485BPOS 1 nuwave_485b.htm 485BPOS Blu Giant, LLC

As filed February 16, 2018

Securities Act Registration No. 033-11905

Investment Company Act Registration No. 811-05010

 

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, DC 20549

FORM N-1A

 

 

 

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

         

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

       
Pre-Effective Amendment No.        
Post-Effective Amendment No. 169   x    

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

         
UNDER        
THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940        
Amendment No. 170   x    

 

 

Mutual Fund and Variable Insurance Trust

(Exact name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

 

 

36 North New York Avenue

Huntington, NY 11743

(Address of Principal Executive Offices)

1-631-629-4237

(Registrant’s Telephone Number)

 

The Corporation Trust Company

Corporate Trust Center

1209 Orange Street

Wilmington, DE 19801

(Name and address of Agent for service)

(Notices should be sent to the Agent for Service)

 

 

Copies to:

Parker Bridgeport, Esq.

Thompson Hine LLP

41 S. High Street, Suite 1700

Columbus, Ohio 43215

 

 

It is proposed that this filing will become effective:

    immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b)

 

    X      On February 20, 2018 pursuant to paragraph (b)

 

    60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(i)

 

    on __________ pursuant to paragraph (a)(i)

 

    75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(ii)

 

    on                      pursuant to paragraph (a)(ii) of Rule 485

If appropriate, check the following box:

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

RATIONAL/NUWAVE ENHANCED MARKET OPPORTUNITY FUND

Class A Shares: NUXAX

Class C Shares: NUXCX

 

Class T Shares [      ] Institutional Shares: NUXIX

 

PROSPECTUS

[      ], 2018

 

 

 

 

 

This Prospectus provides important information about the Fund that you should know before investing.  Please read it carefully and keep it for future reference.

 

 

The Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission have not approved or disapproved these securities or determined if this Prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 
 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

FUND SUMMARY – RATIONAL/ NUWAVE ENHANCED MARKET OPPORTUNITY FUND 1
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUND’S PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RELATED RISKS 8
HOW TO BUY SHARES 14
VALUING FUND ASSETS 27
DIVIDENDS, DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAXES 27
MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND 28
APPENDIX A: 31
FOR MORE INFORMATION 35
 
 

 

FUND SUMMARY – RATIONAL/NUWAVE ENHANCED MARKET OPPORTUNITY FUND

Investment Objective: The Fund's objective is long-term capital appreciation.

 

Fees and Expenses of the Fund: This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts on purchases of Class A shares if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and is included in the section of the Fund’s prospectus entitled How to Buy Shares on page 14 and Appendix A - Intermediary-Specific Sales Charge Reductions and Waivers, and in the sections of the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information entitled Reductions of Up-Front Sales Charge on Class A Shares on page 53 and Waivers of Up-Front Sales Charge on Class A Shares on page 54.

 

 

Shareholder Fees

(fees paid directly from your investment)

Institutional Shares Class A Shares Class C Shares Class T Shares
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price) None 5.75% None 2.50%
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of the lesser of the original purchase price or the net asset value of shares at the time of redemption) None 1.00%(1) 1.00%(2) None

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested

Dividends and other Distributions

None None None None
Redemption Fee None None None None
Exchange Fee None None None None

Annual Fund Operating Expenses

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Management Fees 1.75% 1.75% 1.75% 1.75%
Distribution (12b-1) Fees None 0.25% 1.00% 0.25%
Other Expenses (including shareholder services fee of 0.25% applicable to Institutional Shares and Class A Shares only) (3)

 

0.98%

 

0.98%

 

0.98%

 

0.73%

Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses(3)(4) 0.15% 0.15% 0.15% 0.15%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses 2.88% 3.13% 3.88% 2.88%
Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements (5) (0.74)% (0.74)% (0.74)% (0.49)%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements(5) 2.14% 2.39% 3.14% 2.39%

 

(1) In the case of investments of $1 million or more (where you do not pay an initial sales charge), a 1.00% contingent deferred sales charge (“CDSC”) may be assessed on shares redeemed within two years of purchase.
(2) Maximum Deferred Sales Charge on Class C Shares applies to shares sold within 12 months of purchase.
(3) Estimated for the current fiscal year.
(4) Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses are the indirect costs of investing in other investment companies. The total annual fund operating expenses in this fee table will not correlate to the expense ratio in the Fund’s financial highlights because the financial statements include only the direct operating expenses incurred by the Fund, not the indirect costs of investing in other investment companies
(5) The Fund’s investment advisor, Rational Advisors, Inc. (the “Advisor”) has contractually agreed to waive all or a portion of its management fee and/or reimburse certain operating expenses of the Fund to the extent necessary in order to limit the Fund’s total annual fund operating expenses (after the fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements, and exclusive of acquired fund fees and expenses, brokerage costs, interest, taxes and dividends, and extraordinary expenses) to not more than 1.99%, 2.24%, 2.99% and 2.24% of the Institutional Shares, Class A Shares, Class C Shares and Class T Shares’ daily net assets, respectively, through April 30, 2019. This arrangement may only be terminated prior to this date with the agreement of the Fund’s Board of Trustees. Under certain conditions, the Advisor may recapture operating expenses waived and/or reimbursed under this agreement for a period of three years after the fees were waived or reimbursed, if the recapture can be achieved within the lesser of the expense limits in effect at the time of such reimbursement and the expense limits in place at the time of the recapture.

 

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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 redeem (or you hold, as applicable) all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year, operating expenses remain the same and that the expense reduction/reimbursement remains in place for the contractual period only. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

 

YEAR Class A Class C Institutional Shares Class T
1 $803 $317 $217 $486
3 $1,420 $1,116 $822 $1,075

 

You would pay the following expenses if you did not redeem your shares.

YEAR Class A Class C Institutional Shares Class T
1 $803 $417 $217 $486
3 $1,420 $1,216 $822 $1,075

 

 

Portfolio Turnover: The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance. Because the Fund has not commenced operations as of the date of this prospectus, the portfolio turnover rate for the last fiscal year is not available. In the future, the portfolio turnover rate for the most recent fiscal year will be provided here.

 

Principal Investment Strategy

 

The Fund invests in a portfolio of equity securities in combination with long and short positions in commodities and financial futures with the goal of generating superior risk-adjusted returns compared with a typical long-only, non-leveraged equity portfolio.  The Sub-Advisor expects that approximately 75% of the Fund’s assets will be allocated to the trading of equity securities (the “Equity Component”) and approximately 25% of the Fund’s portfolio will be allocated to the trading of commodity and financial futures, as well as cash and cash equivalents (the “Futures Component”).  However, such percentages will vary based upon the Sub-Advisor’s investment outlook and assessment of prevailing market conditions.  The combined portfolio is structured to be broadly diversified across markets, time horizons and trading styles, and the Sub-Advisor aims to achieve a substantial degree of non-correlation between the Equity Component and the Futures Component.

Equity Component. The Equity Component is comprised primarily of common stocks and exchange traded funds invested in equity securities of US companies. Although the Fund may invest in companies of any market capitalization without limit, the Fund expects to be invested predominately in companies with market capitalizations of $5 billion or more. The Fund may also invest in companies domiciled outside of the US.

The Equity Component of the strategy employs a systematic process to identify repetitive patterns of price behavior that are indicative of prevailing market sentiment and/or institutional money flows into or out of individual securities and sectors. These factors are often indicative of large scale asset allocation shifts, sector rotation opportunities, and/or shifting sentiment indicators. Individual stocks that are

2 
 

expected to outperform the benchmark index are targeted for inclusion in the portfolio, while those that are expected to underperform are either liquidated or excluded. The systematic portfolio selection process is further constrained real-time with respect to individual position size and sector exposure in order to ensure a meaningful variety of market exposures. Holding periods range from intraday to several weeks in length (depending upon the persistence of trending price behaviors).

Futures Component. The Futures Component of the Fund’s portfolio holds long and short positions on futures contracts and maintains cash and cash equivalents to be utilized as margin or collateral. The Futures Component of the Fund’s assets will be allocated among various asset classes, including exposure to both financial futures (stock indices, fixed income and currencies) and commodity futures (energies, metals, grains, softs and meats). Investments may be made in domestic and foreign markets. Investment in these instruments may be made by the Fund directly or indirectly by investing through its Subsidiary (as described below).

Investments in Subsidiary – The Adviser executes a portion of the Fund’s strategy by investing up to 25% of its total assets in a wholly-owned and controlled subsidiary (the "Subsidiary").  The Subsidiary invests the majority of its assets in commodities and other futures contracts.  The Subsidiary is subject to the same investment restrictions as the Fund, when viewed on a consolidated basis.  The Advisor and Sub-Advisor to the Fund are also Advisor and Sub-Advisor to the Subsidiary.

 

The Fund is classified as “non-diversified” for purposes of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”), which means a relatively high percentage of the Fund’s assets may be invested in the securities of a limited number of companies that could be in the same or related economic sectors.

 

Principal Investment Risks

As with any mutual fund, there is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve its objective. Investment markets are unpredictable and there will be certain market conditions where the Fund will not meet its investment objective and will lose money. The Fund’s net asset value and returns will vary and you could lose money on your investment in the Fund and those losses could be significant. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.

The following summarizes the principal risks of investing in the Fund. These risks could adversely affect the net asset value, total return and the value of the Fund and your investment.

 

·Cash or Cash Equivalents Risk: At any time, the Fund may have significant investments in cash or cash equivalents. When a substantial portion of a portfolio is held in cash or cash equivalents, there is the risk that the value of the cash account, including interest, will not keep pace with inflation, thus reducing purchasing power over time.
·Commodity Risk: Investing in the commodities markets may subject the Fund to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities. Commodity prices may be influenced by unfavorable weather, animal and plant disease, geologic and environmental factors, as well as changes in government regulation such as tariffs, embargoes or burdensome production rules and restrictions.

 

·Derivatives Risk: Even a small investment in derivatives (which include options, futures and other transactions) may give rise to leverage risk (which can increase volatility and magnify the
3 
 

Fund’s potential for loss), and can have a significant impact on the Fund's performance. Derivatives are also subject to credit risk (the counterparty may default) and liquidity risk (the Fund may not be able to sell the security or otherwise exit the contract in a timely manner).

 

Equity Security Risk. Common stocks are susceptible to general stock market fluctuations and to volatile increases and decreases in value as market confidence in and perceptions of their issuers change. Investor perceptions are based on various and unpredictable factors, including expectations regarding government, economic, monetary and fiscal policies; inflation and interest rates; economic expansion or contraction and global or regional political, economic and banking crises.

 

·Foreign Currency Risk: Currency trading risks include market risk, credit risk and country risk. Market risk results from adverse changes in exchange rates in the currencies the Fund is long or short. Credit risk results because a currency-trade counterparty may default. Country risk arises because a government may interfere with transactions in its currency.

 

·Foreign Investment Risk: Foreign investing involves risks not typically associated with U.S. investments, including adverse fluctuations in foreign currency values, adverse political, social and economic developments, less liquidity, greater volatility, less developed or less efficient trading markets, political instability and differing auditing and legal standards. Investing in emerging markets imposes risks different from, or greater than, risks of investing in foreign developed countries.

 

·Foreign Exchanges Risk: A portion of the derivatives trades made by the Fund may take place on foreign markets. Neither existing CFTC regulations nor regulations of any other U.S. governmental agency apply to transactions on foreign markets. Some of these foreign markets, in contrast to U.S. exchanges, are so-called principals’ markets in which performance is the responsibility only of the individual counterparty with whom the trader has entered into a commodity interest transaction and not of the exchange or clearing corporation. In these kinds of markets, there is risk of bankruptcy or other failure or refusal to perform by the counterparty.

 

·Futures Contract Risk: The successful use of futures contracts draws upon the Adviser’s skill and experience with respect to such instruments and are subject to special risk considerations. The primary risks associated with the use of futures contracts are (a) the imperfect correlation between the change in market value of the instruments held by the Fund and the price of the forward or futures contract; (b) possible lack of a liquid secondary market for a forward or futures contract and the resulting inability to close a forward or futures contract when desired; (c) losses caused by unanticipated market movements, which are potentially unlimited; (d) the Adviser’s inability to predict correctly the direction of securities prices, interest rates, currency exchange rates and other economic factors; (e) the possibility that the counterparty will default in the performance of its obligations; and (f) if the Fund has insufficient cash, it may have to sell securities from its portfolio to meet daily variation margin requirements, and the Fund may have to sell securities at a time when it may be disadvantageous to do so.

 

·Leverage Risk: Using derivatives like commodity futures and options to increase the Fund’s combined long and short exposure creates leverage, which can magnify the Fund’s potential for gain or loss and, therefore, amplify the effects of market volatility on the Fund’s share price.

 

Limited History of Operations: The Fund has a limited history of operations as a mutual fund for investors to evaluate. If the Fund is unable to achieve an economic size, expenses will be

4 
 

higher than expected and the Fund might close, which could produce adverse tax consequences for shareholders.

 

· Management Risk: The Adviser's judgments about the attractiveness, value and potential appreciation of particular asset classes and securities in which the Fund invests may prove to be incorrect and may not produce the desired results. The Advisor’s judgement about the Sub-Advisor’s investment skill and acumen may be in error.

 

· Market Risk: Overall securities and derivatives market risks may affect the value of individual instruments in which the Fund invests. Factors such as domestic and foreign economic growth and market conditions, interest rate levels, and political events affect the securities and derivatives markets. When the value of the Fund's investments goes down, your investment in the Fund decreases in value and you could lose money.

 

· New Sub-Advisor Risk. The Sub-Advisor has limited experience managing a mutual fund. Mutual funds and their advisors are subject to restrictions and limitations imposed by the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the Internal Revenue Code that do not apply to the advisor’s management of other types of individual and institutional accounts. As a result, investors do not have a long-term track record of managing a mutual fund from which to judge the Sub-Advisor and the Sub-Advisor may not achieve the intended result in managing the Fund.

 

·Non-diversification Risk. Because a relatively high percentage of a non-diversified Fund’s assets may be invested in the securities of a limited number of companies that could be in the same or related economic sectors, the Fund’s portfolio may be more susceptible to any single economic, technological or regulatory occurrence than the portfolio of a diversified fund.

 

·Regulatory Risk. Changes in the laws or regulations of the United States or other countries, including any changes to applicable tax laws and regulations, could impair the ability of the Fund to achieve its investment objective and could increase the operating expenses of the Fund.

 

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

 

· Taxation Risk. By investing in commodities indirectly through the Subsidiary, the Fund intends to obtain exposure to the commodities markets within the federal tax requirements that apply to the Fund. However, because the Subsidiary is a controlled foreign corporation, any income and capital gains received from its investments will be passed through to the Fund as ordinary income. Ordinary income is taxed at less favorable rates than long-term capital gains.

 

· Underlying Fund Risk. Other investment companies, including ETFs (“Underlying Funds”) in which the Fund invests, are subject to investment advisory and other expenses, which will be indirectly paid by the Fund. As a result, the cost of investing in the Fund will be higher than the cost of investing directly in the Underlying Funds and may be higher than other mutual funds that invest directly in stocks and bonds. Each of the Underlying Funds is subject to its own specific risks, but the Sub-Advisor expects the principal investments risks of
5 
 

such Underlying Funds will be similar to the risks of investing in the Fund. ETFs are also subject to the following additional risks: (i) the ETF’s market price may be less than its net asset value; (ii) an active market for the ETF may not develop; and (iii) market trading in the ETF may be illiquid or even halted under certain circumstances.

 

· Wholly-Owned Subsidiary Risk: The Subsidiary will not be registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 ("1940 Act") and, unless otherwise noted in this Prospectus, will not be subject to all of the investor protections of the 1940 Act. Changes in the laws of the United States and/or the Cayman Islands, under which the Fund and the Subsidiary, respectively, are organized, could result in the inability of the Fund and/or Subsidiary to operate as described in this Prospectus and could negatively affect the Fund and its shareholders. Your cost of investing in the Fund will be higher because you indirectly bear the expenses of the Subsidiary. The Fund and the Subsidiary are "commodity pools" under the U.S. Commodity Exchange Act, and the Adviser is a "commodity pool operator" registered with and regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission ("CFTC"). As a result, additional CFTC-mandated disclosure, reporting and recordkeeping obligations apply with respect to the Fund and the Subsidiary and subject each to CFTC penalties if reporting was found to be deficient.

 

For more information, please see “Additional Information About the Fund’s Principal Investment Strategies and Related Risks.” 

 

Performance: The Fund acquired all of the assets and liabilities of NuWave Equity Enhanced Fund, LP (the “Predecessor Fund”) in a tax-free reorganization on [ ], 2018.  In connection with this acquisition, shares of the Predecessor Fund were exchanged for Institutional Shares of the Fund.  The Fund’s investment objectives, policies, restrictions, and guidelines are, in all material respects, equivalent to the Predecessor Fund’s investment objectives, policies, restrictions, and guidelines. The Fund’s sub-adviser was the adviser to the Predecessor Fund. The financial statements for the Predecessor Fund can be found in the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information. The performance information set forth below reflects the historical performance of the Predecessor Fund shares.

 

The bar chart and performance table below show the variability of the Fund’s returns, which is some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund.   The bar chart shows performance of the Fund’s Institutional Shares for each full calendar year since the Fund’s inception. Going forward, although Class A, Class C and Class T shares would have similar annual returns to Institutional Shares because the classes are invested in the same portfolio of securities, the returns for Class A, Class C and Class T shares will be different from Institutional Shares because Class A, Class C and Class T shares have different expenses than Institutional Shares.   The performance table compares the performance of the Fund’s shares over time to the performance of a broad-based market index.  You should be aware that the Fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) may not be an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future.  

 

6 
 

Annual Total Returns

 

 

Figures do not reflect sales charges. If they did, returns would be lower.

 

During the period shown in the bar chart, the highest return for a quarter was 8.10% (quarter ended December 31, 2017), and the lowest return for a quarter was (6.66)% (quarter ended June 30, 2015).

The following table shows the average annual returns for the Predecessor Fund, which includes all of its actual fees and expenses over various periods ended December 31, 2017 as adjusted to reflect any applicable sales loads of the Fund. The Predecessor Fund did not have a distribution policy. It was a limited partnership, did not qualify as a regulated investment company for federal income tax purposes, and it did not pay dividends and distributions. As a result of the different tax treatment, we are unable to show the after-tax returns for the Predecessor Fund. The Predecessor Fund was not registered under the 1940 Act and, therefore, was not subject to certain investment restrictions, limitations and diversification requirements that are imposed by the 1940 Act. If the Predecessor Fund had been registered under the 1940 Act, the Predecessor Fund’s performance may have been adversely affected. The index information is intended to permit you to compare the Predecessor Fund’s performance to a broad measure of market performance. Updated performance information and daily net asset value per share are available at no cost by calling toll-free 800-253-0412.

 

Average Annual Total Returns

(For periods ended December 31, 2017)

  1 Year

Since the Predecessor Fund’s Inception

(March 31, 2013)

Institutional1 13.23% 9.33%
Class A1, 2 6.45% 7.70%
Class C1 12.12% 8.24%
Class T1, 2 10.12% 8.47%
S&P 500 Total Return Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) 21.83% 14.24%
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1. Includes the effect of performance fees paid by the investors of the Predecessor Fund.

2. Includes the effect of the maximum sales load.

 

Advisor: Rational Advisors, Inc., (“Rational”) is the Fund’s investment advisor (the “Advisor”).

Sub-Advisor: NuWave Investment Management, LLC (“NuWave”) is the Fund’s investment sub-advisor (the “Sub-Advisor”).

 

Portfolio Managers: Troy Buckner, Managing Principal of the Sub-Advisor, serves as the Fund’s portfolio manager and is primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio. He has served as Portfolio Manager of the Fund since the Fund commenced investment operations in 2018.

 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares: The minimum initial purchase for the Fund’s Class A, Class C, Class T and Institutional Shares is $1,000. For Class A, Class C and Class T Shares, the minimum subsequent investment is $50; for Institutional Shares, the minimum subsequent investment is $500. For Class A, Class C, and Class T Shares, and Institutional Shares, the minimum initial and subsequent investment through the Systematic Investment Program (“SIP”) is $50.

 

You may purchase and redeem shares of the Fund on any day that the New York Stock Exchange is open. Redemption requests may be made in writing, by telephone or through a financial intermediary to the Fund or the Transfer Agent and will be paid by check or wire transfer. If a purchase or redemption request is received by 4:00p.m. it will receive that day’s NAV.

 

Tax Information: Dividends and capital gain distributions you receive from the Fund, whether you reinvest your distributions in additional Fund shares or receive them in cash, are taxable to you at either ordinary income or capital gains tax rates unless you are investing through a tax-deferred plan such as an IRA or 401(k) plan. If you are investing in a tax-deferred plan, distributions may be taxable upon withdrawal from the plan.

 

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries: If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s Web site for more information.

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUND’S PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RELATED RISKS

Investment Objective

The Fund's objective is long-term capital appreciation. The investment objective of the Fund is non-fundamental and may be changed by the Board of Trustees without shareholder approval. If the Board decides to change the Fund’s investment objective, shareholders will be given 60 days’ advance notice.

Principal Investment Strategies

The Fund invests in a portfolio of equity securities in combination with long and short positions in commodities and financial futures with the goal of generating superior risk-adjusted returns compared

8 
 

with a typical long-only, non-leveraged equity portfolio.  The Sub-Advisor expects that approximately 75% of the Fund’s assets will be allocated to the trading of equity securities (the “Equity Component”) and approximately 25% of the Fund’s portfolio will be allocated to the trading of commodity and financial futures, as well as cash and cash equivalents (the “Futures Component”).  However, such percentages will vary based upon the Sub-Advisor’s investment outlook and assessment of prevailing market conditions.  The combined portfolio is structured to be broadly diversified across markets, time horizons and trading styles, and the Sub-Advisor aims to achieve a substantial degree of non-correlation between the Equity Component and the Futures Component.

Equity Component. The Equity Component is comprised primarily of common stocks and exchange traded funds invested in equity securities of US companies. Although the Fund may invest in companies of any market capitalization without limit, the Fund expects to be invested predominately in companies with market capitalizations of $5 billion or more. The Fund may also invest in companies domiciled outside of the US.

The Equity Component of the strategy employs a systematic process to identify repetitive patterns of price behavior that are indicative of prevailing market sentiment and/or institutional money flows into or out of individual securities and sectors. These factors are often indicative of large scale asset allocation shifts, sector rotation opportunities, and/or shifting sentiment indicators. Individual stocks that are expected to outperform the benchmark index are targeted for inclusion in the portfolio, while those that are expected to underperform are either liquidated or excluded. The systematic portfolio selection process is further constrained real-time with respect to individual position size and sector exposure in order to ensure a meaningful variety of market exposures. Holding periods range from intraday to several weeks in length (depending upon the persistence of trending price behaviors).

Futures Component. The Futures Component of the Fund’s portfolio holds long and short positions on futures contracts and maintains cash and cash equivalents to be utilized as margin or collateral. The Futures Component of the Fund’s assets will be allocated among various asset classes, including exposure to both financial futures (stock indices, fixed income and currencies) and commodity futures (energies, metals, grains, softs and meats). Investments may be made in domestic and foreign markets. Investment in these instruments may be made by the Fund directly or indirectly by investing through its Subsidiary (as described below).

The Futures Component of the strategy employs a multi-model trend-based approach to invest both long and short across a diverse selection of liquid financial and commodities futures markets. This component of the strategy seeks to identify price trends through the application of hundreds of individual trading models, which collectively provide exposure to short-, intermediate- and long-term trading opportunities. The underlying trading models are selected based upon their individual risk/return characteristics, as well as their ability to smooth/diversify overall portfolio returns. While each of the trading models trades the same set of broadly diversified futures markets, each is also differentiated by a unique trading style and time frame.

The Fund is classified as “non-diversified” for purposes of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”), which means a relatively high percentage of the Fund’s assets may be invested in the securities of a limited number of companies that could be in the same or related economic sectors.

 

Subsidiary

The Fund will execute a portion of its strategy by investing up to 25% of its total assets in a wholly-owned and controlled foreign Subsidiary. The Subsidiary invests the majority of its assets in commodities

9 
 

and other futures contracts subject to the same investment restrictions as the Fund, when viewed on a consolidated basis. The principal investment strategies and principal investment risks of the Subsidiary are also principal investment strategies and principal risks of the Fund and are reflected in this Prospectus. The financial statements of the Subsidiary will be consolidated with those of the Fund. By investing in commodities indirectly through the Subsidiary, the Fund intends to obtain exposure to the commodities markets within the federal tax requirements that apply to the Fund under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"). Subchapter M requires, among other things, that at least 90% of the Fund's gross income be derived from certain qualifying sources, such as dividends, interest, gains from the sale of stock or other securities, and certain other income derived from securities or derived with respect to the Fund’s business of investing in securities (typically referred to as "qualifying income"). The Fund will make investments in certain commodity-linked derivatives through the Subsidiary because income from these derivatives is not treated as "qualifying income" for purposes of the 90% gross income requirement if the Fund invests in the derivative directly.

 

In the past, the Internal Revenue Service issued a number of private letter rulings to other mutual funds (unrelated to the Fund), which indicated that certain undistributed income from a fund's investment in a wholly-owned foreign subsidiary would constitute "qualifying income" for purposes of Subchapter M. However, the Fund does not have a private letter ruling, and the Internal Revenue Service no longer issues such private letter rulings. Moreover, in September 2016, the Internal Revenue Service issued proposed regulations that, if finalized in proposed form, would provide that the income which the Fund derives from its investment in the Subsidiary in any taxable year would only be treated as "qualifying income" for purposes of the 90% gross income requirement of Subchapter M to the extent that the Subsidiary makes certain dividend distributions to the Fund out of the Subsidiary's earnings and profits for that same taxable year. Therefore, the Subsidiary will, no less than annually, declare and distribute a dividend to the Fund, as the sole shareholder of the Subsidiary, in an amount approximately equal to the total amount of "Subpart F" income (as defined in Section 951 of the Code) generated by or expected to be generated by the Subsidiary's investments during the fiscal year.

Because the Fund may invest a substantial portion of its assets in the Subsidiary, which may hold some of the investments described in this Prospectus, the Fund may be considered to be investing indirectly in some of those investments through its Subsidiary. For that reason, references to the Fund may also include the Subsidiary.

The Subsidiary will be subject to the same investment restrictions and limitations, and follow the same compliance policies and procedures, as the Fund. The Fund complies with the provisions of the 1940 Act governing investment policies, capital structure and leverage on an aggregate basis with the Subsidiary. In addition, the Subsidiary complies with the provisions of the 1940 Act relating to affiliated transactions and custody. The Fund’s custodian also serves as the custodian to the Subsidiary.

The investment adviser(s) to the Subsidiary will also comply with the provisions of the 1940 Act regarding investment advisory contracts and are considered to be an investment adviser to the Fund under the 1940 Act.

 

Temporary Defensive Positions

From time to time, the Fund may take temporary defensive positions, which are inconsistent with the Fund’s principal investment strategies, in attempting to respond to adverse market, economic, political, or other conditions. For example, the Fund may hold all or a portion of its assets in money market instruments, including cash, cash equivalents, U.S. government securities, other investment grade fixed income securities, certificates of deposit, bankers acceptances, commercial paper, money market funds

10 
 

and repurchase agreements. If the Fund invests in a money market fund, the shareholders of the Fund generally will be subject to duplicative management fees. Although the Fund would do this only in seeking to avoid losses, the Fund will be unable to pursue its investment objective during that time, and it could reduce the benefit from any upswing in the market. The Fund also may invest in money market instruments at any time to maintain liquidity or pending selection of investments in accordance with its policies.

Principal Investment Risks

All mutual funds carry a certain amount of risk. As with any mutual fund, there is no guarantee that a Fund will achieve its objective. Investment markets are unpredictable, and there will be certain market conditions where the Fund will not meet its investment objective and will lose money. Each Fund’s net asset value and returns will vary and you could lose money on your investment in the Fund and those losses could be significant. An investment in the Fund is not a complete investment program. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.

The following summarizes the principal risks of the Fund.  These risks could adversely affect the net asset value, total return and the value of the Fund and your investment.  

Cash or Cash Equivalents Risk: At any time, the Fund may have significant investments in cash or cash equivalents. When a substantial portion of a portfolio is held in cash or cash equivalents, there is the risk that the value of the cash account, including interest, will not keep pace with inflation, thus reducing purchasing power over time.

Commodity Risk: Investing in the commodities markets may subject the Fund to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities. Commodity prices may be influenced by unfavorable weather, animal and plant disease, geologic and environmental factors, as well as changes in government regulation such as tariffs, embargoes or burdensome production rules and restrictions.

 

Derivatives Risk: Even a small investment in derivatives (which include options, futures and other transactions) may give rise to leverage risk (which can increase volatility and magnify the Fund’s potential for loss), and can have a significant impact on the Fund's performance. Derivatives are also subject to credit risk (the counterparty may default) and liquidity risk (the Fund may not be able to sell the security or otherwise exit the contract in a timely manner).

 

Equity Security Risk. Common stocks are susceptible to general stock market fluctuations and to volatile increases and decreases in value as market confidence in and perceptions of their issuers change. Investor perceptions are based on various and unpredictable factors, including expectations regarding government, economic, monetary and fiscal policies; inflation and interest rates; economic expansion or contraction and global or regional political, economic and banking crises.

 

Foreign Currency Risk: Currency trading risks include market risk, credit risk and country risk. Market risk results from adverse changes in exchange rates in the currencies the Fund is long or short. Credit risk results because a currency-trade counterparty may default. Country risk arises because a government may interfere with transactions in its currency.

 

Foreign Investment Risk: Foreign investing involves risks not typically associated with U.S. investments, including adverse fluctuations in foreign currency values, adverse political, social and economic developments, less liquidity, greater volatility, less developed or less efficient trading

 

11 
 

markets, political instability and differing auditing and legal standards. Investing in emerging markets imposes risks different from, or greater than, risks of investing in foreign developed countries.

 

Foreign Exchanges Risk: A portion of the derivatives trades made by the Fund may take place on foreign markets. Neither existing CFTC regulations nor regulations of any other U.S. governmental agency apply to transactions on foreign markets. Some of these foreign markets, in contrast to U.S. exchanges, are so-called principals’ markets in which performance is the responsibility only of the individual counterparty with whom the trader has entered into a commodity interest transaction and not of the exchange or clearing corporation. In these kinds of markets, there is risk of bankruptcy or other failure or refusal to perform by the counterparty.

 

Futures Contract Risk: The successful use of futures contracts draws upon the Adviser’s skill and experience with respect to such instruments and are subject to special risk considerations. The primary risks associated with the use of futures contracts are (a) the imperfect correlation between the change in market value of the instruments held by the Fund and the price of the forward or futures contract; (b) possible lack of a liquid secondary market for a forward or futures contract and the resulting inability to close a forward or futures contract when desired; (c) losses caused by unanticipated market movements, which are potentially unlimited; (d) the Adviser’s inability to predict correctly the direction of securities prices, interest rates, currency exchange rates and other economic factors; (e) the possibility that the counterparty will default in the performance of its obligations; and (f) if the Fund has insufficient cash, it may have to sell securities from its portfolio to meet daily variation margin requirements, and the Fund may have to sell securities at a time when it may be disadvantageous to do so.

 

Leverage Risk: Using derivatives like commodity futures and options to increase the Fund’s combined long and short exposure creates leverage, which can magnify the Fund’s potential for gain or loss and, therefore, amplify the effects of market volatility on the Fund’s share price.

 

Limited History of Operations: The Fund has a limited history of operations as a mutual fund for investors to evaluate. If the Fund is unable to achieve an economic size, expenses will be higher than expected and the Fund might close, which could produce adverse tax consequences for shareholders.

 

Management Risk: The Adviser's judgments about the attractiveness, value and potential appreciation of particular asset classes and securities in which the Fund invests may prove to be incorrect and may not produce the desired results. The Advisor’s judgement about the Sub-Advisor’s investment skill and acumen may be in error.

 

Market Risk: Overall securities and derivatives market risks may affect the value of individual instruments in which the Fund invests. Factors such as domestic and foreign economic growth and market conditions, interest rate levels, and political events affect the securities and derivatives markets. When the value of the Fund's investments goes down, your investment in the Fund decreases in value and you could lose money.

 

New Sub-Advisor Risk. The Sub-Advisor has limited experience managing a mutual fund. Mutual funds and their advisors are subject to restrictions and limitations imposed by the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the Internal Revenue Code that do not apply to the advisor’s management of other types of individual and institutional accounts. As a result, investors do not have a long-term track record of managing a mutual fund from which to judge the Sub-Advisor and the Sub-Advisor may not achieve the intended result in managing the Fund.

 

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Non-diversification Risk. Because a relatively high percentage of a non-diversified Fund’s assets may be invested in the securities of a limited number of companies that could be in the same or related economic sectors, the Fund’s portfolio may be more susceptible to any single economic, technological or regulatory occurrence than the portfolio of a diversified fund.

 

Small and Medium Capitalization Stock Risk. The value of small and medium capitalization company stocks may be subject to more abrupt or erratic market movements than those of larger, more established companies or the market in general. These companies may have narrower markets, limited product lines, fewer financial resources, and they may be dependent on a limited management group. Investing in lesser-known, small and medium capitalization companies involves greater risk of volatility of the Fund's net asset value than is customarily associated with larger, more established companies. Often small and medium capitalization companies and the industries in which they are focused are still evolving and, while this may offer better growth potential than larger, more established companies, it also may make them more sensitive to changing market conditions.

 

Regulatory Risk. Changes in the laws or regulations of the United States or other countries, including any changes to applicable tax laws and regulations, could impair the ability of the Fund to achieve its investment objective and could increase the operating expenses of the Fund.

 

Taxation Risk. By investing in commodities indirectly through the Subsidiary, the Fund intends to obtain exposure to the commodities markets within the federal tax requirements that apply to the Fund. The subsidiary is classified as a controlled foreign corporation for US tax purposes. Typically any gains/losses from trading in 1256 futures contracts, such as exchange-traded commodity futures contracts, are taxed 60% as long term capital gains/losses and 40% short term capital gains/losses. However, because the Subsidiary is a controlled foreign corporation, any income and capital gains received from its investments will be passed through to the Fund as ordinary income and reflected on shareholder's tax Forms 1099 as such.

 

Underlying Fund Risk. Other investment companies, including ETFs (“Underlying Funds”) in which the Fund invests, are subject to investment advisory and other expenses, which will be indirectly paid by the Fund. As a result, the cost of investing in the Fund will be higher than the cost of investing directly in the Underlying Funds and may be higher than other mutual funds that invest directly in stocks and bonds. Each of the Underlying Funds is subject to its own specific risks, but the Sub-Advisor expects the principal investments risks of such Underlying Funds will be similar to the risks of investing in the Fund. ETFs are also subject to the following additional risks: (i) the ETF’s market price may be less than its net asset value; (ii) an active market for the ETF may not develop; and (iii) market trading in the ETF may be illiquid or even halted under certain circumstances.

 

Wholly-Owned Subsidiary Risk: The Subsidiary will not be registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 ("1940 Act") and, unless otherwise noted in this Prospectus, will not be subject to all of the investor protections of the 1940 Act. Changes in the laws of the United States and/or the Cayman Islands, under which the Fund and the Subsidiary, respectively, are organized, could result in the inability of the Fund and/or Subsidiary to operate as described in this Prospectus and could negatively affect the Fund and its shareholders. Your cost of investing in the Fund will be higher because you indirectly bear the expenses of the Subsidiary. The Fund and the Subsidiary are "commodity pools" under the U.S. Commodity Exchange Act, and the Adviser is a "commodity pool operator" registered with and regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission ("CFTC"). As a result, additional CFTC-mandated disclosure, reporting and recordkeeping obligations apply with respect to the Fund and the Subsidiary and subject each to CFTC penalties if reporting was found to be deficient.

 

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Manager-of-Managers Order

 

An affiliate of the Advisor has received an exemptive order (the "Order") from the SEC that permits the Advisor, with the Trust's Board of Trustees' approval, to enter into or materially amend sub-advisory agreements with one or more sub-advisors who are not affiliated with the Advisor without obtaining shareholder approval.  Shareholders will be notified if and when a new sub-advisor is employed by the Advisor within 90 days of such change.

 

Portfolio Holdings Disclosure Policies

 

A description of the Fund’s policies regarding disclosure of the securities in the Fund’s portfolio is found in the Statement of Additional Information and on the Fund’s website at www.rationalmf.com.

 

Cybersecurity

 

The computer systems, networks and devices used by the Fund and its service providers to carry out routine business operations employ a variety of protections designed to prevent damage or interruption from computer viruses, network failures, computer and telecommunication failures, infiltration by unauthorized persons and security breaches. Despite the various protections utilized by the Fund and its service providers, systems, networks, or devices potentially can be breached. The Fund and its shareholders could be negatively impacted as a result of a cybersecurity breach.

 

Cybersecurity breaches can include unauthorized access to systems, networks, or devices; infection from computer viruses or other malicious software code; and attacks that shut down, disable, slow, or otherwise disrupt operations, business processes, or website access or functionality. Cybersecurity breaches may cause disruptions and impact the Fund’s business operations, potentially resulting in financial losses; interference with the Fund’s ability to calculate its NAV; impediments to trading; the inability of the Fund, the advisor, the sub-advisor and other service providers to transact business; violations of applicable privacy and other laws; regulatory fines, penalties, reputational damage, reimbursement or other compensation costs, or additional compliance costs; as well as the inadvertent release of confidential information.

 

Similar adverse consequences could result from cybersecurity breaches affecting issuers of securities in which the Fund invests; counterparties with which the Fund engages in transactions; governmental and other regulatory authorities; exchange and other financial market operators, banks, brokers, dealers, insurance companies, and other financial institutions (including financial intermediaries and service providers for the Fund’s shareholders); and other parties. In addition, substantial costs may be incurred by these entities in order to prevent any cybersecurity breaches in the future.

HOW TO BUY SHARES

 

Purchasing Shares

You may buy shares on any business day. This includes any day that the Fund is open for business, other than weekends and days on which the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) is closed, including the following holidays: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.

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The Fund calculates its net asset value (“NAV”) per share as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE every day the NYSE is open. The NYSE normally closes at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (“EST”). The Fund’s NAV is calculated by taking the total value of the Fund’s assets, subtracting its liabilities, and then dividing by the total number of shares outstanding, rounded to the nearest cent.

All shares will be purchased at the NAV per share (plus applicable sales charges, if any) next determined after the Fund receives your application or request in good order.  All requests received in good order by the Fund before 4:00 p.m. (EST) will be processed on that same day.  Requests received after 4:00 p.m. EST will be processed on the next business day.

 

 

Good Order:   When making a purchase request, make sure your request is in good order.  “Good order” means your purchase request includes:

·         the name of the Fund and share class

·         the dollar amount of shares to be purchased

·         a completed purchase application or investment stub

·         check payable to the Fund

 

Multiple Classes

The Fund offers four classes of Shares: Class A Shares, Class C Shares, Institutional Shares and Class T Shares. Not all share classes may be available in all states.

Choosing a Share Class

To choose the share class of the Fund that is best suited to your needs and goals, consider the amount of money you want to invest, how long you expect to invest it and whether you plan to make additional investments. As shown below, a sales charge structure applies to Class A, Class C and Class T Shares. You should consider, for example, that it may be possible to reduce the front-end sales charges imposed on purchases of Class A and Class T Shares. Among other ways, Class A and Class T Shares have a series of “breakpoints,” which means that the front-end sales charges decrease (and can be eliminated entirely) as the amount invested increases. (The breakpoint schedule is set out below under “Sales Charges.”)

The following are some of the main differences between Class A Shares, Class C Shares, Institutional Shares and Class T Shares of the Fund:

Class A Shares

Front-end sales charges, as described below under “Sales Charges.”
Distribution (Rule 12b-1) fees of 0.25% of the Fund’s average daily net assets.
A non-Rule 12b-1 shareholder servicing fee of 0.25% of the Fund’s average daily net assets.

 

Class C Shares

No front-end sales charges, all of your money goes to work for you right away.
Back-end deferred sales charges on shares sold within 12 months of purchase and as described below under “Sales Charges.”
Distribution (Rule 12b-1) fees of 1.00% of the Fund’s average daily net assets.
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Institutional Shares

No sales charges.
A non-Rule 12b-1 shareholder servicing fee of 0.25% of the Fund’s average daily net assets.

 

Class T Shares

Front-end sales charges, as described below under “Sales Charges.”
Distribution (Rule 12b-1) fees of 0.25% of the Fund’s average daily net assets.

 

For the estimated expenses of each share class, see the section entitled “Fees and Expenses of the Fund.”

 

Sales Charge Waivers and Reductions Available Through Certain Financial Intermediaries

 

The availability of certain sales charge waivers and discounts may depend on whether you purchase your shares directly from the fund or through a financial intermediary. Intermediaries may impose different sales charges other than those listed below for Class A, Class C, and Class T Shares and may have different policies and procedures regarding the availability of sales load and waivers or reductions. Such intermediary-specific sales charge variations are described in Appendix A to this prospectus, titled “Intermediary-Specific Sales Charge Reductions and Waivers”. Appendix A is incorporated by reference into (or legally considered part of) this prospectus.

 

In all instances, it is the shareholder’s responsibility to notify the Fund or the shareholder’s financial intermediary at the time of purchase of any relationship or other facts qualifying the shareholder for sales charge reductions or waivers. For reductions and waivers not available through a particular intermediary, shareholders will have to purchase Fund shares directly from the Fund or through another intermediary to receive these reductions or waivers.

 

Sales Charges on Class A Shares

 

Purchases of Class A Shares of the Fund are subject to the following front-end sales charges. The up-front sales charge also does not apply to Class A Shares acquired through reinvestment of dividends and capital gains distributions.

Amount of Purchase Sales Charge as % of Public Offering Price* Sales Charge as % of Net Amount Invested Authorized Dealer Commission as % of Public Offering Price
Less than $50,000 4.75% 4.99% 4.00%
$50,000 but less than $100,000 4.25% 4.44% 3.50%
$100,000 but less than $250,000 3.75% 3.90% 3.00%
$250,000 but less than $500,000 2.50% 2.56% 2.00%
$500,000 but less than $1,000,000 2.00% 2.04% 1.50%
$1,000,000 and above *+ 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%

 

* Offering price includes the front-end sales load. The sales charge you pay may differ slightly from the amount set forth above because of rounding that occurs in the calculations used to determine your sales charge.

+A contingent deferred sales charge of 1.00% of the redemption amount applies to Class A Shares redeemed up to 24 months after purchase under certain investment programs where an investment professional received an advance payment on the transaction. Certain intermediaries may provide different CDSC waivers or discounts, which are described in Appendix A to this prospectus, entitled “Intermediary-Specific Sales Charge Reductions and Waivers”.

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How to Reduce Your Class A Sales Charge

 

The Funds offer a number of ways to reduce or eliminate the up-front sales charge on Class A Shares.

Class A Shares, Reductions and Waivers

There are no sales charges on reinvested distributions. Reduced sales charges are available to shareholders with investments of $50,000 or more. In addition, you may qualify for reduced sales charges under the following circumstances.

Letter of Intent: An investor may qualify for a reduced sales charge immediately by stating his or her intention to invest in the Fund, during a 13-month period, a dollar amount that would qualify for a reduced sales charge set forth in the table under the sub-section “Sales Charges” above, and by signing a Letter of Intent, which may be signed at any time within 90 days after the first investment to be included under the Letter of Intent. However, if an investor does not buy enough shares to qualify for the lower sales charge by the end of the 13-month period (or when you sell your shares, if earlier), the additional shares that were purchased due to the reduced sales charge credit the investor received will be liquidated to pay the additional sales charge owed.

Rights of Accumulation: You may add the current value of all of your existing Fund shares to determine the front-end sales charge to be applied to your current Class A purchase. Only balances currently held entirely at the Fund or, if held in an account through a financial services firm, at the same firm through whom you are making your current purchase, will be eligible to be added to your current purchase for purposes of determining your Class A sales charge. You may include the value of the Fund’s investments held by the members of your immediately family, including the value of Fund’s investments held by you or them in individual retirement plans, such as individual retirement accounts, or IRAs, provided such balances are also currently held entirely at the Fund or, if held in an account through a financial services firm, at the same financial services firm through whom you are making your current purchase. The value of shares eligible for a cumulative quantity discount equals the cumulative cost of the shares purchased (not including reinvested dividends) or the current account market value; whichever is greater. The current market value of the shares is determined by multiplying the number of shares by the previous day’s NAV. If you believe there are cumulative quantity discount eligible shares that can be combined with your current purchase to achieve a sales charge breakpoint, you must, at the time of your purchase (including at the time of any future purchase) specifically identify those shares to your current purchase broker-dealer.

Investments of $1 Million or More: For the Fund, with respect to Class A Shares, if you invest $1 million or more, either as a lump sum or through our rights of accumulation quantity discount or letter of intent programs, you can buy Class A Shares without an initial sales charge. However, you may be subject to a 1.00% CDSC on shares redeemed within two years of purchase (excluding shares purchased with reinvested dividends and/or distributions). The CDSC for these Class A Shares is based on the NAV at the time of purchase. The holding period for the CDSC begins on the day you buy your shares. Your shares will age one month on that same date the next month and each following month. For example, if you buy shares on the 15th of the month, they will age one month on the 15th day of the next month and each following month. To keep your CDSC as low as possible, each time you place a request to sell shares we will first sell any shares in your account that are not subject to a CDSC. If there are not enough of these to meet your request, we will sell the shares in the order they were purchased.

Class A Sales Charge Waivers: The Fund may sell Class A Shares at NAV (i.e. without the investor paying any initial sales charge) to certain categories of investors, including: (1) investment advisory clients or investors referred by the Fund’s Advisor or its affiliates; (2) officers and present or former

 

17 
 

Trustees of the Trust; directors and employees of selected dealers or agents; the spouse, sibling, direct ancestor or direct descendant (collectively “relatives”) of any such person; any trust, individual retirement account or retirement plan account for the benefit of any such person or relative; or the estate of any such person or relative; if such shares are purchased for investment purposes (such shares may not be resold except to the Fund); (3) the Fund’s Advisor or its affiliates and certain employee benefit plans for employees of the Fund’s investment advisor; (4) fee-based financial planners and registered investment advisors who are purchasing on behalf of their clients where there is an agreement in place with respect to such purchases; (5) registered representatives of broker-dealers who have entered into selling agreements with the Fund’s advisor for their own accounts; and (6) participants in no-transaction-fee programs of broker dealers that that have entered into an agreement with respect to such purchases

For more information regarding which intermediaries may have agreements with the Fund or distributor and their policies and procedures with respect to purchases at NAV, see Appendix A to this prospectus, titled “Intermediary-Specific Sales Charge Reductions and Waivers”. In addition, certain intermediaries may also provide for different sales charge discounts, which are also described in Appendix A to this prospectus.

Sales Charge on Class C Shares

 

Class C Shares are sold without an initial front-end sales charge so that the full amount of your purchase is invested in the Fund. A deferred sales charge of 1.00% applies, however, if Class C Shares are sold within 12 months of purchase.

Shares acquired through reinvestment of dividends or capital gains distributions are not subject to a deferred sales charge. In addition, the deferred sales charge may be waived in certain circumstances. See “Waiver of Deferred Sales Charge – Class C Shares” below. The deferred sales charge is based upon the lesser of: (1) the NAV of the shares redeemed or (2) the original purchase price of such shares.

The holding period for the deferred sales charge begins on the day you buy your shares. Your shares will age one month on that same date the next month and each following month. For example, if you buy shares on the 15th of the month, they will age one month on the 15th day of the next month and each following month. To keep your deferred sales charges as low as possible, each time you place a request to sell shares, we will first sell any shares in your account that are not subject to a deferred sales charge. If there are not enough of these shares available, we will sell shares that have the lowest deferred sales charge.

 

For purposes of the deferred sales charge, we use the effective date for each individual purchase.

 

Waiver of Deferred Sales Charge – Class C Shares

 

Certain intermediaries may provide for sales charge discounts, which are described in Appendix A to this prospectus, entitled “Intermediary-Specific Charge Reductions and Waivers”.

Sales Charge on Class T Shares

You can buy Class T Shares at the public offering price, which is the NAV plus an up-front sales charge. The up-front sales charge also does not apply to Class T Shares acquired through reinvestment of dividends and capital gains distributions.

The up-front Class T Shares sales charge and the commissions paid to dealers for the Fund is set forth in the table below.

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Amount of Purchase Sales Charge as % of Public Offering Price Sales Charge as % of Net Amount Invested Authorized Dealer Commission as % of Public Offering Price
Less than $250,000 2.50% 2.56% 2.50%
$250,000 but less than $500,000 2.00% 2.04% 2.00%
$500,000 but less than $1,000,000 1.50% 1.52% 1.50%
$1,000,000 and above 1.00% 1.01% 1.00%

 

Distribution Plans

The Fund has adopted a Distribution Plan (the “12b-1 Plan”) on behalf of each class of shares which allows the Fund to pay fees to financial intermediaries for the sale and distribution of these Shares. Pursuant to the Fund’s 12b-1 Plan, the Fund may finance from the assets of each class of shares certain activities or expenses that are intended primarily to result in the sale of the respective class of shares.

 

The maximum Rule 12b-1 fee for Class A, Institutional and Class T Shares is 0.25% of the average daily net assets of the class of shares. However, the 12b-1 Plan has not been implemented for the Institutional Shares and there are no plans to impose these fees.

 

With respect to Class C Shares, the fee paid by the Fund is 1.00% of the average daily net assets of the Class C Shares. Of this amount, 0.75% represents distribution fees and 0.25% represents shareholder servicing fees paid to institutions that have agreements with the Distributor to provide such services.

 

Because these fees are paid out of the Fund’s assets on an on-going basis, over time these fees will increase the cost of your investment and may cost you more than paying other types of sales charges.

 

In addition to paying fees under the 12b-1 Plan, the Fund may pay service fees to intermediaries such as banks, broker-dealers, financial advisors or other financial institutions, including affiliates of the Advisor or Distributor, for sub-administration, sub-transfer agency and other shareholder services associated with shareholders whose shares are held of record in omnibus, other group accounts or accounts traded through registered securities clearing agents.

 

The Fund may waive or reduce the maximum amount of Rule 12b-1 fees they pay from time to time at their sole discretion. In addition, a financial intermediary (including the Distributor, the Advisor or their affiliates) may voluntarily waive or reduce any fees to which they may be entitled. From time to time, the Distributor may pay out of its reasonable profits and other resources (including those of its affiliates) advertising, marketing and other expenses for the benefit of the Fund.

Shareholder Servicing Plan

The Trust has adopted a Shareholder Servicing Plan with respect to the Fund’s Class A, Class C, and Institutional Class Shares. The Fund may pay Shareholder Services Fees up to 0.25% of the average daily NAV of Class A Shares, Class C Shares (included in the Fund’s 12b-1 fees above for Class C Shares only), and Institutional Class Shares to financial intermediaries for providing shareholder assistance, maintaining shareholder accounts and communicating or facilitating purchases and redemptions of Shares.

Opening an Account

You may purchase shares directly through the Fund’s transfer agent or through a brokerage firm or other financial institution that has agreed to sell Fund shares. If you purchase shares through a brokerage firm or other financial institution, you may be charged a fee by the firm or institution.

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If you are investing directly in the Fund for the first time, please call toll-free 800-253-0412 to request a Shareholder Account Application. You will need to establish an account before investing. Be sure to sign up for all the account options that you plan to take advantage of. For example, if you would like to be able to redeem your shares by telephone, you should select this option on your Shareholder Account Application. Doing so when you open your account means that you will not need to complete additional paperwork later.

If you are purchasing through the Fund’s transfer agent, send the completed Shareholder Account Application and a check payable to the Fund to the following address:

Rational Funds

c/o Gemini Fund Services, LLC

17605 Wright Street, Suite 2

Omaha NE 68130

 

All purchases must be made in U.S. dollars and checks must be drawn on U.S. banks. No cash, credit cards or third party checks will be accepted. A $20 fee will be charged against your account for any payment check returned to the transfer agent or for any incomplete electronic funds transfer, or for insufficient funds, stop payment, closed account or other reasons. If a check does not clear your bank or the Fund is unable to debit your pre-designated bank account on the day of purchase, the Fund reserves the right to cancel the purchase. If your purchase is canceled, you will be responsible for any losses or fees imposed by your bank and losses that may be incurred as a result of a decline in the value of the canceled purchase. Your investment in the Fund should be intended to serve as a long-term investment vehicle. The Fund is not designed to provide you with a means of speculating on the short-term fluctuations in the stock market. The Fund reserves the right to reject any purchase request that it regards as disruptive to the efficient management of the Fund, which includes investors with a history of excessive trading. The Fund also reserves the right to stop offering shares at any time.

If you choose to pay by wire, you must call the Fund’s transfer agent at 800-253-0412 to obtain instructions on how to set up your account and to obtain an account number and wire instructions.

Wire orders will be accepted only on a day on which the Fund, the custodian and the transfer agent are open for business. A wire purchase will not be considered made until the wired money and purchase order are received by the Fund. Any delays that may occur in wiring money, including delays that may occur in processing by the banks, are not the responsibility of the Fund or the transfer agent. The Fund presently does not charge a fee for the receipt of wired funds, but it may charge shareholders for this service in the future.

To help the government fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering activities, federal law requires all financial institutions to obtain, verify, and record information that identifies each person who opens an account. This means that when you open an account, we will ask for your name, address, date of birth, and other information that will allow us to identify you. We may also ask for other identifying documents or information, and may take additional steps to verify your identity. We may not be able to open your account or complete a transaction for you until we are able to verify your identity.

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Minimum Purchase Amount

The minimum initial purchase for the Fund’s Class A, Class C, Class T and Institutional Shares is $1,000. For Class A, Class C and Class T Shares, the minimum subsequent investment is $50; for Institutional Shares, the minimum subsequent investment is $500. For Class A, Class C, Class T and Institutional Shares, the minimum initial and subsequent investment through the Systematic Investment Program (“SIP”) is $50. The Fund reserves the right to change the amount of these minimums from time to time or to waive them in whole or in part for certain accounts. Investment minimums may be higher or lower for investors purchasing shares through a brokerage firm or other financial institution. To the extent investments of individual investors are aggregated into an omnibus account established by an investment advisor, broker or other intermediary, the account minimums apply to the omnibus account, not to the account of the individual investor.

Systematic Investment Program (“SIP”)

You may invest on a regular basis in Shares of the Fund through the SIP. To participate, you must open an account with the Trust by calling 800-253-0412, request and complete an application, and invest at least $50 at periodic intervals ($25 for Current Employees). Minimum initial and subsequent investment requirements may be different for accounts with your investment professional.

Once you have signed up for the SIP, the Trust will automatically withdraw money from your bank account and invest it, subject to any applicable sales charges, in either Class A Shares or Class C Shares of the Fund, as you specify. Your participation in the SIP may be canceled if you do not maintain sufficient funds in your bank account to pay for your investment.

Additional Investments

For Class A, Class C and Class T Shares, the minimum subsequent investment is $50; for Institutional Shares, the minimum subsequent investment is $500. You may purchase additional shares of the Fund by check or wire. Your bank wire should be sent as outlined above. You also may purchase Fund shares by making automatic periodic investments from your bank account. To use this feature, select the automatic investment option in the account application and provide the necessary information about the bank account from which your investments will be made. You may revoke your election to make automatic investments by calling 800-253-0412 or by writing to the Fund at:

Rational Funds

c/o Gemini Fund Services, LLC

17605 Wright Street, Suite 2

Omaha NE 68130

 

Other Purchase Information

The Fund may limit the amount of purchases and refuse to sell to any person. If your electronic funds transfer is incomplete, payment is not completed due to insufficient funds, stop payment, closed account, a check does not clear your bank, or the Fund is unable to debit your predesignated bank account, you will be responsible for any loss incurred by the Fund. If you are already a shareholder, the Fund can, with notice, redeem shares from any identically registered account in the Fund as reimbursement for any loss incurred. You may be prohibited or restricted from making future purchases in the Fund.

You may invest in the Fund through brokers or agents who have entered into selling agreements with the Fund's distributor. The brokers and agents are authorized to receive purchase orders on behalf of the

 

21 
 

Fund. Such brokers are authorized to designate other intermediaries to receive purchase orders on the Fund's behalf. The Fund will be deemed to have received a purchase order when an authorized broker or, if applicable, a broker’s authorized designee receives the order. The broker or agent may set their own initial and subsequent investment minimums. You may be charged a fee if you use a broker or agent to buy shares of the Fund. Finally, various servicing agents use procedures and impose restrictions that may be in addition to, or different from, those applicable to investors purchasing shares directly from the Fund. You should carefully read the program materials provided to you by your servicing agent.

Market Timing

The Fund discourages market timing. Market timing is an investment strategy using frequent purchases, redemptions and/or exchanges in an attempt to profit from short term market movements. To the extent that the Fund significantly invests in small or mid-capitalization equity securities, because these securities are often infrequently traded, investors may seek to trade Fund shares in an effort to benefit from their understanding of the value of these securities (referred to as price arbitrage). Market timing may result in dilution of the value of Fund shares held by long term shareholders, disrupt portfolio management and increase Fund expenses for all shareholders. The Board of Trustees has adopted a policy directing the Fund to reject any purchase order with respect to one investor, a related group of investors or their agent(s), where it detects a pattern of purchases and sales of the Fund that indicates market timing or trading that it determines is abusive. This policy applies uniformly to all Fund shareholders. While the Fund attempts to deter market timing, there is no assurance that it will be able to identify and eliminate all market timers. For example, certain accounts called “omnibus accounts” include multiple shareholders. Omnibus accounts typically provides the Fund with a net purchase or redemption request on any given day where purchasers of Fund shares and redeemers of Fund shares are netted against one another and the identities of individual purchasers and redeemers whose orders are aggregated are not known by the Fund. The netting effect often makes it more difficult for the Fund to detect market timing, and there can be no assurance that the Fund will be able to do so. Brokers maintaining omnibus accounts with the Fund have agreed to provide shareholder transaction information, to the extent known to the broker, to the Fund upon request. If the Fund becomes aware of market timing in an omnibus account, it will work with the broker maintaining the omnibus account to identify the shareholder engaging in the market timing activity. In addition, the Fund reserves the right to reject any purchase order for any reason, including purchase orders that it does not think are in the best interest of the Fund or its shareholders or if the Fund thinks that trading is abusive.

HOW TO REDEEM SHARES

You may redeem your shares on any business day. Redemption orders received in proper order by the Fund’s transfer agent or by a brokerage firm or other financial institution that sells Fund shares before 4:00 p.m. ET (or before the NYSE closes if the NYSE closes before 4:00 p.m. ET) will be effective at that day's NAV. Your brokerage firm or financial institution may have an earlier cut-off time.

You may redeem your shares in the Fund through brokers or agents who have entered into selling agreements with the Fund's distributor. The brokers and agents are authorized to receive redemption orders on behalf of the Fund. Such brokers are authorized to designate other intermediaries to receive redemption orders on the Fund's behalf. The Fund will be deemed to have received a redemption order when an authorized broker or, if applicable, a broker’s authorized designee receives the order. You may be charged a fee if you use a broker or agent to redeem shares of the Fund. Finally, various servicing agents use procedures and impose restrictions that may be in addition to, or different from, those applicable to investors redeeming shares directly from the Fund. You should carefully read the program materials provided to you by your servicing agent.

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Shares of the Fund may be redeemed by mail or telephone. You may receive redemption payments in the form of a check or federal wire transfer, subject to any applicable redemption fee. If you redeem your shares through a broker-dealer or other institution, you may be charged a fee by that institution.

By Mail. You may redeem any part of your account in the Fund at no charge by mail. Your request, in good order, should be addressed to:

Rational Funds

c/o Gemini Fund Services, LLC

17605 Wright Street, Suite 2

Omaha NE 68130

 

“Good order” means your request for redemption must:

·Include the Fund name and account number;
·Include the account name(s) and address;
·State the dollar amount or number of shares you wish to redeem; and
·Be signed by all registered share owner(s) in the exact name(s) and any special capacity in which they are registered.

 

The Fund may require that the signatures be guaranteed if you request the redemption check be mailed to an address other than the address of record, or if the mailing address has been changed within 30 days of the redemption request. The Fund may also require that signatures be guaranteed for redemptions of $50,000 or more. Signature guarantees are for the protection of shareholders. You can obtain a signature guarantee from most banks and securities dealers, but not from a notary public. For joint accounts, both signatures must be guaranteed. Please call the transfer agent at 800-253-0412 if you have questions. At the discretion of the Fund, you may be required to furnish additional legal documents to insure proper authorization.

By Telephone. You may redeem any part of your account in the Fund by calling the transfer agent at 800-253-0412. You must first complete the Optional Telephone Redemption and Exchange section of the investment application to institute this option. The Fund, the transfer agent and the custodian are not liable for following redemption instructions communicated by telephone to the extent that they reasonably believe the telephone instructions to be genuine. However, if they do not employ reasonable procedures to confirm that telephone instructions are genuine, they may be liable for any losses due to unauthorized or fraudulent instructions. Procedures employed may include recording telephone instructions and requiring a form of personal identification from the caller.

The Fund may terminate the telephone redemption procedures at any time. During periods of extreme market activity it is possible that shareholders may encounter some difficulty in telephoning the Fund, although neither the Fund nor the transfer agent have ever experienced difficulties in receiving and in a timely fashion responding to telephone requests for redemptions or exchanges. If you are unable to reach the Fund by telephone, you may request a redemption or exchange by mail.

Redemption Fee and CDSC. Currently, the Fund does not charge a redemption fee. Shareholders in the Fund who purchased $1 million or more Class A Shares and did not pay a front-end sales charge will be assessed a 1.00% CDSC on shares redeemed less than 24 months after the date of their purchase. Shareholders who purchase Class C Shares do not pay an initial front-end sales charge but will be assessed a 1.00% CDSC on shares redeemed less than 12 months after the date of their purchase.

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The Fund uses a "first in, first out" method for calculating the CDSC. This means that shares held the longest will be redeemed first, and shares held the shortest time will be redeemed last. The CDSC is paid to the Advisor to reimburse expenses incurred in providing distribution-related services to the Fund.

The Fund reserves the right to modify, waive or eliminate the CDSC at any time. If the Fund institutes a redemption fee, the Fund will notify you at least 60 days prior to the effective date of the change. The Statement of Additional Information contains further details about the CDSC and the conditions for waiving these fees.

Redemptions in Kind. The fund reserves the right to honor requests for redemption or repurchase orders by making payment in whole or in part in readily marketable securities (“redemption in kind”) if the amount is greater than the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of the Fund’s assets. The securities will be chosen by the Fund, may be either a pro rata payment of each of the securities held by the Fund or a representative sample of securities, and will be valued under the Fund’s NAV procedures. A shareholder will be exposed to market risk until these securities are converted to cash and may incur transaction expenses in converting these securities to cash.

Additional Information. If you are not certain of the requirements for redemption please call the transfer agent at 800-253-0412. Redemptions specifying a certain date or share price cannot be accepted and will be returned. You will be mailed the proceeds on or before the seventh calendar day following the receipt of your redemption request to pay out redemption proceeds by check or electronic transfer. The Fund typically expects to pay redemptions from cash, cash equivalents, proceeds from the sale of fund shares, any lines of credit and then from the sale of portfolio securities. Under certain circumstances, as described immediately above, redemption proceeds may be paid in kind rather than in cash. These redemption payment methods will be used in regular and stressed market conditions. You may be assessed a fee if the Fund incurs bank charges because you request that the Fund re-issue a redemption check. Also, when the NYSE is closed (or when trading is restricted) for any reason other than its customary weekend or holiday closing or under any emergency circumstances, as determined by the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Fund may suspend redemptions or postpone payment dates.

Because the fund incurs certain fixed costs in maintaining shareholder accounts, the Fund may require you to redeem all of your shares in the Fund on 30 days written notice if the value of your shares in the Fund is less than $1,000 due to redemption, or such other minimum amount as the Fund may determine from time to time. You may increase the value of your shares in the Fund to the minimum amount within the 30-day period. All shares of the Fund are also subject to involuntary redemption if the Board of Trustees determines to liquidate the Fund. An involuntary redemption will create a capital gain or a capital loss, which may have tax consequences about which you should consult your tax advisor.

Reinstatement Privilege: Shareholders have a one-time right, within 60 days of redeeming Class A Shares to reinvest the redemption proceeds at the next determined NAV in Class A Shares without any sales charge. The investor must notify the Trust in writing of the reinvestment by the shareholder in order to eliminate a sales charge. If the shareholder redeems Class A Shares and utilizes the reinstatement privilege, there may be tax consequences.

Exchanging Shares

 

On any business day when the NYSE is open, you may exchange Shares of the Fund (except for Class T Shares) for the same class of Shares of any other Rational Fund offering such shares, including for shares of other Rational Funds.

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Additional Information

In order to exchange Shares of the Fund on a particular day, the Fund or its designated agent must receive your request before the close of regular trading on the NYSE (normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time) that day.

The Trust may terminate or modify the exchange privilege at any time. In the case of termination or material changes other than the elimination of applicable sales charges, you will be given 60 days prior notice. However, the Fund’s management or Advisor may determine from the amount, frequency and pattern of exchanges that a shareholder is engaged in excessive trading that is detrimental to the Fund and other shareholders. If this occurs, the Fund may terminate the availability of exchanges to that shareholder and may bar that shareholder from purchasing other Funds. (See “Frequent Trading Policies.”)

An exchange is treated as a sale for federal income tax purposes and, depending on the circumstances, you may realize a short or long-term capital gain or loss. In addition, if you exchange shares of the Fund that imposes a sales charge into another Fund that imposes such a charge, there may be special tax consequences.

The SAI contains more information about exchanges.

Exchanging Class A Shares

For Class A Shares, the Trust makes exchanges at NAV (determined after the order is considered received), plus any applicable sales charges. A CDSC is not imposed on exchanges of Class A Shares.

Exchanging C Shares

Class C Shares for the Fund may be exchanged for Class C Shares of any other Fund offering such shares. The Trust makes exchanges at NAV (determined after the order is considered received), without a sales charge.

 

Exchanging Institutional Shares

For Institutional Shares, the Trust makes exchanges at NAV (determined after the order is considered received) without a sales charge.

How to Exchange Shares

1.Satisfy the minimum account balance requirements
You must maintain the required minimum account balance in the Fund out of which you are exchanging Shares.
2.Satisfy the minimum investment requirements
You must meet the minimum investment requirements of the fund into which you are exchanging Shares.
3.Call (You must have completed the appropriate section on your account application)
The Fund at 800-253-0412
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Your Investment Professional

 

OR

   Write

• Mutual Fund and Variable Insurance Trust

c/o Gemini Fund Services, LLC

17605 Wright Street, Suite 2

Omaha, NE 68130

4.Provide the required information
Name of the Fund from which you wish to make the exchange (exchange OUT OF)
Specify the share class
Your account number
The name and address on your account (account registrations must be identical)
The dollar amount or number of Shares to be exchanged
Name of the Fund into which you wish to make the exchange (exchange INTO) — (Make sure this Fund offers the applicable class of shares)
Your signature (for written requests)

(For corporations, executors, administrators, trustees and guardians, and in certain other special circumstances, telephone exchanges will not be available and you will need a New Technology Medallion Signature Guarantee in order to make an exchange.)

Converting Shares

Shareholders of the Fund may elect on a voluntary basis to convert their shares in one class of the Fund into shares of a different class of the same Fund, subject to satisfying the eligibility requirements for investment in the new share class. Shares may only be converted into a share class with a lower expense ratio than the original share class. Shares held through a financial intermediary offering a fee-based or wrap fee program that has an agreement with the Advisor or the Fund’s distributor may be automatically converted by the financial intermediary, without notice, to a share class with a lower expense ratio than the original share class, if such conversion is consistent with the fee-based or wrap fee program’s policies.

An investor may directly or through his or her financial intermediary contact the Fund to request a voluntary conversion between share classes of the same Fund as described above. You may be required to provide sufficient information to establish eligibility to convert to the new share class. All permissible conversions will be made on the basis of the relevant NAVs of the two classes without the imposition of any sales load, redemption fee or other charge. A share conversion within the Fund will not result in a capital gain or loss for federal income tax purposes. The Fund may change, suspend or terminate this conversion feature at any time.

 

26 
 

ADDITIONAL PAYMENTS TO FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES

The Advisor and/or its affiliates may pay out of their own profits and reasonable resources amounts (including items of material value) to certain financial intermediaries that support the sale of Shares or provide services to Fund shareholders. The amounts of these payments could be significant, and may create an incentive for the financial intermediaries or their employees or associated persons to recommend or sell Shares of the Fund to you. These payments are not reflected in the fees and expenses listed in the fee table section of the Fund’s Prospectus because they are not paid by the Fund.

These payments are negotiated and may be based on such factors as the number or value of Shares that the financial intermediary sells or may sell; the value of client assets invested; or the type and nature of services or support furnished by the financial intermediary. These payments may be in addition to payments made by the Fund to the financial intermediary under a Rule 12b-1 Plan and/or shareholder service fees arrangement. You can ask your financial intermediary for information about any payments it receives from the Advisor, its affiliates, or the Fund and any services the financial intermediary provides. The Fund’s SAI contains additional information on the types of additional payments that may be paid.

