485APOS 1 s127953-485apos_esoterica.htm 485APOS

 

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 7, 2020

Securities Act File No. 333-233633

Investment Company Act File No. 811-23473

U.S. 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. 1 þ
  AND/OR  
  THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940
  Amendment No.  3 þ

 

 

Esoterica Thematic Trust

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

 

675 W. 59th St., Suite 903

New York, New York 10069

(Address of Principal Executive Offices)

 

Registrant's Telephone Number, including Area Code: (860) 543-3942

 

Corporation Trust Center

1209 Orange Street

Wilmington, Delaware 19801

(Name and address of agent for service)

 

 

 

Copy to:

JoAnn M. Strasser

Thompson Hine LLP

41 South High Street, Suite 1700

Columbus, Ohio 43215

 

Approximate Date of Proposed Public Offering:

 

It is proposed that this filing will become effective (check appropriate box):

 

☐ immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b)

☐ on (date) pursuant to paragraph (b)

☐ 60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)

☐ on (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)

☒ 75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2)

☐ on (date) 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.

 

 

 

 

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

 

Esoterica-Lucerne European Sustainability ETF

 

PROSPECTUS

 

[____ _], 2020

 

Ticker Symbol: SUST

 

Primary Listing Exchange for the Fund: [Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc. (“CBOE”)]

 

Advised by:

Lucerne Capital Management, LP

35 Mason Street
Greenwich, CT 06830

www.[_____].com (___) [___]-[____]

 

This prospectus provides important information about the Fund that you should know before investing. Please read it carefully and keep it for future reference. These securities have not been approved or disapproved by the Securities and Exchange Commission nor has the Securities and Exchange Commission passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

Beginning on January 1, 2021, as permitted by regulations adopted by the SEC, paper copies of the Fund’s shareholder reports will no longer be sent by mail, unless you specifically request paper copies of Fund shareholder reports from your financial intermediary, such as a broker-dealer or bank. Instead, the reports will be made available on a website, 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. Please contact your financial intermediary to elect to receive shareholder reports and other Fund communications electronically.

 

You may elect to receive all future Fund reports in paper free of charge. Please contact your financial intermediary to inform them that you wish to continue receiving paper copies of Fund shareholder reports and for details about whether your election to receive reports in paper will apply to all funds held with your financial intermediary.

 

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

FUND SUMMARY - Esoterica-Lucerne European Sustainability ETF 1
   
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RELATED RISKS 7
   
MANAGEMENT 14
   
HOW SHARES ARE PRICED 16
   
HOW TO BUY AND SELL SHARES 18
   
FREQUENT PURCHASES AND REDEMPTIONS OF FUND SHARES 19
   
DISTRIBUTION AND SERVICE PLAN 19
   
DIVIDENDS, OTHER DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAXES 19
   
OTHER INFORMATION 23
   
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS 24
   
Privacy Policy Notice 25
   

 

 

FUND SUMMARY - Esoterica-Lucerne European Sustainability ETF

Investment Objective: Capital appreciation

 

Fees and Expenses of the Fund: This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the tables and examples below.

 

Annual Fund Operating Expenses

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

 
Management Fees [___]%
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees 0.00%
Other Expenses (1) [___]%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses [___]%
Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement (2)(1) ([__])%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement [___]%

 

(1)Estimated for the current fiscal year.
(2)Lucerne Capital Management, LP (the “Adviser”) has contractually agreed to reduce its fees and/or reimburse expenses of the Fund, to ensure that total annual fund operating expenses after fee waiver and/or reimbursement (exclusive of: (i) any front-end or contingent deferred loads; (ii) brokerage fees and commissions; (iii) unaffiliated acquired fund fees and expenses; (iv) fees and expenses associated with investments in other collective investment vehicles or derivative instruments (including for example option and swap fees and expenses); (v) borrowing costs (such as interest and dividend expense on securities sold short) (vi) taxes; (vii) foreign custody transaction costs and foreign account set up fees and (viii) extraordinary expenses such as litigation expenses (which may include indemnification of Fund officers and Trustees, and contractual indemnification of Fund service providers, including the Adviser)) will not exceed [__]% of the Fund’s net assets from the Fund’s effective date through its first year of operation. These fee waivers and expense reimbursements are subject to possible recoupment from the Fund in future years (within three years from the date the fees have been waived or reimbursed), if such recoupment can be achieved within the lesser of the foregoing expense limit or other arrangements in place at the time of recoupment. This agreement may be terminated only by the Fund’s Board of Trustees (the “Board”) on 60 days’ written notice to the Adviser.

 

Example: This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.

 

The 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. This Example further assumes that the Adviser’s fee waiver/reimbursement agreement with respect to the Fund will be in effect for only the first year of operations. Investors may pay brokerage commissions on their purchases and sales of Fund shares, which are not reflected in the example. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based upon these assumptions your costs would be:

 

1 Year 3 Years
$[_] $[__]

 

1

 

 

Portfolio Turnover: The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance. Because the Fund has not yet commenced operations as of the date of this prospectus, no portfolio turnover rate information is available.

 

Principal Investment Strategies:

 

The Fund is an actively-managed ETF. The Adviser seeks to achieve the Fund’s investment objective by investing primarily in equity securities of European companies that it believes have a positive financial outlook and whose economic fortunes are tied to a positive impact on environmental issues, social issues and/or favorable corporate governance practices (“ESG”). The Adviser seeks out companies that promote societal sustainability through favorable ESG characteristics and exhibit company-level sustainability through financial management, competitive advantages, and growth prospects. Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in securities of European companies.

 

The Fund invests primarily in developed (western and northern) European market companies. Although the Fund invests without restriction as to capitalization or the currency, the Fund invests primarily in small and midcap companies in the $2 billion to $20 billion range. When the Adviser purchases a security denominated in Euros or some other foreign currency, the Fund is exposed to unfavorable changes in the exchange rate between the U.S. Dollar and the foreign currency. To offset this risk, the Adviser hedges the majority of the Fund’s foreign currency exposure through foreign currency forward contracts.

 

The Fund is “non-diversified” for purposes of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), which means that the Fund may invest in fewer securities at any one time than a diversified fund.

 

ESG Criteria

 

The Adviser seeks out companies that it believes have favorable qualities among one or more of the following ESG criteria.

 

Environmental: The company’s business activities, products or services are focused on the interest of our climate. The Adviser favors companies that attempt to conserve natural resources, reduce waste, and manage indirect greenhouse gas emissions.

 

Social: The company’s business activities, products or services are focused on social interests. The Adviser seeks to invest in companies that prioritize not just shareholders but all stakeholders by focusing on areas such as inclusion & inequality, reliable disclosures, safe working conditions, wage equity, ethical supply chains, human rights, and fair treatment of employees globally.

 

2

 

 

Governance: The company’s business activities, products or services are enabled by strong corporate governance. The Adviser believes that strong corporate governance and behavior is arguably of the utmost importance to be a sustainable, responsibly run company.

 

It is the Adviser’s intention to engage with company management to encourage management to improve in certain ESG areas when the Adviser has identified areas as ripe for improvement.

 

Financial Criteria

 

The Adviser seeks out sector-leading companies where it believes the market price underestimates the trajectory of the company’s future growth. The Adviser’s process for identifying and ranking companies relies on a “bottom up’’ approach (i.e. valuation, fundamental and quantitative measures); however, it also considers ’‘top down’’ influences (i.e. thematic research accessing the potential total available market and changes in the underlying technological cycle). Generally, the Adviser seeks out companies that it considers to be of high quality with sustainable competitive advantages as evidenced by high returns on capital, strong balance sheets, and capable management teams that allocate capital in an efficient manner.

 

The Adviser takes a disciplined approach to valuation and stress tests the sustainability of profitability and growth. Valuation is examined using a variety of techniques depending on the type of company being researched. The Adviser utilizes fundamental analysis to identify investment candidates with favorable attributes, to evaluate industry dynamics, measure the strength of the business model and management skill. Methods typically used are discounted cash flow analysis, market implied growth and returns relative to the Adviser’s expectations, multiple comparisons and scenario analysis.

 

The Adviser will sell a security (i) if the company no longer meets its ESG or financial criteria, (ii) when it believes the company’s risk/reward profile is no longer favorable due to price appreciation or investment fundamentals have deteriorated meaningfully, or (iii) to invest in an issuer considered to be a more attractive alternative.

 

Principal Investment Risks: As with all funds, there is the risk that you could lose money through your investment in the Fund. Below are material risks that may affect the Fund’s net asset value (“NAV”) and performance.

 

Equity Risk: The net asset value of the Fund will fluctuate based on changes in the value of the equity securities held by the Fund. Equity prices can fall rapidly in response to developments affecting a specific company or industry, or to changing economic, political or market conditions.

 

Active Management Risk: The Fund is actively managed, which means that investment decisions are made based on investment views. There is no guarantee that the investment views will produce the desired results or expected returns, which may cause the Fund to fail to meet its investment objective or to underperform its benchmark index or funds with similar investment objectives and strategies. Furthermore, active trading that can accompany active management may result in high portfolio turnover, which may have a negative impact on performance, higher brokerage costs, or adverse tax consequences.

 

3

 

  

ESG Investment Style Risk: Because the Adviser focuses on equity securities of companies that meet certain ESG criteria, its universe of investments may be smaller than that of other funds and therefore the Fund may underperform if such investments underperform the market.

 

European Regional Focus Risk: Because the Fund invests primarily in Europe, the Fund is subject to greater risks of adverse developments in that region and/or the surrounding regions than a fund that is more broadly diversified geographically. Political, social or economic disruptions in the region, even in countries in which the Fund is not invested, may adversely affect the value of investments held by the Fund. Current uncertainty concerning the economic consequences of the January 31, 2020 departure of the United Kingdom from the European Union (EU) may increase market volatility.

 

Foreign Securities Risk: Since the Fund’s investments focus on foreign securities, the Fund is subject to risks beyond those associated with investing in domestic securities. Foreign companies are generally not subject to the same regulatory requirements of U.S. companies and may have less publicly available information about these companies. In addition, foreign accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards generally differ from those applicable to U.S. companies. The value of foreign securities is also affected by the value of the local currency relative to the U.S. dollar.

 

Currency Hedging Risk: There can be no assurance that the Fund’s hedging strategy will reduce risk, or that hedging transactions will be effective. The Fund is not required to use hedging and may choose not to do so. A counterparty to a currency forward contract may default.

 

Cyber Security Risk: The Fund and its service providers may be prone to operational and information security risks resulting from breaches in cyber security. A breach in cyber security refers to both intentional and unintentional events that may cause the Fund to lose proprietary information, suffer data corruption, or lose operational capacity. Breaches in cyber security include, among other behaviors, stealing or corrupting data maintained online or digitally, denial of service attacks on websites, the unauthorized release of confidential information or various other forms of cyber-attacks. Cyber security breaches affecting the Fund or its Adviser, [Sub-Adviser], custodian, transfer agent, and other third-party service providers may adversely impact the Fund. Similar types of cyber security risks are also present for issuers of securities in which the Fund may invest, which could result in material adverse consequences for such issuers and may cause the Fund’s investment in such companies to lose value.

 

ETF Structure Risks: The Fund is structured as an ETF and is subject to the special risks, including:

 

oNot Individually Redeemable: Shares are not individually redeemable to retail investors and may be redeemed by the Fund only to Authorized Purchasers (“APs”) at NAV in large blocks known as “Creation Units.” An AP may incur brokerage costs purchasing enough shares to constitute a Creation Unit.

 

4

 

 

 

oTrading Issues: An active trading market for the Fund’s shares may not be developed or maintained. Trading in shares on the [CBOE] may be halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the [CBOE], make trading in shares inadvisable, such as extraordinary market volatility. There can be no assurance that shares will continue to meet the listing requirements of the [CBOE]. If the Fund’s shares are traded outside a collateralized settlement system, the number of financial institutions that can act as APs that can post collateral on an agency basis is limited, which may limit the market for the Fund’s shares. In addition, there may be a limited number of market makers and/or liquidity providers in the marketplace. To the extent either of the following events occur, shares may trade at a material discount to NAV and possibly face delisting: (i) APs exit the business or otherwise become unable to process creation and/or redemption orders and no other APs step forward to perform these services, or (ii) market makers and/or liquidity providers exit the business or significantly reduce their business activities and no other entities step forward to perform their functions.

 

oMarket Price Variance Risk: The market price of the Fund’s shares will fluctuate in response to changes in NAV and supply and demand for shares and will include a “bid-ask spread” charged by the exchange specialists, market makers or other participants that trade the particular security. There may be times when the market price and the NAV vary significantly. This means that shares may trade at a discount to NAV.

 

§In times of market stress, market makers may step away from their role of market making in shares of ETFs and in executing trades, which can lead to differences between the market value of Fund shares and the Fund’s NAV.

 

§To the extent APs exit the business or are unable to process creations or redemptions and no other AP can step in to do so, there may be a significantly reduced trading market in the Fund’s shares, which can lead to differences between the market value of Fund shares and the Fund’s NAV.

 

§The market price for the Fund’s shares may deviate from the Fund’s NAV, particularly during times of market stress, with the result that investors may pay significantly more or receive significantly less for Fund shares than the Fund’s net asset value, which is reflected in the bid and ask price for Fund shares or in the closing price.

 

§When all or a portion of an ETF’s underlying securities trade in a market that is closed when the market for the Fund’s shares is open, there may be changes from the last quote of the closed market and the quote from the Fund’s domestic trading day, which could lead to differences between the market value of the Fund’s shares and the Fund’s NAV.

 

5

 

 

§In stressed market conditions, the market for the Fund’s shares may become less liquid in response to the deteriorating liquidity of the Fund’s portfolio. This adverse effect on the liquidity of the Fund’s shares may, in turn, lead to differences between the market value of the Fund’s shares and the Fund’s NAV.

 

Fluctuation of Net Asset Value Risk: The NAV of the Fund’s shares will generally fluctuate with changes in the market value of the Fund’s holdings. The market prices of the Fund’s shares will generally fluctuate in accordance with changes in NAV as well as the relative supply of and demand for the Fund’s shares on the [CBOE]. The Adviser cannot predict whether the shares will trade below, at or above their NAV. Price differences may be due, in large part, to the fact that supply and demand forces at work in the secondary trading market for the Fund’s shares will be closely related to, but not identical to, the same forces influencing the prices of the Fund’s holdings trading individually or in the aggregate at any point in time.

 

Limited History of Operations Risk. The Fund is recently-formed and has no history of operations for investors to evaluate. As a result, investors do not have a track record from which to judge the Adviser, the Adviser has not previously managed an ETF, and the Adviser may not achieve the intended result in managing the Fund.

 

Non-Diversification Risk: The Fund is considered to be non-diversified, which means that it may invest more of its assets in the securities of a single issuer or a smaller number of issuers than if it were a diversified fund. As a result, the Fund may be more exposed to the risks associated with and developments affecting an individual issuer or a smaller number of issuers than a fund that invests more widely. This may increase the Fund’s volatility and cause the performance of a relatively smaller number of issuers to have a greater impact on the Fund’s performance.

 

Securities Market Risk: The value of securities owned by the Fund may go up or down, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably, due to factors affecting particular companies or the securities markets generally. A general downturn in the securities markets may cause multiple asset classes to decline in value simultaneously. The occurrence of global events similar to those in recent years may result in market volatility and may have long term effects on the global financial market. The current novel coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic and the aggressive responses taken by many governments, including closing borders, restricting international and domestic travel, and the imposition of prolonged quarantines or similar restrictions, as well as the forced or voluntary closure of, or operational changes to, many retail and other businesses, has had negative impacts, and in many cases severe negative impacts, on the financial markets. It is not known how long such impacts, or any future impacts of other significant events described above, will or would last, but there could be a prolonged period of global economic slowdown, which may impact your Fund investment.

 

Small and Medium Capitalization Stock Risk: The earnings and prospects of small and medium sized companies are more volatile than larger companies and may experience higher failure rates than larger companies. Small and medium sized companies normally have a lower trading volume than larger companies, which may tend to make their market prices fall more disproportionately than larger companies in response to selling pressures. In addition, small and medium sized companies may have limited markets, product lines, or financial resources and lack management experience.

 

6

 

 

Performance: Because the Fund has not yet commenced investment operations, no performance information is presented for the Fund at this time. In the future, performance information will be presented in this section of this prospectus. Also, shareholder reports containing financial and performance information will be mailed to shareholders semi-annually. Updated performance information will be available at no cost by visiting www.[____].com or by calling (___) [__]- [____].

 

Investment Adviser: Lucerne Capital Management, LP. (“Adviser”)

 

Trading Sub-Adviser: [______] (“Trading Sub-Adviser”).

 

Adviser’s Portfolio Managers: Pieter Taselaar is the Founding Partner and Portfolio Manager for the Adviser. Thijs Hovers is a Partner and Portfolio Manager for the Adviser. Jonathan Copplestone is a Portfolio Manager & Senior Research Analyst for the Adviser. Each has served as a Fund portfolio manager since its commencement of operations in 2020.

 

Trading Sub-Adviser’s Portfolio Managers: [_________], have been portfolio managers of the Fund since its commencement of operations in 2020.

 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares: The Fund will issue and redeem shares at NAV only in large blocks of [25,000] shares (each block of shares is called a “Creation Unit”). Creation Units are issued and redeemed for cash and/or in-kind for securities. Individual shares may only be purchased and sold in secondary market transactions through brokers. Except when aggregated in Creation Units, the shares are not redeemable securities of the Fund.

 

Shares of the Fund are listed for trading on the [CBOE] and trade at market prices rather than NAV. Shares of the Fund may trade at a price that is greater than, at, or less than NAV.

 

Tax Information: The Fund’s distributions generally will be taxable as ordinary income or long-term capital gains. A sale of shares may result in capital gain or loss.

 

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.

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RELATED RISKS

 

Investment Objective: Capital appreciation

 

The Fund’s investment objective may be changed by the Board of Trustees without shareholder approval.

 

7

 

 

Principal Investment Strategies:

 

The Fund is an actively-managed ETF. The Adviser seeks to achieve the Fund’s investment objective by investing primarily in equity securities of European companies that it believes have a positive financial outlook and whose economic fortunes are tied to a positive impact on environmental issues, social issues and/or favorable corporate governance practices (“ESG”). The Adviser seeks out companies that promote societal sustainability through favorable ESG characteristics and exhibit company-level sustainability through financial management, competitive advantages, and growth prospects. Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in securities of European companies.

 

The Fund invests primarily in developed (western and northern) European market companies. The Adviser excludes from its principal strategy companies that are domiciled in emerging or eastern European markets. Although the Fund invests without restriction as to capitalization or the currency, the Fund invests primarily in small and midcap companies in the $2 billion to $20 billion range. When the Adviser purchases a security denominated in Euros or some other foreign currency, the Fund is exposed to unfavorable changes in the exchange rate between the U.S. Dollar and the foreign currency. To offset this risk, the Adviser hedges the majority of the Fund’s foreign currency exposure through foreign currency forward contracts.

 

The Fund is “non-diversified” for purposes of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), which means that the Fund may invest in fewer securities at any one time than a diversified fund.

 

ESG Criteria

 

The Adviser believes it is in a unique position because its focus is on companies with impactful climate friendly policies, equitable social policies, and/or favorable corporate governance policies. A European investment universe enhances the ability of the Adviser to focus on ESG criteria because unlike many geographies globally, most developed European countries require the companies in their domicile to have advisory boards that advocate for all stakeholders including suppliers, employees, customers, and community. The Adviser seeks out companies that it believes have favorable qualities among one or more of the following ESG criteria.

 

Environmental: The company’s business activities, products or services are focused on the interest of our climate. For example, as societal interest in climate change and emissions continues to grow, the Adviser seeks to invest in companies that have not only pledged but are also delivering on ‘net zero’ emission targets. Scandinavia and other Nordic countries are specific areas that have a history of being innovative environmental leaders. The Adviser favors companies that attempt to conserve natural resources, reduce waste, and manage indirect greenhouse gas emissions.

 

Social: The company’s business activities, products or services are focused on social interests. The Adviser assesses a company for its social good. For example, employee continuity is assessed by measuring how much investment has been made in the employees through reasonable turnover numbers. Furthermore, the Adviser seeks to invest in companies that prioritize not just shareholders but all stakeholders by focusing on areas such as inclusion & inequality, reliable disclosures, safe working conditions, wage equity, ethical supply chains, human rights, and fair treatment of employees globally.

 

8

 

 

Governance: The company’s business activities, products or services are enabled by strong corporate governance. The Adviser believes that strong corporate governance and behavior is arguably of the utmost importance to be a sustainable, responsibly run company. Solid corporate governance is the springboard for the ability to positively impact our environment and social universe. The Adviser favors companies with policies favoring transparency and accountability to shareholders, and a commitment to diversity.

 

It is the Adviser’s intention to engage with company management to encourage management to improve in certain ESG areas when the Adviser has identified areas as ripe for improvement.

 

The Adviser is also a signatory to the Principles for Responsible Investing (PRI), which was created as a United Nations-supported international network of investors working together to implement its six aspirational principles. The six principles to which the Adviser abides are:

 

Principle 1: We will incorporate ESG issues into investment analysis and decision-making processes.

 

Principle 2: We will be active owners and incorporate ESG issues into our ownership policies and practices.

 

Principle 3: We will seek appropriate disclosure on ESG issues by the entities in which we invest.

 

Principle 4: We will promote acceptance and implementation of the principles within the investment industry.

 

Principle 5: We will work together to enhance our effectiveness in implementing the principles.

 

Principle 6: We will each report on our activities and progress towards implementing the principles.

 

Financial Criteria

 

The Adviser selects investments that represent its highest-conviction investment ideas within the above ESG groups that the Adviser believes offer the best risk-reward opportunities. Generally, the Adviser seeks out sector-leading companies where it believes the market price underestimates the trajectory of the company’s future growth. The Adviser’s process for identifying and ranking companies relies on a “bottom up’’ approach (i.e. valuation, fundamental and quantitative measures); however, it also considers ’‘top down’’ influences (i.e. thematic research accessing the potential total available market and changes in the underlying technological cycle). Generally, the Adviser seeks out companies that it considers to be of high quality with sustainable competitive advantages as evidenced by high returns on capital, strong balance sheets, and capable management teams that allocate capital in an efficient manner.

 

9

 

 

The Adviser performs analysis to assess company fundamentals, key competitive dynamics and industry structure with the belief that the best business models win over time. Additionally, the Adviser seeks to identify social or economic trends that will support a company’s multi-year opportunities, allowing for compounding of earnings and cash flow. The Adviser also considers emerging or newly formed companies with promising future prospects that may not yet have demonstrated substantial profitability. The Adviser takes a disciplined approach to valuation and stress tests the sustainability of profitability and growth.

 

Valuation is examined using a variety of techniques depending on the type of company being researched. The Adviser utilizes fundamental analysis to identify investment candidates with favorable attributes, to evaluate industry dynamics, measure the strength of the business model and management skill. Methods typically used are discounted cash flow analysis, market implied growth and returns relative to the Adviser’s expectations, multiple comparisons and scenario analysis.

 

The Adviser will sell a security (i) if the company no longer meets its ESG or financial criteria, (ii) when it believes the company’s risk/reward profile is no longer favorable due to price appreciation or investment fundamentals have deteriorated meaningfully, or (iii) to invest in an issuer considered to be a more attractive alternative.

 

Principal Investment Risks

 

As with all funds, there is the risk that you could lose money through your investment in the Fund. Below are material risks that may affect the Fund’s net asset value (“NAV”) and performance.

 

Equity Risk: Equity securities are susceptible to general stock market fluctuations and to volatile increases and decreases in value. The equity securities held by the Fund may experience sudden, unpredictable drops in value or long periods of decline in value. This may occur because of factors affecting securities markets generally, the equity securities of a particular sector, or a particular company.

 

Active Management Risk: The Fund is actively managed, which means that investment decisions are made based on investment views. There is no guarantee that the investment views will produce the desired results or expected returns, which may cause the Fund to fail to meet its investment objective or to underperform its benchmark index or funds with similar investment objectives and strategies. Furthermore, active trading that can accompany active management may result in high portfolio turnover, which may have a negative impact on performance. Active trading may result in higher brokerage costs or mark-up charges, which are ultimately passed on to shareholders of the Fund. Active trading may also result in adverse tax consequences.

 

ESG Investment Style Risk: Because the Adviser focuses on equity securities of companies that meet certain ESG criteria, with a positive impact that, in the opinion of the Adviser, present a positive ESG profile, its universe of investments may be smaller than that of other funds and therefore the Fund may underperform the market as a whole if such investments underperform the market. The Fund may forgo opportunities to gain exposure to certain attractive companies, industries, sectors or countries and it may choose to sell a security when it might otherwise be disadvantageous to do so. Views on what constitutes an ESG investment may differ by investor. There is no guarantee that the Adviser’s efforts to select investments based on ESG practices will be successful.

 

10

 

 

European Regional Focus Risk: Because the Fund may invest at least a significant portion of its assets in companies in a specific region, including Europe, the Fund is subject to greater risks of adverse developments in that region and/or the surrounding regions than a fund that is more broadly diversified geographically. Political, social or economic disruptions in the region, even in countries in which the Fund is not invested, may adversely affect the value of investments held by the Fund. Uncertainty concerning the economic consequences of the January 31, 2020 departure of the United Kingdom from the European Union (“EU”) may increase market volatility. Political uncertainty surrounding the EU and its membership may increase market volatility. The financial instability of some countries in the EU, together with the risk of such instability impacting other more stable countries may increase the economic risk of investing in companies in Europe. One or more EU member states might exit the EU, placing the European currency and banking system in jeopardy. Efforts of the EU to further unify the economic and monetary policies of its members may increase the potential interdependence of the economies of the EU members and thereby increase the risk that adverse developments in one country will adversely affect the securities of issues located in other countries.

 

Foreign Securities Risk: Investments in non-U.S. securities involve certain risks that may not be present with investments in U.S. securities. For example, investments in non-U.S. securities may be subject to risk of loss due to foreign currency fluctuations or to political or economic instability. There may be less information publicly available about a non-U.S. issuer than a U.S. issuer. Non-U.S. issuers may be subject to different accounting, auditing, financial reporting and investor protection standards than U.S. issuers. Investments in non-U.S. securities may be subject to withholding or other taxes and may be subject to additional trading, settlement, custodial, and operational risks. Because legal systems differ, there is also the possibility that it will be difficult to obtain or enforce legal judgments in certain countries. Since foreign exchanges may be open on days when the Fund does not price its shares, the value of the securities in the Fund’s portfolio may change on days when shareholders will not be able to purchase or sell the Fund’s shares. Conversely, shares may trade on days when foreign exchanges are close. Each of these factors can make investments in the Fund more volatile and potentially less liquid than other types of investments.

 

Currency Hedging Risk: There can be no assurance that the Fund’s hedging strategy will reduce risk, or that hedging transactions will be effective. The Fund is not required to use hedging and may choose not to do so. A counterparty to a currency forward contract may default. Transaction costs will reduce returns. The value of a foreign currency denominated security may diverge from the notional value of the currency forward, resulting in an ineffective hedge.

 

Cyber Security Risk: The Fund and its service providers may be prone to operational and information security risks resulting from breaches in cyber security. A breach in cyber security refers to both intentional and unintentional events that may cause the Fund to lose proprietary information, suffer data corruption, or lose operational capacity. Breaches in cyber security include, among other behaviors, stealing or corrupting data maintained online or digitally, denial of service attacks on websites, the unauthorized release of confidential information or various other forms of cyber-attacks. Cyber security breaches affecting the Fund or its Adviser, Sub-Adviser, custodian, transfer agent, and other third-party service providers may adversely impact the Fund. Similar types of cyber security risks are also present for issuers of securities in which the Fund may invest, which could result in material adverse consequences for such issuers and may cause the Fund’s investment in such companies to lose value.

 

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ETF Structure Risks: The Fund is structured as an ETF and is subject to the special risks, including:

 

oNot Individually Redeemable: Shares are not individually redeemable to retail investors and may be redeemed by the Fund only to Authorized Purchasers (“APs”) at NAV in large blocks known as “Creation Units.” An AP may incur brokerage costs purchasing enough shares to constitute a Creation Unit.

 

oTrading Issues: An active trading market for the Fund’s shares may not be developed or maintained. Trading in shares on the [CBOE] may be halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the [CBOE], make trading in shares inadvisable, such as extraordinary market volatility. There can be no assurance that shares will continue to meet the listing requirements of the [CBOE]. If the Fund’s shares are traded outside a collateralized settlement system, the number of financial institutions that can act as APs that can post collateral on an agency basis is limited, which may limit the market for the Fund’s shares. In addition, there may be a limited number of market makers and/or liquidity providers in the marketplace. To the extent either of the following events occur, shares may trade at a material discount to NAV and possibly face delisting: (i) APs exit the business or otherwise become unable to process creation and/or redemption orders and no other APs step forward to perform these services, or (ii) market makers and/or liquidity providers exit the business or significantly reduce their business activities and no other entities step forward to perform their functions.

 

oMarket Price Variance Risk: The market price of the Fund’s shares will fluctuate in response to changes in NAV and supply and demand for the Fund’s shares and will include a “bid-ask spread” charged by the exchange specialists, market makers or other participants that trade the particular security. There may be times when the market price and the NAV vary significantly. This means that shares may trade at a discount to NAV.

 

In times of market stress, market makers may step away from their role of market making in shares of ETFs and in executing trades, which can lead to differences between the market value of Fund shares and the Fund’s NAV.

 

To the extent APs exit the business or are unable to process creations or redemptions and no other AP can step in to do so, there may be a significantly reduced trading market in the Fund’s shares, which can lead to differences between the market value of Fund shares and the Fund’s NAV.

 

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The market price for the Fund’s shares may deviate from the Fund’s NAV, particularly during times of market stress, with the result that investors may pay significantly more or receive significantly less for Fund shares than the Fund’s net asset value, which is reflected in the bid and ask price for Fund shares or in the closing price.

