485BPOS 1 d434376d485bpos.htm GABELLI AUTOMATION ETF TRUST 485BPOS Gabelli Automation ETF Trust 485BPOS

Securities Act File No. 333-238109

Investment Company Act File No. 811-23568

 

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM N-1A

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933  

Pre-Effective Amendment No.  

Post-Effective Amendment No. 5  

and/or

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940

 

Amendment No. 5  

 

 

GABELLI ETFs TRUST

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

 

 

One Corporate Center, Rye, New York 10580-1422

(Address of Principal Executive Offices)

Registrant’s Telephone Number, including Area Code: 1-800-422-3554

John C. Ball

Gabelli Funds, LLC

One Corporate Center

Rye, New York 10580-1422

(Name and Address of Agent for Service)

 

 

Copies to:

Peter Goldstein, Esq
Gabelli
One Corporate Center
Rye, New York 10580-1422
  Michael R. Rosella, Esq.
Paul Hastings LLP
200 Park Avenue
New York, New York 10166

 

 

It is proposed that this filing will become effective:

 

 

immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b);or

 

on March 11, 2023, pursuant to paragraph (b);or

 

60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(1);or

 

on [    ] pursuant to paragraph (a)(1);or

 

75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2);or

 

on                      pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of Rule 485.

If appropriate, check the following box:

 

 

This post-effective amendment designates a new effective date for a previously filed post-effective amendment.

 

 

 


Gabelli ETFs Trust

Gabelli Equity Income ETF

Gabelli Commercial Aerospace and Defense ETF

(each a “Fund” and collectively, the “Funds”)

One Corporate Center

Rye, New York 10580-1422

800-GABELLI

(800-422-3554)

fax: 914-921-5118

website: www.gabelli.com

e-mail: info@gabelli.com

Questions?

Call 800-GABELLI

or your investment representative.

Table of Contents

 

Summary of the Funds   

Gabelli Equity Income ETF

     2  

Gabelli Commercial Aerospace and Defense ETF

     8  
Investment Objectives, Investment Strategies, and Related Risks      14  
Management of the Funds      22  
Purchase and Sale of Shares      24  
Payments to Broker/Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries      25  
Pricing of Fund Shares      25  
Dividends and Distributions      26  
Tax Information      26  
Creations and Redemptions      28  
Mailings and E-Delivery to Shareholders      30  
Financial Highlights      30  

GABELLI ETFS TRUST

(the “Trust”)

 

Fund

   Ticker Symbol

Gabelli Equity Income ETF

       GABE

Gabelli Commercial Aerospace and Defense ETF

       GCAD

Listing Exchange: NYSE Arca

    

PROSPECTUS DATED

March 9, 2023

This Exchange-Traded Fund (“ETF”) is different from traditional ETFs.

Unlike traditional ETFs, these ETFs will not tell the public what assets they hold each day. This may create additional risks for your investment. For example:

 

    You may have to pay more money to trade an ETF’s shares. These ETFs will provide less information to traders, who tend to charge more for trades when they have less information about the underlying holdings.

 

    The price you pay to buy ETF shares on an exchange may not match the value of an ETF’s portfolio. The same is true when you sell shares. These price differences may be greater for the ETFs offered pursuant to this Prospectus compared to other ETFs because these ETFs provide less information to traders with respect to the underlying portfolio holdings.

 

    These additional risks may be even greater in bad or uncertain market conditions.

The differences between these ETFs and other ETFs may also have advantages. By keeping certain information about an ETF secret, the ETF may face less risk that other traders can predict or copy its investment strategy. This may improve an ETF’s performance. If other traders are able to copy or predict an ETF’s investment strategy, however, this may hurt the ETF’s performance.

For additional information regarding the unique attributes and risks of the Funds, see the “Non-Transparent Exchange-Traded Fund (“ETF”) Structure Risk”, “Early Close/Trading Halt Risk” and “Authorized Participant and AP Representative Concentration Risk” in the “Principal Risks” section of this Prospectus below.

As permitted by regulations adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), paper copies of the Funds’ annual and semiannual shareholder reports will no longer be sent by mail, unless you specifically request paper copies of the reports. Instead, the reports will be made available on the Funds’ website (https://gabelli.com), and you will be notified by mail each time a report is posted and provided with a website link to access the report. If you already elected to receive shareholder reports electronically, you will not be affected by this change and you need not take any action. To elect to receive all future reports in paper free of charge, please contact your financial intermediary, or, if you invest directly with the Funds, you may call 800-422-3554 or send an email request to info@gabelli.com. Your election to receive reports in paper will apply to all Funds held in your account if you invest through your financial intermediary or all Funds held within the Fund complex if you invest directly with the Funds.

The Securities and Exchange Commission has not approved or disapproved the shares described in this prospectus or determined whether this prospectus is accurate or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 


 

 

GABELLI EQUITY INCOME ETF

(the “Equity Income Fund” or the “Fund”) (fka the Gabelli Global Small Cap ETF)

Investment Objective

The Fund seeks a high level of total return on its assets with an emphasis on income.

Fees and Expenses of the Fund:

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. The investment advisory agreement between Gabelli ETFs Trust (the “Trust”) and Gabelli Funds, LLC (the “Adviser”) (the “Investment Advisory Agreement”) provides that the Adviser will pay all operating expenses of the Fund, except the management fees, interest expenses, taxes, expenses incurred with respect to the acquisition and disposition of portfolio securities and the execution of portfolio transactions, including brokerage commissions, distribution fees or expenses, litigation expenses, and any extraordinary expenses. You may also incur usual and customary brokerage commissions and other charges when buying and selling shares that are not reflected in the example.

 

Shareholder Fees

      

(fees paid directly from your investment):

         None

Annual Fund Operating Expenses

      

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

      

Management Fees

         0.90%

Other Expenses(1)

         0.00%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

         0.90%

Less Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement(2)

         (0.90)%  
      

 

 

 

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver

         0.00%
      

 

 

 

 

 

(1)

“Other Expenses” are based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year.

(2)

Gabelli Funds, LLC, the Fund’s adviser (the “Adviser”), has contractually agreed to waive the Fund’s management fee of 0.90% on the first $25 million in net assets until at least March 12, 2024. As of March 3, 2023, the Fund had not yet launched. The management fee waiver shall not apply to any brokerage costs, acquired Fund fees and expenses, interest, taxes, and extraordinary expenses that the Fund may incur. This agreement may be terminated only by, or with the consent of, the Fund’s Board of Trustees. However, the Fund has agreed, during the three year period following the date of any waiver or reimbursement by the Adviser, to repay such amount to the extent the Fund is able to do so without exceeding the lesser of (1) the expense limit in effect at the time of the waiver or reimbursement, as applicable, or (2) the expense limit in effect at the time of recoupment after giving effect to the repayment.

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. In addition, the

 

 

 

2


 

 

example assumes that net assets do not exceed $25 million; in the event that net assets would exceed $25 million, the expense ratio would be higher than what is presented in this example. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

 

1 Year    3 Years
$0    $197

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 the Fund’s shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in the annual Fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. No portfolio turnover is included for the Fund because the Fund has not yet commenced operations.

Principal Investment Strategies

The Fund will seek to achieve its investment objective by investing, under normal market conditions, at least 80% of its net assets (including any assets purchased using borrowings for investment purposes) in income producing equity. The Fund may also invest in foreign securities by investing in American Depositary Receipts. In making stock selections, the Adviser looks for securities that have a better yield than the average of the Standard and Poor’s 500 Index (the “S&P 500 Index”), as well as capital gains potential. In selecting investments for the Fund, the Adviser focuses on issuers that:

 

   

have strong free cash flow and pay regular dividends

   

have potential for long term earnings per share growth

   

may be subject to a value catalyst, such as industry developments, regulatory changes, changes in management, sale or spin-off of a division, or the development of a profitable new business

   

are well managed

   

will benefit from sustainable long term economic dynamics, such as globalization of an issuer’s industry or an issuer’s increased focus on productivity or enhancement of services

The Adviser also believes preferred stock of selected companies offer opportunities for capital appreciation as well as periodic income and may invest a portion of the Fund’s assets in such securities. This is particularly true in the case of companies that have performed below expectations. If a company’s performance has been poor enough, its preferred stock will trade more like common stock than like a fixed income security and may result in above average appreciation if performance improves. This leads to the possibility of capital appreciation if the price of the common stock recovers.

Principal Risks

You may want to invest in the Fund if:

 

   

you are a long term investor

   

you are seeking income as well as capital appreciation

 

 

 

3


 

 

The Fund’s share price will fluctuate with changes in the market value of the Fund’s portfolio securities. Your investment in the Fund is not a deposit of the bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency; you may lose money by investing in the Fund. When you sell Fund shares, they may be worth more or less than what you paid for them.

Investing in the Fund involves the following risks:

 

   

Non-Transparent Exchange-Traded Fund (“ETF”) Structure Risk.    Unlike most actively managed ETFs the Fund does not provide daily disclosure of its portfolio holding. Instead, the Fund provides a verified intraday indicative value (“VIIV”), calculated and disseminated every second throughout the trading day. The VIIV is intended to provide investors and other market participants with a highly correlated per share value of the underlying portfolio that can be compared to the current market price. There is, however, a risk that shares of the Fund may trade at a wider bid/ask spread than ETFs that publish their portfolios on a daily basis, especially during periods of market disruption or volatility, and therefore, may cost investors more to trade. Because the Fund trades on the basis of the VIIV, it may trade at a wider bid/ask spread than traditional ETFs that publish their portfolios on a daily basis. Accordingly, the Adviser or its designee will monitor on an ongoing basis how shares of the Fund trade, including the level of any market price premium or discount to NAV and the bid/ask spreads on market transactions. Should there be extended periods of unusually high bid/ask spreads, the Board will consider the continuing viability of the Fund, whether shareholders are being harmed, and what, if any, action would be appropriate to among other things, narrow the premium/discount or spread, as applicable. Potential actions may include, but are not limited to, changing lead market makers, listing the Fund on a different exchange, changing the size of Creation Units, changing the Fund’s investment objective or strategy, and liquidating the Fund. There is also a risk that the market price may vary significantly from the NAV and, thus, the underlying value of the Fund significantly from the underlying NAV of the Fund. There is also a risk that, despite not disclosing the portfolio holdings each day, some market participants may seek to use publically available information, including the VIIV, to identify the Fund’s investment strategy and engage in certain predatory trading practices that may have the potential to harm the Fund.

 

   

Early Close/Trading Halt Risk.    An exchange or market may close or issue trading halts on specific securities, or the ability to buy or sell certain securities or financial instruments may be restricted, which may result in the Fund being unable to buy or sell certain securities or financial instruments. In such circumstances, the Fund may be unable to rebalance its portfolio, may be unable to accurately price its investments and/or may incur substantial trading losses. In addition, due to the non-transparency of the portfolio a trading halt in a portfolio security could cause discrepancies between the VIIV and NAV of the Fund resulting in uncertainty on the part of the AP that results in wider, less liquid markets. Any security for which trading has been halted for an extended period of time will be disclosed on the Fund’s website, www.gabelli.com.

 

   

Authorized Participant and AP Representative Concentration Risk.    The creation and redemption process for the Fund occurs through a confidential brokerage account (“Confidential Account”) with an agent, called an AP Representative, on behalf of an Authorized Participant. Each day, the AP Representative will be given the names and quantities of the securities to be deposited, in the case of a creation, or redeemed, in the case of a redemption (“Creation

 

 

 

4


 

 

 

Basket”), allowing the AP Representative to buy and sell positions in the portfolio securities to permit creations or redemptions on the Authorized Participant’s behalf, without disclosing the information to the Authorized Participant. The Fund may have a limited number of institutions that act as Authorized Participants and AP Representatives, none of which are obligated to engage in creation or redemption transactions. To the extent that these institutions exit the business or are unable to proceed with creation and/or redemption orders with respect to the Fund and no other Authorized Participant is able to step forward to process creation and/or redemption orders, Fund shares may trade at a discount to NAV and possibly face trading halts and/or delisting. This risk may be more pronounced in volatile markets, potentially where there are significant redemptions in ETFs, generally. The fact that the Fund is offering a novel and unique structure may affect the number of entities willing to act as Authorized Participants and AP Representatives. During times of market stress, Authorized Participants may be more likely to step away from this type of ETF than a traditional ETF.

 

   

Absence of an Active Market.    Although shares of the Fund are listed for trading on one or more stock exchanges, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for such shares will develop or be maintained by market makers or Authorized Participants. Authorized Participants are not obligated to execute purchase or redemption orders for Creation Units. Because this is a novel and unique structure, this could influence the number of entities willing to act as Authorized Participants. In periods of market volatility, market makers and/or Authorized Participants may be less willing to transact in Fund shares. The absence of an active market for the Fund’s shares may contribute to the Fund’s shares trading at a premium or discount to net asset value (“NAV”). If a shareholder purchases Fund shares at a time when the market price is at a premium to the NAV or sells Fund shares at a time when the market price is at a discount to the NAV, the shareholder may sustain losses.

 

   

New Fund Risk.    The Fund is new with a limited operating history and may have higher expenses. There can be no assurance that the Fund will grow to or maintain an economically viable size. The Fund could cease operations, and investors may be required to liquidate or transfer their assets at a loss. However, the expense limitation in place limits this risk through the end of its term.

 

   

Equity Risk.    Equity risk is the risk that the prices of the securities held by the Fund will fluctuate, sometimes rapidly and unpredictably, due to general market and economic conditions, perceptions regarding the industries in which the companies issuing the securities participate, and the issuer companies’ particular circumstances. Holders of equity securities only have rights to value in the company only after all issuer debts have been paid and they could lose their entire investment in a company that encounters financial difficulty

 

   

American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) Risk.    Investment in ADRs does not eliminate all the risks inherent in investing in securities of non-U.S. issuers. The market value of ADRs is dependent upon the market value of the underlying securities and fluctuations in the relative value of the currencies in which the ADRs and the underlying securities are quoted.

 

   

Coronavirus (“COVID-19”) and Global Health Events.    COVID-19 and concerns about its rapid spread and infections have severely impacted business activity in virtually all economies, markets, and sectors and negatively impacted the value of many financial and other assets. The

 

 

 

5


 

 

 

duration of the COVID-19 outbreak and its effects cannot be determined with certainty. These events could have a significant impact on the Fund’s performance, as well as the performance and viability of issuers in which it invests.

 

   

Issuer Risk.    The value of a security may decline for a number of reasons that directly relate to an issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage, and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods or services, as well as the historical and prospective earnings of the issuer and the value of its assets or factors unrelated to the issuer’s value, such as investor perception.

 

   

Management Risk.    If the Adviser is incorrect in its assessment of the investment prospects of the securities the Fund holds, then the value of the Fund’s shares may decline.

 

   

Market Trading Risk.    Individual Fund shares may be purchased and sold only on a national securities exchange or alternative trading system through a broker-dealer, and may not be directly purchased or redeemed from the Fund. There can be no guarantee that an active trading market for shares will develop or be maintained, or that their listing will continue unchanged. Buying and selling shares may require you to pay brokerage commissions and expose you to other trading costs. Due to brokerage commissions and other transaction costs that may apply, frequent trading may detract from realized investment returns. Trading prices of shares may be above, at, or below the Fund’s NAV, will fluctuate in relation to NAV based on supply and demand in the market for shares and other factors, and may vary significantly from NAV during periods of market volatility. The return on your investment will be reduced if you sell shares at a greater discount or narrower premium to NAV than when you acquired shares.

 

   

Non-Diversification Risk.    The Fund may invest a large percentage of its assets in securities issued by or representing a small number of issuers. As a result, the Fund’s performance may depend on the performance of a small number of issuers.

 

   

Preferred Stock Risk.    Preferred stocks are susceptible to general market fluctuations and to volatile increases and decreases in value as market confidence in and perceptions of their issuers change. The dividend on a preferred stock may be changed or omitted by the issuer, and participation in the growth of an issuer may be limited.

 

   

Trading Issues Risk.    Trading in Fund shares on NYSE Arca, Inc. (“NYSE Arca”) may be halted in certain circumstances. There can be no assurance that the requirements of NYSE Arca necessary to maintain the listing of the Fund will continue to be met.

 

   

Value Investing Risk.    The Fund invests in “value” stocks. Value investing refers to buying securities that the Adviser believes are out of favor and/or undervalued in comparison to their peers or their prospects for growth. From time to time, “value” investing falls out of favor with investors. During those periods, the Fund’s relative performance may suffer.

Performance

The Fund has not yet commenced operations, therefore, performance information is not yet available. Performance information will be available after the Fund has been in operation for one calendar year.

 

 

 

6


 

 

Management

The Adviser. Gabelli Funds, LLC

The Portfolio Manager. Mr. Mario J. Gabelli, CFA, Chief Investment Officer — Value Portfolios, and Robert Leininger have served as portfolio managers of the Fund since its inception.

Other Information

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

The Fund is an actively managed exchange-traded fund (commonly referred to as an “ETF”). Individual shares of the Fund are listed on a national securities exchange. Most investors will buy and sell shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer. The price of Fund shares is based on market price, and because ETF shares trade at market prices rather than at 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 that have been aggregated into blocks of 5,000 shares or multiples thereof (“Creation Units”) to Authorized Participants who have entered into agreements with the Fund’s distributor. The Fund generally will issue or redeem Creation Units in return for a designated portfolio of securities (and an amount of cash) that the Fund specifies each day.

Tax Information

The Fund expects that distributions will generally be taxable as ordinary income or long term capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an IRA.

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and 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 website for more information.

 

 

 

7


 

 

GABELLI COMMERCIAL AEROSPACE AND DEFENSE ETF

(the “Aerospace and Defense Fund” or the “Fund”) (fka the Gabelli Equity Income ETF)

Investment Objective

The Fund seeks a high level of total return on its assets with an emphasis on income.

Fees and Expenses of the Fund:

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. The investment advisory agreement between Gabelli ETFs Trust (the “Trust”) and Gabelli Funds, LLC (the “Adviser”) (the “Investment Advisory Agreement”) provides that the Adviser will pay all operating expenses of the Fund, except the management fees, interest expenses, taxes, expenses incurred with respect to the acquisition and disposition of portfolio securities and the execution of portfolio transactions, including brokerage commissions, distribution fees or expenses, litigation expenses, and any extraordinary expenses. You may also incur usual and customary brokerage commissions and other charges when buying and selling shares that are not reflected in the example.

 

Shareholder Fees

      

(fees paid directly from your investment):

         None

Annual Fund Operating Expenses

      

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

      

Management Fees

         0.90%

Other Expenses(1)

         0.00%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

         0.90%

Less Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement(2)

         (0.90)%  
      

 

 

 

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver

         0.00%
      

 

 

 

 

 

(1)

“Other Expenses” are based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year.

(2)

Gabelli Funds, LLC, the Fund’s adviser (the “Adviser”), has contractually agreed to waive the Fund’s management fee of 0.90% on the first $25 million in net assets until at least March 12, 2024. As of March 3, 2023, the net asset value of the Fund was $3,532,693. The management fee waiver shall not apply to any brokerage costs, acquired Fund fees and expenses, interest, taxes, and extraordinary expenses that the Fund may incur. This agreement may be terminated only by, or with the consent of, the Fund’s Board of Trustees. However, the Fund has agreed, during the three year period following the date of any waiver or reimbursement by the Adviser, to repay such amount to the extent the Fund is able to do so without exceeding the lesser of (1) the expense limit in effect at the time of the waiver or reimbursement, as applicable, or (2) the expense limit in effect at the time of recoupment after giving effect to the repayment.

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. In addition, the

 

 

 

8


 

 

example assumes that net assets do not exceed $25 million; in the event that net assets would exceed $25 million, the expense ratio would be higher than what is presented in this example. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

 

1 Year    3 Years
$0    $197

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 the Fund’s shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in the annual Fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. No portfolio turnover is included for the Fund because the Fund commenced operations on January 3, 2023.

Principal Investment Strategies

The Fund will seek to achieve its investment objective by investing, under normal market conditions, at least 80% of its net assets in securities in the aerospace and defense sectors. Aerospace companies include manufacturers, assemblers and distributors of aircraft and aircraft parts. Defense companies include producers of components and equipment for the defense industry, such as military aircraft, radar equipment and weapons. The Fund defines an “aerospace and defense” company as a company that derives at least 50% of its revenues from, or devotes 50% of its assets to, aerospace and/or defense related activities, or has an identified business line that derives at least 50% of its revenues from, or devotes 50% of its assets to, aerospace and/or defense related activities. Income producing equity securities include U.S. exchange-listed common stock and preferred stock. The Fund may also invest in foreign securities by investing in American Depositary Receipts. In making stock selections, the Adviser looks for securities that have a better yield than the average of the Standard and Poor’s 500 Index (the “S&P 500 Index”), as well as capital gains potential. In selecting investments for the Fund, the Adviser focuses on issuers that:

 

   

have strong free cash flow and pay regular dividends

   

have potential for long term earnings per share growth

   

may be subject to a value catalyst, such as industry developments, regulatory changes, changes in management, sale or spin-off of a division, or the development of a profitable new business

   

are well managed

   

will benefit from sustainable long term economic dynamics, such as globalization of an issuer’s industry or an issuer’s increased focus on productivity or enhancement of services

The Adviser also believes preferred stock of selected companies offer opportunities for capital appreciation as well as periodic income and may invest a portion of the Fund’s assets in such securities. This is particularly true in the case of companies that have performed below expectations. If a company’s performance has been poor enough, its preferred stock will trade more like common stock than like a fixed income security and may result in above average appreciation if performance improves. This leads to the possibility of capital appreciation if the price of the common stock recovers.

 

 

 

9


 

 

Principal Risks

You may want to invest in the Fund if:

 

   

you are a long term investor

   

you are seeking income as well as capital appreciation

The Fund’s share price will fluctuate with changes in the market value of the Fund’s portfolio securities. Your investment in the Fund is not a deposit of the bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency; you may lose money by investing in the Fund. When you sell Fund shares, they may be worth more or less than what you paid for them.

Investing in the Fund involves the following risks:

 

   

Non-Transparent Exchange-Traded Fund (“ETF”) Structure Risk.    Unlike most actively managed ETFs the Fund does not provide daily disclosure of its portfolio holding. Instead, the Fund provides a verified intraday indicative value (“VIIV”), calculated and disseminated every second throughout the trading day. The VIIV is intended to provide investors and other market participants with a highly correlated per share value of the underlying portfolio that can be compared to the current market price. There is, however, a risk that shares of the Fund may trade at a wider bid/ask spread than ETFs that publish their portfolios on a daily basis, especially during periods of market disruption or volatility, and therefore, may cost investors more to trade. Because the Fund trades on the basis of the VIIV, it may trade at a wider bid/ask spread than traditional ETFs that publish their portfolios on a daily basis. Accordingly, the Adviser or its designee will monitor on an ongoing basis how shares of the Fund trade, including the level of any market price premium or discount to NAV and the bid/ask spreads on market transactions. Should there be extended periods of unusually high bid/ask spreads, the Board will consider the continuing viability of the Fund, whether shareholders are being harmed, and what, if any, action would be appropriate to among other things, narrow the premium/discount or spread, as applicable. Potential actions may include, but are not limited to, changing lead market makers, listing the Fund on a different exchange, changing the size of Creation Units, changing the Fund’s investment objective or strategy, and liquidating the Fund. There is also a risk that the market price may vary significantly from the NAV and, thus, the underlying value of the Fund significantly from the underlying NAV of the Fund. There is also a risk that, despite not disclosing the portfolio holdings each day, some market participants may seek to use publically available information, including the VIIV, to identify the Fund’s investment strategy and engage in certain predatory trading practices that may have the potential to harm the Fund.

 

   

Aerospace Industry Risk.    Government aerospace regulation and spending policies can significantly affect the aerospace industry because many companies involved in the aerospace industry rely to a large extent on U.S. (and other) Government demand for their products and services. There are significant inherent risks in government contracting, which could have a material adverse effect on the business, financial condition and results of operations of industry participants. . Government spending in aerospace generally is not correlated with any economic cycle, but rather, on the cycle of general political support for this type of spending. However, there is no assurance that future levels of aerospace and defense spending will increase or that levels of aerospace and defense spending will not decrease in the future. In addition, the

 

 

 

10


 

 

 

aerospace industry in particular has recently been affected by adverse economic conditions and consolidation within the industry. Furthermore, competition in the airline industry continues to increase as a result of airline deregulation.

 

   

Defense Industry Risk.    Companies in the defense industry are subject to numerous risks, including fierce competition, consolidation, adverse political, economic and governmental developments (both in the U.S. and abroad), compliance with varying regulation across international markets, substantial research and development costs, cuts in government funding, product and technology obsolescence, limited numbers of potential customers and decreased demand for new equipment. Since defense companies derive significant revenue from government contracts, they face a number of specific risks that may adversely affect a company’s financial condition and outlook. The government may terminate a contract with an issuer as a result of an issuer’s default, resulting in possible issuer liability to the government. The government may also terminate a contract for its own convenience, which may lead to difficulty for the issuer in recovering costs incurred prior to termination. Such contracts may also be modified or terminated due to changes in congressional funding levels. Government contractors are also subject to stringent routine audits and reviews, which may lead to significant price adjustments for products and services. The highly competitive bidding environment in which government contractors operate may also reduce the profitability of certain government contracts. Companies involved in the commercial aerospace industry are subject to risks including aircraft order cancellations, excess capacity, cutbacks in profitable business travel, fuel price hikes, labor union settlements, adverse changes in international politics and relations, intense global competition, government regulation and cyclical market patterns.

 

   

Concentration Risk.    The Fund may be susceptible to an increased risk of loss, including losses due to adverse events that affect the Fund’s investments more than the market as a whole, to the extent that the Fund’s investments are concentrated in the securities and/or other assets of a particular issuer or issuers, country, group of countries, region, market, industry, group of industries, sector, market segment or asset class.

 

   

Early Close/Trading Halt Risk.    An exchange or market may close or issue trading halts on specific securities, or the ability to buy or sell certain securities or financial instruments may be restricted, which may result in the Fund being unable to buy or sell certain securities or financial instruments. In such circumstances, the Fund may be unable to rebalance its portfolio, may be unable to accurately price its investments and/or may incur substantial trading losses. In addition, due to the non-transparency of the portfolio a trading halt in a portfolio security could cause discrepancies between the VIIV and NAV of the Fund resulting in uncertainty on the part of the AP that results in wider, less liquid markets. Any security for which trading has been halted for an extended period of time will be disclosed on the Fund’s website, www.gabelli.com.

 

   

Large-Capitalization Companies Risk.    Large-capitalization companies may be less able than smaller capitalization companies to adapt to changing market conditions. Large-capitalization companies may be more mature and subject to more limited growth potential compared with smaller capitalization companies. During different market cycles, the performance of large capitalization companies has trailed the overall performance of the broader securities markets.

 

 

 

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Non-Diversification Risk.    The Fund may invest a large percentage of its assets in securities issued by or representing a small number of issuers. As a result, the Fund’s performance may depend on the performance of a small number of issuers.

 

   

Authorized Participant and AP Representative Concentration Risk.    The creation and redemption process for the Fund occurs through a confidential brokerage account (“Confidential Account”) with an agent, called an AP Representative, on behalf of an Authorized Participant. Each day, the AP Representative will be given the names and quantities of the securities to be deposited, in the case of a creation, or redeemed, in the case of a redemption (“Creation Basket”), allowing the AP Representative to buy and sell positions in the portfolio securities to permit creations or redemptions on the Authorized Participant’s behalf, without disclosing the information to the Authorized Participant. The Fund may have a limited number of institutions that act as Authorized Participants and AP Representatives, none of which are obligated to engage in creation or redemption transactions. To the extent that these institutions exit the business or are unable to proceed with creation and/or redemption orders with respect to the Fund and no other Authorized Participant is able to step forward to process creation and/or redemption orders, Fund shares may trade at a discount to NAV and possibly face trading halts and/or delisting. This risk may be more pronounced in volatile markets, potentially where there are significant redemptions in ETFs, generally. The fact that the Fund is offering a novel and unique structure may affect the number of entities willing to act as Authorized Participants and AP Representatives. During times of market stress, Authorized Participants may be more likely to step away from this type of ETF than a traditional ETF.

 

   

Absence of an Active Market.    Although shares of the Fund are listed for trading on one or more stock exchanges, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for such shares will develop or be maintained by market makers or Authorized Participants. Authorized Participants are not obligated to execute purchase or redemption orders for Creation Units. Because this is a novel and unique structure, this could influence the number of entities willing to act as Authorized Participants. In periods of market volatility, market makers and/or Authorized Participants may be less willing to transact in Fund shares. The absence of an active market for the Fund’s shares may contribute to the Fund’s shares trading at a premium or discount to net asset value (“NAV”). If a shareholder purchases Fund shares at a time when the market price is at a premium to the NAV or sells Fund shares at a time when the market price is at a discount to the NAV, the shareholder may sustain losses.

 

   

New Fund Risk.    The Fund is new with a limited operating history and may have higher expenses. There can be no assurance that the Fund will grow to or maintain an economically viable size. The Fund could cease operations, and investors may be required to liquidate or transfer their assets at a loss. However, the expense limitation in place limits this risk through the end of its term.

 

   

Equity Risk.    Equity risk is the risk that the prices of the securities held by the Fund will fluctuate, sometimes rapidly and unpredictably, due to general market and economic conditions, perceptions regarding the industries in which the companies issuing the securities participate, and the issuer companies’ particular circumstances. Holders of equity securities only have rights to value in the company only after all issuer debts have been paid and they could lose their entire investment in a company that encounters financial difficulty

 

 

 

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American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) Risk.    Investment in ADRs does not eliminate all the risks inherent in investing in securities of non-U.S. issuers. The market value of ADRs is dependent upon the market value of the underlying securities and fluctuations in the relative value of the currencies in which the ADRs and the underlying securities are quoted.