 

VALUING FUND ASSETS

The Fund’s assets are generally valued at their market value. If market prices are not available or, in the Advisor’s opinion, market prices do not reflect fair value, or if an event occurs after the close of trading on the domestic exchange or market on which the security is principally traded (but prior to the time the NAV is calculated) that materially affects fair value, the Advisor will value the Fund’s assets at their fair value according to policies approved by the Fund’s Board of Trustees. For example, if trading in a portfolio security is halted and does not resume before the Fund calculates its NAV, the Advisor may need to price the security using the Fund’s fair value pricing guidelines. In these cases, the Fund’s NAV will reflect certain portfolio securities' fair value rather than their market price. Fair value pricing involves subjective judgments and it is possible that the fair value determined for a security is materially different than the value that could be realized upon the sale of that security. The fair value prices can differ from market prices when they become available or when a price becomes available. If a security, such as a small cap security, is so thinly traded that reliable market quotations are unavailable, the Advisor may need to price the security using fair value pricing guidelines. Without a fair value price, short term traders could take advantage of the arbitrage opportunity and dilute the NAV of long term investors. Fair valuation of the Fund’s portfolio securities can serve to reduce arbitrage opportunities available to short term traders, but there is no assurance that fair value pricing policies will prevent dilution of the Fund’s NAV by short term traders. The Fund may use pricing services to determine market value. The Fund’s NAV is calculated based upon the NAV of the underlying investment companies in its portfolio, and the prospectuses of those companies explain the circumstances under which they will use fair value pricing and the effects of using fair value pricing. Because the Fund may invest in securities primarily listed on foreign exchanges, and these exchanges may trade on weekends or other days when the Fund does not price its shares, the value of some of the Fund’s portfolio securities may change on days when you may not be able to buy or sell Fund shares.

DIVIDENDS, DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAXES

Dividends and Distributions

The Fund typically distributes substantially all of its net investment income in the form of dividends and taxable capital gains to its shareholders. These distributions are automatically reinvested in the Fund

 

27 
 

unless you request cash distributions on your application or through a written request to the Fund. The Fund expects that its distributions will consist of both capital gains and dividend income. The Fund may make distributions of its net realized capital gains (after any reductions for capital loss carry forwards) annually.

The Fund declares, has ex-dates and pays dividends on investment income, if any, annually.

Taxes

In general, selling shares of the Fund and receiving distributions (whether reinvested or taken in cash) are taxable events. Depending on the purchase price and the sale price, you may have a gain or a loss on any shares sold. Any tax liabilities generated by your transactions or by receiving distributions are your responsibility. You may want to avoid making a substantial investment when the Fund is about to make a taxable distribution because you would be responsible for any taxes on the distribution regardless of how long you have owned your shares. The Fund may produce capital gains even if it does not have income to distribute and performance has been poor.

Early each year, the Fund will mail to you a statement setting forth the federal income tax information for all distributions made during the previous year. If you do not provide your taxpayer identification number, your account will be subject to backup withholding.

The tax considerations described in this section do not apply to tax-deferred accounts or other non-taxable entities. Because each investor’s tax circumstances are unique, please consult with your tax advisor about your investment.

MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND

Advisor

 

Rational Advisors, Inc. has been retained by the Trust under Management Agreements to act as the investment advisor to the Fund subject to the authority of the Board of Trustees. Management of mutual funds is currently its primary business. The Adviser is under common control with Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC and AlphaCentric Advisors LLC, the investment advisers of other funds in the same group of investment companies also known as a “fund complex”. Information regarding the funds in the Fund Complex can be found at http://intelligentalts.com. The Advisor oversees the day-to-day investment decisions for the Fund and continuously reviews, supervises and administers the Fund’s investment program. The address of the Advisor is 36 North New York Avenue, Huntington, NY 11743.

 

Under the terms of the management agreement, the Advisor is responsible for formulating the Fund’s investment policies, making ongoing investment decisions and directing portfolio transactions.

 

Sub-Advisor

NuWave Investment Management, LLC (“NuWave” or the “Sub-Advisor”), located at 35 Waterview Boulevard, Parsippany, New Jersey 07054, serves as sub-advisor to the Fund. Subject to the authority of the Board of Trustees, the Sub-Advisor is responsible for the overall management of the Fund's investments. The Sub-Advisor is responsible for selecting the Fund's investments according to its investment objective, polices, and restrictions. The Sub-Advisor has been providing investment advice to individual and institutional investors since 2001. As of the date of this Prospectus, the Sub-Advisor provides investment advice to individual investors and institutional investors such as pension plans, non-profit organizations, pooled investment vehicles and the Fund.

 

28 
 

Under the supervision of the Advisor, the Sub-Advisor is responsible for making investment decisions and executing portfolio transactions for the Fund. In addition, the Sub-Advisor is responsible for maintaining certain transaction and compliance related records of the Fund. As compensation for the sub-advisory services it provides to the Fund, the Advisor will pay the Sub-Advisor 50% of the net advisory fees paid by the Fund.

 

 

Portfolio Managers:

 

Troy Buckner is primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund.

 

Troy Buckner. Mr. Buckner is the founder and Managing Principal of the Sub-Advisor. Prior to founding the Sub-Advisor in 2000, Mr. Buckner held various positions in the asset management industry, including positions at Salomon Brothers, George E. Warren Corporation, Classic Capital and Hyman Beck & Company. Mr. Buckner graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Delaware and received his MBA from the University of Chicago.

 

The Statement of Additional Information provides additional information about the Portfolio Managers’ compensation, other accounts managed and ownership of shares of the Fund.

Advisory and Sub- Advisory Services

 

The Fund pays the Advisor management fees as a percentage of the Fund’s average daily net assets for its services as investment advisor as set forth in the chart below and the paragraphs that immediately follow:

 

Fund Percentage of Average Daily Net Assets
Rational/NuWave Enhanced Market Opportunity Fund 1.75%

 

 

Advisory Fees

The Advisor has contractually agreed to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses, but only to the extent necessary to maintain the Fund’s total annual operating expenses (excluding brokerage costs; underlying fund expenses; borrowing costs, such as (a) interest and (b) dividends on securities sold short; taxes; and extraordinary expenses) at a certain level through April 30, 2019. Fee waivers and expense reimbursements are subject to possible recapture from the Fund in future years on a rolling three year basis (within the three years after the fees have been waived or reimbursed) if the Fund is able to make the repayment without exceeding the lesser of the expense limitation in effect at the time of the waiver, and any expense limits in place at the time of recapture and the repayment is approved by the Board of Trustees. The following table describes the expense limitation for the Fund.

 

Fund Expense Limitation
Rational/NuWave Enhanced Market Opportunity Fund 2.24%, 2.99%, 2.24% and 1.99% of the average daily net assets of Class A Shares, Class C Shares, Class T Shares and Institutional Shares, respectively, of the Fund

 

The Fund may directly enter into agreements with financial intermediaries (which may include banks, brokers, securities dealers and other industry professionals) pursuant to which the Fund will pay the

 

29 
 

financial intermediary for services such as networking or sub-transfer agency, including the maintenance of “street name” or omnibus accounts and related sub-accounting, record-keeping and administrative services provided to such accounts. The fund, through its Rule 12b-1 distribution plan, or the fund’s respective Advisor or Sub-Advisor (not the Fund) may also pay certain financial intermediaries a fee for providing distribution related services for each respective Fund’s shareholders to the extent these institutions are allowed to do so by applicable statute, rule or regulation. Please refer to the section of the Statement of Additional Information entitled “Additional Compensation to Financial Intermediaries” for more information.

 

A discussion regarding the basis of the Board of Trustees’ approval of the management agreement with the Advisor and the sub-advisory agreement with the Sub-Advisor will be available in the Trust’s semi-annual report to shareholders for the fiscal period ending June 30, 2018.

 

The Statement of Additional Information provides additional information about the Portfolio Managers’ compensation, other accounts managed and ownership of shares of the Fund.

30 
 

Appendix A

INTERMEDIARY-SPECIFIC SALES CHARGE REDUCTIONS AND WAIVERS

Specific intermediaries may have different policies and procedures regarding the availability of sales charge reductions and waivers, which are discussed below. In all instances, it is the shareholder’s responsibility to notify the Fund or the shareholder’s financial intermediary at the time of purchase of any relationship or other facts qualifying the shareholder for sales charge reductions or waivers.

 

MERRILL LYNCH

 

Shareholders purchasing Fund shares through a Merrill Lynch platform or account will be eligible only for the following load waivers (front-end sales charge waivers and contingent deferred, or back-end, sales charge waivers) and discounts, which may differ from those disclosed elsewhere in the respective Fund’s prospectus or SAI.

 

Front-end Sales Load Waivers on Class A Shares available at Merrill Lynch

  • Employer-sponsored retirement, deferred compensation and employee benefit plans (including health savings accounts) and trusts used to fund those plans, provided that the shares are not held in a commission-based brokerage account and shares are held for the benefit of the plan
  • Shares purchased by or through a 529 Plan
  • Shares purchased through a Merrill Lynch affiliated investment advisory program
  • Shares purchased by third party investment advisors on behalf of their advisory clients through Merrill Lynch’s platform
  • Shares purchased through the Merrill Edge Self-Directed platform
  • Shares purchased through reinvestment of capital gains distributions and dividend reinvestment when purchasing shares of the same Fund (but not any other fund within the fund family)
  • Shares exchanged from Class C (i.e. level-load) shares of the same Fund in the month of or following the 10-year anniversary of the purchase date
  • Employees and registered representatives of Merrill Lynch or its affiliates and their family members
  • Directors or Trustees of the Funds, and employees of the Funds’ investment adviser or any of its affiliates, as described in the prospectus
  • Shares purchased from the proceeds of redemptions within the same fund family, provided (1) the repurchase occurs within 90 days following the redemption, (2) the redemption and purchase occur in the same account, and (3) redeemed shares were subject to a front-end or deferred sales load (known as Rights of Reinstatement)

 

CDSC Waivers on A and C Shares available at Merrill Lynch

  • Death or disability of the shareholder
  • Shares sold as part of a systematic withdrawal plan as described in the Fund’s prospectus
  • Return of excess contributions from an IRA Account
  • Shares sold as part of a required minimum distribution for IRA and retirement accounts due to the shareholder reaching age 70½
  • Shares sold to pay Merrill Lynch fees but only if the transaction is initiated by Merrill Lynch
  • Shares acquired through a right of reinstatement
  • Shares held in retirement brokerage accounts, that are exchanged for a lower cost share class due to transfer to certain fee based accounts or platforms (applicable to A and C shares only)

 

31 
 

Front-end load Discounts Available at Merrill Lynch: Breakpoints, Rights of Accumulation & Letters of Intent

  • Breakpoints as described in this prospectus
  • Rights of Accumulation (ROA) which entitle shareholders to breakpoint discounts will be automatically calculated based on the aggregated holding of fund family assets held by accounts within the purchaser’s household at Merrill Lynch. Eligible fund family assets not held at Merrill Lynch may be included in the ROA calculation only if the shareholder notifies his or her financial advisor about such assets
  • Letters of Intent (LOI) which allow for breakpoint discounts based on anticipated purchases within a fund family, through Merrill Lynch, over a 13-month period of time

MORGAN STANLEY WEALTH MANAGEMENT

Class T shares are available to Morgan Stanley Wealth Management clients who purchase fund shares through a transactional brokerage account.

 

Sales Charge Waivers

Class T shares are available for purchase by Morgan Stanley Wealth Management clients with the front-end load waived as follows:

  • Employer-sponsored retirement plans (e.g., 401(k) plans, 457 plans, employer-sponsored 403(b) plans, profit sharing and money purchase pension plans and defined benefit plans). For purposes of this provision, employer-sponsored retirement plans do not include SEP IRAs, Simple IRAs, SAR-SEPs or Keogh plans; however these plans are eligible to purchase Class T shares through a transactional brokerage account.
  • Morgan Stanley Wealth Management employee and employee-related accounts according to Morgan Stanley’s account linking rules.
  • Shares purchased through reinvestment of dividends and capital gains distributions when purchasing shares of the same fund.
  • Mutual fund shares exchanged from an existing position in the same fund as part of a share class conversion instituted by Morgan Stanley Wealth Management.

 

Unless specifically described above, no other front-end load waivers are available to mutual fund purchases by Morgan Stanley Wealth Management clients in transactional brokerage accounts.

RBC CAPITAL MARKETS, LLC (“RBC”)

Front-end Sales Load Waivers on Class A Shares available at RBC

  • Employer-sponsored retirement plans.

 

The information disclosed in the appendix is part of, and incorporated in, the prospectus

32 
 

 

PRIVACY NOTICE

Mutual Fund & Variable Insurance Trust

Rev. July 2017

FACTS WHAT DOES MUTUAL FUND & VARIABLE INSURANCE TRUST DO WITH YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION?
Why? Financial companies choose how they share your personal information. Federal law gives consumers the right to limit some, but not all sharing. Federal law also requires us to tell you how we collect, share, and protect your personal information. Please read this notice carefully to understand what we do.
     

 

What?

The types of personal information we collect and share depends on the product or service that you have with us. This information can include:

· Social Security number and wire transfer instructions

· account transactions and transaction history

· investment experience and purchase history
When you are no longer our customer, we continue to share your information as described in this notice.

 

How? All financial companies need to share customers' personal information to run their everyday business. In the section below, we list the reasons financial companies can share their customers' personal information; the reasons Mutual Fund & Variable Insurance Trust chooses to share; and whether you can limit this sharing.

 

Reasons we can share your personal information: Does Mutual Fund & Variable Insurance Trust share information? Can you limit this sharing?
For our everyday business purposes - such as to process your transactions, maintain your account(s), respond to court orders and legal investigations, or report to credit bureaus. YES NO
For our marketing purposes - to offer our products and services to you. NO We don't share
For joint marketing with other financial companies. NO We don't share
For our affiliates' everyday business purposes - information about your transactions and records. NO We don't share
For our affiliates' everyday business purposes - information about your credit worthiness. NO We don't share
For our affiliates to market to you NO We don't share
For non-affiliates to market to you NO We don't share

 

QUESTIONS?   Call 1-800-253-0412

 

33 
 

PRIVACY NOTICE

Mutual Fund & Variable Insurance Trust

 

What we do:

 

How does Mutual Fund & Variable Insurance Trust protect my personal information?

To protect your personal information from unauthorized access and use, we use security measures that comply with federal law. These measures include computer safeguards and secured files and buildings.

Our service providers are held accountable for adhering to strict policies and procedures to prevent any misuse of your nonpublic personal information.

 

How does Mutual Fund & Variable Insurance Trust collect my personal information?

We collect your personal information, for example, when you:

· open an account or deposit money

· direct us to buy securities or direct us to sell your securities

· seek advice about your investments

 

We also collect your personal information from others, such as credit bureaus, affiliates, or other companies.

 

Why can't I limit all sharing?

Federal law gives you the right to limit only:

· sharing for affiliates' everyday business purposes – information about your creditworthiness.

· affiliates from using your information to market to you.

· sharing for non-affiliates to market to you.

 

State laws and individual companies may give you additional rights to limit sharing.

 

Definitions
Affiliates

Companies related by common ownership or control. They can be financial and non-financial companies.

· Mutual Fund & Variable Insurance Trust does not share with affiliates.

Non-affiliates

Companies not related by common ownership or control. They can be financial and non-financial companies.

· Mutual Fund & Variable Insurance Trust doesn't share with non-affiliates so they can market to you.

Joint marketing

A formal agreement between nonaffiliated financial companies that together market financial products or services to you.

· Mutual Fund & Variable Insurance Trust doesn’t jointly market.

 

 

 

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FOR MORE INFORMATION

Several additional sources of information are available to you. The Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”), incorporated into this Prospectus by reference, contains detailed information on Fund policies and operations, including policies and procedures relating to the disclosure of portfolio holdings by the Fund’s affiliates. The annual reports contain management’s discussion of market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance results as of the Fund’s latest annual fiscal year end.

Call the Fund at (800) 253-0412 to request free copies of the SAI, the annual report and the semi-annual report, to request other information about the Fund and to make shareholder inquiries. You may also obtain this information from the Fund’s internet site at www.rationalmf.com.

You may review and copy information about the Fund (including the SAI and other reports) at the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C. Call the SEC at 1-202-551-8090 for room hours and operation. You also may obtain reports and other information about the Fund on the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s Internet site at http//www.sec.gov, and copies of this information may be obtained, after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov, or by writing the SEC’s Public Reference Section, Washington, D.C. 20549-1520.

Investment Company Act File No. 811-5010

 

 

 

 

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STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

 

____________, 2018

 

Mutual Fund and Variable Insurance Trust

 

Rational/NuWave Enhanced Market Opportunity Fund

Class A Shares: NUXAX      Class C Shares: NUXCX      Institutional Shares: NUXIX      Class T Shares: [     ]

 

17605 Wright Street

Omaha, Nebraska 68130

 

This Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) is not a prospectus. It should be read in conjunction with the Prospectus of the Rational/NuWave Enhanced Market Opportunity Fund (the “Fund”) dated ____________, 2018 (“Prospectus”). The Fund is a separate series of the Mutual Fund and Variable Insurance Trust (“Trust”), an open-end management company organized as a Delaware Statutory Trust. This SAI is incorporated in its entirety into the Prospectus.

 

The Fund acquired all of the assets and liabilities of the NuWave Equity Enhanced Fund, LP (“Predecessor Fund”), in a tax-free reorganization on [ ]. In connection with this acquisition, shares of the Predecessor Fund were exchanged for Institutional Shares of the Fund. Certain information included on the following pages is that of the Predecessor Fund.

 

Copies of the Prospectus and the Fund’s Annual Report may be obtained at no charge from the Trust by writing to the above address or calling 800-253-0412.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

 RATIONAL/ NUWAVE ENHANCED MARKET OPPORTUNITY FUND 1
DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS 37
PRINCIPAL SHAREHOLDERS 42
ADVISOR AND SUB-ADVISOR 42
CODE OF ETHICS 46
TRANSFER AGENT, FUND ACCOUNTING AGENT AND ADMINISTRATOR 46
CUSTODIAN 48
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM 48
COUNSEL 48
DISTRIBUTOR 48
PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS 51
Purchase and Redemption of Shares 53
Reduction of Up-Front Sales Charge on Class A Shares 54
Waivers of Up-Front Sales Charge on Class A Shares 55
WAIVER OF DEFERRED SALES CHARGES ON CLASS C SHARES 55
NET ASSET VALUE 58
TAX INFORMATION 58
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 62
   
Appendix A—Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures A-1
Appendix B – Financial Statements B-1

 

 

 

 
 

RATIONAL/NUWAVE ENHANCED MARKET OPPORTUNITY FUND

 

The Trust is a Delaware statutory trust, which was formed on June 23, 2006. The Trust is registered under the 1940 Act, as an open-end management investment company. As of the date of this SAI, the Trust operates ten separate series or mutual funds - six retail portfolios and two variable annuity portfolios (the “VA Funds”), each with its own investment objective and strategy. The Fund is non-diversified. Much of the information contained in this SAI expands upon subjects discussed in the Fund’s Prospectus. No investment in units of beneficial interest (“Shares”) of a Fund should be made without first reading a Fund’s Prospectus.

 

Rational Advisors, Inc. (the "Advisor"), acts as investment advisor to the Fund.

 

NuWave Investment Management, LLC (the “Sub-Advisor”) acts as the sub-advisor to the Fund.

 

The Trust does not issue share certificates. All shares are held in non-certificate form registered on the books of the Trust and the Trust’s transfer agent for the account of the shareholder. Each share of a series represents an equal proportionate interest in the assets and liabilities belonging to the applicable class of that series and is entitled to such dividends and distributions out of income belonging to the applicable class of that series as are declared by the Trustees. The shares do not have cumulative voting rights or any preemptive or conversion rights, and the Trustees have the authority from time to time to divide or combine the shares of any series into a greater or lesser number of shares of that series so long as the proportionate beneficial interest in the assets belonging to that series and the rights of shares of any other series are in no way affected. In case of any liquidation of a series, the holders of shares of the series being liquidated will be entitled to receive as a class a distribution out of the assets, net of the liabilities, belonging to that series. Expenses attributable to any class of a series are borne by that class, and thus the net asset values per share of the classes may differ. There can be no assurance that a series will grow to an economically viable size, in which case the Trustees may determine to liquidate the series at a time that may not be opportune for shareholders. Any general expenses of the Trust not readily identifiable as belonging to a particular series are allocated by or under the direction of the Trustees in such manner as the Trustees determine to be fair and equitable. No shareholder is liable to further calls or to assessment by the Trust without his or her express consent.

The Fund has established four classes of shares: Class A, Class C, Class T and Institutional Shares. As of the date of this SAI, the Fund only offers Class A, Class C and Institutional Shares. Each share class represents an interest in the same assets of the Fund, has the same rights and is identical in all material respects except that (i) each class of shares may bear different 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; and (iv) each class has exclusive voting rights with respect to matters relating to its own distribution arrangements. The Board of Trustees (“Trustees”) may classify and reclassify the shares of the Fund into additional classes of shares at a future date.

 

 

INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS

The Fund has adopted the following investment restrictions that may not be changed without approval by a “majority of the outstanding shares” of the Fund which, as used in this SAI, means the vote of the lesser of (a) 67% or more of the shares of the Fund represented at a meeting, if the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Fund are present or represented by proxy, or (b) more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Fund. The investment restrictions pertain to the Fund unless otherwise noted. Except as discussed below, the Fund will consider the investments of underlying investment companies when determining compliance with its own policy on concentration.

The Fund:

(1)May not concentrate investments in a particular industry or group of industries as concentration is defined under the 1940 Act, or the rules or regulations thereunder, as such statute, rules or regulations may be amended from time to time.
(2)May issue senior securities to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act, or the rules or regulations thereunder, as such statute, rules or regulations may be amended from time to time.
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(3)May lend or borrow money to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act, or the rules or regulations thereunder, as such statute, rules or regulations may be amended from time to time.
(4)May purchase or sell commodities, commodities contracts, futures contracts, or real estate to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act, or the rules or regulations thereunder, as such statute, rules or regulations may be amended from time to time.
(5)May underwrite securities to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act, or the rules or regulations thereunder, as such statute, rules or regulations may be amended from time to time.
(6)May pledge, mortgage or hypothecate any of its assets to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act, or the rules or regulations thereunder, as such statute, rules or regulations may be amended from time to time.

 

If a restriction on the Fund’s investments is adhered to at the time an investment is made, a subsequent change in the percentage of Fund assets invested in certain securities or other instruments, or change in average duration of the Fund’s investment portfolio, resulting from changes in the value of the Fund’s total assets, will not be considered a violation of the restriction.

 

With respect to investment limitation 3 above, if the Fund’s asset coverage falls below 300%, the Fund will reduce borrowing within 3 days in order to ensure that the Fund has 300% asset coverage.

The fundamental limitations of the Fund have been adopted to avoid wherever possible the necessity of shareholder meetings otherwise required by the 1940 Act. This recognizes the need to react quickly to changes in the law or new investment opportunities in the securities markets and the cost and time involved in obtaining shareholder approvals for diversely held investment companies. However, certain Funds also have adopted non-fundamental limitations, set forth below, which in some instances may be more restrictive than their fundamental limitations. Any changes in the Fund’s non-fundamental limitations will be communicated to the Fund’s shareholders prior to effectiveness.

“Concentration” is generally interpreted under the 1940 Act to refer to an investment of more than 25% of net assets in an industry or group of industries. The 1940 Act limits the ability of investment companies to borrow and lend money and to underwrite securities. The 1940 Act currently prohibits an open-end fund from issuing senior securities, as defined in the 1940 Act, except under very limited circumstances.

Additionally, the 1940 Act limits the Fund’s ability to borrow money, prohibiting the Fund from issuing senior securities, except the Fund may borrow from any bank provided that immediately after any such borrowing there is an asset coverage of at least 300% for all borrowings by the Fund and provided further, that in the event that such asset coverage shall at any time fall below 300%, the Fund shall, within three days thereafter or such longer period as the SEC may prescribe by rules and regulations, reduce the amount of its borrowings to such an extent that the asset coverage of such borrowing shall be at least 300%.

Regulatory Compliance. The Fund may follow non-fundamental operational policies that are more restrictive than its fundamental investment limitations, as set forth in the Prospectuses and this SAI, in order to comply with applicable laws and regulations, including the provisions of and regulations under the 1940 Act. The Fund may change these operational policies to reflect changes in the laws and regulations without the approval of its shareholders.

 

OTHER INVESTMENT POLICIES

The following investment limitations are non-fundamental policies of the Fund:

(1)The Fund will not invest more than 15% of net assets in securities for which there are legal or contractual restrictions on resale or other illiquid securities.
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT INVESTMENTS AND RISKS

The Prospectus for the Fund discusses the principal investment strategies of the Fund and the underlying Funds. Below you will find more detail about the types of investments and investment practices permitted by the Fund, including the underlying Funds, including those which are not part of the Fund’s and/or underlying Fund’s principal investment strategy.

Adjustable Rate Notes and Variable and Floating Rate Instruments

Adjustable rate notes include variable rate notes and floating rate notes. For Money Market Fund purposes, a variable rate note is one whose terms provide for the readjustment of its interest rate on set dates and that, upon such readjustment, can reasonably be expected to have a market value that approximates its amortized cost. The degree to which a variable rate note’s market value approximates its amortized cost subsequent to readjustment will depend on the frequency of the readjustment of the note’s interest rate and the length of time that must elapse before the next readjustment. A floating rate note is one whose terms provide for the readjustment of its interest rate whenever a specified interest rate changes and that, at any time, can reasonably be expected to have a market value that approximates its amortized cost. Variable or floating rate securities may have provisions that allow them to be tendered back to remarketing agents at par value plus accrued interest. Liquidity for these securities is provided by irrevocable letters of credit and stand-by purchase agreements. The absence of an active secondary market, however, could make it difficult for the Fund to dispose of a variable or floating rate note in the event the issuer of the note defaulted on its payment obligations and the Fund could, as a result or for other reasons, suffer a loss to the extent of the default. Variable or floating rate notes may be secured by bank letters of credit or insured as to payment of principal and interest. A demand instrument with a demand notice period exceeding seven days may be considered illiquid if there is no secondary market for such security. Such security will be subject to the Fund’s limitation governing investments in “illiquid” securities, unless such notes are subject to a demand feature that will permit the Fund to receive payment of the principal within seven days of the Fund’s demand. See “INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS” below.

American Depositary Receipts (ADRs), European Depositary Receipts (EDRs), Continental Depositary Receipts (CDRs) and Global Depositary Receipts (GDRs)

ADRs are securities, typically issued by a U.S. financial institution (a “depositary”), that evidence ownership interests in a security or a pool of securities issued by a foreign issuer and deposited with the depositary. ADRs include American Depositary Shares and New York Shares. EDRs, which are sometimes referred to as CDRs, are securities, typically issued by a non-U.S. financial institution, that evidence ownership interests in a security or a pool of securities issued by either a U.S. or foreign issuer. GDRs are issued globally and evidence a similar ownership arrangement. Generally, ADRs are designed for trading in the U.S. securities markets, EDRs are designed for trading in European securities markets and GDRs are designed for trading in non-U.S. securities markets. ADRs, EDRs, CDRs and GDRs may be available for investment through “sponsored” or “unsponsored” facilities. A sponsored facility is established jointly by the issuer of the security underlying the receipt and a depositary, whereas an unsponsored facility may be established by a depositary without participation by the issuer of the receipt’s underlying security. 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.

Asset-backed Securities (Non-mortgage)

Asset-backed securities are instruments secured by company receivables, truck and auto loans, leases, and credit card receivables. Such securities are generally issued as pass-through certificates, which represent undivided fractional ownership interests in the underlying pools of assets. Such securities also may be debt instruments, which are also known as collateralized obligations and are generally issued as the debt of a special purpose entity, such as a trust, organized solely for the purpose of owning such assets and issuing such debt.

The purchase of non-mortgage asset-backed securities raises risk considerations particular to the financing of the instruments underlying such securities. Like mortgages underlying mortgage-backed securities, underlying automobile sales contracts or credit card receivables are subject to substantial prepayment risk, which may reduce the overall return to certificate holders. Nevertheless, principal prepayment rates tend not to vary as much in

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response to changes in interest rates and the short-term nature of the underlying car loans or other receivables tend to dampen the impact of any change in the prepayment level. Certificate holders may also experience delays in payment on the certificates if the full amounts due on underlying sales contracts or receivables are not realized by the trust because of unanticipated legal or administrative costs of enforcing the contracts or because of depreciation or damage to the collateral (usually automobiles) securing certain contracts, or other factors.

Certificates of Deposit

For a discussion of Certificates of Deposit, please see the “Money Market Instruments” discussion in this section.

Commercial Paper

For a discussion of Commercial Paper, please see the “Money Market Instruments” discussion in this section.

Common Stock

Common stock is a type of equity security which represents an ownership interest in a corporation and the right to a portion of the assets of the corporation in the event of liquidation. This right, however, is subordinate to that of preferred stockholders and any creditors, including holders of debt issued by the corporation. Owners of common stock are generally entitled to vote on important matters. A corporation may pay dividends on common stock.

Convertible Securities

Convertible securities include fixed income securities that may be exchanged or converted into a predetermined number of shares of the issuer’s underlying common stock at the option of the holder during a specified period. Convertible securities may take the form of convertible preferred stock, convertible bonds or debentures, units consisting of “usable” bonds and warrants or a combination of the features of several of these securities. The investment characteristics of each convertible security vary widely, which allows convertible securities to be employed for a variety of investment strategies. The Fund will exchange or convert the convertible securities held in its portfolio into shares of the underlying common stock when, in the Advisor’s opinion, the investment characteristics of the underlying common shares will assist the Fund in achieving its investment objective. Otherwise the Fund may hold or trade convertible securities.

Corporate Debt (Including Bonds, Notes and Debentures)

Corporate debt includes any obligation of a corporation to repay a borrowed amount at maturity and usually to pay the holder interest at specific intervals. Corporate debt can have a long or short maturity and is often rated by one or more Nationally Recognized Statistical Rating Organizations (“NRSROs”). See “INVESTMENT RATINGS” below for a description of these ratings.

In addition, the credit risk of an issuer’s debt security may vary based on its priority for repayment. For example, higher ranking (senior) debt securities have a higher priority than lower ranking (subordinated) securities. This means that the issuer might not make payments on subordinated securities while continuing to make payments on senior securities. In addition, in the event of bankruptcy, holders of senior securities may receive amounts otherwise payable to the holders of subordinated securities. Some subordinated securities, such as trust preferred and capital securities notes, also permit the issuer to defer payments under certain circumstances. For example, insurance companies issue securities known as surplus notes that permit the insurance company to defer any payment that would reduce its capital below regulatory requirements.

Credit-Enhanced Securities

Credit-enhanced securities are securities whose credit rating has been enhanced, typically by the existence of a guarantee, letter of credit, insurance or unconditional demand feature. In most cases, the Advisor evaluates the credit quality and ratings of credit-enhanced securities based upon the financial condition and ratings of the party providing the credit enhancement (the “credit enhancer”) rather than the issuer. However, except where prohibited by Rule 2a-7 under the 1940 Act, credit-enhanced securities will not be treated as having been issued by the credit enhancer for diversification purposes, unless the Fund has invested more than 10% of its assets in securities issued, guaranteed or otherwise credit enhanced by the credit enhancer, in which case the securities will be treated as having been issued both by the issuer and the credit enhancer. The bankruptcy, receivership or default of the credit enhancer

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will adversely affect the quality and marketability of the underlying security. A default on the underlying security or other event that terminates a demand feature prior to its exercise will adversely affect the liquidity of the underlying security.

Defensive Investments

At times the Advisor or Sub-Advisor may determine that conditions in securities markets may make pursuing the Fund’s principal investment strategies inconsistent with the best interests of the Fund’s shareholders. At such times, the Advisor or Sub-Advisor may temporarily use alternative strategies, primarily designed to reduce fluctuations in the value of the Fund’s assets. In implementing these temporary “defensive” strategies, the Fund may temporarily place all or a portion of its assets in cash, U.S. Government securities, debt securities which the Advisor or Sub-Advisor considers to be of comparable quality to the acceptable investments of the Fund and other investments which the Advisor or Sub-Advisor considers consistent with such strategies.

Demand Notes

For a discussion of Demand Notes, please see the “Money Market Instruments” discussion in this section.

Derivative Contracts

Derivative contracts are financial instruments that require payments based upon changes in the values of designated (or underlying) securities, currencies, commodities, financial indices or other assets. Some derivative contracts (such as futures, forwards and options) require payments relating to a future trade involving the underlying asset. Other derivative contracts (such as swaps) require payments relating to the income or returns from the underlying asset. The other party to a derivative contract is referred to as a counterparty.

Depending upon how the Fund uses derivative contracts and the relationships between the market value of a derivative contract and the underlying asset, derivative contracts may increase or decrease the Fund’s exposure to interest rate and currency risks, and may also expose the Fund to liquidity and leverage risks. Over-the-counter (“OTC”) contracts also expose the Fund to credit risks in the event that a counterparty defaults on the contract.

Equity Securities

Equity securities include both foreign and domestic common stocks, preferred stocks, securities convertible or exchangeable into common or preferred stocks, and other securities which the Advisor or Sub-Advisor believes have common stock characteristics, such as rights and warrants.

Exchange-Traded Commodity Funds (“ETCFs”)

ETCFs invest in commodities, either directly or through derivative contracts and are treated as partnerships or grantor trusts for U.S. tax purposes. ETCFs may invest in a single commodity (such as gold) or manage a pool of derivative contracts that tracks a commodity index (such as the Dow Jones-AIG Commodity Index).

Exchange-Traded Funds (“ETFs”)/Index-Based Securities and Ultrashort ETFs

The Fund may invest in ETFs or Index-based Securities and Ultrashort ETFs as an efficient means of carrying out their investment strategies. Index-based securities are often interests in a unit investment trust (“UIT”) that may be obtained from the UIT or purchased in the secondary market. ETFs may be structured as a UIT, but may also be structured as an open-end mutual fund. Ultrashort ETFs are exchange-traded funds which are designed to correspond to twice the inverse of the daily performance of an underlying index. Ultrashort ETFs invest in financial instruments (including derivatives) which the advisor to the Ultrashort ETF believes should, in combination, achieve such daily return characteristics. As with index-based securities, ETFs sell their interests directly or the interests may be purchased in a secondary market. ETFs, index-based securities and Ultrashort ETFs are traded on stock exchanges or on the over-the-counter market.

As with traditional mutual funds, ETFs and index-based securities charge asset-based fees, although these fees tend to be relatively low. ETFs and index-based securities do not charge initial sales charges or redemption fees and investors pay only customary brokerage fees to buy and sell the shares.

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A UIT will generally issue index-based securities in aggregations of 50,000 known as “Creation Units” in exchange for a “Portfolio Deposit” consisting of (a) a portfolio of securities substantially similar to the component securities (Index Securities) of the applicable index (Index), (b) a cash payment equal to a pro rata portion of the dividends accrued on the UIT's portfolio securities since the last dividend payment by the UIT, net of expenses and liabilities, and (c) a cash payment or credit (Balancing Amount) designed to equalize the net asset value (“NAV”) of the Index and the NAV of a Portfolio Deposit. ETFs structured as mutual funds also issue large Creation Units in exchange for a basket of securities in a proportion similar to the current holdings of the ETF and/or a cash payment.

ETFs and index-based securities are not individually redeemable, except upon termination of the UIT or ETF. To redeem, the portfolio must accumulate enough index-based securities to reconstitute a Creation Unit (large aggregations of a particular index-based security). The liquidity of small holdings of ETFs and index-based securities, therefore, will depend upon the existence of a secondary market. Upon redemption of a Creation Unit, the portfolio will receive Index Securities and cash identical to the Portfolio Deposit required of an investor wishing to purchase a Creation Unit that day.

Fixed Income Securities

Fixed income securities include corporate debt securities, U.S. Government securities, mortgage-related securities, tax-exempt securities and any other securities which provide a stream of fixed payments to the holder.

Foreign Currency Options (also see “Options”)

Options on foreign currencies operate similarly to options on securities, and are traded primarily in the over-the-counter market (so-called “OTC options”), although options on foreign currencies have recently been listed on several exchanges. Options will be purchased or written only when the Advisor or Sub-Advisor believes that a liquid secondary market exists for such options. There can be no assurance that a liquid secondary market will exist for a particular option at any specific time. Options on foreign currencies are affected by all of those factors which influence exchange rates and investments generally.

Purchases and sales of options may be used to increase current return. They are also used in connection with hedging transactions. See “Foreign Currency Transactions.” Writing covered call options on currencies may offset some of the costs of hedging against fluctuations in currency exchange rates. For transaction hedging purposes, the Fund may also purchase exchange-listed and OTC put and call options on foreign currency futures contracts and on foreign currencies. A put option on a futures contract gives the Fund the right to assume a short position in the futures contract until expiration of the option. A call option on a futures contract gives the Fund the right to assume a long position in the futures contract until the expiration of the option.

The value of a foreign currency option is dependent upon the value of the foreign currency and the U.S. dollar, and may have no relationship to the investment merits of a foreign security. Because foreign currency transactions occurring in the interbank market involve substantially larger amounts than those that may be involved in the use of foreign currency options, investors may be disadvantaged by having to deal in an odd lot market (generally consisting of transactions of less than $1 million) for the underlying foreign currencies at prices that are less favorable than for round lots.

There is no systematic reporting of last sale information for foreign currencies and there is no regulatory requirement that quotations available through dealers or other market sources be firm or revised on a timely basis. Available quotation information is generally representative of very large transactions in the interbank market and thus may not reflect relatively smaller transactions (less than $1 million) where rates may be less favorable. The interbank market in foreign currencies is a global, around-the-clock market. To the extent that the U.S. options markets are closed while the markets for the underlying currencies remain open, significant price and rate movements may take place in the underlying markets that cannot be reflected in the U.S. options markets. Options contracts are generally valued at the mean of the bid and asked price as reported on the highest-volume exchange (in terms of the number of option contracts traded for that issue) on which such options are traded.

 

 

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Foreign Currency Transactions and Foreign Exchange Contracts

Foreign currency transactions and foreign exchange contracts include purchasing and selling foreign currencies, entering into forward or futures contracts to purchase or sell foreign currencies (see “Forward Foreign Currency and Foreign Currency Futures Contracts”), and purchasing and selling options on foreign currencies (see “Foreign Currency Options”). Foreign currency transactions may be used to hedge against uncertainty in the level of future foreign currency exchange rates and to increase current return.

Purchases and sales of foreign currencies on a spot basis are used to increase current return. They are also used in connection with both “transaction hedging” and “position hedging.”

Transaction hedging involves entering into foreign currency transactions with respect to specific receivables or payables generally arising in connection with the purchase or sale of portfolio securities. Transaction hedging is used to “lock in” the U.S. dollar price of a security to be purchased or sold, or the U.S. dollar equivalent of a dividend or interest payment in a foreign currency. The goal is to protect against a possible loss resulting from an adverse change in the relationship between the U.S. dollar and the applicable foreign currency during the period between the date on which the security is purchased or sold or on which the dividend or interest payment is declared, and the date on which such payments are made or received.

Position hedging involves entering into foreign currency transactions either to protect against: (i) a decline in the value of a foreign currency in which a security held or to be sold is denominated; or (ii) an increase in the value of a foreign currency in which a security to be purchased is denominated. In connection with position hedging, the Fund may purchase put or call options on foreign currency and foreign currency futures contracts and buy or sell forward contracts and foreign currency futures contracts.

Neither transaction nor position hedging eliminates fluctuations in the underlying prices of the securities which the Fund owns or intends to purchase or sell. They simply establish a rate of exchange which can be achieved at some future point in time. Additionally, although these techniques tend to minimize the risk of loss due to a decline in the value of the hedged currency, they also tend to limit any potential gain which might result from the increase in the value of such currency.

Hedging transactions are subject to correlation risk due to the fact that the amounts of foreign currency exchange transactions and the value of the portfolio securities involved will not generally be perfectly matched. This is because the future value of such securities in foreign currencies will change as a consequence of market movements in the values of those securities between the dates the currency exchange transactions are entered into and the dates they mature.

Forward Foreign Currency and Foreign Currency Futures Contracts

A forward foreign currency contract involves an obligation to purchase or sell a specific currency at a future date, which may be any fixed number of days from the date of the contract as agreed by the parties, at a price set at the time of the contract. In the case of a cancelable forward contract, the holder has the unilateral right to cancel the contract at maturity by paying a specified fee. The contracts are traded in the interbank market conducted directly between currency traders (usually large commercial banks) and their customers. A forward contract generally has no deposit requirement, and no commissions are charged at any stage for trades.

A foreign currency futures contract is a standardized contract for the future delivery of a specified amount of a foreign currency at a future date at a price set at the time of the contract. Foreign currency futures contracts traded in the United States are designed by and traded on exchanges regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”), such as the Chicago Mercantile Exchange.

 Forward foreign currency contracts differ from foreign currency futures contracts in certain respects. For example, the maturity date of a forward contract may be any fixed number of days from the date of the contract agreed upon by the parties, rather than a predetermined date in a given month. Forward contracts may be in any amounts agreed upon by the parties rather than predetermined amounts. Also, forward foreign currency contracts are traded directly between currency traders so that no intermediary is required. A forward contract generally requires no margin or other deposit.

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At the maturity of a forward or futures contract, the Fund may either accept or make delivery of the currency specified in the contract, or at or prior to maturity enter into a closing transaction involving the purchase or sale of an offsetting contract. Closing transactions with respect to forward contracts are usually effected with the currency trader who is a party to the original forward contract. Closing transactions with respect to futures contracts are effected on a commodities exchange; a clearing corporation associated with the exchange assumes responsibility for closing out such contracts.

Forward foreign currency contracts and foreign currency futures contracts can be used to increase current return. They are also used in connection with both “transaction hedging” and “position hedging.” See “Foreign Currency Transactions.”

Among the risks of using foreign currency futures contracts is the fact that positions in these contracts (and any related options) may be closed out only on an exchange or board of trade which provides a secondary market. Although it is intended that any Fund using foreign currency futures contracts and related options will only purchase or sell them on exchanges or boards of trade where there appears to be an active secondary market, there is no assurance that a secondary market on an exchange or board of trade will exist for any particular contract or option or at any particular time. In such event, it may not be possible to close a futures or related option position and, in the event of adverse price movements, the Fund would continue to be required to make daily cash payments of variation margin on its futures positions.

In addition, it is impossible to forecast with precision the market value of a security at the expiration or maturity of a forward or futures contract. Accordingly, it may be necessary to purchase additional foreign currency on the spot market (and bear the expense of such purchase) if the market value of the security being hedged is less than the amount of foreign currency the Fund is obligated to deliver and if a decision is made to sell the security and make delivery of the foreign currency. Conversely, it may be necessary to sell on the spot market some of the foreign currency received upon the sale of the hedged portfolio security if the market value of such security exceeds the amount of foreign currency the Fund is obligated to deliver.

Margin payments. When the Fund purchases or sells a futures contract, it is required to deposit with its custodian an amount of cash or U.S. Treasury bills, or other permissible collateral, up to 5% of the amount of the futures contract. This amount is known as “initial margin.” The nature of initial margin is different from that of margin in security transactions in that it does not involve borrowing money to finance transactions. Rather, initial margin is similar to a performance bond or good faith deposit that is returned to the Fund upon termination of the contract, assuming the Fund satisfies its contractual obligation.

Subsequent payments to and from the broker occur on a daily basis in a process known as “marking to market.” These payments are called “variation margin,” and are made as the value of the underlying futures contract fluctuates. For example, when the Fund sells a futures contract and the price of the underlying currency rises above the delivery price, the Fund’s position declines in value. The Fund then pays a broker a variation margin payment equal to the difference between the delivery price of the futures contract and the market price of the currency underlying the futures contract. Conversely, if the price of the underlying currency falls below the delivery price of the contract, the Fund’s futures position increases in value. The broker then must make a variation margin payment equal to the difference between the delivery price of the futures contract and the market price of the currency underlying the futures contract.

When the Fund terminates a position in a futures contract, a final determination of variation margin is made, additional cash is paid by or to the Fund, and the Fund realizes a loss or gain. Such closing transactions involve additional commission costs.

Foreign Government Securities

Foreign government securities generally consist of fixed income securities supported by national, state or provincial governments or similar political subdivisions. Foreign government securities also include debt obligations of supranational entities, such as international organizations designed or supported by governmental entities to promote economic reconstruction or development, international banking institutions and related government agencies. Examples of these include, but are not limited to, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (the “World Bank”), the Asian Development Bank, the European Investment Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank.

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Foreign government securities also include fixed income securities of quasi-governmental agencies that are either issued by entities owned by a national, state or equivalent government or are obligations of a political unit that are not backed by the national government’s full faith and credit.

Foreign Securities (including Emerging Markets)

Foreign securities are those securities which are issued by companies located outside the United States and principally traded in foreign markets. This includes equity and debt securities of foreign entities and obligations of foreign branches of U.S. and foreign banks. Permissible investments may consist of obligations of foreign branches of U.S. banks and foreign or domestic branches of foreign banks, including European Certificates of Deposit, European Time Deposits, Canadian Time Deposits and Yankee Bonds and Certificates of Deposit, and investments in Canadian Commercial Paper, foreign securities and europaper. In addition, the Fund may invest in depositary receipts. The Fund may also invest in securities issued or guaranteed by foreign corporations or foreign governments, their political subdivisions, agencies or instrumentalities and obligations of supranational entities such as the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank. Investment in foreign securities is subject to a number of special risks.

Since foreign securities are normally denominated and traded in foreign currencies, the value of the Fund’s assets invested in such securities may be affected favorably or unfavorably by currency exchange rates and exchange control regulation. Exchange rates with respect to certain currencies may be particularly volatile. Additionally, although foreign exchange dealers do not charge a fee for currency conversion, they do realize a profit based on the difference (the “spread”) between prices at which they buy and sell various currencies. Thus, a dealer may offer to sell a foreign currency to the Fund at one rate, while offering a lesser rate of exchange should the Fund desire to resell that currency to the dealer. For additional information see “Foreign Currency Transactions.”

There may be less information publicly available about a foreign company than about a U.S. company, and foreign companies are not generally subject to accounting, auditing, and financial reporting standards and practices comparable to those in the United States. The securities of some foreign companies are less liquid and at times more volatile than securities of comparable U.S. companies. Foreign brokerage commissions and other fees are also generally higher than in the United States. Foreign settlement procedures and trade regulations may involve certain risks (such as delays in payment or delivery of securities or in the recovery of the Fund’s assets held abroad) and expenses not present in the settlement of domestic investments.

In addition, with respect to certain foreign countries, there is a possibility of nationalization or expropriation of assets, confiscatory taxation, political or financial instability and diplomatic developments which could affect the value of investments in those countries. In certain countries, legal remedies available to investors may be more limited than those available with respect to investments in the United States or other countries. The laws of some foreign countries may limit the Fund’s ability to invest in securities of certain issuers located in those countries. Special tax considerations apply to foreign securities.

The Fund may invest in the securities of emerging market issuers. Investing in emerging market securities involves risks which are in addition to the usual risks inherent in foreign investments. Some emerging markets countries may have fixed or managed currencies that are not free-floating against the U.S. dollar. Further, certain currencies may not be traded internationally. Certain of these currencies have experienced a steady devaluation relative to the U.S. dollar. Any devaluation in the currencies in which the Fund’s securities are denominated may have a detrimental impact on the Fund.

Some countries with emerging securities markets have experienced substantial, and in some periods, extremely high, rates of inflation for many years. Inflation and rapid fluctuation in inflation rates have had and may continue to have negative effects on the economies and securities markets of certain countries. Moreover, the economies of some countries may differ favorably or unfavorably from the U.S. economy in such respects as rate of growth of gross domestic product, the rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency, number and depth of industries forming the economy’s base, governmental controls and investment restrictions that are subject to political change and balance of payments position. Further, there may be greater difficulties or restrictions with respect to investments made in emerging markets countries.

Emerging markets typically have substantially less volume than U.S. markets. In addition, securities in many such markets are less liquid, and their prices often are more volatile, than securities of comparable U.S. companies. Such

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markets often have different clearance and settlement procedures for securities transactions, and in some markets there have been times when settlements have been unable to keep pace with the volume of transactions, making it difficult to conduct transactions. Delays in settlement could result in temporary periods when assets may be uninvested. Settlement problems in emerging markets countries also could cause the Fund to miss attractive investment opportunities. Satisfactory custodial services may not be available in some emerging markets countries, which may result in the Fund incurring additional costs and delays in the transportation and custody of such securities.

The Fund may invest in foreign securities.

Futures Contracts and Options on Futures Contracts

A futures contract is a binding contractual commitment which, if held to maturity, will result in an obligation to make or accept delivery of a security at a specified future time and price. By purchasing futures (assuming a “long” position) the Fund will legally obligate itself to accept the future delivery of the underlying security and pay the agreed price. By selling futures (assuming a “short” position) it will legally obligate itself to make the future delivery of the security against payment of the agreed price. Open futures positions on debt securities will be valued at the most recent settlement price, unless that price does not in the judgment of the Trustees reflect the fair value of the contract, in which case the positions will be valued by or under the direction of the Trustees. Positions taken in the futures markets are not normally held to maturity, but are instead liquidated through offsetting transactions which may result in a profit or a loss. While futures positions taken by the Fund will usually be liquidated in this manner, the Fund may instead make or take delivery of the underlying securities whenever it appears economically advantageous to the Fund to do so. A clearing corporation associated with the exchange on which futures are traded assumes responsibility for such closing transactions and guarantees that the Fund’s sale and purchase obligations under closed-out positions will be performed at the termination of the contract. Futures contracts are considered to be commodity contracts.

Futures and options on futures are regulated by the CFTC.

Hedging by use of futures on debt securities seeks to establish more certainty than would otherwise be possible the effective rate of return on portfolio securities. The Fund may, for example, take a “short” position in the futures market by selling contracts for the future delivery of debt securities held by the Fund (or securities having characteristics similar to those held by the Fund) in order to hedge against an anticipated rise in interest rates that would adversely affect the value of the Fund’s portfolio securities. When hedging of this character is successful, any depreciation in the value of portfolio securities may be offset by appreciation in the value of the futures position.

On other occasions, the Fund may take a “long” position by purchasing futures on debt securities. This would be done, for example, when the Advisor or Sub-Advisor expects to purchase for the Fund particular securities when it has the necessary cash, but expects the rate of return available in the securities markets at that time to be less favorable than rates currently available in the futures markets. If the anticipated rise in the price of the securities should occur (with its corresponding reduction in yield), the increased cost to the Fund of purchasing the securities may be offset by the rise in the value of the futures position taken in anticipation of the subsequent securities purchase.

Successful use by the Fund of futures contracts on debt securities is subject to the Advisor’s or Sub-Advisor’s ability to predict correctly movements in the direction of interest rates and other factors affecting markets for debt securities. For example, if the Fund has hedged against the possibility of an increase in interest rates which would adversely affect the market prices of debt securities held by it and the prices of such securities increase instead, the Fund will lose part or all of the benefit of the increased value of its securities which it has hedged because it will have offsetting losses in its futures positions. In addition, in such situations, if the Fund has insufficient cash, it may have to sell securities to meet daily margin maintenance requirements. The Fund may have to sell securities at a time when it may be disadvantageous to do so.

The Fund may purchase and write put and call options on debt futures contracts, as they become available. Such options are similar to options on securities except that options on futures contracts give the purchaser the right, in return for the premium paid, to assume a position in a futures contract (a long position if the option is a call and a short position if the option is a put) at a specified exercise price at any time during the period of the option. As with options on securities, the holder or writer of an option may terminate its position by selling or purchasing an option

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of the same series. There is no guarantee that such closing transactions can be effected. The Fund will be required to deposit initial margin and variation margin with respect to put and call options on futures contracts written by it pursuant to brokers’ requirements, and, in addition, net option premiums received will be included as initial margin deposits. Compared to the purchase or sale of futures contracts, the purchase of call or put options on futures contracts involves less potential risk to the Fund because the maximum amount at risk is the premium paid for the options plus transactions costs. However, there may be circumstances when the purchases of call or put options on a futures contract would result in a loss to the Fund when the purchase or sale of the futures contracts would not, such as when there is no movement in the prices of debt securities. The writing of a put or call option on a futures contract involves risks similar to those risks relating to the purchase or sale of futures contracts.

Margin payments. When the Fund purchases or sells a futures contract, it is required to deposit with its custodian an amount of cash, U.S. Treasury bills, or other permissible collateral equal to a small percentage of the amount of the futures contract. This amount is known as “initial margin.” The nature of initial margin is different from that of margin in security transactions in that it does not involve borrowing money to finance transactions. Rather, initial margin is similar to a performance bond or good faith deposit that is returned to the Fund upon termination of the contract, assuming the Fund satisfies its contractual obligations. Subsequent payments to and from the broker occur on a daily basis in a process known as “marking to market.” These payments are called “variation margin” and are made as the value of the underlying futures contract fluctuates. For example, when the Fund sells a futures contract and the price of the underlying debt security rises above the delivery price, the Fund's position declines in value. The Fund then pays the broker a variation margin payment equal to the difference between the delivery price of the futures contract and the market price of the securities underlying the futures contract. Conversely, if the price of the underlying security falls below the delivery price of the contract, the Fund’s futures position increases in value. The broker then must make a variation margin payment equal to the difference between the delivery price of the futures contract and the market price of the securities underlying the futures contract.

When the Fund terminates a position in a futures contract, a final determination of variation margin is made, additional cash is paid by or to the Fund, and the Fund realizes a loss or a gain. Such closing transactions involve additional commission costs.

Liquidity risks. Positions in futures contracts may be closed out only on an exchange or board of trade which provides a secondary market for such futures. Although the Trust intends to purchase or sell futures only on exchanges or boards of trade where there appears to be an active secondary market, there is no assurance that a liquid secondary market on an exchange or board of trade will exist for any particular contract or at any particular time. If there is not a liquid secondary market at a particular time, it may not be possible to close a futures position at such time and, in the event of adverse price movements, the Fund would continue to be required to make daily cash payments of variation margin. However, in the event financial futures are used to hedge portfolio securities, such securities will not generally be sold until the financial futures can be terminated. In such circumstances, an increase in the price of the portfolio securities, if any, may partially or completely offset losses on the financial futures.

In addition to the risks that apply to all options transactions, there are several special risks relating to options on futures contracts. The ability to establish and close out positions in such options will be subject to the development and maintenance of a liquid secondary market. It is not certain that such a market will develop. Although the Fund generally will purchase only those options for which there appears to be an active secondary market, there is no assurance that a liquid secondary market on an exchange will exist for any particular option or at any particular time. In the event no such market exists for particular options, it might not be possible to effect closing transactions in such options, with the result that the Fund would have to exercise the options in order to realize any profit.

Hedging risks. There are several risks in connection with the use by the Fund of futures contracts and related options as a hedging device. One risk arises because of the imperfect correlation between movements in the prices of the futures contracts and options and movements in the prices of securities which are the subject of the hedge. The Advisor will, however, attempt to reduce this risk by purchasing and selling, to the extent possible, futures contracts and related options on securities and indices the movements of which will, in its judgment, correlate closely with movements in the prices of the portfolio securities sought to be hedged.

Successful use of futures contracts and options by the Fund for hedging purposes is also subject to the Advisor’s or Sub-Advisor’s ability to predict correctly movements in the direction of the market. It is possible that, where the Fund has purchased puts on futures contracts to hedge its portfolio against a decline in the market, the securities or

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index on which the puts are purchased may increase in value and the value of securities held in the portfolio may decline. If this occurred, the Fund would lose money on the puts and also experience a decline in value in its portfolio securities. In addition, the prices of futures, for a number of reasons, may not correlate perfectly with movements in the underlying securities or index due to certain market distortions. First, all participants in the futures market are subject to margin deposit requirements. Such requirements may cause investors to close futures contracts through offsetting transactions which could distort the normal relationship between the underlying security or index and futures markets. Second, the margin requirements in the futures markets are less onerous than margin requirements in the securities markets in general, and as a result the futures markets may attract more speculators than the securities markets do. Increased participation by speculators in the futures markets may also cause temporary price distortions. Due to the possibility of price distortion, even a correct forecast of general market trends by the Advisor or Sub-Advisor may still not result in a successful hedging transaction over a very short time period.

Other risks. The Fund will incur brokerage fees in connection with their futures and options transactions. In addition, while futures contracts and options on futures will be purchased and sold to reduce certain risks, those transactions themselves entail certain other risks. Thus, while the Fund may benefit from the use of futures and related options, unanticipated changes in interest rates or stock price movements may result in a poorer overall performance for the Fund than if it had not entered into any futures contracts or options transactions. Moreover, in the event of an imperfect correlation between the futures position and the portfolio position which is intended to be protected, the desired protection may not be obtained and the Fund may be exposed to risk of loss.

Wholly-Owned Subsidiary

Generally, the Fund will invest up to approximately 25%% of its total assets in a wholly-owned and controlled Cayman Islands subsidiary (the “Subsidiary”), which is expected to invest primarily in commodity and financial futures and option contracts, as well as fixed income securities and other investments intended to serve as margin or collateral for the Subsidiary’s derivatives positions. As a result, the Fund may be considered to be investing indirectly in these investments through the Subsidiary. For that reason, and for the sake of convenience, references in this Statement of Additional Information to the Fund may also include the Subsidiary.

The Subsidiary will not be registered under the 1940 Act but will be subject to certain of the investor protections of that Act, as noted in this Statement of Additional Information. The Fund, as the sole shareholder of the Subsidiary, will not have all of the protections offered to investors in registered investment companies. However, since the Fund wholly owns and controls the Subsidiary, and the Fund and Subsidiary are both managed by the Advisor and/or the Sub-Advisor, it is unlikely that the Subsidiary will take action contrary to the interests of the Fund or its shareholders. The Fund’s Board has oversight responsibility for the investment activities of the Fund, including its investment in the Subsidiary, and the Fund’s role as the sole shareholder of the Subsidiary. Also, in managing the Subsidiary’s portfolio, the Advisor and Sub-Advisor will be subject to the same investment restrictions and operational guidelines that apply to the management of the Fund, including any collateral or segregation requirements in connection with various investment strategies.

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

The Fund and the Subsidiary are “commodity pools” under the U.S. Commodity Exchange Act (“CEA”) and the Advisor is registered as a “commodity pool operator” with the CFTC and is a member of the National Futures Association (“NFA”). As a registered commodity pool operator with respect to the Fund and the Subsidiary, the Advisor must comply with various regulatory requirements under the CEA, and the rules and regulations of the CFTC and NFA, including investor protection requirements, antifraud prohibitions, disclosure requirements, and recordkeeping and reporting requirements. The Advisor is also subject to periodic inspections and audits by the CFTC and NFA.

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Index Futures Contracts and Options on Index Futures Contracts

A debt index futures contract is a contract to buy or sell units of a specified debt index at a specified future date at a price agreed upon when the contract is made. A unit is the current value of the index. A stock index futures contract is a contract to buy or sell units of a stock index at a specified future date at a price agreed upon when the contract is made. A unit is the current value of the stock index.

The following example illustrates generally the manner in which index futures contracts operate. The Standard & Poor’s 100 Stock Index (S&P 100) is composed of 100 selected common stocks, most of which are listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). The S&P 100 assigns relative weightings to the common stocks included in the Index, and the Index fluctuates with changes in the market values of those common stocks. In the case of the S&P 100, contracts are to buy or sell 100 units. Thus, if the value of the S&P 100 were $180, one contract would be worth $18,000 (100 units X $180). The stock index futures contract specifies that no delivery of the actual stocks making up the index will take place. Instead, settlement in cash must occur upon the termination of the contract, with the settlement being the difference between the contract price and the actual level of the stock index at the expiration of the contract. For example, if the Fund enters into a futures contract to buy 100 units of the S&P 100 at a specified future date at a contract price of $180 and the S&P 100 is at $184 on that future date, the Fund will gain $400 (100 units X gain of $4). If the Fund enters into a futures contract to sell 100 units of the stock index at a specified future date at a contract price of $180 and the S&P 100 is at $182 on that future date, the Fund will lose $200 (100 units X loss of $2). The Fund may purchase or sell futures contracts with respect to any stock index. Positions in index futures may be closed out only on an exchange or board of trade which provides a secondary market for such futures.

Purchases and sales of index futures may be used to hedge an investment. To hedge an investment successfully, however, the Fund must invest in futures contracts with respect to indices or sub-indices the movements of which will have a significant correlation with movements in the prices of the Fund’s securities.

Options on index futures contracts are similar to options on securities except that options on index futures contracts give the purchaser the right, in return for the premium paid, to assume a position in an index futures contract (a long position if the option is a call and a short position if the option is a put) at a specified exercise price at any time during the period of the option. Upon exercise of the option, the holder assumes the underlying futures position and receives a variation margin payment of cash or securities approximating the increase in the value of the holder’s option position. If an option is exercised on the last trading day prior to the expiration date of the option, the settlement is made entirely in cash based on the difference between the exercise price of the option and the closing level of the index on which the futures contract is based on the expiration date. Purchasers of options who fail to exercise their options prior to the exercise date suffer a loss of the premium paid.

As an alternative to purchasing call and put options on index futures contracts, the Fund may purchase put and call options on the underlying indices themselves to the extent that such options are traded on national securities exchanges. Index options are similar to options on individual securities in that the purchaser of an index option acquires the right to buy, and the writer undertakes the obligation to sell, an index at a stated exercise price during the term of the option. Instead of giving the right to take or make actual delivery of securities, the holder of an index option has the right to receive a cash “exercise settlement amount.” This amount is equal to the amount by which the fixed exercise price of the option exceeds (in the case of a put) or is less than (in the case of a call) the closing value of the underlying index on the date of the exercise, multiplied by a fixed “index multiplier.” The Fund will enter into an option position only if there appears to be a liquid secondary market for such options.

The Fund will not engage in transactions in options on stock indices for speculative purposes but only to protect appreciation attained, to offset capital losses and to take advantage of the liquidity available in the option markets. The aggregate premium paid on all options on stock indices will not exceed 20% of the Fund’s total assets.

Inflation-Protected Securities

Inflation-protected securities are fixed-income securities whose principal value or interest rate is adjusted periodically according to changes in a specific price index (such as the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers). If the price index falls (deflation), the principal value or interest rate of the securities will be adjusted downward, and, consequently, the interest payable on these securities will be reduced. U.S. Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities, also known as “TIPs,” are adjusted as to principal; repayment of the original principal upon

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maturity of the security is guaranteed if the security is purchased when originally issued. With respect to other types of inflation-protected securities that are adjusted to the principal amount, the adjusted principal value of the security repaid at maturity may be less than the original principal. Most other types of inflation-protected securities, however, are adjusted with respect to the interest rate, which has a minimum of 0%, and the principal value does not change.

Interests in Other Business Organizations

Entities such as limited partnerships, limited liability companies, business trusts and companies organized outside the United States may issue securities comparable to common or preferred stock. Limited partnerships are partnerships consisting of one or more general partners, by whom the business is conducted, and one or more limited partners who contribute capital to the partnership. Limited liability companies frequently consist of one or more managing members, by whom the business is conducted, and other members who contribute capital to the company. Limited partners and members of limited liability companies generally are not liable for the debts of the partnership beyond their capital contributions or commitments. Limited partners and non-managing members are not involved in the day-to-day management of the partnership or limited liability company. They receive income and capital gains from the partnership or company in accordance with the terms established in the partnership or operating agreement. Typical limited partnerships and limited liability companies are involved in real estate, oil and gas, and equipment leasing, but they also finance movies, research and development, and other projects.

 For an organization classified as a partnership under the Code (including most limited partnerships and limited liabilities companies), each item of income, gain, loss, deduction and credit is not taxed at the partnership level but flows through with the same character to the partners or members. This allows the partnership to avoid double taxation.

A master limited partnership (“MLP”) is a publicly traded limited partnership or limited liability company. MLPs combine the tax advantages of a partnership with the liquidity of a publicly traded security. MLPs must limit their operations to avoid being taxed as corporations under the Code.

Investment Company Securities, including Money Market Mutual Funds

The Fund may invest in securities of other investment companies (“Acquired Funds”), including ETFs, as an efficient means of carrying out their investment policies and managing their uninvested cash. The Fund’s shareholders indirectly bear the expenses of the Acquired Funds in which the Fund invests.

Except under exemptive rules or relief from the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), the Fund may not invest more than 10% of its total assets at any one time in the shares of other investment companies (funds), 5% of its total assets in the shares of any one investment company, or own more than 3% of the shares of any one investment company. When the Fund invests in the shares of other investment companies, investment advisory and other fees will apply, and the investment’s yield will be reduced accordingly.

The Fund may invest its assets in common stocks and index-based securities. The Fund may also invest in ETFs, including index-based ETFs and Ultrashort ETFs that relate to real estate- or commodities-related business sectors. The shares of most index-based securities, including ETFs, are listed and traded on stock exchanges at market prices, although some shares may be redeemable at NAV for cash or securities. Index-based securities may be purchased in order to achieve exposure to a specific region, country or market sector, or for other reasons consistent with the Fund’s investment strategy. As with traditional investment companies, index-based securities charge asset-based fees, although these fees tend to be relatively low. Index-based securities generally do not charge initial sales charges or redemption fees and investors pay only customary brokerage fees to buy and sell index-based securities.

Money Market Instruments

Except where otherwise noted, all of the Funds may, for temporary defensive or liquidity purposes, invest up to 100% of their assets in money market instruments.

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Commercial Paper, Demand Notes, Variable Amount Demand Notes and Variable Amount Master Demand Notes

Consistent with its investment objective, policies, and restrictions, the Fund may invest in commercial paper (including commercial paper sold through private placements pursuant to Section 4(2) of the Securities Act of 1933) and variable amount master demand notes. Commercial paper consists of unsecured promissory notes issued by corporations normally having maturities of 270 days or less and rates of return which are fixed. These investments may include Canadian Commercial Paper, which is U.S. dollar denominated commercial paper issued by a Canadian corporation or a Canadian counterpart of a U.S. corporation, and europaper, which is U.S. dollar denominated commercial paper of a foreign issuer.

Demand notes and variable rate demand notes (“VRDNs”) are unsecured, direct lending arrangements between the Fund, as the lender, and a corporation, financial institution, government agency, municipality or other entity.

VRDNs have interest rates which float or which are adjusted at regular intervals ranging from daily to annually. Although the VRDNs are not generally traded, the Fund may demand payment of principal and accrued interest according to its arrangement with the borrower (usually upon no more than seven days’ notice). VRDNs are, therefore, treated as maturing on the later of the next interest adjustment or the date on which the Fund may next demand payment. Some VRDNs are backed by bank letters of credit.

The Fund may only invest in VRDNs which satisfy its credit requirements for commercial paper.

Variable amount master demand notes are unsecured demand notes that permit the indebtedness thereunder to vary and provide for periodic adjustments in the interest rate according to the terms of the instrument. Because master demand notes are direct lending arrangements between the Fund and the issuer, they are not normally traded. Although there is no secondary market in the notes, the Fund may demand payment of principal and accrued interest at any time. A variable amount master demand note will be deemed to have a maturity equal to the longer of the period of time remaining until the next readjustment of its interest rate or the period of time remaining until the principal amount can be recovered from the issuer through demand.

 

Other money market instruments may include: obligations (certificates of deposit, time deposits, bank master notes, and bankers’ acceptances) of thrift institutions, and savings and loans, provided that such institutions have total assets of $1 billion or more as shown on their last published financial statements at the time of investment; short-term corporate obligations rated within the three highest rating categories by an NRSRO (for example, at least A by S&P or A by Moody’s) at the time of investment, or, if not rated, determined by the Advisor to be of comparable quality; general obligations issued by the U.S. Government and backed by its full faith and credit, and obligations issued or guaranteed as to principal and interest by agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. Government (for example, obligations issued by Farmers Home Administration, Government National Mortgage Association, Federal Farm Credit Bank and Federal Housing Administration); receipts, including Treasury Receipts, Treasury Income Growth Receipts and Certificates of Accrual on Treasuries; repurchase agreements involving such obligations; money market funds, and foreign commercial paper.

Bank Obligations

Bank obligations are short-term obligations issued by U.S. and foreign banks, including bankers’ acceptances, certificates of deposit, time deposits and similar securities.

Bankers’ acceptances are negotiable drafts or bills of exchange typically drawn by an importer or exporter to pay for specific merchandise that are “accepted” by a bank, meaning, in effect, that the bank unconditionally agrees to pay the face value of the instrument on maturity. Investments in bankers’ acceptances will be limited to those guaranteed by domestic and foreign banks having, at the time of investment, total assets of $1 billion or more (as of the date of the institution’s most recently published financial statements).

Certificates of Deposit and Time Deposits

Certificates of deposit and time deposits represent funds deposited in a commercial bank or a savings and loan association for a definite period of time and earning a specified return.

Investments in certificates of deposit and time deposits may include Eurodollar Certificates of Deposit, which are U.S. dollar denominated certificates of deposit issued by offices of foreign and domestic banks located outside the United States, Yankee Certificates of Deposit, which are certificates of deposit issued by a U.S. branch of a foreign

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bank denominated in U.S. dollars and held in the United States, Eurodollar Time Deposits, which are U.S. dollar denominated deposits in a foreign branch of a U.S. bank or a foreign bank, and Canadian Time Deposits, which are U.S. dollar denominated certificates of deposit issued by Canadian offices of major Canadian banks. All investments in certificates of deposit and time deposits will be limited to those (a) of domestic and foreign banks and savings and loan associations which, at the time of investment, have total assets of $1 billion or more (as of the date of the institution’s most recently published financial statements) or (b) the principal amount of which is insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

Mortgage Dollar Roll Transactions

A dollar roll transaction is a transaction through which the Fund sells certain of its securities to financial institutions such as banks and broker-dealers, and agrees to repurchase substantially similar securities at a mutually agreed upon date and price. At the time the Fund enters into a dollar roll agreement, it will place in a segregated custodial account assets such as U.S. Government securities or other liquid assets consistent with its investment restrictions having a value equal to the repurchase price (including accrued interest), and will subsequently continually monitor the account to insure that such equivalent value is maintained at all times. Dollar roll agreements involve the risk that the market value of securities sold by the Fund may decline below the price at which it is obligated to repurchase the securities. Dollar roll agreements are considered to be borrowings by an investment company under the 1940 Act and, therefore, a form of leverage. The Fund may experience a negative impact on its net asset value if interest rates rise during the term of a dollar roll agreement. The Fund generally will invest the proceeds of such borrowings only when such borrowings will enhance the Fund’s liquidity or when the Fund reasonably expects that the interest income to be earned from the investment of the proceeds is greater than the interest expense of the transaction.

