497K 1 easeries-stxd_497k.htm 497K

 

SUMMARY PROSPECTUS

November 7, 2022

 

Strive 1000 Dividend Growth ETF

Ticker Symbol: STXD

Listed on The NASDAQ Stock Market, LLC

 

Before you invest, you may want to review the statutory prospectus (the “Prospectus”), which contains more information about the Strive 1000 Dividend ETF (the “Fund”) and its risks. You can find the Fund’s Prospectus, reports to shareholders, and other information about the Fund, including the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information, online at www.strivefunds.com. You can also get this information at no cost by calling 215-882-9983. The current Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information dated November 4, 2022 are incorporated by reference into this Summary Prospectus.

 

Strive 1000 Dividend Growth ETF

 

Fund Summary

 

Investment Objective

 

The Strive 1000 Dividend Growth ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to track the total return performance, before fees and expenses, of an index composed of U.S.-listed equities with a history of consistently growing dividends.

 

Fees And Expenses

 

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund (“Shares”). You may also pay brokerage commissions on the purchase and sale of Shares, which are not reflected in the table and example below.

 

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

 

Management Fee   0.35%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees   None 
Other Expenses1   0.00%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses   0.35%

 

1 Other Expenses are estimated for the current fiscal year.

 

Example

 

The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your Shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that the Fund provides a return of 5% a year and that operating expenses remain the same. You may also pay brokerage commissions on the purchase and sale of Shares, which are not reflected in the example. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

 

  One Year: Three Years:  
  $36 $113  

 

Portfolio Turnover

 

The Fund may pay transaction costs, including commissions when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. As of the date of this Prospectus, the Fund has not yet commenced operations and portfolio turnover data therefore is not available.

 

 

 

 

PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

 

The Fund’s Investment Strategy

 

The Fund seeks to track the investment results of the Bloomberg US 1000 Dividend Growth Index (the “Index”). The Index is a subset of the Bloomberg US 1000 Growth Index, which measures the performance of large- and mid-capitalization growth companies in the U.S. equity market as determined by Bloomberg. As of August 19, 2022, the Index had 217 constituents and represented approximately 41% of the total market value of the Bloomberg US 1000 Growth Index. As of August 19, 2022, the range of market capitalizations of issuers included in the Index was $4.1 billion to $2,756.5 billion. 

 

A security is eligible for inclusion in the Index if it has demonstrated five consecutive years of positive growth and exhibits a five-year dividend growth ratio that is greater than that of the overall Bloomberg US 1000 Growth Index. Each security in the Index is free float market capitalization weighted.

 

An Index position is capped at (i) 5% maximum at the issuer level (only the top eight securities are eligible to be weighted at 5%) and (ii) securities that are not part of the top eight securities in the Index are capped at a 2.5% maximum weight. Any excess weight from capping is redistributed proportionally to the remaining uncapped securities until there are no issuers with a weight greater than either 5% (for the top eight securities) or 2.5% (for the remaining securities).

 

If there are less than 20 issuers included in the Index, then all the issuers are equally weighted. For issuers with multiple securities, the issuer weight is redistributed proportionally based on the free float market capitalization of each security for a given issuer.

 

As of August 19, 2022, a significant portion of the Index is represented by securities of companies in the Information Technology, Healthcare, and Industrials sectors. The components of the Index will change over time.

 

The Index is calculated as a total return index in U.S. dollars. The Index is normally reconstituted on an annual basis in April. The Index constituents’ weights are normally rebalanced quarterly in January, April, July and October.

 

Strive Asset Management, LLC (the “Sub-Adviser”) uses a “passive” or indexing approach to try to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. Unlike many investment companies, the Fund does not try to “beat” the index it tracks and does not seek temporary defensive positions when markets decline or appear overvalued.

 

Indexing may eliminate the chance that the Fund will substantially outperform the Index but also may reduce some of the risks of active management, such as poor security selection. Indexing seeks to achieve lower costs and better after-tax performance by aiming to keep portfolio turnover low in comparison to actively managed investment companies.

 

Under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the Fund’s total assets (exclusive of collateral held from securities lending) will be invested in dividend paying equity securities.

 

The Fund will generally use a “replication” strategy to seek to achieve its investment objective, meaning the Fund will invest in all of the component securities of the Index in the same approximate proportions as in the Index, but may, when the Sub-Adviser believes it is in the best interests of the Fund, use a “representative sampling” strategy, meaning the Fund may invest in a sample of the securities in the Index whose risk, return and other characteristics closely resemble the risk, return and other characteristics of the Index as a whole. The Fund will be reconstituted and rebalanced on the same schedule as the Index.

 

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 Index is concentrated.

 

2

 

 

Principal Risks

 

An investment in the Fund involves risk, including those described below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. An investor may lose money by 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. More complete risk descriptions are set forth below under the heading “Additional Information About the Funds’ Risks”.