 

   

Coronavirus (“COVID-19”) and Global Health Events.    COVID-19 and concerns about its rapid spread and infections have severely impacted business activity in virtually all economies, markets, and sectors and negatively impacted the value of many financial and other assets. The duration of the COVID-19 outbreak and its effects cannot be determined with certainty. These events could have a significant impact on the Fund’s performance, as well as the performance and viability of issuers in which it invests.

 

   

Issuer Risk.    The value of a security may decline for a number of reasons that directly relate to an issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage, and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods or services, as well as the historical and prospective earnings of the issuer and the value of its assets or factors unrelated to the issuer’s value, such as investor perception.

 

   

Management Risk.    If the Adviser is incorrect in its assessment of the investment prospects of the securities the Fund holds, then the value of the Fund’s shares may decline.

 

   

Market Trading Risk.    Individual Fund shares may be purchased and sold only on a national securities exchange or alternative trading system through a broker-dealer, and may not be directly purchased or redeemed from the Fund. There can be no guarantee that an active trading market for shares will develop or be maintained, or that their listing will continue unchanged. Buying and selling shares may require you to pay brokerage commissions and expose you to other trading costs. Due to brokerage commissions and other transaction costs that may apply, frequent trading may detract from realized investment returns. Trading prices of shares may be above, at, or below the Fund’s NAV, will fluctuate in relation to NAV based on supply and demand in the market for shares and other factors, and may vary significantly from NAV during periods of market volatility. The return on your investment will be reduced if you sell shares at a greater discount or narrower premium to NAV than when you acquired shares.

 

   

Preferred Stock Risk.    Preferred stocks are susceptible to general market fluctuations and to volatile increases and decreases in value as market confidence in and perceptions of their issuers change. The dividend on a preferred stock may be changed or omitted by the issuer, and participation in the growth of an issuer may be limited.

 

   

Trading Issues Risk.    Trading in Fund shares on NYSE Arca, Inc. (“NYSE Arca”) may be halted in certain circumstances. There can be no assurance that the requirements of NYSE Arca necessary to maintain the listing of the Fund will continue to be met.

 

   

Value Investing Risk.    The Fund invests in “value” stocks. Value investing refers to buying securities that the Adviser believes are out of favor and/or undervalued in comparison to their peers or their prospects for growth. From time to time, “value” investing falls out of favor with investors. During those periods, the Fund’s relative performance may suffer.

Performance

The Fund commenced operations on January 3, 2023, under its prior name, Gabelli Equity Income ETF. The Fund’s prior name reflected its former investment strategy seeking to attain a high level of total

 

 

 

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return, with an emphasis on income, through investing at least 80% of its net assets in income producing equity securities. Performance information will be available after the Fund has been in operation for one calendar year. Such performance, when included, will partially reflect performance under the prior investment strategy.

Management

The Adviser. Gabelli Funds, LLC

The Portfolio Manager Lieutenant Colonel G. Anthony (Tony) Bancroft, USMCR, has served as the team leader and portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception and commencement of operations on January 3, 2023.

Other Information

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

The Fund is an actively managed exchange-traded Fund (commonly referred to as an “ETF”). Individual shares of the Fund are listed on a national securities exchange. Most investors will buy and sell shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer. The price of Fund shares is based on market price, and because ETF shares trade at market prices rather than at 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 that have been aggregated into blocks of 5,000 shares or multiples thereof (“Creation Units”) to Authorized Participants who have entered into agreements with the Fund’s distributor. The Fund generally will issue or redeem Creation Units in return for a designated portfolio of securities (and an amount of cash) that the Fund specifies each day.

Tax Information

The Fund expects that distributions will generally be taxable as ordinary income or long term capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an IRA.

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and 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 website for more information.

INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES, INVESTMENT STRATEGIES, AND RELATED RISKS

The Funds may also use the following investment techniques:

 

   

Temporary Defensive Investments.    When opportunities for capital appreciation do not appear attractive or when adverse market or economic conditions exist, the Fund may temporarily invest all or a portion of its assets in defensive investments only outside normal

 

 

 

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market conditions. Such investments include obligations of the U.S. government and its agencies and instrumentalities and short term money market investments. When following a defensive strategy, the Fund will be less likely to achieve its investment goal of capital appreciation.

The Funds may also engage in other investment practices in order to achieve its investment objectives. These are discussed in the Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”), which may be obtained by calling 800-GABELLI (800-422-3554), your financial intermediary, or free of charge through the Fund’s website at www.gabelli.com.

Gabelli Equity Income ETF

The Fund’s investment objective is to seek a high level of total return on its assets with an emphasis on income.

The Fund will seek to achieve its investment objective by investing, under normal market conditions, at least 80% of its net assets in income producing equity securities. Income producing equity securities include U.S. exchange-listed common stock and preferred stock. The Fund may also invest in foreign securities by investing in American Depositary Receipts. In making stock selections, the Adviser looks for securities that have a better yield than the average of the Standard and Poor’s 500 Index (the “S&P 500 Index”), as well as capital gains potential. In selecting investments for the Equity Income Fund, the Adviser focuses on issuers that:

 

   

have strong free cash flow and pay regular dividends

   

have potential for long term earnings per share growth

   

may be subject to a value catalyst, such as industry developments, regulatory changes, changes in management, sale or spin-off of a division, or the development of a profitable new business

   

are well managed

   

will benefit from sustainable long term economic dynamics, such as globalization of an issuer’s industry or an issuer’s increased focus on productivity or enhancement of services

The Adviser also believes preferred stock of selected companies offer opportunities for capital appreciation as well as periodic income and may invest a portion of the Equity Income Fund’s assets in such securities. This is particularly true in the case of companies that have performed below expectations. If a company’s performance has been poor enough, its preferred will trade more like common stock than like a fixed income security and may result in above average appreciation if performance improves.

Gabelli Commercial Aerospace and Defense ETF

The Fund’s investment objective is to seek a high level of total return on its assets with an emphasis on income.

The Fund will seek to achieve its investment objective by investing, under normal market conditions, at least 80% of its net assets in income producing equity securities including securities in the aerospace and defense sectors.

Aerospace companies include manufacturers, assemblers and distributors of aircraft and aircraft parts. Defense companies include producers of components and equipment for the defense industry, such as

 

 

 

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military aircraft, radar equipment and weapons. The Fund defines an “aerospace and defense” company as a company that derives at least 50% of its revenues from, or devotes 50% of its assets to, aerospace and/or defense related activities, or has an identified business line that derives at least 50% of its revenues from, or devotes 50% of its assets to, aerospace and/or defense related activities. Income producing equity securities include U.S. exchange-listed common stock and preferred stock. The Fund may also invest in foreign securities by investing in American Depositary Receipts. In making stock selections, the Adviser looks for securities that have a better yield than the average of the Standard and Poor’s 500 Index (the “S&P 500 Index”), as well as capital gains potential. In selecting investments for the Fund, the Adviser focuses on issuers that:

 

   

have strong free cash flow and pay regular dividends

   

have potential for long term earnings per share growth

   

may be subject to a value catalyst, such as industry developments, regulatory changes, changes in management, sale or spin-off of a division, or the development of a profitable new business

   

are well managed

   

will benefit from sustainable long term economic dynamics, such as globalization of an issuer’s industry or an issuer’s increased focus on productivity or enhancement of services

The Adviser also believes preferred stock of selected companies offer opportunities for capital appreciation as well as periodic income and may invest a portion of the Fund’s assets in such securities. This is particularly true in the case of companies that have performed below expectations. If a company’s performance has been poor enough, its preferred stock will trade more like common stock than like a fixed income security and may result in above average appreciation if performance improves. This leads to the possibility of capital appreciation if the price of the common stock recovers.

Investing in the Funds involves the following risks:

 

   

Non-Transparent Exchange-Traded Fund (“ETF”) Structure Risk.    All Funds — Unlike most actively managed ETFs the Funds do not provide daily disclosure of their portfolio holdings. Instead, the Funds provide a verified intraday indicative value (“VIIV”), calculated and disseminated every second throughout the trading day. The VIIV is intended to provide investors and other market participants with a highly correlated per share value of the underlying portfolio that can be compared to the current market price. There is, however, a risk that shares of the Funds may trade at a wider bid/ask spread than ETFs that publish their portfolios on a daily basis, especially during periods of market disruption or volatility, and therefore, may cost investors more to trade. Because the Funds trade on the basis of the VIIV, they may trade at a wider bid/ask spread than traditional ETFs that publish their portfolios on a daily basis. Accordingly, the Funds’ Adviser or their designee will monitor on an ongoing basis how shares of the Funds trade, including the level of any market price premium or discount to NAV and the bid/ask spreads on market transactions. Should there be extended periods of unusually high bid/ask spreads, the Board of Trustees (the “Board”) will consider the continuing viability of the Funds, whether shareholders are being harmed, and what, if any, action would be appropriate to, among other things, narrow the premium/discount or spread, as applicable. Potential actions may include, but are not limited to, changing lead market makers, listing the Funds on a different exchange, changing the size of Creation Units, changing the Funds’ investment objectives or strategies, and liquidating the Funds. There is also a risk that the market price may vary

 

 

 

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significantly from the NAV and, thus, the underlying value of the Funds significantly from the underlying NAV of the Funds. There is also a risk that, despite not disclosing the portfolio holdings each day, some market participants may seek to use publically available information, including the VIIV, to identify the Funds’ investment strategies and engage in certain predatory trading practices that may have the potential to harm the Funds.

 

   

Early Close/Trading Halt Risk.    All Funds — An exchange or market may close or issue trading halts on specific securities, or the ability to buy or sell certain securities or financial instruments may be restricted, which may result in a Fund being unable to buy or sell certain securities or financial instruments. In such circumstances, the Funds may be unable to rebalance their portfolios, may be unable to accurately price their investments and/or may incur substantial trading losses. In addition, due to the non-transparency of the portfolio a trading halt in a portfolio security could cause discrepancies between the VIIV and NAV of the Funds resulting in uncertainty on the part of the AP that results in wider, less liquid markets. Any security for which trading has been halted for an extended period of time will be disclosed on the Funds’ website, www.gabelli.com.

 

   

Authorized Participant and AP Representative Concentration Risk.    All Funds — The creation and redemption process for the Funds occurs through a confidential brokerage account (“Confidential Account”) with an agent, called an AP Representative, on behalf of an Authorized Participant. Each day, the AP Representative will be given the names and quantities of the securities to be deposited, in the case of a creation, or redeemed, in the case of a redemption (“Creation Basket”), allowing the AP Representative to buy and sell positions in the portfolio securities to permit creations or redemptions on the Authorized Participant’s behalf, without disclosing the information to the Authorized Participant. The Funds may have a limited number of institutions that act as Authorized Participants and AP Representatives, none of which are obligated to engage in creation or redemption transactions. To the extent that these institutions exit the business or are unable to proceed with creation and/or redemption orders with respect to the Funds and no other Authorized Participant is able to step forward to process creation and/or redemption orders, Fund shares may trade at a discount to NAV and possibly face trading halts and/or delisting. This risk may be more pronounced in volatile markets, potentially where there are significant redemptions in ETFs, generally. The fact that the Funds are offering a novel and unique structure may affect the number of entities willing to act as Authorized Participants and AP Representatives. During times of market stress, Authorized Participants may be more likely to step away from this type of ETF than a traditional ETF.

 

   

Absence of an Active Market.    All Funds — Although shares of the Funds are listed for trading on one or more stock exchanges, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for such shares will develop or be maintained by market makers or Authorized Participants. Authorized Participants are not obligated to execute purchase or redemption orders for Creation Units. Because this is a novel and unique structure, this could influence the number of entities willing to act as Authorized Participants. In periods of market volatility, market makers and/or Authorized Participants may be less willing to transact in the Funds’ shares. The absence of an active market for the Funds’ shares may contribute to the Funds’ shares trading at a premium or discount to NAV. If a shareholder purchases a Fund’s shares at a time when the market price is at a premium to the NAV or sells a Fund’s shares at a time when the market price is at a discount to the NAV, the shareholder may sustain losses.

 

 

 

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New Fund Risk.    All Funds — Each Fund is new with a limited operating history and may have higher expenses. There can be no assurance that a Fund will grow to or maintain an economically viable size. Each Fund could cease operations, and investors may be required to liquidate or transfer their assets at a loss. However, the expense limitation in place limits this risk through the end of its term.

 

   

Aerospace Industry Risk.    Aerospace and Defense Fund only — Government aerospace regulation and spending policies can significantly affect the aerospace industry because many companies involved in the aerospace industry rely to a large extent on U.S. (and other) Government demand for their products and services. There are significant inherent risks in government contracting, which could have a material adverse effect on the business, financial condition and results of operations of industry participants. . Government spending in aerospace generally is not correlated with any economic cycle, but rather, on the cycle of general political support for this type of spending. However, there is no assurance that future levels of aerospace and defense spending will increase or that levels of aerospace and defense spending will not decrease in the future. In addition, the aerospace industry in particular has recently been affected by adverse economic conditions and consolidation within the industry. Furthermore, competition in the airline industry continues to increase as a result of airline deregulation.

 

   

Defense Industry Risk.    Aerospace and Defense Fund only — Companies in the defense industry are subject to numerous risks, including fierce competition, consolidation, adverse political, economic and governmental developments (both in the U.S. and abroad), compliance with varying regulation across international markets, substantial research and development costs, cuts in government funding, product and technology obsolescence, limited numbers of potential customers and decreased demand for new equipment. Since defense companies derive significant revenue from government contracts, they face a number of specific risks that may adversely affect a company’s financial condition and outlook. The government may terminate a contract with an issuer as a result of an issuer’s default, resulting in possible issuer liability to the government. The government may also terminate a contract for its own convenience, which may lead to difficulty for the issuer in recovering costs incurred prior to termination. Such contracts may also be modified or terminated due to changes in congressional funding levels. Government contractors are also subject to stringent routine audits and reviews, which may lead to significant price adjustments for products and services. The highly competitive bidding environment in which government contractors operate may also reduce the profitability of certain government contracts. Companies involved in the commercial aerospace industry are subject to risks including aircraft order cancellations, excess capacity, cutbacks in profitable business travel, fuel price hikes, labor union settlements, adverse changes in international politics and relations, intense global competition, government regulation and cyclical market patterns.

 

   

Concentration Risk.    Aerospace and Defense Fund only — The Aerospace and Defense Fund may be susceptible to an increased risk of loss, including losses due to adverse events that affect the Fund’s investments more than the market as a whole, to the extent that the Fund’s investments are concentrated in the securities and/or other assets of a particular issuer or issuers, country, group of countries, region, market, industry, group of industries, sector, market segment or asset class.

 

 

 

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Equity Risk.    All Funds — Equity risk is the risk that the prices of the securities held by the Funds will change due to general market and economic conditions, perceptions regarding the industries in which the companies issuing the securities participate, and the issuer companies’ particular circumstances. These fluctuations may cause a security to be worth less than it was worth when it was purchased by the Funds. Because the value of securities, and thus shares of the Funds, could decline, you could lose money.

 

   

American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) Risk.    All Funds — Investment in ADRs does not eliminate all the risks inherent in investing in securities of non-U.S. issuers. The market value of ADRs is dependent upon the market value of the underlying securities and fluctuations in the relative value of the currencies in which the ADRs and the underlying securities are quoted. The depository bank may not have physical custody of the underlying securities at all times and may charge fees for various services, including forwarding dividends and interest and corporate actions. ADRs are alternatives to directly purchasing the underlying foreign securities in their national markets and currencies. However, ADRs continue to be subject to many of the risks associated with investing directly in foreign securities.

 

   

Concentration Risk.    Aerospace and Defense Fund only — The Aerospace and Defense Fund may concentrate its investments in securities issued by aerospace companies and defense companies which means that the Fund is less diversified than the Fund investing in a broader range of industries, and is particularly sensitive to general market conditions and other risks of the aerospace and defense industries, including that the aerospace industry and the defense industry can be significantly affected by government regulation and spending policies because companies involved in this industry rely, to a significant extent, on government demand for their products and services. The financial condition of these companies is heavily influenced by government defense spending, which may be reduced in efforts to control government budgets. The aerospace industry in particular has recently been affected by adverse economic conditions and consolidation within the industry.

 

   

Coronavirus (“COVID-19”) and Global Health Event Risk.    All Funds — As of the filing date of this prospectus, there is an outbreak of a highly contagious form of a novel coronavirus known as “COVID-19.” COVID-19 has been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization and, in response to the outbreak, the U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary has declared a public health emergency in the United States. COVID-19 had a devastating impact on the global economy, including the U.S. economy, and resulted in a global economic recession. Many states issued orders requiring the closure of non-essential businesses and/or requiring residents to stay at home. The COVID-19 pandemic and preventative measures taken to contain or mitigate its spread have caused, and are continuing to cause, business shutdowns, cancellations of events and travel, significant reductions in demand for certain goods and services, reductions in business activity and financial transactions, supply chain interruptions and overall economic and financial market instability both globally and in the United States. Such effects will likely continue for the duration of the pandemic, which is uncertain, and for some period thereafter. While several countries, as well as certain states, counties, and cities in the United States, began to relax the early public health restrictions with a view to partially or fully reopening their economies, many cities, both globally and in the United States, continue to experience, from time to time, surges in the reported number of cases and hospitalizations related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Recurring

 

 

 

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COVID-19 outbreaks, newly discovered variant and sub-variant strains of the virus and increases in cases can, and has, led to the re-introduction of restrictions and business shutdowns in certain states, counties, and cities in the United States and globally, and could continue to lead to the re-introduction of such restrictions elsewhere. Even after the COVID-19 pandemic subsides, the U.S. economy and most other major global economies may continue to experience a substantial economic downturn or recession, and our business and operations, as well as the business and operations of our portfolio companies, could be materially adversely affected by a prolonged economic downturn or recession in the United States and other major markets.

The current economic situation and the unprecedented measures taken by state, local and national governments around the world to combat the spread of COVID-19, as well as various social, political and psychological tensions in the United States and around the world, may continue to contribute to severe market disruptions and volatility and reduced economic activity, may have long-term negative effects on the U.S. and worldwide financial markets and economy and may cause further economic uncertainties in the United States and worldwide. The prolonged continuation or further deterioration of the current U.S. and global economic downturn could adversely impact the Fund’s portfolio. It is difficult to predict how long the financial markets and economic activity will continue to be impacted by these events and the Fund cannot predict the effects of these or similar events in the future on the U.S. economy and securities markets.

Despite actions of the U.S. federal government and foreign governments, the uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic and other factors has contributed to significant volatility in the global public equity markets and global debt capital markets, including the net asset value of the Funds’ shares. These events could have, and/or have had, a significant impact on the Funds’ performance, net asset value, income, operating results and ability to pay distributions, as well as the performance, income, operating results and viability of issuers in which it invests.

It is virtually impossible to determine the ultimate impact of COVID-19 at this time. Further, the extent and strength of any economic recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic abates, including following any intensifying of the pandemic, is uncertain and subject to various factors and conditions. Accordingly, an investment in the Funds is subject to an elevated degree of risk as compared to other market environments.

 

   

Issuer Risk.    All Funds — The value of a security may decline for a number of reasons that directly relate to an issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage, and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods or services, as well as the historical and prospective earnings of the issuer and the value of its assets or factors unrelated to the issuer’s value, such as investor perception.

 

   

Large Capitalization Company Risk.    Aerospace and Defense Fund only Companies with $10 billion or more in market capitalization are considered by the Adviser to be large capitalization companies. Large capitalization companies generally experience slower rates of growth in earnings per share than do mid and small capitalization companies.

 

   

Management Risk.    All Funds — If the portfolio managers are incorrect in their assessment of the investment prospects of the securities a Fund holds, then the value of that Fund’s shares may decline. In addition, the Adviser’s strategy may produce returns that are different from other funds that invest in similar securities.

 

 

 

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Market Trading Risk.    All Funds — Individual Fund shares may be purchased and sold only on a national securities exchange or alternative trading system through a broker-dealer, and may not be directly purchased or redeemed from a Fund. There can be no guarantee that an active trading market for shares will develop or be maintained, or that their listing will continue unchanged. Buying and selling shares may require you to pay brokerage commissions and expose you to other trading costs. Due to brokerage commissions and other transaction costs that may apply, frequent trading may detract from realized investment returns. Trading prices of shares may be above, at, or below a Fund’s NAV, will fluctuate in relation to NAV based on supply and demand in the market for shares and other factors, and may vary significantly from NAV during periods of market volatility. The return on your investment will be reduced if you sell shares at a greater discount or narrower premium to NAV than you acquired shares.

 

   

Non-Diversification Risk.    Equity Income Fund and Aerospace and Defense Fund only — The Fund is classified as a “non-diversified” Fund. As a non-diversified Fund, more of a Fund’s assets may be focused in the securities of a small number of issuers, which may make the value of each Fund’s shares more sensitive to changes in the market value of a single issuer or industry than shares of a diversified Fund. The ability to invest in a more limited number of securities may increase the volatility of each Fund’s investment performance, as each Fund may be more susceptible to risks associated with a single economic, political, or regulatory event than a diversified Fund. If the securities in which each Fund invests perform poorly, each Fund could incur greater losses than it would have had if it had been invested in a greater number of securities.

 

   

Preferred Stock Risk.    A preferred stock is a blend of the characteristics of a bond and common stock. It can offer the higher yield of a bond and has priority over common stock in equity ownership, but does not have the seniority of a bond and, unlike common stock, its participation in the issuer’s growth may be limited. Preferred stock has preference over common stock in the receipt of dividends and in any residual assets after payment to creditors should the issuer be dissolved. Although the dividend is set at a fixed annual rate, in some circumstances it can be changed or omitted by the issuer.

 

   

Sector Risk.    Aerospace and Defense Fund only — Under normal circumstances, the Aerospace and Defense Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets in aerospace and defense companies, and thus its investments will be focused in a particular sector. By investing a significant portion of its assets in a particular sector, the Fund will be subject to the risk that companies in the same sector are likely to react similarly to legislative or regulatory changes, adverse market conditions, increased competition, or other factors affecting that market segment. In such cases, the Fund would be exposed to an increased risk that the value of its overall portfolio will decrease because of events that disproportionately and negatively affect that sector. In addition, investments in a particular sector may be more volatile than the broader market as a whole, and the Fund’s investments in such a sector may be disproportionately susceptible to losses.

 

   

Trading Issues Risk.    All Funds — Shares of a Fund may trade in the secondary market at times when a Fund does not accept orders to purchase or redeem shares. At such times, shares may trade in the secondary market with more significant premiums or discounts than might be experienced at times when a Fund accepts purchase and redemption orders. Secondary market

 

 

 

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trading in a Fund’s shares may be halted by a stock exchange because of market conditions or for other reasons. In addition, trading in a Fund’s shares on a stock exchange or in any market may be subject to trading halts caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant to “circuit breaker” rules on the stock exchange or market.

 

   

Value Investing Risk.    All Funds — Each Fund invests in “value” stocks. The portfolio manager may be wrong in the assessment of a company’s value and the stocks each Fund holds may not reach what the portfolio manager believes are their full values. From time to time “value” investing falls out of favor with investors. During those periods, each Fund’s relative performance may suffer.

Portfolio Holdings.    A description of each Fund’s policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of its portfolio securities is available in the Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”), which may be obtained by calling 800-GABELLI (800-422-3554), your financial intermediary, or free of charge through the Funds’ website at www.gabelli.com.

MANAGEMENT OF THE FUNDS

The Adviser.    Gabelli Funds, LLC, with its principal offices located at One Corporate Center, Rye, New York 10580-1422, serves as investment adviser to the Funds. The Adviser makes investment decisions for each Fund and continuously reviews and administers each Fund’s investment programs and manages the operations of the Funds under the general supervision of the Trust’s Board. The Adviser also manages several other open-end and closed-end investment companies in the Gabelli family of Funds (“Gabelli Fund Complex” or “Fund Complex”). The Adviser is a New York limited liability company organized in 1999 and a wholly owned subsidiary of GAMCO Investors, Inc. (“GAMI”), a publicly held company listed on the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”).

As compensation for its services and the related expenses borne by the Adviser, each Fund is contractually obligated to pay the Adviser an advisory fee computed daily and payable monthly equal to 0.90% of the value of such Fund’s average daily net assets, except as provided in the fee waiver and contribution arrangement described below. The investment advisory agreement between Gabelli ETFs Trust (the “Trust”) and Gabelli Funds, LLC (the “Adviser”) (the “Investment Advisory Agreement”) provides that the Adviser will pay all operating expenses of the Funds, except the management fees, interest expenses, taxes, expenses incurred with respect to the acquisition and disposition of portfolio securities and the execution of portfolio transactions, including brokerage commissions, distribution fees or expenses, litigation expenses, and any extraordinary expenses. A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the investment advisory agreement for each of the Funds will be provided in each Fund’s next available shareholder report.

The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive its investment advisory fees and/or reimburse expenses of the Equity Income Fund and the Aerospace and Defense Fund to the extent necessary to maintain each Fund’s total annual operating expenses (excluding brokerage costs, interest, taxes, acquired Fund fees and expenses, and extraordinary expenses) at the levels set forth in the fee tables of the Funds for one year from the commencement of investment operations, and may not be terminated by the Funds or the Adviser before such time. Thereafter, the agreement may only be terminated or amended to increase these expense caps as of the anniversary of the effective date of the expense limitation agreement of

 

 

 

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each calendar year, provided that in the case of a termination by the Adviser, the Adviser will provide the Board with written notice of its intention to terminate the agreement prior to the expiration of its then current term.

In addition, the Funds have agreed, during the three year period following the date of any waiver or reimbursement by the Adviser, to repay such amount to the extent the Fund is able to do so without exceeding the lesser of (1) the expense limit in effect at the time of the waiver or reimbursement, as applicable, or (2) the expense limit in effect at the time of recoupment after giving effect to the repayment.

Fee Waiver.    The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive the Equity Income Fund/Aerospace and Defense Fund’s management fee of 0.90% on the first $25 million in net assets until at least March 12, 2024. As of March 3, 2023, the Fund had not yet launched The management fee waiver shall not apply to any brokerage costs, acquired Fund fees and expenses, interest, taxes, and extraordinary expenses that the Funds may incur. The agreement may be terminated only by, or with the consent of, the Board of Trustees.

The Portfolio Managers.    Mr. Mario J. Gabelli, CFA, Chief Investment Officer — Value Portfolios, and Mr. Robert D. Leininger, CFA, have served as portfolio managers of the Equity Income Fund since its inception. Lieutenant Colonel G. Anthony (Tony) Bancroft, USMCR, has served as the team leader and portfolio manager of the Aerospace & Fund since its inception.

Mr. Gabelli is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of GAMI and Executive Chairman of Associated Capital Group, Inc.; Chief Investment Officer — Value Portfolios of GAMI, Gabelli Funds, LLC, and GAMCO Asset Management, Inc., another wholly-owned subsidiary of GAMI; Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of GGCP: and an officer or director of other companies affiliated with GAMI. Mr. Gabelli serves as portfolio manager for and is a director of several funds in the Gabelli Fund Complex. The Adviser relies to a considerable extent on the expertise of Mr. Gabelli, who may be difficult to replace in the event of his death, disability, or resignation.

Mr. Leininger joined GAMCO Investors, Inc. in 1993 as an equity analyst. Subsequently, he was a partner and portfolio manager at Rorer Asset Management before rejoining GAMCO in 2010 where he currently serves as a portfolio manager of Gabelli Funds, LLC. Mr. Leininger is a magna cum laude graduate of Amherst College with a degree in Economics and holds an MBA degree from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Lieutenant Colonel G. Anthony (Tony) Bancroft, USMCR, joined Gabelli Funds in 2009 as an associate in the alternative investments division and is currently an analyst covering the aerospace and defense and environmental services sectors, with a focus on suppliers to the commercial, military and regional jet aircraft industry and waste services. He previously served in the United States Marine Corps as an F/A-18 Hornet fighter pilot. Tony graduated with distinction from the United States Naval Academy with a BS in systems engineering and holds an MBA in finance and economics from Columbia Business School.

The SAI provides additional information about the portfolio managers’ compensation, other accounts managed by them, and their ownership of securities in the Funds.

 

 

 

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PURCHASE AND SALE OF SHARES

Trading in the Secondary Market.    Shares of the Funds are listed and available for trading on the Listing Exchange during its core trading session (generally 9:30 am until 4:00 pm Eastern time). Shares may also be bought and sold on other national securities exchanges and alternative trading systems that have obtained appropriate licenses, adopted applicable rules, and developed systems to support trading in the Funds’ shares. There can be no guarantee that an active trading market will develop or be maintained, or that the Funds’ listings will continue or remain unchanged. The Funds do not impose any minimum investment for shares of the Funds purchased in the secondary market.

The Funds’ shares may be purchased and sold in the secondary market only through a broker-dealer. When buying or selling shares, you may incur trading commissions or other charges determined by your broker-dealer. Due to applicable brokerage charges and other trading costs, frequent trading may detract from realized investment returns. Frequent trading may also result in adverse tax consequences. Trading commissions are frequently a fixed dollar amount, and therefore may be proportionately more costly when buying or selling small amounts of shares.

