497K 1 ppmf_floatingrate.htm


PPMFunds

 

Summary Prospectus – April 30, 2019

 

PPM Floating Rate Income Fund

Institutional Shares PKFIX

 

Before you invest, you may want to review the PPM Floating Rate Income Fund (the “Fund") Prospectus, which contains more information about the Fund and its risks. You can find the Fund’s Prospectus and other information about the Fund, including the Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) online at https://www.ppmamerica.com/ppmfunds. You can also get this information at no cost by calling 1-844-446-4PPM (1-844-446-4776), or by sending an email request to ppmfunds@ppmamerica.com. The current Prospectus and SAI, both dated April 30, 2019, are incorporated by reference into (which means they legally are a part of) this Summary Prospectus.

 

Investment Objective

The Fund seeks to provide a high level of current income.

 

Expenses

The table below shows the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.

 

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)
  Institutional Shares
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price) None
Exchange Fee None
Redemption Fee None

 

Annual Fund Operating Expenses

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

  Institutional Shares
Management Fee 0.55%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees None
Administration Fee 0.10%
Other Expenses1 0.21%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses 0.86%
Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement2 0.16%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver 0.70%

1 “Other Expenses” information has been restated to reflect current fees.

2 PPM America, Inc., the Fund’s investment adviser (“PPM” or the “Adviser”), has contractually agreed to bear certain expenses and waive its management fees to the extent necessary to cause annualized ordinary expenses (excluding taxes, interest, all commissions and other normal charges incident to the purchase and sale of portfolio securities, Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses (if any) and extraordinary charges such as litigation costs, but including management fees paid to PPM) not to exceed 0.70% of the average daily net assets of the Institutional Shares. This contract continues through April 30, 2020 and may not be terminated prior to this date unless, upon the Adviser’s request, the Board of Trustees approves the termination.

 

Expense Example

This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The table below shows the expenses you would pay on a $10,000 investment, assuming (1) 5% annual return and (2) redemption at the end of each time period. The example also assumes that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Any applicable fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements are reflected in the examples for the first year only. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:

 

  1 year 3 years 5 years 10 years
Institutional Shares $72 $259 $462 $1,053

 

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Expense Example above, affect the Fund’s performance. For the period beginning May 1, 2018 (the Fund’s inception) through December 31, 2018, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 34% of the average value of its portfolio.


Principal Investment Strategies

The Fund seeks to achieve its objective by investing under normal circumstances at least 80% of its assets (net assets plus the amount of any borrowings made for investment purposes) in income-producing floating rate instruments, including floating rate loans, floating rate notes, other floating rate debt securities, structured products (including, commercial mortgage- backed securities, asset-backed securities, and collateralized loan obligations which are debt securities typically issued by special purpose vehicles and secured by loans), and repurchase agreements.

 

Additionally, for purposes of satisfying the 80% requirement, the Fund has the ability to invest in other investment companies, such as exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”) comprised of the securities described above, short-term bond funds and floating rate funds. The Fund generally uses ETFs as a tool to obtain exposure to the securities in which it primarily invests. Money market holdings with a remaning maturity of less than 60 days also will be deemed floating rate assets for purposes of the 80% requirement.

 

The Fund invests primarily in US dollar denominated senior floating rate loans of domestic and foreign borrowers (“Senior Loans”). Senior Loans typically are of below investment grade quality and have below investment grade credit ratings, which ratings are associated with securities having high risk and speculative characteristics, and are commonly known as “junk bonds.”

 

The Fund may also invest in secured and unsecured subordinated loans, second lien loans and subordinated bridge loans (“Junior Loans”), debtor-in-possession loans, mezzanine loans, fixed-income debt obligations, corporate bonds, and money market instruments. Junior Loans typically are of below investment grade quality and have below investment grade credit ratings, which ratings are associated with securities having high risk and speculative characteristics. While the Fund may invest in loans with no credit rating or without any credit rating restrictions, under normal circumstances PPM currently expects that the average credit ratings of the Fund’s loan investments will primarily be between BB-/Ba3 and B/B2 as determined by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (“Moody’s”), S&P Global Ratings (“S&P”) or Fitch, Inc. (“Fitch”), or if unrated, determined by PPM to be of comparable quality, though the average credit rating of the Fund’s loan portfolio may be outside of this range from time to time.

