AS FILED WITH THE U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE
COMMISSION ON JANUARY 29 , 2013
File No. 333-156529
File No. 811-22263
Washington, D.C. 20549
PRE-EFFECTIVE AMENDMENT NO. __ ( )
J. Garrett Stevens
W. John McGuire
Stuart M. Strauss
It is proposed that this filing will become effective (check
appropriate box):
Neither the Securities and Exchange
Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the accuracy or
adequacy of this Prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
Principal Risks
MLP Risk.
An investment
in MLP units involves risks that differ from a similar investment in equity securities, such as common stock, of a corporation.
Holders of MLP units have the rights typically afforded to limited partners in a limited partnership. Holders of MLP units are
subject to certain risks inherent in the structure of MLPs, including (i) tax risks (described further below), (ii) the limited
ability to elect or remove management or the general partner or managing member (iii) limited voting rights, except with respect
to extraordinary transactions, and (iv) conflicts of interest between the general partner or managing member and its affiliates,
on the one hand, and the limited partners or members, on the other hand, including those arising from incentive distribution payments
or corporate opportunities. General partners typically have limited fiduciary duties to an MLP, which could allow a general partner
to favor its own interests over the MLP’s interests. In addition, general partners of MLPs often have limited call rights
that may require unitholders to sell their common units at an undesirable time or price. MLPs may issue additional common units
without unitholder approval, which would dilute the interests of existing unitholders, including the Fund’s ownership interest.
MLP common units and other equity securities
can be affected by macro-economic and other factors affecting the stock market in general, expectations of interest rates, investor
sentiment towards MLPs or the energy sector, changes in a particular issuer’s financial condition, or unfavorable or unanticipated
poor performance of a particular issuer (in the case of MLPs, generally measured in terms of distributable cash flow). Prices of
common units of individual MLPs and other equity securities also can be affected by fundamentals unique to the partnership or company,
including cash flow growth, cash generating power and distribution coverage.
The Fund derives a significant portion
of its cash flow from investments in equity securities of MLPs. Therefore, the amount of cash that the Fund will have available
to pay or distribute will depend on the ability of the MLPs that the Fund owns to make distributions to their partners and the
tax character of those distributions. Neither the Fund nor the Adviser has control over the actions of underlying MLPs. The amount
of cash that each individual MLP can distribute to its partners will depend on the amount of cash it generates from operations,
which will vary from quarter to quarter depending on factors affecting the energy infrastructure market generally and on factors
affecting the particular business lines of the MLP. Available cash will also depend on the MLPs’ level of operating costs
(including incentive distributions to the general partner), level of capital expenditures, debt service requirements, acquisition
costs (if any), fluctuations in working capital needs and other factors. The Fund expects to generate significant investment income,
and the Fund’s investments may not distribute the expected or anticipated levels of cash, resulting in the risk that the
Fund may not have the ability to make cash distributions as investors expect from MLP-focused investments.
MLP Tax Risk
. The benefit
you are expected to derive from the Fund’s investment in MLPs depends largely on the MLPs being treated as partnerships
for federal income tax purposes. As a partnership, an MLP has no federal income tax liability at the entity level. Rather, each
partner of a partnership, in computing its U.S. federal income tax liability, must include its allocable share of the partnership’s
income, gains, losses, deductions and tax credits. If, as a result of a change in current law or a change in an MLP’s underlying
business mix, an MLP were treated as a corporation for federal income tax purposes, the MLP would be obligated to pay federal
income tax on its income at the corporate tax rate. If an MLP were classified as a corporation for federal income tax purposes,
the amount of cash available for distribution could be reduced and part or all of the distributions the Fund receives might be
taxed entirely as dividend income. Therefore, treatment of one or more MLPs as a corporation for federal income tax purposes could
affect the Fund’s ability to meet its investment objective and could reduce the amount of cash available to pay or distribute
to you.
For federal income tax
purposes, the Fund will generally be treated as a partner in the MLPs in which it invests. As a result, it will be allocated
a pro rata share of income, gains, losses, deductions and expenses from those MLPs. Historically, a significant portion of
income from such MLPs has been offset by tax deductions. The Fund will incur a current tax liability on that portion of the
income and gains from its MLP investments that is not offset by its share of the MLPs’ tax deductions and losses or by
its net operating loss carryforwards, if any. The percentage of an MLP’s income and gains which is offset by tax
deductions and losses will fluctuate over time for various reasons. A significant slowdown in acquisition activity by MLPs in
the Index could result in a reduction of accelerated depreciation generated by new acquisitions, which may result in
increased current income tax liability to the Fund.
An MLP’s distributions to the
Fund generally will not be taxable unless the cash amount (or, in certain cases, the value of marketable securities) distributed
exceeds the Fund’s basis in its interest in the MLP. Distributions received by the Fund from an MLP will reduce the Fund’s
adjusted basis in its interest in the MLP, but not below zero. A reduced basis will generally result in an increase in the amount
of gain (or decrease in the amount of loss) that will be recognized by the Fund for tax purposes on the sale of its interest in
the MLP. Cash distributions from an MLP to the Fund (and, in certain cases, the value of marketable securities distributed by
an MLP to the Fund) in excess of the Fund’s basis in the MLP will generally be taxable to the Fund as capital gain. The
Fund will not benefit from favorable federal income tax rates on long-term capital gains because they will be treated as corporations
for federal income tax purposes.
Depreciation or other cost recovery
deductions passed through to the Fund from investments in MLPs in a given year will generally reduce the Fund’s taxable
income (and earnings and profits), but those deductions may be recaptured in the Fund’s income (and earnings and profits)
in subsequent years when the MLPs dispose of their assets or when the Fund disposes of its interests in the MLPs. When deductions
are recaptured, the Fund may owe a tax (the payment of which will reduce the Fund’s net assets) and distributions to the
Fund’s shareholders may be taxable, even though the shareholders at the time of the recapture might not have held Shares
in the Fund at the time the deductions were taken by the Fund, and even though the Fund does not have corresponding economic gain
on its investment at the time of the recapture.
The tax treatment of all items allocated
to the Fund each year by the MLPs will not be known until the Fund receives a schedule K-1 for that year with respect to each
of its MLP investments. The Fund’s tax liability will not be known until the Fund completes its annual tax return. The Fund’s
tax estimates could vary substantially from the actual liability and therefore the determination of the Fund’s actual tax
liability may have a material adverse effect on the value of an investment in the Fund. The payment of corporate income taxes
imposed on the Fund will decrease cash available for distribution to shareholders.
The Fund’s investments in royalty
trusts that are treated as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes present the same risks.
Energy Sector Risks.