Each Fund is an actively managed non-transparent exchange-traded fund (commonly referred to as an “ETF”). Individual shares of a Fund are listed on the Listing Exchange, which is a national securities exchange. Most investors will buy and sell shares of a Fund through a broker-dealer. The price of Fund shares is based on market price, and because ETF shares trade at market prices rather than at NAV, shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (a premium) or less than NAV (a discount). The Funds will only issue or redeem shares that have been aggregated into blocks or multiples thereof to Authorized Participants who have entered into agreements with the Funds’ distributor. The Funds generally will issue or redeem Creation Units in return for a designated portfolio of securities (and an amount of cash) that the Funds specify each day.

Shares of a Fund are not sponsored, endorsed, or promoted by any Listing Exchange. The Listing Exchange makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of the shares of the Funds. The Listing Exchange is not responsible for, nor has it participated in, the determination of the timing of, prices of, or quantities of the shares of a Fund to be issued, nor in the determination or calculation of the equation by which the shares are redeemable. The Listing Exchange has no obligation or liability to owners of the shares of a Fund in connection with the administration, marketing, or trading of the shares of a Fund. Without limiting any of the foregoing, in no event shall the Listing Exchange have any liability for any lost profits or indirect, punitive, special, or consequential damages even if notified of the possibility thereof.

The Adviser, the distributor and the Funds make no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of shares of each Fund or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in a Fund particularly.

The Verified Intraday Indicative Value.    Information regarding the intraday value of shares of the Funds, also known as the VIIV, is calculated and disseminated every second throughout each trading day by the Listing Exchange or by market data vendors or other information providers. It is available on websites that publish updated market quotations during the trading day, like Yahoo Finance (https://finance.yahoo.com), by searching for a Fund’s ticker plus the extension .IV, though some websites require their own unique extensions. The VIIV is based on the current market value of the securities in a Fund’s portfolio that day.

 

 

 

24


 

 

The VIIV is intended to provide investors and other market participants with a highly correlated per share value of the underlying portfolio that can be compared to the current market price. To calculate the VIIV, the Funds employ two separate calculation engines to provide two independently calculated sources of intraday indicative values (calculation engines). The Funds then use a pricing verification agent to continuously compare the data from both the calculations engines on a real time basis. If during the process of real time price verification, the indicative values from the calculation engines differ by more than 25 basis points for 60 consecutive seconds, the pricing verification agent will alert the Adviser and the Adviser will request that the Listing Exchange halt trading of a Fund’s shares until the two indicative values come back into line. The specific methodology for calculating a Fund’s VIIV, which will be overseen by the Funds’ board, is available on the Funds’ website (www.gabelli.com).

Although the VIIV is intended to provide investors with enough information to allow for an effective arbitrage mechanism that will keep the market price of each Fund at or close to the underlying NAV per share of each Fund, there is a risk (which may increase during periods of market disruption or volatility) that market prices will vary significantly from the underlying NAV of a Fund. ETFs trading on the basis of a published VIIV may trade at a wider bid/ask spread than ETFs that publish their portfolios on a daily basis, especially during periods of market disruption or volatility, and therefore, may cost investors more to trade. Although the Funds seek to benefit from not disclosing its portfolio information daily, market participants may attempt to use the VIIV to identify a Fund’s trading strategy, which if successful, could result in such market participants engaging in certain predatory trading practices that may have the potential to harm that Fund and its shareholders. If at any time 10% or more of the securities in a Fund’s portfolio become subject to a trading halt or otherwise do not have readily available market quotations, the advisor will ask the Listing Exchange to halt trading of that Fund. Trading halts may have a greater impact on the Funds compared to other ETFs because it is less transparent.

PAYMENTS TO BROKER/DEALERS AND OTHER FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES

If you purchase shares of a Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank) (an “Intermediary”), the Adviser or its affiliates may pay the intermediary for marketing activities and presentations, educational training programs, conferences, the development of technology platforms and reporting systems or other services related to the sale or promotion of a Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend any of the Funds over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

PRICING OF FUND SHARES

The NAV is calculated separately for the shares of each Fund on each Business Day. The NYSE is open Monday through Friday, but currently is scheduled to be closed on New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day and on the preceding Friday or subsequent Monday when a holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, respectively.

Each Fund’s NAV is determined as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE, normally 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time. The NAV of each Fund is computed by dividing the value of the applicable Fund’s net

 

 

 

25


 

 

assets, i.e. the value of its securities and other assets less its liabilities, including expenses payable or accrued by the total number of shares outstanding at the time the determination is made. As discussed in the “Purchase and Sale of Shares” section, although a Fund’s NAV is only computed once each regular trading day, each Fund’s VIIV will be broadcast each second throughout the course of a regular trading day. Equity securities listed or traded on a national securities exchange or traded in the U.S. over-the-counter market where trades are reported contemporaneously and for which market quotations are readily available are valued at the last quoted sale or a market’s official closing price at the close of the exchange’s or other market’s regular trading hours, as of or prior to the time and day as of which such value is being determined. Portfolio securities traded on more than one national securities exchange or market are valued according to the broadest and most representative market as determined by the Adviser. If there has been no sale on the day the valuation is made, the securities are valued at the mean of the closing bid and ask prices on the principal market for such security on such day. If no ask prices are quoted on such day, then the security is valued at the closing bid price on the principal market for such security on such day. If no bid or ask prices are quoted on such day, a Fund’s accounting agent will notify the Adviser and the security will be valued based on written or standing instructions from the Adviser and/or the Pricing Committee.

Initial public offering securities are initially valued at cost. Upon commencement of trading, these securities are valued like any other equity security.

Information regarding a Fund’s NAV and how often shares of the Fund traded on the Listing Exchange at a price above (i.e., at a premium) or below (i.e., at a discount) the NAV of the Fund will be posted to the Fund’s website when it becomes available. The Fund’s website will disclose each day the median bid-ask spread for the Fund’s most recent 30 days based on the National Best Bid and Offer, as required by Rule 6c-11(c)(1)(v).

DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS

Brokers may make available the Depository Trust Company book-entry dividend reinvestment service to their customers who own the Funds’ Shares. If this service is available and used, dividend distributions of both income and capital gains will automatically be reinvested in additional whole Shares of the Funds purchased on the secondary market, at the then current market price. Without this service, investors would receive their distributions in cash. To determine whether the dividend reinvestment service is available and whether there is a commission or other charge for using this service, consult your broker. Brokers may require Funds’ shareholders to adhere to specific procedures and timetables. If this service is available and used, dividend distributions of both income and realized gains will be automatically reinvested in additional whole Shares of the Funds purchased in the secondary market.

TAX INFORMATION

The Funds expect that distributions will consist primarily of investment company taxable income and net capital gain. Capital gains may be taxed at different rates depending on the length of time a Fund holds the securities giving rise to such capital gains. Dividends from investment company taxable income (including distributions of net short term capital gains, i.e., gains from securities held by a Fund for one year or less) are generally taxable to you as ordinary income if you are a U.S. shareholder, except certain qualified dividends that are discussed below. Properly designated distributions of net capital gain, i.e., net

 

 

 

26


 

 

long term capital gains minus net short term capital loss (“Capital Gain Dividends”), are taxable to you at long term capital gain rates no matter how long you have owned your shares. A Fund’s distributions, whether you receive them in cash or reinvest them in additional shares of a Fund, generally will be subject to federal and, if applicable, state and local taxes. Although dividends (including dividends from short term capital gains) are generally taxable as ordinary income, individual shareholders who satisfy certain holding periods and other requirements are taxed on such dividends at long term capital gain rates to the extent the dividends are attributable to “qualified dividend income” received by a Fund. Qualified dividend income generally consists of dividends received from U.S. corporations (other than certain dividends from real estate investment trusts and regulated investment companies) and certain foreign corporations. The amount of qualified dividend income distributed by a Fund in any year depends on its investments and cannot be predicted. Corporations may be able to take a dividends-received deduction for a portion of the income dividends they receive. A redemption of Fund shares or an exchange of Fund shares for shares of another Fund will be treated for tax purposes as a sale of Fund shares, and any gain you realize on such a transaction generally will be taxable. A Fund may be required to withhold, as backup withholding, a percentage (currently 24%) of the dividends, distributions, and redemption proceeds payable to shareholders who fail to provide the Funds they have invested in with their correct taxpayer identification number or to make required certifications, or who have been notified by the Internal Revenue Service that they are subject to backup withholding. Also, dividends, distributions, and redemption proceeds payable to foreign shareholders may be subject to a federal withholding tax.

A dividend declared by the Funds in October, November, or December to shareholders of record on a specific date in such a month and paid during January of the following year will be treated as paid in December for tax purposes.

After the end of each year, the Funds you have invested in will provide you with the information regarding any shares you redeemed and the federal tax status of any dividends or distributions you received during the previous year.

Under current law, interest, dividends and capital gains from the Funds generally will be subject to the 3.8 percent federal tax that is imposed on net investment income of U.S. individuals with modified adjusted gross income exceeding $200,000 (or $250,000 if married filing jointly), and of estates and trusts.

If you sell your Fund shares, it is considered a taxable event for you. Depending on the purchase price and the sale price of the shares you sell, you may have a gain or a loss on the transaction. You are responsible for any tax liabilities generated by your transaction.

This summary of tax consequences is intended for general information only and is subject to change by legislative, judicial, or administrative action, and any such change may be retroactive. It is applicable only to shareholders who are U.S. persons. A Fund may make taxable distributions during periods in which the share price has declined. A more complete discussion of the tax rules applicable to you and the Funds can be found in the SAI that is incorporated by reference into this Prospectus. You should consult a tax adviser concerning the federal, state, and local tax consequences of your investment in the Funds.

 

 

 

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CREATIONS AND REDEMPTIONS

Prior to trading in the secondary market, shares of a Fund are “created” at NAV by market makers, large investors and institutions only in block-size Creation Units or multiples thereof. The following table sets forth the number of shares of the applicable Fund that constitute a Creation Unit:

 

Name of the Fund

  

Creation Unit Size

Gabelli Equity Income ETF

   5,000

Gabelli Commercial Aerospace and Defense ETF

   5,000

Each “creator” or “Authorized Participant” enters into an authorized participant agreement with G. distributors, LLC, the Funds’ distributor (the “Distributor”). Each Authorized Participant creates or redeems Creation Units through an AP Representative. An AP Representative is an unaffiliated broker-dealer with which the Authorized Participant has signed an agreement (the “Confidential Account Agreement”) to establish a confidential account for the benefit of such Authorized Participant (a “Confidential Account”) and that will deliver or receive, on behalf of the Authorized Participant, all consideration to or from a Fund in a creation or redemption transaction.

Each day, the custodian will transmit the composition of each Fund’s Creation Basket (as defined below) to each AP Representative. Acting on execution instructions from an Authorized Participant, the AP Representative may purchase or sell the securities in the Creation Basket for purposes of effecting in-kind creation and redemption activity during the day. Authorized Participants are responsible for all order instructions and associated profit and loss, and will be able to monitor the execution quality of the AP Representative by comparing the price at which they purchase or sell Creation Baskets with the VIIV and the end of day NAV.

A creation transaction, which is subject to acceptance by the Distributor generally begins when an Authorized Participant enters into an irrevocable creation order with a Fund and delivers to the AP Representative the cash necessary to purchase a designated portfolio of securities in the Confidential Account. The AP Representative then delivers the purchased portfolio of securities (“Deposit Instruments”) to a Fund in exchange for a specified number of Creation Units.

Similarly, shares are redeemed only in Creation Units. A redemption transaction generally begins when an Authorized Participant enters into an irrevocable redemption order with a Fund. That Fund then instructs its custodian to deliver a designated portfolio of securities (“Redemption Instruments”) to the appropriate Confidential Account in exchange for the Creation Units being redeemed. The Authorized Participant will instruct the AP Representative when to liquidate the securities in the Confidential Account, which will be liquidated no later than the end of the day, so that the Confidential Account holds no positions at the end of day.

On any given Business Day, the name and quantities of the instruments that constitute Deposit Instruments and the names and quantities of the instruments that constitute Redemption Instruments will correspond pro rata to the positions in a Fund’s portfolio (including cash positions) used to calculate a Fund’s NAV for that day, and will be identical. These instruments are referred to, in the case of either a purchase or a redemption, as the “Creation Basket.”

An AP Representative will not trade securities in the Confidential Account on behalf of an Authorized Participant other than buying or selling the securities included in a Creation Basket to be delivered to or

 

 

 

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received from, respectively, a Fund. Pursuant to the Confidential Account Agreement, the AP Representative is restricted from disclosing the Creation Basket. In addition, the AP Representative undertakes an obligation not to use the identity or weighting of the securities in the Creation Basket for any purpose other than executing creations and redemptions for a Fund. The purpose of this arrangement is to protect the identity and weightings of a Fund’s portfolio holdings.

The prices at which creations and redemptions occur are based on the next calculation of NAV after a creation or redemption order is received in an acceptable form under the authorized participant agreement. In the event of a system failure or other interruption, including disruptions at market makers, Authorized Participants or AP Representatives, orders to purchase or redeem Creation Units either may not be executed according to a Fund’s instructions or may not be executed at all, or a Fund may not be able to place or change orders.

To the extent a Fund engages in in-kind transactions, a Fund intends to comply with the U.S. federal securities laws in accepting securities for deposit and satisfying redemptions with redemption securities by, among other means, assuring that any securities accepted for deposit and any securities used to satisfy redemption requests will be sold in transactions that would be exempt from registration under the Securities Act of 1933 (the “1933 Act”). Further, an Authorized Participant that is not a “qualified institutional buyer” as such term is defined in Rule 144A under the 1933 Act, will not be able to receive restricted securities eligible for resale under Rule 144A.

Information about the procedures regarding creation and redemption of Creation Units (including the cut-off times for receipt of creation and redemption orders) is included in a Fund’s SAI.

Because new shares may be created and issued on an ongoing basis, at any point during the life of a Fund a “distribution,” as such term is used in the 1933 Act, may be occurring. Broker-dealers and other persons are cautioned that some activities on their part may, depending on the circumstances, result in their being deemed participants in a distribution in a manner that could render them statutory underwriters subject to the prospectus delivery and liability provisions of the 1933 Act. Any determination of whether one is an underwriter must take into account all the relevant facts and circumstances of each particular case.

Broker-dealers should also note that dealers who are not “underwriters,” but are participating in a distribution (as contrasted to ordinary secondary transactions), and thus dealing with shares that are part of an “unsold allotment” within the meaning of Section 4(a)(3)(C) of the 1933 Act, would be unable to take advantage of the prospectus delivery exemption provided by Section 4(a)(3) of the 1933 Act. For delivery of prospectuses to exchange members, the prospectus delivery mechanism of Rule 153 under the 1933 Act is available only with respect to transactions on a national securities exchange. Authorized Participants are charged standard creation and redemption transaction fees to offset transfer and other transaction costs associated with the issuance and redemption of Creation Units. The standard creation transaction fee is charged to the Authorized Participant on the day such Authorized Participant creates a Creation Unit, and is the same regardless of the number of Creation Units purchased by the Authorized Participant on the applicable business day.

Similarly, the standard redemption transaction fee is charged to the Authorized Participant on the day such Authorized Participant redeems a Creation Unit, and is the same regardless of the number of Creation Units redeemed by the Authorized Participant on the applicable business day. Creations and

 

 

 

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redemptions for cash (when cash creations and redemptions (in whole or in part) are available or specified) are also subject to an additional charge (up to the maximum amounts shown in the table below). This charge is intended to compensate for brokerage, tax, foreign exchange, execution, market impact and other costs and expenses related to cash transactions. Investors who use the services of a broker or other financial intermediary to acquire or dispose of Fund shares may pay fees for such services.

MAILINGS AND E-DELIVERY TO SHAREHOLDERS

In our continuing efforts to reduce duplicative mail and Fund expenses, we currently send a single copy of prospectuses and shareholder reports to your household even if more than one member in your household owns the same Fund or Funds described in the prospectus or report. Additional copies of our prospectuses and reports may be obtained by calling 800-GABELLI (800-422-3554). If you do not want us to continue to consolidate your Fund mailings and would prefer to receive separate mailings at any time in the future, please call us at the telephone number above and we shall resume separate mailings, in accordance with your instructions, within thirty days of your request. Each Fund offers electronic delivery of Fund documents. Shareholders of a Fund can elect to receive each Fund’s annual, semiannual, and quarterly reports, as well as manager commentaries and prospectuses via e-delivery. For more information or to sign up for e-delivery, please visit a Fund’s website at www.gabelli.com. Shareholders who purchased shares of a Fund through a financial intermediary should contact their financial intermediary to sign up for e-delivery of the Fund documents, if available.

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

The Financial Highlights tables are intended to help you understand the financial performance of the Funds for the past fiscal year. Financial highlights for the Fund are not available at this time as the Fund has been in operation for less than a year. Financial information, when available, will be included in the Fund’s next annual or semiannual report.

 

 

 

 

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Gabelli ETFs Trust

Gabelli Equity Income ETF

Gabelli Commercial Aerospace and Defense ETF

 

 

 

 

 

For More Information:

For more information about each Fund, the following documents will be available free upon request:

Annual/Semiannual Reports:

Each Fund’s semiannual and audited annual reports to shareholders will contain additional information on the Funds’ investments. In the Funds’ annual report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected each Fund’s performance during its last fiscal year.

Statement of Additional Information (SAI):

The SAI provides more detailed information about each Fund, including their operations and investment policies. It is incorporated by reference, and is legally considered a part of this prospectus.

You can obtain free copies of these documents and prospectuses of other Funds in the Gabelli Fund Complex, or request other information and discuss your questions about a Fund by mail, toll free telephone, or the Internet as follows:

Gabelli ETFs Trust

One Corporate Center

Rye, NY 10580-1422

Telephone: 800-GABELLI (800-422-3554)

www.gabelli.com

You can also review and/or copy a Fund’s prospectuses, annual/semiannual reports, and SAI at the Public Reference Room of the SEC in Washington, DC. You can obtain text-only copies:

 

   

Free from the Fund’s website at www.gabelli.com.

 

   

For a fee, by electronic request at publicinfo@sec.gov, by writing to the Public Reference Section of the SEC, Washington, DC 20549- 1520, or by calling 202-551-8090.

 

   

Free from the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

 

 

 


Gabelli ETFs Trust

ETF Gabelli Equity Income ETF

Gabelli Commercial Aerospace and Defense ETF0

STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

March 9, 2023

This Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”), which is not a prospectus, describes:

 

FUND   

TICKER

SYMBOL

Gabelli Equity Income ETF

   GABE

Gabelli Commercial Aerospace and Defense ETF

   GCAD

Listing Exchange: NYSE Arca

Gabelli ETFs Trust, a Delaware statutory trust (the “Trust”), currently consists of nine separate investment series referred to as Gabelli Growth Innovators ETF, Gabelli Financial Services ETF, Gabelli Equity Income ETF (fka Gabelli Global Small Cap ETF) (the “Equity Income Fund”), Gabelli Small & Mid Cap ETF, Gabelli Micro Cap ETF, Gabelli Love Our Planet & People ETF, Gabelli Automation ETF, Gabelli Green Energy ETF and Gabelli Commercial Aerospace and Defense ETF (fka Gabelli Equity Income ETF) (the “Aerospace and Defense Fund” and together with the Equity Income Fund, the “Funds”). This Statement of Additional Information (the “SAI”) relates only to the Equity Income Fund and the Aerospace and Defense Fund.

This SAI, which is not a prospectus, provides information about the Fund. The SAI should be read in conjunction with the prospectus for shares of the Fund dated March 9, 2023. This SAI is incorporated by reference in its entirety into the Trust’s prospectus. For a free copy of the prospectus, please contact the Trust at the address, telephone number, or Internet website printed below.

One Corporate Center

Rye, New York 10580-1422

Telephone: 800-GABELLI (800-422-3554)

www.gabelli.com

 

1


TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

     Page  

GENERAL INFORMATION

     3  

INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RISKS

     3  

INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS

     12  

PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS INFORMATION

     12  

TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS

     14  

CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL SHAREHOLDERS

     20  

CREATION AND REDEMPTION OF CREATION UNITS

     20  

INVESTMENT ADVISORY AND OTHER SERVICES

     26  

PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS AND BROKERAGE

     31  

BUYING AND SELLING OF SHARES

     32  

DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE

     32  

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONCERNING TAXES

     33  

INVESTMENT PERFORMANCE INFORMATION

     36  

DESCRIPTION OF THE FUNDS’ SHARES

     37  

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

     37  

APPENDIX A

     A-1  

 

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GENERAL INFORMATION

The Trust is a registered investment company organized under the laws of the State of Delaware on July 26, 2018. The Trust utilizes the ActiveShares® methodology licensed from Precidian Investments, LLC (“Precidian”). The Gabelli Growth Innovators Fund, Financial Services Fund, Equity Income Fund, Small & Mid Cap Fund, Micro Cap Fund, Love Our Planet Fund, Asset Fund, Aerospace and Defense Fund, Green Energy Fund are each a series of the Trust. The Gabelli Financial Services Fund, the Gabelli Green Energy Fund, the Equity Income Fund, the Aerospace and Defense Fund and the Gabelli Micro Cap Fund are classified as non-diversified investment companies. The Trust’s principal office is located at One Corporate Center, Rye, New York 10580-1422. Each Fund is advised by Gabelli Funds, LLC (the “Adviser”).

INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RISKS

Each Fund’s prospectus discusses the investment objective of each Fund and the principal strategies to be employed to achieve these objectives. This SAI contains supplemental information concerning certain types of securities and other instruments in which a Fund may invest, additional strategies that a Fund may utilize in seeking to achieve its investment objective, and certain risks associated with such investments and strategies. Subject to the investment policies and restrictions contained in the prospectus and this SAI, a Fund may invest in any of the securities described herein, unless stated otherwise.

Equity Securities (All Funds)

Common stocks represent the residual ownership interest in the issuer and holders of common stock are entitled to the income and increase in the value of the assets and business of the issuer after all of its debt obligations and obligations to preferred stockholders are satisfied. Common stocks generally have voting rights. Common stocks fluctuate in price in response to many factors including historical and prospective earnings of the issuer, the value of its assets, general economic conditions, interest rates, investor perceptions, and market liquidity.

Equity securities also include preferred stock (whether or not convertible into common stock). Preferred stock has a preference over common stock in liquidation (and generally dividends as well) but is subordinated to the liabilities of the issuer in all respects.

As a general rule, the market value of preferred stock with a fixed dividend rate and no conversion element varies inversely with interest rates and perceived credit risk, while the market price of convertible preferred stock generally also reflects some element of conversion value. Because preferred stock is junior to debt securities and other obligations of the issuer, deterioration in the credit quality of the issuer will cause greater changes in the value of a preferred stock than in a more senior debt security with similarly stated yield characteristics. Debt securities that are convertible into or exchangeable for preferred or common stock are liabilities of the issuer but are generally subordinated to more senior elements of the issuer’s balance sheet. Although such securities also generally reflect an element of conversion value, their market value also varies with interest rates and perceived credit risk. The market value of preferred stock will also generally reflect whether (and if so when) the issuer may force holders to sell their preferred shares back to the issuer and whether (and if so when) the holders may force the issuer to buy back their preferred shares. Generally, the right of the issuer to repurchase the preferred stock tends to reduce any premium that the preferred stock might otherwise trade at due to interest rate or credit factors, while the right of the holders to require the issuer to repurchase the preferred stock tend to reduce any discount that the preferred stock might otherwise trade at due to interest rate or credit factors.

The Adviser believes that opportunities for capital appreciation may be found in the preferred stock. This is particularly true in the case of companies that have performed below expectations at the time the preferred stock was issued. If the company’s performance has been poor enough, its preferred stock will trade more like its common stock than like a fixed income security and may result in above average appreciation once it becomes apparent that performance is improving.

Non-Transparent Exchange-Traded Fund (“ETF”) Structure Risk (All Funds)

Investments in ETFs have unique characteristics, including, but not limited to, the expense structure and additional expenses associated with investing in ETFs. ETFs are subject to, among other risks, tracking risk and passive and, in some cases, active investment risk. In addition, shareholders bear both their proportionate share of a Fund’s expenses, and indirectly the ETF’s expenses, incurred through a Fund’s ownership of the ETF. Because the expenses and costs of an underlying ETF are shared by its investors, redemptions by other investors in the ETF could result in decreased economies of scale and increased operating expenses for such ETF. The ETFs may not achieve their investment objective. Each Fund, through its investment in ETFs, may not achieve its investment objective.

Unlike most actively managed ETFs, the Funds do not provide daily disclosure of their portfolio holdings. Instead, the Funds provide a verified intraday indicative value (“VIIV”), calculated and disseminated every second throughout the trading day. The VIIV is intended to provide investors and other market participants with a highly correlated per share value of the underlying portfolio that can be compared to the current market price. There is, however, a risk that shares of the Funds may trade at a wider bid/ask spread than

 

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ETFs that publish their portfolios on a daily basis, especially during periods of market disruption or volatility, and therefore, may cost investors more to trade. Because the Funds trade on the basis of the VIIV, they may trade at a wider bid/ask spread than traditional ETFs that publish their portfolios on a daily basis. Accordingly, the Adviser or its designee will monitor on an ongoing basis how shares of the Funds trade, including the level of any market price premium or discount to NAV and the bid/ask spreads on market transactions. Should there be extended periods of unusually high bid/ask spreads, the Board of Trustees of the Funds (the “Board”) will consider the continuing viability of the Funds, whether shareholders are being harmed, and what, if any, action would be appropriate to, among other things, narrow the premium/discount or spread, as applicable. Potential actions may include, but are not limited to, changing lead market makers, listing the Funds on a different exchange, changing the size of Creation Units, changing the Funds’ investment objectives or strategies, and liquidating the Funds. There is also a risk that the market price may vary significantly from the NAV and, thus, the underlying value of the Funds significantly from the underlying NAV of the Funds. There is also a risk that, despite not disclosing the portfolio holdings each day, some market participants may seek to use publicly available information, including the VIIV, to identify the Funds’ investment strategies and engage in certain predatory trading practices that may have the potential to harm the Funds.

Early Close/Trading Halt Risk (All Funds)

An exchange or market may close or issue trading halts on specific securities, or the ability to buy or sell certain securities or financial instruments may be restricted, which may result in the Funds being unable to buy or sell certain securities or financial instruments. When indices or securities experience a sharp decline in price, an exchange or market may close entirely or halt for a period of time in accordance with exchange “circuit breaker” rules or issue trading halts on specific securities and therefore, a Fund’s ability to buy or sell certain securities or financial instruments may be restricted. These exchange or market actions may result in a Fund being unable to buy or sell certain securities or financial instruments. A Fund may be unable to rebalance its portfolio, may be unable to accurately price its investments and/or may incur substantial trading losses. In such circumstances, each Fund may be unable to rebalance its portfolio, may be unable to accurately price its investments and/or may incur substantial trading losses. In addition, due to the non-transparency of the portfolio a trading halt in a portfolio security could cause discrepancies between the VIIV and NAV of the Funds, resulting in uncertainty on the part of the AP that results in wider, less liquid markets. Any security for which trading has been halted for an extended period of time will be disclosed on the Funds’ website, www.gabelli.com.

Authorized Participant and AP Representative Concentration Risk (All Funds)

The creation and redemption process for the Funds occur through a confidential brokerage account (“Confidential Account”) with an agent, called an AP Representative, on behalf of an Authorized Participant. Each day, the AP Representative will be given the names and quantities of the securities to be deposited, in the case of a creation, or redeemed, in the case of a redemption (“Creation Basket”), allowing the AP Representative to buy and sell positions in the portfolio securities to permit creations or redemptions on the Authorized Participant’s behalf, without disclosing the information to the Authorized Participant. The Funds may have a limited number of institutions that act as Authorized Participants and AP Representatives, none of which are obligated to engage in creation or redemption transactions. To the extent that these institutions exit the business or are unable to proceed with creation and/or redemption orders with respect to the Funds and no other Authorized Participant is able to step forward to process creation and/or redemption orders, the Funds’ shares may trade at a discount to NAV and possibly face trading halts and/or delisting. This risk may be more pronounced in volatile markets, potentially where there are significant redemptions in ETFs, generally. The fact that the Funds are offering a novel and unique structure may affect the number of entities willing to act as Authorized Participants and AP Representatives. During times of market stress, Authorized Participants may be more likely to step away from these types of ETFs than traditional ETFs.

Absence of an Active Market (All Funds)

Although shares of the Funds are listed for trading on one or more stock exchanges, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for such shares will develop or be maintained by market makers or Authorized Participants. Authorized Participants are not obligated to execute purchase or redemption orders for Creation Units. Because this is a novel and unique structure, this could influence the number of entities willing to act as Authorized Participants. In periods of market volatility, market makers and/or Authorized Participants may be less willing to transact in the Funds’ shares. The absence of an active market for the Funds’ shares may contribute to the Funds’ shares trading at a premium or discount to net asset value (“NAV”). If a shareholder purchases a Fund’s shares at a time when the market price is at a premium to the NAV or sells a Fund’s shares at a time when the market price is at a discount to the NAV, the shareholder may sustain losses.

New Fund Risk (All Funds)

The Funds are new with limited operating history and may have higher expenses. There can be no assurance that the Funds will grow to or maintain an economically viable size. The Funds could cease operations, and investors may be required to liquidate or transfer their assets at a loss. However, the expense limitation in place limits this risk through the end of its term.

 

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Issuer-Specific Risk (All Funds)

Issuer-specific risk is the possibility that factors specific to an issuer to which a Fund is exposed will affect the market prices of the issuer’s securities and therefore the net asset value of a Fund. The value of an individual security or particular type of security can be more volatile than the market as a whole and can perform differently from the market as a whole. The Funds could lose all of their investment in a company’s securities.

