N-1A 1 gadsdenetftrustn1a03022018.htm
As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 2, 2018
 
File Nos.
333-_____
811-23329
 
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM N-1A
 
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
[X]
 
Pre-Effective Amendment No. 
 
 
Post-Effective Amendment No.
 
 
and/or
 
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940
[X]
 
Amendment No.
 
 
GADSDEN ETF TRUST
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)
 
EIGHT TOWER BRIDGE, 161 WASHINGTON STREET, SUITE 580, CONSHOHOCKEN, PA 19428
(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)
 
Registrant's Telephone Number, Including Area Code (484) 243-6400
 
 Kevin R. Harper, Eight Tower Bridge, 161 Washington Street, Suite 580, Conshohocken, PA 19428
(Name and Address of Agent for Service of Process) 
 
With a copy to:
Michael D. Mabry, Esq.
Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP
2005 Market Street, Suite 2600
Philadelphia, PA 19103
 
Approximate Date of Proposed Public Offering:
As soon as practicable following the effective date of this registration statement.
 
The Registrant hereby amends this Registration Statement on such dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the Registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this Registration Statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 or until this Registration Statement shall become effective on such date as the Commission, acting pursuant to such Section 8(a), may determine.

Preliminary Prospectus, Subject to Completion
 
The information in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state where the offer or sale is not permitted.

Gadsden ETF Trust

Prospectus

Gadsden Dynamic Equity ETF ([Ticker])
Gadsden Dynamic Income ETF ([Ticker])
Gadsden Dynamic Multi-Asset ETF ([Ticker])
[______], 2018

Shares of the Funds are not individually redeemable and the owners of shares may purchase or redeem shares from each Fund in Creation Units only. The purchase and sale price of individual shares trading on an Exchange may be below, at or above the most recently calculated net asset value ("NAV") for such shares. Shares are listed for trading on [_______] ("Exchange" or "[______]").

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") and the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission ("CFTC") have not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this Prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Fund Summaries
1
 
Gadsden Dynamic Equity ETF
1
 
Gadsden Dynamic Income ETF
8
 
Gadsden Dynamic Multi-Asset ETF
15
More Information About the Funds
22
 
More Information About the Funds' Investment Objectives
22
 
More Information About the Funds' Principal Investment Strategies
22
 
More Information about the Funds' Principal Investment Risks
22
Other Information
27
Investment Advisory Services
27
 
Investment Adviser
27
 
Portfolio Managers
28
Information Regarding Exchange-Traded Funds
29
Pricing Fund Shares
29
Shareholder Information
30
Premium/Discount Information
30
Portfolio Holdings Information
32
Distribution and Service Plan
32
Dividends and Distributions
32
Taxes
33
Service Providers
35
Householding Policy
35
Financial Highlights
35



Fund Summaries
Gadsden Dynamic Equity ETF

INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE
The Fund seeks total return with both reduced downside risk and sensitivity to inflation.
FEES AND EXPENSES OF THE FUND
This table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy and hold shares in the Fund. Transaction costs that may be incurred by the investor such as brokerage commissions for buying and selling securities are not reflected in the table below.
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment):  None
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses you pay each year as a % of the value of your investment):
Management Fee
[__]%
Other Expenses1
[__]%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses1
[__]%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses
[__]%
Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement2
[__]%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver
and/or Expense Reimbursement2
 
[__]%

1  "Other Expenses" and "Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses" are based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year.
2 Gadsden, LLC (the "Adviser") has contractually agreed to waive or assume certain expenses so that total annual Fund operating expenses (excluding (i) brokerage expenses (including any costs incidental to transactions in portfolio securities or instruments); (ii) acquired fund fees and expenses; (iii) taxes; (iv) interest (including borrowing costs and dividend expenses on securities sold short and overdraft charges); (v) litigation expenses (including litigation to which Gadsden ETF Trust (the "Trust") or a Fund may be a party and indemnification of the Board of Trustees of the Trust (the "Board" or "Trustees") and officers with respect thereto); and (vi) other extraordinary or non-routine expenses) do not exceed [__]% of the Fund's average daily net assets through [____], 2019. Under the fee waiver and expense assumption agreement, the Adviser is entitled to be reimbursed by the Fund for any fees waived and expenses assumed for a period of three years following the date of the fee waiver or assumption, to the extent such reimbursement will not cause the Fund to exceed any applicable expense limit that was in place when the fees were waived or expenses were assumed. The fee waiver and expense assumption agreement may not be changed or terminated during the time period set forth above without the approval of the Board of the Trust.

Example
The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the costs of investing in other funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then sell all of your shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same.  The example reflects adjustments made to the Fund's operating expenses due to the fee waiver and expense assumption agreement described above for the first year only. The example does not reflect any brokerage commissions that you may pay on purchases and sales of Fund shares. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, whether you do or do not sell your shares, your costs would be:
 
1 Year
3 Years
$[  ]
$[  ]

1

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities or other instruments (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 example, affect the Fund's performance. The Fund is newly organized and, as of the date of the prospectus, has not had any portfolio turnover.

PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

The Fund invests primarily in US and international equities, with no restrictions on geographic exposure of its investments.  The Fund is actively managed, and represents a combination of strategic and tactical allocation sleeves (each described below).

The Fund's strategic allocation is predominantly invested in global equities and is based on the Adviser's proprietary long-term assessment of their sensitivity to the economic factors driving their correlations.  Fund investments within this allocation sleeve are chosen based on their ability to diversify risks relative to one another, especially inflation risk.  In seeking to achieve the Fund's investment objective, the Fund may focus its investments in certain sectors, regions or countries, and in companies of any market capitalization. Under normal market conditions, the Fund expects that approximately 80% of its total assets (defined as net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) will be invested in the strategic allocation sleeve.

Under normal market conditions, the Fund expects that approximately 20% of its total assets will be allocated to the tactical allocation sleeve, which may increase or decrease depending on the market environment and perceived opportunities.  The Fund's tactical allocation employs a shorter-term view of market opportunities and downside threats than the Fund's strategic allocation.  The tactical allocation sleeve is designed to adjust overall portfolio risk either higher or lower, depending on market conditions and opportunities.  The Adviser makes allocation decisions within the tactical allocation sleeve based on its judgment of the projected investment environment for particular asset classes, the attractiveness of each asset class, and expected future returns of each asset class.  Within the tactical allocation sleeve, the Fund may invest globally in any asset class, and may at times be significantly invested in a single asset class (e.g., foreign currencies or equities).
Through the strategic and tactical allocation sleeves, under normal market conditions, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its total assets in equity securities and investments that provide exposure to equity securities.  Derivatives that provide exposure to equity securities may be used to satisfy this 80% investment policy.
The Fund's portfolio construction blends fundamental and quantitative methods to select investments across a variety of global asset classes.  Generally, the Fund gains exposure to asset classes by investing in many different types of instruments ("Instruments"), including: exchange-traded vehicles ("ETVs") (including exchange-traded funds ("ETFs"), exchange-traded notes ("ETNs") and exchange-traded commodities ("ETCs")); equity securities; derivatives (including futures, swaps, and forwards); U.S. and foreign government bonds (including inflation-linked bonds); and cash and cash equivalents.  The Fund may either invest directly in Instruments, or indirectly by investing in the Subsidiary (as described below) that invests in those Instruments.  Although the Fund's portfolio is expected to consist principally of securities, there is no maximum or minimum exposure to any one Instrument or any one asset class.  The Fund may sell securities when better opportunities become available, or in re-weighting the Fund's portfolio.

The Fund intends to make investments through the Subsidiary and may invest up to 25% of its total assets in the Subsidiary. The Subsidiary is a wholly owned and controlled subsidiary of the Fund, organized under the laws of the Cayman Islands.  Generally, the Subsidiary will invest primarily in commodity futures, forwards and swaps.  It may also invest in financial futures; option and swap contracts; fixed income securities; pooled investment vehicles, including those that are not registered pursuant to the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended ("Investment Company Act"); and other investments intended to serve as margin or collateral for the Subsidiary's derivative
2

positions. The Fund will invest in the Subsidiary in order to gain exposure to the commodities markets within the limitations of the federal tax laws that apply to registered investment companies. Unlike the Fund, the Subsidiary may invest without limitation in commodity-linked derivative instruments; however, the Subsidiary will comply with the same Investment Company Act asset coverage requirements with respect to its investments in commodity-linked derivatives that are applicable to the Fund's transactions in derivatives. In addition, the Subsidiary will be subject to the same fundamental investment restrictions, and will follow the same compliance policies and procedures, as the Fund. Unlike the Fund, the Subsidiary will not seek to qualify as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code").  Shares of the Subsidiary will not be offered or sold to any other investors.
PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT RISKS
An investment in the Fund is subject to investment risks; therefore, you may lose money by investing in the Fund. There can be no assurance that the Fund will be successful in meeting its investment objective. Generally, the Fund will be subject to the following principal risks:
Asset Allocation Risk.  The Fund's ability to achieve its investment goal depends upon the Adviser's skill in determining the Fund's broad asset allocation mix. There is the possibility that the Adviser's evaluations and assumptions regarding asset classes and direct investments will not successfully achieve the Fund's investment objective in view of actual market trends.
Authorized Participants Concentration Risk.  The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as authorized participants ("Authorized Participants"). To the extent they cannot or are otherwise unwilling to engage in creation and redemption transactions with the Fund and no other Authorized Participant steps in, shares of the Fund may trade like closed-end fund shares at a significant discount to net asset value ("NAV") and may face trading halts and/or delisting from [____] (the "Exchange"). This risk may be more pronounced in volatile markets, potentially where there are significant redemptions in ETFs generally.
Cash and Cash Equivalents Risk.  Holding cash or cash equivalents rather than securities or other instruments in which the Fund primarily invests, even strategically, may cause the Fund to risk losing opportunities to participate in market appreciation, and may cause the Fund to experience potentially lower returns than the Fund's benchmark or other funds that remain fully invested. In rising markets, holding cash or cash equivalents will negatively affect the Fund's performance relative to its benchmark.
Commodities Risk.  The Fund's exposure to investments in physical commodities (including through the Subsidiary) subjects the Fund to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities, such as stocks and bonds. Investing in physical commodities, including through ETCs or commodity-linked derivative instruments, such as commodity-linked futures, forwards and swaps, is speculative and can be extremely volatile. The commodities markets may fluctuate rapidly based on a variety of factors, including overall market movements; economic events and policies; changes in interest rates or inflation rates; changes in monetary and exchange control programs; war; acts of terrorism; natural disasters; and technological developments. Variables such as disease, drought, floods, weather, trade, embargoes, tariffs and other political events, in particular, may have a larger impact on commodity prices than on traditional securities. The prices of commodities can also fluctuate widely due to supply and demand disruptions in major producing or consuming regions. Because certain commodities may be produced in a limited number of countries and may be controlled by a small number of producers, political, economic and supply-related events in such countries could have a disproportionate impact on the prices of such commodities. These factors may affect the value of the Fund in varying ways, and different factors may cause the value and the volatility of the Fund to move in inconsistent directions at inconsistent rates. The current or "spot" prices of physical commodities may also affect, in a volatile and inconsistent manner, the prices of futures contracts in respect of the relevant commodity.
Commodity-Linked Derivatives Tax Risk.  The tax treatment of commodity-linked derivative instruments may be adversely affected by changes in legislation, regulations or other legally binding authority. As a regulated investment company, the Fund must derive at least 90 percent of its gross income each taxable year from certain
3

qualifying sources of income under the Code. If, as a result of any adverse future legislation, U.S. Treasury regulations, and/or guidance issued by the Internal Revenue Service (the "IRS"), the income of the Fund from certain commodity-linked derivatives, including income from the Fund's investments in the Subsidiary, were treated as non-qualifying income, the Fund may fail to qualify as regulated investment company and/or be subject to federal income tax at the Fund level. The uncertainty surrounding the treatment of certain derivative instruments under the qualification tests for a regulated investment company may limit the Fund's use of such derivative instruments.
Currency Risk.  Currency rates may fluctuate significantly over short or extended periods of time (i.e., may be extremely volatile), which could result in losses to the Fund if currencies do not perform as the Adviser expects. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates affect the value of the investments that the Fund owns, which may affect the Fund's share price. In general, currency exchange rates can be unpredictably affected by various factors, including political developments and governmental, supranational entity or central bank action or inaction.
Derivatives Risk.  The performance of derivative instruments depends largely on the performance of an underlying currency, security, interest rate or index, and such derivatives often have risks similar to the underlying instrument, in addition to other risks. Derivatives involve costs and can create economic leverage in the Fund's portfolio which may result in significant volatility and cause the Fund to participate in losses (as well as gains) in an amount that significantly exceeds the Fund's initial investment. Certain derivatives have the potential for unlimited loss, regardless of the size of the initial investment. Other risks include illiquidity, mispricing or improper valuation of the derivative, and imperfect correlation between the value of the derivative and the underlying instrument so that the Fund may not realize the intended benefits. Their successful use will usually depend on the Adviser's ability to accurately forecast movements in the market relating to the underlying instrument. Should a market or markets, or prices of particular classes of investments move in an unexpected manner, especially in unusual or extreme market conditions, the Fund may not achieve the anticipated benefits of the transaction, and it may realize losses, which could be significant. If the Adviser is not successful in using such derivative instruments, the Fund's performance may be worse than if the Adviser did not use such derivatives at all. When a derivative is used for hedging, the change in value of the derivative may also not correlate specifically with the currency, security, interest rate, index or other risk being hedged. Derivatives also may present the risk that the other party to the transaction will fail to perform. There is also the risk, especially under extreme market conditions, that a derivative, which usually would operate as a hedge, provides no hedging benefits at all.
Emerging Markets Risk. The Fund's investments in securities of issuers in emerging market countries are subject to all of the risks of foreign investing generally, and have additional heightened risks due to a lack of established legal, political, business and social frameworks to support securities markets, including: delays in settling portfolio securities transactions; currency and capital controls; greater sensitivity to interest rate changes; pervasiveness of corruption and crime; currency exchange rate volatility; and inflation, deflation or currency devaluation.
Exchange-Traded Vehicles ("ETVs") Risk.  The risks of owning interests of an ETV generally reflect the same risks as owning the underlying securities or other instruments that the ETV is designed to track. The shares of certain ETVs may trade at a premium or discount to their intrinsic value (i.e., the market value may differ from the net asset value of an ETV's shares). For example, supply and demand for shares of an ETF or market disruptions may cause the market price of the ETF to deviate from the value of the ETF's investments, which may be emphasized in less liquid markets. The value of an ETN may drop due to a downgrade in the issuer's credit rating.  By investing in an ETV, the Fund indirectly bears the proportionate share of any fees and expenses of the ETV in addition to Fund's direct fees and expenses. Additionally, trading in an ETV may be halted by the exchange on which it trades.
Foreign Securities Risk.  Returns on investments in foreign securities could be more volatile than, or trail the returns on, investments in U.S. securities. Investing in foreign securities includes risks associated with: the availability of information about foreign issuers that may be subject to different disclosure, accounting and financial reporting standards and practices than U.S. issuers; differences in investor protection standards in other jurisdictions; capital controls, including the risk that a foreign jurisdiction may impose restrictions on the ability to repatriate or transfer currency or other assets; internal and external political, diplomatic and economic developments; regulatory developments; currency exchange rate fluctuations and policies; and foreign market and trading practices, including
4

the costs of trading and risks of settlement in foreign jurisdictions. These risks may be greater for companies located in emerging markets.
Geographic Focus Risk.  To the extent that the Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in a specific geographic region or a particular country, the Fund will generally have more exposure to that region or country's economic risks. Adverse economic, political or social conditions in a region or country where a significant portion of the Fund's assets are invested may cause the Fund to experience substantial illiquidity or cause a reduction in the value of the Fund's investments. Adverse conditions in a certain region or country can also have a negative impact on the securities of issuers in other countries whose economies appear to be unrelated.
Inflation-Linked Securities Risk.  Inflation-linked securities have a tendency to react to changes in real interest rates. Real interest rates represent nominal (stated) interest rates lowered by the anticipated effect of inflation. In general, the price of an inflation-linked security decreases when real interest rates increase, and increases when real interest rates decrease. The Fund's income from its investments in these securities is likely to fluctuate more than the income distributions of its investments in more traditional fixed income securities.
International Closed Market Trading Risk.  To the extent the Fund's underlying securities trade on an exchange or in a market that is closed when the securities exchange on which the Fund shares list and trade is open, there may be market uncertainty about security pricing (i.e., the last quote from its closed foreign market) resulting in premiums or discounts to NAV that may be greater than those experienced by other ETFs.
Liquidity Risk.  Liquidity risk is the risk that an investment may be difficult to sell at an advantageous time or price due to limited market demand resulting from a downgrade, a decline in price, or adverse conditions within the markets.
Management Risk.  The Fund is actively managed and could experience losses if the Adviser's judgment about markets, future volatility, interest rates, industries, sectors and regions, or the attractiveness, relative values, liquidity, effectiveness or potential appreciation of particular investments made for the Fund's portfolio prove to be incorrect. The Adviser applies investment techniques and risk analyses in making investment decisions for the Fund, but there can be no guarantee that these decisions will produce the desired results.
Market Risk.  The market values of the Fund's investments, and therefore the value of the Fund's shares, will go up and down, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably, due to daily fluctuations in the securities markets that are generally beyond the Fund's control, including the quality of the Fund's investments, economic conditions, adverse investor sentiment, poor management decisions, lower demand for a company's goods or services, and general equity market conditions. In a declining market, the prices for all securities (including those in the Fund's portfolio) may decline, regardless of their long-term prospects. Security values tend to move in cycles, with periods when securities markets generally rise and periods when they generally decline.
Premium-Discount Risk.  Fund shares may trade above or below their NAV on the Exchange. The market prices of Fund shares will generally fluctuate in accordance with changes in NAV as well as the relative supply of, and demand for, Fund shares. Therefore, you may pay more than NAV when you buy shares of the Fund on the Exchange, and you may receive less than NAV when you sell those shares on the Exchange. This risk is separate and distinct from the risk that the NAV of Fund shares may decrease.
In stressed market conditions, the market for the Fund's shares may become less liquid in response to deteriorating liquidity in the markets for the Fund's underlying portfolio holdings.  An adverse effect on the liquidity of the Fund's shares could in turn lead to a premium and discount in the market price of the Fund's shares compared to the NAV of those shares.
Secondary Market Trading Risk.  Investors buying or selling Fund shares in the secondary market may pay brokerage commissions or other charges, which may be a significant proportional cost for investors seeking to buy or sell relatively small amounts of Fund shares. Although the Fund's shares are listed on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active or liquid trading market for them will develop or be maintained. In addition, trading in Fund shares on the Exchange may be halted.
5

Sector Focus Risk.  To the extent the Fund has significant exposure to one or more sectors, the Fund may be subject to a greater degree to the risks particular to that sector. Market conditions, interest rates, and economic, regulatory, or financial developments could significantly affect all the securities in a single sector.
Small- and Mid-Capitalization Companies Risk. Securities issued by small- and mid-capitalization companies may be more volatile in price than those of larger companies, involve substantial risks and should be considered speculative. Such risks may include greater sensitivity to economic conditions, less certain growth prospects, lack of depth of management and funds for growth and development, and limited or less developed product lines and markets. In addition, small- and mid-capitalization companies may be particularly affected by interest rate increases, as they may find it more difficult to borrow money to continue or expand operations, or may have difficulty in repaying any loans.
Sovereign Debt Securities Risk.  Sovereign debt securities are subject to various risks in addition to those relating to debt securities and foreign securities generally, including, but not limited to, the risk that a governmental entity may be unwilling or unable to repay principal or interest on its sovereign debt, or otherwise meet its obligations when due, and the Fund may have limited recourse in the event of a default against the defaulting government. If a sovereign debtor defaults (or threatens to default) on its sovereign debt obligations, the indebtedness may be restructured. Some sovereign debtors have in the past been able to restructure their debt payments without the approval of some or all debt holders or to declare moratoria on payments.
Subsidiary Risk.  By investing in the Subsidiary, the Fund is indirectly exposed to risks associated with the Subsidiary's investments. The Subsidiary is not registered under the Investment Company Act and, except as otherwise noted in this prospectus, is not subject to the investor protections of the Investment Company Act. Changes in the laws of the United States and/or the Cayman Islands, under which the Fund and the Subsidiary, respectively, are organized, could result in the inability of the Fund and/or the Subsidiary to operate as described in this prospectus and the Statement of Additional Information ("SAI"), and could negatively affect the Fund and its shareholders.
U.S. Government Obligations Risk.  Obligations of U.S. Government agencies and authorities receive varying levels of support and may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government, which could affect the Fund's ability to recover should they default.  No assurance can be given that the U.S. Government will provide financial support to its agencies and authorities if it is not obligated by law to do so.
PERFORMANCE INFORMATION
The Fund is new and therefore does not have a performance history for a full calendar year. Performance information for the Fund will be provided once it has annual returns for a full calendar year. The Fund's past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future.
MANAGEMENT
Investment Adviser: Gadsden, LLC
Portfolio Managers:
Kevin R. Harper, MBA, Chief Investment Officer of the Adviser and portfolio manager of the Fund since inception.
James W. Judge, CFA, Senior Director of the Adviser and portfolio manager of the Fund since inception.
PURCHASE AND SALE OF FUND SHARES
The Fund is an ETF. Individual Fund shares may only be purchased and sold on a national securities exchange through a broker-dealer and investors may pay a commission to such broker-dealers in connection with their purchase or sale. The price of Fund shares is based on market price, and because ETF shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (a premium) or less than NAV (a discount). The Fund will only issue or redeem shares aggregated into blocks of [______] shares or multiples thereof ("Creation
6

Units") to Authorized Participants who have entered into agreements with the Fund's distributor. The Fund will issue or redeem Creation Units in return for a basket of securities (and an amount of cash) that the Fund specifies each day.
TAX INFORMATION
The Fund's distributions are expected to be taxable as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-advantaged arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account. Such tax-advantaged arrangements may be taxed as ordinary income upon withdrawal of monies from those arrangements.
PAYMENTS TO BROKER-DEALERS AND OTHER FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES
If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Adviser or its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary's web site for more information.
7

Gadsden Dynamic Income ETF

INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE
The Fund seeks to provide current income while providing a positive long-term real return.
FEES AND EXPENSES OF THE FUND
This table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy and hold shares in the Fund. Transaction costs that may be incurred by the investor such as brokerage commissions for buying and selling securities are not reflected in the table below.
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment):  None
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses you pay each year as a % of the value of your investment):
Management Fee
[__]%
Other Expenses1
[__]%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses1
[__]%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses
[__]%
Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement2
[__]%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver
and/or Expense Reimbursement2
 
[__]%

1  "Other Expenses" and "Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses" are based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year.
2 Gadsden, LLC (the "Adviser") has contractually agreed to waive or assume certain expenses so that total annual Fund operating expenses (excluding (i) brokerage expenses (including any costs incidental to transactions in portfolio securities or instruments); (ii) acquired fund fees and expenses; (iii) taxes; (iv) interest (including borrowing costs and dividend expenses on securities sold short and overdraft charges); (v) litigation expenses (including litigation to which Gadsden ETF Trust (the "Trust") or a Fund may be a party and indemnification of the Board of Trustees of the Trust (the "Board" or "Trustees") and officers with respect thereto); and (vi) other extraordinary or non-routine expenses) do not exceed [__]% of the Fund's average daily net assets through [____], 2019. Under the fee waiver and expense assumption agreement, the Adviser is entitled to be reimbursed by the Fund for any fees waived and expenses assumed for a period of three years following the date of the fee waiver or assumption, to the extent such reimbursement will not cause the Fund to exceed any applicable expense limit that was in place when the fees were waived or expenses were assumed. The fee waiver and expense assumption agreement may not be changed or terminated during the time period set forth above without the approval of the Board of the Trust.

Example
The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the costs of investing in other funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then sell all of your shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same.  The example reflects adjustments made to the Fund's operating expenses due to the fee waiver and expense assumption agreement described above for the first year only. The example does not reflect any brokerage commissions that you may pay on purchases and sales of Fund shares. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, whether you do or do not sell your shares, your costs would be:
 
1 Year
3 Years
$[  ]
$[  ]

8

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities or other instruments (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 example, affect the Fund's performance. The Fund is newly organized and, as of the date of the prospectus, has not had any portfolio turnover.

PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
The Fund is actively managed, and may invest globally across all asset classes (e.g., stocks, bonds, real assets, commodities and currencies) and market capitalizations.  The Fund represents a combination of strategic and tactical allocation sleeves (each described below).
The Fund's strategic allocation sleeve is predominantly invested in a mix of fixed income securities and high dividend yielding global equities, and is based on the Adviser's proprietary long-term assessment of the sensitivity of each asset class to the economic factors driving their correlations.  Fund investments within this allocation sleeve are chosen based on their ability to diversify and counterbalance one another in a variety of favorable or unfavorable economic environments.  The blend of these investments is designed to generate current income while performing consistently and without a structural preference for either improving or declining market conditions. Under normal market conditions, the Fund expects that approximately 80% of its total assets (defined as net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) will be invested in the strategic allocation sleeve.
Under normal market conditions, the Fund expects that approximately 20% of its total assets will be allocated to the tactical allocation sleeve, which may increase or decrease depending on the market environment and perceived opportunities.  The Fund's tactical allocation employs a shorter-term view of opportunities and downside threats than the Fund's strategic allocation.  The tactical allocation sleeve is designed to adjust overall portfolio risk either higher or lower, depending on market conditions and opportunities, and securities in the tactical allocation sleeve are not selected based on their income or yield characteristics.  The Adviser makes allocation decisions within the tactical allocation sleeve based on its judgment of the projected investment environment for particular asset classes, the attractiveness of each asset class, and expected future returns of each asset class.  Within the tactical allocation sleeve, the Fund may invest globally in any asset class, and may at times be significantly invested in a single asset class (e.g., foreign currencies or equities).
The Fund's portfolio construction blends fundamental and quantitative methods to select investments across a variety of global asset classes.  Generally, the Fund gains exposure to asset classes by investing in many different types of instruments ("Instruments"), including: exchange-traded vehicles ("ETVs") (including exchange-traded funds ("ETFs"), exchange-traded notes ("ETNs") and exchange-traded commodities ("ETCs")); equity securities; derivatives (including futures, swaps, and forwards); U.S. and foreign government bonds (including inflation-linked bonds); and cash and cash equivalents.  The Fund may either invest directly in Instruments, or indirectly by investing in the Subsidiary (as described below) that invests in those Instruments.  Although the Fund's portfolio is expected to consist principally of securities, there is no maximum or minimum exposure to any one Instrument or any one asset class.  The Fund may sell securities when better opportunities become available, or in re-weighting the Fund's portfolio.

The Fund intends to make investments through the Subsidiary and may invest up to 25% of its total assets in the Subsidiary. The Subsidiary is a wholly owned and controlled subsidiary of the Fund, organized under the laws of the Cayman Islands.  Generally, the Subsidiary will invest primarily in commodity futures, forwards and swaps.  It may also invest in financial futures; option and swap contracts; fixed income securities; pooled investment vehicles, including those that are not registered pursuant to the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended ("Investment Company Act"); and other investments intended to serve as margin or collateral for the Subsidiary's derivative positions. The Fund will invest in the Subsidiary in order to gain exposure to the commodities markets within the limitations of the federal tax laws that apply to registered investment companies. Unlike the Fund, the Subsidiary may invest without limitation in commodity-linked derivative instruments; however, the Subsidiary will comply
9

with the same Investment Company Act asset coverage requirements with respect to its investments in commodity-linked derivatives that are applicable to the Fund's transactions in derivatives. In addition, the Subsidiary will be subject to the same fundamental investment restrictions, and will follow the same compliance policies and procedures, as the Fund. Unlike the Fund, the Subsidiary will not seek to qualify as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code").  Shares of the Subsidiary will not be offered or sold to any other investors.
PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT RISKS
An investment in the Fund is subject to investment risks; therefore, you may lose money by investing in the Fund. There can be no assurance that the Fund will be successful in meeting its investment objective. Generally, the Fund will be subject to the following principal risks:
Asset Allocation Risk.  The Fund's ability to achieve its investment goal depends upon the Adviser's skill in determining the Fund's broad asset allocation mix. There is the possibility that the Adviser's evaluations and assumptions regarding asset classes and direct investments will not successfully achieve the Fund's investment objective in view of actual market trends.
Authorized Participants Concentration Risk.  The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as authorized participants ("Authorized Participants"). To the extent they cannot or are otherwise unwilling to engage in creation and redemption transactions with the Fund and no other Authorized Participant steps in, shares of the Fund may trade like closed-end fund shares at a significant discount to net asset value ("NAV") and may face trading halts and/or delisting from [____] (the "Exchange"). This risk may be more pronounced in volatile markets, potentially where there are significant redemptions in ETFs generally.
Cash and Cash Equivalents Risk.  Holding cash or cash equivalents rather than securities or other instruments in which the Fund primarily invests, even strategically, may cause the Fund to risk losing opportunities to participate in market appreciation, and may cause the Fund to experience potentially lower returns than the Fund's benchmark or other funds that remain fully invested. In rising markets, holding cash or cash equivalents will negatively affect the Fund's performance relative to its benchmark.
Commodities Risk.  The Funds' exposure to investments in physical commodities (including through the Subsidiary) subjects the Funds to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities, such as stocks and bonds. Investing in physical commodities, including through ETCs or commodity-linked derivative instruments, such as commodity-linked futures, forwards and swaps, is speculative and can be extremely volatile. The commodities markets may fluctuate rapidly based on a variety of factors, including overall market movements; economic events and policies; changes in interest rates or inflation rates; changes in monetary and exchange control programs; war; acts of terrorism; natural disasters; and technological developments. Variables such as disease, drought, floods, weather, trade, embargoes, tariffs and other political events, in particular, may have a larger impact on commodity prices than on traditional securities. The prices of commodities can also fluctuate widely due to supply and demand disruptions in major producing or consuming regions. Because certain commodities may be produced in a limited number of countries and may be controlled by a small number of producers, political, economic and supply-related events in such countries could have a disproportionate impact on the prices of such commodities. These factors may affect the value of the Fund in varying ways, and different factors may cause the value and the volatility of the Fund to move in inconsistent directions at inconsistent rates. The current or "spot" prices of physical commodities may also affect, in a volatile and inconsistent manner, the prices of futures contracts in respect of the relevant commodity.
Commodity-Linked Derivatives Tax Risk.  The tax treatment of commodity-linked derivative instruments may be adversely affected by changes in legislation, regulations or other legally binding authority. As a regulated investment company, the Fund must derive at least 90 percent of its gross income each taxable year from certain qualifying sources of income under the Code. If, as a result of any adverse future legislation, U.S. Treasury regulations, and/or guidance issued by the Internal Revenue Service (the "IRS"), the income of the Fund from certain commodity-linked derivatives, including income from the Fund's investments in the Subsidiary, were treated
10

as non-qualifying income, the Fund may fail to qualify as regulated investment company and/or be subject to federal income tax at the Fund level. The uncertainty surrounding the treatment of certain derivative instruments under the qualification tests for a regulated investment company may limit the Fund's use of such derivative instruments.
Credit Risk.  The value of the Fund's fixed income investments is dependent on the creditworthiness of their issuers. Changes in an issuer's financial condition or in a security's credit rating, or a deterioration in general economic conditions, may have an adverse effect on the value of the investment and may cause an issuer to fail to pay principal and interest when due.
Currency Risk.  Currency rates may fluctuate significantly over short or extended periods of time (i.e., may be extremely volatile), which could result in losses to the Fund if currencies do not perform as the Adviser expects. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates affect the value of the investments that the Fund owns, which may affect the Fund's share price. In general, currency exchange rates can be unpredictably affected by various factors, including political developments and governmental, supranational entity or central bank action or inaction.
Derivatives Risk.  The performance of derivative instruments depends largely on the performance of an underlying currency, security, interest rate or index, and such derivatives often have risks similar to the underlying instrument, in addition to other risks. Derivatives involve costs and can create economic leverage in the Fund's portfolio which may result in significant volatility and cause the Fund to participate in losses (as well as gains) in an amount that significantly exceeds the Fund's initial investment. Certain derivatives have the potential for unlimited loss, regardless of the size of the initial investment. Other risks include illiquidity, mispricing or improper valuation of the derivative, and imperfect correlation between the value of the derivative and the underlying instrument so that the Fund may not realize the intended benefits. Their successful use will usually depend on the Adviser's ability to accurately forecast movements in the market relating to the underlying instrument. Should a market or markets, or prices of particular classes of investments move in an unexpected manner, especially in unusual or extreme market conditions, the Fund may not achieve the anticipated benefits of the transaction, and it may realize losses, which could be significant. If the Adviser is not successful in using such derivative instruments, the Fund's performance may be worse than if the Adviser did not use such derivatives at all. When a derivative is used for hedging, the change in value of the derivative may also not correlate specifically with the currency, security, interest rate, index or other risk being hedged. Derivatives also may present the risk that the other party to the transaction will fail to perform. There is also the risk, especially under extreme market conditions, that a derivative, which usually would operate as a hedge, provides no hedging benefits at all.
Dividend-Paying Securities Risk.  The Fund's emphasis on dividend-paying stocks involves the risk that such stocks may fall out of favor with investors and underperform the market. Also, companies that have historically paid regular dividends to shareholders may decrease or eliminate dividend payments in the future. A decrease in dividend payments by an issuer may result in a decrease in the value of the issuer's stock and less available income for the Fund.
Emerging Markets Risk. The Fund's investments in securities of issuers in emerging market countries are subject to all of the risks of foreign investing generally, and have additional heightened risks due to a lack of established legal, political, business and social frameworks to support securities markets, including: delays in settling portfolio securities transactions; currency and capital controls; greater sensitivity to interest rate changes; pervasiveness of corruption and crime; currency exchange rate volatility; and inflation, deflation or currency devaluation.
Exchange-Traded Vehicles ("ETVs") Risk.  The risks of owning interests of an ETV generally reflect the same risks as owning the underlying securities or other instruments that the ETV is designed to track. The shares of certain ETVs may trade at a premium or discount to their intrinsic value (i.e., the market value may differ from the net asset value of an ETV's shares). For example, supply and demand for shares of an ETF or market disruptions may cause the market price of the ETF to deviate from the value of the ETF's investments, which may be emphasized in less liquid markets. The value of an ETN may drop due to a downgrade in the issuer's credit rating.  By investing in an ETV, the Fund indirectly bears the proportionate share of any fees and expenses of the ETV in
11

addition to Fund's direct fees and expenses. Additionally, trading in an ETV may be halted by the exchange on which it trades.
Foreign Securities Risk.  Returns on investments in foreign securities could be more volatile than, or trail the returns on, investments in U.S. securities. Investing in foreign securities includes risks associated with:  the availability of information about foreign issuers that may be subject to different disclosure, accounting and financial reporting standards and practices than U.S. issuers; differences in investor protection standards in other jurisdictions; capital controls, including the risk that a foreign jurisdiction may impose restrictions on the ability to repatriate or transfer currency or other assets; internal and external political, diplomatic and economic developments; regulatory developments; currency exchange rate fluctuations and policies; and foreign market and trading practices, including the costs of trading and risks of settlement in foreign jurisdictions. These risks may be greater for companies located in emerging markets.
Geographic Focus Risk. To the extent that the Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in a specific geographic region or a particular country, the Fund will generally have more exposure to that region or country's economic risks. Adverse economic, political or social conditions in a region or country where a significant portion of the Fund's assets are invested may cause the Fund to experience substantial illiquidity or cause a reduction in the value of the Fund's investments. Adverse conditions in a certain region or country can also have a negative impact on the securities of issuers in other countries whose economies appear to be unrelated.
Inflation-Linked Securities Risk.  Inflation-linked securities have a tendency to react to changes in real interest rates. Real interest rates represent nominal (stated) interest rates lowered by the anticipated effect of inflation. In general, the price of an inflation-linked security decreases when real interest rates increase, and increases when real interest rates decrease. The Fund's income from its investments in these securities is likely to fluctuate more than the income distributions of its investments in more traditional fixed income securities.
Interest Rate Risk. The value of the Fund's fixed income investments will generally vary inversely with the direction of prevailing interest rates. Generally, when interest rates rise, the value of the Fund's fixed income investments is expected to decline. Interest rate changes are influenced by a number of factors, including government policy, monetary policy, inflation expectations, risk perceptions, and supply and demand of bonds. Additionally, changes in market interest rates of fixed income investments may affect the spread between the long-term interest rates and short-term interest rates, which could affect the prices of the fixed income investments held by the Fund differently.
International Closed Market Trading Risk.  To the extent the Fund's underlying securities trade on an exchange or in a market that is closed when the securities exchange on which the Fund shares list and trade is open, there may be market uncertainty about security pricing (i.e., the last quote from its closed foreign market) resulting in premiums or discounts to NAV that may be greater than those experienced by other ETFs.
Liquidity Risk.  Liquidity risk is the risk that an investment may be difficult to sell at an advantageous time or price due to limited market demand resulting from a downgrade, a decline in price, or adverse conditions within the markets.
Management Risk.  The Fund is actively managed and could experience losses if the Adviser's judgment about markets, future volatility, interest rates, industries, sectors and regions, or the attractiveness, relative values, liquidity, effectiveness or potential appreciation of particular investments made for the Fund's portfolio prove to be incorrect. The Adviser applies investment techniques and risk analyses in making investment decisions for the Fund, but there can be no guarantee that these decisions will produce the desired results.
Market Risk.  The market values of the Fund's investments, and therefore the value of the Fund's shares, will go up and down, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably, due to daily fluctuations in the securities markets that are generally beyond the Fund's control, including the quality of the Fund's investments, economic conditions, adverse investor sentiment, poor management decisions, lower demand for a company's goods or services, and general equity market conditions. In a declining market, the prices for all securities (including those in the Fund's portfolio) may decline,
12

regardless of their long-term prospects. Security values tend to move in cycles, with periods when securities markets generally rise and periods when they generally decline.
Maturity Risk.  The value of the Fund's fixed income investments is also dependent on their maturity. Generally, the longer the maturity of a fixed income security, the greater its sensitivity to changes in interest rates.
Premium-Discount Risk.  Fund shares may trade above or below their NAV on the Exchange. The market prices of Fund shares will generally fluctuate in accordance with changes in NAV as well as the relative supply of, and demand for, Fund shares. Therefore, you may pay more than NAV when you buy shares of the Fund on the Exchange, and you may receive less than NAV when you sell those shares on the Exchange. This risk is separate and distinct from the risk that the NAV of Fund shares may decrease.
In stressed market conditions, the market for the Fund's shares may become less liquid in response to deteriorating liquidity in the markets for the Fund's underlying portfolio holdings.  An adverse effect on the liquidity of the Fund's shares could in turn lead to a premium and discount in the market price of the Fund's shares compared to the NAV of those shares.
Secondary Market Trading Risk.  Investors buying or selling Fund shares in the secondary market may pay brokerage commissions or other charges, which may be a significant proportional cost for investors seeking to buy or sell relatively small amounts of Fund shares. Although the Fund's shares are listed on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active or liquid trading market for them will develop or be maintained. In addition, trading in Fund shares on the Exchange may be halted.
Small- and Mid-Capitalization Companies Risk. Securities issued by small- and mid-capitalization companies may be more volatile in price than those of larger companies, involve substantial risks and should be considered speculative. Such risks may include greater sensitivity to economic conditions, less certain growth prospects, lack of depth of management and funds for growth and development, and limited or less developed product lines and markets. In addition, small- and mid-capitalization companies may be particularly affected by interest rate increases, as they may find it more difficult to borrow money to continue or expand operations, or may have difficulty in repaying any loans.
Sovereign Debt Securities Risk.  Sovereign debt securities are subject to various risks in addition to those relating to debt securities and foreign securities generally, including, but not limited to, the risk that a governmental entity may be unwilling or unable to repay principal or interest on its sovereign debt, or otherwise meet its obligations when due, and the Fund may have limited recourse in the event of a default against the defaulting government. If a sovereign debtor defaults (or threatens to default) on its sovereign debt obligations, the indebtedness may be restructured. Some sovereign debtors have in the past been able to restructure their debt payments without the approval of some or all debt holders or to declare moratoria on payments.
Subsidiary Risk.  By investing in the Subsidiary, the Fund is indirectly exposed to risks associated with the Subsidiary's investments. The Subsidiary is not registered under the Investment Company Act and, except as otherwise noted in this prospectus, is not subject to the investor protections of the Investment Company Act. Changes in the laws of the United States and/or the Cayman Islands, under which the Fund and the Subsidiary, respectively, are organized, could result in the inability of the Fund and/or the Subsidiary to operate as described in this prospectus and the Statement of Additional Information ("SAI"), and could negatively affect the Fund and its shareholders.
U.S. Government Obligations Risk.  Obligations of U.S. Government agencies and authorities receive varying levels of support and may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government, which could affect the Fund's ability to recover should they default.  No assurance can be given that the U.S. Government will provide financial support to its agencies and authorities if it is not obligated by law to do so.
13

PERFORMANCE INFORMATION
The Fund is new and therefore does not have a performance history for a full calendar year. Performance information for the Fund will be provided once it has annual returns for a full calendar year. The Fund's past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future.
MANAGEMENT
Investment Adviser: Gadsden, LLC
Portfolio Managers:
Kevin R. Harper, MBA, Chief Investment Officer of the Adviser and portfolio manager of the Fund since inception.
James W. Judge, CFA, Senior Director of the Adviser and portfolio manager of the Fund since inception.
PURCHASE AND SALE OF FUND SHARES
The Fund is an ETF. Individual Fund shares may only be purchased and sold on a national securities exchange through a broker-dealer and investors may pay a commission to such broker-dealers in connection with their purchase or sale. The price of Fund shares is based on market price, and because ETF shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (a premium) or less than NAV (a discount). The Fund will only issue or redeem shares aggregated into blocks of [______] shares or multiples thereof ("Creation Units") to Authorized Participants who have entered into agreements with the Fund's distributor. The Fund will issue or redeem Creation Units in return for a basket of securities (and an amount of cash) that the Fund specifies each day.
TAX INFORMATION
The Fund's distributions are expected to be taxable as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-advantaged arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account. Such tax-advantaged arrangements may be taxed as ordinary income upon withdrawal of monies from those arrangements.
PAYMENTS TO BROKER-DEALERS AND OTHER FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES
If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Adviser or its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary's web site for more information.
14

Gadsden Dynamic Multi-Asset ETF

INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE
The Fund seeks to preserve and grow capital with a positive long-term real return.
FEES AND EXPENSES OF THE FUND
This table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy and hold shares in the Fund. Transaction costs that may be incurred by the investor such as brokerage commissions for buying and selling securities are not reflected in the table below.
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment):  None
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses you pay each year as a % of the value of your investment):
Management Fee
[__]%
Other Expenses1
[__]%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses1
[__]%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses
[__]%
Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement2
[__]%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver
and/or Expense Reimbursement2
 
[__]%

1  "Other Expenses" and "Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses" are based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year.
2 Gadsden, LLC (the "Adviser") has contractually agreed to waive or assume certain expenses so that total annual Fund operating expenses (excluding (i) brokerage expenses (including any costs incidental to transactions in portfolio securities or instruments); (ii) acquired fund fees and expenses; (iii) taxes; (iv) interest (including borrowing costs and dividend expenses on securities sold short and overdraft charges); (v) litigation expenses (including litigation to which Gadsden ETF Trust (the "Trust") or a Fund may be a party and indemnification of the Board of Trustees of the Trust (the "Board" or "Trustees") and officers with respect thereto); and (vi) other extraordinary or non-routine expenses) do not exceed [__]% of the Fund's average daily net assets through [____], 2019. Under the fee waiver and expense assumption agreement, the Adviser is entitled to be reimbursed by the Fund for any fees waived and expenses assumed for a period of three years following the date of the fee waiver or assumption, to the extent such reimbursement will not cause the Fund to exceed any applicable expense limit that was in place when the fees were waived or expenses were assumed. The fee waiver and expense assumption agreement may not be changed or terminated during the time period set forth above without the approval of the Board of the Trust.

