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Mar. 31, 2021
SP Funds S&P Sharia Industry Exclusions ETF
SP Funds S&P 500 Sharia Industry Exclusions ETF
Investment Objective
The SP Funds S&P 500 Sharia Industry Exclusions ETF (the “Fund” or the “Sharia ETF”) seeks to track the performance, before fees and expenses, of the S&P 500 Shariah Industry Exclusions Index (the “Index” or the “Shariah Index”).
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund (“Shares”). You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table and Example below.
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Management Fees0.49%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees0.00%
Other Expenses
0.00%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses 0.49%
Expense Example
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your Shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. The Example does not take into account brokerage commissions that you may pay on your purchases and sales of Shares.
Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
1 Year3 Years5 Years10 Years
$50$157$274$616
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in total annual fund operating expenses or in the expense example above, affect the Fund’s performance. For the fiscal period December 17, 2019 (commencement of operations) through November 30, 2020, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 46% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund uses a “passive management” (or indexing) approach to track the performance, before fees and expenses, of the Index.
The Index is composed of the constituents of the S&P 500 Shariah Index other than those from the following sub-industries: Aerospace & Defense, Financial Exchanges & Data, and Data Processing & Outsourced Services. The S&P 500 Shariah Index includes all Sharia-compliant constituents of the S&P 500 Index, which consists of approximately 500 leading U.S.-listed companies representing approximately 80% of the U.S. equity market capitalization. Islamic religious law, commonly known as “Sharia,” has certain restrictions regarding finance and commercial activities permitted for Muslims, including interest restrictions and prohibited industries. Constituents of the S&P 500 Shariah Index have been screened for non-compliant business activities (companies that offer products and services that are not compliant with Sharia law such as gambling, alcohol or tobacco) and compliance with certain accounting-based financial ratios (companies must satisfy financial ratios governing leverage, cash, and the share of revenues derived from non-compliant activities).
The Index was co-developed in 2019 by S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC (the “Index Provider”), a division of S&P Global, and ShariaPortfolio, Inc. (“ShariaPortfolio” or, the “Sub-Adviser”), the Fund’s sub-adviser, and is owned and administered by the Index Provider.
The Index is rebalanced and reconstituted monthly and weighted based on the float-adjusted market capitalization of each constituent. As of February 26, 2021, the Index was composed of 243 constituents.
The Fund’s Investment Strategy    
The Fund attempts to invest all, or substantially all, of its assets in the component securities that make up the Index. Under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the Fund’s total assets will be invested in the component securities of the Index. The Fund’s investment adviser expects that, over time, the correlation between the Fund’s performance and that of the Index, before fees and expenses, will be 95% or better.
The Fund will generally use a “replication” strategy to achieve its investment objective, meaning it generally will invest in all of the component securities of the Index. However, the Fund may use a “representative sampling” strategy, meaning it may invest in a sample of the securities in the Index whose risk, return and other characteristics closely resemble the risk, return and other characteristics of the Index as a whole, when the Fund’s investment adviser believes it is in the best interests of the Fund (e.g., when replicating the Index involves practical difficulties or substantial costs, an Index constituent becomes temporarily illiquid, unavailable, or less liquid, or as a result of legal restrictions or limitations that apply to the Fund but not to the Index).
The Fund generally may invest up to 20% of its total assets in Sharia-compliant securities or other Sharia-compliant investments not included in the Index, but which the Fund’s investment adviser believes will help the Fund track the Index. For example, the Fund may invest in Sharia-compliant securities that are not components of the Index to reflect various corporate actions and other changes to the Index (such as reconstitutions, additions, and deletions). Each investment made by the Fund is pre-screened and approved as Sharia-compliant before investment by the Fund.
To the extent the Index concentrates (i.e., holds more than 25% of its total assets) in the securities of a particular industry or group of related industries, the Fund will concentrate its investments to approximately the same extent as the Index. The Fund is deemed to be “non-diversified,” which means that it may invest a greater percentage of its assets in the securities of a single issuer or a small number of issuers than if it was a diversified fund.