Management Risk (All Funds)

The Funds’ Portfolios are subject to the risk that strategies used by an investment manager and its securities selections fail to produce the intended results. If the portfolio manager is incorrect in his or her assessment of the growth prospects of the securities a Fund holds, then the value of a Fund’s shares may decline. In addition, the portfolio manager’s strategy may produce returns that are different from other mutual funds that invest in similar securities.

An investment manager’s judgments or decisions about the quality, relative yield or value of, or market trends affecting, a particular security or issuer, industry, sector, region or market segment, or about the economy or interest rates, may be incorrect or otherwise may not produce the intended results, which may result in losses to the Funds’ Portfolios. In addition, many processes used in Portfolio management, including security selection, rely, in whole or in part, on the use of various technologies. The Portfolio may suffer losses if there are imperfections, errors or limitations in the quantitative, analytic or other tools, resources, information and data used, or the analyses employed or relied on, by an investment manager, or if such tools, resources, information or data are used incorrectly, fail to produce the desired results, or otherwise do not work as intended. There can be no assurance that the use of these technologies will result in effective investment decisions for the Funds’ Portfolios.

Market Trading Risk (All Funds)

Individual Fund shares may be purchased and sold only on a national securities exchange or alternative trading system through a broker-dealer, and may not be directly purchased or redeemed from the Funds. There can be no guarantee that an active trading market for shares will develop or be maintained, or that their listing will continue unchanged. Buying and selling shares may require you to pay brokerage commissions and expose you to other trading costs. Due to brokerage commissions and other transaction costs that may apply, frequent trading may detract from realized investment returns. Trading prices of shares may be above, at, or below each Fund’s NAV, will fluctuate in relation to NAV based on supply and demand in the market for shares and other factors, and may vary significantly from NAV during periods of market volatility. The return on your investment will be reduced if you sell shares at a greater discount or narrower premium to NAV than when you acquired shares.

Sector Risk (Aerospace and Defense only)

Although the Aerospace and Defense Fund does not employ a sector focus, the percentage of the Fund’s assets invested in a particular sector can increase from time to time based on the Adviser’s perception of available investment opportunities. If the Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in a particular sector, the Fund will be subject to the risk that companies in the same sector are likely to react similarly to legislative or regulatory changes, adverse market conditions, increased competition, or other factors affecting that market segment. In such cases, the Fund would be exposed to an increased risk that the value of its overall portfolio will decrease because of events that disproportionately and negatively affect that sector. In addition, investments in a particular sector may be more volatile than the broader market as a whole, and the Fund’s investments in such a sector may be disproportionately susceptible to losses.

Because the Fund may allocate relatively more assets to certain sectors than others, the Fund’s performance may be more susceptible to any developments which affect those sectors emphasized by the Fund. In addition, the Fund could underperform other funds investing in similar sectors or comparable benchmarks because of the investment manager’s choice of securities within such sector.

Preferred Stock Risk (Aerospace and Defense Fund only)

A preferred stock is a blend of the characteristics of a bond and common stock. It can offer the higher yield of a bond and has priority over common stock in equity ownership, but does not have the seniority of a bond and, unlike common stock, its participation in the issuer’s growth may be limited. Preferred stock has preference over common stock in the receipt of dividends and in any residual assets after payment to creditors should the issuer be dissolved. Although the dividend is set at a fixed annual rate, in some circumstances it can be changed or omitted by the issuer.

 

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Large Capitalization Company Risk

Companies with $10 billion or more in market capitalization are considered by the Adviser to be large capitalization companies Large capitalization companies generally experience slower rates of growth in earnings per share than do mid and small capitalization companies.

Larger, more established companies may be unable to respond quickly to new competitive challenges such as changes in technology and consumer tastes. Many larger companies also may not be able to attain the high growth rate of successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion. If valuations of large capitalization companies appear to be greatly out of proportion to the valuations of small or medium capitalization companies, investors may migrate to the stocks of small and medium-sized companies.

Non-Diversification Risk (Equity Income Fund and Aerospace and Defense Fund only)

The Fund is classified as a “non-diversified” Fund. As a non-diversified Fund, more of a Fund’s assets may be focused in the securities of a small number of issuers, which may make the value of each Fund’s shares more sensitive to changes in the market value of a single issuer or industry than shares of a diversified Fund. The ability to invest in a more limited number of securities may increase the volatility of each Fund’s investment performance, as each Fund may be more susceptible to risks associated with a single economic, political, or regulatory event than a diversified Fund. If the securities in which each Fund invests perform poorly, the Fund could incur greater losses than it would have had if it had been invested in a greater number of securities.

Trading Issues Risk (All Funds)

Shares of a Fund may trade in the secondary market at times when the Fund does not accept orders to purchase or redeem shares. At such times, shares may trade in the secondary market with more significant premiums or discounts than might be experienced at times when a Fund accepts purchase and redemption orders. Secondary market trading in Fund shares may be halted by a stock exchange because of market conditions or for other reasons. In addition, trading in Fund shares on a stock exchange or in any market may be subject to trading halts caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant to “circuit breaker” rules on the stock exchange or market.

Value Investing Risk (Equity Income Fund and Aerospace and Defense Fund only)

Each Fund invests in “value” stocks. The portfolio manager may be wrong in the assessment of a company’s value and the stocks each Fund holds may not reach what the portfolio manager believes are their full values. From time to time “value” investing falls out of favor with investors. During those periods, each Fund’s relative performance may suffer.

Borrowing (All Funds)

A Fund may not borrow money except for (1) short term credits from banks as may be necessary for the clearance of portfolio transactions and (2) borrowings from banks for temporary or emergency purposes, including the meeting of redemption requests, would otherwise require the untimely disposition of their portfolio securities. A Fund may mortgage, pledge, or hypothecate assets to secure such borrowings.

Borrowing may exaggerate the effect on net asset value per share of any increase or decrease in the market value of securities purchased with borrowed funds. Money borrowed will be subject to interest costs which may or may not be recovered by appreciation of securities purchased.

Concentration Risk (Aerospace and Defense Fund only)

The Aerospace and Defense Fund may concentrate its investments in securities issued by aerospace companies and defense companies which means that the Fund is less diversified than the Fund investing in a broader range of industries, and is particularly sensitive to general market conditions and other risks of the aerospace and defense industries, including that the aerospace industry and the defense industry can be significantly affected by government regulation and spending policies because companies involved in this industry rely, to a significant extent, on government demand for their products and services. The financial condition of these companies is heavily influenced by government defense spending, which may be reduced in efforts to control government budgets. The aerospace industry in particular has recently been affected by adverse economic conditions and consolidation within the industry.

Loans of Portfolio Securities (All Funds)

To realize additional income, a Fund may lend its portfolio securities to securities broker-dealers or financial institutions if (1) the loan is collateralized in accordance with applicable regulatory requirements including collateralization continuously at no less than 100% by marking to market daily, (2) the loan is subject to termination by that Fund at any time, (3) a Fund receives reasonable interest or fee payments on the loan, (4) a Fund is able to exercise all voting rights with respect to the loaned securities and (5) the loan will not cause the value of all loaned securities to exceed 33 1/3% of the value of a Fund’s assets, however, this limitation does not apply to purchases of debt securities in accordance with a Fund’s investment objectives, policies and limitations or to repurchase agreements with respect to portfolio securities.

 

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Temporary Defensive Investments (All Funds)

For temporary defensive purposes, a Fund may invest up to 100% of its assets in high quality money market instruments.

When a temporary defensive posture is believed by the Adviser to be warranted (“temporary defensive periods”), a Fund may without limitation hold cash or invest all or a portion of its assets in money market instruments and repurchase agreements in respect of those instruments. The money market instruments in which a Fund may invest are short-term obligations of the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities; government money market funds; and repurchase agreements. During temporary defensive periods, a Fund may also invest to the extent permitted by applicable law in shares of government money market mutual funds. Money market mutual funds are investment companies and the investments in those companies by a Fund are in some cases subject to certain fundamental investment restrictions and applicable law. As a shareholder in a mutual Fund, a Fund will bear its ratable share of its expenses, including management fees, and will remain subject to payment of the fees to the Adviser, with respect to assets so invested. A Fund may find it more difficult to achieve its investment objective during temporary defensive periods.

Government Intervention in Financial Markets Risk (All Funds)

Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, which increases the possibility that conditions in one country or region may adversely affect companies in a different country or region. In the past, instability in the financial markets has led governments and regulators around the world to take a number of unprecedented actions designed to support certain financial institutions and segments of the financial markets that have experienced extreme volatility, and in some cases a lack of liquidity. Governments, their regulatory agencies, or self-regulatory organizations may take actions that affect the regulation of the instruments in which a Fund invests, or the issuers of such instruments, in ways that are unforeseeable. Legislation or regulation may also change the way in which a Fund itself is regulated. Such legislation or regulation could limit or preclude a Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective.

Governments or their agencies may also acquire distressed assets from financial institutions and acquire ownership interests in those institutions. The implications of government ownership and disposition of these assets are unclear, and such a program may have positive or negative effects on the liquidity, valuation and performance of a Fund’s portfolio holdings. Furthermore, volatile financial markets can expose a Fund to greater market and liquidity risk and potential difficulty in valuing portfolio instruments held by the Fund.

The SEC and its staff have adopted or proposed various rules and reviews that seek to improve and modernize the regulatory structure governing investment companies. These efforts appear to be focused on risk identification and controls in various areas, including imbedded leverage through the use of derivatives and other trading practices, cybersecurity, liquidity, enhanced regulatory and public reporting requirements and the evaluation of systemic risks. Any new rules, guidance or regulatory initiatives resulting from these efforts could increase a Fund’s expenses and impact its returns to shareholders or, in the extreme case, impact or limit its use of various portfolio management strategies or techniques and adversely impact the Fund.

In addition, the tax legislation commonly referred to as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “Act”) made substantial changes to the Code. Among those changes were a significant permanent reduction in the generally applicable corporate tax rate, changes in the taxation of individuals and other non-corporate taxpayers that generally but not universally reduce their taxes on a temporary basis subject to “sunset” provisions, the elimination or modification of various previously allowed deductions (including substantial limitations on the deductibility of interest and, in the case of individuals, the deduction for personal state and local taxes), certain additional limitations on the deduction of net operating losses, certain preferential rates of taxation on certain dividends and certain business income derived by non-corporate taxpayers in comparison to other ordinary income recognized by such taxpayers, and significant changes to the international tax rules. The effect of these, and the many other changes made in the Act is subject to developing guidance and its full effects may be highly uncertain, both in terms of their direct effect on the taxation of an investment in the Funds’ shares and their indirect effect on the value of the Funds’ assets, the Funds’ shares or market conditions generally.

Furthermore, many of the provisions of the Act will require guidance through the issuance of Treasury regulations in order to assess their effect. There may be a substantial delay before such regulations are promulgated, increasing the uncertainty as to the ultimate effect of the statutory amendments on the Funds. It is also likely that there will be technical corrections legislation proposed with respect to the Act, the effect of which cannot be predicted and may be adverse to the Funds or the Fund’s shareholders.

An outbreak of infectious respiratory illness caused by a novel coronavirus known as COVID-19 was first detected in China in December 2019 and has now been detected globally. This coronavirus has resulted in travel restrictions, closed international borders, enhanced health screenings at ports of entry and elsewhere, disruption of and delays in healthcare service preparation and delivery, prolonged quarantines, cancellations, supply chain disruptions, and lower consumer demand, as well as general concern and

 

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uncertainty. The impact of COVID-19, and other infectious illness outbreaks that may arise in the future, could adversely affect the economies of many nations or the entire global economy, individual issuers and capital markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illnesses in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The duration of the COVID-19 outbreak and its effects cannot be determined with certainty.

Portfolio Turnover (All Funds)

Each 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 a Fund’s shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in the annual Fund operating expenses or in the example, affect a Fund’s performance. No portfolio turnover is included for the Equity Income Fund because operations have not yet commenced, nor is portfolio turnover included for the Aerospace and Defense Fund since operations commenced on January 3, 2023.

Corporate Reorganizations (All Funds)

A Fund may invest in securities for which a tender or exchange offer has been made or announced and in securities for which a merger, consolidation, liquidation, or reorganization proposal has been announced. The primary risk of this type of investing is that if the contemplated transaction is abandoned, revised, delayed, or becomes subject to unanticipated uncertainties, the market price of the securities may decline below the purchase price paid by a Fund.

In general, securities that have announced reorganization transactions sell at a premium to their historic market price immediately prior to the announcement of the tender offer or reorganization proposal. However, the increased market price of such securities may reflect a discount to what the stated or appraised value of the security would be if the contemplated transaction were approved or consummated. Such investments may be particularly advantageous when the discount significantly overstates the risk of the contingencies involved; significantly undervalues the securities, assets, or cash to be received by shareholders of the prospective acquiring portfolio company as a result of the contemplated transaction; or fails adequately to recognize the possibility that the offer or proposal may be replaced or superseded by an offer or proposal of greater value. The evaluation of such contingencies requires unusually broad knowledge and experience on the part of the Adviser which must appraise not only the value of the issuer and its component businesses as well as the assets or securities to be received as a result of the contemplated transaction, but also the financial resources and business motivation of the offeror as well as the dynamics of the business climate when the offer or proposal is in progress.

A Fund’s investments in a single corporate reorganization transaction may be limited by its fundamental policies regarding diversification among issuers and industry concentration (see “Investment Restrictions” below), or otherwise by its investment policies. Because such investments are ordinarily short term in nature, they may increase a Fund’s portfolio turnover ratio, thereby increasing its brokerage and other transaction expenses. The Adviser intends to select investments of the type described which, in its view, have a reasonable prospect of significant capital appreciation in relation to both the risks involved and the potential of available alternate investments.

Other Investment Companies (All Funds)

Each of the Funds may invest only in other ETFs and exchange-traded notes, common stock, preferred stock, ADRs, real estate investment trusts, commodity pools, metals trusts, currency trusts, futures and government money market funds, provided that the investment is consistent with the investing Fund’s investment policies and restrictions.

As a shareholder of another investment company, a Fund would bear, along with other shareholders, its pro rata portion of the other investment company’s expenses, including advisory fees. These expenses would be in addition to the management fee that each Fund bears directly in connection with its own operations.

The Funds do not intend to purchase the shares of other open-end investment companies but reserves the right to invest up to 10% of its total assets in the securities of closed-end investment companies, including small business investment companies (not more than 5% of its total assets may be invested in more than 3% of the voting securities of any investment company). To the extent that a Fund invests in the securities of other investment companies, shareholders in the investing Fund may be subject to duplicative advisory and administrative fees.

Commodity Exchange-Traded Fund (“ETF”) Shares (All Funds)

A Fund may purchase shares of a commodity ETF. A commodity ETF is a publicly traded trust that acquires and holds underlying investments on a transparent basis. Because a commodity ETF has operating expenses and transaction costs, while the price of gold bullion does not, a commodity ETF will sell gold from time to time to pay expenses. This will reduce the amount of gold represented by each ETF share, irrespective of whether the trading price of the shares rises or falls in response to changes in the price of gold.

 

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An investment in a commodity ETF is subject to all of the risks of investing in the assets held by the ETF. In addition, the market value of the ETF shares may differ from their net asset value because the supply and demand in the market for ETF shares at any point in time is not always identical to the supply and demand in the market for the underlying assets. Because of the ability of large market participants to arbitrage price differences, the difference between the market value and the net asset value of ETF shares should, in most cases, be small. Under certain circumstances, an ETF could be terminated. Should termination occur, the ETF could have to liquidate its holdings at a time when the price of gold is falling.

Commodity ETFs are generally not registered as investment companies for purposes of U.S. federal securities laws, and are not subject to regulation by the SEC as investment companies. Consequently, the owners of a commodity ETF do not have the regulatory protections provided to investors in investment companies. For example, the provisions of the 1940 Act that limit transactions with affiliates, prohibit the suspension of redemptions (except under certain limited circumstances) or limit sales loads do not apply to commodity ETFs. Commodity ETFs do not hold or trade in commodity futures contracts regulated by the Commodity Exchange Act (“CEA”), as administered by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”). Furthermore, commodity ETFs are not a commodity pool for purposes of the CEA, and their sponsors are not subject to regulation by the CFTC as a commodity pool operator, or a commodity trading adviser. Consequently, the owner of a commodity ETF does not have the regulatory protections provided to investors in CEA regulated instruments or commodity pools, the sponsor is not subject to registration as a commodity pool operator, and the owners of the commodity ETF do not receive a disclosure document or certified annual report required to be delivered by a commodity pool operator. To the extent that a Fund invests in a commodity ETF, shareholders in such Fund may be subject to duplicative advisory and administrative fees.

Foreign Investments (All Funds)

A Fund’s investment in securities of foreign companies may be in the form of American Depositary Receipts or securities of foreign issuers that trade on an exchange in the United States.

American Depositary Receipts

American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) are certificates evidencing ownership of shares of a foreign issuer. ADRs are securities that evidence ownership interests in a security or a pool of securities that have been deposited with a “depository” and may be sponsored or unsponsored. These certificates are issued by depository banks and trade on an established market in the United States. The underlying shares are held in trust by a custodian bank or similar financial institution in the issuer’s home country. The depository bank may not have physical custody of the underlying securities at all times and may charge fees for various services, including forwarding dividends and interest and corporate actions.

ADRs are alternatives to directly purchasing the underlying foreign securities in their national markets and currencies. However, ADRs continue to be subject to many of the risks associated with investing directly in foreign securities. For ADRs, the depository is typically a U.S. financial institution and the underlying securities are issued by a foreign issuer. ADRs will not necessarily be denominated in the same currency as their underlying securities. Generally, ADRs are issued in registered form, denominated in U.S. dollars. While the two types of depositary receipt facilities (unsponsored or sponsored) are similar, there are differences regarding a holder’s rights and obligations and the practices of market participants. A depository may establish an unsponsored facility without participation by (or acquiescence of) the underlying issuer; typically, however, the depository requests a letter of non-objection from the underlying issuer prior to establishing the facility. Holders of unsponsored ADRs generally bear all the costs of the facility. The depository usually charges fees upon deposit and withdrawal of the underlying securities, the conversion of dividends into U.S. dollars or other currency, the disposition of non-cash distributions, and the performance of other services. The depository of an unsponsored facility frequently is under no obligation to distribute shareholder communications received from the underlying issuer or to pass through voting rights to depositary receipt holders with respect to the underlying securities.

Sponsored depositary receipt facilities are created in generally the same manner as unsponsored facilities, except that sponsored ADRs are established jointly by a depository and the underlying issuer through a deposit agreement. The deposit agreement sets out the rights and responsibilities of the underlying issuer, the depository, and the depositary receipt holders. With sponsored facilities, the underlying issuer typically bears some of the costs of the ADRs (such as dividend payment fees of the depository), although most sponsored ADRs agree to distribute notices of shareholders meetings, voting instructions, and other shareholder communications and information to the ADRs holders at the underlying issuer’s request. The depositary of an unsponsored facility frequently is under no obligation to distribute shareholder communications received from the issuer of the deposited security or to pass through, to the holders of the receipts, voting rights with respect to the deposited securities. ADRs do not eliminate all of the risks associated with directly investing in the securities of foreign issuers.

 

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Real Estate Investment Trusts (“REITs”) (All Funds)

REITs are pooled investment vehicles which invest primarily in income producing real estate or real estate-related loans or interests. REITs are generally classified as equity REITs, mortgage REITs or a combination of equity and mortgage REITs. Equity REITs invest the majority of their assets directly in real property and derive income primarily from the collection of rents. Equity REITs can also realize capital gains by selling properties that have appreciated in value. Mortgage REITs invest the majority of their assets in real estate mortgages and derive income from the collection of interest payments. REITs are not taxed on income distributed to shareholders provided they comply with the applicable requirements of the Code. Debt securities issued by REITs, for the most part, are general and unsecured obligations and are subject to risks associated with REITs. Like mutual funds, REITs have expenses, including advisory and administration fees paid by certain REITs and, as a result, a Fund is indirectly subject to those fees if a Fund invests in REITs.

Investing in REITs involves certain risks, including declines in the value of the underlying real estate, risks related to general and local economic conditions, possible lack of availability of mortgage funds, overbuilding, extended vacancies of properties, increased competition, increases in property taxes and operating expenses, changes in zoning laws, losses due to costs resulting from the clean-up of environmental problems, liability to third parties for damages resulting from environmental problems, casualty or condemnation losses, limitations on rents, changes in neighborhood values and in the appeal of properties to tenants. Equity REITs may also be subject to property and casualty risks as their insurance policies may not completely recover repair or replacement of assets damaged by fires, floods, earthquakes or other natural disasters. REITs whose underlying assets are concentrated in properties used by a particular industry, such as healthcare, are also subject to industry-related risks. Certain “special purpose” REITs may invest their assets in specific real estate sectors, such as hotels, nursing homes or warehouses, and are therefore subject to the risks associated with adverse developments in any such sectors.

REITs (especially mortgage REITs) are subject to interest rate risks. When interest rates decline, the value of a REIT’s investment in fixed income obligations can be expected to rise. Conversely, when interest rates rise, the value of a REIT’s investment in fixed-rate obligations can be expected to decline. If the REIT invests in adjustable rate debt instruments the interest rates on which are reset periodically, yields on a REIT’s investments in such loans will gradually align themselves to reflect changes in market interest rates. This causes the value of such investments to fluctuate less dramatically in response to interest rate fluctuations than would investments in fixed-rate obligations. However, REIT shares can be more volatile than, and perform differently from, larger company securities since REITs tend to be small- to medium-sized companies in relation to the equity markets as a whole. REITs may have limited financial resources, may trade less frequently and in a limited volume and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than larger company securities.

REITs are dependent upon the skills of their managers and are generally not diversified. REITs may be highly leveraged, and financial covenants may affect the ability of REITs to operate effectively. REITs are generally dependent upon maintaining cash flows to repay borrowings, to cover operating costs, and to make distributions to shareholders and are subject to the risk of default by lessees and borrowers. In the event of a default by a borrower or lessee, the REIT may experience delays in enforcing its rights as a mortgagee or lessor and may incur substantial costs associated with protecting its investments. If REITs are net sellers of assets or do not reinvest principal, they are also subject to self-liquidation. In addition, REITs could possibly fail to qualify for tax-free pass-through of net income and gains under the Code or to maintain their exemptions from registration as an investment company under the 1940 Act. In the event of any such failure to qualify as a REIT under the Code, the company would be subject to corporate level taxation, significantly reducing the return to a Fund on its investment in such company.

Economic Events and Market Risk (All Funds)

Periods of market volatility remain, and may continue to occur in the future, in response to various political, social and economic events both within and outside of the United States. These conditions have resulted in, and in many cases continue to result in, greater price volatility, less liquidity, widening credit spreads and a lack of price transparency, with many securities remaining illiquid and of uncertain value. Such market conditions may adversely affect the Funds, including by making valuation of some of a Fund’s securities uncertain and/or result in sudden and significant valuation increases or declines in a Fund’s holdings.

Risks resulting from any future debt or other economic crisis could also have a detrimental impact on the global economy, the financial condition of financial institutions and our business, financial condition, and results of operation. Market and economic disruptions have affected, and may in the future effect, consumer confidence levels and spending, personal bankruptcy rates, levels of incurrence and default on consumer debt and home prices, among other factors. To the extent uncertainty regarding the U.S. or global economy negatively impacts consumer confidence and consumer credit factors, a Fund’s business, financial condition, and results of operations could be significantly and adversely affected. Downgrades to the credit ratings of major banks could result in increased borrowing costs for such banks and negatively affect the broader economy. Moreover, Federal Reserve policy, including with respect to certain interest rates and the decision to end its quantitative easing policy, may also adversely affect the value, volatility and liquidity of dividend- and interest-paying securities. Market volatility, tariffs, rising interest rates, and/or a return to unfavorable economic conditions could impair the Funds’ ability to achieve their investment objectives.

 

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An outbreak of infectious respiratory illness caused by a novel coronavirus known as COVID-19 was first detected in China in December 2019 and has now been declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization and a public health emergency in the United States. This coronavirus has resulted in travel restrictions, closed international borders, enhanced health screenings at ports of entry and elsewhere, disruption of and delays in healthcare service preparation and delivery, prolonged quarantines, cancellations, supply chain disruptions, and lower consumer demand, as well as general concern and uncertainty. The impact of COVID-19, and other infectious illness outbreaks that may arise in the future, could adversely affect the economies of many nations or the entire global economy, individual issuers and capital markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illnesses in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally.

It is virtually impossible to determine the ultimate impact of COVID-19 at this time. Further, the extent and strength of any economic recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic abates, including following any “second wave,” “third wave” or other intensifying of the pandemic, is uncertain and subject to various factors and conditions. Accordingly, an investment in the Funds is subject to an elevated degree of risk as compared to other market environments. Despite actions of the U.S. federal government and foreign governments, the uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic and other factors has contributed to significant volatility in the global public equity markets and global debt capital markets, including the net asset value of the Funds’ shares. These events could have, and/or have had, a significant impact on the Funds’ performance, net asset value, income, operating results and ability to pay distributions, as well as the performance, income, operating results and viability of issuers in which it invests. Even after the COVID-19 pandemic subsides, the U.S. economy and most other major global economies may continue to experience a substantial economic downturn or recession, and our business and operations, as well as the business and operations of our portfolio companies, could be materially adversely affected by a prolonged economic downturn or recession in the United States and other major markets.

Political Risks Relating to Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine (All Funds)

Russia began its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The invasion significantly amplified already existing geopolitical tensions among Russia, Ukraine, Europe, NATO and the United States. Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine, the resulting responses by the United States and other countries, and the potential for wider conflict has increased volatility and uncertainty in the financial markets, specifically on companies in the oil and gas sector, finance and resource extraction. The United States and other countries and certain international organizations have imposed broad-ranging economic sanctions on Russia and certain Russian individuals, banking entities and corporations as a response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. These sanctions froze certain Russian assets and prohibited, among other things, trading in certain Russian securities and doing business with specific Russian corporate entities, large financial institutions, officials and oligarchs. The sanctions also included the removal of some Russian banks from the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunications (SWIFT), the electronic network that connects banks globally, and imposed restrictive measures to prevent the Russian Central Bank from undermining the impact of the sanctions. These sanctions could become broader in the future, including banning Russia from global payments systems that facilitate cross-border payments. A number of large corporations have also announced plans to divest interests or otherwise curtail business dealings with certain Russian businesses.

The extent and duration of Russia’s military actions, resulting sanctions and consequent future market disruptions are impossible to predict, but could be significant and may negatively affect global supply chains, inflation, oil and gas supply, and global growth. Russian military action (including cyberattacks and espionage) or actual and threatened responses to such actions, including purchasing and financing restrictions, boycotts or changes in consumer or purchaser preferences, sanctions, tariffs or cyberattacks on the Russian government and Russian individuals, may have an impact not only on Russia, but the global economy.

The ramifications of the hostilities and sanctions, however, may not be limited to Russia, Conflict between Ukraine and Russia is likely to negatively impact other regional and global economic markets (including Europe, Asia and the United States), companies in other countries (particularly those that have exposure to Russia and Ukraine) and on various sectors, industries and markets for securities and commodities globally, such as oil and natural gas and banking. Accordingly, the actions discussed above and the potential for a wider conflict could increase financial market volatility, cause severe negative effects on regional and global economic markets, industries, and companies and have a negative effect on the Funds’ investments and performance beyond any direct exposure to Russian and Ukrainian issuers or those of adjoining geographic regions. These and any related events could have a significant impact on investment performance and the value of an investment in the Funds.

Special Risks Related to Cybersecurity (All Funds)

The Funds and their service providers are susceptible to cybersecurity risks that include, among other things, theft, unauthorized monitoring, release, misuse, loss, destruction or corruption of confidential and highly restricted data; denial of service attacks; unauthorized access to relevant systems, compromises to networks or devices that the Funds and their service providers use to service the Funds’ operations; or operational disruption or failures in the physical infrastructure or operating systems that support the Funds and their service providers. Cyberattacks against or security breakdowns of the Funds or their service providers may adversely impact the Funds and their shareholders, potentially resulting in, among other things, financial losses; the inability of Fund shareholders to

 

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transact business and the Funds to process transactions; inability to calculate each Fund’s net asset value (“NAV”); violations of applicable privacy and other laws; regulatory fines, penalties, reputational damage, reimbursement, or other compensation costs; and/or additional compliance costs. The Funds may incur additional costs for cybersecurity risk management and remediation purposes. In addition, cybersecurity risks may also impact issuers of securities in which the Funds invest, which may cause the Funds’ investments in such issuers to lose value. There can be no assurance that the Funds or their service providers will not suffer losses relating to cyberattacks or other information security breaches in the future.

INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS

The investment objectives of the Funds, and the following investment restrictions, are fundamental and may not be changed without the approval of a majority of the applicable Fund’s shareholders defined in the 1940 Act as the lesser of (1) 67% of the applicable Fund’s shares present at a meeting if the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding shares are represented in person or by proxy, or (2) more than 50% of the applicable Fund’s outstanding shares. If a percentage restriction on investment or use of assets set forth below is adhered to at the time a transaction is effected, later changes in percentage resulting from changing market values or total assets of a Fund will not be considered a deviation from policy. The below investment restrictions on borrowing apply on a continuous basis.

Equity Income Fund

Under such restrictions, this Fund may not:

 

  1.

Invest 25% or more of the value of its total assets in any one industry;

 

  2.

Issue senior securities, except to the extent permitted by applicable law;

 

  3.

Make loans, except as permitted under the 1940 Act, and as interpreted, modified, or otherwise permitted by regulatory authority;

 

  4.

Act as an underwriter of another issuer’s securities, except to the extent that the Fund may be deemed to be an underwriter within the meaning of the 1933 Act in connection with the purchase and sale of portfolio securities;

 

  5.

