485BPOS 1 largecompanygrowth-485bxpr.htm 485BPOS Document


Filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 15, 2016
Securities Act of 1933 File No. 002-80859
Investment Company Act of 1940 File No. 811-03651

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
 
FORM N-1A
 
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 ý
 
Pre-Effective Amendment No.
 
Post-Effective Amendment No. 139
and/or
 
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940 ý
 
Amendment No. 139
(Check appropriate box or boxes.)
 
TOUCHSTONE STRATEGIC TRUST
(Exact name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)
 
303 Broadway, Suite 1100, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)  (Zip Code)
 
Registrant’s Telephone Number, including Area Code 1-800-543-0407
 
Jill T. McGruder, 303 Broadway, Suite 1100, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
(Name and Address of Agent for Service)
 
Copies to:
 
Deborah Bielicke Eades, Esq.
Vedder Price P.C.
222 North LaSalle Street
Chicago, Illinois 60601
(312) 609-7661
 
Renee M. Hardt, Esq.
Vedder Price P.C.
222 North LaSalle Street
Chicago, Illinois 60601
(312) 609-7616
 
It is proposed that this filing will become effective (check appropriate box)
ý immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b)
o     on (date) pursuant to paragraph (b)
o     60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)
o     on (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)
o    75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2)
o     on (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of rule 485.
 
If appropriate, check the following box:
o     This post-effective amendment designates a new effective date for a previously filed post-effective amendment.


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August 15, 2016
 
Prospectus
 
Touchstone Strategic Trust
 
 
 
Class A
 
Class C
 
Class Y
 
Institutional
Class
 
Touchstone Large Company Growth Fund
 
TSAGX
 
TCGLX
 
TLGYX
 
DSMLX

 
 
The Securities and Exchange Commission has not approved or disapproved these securities or determined if this prospectus is accurate or complete.  Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

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Table of Contents
 
 
Page
 
 

TOUCHSTONE LARGE COMPANY GROWTH FUND SUMMARY

INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RISKS

THE FUND’S MANAGEMENT
9

CHOOSING A CLASS OF SHARES
11

DISTRIBUTION AND SHAREHOLDER SERVICING ARRANGEMENTS

INVESTING WITH TOUCHSTONE

DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAXES

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
27



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TOUCHSTONE LARGE COMPANY GROWTH FUND SUMMARY
 
The Fund’s Investment Goal
 
The Touchstone Large Company Growth Fund (the “Fund”) seeks to achieve long-term capital appreciation.
 
The Fund’s Fees and Expenses
 
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.  You may qualify for sales charge discounts for Class A shares if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 or more in the Touchstone Funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional, in the section entitled “Choosing a Class of Shares” in the Fund’s prospectus on page 11, and in the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) on page 30.

The Fund is a new series of Touchstone Strategic Trust (the "Trust"). On August 15, 2016, the DSM Large Cap Growth Fund (the "Predecessor Fund") was reorganized into the Fund. As a result of the reorganization, the performance and accounting history of the Predecessor Fund's Institutional Class shares will be assumed by the Fund.  Certain financial and performance information included herein is that of the Predecessor Fund's Institutional Class shares.
 
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)
 
 
 
Class A
 
Class C
 
Class Y
 
Institutional
Class
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price)
 
5.75
%
 
None

 
None

 
None

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of original purchase price or the amount redeemed, whichever is less)
 
None

 
1.00
%
 
None

 
None

Wire Redemption Fee
 
Up to $15

 
Up to $15

 
Up to $15

 
Up to $15

 
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
 
Management Fees
 
0.75
%
 
0.75
%
 
0.75
%
 
0.75
%
Distribution and/or Shareholder Service (12b-1) Fees
 
0.25
%
 
1.00
%
 
None

 
None

Other Expenses(1)
 
0.34
%
 
0.34
%
 
0.34
%
 
0.24
%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses
 
1.34
%
 
2.09
%
 
1.09
%
 
0.99
%
Fee Waiver or Expense Reimbursement(2)
 
0.11
%
 
0.11
%
 
0.11
%
 
0.11
%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver or Expense Reimbursement(2)
 
1.23
%
 
1.98
%
 
0.98
%
 
0.88
%
(1)  Other Expenses are estimated based on fees and expenses incurred by other equity funds within the Touchstone fund complex during the most recent fiscal year.  The Fund commenced operations following the completion of the reorganization of the Predecessor Fund, which occurred on August 15, 2016.
(2) Touchstone Advisors, Inc. (the "Advisor" or "Touchstone Advisors") and the Trust have entered into a contractual expense limitation agreement whereby Touchstone Advisors will waive a portion of its fees or reimburse certain Fund expenses (excluding dividend and interest expenses relating to short sales; interest; taxes; brokerage commissions and other transaction costs; portfolio transactions and investment related expenses; other expenditures which are capitalized in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles; the cost of “Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses,” if any; and other extraordinary expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of business) in order to limit annual Fund operating expenses to 1.23%, 1.98%, 0.98%, and 0.88% of average daily net assets for Classes A, C, Y and Institutional Class shares, respectively. This contractual expense limitation is effective through October 30, 2017, but can be terminated by a vote of the Board of Trustees of the Trust (the “Board”) if it deems the termination to be beneficial to the Fund’s shareholders. The terms of the contractual expense limitation agreement provide that Touchstone Advisors is entitled to recoup, subject to approval by the Board, such amounts waived or reimbursed for a period of up to three years from the year in which Touchstone Advisors reduced its compensation or assumed expenses for the Fund. No recoupment will occur unless the Fund’s expenses are below the lesser of the expense limitation amount in effect (a) at the time of the waiver, or (b) at the time of the reimbursement.
 

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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, except as indicated, redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year, that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same and that all fee waivers or expense limits for the Fund will expire after one year.  Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
 
 
 
Assuming Redemption at End of Period
 
Assuming No Redemption
 
 
Class A
 
Class C
 
Class Y
 
Institutional
Class
 
Class C
1 Year
 
$
693

 
$
301

 
$
100

 
$
90

 
$
201

3 Years
 
$
965

 
$
644

 
$
336

 
$
304

 
$
644

5 Years
 
$
1,257

 
$
1,114

 
$
590

 
$
536

 
$
1,114

10 Years
 
$
2,086

 
$
2,412

 
$
1,319

 
$
1,203

 
$
2,412


Portfolio Turnover. The Fund pays transaction costs, such as brokerage 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. The Fund is a new series and therefore it does not yet have a portfolio turnover rate. The portfolio turnover rate for the Predecessor Fund for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2015 was 80%.
 
The Fund’s Principal Investment Strategies
 
Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities of large capitalization issuers. Equity securities include, but are not limited to, common stocks, preferred stocks, securities convertible into common stocks, rights and warrants. The Fund’s portfolio generally will contain 25 to 35 equity securities. The Fund currently defines a large capitalization issuer as one that has a market capitalization of $10 billion or more at the time of purchase.

In addition, the Fund may invest up to 20% of its assets in equity securities of foreign issuers through, but not limited to, American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs") or other depositary receipts. The Fund is a non-diversified fund and may, from time to time, have significant exposure to one or more issuers, industries, geographic regions or sectors of the global economy.

DSM manages the Fund using a bottom-up, “idea-driven,” growth-style with a long-term (i.e., three-year) investment horizon. This means in general terms that DSM seeks to identify issuers which it believes exhibit certain quality characteristics. DSM generally sells an equity security when its projected future return becomes unattractive relative to the rest of the portfolio or the investable universe.

The Fund’s Principal Risks
 
The Fund’s share price will fluctuate. You could lose money on your investment in the Fund and the Fund could also return less than other investments.  The Fund is subject to the principal risks summarized below.
 
Equity Securities Risk: The Fund is subject to the risk that stock prices will fall over short or extended periods of time.  Individual companies may report poor results or be negatively affected by industry or economic trends and developments.  The prices of securities issued by these companies may decline in response to developments, which could result in a decline in the value of the Fund’s shares.
 
Large-Cap Risk: Large-cap companies may be unable to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in technology and consumer tastes, and also may not be able to attain the high growth rate of successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion.

Foreign Securities Risk: Investing in foreign securities poses additional risks since political and economic events unique in a country or region will affect those markets and their issuers, while such events may not necessarily affect the U.S. economy or issuers located in the United States. In addition, investments in foreign securities are generally denominated in foreign currency. As a result, changes in the value of those currencies compared to the U.S. dollar may affect (positively or negatively) the value of the Fund's investments. Foreign markets may be less liquid and more volatile than U.S. markets and offer less protection to investors.

4




Depositary Receipts Risk: Foreign receipts, which include ADRs, are securities that evidence ownership interests in a security or a pool of securities issued by a foreign issuer. The risks of depositary receipts include many risks associated with investing directly in foreign securities.
 
Emerging Markets Risk: Emerging markets may be more likely to experience political turmoil or rapid changes in market or economic conditions than more developed countries. In addition, the financial stability of issuers (including governments) in emerging market countries may be more precarious than that of issuers in other countries.

Growth Investing Risk:  Growth oriented funds may underperform when value investing is in favor and growth stocks may be more volatile than other stocks because they are more sensitive to investor perceptions of the issuing company’s growth of earnings potential.

Management Risk: In managing the Fund’s portfolio, the Advisor engages one or more sub-advisors to make investment decisions on a portion of or the entire portfolio.  There is a risk that the Advisor may be unable to identify and retain sub-advisors who achieve superior investment returns relative to other similar sub-advisors. 
 
Non-Diversification Risk:  The Fund may invest a significant percentage of its assets in the securities of a single issuer or limited number of issuers.  As a result, the Fund may be more sensitive to economic, political, and regulatory developments relating to the issuer or group of issuers in which it invests. 

Sector Focus Risk: The Fund may invest a high percentage of its assets in specific sectors of the market in order to achieve a potentially greater investment return. As a result, the Fund may be more susceptible to economic, political, and regulatory developments in a particular sector of the market, positive or negative.

As with any mutual fund, there is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve its investment goal.  You can find more information about the Fund’s investments and risks under the “Investment Strategies and Risks” section of the Fund’s prospectus.
 
The Fund’s Performance
 
The Fund's Institutional Class shares will adopt the performance history of the Predecessor Fund's Institutional Class shares. The bar chart and the performance table below provide some indication of the risks of an investment in the Fund by showing how the Predecessor Fund's performance has varied from year to year and by showing how the Predecessor Fund's Institutional Class shares average annual returns compare with a broad measure of market performance. The table shows how the Predecessor Fund's performance compares to the Russell 1000 ® Growth Index and the S&P 500 ® Index, which are the Predecessor Fund's benchmark indexes and will be the Fund’s benchmark indexes. The Predecessor Fund's past performance, before and after taxes, does not necessarily represent how the Fund will perform in the future.
 
Predecessor Fund Calendar Year Total Returns
Best Quarter: 1st Quarter, 2012 17.13%
Worst Quarter: 3rd Quarter, 2011 (14.47)%

5



The Predecessor Fund's calendar year-to-date total return for Institutional Class shares as of June 30, 2016 was (6.00)%.

Predecessor Fund Average Annual Total Returns
For the periods ended December 31, 2015
 
 
 
Since
Inception
 
1 Year
5 Years
(8/28/2009)**
Institutional Class
 
 
 
Return Before Taxes*
7.49%
13.47%
15.41%
Return After Federal Income Taxes on Distributions
5.38%
12.37%
14.50%
Return After Federal Income Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares
5.53%
10.51%
12.38%
Russell 1000® Growth Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)
5.67%
13.53%
15.25%
S&P 500® Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)
1.38%
12.57%
13.76%
*Reflects the performance of Institutional Class shares of the Predecessor Fund.
**Reflects the inception date for the Predecessor Fund.

Federal income taxes are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. The return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares may exceed the return before taxes due to an assumed tax benefit from any losses on a sale of Fund shares at the end of the measurement period. If you hold your Fund shares through a tax-advantaged arrangement, such as an IRA or a 401(k), the after-tax returns do not apply to your situation.

The Fund’s Management
 
Investment Advisor
 
Touchstone Advisors, Inc.
 
Sub-Advisor
Portfolio
Manager
Investment Experience
with the Fund
Primary Title with
Sub-Advisor
DSM Capital Partners, LLC
Daniel Strickberger
Managing the Fund since its inception in August 2016; managing the Predecessor Fund since its inception in 2009
Chief Investment Officer and Managing Partner
 
Buying and Selling Fund Shares
 
 
 
Classes A, C, and Y
Minimum Investment Requirements
 
Initial
Investment
 
Additional
Investment
Regular Account
 
$
2,500

 
$
50

Retirement Account or Custodial Account under the Uniform Gifts/Transfers to Minors Act
 
$
1,000

 
$
50

Investments through the Automatic Investment Plan
 
$
100

 
$
50

 
 
 
Institutional Class
 
 
Initial
Investment
 
Additional
Investment
Regular Account
 
$
500,000

 
$
50

 
You may buy and sell shares in the Fund on a day when the New York Stock Exchange is open for trading. Class A and C shares may be purchased and sold directly through Touchstone Securities, Inc. (“Touchstone Securities”) or through your financial intermediary. Class Y shares are available only through financial intermediaries who have appropriate selling agreements in place with Touchstone Securities. Institutional Class shares are available through Touchstone Securities or your financial intermediary. Shares may be purchased or sold by writing to Touchstone Securities at P.O. Box 9878, Providence, Rhode Island 02940, calling 1.800.543.0407, or visiting the Touchstone Funds’ website: TouchstoneInvestments.com. You may

6



only sell shares over the telephone or via the Internet if the value of the shares sold is less than or equal to $100,000. Shares held in IRA accounts and qualified retirement plans cannot be sold by telephone or via the Internet. If your shares are held by a processing organization or financial intermediary you will need to follow its purchase and redemption procedures.

Tax Information
 
The Fund intends to make distributions that may be taxed as ordinary income or capital gains except when shares are held through a tax-advantaged account, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account. Withdrawals from a tax-advantaged account, however, may be taxable.
 
Financial Intermediary Compensation
 
If you purchase shares in 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 financial intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RISKS
 
How Does The Fund Implement its Investment Goal?

The Fund's investment goal and strategies are described above in "Principal Investment Strategies" section. In selecting investments for the Fund, DSM manages the Fund using a bottom-up, “idea-driven,” growth-style with a long-term (i.e., three-year) investment horizon. This means in general terms that DSM seeks to identify issuers which it believes exhibit certain quality characteristics. For instance, DSM selects issuers that it believes have growing businesses with solid fundamentals, attractive profitability, and successful managements. DSM holds securities with long-term investment horizons and does not engage in short-term frequent trading. DSM generally sells an equity security when its projected future return becomes unattractive relative to the rest of the portfolio or the investable universe.

The Fund may invest up to 20% of its assets in equity securities of foreign issuers through, but not limited to, American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs") or other depositary receipts. In determining whether an issuer is foreign, the Fund will consider various factors including where the issuer is headquartered, where the issuer’s principal operations are located, where the issuer’s revenues are derived, where the principal trading market is located and the country in which the issuer is legally organized. The weight given to each of these factors will vary depending upon the circumstances and as determined by the Fund's investment sub-advisor, DSM Capital Partners LLC ("DSM"). The Fund is a non-diversified fund and may, from time to time, have significant exposure to one or more issuers, industries, geographic regions or sectors of the global economy. The Fund may invest greater than 25% of its assets in one or more of the following sectors: consumer discretionary, consumer staples, energy, financials, health care, industrials, materials, technology and telecommunications services.

DSM is a research-driven investment manager. Potential investments are identified based on each issuer’s detailed financial and operational history and on proprietary projections of future company results prepared by in-house analysts. These projections are based on modeling of the company, discussions with the management of the company and its competitors, interviews with industry experts, a study of the candidate’s industry, and the significant factors that drive industry growth. The “bottom-up” research process involves using various criteria, including reviewing a company’s:

revenue growth         
prudent use of debt
earnings growth     
lack of earnings misses
free cash flow         
open and experienced management
profitability

In addition to superior fundamental characteristics, in order for DSM to purchase an equity security, the issuer must also have an attractive valuation. One of DSM’s valuation methods involves an historical evaluation of investor sentiment regarding each issuer’s shares to determine typical price-to-earnings (“P/E”) ratios when the issuer is “in favor” or “out of favor.” In addition, DSM studies the effect of past and current interest rates on the P/E ratio of each company’s shares, and projects these effects going forward. These valuation methods support investment decisions regarding the price and timing of

7



purchases and sales of equity securities as well as the size of positions.

Can The Fund Depart From Its Principal Investment Strategies?
 
In addition to the investments and strategies described in this prospectus, the Fund also may invest in other securities, use other strategies, and engage in other investment practices. These investments and strategies are described in detail in the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information (the “SAI”).
 
The Fund’s investment goal is non-fundamental and may be changed by the Board of Trustees (the "Board") of the Touchstone Strategic Trust (the "Trust") without shareholder approval.  Shareholders will be notified at least 60 days before any change takes effect.
 
The investments and strategies described throughout this prospectus are those that the Fund uses under normal conditions. For temporary defensive purposes (e.g., attempting to respond to adverse market, economic, political, or other conditions), the Fund may invest up to 100% of its assets in cash, repurchase agreements, and short-term obligations (i.e., fixed and variable rate securities and high quality debt securities of corporate and government issuers) that would not ordinarily be consistent with the Fund’s goals. This defensive investing may increase the Fund’s taxable income, and when the Fund is invested defensively, it may not achieve its investment goal. The Fund will do so only if the Fund’s sub-advisor believes that the risk of loss in using the Fund’s normal strategies and investments outweighs the opportunity for gains. Of course, there can be no guarantee that the Fund will achieve its investment goal.
 
Does The Fund Have Other Investment Strategies In Addition To Its Principal Investment Strategies?
 
Other Investment Companies. The Fund may invest in securities issued by other investment companies to the extent permitted by the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), the rules thereunder and applicable Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) staff interpretations thereof, or applicable exemptive relief granted by the SEC. The 1940 Act currently provides, that the Fund generally (in the absence of applicable exemptive relief) may not purchase shares of another registered investment company if (a) such a purchase would cause the Fund to own in the aggregate more than 3% of the total outstanding voting stock of the investment company or (b) such a purchase would cause the Fund to have more than 5% of its total assets invested in the investment company or (c) more than 10% of the Fund’s total assets would be invested in the aggregate in all investment companies.

Lending of Portfolio Securities. The Fund may lend its portfolio securities to brokers, dealers, and financial institutions under guidelines adopted by the Board, including a requirement that the Fund must receive collateral equal to no less than 100% of the market value of the securities loaned.  The risk in lending portfolio securities, as with other extensions of credit, consists of possible loss of rights in the collateral should the borrower fail financially.  In determining whether to lend securities, Touchstone Advisors, Inc. (the “Advisor” or “Touchstone Advisors”) will consider all relevant facts and circumstances, including the creditworthiness of the borrower.  More information on securities lending is available in the SAI.
 
What are the Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund?
 
The risks that may apply to your investment in the Fund are listed below, including a description of each risk. Further information about investment risks is available in the Fund’s SAI:
 
Equity Securities Risk: The Fund is subject to the risk that stock prices will fall over short or extended periods of time. Individual companies may report poor results or be negatively affected by industry and economic trends and developments. The prices of securities issued by these companies may decline in response to such developments, which could result in a decline in the value of the Fund’s shares. These factors contribute to price volatility. In addition, common stocks represent a share of ownership in a company, and rank after bonds and preferred stock in their claim on the company’s assets in the event of liquidation.
 
Large-Cap Risk: The Fund is subject to the risk that stocks of larger companies may underperform relative to those of small- and mid-sized companies. Large-cap companies may be unable to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in technology and consumer tastes, and also may not be able to attain the high growth rate of successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion.

Foreign Securities Risk: Investing in foreign securities poses additional risks since political and economic events unique in a country or region will affect those markets and their issuers, while such events may not necessarily affect the U.S. economy or issuers located in the United States. In addition, investments in foreign securities are generally denominated in foreign

8



currency. As a result, changes in the value of those currencies compared to the U.S. dollar may affect (positively or negatively) the value of the Fund’s investments. These currency movements may happen separately from, or in response to, events that do not otherwise affect the value of the security in the issuer’s home country. There is a risk that issuers of foreign securities may not be subject to accounting standards or governmental supervision comparable to those to which U.S. companies are subject and that less public information about their operations may exist. There is risk associated with the clearance and settlement procedures in non-U.S. markets, which may be unable to keep pace with the volume of securities transactions and may cause delays. Foreign markets may be less liquid and more volatile than U.S. markets and offer less protection to investors. Over-the-counter securities may also be less liquid than exchange-traded securities. Investments in securities of foreign issuers may be subject to foreign withholding and other taxes. In addition, it may be more difficult and costly for the Fund to seek recovery from an issuer located outside the United States in the event of a default on a portfolio security or an issuer’s insolvency proceeding.

Depositary Receipts Risk: Foreign receipts, which include American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”), Global Depositary Receipts, and European Depositary Receipts, are securities that evidence ownership interests in a security or a pool of securities issued by a foreign issuer. The risks of depositary receipts include many risks associated with investing directly in foreign securities, such as individual country risk and liquidity risk.  Unsponsored ADRs, which are issued by a depositary bank without the participation or consent of the issuer, involve additional risks because U.S. reporting requirements do not apply, and the issuing bank will recover shareholder distribution costs from movement of share prices and payment of dividends.
 
Emerging Markets Risk: Emerging market countries are generally countries that are included in the Morgan Stanley Capital International ("MSCI") Emerging Markets Index, or otherwise excluded from the MSCI World Index. Emerging markets may be more likely to experience political turmoil or rapid changes in market or economic conditions than more developed countries. In addition, the financial stability of issuers (including governments) in emerging market countries may be more precarious than that of issuers in other countries. As a result, there will tend to be an increased risk of price volatility associated with the Fund's investments in securities of issuers located in emerging market countries, which may be magnified by currency fluctuations relative to the U.S. dollar.

Growth Investing Risk:  Growth-oriented funds may underperform when value investing is in favor and growth stocks may be more volatile than other stocks because they are more sensitive to investor perceptions of the issuing company’s growth of earnings potential. Also, because growth companies usually reinvest a high portion of earnings in their businesses, growth stocks may lack the dividends of some value stocks that can cushion stock prices in a falling market.

Management Risk: In managing the Fund’s portfolio, the Advisor engages one or more sub-advisors to make investment decisions on a portion of or the entire portfolio.  There is a risk that the Advisor may be unable to identify and retain sub-advisors who achieve superior investment returns relative to other similar sub-advisors.  The value of your investment may decrease if a sub-advisor incorrectly judges the attractiveness, value, or market trends affecting a particular security, issuer, industry, or sector.

Non-Diversification Risk:  The Fund may invest a significant percentage of its assets in the securities of a single issuer or limited number of issuers.  As a result, the Fund may be more sensitive to economic, political, and regulatory developments relating to the issuer or group of issuers in which it invests.  This may increase the volatility of the Fund’s investment performance.

Sector Focus Risk: The Fund may invest a high percentage of its assets in specific sectors of the market in order to achieve a potentially greater investment return. As a result, the Fund may be more susceptible to economic, political, and regulatory developments in a particular sector of the market, positive or negative, and may experience increased volatility of the Fund’s net asset value with a magnified effect on the total return.
 
Where Can I Find Information About the Fund’s Portfolio Holdings Disclosure Policies?
 
A description of the Fund’s policies and procedures for disclosing portfolio securities to any person is available in the SAI and can also be found on the Touchstone Funds’ website: TouchstoneInvestments.com.

THE FUND’S MANAGEMENT
 
Investment Advisor
 
Touchstone Advisors, Inc.

9



 
303 Broadway, Suite 1100, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
 
Touchstone Advisors has been a registered investment advisor since 1994. As of June 30, 2016, Touchstone Advisors had approximately $15.2 billion in assets under management. As the Fund’s investment advisor, Touchstone Advisors reviews, supervises, and administers the Fund’s investment program and also ensures compliance with the Fund’s investment policies and guidelines.

Touchstone Advisors is responsible for selecting the Fund’s sub-advisor(s), subject to approval by the Board. Touchstone Advisors selects a sub-advisor that has shown good investment performance in its areas of expertise. Touchstone Advisors considers various factors in evaluating a sub-advisor, including:
 
·                  level of knowledge and skill;
·                  performance as compared to its peers or benchmark;
·                  consistency of performance over 5 years or more;
·                  level of compliance with investment rules and strategies;
·                  employees’ facilities and financial strength; and
·                  quality of service.
 
Touchstone Advisors will also continually monitor each sub-advisor’s performance through various analyses and through in-person, telephone and written consultations with each sub-advisor. Touchstone Advisors discusses its expectations for performance with each sub-advisor and provides evaluations and recommendations to the Board, including whether or not a sub-advisor’s contract should be renewed, modified, or terminated.
 
The SEC has granted an exemptive order that permits the Trust, of which the Fund is a series, or Touchstone Advisors, under certain conditions, to select or change unaffiliated sub-advisors, enter into new sub-advisory agreements or amend existing sub-advisory agreements without first obtaining shareholder approval. The Fund must still obtain shareholder approval of any sub-advisory agreement with a sub-advisor affiliated with the Trust or Touchstone Advisors other than by reason of serving as a sub-advisor to one or more funds.
 
Two or more sub-advisors may manage the Fund, from time to time, with each managing a portion of the Fund’s assets. If the Fund has more than one sub-advisor, Touchstone Advisors allocates how much of the Fund’s assets are managed by each sub-advisor. Touchstone Advisors may change these allocations from time to time, often based upon the results of its evaluations of the sub-advisors.
 
Touchstone Advisors is also responsible for running all of the operations of the Fund, except those that are subcontracted to a sub-advisor, custodian, transfer agent, sub-administrative agent, or other parties. For its services, Touchstone Advisors is entitled to receive an investment advisory fee from the Fund at an annualized rate, based on the average daily net assets of the Fund. The Fund pays Touchstone Advisors a fee at an annual rate of 0.75%. Touchstone Advisors pays sub-advisory fees to each sub-advisor from its advisory fee.
 
Advisory and Sub-Advisory Agreement Approval. A discussion of the basis for the Board’s approval of the Fund’s advisory and sub-advisory agreements will be found in the Trust’s semi-annual report for the period ended December 31, 2016.

Additional Information
The Trustees of the Trust oversee generally the operations of the Fund and the Trust. The Trust enters into contractual arrangements with various parties, including, among others, the Fund’s investment adviser, custodian, transfer agent, accountants and distributor, who provide services to the Fund. Shareholders are not parties to, or intended (or “third-party”) beneficiaries of, any of those contractual arrangements, and those contractual arrangements are not intended to create in any individual shareholder or group of shareholders any right to enforce the terms of the contractual arrangements against the service providers or to seek any remedy under the contractual arrangements against the service providers, either directly or on behalf of the Trust.
This prospectus provides information concerning the Trust and the Fund that you should consider in determining whether to purchase shares of a Fund. The Fund may make changes to this information from time to time. Neither this prospectus, the SAI or any document filed as an exhibit to the Trust’s registration statement, is intended to, nor does it, give rise to an agreement or contract between the Trust or the Fund and any shareholder, or give rise to any contract or other rights in any individual shareholder, group of shareholders or other person other than any rights conferred explicitly by federal or state securities laws that may not be waived.

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Sub-Advisor and Portfolio Manager
 
Listed below are the Fund’s sub-advisor and portfolio manager, who has responsibility for the day-to-day portfolio management of the Fund.  A brief biographical description of the portfolio manager is also provided. 
 
DSM Capital Partners LLC (“DSM”) serves as sub-advisor to the Fund and served as investment advisor to the Predecessor Fund since its inception on August 28, 2009.  As sub-advisor, DSM will make investment decisions for the Fund and will also ensure compliance with the Fund’s investment policies and guidelines.  DSM was founded in 2001 and serves as investment advisor to endowments and foundations, pensions plans, family offices, high net worth individual investors, and corporations. DSM is owned by its co-founders Stephen Memishian and Daniel Strickberger.  As of June 30, 2016, DSM had approximately $6.5 billion in assets under management.
 
Daniel Strickberger, Chief Investment Officer, co-founded DSM in February 2001 and has served as a Managing Partner ever since. Mr. Strickberger serves as portfolio manager for the Fund. Prior to co-founding DSM, Mr. Strickberger was a partner at W.P. Stewart & Company and Lazard Freres & Co. Mr. Strickberger has also worked as an equity analyst at Oppenheimer & Co. and as a credit analyst at Morgan Guaranty and The Bank of Tokyo. Mr. Strickberger holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Finance from the University of Delaware and a Master of Business Administration in Finance and International Business from New York University. He serves on the Investment Committee of the University of Delaware Endowment.
 
Additional Information. The SAI provides additional information about the portfolio manager's compensation structure, his other managed accounts and his ownership of securities in the Fund.

CHOOSING A CLASS OF SHARES
 
Share Class Offerings. Each class of shares has different sales charges and distribution fees.  The amount of sales charges and distribution fees you pay will depend on which class of shares you decide to purchase.
 
Class A Shares
 
The offering price of Class A shares of the Fund is equal to its net asset value (“NAV”) plus a front-end sales charge that you pay when you buy your shares.  The front-end sales charge is generally deducted from the amount of your investment.  Class A shares are subject to a Rule 12b-1 distribution fee of up to 0.25% of the Fund’s average daily net assets allocable to Class A shares.
 
Class A Sales Charge. The following table shows the amount of front-end sales charge you will pay on purchases of Class A shares for the Fund. The amount of front-end sales charge is shown as a percentage of offering price and the net amount invested after the charge has been subtracted.  Note that the front-end sales charge gets lower as your investment amount gets larger.
 
Amount of Your Investment
 
Sales Charge as % of
Offering Price
 
Sales Charge as % of
Net Amount Invested
 
Dealer Reallowance as %
of Offering Price
Under $50,000
 
5.75
%
 
6.10
%
 
5.00
%
$50,000 but less than $100,000
 
4.50
%
 
4.71
%
 
3.75
%
$100,000 but less than $250,000
 
3.50
%
 
3.63
%
 
2.75
%
$250,000 but less than $500,000
 
2.95
%
 
3.04
%
 
2.25
%
$500,000 but less than $1 million
 
2.25
%
 
2.30
%
 
1.75
%
$1 million or more
 
%
 
%
 
None

 
Waiver of Class A Sales Charge. There is no front-end sales charge if you invest $1 million or more in Class A shares of the Fund.  If you redeem shares that were part of the $1 million breakpoint purchase within one year of that purchase, you may pay a contingent deferred sales charge (“CDSC”) of up to 1% on the shares redeemed if a commission was paid by Touchstone Securities, Inc. (the “Distributor” or “Touchstone Securities”) to a participating unaffiliated broker dealer.  There is no front-end sales charge on exchanges between Touchstone Funds with the same load schedule or from a higher load schedule to a lower load schedule.  In addition, there is no front-end sales charge on the following purchases:
 

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Purchases by registered representatives or other employees* (and their immediate family members**) of financial intermediaries having selling agreements with Touchstone Securities.
Purchases in accounts as to which a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary charges an asset management fee economically comparable to a sales charge, provided the broker-dealer or other financial intermediary has a selling agreement with Touchstone Securities.
Purchases by a trust department of any financial intermediary serving in a fiduciary capacity as trustee to any trust over which it has discretionary trading authority.
Purchases through a financial intermediary that has agreements with Touchstone Securities, or whose programs are available through financial intermediaries that have agreements with Touchstone Securities relating to mutual fund supermarket programs, fee-based wrap, or asset allocation programs.
Purchases by an employee benefit plan having more than 25 eligible employees or a minimum of $250,000 in plan assets. This waiver applies to any investing employee benefit plan meeting the minimum eligibility requirements and whose transactions are executed through a financial intermediary that has entered into an agreement with Touchstone Securities to use the Touchstone Funds in connection with the plan’s accounts. The term “employee benefit plan” applies to qualified pension, profit-sharing or other employee benefit plans.
Purchases by an employee benefit plan that is provided administrative services by a third party administrator that has entered into a special service arrangement with Touchstone Securities.
Reinvestment of redemption proceeds from Class A shares of any Touchstone Fund if the reinvestment occurs within 90 days of redemption.

*The term “employee” is deemed to include current and retired employees.
**Immediate family members are defined as the parents, mother-in-law or father-in-law, spouse, brother or sister, brother-in-law or sister-in-law, son-in-law or daughter-in-law, and children of a registered representative or employee, and any other individual to whom the registered representative or employee provides material support.

In addition, Class A shares may be purchased with no front-end sales charge through certain mutual fund programs sponsored by qualified intermediaries, such as broker-dealers and investment advisors.  In each case, the intermediary has entered into an agreement with Touchstone Securities to include the Fund in their program where the intermediary provides investors participating in the program with additional services, including advisory, asset allocation, recordkeeping and other services.  You should ask your financial intermediary if it offers and you are eligible to participate in such a mutual fund program and whether participation in the program is consistent with your investment goals.  The intermediaries sponsoring or participating in these mutual fund programs may also offer their clients other classes of shares of the Fund and investors may receive different levels of services or pay different fees depending upon the class of shares included in the program.  Investors should carefully consider any separate transaction fee or other fees charged by these programs in connection with investing in each available share class before selecting a share class.

Sales charge waivers must be satisfied at the time of purchase.  For direct purchases through Touchstone Securities you may apply for a waiver by marking the appropriate section on the investment application and completing the “Special Account Options” form.  You can obtain the application and form by calling Touchstone Securities at 1.800.543.0407 or by visiting the Touchstone Funds’ website: TouchstoneInvestments.com.  Purchases at NAV may be made for investment only, and the shares may not be resold except through redemption by or on behalf of the Fund.  At the option of the Fund, the front-end sales charge may be included on future purchases.
 
Reduced Class A Sales Charge. You may also purchase Class A shares of the Fund at the reduced sales charges shown in the table above through the Rights of Accumulation Program or by signing a Letter of Intent.  The following purchasers (“Qualified Purchasers”) may qualify for a reduced sales charge under the Rights of Accumulation Program or Letter of Intent:
 
an individual, an individual’s spouse, an individual’s children under the age of 21; or
a trustee or other fiduciary purchasing shares for a single fiduciary account although more than one beneficiary is involved
 
The following accounts (“Qualified Accounts”) held in Class A shares of any Touchstone Fund sold with a front-end sales charge may be grouped together to qualify for the reduced sales charge under the Rights of Accumulation Program or Letter of Intent:
 
Individual accounts
Joint tenant with rights of survivorship accounts
Uniform Gifts/Transfers to Minors Act (“UGTMA”) accounts
Trust accounts

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Estate accounts
Guardian/Conservator accounts
Individual Retirement Accounts (“IRAs”), including Traditional, Roth, Simplified Employee Pension Plans (“SEP”), and Savings Incentive Match Plan for Employees (“SIMPLE”)
Coverdell Education Savings Accounts (“Education IRAs”)
 
Rights of Accumulation Program. Under the Rights of Accumulation Program, you may qualify for a reduced sales charge by aggregating all of your investments held in a Qualified Account. You or your dealer must notify Touchstone Securities at the time of purchase that a purchase qualifies for a reduced sales charge under the Rights of Accumulation Program and must provide either a list of account numbers or copies of account statements verifying your qualification. If your shares are held directly in a Touchstone Fund or through a dealer, you may combine the historical cost or current NAV (whichever is higher) of your existing Class A shares of any Touchstone Fund sold with a front-end sales charge with the amount of your current purchase in order to take advantage of the reduced sales charge. Historical cost is the price you actually paid for the shares you own, plus your reinvested dividends and capital gains. If you are using historical cost to qualify for a reduced sales charge, you should retain any records to substantiate your historical costs since the Fund, its transfer agent or your broker-dealer may not maintain this information.
 
If your shares are held through financial intermediaries you may combine the current NAV of your existing Class A shares of any Touchstone Fund sold with a front-end sales charge with the amount of your current purchase in order to take advantage of the reduced sales charge. You or your financial intermediary must notify Touchstone at the time of purchase that a purchase qualifies for a reduced sales charge under the Rights of Accumulation Program and must provide copies of account statements dated within three months of your current purchase verifying your qualification.
 
Upon receipt of the above referenced supporting documentation, Touchstone Securities will calculate the combined value of all of the Qualified Purchaser’s Qualified Accounts to determine if the current purchase is eligible for a reduced sales charge. Purchases made for nominee or street name accounts (securities held in the name of a dealer or another nominee such as a bank trust department instead of the customer) may not be aggregated with purchases for other accounts and may not be aggregated with other nominee or street name accounts unless otherwise qualified as described above.
 
Letter of Intent. If you plan to invest at least $50,000 (excluding any reinvestment of dividends and capital gains distributions) during the next 13 months in Class A shares of any Touchstone Fund sold with a front-end sales charge, you may qualify for a reduced sales charge by completing the Letter of Intent section of your account application.  A Letter of Intent indicates your intent to purchase at least $50,000 in Class A shares of any Touchstone Fund sold with a front-end sales charge over the next 13 months in exchange for a reduced sales charge indicated on the above chart.  The minimum initial investment under a Letter of Intent is $10,000.  You are not obligated to purchase additional shares if you complete a Letter of Intent.  If you do not buy enough shares to qualify for the projected level of sales charge by the end of the 13-month period (or when you sell your shares, if earlier), your sales charge will be recalculated to reflect your actual purchase level. During the term of the Letter of Intent, shares representing 5% of your intended purchase will be held in escrow.  If you do not purchase enough shares during the 13-month period to qualify for the projected reduced sales charge, the additional sales charge will be deducted from your escrow account.  If you have purchased Class A shares of any Touchstone Fund sold with a front-end sales charge within 90 days prior to signing a Letter of Intent, they may be included as part of your intended purchase, however, previous purchase transactions will not be recalculated with the proposed new breakpoint. You must provide either a list of account numbers or copies of account statements verifying your purchases within the past 90 days.
 