Principal Investment Risks
The principal risks of investing in the Fund are summarized below. As with any investment, there is a risk that you could lose all or a portion of your investment in the Fund. Some or all of these risks may adversely affect the Fund’s net asset value per share (“NAV”), trading price, yield, total return, and/or ability to meet its objective. For more information about the risks of investing in the Fund, see the section in the Fund’s Prospectus titled “Additional Information About the Funds—Principal Risks of Investing in Each Fund.”
The principal risks are presented in alphabetical order to facilitate finding particular risks and comparing them with those of other funds. Each risk summarized below is considered a “principal risk” of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears.
Concentration Risk. The Fund’s investments will be concentrated in an industry or group of industries to the extent the Index is so concentrated. In such event, the value of Shares may rise and fall more than the value of shares that invest in securities of companies in a broader range of industries.
Equity Market Risk. The Fund will invest in common stocks directly or indirectly through ETFs. Common stocks are generally exposed to greater risk that other types of securities, such as preferred stock and debt obligations, because common stockholders generally have inferior rights to receive payment from specific issuers. The equity securities held in the Fund’s portfolio may experience sudden, unpredictable drops in value or long periods of decline in value. This may occur because of factors that affect securities markets generally or factors affecting specific issuers, industries, or sectors in which the Fund invests. Common stocks, such as those held by the Fund, are generally exposed to greater risk than other types of securities, such as preferred stock and debt obligations, because common stockholders generally have inferior rights to receive payment from issuers. .
ETF Risk.
Authorized Participants, Market Makers, and Liquidity Providers Concentration Risk. The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that are authorized to purchase and redeem Shares directly from the Fund (known as “Authorized Participants” or “APs”). In addition, there may be a limited number of market makers and/or liquidity providers in the marketplace. To the extent either of the following events occur, Shares may trade at a material discount to NAV and possibly face delisting: (i) APs exit the business or otherwise become unable to process creation and/or redemption orders and no other APs step forward to perform these services; or (ii) market makers and/or liquidity providers exit the business or significantly reduce their business activities and no other entities step forward to perform their functions.
Costs of Buying or Selling Shares. Due to the costs of buying or selling Shares, including brokerage commissions imposed by brokers and bid-ask spreads, frequent trading of Shares may significantly reduce investment results and an investment in Shares may not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments.
Shares May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV. As with all ETFs, Shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. Although it is expected that the market price of Shares will approximate the Fund’s NAV, there may be times when the market price of Shares is more than the NAV intra-day (premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (discount) due to supply and demand of Shares or during periods of market volatility. This risk is heightened in times of market volatility, periods of steep market declines, and periods when there is limited trading activity for Shares in the secondary market, in which case such premiums or discounts may be significant.
Trading. Although Shares are listed on a national securities exchange, such as the NYSE Arca, Inc. (the “Exchange”), and may be traded on U.S. exchanges other than the Exchange, there can be no assurance that Shares will trade with any volume, or at all, on any stock exchange. In stressed market conditions, the liquidity of Shares may begin to mirror the liquidity of the Fund’s underlying portfolio holdings, which can be significantly less liquid than Shares.
General Market Risk. Economies and financial markets throughout the world are becoming increasingly interconnected, which increases the likelihood that events or conditions in one country or region will adversely impact markets or issuers in other countries or regions. Securities in the Fund’s portfolio may underperform in comparison to securities in the general financial markets, a particular financial market, or other asset classes, due to a number of factors, including inflation (or expectations for inflation), interest rates, global demand for particular products or resources, natural disasters or events, pandemic diseases, terrorism, regulatory events, and government controls.
Large-Capitalization Investing Risk. The securities of large-capitalization companies may be relatively mature compared to smaller companies and therefore subject to slower growth during times of economic expansion. Large-capitalization companies may also be unable to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in technology and consumer tastes.