 

Equity Investing Risk. An investment in the Fund involves risks similar to those of investing in any fund holding equity securities, such as market fluctuations, changes in interest rates and perceived trends in stock prices. The values of equity securities could decline generally or could underperform other investments. In addition, securities may decline in value due to factors affecting a specific issuer, market or securities markets generally.

 

Dividend-Paying Common Equity Security Risk. Investing in dividend-paying stocks involves the risk that such stocks may fall out of favor with investors and underperform the broader market. Companies that issue dividend-paying stocks are not required to pay or continue paying dividends on such stocks. It is possible that issuers of the stocks held by the Fund will not declare dividends in the future or will reduce or eliminate the payment of dividends (including reducing or eliminating anticipated accelerations or increases in the payment of dividends) in the future.

 

Growth Investing Risk. The Fund invests in growth securities, which may be more volatile than other types of investments, may perform differently than the market as a whole and may underperform when compared to securities with different investment parameters. Under certain market conditions, growth securities have performed better during the later stages of economic recovery (although there is no guarantee that they will continue to do so). Therefore, growth securities may go in and out of favor over time.

 

Investment Risk. When you sell your Shares of the Fund, they could be worth less than what you paid for them. The Fund could lose money due to short-term market movements and over longer periods during market downturns. Securities may decline in value due to factors affecting securities markets generally or particular asset classes or industries represented in the markets. The value of a security may decline due to general market conditions, economic trends or events that are not specifically related to the issuer of the security or to factors that affect a particular industry or group of industries. During a general downturn in the securities markets, multiple asset classes may be negatively affected. Therefore, you may lose money by investing in the Fund.

 

Large-Capitalization Companies Risk. Large-capitalization companies may trail the returns of the overall stock market. Large-capitalization stocks tend to go through cycles of doing better – or worse – than the stock market in general. These periods have, in the past, lasted for as long as several years. When large capitalization companies are out of favor, these securities may lose value or may not appreciate in line with the overall market.

 

Mid-Capitalization Companies Risk. The securities of mid-capitalization companies may be more vulnerable to adverse issuer, market, political, or economic developments than securities of larger-capitalization companies. The securities of mid-capitalization companies generally trade in lower volumes and are subject to greater and more unpredictable price changes than larger capitalization stocks or the stock market as a whole. Some mid-capitalization companies have limited product lines, markets, and financial and managerial resources and tend to concentrate on fewer geographical markets relative to larger capitalization companies.

 

Technology Sector Risk. The Fund is expected to have exposure to companies operating in the technology sector, and therefore, the Fund’s performance could be negatively impacted by events affecting this sector. Technology companies, including information technology companies, may have limited product lines, financial resources and/or personnel. Technology companies typically face intense competition and potentially rapid product obsolescence. They are also heavily dependent on intellectual property rights and may be adversely affected by the loss or impairment of those rights. Companies in the technology sector also face increased government regulation, including new regulations and scrutiny related to data privacy, and may be subject to adverse government or regulatory actions, which may be costly. 

 

3

 

 

Healthcare Sector Risk. The Fund is expected to have exposure to companies in the healthcare sector, and therefore, the Fund’s performance could be negatively impacted by events affecting this sector. The healthcare sector includes companies relating to medical and healthcare goods and services, such as companies engaged in manufacturing medical equipment, supplies and pharmaceuticals, as well as operating healthcare facilities and the provision of managed healthcare. Companies in this sector may be affected by government regulations, including new regulations and scrutiny related to data privacy, and government healthcare programs, increases or decreases in the cost of medical products and services and product liability claims, among other factors. Many healthcare companies are heavily dependent on patent protection, and the expiration of a company’s patent may adversely affect that company’s profitability. Healthcare companies are subject to competitive forces that may result in price discounting, and may be thinly capitalized and susceptible to product obsolescence. Companies in the healthcare sector may be subject to adverse government or regulatory actions, which may be costly.

 

Industrials Sector Risk. The Fund is expected to have exposure to companies in the Industrials sector, and therefore, the Fund’s performance could be negatively impacted by events affecting this sector. The industrials sector includes, for example, aerospace and defense, non-residential construction, engineering, machinery, transportation, and commercial and professional services companies. This sector can be significantly affected by, among other things, business cycle fluctuations, worldwide economy growth, international political and economic developments, exchange rates, commodity prices, environmental issues, government and corporate spending, supply and demand for specific products and manufacturing, and government regulation.

 

Passive Investment Risk. The Fund is not actively managed, and the Sub-Adviser will not sell any investments due to current or projected underperformance of the securities, industries or sector in which it invests, unless the investment is removed from the Index, sold in connection with a rebalancing of the Index as addressed in the Index methodology, or sold to comply with the Fund’s investment limitations (for example, to maintain the Fund’s tax status). The Fund will maintain investments until changes to its Index are triggered, which could cause the Fund’s return to be lower than if the Fund employed an active strategy.

 

Index Calculation Risk. The Index relies on various sources of information to assess the criteria of issuers included in the Index, including fundamental information that may be based on assumptions and estimates. Neither the Fund, the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser nor the Index Provider can offer assurances that the Index’s calculation methodology or sources of information will provide a correct valuation of securities, nor can they guarantee the availability or timeliness of the production of the Index.