Mortgage-related Securities

Mortgage-related securities are securities that, directly or indirectly, represent participations in, or are secured by and payable from, loans secured by real property. Mortgage-related securities include mortgage pass-through securities, adjustable rate mortgage securities and derivative securities such as collateralized mortgage obligations and stripped mortgage-backed securities. Mortgage-related securities fall into three categories: (a) those issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or one of its agencies or instrumentalities, such as Government National Mortgage Association (“GNMA”), Federal National Mortgage Association (“FNMA”) and Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“FHLMC”); (b) those issued by non-governmental issuers that represent interests in, or are collateralized by, mortgage-related securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or one of its agencies or instrumentalities; and (c) those issued by non-governmental issuers that represent an interest in, or are collateralized by, whole mortgage loans or mortgage-related securities without a government guarantee but usually with over-collateralization or some other form of private credit enhancement. Non-governmental issuers include originators of investors in mortgage loans, including savings and loan associations, mortgage bankers, commercial banks, investment banks and special purpose subsidiaries of the foregoing.

There are a number of important differences both among the agencies and instrumentalities of the U.S. Government that issue mortgage-related securities and among the securities themselves. “Ginnie Maes” are Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates issued by GNMA, which is a wholly-owned U.S. Government corporation within the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Ginnie Maes are guaranteed as to the timely payment of principal and interest by GNMA and GNMA’s guarantee is backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury. In addition, Ginnie Maes are supported by the authority of GNMA to borrow funds from the U.S. Treasury to make payments under GNMA’s guarantee. Mortgage-related securities issued by the FNMA include FNMA Guaranteed Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates (also known as “Fannie Maes”) which are solely the obligations of the FNMA. FNMA is a government-sponsored organization. Fannie Maes are guaranteed as to timely payment of principal and interest by FNMA but are not backed by or entitled to the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury. Mortgage-related securities issued by the FHLMC include FHLMC Mortgage Participation Certificates (also known as “Freddie Macs” or “PCs”). The FHLMC is a corporate instrumentality of the U.S. Government, created pursuant to an Act of Congress. Freddie Macs are not guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury or by any Federal Home Loan Bank and do not constitute a debt or obligation of the U.S. Government or of any Federal Home Loan Bank. Freddie Macs entitle the holder to timely payment of interest, which is guaranteed by the FHLMC. The FHLMC guarantees either ultimate collection or timely payment of all principal payments on the underlying mortgage loans. When the FHLMC does not guarantee timely payment of principal, FHLMC may remit the amount due on account of its guarantee of

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ultimate payment of principal at any time after default on an underlying mortgage, but in no event later than one year after it becomes payable.

In September 2008, the U.S. Treasury announced that FNMA and FHLMC were placed in conservatorship by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (“FHFA”), a newly created independent regulator. The conservatorship has no specified termination date. FNMA also has entered into a senior preferred stock purchase agreement with the U.S. Department of the Treasury pursuant to which Treasury has committed to provide funding to FNMA under specified circumstances. There can be no assurance as to when or how the conservatorship will be terminated or whether FNMA or FHLMC will continue to exist following the conservatorship or what their respective business structures will be during or following the conservatorship. The FHFA, as conservator, has the power to repudiate any contract entered into by FNMA or FHLMC prior to its appointment if it determines that performance of the contract is burdensome and repudiation of the contract promotes the orderly administration of FNMA’s or FHLMC’s affairs. Further, the FHFA has the right to transfer or sell any asset or liability of FNMA or FHLMC without any approval, assignment or consent. If FHFA were to transfer any such guaranty obligation to another party, holders of FNMA or FHLMC mortgage-backed securities would have to rely on that party for satisfaction of the guaranty obligation and would be exposed to the credit risk of that party.

Although certain mortgage-related securities are guaranteed by a third party or otherwise similarly secured, the market value of the security, which may fluctuate, is not so secured. If the Fund purchases a mortgage-related security at a premium, that portion may be lost if there is a decline in the market value of the security whether resulting from changes in interest rates or prepayments in the underlying mortgage collateral. As with other interest-bearing securities, the prices of mortgage-related securities are inversely affected by changes in interest rates. However, though the value of a mortgage-related security may decline when interest rates rise, the converse is not necessarily true, since in periods of declining interest rates the mortgages underlying the security are prone to prepayment. For this and other reasons, a mortgage-related security’s effective maturity may be shortened by unscheduled prepayments on the underlying mortgages and, therefore, it is not possible to predict accurately the security’s return to the Fund. In addition, regular payments received in respect of mortgage-related securities include both interest and principal. No assurance can be given as to the return the Fund will receive when these amounts are reinvested.

Mortgage Pass-through Securities

Mortgage pass-through securities provide for the pass-through to investors of their pro-rata share of monthly payments (including any prepayments) made by the individual borrowers on the pooled mortgage loans, net of any fees paid to the guarantor of such securities and the servicer of the underlying mortgage loans.

Adjustable Rate Mortgage Securities

Adjustable rate mortgage securities (“ARMS”) are pass-through mortgage securities collateralized by mortgages with interest rates that are adjusted from time to time. The adjustments usually are determined in accordance with a predetermined interest rate index and may be subject to certain limits. While the values of ARMS, like other debt securities, generally vary inversely with changes in market interest rates (increasing in value during periods of declining interest rates and decreasing in value during periods of increasing interest rates), the values of ARMS should generally be more resistant to price swings than other debt securities because the interest rates of ARMS move with market interest rates. The adjustable rate feature of ARMS will not, however, eliminate fluctuations in the prices of ARMS, particularly during periods of extreme fluctuations in interest rates.

ARMS typically have caps which limit the maximum amount by which the interest rate may be increased or decreased at periodic intervals or over the life of the loan. To the extent that interest rates increase in excess of the caps, ARMS can be expected to behave more like traditional debt securities and to decline in value to a greater extent than would be the case in the absence of such caps. Also, since many adjustable rate mortgages only reset on an annual basis, it can be expected that the prices of ARMS will fluctuate to the extent that changes in prevailing interest rates are not immediately reflected in the interest rates payable on the underlying adjustable rate mortgages. The extent to which the prices of ARMS fluctuate with changes in interest rates will also be affected by the indices underlying the ARMS. Some indices, such as the one-year constant maturity Treasury note rate, closely mirror changes in market interest rate levels. Others, such as the 11th District Federal Reserve Cost of Funds Index (often related to ARMS issued by FNMA), tend to lag changes in market levels and tend to be somewhat less volatile.

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Derivative Mortgage Securities

Collateralized mortgage obligations are derivative mortgage securities and are debt instruments issued by special purpose entities which are secured by pools of mortgage loans or other mortgage-related securities. Multi-class pass-through securities are equity interests in a trust composed of mortgage loans or other mortgage-related securities. Both are considered derivative mortgage securities and are collectively referred to as “CMOs.” Payments of principal and interest on underlying collateral provide the funds to pay debt service on the collateralized mortgage obligation or make scheduled distributions on the multi-class pass-through security.

In a CMO, a series of bonds or certificates is issued in multiple classes. Each class of CMO, often referred to as a “tranche,” is issued at a specific coupon rate and has a stated maturity or final distribution date. Principal prepayments on collateral underlying a CMO may cause it to be retired substantially earlier than the stated maturities or final distribution dates.

The principal and interest on the underlying mortgages may be allocated among the several tranches of a CMO in many ways. For example, certain tranches may have variable or floating interest rates and others may provide only the principal or interest feature of the underlying security. Generally, the purpose of the allocation of the cash flow of a CMO to the various tranches is to obtain a more predictable cash flow to certain of the individual tranches than exists with the underlying collateral of the CMO. As a general rule, the more predictable the cash flow is on a CMO tranche, the lower the anticipated yield will be on that tranche at the time of issuance relative to prevailing market yields on mortgage-related securities. As part of the process of creating more predictable cash flows on most of the tranches of a CMO, one or more tranches generally must be created that absorb most of the volatility in the cash flows on the underlying mortgage loans. The yields on these tranches, which may include inverse floaters, stripped mortgage-backed securities, and Z tranches, discussed below, are generally higher than prevailing market yields on mortgage-related securities with similar maturities. As a result of the uncertainty of the cash flows of these tranches, the market prices of and yield on these tranches generally are more volatile.

An inverse floater is a CMO tranche with a coupon rate that moves inversely to a designated index, such as LIBOR (London Inter-Bank Offered Rate) or COFI (Cost of Funds Index). Like most other fixed income securities, the value of inverse floaters will decrease as interest rates increase. Inverse floaters, however, exhibit greater price volatility than the majority of mortgage pass- through securities or CMOs. Coupon rates on inverse floaters typically change at a multiple of the change in the relevant index rate. Thus, any rise in the index rate (as a consequence of an increase in interest rates) causes a correspondingly greater drop in the coupon rate of an inverse floater while any drop in the index rate causes a correspondingly greater increase in the coupon of an inverse floater. Some inverse floaters also exhibit extreme sensitivity to changes in prepayments. Inverse floaters would be purchased by the Fund in an attempt to protect against a reduction in the income earned on the Fund’s investments due to a decline in interest rates.

 

Z tranches of CMOs defer interest and principal payments until one or more other classes of the CMO have been paid in full. Interest accretes on the Z tranche, being added to principal, and is compounded through the accretion period. After the other classes have been paid in full, interest payments begin and continue through maturity. Z tranches have characteristics similar to zero coupon bonds. Like a zero coupon bond, during its accretion period a Z tranche has the advantage of eliminating the risk of reinvesting interest payments at lower rates during a period of declining market interest rates. At the same time, however, and also like a zero coupon bond, the market value of a Z tranche can be expected to fluctuate more widely with changes in market interest rates than would the market value of a tranche which pays interest currently. In addition, changes in prepayment rates on the underlying mortgage loans will affect the accretion period of a Z tranche, and therefore also will influence its market value.

Stripped mortgage-backed securities (“SMBSs”) may represent an interest solely in the principal repayments or solely in the interest payments on mortgage-backed securities. SMBSs are derivative multi-class securities. SMBSs are usually structured with two classes and receive different proportions of the interest and principal distributions on the pool of underlying mortgage-backed securities. Due to the possibility of prepayments on the underlying mortgages, SMBSs may be more interest-rate sensitive than other securities purchased. If prevailing interest rates fall below the level at which SMBSs were issued, there may be substantial prepayments on the underlying mortgages, leading to the relatively early prepayments of principal-only SMBSs (the principal-only or “PO” class) and a reduction in the amount of payments made to holders of interest-only SMBSs (the interest-only or “IO” class). Therefore, the IO class generally increases in value as interest rates rise and decreases in value as interest rates fall, counter to the PO class and to changes in value experienced by most fixed income securities. If the underlying mortgages experience slower than anticipated prepayments of principal, the yield on a PO class will be affected

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more severely than would be the case with a traditional mortgage-related security. Because the yield to maturity of an IO class is extremely sensitive to the rate of principal payments (including prepayments) on the related underlying mortgage-backed securities, it is possible that the Fund might not recover its original investment on interest-only SMBSs if there are substantial prepayments on the underlying mortgages. The Fund’s inability to fully recoup its investment in these securities as a result of a rapid rate of principal prepayments may occur even if the securities are rated AAA by an NRSRO. In view of these considerations, the Advisor may use these characteristics of interest-only SMBSs to reduce the effects of interest rate changes on the value of the Fund’s portfolio, while continuing to pursue current income.

Municipal Securities

Municipal securities generally include debt obligations (bonds, notes or commercial paper) issued by or on behalf of any of the 50 states and their political subdivisions, agencies and public authorities. The interest paid on municipal securities generally is tax-exempt. Municipal securities are issued to obtain funds for various public purposes, including the construction of public facilities, such as airports, bridges, highways, housing, hospitals, mass transportation, schools, streets, water and sewer works, gas, and electric utilities. They may also be issued to refund outstanding obligations or to obtain funds for general operating expenses. Municipal leases are issued by a state or local government to acquire equipment or facilities, the obligations of which are typically secured by the leased equipment or facilities.

Non-Investment Grade Securities

The fixed income securities rated below investment grade generally entail greater interest rate, liquidity and credit risks than investment grade securities.

Obligations of Supranational Entities

For a discussion of Obligations of Supranational Entities, please see the “Foreign Securities” discussion in this section.

Options

A call option gives the purchaser of the option the right to buy a security at a stated price from the writer (seller) of the option. A put option gives the purchaser of the option the right to sell a security at a stated price to the writer of the option. In a covered call option, during the option period the writer owns the security (or a comparable security sufficient to satisfy securities exchange requirements) which may be sold pursuant to the option. In a covered put option, the writer holds cash and/or short-term debt instruments sufficient in an amount equal to the exercise price of the option. In addition, a put or call option will be considered covered if and to the extent that some or all of the risk of the option has been offset by another option. The Fund may write combinations of covered puts and calls on the same underlying security.

In general, the Fund may write options in an attempt to increase returns or purchase options for hedging purposes.

The premium received from writing a put or call option increases the Fund’s return on the underlying security in the event that the option expires unexercised or is closed out at a profit. The amount of the premium reflects, among other things, the relationship between the exercise price and the current market value of the underlying security, the volatility of the underlying security, the amount of time remaining until expiration, current interest rates, and the effect of supply and demand in the options market and in the market for the underlying security. A put option locks in the price at which the Fund may sell a security it holds, thus hedging against market declines, and a call option locks in the price at which the Fund may purchase a security, thus hedging against inflation. Such protection is provided during the life of the put option since the Fund, as holder of the option, is able to sell the underlying security at the option’s exercise price regardless of any decline in the underlying security’s market price. By writing a call option, the Fund limits its opportunity to profit from any increase in the market value of the underlying security above the exercise price of the option but continues to bear the risk of a decline in the value of the underlying security. By writing a put option, the Fund assumes the risk that it may be required to purchase the underlying security for an exercise price higher than its then current market value, resulting in a potential capital loss unless the security substantially appreciates in value.

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The Fund may terminate an option that it has written prior to its expiration by entering into a closing purchase transaction, in which it purchases an offsetting option. The Fund realizes a profit or loss from a closing transaction if the cost of the transaction (option premium plus transaction costs) is less or more than the premium received from writing the option. Because increases in the market price of a call option generally reflect increases in the market price of the security underlying the option, any loss resulting from a closing purchase transaction may be offset in whole or in part by unrealized appreciation of the underlying security owned by the Fund.

In order for a put option to be profitable, the market price of the underlying security must decline sufficiently below the exercise price to cover the premium and transaction costs. By using put options in this manner the Fund will reduce any profit it might otherwise have realized from appreciation of the underlying security by the premium paid for the put option and by transaction costs.

In order for a call option to be profitable, the market price of the underlying security must rise sufficiently above the exercise price to cover the premium and transaction costs.

Those Funds that are authorized to write or purchase put and call options must cover such options.

The successful use of options depends on the ability of the Advisor or Sub-Advisor to forecast interest rate and market movements. For example, if the Fund were to write a call option based on the Advisor’s or Sub-Advisor’s expectation that the price of the underlying security will fall, but the price rises instead, the Fund could be required to sell the security upon exercise at a price below the current market price. Similarly, if the Fund were to write a put option based on the Advisor’s or Sub-Advisor’s expectations that the price of the underlying security will rise, but the price falls instead, the Fund could be required to purchase the security upon exercise at a price higher than the current market price.

When the Fund purchases an option, it runs the risk that it will lose its entire investment in the option in a relatively short period of time, unless the Fund exercises the option or enters into a closing sale transaction with respect to the option during the life of the option. If the price of the underlying security does not rise (in the case of a call) or fall (in the case of a put) to an extent sufficient to cover the option premium and transaction costs, the Fund will lose part or all of its investment in the option. This contrasts with an investment by the Fund in the underlying security, since the Fund will not lose any of its investment in such security if the price does not change.

The use of options also involves the risk of imperfect correlation between movements in option prices and movements in the value of the underlying securities.

The effective use of options also depends on the Fund’s ability to terminate option positions at times when the Advisor deems it desirable to do so. Although the Fund will take an option position only if the Advisor believes there is a liquid secondary market for the option, there is no assurance that the Fund will be able to effect a closing transaction at any particular time or at an acceptable price.

The Fund generally expects that its options transactions will be conducted on recognized exchanges. In certain instances, however, the Fund may purchase and sell options in the OTC markets. The Fund’s ability to terminate options in the OTC market may be more limited than for exchange-traded options and may also involve the risk that securities dealers participating in such transactions would be unable to meet their obligations to the Fund. The Fund will, however, engage in OTC market transactions only when appropriate exchange-traded transactions are unavailable and when, in the opinion of the Advisor or Sub-Advisor, the pricing mechanism and liquidity of the OTC market is satisfactory and the participants are responsible parties likely to meet their contractual obligations.

If a secondary trading market in options were to become unavailable, the Fund could no longer engage in closing transactions. Lack of investor interest might adversely affect the liquidity of the market for particular options or series of options. A market may discontinue trading of a particular option or options generally. In addition, a market could become temporarily unavailable if unusual events—such as volume in excess of trading or clearing capability—were to interrupt its normal operations.

 A market may at times find it necessary to impose restrictions on particular types of options transactions, such as opening transactions. For example, if an underlying security ceases to meet qualifications imposed by the market or the Options Clearing Corporation, new series of options on that security will no longer be opened to replace expiring series, and opening transactions in existing series may be prohibited. If an options market were to become

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unavailable, the Fund as a holder of an option would be able to realize profits or limit losses only by exercising the option, and the Fund, as option writer, would remain obligated under the option until expiration.

Disruptions in the markets for the securities underlying options purchased or sold by the Fund could result in losses on the options. If trading is interrupted in an underlying security, the trading of options on that security is normally halted as well. As a result, the Fund as purchaser or writer of an option will be unable to close out its positions until options trading resumes, and it may be faced with considerable losses if trading in the security reopens at a substantially different price. In addition, the Options Clearing Corporation or other options markets may impose exercise restrictions. If a prohibition on exercise is imposed at the time when trading in the option has also been halted, the Fund as a purchaser or writer of an option will be locked into its position until one of the two restrictions has been lifted. If the Options Clearing Corporation were to determine that the available supply of an underlying security appears insufficient to permit delivery by the writers of all outstanding calls in the event of exercise, it may prohibit indefinitely the exercise of put options by holders who would be unable to deliver the underlying interest. The Fund, as holder of such a put option, could lose its entire investment if the prohibition remained in effect until the put option’s expiration and the Fund was unable either to acquire the underlying security or to sell the put option in the market.

Special risks are presented by internationally-traded options. Because of time differences between the United States and various foreign countries, and because different holidays are observed in different countries, foreign options markets may be open for trading during hours or on days when U.S. markets are closed. As a result, option premium may not reflect the current prices of the underlying interest in the United States.

An exchange-listed option may be closed out only on an exchange which provides a secondary market for an option of the same series. There is no assurance that a liquid secondary market on an exchange will exist for any particular option or at any particular time. If no secondary market were to exist, it would be impossible to enter into a closing transaction to close out an option position. As a result, the Fund may be forced to continue to hold, or to purchase at a fixed price, a security on which it has sold an option at a time when the Advisor or Sub-Advisor believes it is inadvisable to do so.

Higher than anticipated trading activity or order flow or other unforeseen events might cause the Options Clearing Corporation or an exchange to institute special trading procedures or restrictions that might restrict the Fund’s use of options. The exchanges have established limitations on the maximum number of calls and puts of each class that may be held or written by an investor or group of investors acting in concert. It is possible that the Trust and other clients of the Advisor may be considered such a group. These position limits may restrict the Trust’s ability to purchase or sell options on particular securities. Options which are not traded on national securities exchanges may be closed out only with the other party to the option transaction. For that reason, it may be more difficult to close out unlisted options than listed options. Furthermore, unlisted options are not subject to the protection afforded purchasers of listed options by the Options Clearing Corporation.

Preferred Stock

Preferred stock is a type of equity security which represents an ownership interest in a corporation and the right to a portion of the assets of the corporation in the event of a liquidation. This right, however, is subordinate to that of any creditors, including holders of debt issued by the corporation. Owners of preferred stock ordinarily do not have voting rights, but are entitled to dividends at a specified rate.

Real Estate Investment Trusts (“REITs”)

REITs are pooled investment vehicles which invest primarily in income producing real estate or real estate related loans or interest. REITs are generally classified as equity REITs, mortgage REITs or a combination of equity and mortgage REITs. Equity REITs invest the majority of their assets directly in real property and derive income primarily from the collection of rents. Equity REITs can also realize capital gains by selling property that has appreciated in value. Mortgage REITs invest the majority of their assets in real estate mortgages and derive income from the collection of interest payments. The real property and mortgages serving as investment vehicles for REITs may be either residential or commercial in nature and may include healthcare facilities. Similar to investment companies, REITs are not taxed on income distributed to shareholders provided they comply with several requirements of the Code. Such tax requirements limit a REIT’s ability to respond to changes in the commercial real estate market.

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Investments in REITs are subject to the same risks as direct investments in real estate. Real estate values rise and fall in response to many factors, including local, regional and national economic conditions, the demand for rental property, and interest rates. In addition, REITs may have limited financial resources, may trade less frequently and in limited volume and may be more volatile than other securities.

Repurchase Agreements

Repurchase agreements are agreements through which banks, broker-dealers and other financial institutions approved by the Trustees, sell securities (usually U.S. Government securities) to the Fund and agree to repurchase those securities at a specified price and time (usually not more than seven days from the original sale). The seller’s obligation to pay the repurchase price is secured by the securities to be repurchased. These securities are required to be held by the Fund, its custodian or a third-party custodian. In order to protect the Fund’s interest, collateral securities must have a value of at least 100% of the resale price at all times. (The seller must provide additional collateral in the event that this condition is not met). In general, the Advisor or Sub-Advisor will require collateral securities to have a value of at least 102% of the resale price at the time the repurchase agreement is made. The collateral is marked to market on a daily basis, thus enabling the Advisor or Sub-Advisor to determine when to request additional collateral from the seller.

If a seller defaults on its repurchase obligation, the Fund could realize a loss on the sale of the underlying securities to the extent that the proceeds of the sale (including accrued interest) are less than the resale price. In addition, even though the U.S. Bankruptcy Code provides protection to the Fund if the seller becomes bankrupt or insolvent, the Fund may suffer losses in such event.

Restricted and Illiquid Securities

Restricted securities are any securities which are subject to restriction on resale under federal securities law, including commercial paper issued in reliance on the exemption from registration afforded by Section 4(2) of the Securities Act of 1933. Illiquid securities are any securities for which there is a limited trading market and may, therefore, be difficult to sell at market value. Because restricted and illiquid securities may be difficult to sell at an acceptable price, they may be subject to greater volatility and may result in a loss to the Fund.

Section 4(a)(2) commercial paper is generally sold to institutional investors, such as mutual funds, who agree that they are purchasing the paper for investment purposes and not with a view to public distribution. Any resale by the purchaser must be in an exempt transaction. Section 4(a)(2) commercial paper is normally resold to other institutional investors through or with the assistance of the issuer or investment dealers who make a market in Section 4(a)(2) commercial paper, thus providing liquidity. The Advisor believes that Section 4(a)(2) commercial paper and possibly certain other restricted securities which meet the criteria for liquidity established by the Trustees are quite liquid. Therefore, the Trust intends to treat these securities as liquid and not subject to the investment limitation applicable to illiquid securities.

Reverse Repurchase Agreements

The Fund may borrow funds for temporary purposes by entering into reverse repurchase agreements, provided such action is consistent with the Fund’s investment objective and fundamental investment restrictions. As a matter of non-fundamental policy, the Fund intends to limit total borrowings under reverse repurchase agreements to no more than 10% of the value of its total assets. Pursuant to a reverse repurchase agreement, the Fund may sell portfolio securities to financial institutions such as banks or to broker-dealers, and agree to repurchase the securities at a mutually agreed-upon date and price. The Fund intends to enter into reverse repurchase agreements only to avoid otherwise selling securities during unfavorable market conditions to meet redemptions. At the time the Fund enters into a reverse repurchase agreement, it will place in a segregated custodial account assets such as U.S. Government securities or other liquid assets consistent with the Fund’s investment objective having a value equal to 100% of the repurchase price (including accrued interest), and will subsequently monitor the account to ensure that an equivalent value is maintained. Reverse repurchase agreements involve the risk that the market value of the securities sold by the Fund may decline below the price at which the Fund is obligated to repurchase the securities. Reverse repurchase agreements are considered to be borrowings by the Fund under the 1940 Act.

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Securities Lending

In order to generate additional income, the Fund may lend its portfolio securities on a short-term basis to certain brokers, dealers or other financial institutions. In determining whether to lend to a particular broker, dealer or financial institution, the Advisor will consider all relevant facts and circumstances, including the size, creditworthiness and reputation of the borrower. Any loans made will be continuously secured by collateral in cash at least equal to 100% of the value of the securities on loan for the Fund. The Fund may lend up to 33 ⅓% of their total assets. Such loans must be fully collateralized by cash, U.S. government obligations or other high-quality debt obligations and marked to market daily. Although the loan is fully collateralized, if the borrower defaults, the Fund could lose money.

While portfolio securities are on loan, the borrower will pay to the lending Fund any dividends or interest received on the securities. In addition, the Fund retains all or a portion of the interest received on investment of the collateral or receives a fee from the borrower. Although voting rights, or rights to consent, with respect to the loaned securities pass to the borrower, the lending Fund retains the right to call the loans at any time on reasonable notice, and it will do so to enable the Fund to exercise voting rights on any matters materially affecting the investment. The Fund may also call such loans in order to sell the securities.

One of the risks in lending portfolio securities, as with other extensions of credit, is the possible delay in recovery of the securities or possible loss of rights in the collateral should the borrower fail financially. There is also the risk that, when lending portfolio securities, the securities may not be available to the Fund on a timely basis and the Fund may, therefore, lose the opportunity to sell the securities at a desirable price. In addition, in the event that a borrower of securities would file for bankruptcy or become insolvent, disposition of the securities may be delayed pending court action.

Small Cap/Special Equity Situation Securities

Certain Funds may invest in the securities of small capitalization companies and companies in special equity situations. Companies are considered to have a small market capitalization if their capitalization is within the range of those companies in the S&P 600 SmallCap Index. Companies are considered to be experiencing special equity situations if they are experiencing unusual and possibly non-repetitive developments, such as mergers; acquisitions; spin-offs; liquidations; reorganizations; and new products, technology or management. These companies may offer greater opportunities for capital appreciation than larger, more established companies, but investment in such companies may involve certain special risks. These risks may be due to the greater business risks of small size, limited markets and financial resources, narrow product lines and frequent lack of depth in management. The securities of such companies are often traded in the over-the-counter market and may not be traded in volumes typical on a national securities exchange. Thus, the securities of such companies may be less liquid, and subject to more abrupt or erratic market movements than securities of larger, more established growth companies. Since a “special equity situation” may involve a significant change from a company’s past experiences, the uncertainties in the appraisal of the future value of the company’s equity securities and the risk of a possible decline in the value of the Fund’s investments are significant.

Tax-Exempt Commercial Paper and Tax-Exempt Securities

Tax-exempt commercial paper typically represents very short-term, unsecured, negotiable promissory notes. These obligations are often issued to meet seasonal working capital needs of municipalities or to provide interim construction financing. The obligations are paid from general revenues of municipalities or are refinanced with long-term debt. In most cases, tax-exempt commercial paper is backed by letters of credit, lending agreements, note repurchase agreements or other credit facility agreements offered by banks or other institutions which may be called upon in the event of default by the issuer of the commercial paper.

Tax-exempt securities are debt obligations the interest on which is, in the opinion of bond counsel for the issuing governmental entity or agency, excluded from gross income for federal income tax purposes. Examples of tax-exempt securities include fixed and floating or variable rate municipal obligations, tax-exempt notes, certificates of participation, trust and partnership interests in municipal obligations, tax-exempt commercial paper, stand-by commitments and private activity bonds.

Tax-exempt securities are issued to obtain monies for various public purposes, including the construction of a wide range of public facilities such as bridges, highways, roads, schools, water and sewer works, and other utilities. Other

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public purposes for which tax-exempt securities may be issued include refunding outstanding obligations, obtaining monies for general operating expenses and to lend to other public institutions and facilities. The two principal classifications of tax-exempt securities are general obligation and limited obligation (or revenue) securities. General obligation securities are obligations involving the credit of an issuer possessing taxing power and are payable from the issuer’s general unrestricted revenues and not from any particular fund or source. The characteristics and methods of enforcement of general obligation securities vary according to the law applicable to the particular issuer.

Limited obligation securities are payable only from the revenues derived from a particular facility or class or facilities or, in some cases, from the proceeds of a special excise or other specific revenue source, and generally are not payable from the unrestricted revenues of the issuer. Private activity bonds generally are limited obligation securities, the credit and quality of which are usually directly related to the credit of the private user of the facilities. Payment of principal of and interest on these bonds is the responsibility of the private user (and any guarantor).

Tax-exempt notes and tax-exempt commercial paper are generally used to provide for short-term capital needs, seasonal working capital needs of municipalities or to provide interim construction financing, and generally have maturities of one year or less. Tax-exempt notes include tax anticipation notes (“TANs”), revenue anticipation notes (“RANs”) and bond anticipation notes (“BANs”). TANs are issued to finance working capital needs of municipalities. Generally, they are issued in anticipation of various seasonal tax revenues, such as income, sales, use and business taxes, and are payable from these specific future taxes. RANs are issued in expectation of receipt of other kinds of revenue, such as federal revenues or grants available under the federal revenue sharing programs. BANs are issued to provide interim financing until long-term financing can be arranged. In most cases, the long-term bonds then provide the money for the repayment of the notes. Tax-exempt commercial paper is typically backed by letters of credit, lending agreements, note repurchase agreements or other credit facility agreements offered by banks or other institutions and is actively traded.

Private activity bonds (sometimes called “industrial development bonds”) may be issued by or on behalf of public authorities to obtain funds to support certain privately owned or operated facilities. Because dividends attributable to interest on such bonds may not be tax exempt, it may not be desirable for an investor to purchase shares of the Fund which invests in private activity bonds, if such investor is a “substantial user” of facilities which are financed by private activity bonds or industrial development bonds or a “related person” of such a substantial user.

Tax-exempt securities may be purchased through the acquisition of certificates of accrual or similar instruments evidencing direct ownership of interest payments or principal payments, or both, on tax-exempt securities. In such arrangements, any discount accruing on a certificate or instrument that is purchased at a yield not greater than the coupon rate of interest on the related tax-exempt securities must be exempt from federal income tax and applicable state income taxes to the same extent as interest on such tax-exempt securities, in the opinion of counsel to the initial seller of each such certificate or instrument.

Tax-exempt securities may also be acquired by purchasing from banks participation interests in all or part of specific holdings of tax-exempt securities. Such participations may be backed in whole or in part by an irrevocable letter of credit or guarantee of the selling bank. The Fund will have the right to sell the interest back to the bank or other financial institutions and draw on the letter of credit on demand, generally on seven days’ notice, for all or any part of the Fund’s participation interest in the par value of the municipal obligation plus accrued interest. The Advisor will generally exercise the demand on a letter of credit only under the following circumstances: (1) upon default of any of the terms of the documents of the municipal obligation, (2) as needed to provide liquidity in order to meet redemptions, or (3) in order to maintain a high quality investment portfolio. The selling bank may receive a fee in connection with the arrangement. Banks and financial institutions are subject to extensive governmental regulations which may limit the amounts and types of loans and other financial commitments that may be made and interest rates and fees which may be charged. The profitability of banks and financial institutions is largely dependent upon the availability and cost of capital funds to finance lending operations under prevailing money market conditions. General economic conditions also play an important part in the operations of these entities and exposure to credit losses arising from possible financial difficulties of borrowers may affect the ability of a bank or financial institution to meet its obligations with respect to a participation interest. The Fund which purchases a participation interest must receive an opinion of counsel or a ruling of the Internal Revenue Service stating that interest earned by it on the tax-exempt securities in which it holds such participation interest is excluded from gross income for federal regular income tax purposes and applicable state income taxes.

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Prices and yields on tax-exempt securities are dependent on a variety of factors, including general money market conditions, the financial condition of the issuer, general conditions in the market for tax-exempt obligations, the size of a particular offering, and the maturity of the obligation and ratings of particular issues, and are subject to change from time to time. Information about the financial condition of an issuer of tax-exempt bonds or notes may not be as extensive as that which is made available by corporations whose securities are publicly traded.

Congress or state legislatures may seek to extend the time for payment of principal or interest, or both, or to impose other constraints upon enforcement of tax-exempt securities. There is also the possibility that, as a result of litigation or other conditions, the power or ability of issuers to meet their obligations to pay interest on and principal of their tax-exempt securities may be materially impaired or their obligations may be found to be invalid or unenforceable. Such litigation or conditions may from time to time have the effect of introducing uncertainties in the market for tax exempt obligations or certain segments thereof, or may materially affect the credit risk with respect to particular bonds or notes. Adverse economic, business, legal or political developments might affect all or a substantial portion of tax-exempt securities in the same manner. Obligations of issuers of tax-exempt securities are subject to the provisions of bankruptcy, insolvency and other laws, such as the Federal Bankruptcy Code, affecting the rights and remedies of creditors.

The Code imposes certain continuing requirements on issuers of tax-exempt securities regarding the use, expenditure and investment of bond proceeds and the payment of rebates to the United States of America. Failure by the issuer to comply subsequent to the issuance of tax-exempt bonds with certain of these requirements could cause interest on the bonds to become includable in gross income retroactive to the date of issuance.

Time Deposits

For a discussion of Time Deposits, please see the “Money Market Instruments” discussion in this section.

 

Treasury Receipts

For a discussion of Treasury Receipts, please see the “Money Market Instruments” discussion in this section.

Unit Investment Trusts

Unit Investment Trusts are a type of investment company, registered with the SEC under the 1940 Act, that purchases a fixed portfolio of income-producing securities, such as corporate, municipal, or government bonds, mortgage-backed securities, or preferred stock. Unit holders receive an undivided interest in both the principal and the income portion of the portfolio in proportion to the amount of capital they invest. The portfolio of securities remains fixed until all the securities mature and unit holders have recovered their principal. Certain exchange traded funds are organized as unit investment trusts.

U.S. Government Securities

U.S. Government securities are securities that are either issued or guaranteed as to payment of principal and interest by the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities. U.S. Government securities are limited to: direct obligations of the U.S. Treasury; such as bills, notes, and bonds of the U.S. Treasury, and notes, bonds, and discount notes of U.S. Government agencies or instrumentalities, including certain mortgage securities.

Some obligations issued or guaranteed by agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. Government, such as Government National Mortgage Association participation certificates, are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury.

Other such obligations are only supported by: the issuer’s right to borrow an amount limited to a specific line of credit from the U.S. Treasury; the discretionary authority of the U.S. Government to purchase certain obligations of an agency or instrumentality; or the credit of the agency or instrumentality.

Agency securities are issued or guaranteed by a federal agency or other government sponsored entity (“GSE”) acting under federal authority. Some GSE securities are supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government and some GSE securities are not. GSE securities backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government include the Government National Mortgage Association, Small Business Administration, Farm Credit System Financial Assistance Corporation, Farmer’s Home Administration, Federal Financing Bank, General Services Administration,

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Department of Housing and Urban Development, Export-Import Bank, Overseas Private Investment Corporation, and Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Bonds.

GSE securities, not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government but that receive support through federal subsidies, loans or other benefits include those issued by the Federal Home Loan Bank System, Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“FHLMC”), Federal National Mortgage Association (“FNMA”) and Tennessee Valley Authority in support of such obligations.

In September 2008, the U.S. Treasury announced that FNMA and FHLMC were placed in conservatorship by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (“FHFA”), a newly created independent regulator. The conservatorship has no specified termination date. FNMA also has entered into a senior preferred stock purchase agreement with the U.S. Department of the Treasury pursuant to which Treasury has committed to provide funding to FNMA under specified circumstances. There can be no assurance as to when or how the conservatorship will be terminated or whether FNMA or FHLMC will continue to exist following the conservatorship or what their respective business structures will be during or following the conservatorship. The FHFA, as conservator, has the power to repudiate any contract entered into by FNMA or FHLMC prior to its appointment if it determines that performance of the contract is burdensome and repudiation of the contract promotes the orderly administration of FNMA’s or FHLMC’s affairs. Further, the FHFA has the right to transfer or sell any asset or liability of FNMA or FHLMC without any approval, assignment or consent. If FHFA were to transfer any such guaranty obligation to another party, holders of FNMA or FHLMC mortgage-backed securities would have to rely on that party for satisfaction of the guaranty obligation and would be exposed to the credit risk of that party. FNMA also has entered into a senior preferred stock purchase agreement with the U.S. Department of the Treasury pursuant to which Treasury has committed to provide funding to FNMA under specified circumstances.

Certain other GSE securities are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government and have no explicit financial support, including the Farm Credit System, Financing Corporation, and Resolution Funding Corporation.

Investors regard agency securities as having low credit risks, but not as low as Treasury securities. The Fund treats mortgage-backed securities guaranteed by a GSE as if issued or guaranteed by a federal agency. Although such a guarantee protects against credit risks, it does not reduce market and prepayment risks.

U.S. Treasury Obligations

For a discussion of U.S. Treasury Obligations, please see the “U.S. Government Securities” discussion above.

U.S. Treasury Security Futures Contracts and Options

U.S. Treasury security futures contracts require the seller to deliver, or the purchaser to take delivery of, the type of U.S. Treasury security called for in the contract at a specified date and price. Options on U.S. Treasury securities futures contracts give the purchaser the right in return for the premium paid to assume a position in a U.S. Treasury security futures contract at the specified option exercise price at any time during the period of the option. U.S. Treasury security futures contracts and options on such contracts may be used to hedge against movements in the value of tax-exempt securities.

 Successful use of U.S. Treasury security futures contracts depends on the ability to predict the direction of interest rate movements and the effects of other factors on the value of debt securities. For example, the sale of U.S. Treasury security futures contracts is used to hedge against the possibility of an increase in interest rates which would adversely affect the value of tax-exempt securities held in the Fund’s portfolio. If, unexpectedly, the prices of the tax-exempt securities increase following a decline in interest rates, the Fund will lose part or all of the benefit of the increased value of its securities which it has hedged because it will have offsetting losses in its futures positions. In addition, in such situations, if the Fund has insufficient cash, it may have to sell securities to meet daily maintenance margin requirements at a time when it may be disadvantageous to do so.

There is also a risk that price movements in U.S. Treasury security futures contracts and related options will not correlate closely with price movements in markets for tax-exempt securities. For example, if the Fund has hedged against a decline in the values of tax-exempt securities held by it by selling U.S. Treasury securities futures and the value of U.S. Treasury securities subsequently increases while the value of its tax-exempt securities decreases, the Fund will incur losses on both its U.S. Treasury security futures contracts and its tax-exempt securities. The Advisor

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or Sub-Advisor will seek to reduce this risk by monitoring movements in markets for U.S. Treasury security futures and options and for tax-exempt securities closely.

Warrants

Warrants are basically options to purchase common stock at a specific price (usually at a premium above the market value of the optioned common stock at issuance) valid for a specific period of time. Warrants may have a life ranging from less than a year to twenty years or may be perpetual. However, most warrants have expiration dates after which they are worthless. In addition, if the market price of the common stock does not exceed the warrant’s exercise price during the life of the warrant, the warrant will expire as worthless. Warrants have no voting rights, pay no dividends, and have no rights with respect to the assets of the corporation issuing them. The percentage increase or decrease in the market price of the warrant may tend to be greater than the percentage increase or decrease in the market price of the optioned common stock.

When-issued and Delayed Delivery Transactions

When-issued and delayed delivery transactions are arrangements through which the Fund purchases securities with payment and delivery scheduled for a future time. No fees or other expenses, other than normal transaction costs, are incurred. However, liquid assets of the purchasing Fund sufficient to make payment for the securities are segregated on the Fund’s records at the trade date. These assets are then marked to market daily and maintained until the transaction has been settled. A seller’s failure to complete a transaction may cause the Fund to miss a desired price or yield. In addition, because of delayed settlement, the Fund may pay more than market value on the settlement date. The Advisor may choose to dispose of a commitment prior to settlement.

The Fund may invest up to 25% of its total assets in securities purchased on a when-issued or delayed delivery basis.

Zero-coupon Securities

Zero-coupon securities are debt obligations which are generally issued at a discount and payable in full at maturity, and which do not provide for current payments of interest prior to maturity. Zero-coupon securities usually trade at a deep discount from their face or par value and are subject to greater market value fluctuations from changing interest rates than debt obligations of comparable maturities which make current distributions of interest. As a result, the NAV of shares of the Fund investing in zero-coupon securities may fluctuate over a greater range than shares of other mutual funds investing in securities making current distributions of interest and having similar maturities.

Zero-coupon securities may include U.S. Treasury bills issued directly by the U.S. Treasury or other short-term debt obligations, and longer-term bonds or notes and their unmatured interest coupons which have been separated by their holder, typically a custodian bank or investment brokerage firm. A number of securities firms and banks have stripped the interest coupons from the underlying principal (the “corpus”) of U.S. Treasury securities and resold them in custodial receipt programs with a number of different names, including TIGRS and CATS. The underlying U.S. Treasury bonds and notes themselves are held in book-entry form at the Federal Reserve Bank or, in the case of bearer securities (i.e., unregistered securities which are owned ostensibly by the bearer or holder thereof), in trust on behalf of the owners thereof.

In addition, the U.S. Treasury has facilitated transfers of ownership of zero-coupon securities by accounting separately for the beneficial ownership of particular interest coupons and corpus payments on U.S. Treasury securities through the Federal Reserve book-entry record-keeping system. The Federal Reserve program, as established by the U.S. Treasury Department, is known as “STRIPS” or “Separate Trading of Registered Interest and Principal of Securities.” Under the STRIPS program, the Fund will be able to have its beneficial ownership of U.S. Treasury zero-coupon securities recorded directly in the book-entry record-keeping system in lieu of having to hold certificates or other evidence of ownership of the underlying U.S. Treasury securities. When debt obligations have been stripped of their unmatured interest coupons by the holder, the stripped coupons are sold separately. The principal or corpus is sold at a deep discount because the buyer receives only the right to receive a future fixed payment on the security and does not receive any rights to periodic cash interest payments. Once stripped or separated, the corpus and coupons may be sold separately.

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Typically, the coupons are sold separately or grouped with other coupons with like maturity dates and sold in such bundled form. Purchasers of stripped obligations acquire, in effect, discount obligations that are economically identical to the zero-coupon securities issued directly by the obligor.

INVESTMENT RISKS

There are many factors which may affect an investment in the Fund. The Fund’s principal risks are described in the Prospectus. Additional risk factors are outlined below.

Active Trading Risk

Active trading will cause the Fund to have an increased portfolio turnover rate, which is likely to generate shorter-term gains (losses) for its shareholders, which are taxed at a higher rate than longer-term gains (losses). Actively trading portfolio securities increases the Fund’s trading costs and may have an adverse impact on the Fund’s performance.

American Depository Receipts (“ADRs”) and Domestically Traded Foreign Securities Risk

Because the Fund (except the Money Market Funds) may invest in ADRs and other domestically traded securities of foreign companies, the Fund’s share price may be more affected by foreign economic and political conditions, taxation policies and accounting and auditing standards than would otherwise be the case. Foreign companies may not provide information as frequently or to as great an extent as companies in the United States. Foreign companies may also receive less coverage than U.S. companies by market analysts and the financial press. In addition, foreign companies may lack uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards or regulatory requirements comparable to those applicable to U.S. companies. These factors may prevent the Fund and its Advisor from obtaining information concerning foreign companies that is as frequent, extensive and reliable as the information concerning companies in the United States.

Asset-Backed Securities Risk

Asset-backed securities include interests in pools of debt securities, commercial or consumer loans, or other receivables. The value of these securities depends on many factors, including changes in interest rates, the availability of information concerning the pool and its structure, the credit quality of the underlying assets, the market’s perception of the servicer of the pool, and any credit enhancement provided. In addition, asset-backed securities have prepayment risks similar to mortgage-backed securities.

Call Risk

Call risk is the possibility that an issuer may redeem a fixed income security before maturity (a call) at a price below its current market price. An increase in the likelihood of a call may reduce the security’s price.

If a fixed income security is called, the Fund may have to reinvest the proceeds in other fixed income securities with lower interest rates, higher credit risks, or other less favorable characteristics.

Class/Sector/Region Focus Risk

When the Fund invests more than 25% of its net assets in securities of issuers within a particular geographic region or business sector or asset class, such as real estate-related or commodities-related securities, it is subject to increased risk. Performance will generally depend on the region’s performance, which may differ in direction and degree from that of the overall stock market. In addition, financial, economic, business and political developments affecting the region or sector may have a greater effect on the Fund than it would on a fund that did not focus on the sector, asset class or region.

Correlation Risk

A number of factors may affect the Fund’s ability to achieve a high degree of correlation with its benchmark, and there can be no guarantee that the Fund will achieve a high degree of correlation. A failure to achieve a high degree

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of correlation may prevent the Fund from achieving its investment objective. A number of factors may adversely affect the Fund’s correlation with its benchmark, including fees, expenses, transaction costs, costs associated with the use of leveraged investment techniques, income items and accounting standards. The Fund may not have investment exposure to all securities in its underlying benchmark index, or its weighting of investment exposure to such stocks or industries may be different from that of the index. In addition, the Fund may invest in securities or financial instruments not included in the index underlying its benchmark. The Fund may be subject to large movements of assets into and out of the Fund, potentially resulting in the Fund being over- or under-exposed to its benchmark.

Activities surrounding annual index reconstitutions and other index rebalancing or reconstitution events may hinder the Fund’s ability to meet their daily investment objective on that day. The Fund seeks to rebalance its portfolio daily to keep leverage consistent with the Fund’s daily investment objective.

Counterparty Risk

The value of the Fund’s investments may be adversely affected if a security’s credit rating is downgraded; an issuer of an investment held by the Fund fails to pay an obligation on a timely basis, otherwise defaults or is perceived by other investors to be less creditworthy; or a counterparty to a derivatives or other transaction with the Fund files for bankruptcy, becomes insolvent, or otherwise becomes unable or unwilling to honor its obligation to the Fund.

Credit Enhancement Risk

The securities in which the Fund invests may be subject to credit enhancement (for example, guarantees, letters of credit or bond insurance). Credit enhancement is designed to assure timely payment of the security; it does not protect the Fund against losses caused by declines in a security’s value due to changes in market conditions. Securities subject to credit enhancement generally would be assigned a lower credit rating if the rating were based primarily on the credit quality of the issuer without regard to the credit enhancement. If the credit quality of the credit enhancement provider (for example, a bank or bond insurer) is downgraded, the rating on a security credit enhanced by such credit enhancement provider also may be downgraded.

A single bank, bond insurer or other enhancement provider may provide credit enhancement to more than one of the Fund’s investments. Having multiple securities credit enhanced by the same enhancement provider will increase the adverse effects on the Fund that are likely to result from a downgrading of, or a default by, such an enhancement provider. Adverse developments in the banking or bond insurance industries also may negatively affect the Fund, as the Fund may invest its assets in securities credit enhanced by banks or by bond insurers without limit. Bond insurers that provide credit enhancement for large segments of the fixed income markets, particularly the municipal bond market, may be more susceptible to being downgraded or defaulting during recessions or similar periods of economic stress.

Credit Risk

Credit risk is the possibility that an issuer may default on a security by failing to pay interest or principal when due. If an issuer defaults, the Funds will lose money.

Many fixed income securities receive credit ratings from NRSROs which assign ratings to securities by assessing the likelihood of issuer default. Lower credit ratings correspond to higher credit risk. If a security has not received a rating, the Funds must rely entirely upon the Advisor’s credit assessment.

Fixed income securities generally compensate for greater credit risk by paying interest at a higher rate. The difference between the yield of a security and the yield of a U.S. Treasury security with a comparable maturity (the spread) measures the additional interest paid for risk. Spreads may increase generally in response to adverse economic or market conditions. A security’s spread may also increase if the security’s rating is lowered, or the security is perceived to have an increased credit risk. An increase in the spread will cause the price of the security to decline.

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Derivative Contracts and Hybrid Instruments Risk

The Fund’s investments in derivatives can significantly increase the Fund’s exposure to market risk or credit risk of the counterparty. Derivatives also involve the risk of mispricing or improper valuation and the risk that changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the relevant assets, rates and indices.

 When a derivative or other instrument is used as a hedge against an offsetting position that the Fund also holds, any loss generated by that derivative or other instrument will be substantially offset by the gains on the hedged security, and vice versa. To the extent the Fund uses a derivative security or other instrument for purposes other than as a hedge, or, if the Fund hedges imperfectly, the Fund is directly exposed to the risks of that derivative or other instrument and the risk that any loss generated by that derivative or other instrument will not be offset by a gain.

Derivative contracts and hybrid instruments involve risks different from, or possibly greater than, risks associated with investing directly in securities and other traditional investments. Specific risk issues related to the use of such contracts and instruments include valuation and tax issues, increased potential for losses and/or costs to the Fund, and a potential reduction in gains to the Fund. Each of these issues is described in greater detail in this prospectus. Derivative contracts and hybrid instruments may also involve other risks described in the prospectus or this SAI, such as market, interest rate, credit, currency, liquidity and leverage risks.

Emerging Markets Risk

In addition to all of the risks of investing in foreign developed markets, emerging market securities involve risks attendant to less mature and stable governments and economies, such as lower trading volume, trading suspension, security price volatility, repatriation restrictions, government confiscation, inflation, deflation, currency devaluation and adverse government regulations of industries or markets. As a result of these risks, the prices of emerging market securities tend to be more volatile than the securities of issuers located in developed markets.

Equity Securities Risk

Equity securities include common, preferred and convertible preferred stocks and securities the values of which are tied to the price of stocks, such as rights, warrants and convertible debt securities. Common and preferred stocks represent equity ownership in a company. Stock markets are volatile. The price of equity securities will fluctuate and can decline, reducing the value of the Fund. The price of equity securities fluctuates based on changes in a company’s financial condition and overall market and economic conditions. The value of equity securities purchased by the Fund could decline if the financial condition of the companies in which the Fund is invested in declines or if overall market and economic conditions deteriorate.

Even Funds that invest in high quality or “blue chip” equity securities or securities of established companies with large market capitalizations (which generally have strong financial characteristics) can be negatively impacted by poor overall market and economic conditions. Companies with large market capitalizations may also have less growth potential than smaller companies and may be able to react less quickly to changes in the marketplace.

The Fund may maintain substantial exposure to equities and generally do not attempt to time the market. Because of this exposure, the possibility that stock market prices in general will decline over short or extended periods subjects the Fund to unpredictable declines in the value of their investments, as well as periods of poor performance.

Exchange-Traded Commodity Funds (“ETCFs”) Risk

Commodities are tangible assets such as oil, agriculture, livestock, industrial metals, and precious metals such as gold or silver. The values of ETCFs are highly dependent on the prices of the commodities in which they invest; however, most ETCFs utilize futures trading to implement their strategies, which may produce returns that differ from those that would result from owning the underlying commodity. The demand and supply of these commodities may fluctuate widely based on such factors as interest rates, investors’ expectations with respect to the rate of inflation, currency exchange rates, the production and cost levels of producing countries and/or forward selling by such producers, global or regional political, economic or financial events, purchases and sales by central banks, and trading activities by hedge funds and other commodity funds. ETCFs may use derivatives, such as futures, options and swaps, which exposes them to further risks, including counterparty risk (i.e., the risk that the institution on the other side of their trade will default). There may be times when the market price and NAV of an ETCF may vary significantly, and because the Fund may buy and sell ETCFs at market price, it may pay more than NAV when

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buying an ETCF, and receive less than NAV when selling an ETCF. Additionally, an active trading market for an ETCF’s shares may not develop or be maintained. The trading of an ETCF’s shares may be halted if the listing exchange’s officials deem such action appropriate, the shares are delisted from the exchange, or by the activation of market-wide “circuit breakers” (which are tied to large decreases in stock prices) that halt stock trading generally. Finally, the Fund incurs certain transaction costs in purchasing and selling ETCFs in the secondary market.

Exchange-Traded Funds/Index-Based Securities Risk

An investment in an ETF or index-based security generally presents the same primary risks as an investment in a mutual fund that has the same investment objectives, strategies, and policies. The price of an ETF or index-based security can fluctuate up or down, and the Fund could lose money investing in an ETF or index-based security if the prices of the securities owned by the ETF or index-based security go down. In addition, ETFs and index-based securities may be subject to the following risks that do not apply to conventional mutual funds: (i) the market price of an ETF’s or index-based security's shares may trade above or below their net asset value; (ii) an active trading market for an ETF’s or index-based security's shares may not develop or be maintained; or (iii) trading of an ETF’s or index-based security's shares may be halted if the listing exchange’s officials deem such action appropriate, the shares are delisted from the exchange, or by the activation of market-wide “circuit breakers” (which are tied to large decreases in stock prices) that halt stock trading generally. See also “Ultrashort ETFs Risk” for further discussion on ETF Risk.

Extension Risk

Extension risk is the possibility that rising interest rates may cause prepayments on underlying obligations to occur at a slower than expected rate. This particular risk may effectively change a security which was considered short- or intermediate-term at the time of purchase into a long-term security. Long-term securities generally fluctuate more widely in response to changes in interest rates than short- or intermediate-term securities.

Foreign Custodial Services and Related Investment Costs Risk

Foreign custodial services and other costs relating to investment in international securities markets are generally more expensive than in the United States. Such markets have settlement and clearance procedures that differ from those in the United States. In certain markets, particularly emerging markets, there have been times when settlements have been unable to keep pace with the volume of securities transactions, making it difficult to conduct such transactions. Inability of the Fund to make intended securities purchases due to settlement problems could cause the Fund to miss attractive investment opportunities. Inability to dispose of a portfolio security caused by settlement problems could result in losses to the Fund due to a subsequent decline in value of the portfolio security. In addition, security settlement and clearance procedures in some emerging market countries may not fully protect the Fund against loss or theft of its assets.

Foreign Investment/Currency Risk

Compared with investing in the United States, investing in foreign markets involves a greater degree and variety of risk. Investors in international or foreign markets may face delayed settlements, currency controls and adverse economic development as well as higher overall transaction costs. In addition, fluctuations in the U.S. dollar’s value versus other currencies may erode or reverse gains from investments denominated in foreign currencies or widen losses. Exchange rates for currencies fluctuate daily. Foreign governments may expropriate assets, impose capital or currency controls, impose punitive taxes, impose limits on ownership or nationalize a company or industry. Any of these actions could have a severe effect on security prices and impair the fund’s ability to bring its capital or income back to the U.S. Exchange rate fluctuations also may impair an issuer’s ability to repay U.S. dollar denominated debt, thereby increasing credit risk of such debt. Finally, the value of foreign securities may be affected by incomplete, less frequent or inaccurate financial information about their issuers, social upheavals or political actions ranging from tax code changes to governmental collapse. Foreign companies may also receive less coverage than U.S. companies by market analysts and the financial press. In addition, foreign countries may lack uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards or regulatory requirements comparable to those applicable to U.S. companies. These risks are greater in emerging markets. The combination of currency risk and market risk tends to make securities traded in foreign markets more volatile than securities traded exclusively in the United States.

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Government Intervention and Extreme Volatility Risk

In the past, instability in the financial markets led the United States Government and other governments to take a number of unprecedented actions designed to support certain financial institutions and segments of the financial markets that experienced extreme volatility, and in some cases a lack of liquidity. Federal, state, and other governments, their regulatory agencies, or self-regulatory organizations could take actions that affect the regulation of the instruments in which the Fund invests, or the issuers of such instruments, in ways that are unforeseeable. Legislation or regulation may also change the way in which the Funds themselves are regulated. Such legislation or regulation could limit or preclude the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective.

Reduced liquidity in credit and fixed-income markets may adversely affect many issuers worldwide. Reduced liquidity may also result in less money being available to purchase raw materials, goods and services from emerging markets, which may, in turn, bring down the prices of these economic staples. It may also result in emerging market issuers having more difficulty obtaining financing, which may, in turn, cause a decline in their stock prices. If they arise, these issues may have an adverse effect on the Fund.

In the wake of the financial crises that began in 2008, the Federal Reserve System attempted to stabilize the U.S. economy and support the U.S. economic recovery by keeping the federal funds rate at or near zero percent. In addition, the Federal Reserve has purchased large quantities of securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities on the open market (the “quantitative easing program”). As a result, the United States is experiencing historically low interest rate levels. A low interest rate environment may have an adverse impact on the Fund’s ability to provide a positive yield to its shareholders and pay expenses out of Fund assets because of the low yields from the Fund’s portfolio investments.

However, continued economic recovery and the cessation of the quantitative easing program increase the risk that interest rates will rise in the near future and that the Fund will face a heightened level of interest rate risk. Federal Reserve policy changes may expose fixed-income and related markets to heightened volatility and may reduce liquidity for certain Fund investments, which could cause the value of the Fund’s investments and the Fund’s share price to decline or create difficulties for the Fund in disposing of investments. The Fund that invests in derivatives tied to fixed-income markets may be more substantially exposed to these risks than the Fund that does not invest in derivatives. If rising interest rates cause the Fund to lose enough value, the Fund could also face increased shareholder redemptions, which could force the Fund to liquidate its investments at disadvantageous times or prices, thereby adversely affecting the Fund. To the extent the Fund experiences high redemptions because of these policy changes, the Fund may experience increased portfolio turnover, which will increase the costs that the Fund incurs and lower the Fund’s performance.

Hedging Risk

When a derivative (a security whose value is based on that of another security or index) is used as a hedge against an opposite position that a fund holds, any loss on the derivative should be substantially offset by gains on the hedged investment, and vice versa. Although hedging can be an effective way to reduce the Fund’s risk, it may not always be possible to perfectly offset one position with another. As a result, there is no assurance that the Fund’s hedging transactions will be effective.

Interest Rate Risk

Prices of fixed income securities rise and fall in response to changes in the interest rate paid by similar securities. Generally, when interest rates rise, prices of fixed income securities fall. However, market factors, such as the demand for particular fixed income securities, may cause the price of certain fixed income securities to fall while the prices of other securities rise or remain unchanged.

Interest rate changes have a greater effect on the price of fixed income securities with longer durations. Duration measures the price sensitivity of a fixed income security to changes in interest rates. See also Government Intervention and Extreme Volatility Risk.

Investment Style Risk

The risk that the particular type of investment on which the Fund focuses (such as small cap value stocks or large-cap growth stocks) may underperform other asset classes or the overall market. Individual market segments tend to

32 
 

go through cycles of performing better or worse than other types of securities. These periods may last as long as several years. Additionally, a particular market segment could fall out of favor with investors, causing the Fund that focuses on that market segment to underperform those that favor other kinds of securities.

Leverage Risk

Some transactions, such as derivatives, reverse repurchase agreements and dollar rolls, may give rise to a form of leverage, which may expose the Fund to greater risk and increase its costs. When transactions create leverage, adverse changes in the value or level of the underlying asset, reference rate or index can result in a loss substantially greater than the amount invested in the derivatives or other instruments themselves. Certain transactions have the potential for unlimited loss, regardless of the size of the initial investments. Increases and decreases in the value of the securities held by the Fund and therefore in the Fund’s net asset value will be magnified when the Fund uses leverage because leverage tends to increase the Fund’s exposure to market risk, interest rate risk or other risks by, in effect, increasing assets available for investment.

To mitigate leverage risk, the Advisor will segregate liquid assets on the books of the Fund or otherwise cover the transactions. The use of leverage may cause the Fund to liquidate Fund positions when it may not be advantageous to do so to satisfy its obligations or to meet segregation requirements. The Fund will also have to pay interest on its borrowing, reducing the Fund’s return. This interest expense may be greater than the Fund’s return on the underlying investment.

Liquidity Risk

Liquidity risk refers to the possibility that the Fund may not be able to sell a security or close out a derivative contract when it wants to. If this happens, the Fund will be required to continue to hold the security or keep the position open, and the Fund could incur losses. OTC derivative contracts generally carry greater liquidity risk than exchange-traded contracts.

Management Risk

The risk that a strategy used by the Fund’s portfolio manager may fail to produce the intended result. This includes the risk that changes in the value of a hedging instrument will not match those of the asset being hedged.

Manager Risk

The Advisor’s or Sub-Advisor’s selection of securities for the Fund may cause the Fund to underperform similar funds or relevant benchmarks.

 

Market Capitalization Risk

Stocks fall into three broad market capitalization categories—large, medium and small. The Fund that invests primarily in one of these categories carries the risk that due to current market conditions that category may be out of favor with investors. If valuations of large capitalization companies appear to be greatly out of proportion to the valuations of small or medium capitalization companies, investors may migrate to the stocks of small and medium-sized companies. Larger, more established companies may also be unable to respond quickly to new competitive challenges such as changes in technology and consumer tastes. Many larger companies also may not be able to attain the high growth rate of successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion. Investing in medium and small capitalization companies may be subject to special risks associated with narrower product lines, more limited financial resources, fewer experienced managers, dependence on a few key employees, and a more limited trading market for their stocks, as compared with larger companies. In addition, securities of these companies are subject to the risk that, during certain periods, the liquidity of particular issuers or industries will shrink or disappear with little forewarning as a result of adverse economic or market conditions, or adverse investor perceptions, whether or not accurate. Securities of medium and smaller capitalization issuers may therefore be subject to greater price volatility and may decline more significantly in market downturns than securities of larger companies. Smaller and medium capitalization issuers may also require substantial additional capital to support their operations, to finance expansion or to maintain their competitive position; and may have substantial borrowings or may otherwise have a weak financial condition, and may be susceptible to bankruptcy. Transaction costs for these investments are often higher than those of larger capitalization companies. There is typically less publicly available

33 
 

information about small capitalization companies. Some small and medium capitalization companies also may be relatively new issuers, which carries risks in addition to the risks of other medium and small capitalization companies. New issuers may be more speculative because such companies are relatively unseasoned. These companies will often be involved in the development or marketing of a new product with no established market, which could lead to significant losses.

 

Market Risk

Market risk is the risk that the value of a security will move up or down, sometimes rapidly and unpredictably. These fluctuations, which are often referred to as “volatility,” may cause a security to be worth less than it was worth at an earlier time. Market risk may affect a single issuer, industry or sector of the economy or the market as a whole. Market risk is common to most investments, including stocks and bonds, and the mutual funds that invest in them. Bonds and other fixed income securities generally involve less market risk than stocks. The risks of investing in bonds, however, can vary significantly depending upon factors such as issuer and maturity. The bonds of some companies may be riskier than the stocks of others.

Mid/Small Cap Stock Risk

To the extent that the Fund invests in small cap and mid cap stocks, it takes on additional risks. Generally, the smaller the market capitalization of a company, the fewer the number of shares traded daily, the less liquid its stock and the more volatile its price. Market capitalization is determined by multiplying the number of its outstanding shares by the current market price per share. Companies with smaller market capitalizations also tend to have unproven track records, a limited product or service base and limited access to capital. These factors also increase risks and make these companies more likely to fail than companies with larger market capitalizations.

Mortgage-backed and Asset-backed Securities Risk

Mortgage-backed securities represent participating interests in pools of residential mortgage loans, some of which are guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities. However, the guarantee of these types of securities relates to the principal and interest payments and not the market value of such securities. In addition, the guarantee only relates to the mortgage-backed securities held by the Fund and not the purchase of shares of the Fund.

Mortgage-backed securities do not have a fixed maturity and their expected maturities may vary when interest rates rise or fall. An increased rate of prepayments on the Fund’s mortgage-backed securities, if any, will result in an unforeseen loss of interest income to the Fund as the Fund may be required to reinvest assets at a lower interest rate. A decreased rate of prepayments lengthens the expected maturity of a mortgage-backed security. The prices of mortgage-backed securities may decrease more than prices of other fixed-income securities when interest rates rise.

Collateralized Mortgage Obligations: The Fund may invest in mortgage-backed securities called collateralized mortgage obligations (“CMOs”). CMOs are issued in separate classes with different stated maturities. As the mortgage pool experiences prepayments, the pool pays off investors in classes with shorter maturities first. By investing in CMOs, the Fund may manage the prepayment risk of mortgage-backed securities. However, prepayments may cause the actual maturity of a CMO to be substantially shorter than its stated maturity.

Asset-backed Securities: Asset-backed securities include interests in pools of debt securities, commercial or consumer loans, or other receivables. The value of these securities depends on many factors, including changes in interest rates, the availability of information concerning the pool and its structure, the credit quality of the underlying assets, the market’s perception of the servicer of the pool, and any credit enhancement provided. In addition, asset-backed securities have prepayment risks similar to those of mortgage-backed securities.

 

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Non-Investment Grade Securities Risk

The securities in which the Fund may invest may be rated below investment grade. Such securities are known as junk bonds. Junk bonds generally entail greater market, credit and liquidity risks than investment grade securities. For example, their prices are more volatile, economic downturns and financial setbacks may affect their prices more negatively, and their trading market may be more limited.

Prepayment Risk

Many types of fixed-income securities are subject to prepayment risk, including mortgage-backed securities. Prepayment risk occurs when the issuer of a security can repay principal prior to the security’s maturity. This is more likely to occur when interest rates fall. The prepayment of principal can adversely affect the return of the Fund since it may have to reinvest the proceeds in securities that pay a lower interest rate.

Generally, mortgage-backed securities compensate for the increased risk associated with prepayments by paying a higher yield. The additional interest paid for risk is measured by the difference between the yield of a mortgage-backed security and the yield of a U.S. Treasury security with a comparable maturity (the spread). An increase in the spread may cause the price of the mortgage-backed security to decline. Spreads generally increase in response to adverse economic or market conditions. Spreads may also increase if the security is perceived to have an increased prepayment risk or is perceived to have less market demand.

Securities Linked to the Real Estate Market and REIT Risk

Investing in securities of companies in the real estate industry may subject the Fund to the risks associated with the direct ownership of real estate. These risks include:

declines in the value of real estate;
risks related to general and local economic conditions;
possible lack of availability of mortgage funds;
overbuilding;
extended vacancies of properties;
increased competition;
increases in property taxes and operating expenses;
change in zoning laws;
losses due to costs resulting from the clean-up of environmental problems;
liability to third parties for damages resulting from environmental problems;
casualty or condemnation losses;
limitations on rents;
changes in neighborhood values and the appeal of properties to tenants; and
changes in interest rates.

Therefore, for the Fund investing a substantial amount of its assets in securities of companies in the real estate industry, the value of the Fund’s shares may change at different rates compared to the value of shares of the Fund with investments in a mix of different industries.

Securities of companies in the real estate industry include real estate investment trusts (“REITs”), including equity REITs and mortgage REITs. Equity REITs may be affected by changes in the value of the underlying property owned by the trusts, while mortgage REITs may be affected by the quality of any credit extended. Further, equity and mortgage REITs are dependent upon management skills and generally may not be diversified. Equity and mortgage REITs are also subject to heavy cash flow dependency, defaults by borrowers and self-liquidations. In addition, equity and mortgage REITs could possibly fail to qualify for tax free pass-through of income under the Code, or to maintain their exemptions from registration under the 1940 Act. The above factors may also adversely affect a borrower’s or a lessee’s ability to meet its obligations to the REIT. In the event of a default by a borrower or

35 
 

lessee, the REIT may experience delays in enforcing its rights as a mortgagee or lessor and may incur substantial costs associated with protecting its investments.

In addition, even the larger REITs in the industry tend to be small to medium-sized companies in relation to the equity markets as a whole. See “Small and Medium Size Company Risk” for a discussion of the risks associated with investments in these companies.

Security-Specific Risk

Security-specific risk is the risk that the value of a particular security may or may not move in the same direction as the market as a whole. All Funds are subject to this type of risk.

Small and Medium Size Company Risk

Companies that are small or unseasoned (that is, less than three years of operating history) are more likely than larger or established companies to fail or not to accomplish their goals. As a result, the value of their securities could decline significantly. These companies are less likely to survive since they are often dependent upon a small number of products and may have limited financial resources and a small management group. Small or unseasoned companies often have a greater degree of change in earnings and business prospects than larger or established companies, resulting in more volatility in the price of their securities. The securities of small or unseasoned companies may have limited marketability. This factor could cause the value of the Fund’s investments to decrease if it needs to sell such securities when there are few interested buyers. Small or unseasoned companies usually have fewer outstanding shares than larger or established companies. Therefore, it may be more difficult to buy or sell large amounts of these shares without unfavorably impacting the price of the security. There may be less publicly available information about small or unseasoned companies. Therefore, when making a decision to purchase a security for the Fund, the Advisor or Sub-Advisor may not be aware of problems associated with the company issuing the security. Investments in the securities of medium sized companies present risks similar to those associated with small or unseasoned companies although to a lesser degree due to the larger size of the companies.

Ultrashort ETFs Risk

Ultrashort ETFs use investment techniques that may be considered aggressive, including the use of futures contracts, options on futures contracts, securities and indices, forward contracts, swap agreements and similar instruments. An Ultrashort ETF’s investment in financial instruments may involve a small investment relative to the amount of investment exposure assumed and may result in losses exceeding the amounts invested. Such instruments, particularly when used to create leverage, may expose the Ultrashort ETF and the Fund to potentially dramatic changes (losses or gains) in the value of the instruments and imperfect correlation between the value of the instruments and the security or index. The use of aggressive investment techniques may also expose the Fund to risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities contained in an index underlying an Ultrashort ETF benchmark, including: (1) the risk that an instrument is mispriced; (2) credit or performance risk on the amount the Ultrashort ETF expects to receive from a counterparty; (3) the risk that securities prices, interest rates and currency markets will move adversely and the Ultrashort ETF will incur significant losses; (4) the risk that there may be imperfect correlation between the price of financial instruments and movements in the prices of the underlying securities; (5) the risk that the cost of holding a financial instrument might exceed its total return; and (6) the possible absence of a liquid secondary market for any particular instrument and/or possible exchange-imposed price fluctuation limits, which may make it difficult or impossible to adjust an Ultrashort ETF’s position in a particular financial instrument when desired.