 

When all or a portion of the Fund’s securities trade in a market that is closed when the market for the Fund’s shares is open, there may be changes from the last quote of the closed market and the quote from the Fund’s domestic trading day, which could lead to differences between the market value of the Fund’s shares and the Fund’s NAV.

 

In stressed market conditions, the market for the Fund’s shares may become less liquid in response to the deteriorating liquidity of the Fund’s portfolio. This adverse effect on the liquidity of the Fund’s shares may, in turn, lead to differences between the market value of the Fund’s shares and the Fund’s NAV.

 

Fluctuation of Net Asset Value Risk: The NAV of the Fund’s shares will generally fluctuate with changes in the market value of the Fund’s holdings. The market prices of the Fund’s shares will generally fluctuate in accordance with changes in NAV as well as the relative supply of and demand for the shares on the [CBOE]. The Adviser cannot predict whether the shares will trade below, at or above their NAV. Price differences may be due, in large part, to the fact that supply and demand forces at work in the secondary trading market for the Fund’s shares will be closely related to, but not identical to, the same forces influencing the prices of the Fund’s holdings trading individually or in the aggregate at any point in time.

 

Limited History of Operations Risk: The Fund is recently-formed and has no history of operations for investors to evaluate. As a result, investors do not have a track record from which to judge the Adviser, the Adviser has not previous managed an ETF, and the Adviser may not achieve the intended result in managing the Fund.

 

Non-Diversification Risk: Although the Fund intends to invest in a variety of securities and instruments, the Fund is considered to be non-diversified, which means that it may invest more of its assets in the securities of a single issuer or a smaller number of issuers than if it were a diversified fund. As a result, the Fund may be more exposed to the risks associated with and developments affecting an individual issuer or a smaller number of issuers than a fund that invests more widely. This may increase the Fund’s volatility and cause the performance of a relatively smaller number of issuers to have a greater impact on the Fund’s performance.

 

Securities Market Risk: The value of securities owned by the Fund may go up or down, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably, due to factors affecting particular companies or the securities markets generally. A general downturn in the securities markets may cause multiple asset classes to decline in value simultaneously. The occurrence of global events similar to those in recent years may result in market volatility and may have long term effects on the global financial market. The current novel coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic and the aggressive responses taken by many governments, including closing borders, restricting international and domestic travel, and the imposition of prolonged quarantines or similar restrictions, as well as the forced or voluntary closure of, or operational changes to, many retail and other businesses, has had negative impacts, and in many cases severe negative impacts, on the financial markets. It is not known how long such impacts, or any future impacts of other significant events described above, will or would last, but there could be a prolonged period of global economic slowdown, which may impact your Fund investment. Therefore, the Fund could lose money over short periods due to short-term market movements and over longer periods during more prolonged market downturns. During a general market downturn, multiple asset classes may be negatively affected. Changes in market conditions and interest rates can have the same impact on all types of securities and instruments. In times of severe market disruptions, you could lose your entire investment.

 

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Small and Medium Capitalization Stock Risk: The earnings and prospects of small and medium sized companies are more volatile than larger companies and may experience higher failure rates than larger companies. Small and medium sized companies normally have a lower trading volume than larger companies, which may tend to make their market prices fall more disproportionately than larger companies in response to selling pressures. In addition, small and medium sized companies may have limited markets, product lines, or financial resources and lack management experience.

 

Portfolio Holdings Disclosure

 

A description of the Fund’s policies and procedures regarding the release of portfolio holdings information is available in the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”).

 

MANAGEMENT

 

Adviser

 

Lucerne Capital Management, LP, with a principal office located at 35 Mason Street, Greenwich, CT 06830, serves as the Fund’s investment adviser. The Adviser is registered with the SEC as an investment Adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. The Adviser provides investment advisory services to private investment funds and other investment advisers. As of September 30, 2020, it had over $1 billion in assets under management. Subject to the supervision of the Board, the Adviser is responsible for the oversight and supervision of the Trading Sub-Adviser.

 

The management fee set forth in the Investment Advisory Agreement is an annual rate of [__]% of the average daily net assets of the Fund to be paid on a monthly basis. In addition to investment advisory fees, the Fund pays other expenses including costs incurred in connection with the maintenance of securities law registration, printing and mailing prospectuses and Statements of Additional Information to shareholders, certain financial accounting services, taxes or governmental fees, custodial, transfer and shareholder servicing agent costs, expenses of outside counsel and independent accountants, preparation of shareholder reports and expenses of trustee and shareholder meetings.

 

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The Adviser has contractually agreed to reduce its fees and/or reimburse expenses of the Fund from the Fund’s effective date through its first year of operation to ensure that total annual fund operating expenses after fee waiver and/or reimbursement (exclusive of: (i) any front-end or contingent deferred loads; (ii) brokerage fees and commissions; (iii) unaffiliated acquired fund fees and expenses; (iv) fees and expenses associated with investments in other collective investment vehicles or derivative instruments (including for example option and swap fees and expenses); (v) borrowing costs (such as interest and dividend expense on securities sold short) (vi) taxes; (vii) foreign custody transaction costs and foreign account set up fees and (viii) extraordinary expenses such as litigation expenses (which may include indemnification of Fund officers and Trustees, and contractual indemnification of Fund service providers, including the Adviser)) will not exceed [__]% of the Fund’s average daily net assets; subject to possible recoupment from the Fund in future years within the three years from the date the fees have been waived or reimbursed if such recoupment can be achieved within the lesser of the foregoing expense limits or the expense limits in place at the time of the recoupment. Fee waiver and reimbursement arrangements can decrease the Fund’s expenses and boost its performance. A discussion regarding the basis for the Board of Trustees’ approval of the advisory and sub-advisory agreements will be available in the Fund’s first annual or semi-annual report to shareholders.

 

Trading Sub-Adviser

 

The Adviser has retained the Trading Sub-Adviser to serve as trading sub-Adviser for the Fund. [___] is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund. [__], a registered investment Adviser, is [____________] and provides investment advisory services to ETFs, including the Fund. The Trading Sub-Adviser is responsible for trading portfolio securities for the Fund, including selecting broker-dealers to execute purchase and sale transactions, subject to the supervision of the Adviser and the Board. For its services, the Trading Sub-Adviser is paid a [__]% fee by the Adviser, which fee is calculated daily and paid monthly, at an annual rate based on the average daily net assets of the Fund.

 

Adviser Portfolio Managers

 

Pieter Taselaar - Mr. Taselaar is the Founding Partner and Portfolio Manager for Lucerne Capital Management. In 2000, Mr. Taselaar founded Lucerne Capital Management, LP, previously named Reach Capital Management, LLC. Prior to founding Lucerne, he was a Senior Managing Director at ABN AMRO New York as Head of European Equities from 1995 to 2001. From 1988 until 1994, Mr. Taselaar was a Corporate Finance Analyst at ABN AMRO in Amsterdam. Mr. Taselaar holds a law degree from Leiden University, the Netherlands, and an MBA from Columbia University.

 

Thijs Hovers - Mr. Hovers is a Partner and Portfolio Manager for Lucerne Capital Management. Prior to joining Lucerne in 2007, Mr. Hovers was Head of Pan European Small and Mid-Cap Equity Research at ABN AMRO. He also held a position as Head of Benelux Equity Research, and prior to that was a Senior Equity Analyst while at ABN AMRO. Mr. Hovers’ career began as an equity analyst at Rabobank. He received a graduate degree in Economics from the University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

 

Jonathan Copplestone - Mr. Copplestone is a Portfolio Manager & Senior Research Analyst for Lucerne Capital Management. Prior to joining Lucerne in 2014, Mr. Copplestone was Founding Partner of Mermaid Asset Management, Senior Managing Director of ABN AMRO and President of Alfred Berg Inc. and Enskilda Securities Inc. Mr. Copplestone received his BA in Economics from the University of Kent, Canterbury.

 

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Trading Sub-Adviser Portfolio Managers

 

The Fund is managed by [__]’s portfolio management team. The individual members of the team responsible for the day to day management of the Fund’s portfolio are listed below.

 

[________]

 

[_______]

 

The Fund’s SAI provides additional information about the Portfolio Managers’ compensation structure, other accounts managed by the Portfolio Managers, and the Portfolio Managers’ ownership of shares in the Fund.

 

HOW SHARES ARE PRICED

 

The NAV and offering price of shares is determined at the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time) on each day the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) is open. NAV is computed by determining, on a per class basis, the aggregate market value of all assets of the Fund, less its liabilities, divided by the total number of shares outstanding ((assets-liabilities)/number of shares = NAV). The NYSE is closed on weekends and New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. The NAV takes into account the expenses and fees of the Fund, including management, administration, and distribution fees, which are accrued daily. The determination of NAV for the Fund for a particular day is applicable to all applications for the purchase of shares, as well as all requests for the redemption of shares, received by the Fund (or an authorized broker or agent, or its authorized designee) before the close of trading on the NYSE on that day.

 

Generally, securities traded or dealt in upon one or more securities exchanges (whether domestic or foreign) for which market quotations are readily available and not subject to restrictions against resale shall be valued at the last quoted sales price on the primary exchange or, in the absence of a sale on the primary exchange, at the mean between the current bid and ask prices on such exchange. Securities primarily traded in the National Association of Securities Dealers’ Automated Quotation System (“NASDAQ”) National Market System for which market quotations are readily available shall be valued using the NASDAQ official closing price. Securities that are not traded or dealt in any securities exchange (whether domestic or foreign) and for which over-the-counter market quotations are readily available generally shall be valued at the last sale price or, in the absence of a sale, at the mean between the current bid and ask price on such over-the-counter market. Debt securities not traded on an exchange may be valued at prices supplied by a pricing agent(s) based on broker or dealer supplied valuations or matrix pricing, a method of valuing securities by reference to the value of other securities with similar characteristics, such as rating, interest rate and maturity. Futures, swaps and options contracts listed for trading on a futures or options exchange or board of trade for which market quotations are generally available are valued at the last quoted sale price, or, in the absence of a sale, at the mean of the last bid and ask price. Total return swaps on exchange-listed securities are valued at the last quoted sale price, or, in the absence of a sale, at the mean of the last bid and ask price.

 

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If market quotations are not readily available, securities or other assets will be valued at their fair value as determined in good faith by the Adviser in accordance with procedures approved by the Board and evaluated by the Board as to the reliability of the fair value method used. In these cases, the Fund’s NAV will reflect certain portfolio securities’ fair values rather than their market prices. Fair value pricing involves subjective judgments and it is possible that the fair value determined for a security or other asset may be materially different than the value that could be realized upon the sale of that security or other asset. The fair value prices can differ from market prices. The Board has delegated execution of these procedures to a fair value committee. The committee may also enlist third party consultants such as an audit firm or financial officer of a security issuer on an as-needed basis to assist in determining a security-specific fair value. The Board reviews and ratifies the execution of this process and the resultant fair value prices at least quarterly to assure the process produces reliable results.

 

The Fund may use independent pricing services to assist in calculating the value of the Fund’s securities or other assets. In addition, market prices for foreign securities are not determined at the same time of day as the NAV for the Fund. Because the Fund may invest in securities primarily listed on foreign exchanges, and these exchanges may trade on weekends or other days when the Fund does not price its shares, the value of some of the Fund’s portfolio securities may change on days when you may not be able to buy or sell Fund shares.

 

In computing the NAV, the Fund values foreign securities held by the Fund at the latest closing price on the exchange in which they are traded immediately prior to closing of the NYSE. Prices of foreign securities quoted in foreign currencies are translated into U.S. dollars at current rates. If events materially affecting the value of a security in the Fund’s portfolio, particularly foreign securities, occur after the close of trading on a foreign market but before the Fund prices its shares, the security will be valued at fair value. For example, if trading in a portfolio security is halted and does not resume before the Fund calculates its NAV, the Adviser may need to price the security using the Fund’s fair value pricing guidelines. Without a fair value price, short-term traders could take advantage of the arbitrage opportunity and dilute the NAV of long-term investors. Fair valuation of the Fund’s portfolio securities can serve to reduce arbitrage opportunities available to short-term traders, but there is no assurance that fair value pricing policies will prevent dilution of the Fund’s NAV by short term traders.

 

With respect to any portion of the Fund’s assets that are invested in one or more open-end management investment companies registered under the 1940 Act, the Fund’s net asset value is calculated based upon the net asset values of those open-end management investment companies, and the prospectuses for these companies explain the circumstances under which those companies will use fair value pricing and the effects of using fair value pricing.

 

Premium/Discount Information

 

Most investors will buy and sell shares of the Fund in secondary market transactions through brokers at market prices and the Fund’s shares will trade at market prices. The market price of shares of the Fund may be greater than, equal to, or less than NAV. Market forces of supply and demand, economic conditions and other factors may affect the trading prices of shares of the Fund.

 

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Information regarding how often the shares of the Fund traded at a price above (at a premium to) or below (at a discount to) the NAV of the Fund during the past four calendar quarters, when available; the Fund’s median bid-ask spread over the past 30 days; and the Fund’s current NAV, market price, and premium or discount, each as of the end of the prior business day, can be found at www.[____].com.

 

HOW TO BUY AND SELL SHARES

 

Shares of the Fund are listed for trading on the [CBOE] under the symbol SUST. Share prices are reported in dollars and cents per share. Shares can be bought and sold on the secondary market throughout the trading day like other publicly-traded shares at their market price and shares typically trade in blocks smaller than a Creation Unit. There is no minimum investment required. Shares may only be purchased and sold on the secondary market when the [CBOE] is open for trading. The [CBOE] is open for trading Monday through Friday and is closed on weekends and the following holidays, as observed: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

 

When buying or selling shares through a broker, you will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges, and you may pay some or all of the spread between the bid and the offered price in the secondary market on each leg of a round trip (purchase and sale) transaction.

 

APs may acquire shares directly from the Fund, and APs may tender their shares for redemption directly to the Fund, at NAV per share only in large blocks, or Creation Units, of [25,000] shares. Purchases and redemptions directly with the Fund must follow the Fund’s procedures, which are described in the SAI.

 

The Fund may liquidate and terminate at any time without shareholder approval.

 

Book Entry

 

Shares are held in book entry form, which means that no stock certificates are issued. The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) or its nominee is the record owner of all outstanding shares of the Fund and is recognized as the owner of all shares for all purposes.

 

Investors owning shares are beneficial owners as shown on the records of DTC or its participants. DTC serves as the securities depository for all shares. Participants in DTC include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and other institutions that directly or indirectly maintain a custodial relationship with DTC. As a beneficial owner of shares, you are not entitled to receive physical delivery of stock certificates or to have shares registered in your name, and you are not considered a registered owner of shares. Therefore, to exercise any right as an owner of shares, you must rely upon the procedures of DTC and its participants. These procedures are the same as those that apply to any other securities that you hold in book entry or “street name” form.

 

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FREQUENT PURCHASES AND REDEMPTIONS OF FUND SHARES

 

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

 

DISTRIBUTION AND SERVICE PLAN

 

The Fund has adopted a distribution and service plan (“Plan”) pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”). Under the Plan, the Fund is authorized to pay distribution fees to the distributor and other firms that provide distribution and shareholder services (“Service Providers”). If a Service Provider provides these services, the Fund may pay fees at an annual rate not to exceed [__]% of the Fund’s average daily net assets, pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act.

 

No distribution or service fees are currently paid by the Fund, and will not be paid by the Fund unless authorized by the Board of Trustees. There are no current plans to impose these fees. In the event Rule 12b-1 fees were charged, over time they would increase the cost of an investment in the Fund.

 

DIVIDENDS, OTHER DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAXES

 

Shares are traded throughout the day in the secondary market on the [CBOE] on an intra-day basis and are created and redeemed in-kind and/or for cash in Creation Units at each day’s next calculated NAV. In-kind arrangements are designed to protect ongoing shareholders from the adverse effects on a Fund’s portfolio that could arise from frequent cash redemption transactions. In a conventional mutual fund, redemptions can have an adverse tax impact on taxable shareholders if the mutual fund needs to sell portfolio securities to obtain cash to meet net fund redemptions. These sales may generate taxable gains for the ongoing shareholders of the mutual fund, whereas the shares’ in-kind redemption mechanism generally will not lead to a tax event for the Fund or its ongoing shareholders.

 

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Ordinarily, dividends from net investment income, if any, are declared and paid at least annually. The Fund distributes its net realized capital gains, if any, to shareholders annually. The Fund may also pay a special distribution at the end of a calendar year to comply with federal tax requirements.

 

Distributions in cash may be reinvested automatically in additional whole shares only if the broker through whom you purchased shares makes such option available.

 

Taxes

 

As with any investment, you should consider how your investment in shares will be taxed. The tax information in this prospectus is provided as general information. You should consult your own tax professional about the tax consequences of an investment in shares. The Fund intends to qualify each year for treatment as a regulated investment company (“RIC”) under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). If it meets certain minimum distribution requirements, a RIC is not subject to tax at the fund-level on income and gains from investments that are timely distributed to shareholders. However, the Fund’s failure to qualify as a RIC or to meet minimum distribution requirements would result (if certain relief provisions were not available) in fund-level taxation and, consequently, a reduction in income available for distribution to shareholders.

 

Unless your investment in shares is made through a tax-exempt entity or tax-deferred retirement account, such as an individual retirement account, you need to be aware of the possible tax consequences when:

 

othe Fund makes distributions,

 

oyou sell your shares listed on the [CBOE], or

 

oyou purchase or redeem Creation Units.

 

Taxes on Distributions

 

As stated above, dividends from net investment income, if any, ordinarily are declared and paid at least annually by the Fund. The Fund may also pay a special distribution at the end of a calendar year to comply with federal tax requirements. Distributions from the Fund’s net investment income, including net short-term capital gains, if any, are taxable to you as ordinary income, except that the Fund’s dividends attributable to its “qualified dividend income” (i.e., dividends received on stock of most domestic and certain foreign corporations with respect to which the Fund satisfies certain holding period and other restrictions), if any, generally are subject to federal income tax for non-corporate shareholders who satisfy those restrictions with respect to their Fund shares at the rate for net capital gain. A part of the Fund’s dividends also may be eligible for the dividends-received deduction allowed to corporations -- the eligible portion may not exceed the aggregate dividends the Fund receives from domestic corporations subject to federal income tax (excluding REITs) and excludes dividends from foreign corporations -- subject to similar restrictions. However, dividends a corporate shareholder deducts pursuant to that deduction are subject indirectly to the federal alternative minimum tax.

 

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In general, your distributions are subject to federal income tax when they are paid, whether you take them in cash or reinvest them in the Fund (if that option is available). Distributions reinvested in additional shares of the Fund through the means of a dividend reinvestment service, if available, will be taxable to shareholders acquiring the additional shares to the same extent as if such distributions had been received in cash. Distributions of net long-term capital gains, if any, in excess of net short-term capital losses are taxable as long-term capital gains, regardless of how long you have held the shares.

 

U.S. individuals with income exceeding specified thresholds are subject to a 3.8% Medicare contribution tax on all or a portion of their “net investment income,” which includes interest, dividends, and certain capital gains (generally including capital gains distributions and capital gains realized on the sale of shares). This 3.8% tax also applies to all or a portion of the undistributed net investment income of certain shareholders that are estates and trusts.

 

In general, your distributions are subject to federal income tax for the year in which they are paid. Certain distributions paid in January, however, may be treated as paid on December 31 of the prior year. Distributions are generally taxable even if they are paid from income or gains earned by the Funds before your investment (and thus were included in the shares’ NAV when you purchased your shares).

 

Distributions in excess of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits are treated as a tax-free return of capital to the extent of your basis in the shares and as capital gain thereafter. A distribution will reduce the Fund’s NAV per share and may be taxable to you as ordinary income or capital gain (as described above) even though, from an investment standpoint, the distribution may constitute a return of capital.

 

By law, the Fund is required to withhold 28% of your distributions and redemption proceeds if you have not provided the Fund with a correct Social Security number or other taxpayer identification number and in certain other situations.

 

If you are neither a resident nor a citizen of the United States or if you are a foreign entity, distributions (other than capital gain dividends) paid to you by the Funds will generally be subject to a U.S. withholding tax at the rate of 30% unless a lower treaty rate applies. The Funds may, under certain circumstances, report all or a portion of a dividend as an “interest-related dividend” or a “short-term capital gain dividend,” which would generally be exempt from this 30% U.S. withholding tax, provided certain other requirements are met.

 

Taxes on Exchange-Listed Share Sales

 

Any capital gain or loss realized upon a sale of shares is generally treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the shares have been held for more than one year and as short-term capital gain or loss if the shares have been held for one year or less. The ability to deduct capital losses from sales of shares may be limited.

 

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Taxes on Purchase and Redemption of Creation Units

 

An AP who exchanges securities for Creation Units generally will recognize a gain or a loss equal to the difference between the market value of the Creation Units at the time of the exchange and the sum of the exchanger’s aggregate basis in the securities surrendered plus any Cash Component it pays. An AP who exchanges Creation Units for securities will generally recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the exchanger’s basis in the Creation Units and the sum of the aggregate market value of the securities received plus any cash equal to the difference between the NAV of the shares being redeemed and the value of the securities. The Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”), however, may assert that a loss realized upon an exchange of securities for Creation Units cannot be deducted currently under the rules governing “wash sales” or for other reasons. Persons exchanging securities should consult their own tax advisor with respect to whether wash sale rules apply and when a loss might be deductible.

 

Any capital gain or loss realized upon redemption of Creation Units is generally treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the shares have been held for more than one year and as short-term capital gain or loss if the shares have been held for one year or less.

 

If you purchase or redeem Creation Units, you will be sent a confirmation statement showing how many shares you purchased or sold and at what price. See “Tax Status” in the SAI for a description of the newly effective requirement regarding basis determination methods applicable to share redemptions and each Fund’s obligation to report basis information to the IRS.

 

The foregoing discussion summarizes some of the possible consequences under current federal tax law of an investment in the Fund. It is not a substitute for personal tax advice. Consult your personal tax advisor about the potential tax consequences of an investment in the shares under all applicable tax laws. See “Tax Status” in the SAI for more information.

 

Fund Service Providers

 

Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. is the Fund’s administrator and fund accountant. It has its principal office at 50 Post Office Square, Boston, MA 02110, and is primarily in the business of providing administrative, fund accounting and transfer agent services to retail and institutional mutual funds.

 

Brown Brothers Harriman & Co., 50 Post Office Square, Boston, MA 02110, is the Fund’s transfer agent.

 

Brown Brothers Harriman & Co., 50 Post Office Square, Boston, MA 02110, is the Fund’s custodian.

 

Foreside Fund Services, LLC (the “Distributor”), Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME 04101, is the distributor for the shares of the Fund. The Distributor is a registered broker-dealer and member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”).

 

Thompson Hine LLP, 41 South High Street, 17th Floor, Columbus, Ohio 43215, serves as legal counsel to the Trust.

 

Cohen & Company, Ltd. 342 N. Water St., Suite 830, Milwaukee, WI 53202, serves as the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm. The independent registered public accounting firm is responsible for auditing the annual financial statements of the Fund.

 

22

 

 

OTHER INFORMATION

 

Investments by Other Investment Companies

 

Pursuant to SEC guidance related to the Fund’s adoption of and compliance with Rule 6c-11 under the 1940 Act, the Fund is permitted to allow other investment companies to invest in the Fund beyond the limits set forth in Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act subject to certain terms and conditions.

 

Continuous Offering

 

The method by which Creation Units of shares are created and traded may raise certain issues under applicable securities laws. Because new Creation Units of shares are issued and sold by the Fund on an ongoing basis, a “distribution,” as such term is used in the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), may occur at any point. 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 which could render them statutory underwriters and subject them to the prospectus delivery requirement and liability provisions of the Securities Act.

 

For example, a broker-dealer firm or its client may be deemed a statutory underwriter if it takes Creation Units after placing an order with the Distributor, breaks them down into constituent shares and sells the shares directly to customers or if it chooses to couple the creation of a supply of new shares with an active selling effort involving solicitation of secondary market demand for shares. A determination of whether one is an underwriter for purposes of the Securities Act must take into account all the facts and circumstances pertaining to the activities of the broker-dealer or its client in the particular case, and the examples mentioned above should not be considered a complete description of all the activities that could lead to a characterization as an underwriter.

 

Broker-dealer firms should also note that dealers who are not “underwriters” but are effecting transactions in shares, whether or not participating in the distribution of shares, are generally required to deliver a prospectus. This is because the prospectus delivery exemption in Section 4(3) of the Securities Act is not available in respect of such transactions as a result of Section 24(d) of the 1940 Act. As a result, broker-dealer firms should note that dealers who are not “underwriters” but are participating in a distribution (as contrasted with engaging in ordinary secondary market transactions) and thus dealing with the shares that are part of an overallotment within the meaning of Section 4(3)(C) of the Securities Act, will be unable to take advantage of the prospectus delivery exemption provided by Section 4(3) of the Securities Act. For delivery of prospectuses to exchange members, the prospectus delivery mechanism of Rule 153 under the Securities Act is only available with respect to transactions on a national exchange.

 

Dealers effecting transactions in the shares, whether or not participating in this distribution, are generally required to deliver a prospectus. This is in addition to any obligation of dealers to deliver a prospectus when acting as underwriters.

 

Householding: To reduce expenses, the Fund mails only one copy of the prospectus and each annual and semi-annual report to those addresses shared by two or more accounts. If you wish to receive individual copies of these documents, please call the Fund at (___) [___]-[____] on days the Fund is open for business or contact your financial institution. The Fund will begin sending you individual copies thirty days after receiving your request.

 

23

 

 

Additional Notices

 

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

 

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

 

Because the Fund has not yet commenced investment operations, no financial highlights are available for the Fund at this time. In the future, financial highlights will be presented in this section of the prospectus.

 

24

 

 

Privacy Policy Notice

 

The Trust is committed to protecting its investors’ privacy in connection with any investment in a series (“Fund”) of the Trust. Because the Trust sells its shares exclusively to Authorized Participants (as defined in each Fund’s registration statement), which are registered broker-dealers, and does not sell shares directly to individual investors, the Trust does not collect or maintain non-public personal information (such as name, address, phone number, social security number, purchases, sales, account balances, mutual fund account information and other personal financial information) about individual investors. Individual investors make investments in a Fund through a financial intermediary, such as, but not limited to, a broker-dealer, bank, or trust company. Thus, the privacy policy of the relevant financial intermediary governs how the individual investor’s non-public personal information can be shared with nonaffiliated third parties. Based on the foregoing, the Trust has not adopted a privacy policy.

 

Adopted: October 8, 2019.

 

25

 

Esoterica-Lucerne European Sustainability ETF

 

Adviser

Lucerne Capital Management, LP

35 Mason Street

Greenwich, CT 06830

Distributor

Foreside Fund Services, LLC

Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100

Portland, ME 04101

Trading Sub-Adviser

[______]

 

Independent Registered Public Accounting
Firm

Cohen & Company, Ltd.

342 N. Water St., Suite 830

Milwaukee, WI 53202

Custodian & Transfer Agent

Brown Brothers Harriman & Co.

50 Post Office Square

Boston, MA 02110

Legal Counsel

Thompson Hine LLP

41 South High Street, Suite 1700

Columbus, OH 43215

Administrator

Brown Brothers Harriman & Co.

50 Post Office Square

Boston, MA 02110

 

   

 

Additional information about the Fund is included in the Fund’s SAI dated [____ _], 2020. The SAI is incorporated into this prospectus by reference (i.e., legally made a part of this prospectus). The SAI provides more details about the Fund’s policies and management. Additional information about the Fund’s investments will also be available in the Fund’s Annual and Semi-Annual Reports to Shareholders. In the Fund’s Annual Report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance during the prior fiscal period.

 

To obtain a free copy of the SAI and the Annual and Semi-Annual Reports to Shareholders, or other information about the Fund, or to make shareholder inquiries about the Fund, please call (___) [___]-[____]. Information relating to the Fund can be found on the website at www.[____].com. You may also write to:

 

Esoterica-Lucerne European Sustainability ETF
c/o
Brown Brothers Harriman & Co.
50 Post Office Square, Boston, MA 02110

 

You may review and obtain copies of the Fund’s information at www.[_____].com. Reports and other information about the Fund are available on the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s Internet site at http://www.sec.gov.

 

Investment Company Act File # 811-23473

 

26

 

 

The information in this Statement of Additional Information is not complete and may be changed. A registration statement relating to these securities has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The securities described herein may not be sold until the registration statement becomes effective. This Statement of Additional Information is not an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities and is not offering or soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state in which the offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

 

ESOTERICA THEMATIC TRUST

 

Esoterica-Lucerne European Sustainability ETF

 

STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

 

Dated [  ], 2020

 

This Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) is not a prospectus, and should be read in conjunction with the Prospectus of Esoterica-Lucerne European Sustainability ETF dated [  ], 2020, as amended (“Prospectus”) for the following series of the Trust, as it may be supplemented from time to time:

 

Fund Ticker Symbol Listing Exchange
Esoterica-Lucerne European Sustainability ETF SUST [[CBOE] BZX Exchange, Inc.]

 

Capitalized terms used herein that are not defined have the same meaning as in the Prospectus, unless otherwise noted. A copy of the Prospectus, SAI and the Trust’s Annual or Semi-Annual Report may be obtained without charge on the Trust’s website, by writing to the Trust’s Distributor, Foreside Fund Services, LLC at Three Canal Plaza, Portland, Maine 04101, or by calling the toll-free number (___) [___]-[____] (9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern Time).