Other Information. Information about sales charges and breakpoints is also available in a clear and prominent format on the Touchstone Funds’ website: TouchstoneInvestments.com.  You can access this information by selecting “Sales Charges and Breakpoints” under the “Pricing and Performance” link.  For more information about qualifying for a reduced or waived sales charge, contact your financial intermediary or contact Touchstone Securities at 1.800.543.0407.
 
Class C Shares
 
Class C shares of the Fund are sold at NAV without an initial sales charge so that the full amount of your purchase payment may be immediately invested in the Fund. Class C shares are subject to a Rule 12b-1 fee. A CDSC of 1.00% will be charged on Class C shares redeemed within 1 year after you purchased them. In most cases, it is more advantageous to purchase Class A shares for amounts of $1 million or more. Therefore a request to purchase Class C shares for $1 million or more will be considered as a purchase request for Class A shares or declined.
 
Class Y Shares
 

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Class Y shares of the Fund are sold at NAV without an initial sales charge so that the full amount of your purchase payment may be immediately invested in the Fund. Class Y shares are not subject to a Rule 12b-1 fee or CDSC. In addition, Class Y shares may be purchased through certain mutual fund programs sponsored by qualified intermediaries, such as broker-dealers and investment advisors.  In each case, the intermediary has entered into an agreement with Touchstone Securities to include the Touchstone Funds in their program where the intermediary provides investors participating in their program with additional services, including advisory, asset allocation, recordkeeping or other services.  You should ask your financial institution if it offers and you are eligible to participate in such a mutual fund program and whether participation in the program is consistent with your investment goals.  The intermediaries sponsoring or participating in these mutual fund programs may also offer their clients other classes of shares of the funds and investors may receive different levels of services or pay different fees depending upon the class of shares included in the program.  Investors should carefully consider any separate transaction fee or other fees charged by these programs in connection with investing in each available share class before selecting a share class.
 
Institutional Class Shares
 
Institutional Class shares of the Fund are sold at NAV, without an initial sales charge so that the full amount of your purchase payment may be immediately invested in the Fund. Institutional Class shares are not subject to a Rule 12b-1 fee or CDSC.

DISTRIBUTION AND SHAREHOLDER SERVICING ARRANGEMENTS
 
Rule 12b-1 Distribution Plans. The Fund has adopted a distribution plan under Rule 12b-1 of the 1940 Act with respect to its Class A shares and Class C shares. The plans allow the Fund to pay distribution and other fees for the sale and distribution of its shares and for services provided to shareholders. Under the Class A plan, the Fund pays an annual fee of up to 0.25% of average daily net assets that are attributable to Class A shares. Under the Class C plan, the Fund pays an annual fee of up to 1.00% of average daily net assets that are attributable to Class C shares (of which up to 0.75% is a distribution fee and up to 0.25% is a shareholder servicing fee). Because these fees are paid out of the Fund’s assets on an ongoing basis, they will increase the cost of your investment and over time may cost you more than paying other types of sales charges.
 
Additional Compensation to Financial Intermediaries. Touchstone Securities, the Trust’s principal underwriter, at its own expense (from a designated percentage of its income) currently provides additional compensation to certain dealers. Touchstone Securities pursues a focused distribution strategy with a limited number of dealers who have sold shares of the Fund or other Touchstone Funds. Touchstone Securities reviews and makes changes to the focused distribution strategy on a periodic basis. These payments are generally based on a pro rata share of a dealer’s sales. Touchstone Securities may also provide compensation in connection with conferences, sales, or training programs for employees, seminars for the public, advertising, and other dealer-sponsored programs.
 
Touchstone Advisors, at its own expense, may also provide additional compensation to certain affiliated and unaffiliated dealers, financial intermediaries or service providers for certain services including distribution, administrative, sub-accounting, sub-transfer agency or shareholder servicing activities. These additional cash payments to a financial intermediary are payments over and above sales commissions or reallowances, distribution fees or servicing fees (including networking, administration, and sub-transfer agency fees). These additional cash payments also may be made as an expense reimbursement in cases where the financial intermediary bears certain costs in connection with providing shareholder services to Fund shareholders. Touchstone Advisors may also reimburse Touchstone Securities for making these payments.
 
Touchstone Advisors and its affiliates may also pay cash compensation in the form of finders’ fees or referral fees that vary depending on the dollar amount of shares sold. The amount and value of additional cash payments vary for each financial intermediary. The additional cash payment arrangement between a particular financial intermediary and Touchstone Advisors or its affiliates may provide for increased rates of compensation as the dollar value of the Fund’s shares or particular class of shares sold or invested through such financial intermediary increases. The availability of these additional cash payments, the varying fee structure within a particular additional cash payment arrangement and the basis for and manner in which a financial intermediary compensates its sales representatives may create a financial incentive for a particular financial intermediary and its sales representatives to recommend the Fund’s shares over the shares of other mutual funds based, at least in part, on the

14



level of compensation paid. You should consult with your financial intermediary and review carefully any disclosure by the financial firm as to compensation received by your financial intermediary. Although the Fund may use financial firms that sell the Fund’s shares to effect portfolio transactions for the Fund, the Fund and Touchstone Advisors will not consider the sale of the Fund’s shares as a factor when choosing financial firms to effect those transactions. For more information on payment arrangements, please see the section entitled “Touchstone Securities” in the SAI.

INVESTING WITH TOUCHSTONE
 
Choosing the Appropriate Investments to Match Your Goals. Investing well requires a plan.  We recommend that you meet with your financial advisor to plan a strategy that will best meet your financial goals.
 
Purchasing Your Shares
 
Please read this prospectus carefully and then determine how much you want to invest.
 
Classes A and C shares may be purchased directly through Touchstone Securities or through your financial advisor.
Class Y shares are available through certain financial intermediaries who have appropriate selling agreements in place with Touchstone Securities.
Institutional Class shares may be purchased directly through Touchstone Securities or through your financial intermediary.
 
In order to open an account you must complete an investment application.  You can obtain an investment application from Touchstone Securities, your financial advisor, or other financial intermediary, or by visiting the Touchstone Funds’ website: TouchstoneInvestments.com.  You may purchase shares in the Fund on a day when the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) is open for trading (“Business Day”). For more information about how to purchase shares, call Touchstone Securities at 1.800.543.0407.
 
Investor Alert: Each Touchstone Fund reserves the right to restrict or reject any purchase request, including exchanges from other Touchstone Funds, which it regards as disruptive to efficient portfolio management.  For example, a purchase request could be rejected because of the timing of the investment or because of a history of excessive trading by the investor.  (See “Market Timing Policy” in this prospectus.) Touchstone Securities may change applicable initial and additional investment minimums at any time.

Opening an Account
 
Important Information About Procedures for Opening an Account. Federal law requires all financial institutions to obtain, verify and record information that identifies each person who opens an account.  When you open an account we will ask for your name, residential address, date of birth, government identification number and other information that will allow us to identify you.  We may also ask to see your driver’s license or other identifying documents.  If we do not receive these required pieces of information, there will be a delay in processing your investment request, which could subject your investment to market risk.  If we are unable to immediately verify your identity, the Fund may restrict further investment until your identity is verified.  However, if we are unable to completely verify your identity through our verification process, the Fund reserves the right to close your account without notice and return your investment to you at the price determined at the end of business (usually 4:00 p.m. Eastern time), on the day that your account is closed.  If we close your account because we are unable to completely verify your identity, your investment will be subject to market fluctuation, which could result in a loss of a portion of your principal investment.
 
Investing in the Fund
 
By mail or through your financial advisor
 
Please make your check (drawn on a U.S. bank and payable in U.S. dollars) payable to Touchstone Funds.  We do not accept third-party checks for initial investments.
Send your check with the completed investment application by regular mail to Touchstone Investments, P.O. Box 9878, Providence, Rhode Island 02940, or by overnight mail to Touchstone Investments, c/o BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) Inc., 4400 Computer Drive, Westborough, Massachusetts 01581.
Your application will be processed subject to your check clearing.  If your check is returned for insufficient funds or uncollected funds, you may be charged a fee and you will be responsible for any resulting loss to the Fund.
You may also open an account through your financial advisor.

15



 
By wire or Automated Clearing House (“ACH”)
 
You may open an account by purchasing shares by wire or ACH transfer.  Call Touchstone Investments at 1.800.543.0407 for wire or ACH instructions.
Touchstone Securities will not process wire or ACH purchases until it receives a completed investment application.
There is no charge imposed by the Fund to make a wire or ACH purchase.  Your bank, financial intermediary, or processing organization may charge a fee to send a wire or ACH purchase to Touchstone Securities.
 
Through your financial intermediary
 
You may invest in certain share classes by establishing an account through financial intermediaries that have appropriate selling agreements with Touchstone Securities.
Your financial intermediary will act as the shareholder of record of your shares.
Financial intermediaries may set different minimum initial and additional investment requirements, may impose other restrictions or may charge you fees for their services.
Financial intermediaries may designate other intermediaries to accept purchase and sales orders on the Fund’s behalf.
Your financial intermediary may receive compensation from the Fund, Touchstone Securities, Touchstone Advisors, or their affiliates.
Before investing in the Fund through your financial intermediary, you should read any materials provided by it together with this prospectus.
 
By exchange. Other Touchstone Funds may be exchanged pursuant to the exchange rules outlined below:
 
Class A shares may be exchanged into Class A shares of any other Touchstone Fund at NAV, although Touchstone Funds that are closed to new investors may not accept exchanges.
Class C shares may be exchanged into Class C shares of any other Touchstone Fund, although Touchstone Funds that are closed to new investors may not accept exchanges.
Class Y shares of the Funds are exchangeable for Class Y shares of any other Touchstone Fund as long as investment minimums and proper selling agreement requirements are met. Class Y shares may be available through financial intermediaries that have appropriate selling agreements with Touchstone Securities, or through “processing organizations” (e.g., mutual fund supermarkets) that purchase shares for their customers.  Touchstone Funds that are closed to new investors may not accept exchanges.
Institutional Class shares of the Funds are exchangeable for Institutional Class shares of any other Touchstone Fund as long as investment minimums and proper selling agreement requirements are met, although Touchstone Funds that are closed to new investors may not accept exchanges.
Class A, C, and Y shareholders who are eligible to invest in Institutional Class shares are eligible to exchange their Class A shares, Class C shares, and Class Y shares for Institutional Class shares of the same Fund, if offered in their state; such an exchange can be accommodated by their financial intermediary. Please see the Statement of Additional Information for more information under “Choosing a Class of Shares.”
Shares otherwise subject to a CDSC will not be charged a CDSC in an exchange. However, when you redeem the shares acquired through the exchange, the shares you redeem may be subject to a CDSC, depending on when you originally purchased the exchanged shares. For purposes of computing the CDSC, the length of time you have owned your shares will be measured from the date of original purchase and will not be affected by any exchange.
Before making an exchange of your Fund shares, you should carefully review the disclosure provided in the prospectus of the Touchstone Fund into which you are exchanging.  Touchstone Funds that are closed to new investors may not accept exchanges.
You may realize taxable gain if you exchange shares of the Fund for shares of another Fund. See “Distributions and Taxes — Federal Income Tax Information” for more information and the federal income tax consequences of such an exchange.
Shares of the Touchstone Ultra Short Duration Fixed Income Fund, which is offered in a separate prospectus, may not be exchanged for shares of any other Touchstone Fund.

Through retirement plans. You may invest in certain Touchstone Funds through various retirement plans. These include individual retirement plans and employer sponsored retirement plans.
 
Individual Retirement Plans
 
Traditional IRAs

16



SIMPLE IRAs
Spousal IRAs
Roth IRAs
Education IRAs
SEP IRAs
 
Employer Sponsored Retirement Plans
 
Defined benefit plans
Defined contribution plans (including 401(k) plans, profit sharing plans and money purchase plans)
457 plans
 
To determine which type of retirement plan is appropriate for you, please contact your tax advisor.
 
For further information about any of the plans, agreements, applications and annual fees, contact Touchstone Securities at 1.800.543.0407 or contact your financial intermediary.
 
Through A Processing Organization. You may also purchase shares of the Fund through a “processing organization,” (e.g., a mutual fund supermarket) which is a broker-dealer, bank, or other financial institution that purchases shares for its customers.  Some of the Touchstone Funds have authorized certain processing organizations (“Authorized Processing Organizations”) to receive purchase and sales orders on their behalf.  Before investing in the Fund through a processing organization, you should read any materials provided by the processing organization together with this prospectus.  You should also ask the processing organization if they are authorized by Touchstone Securities to receive purchase and sales orders on their behalf.  If the processing organization is not authorized, then your purchase order could be rejected which could subject your investment to market risk.  When shares are purchased through an Authorized Processing Organization, there may be various differences compared to investing directly with Touchstone Securities.  The Authorized Processing Organization may:
 
charge a fee for its services;
act as the shareholder of record of the shares;
set different minimum initial and additional investment requirements;
impose other charges and restrictions; or
designate intermediaries to accept purchase and sales orders on the Fund’s behalf.
 
Touchstone Securities considers a purchase or sales order as received when an Authorized Processing Organization, or its authorized designee, receives the order in proper form.
 
Shares held through an Authorized Processing Organization may be transferred into your name following procedures established by your Authorized Processing Organization and Touchstone Securities.  Certain Authorized Processing Organizations may receive compensation from the Fund, Touchstone Securities, Touchstone Advisors, or their affiliates.
 
It is the responsibility of an Authorized Processing Organization to transmit properly completed orders so that they will be received by Touchstone Securities in a timely manner.
 
Pricing of Purchases
 
Purchase orders received in proper form by Touchstone Securities, an Authorized Processing Organization, or a financial intermediary, by the close of the regular session of trading on the NYSE, generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time, are processed at that day’s public offering price (NAV plus any applicable sales charge).  Purchase orders received after the close of the regular session of trading on the NYSE are processed at the public offering price determined on the following business day.  It is the responsibility of the financial intermediary or Authorized Processing Organization to transmit orders that will be received by Touchstone Securities in proper form and in a timely manner.

Adding to Your Account
 
By check
 
Complete the investment form provided with a recent account statement.
Make your check (drawn on a U.S. bank and payable in U.S. dollars) payable to the Touchstone Funds.
Write your account number on the check.

17



Either mail the check with the investment form: (1) to Touchstone Securities; or (2) to your financial intermediary at the address printed on your account statement. Your financial intermediary is responsible for forwarding payment promptly to Touchstone Securities.
If your check is returned for insufficient funds or uncollected funds, you may be charged a fee and you will be responsible for any resulting loss to the Fund.
 
Through Touchstone Securities — By telephone or Internet
 
You can exchange your shares over the telephone by calling Touchstone Securities at 1.800.543.0407, unless you have specifically declined this option. If you do not wish to have this ability, you must mark the appropriate section of the investment application.
You may also exchange your shares online via the Touchstone Funds’ website: TouchstoneInvestments.com. You may only sell shares over the telephone or via the Internet if the value of the shares sold is less than $100,000.
In order to protect your investment assets, Touchstone Securities will only follow instructions received by telephone that it reasonably believes to be genuine. However, there is no guarantee that the instructions relied upon will always be genuine and Touchstone Securities will not be liable, in those cases. Touchstone Securities has certain procedures to confirm that telephone instructions are genuine. If it does not follow such procedures in a particular case, it may be liable for any losses due to unauthorized or fraudulent instructions. Some of these procedures may include:
·                  Requiring personal identification.
·                  Making checks payable only to the owner(s) of the account shown on Touchstone Securities’ records.
·                  Mailing checks only to the account address shown on Touchstone Securities’ records.
·                  Directing wires only to the bank account shown on Touchstone Securities’ records.
·                  Providing written confirmation for transactions requested by telephone.
·                  Digitally recording instructions received by telephone.
 
By wire or ACH
 
Contact your bank and ask it to wire or ACH funds to Touchstone Securities.  Specify your name and account number when remitting the funds.
Your bank may charge a fee for handling wire transfers.  ACH transactions take 2-3 business days but can be transferred from most banks without a fee.
If you hold your shares directly with Touchstone Securities and have ACH instructions on file for your non-retirement individual or joint account you may initiate a purchase transaction through the Touchstone Funds’ website: TouchstoneInvestments.com.
Purchases in the Fund will be processed at that day’s NAV (or public offering price, if applicable) if Touchstone Securities receives a properly executed wire or ACH by the close of the regular session of trading on the NYSE, generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time, on a day when the NYSE is open for regular trading.
Contact Touchstone Securities or your financial intermediary for further instructions.
 
By exchange
 
You may add to your account by exchanging shares from another Touchstone Fund.
For information about how to exchange shares among the Touchstone Funds, see “Investing in the Fund - By exchange” in this prospectus.
Exchange transactions can also be initiated for non-retirement individual or joint accounts via the Touchstone Funds’ website: www.TouchstoneInvestments.com.

Purchases with Securities
 
Shares may be purchased by tendering payment in-kind in the form of marketable securities, including but not limited to, shares of common stock, provided the acquisition of such securities is consistent with the Fund’s investment goal and is otherwise acceptable to Touchstone Advisors. Transactions of this type are generally a taxable transaction. Shareholders should consult with their personal tax advisor regarding their particular tax situation.
 
Automatic Investment Options
 
The various ways that you can automatically invest in the Fund are outlined below. Touchstone Securities does not charge any fees for these services. For further details about these services, call Touchstone Securities at 1.800.543.0407. If you hold your

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shares through a financial intermediary or Authorized Processing Organization, please contact them for further details on automatic investment options.
 
Automatic Investment Plan. You can pre-authorize monthly investments in the Fund of $50 or more to be processed electronically from a checking or savings account. You will need to complete the appropriate section in the investment application or special account options form to do this. Amounts that are automatically invested in the Fund will not be available for redemption until three business days after the automatic reinvestment.
 
Reinvestment/Cross Reinvestment. Dividends and capital gains can be automatically reinvested in the Fund or in another Touchstone Fund within the same class of shares without a fee or sales charge. Dividends and capital gains will be reinvested in the Fund, unless you indicate otherwise on your investment application. You may also choose to have your dividends or capital gains paid to you in cash if such amounts are greater than $25.00; lesser amounts will be automatically reinvested in the Fund. Dividends are taxable for federal income tax purposes whether you reinvest such dividends in additional shares of a Touchstone Fund or choose to receive cash. If you elect to receive dividends and distributions in cash and the payment (1) is returned and marked as “undeliverable” or (2) is not cashed for six months, your cash election will be changed automatically and future dividends will be reinvested in the Fund at the per share NAV determined as of the date of payment. In addition, any undeliverable checks or checks that are not cashed for six months will be cancelled and then reinvested in the Fund at the per share NAV determined as of the date of cancellation.
 
Direct Deposit Purchase Plan. You may automatically invest Social Security checks, private payroll checks, pension payouts or any other pre-authorized government or private recurring payments in the Fund.
 
Dollar Cost Averaging. Our dollar cost averaging program allows you to diversify your investments by investing the same amount on a regular basis. You can set up periodic automatic exchanges of at least $50 from one Touchstone Fund to any other. The applicable sales charge, if any, will be assessed.
 
Selling Your Shares
 
If you elect to receive your redemption proceeds in cash and the payment is not cashed for six months, your account will be coded as a lost shareholder account and correspondence will be sent to you requesting that you contact the Fund in order to remove this coding. If the Fund does not hear from you within 30 days of the mailing of this notice, the redemption check will be cancelled and then reinvested in the Fund at the per share NAV determined as of the date of cancellation.
 
Through Touchstone Securities — By telephone or Internet
 
You can sell your shares over the telephone by calling Touchstone Securities at 1.800.543.0407, unless you have specifically declined this option. If you do not wish to have this ability, you must mark the appropriate section of the investment application.
You may also sell your shares online via the Touchstone Funds’ website: TouchstoneInvestments.com.
You may sell shares over the telephone or via the Internet only if the value of the shares sold is less than or equal to $100,000.
Shares held in IRA accounts and qualified retirement plans cannot be sold by telephone or via Internet.
If we receive your sale request by the close of the regular session of trading on the NYSE, generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time, on a day when the NYSE is open for regular trading, the sale of your shares will be processed at the next determined NAV on that Business Day. Otherwise it will occur on the next Business Day.
Interruptions in telephone or Internet service could prevent you from selling your shares when you want to. When you have difficulty making telephone or Internet sales, you should mail to Touchstone Securities (or send by overnight delivery) a written request for the sale of your shares.
In order to protect your investment assets, Touchstone Securities will only follow instructions received by telephone that it reasonably believes to be genuine. However, there is no guarantee that the instructions relied upon will always be genuine and Touchstone Securities will not be liable, in those cases. Touchstone Securities has certain procedures to confirm that telephone instructions are genuine. If it does not follow such procedures in a particular case, it may be liable for any losses due to unauthorized or fraudulent instructions. Some of these procedures may include:
·      Requiring personal identification.
·      Making checks payable only to the owner(s) of the account shown on Touchstone Securities’ records.
·      Mailing checks only to the account address shown on Touchstone Securities’ records.
·      Directing wires only to the bank account shown on Touchstone Securities’ records.
·      Providing written confirmation for transactions requested by telephone.
·      Digitally recording instructions received by telephone.

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Through Touchstone Securities — By mail
 
Write to Touchstone Securities, P.O. Box 9878, Providence, Rhode Island 02940.
Indicate the number of shares or dollar amount to be sold.
Include your name and account number.
Sign your request exactly as your name appears on your investment application.
You may be required to have your signature guaranteed. (See “Signature Guarantees” in this prospectus for more information.)
 
Through Touchstone Securities — By wire
 
Complete the appropriate information on the investment application.
If your proceeds are $1,000 or more, you may request that Touchstone Securities wire them to your bank account.
You may be charged a fee of up to $15 by the Fund or the Fund’s Authorized Processing Organization for wiring redemption proceeds. You may also be charged a fee by your bank.  Certain institutional shareholders who trade daily are not charged wire redemption fees.
Your redemption proceeds may be deposited directly into your bank account through an ACH transaction. There is no fee imposed by the Fund for ACH transactions, however, you may be charged a fee by your bank to receive an ACH transaction. Contact Touchstone Securities for more information.
If you hold your shares directly with Touchstone Securities and have ACH or wire instructions on file for your non-retirement account you may transact through the Touchstone Funds’ website: TouchstoneInvestments.com.
 
Through Touchstone Securities — Through a systematic withdrawal plan
 
You may elect to receive, or send to a third party, systematic withdrawals of $50 or more if your account value is at least $5,000.
Systematic withdrawals can be made monthly, quarterly, semiannually, or annually.
There is no fee for this service.
There is no minimum account balance required for retirement plans.
 
Through your financial intermediary or Authorized Processing Organization
 
You may also sell shares by contacting your financial intermediary or Authorized Processing Organization, which may charge you a fee for this service. Shares held in street name must be sold through your financial intermediary or, if applicable, the Authorized Processing Organization.
Your financial intermediary or Authorized Processing Organization is responsible for making sure that sale requests are transmitted to Touchstone Securities in proper form and in a timely manner.
Your financial intermediary may charge you a fee for selling your shares.
Redemption proceeds will only be wired to your account at the financial intermediary.
 
Investor Alert: Unless otherwise specified, proceeds will be sent to the record owner at the address shown on Touchstone Securities’ records.
 
Pricing of Redemptions
 
Redemption orders received in proper form by Touchstone Securities, an Authorized Processing Organization, or a financial intermediary, by the close of the regular session of trading on the NYSE, generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time, are processed at that day’s NAV. Redemption orders received after the close of the regular session of trading on the NYSE are processed at the NAV determined on the following business day. It is the responsibility of the financial intermediary or Authorized Processing Organization to transmit orders that will be received by Touchstone Securities in proper form and in a timely manner.
 
Contingent Deferred Sales Charge (“CDSC”)
 
If you purchase $1 million or more in Class A shares at NAV and a commission was paid by Touchstone Securities to a participating unaffiliated dealer, a CDSC of up to 1.00% may be charged on redemptions made within 1 year of your purchase. Additionally, when an upfront commission is paid to a participating dealer on transactions of $1 million or more in Class A Shares, the Fund will withhold any 12b-1 fee for the first 12 months following the purchase date. If you redeem Class C shares within 12 months of your purchase, a CDSC of 1.00% will be charged.

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The CDSC will not apply to redemptions of shares you received through reinvested dividends or capital gains distributions and may be waived under certain circumstances described below. The CDSC will be assessed on the lesser of your shares’ NAV at the time of redemption or the time of purchase. The CDSC is paid to Touchstone Securities to reimburse expenses incurred in providing distribution-related services to the Fund.
 
All sales charges imposed on redemptions are paid to Touchstone Securities. In determining whether the CDSC is payable, it is assumed that shares not subject to the CDSC are the first redeemed followed by other shares held for the longest period of time. The CDSC will not be imposed upon shares representing reinvested dividends or capital gains distributions, or upon amounts representing share appreciation.
 
No CDSC is applied in the following instances:
 
The redemption is due to the death or post-purchase disability of a shareholder.  Touchstone Securities may require documentation prior to waiver of the charge.
Any partial or complete redemption following death or disability (as defined in the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”)) of a shareholder (including one who owns the shares with his or her spouse as a joint tenant with rights of survivorship) from an account in which the deceased or disabled is named.  Touchstone Securities may require documentation prior to waiver of the charge, including death certificates, physicians’ certificates, etc.
Redemptions from a systematic withdrawal plan.  If the systematic withdrawal plan is based on a fixed dollar amount or number of shares, systematic withdrawal redemptions are limited to no more than 10% of your account value or number of shares per year, as of the date the transfer agent receives your request.  If the systematic withdrawal plan is based on a fixed percentage of your account value, each redemption is limited to an amount that would not exceed 10% of your annual account value at the time of withdrawal.
Redemptions from retirement plans qualified under Section 401 of the Code.  The CDSC will be waived for benefit payments made by Touchstone Securities directly to plan participants.  Benefit payments will include, but are not limited to, payments resulting from death, disability, retirement, separation from service, required minimum distributions (as described under Section 401(a)(9) of the Code), in-service distributions, hardships, loans, and qualified domestic relations orders.  The CDSC waiver will not apply in the event of termination of the plan or transfer of the plan to another financial intermediary.
The redemption is for a mandatory withdrawal from a traditional IRA account after age 70½.
 
The above mentioned CDSC waivers do not apply to redemptions made within one year for purchases of $1 million or more in Class A shares of the Touchstone Funds where a commission was paid by Touchstone Securities to a participating broker dealer. The SAI contains further details about the CDSC and the conditions for waiving the CDSC.
 
Signature Guarantees
 
Some circumstances require that your request to sell shares be made in writing accompanied by an original Medallion Signature Guarantee.  A Medallion Signature Guarantee helps protect you against fraud.  You can obtain one from most banks or securities dealers, but not from a notary public.  The Fund reserves the right to require a signature guarantee for any request related to your account including, but not limited to:
 
Proceeds to be paid when information on your account has been changed within the last 30 days (including a change in your name or your address, or the name or address of a payee).
Proceeds are being sent to an address other than the address of record.
Proceeds or shares are being sent/transferred from unlike registrations such as a joint account to an individual’s account.
Sending proceeds via wire or ACH when bank instructions have been added or changed within 30 days of your redemption request.
Proceeds or shares are being sent/transferred between accounts with different account registrations.
 
Market Timing Policy
 
Market timing or excessive trading in accounts that you own or control may disrupt portfolio investment strategies, may increase brokerage and administrative costs, and may negatively impact investment returns for all shareholders, including long-term shareholders who do not generate these costs. The Fund will take reasonable steps to discourage excessive short-term trading and will not knowingly accommodate frequent purchases and redemptions of Fund shares by shareholders. The Board of Trustees has adopted the following policies and procedures with respect to market timing of the Fund by shareholders. The

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Fund will monitor selected trades on a daily basis in an effort to deter excessive short-term trading. If the Fund has reason to believe that a shareholder has engaged in excessive short-term trading, the Fund may ask the shareholder to stop such activities, or restrict or refuse to process purchases or exchanges in the shareholder’s accounts. While the Fund cannot assure the prevention of all excessive trading and market timing, by making these judgments the Fund believes it is acting in a manner that is in the best interests of its shareholders. However, because the Fund cannot prevent all market timing, shareholders may be subject to the risks described above.
 
Generally, a shareholder may be considered a market timer if he or she has (i) requested an exchange or redemption out of any of the Touchstone Funds within 2 weeks of an earlier purchase or exchange request out of any Touchstone Fund, or (ii) made more than 2 “round-trip” exchanges within a rolling 90 day period. A “round-trip” exchange occurs when a shareholder exchanges from one Touchstone Fund to another Touchstone Fund and back to the original Touchstone Fund. If a shareholder exceeds these limits, the Fund may restrict or suspend that shareholder’s exchange privileges and subsequent exchange requests during the suspension will not be processed. The Fund may also restrict or refuse to process purchases by the shareholder. These exchange limits and excessive trading policies generally do not apply to systematic purchases and redemptions.
 
Financial intermediaries (such as investment advisors and broker-dealers) often establish omnibus accounts in the Fund for their customers through which transactions are placed. If the Fund identifies excessive trading in such an account, the Fund may instruct the intermediary to restrict the investor responsible for the excessive trading from further trading in the Fund. In accordance with Rule 22c-2 under the 1940 Act, the Fund has entered into information sharing agreements with certain financial intermediaries. Under these agreements, a financial intermediary is obligated to: (1) enforce during the term of the agreement, the Fund’s market-timing policy; (2) furnish the Fund, upon its request, with information regarding customer trading activities in shares of the Fund; and (3) enforce the Fund’s market-timing policy with respect to customers identified by the Fund as having engaged in market timing. When information regarding transactions in the Fund’s shares is requested by the Fund and such information is in the possession of a person that is itself a financial intermediary to a financial intermediary (an “indirect intermediary”), any financial intermediary with whom the Fund has an information sharing agreement is obligated to obtain transaction information from the indirect intermediary or, if directed by the Fund, to restrict or prohibit the indirect intermediary from purchasing shares of the Fund on behalf of other persons.
 
The Fund applies these policies and procedures uniformly to all shareholders believed to be engaged in market timing or excessive trading. The Fund has no arrangements to permit any investor to trade frequently in shares of the Fund, nor will it enter into any such arrangements in the future.
 
Householding Policy (only applicable for shares held directly through Touchstone Securities)
 
The Fund will send one copy of its prospectuses and shareholder reports to households containing multiple shareholders with the same last name. This process, known as “householding,” reduces costs and provides a convenience to shareholders. If you share the same last name and address with another shareholder and you prefer to receive separate prospectuses and shareholder reports, call Touchstone Investments at 1.800.543.0407 and we will begin separate mailings to you within 30 days of your request. If you or others in your household invest in the Fund through a financial intermediary, you may receive separate prospectuses and shareholder reports, regardless of whether or not you have consented to householding on your investment application.
 
In addition, eDelivery is available for statements, confirms and regulatory documents (annual and semi-annual reports, prospectuses, information statements and proxy materials) for shareholders holding accounts directly with Touchstone Securities, please contact Shareholder Services at 1.800.534.0407 for more information. If you hold your account through a broker-dealer or financial intermediary, please contact them directly to inquire about eDelivery opportunities.

Receiving Sale Proceeds
 
Touchstone Securities will forward the proceeds of your sale to you (or to your financial intermediary) within 7 days (normally within 3 business days) after receipt of a proper request in accordance with the requirements set forth in this "Investing with Touchstone" section.
 
Proceeds Sent to Financial Intermediaries or Authorized Processing Organizations. Proceeds that are sent to your Authorized Processing Organization or financial intermediary will not usually be reinvested for you unless you provide specific instructions to do so. Therefore, the financial advisor, Authorized Processing Organization or financial intermediary may benefit from the use of your money.
 

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Fund Shares Purchased by Check (only applicable for shares held directly through Touchstone Securities). We may delay the processing and payment of redemption proceeds for shares you recently purchased by check until your check clears, which may take up to 15 days. If you believe you may need your money sooner, you should purchase shares by bank wire.
 
Reinstatement Privilege (Classes A and C shares only). You may, within 90 days of redemption, including redemption proceeds reinvested from an unaffiliated money market fund, reinvest all or part of your sale proceeds by sending a written request and a check to Touchstone Securities. If the redemption proceeds were from the sale of Class A shares and the sales load that you incurred on the initial purchase is less than the sales charge for the Fund, you will incur a sales charge representing the difference. If the redemption proceeds were from the sale of your Class A shares, and the sales load that you incurred on the initial purchase is equal to or more than the sales charge for the Fund, you can reinvest into Class A shares of any applicable Touchstone Fund at NAV. If the redemption proceeds were from the sale of Class A shares and the sales load that you incurred on the initial purchase is less than the sales charge for the Fund, you will incur a sales charge representing the difference. Reinvestment will be at the NAV next calculated after Touchstone Securities receives your request. If the reinvestment proceeds were from the sale of your Class C shares, you can reinvest those proceeds into Class C shares of any Touchstone Fund. If you paid a CDSC on the reinstated amount, that CDSC will be reimbursed to you upon reinvestment. The redemption and repurchase of shares may still result in a tax liability for federal income tax purposes.
 
Low Account Balances (only applicable for shares held directly through Touchstone Securities). If your balance falls below the minimum amount required for your account, based on actual amounts you have invested (as opposed to a reduction from market changes), Touchstone Securities may sell your shares and send the proceeds to you.  This involuntary sale does not apply to retirement accounts or custodian accounts under the UGTMA. Touchstone Securities will notify you if your shares are about to be sold and you will have 30 days to increase your account balance to the minimum amount.
 
Delay of Payment. It is possible that the payment of your sale proceeds could be postponed or your right to sell your shares could be suspended during certain circumstances.  These circumstances can occur:
 
When the NYSE is closed on days other than customary weekends and holidays;
When trading on the NYSE is restricted; or
During any other time when the SEC, by order, permits.
 
Redemption in-Kind. Under unusual circumstances (such as a period of unusually high market volatility), when the Board deems it appropriate, the Fund may make payment for shares redeemed in portfolio securities of the Fund taken at current value in order to meet redemption requests. Shareholders may incur transaction and brokerage costs when they sell these portfolio securities. Until such time as the shareholder sells the securities they receive in-kind, the securities are subject to market risk. Redemptions in-kind are taxable for federal income tax purposes in the same manner as redemptions for cash.
 
Pricing of Fund Shares
 
The Fund’s share price (also called “NAV”) and public offering price (NAV plus a sales charge, if applicable) is determined as of the close of trading (normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time) every day the NYSE is open.  The Fund calculates its NAV per share for each class, generally using market prices, by dividing the total value of its net assets by the number of shares outstanding.
 
The Fund’s equity investments are valued based on market value or, if no market value is available, based on fair value as determined by the Board (or under its direction).  The Fund may use pricing services to determine market value for investments.  Some specific pricing strategies follow:
 
All short-term dollar-denominated investments that mature in 60 days or less are valued on the basis of amortized cost which the Board has determined as fair value.
Securities mainly traded on a U.S. exchange are valued at the last sale price on that exchange or, if no sales occurred during the day, at the last quoted bid price.
 
Any foreign securities held by the Fund will be priced as follows:
 
All assets and liabilities initially expressed in foreign currency values will be converted into U.S. dollar values.
Securities mainly traded on a non-U.S. exchange are generally valued according to the preceding closing values on that exchange.  However, if an event that may change the value of a security occurs after the time that the closing value on the non-U.S. exchange was determined, but before the close of regular trading on the NYSE, the security may be priced based on fair value. This may cause the value of the security on the books of the Fund to be significantly different from the closing value on the non-U.S. exchange and may affect the calculation of the NAV.

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Because portfolio securities that are primarily listed on a non-U.S. exchange may trade on weekends or other days when the Fund does not price its shares, the Fund’s NAV may change on days when shareholders will not be able to buy or sell shares.
 
Securities held by the Fund that do not have readily available market quotations are priced at their fair value using procedures approved by the Board.  Any debt securities held by the Fund for which market quotations are not readily available are generally priced at their most recent bid prices as obtained from one or more of the major market makers for such securities.  The Fund may use fair value pricing under the following circumstances, among others:
 
If the value of a security has been materially affected by events occurring before the Fund’s pricing time but after the close of the primary markets on which the security is traded.
If a security, such as a small-cap or micro-cap security, is so thinly traded that reliable market quotations are unavailable due to infrequent trading.
If the exchange on which a portfolio security is principally traded closes early or if trading in a particular portfolio security was halted during the day and did not resume prior to the Fund’s NAV calculation.
 
The use of fair value pricing has the effect of valuing a security based upon the price the Fund might reasonably expect to receive if it sold that security but does not guarantee that the security can be sold at the fair value price.  The Fund has established fair value policies and procedures that delegate fair value responsibilities to the Advisor. These policies and procedures outline the fair value method for the Advisor. The Advisor’s determination of a security’s fair value price often involves the consideration of a number of subjective factors established by the Board, and is therefore subject to the unavoidable risk that the value that the Fund assigns to a security may be higher or lower than the security’s value would be if a reliable market quotation for the security was readily available.  With respect to any portion of the Fund’s assets that is invested in other mutual funds, that portion of the Fund’s NAV is calculated based on the NAV of that mutual fund.  The prospectus for the other mutual fund explains the circumstances and effects of fair value pricing for that fund.

DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAXES
 
The Fund intends to distribute to its shareholders substantially all of its net investment income and capital gains. The Fund distributes its income, if any, annually to shareholders.  The Fund distributes capital gains, if any, at least annually. If you own shares on the Fund’s distribution record date, you will be entitled to receive the distribution.
 
You will receive income dividends and distributions of capital gains in the form of additional Fund shares unless you elect to receive payment in cash. Cash payments will only be made for amounts equal to or exceeding $25.00; for amounts less than $25.00 the dividends and distributions will be automatically reinvested in the paying Fund and class. To elect cash payments, you must notify the Fund in writing or by phone prior to the date of distribution. Your election will be effective for dividends and distributions paid after we receive your notice. To cancel your election, simply send written notice to Touchstone Investments, P.O. Box 9878, Providence, Rhode Island 02940, or by overnight mail to Touchstone Investments, c/o BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) Inc., 4400 Computer Drive, Westborough, Massachusetts 01581, or call Touchstone Securities at 1.800.543.0407. If you hold your shares through a financial institution, you must contact the institution to elect cash payment. If you elect to receive dividends and distributions in cash and the payment (1) is returned and marked as “undeliverable” or (2) is not cashed for six months, your cash election will be changed automatically and future dividends will be reinvested in the Fund at the per share NAV determined as of the date of cancellation.
 
The Fund’s dividends and other distributions are taxable to shareholders (other than retirement plans and other tax-exempt investors) whether received in cash or reinvested in additional shares of the Fund. A dividend or distribution paid by the Fund,

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has the effect of reducing the NAV per share on the ex-dividend date by the amount of the dividend or distribution. A dividend or distribution declared shortly after a purchase of shares by an investor would, therefore, represent, in substance, a return of capital to the shareholder with respect to such shares even though it would be subject to federal income taxes.

For most shareholders, a statement will be sent to you within 60 days after the end of each year detailing the tax status of your distributions. Please see “Federal Income Tax Information” below for more information on the federal income tax consequences of dividends and other distributions made by the Fund.
 
Federal Income Tax Information
 
The tax information in this prospectus is provided only for general information purposes for U.S. taxpayers and should not be considered as tax advice or relied on by a shareholder or prospective investor.
 
General. The Fund intends to qualify annually to be treated as a regulated investment company (“RIC”) under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). As such, the Fund will not be subject to federal income taxes on the earnings it distributes to shareholders provided it satisfies certain requirements and restrictions of the Code, one of which is to distribute to the Fund’s shareholders substantially all of the Fund’s net investment income and capital gains each year. If for any taxable year the Fund fails to qualify as a RIC: (1) it will be subject to tax in the same manner as an ordinary corporation and thus will be subject to taxation on a graduated basis at the corporate tax rate; and (2) distributions from its earnings and profits (as determined under federal income tax principles) will be taxable as ordinary dividend income eligible for the dividends-received deduction for corporate shareholders and for “qualified dividend income” treatment for non-corporate shareholders.
 
Distributions. The Fund will make distributions to you that may be taxed as ordinary income or capital gains. The dividends and distributions you receive may be subject to federal, foreign, state, and local taxation, depending upon your tax situation. Distributions are taxable whether you reinvest such distributions in additional shares of the Fund or choose to receive cash. Taxable Fund distributions are taxable to a shareholder even if the distributions are paid from income or gains earned by the Fund prior to the shareholder’s investment and, thus, were included in the price the shareholder paid for the shares. For example, a shareholder who purchases shares on or just before the record date of a Fund distribution will pay full price for the shares and may receive a portion of the investment back as a taxable distribution. Distributions declared by a Fund during October, November or December to shareholders of record during such month and paid by January 31 of the following year are treated for federal income tax purposes as if received by shareholders on December 31 of the year in which the distribution was declared.
 
Ordinary Income. Net investment income, except for qualified dividend income and income designated as tax-exempt, and short-term capital gains that are distributed to you are taxable as ordinary income for federal income tax purposes regardless of how long you have held your Fund shares. Certain dividends distributed to non-corporate shareholders and designated by the Fund as “qualified dividend income” are eligible for the long-term capital gains rate, provided certain holding period and other requirements are satisfied.
 
Net Capital Gains. Net capital gains (i.e., the excess of net long-term capital gains over net short-term capital losses) distributed to you, if any, are taxable as long-term capital gains for federal income tax purposes regardless of how long you have held your Fund shares.
 
Sale or Exchange of Shares. It is a taxable event for you if you sell shares of the Fund or exchange shares of the Fund for shares of another Touchstone Fund. Depending on the purchase price and the sale price of the shares you sell or exchange, you may have a taxable gain or loss on the transaction. Any realized gain will be taxable to you, and, generally, will be capital gain, assuming you held the shares of the Fund as a capital asset. The capital gain will be long-term or short-term depending on how long you have held your shares in the Fund. Sales of shares of the Fund that you have held for twelve months or less will be a short-term capital gain or loss and if held for more than twelve months will constitute a long-term capital gain or loss. Any loss realized by a shareholder on a disposition of shares held for six months or less will be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any distributions of capital gain dividends received by the shareholder and disallowed to the extent of any distributions of exempt-interest dividends, if any, received by the shareholder with respect to such shares.
 
Returns of Capital. If the Fund makes a distribution in excess of its current and accumulated earnings and profits, the excess will be treated as a return of capital to the extent of a shareholder’s basis in his or her shares, and thereafter as a capital gain.  A return of capital is generally not taxable, but it reduces a shareholder’s basis in his or her shares, thus reducing any loss or increasing any gain on a subsequent taxable disposition by the shareholder of such shares.
 

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Backup Withholding. The Fund may be required to withhold U.S. federal income tax on all distributions and sales proceeds payable to shareholders who fail to provide their correct taxpayer identification number or to make required certifications, or who have been notified by the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) that they are subject to backup withholding.
 
Medicare Tax. An additional 3.8% Medicare tax is imposed on certain net investment income (including dividends and distributions received from the Fund and net gains from redemptions or other taxable dispositions of Fund shares) of U.S. individuals, estates and trusts to the extent that such person’s “modified adjusted gross income” (in the case of an individual) or “adjusted gross income” (in the case of an estate or trust) exceeds a threshold amount.
 
Foreign Taxes. Income received by the Fund from sources within foreign countries may be subject to foreign withholding and other taxes. If the Fund qualifies (by having more than 50% of the value of its total assets at the close of the taxable year consist of stock or securities in foreign corporations or by being a qualified fund of funds) and elects to pass through foreign taxes paid on its investments during the year, such taxes will be reported to you as income. You may, however, be able to claim an offsetting tax credit or deduction on your federal income tax return, depending on your particular circumstances and provided you meet certain holding period and other requirements. Tax-exempt holders of Fund shares, such as qualified tax-advantaged retirement plans, will not benefit from such a deduction or credit.
 
Non-U.S. Shareholders. Non-U.S. shareholders may be subject to U.S. tax as a result of an investment in the Fund. This prospectus does not discuss the U.S. or foreign tax consequences of an investment by a non-U.S. shareholder in the Fund. Accordingly, non-U.S. shareholders are urged and advised to consult their own tax advisors as to the U.S. and foreign tax consequences of an investment in the Fund.
 
Statements and Notices. You will receive an annual statement outlining the tax status of your distributions. You may also receive written notices of certain foreign taxes paid by the Fund during the prior taxable year.
 
Important Tax Reporting Considerations. The Fund is required to report cost basis and holding period information to both the IRS and shareholders for gross proceeds from the sales of Fund shares. This information is reported on Form 1099-B. The average cost method will be used to determine the cost basis of Fund shares unless the shareholder instructs the Fund in writing that the shareholder wants to use another available method for cost basis reporting (for example, First In, First Out (FIFO), Last In, First Out (LIFO), Specific Lot Identification (SLID) or High Cost, First Out (HIFO)). If the shareholder designates SLID as the shareholder’s tax cost basis method, the shareholder will also need to designate a secondary cost basis method (Secondary Method). If a Secondary Method is not provided, the Fund will designate FIFO as the Secondary Method and will use the Secondary Method with respect to systematic withdrawals. If you hold shares of the Fund through a financial intermediary, the financial intermediary will be responsible for this reporting and the financial intermediary’s default cost basis method may apply. Please consult your tax adviser for additional information regarding cost basis reporting and your situation.
 
Redemptions by S corporations of Fund shares are required to be reported to the IRS on Form 1099-B. If a shareholder is a corporation and has not instructed the Fund that it is a C corporation in its Account Application or by written instruction, the Fund will treat the shareholder as an S corporation and file a Form 1099-B.
 
This section is only a summary of some important federal income tax considerations that may affect your investment in the Fund.  More information regarding these considerations is included in the Fund’s SAI.  You are urged and advised to consult your own tax advisor regarding the effects of an investment in the Fund on your tax situation, including the application of foreign, state, local, and other tax laws to your particular situation.
 

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FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
 
The Fund has adopted the financial statements of the Predecessor Fund. The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Predecessor Fund’s financial performance for the periods shown. The information below has been derived from the Predecessor Fund’s financial statements for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2015, which have been audited by Tait, Weller & Baker LLP, the Predecessor Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the Predecessor Fund’s financial statements, are included in the annual report, which is available upon request. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Predecessor Fund’s shares (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and other distributions).
 
DSM Large Cap Growth Fund
Financial Highlights  For a capital share outstanding throughout the year
Institutional Class
Six Months Ended December 31, 2015 (unaudited)
Year Ended June 30, 2015
Year Ended June 30, 2014
Year Ended June 30, 2013
Year Ended June 30, 2012
Year Ended June 30, 2011
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Net asset value, beginning of year/period
$33.17
$29.67
$24.25
$20.81
$20.53
$15.32
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
INCOME FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:
 
 
 
 
 
 
Net investment income/loss1 
(0.09)
(0.08)
(0.01)
0.07
(0.04)
(0.05)
Net realized and unrealized gain on investments
0.36
4.61
6.08
3.37
1.15
5.34
Total from investment operations
0.27
4.53
6.07
3.44
1.11
5.29
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS FROM:
 
 
 
 
 
 
Distributions from net investment income
0.00
0.00
(0.03)
0.00
0.00
0.00
Distributions from net realized gain
(2.43)
(1.03)
(0.62)
0.00
(0.83)
(0.08)
Total distributions
(2.43)
(1.03)
(0.65)
0.00
(0.83)
(0.08)
Proceeds from redemption fees collected
0.00*
0.00
0.00*
0.00
0.00
0.00*
Net asset value, end of year/period
$31.01
$33.17
$29.67
$24.25
$20.81
$20.53
Total return
0.98%3
15.59%
25.19%
16.53%
6.07%
34.52%
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:
 
 
 
 
 
 
Net assets at end of year/period (000,000’s))
$188.6
$196.1
$152.6
$78.6
$29.9
$26.6
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Ratio of expenses to average net assets:
 
 
 
 
 
 
Expenses before fees waived
0.97%4
1.00%
1.07%
1.23%
1.66%
1.84%
Expenses after fees waived2
0.95%4
0.95%
0.95%
0.95%
1.08%
1.10%
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Ratio of net investment income (loss) to average net assets:
 
 
 
 
 
 
Before fees waived
(0.55)%4
(0.30)%
(0.16)%
0.02%
(0.80)%
(1.01)%
After fees waived
(0.53)%4
(0.25)%
(0.04)%
0.30%
(0.22)%
(0.27)%
Portfolio turnover rate
33%3
80%
56%
71%
59%
77%
*    Amount is less than $0.005 per share.
1    Calculated using the average shares outstanding method.
2    Expense Cap was lowered to 0.95% from 1.10% on May 16, 2012.
3    Not Annualized.
4    Annualized.

27



TOUCHSTONE INVESTMENTS*
 
DISTRIBUTOR
Touchstone Securities, Inc.*
303 Broadway, Suite 1100
Cincinnati, Ohio  45202-4203
1.800.638.8194
TouchstoneInvestments.com
 
INVESTMENT ADVISOR
Touchstone Advisors, Inc.*
303 Broadway, Suite 1100
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202-4203
 
TRANSFER AGENT
BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) Inc.
4400 Computer Drive
Westborough, Massachusetts 01581
 
SHAREHOLDER SERVICES
1.800.543.0407
 
_________________________
*A Member of Western & Southern Financial Group
 
The following are federal trademark registrations and applications owned by IFS Financial Services, Inc., a member of Western & Southern Financial Group: Touchstone, Touchstone Funds, Touchstone Investments, Touchstone Family of Funds and Touchstone Select.

28





303 Broadway, Suite 1100
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202-4203

Go paperless, sign up today at:
TouchstoneInvestments.com/home

 
Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”): The SAI provides more detailed information about the Fund and is incorporated herein by reference, which means it is legally a part of this prospectus.
 
Annual/Semi-Annual Reports (“Financial Reports”): The Fund’s Financial Reports provide additional information about its investments. In the annual report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance during its last fiscal year.
 
You can get free copies of the SAI, the Financial Reports, other information and answers to your questions about the Fund by contacting your financial advisor or by contacting Touchstone Investments at 1.800.543.0407.  The SAI and Financial Reports are also available without charge on the Touchstone Investments website at: TouchstoneInvestments.com/home/formslit/
 
Information about the Fund (including the SAI) can be reviewed and copied at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C.  You can receive information about the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at 1.202.551.8090.
 
Reports and other information about the Fund are available without charge on the EDGAR database of the SEC’s internet site at http://www.sec.gov.  For a fee, you can get text-only copies of reports and other information by writing to the Public Reference Section of the SEC, Washington, D.C. 20549-1520 or by sending an e-mail request to: publicinfo@sec.gov.
 
Investment Company Act file no. 811-03651
                                            























TSF-54BB-TST-LCG-1608


29






TOUCHSTONE STRATEGIC TRUST
 
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
 
August 15, 2016
 
 
Class A
 
Class C
 
Class Y
 
Institutional 
Class
Touchstone Large Company Growth Fund
TSAGX

 
TCGLX

 
TLGYX

 
DSMLX

 
This Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) is not a prospectus and relates only to the above-referenced fund (the “Fund”), whose inception date is August 15, 2016.  It is intended to provide additional information regarding the activities and operations of Touchstone Strategic Trust (the “Trust”) and should be read in conjunction with the Fund’s prospectus dated August 15, 2016, as may be amended.  A copy of the prospectus and the Fund's annual and semi-annual reports (once available) may be obtained without charge by writing to the Trust at P.O. Box 9878, Providence, Rhode Island 02940, by calling 1.800.543.0407, or by downloading a copy at TouchstoneInvestments.com.







 

 

 
TABLE OF CONTENTS
 
PAGE
THE TRUST
 

PERMITTED INVESTMENTS AND RISK FACTORS
 
3

INVESTMENT LIMITATIONS
 
11

TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS
 
12

THE INVESTMENT ADVISOR
 
20

THE SUB-ADVISOR AND PORTFOLIO MANAGER
 
21

THE ADMINISTRATOR
 
23

TOUCHSTONE SECURITIES
 
23

DISTRIBUTION PLANS AND SHAREHOLDER SERVICE ARRANGEMENTS
 
24

BROKERAGE TRANSACTIONS
 
26

PROXY VOTING
 
26

CODE OF ETHICS
 
27

PORTFOLIO TURNOVER
 
27

DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS
 
27

DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE
 
28

DESCRIPTION OF SHARES
 
29

CHOOSING A CLASS OF SHARES
 
30

OTHER PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION INFORMATION
 
32

TAXES
 
34

CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL SECURITY HOLDERS
 
40

CUSTODIAN
 
40

LEGAL COUNSEL
 
41

INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
 
41

TRANSFER AND SUB-ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
 
41

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
 
41

APPENDIX A-PROXY VOTING POLICIES
 
42



2



THE TRUST
 
Touchstone Strategic Trust (the “Trust”), an open-end management investment company, was organized as a Massachusetts business trust on November 18, 1982.  The Touchstone Large Company Growth Fund (the “Fund”) is a series of the Trust and a non-diversified open-end management investment company.

Touchstone Advisors, Inc. (the “Advisor”) is the investment advisor and administrator for the Fund.  The Advisor has selected a sub-advisor to manage, on a daily basis, the assets of the Fund.  The Advisor has sub-contracted certain administrative and accounting services to BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) Inc. (“BNY Mellon” or the “Sub-Administrator”). Touchstone Securities, Inc. (“Touchstone Securities”) is the principal distributor of the Fund’s shares.  Touchstone Securities is an affiliate of the Advisor.

The Fund offers four separate classes of shares: Class A, Class C, Class Y, and Institutional Class. The shares of the Fund represent an interest in the same assets of the Fund.

The shares have the same rights and are identical in all material respects except that (i) each class of shares may bear different (or no) distribution fees; (ii) each class of shares may be subject to different (or no) sales charges; (iii) certain other class specific expenses will be borne solely by the class to which such expenses are attributable, including transfer agent fees attributable to a specific class of shares, printing and postage expenses related to preparing and distributing materials to current shareholders of a specific class, registration fees incurred by a specific class of shares, the expenses of administrative personnel and services required to support the shareholders of a specific class, litigation or other legal expenses relating to a class of shares, Trustees’ fees or expenses incurred as a result of issues relating to a specific class of shares and accounting fees and expenses relating to a specific class of shares; (iv) each class has exclusive voting rights with respect to matters relating to its own distribution arrangements; and (v) certain classes offer different features and services to shareholders and may have different investment minimums.  The Trust’s Board of Trustees (the “Board”) may classify and reclassify the shares of the Fund into additional classes of shares at a future date.

Under Massachusetts law, under certain circumstances, shareholders of a Massachusetts business trust could be deemed to have the same type of personal liability for the obligations of the Trust as does a partner of a partnership.  However, numerous investment companies registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”) have been formed as Massachusetts business trusts and the Trust is not aware of an instance where such a result has occurred.  In addition, the Trust's Declaration of Trust disclaims shareholder liability for acts or obligations of the Trust and provides for the indemnification out of the Trust property for all losses and expenses of any shareholder held personally liable for the obligations of the Trust.  Moreover, it provides that the Trust will, upon request, assume the defense of any claim made against any shareholder for any act or obligation of the Trust and satisfy any judgment thereon.  As a result, and particularly because the Trust assets are readily marketable and ordinarily substantially exceed liabilities, management believes that the risk of shareholder liability is slight and limited to circumstances in which the Trust itself would be unable to meet its obligations.  Management believes that, in view of the above, the risk of personal liability is remote.

History of the Fund

Before the Fund commenced operations, the assets of the DSM Large Cap Growth Fund (the "Predecessor Fund") were acquired by the Fund in a tax-free reorganization as set forth in an agreement and plan of reorganization (the “Reorganization”) between the Trust, on behalf of the Fund, and Professionally Managed Portfolios, on behalf of the Predecessor Fund.  The Reorganization occurred on August 15, 2016. As a result of the Reorganization, the performance and accounting history of the Predecessor Fund were assumed by the Fund.  Financial and performance information included herein is that of the Predecessor Fund.
 
PERMITTED INVESTMENTS AND RISK FACTORS
 
The Fund’s principal investment strategies and principal risks are described in its prospectus.  The following supplements the information contained in the prospectus concerning the Fund’s principal investment strategies and principal risks.  In addition, although not principal strategies of the Fund, the Fund may invest in other types of securities and engage in other investment practices as described in the prospectus or in this SAI.  Unless otherwise indicated, the Fund is permitted to invest in each of the investments listed below, or engage in each of the investment techniques listed below consistent with the Fund’s investment goals, policies and strategies.  The investment limitations below are considered to be non-fundamental policies that may be changed at any time by a vote of the Board, unless designated as a “fundamental” policy.  In addition, any stated percentage limitations are measured at the time of a security’s purchase.
 
ADRs, ADSs, GDRs, EDRs and CDRs. The Fund may invest in American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) and other similar instruments. ADRs and American Depositary Shares (“ADSs”) are U.S. dollar-denominated receipts typically issued by domestic banks or trust companies that represent the deposit with those entities of securities of a foreign issuer.  They are publicly traded on exchanges or over-the-counter in the United States.  European Depositary Receipts (“EDRs”), which are sometimes referred to as Continental Depositary Receipts (“CDRs”), and Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”) may also be purchased by the Fund. EDRs, CDRs and GDRs are generally issued by foreign banks and evidence ownership of either foreign or domestic securities.  Certain institutions issuing ADRs, ADSs, GDRs or EDRs may not be sponsored by the issuer of the underlying foreign securities.  A non-sponsored depositary may not provide the same shareholder information that a sponsored depositary is required to provide under its contractual arrangements with the issuer of the underlying foreign securities.  Holders of an unsponsored depositary receipt generally bear all the costs of the unsponsored facility.  The depositary of an unsponsored facility frequently is under no obligation to distribute shareholder communications received from the issuer of the deposited security or to pass through to the holders of the receipts voting rights with respect to the deposited securities.
 
Borrowing. The Fund may engage in limited borrowing. Borrowing may exaggerate changes in the net asset value ("NAV") of the Fund's shares and in the return of the Fund's portfolio.  Although the principal of any borrowing will be a fixed amount, the Fund’s assets may change in value during the time the borrowing is outstanding.  The Fund may be required to liquidate portfolio securities at a time when it would be disadvantageous to do so in order to make payments with respect to any borrowing.  The Fund may be required to earmark or segregate liquid assets in an amount sufficient to meet its obligations in connection with such borrowings.  The Fund has adopted fundamental limitations and non-fundamental limitations which restrict the Fund’s borrowing. See the section entitled “Investment Limitations” below.
 
Common Stocks. The Fund may invest in common stocks. Common stocks are securities that represent units of ownership in a company.  Common stocks usually carry voting rights and earn dividends.  Unlike preferred stocks, which are described below, dividends on common stocks are not fixed but are declared at the discretion of the board of directors of the issuing company.
 
Cyber Security Risk.  The Fund and its service providers may be subject to operational and information security risks resulting from cyber security breaches. Cyber security breaches may result from deliberate cyber attacks, although unintentional events may have effects similar to those caused by cyber attacks. Cyber attacks may include the stealing or corrupting of data maintained online or digitally, denial-of-service attacks on Fund websites, the unauthorized release of confidential information or other operational disruption. Successful cyber attacks against, or security breaches of, the Fund or the Advisor, the sub-advisor, Touchstone Securities, custodians, the transfer agent, selling agents and/or other third party service providers may adversely impact the Fund or its shareholders.  Similar types of cyber security risks are also present for issuers of securities or other instruments in which the Fund invests, which could result in material adverse consequences for such issuers, and may cause the Fund’s investment therein to lose value.
 
Equity-Linked Notes. The Fund may purchase equity-linked notes (“ELNs”). The principal or coupon payment on an ELN is linked to the performance of an underlying security or index. ELNs may be used, among other things, to provide the Fund with exposure to international markets while providing a mechanism to reduce foreign tax or regulatory restrictions imposed on foreign investors. The risks associated with purchasing ELNs include the creditworthiness of the issuer and the risk of counterparty default. Further, the Fund’s ability to dispose of an ELN will depend on the availability of liquid markets in the instruments. The purchase and sale of an ELN is also subject to the risks regarding adverse market movements, possible intervention by governmental authorities, and the effects of other political and economic events.
Equity-Linked Warrants. The Fund may purchase equity-linked warrants. Equity-linked warrants provide a way for investors to access markets where entry is difficult and time consuming due to regulation. Typically, a broker issues warrants to an investor and then purchases shares in the local market and issues a call warrant hedged on the underlying holding. If the investor exercises his call and closes his position, the shares are sold and the warrant is redeemed with the proceeds.
Each warrant represents one share of the underlying stock. Therefore, the price, performance and liquidity of the warrant are all directly linked to the underlying stock. The warrants can be redeemed for 100% of the value of the underlying stock (less transaction costs). Being American style warrants, they can be exercised at any time. The warrants are U.S. dollar denominated and priced daily on several international stock exchanges.
Exchange Traded Funds (“ETFs”). The Fund may invest in ETFs. An ETF is a fund that holds a portfolio of common stocks designed to track the performance of a particular securities index or sector of an index, such as the S&P 500® Index, or a portfolio of bonds that may be designed to track a bond index. Because they may be traded like stocks on a securities exchange (e.g., the New York Stock Exchange), ETFs may be purchased and sold throughout the trading day based on their market price.

3



Each share of an ETF represents an undivided ownership interest in the portfolio held by an ETF. ETFs that track indices or sectors of indices hold either:
 
shares of all of the companies (or, for a fixed-income ETF, bonds) that are represented by a particular index in the same proportion that is represented in the index itself; or
shares of a sampling of the companies (or, for a fixed-income ETF, bonds) that are represented by a particular index in a proportion meant to track the performance of the entire index.
 
ETFs are generally registered as investment companies and issue large blocks of shares (typically 50,000) called “creation units” in exchange for a specified portfolio of the ETF’s underlying securities, plus a cash payment generally equal to accumulated dividends of the securities (net of expenses) up to the time of deposit. Creation units are redeemed in kind for a portfolio of the underlying securities (based on the ETF’s NAV), together with a cash payment generally equal to accumulated dividends as of the date of redemption. As investment companies, ETFs incur fees and expenses such as advisory fees, trustee fees, operating expenses, licensing fees, registration fees, and marketing expenses, each of which will be reflected in the NAV of ETFs. Accordingly, ETF shareholders (including the Fund) pay their proportionate share of these expenses.
 
Foreign Securities. The Fund may invest in securities of foreign issuers and in sponsored and unsponsored ADRs and other depositary receipts. Investments in the securities of foreign issuers may subject the Fund to investment risks that differ in
some respects from those related to investments in securities of U.S. issuers. Such risks include future adverse political and economic developments, possible imposition of withholding taxes on income, possible seizure, nationalization or expropriation of foreign deposits, possible establishment of exchange controls or taxation at the source or greater fluctuation in value due to changes in exchange rates. Foreign issuers of securities often engage in business practices different from those of domestic issuers of similar securities, and there may be less information publicly available about foreign issuers. In addition, foreign issuers are, generally speaking, subject to less government supervision and regulation than are those in the United States. Investments in securities of foreign issuers are frequently denominated in foreign currencies and the value of the Fund’s assets measured in U.S. dollars may be affected favorably or unfavorably by changes in currency rates and in exchange control regulations, and the Fund may incur costs in connection with conversions between various currencies.
 
Foreign Market Risk. The Fund is subject to the risk that, because there are generally fewer investors on foreign exchanges and a smaller number of shares traded each day, it may be difficult for the Fund to buy and sell securities on those exchanges.  In addition, prices of foreign securities may fluctuate more than prices of securities traded in the United States.  Investments in foreign markets may also be adversely affected by governmental actions such as the imposition of punitive taxes.  In addition, the governments of certain countries may prohibit or impose substantial restrictions on foreign investing in their capital markets or in certain industries.  Any of these actions could severely affect security prices, impair the Fund’s ability to purchase or sell foreign securities or transfer the Fund’s assets or income back into the United States or otherwise adversely affect the Fund’s operations.  Other potential foreign market risks include exchange controls, difficulties in pricing securities, defaults on foreign government securities, difficulties in enforcing favorable legal judgments in foreign courts and political and social conditions, such as diplomatic relations, confiscatory taxation, expropriation, limitation on the removal of funds or assets or imposition of (or change in) exchange control regulations.  Legal remedies available to investors in certain foreign countries may be less extensive than those available to investors in the United States.  In addition, changes in government administrations or economic or monetary policies in the United States or abroad could result in appreciation or depreciation of portfolio securities and could favorably or adversely affect the Fund’s operations.
 
Public Availability of Information.  In general, less information is publicly available with respect to foreign issuers than is available with respect to U.S. companies.  Most foreign companies are also not subject to the uniform accounting and financial reporting requirements applicable to issuers in the United States.  While the volume of transactions effected on foreign stock exchanges has increased in recent years, it remains appreciably below that of the New York Stock Exchange. Accordingly, the Fund’s foreign investments may be less liquid and their prices may be more volatile than comparable investments in securities in U.S. companies.  In addition, there is generally less government supervision and regulation of securities exchanges, brokers and issuers in foreign countries than in the United States.
 
Settlement Risk. Settlement and clearance procedures in certain foreign markets differ significantly from those in the United States.  Foreign settlement procedures and trade regulations also may involve certain risks (such as delays in payment for or delivery of securities) not typically generated by the settlement of U.S. investments.  Communications between the United States and certain non-U.S. countries may be unreliable, increasing the risk of delayed settlements or losses of security certificates in markets that still rely on physical settlement. Settlements in certain foreign countries at times have not kept pace with the number of securities transactions; these problems may make it difficult for the Fund to carry out transactions.  If the Fund cannot settle or is delayed in settling a purchase of securities, it may miss attractive investment opportunities and certain of its assets may be uninvested with no return earned thereon for some period.  If the Fund cannot settle or is delayed in settling

4



a sale of securities, it may lose money if the value of the security then declines or, if it has contracted to sell the security to another party, the Fund could be liable to that party for any losses incurred. Dividends or interest on, or proceeds from the sale of, foreign securities may be subject to foreign taxes on income from sources in such countries.
 
Governmental Supervision and Regulation/Accounting Standards. Many foreign governments supervise and regulate stock exchanges, brokers and the sale of securities less than the United States does. Some countries may not have laws to protect investors comparable to the U.S. securities laws.  For example, some foreign countries may have no laws or rules against insider trading.  Insider trading occurs when a person buys or sells a company’s securities based on nonpublic information about that company.  In addition, the U.S. government has from time to time in the past imposed restrictions, through penalties and otherwise, on foreign investments by U.S. investors such as the Fund.  Accounting standards in other countries are not necessarily the same as in the United States.  If the accounting standards in another country do not require as much detail as U.S. accounting standards, it may be harder for the Fund to completely and accurately determine a company’s financial condition.  Also, brokerage commissions and other costs of buying or selling securities often are higher in foreign countries than they are in the United States.  This reduces the amount the Fund can earn on its investments.
 
Foreign Currency Risk. While the Fund’s net assets are valued in U.S. dollars, the securities of foreign companies are frequently denominated in foreign currencies. Thus, a change in the value of a foreign currency against the U.S. dollar will result in a corresponding change in value of securities denominated in that currency. Some of the factors that may impair the investments denominated in a foreign currency are: (1) it may be expensive to convert foreign currencies into U.S. dollars and vice versa; (2) complex political and economic factors may significantly affect the values of various currencies, including U.S. dollars, and their exchange rates; (3) government intervention may increase risks involved in purchasing or selling foreign currency options, forward contracts and futures contracts, since exchange rates may not be free to fluctuate in response to other market forces; (4) there may be no systematic reporting of last sale information for foreign currencies or regulatory requirement that quotations available through dealers or other market sources be firm or revised on a timely basis; (5) available quotation information is generally representative of very large round-lot transactions in the inter-bank market and thus may not reflect exchange rates for smaller odd-lot transactions (less than $1 million) where rates may be less favorable; and (6) the inter-bank market in foreign currencies is a global, around-the-clock market. To the extent that a market is closed while the markets for the underlying currencies remain open, certain markets may not always reflect significant price and rate movements.
 
Emerging Market Securities. Emerging market countries are generally countries that are included in the Morgan Stanley Capital International (“MSCI”) Emerging Markets Index, or otherwise excluded from the MSCI World Index. As of May 31, 2016, the countries in the MSCI Emerging Markets Index included: Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Egypt, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Russia, Qatar, South Africa, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey and United Arab Emirates. The country composition of the MSCI Emerging Markets Index and the MSCI World Index can change over time.  
 
Investments in the securities of issuers domiciled in countries with emerging capital markets involve certain additional risks that do not generally apply to investments in securities of issuers in more developed capital markets, such as (i) low or non-existent trading volume, resulting in a lack of liquidity and increased volatility in prices for such securities, as compared to securities of comparable issuers in more developed capital markets; (ii) uncertain national policies and social, political and economic instability, increasing the potential for expropriation of assets, confiscatory taxation, high rates of inflation or unfavorable diplomatic developments; (iii) possible fluctuations in exchange rates, differing legal systems and the existence or possible imposition of exchange controls, custodial restrictions or other foreign or U.S. governmental laws or restrictions applicable to such investments; (iv) national policies that may limit a Fund’s investment opportunities such as restrictions on investment in issuers or industries deemed sensitive to national interests; and (v) the lack or relatively early development of legal structures governing private and foreign investments and private property. In addition to withholding taxes on investment income, some countries with emerging markets may impose differential capital gains taxes on foreign investors.
 
Political and economic structures in emerging market countries may be undergoing significant evolution and rapid development, and these countries may lack the social, political and economic stability characteristic of more developed countries. In such a dynamic environment, there can be no assurance that any or all of these capital markets will continue to present viable investment opportunities for the Fund. Some of these countries may have in the past failed to recognize private property rights and have at times nationalized or expropriated the assets of private companies. There is no assurance that such expropriations will not reoccur. In such an event, it is possible that the Fund could lose the entire value of its investments in the affected market. As a result, the risks described above, including the risks of nationalization or expropriation of assets, may be heightened. In addition, unanticipated political or social developments may affect the value of investments in these countries and the availability to the Fund of additional investments. The small size and inexperience of the securities markets in certain of these countries and the limited volume of trading in securities in these countries may make investments in the countries illiquid and more volatile than investments in Japan or most Western European countries.

5



 
Also, there may be less publicly available information about issuers in emerging markets than would be available about issuers in more developed capital markets, and such issuers may not be subject to accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and requirements comparable to those to which U.S. companies are subject. In certain countries with emerging capital markets, reporting standards vary widely. As a result, traditional investment measurements used in the United States, such as price/earnings ratios, may not be applicable. Emerging market securities may be substantially less liquid and more volatile than those of mature markets, and company shares may be held by a limited number of persons. This may adversely affect the timing and pricing of the Fund’s acquisition or disposal of securities.
 
Practices in relation to settlement of securities transactions in emerging markets involve higher risks than those in developed markets, in part because the Fund will need to use brokers and counterparties that are less well capitalized, and custody and registration of assets in some countries may be unreliable. The possibility of fraud, negligence, undue influence being exerted by the issuer or refusal to recognize ownership exists in some emerging markets, and, along with other factors, could result in ownership registration being completely lost. The Fund would absorb any loss resulting from such registration problems and may have no successful claim for compensation.
 
Some emerging countries currently prohibit direct foreign investment in the securities of their companies. Certain emerging countries, however, permit indirect foreign investment in the securities of companies listed and traded on their stock exchanges through investment funds that they have specifically authorized. Investments in these investment funds are subject to the provisions of the 1940 Act. If the Fund invests in such investment funds, shareholders will bear not only their proportionate share of the expenses of the Fund (including operating expenses and the fees of the adviser), but also will indirectly bear similar expenses of the underlying investment funds. In addition, these investment funds may trade at a premium over their net asset value.
 
Participatory notes (commonly known as P-notes) are offshore derivative instruments issued to foreign institutional investors and their sub-accounts against underlying Indian securities listed on the Indian stock market. These securities are not registered with the Securities and Exchange Board of India. Participatory notes are similar to ADRs and the risks of investing in participatory notes are similar to those discussed above with respect to securities of foreign issuers in general.
Illiquid Securities. Subject to the limitations in the 1940 Act or the rules and SEC staff interpretations thereunder, the Fund may invest in illiquid securities. Current SEC guidance provides that an open-end investment company such as the Fund should limit its investments in illiquid securities to no more than 15% of net assets. Illiquid securities are securities that cannot be disposed of within seven business days at approximately the price at which they are being carried on the Fund’s books.
 
Illiquid securities include demand instruments with demand notice periods exceeding seven days, securities for which there is no active secondary market, and repurchase agreements with maturities of over seven days in length. The Fund may invest in securities that are neither listed on a stock exchange nor traded over-the-counter, including privately placed securities.  Investing in such unlisted equity securities, including investments in new and early stage companies, may involve a high degree of business and financial risk that can result in substantial losses.  As a result of the absence of a public trading market for these securities, they may be less liquid than publicly traded securities.  Because these types of securities are thinly traded, if at all, and market prices for these types of securities are generally not readily available, the Fund typically determines the price for these types of securities in good faith in accordance with policies and procedures adopted by the Board.  Although these securities may be resold in privately negotiated transactions, the prices realized from these sales could
be less than those originally paid by the Fund, or less than what may be considered the fair value of such securities.  Further, companies whose securities are not publicly traded may not be subject to the disclosure and other investor protection requirements which might be applicable if their securities were publicly traded. If such securities are required to be registered under the securities laws of one or more jurisdictions before being resold, the Fund may be required to bear the expenses of registration.
 
In addition, the Fund believes that carefully selected investments in joint ventures, cooperatives, partnerships, private placements, unlisted securities and other similar situations (collectively, “special situations”) could enhance its capital appreciation potential.  To the extent these investments are deemed illiquid, the Fund’s investment in them will be consistent with its restriction on investment in illiquid securities.  Investments in special situations and certain other instruments may be liquid, as determined by the Fund’s Advisor or sub-advisor based on criteria approved by the Board.

Interests in Publicly Traded Limited Partnerships. The Fund may invest in interests in publicly traded limited partnerships. Interests in publicly traded limited partnerships represent equity interests in the assets and earnings of the partnership’s trade or business.  Unlike common stock in a corporation, limited partnership interests have limited or no voting rights.  However, many of the risks of investing in common stocks are still applicable to investments in limited partnership interests.  In addition,

6



limited partnership interests are subject to risks not present in common stock.  For example, interest income generated from limited partnerships deemed not to be “publicly traded” may not be considered “qualifying income” under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), and may trigger adverse tax consequences (please refer to the “Taxes” section of this SAI for a discussion of relevant tax risks).  Also, since publicly traded limited partnerships are a less common form of organizational structure than corporations, the limited partnership units may be less liquid than publicly traded common stock.  Also, because of the difference in organizational structure, the fair value of limited partnership units in the Fund’s portfolio may be based either upon the current market price of such units, or if there is no current market price, upon the pro rata value of the underlying assets of the partnership.  Limited partnership units also have the risk that the limited partnership might, under certain circumstances, be treated as a general partnership giving rise to broader liability exposure to the limited partners for activities of the partnership.  Further, the general partners of a limited partnership may be able to significantly change the business or asset structure of a limited partnership without the limited partners having any ability to disapprove any such changes.  In certain limited partnerships, limited partners may also be required to return distributions previously made in the event that excess distributions have been made by the partnership, or in the event that the general partners, or their affiliates, are entitled to indemnification.
 