Unrated Securities Risk

To the extent that the Fund invests in unrated securities, these securities may prove less liquid than rated securities as less information is available regarding the securities and a market may not exist for the securities at a given point in time.

 

Wholly-Owned Subsidiary. The Fund may invest up to 25% of its total assets in a wholly-owned and controlled Cayman Islands subsidiary (the "Subsidiary"), which is expected to invest the majority of its assets in commodities and other futures contracts. As a result, the Fund may be considered to be investing indirectly in these investments

36 
 

through the Subsidiary. For that reason, and for the sake of convenience, references in this Statement of Additional Information to the Fund may also include the Subsidiary.

 

The Subsidiary will not be registered under the 1940 Act but will be subject to certain of the investor protections of that Act, as noted in this Statement of Additional Information. The Fund, as the sole shareholder of the Subsidiary, will not have all of the protections offered to investors in registered investment companies. However, since the Fund wholly owns and controls the Subsidiary, and the Fund and Subsidiary are both managed by the Adviser, it is unlikely that the Subsidiary will take action contrary to the interests of the Fund or its shareholders. The Fund's Board has oversight responsibility for the investment activities of the Fund, including its investment in the Subsidiary, and the Fund's role as the sole shareholder of the Subsidiary. Also, in managing the Subsidiary's portfolio, the Adviser will be subject to the same investment restrictions and operational guidelines that apply to the management of the Fund, including any collateral or segregation requirements in connection with various investment strategies.

 

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

 

 

DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS

 

The Fund’s Board of Trustees has adopted policies and procedures for the public and nonpublic disclosure of the Fund’s portfolio securities. The Fund’s portfolio holdings are currently disclosed to the public through filings with the SEC. The Fund discloses its portfolio holdings by mailing the annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders approximately two months after the end of the fiscal year and semi-annual period. In addition, the Fund discloses its portfolio holdings reports on Forms N-CSR and Form N-Q two months after the end of each quarter/semi-annual period.

As a general matter, no information concerning the portfolio holdings of the Fund may be disclosed to any unaffiliated third party except (1) to service providers that require such information in the course of performing their duties (for example, the Fund’s custodian, administrator, the Advisor, sub-advisor, independent public accountants, attorneys, officers and trustees) and are subject to a duty of confidentiality, including a duty not to trade on non-public information, and (2) pursuant to certain exceptions that serve a legitimate business purpose. These exceptions may include: (1) disclosure of portfolio holdings only after such information has been publicly disclosed, and (2) to third-party vendors, currently consisting of Morningstar Investment Services and Lipper Analytical Services that (a) agree to not distribute the portfolio holdings or results of the analysis to third parties, other departments or persons who are likely to use the information for purposes of purchasing or selling the Fund before the portfolio holdings or results of the analysis become publicly available; and (b) sign a written confidentiality agreement. The confidentiality agreement must provide, but is not limited to, that the recipient of the portfolio holdings information agrees to limit access to the portfolio holdings information to its employees who, on a need to know basis, are (1) authorized to have access to the portfolio holdings information, and (2) subject to confidentiality obligations, including duties not to trade on non-public information, no less restrictive that the confidentiality obligations contained in the confidentiality agreement.

 

Neither the Fund nor the Advisor may enter into any arrangement providing for the disclosure of non-public portfolio holding information for the receipt of compensation or benefit of any kind. Any exceptions to the policies and procedures may only be made by the consent of the Trust’s chief compliance officer upon a determination that such disclosure serves a legitimate business purpose and is in the best interests of the Funds and will be reported to the Board at the Board’s next regularly scheduled meeting.

 

TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS

 

The following tables provide information about Board of Trustees and the senior officers of the Trust. Each of the

37 
 

Trustees is deemed to be an Independent Trustee of the Trust. Each Trustee oversees all portfolios of the Trust and serves for an indefinite term (subject to mandatory retirement provisions). Information about each Trustee is provided below and includes each person’s: name, address, age (as of the date of the Funds’ most recent fiscal year end), present position(s) held with the Trust, principal occupations for the past five years and total compensation received as a Trustee for the most recent fiscal year. Unless otherwise noted, the business address of each person listed below is c/o Mutual Fund and Variable Insurance Trust, 36 North New York Avenue, Huntington, NY 11743. Unless otherwise noted, each officer is elected annually by the Board. Each Trustee and officer also serves in the same capacity for the Strategy Shares, another open-end investment company whose series are managed by the Advisor.

 

As of January 31, 2018, the Trustees and Officers as a group owned less than 1% of the shares of the Fund.

 

 

Independent Trustees Background

Name, Address and Age Position with
the Trust
Term of Office and
Length of Time Served*
Principal Occupation(s)
During Past 5 Years
Number of
Portfolios in
Fund Complex
Overseen by
Trustee**
Other Directorships
Held by Trustee

Tobias Caldwell

 

49

Chairman of the Board and Trustee   Since January 2016 Managing member, Bear Properties, LLC (2006 - present) (real estate firm); Managing member, PTL Real Estate, LLC (2000 – present) (real estate/investment firm); Managing member, Genovese Family Enterprises, LLC (1999 – present) (real estate firm). 56 Chairman of the Board, Strategy Shares; Lead independent trustee and Chair of Audit Committee, Mutual Fund Series Trust (2006-present); Board Member, M3Sixty Funds Trust (2016-present).

Stephen P. Lachenauer

 

49

Trustee   Since January 2016 Attorney, private practice (2011 to present). 15 Board Member, Strategy Shares (January 2016 – present); Trustee, TCG Financial Series Trusts I-X (2015-present).

Donald McIntosh

 

48

Trustee Since January 2016 Credit risk review analyst, Santander Holdings USA (May 2015 – present); Governance analyst, Santander Bank (2011 – April 2015). 15 Board Member, Strategy Shares (January 2016– present); Trustee, TCG Financial Series Trusts I-X (2015-present).

* The term of office of each Trustee is indefinite.

** The “Fund Complex” includes the Trust, Strategy Shares, Mutual Fund Series Trust and the TCG Financial Services Trusts I-X, each a registered open-end investment company.

Officers*

Name, Address,
Year of Birth
Position(s) Held
with Registrant
Term and Length Served* Principal Occupation(s)
During Past 5 Years

 

Jerry Szilagyi

36 N. New York

 

President

 

Since April 2016

 

President, Rational Advisors, Inc., 1/2016 - present; Chief Executive Officer, Catalyst Capital Advisors

38 
 

 

 

Avenue

Huntington, NY  11743

Year of Birth:  1962

 

 

 

LLC, 1/2006- present; Member, AlphaCentric Advisors LLC, 2/2014 to Present; Managing Member, MFund Distributors LLC, 10/2012-present; Managing Member, MFund Services LLC, 1/2012 – Present; President, Abbington Capital Group LLC, 1998- present; President, Cross Sound Capital LLC, 6/2011 to 10/2013; President, USA Mutuals, Inc., 3/2011 to 7/2016.

 

Erik Naviloff

80 Arkay Drive

Hauppauge, New York 11788

Year of Birth:  1968

 

 

 

 

Treasurer

 

 

 

Since April 2016

 

Vice President – Fund Administration, Gemini Fund Services, LLC, since 2012; Assistant Vice President, Gemini Fund Services, 2007 - 2012.

 

Aaron Smith

80 Arkay Drive.

Hauppauge, New York 11788

Year of Birth:  1974

 

Assistant

Treasurer

Since April 2016

Manager - Fund Administration, Gemini Fund Services, LLC, since 2012; Authorized Officer, UBS Global Asset Management, a business division of UBS AG, 2010-2012.

 

Frederick J. Schmidt

36 N. New York Avenue

Huntington, NY 11743

Year of Birth: 1959

Chief Compliance Officer Since April 2016 Director, MFund Services LLC since 5/2015; Director & Chief Compliance Officer, Citi Fund Services, 2010-2015; Senior Vice President & Chief Compliance Officer, Citi Fund Services, 2004-2010.

 

Jennifer A. Bailey

36 N. New York Avenue

Huntington, NY

11743

Year of Birth: 1968

 

Secretary

 

Since April 2016

 

Director of Legal Services, MFund Services LLC, 2/2012 to present.    

 

 

* Officers do not receive any compensation from the Trust.

 

 

COMMITTEE OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

 

Audit Committee. The Board has an Audit Committee. The Audit Committee is comprised of each of the Trustees. The primary function of the Audit Committee is to assist the full Board in fulfilling its oversight responsibilities to the shareholders and the investment community relating to fund accounting, reporting practices and the quality and integrity of the financial reports. To satisfy these responsibilities, the Audit Committee reviews with the independent auditors, the audit plan and results and recommendations following independent audits, reviews the performance of the independent auditors and recommends engagement or discharge of the auditors to the full Board, reviews the independence of the independent auditors, reviews the adequacy of the Funds’ internal controls and prepares and submits Committee meeting minutes and supporting documentation to the full Board. The Audit Committee met four times during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017.

 

Valuation Committee. The Valuation Committee is comprised of (1) either the Trust’s Treasurer or Assistant Treasurers and (2) either the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer or a Trustee that is independent of the advisor/sub-advisor and the fund involved in the subject valuation. The Valuation Committee is responsible for the valuation and revaluation of any portfolio investment for which market quotations or sale prices are not readily available. The

39 
 

Valuation Committee meets as is required. During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017, the Valuation Committee held 10 meetings.

 

Compensation of the Board of Trustees

 

The Independent Trustees are paid a quarterly retainer, and receive compensation for each committee meeting, telephonic Board meeting, and special in-person Board meeting attended. Officers receive no compensation from the Trust. The Trust reimburses each of the Independent Trustees for travel and other expenses incurred in connection with attendance at such meetings. The Trust has no retirement or pension plans.

 

The compensation amounts provided in the table below for the Fund is the estimated compensation to be paid by the Fund to the Trustees for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2018.

 

 

Name of Person, Position(s) Aggregate Compensation from the Fund Total Compensation from Fund Complex*
Tobias Caldwell $2,600 $159,000
Stephen. Lachenauer $2,600 $39,000
Donald McIntosh $2,000 $30,000

* The “Fund Complex” includes the Trust, Strategy Shares, Mutual Fund Series Trust and the TCG Financial Services Trusts I-X, each a registered open-end investment company.

 

TRUSTEES OWNERSHIP OF SHARES IN A FUND AND IN THE FUND COMPLEX AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2017

 

 

     

 

Name of Trustee

 


Dollar Range of Shares Owned
in the Funds

 


Dollar Range of Shares 

Owned
in the Fund Complex*

 
Tobias Caldwell None Over $100,000
Stephen Lachenauer None None
Donald McIntosh None None

___________________________

* The “Fund Complex” includes the Trust, Strategy Shares, Mutual Fund Series Trust and the TCG Financial Services Trusts I-X, each a registered open-end investment company.

 

 

None of the Trustees (including their immediate family members) owned beneficially or of record securities of the Advisor, Sub-Advisor or the Distributor or any entity directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the Advisor, Sub-Advisor or Distributor as of the date of this SAI.

 

Qualifications and Experience of the Trustees

 

The following provides an overview of the considerations that led the Board to conclude that each individual serving as a Trustee of the Trust should so serve. Generally, no one factor was decisive in the original selection of an individual to join the Board. Among the factors the Board considered when concluding that an individual should serve on the Board were the following: (1) the individual’s business and professional experience and accomplishments; (2) the individual’s prior experience serving on the boards of public companies, and other complex enterprises and organizations; and (3) how the individual’s skills, experience, and attributes would contribute to an appropriate mix of relevant skills and experience on the Board.

40 
 

 

In respect of each current Trustee, the individual’s substantial professional accomplishments and prior experience, including, in some cases, in fields related to the operations of the Trust, were a significant factor in the determination that the individual should serve as a Trustee of the Trust.

 

In addition to the information set forth above, the following sets forth additional information about the qualifications and experience of each of the Trustees that lead to the conclusion that each Trustee should serve as Trustee of the Trust.

 

Tobias Caldwell

Mr. Caldwell is the manager of a real estate investment firm. Mr. Caldwell has served on the boards of mutual funds for over ten years, including as chair of the audit committee for over ten years. Mr. Caldwell also serves as a Trustee of other mutual funds in the Fund Complex. His experience in the real estate and investment industries would provide the Board with an additional perspective and understanding of investment strategies used by advisors to the funds.

 

Stephen Lachenauer

Mr. Lachenauer has been an attorney in private practice for over six years, providing advice and counsel to small businesses and individuals on business and financial matters. Mr. Lachenauer’s previous experience at large law firms and as an attorney at a large investment bank provides the Board with knowledge of financial and investment regulatory matters. Mr. Lachenauer also serves on the boards of other registered investment companies.

 

Donald McIntosh

Mr. McIntosh is a credit risk review analyst for a large international financial services company, and he has many years of credit analysis and loan servicing experience. Mr. McIntosh’s experience in evaluating companies’ financial condition would provide the Board with knowledge about investment strategies used by the advisors of the funds. Mr. McIntosh also serves as a Trustee of other mutual funds in the Fund Complex.

 

Board Structure

 

The Board is responsible for overseeing the management and operations of the Trust. The Board consists of three Independent Trustees. The Chairperson of the Trust, Tobias Caldwell, is an Independent Trustee.

 

The Board has one standing Committee, the Audit Committee. The Audit Committee is comprised of each of the Trustees. Through the Audit Committee, the Independent Trustees consider and address important matters involving the Trust, including those presenting conflicts or potential conflicts of interest for Trust management. The Board holds four regular meetings each year to consider and address matters involving the Funds. The Board also may hold special meetings to address matters arising between regular meetings. In addition, the Independent Trustees 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 reviews its structure regularly and believes that its leadership structure, including having a super-majority of Independent Trustees, coupled with an Independent Chairperson, is appropriate and in the best interests of the Trust, given its specific characteristics. The Board of Trustees also believes its leadership structure facilitates the orderly and efficient flow of information to the Independent Trustees from Trust management.

 

When considering potential nominees to fill vacancies on the Board, and as part of its annual self-evaluation, the Board reviews the mix of skills and other relevant experiences of the Trustees.

 

Board Oversight of Risk

 

An integral part of the Board’s overall responsibility for overseeing the management and operations of the Trust is the Board’s oversight of the risk management of the Trust’s investment programs and business affairs. The Fund is subject to a number of risks, such as investment risk, valuation risk, risk of operational failure or lack of business continuity, and legal, compliance and regulatory risk. The Fund, the Advisor, and other service providers to the

41 
 

Trust have implemented various processes, procedures, and controls to identify risks to the Fund, to lessen the probability of their occurrence, and to mitigate any adverse effect should they occur. Different processes, procedures, and controls are employed with respect to different types of risks.

 

The Board exercises oversight of the risk management process through the Audit Committee and through oversight by the Board itself. The Board holds four regular meetings each year to consider and address matters involving the Fund. The Board also may hold special meetings to address matters arising between regular meetings. In addition, the Independent Trustees regularly meet outside the presence of management and are advised by independent legal counsel. These meetings may take place in person or by telephone.

 

In addition to adopting, and periodically reviewing, policies and procedures designed to address risks to the Fund, the Board requires management of the Advisor and the Trust, including the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”), to report to the Board and the Audit Committee of the Board on a variety of matters, including matters relating to risk management, at regular and special meetings. The Board and the Audit Committee receive regular reports from the Trust’s independent public accountants on internal control and financial reporting matters. On at least a quarterly basis, the Independent Trustees meet with the Trust’s CCO, including outside the presence of management, to discuss issues related to compliance. Furthermore, the Board receives a quarterly report from the Trust’s CCO regarding the operation of the compliance policies and procedures of the Trust and its primary service providers. The Board monitors the Fund’s investment policies and procedures as well as valuation of the Fund’s securities. The Board also receives quarterly 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 the Fund’s securities. The Board also receives reports from the Trust’s primary service providers regarding their operations as they relate to the Fund.

 

 

PRINCIPAL SHAREHOLDERS

 

Persons controlling the Fund can determine the outcome of any proposal submitted to the shareholders for approval, including changes to the Fund's fundamental policies or the terms of the advisory agreement with the Advisor. Persons owning 25% or more of the outstanding shares of the Fund (or a class of shares of the Fund) may be deemed to control the Fund (or class of the Fund).

 

Shareholders known by the Trust to own of record 5% or more of the outstanding shares of the Predecessor Fund’s Shares on January 31, 2018 and the percentage of the outstanding shares owned on that date are listed below.

 

Name and Address

 

Percent Ownership
 

Troy W. Buckner
205 Deerlea Lane
Boonton, NJ 07005

81.10%

 

As of January 31, 2018 securities of the Predecessor Fund’s shares owned by all officers and trustees, including beneficial ownership, as a group represented less than 1% of the outstanding Predecessor shares of the Fund.

 

The shareholders listed above own shares for investment purposes and have no known intention of exercising any control of the Fund.

 

 

ADVISOR AND SUB-ADVISOR

 

Rational Advisors, Inc. has been retained by the Trust under a Management Agreement to act as the investment advisor to the Funds, subject to the authority of the Board of Trustees. The Advisor (formerly a wholly owned subsidiary of Huntington National Bank and known as Huntington Asset Advisors, Inc.) was organized under the laws of Ohio in 2001. The Advisor oversees the day-to-day investment decisions for the Fund and continuously

42 
 

reviews, supervises and administers the Fund’s investment programs. The Adviser is under common control with Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC and AlphaCentric Advisors LLC, the investment advisers of other funds in the same group of investment companies also known as a “fund complex”. The address of the Advisor is 36 North New York Avenue, Huntington, NY 11743.

 

The Management Agreement provides that the Advisor will provide the Fund with investment advice and supervision and will continuously furnish an investment program for the Fund consistent with the investment objectives and policies of the Fund. The Advisor is responsible for the payment of the salaries and expenses of all of its personnel, office rent and the expenses of providing investment advisory and related clerical expenses.

 

Under the terms of the Management Agreements, the Advisor manages the investment of the assets of the Fund in conformity with the investment objectives and policies of the Fund. It is the responsibility of the Advisor to make investment decisions for the Fund and to provide continuous supervision of the investment portfolio of the Fund.

 

For its services under the Management Agreement, the Advisor is paid a monthly management fee at the annual rates noted in the table below, based upon the average daily net assets of the Fund. The Advisor pays expenses incurred by it in connection with acting as advisor, other than costs (including taxes and brokerage commissions, borrowing costs, costs of investing in underlying funds and extraordinary expenses, if any) of securities purchased for the Fund and other expenses paid by the Fund as detailed in the Management Agreement. The Advisor pays for all employees, office space and facilities required by it to provide services under the Management Agreement, except for specific items of expense referred to below.

 

  Contractual Advisory Fee
Rational/NuWave Enhanced Market Opportunity Fund 1.75%

 

 

Except for the expenses described above that have been assumed by the Advisor, all expenses incurred in administration of the Fund will be charged to the Fund, including investment management fees; fees and expenses of the Board of Trustees; interest charges; taxes; brokerage commissions; expenses of valuing assets; expenses of continuing registration and qualification of the Fund and the shares under federal and state law; share issuance expenses; fees and disbursements of independent accountants and legal counsel; fees and expenses of custodians, including sub-custodians and securities depositories, transfer agents and shareholder account servicing organizations; expenses of preparing, printing and mailing prospectuses, reports, proxies, notices and statements sent to shareholders; expenses of shareholder meetings; costs of investing in underlying funds; and insurance premiums. Each Fund is also liable for nonrecurring expenses, including litigation to which it may from time to time be a party. Expenses incurred for the operation of the portfolio, including the expenses of communications with its shareholders, are paid by the Fund.

 

The Advisor has contractually agreed to waive all or a portion of its investment advisory fee (based on average daily net assets) and/or reimburse certain operating expenses of the Fund to the extent necessary in order to limit each Fund’s total annual fund operating expenses (after the fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements, and exclusive of acquired fund fees and expenses, brokerage costs, interest, taxes and dividends, and extraordinary expenses) to not more than the levels set forth in the table below (based on the average daily net assets of each class of the Fund) through April 30, 2019. Under certain conditions, the Advisor may recapture operating expenses waived and/or reimbursed under this agreement for a period of three years after the fees were waived or reimbursed, if the recapture can be achieved within the lesser of the expense limits in effect at the time of such reimbursement and the expense limits in place at the time of the recapture. The Agreement shall terminate automatically upon the termination of the Management Agreement. The Adviser may elect in its discretion to terminate the Agreement for any period following the term period of the Agreement, but no such termination shall affect the obligation (including the amount of the obligation) of the Fund to repay amounts of waived fees or reimbursed expenses with respect to periods prior to such termination.

 

43 
 

 

Fund Expense Limitation
Rational/NuWave Enhanced Market Opportunity Fund 2.24%, 2.99%, 2.24% and 1.99% of the average daily net assets of Class A Shares, Class C Shares, Class T Shares and Institutional Shares, respectively, of the Fund

 

 

The Management Agreement with the Fund continues in effect for an initial two year term and then from year to year as long as its continuation is approved at least annually by the Board of Trustees, including a majority of the Trustees who are not “interested persons,” or by the shareholders of the Fund. The Management Agreement may be terminated at any time upon 60 days’ written notice by the Fund or by a majority vote of the outstanding shares or 90 days’ written notice by the Advisor and will terminate automatically upon assignment. A discussion of the matters considered by the Board in connection with the approval of the Management Agreement will be available in the Fund’s Semi-Annual Report to Shareholders dated June 30, 2018.

 

The Management Agreement provides that the Advisor shall not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by the Trust in connection with the performance of its duties, except a loss resulting from a breach of fiduciary duty with respect to the receipt of compensation for services or a loss resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence on the part of the Advisor in the performance of its duties, or from reckless disregard of its duties and obligations thereunder.

From time to time, the Advisor may use a portion of its reasonable resources and profits to pay for certain administrative services provided by financial institutions for Shareholders of the Fund.

 

 

Sub-Advisor

 

NuWave Investment Management, LLC (“Sub-Advisor”), located at 35 Waterview Boulevard, Parsippany, New Jersey 07054, has been retained to act as the sub-advisor to the Fund under an Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement (“Sub-Advisory Agreement”) with the Advisor. The Advisor and the Trustees have chosen to engage Sub-Advisor’s services as sub-advisor to the Fund in part because of the Sub-Advisor’s prior expertise and performance in advising other accounts similar in objective to that of the Fund, including the Predecessor Fund.

 

As compensation for the sub-advisory services it provides to the Fund, the Advisor will pay the Sub-Advisor fifty percent of the net advisory fees paid by the Fund to the Advisor. For this purpose, “net advisory fees” mean advisory fees collected from the Fund (net of fee waivers due to expense caps) less any revenue sharing and asset-based fees paid to broker-dealers or custodians with assets in the Fund. The fee paid to the Sub-Advisor by the Advisor will be paid from the Advisor’s management fee and is not an additional cost to the Fund. The Sub-Advisory Agreement is effective for an initial two year period and continues in effect for successive twelve-month periods, provided that the Board of Trustees annually approves it for continuance. A discussion of the matters considered by the Board in connection with the approval of the Sub-Advisory Agreement will be available in the Fund’s Semi-Annual Report to Shareholders dated June 30, 2018.

 

 

Portfolio Manager

Troy Buckner is Portfolio Manager of the Fund and is primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the portfolio. Unless otherwise noted, the following information about the Fund’s portfolio manager is provided as of December 31, 2017.

 

NuWave Enhanced Market Opportunity Fund

 

Total Other Accounts Managed

Portfolio Manager Registered Investment Assets
Managed
Pooled
Investment

Assets
Managed

Other
Accounts

Assets Managed

44 
 

 

  Company Accounts ($ millions) Vehicle
Accounts

($ millions)

 

($ millions)

Troy Buckner 0 0 5 52.5 14 110.9

 

Other Accounts Managed Subject to Performance-Based Fees

Portfolio Manager Registered Investment Company Accounts Assets
Managed
($ millions)
Pooled
Investment
Vehicle
Accounts
Assets
Managed
($ millions)
Other
Accounts
Assets Managed
($ millions)
Troy Buckner 0 0 5 52.5 14 110.9

 

 

Compensation.

Mr. Buckner’s compensation from the Advisor is based on a percentage of the overall profits of the Advisor. He is also entitled to a portion of the proceeds if the Advisor sells all or a portion of the Advisor's business. He also participates in a pension plan. 

 

Ownership.

The following table shows the dollar range of equity securities beneficially owned by the portfolio manager in the Fund as of January 31, 2018.

 

 

Name of Portfolio Manager

Dollar Range of Equity Securities in the Fund
Troy Buckner Over $1,000,000

 

Potential Conflicts of Interest

 

Actual or apparent conflicts of interest may arise when a portfolio manager has day-to-day management responsibilities with respect to more than one fund or other accounts. More specifically, portfolio managers who manage multiple funds are presented with the following potential conflicts:

 

The management of multiple accounts may result in a portfolio manager devoting unequal time and attention to the management of each account. The management of multiple funds and accounts also may give rise to potential conflicts of interest if the funds and accounts have different objectives, benchmarks, time horizons, and fees as the portfolio manager must allocate his time and investment ideas across multiple funds and accounts.

 

·With respect to securities transactions for the Fund, the Advisor determines which broker to use to execute each order, consistent with the duty to seek best execution of the transaction.  The portfolio manager may execute transactions for another fund or account that may adversely impact the value of securities held by the Fund. Securities selected for funds or accounts other than the Fund may outperform the securities selected for the Fund.

 

·The appearance of a conflict of interest may arise where the Advisor has an incentive, such as a performance-based management fee. The management of personal accounts may give rise to potential conflicts of interest; there is no assurance that the Fund’s code of ethics will adequately address such conflicts.  One of the portfolio manager's numerous responsibilities is to assist in the sale of Fund shares.  Because the portfolio manager’s compensation is indirectly linked to the sale of Fund shares, they may have an incentive to devote time to marketing efforts designed to increase sales of Fund shares.

 

· The Fund may invest in affiliated funds advised by the Advisor. The Advisor is subject to conflicts of interest in allocating the Fund’s assets among the affiliated funds. The Advisor will receive more revenue when it selects an affiliated fund rather than an unaffiliated fund for inclusion in a Fund’s portfolio. This conflict may provide an incentive for the Advisor to invest Fund assets in affiliated funds that perform less well than unaffiliated funds. The Advisor may have an incentive to allocate the Fund’s assets to those
45 
 

affiliated funds for which the net advisory fees payable to the Advisor are higher than the fees payable by other affiliated funds.

 

·The Fund and Advisor has adopted a code of ethics that, among other things, permits personal trading by employees under conditions where it has been determined that such trades would not adversely impact client accounts. Nevertheless, the management of personal accounts may give rise to potential conflicts of interest, and there is no assurance that these codes of ethics will adequately address such conflicts. 

 

Each of the Advisor and the Fund has adopted certain compliance procedures which are designed to address these types of conflicts.  However, there is no guarantee that such procedures will detect each and every situation in which a conflict arises.

 

ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT OF WHOLLY-OWNED SUBSIDIARY

 

The Fund may invest up to 25% of its total assets in the Subsidiary. It is expected that the Subsidiary will invest primarily in commodities and other futures contracts.

 

The Subsidiary is a company organized under the laws of the Cayman Islands, whose registered office is located at the offices of RNW Fund Limited, c/o Walker Global, 190 Elgin Avenue, George Town, Grand Cayman, KY1-9001, Cayman Islands. The Subsidiary's affairs are overseen by a board of directors.

 

Directors. Each of the Independent Trustees also serves as a Director of the Subsidiary.

 

The Subsidiary has entered into a separate contract with the Advisor for the management of the Subsidiary's portfolio, without compensation. The Subsidiary has also entered into arrangements with the Trust's custodian to serve as the Subsidiary's custodian and with Gemini Fund Services, LLC to serve as the Subsidiary's transfer agent, fund accountant and administrator. The Subsidiary has adopted compliance policies and procedures that are substantially similar to the policies and procedures adopted by the Fund. The Trust's Chief Compliance Officer oversees implementation of the Subsidiary's policies and procedures and makes periodic reports to the Trust's Board regarding the Subsidiary's compliance with its policies and procedures.

The Subsidiary pays no fee to the Advisor or Gemini Fund Services, LLC for their services. The Subsidiary will bear the fees and expenses incurred in connection with the custody services that it receives. The Fund expects that the expenses borne by its Subsidiary will not be material in relation to the value of the Fund's assets.

 

CODE OF ETHICS

 

The Advisor, Sub-Advisor, Northern Lights Distributors, LLC (the “Distributor”) and the Fund have adopted codes of ethics (each a “Code” and collectively the “Codes”) under Rule 17j-1(c) of the 1940 Act.  The purpose of each Code is to avoid potential conflicts of interest and to prevent fraud, deception or misconduct with respect to the Fund.  Each Code permits personnel covered by the codes to invest in securities that may be purchased by the Fund, subject to the restrictions of the Code. The Codes are filed as exhibits to the Trust’s registration statement.

 

 

TRANSFER AGENT, FUND ACCOUNTING AGENT AND ADMINISTRATOR

 

Gemini Fund Services, LLC (“GFS”), which has its principal office at 80 Arkay Drive., Hauppauge, New York 11788, serves as administrator, fund accountant and transfer agent for the Fund pursuant to a Fund Services Agreement (the “Agreement”) with the Fund and subject to the supervision of the Board. GFS is primarily in the business of providing administrative, fund accounting and transfer agent services to retail and institutional mutual funds. GFS is an affiliate of the Distributor.

 

GFS may also provide persons to serve as officers of the Trust. Such officers may be directors, officers or employees of GFS or its affiliates.

 

46 
 

The Agreement will remain in effect for an initial term of three years from the effective date for the Fund, and will continue in effect for successive twelve-month periods provided that such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by a majority of the Board.  The Agreement is terminable by the Board or GFS on 90 days’ written notice and may be assigned by either party, provided that the Trust may not assign this agreement without the prior written consent of GFS. The Agreement provides that GFS shall be without liability for any action reasonably taken or omitted pursuant to the Agreement.

 

Under the Agreement, GFS performs administrative services, including:  (1) monitor the performance of administrative and professional services rendered to the Trust by other service providers; (2) monitor Fund holdings and operations for post-trade compliance with the Fund’s registration statement and applicable laws and rules; (3) prepare and coordinate the printing of semi-annual and annual financial statements; (4) prepare selected management reports for performance and compliance analyses; (5) prepare and disseminate materials for and attend and participate in meetings of the Board; (6) determine income and capital gains available for distribution and calculate distributions required to meet regulatory, income, and excise tax requirements; (7) review the Trust's federal, state, and local tax returns as prepared and signed by the Trust's independent public accountants; (8) prepare and maintain the Trust's operating expense budget to determine proper expense accruals to be charged to each Fund to calculate its daily net asset value; (9) assist in and monitor the preparation, filing, printing and where applicable, dissemination of periodic reports to the Trustees, shareholders and the SEC, notices pursuant to Rule 24f-2, proxy materials and reports to the SEC on Forms N-SAR, N-CSR, N-Q and N-PX; (10) coordinate the Trust's audits and examinations by assisting the Fund’s independent public accountants; (11) determine, in consultation with others, the jurisdictions in which shares of the Trust shall be registered or qualified for sale and facilitate such registration or qualification; (12) monitor sales of shares and ensure that the shares are properly and duly registered with the SEC; (13) monitor the calculation of performance data for the Fund; (14) prepare, or cause to be prepared, expense and financial reports; (15) prepare authorization for the payment of Trust expenses and pay, from Trust assets, all bills of the Trust; (16) provide information typically supplied in the investment company industry to companies that track or report price, performance or other information with respect to investment companies; (17) upon request, assist the Fund in the evaluation and selection of other service providers, such as independent public accountants, printers, EDGAR providers and proxy solicitors (such parties may be affiliates of GFS); and (18) perform other services, recordkeeping and assistance relating to the affairs of the Trust as the Trust may, from time to time, reasonably request.

 

GFS also provides the Fund with accounting services, including:  (i) daily computation of net asset value; (ii) maintenance of security ledgers and books and records as required by the 1940 Act; (iii) production of the Fund’s listing of portfolio securities and general ledger reports; (iv) reconciliation of accounting records; (v) calculation of yield and total return for the Fund; (vi) maintaining certain books and records described in Rule 31a-1 under the 1940 Act, and reconciling account information and balances among the Fund’s custodian and Advisor; and (vii) monitoring and evaluating daily income and expense accruals, and sales and redemptions of shares of the Fund.

 

GFS also acts as transfer, dividend disbursing, and shareholder servicing agent for the Fund pursuant to the Agreement. Under the agreement, GFS is responsible for administering and performing transfer agent functions, dividend distribution, shareholder administration, and maintaining necessary records in accordance with applicable rules and regulations.

 

For the services rendered to the Fund by GFS, the Fund pays GFS the greater of an annual minimum fee or an asset based fee, which scales downward based upon net assets. The Fund also pays GFS for any out-of-pocket expenses.

 

MFund Services LLC (“MFund”) provides the Fund with various management and administrative services. For these services, the Fund pays MFund an annual fixed fee and an asset-based fee, which scales downward based upon net assets, applied at the fund family level (i.e., all the funds in the Trust advised by the Advisor):

 

In addition, the Fund reimburses MFund for any reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred in the performance of its duties under the Management Services Agreement. Jerry Szilagyi is the controlling member of MFund Services, the controlling member of the Advisor, Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC and AlphaCentric Advisors LLC (each an investment advisor to certain series of the Trust), and a Trustee of the Trust.

47 
 

 

 

COMPLIANCE SERVICES

 

Pursuant to a Compliance Services Agreement, MFund provides chief compliance officer services to the Funds. For these services, the Fund pays MFund a monthly base fee plus an asset-based fee. In addition, the Fund reimburses MFund for any reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred in the performance of its duties under the Compliance Services Agreement.

 

 

CUSTODIAN

 

The Huntington National Bank, 41 South High Street, Columbus, OH 43215, serves as the custodian of the Fund. The custodian has custody of all securities and cash of the Fund. The custodian, among other things, attends to the collection of principal and income and payment for and collection of proceeds of securities bought and sold by the Fund.

 

Brown Brothers Harriman & Co., 50 Post Office Square, Boston, MA 02110, serves as sub-custodian for the Fund’s foreign assets.

 

INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

 

The Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm is Cohen & Company, Ltd., 1350 Euclid Ave., Suite 800, Cleveland, OH 44115. Shareholders will receive annual financial statements, together with a report of independent accountants, and semiannual unaudited financial statements of the Fund. Cohen & Company, Ltd. will report on the Fund’s annual financial statements, review certain regulatory reports and the Fund’s income tax returns, and perform other professional accounting, auditing, tax and advisory services when engaged to do so by the Fund.

 

 

COUNSEL

 

Thompson Hine LLP, 41 South High Street, Suite 1700, Columbus, Ohio 43215, serves as counsel for the Trust and the independent Trustees.

 

 

DISTRIBUTOR

 

Northern Lights Distributors, LLC, located at 17605 Wright Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68130 (“Distributor”), serves as the principal underwriter and national distributor for the shares of the Fund pursuant to an Underwriting Agreement with the Trust (the “Underwriting Agreement”). The Distributor is registered as a broker-dealer under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and each state’s securities laws and is a member of FINRA. The offering of the Fund's shares is continuous. The Underwriting Agreement provides that the Distributor, as agent in connection with the distribution of Fund shares, will use its reasonable efforts to facilitate the sale of the Fund's shares.

 

The Underwriting Agreement provides that, unless sooner terminated, it will continue in effect for two years initially and thereafter shall continue from year to year, subject to annual approval by (a) the Board or a vote of a majority of the outstanding shares, and (b) by a majority of the Trustees who are not interested persons of the Trust or of the Distributor by vote cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval.

 

The Underwriting Agreement may be terminated by the Fund at any time, without the payment of any penalty, by vote of a majority of the entire Board of the Trust or by vote of a majority of the outstanding shares of the Fund on 60 days' written notice to the Distributor, or by the Distributor at any time, without the payment of any penalty, on 60 days' written notice to the Fund. The Underwriting Agreement will automatically terminate in the event of its assignment.

 

48 
 

12b-1 Plans

 

As a compensation-type plan, the Rule 12b-1 Plan is designed to pay a financial intermediary (including the Distributor, the Advisor and their affiliates) for activities principally intended to result in the sale of Shares such as advertising and marketing of Shares (including printing and disseminating prospectuses and sales literature to prospective shareholders and financial intermediaries) and providing incentives to financial intermediaries to sell Shares. The Plan is also designed to cover the cost of administrative services performed in conjunction with the sale of Shares, including, but not limited to, shareholder services, recordkeeping services and educational services, as well as the costs of implementing and operating the Plan. In accordance with the Distribution Plan, the Distributor or the Fund may enter into agreements with financial intermediaries and dealers relating to distribution and/or marketing services with respect to the Class A Shares, Class C Shares, Class T Shares and Institutional Shares of the Fund. The Distributor or the Fund may also enter into Rule 12b-1 related agreements with financial institutions (including fiduciaries, custodians for public funds, and investment advisers) to provide distribution related and other services with respect to each class of shares. The Rule 12b-1 Plan may benefit the Fund in a number of ways. For example, it is anticipated that the Plan may help the Fund attract and retain assets, thus providing cash for orderly portfolio management and Share redemptions and possibly helping to stabilize or reduce other operating expenses.

 

 

In addition, the Plan is integral to the multiple class structure of the Fund, which promotes the sale of Shares by providing a range of options to investors. The Fund’s service providers that receive asset-based fees also benefit from stable or increasing Fund assets.

 

Under the 12b-1 Plan, the Fund may compensate a financial intermediary more or less than its actual marketing and administrative expenses. In no event will the Fund pay for any expenses of a financial intermediary that exceed the maximum Rule 12b-1 Plan fee.

 

The fee paid to the Adviser and/or Distributor by the Fund is computed on an annualized basis reflecting the average daily net assets of the class. The maximum distribution and service fee for Class A, Institutional and Class T Shares is 0.25% of the average daily net assets of the class of shares. Class C Shares of the Fund pay a maximum distribution and service fee of 1.00% of the Fund’s Class C Shares’ average daily net assets. Of this amount, 0.75% represents distribution 12b-1 fees and 0.25% represents shareholder servicing fees. The 12b-1 Plan has not been implemented for the Institutional Shares and there are no plans to impose these fees.

 

 

SHAREHOLDER SERVICES

 

With respect to Class A, Class C, and Institutional Shares, the Fund may pay a shareholder servicing fee of up to 0.25% of its average daily net assets to financial intermediaries, including the Distributor, the Advisor and their affiliates for providing shareholder services and maintaining shareholder accounts. The financial intermediary may select others to perform these services for their customers and may pay them fees.

 

ADDITIONAL COMPENSATION TO FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES

 

The Fund may directly enter into agreements with “financial intermediaries” pursuant to which the Fund will pay the financial intermediary for services such as networking or sub-transfer agency, including the maintenance of “street name” or omnibus accounts and related sub-accounting, record-keeping and administrative services provided to such accounts. Payments made pursuant to such agreements are generally based on either: (1) a percentage of the average daily net assets of clients serviced by such financial intermediary, or (2) the number of accounts serviced by such financial intermediary. Any payments made pursuant to such agreements are in addition to, rather than in lieu of, Rule 12b-1 or shareholder service fees the financial intermediary may also be receiving. From time to time, the Advisor or its affiliates may pay a portion of the fees for networking or sub-transfer agency at its or their own expense and out of its or their legitimate profits. These payments may be material to financial intermediaries relative to other compensation paid by the Fund and/or the Underwriter, the Advisor and their

49 
 

affiliates. The payments described above may differ and may vary from amounts paid to the Fund’s transfer agent or other service providers for providing similar services to other accounts. The financial intermediaries are not audited by the Fund, the Advisor or their service providers to determine whether such intermediaries are providing the services for which they are receiving such payments.

The Advisor or affiliates of the Advisor may also, at their own expense and out of their own legitimate profits, provide additional cash payments to financial intermediaries who sell shares of the Fund. These additional cash payments are payments over and above sales commissions or reallowances, distribution fees or servicing fees (including networking, administration and sub-transfer agency fees) payable to a financial intermediary which are disclosed elsewhere in the prospectus or this SAI. These additional cash payments are generally made to financial intermediaries that provide sub- accounting, sub-transfer agency, shareholder or administrative services or marketing support. Marketing support may include: (i) access to sales meetings or conferences, sales representatives and financial intermediary management representatives; (ii) inclusion of the Fund on a sales list, including a preferred or select sales list, or other sales programs to which financial intermediaries provide more marketing support than to other sales programs on which the Advisor or its affiliates may not need to make additional cash payments to be included; (iii) promotion of the sale of the Fund’s shares in communications with a financial intermediary’s customers, sales representatives or management representatives; and/or (iv) other specified services intended to assist in the distribution and marketing of the Fund’s shares. These additional cash payments also may be made as an expense reimbursement in cases where the financial intermediary provides shareholder services to Fund shareholders. The Advisor 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 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 level of compensation paid. A financial intermediary and its sales representatives may have similar financial incentives to recommend a particular class of the Fund’s shares over other classes of the Fund’s shares. You should consult with your financial adviser and review carefully any disclosure by the financial firm as to compensation received by your financial adviser.

Although the Fund may use financial firms that sell its shares to effect portfolio transactions for the Fund, the Fund and the Advisor will not consider the sale of Fund shares as a factor when choosing financial firms to effect those transactions.

 

PROXY VOTING POLICY

 

The Board of Trustees of the Trust has delegated responsibilities for decisions regarding proxy voting for securities held by the Fund to the Sub-Advisor. The Sub-Advisor may delegate such proxy voting to a third party proxy voting service provider. The proxy voting delegate will vote such proxies in accordance with its proxy policies and procedures. In some instances, the proxy voting delegate may be asked to cast a proxy vote that presents a conflict between its interests and the interests of the Fund’s shareholders. In such a case, the Trust’s policy requires that the proxy voting delegate abstain from making a voting decision and to forward all necessary proxy voting materials to the Trust to enable the Board of Trustees to make a voting decision. When the Board of Trustees of the Trust is required to make a proxy voting decision, only the Trustees without a conflict of interest with regard to the security in question or the matter to be voted upon shall be permitted to participate in the decision of how the Fund’s vote will be cast. Each proxy voting delegate has developed a detailed proxy voting policy that has been approved by the Board of Trustees. The Sub-Advisor's Proxy Voting Policies are attached hereto as Appendix A.

 

Information on how the Fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities is available without charge, upon request, by calling 800-253-0412 or on the SEC's Internet site at www.sec.gov. In addition, a copy of the Fund’s proxy

50 
 

voting policies and procedures is also available by calling 800-253-0412 and will be sent within three business days of receipt of a request.

PORTFOLIO TURNOVER

 

Turnover rates are primarily a function of the Fund’s response to market conditions. Since the Fund has not commenced operations as of the end of the Trust's last fiscal year, it does not have any annual portfolio turnover data to report. Such information will be provided in future filings.

 

PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS

 

Purchases and sales of securities on a securities exchange are effected by brokers, and the Fund pays a brokerage commission for this service. In transactions on stock exchanges, these commissions are negotiated. In the over-the-counter market, securities (e.g., debt securities) are normally traded on a "net" basis with dealers acting as principal for their own accounts without a stated commission, although the price of the securities usually includes a profit to the dealer. In underwritten offerings, securities are purchased at a fixed price, which includes an amount of compensation to the underwriter, generally referred to as the underwriter's concession or discount.

 

The primary consideration in placing portfolio security transactions with broker-dealers for execution is to obtain and maintain the availability of execution at the most favorable prices and in the most effective manner possible. The Advisor attempts to achieve this result by selecting broker-dealers to execute portfolio transactions on behalf of the Fund on the basis of the broker-dealers' professional capability, the value and quality of their brokerage services and the level of their brokerage commissions.

 

Although commissions paid on every transaction will, in the judgment of the Advisor, be reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage services provided, under the Management Agreement and as permitted by Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Advisor may cause the Fund to pay a commission to broker-dealers who provide brokerage and research services to the Advisor for effecting a securities transaction for the Fund. Such commission may exceed the amount other broker-dealers would have charged for the transaction, if the Advisor determines in good faith that the greater commission is reasonable relative to the value of the brokerage and the research and investment information services provided by the executing broker-dealer viewed in terms of either a particular transaction or the Advisor’s overall responsibilities to the Fund and to its other clients. Such research and investment information services may include advice as to the value of securities, the advisability of investing in, purchasing or selling securities, the availability of securities or of purchasers or sellers of securities, furnishing analyses and reports concerning issuers, industries, securities, economic factors and trends, portfolio strategy and the performance of accounts, and effecting securities transactions and performing functions incidental thereto such as clearance and settlement.

 

Research provided by brokers is used for the benefit of all of the clients of the Advisor and not solely or necessarily for the benefit of the Fund. The Advisor's investment management personnel attempt to evaluate the quality of research provided by brokers. Results of this effort are sometimes used by the Advisor as a consideration in the selection of brokers to execute portfolio transactions.

 

The investment advisory fees that the Fund pays to the Advisor will not be reduced as a consequence of the Advisor's receipt of brokerage and research services. To the extent the Fund's portfolio transactions are used to obtain such services, the brokerage commissions paid by the Fund will exceed those that might otherwise be paid, by an amount, which cannot be presently determined. Such services would be useful and of value to the Advisor in serving both the Fund and other clients and, conversely, such services obtained by the placement of brokerage business of other clients would be useful to the Advisor in carrying out its obligations to the Fund.

 

Certain investments may be appropriate for the Fund and also for other clients advised by the Advisor. Investment decisions for the Fund and other clients are made with a view to achieving their respective investment objectives and after consideration of such factors as their current holdings, availability of cash for investment and the size of their investments generally. To the extent possible, Fund transactions are traded separately from trades of other clients advised by the Advisor. Occasionally, a particular security may be bought or sold for one or more clients in different

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amounts. In such event, and to the extent permitted by applicable law and regulations, such transactions with respect to the Advisor will be allocated among the clients in a manner believed to be equitable to each. Ordinarily, such allocation will be made on the basis of the weighted average price of such transactions effected during a trading day.

The Fund has no obligation to deal with any broker or dealer in the execution of its transactions. However, the Fund may place substantially all or a significant portion of its transactions, both in stocks and options, with affiliates of the Advisor or the Distributor. As the level of securities trading increases, the level of commissions paid by the Fund to the affiliates increases. Such transactions will be executed at competitive commission rates through the affiliated broker’s clearing broker. Because the affiliates receive compensation based on the amount of transactions completed, there could be an incentive on the part of the Advisor to effect as many transactions as possible thereby maximizing the commissions and premiums it receives. In connection with the execution of transactions, subject to its policy of best execution, the Fund may pay higher brokerage commissions to the affiliate than it might pay to unaffiliated broker-dealers.

 

In order for the affiliated broker to effect any portfolio transactions for the Fund on an exchange, the commissions, fees or other remuneration received by the affiliated broker must be reasonable and fair compared to the commissions, fees or other remuneration paid to other brokers in connection with comparable transactions involving similar securities being purchased or sold on an exchange during a comparable period of time. This standard would allow the affiliated broker to receive no more than the remuneration that would be expected to be received by an unaffiliated broker in a commensurate arms-length transaction.

 

Under the Investment Company Act of 1940, persons affiliated with the Advisor or the Distributor, or an affiliate of the Advisor (such as J.A. Glynn Investments, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of J.A. Glynn & Co.) or the Distributor, may be prohibited from dealing with the Fund as a principal in the purchase and sale of securities. Therefore, affiliates of the Advisor or Distributor will not serve as the Fund’s dealer in connection with over-the-counter transactions. However, affiliates of the Advisor may serve as the Fund’s broker in over-the-counter transactions conducted on an agency basis and will receive brokerage commissions in connection with such transactions. Such agency transactions will be executed through the clearing broker.

 

The Fund will not effect any brokerage transactions in its portfolio securities with an affiliate if such transactions would be unfair or unreasonable to Fund shareholders, and the commissions will be paid solely for the execution of trades and not for any other services. The Investment Advisory Agreements provide that affiliates of the Advisor may receive brokerage commissions in connection with effecting such transactions for the Fund. In determining the commissions to be paid to an affiliated broker, it is the policy of the Trust that such commissions will, in the judgment of the Trust’s Board of Trustees, be (a) at least as favorable to the Fund as those which would be charged by other qualified brokers having comparable execution capability, and (b) at least as favorable to the Fund as commissions contemporaneously charged by the affiliated broker on comparable transactions for its most favored unaffiliated customers, except for customers of the affiliated broker considered by a majority of the Trust’s disinterested Trustees not to be comparable to the Fund. The disinterested Trustees from time to time review, among other things, information relating to the commissions charged by an affiliated broker to the Fund and its other customers, and rates and other information concerning the commissions charged by other qualified brokers.

 

The Agreement does not provide for a reduction of the Distributor's or Advisor’s fee by the amount of any profits earned by an affiliated broker from brokerage commissions generated from portfolio transactions of the Fund. While other brokerage business may be given from time to time to other firms, the affiliated brokers will not receive reciprocal brokerage business as a result of the brokerage business placed by the Fund with others.

 

The Fund will not acquire portfolio securities issued by, or enter into repurchase agreements or reverse repurchase agreements with, the Advisor, the Distributor or their affiliates.

 

 

Purchase and Redemption of Shares

 

Fund shares may be purchased from investment dealers who have sales agreements with the Fund’s Distributor or from the Distributor directly. As described in the Prospectus, the Fund provides you with alternative ways of purchasing Fund shares based upon your individual investment needs and preferences by offering multiple classes of

52 
 

shares. Additional information about sales charges (loads) for the purchase of Class A and T Shares of the Fund is below.

 

Shares may be purchased at the public offering price through any securities dealer having a sales agreement with the Distributor. Shares may also be purchased through banks and certain other financial institutions that have agency agreements with the Distributor. These financial institutions will receive transaction fees that are the same as the commissions to dealers and may charge their customers service fees relating to investments in the Fund. Purchase requests should be addressed to the dealer or agent from which the Prospectus was received which has a sales agreement with the Distributor. Such dealer or agent may place a telephone order with the Distributor for the purchase of Fund shares. It is a dealer’s or broker’s responsibility to promptly forward payment and registration instructions (or completed applications) to the Transfer Agent for shares being purchased in order for investors to receive the next determined net asset value (or public offering price). Reference should be made to the wire order to ensure proper settlement of the trade.

 

Payment for redemptions of shares purchased by telephone should be processed within three business days. Payment must be received within seven days of the order or the trade may be canceled, and the dealer or broker placing the trade will be liable for any losses.

 

Class A and Class T Shares

 

You may purchase Class A and Class T Shares at a public offering price equal to the applicable net asset value per share plus an up-front sales charge imposed at the time of purchase as set forth in the Prospectus.

 

 

18f-1 Election

 

The Trust has elected to be governed by Rule 18f-1 under the 1940 Act pursuant to which the Trust is obligated during any 90 day period to redeem shares for any one shareholder of record solely in cash up to the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of the NAV of the Fund at the beginning of such period. The Trust has made this election to permit certain funds of the Trust to deliver, in lieu of cash, readily marketable securities from its portfolio should a redemption exceed such limitations. The securities delivered will be selected at the sole discretion of such Fund, will not necessarily be representative of the entire portfolio and may be securities which the Fund would otherwise sell. The redeeming shareholder will usually incur brokerage costs in converting the securities to cash. The method of valuing securities used to make the redemptions in kind will be the same as the method of valuing portfolio securities and such valuation will be made as of the same time the redemption price is determined. However, the Board of Trustees of the Trust has determined that, until otherwise approved by the Board, all redemptions in the Fund be made in cash only. If the Board determines to allow the Fund to redeem in kind in the future, the Fund will provide shareholders with notice of such change to the redemption policy.

 

 

SALES CHARGE WAIVERS AND REDUCTIONS AVAILABLE THROUGH CERTAIN FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES

The availability of certain sales charge waivers and discounts may depend on whether you purchase your shares directly from the Fund or through a financial intermediary. Intermediaries may impose different sales charges other than those listed below for Class A, Class C and Class T Shares and may have different policies and procedures regarding the availability of sales load and waivers or reductions. Such intermediary-specific sales charge variations are described in Appendix A to the prospectus, titled “Intermediary-Specific Sales Charge Reductions and Waivers”.

In all instances, it is the shareholder’s responsibility to notify the Fund or the shareholder’s financial intermediary at the time of purchase of any relationship or other facts qualifying the shareholder for sales charge reductions or waivers. For reductions and waivers not available through a particular intermediary, shareholders will have to purchase Fund shares directly from the Fund or through another intermediary to receive these reductions or waivers.

 

 

Reduction of Up-Front Sales Charge on Class A Shares

 

Letters of Intent

 

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An investor may qualify for a reduced sales charge on Class A Shares immediately by stating his or her intention to invest in Class A Shares of the Fund, during a 13-month period, an amount that would qualify for a reduced sales charge shown in the Fund’s Prospectus under “How to Buy Shares — Class A Shares” and by signing a non-binding Letter of Intent, which may be signed at any time within 90 days after the first investment to be included under the Letter of Intent. After signing the Letter of Intent, each investment in Class A Shares made by an investor will be entitled to the sales charge applicable to the total investment indicated in the Letter of Intent. If an investor does not complete the purchases under the Letter of Intent within the 13-month period, the sales charge will be adjusted upward, corresponding to the amount actually purchased. When an investor signs a Letter of Intent, Class A Shares of the Fund with a value of up to 5% of the amount specified in the Letter of Intent will be restricted. If the total purchases of Class A Shares made by an investor under the Letter of Intent, less redemptions, prior to the expiration of the 13-month period equals or exceeds the amount specified in the Letter of Intent, the restriction on the shares will be removed. In addition, if the total purchases of Class A Shares exceed the amount specified and qualify for a further quantity discount, the Distributor will make a retroactive price adjustment and will apply the adjustment to purchase additional Class A Shares at the then current applicable offering price. If an investor does not complete purchases under a Letter of Intent, the sales charge is adjusted upward, and, if after written notice to the investor, he or she does not pay the increased sales charge, sufficient Class A restricted shares will be redeemed at the current net asset value to pay such charge.

Rights of Accumulation

 

A right of accumulation ("ROA") permits an investor to aggregate shares owned by the investor, his spouse, children and grandchildren under 21 (cumulatively, the "Investor") in some or all Funds in the Trust to reach a breakpoint discount. This includes accounts held with other financial institutions and accounts established for a single trust estate or single fiduciary account, including a qualified retirement plan such as an IRA, 401(k) or 403(b) plan (some restrictions may apply). The value of shares eligible for a cumulative quantity discount equals the cumulative cost of the shares purchased (not including reinvested dividends) or the current account market value; whichever is greater. The current market value of the shares is determined by multiplying the number of shares by the previous day’s net asset value.

 

(a) Investor's current purchase of Class A Shares in the Fund; and

 

(b) The net asset value (at the close of business on the previous day) of the Class A Shares of the Fund held by Investor.

 

For example, if Investor owned Class A Shares worth $40,000 at the current net asset value and purchased an additional $10,000 of Class A Shares, the sales charge for the $10,000 purchase would be at the rate applicable to a single $50,000 purchase.

 

To qualify for a ROA on a purchase of Class A Shares through a broker-dealer, when each purchase is made, the individual investor or the broker-dealer must provide the Fund with sufficient information to verify that the purchase qualifies for the discount.

 

Investments of $1 Million or More

 

With respect to Class A Shares, if you invest $1 million or more, either as a lump sum or through our rights of accumulation quantity discount or letter of intent programs, you can buy Class A Shares without an initial sales charge. However, you may be subject to a 1% contingent deferred sales charge (“CDSC”) on shares redeemed within two years of purchase (excluding shares purchased with reinvested dividends and/or distributions).

 

 

Waivers of Up-Front Sales Charge on Class A Shares

 

The Prospectus describes the classes of persons that may purchase shares without an up-front sales charge. The elimination of the up-front sales charge for redemptions by certain classes of persons is provided because of anticipated economies of scale and sales related efforts.

 

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To qualify for a waiver of the up-front sales charge on a purchase of Class A Shares through a broker-dealer, when each purchase is made, the individual investor or the broker-dealer must provide the Fund with sufficient information to verify that the purchase qualifies for the discount.

 

The Fund makes available, free of charge, more information about sales charge reductions and waivers through the prospectus.

 

WAIVERS OF DEFERRED SALES CHARGE ON CLASS C SHARES

 

Class C Shares are sold without an initial front-end sales charge, but a deferred sales charge of 1.00% applies, however, if Class C Shares are sold within 12 months of purchase.

FRONT-END SALES CHARGE REALLOWANCES

The Distributor receives a front-end sales charge on certain Share sales. The Distributor generally pays a portion of this charge to eligible financial intermediaries for sales of Fund shares and/or administrative services. The Distributor retains any portion not paid to a financial intermediary, and can make this available for marketing and sales-related activities and expenses, including those of the Advisor and its affiliates.

 

SHAREHOLDER RIGHTS

The Trust is an open-end management investment company, whose Declaration of Trust permits the Trust to offer separate series of Shares of beneficial interest, representing interests in separate portfolios of securities. The Shares in any one portfolio may be offered in two or more separate classes. As of the date of this SAI, the Trustees have established four classes of Shares, known as Class A Shares, Class C Shares, Class T Shares and Institutional Shares. Class A Shares, Class C Shares, and Institutional Shares, of the Fund are fully transferable. Each class is entitled to dividends from the respective class assets of the Fund as declared by the Trustees, and if the Trust (or the Fund) were liquidated, the shareholders of each class would receive the net assets of the Fund attributable to each respective class.

All shareholders are entitled to one vote for each Share held on the record date for any action requiring a vote by the shareholders and a proportionate fractional vote for each fractional Share held. Shareholders of the Trust will vote in the aggregate and not by Fund or class except (i) as otherwise expressly required by law or when the Trustees determine that the matter to be voted upon affects only the interests of the shareholders of the Fund or class, or (ii) only holders of Class A Shares and Class C Shares will be entitled to vote on matters submitted to shareholder vote with respect to the Rule 12b-1 Plan applicable to such class or classes.

The rights of shareholders cannot be modified without a majority vote.

The Trust is not required to hold annual meetings of shareholders for the purpose of electing Trustees except that (i) the Trust is required to hold a shareholder meeting for the election of Trustees at such time as less than a majority of the Trustees holding office have been elected by shareholders, and (ii) if, as a result of a vacancy on the Board, less than two-thirds of the Trustees holding office have been elected by the shareholders, that vacancy may only be filled by a vote of the shareholders. In addition, a Trustee may be removed from office by a written consent signed by the holders of Shares representing two-thirds of the outstanding Shares of the Trust at a meeting duly called for the purpose, which meeting must be held upon written request of not less than 10% of the outstanding Shares of the Trust. Upon written request by the holders of Shares representing 1% of the outstanding Shares of the Trust stating that such shareholders wish to communicate with the other shareholders for the purpose of obtaining the signatures necessary to demand a meeting to consider removal of a Trustee, the Trust will provide a list of shareholders or disseminate appropriate materials (at the expense of the requesting shareholders). Except as set forth above, a Trustee may continue to hold office and may appoint successor Trustees.  

Shareholder inquiries regarding the Fund should be directed to the Trust, c/o Gemini Fund Service, LLC, 80 Arkay Drive, Suite 110, Hauppauge, NY 11788.

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Additional Information on Purchases, Exchanges and Redemptions

Class C Shares may be purchased, exchanged with other Class C Shares within the Complex, or redeemed by contacting the Trust or your investment professional. Class C Shares may also be offered through other financial intermediaries.

Class A Shares of the Fund may be purchased, exchanged or redeemed by contacting the Trust or your investment professional. Class A Shares may also be offered through other financial intermediaries.

Institutional Shares may be purchased only through fiduciary, advisory, agency and other similar accounts maintained by or on behalf of Rational or its affiliates or correspondent banks, as well as similar customers of third party financial institutions. Individuals who receive Institutional Shares as a result of a Trust distribution or similar transaction, or by operation of law, will be permitted to retain such Shares, but may not purchase additional Institutional Shares, except by means of the reinvestment of dividends or distributions. Exchanges of Institutional Shares, if permitted by the account agreement, as well as redemptions of Institutional Shares, are made by contacting the Trust.

Telephone purchase, exchange or redemption requests may be recorded and will be binding upon an investor. Use of the telephone for exchanges or redemptions involves the possible risk of loss, since anyone providing the required information may be able to use the service without the shareholder’s permission. If reasonable procedures are not followed by the Trust, it may be liable for losses due to unauthorized or fraudulent telephone instructions.

In times of extreme economic or market conditions, shareholders may have difficulty making redemptions or exchanges by telephone. If a shareholder cannot make contact by telephone, redemption or exchange requests should be made in writing and sent by overnight mail to the Trust.

In connection with certain redemption or exchange requests, a shareholder may be required to obtain a signature guarantee for authentication purposes. Only New Technology Medallion imprints will be accepted as signature guarantees.

Other Purchase Information

Purchases of all classes of Shares are made at NAV, plus (for Class A Shares only) any applicable sales charge. All purchases are subject to minimum purchase requirements, but these requirements may be waived by the Distributor. Payment for Class A Shares and Class C Shares may not be by third party check, and any checks drawn from a bank located outside the U.S. will result in a delay in processing until the check has cleared.

If at any time the right to purchase Shares is suspended, although no new purchases may be made, in some circumstances existing shareholders may be permitted to purchase additional Shares and have dividends reinvested.

Payment in Kind. In addition to payment by check, Shares of the Fund may be purchased by customers of the Advisor in exchange for securities held by an investor which are acceptable to that Fund. Investors interested in exchanging securities must first telephone the Fund at 800-253-0412 for instructions regarding submission of a written description of the securities the investor wishes to exchange. Within five business days of the receipt of the written description, the Fund will advise the investor by telephone whether the securities to be exchanged are acceptable to the Fund whose Shares the investor desires to purchase and will instruct the investor regarding delivery of the securities. There is no charge for this review. Securities which have been accepted by the Fund must be delivered within five days following acceptance.

Securities accepted by the Fund are valued in the manner and on the days described in the section entitled “Determination of Net Asset Value” as of 4:00 p.m. (Eastern Time).

 The value of the securities to be exchanged and of the Shares of the Fund may be higher or lower on the day Fund Shares are offered than on the date of receipt by the Fund of the written description of the securities to be exchanged. The basis of the exchange of such securities for Shares of the Fund will depend on the value of the securities and the NAV of Fund Shares next determined following acceptance on the day Fund Shares are offered. Securities to be exchanged must be accompanied by a transmittal form which is available from the Fund.

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A gain or loss for federal income tax purposes may be realized by the investor upon the securities exchange depending upon the cost basis of the securities tendered. All interest, dividends, subscription or other rights with respect to accepted securities which go “ex” (the interval between the announcement and the payments of the next dividend or right) after the time of valuation become the property of the Fund and must be delivered to the Fund by the investor forthwith upon receipt from the issuer. Further, the investor must represent and agree that all securities offered to the Fund are not subject to any restrictions upon their sale by the Fund under the Securities Act of 1933, or otherwise.

 Reinstatement Privilege. Every shareholder has a one-time right, within 60 days of redeeming Class A Shares of the Fund, to reinvest the redemption proceeds at the next-determined NAV in Class A Shares without any sales charge. The investor must notify the Trust in writing of the reinvestment by the shareholder in order to eliminate a sales charge.

If the shareholder redeems Class A Shares and utilizes the reinstatement privilege, there may be tax consequences.

Other Exchange Information

Exchanges may only be made between Funds having identical shareholder registrations. For any other exchanges you must obtain a New Technology Medallion Signature Guarantee.

Unless otherwise specified in writing, the existing registration and reinvestment options relating to the Fund being exchanged will be used for any new Fund accounts required to be opened in the exchange.

Exchanges will not be available for Shares purchased by check until the check has cleared.

Other Redemption Information

Redemptions of all classes of Shares are made at NAV, less any applicable contingent deferred sales charge (CDSC). If you make exchanges of your Class A Shares among the Funds, the holding period for purposes of determining the applicable CDSC will be determined based on the purchase date of your original Shares.

If a shareholder wishes to wire redemption proceeds to a bank other than the one previously designated, redemption may be delayed by as much as seven days. To change the name of the bank account to which redemption proceeds will be wired, a shareholder should send a written request (and, if necessary, with a New Technology Medallion Signature Guarantee) to the Trust, P.O. Box 6110, Indianapolis, IN 46206-6110.

Proceeds from the redemption of Shares purchased by check will not be available until the check has cleared.

Redemption in kind. Although the Fund intends to pay Share redemptions in cash, they reserve the right, as described below, to pay the redemption price in whole or in part by a distribution of the Fund’s portfolio securities.

Because the Fund has elected to be governed by Rule 18f-1 under the 1940 Act, the Fund is obligated to pay Share redemptions to any one shareholder in cash only up to the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of the net assets represented by such Share class during any 90-day period.

Any Share redemption payment greater than this amount will also be in cash unless the Fund determines that payment should be in kind. In such a case, the Fund will pay all or a portion of the remainder of the redemption in portfolio securities, valued in the same way as the Fund determines its NAV. The portfolio securities will be selected in a manner that the Fund’s Trustees deem fair and equitable and, to the extent available, such securities will be readily marketable.

Redemption in kind is not as liquid as a cash redemption. If redemption is made in kind, shareholders receiving the portfolio securities and selling them before their maturity could receive less than the redemption value of the securities and could incur certain transaction costs.

 

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NET ASSET VALUE

 

Net asset value per share is determined by dividing the total value of the Fund's assets, less any liabilities, by the number of shares of the Fund outstanding.

 

The NAV per share of the Fund is determined by the Administrator as of the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (normally 4:00 p.m., EST) on each day when the New York Stock Exchange is open for trading. The New York Stock Exchange is closed on the following holidays: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day as observed.

 

Assets for which market quotations are available are valued as follows: (a) each listed security is valued at its closing price obtained from the respective primary exchange on which the security is listed, or, if there were no sales on that day, at its last reported current bid price; (b) each unlisted security is valued at the last current bid price obtained from the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotation System; (c) United States Government and agency obligations are valued based upon bid quotations from the Federal Reserve Bank for identical or similar obligations; (d) short-term money market instruments (such as certificates of deposit, bankers' acceptances and commercial paper) are most often valued by bid quotation or by reference to bid quotations of available yields for similar instruments of issuers with similar credit ratings. All of these prices are obtained by the Administrator from services, which collect and disseminate such market prices. Bid quotations for short-term money market instruments reported by such a service are the bid quotations reported to it by the major dealers.

 

Certain securities may be valued on the basis of valuations provided by an independent pricing service when such prices the Advisor believes reflect the fair value of such securities. These securities would normally be those which have no available recent market value, have few outstanding shares and therefore infrequent trades, or for which there is a lack of consensus on the value, with quoted prices covering a wide range. The lack of consensus would result from relatively unusual circumstances such as no trading in the security for long periods of time, or a company's involvement in merger or acquisition activity, with widely varying valuations placed on the company's assets or stock. Prices provided by an independent pricing service may be determined without exclusive reliance on quoted prices and may take into account appropriate factors such as institutional-size trading in similar groups of securities, yield, quality, coupon rate, maturity, type of issue, trading characteristics and other market data.

 

In the absence of an ascertainable market value, assets are valued at their fair value as determined by the Fund's Advisor using methods and procedures reviewed and approved by the Trustees.

 

Short-term securities with remaining maturities of sixty days or less for which market quotations and information pricing service are not readily available are valued either at amortized cost or at original cost plus accrued interest, both of which approximate current value.

 

Exchange Privilege

 

As described in the Fund’s Prospectus under “How To Redeem Shares—Exchanging Shares,” the Fund offers an exchange privilege pursuant to which a shareholder in the Fund may exchange some or all of his shares in any of the funds in the Trust advised by the Advisor, in the same class shares at net asset value. The exchange privilege may be changed or discontinued upon 60 days’ written notice to shareholders and is available only to shareholders where such exchanges may be legally made. A shareholder considering an exchange should obtain and read the prospectus of the Fund and consider the differences between it and the Fund whose shares he owns before making an exchange. For further information on how to exercise the exchange privilege, contact the Transfer Agent.

 

TAX INFORMATION

 

The Fund has qualified, and intends to continue to qualify, as a regulated investment company, or “RIC”, under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). Qualification generally will relieve the Fund of liability for federal income taxes. If for any taxable year the Fund does not qualify for the special tax treatment afforded regulated investment companies, all of its taxable income will be subject to federal tax at regular corporate rates (without any deduction for distributions to its shareholders). In such event, dividend distributions would be taxable

58 
 

to shareholders to the extent of the Fund’s earnings and profits, and would be eligible for the dividends-received deduction for corporations.

The Fund’s net realized capital gains from securities transactions will be distributed only after reducing such gains by the amount of any available capital loss carryforwards. Capital losses incurred in tax years beginning after December 22, 2010 may now be carried forward indefinitely and retain the character of the original loss. Under previously enacted laws, capital losses could only be carried forward to offset any capital gains for eight years, and carried forward as short-term capital, irrespective of the character of the original loss. Capital loss carryforwards are available to offset future realized capital gains. To the extent that these carryforwards are used to offset future capital gains it is probable that the amount offset will not be distributed to shareholders.

For taxable years beginning after December 31, 2012, certain U.S. shareholders, including individuals and estates and trusts, will be subject to an additional 3.8% Medicare tax on all or a portion of their “net investment income,” which should include dividends from the Fund and net gains from the disposition of shares of the Fund. U.S. shareholders are urged to consult their own tax advisors regarding the implications of the additional Medicare tax resulting from an investment in the Fund.

 

INVESTMENTS IN FOREIGN SECURITIES

 

The Fund may be subject to foreign withholding taxes on income from certain foreign securities. This, in turn, could reduce the Fund's income dividends paid to you.