Invest for the purpose of exercising control over management of any company;

 

  6.

Purchase real estate or interests therein, including limited partnerships that invest primarily in real estate equity interests;

 

  7.

Purchase or sell commodities or commodity contracts; or

 

  8.

Borrow money, except to the extent permitted by applicable law.

Aerospace and Defense Fund

Under such restrictions, this Fund may not:

 

  1.

Issue senior securities, except to the extent permitted by applicable law;

 

  2.

Make loans, except as permitted under the 1940 Act, and as interpreted, modified, or otherwise permitted by regulatory authority;

 

  3.

Act as an underwriter of another issuer’s securities, except to the extent that the Fund may be deemed to be an underwriter within the meaning of the 1933 Act in connection with the purchase and sale of portfolio securities;

 

  4.

Invest for the purpose of exercising control over management of any company;

 

  5.

Purchase real estate or interests therein, including limited partnerships that invest primarily in real estate equity interests;

 

  6.

Purchase or sell commodities or commodity contracts; or

 

  7.

Borrow money, except to the extent permitted by applicable law.

There will be no violation of any investment restriction if that restriction is complied with at the time the relevant action is taken notwithstanding a later change in the market value of an investment, in the net or total assets of a Fund, or any other later change.

PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS INFORMATION

Employees of the Adviser and its affiliates will often have access to information concerning the portfolio holdings of a Fund. The Funds and the Adviser have adopted policies and procedures that require all employees to safeguard proprietary information of the

 

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Funds, which includes information relating to the Funds’ portfolio holdings as well as portfolio trading activity of the Adviser with respect to the Funds (collectively, “Portfolio Holdings Information”). The Adviser’s policies and procedures include a number of safeguards designed to control disclosure of portfolio holdings and characteristics so that such disclosure is consistent with the best interests of a Fund’s shareholders, including procedures to address conflicts between the interests of shareholders and those of the Adviser and its affiliates. The frequency with which this information is disclosed to the public, and the length of time between the date of the information and the date on which the information is disclosed, are selected to minimize the possibility of a third party improperly benefiting from a Fund’s investment decisions to the detriment of a Fund’s shareholders. In the event that a request for portfolio holdings or characteristics creates a potential conflict of interest that is not addressed by the safeguards and procedures described above, the Adviser’s procedures require that such requests may only be granted with the approval of the Adviser’s legal department and the relevant chief investment officers. In addition, distribution of portfolio holdings information, including compliance with the Adviser’s policies and the resolution of any potential conflicts that may arise, is monitored quarterly by the Adviser’s compliance department. These policies further provide that no officer of the Trust or employee of the Adviser shall communicate with the media about a Fund without obtaining the advance consent of the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer of the Adviser, or Chief Executive Officer, or General Counsel of the parent company of the Adviser.

Under the foregoing policies, a Fund may disclose Portfolio Holdings Information in the circumstances outlined below. Disclosure generally may be either on a monthly or quarterly basis with no time lag in some cases and with a time lag of up to sixty days in other cases (with the exception of proxy voting services which require a regular download of data):

 

  1.

To regulatory authorities in response to requests for such information and with the approval of the Chief Compliance Officer of a Fund;

 

  2.

To fund rating and statistical agencies and to persons performing similar functions where there is a legitimate business purpose for such disclosure and such entity has agreed to keep such data confidential at least until it has been made public by the Adviser;

 

  3.

To service providers of the Funds, as necessary for the performance of their services to the Funds and to the Board, where such entity has agreed to keep such data confidential at least until it has been made public by the Adviser. The Funds’ current service providers that may receive such information are its administrator, sub-administrator, custodian, independent registered public accounting firm, legal counsel, and financial printers;

 

  4.

To firms providing proxy voting or other proxy services provided such entity has agreed to keep such data confidential at least until it has been made public by the Adviser;

 

  5.

To certain broker dealers, investment advisers, and other financial intermediaries for purposes of their performing due diligence on a Fund and not for dissemination of this information to their clients or use of this information to conduct trading for their clients. Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings Information in these circumstances requires the broker, dealer, investment adviser, or financial intermediary to agree to keep such information confidential at least until it has been made public by the Adviser and is further subject to prior approval of the Chief Compliance Officer of a Fund and shall be reported to the Board at the next quarterly meeting;

 

  6.

To consultants for purposes of performing analysis of the Funds, which analysis may be used by the consultant with its clients or disseminated to the public, provided that such entity shall have agreed to keep such information confidential at least until it has been made public by the Adviser; and

 

  7.

To the AP Representative of the Funds in order to facilitate transactions.

As of the date of this SAI, the Funds make information about their portfolio securities available to their administrator, sub-administrator, custodian, and proxy voting services on a daily basis, with no time lag, to its typesetter on a quarterly basis with a ten day time lag, to its financial printers on a quarterly basis with a forty-five day time lag, and to their independent registered public accounting firm and legal counsel on an as needed basis, with no time lag. The names of the Funds’ administrator, sub-administrator, custodian, independent registered public accounting firm, and legal counsel are set forth in this SAI. The Funds’ proxy voting service is Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. Donnelley Financial Solutions and Appatura provide typesetting services for the Funds, and the Funds select from a number of financial printers who have agreed to keep such information confidential at least until it has been made public by the Adviser.

Other than arrangements with the Funds’ service providers and proxy voting service, the Funds have no ongoing arrangements to make available information about a Fund’s portfolio securities prior to such information being disclosed in a publicly available filing with the SEC that is required to include the information.

Disclosures made pursuant to a confidentiality agreement are subject to periodic confirmation by the Chief Compliance Officer of a Fund that the recipient has utilized such information solely in accordance with the terms of the agreement. Neither the Fund, nor the Adviser, nor any of the Adviser’s affiliates, will accept on behalf of itself, its affiliates, or the Funds any compensation or other consideration in connection with the disclosure of portfolio holdings of the Funds. The Board will review such arrangements annually with the Funds’ Chief Compliance Officer.

 

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TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS

Under Delaware law, the Trust’s Board is responsible for establishing the Funds’ policies and for overseeing the management of the Funds. The Board also elects a Fund’s officers who conduct the daily business of the Fund. Information pertaining to the Trustees and Executive Officers of the Trust is as follows:

 

Name, Position(s),
Address
and Age(1)

  

Term of Office
And Length of
Time Served(2)

   Number of
Funds in Fund
Complex
Overseen by
Trustee(3)
    

Principal Occupation(s)
During Past Five Years

  

Other Directorships
During the Past Five
Years(4)

INTERESTED TRUSTEES(5):

                     
Christopher J. Marangi
Age: 48
   Since 2020      6      Managing Director and co-Chief Investment Officer of the Value team of GAMCO Investors, Inc.; Portfolio Manager for Gabelli Funds, LLC and GAMCO Asset Management Inc.   
Agnes Mullady
Trustee
Age: 64
   Since 2021      14      Senior Vice President of GAMCO Investors, Inc. (2008 - 2019); Executive Vice President of Associated Capital Group, Inc. (November 2016 - 2019);President and Chief Operating Officer of the Fund Division of Gabelli Funds, LLC(2010 -2019); Vice President of Gabelli Funds, LLC (2006 - 2019); Chief Executive Officer of G. distributors, LLC(2011 - 2019); and an officer of all of the Gabelli/Teton Funds (2006 - 2019).   

INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES(6):

           
John Birch(7)
Trustee
Age 72
   Since 2020      8      Partner, The Cardinal Partners Global.   
Anthony S. Colavita(7)
Trustee
Age: 61
   Since 2020      22      Attorney, Anthony S. Colavita, P.C.; Supervisor, Town of Eastchester, NY.   
Michael J. Ferrantino
Trustee
Age: 51
   Since 2020      6      Chief Executive Officer of InterEx Inc.    President, CEO, and Director of LGL Group; Director of LGL Systems Acquisition Corp.(Aerospace and Defense Communications)
Leslie F. Foley(7)
Trustee
Age: 55
   Since 2020      15      Attorney; Serves on the Boards of the Addison Gallery of American Art at Phillips Academy Andover.   
Kuni Nakamura
Lead Trustee
Age: 54
   Since 2020      36      President of Advanced Polymer, Inc.(chemical manufacturing company);President of KEN Enterprises, Inc. (real estate); Trustee on Long Island University Board of Trustees; Trustee on Fordham Preparatory School Board of Trustees.   

 

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Name, Position(s),
Address
and Age(1)

  

Term of Office
And Length of
Time Served(2)

   Number of
Funds in Fund
Complex
Overseen by
Trustee(3)
    

Principal Occupation(s)
During Past Five Years

  

Other Directorships
During the Past Five
Years(4)

Michael Melarkey
Trustee
Age: 73
   Since 2020      23      Of Counsel in the law firm of McDonald Carano Wilson LLP.    Chairman of Southwest Gas Corporation (natural gas utility).
Salvatore J. Zizza(7)
Trustee
Age: 77
   Since 2020      34      President, Zizza & Associates Corp. (private holding company); Chairman of Bergen Cove Realty Inc. (residential real estate).    Director and Chairman of Trans-Lux Corporation (business services); Director and Chairman of Harbor Diversified Inc. (pharmaceuticals) (2009-2018); Retired Chairman of BAM (semiconductor and aerospace manufacturing)

 

Name, Position(s),
Address(1) and Age

  

Term of Office
and Length of
Time Served(2)

  

Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years

OFFICERS:

     
John C. Ball
President
Age: 47
   Since 2020    Executive Vice President (since 2022) and other positions (2017-2022) of GAMCO Investors, Inc.; Chief Executive Officer, G. Distributors, LLC since 2020; Officer of registered investment companies within the Gabelli Fund Complex since 2017; Vice President and Assistant Treasurer of AMG Funds, 2014-2017
Peter Goldstein
Secretary
Age: 69
   Since 2020    General Counsel, GAMCO Investors, Inc. and Chief Legal Officer, Associated Capital Group, Inc. since 2021; General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer, Buckingham Capital Management, Inc. (2012-2020); Chief Legal Officer and Chief Compliance Officer, The Buckingham Research Group, Inc. (2012-2020)
Chandler Iorio
Treasurer
Age: 37
   Since 2020    Vice President of GAMCO Investors, Inc. (since 2019); Assistant Treasurer for Gabelli NextShares (2016-2019)
Richard J. Walz
Chief Compliance Officer
Age: 64
   Since 2020    Chief Compliance Officer of registered investment companies within the Gabelli Fund Complex since 2013

 

(1)

Address: One Corporate Center, Rye, NY 10580-1422.

(2)

Each Trustee will hold office for an indefinite term until the earliest of (i) the next meeting of shareholders if any, called for the purpose of considering the election or re-election of such Trustee and until the election and qualification of his or her successor, if any, elected at such meeting, or (ii) the date a Trustee resigns or retires, or a Trustee is removed by the Board or shareholders, in accordance with the Company By-Laws and Declaration of Trust. For officers, includes time served in prior officer positions with the Trust. Each officer will hold office for an indefinite term or until the date he or she resigns or retires or until his or her successor is elected and qualified.

(3)

The “Fund Complex” or the “Gabelli Fund Complex” includes all the U.S. registered investment companies that are considered part of the same Fund complex as the Fund because they have common or affiliated investment advisers. This column includes only directorships of companies required to report to the SEC under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the 1934 Act”), as amended, i.e. public companies, or other investment companies registered under the 1940 Act.

(4)

This column includes only directorships of companies required to report to the SEC under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “1934 Act”), as amended, i.e. public companies, or other investment companies registered under the 1940 Act.

(5)

“Interested person” of the Trust, as defined in the 1940 Act. Mr. Christopher J. Marangi is considered to be an “interested person” because of his affiliation with the Trust’s Adviser. Ms. Mullady is considered to be an “interested person” of the Trust because of her direct or indirect beneficial interest in the Trust’s Adviser and due to a previous business or professional relationship with the Trust and the Adviser.

(6)

Trustees who are not considered to be “interested persons” of a Fund as defined in the 1940 Act are considered to be Independent Trustees.

(7)

Mr. Colavita’s father, Anthony J. Colavita, and Ms. Foley’s father, Frank J. Fahrenkopf, Jr., serve as directors of other funds in the Gabelli Fund Complex. Mr. Zizza is an independent director of Gabelli International Ltd., and Mr. Birch is a director of Gabelli Merger Plus+ Trust Plc, GAMCO International SICAV, Gabelli Associates Limited, and Gabelli Associates Limited IIE, all of which may be deemed to be controlled by Mario J. Gabelli and/or affiliates and in that event would be deemed to be under common control with the Fund’s Adviser. On September 9, 2015, Mr. Zizza entered into a settlement with the SEC to resolve an inquiry relating to an alleged violation regarding the making of false statements or omissions to the accountants of a company concerning a related party transaction. The company in question is not an affiliate of, nor has any connection to, the Fund. Under the terms of the settlement, Mr. Zizza, without admitting or denying the SEC’s findings and allegation, paid $150,000 and agreed to cease and desist committing or causing any future violations of Rule 13b2-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The Board has discussed this matter and has determined that it does not disqualify Mr. Zizza from serving as an Independent Trustee.

The Board believes that each Trustee’s experience, qualifications, attributes or skills on an individual basis and in combination with those of other Trustees lead to the conclusion that each Trustee should serve in such capacity. Among the attributes or skills common to all Trustees are their ability to review critically and to evaluate, question, and discuss information provided to them, to interact effectively with the other Trustees, the Adviser, the sub-administrator, other service providers, counsel and the Fund’s independent

 

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registered public accounting firm, and to exercise effective and independent business judgment in the performance of their duties as Trustees. Each Trustee’s ability to perform his duties effectively has been attained in large part through the Trustee’s business, consulting or public service positions and through experience from service as a member of the Board and one or more of the other funds in the Gabelli Fund Complex (the “Fund Complex”), public companies, non-profit entities, or other organizations as set forth above and below. Each Trustee’s ability to perform his duties effectively also has been enhanced by education, professional training, and experience.

Interested Trustee:

Christopher J. Marangi. Mr. Marangi is a Managing Director and Co-Chief Investment Officer of the Value team of GAMI. In addition to the Fund, he is a portfolio manager on GAMCO’s institutional and high net worth separate accounts team and for several other open- and closed-end funds in the Fund Complex. He joined GAMI in 2003 as a research analyst covering companies in the cable, satellite, and entertainment sectors. He began his career as an investment banking analyst with J.P. Morgan & Company and later joined the private equity firm, Wellspring Capital Management. Mr. Marangi serves as President of the Resurrection School Foundation. Mr. Marangi graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa with a Bachelor’s degree in Political Economy from Williams College and holds an M.B.A. with honors from the Columbia Business School.

Agnes Mullady. Ms. Mullady was an officer of registered investment companies within the Fund Complex from 2006 until 2019, President and Chief Operation Officer of the Fund Division of Gabelli Funds, LLC from 2010 until 2019, Chief Executive Officer of G.distributors, LLC from 2011 until 2019, Senior Vice President of GAMCO Investors, Inc. (“GAMI”) from 2009 until 2019, Vice President of Gabelli Funds, LLC from 2006 until 2019, and Executive Vice President of Associated Capital Group, Inc. from 2016 until 2019. She serves on the boards of other funds in the Fund Complex. Prior to joining GAMI in December 2005, Ms. Mullady was a Senior Vice President at U.S. Trust Company and Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer of the Excelsior Funds from 2004 through 2005. Ms. Mullady received her MBA degree in Finance from New York Institute of Technology and her BA in Accounting from Queens College.

Independent Trustees:

John Birch. Mr. Birch is a Partner of The Cardinal Partners Global, a strategic advisory firm, providing strategic advice and distribution support to international investment managers. He serves on the boards of other funds in the Fund Complex and as a director of the GAMCO International SICAV and the Gabelli Merger Plus+ Trust Plc. From 2005 to 2015, Mr. Birch served as the Chief Operating Officer of Sentinel Asset Management and Chief Financial Officer, and Chief Risk Officer of the Sentinel Group Funds. His other experience includes Vice President of Transfer Agency at State Street Bank in Luxembourg; Chief Operating Officer and Senior Vice President of American Skandia Investment Services, Inc.; Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President (Partner) of International Fund Administration, Ltd.; Chief Administrative Officer and Senior Vice President—Mutual Funds Division and Managing Director of Gabelli Funds, Inc.; and senior roles at Kansallis Banking Group and Privatbanken A/S. Mr. Birch received his Master of Tax from Metropolitan University College (Copenhagen) and attended the Program for Management Development at the Harvard Graduate School of Business.

Anthony S. Colavita, Esq. Mr. Colavita has been a practicing attorney with Anthony S. Colavita, P.C. since February 1988. He is Chairman of the Trust’s Audit Committee and is a member of the ad hoc Proxy Voting Committee. Mr. Colavita also serves on comparable or other board committees with respect to other funds in the Fund Complex on whose boards he sits. Mr. Colavita has been Town Supervisor of the Town of Eastchester, New York since January 2004, with responsibilities for the review, adoption, and administration of a $35 million budget. He has also served as a board member for multiple not-for-profit corporations and was previously counsel to the New York State Senate. Additionally, Mr. Colavita was an Eastchester Town Councilman from 1998 to 2003. He has been active on the boards of several community based programs. Mr. Colavita received his Bachelor of Arts from Colgate University and his Juris Doctor from Pace University School of Law.

Michael J. Ferrantino. Mr. Ferrantino is the Chief Executive Officer of InterEx Inc., a full-service exhibit company that specializes in the design, fabrication, management and service of custom exhibit spaces for the trade show retail and museum markets. He is a member of the Trust’s Nominating Committee. Mr. Ferrantino also serves on comparable or other board committees with respect to other funds in the Fund Complex on whose boards he sits. Mr. Ferrantino is a President, CEO, and director of The LGL Group, Inc., a diversified manufacturing company, and director of LGL Systems Acquisition Corp. He previously served as the Chief Executive Officer and a director of Valpey Fisher Corp., which was sold to CTS Corp. in 2012. He received a Bachelor’s degree in Materials Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and an M.B.A. from Loyola College, Baltimore.

Leslie F. Foley. Ms. Foley is an attorney currently serving on the Boards of the Addison Gallery of American Art at Phillips Academy Andover. She is a member of the Trust’s Nominating Committee. She serves on the boards of other funds in the Fund Complex. Ms. Foley was previously Vice President, Global Ethics & Compliance and Associate General Counsel for News Corporation. She also served in the White House Counsel’s Office as Associate Counsel to President George W. Bush. Earlier in her career, Ms. Foley served as Counsel for O’Melveny and Myers LLP; Managing Director of Fixed Income Legal at Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc.; associate at

 

16


Dewey Ballantine LLP; and law clerk to Judge Diarmuid F. O’Scannlain of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. She graduated from Yale University magna cum laude and from the University of Virginia School of Law where she was an editor of the Virginia Law Review.

Michael J. Melarkey, Esq. Mr. Melarkey, after more than forty years of experience as an attorney specializing in business, estate planning, and gaming regulatory work, retired from the active practice of law and is of counsel to the firm of McDonald Carano and Wilson in Reno, Nevada. He is a member of the Trust’s ad hoc Proxy Voting Committee. He serves on comparable or other board committees with respect to other funds in the Fund Complex on whose boards he sits. He is Chairman of the Board of Southwest Gas Corporation and serves on its Nominating, Corporate Governance, and Compensation Committees. Mr. Melarkey acts as a trustee and officer for several private charitable organizations including as a trustee of The Bretzlaff Foundation and Edwin L. Wiegand Trust. He is an officer of a private oil and gas company. Mr. Melarkey received his Bachelor’s degree from the University of Nevada, Reno, Juris Doctor from the University of San Francisco School of Law and Masters of Law in Taxation from New York University School of Law.

Kuni Nakamura. Mr. Nakamura is the president of Advanced Polymer, Inc., a chemical manufacturing company, and president of KEN Enterprises, Inc., a real estate company. He is Chairman of the Trust’s Nominating Committees and a member of the Trust’s Audit Committee, and has been designated the Fund’s Audit Committee Financial Expert. Mr. Nakamura serves on comparable or other board committees with respect to other funds in the Fund Complex on whose boards he sits. Mr. Nakamura was previously a board member of The LGL Group, Inc., a diversified manufacturing company. He serves on the Board of Trustees of Long Island University in Brookville, NY and Fordham Preparatory School. He is also involved in various capacities with The University of Pennsylvania and The Guiding Eyes for the Blind. Mr. Nakamura is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania—The Wharton School with a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Multinational Management.

Salvatore J. Zizza. Mr. Zizza is the President of Zizza & Associates Corp., a private holding company that invests in various industries. He serves or has served as Chairman to other companies involved in manufacturing, recycling, real estate, technology, and pharmaceuticals. He is the Chairman of the Trust’s ad hoc Proxy Voting Committee and is a member of the Audit Committee. Mr. Zizza serves on comparable or other board committees with respect to other funds in the Fund Complex on whose boards he sits. In addition to serving on the boards of other funds in the Fund Complex, he is currently and has previously been a director of other public companies. He was also the President, Chief Executive Officer, and Chief Financial Officer of a large NYSE-listed construction company. Mr. Zizza received his Bachelor’s degree and M.B.A. in Finance from St. John’s University, which awarded him an Honorary Doctorate in Commercial Sciences.

Trustees — Leadership Structure and Oversight Responsibilities

Overall responsibility for general oversight of the Funds rests with the Board. The Board has appointed Kuni Nakumara as the Lead Independent Trustee. The Lead Independent Trustee presides over executive sessions of the Trustees and also serves between meetings of the Board as a liaison with service providers, officers, counsel, and other Trustees on a wide variety of matters including scheduling agenda items for Board meetings. Designation as such does not impose on the Lead Independent Trustee any obligations or standards greater than or different from other Trustees. The Board has established a Nominating Committee and an Audit Committee to assist the Board in the oversight of the management and affairs of the Funds. The Board also has an ad hoc Proxy Voting Committee. Each of the Nominating, Audit, and ad hoc Proxy Voting Committees are entirely comprised of Independent Trustees. From time to time the Board establishes additional committees or informal working groups to deal with specific matters or assigns one of its members to work with trustees or directors of other Funds in the Fund Complex on special committees or working groups that deal with complex-wide matters, such as the multi-Fund ad hoc Compensation Committee relating to compensation of the Chief Compliance Officer for all the Funds in the Fund Complex. (The Fund Complex also has a separate multi-Fund Compensation Committee relating to certain officers of the closed-end funds in the Fund Complex, and some of the Funds’ Trustees may from time to time also serve on this separate committee.)

All of the Funds’ Trustees, other than Mr. Marangi and Ms. Mullady, are Independent Trustees, and the Board believes they are able to provide effective oversight of the Funds’ service providers. In addition to providing feedback and direction during Board meetings, the Trustees meet regularly in executive session and chair all committees of the Board.

The Funds’ operations entail a variety of risks, including investment, administration, valuation, and a range of compliance matters. Although the Adviser, the sub-administrator and the officers of the Funds are responsible for managing these risks on a day to day basis within the framework of their established risk management functions, the Board also addresses risk management of the Funds through its meetings and those of the committees and working groups. In particular, as part of its general oversight, the Board reviews with the Adviser at Board meetings the levels and types of risks being undertaken by the Funds, and the Audit Committee discusses the Funds’ risk management and controls with the independent registered public accounting firm engaged by the Funds. The Board reviews valuation policies and procedures and the valuations of specific illiquid securities. The Board also receives periodic reports from the Funds’ Chief Compliance Officer regarding compliance matters relating to a Fund and its major service providers, including results of the implementation and testing of the Funds’ and such providers’ compliance programs. The Board’s oversight function is

 

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facilitated by management reporting processes that are designed to provide information to the Board about the identification, assessment and management of critical risks and the controls and policies and procedures used to mitigate those risks. The Board reviews its role in supervising the Funds’ risk management from time to time and may make changes in its discretion at any time.

The Board has determined that its leadership structure is appropriate for the Funds because it enables the Board to exercise informed and independent judgment over matters under its purview, allocates responsibility among committees in a manner that fosters effective oversight and allows the Board to devote appropriate resources to specific issues in a flexible manner as they arise. The Board periodically reviews its leadership structure as well as its overall structure, composition and functioning and may make changes in its discretion at any time.

Standing Board Committees

The Board has established two standing committees in connection with its governance of the Trust: the Audit and Nominating Committees, and has also established an ad hoc Proxy Voting Committee. The Trust does not have a standing Compensation Committee (although some of the individuals who are Trustees of the Funds participate in multi-Fund ad hoc Compensation Committees described above).

The Trust’s Audit Committee consists of three members: Anthony S. Colavita (Chairman), Kuni Nakamura, and Salvatore J. Zizza, who are Independent Trustees of the Trust. The Audit Committee operates pursuant to a Charter that was most recently reviewed and approved by the Board on October 14, 2020. As set forth in the Charter, the function of the Audit Committee is oversight; it is managements’ responsibility to maintain appropriate systems for accounting and internal control and it is the independent registered public accounting firm’s responsibility to plan and carry out a proper audit. The Audit Committee is generally responsible for reviewing and evaluating issues related to the accounting and financial reporting policies and practices of the Trust, its internal controls, and, as appropriate, the internal controls of certain service providers, overseeing the quality and objectivity of the Funds’ financial statements and the audit thereof, and to act as a liaison between the Board and the Trust’s independent registered public accounting firm. During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, the Audit Committee met once.

The Trust’s Nominating Committee consists of three members: Kuni Nakamura (Chairman), Leslie F. Foley, and Michael J. Ferrantino, who are Independent Trustees of the Trust. The Nominating Committee is responsible for selecting and recommending qualified candidates to the full Board in the event that a position is vacated or created. The Nominating Committee would consider, under procedures adopted by the Board, recommendations by shareholders if a vacancy were to exist. Such recommendations should be forwarded to the Secretary of the Trust. The Nominating Committee met once during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022.

The Trust’s ad hoc Proxy Voting Committee consists of three members: Salvatore J. Zizza (Chairman), Anthony S. Colavita, and Michael Melarkey, who are Independent Trustees of the Trust. Under certain circumstances and pursuant to specific procedures and guidelines, the ad hoc Proxy Voting Committee will, in place of the Trust’s Adviser, exercise complete control and discretion over the exercise of all rights to vote or consent with respect to certain securities owned by the Trust and may also determine to exercise complete control and discretion over the disposition of such securities. The ad hoc Proxy Voting Committee meets periodically on an as-needed basis to consider such matters and did not meet during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022.

Trustee Ownership of Fund Shares

The Funds are newly organized and as of the date of this SAI, the trustees therefore do not own shares of the Fund.

Trustee and Officer Compensation

Set forth below is the planned compensation to be received by the Trustees and Officers. No director, officer, or employee of the Distributor, the Adviser or an affiliated company receives any compensation from the Funds for serving as an Officer or Trustee of the Trust. The Trust pays each Independent Trustee who is not a director, officer, or employee of the Adviser or any of its affiliates $1,000 per annum and $500 per meeting attended and $250 per special meeting or telephonic meeting attended and reimburses each Trustee for related travel and out of pocket expenses. All Board committee members receive $250 per committee meeting attended. The Lead Trustee receives an additional $500 per annum, the Chairman of the Audit Committee receives an additional $500 per annum, and the Chairman of the Nominating Committee receives an additional $250 per annum. A Trustee may receive a single meeting fee, allocated among the participating Funds in the Fund Complex, for participation in certain special meetings or committee meetings on behalf of multiple funds. Trustees and officers of the Funds who are employed by the Adviser, or an affiliated company receive no compensation or expense reimbursement from the Funds.

The following table sets forth estimated compensation to be earned by each of the Trust’s Trustees for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2022, and aggregate compensation paid to them by the Fund Complex for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022. No Executive Officer or person affiliated with the Trust is expected to receive compensation in excess of $0 from the Trust for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022.

 

18


Compensation Table

Aggregate Compensation from Registrant

(Fiscal Year)

 

Name of Person and Position

   Aggregate
Compensation
from
The Funds
     Aggregate
Compensation
from the Trust
and
Fund Complex*
 

INTERESTED TRUSTEES:

     

Christopher J. Marangi

   $ 0      $ (5) 

Agnes Mullady

   $ 3,000      $ 132,500  (13) 

INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES:

     

John Birch

   $ 3,000      $ 40,000  (8) 

Anthony S. Colavita

   $ 3,500      $ 168,000  (22) 

Michael J. Ferrantino

   $ 3,000      $ 38,000  (6) 

Leslie F. Foley

   $ 3,000      $ 93,000  (15) 

Michael J. Melarkey

   $ 3,000      $ 193,500  (23) 

Kuni Nakamura

   $ 5,125      $ 351,125  (36) 

Salvatore J. Zizza

   $ 3,500      $ 323,000  (34) 

 

*

The parenthetical number represents the number of investment companies (including the Funds or portfolios thereof) from which such person receives compensation and which are considered part of the same Fund Complex as the Trust because they have common or affiliated investment advisers.

Code of Ethics

The Trust, its Adviser, and Distributor have adopted a code of ethics (the “Code of Ethics”) under Rule 17j-1 of the 1940 Act. The Code of Ethics permits personnel, subject to the Code of Ethics and its restrictive provisions, to invest in securities, including securities that may be purchased or held by the Funds.

Proxy Voting Policies

The Trust, on behalf of the Funds, has delegated the voting of portfolio securities to the Adviser. The Adviser has adopted proxy voting policies and procedures (the “Proxy Voting Policy”) for the voting of proxies on behalf of client accounts for which the Adviser has voting discretion, including the Funds. Under the Proxy Voting Policy, portfolio securities held by a Fund are to be voted in the best interests of that Fund.