Example
The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the costs of investing in other funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then sell all of your shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same.  The example reflects adjustments made to the Fund's operating expenses due to the fee waiver and expense assumption agreement described above for the first year only. The example does not reflect any brokerage commissions that you may pay on purchases and sales of Fund shares. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, whether you do or do not sell your shares, your costs would be:

1 Year
3 Years
$[  ]
$[  ]

15

Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities or other instruments (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 example, affect the Fund's performance. The Fund is newly organized and, as of the date of the prospectus, has not had any portfolio turnover.

PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

The Fund is actively managed, and may invest globally across all asset classes (e.g., stocks, bonds, real assets, commodities and currencies) and market capitalizations.  The Fund represents a combination of strategic and tactical allocation sleeves (each described below).
The Fund's strategic allocation sleeve is based on the Adviser's proprietary long-term assessment of the sensitivity of each asset class to the economic factors driving their correlations.  Fund investments within this allocation sleeve are chosen based on their ability to diversify and counterbalance one another in a variety of favorable or unfavorable economic environments.  The blend of these investments is designed to perform consistently and without a structural preference for either improving or declining market conditions.  The assets in the strategic allocation sleeve will be allocated among lower-risk asset classes (such as inflation-linked bonds or fixed income securities) and higher-risk asset classes (such as equities or REIT investments).  Under normal market conditions, the Fund expects that approximately 80% of its total assets (defined as net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) will be invested in the strategic allocation sleeve.
Under normal market conditions, the Fund expects that approximately 20% of its total assets will be allocated to the tactical allocation sleeve, which may increase or decrease depending on the market environment and perceived opportunities.  The Fund's tactical allocation employs a shorter-term view of opportunities and downside threats than the Fund's strategic allocation.  The tactical allocation sleeve is designed to adjust overall portfolio risk either higher or lower, depending on market conditions and opportunities.  The Adviser makes allocation decisions within the tactical allocation sleeve based on its judgment of the projected investment environment for particular asset classes, the attractiveness of each asset class, and expected future returns of each asset class.  Within the tactical allocation sleeve, the Fund may invest globally in any asset class, and may at times be significantly invested in a single asset class (e.g., foreign currencies or equities).
The Fund's portfolio construction blends fundamental and quantitative methods to select investments across a variety of global asset classes.  Generally, the Fund gains exposure to asset classes by investing in many different types of instruments ("Instruments"), including: exchange-traded vehicles ("ETVs") (including exchange-traded funds ("ETFs"), exchange-traded notes ("ETNs") and exchange-traded commodities ("ETCs")); equity securities; derivatives (including futures, swaps, and forwards); U.S. and foreign government bonds (including inflation-linked bonds); and cash and cash equivalents.  The Fund may either invest directly in Instruments, or indirectly by investing in the Subsidiary (as described below) that invests in those Instruments.  Although the Fund's portfolio is expected to consist principally of securities, there is no maximum or minimum exposure to any one Instrument or any one asset class.  The Fund may sell securities when better opportunities become available, or in re-weighting the Fund's portfolio.

The Fund intends to make investments through the Subsidiary and may invest up to 25% of its total assets in the Subsidiary. The Subsidiary is a wholly owned and controlled subsidiary of the Fund, organized under the laws of the Cayman Islands.  Generally, the Subsidiary will invest primarily in commodity futures, forwards and swaps.  It may also invest in financial futures; option and swap contracts;  fixed income securities; pooled investment vehicles, including those that are not registered pursuant to the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended ("Investment Company Act"); and other investments intended to serve as margin or collateral for the Subsidiary's derivative positions. The Fund will invest in the Subsidiary in order to gain exposure to the commodities markets within the limitations of the federal tax laws that apply to registered investment companies. Unlike the Fund, the Subsidiary may invest without limitation in commodity-linked derivative instruments; however, the Subsidiary will comply with the same Investment Company Act asset coverage requirements with respect to its investments in commodity-
16

linked derivatives that are applicable to the Fund's transactions in derivatives. In addition, the Subsidiary will be subject to the same fundamental investment restrictions, and will follow the same compliance policies and procedures, as the Fund. Unlike the Fund, the Subsidiary will not seek to qualify as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code").  Shares of the Subsidiary will not be offered or sold to any other investors.
PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT RISKS
An investment in the Fund is subject to investment risks; therefore, you may lose money by investing in the Fund. There can be no assurance that the Fund will be successful in meeting its investment objective. Generally, the Fund will be subject to the following principal risks:
Asset Allocation Risk.  The Fund's ability to achieve its investment goal depends upon the Adviser's skill in determining the Fund's broad asset allocation mix. There is the possibility that the Adviser's evaluations and assumptions regarding asset classes and direct investments will not successfully achieve the Fund's investment objective in view of actual market trends.
Authorized Participants Concentration Risk.  The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as authorized participants ("Authorized Participants"). To the extent they cannot or are otherwise unwilling to engage in creation and redemption transactions with the Fund and no other Authorized Participant steps in, shares of the Fund may trade like closed-end fund shares at a significant discount to net asset value ("NAV") and may face trading halts and/or delisting from [____] (the "Exchange"). This risk may be more pronounced in volatile markets, potentially where there are significant redemptions in ETFs generally.
Cash and Cash Equivalents Risk.  Holding cash or cash equivalents rather than securities or other instruments in which the Fund primarily invests, even strategically, may cause the Fund to risk losing opportunities to participate in market appreciation, and may cause the Fund to experience potentially lower returns than the Fund's benchmark or other funds that remain fully invested. In rising markets, holding cash or cash equivalents will negatively affect the Fund's performance relative to its benchmark.
Commodities Risk.  The Fund's exposure to investments in physical commodities (including through the Subsidiary) subjects the Fund to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities, such as stocks and bonds. Investing in physical commodities, including through ETCs or commodity-linked derivative instruments, such as commodity-linked futures, forwards and swaps, is speculative and can be extremely volatile. The commodities markets may fluctuate rapidly based on a variety of factors, including overall market movements; economic events and policies; changes in interest rates or inflation rates; changes in monetary and exchange control programs; war; acts of terrorism; natural disasters; and technological developments. Variables such as disease, drought, floods, weather, trade, embargoes, tariffs and other political events, in particular, may have a larger impact on commodity prices than on traditional securities. The prices of commodities can also fluctuate widely due to supply and demand disruptions in major producing or consuming regions. Because certain commodities may be produced in a limited number of countries and may be controlled by a small number of producers, political, economic and supply-related events in such countries could have a disproportionate impact on the prices of such commodities. These factors may affect the value of the Fund in varying ways, and different factors may cause the value and the volatility of the Fund to move in inconsistent directions at inconsistent rates. The current or "spot" prices of physical commodities may also affect, in a volatile and inconsistent manner, the prices of futures contracts in respect of the relevant commodity.
Commodity-Linked Derivatives Tax Risk.  The tax treatment of commodity-linked derivative instruments may be adversely affected by changes in legislation, regulations or other legally binding authority. As a regulated investment company, the Fund must derive at least 90 percent of its gross income each taxable year from certain qualifying sources of income under the Code. If, as a result of any adverse future legislation, U.S. Treasury regulations, and/or guidance issued by the Internal Revenue Service (the "IRS"), the income of the Fund from certain commodity-linked derivatives, including income from the Fund's investments in the Subsidiary, were treated as non-qualifying income, the Fund may fail to qualify as regulated investment company and/or be subject to federal
17

income tax at the Fund level. The uncertainty surrounding the treatment of certain derivative instruments under the qualification tests for a regulated investment company may limit the Fund's use of such derivative instruments.
Credit Risk.  The value of the Fund's fixed income investments is dependent on the creditworthiness of their issuers. Changes in an issuer's financial condition or in a security's credit rating, or a deterioration in general economic conditions, may have an adverse effect on the value of the investment and may cause an issuer to fail to pay principal and interest when due.
Currency Risk.  Currency rates may fluctuate significantly over short or extended periods of time (i.e., may be extremely volatile), which could result in losses to the Fund if currencies do not perform as the Adviser expects. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates affect the value of the investments that the Fund owns, which may affect the Fund's share price. In general, currency exchange rates can be unpredictably affected by various factors, including political developments and governmental, supranational entity or central bank action or inaction.
Derivatives Risk.  The performance of derivative instruments depends largely on the performance of an underlying currency, security, interest rate or index, and such derivatives often have risks similar to the underlying instrument, in addition to other risks. Derivatives involve costs and can create economic leverage in the Fund's portfolio which may result in significant volatility and cause the Fund to participate in losses (as well as gains) in an amount that significantly exceeds the Fund's initial investment. Certain derivatives have the potential for unlimited loss, regardless of the size of the initial investment. Other risks include illiquidity, mispricing or improper valuation of the derivative, and imperfect correlation between the value of the derivative and the underlying instrument so that the Fund may not realize the intended benefits. Their successful use will usually depend on the Adviser's ability to accurately forecast movements in the market relating to the underlying instrument. Should a market or markets, or prices of particular classes of investments move in an unexpected manner, especially in unusual or extreme market conditions, the Fund may not achieve the anticipated benefits of the transaction, and it may realize losses, which could be significant. If the Adviser is not successful in using such derivative instruments, the Fund's performance may be worse than if the Adviser did not use such derivatives at all. When a derivative is used for hedging, the change in value of the derivative may also not correlate specifically with the currency, security, interest rate, index or other risk being hedged. Derivatives also may present the risk that the other party to the transaction will fail to perform. There is also the risk, especially under extreme market conditions, that a derivative, which usually would operate as a hedge, provides no hedging benefits at all.
Emerging Markets Risk. The Fund's investments in securities of issuers in emerging market countries are subject to all of the risks of foreign investing generally, and have additional heightened risks due to a lack of established legal, political, business and social frameworks to support securities markets, including: delays in settling portfolio securities transactions; currency and capital controls; greater sensitivity to interest rate changes; pervasiveness of corruption and crime; currency exchange rate volatility; and inflation, deflation or currency devaluation.
Exchange-Traded Vehicles ("ETVs") Risk.  The risks of owning interests of an ETV generally reflect the same risks as owning the underlying securities or other instruments that the ETV is designed to track. The shares of certain ETVs may trade at a premium or discount to their intrinsic value (i.e., the market value may differ from the net asset value of an ETV's shares). For example, supply and demand for shares of an ETF or market disruptions may cause the market price of the ETF to deviate from the value of the ETF's investments, which may be emphasized in less liquid markets. The value of an ETN may drop due to a downgrade in the issuer's credit rating.  By investing in an ETV, the Fund indirectly bears the proportionate share of any fees and expenses of the ETV in addition to Fund's direct fees and expenses. Additionally, trading in an ETV may be halted by the exchange on which it trades.
Foreign Securities Risk.  Returns on investments in foreign securities could be more volatile than, or trail the returns on, investments in U.S. securities. Investing in foreign securities includes risks associated with: the availability of information about foreign issuers that may be subject to different disclosure, accounting and financial reporting standards and practices than U.S. issuers;  differences in investor protection standards in other jurisdictions; capital controls, including the risk that a foreign jurisdiction may impose restrictions on the ability to repatriate or transfer currency or other assets; internal and external political, diplomatic and economic
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developments; regulatory developments; currency exchange rate fluctuations and policies; and foreign market and trading practices, including the costs of trading and risks of settlement in foreign jurisdictions. These risks may be greater for companies located in emerging markets.
Geographic Focus Risk. To the extent that the Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in a specific geographic region or a particular country, the Fund will generally have more exposure to that region or country's economic risks. Adverse economic, political or social conditions in a region or country where a significant portion of the Fund's assets are invested may cause the Fund to experience substantial illiquidity or cause a reduction in the value of the Fund's investments. Adverse conditions in a certain region or country can also have a negative impact on the securities of issuers in other countries whose economies appear to be unrelated.
Inflation-Linked Securities Risk.  Inflation-linked securities have a tendency to react to changes in real interest rates. Real interest rates represent nominal (stated) interest rates lowered by the anticipated effect of inflation. In general, the price of an inflation-linked security decreases when real interest rates increase, and increases when real interest rates decrease. The Fund's income from its investments in these securities is likely to fluctuate more than the income distributions of its investments in more traditional fixed income securities.
Interest Rate Risk. The value of the Fund's fixed income investments will generally vary inversely with the direction of prevailing interest rates. Generally, when interest rates rise, the value of the Fund's fixed income investments is expected to decline. Interest rate changes are influenced by a number of factors, including government policy, monetary policy, inflation expectations, risk perceptions, and supply and demand of bonds. Additionally, changes in market interest rates of fixed income investments may affect the spread between the long-term interest rates and short-term interest rates, which could affect the prices of the fixed income investments held by the Fund differently.
International Closed Market Trading Risk.  To the extent the Fund's underlying securities trade on an exchange or in a market that is closed when the securities exchange on which the Fund shares list and trade is open, there may be market uncertainty about security pricing (i.e., the last quote from its closed foreign market) resulting in premiums or discounts to NAV that may be greater than those experienced by other ETFs.
Liquidity Risk.  Liquidity risk is the risk that an investment may be difficult to sell at an advantageous time or price due to limited market demand resulting from a downgrade, a decline in price, or adverse conditions within the markets.
Management Risk.  The Fund is actively managed and could experience losses if the Adviser's judgment about markets, future volatility, interest rates, industries, sectors and regions, or the attractiveness, relative values, liquidity, effectiveness or potential appreciation of particular investments made for the Fund's portfolio prove to be incorrect. The Adviser applies investment techniques and risk analyses in making investment decisions for the Fund, but there can be no guarantee that these decisions will produce the desired results.
Market Risk.  The market values of the Fund's investments, and therefore the value of the Fund's shares, will go up and down, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably, due to daily fluctuations in the securities markets that are generally beyond the Fund's control, including the quality of the Fund's investments, economic conditions, adverse investor sentiment, poor management decisions, lower demand for a company's goods or services, and general equity market conditions. In a declining market, the prices for all securities (including those in the Fund's portfolio) may decline, regardless of their long-term prospects. Security values tend to move in cycles, with periods when securities markets generally rise and periods when they generally decline.
Maturity Risk.  The value of the Fund's fixed income investments is also dependent on their maturity. Generally, the longer the maturity of a fixed income security, the greater its sensitivity to changes in interest rates.
Premium-Discount Risk.  Fund shares may trade above or below their NAV on the Exchange. The market prices of Fund shares will generally fluctuate in accordance with changes in NAV as well as the relative supply of, and demand for, Fund shares. Therefore, you may pay more than NAV when you buy shares of the Fund on the
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Exchange, and you may receive less than NAV when you sell those shares on the Exchange. This risk is separate and distinct from the risk that the NAV of Fund shares may decrease.
In stressed market conditions, the market for the Fund's shares may become less liquid in response to deteriorating liquidity in the markets for the Fund's underlying portfolio holdings.  An adverse effect on the liquidity of the Fund's shares could in turn lead to a premium and discount in the market price of the Fund's shares compared to the NAV of those shares.
Real Estate Investment Trust ("REIT") Risk.  A REIT is a company that owns or finances income-producing real estate. Through its investments in REITs, the Fund is subject to the risks of investing in the real estate market, including decreases in property revenues, increases in interest rates, increases in property taxes and operating expenses, legal and regulatory changes, a lack of credit or capital, defaults by borrowers or tenants, environmental problems and natural disasters.
REITs are subject to additional risks, including those related to adverse governmental actions; declines in property value and the real estate market; the potential failure to qualify for tax-free pass through of income; and exemption from registration as an investment company. REITs are dependent upon specialized management skills and may invest in relatively few properties, a small geographic area, or a small number of property types. As a result, investments in REITs may be volatile. To the extent the Fund invests in REITs concentrated in specific geographic areas or property types, the Fund may be subject to a greater loss as a result of adverse developments affecting such area or property types. REITs are pooled investment vehicles with their own fees and expenses and the Fund will indirectly bear a proportionate share of those fees and expenses.
Secondary Market Trading Risk.  Investors buying or selling Fund shares in the secondary market may pay brokerage commissions or other charges, which may be a significant proportional cost for investors seeking to buy or sell relatively small amounts of Fund shares. Although the Fund's shares are listed on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active or liquid trading market for them will develop or be maintained. In addition, trading in Fund shares on the Exchange may be halted.
Small- and Mid-Capitalization Companies Risk. Securities issued by small- and mid-capitalization companies may be more volatile in price than those of larger companies, involve substantial risks and should be considered speculative. Such risks may include greater sensitivity to economic conditions, less certain growth prospects, lack of depth of management and funds for growth and development, and limited or less developed product lines and markets. In addition, small- and mid-capitalization companies may be particularly affected by interest rate increases, as they may find it more difficult to borrow money to continue or expand operations, or may have difficulty in repaying any loans.
Sovereign Debt Securities Risk.  Sovereign debt securities are subject to various risks in addition to those relating to debt securities and foreign securities generally, including, but not limited to, the risk that a governmental entity may be unwilling or unable to repay principal or interest on its sovereign debt, or otherwise meet its obligations when due, and the Fund may have limited recourse in the event of a default against the defaulting government. If a sovereign debtor defaults (or threatens to default) on its sovereign debt obligations, the indebtedness may be restructured. Some sovereign debtors have in the past been able to restructure their debt payments without the approval of some or all debt holders or to declare moratoria on payments.
Subsidiary Risk.  By investing in the Subsidiary, the Fund is indirectly exposed to risks associated with the Subsidiary's investments. The Subsidiary is not registered under the Investment Company Act and, except as otherwise noted in this prospectus, is not subject to the investor protections of the Investment Company Act. Changes in the laws of the United States and/or the Cayman Islands, under which the Fund and the Subsidiary, respectively, are organized, could result in the inability of the Fund and/or the Subsidiary to operate as described in this prospectus and the Statement of Additional Information ("SAI"), and could negatively affect the Fund and its shareholders.
U.S. Government Obligations Risk.  Obligations of U.S. Government agencies and authorities receive varying levels of support and may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government, which could affect the
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Fund's ability to recover should they default.  No assurance can be given that the U.S. Government will provide financial support to its agencies and authorities if it is not obligated by law to do so.
PERFORMANCE INFORMATION
The Fund is new and therefore does not have a performance history for a full calendar year. Performance information for the Fund will be provided once it has annual returns for a full calendar year. The Fund's past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future.
MANAGEMENT
Investment Adviser: Gadsden, LLC
Portfolio Managers:
Kevin R. Harper, MBA, Chief Investment Officer of the Adviser and portfolio manager of the Fund since inception.
James W. Judge, CFA, Senior Director of the Adviser and portfolio manager of the Fund since inception.
PURCHASE AND SALE OF FUND SHARES
The Fund is an ETF. Individual Fund shares may only be purchased and sold on a national securities exchange through a broker-dealer and investors may pay a commission to such broker-dealers in connection with their purchase or sale. The price of Fund shares is based on market price, and because ETF shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (a premium) or less than NAV (a discount). The Fund will only issue or redeem shares aggregated into blocks of [______] shares or multiples thereof ("Creation Units") to Authorized Participants who have entered into agreements with the Fund's distributor. The Fund will issue or redeem Creation Units in return for a basket of securities (and an amount of cash) that the Fund specifies each day.
TAX INFORMATION
The Fund's distributions are expected to be taxable as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-advantaged arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account. Such tax-advantaged arrangements may be taxed as ordinary income upon withdrawal of monies from those arrangements.
PAYMENTS TO BROKER-DEALERS AND OTHER FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES
If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Adviser or its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary's web site for more information.
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More Information About the Funds
More Information About the Funds' Investment Objectives
Each Fund's investment objective is non-fundamental and may be changed by the Board without shareholder approval upon 60 days' notice to the shareholders. There is no guarantee that a Fund will achieve its investment objective.
More Information About the Funds' Principal Investment Strategies
Gadsden Dynamic Equity ETF's policy to invest, under normal market conditions, at least 80% of its total assets in equity securities and investments that provide exposure to equity securities is non-fundamental and may be changed by the Board without shareholder approval upon 60 days' notice to the shareholders.

Please see the Funds' SAI for additional information about the securities and investment strategies described in this Prospectus and about additional securities and investment strategies that may be used by the Funds.

Temporary Defensive Positions. In certain adverse market, economic, political or other conditions, a Fund may temporarily depart from its normal investment policies and strategy, provided that the alternative is consistent with the Fund's investment objective and is in the best interest of the Fund. At such times, a Fund may invest in cash or cash equivalents, such as money market instruments, and to the extent permitted by applicable law and the Fund's investment restrictions, shares of other investment companies. Under such circumstances, a Fund may invest up to 100% of its assets in these investments and may do so for extended periods of time. To the extent that a Fund invests in money market instruments or other investment companies, shareholders of the Fund would indirectly pay both the Fund's expenses and the expenses relating to those other investment companies with respect to the Fund's assets invested in such investment companies. When a Fund takes a temporary defensive position, the Fund may not be able to achieve its investment objective.
More Information about the Funds' Principal Investment Risks
In addition to the Funds' principal investment risks, an investment in the Funds is also subject to the following risks:

Cash Transactions Risk.  ETFs generally are able to make in-kind redemptions and avoid being taxed on gain on the distributed portfolio securities at the Fund level. Because a Fund may effect redemptions partly or entirely in cash, rather than in-kind, it may be required to sell portfolio securities in order to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. If a Fund recognizes gain on these sales, this generally will cause the Fund to recognize gain it might not otherwise have recognized, or to recognize such gain sooner than would otherwise be required if it were to distribute portfolio securities in-kind. A Fund generally intends to distribute these gains to shareholders to avoid being taxed on this gain at the Fund level and otherwise comply with the special tax rules that apply to it. This strategy may cause shareholders to be subject to tax on gains they would not otherwise be subject to, or at an earlier date than, if they had made an investment in a different ETF. Moreover, cash transactions may have to be carried out over several days if the securities market is relatively illiquid and may involve considerable brokerage fees and taxes. These brokerage fees and taxes, which will be higher than if a Fund sold and redeemed its shares principally in-kind, could be imposed on the Fund and thus decrease the Fund's NAV to the extent they are not offset by the creation and redemption transaction fees paid by purchasers and redeemers of Creation Units.

Commodities Risk.  The Fund's exposure to investments in physical commodities subjects the Fund to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities, such as stocks and bonds. Investing in physical commodities, including through ETCs or commodity-linked derivative instruments such as commodity-linked futures, forwards and swaps, is speculative and can be extremely volatile. Volatility in the commodities markets may be caused by changes in overall market movements; economic events and policies; war; acts of terrorism; natural disasters; and technological developments. The current or "spot" prices of physical commodities may also affect, in a volatile and inconsistent manner, the prices of futures contracts in respect of the relevant commodity. Certain commodities are used primarily in one industry, and fluctuations in levels of activity in one industry may have a disproportionate
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effect on global demand for a particular commodity. Moreover, recent growth in industrial production and gross domestic product has made some developing nations oversized users of commodities and has increased the extent to which certain commodities prices are influenced by those markets.

Commodities Tax Risk.  The tax treatment of a Fund's use of commodity-linked derivative instruments may be adversely affected by changes in legislation, regulations or other legally binding authority. If, as a result of any such adverse action, the income of a Fund from certain commodity-linked derivatives was treated as non-qualifying income for purposes of the Fund's qualification as a regulated investment company, the Fund might fail to qualify as such and be subject to federal income tax at the Fund level. As a regulated investment company, the Fund must derive at least 90% of its gross income for each taxable year from sources treated as qualifying income under the Code. The IRS has issued a number of private letter rulings to other mutual funds, upon which the Fund cannot rely, which indicate that income from a fund's investment in certain commodity-linked notes and a wholly owned foreign subsidiary that invests in commodity-linked derivatives, such as the Subsidiary, constitutes qualifying income. However, in September 2016 the IRS announced that it will no longer issue private letter rulings on questions relating to the treatment of a corporation as a regulated investment company that require a determination of whether a financial instrument or position is a security under section 2(a)(36) of the Investment Company Act. A financial instrument or position that constitutes a security under section 2(a)(36) of the Investment Company Act generates qualifying income for a corporation taxed as a regulated investment company. The IRS's announcement caused it to revoke the portion of any rulings relating to a mutual fund's investment in commodity-linked notes that required such a determination, some of which have been revoked prospectively as of a date agreed upon with the IRS. Accordingly, a Fund may invest in certain commodity-linked notes: (a) directly only to the extent that such commodity-linked notes constitute securities under section 2(a)(36) of the Investment Company Act or (b) indirectly through the Subsidiary. Additionally, in September 2016, the IRS issued proposed regulations that would require the Subsidiary to distribute its "Subpart F" income (defined in Section 951 of the Code to include passive income such as income from commodity-linked derivatives) each year in order for a Fund to treat that income as qualifying income. Each Fund anticipates that the Subsidiary will distribute the "Subpart F" income earned by the Subsidiary each year, which the Fund will treat as qualifying income. Should the IRS issue further guidance, or Congress enact legislation, that adversely affects the tax treatment of a Fund's use of commodity-linked derivative instruments or the Subsidiary (which guidance might be applied retroactively to the Fund), it could limit the Fund's ability to pursue its investment strategy and the Fund might not qualify as a regulated investment company for one or more years. In this event, a Fund's board of trustees may authorize a change in investment strategy or Fund liquidation. In lieu of potential disqualification, a Fund is permitted to pay a tax for certain failures to satisfy the income requirement, which, in general, are limited to those due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect. A Fund also may incur transaction and other costs to comply with any new or additional guidance from the IRS. Each Fund intends to limit its investment in the Subsidiary to no more than 25% of the value of its total assets in order to satisfy certain asset diversification requirements for taxation as a regulated investment company.

Currency Risk.  Securities and other instruments in which a Fund invests may be denominated or quoted in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Foreign currency exchange rates may have significant volatility, and changes in the values of foreign currencies against the U.S. dollar may result in substantial declines in the values of the Fund's assets denominated in foreign currencies. Generally, when the U.S. dollar rises in value against a foreign currency, a security denominated in that currency loses value because the currency is worth fewer U.S. dollars. Conversely, when the U.S. dollar decreases in value against a foreign currency, a security denominated in that currency gains value because the currency is worth more U.S. dollars. This means that a strong U.S. dollar will reduce returns for U.S. investors while a weak U.S. dollar will increase those returns.

Derivatives Risk. The performance of derivative instruments (including currency derivatives) depends largely on the performance of an underlying currency, security, interest rate or index, and such derivatives often have risks similar to the underlying instrument, in addition to other risks. Derivatives involve costs and can create economic leverage in a Fund's portfolio which may result in significant volatility and cause the Fund to participate in losses (as well as gains) in an amount that significantly exceeds the Fund's initial investment. Certain derivatives have the potential for unlimited loss, regardless of the size of the initial investment. Other risks include illiquidity, mispricing or improper valuation of the derivative, and imperfect correlation between the value of the derivative and the underlying instrument so that a Fund may not realize the intended benefits. Their successful use will usually depend
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on the Adviser's ability to accurately forecast movements in the market relating to the underlying instrument. Should a market or markets, or prices of particular classes of investments move in an unexpected manner, especially in unusual or extreme market conditions, a Fund may not achieve the anticipated benefits of the transaction, and it may realize losses, which could be significant. If the Adviser is not successful in using such derivative instruments, a Fund's performance may be worse than if the Adviser did not use such derivatives at all. When a derivative is used for hedging, the change in value of the derivative may also not correlate specifically with the currency, security, interest rate, index or other risk being hedged. Derivatives also may present the risk that the other party to the transaction will fail to perform. There is also the risk, especially under extreme market conditions, that a derivative, which usually would operate as a hedge, provides no hedging benefits at all.

Use of derivatives could also result in a loss if the counterparty to the transaction does not perform as promised, including because of such counterparty's bankruptcy or insolvency. This risk is heightened with respect to over-the-counter ("OTC") instruments, such as certain swap agreements and currency forwards, and may be greater during volatile market conditions. Other risks include the inability to close out a position because the trading market becomes illiquid (particularly in the OTC markets) or the availability of counterparties becomes limited for a period of time. In addition, the presence of speculators in a particular market could lead to price distortions. To the extent that a Fund is unable to close out a position because of market illiquidity, the Fund may not be able to prevent further losses of value in its derivatives holdings and the Fund's liquidity may be impaired to the extent that it has a substantial portion of its otherwise liquid assets marked as segregated to cover its obligations under such derivative instruments. Some derivatives can be particularly sensitive to changes in interest rates or other market prices. Investors should bear in mind that, while a Fund intends to use derivative strategies on a regular basis, it is not obligated to actively engage in these transactions, generally or in any particular kind of derivative, if the Adviser elects not to do so due to availability, cost or other factors.

The use of derivative strategies may also have a tax impact on a Fund. The timing and character of income, gains or losses from these strategies could impair the ability of the Adviser to use derivatives when it wishes to do so.

Dividend-Paying Securities 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 continue to pay dividends on such stocks. Therefore, there is the possibility that such companies could reduce or eliminate the payment of dividends in the future or the anticipated acceleration of dividends could not occur. Depending upon market conditions, dividend-paying stocks that meet a Fund's investment criteria may not be widely available and/or may be highly concentrated in only a few market sectors

Emerging Markets Risk. Investments in companies domiciled in emerging market countries may be subject to greater risks than investments in developed countries. These risks include: (i) less social, political, and economic stability; (ii) greater illiquidity and price volatility due to smaller or limited local capital markets for such securities, or low or non-existent trading volumes; (iii) foreign exchanges and broker-dealers may be subject to less scrutiny and regulation by local authorities; (iv) local governments may decide to seize or confiscate securities held by foreign investors and/or local governments may decide to suspend or limit an issuer's ability to make dividend or interest payments; (v) local governments may limit or entirely restrict repatriation of invested capital, profits, and dividends; (vi) capital gains may be subject to local taxation, including on a retroactive basis; (vii) issuers facing restrictions on dollar or euro payments imposed by local governments may attempt to make dividend or interest payments to foreign investors in the local currency; (viii) investors may experience difficulty in enforcing legal claims related to the securities and/or local judges may favor the interests of the issuer over those of foreign investors; (ix) bankruptcy judgments may only be permitted to be paid in the local currency; (x) limited public information regarding the issuer may result in greater difficulty in determining market valuations of the securities, and (xi) lax financial reporting on a regular basis, substandard disclosure, and differences in accounting standards may make it difficult to ascertain the financial health of an issuer. Many emerging market countries have experienced currency devaluations and substantial (and, in some cases, extremely high) rates of inflation. Other emerging market countries have experienced economic recessions. These circumstances have had a negative effect on the economies and securities markets of such emerging market countries.
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Exchange-Traded Vehicles ("ETVs") Risk.  The Funds may invest in ETVs, including ETFs and ETNs. In addition to the risks associated with the underlying assets held by an ETF, investments in ETFs are subject to the following additional risks: (1) the ETF's shares may trade at a price above or below its NAV; (2) an active trading market for the ETF's shares may not develop or be maintained; (3) the listing exchange may halt trading of an ETF's shares or delist the ETF if deemed appropriate by the exchange's officials; (4) a passively managed ETF may not accurately track the performance of the reference asset; and (5) a passively managed ETF would not necessarily sell a security because the issuer of the security was in financial trouble unless the security is removed from the index the ETF seeks to track. Investment in ETFs may involve duplication of management fees and certain other expenses, as a Fund indirectly bears its proportionate share of any expenses paid by the ETFs in which it invests.

ETNs are subject to the credit risk of the issuer, and the value of an ETN may drop due to a downgrade in the issuer's credit rating, despite the underlying market benchmark or assets remaining unchanged. The value of an ETN may also be influenced by time to maturity, level of supply and demand for the ETN, volatility and illiquidity in the underlying market, changes in the applicable interest rates, and economic, legal, political, or geographic events that affect the referenced underlying market or assets. ETNs are also subject to the risk that the other party to the contract will not fulfill its contractual obligations, which may cause losses or additional costs to a Fund. When a Fund invests in ETNs it will bear its proportionate share of any fees and expenses borne by the ETN. For certain ETNs, there may be restrictions on a Fund's right to redeem its investment in the ETN, which is meant to be held until maturity.

Fixed Income Securities Risk.  The prices of fixed income securities in which a Fund invests may be affected by changes in interest rates, the creditworthiness and financial strength of the issuer and other factors. An increase in prevailing interest rates typically causes the value of existing debt securities to fall and often has a greater impact on longer-duration and/or higher quality debt securities. Falling interest rates will cause a Fund to reinvest the proceeds of debt securities that have been repaid by the issuer at lower interest rates and may also reduce the Fund's distributable income because interest payments on floating rate debt instruments held by the Fund will decline. A Fund could lose money on investments in debt securities if the issuer or borrower fails to meet its obligations to make interest payments and/or to repay principal in a timely manner. If an issuer seeks to restructure the terms of its borrowings or a Fund is required to seek recovery upon a default in the payment of interest or the repayment of principal, the Fund may incur additional expenses. Changes in an issuer's financial strength, the market's perception of such strength or in the credit rating of the issuer or the security may affect the value of debt securities. The Adviser's credit analysis may fail to anticipate such changes, which could result in buying a debt security at an inopportune time or failing to sell a debt security in advance of a price decline or other credit event.

Foreign Securities Risk. Investing in foreign securities typically involves more risks than investing in U.S. securities. Certain of these risks also may apply to securities of U.S. companies with significant foreign operations. These risks can increase the potential for investment loss in a Fund and may include, among others, currency risks (such as fluctuations in currency exchange rates and currency devaluations); country risks (such as political, diplomatic, or regional conflicts, terrorism or war, social and economic instability, and internal or external policies or economic sanctions limiting or restricting foreign investment, the movement of assets or other economic activity); and risks associated with the state of a country's financial markets and legal institutions. Other foreign securities risks may include unfavorable trading, settlement or custodial practices, less government supervision, less publicly available information, less stringent investor protection standards, limited legal redress for violations of law, limited trading markets and greater illiquidity and greater price volatility. The risks of investing in foreign securities typically are greater in less developed or emerging market countries.