Models and Data Risk. The composition of the Index is heavily dependent on proprietary quantitative models as well as information and data supplied by third parties (“Models and Data”). When Models and Data prove to be incorrect or incomplete, any decisions made in reliance thereon may lead to the inclusion or exclusion of securities from the Index universe that would have been excluded or included had the Models and Data been correct and complete. If the composition of the Index reflects such errors, the Fund’s portfolio can be expected to also reflect the errors.
Non-Diversification Risk. Because the Fund is “non-diversified,” it may invest a greater percentage of its assets in the securities of a single issuer or a smaller number of issuers than if it was a diversified fund. As a result, a decline in the value of an investment in a single issuer or a smaller number of issuers could cause the Fund’s overall value to decline to a greater degree than if the Fund held a more diversified portfolio.
Passive Investment Risk. The Fund invests in the securities included in, or representative of, its Index regardless of their investment merit. The Fund does not attempt to outperform its Index or take defensive positions in declining markets. As a result, the Fund’s performance may be adversely affected by a general decline in the market segments relating to its Index.
Recent Market Events Risk. U.S. and international markets have experienced significant periods of volatility in recent years and months due to a number of economic, political and global macro factors including the impact of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) as a global pandemic, which has resulted in public health issues, growth concerns in the U.S. and overseas, layoffs, rising unemployment claims, changed travel and social behaviors, and reduced consumer spending. The effects of COVID-19 may lead to a substantial economic downturn or recession in the U.S. and global economies, the recovery from which is uncertain and may last for an extended period of time. These developments as well as other events could result in further market volatility and negatively affect financial asset prices, the liquidity of certain securities and the normal operations of securities exchanges and other markets.
Recently Organized Fund Risk. The Fund is a recently organized, non-diversified management investment company with a limited operating history. As a result, prospective investors have a limited track record or history on which to base their investment decision.
Sector Risk. To the extent the Fund invests more heavily in particular sectors of the economy, its performance will be especially sensitive to developments that significantly affect those sectors.
Information Technology Sector Risk. The Fund may invest in companies in the information technology sector, and therefore the performance of the Fund could be negatively impacted by events affecting this sector. Market or economic factors impacting information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technological advances could have a significant effect on the value of the Fund’s investments. The value of stocks of information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology is particularly vulnerable to rapid changes in technology product cycles, rapid product obsolescence, government regulation and competition, both domestically and internationally, including competition from foreign competitors with lower production costs. Stocks of information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology, especially those of smaller, less-seasoned companies, tend to be more volatile than the overall market. Information technology companies are heavily dependent on patent and intellectual property rights, the loss or impairment of which may adversely affect profitability. As of November 30, 2020, 38.9% of the Fund’s net assets were invested in the information technology sector.
Consumer Discretionary Sector Risk. The Fund may invest in companies in the consumer discretionary sector, and therefore the performance of the Fund could be negatively impacted by events affecting this sector. The success of consumer product manufacturers and retailers is tied closely to the performance of domestic and international economies, interest rates, exchange rates, competition, consumer confidence, changes in demographics and consumer preferences. Companies in the consumer discretionary sector depend heavily on disposable household income and consumer spending, and may be strongly affected by social trends and marketing campaigns. These companies may be subject to severe competition, which may have an adverse impact on their profitability. As of November 30, 2020, 23.8% of the Fund’s net assets were invested in the consumer discretionary sector.
Sharia-Compliant Investing Risk. Islamic religious law, commonly known as “Sharia,” has certain restrictions regarding finance and commercial activities permitted for Muslims, including interest restrictions and prohibited industries, which reduces the size of the overall universe in which the Fund can invest. The strategy to reduce the investable universe may limit investment opportunities and adversely affect the Fund’s performance, especially in comparison to a more diversified fund. Because Islamic principles preclude the use of interest-paying instruments, cash reserves do not earn income.