Normally, the Adviser exercises proxy voting discretion on particular types of proposals in accordance with guidelines (the “Proxy Voting Guidelines”) set forth in the Proxy Voting Policy. The Proxy Voting Guidelines address, for example, proposals to elect the board of directors, to classify the board of directors, to select the independent registered public accounting firm, to issue blank check preferred stock, to use confidential ballots, to eliminate cumulative voting, to require shareholder ratification of poison pills, to support fair price provisions, to require a supermajority shareholder vote for charter or bylaw amendments, to provide for director and officer indemnification and liability protection, to increase the number of authorized shares of common stock, to allow greenmail, to limit shareholders’ rights to call special meetings, to consider the non-financial effects of a merger, to limit shareholders’ rights to act by written consent, to approve executive and director compensation plans (including golden parachutes), to limit executive and director pay, to approve stock option plans, to opt in or out of state takeover statutes, and to approve mergers, acquisitions, corporate restructuring, spin-offs, buyouts, asset sales, or liquidations.

A Proxy Voting Committee comprised of senior representatives of the Adviser and its affiliated investment advisers has the responsibility for the content, interpretation, and application of the Proxy Voting Guidelines. In general, the Trustee of Proxy Voting Services, using the Proxy Voting Guidelines, recommendations of Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. (“ISS”), Glass Lewis & Co. LLC (“Glass Lewis”), other third-party services, and the analysts of G.research, LLC (“G.research”) will determine how to vote on each issue. For non-controversial matters, the Trustee of Proxy Voting Services may vote the proxy if the vote is (1) consistent with the recommendations of the issuer’s board of directors and not contrary to the Proxy Voting Guidelines; (2) consistent with the recommendations of the issuer’s board of directors and is a non-controversial issue not covered by the Proxy Voting Guidelines; or (3) contrary to the recommendations of the issuer’s board of directors but is consistent with the Proxy Voting Guidelines. In these instances, the Trustee of Proxy Voting Services or the Chairman of the Committee may sign and date the proxy statement indicating how each issue will be voted. All matters identified by the Chairman of the Proxy Voting Committee, the Trustee of Proxy Voting Services, or the Adviser’s Legal Department as controversial, taking into account the recommendations of ISS, Glass Lewis, or other third party services and the analysts of G.research, will be presented to the Proxy Voting Committee. If the Chairman of the Proxy Voting Committee, the Trustee of Proxy Voting Services, or the Adviser’s Legal Department has identified the matter as one that (1) is controversial; (2) would benefit from deliberation by the Proxy Voting Committee; or (3) may give rise to a conflict of interest between the Adviser and its clients, the Chairman of the Proxy Voting Committee will initially determine what vote to recommend that the Adviser should cast and the matter will go before the Proxy Voting Committee.

 

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For matters submitted to the Proxy Voting Committee, each member of the Proxy Voting Committee will receive, prior to the meeting, a copy of the proxy statement, any relevant third party research, a summary of any views provided by the portfolio manager, and any recommendations by G.research’s analysts. The portfolio manager, any member of Senior Management, or G.research’s analysts may be invited to present their viewpoints. If the Trustee of Proxy Voting Services or the Adviser’s Legal Department believes that the matter before the Proxy Voting Committee is one with respect to which a conflict of interest may exist between the Adviser and its clients, legal counsel will provide an opinion to the Proxy Voting Committee concerning the conflict. If the matter is one in which the interests of the clients of the Adviser may diverge, Counsel will so advise and the Proxy Voting Committee may make different recommendations as to different clients. For any matters where the recommendation may trigger appraisal rights, Counsel will provide an opinion concerning the likely risks and merits of such an appraisal action.

Where a proxy proposal raises a material conflict between the interests of a Fund’s shareholders on the one hand, and those of the Fund’s Adviser, on the other hand, the conflict will be brought to the ad hoc Proxy Voting Committee of the Trust to determine a resolution.

Each matter submitted to the Proxy Voting Committee will be determined by the vote of a majority of the members present at the meeting. Should the vote concerning one or more recommendations be tied in a vote of the Proxy Voting Committee, the Chairman of the Committee will cast the deciding vote. The Proxy Voting Committee will notify the proxy department of its decisions and the proxies will be voted accordingly.

The Trust files Form N-PX with its complete proxy voting record for the twelve months ended June 30 no later than August 31 of each year. This filing is available without charge, upon request, by calling toll-free (800) 422-3554 and on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL SHAREHOLDERS

As of December 31, 2022, no persons owned of record or beneficially 5% or more of the Fund.

As of December 31, 2022, as a group, the Officers and Trustees of the Funds owned less than 1% of the Funds.

CREATION AND REDEMPTION OF CREATION UNITS

General

The Trust issues and sells shares of the Funds only in Creation Units on a continuous basis through the distributor, without a sales load, at a price based on a Fund’s NAV next determined after receipt, on any Business Day, of an order received by the transfer agent in proper form. On days when the Listing Exchange closes earlier than normal, a Fund may require orders to be placed earlier in the day. The following table sets forth the number of shares of the Fund that constitute a Creation Unit for each Fund.

 

Name of the Fund

  

Creation Unit Size

Gabelli Equity Income ETF

   5,000

Gabelli Commercial Aerospace and Defense ETF

   5,000

In its discretion, the Adviser reserves the right to increase or decrease the number of a Fund’s shares that constitute a Creation Unit. The Board reserves the right to declare a split or a consolidation in the number of shares outstanding of a Fund, and to make a corresponding change in the number of shares constituting a Creation Unit, in the event that the per share price in the secondary market rises (or declines) to an amount that falls outside the range deemed desirable by the Board.

Each Fund intends to comply with the U.S. federal securities laws in accepting securities for deposit and satisfying redemptions with redemption securities by, among other means, assuring that any securities accepted for deposit and any securities used to satisfy redemption requests will be sold in transactions that would be exempt from registration under the 1933 Act. Further, an Authorized Participant that is not a “qualified institutional buyer,” as such term is defined under Rule 144A of the 1933 Act, will not be able to receive securities that are restricted securities eligible for resale under Rule 144A.

Fund Deposit

The consideration for purchase of Creation Units of a Fund generally consists of the deposit securities, the in-kind deposit of a designated portfolio of securities (including any portion of such securities for which cash may be substituted) (“Deposit Securities”) and the Cash Component computed as described below. Together, the Deposit Securities and the Cash Component, defined below, constitute the “Fund Deposit,” which will be applicable (subject to possible amendment or correction) to creation requests received in proper form. The Fund Deposit represents the minimum initial and subsequent investment amount for a Creation Unit of a Fund. The “Cash Component” is an amount equal to the difference between the NAV of the shares (per Creation Unit) and the deposit amount,

 

20


which is an amount equal to the market value of the Deposit Securities (“Deposit Amount”), and serves to compensate for any differences between the NAV per Creation Unit and the Deposit Amount. Payment of any stamp duty or other similar fees and expenses payable upon transfer of beneficial ownership of the Deposit Securities are the sole responsibility of the Authorized Participant purchasing the Creation Unit.

The Adviser makes available through the National Securities Clearing Corporation (“NSCC”) on each Business Day prior to the opening of business on the Listing Exchange, the list of names and the required number of shares of each Deposit Security and the amount of the Cash Component (if any) to be included in the current Fund Deposit (based on information as of the end of the previous Business Day for a Fund). Such Fund Deposit is applicable, subject to any adjustments as described below, to purchases of Creation Units of shares of a Fund until such time as the next-announced Fund Deposit is made available.

The identity and number of shares of the Deposit Securities and the amount of the Cash Component changes pursuant to changes in the composition of a Fund’s portfolio and as rebalancing adjustments and corporate action events are reflected from time to time by Adviser with a view to the investment goal of the Fund. The composition of the Deposit Securities and the amount of the Cash Component may also change in response to adjustments to the weighting or composition of the component securities constituting the underlying index or the Fund’s portfolio. The Funds reserve the right to permit or require the substitution of a “cash in lieu” amount to be added to the Cash Component to replace any Deposit Security that may not be available in sufficient quantity for delivery or that may not be eligible for transfer through the facilities of DTC (“DTC Facilities”) or the clearing process through the Continuous Net Settlement System of the NSCC (“NSCC Clearing Process”), a clearing agency that is registered with the SEC (as discussed below), or that the Authorized Participant is not able to trade due to a trading restriction. Each Fund also reserves the right to permit or require a “cash in lieu” amount in certain circumstances, including circumstances in which: (i) the delivery of the Deposit Security by the Authorized Participant would be restricted under applicable securities or other local laws; (ii) the delivery of the Deposit Security to the Authorized Participant would result in the disposition of the Deposit Security by the Authorized Participant becoming restricted under applicable securities or other local laws; or (iii) in certain other situations.

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 the Fund, 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 Deposit Securities 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.

Creation Units

To be eligible to place orders and to create a Creation Unit of a Fund, an entity must be: (i) a broker-dealer or other participant in the NSCC Clearing Process (“Participating Process”), or (ii) a DTC participant, and, in either case, must have executed an agreement with the Distributor with respect to creations and redemptions of Creation Units (“Authorized Participant Agreement”). A Participating Party or DTC participant who has executed an Authorized Participant Agreement is an Authorized Participant. All shares of a Fund, however created, will be entered on the records of DTC in the name of Cede & Co. for the account of a DTC Participant.

Role of the Authorized Participant

Creation Units may be purchased only by or through an Authorized Participant that has entered into an Authorized Participant Agreement with the distributor. Such Authorized Participant will agree, pursuant to the terms of such Authorized Participant Agreement and on behalf of itself or any investor on whose behalf it will act, to certain conditions, including that such Authorized Participant will make available in advance of each purchase of shares an amount of cash sufficient to pay the Cash Component, once the net asset value of a Creation Unit is next determined after receipt of the purchase order in proper form, together with the transaction fees described below. An Authorized Participant, acting on behalf of an investor, may require the investor to enter into an agreement with such Authorized Participant with respect to certain matters, including payment of the Cash Component. Investors who are not Authorized Participants must make appropriate arrangements with an Authorized Participant. Investors should be aware that their particular broker may not be an Authorized Participant or may not have executed an Authorized Participant Agreement and that orders to purchase Creation Units may have to be placed by the investor’s broker through an Authorized Participant. As a result, purchase orders placed through an Authorized Participant may result in additional charges to such investor. The Trust does not expect to enter into an Authorized Participant Agreement with more than a small number of Authorized Participants.

Placement of Creation Orders

An Authorized Participant must submit an irrevocable order to purchase shares of a Fund, in proper form, no later than one hour prior to the closing time of the regular trading session of the Listing Exchange (normally 3 p.m. Eastern time), on any Business Day to receive that day’s NAV. On days when the Listing Exchange closes earlier than normal, a Fund may require orders for Creation Units

 

21


to be placed earlier in the day. Orders for Creation Units must be transmitted by an Authorized Participant by telephone or other transmission method acceptable to the transfer agent pursuant to procedures set forth in the Authorized Participant Agreement, as described below. Economic or market disruptions or changes, or telephone or other communication failure, may impede the ability to reach the transfer agent or an Authorized Participant. Orders to create shares of a Fund that are submitted on the Business Day, immediately preceding a holiday or a day (other than a weekend) when the equity markets in the relevant non-U.S. market are closed may not be accepted (the “Cutoff Time”). The Trust or its designee, in their discretion, may permit the submission of such orders and requests by or through an Authorized Participant at any time (including on days on which the Listing Exchange is not open for business) via communication through the facilities of the transfer agent’s proprietary website maintained for this purpose.

Investors, other than Authorized Participants, are responsible for making arrangements for a creation request to be made through an Authorized Participant. Those placing orders to purchase Creation Units through an Authorized Participant should allow sufficient time to permit proper submission of the purchase order to the transfer agent or its agent by the Cutoff Time on such Business Day.

Upon receiving an order for a Creation Unit, the transfer agent will notify the Adviser and the custodian of such order. The custodian will then provide such information to any appropriate sub-custodian.

The Authorized Participant must make available on or before the prescribed settlement date, by means satisfactory to a Fund, immediately available or same day funds estimated by the Funds to be sufficient to pay the Cash Component next determined after acceptance of the purchase order, together with the applicable purchase transaction fees. Any excess funds will be returned following settlement of the issue of the Creation Unit.

Those placing orders should ascertain the applicable deadline for cash transfers by contacting the operations department of the broker or depositary institution effectuating the transfer of the Cash Component. This deadline is likely to be significantly earlier than the Cutoff Time of the Fund. Investors should be aware that an Authorized Participant may require orders for purchases of shares placed with it to be in the particular form required by the individual Authorized Participant.

The Authorized Participant is responsible for all transaction-related fees, expenses and other costs (as described below), as well as any applicable cash amounts, in connection with any purchase order.

Once a purchase order has been accepted, it will be processed based on the NAV next determined after such acceptance in accordance with the Fund’s Cutoff Times as provided in the Authorized Participant Agreement and disclosed in this SAI.

Acceptance of Orders for Creation Units

Subject to the conditions that (i) an irrevocable purchase order has been submitted by the Authorized Participant (either on its own or another investor’s behalf) and (ii) arrangements satisfactory to a Fund are in place for payment of the Cash Component and any other cash amounts which may be due, an order will be accepted, subject to a Fund’s right to reject any order until acceptance, as set forth below.

Once an order has been accepted, upon the next determination of the net asset value of the shares, a Fund will confirm the issuance of a Creation Unit, against receipt of payment, at such net asset value. The transfer agent will then transmit a confirmation of acceptance to the Authorized Participant that placed the order.

Each Fund reserves the absolute right to reject or revoke a creation order transmitted to it by the transfer agent if: (i) the order is not in proper form; (ii) the investor(s), upon obtaining the shares ordered, would own 80% or more of the currently outstanding shares of the Fund; (iii) the Deposit Securities delivered do not conform to the identity and number of shares specified, as described above; (iv) acceptance of the Fund Deposit would have certain adverse tax consequences to the Fund; (v) acceptance of the Fund Deposit would, in the opinion of the Fund, be unlawful; (vi) acceptance of the Fund Deposit would, in the discretion of the Fund or the Adviser, have an adverse effect on the Fund or the rights of beneficial owners; or (vii) circumstances outside the control of the Fund make it impossible to process purchase orders for all practical purposes. The transfer agent shall notify a prospective purchaser of a Creation Unit and/or the Authorized Participant acting on behalf of such purchaser of its rejection of such order. The Funds, the Funds’ custodian, the sub-custodian and the Distributor are under no duty, however, to give notification of any defects or irregularities in the delivery of Fund Deposits nor shall any of them incur any liability for failure to give such notification.

Issuance of a Creation Unit

Except as provided herein, a Creation Unit will not be issued until the transfer of good title to a Fund of the Deposit Securities and the payment of the Cash Component have been completed. When the sub-custodian has confirmed to the custodian that the securities included in the Fund Deposit (or the cash value thereof) have been delivered to the account of the relevant sub-custodian or sub-custodians, the transfer agent and the Adviser shall be notified of such delivery and a Fund will issue and cause the delivery of the Creation Unit. Typically, Creation Units are issued on a “T+2 basis” (i.e., two Business Days after trade date). However, each Fund reserves the right to settle Creation Unit transactions on a basis other than T+2 if necessary or appropriate under the circumstances.

 

22


To the extent contemplated by an Authorized Participant Agreement, a Fund will issue Creation Units to an Authorized Participant, notwithstanding the fact that the corresponding Fund Deposits have not been received in part or in whole, in reliance on the undertaking of the Authorized Participant to deliver the missing Deposit Securities as soon as possible, which undertaking shall be secured by such Authorized Participant’s delivery and maintenance of collateral having a value at least equal to 105% and up to 115%, which percentage the Trust may change at any time, in its sole discretion, of the value of the missing Deposit Securities in accordance with a Fund’s then-effective procedures. The Trust may use such cash deposit at any time to buy Deposit Securities for a Fund. The only collateral that is acceptable to the Funds is cash in U.S. dollars. Such cash collateral must be delivered no later than 1 p.m., Eastern time on the prescribed settlement date or such other time as designated by the Funds’ custodian. Information concerning the Funds’ current procedures for collateralization of missing Deposit Securities is available from the transfer agent. The Authorized Participant Agreement will permit the Funds to buy the missing Deposit Securities at any time and will subject the Authorized Participant to liability for any shortfall between the cost to a Fund of purchasing such securities and the value of the cash collateral including, without limitation, liability for related brokerage, borrowings and other charges.

In certain cases, Authorized Participants may create and redeem Creation Units on the same trade date and in these instances, a Fund reserves the right to settle these transactions on a net basis or require a representation from the Authorized Participants that the creation and redemption transactions are for separate beneficial owners. All questions as to the number of shares of each security in the Deposit Securities and the validity, form, eligibility and acceptance for deposit of any securities to be delivered shall be determined by the Funds and the Funds’ determination shall be final and binding.

Costs Associated with Creation Transactions

A standard creation transaction fee is imposed to offset the transfer and other transaction costs associated with the issuance of Creation Units. The standard creation transaction fee is charged to the Authorized Participant on the day such Authorized Participant creates a Creation Unit, and is the same, regardless of the number of Creation Units purchased by the Authorized Participant on the applicable Business Day. The Authorized Participant may also be required to cover certain brokerage, tax, foreign exchange, execution, market impact and other costs and expenses related to the execution of trades resulting from such transaction (up to the maximum amount shown below). Authorized Participants will also bear the costs of transferring the Deposit Securities to a Fund. Investors who use the services of a broker or other financial intermediary to acquire Fund shares may be charged a fee for such services.

The following table sets forth each Fund’s standard creation transaction fees and maximum additional charge (as described above). Transaction fees may be waived in certain circumstances deemed appropriate by the Trust.

 

Fund

   Standard Creation
Transaction
Fee
     Maximum
Additional Charge
for Creations1
 

Gabelli Equity Income ETF

   $ 250        3

Gabelli Commercial Aerospace and Defense ETF

   $ 250        3

 

1

As a percentage of the net asset value per Creation Unit.

Redemption of Creation Units

Shares of the Funds may be redeemed by Authorized Participants only in Creation Units at their NAV next determined after receipt of a redemption request in proper form by the transfer agent and only on a Business Day. The Funds will not redeem shares in amounts less than Creation Units. There can be no assurance, however, that there will be sufficient liquidity in the secondary market at any time to permit assembly of a Creation Unit. Investors should expect to incur brokerage and other costs in connection with assembling a sufficient number of shares to constitute a Creation Unit that could be redeemed by an Authorized Participant. Beneficial owners also may sell shares in the secondary market. The Funds generally redeem Creation Units for Fund Securities (as defined below) and the Cash Amount (as defined below). Please see the Cash Redemption Method section below and the following discussion summarizing the in-kind method for further information on redeeming Creation Units of the Funds.

The Adviser makes available through the NSCC, prior to the opening of business on the Listing Exchange on each Business Day, the designated portfolio of securities (including any portion of such securities for which cash may be substituted) that will be applicable (subject to possible amendment or correction) to redemption requests received in proper form (as defined below) on that day (“Fund Securities”), and an amount of cash as described below (“Cash Amount”) (if any). Such Fund Securities and the corresponding Cash Amount (each subject to possible amendment or correction) are applicable in order to effect redemptions of Creation Units of a Fund until such time as the next announced composition of the Fund Securities and Cash Amount is made available. Fund Securities received on redemption may not be identical to Deposit Securities that are applicable to creations of Creation Units under certain circumstances.

 

23


Unless cash redemptions are available or specified for the Funds, the redemption proceeds for a Creation Unit generally consist of Fund Securities, plus the Cash Amount, which is an amount equal to the difference between the net asset value of the shares being redeemed, as next determined after the receipt of a redemption request in proper form, and the value of Fund Securities, less a redemption transaction fee (as described below). The Funds may, in their sole discretion, substitute a “cash in lieu” amount to replace any Fund Security that may not be eligible for transfer through DTC Facilities or the NSCC Clearing Process or that the Authorized Participant is not able to trade due to a trading restriction. The Funds also reserve the right to permit or require a “cash in lieu” amount in certain circumstances, including circumstances in which: (i) the delivery of a Fund Security to the Authorized Participant would be restricted under applicable securities or other local laws; (ii) the delivery of a Fund Security to the Authorized Participant would result in the disposition of the Fund Security by the Authorized Participant becoming restricted under applicable securities or other local laws; or (iii) in certain other situations. The amount of cash paid out in such cases will be equivalent to the value of the substituted security listed as a Fund Security. In the event that the Fund Securities have a value greater than the NAV of the shares, a compensating cash payment equal to the difference is required to be made by or through an Authorized Participant by the redeeming shareholder. The Funds generally redeem Creation Units for Fund Securities and the Cash Amount, but the Funds reserve the right to utilize a cash option for redemption of Creation Units.

Cash Redemption Method

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

Costs Associated with Redemption Transactions

A standard redemption transaction fee is imposed to offset transfer and other transaction costs that may be incurred by the Funds. The standard redemption transaction fee is charged to the Authorized Participant on the day such Authorized Participant redeems a Creation Unit, and is the same regardless of the number of Creation Units redeemed by an Authorized Participant on the applicable Business Day. The Authorized Participant may also be required to cover certain brokerage, tax, foreign exchange, execution, market impact and other costs and expenses related to the execution of trades resulting from such transaction (up to the maximum amount shown below). Authorized Participants will also bear the costs of transferring the Fund Securities from a Fund to their account on their order. Investors who use the services of a broker or other financial intermediary to dispose of Fund shares may be charged a fee for such services.

The following table sets forth each Fund’s standard redemption transaction fees and maximum additional charge (as described above). Transaction fees may be waived in certain circumstances deemed appropriate by the Trust.

Placement of Redemption Orders

Redemption requests for Creation Units of the Funds must be submitted to the transfer agent by or through an Authorized Participant. An Authorized Participant must submit an irrevocable request to redeem shares of a Fund, in proper form, no later than one hour prior to the closing time of the regular trading session of the Listing Exchange (normally 3 p.m. Eastern time), on any Business Day to receive that day’s NAV. On days when the Listing Exchange closes earlier than normal, a Fund may require orders to redeem Creation Units to be placed earlier that day. Investors, other than Authorized Participants, are responsible for making arrangements for a redemption request to be made through an Authorized Participant.

The Authorized Participant must transmit the request for redemption in the form required by a Fund to the transfer agent in accordance with procedures set forth in the Authorized Participant Agreement. Investors should be aware that their particular broker may not have executed an Authorized Participant Agreement and that, therefore, requests to redeem Creation Units may have to be placed by the investor’s broker through an Authorized Participant who has executed an Authorized Participant Agreement. At any time, only a limited number of broker-dealers will have an Authorized Participant Agreement in effect. Investors making a redemption request should be aware that such request must be in the form specified by such Authorized Participant. Investors making a request to redeem Creation Units should allow sufficient time to permit proper submission of the request by an Authorized Participant and transfer of the shares to a Fund’s transfer agent; such investors should allow for the additional time that may be required to effect redemptions through their banks, brokers or other financial intermediaries if such intermediaries are not Authorized Participants.

A redemption request is considered to be in “proper form” if: (i) an Authorized Participant has transferred or caused to be transferred to a Fund’s transfer agent the Creation Unit redeemed through the book-entry system of DTC so as to be effective by the Listing Exchange closing time on any Business Day; (ii) a request in form satisfactory to the Fund is received by the transfer agent from the Authorized Participant on behalf of itself or another redeeming investor within the time periods specified above; and (iii) all other procedures set forth in the Authorized Participant Agreement are properly followed. If the transfer agent does not receive the investor’s shares through DTC Facilities by 10 a.m., Eastern time on the prescribed settlement date, the redemption request may be

 

24


deemed rejected. Investors should be aware that the deadline for such transfers of shares through the DTC Facilities may be significantly earlier than the close of business on the Listing Exchange. Those making redemption requests should ascertain the deadline applicable to transfers of shares through the DTC Facilities by contacting the operations department of the broker or depositary institution effecting the transfer of the shares.

Upon receiving a redemption request, the transfer agent shall notify the Fund and the Fund’s transfer agent of such redemption request. The tender of an investor’s shares for redemption and the distribution of the securities and/or cash included in the redemption payment made in respect of Creation Units redeemed will be made through DTC and the relevant Authorized Participant to the beneficial owner thereof as recorded on the book-entry system of DTC or the DTC Participant through which such investor holds, as the case may be, or by such other means specified by the Authorized Participant submitting the redemption request.

A redeeming Beneficial Owner or Authorized Participant acting on behalf of such Beneficial Owner must maintain appropriate security arrangements with a qualified broker-dealer, bank or other custody providers in each jurisdiction in which any of the portfolio securities are customarily traded, to which account such portfolio securities will be delivered. Deliveries of redemption proceeds by a Fund generally will be made within two Business Days (i.e., “T+2”). Each Fund reserves the right to settle redemption transactions later than T+2 but by T+7 if necessary or appropriate under the circumstances and compliant with applicable law. Delayed settlement may occur due to a number of different reasons, including, without limitation, settlement cycles for the underlying securities, unscheduled market closings, an effort to link distribution to dividend record dates and ex-dates and newly announced holidays. For example, the redemption settlement process may be extended beyond T+2 because of the occurrence of a holiday in a non-U.S. market or in the U.S. bond market that is not a holiday observed in the U.S. equity market.

If neither the redeeming Beneficial Owner nor the Authorized Participant acting on behalf of such redeeming Beneficial Owner has appropriate arrangements to take delivery of Fund Securities in the applicable non-U.S. jurisdiction and it is not possible to make other such arrangements, or if it is not possible to effect deliveries of Fund Securities in such jurisdiction, the Fund may in its discretion exercise its option to redeem such shares in cash, and the redeeming Beneficial Owner will be required to receive its redemption proceeds in cash. In such case, the investor will receive a cash payment equal to the net asset value of its shares based on the NAV of the Fund next determined after the redemption request is received in proper form (minus a redemption transaction fee and additional charges specified above, to offset the Fund’s brokerage and other transaction costs associated with the disposition of Fund Securities). Redemptions of shares for Fund Securities will be subject to compliance with applicable U.S. federal and state securities laws and the Fund (whether or not it otherwise permits cash redemptions) reserves the right to redeem Creation Units for cash to the extent that the Fund cannot lawfully deliver specific Fund Securities upon redemptions or cannot do so without first registering the Fund Securities under such laws.

In the event that cash redemptions are permitted or required by the Trust, proceeds will be paid to the Authorized Participant redeeming shares as soon as practicable after the date of redemption (within seven calendar days thereafter).

To the extent contemplated by an Authorized Participant Agreement, in the event an Authorized Participant has submitted a redemption request in proper form but is unable to transfer all or part of the Creation Unit to be redeemed to a Fund, at or prior to 10 a.m., Eastern time on the prescribed settlement date, the transfer agent will accept the redemption request in reliance on the undertaking by the Authorized Participant to deliver the missing shares as soon as possible. Such undertaking shall be secured by the Authorized Participant’s delivery and maintenance of collateral consisting of cash, in U.S. dollars in immediately available Funds, having a value at least equal to 105% and up to 115%, which percentage the Trust may change at any time, in its sole discretion, of the value of the missing shares. Such cash collateral must be delivered no later than 10 a.m., Eastern time on the prescribed settlement date and shall be held by each Fund’s custodian and marked-to-market daily. The fees of each Fund’s custodian and any sub-custodians in respect of the delivery, maintenance and redelivery of the cash collateral shall be payable by the Authorized Participant. The Authorized Participant Agreement will permit a Fund to purchase missing Fund shares or acquire the Deposit Securities and the Cash Amount underlying such shares, and will subject the Authorized Participant to liability for any shortfall between the cost of the Fund acquiring such shares, the Deposit Securities or Cash Amount and the value of the cash collateral including, without limitation, liability for related brokerage and other charges.

Because the portfolio securities of a Fund may trade on exchange(s) on days that the Listing Exchange is closed or are otherwise not Business Days for each Fund, shareholders may not be able to redeem their shares of a Fund, or purchase or sell shares of a Fund on the Listing Exchange on days when the NAV of the Fund could be significantly affected by events in the relevant non-U.S. markets.

The right of redemption may be suspended or the date of payment postponed with respect to a Fund: (i) for any period during which the Listing Exchange is closed (other than customary weekend and holiday closings); (ii) for any period during which trading on the Listing Exchange is restricted; (iii) for any period during which an emergency exists as a result of which disposal of the shares of each Fund’s portfolio securities or determination of its net asset value is not reasonably practicable; or (iv) in such other circumstances as is permitted by the SEC.

 

25


INVESTMENT ADVISORY AND OTHER SERVICES

Investment Adviser

The Investment Adviser, a New York limited liability company and registered investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended, serves as an investment adviser to registered investment companies with combined aggregate net assets of approximately $17.8 billion as of September 30, 2022. The Investment Adviser is a wholly owned subsidiary of GAMCO Investors, Inc. (“GAMI”), a New York corporation, whose Class A Common Stock is traded on the OTCQX under the symbol, “GAMI.” Mr. Mario J. Gabelli may be deemed a “controlling person” of the Investment Adviser on the basis of his controlling interest in GAMI. Mr. Gabelli owns a majority of the stock of GGCP, Inc. (“GGCP”), which holds a majority of the capital stock and voting power of GAMI. The Investment Adviser has several affiliates that provide investment advisory services: GAMCO Asset Management, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of GAMI, acts as investment adviser for individuals, pension trusts, profit sharing trusts, and endowments, and as a sub-adviser to certain third party investment funds, which include registered investment companies, having assets under management of approximately $27.6 billion as of September 30, 2022; Teton Advisors, LLC (previously Teton Advisors, Inc., with assets under management of approximately $2.0 billion as of September 30, 2022) and its affiliated investment Adviser, Keeley-Teton Advisers, LLC, act as investment advisers to The TETON Westwood Funds, the KEELEY Funds, and separately managed accounts; Gabelli & Company Investment Advisers, Inc. (formerly, Gabelli Securities, Inc.), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Associated Capital Group, Inc. (“Associated Capital”), acts as investment adviser for certain alternative investment products, consisting primarily of risk arbitrage and merchant banking limited partnerships and offshore companies, with assets under management of approximately $2.1 billion as of September 30, 2022. Teton Advisors, Inc. was spun off by GAMI in March 2009 and is an affiliate of GAMI by virtue of Mr. Gabelli’s ownership of GGCP, the principal stockholder of Teton Advisors, Inc., the parent of Teton Advisors, LLC, as of September 30, 2022. Effective December 31, 2021, Teton Advisors, Inc. completed a reorganization by transferring its entire business, operations and personnel to a new wholly-owned subsidiary, Teton Advisors, LLC. Associated Capital was spun off from GAMI on November 30, 2015, and is an affiliate of GAMI by virtue of Mr. Gabelli’s ownership of GGCP, the principal stockholder of Associated Capital.