Inflation-Linked Securities Risk.  Inflation-linked securities typically provide principal and interest payments that are adjusted over time to reflect a rise (inflation) or a drop (deflation) in the general price level for goods and services. The values of inflation-linked securities generally fluctuate in response to changes in real interest rates, which rates are tied to the relationship between nominal interest rates and the rate of inflation. If nominal interest rates increase at a faster rate than inflation, real interest rates might rise, leading to a decrease in value of inflation-linked securities. Conversely, if inflation rises at a faster rate than nominal interest rates, real interest rates might decline, leading to an increase in value of inflation-linked securities. A Fund's income from its investments in inflation-linked securities is likely to fluctuate considerably more than the income distributions of its investments in
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more traditional fixed-income securities. Additionally, any increase in the principal amount of an inflation-linked debt security will be considered taxable ordinary income, even though investors, such as a Fund, do not receive their principal until maturity.

Real Estate Investment Trust ("REIT") Risk.  A REIT's performance depends on the types, values and locations of the properties it owns and on how well it manages those properties. A decline in rental income may occur because of extended vacancies, increased competition from other properties, tenants' failure to pay rent or poor management. A REIT's performance also depends on the company's ability to finance property purchases and renovations and manage its cash flows. Because a REIT may be invested in a limited number of projects or in a particular market segment, it may be more susceptible to adverse developments affecting a single project or market segment than more broadly diversified investments. REITs also tend to be small- and mid-cap companies and their shares may be more volatile and less liquid than larger companies. Loss of status as a qualified REIT under the U.S. federal tax laws could adversely affect the value of a particular REIT or the market for REITs as a whole. These risks may also apply to securities of REIT-like entities domiciled outside the U.S.

Redeeming Risk. Shares in the Funds may be redeemed only in Creation Units. Shares may not be redeemed in fractional Creation Units. Only Authorized Participants are authorized to transact in Creation Units with the Funds. All other persons or entities transacting in Fund shares must do so in the secondary market.

Secondary Market Trading Risk. Investors buying or selling shares in the secondary market will generally 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 Fund 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 Fund 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 a 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.

Although each Fund's shares are listed on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active or liquid trading market for them will develop or be maintained. In addition, trading in Fund shares on the Exchange may be halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the Exchange, make trading in Fund shares inadvisable. Further, trading in Fund shares on the Exchange is subject to trading halts caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant to the Exchange "circuit breaker" rules. There can be no assurance that the requirements of the Exchange necessary to maintain the listing of a Fund will continue to be met or will remain unchanged.

During a "flash crash," the market prices of a Fund's shares may decline suddenly and significantly. Such a decline may not reflect the performance of the portfolio securities held by a Fund. Flash crashes may cause Authorized Participants and other market makers to limit or cease trading in a Fund's shares for temporary or longer periods. Shareholders could suffer significant losses to the extent that they sell shares at these temporarily low market prices.

Sovereign Debt Securities Risk.  Investments in foreign government debt securities (sometimes referred to as sovereign debt securities) involve certain risks in addition to those relating to foreign securities or debt securities generally. The issuer of the debt or the governmental authorities that control the repayment of the debt may be unable or unwilling to repay principal or interest when due in accordance with the terms of such debt, and a Fund may have limited recourse in the event of a default against the defaulting government. A foreign government debtor's willingness or ability to repay principal and pay interest in a timely manner may be affected by, among other factors, its cash flow situation, the extent of its foreign currency reserves, the availability of sufficient foreign exchange, the relative size of the debt burden, the foreign government debtor's policy toward its principal international lenders and local political constraints. Certain issuers of foreign government debt may be dependent on disbursements from foreign governments, multinational agencies and other entities to reduce principal and interest arrearages on their debt. Without the approval of debt holders, some governmental debtors have in the past been able to reschedule or restructure their debt payments or declare moratoria on payments.
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Subsidiary Risk. By investing in its respective Subsidiary, each Fund is indirectly exposed to risks associated with the Subsidiary's investments. The derivatives and other investments held by a Subsidiary are generally similar to those that are permitted to be held by a Fund and are subject to the same risks that apply to similar investments if held directly by the Fund. There can be no assurance that the investment objective of a Subsidiary will be achieved. A Subsidiary is not registered under the Investment Company Act and, except as otherwise noted in a Fund's prospectus, is not subject to the investor protections of the Investment Company Act. In addition, changes in the laws of the United States and/or the Cayman Islands could result in the inability of a Fund and/or a Subsidiary to operate as described in this prospectus and the SAI and could adversely affect the Fund.  For example, the government of the Cayman Islands does not currently impose any income, corporate or capital gains tax, estate duty, inheritance tax, gift tax or withholding tax on the Subsidiary. If Cayman Islands law changes such that the Subsidiary must pay Cayman Islands taxes, Fund shareholders would likely suffer decreased investment returns.
 
Other Information
 
Regulation under the Commodity Exchange Act. The Adviser is registered as a "commodity pool operator" ("CPO") under the Commodity Exchange Act ("CEA") and the rules of the CFTC and is subject to CFTC regulation with respect to the Funds. The CFTC has adopted rules regarding the disclosure, reporting and recordkeeping requirements that apply with respect to the Funds as a result of the Adviser's registration as a CPO. Generally, these rules allow for substituted compliance with CFTC disclosure and shareholder reporting requirements, based on the Adviser's compliance with comparable SEC requirements. This means that for most of the CFTC's disclosure and shareholder reporting applicable to the Adviser as the Funds' CPO, the Adviser's compliance with SEC disclosure and shareholder reporting will be deemed to fulfill the Adviser's CFTC compliance obligations. However, as a result of CFTC regulation with respect to the Funds, the Funds may incur additional compliance and other expenses. The Adviser is also registered as a "commodity trading advisor" ("CTA"), but relies on an exemption from CTA regulation with respect to the Funds, available for a CTA that also serves as the Funds' CPO. The CFTC has neither reviewed nor approved the Funds, their respective investment strategies or this Prospectus.

Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings. The Funds' portfolio holdings are disclosed on the Funds' website, [website], daily after the close of trading on the Exchange and prior to the opening of trading on the Exchange the following day.
Investment Advisory Services
Investment Adviser
Gadsden, LLC acts as the Funds' investment adviser pursuant to an investment advisory agreement with the Trust ("Advisory Agreement"). The Adviser is organized as a Delaware limited liability company with its principal offices located at Eight Tower Bridge, 161 Washington Street, Suite 580, Conshohocken, PA 19428, and was founded in 2017. The Adviser is a wholly owned subsidiary of Almanack Investment Partners, LLC ("Almanack"), a registered investment adviser.  As of [_____, 2018], the Adviser, together with Almanack, managed approximately $[____] in assets.

Pursuant to the Advisory Agreement, the Adviser has the overall responsibility for the Funds' investment program. The Adviser is responsible for trading portfolio securities and other investment instruments on behalf of the Funds, including selecting broker-dealers to execute purchase and sale transactions, subject to the overall supervision and oversight of the Board. The Adviser oversees compliance with the Funds' respective investment objective, policies, strategies and restrictions. The Board supervises and oversees the Adviser and establishes policies that the Adviser must follow in its management activities.

Pursuant to the Advisory Agreement, each Fund pays the Adviser the management fee for its services payable on a monthly basis at the annual rate listed in the table below, based on the average daily net assets of the Fund.
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Fund
Management Fee
Gadsden Dynamic Equity ETF
[__]%
Gadsden Dynamic Income ETF
[__]%
Gadsden Dynamic Multi-Asset ETF
[__]%

 
In addition, the Adviser has contractually agreed to waive or limit its fees and to assume as its own certain expenses otherwise payable by a Fund so that expenses (excluding (i) brokerage expenses (including any costs incidental to transactions in portfolio securities or instruments); (ii) acquired fund fees and expenses; (iii) taxes; (iv) interest (including borrowing costs and dividend expenses on securities sold short and overdraft charges); (v) litigation expenses (including litigation to which the Trust or a Fund may be a party and indemnification of the Trustees and officers with respect thereto); and (vi) other extraordinary or non-routine expenses) do not exceed the amounts shown below through [____], 2019. The fee waiver and expense assumption agreement also provides that the Adviser is entitled to be reimbursed by a Fund for any fees waived and expenses assumed for a period of three years following the date of the fee waiver or assumption, to the extent such reimbursement will not cause the Fund to exceed any applicable expense limit that was in place when the fees were waived or expenses were assumed.

Fund
Expense Limit
Gadsden Dynamic Equity ETF
[__]%
Gadsden Dynamic Income ETF
[__]%
Gadsden Dynamic Multi-Asset ETF
[__]%

 
A discussion regarding the basis for the Board's approval of the Advisory Agreement for the Funds will be available in the Funds' first report to shareholders.
Portfolio Managers
The portfolio managers are jointly and primarily responsible for various functions related to portfolio management, including, but not limited to, investing cash inflows, implementing investment strategy, researching and reviewing investment strategy, and overseeing members of the portfolio management team with more limited responsibilities.

Kevin R. Harper, MBA, Chief Investment Officer of the Adviser, has been with the Adviser since its founding. Mr. Harper is responsible for the development and implementation of the Adviser's investment strategy and the design of the firm's research infrastructure.  Mr. Harper is the Chairman of the Adviser investment committee and has 20 years of experience, including nine years working for and investing on behalf of leading Ivy League endowments. He has also served as the lead portfolio manager for a multi-family office and an institutional alternatives advisor to multi-billion Taft-Hartley and Fortune 50 pension plans.  Mr. Harper obtained his undergraduate degree and Master of Business Administration from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

James W. Judge, CFA, Senior Director of the Adviser, has been with the Adviser since its founding. Mr. Judge is responsible for broad portfolio management functions including portfolio construction and implementation. Mr. Judge is a member of the Adviser's investment committee and has over 12 years of experience, including five years serving as an analyst, trader, and portfolio manager for two institutional asset management firms. Mr. Judge has also served as the lead portfolio manager for a multi-family office and an institutional alternatives advisor to multi-billion Taft-Hartley and Fortune 50 pension plans. Mr. Harper obtained his undergraduate degree from Boston College and is a candidate for an Executive Master of Business Administration from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

The SAI provides additional information about the portfolio managers' compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers, and the portfolio managers' ownership of shares of the Funds.
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Information Regarding Exchange-Traded Funds
Each Fund is an ETF. An ETF is an investment company that offers shares that are listed on a U.S. securities exchange. Because they are listed on an exchange, shares of ETFs can be traded throughout the day on that exchange at market-determined prices.

Conventional mutual fund shares are bought from and redeemed with the issuing fund for cash at the NAV of such shares. ETF shares, by contrast, cannot be purchased from or redeemed with the issuing fund at NAV except by or through Authorized Participants, and then only in large blocks of shares called "Creation Units," usually in exchange for an in-kind basket of securities. In order to be an "Authorized Participant," you must be either a broker-dealer or other participant in the Continuous Net Settlement System ("Clearing Process") of the National Securities Clearing Corporation ("NSCC") or a participant in The Depository Trust Company ("DTC") with access to the DTC system, and you must execute an agreement with the Funds' distributor that governs transactions in a Fund's Creation Units.

NAV is calculated once a day at the close of trading on the New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE") and reflects a Fund's total assets, less its liabilities, divided by the number of shares it has outstanding. Transactions in traditional mutual fund shares are typically effected at the NAV next determined after receipt of the transaction order, no matter what time during the day an investor in a traditional mutual fund places an order to purchase or redeem shares, that investor's order will be priced at that Fund's NAV determined as of the close of trading of the NYSE. Traditional mutual fund shares may be purchased from a fund directly by the shareholder or through a financial intermediary.

In contrast, investors can purchase and sell ETF shares on a secondary market through a broker. Secondary market transactions may not occur at NAV, but at market prices that change throughout the day, based on the supply of, and demand for, ETF shares and on changes in the prices of the ETF's portfolio holdings. Accordingly, an investor may pay more (or receive less) than NAV when the investor purchase (or sells) Fund shares on the secondary market. Shareholders will also incur typical brokerage and transaction costs when buying or selling ETF shares on the secondary market. An organized secondary market is expected to exist for the Funds' shares because Fund shares are listed for trading on the Exchange. It is possible, however, that an active trading market in Fund shares may not be maintained.
Pricing Fund Shares
The NAV of each Fund's shares is calculated each business day as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE, generally 4:00 p.m., Eastern time. NAV per share is computed by dividing the net assets by the number of shares outstanding.

The trading prices of shares in the secondary market may differ in varying degrees from their daily NAVs and can be affected by market forces such as supply and demand, economic conditions and other factors.

The approximate value of shares of each Fund, known as the intraday indicative value ("IIV"), will be disseminated every fifteen seconds throughout the trading day by the Exchange or by other information providers or market data vendors. The IIV  is based on the current market value of the securities and/or cash contained in the Fund's portfolio at the beginning of the trading day. The IIV does not necessarily reflect the best possible valuation of the current portfolio. The IIV should not be viewed as a "real-time" update of the NAV because the IIV may not be calculated in the same manner as the NAV, which is computed once a day. The IIV is generally determined by using current market trades and/or price quotations obtained from exchanges on which trades in the relevant securities held by the Fund are executed and reported. The Funds, Adviser, and their affiliates are not involved in, or responsible for, the calculation or dissemination of the IIVs and make no warranty as to their accuracy.

If you buy or sell Fund shares on the secondary market, you will pay or receive the market price, which may be higher or lower than NAV. Your transaction will be priced at NAV only if you purchase or redeem your Fund shares in Creation Units.
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When calculating the NAV of the Funds' shares, securities held by the Funds are valued at market quotations when reliable market quotations are readily available. Exchange traded securities and instruments (including equity securities, depositary receipts and ETFs) are generally valued at the last reported sale price on the principal exchange on which such securities are traded (at the NASDAQ Official Closing Price for NASDAQ listed securities), as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE on the day the securities are being valued or, if there are no sales, at the mean of the most recent bid and ask prices. Forward contracts are generally valued at the close of the London Exchange at the applicable forward rate on the valuation day. OTC securities and instruments are generally valued using prices provided by a third party pricing service. Any Fund assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar are generally translated into the U.S. dollar at the prevailing market rates provided by a third party pricing service.

When reliable market quotations are not readily available, securities are priced at their fair value, which is the price a security's owner might reasonably expect to receive upon its sale, pursuant to policies and procedures established by the Board. The Funds also may use fair value pricing if the value of a security it holds has been materially affected by events occurring before the Funds' pricing time but after the close of the primary markets or exchanges on which the security is traded. Valuing the Funds' investments using fair value pricing may result in using prices for those investments that may differ from current market valuations.
Shareholder Information
Shares of the Funds trade on exchanges and elsewhere during the trading day. Shares can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like other shares of publicly traded securities. There is no minimum investment for purchases made on an exchange. When buying or selling shares through a broker, you will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges. In addition, you will also incur the cost of the "spread," which is the difference between what professional investors are willing to pay for Fund shares (the "bid" price) and the price at which they are willing to sell Fund shares (the "ask" price). The commission is frequently a fixed amount and may be a significant proportional cost for investors seeking to buy or sell small amounts of shares. The spread with respect to shares of the Funds varies over time based on the Funds' trading volumes and market liquidity, and is generally lower if the Funds have a lot of trading volume and market liquidity and higher if the Funds have little trading volume and market liquidity. Because of the costs of buying and selling Fund shares, frequent trading may reduce investment return.

Shares of the Funds may be acquired or redeemed directly from the Funds only in Creation Units or multiples thereof. The Funds are listed on the Exchange, which is open for trading Monday through Friday and is closed on weekends and the following holidays, as observed: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.
 
Premium/Discount Information
Information regarding how often the shares of the Funds traded on the Exchange at a price above (i.e., at a premium) or below (i.e., at a discount) the NAV of the Funds during the most recently completed calendar year and the most recently completed calendar quarters is available at [website]. Any such information represents past performance and cannot be used to predict future results.  

Certain Legal Risks
Because Fund shares may be issued on an ongoing basis, a "distribution" of Fund shares could occur at any time. Certain activities performed by a dealer could, depending on the circumstances, result in the dealer being deemed a participant in the distribution, in a manner that could render it a statutory underwriter and subject it to the prospectus delivery and liability provisions of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended ("Securities Act"). For example, a dealer could be deemed a statutory underwriter if it purchases Creation Units from the issuing Fund, breaks them down into the constituent Fund shares, and sells those shares directly to customers, or if it chooses to couple the creation of a supply of new Fund shares with an active selling effort involving solicitation of secondary-market demand for Fund shares. Whether a person is an underwriter depends upon all of the facts and circumstances pertaining to that
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person's activities, and the examples mentioned here should not be considered a complete description of all the activities that could cause a dealer to be deemed an underwriter.

Broker-dealer firms should also note that dealers who are not "underwriters" but are effecting transactions in Fund shares, whether or not participating in the distribution of Fund shares, are generally required to deliver a prospectus. 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 Investment Company Act. Dealers who are not "underwriters" but are participating in a distribution (as opposed to engaging in ordinary secondary-market transactions), and thus dealing with Fund 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. For delivery of prospectuses to exchange members, the prospectus delivery mechanism of Rule 153 under the Securities Act is only available with respect to transactions on a national exchange.

Fund shares are issued by a registered investment company, and the acquisition of such shares by other investment companies is subject to the restrictions of Section 12(d)(1) of the Investment Company Act, except as permitted by an SEC exemptive order granted to the Funds that allows registered investment companies to invest in Fund shares beyond the limits of Section 12(d)(1), subject to certain terms and conditions.

The Adviser reserves the right to reject any purchase request at any time, for any reason, and without notice. The Funds can stop offering Creation Units and may postpone payment of redemption proceeds at times when the Exchange is closed, when trading on the Exchange is suspended or restricted, for any period during which an emergency exists as a result of which disposal of the shares of a Fund's portfolio securities or determination of NAV is not reasonably practicable, or under any circumstances as is permitted by the SEC.

Legal Restrictions on Transactions in Certain Securities
An investor subject to a legal restriction with respect to a particular security required to be deposited in connection with the purchase of a Creation Unit may, at the Funds' discretion, be permitted to deposit an equivalent amount of cash in substitution for any security which would otherwise be included in the in-kind basket of securities applicable to the purchase of a Creation Unit.

Creations and redemptions of Fund shares are subject to compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws, including that securities accepted for deposit and securities used to satisfy redemption requests are sold in transactions that would be exempt from registration under the Securities Act. The Funds (whether or not they otherwise permit cash redemptions) reserve the right to redeem Creation Units for cash to the extent that an investor could not lawfully purchase or a Fund could not lawfully deliver specific securities under such laws or the local laws of a jurisdiction in which the Fund invests. An Authorized Participant or an investor for which it is acting subject to a legal restriction with respect to a particular stock included in an in-kind basket of securities may be paid an equivalent amount of cash. An Authorized Participant that is not a qualified institutional buyer ("QIB") as defined in Rule 144A under the Securities Act will not be able to receive, as part of a redemption, restricted securities eligible for resale under Rule 144A.

Frequent Trading
The Board has evaluated the risks of market timing activities by the Funds' shareholders. The Board noted that a Fund's shares can only be purchased and redeemed directly from the Fund in Creation Units by Authorized Participants and that the vast majority of trading in the Funds' shares occurs on the secondary market. Because the secondary market trades do not involve a Fund directly, it is unlikely those trades would cause the harmful effects of market timing, including dilution, disruption of portfolio management, increases in the Funds' trading costs and the realization of capital gains. With regard to the purchase or redemption of Creation Units directly with the Funds, to the extent effected in-kind (i.e., for securities), the Board noted that those trades do not cause the harmful effects (as previously noted) that may result from frequent cash trades. To the extent trades are effected in whole or in part in cash, the Board noted that those trades could result in dilution to a Fund and increased transaction costs, which could negatively impact the Fund's ability to achieve its investment objective. However, the Board noted also that direct
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trading by Authorized Participants is critical to ensuring that the Funds' shares trade at or close to NAV. The Funds also may employ fair valuation pricing to minimize potential dilution from market timing. In addition, each Fund may impose transaction fees on purchases and redemptions of Fund shares to cover the custodial and other costs incurred by a Fund in effecting trades. These fees may increase if an investor substitutes cash in part or in whole for securities, reflecting the fact that a Fund's trading costs increase in those circumstances. Given this structure, the Board determined that it is not necessary to adopt policies and procedures to detect and deter market timing of the Funds' shares.

Book Entry
Shares are held in book-entry form, which means that no stock certificates are issued. The DTC or its nominee is the record owner of all outstanding shares of the Funds and is recognized as the owner of all shares for all purposes. Investors owning shares are beneficial owners as shown on the records of DTC or its participants. DTC serves as the securities depository for all shares. Participants in DTC include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and other institutions that directly or indirectly maintain a custodial relationship with DTC. As a beneficial owner of shares, you are not entitled to receive physical delivery of stock certificates or to have shares registered in your name, and you are not considered a registered owner of Fund shares. Therefore, to exercise any right as an owner of shares, you must rely upon the procedures of DTC and its participants. These procedures are the same as those that apply to any other stocks that you may hold in book entry or "street name" form.

The Adviser will not have any record of your ownership. Your account information will be maintained by your broker, which will provide you with account statements, confirmations of your purchases and sales of Fund shares, and tax information. Your broker also will be responsible for distributing income and capital gains distributions and for ensuring that you receive shareholder reports and other communications from the fund whose shares you own. You will receive other services (e.g., dividend reinvestment and average cost information) only if your broker offers these services.
Portfolio Holdings Information
Each Fund's portfolio holdings as of the time the Fund calculates its NAV are disclosed daily at [website] at or before the opening of trading on the Exchange the following day. In addition, the deposit securities and fund securities that should be delivered in exchange for purchases and redemptions of Creation Units are publicly disseminated daily via the NSCC. A description of the Funds' other policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Funds' portfolio securities is available in the SAI.
Distribution and Service Plan
Each Fund has adopted a distribution and service plan ("Plan") pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act. In accordance with the Plan, each Fund is authorized to pay an amount up to 0.25% of its average daily net assets each year to finance any activity primarily intended to result in the sale of Creation Units of each Fund or the provision of investor services, including but not limited to: (i) marketing and promotional services, including advertising; (ii) facilitating communications with beneficial owners of shares of the Funds; (iii) wholesaling services; and (iv) such other services and obligations as may be set forth in the Distribution Agreement with [___] ("Distributor").

No Rule 12b-1 fees are currently paid by any Fund and there are no current plans to impose these fees. In the event Rule 12b-1 fees were charged, over time they would increase the cost of an investment in a Fund and may cost you more than paying other types of sales charges.
Dividends and Distributions
Each Fund intends to qualify each year as a regulated investment company under the Code. As a regulated investment company, a Fund generally pays no federal income tax on the income and gains it distributes. Fund shareholders are entitled to their share of a Fund's income and net realized gains on its investments. Each Fund pays
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out substantially all of its net earnings to its shareholders as "distributions." Each Fund typically earns income dividends from stocks and income from fixed income securities. These amounts, net of expenses, are passed along to Fund shareholders as "income dividend distributions." Each Fund realizes capital gains or losses whenever it sells securities or buys back shorted securities. Net long-term capital gains are distributed to shareholders as "capital gain distributions."

Each Fund intends to pay income dividends monthly from its net investment income. Capital gains, if any, may be paid at least annually. The amount of any distribution will vary, and there is no guarantee a Fund will pay either income dividends or capital gain distributions. Dividends may be declared and paid more frequently to comply with the distribution requirements of the Code.

At the time you purchase your Fund shares, the price of shares may reflect undistributed income, undistributed capital gains, or net unrealized appreciation in value of portfolio securities held by a 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 a Fund just before it declares an income dividend or capital gains distribution is sometimes known as "buying a dividend."

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 Funds make 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.

Distributions in cash may be reinvested automatically in additional shares only if the broker through which the shares were purchased makes such an option available.

The Trust will not make the DTC book-entry Dividend Reinvestment Service available for use by shareholders for reinvestment of their cash proceeds, but certain individual brokers may make a dividend reinvestment service available to their clients. If this service is available and used, distributions of both income and realized gains will be automatically reinvested in additional whole shares of the same Fund purchased in the secondary market. Fund distributions of income and realized gains are taxable to you whether paid in cash or reinvested in Fund shares.
Taxes
The following is a summary of the material U.S. federal income tax considerations applicable to an investment in shares of a Fund. The summary is based on the laws in effect on the date of this Prospectus and existing judicial and administrative interpretations thereof, all of which are subject to change, possibly with retroactive effect. In addition, this summary assumes that a shareholder holds shares as capital assets within the meaning of the Code and does not hold shares in connection with a trade or business. This summary does not address all potential U.S. federal income tax considerations possibly applicable to an investment in shares of a Fund to shareholders holding shares through a partnership (or other pass-through entity) or to shareholders subject to special tax rules. Prospective shareholders are urged to consult their own tax advisors with respect to the specific federal, state, local, and foreign tax consequences of investing in shares based on their particular circumstances.

As with any investment, you should consider how your investment in shares of the Funds will be taxed. Unless your investment in shares is made through a tax-exempt entity or tax-advantaged arrangement, such as an individual retirement plan, you need to be aware of the possible tax consequences when a Fund makes distributions and when you sell your shares of a Fund.

Taxes on Distributions
Distributions from a Fund's net investment income (other than qualified dividend income), including distributions out of the Fund's net short-term capital gains, if any, are taxable to you as ordinary income. Distributions by a Fund
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of net long-term capital gains in excess of net short-term capital losses are taxable to you as long-term capital gains, regardless of how long you have held a Fund's shares.

The use of derivatives by a Fund may cause the Fund to realize higher amounts of ordinary income or short-term capital gain, distributions from which are taxable to individual shareholders at ordinary income tax rates rather than at the more favorable tax rates for long-term capital gain.

Distributions by a Fund that qualify as qualified dividend income are taxable to you at long-term capital gain rates. In order for a distribution by a Fund to be treated as qualified dividend income: (i) the Fund itself must receive qualified dividend income from U.S. corporations and certain qualified foreign corporations, (ii) the Fund must meet holding period and other requirements with respect to its dividend paying stocks, and (iii) you must meet holding period requirements and other requirements with respect to the Fund's shares. In general, your distributions are subject to federal income tax for the year when they are paid. Certain distributions paid in January, however, may be treated as paid on December 31 of the prior year.

If a 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 as a foreign tax credit.
 
An additional 3.8% Medicare tax is imposed on certain net investment income (including ordinary dividends and capital gain distributions received from a Fund and net gains from redemptions or other taxable dispositions of Fund 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.

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 IRS requires it. When withholding is required, the amount will be 28% of any distributions or proceeds paid.

Taxes on Exchange-Listed Shares Sales
Currently, any capital gain or loss realized upon a sale of Fund shares is generally 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.

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 the exchange 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 sum of the aggregate market value of the securities received and the cash redemption amount. The IRS, however, may assert that a loss realized upon an exchange of securities for Creation Units cannot be deducted under the rules governing "wash sales" 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.

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 you purchase or redeem Creation Units, you will be sent a confirmation statement showing how many and at what price you purchased or sold shares.
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The foregoing discussion summarizes some of the possible consequences under current federal tax law of an investment in a Fund. It is not a substitute for personal tax advice. You may also be subject to state and local taxation on Fund distributions and sales of Fund shares. You are advised to consult your personal tax advisor about the potential tax consequences of an investment in Fund shares under all applicable tax laws.
Service Providers

Distributor
[___] is the principal underwriter and distributor of the Funds' shares. The Distributor will not distribute shares in less than a Creation Unit, and it does not maintain a secondary market in the shares. The Distributor is a broker-dealer registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. The Distributor is not affiliated with the Adviser or its affiliates.

Administrator, Fund Accounting Agent, Transfer Agent and Custodian
[____] serves as the Administrator, Fund Accounting Agent, and Transfer Agent of the Funds and also serves as Custodian of the Funds' investments.
Householding Policy
To reduce expenses, we mail only one copy of the Prospectus or Summary Prospectus, each annual and semi-annual report, and any proxy statements to each address shared by two or more accounts with the same last name or that the Trust reasonably believes are members of the same family. If you wish to receive copies of these documents, please write to the Trust at: Gadsden ETF Trust, Eight Tower Bridge, 161 Washington Street, Suite 580, Conshohocken, PA 19428; call the Trust at: (484) 243-6400 between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., Eastern time on days the Fund is open for business; or contact your financial institution. We will begin sending you individual copies thirty days after receiving your request.
 
Financial Highlights
The Funds have not commenced operations as of the date of this Prospectus and do not have financial highlights to present at this time.
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Gadsden ETF Trust
You can find more information about the Funds in the following documents:

Statement of Additional Information: The SAI of the Funds provides more detailed information about the investments and techniques of the Funds and certain other additional information. A current SAI is on file with the SEC and is herein incorporated by reference into this Prospectus. It is legally a part of the Prospectus.

Annual and Semi-Annual Reports: Additional information about the Funds' investments is available in the Funds' annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders. In the Funds' annual report (when available), you will find a discussion of market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Funds' performance during its last fiscal year.

You can obtain free copies of these documents, request other information, or make general inquiries about the Funds by contacting the Funds at:

Gadsden ETF Trust
Eight Tower Bridge
161 Washington Street, Suite 580
Conshohocken, PA 19428
(484) 243-6400

You can review and copy information including the Funds' reports, when available, and SAI at the Public Reference Room of the SEC, 100 F Street, N.E. Washington, D.C. 20549-1520. You can obtain information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling (202) 551-8090. Shareholder Reports, when available, and other information about the Funds are also available:

 
 — 
Free of charge at [website];
 
 — 
Free of charge from the SEC's EDGAR database at http://www.sec.gov;
 
 — 
For a fee, by writing to the Public Reference Room of the SEC, Washington, DC 20549-1520; or
 
 — 
For a fee, by email request to publicinfo@sec.gov.
 
(Investment Company Act File Number [___-______])
  
36

Preliminary Statement of Additional Information, Subject to Completion
 
The information in this Statement of Additional Information is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This Statement of Additional Information is not an offer to sell these securities and is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state where the offer or sale is not permitted.

STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Gadsden ETF Trust
Eight Tower Bridge
161 Washington Street, Suite 580
Conshohocken, PA 19428
(484) 243-6400
 
[_____], 2018
Gadsden Dynamic Equity ETF [(Ticker)]
Gadsden Dynamic Income ETF [(Ticker)]
Gadsden Dynamic Multi-Asset ETF [(Ticker)]

Fund shares are listed for trading on [______].

This Statement of Additional Information ("SAI") is not a prospectus. It should be read in conjunction with the Prospectus dated [____], 2018 which incorporates this SAI by reference. This SAI is not an offer to sell Shares of any Fund. A written offer can be made only by a prospectus. A copy of the Prospectus and the Funds' shareholder reports may be obtained, without charge, upon request to the address above, by telephone at the number above, or at [website]. You should read the Prospectus carefully before investing.

Audited financial statements are not presented for the Funds since the Funds are newly formed and had not yet commenced operations as of the date of this SAI. Once available, you may obtain a copy of the Funds' annual report at no charge by request to the Funds at the address or phone number above.

No person has been authorized to give any information or to make any representations not contained in the Prospectus or in this SAI in connection with the offering made by the Prospectus, and, if given or made, such information or representations must not be relied upon as having been authorized by the Trust. The Prospectus and this SAI do not constitute an offering by the Funds or their Distributor in any jurisdiction in which such offering may not lawfully be made.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

GLOSSARY
1
INFORMATION ABOUT THE TRUST
3
INVESTMENT POLICIES, TECHNIQUES AND RELATED RISKS
4
INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS
33
PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS AND BROKERAGE
34
MANAGEMENT OF TRUST
35
INFORMATION ABOUT THE ADVISER
38
PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS DISCLOSURE POLICY
41
INFORMATION ABOUT OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS
41
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONCERNING SHARES
43
PROXY VOTING POLICY AND PROCEDURES
45
TRANSACTIONS IN CREATION UNITS
46
DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE
57
TAXATION
57
OTHER INFORMATION
66
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
66
DESCRIPTION OF RATINGS
67
 
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GLOSSARY
The following terms are used throughout this SAI, and have the meanings used below:
"1933 Act" means Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
"1934 Act" means Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
"1940 Act" means Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
"Adviser" or "Gadsden" means Gadsden, LLC.
"Balancing Amount" means an amount of cash equal to the difference between (i) the NAV attributable to a Creation Unit and (ii) the market value of the In-Kind Creation (or Redemption) Basket and the Cash In-Lieu Amount, if any, used to ensure that the market value of the Fund Deposit (or Fund Redemption) (which is exclusive of any Transaction Fees) is identical to the NAV attributable to the Creation Unit being purchased or redeemed.
"Board of Trustees" or "Board" means the Board of Trustees of the Trust.
"Business Day" means any day on which the Trust is open for business.
"Cash Component" means an amount of cash consisting of the Balancing Amount and any applicable Cash In-Lieu Amount calculated in connection with creations.
"Cash In-Lieu Amount" means an amount of cash provided in lieu of some or all of the securities included in the In-Kind Creation (or Redemption) Basket.
"Cash Redemption Amount" means an amount of cash consisting of a Balancing Amount and a Transaction Fee calculated in connection with redemptions.
"CFTC" means Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
"Code" or "Internal Revenue Code" means Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
"Distributor" or "[__]" means [______].
"Exchange" means [_______].
"Funds" means collectively the Gadsden Dynamic Equity ETF (the "Equity ETF"), Gadsden Dynamic Income ETF (the "Income ETF") and Gadsden Dynamic Multi-Asset ETF (the "Multi-Asset ETF") (or individually, a "Fund").
"Fund Deposit" means the In-Kind Creation Basket and Cash Component necessary to purchase a Creation Unit from a Fund.
"Fund Redemption" means the In-Kind Redemption Basket and Cash Redemption Amount received in connection with the redemption of a Creation Unit.
"Independent Trustee" means a Trustee who is not an "interested person" as defined under Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act.
"In-Kind Creation Basket" means the basket of securities to be deposited to purchase Creation Units of a Fund. The In-Kind Creation Basket will identify the name and number of shares of each security to be contributed, in kind, to a Fund for a Creation Unit.
"In-Kind Redemption Basket" means the basket of securities a shareholder will receive upon redemption of a Creation Unit.
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"Interested Trustee" means a Trustee who is an "interested person" as defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act.
"NAV" means the net asset value of a Fund.
"RIC" means a "regulated investment company" as defined in Section 851(a) of the Code.
"SAI" means this statement of additional information.
 "SEC" means U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
"Share" means shares of beneficial interest in a Fund.
"Subsidiary" means the wholly owned and controlled subsidiary of a Fund, organized under the laws of the Cayman Islands.
"Transaction Fees" means fees imposed to compensate the Trust in connection with creations and redemptions.
"Trust" means Gadsden ETF Trust.
"Trustee" means a trustee of the Trust.
2

INFORMATION ABOUT THE TRUST
The Trust is a Delaware statutory trust and is registered with the SEC as an open-end management investment company under the 1940 Act. Each Fund is a diversified series of the Trust. The Trust was organized on November 22, 2017. Other series of the Trust may be added in the future.

The Equity ETF issues and redeems Shares at NAV only in aggregations of a specified number of Shares ("Creation Units"), generally in exchange for a basket of securities (which may include cash in lieu of certain securities), together with the deposit of a specified cash amount. Each of the Income ETF and Multi-Asset ETF (together, the "Partial Cash Funds") will generally offer Creation Units partially for cash. Shares of each Fund are listed and traded on the Exchange. Shares will trade on the Exchange at market prices that may be below, at, or above NAV.

Unlike mutual fund shares, Shares are not individually redeemable securities. Rather, each Fund issues and redeems Shares on a continuous basis at NAV, only in Creation Units of [50,000] Shares or multiples thereof. Including in the event of the liquidation of a Fund, the Trust may lower the number of Shares in a Creation Unit. Further, the Trust reserves the right to adjust the price of Shares in the future to maintain convenient trading ranges for investors (namely, to maintain a price per Share that is attractive to investors) by share splits or reverse share splits.

In the instance of creations and redemptions, Transaction Fees may be imposed. Such fees are limited in accordance with SEC requirements applicable to management investment companies offering redeemable securities. Some of the information contained in this SAI and the Prospectus — such as information about purchasing and redeeming Shares from the Fund and Transaction Fees — is not relevant to most retail investors.

Once created, Shares generally trade in the secondary market, at market prices that change throughout the day, in amounts less than a Creation Unit. Investors purchasing Shares in the secondary market through a brokerage account or with the assistance of a broker may be subject to brokerage commissions and charges.
 
Exchange Listing and Trading
 
Shares of each Fund are listed and traded on the Exchange. Shares trade on the Exchange and throughout the secondary market at prices that may differ from their NAV or Intraday Indicative Value ("IIV"), as explained under the section entitled "IIV" below, including because such prices may be affected by market forces (such as supply and demand for Shares). As is the case of other securities traded on an exchange, when you buy or sell Shares on the Exchange or in the secondary markets, your broker will normally charge you a commission or other transaction charges.

There can be no assurance that the requirements of the Exchange necessary to maintain the listing of Shares of each Fund will continue to be met. The Exchange may, but is not required to, remove the Shares of a Fund from listing if: (i) after the first 12 months the Fund is listed, there are fewer than 50 beneficial owners of the Shares; or (ii) the IIV of the Fund is no longer calculated or available; or (iii) such other event shall occur or condition exist that, in the opinion of the Exchange, makes further dealings on the Exchange inadvisable. The Exchange will remove the Shares of a Fund from listing and trading upon termination of a Fund.

The Funds are not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by the Exchange. The Exchange makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of Shares of the Funds or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in the Funds particularly or the ability of the Funds to achieve their objectives. The Exchange has no obligation or liability in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of the Funds.
 
IIV
 
The IIV is designed to provide investors with a reference value that can be used in connection with other related market information. The IIV is an approximate per-Share value and is disseminated every fifteen (15) seconds throughout the trading day by the Exchange, or by other information providers. The IIV is based on the current market value of the securities and/or cash contained in the Fund's portfolio at the beginning of the trading day. The
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IIV should not be viewed as a "real-time" update of the NAV of a Fund because it may not be calculated in the same manner as the NAV. The Funds, the Adviser and their affiliates are not involved in, or responsible for, the calculation or dissemination of the IIV and make no warranty as to the accuracy of the IIV.

INVESTMENT POLICIES, TECHNIQUES AND RELATED RISKS
Reference is made to the Prospectus for a discussion of the primary investment objectives and policies of the Funds. The discussion below supplements, and should be read in conjunction with, the Prospectus.