Many
MLPs operate within the energy sector. Therefore, a substantial portion of the MLPs in which the Fund invests are engaged in the
energy sector of the economy. To the extent the Index includes securities of issuers in the energy sector; the Fund will invest
in companies in such sector. As such, the Fund will be sensitive to changes in, and its performance will depend to a greater extent
on, the overall condition of the energy sector. At times, the performance of companies in the energy sector may lag the performance
of other sectors or the broader market as a whole. In addition, there are several specific risks associated with investments in
the energy sector, including, but not limited to, the following:
Regulatory
Risk
. The energy sector is highly regulated. MLPs operating in the energy sector are subject to significant regulation of nearly
every aspect of their operations by federal, state and local governmental agencies. Such regulation can change rapidly or over
time in both scope and intensity. For example, a particular by-product or process, including hydraulic fracturing, may be declared
hazardous—sometimes retroactively—by a regulatory agency and unexpectedly increase production costs. Various governmental
authorities have the power to enforce compliance with these regulations and the permits issued under them, and violators are subject
to administrative, civil and criminal penalties, including civil fines, injunctions or both. Stricter laws, regulations or enforcement
policies could be enacted in the future which would likely increase compliance costs and may materially adversely affect the financial
performance of MLPs operating in the energy sector. There is an inherent risk that MLPs may incur material environmental costs
and liabilities due to the nature of their businesses and the substances they handle, including substantial liabilities for environmental
cleanup and restoration costs, claims made by neighboring landowners and other third parties for personal injury and property damage,
and fines or penalties for related violations of environmental laws or regulations.
Commodity Price Risk
.
MLPs operating in the energy sector may be affected by fluctuations in the prices of energy commodities, including, for example,
natural gas, natural gas liquids, crude oil and coal, in the short- and long-term. Fluctuations in energy commodity prices would
impact directly companies that own such energy commodities and could impact indirectly companies that engage in transportation,
storage, processing, distribution or marketing of such energy commodities. Fluctuations in energy commodity prices can result from
changes in general economic conditions or political circumstances (especially of key energy producing and consuming countries);
market conditions; weather patterns; domestic production levels; volume of imports; energy conservation; domestic and foreign governmental
regulation; international politics; policies of OPEC; taxation; tariffs; and the availability and costs of local, intrastate and
interstate transportation methods. The energy sector as a whole may also be impacted by the perception that the performance of
energy sector companies is directly linked to commodity prices. High commodity prices may drive further energy conservation efforts,
and a slowing economy may adversely impact energy consumption, which may adversely affect the performance of MLPs and other companies
operating in the energy sector. Recent economic and market events have fueled concerns regarding potential liquidations of commodity
futures and options positions.
Depletion
Risk
. MLPs engaged in the exploration, development, management or production of energy commodities face the risk that commodity
reserves are depleted over time, with the potential associated effect of causing the market value of the MLP to decline over time.
Such companies seek to increase their reserves through expansion of their current businesses, acquisitions, further development
of their existing sources of energy commodities, exploration of new sources of energy commodities or by entering into long-term
contracts for additional reserves; however, there are risks associated with each of these potential strategies. If such companies
fail to acquire additional reserves in a cost-effective manner and at a rate at least equal to the rate at which their existing
reserves decline, their financial performance may suffer. Additionally, failure to replenish reserves could reduce the amount and
affect the tax characterization of the distributions paid by such companies.
Supply
and Demand Risk
. MLPs operating in the energy sector could be adversely affected by reductions in the supply of or demand for
energy commodities. The volume of production of energy commodities and the volume of energy commodities available for transportation,
storage, processing or distribution could be affected by a variety of factors, including depletion of resources; depressed commodity
prices; catastrophic events; labor relations; increased environmental or other governmental regulation; equipment malfunctions
and maintenance difficulties; import volumes; international politics, policies of OPEC; and increased competition from alternative
energy sources. Alternatively, a decline in demand for energy commodities could result from factors such as adverse economic conditions
(especially in key energy-consuming countries); increased taxation; increased environmental or other governmental regulation; increased
fuel economy; increased energy conservation or use of alternative energy sources; legislation intended to promote the use of alternative
energy sources; or increased commodity prices.
Weather
Risks
. Weather conditions and the seasonality of weather patterns play a role in the cash flows of certain MLPs operating in
the energy sector. MLPs in the propane industry; for example, rely on the winter heating season to generate almost all of their
cash flow. In an unusually warm winter season, propane MLPs experience decreased demand for their product. Although most MLPs can
reasonably predict seasonal weather demand based on normal weather patterns, extreme weather conditions, such as the hurricanes
that severely damaged cities along the U.S. Gulf Coast in recent years, demonstrate that no amount of preparation can protect an
MLP from the unpredictability of the weather. The damage done by extreme weather also may serve to increase insurance premiums
for energy assets owned by MLPs, could significantly increase the volatility in the supply of energy-related commodities and could
adversely affect such companies’ financial condition and ability to pay distributions to shareholders.
Acquisition
Risk
. The abilities of MLPs operating in the energy sector to grow and to increase cash distributions to unitholders can be
highly dependent on their ability to make acquisitions that result in an increase in cash flows. In the event that MLPs are unable
to make such accretive acquisitions because they are unable to identify attractive acquisition candidates and negotiate acceptable
purchase contracts, because they are unable to raise financing for such acquisitions on economically acceptable terms, or because
they are outbid by competitors, their future growth and ability to raise distributions will be limited. Furthermore, even if MLPs
do consummate acquisitions that they believe will be accretive, the acquisitions may instead result in a decrease in cash flow.
Any acquisition involves risks, including, among other things: mistaken assumptions about revenues and costs, including synergies;
the assumption of unknown liabilities; limitations on rights to indemnity from the seller; the diversion of management’s
attention from other business concerns; unforeseen difficulties operating in new product or geographic areas; and customer or key
employee losses at the acquired businesses.
Interest
Rate Risk.
Rising interest rates could adversely impact the financial performance and/or the present value of cash flow of
MLPs operating in the energy sector by increasing their costs of capital. This may reduce their ability to execute acquisitions
or expansion projects in a cost-effective manner. MLP valuations are based on numerous factors, including sector and business fundamentals,
management expertise, and expectations of future operating results. However, MLP yields are also susceptible in the short-term
to fluctuations in interest rates and the prices of MLP securities may decline when interest rates rise.
Catastrophic
Event Risk.