The Adviser has sole investment discretion for the Fund’s assets under the supervision of the Fund’s Board and in accordance with the Fund’s stated policies. The Adviser will select investments for the Fund and will place purchase and sale orders on behalf of the Fund.

Affiliates of the Adviser may, in the ordinary course of their business, acquire for their own account or for the accounts of their advisory clients, significant (and possibly controlling) positions in the securities of companies that may also be suitable for investment by a Fund. The securities in which a Fund might invest may thereby be limited to some extent. For instance, many companies in the past several years have adopted so-called “poison pill” or other defensive measures designed to discourage or prevent the completion of non-negotiated offers for control of the company. Such defensive measures may have the effect of limiting the shares of the company which might otherwise be acquired by a Fund if the affiliates of the Adviser or their advisory accounts have or acquire a significant position in the same securities. However, the Adviser does not believe that the investment activities of its affiliates will have a material adverse effect upon a Fund in seeking to achieve their investment objectives.

Securities purchased or sold pursuant to contemporaneous orders entered on behalf of the investment company accounts of the Adviser or the advisory accounts managed by its affiliates for their unaffiliated clients are allocated pursuant to principles believed to be fair and not disadvantageous to any such accounts. In addition, all such orders are accorded priority of execution over orders entered on behalf of accounts in which the Adviser or its affiliates have a substantial pecuniary interest. The Adviser may on occasion give advice or take action with respect to other clients that differs from the actions taken with respect to the Funds. A Fund may invest in the securities of companies which are investment management clients of GAMCO. In addition, portfolio companies or their officers or directors may be minority shareholders of the Adviser or its affiliates.

The Adviser currently serves as investment adviser to the Funds pursuant to investment advisory contracts (the “Contracts”). Pursuant to the Contracts, the Adviser furnishes a continuous investment program for the Funds’ portfolio, makes the day to day investment decisions for the Funds, arranges the portfolio transactions for the Funds, and manages the Funds’ investments in accordance with the stated policies of each Fund, subject to the general supervision of the Board. Under the Contract, the Adviser also (i) provides the Fund with the services of persons competent to perform such supervisory, administrative, and clerical functions as are necessary to provide effective administration of the Fund, including maintaining certain books and records and overseeing the activities of the Fund’s Custodian (as defined below) and Transfer Agent (as defined below); (ii) oversees the performance of administrative and professional services to the Fund by others, including The Bank of New York Mellon, the Fund’s Sub-Administrator (the “Sub-Administrator” or “BNYM”), BNYM, the Fund’s Custodian, the Bank of New York Mellon Corporation (“BNYM” or the “Transfer Agent”) Transfer Agent, and Dividend Disbursing Agent, as well as accounting, auditing, and other services performed for the Fund; (iii) provides the Fund with adequate office space and facilities; (iv) supervises the preparation of, but does not pay for, the periodic updating of the Fund’s registration statement, prospectus, and SAI, including the printing of such documents for the purpose of filings with the SEC and state securities administrators, the Fund’s tax returns, and reports to the Fund’s shareholders and the SEC; (v) supervises, but does not pay for, the calculation of the NAV of shares of the Fund; (vi) oversee the process governing the calculation and dissemination of the VIIV (“the VIIV Procedures”), subject to Board oversight, and, no less than annually, review the VIIV Procedures; (vii) supervises the preparation of, but does not pay for, all filings under the securities or “Blue Sky” laws of such states

 

26


or countries as are designated by the Distributor, which may be required to register or qualify, or continue the registration or qualification, of the Fund and/or its shares under such laws; and (viii) prepares notices and agendas for meetings of the Fund’s Board and minutes of such meetings in all matters required by applicable law to be acted upon by the Board.

Because the Funds trade on the basis of the VIIV, it may trade at a wider bid/ask spread than traditional ETFs that publish their portfolios on a daily basis. Accordingly, the Adviser will monitor on an on-going basis how shares of a Fund trade, including the level of any market price premium or discount to NAV and the bid/ask spreads on market transactions. Should there be extended periods during which shares trade at a significant premium or discount to NAV or of unusually wide bid/ask spreads, the Board will consider the continuing viability of a Fund, whether shareholders are being harmed, and what, if any, action would be appropriate to among other things, narrow the premium/discount or spread, as applicable. The Board will then decide whether to take any such action. Potential actions may include, but are not limited to, changing lead market makers, listing the Fund on a different exchange, changing the size of Creations Units, changing the Fund’s investment objective or strategy, and liquidating a Fund.

The Contracts provide that absent willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of its duty, the Adviser and its employees, officers, directors, and controlling persons are not liable to a Fund or any of their investors for any act or omission by the Adviser or for any error of judgment or for losses sustained by the Fund. However, the Contracts provide that a Fund is not waiving any rights it may have with respect to any violation of law which cannot be waived. The Contracts also provide indemnification for the Adviser and each of these persons for any conduct for which they are not liable to a Fund. The Contracts in no way restrict the Adviser from acting as adviser to others. A Fund has agreed by the terms of its Contract that the word “Gabelli” in its name is derived from the name of the Adviser which in turn is derived from the name of Mario J. Gabelli; that such name is the property of the Adviser for copyright and/or other purposes; and that, therefore, such name may be freely used by the Adviser for other investment companies, entities, or products. Each Fund has further agreed that in the event that for any reason, the Adviser ceases to be its investment adviser, the Fund will, unless the Adviser otherwise consents in writing, promptly take all steps necessary to change its name to one which does not include “Gabelli.”

By their terms, the Contracts will remain in effect from year to year, provided each such annual continuance is specifically approved by the Trust’s Board or by a “majority” (as defined pursuant to the 1940 Act) vote of its shareholders and, in either case, by a majority vote of the Independent Trustees cast in person at a meeting called specifically for the purpose of voting on the continuance of the Contracts. The Contracts are terminable without penalty by a Fund on sixty days’ written notice when authorized either by a majority vote of its outstanding voting shares or by a vote of a majority of its Board, or by the Adviser on sixty days’ written notice, and will automatically terminate in the event of its “assignment” as defined by the 1940 Act.

As compensation for the Adviser’s services and related expenses borne by the Adviser, the Fund pays the Adviser a fee computed daily and payable monthly at the annual rate of 0.90% of a Fund’s net assets. The investment advisory agreement between Gabelli ETFs Trust (the “Trust”) and Adviser provides that the Adviser will pay all operating expenses of the Funds, except the management fees, interest expenses, taxes, expenses incurred with respect to the acquisition and disposition of portfolio securities and the execution of portion transactions, including brokerage commissions, distribution fees or expenses, litigation expenses, and extraordinary expenses.

The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive each Fund’s management fees of 0.90% on the first $25 million in net assets for one year from the commencement of each Fund’s operations. The fee waiver and expense reimbursement agreement for each Fund will continue until at least March 12, 2024. The management fee waiver shall not apply to any brokerage costs, acquired Fund fees and expenses, interest, taxes and extraordinary expenses that either Fund may incur. This agreement may be terminated only by, or with the consent of, the Funds’ Board of Trustees.

Portfolio Manager Information

Other Accounts Managed

The table below identifies the portfolio managers, the number of accounts (other than the Fund) for which each portfolio manager has day-to-day management responsibilities and the total assets in such accounts, within each of the following categories: registered investment companies, other pooled investment vehicles, and other accounts. For each category, the number of accounts and total assets in the accounts where fees are based on performance are also indicated, as applicable. Unless noted otherwise, all information is provided as of December 31, 2021.

 

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EXCLUDES EQUITY INCOME FUND

 

Name of Portfolio
Manager

  

Type of
Accounts

   Total No. of
Accounts
Managed
  

Total Assets

   No. of
Accounts
where
Advisory
Fee
is Based on
Performance
  

Total Assets
in
Accounts
where
Advisory Fee is
Based on
Performance

Mario J. Gabelli, CFA

   Registered Investment Companies:    22    $19.8 billion    5    $6.4 billion
   Other Pooled Investment Vehicles:    9    $1.0 billion    7    $934.9 million
   Other Accounts:    897    $7.9 billion    0    $0

 

Name of Portfolio
Manager

  

Type of
Accounts

   Total No. of
Accounts
Managed
  

Total Assets

   No. of
Accounts
where
Advisory
Fee
is Based on
Performance
   Total Assets
in
Accounts
where
Advisory Fee is
Based on
Performance

Robert Leininger

   Registered Investment Companies:    3    $5.5 billion    2    $5.5 billion
   Other Pooled Investment Vehicles:    0    $0    0    $0
   Other Accounts:    127    $256.2 million    0    $0

EXCLUDES AEROSPACE AND DEFENSE FUND

 

Name of Portfolio
Manager

  

Type of
Accounts

   Total No. of
Accounts
Managed
  

Total Assets

   No. of
Accounts
where
Advisory
Fee
is Based on
Performance
  

Total Assets
in
Accounts
where
Advisory Fee is
Based on
Performance

G. Anthony Bancroft

   Registered Investment Companies*:    1    $3.1 billion    1    $3.1 billion
   Other Pooled Investment Vehicles:    0    $0    0    $0
   Other Accounts:    6    $1.0 million    0    $0

 

*

As of December 31, 2022, the total number of Registered Investment Companies (“RICs”) in the Fund Complex is 49. Mr. Gabelli is the sole portfolio manager of 5 RICs and part of the portfolio management team of 15 RICs.

Potential Conflicts of Interest

Actual or apparent conflicts of interest may arise when a portfolio manager also has day-to-day management responsibilities with respect to one or more other accounts. These potential conflicts include:

Allocation of Limited Time and Attention. Because the portfolio manager manages more than one account, they may not be able to formulate as complete a strategy or identify equally attractive investment opportunities for each of those accounts as if they were to devote substantially more attention to the management of only the Funds.

Allocation of Limited Investment Opportunities. If the portfolio manager identifies an investment opportunity that may be suitable for multiple accounts, a Fund or Funds may not be able to take full advantage of that opportunity because the opportunity may need to be allocated among these accounts or other accounts managed primarily by other portfolio managers of the Adviser and its affiliates.

Pursuit of Differing Strategies. At times, a portfolio manager may determine that an investment opportunity may be appropriate for only some of the accounts for which they exercise investment responsibility, or may decide that certain of these accounts should take differing positions with respect to a particular security. In these cases, a portfolio manager may execute differing or opposite transactions for one or more accounts which may affect the market price of the security or the execution of the transactions, or both, to the detriment of one or more other accounts.

Selection of Broker-Dealers. A portfolio manager may be able to select or influence the selection of the brokers and dealers that are used to execute securities transactions for the Funds or accounts that he or she supervises. In addition to providing execution of trades, some brokers and dealers provide the Adviser with brokerage and research services. These services may be more beneficial to certain Funds or accounts of the Adviser and its affiliates than to others. Although the payment of brokerage commissions is subject to the requirement that the Adviser determines in good faith that the commissions are reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and research services provided to a Fund, a portfolio manager’s decision as to the selection of brokers and dealers could yield disproportionate costs and benefits among the Funds or other accounts that the Adviser and its affiliates manage. In addition, with respect to certain types of accounts (such as pooled investment vehicles and other accounts managed for organizations and individuals), the Adviser may be limited by the client concerning the selection of brokers or may be instructed to direct trades to

 

28


particular brokers. In these cases, the Adviser or its affiliates may place separate, non-simultaneous transactions in the same security for a Fund and another account that may temporarily affect the market price of the security or the execution of the transaction, or both, to the detriment of the Fund or the other account. Because of Mr. Gabelli’s position with the Funds’ Distributor and his indirect majority ownership interest in the Distributor, he may have an incentive to use the Distributor to execute portfolio transactions for a Fund even if using the Distributor is not in the best interest of the Fund.

Variation in Compensation. A conflict of interest may arise where the financial or other benefits available to a portfolio manager differ among the accounts that they manage. If the structure of the Adviser’s management fee or a portfolio manager’s compensation differs among accounts (such as where certain accounts pay higher management fees or performance-based management fees), the portfolio manager may be motivated to favor certain accounts over others. The portfolio manager also may be motivated to favor accounts in which they have investment interests, or in which the Adviser or its affiliates have investment interests. In Mr. Gabelli’s case, the Adviser’s compensation (and expenses) for a Fund are marginally greater as a percentage of assets than for certain other accounts and are less than for certain other accounts managed by Mr. Gabelli, while his personal compensation structure varies with near-term performance to a greater degree in certain performance fee based accounts than with non-performance fee based accounts. In addition, he has investment interests in several of the Funds managed by the Adviser and its affiliates. Similarly, the desire to maintain assets under management or to enhance a portfolio manager’s performance record or to derive other rewards, financial or otherwise, could influence the portfolio manager in affording preferential treatment to those accounts that could most significantly benefit that portfolio manager.

The Adviser and the Funds have adopted compliance policies and procedures that are reasonably designed to address the various conflicts of interest that may arise for the Adviser and its staff members. However, there is no guarantee that such policies and procedures will be able to detect and address every situation in which an actual or potential conflict may arise.

Compensation Structure for Portfolio Managers

The compensation of the portfolio managers for the Funds is structured to enable the Adviser to attract and retain highly qualified professionals in a competitive environment. The portfolio managers receive a compensation package that includes a minimum draw or base salary, equity based incentive compensation via awards that may include restricted stock, and incentive based variable compensation based on a percentage of net revenue received by the Adviser for managing each Fund to the extent that the amount exceeds a minimum level of compensation. Net revenues are determined by deducting from gross investment management fees certain of the firm’s expenses (other than the respective portfolio manager’s compensation) allocable to a Fund (the incentive based variable compensation for managing other accounts is also based on a percentage of net revenues to the investment adviser for managing the account). The portfolio managers receive similar incentive based variable compensation for managing other accounts for GAMCO Asset Management, Inc. based on gross revenue. The compensation for managing accounts that have a performance based fee will have two components. One component is based on a percentage of net revenues received by the Adviser for managing the account. The second component is based on absolute performance of the account, with respect to which a percentage of the net performance fee is paid to a portfolio manager. These methods of compensation are based on the premise that superior long term performance in managing a portfolio should be rewarded with higher compensation as a result of growth of assets through appreciation and net investment activity. The level of equity based incentive and incentive based variable compensation is based on an evaluation by the Adviser’s parent, GAMI, of quantitative and qualitative performance evaluation criteria.

Ownership of Shares in the Fund

As of the date of this SAI, no portfolio manager or Trustee owns shares of the Equity Income Fund, which has not yet commenced operations. As of the date of this SAI, Lieutenant G. Anthony Bancroft (a portfolio manager) owns 600 shares of the Aerospace and Defense Fund and John C. Ball (President of the Trust) owns 100 shares of the Aerospace and Defense Fund.

The Sub-Administrator

The Adviser has entered into an agreement (the “Sub-Administration Agreement”) with BNYM, which is located at 301 Bellevue Parkway, Wilmington, Delaware 19809. Under the Sub-Administration Agreement, the Sub-Administrator (a) assists in supervising all aspects of the Trust’s operations except those performed by the Adviser under its advisory agreement with the Fund; (b) supplies the Fund with office facilities (which may be in the Sub-Administrator’s own offices), statistical and research data, data processing services, clerical, accounting, and bookkeeping services, including, but not limited to, the calculation of the NAV per share of the Fund, internal auditing and regulatory administration services, internal executive and administrative services, and stationery and office supplies; (c) prepares and distributes materials for all Board Meetings including the mailing of all Board materials and collates the same materials into the Board books and assists in the drafting of minutes of the Board meetings; (d) prepares reports to Trust shareholders, tax returns, and reports to and filings with the SEC and state “Blue Sky” authorities; (e) provides any equipment or services necessary for the purpose of pricing shares or valuing a Fund’s investment portfolio; (f) provides compliance testing of all Fund activities against applicable requirements of the 1940 Act and the rules thereunder, the Code, and each Fund’s investment restrictions; (g) furnishes to the Adviser such statistical and other factual information and information regarding economic factors and trends as the Adviser from time to time may require; and (h) generally provides all administrative services that may be required for the ongoing operation of the Trust in a manner consistent with the requirements of the 1940 Act.

 

29


For the services it provides, the Adviser pays the Sub-Administrator an annual fee based on the value of the aggregate average daily net assets of all Funds under its administration managed by the Adviser and its affiliates as follows: 0.0275% - first $10 billion, 0.0125% - exceeding $10 billion but less than $15 billion, 0.01% - over $15 billion but less than $20 billion and 0.008% - over $20 billion. The Sub-Administrator’s fee is paid by the Adviser and will result in no additional expenses to the Fund.

Counsel

Paul Hastings LLP, 200 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10166, serves as the Trust’s legal counsel.

Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (“PwC”), 300 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10017, serves as the Trust’s independent registered public accounting firm. PwC provides audit services and tax return preparation services in connection with the Funds.

Custodian, Transfer Agent, and Dividend Disbursing Agent

The Bank of New York Mellon (“BNYM”), located at 240 Greenwich Street, New York, New York 10286, is the Custodian for the Fund’s cash and securities. BNYM is also the Transfer Agent and performs the shareholder services and acts as the Fund’s transfer agent and dividend disbursing agent. BNYM does not assist in or is responsible for investment decisions involving assets of the Fund.

Distributor

G.distributors, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and a wholly owned subsidiary of GAMI, having its principal offices located at One Corporate Center, Rye, New York 10580-1422, is the Funds’ distributor. G.distributors, LLC, serves as the distributor of shares that have been aggregated into blocks of 5,000 shares or multiples thereof (“Creation Units”) for each of the Funds on an agency basis. The Distributor does not maintain a secondary market in Shares. The Distributor has no role in determining the policies of the Funds or the securities that are purchased or sold by the each of the Funds.

The board has adopted a plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 for the funds. However, no Rule 12b-1 plan fee is currently charged to the funds, and there are no plans in place to impose a Rule 12b-1 plan fee. The plan, if implemented, is designed to benefit each fund and its shareholders. The plan is expected to, among other things, increase advertising of the funds, encourage purchases of fund shares and service to its shareholders, and increase or maintain assets of the funds so that certain fixed expenses may be spread over a broader asset base, with a positive impact on per share expense ratios. In addition, a positive cash flow into the fund is useful in managing the fund because the advisor has more flexibility in taking advantage of new investment opportunities and handling shareholder redemptions.

Under the plan, the funds pay the distributor or others for the expenses of activities that are primarily intended to sell shares of the funds. These expenses also may include service fees paid to securities dealers or others who have executed a servicing agreement with a fund, the distributor or its affiliates and who provide service or account maintenance to shareholders (service fees); and the expenses of printing prospectuses and reports used for sales purposes, of marketing support and of preparing and distributing sales literature and advertisements. Together, these expenses, including the service fees, are “eligible expenses.” Such payments would be fixed and not based on expenses incurred by the distributor.

In addition to the payments that the distributor or others are entitled to under the plan, the plan also provides that to the extent a fund, the advisor or the distributor or other parties on behalf of the fund, the advisor or the distributor make payments that are deemed to be for the financing of any activity primarily intended to result in the sale of fund shares within the context of Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, then such payments shall be deemed to have been made pursuant to the plan.

To the extent fees are for distribution or marketing functions, as distinguished from administrative servicing or agency transactions, certain banks may not participate in the plan because of applicable federal law prohibiting certain banks from engaging in the distribution of fund shares. These banks, however, are allowed to receive fees under the plans for administrative servicing or for agency transactions.

The distributor must provide written reports to the board at least quarterly on the amounts and purpose of any payment made under the plans and any related agreements, and furnish the board with such other information as the board may reasonably request to enable it to make an informed determination of whether the plan should be continued.

The plan has been approved according to the provisions of Rule 12b-1. The terms and provisions of the plan also are consistent with Rule 12b-1.

 

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PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS AND BROKERAGE

The Adviser and its affiliates currently serve as investment adviser to a number of investment companies and private account clients and may in the future act as adviser to others. It is the policy of the Adviser and its affiliates to allocate investments suitable and appropriate for each such client in a manner believed by the Adviser to be equitable to each client. In making such allocations among a Fund and other client accounts, the main factors considered are the respective investment objectives, the relative size of portfolio holdings of the same or comparable securities, the availability of cash for investment, the size of investment commitments generally held and the opinions of the persons responsible for managing the portfolios of the Fund and other client accounts.

Under each Contract the Adviser is authorized on behalf of a Fund to employ brokers to effect the purchase or sale of portfolio securities with the objective of obtaining prompt, efficient, and reliable execution and clearance of such transactions at the most favorable price obtainable (“best execution”) at a reasonable expense. The Adviser is permitted to (1) direct Fund portfolio brokerage to G.research, an affiliate of the Adviser and a broker-dealer member of FINRA; and (2) pay commissions to brokers other than G.research which are higher than what might be charged by another qualified broker to obtain brokerage and/or research services considered by the Adviser to be useful or desirable for its investment management of a Fund and/or other advisory accounts under the management of the Adviser and any investment adviser affiliated with it. The Adviser does not consider the sales of shares of a Fund or other investment funds managed by the Adviser and its affiliates by brokers, including G.research, as a factor in its selection of brokers or dealers for a Fund’s portfolio transactions and has adopted compliance policies and procedures for itself and its affiliates to prevent any such transactions on that basis.

Transactions on U.S. stock exchanges involve the payment of negotiated brokerage commissions, which may vary among brokers. Transactions in securities other than those for which a securities exchange is the principal market are generally executed through a principal market maker. However, such transactions may be effected through a brokerage firm and a commission is paid whenever it appears that the broker can obtain a price that is at least as favorable taking into account its commissions. In general, there may be no stated commission on principal transactions in OTC securities, but the prices of such securities usually include undisclosed commissions or markups. Option transactions will usually be effected through a broker and a commission will be charged. A Fund also expects that securities will be purchased at times in underwritten offerings where the price includes a fixed amount of compensation generally referred to as a concession or discount.

The Adviser currently serves as investment adviser to a number of investment company clients and private accounts and may in the future act as adviser to others. Affiliates of the Adviser act as investment adviser to numerous private accounts and adviser to other investment companies. It is the policy of the Adviser and its affiliates to cause purchase and sale transactions to be allocated among a Fund and others whose assets they manage in such manner as it deems equitable. In making such allocations among a Fund and other client accounts, the main factors considered are the respective investment objectives, the relative size of portfolio holdings of the same or comparable securities, the availability of cash for investment, the size of investment commitments generally held, and the opinions of the persons responsible for managing the portfolios of the Fund and other client accounts.

The policy of a Fund regarding purchases and sales of securities and options for its portfolio is that primary consideration will be given to obtaining the most favorable prices and efficient execution of transactions. In seeking to implement a Fund’s policies, the Adviser effects transactions with those brokers and dealers who the Adviser believes can obtain the most favorable prices and are capable of providing efficient executions. If the Adviser believes such price and execution are obtainable from more than one broker or dealer, it may give consideration to placing portfolio transactions with those brokers or dealers who also furnish research and other services to a Fund or the Adviser of the type described in Section 28(e) of the 1934 Act. In doing so, a Fund may also pay higher commission rates than the lowest available when the Adviser believes it is reasonable to do so in light of the value of the brokerage and research services provided by the broker effecting the transaction. Such services may include, but are not limited to, any one or more of the following: (i) information as to the availability of securities for purchase or sale; (ii) statistical or factual information or opinions pertaining to investments; (iii) wire services; and (iv) appraisals or evaluations of potential and existing investments.

Research services furnished by brokers or dealers through which a Fund effects security transactions are used by the Adviser and its advisory affiliates in carrying out their responsibilities with respect to all of their accounts over which they exercise investment discretion. Such investment information may be useful only to one or more of such other accounts. The purpose of this sharing of research information is to avoid duplicative charges for research provided by brokers and dealers. Neither a Fund nor the Adviser has any agreement or legally binding understanding with any broker or dealer regarding any specific amount of brokerage commissions which will be paid in recognition of such services.

Investment research obtained by allocations of a Fund’s brokerage is used to augment the scope and supplement the internal research and investment strategy capabilities of the Adviser but does not reduce the overall expenses of the Adviser to any material extent. Such investment research may be in written form or through direct contact with individuals and includes information on particular companies and industries as well as market, economic, or institutional activity areas. Research services furnished by brokers through which a Fund effects securities transactions are used by the Adviser and its advisory affiliates in carrying out their responsibilities with respect to all of their accounts over which they exercise investment discretion. Such investment information may be useful only to one or more of the other accounts of the Adviser and its advisory affiliates, and research information received for the commissions of those particular accounts may be useful both to a Fund and one or more of such other accounts.

 

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The Adviser may also place orders for the purchase or sale of portfolio securities with G.research when it appears that, as an introducing broker or otherwise, G.research can obtain a price, execution, and commission which is at least as favorable as that obtainable by other qualified brokers and at a commission rate at least as favorable as it provides to its best customers for similar transactions. As required by Rule 17e-1 under the 1940 Act, the Board has adopted procedures which provide that the commissions paid to G.research on brokerage transactions must not exceed those which would have been charged by another qualified broker or member firm able to effect the same or a comparable transaction at an equally favorable price or it is what G.research charges its most favored customers on similar transactions. Rule 17e-1 under the 1940 Act and the Trust’s procedures contain requirements that the Board, including the Independent Trustees, review such commissions and transactions quarterly and procedures at least annually to determine their continuing appropriateness. The Adviser and G.research are also required to furnish reports and maintain records in connection with such reviews.

To obtain the best execution of portfolio trades on the NYSE, G.research controls and monitors the execution of such transactions on the floor of the NYSE through independent “floor brokers” or the Designated Order Turnaround System of the NYSE. Such transactions are then cleared, confirmed to a Fund for the account of G.research, and settled directly with the Custodian of a Fund by a clearing house member firm which remits the commission less its clearing charges to the G.research. G.research may also effect a Fund’s portfolio transactions in the same manner and pursuant to the same arrangements on other national securities exchanges which adopt direct access rules similar to those of the NYSE. In addition, G.research may directly execute transactions for the Funds on the floor of any exchange, provided: (i) the Trust’s Board has expressly authorized G.research to effect such transactions; and (ii) G.research annually advises the Fund of the aggregate compensation it earned on such transactions.

The Funds did not commence operations as of the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, and therefore did not pay any brokerage commissions during that period.

BUYING AND SELLING OF SHARES

Information about buying and selling Fund shares is contained in the Funds’ prospectus. The prospectus is available to investors without charge and may be obtained by calling 800-GABELLI (800-422-3554) or through the Internet at www.gabelli.com.

DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE

The NAV is calculated separately for the shares of the Fund on the Business Day. The NYSE is open Monday through Friday, but currently is scheduled to be closed on New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day and on the preceding Friday or subsequent Monday when a holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, respectively.

The Fund’s NAV is determined as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE, normally 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time. The NAV of the Fund is computed by dividing the value of the Fund’s net assets, i.e. the value of its securities and other assets less its liabilities, including expenses payable or accrued by the total number of shares outstanding at the time the determination is made. As discussed in the “Purchase and Sale of Shares” section, although the Fund’s NAV is only computed once each regular trading day, the Fund’s VIIV will be broadcast each second throughout the course of a regular trading day.

Equity securities listed or traded on a national securities exchange or traded in the U.S. over-the-counter market where trades are reported contemporaneously and for which market quotations are readily available are valued at the last quoted sale or a market’s official closing price at the close of the exchange’s or other market’s regular trading hours, as of or prior to the time and day as of which such value is being determined.

Portfolio securities traded on more than one national securities exchange or market are valued according to the broadest and most representative market as determined by the Adviser. If there has been no sale on the day the valuation is made, the securities are valued at the mean of the closing bid and ask prices on the principal market for such security on such day. If no ask prices are quoted on such day, then the security is valued at the closing bid price on the principal market for such security on such day. If no bid or ask prices are quoted on such day, the Fund’s accounting agent will notify the Adviser and the security will be valued based on written or standing instructions from the Adviser and/or the Pricing Committee.

Initial public offering securities are initially valued at cost. Upon commencement of trading, these securities are valued like any other equity security.

Information regarding the Fund’s NAV and how often shares of the Fund traded on the Listing Exchange at a price above (i.e., at a premium) or below (i.e., at a discount) the NAV of the Fund will be posted to the Fund’s website when it becomes available.