 

 

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST 1
EXCHANGE LISTING AND TRADING 1
INVESTMENT POLICIES AND RISKS 2
INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS AND POLICIES 22
BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE TRUST 23
MANAGEMENT AND OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS 29
PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS DISCLOSURE 36
QUARTERLY PORTFOLIO SCHEDULE 36
CODE OF ETHICS 36
PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES 36
BROKERAGE TRANSACTIONS 37
EXCHANGE LISTING AND TRADING 39
BOOK ENTRY ONLY SYSTEM 39
CREATION AND REDEMPTION OF CREATION UNITS 41
DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE 49
DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS 50
CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL SHAREHOLDERS 51
TAXES 51
CAPITAL STOCK 60
SHAREHOLDER REPORTS 61
DISCLAIMERS 61
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 61
PROXY POLICY OF ADVISOR 62

 

i

 

 

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST

 

Esoterica Thematic Trust (the “Trust”) is an open-end management investment company. The Trust currently consists of two investment portfolios, the Esoterica NextG Economy ETF and the Esoterica-Lucerne European Sustainability ETF (the “Fund”). The Fund is a non-diversified management investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”). The Fund is actively managed. The Trust was organized as a Delaware statutory trust on July 2, 2019. The shares of the Fund are referred to herein as “Shares.” Lucerne Capital Management, LP (the “Adviser”) acts as investment adviser to the Fund, and [     ] (“[    ]” or the “Trading Sub-Adviser”) acts as trading sub-adviser to the Fund.

 

The Fund offers and issues Shares at their net asset value (“NAV”) only in aggregations of a specified number of Shares (each, a “Creation Unit”). The Fund generally offers and issues Shares in exchange for a basket of securities (“Deposit Securities”) together with the deposit of a specified cash payment (“Cash Component”). The Fund reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of a “cash in lieu” amount (“Deposit Cash”) to be added to the Cash Component to replace any Deposit Security. Shares are or will be listed on the [CBOE] BZX Exchange, Inc. (“[CBOE]”) and trade on the [CBOE] at market prices that may differ from the Shares’ NAV. Shares are also redeemable only in Creation Unit aggregations, primarily for a basket of Deposit Securities together with a Cash Component. A Creation Unit of the Fund generally consists of [25,000] Shares, though this may change from time to time. As a practical matter, only institutions or large investors purchase or redeem Creation Units. Except when aggregated in Creation Units, Shares are not redeemable securities.

 

Shares may be issued in advance of receipt of Deposit Securities subject to various conditions, including a requirement to maintain on deposit with the Fund cash at least equal to a specified percentage of the value of the missing Deposit Securities, as set forth in the Participant Agreement (as defined below). The Fund may impose a transaction fee for each creation or redemption. In all cases, such fees will be limited in accordance with the requirements of the SEC applicable to management investment companies offering redeemable securities. As in the case of other publicly-traded securities, brokers’ commissions on transactions in the secondary market will be based on negotiated commission rates at customary levels.

 

EXCHANGE LISTING AND TRADING

 

Shares are listed for trading and trade throughout the day on the [CBOE].

 

There can be no assurance that the Fund will continue to meet the requirements of the [CBOE] necessary to maintain the listing of Shares. The [CBOE] will consider the suspension of trading in, and will initiate delisting proceedings of, the Shares of the Fund under any of the following circumstances: (i) if any of the requirements set forth in the [CBOE] rules are not continuously maintained; (ii) if the [CBOE] files separate proposals under Section 19(b) of the 1940 Act and any of the statements regarding: (a) the description of the Fund; (b) limitations on the Fund’s portfolio holdings; or (c) the applicability of the [CBOE] listing rules specified in such proposals are not continuously maintained; (iii) if following the initial 12-month period beginning at the commencement of trading of the Fund, there are fewer than 50 beneficial owners of the Shares of the Fund; or (iv) the Fund is no longer eligible to operate in reliance on Rule 6c-11 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 Act; or (v) such other event shall occur or condition shall exist that, in the opinion of the [CBOE], makes further dealings on the [CBOE] inadvisable. The [CBOE] will remove the Shares of the Fund from listing and trading upon termination of the Fund.

 

1

 

 

INVESTMENT POLICIES AND RISKS

 

A discussion of the risks associated with an investment in the Fund is contained in the Prospectus under the headings “Fund Summary—Principal Investment Strategies” with respect to the Fund, “Fund Summary—Principal Investment Risks” with respect to the Fund and “Additional Information About Principal Investment Strategies and Related Risks.” The discussion below supplements, and should be read in conjunction with, such sections of the Prospectus.

 

General Considerations and Risks

 

An investment in the Fund should be made with an understanding that the value of the Fund’s portfolio securities may fluctuate in accordance with changes in the financial condition of the issuers of the portfolio securities, the value of securities generally and other factors.

 

In the event that the securities purchased by the Fund are not listed on a national securities exchange, the principal trading market for some may be in the over-the-counter market. The existence of a liquid trading market for certain securities may depend on whether dealers will make a market in such securities. There can be no assurance that a market will be made or maintained or that any such market will be or remain liquid. The price at which securities may be sold and the value of the Shares will be adversely affected if trading markets for the Fund’s portfolio securities are limited or absent or if bid/ask spreads are wide.

 

The Adviser on behalf of the Fund will file with the National Futures Association (“NFA”) a notice claiming an exclusion from the definition of the term “commodity pool operator” (“CPO”) under the Commodity Exchange Act, as amended (“CEA”), and the rules of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) promulgated thereunder, with respect to the Fund’s operations. Therefore, neither the Fund, the Adviser nor the Trading Sub-Adviser are subject to registration or regulation as a commodity pool or CPO under the CEA. If the Fund becomes subject to these requirements, as well as related NFA rules, the Fund may incur additional compliance and other expenses.

 

Authorized Participant Concentration

 

Only Authorized Participants may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with the Fund. The Fund has a limited number of institutions that act as Authorized Participants. 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 create or redeem Creation Units, Fund shares may trade at a discount to NAV and possibly face trading halts and/or delisting.

 

Borrowing

 

The Fund may borrow money to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act, as interpreted or modified by regulation from time to time. This means that, in general, the Fund may borrow money from banks for any purpose in an amount up to ⅓ of the Fund’s total assets. The Fund also may borrow money for temporary administrative purposes in an amount not to exceed 5% of the Fund’s total assets.

 

Specifically, provisions of the 1940 Act require the Fund to maintain continuous asset coverage (that is, total assets including borrowings, less liabilities exclusive of borrowings) of 300% of the amount borrowed, with an exception for borrowings not in excess of 5% of the Fund’s total assets made for temporary purposes. Any borrowings for temporary purposes in excess of 5% of the Fund’s total assets must maintain continuous asset coverage. If the 300% asset coverage should decline as a result of market fluctuations or other reasons, the Fund may be required to sell some of its portfolio holdings within three (3) days (not including Sundays and holidays) to reduce its debt and restore the 300% asset coverage, even though it may be disadvantageous from an investment standpoint to sell securities at that time.

 

2

 

 

The Fund also may enter into certain transactions that can be viewed as constituting a form of borrowing or financing transaction by the Fund. To the extent the Fund “covers” its obligations or liabilities by the segregation or “earmarking” of assets, in accordance with procedures adopted by the Board reasonably designed to be consistent with the regulations, rules and SEC staff interpretations under the 1940 Act, such borrowing will not be (i) considered a “senior security” by the Fund or (ii) subject to the 300% asset coverage requirement otherwise applicable to borrowings by the Fund. Borrowing will tend to exaggerate the effect on the Fund’s NAV of any increase or decrease in the market value of the Fund’s portfolio. Money borrowed will be subject to interest costs that may or may not be recovered by appreciation of the securities purchased. In addition, the Fund may be required to maintain minimum average balances in connection with such borrowing or to pay a commitment or other fee to maintain a line of credit; either of these requirements would increase the cost of borrowing over the stated interest rate.

 

Concentration of Investments

 

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 of a particular issuer or issuers, country, group of countries, region, market, industry, group of industries, sector or asset class. Shares are subject to the risks of an investment in a portfolio of equity securities in an industry or group of industries in which the Fund invests.

 

Currency Forwards

 

A currency forward transaction is a contract to buy or sell a specified quantity of currency at a specified date in the future at a specified price which may be any fixed number of days from the date of the contract agreed upon by the parties, at a price set at the time of the contract. Currency forward contracts may be used to increase or reduce exposure to currency price movements. Eventually some but not all forward contracts will be centrally-cleared and exchange traded.

 

The use of currency forward transactions involves certain risks. For example, if the counterparty under the contract defaults on its obligation to make payments due from it as a result of its bankruptcy or otherwise, the Fund may lose such payments altogether or collect only a portion thereof, which collection could involve costs or delays.

 

Custody Risk

 

Less developed markets are more likely to experience problems with the clearing and settling of trades, as well as the holding of securities by local banks, agents and depositories.

 

3

 

 

Cyber Security

 

In connection with the increased use of technologies such as the Internet and the dependence on computer systems to perform necessary business functions, the Fund is susceptible to operational, information security, and related risks due to the possibility of cyber-attacks or other incidents. Cyber incidents may result from deliberate attacks or unintentional events. Cyber-attacks include, but are not limited to, infection by computer viruses or other malicious software code, gaining unauthorized access to systems, networks, or devices that are used to service the Fund’s operations through hacking or other means for the purpose of misappropriating assets or sensitive information, corrupting data, or causing operational disruption. Cyber-attacks may also be carried out in a manner that does not require gaining unauthorized access, such as causing denial-of-service attacks (which can make a website unavailable) on the Fund’s website. In addition, Authorized Participants could inadvertently or intentionally release confidential or proprietary information stored on the Fund’s systems.

 

Cyber security failures or breaches by the Fund’s third party service providers (including, but not limited to, the Adviser, distributor, custodian, transfer agent, and financial intermediaries) may cause disruptions and impact the service providers’ and the Fund’s business operations, potentially resulting in financial losses, the inability of Fund shareholders to transact business, the inability of the Fund to process transactions, the inability to calculate the Fund’s net asset value, violations of applicable privacy and other laws, regulatory fines, penalties, reputational damage, reimbursement or other compensation costs, and/or additional compliance costs. The Fund and its shareholders could be negatively impacted as a result of successful cyber-attacks against, or security breakdowns of, the Fund or its third-party service providers.

 

The Fund may incur substantial costs to prevent or address cyber incidents in the future. In addition, there is a possibility that certain risks have not been adequately identified or prepared for. Furthermore, the Fund cannot directly control any cyber security plans and systems put in place by third party service providers. Cyber security risks are also present for issuers of securities in which the Fund invests, which could result in material adverse consequences for such issuers, and may cause the Fund’s investment in such securities to lose value.

 

Depositary Receipts

 

To the extent the Fund invests in stocks of foreign corporations, the Fund's investment in securities of foreign companies may be in the form of depositary receipts or other securities convertible into securities of foreign issuers. American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs") are dollar-denominated receipts representing interests in the securities of a foreign issuer, which securities may not necessarily be denominated in the same currency as the securities into which they may be converted. ADRs are receipts typically issued by U.S. banks and trust companies which evidence ownership of underlying securities issued by a foreign corporation. Generally, ADRs in registered form are designed for use in domestic securities markets and are traded on exchanges or over-the-counter in the United States.

 

Global Depositary Receipts ("GDRs"), European Depositary Receipts ("EDRs"), and International Depositary Receipts ("IDRs") are similar to ADRs in that they are certificates evidencing ownership of shares of a foreign issuer; however, GDRs, EDRs, and IDRs may be issued in bearer form and denominated in other currencies and are generally designed for use in specific or multiple securities markets outside the U.S. EDRs, for example, are designed for use in European securities markets, while GDRs are designed for use throughout the world. Depositary receipts will not necessarily be denominated in the same currency as their underlying securities.

 

The Fund may invest in unsponsored depositary receipts. The issuers of unsponsored depositary receipts are not obligated to disclose material information in the United States and, therefore, there may be less information available regarding such issuers and there may not be a correlation between such information and the value of the depositary receipts. The Fund will not invest in any unlisted Depositary Receipt or any Depositary Receipt that the Adviser deems illiquid at the time of purchase or for which pricing information is not readily available. In general, Depositary Receipts must be sponsored, but the Fund may invest in unsponsored Depositary Receipts under certain limited circumstances. The issuers of unsponsored Depositary Receipts are not obligated to disclose material information in the United States. Therefore, there may be less information available regarding such issuers and there may be no correlation between available information and the market value of the Depositary Receipts.

 

4

 

 

Derivatives

 

Derivatives are financial instruments whose values are based on the value of one or more indicators, such as a security, asset, currency, interest rate, or index. The Fund’s use of derivatives involves risks different from, and possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other more traditional investments. Moreover, although the value of a derivative is based on an underlying indicator, a derivative does not carry the same rights as would be the case if the Fund invested directly in the underlying securities.

 

Equity Securities

 

An investment in the Fund should also be made with an understanding of the risks inherent in an investment in equity securities, including the risk that the financial condition of issuers may become impaired or that the general condition of the securities market may deteriorate (either of which may cause a decrease in the value of the portfolio securities and thus in the value of Shares). Common stocks are susceptible to general stock market fluctuations and to volatile increases and decreases in value as market confidence in and perceptions of their issuers change. These investor perceptions are based on various and unpredictable factors, including expectations regarding government, economic, monetary and fiscal policies, inflation and interest rates, economic expansion or contraction, and global or regional political, economic and banking crises.

 

Holders of common stocks incur more risk than holders of preferred stocks and debt obligations because common stockholders, as owners of the issuer, have generally inferior rights to receive payments from the issuer in comparison with the rights of creditors of, or holders of debt obligations or preferred stocks issued by, the issuer. Further, unlike debt securities, which typically have a stated principal amount payable at maturity (whose value, however, will be subject to market fluctuations prior thereto), or preferred stocks, which typically have a liquidation preference and which may have stated optional or mandatory redemption provisions, common stocks have neither a fixed principal amount nor a maturity. Common stock values are subject to market fluctuations as long as the common stock remains outstanding.

 

Fluctuation of Net Asset Value

 

The net asset value (“NAV”) of the Fund’s Shares will generally fluctuate with changes in the market value of the Fund’s holdings. The market prices of the Shares will generally fluctuate in accordance with changes in NAV as well as the relative supply and demand for Shares on the [CBOE]. The Adviser cannot predict whether the Shares will trade below, at or above the NAV of the Shares of the Fund.

 

5

 

 

Foreign Securities

 

An investment in the Fund involves risks similar to those of investing in portfolios of equity securities traded on non-U.S. exchanges. These risks include market fluctuations caused by such factors as economic and political developments and changes in interest rates and perceived trends in stock prices. Investing in securities issued by issuers domiciled in countries other than the domicile of the investor and denominated in currencies other than an investor’s local currency entails certain considerations and risks not typically encountered by the investor in making investments in its home country and in that country’s currency. These considerations include favorable or unfavorable changes in interest rates, currency exchange rates, exchange control regulations and the costs that may be incurred in connection with conversions between various currencies. Investing in any of the Fund also involves certain risks and considerations not typically associated with investing in the Fund whose portfolio contains exclusively securities of U.S. issuers. These risks include generally less liquid and less efficient securities markets; generally greater price volatility; less publicly available information about issuers; the imposition of withholding or other taxes; the imposition of restrictions on the expatriation of funds or other assets of the Fund; higher transaction and custody costs; delays and risks attendant in settlement procedures; difficulties in enforcing contractual obligations; lower liquidity and significantly smaller market capitalization; different accounting and disclosure standards; lower levels of regulation of the securities markets; more substantial government interference with the economy; higher rates of inflation; greater social, economic, and political uncertainty; the risk of nationalization or expropriation of assets; and the risk of war.

 

Emerging Markets

 

Investments in emerging market countries may be subject to greater risks than investments in developed countries. These risks include: (i) less social, political, and economic stability; (ii) greater illiquidity and price volatility due to smaller or limited local capital markets for such securities, or low or non-existent trading volumes; (iii) foreign exchanges and broker-dealers may be subject to less scrutiny and regulation by local authorities; (iv) local governments may decide to seize or confiscate securities held by foreign investors and/or local governments may decide to suspend or limit an issuer’s ability to make dividend or interest payments; (v) local governments may limit or entirely restrict repatriation of invested capital, profits, and dividends; (vi) capital gains may be subject to local taxation, including on a retroactive basis; (vii) issuers facing restrictions on dollar or euro payments imposed by local governments may attempt to make dividend or interest payments to foreign investors in the local currency; (viii) investors may experience difficulty in enforcing legal claims related to the securities and/or local judges may favor the interests of the issuer over those of foreign investors; (ix) bankruptcy judgments may only be permitted to be paid in the local currency; (x) limited public information regarding the issuer may result in greater difficulty in determining market valuations of the securities, and (xi) lax financial reporting on a regular basis, substandard disclosure and differences in accounting standards may make it difficult to ascertain the financial health of an issuer.

 

Emerging market securities markets are typically marked by a high concentration of market capitalization and trading volume in a small number of issuers representing a limited number of industries, as well as a high concentration of ownership of such securities by a limited number of investors. In addition, brokerage and other costs associated with transactions in emerging market securities markets can be higher, sometimes significantly, than similar costs incurred in securities markets in developed countries. Although some emerging markets have become more established and tend to issue securities of higher credit quality, the markets for securities in other emerging market countries are in the earliest stages of their development, and these countries issue securities across the credit spectrum. Even the markets for relatively widely traded securities in emerging market countries may not be able to absorb, without price disruptions, a significant increase in trading volume or trades of a size customarily undertaken by institutional investors in the securities markets of developed countries. The limited size of many of these securities markets can cause prices to be erratic for reasons apart from factors that affect the soundness and competitiveness of the securities issuers. For example, prices may be unduly influenced by traders who control large positions in these markets. Additionally, market making and arbitrage activities are generally less extensive in such markets, which may contribute to increased volatility and reduced liquidity of such markets. The limited liquidity of emerging market securities may also affect the Fund’s ability to accurately value its portfolio securities or to acquire or dispose of securities at the price and time it wishes to do so or in order to meet redemption requests.

 

6

 

 

Many emerging market countries suffer from uncertainty and corruption in their legal frameworks. Legislation may be difficult to interpret and laws may be too new to provide any precedential value. Laws regarding foreign investment and private property may be weak or non-existent. Sudden changes in governments may result in policies that are less favorable to investors such as policies designed to expropriate or nationalize “sovereign” assets. Certain emerging market countries in the past have expropriated large amounts of private property, in many cases with little or no compensation, and there can be no assurance that such expropriation will not occur in the future.

 

Investment in the securities markets of certain emerging market countries is restricted or controlled to varying degrees. These restrictions may limit the Fund’s investments in certain emerging market countries and may increase the expenses of the Fund. Certain emerging market countries require governmental approval prior to investments by foreign persons or limit investment by foreign persons to only a specified percentage of an issuer’s outstanding securities or a specific class of securities which may have less advantageous terms (including price) than securities of the company available for purchase by nationals.

 

Many emerging market countries lack the social, political, and economic stability characteristic of the United States. Political and social instability among emerging market countries can be common and may be caused by an uneven distribution of wealth, social unrest, labor strikes, civil wars, and religious oppression. Economic instability in emerging market countries may take the form of: (i) high interest rates; (ii) high levels of inflation, including hyperinflation; (iii) high levels of unemployment or underemployment; (iv) changes in government economic and tax policies, including confiscatory taxation; and (v) imposition of trade barriers.

 

The Fund’s income and, in some cases, capital gains from foreign securities will be subject to applicable taxation in certain of the emerging market countries in which it invests, and treaties between the United States and such countries may not be available in some cases to reduce the otherwise applicable tax rates.

 

Emerging markets also have different clearance and settlement procedures, and in certain of these emerging markets there have been times when settlements have been unable to keep pace with the volume of securities transactions, making it difficult to conduct such transactions.

 

In the past, certain governments in emerging market countries have become overly reliant on the international capital markets and other forms of foreign credit to finance large public spending programs, which in the past have caused huge budget deficits. Often, interest payments have become too overwhelming for a government to meet, representing a large percentage of total GDP. These foreign obligations have become the subject of political debate and served as fuel for political parties of the opposition, which pressure the government not to make payments to foreign creditors, but instead to use these funds for, among other things, social programs. Either due to an inability to pay or submission to political pressure, foreign governments have been forced to seek a restructuring of their loan and/or bond obligations, have declared a temporary suspension of interest payments or have defaulted. These events have adversely affected the values of securities issued by foreign governments and corporations domiciled in those countries and have negatively affected not only their cost of borrowing, but their ability to borrow in the future as well.

 

7

 

 

Set forth below for certain markets in which the Fund may invest are brief descriptions of some of the conditions and risks in each such market.

 

Investments in Europe. Most developed countries in Western Europe are members of the European Union ("EU"), and many are also members of the European Monetary Union (“EMU”), which requires compliance with restrictions on inflation rates, deficits, and debt levels. Unemployment in certain European nations is historically high and several countries face significant debt problems. These conditions can significantly affect every country in Europe. The euro is the official currency of the EU. Funds that invest in Europe may have significant exposure to the euro and events affecting the euro. Recent market events affecting several of the EU member countries have adversely affected the sovereign debt issued by those countries, and ultimately may lead to a decline in the value of the euro. A significant decline in the value of the euro may produce unpredictable effects on trade and commerce generally and could lead to increased volatility in financial markets worldwide.

 

The decision made in the United Kingdom referendum to leave the European Union has led to volatility in global financial markets, and in particular in the markets of the United Kingdom and across Europe, and may also lead to weakening in consumer, corporate and financial confidence in the United Kingdom and Europe. The United Kingdom and European Union announced in March 2018 an agreement in principle to transitional provisions under which European Union law would remain in force in the United Kingdom until the end of December 2020, but this remains subject to the successful conclusion of an agreement between the United Kingdom and the European Union. In the absence of such an agreement there would be no transitional provisions and the United Kingdom would exit the European Union and the relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union would be based on the World Trade Organization rules (a “hard Brexit”). On October 28, 2019, the United Kingdom came to an agreement with the European Union to delay the deadline for withdrawal; however, the United Kingdom parliament did not approve the withdrawal agreement by January 31, 2020 and there was a hard Brexit on that date. While it is not currently possible to determine the extent of the impact a hard Brexit may have on our investments, certain measures are being proposed and/or will be introduced, at the European Union level or at the member state level, which are designed to minimize disruption in the financial markets.

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, the extent and process by which the United Kingdom will ultimately exit the European Union, and the longer term economic, legal, political and social framework to be put in place between the United Kingdom and the European Union are unclear at this stage and are likely to lead to ongoing political and economic uncertainty and periods of exacerbated volatility in both the United Kingdom and in wider European markets for some time. In particular, the decision made in the United Kingdom referendum may lead to a call for similar referenda in other European jurisdictions which may cause increased economic volatility and uncertainty in the European and global markets. This volatility and uncertainty may have an adverse effect on the economy generally and on our ability, and the ability of our portfolio companies, to execute our respective strategies and to receive attractive returns.

 

In particular, currency volatility may mean that our returns and the returns of our portfolio companies will be adversely affected by market movements and may make it more difficult, or more expensive, for us to implement appropriate currency hedging. Potential declines in the value of the British Pound and/or the euro against other currencies, along with the potential downgrading of the United Kingdom’s sovereign credit rating, may also have an impact on the performance of any of our portfolio companies located in the United Kingdom or Europe.

 

8

 

 

Futures and Options

 

Futures contracts and options may from time to time be used by the Fund to facilitate trading or to reduce transaction costs. The Fund may enter into futures contracts and options that are traded on a U.S. or non-U.S. exchange. The Fund will not use futures or options for speculative purposes.

 

Risk of Futures and Options

 

There are several risks accompanying the utilization of futures contracts and options on futures contracts. A position in futures contracts and options on futures contracts may be closed only on the exchange on which the contract was made (or a linked exchange). While the Fund plans to utilize futures contracts only if an active market exists for such contracts, there is no guarantee that a liquid market will exist for the contract at a specified time. In the event of adverse price movements, the Fund would continue to be required to make daily cash payments to maintain its required margin. In such situations, if the Fund has insufficient cash, it may have to sell portfolio securities to meet daily margin requirements at a time when it may be disadvantageous to do so. In addition, the Fund may be required to deliver the instruments underlying the futures contracts it has sold.

 

The risk of loss in trading futures contracts or uncovered call options in some strategies (e.g., selling uncovered stock index futures contracts) is potentially unlimited. The Fund does not plan to use futures and options contracts in this way. The risk of a futures position may still be large as traditionally measured due to the low margin deposits required. In many cases, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in immediate and substantial loss or gain to the investor relative to the size of a required margin deposit. The Fund, however, intend to utilize futures and options contracts in a manner designed to limit their risk exposure to levels comparable to a direct investment in the types of stocks in which they invest.

 

There is a risk of loss by the Fund of the initial and variation margin deposits in the event of bankruptcy of the futures commission merchant (“FCM”), which is a brokerage firm that is a member of the relevant contract market, with which the Fund has an open position in a futures contract. The assets of the Fund may not be fully protected in the event of the bankruptcy of the FCM or central counterparty because the Fund might be limited to recovering only a pro rata share of all available funds and margin segregated on behalf of an FCM’s customers. If the FCM does not provide accurate reporting, the Fund is also subject to the risk that the FCM could use the Fund’s assets, which are held in an omnibus account with assets belonging to the FCM’s other customers, to satisfy its own financial obligations or the payment obligations of another customer to the central counterparty.

 

There is also the risk of loss of margin deposits in the event of bankruptcy of a broker with whom the Fund has an open position in the futures contract or option. The purchase of put or call options will be based upon predictions by the Adviser as to anticipated trends, which predictions could prove to be incorrect.

 

Because the futures market generally imposes less burdensome margin requirements than the securities market, an increased amount of participation by speculators in the futures market could result in price fluctuations. Certain financial futures exchanges limit the amount of fluctuation permitted in futures contract prices during a single trading day. The daily limit establishes the maximum amount by which the price of a futures contract may vary either up or down from the previous day’s settlement price at the end of a trading session. Once the daily limit has been reached in a particular type of contract, no trades may be made on that day at a price beyond that limit. It is possible that futures contract prices could move to the daily limit for several consecutive trading days with little or no trading, thereby preventing prompt liquidation of futures positions and subjecting the Fund to substantial losses. In the event of adverse price movements, the Fund would be required to make daily cash payments of variation margin.

 

9

 

 

Futures

 

Futures contracts provide for the future sale by one party and purchase by another party of a specified amount of a specific asset, currency, rate or index at a specified future time and at a specified price. Stock index futures are based on investments that reflect the market value of common stock of the firms included in an underlying index. The Fund may enter into futures contracts to purchase securities indexes when the Trading Sub-Adviser anticipates purchasing the underlying securities and believes prices will rise before the purchase will be made. To the extent required by law, liquid assets committed to futures contracts will be maintained.

 

Futures contracts may be bought and sold on U.S. and non-U.S. exchanges. Futures contracts in the U.S. have been designed by exchanges that have been designated “contract markets” by the CFTC and must be executed through the FCM. Each exchange guarantees performance of the contracts as between the clearing members of the exchange, thereby reducing the risk of counterparty default. Futures contracts may also be entered into on certain exempt markets, including exempt boards of trade and electronic trading facilities, available to certain market participants. Because all transactions in the futures market are made, offset or fulfilled by an FCM through a clearinghouse associated with the exchange on which the contracts are traded, the Fund will incur brokerage fees when it buys or sells futures contracts.

 

Upon entering into a futures contract, the Fund will be required to deliver to an account controlled by the FCM an amount of cash or cash equivalents known as “initial margin,” which is in the nature of a performance bond or good faith deposit on the contract and is returned to the Fund upon termination of the futures contract, assuming all contractual obligations have been satisfied. Subsequent payments, known as “variation margin,” to and from the FCM will be made daily as the price of the instrument or index underlying the futures contract fluctuates, making the long and short positions in the futures contract more or less valuable, a process known as “marking-to-market.”

 

At any time prior to the expiration of a futures contract, the Fund may elect to close the position by taking an opposite position, which will operate to terminate the Fund’s existing position in the contract. This transaction, which is effected through a member of an exchange, cancels the obligation to make or take delivery of the underlying instrument or asset. Although some futures contracts by their terms require the actual delivery or acquisition of the underlying instrument or asset, some require cash settlement.

 

A call option gives a holder the right to purchase a specific security at a specified price (“exercise price”) within a specified period of time. A put option gives a holder the right to sell a specific security at a specified exercise price within a specified period of time. The initial purchaser of a call option pays the “writer” a premium, which is paid at the time of purchase and is retained by the writer whether or not such option is exercised. The Fund may purchase put options to hedge its portfolio against the risk of a decline in the market value of securities held and may purchase call options to hedge against an increase in the price of securities it is committed to purchase. The Fund may write put and call options along with a long position in options to increase its ability to hedge against a change in the market value of the securities it holds or is committed to purchase. Investments in futures contracts and other investments that contain leverage may require the Fund to maintain liquid assets. Generally, the Fund maintains an amount of liquid assets equal to its obligations relative to the position involved, adjusted daily on a marked-to-market basis. With respect to futures contracts that are contractually required to “cash-settle,” the Fund maintains liquid assets in an amount at least equal to the Fund’s daily marked-to-market obligation (i.e., the Fund’s daily net liability, if any), rather than the contracts’ notional value (i.e., the value of the underlying asset). By maintaining assets equal to its net obligation under cash-settled futures contracts, the Fund may employ leverage to a greater extent than if the Fund set aside assets equal to the futures contracts’ full notional value. The Fund bases its asset maintenance policies on methods permitted by the staff of the SEC and may modify these policies in the future to comply with any changes in the guidance articulated from time to time by the SEC or its staff.

 

10

 

 

Options

 

An option on a futures contract, as contrasted with the direct investment in such a contract, gives the purchaser the right, but not the obligation, in return for the premium paid, to assume a position in the underlying futures contract at a specified exercise price at any time prior to the expiration date of the option. The writer of the option becomes contractually obligated to take the opposite futures position specified in the option.

 

Upon exercise of an option on a futures contract, the delivery of the futures position by the writer of the option to the holder of the option will be accompanied by delivery of the accumulated balance in the writer’s futures margin account that represents the amount by which the market price of the futures contract exceeds (in the case of a call) or is less than (in the case of a put) the exercise price of the option on the futures contract. The potential for loss related to the purchase of an option on a futures contract is limited to the premium paid for the option plus transaction costs. Because the value of the option is fixed at the point of sale, there are no daily cash payments by the purchaser to reflect changes in the value of the underlying contract; however, the value of the option changes daily and that change would be reflected in the net asset value per Share (“NAV”) of the Fund.