Tracking Error Risk. As with all index funds, the performance of the Fund and its Index may differ from each other for a variety of reasons. For example, the Fund incurs operating expenses and portfolio transaction costs not incurred by the Index. In addition, the Fund may not be fully invested in the securities of the Index at all times or may hold securities not included in the Index.
Underlying Index Risk. Neither the Fund’s investment adviser nor the Index Provider is able to guarantee the continuous availability or timeliness of the production of the Index. The calculation and dissemination of the Index values may be delayed if the information technology or other facilities of the Index Provider, calculation agent, data providers and/or relevant stock exchange malfunction for any reason. A significant delay may cause trading in shares of the Fund to be suspended. Errors in Index data, computation and/or the construction in accordance with its methodology may occur from time to time and may not be identified and corrected by the Index Provider, calculation agent or other applicable party for a period of time or at all, which may have an adverse impact on the Fund and its shareholders.
Performance
The following performance information indicates some of the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows the Fund’s performance for the calendar year ended December 31, 2020. The table illustrates how the Fund’s average annual returns for the 1-year and since inception periods compare with those of a broad measure of market performance and the Index. The Fund’s past performance, before and after taxes, does not necessarily indicate how it will perform in the future. Updated performance information is also available on the Fund’s website at www.sp-funds.com.
Calendar Year Ended December 31,
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During the period of time shown in the bar chart, the Fund’s highest quarterly return was 23.50% for the quarter ended June 30, 2020 and the lowest quarterly return was -16.05% for the quarter ended March 31, 2020.
Average Annual Total Returns For the Periods Ended December 31, 2020


1 Year
Since Inception
(12/17/2019)
Return Before Taxes25.66%26.39%
Return After Taxes on Distributions25.32%26.05%
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares15.36%20.05%
S&P 500 Shariah Industry Exclusions Index
(reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)
25.66%26.39%
S&P 500® Total Return Index
(reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)
18.40%19.09%
After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates during the period covered by the table above and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Shares through tax-deferred arrangements such as an individual retirement account (“IRA”) or other tax-advantaged accounts.
SP Funds Dow Jones Global Sukuk ETF
SP Funds Dow Jones Global Sukuk ETF
Investment Objective
The SP Funds Dow Jones Global Sukuk ETF (the “Fund” or the “Sukuk ETF”) seeks to track the performance, before fees and expenses, of the Dow Jones Sukuk Total Return (ex‑Reinvestment) Index (the “Index” or the “Sukuk Index”).
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund (“Shares”). You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table and Example below.
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Management Fees0.65%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees0.00%
Other Expenses
0.00%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses 0.65%
Expense Example
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your Shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. The Example does not take into account brokerage commissions that you may pay on your purchases and sales of Shares.
Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
1 Year3 Years5 Years10 Years
$66$208$362$810
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in total annual fund operating expenses or in the expense example above, affect the Fund’s performance. For the fiscal period December 27, 2019 (commencement of operations) through November 30, 2020, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 15% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund uses a “passive management” (or indexing) approach to track the performance, before fees and expenses, of the Index.
The Index includes U.S. dollar-denominated investment-grade sukuk, which are financial certificates, similar to bonds, issued in the global markets and structured to comply with Islamic religious law, commonly known as “Sharia,” and its investment principles. To be eligible for inclusion in the Index, sukuk must have an outstanding issue size of at least US $200 million, a minimum time to maturity of one year, and a credit quality rating of at least BBB- by Standard & Poor’s Financial Services LLC or Fitch Ratings, Inc. and/or at least Baa3 by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. The Index was created in 2006 and is owned and administered by S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC (the “Index Provider”), a division of S&P Global.