 

Pass-Through of Foreign Tax Credits. The Fund may be subject to certain taxes imposed by the countries in which it invests or operates. If the Fund qualifies as a regulated investment company and if more than 50% of the value of the Fund’s total assets at the close of any taxable year consists of stocks or securities of foreign corporations, the Fund may elect, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, to treat any foreign taxes paid by the Fund that qualify as income or similar taxes under U.S. income tax principles as having been paid by the Fund’s shareholders. It is not likely that the Fund will be able to do so. For any year for which the Fund makes such an election, each shareholder will be required to include in its gross income an amount equal to its allocable share of such taxes paid by the Fund and the shareholders will be entitled, subject to certain limitations, to credit their portions of these amounts against their U.S. federal income tax liability, if any, or to deduct their portions from their U.S. taxable income, if any. No deduction for foreign taxes may be claimed by individuals who do not itemize deductions. In any year in which it elects to “pass through” foreign taxes to shareholders, the Fund will notify shareholders within 60 days after the close of the Fund’s taxable year of the amount of such taxes and the sources of its income. Furthermore, the amount of the foreign tax credit that is available may be limited to the extent that dividends from a foreign corporation qualify for the lower tax rate on “qualified dividend income.”

 

Effect of Foreign Debt Investments and Hedging on Distributions. Under the Code, gains or losses attributable to fluctuations in exchange rates, which occur between the time the Fund accrues receivables or liabilities denominated in a foreign currency, and the time the Fund actually collects such receivables or pays such liabilities, generally are treated as ordinary income or ordinary loss. Similarly, on disposition of debt securities denominated in a foreign currency and on disposition of certain options and futures contracts, gains or losses attributable to fluctuations in the value of foreign currency between the date of acquisition of the security or contract and the date of disposition also are treated as ordinary gain or loss. These gains when distributed are taxable to you as ordinary income, and any losses reduce the Fund's ordinary income otherwise available for distribution to you. This treatment could increase or decrease the Fund's ordinary income distributions to you, and may cause some or all of the Fund's previously distributed income to be classified as a return of capital. A return of capital generally is not taxable to you, but reduces the tax basis of your shares in the Fund. Any return of capital in excess of your basis, however, is taxable as a capital gain.

 

PFIC securities. The Fund may invest in securities of foreign entities that could be deemed for tax purposes to be passive foreign investment companies (PFICs). In general, a foreign corporation is classified as a PFIC if at least one-half of its assets constitute investment-type assets, or 75% or more of its gross income is investment-type income. When investing in PFIC securities, the Fund may elect to mark-to-market a PFIC and recognize any gains at the end of its fiscal and excise (described above) tax years. Deductions for losses are allowable only to the extent of

59 
 

any current or previously recognized gains. These gains (reduced by allowable losses) are treated as ordinary income that the Fund is required to distribute, even though it has not sold the securities. You should also be aware that distributions from a PFIC are generally not eligible for the reduced rate of tax on “qualified dividend income.” In the alternative, the Fund may elect to treat the PFIC as a “qualified electing fund” (a “QEF election”), in which case the Fund would be required to include its share of the company’s income and net capital gains annually, regardless of whether it receives distributions from the company. The QEF and mark-to-market elections may require the Fund to sell securities it would have otherwise continued to hold in order to make distributions to shareholders to avoid any Fund-level tax. Income from investments in PFICs generally will not qualify for treatment as qualified dividend income.

 

BACKUP WITHHOLDING

 

The Fund may be required to withhold U.S. federal income tax at the fourth lowest tax rate applicable to unmarried individuals of all reportable payments, including dividends, capital gain distributions and redemptions payable to shareholders who fail to provide the Fund with their correct taxpayer identification number or to make required certifications, or who have been notified by the IRS that they are subject to backup withholding. Corporate shareholders and certain other shareholders specified in the Code generally are exempt from such backup withholding. Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld may be credited against the shareholder’s U.S. federal income tax liability.

 

Other Reporting and Withholding Requirements. Payments to a shareholder that is either a foreign financial institution (“FFI”) or a non-financial foreign entity (“NFFE”) within the meaning of the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (“FATCA”) may be subject to a generally nonrefundable 30% withholding tax on: (a) income dividends paid by the Fund after June 30, 2014, and (b) certain capital gain distributions and the proceeds arising from the sale of Fund shares paid by the Fund after December 31, 2016.  FATCA withholding tax generally can be avoided: (a) by an FFI, subject to any applicable intergovernmental agreement or other exemption, if it enters into a valid agreement with the IRS to, among other requirements, report required information about certain direct and indirect ownership of  foreign financial accounts held by U.S. persons with the FFI, and (b) by an NFFE, if it: (i) certifies that it has no substantial U.S. persons as owners, or (ii) if it does have such owners, reports information relating to them. The Fund may disclose the information that it receives from its shareholders to the IRS, non-U.S. taxing authorities or other parties as necessary to comply with FATCA.  Withholding also may be required if a foreign entity that is a shareholder of the Fund fails to provide the Fund with appropriate certifications or other documentation concerning its status under FATCA.

 

Foreign Shareholders

 

The United States imposes a withholding tax (at a 30% or lower treaty rate) on all Fund dividends of ordinary income. Capital gain dividends paid by the Fund from its net long-term capital gains and exempt-interest dividends are generally exempt from this withholding tax. The American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 (2004 Tax Act) amends these withholding tax provisions to exempt most dividends paid by the Fund from short-term capital gains and U.S. source interest income to the extent such gains and income would be exempt if earned directly by the non-U.S. investor. Under 2004 Tax Act, ordinary dividends designated as short-term capital gain dividends and interest-related dividends designated as a payment out of qualified interest income will generally not be subject to a U.S. withholding tax, provided you certify you are a non-U.S. investor. These exemptions from withholding are effective for distributions of income earned by the Fund in its fiscal years beginning after December 31, 2004 and ending before January 1, 2008.

 

The 2004 Tax Act also provides a partial exemption from U.S. estate tax for shares in the Fund held by the estate of a non-U.S. decedent. The amount treated as exempt is based on the proportion of assets in the Fund at the end of the quarter immediately preceding the decedent’s death that would be exempt if held directly by the non-U.S. investor. This provision applies to decedents dying after December 31, 2004 and before January 1, 2008.

 

 

Please be aware that the U.S. tax information contained in this Statement of Additional Information is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of avoiding U.S. tax penalties.

 

60 
 

WHOLLY-OWNED SUBSIDIARY

 

The Fund invests a portion of its assets in the Subsidiary, which is classified as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes. A foreign corporation, such as the Subsidiary, will generally not be subject to U.S. federal income taxation unless it is deemed to be engaged in a U.S. trade or business. The Subsidiary conducts its activities in a manner so as to meet the requirements of a safe harbor under Section 864(b)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code (the "Safe Harbor") pursuant to which the Subsidiary, provided it is not a dealer in stocks, securities or commodities, may engage in the following activities without being deemed to be engaged in a U.S. trade or business: (1) trading in stocks or securities (including contracts or options to buy or sell securities) for its own account; and (2) trading, for its own account, in commodities that are "of a kind customarily dealt in on an organized commodity exchange" if the transaction is of a kind customarily consummated at such place. Thus, the Subsidiary's securities and commodities trading activities should not constitute a U.S. trade or business. However, if certain of the Subsidiary's activities were determined not to be of the type described in the Safe Harbor or if the Subsidiary's gains are attributable to investments in securities that constitute U.S. real property interests (which is not expected), then the activities of the Subsidiary may constitute a U.S. trade or business, or be taxed as such.

 

The Internal Revenue Service has issued a number of private letter rulings to other mutual funds (unrelated to the Funds), which indicate that certain undistributed income from a fund's investment in a wholly-owned foreign subsidiary will constitute "qualifying income" for purposes of Subchapter M. However, the IRS no longer issues such letters. The Fund does not have a private letter ruling, but fully intends to comply with the IRS' rules if the IRS were to change its position. To satisfy the 90% income requirement, the Subsidiary will, no less than annually, declare and distribute a dividend to the Portfolio, as the sole shareholder of the Subsidiary, in an amount approximately equal to the total amount of "Subpart F" income (as defined in Section 951 of the Code) generated by or expected to be generated by the Subsidiary's investments during the fiscal year. Such dividend distributions are "qualifying income" pursuant to Subchapter M (Section 851(b)) of the Code.

 

In general, a foreign corporation that does not conduct a U.S. trade or business is nonetheless subject to tax at a flat rate of 30 percent (or lower tax treaty rate), generally payable through withholding, on the gross amount of certain U.S.-source income that is not effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business. There is presently no tax treaty in force between the U.S. and the Cayman Islands that would reduce this rate of withholding tax. Income subject to such a flat tax includes dividends and certain interest income. The 30 percent tax does not apply to U.S. source capital gains (whether long-term or short-term) or to interest paid to a foreign corporation on its deposits with U.S. banks. The 30 percent tax also does not apply to interest which qualifies as "portfolio interest." The term "portfolio interest" generally includes interest (including original issue discount) on an obligation in registered form which has been issued after July 18, 1984 and with respect to which the person, who would otherwise be required to deduct and withhold the 30 percent tax, received the required statement that the beneficial owner of the obligation is not a U.S. person within the meaning of the Internal Revenue Code. Under certain circumstances, interest on bearer obligations may also be considered portfolio interest.

 

The Subsidiary is wholly-owned by the Fund. A U.S. person who owns (directly, indirectly or constructively) 10 percent or more of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of a foreign corporation is a "U.S. Shareholder" for purposes of the controlled foreign corporation ("CFC") provisions of the Internal Revenue Code. A foreign corporation is a CFC if, on any day of its taxable year, more than 50 percent of the voting power or value of its stock is owned (directly, indirectly or constructively) by "U.S. Shareholders." Because the Fund is a U.S. person that will own all of the stock of the Subsidiary, the Fund will be a "U.S. Shareholder" and the Subsidiary is a CFC. As a "U.S. Shareholder," the Fund is required to include in gross income for United States federal income tax purposes all of the Subsidiary's "subpart F income" (defined, in part, below), whether or not such income is distributed by the Subsidiary. It is expected that all of the Subsidiary's income will be "subpart F income." "Subpart F income" generally includes interest, original issue discount, dividends, net gains from the disposition of stocks or securities, receipts with respect to securities loans and net payments received with respect to equity swaps and similar derivatives. "Subpart F income" also includes the excess of gains over losses from transactions (including futures, forward and similar transactions) in any commodities. The Fund's recognition of the Subsidiary's "subpart F income" will increase the Fund's tax basis in the Subsidiary. Distributions by the Subsidiary to the Fund is tax-free, to the extent of its previously undistributed "subpart F income," and will correspondingly reduce the Fund's tax basis in the Subsidiary. "Subpart F income" is generally treated as ordinary income, regardless of the character of the Subsidiary's underlying income.

61 
 

 

In general, each "U.S. Shareholder" is required to file IRS Form 5471 with its U.S. federal income tax (or information) returns providing information about its ownership of the CFC and the CFC. In addition, a "U.S. Shareholder" may in certain circumstances be required to report a disposition of shares in the Subsidiary by attaching IRS Form 5471 to its U.S. federal income tax (or information) return that it would normally file for the taxable year in which the disposition occurs. In general, these filing requirements will apply to investors of the Fund if the investor is a U.S. person who owns directly, indirectly or constructively (within the meaning of Sections 958(a) and (b) of the Internal Revenue Code) 10 percent or more of the total combined voting power of all classes of voting stock of a foreign corporation that is a CFC for an uninterrupted period of 30 days or more during any tax year of the foreign corporation, and who owned that stock on the last day of that year.

 

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

The Fund has not yet commenced operations and, therefore, has not produced financial statements. Once produced, you can obtain a copy of the financial statements contained in the Fund’s Annual or Semi-Annual Report without charge by calling the Fund at 1-800-253-0412.

 

The Predecessor Fund’s audited financial statements for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2015 and December 31, 2016, and the (unaudited) financial statements for the period from January 1, 2017 to August 31, 2017 are attached as Appendix B. The audited financial statements of the Predecessor Fund have been audited by Arthur F. Bell, Jr. & Associates, LLC, the independent auditor for the Predecessor Fund for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2015 and December 31, 2016. The financial statements for the semi-annual period ended August 31, 2017 have not been audited.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

62 
 

Appendix A

 

NuWave Investment Management LLC

Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures

 

1.                   GOVERNING STANDARDS

This Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures (the “Policy”) has been adopted by NuWave Investment Management LLC (the “Investment Adviser”) to comply with Rule 206(4)-6 (the “Rule”) under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the “Advisers Act”). The Policy, which has been designed to ensure that the Investment Adviser votes proxies in the best interest of its client and provides clients with information about how such proxies are voted, contains procedures that have been reasonably designed to prevent and detect fraudulent, deceptive or manipulative acts by the Investment Adviser and/or its advisory affiliates.[1]

2.                   LEGAL REQUIREMENTS

The Rule states that it is a fraudulent, deceptive or manipulative act, practice or course of business within the meaning of Section 206(4) of the Advisers Act, for an investment adviser to exercise voting authority with respect to client securities, unless the investment adviser:

(a) Adopts and implements written policies and procedures that are reasonably designed to ensure that the investment adviser votes client securities in the best interest of clients, which procedures must include how the investment adviser addresses material conflicts that may arise between its interests and those of its clients;
(b) Discloses to clients how they may obtain information from the Investment Adviser about how it voted with respect to their securities;
(c) Describes to clients the investment adviser’s proxy voting policies and procedures and, upon request, furnishes a copy of the policies and procedures to the requesting client.

In accordance with its obligations under the Rule, the Investment Adviser has designed and adopted the following procedures to ensure that client proxies are voted in the best interest of clients at all times.

3.                   POLICY

The Policy applies to those client accounts that contain voting securities and for which the Investment Adviser has authority to vote client proxies. The Policy will be reviewed and, as necessary, updated periodically to address new or revised proxy voting issues.

When voting proxies for client accounts, the Investment Adviser’s primary objective is to make voting decisions solely in the best interest of the clients for which it manages assets. In fulfilling its obligations to such clients, the Investment Adviser will act in a manner deemed to be prudent and diligent and which is intended to


[1] The Investment Adviser’s advisory affiliates are defined in this Policy to include: 1) all members, officers, directors (or any person performing similar functions); 2) all persons directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by the Investment Adviser; and 3) all current employees.

63 
 

enhance the economic value of the underlying securities held in client accounts. This Policy is designed to ensure that the Investment Adviser exercises care and diligence to monitor corporate governance and other developments relevant to client securities and to take such factors into account when exercising its authority to vote on behalf of its clients. Moreover, to the extent shareholder proposals raise potential conflicts of interest for the Investment Adviser or its advisory affiliates, the policy obligates the Investment Adviser to resolve those conflicts in favor of its clients.

In certain situations, a client or its fiduciary may provide the Investment Adviser with a statement of proxy voting policy or guidelines. In such situations, the Investment Adviser shall seek to comply with such policy or guidelines to the extent that it would not be inconsistent with applicable regulations or its fiduciary responsibilities.

4.                   PROCEDURES

The Investment Adviser shall contract with Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. (“ISS”), to procure independent proxy voting policies and research services and to act as its voting agent (in accordance with such policies) for all proxy voting decisions with respect to client securities. ISS’ proxy voting guidelines serve as an industry standard and “best practice” guide to corporate governance issues. ISS engages with institutional clients, the academic community and industry experts worldwide to provide input on its proxy voting policies and methodologies. Institutional investors are invited each year to weigh-in on corporate governance issues and share their views on key topics on corporate governance. This valuable insight is then incorporated into ISS’ policy review and update process, resulting in the formulation of benchmark policies that are aligned with the views of institutional clients.

With more than 20 years of experience and coverage of over 38,000 companies across 115 markets, ISS delivers leading corporate governance solutions that enhance the interaction between shareholders and companies, in order to help shareholders manage risk and drive value. ISS provides the Investment Adviser premier end-to-end voting services, with dedicated voting agents who support complete proxy management needs with respect to client securities.

5.                   RECORDKEEPING

A. General: In accordance with Rule 204-2(c)(2) under the Advisers Act, the Investment Adviser shall maintain the following documents in an easily accessible place for five years, the first two in an appropriate office of the Investment Adviser:
· Proxy voting policies and procedures;
· Proxy statements received regarding client securities;
· Records of votes cast on behalf of clients;
· Records of client requests for proxy voting information; and
· Any documents prepared by the Investment Adviser that were material to making a decision how to vote, or that memorialized the basis for the decision.

In lieu of maintaining its own copies of proxy statements as noted above, the Investment Adviser may rely on proxy statements filed on the SEC’s EDGAR system (see http://www.sec.gov/info/edgar/forms.htm). Additionally, the Investment Adviser may rely on proxy statements and records of proxy votes cast by, and maintained with, its voting agent.

All proxy votes will be recorded on the Investment Adviser’s Proxy Voting Record, or in another suitable place. In either case, the following information will be maintained:

64 
 
· The name of the issuer of the portfolio security;
· The exchange ticker symbol of the portfolio security;
· The Council on Uniform Securities Identification Procedures (“CUSIP”) number for the portfolio security;
· The shareholder meeting date;
· The number of shares the Investment Adviser voted on a firm-wide basis;
· A brief identification of the matter voted on;
· Whether the matter was proposed by the issuer or by a security holder;
· Whether or not the Investment Adviser cast its votes on the matter;
· How the Investment Adviser cast its vote (e.g., for or against the proposal, or abstain; for or withhold regarding the election of directors);
· Whether the Investment Adviser cast its vote with or against management; and
· Whether any client requested an alternative vote on its proxy.
B. Conflicting Votes: In the event that the Investment Adviser votes the same proxy in two directions, it shall maintain documentation to support its voting in the permanent file (this may occur if a client requires the Investment Adviser to vote a certain way on an issue, while the Investment Adviser deems it beneficial to vote in the opposite direction for its other clients).
C. Client Request to Review Votes: Any request by a client to review proxy votes, whether written (including e-mail) or oral, received by any of the Investment Adviser’s employees, must be promptly reported to the Chief Compliance Officer. All such written requests must be retained in the Investment Adviser’s proxy voting files. The following additional procedures shall be followed with respect to a client request to review proxy voting information:
· The Chief Compliance Officer shall record the identity of the client, the date of the request, and the nature of any disposition (e.g., provided a written or oral response to client’s request; referred to a third party; not a proxy voting client; other disposition; etc.) in a document entitled Client Requests for Proxy Information, or in another suitable place.
· The Investment Adviser shall provide the information requested, free of charge, to the client within a reasonable time period (generally within ten (10) business days) for their review at the offices of the Investment Adviser. Such a review shall be documented and should be attached and maintained with the client’s written request, if applicable, and maintained in the permanent file.

Clients are permitted to request, and the Investment Adviser is required to provide for review, the proxy voting record for such client for the five (5) year period prior to their request.

6.                   ANNUAL REVIEW

65 
 

On at least an annual basis, the Investment Adviser will review a sample of its client accounts to ensure that it is properly receiving and voting all of its clients’ proxies in accordance with the Rule.

7.                   CONFIDENTIALITY

All reports and any other information filed with the Investment Adviser pursuant to this policy shall be treated as confidential, except that the same may be disclosed to the Investment Adviser’s management, any regulatory or self-regulatory authority or agency upon its request, or as required by law or court or administrative order.

8.                   AMENDMENT

The Investment Adviser may, from time to time, amend this Policy and/or adopt such interpretations of this policy as it deems appropriate; provided, however, that such changes are approved by the Investment Adviser’s management.

9.                   QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS

Any questions or concerns regarding this Policy or whether a particular issue may present a material conflict of interest with respect to the Investment Adviser’s voting of client proxies should be directed to the Chief Compliance Officer.

 

66 
 

Appendix B

 

Financial Statements

67 
 
NUWAVE EQUITY ENHANCED FUND LP
 
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
 
 
AUGUST 31, 2017
 
 
(INCLUDING THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
OF NUWAVE LARGE CAP ACTIVE ALPHA L.P.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A CLAIM OF EXEMPTION FROM CERTAIN REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS HAS BEEN FILED WITH THE
COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING COMMISSION PURSUANT TO REGULATION 4.7 BY THE COMMODITY
POOL OPERATOR OF NUWAVE EQUITY ENHANCED FUND LP

 

 

NUWAVE EQUITY ENHANCED FUND LP
MASTER INDEX

 

   Section
    
NuWave Equity Enhanced Fund LP  I
Financial Statements
As of August 31, 2017 and for period then ended
   
    
    
NuWave Large Cap Active Alpha L.P.  II
Financial Statements
As of August 31, 2017 and for period then ended
   

 

 

NUWAVE EQUITY ENHANCED FUND LP
 
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
 
 
AUGUST 31, 2017

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A CLAIM OF EXEMPTION FROM CERTAIN REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS HAS BEEN FILED WITH THE
COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING COMMISSION PURSUANT TO REGULATION 4.7 BY THE COMMODITY
POOL OPERATOR OF NUWAVE EQUITY ENHANCED FUND LP

 

 

NUWAVE EQUITY ENHANCED FUND LP
CONTENTS

 

Financial Statements  
   
Statement of Financial Condition 3
   
Statement of Operations 4
   
Statement of Changes in Partners’ Capital 5
   
Schedule of Investments 6-7
   
Notes to Financial Statements 8-16

 

 

NUWAVE EQUITY ENHANCED FUND LP
STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL CONDITION
 
August 31, 2017

 

Assets     
      
Investment in NuWave Large Cap Active Alpha L.P., at fair value  $5,065,698 
Cash   378,263 
Due from GP   5,315 
Due from broker   1,503,067 
Other assets   3,566 
      
   $6,955,909 
Liabilities and partners’ capital     
      
Liabilities     
Due to related parties  $10,440 
Derivative contracts, at fair value   38,017 
Accrued expenses and other liabilities   2,037 
Total liabilities   50,494 
      
Partners’ capital (Net assets)  $6,905,415 
      

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

3

 

NUWAVE EQUITY ENHANCED FUND LP
STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS
 
Period Ended August 31, 2017

 

Net investment income (loss) allocated from NuWave Large Cap Active Alpha L.P.     
Dividend income  $68,154 
Total Net investment income (loss) allocated from NuWave Large Cap Active Alpha L.P.   68,154 
      
Partnership expenses     
Interest expense   3,209 
Management fee   (45,225)
Total partnership expenses   (42,016)
      
Net investment income (loss)   26,138 
      
Realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments allocated from NuWave Large Cap Active Alpha L.P.     
Net realized gain (loss) on securities and foreign currency transactions   264,345 
Net change in unrealized appreciation or (depreciation) on investments and foreign currency transactions   90,542 
      
Net gain (loss) allocated from NuWave Large Cap Active Alpha L.P.   354,887 
      
Partnership realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments     
Net realized gain (loss) on derivatives (net of commission fees of $14,321)   78,377 
Net change in unrealized appreciation or (depreciation) on derivatives   (107,746)
      
Net gain (loss) on Partnership investments   (29,369)
      
Net income (loss)  $351,656 
      
Expenses charged     
Administration   4,000 
Audit and Tax   24,241 
Total expenses  $28,241 
      
Expenses paid by General Partner   (28,241)
Net result in expenses charged  $ 
      

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

4

 

NUWAVE EQUITY ENHANCED FUND LP
STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN PARTNERS’ CAPITAL
 
Period Ended August 31, 2017

 

   General   Limited     
   Partner   Partners   Total 
             
Partners’ capital, beginning of year  $181   $5,924,078   $5,924,259 
                
Capital contributions       650,000    650,000 
                
Capital withdrawals   (20,478)       (20,478)
                
Performance allocation   25,793    (25,793)    
                
Net investment income (loss) allocated from NuWave Large Cap Active Alpha L.P.               
Dividend income       68,154    68,154 
                
Partnership expenses               
Interest expense       3,209    3,209 
Management fee       (45,247)   (45,247)
                
Realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments allocated from NuWave Large Cap Active Alpha L.P.               
Net realized gain (loss) on securities and foreign currency transactions   (4,301)   268,646    264,345 
Net change in unrealized appreciation or (depreciation) on investments and foreign currency transactions   (1,474)   92,016    90,542 
                
Partnership realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments               
Net realized gain (loss) on derivatives (net of commission fees of $14,321)   (1,275)   79,652    78,377 
Net change in unrealized appreciation or (depreciation) on derivatives   1,747    (109,493)   (107,746)
                
Partners’ capital, end of year  $193   $6,905,222   $6,905,415 
                

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

5

 

NUWAVE EQUITY ENHANCED FUND LP
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
 
Period Ended August 31, 2017

 

   Number of  Notional      Percentage of   Fair 
   Contracts  Amount   Maturity  Net Assets   Value 
                   
Derivative contracts, at fair value                      
Long futures contracts                     
Commodity Prices                     
Agriculture                     
Lean Hogs Future  1  $25,368   October 2017   (0.0)%  $(808)
Interest Rate                     
Japanese 10yr Bond Future  1   1,370,713   September 2017   0.0    363 
Long Gilt Future  4   649,626   December 2017   0.0    2,113 
Metal                     
Copper Future  2   148,825   December 2017   0.1    6,100 
LME Aluminum Future  1   47,382   September 2017   0.1    5,160 
LME Aluminum Future  1   48,254   October 2017   0.1    4,478 
LME Aluminum Future  1   50,844   November 2017   0.0    2,006 
LME Aluminum Future  1   52,497   November 2017   0.0    423 
LME Aluminum Future  2   105,088   November 2017   0.0    699 
LME Aluminum Future  3   155,600   November 2017   0.0    3,032 
LME Copper Future  1   146,166   October 2017   0.3    23,034 
LME Copper Future  1   159,726   October 2017   0.1    9,735 
LME Copper Future  1   159,108   November 2017   0.2    10,393 
LME Copper Future  1   160,079   November 2017   0.1    9,570 
Total Commodity Prices              1.1    76,298 
Equity Price                     
Index                     
CAC 40 10 Euro Future  6   364,934   September 2017   (0.1)   (7,561)
DAX Index Future  1   354,580   September 2017   (0.2)   (10,283)
FTSE 100 Index Future  1   283,688   September 2017   0.1    4,052 
FTSE MIB Index Future  1   123,466   September 2017   0.0    2,841 
IBEX 35 Future Index  2   247,367   September 2017   (0.1)   (5,992)
Nikkei 225 (SGX) Future  3   270,726   September 2017   (0.0)   (1,608)
S&P/TSX 60 Index Future  1   133,254   September 2017   (0.0)   (1,340)
SPI 200 Future  2   212,071   September 2017   0.0    2,577 
TOPIX Index Future  1   145,386   September 2017   0.0    1,408 
Total Equity Price              (0.2)   (15,906)
                      
Foreign currency exchange rate                     
Currency                     
Australian Dollar Currency Future  9   711,911   September 2017   0.1    3,409 
Canadian Dollar Currency Future  14   1,109,911   September 2017   0.2    10,579 
Euro FX Currency Future  3   440,756   September 2017   0.1    5,944 
Mexican Peso Currency Future  6   167,535   September 2017   0.0    315 
Total Foreign currency exchange rate              0.3    20,247 
Total long futures contracts              1.2    80,639 
                      

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

6

 

NUWAVE EQUITY ENHANCED FUND LP
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
 
Period Ended August 31, 2017

 

   Number of  Notional      Percentage of   Fair 
   Contracts  Amount   Maturity  Net Assets   Value 
                   
Derivative contracts, at fair value                     
Short futures contracts                     
Commodity Prices                     
Agriculture                     
Cocoa Future  (2)  $(40,625)  December 2017   0.0%  $2,105 
Coffee ‘C’ Future  (2)   (97,738)  December 2017   0.0    725 
Corn Future  (9)   (161,823)  December 2017   0.0    836 
Cotton No. 2 Future  (13)   (447,268)  December 2017   (0.2)   (13,777)
Soybean Future  (16)   (749,543)  November 2017   (0.1)   (6,657)
Sugar #11 World Future  (9)   (143,153)  March 2018   (0.1)   (7,845)
Sugar #11 World Future  (1)   (14,906)  October 2017   (0.0)   (1,222)
Energy                     
Gasoline Rbob Future  (2)   (125,177)  November 2017   (0.1)   (9,710)
Natural Gas Future  (5)   (145,814)  October 2017   (0.1)   (6,186)
NY Harb ULSD Future  (1)   (68,313)  October 2017   (0.1)   (4,847)
WTI Crude Future  (2)   (97,920)  October 2017   0.1    3,460 
Interest Rate                     
3Mo Euro Euribor Future  (3)   (881,437)  March 2018   (0.0)   (134)
90 Day Euro Dollar Future  (29)   (7,139,275)  March 2018   (0.1)   (4,875)
90 Day Sterling Future  (57)   (9,188,609)  March 2018   (0.1)   (9,243)
Australian 10yr Bond Future  (10)   (1,024,402)  September 2017   0.1    3,746 
Euro Bund Future  (6)   (1,140,101)  September 2017   (0.3)   (17,975)
US 10 Yr Note Future  (5)   (633,047)  December 2017   (0.0)   (1,875)
Metal                     
Gold 100 oz. Future  (1)   (126,762)  December 2017   (0.1)   (5,458)
LME Aluminum US  (1)   (51,763)  September 2017   (0.0)   (780)
LME Copper US  (1)   (161,863)  October 2017   (0.1)   (7,337)
LME Copper US  (1)   (162,263)  October 2017   (0.1)   (7,198)
LME Copper US  (1)   (168,150)  November 2017   (0.0)   (1,351)
Platinum Future  (2)   (94,353)  October 2017   (0.1)   (5,497)
Silver Future  (3)   (257,010)  December 2017   (0.1)   (6,615)
Total Commodity Prices              (1.6)   (107,710)
Foreign currency exchange rate                     
Currency                     
British Pound Currency Future  (1)   (81,169)  September 2017   0.0    294 
Japanese Yen Currency Future  (7)   (784,878)  September 2017   (0.2)   (11,240)
Total Foreign currency exchange rate              (0.2)   (10,946)
Total short futures contracts              (1.7)   (118,656)
                      
Total derivative contracts, at fair value              (0.6)%  $(38,017)
                      

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

7

 

NUWAVE EQUITY ENHANCED FUND LP
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
 
1.Nature of operations and summary of significant accounting policies

 

Nature of Operations

 

NuWave Equity Enhanced Fund, LP (the “Partnership”) is a Delaware investment limited partnership that commenced operations on April 1, 2013. The Partnership was organized for the purpose of trading and investing in futures contracts and a related Master Fund. The Partnership is managed by NuWave Investment Management, LLC (the “General Partner”). Refer to the Partnership’s offering memorandum for more information.

 

Prior to January 1, 2016, both the Partnership and NuWave Large Cap Active Alpha L.P. were “feeder funds” within a “master-feeder” portfolio structure in which NuWave Large Cap Active Alpha Master Fund Ltd., a Cayman Islands exempted company incorporated in December 2012, acted as the “master” portfolio and traded pursuant to the General Partner’s Large Cap Active Alpha Portfolio. In an effort to consolidate entities within the “master-feeder” structure and reduce legal, administrative and audit costs related thereto, the “master-feeder” structure was altered, effective January 1, 2016, such that the Partnership continued to act as a “feeder fund” and NuWave Large Cap Active Alpha L.P. (the “Master Fund”) acts as the “master” portfolio.

 

Effective January 1, 2016, the Partnership redeemed its shares in NuWave Large Cap Active Alpha Master Fund Ltd. and subscribed for limited partnership interests in the Master Fund.

 

The Partnership owns approximately 79% of the Master Fund at August 31, 2017.

 

Basis of Presentation

 

The financial statements have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) as detailed in the Financial Accounting Standards Board’s (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification.

 

The Partnership is an investment company that follows the accounting and reporting guidance of the Financial Services – Investment Companies Topic of the Codification.

 

Pursuant to the Cash Flows Topic of the Codification, the Partnership qualifies for an exemption from the requirement to provide a statement of cash flows and has elected not to provide a statement of cash flows.

 

Cash and Cash Equivalents

 

Cash represents cash deposits held at financial institutions. Cash equivalents include short-term highly liquid investments of sufficient credit quality that are readily convertible to known amounts of cash and have original maturities of three months or less. Cash equivalents are carried at cost, plus accrued interest, which approximates fair value. Cash equivalents are held for the purpose of meeting short-term liquidity requirements, rather than for investment purposes. Cash and cash equivalents are held at major financial institutions.

 

Valuation of Investment in NuWave Large Cap Active Alpha L.P.

 

The Partnership records its investment in the Master Fund at fair value. Valuation of investments held by the Master Fund, including, but not limited to the valuation techniques used and categorization within the fair value hierarchy of investments, are discussed in the notes to the Master Fund financial statements included elsewhere in this report.

8

 

NUWAVE EQUITY ENHANCED FUND LP
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
 
1.Nature of operations and summary of significant accounting policies (continued)

 

Fair Value - Definition and Hierarchy

 

Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability (i.e., the “exit price”) in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date.

 

In determining fair value, the Partnership uses various valuation techniques. A fair value hierarchy for inputs is used in measuring fair value that maximizes the use of observable inputs and minimizes the use of unobservable inputs by requiring that the most observable inputs are to be used when available. Valuation techniques that are consistent with the market or income approach are used to measure fair value. The fair value hierarchy is categorized into three levels based on the inputs as follows:

 

Level 1 - Valuations based on unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that the Partnership has the ability to access.

 

Level 2 - Valuations based on inputs, other than quoted prices included in Level 1, that are observable either directly or indirectly.

 

Level 3 - Valuations based on inputs that are unobservable and significant to the overall fair value measurement.

 

Fair value is a market-based measure, based on assumptions of prices and inputs considered from the perspective of a market participant that are current as of the measurement date, rather than an entity-specific measure. Therefore, even when market assumptions are not readily available, the Partnership’s own assumptions are set to reflect those that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability at the measurement date.

 

The availability of valuation techniques and observable inputs can vary from investment to investment and are affected by a wide variety of factors, including the type of investment, whether the investment is new and not yet established in the marketplace, the liquidity of markets, and other characteristics particular to the transaction. To the extent that valuation is based on models or inputs that are less observable or unobservable in the market, the determination of fair value requires more judgment. Because of the inherent uncertainty of valuation, those estimated values may be materially higher or lower than the values that would have been used had a ready market for the investments existed. Accordingly, the degree of judgment exercised by the Partnership in determining fair value is greatest for investments categorized in Level 3. In certain cases, the inputs used to measure fair value may fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In such cases, the level in the fair value hierarchy which the fair value measurement falls in its entirety is determined based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement.

 

Fair Value - Valuation Techniques and Inputs

 

The Partnership records its derivative activities at fair value. Gains and losses from derivative contracts are included in net change in unrealized appreciation or (depreciation) on derivatives and net realized gain (loss) on derivatives in the statement of operations. Derivative contracts include future contracts related to foreign currencies, equity prices or commodity prices. Commission fees on futures contracts are charged to expense when contracts are opened and are included in net realized gain (loss) on derivatives.

9

 

NUWAVE EQUITY ENHANCED FUND LP
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
 
1.Nature of operations and summary of significant accounting policies (continued)

 

Translation of Foreign Currency

 

Assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are translated into United States dollar amounts at the period-end exchange rates. Transactions denominated in foreign currencies, including purchases and sales of investments, and income and expenses, are translated into United States dollar amounts on the transaction date. Adjustments arising from foreign currency transactions are reflected in the statement of operations.

 

The Partnership does not isolate that portion of the results of operations arising from the effect of changes in foreign exchange rates on investments from fluctuations arising from changes in market prices of investments held. Such fluctuations are included in realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments in the statement of operations.

 

Investment Transactions and Related Investment Income

 

The Partnership records its proportionate share of the Master Fund’s income, expenses, and realized and unrealized gains and losses. In addition, the Partnership incurs and accrues its own expenses. Investment transactions are accounted for on a trade-date basis. Interest is recognized on the accrual basis.

 

Income Taxes

 

The Partnership applies the provisions of Codification Topic 740, Income Taxes, which prescribe the minimum recognition threshold a tax position must meet in connection with accounting for uncertainties in income tax positions taken or expected to be taken by an entity before being measured and recognized in the financial statements.

 

The Partnership does not record a provision for U.S. federal, state, or local income taxes because the partners report their share of the Partnership’s income or loss on their income tax returns. The Partnership files an income tax return in the U.S. federal jurisdiction, and may file income tax returns in various U.S. states. Generally, the Partnership is subject to income tax examinations by the U.S. federal taxing authority since its inception.

 

The Partnership is required to determine whether its tax positions are more likely than not to be sustained upon examination by the applicable taxing authority, based on the technical merits of the position. The tax benefit recognized is measured as the largest amount of benefit that has a greater than fifty percent likelihood of being realized upon ultimate settlement with the relevant taxing authorities. Based on its analysis, the Partnership has determined that there is no tax expense or interest expense related to uncertainties in tax positions, and that it has not incurred any liability for unrecognized tax benefits as of August 31, 2017. The Partnership does not expect that its assessment regarding unrecognized tax benefits will materially change over the next twelve months. However, the Partnership’s conclusions may be subject to review and adjustment at a later date based on factors including, but not limited to, questioning the timing and amount of deductions, the nexus of income among various tax jurisdictions, compliance with U.S. federal, U.S. state and foreign tax laws, and changes in the administrative practices and precedents of the relevant taxing authorities.

 

Use of Estimates

 

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires the Partnership’s management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts disclosed in the financial statements. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

10

 

NUWAVE EQUITY ENHANCED FUND LP
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
 
1.Nature of operations and summary of significant accounting policies (continued)

 

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncement

 

In May 2015, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2015-07 (ASU 2015-07) Disclosures for Investments in Certain Entities That Calculate Net Asset Value per Share (or Its Equivalent). ASU 2015-07 exempts investments measured using net asset value as a practical expedient from categorization within the fair value hierarchy and related disclosures. Instead, entities are required to separately disclose the information required under ASC 820 Fair Value Measurement for assets measured using the practical expedient. ASU 2015-07 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016 and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted. The Fund adopted ASU 2015-07 in 2016 as the Fund determined that ASU 2015-07 provides a more meaningful presentation to the users of the financial statements. The adoption of ASU 2015-07 did not have a material impact on the financial statements.

 

Investment in NuWave Large Cap Active Alpha L.P.

 

During the year, the Partnership had an investment in the Master Fund. As a practical expedient, fair value represented the Partnership’s proportionate share of the Master Fund’s net asset value determined for the Master Fund in accordance with the Master Fund’s valuation policies and reported at the time of the Partnership’s valuation by the General Partner of the Master Fund. The Partnership recorded its proportionate share of each item of the Master Fund’s income or loss in the statement of operations. This investment is subject to the terms of the Limited Partnership Agreement of the Partnership. Summarized information for this investment is as follows:

 

Beginning balance, December 31, 2016  $4,155,156 
      
Additions   487,500 
Income   423,042 
Withdrawals    
      
Ending balance, August 31, 2017  $5,065,698 
      

11

 

NUWAVE EQUITY ENHANCED FUND LP
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
 
2.Fair value measurements

 

The Partnership’s assets and liabilities recorded at fair value have been categorized based upon a fair value hierarchy as described in the Partnership’s significant accounting policies in Note 1.

 

The following table presents information about the Partnership’s assets and liabilities measured at fair value as of August 31, 2017 (in thousands):

 

   Level 1   Level 2   Level 3   Total 
Assets (at fair value)                    
                     
Derivative contracts                    
Future contracts  $119   $   $   $119 
                     
Liabilities (at fair value)                    
                     
Derivative contracts                    
Future contracts  $157   $   $   $157 
                     
Total derivative contracts  $(38)  $   $   $(38)

 

The Partnership recognizes transfers between fair value hierarchy levels at the beginning of the reporting period. During the period ended August 31, 2017, the Partnership did not have any transfers between any of the levels of the fair value hierarchy.

 

3.Due from brokers

 

Due from broker includes cash balances held with brokers and collateral on derivative transactions. Amounts due from brokers may be restricted to the extent that they serve as deposits for certain marketable securities. Due from broker may include both U.S. and foreign denominated currencies.

 

In the normal course of business, substantially all of the Partnership’s securities transactions, derivative transactions, money balances, and security positions are transacted with the Partnership’s broker: SG Americas Securities, LLC. and BMO Harris Bank N.A. The Partnership is subject to credit risk to the extent any broker with which it conducts business is unable to fulfill contractual obligations on its behalf. The Partnership’s management monitors the financial condition of such brokers and does not anticipate any losses from this counterparty.

 

4.Derivative contracts

 

In the normal course of business, the Partnership utilizes derivative contracts in connection with its proprietary trading activities. Investments in derivative contracts are subject to additional risks that can result in a loss of all or part of an investment. The Partnership’s derivative activities and exposure to derivative contracts are classified by the following primary underlying risks: foreign currency exchange rate, commodity price, and equity price. In addition to its primary underlying risks, the Partnership is also subject to additional counterparty risk due to inability of its counterparties to meet the terms of their contracts.

12

 

NUWAVE EQUITY ENHANCED FUND LP
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
 
4.Derivative contracts (continued)

 

Futures Contracts

 

The Partnership may use futures contracts to gain exposure to, or hedge against, changes in the value of equities and commodities, interest rates or foreign currencies. A futures contract represents a commitment for the future purchase or sale of an asset at a specified price on a specified date.

 

The purchase and sale of futures requires margin deposits with a Futures Commission Merchant (“FCM”) equal to a certain percentage of the contract amount. Subsequent payments (variation margin) are made or received by the Partnership each day, depending on the daily fluctuations in the value of the contract. The Partnership recognizes a gain or loss equal to the daily variation margin. Futures may reduce the Partnership’s exposure to counterparty risk since futures are exchange-traded and the exchange’s clearinghouse, as the counterparty to all exchange-traded futures, guarantees the futures against default.

 

The Commodity Exchange Act requires an FCM to segregate all customer transactions and assets from the FCM’s proprietary activities. A customer’s cash and other equity deposited with an FCM are considered commingled with all other customer funds subject to the FCM’s segregation requirements. In the event of an FCM’s insolvency, recovery may be limited to the Partnership’s pro rata share of segregated customer funds available. It is possible that the recovery amount could be less than the total of cash and other equity deposited.

 

Credit-Risk-Related Contingent Features

 

The Partnership’s derivative contracts are subject to International Swaps and Derivatives Association (“ISDA”) Master Agreements which contain certain covenants and other provisions that may require the Partnership to post collateral on derivatives if the Partnership is in a net liability position with its counterparties exceeding certain amounts.

 

The aggregate fair value of all derivative instruments with credit-risk-related contingent features that are in a net liability position at August 31, 2017 is $157,413. If the credit-risk-related contingent features underlying these agreements were triggered as of August 31, 2017, the Partnership would have been required to post additional collateral.

 

Additionally, counterparties may immediately terminate these agreements and the related derivative contracts if the Partnership fails to maintain sufficient asset coverage for its contracts or its net assets decline by stated percentages or amounts. As of August 31, 2017, the termination values of these derivative contracts were equal to one another. All derivatives held at August 31, 2017 are deposited at SG America’s Securities, LLC.

13

 

NUWAVE EQUITY ENHANCED FUND LP
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
 
4.Derivative contracts (continued)

 

Volume of Derivative Activities

 

At August 31, 2017, the volume of the Partnership’s derivative activities based on their notional amounts(a) and number of contracts, categorized by primary underlying risk, are as follows:

 

(notional amounts in thousands)

 

   Long exposure   Short exposure 
   Notional   Number   Notional   Number 
Primary underlying risk  amounts   of contracts   amounts   of contracts 
Foreign currency exchange rate                    
Futures contracts  $2,430    32   $866    8 
Equity price                    
Futures contracts   2,135    20         
Commodity price                    
Futures contracts   3,279    21    23,121    182 
   $7,844    73   $23,987    190 
                     
(a)Notional amounts are presented net of identical offsetting derivative contracts.

 

Impact of Derivatives on the Statement of Financial Condition and Statement of Operations

 

The following table identifies the fair value amounts of derivative instruments included in the statement of financial condition as derivative contracts, categorized by primary underlying risk, at August 31, 2017. The following table also identifies the net gain and loss amounts included in the statement of operations from derivative transactions categorized by primary underlying risk, for the year ended August 31, 2017:

 

(in thousands)

 

   Derivative   Derivative   Unrealized   Realized 
Primary underlying risk  assets   liabilities   gain (loss)   gain (loss) 
Foreign currency exchange rate                    
Futures contracts  $21   $11   $18   $(113)
Equity price                    
Futures contracts   11    27    (29)   195 
Commodity price                    
Futures contracts   88    119    (97)   10 
Gross Total   120    157    (108)   92 
Less: Commission fees               (14)
Total  $120   $157   $(108)  $78 

14

 

NUWAVE EQUITY ENHANCED FUND LP
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
 
5.Partners’ capital

 

The Partnership offers Class B Limited Partnership Interests and Class B3 Limited Partnership Interests (collectively, “Interests”). Class B Limited Partnership Interests and Class B3 Limited Partnership Interests are identical in all respects, except that Class B3 Limited Partnership Interests have different liquidity and minimum investment terms.

 

In accordance with the limited partnership agreement (the “Agreement”), profits and losses of the Partnership are allocated to partners according to their respective interests in the Partnership. Subject to certain limitations, generally 20% of the return attributable to each outstanding series of Interests during a calendar quarter that is in excess of the return generated by the S&P 500 Total Return allocated to the limited partners is reallocated (the “Incentive Allocation) to the Investment Manager of the Master Fund, on a quarterly basis, at the Master Fund level. To the extent the Incentive Allocation is allocated at the Master Fund level, no Incentive Allocation will be made at the Partnership level. The General Partner of the Partnership is also the General Partner of the Master Fund.

 

Generally, a limited partner may make a capital contribution to the Partnership on the first business day of any month and capital withdrawals of all or a portion of its capital account as of the last day of any month.

 

6.Related party transactions

 

The Partnership pays the General Partner a monthly management fee in arrears on the first business day of each month, equal to 0.0833% of the aggregate net asset value determined as of the last day of the immediately preceding month, calculated prior to any withdrawals of capital as of such day.

 

Due to related parties represents amounts payable to the General Partner for expenses paid on behalf of the Partnership.

 

Certain limited partners are affiliated with the General Partner. The aggregate value of the affiliated limited partners’ share of partners’ capital at August 31, 2017 is approximately $5,600,500.

 

Certain limited partners have special management fee or redemption rights as provided for in the Agreement.

 

The General Partner has agreed to rebate the management fee and incentive allocation for certain limited partners. The discounted fee structure results in a rebate to their investment that is the difference between the Partnership’s normal fee and the discounted fees.

 

7.Administrative fee

 

Gemini Hedge Fund Services, LLC (the “Administrator”) serves as the Partnership’s administrator and performs certain administrative and clerical services on behalf of the Partnership.

15

 

NUWAVE EQUITY ENHANCED FUND LP
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
 
8.Financial highlights

 

Financial highlights for the period ended August 31, 2017 are as follows:

 

Total return before performance allocation to the General Partner   5.5%
Performance allocation to the General Partner   (0.4)
      
Total return after performance allocation to the General Partner   5.1%
      
Ratio to average limited partners’ capital     
Expenses (including interest and dividends)   0.7%
Expenses paid by General Partner   0.3 
Performance allocation to General Partner   0.4 
      
Expenses and performance allocation to General Partner   1.4%
      
Net investment income (loss)   0.3%
      
Portfolio turnover rate  Not Applicable(1) 
      

Financial highlights are calculated for the limited partner class taken as a whole. An individual limited partner’s return and ratios may vary based on participation in new issues, private investments, different incentive and/or management fee arrangements, and the timing of capital transactions. The net investment income (loss) ratio does not reflect the effects of the performance allocation to the General Partner.

 

(1)Not applicable as the Partnership did not hold or trade any securities during the year ended August 31, 2017.

 

9.Indemnifications

 

In the normal course of business, the Partnership enters into contracts and agreements that contain a variety of representations and warranties and which provide general indemnifications. The Partnership’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown, as this would involve future claims that may be made against the Partnership that have not yet occurred. The Partnership expects the risk of any future obligation under these indemnifications to be remote.

 

10.Subsequent events

 

The General Partner has notified the limited partners that the General Partner plans on converting the Partnership to a registered investment company (mutual fund), with the anticipated conversion occurring during the fourth quarter of 2017.

 

The General Partner has evaluated subsequent events through October 31, 2017, the date the financial statements were available to be issued, and has determined that there are no other subsequent events that require disclosure.

16

 

NUWAVE LARGE CAP ACTIVE ALPHA L.P.

 

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

AUGUST 31, 2017

 

 

NUWAVE LARGE CAP ACTIVE ALPHA L.P.
CONTENTS

 

Financial Statements   
    
Statement of Financial Condition  1
    
Statement of Operations  2
    
Statement of Changes in Partners’ Capital  3
    
Schedule of Investments  4-12
    
Notes to Financial Statements  13-18

 

 

NUWAVE LARGE CAP ACTIVE ALPHA L.P.
STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL CONDITION
 
August 31, 2017

 

Assets     
      
Investment in securities, at fair value (cost $6,198,173)  $6,231,729 
Receivable for securities sold   1,177,362 
Cash   179,849 
Due from related parties   1,651 
Dividends and interest receivable   19,748 
      
Total assets  $7,610,339 
      
Liabilities     
Receivable for securities sold  $1,179,987 
Dividends payable   30 
Accrued expenses and other liabilities   55 
Total liabilities   1,180,072 
      
Partners’ capital (Net Assets)  $6,430,267 

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

1

 

NUWAVE LARGE CAP ACTIVE ALPHA L.P.
STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS
 
Period Ended August 31, 2017

 

Investment Income     
Dividends (net of U.S. withholding taxes of $113)  $87,570 
      
Realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments and foreign currency transactions     
Net realized gain (loss) on investments and foreign currency transactions (net of clearing fees of $6,269)   337,856 
Net change in unrealized appreciation or (depreciation) on investments and foreign currency transactions   117,093 
Net gain (loss) on investments   454,949 
      
Net income (loss)  $542,519 
      
Expenses charged     
Administration   4,000 
Audit and Tax   15,144 
Total expenses  $19,144 
Expenses paid by General Partner   (19,144)
      
Net result in expenses charged  $ 

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

2

 

NUWAVE LARGE CAP ACTIVE ALPHA L.P.
STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN PARTNERS’ CAPITAL
 
Period Ended August 31, 2017

 

       Limited   Limited     
   General   Partners   Partners     
   Partner   Class B   Class X   Total 
                 
Partners’ capital, beginning of year  $   $1,245,090   $4,155,157   $5,400,247 
                     
Capital contributions           487,500    487,500 
                     
Capital withdrawals                
                     
Investment Income                    
Dividends (net of U.S. withholding taxes of $113)       18,754    68,816    87,570 
                     
Realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments and foreign currency transactions                    
Net realized gain (loss) on investments and foreign currency transactions (net of clearing fees of $6,269)       74,174    263,683    337,857 
Net change in unrealized appreciation or (depreciation) on investments and foreign currency transactions       26,551    90,542    117,093 
                     
Partners’ capital, end of year  $   $1,364,569   $5,065,698   $6,430,267 

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

3

 

NUWAVE LARGE CAP ACTIVE ALPHA L.P.
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
 
August 31, 2017

 

           Percentage of   Fair 
   Quantity   Cost   Net Assets   Value 
Investments in securities, at fair value                    
Common stocks                    
United States                    
Financials                    
AFLAC INC   33   $2,631    0.0%  $2,724 
ALLSTATE CORP   504    46,730    0.7    45,612 
AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL GROUP   627    38,076    0.6    37,921 
AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL INC   256    36,520    0.6    35,459 
TD AMERITRADE HOLDING CORP   141    6,191    0.1    6,108 
AMERICAN EXPRESS CO   234    19,886    0.3    20,147 
BANK OF AMERICA CORP   1,148    27,473    0.4    27,426 
BB&T CORP   251    11,577    0.2    11,569 
FRANKLIN RESOURCES INC   180    7,688    0.1    7,781 
BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON CORP   799    41,688    0.6    41,772 
BLACKROCK INC   85    36,058    0.6    35,616 
BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY INC-CL B   94    16,779    0.3    17,029 
CARNIVAL CORP   239    15,990    0.3    16,606 
CITIGROUP INC   483    32,567    0.5    32,858 
CBRE GROUP INC - A   32    1,195    0.0    1,155 
CITIZENS FINANCIAL GROUP   42    1,485    0.0    1,391 
COMERICA INC   406    28,228    0.4    27,709 
CME GROUP INC   89    11,035    0.2    11,196 
CAPITAL ONE FINANCIAL CORP   202    16,749    0.3    16,081 
DISCOVER FINANCIAL SERVICES   262    15,710    0.2    15,445 
E*TRADE FINANCIAL CORP   27    1,104    0.0    1,107 
FIFTH THIRD BANCORP   431    11,378    0.2    11,262 
GOLDMAN SACHS GROUP INC   161    35,866    0.6    36,022 
HARTFORD FINANCIAL SVCS GRP   833    46,017    0.7    45,040 
H&R BLOCK INC   245    7,282    0.1    6,551 
INVESCO LTD   358    12,005    0.2    11,735 
INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE INC   709    45,995    0.7    45,851 
JPMORGAN CHASE & CO   616    56,244    0.9    55,988 
KEYCORP   2,997    52,898    0.8    51,578 
LINCOLN NATIONAL CORP   249    17,092    0.3    16,897 
MOODY’S CORP   23    2,941    0.0    3,083 
METLIFE INC   52    2,431    0.0    2,435 
MARSH & MCLENNAN COS   561    43,448    0.7    43,803 
MORGAN STANLEY   73    3,316    0.1    3,322 
M & T BANK CORP   146    22,029    0.3    21,588 
NASDAQ INC.   176    13,239    0.2    13,267 
NORTHERN TRUST CORP   111    9,811    0.2    9,823 
PNC FINANCIAL SERVICES GROUP   248    31,424    0.5    31,102 
PRINCIPAL FINANCIAL GROUP   262    16,798    0.3    16,380 
PROGRESSIVE CORP   809    38,540    0.6    37,602 
PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL INC   188    19,105    0.3    19,191 
REGIONS FINANCIAL CORP   1,117    15,942    0.2    15,761 
S&P GLOBAL INC   135    20,264    0.3    20,835 
SCHWAB (CHARLES) CORP   918    36,217    0.6    36,628 
SUNTRUST BANKS INC   495    27,593    0.4    27,274 
STATE STREET CORP   256    23,583    0.4    23,677 
TRAVELERS COS INC/THE   24    2,998    0.0    2,908 
US BANCORP   124    6,417    0.1    6,355 
WELLS FARGO & CO   732    38,386    0.6    37,383 
ZIONS BANCORPORATION   512    22,732    0.3    22,354 
Total Financials        1,097,351    17.0    1,088,407 

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

4

 

NUWAVE LARGE CAP ACTIVE ALPHA L.P.
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
 
August 31, 2017

 

           Percentage of   Fair 
   Quantity   Cost   Net Assets   Value 
Investments in securities, at fair value                    
Common stocks                    
United States                    
Industrial Goods                    
3M CO   319   $65,112    1.0%  $65,178 
ALASKA AIR GROUP INC   32    2,468    0.0    2,389 
ARCONIC INC   26    688    0.0    662 
BOEING CO/THE   90    21,238    0.3    21,569 
C.H. ROBINSON WORLDWIDE INC   97    7,081    0.1    6,851 
CUMMINS INC   84    12,839    0.2    13,388 
CSX CORP   183    8,970    0.1    9,187 
DELTA AIR LINES INC   97    4,530    0.1    4,577 
DANAHER CORP   655    53,074    0.8    54,640 
DOVER CORP   90    7,552    0.1    7,639 
DEERE & CO   355    41,146    0.6    41,155 
EMERSON ELECTRIC CO   189    11,146    0.2    11,159 
EXPEDITORS INTL WASH INC   30    1,645    0.0    1,683 
FASTENAL CO   265    11,039    0.2    11,308 
FEDEX CORP   160    33,146    0.5    34,301 
FLUOR CORP   91    3,419    0.1    3,510 
GENERAL DYNAMICS CORP   115    22,932    0.4    23,155 
GENERAL ELECTRIC CO   2,563    64,603    1.0    62,922 
WW GRAINGER INC   44    7,110    0.1    7,153 
HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC   254    34,932    0.5    35,121 
HERTZ GLOBAL HOLDINGS INC   141    2,511    0.0    3,065 
ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS   390    54,109    0.8    53,629 
JETBLUE AIRWAYS CORP   161    3,129    0.0    3,189 
KANSAS CITY SOUTHERN   23    2,399    0.0    2,379 
KRAFT HEINZ CO/THE   621    51,904    0.8    50,146 
LOCKHEED MARTIN CORP   18    5,428    0.1    5,497 
SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO   810    42,450    0.7    42,233 
NORFOLK SOUTHERN CORP   21    2,504    0.0    2,531 
MASCO CORP   728    26,600    0.4    26,769 
NORTHROP GRUMMAN CORP   85    22,898    0.4    23,138 
PACCAR INC   45    3,065    0.0    2,985 
PARKER HANNIFIN CORP   25    3,970    0.1    4,022 
ROCKWELL AUTOMATION INC   74    11,915    0.2    12,140 
STANLEY BLACK & DECKER INC   198    27,422    0.4    28,512 
UNITED CONTINENTAL HOLDINGS   545    34,728    0.5    33,768 
UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORP   451    52,536    0.8    53,994 
UNITED RENTALS INC   30    3,473    0.1    3,542 
VERISK ANALYTICS INC-CLASS A   140    11,284    0.2    11,347 
WASTE MANAGEMENT INC   233    17,558    0.3    17,967 
Total Industrial Goods        794,553    12.1    798,400 
Consumer Discretionary                    
ADVANCE AUTO PARTS INC   71    6,857    0.1    6,951 
AMAZON.COM INC   52    49,616    0.8    50,991 
AUTOZONE INC   36    18,628    0.3    19,024 
BED BATH & BEYOND INC   366    10,301    0.2    10,098 
BORGWARNER INC   363    16,318    0.3    16,847 
CHARTER COMMUNICATION-A   150    58,966    0.9    59,781 
COMCAST CORP-CLASS A   250    10,039    0.2    10,153 
CHIPOTLE MEXICAN GRILL INC   62    19,650    0.3    19,636 
CBS CORP-CLASS B   58    3,720    0.1    3,715 
DISH NETWORK CORP   21    1,226    0.0    1,203 

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

5

 

NUWAVE LARGE CAP ACTIVE ALPHA L.P.
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
 
August 31, 2017

 

           Percentage of   Fair 
   Quantity   Cost   Net Assets   Value 
Investments in securities, at fair value                    
Common stocks                    
United States                    
Consumer Discretionary                    
DR HORTON INC   452   $16,459    0.3%  $16,340 
DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS-A   27    635    0.0    600 
EXPEDIA INC   35    4,935    0.1    5,193 
FORD MOTOR CO   1,007    10,831    0.2    11,107 
FOOT LOCKER INC   123    4,340    0.1    4,333 
GENERAL MOTORS CO   352    12,500    0.2    12,862 
GOODYEAR TIRE & RUBBER CO   199    5,910    0.1    6,030 
HASBRO INC   199    19,285    0.3    19,552 
HANESBRANDS INC   42    957    0.0    1,019 
HERSHEY CO/THE   305    31,973    0.5    32,001 
HILTON WORLDWIDE HOLDINGS IN   175    11,032    0.2    11,258 
HARLEY-DAVIDSON INC   328    15,632    0.2    15,419 
INTERPUBLIC GROUP OF COS INC   899    17,822    0.3    18,106 
NORDSTROM INC   46    2,088    0.0    2,053 
CARMAX INC   263    17,028    0.3    17,660 
MICHAEL KORS HOLDINGS LTD   339    14,735    0.2    14,313 
KOHLS CORP   115    4,420    0.1    4,575 
LENNAR CORP-A   139    7,286    0.1    7,195 
L BRANDS INC   495    18,515    0.3    17,929 
LAS VEGAS SANDS CORP   373    22,722    0.4    23,204 
MACY’S INC   505    10,448    0.2    10,489 
MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL -CL A   24    2,412    0.0    2,486 
MATTEL INC   1,191    20,460    0.3    19,318 
MCDONALD’S CORP   30    4,665    0.1    4,799 
MGM RESORTS INTERNATIONAL   66    2,100    0.0    2,175 
MOHAWK INDUSTRIES INC   33    8,067    0.1    8,353 
NETFLIX INC   82    13,966    0.2    14,326 
NIKE INC -CL B   457    24,183    0.4    24,134 
NEWELL RUBBERMAID INC   828    40,590    0.6    39,976 
OMNICOM GROUP   334    25,715    0.4    24,175 
O’REILLY AUTOMOTIVE INC   45    8,850    0.1    8,826 
PRICELINE GROUP INC/THE   33    60,011    1.0    61,119 
PULTEGROUP INC   385    9,663    0.2    9,915 
POLARIS INDUSTRIES INC   11    1,039    0.0    1,026 
ROYAL CARIBBEAN CRUISES LTD   226    27,064    0.4    28,128 
JM SMUCKER CO/THE   13    1,598    0.0    1,362 
SKECHERS USA INC-CL A   26    764    0.0    687 
SCRIPPS NETWORKS INTER-CL A   246    21,453    0.3    21,070 
STAPLES INC   1,067    10,868    0.2    10,899 
TARGET CORP   41    2,225    0.0    2,236 
TIFFANY & CO   50    4,502    0.1    4,570 
TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY FOX - A   539    14,777    0.2    14,871 
TRIPADVISOR INC   15    561    0.0    641 
TIME WARNER INC   475    48,606    0.7    48,022 
ULTA SALON COSMETICS & FRAGR   120    27,908    0.4    26,521 
URBAN OUTFITTERS INC   18    352    0.0    368 
VF CORP   252    15,812    0.2    15,843 
VIACOM INC-CLASS B   63    1,832    0.0    1,802 
WAL-MART STORES   227    18,051    0.3    17,722 
WALT DISNEY CO/THE   35    3,525    0.1    3,542 
WHIRLPOOL CORP   102    17,270    0.3    17,505 

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

6

 

NUWAVE LARGE CAP ACTIVE ALPHA L.P.
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
 
August 31, 2017

 

           Percentage of   Fair 
   Quantity   Cost   Net Assets   Value 
Investments in securities, at fair value                    
Common stocks                    
United States                    
Consumer Discretionary                    
WYNN RESORTS LTD   12   $1,642    0.0%  $1,668 
WYNDHAM WORLDWIDE CORP   146    14,036    0.2    14,553 
Total Consumer Discretionary        899,441    14.1    902,275 
Information Technology                    
ADOBE SYSTEMS INC   70    10,235    0.2    10,861 
ADVANCED MICRO DEVICES   1,013    12,317    0.2    13,169 
ANALOG DEVICES INC   267    21,000    0.3    22,340 
ALLIANCE DATA SYSTEMS CORP   24    5,467    0.1    5,412 
AUTODESK INC   203    22,095    0.4    23,238 
AKAMAI TECHNOLOGIES INC   160    7,304    0.1    7,544 
APPLIED MATERIALS INC   90    3,909    0.1    4,061 
ACTIVISION BLIZZARD INC   90    5,589    0.1    5,900 
AUTOMATIC DATA PROCESSING INC   24    2,482    0.0    2,555 
AVAGO TECHNOLOGIES LTD   56    13,682    0.2    14,116 
SALESFORCE.COM INC   170    15,845    0.3    16,233 
CISCO SYSTEMS INC   226    7,188    0.1    7,279 
COGNIZANT TECH SOLUTIONS-A   618    43,292    0.7    43,736 
CITRIX SYSTEMS INC   14    1,050    0.0    1,095 
ELECTRONIC ARTS INC   108    12,602    0.2    13,122 
EBAY INC   330    11,809    0.2    11,923 
FACEBOOK INC-A   308    51,800    0.8    52,967 
F5 NETWORKS INC   79    9,360    0.1    9,431 
FLEETCOR TECHNOLOGIES INC   25    3,635    0.1    3,594 
FIRST SOLAR INC   245    11,475    0.2    11,505 
ALPHABET INC-CL C   25    23,060    0.4    23,483 
HEWLETT-PACKARD CO   1,126    21,413    0.3    21,484 
INTL BUSINESS MACHINES CORP   542    77,107    1.2    77,522 
INTEL CORP   383    13,270    0.2    13,432 
INTUIT INC   22    3,022    0.0    3,112 
JUNIPER NETWORKS INC   534    14,774    0.2    14,808 
LAM RESEARCH CORP   84    13,584    0.2    13,942 
MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INC   44    3,631    0.1    3,819 
MICROSOFT CORP   121    8,734    0.1    9,047 
MOTOROLA SOLUTIONS INC   80    6,929    0.1    7,050 
MICRON TECHNOLOGY INC   91    2,877    0.0    2,909 
MAXIM INTEGRATED PRODUCTS   30    1,352    0.0    1,400 
SERVICENOW INC   91    9,949    0.2    10,573 
NETAPP INC   571    22,116    0.3    22,075 
NVIDIA CORP   182    29,568    0.5    30,838 
ORACLE CORP   237    11,574    0.2    11,928 
PANDORA MEDIA INC   558    4,761    0.1    4,715 
PALO ALTO NETWORKS INC   41    5,481    0.1    5,440 
PAYPAL HOLDINGS INC   93    5,516    0.1    5,736 
QUALCOMM INC   1,227    63,873    1.0    64,135 
RED HAT INC   30    2,920    0.1    3,225 
TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INC   124    9,985    0.2    10,270 
VERISIGN INC   10    984    0.0    1,037 
WESTERN DIGITAL CORP   79    7,100    0.1    6,973 
WESTERN UNION CO   335    6,386    0.1    6,338 
XILINX INC   106    6,705    0.1    7,002 
XEROX CORP   232    7,269    0.1    7,487 

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

7

 

NUWAVE LARGE CAP ACTIVE ALPHA L.P.
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
 
August 31, 2017

 

           Percentage of   Fair 
   Quantity   Cost   Net Assets   Value 
Investments in securities, at fair value                    
Common stocks                    
United States                    
Information Technology                    
APPLE INC   35   $5,546    0.1%  $5,740 
Total Information Technology        661,622    10.5    675,601 
Consumer Staples                    
ARCHER-DANIELS-MIDLAND CO   309    12,971    0.2    12,768 
ALTRIA GROUP INC   155    9,964    0.2    9,827 
CONAGRA FOODS INC   446    15,153    0.2    14,477 
COLGATE-PALMOLIVE CO   1,231    88,090    1.4    88,189 
CLOROX COMPANY   42    5,497    0.1    5,818 
COSTCO WHOLESALE CORP   189    28,999    0.5    29,624 
CONSTELLATION BRANDS INC-A   118    23,064    0.4    23,612 
DR PEPPER SNAPPLE GROUP   55    5,065    0.1    5,008 
ESTEE LAUDER COMPANIES-CL A   198    20,872    0.3    21,184 
KIMBERLY-CLARK CORP   497    60,537    1.0    61,275 
COCA-COLA CO/THE   612    28,112    0.4    27,877 
KROGER CO   928    20,905    0.3    20,295 
MONDELEZ INTERNATIONAL INC-A   85    3,566    0.1    3,456 
PEPSICO INC   168    19,934    0.3    19,443 
PROCTER & GAMBLE CO/THE   167    15,432    0.2    15,409 
PHILIP MORRIS INTERNATIONAL   270    31,137    0.5    31,571 
MOLSON COORS BREWING CO -B   70    6,317    0.1    6,282 
TYSON FOODS INC-CL A   201    13,050    0.2    12,723 
WALGREENS BOOTS ALLIANCE INC   32    2,592    0.0    2,608 
Total Consumer Staples        411,257    6.5    411,446 
Health Care                    
AMERISOURCEBERGEN CORP   17    1,375    0.0    1,364 
ABBOTT LABORATORIES   311    15,234    0.2    15,842 
AETNA INC   179    27,482    0.4    28,228 
ALEXION PHARMACEUTICALS INC   88    11,748    0.2    12,532 
AMEGEN INC   37    6,336    0.1    6,577 
ANTHEM INC   197    38,051    0.6    38,620 
BAXTER INTERNATIONAL INC   535    32,209    0.5    33,191 
CR BARD INC   115    36,792    0.6    36,893 
BECTON DICKINSON AND CO   162    32,102    0.5    32,309 
BROOKDALE SENIOR LIVING INC   17    243    0.0    206 
BLUEBIRD BIO INC   64    7,128    0.1    7,990 
BIOMARIN PHARMACEUTICAL INC   9    778    0.0    812 
BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORP   875    23,406    0.4    24,106 
CELGENE CORP   59    7,907    0.1    8,197 
CENTENE CORP   15    1,246    0.0    1,333 
CIGNA CORP   24    4,226    0.1    4,369 
COMMUNITY HEALTH SYSTEMS INC   126    1,206    0.0    963 
DAVITA INC   26    1,691    0.0    1,523 
EDWARDS LIFESCIENCES CORP   264    30,061    0.5    30,006 
EXPRESS SCRIPTS HOLDING   174    10,878    0.2    10,931 
GILEAD SCIENCES INC   78    6,083    0.1    6,529 
HCA HOLDINGS INC   114    8,931    0.1    8,967 
HOLOGIC INC   122    4,546    0.1    4,709 
ILLUMINA INC   30    5,836    0.1    6,134 
INCYTE CORP   138    18,221    0.3    18,963 
INTUITIVE SURGICAL INC   33    32,406    0.5    33,154 
JOHNSON & JOHNSON   435    57,451    0.9    57,581 
LABORATORY CRP OF AMER HLDGS   146    22,908    0.4    22,903 

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

8

 

NUWAVE LARGE CAP ACTIVE ALPHA L.P.
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
 
August 31, 2017

 