 

The Fund may purchase and write put and call options on futures contracts that are traded on an exchange as a hedge against changes in value of its portfolio securities, or in anticipation of the purchase of securities, and may enter into closing transactions with respect to such options to terminate existing positions. There is no guarantee that such closing transactions can be effected.

 

The Fund’s use of options on futures contracts is subject to the risks related to derivative instruments generally. In addition, the amount of risk the Fund assumes when it purchases an option on a futures contract is the premium paid for the option plus related transaction costs. The purchase of an option also entails the risk that changes in the value of the underlying futures contract will not be fully reflected in the value of the option purchased. The writer of an option on a futures contract is subject to the risk of having to take a possibly adverse futures position if the purchaser of the option exercises its rights. If the writer were required to take such a position, it could bear substantial losses. The potential for loss related to writing call options is unlimited. The potential for loss related to writing put options is limited to the agreed upon price per share, also known as the “strike price,” less the premium received from writing the put.

 

U.S. Federal Tax Treatment of Futures Contracts

 

The Fund may be required for federal income tax purposes to mark-to-market and recognize as income for each taxable year its net unrealized gains and losses on certain futures contracts or options contracts as of the end of the year as well as those actually realized during the year. Gain or loss from futures contracts or options contracts on broad-based indexes required to be marked-to-market will be 60% long-term and 40% short-term capital gain or loss. Application of this rule may alter the timing and character of distributions to shareholders. The Fund may be required to defer the recognition of losses on futures contracts or options contracts to the extent of any unrecognized gains on related positions held by the Fund.

 

11

 

 

In order for the Fund to continue to qualify for U.S. federal income tax treatment as a “regulated investment company” under Section 851 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), at least 90% of the Fund’s gross income for a taxable year must be derived from qualifying sources, including, dividends, interest, income derived from loans of securities, gains from the sale of securities or of foreign currencies or other income derived with respect to the Fund’s business of investing in securities. It is anticipated that any net gain realized from the closing out of futures contracts or options contracts will be considered gain from the sale of securities and, therefore, will be qualifying income for purposes of the 90% requirement.

 

The Fund intends to distribute to shareholders annually any net capital gains that have been recognized for U.S. federal income tax purposes (including unrealized gains at the end of the Fund’s fiscal year) on futures transactions and certain options contracts. Such distributions are combined with distributions of capital gains realized on the Fund’s other investments, and shareholders are advised on the nature of the distributions.

 

Illiquid Investments

 

The Fund may invest up to an aggregate amount of 15% of its net assets in illiquid investments, as such term is defined by Rule 22e-4 of the 1940 Act. The Fund may not invest in illiquid investments if, as a result of such investment, more than 15% of the Fund's net assets would be invested in illiquid investments. Illiquid investments include securities subject to contractual or other restrictions on resale and other instruments that lack readily available markets. The inability of the Fund to dispose of illiquid or not readily marketable investments at a reasonable price could impair the Fund's ability to raise cash for redemptions or other purposes. The liquidity of securities purchased by the Fund which are eligible for resale pursuant to Rule 144A, except for certain 144A bonds, will be monitored by the Fund on an ongoing basis. In the event that more than 15% of the Fund's net assets are invested in illiquid investments, the Fund, in accordance with Rule 22e-4(b)(1)(iv), will report the occurrence to both the Board and the SEC and seek to reduce its holdings of illiquid investments within a reasonable period of time.

 

Issuer Risk

 

Fund performance depends on the performance of individual securities to which the Fund has exposure. Changes in the financial condition or credit rating of an issuer of those securities may cause the value of the securities to decline.

 

Large Capitalization Companies

 

Stock prices of large capitalization companies may be less volatile than those of small- and mid-capitalization companies. However, larger companies may not be able to attain the high growth rates of successful smaller companies, and thus, returns on investments in securities of large companies could trail the returns on investments in securities of small- and mid-sized companies.

 

Market Risk

 

Overall market risks may also affect the value of the Fund. Factors such as domestic economic growth and market conditions, interest rate levels and political events affect the securities markets.

 

12

 

 

National Closed Market Trading Risk

 

To the extent that the underlying securities held by the Fund trade on foreign exchanges that may be closed when the securities exchange on which the Fund’s shares trade is open, there are likely to be deviations between the current price of such an underlying security and the last quoted price for the underlying security (i.e., the Fund’s quote from the closed foreign market). These deviations could result in premiums or discounts to the Fund’s NAV that may be greater than those experienced by other exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”).

 

Non-Diversification

 

The Fund is classified as a non-diversified investment company under the 1940 Act. A "non-diversified" classification means that the Fund is not limited by the 1940 Act with regard to the percentage of its total assets that may be invested in the securities of a single issuer. This means that the Fund may invest a greater portion of its total assets in the securities of a single issuer or a small number of issuers than if it was a diversified fund. This may have an adverse effect on the Fund's performance or subject the Fund's Shares to greater price volatility than more diversified investment companies. Moreover, in pursuing its objective, the Fund may hold the securities of a single issuer in an amount exceeding 10% of the value of the outstanding securities of the issuer, subject to restrictions imposed by the Code, with respect to the Fund's qualification as a RIC under the Code. In particular, as the Fund's size grows and its assets increase, it will be more likely to hold more than 10% of the securities of a single issuer if the issuer has a relatively small public float as compared to other issuers in the Fund’s portfolio.

 

Although the Fund is non-diversified for purposes of the 1940 Act, the Fund intends to maintain the required level of diversification and otherwise conduct its operations so as to qualify as a RIC under the Code. Compliance with the diversification requirements of the Code may severely limit the investment flexibility of the Fund and may make it less likely that the Fund will meet their investment objectives. To qualify as a RIC under the Code, the Fund must, among other requirements described below in "Taxes", meet certain diversification requirements. In particular, at the close of each quarter of the Fund's taxable year: (A) at least 50% of the value of its total assets must be represented by cash and cash items, U.S. government securities, securities of other RICs and other securities, with such other securities limited, in respect to any one issuer, to an amount not greater than 5% of the value of the Fund's total assets and that does not represent more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer, including the equity securities of a qualified publicly traded partnership, and (B) not more than 25% of the value of its total assets is invested, including through corporations in which the Fund owns a 20% or more voting stock interest, in the securities (other than U.S. government securities or securities of other RICs) of any one issuer or the securities (other than the securities of another RIC) of two or more issuers that the Fund controls and which are engaged in the same or similar trades or businesses or related trades or businesses, or the securities of one or more qualified publicly traded partnerships. See "Taxes" in this SAI for further discussion.

 

Operational Risk

 

The Fund is exposed to operational risk arising from a number of factors, including but not limited to human error, processing and communication errors, errors of the Fund’s service providers, counterparties or other third-parties, failed or inadequate processes and technology or systems failures. The Fund seeks to reduce these operational risks through controls and procedures. However, these measures do not address every possible risk and may be inadequate for those risks that they are intended to address.

 

13

 

 

Repurchase Agreements

 

A repurchase agreement is an instrument under which the purchaser (i.e., the Fund) acquires the security and the seller agrees, at the time of the sale, to repurchase the security at a mutually agreed upon time and price, thereby determining the yield during the purchaser’s holding period. Repurchase agreements may be construed to be collateralized loans by the purchaser to the seller secured by the securities transferred to the purchaser. If a repurchase agreement is construed to be a collateralized loan, the underlying securities will not be considered to be owned by the Fund but only to constitute collateral for the seller’s obligation to pay the repurchase price, and, in the event of a default by the seller, the Fund may suffer time delays and incur costs or losses in connection with the disposition of the collateral.

 

In any repurchase transaction, the collateral for a repurchase agreement may include: (i) cash items; (ii) obligations issued by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities; or (iii) obligations that, at the time the repurchase agreement is entered into, are rated in the highest rating category generally by at least two nationally recognized statistical rating organizations (“NRSROs”), or, if unrated, determined to be of comparable quality by the Trading Sub-Adviser. Collateral, however, is not limited to the foregoing and may include, for example, obligations rated below the highest category by NRSROs. Collateral for a repurchase agreement may also include securities that the Fund could not hold directly without the repurchase obligation.

 

Irrespective of the type of collateral underlying the repurchase agreement, in the case of a repurchase agreement entered into by a non-money market fund, the repurchase obligation of a seller must be of comparable credit quality to securities that are rated in the highest two short-term credit rating categories by at least one NRSRO or, if unrated, deemed by the Trading Sub-Adviser to be of equivalent quality.

 

Repurchase agreements pose certain risks for the Fund if it utilizes them. Such risks are not unique to the Fund, but are inherent in repurchase agreements. The Fund seeks to minimize such risks, but because of the inherent legal uncertainties involved in repurchase agreements, such risks cannot be eliminated. Lower quality collateral and collateral with longer maturities may be subject to greater price fluctuations than higher quality collateral and collateral with shorter maturities. If the repurchase agreement counterparty were to default, lower quality collateral may be more difficult to liquidate than higher quality collateral. Should the counterparty default and the amount of collateral not be sufficient to cover the counterparty’s repurchase obligation, the Fund would retain the status of an unsecured creditor of the counterparty (i.e., the position the Fund would normally be in if it were to hold, pursuant to its investment policies, other unsecured debt securities of the defaulting counterparty) with respect to the amount of the shortfall. As an unsecured creditor, the Fund would be at risk of losing some or all of the principal and income involved in the transaction.

 

Reverse Repurchase Agreements

 

Reverse repurchase agreements involve the sale of securities with an agreement to repurchase the securities at an agreed-upon price, date and interest payment and have the characteristics of borrowing. Generally, the effect of such transactions is that the Fund can recover all or most of the cash invested in the portfolio securities involved during the term of the reverse repurchase agreement, while in many cases the Fund is able to keep some of the interest income associated with those securities. Such transactions are advantageous only if the Fund has an opportunity to earn a rate of interest on the cash derived from these transactions that is greater than the interest cost of obtaining the same amount of cash. Opportunities to realize earnings from the use of the proceeds equal to or greater than the interest required to be paid may not always be available and the Fund intends to use the reverse repurchase technique only when the Trading Sub-Adviser believes it will be advantageous to the Fund. The use of reverse repurchase agreements may exaggerate any increase or decrease in the value of the Fund’s assets. The Fund’s exposure to reverse repurchase agreements will be covered by liquid assets having a value equal to or greater than such commitments. The use of reverse repurchase agreements is a form of leverage because the proceeds derived from reverse repurchase agreements may be invested in additional securities.

 

14

 

 

Sector Risk

 

Sector risk is the chance that significant problems will affect a particular sector, or that returns from that sector will trail returns from the overall stock market. Daily fluctuations in specific market sectors are often more extreme or volatile than fluctuations in the overall market.

 

Basic Material Sector Risk

 

To the extent that the Fund invests in the basic materials sector, it will be sensitive to changes in, and its performance will depend to a greater extent on, the overall condition of the basic materials sector. Companies engaged in the production and distribution of basic materials may be adversely affected by changes in world events, political and economic conditions, energy conservation, environmental policies, commodity price volatility, changes in exchange rates, imposition of import controls, increased competition, depletion of resources and labor relations.

 

Consumer Discretionary Sector Risk

 

To the extent that the Fund invests in the consumer discretionary sector, it will be sensitive to changes in, and its performance will depend to a greater extent on, the overall condition of the consumer discretionary sector. These companies may be adversely affected by changes in the worldwide economy, consumer spending, competition, demographics and consumer preferences, exploration and production spending.

 

Consumer Staples Sector Risk

 

Companies in the consumer staples sector may be affected by the regulation of various product components and production methods, marketing campaigns and changes in the global economy, consumer spending and consumer demand. Companies in the consumer staples sector may also be adversely affected by changes or trends in commodity prices, which may be influenced by unpredictable factors. These companies may be subject to severe competition, which may have an adverse impact on their profitability.

 

Energy Sector Risk

 

Companies in the energy sector are subject to many business, economic, environmental, and regulatory risks that can adversely affect the costs, revenues, profits, and viability of companies in the industry. These risks include, but are not limited to, the following: volatility in commodity prices and changes in supply and demand, which may affect the volume of energy commodities transported, processed, stored and or distributed; specific risks associated with companies owning and/or operating pipelines, gathering and processing energy assets; operating risks including outages, structural and maintenance, impairment and safety problems; changes in the regulatory environment at federal, state and local levels, and in foreign markets; environmental regulation and liability risk; terrorism risk; extreme weather and other natural disasters; and capital markets risk, resulting in a higher capital costs or impacting growth and access to capital.

 

15

 

 

Healthcare Sector Risk

 

Companies in the healthcare sector, including drug related companies, may be heavily dependent on clinical trials with uncertain outcomes and decisions made by the governments and regulatory authorities. Further, these companies are dependent on patent protection, and the expiration of patents may adversely affect the profitability of the companies. Additionally, the profitability of some healthcare and life sciences companies may be dependent on a relatively limited number of products, and their products can become obsolete due to sector innovation, changes in technologies or other market developments.

 

Financials Sector Risk

 

Performance of companies in the financials sector may be adversely impacted by many factors, including, among others, government regulations, economic conditions, credit rating downgrades, changes in interest rates, and decreased liquidity in credit markets. The impact of more stringent capital requirements, recent or future regulation of any individual financial company, or recent or future regulation of the financials sector as a whole cannot be predicted.

 

Information Technology Sector Risk

 

Information technology companies face intense competition and potentially rapid product obsolescence. They are also heavily dependent on intellectual property rights and may be adversely affected by the loss or impairment of those rights.

 

Communications Services Sector Risk

 

The Fund may invest in companies in the communications services sector. Communications services companies are subject to extensive government regulation. The costs of complying with governmental regulations, delays or failure to receive required regulatory approvals, or the enactment of new adverse regulatory requirements may adversely affect the business of such companies. Companies in the communications services sector can also be significantly affected by intense competition, including competition with alternative technologies such as wireless communications (including with 5G and other technologies), product compatibility, consumer preferences, rapid product obsolescence, and research and development of new products. Technological innovations may make the products and services of such companies obsolete.

 

Utilities Sector Risk

 

Utility companies are affected by supply and demand, operating costs, government regulation, environmental factors, liabilities for environmental damage and general civil liabilities, and rate caps or rate changes. Although rate changes of a regulated utility usually fluctuate in approximate correlation with financing costs, due to political and regulatory factors rate changes ordinarily occur only following a delay after the changes in financing costs. This factor will tend to favorably affect a regulated utility company’s earnings and dividends in times of decreasing costs, but conversely, will tend to adversely affect earnings and dividends when costs are rising. The value of regulated utility equity securities may tend to have an inverse relationship to the movement of interest rates. Certain utility companies have experienced full or partial deregulation in recent years. These utility companies are frequently more similar to industrial companies in that they are subject to greater competition and have been permitted by regulators to diversify outside of their original geographic regions and their traditional lines of business.

 

16

 

 

Real Estate Sector Risk

 

The Fund may invest in real estate companies and companies related to the real estate industry. As such, the Fund is subject to risks associated with the direct ownership of real estate securities and an investment in the Fund will be closely linked to the performance of the real estate markets. These risks include, among others: declines in the value of real estate; risks related to general and local economic conditions; possible lack of availability of mortgage funds or other limits to accessing the credit or capital markets; defaults by borrowers or tenants, particularly during an economic downturn; and changes in interest rates.

 

Securities Lending

 

The Fund may lend portfolio securities to certain borrowers. The borrowers provide collateral that is maintained in an amount at least equal to the current market value of the securities loaned. The Fund may terminate a loan at any time and obtain the return of the securities loaned. The Fund receives the value of any interest or cash or non-cash distributions paid on the loaned securities. Distributions received on loaned securities in lieu of dividend payments (i.e., substitute payments) would not be considered qualified dividend income.

 

With respect to loans that are collateralized by cash, the borrower will be entitled to receive a fee based on the amount of cash collateral. The Fund is compensated by the difference between the amount earned on the reinvestment of cash collateral and the fee paid to the borrower. In the case of collateral other than cash, the Fund is compensated by a fee paid by the borrower equal to a percentage of the market value of the loaned securities. Any cash collateral may be reinvested in certain short-term instruments either directly on behalf of each lending Fund or through one or more joint accounts or money market funds, which may include those managed by the [Trading Sub-Adviser].

 

The Fund may pay a portion of the interest or fees earned from securities lending to a borrower as described above, and to one or more securities lending agents approved by the Board who administer the lending program for the Fund in accordance with guidelines approved by the Board. In such capacity, the lending agent causes the delivery of loaned securities from the Fund to borrowers, arranges for the return of loaned securities to the Fund at the termination of a loan, requests deposit of collateral, monitors the daily value of the loaned securities and collateral, requests that borrowers add to the collateral when required by the loan agreements, and provides recordkeeping and accounting services necessary for the operation of the program.

 

Securities lending involves exposure to certain risks, including operational risk (i.e., the risk of losses resulting from problems in the settlement and accounting process), “gap” risk (i.e., the risk of a mismatch between the return on cash collateral reinvestments and the fees the Fund has agreed to pay a borrower), and credit, legal, counterparty and market risk. In the event a borrower does not return the Fund’s securities as agreed, the Fund may experience losses if the proceeds received from liquidating the collateral do not at least equal the value of the loaned security at the time the collateral is liquidated plus the transaction costs incurred in purchasing replacement securities.

 

Investing cash collateral subjects the Fund to greater market risk, including losses on the collateral and, should the Fund need to look to the collateral in the event of the borrower’s default, losses on the loan secured by that collateral.

 

17

 

 

Short-Term Instruments

 

The Fund may invest in short-term instruments, including money market instruments, on an ongoing basis to provide liquidity for cash equitization, funding, or under abnormal market conditions. Money market instruments are generally short-term investments that may include but are not limited to: (i) shares of money market funds; (ii) obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities (including government-sponsored enterprises); (iii) negotiable certificates of deposit (“CDs”), bankers’ acceptances, fixed time deposits and other obligations of U.S. and foreign banks (including foreign branches) and similar institutions; (iv) commercial paper rated at the date of purchase “Prime-1” by Moody’s or “A-1” by Standard & Poor’s Financial Services LLC, or if unrated, of comparable quality as determined by the Trading Sub-Adviser; (v) non-convertible corporate debt securities (e.g., bonds and debentures) with remaining maturities at the date of purchase of not more than 397 days and that satisfy the rating requirements set forth in Rule 2a-7 under the 1940 Act; and (vi) short-term U.S. dollar-denominated obligations of foreign banks (including U.S. branches) that, in the opinion of the Trading Sub-Adviser, are of comparable quality to obligations of U.S. banks which may be purchased by the Fund. Any of these instruments may be purchased on a current or a forward-settled basis. Time deposits are non-negotiable deposits maintained in banking institutions for specified periods of time at stated interest rates. Bankers’ acceptances are time drafts drawn on commercial banks by borrowers, usually in connection with international transactions.

 

Small and Mid-Capitalization Companies

 

Stock prices of small and mid-capitalization companies may be more volatile than those of large capitalization companies and, therefore, the Fund’s Share price may be more volatile than those of funds that invest a larger percentage of their assets in stocks issued by large capitalization companies. Stock prices of small and mid-capitalization companies are also more vulnerable than those of large capitalization companies to adverse business or economic developments, and may be less liquid, making it more difficult for the Fund to buy and sell them. In addition, small and mid-capitalization companies generally have less diverse product lines than large capitalization companies and are more susceptible to adverse developments related to their products.

 

Structured Notes

 

A structured note is a derivative security for which the amount of principal repayment and/or interest payments is based on the movement of one or more “factors.” These factors include, but are not limited to, currency exchange rates, interest rates (such as the prime lending rate or the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”)), referenced bonds and stock indices. Some of these factors may or may not correlate to the total rate of return on one or more underlying instruments referenced in such notes. Investments in structured notes involve risks including interest rate risk, credit risk and market risk. Depending on the factor(s) used and the use of multipliers or deflators, changes in interest rates and movement of such factor(s) may cause significant price fluctuations. Structured notes may be less liquid than other types of securities and more volatile than the reference factor underlying the note.

 

Swaps

 

Over-the-counter (“OTC”) swap agreements are contracts between parties in which one party agrees to make payments to the other party based on the change in market value or level of a specified index or asset. In return, the other party agrees to make payments to the first party based on the return of a different specified index or asset. Although OTC swap agreements entail the risk that a party will default on its payment obligations thereunder, the Fund seeks to reduce this risk by entering into agreements that involve payments no less frequently than quarterly. The net amount of the excess, if any, of the Fund’s obligations over its entitlements with respect to each swap is accrued on a daily basis and an amount of cash or highly liquid securities having an aggregate value at least equal to the accrued excess is maintained in an account at the Trust’s custodian bank.

 

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The use of such swap agreements involves certain risks. For example, if the counterparty, under a swap agreement, defaults on its obligation to make payments due from it as a result of its bankruptcy or otherwise, the Fund may lose such payments altogether or collect only a portion thereof, which collection could involve costs or delays.

 

The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the “Dodd-Frank Act”) and related regulatory developments require the eventual clearing and exchange-trading of many standardized OTC derivative instruments that the CFTC and Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) recently defined as “swaps” and “security-based swaps,” respectively. Mandatory exchange-trading and clearing is occurring on a phased-in basis based on the type of market participant and CFTC approval of contracts for central clearing and exchange trading. In a cleared swap, the Fund’s ultimate counterparty is a central clearinghouse rather than a brokerage firm, bank or other financial institution. The Fund initially will enter into cleared swaps through an executing broker. Such transactions will then be submitted for clearing and, if cleared, will be held at regulated futures commission merchants (“FCMs”) that are members of the clearinghouse that serves as the central counterparty. When the Fund enters into a cleared swap, it must deliver to the central counterparty (via an FCM) an amount referred to as “initial margin.” Initial margin requirements are determined by the central counterparty, but an FCM may require additional initial margin above the amount required by the central counterparty. During the term of the swap agreement, a “variation margin” amount may also be required to be paid by the Fund or may be received by the Fund in accordance with margin controls set for such accounts, depending upon changes in the price of the underlying reference asset subject to the swap agreement. At the conclusion of the term of the swap agreement, if the Fund has a loss equal to or greater than the margin amount, the margin amount is paid to the FCM along with any loss in excess of the margin amount. If the Fund has a loss of less than the margin amount, the excess margin is returned to the Fund. If the Fund has a gain, the full margin amount and the amount of the gain is paid to the Fund.

 

Central clearing is designed to reduce counterparty credit risk compared to uncleared swaps because central clearing interposes the central clearinghouse as the counterparty to each participant’s swap, but it does not eliminate those risks completely. There is also a risk of loss by the Fund of the initial and variation margin deposits in the event of bankruptcy of the FCM with which the Fund has an open position in a swap contract. The assets of the Fund may not be fully protected in the event of the bankruptcy of the FCM or central counterparty because the Fund might be limited to recovering only a pro rata share of all available funds and margin segregated on behalf of an FCM’s customers. If the FCM does not provide accurate reporting, the Fund is also subject to the risk that the FCM could use the Fund’s assets, which are held in an omnibus account with assets belonging to the FCM’s other customers, to satisfy its own financial obligations or the payment obligations of another customer to the central counterparty. Exchange-trading is expected to increase liquidity of swaps trading.

 

In addition, with respect to cleared swaps, the Fund may not be able to obtain as favorable terms as it would be able to negotiate for an uncleared swap. In addition, an FCM may unilaterally impose position limits or additional margin requirements for certain types of swaps in which the Fund may invest. Central counterparties and FCMs generally can require termination of existing cleared swap transactions at any time, and can also require increases in margin above the margin that is required at the initiation of the swap agreement. Margin requirements for cleared swaps vary on a number of factors, and the margin required under the rules of the clearinghouse and FCM may be in excess of the collateral required to be posted by the Fund to support its obligations under a similar uncleared swap. However, regulators are expected to adopt rules imposing certain margin requirements, including minimums, on uncleared swaps in the near future, which could change this comparison.

 

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The Fund is also subject to the risk that, after entering into a cleared swap with an executing broker, no FCM or central counterparty is willing or able to clear the transaction. In such an event, the central counterparty would void the trade. Before the Fund can enter into a new trade, market conditions may become less favorable to the Fund.

 

The Trading Sub-Adviser will continue to monitor developments regarding trading and execution of cleared swaps on exchanges, particularly to the extent regulatory changes affect the Fund’s ability to enter into swap agreements and the costs and risks associated with such investments.

 

Tax Risks

 

As with any investment, you should consider how your investment in Shares will be taxed. The tax information in the Prospectus and this SAI is provided as general information. You should consult your own tax professional about the tax consequences of an investment in Shares.

 

Unless your investment in Shares is made through a tax-exempt entity or tax-deferred retirement account, such as an individual retirement account, you need to be aware of the possible tax consequences when the Fund makes distributions or you sell Shares.

 

U.S. Government Securities

 

The Fund may invest in U.S. government securities. Securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities include U.S. Treasury securities, which are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury and which differ only in their interest rates, maturities, and times of issuance. U.S. Treasury bills have initial maturities of one-year or less; U.S. Treasury notes have initial maturities of one to ten years; and U.S. Treasury bonds generally have initial maturities of greater than ten years. Certain U.S. government securities are issued or guaranteed by agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. government including, but not limited to, obligations of U.S. government agencies or instrumentalities such as the Federal National Mortgage Association (“Fannie Mae”), the Government National Mortgage Association (“Ginnie Mae”), the Small Business Administration, the Federal Farm Credit Administration, the Federal Home Loan Banks, Banks for Cooperatives (including the Central Bank for Cooperatives), the Federal Land Banks, the Federal Intermediate Credit Banks, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Export-Import Bank of the United States, the Commodity Credit Corporation, the Federal Financing Bank, the Student Loan Marketing Association, the National Credit Union Administration and the Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation (Farmer Mac).

 

Some obligations issued or guaranteed by U.S. government agencies and instrumentalities, including, for example, Ginnie Mae pass-through certificates, are supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury. Other obligations issued by or guaranteed by federal agencies, such as those securities issued by Fannie Mae, are supported by the discretionary authority of the U.S. government to purchase certain obligations of the federal agency, while other obligations issued by or guaranteed by federal agencies, such as those of the Federal Home Loan Banks, are supported by the right of the issuer to borrow from the U.S. Treasury, while the U.S. government provides financial support to such U.S. government-sponsored federal agencies, no assurance can be given that the U.S. government will always do so, since the U.S. government is not so obligated by law. U.S. Treasury notes and bonds typically pay coupon interest semi-annually and repay the principal at maturity.

 

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On September 7, 2008, the U.S. Treasury announced a federal takeover of Fannie Mae and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“Freddie Mac”), placing the two federal instrumentalities in conservatorship. Under the takeover, the U.S. Treasury agreed to acquire $1 billion of senior preferred stock of each instrumentality and obtained warrants for the purchase of common stock of each instrumentality (the “Senior Preferred Stock Purchase Agreement” or “Agreement”). Under the Agreement, the U.S. Treasury pledged to provide up to $200 billion per instrumentality as needed, including the contribution of cash capital to the instrumentalities in the event their liabilities exceed their assets. This was intended to ensure that the instrumentalities maintain a positive net worth and meet their financial obligations, preventing mandatory triggering of receivership. On December 24, 2009, the U.S. Treasury announced that it was amending the Agreement to allow the $200 billion cap on the U.S. Treasury’s funding commitment to increase as necessary to accommodate any cumulative reduction in net worth over the next three years. As a result of this Agreement, the investments of holders, including the Fund, of mortgage-backed securities and other obligations issued by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are protected.

 

The total public debt of the United States as a percentage of gross domestic product has grown rapidly since the beginning of the 2008-2009 financial downturn. Although high debt levels do not necessarily indicate or cause economic problems, they may create certain systemic risks if sound debt management practices are not implemented. A high national debt can raise concerns that the U.S. government will not be able to make principal or interest payments when they are due. This increase has also necessitated the need for the U.S. Congress to negotiate adjustments to the statutory debt limit to increase the cap on the amount the U.S. government is permitted to borrow to meet its existing obligations and finance current budget deficits. In August 2011, S&P lowered its long-term sovereign credit rating on the U.S. In explaining the downgrade at that time, S&P cited, among other reasons, controversy over raising the statutory debt limit and growth in public spending. On September 8, 2017, following passage by Congress, the President of the United States signed the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018 and Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Requirements Act, 2017, which suspends the statutory debt limit through December 8, 2017. On January 22, 2018, Congress passed a short-term funding measure to allow legislators until February 8, 2018 to negotiate a longer-term solution. Any controversy or ongoing uncertainty regarding the statutory debt limit negotiations may impact the U.S. long-term sovereign credit rating and may cause market uncertainty. As a result, market prices and yields of securities supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government may be adversely affected.

 

Valuation Risk

 

The sale price the Fund could receive for a security may differ from the Fund’s valuation of the security, particularly for securities or assets that trade low volume or volatile markets or that are valued using a fair value methodology. In addition, the value of the securities or assets in the Fund’s portfolio may change on days when shareholders will not be able to purchase or sell the Fund’s shares.

 

Warrants and Subscription Rights

 

Warrants are equity securities in the form of options issued by a corporation which give the holder the right to purchase stock, usually at a price that is higher than the market price at the time the warrant is issued. A purchaser takes the risk that the warrant may expire worthless because the market price of the common stock fails to rise above the price set by the warrant.

 

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When-Issued, Delayed Delivery and Forward Commitment Securities

 

A when-issued, delayed-delivery or forward commitment security is one whose terms are available and for which a market exists, but which have not been issued. If the Fund engages in when-issued, delayed-delivery or forward commitment transactions, it relies on the other party to consummate the sale. If the other party fails to complete the sale, the Fund may miss the opportunity to obtain the security at a favorable price or yield.

 

When purchasing a security on a when-issued, delayed-delivery or forward commitment basis, the Fund assumes the rights and risks of ownership of the security, including the risk of price and yield changes. At the time of settlement, the market value of the security may be more or less than the purchase price. The yield available in the market when the delivery takes place also may be higher than those obtained in the transaction itself. Because the Fund does not pay for the security until the delivery date, these risks are in addition to the risks associated with its other investments.