Unlike conventional bonds, sukuk are based on a variety of contracts to create financial obligations, and the returns to investors are considered to be profit sharing, not interest. Issuers of sukuk may include international financial institutions, foreign governments (including in emerging markets), and foreign government agencies or instrumentalities that issue sukuk through a secondary issuing vehicle such as a trust. Sharia has certain restrictions regarding finance and commercial activities, including interest restrictions and prohibited industries and only sukuk, as screened by Thomson Reuters, is eligible for the Index. The Fund considers emerging market countries to be those countries included in the MSCI Emerging Markets Index.
The Index is rebalanced and reconstituted monthly and is market value weighted. As of February 26, 2021, the Index was composed of 94 constituents, representing investments in seven foreign countries, and had an average weighted maturity of 5.48 years.
The Fund’s Investment Strategy    
The Fund attempts to invest all, or substantially all, of its assets in the component securities that make up the Index. Under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the Fund’s total assets will be invested in the component securities of the Index. The Fund’s investment adviser expects that, over time, the correlation between the Fund’s performance and that of the Index, before fees and expenses, will be 95% or better.
The Fund will generally use a “replication” strategy to achieve its investment objective, meaning it generally will invest in all of the component securities of the Index. However, the Fund may use a “representative sampling” strategy, meaning it may invest in a sample of the securities in the Index whose risk, return, and other characteristics closely resemble the risk, return, and other characteristics of the Index as a whole, when the Fund’s investment adviser believes it is in the best interests of the Fund (e.g., when replicating the Index involves practical difficulties or substantial costs, an Index constituent becomes temporarily illiquid, unavailable, or less liquid, or as a result of legal restrictions or limitations that apply to the Fund but not to the Index).
The Fund generally may invest up to 20% of its total assets in Sharia-compliant securities or other Sharia-compliant investments not included in the Index, but which the Fund’s investment adviser believes will help the Fund track the Index. For example, the Fund may invest in Sharia-compliant securities that are not components of the Index to reflect various corporate actions and other changes to the Index (such as reconstitutions, additions, and deletions). Each investment made by the Fund is pre-screened and approved as Sharia-compliant before investment by the Fund.
To the extent the Index concentrates (i.e., holds more than 25% of its total assets) in the securities of a particular industry or group of related industries, the Fund will concentrate its investments to approximately the same extent as the Index. The Fund is deemed to be “non-diversified,” which means that it may invest a greater percentage of its assets in the securities of a single issuer or a small number of issuers than if it was a diversified fund.
Principal Investment Risks
The principal risks of investing in the Fund are summarized below. As with any investment, there is a risk that you could lose all or a portion of your investment in the Fund. Some or all of these risks may adversely affect the Fund’s net asset value per share (“NAV”), trading price, yield, total return, and/or ability to meet its objective. For more information about the risks of investing in the Fund, see the section in the Fund’s Prospectus titled “Additional Information About the Funds—Principal Risks of Investing in Each Fund.”
The principal risks are presented in alphabetical order to facilitate finding particular risks and comparing them with those of other funds. Each risk summarized below is considered a “principal risk” of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears.
Concentration Risk. The Fund’s investments will be concentrated in an industry or group of industries to the extent the Index is so concentrated. In such event, the value of Shares may rise and fall more than the value of shares that invest in securities of companies in a broader range of industries.
Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that an issuer or guarantor of debt instruments or the counterparty to a derivatives contract, repurchase agreement or loan of portfolio securities will be unable or unwilling to make its timely interest and/or principal payments or to otherwise honor its obligations. Debt instruments are subject to varying degrees of credit risk, which may be reflected in their credit ratings. There is the chance that the Fund’s portfolio holdings will have their credit ratings downgraded or will default (i.e., fail to make scheduled interest or principal payments), potentially reducing the Fund’s income level or share price.