The investment restrictions of each Fund specifically identified as fundamental policies may not be changed without the affirmative vote of at least a majority of the outstanding voting securities of that Fund, as defined in the 1940 Act. The investment objectives and all other investment policies of the Funds (including the benchmarks of the Funds) may be changed by the Trustees without the approval of shareholders.

The investment techniques and strategies discussed below may be used by a Fund if, in the opinion of the Adviser, the techniques or strategies may be advantageous to the Fund. A Fund is free to reduce or eliminate its use of any of these techniques or strategies without changing the Fund's fundamental policies. There is no assurance that any of the techniques or strategies listed below, or any of the other methods of investment available to a Fund, will result in the achievement of the Fund's objectives. Also, there can be no assurance that any Fund will grow to, or maintain, an economically viable size, in which case management may determine to liquidate the Fund at a time that may not be opportune for shareholders.

For purposes of this SAI, the word "invest" refers to a Fund directly investing and indirectly investing through its respective Subsidiary in securities or other instruments. Similarly, when used in this SAI, the word "investment" refers to a Fund's direct investments and indirect investments through its respective Subsidiary in securities and other instruments.

Additional information concerning the Funds, their investments policies and techniques, and the securities and financial instruments in which they may invest is set forth below.
 
Name Policies
 
The Equity ETF has adopted a non-fundamental investment policy in accordance with Rule 35d-1 under the 1940 Act obligating it to invest, under normal market conditions, at least 80% of its assets in equity securities. For purposes of the investment policy, "assets" includes the Fund's net assets, as well as amounts borrowed for investment purposes, if any. In addition, for purposes of such an investment policy, "assets" includes not only the amount of the Fund's net assets attributable to investments directly providing investment exposure to the type of investments suggested by its name (e.g., the value of stocks, or the value of derivative instruments such as futures, options or options on futures), but also the amount of the Fund's net assets that are segregated on the Fund's books and records, to the extent that they are not already counted as investments, as required by applicable regulatory guidance, or otherwise used to cover such investment exposure. The Equity ETF's 80% policy is non-fundamental, which means that it may be changed by the Board without the approval of shareholders. The Board has adopted a policy to provide investors with at least 60 days' notice prior to changes in the Fund's 80% policy.
 
Borrowing
 
No Fund may borrow money, except as a temporary measure for extraordinary or emergency purposes in amounts not in excess of 5% of the value of the Fund's total assets. The Funds may, however, pledge portfolio securities as the Adviser deems appropriate in connection with any borrowings and in connection with hedging transactions, short sales and similar investment strategies.

Each Fund may also enter into reverse repurchase agreements, which may be viewed as a form of borrowing, with financial institutions. However, to the extent a Fund "covers" its repurchase obligations as described below in
4

"Reverse Repurchase Agreements," such agreement will not be considered to be a "senior security" and will not be considered borrowings by that Fund.

Commodity-Linked Instruments

Commodity-linked instruments are designed to provide exposure to the investment returns of real assets that trade in the commodity markets without direct investment in physical commodities. Real assets are assets such as oil, gas, industrial and precious metals, livestock, and agricultural or meat products, or other items that have tangible properties, as compared to stocks or bonds, which are financial instruments. Investing in physical commodities through commodity-linked instruments presents unique risks, is speculative and can be extremely volatile. Market prices of commodities may fluctuate rapidly based on numerous factors, including: changes in supply and demand relationships (whether actual, perceived, anticipated, unanticipated or unrealized); weather; agriculture; trade; domestic and foreign political and economic events and policies; diseases; pestilence; technological developments; and monetary and other governmental policies, action and inaction. The current or "spot" prices of physical commodities may also affect, in a volatile and inconsistent manner, the prices of futures contracts in respect of the relevant commodity. Certain commodities are used primarily in one industry, and fluctuations in levels of activity in (or the availability of alternative resources to) one industry may have a disproportionate effect on global demand for a particular commodity. Moreover, recent growth in industrial production and gross domestic product has made China and other developing nations oversized users of commodities and has increased the extent to which certain commodities prices are influenced by those markets.

Use of commodities and establishment of Cayman Islands-based subsidiary. In order to gain exposure to commodities, each Fund has established a Cayman Islands-based company (each a "Subsidiary") to invest in commodity-linked derivatives, including commodity futures, forwards and swaps, and commodity-linked notes. Under Internal Revenue Service ("IRS") guidance, no more than 25% of a Fund's assets may be invested in its respective Subsidiary. The IRS has issued a number of private letter rulings to other mutual funds, upon which the Funds cannot rely, which indicate that income from a wholly owned foreign subsidiary (such as a Subsidiary) that invests in commodity-linked derivatives, constitutes qualifying income. However, in September 2016, the Internal Revenue Service issued proposed regulations that would require a Subsidiary to distribute its "Subpart F" income (defined in Section 951 of the Code to include passive income such as income from commodity-linked derivatives) each year in order for a Fund to treat that income as qualifying income. Each Fund anticipates that its respective Subsidiary will distribute the "Subpart F" income earned by the Subsidiary each year, which each Fund will treat as qualifying income. Should the IRS issue further guidance, or Congress enact legislation, that adversely affects the tax treatment of a Fund's investment in its respective Subsidiary (which might be applied retroactively to the Fund), it could limit the Fund's ability to pursue its investment strategy and the Fund might not qualify as a regulated investment company ("RIC") for one or more years. In this event, the Board may authorize a change in investment strategy or Fund liquidation. In lieu of potential disqualification, a Fund is permitted to pay a tax for certain failures to satisfy the income requirement, which, in general, are limited to those due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect. A Fund also may incur transaction and other costs to comply with any new or additional guidance from the IRS.

Commodity-linked notes. Commodity-linked notes involve substantial risks, including the risk of loss of a significant portion of their principal value. In addition to commodity risk and general derivatives risk, they may be subject to additional special risks, such as risk of loss of interest and principal, lack of secondary market and risk of greater volatility, that do not affect traditional equity and debt securities.

If payment of interest on a commodity-linked note is linked to the value of a particular commodity, commodity index or other economic variable, a Fund might not receive all (or a portion) of the interest due on its investment if there is a loss of value of the underlying investment. To the extent that the amount of the principal to be repaid upon maturity is linked to the value of a particular commodity, commodity index or other economic variable, a Fund might not receive all or a portion of the principal at maturity of the investment. At any time, the risk of loss associated with a particular note in a Fund's portfolio may be significantly higher than the value of the note.

5

A liquid secondary market may not exist for the commodity-linked notes that a Fund buys, which may make it difficult for the Fund to sell them at an acceptable price or to accurately value them. Commodity-linked notes are also subject to the counterparty credit risk of the issuer. That is, at maturity of a commodity-linked note, there is a risk that the issuer may be unable to perform its obligations under the terms of the commodity-linked note. Issuers of commodity-linked notes are typically large money center banks, broker-dealers, other financial institutions and large corporations. If the issuer becomes bankrupt or otherwise fails to pay, a Fund could lose money.

The value of the commodity-linked notes in which a Fund invests may fluctuate significantly because the values of the underlying investments to which they are linked are themselves extremely volatile. Additionally, the particular terms of a commodity-linked note may create economic leverage by requiring payment by the issuer of an amount that is a multiple of the price increase or decrease of the underlying commodity, commodity index or other economic variable. This would have the effect of increasing the volatility of the value of these commodity-linked notes as they may increase or decrease in value more quickly than the underlying commodity, commodity index or other economic variable. Therefore, at the maturity of the note, the Fund may receive more or less principal than it originally invested and may receive interest payments on the note that are more or less than the stated coupon interest payments.

The Funds obtain exposure to the commodities markets principally through futures, forwards and swaps. For more information, see "Derivative Instruments" below.

Debt Securities

In general, a debt security represents a loan of money to the issuer by the purchaser of the security. A debt security typically has a fixed payment schedule that obligates the issuer to pay interest to the lender and to return the lender's money over a certain time period. A company typically meets its payment obligations associated with its outstanding debt securities before it declares and pays any dividend to holders of its equity securities. Bonds, notes and commercial paper are examples of debt securities and differ in the length of the issuer's principal repayment schedule, with bonds carrying the longest repayment schedule and commercial paper the shortest.

Debt securities are all generally subject to interest rate, credit, income and prepayment risks and, like all investments, are subject to liquidity and market risks to varying degrees depending upon the specific terms and type of security. The Adviser attempts to reduce credit and market risk through diversification of a Fund's portfolio and ongoing credit analysis of each issuer, as well as by monitoring economic developments, but there can be no assurance that it will be successful at doing so.

Inflation-Indexed Bonds. Inflation-indexed bonds are debt securities whose principal value is periodically adjusted according to the rate of inflation. Two structures are common. The U.S. Treasury and some other issuers use a structure that accrues inflation into the principal value of the bond. Most other issuers pay out the Consumer Price Index accruals as part of a semiannual coupon.

Inflation-indexed securities issued by the U.S. Treasury have maturities of five, ten or thirty years, although it is possible that securities with other maturities will be issued in the future. The U.S. Treasury securities pay interest on a semi-annual basis, equal to a fixed percentage of the inflation-adjusted principal amount. For example, if a Fund purchased an inflation-indexed bond with a par value of $1,000 and a 3% real rate of return coupon (payable 1.5% semi-annually), and inflation over the first six months were 1%, the mid-year par value of the bond would be $1,010 and the first semi-annual interest payment would be $15.15 ($1,010 times 1.5%). If inflation during the second half of the year resulted in the whole years' inflation equaling 3%, the end-of-year par value of the bond would be $1,030 and the second semiannual interest payment would be $15.45 ($1,030 times 1.5%).

If the periodic adjustment rate measuring inflation falls, the principal value of inflation-indexed bonds will be adjusted downward, and consequently the interest payable on these securities (calculated with respect to a smaller principal amount) will be reduced. Repayment of the original bond principal upon maturity (as adjusted for inflation) is guaranteed in the case of U.S. Treasury inflation-indexed bonds, even during a period of deflation.
6

However, the current market value of the bonds is not guaranteed, and will fluctuate. A Fund may also invest in other inflation related bonds which may or may not provide a similar guarantee. If a guarantee of principal is not provided, the adjusted principal value of the bond repaid at maturity may be less than the original principal.

The value of inflation-indexed bonds is expected to change in response to changes in real interest rates. Real interest rates in turn are tied to the relationship between nominal interest rates and the rate of inflation. Therefore, if inflation were to rise at a faster rate than nominal interest rates, real interest rates might decline, leading to an increase in value of inflation-indexed bonds. In contrast, if nominal interest rates increased at a faster rate than inflation, real interest rates might rise, leading to a decrease in value of inflation-indexed bonds.

While these securities are expected to be protected from long-term inflationary trends, short-term increases in inflation may lead to a decline in value. If interest rates rise due to reasons other than inflation (for example, due to changes in currency exchange rates), investors in these securities may not be protected to the extent that the increase is not reflected in the bond's inflation measure.

The periodic adjustment of U.S. inflation-indexed bonds is tied to the Consumer Price Index for Urban Consumers ("CPI-U"), which is calculated monthly by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The CPI-U is a measurement of changes in the cost of living, made up of components such as housing, food, transportation and energy. Inflation-indexed bonds issued by a foreign government are generally adjusted to reflect a comparable inflation index, calculated by that government. There can be no assurance that the CPI-U or any foreign inflation index will accurately measure the real rate of inflation in the prices of goods and services. Moreover, there can be no assurance that the rate of inflation in a foreign country will be correlated to the rate of inflation in the United States.

Any increase in the principal amount of an inflation-indexed bond will be considered taxable ordinary income, even though investors do not receive their principal until maturity.

A Fund's investments in debt securities may subject the Fund to the following risks:

Credit risk. Debt securities are subject to the risk of an issuer's (or other party's) failure or inability to meet its obligations under the security. Multiple parties may have obligations under a debt security. An issuer or borrower may fail to pay principal and interest when due. A guarantor, insurer or credit support provider may fail to provide the agreed upon protection. A counterparty to a transaction may fail to perform its side of the bargain. An intermediary or agent interposed between the investor and other parties may fail to perform the terms of its service. Also, performance under a debt security may be linked to the obligations of other persons who may fail to meet their obligations. The credit risk associated with a debt security could increase to the extent that a Fund's ability to benefit fully from its investment in the security depends on the performance by multiple parties of their respective contractual or other obligations. The market value of a debt security is also affected by the market's perception of the creditworthiness of the issuer.

A Fund may incur substantial losses on debt securities that are inaccurately perceived to present a different amount of credit risk than they actually do by the market, the Adviser or the rating agencies. Credit risk is generally greater where less information is publicly available, where fewer covenants safeguard the investors' interests, where collateral may be impaired or inadequate, where little legal redress or regulatory protection is available, or where a party's ability to meet obligations is speculative. Additionally, any inaccuracy in the information used by the Fund to evaluate credit risk may affect the value of securities held by a Fund.

Obligations under debt securities held by a Fund may never be satisfied or, if satisfied, only satisfied in part.
 
Some securities are subject to risks as a result of a credit downgrade or default by a government, or its agencies or, instrumentalities. Credit risk is a greater concern for high-yield debt securities and debt securities of issuers whose ability to pay interest and principal may be considered speculative. Debt securities are typically classified as investment grade-quality (medium to highest credit quality) or below investment grade-quality (commonly referred to as high-yield or junk bonds). Many individual debt securities are rated by a third party source, such as Moody's Investors Service (Moody's) or Standard & Poor's Financial Services (S&P®), to help describe the creditworthiness of the issuer.
7

Credit ratings risk.  The Adviser performs its own independent investment analysis of securities being considered for a Fund's portfolio, which includes consideration of, among other things, the issuer's financial resources, its sensitivity to economic conditions and trends, its operating history, the quality of the issuer's management and regulatory matters. The Adviser also considers the ratings assigned by various investment services and independent rating agencies, such as Moody's and S&P, that publish ratings based upon their assessment of the relative creditworthiness of the rated debt securities. Generally, a lower rating indicates higher credit risk. Higher yields are ordinarily available from debt securities in the lower rating categories. These ratings are described at the end of this SAI under "Description of Ratings."

Using credit ratings to evaluate debt securities can involve certain risks. For example, ratings assigned by the rating agencies are based upon an analysis completed at the time of the rating of the obligor's ability to pay interest and repay principal. Rating agencies typically rely to a large extent on historical data which may not accurately represent present or future circumstances. Ratings do not purport to reflect the risk of fluctuations in market value of the debt security and are not absolute standards of quality and only express the rating agency's current opinion of an obligor's overall financial capacity to pay its financial obligations. A credit rating is not a statement of fact or a recommendation to purchase, sell or hold a debt obligation. Also, credit quality can change suddenly and unexpectedly, and credit ratings may not reflect the issuer's current financial condition or events since the security was last rated. Rating agencies may have a financial interest in generating business, including from the arranger or issuer of the security that normally pays for that rating, and providing a low rating might affect the rating agency's prospects for future business. While rating agencies have policies and procedures to address this potential conflict of interest, there is a risk that these policies will fail to prevent a conflict of interest from impacting the rating.

Extension risk. A Fund is subject to extension risk, which is the risk that the market value of some debt securities, particularly mortgage securities and certain asset-backed securities, may be adversely affected when bond calls or prepayments on underlying mortgages or other assets are less or slower than anticipated. Extension risk may result from, for example, rising interest rates or unexpected developments in the markets for the underlying assets or mortgages. As a consequence, the security's effective maturity will be extended, resulting in an increase in interest rate sensitivity to that of a longer-term instrument. Extension risk generally increases as interest rates rise. This is because, in a rising interest rate environment, the rate of prepayment and exercise of call or buy-back rights generally falls and the rate of default and delayed payment generally rises. When the maturity of an investment is extended in a rising interest rate environment, a below-market interest rate is usually locked-in and the value of the security reduced. This risk is greater for fixed-rate than variable-rate debt securities.

Income risk. A Fund is subject to income risk, which is the risk that the Fund's income will decline during periods of falling interest rates or when the Fund experiences defaults on debt securities it holds. A Fund's income declines when interest rates fall because, as the Fund's higher-yielding debt securities mature or are prepaid, A Fund must re-invest the proceeds in debt securities that have lower, prevailing interest rates. The amount and rate of distributions that a Fund's shareholders receive are affected by the income that the Fund receives from its portfolio holdings. If the income is reduced, distributions by a Fund to shareholders may be less.

Fluctuations in income paid to a Fund are generally greater for variable rate debt securities. A Fund will be deemed to receive taxable income on certain securities which pay no cash payments until maturity, such as zero-coupon securities. A Fund may be required to sell portfolio securities that it would otherwise continue to hold in order to obtain sufficient cash to make the distribution to shareholders required for U.S. tax purposes.

Inflation risk. The market price of debt securities generally falls as inflation increases because the purchasing power of the future income and repaid principal is expected to be worth less when received by a Fund. Debt securities that pay a fixed rather than variable interest rate are especially vulnerable to inflation risk because variable-rate debt securities may be able to participate, over the long term, in rising interest rates which have historically corresponded with long-term inflationary trends.
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Interest rate risk.  The market value of debt securities generally varies in response to changes in prevailing interest rates. Interest rate changes can be sudden and unpredictable. In addition, short-term and long-term rates are not necessarily correlated to each other as short-term rates tend to be influenced by government monetary policy while long-term rates are market driven and may be influenced by macroeconomic events (such as economic expansion or contraction), inflation expectations, as well as supply and demand. During periods of declining interest rates, the market value of debt securities generally increases. Conversely, during periods of rising interest rates, the market value of debt securities generally declines. This occurs because new debt securities are likely to be issued with higher interest rates as interest rates increase, making the old or outstanding debt securities less attractive. In general, the market prices of long-term debt securities or securities that make little (or no) interest payments are more sensitive to interest rate fluctuations than shorter-term debt securities. The longer a Fund's average weighted portfolio duration, the greater the potential impact a change in interest rates will have on its share price. Also, certain segments of the fixed income markets, such as high quality bonds, tend to be more sensitive to interest rate changes than other segments, such as lower-quality bonds.

Prepayment risk. Debt securities, especially bonds that are subject to "calls," such as asset-backed or mortgage-backed securities, are subject to prepayment risk if their terms allow the payment of principal and other amounts due before their stated maturity. Amounts invested in a debt security that has been "called" or "prepaid" will be returned to an investor holding that security before expected by the investor. In such circumstances, the investor, such as a fund, may be required to re-invest the proceeds it receives from the called or prepaid security in a new security which, in periods of declining interest rates, will typically have a lower interest rate. Prepayment risk is especially prevalent in periods of declining interest rates and will result for other reasons, including unexpected developments in the markets for the underlying assets or mortgages. For example, a decline in mortgage interest rates typically initiates a period of mortgage refinancings. When homeowners refinance their mortgages, the investor in the underlying pool of mortgage-backed securities (such as a fund) receives its principal back sooner than expected, and must reinvest at lower, prevailing rates.

Securities subject to prepayment risk are often called during a declining interest rate environment and generally offer less potential for gains and greater price volatility than other income-bearing securities of comparable maturity. Call risk is similar to prepayment risk and results from the ability of an issuer to call, or prepay, a debt security early. If interest rates decline enough, the debt security's issuer can save money by repaying its callable debt securities and issuing new debt securities at lower interest rates.

Derivative Instruments

Generally, derivatives are financial instruments whose value depends on or is derived from, the value of one or more underlying assets, reference rates, or indices or other market factors (a "reference instrument") and may relate to stocks, bonds, interest rates, credit, currencies, commodities or related indices. Derivative instruments can provide an efficient means to gain or reduce exposure to the value of a reference instrument without actually owning or selling the instrument. Some common types of derivatives include options, futures, forwards and swaps.

Derivative instruments may be used for "hedging," which means that they may be used when the Adviser seeks to protect a Fund's investments from a decline in value resulting from changes to interest rates, market prices, currency fluctuations or other market factors. Derivative instruments may also be used for other purposes, including to seek to increase liquidity, provide efficient portfolio management, broaden investment opportunities (including taking short or negative positions), implement a tax or cash management strategy, gain exposure to a particular security or segment of the market, modify the effective duration of a Fund's portfolio investments and/or enhance total return. However derivative instruments are used, their successful use is not assured and will depend upon, among other factors, the Adviser's ability to gauge relevant market movements.

Derivative instruments may be used for purposes of direct hedging. Direct hedging means that the transaction must be intended to reduce a specific risk exposure of a portfolio security or its denominated currency and must also be directly related to such security or currency. A Fund's use of derivative instruments may be limited from time to time by policies adopted by the Board or the Adviser.
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Because some derivative instruments used by a Fund may oblige the Fund to make payments or incur additional obligations in the future, the SEC requires investment companies to "cover" or segregate liquid assets equal to the potential exposure created by such derivatives. See "Borrowing" above for more information on the Funds' obligation to cover or segregate such assets.

Commodity Pool Operator Regulation. The Adviser is registered as a commodity pool operator ("CPO") under the CEA and the rules of the CFTC and is subject to CFTC regulation with respect to the Funds. The CFTC has recently adopted rules regarding the disclosure, reporting and recordkeeping requirements that will apply with respect to the Funds as a result of the Adviser's registration as a CPO. Generally, these rules allow for substituted compliance with CFTC disclosure and shareholder reporting requirements, based on the Adviser's compliance with comparable SEC requirements. This means that for most of the CFTC's disclosure and shareholder reporting requirements applicable to the Adviser as the Funds' CPO, the Adviser's compliance with SEC disclosure and shareholder reporting requirements will be deemed to fulfill the Adviser's CFTC compliance obligations. However, as a result of CFTC regulation with respect to the Funds, the Funds may incur additional compliance and other expenses. The Adviser is also registered as a commodity trading advisor ("CTA") but, with respect to the Funds, relies on an exemption from CTA regulation available for a CTA that also serves as a fund's CPO.

Currency forward contracts. A currency forward contract is an obligation to purchase or sell a specific non-U.S. currency in exchange for another currency, which may be U.S. dollars, at an agreed exchange rate (price) at a future date. Currency forwards are typically individually negotiated and privately traded by currency traders and their customers in the interbank market. A cross currency forward is a forward contract to sell a specific non-U.S. currency in exchange for another non-U.S. currency and may be used when the price of one of those non-U.S. currencies is expected to experience a substantial movement against the other non-U.S. currency. A currency forward contract will tend to reduce or eliminate exposure to the currency that is sold, and increase exposure to the currency that is purchased, similar to when a Fund sells a security denominated in one currency and purchases a security denominated in another currency. For example, a Fund may enter into a forward contract when it owns a security that is denominated in a non-U.S. currency and desires to "lock in" the U.S. dollar value of the security. In addition, when the Adviser believes that a specific foreign currency may experience a substantial movement against another foreign currency, a Fund may enter into a cross currency forward contract to buy or sell, as appropriate, an amount of the foreign currency either: (a) approximating the value of some or all of its portfolio securities denominated in such currency (this investment practice generally is referred to as "cross-hedging"); (b) designed to derive a level of additional income or return that the Adviser seeks to achieve for the Fund; (c) to increase liquidity; or (d) to gain exposure to a currency in a more efficient or less expensive way. A Fund may also engage in "proxy hedging." Proxy hedging entails entering into a forward contract to buy or sell a currency whose changes in value are generally considered to perform similarly to a currency or currencies in which some or all of a Fund's portfolio securities are or are expected to be denominated. Proxy hedging is often used when the currency to which a Fund's portfolio is exposed is difficult to hedge or to hedge against the U.S. dollar and therefore another currency is used as a "proxy" for such currency.

At the maturity of a currency or cross currency forward, a Fund may either exchange the currencies specified at the maturity of a forward contract or, prior to maturity, the Fund may enter into a closing transaction involving the purchase or sale of an offsetting contract. Closing transactions with respect to forward contracts are usually effected with the counterparty to the original forward contract. A Fund may also enter into forward contracts that do not provide for physical settlement of the two currencies but instead provide for settlement 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 CFTC and SEC, non-deliverable forwards are considered swaps, and therefore are included in the definition of "commodity interests." Although non-deliverable forwards have historically been traded in the over-the-counter ("OTC") market, as swaps they may in the future be required to be centrally cleared and traded on public facilities. Currency and cross currency forwards that qualify as deliverable forwards are not
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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.

Risks of currency forward contracts. The successful use of these transactions will usually depend on the Adviser's ability to accurately forecast currency exchange rate movements. Should exchange rates move in an unexpected manner, a Fund may not achieve the anticipated benefits of the transaction, or it may realize losses. In addition, these techniques could result in a loss if the counterparty to the transaction does not perform as promised, including because of the counterparty's bankruptcy or insolvency. While a Fund uses only counterparties that meet its credit quality standards, in unusual or extreme market conditions, a counterparty's creditworthiness and ability to perform may deteriorate rapidly, and the availability of suitable replacement counterparties may become limited. Moreover, investors should bear in mind that a Fund is not obligated to actively engage in hedging or other currency transactions. For example, a Fund may not have attempted to hedge its exposure to a particular foreign currency at a time when doing so might have avoided a loss.

Currency forward contracts may limit potential gain from a positive change in the relationship between the U.S. dollar and foreign currencies. Unanticipated changes in currency prices may result in poorer overall performance for a Fund than if it had not engaged in such contracts. Moreover, there may be an imperfect correlation between a Fund's portfolio holdings of securities denominated in a particular currency and the currencies bought or sold in the forward contracts entered into by the Fund. This imperfect correlation may cause a Fund to sustain losses that will prevent the Fund from achieving a complete hedge or expose the Fund to risk of foreign exchange loss.

Futures contracts. Generally, a futures contract is a standard binding agreement to buy or sell a specified quantity of an underlying reference instrument, such as a specific security, currency or commodity, at a specified price at a specified later date. A "sale" of a futures contract means the acquisition of a contractual obligation to deliver the underlying reference instrument called for by the contract at a specified price on a specified date. A "purchase" of a futures contract means the acquisition of a contractual obligation to acquire the underlying reference instrument called for by the contract at a specified price on a specified date. The purchase or sale of a futures contract will allow a Fund to increase or decrease its exposure to the underlying reference instrument without having to buy the actual instrument.

The underlying reference instruments to which futures contracts may relate include non-U.S. currencies, interest rates, stock and bond indices and debt securities, including U.S. government debt obligations. In certain types of futures contracts, the underlying reference instrument may be a swap agreement. In most cases the contractual obligation under a futures contract may be offset, or "closed out," before the settlement date so that the parties do not have to make or take delivery. The closing out of a contractual obligation is usually accomplished by buying or selling, as the case may be, an identical, offsetting futures 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.

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, a Fund will incur brokerage fees when it buys or sells futures contracts.

A Fund generally buys and sells futures contracts only on contract markets (including exchanges or boards of trade) where there appears to be an active market for the futures contracts, but there is no assurance that an active market
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will exist for any particular contract or at any particular time. An active market makes it more likely that futures contracts will be liquid and bought and sold at competitive market prices. In addition, many of the futures contracts available may be relatively new instruments without a significant trading history. As a result, there can be no assurance that an active market will develop or continue to exist.

When a Fund enters into a futures contract, it must deliver to an account controlled by the FCM (that has been selected by the Fund), an amount referred to as "initial margin" that is typically calculated as an amount equal to the volatility in market value of a contract over a fixed period. Initial margin requirements are determined by the respective exchanges on which the futures contracts are traded and the FCM. Thereafter, a "variation margin" amount may be required to be paid by a Fund or received by the Fund in accordance with margin controls set for such accounts, depending upon changes in the marked-to market value of the futures contract. The account is marked-to market daily and the variation margin is monitored by the Adviser and custodian on a daily basis. When the futures contract is closed out, if a Fund has a loss equal to or greater than the margin amount, the margin amount is paid to the FCM along with any loss in excess of the margin amount. If a Fund has a loss of less than the margin amount, the excess margin is returned to the Fund. If a Fund has a gain, the full margin amount and the amount of the gain is paid to the Fund.

Some futures contracts provide for the delivery of securities that are different than those that are specified in the contract. For a futures contract for delivery of debt securities, on the settlement date of the contract, adjustments to the contract can be made to recognize differences in value arising from the delivery of debt securities with a different interest rate from that of the particular debt securities that were specified in the contract. In some cases, securities called for by a futures contract may not have been issued when the contract was written.

Risks of futures contracts. A Fund's use of futures contracts is subject to the risks associated with derivative instruments generally. In addition, a purchase or sale of a futures contract may result in losses to a Fund in excess of the amount that the Fund delivered as initial margin. Because of the relatively low margin deposits required, futures trading involves a high degree of leverage; as a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in immediate and substantial loss, or gain, to a Fund. In addition, if a Fund has insufficient cash to meet daily variation margin requirements or close out a futures position, it may have to sell securities from its portfolio at a time when it may be disadvantageous to do so. Adverse market movements could cause a Fund to experience substantial losses on an investment in a futures contract.

There is a risk of loss by a 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 a 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 provide accurate reporting, a 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.

A Fund may not be able to properly hedge or effect its strategy when a liquid market is unavailable for the futures contract the Fund wishes to close, which may at times occur. In addition, when futures contracts are used for hedging, there may be an imperfect correlation between movements in the prices of the underlying reference instrument on which the futures contract is based and movements in the prices of the assets sought to be hedged.

If the Adviser's investment judgment about the general direction of market prices or interest or currency exchange rates is incorrect, a Fund's overall performance will be poorer than if it had not entered into a futures contract. For example, if a Fund has purchased futures to hedge against the possibility of an increase in interest rates that would adversely affect the price of bonds held in its portfolio and interest rates instead decrease, the Fund will lose part or all of the benefit of the increased value of the bonds which it has hedged. This is because its losses in its futures positions will offset some or all of its gains from the increased value of the bonds.

The difference (called the "spread") between prices in the cash market for the purchase and sale of the underlying reference instrument and the prices in the futures market is subject to fluctuations and distortions due to differences
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in the nature of those two markets. First, all participants in the futures market are subject to initial deposit and variation margin requirements. Rather than meeting additional variation margin requirements, investors may close futures contracts through offsetting transactions that could distort the normal pricing spread between the cash and futures markets. Second, the liquidity of the futures markets depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery of the underlying instrument. To the extent participants decide to make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced, resulting in pricing distortion. Third, from the point of view of speculators, the margin deposit requirements that apply in the futures market are less onerous than similar margin requirements in the securities market. Therefore, increased participation by speculators in the futures market may cause temporary price distortions. When such distortions occur, a correct forecast of general trends in the price of an underlying reference instrument by the Adviser may still not necessarily result in a profitable transaction.

Futures contracts that are traded on non-U.S. exchanges may not be as liquid as those purchased on CFTC-designated contract markets. In addition, non-U.S. futures contracts may be subject to varied regulatory oversight. The price of any non-U.S. futures contract and, therefore, the potential profit and loss thereon, may be affected by any change in the non-U.S. exchange rate between the time a particular order is placed and the time it is liquidated, offset or exercised.

The CFTC and the various exchanges have established limits referred to as "speculative position limits" on the maximum net long or net short position that any person, such as a Fund, may hold or control in a particular futures contract. Trading limits are also imposed on the maximum number of contracts that any person may trade on a particular trading day. An exchange may order the liquidation of positions found to be in violation of these limits and it may impose other sanctions or restrictions. The regulation of futures, as well as other derivatives, is a rapidly changing area of law. For more information, see "Developing government regulation of derivatives" below.

Futures exchanges may also limit the amount of fluctuation permitted in certain futures contract prices during a single trading day. This daily limit establishes the maximum amount that the price of a futures contract may vary either up or down from the previous day's settlement price. Once the daily limit has been reached in a futures contract subject to the limit, no more trades may be made on that day at a price beyond that limit. The daily limit governs only price movements during a particular trading day and does not limit potential losses because the limit may prevent the liquidation of unfavorable positions. For example, futures prices have occasionally moved to the daily limit for several consecutive trading days with little or no trading, thereby preventing prompt liquidation of positions and subjecting some holders of futures contracts to substantial losses.

Options on futures contracts. Options on futures contracts trade on the same contract markets as the underlying futures contract. When a Fund buys an option, it pays a premium for the right, but does not have the obligation, to purchase (call) or sell (put) a futures contract at a set price (the exercise price). The purchase of a call or put option on a futures contract, whereby a Fund has the right to purchase or sell, respectively, a particular futures contract, is similar in some respects to the purchase of a call or put option on an individual security or currency. Depending on the premium paid for the option compared to either the price of the futures contract upon which it is based or the price of the underlying reference instrument, the option may be less risky than direct ownership of the futures contract or the underlying reference instrument. For example, a Fund could purchase a call option on a long futures contract when seeking to hedge against an increase in the market value of the underlying reference instrument, such as appreciation in the value of a non-U.S. currency against the U.S. dollar.

The seller (writer) of an option becomes contractually obligated to take the opposite futures position if the buyer of the option exercises its rights to the futures position specified in the option. In return for the premium paid by the buyer, the seller assumes the risk of taking a possibly adverse futures position. In addition, the seller will be required to post and maintain initial and variation margin with the FCM. One goal of selling (writing) options on futures may be to receive the premium paid by the option buyer. For more general information about the mechanics of purchasing and writing options, see "Options" below.

Risks of options on futures contracts. A Fund's use of options on futures contracts is subject to the risks related to derivative instruments generally. In addition, the amount of risk a Fund assumes when it purchases an option on a
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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 seller (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 seller were required to take such a position, it could bear substantial losses. An option writer has potentially unlimited economic risk because its potential loss, except to the extent offset by the premium received, is equal to the amount the option is "in-the-money" at the expiration date. A call option is in-the-money if the value of the underlying futures contract exceeds the exercise price of the option. A put option is in-the-money if the exercise price of the option exceeds the value of the underlying futures contract.

Options. An option is a contract that gives the purchaser of the option, in return for the premium paid, the right to buy an underlying reference instrument, such as a specified security, currency, index, or other instrument, from the writer of the option (in the case of a call option), or to sell a specified reference instrument to the writer of the option (in the case of a put option) at a designated price during the term of the option. The premium paid by the buyer of an option will reflect, among other things, the relationship of the exercise price to the market price and the volatility of the underlying reference instrument, the remaining term of the option, supply, demand, interest rates and/or currency exchange rates. An American style put or call option may be exercised at any time during the option period while a European style put or call option may be exercised only upon expiration or during a fixed period prior thereto. Put and call options are traded on national securities exchanges and in the OTC market.

Options traded on national securities exchanges are within the jurisdiction of the SEC or other appropriate national securities regulator, as are securities traded on such exchanges. As a result, many of the protections provided to traders on organized exchanges will be available with respect to such transactions. In particular, all option positions entered into on a national securities exchange in the United States are cleared and guaranteed by the Options Clearing Corporation, thereby reducing the risk of counterparty default. Furthermore, a liquid secondary market in options traded on a national securities exchange may be more readily available than in the OTC market, potentially permitting a Fund to liquidate open positions at a profit prior to exercise or expiration, or to limit losses in the event of adverse market movements. There is no assurance, however, that higher than anticipated trading activity or other unforeseen events might not temporarily render the capabilities of the Options Clearing Corporation inadequate, and thereby result in the exchange instituting special procedures which may interfere with the timely execution of a Fund's orders to close out open options positions.

Purchasing call and put options. As the buyer of a call option, a Fund has a right to buy the underlying reference instrument (e.g., a currency or security) at the exercise price at any time during the option period (for American style options). A Fund may enter into closing sale transactions with respect to call options, exercise them, or permit them to expire. For example, a Fund may buy call options on underlying reference instruments that it intends to buy with the goal of limiting the risk of a substantial increase in their market price before the purchase is effected. Unless the price of the underlying reference instrument changes sufficiently, a call option purchased by a Fund may expire without any value to the Fund, in which case the Fund would experience a loss to the extent of the premium paid for the option plus related transaction costs.

As the buyer of a put option, a Fund has the right to sell the underlying reference instrument at the exercise price at any time during the option period (for American style options). Like a call option, a Fund may enter into closing sale transactions with respect to put options, exercise them or permit them to expire. A Fund may buy a put option on an underlying reference instrument owned by the Fund (a protective put) as a hedging technique in an attempt to protect against an anticipated decline in the market value of the underlying reference instrument. Such hedge protection is provided only during the life of the put option when a Fund, as the buyer of the put option, is able to sell the underlying reference instrument at the put exercise price, regardless of any decline in the underlying instrument's market price. A Fund may also seek to offset a decline in the value of the underlying reference instrument through appreciation in the value of the put option. A put option may also be purchased with the intent of protecting unrealized appreciation of an instrument when the Adviser deems it desirable to continue to hold the instrument because of tax or other considerations. The premium paid for the put option and any transaction costs would reduce any short-term capital gain that may be available for distribution when the instrument is eventually sold. Buying put options at a time when the buyer does not own the underlying reference instrument allows the
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buyer to benefit from a decline in the market price of the underlying reference instrument, which generally increases the value of the put option.

If a put option was not terminated in a closing sale transaction when it has remaining value, and if the market price of the underlying reference instrument remains equal to or greater than the exercise price during the life of the put option, the buyer would not make any gain upon exercise of the option and would experience a loss to the extent of the premium paid for the option plus related transaction costs. In order for the purchase of a put option to be profitable, the market price of the underlying reference instrument must decline sufficiently below the exercise price to cover the premium and transaction costs.

Writing call and put options. Writing options may permit the writer to generate additional income in the form of the premium received for writing the option. The writer of an option may have no control over when the underlying reference instruments must be sold (in the case of a call option) or purchased (in the case of a put option) because the writer may be notified of exercise at any time prior to the expiration of the option (for American style options). In general, though, options are infrequently exercised prior to expiration. Whether or not an option expires unexercised, the writer retains the amount of the premium. Writing "covered" call options means that the writer owns the underlying reference instrument that is subject to the call option. Call options may also be written on reference instruments that the writer does not own.

If a Fund writes a covered call option, any underlying reference instruments that are held by the Fund and are subject to the call option will be earmarked on the books of the Fund as segregated to satisfy its obligations under the option. A Fund will be unable to sell the underlying reference instruments that are subject to the written call option until it either effects a closing transaction with respect to the written call, or otherwise satisfies the conditions for release of the underlying reference instruments from segregation. As the writer of a covered call option, a Fund gives up the potential for capital appreciation above the exercise price of the option should the underlying reference instrument rise in value. If the value of the underlying reference instrument rises above the exercise price of the call option, the reference instrument will likely be "called away," requiring a Fund to sell the underlying instrument at the exercise price. In that case, a Fund will sell the underlying reference instrument to the option buyer for less than its market value, and the Fund will experience a loss (which will be offset by the premium received by the Fund as the writer of such option). If a call option expires unexercised, a Fund will realize a gain in the amount of the premium received. If the market price of the underlying reference instrument decreases, the call option will not be exercised and a Fund will be able to use the amount of the premium received to hedge against the loss in value of the underlying reference instrument. The exercise price of a call option will be chosen based upon the expected price movement of the underlying reference instrument. The exercise price of a call option may be below, equal to (at-the-money), or above the current value of the underlying reference instrument at the time the option is written.

