the filing effective, does not relieve the Registrant and the Fund from full responsibility for the adequacy and accuracy of the disclosure in the filing; and


·

the Registrant and the Fund may not assert this action as defense in any proceeding initiated by the Commission or any person under the Federal securities laws of the United States.


* * *




If you have any questions or further comments, please contact me at 720.917.0651.  

Very truly yours,


/s/ JoEllen L. Legg

JoEllen L. Legg

Secretary

ALPS Series Trust



cc:

Peter H. Schwartz, Esq., Davis Graham & Stubbs LLP

Robert A. Robertson, Esq., Dechert LLP

Russell Hoss, CFA, New Sheridan Advisors, LLC



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