MLPs operating in the energy sector are subject to many dangers inherent in the production, exploration, management,
transportation, processing and distribution of natural gas, natural gas liquids, crude oil, refined petroleum products and other
hydrocarbons. These dangers include leaks, fires, explosions, damage to facilities and equipment resulting from natural disasters,
inadvertent damage to facilities and equipment (such as those suffered by BP’s Deepwater Horizon drilling platform in 2010)
and terrorist acts. Since the September 11th terrorist attacks, the U.S. government has issued warnings that energy assets, specifically
U.S. pipeline infrastructure, may be targeted in future terrorist attacks. These dangers give rise to risks of substantial losses
as a result of loss or destruction of reserves; damage to or destruction of property, facilities and equipment; pollution and environmental
damage; and personal injury or loss of life. Any occurrence of such catastrophic events could bring about a limitation, suspension
or discontinuation of the operations of certain assets owned by such MLP. MLPs operating in the energy sector may not be fully
insured against all risks inherent in their business operations and, therefore, accidents and catastrophic events could adversely
affect such companies’ financial condition and ability to pay distributions to shareholders. We expect that increased governmental
regulation to mitigate such catastrophic risk such as the recent oil spills referred to above, could increase insurance premiums
and other operating costs for MLPs.
Industry Specific Risks
. MLPs operating in the energy
sector are also subject to risks that are specific to the industry they serve. The MLP sector can also be negatively impacted by
market perception that MLPs’ performance and distributions are directly tied to commodity prices. Furthermore, a significant
decrease in the production of natural gas, oil or other energy commodities, due to a decline in production from existing facilities,
import supply disruption or otherwise, would reduce revenue and operating income of MLPs and, therefore, the ability of MLPs to
make distributions to partners. Changes in demand for transportation of commodities over longer distances and supply of vessels
to carry those commodities may materially affect revenues, profitability and cash flows.
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Midstream
.
MLPs that operate
midstream assets
are subject to
supply and demand
fluctuations in
the markets they
serve which may
be impacted by
a wide range of
factors including
fluctuating commodity
prices, weather,
increased conservation
or use of alternative
fuel sources, increased
governmental or
environmental regulation,
depletion, rising
interest rates,
declines in domestic
or foreign production,
accidents or catastrophic
events, increasing
operating expenses
and economic conditions,
among others. Further,
MLPs that operate
gathering and processing
assets are subject
to natural declines
in the production
of the oil and
gas fields they
serve. In addition,
some gathering
and processing
contracts subject
the owner of such
assets to direct
commodity price
risk.
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Pipeline
.
Pipeline MLPs are
not subject to
direct commodity
price exposure
because they do
not own the underlying
energy commodity.
However, the MLP
sector can be hurt
by market perception
that MLPs’
performance and
distributions are
directly tied to
commodity prices.
Also, a significant
decrease in the
production of natural
gas, oil, or other
energy commodities,
due to a decline
in production from
existing facilities,
import supply disruption,
or otherwise, would
reduce revenue
and operating income
of MLPs and, therefore,
the ability of
MLPs to make distributions
to partners.
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A sustained decline in demand for crude oil, natural gas and refined
petroleum products could adversely affect MLP revenues and cash flows. Factors that could lead to a decrease in market demand
include a recession or other adverse economic conditions, an increase in the market price of the underlying commodity, higher
taxes or other regulatory actions that increase costs, or a shift in consumer demand for such products. Demand may also be adversely
impacted by consumer sentiment with respect to global warming and/or by any state or federal legislation intended to promote the
use of alternative energy sources, such as bio-fuels.
MLPs employ a variety of means of increasing cash flow, including increasing
utilization of existing facilities, expanding operations through new construction, expanding operations through acquisitions,
or securing additional long-term contracts. Thus, some MLPs may be subject to construction risk, acquisition risk or other risk
factors arising from their specific business strategies. A significant slowdown in large energy companies’ disposition of
energy infrastructure assets and other merger and acquisition activity in the energy MLP industry could reduce the growth rate
of cash flows received by the Fund from MLPs that grow through acquisitions.
The profitability of MLPs could be adversely affected by changes in
the regulatory environment. Most MLPs’ assets are heavily regulated by federal and state governments in diverse matters,
such as the way in which certain MLP assets are constructed, maintained and operated and the prices MLPs may charge for their
services. Such regulation can change over time in scope and intensity. For example, a particular by-product of an MLP process
may be declared hazardous by a regulatory agency and unexpectedly increase production costs. Moreover, many state and federal
environmental laws provide for civil as well as regulatory remediation, thus adding to the potential exposure an MLP may face.
Extreme weather patterns, such as hurricane Ivan in 2004 and hurricane
Katrina in 2005, could result in significant volatility in the supply of energy and power and could adversely impact the value
of the securities in which the Fund invests. This volatility may create fluctuations in commodity prices and earnings of companies
in the energy infrastructure industry.
A rising interest rate environment could adversely impact the performance
of MLPs. Rising interest rates could limit the capital appreciation of equity units of MLPs as a result of the increased availability
of alternative investments at competitive yields with MLPs. Rising interest rates also may increase an MLP’s cost of capital.
A higher cost of capital could limit growth from acquisition/expansion projects and limit MLP distribution growth rates.
Since the September 11, 2001 attacks, the U.S. Government has issued
public warnings indicating that energy assets, specifically those related to pipeline infrastructure, production facilities, and
transmission and distribution facilities, might be specific targets of terrorist activity. The continued threat of terrorism and
related military activity likely will increase volatility for prices in natural gas and oil and could affect the market for products
of MLPs.
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Exploration
and production
.
Exploration and
production MLPs
are particularly
vulnerable to declines
in the demand for
and prices of crude
oil and natural
gas. Reductions
in prices for crude
oil and natural
gas can cause a
given reservoir
to become uneconomic
for continued production
earlier than it
would if prices
were higher, resulting
in the plugging
and abandonment
of, and cessation
of production from,
that reservoir.
In addition, lower
commodity prices
not only reduce
revenues but also
can result in substantial
downward adjustments
in reserve estimates.
The accuracy of
any reserve estimate
is a function of
the quality of
available data,
the accuracy of
assumptions regarding
future commodity
prices and future
exploration and
development costs
and engineering
and geological
interpretations
and judgments.
Different reserve
engineers may make
different estimates
of reserve quantities
and related revenue
based on the same
data. Actual oil
and gas prices,
development expenditures
and operating expenses
will vary from
those assumed in
reserve estimates,
and these variances
may be significant.
Any significant
variance from the
assumptions used
could result in
the actual quantity
of reserves and
future net cash
flow being materially
different from
those estimated
in reserve reports.
In addition, results
of drilling, testing
and production
and changes in
prices after the
date of reserve
estimates may result
in downward revisions
to such estimates.
Substantial downward
adjustments in
reserve estimates
could have a material
adverse effect
on a given exploration
and production
company’s
financial position
and results of
operations. In
addition, due to
natural declines
in reserves and
production, exploration
and production
companies must
economically find
or acquire and
develop additional
reserves in order
to maintain and
grow their revenues
and distributions.
Exploration and
production MLPs
seek to reduce
cash flow volatility
associated with
commodity prices
by executing multi-year
hedging strategies
that fix the price
of gas and oil
produced. There
can be no assurance
that the hedging
strategies currently
employed by these
MLPs are currently
effective or will
remain effective.