 

Decisions to enter into when-issued, delayed-delivery or forward commitment transactions will be considered on a case-by-case basis when necessary to maintain continuity in a company’s index membership. The Fund will segregate cash or liquid securities equal in value to commitments for the when-issued transactions. The Fund will segregate additional liquid assets daily so that the value of such assets is equal to the amount of the commitments.

 

INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS AND POLICIES

 

The Fund has adopted the following investment restrictions as fundamental policies. These restrictions cannot be changed without the approval of the holders of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities. For purposes of the 1940 Act, a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund means the vote, at an annual or a special meeting of the security holders of the Fund, of the lesser of (1) 67% or more of the voting securities of the Fund present at such meeting, if the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund are present or represented by proxy, or (2) more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund. Under these restrictions:

 

1.The Fund may not make loans, except that the Fund may: (i) lend portfolio securities; (ii) enter into repurchase agreements; (iii) purchase all or a portion of an issue of debt securities, bank loan or participation interests, bank certificates of deposit, bankers’ acceptances, debentures or other securities, whether or not the purchase is made upon the original issuance of the securities; (iv) enter into transactions where each loan is represented by a note executed by the borrower; and (v) participate in an interfund lending program with other registered investment companies;

 

2.The Fund may not borrow money, except as permitted under the 1940 Act, and as interpreted or modified by regulation from time to time;

 

3.The Fund may not issue senior securities, except as permitted under the 1940 Act, and as interpreted or modified by regulation from time to time;

 

4.The Fund may not purchase or sell real estate, except that the Fund may: (i) invest in securities of issuers that invest in real estate or interests therein; (ii) invest in mortgage-related securities and other securities that are secured by real estate or interests therein; and (iii) hold and sell real estate acquired by the Fund as a result of the ownership of securities;

 

22

 

 

5.The Fund may not engage in the business of underwriting securities issued by others, except to the extent that the Fund may be considered an underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (“Securities Act”), in the disposition of restricted securities or in connection with its investments in other investment companies;

 

6.The Fund may not purchase or sell commodities, unless acquired as a result of owning securities or other instruments, but it may purchase, sell or enter into financial options and futures, forward and spot currency contracts, swap transactions and other financial contracts or derivative instruments and may invest in securities or other instruments backed by commodities; and

 

7.The Fund may not purchase any security if, as a result of that purchase, more than 25% of the Fund’s net assets would be invested in securities of issuers having their principal business activities in the same industry or group of industries. This limitation is not applicable to investments in obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies and instrumentalities or repurchase agreements with respect thereto.

 

If a percentage limitation is adhered to at the time of investment or contract, a later increase or decrease in percentage resulting from any change in value or total or net assets will not result in a violation of such restriction, except that the percentage limitations with respect to the borrowing of money will be continuously complied with.

 

The Fund’s policy to, under normal circumstances, invest at least 80% of its total assets in the securities of European companies. Shareholders will be provided with at least sixty days’ notice in the manner prescribed by the SEC before any change in the Fund’s 80% policy.

 

BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE TRUST

 

The Board of the Trust consists of three trustees (collectively, the “Board” or the “Trustees”) of whom two are not “interested persons” (as defined in the 1940 Act), of the Trust (“Independent Trustees”). The Board is responsible for overseeing the management and operations of the Trust, including the general oversight of the duties and responsibilities performed by the Adviser and other service providers to the Trust. The Trading Sub-Adviser is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund, and the Adviser is responsible for the oversight and supervision of the Trading Sub-Adviser.

 

The Board believes that each Trustee’s experience, qualifications, attributes or skills on an individual basis and in combination with those of the other Trustees lead to the conclusion that the Board possesses the requisite skills and attributes to carry out its oversight responsibilities with respect to the Trust. The Board believes that the Trustees’ ability to review, critically evaluate, question and discuss information provided to them, to interact effectively with the Adviser, the Trust’s other service providers, counsel and independent auditors, and to exercise effective business judgment in the performance of their duties, support this conclusion. In reaching its conclusion, the Board also has considered the (i) experience, qualifications, attributes and/or skills, among others, of its members, (ii) each member’s character and integrity, (iv) each person’s willingness to serve and ability to commit the time necessary to perform the duties of a Trustee, and (v) as to each Independent Trustee, such Trustee’s status as not being an “interested person” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Trust.

 

References to the experience, qualifications, attributes, and skills of Trustees are pursuant to requirements of the SEC, do not constitute the holding out of the Board or any Trustee as having any special expertise or experience, and shall not impose any greater responsibility or liability on any such person or on the Board by reason thereof.

 

23

 

 

The Board is also responsible for overseeing the nature, extent, and quality of the services provided to the Fund by the Adviser and Trading Sub-Adviser and receives information about those services at its regular meetings. In addition, on an annual basis (following the initial two-year period), in connection with its consideration of whether to renew the Investment Advisory Agreement with the Adviser, the Board or its designee may meet with the Adviser, as appropriate, to review such services. Among other things, the Board regularly considers the Adviser’s adherence to the Fund’s investment restrictions and compliance with various Fund policies and procedures and with applicable securities regulations. The Board also reviews information about the Fund’s performance and the Fund’s investments, including, for example, portfolio holdings schedules.

 

The Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer reports regularly to the Board to review and discuss compliance issues and Fund, Adviser or Trading Sub-Adviser risk assessments. At least annually, the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer provides the Board with a report reviewing the adequacy and effectiveness of the Trust’s policies and procedures and those of its service providers, including the Adviser and Trading Sub-Adviser. The report addresses the operation of the policies and procedures of the Trust and each service provider since the date of the last report; any material changes to the policies and procedures since the date of the last report; any recommendations for material changes to the policies and procedures; and any material compliance matters since the date of the last report.

 

The Board receives reports from the Fund’s service providers regarding operational risks and risks related to the valuation and liquidity of portfolio securities. Annually, the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm reviews with the Audit Committee its audit of the Fund’s financial statements, focusing on major areas of risk encountered by the Fund and noting any significant deficiencies or material weaknesses in the Fund’s internal controls. Additionally, in connection with its oversight function, the Board oversees Fund management’s implementation of disclosure controls and procedures, which are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Trust in its periodic reports with the SEC are recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the required time periods. The Board also oversees the Trust’s internal controls over financial reporting, which comprise policies and procedures designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of the Trust’s financial reporting and the preparation of the Trust’s financial statements.

 

From their review of these reports and discussions with the Adviser and Trading Sub-Adviser, the Chief Compliance Officer, the independent registered public accounting firm and other service providers, the Board and the Audit Committee learn in detail about the material risks of the Fund, thereby facilitating a dialogue about how management and service providers identify and mitigate those risks.

 

The Board recognizes that not all risks that may affect the Fund can be identified and/or quantified, that it may not be practical or cost-effective to eliminate or mitigate certain risks, that it may be necessary to bear certain risks (such as investment-related risks) to achieve the Fund’s goals, and that the processes, procedures and controls employed to address certain risks may be limited in their effectiveness. Moreover, reports received by the Board as to risk management matters are typically summaries of the relevant information. Most of the Fund’s investment management and business affairs are carried out by or through the Adviser, the Trading Sub-Adviser and other service providers, each of which has an independent interest in risk management but whose policies and the methods by which one or more risk management functions are carried out may differ from the Fund’s and each other’s in the setting of priorities, the resources available or the effectiveness of relevant controls. As a result of the foregoing and other factors, the Board’s ability to monitor and manage risk, as a practical matter, is subject to limitations.

 

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The Trustees of the Trust, their addresses, positions with the Trust, ages, term of office and length of time served, principal occupations during the past five years, the number of portfolios in the Fund Complex overseen by each Trustee and other directorships, if any, held by the Trustees, are set forth below.

 

Independent Trustees

 

Name,
Address1 and
Year of Birth
Position(s)
Held with
the Trust
Term of
Office2 and
Length of
Time Served
Principal
Occupation(s) During
Past Five Years
Number of
Portfolios in
the Fund
Complex3
Overseen
Other
Directorships
Held By
Trustee in the
Past Five
Years

Jack Gee

1959

Trustee Indefinite/Since October, 2019 Managing Director, BlackRock, Inc. (an investment management company) (2004-2019) 2 AIM ETF Products Trust
Ed McRedmond 1960 Trustee Indefinite/Since October, 2019 Founder, etfEd Advisory (an ETF consulting company) (2016-Present); Senior VP, Invesco Powershares Capital Management (an investment management company) (2005-2016) 2 None.

 

1.The address for each Trustee and officer is c/o Esoterica Thematic Trust, 675 W. 59th Street, Suite 903, New York, New York 10069.
2.Each Trustee serves until resignation, death, retirement or removal.
3.The Fund Complex includes the Esoterica NextG Economy ETF.

 

Interested Trustees

 

Name, Address1
and Year of
Birth
Position(s)
Held with the
Trust
Term of
Office2 and
Length of
Time Served
Principal
Occupation(s)
During Past
Five Years
Number of
Portfolios in
the Fund
Complex3
Overseen
Other
Directorships
Held By
Trustee in the
Past Five
Years
Darlene DeRemer
1955
Chairman of the Board of Trustees Indefinite/Since Inception Managing Partner, Grail Partners LLC (a principal investing firm) (2005-present) 2 Ark ETF Trust, Lucia Growth & Income Fund

 

1.The address for each Trustee and officer is c/o Esoterica Thematic Trust, 675 W. 59th Street, Suite 903, New York, New York 10069.
2.Each Trustee serves until resignation, death, retirement or removal.
3.The Fund Complex includes the Esoterica NextG Economy ETF.

 

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Officer Information

 

The Officers of the Trust, their addresses, positions with the Trust, ages and principal occupations during the past five years are set forth below.

 

Officer’s Name,
Address1 and
Year of Birth
Position(s) Held
with the Trust
Term of
Office2 and
Length of
Time Served
Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years
Karan Trehan 1953 President and Principal Executive Officer Since October 2019 Esoterica Capital LLC, Chairman, Co-founder and CCO, (2019 – present); Ankar Capital (an investment management company and RUH LLC, CFO, (an e-commerce company) (2015 – 2019); Emerging Managers Group, CEO, (an investment management company) (2001-2015).
Monique Labbe 1973 Treasurer, Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer Since October 2019 Senior Director, Foreside Fund Officer Services, LLC (a fund and advisory services company) (2014-Present)

Nancy J. Tyminski

1962

Chief Compliance Officer/AML Officer Since October 2019 CCO, Foreside Fund Officer Services, LLC (a fund and advisory services company) (2019 to present), Senior Due Diligence Officer, Foreside Financial Group, LLC (a fund and advisory services company) (2015-2019), Deputy Chief Compliance Officer, PNC Funds, PNC Bank, N.A. (a bank) (2011-2015)  
Diana Wang 1988 Secretary Since October 2019 Esoterica Capital LLC, COO, (2019 – present); Facing East Entertainment (HK) Ltd., Vice President, U.S. Operations (a production and financing company) (2016-2018); Triple Star Realty, Vice President, Acquisitions (a real estate services company) (2014-2016).

 

1.The address for each officer is c/o Esoterica Thematic Trust, 675 W. 59th Street, Suite 903, New York, New York 10069.
2.Officers are elected yearly by the Trustees.

 

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Board Committees

 

The Board has an Audit Committee consisting solely of two Trustees, both of whom are Independent Trustees. Jack Gee has been designated as an “audit committee financial expert” as defined under Item 407 of Regulation S-K of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (“Exchange Act”). Jack Gee, an Independent Trustee, is the Chairman of the Audit Committee. The Audit Committee has the responsibility, among other things, to: (i) oversee the accounting and financial reporting processes of the Trust and its internal control over financial reporting; (ii) oversee the quality and integrity of the Trust’s financial statements and the independent audit thereof; (iii) oversee or, as appropriate, assist the Board’s oversight of the Trust’s compliance with legal and regulatory requirements that relate to the Trust’s accounting and financial reporting, internal control over financial reporting and independent audit; (iv) approve prior to appointment the engagement of the Trust’s independent registered public accounting firm and, in connection therewith, to review and evaluate the qualifications, independence and performance of the Trust’s independent registered public accounting firm; and (v) act as a liaison between the Trust’s independent registered public accounting firm and the full Board.

 

The Board has determined that its leadership structure is appropriate given the business and nature of the Trust. In connection with its determination, the Board considered that the Chairman of the Board is an Interested Trustee. The Chairman of the Board can play an important role in setting the agenda of the Board and also serves as a key point person for dealings between management and the Independent Trustees. The Independent Trustees believe that although the Chairman is interested, the Chairman is not an employee of the Adviser and will reasonably be able to facilitate meaningful dialogue between the Adviser and the Independent Trustees. The Board considered that the Chairman of the Audit Committee is an Independent Trustee, which yields similar benefits with respect to the functions and activities of the various Board committees. The Independent Trustees also regularly meet outside the presence of management. The Board has determined that its committees help ensure that the Trust has effective and independent governance and oversight. The Board also believes that its leadership structure facilitates the orderly and efficient flow of information to the Independent Trustees from management of the Trust, including the Adviser and Trading Sub-Adviser. The Board reviews its structure on an annual basis.

 

As an integral part of its responsibility for oversight of the Trust in the interests of shareholders, the Board, as a general matter, oversees risk management of the Trust’s investment programs and business affairs. The function of the Board with respect to risk management is one of oversight and not active involvement in, or coordination of, day-to-day risk management activities for the Trust. The Board recognizes that (i) not all risks that may affect the Trust can be identified, (ii) it may not be practical or cost-effective to eliminate or mitigate certain risks, (iii) it may be necessary to bear certain risks (such as investment-related risks) to achieve the Trust’s goals, and (iv) the processes, procedures and controls employed to address certain risks may be limited in their effectiveness. Moreover, reports received by the Trustees that may relate to risk management matters are typically summaries of the relevant information.

 

The Board exercises oversight of the risk management process primarily through the Audit Committee, and through oversight by the Board itself. The Trust faces a number of risks, such as investment-related and compliance risks. The Adviser’s personnel seek to identify and address risks, i.e., events or circumstances that could have material adverse effects on the business, operations, shareholder services, investment performance or reputation of the Trust. Under the overall supervision of the Board or the applicable Committee of the Board, the Trust, Adviser employ a variety of processes, procedures and controls to identify such possible events or circumstances, to lessen the probability of their occurrence and/or to mitigate the effects of such events or circumstances if they do occur. Different processes, procedures and controls are employed with respect to different types of risks. Various personnel, including the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer, as well as various personnel of the Adviser and other service providers such as the Trust’s independent accountants, may report to the Audit Committee and/or to the Board with respect to various aspects of risk management, as well as events and circumstances that have arisen and responses thereto. During the fiscal year ended October 31, 2020, the Audit Committee met [_] times.

 

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The officers and Trustees of the Trust, in the aggregate, own less than 1% of the Shares of the Fund as of [  ], 2020.

 

For each Trustee, the dollar range of equity securities beneficially owned by the Trustee in the Trust and in all registered investment companies advised by the Adviser (“Family of Investment Companies”) that are overseen by the Trustee is shown below.

 

Name of Trustee Dollar Range of Equity Securities in the Fund (as of [    ], 2020) Aggregate Dollar Range of Equity Securities in all Registered Investment Companies Overseen By Trustee In Family of Investment Companies (as of [  ], 2020)
Darlene DeRemer $[  ] $[  ]
Jack Gee $[  ] $[  ]
Ed McRedmond $[  ] $[  ]

 

As to each Independent Trustee and his immediate family members, no person owned beneficially or of record securities in the Adviser, Trading Sub-Adviser, or the Distributor, or a person (other than a registered investment company) directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by or under common control with the Adviser or the Distributor.

 

Shareholder Communications to the Board

 

Shareholders may send communications to the Board by addressing the communications directly to the Board (or individual Board members) and/or otherwise clearly indicating in the salutation that the communication is for the Board (or individual Board members). The shareholder may send the communication to either the Trust’s office or directly to such Board members at the address specified for each Trustee. Other shareholder communications received by the Trust not directly addressed and sent to the Board will be reviewed and generally responded to by management. Such communications will be forwarded to the Board at management’s discretion based on the matters contained therein.

 

Remuneration of Trustees

 

Each current Independent Trustee is paid an annual retainer of $10,000 for his or her services as a Board member to the Trust, together with out-of-pocket expenses in accordance with the Board’s policy on travel and other business expenses relating to attendance at meetings. The Chairman of the Audit Committee is paid an additional annual retainer of $2,000.

 

Annual Trustee fees may be reviewed periodically and changed by the Board.

 

28

 

 

The following table sets forth compensation expected to be received by the Independent Trustees for the Fund’s first fiscal year:

 

Name of Trustee Esoterica-
Lucerne
European
Sustainability
ETF
Pension or Retirement
Benefits Accrued As Part
of Fund Expenses
Estimated Annual
Benefits Upon
Retirement
Total
Compensation
from Fund and
Fund Complex(1)
Paid to Directors
Darlene DeRemer $[  ] $[  ] $[  ] $[  ]
Jack Gee $[  ] $[  ] $[  ] $[  ]
Ed McRedmond $[  ] $[  ] $[  ] $[  ]

(1) The Fund Complex includes the Esoterica NextG Economy ETF.

 

Limitation of Trustees’ Liability

 

The Declaration of Trust provides that a Trustee shall be liable only for his or her own willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of the office of Trustee, and shall not be liable for errors of judgment or mistakes of fact or law. The Trustees shall not be responsible or liable in any event for any neglect or wrong-doing of any officer, agent, employee, adviser or principal underwriter of the Trust, nor shall any Trustee be responsible for the act or omission of any other Trustee. The Declaration of Trust also provides that the Trust shall indemnify each person who is, or has been, a Trustee, officer, employee or agent of the Trust, any person who is serving or has served at the Trust’s request as a Trustee, officer, trustee, employee or agent of another organization in which the Trust has any interest as a shareholder, creditor or otherwise to the extent and in the manner provided in the Amended and Restated By-laws. However, nothing in the Declaration of Trust shall protect or indemnify a Trustee against any liability for his or her willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of the office of Trustee. Nothing contained in this section attempts to disclaim a Trustee’s individual liability in any manner inconsistent with the federal securities laws.

 

MANAGEMENT AND OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS

 

The following information supplements and should be read in conjunction with the section in the Prospectus entitled “Management.”

 

Investment Adviser

 

Lucerne Capital Management, LP, with a principal office located at 35 Mason Street, Greenwich, CT 06830, serves as the Fund’s investment Adviser. The Adviser is registered with the SEC as an investment Adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. [The Adviser is owned and controlled by Pieter Taselaar and Matheus Hovers.]

 

The management fee set forth in the Investment Advisory Agreement is an annual rate of [__]% of the average daily net assets of the Fund to be paid on a monthly basis. In addition to investment advisory fees, the Fund pays other expenses including costs incurred in connection with the maintenance of securities law registration, printing and mailing prospectuses and Statements of Additional Information to shareholders, certain financial accounting services, taxes or governmental fees, custodial, transfer and shareholder servicing agent costs, expenses of outside counsel and independent accountants, preparation of shareholder reports and expenses of trustee and shareholder meetings.

 

29

 

 

The Investment Advisory Agreement continues in effect with respect to the Fund for an initial term of two years, and is renewed on a year-to-year basis thereafter, provided that continuance, with respect to the Fund, is approved at least annually by specific approval of the Board or by vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund. In either event, it must also be approved by a majority of the Trustees who are neither parties to the agreement nor interested persons as defined in the 1940 Act, at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. The Investment Advisory Agreement may be terminated at any time without the payment of any penalty by the Board or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund on not more than 60 days written notice to the Adviser. In the event of its assignment, the Investment Advisory Agreement will terminate automatically.

 

The Adviser has contractually agreed to reduce its fees and/or reimburse expenses of the Fund from the Fund’s effective date through its first year of operation to ensure that total annual fund operating expenses after fee waiver and/or reimbursement (exclusive of: (i) any front-end or contingent deferred loads; (ii) brokerage fees and commissions; (iii) unaffiliated acquired fund fees and expenses; (iv) fees and expenses associated with investments in other collective investment vehicles or derivative instruments (including for example option and swap fees and expenses); (v) borrowing costs (such as interest and dividend expense on securities sold short) (vi) taxes; (vii) foreign custody transaction costs and foreign account set up fees and (viii) extraordinary expenses such as litigation expenses (which may include indemnification of Fund officers and Trustees, and contractual indemnification of Fund service providers, including the Adviser)) will not exceed [__]% of the Fund’s average daily net assets; subject to possible recoupment from the Fund in future years within the three years from the date the fees have been waived or reimbursed if such recoupment can be achieved within the lesser of the foregoing expense limits or the expense limits in place at the time of the recoupment. Fee waiver and reimbursement arrangements can decrease the Fund’s expenses and boost its performance.

 

A discussion regarding the basis for the Board of Trustees’ approval of the advisory and sub-advisory agreements will be available in the Fund’s first annual or semi-annual report to shareholders.

 

Pursuant to the Advisory Agreement, the Fund has agreed to indemnify the Adviser for certain liabilities, including certain liabilities arising under the federal securities laws, unless such loss or liability results from willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations and duties. The Advisory Agreement is terminable upon 60 days’ notice by the Adviser and will terminate automatically in the event of its assignment (as defined in the 1940 Act).

 

Trading Sub-Adviser

 

The Trust, on behalf of the Fund, and the Adviser have retained [   ] (“[   ]” or the “Trading Sub-Adviser”), located at [   ], to serve as trading sub-adviser for the Fund. [The Trading Sub-Adviser was established in [   ] and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of [  ]. [   ] was formed in [   ] to [   ].]

 

Pursuant to an Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement between the Adviser and the Trading Sub-Adviser (the “Sub-Advisory Agreement”), the Trading Sub-Adviser is responsible for trading portfolio securities on behalf of the Fund, including selecting broker-dealers to execute purchase and sale transactions as instructed by the Adviser, subject to the supervision of the Adviser and the Board. For the services it provides to the Fund, the Trading Sub-Adviser is compensated by the Adviser from the management fees paid by the Fund to the Adviser.

 

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The Sub-Advisory Agreement was approved by the Trustees (including all the Independent Trustees) and the Adviser, as sole shareholder of the Fund, in compliance with the 1940 Act. The Sub-Advisory Agreement will continue in force for an initial period of up to two years. Thereafter, the Sub-Advisory Agreement is renewable from year to year with respect to the Fund, so long as its continuance is approved at least annually (1) by the vote, cast in person at a meeting called for that purpose, of a majority of those Trustees who are not “interested persons” of the Trust; and (2) by the majority vote of either the full Board or the vote of a majority of the outstanding Shares. The Sub-Advisory Agreement will terminate automatically in the event of its assignment, and is terminable at any time without penalty by the Board or, with respect to the Fund, by a majority of the outstanding Shares or by the Adviser on not less than 60 days’ written notice to the Trading Sub-Adviser, or by the Trading Sub-Adviser on 90 days’ written notice to the Adviser and the Trust. The Sub-Advisory Agreement provides that the Trading Sub-Adviser shall not be protected against any liability to the Trust or its shareholders by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence on its part in the performance of its duties or from reckless disregard of its obligations or duties thereunder. The Trading Sub-Adviser earns an annual fee of [  ]% for services provided to the Fund.

 

Portfolio Managers

 

The Fund is overseen by the portfolio management team of the Adviser, which includes Pieter Taselaar, Thijs Hovers and Jonathan Copplestone and the portfolio management team of the Trading Sub-Adviser, which includes [   ] and [   ].

 

Other Accounts Managed by the Portfolio Managers

 

Pieter Taselaar Other Accounts Managed
(As of [   ], 2020)
Accounts with respect to which
the advisory fee is based on the
performance of the account
Category of
Account
Number of
Accounts in
Category
Total Assets in
Accounts in
Category
Number of
Accounts in
Category
Total Assets in
Accounts in
Category
  Registered investment companies        
  Other pooled investment vehicles        
  Other accounts        

 

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Thijs Hovers Other Accounts Managed
(As of [   ], 2020)
Accounts with respect to which
the advisory fee is based on the
performance of the account
Category of
Account
Number of
Accounts in
Category
Total Assets in
Accounts in
Category
Number of
Accounts in
Category
Total Assets in
Accounts in
Category
  Registered investment companies        
  Other pooled investment vehicles        
  Other accounts        

 

Jonathan
Copplestone
Other Accounts Managed
(As of [    ], 2020)
Accounts with respect to which
the advisory fee is based on the
performance of the account
Category of
Account
Number of
Accounts in
Category
Total Assets in
Accounts in
Category
Number of
Accounts in
Category
Total Assets in
Accounts in
Category
  Registered investment companies        
  Other pooled investment vehicles        
  Other accounts        

 

[Name] Other Accounts Managed
(As of [   ], 2020)
Accounts with respect to which
the advisory fee is based on the
performance of the account
Category of
Account
Number of
Accounts in
Category
Total Assets in
Accounts in
Category
Number of
Accounts in
Category
Total Assets in
Accounts in
Category
  Registered investment companies        
  Other pooled investment vehicles        
  Other accounts        

 

[Name] Other Accounts Managed
(As of [   ], 2020)
Accounts with respect to which
the advisory fee is based on the
performance of the account
Category of
Account
Number of
Accounts in
Category
Total Assets in
Accounts in
Category
Number of
Accounts in
Category
Total Assets in
Accounts in
Category
  Registered investment companies        
  Other pooled investment vehicles        
  Other accounts        

 

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Portfolio Manager Compensation

 

The portfolio manager of the Adviser is compensated by the Adviser in the form of [current compensation (salary), discretionary performance bonuses, plus deferred compensation (ownership of units in the Adviser)].

 

The portfolio managers of the Trading Sub-Adviser are compensated by the Sub-Adviser in the form of a [fixed base salary and discretionary bonus that is not tied to the performance of the Fund].

 

Portfolio Manager Share Ownership

 

As of the date of this SAI, the Portfolio Managers did not beneficially own shares of the Fund.

 

Conflicts of Interest

 

A conflict of interest may arise as a result of the Portfolio Managers being responsible for multiple accounts, including the Fund that may have different investment guidelines and objectives. In addition to the Fund, these accounts may include other funds managed on an advisory or sub-advisory basis, separate accounts and collective trust accounts. An investment opportunity may be suitable for the Fund as well as for any of the other managed accounts. However, the investment may not be available in sufficient quantity for all of the accounts to participate fully. In addition, there may be limited opportunity to sell an investment held by the Fund or the other account. The other accounts may have similar investment objectives or strategies as the Fund, may track the same benchmarks or indices as the Fund tracks, and may sell securities that are eligible to be held, sold or purchased by the Fund. The Portfolio Managers may be responsible for accounts that have different advisory fee schedules, such as performance-based fees, which may create an incentive for the Portfolio Managers to favor one account over another in terms of access to investment opportunities or the allocation of the Portfolio Managers’ time and resources. The Portfolio Managers may also manage accounts whose investment objectives and policies differ from those of the Fund, which may cause the Portfolio Managers to effect trading in one account that may have an adverse effect on the value of the holdings within another account, including the Fund.

 

To address and manage these potential conflicts of interest, the Adviser has adopted compliance policies and procedures to allocate investment opportunities and to ensure that each of their clients is treated on a fair and equitable basis. Such policies and procedures include, but are not limited to, trade allocation and trade aggregation policies and oversight by investment management and the Compliance team.

 

Custodian

 

Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. (the “Custodian”), located at 50 Post Office Square, Boston, MA 02110 serves as custodian for the Fund pursuant to a custody agreement between the Trust, on behalf of the Fund, and Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. In that capacity, the Custodian holds the Fund’s assets.

 

33

 

 

The Transfer Agent and Administrator

 

Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. (the “Administrator”), located at 50 Post Office Square, Boston, MA 02110, serves as the Fund’s transfer agent pursuant to a transfer agent servicing agreement. In addition, the Administrator provides various accounting services to the Fund pursuant to the fund accounting servicing agreement. The Trust and the Administrator have entered into the fund administration agency agreement (“Administration Agreement”). Under the Administration Agreement, the Administrator provides the Trust with administrative services, including providing certain operational, clerical, recordkeeping and/or bookkeeping services. The Administration Agreement provides that the Administrator shall not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by the Trust in connection with the matters to which the Administration Agreement relates, except a loss resulting from the Administrator’s refusal or failure to comply with the terms of the Administration Agreement or from the Administrator’s bad faith, negligence, or willful misconduct in the performance of its duties under the Administration Agreement.

 

The Distributor

 

Foreside Fund Services, LLC (“Distributor”), located at Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME 04101 serves as the distributor of Creation Units for the Trust on an agency basis. The Trust has entered into a Distribution Agreement with the Distributor (“Distribution Agreement”), under which the Distributor, as agent, reviews and approves orders by Authorized Participants to create and redeem shares in Creation Units. The Distributor is a broker-dealer registered under the 1934 Act and a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”). Shares will be continuously offered for sale only in Creation Units. The Distributor will deliver a prospectus to Authorized Participants purchasing Shares in Creation Units and will maintain records of confirmations of acceptance furnished by it to Authorized Participants. The Distributor has no role in determining the investment policies of the Fund or which securities are to be purchased or sold by the Fund. No compensation is payable by the Trust to the Distributor for such distribution services. However, the Adviser has entered into an agreement with the Distributor under which it makes payments to the Distributor in consideration for its services under the Distribution Agreement. The payments made by the Adviser to the Distributor do not represent an additional expense to the Trust or its shareholders.

 

The Distributor may also enter into agreements with securities dealers (“Dealers”) who will assist in the distribution of Shares. The Distributor will only enter into agreements with firms wishing to purchase Creation Units if the firm qualifies as an Authorized Participant (as discussed in “Procedures for Purchase of Creation Units” below) or DTC participants (as defined below).