 

The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in cash and non-floating rate debt securities, including lower-rated debt securities (“high yield”), commonly known as “junk bonds,” and equity securities. Below investment grade securities typically offer a higher yield, but generally carry more risks than higher rated securities with similar maturities. As a result, an investment in below investment grade securities is considered speculative.

 

The Fund is a “non-diversified” fund, as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), and may invest more of its assets in fewer issuers than “diversified” mutual funds.

 

Principal Risks

An investment in the Fund is not guaranteed. As with any mutual fund, the value of the Fund’s shares will change, and you could lose money by investing in the Fund. The principal risks of investing in the Fund include:

 

Credit risk – Credit risk is the actual or perceived risk that the issuer of a bond, borrower, guarantor, counterparty, or other entity responsible for payment will not pay interest and principal payments when due. The price of a debt instrument can decline in response to changes in the financial condition of the issuer, borrower, guarantor, counterparty, or other entity responsible for payment. The Fund could lose money if the issuer or guarantor of a fixed-income security, or the counterparty to a derivatives contract, repurchase agreement or a loan of portfolio securities, is unable or unwilling to make timely principal and/or interest payments, or to otherwise honor its obligations.

 

Corporate, sovereign entity, and bank loan riskCommercial banks, sovereign entities, and other financial institutions or institutional investors make corporate loans to companies or sovereign entities that need capital to grow, restructure, or for infrastructure projects. These instruments are commonly referred to as “loans” or “bank loans.” Borrowers generally pay interest on corporate loans at “floating” rates that change in response to changes in market interest rates such as the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”), the prime rates of US banks or another relevant index. As a result, the value of such loan investments is generally less exposed to the adverse effects of interest rate fluctuations than investments that pay a fixed rate of interest. However, the market for certain loans may not be sufficiently liquid, and the Fund may have difficulty selling them. It may take longer than seven days for transactions in loans to settle. Certain loans may be classified as “illiquid” securities. Additionally, because a loan may not be considered a security, the Fund may not be afforded the same legal protections afforded securities under federal securities laws. Thus, the Fund generally must rely on contractual provisions in the loan agreement and common-law fraud protections under applicable state law.

 

Senior loans risk – The senior loans in which the Fund invests are usually rated below investment grade. The amount of public information with respect to loans may be less extensive than that available for registered or exchange listed securities. An economic downturn generally leads to a higher non-payment rate, and a senior loan may lose significant value before a default occurs. A secured senior loan may not be adequately collateralized. Moreover, any specific collateral used to secure a senior loan may decline in value or become illiquid, which would adversely affect the senior loan’s value.

 

Second lien loans risk – Second lien or junior loans generally are subject to similar risks as those associated with investments in senior loans. Because second lien loans are subordinated and thus lower in priority of payment to senior loans, they are subject to the additional risk that the cash flow of the borrower and property securing the loan or debt, if any, may be insufficient to meet scheduled payments after giving effect to the senior secured obligations of the borrower.

 

Issuer risk The value of an individual security or particular type of security can be more volatile than the market as a whole and can perform differently from the market as a whole. A security’s value may decline for reasons that directly relate to the issuer, such as management performance, corporate governance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods or services.

 

2 | P R O S P E C T U S
P P M F u n d s



Settlement risk – Settlement risk is the risk that a settlement in a transfer system does not take place as expected. Loan transactions often settle on a delayed basis (often seven days or longer) compared with securities and the Fund may not receive proceeds from the sale of a loan for a substantial period after the sale, potentially impacting the ability of the Fund to make additional investments or meet redemption obligations. In order to meet short-term liquidity needs, the Fund may draw on its cash or other short-term positions, maintain short-term or other liquid assets sufficient to meet reasonably anticipated redemptions, or maintain a credit facility.

 

Consumer discretionary risk If a Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in issuers in the consumer discretionary sector of the market, the Fund may be more affected by events influencing the consumer discretionary sector than a fund that is more diversified across numerous sectors. An investment in issuers in the consumer discretionary sector can be significantly affected by the performance of the overall economy, interest rates, competition and consumer confidence. Success of these companies can depend heavily on disposable household income and consumer spending. Changes in demographics and consumer tastes can also affect the demand for, and success of, products of consumer discretionary companies.