Investment Company Shares. The Fund may purchase investment company shares. Investment companies include open- and closed-end funds, exchange-traded funds, and any other pooled investment vehicle that meets the definition of an investment company under the 1940 Act, whether such companies are required to register under the 1940 Act or not. These investment companies typically incur fees that are separate from those fees incurred directly by the Fund. The Fund’s purchase of such investment company securities results in the layering of expenses, such that shareholders would indirectly bear a proportionate share of the operating expenses of such investment companies, including advisory fees, in addition to paying Fund expenses. Investments in registered investment company shares are subject to limitations prescribed by the 1940 Act and its rules, and applicable SEC staff interpretations or applicable exemptive relief granted by the SEC. The 1940 Act currently provides, in part, that the Fund generally may not purchase shares of a registered investment company if (a) such a purchase would cause the Fund to own in the aggregate more than 3% of the total outstanding voting stock of the investment company or (b) such a purchase would cause the Fund to have more than 5% of its total assets invested in the investment company or (c) more than 10% of the Fund’s total assets would be invested in the aggregate in all investment companies.
 
See also “Investment Limitations” and “Permitted Investments and Risk Factors—Exchange Traded Funds.”
 
Money Market Instruments. The Fund may invest in money market instruments. Money market securities are high-quality, dollar-denominated, short-term debt instruments.  They include: (i) bankers’ acceptances, certificates of deposits, notes, and time deposits of highly-rated U.S. banks and U.S. branches of foreign banks; (ii) U.S. Treasury obligations and obligations issued or guaranteed by the agencies and instrumentalities of the U.S. government; (iii) high-quality commercial paper issued by U.S. and foreign corporations; (iv) debt obligations with a maturity of one year or less issued by corporations with outstanding high-quality commercial paper ratings; and (v) repurchase agreements involving any of the foregoing obligations entered into with highly-rated banks and broker-dealers.
 
Ordinary Shares. The Fund may invest in ordinary shares. Ordinary shares are shares of foreign issuers that are traded abroad and on a United States exchange.  Ordinary shares may be purchased with and sold for U.S. dollars.  Investing in foreign companies may involve risks not typically associated with investing in United States companies.  See “Foreign Securities.”
 
Over-The-Counter Stocks. The Fund may invest in over-the-counter stocks.  In contrast to the securities exchanges, the over-the-counter market is not a centralized facility that limits trading activity to securities of companies which initially satisfy certain defined standards.  Generally, the volume of trading in an unlisted or over-the-counter common stock is less than the volume of trading in a listed stock.  This means that the depth of market liquidity of some stocks in which the Fund invests may not be as great as that of other securities and, if the Fund were to dispose of such a stock, they might have to offer the shares at a discount from recent prices, or sell the shares in small lots over an extended period of time.
 
Repurchase Agreements. Repurchase agreements are transactions by which the Fund purchases a security and simultaneously commits to resell that security to the seller at an agreed upon time and price, thereby determining the yield during the term of the agreement.  In the event of a bankruptcy or other default of the seller of a repurchase agreement, the Fund could experience both delays in liquidating the underlying security and losses.  To minimize these possibilities, each Fund intends to enter into repurchase agreements only with its custodian, with banks having assets in excess of $10 billion and with broker-dealers who are recognized as primary dealers in U.S. government obligations by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.  Collateral for repurchase agreements is held in safekeeping in the customer-only account of the Fund’s custodian at the Federal Reserve Bank.  The Fund will not enter into a repurchase agreement not terminable within seven days if, as a result thereof, more than 15% of the value of its net assets would be invested in such securities and other illiquid securities.

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Although the securities subject to a repurchase agreement might bear maturities exceeding one year, settlement for the repurchase would never be more than one year after the Fund’s acquisition of the securities and normally would be within a shorter period of time.  The resale price will be in excess of the purchase price, reflecting an agreed upon market rate effective for the period of time the Fund’s money will be invested in the securities, and will not be related to the coupon rate of the purchased security. At the time the Fund enters into a repurchase agreement, the value of the underlying security, including accrued interest, will equal or exceed the value of the repurchase agreement, and in the case of a repurchase agreement exceeding one day, the seller will agree that the value of the underlying security, including accrued interest, will at all times equal or exceed the value of the repurchase agreement.  The collateral securing the seller’s obligation must consist of cash or securities that are issued or guaranteed by the United States government or its agencies. The collateral will be held by the custodian or in the Federal Reserve Book Entry System.

For purposes of the 1940 Act, a repurchase agreement is deemed to be a loan from the Fund to the seller subject to the repurchase agreement and is therefore subject to the Fund’s investment restriction applicable to loans.  It is not clear whether a court would consider the securities purchased by the Fund subject to a repurchase agreement as being owned by the Fund or as being collateral for a loan by the Fund to the seller.  In the event of the commencement of bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings with respect to the seller of the securities before repurchase of the security under a repurchase agreement, the Fund may encounter delays and incur costs before being able to sell the security.  Delays may involve loss of interest or decline in price of the security.  If a court characterized the transaction as a loan and the Fund has not perfected a security interest in the security, that Fund may be required to return the security to the seller’s estate and be treated as an unsecured creditor of the seller.  As an unsecured creditor, the Fund would be at risk of losing some or all of the principal and income involved in the transaction.  As with any unsecured debt obligation purchased for the Fund, the sub-advisor seeks to minimize the risk of loss through repurchase agreements by analyzing the creditworthiness of the obligor, in this case, the seller.  Apart from the risk of bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings, there is also the risk that the seller may fail to repurchase the security, in which case the Fund may incur a loss if the proceeds to that Fund of the sale of the security to a third party are less than the repurchase price.  However, if the market value of the securities subject to the repurchase agreement becomes less than the repurchase price (including interest), the Fund involved will direct the seller of the security to deliver additional securities so that the market value of all securities subject to the repurchase agreement will equal or exceed the repurchase price.  It is possible that the Fund will be unsuccessful in seeking to enforce the seller’s contractual obligation to deliver additional securities.

Reverse Repurchase Agreement, Dollar Roll, and Reverse Dollar Roll Transactions. A reverse repurchase agreement involves a sale by the Fund of securities that it holds to a bank, broker-dealer or other financial institution concurrently with an agreement by the Fund to repurchase the same securities at an agreed-upon price and date.  Reverse repurchase agreements are considered borrowing by the Fund and are subject to the Fund’s limitations on borrowing.  A dollar roll transaction involves a sale by the Fund of an eligible security to a financial institution concurrently with an agreement by the Fund to repurchase a similar eligible security from the institution at a later date at an agreed-upon price.  A reverse dollar roll transaction involves a purchase by the Fund of an eligible security from a financial institution concurrently with an agreement by the Fund to resell a similar security to the institution at a later date at an agreed-upon price.  Each Fund will fully collateralize its reverse repurchase agreements, dollar roll and reverse dollar roll transactions in an amount at least equal to the Fund’s obligations under the reverse repurchase agreement, dollar roll or reverse dollar roll transaction by segregating cash or other liquid securities, earmarking cash or other liquid securities, or otherwise “cover” its position in a manner consistent with the 1940 Act or the rules and SEC interpretations.

Rule 144A Securities. The Fund may invest in Rule 144A securities. Rule 144A securities are securities exempt from registration on resale pursuant to Rule 144A under the 1933 Act.  Rule 144A securities are traded in the institutional market pursuant to this registration exemption, and, as a result, may not be as liquid as exchange-traded securities since they may only be resold to certain qualified institutional investors.  Due to the relatively limited size of this institutional market, these securities may affect the liquidity of Rule 144A securities to the extent that qualified institutional buyers become, for a time, uninterested in purchasing such securities.  Nevertheless, Rule 144A securities may be treated as liquid securities pursuant to guidelines adopted by the Board.
 
Sector Focus. If the Fund’s portfolio is overweighted in a certain sectors or related sectors, any negative development affecting that sector will have a greater impact on the Fund than a fund that is not overweighted in that sector.
Consumer Discretionary Sector Risk. Because companies in the consumer discretionary sector manufacture products and provide discretionary services directly to the consumer, the success of these companies is tied closely to the performance of the overall domestic and international economy, interest rates, competition and consumer confidence. Success depends heavily on disposable household income and consumer spending. Changes in demographics and consumer tastes also can affect the demand for, and success of, consumer discretionary products in the marketplace.

8



Consumer Staples Sector Risk. The consumer staples sector may be affected by the permissibility of using various food additives and production methods, fads, marketing campaigns and other factors affecting consumer demand. In particular, tobacco companies may be adversely affected by new laws, regulations and litigation. The consumer staples sector may also be adversely affected by changes or trends in commodity prices, which may be influenced or characterized by unpredictable factors.
Energy Sector Risk. The profitability of companies in the energy sector is related to worldwide energy prices, exploration, and production spending. Such companies also are subject to risks of changes in exchange rates, government regulation, world events, depletion of resources and economic conditions, as well as market, economic and political risks of the countries where energy companies are located or do business. Oil and gas exploration and production can be significantly affected by natural disasters. Oil exploration and production companies may be adversely affected by changes in exchange rates, interest rates, government regulation, world events, and economic conditions. Oil exploration and production companies may be at risk for environmental damage claims.
Financial Sector Risk. The financial services industries are subject to extensive government regulation, can be subject to relatively rapid change due to increasingly blurred distinctions between service segments, and can be significantly affected by availability and cost of capital funds, changes in interest rates, the rate of corporate and consumer debt defaults, and price competition. Numerous financial services companies have experienced substantial declines in the valuations of their assets, taken action to raise capital (such as the issuance of debt or equity securities), or even ceased operations. These actions have caused the securities of many financial services companies to experience a dramatic decline in value. Issuers that have exposure to the real estate, mortgage and credit markets have been particularly affected by the foregoing events and the general market turmoil, and it is uncertain whether or for how long these conditions will continue.
Health Care Sector Risk. The profitability of companies in the healthcare sector may be affected by extensive government regulation, restrictions on government reimbursement for medical expenses, rising costs of medical products and services, pricing pressure, an increased emphasis on outpatient services, limited number of products, industry innovation, changes in technologies and other market developments. Many healthcare companies are heavily dependent on patent protection. The expiration of patents may adversely affect the profitability of these companies. Many healthcare companies are subject to extensive litigation based on product liability and similar claims. Healthcare companies are subject to competitive forces that may make it difficult to raise prices and, in fact, may result in price discounting. Many new products in the healthcare sector may be subject to regulatory approvals. The process of obtaining such approvals may be long and costly. Industrials Sector Risk. The stock prices of companies in the industrials sector are affected by supply and demand both for their specific product or service and for industrials sector products in general. The products of manufacturing companies may face product obsolescence due to rapid technological developments and frequent new product introduction. Government regulation, world events and economic conditions may affect the performance of companies in the industrials sector. Companies in the industrials sector may be at risk for environmental damage and product liability claims.
Materials Sector Risk. Companies in the materials sector could be adversely affected by commodity price volatility, exchange rates, import controls and increased competition. Production of industrial materials often exceeds demand as a result of overbuilding or economic downturns, leading to poor investment returns. Companies in the materials sector are at risk for environmental damage and product liability claims. Companies in the materials sector may be adversely affected by depletion of resources, technical progress, labor relations, and government regulations.
Technology Sector Risk. Information technology companies face intense competition, both domestically and internationally, which may have an adverse effect on profit margins. Like other technology companies, information technology companies may have limited product lines, markets, financial resources or personnel. The products of information technology companies may face product obsolescence due to rapid technological developments and frequent new product introduction, unpredictable changes in growth rates and competition for the services of qualified personnel. Technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology, especially those of smaller, less-seasoned companies, tend to be more volatile than the overall market. Companies in the information technology sector are heavily dependent on patent and intellectual property rights. The loss or impairment of these rights may adversely affect the profitability of these companies. Finally, while all companies may be susceptible to network security breaches, certain companies in the information technology sector may be particular targets of hacking and potential theft of proprietary or consumer information or disruptions in service, which could have a material adverse effect on their businesses. These risks are heightened for information technology companies in foreign markets.
Telecommunications Services Sector Risk. The telecommunications sector is 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 regulatory requirements may negatively affect the business of telecommunications companies. Government actions around the world, specifically in the area of pre-marketing clearance of products and prices, can be arbitrary and unpredictable.

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The domestic telecommunications market is characterized by increasing competition and regulation by various state and federal regulatory authorities. Companies in the telecommunications sector may encounter distressed cash flows due to the need to commit substantial capital to meet increasing competition, particularly in formulating new products and services using new technology. Technological innovations may make the products and services of certain telecommunications companies obsolete.

Securities Lending. In order to generate additional income, the Fund may lend its securities pursuant to agreements requiring that the loan be continuously secured by collateral consisting of: (1) cash in U.S. dollars; (2) securities issued or fully guaranteed by the United States government or issued and unconditionally guaranteed by any agencies thereof; or (3) irrevocable performance letters of credit issued by banks approved by the Fund.  All collateral must equal at least 100% of the market value of the loaned securities.  The Fund continues to receive interest on the loaned securities while simultaneously earning interest on the investment of cash collateral.  Collateral is marked to market daily.  There may be risks of delay in recovery of the securities or even loss of rights in the collateral should the borrower of the securities fail financially or become insolvent. In addition, cash collateral invested by the Fund is subject to investment risk and the Fund may experience losses with respect to its collateral investments. The SEC currently requires that the following conditions must be met whenever the Fund’s portfolio securities are loaned:  (1) the Fund must receive at least 100% cash collateral from the borrower; (2) the borrower must increase such collateral whenever the market value of the securities rises above the level of such collateral; (3) the Fund must be able to terminate the loan at any time; (4) the Fund must receive reasonable interest on the loan, as well as any dividends, interest or other distributions on the loaned securities, and any increase in market value; (5) the Fund may pay only reasonable custodian fees approved by the Board in connection with the loan; (6) while voting rights on the loaned securities may pass to the borrower, the Board must terminate the loan and regain the right to vote the securities if a material event adversely affecting the investment occurs, and (7) the Fund may not loan its portfolio securities so that the value of the loaned securities is more than one-third of its total asset value, including collateral received from such loans. The lending of securities is considered a form of leverage that is included in a lending Fund’s investment limitation related to borrowings. See “Investment Limitations” below.
 
Senior Securities. Senior securities may include any obligation or instrument issued by the Fund evidencing indebtedness. The 1940 Act generally prohibits funds from issuing senior securities, although it does not treat certain transactions as senior securities, such as certain borrowings, short sales, reverse repurchase agreements, firm commitment agreements and standby commitments, with appropriate earmarking or segregation of assets to cover such obligation.
 
Temporary Defensive Investments. The Fund may, for temporary defensive purposes, invest up to 100% of its total assets in money market instruments (including U.S. government securities, bank obligations, commercial paper rated in the highest rating category by an NRSRO and repurchase agreements involving the foregoing securities), shares of money market investment companies (to the extent permitted by applicable law and subject to certain restrictions) and cash.
 
Warrants and Rights. The Fund may invest in warrants and rights. Warrants are instruments giving holders the right, but not the obligation, to buy equity or fixed income securities of a company at a given price during a specified period. Rights are similar to warrants but normally have a short life span to expiration.  The purchase of warrants or rights involves the risk that the Fund could lose the purchase value of a warrant or right if the right to subscribe to additional shares is not exercised prior to the warrants’ and rights’ expiration.  Also, the purchase of warrants and/or rights involves the risk that the effective price paid for the warrants and/or rights added to the subscription price of the related security may exceed the value of the subscribed security’s market price such as when there is no movement in the level of the underlying security.  Buying a warrant does not make the Fund a shareholder of the underlying stock.  The warrant holder has no voting or dividend rights with respect to the underlying stock.  A warrant does not carry any right to assets of the issuer, and for this reason investment in warrants may be more speculative than other equity-based investments.

INVESTMENT LIMITATIONS
 
Fundamental Investment Limitations. The following investment limitations are fundamental policies of the Fund which cannot be changed with respect to the Fund without the consent of the holders of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding shares.
 
The term “majority of the outstanding shares” means the vote of (i) 67% or more of the Fund’s shares present at a meeting, if more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Fund are present or represented by proxy, or (ii) more than 50% of the Fund’s outstanding shares, whichever is less.  Except for the limitations on illiquid securities and bank borrowings, if a percentage restriction on investment or use of assets set forth below is adhered to at the time a transaction is effected, later changes in percentage resulting from changing market values or other circumstances will not be considered a deviation from this policy.
 
Several of these fundamental investment limitations include the defined term “1940 Act Laws, Interpretations, and Exemptions.” This term means the 1940 Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, as such statutes, rules, and

10



regulations are amended from time to time or are interpreted from time to time by the SECs staff, all subject to any exemptive order or similar relief applicable to the Fund.
 
The following fundamental investment limitations apply to the Large Company Growth Fund:
 
1.              Borrowing Money/Senior Securities.  The Fund may not borrow money or issue senior securities, except as permitted by the 1940 Act Laws, Interpretations and Exemptions.
 
2.              Underwriting. The Fund may not underwrite the securities of other issuers. This restriction does not prevent a Fund from engaging in transactions involving the acquisition, disposition or resale of its portfolio securities, regardless of whether a Fund may be considered to be an underwriter under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
 
3.              Loans.  The Fund may not make personal loans or loans of its assets to persons who control or are under common control with the Fund, except to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act Laws, Interpretations and Exemptions. This restriction does not prevent a Fund from, among other things, purchasing debt obligations, entering repurchase agreements, lending portfolio securities or investing in loans, including assignments and participation interests.
 
4.              Real Estate.  The Fund may not purchase or sell real estate unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments. This restriction does not prevent a Fund from investing in issuers that invest, deal or otherwise engage in transactions in real estate or interests therein, or investing in securities that are secured by real estate or interests therein.
 
5.              Commodities.  The Fund may not purchase or sell physical commodities unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments. This restriction does not prevent a Fund from engaging in transactions involving futures contracts and options thereon or investing in securities that are secured by physical commodities.
 
6.              Concentration of Investments.  The Fund will not make investments that will result in the concentration (as that term may be defined or interpreted by the 1940 Act, Laws, Interpretations and Exemptions) of its investments in the securities of issuers primarily engaged in the same industry. This restriction does not limit a Fund’s investments in (i) obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities, (ii) tax-exempt obligations issued by governments or political subdivisions of governments or (iii) repurchase agreements collateralized by such obligations.

_________________________________
(1)In complying with the fundamental investment restriction regarding borrowing and issuing senior securities, the Fund may borrow money in an amount not exceeding 33 1/3% of its total assets (including the amount borrowed) less liabilities (other than borrowings).
(2)In complying with the fundamental investment restriction with regard to making loans, the Fund may not make loans if, as a result, more than 33 1/3% of its total assets would be lent to other parties, except that the Fund may: (i) purchase or hold debt instruments in accordance with its investment objective and policies; (ii) enter into repurchase agreements; and (iii) engage in securities lending as described in the herein and in the Fund's prospectus.

TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS
 
The following is a list of the Trustees and executive officers of the Trust, the length of time served, principal occupations for the past 5 years, and for the Trustees, number of funds overseen in the “Touchstone Fund Complex” and other directorships held.  All funds managed by the Advisor are part of the Touchstone Fund Complex. The Touchstone Fund Complex consists of the Trust, Touchstone Funds Group Trust, Touchstone Institutional Funds Trust, Touchstone Investment Trust, Touchstone Tax-Free Trust, and Touchstone Variable Series Trust.  The Trustees who are not interested persons of the Trust, as defined in the 1940 Act, are referred to as “Independent Trustees.”



11



 
Interested Trustee1:
 
Name
Address
Year of 
Birth
 
Position
Held 
with 
Trust
 
Term of 
Office And 
Length of 
Time Served
 
Principal 
Occupation(s) 
During Past 5 
Years
 
Number of 
Funds 
Overseen in 
the 
Touchstone 
Fund 
Complex2
 
Other
Directorships
Held During Past 5 Years3
Jill T. McGruder

Touchstone
Advisors, Inc.
303 Broadway
Suite 1100
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202

Year of Birth: 1955
 
Trustee and President
 
Until retirement at age 75 or until she resigns or is removed

Trustee since 1999
 
President and CEO of IFS Financial Services, Inc. (a holding company).
 
41
 
Director of LaRosa’s, Inc. (a restaurant chain) from 1999 to 2011; IFS Financial Services, Inc. (a holding company) from 1999 to the present; Integrity and National Integrity Life Insurance Co. from 2005 to the present; Touchstone Securities (the Trust’s distributor) from 1999 to the present; Touchstone Advisors (the Trust’s investment advisor and administrator) from 1999 to the present; and W&S Brokerage Services (a brokerage company) from 1999 to the present; W&S Financial Group Distributors (a distribution company) from 1999 to the present; Every Child Succeeds (a social services agency) from 2007 to the present; Taft Museum of Art from 2007 to the present; and YWCA of Greater Cincinnati from 2012 to the present.
 


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Independent Trustees:
 
Name
Address
Year of Birth
 
Position
Held
with
Trust
 
Term of
Office And
Length of
Time
Served
 
Principal
Occupation(s) 
During Past 5 Years
 
Number of
Funds
Overseen in
the
Touchstone
Fund
Complex2
 
Other
Directorships
Held During Past 5 Years3
Phillip R. Cox
 
c/o Touchstone
Advisors, Inc.
303 Broadway Suite 1100
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202

Year of Birth: 1947

 
Trustee
 
Until retirement at age 75 or until he resigns or is removed
 
Trustee since 1999
 
President and Chief Executive Officer of Cox Financial Corp. (a financial services company) from 1971 to the present.
 
41
 
Director of Cincinnati Bell (a communications company) from 1994 to the present; Bethesda Inc. (a hospital) from 2005 to the present; Timken Co. (a manufacturing company) from 2004 to 2014; TimkenSteel from 2014 to the present; Diebold, Inc. (a technology solutions company) from 2004 to the present; and Ohio Business Alliance for Higher Education and the Economy from 2005 to the present.

William C. Gale
 
c/o Touchstone
Advisors, Inc.
303 Broadway
Suite 1100
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
 
Year of Birth: 1952
 
Trustee
 
Until retirement at age 75 or until he resigns or is removed
 
Trustee since 2013
 
Retired; formerly Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Cintas Corporation (a business service company) from 2003 to January 2015.
 
41
 
None.


13



Name
Address
Year of Birth
 
Position
Held
with
Trust
 
Term of
Office And
Length of
Time
Served
 
Principal
Occupation(s) 
During Past 5 Years
 
Number of
Funds
Overseen in
the
Touchstone
Fund
Complex2
 
Other
Directorships
Held During Past 5 Years3
Susan J. Hickenlooper
 
c/o Touchstone Advisors, Inc.
303 Broadway
Suite 1100
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
 
Year of Birth: 1946
 
Trustee
 
Until retirement at age 75 or until she resigns or is removed
 
Trustee since 2009
 
Retired; formerly Financial Analyst for Impact 100 (Charitable Organization) from November 2012 to 2013.
 
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Trustee of Diocese of Southern Ohio from 2014 to the present; and Trustee of Episcopal Retirement Homes Foundation from 1998 to 2011 (a charitable organization).
Kevin A. Robie
 
c/o Touchstone
Advisors, Inc.
303 Broadway
Suite 1100
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
 
Year of Birth: 1956

 
Trustee
 
Until retirement at age 75 or until he resigns or is removed
 
Trustee since 2013
 
Vice President of Portfolio Management at Soin International LLC (a private multinational holding company) from 2004 to present.
 
41
 
Director of Buckeye EcoCare, Inc. (a lawn care company) from 2013 to the present; Trustee of Dayton Region New Market Fund, LLC (a private fund) from 2010 to the present; Trustee of the Entrepreneurs Center, Inc. (a small business incubator) from 2006 to the present; and Director of Interventional Imaging, Inc. (a medical device company) from 2004 to 2011.
Edward J. VonderBrink
 
c/o Touchstone
Advisors, Inc.
303 Broadway
Suite 1100
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
 
Year of Birth: 1944
 
Trustee
 
Until retirement at age 75 or until he resigns or is removed
 
Trustee since 2013
 
Consultant, VonderBrink Consulting LLC from 2000 to present.
 
41

 
Director of Streamline Health Solutions, Inc. (healthcare IT) from 2006 to the present; Mercy Health from 2013 to the present; Mercy Health Foundation (healthcare non-profit) from 2008 to the present; and Al Neyer Inc. (a construction company) from 2013 to the present.
 
1Ms. McGruder, as a director of the Advisor and Touchstone Securities, and an officer of affiliates of the Advisor and Touchstone Securities, is an “interested person” of the Trust within the meaning of Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act.
2As of August 15, 2016, the Touchstone Fund Complex consisted of 20 series of the Trust, 11 series of Touchstone Funds Group Trust, 1 series of Touchstone Institutional Funds Trust, 2 series of Touchstone Investment Trust, 1 series of Touchstone Tax-Free Trust, and 6 variable annuity series of Touchstone Variable Series Trust.
3Each Trustee is also a Trustee of Touchstone Funds Group Trust, Touchstone Institutional Funds Trust, Touchstone Investment Trust, Touchstone Tax-Free Trust, and Touchstone Variable Series Trust.


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Principal Officers:
 
Name
Address
Year of Birth
 
Position
Held with 
Trust(1)
 
Term of Office and Length of
 Time Served
 
Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years
Jill T. McGruder
 
Touchstone
Advisors, Inc.
303 Broadway
Suite 1100
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202

Year of Birth: 1955
 
President
 
Until resignation, removal or disqualification
 
President since 2006
 
See biography above.   
Steven M. Graziano
 
Touchstone
Advisors, Inc.
303 Broadway
Suite 1100
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
 
Year of Birth: 1954
 
Vice President
 
Until resignation, removal or disqualification
 
Vice President since 2009
 
President of Touchstone Advisors, Inc.
Timothy D. Paulin
 
Touchstone
Advisors, Inc.
303 Broadway
Suite 1100
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
 
Year of Birth: 1963
 
Vice President
 
Until resignation, removal or disqualification
 
Vice President since 2010
 
Senior Vice President of Investment Research and Product Management of Touchstone Advisors, Inc.
Timothy S. Stearns
 
Touchstone
Advisors, Inc.
303 Broadway
Suite 1100
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
 
Year of Birth: 1963
 
Chief
Compliance Officer
 
Until resignation, removal or disqualification
 
Chief Compliance Officer since 2013
 
Chief Compliance Officer of Touchstone Advisors, Inc.; Chief Compliance Officer of Envestnet Asset Management, Inc. (2009 to 2013).
Terrie A. Wiedenheft
 
Touchstone
Advisors, Inc.
303 Broadway
Suite 1100
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202

Year of Birth: 1962
 
Controller
and Treasurer
 
Until resignation, removal or disqualification
 
Controller and Treasurer since 2006
 
Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, and Chief Operating Officer of IFS Financial Services, Inc.
Ellen Blanchard

BNY Mellon
201Washington St, 34th Fl.
Boston, Massachusetts 02108

Year of Birth: 1973 

 
Secretary
 
Until resignation, removal or disqualification
 
Secretary since 2015
 
Director and Senior Counsel of BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) Inc.

15



 

1Each officer also holds the same office with Touchstone Funds Group Trust, Touchstone Institutional Funds Trust, Touchstone Investment Trust, Touchstone Tax-Free Trust, and Touchstone Variable Series Trust.
 
Additional Information About the Trustees. 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 Trustees possess the requisite experience, qualifications, attributes, and skills to serve on the Board. The Board believes that the Trustees’ ability to review critically, evaluate, question and discuss information provided to them; to interact effectively with the Advisor, sub-advisor(s), other service providers, counsel and independent auditors; and to exercise effective business judgment in the performance of their duties, support this conclusion. The Board has also considered the contributions that each Trustee can make to the Board and the Fund.
 
In addition, the following specific experience, qualifications, attributes and skills apply as to each Trustee: Ms. McGruder has experience as a chief executive officer of a financial services company and director of various other businesses, as well as executive and leadership roles within the Advisor; Mr. Cox has experience as a chief executive officer of a financial services company and as a director of companies from varied industries; Mr. Gale has experience as a chief financial officer, an internal auditor of various global companies, and has accounting experience as a manager at a major accounting firm; Ms. Hickenlooper has executive and board experience at various businesses, foundations and charitable organizations; Mr. Robie has portfolio management experience at a private multinational holding company; and Mr. VonderBrink has experience as a consultant and director of other corporations. In its periodic self-assessment of its effectiveness, the Board
considers the complementary individual skills and experience of the individual Trustees primarily in the broader context of the Board’s overall composition so that the Board, as a body, possesses the appropriate (and appropriately diverse) skills and experience to oversee the business of the Fund. References to the qualifications, attributes and skills of Trustees are pursuant to requirements of the SEC, do not constitute holding out the Board or any Trustee as having any special expertise or experience, and shall not impose any greater responsibility on any Trustee or on the Board by reason thereof.
 
Board Structure. The Board is composed of five Independent Trustees and one Interested Trustee, Jill T. McGruder, who is Chair of the Board. The Board has appointed Phillip R. Cox to serve as the Lead Independent Trustee. Ms. McGruder oversees the day-to-day business affairs of the Trust and communicates with Mr. Cox regularly on various Trust issues, as appropriate. Mr. Cox, among other things, chairs meetings of the Independent Trustees, serves as a spokesperson for the Independent Trustees, and serves as a liaison between the Independent Trustees and the Trust’s management outside of the Board. Except for any duties specified in this SAI, the designation of Lead Independent Trustee does not generally impose on such Independent Trustee any duties, obligations, or liability that is greater than the duties, obligations, or liability imposed on any other member of the Board. The Independent Trustees are advised at these meetings, as well as at other times, by separate, independent legal counsel.
 
The Board holds four regular meetings each year to consider and address matters involving the Trust and its Funds. The Board also may hold special meetings to address matters arising between regular meetings. The Independent Trustees also regularly meet outside the presence of management and are advised by independent legal counsel. These meetings may take place in-person or by telephone.
 
The Board has established a committee structure that includes an Audit Committee and a Governance Committee (discussed in more detail below). The Board conducts much of its work through these Committees.  Each Committee is comprised entirely of Independent Trustees, which ensures that the Fund has effective and independent governance and oversight.
 
The Board reviews its structure regularly and believes that its leadership structure, including having a super-majority of Independent Trustees, coupled with an Interested Chair and a Lead Independent Trustee, is appropriate and in the best interests of the Trust because it allows the Board to exercise informed and independent judgment over matters under its purview, and it allocates areas of responsibility among committees and the Board in a manner that enhances effective oversight.  The Board believes that having an Interested Chair is appropriate and in the best interests of the Trust given:  (1) the extensive oversight provided by the Trust’s Advisor over the affiliated and unaffiliated sub-advisors that conduct the day-to-day portfolio management of the Fund; (2) the extent to which the work of the Board is conducted through the standing committees; (3) the extent to which the Independent Trustees meet regularly, together with independent legal counsel, in the absence of the Interested Chair; and (4) the Interested Chair’s additional roles as a director of the Advisor and Touchstone Securities and senior executive of IFS Financial Services, Inc., the Advisor’s parent company, and of other affiliates of the Advisor, which enhance the Board’s understanding of the operations of the Advisor and the role of the Trust and the Advisor within Western & Southern Financial Group, Inc.  The Board also believes that the role of the Lead Independent Trustee within the leadership structure is integral to promoting independent oversight of the Fund’s operations and meaningful representation of the

16



shareholders’ interests.  In addition, the Board believes its leadership structure facilitates the orderly and efficient flow of information to the Independent Trustees from the Trust’s management.
 
Board Oversight of Risk. Consistent with its responsibilities for oversight of the Trust and the Fund, the Board, among other things, oversees risk management of the Fund’s investment program and business affairs directly and through the committee structure that it has established.  Risks to the Fund include, among others, investment risk, credit risk, liquidity risk, valuation risk, and operational risk.  The Board has adopted, and periodically reviews, policies and procedures designed to address these risks.  Under the overall oversight of the Board, the Advisor, sub-advisors, and other key service providers to the Fund, including the administrator, Touchstone Securities, the transfer agent, the custodian, and the independent auditors, have also implemented a variety of processes, procedures, and controls to address these risks.  Different processes, procedures, and controls are employed with respect to different types of risks.  These processes include those that are embedded in the conduct of regular business by the Board and in the responsibilities of officers of the Trust and other service providers.
 
The Board requires senior officers of the Trust, including the Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”), to report to the Board on a variety of matters at regular and special meetings of the Board, including matters relating to risk management.  The Board and the Audit Committee receive regular reports from the Trust’s independent auditors on internal control and financial reporting matters.  On at least a quarterly basis, the Board meets with the Trust’s CCO, including meetings in executive sessions, to discuss compliance issues and, on at least an annual basis, receives a report from the CCO regarding the effectiveness of the Trust’s compliance program.  In addition, the Board also receives reports from the Advisor on the investments and securities trading of the Fund, including their investment performance and asset weightings compared to appropriate benchmarks, as well as reports regarding the valuation of those investments.  The Board also receives reports from the Trust’s primary service providers on a periodic or regular basis, including the sub-advisors to the Fund.

Standing Committees of the Board. The Board is responsible for overseeing the operations of the Trust in accordance with the provisions of the 1940 Act and other applicable laws and the Trust’s Declaration of Trust.  The Board has established the following Committees to assist in its oversight functions.  Each Committee is composed entirely of Independent Trustees.
 
Audit Committee.   All of the Independent Trustees are members of the Audit Committee.  The Audit Committee is responsible for overseeing the Trust’s accounting and financial reporting policies, practices, and internal controls.  Mr. Gale is Chair of the Audit Committee. During the twelve months ended March 31, 2016, the Audit Committee held four meetings.
 
Governance Committee.  All of the Independent Trustees are members of the Governance Committee. The Governance Committee is responsible for overseeing the Trust’s compliance program and compliance issues, procedures for valuing securities and responding to any pricing issues.  During the twelve months ended March 31, 2016, the Governance Committee held four meetings.
 
In addition, the Governance Committee is responsible for recommending candidates to serve on the Board.  The Governance Committee will consider shareholder recommendations for nomination to the Board only in the event that there is a vacancy on the Board.  Shareholders who wish to submit recommendations for nominations to the Board to fill the vacancy must submit their recommendations in writing to Susan J. Hickenlooper, Chair of the Governance Committee, c/o Touchstone Funds, 303 Broadway, Suite 1100, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202.  Shareholders should include appropriate information on the background and qualifications of any person recommended to the Governance Committee (e.g., a resume), as well as the candidate’s contact information and a written consent from the candidate to serve if nominated and elected.  Shareholder recommendations for nominations to the Board will be accepted on an ongoing basis and such recommendations will be kept on file for consideration in the event of a future vacancy on the Board.
 
Trustee Ownership in the Touchstone Funds. The following table reflects the Trustees’ beneficial ownership in the Fund and the Touchstone Fund Complex as of December 31, 2015.
 

17



 
 
Dollar Range of
Equity Securities in
Large Company Growth Fund1
 
Aggregate Dollar
Range of Equity Securities in Touchstone
Fund Complex2
Interested Trustee
 
 

 
 
Jill T. McGruder
 
$

 
Over $100,000
Independent Trustees
 
 

 
 
Phillip R. Cox
 
$

 
$1 - $10,000
William C. Gale
 
$

 
None
Susan J. Hickenlooper
 
$

 
Over $100,000
Kevin A. Robie
 
$

 
None
Edward J. VonderBrink
 
$

 
None
1 The Large Company Growth Fund did not commence operations until August 15, 2016.
2As of August 15, 2016, the Touchstone Fund Complex consisted of 20 series of the Trust, 11 series of Touchstone Funds Group Trust, 1 series of Touchstone Institutional Funds Trust, 2 series of Touchstone Investment Trust, 1 series of Touchstone Tax-Free Trust, and 6 variable annuity series of Touchstone Variable Series Trust.

Trustee Compensation. The following table shows the compensation paid to the Trustees by the Trust and the aggregate compensation paid by the Touchstone Fund Complex during the calendar year ended December 31, 2015.
 
Name
 
Compensation
from Trust1
 
Pension or
Retirement Benefits
Accrued As Part of
Fund Expenses
 
Estimate Annual
Benefits Upon
Retirement
 
Aggregate Compensation
from the Touchstone
Fund Complex1, 2
Interested Trustee
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

Jill T. McGruder
 
$

 
N/A
 
N/A
 
$

Independent Trustees
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

Philip R. Cox
 
$
51,131

 
N/A
 
N/A
 
$
131,500

William C. Gale
 
$
47,240

 
N/A
 
N/A
 
$
121,500

Susan J. Hickenlooper
 
$
47,240

 
N/A
 
N/A
 
$
121,500

Kevin A. Robie
 
$
43,349

 
N/A
 
N/A
 
$
111,500

Edward J. VonderBrink
 
$
43,349

 
N/A
 
N/A
 
$
111,500

1The Independent Trustees are eligible to participate in the Touchstone Trustee Deferred Compensation Plan that allows the Independent Trustees to defer payment of a specific amount of their Trustee compensation, subject to a minimum quarterly reduction of $1,000.  The total amount of deferred compensation accrued by the Independent Trustees from the Touchstone Funds during the calendar year ended December 31, 2015 is $0.
2As of August 15, 2016, the Touchstone Fund Complex consisted of 20 series of the Trust, 11 series of Touchstone Funds Group Trust, 1 series of Touchstone Institutional Funds Trust, 2 series of Touchstone Investment Trust, 1 series of Touchstone Tax-Free Trust, and 6 variable annuity series of Touchstone Variable Series Trust.
 