 

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NYSE Closings

The holidays (as observed) on which the NYSE is closed, and therefore days upon which shareholders cannot redeem shares, currently are: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day and on the preceding Friday or subsequent Monday when a holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, respectively.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONCERNING TAXES

General

Set forth below is a discussion of certain U.S. federal income tax issues concerning the Funds and the purchase, ownership, and disposition of a Fund’s shares by U.S. persons who hold their shares as capital assets (generally, assets held for investment). This discussion is based upon present provisions of the Code, the regulations promulgated thereunder, and judicial and administrative ruling authorities, all of which are subject to change, which change may be retroactive. This discussion does not purport to be complete or to address all aspects of U.S. federal income taxation that may be relevant to investors in light of their particular circumstances. No ruling has been or is expected to be sought from the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) or opinion of tax counsel regarding any matter discussed herein. No assurance can be given that the IRS would not assert, or that a court would not sustain, a position different from any of the tax aspects set forth below. Prospective investors should consult their own tax advisers with regard to the U.S. federal tax consequences of the purchase, ownership, or disposition of shares of a Fund, as well as the tax consequences arising under the laws of any state, foreign country, or other taxing jurisdiction.

Each Fund has elected to qualify and intends to continue to qualify on an annual basis as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Code. Accordingly, a Fund must, among other things, (a) derive in each taxable year at least 90% of its gross income from 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, futures, or forward contracts) derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock, securities, or currencies, and net income from interests in “qualified publicly traded partnerships,” i.e., partnerships that are traded on an established securities market or that are readily tradable on a secondary market (or the substantial equivalent thereof), other than partnerships that derive 90% or more of their gross income from interest, dividends, capital gains, and other traditional permitted mutual fund income and (b) diversify its holdings so that, at the end of each quarter of the taxable year (i) at least 50% of the value of the Fund’s total assets is represented by cash and cash items, U.S. government securities, the securities of other regulated investment companies and other securities, with such other securities limited, in respect of any one issuer, to an amount not greater than 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets and 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 the securities of (I) any one issuer (other than U.S. government securities and the securities of other regulated investment companies), (II) any two or more issuers (other than securities of other regulated investment companies) that it controls (by owning at least 20% of such issuer’s outstanding voting securities) and that are determined to be engaged in the same or similar trades or businesses or related trades or businesses or (III) any one or more “qualified publicly traded partnerships.”

A Fund may be able to cure a failure to derive 90% of its income from the sources specified above or a failure to diversify its holdings in the manner described above by paying a tax, by disposing of certain assets, or by paying a tax and disposing of assets. If, in any taxable year, a Fund fails one of these tests and does not timely cure the failure, such Fund will be taxed in the same manner as an ordinary corporation and distributions to its shareholders will not be deductible by such Fund in computing its taxable income.

Although in general the passive activity loss rules of the Code do not apply to regulated investment companies, such rules do apply to a regulated investment company with respect to items attributable to an interest in a qualified publicly traded partnership. Fund investments in partnerships, including in qualified publicly traded partnerships, may result in the Fund being subject to state, local or foreign income, franchise, or withholding tax liabilities.

As a regulated investment company, a Fund generally is not subject to U.S. federal income tax on income and gains that it distributes to shareholders, if at least 90% of such Fund’s investment company taxable income (which includes, among other items, dividends, interest, and the excess of any net short term capital gains over net long term capital losses) and 90% of the Fund’s net tax-exempt income for the taxable year is distributed (or deemed distributed) in that taxable year. Any income or gains retained by a Fund will be subject to regular corporate-level income taxes. In addition, if the Fund were to fail to meet its annual distribution requirement or otherwise fail to qualify as a regulated investment company in any given year, that Fund would be subject to U.S. Federal income tax at regular corporate rates on all of its taxable income and gains in that year. There is no assurance that a Fund will make sufficient distributions to eliminate all taxes at the Fund level in all periods.

A Fund will determine either to distribute or to retain for reinvestment all or part of any net long term capital gains. If any such gains are retained by any Fund, that Fund will be subject to tax on such retained amount. In that event, a Fund expects that it will designate the retained amount as undistributed capital gains in a notice to its shareholders, each of whom (1) will be required to include in

 

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income for tax purposes as long term capital gains, its share of the undistributed amount, (2) will be entitled to credit its proportionate share of the tax paid by that Fund against its federal income tax liability and to claim refunds to the extent the credit exceeds such liability, and (3) will increase its basis in its shares of that Fund by an amount equal to the amount of undistributed capital gains included in such shareholder’s gross income net of such tax.

Under the Code, amounts not distributed on a timely basis in accordance with a calendar year distribution requirement are subject to a nondeductible 4% excise tax at the Fund level. To avoid the tax, a Fund must distribute during each calendar year an amount equal to at least the sum of (1) 98% of its ordinary income (not taking into account any capital gains or losses) for the calendar year, (2) 98.2% of its capital gains in excess of its capital losses for the one year period generally ending on October 31 of the calendar year (unless an election is made by a Fund with a November or December year-end to use such Fund’s fiscal year) and (3) certain ordinary income and net capital gains for previous years that were not previously distributed. To avoid application of the excise tax, each Fund intends to make distributions in accordance with calendar year distribution requirements.

Gains or losses on the sale of securities by a Fund will be long term capital gains or losses if the securities have been held by such Fund for more than twelve months. Gains or losses on the sale of securities held for twelve months or less will be short term capital gains or losses.

Certain options, futures contracts, and options on futures contracts are “section 1256 contracts.” Any gains or losses on section 1256 contracts are generally considered 60% long term and 40% short term capital gains or losses (“60/40”). Also, section 1256 contracts held by the Fund at the end of each taxable year are “marked-to-market” with the result that unrealized gains or losses are treated as though they were realized and the resulting gain or loss is treated as 60/40 gain or loss.

Hedging transactions undertaken by a Fund may result in “straddles” for U.S. federal income tax purposes. The straddle rules may affect the character of gains (or losses) realized by a Fund. In addition, losses realized by a Fund on positions that are part of a straddle may be deferred under the straddle rules, rather than being taken into account in calculating the taxable income for the taxable year in which such losses are realized. Further, a Fund may be required to capitalize, rather than deduct currently, any interest expense on indebtedness incurred or continued to purchase or carry any positions that are part of a straddle. A Fund may make one or more of the elections available under the Code which are applicable to straddles. If a Fund makes any of the elections, the amount, character, and timing of the recognition of gains or losses from the affected straddle positions will be determined under rules that vary according to the election(s) made. The rules applicable under certain of the elections accelerate the recognition of gains or losses from the affected straddle positions.

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, and require the capitalization of interest expense, the amount which must be distributed to shareholders, and which will be taxed to shareholders as ordinary income or long term capital gain, as described below, may be increased or decreased substantially as compared to a Fund that did not engage in such hedging transactions.

Distributions

Dividends and other distributions by a Fund are generally treated under the Code as received by the shareholders at the time the dividend or distribution is made. However, a distribution will be treated as paid during the calendar year if it is paid during the calendar year or declared by a Fund in October, November, or December of that year, payable to shareholders of record on a date during any such month and paid by such Fund during January of the following year. Any such distributions paid during January of the following year will be deemed to be received on December 31 of the year the distributions are declared, rather than when the distributions are received.

Except as provided below, distributions of investment company taxable income are taxable to a U.S. shareholder as ordinary income. Properly designated distributions attributable to qualified dividends received by the Fund from certain U.S. and non-U.S. corporations are taxable to U.S. shareholders who are individuals at the reduced rate applicable to long term capital gains, provided that certain holding period and other requirements are met. Properly designated dividends paid by a Fund to a corporate shareholder, to the extent such dividends are attributable to dividends received by a Fund from U.S. corporations, may, subject to limitations, be eligible for the dividends received deduction.

Properly designated distributions of net capital gain (which consist of the excess of net long term capital gains over net short term capital losses) (“capital gain dividends”), if any, are taxable as long term capital gain, regardless of how long the shareholder has held its Fund shares, and are not eligible for the dividends received deduction. If the NAV of shares is reduced below a shareholder’s cost as a result of a distribution by the Fund, such distribution may be taxable even though it represents a partial return of invested capital in an economic sense. The price of shares purchased at any time may reflect the amount of a forthcoming distribution. Those purchasing shares just prior to a distribution will receive a distribution which will be taxable to them, even though the distribution represents in part a return of invested capital. Funds may make taxable distributions even during periods in which share price has declined.

 

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If a Fund’s distributions exceed such Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits, the excess will be treated as a tax free return of capital to the extent of the shareholder’s basis in its shares (reducing the basis of such shares accordingly). Amounts exceeding the shareholder’s basis will be treated as gain from the sale or exchange of the shares (capital gains, if the shareholder holds his shares as capital assets).

Disposition of Shares

Upon a redemption, sale or exchange of shares, a shareholder will realize a taxable gain or loss depending upon the basis in the shares. Such gain or loss will be capital gain or loss if the shares of capital assets in the shareholder’s hands, and for non-corporate shareholders, long term-capital gain or loss, if the shareholder’s holding period for the shares is more than twelve months. Any loss realized on a redemption, sale or exchange will be disallowed to the extent the shares disposed of are replaced (including through reinvestment of Fund dividends) within a sixty-one day period beginning thirty days before and ending thirty days after the date the shares are disposed of. In such case, the basis of the shares acquired will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss.

Any loss realized by a shareholder on the redemption, sale, or exchange of Fund 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 net capital gains (including amounts credited as an undistributed capital gain dividend) received by the shareholder with respect to such shares.

If a shareholder (i) incurs a sales load charge in acquiring shares in a Fund and, by reason of incurring such charge or acquiring the shares, acquires the right to acquire shares of one or more regulated investment companies without the payment of a load charge or with the payment of a reduced load charge (a “reinvestment right”), and (ii) disposes of Fund shares before the 91st day after the date on which the shares were acquired and subsequently acquires shares in a Fund or in another regulated investment company before January 31 of the calendar year following the year of such disposition whereby the otherwise applicable load charge is reduced by reason of the reinvestment right, then the original load charge will not be taken into account for the purposes of determining the shareholder’s gain or loss on the disposition (to the extent the original load charge does not exceed the reduction in the subsequent load charge) subject to certain exceptions. To the extent such charge is not taken into account in determining the amount of gain or loss, the charge will be treated as incurred in connection with the subsequently acquired shares and will have a corresponding effect on the shareholder’s basis in such shares.

Tax on Net Investment Income

Certain U.S. holders who are individuals, estates or trusts and whose income exceeds certain thresholds will be required to pay a 3.8% federal tax on all or a portion of their “net investment income,” which includes dividends received from a Fund and capital gains from the sale or other disposition of a Fund’s stock.

Backup Withholding

The Trust generally will be required to withhold U.S. federal income tax on all taxable distributions payable to shareholders who fail to provide their correct taxpayer identification number, at the current rate of 24%, or Social Security number or to make required certifications, or who have been notified by the IRS that they are subject to backup withholding. Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld may be credited against the shareholder’s U.S. federal income tax liability if proper documentation is properly and timely filed.

Other Taxes

Dividends, distributions and redemption proceeds may also be subject to additional state, local, and foreign taxes depending on each shareholder’s particular situation. Non-U.S. shareholders may be subject to U.S. tax rules that differ significantly from those summarized above, including the likelihood that ordinary income dividends distributed to them will be subject to withholding of U.S. tax at a rate of 30% (or a lower treaty rate, if applicable), or that distributions may be subject to withholding of U.S. tax at a rate of 30% in the case of certain non-U.S. entities that fail to satisfy applicable reporting and certification requirements regarding their owners and/or account holders. Under proposed Treasury regulations, which may be relied upon by taxpayers until final regulations are published, there is no FATCA withholdings on certain capital gains distributions and gross proceeds from a sale or disposition of Fund shares (See FATCA, below).

If a shareholder recognizes a loss with respect to a Fund’s shares of $2 million or more for an individual shareholder or $10 million or more for a corporate shareholder, the shareholder must file with the IRS a disclosure statement on Form 8886. Direct shareholders of portfolio securities are in many cases exempted from this reporting requirement, but under current guidance, shareholders of a regulated investment company are not exempted. The fact that a loss is reportable under these regulations does not affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayer’s treatment of the loss is proper. Shareholders should consult their tax advisers to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances.

 

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Foreign Withholding Taxes

Income received by a Fund from sources within foreign countries may be subject to withholding and other taxes imposed by such countries. Tax treaties between certain countries and the United States may reduce or eliminate such taxes. It is impossible to determine the rate of foreign tax in advance since the amount of a Fund’s assets to be invested in various countries is not known. Each Fund does not expect that it will be eligible to elect to pass through to their shareholders the ability to use the foreign tax deduction or foreign tax credit for foreign taxes paid by a Fund with respect to qualifying taxes.

The Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (“FATCA”)

A 30% withholding tax on a Fund’s distributions generally applies if paid to a foreign entity unless: (i) if the foreign entity is a “foreign financial institution,” it undertakes certain due diligence, reporting, withholding and certification obligations, (ii) if the foreign entity is not a “foreign financial institution,” it identifies certain of its U.S. investors or (iii) the foreign entity is otherwise excepted under FATCA. If required under the rules above, and subject to any applicable intergovernmental agreements, withholding under FATCA applies generally with respect to distributions from a Fund. Under proposed Treasury regulations, which may be relied upon by taxpayers until final Treasury regulations are published, there is no FATCA withholdings on certain capital gains distributions and gross proceeds from a sale or disposition of Fund shares. If withholding is required under FATCA on a payment related to your shares, investors that otherwise would not be subject to withholding (or that otherwise would be entitled to a reduced rate of withholding) on such payment generally will be required to seek a refund or credit from the IRS to obtain the benefits of such exemption or reduction. A Fund will not pay any additional amounts in respect to amounts withheld under FATCA. You should consult your tax adviser regarding the effect of FATCA based on your individual circumstances.

Special Federal Income Tax Rules

Certain of the Funds’ investment practices are subject to special and complex federal income tax provisions that may, among other things, (i) disallow, suspend, or otherwise limit the allowance of certain losses or deductions, (ii) convert lower taxed long term capital gain or qualified dividend income into higher taxed short term capital gain or ordinary income, (iii) convert an ordinary loss or a deduction into a capital loss (the deductibility of which is limited), (iv) cause a Fund to recognize income or gain without a corresponding receipt of cash, (v) adversely affect the time as to when a purchase or sale of stock or securities is deemed to occur and (vi) adversely alter the characterization of certain complex financial transactions. Each Fund will monitor its transactions and may, but is not required to, make certain tax elections in order to mitigate the effect of these provisions.

INVESTMENT PERFORMANCE INFORMATION

From time to time, a Fund may quote its performance in advertisements or in reports and other communications to shareholders, computed according to formulas prescribed by the SEC.

A Fund’s performance will vary from time to time depending upon market conditions, the composition of its portfolio, and its operating expenses. Consequently, any given performance quotation should not be considered representative of a Fund’s performance for any specified period in the future. In addition, when considering “average” total return figures for periods longer than one year, it is important to note that a Fund’s annual total returns for any one year in the period might have been greater or less than the average for the entire period. In addition, because the performance will fluctuate, it may not provide a basis for comparing an investment in a Fund with certain bank deposits or other investments that pay a fixed yield for a stated period of time. Investors comparing a Fund’s performance with that of other funds should give consideration to the quality and maturity of the respective investment companies’ portfolio securities.

In reports or other communications to shareholders or in advertising material, a Fund may compare its performance with that of other funds as listed in the rankings prepared by Lipper Inc., Morningstar, Inc., or similar independent services that monitor the performance of funds or other industry or financial publications. It is important to note that the total return figures are based on historical results and are not intended to indicate future performance. Shareholders may make inquiries regarding the Fund’s total return figures to the Distributor.

In its reports, investor communications or advertisements, a Fund may also include: (i) descriptions and updates concerning its strategies and portfolio investments; (ii) its goals, risk factors, and expenses compared with other funds; (iii) analysis of its investments by industry, country, credit quality, and other characteristics; (iv) a discussion of the risk/return continuum relating to different investments; (v) the general biography or work experience of the portfolio manager of a Fund; (vi) portfolio manager commentary or market updates; (vii) discussion of macroeconomic factors affecting the Fund and its investments; and (viii) other information of interest to investors.

 

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In connection with communicating its yield or total return to current or prospective shareholders, a Fund may also compare these figures to the performance of other funds tracked by Fund rating services or to other unmanaged indexes which may assume reinvestment of dividends but generally do not reflect deductions for administrative and management costs.

DESCRIPTION OF THE FUNDS’ SHARES

The shares of a Fund represent a beneficial interest in that Fund’s securities and other assets and in its profits or losses.

Information for Shareholders

All shareholder inquiries regarding administrative procedures including the purchase and redemption of shares should be directed to the Distributor, G.distributors, LLC, One Corporate Center, Rye, New York 10580-1422. For assistance, call 800- GABELLI (800-422-3554) or through the internet at www.gabelli.com.

The Trust will send unaudited reports at least semiannually, and annual reports containing audited financial statements, to all of its shareholders.

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

There are no Financial Statements for the Funds at this time, as the Funds have been in operation for less than a year. The Financial Statements will be available after each Fund’s fiscal year end.

 

37


APPENDIX A

DESCRIPTION OF CORPORATE DEBT RATINGS

MOODY’S INVESTORS SERVICE, INC. (“Moody’s”)

 

Aaa:    Obligations rated Aaa are judged to be of the highest quality, subject to the lowest level of credit risk.
Aa:    Obligations rated Aa are judged to be of high quality and are subject to very low credit risk.
A:    Obligations rated A are judged to be upper-medium grade and are subject to low credit risk.
Baa:    Obligations rated Baa are judged to be medium-grade and subject to moderate credit risk and as such may possess certain speculative characteristics.
Ba:    Obligations rated Ba are judged to be speculative and are subject to substantial credit risk.
B:    Obligations rated B are considered speculative and are subject to very high credit risk.
Caa:    Obligations rated Caa are judged to be speculative of poor standing and are subject to very high credit risk.
Ca:    Obligations rated Ca are highly speculative and are likely in, or very near, default, with some prospect of recovery of principal and interest.
C:    Obligations rated C are the lowest rated class of bonds and are typically in default, with little prospect for recovery of principal or interest.
NR:    NR is assigned to an unrated issuer, obligation and/or program.

Should no rating be assigned, the reason may be one of the following:

 

1.

An application for rating was not received or accepted.

 

2.

The issue or issuer belongs to a group of securities that are not rated as a matter of policy.

 

3.

There is a lack of essential data pertaining to the issue or issuer.

 

4.

The issue was privately placed, in which case the rating is not published in Moody’s publications.

Suspension or withdrawal may occur if new and material circumstances arise, the effects of which preclude satisfactory analysis; if there is no longer available reasonable up-to-date data to permit a judgment to be formed; if a bond is called for redemption; or for other reasons.

 

Note:

Moody’s appends numerical modifiers, 1, 2 and 3 in each generic rating classification from Aa through Caa. The modifier 1 indicates that the security ranks in the higher end of its generic rating category; the modifier 2 indicates a mid-range ranking; and the modifier 3 indicates a ranking in the lower end of its generic rating category. Additionally, a “(hyb)” indicator is appended to all ratings of hybrid securities issued by banks, insurers, finance companies, and securities firms.

STANDARD & POOR’S RATINGS SERVICES (“S&P”)

 

AAA    An obligation rated ‘AAA’ has the highest rating assigned by S&P. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is extremely strong.
AA    An obligation rated ‘AA’ differs from the highest rated obligations only to a small degree. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is very strong.
A    An obligation rated ‘A’ is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher rated categories. However, the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is still strong.
BBB    An obligation rated ‘BBB’ exhibits 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.

 

A-1


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. While such 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. The ‘CC’ rating is used when a default has not yet occurred, but S&P expects default to be a virtual certainty, regardless of the anticipated time to default.
C    An obligation rated ‘C’ is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment, and the obligation is expected to have lower relative seniority or lower ultimate recovery compared to obligations that are rated higher.
D    An obligation rated ‘D’ is in default or in breach of an imputed promise. For non-hybrid capital instruments, the ‘D’ rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due, unless S&P believes that such payments will be made within five business days in the absence of a stated grace period or within the earlier of the stated grace period or 30 calendar days. The ‘D’ rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions. An obligation’s rating is lowered to ‘D’ if it is subject to a distressed exchange offer.
NR    This indicates that no rating has been requested or that there is insufficient information on which to base a rating, or that S&P does not rate a particular obligation as a matter of policy.

Description of S&P and Moody’s commercial paper ratings:

The designation A-1 by S&P indicates that the degree of safety regarding timely payment 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. Capacity for timely payment on issues with an A-2 designation is satisfactory. However, the relative degree of safety is not as high as for issues designated A-1.

The rating Prime-1 (P-1) is the highest commercial paper rating assigned by Moody’s. Issuers of P-1 paper must have a superior ability to repay short-term debt obligations, and ordinarily will be evidenced by leading market positions in well-established industries, high rates of return of Funds employed, conservative capitalization structures with moderate reliance on debt and ample asset protection, broad margins in earnings coverage of fixed financial charges and high internal cash generation, and well established access to a range of financial markets and assured sources of alternate liquidity.

 

 

A-2


PART C: OTHER INFORMATION

Item 28. Exhibits

 

(a)

 

Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust for Gabelli ETFs Trust (the “Registrant”) is incorporated by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2 to the Registration Statement filed on Form N-1A/A as filed on December 28, 2020 (Accession No. 0001387131-20-011758) (“Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2”).

(b)

 

By-Laws of the Registrant are incorporated by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2 to the Registration.

(c)

 

Instruments Defining Rights of Security Holders are incorporated by reference to the Registrant’s Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust filed as exhibit 28(a) and to the By-Laws of the Registrant filed as exhibit 28(b) to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2.

(d)

 

(1)   Investment Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and Gabelli Funds, LLC, on behalf of Gabelli Growth Innovators ETF, is incorporated by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2.

 

(2)   Investment Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and Gabelli Funds, LLC, on behalf of Gabelli Financial Services ETF, is incorporated by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2.

 

(3)   Investment Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and Gabelli Funds, LLC, on behalf of Gabelli Equity Income ETF, is incorporated by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2.

 

(4)   Investment Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and Gabelli Funds, LLC, on behalf of Gabelli Small & Mid Cap ETF, is incorporated by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2.

 

(5)   Investment Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and Gabelli Funds, LLC, on behalf of Gabelli Micro Cap ETF, is incorporated by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2.

 

(6)   Investment Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and Gabelli Funds, LLC, on behalf of Gabelli Love Our Planet & People ETF, is incorporated by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2.

 

(7)   Investment Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and Gabelli Funds, LLC, on behalf of Gabelli Asset ETF, is incorporated by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2.

 

(8)   Investment Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and Gabelli Funds, LLC, on behalf of Gabelli Commercial Aerospace and Defense ETF, is filed herewith.

 

(9)   Investment Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and Gabelli Funds, LLC, on behalf of Gabelli Green Energy ETF, is incorporated by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2.

 

(10)  Fee Waiver Agreement between the Registrant and Gabelli Funds, LLC, on behalf the Gabelli Love Our Planet & People ETF, is incorporated by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Registration Statement filed on Form N-1A/A as filed on October 20, 2020 (SEC Accession No. 0001193125-20-272753) (“Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1”).

 

(11)  Fee Waiver Agreement between the Registrant and Gabelli Funds, LLC, on behalf the Gabelli Asset ETF, is incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 2 to the Registration Statement filed on Form N-1A/A as filed on (SEC Accession No. 0001193125-22-132960) (“Post-Effective Amendment No. 2”)

 

(12)  Fee Waiver Agreement between the Registrant and Gabelli Funds, LLC, on behalf of the Gabelli Commercial Aerospace and Defense ETF, is filed herewith.

 

(13)  Fee Waiver Agreement between the Registrant and Gabelli Funds, LLC, on behalf of the Gabelli Equity Income ETF, is filed herewith.

(e)

 

(1)   Distribution Agreement between the Registrant and G. distributors, LLC, is incorporated by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1.

 

(2)   Plan of Distribution Pursuant to Rule 12b-1 of the Registrant is incorporated by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1.

(f)

 

Not Applicable.

(g)

 

(1)   Appendix to the Custody Agreement between the Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon is incorporated by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1.


 

(2)   Amendment to Foreign CustodyManager Agreement between GAMCO Investors, Inc. on behalf of the Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon, is incorporated by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1.

(h)

 

(1)   Transfer Agency and Service Agreement between the Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon is incorporated by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1.

 

(2)   Amendment to Sub-Administration and Accounting Agreement between the Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon is incorporated by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1.

 

(3)   Authorized Participant Agreement between G.distributors, LLC and the Authorized Participant named therein is incorporated by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1.

 

(4)   AP Representative Confidentiality Agreement between the Registrant and the AP Representative named therein is incorporated by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1.

(i)

 

(1)   Consent of Paul Hastings LLP, Trust Counsel, is filed herewith.

 

(2)   Opinion of Morris, Nichols, Arsht & Tunnell LLP, is incorporated by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2.

(j)

 

 

(1)   Powers of Attorney for Christopher J. Marangi, John Birch, Anthony S. Colavita, Leslie F. Foley, Michael Ferrantino, Michael J. Melarkey, Kuni Nakamura, and Salvatore J. Zizza, dated October 14, 2020, is incorporated by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1.

 

(2)   Power of Attorney for Agnes Mullady, dated April 12, 2022, is incorporated by referenced to Post-Effective Amendment No. 2.

(k)

 

Not Applicable.

(l)

 

Subscription Agreement between the Registrant and Gabelli Funds, LLC, is incorporated by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2.

(m)

 

Not Applicable.

(n)

 

Not Applicable.

(o)

 

Not Applicable.

(p)

 

Revised Code of Ethics for the Registrant, Gabelli Funds, LLC, GAMCO Asset Management, Inc., G.research, LLC, G.distributors, LLC, Gabelli Fixed Income LLC, and Gabelli Securities, Inc., dated January 18, 2022, is incorporated by referenced to Post-Effective Amendment No. 2.

Item 29. Persons Controlled by or Under Common Control with Registrant

None.

Item 30. Indemnification

To the extent consistent with Section 17(h) and (i) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), and pursuant to Article VIII of the Registrant’s Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust, Trustees, officers and employees of the Trust will be indemnified to the maximum extent permitted by Delaware law and the 1940 Act.

Reference is made to the provisions of Article VIII of the Registrant’s Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust hereby incorporated by reference (as noted in Item 28(a) above).

Insofar as indemnification of liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”) may be permitted to trustees, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission, such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in that Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a trustee, officer or controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or


proceeding) is asserted by such trustee, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question of whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

The Registrant hereby undertakes that it will apply the indemnification provisions of its Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust, the Investment Advisory Agreements and the Distribution Agreement in a manner consistent with Release No. 11330 of the Securities and Exchange Commission under the 1940 Act, as amended.

Item 31. Business and Other Connections of the Investment Adviser

Gabelli Funds, LLC (the “Adviser”) is a registered investment adviser providing investment management and administrative services to the Registrant. The Adviser also provides similar services to other mutual funds.

The information required by this Item 31 with respect to any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature engaged in by directors and officers of the Adviser during the past two fiscal years is incorporated by reference to Form ADV filed by the Adviser pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (SEC File No. 801-37706).

Item 32. Principal Underwriter

 

(a)

G. distributors, LLC, (“G. distributors”) currently acts as distributor for Gabelli 787 Fund, Inc., The Gabelli Asset Fund, Gabelli Capital Series Funds, Inc., Comstock Funds, Inc., The Gabelli Dividend Growth Fund, Gabelli Equity Series Funds, Inc., GAMCO Global Series Funds, Inc., Gabelli Gold Fund, Inc., The Gabelli Growth Fund, Gabelli International Growth Fund, Inc., Gabelli Investor Funds, Inc., The Gabelli Money Market Funds, The Gabelli ESG Fund, Inc., The Gabelli Utilities Fund, The Gabelli Value 25 Fund Inc., The Gabelli Innovations Trust, The TETON Westwood Funds, and the KEELEY Funds, Inc.

 

(b)

The information required by this Item 32 with respect to each director, officer or partner of G. distributors is incorporated by reference to Schedule A of Form BD filed by G. distributors pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (SEC File No. 8-68697).

 

(c)

Not Applicable.

Item 33. Location of Accounts and Records

Information on the physical possession of accounts, books, and other documents is included in the Registrant’s filing on Form N-CEN filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 15, 2022.

Item 34. Management Services

Not Applicable.

Item 35. Undertakings

Not Applicable.

 


SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the Registrant, GABELLI ETFs TRUST, certifies that it meets all the requirements for effectiveness of this Post-Effective Amendment No. 5 to its Registration Statement pursuant to Rule 485(b) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and has duly caused this Post-Effective Amendment No. 5 to its Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereto duly authorized, in the City of Rye and State of New York, on the 9th day of March, 2023.

 

Gabelli ETFs Trust
By:  

/s/ John C. Ball

Name:   John C. Ball
Title:   President and Principal Executive Officer

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this Post-Effective Amendment No. 5 to its Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the date indicated.

 

Signature

  

Title

  

Date

/s/ John C. Ball

John C. Ball

   President and
Principal Executive Officer
   March 9, 2023

/s/ Chandler M. Iorio

Chandler M. Iorio

   Treasurer and Principal Financial and
Accounting Officer
   March 9, 2023

Christopher J. Marangi*

Christopher J. Marangi

   Trustee    March 9, 2023

Agnes Mullady*

Agnes Mullady

   Trustee    March 9, 2023

John Birch*

John Birch

   Trustee    March 9, 2023

Anthony S. Colavita*

Anthony S. Colavita

   Trustee    March 9, 2023

Leslie F. Foley*

Leslie F. Foley

   Trustee    March 9, 2023

Michael Ferrantino*

Michael Ferrantino*

   Trustee    March 9, 2023

Michael J. Melarkey*

Michael J. Melarkey

   Trustee    March 9, 2023

Kuni Nakamura*

Kuni Nakamura

   Trustee    March 9, 2023

Salvatore J. Zizza*

Salvatore J. Zizza

   Trustee    March 9, 2023
*By:  

/s/ John C. Ball

  John C. Ball
  Attorney-in-Fact