As the writer of a put option, a Fund has a risk of loss should the underlying reference instrument decline in value. If the value of the underlying reference instrument declines below the exercise price of the put option and the put option is exercised, a Fund, as the writer of the put option, will be required to buy the instrument at the exercise price, which will exceed the market value of the underlying reference instrument at that time. A Fund will incur a loss to the extent that the current market value of the underlying reference instrument is less than the exercise price of the put option. However, the loss will be offset in part by the premium received from the buyer of the put. If a put option written by a Fund expires unexercised, the Fund will realize a gain in the amount of the premium received.

Closing out options (exchange-traded options). If the writer of an option wants to terminate its obligation, the writer may effect a "closing purchase transaction" by buying an option of the same series as the option previously written. The effect of the purchase is that the clearing corporation will cancel the option writer's position. However, a writer may not effect a closing purchase transaction after being notified of the exercise of an option. Likewise, the buyer of an option may recover all or a portion of the premium that it paid by effecting a "closing sale transaction" by selling an option of the same series as the option previously purchased and receiving a premium on the sale. There is no guarantee that either a closing purchase or a closing sale transaction may be made at a time desired by a Fund. Closing transactions allow a Fund to terminate its positions in written and purchased options. A Fund will realize a profit from a closing transaction if the price of the transaction is less than the premium received from writing the original option (in the case of written options) or is more than the premium paid by the Fund to buy the option (in
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the case of purchased options). For example, increases in the market price of a call option sold by a Fund will generally reflect increases in the market price of the underlying reference instrument. As a result, any loss resulting from a closing transaction on a written call option is likely to be offset in whole or in part by appreciation of the underlying instrument owned by a Fund.

Over-the-counter options. Like exchange-traded options, OTC options give the holder the right to buy from the writer, in the case of OTC call options, or sell to the writer, in the case of OTC put options, an underlying reference instrument at a stated exercise price. OTC options, however, differ from exchange-traded options in certain material respects.

OTC options are arranged directly with dealers and not with a clearing corporation or exchange. Consequently, there is a risk of non-performance by the dealer, including because of the dealer's bankruptcy or insolvency. While a Fund uses only counterparties, such as dealers, that meet its credit quality standards, in unusual or extreme market conditions, a counterparty's creditworthiness and ability to perform may deteriorate rapidly, and the availability of suitable replacement counterparties may become limited. Because there is no exchange, pricing is typically done based on information from market makers or other dealers. OTC options are available for a greater variety of underlying reference instruments and in a wider range of expiration dates and exercise prices than exchange-traded options.

There can be no assurance that a continuous liquid secondary market will exist for any particular OTC option at any specific time. A Fund may be able to realize the value of an OTC option it has purchased only by exercising it or entering into a closing sale transaction with the dealer that issued it. When a Fund writes an OTC option, it generally can close out that option prior to its expiration only by entering into a closing purchase transaction with the dealer with which the Fund originally wrote the option. A Fund may suffer a loss if it is not able to exercise (in the case of a purchased option) or enter into a closing sale transaction on a timely basis.

The staff of the SEC has taken the position that purchased OTC options on securities are considered illiquid securities and that the assets segregated to cover the Fund's obligation under an OTC option on securities it has written are considered illiquid. Pending a change in the staff's position, a Fund will treat such OTC options on securities and "covering" assets as illiquid and subject to the Fund's limitation on illiquid securities.

Interest rate caps. An interest rate cap is a type of OTC option. The buyer of an interest rate cap pays a premium to the seller in exchange for payments at set intervals for which a floating interest rate exceeds an agreed upon interest rate. The floating interest rate may be tied to a reference rate (for example, the London Interbank Offered Rate ("LIBOR")), a long-term swap rate or other benchmark. The amount of each payment is determined by reference to a specified "notional" amount of money. Interest rate caps do not involve the delivery of securities, other underlying instruments, or principal amounts. Accordingly, barring counterparty risk, the risk of loss to the purchaser of an interest rate cap is limited to the amount of the premium paid.

An interest rate cap can be used to increase or decrease exposure to various interest rates, including to hedge interest rate risk. By purchasing an interest rate cap, the buyer of the cap can benefit from rising interest rates while limiting its downside risk to the amount of the premium paid. If a Fund buys an interest rate cap and the Adviser is correct at predicting the direction of interest rates, the interest rate cap will increase in value. But if the Adviser is incorrect at predicting the direction, the interest rate cap will expire worthless.

By writing (selling) an interest rate cap, the seller of the cap can benefit by receiving a premium in exchange for assuming an obligation to make payments at set intervals for which a floating interest rate exceeds an agreed upon interest rate. If interest rates rise above the agreed upon cap, the seller's obligation to make payments may result in losses in excess of the premium received.

Correctly predicting the value of an interest rate cap requires an understanding of the referenced interest rate, and a Fund bears the risk that the Adviser will not correctly forecast future market events, such as interest rate movements.
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Interest rate caps also involve the risks associated with derivative instruments generally, as described herein, including the risks associated with OTC options.

Risks of options. A Fund's options investments involve certain risks, including general risks related to derivative instruments. There can be no assurance that a liquid secondary market on an exchange will exist for any particular option, or at any particular time, and a Fund may have difficulty effecting closing transactions in particular options. Therefore, a Fund would have to exercise the options it purchased in order to realize any profit, thus taking or making delivery of the underlying reference instrument when not desired. A Fund could then incur transaction costs upon the sale of the underlying reference instruments. Similarly, when a Fund cannot effect a closing transaction with respect to a put option it wrote, and the buyer exercises, the Fund would be required to take delivery and would incur transaction costs upon the sale of the underlying reference instruments purchased. If a Fund, as a covered call option writer, is unable to effect a closing purchase transaction in a secondary market, it will not be able to sell the underlying reference instrument until the option expires, it delivers the underlying instrument upon exercise, or it segregates enough liquid assets to purchase the underlying reference instrument at the marked-to-market price during the term of the option. When trading options on non-U.S. exchanges or in the OTC market, many of the protections afforded to exchange participants will not be available. For example, there may be no daily price fluctuation limits, and adverse market movements could therefore continue to an unlimited extent over an indefinite period of time.

The effectiveness of an options strategy for hedging depends on the degree to which price movements in the underlying reference instruments correlate with price movements in the relevant portion of a Fund's portfolio that is being hedged. In addition, a Fund bears the risk that the prices of its portfolio investments will not move in the same amount as the option it has purchased or sold for hedging purposes, or that there may be a negative correlation that would result in a loss on both the investments and the option. If the Adviser is not successful in using options in managing a Fund's investments, the Fund's performance will be worse than if the Adviser did not employ such strategies.

Swaps. Generally, swap agreements are contracts between a Fund and another party (the swap counterparty) involving the exchange of payments on specified terms over periods ranging from a few days to multiple years. A swap agreement may be negotiated bilaterally and traded OTC between the two parties (for an uncleared swap) or, in some instances, must be transacted through an FCM and cleared through a clearinghouse that serves as a central counterparty (for a cleared swap). In a basic swap transaction, a Fund agrees with the swap counterparty to exchange the returns (or differentials in rates of return) and/or cash flows earned or realized on a particular "notional amount" or value of predetermined underlying reference instruments. The notional amount is the set dollar or other value selected by the parties to use as the basis on which to calculate the obligations that the parties to a swap agreement have agreed to exchange. The parties typically do not actually exchange the notional amount. Instead they agree to exchange the returns that would be earned or realized if the notional amount were invested in given investments or at given interest rates. Examples of returns that may be exchanged in a swap agreement are those of a particular security, a particular fixed or variable interest rate, a particular non-U.S. currency, or a "basket" of securities representing a particular index. Swaps can also be based on credit and other events.

A Fund will generally enter into swap agreements on a net basis, which means that the two payment streams that are to be made by the Fund and its counterparty with respect to a particular swap agreement are netted out, with the Fund receiving or paying, as the case may be, only the net difference in the two payments. A Fund's obligations (or rights) under a swap agreement that is entered into on a net basis will generally be the net amount to be paid or received under the agreement based on the relative values of the obligations of each party upon termination of the agreement or at set valuation dates. A Fund will accrue its obligations under a swap agreement daily (offset by any amounts the counterparty owes the Fund). If the swap agreement does not provide for that type of netting, the full amount of a Fund's obligations will be accrued on a daily basis.

Comprehensive swaps regulation. The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 (the "Dodd-Frank Act") and related regulatory developments imposed comprehensive regulatory requirements on swaps and swap market participants. The new regulatory framework includes: (1) registration and regulation of swap dealers and major swap participants; (2) requiring central clearing and execution of standardized swaps; (3)
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imposing margin requirements on swap transactions; (4) regulating and monitoring swap transactions through position limits and large trader reporting requirements; and (5) imposing record keeping and centralized and public reporting requirements, on an anonymous basis, for most swaps. The CFTC is responsible for the regulation of most swaps. The SEC has jurisdiction over a small segment of the market referred to as "security-based swaps," which includes swaps on single securities or credits, or narrow-based indices of securities or credits.

Uncleared swaps. In an uncleared swap, the swap counterparty is typically a brokerage firm, bank or other financial institution. A Fund customarily enters into uncleared swaps based on the standard terms and conditions of an International Swaps and Derivatives Association ("ISDA") Master Agreement. ISDA is a voluntary industry association of participants in the over-the-counter derivatives markets that has developed standardized contracts used by such participants that have agreed to be bound by such standardized contracts. In the event that one party to a swap transaction defaults and the transaction is terminated prior to its scheduled termination date, one of the parties may be required to make an early termination payment to the other. An early termination payment may be payable by either the defaulting or non-defaulting party, depending upon which of them is "in-the-money" with respect to the swap at the time of its termination. Early termination payments may be calculated in various ways, but are intended to approximate the amount the "in-the-money" party would have to pay to replace the swap as of the date of its termination.

During the term of an uncleared swap, a Fund is required to pledge to the swap counterparty, from time to time, an amount of cash and/or other assets equal to the total net amount (if any) that would be payable by the Fund to the counterparty if all outstanding swaps between the parties were terminated on the date in question, including any early termination payments ("variation margin"). Periodically, changes in the amount pledged are made to recognize changes in value of the contract resulting from, among other things, interest on the notional value of the contract, market value changes in the underlying investment, and/or dividends paid by the issuer of the underlying instrument. Likewise, the counterparty will be required to pledge cash or other assets to cover its obligations to a Fund. However, the amount pledged may not always be equal to or more than the amount due to the other party. Therefore, if a counterparty defaults in its obligations to a Fund, the amount pledged by the counterparty and available to the Fund may not be sufficient to cover all the amounts due to the Fund and the Fund may sustain a loss.

Currently, the Funds do not typically provide initial margin in connection with uncleared swaps. However, rules requiring initial margin for uncleared swaps have been adopted and are being phased in over time. When these rules take effect, if a Fund is deemed to have material swaps exposure under applicable swap regulations, the Fund will be required to post initial margin in addition to variation margin.

Cleared swaps. Certain standardized swaps are subject to mandatory central clearing and exchange-trading. The Dodd-Frank Act and implementing rules will ultimately require the clearing and exchange-trading of many swaps. Mandatory exchange-trading and clearing will occur on a phased-in basis based on the type of market participant, CFTC approval of contracts for central clearing and public trading facilities making such cleared swaps available to trade. To date, the CFTC has designated only certain of the most common types of credit default index swaps and interest rate swaps as subject to mandatory clearing and certain public trading facilities have made certain of those cleared swaps available to trade, but it is expected that additional categories of swaps will in the future be designated as subject to mandatory clearing and trade execution requirements. Central clearing is intended to reduce counterparty credit risk and increase liquidity, but central clearing does not eliminate these risks and may involve additional costs and risks not involved with uncleared swaps. See "Risks of cleared swaps" below.

In a cleared swap, a Fund's ultimate counterparty is a central clearinghouse rather than a brokerage firm, bank or other financial institution. Cleared swaps are submitted for clearing through each party's FCM, which must be a member of the clearinghouse that serves as the central counterparty. Transactions executed on a swap execution facility ("SEF") may increase market transparency and liquidity but may require a Fund to incur increased expenses to access the same types of swaps that it has used in the past. When a Fund enters into a cleared swap, it must deliver to the central counterparty (via the FCM) an amount referred to as "initial margin." Initial margin requirements are determined by the central counterparty, and are typically calculated as an amount equal to the volatility in market value of the cleared swap over a fixed period, but an FCM may require additional initial margin above the amount required by the central counterparty. During the term of the swap agreement, a "variation margin"
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amount may also be required to be paid by a Fund or may be received by the Fund in accordance with margin controls set for such accounts. If the value of a Fund's cleared swap declines, the Fund will be required to make additional "variation margin" payments to the FCM to settle the change in value. Conversely, if the market value of a Fund's position increases, the FCM will post additional "variation margin" to the Fund's account. At the conclusion of the term of the swap agreement, if a Fund has a loss equal to or greater than the margin amount, the margin amount is paid to the FCM along with any loss in excess of the margin amount. If a Fund has a loss of less than the margin amount, the excess margin is returned to the Fund. If a Fund has a gain, the full margin amount and the amount of the gain is paid to the Fund.

Credit default swaps. The "buyer" of protection in a credit default swap agreement is obligated to pay the "seller" a periodic stream of payments over the term of the agreement in return for a payment by the "seller" that is contingent upon the occurrence of a credit event with respect to a specific underlying reference debt obligation (whether as a single debt instrument or as part of an index of debt instruments). The contingent payment by the seller generally is the face amount of the debt obligation, in return for the buyer's obligation to make periodic cash payments and deliver in physical form the reference debt obligation or a cash payment equal to the then-current market value of that debt obligation at the time of the credit event. If no credit event occurs, the seller would receive a fixed rate of income throughout the term of the contract, while the buyer would lose the amount of its payments and recover nothing. The buyer is also subject to the risk that the seller will not satisfy its contingent payment obligation, if and when due.

Purchasing protection through a credit default swap may be used to attempt to hedge against a decline in the value of debt security or securities due to a credit event. The seller of protection under a credit default swap receives periodic payments from the buyer but is exposed to the risk that the value of the reference debt obligation declines due to a credit event and that it will have to pay the face amount of the reference obligation to the buyer. Selling protection under a credit default swap may also permit the seller to gain exposure that is similar to owning the reference debt obligation directly. As the seller of protection, a Fund would effectively add leverage to its portfolio because, in addition to its total assets, the Fund would be subject to the risk that there would be a credit event and the Fund would have to make a substantial payment in the future.

Generally, a credit event means bankruptcy, failure to timely pay interest or principal, obligation acceleration or default, or repudiation or restructuring of the reference debt obligation. There may be disputes between the buyer or seller of a credit default swap agreement or within the swaps market as a whole as to whether or not a credit event has occurred or what the payout should be which could result in litigation. In some instances where there is a dispute in the credit default swap market, a regional Determinations Committee set up by ISDA may make an official binding determination regarding the existence of credit events with respect to the reference debt obligation of a credit default swap agreement or, in the case of a credit default swap on an index, with respect to a component of the index underlying the credit default swap agreement. In the case of a credit default swap on an index, the existence of a credit event is determined according to the index methodology, which may in turn refer to determinations made by ISDA's Determinations Committees with respect to particular components of the index.

ISDA's Determinations Committees are comprised principally of dealers in the OTC derivatives markets which may have a conflicting interest in the determination regarding the existence of a particular credit event. In addition, in the sovereign debt market, a credit default swap agreement may not provide the protection generally anticipated because the government issuer of the sovereign debt instruments may be able to restructure or renegotiate the debt in such a manner as to avoid triggering a credit event. Moreover, (1) sovereign debt obligations may not incorporate common, commercially acceptable provisions, such as collective action clauses, or (2) the negotiated restructuring of the sovereign debt may be deemed non-mandatory on all holders. As a result, the determination committee might then not be able to determine, or may be able to avoid having to determine, that a credit event under the credit default agreement has occurred.

For these and other reasons, the buyer of protection in a credit default swap agreement is subject to the risk that certain occurrences, such as particular restructuring events affecting the value of the underlying reference debt obligation, or the restructuring of sovereign debt, may not be deemed credit events under the credit default swap agreement. Therefore, if the credit default swap was purchased as a hedge or to take advantage of an anticipated
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increase in the value of credit protection for the underlying reference obligation, it may not provide any hedging benefit or otherwise increase in value as anticipated. Similarly, the seller of protection in a credit default swap agreement is subject to the risk that certain occurrences may be deemed to be credit events under the credit default swap agreement, even if these occurrences do not adversely impact the value or creditworthiness of the underlying reference debt obligation.

Currency swaps. A currency swap is an agreement between two parties to exchange periodic cash flows on a notional amount of two or more currencies based on the relative value differential between them. For example, a currency swap may involve the exchange of payments in a non-U.S. currency for payments in U.S. dollars. Currency swaps typically involve the delivery of the entire notional values of the two designated currencies. In such a situation, the full notional value of a currency swap is subject to the risk that the other party to the swap will default on its contractual delivery obligations. A Fund may also enter into currency swaps on a net basis, which means the two different currency payment streams under the swap agreement are converted and netted out to a single cash payment in just one of the currencies.

For example, a currency swap may be used to hedge the interest payments and principal amount of a debt obligation that is denominated in a non-U.S. currency by entering into a cross currency swap whereby one party would make payments in the non-U.S. currency and receive payments in U.S. dollars. Or, a currency swap may be used to gain exposure to non-U.S. currencies and non-U.S. interest rates by making payments in U.S. dollars and receiving payments in non-U.S. currencies.

Because currency control is of great importance to the issuing governments and influences economic planning and policy, purchases and sales of currency and related instruments can be negatively affected by government exchange controls, blockages, and manipulations or exchange restrictions imposed by governments. These actions could result in losses to a Fund if it is unable to deliver or receive a specified currency or funds in settlement of obligations, including any derivative transaction obligations. These actions could also have an adverse effect on a Fund's currency transactions or cause the Fund's hedging positions to be rendered useless.

Interest rate swaps. An interest rate swap is an agreement between two parties to exchange interest rate payment obligations. Typically, one party's obligation is based on an interest rate fixed to maturity while the other party's obligation is based on an interest rate that changes in accordance with changes in a designated benchmark (for example, LIBOR, prime rate, commercial paper rate, or other benchmarks). Alternatively, both payment obligations may be based on an interest rate that changes in accordance with changes in a designated benchmark (also known as a "basis swap"). In a basis swap, the rates may be based on different benchmarks (for example, LIBOR versus commercial paper) or on different terms of the same benchmark (for example, one-month LIBOR versus three-month LIBOR). Each party's payment obligation under an interest rate swap is determined by reference to a specified "notional" amount of money. Therefore, interest rate swaps generally do not involve the delivery of securities, other underlying instruments, or principal amounts; rather they entail the exchange of cash payments based on the application of the designated interest rates to the notional amount. Accordingly, barring swap counterparty or FCM default, the risk of loss in an interest rate swap is limited to the net amount of interest payments that a Fund is obligated to make or receive (as applicable), as well as any early termination payment payable by or to the Fund upon early termination of the swap.

By swapping fixed interest rate payments for floating payments, an interest rate swap can be used to increase or decrease a Fund's exposure to various interest rates, including to hedge interest rate risk. Interest rate swaps are generally used to permit the party seeking a floating rate obligation the opportunity to acquire such obligation at a rate lower than is directly available in the credit markets, while permitting the party desiring a fixed-rate obligation the opportunity to acquire such a fixed-rate obligation, also frequently at a rate lower than is directly available in the credit markets. The success of such a transaction depends in large part on the availability of fixed-rate obligations at interest (or coupon) rates low enough to cover the costs involved. Similarly, a basis swap can be used to increase or decrease a Fund's exposure to various interest rates, including to hedge against or speculate on the spread between the two indexes, or to manage duration. An interest rate swap transaction is affected by change in interest rates, which, in turn, may affect the prepayment rate of any underlying debt obligations upon which the interest rate swap is based.
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Inflation index swaps. An inflation index swap is a contract between two parties, whereby one party makes payments based on the cumulative percentage increase in an index that serves as a measure of inflation (typically, the Consumer Price Index) and the other party makes a regular payment based on a compounded fixed rate. Each party's payment obligation under the swap is determined by reference to a specified "notional" amount of money. Typically, an inflation index swap has payment obligations netted and exchanged upon maturity. The value of an inflation index swap is expected to change in response to changes in the rate of inflation. If inflation increases at a faster rate than anticipated at the time the swap is entered into, the swap will increase in value. Similarly, if inflation increases at a rate slower than anticipated at the time the swap is entered into, the swap will decrease in value.

Equity total return swaps. A total return swap (also sometimes referred to as a synthetic equity swap or "contract for difference" when written with respect to an equity security or basket of equity securities) is an agreement between two parties under which the parties agree to make payments to each other so as to replicate the economic consequences that would apply had a purchase or short sale of the underlying reference instrument or index thereof taken place. For example, one party agrees to pay the other party the total return earned or realized on the notional amount of an underlying equity security and any dividends declared with respect to that equity security. In return the other party makes payments, typically at a floating rate, calculated based on the notional amount.

Options on swap agreements. An option on a swap agreement generally is an OTC option (see the discussion above on OTC options) that gives the buyer of the option the right, but not the obligation, in return for payment of a premium to the seller, to enter into a previously negotiated swap agreement, or to extend, terminate or otherwise modify the terms of an existing swap agreement. The writer (seller) of an option on a swap agreement receives premium payments from the buyer and, in exchange, becomes obligated to enter into or modify an underlying swap agreement upon the exercise of the option by the buyer. When a Fund purchases an option on a swap agreement, it risks losing only the amount of the premium it has paid should it decide to let the option expire unexercised, plus any related transaction costs.

There can be no assurance that a liquid secondary market will exist for any particular option on a swap agreement, or at any particular time, and a Fund may have difficulty affecting closing transactions in particular options on swap agreements. Therefore, a Fund may have to exercise the options that it purchases in order to realize any profit and take delivery of the underlying swap agreement. A Fund could then incur transaction costs upon the sale or closing out of the underlying swap agreement. In the event that the option on a swap is exercised, the counterparty for such option would be the same counterparty with whom a Fund entered into the underlying swap.

However, if a Fund writes (sells) an option on a swap agreement, the Fund is bound by the terms of the underlying swap agreement upon exercise of the option by the buyer, which may result in losses to the Fund in excess of the premium it received. Options on swap agreements involve the risks associated with derivative instruments generally, as described above, as well as the additional risks associated with both options and swaps generally.

Options on swap agreements are considered to be swaps for purposes of CFTC regulation. Although they are traded OTC, the CFTC may in the future designate certain options on swaps as subject to mandatory clearing. For more information, see "Cleared swaps" and "Risks of cleared swaps."

An option on an interest rate swap (also sometimes referred to as a "swaption") is a contract that gives the purchaser the right, but not the obligation, in return for payment of a premium, to enter into a new interest rate swap. A pay fixed option on an interest rate swap gives the buyer the right to establish a position in an interest rate swap where the buyer will pay (and the writer will receive) the fixed-rate cash flows and receive (and the writer will pay) the floating-rate cash flows. In general, most options on interest rate swaps are "European" exercise, which means that they can only be exercised at the end of the option term. Depending on the movement of interest rates between the time of purchase and expiration, the value of the underlying interest rate swap and therefore also the value of the option on the interest rate swap will change.
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An option on a credit default swap is a contract that gives the buyer the right (but not the obligation), in return for payment of a premium to the option seller, to enter into a new credit default swap on a reference entity at a predetermined spread on a future date. This spread is the price at which the contract is executed (the option strike price). Similar to a put option, in a payer option on a credit default swap, the option buyer pays a premium to the option seller for the right, but not the obligation, to buy credit protection on a reference entity (e.g., a particular portfolio security) at a predetermined spread on a future date. Similar to a call option, in a receiver option on a credit default swap the option buyer pays a premium for the right, but not the obligation to sell credit default swap protection on a reference entity or index. Depending on the movement of market spreads with respect to the particular referenced debt securities between the time of purchase and expiration of the option, the value of the underlying credit default swap and therefore the value of the option will change. Options on credit default swaps currently are traded OTC and the specific terms of each option on a credit default swap are negotiated directly with the counterparty.

Commodity-linked total return swaps. A commodity-linked total return swap is an agreement between two parties under which the parties agree to exchange a fixed return or interest rate on the notional amount of the swap for the return of a particular commodities index, commodity contract or basket of commodity contracts as if such notional amount had been invested in such index, commodity contract or basket of commodity contracts. For example, one party agrees to pay the other party the return on a particular index multiplied by the notional amount of the swap. In return, the other party makes periodic payments, such as at a floating interest rate, calculated based on such notional amount. If the commodity swap is for one period, a Fund may pay a fixed fee, established at the outset of the swap. However, if the term of the commodity swap is more than one period, with interim swap payments, a Fund may pay an adjustable or floating fee. With a "floating" rate, the fee may be pegged to a base rate, such as the LIBOR, and is adjusted each period. Therefore, if interest rates increase over the term of the swap contract, a Fund may be required to pay a higher fee at each swap reset date.

Risks of swaps generally. The use of swap transactions is a highly specialized activity, which involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. Whether a Fund will be successful in using swap agreements to achieve its investment goal depends on the ability of the Adviser correctly to predict which types of investments are likely to produce greater returns. If the Adviser, in using swap agreements, is incorrect in its forecasts of market values, interest rates, inflation, currency exchange rates or other applicable factors, the investment performance of a Fund will be less than its performance would have been if it had not used the swap agreements.

The risk of loss to a Fund for swap transactions that are entered into on a net basis depends on which party is obligated to pay the net amount to the other party. If the counterparty is obligated to pay the net amount to a Fund, the risk of loss to the Fund is loss of the entire amount that the Fund is entitled to receive. If a Fund is obligated to pay the net amount, the Fund's risk of loss is generally limited to that net amount. If the swap agreement involves the exchange of the entire principal value of a security, the entire principal value of that security is subject to the risk that the other party to the swap will default on its contractual delivery obligations. In addition, a Fund's risk of loss also includes any margin at risk in the event of default by the counterparty (in an uncleared swap) or the central counterparty or FCM (in a cleared swap), plus any transaction costs.

Because bilateral swap agreements are structured as two-party contracts and may have terms of greater than seven days, these swaps may be considered to be illiquid and, therefore, subject to a Fund's limitation on investments in illiquid securities. If a swap transaction is particularly large or if the relevant market is illiquid, a Fund may not be able to establish or liquidate a position at an advantageous time or price, which may result in significant losses. Participants in the swap markets are not required to make continuous markets in the swap contracts they trade. Participants could refuse to quote prices for swap contracts or quote prices with an unusually wide spread between the price at which they are prepared to buy and the price at which they are prepared to sell. Some swap agreements entail complex terms and may require a greater degree of subjectivity in their valuation. However, the swap markets have grown substantially in recent years, with a large number of financial institutions acting both as principals and agents, utilizing standardized swap documentation. As a result, the swap markets have become increasingly liquid. In addition, central clearing and the trading of cleared swaps on public facilities are intended to increase liquidity.
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The Adviser, under the supervision of the Board, is responsible for determining and monitoring the liquidity of a Fund's swap transactions.

Rules adopted under the Dodd-Frank Act require centralized reporting of detailed information about many swaps, whether cleared or uncleared. This information is available to regulators and also, to a more limited extent and on an anonymous basis, to the public. Reporting of swap data is intended to result in greater market transparency. This may be beneficial to funds that use swaps in their trading strategies. However, public reporting imposes additional recordkeeping burdens on these funds, and the safeguards established to protect anonymity are not yet tested and may not provide protection of fund's identities as intended.

Certain IRS positions may limit a Fund's ability to use swap agreements in a desired tax strategy. It is possible that developments in the swap markets and/or the laws relating to swap agreements, including potential government regulation, could adversely affect a Fund's ability to benefit from using swap agreements, or could have adverse tax consequences. For more information about potentially changing regulation, see "Developing government regulation of derivatives" below.

Risks of uncleared swaps. Uncleared swaps are typically executed bilaterally with a swap dealer rather than traded on exchanges. As a result, swap participants may not be as protected as participants on organized exchanges. Performance of a swap agreement is the responsibility only of the swap counterparty and not of any exchange or clearinghouse. As a result, a Fund is subject to the risk that a counterparty will be unable or will refuse to perform under such agreement, including because of the counterparty's bankruptcy or insolvency. A Fund risks the loss of the accrued but unpaid amounts under a swap agreement, which could be substantial, in the event of a default, insolvency or bankruptcy by a swap counterparty. In such an event, a Fund will have contractual remedies pursuant to the swap agreements, but bankruptcy and insolvency laws could affect the Fund's rights as a creditor. If the counterparty's creditworthiness declines, the value of a swap agreement would likely decline, potentially resulting in losses. The Adviser will only approve a swap agreement counterparty for a Fund if the Adviser deems the counterparty to be creditworthy under the Fund's Counterparty Credit Review Standards, adopted and reviewed annually by the Board. However, in unusual or extreme market conditions, a counterparty's creditworthiness and ability to perform may deteriorate rapidly, and the availability of suitable replacement counterparties may become limited.

Risks of cleared swaps. As noted above, under recent financial reforms, certain types of swaps are, and others eventually are expected to be, required to be cleared through a central counterparty, which may affect counterparty risk and other risks faced by a Fund.

Central clearing is designed to reduce counterparty credit risk and increase liquidity compared to uncleared swaps because central clearing interposes the central clearinghouse as the counterparty to each participant's swap, but it does not eliminate those risks completely. There is also a risk of loss by a Fund of the initial and variation margin deposits in the event of bankruptcy of the FCM with which the Fund has an open position, or the central counterparty in a swap contract. The assets of a 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 provide accurate reporting, a 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. Credit risk of cleared swap participants is concentrated in a few clearinghouses, and the consequences of insolvency of a clearinghouse are not clear.

With cleared swaps, a Fund may not be able to obtain as favorable terms as it would be able to negotiate for a bilateral, uncleared swap. In addition, an FCM may unilaterally amend the terms of its agreement with a Fund, which may include the imposition of position limits or additional margin requirements with respect to the Fund's investment in certain types of swaps. Central counterparties and FCMs can require termination of existing cleared swap transactions upon the occurrence of certain events, and can also require increases in margin above the margin that is required at the initiation of the swap agreement.
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Finally, a Fund is subject to the risk that, after entering into a cleared swap with an executing broker, no FCM or central counterparty is willing or able to clear the transaction. In such an event, a Fund may be required to break the trade and make an early termination payment to the executing broker.

Combined transactions. A Fund may enter into multiple derivative instruments, and any combination of derivative instruments as part of a single or combined strategy (a "Combined Transaction") when the Adviser believes it is in the best interests of the Fund to do so. A Combined Transaction will usually contain elements of risk that are present in each of its component transactions.

Although Combined Transactions are normally entered into based on the Adviser's judgment that the combined strategies will reduce risk or otherwise more effectively achieve the desired portfolio management goal(s), it is possible that the combination will instead increase such risks or hinder achievement of the portfolio management objective.

Developing government regulation of derivatives. The regulation of cleared and uncleared swaps, as well as other derivatives, is a rapidly changing area of law and is subject to modification by government and judicial action. In addition, the SEC, CFTC and the exchanges are authorized to take extraordinary actions in the event of a market emergency, including, for example, the implementation or reduction of speculative position limits, the implementation of higher margin requirements, the establishment of daily price limits and the suspension of trading.

It is not possible to predict fully the effects of current or future regulation. However, it is possible that developments in government regulation of various types of derivative instruments, such as speculative position limits on certain types of derivatives, or limits or restrictions on the counterparties with which a Fund engages in derivative transactions, may limit or prevent the Fund from using or limit the Fund's use of these instruments effectively as a part of its investment strategy, and could adversely affect the Fund's ability to achieve its investment goal(s). The Adviser will continue to monitor developments in the area, particularly to the extent regulatory changes affect a Fund's ability to enter into desired swap agreements. New requirements, even if not directly applicable to a Fund, may increase the cost of the Fund's investments and cost of doing business.
 
Equity Securities
 
The market price of equity securities may go up or down, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably. Equity securities may decline in value due to factors affecting securities markets generally or particular industries represented in the securities markets. The value of an equity security may decline due to general market conditions not specifically related to a particular company, such as real or perceived adverse economic conditions, changes in the general outlook for corporate earnings, changes in interest or currency rates, or adverse investor sentiment generally. They may also decline due to factors that affect a particular industry or industries, such as labor shortages or increased production costs and competitive conditions within an industry. The value of an equity security may also decline for a number of reasons that directly relate to the issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer's goods or services. Equity securities generally have greater price volatility than fixed income securities, and a Fund is susceptible to these market risks.

Exchange-Traded Notes

The Funds may invest in exchange-traded notes ("ETNs"). ETNs are senior, unsecured, unsubordinated debt securities whose returns are linked to the performance of a particular market benchmark or strategy, minus applicable fees. ETNs are traded on an exchange (e.g., the New York Stock Exchange) during normal trading hours; however, investors can also hold the ETN until maturity. At maturity, the issuer pays to the investor a cash amount equal to the principal amount, subject to the day's market benchmark or strategy factor. ETNs do not make periodic coupon payments or provide principal protection. ETNs are subject to credit risk, including the credit risk of the issuer, and the value of the ETN may drop due to a downgrade in the issuer's credit rating, despite the underlying market benchmark or strategy remaining unchanged. The value of an ETN may also be influenced by time to maturity, level of supply and demand for the ETN, volatility and lack of liquidity in underlying assets, changes in
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the applicable interest rates, changes in the issuer's credit rating, and economic, legal, political, or geographic events that affect the referenced underlying asset. When a Fund invests in ETNs (directly or through its respective Subsidiary), it will bear its proportionate share of any fees and expenses borne by the ETN. A decision by a Fund or its respective Subsidiary to sell ETN holdings may be limited by the availability of a secondary market. In addition, although an ETN may be listed on an exchange, the issuer may not be required to maintain the listing, and there can be no assurance that a secondary market will exist for an ETN.

ETNs are also subject to tax risk. No assurance can be given that the IRS will accept, or a court will uphold, how a Fund or its respective Subsidiary characterizes and treats ETNs for tax purposes. Further, the IRS and Congress are considering proposals that would change the timing and character of income and gains from ETNs.

An ETN that is tied to a specific market benchmark or strategy may not be able to replicate and maintain exactly the composition and relative weighting of securities, commodities or other components in the applicable market benchmark or strategy. Some ETNs that use leverage can, at times, be relatively illiquid, and thus they may be difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price. Leveraged ETNs are subject to the same risk as other instruments that use leverage in any form.

The market value of ETNs may differ from their market benchmark or strategy. This difference in price may be due to the fact that the supply and demand in the market for ETNs at any point in time is not always identical to the supply and demand in the market for the securities, commodities or other components underlying the market benchmark or strategy that the ETN seeks to track. As a result, there may be times when an ETN trades at a premium or discount to its market benchmark or strategy.

Foreign Investments

Certain Risks of Holding Fund Assets Outside the U.S. Foreign securities in which a Fund invests, or to which it obtains exposure through its Subsidiary, as applicable, are generally held outside the U.S. in foreign banks and securities depositories. Each Fund's custodian is the Fund's "foreign custody manager" as provided in Rule 17f-5 under the 1940 Act. The "foreign custody manager" is responsible for determining that a Fund's directly-held foreign assets are subject to reasonable care, based on standards applicable to custodians in relevant foreign markets. However, certain foreign banks and securities depositories may be recently organized or new to the foreign custody business. They may also have operations subject to limited or no regulatory oversight. Also, the laws of certain countries may put limits on a 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. In addition, it likely is more expensive for a Fund to buy, sell and hold securities, or increase or decrease exposures thereto, in certain foreign markets than it is in the U.S. market due to higher brokerage, transaction, custody and/or other costs. The increased expense of investing in foreign markets reduces the amount a Fund can earn on its investments.

Settlement and clearance procedures in certain foreign markets differ significantly from those in the U.S. 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 U.S. and emerging market 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. The problems may make it difficult for a Fund to carry out transactions. If a Fund cannot settle or is delayed in settling a purchase of securities, the Fund may miss attractive investment opportunities and certain of its assets may be uninvested with no return earned thereon for some period. If a Fund cannot settle or is delayed in settling a sale of securities, directly or indirectly, it may lose money if the value of the security then declines or, if it has contracted to sell the security to another party, the Fund could be liable to that party for any losses incurred.

Dividends and interest on, and proceeds from the sale of, foreign securities a Fund holds, or has exposure to, may be subject to foreign withholding or other taxes, and special federal tax considerations may apply.
 
Currency Risk and Exchange Risk. Securities in which a Fund invests, or to which it obtains exposure through its Subsidiary, as applicable, may be denominated or quoted in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Changes in foreign
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currency exchange rates will affect the value of these securities. Generally, when the U.S. dollar rises in value against a foreign currency, an investment in a security denominated in that currency loses value because the currency is worth fewer U.S. dollars. Similarly when the U.S. dollar decreases in value against a foreign currency, an investment in, or exposure to, a security denominated in that currency gains value because the currency is worth more U.S. dollars. This risk is generally known as "currency risk," which is the possibility that a stronger U.S. dollar will reduce returns for U.S. investors investing overseas. Foreign currencies also involve the risk that they are devalued or replaced, adversely affecting a Fund's investments.

Depositary Receipts. The Fund may invest in, or obtain exposure to through its Subsidiary, as applicable, foreign securities by purchasing sponsored and unsponsored depositary receipts, including American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs"), European Depositary Receipts ("EDRs") and Global Depositary Receipts ("GDRs") or other securities convertible into securities of issuers based in foreign countries. These securities may not necessarily be denominated in the same currency as the securities which they represent. Generally, ADRs, in registered form, are denominated in U.S. dollars and are designed for use in the U.S. securities markets, GDRs, in bearer form, are issued and designed for use outside the United States and EDRs (also referred to as Continental Depositary Receipts ("CDRs")), in bearer form, may be denominated in other currencies and are designed for use in European securities markets. ADRs are receipts typically issued by a U.S. bank or trust company evidencing ownership of the underlying securities. EDRs are European receipts evidencing a similar arrangement. GDRs are receipts typically issued by non-United States banks and trust companies that evidence ownership of either foreign or domestic securities. For purposes of a Fund's investment policies, ADRs, GDRs and EDRs are deemed to have the same classification as the underlying securities they represent. Thus, an ADR, GDR or EDR representing ownership of common stock is treated as common stock.

Depositary receipts may reduce some but not eliminate all the risks inherent in investing in the securities of foreign issuers. Depositary receipts are still subject to the political and economic risks of the underlying issuer's country and are still subject to foreign currency exchange risk. In an unsponsored arrangement, the foreign issuer assumes no obligations and the depositary's transaction fees are paid by the depositary holder. Unsponsored depositary receipts may be created without the participation of the foreign issuer. Holders of these receipts generally bear all the costs of the depositary receipt facility, whereas foreign issuers typically bear certain costs in a sponsored depositary receipt. The bank or trust company depositary of an unsponsored depositary receipt may be under no obligation to distribute shareholder communications received from the foreign issuer or to pass through voting rights. Accordingly, available information concerning the issuer may not be current, and the prices of unsponsored depositary receipts may be more volatile than the prices of sponsored depositary receipts. In addition, the issuers of securities underlying unsponsored depositary receipts may be subject to less stringent government supervision. If a Fund's investment depends on obligations being met by the arranger as well as the issuer of an unsponsored program, the Fund will be exposed to additional credit risk.