 

High yield bonds, lower-rated bonds and unrated securities risk – High yield bonds, lower-rated bonds, and certain unrated securities are broadly referred to as “junk bonds,” and are considered below “investment-grade” by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization (“NRSRO”). Junk bonds are subject to the increased risk of an issuer’s inability to meet principal and interest payment obligations. As a result, an investment in junk bonds is considered speculative. High yield bonds may be subject to liquidity risk, and the Fund may not be able to sell a high yield bond at the price at which it is currently valued.

 

Market risk – Portfolio securities may decline in value due to factors affecting securities markets generally, such as real or perceived adverse economic, political, or regulatory conditions, inflation, changes in interest or currency rates or adverse investor sentiment, among others. Adverse market conditions may be prolonged and may not have the same impact on all types of securities. The values of securities may fall due to factors affecting a particular issuer, industry or the securities market as a whole.

 

Prepayment risk – During periods of falling interest rates, a debt security with a high interest rate may be prepaid before its expected maturity date. Floating rate loans are frequently prepaid with the expected maturity being shorter than the stated term. The Fund may have to reinvest the proceeds in an investment that may have lower yields than the yield on the prepaid debt security. In addition, prepayment rates are difficult to predict and the potential impact of prepayment on the price of a debt instrument depends on the terms of the instrument.

 

Interest rate risk – When interest rates increase, fixed-income securities generally will decline in value. Long-term fixed income securities normally have more price volatility than short-term fixed income securities.

 

Debt securities ratings riskThe use of credit ratings in evaluating debt securities can involve certain risks, including the risk that the credit rating may not reflect the issuer's current financial condition or events since the security was last rated by a rating agency. Credit ratings may be influenced by conflicts of interest or based on historical data that no longer apply or are no longer accurate.

 

Income risk – The Fund is subject to the risk that the income generated from the Fund’s investments may decline in the event of falling interest rates. Income risk may be high if the Fund’s income is predominantly based on short-term interest rates, which can fluctuate significantly over short periods. The Fund’s distributions to shareholders may decline when interest rates fall.

 

Leverage riskCertain transactions, such as reverse repurchase agreements, futures, forwards, swaps, or other derivative instruments, include the use of leverage and may cause the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions at disadvantageous times to satisfy its obligations or to meet asset segregation requirements. The effect of using leverage is to increase the Fund’s potential gains and losses in comparison to the amount of the Fund’s assets (that is, assets other than borrowed assets) at risk, which may cause the Fund’s portfolio to be more volatile. If the Fund uses leverage, the Fund has the risk of capital losses that exceed the net assets of the Fund.

 

Liquidity risk – Investments in securities that are difficult to purchase or sell (illiquid or thinly-traded securities) may reduce returns if the Fund is unable to sell the securities at an advantageous time or price or achieve its desired level of exposure to a certain sector. Liquidity risk arises, for example, from small average trading volumes, trading restrictions, or temporary suspensions of trading. To meet redemption requests, the Fund may be forced to sell securities at an unfavorable time and/or under unfavorable conditions.

 

Management risk – The investment techniques PPM employs could fail to achieve the Fund’s investment objective or negatively affect the Fund’s investment performance.

 

Counterparty risk – the risk that the Fund will be subject to credit risk with respect to the counterparties to the derivative contracts and other instruments, such as repurchase and reverse repurchase agreements, entered into directly by the Fund or held by special purpose or structured vehicles in which the Fund invests. Subject to certain limitations for US federal income tax purposes, the Fund is not subject to any limit with respect to the number or the value of transactions it can enter into with a single counterparty. To the extent that the Fund enters into multiple transactions with a single or a small set of counterparties, it will be subject to increased counterparty risk.