           Percentage of   Fair 
   Quantity   Cost   Net Assets   Value 
Investments in securities, at fair value                    
Common stocks                    
United States                    
Health Care                    
MCKESSON CORP   74   $10,991    0.2%  $11,049 
MERCK & CO. INC.   849    53,195    0.8    54,217 
PFIZER INC   1,285    42,640    0.7    43,587 
STRYKER CORP   145    20,452    0.3    20,499 
THERMO FISHER SCIENTIFIC INC   213    37,265    0.6    39,861 
UNITEDHEALTH GROUP INC   143    27,419    0.4    28,443 
UNIVERSAL HEALTH SERVICES-B   6    646    0.0    649 
UNITED THERAPEUTICS CORP   12    1,580    0.0    1,570 
VERTEX PHARMACEUTICALS INC   161    24,662    0.4    25,847 
Zimmer Biomet Holdings Inc   27    3,065    0.0    3,085 
Total Healthcare        668,396    10.4    683,739 
Energy                    
APACHE CORP   198    7,782    0.1    7,690 
ANADARKO PETROLEUM CORP   175    7,554    0.1    7,163 
ANDEAVOR   19    1,919    0.0    1,903 
CONTINENTAL RESOURCES INC/OK   317    10,481    0.2    10,753 
CABOT OIL & GAS CORP   530    13,122    0.2    13,542 
CONOCOPHILLIPS   278    12,038    0.2    12,137 
CHEVRON CORP   77    8,328    0.1    8,287 
CONCHO RESOURCES INC   64    7,120    0.1    7,102 
DEVON ENERGY CORPORATION   244    7,571    0.1    7,662 
EOG RESOURCES INC   144    12,174    0.2    12,239 
EQT CORP   120    7,357    0.1    7,481 
HALLIBURTON CO   329    13,035    0.2    12,821 
HESS CORP   26    1,111    0.0    1,011 
HELMERICH & PAYNE   119    5,313    0.1    5,038 
HOLLYFRONTIER CORP   119    3,380    0.1    3,726 
EXXON MOBILE CORP   955    74,564    1.1    72,895 
MARATHON OIL CORP   212    2,442    0.0    2,357 
MURPHY OIL CORP   68    1,725    0.0    1,541 
NOBLE ENERGY INC   351    8,280    0.1    8,343 
NABORS INDUSTRIES LTD   336    2,515    0.0    2,201 
NEWFIELD EXPLORATION CO   69    1,802    0.0    1,803 
NATIONAL OILWELL VARCO INC   193    5,853    0.1    5,919 
ONEOK INC   150    7,774    0.1    8,124 
OCCIDENTAL PETROLEUM CORP   276    16,467    0.3    16,477 
PHILLIPS 66   34    2,787    0.0    2,850 
PIONEER NATURAL RESOURCES CO   144    18,410    0.3    18,670 
RANGE RESOURCES CORP   275    4,713    0.1    4,774 
SOUTHWESTERN ENERGY CO   908    5,166    0.1    4,949 
VALERO ENERGY CORP   319    21,278    0.3    21,724 
WEATHERFORD INTERNATIONAL PL   1,272    4,872    0.1    4,872 
WHITING PETROLEUM CORP PL   1,322    6,589    0.1    5,909 
CIMAREX ENERGY CO   11    1,031    0.0    1,097 
Total Energy        304,553    4.5    303,060 
Basic Materials                    
AIR PRODUCTS & CHEMICALS INC   108    15,776    0.2    15,700 
CF INDUSTRIES HOLDINGS INC   304    8,806    0.1    8,813 
DOW CHEMICAL CO/THE   338    21,687    0.4    22,528 
ECOLAB INC   317    41,725    0.7    42,256 
EASTMAN CHEMICAL CO   57    4,848    0.1    4,913 

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

9

 

NUWAVE LARGE CAP ACTIVE ALPHA L.P.
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
 
August 31, 2017

 

           Percentage of   Fair 
   Quantity   Cost   Net Assets   Value 
Investments in securities, at fair value                    
Common stocks                    
United States                    
Basic Materials                    
FREEPORT-MCMORAN COPPER   1,564   $23,244    0.4%  $23,116 
MOSAIC CO/THE   38    864    0.0    759 
MONSANTO CO   733    85,981    1.3    85,908 
NEWMONT MINING CORP   98    3,526    0.1    3,757 
NUCOR CORP   100    5,458    0.1    5,511 
PPG INDUSTRIES INC   41    4,235    0.1    4,277 
PRAXAIR INC   128    16,842    0.3    16,837 
SHERWIN-WILLIAMS CO/THE   55    18,336    0.3    18,660 
Liberty Global PLC-A   113    3,659    0.1    3,842 
Total Basic Materials        254,987    4.2    256,877 
Utilities                    
CENTERPOINT ENERGY INC   52    1,493    0.0    1,540 
DOMINION RESOURCES INC/VA   289    23,005    0.4    22,765 
DUKE ENERGY CORP   360    30,799    0.5    31,428 
CONSOLIDATED EDISON INC   100    8,430    0.1    8,427 
EDISON INTERNATIONAL   153    12,258    0.2    12,268 
ENTERGY CORP   132    10,308    0.2    10,450 
EXELON CORP   673    25,249    0.4    25,487 
FIRSTENERGY CORP   271    8,851    0.1    8,829 
NEXTERA ENERGY INC   24    3,600    0.1    3,612 
NRG ENERGY INC   1,000    24,923    0.4    24,910 
P G & E CORP   103    7,017    0.1    7,249 
PPL CORP   784    30,527    0.5    30,764 
PUBLIC SERVICE ENTERPRISE GP   140    6,565    0.1    6,558 
SOUTHERN CO/THE   948    45,995    0.7    45,750 
Total Utilities        239,020    3.8    240,037 
Telecommunication Services                    
AT&T INC   1,671    63,254    1.0    62,596 
CENTURYLINK INC   298    6,141    0.1    5,877 
SPRINT CORP   1,196    9,811    0.2    9,867 
T-MOBILE US INC   406    25,745    0.4    26,272 
VERIZON COMMUNICATIONS INC   690    33,261    0.5    33,099 
Total Telecommunication Services        138,212    1.2    137,711 
                     
Total common stock - United States       $5,469,392    84.3%  $5,497,553 
Bermuda                    
Consumer Discretionary - SIGNET JEWELERS LTD   32    1,996    0.0    2,018 
Financials - XL GROUP Ltd.   152    6,667    0.1    6,226 
Total common stock - Bermuda       $8,663    0.1%  $8,244 
Canada                    
Energy - ENBRIDGE INC   44   $1,663    0.0%  $1,760 
China                    
ALIBABA GROUP HOLDING-SP ADR   268    45,465    0.7    46,026 
BAIDU INC - SPON ADR   265    58,387    0.9    60,433 
Total common stock China       $103,852    1.6%  $106,459 
India                    
Information Technology - INFOSYS LTD-SP ADR   808   $12,176    0.2   $12,120 

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

10

 

NUWAVE LARGE CAP ACTIVE ALPHA L.P.
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
 
August 31, 2017

 

           Percentage of   Fair 
   Quantity   Cost   Net Assets   Value 
Investments in securities, at fair value                    
Common stocks                    
Ireland                    
Health Care                    
ALLERGAN PLC   13   $2,884    0.0%  $2,983 
MEDTRONIC PLC   738    59,461    0.9    59,498 
MALLINCKRODT PLC   35    1,565    0.0    1,438 
ENDO INTERNATIONAL PLC   316    2,753    0.0    2,778 
PERRIGO CO PLC   42    3,326    0.1    3,316 
Industrial Goods                    
EATON CORP PLC   678    48,333    0.8    48,653 
INGERSOLL-RAND PLC   409    34,824    0.5    34,924 
Information Technology                    
SEAGATE TECHNOLOGY   544    17,342    0.3    17,152 
ACCENTURE PLC-CL A   34    4,382    0.1    4,446 
Total common stock - Ireland       $174,870    2.7%  $175,188 
Israel                    
Information Technology - CHECK POINT SOFTWARE TECH   15    1,587    0.0    1,678 
Health Care - TEVA PHARMACEUTICAL-SP ADR   1278    21,209    0.3    20,269 
        $22,796    0.3%  $21,947 
Netherlands                    
Basic Materials - LYONDELLBASELL INDU-CL A   28    2,475    0.0    2,537 
Energy - SCHLUMBERGER LTD   375    23,727    0.4    23,816 
Total common stock - Netherlands       $26,202    0.4%  $26,353 
Switzerland                    
Financials - CHUBB CORP   371    53,518    0.8    52,467 
Information Technology - TE CONNECTIVITY LTD   225    17,741    0.3    17,910 
Total common stock - Switzerland       $71,259    1.1%  $70,377 
United Kingdom                    
Telecommunication Services - VODAFONE GROUP PLC   676    19,408    0.3    19,624 
Financials - AON PLC   176    24,058    0.4    24,492 
Consumer Staples - COCA-COLA ENTERPRISES   173    7,438    0.1    7,439 
Consumer Discretionary - DELPHI AUTOMOTIVE PLC   184    16,632    0.3    17,738 
Energy - TECNHNIP FMC PLC   68    1,731    0.0    1,756 
Total common stock - United Kingdom       $69,267    1.1%  $71,049 
Total common stock       $5,960,140    91.9%  $5,991,050 
Real Estate Investment Trust - United States                    
Financials                    
AVALONBAY COMMUNITIES INC   81    15,321    0.2    15,206 
BOSTON PROPERTIES INC   18    2,146    0.0    2,171 
EQUINIX INC   3    1,323    0.0    1,405 
EQUITY RESIDENTIAL   149    10,104    0.2    10,005 
GENERAL GROWTH PROPERTIES   159    3,367    0.1    3,299 
WELLTOWER INC   48    3,403    0.1    3,515 
HOST HOTELS & RESORTS INC   274    4,802    0.1    4,965 
KIMCO REALTY CORP   189    3,857    0.1    3,708 
PROLOGIS INC   150    9,366    0.1    9,504 
PUBLIC STORAGE   23    4,622    0.1    4,723 
SIMON PROPERTY GROUP INC   31    4,907    0.1    4,862 
VORNADO REALTY TRUST   29    2,182    0.0    2,160 
VENTAS INC   71    4,661    0.1    4,859 
WEYERHAEUSER CO   221    6,978    0.1    7,207 
Total Real Estate Investment Trusts - United States       $77,039    1.3%  $77,589 

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

11

 

NUWAVE LARGE CAP ACTIVE ALPHA L.P.
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
 
August 31, 2017

 

           Percentage of   Fair 
   Quantity   Cost   Net Assets   Value 
Investments in securities, at fair value                    
Exchange Traded Products - United States                    
Financials                    
POWERSHARES QQQ TRUST SERIES   55   $12,456    0.2%  $12,866 
SPDR S&P 500 ETF TRUST   545    133,465    2.1    134,882 
Total Exchange Traded Porducts - United States       $145,921    2.3%  $147,748 
Master Limited Partnership - United States                    
Energy - ENERGY TRANSFER EQUITY LP   324    5,574    0.1    5,628 
Utilities - ENERGY TRANSFER PARTNERS LP   511    9,499    0.2    9,714 
Total Master Limited Partnerships - United States       $15,073    0.3%  $15,342 
Total investments in securities, at fair value       $6,198,173    95.8%  $6,231,729 

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

12

 

NUWAVE LARGE CAP ACTIVE ALPHA L.P.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

1.Nature of operations and summary of significant accounting policies

 

Nature of Operations

 

NuWave Large Cap Active Alpha L.P. (the “Partnership”) is a Delaware limited partnership that commenced operations on September 1, 2014. The Partnership was organized for the purpose of trading and investing in securities. The Partnership is a “master” portfolio in a “master-feeder” portfolio structure. Through this mechanism, the Partnership sells Interests to, and acts as a central investment mechanism for other investment vehicles managed by the NuWave Investment Management, LLC (the “General Partner”, or an affiliate thereof), including NuWave Equity Enhanced Fund LP, a Delaware limited partnership (“Equity Enhanced Fund”).

 

Prior to January 1, 2016, both the Partnership and Equity Enhanced Fund (with respect to a certain portion of Equity Enhanced Fund LP’s capital) were “feeder funds” within a “master-feeder” portfolio structure in which NuWave Large Cap Active Alpha Master Fund Ltd. (the “Master Fund”), a Cayman Islands exempted company incorporated in December 2012, acted as the “master” portfolio and traded pursuant to the General Partner’s Large Cap Active Alpha Portfolio. In an effort to consolidate entities within the “master-feeder” structure and reduce legal, administrative and audit costs related thereto, the “master-feeder” structure was altered, effective January 1, 2016, such that Equity Enhanced Fund continued to act as a “feeder fund” (with respect to a certain portion of Equity Enhanced Fund’s capital) and the Partnership acts as the “master” portfolio.

 

Effective January 1, 2016, all positions attributable to the Master Fund were transferred to the Partnership in connection with the Partnership’s full redemption of shares from the Master Fund. As of the same date, Equity Enhanced Fund also redeemed its shares in the Master Fund and subscribed for limited partnership interests in the Partnership.

 

The General Partner is registered with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission as an investment adviser under the investment Adviser Act of 1940.

 

Basis of Presentation

 

The financial statements have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) as detailed in the Financial Accounting Standards Board’s Accounting Standards Codification (the “Codification”).

 

The Partnership is an investment company that follows the accounting and reporting guidance of the Financial Services – Investment Companies Topic of the Codification.

 

Pursuant to the Cash Flows Topic of the Codification, the Partnership qualifies for an exemption from the requirement to provide a statement of cash flows and has elected not to provide a statement of cash flows.

 

Fair Value - Definition and Hierarchy

 

Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability (i.e., the “exit price”) in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date.

13

 

NUWAVE LARGE CAP ACTIVE ALPHA L.P.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

1.Nature of operations and summary of significant accounting policies (continued)

 

In determining fair value, the Partnership uses various valuation techniques. A fair value hierarchy for inputs is used in measuring fair value that maximizes the use of observable inputs and minimizes the use of unobservable inputs by requiring that the most observable inputs are to be used when available. Valuation techniques that are consistent with the market or income approach are used to measure fair value. The fair value hierarchy is categorized into three levels based on the inputs as follows:

 

Level 1 - Valuations based on unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that the Partnership has the ability to access.

 

Level 2 - Valuations based on inputs, other than quoted prices included in Level 1, which are observable either directly or indirectly.

 

Level 3 - Valuations based on inputs that are unobservable and significant to the overall fair value measurement.

 

Fair value is a market-based measure, based on assumptions of prices and inputs considered from the perspective of a market participant that are current as of the measurement date, rather than an entity-specific measure. Therefore, even when market assumptions are not readily available, the Partnership’s own assumptions are set to reflect those that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability at the measurement date.

 

The availability of valuation techniques and observable inputs can vary from investment to investment and are affected by a wide variety of factors, including the type of investment, whether the investment is new and not yet established in the marketplace, the liquidity of markets, and other characteristics particular to the transaction. To the extent that valuation is based on models or inputs that are less observable or unobservable in the market, the determination of fair value requires more judgment. Because of the inherent uncertainty of valuation, those estimated values may be materially higher or lower than the values that would have been used had a ready market for the investments existed. Accordingly, the degree of judgment exercised by the Partnership in determining fair value is greatest for investments categorized in Level 3. In certain cases, the inputs used to measure fair value may fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In such cases, the level in the fair value hierarchy which the fair value measurement falls in its entirety is determined based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement.

 

Fair Value - Valuation Techniques and Inputs

 

The Partnership values investments in securities that are freely tradable and are listed on a national securities exchange or reported on the NASDAQ national market at their last reported sales price as of the valuation date.

 

The Partnership records its investments at fair value. Gains and losses from investments are included in net change in unrealized appreciation or (depreciation) on investments and net realized gain (loss) on investments in the statement of operations.

14

 

NUWAVE LARGE CAP ACTIVE ALPHA L.P.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

1.Nature of operations and summary of significant accounting policies (continued)

 

Translation of Foreign Currency

 

Assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are translated into United States dollar amounts at the period-end exchange rates. Transactions denominated in foreign currencies, including purchases and sales of investments, and income and expenses, are translated into United States dollar amounts on the transaction date. Adjustments arising from foreign currency transactions are reflected in the statement of operations.

 

The Partnership does not isolate that portion of the results of operations arising from the effect of changes in foreign exchange rates on investments from fluctuations arising from changes in market prices of investments held. Such fluctuations are included in realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments and foreign currency transactions in the statement of operations.

 

Investment Transactions and Related Investment Income

 

Investment transactions are accounted for on a trade-date basis. Dividends are recorded on the ex-dividend date and interest is recognized on the accrual basis. Realized gains and losses on investment transactions are determined using cost calculated on a first in first out basis. Brokerage commissions and other trading fees are reflected as an adjustment to cost at the time of the transaction.

 

Income Taxes

 

The Partnership applies the provisions of Codification Topic 740, Income Taxes, which prescribe the minimum recognition threshold a tax position must meet in connection with accounting for uncertainties in income tax positions taken or expected to be taken by an entity before being measured and recognized in the financial statements.

 

The Partnership does not record a provision for U.S. federal, state, or local income taxes because the partners report their share of the Partnership’s income or loss on their income tax returns. The Partnership files an income tax return in the U.S. federal jurisdiction. Generally, the Partnership is subject to income tax examinations by the U.S. federal taxing authority during the three year period prior to the period covered by these financial statements.

 

The Partnership is required to determine whether its tax positions are more likely than not to be sustained upon examination by the applicable taxing authority, based on the technical merits of the position. The tax benefit recognized is measured as the largest amount of benefit that has a greater than fifty percent likelihood of being realized upon ultimate settlement with the relevant taxing authorities. Based on its analysis, the Partnership has determined that there is no tax expense or interest expense related to uncertainties in tax positions, and that it has not incurred any liability for unrecognized tax benefits as of August 31, 2017. The Partnership’s management does not expect that the total amount of unrecognized tax benefits will materially change over the next twelve months. However, the Partnership’s conclusions may be subject to review and adjustment at a later date based on factors including, but not limited to, on-going analyses of and changes to tax laws, regulations and interpretations thereof.

 

Use of Estimates

 

The preparation of financial statements in accordance with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions in determining the amounts disclosed in the financial statements. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

15

 

NUWAVE LARGE CAP ACTIVE ALPHA L.P.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

2.Fair value measurements

 

The Partnership’s assets and liabilities recorded at fair value have been categorized based upon a fair value hierarchy as described in the Partnership’s significant accounting policies in Note 1.

 

The following table presents information about the Partnership’s assets measured at fair value as of August 31, 2017 (in thousands):

 

   Level 1   Level 2   Level 3   Total 
Assets (at fair value)                    
                     
Investments in securities                    
Common stocks (1)  $5,991   $   $   $5,991 
Real Estate Investment Trust (1)   78            78 
Exchange Traded Products (1)   148            148 
Master Limited Partnership (1)   15            15 
Total Assets  $6,232   $   $   $6,232 

 

(1)See the Condensed Schedule of Investments for the fair values by country and industry within this category.

 

The Partnership recognizes transfers between hierarchy levels at the beginning of the reporting period. During the period ended August 31, 2017, the Partnership did not have any transfers between any of the levels of fair value hierarchy.

 

3.Deposits with securities broker

 

The Partnership deposits cash and securities with a securities broker, subject to Securities and Exchange Commission regulations and broker requirements. Margin requirements are satisfied by the deposit of cash and securities with such securities broker. Accordingly, assets used to meet margin and other broker or regulatory requirements are partially restricted. The Partnership earns or pays interest on amounts on deposit with, or borrowed from, such securities broker.

 

4.Partners’ capital

 

The Partnership offers Class X Limited Partnership Interests, Class B Limited Partnership Interests, Class B1 Limited Partnership Interests, Class B2 Limited Partnership Interests and Class B3 Limited Partnership Interests (collectively, the “Interests”). Class X Limited Partnership Interests, Class B Limited Partnership Interests, Class B1 Limited Partnership Interests, Class B2 Limited Partnership Interests and Class B3 Limited Partnership Interests are identical in all respects, except that (i) Class X Limited Partnership Interests are not subject to the Performance Allocation, have different liquidity terms and may only be purchased by Equity Enhanced Fund, (ii) Class B3 Limited Partnership Interests have different liquidity and minimum investment terms, (iii) Class B2 Limited Partnership Interests are subject to a Distribution Fee, and (iv) Class B1 Limited Partnership Interests are nonvoting interests. During the period ended August 31, 2017, the Partnership had Class X and Class B Interests outstanding.

16

 

NUWAVE LARGE CAP ACTIVE ALPHA L.P.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

4.Partners’ capital (continued)

 

In accordance with the limited partnership agreement (the “Agreement”), profits and losses of the Partnership are allocated to partners according to their respective interests in the Partnership. Subject to certain limitations, generally 30% of the return attributable to Class B Limited Partnership Interests, that is in excess of the return generated by the S&P 500 Total Return Index during the quarter, is reallocated (the “Performance Allocation”) to the General Partner. The Performance Allocation is subject to a loss carryforward provision. The General Partner will not receive a Performance Allocation with respect to Class X Limited Partnership Interests.

 

Generally, a limited partner may make a capital contribution to the Fund on the first business day of any month and capital withdrawals of all or a portion of its capital account as of the last day of any month.

 

5.Related party transactions

 

The General Partner of the Partnership is also the General Partner of Equity Enhanced Fund, and the Investment Manager of the Partnership. The Partnership does not presently pay the General Partner a monthly management fee.

 

Certain Class B Limited Partners are affiliated with the General Partner. The aggregate value of the affiliated Class B Limited Partners’ share of partners’ capital at August 31, 2017 is $1,364,568. Such Limited Partners are not charged the Performance Allocation.

 

Certain limited partners have special redemption rights as provided for in the Agreement.

 

6.Administrative fee

 

Gemini Hedge Fund Services, LLC (the “Administrator”) serves as the Partnership’s administrator and performs certain administrative and clerical services on behalf of the Partnership.

 

7.Market and credit risks

 

The Partnership engages in the speculative trading of equity securities and securities sold short. Such trading activities expose the Partnership to both market risk, the risks arising from changes in fair value, and credit risk, and the risk of failure by another party to perform according to the terms of contract.

 

Risks arise from short sales due to the possible illiquidity of the securities markets and from potential adverse movements in security values. Theoretically, short sales expose the Partnership to potentially unlimited liability as the Partnership’s ultimate obligation to purchase a security sold short may exceed the amount recorded in the statement of financial condition.

 

The Partnership has a substantial portion of its assets on deposit with its securities broker and other financial institutions in connection with its trading of equity securities and its cash management activities. Assets deposited with its securities broker and other financial institutions in connection with the Partnership’s trading activities are partially restricted due to deposit, margin or collateral requirements. In the event of a financial institution’s insolvency, recovery of Partnership assets on deposit may be limited to account insurance or other protection afforded such deposits.

17

 

NUWAVE LARGE CAP ACTIVE ALPHA L.P.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

7.Market and credit risks (continued)

 

The General Partner has established procedures to actively monitor market risk and minimize credit risk, although there can be no assurance that it will, in fact, succeed in doing so. The Limited Partners bear the risk of loss only to the extent of the fair value of their respective investments and, in certain specific circumstances, distributions and redemptions received.

 

8.Financial highlights

 

Financial highlights for the year ended August 31, 2017 are as follows:

 

Total return   9.6%
      
Expenses   0.00%
Expenses charged to Partnership   0.00 
Expenses paid by General Partner   0.00 
Net expenses   0.00%
      
Net investment income (loss)   1.1%
      
Portfolio turnover rate   1,300%

 

Financial highlights are calculated for each class taken as a whole. An individual limited partner’s return and ratios may vary based on different incentive and/or management fee arrangements, and the timing of capital transactions.

 

9.Indemnifications

 

In the normal course of business, the Partnership enters into contracts and agreements that contain a variety of representations and warranties and which provide general indemnifications. The Partnership’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown, as this would involve future claims that may be made against the Partnership that have not yet occurred. The Partnership expects the risk of any future obligation under these indemnifications to be remote.

 

10.Subsequent events

 

The General Partner has notified the limited partners that the General Partner plans on converting the NuWave Equity Enhanced Fund, LP to a registered investment company (mutual fund), with the anticipated conversion occurring during the fourth quarter of 2017.

 

The General Partner has evaluated subsequent events through October 31, 2017, the date the financial statements were available to be issued, and has determined that there are no other subsequent events that require disclosure.

18

NUWAVE EQUITY ENHANCED FUND LP
 
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
AND
INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT
 
DECEMBER 31, 2016
 
(INCLUDING THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND
INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT OF
NUWAVE LARGE CAP ACTIVE ALPHA L.P.)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A CLAIM OF EXEMPTION FROM CERTAIN REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS HAS BEEN FILED WITH THE
COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING COMMISSION PURSUANT TO REGULATION 4.7 BY THE COMMODITY
POOL OPERATOR OF NUWAVE EQUITY ENHANCED FUND LP

 

 

NUWAVE EQUITY ENHANCED FUND LP
MASTER INDEX

 

  Section
   
NuWave Equity Enhanced Fund LP I
Financial Statements and Independent Auditor’s Report
As of December 31, 2016 and for the year then ended
 
 
   
NuWave Large Cap Active Alpha L.P. II
Financial Statements and Independent Auditor’s Report
As of December 31, 2016 and for the year then ended
 

 

 

NUWAVE EQUITY ENHANCED FUND LP
 
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
AND
INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT
 
DECEMBER 31, 2016
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A CLAIM OF EXEMPTION FROM CERTAIN REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS HAS BEEN FILED WITH THE
COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING COMMISSION PURSUANT TO REGULATION 4.7 BY THE COMMODITY
POOL OPERATOR OF NUWAVE EQUITY ENHANCED FUND LP

 

 

NUWAVE EQUITY ENHANCED FUND LP
CONTENTS

 

Affirmation of the Commodity Pool Operator 1
   
Independent Auditor’s Report 2
   
Financial Statements  
   
Statement of Financial Condition 3
   
Statement of Operations 4
   
Statement of Changes in Partners’ Capital 5
   
Schedule of Investments 6-7
   
Notes to Financial Statements 8-16

 

 

NUWAVE EQUITY ENHANCED FUND LP
 
AFFIRMATION OF THE COMMODITY POOL OPERATOR
 
 
To the best of the knowledge and belief of the undersigned, the information contained in the annual report for the year ended December 31, 2016 is accurate and complete.
 
 
 
 

 

(-s- Troy W. Buckner)
Troy W. Buckner, President
NuWave Investment Management, LLC
Investment Manager,
NuWave Equity Enhanced Fund LP
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Commodity Pool Operator:
NuWave Investment Management, LLC
35 Waterview Blvd.
Parsippany, NJ 07054
(973) 888-6800
 
 
 

Commodity Pool:
NUWAVE EQUITY ENHANCED FUND LP

1

 

(ARTHUR BELL LOGO)
 
 
201 International Circle, Suite 400 Toll Free: 855.787.0001
Hunt Valley, Maryland 21030 Telephone: 410.771.0001
www.arthurbellcpas.com Fax: 410.785.9784
   

INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT

 

To the Partners
NuWave Equity Enhanced Fund LP

 

We have audited the accompanying financial statements of NuWave Equity Enhanced Fund LP, which comprise the statement of financial condition, including the schedule of investments, as of December 31, 2016, and the related statements of operations and changes in partners’ capital for the year then ended, and the related notes to the financial statements.

 

Management’s Responsibility for the Financial Statements

 

Management is responsible for the preparation and fair presentation of these financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America; this includes the design, implementation, and maintenance of internal control relevant to the preparation and fair presentation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.

 

Auditor’s Responsibility

 

Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audit. We conducted our audit in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free from material misstatement.

 

An audit involves performing procedures to obtain audit evidence about the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. The procedures selected depend on the auditor’s judgment, including the assessment of the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to fraud or error. In making those risk assessments, the auditor considers internal control relevant to the entity’s preparation and fair presentation of the financial statements in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the entity’s internal control. Accordingly, we express no such opinion. An audit also includes evaluating the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the reasonableness of significant accounting estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements.

 

We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our audit opinion.

 

Opinion

 

In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of NuWave Equity Enhanced Fund LP as of December 31, 2016, and the results of its operations and the changes in its net asset value for the year then ended in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

 

Emphasis of Matter

 

As discussed in the notes to the financial statements, an unmodified opinion was previously issued dated March 17, 2017 for the audit of the financial statements of NuWave Equity Enhanced Fund LP as of and for the year ended December 31, 2016. Such financial statements were subsequently amended in order to provide certain additional requested disclosures. Such additional disclosures do not change the amounts of previously reported net asset value or net income.

 

As discussed in the subsequent events footnote to the financial statements, the General Partner intends to convert NuWave Equity Enhanced Fund LP to a registered investment company in the fourth quarter of 2017.

 

(-s- ARTHUR BELL ASSOCITES LLP)

 

Hunt Valley, Maryland
October 10, 2017

2

 

NUWAVE EQUITY ENHANCED FUND LP
STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL CONDITION
December 31, 2016
 

 

Assets     
      
Investment in NuWave Large Cap Active Alpha L.P., at fair value  $4,155,156 
Cash   286,970 
Due from broker   1,420,475 
Derivative contracts, at fair value   69,729 
Other assets   3,566 
      
   $5,935,896 
Liabilities and partners’ capital     
      
Liabilities     
Due to related parties  $9,600 
Accrued expenses and other liabilities   2,037 
Total liabilities   11,637 
      
Partners’ capital (Net assets)  $5,924,259 
      

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

3

 

NUWAVE EQUITY ENHANCED FUND LP
STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS
Year Ended December 31, 2016

 

Net investment income (loss) allocated from NuWave Large Cap Active Alpha L.P.     
Dividend income  $96,965 
Total Net investment income (loss) allocated from NuWave Large Cap Active Alpha L.P.   96,965 
      
Partnership expenses     
Interest expense   (1,130)
Management fee   (65,737)
Total partnership expenses   (66,867)
      
Net investment income (loss)   30,098 
      
Realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments allocated from NuWave Large Cap Active Alpha L.P.     
Net realized gain (loss) on securities and foreign currency transactions   578,799 
Net change in unrealized appreciation or (depreciation) on investments and foreign currency transactions   (15,062)
      
Net gain (loss) allocated from NuWave Large Cap Active Alpha L.P.   563,737 
      
Partnership realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments     
Net realized gain (loss) on derivatives (net of commission fees of $15,965)   118,965 
Net change in unrealized appreciation or (depreciation) on derivatives   83,886 
      
Net gain (loss) on Partnership investments   202,851 
      
Net income (loss)  $796,686 
      
Expenses charged     
Legal  $3,563 
Administration   1,000 
Audit and Tax   17,500 
Total expenses  $22,063 
      
Expenses paid by General Partner   (22,063)
      
Net result in expenses charged  $ 
      

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

4

 

NUWAVE EQUITY ENHANCED FUND LP
STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN PARTNERS’ CAPITAL
 
Year Ended December 31, 2016

 

   General   Limited     
   Partner   Partners   Total 
             
Partners’ capital, beginning of year  $   $6,028,973   $6,028,973 
                
Capital contributions       600,000    600,000 
                
Capital withdrawals   (1,400)   (1,500,000)   (1,501,400)
                
Performance allocation   1,569    (1,569)    
                
Net investment income (loss) allocated from NuWave Large Cap Active Alpha L.P.               
Dividend income   2    96,963    96,965 
                
Partnership expenses               
Interest expense       (1,130)   (1,130)
Management fee       (65,737)   (65,737)
                
Realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments allocated from NuWave Large Cap Active Alpha L.P.               
Net realized gain (loss) on securities and foreign currency transactions   10    578,789    578,799 
Net change in unrealized appreciation or (depreciation) on investments and foreign currency transactions       (15,062)   (15,062)
                
Partnership realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments               
Net realized gain (loss) on derivatives (net of commission fees of $15,965)   (2)   118,967    118,965 
Net change in unrealized appreciation or (depreciation) on derivatives   2    83,884    83,886 
                
Partners’ capital, end of year  $181   $5,924,078   $5,924,259 
                

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

5

 

NUWAVE EQUITY ENHANCED FUND LP
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
 
Year Ended December 31, 2016

 

   Number of  Notional      Percentage of   Fair 
   Contracts  Amount   Maturity  Net Assets   Value 
                   
Derivative contracts, at fair value                     
Long futures contracts                     
Commodity Prices                     
Agriculture                     
Cotton No. 2 Future  4  $143,031   May 2017   (0.0)%  $(991)
Lean Hogs Future  1   24,999   February 2017   0.0    1,461 
Live Cattle Future  3   140,075   February 2017   (0.0)   (815)
Soybean Future  10   502,157   March 2017   0.0    (157)
Energy                     
Gasoline Rbob Future  3   212,359   March 2017   0.0    128 
Natural Gas Future  1   36,200   February 2017   0.0    1,040 
NY Harb ULSD Future  2   145,115   March 2017   0.0    877 
WTI Crude Future  5   269,278   March 2017   0.1    4,022 
Interest Rate                     
90 Day Sterling Future  18   2,818,578   September 2017   0.0    1,019 
Euro Bund Future  2   344,968   March 2017   0.1    3,829 
Long Gilt Future  4   616,176   March 2017   0.3    16,403 
Metal                     
Copper Future  13   828,129   March 2017   (0.2)   (13,842)
LME Aluminum Future  11   455,808   January 2017   0.2    10,619 
LME Aluminum Future  12   512,754   February 2017   (0.1)   (5,587)
LME Aluminum Future  1   42,469   March 2017   0.0    (145)
LME Copper Future  1   133,448   January 2017   0.1    4,768 
LME Copper Future  5   685,294   February 2017   0.1    5,985 
LME Copper Future  4   568,782   March 2017   (0.3)   (15,402)
Total Commodity Prices              0.2    13,212 
Equity Price                     
Index                     
CAC 40 10 Euro Future  1   50,693   January 2017   0.0    316 
FTSE 100 Index Future  2   174,911   March 2017   0.1    3,817 
Hang Seng Index Future  3   416,639   January 2017   0.1    7,687 
Nikkei 225 (SGX) Future  3   244,720   March 2017   0.0    879 
S&P 500 E Mini Future  1   112,125   March 2017   (0.0)   (313)
S&P/TSX 60 Index Future  1   135,574   March 2017   0.0    64 
SPI 200 Future  1   103,164   March 2017   0.0    2,280 
TOPIX Index Future  1   129,819   March 2017   0.0    514 
Total Equity Price              0.3    15,244 
                      
Foreign currency exchange rate                     
Currency                     
Canadian Dollar Currency Future  3   222,852   March 2017   0.0    393 
Total long futures contracts              0.5    28,849 
                      

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

6

 

NUWAVE EQUITY ENHANCED FUND LP
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
 
Year Ended December 31, 2016

 

   Number of  Notional      Percentage of   Fair 
   Contracts  Amount   Maturity  Net Assets   Value 
                   
Derivative contracts, at fair value                     
Short futures contracts                     
Commodity Prices                     
Agriculture                     
Cocoa Future  (1)  $(22,965)  May 2017   0.0%  $1,835 
Coffee ‘C’ Future  (4)   (219,038)  May 2017   0.2    9,938 
Corn Future  (15)   (265,594)  March 2017   0.0    1,594 
Live Cattle Future  (8)   (364,466)  April 2017   (0.0)   (2,174)
Sugar #11 World Future  (3)   (65,943)  March 2017   0.0    389 
Wheat Future  (7)   (150,557)  March 2017   0.1    7,757 
Interest Rate                     
90 Day Euro Dollar Future  (28)   (6,908,717)  September 2017   0.1    3,567 
Australian 10yr Bond Future  (4)   (380,026)  March 2017   (0.1)   (2,894)
Metal                     
Gold 100 oz. Future  (4)   (467,337)  February 2017   0.1    6,657 
LME Aluminum US  (11)   (471,280)  January 2017   0.1    4,853 
LME Aluminum US  (1)   (44,410)  February 2017   0.0    2,122 
LME Copper US  (1)   (121,009)  January 2017   (0.3)   (17,206)
LME Copper US  (5)   (720,184)  February 2017   0.5    28,905 
Platinum Future  (3)   (135,352)  April 2017   (0.0)   (503)
Silver Future  (2)   (165,400)  March 2017   0.1    5,510 
Total Commodity Prices              0.8    50,350 
                      
Foreign currency exchange rate                     
Currency                     
British Pound Currency Future  (5)   (386,879)  March 2017   0.0    691 
Euro FX Currency Future  (5)   (654,491)  March 2017   (0.1)   (6,384)
Japanese Yen Currency Future  (4)   (425,743)  March 2017   (0.1)   (4,107)
Mexican Peso Currency Future  (10)   (240,180)  March 2017   0.0    330 
Total Foreign currency exchange rate              (0.2)   (9,470)
Total short futures contracts              0.7    40,880 
                      
Total derivative contracts, at fair value              1.2%  $69,729 
                      

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

7

 

NUWAVE EQUITY ENHANCED FUND LP
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
 
1.Nature of operations and summary of significant accounting policies

 

Nature of Operations

 

NuWave Equity Enhanced Fund, LP (the “Partnership”) is a Delaware investment limited partnership that commenced operations on April 1, 2013. The Partnership was organized for the purpose of trading and investing in futures contracts and a related Master Fund. The Partnership is managed by NuWave Investment Management, LLC (the “General Partner”). Refer to the Partnership’s offering memorandum for more information.

 

Prior to January 1, 2016, both the Partnership and NuWave Large Cap Active Alpha L.P. were “feeder funds” within a “master-feeder” portfolio structure in which NuWave Large Cap Active Alpha Master Fund Ltd., a Cayman Islands exempted company incorporated in December 2012, acted as the “master” portfolio and traded pursuant to the General Partner’s Large Cap Active Alpha Portfolio. In an effort to consolidate entities within the “master-feeder” structure and reduce legal, administrative and audit costs related thereto, the “master-feeder” structure was altered, effective January 1, 2016, such that the Partnership continued to act as a “feeder fund” and NuWave Large Cap Active Alpha L.P. (the “Master Fund”) acts as the “master” portfolio.

 

Effective January 1, 2016, the Partnership redeemed its shares in NuWave Large Cap Active Alpha Master Fund Ltd. and subscribed for limited partnership interests in the Master Fund.

 

The financial statements of the Partnership as of and for the year ended December 31, 2016 were previously issued under the date of March 17, 2017. In order to comply with the standard financial statement presentation for mutual funds, certain additional requested disclosures were made subsequent to March 17, 2017. Such revisions do not change the amounts of previously reported net asset value or net income.

 

The Partnership owns approximately 77% of the Master Fund at December 31, 2016.

 

Basis of Presentation

 

The financial statements have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) as detailed in the Financial Accounting Standards Board’s (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification.

 

The Partnership is an investment company that follows the accounting and reporting guidance of the Financial Services – Investment Companies Topic of the Codification.

 

Pursuant to the Cash Flows Topic of the Codification, the Partnership qualifies for an exemption from the requirement to provide a statement of cash flows and has elected not to provide a statement of cash flows.

 

Cash and Cash Equivalents

 

Cash represents cash deposits held at financial institutions. Cash equivalents include short-term highly liquid investments of sufficient credit quality that are readily convertible to known amounts of cash and have original maturities of three months or less. Cash equivalents are carried at cost, plus accrued interest, which approximates fair value. Cash equivalents are held for the purpose of meeting short-term liquidity requirements, rather than for investment purposes. Cash and cash equivalents are held at major financial institutions.

8

 

NUWAVE EQUITY ENHANCED FUND LP
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
 
1.Nature of operations and summary of significant accounting policies (continued)

 

Valuation of Investment in NuWave Large Cap Active Alpha L.P.

 

The Partnership records its investment in the Master Fund at fair value. Valuation of investments held by the Master Fund, including, but not limited to the valuation techniques used and categorization within the fair value hierarchy of investments, are discussed in the notes to the Master Fund financial statements included elsewhere in this report.

 

Fair Value - Definition and Hierarchy

 

Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability (i.e., the “exit price”) in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date.

 

In determining fair value, the Partnership uses various valuation techniques. A fair value hierarchy for inputs is used in measuring fair value that maximizes the use of observable inputs and minimizes the use of unobservable inputs by requiring that the most observable inputs are to be used when available. Valuation techniques that are consistent with the market or income approach are used to measure fair value. The fair value hierarchy is categorized into three levels based on the inputs as follows:

 

Level 1 - Valuations based on unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that the Partnership has the ability to access.

 

Level 2 - Valuations based on inputs, other than quoted prices included in Level 1, that are observable either directly or indirectly.

 

Level 3 - Valuations based on inputs that are unobservable and significant to the overall fair value measurement.

 

Fair value is a market-based measure, based on assumptions of prices and inputs considered from the perspective of a market participant that are current as of the measurement date, rather than an entity-specific measure. Therefore, even when market assumptions are not readily available, the Partnership’s own assumptions are set to reflect those that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability at the measurement date.

 

The availability of valuation techniques and observable inputs can vary from investment to investment and are affected by a wide variety of factors, including the type of investment, whether the investment is new and not yet established in the marketplace, the liquidity of markets, and other characteristics particular to the transaction. To the extent that valuation is based on models or inputs that are less observable or unobservable in the market, the determination of fair value requires more judgment. Because of the inherent uncertainty of valuation, those estimated values may be materially higher or lower than the values that would have been used had a ready market for the investments existed. Accordingly, the degree of judgment exercised by the Partnership in determining fair value is greatest for investments categorized in Level 3. In certain cases, the inputs used to measure fair value may fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In such cases, the level in the fair value hierarchy which the fair value measurement falls in its entirety is determined based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement.

9

 

NUWAVE EQUITY ENHANCED FUND LP
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
 
1.Nature of operations and summary of significant accounting policies (continued)

 

Fair Value - Valuation Techniques and Inputs

 

The Partnership records its derivative activities at fair value. Gains and losses from derivative contracts are included in net change in unrealized appreciation or (depreciation) on derivatives and net realized gain (loss) on derivatives in the statement of operations. Derivative contracts include future contracts related to foreign currencies, equity prices or commodity prices. Commission fees on futures contracts are charged to expense when contracts are opened and are included in net realized gain (loss) on derivatives.

 

Translation of Foreign Currency

 

Assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are translated into United States dollar amounts at the period-end exchange rates. Transactions denominated in foreign currencies, including purchases and sales of investments, and income and expenses, are translated into United States dollar amounts on the transaction date. Adjustments arising from foreign currency transactions are reflected in the statement of operations.

 

The Partnership does not isolate that portion of the results of operations arising from the effect of changes in foreign exchange rates on investments from fluctuations arising from changes in market prices of investments held. Such fluctuations are included in realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments in the statement of operations.

 

Investment Transactions and Related Investment Income

 

The Partnership records its proportionate share of the Master Fund’s income, expenses, and realized and unrealized gains and losses. In addition, the Partnership incurs and accrues its own expenses. Investment transactions are accounted for on a trade-date basis. Interest is recognized on the accrual basis.

 

Income Taxes

 

The Partnership applies the provisions of Codification Topic 740, Income Taxes, which prescribe the minimum recognition threshold a tax position must meet in connection with accounting for uncertainties in income tax positions taken or expected to be taken by an entity before being measured and recognized in the financial statements.

 

The Partnership does not record a provision for U.S. federal, state, or local income taxes because the partners report their share of the Partnership’s income or loss on their income tax returns. The Partnership files an income tax return in the U.S. federal jurisdiction, and may file income tax returns in various U.S. states. Generally, the Partnership is subject to income tax examinations by the U.S. federal taxing authority since its inception.

 

The Partnership is required to determine whether its tax positions are more likely than not to be sustained upon examination by the applicable taxing authority, based on the technical merits of the position. The tax benefit recognized is measured as the largest amount of benefit that has a greater than fifty percent likelihood of being realized upon ultimate settlement with the relevant taxing authorities. Based on its analysis, the Partnership has determined that there is no tax expense or interest expense related to uncertainties in tax positions, and that it has not incurred any liability for unrecognized tax benefits as of December 31, 2016. The Partnership does not expect that its assessment regarding unrecognized tax benefits will materially change over the next twelve months. However, the Partnership’s conclusions may be subject to review and adjustment at a later date based on factors including, but not limited to, questioning the timing and amount of deductions, the nexus of income among various

10

 

NUWAVE EQUITY ENHANCED FUND LP
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
 
1.Nature of operations and summary of significant accounting policies (continued)

 

tax jurisdictions, compliance with U.S. federal, U.S. state and foreign tax laws, and changes in the administrative practices and precedents of the relevant taxing authorities.

 

Use of Estimates

 

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires the Partnership’s management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts disclosed in the financial statements. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

 

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncement

 

In May 2015, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2015-07 (ASU 2015-07) Disclosures for Investments in Certain Entities That Calculate Net Asset Value per Share (or Its Equivalent). ASU 2015-07 exempts investments measured using net asset value as a practical expedient from categorization within the fair value hierarchy and related disclosures. Instead, entities are required to separately disclose the information required under ASC 820 Fair Value Measurement for assets measured using the practical expedient. ASU 2015-07 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016 and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted. The Fund adopted ASU 2015-07 in 2016 as the Fund determined that ASU 2015-07 provides a more meaningful presentation to the users of the financial statements. The adoption of ASU 2015-07 did not have a material impact on the financial statements.

 

Investment in NuWave Large Cap Active Alpha L.P.

 

During the year, the Partnership had an investment in the Master Fund. As a practical expedient, fair value represented the Partnership’s proportionate share of the Master Fund’s net asset value determined for the Master Fund in accordance with the Master Fund’s valuation policies and reported at the time of the Partnership’s valuation by the General Partner of the Master Fund. The Partnership recorded its proportionate share of each item of the Master Fund’s income or loss in the statement of operations. This investment is subject to the terms of the Limited Partnership Agreement of the Partnership. Summarized information for this investment is as follows:

 

Beginning balance, December 31, 2015  $0 
Additions   4,619,454 (1)
Income   660,702 
Withdrawals   (1,125,000)
Ending balance, December 31, 2016  $4,155,156 

 

(1)$4,169,454 of this amount represents an addition into the Partnership that was effective January 1, 2016, and represents the full redemption from NuWave Large Cap Active Alpha Master Fund Ltd.

11

 

NUWAVE EQUITY ENHANCED FUND LP
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
 
2.Fair value measurements

 

The Partnership’s assets and liabilities recorded at fair value have been categorized based upon a fair value hierarchy as described in the Partnership’s significant accounting policies in Note 1.

 

The following table presents information about the Partnership’s assets and liabilities measured at fair value as of December 31, 2016 (in thousands):

 

   Level 1   Level 2   Level 3   Total 
Assets (at fair value)                    
                     
Derivative contracts                    
Future contracts  $143   $   $   $143 
                     
Liabilities (at fair value)                    
                     
Derivative contracts                    
Future contracts  $73   $   $   $73 
                     
Total derivative contracts  $70   $   $   $70 
                     

The Partnership recognizes transfers between fair value hierarchy levels at the beginning of the reporting period. During the year ended December 31, 2016, the Partnership did not have any transfers between any of the levels of the fair value hierarchy.

 

3.Due from brokers

 

Due from broker includes cash balances held with brokers and collateral on derivative transactions. Amounts due from brokers may be restricted to the extent that they serve as deposits for certain marketable securities. Due from broker may include both U.S. and foreign denominated currencies.

 

In the normal course of business, substantially all of the Partnership’s securities transactions, derivative transactions, money balances, and security positions are transacted with the Partnership’s brokers: SG Americas Securities, LLC and BMO Harris Bank N.A. The Partnership is subject to credit risk to the extent any broker with which it conducts business is unable to fulfill contractual obligations on its behalf. The Partnership’s management monitors the financial condition of such brokers and does not anticipate any losses from these counterparties.

 

4.Derivative contracts

 

In the normal course of business, the Partnership utilizes derivative contracts in connection with its proprietary trading activities. Investments in derivative contracts are subject to additional risks that can result in a loss of all or part of an investment. The Partnership’s derivative activities and exposure to derivative contracts are classified by the following primary underlying risks: foreign currency exchange rate, commodity price, and equity price. In addition to its primary underlying risks, the Partnership is also subject to additional counterparty risk due to inability of its counterparties to meet the terms of their contracts.

12

 

NUWAVE EQUITY ENHANCED FUND LP
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
 
4.Derivative contracts (continued)

 

Futures Contracts

 

The Partnership may use futures contracts to gain exposure to, or hedge against, changes in the value of equities and commodities, interest rates or foreign currencies. A futures contract represents a commitment for the future purchase or sale of an asset at a specified price on a specified date.

 

The purchase and sale of futures requires margin deposits with a Futures Commission Merchant (“FCM”) equal to a certain percentage of the contract amount. Subsequent payments (variation margin) are made or received by the Partnership each day, depending on the daily fluctuations in the value of the contract. The Partnership recognizes a gain or loss equal to the daily variation margin. Futures may reduce the Partnership’s exposure to counterparty risk since futures are exchange-traded and the exchange’s clearinghouse, as the counterparty to all exchange-traded futures, guarantees the futures against default.

 

The Commodity Exchange Act requires an FCM to segregate all customer transactions and assets from the FCM’s proprietary activities. A customer’s cash and other equity deposited with an FCM are considered commingled with all other customer funds subject to the FCM’s segregation requirements. In the event of an FCM’s insolvency, recovery may be limited to the Partnership’s pro rata share of segregated customer funds available. It is possible that the recovery amount could be less than the total of cash and other equity deposited.

 

Credit-Risk-Related Contingent Features

 

The Partnership’s derivative contracts are subject to International Swaps and Derivatives Association (“ISDA”) Master Agreements which contain certain covenants and other provisions that may require the Partnership to post collateral on derivatives if the Partnership is in a net liability position with its counterparties exceeding certain amounts.

 

The aggregate fair value of all derivative instruments with credit-risk-related contingent features that are in a net liability position at December 31, 2016 is $73,993. If the credit-risk-related contingent features underlying these agreements were triggered as of December 31, 2016, the Partnership would have been required to post additional collateral.

 

Additionally, counterparties may immediately terminate these agreements and the related derivative contracts if the Partnership fails to maintain sufficient asset coverage for its contracts or its net assets decline by stated percentages or amounts. As of December 31, 2016, the termination values of these derivative contracts were equal to one another. All derivatives held at December 31, 2016 are deposited at SG America’s Securities, LLC.

13

 

NUWAVE EQUITY ENHANCED FUND LP
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
 
4.Derivative contracts (continued)

 

Volume of Derivative Activities

 

At December 31, 2016, the volume of the Partnership’s derivative activities based on their notional amounts(a) and number of contracts, categorized by primary underlying risk, are as follows:

 

(notional amounts in thousands)

 

   Long exposure   Short exposure 
   Notional   Number   Notional   Number 
Primary underlying risk  amounts   of contracts   amounts   of contracts 
Foreign currency exchange rate                    
Futures contracts  $223    3   $1,716    24 
Equity price                    
Futures contracts   1,370    13         
Commodity price                    
Futures contracts   8,424    100    13,747    97 
   $10,017    116   $15,463    121 

 

(a)Notional amounts are presented net of identical offsetting derivative contracts.

 

Impact of Derivatives on the Statement of Financial Condition and Statement of Operations

 

The following table identifies the fair value amounts of derivative instruments included in the statement of financial condition as derivative contracts, categorized by primary underlying risk, at December 31, 2016. The following table also identifies the net gain and loss amounts included in the statement of operations from derivative transactions categorized by primary underlying risk, for the year ended December 31, 2016:

 

(in thousands)                
   Derivative   Derivative   Unrealized   Realized 
Primary underlying risk  assets   liabilities   gain (loss)   gain (loss) 
Foreign currency exchange rate                    
Futures contracts  $1   $10   $86   $203 
Equity price                    
Futures contracts   15    0    30    (5)
Commodity price                    
Futures contracts   126    63    (32)   (63)
                     
Gross Total   142    73    84    135 
Less: Commission fees               (16)
                     
Total  $142   $73   $84   $119 

14

 

NUWAVE EQUITY ENHANCED FUND LP
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
 
5.Partners’ capital

 

The Partnership offers Class B Limited Partnership Interests and Class B3 Limited Partnership Interests (collectively, “Interests”). Class B Limited Partnership Interests and Class B3 Limited Partnership Interests are identical in all respects, except that Class B3 Limited Partnership Interests have different liquidity and minimum investment terms.

 

In accordance with the limited partnership agreement (the “Agreement”), profits and losses of the Partnership are allocated to partners according to their respective interests in the Partnership. Subject to certain limitations, generally 20% of the return attributable to each outstanding series of Interests during a calendar quarter that is in excess of the return generated by the S&P 500 Total Return allocated to the limited partners is reallocated (the “Incentive Allocation) to the Investment Manager of the Master Fund, on a quarterly basis, at the Master Fund level. To the extent the Incentive Allocation is allocated at the Master Fund level, no Incentive Allocation will be made at the Partnership level. The General Partner of the Partnership is also the General Partner of the Master Fund.

 

Generally, a limited partner may make a capital contribution to the Partnership on the first business day of any month and capital withdrawals of all or a portion of its capital account as of the last day of any month.

 

6.Related party transactions

 

The Partnership pays the General Partner a monthly management fee in arrears on the first business day of each month, equal to 0.0833% of the aggregate net asset value determined as of the last day of the immediately preceding month, calculated prior to any withdrawals of capital as of such day.

 

Due to related parties represents amounts payable to the General Partner for expenses paid on behalf of the Partnership.

 

Certain limited partners are affiliated with the General Partner. The aggregate value of the affiliated limited partners’ share of partners’ capital at December 31, 2016 is approximately $5,324,000.

 

Certain limited partners have special management fee or redemption rights as provided for in the Agreement.

 

The General Partner has agreed to rebate the management fee and incentive allocation for certain limited partners. The discounted fee structure results in a rebate to their investment that is the difference between the Partnership’s normal fee and the discounted fees.

 

7.Administrative fee

 

Gemini Hedge Fund Services, LLC (the “Administrator”) serves as the Partnership’s administrator and performs certain administrative and clerical services on behalf of the Partnership.

15

 

NUWAVE EQUITY ENHANCED FUND LP
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
 
8.Financial highlights

 

Financial highlights for the year ended December 31, 2016 are as follows:

 

Total return before performance allocation to the General Partner   13.5%
Performance allocation to the General Partner   0.0 
      
Total return after performance allocation to the General Partner   13.5%
      
Ratio to average limited partners’ capital     
Expenses (including interest and dividends)   1.1%
Expenses paid by General Partner   0.3 
Performance allocation to General Partner   0.0 
      
Expenses and performance allocation to General Partner   1.4%
      
Net investment income (loss)   0.5%
      
Portfolio turnover rate  Not Applicable (1) 
      

Financial highlights are calculated for the limited partner class taken as a whole. An individual limited partner’s return and ratios may vary based on participation in new issues, private investments, different incentive and/or management fee arrangements, and the timing of capital transactions. The net investment income (loss) ratio does not reflect the effects of the performance allocation to the General Partner.

 

(1)Not applicable as the Partnership did not hold or trade any securities during the year ended December 31, 2016.

 

9.Indemnifications

 

In the normal course of business, the Partnership enters into contracts and agreements that contain a variety of representations and warranties and which provide general indemnifications. The Partnership’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown, as this would involve future claims that may be made against the Partnership that have not yet occurred. The Partnership expects the risk of any future obligation under these indemnifications to be remote.

 

10.Subsequent events

 

During the period January 1, 2017 through October 10, 2017, capital contributions by limited partners totaled $650,000.

 

The General Partner has notified the limited partners that the General Partner plans on converting the Partnership to a registered investment company (mutual fund), with the anticipated conversion occurring during the fourth quarter of 2017.

 

The General Partner has evaluated subsequent events through October 10, 2017, the date the financial statements were available to be issued, and has determined that there are no other subsequent events that require disclosure.

16

 

NUWAVE LARGE CAP ACTIVE ALPHA L.P.
 
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
AND
INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT
 
DECEMBER 31, 2016

 

 

NUWAVE LARGE CAP ACTIVE ALPHA L.P.
CONTENTS

 

Independent Auditor’s Report 1
   
Financial Statements  
   
Statement of Financial Condition 2
   
Statement of Operations 3
   
Statement of Changes in Partners’ Capital 4
   
Schedule of Investments 5-13
   
Notes to Financial Statements 14-19

 

 

(ARTHUR BELL LOGO)
 
 
201 International Circle, Suite 400 Toll Free: 855.787.0001
Hunt Valley, Maryland 21030 Telephone: 410.771.0001
www.arthurbellcpas.com Fax: 410.785.9784
   

 

INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT

 

To the Partners
NuWave Large Cap Active Alpha L.P.

 

We have audited the accompanying financial statements of NuWave Large Cap Active Alpha L.P., which comprise the statement of financial condition, including the schedule of investments, as of December 31, 2016, and the related statements of operations and changes in partners’ capital for the year then ended, and the related notes to the financial statements.

 

Management’s Responsibility for the Financial Statements

 

Management is responsible for the preparation and fair presentation of these financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America; this includes the design, implementation, and maintenance of internal control relevant to the preparation and fair presentation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.

 

Auditor’s Responsibility

 

Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audit. We conducted our audit in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free from material misstatement.

 

An audit involves performing procedures to obtain audit evidence about the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. The procedures selected depend on the auditor’s judgment, including the assessment of the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to fraud or error. In making those risk assessments, the auditor considers internal control relevant to the entity’s preparation and fair presentation of the financial statements in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the entity’s internal control. Accordingly, we express no such opinion. An audit also includes evaluating the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the reasonableness of significant accounting estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements.

 

We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our audit opinion.

 

Opinion

 

In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of NuWave Large Cap Active Alpha L.P. as of December 31, 2016, and the results of its operations and the changes in its net asset value for the year then ended in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

 

Emphasis of Matter

 

As discussed in the notes to the financial statements, an unmodified opinion was previously issued dated March 17, 2017 for the audit of the financial statements of NuWave Large Cap Active Alpha L.P. as of and for the year ended December 31, 2016. Such financial statements were subsequently amended in order to provide certain additional requested disclosures. Such additional disclosures do not change the amounts of previously reported net asset value or net income.

 

(-s- ARTHUR BELL ASSOCITES LLP)

 

Hunt Valley, Maryland
October 26, 2017

 

 

NUWAVE LARGE CAP ACTIVE ALPHA L.P.
STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL CONDITION
 
December 31, 2016

 

Assets    
     
Investment in securities, at fair value (cost $5,654,042)  $5,570,504 
Receivable for securities sold   1,105,460 
Cash   14,559 
Due from related parties   1,651 
Dividends and interest receivable   8,371 
      
Total assets  $6,700,545 
      
Liabilities     
      
Receivable for securities sold  $1,099,839 
Cash deficit at securities broker   198,587 
Accrued expenses and other liabilities   1,872 
Total liabilities   1,300,298 
      
Partners’ capital (Net Assets)  $5,400,247 
      

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

2

 

NUWAVE LARGE CAP ACTIVE ALPHA L.P.
STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS
 
Year Ended December 31, 2016

 

Investment Income     
Dividends (net of U.S. withholding taxes of $57)  $122,249 
      
Realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments and foreign currency transactions     
Net realized gain (loss) on investments and foreign currency transactions
(net of clearing fees of $11,475)
   732,501 
Net change in unrealized appreciation or (depreciation) on investments and foreign currency transactions   (22,006)
      
Net gain (loss) on investments   710,495 
      
Net income (loss)  $832,744 
      
Expenses charged     
Legal  $3,843 
Administration   12,000 
Audit and Tax   29,115 
Total expenses  $44,958 
      
Expenses paid by General Partner   (44,958)
      
Net result in expenses charged  $ 
      

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

3

 

NUWAVE LARGE CAP ACTIVE ALPHA L.P.
STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN PARTNERS’ CAPITAL
 
Year Ended December 31, 2016

 

       Limited   Limited     
   General   Partners   Partners     
   Partner   Class B   Class X   Total 
                 
Partners’ capital, beginning of year  $   $1,073,048   $   $1,073,048 
                     
Capital contributions           4,619,455    4,619,455 
                     
Capital withdrawals           (1,125,000)   (1,125,000)
                     
Investment Income                    
Dividends (net of U.S. withholding taxes of $57)       25,280    96,969    122,249 
                     
Realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments and foreign currency transactions                    
Net realized gain (loss) on investments and foreign currency transactions (net of clearing fees of $11,475)       153,706    578,795    732,501 
Net change in unrealized appreciation or (depreciation) on investments and foreign currency transactions       (6,944)   (15,062)   (22,006)
                     
Partners’ capital, end of year  $   $1,245,090   $4,155,157   $5,400,247 
                     

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

4

 

NUWAVE LARGE CAP ACTIVE ALPHA L.P.
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
 
December 31, 2016

 

           Percentage of   Fair 
   Quantity   Cost   Net Assets   Value 
Investments in securities, at fair value                    
Common stocks                    
United States                    
Financials                    
AFLAC INC   448   $31,548    0.6%  $31,181 
AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL GROUP   104    6,767    0.1    6,792 
AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL INC   154    17,386    0.3    17,085 
TD AMERITRADE HOLDING CORP   154    6,746    0.1    6,714 
AMERICAN EXPRESS CO   57    4,234    0.1    4,223 
BANK OF AMERICA CORP   3,198    72,252    1.3    70,676 
BB&T CORP   385    18,060    0.3    18,103 
FRANKLIN RESOURCES INC   126    5,022    0.1    4,987 
BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON CORP   734    34,915    0.6    34,777 
BLACKROCK INC   78    29,883    0.5    29,682 
BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY INC-CL B   115    18,991    0.3    18,743 
CITIGROUP INC   175    10,415    0.2    10,400 
CBRE GROUP INC - A   108    3,435    0.1    3,401 
CITIZENS FINANCIAL GROUP   377    13,381    0.2    13,432 
COMERICA INC   366    25,020    0.5    24,928 
CME GROUP INC   480    57,075    1.0    55,368 
CAPITAL ONE FINANCIAL CORP   720    64,285    1.2    62,813 
DISCOVER FINANCIAL SERVICES   365    26,444    0.5    26,313 
E*TRADE FINANCIAL CORP   288    10,055    0.2    9,979 
FIFTH THIRD BANCORP   1,531    41,043    0.8    41,291 
GOLDMAN SACHS GROUP INC   221    53,075    1.0    52,918 
HARTFORD FINANCIAL SVCS GRP   119    5,670    0.1    5,670 
H&R BLOCK INC   114    2,565    0.0    2,621 
INTERCONTINENTAL EXCHANGE IN   952    55,097    1.0    53,712 
INVESCO LTD   246    7,788    0.1    7,463 
JPMORGAN CHASE & CO   282    24,303    0.5    24,334 
KEYCORP   1,844    33,711    0.6    33,690 
LINCOLN NATIONAL CORP   373    24,958    0.5    24,719 
MOODY’S CORP   251    24,467    0.4    23,662 
METLIFE INC   589    31,992    0.6    31,741 
MARSH & MCLENNAN COS   180    12,433    0.2    12,166 
MORGAN STANLEY   1,419    60,564    1.1    59,953 
M & T BANK CORP   9    1,375    0.0    1,408 
NASDAQ INC.   110    7,122    0.1    7,383 
NORTHERN TRUST CORP   93    8,351    0.2    8,282 
PRINCIPAL FINANCIAL GROUP   415    24,348    0.4    24,012 
PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL INC   432    45,531    0.8    44,954 
REGIONS FINANCIAL CORP   3,361    48,206    0.9    48,264 
S&P GLOBAL INC   443    50,776    0.9    47,640 
SUNTRUST BANKS INC   221    12,108    0.2    12,122 
STATE STREET CORP   453    35,510    0.7    35,207 
T ROWE PRICE GROUP INC   45    3,470    0.1    3,387 
US BANCORP   141    7,308    0.1    7,243 
WELLS FARGO & CO   321    17,748    0.3    17,690 
ZIONS BANCORPORATION   625    26,881    0.5    26,900 
Total Financials        1,122,314    20.5    1,108,029 
                     

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

5

 

NUWAVE LARGE CAP ACTIVE ALPHA L.P.
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
 
December 31, 2016

 

           Percentage of   Fair 
   Quantity   Cost   Net Assets   Value 
Investments in securities, at fair value                    
Common stocks                    
United States                    
Industrial Goods                    
AMERICAN AIRLINES GROUP INC   815   $38,843    0.7%  $38,052 
ALASKA AIR GROUP INC   143    12,511    0.2    12,688 
ARCONIC INC   399    7,741    0.1    7,397 
ADVANSIX INC   1    15    0.0    20 
BOEING CO/THE   60    9,360    0.2    9,341 
CATERPILLAR INC   391    36,874    0.7    36,261 
C.H. ROBINSON WORLDWIDE INC   148    10,929    0.2    10,842 
CUMMINS INC   266    37,453    0.7    36,354 
CSX CORP   998    36,164    0.7    35,858 
DELTA AIR LINES INC   970    48,488    0.9    47,714 
DANAHER CORP   413    32,329    0.6    32,148 
DOVER CORP   99    7,309    0.1    7,418 
DARDEN RESTAURANTS INC   555    42,190    0.7    40,360 
EMERSON ELECTRIC CO   327    18,387    0.3    18,230 
EXPEDITORS INTL WASH INC   115    6,238    0.1    6,090 
FASTENAL CO   408    19,615    0.4    19,168 
FEDEX CORP   359    69,112    1.2    66,846 
FLUOR CORP   86    4,636    0.1    4,517 
GENERAL DYNAMICS CORP   133    23,183    0.4    22,964 
CORNING INC   181    4,417    0.1    4,393 
WW GRAINGER INC   11    2,635    0.0    2,555 
HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC   103    12,054    0.2    11,933 
HERTZ GLOBAL HOLDINGS INC   392    10,134    0.2    8,452 
ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS   156    19,444    0.4    19,104 
JETBLUE AIRWAYS CORP   1,073    23,750    0.4    24,057 
KANSAS CITY SOUTHERN   151    12,883    0.2    12,812 
LOCKHEED MARTIN CORP   82    20,588    0.4    20,495 
SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO   177    8,963    0.2    8,822 
LEVEL 3 COMMUNICATIONS INC   252    14,093    0.3    14,203 
MASCO CORP   240    7,535    0.1    7,589 
NIELSEN HOLDINGS PLC   409    17,310    0.3    17,158 
NORTHROP GRUMMAN CORP   83    19,549    0.4    19,304 
PACCAR INC   479    31,414    0.6    30,608 
PARKER HANNIFIN CORP   56    7,888    0.1    7,840 
ROCKWELL AUTOMATION INC   104    14,096    0.3    13,978 
STANLEY BLACK & DECKER INC   308    37,265    0.7    35,324 
UNITED CONTINENTAL HOLDINGS   754    55,954    1.0    54,951 
UNITED PARCEL SERVICE-CL B   202    23,446    0.4    23,157 
UNITED RENTALS INC   213    22,475    0.4    22,489 
VERISK ANALYTICS INC-CLASS A   57    4,663    0.1    4,627 
WASTE MANAGEMENT INC   75    5,325    0.1    5,318 
Total Industrial Goods        837,258    15.2    821,437 
Consumer Discretionary                    
ADVANCE AUTO PARTS INC   33    5,633    0.1    5,581 
AMAZON.COM INC   18    13,611    0.2    13,498 
ABERCROMBIE & FITCH CO-CL A   253    3,837    0.1    3,036 
AUTOZONE INC   18    14,217    0.3    14,216 
BED BATH & BEYOND INC   20    875    0.0    813 
BEST BUY CO INC   921    43,622    0.7    39,299 
BORGWARNER INC   328    13,022    0.2    12,936 
CHARTER COMMUNICATION-A   8    2,211    0.0    2,303 
                     

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

6

 

NUWAVE LARGE CAP ACTIVE ALPHA L.P.
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
 
December 31, 2016

 

           Percentage of   Fair 
   Quantity   Cost   Net Assets   Value 
Investments in securities, at fair value                    
Common stocks                    
United States                    
Consumer Discretionary                    
COMCAST CORP-CLASS A   107   $7,449    0.1%  $7,388 
CHIPOTLE MEXICAN GRILL INC   4    1,473    0.0    1,509 
COACH INC   30    1,136    0.0    1,051 
DOLLAR GENERAL CORP   36    2,738    0.0    2,667 
DR HORTON INC   207    5,795    0.1    5,657 
DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS-A   53    1,449    0.0    1,453 
EXPEDIA INC   76    8,696    0.2    8,609 
FORD MOTOR CO   864    10,761    0.2    10,480 
FOOT LOCKER INC   245    18,551    0.3    17,368 
GENERAL MOTORS CO   1,376    49,202    0.9    47,940 
GAP INC/THE   757    17,917    0.3    16,987 
HASBRO INC   61    4,748    0.1    4,745 
HANESBRANDS INC   1,010    22,442    0.4    21,786 
HILTON WORLDWIDE HOLDINGS IN   1,230    33,465    0.6    33,456 
HARLEY-DAVIDSON INC   221    13,114    0.2    12,893 
INTERPUBLIC GROUP OF COS INC   45    1,083    0.0    1,054 
NORDSTROM INC   181    8,865    0.2    8,675 
CARMAX INC   24    1,152    0.0    1,545 
MICHAEL KORS HOLDINGS LTD   45    2,145    0.0    1,934 
KOHLS CORP   350    19,177    0.3    17,283 
LENNAR CORP-A   30    1,365    0.0    1,288 
LOWE’S COS INC   74    5,075    0.1    5,263 
LAS VEGAS SANDS CORP   824    44,918    0.8    44,010 
MACY’S INC   254    9,788    0.2    9,096 
MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL -CL A   651    54,676    1.0    53,825 
MATTEL INC   511    14,666    0.3    14,078 
MGM RESORTS INTERNATIONAL   735    21,024    0.4    21,190 
MOHAWK INDUSTRIES INC   6    1,110    0.0    1,198 
NETFLIX INC   19    2,399    0.0    2,352 
NIKE INC -CL B   233    12,146    0.2    11,843 
NEWELL RUBBERMAID INC   948    43,269    0.8    42,328 
OMNICOM GROUP   48    4,139    0.1    4,085 
O’REILLY AUTOMOTIVE INC   23    6,413    0.1    6,403 
PRICELINE GROUP INC/THE   34    52,518    0.9    49,846 
PULTEGROUP INC   46    906    0.0    846 
POLARIS INDUSTRIES INC   30    2,426    0.0    2,472 
PANERA BREAD COMPANY-CLASS A   25    5,132    0.1    5,127 
ROYAL CARIBBEAN CRUISES LTD   17    1,373    0.0    1,395 
RALPH LAUREN CORP   26    2,554    0.0    2,348 
ROSS STORES INC   230    15,427    0.3    15,088 
STARBUCKS CORP   68    3,945    0.1    3,775 
SKECHERS USA INC-CL A   248    6,374    0.1    6,096 
SCRIPPS NETWORKS INTER-CL A   36    2,525    0.0    2,569 
STAPLES INC   523    5,101    0.1    4,733 
TARGET CORP   167    12,866    0.2    12,063 
TIFFANY & CO   128    10,423    0.2    9,911 
TJX COMPANIES INC   300    23,321    0.4    22,539 
TRIPADVISOR INC   322    15,096    0.3    14,931 
TIME WARNER INC   60    5,778    0.1    5,792 
UNDER ARMOUR INC-CLASS A   690    21,034    0.4    20,045 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