 

The Distribution Agreement will continue for two years from its effective date and is renewable thereafter. The continuance of the Distribution Agreement must be specifically approved at least annually (i) by the vote of the Trustees or by a vote of the shareholders of the Fund and (ii) by the vote of a majority of the Trustees who are not “interested persons” of the Trust and have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operations of the Distribution Agreement or any related agreement, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. The Distribution Agreement is terminable without penalty by the Trust on 60 days’ written notice when authorized either by majority vote of its outstanding voting Shares or by a vote of a majority of its Board (including a majority of the Independent Trustees), or by the Distributor on 60 days written notice, and will automatically terminate in the event of its assignment. The Distribution Agreement provides that in the absence of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on the part of the Distributor, or reckless disregard by it of its obligations thereunder, the Distributor shall not be liable for any action or failure to act in accordance with its duties thereunder.

 

34

 

 

The Adviser or its affiliates, out of its own resources and not out of Fund assets (i.e., without additional cost to the Fund or its shareholders), may pay certain broker dealers, banks and other financial intermediaries (“Intermediaries”) for certain activities related to the Fund, including participation in activities that are designed to make Intermediaries more knowledgeable about exchange traded products, including the Fund, or for other activities, such as marketing and educational training or support. These arrangements are not financed by the Fund and, thus, do not result in increased Fund expenses. They are not reflected in the fees and expenses listed in the fees and expenses sections of the Fund’s Prospectus and they do not change the price paid by investors for the purchase of Shares or the amount received by a shareholder as proceeds from the redemption of Shares. Such compensation may be paid to Intermediaries that provide services to the Fund, including marketing and education support (such as through conferences, webinars and printed communications). The Adviser periodically assesses the advisability of continuing to make these payments. Payments to an Intermediary may be significant to the Intermediary, and amounts that Intermediaries pay to your adviser, broker or other investment professional, if any, may also be significant to such adviser, broker or investment professional. Because an Intermediary may make decisions about what investment options it will make available or recommend, and what services to provide in connection with various products, based on payments it receives or is eligible to receive, such payments create conflicts of interest between the Intermediary and its clients. For example, these financial incentives may cause the Intermediary to recommend the Fund over other investments. The same conflict of interest exists with respect to your financial adviser, broker or investment professional if he or she receives similar payments from his or her Intermediary firm.

 

Intermediary information is current only as of the date of this SAI. Please contact your adviser, broker or other investment professional for more information regarding any payments his or her Intermediary firm may receive.

 

Any payments made by the Adviser or its affiliates to an Intermediary may create the incentive for an Intermediary to encourage customers to buy Shares.

 

Securities Lending Agent

 

To the extent that the Fund engages in securities lending, a securities lending agent (the “Lending Agent”) will act on behalf of the Fund subject to the overall supervision of the Adviser, pursuant to a written agreement (the “Securities Lending Agency Agreement”).

 

The Fund retains a portion of the securities lending income and remits the remaining portion to the Lending Agent as compensation for its services. Securities lending income is generally equal to the total of income earned from the reinvestment of cash collateral (and excludes collateral investment fees as defined below), and any fees or other payments to and from borrowers of securities. The Lending Agent bears all operational costs directly related to securities lending.

 

Because the Fund is newly launched, no services have been provided by a Lending Agent, and the Fund had no income and fees/compensation related to its securities lending activities.

 

Counsel

 

Thompson Hine LLP is counsel to the Trust, including the Fund and the Trustees that are not interested persons of the Trust, as that term is defined in the 1940 Act.

 

35

 

 

Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

 

Cohen & Company, Ltd., 342 N. Water St., Suite 830, Milwaukee, WI 53202, serves as the Trust’s independent registered public accounting firm and audits the Trust’s financial statements and performs other related audit services.

 

PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS DISCLOSURE

 

The Fund’s portfolio holdings are publicly disseminated each day the Fund is open for business through financial reporting and news services, including publicly accessible Internet web sites. In addition, a basket composition file, which includes the security names and share quantities to deliver in exchange for Creation Units, together with estimates and actual Cash Amounts is publicly disseminated daily prior to the opening of the [CBOE] via the National Securities Clearing Corporation (“NSCC”), a clearing agency that is registered with the SEC. The basket represents one Creation Unit of the Fund. The Trust, the Adviser, the Trading Sub-Adviser, the Administrator, the Custodian and the Distributor will not disseminate non-public information concerning the Trust.

 

QUARTERLY PORTFOLIO SCHEDULE

 

The Trust is required to disclose, after its first and third fiscal quarters, the complete schedule of the Fund’s portfolio holdings with the SEC on Form N-PORT. Form N-PORT for the Fund will be available on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.

 

CODE OF ETHICS

 

The Trust, the Adviser and the Trading Sub-Adviser have each adopted codes of ethics pursuant to Rule 17j-1 of the 1940 Act. These codes of ethics are designed to prevent affiliated persons of the Trust, the Adviser and the Trading Sub-Adviser from engaging in deceptive, manipulative or fraudulent activities in connection with securities held or to be acquired by the Fund (which may also be held by persons subject to the codes of ethics). Each Code of Ethics permits personnel subject to that Code of Ethics to invest in securities for their personal investment accounts, subject to certain limitations, including limitations related to securities that may be purchased or held by the Fund. The Distributor (as defined below) relies on the principal underwriters exception under Rule 17j-1(c)(3), specifically where the Distributor is not affiliated with the Trust, the Adviser and the Trading Sub-Adviser, and no officer, director, or general partner of the Distributor serves as an officer, director, or general partner of the Trust, the Adviser or the Trading Sub-Adviser.

 

There can be no assurance that the codes of ethics will be effective in preventing such activities. Each code of ethics may be examined on the Internet at the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.

 

PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

 

Information regarding how the Fund voted proxies related to portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 is available on the Fund’s website, and on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. Proxies for the Fund’s portfolio securities are voted in accordance with the Adviser’s proxy voting policies and procedures, which are set forth in Appendix A to this SAI.

 

The Trust is required to disclose annually the Fund’s complete proxy voting record on Form N-PX covering the period July 1 through June 30 and file it with the SEC no later than August 31. Form N-PX for the Fund is available through by writing to the Administrator at 50 Post Office Square, Boston, MA 02110. The Fund’s Form N-PX will also be available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

 

36

 

 

BROKERAGE TRANSACTIONS

 

The policy of the Trust regarding purchases and sales of securities for the Fund is that primary consideration will be given to obtaining the most favorable prices and efficient executions of transactions. Consistent with this policy, when securities transactions are effected on a stock exchange, the Trust’s policy is to pay commissions that are considered fair and reasonable without necessarily determining that the lowest possible commissions are paid in all circumstances. The Trust believes that a requirement always to seek the lowest possible commission cost could impede effective portfolio management and preclude the Fund and the Trading Sub-Adviser from obtaining a high quality of brokerage and research services. In seeking to determine the reasonableness of brokerage commissions paid in any transaction, the Trading Sub-Adviser will rely upon its experience and knowledge regarding commissions generally charged by various brokers and on its judgment in evaluating the brokerage services received from the broker effecting the transaction. Such determinations are necessarily subjective and imprecise, as in most cases, an exact dollar value for those services is not ascertainable. The Trust has adopted policies and procedures that prohibit the consideration of sales of Shares as a factor in the selection of a broker or dealer to execute its portfolio transactions.

 

The Trading Sub-Adviser owes a fiduciary duty to its clients to seek to provide best execution on trades effected. In selecting a broker/dealer for each specific transaction, the Trading Sub-Adviser chooses the broker/dealer deemed most capable of providing the services necessary to obtain the most favorable execution. “Best execution” is generally understood to mean the most favorable cost or net proceeds reasonably obtainable under the circumstances. The full range of brokerage services applicable to a particular transaction may be considered when making this judgment, which may include, but is not limited to: liquidity, price, commission, timing, aggregated trades, capable floor brokers or traders, competent block trading coverage, ability to position, capital strength and stability, reliable and accurate communications and settlement processing, use of automation, knowledge of other buyers or sellers, arbitrage skills, administrative ability, underwriting and provision of information on a particular security or market in which the transaction is to occur. The specific criteria will vary depending upon the nature of the transaction, the market in which it is executed, and the extent to which it is possible to select from among multiple broker/dealers. The Trading Sub-Adviser will also use electronic crossing networks (“ECNs”) when appropriate.

 

Subject to the foregoing policies, brokers or dealers selected to execute the Fund’s portfolio transactions may include the Fund’s Authorized Participants (as discussed in “Procedures for Purchase of Creation Units” below) or their affiliates. An Authorized Participant or its affiliates may be selected to execute the Fund’s portfolio transactions in conjunction with an all-cash creation unit order or an order including “cash-in-lieu” (as described below under “Purchase and Redemption of Shares in Creation Units”), so long as such selection is in keeping with the foregoing policies. As described below under “Purchase and Redemption of Shares in Creation Units—Creation Transaction Fee” and “—Redemption Transaction Fee”, the Fund may determine to not charge a variable fee on certain orders when the Trading Sub-Adviser has determined that doing so is in the best interests of Fund shareholders, e.g., for creation orders that facilitate the rebalance of the Fund’s portfolio in a more tax efficient manner than could be achieved without such order, even if the decision to not charge a variable fee could be viewed as benefiting the Authorized Participant or its affiliate selected to executed the Fund’s portfolio transactions in connection with such orders.

 

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The Fund may deal with affiliates in principal transactions to the extent permitted by exemptive order or applicable rule or regulation.

 

The Trading Sub-Adviser is responsible, subject to oversight by the Adviser and the Board, for placing orders on behalf of the Fund for the purchase or sale of portfolio securities. If purchases or sales of portfolio securities of the Fund and one or more other investment companies or clients supervised by the Trading Sub-Adviser are considered at or about the same time, transactions in such securities are allocated among the several investment companies and clients in a manner deemed equitable and consistent with its fiduciary obligations to all by the Trading Sub-Adviser. In some cases, this procedure could have a detrimental effect on the price or volume of the security so far as the Fund is concerned. However, in other cases, it is possible that the ability to participate in volume transactions and to negotiate lower brokerage commissions will be beneficial to the Fund. The primary consideration is prompt execution of orders at the most favorable net price.

 

In certain instances, the Trading Sub-Adviser may find it efficient for purposes of seeking to obtain best execution, to aggregate or “bunch” certain contemporaneous purchases or sale orders of its advisory accounts and advisory accounts of affiliates. In general, all contemporaneous trades for client accounts under management by the same portfolio manager or investment team will be bunched in a single order if the trader believes the bunched trade would provide each client with an opportunity to achieve a more favorable execution at a potentially lower execution cost. The costs associated with a bunched order will be shared pro rata among the clients in the bunched order. Generally, if an order for a particular portfolio manager or management team is filled at several different prices through multiple trades, all accounts participating in the order will receive the average price (except in the case of certain international markets where average pricing is not permitted). While in some cases this practice could have a detrimental effect upon the price or value of the security as far as the Fund are concerned, in other cases it could be beneficial to the Fund. Transactions effected by Trading Sub-Adviser or the other affiliates on behalf of more than one of its clients during the same period may increase the demand for securities being purchased or the supply of securities being sold, causing an adverse effect on price. The trader will give the bunched order to the broker-dealer that the trader has identified as being able to provide the best execution of the order. Orders for purchase or sale of securities will be placed within a reasonable amount of time of the order receipt and bunched orders will be kept bunched only long enough to execute the order.

 

The Fund's purchase and sale orders for securities may be combined with those of other investment companies, clients or accounts that the Trading Sub-Adviser manages or advises. If purchases or sales of portfolio securities of the Fund and one or more other accounts managed or advised by the Trading Sub-Adviser are considered at or about the same time, transactions in such securities are allocated among the Fund and the other accounts in a manner deemed equitable to all by Trading Sub-Adviser. In some cases, this procedure could have a detrimental effect on the price or volume of the security as far as the Fund is concerned. However, in other cases, it is possible that the ability to participate in volume transactions and to negotiate lower transaction costs will be beneficial to the Fund. The Trading Sub-Adviser may deal, trade and invest for its own account in the types of securities in which the Fund may invest. The Trading Sub-Adviser may, from time to time, effect trades on behalf of and for the account of the Fund with brokers or dealers that are affiliated with the Adviser, in conformity with the 1940 Act and SEC rules and regulations. Under these provisions, any commissions paid to affiliated brokers or dealers must be reasonable and fair compared to the commissions charged by other brokers or dealers in comparable transactions. The Fund will not deal with affiliates in principal transactions unless permitted by applicable SEC rules or regulations, or by SEC exemptive order.

 

38

 

 

Portfolio turnover may vary from year to year, as well as within a year. High turnover rates may result in comparatively greater brokerage expenses.

 

As permitted by Section 28(e) of the 1934 Act, the Trading Sub-Adviser may cause the Fund to pay a broker-dealer which provides “brokerage and research services” (as defined in the 1934 Act) to the Trading Sub-Adviser an amount of disclosed commission or spread (sometimes called “soft dollars”) for effecting a securities transaction for the Trust in excess of the commission or spread which another broker-dealer would have charged for effecting that transaction, if the Trading Sub-Adviser determines in good faith that the commission is reasonable given the brokerage and/or research services provided by the broker-dealer.

 

In selecting broker-dealers that provide research or brokerage services that are paid for with soft dollars, potential conflicts of interest may arise between the Trading Sub-Adviser and the Trust because the Trading Sub-Adviser does not produce or pay for these research or brokerage services, but rather uses brokerage commissions generated by Fund transactions to pay for them. In addition, the Trading Sub-Adviser may have an incentive to select a broker-dealer based upon the broker-dealer’s research or brokerage services instead of the broker-dealer’s ability to achieve best execution.

 

EXCHANGE LISTING AND TRADING

 

A discussion of exchange listing and trading matters associated with an investment in the Fund is contained in the Prospectus under the headings “Fund Summary—Principal Investment Risks” with respect to the applicable Fund, “Additional Information About Principal Investment Strategies and Related Risks—Principal Investment Risks,” “How Shares are Priced” and “How to Buy and Sell Shares.” The discussion below supplements, and should be read in conjunction with, such sections of the Prospectus.

 

The Shares of the Fund are listed on the [CBOE] and will trade in the secondary market at prices that may differ to some degree from its NAV. The [CBOE] may but are not required to remove the Shares of the Fund from listing if, among other things: [(1) following the initial twelve (12) month period beginning upon the commencement of trading of the Fund, there are fewer than 50 beneficial holders of the Shares for 30 or more consecutive trading days, or (2) such other event shall occur or condition exists that, in the opinion of the [CBOE], makes further dealings on the [CBOE] inadvisable]. In addition, the [CBOE] will remove the Shares from listing and trading upon termination of the Trust. There can be no assurance that the requirements of the [CBOE] necessary to maintain the listing of Shares of the Fund will continue to be met.

 

As in the case of other securities traded on the [CBOE], brokers’ commissions on transactions are based on negotiated commission rates at customary levels.

 

BOOK ENTRY ONLY SYSTEM

 

The following information supplements and should be read in conjunction with the section in the Prospectus entitled “How to Buy and Sell Shares.”

 

The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) acts as securities depositary for the Shares. Shares of the Fund are represented by securities registered in the name of DTC or its nominee and deposited with, or on behalf of, DTC. Certificates will not be issued for Shares.

 

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DTC, a limited-purpose trust company, was created to hold securities of its participants (“DTC Participants”) and to facilitate the clearance and settlement of securities transactions among the DTC Participants in such securities through electronic book-entry changes in accounts of the DTC Participants, thereby eliminating the need for physical movement of securities certificates. DTC Participants include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and certain other organizations, some of whom (and/or their representatives) own DTC. More specifically, DTC is owned by a number of its DTC Participants and by the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) and FINRA. Access to the DTC system is also available to others such as banks, brokers, dealers and trust companies that clear through or maintain a custodial relationship with a DTC Participant, either directly or indirectly (“Indirect Participants”).

 

Beneficial ownership of Shares is limited to DTC Participants, Indirect Participants and persons holding interests through DTC Participants and Indirect Participants. Ownership of beneficial interests in Shares (owners of such beneficial interests are referred to herein as “Beneficial Owners”) is shown on, and the transfer of ownership is effected only through, records maintained by DTC (with respect to DTC Participants) and on the records of DTC Participants (with respect to Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners that are not DTC Participants). Beneficial Owners will receive from or through the DTC Participant a written confirmation relating to their purchase of Shares.

 

Conveyance of all notices, statements and other communications to Beneficial Owners is effected as follows. Pursuant to the Depositary Agreement between the Trust and DTC, DTC is required to make available to the Trust upon request and for a fee to be charged to the Trust a listing of the Shares holdings of each DTC Participant. The Trust shall inquire of each such DTC Participant as to the number of Beneficial Owners holding Shares, directly or indirectly, through such DTC Participant. The Trust shall provide each such DTC Participant with copies of such notice, statement or other communication, in such form, number and at such place as such DTC Participant may reasonably request, in order that such notice, statement or communication may be transmitted by such DTC Participant, directly or indirectly, to such Beneficial Owners. In addition, the Trust shall pay to each such DTC Participant a fair and reasonable amount as reimbursement for the expenses attendant to such transmittal, all subject to applicable statutory and regulatory requirements.

 

Share distributions shall be made to DTC or its nominee, Cede & Co., as the registered holder of all Shares. DTC or its nominee, upon receipt of any such distributions, shall credit immediately DTC Participants’ accounts with payments in amounts proportionate to their respective beneficial interests in Shares as shown on the records of DTC or its nominee. Payments by DTC Participants to Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners of Shares held through such DTC Participants will be governed by standing instructions and customary practices, as is now the case with securities held for the accounts of customers in bearer form or registered in a “street name,” and will be the responsibility of such DTC Participants.

 

The Trust has no responsibility or liability for any aspects of the records relating to or notices to Beneficial Owners, or payments made on account of beneficial ownership interests in such Shares, or for maintaining, supervising or reviewing any records relating to such beneficial ownership interests or for any other aspect of the relationship between DTC and the DTC Participants or the relationship between such DTC Participants and the Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners owning through such DTC Participants.

 

DTC may determine to discontinue providing its service with respect to the Shares at any time by giving reasonable notice to the Trust and discharging its responsibilities with respect thereto under applicable law. Under such circumstances, the Trust shall take action either to find a replacement for DTC to perform its functions at a comparable cost or, if such a replacement is unavailable, to issue and deliver printed certificates representing ownership of Shares, unless the Trust makes other arrangements with respect thereto satisfactory to the [CBOE].

 

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CREATION AND REDEMPTION OF CREATION UNITS

 

General

 

The Fund will issue and sell Shares only in Creation Units on a continuous basis, without an initial sales load, at their NAV next determined after receipt, on any Business Day (as defined herein), of an order in proper form. An Authorized Participant (defined below) that is not “qualified institutional buyer,” as such term is defined under Rule 144A of the Securities Act, will not be able to receive, as part of a redemption, restricted securities eligible for resale under Rule 144A.

 

A “Business Day” with respect to the Fund is any day on which the NYSE is open for business. As of the date of the Prospectus, the NYSE observes the following holidays: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, President’s Day (Washington’s Birthday), Good Friday, Memorial Day (observed), Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

 

Fund Deposit

 

The consideration for purchase of a Creation Unit of the Fund generally consists of the in-kind deposit of a designated portfolio of securities (the “Deposit Securities”) per each Creation Unit, and the Cash Component (defined below), computed as described below. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Trust reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of a “cash in lieu” amount (“Deposit Cash”) to be added to the Cash Component to replace any Deposit Security. When accepting purchases of Creation Units for all or a portion of Deposit Cash, the Fund may incur additional costs associated with the acquisition of Deposit Securities that would otherwise be provided by an in-kind purchaser.

 

Together, the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, and the Cash Component constitute the “Fund Deposit,” which represents the minimum initial and subsequent investment amount for a Creation Unit of the Fund. The “Cash Component” is an amount equal to the difference between the NAV of Shares (per Creation Unit) and the value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable. If the Cash Component is a positive number (i.e., the NAV per Creation Unit exceeds the value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable), the Cash Component shall be such positive amount. If the Cash Component is a negative number (i.e., the NAV per Creation Unit is less than the value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable), the Cash Component shall be such negative amount and the creator will be entitled to receive cash in an amount equal to the Cash Component. The Cash Component serves the function of compensating for any differences between the NAV per Creation Unit and the value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable. Computation of the Cash Component excludes any stamp duty or other similar fees and expenses payable upon transfer of beneficial ownership of the Deposit Securities, if applicable, which shall be the sole responsibility of the Authorized Participant.

 

The Fund, through NSCC, makes available on each Business Day, prior to the opening of business on the [CBOE] (currently 9:30 a.m., Eastern Time), the list of the names and the required number of shares of each Deposit Security or the required amount of Deposit Cash, as applicable, to be included in the current Fund Deposit (based on information at the end of the previous Business Day) for the Fund. Such Fund Deposit is subject to any applicable adjustments as described below, to effect purchases of Creation Units of the Fund until such time as the next-announced composition of the Deposit Securities or the required amount of Deposit Cash, as applicable, is made available.

 

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The identity and number of Shares of the Deposit Securities or the amount of Deposit Cash, as applicable, required for a Fund Deposit for the Fund changes as rebalancing adjustments and corporate action events are reflected from time to time by the Adviser with a view to the investment objective of the Fund.

 

The Trust reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of Deposit Cash to replace any Deposit Security, which shall be added to the Cash Component, including, without limitation, in situations where the Deposit Security: (i) may not be available in sufficient quantity for delivery; (ii) may not be eligible for transfer through the systems of DTC for corporate securities and municipal securities; (iii) may not be eligible for trading by an Authorized Participant or the investor for which it is acting; (iv) would be restricted under the securities laws or where 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 the securities laws; or (v) in certain other situations (collectively, “custom orders”). The adjustments described above will reflect changes, known to the Adviser on the date of announcement to be in effect by the time of delivery of a Fund Depositor resulting from certain corporate actions.

 

Procedures for Purchase of Creation Units

 

To be eligible to place orders with the Transfer Agent to purchase a Creation Unit of the Fund, an entity must be (i) a “Participating Party” (i.e., a broker-dealer or other participant in the clearing process through the Continuous Net Settlement System of the NSCC (the “Clearing Process”)), a clearing agency that is registered with the SEC; or (ii) a DTC Participant (see “Book Entry Only System”). In addition, each Participating Party or DTC Participant (each, an “Authorized Participant”) must execute a Participant Agreement that has been agreed to by the Distributor, and that has been accepted by the Transfer Agent, with respect to purchases and redemptions of Creation Units. Each Authorized Participant will agree, pursuant to the terms of a Participant Agreement, on behalf of itself or any investor on whose behalf it will act, to certain conditions, including that it will pay to the Trust, an amount of cash sufficient to pay the Cash Component together with the creation transaction fee (described below), if applicable, and any other applicable fees and taxes.

 

All orders to purchase Shares directly from the Fund must be placed for one or more Creation Units and in the manner and by the time set forth in the Participant Agreement and/or applicable order form. The order cut-off time for the Fund for orders to purchase Creation Units is expected to be 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, which time may be modified by the Fund from time-to-time by amendment to the Participant Agreement and/or applicable order form. In the case of custom orders, the order must be received by the Transfer Agent no later than 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time or such earlier time as may be designated by the Fund and disclosed to Authorized Participants. The date on which an order to purchase Creation Units (or an order to redeem Creation Units, as set forth below) is received and accepted is referred to as the “Order Placement Date.”

 

An Authorized Participant may require an investor to make certain representations or enter into agreements with respect to the order (e.g., to provide for payments of cash, when required). Investors should be aware that their particular broker may not have executed a Participant Agreement and that, therefore, orders to purchase Shares directly from the Fund in Creation Units have to be placed by the investor’s broker through an Authorized Participant that has executed a Participant Agreement. In such cases there may be additional charges to such investor. At any given time, there may be only a limited number of broker-dealers that have executed a Participant Agreement and only a small number of such Authorized Participants may have international capabilities.

 

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On days when the [CBOE] closes earlier than normal, the Fund may require orders to create Creation Units to be placed earlier in the day. In addition, if a market or markets on which the Fund’s investments are primarily traded is closed, the Fund will also generally not accept orders on such day(s). Orders 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 Participant Agreement and in accordance with the applicable order form. On behalf of the Fund, the Transfer Agent will notify the Custodian of such order. The Custodian will then provide such information to the appropriate local sub-custodian(s). Those placing orders through an Authorized Participant should allow sufficient time to permit proper submission of the purchase order to the Transfer Agent by the cut-off time on such Business Day. 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.

 

Fund Deposits must be delivered by an Authorized Participant through the Federal Reserve System (for cash) or through DTC (for corporate securities), through a subcustody agent (for foreign securities) and/or through such other arrangements allowed by the Trust or its agents. With respect to foreign Deposit Securities, the Custodian shall cause the subcustodian of the Fund to maintain an account into which the Authorized Participant shall deliver, on behalf of itself or the party on whose behalf it is acting, such Deposit Securities (or Deposit Cash for all or a part of such securities, as permitted or required), with any appropriate adjustments as advised by the Trust. Foreign Deposit Securities must be delivered to an account maintained at the applicable local subcustodian. A Fund Deposit transfer must be ordered by the Authorized Participant in a timely fashion so as to ensure the delivery of the requisite number of Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, to the account of the applicable Fund or its agents by no later than 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time (or such other time as specified by the Trust) on the Settlement Date. If the Fund or its agents do not receive all of the Deposit Securities, or the required Deposit Cash in lieu thereof, by such time, then the order may be deemed rejected and the Authorized Participant shall be liable to the Fund for losses, if any, resulting therefrom. The “Settlement Date” for the Fund is generally the second Business Day after the Order Placement Date. All questions as to the number of Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash to be delivered, as applicable, and the validity, form and eligibility (including time of receipt) for the deposit of any tendered securities or cash, as applicable, will be determined by the Trust, whose determination shall be final and binding. The amount of cash represented by the Cash Component must be transferred directly to the Custodian through the Federal Reserve Bank wire transfer system in a timely manner so as to be received by the Custodian no later than the Settlement Date. If the Cash Component and the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, are not received by the Custodian in a timely manner by the Settlement Date, the creation order may be cancelled. Upon written notice to the Transfer Agent, such canceled order may be resubmitted the following Business Day using a Fund Deposit as newly constituted to reflect the then current NAV of the applicable Fund.

 

The order shall be deemed to be received on the Business Day on which the order is placed provided that the order is placed in proper form prior to the applicable cut-off time and the federal funds in the appropriate amount are deposited by 2:00 p.m. or 3:00 p.m., Eastern Time (as set forth on the applicable order form), with the Custodian on the Settlement Date. If the order is not placed in proper form as required, or federal funds in the appropriate amount are not received by 2:00 p.m. or 3:00 p.m., Eastern Time (as set forth on the applicable order form) on the Settlement Date, then the order may be deemed to be rejected and the Authorized Participant shall be liable to the Fund for losses, if any, resulting therefrom. A creation request is considered to be in “proper form” if all procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement, order form and this SAI are properly followed.

 

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Issuance of a Creation Unit

 

Except as provided in this SAI, Creation Units will not be issued until the transfer of good title to the Trust of the Deposit Securities or payment of Deposit Cash, as applicable, and the payment of the Cash Component have been completed. When the subcustodian has confirmed to the Custodian that the required Deposit Securities (or the cash value thereof) have been delivered to the account of the relevant subcustodian or subcustodians, the Transfer Agent and the Adviser shall be notified of such delivery, and the Trust will issue and cause the delivery of the Creation Units. The delivery of Creation Units so created generally will occur no later than the second Business Day following the day on which the purchase order is deemed received by the Transfer Agent. The Authorized Participant shall be liable to the applicable Fund for losses, if any, resulting from unsettled orders.

 

Creation Units may be purchased in advance of receipt by the Trust of all or a portion of the applicable Deposit Securities as described below. In these circumstances, the initial deposit will have a value greater than the NAV of Shares on the date the order is placed in proper form since, in addition to available Deposit Securities, cash must be deposited in an amount equal to the sum of (i) the Cash Component, plus (ii) an additional amount of cash equal to a percentage of the value as set forth in the Participant Agreement, of the undelivered Deposit Securities (the “Additional Cash Deposit”), which shall be maintained in a separate non-interest bearing collateral account. The Authorized Participant must deposit with the Custodian the Additional Cash Deposit, as applicable, by 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time (or such other time as specified by the Trust) on the Settlement Date. If the Fund or its agents do not receive the Additional Cash Deposit in the appropriate amount, by such time, then the order may be deemed rejected and the Authorized Participant shall be liable to the Fund for losses, if any, resulting therefrom. An additional amount of cash shall be required to be deposited with the Trust, pending delivery of the missing Deposit Securities to the extent necessary to maintain the Additional Cash Deposit with the Trust in an amount at least equal to the applicable percentage, as set forth in the Participant Agreement, of the daily market value of the missing Deposit Securities. The Participant Agreement will permit the Trust to buy the missing Deposit Securities at any time. Authorized Participants will be liable to the Trust for the costs incurred by the Trust in connection with any such purchases. These costs will be deemed to include the amount by which the actual purchase price of the Deposit Securities exceeds the value of such Deposit Securities on the day the purchase order was deemed received by the Transfer Agent plus the brokerage and related transaction costs associated with such purchases.

 

The Trust will return any unused portion of the Additional Cash Deposit once all of the missing Deposit Securities have been properly received by the Custodian or purchased by the Trust and deposited into the Trust. In addition, a transaction fee, as described below under “Creation Transaction Fee,” may be charged. The delivery of Creation Units so created generally will occur no later than the Settlement Date.

 

Acceptance of Orders of Creation Units

 

The Trust reserves the absolute right to reject an order for Creation Units transmitted to it by the Transfer Agent with respect to the Fund including, without limitation, if (a) the order is not in proper form; (b) the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, delivered by the Participant are not as disseminated through the facilities of the NSCC for that date by the Custodian; (c) the investor(s), upon obtaining Shares ordered, would own 80% or more of the currently outstanding Shares; (d) acceptance of the Deposit Securities would have certain adverse tax consequences to the Fund; (e) the acceptance of a Fund Deposit would, in the opinion of counsel, be unlawful; (f) the acceptance of a Fund Deposit would otherwise, in the discretion of the Trust or the Adviser, have an adverse effect on the Trust or the rights of beneficial owners; (g) the acceptance or receipt of the order for a Creation Unit would, in the opinion of counsel to the Trust, be unlawful; or (h) in the event that circumstances outside the control of the Trust, the Custodian, the Transfer Agent and/or the Adviser make it for all practical purposes not feasible to process orders for Creation Units.