Emerging Markets Risk. Investments in emerging market securities impose risks different from, or greater than, risks of investing in foreign developed countries, including: smaller market capitalization; significant price volatility; and restrictions on foreign investment. Emerging market countries may have relatively unstable governments and may present the risk of nationalization of businesses, expropriation, and confiscatory taxation, or, in certain instances, reversion to closed market, centrally planned economies. Emerging market economies may also experience more severe downturns. The currencies of emerging market countries may experience significant declines against the U.S. dollar, and devaluation may occur subsequent to investments in these currencies by the Fund. Inflation and rapid fluctuations in inflation rates have had, and may continue to have, negative effects on the economies and securities markets of certain emerging market countries. In addition, less information may be
available about companies in emerging markets than in developed markets because such emerging markets companies may not be subject to accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards or to other regulatory practices required by U.S. companies which may lead to potential errors in index data, index computation and/or index construction. Such conditions may impact the ability of the Fund to buy, sell or otherwise transfer securities; adversely affect the trading market and price for such securities; and/or cause the Fund to decline in value.
ETF Risk.
Authorized Participants, Market Makers, and Liquidity Providers Concentration Risk. The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that are authorized to purchase and redeem Shares directly from the Fund (known as “Authorized Participants” or “APs”). In addition, there may be a limited number of market makers and/or liquidity providers in the marketplace. To the extent either of the following events occur, Shares may trade at a material discount to NAV and possibly face delisting: (i) APs exit the business or otherwise become unable to process creation and/or redemption orders and no other APs step forward to perform these services; or (ii) market makers and/or liquidity providers exit the business or significantly reduce their business activities and no other entities step forward to perform their functions.
Costs of Buying or Selling Shares. Due to the costs of buying or selling Shares, including brokerage commissions imposed by brokers and bid-ask spreads, frequent trading of Shares may significantly reduce investment results and an investment in Shares may not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments.
Shares May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV. As with all ETFs, Shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. Although it is expected that the market price of Shares will approximate the Fund’s NAV, there may be times when the market price of Shares is more than the NAV intra-day (premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (discount) due to supply and demand of Shares or during periods of market volatility. This risk is heightened in times of market volatility, periods of steep market declines, and periods when there is limited trading activity for Shares in the secondary market, in which case such premiums or discounts may be significant. Because securities held by the Fund may trade on foreign exchanges that are closed when the Fund’s primary listing exchange is open, the Fund is likely to experience premiums and discounts greater than those of ETFs holding only domestic securities.
Trading. Although Shares are listed on a national securities exchange, such as the NYSE Arca, Inc. (the “Exchange”), and may be traded on U.S. exchanges other than the Exchange, there can be no assurance that Shares will trade with any volume, or at all, on any stock exchange. In stressed market conditions, the liquidity of Shares may begin to mirror the liquidity of the Fund’s underlying portfolio holdings, which can be significantly less liquid than Shares.
Foreign Government Risk. The Fund’s investment in securities issued by foreign governments or their agencies or instrumentalities (sovereign debt), including those that issue sukuk through a secondary issuing vehicle, differs from debt obligations issued by private entities in that, generally, remedies for defaults must be pursued in the courts of the defaulting party. Legal recourse is therefore limited. The foreign sovereign debt securities the Fund purchases involve specific risk, including that (i) the governmental entity that controls the repayment of sovereign debt may not be willing or able to repay the principal and/or interest when it becomes due because of political constraints, cash flow problems, and other national economic factors; (ii) governments may default on their sovereign debt, which may require holders of such sovereign debt to participate in debt rescheduling or additional lending to defaulting governments; and (iii) there are no bankruptcy proceedings by which defaulted sovereign debt may be collected in whole or in part. These and other factors can make investments in the Fund more volatile and potentially less liquid than other types of investments that track an index of domestic securities.
General Market Risk. Economies and financial markets throughout the world are becoming increasingly interconnected, which increases the likelihood that events or conditions in one country or region will adversely impact markets or issuers in other countries or regions. Securities in the Fund’s portfolio may underperform in comparison to securities in the general financial markets, a particular financial market, or other asset classes, due to a number of factors, including inflation (or expectations for inflation), interest rates, global demand for particular products or resources, natural disasters or events, pandemic diseases, terrorism, regulatory events, and government controls.