7

 

NUWAVE LARGE CAP ACTIVE ALPHA L.P.
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
 
December 31, 2016

 

           Percentage of   Fair 
   Quantity   Cost   Net Assets   Value 
Investments in securities, at fair value                    
Common stocks                    
United States                    
Consumer Discretionary                    
ULTA SALON COSMETICS & FRAGR   25   $6,387    0.1%  $6,374 
URBAN OUTFITTERS INC   320    9,844    0.2    9,114 
VF CORP   145    8,268    0.1    7,736 
VIACOM INC-CLASS B   183    6,427    0.1    6,423 
WHIRLPOOL CORP   8    1,198    0.0    1,454 
WYNN RESORTS LTD   287    25,601    0.5    24,828 
YUM! BRANDS INC   184    11,383    0.2    11,653 
Total Consumer Discretionary        805,281    14.4    780,279 
Information Technology                    
ADOBE SYSTEMS INC   93    9,690    0.2    9,574 
ANALOG DEVICES INC   67    4,867    0.1    4,866 
ALLIANCE DATA SYSTEMS CORP   4    836    0.0    914 
AUTODESK INC   148    11,569    0.2    10,953 
AKAMAI TECHNOLOGIES INC   217    14,568    0.3    14,470 
APPLIED MATERIALS INC   438    14,120    0.3    14,134 
ACTIVISION BLIZZARD INC   378    13,876    0.3    13,650 
AVAGO TECHNOLOGIES LTD   46    8,241    0.2    8,131 
CA INC   152    4,629    0.1    4,829 
SALESFORCE.COM INC   378    26,588    0.5    25,878 
CISCO SYSTEMS INC   1,244    36,994    0.7    37,594 
COGNIZANT TECH SOLUTIONS-A   156    8,782    0.2    8,741 
CITRIX SYSTEMS INC   74    6,531    0.1    6,609 
TABLEAU SOFTWARE INC-CL A   140    6,605    0.1    5,901 
ELECTRONIC ARTS INC   35    2,791    0.1    2,757 
EBAY INC   72    2,108    0.0    2,138 
FACEBOOK INC-A   213    25,023    0.5    24,506 
F5 NETWORKS INC   66    9,408    0.2    9,552 
FLEETCOR TECHNOLOGIES INC   141    20,340    0.4    19,954 
FIRST SOLAR INC   60    2,046    0.0    1,925 
ALPHABET INC-CL C   37    28,579    0.5    28,557 
HEWLETT-PACKARD CO   1,356    20,820    0.4    20,123 
INTL BUSINESS MACHINES CORP   50    8,317    0.2    8,299 
INTEL CORP   246    8,369    0.2    8,922 
INTUIT INC   75    8,611    0.2    8,596 
JUNIPER NETWORKS INC   90    2,555    0.0    2,543 
LINEAR TECHNOLOGY CORP   164    10,203    0.2    10,225 
MASTERCARD INC   288    29,861    0.6    29,736 
MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INC   146    9,423    0.2    9,366 
MICROSOFT CORP   120    7,447    0.1    7,457 
MOTOROLA SOLUTIONS INC   94    7,759    0.1    7,792 
MICRON TECHNOLOGY INC   328    7,290    0.1    7,190 
MAXIM INTEGRATED PRODUCTS   156    6,076    0.1    6,017 
SERVICENOW INC   66    5,194    0.1    4,906 
NETAPP INC   599    21,545    0.4    21,127 
NVIDIA CORP   175    19,817    0.3    18,679 
ORACLE CORP   199    7,727    0.1    7,652 
PANDORA MEDIA INC   321    4,307    0.1    4,186 
PALO ALTO NETWORKS INC   113    14,290    0.3    14,131 
PAYPAL HOLDINGS INC   437    17,145    0.3    17,248 
QUALCOMM INC   504    33,931    0.6    32,861 
QORVO INC   20    1,130    0.0    1,055 
                     

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

8

 

NUWAVE LARGE CAP ACTIVE ALPHA L.P.
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
 
December 31, 2016

 

 

           Percentage of   Fair 
   Quantity   Cost   Net Assets   Value 
Investments in securities, at fair value                    
Common stocks                    
United States                    
Information Technology                    
RED HAT INC   15   $1,173    0.0%  $1,045 
SYMANTEC CORP   674    16,160    0.3    16,102 
TWITTER INC   128    2,102    0.0    2,086 
TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INC   96    6,947    0.1    7,005 
VISA INC-CLASS A SHARES   386    30,286    0.6    30,116 
VERISIGN INC   69    5,613    0.1    5,249 
VERSUM MATERIALS INC   (1)   (12)   (0.0)   (14)
WORKDAY INC-CLASS A   294    19,887    0.4    19,430 
WESTERN DIGITAL CORP   78    5,384    0.1    5,300 
WESTERN UNION CO   183    4,009    0.1    3,975 
XILINX INC   30    1,760    0.0    1,811 
XEROX CORP   1,607    15,025    0.3    14,029 
YAHOO! INC   330    12,757    0.2    12,761 
APPLE INC   52    5,840    0.1    6,023 
Total Information Technology        636,939    11.6    628,662 
Consumer Staples                    
ARCHER-DANIELS-MIDLAND CO   344    15,303    0.3    15,704 
CONAGRA FOODS INC   45    1,726    0.0    1,780 
COLGATE-PALMOLIVE CO   1,159    76,411    1.4    75,845 
CLOROX COMPANY   60    6,940    0.1    7,201 
COSTCO WHOLESALE CORP   47    7,560    0.1    7,525 
CAMPBELL SOUP CO   27    1,474    0.0    1,633 
CVS CAREMARK CORP   110    8,756    0.2    8,680 
ESTEE LAUDER COMPANIES-CL A   394    30,347    0.6    30,137 
GENERAL MILLS INC   379    23,488    0.4    23,411 
KELLOGG CO   281    20,276    0.4    20,713 
KIMBERLY-CLARK CORP   568    64,685    1.2    64,820 
COCA-COLA CO/THE   1,413    58,129    1.1    58,583 
KROGER CO   63    2,182    0.0    2,174 
MONDELEZ INTERNATIONAL INC-A   362    16,161    0.3    16,047 
MEAD JOHNSON NUTRITION CO   476    34,031    0.6    33,682 
MONSTER BEVERAGE CORP   32    1,417    0.0    1,419 
PEPSICO INC   277    28,570    0.5    28,982 
PROCTER & GAMBLE CO/THE   266    22,280    0.4    22,365 
PHILIP MORRIS INTERNATIONAL   149    13,346    0.3    13,632 
SYSCO CORP   344    19,075    0.4    19,047 
MOLSON COORS BREWING CO -B   190    18,323    0.3    18,489 
TYSON FOODS INC-CL A   207    12,891    0.2    12,768 
WALGREENS BOOTS ALLIANCE INC   68    5,739    0.1    5,628 
WHOLE FOODS MARKET INC   117    3,610    0.1    3,599 
WAL-MART STORES INC   200    14,249    0.3    13,824 
Total Consumer Staples        506,969    9.4    507,688 
Health Care                    
AGILENT TECHNOLOGIES INC   142    6,205    0.1    6,470 
AMERISOURCEBERGEN CORP   84    6,512    0.1    6,568 
ABBOTT LABORATORIES   807    30,809    0.6    30,997 
AETNA INC   167    21,100    0.4    20,710 
ALEXION PHARMACEUTICALS INC   10    1,182    0.0    1,223 
ANTHEM INC   31    4,472    0.1    4,457 
BAXTER INTERNATIONAL INC   649    28,685    0.5    28,777 
CR BARD INC   5    1,050    0.0    1,123 
BECTON DICKINSON AND CO   63    10,407    0.2    10,430 
                     

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

9

 

NUWAVE LARGE CAP ACTIVE ALPHA L.P.
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
 
December 31, 2016

 

           Percentage of   Fair 
   Quantity   Cost   Net Assets   Value 
Investments in securities, at fair value                    
Common stocks                    
United States                    
Health Care                    
BROOKDALE SENIOR LIVING INC   116   $1,380    0.0%  $1,441 
BLUEBIRD BIO INC   109    7,052    0.1    6,725 
BIOMARIN PHARMACEUTICAL INC   7    570    0.0    580 
CARDINAL HEALTH INC   69    5,000    0.1    4,966 
CERNER CORP   559    26,743    0.5    26,480 
COMMUNITY HEALTH SYSTEMS INC   331    3,516    0.0    1,850 
GILEAD SCIENCES INC   179    13,165    0.2    12,818 
HOLOGIC INC   60    2,213    0.0    2,407 
ILLUMINA INC   80    9,938    0.2    10,243 
INCYTE CORP   106    10,761    0.2    10,629 
INTUITIVE SURGICAL INC   14    8,695    0.2    8,878 
JOHNSON & JOHNSON   204    22,711    0.4    23,503 
LABORATORY CRP OF AMER HLDGS   30    3,726    0.1    3,851 
MCKESSON CORP   89    12,625    0.2    12,500 
MERCK & CO. INC.   430    26,167    0.5    25,314 
PFIZER INC   266    8,358    0.2    8,640 
REGENERON PHARMACEUTICALS   13    4,752    0.1    4,772 
THERMO FISHER SCIENTIFIC INC   165    23,276    0.4    23,281 
UNITEDHEALTH GROUP INC   89    14,377    0.3    14,244 
UNITED THERAPEUTICS CORP   9    1,097    0.0    1,291 
VERTEX PHARMACEUTICALS INC   100    7,707    0.1    7,367 
DENTSPLY INTERNATIONAL INC   18    1,089    0.0    1,039 
Zimmer Biomet Holdings Inc   212    21,636    0.4    21,878 
Total Healthcare        346,976    6.4    345,452 
Energy                    
APACHE CORP   134    8,696    0.2    8,505 
ANADARKO PETROLEUM CORP   88    6,166    0.1    6,136 
BAKER HUGHES INC   662    43,009    0.8    43,010 
CONTINENTAL RESOURCES INC/OK   231    12,870    0.2    11,906 
CABOT OIL & GAS CORP   173    3,743    0.1    4,041 
CONOCOPHILLIPS   360    18,425    0.3    18,050 
CHEVRON CORP   46    5,323    0.1    5,414 
CONCHO RESOURCES INC   82    11,173    0.2    10,873 
DEVON ENERGY CORPORATION   287    13,634    0.2    13,107 
EOG RESOURCES INC   466    48,266    0.9    47,113 
EQT CORP   12    784    0.0    785 
HALLIBURTON CO   252    13,613    0.3    13,631 
HESS CORP   183    11,482    0.2    11,399 
HELMERICH & PAYNE   361    28,869    0.5    27,941 
KINDER MORGAN INC   1,728    36,710    0.7    35,787 
MARATHON PETROLEUM CORP   44    2,171    0.0    2,215 
MARATHON OIL CORP   1,703    31,149    0.5    29,479 
MURPHY OIL CORP   135    4,450    0.1    4,203 
NOBLE ENERGY INC   126    4,927    0.1    4,796 
NABORS INDUSTRIES LTD   393    6,387    0.1    6,445 
NEWFIELD EXPLORATION CO   97    4,158    0.1    3,929 
NATIONAL OILWELL VARCO INC   99    3,727    0.1    3,707 
ONEOK INC   220    12,388    0.2    12,630 
OCCIDENTAL PETROLEUM CORP   38    2,763    0.1    2,707 
PIONEER NATURAL RESOURCES CO   48    9,054    0.2    8,643 
RANGE RESOURCES CORP   24    873    0.0    825 
                     

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

10

 

NUWAVE LARGE CAP ACTIVE ALPHA L.P.
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
 
December 31, 2016

 

           Percentage of   Fair 
   Quantity   Cost   Net Assets   Value 
Investments in securities, at fair value                    
Common stocks                    
United States                    
Energy                    
SPECTRA ENERGY CORP   966   $39,426    0.7%  $39,693 
SOUTHWESTERN ENERGY CO   940    10,622    0.2    10,171 
TESORO CORP   101    8,839    0.2    8,832 
WHITING PETROLEUM CORP   272    3,222    0.1    3,269 
CIMAREX ENERGY CO   53    7,114    0.1    7,203 
Total Energy        414,033    7.5    406,445 
Basic Materials                    
AIR PRODUCTS & CHEMICALS INC   96    14,060    0.3    13,807 
CF INDUSTRIES HOLDINGS INC   27    729    0.0    850 
DOW CHEMICAL CO/THE   282    16,489    0.3    16,136 
ECOLAB INC   34    3,928    0.1    3,985 
EASTMAN CHEMICAL CO   46    3,395    0.1    3,460 
FREEPORT-MCMORAN COPPER   1,932    27,976    0.5    25,483 
INTERNATIONAL PAPER CO   111    5,923    0.1    5,890 
MARTIN MARIETTA MATERIALS   39    8,655    0.2    8,640 
NEWMONT MINING CORP   156    4,912    0.1    5,315 
NUCOR CORP   643    40,871    0.7    38,271 
PPG INDUSTRIES INC   189    18,315    0.3    17,909 
PRAXAIR INC   17    2,085    0.0    1,992 
UNITED STATES STEEL CORP   824    29,101    0.5    27,200 
Liberty Global PLC-A   20    663    0.0    612 
Total Basic Materials        177,102    3.1    169,550 
Utilities                    
AMERICAN ELECTRIC POWER   31    1,947    0.0    1,952 
CENTERPOINT ENERGY INC   210    5,051    0.1    5,174 
DOMINION RESOURCES INC/VA   99    7,561    0.1    7,583 
DUKE ENERGY CORP   172    12,646    0.2    13,351 
CONSOLIDATED EDISON INC   19    1,319    0.0    1,400 
EDISON INTERNATIONAL   65    4,465    0.1    4,679 
EXELON CORP   127    4,480    0.1    4,507 
FIRSTENERGY CORP   362    11,285    0.2    11,211 
NEXTERA ENERGY INC   78    9,245    0.2    9,318 
NRG ENERGY INC   59    667    0.0    723 
P G & E CORP   189    11,253    0.2    11,486 
PPL CORP   528    17,602    0.3    17,978 
SOUTHERN CO/THE   346    16,319    0.3    17,020 
Total Utilities        103,840    2.0    106,382 
Telecommunication Services                    
CENTURYLINK INC   1,688    40,725    0.7    40,140 
T-MOBILE US INC   278    15,890    0.3    15,988 
Total Telecommunication Services        56,615    1.0    56,128 
                     
Total common stock - United States        5,007,327    91.3%  $4,930,052 
Bermuda                    
Consumer Discretionary - SIGNET JEWELERS LTD   18    1,689    0.0    1,697 
Financials - XL GROUP Ltd.   28    1,036    0.0    1,043 
Total common stock - Bermuda        2,725    0.0%   2,740 
China                    
ALIBABA GROUP HOLDING-SP ADR   495    44,502    0.8    43,466 
BAIDU INC - SPON ADR   50    8,218    0.2    8,220 
Total common stock China        52,720    1.0%   51,686 
                     

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

11

 

NUWAVE LARGE CAP ACTIVE ALPHA L.P.
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
 
December 31, 2016

 

           Percentage of   Fair 
   Quantity   Cost   Net Assets   Value 
Investments in securities, at fair value                    
Common stocks                    
Ireland                    
Health Care                    
MEDTRONIC PLC   734   $52,757    1.0%  $52,283 
MALLINCKRODT PLC   143    7,484    0.1    7,124 
ENDO INTERNATIONAL PLC   462    7,291    0.1    7,609 
Industrial Goods                    
EATON CORP PLC   243    16,337    0.3    16,303 
INGERSOLL-RAND PLC   510    38,966    0.7    38,271 
Consumer Discretionary - JOHNSON CONTROLS INC   902    38,988    0.7    37,153 
Information Technology                    
SEAGATE TECHNOLOGY   459    17,984    0.3    17,520 
ACCENTURE PLC-CL A   26    3,068    0.1    3,045 
Total common stock - Ireland        182,875    3.3%   179,308 
Israel                    
Health Care - TEVA PHARMACEUTICAL-SP ADR   931    34,004    0.6%   33,749 
                     
Netherlands                    
Basic Materials - LYONDELLBASELL INDU-CL A   320    28,236    0.5    27,450 
Information Technology - NXP SEMICONDUCTORS NV   237    23,071    0.4    23,228 
Energy - SCHLUMBERGER LTD   69    5,897    0.1    5,793 
Health Care - MYLAN INC   80    3,017    0.1    3,052 
Total common stock - Netherlands        60,221    1.1%   59,523 
Switzerland                    
Financials - CHUBB CORP   31    4,078    0.1    4,096 
Information Technology - TE CONNECTIVITY LTD   21    1,403    0.0    1,455 
Total common stock - Switzerland        5,481    0.1%   5,551 
United Kingdom                    
Telecommunication Services - VODAFONE GROUP PLC   2,007    50,304    0.9    49,031 
Financials - AON PLC   125    13,995    0.3    13,941 
Consumer Staples - COCA-COLA ENTERPRISES   361    11,539    0.2    11,335 
Basic Materials - FMC TECHNOLOGIES INC   146    5,065    0.1    5,187 
Consumer Discretionary - DELPHI AUTOMOTIVE PLC   44    3,042    0.1    2,963 
Energy - NOBLE CORP PLC   450    2,789    0.0    2,664 
Total common stock - United Kingdom        86,734    1.6%   85,121 
Total common stock       $5,432,087    99.0%  $5,347,730 
Real Estate Investment Trust - United States                    
Financials                    
AMERICAN TOWER CORP   22    2,338    0.0    2,325 
BOSTON PROPERTIES INC   8    980    0.0    1,006 
CROWN CASTLE INTL CORP   27    2,208    0.0    2,343 
GENERAL GROWTH PROPERTIES   139    3,483    0.1    3,472 
WELLTOWER INC   23    1,471    0.0    1,539 
HCP INC   351    10,126    0.2    10,432 
HOST HOTELS & RESORTS INC   1,581    29,645    0.6    29,786 
KIMCO REALTY CORP   690    17,380    0.3    17,360 
PROLOGIS INC   62    3,114    0.1    3,273 
PUBLIC STORAGE   24    5,219    0.1    5,364 
SIMON PROPERTY GROUP INC   129    23,199    0.4    22,920 
VORNADO REALTY TRUST   39    4,026    0.1    4,070 
VENTAS INC   157    9,555    0.2    9,816 
WEYERHAEUSER CO   84    2,519    0.0    2,528 
Telecommunication Services - SBA COMMUNICATIONS CORP   9    864    0.0    929 
Health Care - QUALITY CARE PROPERTIES   1    9    0.0    9 
Total Real Estate Investment Trusts - United States       $116,136    2.2%  $117,172 
                     

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

12

 

NUWAVE LARGE CAP ACTIVE ALPHA L.P.
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
 
December 31, 2016

 

           Percentage of   Fair 
   Quantity   Cost   Net Assets   Value 
Investments in securities, at fair value                    
Exchange Traded Products - United States                    
Financials                    
POWERSHARES QQQ TRUST SERIES   300   $35,763    0.7%  $35,544 
SPDR S&P 500 ETF TRUST   282    63,770    1.2    63,035 
Total Exchange Traded Porducts - United States       $99,533    1.8%  $98,579 
Master Limited Partnership - United States                    
Energy - ENERGY TRANSFER EQUITY LP   169    2,703    0.1    3,263 
Utilities - ENERGY TRANSFER PARTNERS LP   105    3,583    0.1    3,760 
Total Master Limited Partnerships - United States       $6,286    0.2%  $7,023 
Total investments in securities, at fair value       $5,654,042    103.2%  $5,570,504 
                     

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

13

 

NUWAVE LARGE CAP ACTIVE ALPHA L.P.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
 
1.Nature of operations and summary of significant accounting policies

 

Nature of Operations

 

NuWave Large Cap Active Alpha L.P. (the “Partnership”) is a Delaware limited partnership that commenced operations on September 1, 2014. The Partnership was organized for the purpose of trading and investing in securities. The Partnership is a “master” portfolio in a “master-feeder” portfolio structure. Through this mechanism, the Partnership sells Interests to, and acts as a central investment mechanism for other investment vehicles managed by the NuWave Investment Management, LLC (the “General Partner”, or an affiliate thereof), including NuWave Equity Enhanced Fund LP, a Delaware limited partnership (“Equity Enhanced Fund”).

 

Prior to January 1, 2016, both the Partnership and Equity Enhanced Fund (with respect to a certain portion of Equity Enhanced Fund LP’s capital) were “feeder funds” within a “master-feeder” portfolio structure in which NuWave Large Cap Active Alpha Master Fund Ltd. (the “Master Fund”), a Cayman Islands exempted company incorporated in December 2012, acted as the “master” portfolio and traded pursuant to the General Partner’s Large Cap Active Alpha Portfolio. In an effort to consolidate entities within the “master-feeder” structure and reduce legal, administrative and audit costs related thereto, the “master-feeder” structure was altered, effective January 1, 2016, such that Equity Enhanced Fund continued to act as a “feeder fund” (with respect to a certain portion of Equity Enhanced Fund’s capital) and the Partnership acts as the “master” portfolio.

 

Effective January 1, 2016, all positions attributable to the Master Fund were transferred to the Partnership in connection with the Partnership’s full redemption of shares from the Master Fund. As of the same date, Equity Enhanced Fund also redeemed its shares in the Master Fund and subscribed for limited partnership interests in the Partnership.

 

The financial statements of the Partnership as of and for the year ended December 31, 2016 were previously issued under the date of March 17, 2017. In order to comply with the standard financial statement presentation for mutual funds, certain additional requested disclosures were made subsequent to March 17, 2017. Such revisions do not change the amounts of previously reported net asset value or net income.

 

The General Partner is registered with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission as an investment adviser under the investment Adviser Act of 1940.

 

Basis of Presentation

 

The financial statements have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) as detailed in the Financial Accounting Standards Board’s Accounting Standards Codification (the “Codification”).

 

The Partnership is an investment company that follows the accounting and reporting guidance of the Financial Services – Investment Companies Topic of the Codification.

 

Pursuant to the Cash Flows Topic of the Codification, the Partnership qualifies for an exemption from the requirement to provide a statement of cash flows and has elected not to provide a statement of cash flows.

 

Fair Value - Definition and Hierarchy

 

Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability (i.e., the “exit price”) in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date.

14

 

NUWAVE LARGE CAP ACTIVE ALPHA L.P.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
 
1.Nature of operations and summary of significant accounting policies (continued)

 

In determining fair value, the Partnership uses various valuation techniques. A fair value hierarchy for inputs is used in measuring fair value that maximizes the use of observable inputs and minimizes the use of unobservable inputs by requiring that the most observable inputs are to be used when available. Valuation techniques that are consistent with the market or income approach are used to measure fair value. The fair value hierarchy is categorized into three levels based on the inputs as follows:

 

Level 1 - Valuations based on unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that the Partnership has the ability to access.

 

Level 2 - Valuations based on inputs, other than quoted prices included in Level 1, which are observable either directly or indirectly.

 

Level 3 - Valuations based on inputs that are unobservable and significant to the overall fair value measurement.

 

Fair value is a market-based measure, based on assumptions of prices and inputs considered from the perspective of a market participant that are current as of the measurement date, rather than an entity-specific measure. Therefore, even when market assumptions are not readily available, the Partnership’s own assumptions are set to reflect those that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability at the measurement date.

 

The availability of valuation techniques and observable inputs can vary from investment to investment and are affected by a wide variety of factors, including the type of investment, whether the investment is new and not yet established in the marketplace, the liquidity of markets, and other characteristics particular to the transaction. To the extent that valuation is based on models or inputs that are less observable or unobservable in the market, the determination of fair value requires more judgment. Because of the inherent uncertainty of valuation, those estimated values may be materially higher or lower than the values that would have been used had a ready market for the investments existed. Accordingly, the degree of judgment exercised by the Partnership in determining fair value is greatest for investments categorized in Level 3. In certain cases, the inputs used to measure fair value may fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In such cases, the level in the fair value hierarchy which the fair value measurement falls in its entirety is determined based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement.

 

Fair Value - Valuation Techniques and Inputs

 

The Partnership values investments in securities that are freely tradable and are listed on a national securities exchange or reported on the NASDAQ national market at their last reported sales price as of the valuation date.

 

The Partnership records its investments at fair value. Gains and losses from investments are included in net change in unrealized appreciation or (depreciation) on investments and net realized gain (loss) on investments in the statement of operations.

15

 

NUWAVE LARGE CAP ACTIVE ALPHA L.P.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
 
1.Nature of operations and summary of significant accounting policies (continued)

 

Translation of Foreign Currency

 

Assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are translated into United States dollar amounts at the period-end exchange rates. Transactions denominated in foreign currencies, including purchases and sales of investments, and income and expenses, are translated into United States dollar amounts on the transaction date. Adjustments arising from foreign currency transactions are reflected in the statement of operations.

 

The Partnership does not isolate that portion of the results of operations arising from the effect of changes in foreign exchange rates on investments from fluctuations arising from changes in market prices of investments held. Such fluctuations are included in realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments and foreign currency transactions in the statement of operations.

 

Investment Transactions and Related Investment Income

 

Investment transactions are accounted for on a trade-date basis. Dividends are recorded on the ex-dividend date and interest is recognized on the accrual basis. Realized gains and losses on investment transactions are determined using cost calculated on a first in first out basis. Brokerage commissions and other trading fees are reflected as an adjustment to cost at the time of the transaction.

 

Income Taxes

 

The Partnership applies the provisions of Codification Topic 740, Income Taxes, which prescribe the minimum recognition threshold a tax position must meet in connection with accounting for uncertainties in income tax positions taken or expected to be taken by an entity before being measured and recognized in the financial statements.

 

The Partnership does not record a provision for U.S. federal, state, or local income taxes because the partners report their share of the Partnership’s income or loss on their income tax returns. The Partnership files an income tax return in the U.S. federal jurisdiction. Generally, the Partnership is subject to income tax examinations by the U.S. federal taxing authority during the three year period prior to the period covered by these financial statements.

 

The Partnership is required to determine whether its tax positions are more likely than not to be sustained upon examination by the applicable taxing authority, based on the technical merits of the position. The tax benefit recognized is measured as the largest amount of benefit that has a greater than fifty percent likelihood of being realized upon ultimate settlement with the relevant taxing authorities. Based on its analysis, the Partnership has determined that there is no tax expense or interest expense related to uncertainties in tax positions, and that it has not incurred any liability for unrecognized tax benefits as of December 31, 2016. The Partnership’s management does not expect that the total amount of unrecognized tax benefits will materially change over the next twelve months. However, the Partnership’s conclusions may be subject to review and adjustment at a later date based on factors including, but not limited to, on-going analyses of and changes to tax laws, regulations and interpretations thereof.

 

Use of Estimates

 

The preparation of financial statements in accordance with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions in determining the amounts disclosed in the financial statements. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

16

 

NUWAVE LARGE CAP ACTIVE ALPHA L.P.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
 
2.Fair value measurements

 

The Partnership’s assets and liabilities recorded at fair value have been categorized based upon a fair value hierarchy as described in the Partnership’s significant accounting policies in Note 1.

 

The following table presents information about the Partnership’s assets measured at fair value as of December 31, 2016 (in thousands):

 

   Level 1   Level 2   Level 3   Total 
Assets (at fair value)                    
                     
Investments in securities                    
Common stocks(1)   5,348            5,348 
Real Estate Investment Trust(1)   117            117 
Exchange Traded Products(1)   99            99 
Master Limited Partnership(1)   7            7 
Total assets  $5,571   $   $   $5,571 
                     
(1)See the Condensed Schedule of Investments for the fair values by country and industry within this category.

 

The Partnership recognizes transfers between hierarchy levels at the beginning of the reporting period. During the year ended December 31, 2016, the Partnership did not have any transfers between any of the levels of fair value hierarchy.

 

3.Deposits with securities broker

 

The Partnership deposits cash and securities with a securities broker, subject to Securities and Exchange Commission regulations and broker requirements. Margin requirements are satisfied by the deposit of cash and securities with such securities broker. Accordingly, assets used to meet margin and other broker or regulatory requirements are partially restricted. The Partnership earns or pays interest on amounts on deposit with, or borrowed from, such securities broker.

 

4.Partners’ capital

 

The Partnership offers Class X Limited Partnership Interests, Class B Limited Partnership Interests, Class B1 Limited Partnership Interests, Class B2 Limited Partnership Interests and Class B3 Limited Partnership Interests (collectively, the “Interests”). Class X Limited Partnership Interests, Class B Limited Partnership Interests, Class B1 Limited Partnership Interests, Class B2 Limited Partnership Interests and Class B3 Limited Partnership Interests are identical in all respects, except that (i) Class X Limited Partnership Interests are not subject to the Performance Allocation, have different liquidity terms and may only be purchased by Equity Enhanced Fund, (ii) Class B3 Limited Partnership Interests have different liquidity and minimum investment terms, (iii) Class B2 Limited Partnership Interests are subject to a Distribution Fee, and (iv) Class B1 Limited Partnership Interests are nonvoting interests. During the year ended December 31, 2016, the Partnership had Class X and Class B Interests outstanding.

17

 

NUWAVE LARGE CAP ACTIVE ALPHA L.P.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
 
4.Partners’ capital (continued)

 

In accordance with the limited partnership agreement (the “Agreement”), profits and losses of the Partnership are allocated to partners according to their respective interests in the Partnership. Subject to certain limitations, generally 30% of the return attributable to Class B Limited Partnership Interests, that is in excess of the return generated by the S&P 500 Total Return Index during the quarter, is reallocated (the “Performance Allocation”) to the General Partner. The Performance Allocation is subject to a loss carryforward provision. The General Partner will not receive a Performance Allocation with respect to Class X Limited Partnership Interests.

 

Generally, a limited partner may make a capital contribution to the Fund on the first business day of any month and capital withdrawals of all or a portion of its capital account as of the last day of any month.

 

5.Related party transactions

 

The General Partner of the Partnership is also the General Partner of Equity Enhanced Fund, and the Investment Manager of the Partnership. The Partnership does not presently pay the General Partner a monthly management fee.

 

Certain Class B Limited Partners are affiliated with the General Partner. The aggregate value of the affiliated Class B Limited Partners’ share of partners’ capital at December 31, 2016 is $1,245,089. Such Limited Partners are not charged the Performance Allocation.

 

Certain limited partners have special redemption rights as provided for in the Agreement.

 

6.Administrative fee

 

Gemini Hedge Fund Services, LLC (the “Administrator”) serves as the Partnership’s administrator and performs certain administrative and clerical services on behalf of the Partnership.

 

7.Market and credit risks

 

The Partnership engages in the speculative trading of equity securities and securities sold short. Such trading activities expose the Partnership to both market risk, the risks arising from changes in fair value, and credit risk, and the risk of failure by another party to perform according to the terms of contract.

 

Risks arise from short sales due to the possible illiquidity of the securities markets and from potential adverse movements in security values. Theoretically, short sales expose the Partnership to potentially unlimited liability as the Partnership’s ultimate obligation to purchase a security sold short may exceed the amount recorded in the statement of financial condition.

 

The Partnership has a substantial portion of its assets on deposit with its securities broker and other financial institutions in connection with its trading of equity securities and its cash management activities. Assets deposited with its securities broker and other financial institutions in connection with the Partnership’s trading activities are partially restricted due to deposit, margin or collateral requirements. In the event of a financial institution’s insolvency, recovery of Partnership assets on deposit may be limited to account insurance or other protection afforded such deposits.

18

 

NUWAVE LARGE CAP ACTIVE ALPHA L.P.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
 
7.Market and credit risks (continued)

 

The General Partner has established procedures to actively monitor market risk and minimize credit risk, although there can be no assurance that it will, in fact, succeed in doing so. The Limited Partners bear the risk of loss only to the extent of the fair value of their respective investments and, in certain specific circumstances, distributions and redemptions received.

 

8.Financial highlights

 

Financial highlights for the year ended December 31, 2016 are as follows:

 

Total return   16%
      
Expenses   0.00%
Expenses charged to Partnership   (0.10)
Expenses pad by General Partner   0.10 
Net expenses   0.00%
      
Net investment income (loss)   2.2%
      
Portfolio turnover rate   1,700%
      

Financial highlights are calculated for each class taken as a whole. An individual limited partner’s return and ratios may vary based on different incentive and/or management fee arrangements, and the timing of capital transactions.

 

9.Indemnifications

 

In the normal course of business, the Partnership enters into contracts and agreements that contain a variety of representations and warranties and which provide general indemnifications. The Partnership’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown, as this would involve future claims that may be made against the Partnership that have not yet occurred. The Partnership expects the risk of any future obligation under these indemnifications to be remote.

 

10.Subsequent events

 

During the period January 1, 2017 through October 26, 2017, there was no capital activity by limited partners.

 

The General Partner has notified the limited partners that the General Partner plans on converting the NuWave Equity Enhanced Fund, LP to a registered investment company (mutual fund), with the anticipated conversion occurring during the fourth quarter of 2017.

 

The General Partner has evaluated subsequent events through October 26, 2017, the date the financial statements were available to be issued, and has determined that there are no other subsequent events that require disclosure.

19

NUWAVE EQUITY ENHANCED FUND LP

 

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

AND

INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT

 

DECEMBER 31, 2015

 

(INCLUDING THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND

INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT OF

NUWAVE LARGE CAP ACTIVE ALPHA MASTER FUND LTD.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A CLAIM OF EXEMPTION FROM CERTAIN REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS HAS BEEN FILED WITH THE
COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING COMMISSION PURSUANT TO REGULATION 4.7 BY THE COMMODITY
POOL OPERATOR OF NUWAVE EQUITY ENHANCED FUND LP

 

 

NUWAVE EQUITY ENHANCED FUND LP
MASTER INDEX

 

   Section
    
NuWave Equity Enhanced Fund LP  I
Financial Statements and Independent Auditor’s Report As of December 31, 2015 and for the year then ended   
    
NuWave Large Cap Active Alpha Master Fund Ltd.  II
Financial Statements and Independent Auditor’s Report As of December 31, 2015 and for the year then ended   

 

 

NUWAVE EQUITY ENHANCED FUND LP 

 

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

AND

INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT

 

DECEMBER 31, 2015

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A CLAIM OF EXEMPTION FROM CERTAIN REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS HAS BEEN FILED WITH THE
COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING COMMISSION PURSUANT TO REGULATION 4.7 BY THE COMMODITY
POOL OPERATOR OF NUWAVE EQUITY ENHANCED FUND LP

 

 

NUWAVE EQUITY ENHANCED FUND LP
CONTENTS

 

Affirmation of the Commodity Pool Operator  1
    
Independent Auditor’s Report  2
    
Financial Statements   
    
Statement of Financial Condition  3
    
Statement of Operations  4
    
Statement of Changes in Partners’ Capital  5
    
Schedule of Investments  6-7
    
Notes to Financial Statements  8-16

 

 

NUWAVE EQUITY ENHANCED FUND LP

 

AFFIRMATION OF THE COMMODITY POOL OPERATOR

 

To the best of the knowledge and belief of the undersigned, the information contained in the annual report for the year ended December 31, 2015 is accurate and complete.

  

-s-Troy W. Buckner
Troy W. Buckner, President
NuWave Investment Management, LLC
Investment Manager,
NuWave Equity Enhanced Fund LP

 

Commodity Pool Operator:

NuWave Investment Management, LLC

35 Waterview Blvd.

Parsippany, NJ 07054

(973) 888-6800

 

Commodity Pool:

 

NUWAVE EQUITY ENHANCED FUND LP

1

 

(ARTHUR BELL LOGO)

 

   
201 International Circle, Suite 400 Toll Free: 855.787.0001
Hunt Valley, Maryland 21030 Telephone: 410.771.0001
www.arthurbellcpas.com Fax: 410.785.9784

 

INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT

 

To the Partners

NuWave Equity Enhanced Fund LP

 

We have audited the accompanying financial statements of NuWave Equity Enhanced Fund LP, which comprise the statement of financial condition, including the schedule of investments, as of December 31, 2015, and the related statements of operations and changes in partners’ capital for the year then ended, and the related notes to the financial statements.

 

Management’s Responsibility for the Financial Statements

 

Management is responsible for the preparation and fair presentation of these financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America; this includes the design, implementation, and maintenance of internal control relevant to the preparation and fair presentation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.

 

Auditor’s Responsibility

 

Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audit. We conducted our audit in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free from material misstatement.

 

An audit involves performing procedures to obtain audit evidence about the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. The procedures selected depend on the auditor’s judgment, including the assessment of the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to fraud or error. In making those risk assessments, the auditor considers internal control relevant to the entity’s preparation and fair presentation of the financial statements in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the entity’s internal control. Accordingly, we express no such opinion. An audit also includes evaluating the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the reasonableness of significant accounting estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements.

 

We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our audit opinion.

 

Opinion

 

In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of NuWave Equity Enhanced Fund LP as of December 31, 2015, and the results of its operations and the changes in its net asset value for the year then ended in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

 

(SIGNATURE)

 

Hunt Valley, Maryland

October 10, 2017

2

 

NUWAVE EQUITY ENHANCED FUND LP
STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL CONDITION
 
December 31, 2015

 

Assets     
      
Investment in NuWave Large Cap Active Alpha Master Fund Ltd., at fair value  $4,169,456 
Cash   586,570 
Due from broker   1,304,080 
      
   $6,060,106 
Liabilities and partners’ capital     
      
Liabilities     
Derivative contracts, at fair value  $14,157 
Due to related parties   731 
Accrued expenses and other liabilities   16,245 
Total liabilities   31,133 
      
Partners’ capital  $6,028,973 

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

3

 

NUWAVE EQUITY ENHANCED FUND LP
STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS
 
Year Ended December 31, 2015

 

Net investment income (loss) allocated from NuWave Large Cap Active Alpha Master Fund Ltd.     
Dividend income  $92,116 
Dividend expense   (600)
Professional fees and other   (123)
Total net investment income (loss) allocated from NuWave Large Cap Active Alpha Master Fund Ltd.   91,393 
      
Partnership expenses     
Management fee   (58,017)
Administrative fee   (6,000)
Bank fees   (426)
Total Partnership expenses   (64,443)
      
Net investment income (loss)   26,950 
      
Realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments allocated from NuWave Large Cap Active Alpha Master Fund Ltd.     
Net realized gain (loss) on securities and foreign currency transactions   (139,000)
Net change in unrealized appreciation or (depreciation) on investments and foreign currency transactions   (28,687)
      
Net gain (loss) allocated from NuWave Large Cap Active Alpha Master Fund Ltd.   (167,687)
      
Partnership realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments     
Net realized gain (loss) on derivatives (net of commission fees of $7,427)   347,864 
Net change in unrealized appreciation or (depreciation) on derivatives   (8,663)
Net realized gain (loss) on foreign currency transactions   (1,096)
      
Net gain (loss) on Partnership investments   338,105 
      
Net income (loss)  $197,368 

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

4

 

NUWAVE EQUITY ENHANCED FUND LP
STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN PARTNERS’ CAPITAL
 
Year Ended December 31, 2015

 

   General   Limited     
   Partner   Partners   Total 
             
Partners’ capital, beginning of year  $   $5,916,584   $5,916,584 
                
Capital withdrawals       (99,778)   (99,778)
                
Capital contributions related to rebated management fees and incentive allocation       14,799    14,799 
                
Net investment income (loss) allocated from NuWave Large Cap Active Alpha Master Fund Ltd.               
Dividend income       92,116    92,116 
Dividend expense       (600)   (600)
Professional fees and other       (123)   (123)
                
Partnership expenses               
Management fee       (58,017)   (58,017)
Administrative fee       (6,000)   (6,000)
Bank fees       (426)   (426)
                
Realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments allocated from NuWave Large Cap Active Alpha Master Fund Ltd.               
Net realized gain (loss) on securities and foreign currency transactions       (139,000)   (139,000)
Net change in unrealized appreciation or (depreciation) on investments and foreign currency transactions       (28,687)   (28,687)
                
Net gain (loss) allocated from NuWave Large Cap Active Alpha Master Fund Ltd.               
                
Partnership realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments               
Net realized gain (loss) on derivatives (net of commission fees of $7,427)       347,864    347,864 
Net change in unrealized appreciation or (depreciation) on derivatives       (8,663)   (8,663)
Net realized gain (loss) on foreign currency transactions       (1,096)   (1,096)
                
Partners’ capital, end of year  $   $6,028,973   $6,028,973 

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

5

 

NUWAVE EQUITY ENHANCED FUND LP
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
 
Year Ended December 31, 2015

 

   Number of  Notional      Percentage of   Fair 
   Contracts  Amount   Maturity  Net Assets   Value 
                   
Derivative contracts, at fair value                     
                      
Long futures contracts                     
                      
Commodity Prices                     
Agriculture                     
Cocoa Future  1  $32,660   March 2016   (0.0)%  $(550)
Cocoa Future  4   132,243   May 2016   (0.1)   (3,963)
Cotton No. 2 Future  2   63,774   March 2016   (0.0)   (494)
Sugar #11 World  4   64,054   March 2016   0.1    4,221 
Interest Rate                     
90 Day Euro Dollar Future  14   3,463,657   December 2016   (0.1)   (6,707)
90 Day Sterling Future  60   11,432,815   December 2016   (0.2)   (13,319)
Australian 10yr Bond Future  4   370,163   March 2016   0.0    196 
Euro Bund Future  17   2,872,928   March 2016   (0.1)   (8,602)
Japanese 10yr Bond Future  1   1,205,663   March 2016   0.1    3,575 
Long Gilt Future  16   2,818,042   March 2016   (0.1)   (7,133)
US 10yr Note (CBT)  9   1,137,049   March 2016   (0.1)   (3,892)
Metal                     
LME Aluminum Future  3   113,744   January 2016   (0.0)   (831)
Total Commodity Prices              (0.6)   (37,499)
                      
Equity Price                     
Index                     
CAC 40 10 Euro Future  1   50,158   January 2016   0.0    478 
FTSE/MIB Index Future  1   116,337   March 2016   0.0    690 
S&P 500 E Mini Future  1   100,544   March 2016   0.0    1,231 
Total Equity Price              0.0    2,399 
                      
Total long futures contracts              (0.6)%  $(35,100)

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

6

 

NUWAVE EQUITY ENHANCED FUND LP
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
 
Year Ended December 31, 2015

 

   Number of  Notional      Percentage of   Fair 
   Contracts  Amount   Maturity  Net Assets   Value 
                   
Derivative contracts, at fair value                     
Short futures contracts                     
                      
Commodity Prices                     
Agriculture                     
Coffee ‘C’ Future  (4)  $(180,409)  May 2016   (0.2)%  $(12,791)
Corn Future  (16)   (300,714)  March 2016   0.2    13,714 
Lean Hogs Future  (4)   (101,078)  April 2016   (0.1)   (4,442)
Live Cattle Future  (3)   (158,439)  February 2016   (0.1)   (5,720)
Soybean Future  (5)   (218,165)  March 2016   0.0    2,102 
Wheat Future  (1)   (23,507)  March 2016   0.0    7 
Wheat Future  (12)   (287,500)  May 2016   0.0    1,600 
Energy                     
Gasoline Rbob Future  (2)   (103,244)  February 2016   (0.1)   (3,520)
Natural Gas Future  (6)   (137,804)  February 2016   (0.0)   (2,416)
NY Harb ULSD Future  (3)   (164,545)  February 2016   0.4    22,934 
WTI Crude Future  (4)   (145,141)  February 2016   (0.1)   (3,019)
Metal                     
Copper Future  (4)   (213,388)  March 2016   (0.0)   (112)
Gold 100 oz. Future  (8)   (856,852)  February 2016   0.1    8,692 
LME Aluminum Future  (4)   (155,042)  January 2016   0.1    4,491 
LME Aluminum Future  (1)   (37,459)  February 2016   (0.0)   (293)
LME Aluminum Future  (3)   (113,700)  March 2016   0.0    638 
LME Copper Future  (1)   (115,000)  February 2016   (0.1)   (2,764)
LME Copper Future  (1)   (115,099)  March 2016   (0.0)   (2,608)
Platinum Future  (5)   (220,270)  April 2016   (0.1)   (3,030)
Silver Future  (1)   (70,320)  March 2016   0.0    1,305 
Total Commodity Prices              0.2    14,768 
                      
Equity Price                     
Index                     
DAX Index Future  (1)   (288,308)  March 2016   (0.1)   (3,380)
FTSE 100 Index Future  (2)   (181,495)  March 2016   (0.1)   (4,959)
Hang Seng Index Future  (4)   (564,605)  January 2016   (0.0)   (748)
IBEX 35 Index Future  (1)   (105,191)  January 2016   0.0    2,017 
Nikkei 225 (SGX) Future  (1)   (78,295)  March 2016   0.0    43 
Russell 2000 Mini Future  (1)   (115,570)  March 2016   0.0    2,420 
S&P/TSX 60 Index Future  (1)   (111,696)  March 2016   (0.0)   (269)
SPI 200 Future  (2)   (176,426)  March 2016   (0.2)   (12,293)
Total Equity Price              (0.3)   (17,169)
                      
Foreign currency exchange rate                     
Currency                     
Australian Dollar Currency Future  (4)   (287,174)  March 2016   (0.1)   (3,466)
British Pound Currency Future  (7)   (663,425)  March 2016   0.3    18,813 
Canadian Dollar Currency Future  (5)   (364,865)  March 2016   0.1    3,215 
Euro FX Currency Future  (5)   (688,570)  March 2016   0.1    8,195 
Japanese Yen Currency Future  (4)   (412,162)  March 2016   (0.1)   (4,463)
Mexican Peso Currency Future  (5)   (145,550)  March 2016   0.0    1,050 
Total Foreign currency exchange rate              0.4    23,344 
Total short futures contracts              0.4    20,943 
                      
Total derivative contracts, at fair value              (0.2)%  $(14,157)

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

7

 

NUWAVE EQUITY ENHANCED FUND LP
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

1.Nature of operations and summary of significant accounting policies

 

Nature of Operations

 

NuWave Equity Enhanced Fund, LP (the “Partnership”), a Delaware investment limited partnership, commenced operations on April 1, 2013. The Partnership was organized for the purpose of trading and investing in futures contracts and a related Master Fund. The Partnership is managed by NuWave Investment Management, LLC (the “General Partner”). Refer to the Partnership’s offering memorandum for more information.

 

The Partnership invests substantially all of its assets through a master-feeder structure in NuWave Large Cap Active Alpha Master Fund Ltd. (the “Master Fund”), an investment company that has the same investment objectives as the Partnership. The financial statements of the Master Fund, including the condensed schedule of investments, are included elsewhere in this report and should be read with the Partnership’s financial statements. The Partnership owns approximately 80% of the Master Fund at December 31, 2015.

 

Basis of Presentation

 

The financial statements have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”). The Partnership is an investment company and follows the accounting and reporting guidance in Financial Accounting Standards Board’s (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification Topic 946.

 

Pursuant to the Cash Flows Topic of the Codification, the Partnership qualifies for an exemption from the requirement to provide a statement of cash flows and has elected not to provide a statement of cash flows.

 

Cash and Cash Equivalents

 

Cash represents cash deposits held at financial institutions. Cash equivalents include short-term highly liquid investments of sufficient credit quality that are readily convertible to known amounts of cash and have original maturities of three months or less. Cash equivalents are carried at cost, plus accrued interest, which approximates fair value. Cash equivalents are held for the purpose of meeting short-term liquidity requirements, rather than for investment purposes. Cash and cash equivalents are held at major financial institutions.

 

Valuation of Investment in NuWave Large Cap Active Alpha Master Fund Ltd.

 

The Partnership records its investment in the Master Fund at fair value. Valuation of investments held by the Master Fund, including, but not limited to the valuation techniques used and categorization within the fair value hierarchy of investments, are discussed in the notes to the Master Fund financial statements included elsewhere in this report.

 

Fair Value - Definition and Hierarchy

 

Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability (i.e., the “exit price”) in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date.

8

 

NUWAVE EQUITY ENHANCED FUND LP
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

1.Nature of operations and summary of significant accounting policies (continued)

 

In determining fair value, the Partnership uses various valuation techniques. A fair value hierarchy for inputs is used in measuring fair value that maximizes the use of observable inputs and minimizes the use of unobservable inputs by requiring that the most observable inputs are to be used when available. Valuation techniques that are consistent with the market or income approach are used to measure fair value. The fair value hierarchy is categorized into three levels based on the inputs as follows:

 

Level 1 - Valuations based on unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that the Partnership has the ability to access.

 

Level 2 - Valuations based on inputs, other than quoted prices included in Level 1, that are observable either directly or indirectly.

 

Level 3 - Valuations based on inputs that are unobservable and significant to the overall fair value measurement.

 

Fair value is a market-based measure, based on assumptions of prices and inputs considered from the perspective of a market participant that are current as of the measurement date, rather than an entity-specific measure. Therefore, even when market assumptions are not readily available, the Partnership’s own assumptions are set to reflect those that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability at the measurement date.

 

The availability of valuation techniques and observable inputs can vary from investment to investment and are affected by a wide variety of factors, including the type of investment, whether the investment is new and not yet established in the marketplace, the liquidity of markets, and other characteristics particular to the transaction. To the extent that valuation is based on models or inputs that are less observable or unobservable in the market, the determination of fair value requires more judgment. Because of the inherent uncertainty of valuation, those estimated values may be materially higher or lower than the values that would have been used had a ready market for the investments existed. Accordingly, the degree of judgment exercised by the Partnership in determining fair value is greatest for investments categorized in Level 3. In certain cases, the inputs used to measure fair value may fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In such cases, the level in the fair value hierarchy which the fair value measurement falls in its entirety is determined based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement.

 

Fair Value - Valuation Techniques and Inputs

 

The Partnership values investments in securities and securities sold short that are freely tradable and are listed on a national securities exchange or reported on the NASDAQ national market at their last reported sales price as of the valuation date.

 

The Partnership records its derivative activities at fair value. Gains and losses from derivative contracts are included in net change in unrealized appreciation or (depreciation) on derivatives and net realized gain (loss) on derivatives in the statement of operations. Derivative contracts include future contracts related to foreign currencies, equity prices or commodity prices.

9

 

NUWAVE EQUITY ENHANCED FUND LP
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

1.Nature of operations and summary of significant accounting policies (continued)

 

Translation of Foreign Currency

 

Assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are translated into United States dollar amounts at the period-end exchange rates. Transactions denominated in foreign currencies, including purchases and sales of investments, and income and expenses, are translated into United States dollar amounts on the transaction date. Adjustments arising from foreign currency transactions are reflected in the statement of operations.

 

The Partnership does not isolate that portion of the results of operations arising from the effect of changes in foreign exchange rates on investments from fluctuations arising from changes in market prices of investments held. Such fluctuations are included in net gain (loss) on investments in the statement of operations.

 

Investment Transactions and Related Investment Income

 

The Partnership records its proportionate share of the Master Fund’s income, expenses, and realized and unrealized gains and losses. In addition, the Partnership incurs and accrues its own expenses. Investment transactions are accounted for on a trade-date basis. Interest is recognized on the accrual basis.

 

Income Taxes

 

The Partnership applies the provisions of Codification Topic 740, Income Taxes, which prescribe the minimum recognition threshold a tax position must meet in connection with accounting for uncertainties in income tax positions taken or expected to be taken by an entity before being measured and recognized in the financial statements.

 

The Partnership does not record a provision for U.S. federal, state, or local income taxes because the partners report their share of the Partnership’s income or loss on their income tax returns. The Partnership files an income tax return in the U.S. federal jurisdiction, and may file income tax returns in various U.S. states. Generally, the Partnership is subject to income tax examinations by the U.S. federal taxing authority since its inception.

 

The Partnership is required to determine whether its tax positions are more likely than not to be sustained upon examination by the applicable taxing authority, based on the technical merits of the position. The tax benefit recognized is measured as the largest amount of benefit that has a greater than fifty percent likelihood of being realized upon ultimate settlement with the relevant taxing authorities. Based on its analysis, the Partnership has determined that there is no tax expense or interest expense related to uncertainty in tax positions, and that it has not incurred any liability for unrecognized tax benefits as of December 31, 2015. The Partnership does not expect that its assessment regarding unrecognized tax benefits will materially change over the next twelve months. However, the Partnership’s conclusions may be subject to review and adjustment at a later date based on factors including, but not limited to, questioning the timing and amount of deductions, the nexus of income among various tax jurisdictions, compliance with U.S. federal, U.S. state and foreign tax laws, and changes in the administrative practices and precedents of the relevant taxing authorities.

 

Use of Estimates

 

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires the Partnership’s management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts disclosed in the financial statements. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

10

 

NUWAVE EQUITY ENHANCED FUND LP
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

1.Nature of operations and summary of significant accounting policies (continued)

 

Offsetting of Assets and Liabilities

 

Amounts due from and due to brokers are presented on a net basis, by counterparty, to the extent the Partnership has the legal right to offset the recognized amounts and intends to settle on a net basis. The Partnership presents on a net basis the fair value amounts recognized for OTC derivatives executed with the same counterparty under the same master netting agreement.

 

2.Fair value measurements

 

The Partnership’s assets and liabilities recorded at fair value have been categorized based upon a fair value hierarchy as described in the Partnership’s significant accounting policies in Note 1.

 

The following table presents information about the Partnership’s assets measured at fair value as of December 31, 2015 (in thousands):

 

   Level 1   Level 2   Level 3   Total 
Assets (at fair value)                    
                     
Derivative contracts                    
Future contracts  $102   $   $   $102 
Less: Master netting arrangements   (102)           (102)
   $   $   $   $ 

 

The following table presents information about the Partnership’s liabilities measured at fair value as of December 31, 2015 (in thousands):

 

   Level 1   Level 2   Level 3   Total 
Liabilities (at fair value)                    
                     
Derivative contracts                    
Future contracts  $116   $   $   $116 
Less: Master netting arrangements   (102)           (102)
   $14   $   $   $14 

 

3.Due from broker

 

Due from broker includes cash balances held with brokers, receivables and payables from unsettled trades and collateral on derivative transactions. Amounts due from brokers may be restricted to the extent that they serve as deposits for certain marketable securities. At December 31, 2015, due from broker includes unrestricted cash of $1,301,678. Due from broker may include both U.S. and foreign denominated currencies.

11

 

NUWAVE EQUITY ENHANCED FUND LP
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

3.Due from broker (continued)

 

In the normal course of business, substantially all of the Partnership’s securities transactions, derivatives transactions, money balances, and security positions are transacted with the Partnership’s broker: Newedge. The Partnership is subject to credit risk to the extent any broker with which it conducts business is unable to fulfill contractual obligations on its behalf. The Partnership’s management monitors the financial condition of the broker and does not anticipate any losses from this counterparty.

 

4.Derivative contracts

 

In the normal course of business, the Partnership utilizes derivative contracts in connection with its proprietary trading activities. Investments in derivative contracts are subject to additional risks that can result in a loss of all or part of an investment. The Partnership’s derivative activities and exposure to derivative contracts are classified by the following primary underlying risks: foreign currency exchange rate, commodity price, and equity price. In addition to its primary underlying risks, the Partnership is also subject to additional counterparty risk due to inability of its counterparties to meet the terms of their contracts.

 

Futures Contracts

 

The Partnership may use futures contracts to gain exposure to, or hedge against, changes in the value of equities and commodities, interest rates or foreign currencies. A futures contract represents a commitment for the future purchase or sale of an asset at a specified price on a specified date.

 

The purchase and sale of futures requires margin deposits with a Futures Commission Merchant (“FCM”) equal to a certain percentage of the contract amount. Subsequent payments (variation margin) are made or received by the Partnership each day, depending on the daily fluctuations in the value of the contract. The Partnership recognizes a gain or loss equal to the daily variation margin. Futures may reduce the Partnership’s exposure to counterparty risk since futures are exchange-traded and the exchange’s clearinghouse, as the counterparty to all exchange-traded futures, guarantees the futures against default.

 

The Commodity Exchange Act requires an FCM to segregate all customer transactions and assets from the FCM’s proprietary activities. A customer’s cash and other equity deposited with an FCM are considered commingled with all other customer funds subject to the FCM’s segregation requirements. In the event of an FCM’s insolvency, recovery may be limited to the Partnership’s pro rata share of segregated customer funds available. It is possible that the recovery amount could be less than the total of cash and other equity deposited.

 

Credit-Risk-Related Contingent Features

 

The Partnership’s derivative contracts are subject to International Swaps and Derivatives Association (“ISDA”) Master Agreements which contain certain covenants and other provisions that may require the Partnership to post collateral on derivatives if the Partnership is in a net liability position with its counterparties exceeding certain amounts.

 

The aggregate fair value of all derivative instruments with credit-risk-related contingent features that are in a net liability position at December 31, 2015 is $115,784. If the credit-risk-related contingent features underlying these agreements were triggered as of December 31, 2015, the Partnership would have been required to post additional collateral.

12

 

NUWAVE EQUITY ENHANCED FUND LP
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

4.Derivative contracts (continued)

 

Additionally, counterparties may immediately terminate these agreements and the related derivative contracts if the Partnership fails to maintain sufficient asset coverage for its contracts or its net assets decline by stated percentages or amounts. As of December 31, 2015, the termination values of these derivative contracts were equal to one another.

 

Volume of Derivative Activities

 

At December 31, 2015, the volume of the Partnership’s derivative activities based on their notional amounts(a) and number of contracts, categorized by primary underlying risk, are as follows:

 

(notional amounts in thousands)

 

   Long exposure   Short exposure 
   Notional   Number   Notional   Number 
Primary underlying risk  amounts   of contracts   amounts   of contracts 
Foreign currency exchange rate                    
Futures contracts  $       $2,562    30 
Equity price                    
Futures contracts   267    3    1,622    13 
Commodity price                    
Futures contracts   23,707    135    3,718    88 
   $23,974    138   $7,902    131 

 

(a)Notional amounts are presented net of identical offsetting derivative contracts.

 

Impact of Derivatives on the Statement of Financial Condition and Statement of Operations

 

The following table identifies the fair value amounts of derivative instruments included in the statement of financial condition as derivative contracts, categorized by primary underlying risk, at December 31, 2015. Balances are presented on a gross basis, prior to the application of the impact of counterparty and collateral netting. Total derivative assets and liabilities are adjusted on an aggregate basis to take into consideration the effects of master netting arrangements. The following table also identifies the realized and unrealized gain and loss amounts included in the statement of operations categorized by primary underlying risk, for the year ended December 31, 2015:

13

 

NUWAVE EQUITY ENHANCED FUND LP
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

4.Derivative contracts (continued)

 

Impact of Derivatives on the Statement of Financial Condition and Statement of Operations (continued)

 

(in thousands)

 

   Derivative   Derivative   Unrealized   Realized 
Primary underlying risk  assets   liabilities   gain (loss)   gain (loss) 
Foreign currency exchange rate                    
Futures contracts  $31   $8   $20   $126 
Equity price                    
Futures contracts   7    22    (19)   (96)
Commodity price                    
Futures contracts   64    86    (10)   326 
                     
Gross Total   102    116    (9)   356 
Less: Master netting arrangements   (102)   (102)        
Less: Commission fees               (8)
                     
Total  $   $14   $(9)  $348 

 

5.Partners’ capital

 

The Partnership offers Class B Limited Partnership Interests and Class B3 Limited Partnership Interests (collectively, “Interests”). Class B Limited Partnership Interests and Class B3 Limited Partnership Interests are identical in all respects, except that Class B3 Limited Partnership Interests have different liquidity and minimum investment terms.

 

In accordance with the limited partnership agreement (the “Agreement”), profits and losses of the Partnership are allocated to partners according to their respective interests in the Partnership. Subject to certain limitations, generally 20% of the return attributable to each outstanding series of Interests during a calendar quarter that is in excess of the return generated by the S&P 500 Total Return allocated to the limited partners is reallocated (the “Incentive Allocation) to the Investment Manager of the Master Fund, on a quarterly basis, at the Master Fund level. To the extent the Incentive Allocation is allocated at the Master Fund level, no Incentive Allocation will be made at the Partnership level. The General Partner of the Partnership is also the Investment Manager of the Master Fund.

 

Generally, a limited partner may make a capital contribution to the Partnership on the first business day of any month and capital withdrawals of all or a portion of its capital account as of the last day of any month.

 

6.Related party transactions

 

The Partnership pays the General Partner a monthly management fee in arrears on the first business day of each month, equal to 0.0833% of the aggregate net asset value determined as of the last day of the immediately preceding month, calculated prior to any withdrawals of capital as of such day.

 

Due to related parties represents amounts payable to the General Partner for expenses paid on behalf of the Partnership.

14

 

NUWAVE EQUITY ENHANCED FUND LP
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

6.Related party transactions (continued)

 

Certain limited partners are affiliated with the General Partner. The aggregate value of the affiliated limited partners’ share of partners’ capital at December 31, 2015 is approximately $6,029,000.

 

Certain limited partners have special management fee or redemption rights as provided for in the Agreement.

 

The General Partner has agreed to rebate the management fee and incentive allocation for certain limited partners. The discounted fee structure results in a rebate to their investment that is the difference between the Partnership’s normal fee and the discounted fees. The total management fee expense and incentive reallocation rebated for the year ended December 31, 2015 was $14,799.

 

7.Administrative fee

 

U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC served as the Partnership’s administrator and performed certain administrative and accounting services on behalf of the Partnership until November 30, 2015. Effective December 1, 2015 the Partnership hired Gemini Hedge Fund Services, LLC (the “Administrator”) to perform the administrative and accounting services on behalf of the Partnership.

 

8.Financial highlights

 

Financial highlights for the year ended December 31, 2015 are as follows:

 

Total return before reallocation to the Investment Manager of NuWave Large Cap Active Alpha Master Fund Ltd.   3.4%
Reallocation to the Investment Manager of NuWave Large Cap Active Alpha Master Fund Ltd.    
Total return after reallocation to the Investment Manager of NuWave Large Cap Active Alpha Master Fund Ltd.   3.4%
      
Ratio to average limited partners’ capital Expenses (including interest and dividends)   1.1%
Reallocation to Investment Manager of NuWave Large Cap Active Alpha Master Fund Ltd.    
Expenses and reallocation to Investment Manager of NuWave Large Cap Active Alpha Master Fund Ltd.   1.1%
      
Net investment income (loss)   0.5%
      
Portfolio turnover rate  Not Applicable(1) 

 

(1)Not applicable as the Partnership did not hold or trade any securities during the year ended December 31, 2015.

15

 

NUWAVE EQUITY ENHANCED FUND LP
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

8.Financial highlights (continued)

 

Financial highlights are calculated for the limited partner class taken as a whole. An individual limited partner’s return and ratios may vary based on participation in new issues, private investments, different incentive and/or management fee arrangements, and the timing of capital transactions. The net investment income (loss) ratio does not reflect the effects of the reallocation to the Investment Manager of the Master Fund.

 

9.Indemnifications

 

In the normal course of business, the Partnership enters into contracts and agreements that contain a variety of representations and warranties and which provide general indemnifications. The Partnership’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown, as this would involve future claims that may be made against the Partnership that have not yet occurred. The Partnership expects the risk of any future obligation under these indemnifications to be remote.

 

10.Subsequent events

 

As of January 4, 2016, positions attributable to the NuWave Large Cap Active Alpha Master Fund with the fair value of $5,223,295 were transferred to NuWave Large Cap Active Alpha LP and accompanying changes to brokerage accounts, service agreements and offering documents have been implemented. The NuWave Equity Enhanced Fund LP redeemed its shares in the NuWave Large Cap Active Alpha Master Fund and subscribed for interests in NuWave Large Cap Active Alpha LP such that the NuWave Equity Enhanced Fund LP had the same percentage of interest in the new master portfolio as it held in the old master portfolio.

 

During the period January 1, 2016 through October 10, 2017, capital contributions and withdrawals by limited partners totaled $1,250,000 and $1,500,000 respectively.

 

The General Partner has notified the limited partners that the General Partner plans on converting the Partnership to a registered investment company (mutual fund), with the anticipated conversion occurring during the fourth quarter of 2017.

 

The General Partner has evaluated subsequent events through October 10, 2017, the date the financial statements were available to be issued, and has determined that there are no other subsequent events that require disclosure.

16

 

NUWAVE LARGE CAP ACTIVE ALPHA MASTER FUND LTD.

 

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

AND

INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT

 

DECEMBER 31, 2015

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A CLAIM OF EXEMPTION FROM CERTAIN REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS HAS BEEN FILED WITH THE
COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING COMMISSION PURSUANT TO REGULATION 4.7 BY THE COMMODITY
POOL OPERATOR OF NUWAVE LARGE CAP ACTIVE ALPHA MASTER FUND LTD.

 

 

NUWAVE LARGE CAP ACTIVE ALPHA MASTER FUND LTD.
CONTENTS

 

Affirmation of the Commodity Pool Operator  1
    
Independent Auditor’s Report  2
    
Financial Statements   
    
Statement of Assets and Liabilities  3
    
Statement of Operations  4
    
Statement of Changes in Net Assets  5
    
Schedule of Investments  6-14
    
Notes to Financial Statements  15-20

 

 

NUWAVE LARGE CAP ACTIVE ALPHA MASTER FUND LTD.

 

AFFIRMATION OF THE COMMODITY POOL OPERATOR

 

To the best of the knowledge and belief of the undersigned, the information contained in the annual report for the year ended December 31, 2015 is accurate and complete. 

 

-s-Troy W. Buckner
Troy W. Buckner, President
NuWave Investment Management, LLC
Investment Manager
NuWave Large Cap Active Alpha Master Fund Ltd.

 

Commodity Pool Operator

NuWave Investment Management, LLC

35 Waterview Blvd.

Parsippany, NJ 07054

(973) 888-6800

 

Commodity Pool:

 

NUWAVE LARGE CAP ACTIVE ALPHA MASTER FUND LTD.

1

 

(ARTHUR BELL LOGO)

 

   
201 International Circle, Suite 400 Toll Free: 855.787.0001
Hunt Valley, Maryland 21030 Telephone: 410.771.0001
www.arthurbellcpas.com Fax: 410.785.9784

 

INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT

 

To the Shareholders

NuWave Large Cap Active Alpha Master Fund Ltd.

 

We have audited the accompanying financial statements of NuWave Large Cap Active Alpha Master Fund Ltd., which comprise the statement of assets and liabilities, including the schedule of investments, as of December 31, 2015, and the related statements of operations and changes in net assets for the year then ended, and the related notes to the financial statements.

 

Management’s Responsibility for the Financial Statements

 

Management is responsible for the preparation and fair presentation of these financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America; this includes the design, implementation, and maintenance of internal control relevant to the preparation and fair presentation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.

 

Auditor’s Responsibility

 

Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audit. We conducted our audit in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free from material misstatement.

 

An audit involves performing procedures to obtain audit evidence about the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. The procedures selected depend on the auditor’s judgment, including the assessment of the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to fraud or error. In making those risk assessments, the auditor considers internal control relevant to the entity’s preparation and fair presentation of the financial statements in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the entity’s internal control. Accordingly, we express no such opinion. An audit also includes evaluating the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the reasonableness of significant accounting estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements.

 

We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our audit opinion.