Foreign Economy Risk. The economies of certain foreign markets often do not compare favorably with that of the U.S. with respect to such issues as growth of gross domestic product, reinvestment of capital, resources, and balance of payments positions. Certain foreign economies may rely heavily on particular industries or foreign capital and are more vulnerable to diplomatic developments, the imposition of economic sanctions against a particular country or countries, changes in international trading patterns, trade barriers, and other protectionist or retaliatory measures. Investments in foreign markets may also be adversely affected by governmental actions such as the imposition of capital controls, nationalization of companies or industries, expropriation of assets, or the imposition of punitive taxes. In addition, the governments of certain countries may prohibit or impose substantial restrictions on foreign investing in their capital markets or in certain industries. Any of these actions could severely affect security prices, impair a Fund's ability to purchase or sell foreign securities, or obtain exposure to them through its Subsidiary, as applicable, transfer the Fund's assets back into the U.S., or otherwise adversely affect the Fund's operations. Other foreign market risks include foreign exchange controls, difficulties in pricing securities, defaults on foreign government securities, difficulties in enforcing favorable legal judgments in foreign courts, and political and social instability. Legal remedies available to investors in certain foreign countries may be less extensive than those available to investors in the U.S. or other foreign countries. Foreign corporate governance may not be as robust as in the U.S. As a result, protections for minority investors may not be strong, which could affect security prices.
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Foreign governmental and supranational debt. Investments in debt securities of governmental or supranational issuers are subject to all the risks associated with investments in U.S. and foreign securities and certain additional risks. Foreign government debt securities, sometimes known as sovereign debt securities, include debt securities issued, sponsored or guaranteed by: governments or governmental agencies, instrumentalities, or political subdivisions located in emerging or developed market countries; government owned, controlled or sponsored entities located in emerging or developed market countries; and entities organized and operated for the purpose of restructuring the investment characteristics of instruments issued by any of the above issuers.

A supranational entity is a bank, commission or company established or financially supported by the national governments of one or more countries to promote reconstruction, trade, harmonization of standards or laws, economic development, and humanitarian, political or environmental initiatives. Supranational debt obligations include: Brady Bonds (which are debt securities issued under the framework of the Brady Plan as a means for debtor nations to restructure their outstanding external indebtedness); participations in loans between emerging market governments and financial institutions; and debt securities issued by supranational entities such as the World Bank, Asia Development Bank, European Investment Bank and the European Economic Community.

Foreign government debt securities are subject to risks in addition to those relating to debt securities generally. Governmental issuers of foreign debt securities may be unwilling or unable to pay interest and repay principal, or otherwise meet obligations, when due and may require that the conditions for payment be renegotiated. As a sovereign entity, the issuing government may be immune from lawsuits in the event of its failure or refusal to pay the obligations when due. The debtor's willingness or ability to repay in a timely manner may be affected by, among other factors, its cash flow situation, the extent of its non-U.S. reserves, the availability of sufficient non-U.S. exchange on the date a payment is due, the relative size of the debt service burden to the issuing country's economy as a whole, the sovereign debtor's policy toward principal international lenders, such as the International Monetary Fund or the World Bank, and the political considerations or constraints to which the sovereign debtor may be subject. Governmental debtors also will be dependent on expected disbursements from foreign governments or multinational agencies and the country's access to, or balance of, trade. Some governmental debtors have in the past been able to reschedule or restructure their debt payments without the approval of debt holders or declare moratoria on payments, and similar occurrences may happen in the future. There is no bankruptcy proceeding by which the Fund may collect in whole or in part on debt subject to default by a government.

In addition to investing directly in foreign government securities, a Fund may purchase certificates of accrual or similar instruments evidencing undivided ownership interests in interest payments and/or principal payments of foreign government securities. Certificates of accrual and similar instruments may be more volatile than other government securities.

Foreign Market Risk. Foreign security investment or exposure involves special risks not present in U.S. investments that can increase the chances that a Fund will lose money. These risks are higher for emerging markets investments, which can be subject to greater social, economic, regulatory and political uncertainties, and may have significantly less liquidity, than developed markets. In particular, a Fund is subject to the risk that because there are generally fewer investors on foreign exchanges and a smaller number of shares traded each day, it may be difficult for the Fund to buy and sell securities, or increase or decrease exposures, on those exchanges. In addition, prices of foreign securities may fluctuate more than prices of securities traded in the U.S.

In 2016, the United Kingdom ("UK") voted via referendum to leave the European Union ("EU"). Uncertainty relating to the potential consequences and precise timeframe for the exit, how negotiations for the withdrawal and new trade agreements will be conducted and whether the UK's exit will increase the likelihood of other countries also departing the EU may increase market volatility across the global economy. During this period of uncertainty, the negative impact on not only the UK and European economies but the broader global economy could be significant, potentially resulting in increased volatility and illiquidity and lower economic growth for companies that rely significantly on Europe for their business activities and revenues. Any further exits from the EU, or the possibility of such exits, would likely cause additional market disruption globally and introduce new legal and regulatory uncertainties.
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Governmental Supervision and Regulation/Accounting Standards. Many foreign governments supervise and regulate stock exchanges, brokers and the sale of securities to a lesser extent than the U.S. government. Some countries may not have laws to protect investors the way that the U.S. securities laws do. Accounting standards in other countries are not necessarily the same as in the U.S. If the accounting standards in another country do not require as much disclosure or detail as U.S. accounting standards, it may be harder to completely and accurately determine a company's financial condition.
 
Illiquid Securities
 
The Funds may purchase illiquid securities, including securities that are not readily marketable and securities that are not registered ("restricted securities") under the 1933 Act, but which can be sold to qualified institutional buyers under Rule 144A under the 1933 Act. A Fund will not invest more than 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities. The term "illiquid securities" for this purpose means securities that cannot be disposed of within seven days in the ordinary course of business at approximately the amount at which a Fund has valued the securities. Under the current guidelines of the staff of the SEC, illiquid securities also are considered to include, among other securities, purchased OTC options, certain cover for OTC options, repurchase agreements with maturities in excess of seven days, and certain securities whose disposition is restricted under the Federal securities laws, such as where a Fund has obtained material, non-public information about a security it holds. The Funds may not be able to sell illiquid securities when the Adviser considers it desirable to do so or may have to sell such securities at a price that is lower than the price that could be obtained if the securities were more liquid. In addition, the sale of illiquid securities also may require more time and may result in higher dealer discounts and other selling expenses than does the sale of securities that are not illiquid. Illiquid securities also may be more difficult to value due to the unavailability of reliable market quotations for such securities, and investments in illiquid securities may have an adverse impact on NAV.

Institutional markets for restricted securities have developed as a result of the promulgation of Rule 144A under the 1933 Act, which provides a safe harbor from 1933 Act registration requirements for qualifying sales to institutional investors. When Rule 144A restricted securities present an attractive investment opportunity and otherwise meet selection criteria, a Fund may make such investments. Whether or not such securities are illiquid depends on the market that exists for the particular security. The staff of the SEC has taken the position that the liquidity of Rule 144A restricted securities is a question of fact for a board of trustees to determine, such determination to be based on a consideration of the readily-available trading markets and the review of any contractual restrictions. The staff also has acknowledged that, while a board of trustees retains ultimate responsibility, trustees may delegate this function to an investment adviser. The Board has delegated to the Adviser this responsibility for determining the liquidity of Rule 144A restricted securities in which a Fund may invest. It is not possible to predict with assurance exactly how the market for Rule 144A restricted securities or any other security will develop. A security which when purchased enjoyed a fair degree of marketability may subsequently become illiquid. In such event, appropriate remedies are considered to minimize the effect on a Fund's liquidity.
 
Investments in Other Investment Companies
 
The Funds may invest in the securities of other investment companies to the extent that such an investment would be consistent with the requirements of Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act, or any rule, regulation or order of the SEC or interpretation thereof. Generally, the Funds may invest in the securities of another investment company (the "acquired company") provided that a 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. In addition, Section 12(d)(1)(B) prohibits another investment company from selling its shares to a Fund if, after the sale (i) the Fund owns more than 3% of the other investment company's voting stock or (ii) the Fund and other investment companies, and companies controlled by them, own more than 10% of the voting stock of such other investment company. The foregoing limits do not apply to a Fund's investments in money market funds or by Funds in an investment company that is part of the same group of investment companies as the Fund.
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As a matter of policy, however, a Fund will not purchase shares of any registered open-end investment company or registered unit investment trust, in reliance on Section 12(d)(1)(F) or (G) (the "fund of funds" provisions) of the 1940 Act, at any time the Fund has knowledge that its shares are purchased by another investment company investor in reliance on the provisions of subparagraph (G) of Section 12(d)(1).

If a 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 and allowances discussed above, a Fund may invest in several different types of investment companies from time to time, including exchange-traded funds ("ETFs"), closed-end funds, foreign investment companies and business development companies ("BDCs"). A Fund may elect to invest in another investment company when such an investment presents a more efficient investment option than buying securities individually.

Investment companies may include index-based investments, such as ETFs that hold substantially all of their assets in securities representing a specific index. The main risk of investing in index-based investments is the same as investing in a portfolio of equity securities comprising the index. The market prices of index-based investments will fluctuate in accordance with both changes in the market value of their underlying portfolio securities and due to supply and demand for the instruments on the exchanges on which they are traded (which may result in their trading at a discount or premium to their NAVs). Index-based investments may not replicate exactly the performance of their specific index because of transaction costs and because of the temporary unavailability of certain component securities of the index, or strategy used to track the index.

The Funds also may invest in private investment funds, vehicles, or structures. Such investments are generally considered to be illiquid. To the extent that such investments are determined to be illiquid, they will be subject to the Funds' 15% limitation on investments in illiquid securities. See "Illiquid Securities."

Exchange-Traded Funds.  Most ETFs are regulated as registered investment companies under the 1940 Act. Many ETFs acquire and hold securities of all of the companies or other issuers, or a representative sampling of companies or other issuers that are components of a particular index, as discussed above. Such ETFs are intended to provide investment results that, before expenses, generally correspond to the price and yield performance of the corresponding market index, and the value of their shares should, under normal circumstances, closely track the value of the index's underlying component securities. Because an ETF has operating expenses and transaction costs, while a market index does not, ETFs that track particular indices typically will be unable to match the performance of the index exactly. ETF shares may be purchased and sold in the secondary trading market on a securities exchange, in lots of any size, at any time during the trading day. More recently, actively managed ETFs have been created that are managed similarly to other investment companies.

The shares of an ETF may be assembled in a block (typically 50,000 shares) known as a creation unit and redeemed in kind for a portfolio of the underlying securities (based on the ETF's net asset value) together with a cash payment generally equal to accumulated dividends as of the date of redemption. Conversely, a creation unit may be purchased from the ETF by depositing a specified portfolio of the ETF's underlying securities, as well as a cash payment generally equal to accumulated dividends of the securities (net of expenses) up to the time of deposit. ETF shares, as opposed to creation units, are generally purchased and sold in a secondary market on a securities exchange. ETF shares can be traded in lots of any size, at any time during the trading day. Although the Fund, like most other investors in ETFs, intends to purchase and sell ETF shares primarily in the secondary trading market, the Fund may redeem creation units for the underlying securities (and any applicable cash), and may assemble a portfolio of the underlying securities and use it (and any required cash) to purchase creation units, if the Adviser believes it is in the Fund's best interest to do so. An investment in an ETF is subject to all of the risks of investing in the securities held
29

by the ETF and has similar risks as investing in a closed-end fund. In addition, because of the ability of large market participants to arbitrage price differences by purchasing or redeeming creation units, the difference between the market value and the net asset value of ETF shares should in most cases be small. An ETF may be terminated and need to liquidate its portfolio securities at a time when the prices for those securities are falling.

Investment in Wholly Owned Subsidiary

Each Fund may invest up to 25% of its total assets in its respective wholly owned and controlled Subsidiary, which is expected to invest primarily in commodity futures, forwards and swaps; financial futures; options and swap contracts; fixed income securities; and other investments intended to serve as margin or collateral for a Subsidiary's derivative positions. As a result, the Funds may be considered to be investing indirectly in these investments through their respective Subsidiary.

A Subsidiary will not be registered under the 1940 Act but will be subject to certain of the investor protections of that Act. The Funds, as sole shareholders of their respective Subsidiary, will not have all of the protections offered to investors in registered investment companies. However, since the Funds wholly own and control their respective Subsidiary, and the Funds and their respective Subsidiaries are managed by the Adviser, it is unlikely that the Subsidiaries will take action contrary to the interests of the Funds or their shareholders. The Funds' Trustees have oversight responsibility for the investment activities of the Funds, including their investments in their respective Subsidiary, and the Funds' role as sole shareholder of their respective Subsidiary. Also, in managing their respective Subsidiary's portfolio, the Adviser will be subject to the same operational guidelines that apply to the management of the Funds.

Changes in the laws of the United States and/or the Cayman Islands, under which the Funds and their respective Subsidiaries are organized, could result in the inability of the Funds or their respective Subsidiary to operate as described in this SAI and could negatively affect the Funds and their shareholders. For example, the government of the Cayman Islands does not currently impose any income, corporate or capital gains tax, estate duty, inheritance tax, gift tax or withholding tax on the Subsidiaries. If Cayman Islands law changes such that the Subsidiaries must pay Cayman Islands taxes, the Funds' shareholders would likely suffer decreased investment returns.

Real Estate Investment Trusts

A Fund may obtain exposure to real estate investment trusts ("REITs"), including through its investments in its Subsidiary, as applicable. A REIT is a company that pools investor funds to invest primarily in income producing real estate or real estate related loans or interests. REITs are not taxed on net income distributed to their shareholders if, among other things, they distribute substantially all of their taxable income (other than net capital gains) for each taxable year.

Because REITs have ongoing fees and expenses, which may include management, operating and administration expenses, REIT shareholders, including a Fund, will indirectly bear a proportionate share of those expenses, in addition to the expenses of the Fund's Subsidiary.

A Fund also may be subject to certain risks associated with the direct investments of the REITs. REITs may be affected by changes in their underlying properties and by defaults by borrowers or tenants. Mortgage REITs may be affected by the quality of the credit extended. Furthermore, REITs are dependent on specialized management skills. Some REITs may have limited diversification and may be subject to risks inherent in financing a limited number of properties. REITs depend generally on their ability to generate cash flow to make distributions to shareholders or unitholders, and may be subject to defaults by borrowers and to self-liquidations. In addition, the performance of a REIT may be affected by its failure to qualify for tax-free pass-through of income under the Code, including regulations thereunder and IRS interpretations or similar authority upon which a Fund may rely or its failure to maintain exemption from registration under the 1940 Act.
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Repurchase Agreements
Each Fund may enter into repurchase agreements with financial institutions in pursuit of its investment objective, as "cover" for the investment techniques it employs, or for liquidity purposes. Under a repurchase agreement, a Fund purchases a debt security and simultaneously agrees to sell the security back to the seller at a mutually agreed-upon future price and date, normally one day or a few days later. The resale price is greater than the purchase price, reflecting an agreed-upon market interest rate during the purchaser's holding period. The Funds follow certain procedures designed to minimize the risks inherent in such agreements. These procedures include effecting repurchase transactions only with large, well-capitalized and well-established financial institutions whose condition is continually monitored by the Adviser. In addition, the value of the collateral underlying the repurchase agreement will always be at least equal to the repurchase price, including any accrued interest earned on the repurchase agreement.

In the event of a default or bankruptcy by a selling financial institution, a Fund will seek to liquidate such collateral which could involve certain costs or delays and, to the extent that proceeds from any sale upon a default of the obligation to repurchase were less than the repurchase price, the Fund could suffer a loss. A Fund also may experience difficulties and incur certain costs in exercising its rights to the collateral and may lose the interest the Fund expected to receive under the repurchase agreement.

Repurchase agreements usually are for short periods, such as one week or less, but may be longer. It is the current policy of the Funds not to invest in repurchase agreements that do not mature within seven days if any such investment, together with any other illiquid assets held by a Fund, amounts to more than 15% of the Fund's total net assets.
 
Reverse Repurchase Agreements
The Funds may use reverse repurchase agreements as part of their investment strategies. Reverse repurchase agreements involve sales by a Fund of portfolio assets concurrently with an agreement by the Fund to repurchase the same assets at a later date at a fixed price. Generally, the effect of such a transaction is that a Fund can recover all or most of the cash invested in the portfolio securities involved during the term of the reverse repurchase agreement, while the Fund is able to keep the interest income associated with those portfolio securities. Such transactions are advantageous only if the interest cost to the Fund of the reverse repurchase transaction is less than the cost of obtaining the cash otherwise. Opportunities to achieve this advantage may not always be available, and a Fund intends to use the reverse repurchase technique only when the Adviser believes it is to the Fund's advantage to do so. A Fund will earmark or segregate cash or liquid instruments equal in value to the Fund's obligations in respect of reverse repurchase agreements.
 
U.S. Government Securities
The Funds also may invest in U.S. government securities in pursuit of their investment objectives, as "cover" for the investment techniques these Funds employ, or for liquidity purposes. U.S. government securities include U.S. Treasury securities, which are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury and which differ only in their interest rates, maturities, and times of issuance. U.S. Treasury bills have initial maturities of one year or less; U.S. Treasury notes have initial maturities of one to ten years; and U.S. Treasury bonds generally have initial maturities of greater than ten years. Certain U.S. government securities are issued or guaranteed by agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. government including, but not limited to, obligations of U.S. government agencies or instrumentalities, such as the Federal National Mortgage Association, the Government National Mortgage Association, the Small Business Administration, the Federal Farm Credit Administration, the Federal Home Loan Banks, Banks for Cooperatives (including the Central Bank for Cooperatives), the Federal Land Banks, the Federal Intermediate Credit Banks, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Export-Import Bank of the United States, the Commodity Credit Corporation, the Federal Financing Bank, and the National Credit Union Administration. Some obligations issued or guaranteed by U.S. government agencies and instrumentalities, including, for example, Government National Mortgage Association pass-through certificates, are supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury. Other obligations issued by or guaranteed by Federal agencies, such as those securities issued by the Federal National Mortgage Association, are supported by the discretionary authority of the U.S. government to
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purchase certain obligations of the federal agency but are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government, while other obligations issued by or guaranteed by federal agencies, such as those of the Federal Home Loan Banks, are supported by the right of the issuer to borrow from the U.S. Treasury.

While the U.S. government provides financial support to such U.S. government-sponsored Federal agencies, no assurance can be given that the U.S. government will always do so, since the U.S. government is not so obligated by law. U.S. Treasury notes and bonds typically pay coupon interest semi-annually and repay the principal at maturity.

Yields on U.S. government securities are dependent on a variety of factors, including the general conditions of the money and bond markets, the size of a particular offering, and the maturity of the obligation. Debt securities with longer maturities tend to produce higher yields and are generally subject to potentially greater capital appreciation and depreciation than obligations with shorter maturities and lower yields. The market value of U.S. government securities generally varies inversely with changes in market interest rates. An increase in interest rates, therefore, would generally reduce the market value of a Fund's portfolio investments in U.S. government securities, while a decline in interest rates would generally increase the market value of a Fund's portfolio investments in these securities. Given the historically low interest rate environment, risks associated with rising rates are heightened.
 
When-Issued and Delayed-Delivery Securities
The Funds may purchase securities on a when-issued or delayed-delivery basis (i.e., delivery and payment can take place between a month and 120 days after the date of the transaction). These securities are subject to market fluctuations and no interest accrues to the purchaser during this period. At the time a Fund makes the commitment to purchase securities on a when-issued or delayed-delivery basis, the Fund will record the transaction and thereafter reflect the value of the securities, each day, in determining the Fund's NAV. A Fund will not purchase securities on a when-issued or delayed delivery basis if, as a result, more than 15% of the Fund's net assets would be so invested. At the time of delivery of the securities, the value of the securities may be more or less than the purchase price. A Fund will earmark or segregate cash or liquid instruments equal to or greater in value than the Fund's purchase commitments for such when-issued or delayed-delivery securities.

Temporary Investments

Each Fund may invest a portion of its assets in affiliated money market funds or in the types of money market instruments in which those funds would invest or other short-term U.S. Government securities for cash management purposes. Each Fund may invest up to 100% of its assets in investments that may be inconsistent with the Fund's principal investment strategies for temporary defensive purposes in anticipation of or in response to adverse market, economic, political or other conditions, or atypical circumstances such as unusually large cash inflows or redemptions. As a result, a Fund may not achieve its investment objective.

Cybersecurity Risk
A Fund and its service providers may be prone to operational and information security risks resulting from cyber-attacks. Cyber-attacks include, among other behaviors, stealing or corrupting data maintained online or digitally, denial of service attacks on websites, the unauthorized release of confidential information or various other forms of cybersecurity breaches. Cyber-attacks affecting a Fund or the Adviser, custodian, transfer agent, intermediaries or other third-party service providers may adversely impact the Fund. For instance, cyber-attacks may interfere with the processing of shareholder transactions, impact a Fund's ability to calculate NAV, cause the release of private shareholder information or confidential business information, impede trading, subject the Fund to regulatory fines or financial losses and/or cause reputational damage. A Fund may also incur additional costs for cybersecurity risk management purposes. While a Fund's service providers have established business continuity plans, there are inherent limitations in such plans and systems, including the possibility that certain risks have not been identified. Furthermore, a Fund cannot control the cybersecurity plans and systems put in place by its service providers or any other third parties whose operations may affect the Fund or its shareholders. Similar types of cybersecurity risks are also present for issuers or securities in which a Fund may invest, which could result in material adverse consequences for such issuers and may cause the Fund's investment in such companies to lose value.
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INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS
Each Fund has adopted certain investment restrictions as fundamental policies which cannot be changed without the approval of the holders of a "majority" of the outstanding voting securities of that Fund, as that term is defined in the 1940 Act. As defined in the 1940 Act, the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities means the lesser of: (i) 67% or more of the voting securities of the series present at a duly called meeting of shareholders, if the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund are present or represented by proxy; or (ii) more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities of the series. (All policies of a Fund not specifically identified in this SAI or the Prospectus as fundamental may be changed without a vote of the shareholders of the Fund, upon approval of a majority of the Trustees.) For purposes of the following limitations, all percentage limitations apply immediately after a purchase or initial investment.
 
 
1.
The Fund may not borrow money, except to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder and any applicable exemptive relief.
 
2.
The Fund may not issue senior securities, except to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder and any applicable exemptive relief.
 
3.
The Fund may not engage in the business of underwriting securities, except to the extent that the Fund may be considered an underwriter within the meaning of the 1933 Act in the acquisition, disposition or resale of its portfolio securities or in connection with investments in other investment companies, or to the extent otherwise permitted under the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder and any applicable exemptive relief.
 
4.
The Fund may not purchase or sell real estate, except: (i) to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder and any applicable exemptive relief; and (ii) that it may invest in securities or other instruments directly or indirectly secured by real estate and invest in securities or other instruments issued by issuers that invest in real estate.
 
5.
The Fund may not purchase or sell physical commodities except to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act or other governing statute, by the rules thereunder, or by the SEC or other regulatory agency with authority over the Fund.
 
6.
The Fund may not make loans, except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder and any applicable exemptive relief.
 
7.
The Fund will not concentrate (i.e., hold more than 25% of its assets in the stocks of a single industry or group of industries) its investments in issuers (excluding investment companies) of one or more particular industries.
 
Except with respect to borrowing, if a percentage limitation is satisfied at the time of investment, a later increase or decrease in such percentage resulting from a change in the value of a Fund's investments will not constitute a violation of such limitation. Thus, a Fund may continue to hold a security even though it causes the Fund to exceed a percentage limitation because of fluctuation in the value of the Fund's assets, except that any borrowing by a Fund that exceeds the fundamental investment limitations stated above must be reduced to meet such limitations within the period required by the 1940 Act or the relevant rules, regulations or interpretations thereunder.

For purposes of the limitation on industry concentration, securities of the U.S. government (including its agencies and instrumentalities) and tax-free securities of state or municipal governments and their political subdivisions (and repurchase agreements collateralized by government securities) are not considered to be issued by members of any industry.
33

PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS AND BROKERAGE
Portfolio transactions may be implemented through in-kind or partial cash transactions for Creation Units; the Adviser will execute brokerage transactions for the Funds and the Funds will incur brokerage commissions, particularly until the Funds achieve scale.
 
Subject to the general supervision of the Board of Trustees, the Adviser is responsible for decisions to buy and sell securities for each of the Funds, the selection of brokers and dealers to effect the transactions, and the negotiation of brokerage commissions, if any. The Adviser expects that the Funds may execute brokerage or other agency transactions through registered broker-dealers, who receive compensation for their services, in conformity with the 1940 Act, the 1934 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder. Compensation may also be paid in connection with riskless principal transactions (in NASDAQ or OTC securities and securities listed on an exchange) and agency NASDAQ or OTC transactions executed with an electronic communications network or an alternative trading system. The overall reasonableness of brokerage commissions is evaluated by the Adviser based upon its knowledge of available information as to the general level of commissions paid by other institutional investors for comparable services.

The Adviser may serve as an investment manager to and may place portfolio transactions on behalf of other clients, including other investment companies. It is the practice of the Adviser to cause purchase and sale transactions to be allocated among the Funds and others whose assets the Adviser manages in such manner as the Adviser deems equitable. Orders are placed at the end of the trading day in separate baskets for a Fund (orders for the same securities on the same side of the market are not aggregated). If an order is partially filled and the security is being traded for more than one Fund, the main factors considered by the Adviser in making allocations to a Fund is its respective investment objective and the order size of the Fund with respect to the relevant security.

The policy of the Funds regarding purchases and sales of securities for a Fund's portfolio is that primary consideration is 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 Funds' policy is to pay commissions that are considered fair and reasonable without necessarily determining that the lowest possible commissions are paid in all circumstances. The Funds believe that a requirement always to seek the lowest possible commission cost could impede effective portfolio management and preclude a Fund and the Adviser from obtaining a high quality of brokerage (and potentially research) services. In seeking to determine the reasonableness of brokerage commissions paid in any transaction, the Adviser relies upon their experience and knowledge regarding commissions generally charged by various brokers and on its judgment in evaluating the brokerage and research 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.

Purchases and sales of U.S. government securities are normally transacted through issuers, underwriters or major dealers in U.S. government securities acting as principals. Such transactions are made on a net basis and do not involve payment of brokerage commissions. The cost of securities purchased from an underwriter usually includes a commission paid by the issuer to the underwriters; transactions with dealers normally reflect the spread between bid and asked prices.

In seeking to implement the Funds' policies, the Adviser effects transactions with those brokers and dealers that the Adviser believes to provide the most favorable prices and are capable of providing efficient executions. If the Adviser believes such prices and executions are obtainable from more than one broker or dealer, the Adviser may give consideration to placing portfolio transactions with those brokers and dealers who also furnish research and other services to the Funds and Adviser. Such services may include, but are not limited to, any one or more of the following: qualifying order management systems, portfolio attribution and monitoring services and computer software and access charges which are directly related to investment research. If the broker-dealer providing these additional services is acting as a principal for its own account, no commissions would be payable. If the broker-dealer is not a principal, a higher commission may be justified, at the determination of the Adviser, for the additional services. The information and services received by the Adviser from brokers and dealers may be of benefit to the Adviser in the management of accounts of some of the Adviser's other clients and may not in all cases benefit a Fund directly. While the receipt of such information and services is useful in varying degrees and would generally reduce the amount of research or services otherwise performed by the Adviser and thereby reduce the Adviser's expenses, this information and these services are of indeterminable value and the management fee paid to the Adviser is not reduced by any amount that may be attributable to the value of such information and services.

34

The Adviser does not consider sales of Shares as a factor in the selection of broker-dealers to execute portfolio transactions.

Securities of "Regular Broker-Dealers"

The Funds are required to identify any securities of its "regular brokers and dealers" (as such term is defined in the 1940 Act) that they may hold at the end of their 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. As of the date of this SAI, the Funds did not hold any shares of regular broker-dealers.

Portfolio Turnover

A Fund's portfolio turnover may vary from year to year, as well as within a year. A high portfolio turnover rate (for example, over 100%) may result in transaction costs to a Fund, including brokerage commissions and other transaction costs. The performance of a Fund could be negatively impacted by the increased costs. In addition, rapid portfolio turnover exposes shareholders to the possibility of a higher current realization of short-term capital gains in excess of short-term capital losses, distributions of which would generally be taxed to a shareholder as ordinary income and thus cause the shareholder to pay higher taxes. However, utilizing the creation and redemption in-kind mechanism, the Funds will seek to minimize capital gains to the extent possible.

"Portfolio Turnover Rate" is defined under the rules of the SEC as the lesser of the value of the securities purchased or securities sold, excluding all securities whose maturities at time of acquisition were one year or less, divided by the average monthly value of such securities owned during the year. Based on this definition, instruments with remaining maturities of less than one year are excluded from the calculation of Portfolio Turnover Rate. Instruments excluded from the calculation of portfolio turnover generally would include future contracts, swap agreements and option contracts in which the Funds invest since such contracts generally have a remaining maturity of less than one year. In addition, the calculation of portfolio turnover does not include portfolio securities involved in in-kind transactions for Creation Units.

The Funds are newly organized and, as of the date of this SAI, have not had any portfolio turnover.

MANAGEMENT OF TRUST
Trustees and Officers
 
The business and affairs of the Trust are managed by its officers under the oversight of its Board. The Board sets broad policies for the Trust and may appoint Trust officers. The Board oversees the performance of the Adviser and the Trust's other service providers.

One Trustee and all of the officers of the Trust are directors, officers or employees of the Adviser. The other Trustees are Independent Trustees. The fund complex includes all Funds advised by the Adviser ("Fund Complex").

The Trustees, their year of birth, term of office and length of time served, their principal business occupations during the past five years, the number of portfolios in the Fund Complex overseen and other directorships, if any, held by each Trustee, are shown below. The officers, their year of birth, term of office and length of time served and their principal business occupations during the past five years, are shown below. Unless noted otherwise, the address of each Trustee and each officer is: c/o Gadsden ETF Trust, Eight Tower Bridge, 161 Washington Street, Suite 580, Conshohocken, PA 19428.
35

 
Name, Address*, Year of Birth
 
Position(s)
Held with Trust
 
Term of Office**
and Length of Time Served
 
Principal Occupation(s)
During Past 5 Years
 
Number of
Funds in Fund Complex Overseen by Trustee
 
Other
Directorships Held by Trustee
                     
Independent Trustees
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
                     
                     
 
 
 
 
 
 
Interested Trustee***
                   
                     
 

* Each Independent Trustee may be contacted by writing to the Independent Trustees of Gadsden ETF Trust, Eight Tower Bridge, 161 Washington Street, Suite 580, Conshohocken, PA 19428.
** Each Trustee serves until his or her successor is duly elected or appointed and qualified.
*** [___] is considered to be an interested person of the Trust because of [his/her] relationship with the Adviser.
 
Officers
 
 
 
Name, Address, Year of Birth
 
Position(s) Held
with Trust
 
Term of Office* and Length of Time Served
 
Principal Occupation(s) During the Past 5 Years
 

* Each officer serves until his successor is duly elected or appointed and qualified.

Trustee Ownership of Fund Shares
Because the Funds are newly organized, none of the Trustees own Shares of the Funds as of the date of this SAI.

Qualification of Trustees
The following provides information additional to that set forth in the table above regarding other relevant qualifications, experience, attributes or skills applicable to each Trustee.

[_____]

The Board has determined that each Trustee on an individual basis and in combination with the other Trustees is qualified to serve, and should serve, on the Board. To make this determination the Board considered a variety of criteria, none of which in isolation was controlling. Among other things, the Board considered each Trustee's experience, qualifications, attributes and skills.  

Board Structure
The Board is responsible for establishing the Trust's policies and for overseeing the management of the Trust and the Funds. The Board elects the officers of the Trust, who, along with third party service providers, are responsible for administering the day-to-day operations of the Trust. The Board is comprised of [#] Independent Trustees that are not considered to be "interested persons" by reason of their relationship with the Trust's management or otherwise as defined under the 1940 Act and one Interested Trustee who is affiliated with the Adviser. Each Trustee serves until his or her death, resignation, removal, retirement or inability otherwise to serve.
36

The Board has determined that this leadership structure is appropriate given the size, function and nature of the Trust, as well as the Board's oversight responsibilities. The Board believes this structure will help ensure that proper consideration is given at Board meetings to matters deemed important to the Trust and its shareholders. The Board will hold four regularly scheduled meetings each year. At each such meeting, the Independent Trustees will meet in executive session to discuss matters outside the presence of management. In addition, the Independent Trustees may also hold special meetings, as needed, either in person or by telephone.

The Nominating and Governance Committee of the Board annually evaluates the performance of the Board, taking into account such factors as it may deem appropriate. These factors may include attendance at Board and Committee meetings; preparation for and participation in Board and Committee meetings; and diligence in keeping abreast of industry and regulatory developments.

The Board oversees the performance of the Adviser and the Trust's other service providers. As part of its oversight function, the Board monitors the Adviser's risk management, including, as applicable, their management of investment, compliance and operational risks, through the receipt of periodic reports and presentations. The Board receives reports from such parties at least quarterly, including, but not limited to, investment and/or performance reports, distribution reports, Rule 12b-1 reports, valuation and internal controls reports. Similarly, the Board receives quarterly reports from the CCO, including, but not limited to, a report on the Trust's compliance program, and the Independent Trustees have an opportunity to meet separately each quarter with the CCO. The CCO typically provides the Board with updates regarding the Trust's compliance policies and procedures, including any enhancements to them. The Board expects all parties, including, but not limited to, the Adviser, service providers and the CCO, to inform the Board on an intra-quarter basis if a material issue arises that requires the Board's oversight.

The Board generally exercises its oversight as a whole, but has delegated certain oversight functions to an Audit Committee. The function of the Audit Committee is discussed in detail below.
 
Committees

The Board currently has two standing committees: an Audit Committee and a Nominating and Governance Committee. Currently, each Independent Trustee serves on each of these committees.

The purposes of the Audit Committee are to: (1) oversee generally the Funds' accounting and financial reporting policies and practices, their internal controls and, as appropriate, the internal controls of certain service providers; (2) oversee the quality, integrity, and objectivity of the Funds' financial statements and the independent audit thereof; (3) assist the full Board with its oversight of the Trust's compliance with legal and regulatory requirements that relate to the Funds' accounting and financial reporting, internal controls and independent audits; (4) approve, prior to appointment, the engagement of the Trust's independent auditors and, in connection therewith, to review and evaluate the qualifications, independence and performance of the Trust's independent auditors; and (5) act as a liaison between the Trust's independent auditors and the full Board.

The Nominating and Governance Committee has the responsibility, among other things, to assist the Board in: (i) identifying and recommending, and considering shareholder recommendations, for nominations for Board members; (ii) determining the composition of the Board and its Committees; (iii) monitoring the process to assess Board effectiveness; and (iv) developing and implementing the Funds' governance policies.

While the Nominating and Governance Committee is solely responsible for the selection and nomination of Trustee candidates, the Nominating and Governance Committee may consider nominees recommended by Fund shareholders. The Nominating and Governance Committee will consider recommendations for nominees from shareholders sent to the Secretary of the Trust, c/o Gadsden ETF Trust, Eight Tower Bridge, 161 Washington Street, Suite 580, Conshohocken, PA 19428. A nomination submission must include all information relating to the recommended nominee that is required to be disclosed in solicitations or proxy statements for the election of Trustees, as well as information sufficient to evaluate the individual's qualifications. Nomination submissions must
37


be accompanied by a written consent of the individual to stand for election if nominated by the Board and to serve if elected by the shareholders, and such additional information must be provided regarding the recommended nominee as reasonably requested by the Nominating and Governance Committee. Because the Trust does not hold annual shareholder meetings, there is no guarantee that a nominee will be submitted for election in a particular year. Nominations will only be maintained by the Trust for a period from one year of receipt and will be considered by the Nominating and Governance Committee for any shareholder meetings held during that year for the election of Trustees.
 
Compensation of Trustees and Officers
No Trustee or officer of the Trust who is also an officer or employee of the Adviser receives any compensation from the Trust for services to the Trust. The Trust pays each Independent Trustee a [$__] annual retainer fee, together with a [$__] per meeting fee for attendance at Board meetings ([$__] per meeting held via telephone). The chairperson of the Audit Committee receives an additional fee from the Trust of [$__] per year. The chairperson of the Nominating and Governance Committee receives an additional fee from the Trust of [$__] per year. All Trustees are reimbursed for their travel expenses and other reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with attending Board meetings. The Trust does not accrue pension or retirement benefits as part of the Funds' expenses, and Trustees are not entitled to benefits upon retirement from the Board. These fees are payable by the Trust but are subject to the Adviser's unified management fee, as discussed below under "Information About Adviser — Investment Advisory Agreement."

Because the Funds are newly organized, none of the Trustees has received compensation from the Trust as of the date of this SAI.
 
Control Persons and Principal Holders of Securities
As of the date of this SAI, the Funds have no Shares outstanding.

INFORMATION ABOUT THE ADVISER
Investment Adviser
Gadsden, LLC acts as the Funds' investment adviser pursuant to the investment advisory agreement between Gadsden and the Trust (the "Advisory Agreement"). The Adviser is organized as a Delaware limited liability company with its principal offices located at Eight Tower Bridge, 161 Washington Street, Suite 580, Conshohocken, PA 19428, and was founded in 2017. The Adviser is a wholly owned subsidiary of Almanack Investment Partners, LLC ("Almanack"), a registered investment adviser. As of [_____, 2018], the Adviser, together with Almanack, managed approximately $[____] in assets.

Pursuant to the Advisory Agreement, the Adviser has the overall responsibility for the Funds' investment program. The Adviser is responsible for trading portfolio securities and other investment instruments on behalf of the Funds, including selecting broker-dealers to execute purchase and sale transactions, subject to the overall supervision and oversight of the Board. The Adviser oversees compliance with the Funds' investment objectives, policies, strategies and restrictions. The Board of Trustees supervises and oversees the Adviser and establishes policies that the Adviser must follow in its management activities.

Conflicts of Interest
In the course of providing advisory services for the Funds, the Adviser may simultaneously recommend the sale of a particular security for one Fund or account, if any, while recommending the purchase of the same security for another Fund or account, if any, if such recommendations are consistent with each client's investment strategies.
The Adviser, its principals, officers and employees (and members of their families) and affiliates may participate directly or indirectly as investors in the Adviser's clients, such as the Funds. Thus the Adviser may recommend to clients the purchase or sale of securities in which it, or its officers, employees or related persons have a financial interest. The Adviser may give advice and take actions in the performance of its duties to its clients that differ from
38

the advice given or the timing and nature of actions taken, with respect to other clients' accounts and/or employees' accounts that may invest in some of the same securities recommended to clients.