 

Foreign securities risk – Foreign securities may be subject to risk of loss because of more or less foreign government regulation, less public information and less economic, political and social stability in the countries in which the Fund invests. The imposition of exchange controls, sanctions, confiscations, trade restrictions (including tariffs) and other government restrictions by the US or other governments, or from problems in share registration, settlement or custody, may also result in losses. Foreign risk also involves the risk of negative foreign currency rate fluctuations, which may cause the value of securities denominated in such foreign currency (or other instruments through which the Fund has exposure to foreign currencies) to decline in value. Currency exchange rates may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time. These risks may be more pronounced in connection with the Fund’s investments in securities of issuers located in emerging countries.

 

Temporary defensive positions and large cash positions risk In anticipation of, or in response to, adverse market or other conditions, or atypical circumstances such as unusually large cash inflows or redemptions, and/or Fund mergers or rebalances, the

 

3 | P R O S P E C T U S
P P M F u n d s



Fund may temporarily hold all or a significant portion of its assets in cash, cash equivalents, affiliated and unaffiliated money market funds, or high quality debt instruments. Taking a defensive or large cash position may reduce the potential for appreciation of the portfolio and may affect performance.

 

Investment in other investment companies risk – As with other investments, investments in other investment companies are subject to market and selection risk. In addition, if the Fund acquires shares of investment companies, including ones affiliated with the Fund, shareholders bear both their proportionate share of expenses in the Fund (including management and advisory fees) and, indirectly, the expenses of the investment companies in which the Fund invests. To the extent that shares of the Fund are held by an affiliated fund, the ability of the Fund itself to invest in other investment companies may be limited.

 

Investment in money market funds risk – Although a money market fund is designed to be a relatively low risk investment, it is not free of risk. An investment in a money market fund is not insured or guaranteed by a Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. Certain money market funds float their net asset value while others seek to preserve the value of investments at a stable net asset value (typically, $1.00 per share). An investment in a money market fund, even an investment in a fund seeking to maintain a stable net asset value per share, is not guaranteed and it is possible for the Fund to lose money by investing in these and other types of money market funds.

 

Non-diversification risk – The Fund is non-diversified, as defined by the 1940 Act, and as such may invest in fewer securities and a greater percentage of its assets in a particular issuer. Therefore, a decline in the market price of a particular security held by the Fund may affect the Fund’s performance more than if the Fund were a diversified investment company.

 

Performance

Because the Fund has not yet operated for a full calendar year, no performance history has been provided.

 

Portfolio Management

 

Investment Adviser

PPM America, Inc. is the investment adviser for the Fund. PPM is an investment-led organization which utilizes a team-based approach to manage the assets of the Fund. Portfolio managers work closely with asset class specialists, research analysts and traders to generate ideas and to gain greater insight on the market environment as they make investment decisions. John Walding is primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund.

 

Portfolio Managers Title Length of Service
Adam Spielman Senior Managing Director, Head of Leveraged Credit, Total Return Since June 2018
John Walding Senior Managing Director, Head of Bank Loans Since inception
Christopher Kappas Senior Managing Director Since inception
David Wagner Senior Managing Director Since inception
Tim Kane Vice President Since inception

 

Purchase and Redemption of Fund Shares

 

Minimum Investment

Initial investment $1,000,000
Minimum balance required $500,000

 

Due to the relatively high cost of maintaining accounts below the minimum account balance, the Fund reserves the right to redeem shares if an account balance falls below the minimum account balance for any reason. Investors will be given 60 days’ notice to reestablish the minimum account balance. If the account balance is not increased, the account may be closed and the proceeds sent to the investor. The Fund may also reduce or waive the minimum investment amount under certain circumstances. There is no investment minimum for subsequent investments.

 

You may purchase, exchange or redeem Fund shares each day the New York Stock Exchange is open for regular session trading at the Fund’s net asset value next calculated after receipt and acceptance of your request in good order. Contact the Fund by phone 1-844-446-4PPM (1-844-446-4776), by regular or express mail at PPM Funds, PO Box 2175, Milwaukee, WI 53201-2175 (for regular mail), or PPM Funds, c/o UMB Fund Services, 235 W. Galena Street, Milwaukee, WI 53212-3948 (for express mail).

 

Tax Information

Fund distributions are taxable as ordinary income or capital gains (or a combination of both), unless your investment is through an IRA or other tax-advantaged retirement account. Investments through tax-advantaged accounts may sometimes become taxable upon withdrawal.

 

4 | P R O S P E C T U S
P P M F u n d s