 

Opinion

 

In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of NuWave Large Cap Active Alpha Master Fund Ltd. as of December 31, 2015, and the results of its operations and the changes in its net asset value for the year then ended in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

 

(SIGNATURE)

 

Hunt Valley, Maryland

October 26, 2017

 

 

NUWAVE LARGE CAP ACTIVE ALPHA MASTER FUND LTD.
STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES
(Expressed in United States Dollars)
 
December 31, 2015

 

Assets     
      
Investments in securities, at fair value (cost $5,284,827)  $5,223,295 
Due from broker   11,455 
Dividends receivable   7,809 
Total assets   5,242,559 
      
Liabilities     
      
Due to related parties   55 
Total liabilities   55 
      
Net assets  $5,242,504 

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

3

 

NUWAVE LARGE CAP ACTIVE ALPHA MASTER FUND LTD.
STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS
(Expressed in United States Dollars)
 
Year Ended December 31, 2015

 

Investment income     
Dividends (net of withholding taxes of $603)  $106,364 
      
Expenses     
Interest and dividends   (122)
Professional fees and other   (211)
Total expenses   (333)
      
Net investment income (loss)   106,031 
      
Realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments, foreign currency and derivatives     
Net realized gain (loss) on investments and foreign currency transactions   (189,138)
Net change in unrealized appreciation or (depreciation) on investments and foreign currency transactions   (22,191)
Net gain (loss) on investments   (211,329)
      
Net change in net assets resulting from operations  $(105,298)
      
Expenses charged     
Legal  $9,511 
Administration   78,048 
Audit and Tax   31,500 
Total expenses  $119,059 
Expenses paid by Investment Manager   (119,059)
      
Net result in expenses charged  $ 

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

4

 

NUWAVE LARGE CAP ACTIVE ALPHA MASTER FUND LTD.
STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN NET ASSETS
(Expressed in United States Dollars)
 
Year Ended December 31, 2015

 

   Investment         
   Manager   Shareholders   Total 
Operations               
Net investment income (loss)  $   $106,031   $106,031 
Net realized gain (loss) on investments and foreign currency transactions       (189,138)   (189,138)
Net change in unrealized appreciation or (depreciation) on investments and foreign currency transactions       (22,191)   (22,191)
Net change in net assets resulting from operations       (105,298)   (105,298)
                
Capital share transactions               
Issuance of shares       850,000    850,000 
Subscriptions related to rebated management fees        14,799    14,799 
Redemption of shares       (134,926)   (134,926)
Net change in net assets resulting from capital share transactions       729,873    729,873 
                
Net change in net assets       624,575    624,575 
                
Net assets, beginning of year       4,617,929    4,617,929 
                
Expenses charged               
Legal        9,511    9,511 
Administration        78,048    78,048 
Audit and Tax        31,500    31,500 
Total expenses        119,059    119,059 
Expenses paid by Investment Manager        (119,059)   (119,059)
                
Net assets, end of year  $   $5,242,504   $5,242,504 

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

5

 

NUWAVE LARGE CAP ACTIVE ALPHA MASTER FUND LTD.
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
(Expressed in United States Dollars)
 
December 31, 2015

 

           Percentage of   Fair 
   Quantity   Cost   Net Assets   Value 
Investments in securities, at fair value                    
Common stocks                    
United States                    
Consumer Discretionary                    
ABERCROMBIE & FITCH CO   79   $2,015    0.0%  $2,133 
ADVANCE AUTO PTS INC   71    10,529    0.2    10,686 
AMAZON COM INC   46    30,388    0.6    31,091 
AUTOZONE INC   71    53,353    1.0    52,676 
BED BATH BEYOND INC   673    34,916    0.6    32,472 
BEST BUY INC   103    3,037    0.1    3,136 
H&R BLOCK INC   236    7,875    0.1    7,861 
CARMAX INC   31    1,616    0.0    1,673 
CARNIVAL CORP   409    21,404    0.4    22,282 
CHIPOTLE MEXICAN GRILL INC   93    47,758    0.9    44,626 
COACH INC   42    1,271    0.0    1,375 
COMCAST CORPORATION SPL   458    26,508    0.5    25,845 
D.R. HORTON INC   118    3,758    0.1    3,780 
DARDEN RESTAURANTS INC   23    1,254    0.0    1,464 
DISH NETWORK CORP   58    3,359    0.1    3,316 
DOLLAR TREE INC   138    10,508    0.2    10,656 
EXPEDIA INC   129    15,786    0.3    16,035 
FOOT LOCKER INC   70    4,530    0.1    4,556 
FORD MOTOR COMPANY   1,677    24,174    0.5    23,629 
GAP INC   868    22,695    0.4    21,440 
GENERAL MOTORS   615    21,372    0.4    20,916 
GOODYEAR TIRE & RUBR CO   38    1,221    0.0    1,241 
HANESBRANDS   188    5,402    0.1    5,533 
HARLEY DAVIDSON INC   611    28,377    0.5    27,733 
HASBRO INC   244    16,497    0.3    16,436 
HILTON WORLDWIDE HOLDINGS INC   389    8,468    0.2    8,325 
HOME DEPOT INC   406    53,488    1.0    53,694 
INTERPUBLIC GROUP OF COS INC   69    1,562    0.0    1,606 
JARDEN CORP   401    22,659    0.4    22,905 
JOHNSON CTLS INC   49    1,960    0.0    1,935 
KOHLS CORP   123    5,838    0.1    5,858 
L BRANDS   44    4,183    0.1    4,216 
LAS VEGAS SANDS CORP   191    8,445    0.2    8,373 
LIBERTY INTERACTIVE CORP QVC   33    906    0.0    902 
LOWES COS INC   548    41,561    0.8    41,670 
MACYS INC   1,195    45,262    0.8    41,801 
MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL INC   61    4,111    0.1    4,089 
MCDONALDS   145    17,045    0.3    17,130 
MGM RESORT INTL   56    1,257    0.0    1,272 
MOHAWK INDS INC   20    3,810    0.1    3,788 
NETFLIX INC   259    31,373    0.6    29,624 
NEWELL RUBBERMAID INC   342    14,977    0.3    15,075 
NIKE INC CL B   179    11,446    0.2    11,188 
NORDSTROM INC   833    44,576    0.8    41,492 
O REILLY AUTOMOTIVE INC   133    34,430    0.6    33,705 
POLARIS INDS INC   282    24,268    0.5    24,238 
PRICELINE GROUP INC   4    5,098    0.1    5,100 
RALPH LAUREN CORPORATION   153    17,331    0.3    17,056 
ROYAL CARIBBEAN CRUISES LTD   22    2,200    0.0    2,227 
SKECHERS U S A INC   435    13,355    0.3    13,141 
STAPLES INC   1,888    18,237    0.3    17,879 

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

6

 

NUWAVE LARGE CAP ACTIVE ALPHA MASTER FUND LTD.
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
(Expressed in United States Dollars)
 
December 31, 2015

 

           Percentage of   Fair 
   Quantity   Cost   Net Assets   Value 
Investments in securities, at fair value                    
Common stocks                    
United States                    
Consumer Discretionary                    
STARBUCKS CORP   581   $35,365    0.7%  $34,877 
TARGET CORP   33    2,411    0.0    2,396 
TIFFANY & CO   56    4,226    0.1    4,272 
TIME WARNER INC   359    23,842    0.4    23,217 
TRACTOR SUPPLY CO   24    2,051    0.0    2,052 
TRIPADVISOR INC   19    1,571    0.0    1,620 
TWTY-FRT CNTRY   771    21,978    0.4    20,940 
ULTA SALON COSMETICS & FRAGRANCE   123    22,743    0.4    22,755 
UNDER ARMOUR INC   556    45,161    0.9    44,819 
URBAN OUTFITTERS INC   41    863    0.0    933 
VF CORP   571    35,802    0.7    35,545 
VIACOM INC CL B   216    8,961    0.2    8,891 
WALT DISNEY COMPANY   373    40,482    0.7    39,195 
WHIRLPOOL CORP   10    1,459    0.0    1,469 
WYNDHAM WORLDWIDE CORP   56    4,274    0.1    4,068 
WYNN RESORTS LTD   148    9,875    0.2    10,240 
YUM BRANDS INC   34    2,494    0.0    2,484 
Consumer Discretionary Total        1,101,007    20.6    1,080,653 
Information Technology                    
ACTIVISION BLIZZARD INC   1,009    38,588    0.7    39,058 
ADOBE SYS INC   33    3,098    0.1    3,100 
AKAMAI TECHNOLOGIES INC   466    27,214    0.5    24,526 
ALPHABET INC CLASS C   44    32,660    0.6    33,391 
ANALOG DEVICES INC   255    14,950    0.3    14,107 
APPLE INC   190    21,364    0.4    19,999 
AUTODESK INC   585    36,266    0.7    35,644 
AUTOMATIC DATA PROCESSING INC   64    5,417    0.1    5,422 
AVAGO TECHNOLOGIES LTD   113    16,089    0.3    16,402 
CA INC   244    6,846    0.1    6,969 
CISCO SYSTEMS INC   645    17,408    0.3    17,515 
COGNIZANT TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS   168    10,033    0.2    10,083 
EBAY INC   635    17,874    0.3    17,450 
ELECTRONIC ARTS INC   32    2,202    0.0    2,199 
F5 NETWORKS INC   304    30,698    0.6    29,476 
FACEBOOK INC   131    13,786    0.3    13,710 
HEWLETT PACKARD   673    7,856    0.2    7,968 
INTEL CORP   90    3,088    0.1    3,101 
INTL BUSINESS MACHS CORP   249    34,602    0.7    34,267 
INTUIT   361    35,478    0.7    34,837 
JUNIPER NETWORKS INC   1,989    56,859    1.0    54,896 
LINEAR TECHNOLOGY CORP   310    13,573    0.3    13,166 
LINKEDIN CORP   232    56,689    1.0    52,219 
MASTERCARD INC   38    3,722    0.1    3,700 
MAXIM INTEGRATED PRODS INC   112    4,201    0.1    4,256 
MICRON TECHNOLOGY INC   388    5,329    0.1    5,494 
MICROSOFT CORP   249    13,638    0.3    13,815 
MOTOROLA SOLUTIONS INC   66    4,650    0.1    4,518 
NETAPP INC   828    22,674    0.4    21,967 
NVIDIA CORP   905    29,519    0.6    29,829 
PALO ALTO NETWORK INC   240    42,834    0.8    42,274 

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

7

 

NUWAVE LARGE CAP ACTIVE ALPHA MASTER FUND LTD.
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
(Expressed in United States Dollars)
 
December 31, 2015

 

           Percentage of   Fair 
   Quantity   Cost   Net Assets   Value 
Investments in securities, at fair value                    
Common stocks                    
United States                    
Information Technology                    
PANDORA MEDIA INC   123   $1,935    0.0%  $1,649 
PAYCHEX INC   251    13,276    0.3    13,275 
QUALCOMM INC   170    8,108    0.2    8,497 
RED HAT INC   76    6,132    0.1    6,294 
SALESFORCE COM INC   178    14,057    0.3    13,955 
SEAGATE TECHNOLOGY   504    17,407    0.4    18,477 
SOLERA HOLDINGS INC   291    15,878    0.3    15,956 
SYMANTEC CORP   1,042    20,769    0.4    21,882 
TERADATA CORP   20    564    0.0    528 
TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INC   531    30,171    0.6    29,104 
TWITTER INC   439    10,712    0.2    10,158 
VERISIGN INC   292    25,991    0.5    25,509 
VISA INC   88    6,855    0.1    6,824 
WESTERN DIGITAL CORP   533    33,264    0.6    32,007 
WESTERN UNION CO   911    17,147    0.3    16,316 
XILINX INC   339    16,246    0.3    15,923 
Information Technology Total        867,717    16.2    851,712 
Financials                    
AFLAC INC   477    27,872    0.5    28,572 
ALLSTATE CORP   56    3,529    0.1    3,477 
AMERICAN EXPRESS CO   918    64,495    1.2    63,847 
AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL   129    7,760    0.2    7,994 
AMERIPRISE FINL INC   31    3,229    0.1    3,299 
BANK NEW YORK MELLON CORP   524    22,112    0.4    21,599 
BANK OF AMERICA CORP   377    6,461    0.1    6,345 
BB&T CORP   227    8,677    0.2    8,583 
BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY INC   97    13,077    0.2    12,808 
BLACKROCK INC   9    3,033    0.1    3,065 
CAPITAL ONE FINL CORP   213    15,774    0.3    15,374 
CBRE GROUP INC   250    8,996    0.2    8,645 
CITIGROUP INC   335    17,988    0.3    17,336 
CITIZENS FINANCIAL GROUP INC   217    5,735    0.1    5,683 
CME GROUP INC   280    25,744    0.5    25,368 
COMERICA INC   80    3,287    0.1    3,346 
FRANKLIN RESOURCES INC.   348    12,653    0.2    12,813 
GOLDMAN SACHS GROUP INC   42    7,616    0.1    7,570 
HARTFORD FINL SVCS GROUP INC   510    23,248    0.4    22,165 
INTERCONTINENTAL EXCHANGE INC   31    7,628    0.2    7,944 
INVESCO LTD   92    3,053    0.1    3,080 
JPMORGAN CHASE & CO   230    15,315    0.3    15,187 
KEYCORP NY   385    5,170    0.1    5,078 
LEGG MASON INC   149    5,918    0.1    5,845 
LINCOLN NATL CORP IND   36    1,782    0.0    1,809 
M & T BK CORP   99    12,299    0.2    11,997 
MARSH & MCLENNAN COS INC   222    12,527    0.2    12,310 
MCGRAW HILL FINANCIAL INC   64    6,159    0.1    6,309 
METLIFE INC   61    2,907    0.1    2,941 
MOODYS CORP   119    12,074    0.2    11,940 
NASDAQ INC   132    7,561    0.1    7,678 
NORTHERN TRUST CORP   24    1,788    0.0    1,730 

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

8

 

NUWAVE LARGE CAP ACTIVE ALPHA MASTER FUND LTD.
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
(Expressed in United States Dollars)
 
December 31, 2015

 

           Percentage of   Fair 
   Quantity   Cost   Net Assets   Value 
Investments in securities, at fair value                    
Common stocks                    
United States                    
Financials                    
PNC FINANCIAL SERVICES GROUP   270   $25,144    0.5%  $25,734 
PRICE T ROWE GROUP INC   128    9,255    0.2    9,151 
PRINCIPAL FINANCIAL GROUP INC   113    5,028    0.1    5,083 
PROGRESSIVE CORP OH   532    16,407    0.3    16,918 
SCHWAB CHARLES CORP   355    11,753    0.2    11,690 
STATE STR CORP   34    2,275    0.0    2,256 
SUNTRUST BKS INC   171    7,355    0.1    7,326 
TD AMERITRADE HLDG CORP   71    2,562    0.0    2,464 
TRAVELERS COS INC   160    17,848    0.3    18,058 
UNUM GROUP   62    2,017    0.0    2,064 
US BANCORP   104    4,630    0.1    4,438 
WELLS FARGO COMPANY   150    8,229    0.2    8,154 
ZIONS BANCORPORATION   47    1,269    0.0    1,283 
Financials Total        489,239    9.3    486,356 
Industrial Goods                    
3 M CO   146    21,813    0.4    21,993 
ALASKA AIR GROUP INC   207    17,097    0.3    16,666 
AMERICAN AIRLINES GROUP INC   65    2,850    0.1    2,753 
BOEING USD5   40    5,778    0.1    5,784 
CATERPILLAR INC   67    4,497    0.1    4,553 
CUMMINS INC   597    55,523    1.0    52,542 
DANAHER CORP   283    26,601    0.5    26,285 
DEERE & CO COM   44    3,260    0.1    3,356 
DOVER CORP   6    366    0.0    368 
EATON CORPORATION   162    8,313    0.2    8,430 
EMERSON ELECTRIC CO   69    3,088    0.1    3,300 
EXPEDITORS INTL WASH INC   247    11,336    0.2    11,140 
FASTENAL CO   48    1,924    0.0    1,959 
FLOWSERVE CORP   163    6,812    0.1    6,859 
FLUOR CORP (NEW)   29    1,458    0.0    1,369 
GENERAL DYNAMICS CORP   175    24,622    0.5    24,038 
GENERAL ELECTRIC CO   856    25,742    0.5    26,664 
HERTZ GLOBAL HOLDING   490    7,025    0.1    6,973 
HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC   44    4,587    0.1    4,557 
INGERSOLL-RAND COMPANY LTD   137    7,468    0.1    7,575 
JACOBS ENGR GROUP INC   83    3,554    0.1    3,482 
JETBLUE AWYS CORP   371    8,662    0.2    8,403 
JOY GLOBAL INC   367    5,156    0.1    4,628 
KANSAS CITY SOUTHN   279    20,464    0.4    20,833 
L-3 COMMUNICATIONS HOLDINGS INC   96    11,702    0.2    11,473 
LOCKHEED MARTIN CORP   76    16,629    0.3    16,503 
MASCO CORP   1,336    39,232    0.7    37,809 
NIELSEN HOLDINGS PLCCOM   42    1,948    0.0    1,957 
NORTHROP GRUMMAN CORP   134    25,112    0.5    25,301 
PACCAR INC   390    18,602    0.4    18,486 
PARKER-HANNIFIN CORP   132    12,931    0.2    12,801 
QUANTA SVCS INC   221    4,507    0.1    4,475 
RAYTHEON COMPANY   320    40,334    0.8    39,850 
ROCKWELL AUTOMATION INC   61    6,447    0.1    6,259 
ROCKWELL COLLINS INC DEL   62    5,665    0.1    5,723 
SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO   982    42,819    0.8    42,285 

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

9

 

NUWAVE LARGE CAP ACTIVE ALPHA MASTER FUND LTD.
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
(Expressed in United States Dollars)
 
December 31, 2015

 

           Percentage of   Fair 
   Quantity   Cost   Net Assets   Value 
Investments in securities, at fair value                    
Common stocks                    
United States                    
Industrial Goods                    
STANLEY BLACK & DECKER INC   21   $2,235    0.0%  $2,241 
TEXTRON INC   119    5,009    0.1    4,999 
TYCO INTERNATIONAL PLC   675    22,085    0.4    21,526 
UNION PACIFIC CORP   128    9,832    0.2    10,010 
UNITED CONTINENTAL HOLDINGS INC   70    4,118    0.1    4,011 
UNITED PARCEL SERVICE INC   621    60,369    1.1    59,759 
UNITED RENTALS INC   14    1,070    0.0    1,016 
UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORP   122    11,651    0.2    11,721 
VERISK ANALYTICS INC   49    3,765    0.1    3,767 
WASTE MGMT INC DEL   109    5,794    0.1    5,817 
WW GRAINGER INC   104    20,522    0.4    21,069 
Industrial Goods Total        650,374    12.3    643,368 
Health Care                    
ABBOTT LABORATORIES   385    17,431    0.3    17,290 
ABBVIE INC   97    5,491    0.1    5,746 
AETNA INC NEW   67    7,354    0.1    7,244 
AMERISOURCEBERGEN CORP   93    9,361    0.2    9,645 
ANTHEM INC   16    2,185    0.0    2,231 
BARD C R INC   52    9,734    0.2    9,851 
BAXTER INTL INC   162    6,037    0.1    6,180 
BIOGEN INC   28    8,178    0.2    8,578 
BIOMARIN PHARMACEUTICAL INC   19    2,022    0.0    1,990 
BLUEBIRD BIO   83    5,462    0.1    5,330 
BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORP   1,033    18,920    0.4    19,049 
BRISTOL MYERS SQUIBB CO   304    20,793    0.4    20,912 
BROOKDALE SR LIVING INC   518    9,724    0.2    9,562 
CELGENE CORP   45    5,127    0.1    5,389 
CERNER CORP   235    14,226    0.3    14,140 
COMMUNITY HEALTH SYSTEMS INC   383    10,746    0.2    10,161 
DAVITA HEALTCARE PARTNERS INC   236    16,337    0.3    16,452 
DEXCOM INC   80    6,448    0.1    6,552 
EDWARDS LIFESCIENCES CORP   189    15,119    0.3    14,927 
ELI LILLY & CO   91    7,761    0.1    7,668 
EXPRESS SCRIPTS   100    8,671    0.2    8,741 
GILEAD SCIENCES INC   410    42,636    0.8    41,488 
HCA HLDGS INC   365    25,037    0.5    24,685 
INCYTE CORP   68    7,458    0.1    7,375 
JOHNSON & JOHNSON   47    4,850    0.1    4,828 
LABORATORY CORP AMER HLDGS   45    5,460    0.1    5,564 
MCKESSON CORP   95    18,147    0.4    18,737 
MERCK & CO   475    25,447    0.5    25,090 
MYLAN INC CANONSBURG PA   29    1,473    0.0    1,568 
PFIZER INC SHS   1,617    52,420    1.0    52,197 
QUEST DIAGNOSTICS   15    1,023    0.0    1,067 
REGENERON PHARMACEUTICALS INC   30    16,434    0.3    16,286 
ST JUDE MED INC   608    37,595    0.7    37,556 
STRYKER CORP   180    16,986    0.3    16,729 
UNITEDHEALTH GRP   54    6,274    0.1    6,353 
UNIVERSAL HEALTH SERVICES INC   66    7,919    0.2    7,886 
VARIAN MED SYS INC   14    1,095    0.0    1,131 
VERTEX PHARMACEUTICALS INC   58    7,198    0.1    7,298 
WATERS CORP   12    1,569    0.0    1,615 
ZIMMER HOLDINGS INC   173    17,544    0.3    17,748 
Health Care Total        503,692    9.6    502,839 

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

10

 

NUWAVE LARGE CAP ACTIVE ALPHA MASTER FUND LTD.
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
(Expressed in United States Dollars)
 
December 31, 2015

 

           Percentage of   Fair 
   Quantity   Cost   Net Assets   Value 
Investments in securities, at fair value                    
Common stocks                    
United States                    
Consumer Staples                    
ALTRIA GROUP INC   269   $15,764    0.3%  $15,658 
ARCHER-DANIELS MIDLAND CO   117    4,006    0.1    4,292 
CLOROX CO   180    23,039    0.4    22,829 
COCA-COLA ENTERPRISES INC ATL   345    14,824    0.3    14,822 
COLGATE PALMOLIVE CO   506    34,208    0.6    33,710 
CONAGRA FOODS INC   493    20,127    0.4    20,785 
CONSTELLATION BRANDS INC   90    12,660    0.2    12,820 
COSTCO WHSL CORP   250    39,816    0.8    40,375 
CVS HEALTH CORP   270    25,681    0.5    26,398 
DR PEPPER SNAPPLE GROUP INC   22    2,035    0.0    2,050 
ESTEE LAUDER COMPANIES INC   108    9,550    0.2    9,510 
GENERAL MLS INC   124    7,302    0.1    7,150 
KIMBERLY-CLARK CORP   28    3,549    0.1    3,564 
MEAD JOHNSON NUTRITION CO   538    42,738    0.8    42,475 
MONDELEZ INT CLA   430    18,908    0.4    19,281 
MONSTER BEVERAGE CORP CORONA   132    19,589    0.4    19,663 
PEPSICO INC   232    23,244    0.4    23,181 
PHILIP MORRIS INTL   190    16,682    0.3    16,703 
PROCTER & GAMBLE CO   65    5,112    0.1    5,162 
REYNOLDS AMERN INC   988    45,602    0.9    45,596 
SYSCO CORP   182    7,413    0.1    7,462 
TYSON FOODS INC   64    3,388    0.1    3,413 
WALGREENS BOOTS ALLIANCE INC   104    8,820    0.2    8,856 
WAL-MART STORES INC   897    54,134    1.0    54,986 
WHOLE FOODS MKT INC   309    10,451    0.2    10,352 
Consumer Staples Total       $468,642    9.0%  $471,093 
Energy                    
ANADARKO PETE CORP   80    3,911    0.1    3,886 
APACHE CORP   53    2,595    0.0    2,357 
CABOT OIL & GAS CORP   204    3,188    0.1    3,609 
CIMAREX ENERGY CO   136    12,356    0.2    12,156 
CONCHO RESOURCES INC   40    3,634    0.1    3,714 
CONOCOPHILLIPS   37    1,674    0.0    1,728 
CONTINENTAL RESOURCES INC   364    8,246    0.2    8,365 
DEVON ENERGY CORP   259    8,174    0.2    8,288 
EOG RES INC   231    16,383    0.3    16,352 
EQT CORP   150    8,358    0.1    7,820 
HALLIBURTON CO   88    2,962    0.1    2,996 
HELMERICH & PAYNE INC   78    4,394    0.1    4,177 
HESS CORP   84    4,053    0.1    4,072 
HOLLYFRONTIER CORP   325    13,392    0.2    12,964 
KINDER MORGAN HOLDCO LLC   1,167    18,827    0.3    17,412 
MARATHON OIL CORP   287    3,699    0.1    3,613 
MURPHY OIL CORP   85    1,888    0.0    1,908 
NABORS INDUSTRIES LTD   251    2,222    0.0    2,136 
NATIONAL-OILWELL VARCO INC   558    19,869    0.4    18,687 
NEWFIELD EXPL CO   55    1,783    0.0    1,791 
OCCIDENTAL PETE CORP   33    2,178    0.0    2,231 
ONEOK INC NEW   51    1,077    0.0    1,258 
PHILLIPS 66 WI   60    4,869    0.1    4,908 
PIONEER NATURAL RESOURCES COMP   12    1,388    0.0    1,505 

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

11

 

NUWAVE LARGE CAP ACTIVE ALPHA MASTER FUND LTD.
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
(Expressed in United States Dollars)
 
December 31, 2015

 

           Percentage of   Fair 
   Quantity   Cost   Net Assets   Value 
Investments in securities, at fair value                    
Common stocks                    
United States                    
Energy                    
RANGE RES CORP   228   $5,947    0.1%  $5,611 
ROWAN COMPANIES INC HOUSTON   251    4,418    0.1    4,254 
SCHLUMBERGER LTD   243    17,181    0.3    16,949 
SOUTHWESTERN ENERGY CO DELAWARE   2,042    21,409    0.3    14,519 
TESORO CORP   140    14,522    0.3    14,752 
WHITING PETROLEUM   891    8,555    0.2    8,411 
Energy Total        223,152    4.1    212,429 
Basic Materials                    
AIR PRODS & CHEMS INC   186    25,458    0.5    24,200 
ALCOA INC   186    1,667    0.0    1,836 
ASHLAND INC   53    5,566    0.1    5,443 
CF INDS HLDGS INC   89    3,970    0.1    3,632 
DU PONT E I DENEMOURS & CO.   519    34,624    0.7    34,565 
EASTMAN CHEM CO   12    852    0.0    810 
ECOLAB INC   21    2,435    0.0    2,402 
FMC CORP   23    848    0.0    900 
FREEPORT-MCMORAN INC   1,571    12,373    0.2    10,636 
INTERNATIONAL PAPER CO   238    9,075    0.2    8,973 
LYONDELLBASELL INDU   60    5,345    0.1    5,214 
MARTIN MARIETTA MATERIALS INC   148    20,832    0.4    20,214 
MOSAIC CMPANY   340    10,036    0.2    9,381 
NEWMONT MINING CORP   256    4,829    0.1    4,605 
NUCOR CORP   34    1,378    0.0    1,370 
PPG INDUSTRIES INC   88    8,657    0.2    8,696 
PRAXAIR INC   309    33,940    0.6    31,642 
SHERWIN WILLIAMS CO   43    11,354    0.2    11,163 
Basic Materials Total        193,239    3.5    185,682 
Telecommunication Services                    
AT&T INC   1,232    41,727    0.8    42,393 
CENTURYLINK INC   396    10,391    0.2    9,963 
SBA COMMUNICATIONS CORP   218    22,597    0.4    22,905 
T-MOBILE US INC   81    2,906    0.1    3,169 
VERIZON COMMUNICATIONS   764    35,165    0.7    35,312 
Telecommunication Services Total        112,786    2.2    113,742 
Utilities                    
AES CORP   470    4,391    0.1    4,498 
AMERICAN ELEC PWR INC   112    6,459    0.1    6,526 
CENTERPOINT ENERGY INC   78    1,362    0.0    1,432 
CONSOLIDATED EDISON INC   42    2,689    0.1    2,699 
DOMINION RES INC   284    19,188    0.4    19,210 
DUKE ENERGY CORP NEW   125    8,461    0.2    8,924 
ENTERGY CORP NEW   68    4,638    0.1    4,648 
EXELON CORP   211    5,644    0.1    5,859 
NEXTERA ENERGY INC   255    26,290    0.5    26,492 
NRG ENERGY INC   214    2,030    0.0    2,520 
PG&E CORP   181    9,680    0.2    9,627 
PPL CORP   425    14,319    0.3    14,505 
PUBLIC SERVICE ENTERPRISE GROUP   353    13,479    0.3    13,658 
SOUTHERN CO   267    12,446    0.2    12,493 
Utilities Total        131,076    2.5    133,091 
                     
Total common stock - United States       $4,740,924    89.3%  $4,680,965 

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

12

 

NUWAVE LARGE CAP ACTIVE ALPHA MASTER FUND LTD.
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
(Expressed in United States Dollars)
 
December 31, 2015

 

           Percentage of   Fair 
   Quantity   Cost   Net Assets   Value 
Investments in securities, at fair value                    
Common stocks                    
Bermuda                    
Financials - XL GROUP PUBLIC LIMITED COMPANY   286   $11,195    0.2%  $11,205 
China                    
Information Technology                    
ALIBABA GROUP HOLDING LTD   26    2,146    0.0    2,113 
BAIDU ADR   266    53,891    1.0    50,284 
Total common stock - China        56,037    1.0    52,397 
Ireland                    
Health Care                    
MEDTRONIC PLC   341    26,310    0.5    26,230 
ENDO INTERNATIONAL PLC   168    10,301    0.2    10,285 
Information Technology                   
ACCENTURE PLC-CL A   200    20,908    0.4    20,900 
Total common stock - Ireland        57,519    1.1    57,415 
Netherlands                    
Information Technology - NXP SEMICONDUCTORS NV   47    3,998    0.1    3,960 
Switzerland                    
Financials - ACE LIMITED   79    9,055    0.2    9,231 
Information Technology - TE CONNECTIVITY LTD   46    2,944    0.1    2,971 
Total common stock - Switzerland        11,999    0.2    12,202 
United Kingdom                    
Telecommunication Services - VODAFONE GROUP PLC   733    23,766    0.5    23,647 
Financials - AON PLC   50    4,582    0.1    4,611 
Consumer Staples - COCA-COLA ENTERPRISES   159    7,929    0.1    7,829 
Consumer Discretionary - MICHAEL KORS HLDGS LTD   184    7,604    0.1    7,372 
Energy - FMC TECHNOLOGIES INC   138    4,058    0.1    4,003 
Total common stock - United Kingdom        47,939    0.9    47,462 
Total common stock       $4,929,611    92.8%  $4,865,606 
Real Estate Investment Trust - United States                    
Financials                    
AMERICAN TOWER CORP   288    27,528    0.5    27,922 
AVALONBAY COMMUNITIES INC   96    17,194    0.3    17,676 
BOSTON PROPERTIES INC   72    9,030    0.2    9,183 
CROWN CASTLE INTL CORP   43    3,685    0.1    3,717 
EQUINIX INC   74    21,728    0.4    22,378 
EQUITY RESIDENTIAL   97    7,755    0.2    7,914 
GENERAL GROWTH PROPERTIES   315    8,481    0.2    8,572 
WELLTOWER INC   103    6,689    0.1    7,007 
HCP INC   101    3,636    0.1    3,863 
HOST HOTELS & RESORTS INC   1,975    31,897    0.6    30,297 
KIMCO REALTY CORP   324    8,352    0.2    8,573 
PROLOGIS INC   508    21,153    0.4    21,803 
PUBLIC STORAGE   93    23,231    0.4    23,036 
SIMON PROPERTY GROUP INC   189    35,514    0.7    36,749 
VORNADO REALTY TRUST   159    15,616    0.3    15,894 
VENTAS INC   161    8,694    0.2    9,085 
WEYERHAEUSER CO   284    8,831    0.2    8,514 
Total Real Estate Investment Trusts - United States       $259,014    5.0%  $262,183 

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

13

 

NUWAVE LARGE CAP ACTIVE ALPHA MASTER FUND LTD.
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
(Expressed in United States Dollars)
 
December 31, 2015

 

           Percentage of   Fair 
   Quantity   Cost   Net Assets   Value 
Investments in securities, at fair value                    
Exchange Traded Products - United States                    
Financials                    
POWERSHARES QQQ TRUST SERIES   122   $13,683    0.3%  $13,647 
SPDR S&P 500 ETF TRUST   328    66,889    1.3    66,869 
Total Exchange Traded Products - United States   $80,572    1.5%  $80,516 
Master Limited Partnership - United States                    
Energy - ENERGY TRANSFER EQUITY LP   1,091    15,630    0.3    14,990 
Total investments in securities, at fair value       $5,284,827    99.6%  $5,223,295 

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

14

 

NUWAVE LARGE CAP ACTIVE ALPHA MASTER FUND LTD.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(Expressed in United States Dollars)

 

1.Nature of operations and summary of significant accounting policies

 

Nature of Operations

 

NuWave Large Cap Active Alpha Master Fund Ltd. (the “Master Fund”), formerly known as NuWave Equity Enhanced Master Fund Ltd., is an investment company which was formed under the laws of the Cayman Islands and commenced operations on April 1, 2013. The Master Fund was organized for the purpose of trading and investing in securities and has three feeder funds: NuWave Equity Enhanced Fund LP (the “Domestic Feeder Fund”), a United States of America investment limited partnership, NuWave Large Cap Active Alpha Fund L.P. (the “Domestic Feeder Fund II”), a United States of America investment limited partnership, and NuWave Equity Enhanced Fund Ltd. (the “Offshore Feeder Fund”), a Cayman Islands exempted investment company (collectively the “Feeder Funds”). The Feeder Funds invest substantially all of their assets in the Master Fund. Pursuant to an investment management agreement, the Master Fund is managed by NuWave Investment Management LLC (the “Investment Manager”). As of December 31, 2015, the Offshore Feeder Fund has not commenced operations. The Investment Manager is registered with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission as an investment adviser under the Investment Adviser Act of 1940.

 

Basis of Presentation

 

The financial statements have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) as detailed in the Financial Accounting Standards Board’s Accounting Standards Codification (the “Codification”). The reorganization of the Master Fund, as discussed in note 10, qualifies as a going concern as it represents the restructure where the net assets in the Master Fund are transferred to NuWave Large Cap Active Alpha LP with the expectation of continuance of operations. As such these financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis.

 

The Master Fund is an investment company and follows the accounting and reporting guidance in Financial Services – Investment Companies Topic of the Codification.

 

Pursuant to the Cash Flows Topic of the Codification, the Master Fund qualifies for an exemption from the requirement to provide a statement of cash flows and has elected not to provide a statement of cash flows.

 

Fair Value - Definition and Hierarchy

 

Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability (i.e., the “exit price”) in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date.

 

In determining fair value, the Master Fund uses various valuation techniques. A fair value hierarchy for inputs is used in measuring fair value that maximizes the use of observable inputs and minimizes the use of unobservable inputs by requiring that the most observable inputs are to be used when available. Valuation techniques that are consistent with the market or income approach are used to measure fair value. The fair value hierarchy is categorized into three levels based on the inputs as follows:

 

Level 1 - Valuations based on unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that the Master Fund has the ability to access.

 

Level 2 - Valuations based on inputs, other than quoted prices included in Level 1, that are observable either directly or indirectly.

15

 

NUWAVE LARGE CAP ACTIVE ALPHA MASTER FUND LTD.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(Expressed in United States Dollars)

 

1.Nature of operations and summary of significant accounting policies (continued)

 

Level 3 - Valuations based on inputs that are unobservable and significant to the overall fair value measurement.

 

Fair value is a market-based measure, based on assumptions of prices and inputs considered from the perspective of a market participant that are current as of the measurement date, rather than an entity-specific measure. Therefore, even when market assumptions are not readily available, the Master Fund’s own assumptions are set to reflect those that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability at the measurement date.

 

The availability of valuation techniques and observable inputs can vary from investment to investment and are affected by a wide variety of factors, including the type of investment, whether the investment is new and not yet established in the marketplace, the liquidity of markets, and other characteristics particular to the transaction. To the extent that valuation is based on models or inputs that are less observable or unobservable in the market, the determination of fair value requires more judgment. Because of the inherent uncertainty of valuation, those estimated values may be materially higher or lower than the values that would have been used had a ready market for the investments existed. Accordingly, the degree of judgment exercised by the Master Fund in determining fair value is greatest for investments categorized in Level 3. In certain cases, the inputs used to measure fair value may fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In such cases, the level in the fair value hierarchy which the fair value measurement falls in its entirety is determined based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement.

 

Fair Value - Valuation Techniques and Inputs

 

The Master Fund values investments in securities and securities sold short that are freely tradable and are listed on a national securities exchange or reported on the NASDAQ national market at their last reported sales price as of the valuation date.

 

The Master Fund records its investments at fair value. Gains and losses from investments are included in net change in unrealized appreciation or (depreciation) on investments and net realized gain (loss) on investments in the statement of operations.

 

Translation of Foreign Currency

 

Assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are translated into United States dollar amounts at the period-end exchange rates. Transactions denominated in foreign currencies, including purchases and sales of investments, and income and expenses, are translated into United States dollar amounts on the transaction date. Adjustments arising from foreign currency transactions are reflected in the statement of operations.

 

The Master Fund does not isolate that portion of the results of operations arising from the effect of changes in foreign exchange rates on investments from fluctuations arising from changes in market prices of investments held. Such fluctuations are included in net gain (loss) on investments in the statement of operations.

 

Investment Transactions and Related Investment Income

 

Investment transactions are accounted for on a trade-date basis. Dividends are recorded on the ex-dividend date and interest is recognized on the accrual basis. Realized gains and losses on investment transactions are

16

 

NUWAVE LARGE CAP ACTIVE ALPHA MASTER FUND LTD.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(Expressed in United States Dollars)

 

1.Nature of operations and summary of significant accounting policies (continued)

 

determined using cost calculated on a first in first out basis. Brokerage commissions and other trading fees are reflected as an adjustment to cost at the time of the transaction.

 

Income Taxes

 

The Master Fund applies the provisions of Codification Topic 740, Income Taxes, which prescribe the minimum recognition threshold a tax position must meet in connection with accounting for uncertainties in income tax positions taken or expected to be taken by an entity before being measured and recognized in the financial statements.

 

Under the laws of the Cayman Islands, the Master Fund is generally not subject to income taxes. However, certain U.S. dividend income and interest income may be subject to a 30% withholding tax. The Master Fund files an income tax return in the U.S. federal jurisdiction. Generally, the Master Fund is subject to income tax examinations by the U.S. federal taxing authority since its inception.

 

The Master Fund is required to determine whether its tax positions are more likely than not to be sustained upon examination by the applicable taxing authority, based on the technical merits of the position. The tax benefit recognized is measured as the largest amount of benefit that has a greater than fifty percent likelihood of being realized upon ultimate settlement with the relevant taxing authorities. Based on its analysis, the Master Fund has determined that there is no tax expense or interest expense related to uncertainties in tax positions, and that it has not incurred any liability for unrecognized tax benefits as of December 31, 2015. The Master Fund’s management does not expect that the total amount of unrecognized tax benefits will materially change over the next twelve months. However, the Master Fund’s conclusions may be subject to review and adjustment at a later date based on factors including, but not limited to, on-going analyses of and changes to tax laws, regulations and interpretations thereof.

 

Use of Estimates

 

The preparation of financial statements in accordance with GAAP requires the Master Fund’s management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts disclosed in the financial statements. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

17

 

NUWAVE LARGE CAP ACTIVE ALPHA MASTER FUND LTD.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(Expressed in United States Dollars)

 

2.Fair value measurements

 

The Master Fund’s assets and liabilities recorded at fair value have been categorized based upon a fair value hierarchy as described in the Master Fund’s significant accounting policies in Note 1.

 

The following table presents information about the Master Fund’s assets measured at fair value as of December 31, 2015 (in thousands):

 

   Level 1   Level 2   Level 3   Total 
Assets (at fair value)                    
                     
Investments in securities                    
Common stocks (1)  $4,865   $   $   $4,865 
Real Estate Investment Trust  (1)   262            262 
Exchange Traded Products  (1)   81            81 
Master Limited Partnership (1)   15            15 
Total Assets  $5,223   $   $   $5,223 

 

(1)See the Schedule of Investments for the fair values by country and industry within this category.

 

During the year ended December 31, 2015, the Master Fund did not have any transfers between any of the levels of fair value hierarchy.

 

3.Due from broker

 

Due from broker includes cash balances held with brokers, receivables and payables from unsettled trades, and margin borrowings. Amounts due from brokers may be restricted to the extent that they serve as deposits for securities sold short.

 

In the normal course of business, substantially all of the Master Fund’s securities transactions, money balances, and security positions are transacted with the Master Fund’s broker, Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC. The Master Fund is subject to credit risk to the extent any broker with which it conducts business is unable to fulfill contractual obligations on its behalf. The Master Fund’s management monitors the financial condition of such brokers and does not anticipate any losses from the counterparty.

 

4.Related party transactions

 

The Investment Manager of the Master Fund is also the Investment Manager of the Feeder Funds. The Investment Manager or an affiliate receives a management fee which is charged at the Feeder Fund level.

 

Subject to certain limitations, generally 20% of the return attributable to each outstanding series of interests during a calendar quarter that is in excess of the return generated by the S&P 500 Total Return Index during that calendar quarter, after taking into account any loss carryforwards applicable to each of such series is reallocated to the Investment Manager on a quarterly basis. To the extent an incentive reallocation is made at the Master Fund level, no incentive reallocation will be made at the Feeder Fund level.

18

 

NUWAVE LARGE CAP ACTIVE ALPHA MASTER FUND LTD.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(Expressed in United States Dollars)

 

4.Related party transactions (continued)

 

For the year ended December 31, 2015, the Investment Manager paid $119,059 of operating expenses charged to the Master Fund.

 

Two of the directors of the Master Fund are members of the Investment Manager.

 

5.Capital share transactions

 

Shareholders have redemption rights which contain certain restrictions with respect to rights of redemption of shares as specified in the offering memorandum.

 

As of December 31, 2015, the authorized share capital consists of $50,000 divided into 2 Founders Shares having a nominal value of $0.001 each and 49,999,998 Redeemable Shares of $0.001 each, which may be issued in classes or series.

 

6.Market and credit risks

 

The Master Fund engages in the speculative trading of equity securities and securities sold short. Such trading activities expose the Master Fund to both market risk, the risks arising from changes in fair value, and credit risk, and the risk of failure by another party to perform according to the terms of contract.

 

Risks arise from short sales due to the possible illiquidity of the securities markets and from potential adverse movements in security values. Theoretically, short sales expose the Master Fund to potentially unlimited liability as the Master Fund’s ultimate obligation to purchase a security sold short may exceed the amount recorded in the statement of financial condition.

 

The Master Fund has a substantial portion of its assets on deposit with its securities broker and other financial institutions in connection with its trading of equity securities and its cash management activities. Assets deposited with its securities broker and other financial institutions in connection with the Master Fund’s trading activities are partially restricted due to deposit, margin or collateral requirements. In the event of a financial institution’s insolvency, recovery of Partnership assets on deposit may be limited to account insurance or other protection afforded such deposits.

 

The Investment Manager has established procedures to actively monitor market risk and minimize credit risk, although there can be no assurance that it will, in fact, succeed in doing so. The Shareholders bear the risk of loss only to the extent of the fair value of their respective investments and, in certain specific circumstances, distributions and redemptions received.

 

7.Administrative fee

 

U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC served as the Master Fund’s administrator and performed certain administrative and accounting services on behalf of the Master Fund until November 30, 2015. Effective December 1, 2015 the Master Fund hired Gemini Hedge Fund Services, LLC (the “Administrator”) to perform the administrative and accounting services on behalf of the Fund.

19

 

NUWAVE LARGE CAP ACTIVE ALPHA MASTER FUND LTD.
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(Expressed in United States Dollars)

 

8.Financial highlights

 

Financial highlights for the year ended December 31, 2015 are as follows:

 

Total return     
Total return before reallocation to Investment Manager   (1.8)%
Reallocation to Investment Manager   0.0 
Total return after reallocation to Investment Manager   (1.8)%
      
Expenses (including interest and dividends)   0.0%
Expenses charged to Master Fund   (2.4)
Expenses paid by Investment Manager   2.4 
Reallocation to Investment Manager   0.0 
Expenses and reallocation to Investment Manager   0.0%
      
Net investment income (loss)   (0.2)%
      
Portfolio turnover ratio   2,400%

 

Financial highlights are calculated for each permanent, non-managing class or series of common shares. An individual investor’s return and ratios may vary based on different incentive and/or management fee arrangements, and the timing of capital transactions.

 

9.Indemnifications

 

In the normal course of business, the Master Fund enters into contracts and agreements that contain a variety of representations and warranties and which provide general indemnifications. The Master Fund’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown, as this would involve future claims that may be made against the Master Fund that have not yet occurred. The Master Fund expects the risk of any future obligation under these indemnifications to be remote.

 

10.Subsequent events

 

On December 17, 2015 the Master Fund passed a resolution to reorganize the “master-feeder” fund structure. The reorganization is an effort to consolidate entities and reduce legal, administrative and audit costs

 

As of January 4, 2016, positions attributable to the Master Fund with the market value of $5,223,295 were transferred to NuWave Large Cap Active Alpha LP and all accompanying changes to brokerage accounts, service agreements and offering documents have been implemented.

 

The General Partner has evaluated subsequent events through October 26, 2017, the date the financial statements were available to be issued, and has determined that there are no other subsequent events that require disclosure.

20

 

Part C – OTHER INFORMATION

 

ITEM 28.Exhibits.

 

(a)(1)Agreement and Declaration of Trust of the Registrant dated April 27, 2006 - Incorporated by reference to Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 50 filed August 24, 2006.

 

(a)(2)Amendment No. 1 to Agreement and Declaration of Trust of the Registrant dated April 27, 2006 - Incorporated by reference to Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 50 filed August 24, 2006.

 

(a)(3)Certificate of Amendment to Certificate of Trust of the Registrant – Incorporated by reference to Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 116 filed March 4, 2016.

 

(b)(1)Bylaws of the Registrant dated April 27, 2006 – Incorporated by reference to Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 50 filed August 24, 2006.

 

(c)(1)Specimen Certificate for Shares of Beneficial Interest of the Registrant dated April 18, 2006, including Certificate of Amendment dated May 17, 2006 - Incorporated by reference to Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 50 filed August 24, 2006.

 

(d)(1)Management Agreement, dated January 1, 2016, between the Registrant and Rational Advisors, Inc. (formerly, Huntington Asset Advisors, Inc.) - Incorporated by reference to Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 111 filed February 5, 2016.

 

(d)(2) Amendment to the Management Agreement between the Registrant and Rational Advisors, Inc. –is filed herewith.

 

(d)(3)Management Agreement between the Registrant and Tuttle Tactical Management, LLC –to be filed by subsequent amendment.

 

(d)(4)Sub-Advisory Agreement, dated January 1, 2016, between Rational Advisors, Inc. and The Cambridge Strategy (Asset Management) Limited – Incorporated by reference to Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 115 filed March 4, 2016.

 

(d)(5)Sub-Advisory Agreement between Rational Advisors, Inc. and Chesapeake Capital Corporation – Incorporated by reference to Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 115 filed March 4, 2016.

 

(d)(6)Sub-Advisory Agreement between Rational Advisors, Inc. and Chesapeake Capital Corporation relating to the Rational Dynamic Momentum Fund – Incorporated by reference to Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 129 filed October 14, 2016.

 

(d)(7)Sub-Advisory Agreement between Rational Advisors, Inc. and Van Hulzen Asset Management, LLC, relating to the Rational Iron Horse Fund – Incorporated by reference to Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 136 filed on April 13, 2017.

 

(d)(8)[RESERVED]

 

(d)(9) Sub-Advisory Agreement between Rational Advisors, Inc. and PVG Asset Management Corp., relating to the Rational Dividend Capture Fund and the Catalyst Dividend Capture VA Fund - Incorporated by reference to Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 136 filed on April 13, 2017.

 

(d)(10) Sub-Advisory Agreement between Rational Advisors, Inc. and Cicero Capital Partners relating to the Rational Income Opportunities Fund. Incorporated by reference to Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 168 filed on January 24, 2018.

 

(d)(11)Sub-Advisory Agreement between Rational Advisors, Inc. and Accuvest Global Advisors – Incorporated by reference to Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 160 filed October 17, 2017.

 

(d)(12)Sub-Advisory Agreement between Rational Advisors, Inc. and Warrington Asset Management LLC relating to the Rational Hedged Return Fund – Incorporated by reference to Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 163 filed December 1, 2017.

 

(d)(13) Sub-Advisory Agreement between Rational Advisors, Inc. and NuWave Investment Management, LLC relating to the Rational NuWave Enhanced Market Opportunity Fund – filed herewith.

 

(d)(14)Sub-Advisory Agreement between Rational Advisors, Inc. and ReSolve Asset Management, Inc. relating to the Rational Dynamic Momentum Fund – to be filed by subsequent amendment.

 

(e)(1)Underwriting Agreement, between the Registrant and Northern Lights Distributors, LLC – Incorporated by reference to Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 122 filed on July 5, 2016.

 

(e)(2)Amended Schedule A to the Underwriting Agreement between the Registrant and Northern Lights Distributors, LLC –Incorporated by reference to Registrant’s Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2 on Form N-14 filed on May 26, 2017.

 

(g)(1)Custodian Agreement between the Registrant and The Huntington National Bank – Incorporated by reference to Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 129 filed October 14, 2016.

 

(g)(2)Amended Schedule to Custodian Agreement between the Registrant and The Huntington National Bank –Incorporated by reference to Registrant’s Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2 on Form N-14 filed on May 26, 2017.

 

(h)(1)Fund Services Agreement dated February 26, 2016, between the Registrant and Gemini Fund Services, LLC – Incorporated by reference to Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 124 filed July 5, 2016.

 

(h)(3) Expense Limitation Agreement between the Registrant and Rational Advisors, Inc. - Incorporated by reference to Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 163 filed December 1, 2017.

 

(h)(4) Amended Expense Limitation Agreement between Registrant and Rational Advisors, Inc. – filed herewith.

 

(h)(5)Expense Limitation Agreement between Registrant and Tuttle Tactical Management, LLC – to be filed by subsequent amendment.

 

(h)(6) Shareholder Services Plan, dated February 26, 2016 – Incorporated by reference to Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 115 filed March 4, 2016.

 

(h)(7) Amended Exhibit A to Shareholder Services Plan –Incorporated by reference to Registrant’s Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2 on Form N-14 filed on May 26, 2017.

 

(h)(8) Amended Exhibit A to Shareholder Services Plan – is filed herewith.

 

(h)(9) Management Services Agreement between the Registrant and MFund Services, LLC dated January 1, 2016 – Incorporated by reference to Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 111 filed February 5, 2016.

 

(h)(10) Amendment to Exhibit A to the Management Services Agreement, dated January 1, 2016, between the Registrant and MFund Services, LLC. – is filed herewith.

 

(h)(11) Wholesale Marketing and Distribution Agent Agreement – Incorporated by reference to Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 130 filed on January 11, 2017.

 

(h)(12)Management Agreement, dated January 1, 2016, between Catalyst Managed Futures Strategy Fund Limited (a wholly-owned subsidiary of Catalyst Managed Futures Strategy VA Fund) and Rational Advisors, Inc. – Incorporated by reference to Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 115 filed March 4, 2016.

 

(h)(13) Sub-Advisory Agreement between Rational Advisors, Inc. and Chesapeake Capital Corporation respecting Catalyst Managed Futures Strategy Fund Limited (a wholly-owned subsidiary of Catalyst Managed Futures Strategy VA Fund) – Incorporated by reference to Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 115 filed March 4, 2016.

 

(h)(14) Compliance Services Agreement, dated February 26, 2016, between the Registrant and MFund Services LLC – Incorporated by reference to Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 115 filed March 4, 2016.

 

(h)(15) Management Agreement between the Registrant and Rational Advisors, Inc. relating to the RDMF Fund Limited (a wholly-owned subsidiary of Rational/ Dynamic Momentum Fund) – Incorporated by reference to Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 129 filed October 14, 2016.

 

(h)(16) Sub-Advisory Agreement between Rational Advisors, Inc. and Chesapeake Capital Corporation relating to the RDMF Fund Limited (a wholly-owned subsidiary of Rational Dynamic Momentum Fund) – Incorporated by reference to Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 129 filed October 14, 2016.

 

(h)(17) Sub-Advisory Agreement between Rational Advisors, Inc. and ReSolve Asset Management, Inc. relating to the RDMF Fund Limited (a wholly-owned subsidiary of Rational Dynamic Momentum Fund) – to be filed by subsequent amendment.

 

(h)(18) Management Agreement with Rational Advisors, Inc. relating to RNW Fund Limited (a wholly-owned subsidiary of Rational NuWave Enhanced Market Opportunity Fund) – filed herewith.

 

(h)(19) Sub-Advisory Agreement between Rational Advisors, Inc. and NuWave Investment Management, Inc. relating to the RNW Fund Limited (a wholly-owned subsidiary of Rational NuWave Enhanced Market Opportunity Fund) – filed herewith.

 

(i)(1)Opinion and Consent of Counsel –is filed herewith.

 

(j)(1 ) Consent of Cohen & Company, Ltd, the Trust’s Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm, – is filed herewith.

 

(j)(2 ) Consent of Arthur Bell, Jr. & Associates, LLC with respect to the predecessor Fund of Rational NuWave Enhanced Market Opportunity Fund – is filed herewith.

 

(j)(3 ) Consent of Patke & Associates, Ltd, with respect to the Predecessor Fund of the Rational Income Opportunities Fund. Incorporated by reference to Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 168 filed on January 24, 2018.

 

(k)Not applicable.

 

(l)(1)Initial Capital Understanding - Incorporated by reference to Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 20 filed April 26, 1996.

 

(m)(1)Distribution Plan of the Registrant dated February 26, 2016 – Incorporated by reference to Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 115 filed March 4, 2016.

 

(m)(2) Exhibit to Distribution Plan of the Registrant dated November 29, 2016 –filed herewith.

 

(n)(1)Fourth Amended Multiple Class Plan of the Registrant dated February 26, 2016 – Incorporated by reference to Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 115 filed March 4, 2016.

 

(n)(2) Amended Multiple Class Plan of the Registrant dated February 17, 2017 – filed herewith.

 

(o)(1)Power of Attorney of Tobias Caldwell – Incorporated by reference to Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 130 filed on January 11, 2017.

 

(o)(2)Power of Attorney of Stephen Lachenauer – Incorporated by reference to Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 130 filed on January 11, 2017.

 

(o)(3) Power of Attorney of Donald McIntosh – Incorporated by reference to Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 130 filed on January 11, 2017.

 

(o)(4) Power of Attorney of Erik Naviloff – Incorporated by reference to Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 130 filed on January 11, 2017.

 

(o)(5) Power of Attorney of Jerry Szilagyi – Incorporated by reference to Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 130 filed on January 11, 2017.

 

(o)(6)Power of Attorney of Tobias Caldwell, director of RDMF Fund Limited – Incorporated by reference to Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 129 filed October 14, 2016.

 

(o)(7) Power of Attorney of Stephen Lachenauer, director of RDMF Fund Limited – Incorporated by reference to Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 129 filed October 14, 2016.

 

(o)(8) Power of Attorney of Donald McIntosh, director of RDMF Fund Limited, – Incorporated by reference to Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 129 filed October 14, 2016.

 

(p)(1)Code of Ethics of The Huntington Funds, dated April 16, 2014 – Incorporated by reference to Registrant’s Form 497 filed on September 2, 2014.

 

(p)(2)Code of Ethics of The Cambridge Strategy (Asset Management) Limited – Incorporated by reference to Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 115 filed March 4, 2016.

 

(p)(3) Code of Ethics of Chesapeake Capital Corporation – Incorporated by reference to Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 115 filed March 4, 2016.

 

(p)(4) Code of Ethics of Van Hulzen Asset Management, LLC - Incorporated by reference to Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 130 filed on January 11, 2017.

 

(p)(5)[RESERVED]

 

(p)(6)Code of Ethics of PVG Asset Management Corp – Incorporated by reference to Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 136 filed on April 13, 2017.

 

(p)(7) Code of Ethics of Cicero Capital Partners - Incorporated by reference to Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 168 filed on January 24, 2018.

 

(p)(8) Code of Ethics of Rational Advisors, Inc. – Incorporated by reference to Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 168 filed on January 24, 2018.

 

(p)(9) Code of Ethics of Northern Lights Distributors, LLC - Incorporated by reference to Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 168 filed on January 24, 2018.

 

(p)(10) Code of Ethics of Accuvest Global Advisors – Incorporated by reference to Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 160 filed October 17, 2017.

 

(p)(11) Code of Ethics of Warrington Asset Management LLC – Incorporated by reference to Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 163 filed December 1, 2017.

 

(p)(12) Code of Ethics of NuWave Investment Management, LLC – filed herewith.

 

(p)(13)Code of Ethics of ReSolve Asset Management, Inc. – to be filed by subsequent amendment.

 

(p)(14)Code of Ethics of Tuttle Tactical Management, LLC – to be filed by subsequent amendment.

 

 

ITEM 29.Persons Controlled by or Under Common Control with the Registrant.

 

No person is controlled by or under common control with the Registrant.

 

ITEM 30.Indemnification.

 

Indemnification is provided to Officers and Trustees of the Registrant pursuant to Article VII, Section 4 of Registrant’s Agreement and Declaration of Trust and Section 2 of the Trustees’ Indemnification Agreements. The Investment Advisory Contracts provide that, in the absence of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence, on the part of the Adviser in the performance of its duties or from reckless disregard by it of its obligations and duties under the Investment Advisory Contracts. Adviser shall not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by the Fund in connection with the performance of the Investment Advisory Contracts. Indemnification of Registrant’s distributor, custodian and transfer agent against certain losses is provided for, respectively, in Section 10 of the Distributor’s Contract, incorporated herein by reference as Exhibit (e)(i), Section 8 of the Custodian Contract, incorporated herein by reference as Exhibit (g)(i) and Section 8 of the Transfer Agency Agreement incorporated herein by reference as Exhibit (h)(i). Registrant’s Trustees and Officers are covered by an Investment Trust Errors and Omissions Policy.

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to Trustees, Officers, and controlling persons of the Registrant by the Registrant pursuant to the Declaration of Trust or otherwise, the Registrant is aware that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission, such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and, therefore, is unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by Trustees, Officers, or controlling persons of the Registrant in connection with the successful defense of any act, suit, or proceeding) is asserted by such Trustees, Officers, or controlling persons in connection with the shares being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issues.

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities may be permitted pursuant to Section 17 of the Investment Company Act of 1940 for Trustees, Officers, and controlling persons of the Registrant by the Registrant pursuant to the Declaration of Trust or otherwise, the Registrant is aware of the position of the Securities and Exchange Commission as set forth in Investment Company Act Release No. IC-11330. Therefore, the Registrant undertakes that in addition to complying with the applicable provisions of the Declaration of Trust or otherwise, in the absence of a final decision on the merits by a court or other body before which the proceeding was brought, that an indemnification payment will not be made unless in the absence of such a decision, a reasonable determination based upon factual review has been made (i) by a majority vote of a quorum of non-party Trustees who are not interested persons of the Registrant or (ii) by independent legal counsel in a written opinion that the indemnitee was not liable for an act of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of duties. The Registrant further undertakes that advancement of expenses incurred in the defense of a proceeding (upon undertaking for repayment unless it is ultimately determined that indemnification is appropriate) against an Officer, Trustee, or controlling person of the Registrant will not be made absent the fulfillment of at least one of the following conditions: (i) the indemnitee provides security for his undertaking; (ii) the Registrant is insured against losses arising by reason of any lawful advances; or (iii) a majority of a quorum of disinterested non-party Trustees or independent legal counsel in a written opinion makes a factual determination that there is reason to believe the indemnitee will be entitled to indemnification.

 

ITEM 31.Business and Other Connections of the Investment Adviser.

(a)    Rational Advisors, Inc. (“Rational”), 36 North New York Avenue, Huntington, NY 11743, is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) as an investment adviser, file number 801-60176. Rational is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Rational Capital LLC.

(i)Rational has engaged in no other business during the past two fiscal years.

 

(ii) Jerry Szilagyi is the President of Rational and has been engaged within the last two fiscal years in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner, or trustee of the following other companies:

Trustee, Mutual Fund Series Trust, 17605 Wright Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68130;

Trustee, Variable Insurance Trust, 17605 Wright Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68130;

Managing Member of Catalyst Capital Advisors, 36 North New York Avenue, Huntington, NY 11743, a registered investment. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC serves as advisor to certain series of Mutual Fund Series Trust (“MFST”), a registered investment company;

Managing Member, MFund Services LLC, 36 North New York Avenue, Huntington, NY 11743, an administrator to mutual funds (including each series of the Trust);

Managing Member, MFund Distributors LLC, 36 North New York Avenue, Huntington, NY 11743, (TBP), a provider of marketing services to mutual funds.

Managing Member, Abbington Capital Group LLC, 5 Abbington Drive, Lloyd Harbor, NY 11743, a strategic consulting firm to financial services companies;

Managing Member of AlphaCentric Advisors LLC, 36 North New York Avenue, Huntington, NY 11743, a registered investment advisor. AlphaCentric serves as an advisor to certain series of MFST.

 

Managing Member of Rational Capital LLC, 36 North New York Avenue, Huntington, NY 11743, a holdings company.

 

(b)    The Cambridge Strategy (Asset Management) Limited (“Cambridge”), 654 Madison Avenue, 16th Floor, New York, New York 10065, is registered with the SEC as an investment adviser, file number 801-72204. Cambridge is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Chesapeake Capital Holdings, Inc.

i.       Cambridge has engaged in no other business during the past two fiscal years.

 

ii..       None of the directors or officers of Cambridge have engaged in any other business during the last two fiscal years

 

(c)    Chesapeake Capital Corporation (“Chesapeake”), 1721 Summit Avenue, Richmond, Virginia 23230, is registered with the SEC as an investment adviser, file number 801-106985. Chesapeake is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Chesapeake Capital Holdings, Inc.

i.Chesapeake has engaged in no other business during the past two fiscal years.

 

ii.R. Jerry Parker, Jr., Chairman of the Board of Directors and the Chief Executive Officer of Chesapeake, is also the Chairman of the Board of Directors and the Chief Executive Officer of Chesapeake Capital Holdings, Inc.

 

(d)    Van Hulzen Asset Management, LLC (“Van Hulzen”), 4370 Town Center Blvd., Suite 220, El Dorado Hills, CA 95762, is registered with the SEC as an investment adviser, file number 801-61884.

i.Van Hulzen has engaged in no other business during the past two fiscal years.

 

ii.None of the directors or officers of Van Hulzen have engaged in any other business during the last two fiscal years

 

(e) [RESERVED]

(f) PVG Asset Management Inc. (“PVG”), 24918 Genesee Trail Road, Golden, CO 80401 and 6898 S. University Blvd, Suite 100 Centennial, CO 80122, is registered with the SEC as an investment adviser, file number 801-30581.

i.PVG Asset Management has engaged in no other business during the past two fiscal years.

 

ii.Patrick S. Adams, Chief Executive Officer of PVG, was the Managing Member of Choice Investment Management, LLC and Choice Capital Management, LLC. He has since relinquished his position as of December 31, 2016. Mr. Adams was also Chairman of the Board of Directors of LifeCare Medical Devices and Centennial Brands, Inc. Mr. Adams has since relinquished these positions as of October 31, 2016. Joe Pecoraro, CCO and Portfolio Manager of PVG, was a Principle in PVG Investment Company, LLC and the company has since been dissolved as of December 31, 2016.

(g) Cicero Capital Partners, LLC (“Cicero”), 7061 Deepage Drive, Suite 207, Columbia, MD 21045, is registered with the SEC as an investment advisor, file number 801-110566.

i.            Cicero has engaged in no other business during the past two fiscal years.

ii.None of the directors or officers of Cicero have engaged in any other business during the last two fiscal years.

 

(h) Accuvest Global Advisors (“Accuvest”), 3100 Oak Road #380, Walnut Creek, CA 94597, is registered with the SEC as an investment advisor, file number 801-68887.

i.            Accuvest has engaged in no other business during the past two fiscal years.

ii.None of the directors or officers of Accuvest have engaged in any other business during the last two fiscal years.

 

(i) Warrington Asset Management LLC (“Warrington”), 200 Dorado Beach Drive, Suite #3132, Dorado, PR 00646 is registered with the SEC as an investment adviser, file number 801-111865.

i.            Warrington has engaged in no other business during the past two fiscal years.

ii.Scott Kimple; Manager and Principal of Warrington is the Manager of Warrington GP, LLC.

 

iii.Greg Fomin, Chief Compliance Officer of Warrington is the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Compliance Officer of Warrington, GP, LLC.

(j) NuWave Investment Management, LLC (“NuWave”), 35 Waterview Boulevard, Parsippany, New Jersey 07054, is registered with the SEC as an investment advisor, file number 801-70310.

i.            NuWave has engaged in no other business during the past two fiscal years.

ii. None of the directors or officers of NuWave have engaged in any other business during the last two fiscal years.

(k) ReSolve Asset Management, Inc. (“ReSolve”), 1Adelaide Street E, Suite 2100, Toronto, Ontario, M5C 2V9. Additional information regarding ReSolve, including information regarding any other businesses of a substantial nature engaged in by the firm and its officers, directors and partners in the last two years, will be provided by subsequent amendment.

(l) Tuttle Tactical Management, LLC (“Tuttle”), 155 Lockwood Road, Riverside, CT 06878. Additional information regarding Tuttle, including information regarding any other businesses of a substantial nature engaged in by the firm and its officers, directors and partners in the last two years, will be provided by subsequent amendment.

 

ITEM 32.Principal Underwriters.

 

(a) Northern Lights Distributors, LLC (“NLD”), is the principal underwriter for all series of Mutual Fund & Variable Insurance Trust. NLD also acts as principal underwriter for the following:

 

AdvisorOne Funds, Arrow DWA Tactical ETF, Arrow QVM Equity Factor ETF, Arrow Reserve Capital Management ETF a series of Arrow Investment Trust, Arrow ETF Trust, Centerstone Investors Trust, Copeland Trust,  Equinox Funds Trust, Forethought Variable Insurance Trust, Miller Investment Trust, Multi-Strategy Growth & Income Fund, Mutual Fund Series Trust, Neiman Funds, Nile Capital Investment Trust, North Country Funds, Northern Lights Fund Trust, Northern Lights Fund Trust II, Northern Lights Fund Trust III, Northern Lights Fund Trust IV, Northern Lights Variable Trust, OCM Mutual Fund, PREDEX, The Saratoga Advantage Trust, Total Income+ Real Estate Fund, Tributary Funds, Inc., Two Roads Shared Trust, and Vertical Capital Income Fund.

(b)    NLD is registered with Securities and Exchange Commission as a broker-dealer and is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. The principal business address of NLD is 17605 Wright Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68130. NLD is an affiliate of Gemini Fund Services, LLC. To the best of Registrant’s knowledge, the following are the members and officers of NLD:

 

     
Name

Positions and Offices

with Underwriter

Positions and Offices

with the Fund

Brian Nielsen CEO, Secretary None
Bill Strait General Counsel None
William Wostoupal President None
Daniel Applegarth Treasurer/FINOP None
Mike Nielsen Chief Compliance Officer and AML Compliance Officer None

 

(c) Not Applicable.

 

ITEM 33. Location of Accounts and Records.

 

All accounts and records required to be maintained by Section 31(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 and rules 31a-1 through 31a-3 promulgated thereunder are maintained at one of the following locations:

 

 

     
Registrant   36 North New York Avenue, Huntington, NY 11743
   
Northern Lights Distributors, LLC (“Distributor”)   17605 Wright Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68130
   
Rational Advisors, Inc. (“Advisor”)  

36 North New York Avenue

Huntington, NY 11743

   
The Huntington National Bank (“Custodian”)  

41 South High Street

Columbus, OH 43215

   

Gemini Fund Services, LLC

 

 

 

The Cambridge Strategy (Asset Management) Limited

 

 

 

Chesapeake Capital Corporation

 

 

 

Van Hulzen Asset Management, LLC

 

 

 

PVG Asset Management, Inc.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cicero Capital Partners, LLC

 

 

 

Accuvest Global Advisors

 

17605 Wright Street, Suite 2, Omaha, Nebraska 68130

 

654 Madison Avenue, 16th Floor, New York, New York 10065

 

1721 Summit Avenue, Richmond, Virginia 23230

 

4370 Town Center Blvd.,

Suite 220, El Dorado Hills, CA 95762

 

24918 Genesee Trail Road

Golden, CO 80401 and

6898 S. University Blvd,

Suite 100

Centennial, CO 80122

 

7061 Deepage Dr

Columbia, MD 21045

 

3100 Oak Road #380,

Walnut Creek, CA 94597

 

Warrington Asset Management LLC  

200 Dorado Beach Drive,

Suite #3132, Dorado, PR 00646

 

NuWave Investment Management, LLC  

35 Waterview Boulevard

Parsippany, NJ 07054

 

ReSolve Asset Management, Inc.  

1Adelaide Street E, Suite 2100,

Toronto, Ontario, M5C 2V9

 

Tuttle Tactical Management, LLC  

155 Lockwood Road,

Riverside, CT 06878

 

ITEM 34. Management Services.

 

Not Applicable.

 

ITEM 35. Undertakings.

 

The Registrant undertakes that each Subsidiary and each Director of each Subsidiary hereby consents to service of process within the United States at the address provided in Registrant’s Statement of Additional Information, and each Subsidiary hereby submits to the examination of its books and records by the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

 

 

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 and Investment Company Act of 1940, the Fund certifies that it meets all of the requirements for effectiveness of this registration statement under rule 485(b) under the Securities Act and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, duly authorized, in the City of Columbus, and the State of Ohio, on the 16th day of February, 2018.

 

Mutual Fund and Variable Insurance Trust

 

BY:  /s/ JoAnn Strasser

JoAnn Strasser

Attorney-in-Fact

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the date(s) indicated:

 

 

 

*   February 16, 2018
Jerry Szilagyi, President and Principal Executive Officer   Date
     
     
*   February 16, 2018
Erik Naviloff, Treasurer and Principal   Date
Financial Officer    
     
*   February 16, 2018
Tobias Caldwell, Trustee   Date
     
*   February 16, 2018
Stephen Lachenauer, Trustee   Date
     
*   February 16, 2018
Donald McIntosh, Trustee   Date

 

 

 

*By: /s/ JoAnn Strasser
   JoAnn Strasser
  Attorney-in-Fact

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

INDEX TO EXHIBITS

 

 

Exhibit Number Description
(d)(2) Amendment to the Management Agreement between the Registrant and Rational Advisors, Inc.
(d)(13)

Sub-Advisory Agreement between Rational Advisors, Inc. and NuWave Investment Management, LLC relating to the Rational NuWave Enhanced Market Opportunity Fund

(h)(4) Amended Expense Limitation Agreement between Registrant and Rational Advisors, Inc.
(h)(8) Amended Exhibit A to Shareholder Services Plan
(h)(10)    

Amendment to Exhibit A to the Management Services Agreement, between the Registrant

and MFund Services, LLC.

(h)(18)   Management Agreement with Rational Advisors, Inc. and RNW Fund Limited
(h)(19)

Sub-Advisory Agreement between Rational Advisors, Inc. and NuWave Investment Management,

Inc. relating to the RNW Fund Limited (a wholly-owned subsidiary of Rational NuWave

Enhanced Market Opportunity Fund)

(i)(1) Opinion and Consent of Counsel
(j)(1) Consent of Cohen & Company, Ltd., Trust’s Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
(j)(2 )    Consent of Arthur Bell, Jr. & Associates, LLC
(m)(2)    Exhibit to Distribution Plan of the Registrant
(n)(2) Amended Multiple Class Plan of the Registrant
(p)(12) Code of Ethics of NuWave Investment Management, LLC