In addition, the Adviser, its affiliates and principals may trade for their own accounts. Consequently, non-customer and proprietary trades may be executed and cleared through any prime broker or other broker utilized by clients. It is possible that officers or employees of the Adviser may buy or sell securities or other instruments that the Adviser has recommended to, or purchased for, their clients and may engage in transactions for their own accounts in a manner that is inconsistent with the Adviser's recommendations to a client. Personal securities transactions by employees may raise potential conflicts of interest when such persons trade in a security that is owned by, or considered for purchase or sale for, a client. The Adviser has adopted policies and procedures designed to detect and prevent such conflicts of interest and, when they do arise, to ensure that it effects transactions for clients in a manner that is consistent with their fiduciary duty to their clients and in accordance with applicable law.
 
Any Access Person of the Adviser may make security purchases subject to the terms of the Adviser's Code of Ethics, respectively, which is consistent with the requirements of Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act.

The Adviser and their affiliated persons may come into possession from time to time of material nonpublic and other confidential information about companies which, if disclosed, might affect an investor's decision to buy, sell, or hold a security. Under applicable law, the Adviser and their affiliated persons would be prohibited from improperly disclosing or using this information for their personal benefit or for the benefit of any person, regardless of whether the person is a client of the Adviser. Accordingly, should the Adviser or any affiliated person come into possession of material nonpublic or other confidential information with respect to any company, the Adviser and their affiliated persons will have no responsibility or liability for failing to disclose the information to clients as a result of following its policies and procedures designed to comply with applicable law.

Investment Advisory Agreement
Under the Advisory Agreement, each Fund pays the Adviser a management fee for its services payable on a monthly basis at the annual rate listed in the table below, based on the average daily net assets of the Fund.

Fund
Management Fee
Gadsden Dynamic Equity ETF
[__]%
Gadsden Dynamic Income ETF
[__]%
Gadsden Dynamic Multi-Asset ETF
[__]%

 
In addition, the Adviser has agreed to waive or limit its fees and to assume as its own certain expenses otherwise payable by a Fund so that expenses (excluding (i) brokerage expenses (including any costs incidental to transactions in portfolio securities or instruments); (ii) acquired fund fees and expenses; (iii) taxes; (iv) interest (including borrowing costs and dividend expenses on securities sold short and overdraft charges); (v) litigation expenses (including litigation to which the Trust or a Fund may be a party and indemnification of the Trustees and officers with respect thereto); and (vi) other extraordinary or non-routine expenses) do not exceed the amounts shown below through [____], 2019. The fee waiver and expense assumption agreement also provides that the Adviser is entitled to be reimbursed by a Fund for any fees waived and expenses assumed for a period of three years following the date of the fee waiver or assumption, to the extent such reimbursement will not cause the Fund to exceed any applicable expense limit that was in place when the fees were waived or expenses were assumed.
 
Fund
Expense Limit
Gadsden Dynamic Equity ETF
[__]%
Gadsden Dynamic Income ETF
[__]%
Gadsden Dynamic Multi-Asset ETF
[__]%
39

The Advisory Agreement provides that the Adviser will not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by any Fund, the Trust, or any of its shareholders in connection with the matters to which the Advisory Agreement relates, but will be liable for losses resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on the Adviser's part in the performance of the Adviser's duties, or from reckless disregard by the Adviser of the Adviser's duties or obligations under the Advisory Agreement. The Advisory Agreement also provides that directors, officers or employees of the Adviser may engage in other business, devote time and attention in part to any other business whether of a similar or dissimilar nature, and the Adviser may render investment advisory services to others. A discussion regarding the basis for the Board's approval of the Advisory Agreement will be included in the Funds' first report to shareholders.

The Advisory Agreement with respect to a Fund will remain in effect for two (2) years from its effective date and thereafter continue in effect for as long as its continuance is specifically approved at least annually, by: (1) the Board, or by the vote of a majority (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the outstanding shares of the Fund; and (2) by the vote of a majority of the Trustees who are not parties to the Advisory Agreement or Interested Persons of the Adviser, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. The Advisory Agreement provides that it may be terminated at any time, without the payment of any penalty, by the Board or by vote of a majority of a Fund's shareholders, on 60 calendar days written notice to the Adviser, and by the Adviser on the same notice to the Trust and that it shall be automatically terminated if it is assigned.

Portfolio Managers
Kevin R. Harper, MBA, Chief Investment Officer of the Adviser and portfolio manager of the Fund since inception.
James W. Judge, CFA, Senior Director of the Adviser and portfolio manager of the Fund since inception.

Other Accounts Managed by Portfolio Managers
The following table provides information about the portfolio managers as of [DATE]:
 
 
 
Registered
Investment Companies
 
Other Pooled
Investment Vehicles
 
Other Accounts
 
Performance Fee Accounts
Portfolio Managers
 
Number of
Accounts
 
Total Assets
(in millions)
 
Number of
Accounts
 
Total Assets
(in millions)
 
Number of
Accounts
 
Total Assets
(in millions)
 
Number of
Accounts
 
Total Assets
(in millions)
Kevin R. Harper, MBA
 
 
[__]
 
 
$
[__]
   
 
[__]
 
 
$
[__]
 
 
 
[__]
 
 
$
[__]
 
 
 
[__]
 
 
$
[__]
 
James W. Judge, CFA
   
[__]
 
 
$
[__]
   
 
[__]
 
 
$
[__]
 
 
 
[__]
 
 
$
[__]
 
 
 
[__]
 
 
$
[__]
 

Portfolio Manager Compensation
The portfolio managers are compensated by the Adviser and do not receive any compensation directly from the Funds. Each portfolio manager receives their compensation in the form of base salary that is determined by the advisory fee revenue generated by the firm's assets under management. Thus, portfolio manager compensation is aligned with the interests of the firm's clients, including each Fund and its investors. The portfolio managers may also earn a bonus each year based on the profitability of the Adviser.

Disclosure of Securities Ownership
As of the date of this SAI, the portfolio managers did not own any shares of the Funds.

Services to the Subsidiaries

As with the Funds, the Adviser is responsible for each Fund's respective Subsidiary's day-to-day business pursuant to an investment advisory agreement with each Subsidiary. Under this agreement, the Adviser provides each Subsidiary with the same type of management and sub-advisory services, under the same terms and conditions, as are provided to the Funds. The advisory agreement of each Subsidiary provides for automatic termination upon the termination of the Advisory Agreement with respect to each Fund. Each Subsidiary has also entered into separate contracts for the provision of custody, transfer agency and audit services with the same service providers that provide those services to the Funds.
40

Each Subsidiary will be managed pursuant to compliance policies and procedures that are the same, in all material respects, as the policies and procedures adopted by the Funds. As a result, the Adviser, in managing the Subsidiaries' portfolios, is subject to the same operational guidelines that apply to the management of the Funds and, in particular, to the requirements relating to portfolio leverage, liquidity, brokerage, and the timing and method of the valuation of each Subsidiary's portfolio investments and shares of each Subsidiary. The Funds' CCO oversees implementation of each Subsidiary's policies and procedures and makes periodic reports to the Funds' Board regarding each Subsidiary's compliance with its policies and procedures.

Codes of Ethics
The Trust, the Adviser and the Distributor have each adopted a code of ethics ("Code of Ethics") pursuant to Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act, which is designed to prevent their affiliated persons from engaging in deceptive, manipulative, or fraudulent activities in connection with securities held or to be acquired by the Funds (which may also be held by persons subject to a Code of Ethics). There can be no assurance that the Codes of Ethics are effective in preventing such activities. The Codes of Ethics permit, subject to certain conditions, personnel of each of those entities to invest in securities that may be purchased or held by the Funds. The Trust's, the Adviser's and the Distributor's Codes of Ethics are on file with the SEC and are available to the public.

PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS DISCLOSURE POLICY
The Board has adopted a policy regarding the disclosure of information about the Funds' portfolio securities. Under the policy, portfolio holdings of the Funds, which will form the basis for the calculation of NAV on a Business Day, are publicly disseminated that Business Day through financial reporting and news services, including the website [website].

Each day a Fund is open for business, the Trust will publicly disseminate the Fund's full portfolio holdings as of the close of the previous day through its website at [website]. In addition, each Business Day a portfolio composition file, which displays the names and quantities of the instruments comprising the In-Kind Creation Basket and In-Kind Redemption Basket, as well as the estimated Cash Component and Cash Redemption Amount (if any), for that day, is publicly disseminated prior to the opening of the Exchange via the NSCC.

Portfolio holdings information may not be provided prior to its public availability ("Non-Standard Disclosure") except where appropriate confidentiality arrangements limiting the use of such information are in effect. Non-Standard Disclosure may be authorized by the CCO or, in his/her absence, any other authorized officer of the Trust if he or she determines that such disclosure is in the best interests of a Fund's shareholders, no conflict exists between the interests of the Fund's shareholders and those of the Adviser or Distributor and such disclosure serves a legitimate business purpose. The length of lag, if any, between the date of the information and the date on which the information is disclosed shall be determined by the officer authorizing the disclosure.

INFORMATION ABOUT OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS
Administrator, Fund Accounting Agent and Transfer Agent
[___] ("Administrator"), [address], acts as administrator, fund accounting agent and transfer agent to the Funds pursuant to an administration agreement. The Administrator provides the Funds with all required general administrative services, including, without limitation, office space, equipment, and personnel; clerical and general back office services; bookkeeping, internal accounting, and secretarial services; the determination of NAVs; and the preparation and filing of all reports, registration statements, proxy statements, and all other materials required to be filed or furnished by the Funds under federal and state securities laws. The Administrator pays all fees and expenses that are directly related to the services provided by the Administrator to the Funds; the Funds reimburse the Administrator for all fees and expenses incurred by the Administrator which are not directly related to the services
41


the Administrator provides to the Funds under the service agreement. The Funds may also reimburse the Administrator for such out-of-pocket expenses as incurred by the Administrator in the performance of its duties.

An agreement containing the same material terms and provisions was entered into between the Adviser and each Subsidiary.
 
Custodian
[___] ("Custodian"), [address], acts as custodian to the Funds.
 
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
[__], [address], serves as independent registered public accounting firm to the Funds. [__] provides audit services, tax return preparation and assistance, and consultation in connection with certain SEC filings.
 
Legal Counsel
Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP, 2005 Market Street, Suite 2600, Philadelphia, PA 19103 serves as the Trust's legal counsel.
 
Distributor
[___] serves as the distributor of Creation Units for the Funds on an agency basis. The Trust has entered into a Distribution Agreement ("Distribution Agreement"), under which the Distributor, as agent, receives orders from Authorized Participants to create and redeem shares in Creation Unit Aggregations and transmits such orders to the Trust's Custodian and transfer agent. The Distributor's principal address is [__]. 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, as described in the section of this SAI entitled "Transactions in Creation Units. The Distributor also acts as an agent for the Trust for those activities described within the Distribution Agreement. The Distributor will deliver a prospectus to Authorized Participants purchasing Shares in Creation Units and will maintain records of both orders placed with it and confirmations of acceptance furnished by it to Authorized Participants. The Distributor has no role in determining the investment policies of the Funds or which securities are to be purchased or sold by the Funds. 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.

Securities Lending

Each Fund participates in a securities lending program, under which the Fund's custodian lends Fund portfolio securities to qualified broker-dealers and financial institutions pursuant to agreements, provided: (1) the loan is secured continuously by collateral marked-to-market daily and maintained in an amount at least equal to the current market value of the securities loaned; (2) the Fund may call the loan at any time and receive the securities loaned; (3) the Fund will receive any interest or dividends paid on the loaned securities; and (4) the aggregate market value of securities loaned will not at any time exceed 331/3% of the total assets of the Fund.  Collateral will consist of U.S. and non-U.S. securities, cash equivalents or irrevocable letters of credit. As with other extensions of credit, there are risks of delay in recovery or even loss of rights in collateral in the event of default or insolvency of a borrower of a Fund's portfolio securities. There is also a risk that a Fund may not be able to recall securities while they are on loan in time to vote proxies related to those securities.

Under the securities lending program, the Fund's custodian receives a portion of the interest earned on any reinvested collateral as an offset for the costs of the program.
 
Distribution and Service Plan
Shares are continuously offered for sale only in Creation Units, as described below under "Purchase and Issuance of Creation Units." Shares in less than Creation Units are not distributed by the Distributor. The Distributor also acts as
42

agent for the Trust. The Distributor will deliver a Prospectus to persons purchasing Shares in Creation Units and will maintain records of both orders placed with it and confirmations of acceptance furnished by it. The Distributor is a broker-dealer registered under the 1934 Act and a member of FINRA. The Distributor has no role in determining the investment policies of the Funds or which securities are to be purchased or sold by the Funds.

The Board has adopted a Distribution and Service Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act ("Plan"). In accordance with the Plan, each Fund is authorized to pay an amount up to 0.25% of its average daily net assets each year to finance any activity primarily intended to result in the sale of Creation Units of each Fund or the provision of investor services, including but not limited to: (i) marketing and promotional services, including advertising; (ii) facilitating communications with beneficial owners of Shares of the Funds; (iii) wholesaling services; and (iv) such other services and obligations as may be set forth in the Distribution Agreement with the Distributor.

The Distribution and Service Plan is intended to permit the financing of a broad array of distribution-related activities and services, as well as shareholder services, for the benefit of investors. These activities and services are intended to make the Shares an attractive investment alternative, which may lead to increased assets, investment opportunities and diversification. No fees are currently paid by any Fund under the Plan, however, and there are no current plans to impose such fees. In the event such fees were to be charged, over time they would increase the cost of an investment in a Fund.

If fees were charged under the Plan, the Trustees would receive and review at the end of each quarter a written report provided by the Distributor of the amounts expended under the Plan and the purpose for which such expenditures were made.

Each Plan will remain in effect for a period of one year and is renewable from year to year with respect to a Fund, so long as its continuance is approved at least annually: (1) by the vote of a majority of the Trustees; and (2) by a vote of the majority of those Independent Trustees who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the Plan or in any agreements related thereto ("Rule 12b-1 Trustees"), cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. The Plan may not be amended to increase materially the amount of fees paid by any Fund unless such amendment is approved by a 1940 Act majority vote of the outstanding Shares and by the Fund Trustees in the manner described above. The Plan is terminable with respect to a Fund at any time by a vote of a majority of the Rule 12b-1 Trustees or by a 1940 Act majority vote of the outstanding Shares.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONCERNING SHARES
Organization and Description of Shares of Beneficial Interest
The Trust is a Delaware statutory trust and registered open-end investment company. The Trust was organized on November 22, 2017 and has authorized capital of unlimited Shares of beneficial interest of no par value which may be issued in more than one class or series. Currently, the Trust consists of three series. The Board may designate additional series and classify Shares of a particular series into one or more classes of that series.

Under Delaware law, the Trust is not required to hold an annual shareholders meeting if the 1940 Act does not require such a meeting. Generally, there will not be annual meetings of Trust shareholders.

All Shares are freely transferable. Shares will not have preemptive rights or cumulative voting rights, and none of the Shares will have any preference to conversion, exchange, dividends, retirements, liquidation, redemption, or any other feature. Shares have equal voting rights, except that in a matter affecting only a particular Fund, only Shares of that Fund may be entitled to vote on the matter. The Trust Instrument confers upon the Board the power, by resolution, to alter the number of Shares constituting a Creation Unit or to specify that Shares of a Fund may be individually redeemable. The Trust reserves the right to adjust the stock prices of Shares to maintain convenient trading ranges for investors. Any such adjustments would be accomplished through stock splits or reverse stock splits which would have no effect on the NAV of a Fund.
43

The Trust Instrument of the Trust disclaims liability of the shareholders or the officers of the Trust for acts or obligations of the Trust which are binding only on the assets and property of the Trust. The Trust Instrument provides for indemnification out of a Fund's property for all loss and expense of a Fund's shareholders being held personally liable solely by reason of his or her being or having been a shareholder and not because of his or her acts or omissions or for some other reason. The risk of a Trust shareholder incurring financial loss on account of shareholder liability is limited to circumstances in which a Fund itself would not be able to meet the Trust's obligations and this risk should be considered remote.

If a Fund does not grow to a size to permit it to be economically viable, the Fund may cease operations. In such an event, shareholders may be required to liquidate or transfer their Shares at an inopportune time and shareholders may lose money on their investment.
 
Book Entry Only System
The Depository Trust Company ("DTC") acts as a securities depositary for the Shares. The Shares of the Fund are represented by a global certificate registered in the name of DTC or its nominee and deposited with, or on behalf of, DTC.

DTC has advised the Trust as follows: it is a limited-purpose trust company organized under the laws of the State of New York, a member of the Federal Reserve System, a "clearing corporation" within the meaning of the New York Uniform Commercial Code and a "clearing agency" registered pursuant to the provisions of Section 17A of the 1934 Act. DTC 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 New York Stock Exchange, Inc. ("NYSE") and FINRA. Access to the DTC system is also available to others such as banks, brokers, dealers and trust companies that clear through or maintain a custodial relationship with a DTC Participant, either directly or indirectly ("Indirect Participants"). DTC agrees with and represents to DTC Participants that it will administer its book-entry system in accordance with its rules and by-laws and requirements of law.

Beneficial ownership of Shares is limited to DTC Participants, Indirect Participants and persons holding interests through DTC Participants and Indirect Participants. Ownership of beneficial interests in Shares (owners of such beneficial interests are referred to herein as "Beneficial Owners") is shown on, and the transfer of ownership is effected only through, records maintained by DTC (with respect to DTC Participants) and on the records of DTC Participants (with respect to Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners that are not DTC Participants). Beneficial Owners will receive from or through the DTC Participant a written confirmation relating to their purchase of Shares. The laws of some jurisdictions may require that certain purchasers of securities take physical delivery of such securities in definitive form. Such laws may impair the ability of certain investors to acquire beneficial interests in Shares.

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, each Beneficial Owner must rely on the procedures of DTC, the DTC Participant and any Indirect Participant through which such Beneficial Owner holds its interests, to exercise any rights of a holder of Shares. The Trust understands that under existing industry practice, in the event the Trust 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. Conveyance of all notices, statements and other communications to Beneficial Owners is effected as follows. Pursuant to the Depositary Agreement between the Trust and DTC, DTC is required to make available to the Trust, upon request and for a fee
44

to be charged to the Trust, a listing of Share 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.

Distributions of Shares 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 are 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 are 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.

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 brokers may make a dividend reinvestment service available to their clients. Brokers offering such services may require investors to adhere to specific procedures and timetables in order to participate. Investors interested in such a service should contact their broker for availability and other necessary details. DTC may determine to discontinue providing its service with respect to 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 the functions described or make other arrangements to represent Share ownership satisfactory to the Exchange.

PROXY VOTING POLICY AND PROCEDURES
The Board has delegated to the Adviser the responsibility to vote proxies related to the securities held in the Funds' portfolios. Under this authority, the Adviser is required by the Board to vote proxies related to portfolio securities in the best interests of the Funds and its shareholders. The Board permits the Adviser to contract with a third party to obtain proxy voting and related services.

While proxy voting is not integral to the Adviser's investment strategy, the Adviser has implemented a written Proxy Voting Policy and Procedure (the "Proxy Voting Policy") that is reasonably designed to ensure that the Adviser votes proxies prudently and in the best interest of the Funds and their shareholders.

Information regarding how the Funds voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 will be available, without charge, by calling (484) 243-6400 or on the website of the SEC, www.sec.gov.
45

TRANSACTIONS IN CREATION UNITS
 
Each Fund sells and redeems Shares in Creation Units on a continuous basis through the Distributor, without a sales load, at the NAV next determined after receipt of an order in proper form on any Business Day. No Fund will issue fractional Creation Units.

To purchase or redeem any Creation Units from a Fund, you must be, or transact through, an Authorized Participant. In order to be an Authorized Participant, you must be either a broker-dealer or other participant ("Participating Party") in the Continuous Net Settlement System ("Clearing Process") of the National Securities Clearing Corporation ("NSCC") or a participant in DTC with access to the DTC system ("DTC Participant"), and you must execute an agreement ("Participant Agreement") with the Distributor that governs transactions in the Fund's Creation Units.

Transactions by an Authorized Participant that is a Participating Party using the NSCC system are referred to as transactions "through the Clearing Process." Transactions by an Authorized Participant that is a DTC Participant using the DTC system are referred to as transactions "outside the Clearing Process."

Investors who are not Authorized Participants but want to transact in Creation Units may contact the Distributor for the names of Authorized Participants. Investors should be aware that their broker may not be an Authorized Participant and, therefore, may need to place any order to purchase or redeem Creation Units through another broker or person that is an Authorized Participant, which may result in additional charges.

Orders must be transmitted by an Authorized Participant by telephone or other transmission method acceptable to the Distributor pursuant to procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement. Market disruptions and telephone or other communication failures may impede the transmission of orders.

Regular orders must be received by the Distributor by the "Closing Time" of the regular trading session on the Exchange (currently 4:00 p.m. Eastern time) on the Business Day such order is placed to be effectuated based on a Fund's NAV that day. Orders effectuated outside the Clearing Process are likely to require transmittal earlier on the relevant Business Day than orders effectuated through the Clearing Process. Thus, persons placing or effectuating orders outside the Clearing Process should be mindful of time deadlines imposed by intermediaries, such as DTC and/or the Federal Reserve Bank wire system, which may impact the successful processing of such orders.

The securities contained in the In-Kind Creation Basket and In-Kind Redemption Basket will each correspond pro rata to the positions in the relevant Fund's portfolio (including cash positions), except (1) in the case of bonds, for minor differences when it is impossible to break up bonds beyond certain minimum sizes needed for transfer and settlement; (2) for minor differences when rounding is necessary to eliminate fractional shares or lots that are not tradeable round lots; (3) to-be-announced transactions, short positions, derivatives and other positions that cannot be transferred in kind will be excluded from the In-Kind Creation Basket and In-Kind Redemption Basket; or (4) to the extent the Fund determines, on a given Business Day, to use a representative sampling of the Fund's portfolio.

Custom orders typically clear outside the Clearing Process and, therefore, like other orders outside the Clearing Process, may need to be transmitted early on the relevant Business Day to be effectuated at that day's NAV. Custom orders may be required to be received by the Distributor by 3:00 p.m. Eastern time to be effectuated based on a Fund's NAV on that Business Day. A custom order may be placed when, for example, an Authorized Participant cannot transact in a security in the In-Kind Creation or Redemption Basket and therefore has additional cash included in a Fund Deposit or Fund Redemption in lieu of such security.

Persons placing or effectuating custom orders should be mindful of time deadlines imposed by intermediaries, which may impact the successful processing of such orders.

Shares of the Funds will only be issued against full payment, as further described in the Prospectus and this SAI.
46

Transaction Fees
To compensate the Trust for costs incurred in connection with creation and redemption transactions, investors may be required to pay a Transaction Fee. The "Creation Transaction Fee" and "Redemption Transaction Fee" are fixed for, respectively, all creation and redemption transactions through the Clearing Process on a Business Day, regardless of the number of transactions effectuated that day. An additional charge ("Variable Fee") may be imposed as part of the Transaction Fee for, among other things: (i) transactions outside the Clearing Process; and (ii) transactions effectuated wholly or partly in cash, including custom orders, to offset brokerage and other transaction costs thereby imposed on the Trust. The Adviser, subject to the approval of the Board, may adjust or waive the Transaction Fee from time to time. Investors will also be responsible for the costs associated with transferring the securities in the In-Kind Creation and Redemption Baskets, respectively, to and from the account of the Trust. Further, investors who, directly or indirectly, use the services of a broker or other intermediary to compose a Creation Unit in addition to an Authorized Participant to effect a transaction in Creation Units may be charged an additional fee for such services.

The Standard Creation/Redemption Transaction Fees for the Fund is identified in the table below. An additional Variable Fee of up to a maximum of 2.00% of the value of the Creation Unit (inclusive of any transaction fees charged), may be charged for each creation and redemption.
 
Fund
Standard Transaction Fee
Gadsden Dynamic Equity ETF
$[__]
Gadsden Dynamic Income ETF
$[__]
Gadsden Dynamic Multi-Asset ETF
$[__]
 
Purchasing Creation Units
Fund Deposit. The consideration for a Creation Unit of a Fund is the Fund Deposit plus the Transaction Fee. The Fund Deposit will consist of the In-Kind Creation Basket, which consists of a designated portfolio of securities (including any portion of such securities for which cash may be substituted), and Cash Component, or an all cash payment.

The Cash Component may include a Balancing Amount. The Balancing Amount reflects the difference, if any, between (i) the NAV attributable to a Creation Unit and (ii) the aggregate market value of the securities in the In-Kind Creation Basket and the Cash In-Lieu Amount, if any. If the NAV attributable to a Creation Unit exceeds the market value of the securities in the In-Kind Creation Basket and the Cash In-Lieu Amount, if any, the purchaser pays the Balancing Amount to the Fund. By contrast, if the NAV attributable to a Creation Unit is less than the market value of the securities in the In-Kind Creation Basket and the Cash in-Lieu Amount, if any, the Fund pays the Balancing Amount to the purchaser.

Cash purchase method. Although the Trust does not ordinarily permit partial or full cash purchases of Creation Units of the Funds, when partial or full cash purchases of Creation Units are available or specified for a Fund (Creation Units of each of the Partial Cash Funds are generally offered partially for cash), they will be effected in essentially the same manner as in-kind purchases thereof. In the case of a partial or full cash purchase, the Authorized Participant must pay the cash equivalent of the In-Kind Creation Basket 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.

The Administrator, in a Portfolio Composition File ("PCF") sent via the NSCC, makes available on each Business Day, prior to the opening of business on the Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m., Eastern time), a list of the names and quantities of the instruments comprising the In-Kind Creation Basket (subject to possible amendment or correction) to be included in the current Fund Deposit for a Fund (based on information about the long positions in the Fund's portfolio at the end of the previous Business Day). The Administrator, through the NSCC, also makes available on each Business Day, the estimated Cash Component (if any) for that day.

The Fund Deposit is applicable for purchases of Creation Units of a Fund until such time as the next-announced Fund Deposit is made available. Each Fund reserves the right to accept a nonconforming (i.e., custom) Fund Deposit. In addition, the composition of the Fund Deposit may change as, among other things, corporate actions,
47


investment rebalancing, and investment decisions by the Adviser are implemented for a Fund's portfolio. All questions as to the composition of the In-Kind Creation Basket and the validity, form, eligibility, and acceptance for deposit of any securities shall be determined by a Fund, and the Fund's determination shall be final and binding.

Placement of Creation Orders Using Clearing Process. In connection with creation orders made through the Clearing Process, the Distributor transmits on behalf of the Authorized Participant, such trade instructions as are necessary to effect the creation order. Pursuant to such trade instructions, the Authorized Participant agrees to deliver the requisite Fund Deposit to the Trust, together with such additional information as may be required by the Distributor. An order to create Creation Units through the Clearing Process is deemed received by the Distributor on the Business Day the order is placed ("Transmittal Date") if: (i) such order is received by the Distributor by the Closing Time on such Transmittal Date; and (ii) all other procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement are properly followed.

Acceptance of Orders for Creation Units. The Distributor may reject any order to purchase Creation Units for any reason, including if an order to purchase Shares is not submitted in proper form in accordance with the terms of the Participant Agreement. The Trust reserves the absolute right to reject a creation order transmitted to it by the Distributor in respect of a Fund if: (i) the order is not in proper form; (ii) the purchaser or group of related purchasers, upon obtaining the Creation Units of Shares of a Fund order, would own eighty percent (80%) or more of the outstanding Shares of such Fund; (iii) the acceptance of the Fund Deposit would have certain adverse tax consequences, such as causing the Fund no longer to meet RIC status under the Code for federal tax purposes; (iv) the acceptance of the Fund Deposit would, in the opinion of the Fund, be unlawful, as in the case of a purchaser who was banned from trading in securities; (v) the acceptance of the Fund Deposit would otherwise, in the discretion of the Fund, the Adviser and/or Sub-Adviser, have an adverse effect on the Fund or on the rights of the Fund's beneficial owners; or (vi) there exist circumstances outside the control of the Fund that make it impossible to process purchases of Creation Units of Shares for all practical purposes. Examples of such circumstances include: acts of God or public service or utility problems such as fires, floods, extreme weather conditions and power outage resulting in telephone, telecopy and computer failures; market conditions or activities causing trading halts; systems failures involving computer or other information systems affecting the Funds, the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, the transfer agent, Custodian, the Distributor, DTC, NSCC or any other participant in the purchase process; and similar extraordinary events.

Placement of Creation Orders Outside Clearing Process. Fund Deposits made outside the Clearing Process must state that the DTC Participant is not using the Clearing Process and that the creation of Creation Units will instead be effected through a transfer of securities and cash directly through DTC. With respect to such orders, the Fund Deposit transfer must be ordered by the DTC Participant on the Transmittal Date in a timely fashion so as to ensure the delivery of the requisite number of securities in the In-Kind Creation Basket through DTC to the relevant Trust account by 11:00 a.m., Eastern time (the "DTC Cut-Off Time") of the Business Day immediately following the Transmittal Date. The amount of cash equal to 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 12:00 p.m., Eastern time, on the Business Day immediately following the Transmittal Date.

An order to create Creation Units outside the Clearing Process is deemed received by the Distributor on the Transmittal Date if: (i) such order is received by the Distributor by the Closing Time on such Transmittal Date; and (ii) all other procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement are properly followed. However, if the Custodian does not receive both the required In-Kind Creation Basket by the DTC Cut-Off Time and the Cash Component by 2:00 p.m., Eastern time, on the Business Day immediately following the Transmittal Date, such order will be canceled. Upon written notice to the Distributor, such canceled order may be resubmitted the following Business Day using a Fund Deposit as newly constituted to reflect the then-current In-Kind Creation Basket and Cash Component. The delivery of Creation Units so created will occur no later than the second (2nd) Business Day following the day on which the order is deemed received by the Distributor.

Creation Units may be created in advance of receipt by the Trust of all or a portion of the applicable In-Kind Creation Basket, provided the purchaser tenders an initial deposit consisting of any available securities in the In-
48

Kind Creation Basket and cash equal to the sum of the Cash Component and at least 105% of the market value of the In-Kind Creation Basket securities not delivered ("Additional Cash Deposit"). Such initial deposit will have a value greater than the NAV of the Creation Unit on the date the order is placed. The order shall be deemed to be received on the Transmittal Date provided that it is placed in proper form prior to 4:00 p.m., Eastern time, on such date, and federal funds in the appropriate amount are deposited with the Custodian by the DTC Cut-Off Time the following Business Day.

To the extent securities in the In-Kind Creation Basket remain undelivered, pending delivery of such securities additional cash is required to be deposited with the Trust as necessary to maintain an Additional Cash Deposit equal to at least 105% of the daily marked to market value of the missing securities. To the extent that either such securities are still not received by 1:00 p.m., Eastern time, on the second Business Day following the day on which the purchase order is deemed received by the Distributor or a marked-to-market payment is not made within one Business Day following notification to the purchaser and/or Authorized Participant that such a payment is required, the Trust may use the cash on deposit to purchase the missing securities, and the Authorized Participant effectuating such transaction is liable to a Fund for any costs incurred therein or losses resulting therefrom, including any Transaction Fee, any amount by which the actual purchase price of the missing securities exceeds the Additional Cash Deposit or the market value of such securities on the day the purchase order was deemed received by the Distributor, as well as brokerage and related transaction costs. The Trust will return any unused portion of the Additional Cash Deposit once all of the missing securities have been received by the Trust. The delivery of Creation Units so created will occur no later than the second Business Day following the day on which the purchase order is deemed received by the Distributor. 
 
Redeeming Creation Units
Fund Redemptions. Shares may be redeemed only in Creation Units at their NAV next determined after receipt of a redemption request in proper form by a Fund through the Distributor and only on a Business Day. The redemption proceeds for a Creation Unit will consist of the In-Kind Redemption Basket and a Cash Redemption Amount, or an all cash payment, minus the Transaction Fee. Investors may incur brokerage and other costs in connection with assembling a Creation Unit.

The Cash Redemption Amount may include a Balancing Amount. The Balancing Amount reflects the difference, if any, between (i) the NAV attributable to a Creation Unit and (ii) the aggregate market value of the securities in the In-Kind Redemption Basket and the Cash In-Lieu Amount, if any. If the NAV attributable to a Creation Unit exceeds the market value of the securities in the In-Kind Redemption Basket and the Cash In-Lieu Amount, if any, the Fund pays the Balancing Amount to the redeeming investor. By contrast, if the NAV attributable to a Creation Unit is less than the market value of the securities in the In-Kind Redemption Basket and the Cash In-Lieu Amount, if any, the redeeming investor pays the Balancing Amount to the Fund.

Cash redemption method. Although the Trust does not ordinarily permit partial or full cash redemptions of Creation Units of a Fund, when partial or full cash redemptions of Creation Units are available or specified (Creation Units of the Partial Cash Funds are generally redeemed partially for cash) for a Fund, they will be effected in essentially the same manner as in-kind redemptions thereof. In the case of partial or full cash redemption, the Authorized Participant receives the cash equivalent of the In-Kind Redemption Basket it would otherwise receive through an in-kind redemption, plus the same Cash Redemption Amount to be paid to an in-kind redeemer.

The Administrator, in a PCF sent via the NSCC, makes available on each Business Day, prior to the opening of business on the Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m., Eastern time) a list of the names and quantities of the instruments comprising the In-Kind Redemption Basket (subject to possible amendment or correction) to be included in the current Fund Redemption for a Fund. The In-Kind Redemption Basket on a particular Business Day may not be identical to the In-Kind Creation Basket for that day in certain limited circumstances. The Administrator, through the NSCC, also makes available on each Business Day the estimated Cash Redemption Amount (if any) for that day.

The right of redemption may be suspended or the date of payment postponed: (i) for any period during which the NYSE is closed (other than customary weekend and holiday closings); (ii) for any period during which trading on
49

the NYSE is suspended or restricted; (iii) for any period during which an emergency exists as a result of which disposal of the Shares or determination of a Fund's NAV is not reasonably practicable; or (iv) in such other circumstances as permitted by the SEC, including as described below.

Placement of Redemption Orders Using Clearing Process. Orders to redeem Creation Units through the Clearing Process are deemed received by the Trust on the Transmittal Date if: (i) such order is received by the Distributor not later than 4:00 p.m., Eastern time, on such Transmittal Date; and (ii) all other procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement are properly followed. Orders deemed received are effectuated based on the NAV of the Fund as next determined. An order to redeem Creation Units using the Clearing Process made in proper form but received by the Trust after 4:00 p.m. Eastern time, are deemed received on the next Business Day and are effected at the NAV next determined on such next Business Day. The applicable In-Kind Redemption Basket and the Cash Redemption Amount are transferred to the investor by the second NSCC business day following the date on which such request for redemption is deemed received.

Placement of Redemption Orders Outside Clearing Process. Orders to redeem Creation Units outside the Clearing Process must state that the DTC Participant is not using the Clearing Process and that redemption of Creation Units will instead be effected through transfer of Shares directly through DTC. Such orders are deemed received by the Trust on the Transmittal Date if: (i) such order is received by the Distributor not later than 4:00 p.m., Eastern time on the Transmittal Date; (ii) such order is accompanied or followed by the delivery of both: (a) the Creation Unit(s), which delivery must be made through DTC to the Custodian no later than the DTC Cut-Off Time on the Business Day immediately following the Transmittal Date; and (b) the Cash Redemption Amount by 12:00 p.m., Eastern time on the Business Day immediately following the Transmittal Date; and (iii) all other procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement are properly followed. After the Trust has deemed such an order received, the Trust will initiate procedures to transfer, and expect to deliver, the requisite In-Kind Redemption Basket and any Cash Redemption Amount owed to the redeeming party by the second Business Day following the Transmittal Date on which such redemption order is deemed received by the Trust.

Regular Holidays. For every occurrence of one or more intervening holidays in the applicable non-U.S. markets market that are not holidays observed in the U.S., 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 Funds 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 Funds that invest in foreign securities 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. 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.