Geographic Investment Risk. To the extent the Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in the securities of companies of a single country or region, it is more likely to be impacted by events or conditions affecting that country or region.
Risks of Investing in Saudi Arabia. The ability of foreign investors to invest in Saudi Arabian issuers is new and untested. Such ability could be restricted or revoked by the Saudi Arabian government at any time, and unforeseen risks could materialize due to foreign ownership in such securities. The economy of Saudi Arabia is dominated by petroleum exports. A sustained decrease in petroleum prices could have a negative impact on all aspects of the economy. Investments in securities of Saudi Arabian issuers involves risks not typically associated with investments in securities of issuers in more developed countries that may negatively affect the value of the Fund’s investments. Such heightened risks may include, among others, expropriation and/or nationalization of assets, restrictions on and government intervention in international trade, confiscatory taxation, political instability, including authoritarian and/ or military involvement in governmental decision making, armed conflict, crime and instability as a result of religious, ethnic and/or socioeconomic unrest. There remains the possibility that instability in the larger Middle East region could adversely impact the economy of Saudi Arabia, and there is no assurance of political stability in Saudi Arabia. As of November 30, 2020, 40.9% of the Fund’s total investments were invested in Saudi Arabia.
Risks of Investing in the United Arab Emirates. The economy of the United Arab Emirates (“UAE”) is dominated by petroleum exports. A sustained decrease in commodity prices, particularly oil and natural gas, could have a negative impact on all aspects of the UAE economy. The nonoil UAE economy, which is concentrated in Dubai’s service sector, could be affected by declines in tourism, real estate, banking and re-export trade. The UAE and the governments of the individual emirates exercise substantial influence over many aspects of the private sector. Governmental actions could have a significant effect on economic conditions in the UAE, which could adversely affect the value of the Fund. In addition, recent political instability and protests in North Africa and the Middle East have caused significant disruptions to many industries. Continued political and social unrest in these areas may adversely affect the value of the Fund. As of November 30, 2020, 26.5% of the Fund’s total investments were invested in the UAE.
Interest Rate Risk. Generally, the value of fixed income securities will change inversely with changes in interest rates. As interest rates rise, the market value of fixed income securities tends to decrease. Conversely, as interest rates fall, the market value of fixed income securities tends to increase. This risk will be greater for long-term securities than for short-term securities. Changes in government intervention may have adverse effects on investments, volatility, and illiquidity in debt markets. In addition, the interest rates payable on floating rate securities are not fixed and may fluctuate based upon changes in market rates. The interest rate on a floating rate security is a variable rate which is tied to another interest rate. Floating rate securities are subject to interest rate risk and credit risk.
Models and Data Risk. The composition of the Index is heavily dependent on proprietary quantitative models as well as information and data supplied by third parties (“Models and Data”). When Models and Data prove to be incorrect or incomplete, any decisions made in reliance thereon may lead to the inclusion or exclusion of securities from the Index universe that would have been excluded or included had the Models and Data been correct and complete. If the composition of the Index reflects such errors, the Fund’s portfolio can be expected to also reflect the errors.
Non-Diversification Risk. Because the Fund is “non-diversified,” it may invest a greater percentage of its assets in the securities of a single issuer or a smaller number of issuers than if it was a diversified fund. As a result, a decline in the value of an investment in a single issuer or a smaller number of issuers could cause the Fund’s overall value to decline to a greater degree than if the Fund held a more diversified portfolio.
Passive Investment Risk. The Fund invests in the securities included in, or representative of, its Index regardless of their investment merit. The Fund does not attempt to outperform its Index or take defensive positions in declining markets. As a result, the Fund’s performance may be adversely affected by a general decline in the market segments relating to its Index.