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Marine shipping
. Marine shipping MLPs are primarily marine transporters of natural gas,
crude oil or refined petroleum products. Marine shipping companies are exposed to many of the same risks as other energy companies.
In addition, the highly cyclical nature of the marine transportation industry may lead to volatile changes in charter rates and
vessel values, which may adversely affect the revenues, profitability and cash flows of such companies. Fluctuations in charter
rates result from changes in the supply and demand for vessel capacity and changes in the supply and demand for certain energy
commodities. The value of marine transportation vessels may fluctuate and could adversely affect the value of shipping company
securities in the Fund’s portfolio. Declining marine transportation values could affect the ability of shipping companies
to raise cash by limiting their ability to refinance their vessels, thereby adversely impacting such company’s liquidity.
Shipping company vessels are at risk of damage or loss because of events such as mechanical failure, collision, human error, war,
terrorism, piracy, cargo loss and bad weather. In addition, changing economic, regulatory and political conditions in some countries,
including political and military conflicts, have from time to time resulted in attacks on vessels, mining of waterways, piracy,
terrorism, labor strikes, boycotts and government requisitioning of vessels. These sorts of events could interfere with shipping
lanes and result in market disruptions and a significant reduction in cash flow for the shipping companies.
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Propane.
Propane MLPs are distributors or propane to homeowners for space and water heating.
MLPs with propane assets are subject to earnings variability based upon weather conditions in the markets they serve, fluctuating
commodity prices, customer conservation and increased use of alternative fuels, increased governmental or environmental regulation,
and accidents or catastrophic events, among others.
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Natural Resource
. MLPs with coal, timber, fertilizer and other mineral assets are subject
to supply and demand fluctuations in the markets they serve, which will be impacted by a wide range of domestic and foreign factors
including fluctuating commodity prices, the level of their customers’ coal stockpiles, weather, increased conservation or
use of alternative fuel sources, increased governmental or environmental regulation, depletion, declines in production, mining
accidents or catastrophic events, health claims and economic conditions, among others. In light of increased state and federal
regulation, it has been increasingly difficult to obtain and maintain the permits necessary to mine coal. Further, such permits,
if obtained, have increasingly contained more stringent, and more difficult and costly to comply with, provisions relating to environmental
protection.
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Deferred Tax Asset Risk.
To
the extent the Fund accrues a net deferred tax asset, consideration will be given as to whether or not a valuation allowance is
required. The need to establish a valuation allowance for deferred tax assets will be assessed periodically by the Fund based
on the criterion established by the Financial Accounting Standards Board Codification Topic 740, Income Taxes (formerly Statement
of Financial Accounting Standards No. 109) (“ASC Topic 740”) that it is more likely than not that some portion or
all of the deferred tax asset will not be realized. In the assessment for a valuation allowance, consideration will be given to
all positive and negative evidence related to the realization of the deferred tax asset. This assessment will consider, among
other matters, the nature, frequency and severity of current and cumulative losses, forecasts of future profitability (which are
highly dependent on future MLP cash distributions), the duration of statutory carryforward periods and the associated risk that
operating loss carryforwards may expire unused. If a valuation allowance is required to reduce the deferred tax asset in the future,
it could have a material impact on the Fund’s NAV and results of operations in the period it is recorded. To the extent
the Fund accrues a net deferred tax asset in the future, such deferred tax assets may constitute a relatively high percentage
of the Fund’s NAV. Any valuation allowance required against such deferred tax assets or future adjustments to a valuation
allowance may reduce the Fund’s deferred tax assets and could have a material impact on the Fund’s NAV and results
of operations in the period the valuation allowance is recorded or adjusted.
Royalty Trust Risk.
The
Fund may invest in royalty trusts. Royalty trusts are publicly traded investment vehicles that gather income on royalties and
pay out almost all cash flows to stockholders as distributions. Royalty trusts typically have no physical operations and no management
or employees. Typically royalty trusts own the rights to royalties on the production and sales of a natural resource. As these
deplete, production and cash flows steadily decline, which may decrease distribution rates. Royalty trusts are exposed to many
of the same risks as other MLPs such as: (i) tax risks, (ii) risk related to limited control of the trustee and limited ability
to remove or replace the trustee, (iii) risks related to the energy sector in general and (iv) risks that are specific to the
industry in which underlying properties in which the royalty trust has an interest serve. In addition, the value of the equity
securities of the royalty trusts in which the Fund invests may fluctuate in accordance with changes in the financial condition
of those royalty trusts, the condition of equity markets generally, commodity prices, and other factors. Distributions on royalty
trusts in which the Fund may invest will depend upon the declaration of distributions from the constituent royalty trusts, but
there can be no assurance that those royalty trusts will pay distributions on their securities. Typically royalty trusts own the
rights to royalties on the production and sales of a natural resource, including oil, gas, minerals and timber. As these deplete,
production and cash flows steadily decline, which may decrease distributions. The declaration of such distributions generally
depends upon various factors, including the operating performance and financial condition of the royalty trust and general economic
conditions.
In many circumstances, the royalty trusts
in which the Fund may invest may have limited operating histories. The value of royalty trust securities in which the Fund invests
will be influenced by factors that are not within the Fund’s control, including the financial performance of the respective
issuers, interest rates, exchange rates and commodity prices (which will vary and are determined by supply and demand factors including
weather and general economic and political conditions), the hedging policies employed by such issuers, issues relating to the regulation
of the energy sector (and industries therein) and operational risks relating to the energy sector (and industries therein).
Non-Diversification Risk.
The
Fund is a non-diversified investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”)
and will not elect to be treated as a regulated investment company under the Code. As a result, there are no regulatory requirements
under the 1940 Act or the Code that limit the proportion of the Fund’s assets that may be invested in securities of a single
issuer. Accordingly, the Fund may invest a greater portion of its assets in a more limited number of issuers than a diversified
fund. The Fund will select its investments from the small pool of energy infrastructure MLPs consistent with its investment objective
and policies. An investment in the Fund may present greater risk to an investor than an investment in a diversified portfolio
because changes in the financial condition or market assessment of a single issuer may cause greater fluctuations in the value
of the Fund’s Shares
.
Passive Investment Risk
.