In calendar year 2018 (the only year for which holidays are known at the time of this SAI filing), the dates of regular holidays affecting the relevant securities markets are as follows (please note these holiday schedules are subject to potential changes in the relevant securities markets):
 
2018
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Australia
January 1
 
April 2
 
August 6
 
December 26
January 26
 
April 25
 
October 1
 
 
March 30
 
June 11
 
December 25
 
  
50



             
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Austria
January 1
 
May 13
 
September 24
 
December 25
January 6
 
May 21
 
October 26
 
December 26
April 2
 
May 31
 
November 1
 
 
May 1
 
June 10
 
November 15
 
 
May 10
 
August 15
 
December 8
 
 
  
Belgium & Lux.
January 1
 
May 10
 
August 15
 
December 25
April 2
 
May 11
 
November 1
 
 
May 1
 
July 21
 
November 11
 
 
  
Brazil
January 1
 
March 30
 
May 21
 
November 2
February 12
 
April 21
 
September 7
 
November 15
February 13
 
May 1
 
October 12
 
 
December 25
Canada
January 1
 
May 21
 
September 3
 
December 25
February 19
 
July 2
 
October 8
 
December 26
March 30
 
August 6
 
November 11
 
 
 
Chile
January 1
 
June 26
 
September 19
 
November 1
April 14
 
August 15
 
October 9
 
December 8
May 1
 
September 18
 
October 27
 
December 25
May 21
 
September 17
 
November 1
 
 
 
China
January 1
 
February 21
 
May 1
 
October 2
February 15
 
April 5
 
June 18
 
October 3
February 19
 
April 6
 
September 24
 
October 4
February 20
 
April 30
 
October 1
 
 
October 5
Colombia
January 1
 
May 10
 
July 20
 
December 8
January 8
 
May 13
 
August 7
 
December 25
March 19
 
May 31
 
August 15
 
  
March 29
 
June 11
 
October 15
 
  
March 30
 
June 17
 
November 5
 
  
May 1
 
July 2
 
November 12
 
 
 
The Czech Republic
January 1
 
May 8
 
September 28
 
December 25
March 30
 
May 13
 
October 28
 
December 26
April 2
 
July 5
 
November 17
 
  
May 1
 
July 6
 
December 24
 
 
 
Denmark
January 1
 
April 1
 
May 10
 
December 25
March 29
 
April 2
 
June 5
 
December 26
March 30
 
April 27
 
December 24
 
December 31

51



             
Egypt
January 7
 
May 1
 
August 22
 
October 6
January 25
 
June 15
 
August 25
 
November 20
April 8
 
June 17
 
September 11
 
  
April 9
 
June 23
 
  
 
  
April 25
 
 
  
 
  
 
  
* The Egyptian market is closed every Friday.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Finland
January 1
 
May 1
 
December 6
 
December 26
January 6
 
May 10
 
December 24
 
December 31
March 30
 
June 22
 
December 25
 
  
April 2
 
June 23
 
 
  
 
 
France
March 25
 
October 28
 
December 25
 
December 26
May 1
 
  
 
  
 
  

Germany
January 1
 
April 2
 
May 10
 
December 25
March 25
 
May 1
 
May 21
 
December 26
March 30
 
  
 
October 3
 
 
 
Greece
January 6
 
April 9
 
May 28
 
December 25
February 19
 
May 1
 
August 15
 
December 26
April 6
 
 
  
 
  
 
  
Hong Kong
January 1
 
April 2
 
December 25
 
December 26
March 30
 
 
  
 
  
 
  
Hungary
January 1
 
March 16
 
August 20
 
October 23
March 15
 
 
  
 
  
 
  
India
January 26
 
May 1
 
October 2
 
December 25
March 30
 
August 15
 
 
  
 
  
Indonesia
January 1
 
August 17
 
December 25
 
  
 
 
 
Ireland
January 1
 
October 29
 
December 6
 
December 25
August 6
 
 
  
 
  
 
  
Israel
March 1
 
May 13
 
September 10
 
September 24
March 31
 
May 20
 
September 11
 
October 2
April 7
 
July 22
 
September 19
 
December 3
April 19
 
  
 
  
 
  

52



             
* The Israeli market is closed every Friday.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Italy
January 1
 
April 2
 
December 25
 
December 26
March 30
 
May 1
 
 
  
 
  
Japan
January 1
 
April 30
 
July 16
 
October 8
January 8
 
May 3
 
August 11
 
November 3
February 11
 
May 4
 
September 17
 
November 23
March 21
 
May 5
 
 
September 24
 
December 23
Malaysia
January 1
 
August 31
 
September 16
 
December 25
February 1
 
  
 
  
 
 
May 1
 
 
  
 
  
 
  
Mexico
January 1
 
March 29
 
September 16
 
December 12
February 5
 
March 30
 
November 2
 
December 25
March 19
 
May 1
 
November 19
 
 
  
Netherlands
January 1
 
March 30
 
May 21
 
December 25
March 25
 
April 2
 
October 28
 
 
December 26
New Zealand
January 1
 
January 29
 
April 2
 
October 22
January 2
 
February 6
 
April 25
 
December 25
January 22
 
March 30
 
June 4
 
 
December 26
Norway
January 1
 
April 2
 
May 17
 
December 25
March 29
 
May 1
 
May 21
 
December 26
March 30
 
May 10
 
 
  
 
  
Pakistan
February 5
 
April 13
 
August 22
 
November 20
March 2
 
May 1
 
August 23
 
November 23
March 23
 
June 15
 
September 20
 
December 25
April 4
 
August 14
 
October 25
 
 
December 26
Peru
January 1
 
May 1
 
July 29
 
November 1
March 29
 
June 29
 
August 30
 
December 8
March 30
 
July 28
 
October 8
 
 
December 25
Philippines
January 1
 
March 31
 
August 21
 
December 25
February 16
 
April 9
 
August 22
 
December 30
February 25
 
May 1
 
August 27
 
December 31
March 16
 
June 12
 
November 1
 
  
March 29
 
June 15
 
November 30
 
  
March 30
 
June 24
 
December 24
 
  
53



             
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Poland
January 1
 
May 1
 
November 1
 
December 26
January 6
 
May 31
 
November 11
 
 
April 2
 
August 15
 
December 25
 
 
 
Portugal
January 1
 
May 1
 
June 13
 
November 1
March 19
 
May 6
 
June 24
 
December 1
March 30
 
May 31
 
August 15
 
December 8
April 25
 
June 10
 
October 5
 
 
December 25
Qatar
February 13
 
June 15
 
August 19
 
August 26
March 4
 
June 16
 
August 20
 
August 27
June 11
 
June 17
 
August 21
 
December 18
June 12
 
June 18
 
August 22
 
 
June 13
 
June 19
 
August 23
 
 
June 14
 
June 20
 
August 24
 
 
* The Qatari market is closed every Friday.
 
Russia
January 1
 
January 5
 
April 30
 
November 5
January 2
 
January 7
 
May 1
 
  
January 3
 
February 23
 
May 9
 
 
January 4
 
March 8
 
June 12
 
 
  
Singapore
January 1
 
May 1
 
August 9
 
December 25
March 30
 
 
  
 
  
 
  
South Africa
January 1
 
April 2
 
June 16
 
December 16
March 21
 
April 27
 
August 9
 
December 25
March 30
 
May 1
 
September 24
 
 
December 26
South Korea
January 1
 
February 19
 
June 6
 
September 25
February 16
 
March 1
 
July 17
 
October 3
February 17
 
May 1
 
August 15
 
October 9
February 18
 
May 5
 
September 23
 
December 25
  
 
  
 
September 24
 
 
  
Spain
March 29
 
May 31
 
October 12
 
December 8
March 30
 
July 25
 
November 1
 
December 25
May 1
 
August 15
 
 
 
 
  
Sweden
January 1
 
April 2
 
June 6
 
December 25
January 6
 
May 1
 
June 22
 
December 26
March 30
 
May 10
 
June 23
 
  
54



             
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Switzerland
January 1
 
April 2
 
May 21
 
December 25
January 2
 
May 10
 
August 1
 
December 26
March 30
 
 
  
 
  
 
  
Taiwan
January 1
 
April 5
 
May 1
 
October 10
February 28
 
 
  
 
  
 
  
Thailand
January 1
 
April 15
 
May 11
 
October 22
February 16
 
April 16
 
May 29
 
October 23
March 1
 
April 17
 
July 27
 
December 5
April 6
 
April 30
 
August 12
 
December 10
April 13
 
May 1
 
August 13
 
December 31
April 14
 
May 7
 
 
  
 
  
Turkey
January 1
 
May 19
 
August 23
 
August 30
April 23
 
June 15
 
August 24
 
October 29
May 1
 
August 22
 
August 27
 
 
  
UAE
January 1
 
August 21
 
November 20
 
December 3
April 13
 
August 22
 
November 30
 
 
June 14
 
August 26
 
December 2
 
 
June 15
 
September 11
 
 
  
 
  
* The UAE market is closed every Friday.
 
UK
January 1
 
April 2
 
August 27
 
December 25
March 25
 
May 7
 
October 28
 
December 26
March 30
 
May 28
 
 
 
 
  
United States
January 1
 
March 30
 
September 3
 
November 22
January 15
 
May 28
 
October 8
 
December 25
February 19
 
July 4
 
November 12
 
January 1, 2019

Redemptions. The longest redemption cycle for a Fund is a function of the longest redemption cycle among the countries whose securities comprise the Fund. 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. In calendar year 2018 (the only year for which holidays are known at the time of this SAI filing), the dates of regular holidays affecting the following securities markets present the worst-case redemption cycles for a Fund as follows:
2018
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Country
 
Trade Date
 
Settlement Date
 
Number of
Days to
Settle
Austria
 
12/21/2018
 
1/2/2019
 
12
  
Chile
 
9/14/2018
 
9/24/2018
 
10

55



China
 
2/14/2018
 
2/26/2018
 
12
  
 
3/29/2018
 
4/9/2018
 
11
  
 
9/28/2018
 
10/10/2018
 
12
  
The Czech Republic
 
12/21/2018
 
12/31/2018
 
10
  
Denmark
 
3/28/2018
 
4/5/2018
 
8
  
 
12/21/2018
 
1/2/2019
 
12
  
Egypt
 
8/20/2018
 
8/28/2018
 
8
  
Finland
 
12/21/2018
 
12/31/2018
 
10
  
Hong Kong
 
2/14/2018
 
2/26/2018
 
12
  
 
3/29/2018
 
4/9/2018
 
11
  
 
9/28/2018
 
10/10/2018
 
12
  
 
12/21/2018
 
1/2/2019
 
12
  
India
 
3/28/2018
 
4/5/2018
 
8
  
 
11/19/2018
 
11/27/2018
 
8
  
Israel
 
4/18/2018
 
4/27/2018
 
9
  
 
9/18/2018
 
9/25/2017
 
8
  
Japan
 
4/27/2018
 
5/7/2018
 
10
  
 
12/28/2018
 
1/8/2019
 
11
  
Malaysia
 
5/28/2018
 
6/6/2018
 
9
  
Norway
 
3/28/2018
 
4/5/2018
 
8
  
 
12/21/2018
 
1/2/2019
 
12
  
Russia
 
12/31/2018
 
1/9/2019
 
9
  
South Korea
 
9/21/2018
 
10/1/2018
 
10
  
Spain
 
3/28/2018
 
4/5/2018
 
8
  
Sweden
 
12/21/2018
 
1/2/2019
 
12
  
Taiwan
 
2/14/2018
 
2/23/2018
 
9
  
Turkey
 
8/17/2018
 
8/29/2018
 
12
  
UAE
 
8/20/2018
 
8/28/2018
 
8

56

DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE
The NAV of Shares is calculated each Business Day as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE, generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. A Fund's NAV per Share is computed by dividing the net assets by the number of Shares outstanding.
 
TAXATION
Taxation of the Fund
Set forth below is a discussion of certain U.S. federal income tax considerations concerning the Funds and the purchase, ownership, and disposition of a Fund's Shares. This discussion does not purport to be complete or to deal with all aspects of federal income taxation that may be relevant to shareholders in light of their particular circumstances, nor to certain types of shareholders subject to special treatment under the federal income tax laws (for example, life insurance companies, banks and other financial institutions, and individual retirement accounts ("IRAs") and other retirement plans). This discussion is based upon present provisions of the Code and the regulations promulgated thereunder in effect as of the date hereof, and judicial decisions and administrative rulings in existence as of the date hereof, all of which are subject to changes, which change may be retroactive. Prospective investors should consult their own tax advisors with regard to the federal tax consequences of the purchase, ownership, or disposition of a Fund's Shares, as well as the tax consequences arising under the laws of any state, foreign country, or other taxing jurisdiction.

Election to be Taxed as a RIC. Each Fund intends to qualify and to continue to be treated each year as a RIC. A RIC generally is not subject to federal income tax on net income and net capital gains distributed in a timely manner to its shareholders. To qualify for treatment as a RIC, each Fund generally must, among other things, satisfy the following requirements:
 
(a) derive in each taxable year at least 90% of its gross income from: (i) dividends, interest, payments with respect to certain 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 or futures) derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock, securities or currencies; and (ii) net income from interests in "qualified publicly traded partnerships" ("QPTP," as defined below) (the income described in this paragraph (a), "Qualifying Income") ("Income Requirement");

(b) diversify its holdings so that, at the end of each quarter of a Fund's taxable year: (i) at least 50% of the market value its total assets is represented by cash and cash items, U.S. government securities, the securities of other RICs and other securities, with such other securities limited, in respect of any one issuer, to a value not greater than 5% of the value its total assets and to an amount not greater than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer; and (ii) not more than 25% of the value of its total assets is invested in: (x) the securities (other than U.S. government securities and the securities of other RICs) of any one issuer or of two or more issuers that the Fund controls and that are engaged in the same, similar or related trades or businesses; or (y) the securities of one or more QPTPs (as defined below) ("Diversification Requirement"); and

(c) distribute with respect to each taxable year at least the sum of 90% of its investment company taxable income (as that term is defined in the Code without regard to the deduction for dividends paid — generally, taxable ordinary income and the excess, if any, of net short-term capital gains over net long-term capital losses) and 90% of its net tax-exempt interest income, for such year ("Distribution Requirement").
 
If for any taxable year the Fund does not qualify as a RIC, 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 RIC 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 Diversification Requirement, 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 RIC 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 RIC if it determines such a course of action to be beneficial to shareholders.

Federal Excise Tax. Amounts not distributed on a timely basis are subject to a nondeductible 4% federal excise tax at the Fund level. To avoid the tax, each Fund must distribute during each calendar year an amount equal to the sum of: (1) at least 98% of its ordinary income (not taking into account any capital gains or losses) for the calendar year; (2) at least 98.2% of its capital gains in excess of its capital losses (adjusted for certain ordinary losses) for a one-
57

year period generally ending on October 31 of the calendar year; and (3) all such ordinary income and capital gains that were not distributed in previous years. For this purpose, a Fund will be treated as having distributed any amount on which it has been subject to corporate income tax in the taxable year ending within the calendar year. Each Fund intends generally to make distributions sufficient to avoid imposition of the 4% excise tax, although there can be no assurance that all the Funds will be able to do so.

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.

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 that 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 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 taxes paid by the Fund to shareholders, although it reserves the right not to do so. If the Fund makes such an election and obtains a refund of foreign taxes paid by the Fund in a prior year, the Fund may be eligible to reduce the amount of foreign taxes reported by the Fund, generally by the amount of the foreign taxes refunded, for the year in which the refund is received.
 
Taxation of Portfolio Transactions
 
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
58

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.

Investments in partnerships and QPTPs. For purposes of the Income Requirement, income derived by a 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 a fund investing in a partnership outside a master-feeder structure, for purposes of testing whether a fund satisfies the Diversification Requirement, the fund generally is treated as owning a pro rata share of the underlying assets of a partnership. 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 of the net income derived by a 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 a fund to fail to qualify as a RIC. Although, in general, the passive loss rules of the Code do not apply to RICs, such rules do apply to a 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.

For purposes of meeting the Diversification Requirement, the term "outstanding voting securities of such issuer" will include the equity securities of a QPTP.

If an MLP is treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes (whether or not a QPTP), all or portion of the dividends received by a fund from the MLP likely will be treated as a return of capital for U.S. federal income tax purposes because of accelerated deductions available with respect to the activities of such MLPs. Further, because of these accelerated deductions, on the disposition of interests in such an MLP, a fund likely will realize taxable income in excess of economic gain with respect to those MLP interests (or if the fund does not dispose of the MLP, the fund could realize taxable income in excess of cash flow with respect to the MLP in a later period), and the fund must take such income into account in determining whether the fund has satisfied its Distribution Requirement. A fund may have to borrow or liquidate securities to satisfy its Distribution Requirement and to meet its redemption requests, even though investment considerations might otherwise make it undesirable for the fund to sell securities or borrow money at such time. In addition, any gain recognized, either upon the sale of a fund's MLP interest or sale by the MLP of property held by it, including in excess of economic gain thereon, treated as so-called "recapture income," will be treated as ordinary income. Therefore, to the extent a fund invests in MLPs, fund shareholders might receive greater amounts of distributions from the fund taxable as ordinary income than they otherwise would in the absence of such MLP investments.

Although MLPs are generally expected to be treated as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes, some MLPs may be treated as PFICs or "regular" corporations for U.S. federal income tax purposes. The treatment of particular MLPs for U.S. federal income tax purposes will affect the extent to which a fund can invest in MLPs and will impact the amount, character, and timing of income recognized by the Fund.

Options, Futures, and Swaps. Investments by a Fund in options, futures, swaps and other derivative financial instruments are subject to numerous special and complex tax rules. Because the application of these rules may be uncertain under current law, an adverse determination or future IRS guidance with respect to these rules may affect whether a Fund has made sufficient distributions and otherwise satisfied the relevant requirements to maintain its qualification as a RIC and avoid a fund-level tax.

Regulated futures contracts and certain options (namely, non-equity options and dealer equity options) in which a Fund may invest may be "section 1256 contracts." Gains (or losses) on these contracts generally are considered to be 60% long-term and 40% short-term capital gains or losses. Also, section 1256 contracts held by a Fund at the end of each taxable year (and on certain other dates prescribed in the Code) are "marked-to-market with the result that unrealized gains or losses are treated as though they were realized.
59

The tax treatment of a payment made or received on a swap to which a Fund is a party, and in particular whether such payment is, in whole or in part, capital or ordinary in character, will vary depending upon the terms of the particular swap contract.

Transactions in options, futures, and swaps undertaken by the Funds may result in "straddles" for federal income tax purposes. The straddle rules may affect the character of gains (or losses) realized by a Fund, and losses realized by the Fund on positions that are part of a straddle may be deferred under the straddle rules, rather than being taken into account in calculating taxable income for the taxable year in which the losses are realized. In addition, certain carrying charges (including interest expense) associated with positions in a straddle may be required to be capitalized rather than deducted currently. Certain elections that a Fund may make with respect to its straddle positions may also affect the amount, character and timing of the recognition of gains or losses from the affected positions.

Because only a few regulations implementing the straddle rules have been promulgated, the consequences of such transactions to the Fund are not entirely clear. The straddle rules may increase the amount of short-term capital gain realized by a Fund, which is taxed as ordinary income when distributed to shareholders. Because application of the straddle rules may affect the character of gains or losses, defer losses and/or accelerate the recognition of gains or losses from the affected straddle positions, the amount which must be distributed to shareholders as ordinary income or long-term capital gain may be increased or decreased substantially as compared to a fund that did not engage in such transactions.

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. A fund may invest in securities of foreign companies that may be classified under the Code as passive foreign investment company ("PFIC"). 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 investment-type income. When investing in PFIC securities, a 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 a 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 a fund. Foreign companies are not required to identify themselves as PFICs. Due to various complexities in identifying PFICs, a 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 a 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 a 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,
60

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.

Investments 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 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 U.S., 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 RIC, such as the Fund, will be allocated to shareholders of the RIC 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 RIC, then the RIC 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 RICs that have excess inclusion income. There can be no assurance that the Fund will not allocate to shareholders excess inclusion income.

Constructive Sales. Under certain circumstances, each Fund may recognize gain from a constructive sale of an "appreciated financial position" it holds if it enters into a short sale, or other transaction that substantially reduces the risk of loss with respect to the appreciated position. In that event, each Fund would be treated as if it had sold and immediately repurchased the property and would be taxed on any gain (but would not recognize any loss) from the constructive sale. The character of gain from a constructive sale would depend upon each Fund's holding period in the property. Appropriate adjustments would be made in the amount of any gain or loss subsequently realized on the position to reflect the gain recognized on the constructive sale. Loss from a constructive sale would be recognized when the property was subsequently disposed of, and its character would depend on the Fund's holding period and the application of various loss deferral provisions of the Code.

Constructive sale treatment does not generally apply to a transaction if such transaction is closed before the end of the 30th day after the close of the Fund's taxable year and the Fund holds the appreciated financial position throughout the 60-day period beginning with the day such transaction closed. The term "appreciated financial position" excludes any position that is "marked-to-market."
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Fund Distributions
In general. For federal income tax purposes, distributions of investment company taxable income — generally consisting of net investment income, the excess of net short-term (i.e., investments held for one year or less) capital gain over net long-term (see below) capital loss, and net gains and losses from certain foreign currency transactions, if any, all determined without regard to any deduction for dividends paid — are generally taxable to a U.S. shareholder as ordinary income, whether paid in cash or Shares. Distributions of net capital gain — that is, the excess of net long-term capital gains from the sale of investments that a Fund has owned (or is treated as having owned) for more than one year (i.e., long –term capital gains) over net short-term capital losses-that are properly reported by a Fund as capital gain dividends ("Capital Gain Dividends"), whether paid in cash or reinvested in Shares, are taxable at long-term capital gains rates, regardless of how long the shareholder has held the Fund's Shares. Capital Gain Dividends are not eligible for the corporate dividends-received deduction and are not "qualified dividend income" (see below).

Distributions attributable to the excess of net gains from the sale of investments that a Fund owned for one year or less over net long-term capital losses will be taxable as ordinary income. Distributions of capital gains are generally made after applying any available capital loss carryover.

Long-term capital gain rates applicable to individuals are taxed at the maximum rate of 15% (20% for certain high income taxpayers) or 25% depending on the nature of the capital gain.

Distributions by a 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 Fund 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 Fund Shares. Return of capital distributions can occur for a number of reasons including, among others, a Fund over-estimates the income to be received from certain investments such as those classified as partnerships or equity REITs.

Shareholders will be notified annually as to the U.S. federal tax status of Fund distributions, and shareholders receiving distributions in the form of newly issued Shares will receive a report as to the value of the Shares received.

Distributions by the Funds to a tax-deferred or qualified plan, such as an IRA, retirement plan or corporate pension or profit-sharing plan, generally will not be taxable. However, distributions from such plans will be taxable to individual participants as ordinary income without regard to the character of the income earned by the qualified plan.

Please consult a tax adviser for a more complete explanation of the federal, state, local and (if applicable) foreign tax consequences of making investments through such plans.

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.

Qualified Dividend Income. "Qualified dividend income" received by an individual shareholder will be taxed at the rates mentioned above applicable to long-term capital gain. In order for some portion of the dividends received by a Fund shareholder to be qualified dividend income, the Fund must meet holding period and certain other requirements with respect to some portion of the dividend-paying stocks in its portfolio and the shareholder must meet holding period and other requirements with respect to the Fund's Shares. A dividend will not be treated as
62

qualified dividend income (at either the Fund or shareholder level): (1) if the dividend is received with respect to any share of stock held for fewer than 61 days during the 121-day period beginning on the date which is 60 days before the date on which such share becomes ex-dividend with respect to such dividend (or, in the case of certain preferred stock, 91 days during the 181-day period beginning 90 days before such date); (2) to the extent that the recipient is under an obligation (whether pursuant to a short sale or otherwise) to make related payments with respect to positions in substantially similar or related property; (3) if the recipient elects to have the dividend income treated as investment income for purposes of deducting investment interest; or (4) if the dividend is received from a foreign corporation that is: (a) not eligible for the benefits of a comprehensive income tax treaty with the United States (with the exception of dividends paid on stock of such a foreign corporation that is readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States); or (b) treated as a PFIC.

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 Fund 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.

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 foreign taxes paid by the Fund. If this election is made, the Fund may report more taxable income than it actually distributes. Shareholders then are entitled either to deduct their share of these taxes in computing taxable income, or to claim a foreign tax credit for these taxes against their U.S. federal income tax (subject to limitations for certain shareholders). The Fund will provide the information necessary to claim this deduction or credit if it makes this election. No deduction for foreign tax may be claimed by a non-corporate 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. Each Fund reserves the right not to pass through 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.

Dividends Declared in December and Paid in January. A distribution will be treated as paid on December 31 of a calendar year if it is declared by a Fund in October, November or December of that year with a record date in such a month and paid by the Fund during January of the following year. Such distributions will be taxable to shareholders in the calendar year in which the distributions are declared, rather than the calendar year in which the distributions are received.

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 Fund 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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Disposition of Shares
Upon a redemption or sale of Shares of a Fund, a shareholder will realize a taxable gain or loss depending upon his, her or its basis in the Shares. A gain or loss will be treated as capital gain or loss if the Shares are held as capital assets in the shareholder's hands and generally will be long-term or short-term, depending upon the shareholder's holding period for the Shares. Any loss realized on a redemption or sale of Shares will be disallowed to the extent the Shares disposed of are replaced (including through reinvestment of dividends) within a period of 61 days beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the Shares are disposed of. In such a case the basis of the Shares acquired will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss. Any loss realized by a shareholder on the disposition of a Fund's Shares held by the shareholder for six months or less will be treated for tax purposes as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any distributions of Capital Gain Dividends received (or treated as having been received) by the shareholder with respect to such Shares.

An Authorized Participant 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 received and the Cash Redemption Amount. 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.

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.

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.

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.
 
Backup Withholding
Each Fund may be required to withhold federal income tax ("backup withholding") from dividends paid, capital gains distributions, and redemption proceeds paid to shareholders. Federal tax will be withheld if: (1) the shareholder fails to furnish the Fund with the shareholder's correct social security number or other taxpayer identification number and certify that the number is correct; (2) the IRS notifies the shareholder or the Fund that the shareholder has failed to report properly certain interest and dividend income to the IRS and to respond to notices to that effect; (3) when required to do so, the shareholder fails to certify that he or she is not subject to backup withholding; or (4) the shareholder fails to certify that he or she is a U.S. person. The backup withholding rate is 28%. Any amounts withheld under the backup withholding rules may be credited against the shareholder's federal income tax liability.

In order for a foreign investor to qualify for exemption from the backup withholding tax rates and for reduced withholding tax rates under income tax treaties, the foreign investor must comply with special certification and filing requirements. Foreign investors in a Fund should consult their tax advisors in this regard.
 
Non-U.S. Shareholders
Dividends, other than Capital Gain Dividends, paid by a Fund to a shareholder that is not a "U.S. person" within the meaning of the Code (such shareholder, a "foreign person") generally are subject to withholding of U.S. federal
64

income tax at a rate of 30% (or lower applicable treaty rate) even if they are funded by income or gains (such as portfolio interest, short-term capital gains or foreign-source dividend and interest income) that, if paid to a foreign person directly, would not be subject to withholding. Dividends a Fund pays to a nonresident alien individual, foreign corporation or partnership, or foreign trust or estate (each, a "foreign shareholder"), other than (1) dividends paid to a foreign shareholder whose ownership of the Fund's shares is effectively connected with a trade or business within the United States the shareholder conducts and (2) capital gain distributions paid to a nonresident alien individual who is physically present in the United States for no more than 182 days during the taxable year, generally will be subject to a federal withholding tax of 30% (or lower treaty rate).
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 RIC. 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, 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.
If a beneficial owner of Fund Shares who is a foreign person has a trade or business in the United States, and dividends from the Fund are effectively connected with the conduct by the beneficial owner of that trade or business, the dividends will be subject to U.S. federal income taxation at regular income tax rates.

A beneficial holder of Shares who or that is a foreign person is not, in general, subject to U.S. federal income tax on gains (and is not allowed a deduction for losses) realized on the sale of Fund Shares or on Capital Gain Dividends unless: (i) such gain or dividend is effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business carried on by such holder within the United States; or (ii) in the case of an individual holder, the holder is present in the United States for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the year of the sale or the receipt of the Capital gain Dividend and certain other conditions are met.

If a shareholder is eligible for the benefits of a tax treaty, any effectively connected income or gain will generally be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a net basis only if it is also attributable to a permanent establishment maintained by the shareholder in the United States

Under legislation known as "FATCA" (the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act), a Fund will be required to withhold 30% of the ordinary dividends it pays, and, after December 31, 2018, the gross proceeds of share redemptions and certain capital gain dividends it pays to shareholders that fail to meet prescribed information reporting or certification requirements. In general, no such withholding will be required with respect to a U.S. person or foreign individual that timely provides the certifications required by the Fund or its agent on a valid IRS Form W-9 or W-8, respectively. Shareholders potentially subject to withholding include foreign financial institutions ("FFIs"), such as foreign investment funds, and non-financial foreign entities ("NFFEs"). To avoid withholding under FATCA, an FFI generally must enter into an information sharing agreement with the IRS, or with a governmental authority in its own country, in which it agrees to report certain identifying information (including name, address, and taxpayer identification number) with respect to its U.S. account holders (which, in the case of an entity shareholder, may include its direct and indirect U.S. owners), and an NFFE generally must identify itself and may be required to provide other required information to a Fund or other withholding agent regarding its U.S. owners, if any. Such foreign shareholders also may fall into certain exempt, excepted or deemed compliant categories as established by regulations and other guidance. A non-U.S. entity that invests in a Fund will need to provide a Fund with documentation properly certifying the entity's status under FATCA in order to avoid FATCA
65

withholding. A foreign shareholder resident or doing business in a country that has entered into an intergovernmental agreement with the U.S. to implement FATCA will be exempt from FATCA withholding provided that the shareholder and the applicable foreign government comply with the terms of such agreement. Non-U.S. investors should consult their own tax advisers regarding the impact of these requirements on their investment in a Fund.
Equalization Accounting
Each Fund expects to declare and distribute all of its net investment income, if any, to shareholders as dividends monthly. Each Fund distributes its capital gains to shareholders as dividends annually to the extent required to qualify for treatment as a RIC and generally to avoid federal income and excise tax. Each Fund may on its tax return treat as a distribution of investment company taxable income ("ICTI") or net capital gain ("NCG"), as the case may be, the portion of redemption proceeds paid to redeeming shareholders that represents the redeeming shareholders portion of the Fund's undistributed ICTI and NCG, respectively. This practice, which involves the use of "equalization" accounting, will have the effect of reducing the amount of ICTI and NCG that a Fund is required to distribute as dividends to (non-redeeming) shareholders in order for the Fund to avoid federal income tax and excise tax, and the amount of any undistributed ICTI or NCG will be reflected in the value of a Fund's Shares. The total return on a shareholder's investment will not be reduced as a result of the Fund's distribution policy. As noted above, investors who purchase Shares shortly before the record date of a distribution will pay the full price for the Shares and then receive some portion of the price back as a taxable distribution.
 
Tax Shelter Disclosure
Under Treasury regulations, if a shareholder recognizes a loss on a disposition of a Fund's Shares of $2 million or more for an individual shareholder or $10 million or more for a corporate shareholder (including, for example, an insurance company holding separate account), the shareholder must file with the IRS a disclosure statement on Form 8886. Direct shareholders of portfolio securities are in many cases excepted from this reporting requirement, but, under current guidance, shareholders of a RIC are not excepted.

OTHER INFORMATION
 Shareholder inquiries may be made by writing to the Trust, c/o Gadsden, LLC, Eight Tower Bridge, 161 Washington Street, Suite 580, Conshohocken, PA 19428.
 
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
The Funds are newly organized and therefore have not yet had any operations as of the date of this SAI.
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DESCRIPTION OF RATINGS
Corporate Obligation Ratings
Moody's
INVESTMENT GRADE
Aaa: Bonds rated Aaa are judged to be of the highest quality, with minimal credit risk.
Aa: Bonds rated Aa are judged to be high quality and are subject to very low credit risk.
A: Bonds rated A are considered upper medium-grade obligations and are subject to low credit risk.
Baa: Bonds rated Baa are subject to moderate credit risk and are considered medium-grade obligations. As such they may have certain speculative characteristics.
BELOW INVESTMENT GRADE
Ba: Bonds rated Ba are judged to have speculative elements and are subject to substantial credit risk.
B: Bonds rated B are considered speculative and are subject to high credit risk.
Caa: Bonds rated Caa are judged to be of poor standing and are subject to very high credit risk.
Ca: Bonds rated Ca are considered highly speculative and are likely in, or very near, default, with some prospect of recovery of principal and interest.
C: Bonds rated C are the lowest rated class of bonds and are typically in default. They have little prospects for recovery of principal or interest.
Note: Moody's appends numerical modifiers 1, 2 and 3 to each generic rating classification from Aa through Caa. The modifier 1 indicates that the obligation ranks in the higher end of its generic rating category; modifier 2 indicates a mid-range ranking; and modifier 3 indicates a ranking in the lower end of that generic rating category.
S&P®
The issue rating definitions are expressions in terms of default risk. As such, they pertain to senior obligations of an entity. Junior obligations are typically rated lower than senior obligations, to reflect the lower priority in bankruptcy. (Such differentiation applies when an entity has both senior and subordinated obligations, secured and unsecured obligations, or operating company and holding company obligations.) Accordingly, in the case of junior debt, the rating may not conform exactly with the category definition.
INVESTMENT GRADE
AAA: This is the highest rating assigned by S&P to a debt obligation. The obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is extremely strong.
AA: Obligations rated AA differ from AAA issues only in a small degree. The obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is very strong.
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A: Obligations rated A are somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in the higher ratings categories. However, the obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is still strong.
BBB: Obligations rated BBB exhibit adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
BELOW INVESTMENT GRADE
BB, B, CCC, CC, C: Obligations rated BB, B, CCC, CC and C are regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. BB indicates the least degree of speculation and C the highest degree of speculation. While these obligations will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these may be outweighed by large uncertainties or major exposures to adverse conditions.
BB: An obligation rated BB is less vulnerable to nonpayment than other speculative issues. However, it faces major ongoing uncertainties or exposure to adverse business, financial, or economic conditions which could lead to the obligor's inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
B: An obligation rated B is more vulnerable to nonpayment than obligations rated BB, but the obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. Adverse business, financial, or economic conditions will likely impair the obligor's capacity or willingness to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
CCC: An obligation rated CCC is currently vulnerable to nonpayment, and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. In the event of adverse business, financial, or economic conditions, the obligor is not likely to have the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
CC: An obligation rated CC is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment.
C: A subordinated debt or preferred stock obligation rated C is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment. The C rating may be used to cover a situation where a bankruptcy petition has been filed or similar action taken, but payments on this obligation are being continued. The C rating is also assigned to a preferred stock issue in arrears on dividends or sinking fund payments, but that is still making payments.
D: Obligations rated D are in payment default. The D rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due even if the applicable grace period has not expired, unless S&P believes that such payments will be made during such grace period. The D rating is also used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of a similar action if payments on an obligation are jeopardized.
Plus (+) or minus (-): The ratings from "AA" to "CCC" may be modified by the addition of a plus or minus sign to show relative standing within the major rating categories.
r: This symbol is attached to the ratings of instruments with significant noncredit risks and highlights risks to principal or volatility of expected returns that are not addressed in the credit rating.
Short-Term Debt Ratings
Moody's
Moody's short-term debt ratings are opinions of the ability of issuers to honor short-term financial obligations. Ratings may be assigned to issuers, short-term programs and to individual short-term debt instruments. These
68


obligations generally have an original maturity not exceeding 13 months, unless explicitly noted. Moody's employs the following designations to indicate the relative repayment capacity of rated issuers:
P-1 (Prime-1): Issuers (or supporting institutions) so rated have a superior ability to repay short-term debt obligations.
P-2 (Prime-2): Issuers (or supporting institutions) so rated have a strong ability to repay short-term debt obligations.
P-3 (Prime-3): Issuers (or supporting institutions) so rated have an acceptable ability to repay short-term debt obligations.
NP: Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Not Prime do not fall within any of the Prime rating categories.
S&P®
S&P's ratings are a current opinion of the creditworthiness of an obligor with respect to a specific financial obligation, a specific class of financial obligations, or a specific financial program. Short-term ratings are generally assigned to those obligations considered short-term in the relevant market. In the U.S., for example, that means obligations with an original maturity of no more than 365 days -- including commercial paper. Short-term ratings are also used to indicate the creditworthiness of an obligor with respect to put features on long-term obligations. The result is a dual rating, in which the short-term rating addresses the put feature, in addition to the usual long-term rating.
A-1: This designation indicates that the obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is strong. Within this category, certain obligations are designated with a plus sign (+). This indicates that the obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on these obligations is extremely strong.
A-2: Issues carrying this designation are somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations carrying the higher designations. However, the obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is satisfactory.
A-3: Issues carrying this designation exhibit adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
B: Issues carrying this designation are regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. The obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. However, it faces major ongoing uncertainties which could lead to the obligor's inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
C: Issues carrying this designation are currently vulnerable to nonpayment and are dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
D: Issues carrying this designation are in payment default. The D rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the due date even if the applicable grace period has not expired, unless S&P believes that such payments will be made during such grace period. The D rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of a similar action if payments on an obligation are jeopardized.
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GADSDEN ETF TRUST
File Nos. 811-23329 & 333-________
 
PART C
Other Information
 
Item 28. Exhibits.
 
The following exhibits are filed herewith, except as noted:
 
 
(a)
Agreement and Declaration of Trust
 
 
(i)
Certificate of Trust dated November 21, 2017
     
    (1)                Certificate of Amendment to the Certificate of Trust dated December 21, 2017
 
 
(ii)
Agreement and Declaration of Trust dated November 21, 2017
     
    To be filed by amendment.
 
 
(b)
By-laws
 
 
(i)
To be filed by amendment.
 
 
(c)
Instruments Defining Rights of Security Holders
 
 
[To be completed by amendment]
 
 
 
(d)
Investment Advisory Contracts
 
 
(i)
To be filed by amendment.
 
 
 
(e)
Underwriting Contracts
 
 
(i)
Distribution Agreement
     
   
To be filed by amendment.
     
 
(ii)
Form of Authorized Participant Agreement
 


To be filed by amendment.

 
(f)
Bonus or Profit Sharing Contracts
 
Not Applicable
 
 
(g)
Custodian Agreements
 
 
(i)
To be filed by amendment.
 
 
(h)
Other Material Contracts
 
 
(i)
Fund Administration and Accounting Agreement
     
   
To be filed by amendment.
     
 
(ii)
Transfer Agent Agreement
     
   
To be filed by amendment.
 
 
(i)
Legal Opinion
 
 
(i)
Opinion and consent of counsel
     
   
To be filed by amendment.
 
 
(j)
Other Opinions
 
 
(i)
Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.
 
To be filed by amendment.
 
 
(k)
Omitted Financial Statements

Not Applicable
 
 
(l)
Initial Capital Agreements
 
(i) To be filed by amendment.
 
 
(m)
Rule 12b-1 Plan
 
 
(i)
Distribution Plan, pursuant to Rule 12b-1.
 
To be filed by amendment.
 
 
(n)
Rule 18f-3 Plan
 
Not Applicable
 
 
(p)
Code of Ethics
 
 
(i)
To be filed by amendment.


  
 
(q)
Power of Attorney
 
 
(i)
To be filed by amendment.
 
Item 29. Persons Controlled by or Under Common Control with the Fund
 
None
 
Item 30. Indemnification
 
[To be completed by amendment]
 
Item 31. Business and Other Connections of the Investment Adviser
 
(a)         Investment Adviser
Gadsden, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, is a federally registered investment adviser with its principal offices located at Eight Tower Bridge, 161 Washington Street, Suite 580, Conshohocken, PA 19428. Gadsden, LLC is primarily engaged in providing investment management services. Additional information regarding Gadsden, LLC, and information as to the officers and directors of Gadsden, LLC, is included in its Form ADV, as filed with the SEC (Registration Number 801-112416) and is incorporated herein by reference.
Item 32. Principal Underwriters

[To be completed by amendment]
 
Item 33. Location of Accounts and Records
 
[To be completed by amendment]

Item 34. Management Services
 
There are no management-related service contracts not discussed in Part A or Part B.
 
Item 35. Undertakings
 
Not Applicable

SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the Registrant has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, duly authorized, in the City of Conshohocken and Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, on the 2nd day of March, 2018.
 
 
Gadsden ETF Trust
 
 
 
 
 
/s/ Kevin R. Harper  
 
Kevin R. Harper, Trustee and President
 
 
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacity and on the date indicated.
 
Signature
 
Title
 
Date
 
 
 
 
 
/s/ Kevin R. Harper        
Kevin R. Harper
 
Trustee and President
 
March 2, 2018
         
/s/ James W. Judge
 
 
 
 
James W. Judge
 
Secretary and Treasurer
 
March 2, 2018
 
 
 
 
 


GADSDEN ETF TRUST
REGISTRATION STATEMENT

INDEX TO EXHIBITS

Exhibit No.
 
Exhibit Description
EX-99.(a)(i)
 
Certificate of Trust dated November 21, 2017
 
EX-99.(a)(i)(1)
 
Certificate of Amendment to the Certificate of Trust effective December 21, 2017