 

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Examples of such circumstances include acts of God or public service or utility problems such as fires, floods, extreme weather conditions and power outages resulting in telephone, telecopy and computer failures; market conditions or activities causing trading halts; systems failures involving computer or other information systems affecting the Trust, the Distributor, the Custodian, a sub-custodian, the Transfer Agent, DTC, NSCC, Federal Reserve System, or any other participant in the creation process, and other extraordinary events. The Transfer Agent shall notify a prospective creator of a Creation Unit and/or the Authorized Participant acting on behalf of the creator of a Creation Unit of its rejection of the order of such person. The Trust, the Transfer Agent, the Custodian, any 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 either of them incur any liability for the failure to give any such notification. The Trust, the Transfer Agent, the Custodian and the Distributor shall not be liable for the rejection of any purchase order for Creation Units.

 

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 Trust, and the Trust’s determination shall be final and binding.

 

Creation Transaction Fee

 

A fixed purchase (i.e., creation) transaction fee, payable to the Fund’s custodian, may be imposed for the transfer and other transaction costs associated with the purchase of Creation Units (“Creation Order Costs”). The standard fixed creation transaction fee for the Fund is $[500.00], regardless of the number of Creation Units created in the transaction. The Fund may adjust the standard fixed creation transaction fee from time to time. The fixed creation fee may be waived on certain orders if the Fund’s custodian has determined to waive some or all of the Creation Order Costs associated with the order or another party, such as the Adviser, has agreed to pay such fee.

 

In addition, a variable fee, payable to the Fund, of up to a maximum of 2.0% of the value of the Creation Units subject to the transaction may be imposed for cash purchases, non-standard orders, or partial cash purchases of Creation Units. The variable charge is primarily designed to cover additional costs (e.g., brokerage, taxes) involved with buying the securities with cash. The Fund may determine to not charge a variable fee on certain orders when the Adviser has determined that doing so is in the best interests of Fund shareholders, e.g., for creation orders that facilitate the rebalance of the Fund’s portfolio in a more tax efficient manner than could be achieved without such order. Investors who use the services of a broker or other such intermediary may be charged a fee for such services. Investors are responsible for the fixed costs of transferring the Fund Securities from the Trust to their account or on their order.

 

Risks of Purchasing Creation Units

 

There are certain legal risks unique to investors purchasing Creation Units directly from the Fund. Because Shares may be issued on an ongoing basis, a “distribution” of Shares could be occurring at any time. Certain activities that a shareholder performs as a dealer could, depending on the circumstances, result in the shareholder being deemed a participant in the distribution in a manner that could render the shareholder a statutory underwriter and subject to the prospectus delivery and liability provisions of the Securities Act. For example, a shareholder could be deemed a statutory underwriter if it purchases Creation Units from the Fund, breaks them down into the constituent Shares, and sells those Shares directly to customers, or if a shareholder chooses to couple the creation of a supply of new Shares with an active selling effort involving solicitation of secondary-market demand for Shares. Whether a person is an underwriter depends upon all of the facts and circumstances pertaining to that person’s activities, and the examples mentioned here should not be considered a complete description of all the activities that could cause you to be deemed an underwriter.

 

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Dealers who are not “underwriters” but are participating in a distribution (as opposed to engaging in ordinary secondary-market transactions), and thus dealing with Shares as part of an “unsold allotment” within the meaning of Section 4(a)(3)(C) of the Securities Act, will be unable to take advantage of the prospectus delivery exemption provided by Section 4(a)(3) of the Securities Act.

 

Redemption. Shares may be redeemed only in Creation Units at their NAV next determined after receipt of a redemption request in proper form by the Fund through the Transfer Agent and only on a Business Day. Except upon liquidation of the Fund, the Trust will not redeem shares in amounts less than Creation Units. Investors must accumulate enough Shares in the secondary market to constitute a Creation Unit to have such Shares redeemed by the Trust. There can be no assurance, however, that there will be sufficient liquidity in the public trading 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 redeemable Creation Unit.

 

With respect to the Fund, the Custodian, through the NSCC, makes available prior to the opening of business on the [CBOE] (currently 9:30 a.m., Eastern Time) on each Business Day, the list of the names and Share quantities of the Fund’s portfolio securities 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”). Fund Securities received on redemption may not be identical to Deposit Securities.

 

Redemption proceeds for a Creation Unit are paid either in-kind or in cash, or combination thereof, as determined by the Trust. With respect to in-kind redemptions of the Fund, redemption proceeds for a Creation Unit will consist of Fund Securities - as announced by the Custodian on the Business Day of the request for redemption received in proper form plus cash in an amount equal to the difference between the NAV of Shares being redeemed, as next determined after a receipt of a request in proper form, and the value of the Fund Securities (the “Cash Redemption Amount”), less a fixed redemption transaction fee, as applicable, as set forth below. In the event that the Fund Securities have a value greater than the NAV of Shares, a compensating cash payment equal to the differential is required to be made by or through an Authorized Participant by the redeeming shareholder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, at the Trust’s discretion, an Authorized Participant may receive the corresponding cash value of the securities in lieu of the in-kind securities value representing one or more Fund Securities.

 

Redemption Transaction Fee

 

A fixed redemption transaction fee, payable to the Fund’s custodian, may be imposed for the transfer and other transaction costs associated with the redemption of Creation Units (“Redemption Order Costs”). The standard fixed redemption transaction fee for the Fund is $[500.00] regardless of the number of Creation Units redeemed in the transaction. The Fund may adjust the redemption transaction fee from time to time. The fixed redemption fee may be waived on certain orders if the Fund’s custodian has determined to waive some or all of the Redemption Order Costs associated with the order or another party, such as the Adviser, has agreed to pay such fee.

 

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In addition, a variable fee, payable to the Fund, of up to a maximum of 2.0% of the value of the Creation Units subject to the transaction may be imposed for cash redemptions, non-standard orders, or partial cash redemptions (when cash redemptions are available) of Creation Units. The variable charge is primarily designed to cover additional costs (e.g., brokerage, taxes) involved with selling portfolio securities to satisfy a cash redemption. The Fund may determine to not charge a variable fee on certain orders when the Adviser has determined that doing so is in the best interests of Fund shareholders, e.g., for redemption orders that facilitate the rebalance of the Fund’s portfolio in a more tax efficient manner than could be achieved without such order.

 

Investors who use the services of a broker or other such intermediary may be charged a fee for such services. Investors are responsible for the fixed costs of transferring the Fund Securities from the Trust to their account or on their order.

 

Procedures for Redemption of Creation Units

 

Orders to redeem Creation Units must be submitted in proper form to the Transfer Agent prior to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time. A redemption request is considered to be in “proper form” if (i) an Authorized Participant has transferred or caused to be transferred to the Trust’s Transfer Agent the Creation Unit(s) being redeemed through the book-entry system of DTC so as to be effective by the time as set forth in the Participant Agreement and (ii) a request in form satisfactory to the Trust is received by the Transfer Agent from the Authorized Participant on behalf of itself or another redeeming investor within the time periods specified in the Participant Agreement. If the Transfer Agent does not receive the investor’s shares through DTC’s facilities by the times and pursuant to the other terms and conditions set forth in the Participant Agreement, the redemption request shall be rejected.

 

The Authorized Participant must transmit the request for redemption, in the form required by the Trust, 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. 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 the Trust’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.

 

Additional Redemption Procedures

 

In connection with taking delivery of Shares of Fund Securities upon redemption of Creation Units, a redeeming shareholder or Authorized Participant acting on behalf of such shareholder must maintain appropriate custody arrangements with a qualified broker-dealer, bank or other custody providers in each jurisdiction in which any of the Fund Securities are customarily traded, to which account such Fund Securities will be delivered. Deliveries of redemption proceeds generally will be made within two business days of the trade date.

 

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The Trust may in its discretion exercise its option to redeem such Shares in cash, and the redeeming investor will be required to receive its redemption proceeds in cash. In addition, an investor may request a redemption in cash that the Fund may, in its sole discretion, permit. In either case, the investor will receive a cash payment equal to the NAV of its Shares based on the NAV of Shares next determined after the redemption request is received in proper form (minus a redemption transaction fee, if applicable, and additional charge for requested cash redemptions specified above, to offset the Trust’s brokerage and other transaction costs associated with the disposition of Fund Securities). The Fund may also, in its sole discretion, upon request of a shareholder, provide such redeemer a portfolio of securities that differs from the exact composition of the Fund Securities but does not differ in NAV.

 

Redemptions of Shares for Fund Securities will be subject to compliance with applicable 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 Trust could not lawfully deliver specific Fund Securities upon redemptions or could not do so without first registering the Fund Securities under such laws. An Authorized Participant or an investor for which it is acting subject to a legal restriction with respect to a particular security included in the Fund Securities applicable to the redemption of Creation Units may be paid an equivalent amount of cash. The Authorized Participant may request the redeeming investor of Shares to complete an order form or to enter into agreements with respect to such matters as compensating cash payment. Further, an Authorized Participant that is not a “qualified institutional buyer,” (“QIB”) as such term is defined under Rule 144A of the Securities Act, will not be able to receive Fund Securities that are restricted securities eligible for resale under Rule 144A. An Authorized Participant may be required by the Trust to provide a written confirmation with respect to QIB status to receive Fund Securities.

 

The right of redemption may be suspended or the date of payment postponed with respect to the Fund (1) for any period during which the [CBOE] is closed (other than customary weekend and holiday closings); (2) for any period during which trading on the [CBOE] is suspended or restricted; (3) for any period during which an emergency exists as a result of which disposal of Shares or determination of the NAV of Shares is not reasonably practicable; or (4) in such other circumstance as is permitted by the SEC.

 

For every occurrence of one or more intervening holidays in the applicable foreign market that are not holidays observed in the U.S. equity market, the redemption settlement cycle will be extended by the number of such intervening holidays. In addition to holidays, other unforeseeable closings in a foreign market due to emergencies may also prevent the Trust from delivering securities within normal settlement period.

 

The securities delivery cycles currently practicable for transferring portfolio securities to redeeming investors, coupled with foreign market holiday schedules, will require, in certain circumstances, a delivery process longer than seven calendar days for the Fund. Although certain holidays may occur on different dates in subsequent years, the number of days required to deliver redemption proceeds in any given year is not expected to exceed the maximum number of days listed below for the Fund. The proclamation of new holidays, the treatment by market participants of certain days as “informal holidays” (e.g., days on which no or limited securities transactions occur, as a result of substantially shortened trading hours), the elimination of existing holidays, or changes in local securities delivery practices, could affect the information set forth herein at some time in the future.

 

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DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE

 

The NAV and offering price of shares is determined at the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) (normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time) on each day the NYSE is open. NAV is computed by determining, on a per class basis, the aggregate market value of all assets of the applicable Fund, less its liabilities, divided by the total number of shares outstanding ((assets-liabilities)/number of shares = NAV). The NYSE is closed on weekends and New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. The NAV takes into account the expenses and fees of the Fund, including management, administration, and distribution fees, which are accrued daily. The determination of NAV for the Fund for a particular day is applicable to all applications for the purchase of shares, as well as all requests for the redemption of shares, received by the Fund (or an authorized broker or agent, or its authorized designee) before the close of trading on the NYSE on that day.

 

Generally, securities traded or dealt in upon one or more securities exchanges (whether domestic or foreign) for which market quotations are readily available and not subject to restrictions against resale shall be valued at the last quoted sales price on the primary exchange or, in the absence of a sale on the primary exchange, at the mean between the current bid and ask prices on such exchange. Securities primarily traded in the National Association of Securities Dealers’ Automated Quotation System (“NASDAQ”) National Market System for which market quotations are readily available shall be valued using the NASDAQ Official Closing Price. Securities that are not traded or dealt in any securities exchange (whether domestic or foreign) and for which over-the-counter market quotations are readily available generally shall be valued at the last sale price or, in the absence of a sale, at the mean between the current bid and ask price on such over-the-counter market. Debt securities not traded on an exchange may be valued at prices supplied by a pricing agent(s) based on broker or dealer supplied valuations or matrix pricing, a method of valuing securities by reference to the value of other securities with similar characteristics, such as rating, interest rate and maturity. Futures, swaps and options contracts listed for trading on a futures or options exchange or board of trade for which market quotations are generally available are valued at the last quoted sale price, or, in the absence of a sale, at the mean of the last bid and ask price. Total return swaps on exchange-listed securities are valued at the last quoted sale price, or, in the absence of a sale, at the mean of the last bid and ask price.

 

If market quotations are not readily available, securities or other assets will be valued at their fair market value as determined in good faith by the Adviser in accordance with procedures approved by the Board and evaluated by the Board as to the reliability of the fair value method used. In these cases, the Fund’s NAV will reflect certain portfolio securities’ fair value rather than their market price. Fair value pricing involves subjective judgments and it is possible that the fair value determined for a security or other asset may be materially different than the value that could be realized upon the sale of that security or other asset. The fair value prices can differ from market prices when they become available or when a price becomes available. The Board has delegated execution of these procedures to a fair value committee. The committee may also enlist third party consultants such as an audit firm or financial officer of a security issuer on an as-needed basis to assist in determining a security-specific fair value. The Board reviews and ratifies the execution of this process and the resultant fair value prices at least quarterly to assure the process produces reliable results.

 

The Fund may use independent pricing services to assist in calculating the value of the Fund’s securities or other assets. In addition, market prices for foreign securities are not determined at the same time of day as the NAV for the Fund. Because the Fund may invest in securities primarily listed on foreign exchanges, and these exchanges may trade on weekends or other days when the Fund does not price its shares, the value of some of the Fund’s portfolio securities may change on days when you may not be able to buy or sell Fund shares.

 

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In computing the NAV, the Fund value foreign securities held by the Fund at the latest closing price on the exchange in which they are traded immediately prior to closing of the NYSE. Prices of foreign securities quoted in foreign currencies are translated into U.S. dollars at current rates. If events materially affecting the value of a security in the Fund’s portfolio, particularly foreign securities, occur after the close of trading on a foreign market but before the Fund prices its shares, the security will be valued at fair value. For example, if trading in a portfolio security is halted and does not resume before the Fund calculates its NAV, the Adviser may need to price the security using the Fund’s fair value pricing guidelines. Without a fair value price, short-term traders could take advantage of the arbitrage opportunity and dilute the NAV of long-term investors. Fair valuation of the Fund’s portfolio securities can serve to reduce arbitrage opportunities available to short-term traders, but there is no assurance that fair value pricing policies will prevent dilution of the Fund’s NAV by short term traders. The determination of fair value involves subjective judgments. As a result, using fair value to price a security may result in a price materially different from the prices used by other funds to determine net asset value, or from the price that may be realized upon the actual sale of the security.

 

With respect to any portion of the Fund’s assets that are invested in one or more open-end management investment companies registered under the 1940 Act, the Fund’s net asset value is calculated based upon the net asset values of those open-end management investment companies, and the prospectuses for these companies explain the circumstances under which those companies will use fair value pricing and the effects of using fair value pricing.

 

DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS

 

The following information supplements and should be read in conjunction with the section in the Prospectus entitled “Dividends, Other Distributions and Taxes.”

 

General Policies

 

The Fund expects to declare and distribute all of its net investment income, if any, to shareholders as dividends at least annually. The Fund may distribute such income dividends and capital gains more frequently, if necessary, in order to reduce or eliminate federal excise or income taxes on the Fund.

 

Dividend Distributions

 

Dividends and other distributions on Shares are distributed, as described below, on a pro rata basis to Beneficial Owners of such Shares. Dividend payments are made through DTC Participants and Indirect Participants to Beneficial Owners then of record with proceeds received from the Trust.

 

Dividend Reinvestment Service

 

The Trust will not make the DTC book-entry dividend reinvestment service available for use by Beneficial Owners for reinvestment of their cash proceeds, but certain individual broker-dealers may make available the DTC book-entry Dividend Reinvestment Service for use by Beneficial Owners of the Fund through DTC Participants for reinvestment of their dividend distributions. Investors should contact their brokers to ascertain the availability and description of these services. Beneficial Owners should be aware that each broker may require investors to adhere to specific procedures and timetables in order to participate in the dividend reinvestment service and investors should ascertain from their brokers such necessary details. If this service is available and used, dividend distributions of both income and realized gains will be automatically reinvested in additional whole Shares issued by the Trust of the same Fund at NAV per Share. Distributions reinvested in additional Shares of the Fund will nevertheless be taxable to Beneficial Owners acquiring such additional Shares to the same extent as if such distributions had been received in cash.

 

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CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL SHAREHOLDERS

 

The Trust does not have information concerning the beneficial ownership of shares held in the names of Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) participants.

 

TAXES

 

The following is a summary of certain additional tax considerations generally affecting the Fund and its shareholders that are not described in the Prospectus. No attempt is made to present a detailed explanation of the tax treatment of the Fund or its shareholders, and the discussion here and in the Prospectus is not intended as a substitute for careful tax planning.

 

This “Taxes” section is based on the Code and applicable regulations in effect on the date of this SAI. Future legislative, regulatory or administrative changes, including provisions of current law that sunset and thereafter no longer apply, or court decisions may significantly change the tax rules applicable to the Fund and its shareholders. Any of these changes or court decisions may have a retroactive effect.

 

This is for general information only and not tax advice. All investors should consult their own tax advisors as to the federal, state, local and foreign tax provisions applicable to them.

 

Taxation of the Fund

 

The Fund will elect and intends to qualify each year to be treated as a separate RIC under the Code. As such, the Fund should not be subject to federal income taxes on its net investment income and capital gains, if any, to the extent that it timely distributes such income and capital gains to its shareholders. To qualify for treatment as a RIC, the Fund must distribute annually to its shareholders at least the sum of 90% of its net investment income (generally including the excess of net short-term capital gains over net long-term capital losses) and 90% of its net tax-exempt interest income, if any (the “Distribution Requirement”) and also must meet several additional requirements. Among these requirements are the following: (i) at least 90% of the Fund’s gross income each taxable year must be derived from dividends, interest, payments with respect to certain securities loans, gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities or foreign currencies, or other income derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock, securities or foreign currencies and net income derived from interests in qualified publicly traded partnerships (the “Qualifying Income Requirement”); and (ii) at the end of each quarter of the Fund’s taxable year, the Fund’s assets must be diversified so that (a) at least 50% of the value of the Fund’s total assets is represented by cash and cash items, U.S. government securities, securities of other RICs, and other securities, with such other securities limited, in respect to any one issuer, to an amount not greater in value than 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets and to not more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer, including the equity securities of a qualified publicly traded partnership, and (b) not more than 25% of the value of its total assets is invested, including through corporations in which the Fund owns a 20% or more voting stock interest, in the securities (other than U.S. government securities or securities of other RICs) of any one issuer, the securities (other than securities of other RICs) of two or more issuers which the Fund controls and which are engaged in the same, similar, or related trades or businesses, or the securities of one or more qualified publicly traded partnerships (the “Diversification Requirement”).

 

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To the extent the Fund makes investments that may generate income that is not qualifying income, including certain derivatives, the Fund will seek to restrict the resulting income from such investments so that the Fund’s non-qualifying income does not exceed 10% of its gross income.

 

Although the Fund intends to distribute substantially all of its net investment income and may distribute its capital gains for any taxable year, the Fund will be subject to federal income taxation to the extent any such income or gains are not distributed. The Fund is treated as a separate corporation for federal income tax purposes. The Fund therefore is considered to be a separate entity in determining its treatment under the rules for RICs described herein. The requirements (other than certain organizational requirements) for qualifying RIC status are determined at the Fund level rather than at the Trust level.

 

If the Fund fails to satisfy the Qualifying Income Requirement or the Diversification Requirement in any taxable year, the Fund may be eligible for relief provisions if the failures are due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect, and if a penalty tax is paid with respect to each failure to satisfy the applicable requirements. Additionally, relief is provided for certain de minimis failures of the Diversification Requirement where the Fund corrects the failure within a specified period of time. To be eligible for the relief provisions with respect to a failure to meet the Diversification Requirement, the Fund may be required to dispose of certain assets. If these relief provisions were not available to the Fund and it were to fail to qualify for treatment as a RIC for a taxable year, all of its taxable income would be subject to tax at regular corporate rates without any deduction for distributions to shareholders, and its distributions (including capital gains distributions) generally would be taxable to the shareholders of the Fund as ordinary income dividends, subject to the dividends received deduction for corporate shareholders and the lower tax rates on qualified dividend income received by non-corporate shareholders, subject to certain limitations. To requalify for treatment as a RIC in a subsequent taxable year, the Fund would be required to satisfy the RIC qualification requirements for that year and to distribute any earnings and profits from any year in which the Fund failed to qualify for tax treatment as a RIC. If the Fund failed to qualify as a RIC for a period greater than two taxable years, it would generally be required to pay a fund-level tax on certain net built in gains recognized with respect to certain of its assets upon disposition of such assets within five years of qualifying as a RIC in a subsequent year. The Board reserves the right not to maintain the qualification of the Fund for treatment as a RIC if it determines such course of action to be beneficial to shareholders. If the Fund determines that it will not qualify as a RIC, the Fund will establish procedures to reflect the anticipated tax liability in the Fund’s NAV.

 

The Fund may elect to treat part or all of any “qualified late year loss” as if it had been incurred in the succeeding taxable year in determining the Fund’s taxable income, net capital gain, net short-term capital gain, and earnings and profits. The effect of this election is to treat any such “qualified late year loss” as if it had been incurred in the succeeding taxable year in characterizing Fund distributions for any calendar year. A “qualified late year loss” generally includes net capital loss, net long-term capital loss, or net short-term capital loss incurred after October 31 of the current taxable year (commonly referred to as “post-October losses”) and certain other late-year losses.

 

Capital losses in excess of capital gains (“net capital losses”) are not permitted to be deducted against a RIC’s net investment income. Instead, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, potentially subject to certain limitations, the Fund may carry a net capital loss from any taxable year forward indefinitely to offset its capital gains, if any, in years following the year of the loss. To the extent subsequent capital gains are offset by such losses, they will not result in U.S. federal income tax liability to the Fund and may not be distributed as capital gains to its shareholders. Generally, the Fund may not carry forward any losses other than net capital losses. The carryover of capital losses may be limited under the general loss limitation rules if the Fund experiences an ownership change as defined in the Code.

 

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The Fund will be subject to a nondeductible 4% federal excise tax on certain undistributed income if it does not distribute to its shareholders in each calendar year an amount at least equal to 98% of its ordinary income for the calendar year plus 98.2% of its capital gain net income for the one-year period ending on October 31 of that year, subject to an increase for any shortfall in the prior year’s distribution. In order to qualify as a regulated investment company, and avoid being subject to federal income or excise taxes at the fund level, the Fund intends to distribute substantially all of its net investment income and net realized capital gains within each calendar year as well as on a fiscal year basis (if the fiscal year is other than the calendar year), and intends to comply with other tax rules applicable to regulated investment companies.

 

If the Fund meets the Distribution Requirement but retains some or all of its income or gains, it will be subject to federal income tax to the extent any such income or gains are not distributed. The Fund may designate certain amounts retained as undistributed net capital gain in a notice to its shareholders, who (i) will be required to include in income for U.S. federal income tax purposes, as long-term capital gain, their proportionate shares of the undistributed amount so designated, (ii) will be entitled to credit their proportionate shares of the income tax paid by the Fund on that undistributed amount against their federal income tax liabilities and to claim refunds to the extent such credits exceed their tax liabilities, and (iii) will be entitled to increase their tax basis, for federal income tax purposes, in their Shares by an amount equal to the excess of the amount of undistributed net capital gain included in their respective income over their respective income tax credits.

 

Taxation of Shareholders – Distributions

 

The Fund intends to distribute annually to its shareholders substantially all of its investment company taxable income (computed without regard to the deduction for dividends paid), its net tax-exempt income, if any, and any net capital gain (net recognized long-term capital gains in excess of net recognized short-term capital losses, taking into account any capital loss carryforwards). The distribution of investment company taxable income (as so computed) and net capital gain will be taxable to Fund shareholders regardless of whether the shareholder receives these distributions in cash or reinvests them in additional Shares.

 

The Fund (or your broker) will report to shareholders annually the amounts of dividends paid from ordinary income, the amount of distributions of net capital gain, the portion of dividends which may qualify for the dividends received deduction for corporations, and the portion of dividends which may qualify for treatment as qualified dividend income, which is taxable to non-corporate shareholders at rates of up to 20%.

 

Distributions from the Fund’s net capital gain will be taxable to shareholders at long-term capital gains rates, regardless of how long shareholders have held their Shares.

 

Qualified dividend income includes, in general and subject to certain holding period and other requirements, dividend income from taxable domestic corporations and certain foreign corporations. Subject to certain limitations, eligible foreign corporations include those incorporated in possessions of the United States, those incorporated in certain countries with comprehensive tax treaties with the United States, and other foreign corporations if the stock with respect to which the dividends are paid is readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States. Dividends received by the Fund from an ETF or an underlying fund taxable as a RIC may be treated as qualified dividend income generally only to the extent so reported by such ETF, underlying fund. If 95% or more of the Fund’s gross income (calculated without taking into account net capital gain derived from sales or other dispositions of stock or securities) consists of qualified dividend income, the Fund may report all distributions of such income as qualified dividend income.

 

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Fund dividends will not be treated as qualified dividend income if the Fund does not meet holding period and other requirements with respect to dividend paying stocks in its portfolio, and the shareholder does not meet holding period and other requirements with respect to the Shares on which the dividends were paid. Distributions by the Fund of its net short-term capital gains will be taxable as ordinary income. Distributions from the Fund’s net capital gain will be taxable to shareholders at long-term capital gains rates, regardless of how long shareholders have held their Shares. Distributions may be subject to state and local taxes.

 

In the case of corporate shareholders, certain dividends received by the Fund from U.S. corporations (generally, dividends received by the Fund in respect of any share of stock (1) with a tax holding period of at least 46 days during the 91-day period beginning on the date that is 45 days before the date on which the stock becomes ex-dividend as to that dividend and (2) that is held in an unleveraged position) and distributed and appropriately so reported by the Fund may be eligible for the 70% dividends-received deduction. Certain preferred stock must have a holding period of at least 91 days during the 181-day period beginning on the date that is 90 days before the date on which the stock becomes ex-dividend as to that dividend in order to be eligible. Capital gain dividends distributed to the Fund from other RICs are not eligible for the dividends-received deduction. In order to qualify for the deduction, corporate shareholders must meet the minimum holding period requirement stated above with respect to their Shares, taking into account any holding period reductions from certain hedging or other transactions or positions that diminish their risk of loss with respect to their Shares, and, if they borrow to acquire or otherwise incur debt attributable to Shares, they may be denied a portion of the dividends-received deduction with respect to those Shares.

 

Although dividends generally will be treated as distributed when paid, any dividend declared by the Fund in October, November or December and payable to shareholders of record in such a month that is paid during the following January will be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as received by shareholders on December 31 of the calendar year in which it was declared.

 

U.S. individuals with adjusted gross income (subject to certain adjustments) exceeding certain threshold amounts ($250,000 if married filing jointly or if considered a “surviving spouse” for federal income tax purposes, $125,000 if married filing separately, and $200,000 in other cases) are subject to a 3.8% Medicare contribution tax on all or a portion of their “net investment income,” which includes taxable interest, dividends, and certain capital gains (generally including capital gain distributions and capital gains realized on the sale of Shares). This 3.8% tax also applies to all or a portion of the undistributed net investment income of certain shareholders that are estates and trusts.

 

Shareholders who have not held Shares for a full year should be aware that the Fund may report and distribute, as ordinary dividends or capital gain dividends, a percentage of income that is not equal to the percentage of the Fund’s ordinary income or net capital gain, respectively, actually earned during the applicable shareholder’s period of investment in the Fund. A taxable shareholder may wish to avoid investing in the Fund shortly before a dividend or other distribution, because the distribution will generally be taxable even though it may economically represent a return of a portion of the shareholder’s investment.

 

To the extent that the Fund makes a distribution of income received by the Fund in lieu of dividends (a “substitute payment”) with respect to securities on loan pursuant to a securities lending transaction, such income will not constitute qualified dividend income to individual shareholders and will not be eligible for the dividends received deduction for corporate shareholders.

 

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If the Fund’s distributions exceed its earnings and profits, all or a portion of the distributions made for a taxable year may be recharacterized as a return of capital to shareholders. A return of capital distribution will generally not be taxable, but will reduce each shareholder’s cost basis in the Fund and result in a higher capital gain or lower capital loss when Shares on which the distribution was received are sold. After a shareholder’s basis in Shares has been reduced to zero, distributions in excess of earnings and profits will be treated as gain from the sale of the shareholder’s Shares.

 

Taxation of Shareholders – Sale of Shares

 

A sale, redemption, or exchange of Shares may give rise to a gain or loss. In general, any gain or loss realized upon a taxable disposition of Shares will be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if Shares have been held for more than 12 months. Otherwise, the gain or loss on the taxable disposition of Shares will generally be treated as short-term capital gain or loss. Any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of Shares held for six months or less will be treated as long-term capital loss, rather than short-term capital loss, to the extent of any amounts treated as distributions to the shareholder of long-term capital gain (including any amounts credited to the shareholder as undistributed capital gains). All or a portion of any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of Shares may be disallowed if substantially identical Shares are acquired (through the reinvestment of dividends or otherwise) within a 61-day period beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the disposition. In such a case, the basis of the newly acquired Shares will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss.