The Fund is not actively managed. Therefore, unless a specific security is removed from the Index or the selling of shares of
that security is otherwise required upon a rebalancing of the Index as addressed in the Index methodology, the Fund generally
would not sell a security because the security’s issuer was in financial trouble. If a specific security is removed from
the Index, the Fund may be forced to sell such security at an inopportune time or for a price other than the security’s
current market value. An investment in the Fund involves risks similar to those of investing in any equity securities traded on
an exchange, such as market fluctuations caused by such factors as economic and political developments, changes in interest rates
and perceived trends in security prices. It is anticipated that the value of Fund Shares will decline, more or less, in correspondence
with any decline in value of the Index. The Index may not contain the appropriate mix of securities for any particular point in
the business cycle of the overall economy, particular economic sectors, or narrow industries within which the commercial activities
of the companies comprising the portfolio securities holdings of the Fund are conducted, and the timing of movements from one
type of security to another in seeking to replicate the Index could have a negative effect on the Fund. Unlike with an actively
managed fund, the Adviser does not use techniques or defensive strategies designed to lessen the effects of market volatility
or to reduce the impact of periods of market decline. This means that, based on market and economic conditions, the Fund’s
performance could be lower than other types of mutual funds that may actively shift their portfolio assets to take advantage of
market opportunities or to lessen the impact of a market decline.
Tracking Error Risk
.
Tracking error refers to the risk that the Adviser may not be able to cause the Fund’s performance to match or correlate
to that of the Index, either on a daily or aggregate basis. There are a number of factors that may contribute to the Fund’s
tracking error, such as Fund expenses, imperfect correlation between the Fund’s investments and those of the Index, rounding
of share prices, the timing or magnitude of changes to the composition of the Index, regulatory policies, and high portfolio turnover
rate. The Fund incurs a number of operating expenses not applicable to the Index and incurs costs associated with buying and selling
securities, especially when rebalancing its securities holdings to reflect changes in the composition of the Index and raising
cash to meet redemptions or deploying cash in connection with newly created Creation Units. In addition, mathematical compounding
may prevent the Fund from correlating with the monthly, quarterly, annual or other period performance of its benchmark. Tracking
error may cause the Fund’s performance to be less than expected. As discussed above, the Fund will be subject to taxation
on its taxable income. The NAV of Fund Shares will also be reduced by the accrual of any deferred tax liabilities. The Index
however is calculated without any deductions for taxes except to the extent of withholding taxes on distributions of foreign securities
as addressed in the Index methodology. As a result, the Fund’s after tax performance could differ significantly from the
Index even if the pretax performance of the Fund and the performance of the Index are closely correlated.
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Yorkville High Income Composite MLP ETF [Ticker Symbol: YMLC]
, a series of EXCHANGE TRADED CONCEPTS
TRUST (the “Trust”)
, 2013
Principal Listing Exchange for the Fund:
NYSE Arca, Inc.
Investment Adviser:
Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC
Investment Sub-Adviser:
Yorkville ETF Advisors, LLC
Trading Sub-Adviser:
Index Management Solutions, LLC
This Statement of Additional Information
(“SAI”) is not a prospectus. The SAI should be read in conjunction with the prospectus, dated __________, as may be
revised from time to time (the “Prospectus”). Capitalized terms used herein that are not defined have the same meaning
as in the Prospectus, unless otherwise noted. A copy of the Prospectus may be obtained without charge, by writing the Fund’s
Distributor, SEI Investments Distribution Co. One Freedom Valley Drive, Oaks, PA 19456, by visiting the Trust’s website
at www.yetfs.com or by calling 1-855-YES-YETF.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
general information about THE TRUST
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1
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ADDITIONAL index information
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1
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additional information about investment objectives, policies and related risks
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2
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DESCRIPTION OF PERMITTED INVESTMENTS
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3
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SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS AND RISKS
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13
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INVESTMENT restrictions
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15
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exchange listing and trading
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17
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management of the trust
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18
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OWNERSHIP OF Fund SHARES
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25
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CODEs OF ETHICS
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26
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PROXY VOTING POLICIES
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26
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INVESTMENT ADVISORY AND OTHER SERVICES
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26
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THE PORTFOLIO MANAGER
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27
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THE distributor
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28
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THE administrator
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30
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THE CUSTODIAN
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30
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THE TRANSFER AGENT
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30
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LEGAL COUNSEL
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31
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INDEPENDENT registered public accounting firm
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31
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portfolio holdings DISCLOSURE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
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31
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DESCRIPTION OF SHARES
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31
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LIMITATION OF TRUSTEES’ LIABILITY
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31
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BROKERAGE TRANSACTIONS
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32
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PORTFOLIO TURNOVER RATE
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33
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BOOK ENTRY ONLY SYSTEM
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33
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CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS OF SECURITIES
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35
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Purchase and issuance of shares in creation units
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35
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DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE
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42
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DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS
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43
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FEDERAL INCOME TAXES
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43
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EXHIBIT A
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A-1
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GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE TRUST
The Trust is an open-end management investment
company consisting of multiple investment series. This SAI relates to one series: Yorkville High Income Composite MLP ETF (the
“Fund”). The Trust was organized as a Delaware statutory trust on July 17, 2009. The Trust is registered with the SEC
under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, (the “1940 Act”) as an open-end management investment company
and the offering of the Fund’s shares (“Shares”) is registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the
“Securities Act”). Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC (the “Adviser”) serves as investment adviser to the Fund.
Yorkville ETF Advisors, LLC (the “Investment Sub-Adviser”) and Index Management Solutions, LLC (the “Trading
Sub-Adviser”) serve as sub-advisers to the Fund (collectively, the “Sub-Advisers”). The Fund’s investment
objective is to provide investment results that, before fees and expenses, correspond generally to the price and yield performance
of a specified market index (the “Index”).
The Fund offers and issues Shares at their
net asset value only in aggregations of a specified number of Shares (each, a “Creation Unit”). The Fund generally
offers and issues Shares in exchange for a basket of securities included in its Index (“Deposit Securities”) together
with the deposit of a specified cash payment (“Cash Component”). The Trust reserves the right to permit or require
the substitution of a “cash in lieu” amount (“Deposit Cash”) to be added to the Cash Component to replace
any Deposit Security. The Shares are listed on the NYSE Arca (“NYSE Arca” or the “Exchange”) and trade
on the Exchange at market prices. These prices may differ from the Shares’ net asset values. The Shares are also redeemable
only in Creation Unit aggregations, and principally, for cash. A Creation Unit of the Fund consists of at least 50,000 Shares.
Shares may be issued in advance of receipt
of Deposit Securities subject to various conditions including a requirement to maintain on deposit with the Trust cash at least
equal to a specified percentage of the market value of the missing Deposit Securities as set forth in the Participant Agreement
(as defined below). The Trust may impose a transaction fee for each creation or redemption. In all cases, such fees will be limited
in accordance with the requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) applicable to management
investment companies offering redeemable securities. In addition to the fixed Creation or Redemption Transaction Fee, an additional
transaction fee of up to five times the fixed Creation or Redemption Transaction Fee may apply.
ADDITIONAL INDEX INFORMATION
Solactive High Income MLP Composite Index
The Solactive High Income MLP Composite Index is a rules-based
index designed to provide investors a means of tracking the performance of selected master limited partnerships (“MLPs”)
and royalty trusts which are publicly traded on a U.S. securities exchange. The Index is comprised of MLPs and royalty trusts that
meet certain criteria relating to current yield, coverage ratio and distribution growth as determined by Structured Solutions.