The following table shows the Trustee quarterly compensation schedule:
 
 
 
Quarterly 
Retainer
 
Governance 
Committee
 
Audit 
Committee
 
Board
 Meeting Fees
Compensation
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Beginning 1/1/16

 
$15,500
 
$4,500
 
$4,500
 
$5,000
1/1/14 to 12/31/15
 
$13,500
 
$4,500
 
$4,500
 
$5,000
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Lead Trustee Fees
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Beginning 1/1/16
 
$6,000
 
 
 
 
 
 
1/1/14 to 12/31/15
 
$5,000
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Committee Chair Fees
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Beginning 1/1/16
 
$1,000
 
$2,000
 
$2,000
 
 
1/1/14 to 12/31/15
 
$1,000
 
$1,500
 
$1,500
 
 
 

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Telephonic Meeting Attendance Fee = $1,500
 
All fees are typically divided equally among the funds comprising the Touchstone Fund Complex.

THE INVESTMENT ADVISOR
 
Touchstone Advisors, Inc. (the "Advisor" or "Touchstone Advisors") is the Fund’s investment advisor under the terms of an advisory agreement (the “Advisory Agreement”) dated May 1, 2000, as in effect with respect to the Fund on August 15, 2016.  Under the Advisory Agreement, the Advisor continuously reviews, supervises and administers the Fund’s investment program, subject to the oversight of, and policies established by, the Board.  The Advisor determines the appropriate allocation of assets to the Fund’s sub-advisor(s).
 
The Advisory Agreement provides that the Advisor shall not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss arising out of any investment or for any act or omission in carrying out its duties, but 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 continuance of the Advisory Agreement as to the Fund after the first two years must be specifically approved at least annually (i) by the vote of the Board or by a vote of the shareholders of the Fund, and, in either case, (ii) by the vote of a majority of the Board who are not parties to the Advisory Agreement or “interested persons” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of any party thereto, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. The 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 of the Fund, on sixty days’ written notice, without the payment of any penalty, by the Board, by a vote of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities, or by the Advisor.
The Advisor is a wholly-owned subsidiary of IFS Financial Services, Inc., which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Western-Southern Life Assurance Company. Western-Southern Life Assurance Company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Western and Southern Life Insurance Company, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Western & Southern Financial
Group, Inc. Western & Southern Financial Group is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Western & Southern Mutual Holding Company.  Ms. Jill T. McGruder may be deemed to be an affiliate of the Advisor because she is a Director of the Advisor and an officer of affiliates of the Advisor.  Ms. McGruder, by reason of these affiliations, may directly or indirectly receive benefits from the advisory fees paid to the Advisor.
 
Manager-of-Managers Structure. The SEC has granted an exemptive order that permits the Trust or the Advisor, under certain circumstances, to select or change unaffiliated sub-advisors, enter into new sub-advisory agreements, or amend existing sub-advisory agreements without first obtaining shareholder approval (a “manager-of-managers structure”).  The Trust, on behalf of the Fund, seeks to achieve its investment goal by using a manager-of-managers structure.  Under a manager-of-managers structure, the Advisor acts as investment advisor, subject to direction from and oversight by the Board, to allocate and reallocate the Fund’s assets among sub-advisors, and to recommend that the Board hire, terminate, or replace unaffiliated sub-advisors without shareholder approval.  By reducing the number of shareholder meetings that may have to be held to approve new or additional sub-advisors for the Fund, the Trust anticipates that there will be substantial potential cost savings, as well as the opportunity to achieve certain management efficiencies.  Shareholders of the Fund will be notified of any changes in its sub-advisory arrangements.
 
Fees Paid to the Advisor. For its services, the Advisor is entitled to receive an investment advisory fee from the Fund at an annualized rate, based on the average daily net assets of the Fund, as set forth below.  The Fund’s advisory fee is accrued daily and paid monthly, based on the Fund’s average net assets during the current month.
 
Assets
Investment Advisory Fee
Up to $500 million
0.75
%
On the next $1.5 billion
0.725
%
Over $2 billion
0.70
%
 
The Fund shall pay the expenses of its operation, including but not limited to the following: (i) charges and expenses for Fund accounting, pricing and appraisal services and related overhead, (ii) the charges and expenses of the Fund’s auditors; (iii) the charges and expenses of any custodian, transfer agent, plan agent, dividend disbursing agent and registrar appointed by the Trust with respect to the Fund; (iv) brokers’ commissions, and issue and transfer taxes, chargeable to the Fund in connection

19



with securities transactions to which the Fund is a party; (v) insurance premiums, interest charges, dues and fees for membership in trade associations and all taxes and fees payable to federal, state or other governmental agencies; (vi) fees and expenses involved in registering and maintaining registrations of the Fund and/or shares of the Fund with the SEC, state or blue sky securities agencies and foreign countries, including the preparation of Prospectuses and Statements of Additional Information for filing with the SEC; (vii) all expenses of meetings of Trustees and of shareholders of the Fund and of preparing, printing and distributing prospectuses, notices, proxy statements and all reports to shareholders and to governmental agencies; (viii) charges and expenses of legal counsel to the Trust and the Independent Trustees; (ix) compensation of Trustees of the Trust; and (x) interest on borrowed money, if any. The compensation and expenses of any officer, Trustee or employee of the Trust who is an affiliated person of the Advisor are paid by the Advisor.
By its terms, the Fund’s investment advisory agreement will remain in force for an initial period of one year and indefinitely thereafter, subject to annual approval by (a) the Board or (b) a vote of the majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities; provided that in either event continuance is also approved by a majority of the Independent Trustees, by a vote cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting such approval. The investment advisory agreement may be terminated with respect to the Fund(s) at any time, on sixty days’ written notice, without the payment of any penalty, by the Board, by a vote of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities, or by the Advisor. The investment advisory agreement automatically terminates in the event of its assignment, as defined by the 1940 Act and the rules thereunder. Each class of shares of the Fund pays its respective pro rata portion of the advisory fee payable by the Fund.
Expense Limitation Agreement.  Touchstone Advisors has contractually agreed to waive fees and reimburse expenses to the extent necessary to ensure the Fund’s total annual operating expenses do not exceed the contractual limits set forth in the Fund’s fee table. Expenses that are not waived or reimbursed by the Advisor include dividend and interest expenses relating to short sales; interest; taxes; brokerage commissions and other transaction costs; portfolio transactions and investment related expenses; other expenditures which are capitalized in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles; the cost of “Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses,” if any; other extraordinary expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of business(“Excluded Expenses”). The Fund bears the costs of these Excluded Expenses. The contractual limits set forth in the fee table have been adjusted to include the effect of Rule 12b-1 fees, shareholder servicing fees and other anticipated class specific expenses, if applicable. Fee waivers or expense reimbursements are calculated and applied monthly, based on the Fund’s average net assets during the month. The terms of Touchstone Advisors’ contractual waiver agreement provide that Touchstone Advisors is entitled to recoup, subject to approval by the Fund’s Board, such amounts waived or reimbursed for a period of up to three years from the year in which Touchstone Advisors reduced its compensation or assumed expenses for the Fund. No recoupment will occur unless the Fund’s expenses are below the lesser of the expense limitation amount in effect (a) at the time of the waiver, or (b) at the time of the reimbursement.The Fund’s expenses may be higher following the expiration of the expense limitation agreement.
 
Advisory Fees and Fee Waivers or Reimbursements.  For the fiscal periods ended June 30, 2015, 2014 and 2013, the Predecessor Fund paid the following fees to DSM Capital Partners LLC ("DSM"), the Predecessor Fund's investment advisor:

2015        2014        2013
Fees Accrued         $1,271,422     $872,953     $378,360
Fees Waived         $(89,686)     $(143,173)     $(138,797)
Net Advisory Fee Paid     $1,181,736    $729,780     $239,563

THE SUB-ADVISOR AND PORTFOLIO MANAGER
 
The Advisor has selected a sub-advisor to manage all or a portion of the Fund’s assets.  The sub-advisor makes the investment decisions for the Fund’s assets allocated to it, and continuously reviews, supervises, and administers a separate investment program, subject to the oversight of, and policies established by, the Board.
 
The Sub-Advisory Agreement provides that the sub-advisor 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.
 
For its services, the sub-advisor receives a fee from the Advisor.  As described in the prospectus, the sub-advisor receives sub-advisory fees with respect to the Fund that it sub-advises. The sub-advisor’s base fee with respect the Fund is accrued daily and paid monthly, based on the Fund’s average net assets allocated to the sub-advisor during the current month.
 
Sub-Advisor Control. DSM Capital Partners LLC is controlled by Daniel Strickberger and Stephen Memishian.
 

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The following charts list the Fund’s portfolio manager, the number of his other managed accounts per investment category, the total assets in each category of managed accounts and the beneficial ownership in such managed funds as of June 30, 2015.  Listed below the charts is (i) a description of the portfolio manager’s compensation structure as of June 30, 2015 and (ii) a description of any material conflicts that may arise in connection with the portfolio manager's management of the Fund’s investments and the investments of the other accounts included in the chart and any material conflicts in allocation of investment opportunities between the Fund and other accounts managed by the portfolio manager as of June 30, 2015.
 
Large Company Growth Fund
 
DSM Capital Partners LLC
 
Portfolio Manager/Types of Accounts
 
Total
Number of
Other
Accounts
Managed
 
Total Other
Assets
(million)
 
Number of
Other Accounts
Managed subject
to a Performance
Based Advisory
Fee
 
Total Other Assets
Managed subject
to a Performance
Based Advisory
Fee (million)
Daniel Strickberger
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Registered Investment Companies
 
3
 
$170
 
 
N/A
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles
 
 
870
 
 
N/A
Other Accounts
 
1,800
 
$6,500
 
8
 
$520
 
 
Dollar Range of Fund Shares Owned
 
Portfolio Manager
 
Predecessor Fund
 
Daniel Strickberger
 
$50,001 - $100,000
 
 
Compensation. The portfolio manager receives a base salary commensurate with his level of experience. DSM’s goal is to maintain base salaries and bonus compensation competitive with the broad investment industry (including alternative investment firms). Bonus compensation, which is a multiple of base salary, is based on an employee’s long-term performance. The Portfolio Manager’s contribution to fundamental research, valuation work and portfolio management is considered, both within and beyond the portfolio. Collaboration is expected and rewarded. Importantly, the entire investment team, as well as other employees of the firm, are also shareholders of DSM. This compensation and ownership structure provides incentive to attract and retain highly qualified people, as each member of the firm has the opportunity to share directly in the accomplishments of the business.

Conflicts of Interest. Because DSM performs investment advisory services for many types of clients, in general, various conflicts of interest could arise. For instance, DSM may give advice and take action with respect to its other clients that may differ from advice given or the timing or nature of action taken with respect to the Fund. DSM does not have an obligation to purchase or sell for a Fund, or to recommend for purchase or sale by a Fund, any security that DSM, its principals, its affiliates, or its employees may purchase for themselves or for their clients at the same time or at the same price.

DSM has adopted a Code of Ethics describing its commitment to integrity and high ethical standards. The Code of Ethics is based upon the principle that DSM and its employees owe a fiduciary duty to clients to conduct their affairs, including their personal securities transactions, in such a manner as to avoid any actual or potential conflict of interests. DSM’s Code of Ethics contains provisions relating to the prohibition against trading on material, non-public information. The Code of Ethics also describes permissible personal securities transactions, permissible gifts and entertainment, and permissible outside business activities as well as protecting the confidentiality of client information. All employees of DSM must acknowledge the terms of the Code of Ethics annually and as amended.

To align the interests of its employees with its clients, DSM encourages its employees to personally invest in the same portfolios and securities as its clients. This may cause a conflict as DSM, its employees and their related accounts may invest in the same securities, and at the same times, that it purchases and sells for clients. Moreover, DSM may purchase or sell securities for clients in which DSM, its employees, and their immediate family members have an interest. For instance, DSM

21



may recommend that a client invest in a pooled investment vehicle that it advises or in which its employees are invested. This also presents a conflict of interests.

To address these, and other potential conflicts, DSM’s employees and their immediate family members are required to follow DSM’s Code of Ethics. Under the Code of Ethics, employees of DSM and their immediate family members must obtain pre-clearance for certain securities transactions. Approval of an employee or employee-related transaction is based upon a careful review by DSM’s Chief Compliance Officer. Certain classes of securities have been designated as exempt, not needing pre-clearance, based upon a determination that these would not materially interfere with the best interest of DSM’s clients. Account statements of employees of DSM and their immediate family members are also reviewed periodically by the Chief Compliance Officer of DSM. Nonetheless, because the Code of Ethics permits employees and immediate family member to invest in the same securities as clients, there is a possibility that employees and immediate family members might benefit from market activity resulting from a client transaction. Employee accounts and accounts of their immediate family members that trade in the same securities as clients are aggregated. These accounts and the client accounts will share commission costs, be allocated on a pro rata basis, and receive securities at the same average price. DSM retains records of the pre-allocation trade order (specifying each participating account) and its allocation, which will be completed prior to the entry of the aggregated order. Completed orders will be allocated as specified in the trade order. Partially filled orders will typically be allocated on a pro rata basis. Any exceptions will be documented.

THE ADMINISTRATOR
 
The Advisor entered into an Administration Agreement with the Trust, whereby the Advisor is responsible for: supplying executive and regulatory compliance services; supervising the preparation of tax returns; coordinating the preparation of reports to shareholders and reports to, and filings with, the SEC and state securities authorities, as well as materials for meetings of the Board of Trustees; calculating the daily NAV per share; and maintaining the financial books and records of the Fund. For its services, the Advisor receives an annual fee of 0.145% on the first $20 billion of the aggregate average daily net assets of the Touchstone Fund Complex (excluding Touchstone Institutional Funds Trust); 0.11% of the next $10 billion of aggregate average daily net assets; 0.09% of the next $10 billion of aggregate average daily net assets; and 0.07% of the aggregate average daily net assets of all such assets in excess of $40 billion. The fee is allocated among the Touchstone Fund Complex (excluding Touchstone Institutional Funds Trust) on the basis of relative daily net assets.
 
The Advisor has engaged BNY Mellon as the Sub-Administrator to the Trust. BNY Mellon provides sub-administrative and accounting services to the Trust and is compensated directly by the Advisor, not the Trust. (See “Transfer and Sub-Administrative Agent” in this SAI.)
 
TOUCHSTONE SECURITIES
 
Touchstone Securities, Inc. (“Touchstone Securities”), and the Trust are parties to a distribution agreement (the “Distribution Agreement”) with respect to the Fund. Touchstone Securities’ principal place of business is 303 Broadway, Suite 1100, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202.  Touchstone Securities is the principal underwriter of the Fund and is a registered broker-dealer, and an affiliate of the Advisor by reason of common ownership.  Touchstone Securities is obligated to sell shares on a best efforts basis only against purchase orders for the shares.  Shares of the Fund are offered to the public on a continuous basis.  Touchstone Securities currently allows concessions to dealers who sell shares of the Fund.  Touchstone Securities retains that portion of the sales charge that is not re-allowed to dealers who sell shares of the Fund.  Touchstone Securities retains the entire sales charge on all direct initial investments in the Fund and on all investments in accounts with no designated dealer of record.
 
The Fund will report aggregate underwriting commissions on sales of the Fund, including the amounts Touchstone Securities paid to unaffiliated broker-dealers, the amounts Touchstone Securities earned as a broker-dealer in the selling network, and the amounts of underwriting commissions retained by Touchstone Securities, each as of the fiscal year ending June 30, 2017.
Ms. McGruder may be deemed to be an affiliate of Touchstone Securities because she is a Director of Touchstone Securities and an officer of affiliates of Touchstone Securities. Ms. McGruder, by reason of such affiliation, may directly or indirectly receive benefits from the underwriting fees paid to Touchstone Securities.
 
The Distribution Agreement shall remain in effect for a period of two years after the effective date of the agreement and is renewable annually thereafter. The Distribution Agreement may be terminated as to the Fund at any time by (i) the Trust, (a) by the vote of a majority of the Trustees of the Trust who are not “interested persons” of the Trust or by Touchstone Securities, (b) by vote of the Board of the Trust, or (c) by the “vote of majority of the outstanding voting securities” of the Fund, or (ii) by Touchstone Securities, in any case without payment of any penalty on not more than 60 days’ nor less than 30 days’ written notice to the other party. The Distribution Agreement shall also automatically terminate in the event of its assignment.

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Touchstone Securities may pay from its own resources cash bonuses or other incentives to selected dealers in connection with the sale of shares of the Fund. On some occasions, such bonuses or incentives may be conditioned upon the sale of a specified minimum dollar amount of the shares of the Fund or other funds in the Touchstone Funds during a specific period of time. Such bonuses or incentives may include financial assistance to dealers in connection with conferences, sales or training programs for their employees, seminars for the public, advertising, sales campaigns, and other dealer-sponsored programs or events. The Advisor, at its expense, may also provide additional compensation to certain affiliated and unaffiliated dealers, financial intermediaries or service providers for distribution, administrative or shareholder servicing activities. The Advisor may also reimburse Touchstone Securities for making these payments.
 
Touchstone Securities, at its expense, may provide additional compensation to financial intermediaries which sell or arrange for the sale of shares of the Touchstone Funds. Other compensation may be offered to the extent not prohibited by federal or state laws or any self-regulatory agency, such as the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”).
 
Touchstone Securities makes payments for entertainment events it deems appropriate, subject to its guidelines and applicable law. These payments may vary depending upon the nature of the event or the relationship. As of December 31, 2015, Touchstone Securities anticipates that the following broker-dealers or their affiliates will receive additional payments as described in the Fund’s prospectus and SAI:
 
Name of Broker-Dealer
American Enterprise Investment Services Inc.
Fifth Third Securities Inc.
First Clearing LLC / Wells Fargo Advisors LLC
First Command Financial Planning, Inc.
Janney Montgomery Scott LLC
Lincoln Investment Planning Inc.
LPL Financial Services
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Inc.
Morgan Stanley Wealth Management
Pershing LLC
Raymond James & Associates, Inc.
RBC Capital Markets Corporation
UBS Financial Services, Inc.
Vanguard Brokerage Services
 
Touchstone Securities is motivated to make payments to the broker-dealers described above because they promote the sale of Fund shares and the retention of those investments by clients of financial advisors.  To the extent financial advisors sell more shares of the Fund or retain shares of the Fund in their clients’ accounts, the Advisor benefits from the incremental management and other fees paid to the Advisor by the Fund with respect to those assets.
 
Your financial intermediary may charge you additional fees or commissions other than those disclosed in this SAI.  You can ask your financial intermediary about any payments it receives from Touchstone Securities or the Fund, as well as about fees or commissions it charges.  You should consult disclosures made by your financial intermediary at the time of purchase.
 
The Fund may compensate dealers, including Touchstone Securities and its affiliates, based on the average balance of all accounts in the Fund for which the dealer is designated as the party responsible for the account.

DISTRIBUTION PLANS AND SHAREHOLDER SERVICE ARRANGEMENTS
 
The Fund has adopted distribution and shareholder servicing plans for certain classes of shares which permit the Fund to pay for expenses incurred in the distribution and promotion of its shares pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act and account maintenance and other shareholder services in connection with maintaining such account. Touchstone Securities may provide those services itself or enter into arrangements under which third parties provide such services and are compensated by Touchstone Securities.
 

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Class A Shares.  With respect to its Class A shares, the Fund has adopted a plan of distribution and shareholder service (the “Class A Plan”) under which Touchstone Securities is paid up to, but not exceeding, twenty-five basis points (0.25%) for distribution payments. Of the total compensation authorized, the Fund may pay for shareholder services in an amount up to 0.25%.
 
Class C Shares.  With respect to its Class C shares, the Fund has adopted a plan of distribution and shareholder service (the “Class C Plan” and together with the Class A Plan, the “Plans”) under which Touchstone Securities is paid up to, but not exceeding, one hundred basis points (1.00%) in the aggregate, with twenty-five basis points (0.25%) for shareholder service fees and seventy-five basis points (0.75%) for distribution payments.
 
General Information.  In connection with the distribution of shares, Touchstone Securities may use the payments for: (i) compensation for its services in distribution assistance; or (ii) payments to financial intermediaries such as banks, savings and loan associations, insurance companies, investment counselors, broker-dealers, mutual fund supermarkets and Touchstone Securities’ affiliates and subsidiaries as compensation for services or reimbursement of expenses incurred in connection with distribution assistance.
 
In addition, Touchstone Securities may use payments to provide or enter into written agreements with service providers who will provide shareholder services, including: (i) maintaining accounts relating to shareholders that invest in shares; (ii) arranging for bank wires; (iii) responding to client inquiries relating to the services performed by Touchstone Securities or service providers; (iv) responding to inquiries from shareholders concerning their investment in shares; (v) assisting shareholders in changing dividend options, account designations and addresses; (vi) providing information periodically to shareholders showing their position in shares; (vii) forwarding shareholder communications from the Fund such as proxies, shareholder reports, annual reports, dividend distribution and tax notices to shareholders; (viii) processing purchase, exchange and redemption requests from shareholders and placing orders with the Fund or the service providers; (ix) processing dividend payments from the  Fund on behalf of shareholders; and (x) providing such other similar services as the Fund may reasonably request.
 
Agreements implementing the Plans (the “Implementation Agreements”), including agreements with dealers wherein such dealers agree for a fee to act as agents for the sale of the Fund’s shares, are in writing and have been approved by the Board of Trustees.  All payments made pursuant to the Plans are made in accordance with written Implementation Agreements.  Some financial intermediaries charge fees in excess of the amounts available under the Plans, in which case the Advisor pays the additional fees.
 
The continuance of the Plans and the Implementation Agreements must be specifically approved at least annually by a vote of the Board and by a vote of the Independent Trustees who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the Plans or any Implementation Agreement at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such continuance.  A Plan may be terminated at any time by a vote of a majority of the Independent Trustees or by a vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of the Fund or the applicable class of the Fund.  In the event a Plan is terminated in accordance with its terms, the Fund (or class) will not be required to make any payments for expenses incurred by Touchstone Securities after the termination date.  Each Implementation Agreement terminates automatically in the event of its assignment and may be terminated at any time by a vote of a majority of the Independent Trustees or by a vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of the Fund (or the applicable class) on not more than 60 days' written notice to any other party to the Implementation Agreement.  The Plans may not be amended to increase materially the amount to be spent for distribution without shareholder approval.  All material amendments to the Plans must be approved by a vote of the Board and by a vote of the Independent Trustees.
 
In approving the Plans, the Board determined, in the exercise of its business judgment and in light of its fiduciary duties, that there is a reasonable likelihood that the Plans will benefit the Fund and its shareholders.  The Board believes that expenditure of the Fund’s assets for distribution expenses under the Plans should assist in the growth of the Fund, which will benefit the Fund and its shareholders through increased economies of scale, greater investment flexibility, greater portfolio diversification, and less chance of disruption of planned investment strategies.  The Plans will be renewed only if the Board makes a similar determination for each subsequent year of the Plans.  There can be no assurance that the benefits anticipated from the expenditure of the Fund’s assets for distribution will be realized.  While the Plans are in effect, all amounts spent by the Fund pursuant to the Plans and the purposes for which such expenditures were made must be reported quarterly to the Board for its review.  Distribution expenses attributable to the sale of more than one class of shares of the Fund will be allocated at least annually to each class of shares based upon the ratio in which the sales of each class of shares bears to the sales of all the shares of the Fund.  In addition, the selection and nomination of those Trustees who are not interested persons of the Trust are committed to the discretion of the Independent Trustees during such period.
 

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Jill T. McGruder, as an interested person of the Trust, may be deemed to have a financial interest in the operation of the Plans and the Implementation Agreements due to her affiliation with Touchstone Securities.

BROKERAGE TRANSACTIONS
 
Decisions to buy and sell securities for the Fund and the placing of the Fund’s securities transactions and negotiation of commission rates where applicable are made by the sub-advisor and are subject to review by the Advisor and the Board.  In the purchase and sale of portfolio securities, the sub-advisor’s primary objective will be to obtain the most favorable price and execution for the Fund, taking into account such factors as the overall direct net economic result to the Fund (including commissions, which may not be the lowest available but ordinarily should not be higher than the generally prevailing competitive range), the financial strength and stability of the broker, the efficiency with which the transaction will be effected, the ability to effect the transaction at all where a large block is involved and the availability of the broker or dealer to stand ready to execute possibly difficult transactions in the future.
 
The sub-advisor is specifically authorized, subject to certain limitations, to pay a trading commission to a broker who provides research services that is higher than the amount of trading commission another broker would have charged for the same transaction. This excess commission recognizes the additional research services rendered by the broker, but only if the sub-advisor determines in good faith that the excess commission is reasonable in relation to the value of the research services provided and that the Fund derives or will derive a reasonably significant benefit from such research services
 
Research services include securities and economic analyses, reports on issuers’ financial conditions and future business prospects, newsletters and opinions relating to interest trends, general advice on the relative merits of possible investment securities for the Fund and statistical services and information with respect to the availability of securities or purchasers or sellers of securities.  Although this information is useful to the Fund and the sub-advisor, it is not possible to place a dollar value on it.  Research services furnished by brokers through whom the Fund effects securities transactions may be used by the sub-advisor in servicing all of its accounts and not all such services may be used by the sub-advisor in connection with the Fund.
 
The Fund has no obligation to deal with any broker or dealer in the execution of securities transactions.  However, the Fund may effect securities transactions that are executed on a national securities exchange or transactions in the over-the-counter market conducted on an agency basis.  The Fund will not effect any brokerage transactions in its portfolio securities with an affiliated broker if such transactions would be unfair or unreasonable to its shareholders.  Over-the-counter transactions will be placed either directly with principal market makers or with broker-dealers.  Although the Fund does not anticipate any ongoing arrangements with other brokerage firms, brokerage business may be transacted with other firms.  Affiliated broker-dealers of the Trust will not receive reciprocal brokerage business as a result of the brokerage business transacted by the Fund with other brokers.  The Fund may direct transactions to certain brokers in order to reduce brokerage commissions through a commission recapture program offered by Frank Russell Securities, Inc.
 
In certain instances, there may be securities that are suitable for the Fund as well as for one or more of the respective sub-advisor’s other clients. The sub-advisor makes investment decisions for the Fund and for its other clients to achieve their respective investment objectives. The sub-advisor may buy or sell a particular security for one client even though it is buying, selling, or holding the same security for another client. Some simultaneous transactions are inevitable when several clients receive investment advice from the same investment advisor, particularly when the same security is suitable for the investment objectives of more than one client. When two or more clients are simultaneously engaged in the purchase or sale of the same security, the sub-advisor will allocate the securities among clients in a fair and equitable manner. This system may detrimentally affect the price of a security purchased, sold, or held by the Fund, but this detrimental effect is offset by the Fund’s ability to participate in volume transactions, which could lead to better executions for the Fund.
 
PROXY VOTING
 
The Fund has adopted the sub-advisor’s policies and procedures for voting proxies relating to portfolio securities held by the Fund, including procedures used when a vote presents a conflict between the interests of the Fund’s shareholders and those of the sub-advisor or its affiliates.  A copy of the sub-advisor’s proxy voting policies is included in Appendix A.  Information regarding how those proxies were voted during the most recent twelve-month period ended June 30th is available by August 31st of that year without charge, upon request, by calling toll free 1.800.543.0407 or on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. The Fund’s N-PX will also be available on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov and on the Touchstone website at TouchstoneInvestments.com.


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CODE OF ETHICS
 
The Board has adopted a Code of Ethics pursuant to Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act. In addition, the Advisor, the Sub-Advisor and Touchstone Securities have adopted Codes of Ethics pursuant to Rule 17j-1. These Codes of Ethics apply to the personal investing activities of Trustees, officers, and certain employees (“access persons”). Rule 17j-1 and the Codes of Ethics are designed to prevent unlawful practices in connection with the purchase or sale of securities by access persons. Under each Code of Ethics, access persons are permitted to invest in securities (including securities that may be purchased or held by the Fund), but are required to report their personal securities transactions for monitoring purposes. In addition, certain access persons are required to obtain approval before investing in initial public offerings or private placements. Copies of these Codes of Ethics are on file with the SEC, and are available to the public.

PORTFOLIO TURNOVER
 
The Fund’s portfolio turnover rate is calculated by dividing the lesser of purchases or sales of portfolio securities for the fiscal year by the monthly average of the value of the portfolio securities owned by the Fund during the fiscal year.  High portfolio turnover involves correspondingly greater brokerage commissions and other transaction costs, which will be borne directly by the Fund.  High turnover may result in the Fund recognizing greater amounts of income and capital gains, which would increase the amount of taxes payable by shareholders and increase the amount of commissions paid by the Fund.  A 100% turnover rate would occur if all of the Fund’s portfolio securities were replaced once within a one-year period.  The rate of portfolio turnover will depend upon market and other conditions, and will not be a limiting factor when the sub-advisor believes that portfolio changes are appropriate.
 
During the fiscal years ended June 30, 2014 and June 30, 2015, the portfolio turnover rates for the Predecessor Fund were 56% and 80%, respectively.

DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS
 
The Touchstone Funds have adopted policies and procedures for disclosing the Fund’s portfolio holdings to any person requesting this information. These policies and procedures are monitored by the Board through periodic reporting by the Fund’s Chief Compliance Officer.
 
No compensation will be received by the Fund, the Advisor, any sub-advisor, or any other party in connection with the disclosure of information about portfolio securities.
 
The procedures prohibit the disclosure of portfolio holdings except under the following conditions:
 
1)     A request made by a sub-advisor for the Fund (or that portion of the Fund) that it manages.
 
2)     A request by executive officers of the Advisor for routine oversight and management purposes.
 
3)     For use in preparing and distributing routine shareholder reports, including disclosure to the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm, typesetter and printer. Routine shareholder reports are filed with the SEC within 60 days after the end of each calendar quarter, and routine shareholder reports are distributed to shareholders within 60 days after the applicable six-month semi-annual period. The Fund provides its full holdings to its independent registered public accounting firm annually, as of the end of its fiscal year, within 1 to 10 business days after fiscal year end. The Fund provides its full holdings to its typesetter at least 50 days after the end of the calendar quarter. The Fund provides its full holdings to its printer at least 50 days after the applicable six-month semi-annual period.
 
4)     A request by service providers to fulfill its contractual duties relating to the Fund, subject to approval by the Chief Compliance Officer.

5)     A request by a newly hired sub-advisor or sub-advisor candidate prior to the commencement of its duties to facilitate its transition as a new sub-advisor, subject to the conditions set forth in Item 8.
 
6)     A request by a potential merger candidate for the purpose of conducting due diligence, subject to the conditions set forth in Item 8.
 
7)     A request by a rating or ranking agency, subject to the conditions set forth in Item 8.
 

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Other portfolio holdings disclosure policies of the Fund include:
 
The Fund provides its top ten holdings on its publicly available website and to market data agencies monthly, as of the end of a calendar month, at least seven business days after month end.
The Fund provides its full holdings on its publicly available website, and to market data agencies, their typesetter and printer, quarterly, as of the end of a calendar quarter, at least 15 days after quarter end.
 
You may access the public website at TouchstoneInvestments.com.
 
8)    The Chief Compliance Officer may authorize disclosing non-public portfolio holdings to third parties more frequently or at different periods than as described above prior to when such information is made public, provided that certain conditions are met.  The third-party must (i) specifically request in writing the more current non-public portfolio holdings, providing a reasonable basis for the request; (ii) execute an agreement to keep such information confidential, to only use the information for the authorized purpose, and not to use the information for their personal benefit; (iii) agree not to trade on such information, either directly or indirectly; and (iv) unless specifically approved by the Chief Compliance Officer in writing, the non-public portfolio holdings are subject to a ten day time delay before dissemination.  Any non-public portfolio holdings that are disclosed will not include any material information about the Fund’s trading strategies or pending portfolio transactions.
 
As of December 31, 2015, one or more Touchstone Funds may currently disclose portfolio holdings information based on ongoing arrangements to the following parties:
 
CMS Bondedge
Morningstar, Inc
Bloomberg, LP
 
Employees of the Advisor and the Fund’s sub-advisor that are access persons under the Fund’s Code of Ethics have access to Fund holdings on a regular basis, but are subject to confidentiality requirements and trading prohibitions in the Code of Ethics. In addition, custodians of the Fund’s assets and the Fund’s accounting services agent, each of whose agreements contains a confidentiality provision (which includes a duty not to trade on non-public information), has access to the current Fund holdings on a daily basis.
 
The Chief Compliance Officer is authorized to determine whether disclosure of the Fund’s portfolio securities is for a legitimate business purpose and is in the best interests of the Fund and its shareholders. Any conflict between the interests of shareholders and the interests of the Advisor, Touchstone Securities, or any affiliates, will be reported to the Board, which will make a determination that is in the best interests of shareholders.

DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE
 
The securities of the Fund are valued under the direction of the Advisor and under the general oversight of the Board.  The Advisor or its delegates may use independent pricing services to obtain valuations of securities.  The pricing services rely primarily on prices of actual market transactions as well as on trade quotations obtained from third parties.  Prices are generally determined using readily available market prices.  If market prices are unavailable or believed to be unreliable, the Sub-Administrator will initiate a process by which the Trust’s Fair Value Committee will make a good faith determination as to the “fair value” of the security using procedures approved by the Board.  The pricing services may use a matrix system to determine valuations of fixed-income securities when market prices are not readily available.  This system considers such factors as security prices, yields, maturities, call features, ratings, and developments relating to specific securities in arriving at valuations.  The procedures used by any such pricing service and its valuation results are reviewed by the officers of the Trust under the general oversight of the Board.

The Fund may hold portfolio securities that are listed on foreign exchanges.  Under certain circumstances these investments may be valued under the Fund’s fair value policies and procedures, such as when U.S. exchanges are open but a foreign exchange is closed.


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DESCRIPTION OF SHARES
 
The Trust’s Declaration of Trust authorizes the issuance of an unlimited number of funds and shares of the Fund.  Each share of the Fund represents an equal proportionate interest in the Fund with each other share.  Upon liquidation, shares are entitled to a pro rata share in the net assets of the Fund, after taking into account additional distribution and shareholder servicing expenses attributable to the Class.  Shareholders have no preemptive rights.  The Declaration of Trust provides that the Board may create additional series of shares or separate classes of funds.  All consideration received by the Trust for shares of any portfolio or separate class and all assets in which such consideration is invested would belong to that portfolio or separate class and would be subject to the liabilities related thereto.  Share certificates representing shares will not be issued.
 
The Trust is an entity of the type commonly known as a Massachusetts business trust.  The Trust’s Declaration of Trust states that neither the Trust nor the Trustees, nor any officer, employee or agent of the Trust shall have any power to bind personally any shareholder, nor, except as specifically provided therein, to call upon any shareholder for the payment of any sum of money or assessment whatsoever other than such as the shareholder may at any time personally agree to pay.
 
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 nothing else, and shall not be liable for errors of judgment or mistakes of fact or law. Subject to the forgoing, a Trustee is not responsible for any neglect or wrongdoing of any officers, agents, employees or investment advisors of the Trust. The Declaration of Trust also provides that the Trust will indemnify its Trustees and officers against liabilities and expenses incurred in connection with actual or threatened litigation in which they may be involved because of their offices with the Trust except for liabilities resulting from such Trustee’s or officer’s willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of his or her duties.

Each whole share shall be entitled to one vote as to any matter on which it is entitled to vote and each fractional share shall be entitled to a proportionate fractional vote. Shares issued by the Acquiring Fund have no preemptive or subscription rights. The Trustees are authorized to provide shareholders of any series with the right to convert their shares into shares of one or more other series of the Trust. Voting rights are not cumulative. The Acquiring Fund, as a separate series of the Trust, votes separately on matters affecting only the Acquiring Fund. Shareholders of each class of the Acquiring Fund will vote separately on matters pertaining solely to that Fund or that class. The Trust is not required to hold annual meetings of shareholders, but approval will be sought for certain changes in the operation of the Trust and for the election of Trustees under certain circumstances.

In addition, a Trustee may be removed by two-thirds of the Trustees, by vote of shareholders holding at least two-thirds of the outstanding shares at a special meeting called upon written request of shareholders owning at least 10% of the outstanding shares of the Trust, or by written declaration by shareholders holding two-thirds of the outstanding shares. In the event that such a meeting is requested, the Trust will provide appropriate assistance and information to the shareholders requesting the meeting.

Derivative Claims of Shareholders

The Trust’s Amended and Restated By-Laws (the “By-Laws”) contain provisions regarding derivative claims of shareholders. Under these provisions, a shareholder must make a pre-suit demand upon the Trustees to bring the subject action unless an effort to cause the Trustees to bring such an action is not likely to succeed. For purposes of the foregoing sentence, a demand on the Trustees shall only be deemed not likely to succeed and therefore excused if a majority of the Board, or a majority of any committee of the Board established to consider the merits of such action, has a personal financial interest in the transaction at issue, and a Trustee shall not be deemed interested in a transaction or otherwise disqualified from ruling on the merits of a shareholder demand by virtue of the fact that such Trustee receives remuneration for his service on the Board or on the boards of one or more Trusts that are under common management with or otherwise affiliated with the Trust.