 

The cost basis of Shares acquired by purchase will generally be based on the amount paid for Shares and then may be subsequently adjusted for other applicable transactions as required by the Code. The difference between the selling price and the cost basis of Shares generally determines the amount of the capital gain or loss realized on the sale or exchange of Shares. Contact the broker through whom you purchased your Shares to obtain information with respect to the available cost basis reporting methods and elections for your account. An Authorized Participant who exchanges securities for Creation Units generally will recognize a gain or a loss. The gain or loss will be equal to the difference between the market value of the Creation Units at the time and the sum of the exchanger’s aggregate basis in the securities surrendered plus the amount of cash paid for such Creation Units. A person who redeems Creation Units will generally recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the exchanger’s basis in the Creation Units and the sum of the aggregate market value of any securities received plus the amount of any cash received for such Creation Units. The Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”), however, may assert that a loss realized upon an exchange of securities for Creation Units cannot currently be deducted under the rules governing “wash sales” (for a person who does not mark-to-market its portfolio) or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic position.

 

Any capital gain or loss realized upon the creation of Creation Units will generally be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the securities exchanged for such Creation Units have been held for more than one year. Any capital gain or loss realized upon the redemption of Creation Units will generally be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if Shares comprising the Creation Units have been held for more than one year. Otherwise, such capital gains or losses will generally be treated as short-term capital gains or losses. Any loss upon a redemption of Creation Units held for six months or less may be treated as long-term capital loss to the extent of any amounts treated as distributions to the applicable Authorized Participant of long-term capital gain with respect to the Creation Units (including any amounts credited to the Authorized Participant as undistributed capital gains).

 

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The Trust, on behalf of the Fund, has the right to reject an order for Creation Units if the purchaser (or a group of purchasers) would, upon obtaining the Creation Units so ordered, own 80% or more of the outstanding Shares and if, pursuant to Section 351 of the Code, the Fund would have a basis in the deposit securities different from the market value of such securities on the date of deposit. The Trust also has the right to require the provision of information necessary to determine beneficial Share ownership for purposes of the 80% determination. If the Fund does issue Creation Units to a purchaser (or a group of purchasers) that would, upon obtaining the Creation Units so ordered, own 80% or more of the outstanding Shares, the purchaser (or a group of purchasers) will not recognize gain or loss upon the exchange of securities for Creation Units.

 

Persons purchasing or redeeming Creation Units should consult their own tax advisers with respect to the tax treatment of any creation or redemption transaction and whether the wash sales rule applies and when a loss may be deductible.

 

Taxation of Fund Investments

 

Certain of the Fund’s investments may be subject to complex provisions of the Code (including provisions relating to hedging transactions, straddles, integrated transactions, foreign currency contracts, forward foreign currency contracts, and notional principal contracts) that, among other things, may affect the Fund’s ability to qualify as a RIC, affect the character of gains and losses realized by the Fund (e.g., may affect whether gains or losses are ordinary or capital), accelerate recognition of income to the Fund and defer losses. These rules could therefore affect the character, amount and timing of distributions to shareholders. These provisions also may require the Fund to mark to market certain types of positions in its portfolio (i.e., treat them as if they were closed out) which may cause the Fund to recognize income without the Fund receiving cash with which to make distributions in amounts sufficient to enable the Fund to satisfy the RIC distribution requirements for avoiding income and excise taxes. The Fund intends to monitor its transactions, intends to make appropriate tax elections, and intends to make appropriate entries in its books and records in order to mitigate the effect of these rules and preserve the Fund’s qualification for treatment as a RIC. To the extent the Fund invests in an underlying fund that is taxable as a RIC, the rules applicable to the tax treatment of complex securities will also apply to the underlying funds that also invest in such complex securities and investments.

 

Backup Withholding

 

The Fund will be required in certain cases to withhold (as “backup withholding”) on amounts payable to any shareholder who (1) fails to provide a correct taxpayer identification number certified under penalty of perjury; (2) is subject to backup withholding by the IRS for failure to properly report all payments of interest or dividends; (3) fails to provide a certified statement that he or she is not subject to “backup withholding”; or (4) fails to provide a certified statement that he or she is a U.S. person (including a U.S. resident alien). The backup withholding rate is 24%. Backup withholding is not an additional tax and any amounts withheld may be credited against the shareholder’s ultimate U.S. tax liability. Backup withholding will not be applied to payments that have been subject to the 30% withholding tax on shareholders who are neither citizens nor permanent residents of the United States.

 

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Foreign Shareholders

 

Any non-U.S. investors in the Fund may be subject to U.S. withholding and estate tax and shareholders are encouraged to consult their tax advisors prior to investing in the Fund. Foreign shareholders (i.e., nonresident alien individuals and foreign corporations, partnerships, trusts and estates) are generally subject to U.S. withholding tax at the rate of 30% (or a lower tax treaty rate) on distributions derived from taxable ordinary income. The Fund may, under certain circumstances, report all or a portion of a dividend as an “interest-related dividend” or a “short-term capital gain dividend,” which would generally be exempt from this 30% U.S. withholding tax, provided certain other requirements are met. Short-term capital gain dividends received by a nonresident alien individual who is present in the U.S. for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the taxable year are not exempt from this 30% withholding tax. Gains realized by foreign shareholders from the sale or other disposition of Shares generally are not subject to U.S. taxation, unless the recipient is an individual who is physically present in the U.S. for 183 days or more per year. Foreign shareholders who fail to provide an applicable IRS form may be subject to backup withholding on certain payments from the Fund. Backup withholding will not be applied to payments that are subject to the 30% (or lower applicable treaty rate) withholding tax described in this paragraph. Different tax consequences may result if the foreign shareholder is engaged in a trade or business within the United States. In addition, the tax consequences to a foreign shareholder entitled to claim the benefits of a tax treaty may be different than those described above.

 

Unless certain non-U.S. entities that hold Shares comply with IRS requirements that will generally require them to report information regarding U.S. persons investing in, or holding accounts with, such entities, a 30% withholding tax may apply to Fund distributions payable to such entities and with respect to redemptions and certain capital gain dividends payable to such entities after December 31, 2018. A non-U.S. shareholder may be exempt from the withholding described in this paragraph under an applicable intergovernmental agreement between the U.S. and a foreign government, provided that the shareholder and the applicable foreign government comply with the terms of the agreement.

 

For foreign shareholders to qualify for an exemption from backup withholding, described above, the foreign shareholder must comply with special certification and filing requirements. Foreign shareholders in the Fund should consult their tax advisors in this regard.

 

Tax-Exempt Shareholders

 

Certain tax-exempt shareholders, including qualified pension plans, individual retirement accounts, salary deferral arrangements, 401(k) plans, and other tax-exempt entities, generally are exempt from federal income taxation except with respect to their unrelated business taxable income (“UBTI”). Under current law, the Fund generally serves to block UBTI from being realized by its tax-exempt shareholders with respect to their shares of Fund income. However, notwithstanding the foregoing, tax-exempt shareholders could realize UBTI by virtue of their investment in the Fund if, for example, (i) the Fund invests in residual interests of Real Estate Mortgage Investment Conduits, (ii) the Fund invests in a real estate investment trust that is a taxable mortgage pool (“TMP”) or that has a subsidiary that is a TMP or that invests in the residual interest of a REMIC, or (iii) Shares constitute debt-financed property in the hands of the tax-exempt shareholders within the meaning of section 514(b) of the Code. Charitable remainder trusts are subject to special rules and should consult their tax advisers. The IRS has issued guidance with respect to these issues and prospective shareholders, especially charitable remainder trusts, are strongly encouraged to consult with their tax advisers regarding these issues.

 

Certain Potential Tax Reporting Requirements

 

Under U.S. Treasury regulations, if a shareholder recognizes a loss on disposition of Shares of $2 million or more for an individual shareholder or $10 million or more for a corporate shareholder (or certain greater amounts over a combination of years), the shareholder must file with the IRS a disclosure statement on IRS Form 8886. Direct shareholders of portfolio securities are in many cases excepted from this reporting requirement, but under current guidance, shareholders of a RIC are not excepted. Significant penalties may be imposed for the failure to comply with the reporting requirements. 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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State Tax

 

In those states that have income tax laws, the tax treatment of the Fund and of Fund shareholders with respect to distributions by the Fund may differ from federal tax treatment.

 

Tax Treatment of Portfolio Transactions

 

Set forth below is a general description of the tax treatment of certain types of securities, investment techniques and transactions that may apply to the Fund and, in turn, affect the amount, character and timing of dividends and distributions payable by the fund to its shareholders. This section should be read in conjunction with the discussion above under “Description of Permitted Investments” for a detailed description of the various types of securities and investment techniques that apply to the Fund.

 

In General. In general, gain or loss recognized by the Fund on the sale or other disposition of portfolio investments will be a capital gain or loss. Such capital gain and loss may be long-term or short-term depending, in general, upon the length of time a particular investment position is maintained and, in some cases, upon the nature of the transaction. Property held for more than one year generally will be eligible for long-term capital gain or loss treatment. The application of certain rules described below may serve to alter the manner in which the holding period for a security is determined or may otherwise affect the characterization as long-term or short-term, and also the timing of the realization and/or character, of certain gains or losses.

 

Options, Futures, Forward Contracts and Hedging Transactions. In general, option premiums received by the Fund are not immediately included in the income of the fund. Instead, the premiums are recognized when the option contract expires, the option is exercised by the holder, or the fund transfers or otherwise terminates the option (e.g., through a closing transaction). If an option written by the Fund is exercised and the fund sells or delivers the underlying stock, the fund generally will recognize capital gain or loss equal to (a) the sum of the strike price and the option premium received by the fund minus (b) the fund’s basis in the stock. Such gain or loss generally will be short-term or long-term depending upon the holding period of the underlying stock. If securities are purchased by the Fund pursuant to the exercise of a put option written by it, the fund generally will subtract the premium received from its cost basis in the securities purchased. The gain or loss with respect to any termination of the Fund’s obligation under an option other than through the exercise of the option and related sale or delivery of the underlying stock generally will be short-term gain or loss depending on whether the premium income received by the fund is greater or less than the amount paid by the fund (if any) in terminating the transaction. Thus, for example, if an option written by the Fund expires unexercised, the fund generally will recognize short-term gain equal to the premium received.

 

The tax treatment of certain futures contracts entered into by the Fund as well as listed non-equity options written or purchased by the Fund on U.S. exchanges (including options on futures contracts, broad-based equity indices and debt securities) may be governed by section 1256 of the Code (“section 1256 contracts”). Gains or losses on section 1256 contracts generally are considered 60% long-term and 40% short-term capital gains or losses (“60/40”), although certain foreign currency gains and losses from such contracts may be treated as ordinary in character. Also, any section 1256 contracts held by the Fund at the end of each taxable year (and, for purposes of the 4% excise tax, on certain other dates as prescribed under the Code) 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 ordinary or 60/40 gain or loss, as applicable.

 

58

 

 

In addition to the special rules described above in respect of options and futures transactions, the Fund’s transactions in other derivative instruments (including options and forward contracts) as well as its other hedging, short sale, or similar transactions, may be subject to one or more special tax rules (including the constructive sale, notional principal contract, straddle, wash sale and short sale rules). These rules may affect whether gains and losses recognized by the Fund are treated as ordinary or capital or as short-term or long-term, accelerate the recognition of income or gains to the fund, defer losses to the fund, and cause adjustments in the holding periods of the fund’s securities. These rules, therefore, could affect the amount, timing and/or character of distributions to shareholders. Moreover, because the tax rules applicable to derivative financial instruments are in some cases uncertain under current law, an adverse determination or future guidance by the IRS with respect to these rules (which determination or guidance could be retroactive) may affect whether the Fund has made sufficient distributions, and otherwise satisfied the relevant requirements, to maintain its qualification as a regulated investment company and avoid the Fund-level tax.

 

Certain of the Fund’s investments in derivatives and foreign currency-denominated instruments, and the Fund’s transactions in foreign currencies and hedging activities, may produce a difference between its book income and its taxable income. If the Fund’s book income is less than the sum of its taxable income and net tax-exempt income (if any), the fund could be required to make distributions exceeding book income to qualify as a regulated investment company. If the Fund’s book income exceeds the sum of its taxable income and net tax-exempt income (if any), the distribution of any such excess will be treated as (i) a dividend to the extent of the fund’s remaining earnings and profits (including current earnings and profits arising from tax-exempt income, reduced by related deductions), (ii) thereafter, as a return of capital to the extent of the recipient’s basis in the Shares, and (iii) thereafter, as gain from the sale or exchange of a capital asset.

 

Foreign Currency Transactions. The Fund’s transactions in foreign currencies, foreign currency-denominated debt obligations and certain foreign currency options, futures contracts and forward contracts (and similar instruments) may give rise to ordinary income or loss to the extent such income or loss results from fluctuations in the value of the foreign currency concerned. This treatment could increase or decrease the Fund’s ordinary income distributions to you, and may cause some or all of the fund’s previously distributed income to be classified as a return of capital. In certain cases, the Fund may make an election to treat such gain or loss as capital.

 

PFIC Investments. The Fund may invest in securities of foreign companies that may be classified under the Code as PFICs. In general, a foreign company is classified as a PFIC if at least one-half of its assets constitute investment-type assets or 75% or more of its gross income is investment-type income. When investing in PFIC securities, the Fund intends to mark-to-market these securities under certain provisions of the Code and recognize any unrealized gains as ordinary income at the end of the fund’s fiscal and excise tax years. Deductions for losses are allowable only to the extent of any current or previously recognized gains. These gains (reduced by allowable losses) are treated as ordinary income that the Fund is required to distribute, even though it has not sold or received dividends from these securities. You should also be aware that the designation of a foreign security as a PFIC security will cause its income dividends to fall outside of the definition of qualified foreign corporation dividends. These dividends generally will not qualify for the reduced rate of taxation on qualified dividends when distributed to you by the Fund. Foreign companies are not required to identify themselves as PFICs. Due to various complexities in identifying PFICs, the Fund can give no assurances that it will be able to identify portfolio securities in foreign corporations that are PFICs in time for the fund to make a mark-to-market election. If the Fund is unable to identify an investment as a PFIC and thus does not make a mark-to-market election, the fund may be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a portion of any “excess distribution” or gain from the disposition of such shares even if such income is distributed as a taxable dividend by the fund to its shareholders. Additional charges in the nature of interest may be imposed on the Fund in respect of deferred taxes arising from such distributions or gains.

 

59

 

 

Securities Lending. While securities are loaned out by the Fund, the Fund generally will receive from the borrower amounts equal to any dividends or interest paid on the borrowed securities. For federal income tax purposes, payments made “in lieu of” dividends are not considered dividend income. These distributions will neither qualify for the reduced rate of taxation for individuals on qualified dividends nor the 70% dividends received deduction for corporations. Also, any foreign tax withheld on payments made “in lieu of” dividends or interest will not qualify for the pass-through of foreign tax credits to shareholders.

 

Investments in Securities of Uncertain Tax Character. The Fund may invest in securities the U.S. federal income tax treatment of which may not be clear or may be subject to recharacterization by the IRS. To the extent the tax treatment of such securities or the income from such securities differs from the tax treatment expected by the Fund, it could affect the timing or character of income recognized by the fund, requiring the fund to purchase or sell securities, or otherwise change its portfolio, in order to comply with the tax rules applicable to regulated investment companies under the Code.

 

CAPITAL STOCK

 

The Trust currently is comprised of two investment funds. The Trust issues Shares of beneficial interest with no par value. The Board may designate additional series of the Trust.

 

Each Share issued by the Trust has a pro rata interest in the assets of the corresponding Fund. Shares have no pre-emptive, exchange, subscription or conversion rights and are freely transferable. Each Share is entitled to participate equally in dividends and distributions declared by the Board with respect to the relevant Fund, and in the net distributable assets of such Fund on liquidation.

 

Each Share has one vote with respect to matters upon which a shareholder vote is required consistent with the requirements of the 1940 Act and the rules promulgated thereunder and each fractional Share has a proportional fractional vote. Shares of all Fund vote together as a single class except that if the matter being voted on affects only a particular fund it will be voted on only by that fund, and if a matter affects a particular fund differently from other Fund, that fund will vote separately on such matter. Under Delaware law, the Trust is not required to hold an annual meeting of shareholders unless required to do so under the 1940 Act. The policy of the Trust is not to hold an annual meeting of shareholders unless required to do so under the 1940 Act. All Shares of the Trust have noncumulative voting rights for the election of Trustees. Under Delaware law, Trustees of the Trust may be removed by vote of the shareholders.

 

Under Delaware law, shareholders of a statutory trust may have similar limitations on liability as shareholders of a corporation.

 

60

 

 

SHAREHOLDER REPORTS

 

The Trust will issue through DTC Participants to its shareholders semi-annual reports containing unaudited financial statements and annual reports containing financial statements audited by an independent auditor approved by the Trust’s Trustees and by the shareholders when meetings are held and such other information as may be required by applicable laws, rules and regulations. Beneficial Owners also receive annually notification as to the tax status of the Trust’s distributions.

 

Shareholder inquiries may be made by writing to the Trust at Esoterica-Lucerne European Sustainability ETF, c/o Brown Brothers Harriman & Co, 50 Post Office Square, Boston, MA 02110.

 

DISCLAIMERS

 

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

 

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

The Fund has only recently commenced investment operations and, therefore, has not produced financial statements. Once produced, you can obtain a copy of the financial statements contained in the Fund’s annual or semi-annual report without charge by calling the Fund at [    ].

 

61

 

 

APPENDIX A PROXY VOTING POLICIES

 

The Trust has delegated responsibility for the voting of proxies relating to portfolio securities of the Funds to the Adviser and or the Sub-adviser. The Adviser/Sub-adviser’s Proxy Voting Guidelines will serve as the proxy voting guidelines of the Trust (“Guidelines”). The Guidelines govern the voting of proxies relating to portfolio securities of the Trust and the procedures contained therein provide for the delegation of the voting of proxies relating to portfolio securities of the Funds to the Adviser and or Sub-adviser.

 

The Administrator shall maintain a copy of the Guidelines and shall request from the Adviser and or Sub-adviser a copy of the proxy voting record for the Trust in order to file Form N-PX on behalf of the Trust on an annual basis. The Adviser and or Sub-adviser is responsible for maintaining the proxy voting record for the Trust pursuant to the Guidelines. The Trust’s Secretary or his/her designee will be responsible for the initiation of the filing of Form N-PX with the SEC. The Administrator will prepare and file Form N-PX.

 

The CCO shall on an annual basis verify that the Trust, in conjunction with the Adviser and or Sub-adviser and Administrator:

 

files its complete proxy voting record with the SEC on an annual basis on SEC Form N-PX;

 

discloses in its Form N-CSR a summary of the policies and procedures used to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities;

 

makes available to stockholders, either on its website or upon request, the record of how the Trust voted proxies relating to portfolio securities;

 

discloses in its annual and semi-annual reports to stockholders the methods by which stockholders may obtain information about the Trust’s Guidelines and proxy voting record.

 

[Adviser’s proxy policy to be supplied by subsequent amendment]

 

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PART C: OTHER INFORMATION

Item 28. Exhibits

 

(a) (1)(A) Certificate of Trust dated July 1, 2019, as filed with the State of Delaware on July 2, 2019, for Esoterica Thematic ETF Trust1
     
  (2)(A) Certificate of Amendment to Certificate of Trust dated October 10, 2019, as filed with the State of Delaware on October 10, 2019, for Esoterica Thematic Trust (the "Registrant" or "Trust")2
     
  (3)(A) Agreement and Declaration of Trust of the Registrant2
     
(b) (1) By-Laws of the Registrant2
     
(c) Not applicable.
   
(d) (1) Management Agreement between the Trust and Esoterica Capital, LLC2
     
  (2) Sub-Advisory Agreement between Esoterica Capital, LLC and Vident Investment Advisory, LLC2
     
  (3) Management Agreement between the Trust and Lucerne Capital Management, LP3
     
  (4) Sub-Advisory Agreement between Lucerne Capital Management, LP and [   ].3
     
(e) (1) Distribution Services Agreement2
     
  (2) Distribution Agreement2
     
  (3) Amended Distribution Services Agreement3
     
  (4) Amended Distribution Agreement3
     
(f) Not applicable.
   
(g) (1) Custody Agreement2
     
  (2) Amended Custody Agreement3
     
(h) (1) Administrative Agency Agreement2
     
  (2) Amended Administrative Agency Agreement3
     
  (2) Operating Expense Limitation Agreement2
     
  (3) Operating Expense Limitation Agreement with respect to Esoterica-Lucerne European Sustainability ETF3

 

C-1

 

 

  (4) Fund PFO and Treasury Agreement2
     
  (5) Fund CCO and AMLO Agreement2
     
  (6) Form of AP Agreement2
     
  (6) Agreement on IOPV Calculation2
     
  (7) Exchange Listing Agreement2
     
  (8) Exchange Listing Agreement with respect to Esoterica-Lucerne European Sustainability ETF3
     
(i) Opinion and Consent of Counsel3
   
(j) Other Opinions.  
   
(k) Not applicable.
   
(l) Not applicable.
   
(m) (1) Distribution and Service Plan2
   
  (2) Amended Distribution and Service Plan3
   
(n) Not applicable.
   
(o) Not applicable.
   
(p) (1) Code of Ethics of the Registrant2
     
  (2) Code of Ethics of Esoterica Capital LLC2
     
  (3) Code of Ethics of Lucerne Capital Management, LP3
     
  (4) Code of Ethics of Vident Investment Advisory, LLC3

 

Other Exhibits: Powers of Attorney.2

 

1 Incorporated by reference to the Registrant's Registration Statement Filed September 5, 2019, File No. 333-233633.
   
2 Incorporated by reference to the Registrant's Registration Statement Filed February 20, 2020, File No. 333-233633.   
   
3 To be filed by subsequent amendment.

 

Item 29. Persons Controlled by or Under Common Control with the Fund

 

Not applicable.

 

C-2

 

 

Item 30. Indemnification

 

Reference is made to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust (the "Declaration"), which was filed as exhibit (a)(2)(A) as part of Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 filed on February 20, 2020.

 

Nothing contained in the Declaration shall indemnify, hold harmless or protect any officer or trustee from or against any liability to the Trust or any shareholder to which such person to the extent such indemnification is prohibited by applicable federal law.

 

Supplemental indemnification information to be provided by subsequent amendment.

 

Item 31. Business and Other Connections of the Investment Adviser

 

See "Management" in each fund’s Statement of Additional Information. Information as to the directors and officers of each adviser and any sub-adviser is included in its Form ADV filed with the SEC and is incorporated herein by reference thereto. Esoterica Capital LLC ADV # 801-117617; Vident Investment Advisory, LLC ADV # 801-80534; Lucerne Capital Management, LP ADV # 801-60105.

 

Item 32. Principal Underwriters

 

(a) Foreside Fund Services, LLC (the "Distributor") serves as principal underwriter for the following investment companies registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended:

 

1. ABS Long/Short Strategies Fund
2. Absolute Shares Trust
3. AdvisorShares Trust
4. AGF Investments Trust (f/k/a FQF Trust)
5. AlphaCentric Prime Meridian Income Fund
6. American Century ETF Trust
7. Amplify ETF Trust
8. ARK ETF Trust
9. Bluestone Community Development Fund (f/k/a The 504 Fund)
10. Braddock Multi-Strategy Income Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust
11. Bridgeway Funds, Inc.
12. Brinker Capital Destinations Trust
13. Calamos Convertible and High Income Fund
14. Calamos Convertible Opportunities and Income Fund
15. Calamos Global Total Return Fund
16. Carlyle Tactical Private Credit Fund
17. Center Coast Brookfield MLP & Energy Infrastructure Fund
18. Cliffwater Corporate Lending Fund
19. CornerCap Group of Funds

 

C-3

 

 

20. Davis Fundamental ETF Trust
21. Defiance Next Gen Connectivity ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions
22. Defiance Next Gen Food & Agriculture ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions
23. Defiance Quantum ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions
24. Direxion Shares ETF Trust
25. Eaton Vance NextShares Trust
26. Eaton Vance NextShares Trust II
27. EIP Investment Trust
28. Ellington Income Opportunities Fund
29. EntrepreneurShares Series Trust
30. Evanston Alternative Opportunities Fund
31. EventShares U.S. Policy Alpha ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust (f/k/a Active Weighting Funds ETF Trust)
32. Exchange Listed Funds Trust (f/k/a Exchange Traded Concepts Trust II)
33. Fiera Capital Series Trust
34. FlexShares Trust
35. Forum Funds
36. Forum Funds II
37. Friess Small Cap Growth Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series
38. GraniteShares ETF Trust
39. Guinness Atkinson Funds
40. Infinity Core Alternative Fund
41. Innovator ETFs Trust
42. Innovator ETFs Trust II (f/k/a Elkhorn ETF Trust)
43. Ironwood Institutional Multi-Strategy Fund LLC
44. Ironwood Multi-Strategy Fund LLC
45. IVA Fiduciary Trust
46. John Hancock Exchange-Traded Fund Trust
47. Manor Investment Funds
48. Miller/Howard Funds Trust
49. Miller/Howard High Income Equity Fund
50. Moerus Worldwide Value Fund, Series of Northern Lights Fund Trust IV
51. Morningstar Funds Trust
52. OSI ETF Trust
53. Overlay Shares Core Bond ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
54. Overlay Shares Foreign Equity ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
55. Overlay Shares Large Cap Equity ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
56. Overlay Shares Municipal Bond ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
57. Overlay Shares Small Cap Equity ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
58. Pacific Global ETF Trust
59. Palmer Square Opportunistic Income Fund
60. Partners Group Private Income Opportunities, LLC
61. PENN Capital Funds Trust
62. Performance Trust Mutual Funds, Series of Trust for Professional Managers
63. Plan Investment Fund, Inc.
64. PMC Funds, Series of Trust for Professional Managers

 

C-4

 

 

65. Point Bridge GOP Stock Tracker ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions
66. Quaker Investment Trust
67. Renaissance Capital Greenwich Funds
68. RMB Investors Trust (f/k/a Burnham Investors Trust)
69. Robinson Opportunistic Income Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust
70. Robinson Tax Advantaged Income Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust
71. Roundhill BITKRAFT Esports & Digital Entertainment ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
72. Salient MF Trust
73. SharesPost 100 Fund
74. Six Circles Trust
75. Sound Shore Fund, Inc.
76. Source Dividend Opportunity ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
77. Strategy Shares
78. Syntax ETF Trust
79. Tactical Income ETF, Series of Collaborative Investment Series Trust
80. The Chartwell Funds
81. The Community Development Fund
82. The Relative Value Fund
83. Third Avenue Trust
84. Third Avenue Variable Series Trust
85. Tidal ETF Trust
86. TIFF Investment Program
87. Timothy Plan High Dividend Stock ETF, Series of The Timothy Plan
88. Timothy Plan International ETF, Series of The Timothy Plan
89. Timothy Plan US Large Cap Core ETF, Series of The Timothy Plan
90. Timothy Plan US Small Cap Core ETF, Series of The Timothy Plan
91. Transamerica ETF Trust
92. U.S. Global Investors Funds
93. Variant Alternative Income Fund
94. VictoryShares Developed Enhanced Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
95. VictoryShares Dividend Accelerator ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
96. VictoryShares Emerging Market High Div Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
97. VictoryShares Emerging Market Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
98. VictoryShares International High Div Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
99. VictoryShares International Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
100. VictoryShares US 500 Enhanced Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
101. VictoryShares US 500 Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
102. VictoryShares US Discovery Enhanced Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II

 

C-5

 

 

103. VictoryShares US EQ Income Enhanced Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
104. VictoryShares US Large Cap High Div Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
105. VictoryShares US Multi-Factor Minimum Volatility ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
106. VictoryShares US Small Cap High Div Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
107. VictoryShares US Small Cap Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
108. VictoryShares USAA Core Intermediate-Term Bond ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
109. VictoryShares USAA Core Short-Term Bond ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
110. VictoryShares USAA MSCI Emerging Markets Value Momentum ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
111. VictoryShares USAA MSCI International Value Momentum ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
112. VictoryShares USAA MSCI USA Small Cap Value Momentum ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
113. VictoryShares USAA MSCI USA Value Momentum ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
114. Vivaldi Opportunities Fund
115. West Loop Realty Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust (f/k/a Chilton Realty Income & Growth Fund)
116. WisdomTree Trust
117. WST Investment Trust
118. XAI Octagon Floating Rate & Alternative Income Term Trust

 

(b) The following are the Officers and Manager of the Distributor, the Registrant's underwriter. The Distributor's main business address is Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, Maine 04101.

 

Name   Address   Position with Underwriter   Position with Registrant
Richard J. Berthy   Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME 04101   President, Treasurer and Manager   None
             
Mark A. Fairbanks   Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME 04101   Vice President   None
             
Jennifer K. DiValerio   899 Cassatt Road, 400 Berwyn Park, Suite 110, Berwyn, PA 19312   Vice President   None
             
Nanette K. Chern   Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME 04101   Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer   None
             
Jennifer E. Hoopes   Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME 04101   Secretary   None

 

(c) Not applicable.

 

C-6

 

 

Item 33. Location of Accounts and Records

 

The books, accounts and other documents required by Section 31(a) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the rules promulgated thereunder are maintained in the physical possession of the office of the Registrant, each adviser, sub-adviser, principal underwriter, transfer agent, fund accountant, administrator and custodian at the addresses stated in each SAI of the Trust..

 

Item 34. Management Services

 

Not applicable.

 

Item 35. Undertakings

 

Not applicable.

 

C-7

 

 

SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Registrant has duly caused this Post-Effective Amendment to its Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the city of City of Bexley and State of Ohio on this 7 day of October 2020.

 

   Esoterica Thematic Trust
   By: /s/   
   Name:  JoAnn M. Strasser
   Title: Pursuant to Power of Attorney

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

 

Name   Title   Date
Darlene DeRemer*   Trustee   October 7, 2020
         
Monique Labbe*   Treasurer (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)   October 7, 2020
         
Edward E. McRedmond*   Trustee   October 7, 2020
         
Jack Gee*   Trustee   October 7, 2020
         
Karan Trehan*   President (Principal Executive Officer)   October 7, 2020

 

* By: /s/ October 7, 2020
Name:  JoAnn M. Strasser  
Pursuant to Power of Attorney  

 

C-8