Market capitalization and liquidity screens will be applied in addition to the fundamental screens for current yield, coverage
ratio and distribution growth to ensure sufficient market size and liquidity of the Index components.
To qualify for Index inclusion, a company
must meet the following criteria:
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A market capitalization of at least $XX million;
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An average daily value traded in the last three months of at least $XX million;
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Listing on a securities exchange in the United States;
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Incorporated as an MLP or royalty trust;
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At least one distribution has been paid out to shareholders.
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On the last business
day in XX each Index component is grouped according to liquidity. Based on each Index component’s three month average daily
value traded, such Index components are distributed equally among the three liquidity tiers - Tier 1 contains the most liquid and
Tier 3 the least liquid Index components. The Index components are then assigned an equal weighting within each liquidity tier.
Index components classified as royalty trusts are not permitted to exceed an aggregated percentage weight of 20% in the Index.
This weighting scheme may be amended from time to time to ensure sufficient diversification and compliance with financial product
regulations in the United States.
Companies are ranked
according to certain criteria relating to current yield, coverage ratio and distribution growth. Subsequently the three ranks are
weighted and added up for each company with the rank for current yield receiving the highest weight (“Total Rank”)
and the companies are ranked again based on their Total Rank. The 25 highest ranked companies are then chosen as Index components.
It is intended that the minimum number of Index components will be 20 and the maximum number of Index components will be 25. However,
these figures are subject to change as market conditions and the availability of suitable Index components may change over time.
The composition and weightings of the Index
are ordinarily adjusted once annually as addressed in the Index methodology. Changes to the Index will be published to Structured
Solutions’ website at www.structured-solutions.de
before changes are effected.
Information regarding the Index will be
disseminated through Reuters and Bloomberg.
Index Provider Description
The Index is created and administered by
Structured Solutions AG (“Structured Solutions”). Structured Solutions is a leading company in the structuring and
indexing business for institutional clients. Structured Solutions manages the Solactive index platform (formerly S-BOX platform).
Solactive indices are used by issuers worldwide as underlying indices for financial products. Structured Solutions cooperates with
various stock exchanges and index providers worldwide, e.g. Dubai Gold & Commodities Exchange, Shenzhen Securities Information
Company and Karachi Stock Exchange. Structured Solutions does not sponsor, endorse or promote the Fund and is not in any way connected
to it and does not accept any liability in relation to its issue, operation and trading.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT INVESTMENT
OBJECTIVES, POLICIES AND RELATED RISKS
The Fund’s investment objective and
principal investment strategies are described in the Prospectus. The following information supplements, and should be read in conjunction
with, the Prospectus. For a description of certain permitted investments, see “Description of Permitted Investments”
in this SAI.
NON-DIVERSIFICATION
The Fund is classified as a non-diversified
investment company under the 1940 Act. A “non-diversified” classification means that the Fund is not limited by the
1940 Act with regard to the percentage of their assets that may be invested in the securities of a single issuer. This means that
the Fund may invest a greater portion of its assets in the securities of a single issuer than a diversified fund. The securities
of a particular issuer may constitute a greater portion of the Index of the Fund and, therefore, the securities may constitute
a greater portion of the Fund’s portfolio. This may have an adverse effect on the Fund’s performance or subject the
Fund’s Shares to greater price volatility than more diversified investment companies. Moreover, in pursuing their objectives,
the Fund may hold the securities of a single issuer in an amount exceeding 10% of the market value of the outstanding securities
of the issuer. In particular, as the Fund’s size grows and its assets increase, it will be more likely to hold more than
10% of the securities of a single issuer if the issuer has a relatively small public float as compared to other components in its
benchmark Index.
CONCENTRATION
The Fund may concentrate its investments
in a particular industry or group of industries, as described in the Prospectus. The securities of issuers in particular industries
may dominate the benchmark Index of the Fund and consequently the Fund’s investment portfolios. This may adversely affect
the Fund’s performance or subject its Shares to greater price volatility than that experienced by less concentrated investment
companies.
DESCRIPTION OF PERMITTED INVESTMENTS
The following are descriptions of the permitted
investments and investment practices and the associated risk factors. The Fund will only invest in any of the following instruments
or engage in any of the following investment practices if such investment or activity is consistent with the Fund’s investment
objective and permitted by the Fund’s stated investment policies.
EQUITY SECURITIES
Equity securities represent ownership interests
in a company and include common stocks, preferred stocks, warrants to acquire common stock, and securities convertible into common
stock. Investments in equity securities in general are subject to market risks that may cause their prices to fluctuate over time.
Fluctuations in the value of equity securities in which the Fund invests will cause the net asset value of the Fund to fluctuate.
Types of Equity Securities:
Common Stocks - Common stocks represent
units of ownership in a company. Common stocks usually carry voting rights and earn dividends. Unlike preferred stocks, which are
described below, dividends on common stocks are not fixed but are declared at the discretion of the company’s board of directors.
Preferred Stocks - Preferred stocks are
also units of ownership in a company. Preferred stocks normally have preference over common stock in the payment of dividends and
the liquidation of the company. However, in all other respects, preferred stocks are subordinated to the liabilities of the issuer.
Unlike common stocks, preferred stocks are generally not entitled to vote on corporate matters. Types of preferred stocks include
adjustable-rate preferred stock, fixed dividend preferred stock, perpetual preferred stock, and sinking fund preferred stock. Generally,
the market values of preferred stock with a fixed dividend rate and no conversion element varies inversely with interest rates
and perceived credit risk.
Convertible Securities - Convertible securities
are securities that may be exchanged for, converted into, or exercised to acquire a predetermined number of shares of the issuer’s
common stock at the Fund’s option during a specified time period (such as convertible preferred stocks, convertible debentures
and warrants). A convertible security is generally a fixed income security that is senior to common stock in an issuer’s
capital structure, but is usually subordinated to similar non-convertible securities. In exchange for the conversion feature, many
corporations will pay a lower rate of interest on convertible securities than debt securities of the same corporation. In general,
the market value of a convertible security is at least the higher of its “investment value” (i.e., its value as a fixed
income security) or its “conversion value” (i.e., its value upon conversion into its underlying common stock).
Convertible securities are subject to the
same risks as similar securities without the convertible feature. The price of a convertible security is more volatile during times
of steady interest rates than other types of debt securities. The price of a convertible security tends to increase as the market
value of the underlying stock rises, whereas it tends to decrease as the market value of the underlying common stock declines.