Unless a demand is not required under the foregoing paragraph, the Trustees must be afforded a reasonable amount of time to consider such shareholder request and to investigate the basis of such claim. The Trustees shall be entitled to retain counsel or other advisors in considering the merits of the request and shall require an undertaking by the shareholders making such request to reimburse the Trust for the expense of any such advisors in the event that the Trustees determine not to bring such action.

Forum for Adjudication of Disputes

The By-Laws provide that, unless the Trust consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the sole and exclusive forum for (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of the Trust, (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any Trustee, officer, or other employee of the Trust to the Trust or the Trust’s shareholders, (iii) any

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action asserting a claim arising pursuant to the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the Declaration of Trust or the By-Laws, (iv) any action to interpret, apply, enforce or determine the validity of the Declaration of Trust or the By-Laws, or (v) any action asserting a claim governed by the internal affairs doctrine shall be the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts or the Superior Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (each, a “Covered Action”). The By-Laws further provide that if any Covered Action is filed in a court other than the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts or the Superior Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (a “Foreign Action”) in the name of any shareholder, such shareholder shall be deemed to have consented to (i) the personal jurisdiction of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts or the Superior Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in connection with any action brought in any such courts to enforce the preceding sentence (an “Enforcement Action”) and (ii) having service of process made upon such shareholder in any such Enforcement Action by service upon such shareholder’s counsel in the Foreign Action as agent for such shareholder.

The By-Laws provide that any person purchasing or otherwise acquiring or holding any interest in shares of beneficial interest of the Trust shall be (i) deemed to have notice of and consented to the provisions of the foregoing paragraph and (ii) deemed to have waived any argument relating to the inconvenience of the forums referenced above in connection with any action or proceeding described in the foregoing paragraph.

This forum selection provision may limit a shareholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for disputes with Trustees, officers or other agents of the Trust and its service providers, which may discourage such lawsuits with respect to such claims. If a court were to find the forum selection provision contained in the By-Laws to be inapplicable or unenforceable in an action, the Trust may incur additional costs associated with resolving such action in other jurisdictions.

CHOOSING A CLASS OF SHARES
 
The Fund offers Class A, Class C, Class Y and Institutional Class shares.
 
The Fund participates in fund “supermarket” arrangements.  In such an arrangement, a program is made available by a broker or other institution (a sponsor) that allows investors to purchase and redeem shares of the Fund through the sponsor of the fund supermarket.  In connection with these supermarket arrangements, the Fund has authorized one or more brokers to accept on its behalf purchase and redemption orders.  In turn, the brokers are authorized to designate other intermediaries to accept purchase and redemption orders on the Fund’s behalf.  As such, the Fund will be deemed to have received a purchase or redemption order when an authorized broker or, if applicable, a broker’s authorized designee, accepts the order.  The customer order will be priced at the Fund’s NAV next computed after acceptance by an authorized broker or the broker’s authorized designee. In addition, a broker may charge transaction fees on the purchase or sale of Fund shares.  Also in connection with fund supermarket arrangements, the performance of the Fund may be compared in publications to the performance of various indices and investments for which reliable performance data is available and compared in publications to averages, performance rankings, or other information prepared by recognized mutual fund statistical services.
 
The Touchstone Funds are intended for sale to residents of the U.S., and, with very limited exceptions, are not registered or otherwise offered for sale in other jurisdictions. The above restrictions are generally not applicable to sales in U.S. territories or to diplomatic staff members or members of the U.S. military with an APO or FPO address outside of the U.S. Investors are responsible for compliance with tax, securities, currency exchange or other regulations applicable to redemption and purchase transactions in any state or jurisdiction to which they may be subject. Investors should consult with their financial intermediary and appropriate tax and legal advisors to obtain information on the rules applicable to these transactions.
 
The shares of the Fund may not be directly or indirectly offered or distributed in any country outside of the U.S. If an investor becomes a resident of another jurisdiction after purchasing shares of the Fund, the investor will not be able to purchase any additional shares of the Fund (other than reinvestment of dividends and capital gains) or exchange shares of the Fund for other U.S. registered Touchstone Funds.
 
Class A Shares. For initial purchases of Class A shares of $1 million or more and subsequent purchases further increasing the size of an individual shareholder account, participating dealers may receive compensation of up to 1.00% (a “Finder's Fee”) of such purchases from Touchstone Securities according to the following schedule:
 

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Amount of Investment
Finder's Fee
$1 million but less than $3 million
1.00
%
$3 million but less than $5 million
0.75
%
$5 million but less than $25 million
0.50
%
$25 million or more
0.25
%
 
The Distributor does not have an annual reset for Finder's Fees. In determining a dealer’s eligibility for a Finder's Fee, purchases of Class A shares of an individual shareholder account in a Touchstone Fund may be aggregated with concurrent purchases of Class A shares of other Touchstone Funds for that individual shareholder. If a commission was paid to a participating dealer and the Class A shares are redeemed within a year of their purchase, a contingent deferred sales charge (“CDSC”) of up to 1.00% will be charged on the redemption. Dealers should contact the Distributor for more information on the calculation of the dealer’s commission in the case of combined purchases.
 
A dealer is eligible for a Finder's Fee only if the dealer has not previously received a Dealer Fee on the assets used to meet the required investment amount. Similarly, an exchange from any other Touchstone Fund will not qualify for a Dealer Fee unless the dealer did not receive any compensation on those assets at the time of the initial investment. In all cases the Distributor reserves the right to deny payment of a Dealer Fee if it reasonably believes such a fee has already been paid on those assets.
 
Share Class Conversions. Class A and Class C shareholders who are eligible to invest in Class Y shares or Institutional Class shares are eligible to exchange their Class A shares and/or Class C shares for Class Y shares or Institutional Class shares of the same fund, if offered in their state and such an exchange can be accommodated by their financial institution. Class Y shares may be available through financial institutions that have appropriate selling agreements with Touchstone Securities, or through “processing organizations” (e.g., mutual fund supermarkets) that purchase shares for their customers. No front-end sales charges will apply to any such exchange, however, if the Class C share assets have been held less than 12 months and a 1% commission was paid to the broker at the time of purchase. A 1% CDSC will be assessed on the exchange transaction, which may be processed as a liquidation and a purchase. Class Y shareholders that meet the required minimum for Institutional Class shares may exchange their Class Y shares for Institutional Class shares within the Fund if offered in their state and if such an exchange can be accommodated by their financial institution.

For federal income tax purposes, exchanges of one share class for a different share class of the same fund (even if processed as a liquidation and a purchase) should not result in the realization by the investor of a capital gain or loss. There can be no assurance of any particular tax treatment, however, and you are urged and advised to consult with your own tax advisor before entering into a share class exchange.
 
Financial intermediaries may convert shares in a customer or client’s account to a more expensive share class if prior to the conversion the intermediary determines that the higher priced share class is more suitable to the customer’s interests and the intermediary discloses any additional compensation to the customer, including revenue sharing arrangements with the Advisor or the Distributor.
 
If a financial institution, processing organization or intermediary (a “converting entity”) is initiating a share class conversion(s) for Touchstone Funds on a platform, then the converting entity should contact Touchstone Securities at least 60 days in advance and obtain Touchstone Securities’ approval of the share class conversion.

Additional Information on the CDSC. The CDSC is waived under the following circumstances:
 
Any partial or complete redemption following death or disability (as defined in the Code) of a shareholder (including one who owns the shares with his or her spouse as a joint tenant with rights of survivorship) from an account in which the deceased or disabled is named. Touchstone Securities may require documentation prior to waiver of the charge, including death certificates, physicians’ certificates, etc.
 
Redemptions from a systematic withdrawal plan. If the systematic withdrawal plan is based on a fixed dollar amount or number of shares, systematic withdrawal redemptions are limited to no more than 10% of your account value or number of shares per year, as of the date the transfer agent receives your request. If the systematic withdrawal plan is based on a fixed percentage of your account value, each redemption is limited to an amount that would not exceed 10% of your annual account value at the time of withdrawal.
 
Redemptions from retirement plans qualified under Section 401 of the Code. The CDSC will be waived for benefit payments made by Touchstone directly to plan participants. Benefit payments will include, but are not limited to,

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payments resulting from death, disability, retirement, separation from service, required minimum distributions (as described under Section 401(a)(9) of the Code), in-service distributions, hardships, loans and qualified domestic relations orders. The CDSC waiver will not apply in the event of termination of the plan or transfer of the plan to another financial institution.
 
Redemptions that are mandatory withdrawals from a traditional IRA account after age 70½.
 
General. All sales charges imposed on redemptions are paid to Touchstone Securities. In determining whether the CDSC is payable, it is assumed that shares not subject to the CDSC are the first redeemed followed by other shares held for the longest period of time. The CDSC will not be imposed upon shares representing reinvested dividends or capital gains distributions, or upon amounts representing share appreciation.
 
CDSC for Certain Redemptions of Class A Shares.  A CDSC is imposed upon certain redemptions of Class A shares of the Fund (or shares into which such Class A shares were exchanged) purchased at NAV in amounts totaling $1 million or more, if the dealer’s commission described above was paid by Touchstone Securities and the shares are redeemed within one year from the date of purchase.  The CDSC will be paid to Touchstone Securities and will be equal to the commission percentage paid at the time of purchase as applied to the lesser of (1) the NAV at the time of purchase of the Class A shares being redeemed, or (2) the NAV of such Class A shares at the time of redemption.  If a purchase of Class A shares is subject to the CDSC, you will be notified on the confirmation you receive for your purchase.  Redemptions of such Class A shares of the Fund held for at least one year will not be subject to the CDSC.
 
Examples.  The following example will illustrate the operation of the CDSC.  Assume that you open an account and purchase 1,000 shares at $10 per share and that six months later the NAV per share is $12 and, during such time, you have acquired 50 additional shares through reinvestment of distributions.  If at such time you should redeem 450 shares (totaling proceeds of $5,400), then 50 shares will not be subject to the charge because of dividend reinvestment.  With respect to the remaining 400 shares, the charge is applied only to the original cost of $10 per share and not to the increase in NAV of $2 per share.  Therefore, $4,000 of the $5,400 redemption proceeds will pay the charge.  At the rate of 1.00%, the CDSC would be $40 for redemptions of Class C shares.   In determining whether an amount is available for redemption without incurring a deferred sales charge, the purchase payments made for all shares in your account are aggregated.

OTHER PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION INFORMATION
 
Waiver of Minimum Investment Requirements.  The minimum and subsequent investment requirements for purchases in the Fund may not apply to:
 
1.  Any director, officer or other employee (and their immediate family members, as defined below) of Western & Southern Financial Group, any of its affiliates, or any portfolio advisor or service provider to the Trust.

2. Any employee benefit plan that is provided administrative services by a third-party administrator that has entered into a special service arrangement with Touchstone Securities.
 
The minimum investment waivers are not available for Institutional Class shares of the Fund.

Waiver of Class A Sales Charges.  In addition to the categories of purchasers described in the prospectus for whom the sales charge on purchases of Class A shares of the Fund may be waived, Class A shares issued or purchased in the following transactions are not subject to sales charges (and no concessions are paid by Touchstone Securities on such purchases):
 
1. purchases into the Fund by any director, officer, employee* (and their immediate family members, as defined below**), or current separate account client of or referral by a sub-advisor to that particular Fund;
 
2. purchases by any director, officer or other employee (and their immediate family members, as defined below) of Western & Southern Financial Group or any of its affiliates; and
 
3. purchases by any employees of BNY Mellon, who provide services for the Touchstone Funds.
 
Exemptions must be qualified in advance by Touchstone Securities.  At the option of the Trust, the front-end sales charge may be included on purchases by such persons in the future.
 
*The term “employee” is deemed to include current and retired employees.

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**Immediate family members are defined as the parents, mother-in-law or father-in-law, spouse, brother or sister, brother-in-law or sister-in-law, son-in-law or daughter-in-law and children of a registered representative or employee and any other individual to whom the registered representative or employee provides material support.

Waiver of Class A Sales Charge for Clients of Financial Intermediaries. Touchstone Securities has agreed to waive the Class A sales charge for clients of financial intermediaries that have entered into an agreement with Touchstone Securities to offer shares to self-directed investment brokerage accounts that may or may not charge a transaction fee to their customers.
 
Shareholders who are eligible for the sales charge waivers listed above may open an account with the Fund directly to receive the sales charge waiver.
 
Purchases in-Kind. In limited circumstances and subject to the prior consent of the Fund, the Fund may accept payment for shares in securities. Shares may be purchased by tendering payment in-kind in the form of marketable securities, including but not limited to shares of common stock, provided the acquisition of such securities is consistent with the applicable Fund’s investment goal and is otherwise acceptable to the Advisor. Transactions of this type are generally a taxable transaction. Before purchasing shares by tendering payment in-kind, investors are urged and advised to consult with their own tax advisor regarding the tax consequences of such a transaction.
 
Redemptions in-Kind. Under unusual circumstances, when the Board deems it in the best interests of the Fund’s shareholders, the Fund may make payment for shares repurchased or redeemed in whole or in part in securities of the Fund taken at current value. Should payment be made in securities, the redeeming shareholder will bear the market risk until the securities are sold and the redeeming shareholder will generally incur brokerage costs and other costs in converting such securities to cash. Portfolio securities that are issued in an in-kind redemption will be readily marketable. The Trust has filed an irrevocable election with the SEC under Rule 18f-1 of the 1940 Act wherein the Fund is committed to pay redemptions in cash, rather than in-kind, to any shareholder of record of the Fund who redeems during any ninety-day period, the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of the Fund’s NAV at the beginning of such period. Redemptions in-kind are taxable for federal income tax purposes in the same manner as redemptions for cash.
 
Undeliverable Checks.  Dividend and distribution checks issued from non-retirement accounts for less than $25.00 will be automatically reinvested in the Fund that pays them. If you elect to receive your dividends and distributions of $25.00 or more in cash, and the payment is returned as “undeliverable”, the outstanding payment on your account will be cancelled and the proceeds will be reinvested in the Fund at the per share NAV determined as of the date of cancellation. If your redemption proceeds are returned as “undeliverable”, your account will be considered a lost shareholder account, correspondence will be sent to you requesting that you contact the Fund, and the outstanding payment will be deposited into an account for potential escheatment to your state of residence. Upon contact, the Fund will no longer consider your account to be a lost shareholder account, and your outstanding payment will be reissued to your corrected address.
 
Uncashed Checks. All uncashed checks on your account will appear with your monthly or quarterly statement for your convenience. If your redemption proceeds, dividend, or distribution check is not cashed within six months (an “outstanding payment”), the outstanding payment on your account will be cancelled and the proceeds will be reinvested in the Fund at the per share NAV determined as of the date of cancellation. In the event the proceeds represent a full liquidation or a distribution from a retirement account, the proceeds will be deposited into a nonretirement account for you and invested in the Touchstone Ultra Short Duration Fixed Income Fund. In addition, if the payment was for dividends or distributions, your
cash election will be automatically changed and future dividends and distributions will be reinvested in the Fund at the per share NAV determined as of the date of payment.
 
For redemption checks returned as “undeliverable”, the check will be voided and deposited into a lost shareholder account for the Fund. If the account holder contacts the Fund and provides proper documentation to update the address on the account, a check for the previously voided amount will be re-issued to the shareholder and sent to the new address of record.
 
Fund Shares Purchased by Check. We may delay the processing and payment of a redemption request for shares you recently purchased by check until your check clears, which may take up to 15 days. If you need your money sooner, you should purchase shares by bank wire.
 
Low Account Balances (Only applicable for shares held through Touchstone Securities directly). If your balance falls below the minimum amount required for your account, based on actual amounts you have invested (as opposed to a reduction from market changes), Touchstone Securities may sell your shares and send the proceeds to you. Touchstone Securities will notify you if your shares are about to be sold and you will have 30 days to increase your account balance to the minimum amount.
 

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Facilitated Transfers.  In the event an existing Touchstone shareholder wishes to move money between their Touchstone mutual fund account and a money market fund, Touchstone has partnered with The Dreyfus Corporation to help facilitate this type of transaction pursuant to certain limitations. Please contact Touchstone Shareholder Services at 1.800.543.0407 for more information if you are interested in pursuing this type of transaction.

TAXES
 
The following discussion summarizes certain U.S. federal income tax considerations affecting the Fund and its shareholders.  This discussion is for general information only and does not purport to consider all aspects of U.S. federal income taxation that might be relevant to beneficial owners of shares of the Fund.  Therefore, this summary should not be considered to be individual tax advice and may not be relied upon by any shareholder.  The summary is based upon current provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), applicable U.S. Treasury Regulations (the “Regulations”), and administrative and judicial interpretations thereof, all of which are subject to change, which change could be retroactive, and may affect the conclusions expressed herein.  The summary applies only to beneficial owners of the Fund’s shares in whose hands such shares are capital assets within the meaning of Section 1221 of the Code, and may not apply to certain types of beneficial owners of the Fund’s shares, including, but not limited to insurance companies, tax-exempt organizations, shareholders holding the Fund’s shares through tax-advantaged accounts (such as an IRA, a 401(k) plan account, or other qualified retirement account), financial institutions, pass-through entities, broker-dealers, entities that are not organized under the laws of the United States or a political subdivision thereof, persons who are neither a citizen nor resident of the United States, shareholders holding the Fund’s shares as part of a hedge, straddle, or conversion transaction, and shareholders who are subject to the alternative minimum tax.  Persons who may be subject to tax in more than one country should consult the provisions of any applicable tax treaty to determine the potential tax consequences to them.
 
The Fund has not requested nor will the Fund request an advance ruling from the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) as to the federal income tax matters described below.  The IRS could adopt positions contrary to those discussed below and such positions could be sustained.  In addition, the following discussion applicable to shareholders of the Fund addresses only some of the federal income tax considerations generally affecting investments in the Fund.
 
Shareholders are urged and advised to consult their own tax advisor with respect to the tax consequences of the ownership, purchase and disposition of an investment in the Fund including, but not limited to, the applicability of state, local, foreign and other tax laws affecting the particular shareholder and to possible effects of changes in federal or other tax laws.
 
General.  For federal income tax purposes, the Fund is treated as a separate corporation.  The Fund has elected, and intends to continue to qualify for, taxation as a regulated investment company (a “RIC”) under the Code.  By qualifying as a RIC, the Fund (but not the shareholders) will not be subject to federal income tax on that portion of its investment company taxable income and realized net capital gains that it distributes to its shareholders.
 
Shareholders should be aware that investments made by the Fund, some of which are described below, may involve complex tax rules some of which may result in income or gain recognition by the Fund without the concurrent receipt of cash.  Although the Fund seeks to avoid significant noncash income, such noncash income could be recognized by the Fund, in which case it may distribute cash derived from other sources in order to meet the minimum distribution requirements described below.  Cash to make the required minimum distributions may be obtained from sales proceeds of securities held by the Fund (even if such sales are not advantageous) or, if permitted by its governing documents and other regulatory restrictions, through borrowing the amounts required to be distributed.
 
Qualification As A Regulated Investment Company.  Qualification as a RIC under the Code requires, among other things, that the Fund: (a) derive at least 90% of its gross income for each taxable year from (i) dividends, interest, payments with respect to securities loans and gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities or foreign currencies, or other
income (including but not limited to gains from options, futures and forward contracts) derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock, securities or currencies, and (ii) net income from interests in qualified publicly traded partnerships (together with (i), the “Qualifying Income Requirement”); (b) diversify its holdings so that, at the close of each quarter of the taxable year: (i) at least 50% of the value of its assets is comprised of cash, cash items (including receivables), U.S. government securities, securities of other RICs and other securities, with those other securities limited, in respect of any one issuer, to an amount that does not exceed 5% of the value of its total assets and that does not represent more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer; and (ii) not more than 25% of the value of its assets is invested 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 other RICs) of two or more issuers controlled by it and engaged in the same, similar or related trades or businesses, or the securities of one or more “qualified publicly traded partnerships” (together with (i) the “Diversification Requirement”); and (c) distribute for each taxable year at least the sum of (i) 90% of its investment company taxable income (which includes dividends, taxable interest,

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taxable original issue discount income, market discount income, income from securities lending, net short-term capital gain in excess of net long-term capital loss, certain net realized foreign currency exchange gains, and any other taxable income other than “net capital gain” as defined below and is reduced by deductible expenses) determined without regard to any deduction for dividends paid; and (ii) 90% of its tax-exempt interest, if any, net of certain expenses allocable thereto (“net tax-exempt interest”).
 
The U.S. Treasury Department is authorized to promulgate regulations under which gains from foreign currencies (and options, futures, and forward contracts on foreign currency) would constitute qualifying income for purposes of the Qualifying Income Requirement only if such gains are directly related to the principal business of the Fund of investing in stock or securities or options and futures with respect to stock or securities.  To date, such regulations have not been issued.
 
As a RIC, the Fund generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on the portion of its income and capital gains that it distributes to its shareholders in any taxable year for which it distributes, in compliance with the Code’s timing and other requirements at least 90% of its investment company taxable income (determined without regard to the deduction for dividends paid) and at least 90% of its net tax-exempt interest.  The Fund may retain for investment all or a portion of its net capital gain (i.e., the excess of its net long-term capital gain over its net short-term capital loss).  If the Fund retains any investment company taxable income or net capital gain, it will be subject to tax at regular corporate rates on the amount retained.  If the Fund retains any net capital gain, it may designate the retained amount as undistributed net capital gain in a notice to its shareholders, who will be (i) required to include in income for federal income tax purposes, as long-term capital gain, their shares of such undistributed amount; and (ii) entitled to credit their proportionate shares of tax paid by the Fund against their federal income tax liabilities, if any, and to claim refunds to the extent the credit exceeds such liabilities.  For federal income tax purposes, the tax basis of the shares owned by a shareholder of the Fund will be increased by the amount of undistributed net capital gain included in the shareholder’s gross income and decreased by the federal income tax paid by the Fund on that amount of capital gain.
 
The Qualifying Income Requirement and Diversification Requirement that must be met under the Code in order for the Fund to qualify as a RIC, as described above, may limit the extent to which it will be able to engage in derivative transactions.  Rules governing the federal income tax aspects of derivatives, including swap agreements, are not entirely clear in certain respects, particularly in light of two IRS revenue rulings issued in 2006.  Revenue Ruling 2006-1 held that income from a derivative contract with respect to a commodity index is not qualifying income for a RIC.  Subsequently, the IRS issued Revenue Ruling 2006-31 in which it stated that the holding in Revenue Ruling 2006-1 “was not intended to preclude a conclusion that the income from certain instruments (such as certain structured notes) that create a commodity exposure for the holder is qualifying income.”  Accordingly, the Qualifying Income Requirement may limit the Fund’s ability to invest in commodity related derivative transactions and other derivative transactions. The Fund will account for any investments in commodity derivative transactions in a manner it deems to be appropriate; the IRS, however, might not accept such treatment.  If the IRS did not accept such treatment, the status of the Fund as a RIC might be jeopardized.
 
In general, for purposes of the Qualifying Income Requirement described above, income derived from a partnership is treated as qualifying income only to the extent such income is attributable to items of income of the partnership which would be qualifying income if realized directly by the RIC.  However, all of the net income of a RIC derived from an interest in a qualified publicly traded partnership (defined as a partnership (x) the interests in which are traded on an established securities market or are readily tradable on a secondary market or the substantial equivalent thereof, and (y) that derives less than 90% of its income from the qualifying income described in clause (i) of the Qualifying Income Requirement described above) will be treated as qualifying income.  In general, such entities will be treated as partnerships for federal income tax purposes if they meet the passive income requirement under Section 7704(c)(2) of the Code.  In addition, although in general the passive loss rules of the Code do not apply to RICs, such rules do apply to a RIC with respect to items attributable to an interest in a qualified publicly traded partnership.

For purposes of the Diversification Requirement described above, the term “outstanding voting securities of such issuer” will include the equity securities of a qualified publicly traded partnership.
 
If the Fund fails to satisfy the Qualifying Income Requirement or the Diversification Requirement in any taxable year, it 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 to satisfy the Diversification Requirements where the Fund corrects the failure within a specified period of time.  If the applicable relief provisions are not available or cannot be met, the Fund will fail to qualify as a RIC and will be subject to tax in the same manner as an ordinary corporation subject to tax on a graduated basis with a maximum tax rate of 35% and all distributions from earnings and profits (as determined under U.S. federal income tax principles) to its shareholders will be

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taxable as ordinary dividend income eligible for the dividends-received deduction for corporate shareholders and for qualified dividend income treatment for non-corporate shareholders.
 
Excise Tax.  If the Fund fails to distribute by December 31 of each calendar year an amount equal to the sum of (1) at least 98% of its taxable ordinary income (excluding capital gains and losses) for such year, (2) at least 98.2% of the excess of its capital gains over its capital losses (as adjusted for certain ordinary losses) for the twelve month period ending on October 31 of such year, and (3) all taxable ordinary income and the excess of capital gains over capital losses for the prior year that were not distributed during such year and on which it did not pay federal income tax, the Fund will be subject to a nondeductible 4% excise tax (the “Excise Tax”) on the undistributed amounts.  A distribution will be treated as paid on December 31 of the calendar year if it is declared by the Fund in October, November, or December of that year to shareholders of record on a date in such month and paid by it during January of the following year.  Such distributions will be taxable to shareholders (other than those not subject to federal income tax) in the calendar year in which the distributions are declared, rather than the calendar year in which the distributions are received.  The Fund generally intends to actually distribute or be deemed to have distributed substantially all of its net income and gain, if any, by the end of each calendar year in compliance with these requirements so that it will generally not be required to pay the Excise Tax.  The Fund may in certain circumstances be required to liquidate its investments in order to make sufficient distributions to avoid the Excise Tax liability at a time when its Advisor might not otherwise have chosen to do so.  Liquidation of investments in such circumstances may affect the ability of the Fund to satisfy the requirements for qualification as a RIC.  However, no assurances can be given that the Fund will not be subject to the Excise Tax and, in fact, in certain instances if warranted, the Fund may choose to pay the Excise Tax as opposed to making an additional distribution.
 
Capital Loss Carryforwards.  The Fund may carry capital losses forward indefinitely.  For capital losses realized, the excess of the Fund’s net short-term capital losses over its net long-term capital gain is treated as short-term capital losses arising on the first day of the Fund’s next taxable year and the excess of the Fund’s net long-term capital losses over its net short-term capital gain is treated as long-term capital losses arising on the first day of the Fund’s next taxable year. If future capital gains are offset by carried forward capital losses, such future capital gains are not subject to Fund-level federal income taxation, regardless of whether they are distributed to shareholders.  The Fund cannot carry back or carry forward any net operating losses.
 
Constructive Sales.  Certain rules may affect the timing and character of gain if the Fund engages in transactions that reduce or eliminate its risk of loss with respect to appreciated financial positions.  If the Fund enters into certain transactions (including a short sale, an offsetting notional principal contract, a futures, or forward contract, or other transactions identified in U.S. Treasury regulations) in property while holding an appreciated financial position in substantially identical property, it will be treated as if it had sold and immediately repurchased the appreciated financial position and will be taxed on any gain (but not loss) from the constructive sale.  The character of gain from a constructive sale will depend upon the Fund’s holding period in the appreciated financial position.  Loss from a constructive sale would be recognized when the position was subsequently disposed of, and its character would depend on the Fund’s holding period and the application of various loss deferral provisions of the Code.
 
In addition, if the appreciated financial position is itself a short sale, acquisition of the underlying property or substantially identical property by the Fund will be deemed a constructive sale.  The foregoing will not apply, however, to the Fund’s transaction during any taxable year that otherwise would be treated as a constructive sale if the transaction is closed within 30 days after the end of that year and the Fund holds the appreciated financial position unhedged for 60 days after that closing (i.e., at no time during that 60-day period is the Fund’s risk of loss regarding the position reduced by reason of certain specified transactions with respect to substantially identical or related property, such as having an option to sell, being contractually obligated to sell, making a short sale, or granting an option to buy substantially identical stock or securities).
 
Wash Sales.  The Fund may in certain circumstances be impacted by special rules relating to “wash sales.”  In general, the wash sale rules prevent the recognition of a loss by the Fund from the disposition of stock or securities at a loss in a case in
which identical or substantially identical stock or securities (or an option to acquire such property) is or has been acquired by it within 30 days before or after the sale.
 
Short Sales.  The Fund may make short sales of securities.  Short sales may increase the amount of short-term capital gain realized by the Fund, which is taxed as ordinary income when distributed to its shareholders.  Short sales also may be subject to the “Constructive Sales” rules, discussed above.
 
Other Regulated Investment Companies.  Generally, the character of the income or capital gains that the Fund receives from another investment company will pass through to the Fund’s shareholders as long as the Fund and the other investment company each qualify as RICs under the Code.  However, to the extent that another investment company that qualifies as a RIC

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realizes net losses on its investments for a given taxable year, the Fund will not be able to recognize its share of those losses until it disposes of shares of such investment company.  Moreover, even when the Fund does make such a disposition, a portion of its loss may be recognized as a long-term capital loss, which will not be treated as favorably for federal income tax purposes as an ordinary deduction.  In particular, the Fund will not be able to offset any capital losses from its dispositions of shares of other investment companies against its ordinary income.  As a result of the foregoing rules, and certain other special rules, it is possible that the amounts of net investment income and net capital gains that the Fund will be required to distribute to shareholders will be greater than such amounts would have been had the Fund invested directly in the securities held by the investment companies in which it invests, rather than investing in shares of the investment companies.  For similar reasons, the character of distributions from the Fund (e.g., long-term capital gain, qualified dividend income, etc.) will not necessarily be the same as it would have been had the Fund invested directly in the securities held by the investment companies in which it invests.
 
Passive Foreign Investment Companies.  The Fund may invest in a non-U.S. corporation, which could be treated as a passive foreign investment company (a “PFIC”) or become a PFIC under the Code.  A PFIC is generally defined as a foreign corporation that meets either of the following tests: (1) at least 75% of its gross income for its taxable year is income from passive sources (such as interest, dividends, certain rents and royalties, or capital gains); or (2) an average of at least 50% of its assets produce, or are held for the production of, such passive income.  If the Fund acquires any equity interest in a PFIC, it could be subject to federal income tax and interest charges on “excess distributions” received with respect to such PFIC stock or on any gain from the sale of such PFIC stock (collectively “PFIC income”), plus interest thereon even if the Fund distributes the PFIC income as a taxable dividend to its shareholders.  The balance of the PFIC income will be included in the Fund’s investment company taxable income and, accordingly, will not be taxable to it to the extent it distributes that income to its shareholders.  The Fund’s distributions of PFIC income will be taxable as ordinary income even though, absent the application of the PFIC rules, some portion of the distributions may have been classified as capital gain.
 
The Fund will not be permitted to pass through to its shareholders any credit or deduction for taxes and interest charges incurred with respect to a PFIC.  Payment of this tax would therefore reduce the Fund’s economic return from its investment in PFIC shares.  To the extent the Fund invests in a PFIC, it may elect to treat the PFIC as a “qualified electing fund” (“QEF”), then instead of the tax and interest obligation described above on excess distributions, the Fund would be required to include in income each taxable year its pro rata share of the QEF’s annual ordinary earnings and net capital gain.  As a result of a QEF election, the Fund would likely have to distribute to its shareholders an amount equal to the QEF’s annual ordinary earnings and net capital gain to satisfy the Code’s minimum distribution requirement described herein and avoid imposition of the Excise Tax even if the QEF did not distribute those earnings and gain to the Fund.  In most instances it will be very difficult, if not impossible, to make this election because of certain requirements in making the election.
 
The Fund may elect to “mark-to-market” its stock in any PFIC.  “Marking-to-market,” in this context, means including in ordinary income each taxable year the excess, if any, of the fair market value of the PFIC stock over the Fund’s adjusted basis therein as of the end of that year.  Pursuant to the election, the Fund also may deduct (as an ordinary, not capital, loss) the excess, if any, of its adjusted basis in the PFIC stock over the fair market value thereof as of the taxable year-end, but
only to the extent of any net mark-to-market gains with respect to that stock it included in income for prior taxable years under the election.  The Fund’s adjusted basis in its PFIC stock subject to the election would be adjusted to reflect the amounts of income included and deductions taken thereunder.  In either case, the Fund may be required to recognize taxable income or gain without the concurrent receipt of cash.
 
Foreign Currency Transactions.  Foreign currency gains and losses realized by the Fund in connection with certain transactions involving foreign currency-denominated debt instruments, certain options, futures contracts, forward contracts, and similar instruments relating to foreign currency, foreign currencies, and foreign currency-denominated payables and receivables are subject to Section 988 of the Code, which causes such gains and losses to be treated as ordinary income or loss and may affect the amount and timing of recognition of the Fund’s income.  In some cases elections may be available that would alter this treatment, but such elections could be detrimental to the Fund by creating current recognition of income without the concurrent recognition of cash.  If a foreign currency loss treated as an ordinary loss under Section 988 were to exceed the Fund’s investment company taxable income (computed without regard to such loss) for a taxable year the resulting loss would not be deductible by it or its shareholders in future years.  The foreign currency income or loss will also increase or decrease the Fund’s investment company income distributable to its shareholders.
 
Foreign Taxation.  Income received by the Fund from sources within foreign countries may be subject to foreign withholding and other taxes.  Tax conventions between certain countries and the United States may reduce or eliminate such taxes.  If more than 50% of the Fund’s total assets at the close of any taxable year consist of stock or securities of foreign corporations, the Fund may file an election (the “pass-through election”) with the IRS pursuant to which shareholders of the Fund would be required to (i) include in gross income (in addition to taxable dividends actually received) their pro rata shares of foreign

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income taxes paid by the Fund even though not actually received by such shareholders; and (ii) treat such respective pro rata portions as foreign income taxes paid by them.  The Fund will furnish its shareholders with a written statement providing the amount of foreign taxes paid by the Fund that will “pass-through” for the year, if any.
 
Generally, a credit for foreign taxes is subject to the limitation that it may not exceed the shareholder’s U.S. tax attributable to his or her total foreign source taxable income.  For this purpose, if the pass-through election is made, the source of the Fund’s income will flow through to shareholders.  The limitation on the foreign tax credit is applied separately to foreign source passive income, and to certain other types of income.  Shareholders may be unable to claim a credit for the full amount of their proportionate share of the foreign taxes paid by the Fund.  Various limitations, including a minimum holding period requirement, apply to limit the credit and deduction for foreign taxes for purposes of regular federal income tax and alternative minimum tax.
 
Distributions.  Distributions paid out of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits (as determined at the end of the year), whether reinvested in additional shares or paid in cash, are generally taxable and must be reported by each shareholder who is required to file a federal income tax return.  Distributions in excess of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits, as computed for federal income tax purposes, will first be treated as a return of capital up to the amount of a shareholder’s tax basis in his or her shares and then as capital gain.

For federal income tax purposes, distributions of net investment income are generally taxable as ordinary income, and distributions of gains from the sale of investments that the Fund owned for one year or less will be taxable as ordinary income.  Distributions designated by the Fund as “capital gain dividends” (distributions from the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital losses) will be taxable to shareholders as long-term capital gain regardless of the length of time they have held their shares of the Fund.  Such dividends do not qualify as dividends for purposes of the dividends received deduction or for qualified dividend income purposes as described below.
 
Distributions of “qualified dividend income” received by non-corporate shareholders of the Fund may be eligible for the long-term capital gain rate.  The Fund’s distribution will be treated as qualified dividend income and therefore eligible for the long-term capital gain rate to the extent it receives dividend income from taxable domestic corporations and certain qualified foreign corporations, provided that certain holding period and other requirements are met.  A corporate shareholder of the Fund may be eligible for the dividends received deduction on the Fund’s distributions attributable to dividends received by the Fund from domestic corporations, which, if received directly by the corporate shareholder, would qualify for such a deduction.  For eligible corporate shareholders, the dividends received deduction may be subject to certain reductions, and a distribution by the Fund attributable to dividends of a domestic corporation will be eligible for the deduction only if certain holding period and other requirements are met.
 
Shareholders may also be subject to a 3.8% Medicare contribution tax on net investment income including interest (excluding tax-exempt interest), dividends, and capital gains of U.S. individuals with income exceeding $200,000 ($250,000 if married and filing jointly) and of estates and trusts.
 
The Fund will furnish a statement to shareholders providing the federal income tax status of its dividends and distributions including the portion of such dividends, if any, that qualifies as long-term capital gain.
 
Different tax treatment, including penalties on certain excess contributions and deferrals, certain pre-retirement and post-retirement distributions, and certain prohibited transactions, is accorded to accounts maintained as qualified retirement plans.
 
Shareholders are urged and advised to consult their own tax advisors for more information.
 
Purchases of Fund Shares.  Prior to purchasing shares in the Fund, the impact of dividends or distributions which are expected to be or have been declared, but not paid, should be carefully considered.  Any dividend or distribution declared shortly after a purchase of shares of the Fund prior to the record date will have the effect of reducing the per share NAV by the per share amount of the dividend or distribution, and to the extent the distribution consists of the Fund’s taxable income, the purchasing shareholder will be taxed on the taxable portion of the dividend or distribution received even though some or all of the amount distributed is effectively a return of capital.
 