Recent Market Events Risk. U.S. and international markets have experienced significant periods of volatility in recent years and months due to a number of economic, political and global macro factors including the impact of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) as a global pandemic, which has resulted in public health issues, growth concerns in the U.S. and overseas, layoffs, rising unemployment claims, changed travel and social behaviors, and reduced consumer spending. The effects of COVID-19 may lead to a substantial economic downturn or recession in the U.S. and global economies, the recovery from which is uncertain and may last for an extended period of time. These developments as well as other events could result in further market volatility and negatively affect financial asset prices, the liquidity of certain securities and the normal operations of securities exchanges and other markets.
Recently Organized Fund Risk. The Fund is a recently organized, non-diversified management investment company with a limited operating history. As a result, prospective investors have a limited track record or history on which to base their investment decision.
Sharia-Compliant Investing Risk. Islamic religious law, commonly known as “Sharia,” has certain restrictions regarding finance and commercial activities permitted for Muslims, including interest restrictions and prohibited industries, which reduces the size of the overall universe in which the Fund can invest. The strategy to reduce the investable universe may limit investment opportunities and adversely affect the Fund’s performance, especially in comparison to a more diversified fund. Because Sharia principles preclude the use of interest-paying instruments, cash reserves do not earn income.
Sukuk Risk. Sukuk are financial certificates that are similar to conventional bonds but are structured to comply with Sharia law and its investments principles, which, among other things, prohibit charging or paying interest. Sukuk involve many of the same risks that conventional bonds incur such as credit risk and interest rate risk. In addition to these risks, there are certain risks specific to sukuk. Sukuk represent undivided shares in the ownership of certificates, and such certificates are linked to a specific investment activity, such as an underlying asset or contractual payment obligations of the issuer. Because no collateral is pledged as security for sukuk, purchasers of sukuk are subject to the risk that an issuer may not meet its payment obligations or that an underlying asset may not perform as expected or lose value. While the sukuk market has grown significantly in recent years, there may be times when the market is illiquid and it is difficult for the Fund to make an investment in or dispose of sukuk.
Tracking Error Risk. As with all index funds, the performance of the Fund and its Index may differ from each other for a variety of reasons. For example, the Fund incurs operating expenses and portfolio transaction costs not incurred by the Index. In addition, the Fund may not be fully invested in the securities of the Index at all times or may hold securities not included in the Index.
Underlying Index Risk. Neither the Fund’s investment adviser nor the Index Provider is able to guarantee the continuous availability or timeliness of the production of the Index. The calculation and dissemination of the Index values may be delayed if the information technology or other facilities of the Index Provider, calculation agent, data providers and/or relevant stock exchange malfunction for any reason. A significant delay may cause trading in shares of the Fund to be suspended. Errors in Index data, computation and/or the construction in accordance with its methodology may occur from time to time and may not be identified and corrected by the Index Provider, calculation agent or other applicable party for a period of time or at all, which may have an adverse impact on the Fund and its shareholders.
Performance
The following performance information indicates some of the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows the Fund’s performance for the calendar year ended December 31, 2020. The table illustrates how the Fund’s average annual returns for the 1-year and since inception periods compare with those of a broad measure of market performance and the Index. The Fund’s past performance, before and after taxes, does not necessarily indicate how it will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available on the Fund’s website at www.sp-funds.com.
Calendar Year Ended December 31,
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During the period of time shown in the bar chart, the Fund’s highest quarterly return was 5.65% for the quarter ended June 30, 2020 and the lowest quarterly return was -4.89% for the quarter ended March 31, 2020.
Average Annual Total Returns For the Periods Ended December 31, 2020


1 Year
Since Inception
(12/27/2019)
Return Before Taxes4.09%3.97%
Return After Taxes on Distributions3.37%3.26%
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares2.41%2.72%
Dow Jones Sukuk Total Return Index (ex-Reinvestment)
(reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)
7.91%7.67%
Bloomberg Barclays Global Aggregate Bond Index
(reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)
9.20%9.30%
After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates during the period covered by the table above and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Shares through tax-deferred arrangements such as an individual retirement account (“IRA”) or other tax-advantaged accounts.