Rights and Warrants - A right is a privilege
granted to existing shareholders of a corporation to subscribe to shares of a new issue of common stock before it is issued. Rights
normally have a short life of usually two to four weeks, are freely transferable and entitle the holder to buy the new common stock
at a lower price than the public offering price. Warrants are securities that are usually issued together with a debt security
or preferred stock and that give the holder the right to buy proportionate amount of common stock at a specified price. Warrants
are freely transferable and are traded on major exchanges. Unlike rights, warrants normally have a life that is measured in years
and entitles the holder to buy common stock of a company at a price that is usually higher than the market price at the time the
warrant is issued. Corporations often issue warrants to make the accompanying debt security more attractive.
An investment in warrants and rights may
entail greater risks than certain other types of investments. Generally, rights and warrants do not carry the right to receive
dividends or exercise voting rights with respect to the underlying securities, and they do not represent any rights in the assets
of the issuer. In addition, their value does not necessarily change with the value of the underlying securities, and they cease
to have value if they are not exercised on or before their expiration date. Investing in rights and warrants increases the potential
profit or loss to be realized from the investment as compared with investing the same amount in the underlying securities.
Risks of Investing in Equity Securities:
General Risks of Investing in Stocks
- While investing in stocks allows investors to participate in the benefits of owning a company, such investors must accept the
risks of ownership. Unlike bondholders, who have preference to a company’s earnings and cash flow, preferred stockholders,
followed by common stockholders in order of priority, are entitled only to the residual amount after a company meets its other
obligations. For this reason, the value of a company’s stock will usually react more strongly to actual or perceived changes
in the company’s financial condition or prospects than its debt obligations. Stockholders of a company that fares poorly
can lose money.
Stock markets tend to move in cycles with
short or extended periods of rising and falling stock prices. The value of a company’s stock may fall because of:
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Factors that directly relate to that company, such as decisions made by its management or lower
demand for the company’s products or services;
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Factors affecting an entire industry, such as increases in production costs; and
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Changes in general financial market conditions that are relatively unrelated to the company or
its industry, such as changes in interest rates, currency exchange rates or inflation rates.
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Because preferred stock is generally junior
to debt securities and other obligations of the issuer, deterioration in the credit quality of the issuer will cause greater changes
in the value of a preferred stock than in a more senior debt security with similar stated yield characteristics.
Small- and Medium-Sized Companies
- Investors in small- and medium-sized companies typically take on greater risk and price volatility than they would by investing
in larger, more established companies. This increased risk may be due to the greater business risks of their small or medium size,
limited markets and financial resources, narrow product lines and frequent lack of management depth. The securities of small- and
medium-sized companies are often traded in the over-the-counter market and might not be traded in volumes typical of securities
traded on a national securities exchange. Thus, the securities of small and medium capitalization companies are likely to be less
liquid, and subject to more abrupt or erratic market movements, than securities of larger, more established companies.
When-Issued Securities –
A
when-issued security is one whose terms are available and for which a market exists, but which have not been issued. When the Fund
engages in when-issued transactions, it relies on the other party to consummate the sale. If the other party fails to complete
the sale, the Fund may miss the opportunity to obtain the security at a favorable price or yield.
When purchasing a security on a when-issued
basis, the Fund assumes the rights and risks of ownership of the security, including the risk of price and yield changes. At the
time of settlement, the market value of the security may be more or less than the purchase price. The yield available in
the market when the delivery takes place also may be higher than those obtained in the transaction itself. Because the Fund
does not pay for the security until the delivery date, these risks are in addition to the risks associated with its other investments.
Decisions
to enter into “when-issued” transactions will be considered on a case-by-case basis when necessary to maintain continuity
in a company’s index membership. The Fund will segregate cash or liquid securities equal in value to commitments for the
when-issued transactions. The Fund will segregate additional liquid assets daily so that the value of such assets is equal
to the amount of the commitments
.
FOREIGN SECURITIES
The Fund may invest a portion of their
assets in issuers located outside the United States directly, or in financial instruments that are indirectly linked to the performance
of foreign issuers. Examples of such financial instruments include depositary receipts, which are described further below, “ordinary
shares,” and “New York shares” issued and traded in the United States. Ordinary shares are shares of foreign
issuers that are traded abroad and on a United States exchange. New York shares are shares that a foreign issuer has allocated
for trading in the United States. American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”), ordinary shares, and New York shares all may
be purchased with and sold for U.S. Dollars, which protects the Fund from the foreign settlement risks described below.
Investing in foreign companies may involve
risks not typically associated with investing in United States companies. The U.S. dollar value of securities of foreign issuers,
and of distributions in foreign currencies from such securities, can change significantly when foreign currencies strengthen or
weaken relative to the U.S. Dollar. Foreign securities markets generally have less trading volume and less liquidity than United
States markets, and prices in some foreign markets can be very volatile than those of domestic securities. Therefore, the Fund’s
investments in foreign securities may be less liquid and subject to more rapid and erratic price movements than comparable securities
listed for trading on U.S. exchanges. Non-U.S. equity securities may trade at price/earnings multiples higher than comparable U.S.
securities and such levels may not be sustainable. There may be less government supervision and regulation of foreign stock exchanges,
brokers, banks and listed companies abroad than in the U.S. Moreover, settlement practices for transactions in foreign markets
may differ from those in U.S. markets. Such differences may include delays beyond periods customary in the U.S. and practices,
such as delivery of securities prior to receipt of payment, which increase the likelihood of a failed settlement, which can result
in losses to the Fund. The value of non-U.S. investments and the investment income derived from them may also be affected unfavorably
by changes in currency exchange control regulations. Foreign brokerage commissions, custodial expenses and other fees are also
generally higher than for securities traded in the U.S. This may cause the Fund to incur higher portfolio transaction costs than
domestic equity funds. Fluctuations in exchange rates may also affect the earning power and asset value of the foreign entity issuing
a security, even one denominated in U.S. dollars. Dividend and interest payments may be repatriated based on the exchange rate
at the time of disbursement, and restrictions on capital flows may be imposed. Many foreign countries lack uniform accounting,
auditing and financial reporting standards comparable to those that apply to United States companies, and it may be more difficult
to obtain reliable information regarding a foreign issuer's financial condition and operations. In addition, the costs of foreign
investing, including withholding taxes, brokerage commissions, and custodial fees, generally are higher than for United States
investments.
Investing in companies located abroad carries
political and economic risks distinct from those associated with investing in the United States. Foreign investment may be affected
by actions of foreign governments adverse to the interests of United States investors, including the possibility of expropriation
or nationalization of assets, confiscatory taxation, restrictions on United States investment, or on the ability to repatriate
assets or to convert currency into U.S. Dollars. There may be a greater possibility of default by foreign governments or foreign-government
sponsored enterprises. Losses and other expenses may be incurred in converting between various currencies in connection with purchases
and sales of foreign securities. Investments in foreign countries also involve a risk of local political, economic, or social instability,
military action or unrest, or adverse diplomatic developments.