Sales, Exchanges, or Redemptions.  Upon the disposition of shares of the Fund (whether by redemption, sale or exchange), a shareholder may realize a capital gain or loss.  Such capital gain or loss will be long-term or short-term depending upon the shareholder’s holding period for the shares.  The capital gain will be long-term if the shares were held for more than 12 months and short-term if held for 12 months or less.  If a shareholder sells or exchanges Fund shares within 90 days of having acquired such shares and if, before January 31 of the calendar year following the calendar year of the sale or exchange, as a result of

37



having initially acquired those shares, the shareholder subsequently pays a reduced sales charge on a new purchase of shares of the Fund or another Fund, the sales charge previously incurred in acquiring the Fund’s shares generally shall not be taken into account (to the extent the previous sales charges do not exceed the reduction in sales charges on the new purchase) for the purpose of determining the amount of gain or loss on the disposition, but generally will be treated as having been incurred in the new purchase.  Any loss realized on a disposition will be disallowed under the “wash sale” rules to the extent that the shares disposed of by the shareholder are replaced by the shareholder (including through dividend reinvestment) within a period of 61 days beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the date of disposition.  In such a case, the basis of the shares acquired will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss.  Any loss realized by a shareholder on a disposition of shares held by the shareholder for six months or less will be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any distributions of capital gain dividends received by the shareholder and disallowed to the extent of any distributions of exempt-interest dividends received by the shareholder with respect to such shares.  Capital losses are generally deductible only against capital gains except that individuals may deduct up to $3,000 of capital losses against ordinary income.
 
The 3.8% Medicare contribution tax (described above) will apply to gains from the sale or exchange of the Fund’s shares.
 
Backup Withholding.  The Fund generally is required to withhold, and remit to the U.S. Treasury, subject to certain exemptions, an amount equal to 28% of all distributions and redemption proceeds paid or credited to a shareholder of the Fund if (i) the shareholder fails to furnish the Fund with the correct taxpayer identification number (“TIN”) certified under
penalties of perjury, (ii) the shareholder fails to provide a certified statement that the shareholder is not subject to backup withholding, or (iii) the IRS or a broker has notified the Fund that the number furnished by the shareholder is incorrect or that the shareholder is subject to backup withholding as a result of failure to report interest or dividend income.  If the backup withholding provisions are applicable, any such distributions or proceeds, whether taken in cash or reinvested in shares, will be reduced by the amounts required to be withheld.  Backup withholding is not an additional tax.  Any amounts withheld may be credited against a shareholder’s U.S. federal income tax liability.
 
State And Local Taxes.  State and local laws often differ from federal income tax laws with respect to the treatment of specific items of income, gain, loss, deduction and credit.
 
Non-U.S. Shareholders.  Distributions made to non-U.S. shareholders attributable to net investment income generally are subject to U.S. federal income tax withholding at a 30% rate (or such lower rate provided under an applicable income tax treaty).
 
If a distribution described above is effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business carried on by a non-U.S. shareholder within the United States (or, if an income tax treaty applies, is attributable to a permanent establishment in the United States), federal income tax withholding and exemptions attributable to foreign persons will not apply and such distribution will be subject to the federal income tax, reporting and withholding requirements generally applicable to U.S. persons described above.
 
Under U.S. federal tax law, a non-U.S. shareholder is not, in general, subject to federal income tax or withholding tax on capital gains (and is not allowed a deduction for losses) realized on the sale of shares of the Fund or on capital gain dividends, provided that the Fund obtains a properly completed and signed certificate of foreign status, unless (i) such gains or distributions are effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business carried on by the non-U.S. shareholder within the United States (or, if an income tax treaty applies, are attributable to a permanent establishment in the United States of the non-U.S. shareholder); or (ii) in the case of an individual non-U.S. shareholder, the shareholder is present in the United States for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the year of the sale and certain other conditions are met.
 
Subject to the additional rules described herein, federal income tax withholding will apply to distributions attributable to dividends and other investment income distributed by the Fund.  The federal income tax withholding rate may be reduced (and, in some cases, eliminated) under an applicable tax treaty between the United States and the non-U.S. shareholder’s
country of residence or incorporation.  In order to qualify for treaty benefits, a non-U.S. shareholder must comply with applicable certification requirements relating to its foreign status (generally by providing the Fund with a properly completed Form W-8BEN).
 
The Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (“FATCA”) generally requires the Fund to obtain information sufficient to identify the status of each of its shareholders.  If a shareholder fails to provide this information or otherwise fails to comply with FATCA, the Fund may be required to withhold under FATCA at a rate of 30% with respect to that shareholder on the Fund’s dividends and distributions and on the proceeds of the sale, redemption, or exchange of the Fund’s shares.  The Fund may disclose the information that it receives from (or concerning) its shareholders to the IRS, non-U.S. taxing authorities or other parties as necessary to comply with FATCA, related intergovernmental agreements or other applicable law or regulation. Each

38



investor is urged to consult its tax advisor regarding the applicability of FATCA and any other reporting requirements with respect to the investor’s own situation, including investments through an intermediary.
 
Foreign Bank And Financial Accounts And Foreign Financial Assets Reporting Requirements.  A shareholder that owns directly or indirectly more than 50% by vote or value of the Fund, is urged and advised to consult its own tax advisor regarding its filing obligations with respect to FinCen Form 114, Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts.
 
Tax-Exempt Shareholders.  A tax-exempt shareholder could realize unrelated business taxable income (“UBTI”) by virtue of its investment in the Fund if shares in the Fund constitute debt financed property in the hands of the tax-exempt shareholder within the meaning of Code Section 514(b).
 
It is possible that a tax-exempt shareholder of the Fund will also recognize UBTI if the Fund recognizes “excess inclusion income” (as described above) derived from direct or indirect investments in REMIC residual interests or TMPs. Furthermore, any investment in a residual interest of a CMO that has elected to be treated as a REMIC can create complex tax consequences, especially if a Fund has state or local governments or other tax-exempt organizations as shareholders.
 
In addition, special tax consequences apply to charitable remainder trusts (“CRTs”) that invest in RICs that invest directly or indirectly in residual interests in REMICs or in TMPs.
 
Tax Shelter Reporting Regulations.  Under U.S. Treasury regulations, if a shareholder recognizes a loss of $2 million or more for an individual shareholder or $10 million or more for a corporate shareholder, the shareholder must file with the IRS a disclosure statement on Form 8886.  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 are urged and advised to consult their own tax advisors to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances.
 
Shareholders are urged and advised to consult their own tax advisor with respect to the tax consequences of an investment in the Fund including, but not limited to, the applicability of state, local, foreign and other tax laws affecting the particular shareholder and to possible effects of changes in federal or other tax laws.

CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL SECURITY HOLDERS
 
Persons or organizations beneficially owning more than 25% of the outstanding shares of the Fund are presumed to “control” the Fund. As a result, those persons or organizations could have the ability to take action with respect to the Fund without the consent or approval of other shareholders.
 
The inception date of the Fund is August 15, 2016.

As of August 3, 2016, the name, address and percentage ownership of each entity that owned of record or beneficially 5% or more of the outstanding shares of any class of the Predecessor Fund were as follows:

DSM Large Cap Growth Fund - Institutional Class

Name and Address                Number of Shares            Percent of Fund
Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.             3,465,237.722             56.142%
211 Main Street
San Francisco, CA 94105-1905

CAPINCO                     1,175,275.027             15.752%
c/o U.S. Bank N.A.
1555 N. Rivercenter Drive, Suite 302
Milwaukee, WI 53212-3958

As of August 3, 2016, the Trustees and officers of the Trust as a group owned of record or beneficially less than 1% of the outstanding shares of the Trust and of the Predecessor Fund (or class thereof).

CUSTODIAN
 
Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. (“BBH”), 50 Post Office Square, Boston, Massachusetts 02110, serves as the Trust’s custodian.  BBH acts as the Trust’s depository, safe keeps its portfolio securities, collects all income and other payments with respect thereto, disburses funds as instructed and maintains records in connection with its duties.

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LEGAL COUNSEL
 
Vedder Price P.C., 222 North LaSalle Street, Chicago, Illinois  60601, serves as counsel to the Trust.

INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
 
The firm of Ernst & Young LLC, 312 Walnut Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 will serve as independent registered public accounting firm for the Trust for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2017.  Ernst & Young LLP will perform an audit of the Fund’s financial statements and advise the Trust as to certain accounting matters.

The firm of Tait, Weller & Baker LLP, 1818 Market Street, Suite 2400, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103 served as the independent registered public accounting firm for the Predecessor Fund and will audit the Predecessor Fund’s annual financial statements through the fiscal year ended June 30, 2016.
TRANSFER AND SUB-ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
 
Transfer Agent.  The Trust’s transfer agent, BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) Inc., is located at 4400 Computer Drive, Westborough, Massachusetts 01581.  BNY Mellon maintains the records of each shareholder’s account, answers shareholders’ inquiries concerning their accounts, processes purchases and redemptions of the Fund’s shares, acts as dividend and distribution disbursing agent and performs other shareholder servicing functions.  For providing transfer agent and shareholder services to the Trust, BNY Mellon receives a monthly per account fee from the Fund, plus out of-pocket expenses.  The Fund may also pay a fee to certain servicing organizations (such as broker-dealers and financial institutions) that provide sub-transfer agency services. These services include maintaining shareholder records, processing shareholder transactions and distributing communications to shareholders.
 
Sub-Administrative Agent.  The Advisor provides administrative services to the Trust under an Administrative Agreement and has sub-contracted certain accounting and administrative services to BNY Mellon.  The sub-administrative services sub-contracted to BNY Mellon include accounting and pricing services, SEC and state security filings, providing executive and administrative services, and providing reports for meetings of the Board.  The Advisor pays BNY Mellon a sub-administrative fee out of its administration fee.

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
 
The Fund has adopted the financial statements of the Predecessor Fund, which are incorporated herein by reference.  The Annual Report and Semi-Annual Report for the Predecessor Fund may be obtained free of charge by contacting U.S. Bancorp Fund Services at 1-877-862-9555. You may also obtain the annual or semi-annual reports, as well as other information about the Predecessor Fund, from the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.

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APPENDIX A
 
PROXY VOTING POLICIES
 
DSM CAPITAL PARTNERS LLC
 
POLICY 

It is DSM’s policy that all proxies are to be voted solely in the best interests of the beneficial owners of the securities.  DSM’s proxy voting policy may be amended from time to time. 

DSM has contracted with an independent third party (currently, Imitational Shareholder Services, LLC) (the “Third Party Administrator”) to provide issue analysis and vote recommendations with respect to proxy proposals.  The Third Party Administrator offers a U.S. policy, an International policy, a Canadian policy as well as specialty policies such as a Socially Responsible policy, a Faith–Based policy, a Taft-Hartley policy and a Public Fund policy, along with custom policies defined by its clients.  In general, DSM utilizes the U.S. Policy and the International Policy.  A copy of all policies can be found at www.issgovernance.com. 

Each year, the Third Party Administrator undertakes a process to update the policies that inform its proxy voting recommendations.  Typically, the Third Party Administrator has a policy formulation process that collects feedback from a diverse range of market participants through multiple channels: an annual Policy Survey of institutional investors and corporate issuers, roundtables with industry groups, and ongoing feedback during proxy season.  The Third Party Administrator uses this input to develop draft policy updates on important governance issues, which are then published for open review and comment. This information is also available at www.issgovernance.com.  Updates and revisions by the Third Party Administrator are reviewed by DSM to determine whether they are consistent with its principals. 

Because the Third Party Administrator conducts issue analysis and makes vote recommendations based on its independent, objective analysis, the proxy voting process is designed to cast votes in the best interests of DSM’s clients. 

While it is DSM’s policy to follow the vote recommendations of the Third Party Administrator, DSM retains the authority to vote differently than the recommendation on any proxy proposal.  Below is a sample of DSM’s position on certain corporate issues.  This sample is designed to give a general view of how DSM could vote a proxy in such a situation.  However, this action is subject to an internal approval process, which includes a determination that the proxy decision is not influenced by any conflicts of interest.  In instances in which the Third Party Administrator is unable to make a vote recommendation, DSM’s Proxy Voting Committee will, based on such advice as it deems necessary, determine the manner in which, if at all, to vote such proxy. 

DSM, as a matter of policy, votes proxies: for pooled investment vehicles that it manages; for ERISA accounts that require the investment manager to vote proxies, and as an accommodation to clients who ask DSM to vote their proxies.  Clients may wish to vote their own proxies.  DSM's standard non-ERISA agreement includes a statement that DSM does not generally vote proxies for clients.  Further, DSM does not vote proxies for unsupervised securities, or for proxies associated with securities that were transferred to DSM but subsequently sold because the securities were not in DSM’s model portfolio at that time.  DSM also reserves the right to not accept a potential client account if DSM believes that a custom proxy policy is too undefined or too complex to implement.

Mutual Fund Proxies 

DSM does not normally invest in stock mutual funds in the separate accounts of its clients and therefore does not generally take any action on these proposals. 

Material Conflicts of Interest 

DSM does not engage in any investment banking or corporate finance activities, nor does DSM produce research for publication.  However, DSM personnel may have interests in securities, instruments, and companies that may be purchased or sold by DSM for its clients’ accounts. 

The interests of DSM and/or its personnel may conflict with the interests of DSM clients in connection with any proxy issue.  In addition, DSM may not be able to identify all of the conflicts of interest relating to any proxy matter. 

If a potential conflict does arise, it is to be brought to the attention of the CCO to be resolved. 

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PROXY VOTING COMMITTEE 

DSM has a Proxy Voting Committee (the "Committee") comprised of Stephen Memishian, Daniel Strickberger, Christopher Bertoni and Russell S. Katz.  The Committee is to administer DSM’s proxy voting policy.  The Committee will meet as necessary to discuss proxy issues.  In addition, on an annual basis, the Committee will review the proxy voting policy of the Third Party Administrator.

PROCEDURES 

The Proxy Voting Committee will administer the voting of all client proxies.  DSM has engaged the Third Party Administrator to assist in issue analysis and the voting of client proxies.  Such entity will coordinate with each client’s custodian to help ensure that proxy materials reviewed by the custodians are processed in a timely fashion. 

An analysis of proxy issues and vote recommendations will be provided, or be made available, to DSM, by the Third Party Administrator.  The Proxy Voting Committee will notify the Third Party Administrator of any changes to the DSM policy voting policy or any deviations thereof. 

Recordkeeping

DSM is required to maintain in an easily accessible place for five years all records relating to proxy voting.  These records include the following:

a copy of the proxy voting policy;
a copy of each proxy statement received on behalf of DSM’s Clients;
a record of each vote cast on behalf of DSM’s Clients;
a copy of all documents created by DSM’s personnel that were material to making a decision on a vote or that memorializes the basis for the decision; and
a copy of each written request by a Client for information on how DSM voted proxies, as well as a copy of any written response.

DSM reserves the right to maintain certain proxy records with the Third Party Administrator or any other entity in accordance with all applicable regulations.

Disclosure 

Any client may obtain information about how DSM voted its security ballots (but not the security ballots of any other client) and/or a copy of DSM’s proxy voting policy, without cost, by calling 914-242-1900 or by writing to DSM at 116 Radio Circle Drive, Suite 200, Mount Kisco, New York 10549, Attn: Legal and Compliance. 

Specific Proxy Issues 

As noted above, while it is DSM’s policy to follow the vote recommendations of the Third Party Administrator, DSM retains the authority to vote differently than the recommendation on any proxy proposal.  The following are a sample of DSM’s position on certain corporate issues. 

Operational Items – DSM generally supports policies that strengthen shareholders’ rights with regard to: annual and special shareholder meetings, ratification of auditors (unless auditor has a financial interest, has rendered an inaccurate opinion, has poor accounting practices, or if fees for non-audit services are excessive), maintaining shareholders’ ability to vote on transactions, compensation or other general corporate issues that may arise. 

Board of Directors -- DSM normally supports policies that allow for strong corporate governance, including a majority of independent directors and key committees that are chaired by independent directors. Declassified boards are generally supported and cumulative voting of stock is generally opposed.  DSM also normally supports liability protections for directors but not protection for gross negligence, willful misconduct or fraud.  DSM prefers stock ownership by boards, but does not require it. 

DSM will typically vote on director nominees on a case-by-case basis, withholding or voting against a nominee for attending less than 75% of meetings, sitting on more than six public company boards, or serving as CEOs of public companies while

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sitting on boards of more than two public companies besides their own.  DSM also generally votes against directors who lack accountability and oversight coupled with sustained poor performance. 

Proxy Contests -- In contested elections, the following is commonly taken into account by DSM:  the target company’s long-term financial performance relative to its industry, management’s track record, background to the proxy contest, qualifications of director nominees (both slates), stock ownership positions, evaluation of what each side is offering shareholders, and the likelihood that the proposed objectives and goals can be met.  DSM generally supports confidential voting. 

Mergers and Corporate Restructuring -- For mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, private placements, spin-offs, DSM evaluates the merits and drawbacks of the proposed transaction, taking into consideration at least the following factors:

Valuation - is the value to be received (or paid) reasonable. Emphasis is placed on the offer premium, market reaction and strategic rationale;
Market Reaction - how has the market reacted to the proposed deal;
Strategic Rationale - does the deal make sense strategically? Cost and revenue synergies should be reasonably achievable. Management needs to have a favorable track record of successful integration of historical acquisitions;
Negotiations and process - is the process fair and equitable;
Conflicts of interest – will insiders benefit from the transaction disproportionately and inappropriately vs. non-insider shareholders. Could these interests have influenced certain directors or officers to support or recommend the merger;
Governance - will the combined company have better or worse governance than the current governance profiles of the respective parties to the transaction;
Dilution to existing shareholders;
Control issues, and
Other financial issues.




TSF-54BB-TST-SAI-LCG-1608








43



PART C.
 
Item 28. Exhibits:

(a)(1)
 
Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust dated May 19, 1993 and Amendment No. 1 dated May 24, 1994, Amendment No. 2 dated February 28, 1997 and Amendment No. 3 dated August 11, 1997, are herein incorporated by reference to Exhibit (b)(1) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 36 to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 002-80859), filed with the SEC on July 31, 1998.
 
 
 
(a)(2)
 
Amendment No. 4 to Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust dated February 12, 1998 and Amendments to Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust dated March 16, 2000 and April 6, 2000 are herein incorporated by reference to Exhibit (a) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 42 to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 002-80859), filed with the SEC on August 1, 2000.
 
 
 
(a)(3)
 
Amendments to Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust dated September 21, 2000 and March 27, 2001 are herein incorporated by reference to Exhibit (a) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 45 to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 002-80859 and 811-03651), filed with the SEC on August 1, 2001.
 
 
 
(a)(4)
 
Amendment to Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust dated August 28, 2002 is herein incorporated by reference to Exhibit (a) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 48 to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 002-80859 and 811-03651), filed with the SEC on September 6, 2002.
 
 
 
(a)(5)
 
Amendment to Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust dated November 7, 2002 is herein incorporated by reference to Exhibit (a) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 49 to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 002-80859 and 811-03651), filed with the SEC on August 1, 2003.
 
 
 
(a)(6)
 
Amendment to Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust dated April 14, 2004 is herein incorporated by reference to Exhibit (1) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 54 to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 002-80859 and 811-03651), filed with the SEC on July 30, 2004.
 
 
 
(a)(7)
 
Amendment to Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust dated January 3, 2006 is herein incorporated by reference to Exhibit (a) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 60 to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 002-80859 and 811-03651), filed with the SEC on March 1, 2006.
 
 
 
(a)(8)
 
Amendment to Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust dated September 30, 2004 is herein incorporated by reference to Exhibit (a)(8) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 70 to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 002-80859 and 811-03651), filed with the SEC on February 2, 2009.
 
 
 
(a)(9)
 
Amendment to Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust dated February 22, 2006 is herein incorporated by reference to Exhibit (a)(9) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 70 to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 002-80859 and 811-03651), filed with the SEC on February 2, 2009.
 
 
 
(a)(10)
 
Amendment to Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust dated August 15, 2006 is herein incorporated by reference to Exhibit (a)(10) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 70 to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 002-80859 and 811-03651), filed with the SEC on February 2, 2009.
 
 
 
(a)(11)
 
Amendment to Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust dated March 22, 2007 is herein incorporated by reference to Exhibit (a)(11) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 70 to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 002-80859 and 811-03651), filed with the SEC on February 2, 2009.
  

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(a)(12)
 
Amendments to Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust are herein incorporated by reference to Exhibit (1)(l) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-14 (File No. 333-177597), filed with the SEC on November 30, 2011.
 
 
 
(a)(13)
 
Amendment to Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust is herein incorporated by reference to Exhibit (a)(13) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 85 to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 002-80859 and 811-03651), filed with the SEC on June 8, 2012.
 
 
 
(a)(14)
 
Amendment to Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust dated July 31, 2013 is herein incorporated by reference to Exhibit (a)(14) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 103 to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 002-80859 and 811-03651), filed with the SEC on April 22, 2014.
 
 
 
(a)(15)
 
Amendment to Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust dated July 9, 2014 is herein incorporated by reference to Exhibit (a)(15) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 108 to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 002-80859 and 811-03651), filed with the SEC on July 9, 2014.
 
 
 
(a)(16)
 
Amendment to Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust dated May 19, 2016 is herein incorporated by reference to Exhibit (a)(16) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 137 to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 002-80859 and 811-03651), filed with the SEC on July 28, 2016.
 
 
 
(b)
 
Amended and Restated By-Laws dated November 19, 2015 are herein incorporated by reference to Exhibit (b) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 133 to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 002-80859 and 811-03651), filed with the SEC on April 28, 2016.
 
 
 
(c)
 
Instruments Defining Rights of Security Holders are herein incorporated by reference to Exhibit (c) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 83 to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 002-80859 and 811-03651), filed with the SEC on April 10, 2012.
 
 
 
(d)(1)(i)
 
Advisory Agreement with Touchstone Advisors, Inc. dated May 1, 2000, is herein incorporated by reference to Exhibit (d)(1) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 67 to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 002-80859 and 811-03651), filed with the SEC on August 1, 2007.
 
 
 
(d)(1)(ii)
 
Amended Schedule 1 dated August 15, 2016 to the Advisory Agreement dated May 1, 2000 between Touchstone Strategic Trust and Touchstone Advisors, Inc. is herein incorporated by reference to Exhibit (d)(1)(ii) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 138 to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 002-80859 and 811-03651), filed with the SEC on August 15, 2016.
 
 
 
(d)(1)(iii)
 
Amendment to the Advisory Agreement with Touchstone Advisors, Inc. is herein incorporated by reference to Exhibit (6)(c) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 2 to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-14 (File No. 333-182177), filed with the SEC on October 12, 2012.
 
 
 
(d)(2)
 
Sub-Advisory Agreement between Touchstone Advisors, Inc. and Westfield Capital Management Company, L.P. with respect to the Touchstone Growth Opportunities Fund is herein incorporated by reference to Exhibit (d)(11) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 68 to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 002-80859 and 811-03651), filed with the SEC on August 1, 2008.
 
 
 
(d)(3)
 
Sub-Advisory Agreement between Touchstone Advisors, Inc. and Westfield Capital Management Company, L.P. with respect to the Touchstone Mid Cap Growth Fund is herein incorporated by reference to Exhibit (d)(3) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 73 to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 002-80859 and 811-03651), filed with the SEC on July 29, 2010.
 
 
 
(d)(4)
 
Sub-Advisory Agreement dated April 16, 2012 between Touchstone Advisors, Inc. and Barrow, Hanley, Mewhinney & Strauss, LLC with respect to the Touchstone Value Fund is herein incorporated by reference to Exhibit (6)(n) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 2 to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-14 (File No. 333-177597), filed with the SEC on April 27, 2012.

2



(d)(5)
 
Sub-Advisory Agreement dated April 16, 2012 between Touchstone Advisors, Inc. and Copper Rock Capital Partners, LLC with respect to the Touchstone International Small Cap Fund is herein incorporated by reference to Exhibit (6)(o) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 2 to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-14 (File No. 333-177597), filed with the SEC on April 27, 2012.
 
 
 
(d)(6)
 
Sub-Advisory Agreement dated April 16, 2012 between Touchstone Advisors, Inc. and Thompson, Siegel & Walmsley LLC with respect to the Touchstone Small Cap Value Opportunities Fund is herein incorporated by reference to Exhibit (6)(r) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 2 to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-14 (File No. 333-177597), filed with the SEC on April 27, 2012.
 
 
 
(d)(7)
 
Sub-Advisory Agreement dated April 16, 2012 between Touchstone Advisors, Inc. and Fort Washington Investment Advisors, Inc. with respect to the Touchstone Focused Fund is herein incorporated by reference to Exhibit (6)(s) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 2 to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-14 (File No. 333-177597), filed with the SEC on April 27, 2012.
 
 
 
(d)(8)(i)
 
Sub-Advisory Agreement between Touchstone Advisors, Inc. and ClearArc Capital Inc. (formerly Fifth Third Asset Management, Inc.) with respect to the Touchstone Flexible Income Fund is herein incorporated by reference to Exhibit (6)(w) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 2 to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-14 (File No. 333-182177), filed with the SEC on October 12, 2012.
 
 
 
(d)(8)(ii)
 
Amendment to Sub-Advisory Agreement dated May 31, 2013 between Touchstone Advisors, Inc. and ClearArc Capital, Inc. (formerly Fifth Third Asset Management, Inc.) with respect to the Touchstone Flexible Income Fund is herein incorporated by reference to Exhibit (d)(18)(i) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 98 to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 002-80859 and 811-03651), filed with the SEC on July 29, 2013.
 
 
 
(d)(9)
 
Sub-Advisory Agreement between Touchstone Advisors, Inc. and Barrow, Hanley, Mewhinney & Strauss, LLC with respect to the Touchstone International Value Fund is herein incorporated by reference to Exhibit (6)(y) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 2 to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-14 (File No. 333-182177), filed with the SEC on October 12, 2012.
 
 
 
(d)(10)
 
Sub-Advisory Agreement dated June 1, 2016 between Touchstone Advisors, Inc. and Fiera Capital Inc. with respect to the Touchstone Small Cap Growth Fund, is herein incorporated by reference to Exhibit (d)(10) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 137 to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 002-80859 and 811-03651), filed with the SEC on July 28, 2016.

 
 
 
(d)(11)
 
Sub-Advisory Agreement dated December 31, 2012 between Touchstone Advisors, Inc. and Analytic Investors, LLC with respect to the Touchstone Dynamic Equity Fund is herein incorporated by reference to Exhibit (d)(10) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 98 to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 002-80859 and 811-03651), filed with the SEC on July 29, 2013.
 
 
 
(d)(12)
 
Sub-Advisory Agreement dated April 23, 2014 between Touchstone Advisors, Inc. and Sands Capital Management, LLC with respect to the Touchstone Sands Capital Emerging Markets Growth Fund is herein incorporated by reference to Exhibit (d)(17) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 104 to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 002-80859 and 811-03651), filed with the SEC on April 23, 2014.
 
 
 
(d)(13)
 
Sub-Advisory Agreement between Touchstone Advisors, Inc. and London Company of Virginia d/b/a The London Company with respect to the Touchstone Large Cap Fund is herein incorporated by reference to Exhibit (d)(16) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 108 to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 002-80859 and 811-03651), filed with the SEC on July 9, 2014.
 
 
 
(d)(14)
 
Sub-Advisory Agreement between Touchstone Advisors, Inc. and Rockefeller & Co., Inc. with respect to the Touchstone Sustainability and Impact Equity Fund (formerly the Touchstone Large Cap Growth Fund) is herein incorporated by reference to Exhibit (d)(15) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 121 to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 002-80859 and 811-03651), filed with the SEC on July 28, 2015.
  
(d)(15)
 
Sub-Advisory Agreement between Touchstone Advisors, Inc. and Ares Capital Management II, LLC with respect to the Touchstone Credit Opportunities Fund is herein incorporated by reference to Exhibit (d)(1)(ii) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 123 to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 002-80859 and 811-03651), filed with the SEC on August 31, 2015.
 
 
 

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(d)(16)
 
Sub-Advisory Agreement dated May 1, 2015 between Touchstone Advisors, Inc. and London Company of Virginia d/b/a The London Company with respect to the Touchstone Capital Growth Fund is herein incorporated by reference to Exhibit (d)(17) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 126 to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 002-80859 and 811-03651), filed with the SEC on October 26, 2015.
 
 
 
(d)(17)
 
Sub-Advisory Agreement between Touchstone Advisors, Inc. and Wilshire Associates Incorporated with respect to the Touchstone Controlled Growth with Income Fund, Touchstone Dynamic Diversified Income Fund, and Touchstone Dynamic Global Allocation Fund is herein incorporated by reference to Exhibit (d)(17) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 128 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 002-80859 and 811-03651), filed with the SEC on November 24, 2015.
 
 
 
(d)(18)
 
Sub-Advisory Agreement dated June 1, 2016 between Touchstone Advisors, Inc. and Fiera Capital Inc. with respect to the Touchstone International Growth Fund, is herein incorporated by reference to Exhibit (d)(10) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 137 to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 002-80859 and 811-03651), filed with the SEC on July 28, 2016.
 
 
 
(d)(19)
 
Sub-Advisory Agreement between Touchstone Advisors, Inc. and DSM Capital Partners LLC with respect to the Touchstone Large Company Growth Fund is filed herewith.
 
 
 
(e)(1)
 
Distribution Agreement with Touchstone Securities, Inc. is herein incorporated by reference to Exhibit (e)(i) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 45 to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 002-80859 and 811-03651), filed with the SEC on August 1, 2001.
 
 
 
(e)(2)
 
Form of Underwriter’s Dealer Agreement is herein incorporated by reference to Exhibit (e) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 56 to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 002-80859 and 811-03651), filed with the SEC on September 10, 2004.
 
 
 
(f)
 
Touchstone Trustee Deferred Compensation Plan is herein incorporated by reference to Exhibit (f) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 71 to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 002-80859 and 811-03651), filed with the SEC on July 29, 2009.
 
 
 
(g)(1)
 
Custodian Agreement with Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. is herein incorporated by reference to Exhibit (g)(1) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 68 to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 002-80859 and 811-03651), filed with the SEC on August 1, 2008.
 
 
 
(g)(2)
 
Amended Schedule of Global Services & Charges to the Custody Agreement between the Trust and Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. is herein incorporated by reference to Exhibit (g)(1)(i) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 100 to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 002-80859 and 811-03651), filed with the SEC on October 25, 2013.
 
 
 
(h)(1)
 
Recordkeeping Agreement is herein incorporated by reference to Exhibit (h)(vii) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 51 to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 002-80859 and 811-03651), filed with the SEC on March 5, 2004.
 
 
 
(h)(2)
 
Amended Administration Agreement with Touchstone Advisors, Inc. dated January 1, 2007 is herein incorporated by reference to Exhibit (h)(8) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 67 to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 002-80859 and 811-03651), filed with the SEC on August 1, 2007.
 
 
 
(h)(3)
 
Amended Schedule, dated January 1, 2015, to the Administration Agreement with Touchstone Advisors, Inc., dated February 17, 2006, as amended January 1, 2007, is herein incorporated by reference to Exhibit (h)(3) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 115 to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 002-80859 and 811-03651), filed with the SEC on April 24, 2015.
 
 
 
(h)(4)
 
Amended and Restated Sub-Administration and Accounting Services Agreement between Touchstone Advisors, Inc. and BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) Inc. dated January 1, 2015 is herein incorporated by reference to Exhibit (h)(3) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 114 to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 002-80859 and 811-03651), filed with the SEC on March 5, 2015.
 
 
 

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(h)(5)
 
Amended and Restated Transfer Agency Agreement between the Trust and BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) Inc. dated January 1, 2015 is herein incorporated by reference to Exhibit (h)(4) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 114 to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 002-80859 and 811-03651), filed with the SEC on March 5, 2015.
 
 
 
 
(h)(6)(i)
 
State Filing Services Agreement between the Registrant and BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) Inc., dated December 5, 2011 is herein incorporated by reference to Exhibit (h)(5) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 83 to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 002-80859 and 811-03651), filed with the SEC on April 10, 2012.
 
 
 
(h)(6)(ii)
 
Amended and Restated Schedule A to the State Filing Services Agreement between the Registrant and BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) Inc. is herein incorporated by reference to Exhibit (13)(h) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 2 to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-14 (File No. 333-177597), filed with the SEC on April 27, 2012.
 
 
 
(h)(6)(iii)
 
Amended and Restated Schedule A dated September 6, 2012 to the State Filing Services Agreement dated December 5, 2011 is herein incorporated by reference to Exhibit (13)(o) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 2 to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-14 (File No. 333-182177), filed with the SEC on October 12, 2012.
 
 
 
(h)(7)
 
Allocation Agreement for Allocation of Fidelity Bond Proceeds is herein incorporated by reference to Exhibit (h)(6) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 83 to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 002-80859 and 811-03651), filed with the SEC on April 10, 2012.
 
 
 
(h)(8)(i)
 
Amended and Restated Expense Limitation Agreement dated July 29, 2013 between Touchstone Strategic Trust and Touchstone Advisors, Inc. is herein incorporated by reference to Exhibit (h)(8) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 103 to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 002-80859 and 811-03651), filed with the SEC on April 22, 2014.
 
 
 
(h)(8)(ii)
 
Amended Schedule A dated July 30, 2016 to the Amended and Restated Expense Limitation Agreement dated July 29, 2013 between Touchstone Strategic Trust and Touchstone Advisors, Inc. is herein incorporated by reference to Exhibit (d)(10) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 137 to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 002-80859 and 811-03651), filed with the SEC on July 28, 2016.
 
 
 
(h)(8)(iii)
 
Amended Schedule B dated October 29, 2015 to the Amended and Restated Expense Limitation Agreement dated July 29, 2013 between Touchstone Strategic Trust and Touchstone Advisors, Inc. is herein incorporated by reference to Exhibit (h)(8)(iii) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 123 to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 002-80859 and 811-03651), filed with the SEC on August 31, 2015.
 
 
 
(h)(8)(iv)
 
Amended Schedule C, dated April 30, 2016, to the Amended and Restated Expense Limitation Agreement dated July 29, 2013 between Touchstone Strategic Trust and Touchstone Advisors, Inc. is herein incorporated by reference to Exhibit (h)(8)(iv) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 133 to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 002-80859 and 811-03651), filed with the SEC on April 28, 2016.
 
 
 
(h)(8)(v)
 
Amendment to the Amended and Restated Expense Limitation Agreement dated July 29, 2013 between Touchstone Strategic Trust and Touchstone Advisors, Inc. is herein incorporated by reference to Exhibit (h)(8)(v) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 123 to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 002-80859 and 811-03651), filed with the SEC on August 31, 2015.
 
 
 
(h)(9)
 
Securities Lending Agency Agreement between the Registrant and Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. dated February 1, 2013 is herein incorporated by reference to Exhibit (h)(13) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 100 to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 002-80859 and 811-03651), filed with the SEC on October 25, 2013.
 
 
 
(i)
 
Opinion of counsel is filed herewith.
 
 
 
(j)
 
Consent of Tait, Weller & Baker LLP is filed herewith.

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(k)
 
Not applicable.
 
 
 
(l)
 
Copy of Letter of Initial Stockholder, which was filed as an Exhibit to Registrant’s Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1, is hereby incorporated by reference.
 
 
 
(m)(1)
 
Registrant’s Plans of Distribution Pursuant to Rule 12b-1 for Class A shares and Class C shares are herein incorporated by reference to Exhibit (m)(1) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 42 to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 002-80859 and 811-03651), filed with the SEC on August 1, 2000.
 
 
 
(m)(2)
 
Registrant’s Plan of Distribution Pursuant to Rule 12b-1 for Class B shares is herein incorporated by reference to Exhibit (m)(2) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 45 to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 002-80859 and 811-03651), filed with the SEC on August 1, 2001.
 
 
 
(m)(3)
 
Registrant’s Plan of Distribution Pursuant to Rule 12b-1 for Class A shares with respect to the Touchstone Dynamic Equity Fund, Touchstone Emerging Growth Fund, Touchstone International Equity Fund, Touchstone Conservative Allocation Fund, Touchstone Balanced Allocation Fund, Touchstone Moderate Growth Allocation Fund, Touchstone Growth Allocation Fund, Touchstone U.S. Long/Short Fund, Touchstone Value Fund, Touchstone International Small Cap Fund, Touchstone Mid Cap Value Opportunities Fund, Touchstone Small Cap Value Opportunities Fund, Touchstone Focused Fund, Touchstone Micro Cap Value Fund, Touchstone Small Company Value Fund, Touchstone International Value Fund and Touchstone Flexible Income Fund is herein incorporated by reference to Exhibit (m)(3) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 85 to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 002-80859 and 811-03651), filed with the SEC on June 8, 2012.
 
 
 
(m)(4)
 
Registrant’s Plan of Distribution Pursuant to Rule 12b-1 for Class C shares with respect to the Touchstone Dynamic Equity Fund, Touchstone Emerging Growth Fund, Touchstone International Equity Fund, Touchstone Conservative Allocation Fund, Touchstone Balanced Allocation Fund, Touchstone Moderate Growth Allocation Fund, Touchstone Growth Allocation Fund, Touchstone U.S. Long/Short Fund, Touchstone Value Fund, Touchstone International Small Cap Fund, Touchstone Mid Cap Value Opportunities Fund, Touchstone Small Cap Value Opportunities Fund, Touchstone Focused Fund, Touchstone Micro Cap Value Fund, Touchstone Small Company Value Fund, Touchstone International Value Fund and Touchstone Flexible Income Fund is herein incorporated by reference to Exhibit (m)(4) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 85 to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 002-80859 and 811-03651), filed with the SEC on June 8, 2012.
 
 
 
(n)(1)
 
Amended and Restated Rule 18f-3 Plan is herein incorporated by reference to Exhibit (n) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 85 to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 002-80859 and 811-03651), filed with the SEC on June 8, 2012.
 