 

Concentration Risk. In following its methodology, the Index from time to time may be concentrated to a significant degree in securities of issuers located in a single industry or group of industries. To the extent that the Index concentrates in the securities of issuers in a particular industry or group of industries, the Fund also may concentrate its investments to approximately the same extent. By concentrating its investments in an industry or group of industries, the Fund may face more risks than if it were diversified broadly over numerous industries or groups of industries. If the Index is not concentrated in a particular industry or group of industries, the Fund will not concentrate in a particular industry or group of industries.

 

Tracking Error Risk. As with all index funds, the performance of the Fund and its respective Index may differ for a variety of reasons. For example, a Fund incurs operating expenses and portfolio transaction costs not incurred by the Index. In addition, the Fund may not be fully invested in the securities of the Index at all times or may hold securities not included in the Index.

 

ETF Risks.

 

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

 

4

 

 

  Premium-Discount Risk. The Shares may trade above or below their net asset value (“NAV”). The market prices of Shares will generally fluctuate in accordance with changes in NAV as well as the relative supply of, and demand for, Shares on The NASDAQ Stock Market, LLC (“Exchange”) or other securities exchanges. The trading price of Shares may deviate significantly from NAV during periods of market volatility or limited trading activity in Shares.

 

  Cost of Trading 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.

 

  Trading Risk. Although the Shares are listed on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active or liquid trading market for them will be maintained. In addition, trading in Shares on the Exchange may be halted. In stressed market conditions, the liquidity of the Fund’s Shares may begin to mirror the liquidity of its underlying portfolio holdings, which can be less liquid than the Fund’s Shares, potentially causing the market price of the Fund’s Shares to deviate from its NAV.

 

Index Rebalance Risk. Because the Index generally changes its exposure based on data only as January, April, July and October (i) the Index’s exposure may be affected by significant market movements at or near the rebalance date that are not predictive of the market’s performance for the subsequent annual period and (ii) changes to the Index’s exposure may lag a significant change in the market’s direction (up or down) by as long as a year if such changes first take effect at or near the beginning of a year. Such lags between market performance and changes to the Index’s exposure may result in significant underperformance relative to the broader equity or fixed income market. Unusual market conditions may cause the Index Provider to postpone a scheduled rebalance, which could cause the Index to vary from its normal or expected composition

 

New Fund Risk. The Fund is a recently organized management investment company with no operating history. As a result, prospective investors have no track record or history on which to base their investment decision. There can be no assurance that the Fund will grow to or maintain an economically viable size.

 

Geopolitical/Natural Disaster Risks. The Fund’s investments are subject to geopolitical and natural disaster risks, such as war, terrorism, trade disputes, political or economic dysfunction within some nations, public health crises and related geopolitical events, as well as environmental disasters, epidemics and/or pandemics, which may add to instability in world economies and volatility in markets. The impact may be short-term or may last for extended periods.

 

5

 

 

PERFORMANCE

 

Performance information is not provided below because the Fund has not yet been in operation for a full calendar year. When provided, the information will provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing how the Fund’s average annual returns compare with a broad measure of market performance. Past performance does not necessarily indicate how the Fund will perform in the future. Performance information is available on the Fund’s website at www.strivefunds.com or by calling the Fund at (215) 882-9983.

 

Investment Adviser and Investment Sub-Adviser

 

Investment Adviser:   Empowered Funds, LLC dba EA Advisers (“Adviser”)
Investment Sub-Adviser:   Strive Asset Management, LLC (“Sub-Adviser”)

 

Portfolio Manager

 

Matthew Cole, Portfolio Manager of the Sub-Adviser, has been primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund since its inception. 

 

Summary Information about Purchases, Sales, Taxes, and Financial Intermediary Compensation

 

Purchase And Sale of Fund Shares

 

The Fund issues and redeems Shares on a continuous basis only in large blocks of Shares, typically 50,000 Shares, called “Creation Units,” and only APs (typically, broker-dealers) may purchase or redeem Creation Units. Creation Units generally are issued and redeemed ‘in-kind’ for securities and partially in cash. Individual Shares may only be purchased and sold in secondary market transactions through brokers. Once created, individual Shares generally trade in the secondary market at market prices that change throughout the day. Market prices of Shares may be greater or less than their NAV. Except when aggregated in Creation Units, the Fund’s shares are not redeemable securities.

 

Tax Information

 

The Fund’s distributions generally are taxable to you as ordinary income, capital gain, or some combination of both, unless your investment is in an Individual Retirement Account (“IRA”) or other tax-advantaged account. However, subsequent withdrawals from such a tax-advantaged account may be subject to federal income tax. You should consult your tax advisor about your specific tax situation.

 

Purchases Through Broker-Dealers And Other Financial Intermediaries

 

If you purchase Shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary, the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend Shares over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

6