 
 
(n)(2)
 
Amended Schedule A dated August 15, 2016 to the Amended and Restated Rule 18f-3 Plan is herein incorporated by reference to Exhibit (n)(2) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 138 to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 002-80859 and 811-03651), filed with the SEC on August 15, 2016.
 
 
 
(o)
 
Reserved.
 
 
 
(p)(1)
 
Code of Ethics for Touchstone Advisors, Inc., Touchstone Strategic Trust and Touchstone Securities, Inc. is herein incorporated by reference to Exhibit (p)(1) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 115 to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 002-80859 and 811-03651), filed with the SEC on April 24, 2015.
 
 
 
(p)(2)
 
Code of Ethics for Fort Washington Investment Advisors, Inc. is herein incorporated by reference to Exhibit (p)(2) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 83 to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 002-80859 and 811-03651), filed with the SEC on April 10, 2012.
 
 
 
(p)(3)
 
Code of Ethics for Westfield Capital Management Company, L.P. is herein incorporated by reference to Exhibit (p)(3) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 95 to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 002-80859 and 811-03651), filed with the SEC on April 29, 2013.

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(p)(4)
 
Code of Ethics for Analytic Investors, LLC is herein incorporated by reference to Exhibit (p)(5) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 83 to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 002-80859 and 811-03651), filed with the SEC on April 10, 2012.
 
 
 
(p)(7)
 
Code of Ethics for Barrow, Hanley, Mewhinney & Strauss, LLC is herein incorporated by reference to Exhibit (p)(7) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 85 to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 002-80859 and 811-03651), filed with the SEC on June 8, 2012.
 
 
 
(p)(8)
 
Code of Ethics for Copper Rock Capital Partners, LLC is herein incorporated by reference to Exhibit (p)(8) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 83 to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 002-80859 and 811-03651), filed with the SEC on April 10, 2012.
 
 
 
(p)(9)
 
Code of Ethics for Thompson Siegel & Walmsley, LLC is herein incorporated by reference to Exhibit (p)(11) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 83 to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 002-80859 and 811-03651), filed with the SEC on April 10, 2012.
 
 
 
(p)(10)
 
Code of Ethics for ClearArc Capital, Inc. (formerly Fifth Third Asset Management, Inc.) is herein incorporated by reference to Exhibit (p)(13) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 85 to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 002-80859 and 811-03651), filed with the SEC on June 8, 2012.
 
 
 
(p)(11)
 
Code of Ethics for Apex Capital Management, Inc. is incorporated by reference to Exhibit (p)(13) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 95 to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 002-80859 and 811-03651), filed with the SEC on April 29, 2013.
 
 
 
(p)(12)
 
Code of Ethics for Sands Capital Management, LLC is incorporated by reference to Exhibit (p)(11) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 121 to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 002-80859 and 811-03651), filed with the SEC on July 28, 2015.
 
 
 
(p)(13)
 
Code of Ethics for London Company of Virginia d/b/a The London Company is incorporated by reference to Exhibit (p)(14) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 105 to Touchstone Strategic Trust’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 033-80859 and 811-03651), filed with the SEC on April 25, 2014.
 
 
 
(p)(14)
 
Code of Ethics for Rockefeller & Co., Inc. is herein incorporated by reference to Exhibit (p)(14) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 114 to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 002-80859 and 811-03651), filed with the SEC on March 5, 2015.
 
 
 
(p)(15)
 
Code of Ethics for Ares Capital Management II, LLC is incorporated by reference to Exhibit (p)(15) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 120 to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 002-80859 and 811-03651), filed with the SEC on June 17, 2015.
 
 
 
(p)(16)
 
Code of Ethics for Wilshire Associates Incorporated is herein incorporated by reference to Exhibit (p)(17) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 128 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 002-80859 and 811-03651), filed with the SEC on November 24, 2015.
.
 
 
 
(p)(17)
 
Code of Ethics for DSM Capital Partners LLC is herein incorporated by reference to Exhibit (p)(17) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 138 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 002-80859 and 811-03651), filed with the SEC on August 15, 2016.
 
 
 
(q)
 
Power of Attorney dated January 3, 2014 is incorporated by reference to Exhibit (q) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 103 to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (002-80859 and 811-03651), filed with the SEC on April 22, 2014.
 
Item 29. Persons Controlled by or Under Common Control with the Registrant
 
None.
 
Item 30. Indemnification
 
(a)  Article VI of the Registrant’s Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust provides for indemnification of officers and Trustees as follows:

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Section 6.4 Indemnification of Trustees, Officers, etc.
 
The Trust shall indemnify each of its Trustees and officers, including persons who serve at the Trust’s request as directors, officers or trustees of another organization in which the Trust has any interest as a shareholder, creditor or otherwise (hereinafter referred to as a “Covered Person”) against all liabilities, including but not limited to amounts paid in satisfaction of judgments, in compromise or as fines and penalties, and expenses, including reasonable accountants’ and counsel fees, incurred by any Covered Person in connection with the defense or disposition of any action, suit or other proceeding, whether civil or criminal, before any court or administrative or legislative body, in which such Covered Person may be or may have been involved as a party or otherwise or with which such person may be or may have been threatened, while in office or thereafter, by reason of being or having been such a Trustee or officer, director or trustee, and except that no Covered Person shall be indemnified against any liability to the Trust or its Shareholders to which such Covered Person would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of such Covered Person’s office (“disabling conduct”).  Anything herein contained to the contrary notwithstanding, no Covered Person shall be indemnified for any liability to the Trust or its Shareholders to which such Covered Person would otherwise be subject unless (1) a final decision on the merits is made by a court or other body before whom the proceeding was brought that the Covered Person to be indemnified was not liable by reason of disabling conduct or, (2) in the absence of such a decision, a reasonable determination is made, based upon a review of the facts, that the Covered Person was not liable by reason of disabling conduct, by (a) the vote of a majority of a quorum of Trustees who are neither “interested persons” of the Company as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended nor parties to the proceeding “disinterested, non-party Trustees”), or (b) an independent legal counsel in a written opinion.
 
Section 6.5 Advances of Expenses.
 
The Trust shall advance attorneys’ fees or other expenses incurred by a Covered Person in defending a proceeding, upon the undertaking by or on behalf of the Covered Person to repay the advance unless it is ultimately determined that such Covered Person is entitled to indemnification, so long as one of the following conditions is met: (i) the Covered Person shall provide security for his undertaking, (ii) the Trust shall be insured against losses arising by reason of any lawful advances, or (iii) a majority of a quorum of the disinterested non-party Trustees of the Trust, or an independent legal counsel in a written opinion, shall determine, based on a review of readily available facts (as opposed to a full trial-type inquiry), that there is reason to believe that the Covered Person ultimately will be found entitled to indemnification.
 
Section 6.6 Indemnification Not Exclusive, etc.
 
The right of indemnification provided by this Article VI shall not be exclusive of or affect any other rights to which any such Covered Person may be entitled.  As used in this Article VI, “Covered Person” shall include such person’s heirs, executors and administrators, an “interested Covered Person” is one against whom the action, suit or other proceeding in question or another action, suit or other proceeding on the same or similar grounds is then or has been pending or threatened, and a “disinterested” person is a person against whom none of such actions, suits or other proceedings or another action, suit or other proceeding on the same or similar grounds is then or has been pending or threatened.  Nothing contained in this article shall affect any rights to indemnification to which personnel of the Trust, other than Trustees and officers, and other persons may be entitled by contract or otherwise under law, nor the power of the Trust to purchase and maintain liability insurance on behalf of any such person.
 
(b)  The Registrant maintains a mutual fund and investment advisory professional and directors and officer’s liability policy.  The policy provides coverage to the Registrant, its trustees and officers and includes losses by reason of any act, error, omission, misstatement, misleading statement, neglect or breach of duty.  The Registrant may not pay for insurance that protects the Trustees and officers against liabilities arising from action involving willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of their offices.
 
The advisory agreements and the sub-advisory agreements provide that Touchstone Advisors, Inc. (or a sub-advisor) shall not be liable for any act or omission in the course of rendering services, absent willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence or reckless disregard by Touchstone (or a sub-advisor) of its obligations under the agreement.
 
Item 31.  BUSINESS AND OTHER CONNECTIONS OF THE INVESTMENT ADVISORS
 

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A.    Touchstone Advisors, Inc. (the “Advisor”) is a registered investment advisor that provides investment advisory services to the Touchstone Fund Complex.  The following list sets forth the business and other connections of the directors and executive officers of the Advisor.  Unless otherwise noted, the address of the corporations listed below is 303 Broadway, Cincinnati, OH 45202.
 
*The address is 400 Broadway, Cincinnati, OH 45202.
 
(1)      Jill T. McGruder — CEO and Director Touchstone Advisors, Inc.
 
(a)         President and Chief Executive Officer — IFS Financial Services, Inc.
 
(b)         President and Chief Executive Officer — Integrity Life Insurance Company
 
(c)          President and Chief Executive Officer — National Integrity Life Insurance Company
 
(d)         Director, President and Chief Executive Officer — Cincinnati Analysts, Inc.
 
(e)          President — Touchstone Fund Complex
 
(f)           Senior Vice President — Western & Southern Financial Group, Inc.*
 
(g)          Senior Vice President — W&S Brokerage Services, Inc.*
 
(h) Director — Western & Southern Financial Group*, Cincinnati Analysts, Inc., IFS Financial Services, Inc., Integrity Life Insurance Company, National Integrity Life Insurance Company, Touchstone Securities, Inc., W&S Financial Group Distributors, Inc.*, W&S Brokerage Services, Inc.*, LaRosa’s, Inc. (2334 Boudinot Avenue Cincinnati, OH 45238)
 
(2)  Donald J. Wuebbling — Director — Touchstone Advisors, Inc.
 
(a)  Director — Touchstone Securities, Inc., W&S Financial Group Distributors, Inc.*, Eagle Realty Investments, Inc.*, Cincinnati Analysts, Inc., Integrity Life Insurance Company,* National Integrity Life Insurance Company,* Eagle Realty Group, LLC*, IFS Financial Services, Inc., Fort Washington Investment Advisors, Inc., W&S Brokerage Services, Inc.*, Columbus Life Insurance Company*
 
(3)  James J. Vance — Vice President and Treasurer — Touchstone Advisors, Inc.
 
(a)  Vice President and Treasurer — The Western and Southern Life Insurance Company*, Fort Washington Investment Advisors, Inc., IFS Financial Services, Inc., W&S Financial Group Distributors, Inc.*, Touchstone Securities, Inc., Columbus Life Insurance Company*, Eagle Realty Group, LLC*, Eagle Realty Investments, Inc.*, Integrity Life Insurance Company, National Integrity Life Insurance Company, The Lafayette Life Insurance Company
 
(b)  Treasurer — Cincinnati Analysts, Inc., W&S Brokerage Services, Inc.*, Fort Washington Capital Partners, LLC, Insurance Profillment Solutions*, Tristate Ventures, LLC*
 
(4)  Terrie A. Wiedenheft — Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operations Officer — Touchstone Advisors, Inc.
 
(a)         Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operations Officer — IFS Financial Services, Inc.
 
(b)         Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer — W&S Brokerage Services, Inc.* and Touchstone Securities, Inc.
 
(c)          Chief Financial Officer — Cincinnati Analysts, Inc.
 
(d)         Senior Vice President — Fort Washington Investment Advisors, Inc.
 

9



(e)          Vice President, Commission Accounting and Finance — Integrity Life Insurance Company, National Integrity Life Insurance Company.
 
(f)  Treasurer and Controller — Touchstone Fund Complex
  
(5)  James N. Clark — Director — Touchstone Advisors, Inc.
 
(a)  Vice President, Director and Secretary — Western & Southern Mutual Holding Company*, Western & Southern Financial Group, Inc.*, Western & Southern Life Assurance Company*
 
(b) Director — Columbus Life Insurance Company*, Eagle Realty Group, LLC*, Eagle Realty Investments, Inc.*, Touchstone Securities, Inc., W&S Financial Group Distributors, Inc.*, Cincinnati Analysts, Inc., IFS Financial Services, The Lafayette Life Insurance Company*
 
(6)  Rhonda S. Malone — Secretary — Touchstone Advisors, Inc.
 
(a) Secretary 
 
(b) Senior Counsel — Securities — Western & Southern Financial Group, Inc.*
 
(7)  Steven M. Graziano — President — Touchstone Advisors, Inc.
 
(a)  Vice President — Touchstone Fund Complex
 
(b)  President — Touchstone Securities, Inc.
 
(8)  Timothy S. Stearns — Chief Compliance Officer — Touchstone Advisors, Inc., Touchstone Fund Complex
 
(9)  Timothy D. Paulin — Senior Vice President, Investment Research and Product Management — Touchstone Advisors, Inc.
 
(a)  Vice President — Touchstone Fund Complex
 
B.      Fort Washington Investment Advisors, Inc. (“Fort Washington”) is a registered investment advisor that provides sub-advisory services to the Touchstone Focused Fund.  Fort Washington serves as the sub-advisor to the Touchstone Investment Trust, Touchstone Tax-Free Trust, Touchstone Funds Group Trust and certain series of the Touchstone Variable Series Trust.  Fort Washington also provides investment advice to institutional and individual clients.  The address of Fort Washington is 303 Broadway, Cincinnati OH 45202. *The address is 400 Broadway, Cincinnati, OH 45202.
 
The following list sets forth the business and other connections of the directors and executive officers of Fort Washington.
 
(1)    Maribeth S. Rahe, President & Chief Executive Officer and Director
 
(a)  Board Member, Executive/Foundation Committee of Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber; Leadership Development, Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber of Commerce; Life Trustee, New York Landmarks Conservancy; Life Trustee, Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Medical Center; Board Member, Consolidated Communications Illinois Holdings Inc.; Chair, Audit Committee, Consolidated Communications Illinois Holdings, Inc.; Member, Nominating/Governance and Compensation Committees, Consolidated Communications Illinois Holdings, Inc.; Vice Chairman, Executive/Finance Committee, Cincinnati Arts Association; Advisory Board, Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur; Advisory Board, Williams College of Business, Xavier University; Advisory Board, CincyTech USA; Member, Partner-In-Action; Investment Committee, United Way of Cincinnati; Board Member, First Financial Bank; Member, Audit/Trust/M&A Committees, First Financial Bank; Executive Committee, Commonwealth Club
 
(b)   President & CEO of Tristate Ventures, LLC*
 
(c)   President, Buckeye Venture Partners, LLC

10



 
(d)    Director, Eagle Realty Group, Eagle Realty Investments
 
(e)    President, W&S Investment Holdings, LLC
 
(f)   Manager, President & CEO, Peppertree Partners, LLC
 
(g)   Director, Chairman of the Board — Cincinnati Analysts, Inc.
 
(h)    President & CEO of Fort Washington Capital Partners, LLC
 
(2)     Nicholas P. Sargen, Director, Senior Investment Advisor, Chief Economist & Senior Investment Advisor
 
(a)  Senior Vice President, Chief Economist & Senior Investment Advisor, Western and Southern Life Insurance Company, Western-Southern Life Assurance Company, Columbus Life Insurance Company, Western & Southern Financial Group, Inc., Western & Southern Mutual Holding Company, The Lafayette Life Insurance Company
 
(b)   Board of Trustees & Treasurer, Good Samaritan Hospital Foundation
 
(c)   Advisory Board, Xavier Department of Economics
 
(3)     John F. Barrett, Chairman and Director
 
(a)   Chairman of Board & CEO, The Western and Southern Life Insurance Company, Western-Southern Life Assurance Company, Western & Southern Financial Group, Inc., Western & Southern Mutual Holding Company
 
(b)   Director & Chairman, Columbus Life Insurance Company, Integrity Life Insurance Company, National Integrity Life Insurance Company, The Lafayette Life Insurance Company
 
(c)    Director, Eagle Realty Group, Eagle Realty Investments
 
(d)    President & Trustee, Western & Southern Financial Fund
 
(e)    Board Member, Convergys Corp, Cintas Corporation
 
(f)     Director, American Council of Life Insurers; Director, Financial Services Roundtable; Board Member, Americans for the Arts; Member & Executive Committee, Cincinnati Center City Development Corporation; Board of Governors, Cincinnati USA Partnership for Economic Development; Member, Cincinnati Business Committee; Co-Chairman, Greater Cincinnati Scholarship Association; Member, Cincinnati Equity Fund; Honorary Trustee, Sigma Alpha Epsilon Foundation; Chairman, Medical Center Fund, UC; Advisory Board, Barrett Cancer Center; Vice Chairman, UC Foundation Capital Campaign; Honorary Chairman, UC Presidential Bicentennial Commission
 
(4)    Steven K. Kreider, Senior Vice President and Chief Investment Officer
 
(a)  Senior Vice President and Chief Investment Officer, The Western and Southern Life Insurance Company, Western-Southern Life Assurance Company, Columbus Life Insurance Company, Integrity Life Insurance Company, National Integrity Life Insurance Company, Western & Southern Financial Group, Inc., Western & Southern Mutual Holding Company, The Lafayette Life Insurance Company
 
(5)       Brendan M. White, Managing Director & Sr. Portfolio Manager
 
(6)            James A. Markley, Managing Director
 
(a) Trustee & Board Member, Corbett Foundation
 
(7)     Roger M. Lanham, Managing Director & Head Fixed Income Group

11



 
(8)         John J. O’Connor, Managing Director
 
(a)   Board of Directors, Friars Club Foundation, SC Ministry Foundation
 
(b)   Investment Committee, Province of St. John the Baptist
 
(9)        Timothy J. Policinksi, Managing Director & Sr. Portfolio Manager
 
(10)        Michele Hawkins, Chief Compliance Officer & Managing Director
 
(a)    Advisory Board Member, Xavier University Cintas Institute for Business Ethics & Social Responsibility
 
(b)    Chief Compliance Officer, Peppertree Partners, LLC
 
(11)          Margaret C. Bell, Managing Director
 
(12)       Robert L. Walker, Director
 
(a)    Director, Eagle Realty Group, Eagle Realty Investments, Integrity Life Insurance Company, National Integrity Life Insurance Company, Insurance Profillment Solutions, LLC
 
(b)    Board Member, Computer Services, Inc.; Board Member & Chairman, Tri-Health
 
(c)    Director, Sr. Vice President, & Chief Financial Officer, Columbus Life Insurance Company, The Lafayette Life Insurance Company
 
(d)    Sr. Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, The Western and Southern Life Insurance Company, Western & Southern Life Assurance Company, Western & Southern Financial Group, Inc., W&S Mutual Holding Company
 
(e)    Board of Trustees, Bethesda, Inc.
 
(13)       Richard R. Jandrain III, Managing Director & Sr. Portfolio Manager
 
(14)         Terrie A. Wiedenheft, Sr. Vice President & Chief Financial Officer — See biography above
 
(15)          James J. Vance, Vice President & Treasurer — See biography above
 
(16)      Stephen A. Baker, Managing Director & Deputy Head of Private Equity
 
(a)     Board of Trustees, Walnut Hills High School Alumni Foundation, CH Mack, Inc.
 
(b)     Vice President, Buckeye Venture Partners, LLC
 
(c)      Manager, Peppertree Partners, LLC
 
(17)       Paul D. Cohn, Managing Director
 
(18)          Rance G. Duke, Vice President Head Investment Grade Credit & Sr. Portfolio Manager
 
(a)    Board Member & Chairman, Spring Grove Cemetery
 
(b)    Treasurer, Bethesda Foundation; Board Member, Bethesda, Inc.
 
(c)    Investment Committee, YMCA of Greater Cincinnati, Bethesda, Inc.
 
(d)     Member, United Way, Red Cross Partnership Committee
 

12



(19)     Thomas L. Finn, Vice President & Sr. Portfolio Manager
 
(a)   Board Member, Cincinnati Foundation for the Aged, Beechwood Foundation.
 
(b)     Investment Committee, YMCA
 
(20)        Mark A. Frietch, Managing Director
 
(21)        John J. Goetz, Vice President & Sr. Portfolio Manager
 
(a)   Investment Company Institute — MMFunds Advisory Committee
 
(22)      Charles A. Ulbricht, Vice President & Sr. Portfolio Manager
 
(a)    AVP Investments, Lafayette Life Foundation
 
(23)       Scott D. Weston, Managing Director & Sr. Portfolio Manager
 
(a)        Financial Advisory Board & Foundation Board Member, Mariemont School District
 
(24)       Martin W. Flesher, Vice President
 
(25)         Jeffrey D.  Meek, Vice President & Chief Financial Officer
 
(a)     Treasurer, Buckeye Venture Partners, LLC, Peppertree Partners, LLC
 
(b)     Vice President & Sr. Financial Officer, Tri-State Ventures, LLC
 
(c)     Vice President, Western & Southern Investment Holdings, LLC
 
(26)         Jonathan D. Niemeyer, Sr. Vice President & General Counsel
 
(a)     Board of Directors, The Pro Foundation Inc., Board of Advisors, David Pollack’s Empower Foundation
 
(b)     Sr. Vice President & General Counsel, Columbus Life Insurance Company, The Lafayette Life Insurance Company, The Western and Southern Life Insurance Company, Western-Southern Life Assurance Company, Western & Southern Financial Group, Inc., Western & Southern Mutual Holding Company
 
(c)    Assistant Secretary, Peppertree Partners, LLC
 
(d)    Secretary, W&S Investment Holdings, LLC
 
(e)     Director, Insurance Profillment Solutions, LLC
 
(f)     Board Member, Association of Life Insurance Counsel
 
(27)       James E. Wilhelm, Managing Director & Sr. Portfolio Manager
 
(a)    Board Member, Xavier Student Investment Fund
 
(28)       Donald J.  Wuebbling, Director
 
(a)     Secretary & Counsel, The Western and Southern Life Insurance Company, Western- Southern Life Assurance Company, Western & Southern Financial Group, Inc., Western & Southern Mutual Holding Company, Columbus Life Insurance Company, The Lafayette Life Insurance Company
 
(b)    Director, Touchstone Advisors, Inc., Touchstone Securities, Inc., W&S Financial Group Distributors, Inc., IFS Financial Services, Inc., Integrity Life Insurance Company, W&S Brokerage Services, Inc., Eagle

13



Realty Group, Eagle Realty Investments, Integrity Life Insurance Company, National Integrity Life Insurance Company, Western & Southern Agency, Inc.
 
(29)       William G. Creviston, Vice President & Sr. Portfolio Manager
 
(30)       Douglas E. Kelsey, Vice President & Sr. Portfolio Manager
 
(31)          Jeremiah R. Moore, Vice President & Deputy Head of Wealth Management
 
(32)          Barry D. Pavlo, Vice President
 
(33)           William T. Sena Jr., Vice President & Sr. Portfolio Manager
 
(34)        P. Gregory Williams, Vice President
 
(35)      Eric J. Walzer, Vice President
 
(36)        William T. Sena Sr., Managing Director
 
(37)      Joseph B. Michael, Managing Director
 
(a)    Vice President, Peppertree Partners, LLC
 
(38)        Timothy J.  Jossart, Vice President & Assistant Portfolio Manager
 
(39)      Alexander S. Fischer, Vice President & Regional Business Development Officer
 
(40)       Daniel J.  Carter, Assistant Vice President & Sr. Portfolio Manager
 
(41)       S. Zulfi Ali, Vice President & Sr. Portfolio Manager
 
(42)          Joseph A. Woods, Managing Director& Sr. Investment Manager
 
(43)      William H. Bunn, Vice President & Senior Credit Analyst
 
(44)      Kevin M. Bass, Assistant Vice President & Senior Equity Research Manager
 
(45)       Bernard M. Casey, Assistant Vice President & Senior Credit Analyst
 
(46)         Joe Don Cole, Assistant Vice President
 
(47)        Connie L. Krebs, Assistant Vice President and Director of Relationship Management/Client Service
 
(48)          Anthony L. Longi, Assistant Vice President & Senior Credit Analyst
 
(49)       Michael R. Maeder, Vice President, Private Equity
 
(50)        Kenneth J. Ryan, Assistant Vice President
 
(51)      James K. Seagraves, Assistant Vice President
 
(52)      David W. Walters, Vice President, Portfolio Manager, &Asset & Liability Management
 
(53)        Chris C. Zehetmaier, Assistant Vice President, Marketing
 
(54)       Kathleen A. Cornelius, Assistant Treasurer
 

 

14



(55)        Timothy D. Speed, Assistant Treasurer
 
(56)        Cheryl J. Stotts, Assistant Treasurer
 
C.    Westfield Capital Management Company, L.P. (“Westfield”) is a registered investment advisor providing sub-advisory services to the Touchstone Mid Cap Growth Fund and Touchstone Growth Opportunities Fund.  The address of Westfield is One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111.  The following are executive officers and directors of Westfield:
 
Westfield is 100% employee owned. Strategic business decisions are managed and controlled by an executive management committee composed of William A. Muggia, Morton L. Fearey, II, Hamlen Thompson, Bruce Jacobs, Richard Lee, Robert Flores, Ethan Meyers and John Montgomery.
 
D.     Analytic Investors, LLC (“Analytic”) is a registered investment advisor that provides sub-advisory services to the Touchstone Dynamic Equity Fund.  The address of Analytic is 555 West Fifth Street, 50th Floor Los Angeles, CA 90013.
 
The directors and officers of Analytic are provided on Analytic’s most recently filed Schedule A of Form ADV (IARD No. 104963; SEC File No. 801-07082), which is incorporated herein by reference.  The only employment of a substantial nature of each of Analytic’s directors and officers is with Analytic and its affiliated companies, except as noted below.
 
Roger Clarke:  President of Ensign Peak Advisors (since 9/2007), Director of Bonneville Holding Corporation (since 2000), Director of Deseret Mutual Insurance Company (since 2006) and Deseret Trust Company (since 1996).
 
E.    Barrow, Hanley, Mewhinney & Strauss LLC (“Barrow Hanley”) is a registered investment advisor that provides sub-advisory services to the Touchstone Value Fund and Touchstone International Value Fund.  The address of Barrow Hanley is 2200 Ross Avenue, 31st Floor Dallas, TX 75201.
 
The directors and officers of Barrow Hanley are provided on Barrow Hanley’s most recently filed Schedule A of Form ADV (IARD No. 105519; SEC File No. 801-31237), which is incorporated herein by reference.  The only employment of a substantial nature of each of Barrow Hanley’s directors and officers is with Barrow Hanley and its affiliated companies.
 
F.    Copper Rock Capital Partner LLC (“Copper Rock”) is a registered investment advisor that provides sub-advisory services to the Touchstone International Small Cap Fund.  The address of Copper Rock is 200 Clarendon Street, 51st Floor Boston, MA 02116.
 
The directors and officers of Copper Rock are provided on Copper Rock’s most recently filed Schedule A of Form ADV (IARD No. 134176; SEC File No. 801-63900), which is incorporated herein by reference.  The only employment of a substantial nature of each of Copper Rock’s directors and officers is with Copper Rock and its affiliated companies.
 
G.    Thompson, Siegel & Walmsley LLC (“TS&W”) is a registered investment advisor that provides sub-advisory services to the Touchstone Small Cap Value Opportunities Fund.  The address of TS&W is 6806 Paragon Place, Suite 300, Richmond, VA 23230.
 
The directors and officers of TS&W are provided on TS&W’s most recently filed Schedule A of Form ADV (IARD No. 105726; SEC File No. 801-06273), which is incorporated herein by reference.  The only employment of a substantial nature of each of TS&W’s directors and officers is with TS&W and its affiliated companies.
 
H.    DePrince, Race & Zollo, Inc. (“DRZ”) is a registered investment advisor that provides sub-advisory services to the Touchstone Small Company Value Fund.  The address of DRZ is 250 Park Avenue South, Suite 250, Winter Park, FL 32789.
 
The directors and officers of DRZ are provided on DRZ’s most recently filed Schedule A of Form ADV (IARD No. 112099; SEC File No. 801-48779), which is incorporated herein by reference.  The only employment of a substantial nature of each of DRZ’s directors and officers is with DRZ.
 

15



I.    ClearArc Capital Inc. (“ClearArc”) is a registered investment advisor that provides sub-advisory services to the Touchstone Flexible Income Fund.  The address of ClearArc is 580 Walnut Street, 6th Floor,, Cincinnati, OH 45202.
 
The directors and officers of ClearArc are provided on ClearArc’s most recently filed Schedule A of Form ADV (IARD No. 104650; SEC File No. 801-11184), which is incorporated herein by reference.
 
J.    Apex Capital Management, Inc. (“Apex”) is a registered investment advisor that provides sub-advisory services to the Touchstone Small Cap Growth Value Fund and the Touchstone International Growth Fund.  The Address of Apex is 8163 Old Yankee Road, Suite E, Dayton, OH 45458.
 
The directors and officers of Apex are provided on Apex’s most recently filed Schedule A of Form ADV (IARD No. 107075; SEC File No. 801-42460), which is incorporated herein by reference.  The only employment of a substantial nature of each of Apex’s directors and officers is with Apex.
 
K.    Sands Capital Management, Inc. (“Sands Capital”) is a registered investment advisor that provides sub-advisory services to the Touchstone Sands Capital Emerging Markets Growth Fund.  The Address of Sands Capital is 1101 Wilson Blvd., Suite 2300, Arlington, VA 22209.  No director, officer, or partner of Sands Capital has been engaged in any other business or profession of a substantial nature during the past two fiscal years.
 
L.    London Company of Virginia d/b/a The London Company (“TLC”) is a registered advisor providing sub-advisory services to the Touchstone Large Cap Fund. The address of TLC is 1801 Bayberry Court, Suite 301, Richmond, Virginia, 23226. No director, officer or partner of TLC has been engaged in any other business or profession of a substantial nature during the past two fiscal years.
 
M.    Rockefeller & Co., Inc. (“Rockefeller”) is a registered advisor providing sub-advisory services to the Touchstone Sustainability and Impact Equity Fund. The address of Rockefeller is 10 Rockefeller Plaza, Third Floor, New York, New York 10020. No director, officer or partner of Rockefeller has been engaged in any other business or profession of a substantial nature during the past two fiscal years.
 
N.    Ares Capital Management II, LLC (“Ares”) is a registered advisor providing sub-advisory services to the Touchstone Credit Opportunities Fund.  The address of Ares is 2000 Avenue of the Stars, 12th Floor, Los Angeles, California 90067. No director, officer or partner of Ares has been engaged in any other business or profession of a substantial nature during the past two fiscal years.
 
O.    Wilshire Associates Incorporated (“Wilshire”) is a registered advisor providing sub-advisory services to the Touchstone Controlled Growth with Income Fund, the Touchstone Dynamic Diversified Income Fund, and the Touchstone Dynamic Global Allocation Fund. The address of Wilshire is 1299 Ocean Avenue Suite 700, Santa Monica, CA 90401. No director, officer or partner of Wilshire has been engaged in any other business or profession of a substantial nature during the past two fiscal years.
 
Item 32.       Principal Underwriters
 
(a) Touchstone Securities, Inc. also acts as underwriter for Touchstone Investment Trust, Touchstone Tax-Free Trust, Touchstone Variable Series Trust, Touchstone Funds Group Trust and Touchstone Institutional Funds Trust.
 
(b) Unless otherwise noted, the address of the persons named below is 303 Broadway, Cincinnati, OH 45202.  *The address is 400 Broadway, Cincinnati, OH 45202
 

16



 
 
POSITION WITH
 
POSITION WITH
NAME
 
UNDERWRITER
 
REGISTRANT
Steven M. Graziano
 
President
 
Vice President
Jill T. McGruder
 
Director & CEO
 
Trustee/President
James N. Clark*
 
Director
 
None
Donald J. Wuebbling*
 
Director
 
None
Patricia J. Wilson
 
Vice President
 
None
James J. Vance*
 
Vice President and Treasurer
 
None
Terrie A. Wiedenheft
 
Chief Financial Officer
 
Controller/Treasurer
Timothy S. Stearns
 
Chief Compliance Officer
 
Chief Compliance Officer
Rhonda Malone*
 
Secretary
 
None
Sharon L. Karp
 
Vice President
 
None
Kathleen A. Cornelius
 
Assistant Treasurer
 
None
Douglas B. Perry
 
Assistant Treasurer
 
None
Timothy D. Speed
 
Assistant Treasurer
 
None
Cheryl J. Stotts
 
Assistant Treasurer
 
None
 
(c)  None.
 
Item 33.       LOCATION OF ACCOUNTS AND RECORDS
 
Books or other documents required to be maintained by Section 31(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended and the rules promulgated thereunder, are maintained as follows:
 
(a)   With respect to Rules 31a-1(a); 31a-1(b)(1); (2)(a) and (b); (3); (6); (8); (12); and 31a-1(d), the required books and records will be maintained at the offices of Registrant’s Custodian:
 
Brown Brothers Harriman & Co.
40 Water Street
Boston, MA 02109
 
(b)   With respect to Rules 31a-1(a); 31a-1(b)(1), (4); (2)(C) and (D); (4); (5); (6); (8); (9); (10); (11); and 31a-1(f), the required books and records are maintained at the offices of the Registrant’s Administrator and Sub-Administrator.
 
Touchstone Advisors, Inc.
303 Broadway, Suite 1100
Cincinnati, OH 45202
 
BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) Inc.
4400 Computer Drive
Westborough, MA 01581
 
BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) Inc.
201 Washington Street, 34th Floor
Boston, MA 02108
 
(c)  With respect to Rules 31a-1(b)(5), (6), (9) and (10) and 31a-1(f), the required books and records are maintained at the principal offices of the Registrant’s investment advisors:
 
All Funds:
 
Touchstone Advisors, Inc.
303 Broadway, Suite 1100
Cincinnati, OH 45202
 
Touchstone Focused Fund

17



Fort Washington Investment Advisors, Inc.
303 Broadway, Suite 1200
Cincinnati, OH 45202
 
Touchstone Mid Cap Growth Fund and Touchstone Growth Opportunities Fund
Westfield Capital Management Company, L.P.
One Financial Center
Boston, MA 02111
 
Touchstone Large Cap Fund
London Company of Virginia d/b/a The London Company (“TLC”)
1801 Bayberry Court, Suite 301
Richmond, VA 23226
 
Touchstone Sustainability and Impact Equity Fund
Rockefeller & Co., Inc.
10 Rockefeller Plaza, Third Floor
New York, NY 10020
 
Touchstone Dynamic Equity Fund
Analytic Investors, LLC
555 West Fifth Street, 50th Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90013
 
Touchstone Value Fund and Touchstone International Value Fund
Barrow, Hanley, Mewhinney & Strauss LLC
2200 Ross Avenue, 31st Floor
Dallas, TX 75201
 
Touchstone International Small Cap Fund
Copper Rock Capital Partner LLC
200 Clarendon Street, 51st Floor
Boston, MA 02116
 
Touchstone Small Cap Value Opportunities Fund
Thompson, Siegel & Walmsley LLC
6806 Paragon Place, Suite 300
Richmond, VA 23230
 
Touchstone Controlled Growth with Income Fund, Touchstone Dynamic Diversified Income Fund, and Touchstone Dynamic Global Allocation Fund
Wilshire Associates
1299 Ocean Avenue, Suite 700
Santa Monica, CA 90401
 
Touchstone Flexible Income Fund
ClearArc Capital Inc.
580 Walnut Street, 6th Floor
Cincinnati, OH 45202
 
Touchstone Sands Capital Emerging Markets Growth Fund
Sands Capital Management, LLC
1101 Wilson Blvd., Suite 2300
Arlington, VA 22209
 
Touchstone Small Cap Growth Fund and Touchstone International Growth Fund
Apex Capital Management, Inc.
8163 Old Yankee Road, Suite E
Dayton, OH 45458

18



 
Touchstone Credit Opportunities Fund
Ares Capital Management II, LLC
2000 Avenue of the Stars, 12th Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90067
 
Item 34.       MANAGEMENT SERVICES NOT DISCUSSED IN PART A OR PART B
 
None.
 
Item 35.       UNDERTAKINGS
 
None.
 

19




 

 
SIGNATURES
 
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the Registrant has duly caused this Post-Effective Amendment No. 139 to its Registration Statement on Form N-1A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, duly authorized, in the City of Cincinnati, State of Ohio, on August 15, 2016.
 
 
TOUCHSTONE STRATEGIC TRUST
 
 
 
By: /s/ Jill T. McGruder
 
 Jill T. McGruder
 
 Trustee and President
 
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this Post-Effective Amendment No. 139 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
 
*
 
Trustee
 
August 15, 2016
Phillip R. Cox
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
*
 
Trustee
 
August 15, 2016
William C. Gale
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
*
 
Trustee
 
August 15, 2016
Susan J. Hickenlooper
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
*
 
Trustee
 
August 15, 2016
Kevin A. Robie
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
*
 
Trustee
 
August 15, 2016
Edward J. VonderBrink
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
/s/ Jill T. McGruder
 
Trustee and President
 
August 15, 2016
Jill T. McGruder
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
/s/ Terrie A. Wiedenheft
 
Controller, Treasurer and Principal Financial Officer
 
August 15, 2016
Terrie A. Wiedenheft
 
 
 
 
 
*By:
/s/ Terrie A. Wiedenheft
 
 
 
August 15, 2016
 
Terrie A. Wiedenheft
 
 
 
 
 
(Attorney-in-Fact Pursuant to Power of Attorney filed with PEA No. 103)
 
 
 



20



Exhibit Index


Exhibit (d)(19)     Sub-Advisory Agreement between Touchstone Advisors, Inc. and DSM Capital Partners LLC.

Exhibit (i)    Opinion of counsel.

Exhibit (j)     Consent of Tait, Weller & Baker LLP.

21