Investing in companies domiciled in emerging
market countries may be subject to greater risks than investments in developed countries. These risks include: (i) less social,
political, and economic stability; (ii) greater illiquidity and price volatility due to smaller or limited local capital markets
for such securities, or low or non-existent trading volumes; (iii) foreign exchanges and broker-dealers may be subject to less
scrutiny and regulation by local authorities; (iv) local governments may decide to seize or confiscate securities held by foreign
investors and/or local governments may decide to suspend or limit an issuer's ability to make dividend
or interest payments; (v) local governments
may limit or entirely restrict repatriation of invested capital, profits, and dividends; (vi) capital gains may be subject to local
taxation, including on a retroactive basis; (vii) issuers facing restrictions on dollar or euro payments imposed by local governments
may attempt to make dividend or interest payments to foreign investors in the local currency; (viii) investors may experience difficulty
in enforcing legal claims related to the securities and/or local judges may favor the interests of the issuer over those of foreign
investors; (ix) bankruptcy judgments may only be permitted to be paid in the local currency; (x) limited public information regarding
the issuer may result in greater difficulty in determining market valuations of the securities, and (xi) lax financial reporting
on a regular basis, substandard disclosure, and differences in accounting standards may make it difficult to ascertain the financial
health of an issuer.
DEPOSITARY RECEIPTS
The Fund’s investment in securities
of foreign companies may be in the form of depositary receipts or other securities convertible into securities of foreign issuers.
ADRs are dollar-denominated receipts representing interests in the securities of a foreign issuer, which securities may not necessarily
be denominated in the same currency as the securities into which they may be converted. ADRs are receipts typically issued by United
States banks and trust companies which evidence ownership of underlying securities issued by a foreign corporation. Generally,
ADRs in registered form are designed for use in domestic securities markets and are traded on exchanges or over-the-counter in
the United States. Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”), European Depositary Receipts (“EDRs”), and International
Depositary Receipts (“IDRs”) are similar to ADRs in that they are certificates evidencing ownership of shares of a
foreign issuer, however, GDRs, EDRs, and IDRs may be issued in bearer form and denominated in other currencies, and are generally
designed for use in specific or multiple securities markets outside the U.S. EDRs, for example, are designed for use in European
securities markets while GDRs are designed for use throughout the world. Depositary receipts will not necessarily be denominated
in the same currency as their underlying securities.
The Fund will not invest in any unlisted
Depositary Receipts or any Depositary Receipt that the Investment Sub-Adviser deems to be illiquid or for which pricing information
is not readily available. In addition, all Depositary Receipts generally must be sponsored. However, the Fund may invest in unsponsored
Depositary Receipts under certain limited circumstances. The issuers of unsponsored Depositary Receipts are not obligated to disclose
material information in the United States, and, therefore, there may be less information available regarding such issuers and there
may not be a correlation between such information and the market value of the Depositary Receipts. The use of Depositary Receipts
may increase tracking error relative to an underlying Index.
REPURCHASE AGREEMENTS
The Fund may invest in repurchase agreements
with commercial banks, brokers or dealers to generate income from its excess cash balances and to invest securities lending cash
collateral. A repurchase agreement is an agreement under which the Fund acquires a financial instrument (e.g., a security issued
by the U.S. government or an agency thereof, a banker’s acceptance or a certificate of deposit) from a seller, subject to
resale to the seller at an agreed upon price and date (normally, the next Business Day). A repurchase agreement may be considered
a loan collateralized by securities. The resale price reflects an agreed upon interest rate effective for the period the instrument
is held by the Fund and is unrelated to the interest rate on the underlying instrument.
In these repurchase agreement transactions,
the securities acquired by the Fund (including accrued interest earned thereon) must have a total value in excess of the value
of the repurchase agreement and are held by the Custodian until repurchased. No more than an aggregate of 15% of the Fund’s
net assets will be invested in illiquid securities, including repurchase agreements having maturities longer than seven days and
securities subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale, or for which there are no readily available market quotations.
The use of repurchase agreements involves
certain risks. For example, if the other party to the agreement defaults on its obligation to repurchase the underlying security
at a time when the value of the security has declined, the Fund may incur a loss upon disposition of the security. If the other
party to the agreement becomes insolvent and subject to liquidation or reorganization under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code or other laws,
a court may determine that the underlying security is collateral for a loan by the Fund not within the control of the Fund and,
therefore, the Fund may not be able to substantiate its interest in the underlying security and may be deemed an unsecured creditor
of the other party to the agreement.
U.S. GOVERNMENT SECURITIES
The Fund may invest in U.S. government
securities. Securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities include U.S. Treasury securities,
which are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury and which differ only in their interest rates, maturities, and
times of issuance. U.S. Treasury bills have initial maturities of one-year or less; U.S. Treasury notes have initial maturities
of one to ten years; and U.S. Treasury bonds generally have initial maturities of greater than ten years. Certain U.S. government
securities are issued or guaranteed by agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. government including, but not limited to, obligations
of U.S. government agencies or instrumentalities such as Fannie Mae, the Government National Mortgage Association (“Ginnie
Mae”), the Small Business Administration, the Federal Farm Credit Administration, the Federal Home Loan Banks, Banks for
Cooperatives (including the Central Bank for Cooperatives), the Federal Land Banks, the Federal Intermediate Credit Banks, the
Tennessee Valley Authority, the Export-Import Bank of the United States, the Commodity Credit Corporation, the Federal Financing
Bank, the Student Loan Marketing Association, the National Credit Union Administration and the Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation
(Farmer Mac).
Some obligations issued or guaranteed by
U.S. government agencies and instrumentalities, including, for example, Ginnie Mae pass-through certificates, are supported by
the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury. Other obligations issued by or guaranteed by federal agencies, such as those securities
issued by Fannie Mae, are supported by the discretionary authority of the U.S. government to purchase certain obligations of the
federal agency, while other obligations issued by or guaranteed by federal agencies, such as those of the Federal Home Loan Banks,
are supported by the right of the issuer to borrow from the U.S. Treasury, while the U.S. government provides financial support
to such U.S. government-sponsored federal agencies, no assurance can be given that the U.S. government will always do so, since
the U.S. government is not so obligated by law. U.S. Treasury notes and bonds typically pay coupon interest semi-annually and repay
the principal at maturity.
On September 7, 2008, the U.S. Treasury
announced a federal takeover of Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac, placing the two federal instrumentalities in conservatorship. Under
the takeover, the U.S. Treasury agreed to acquire $1 billion of senior preferred stock of each instrumentality and obtained warrants
for the purchase of common stock of each instrumentality (the “Senior Preferred Stock Purchase Agreement” or “Agreement”).
Under the Agreement, the U.S. Treasury pledged to provide up to $200 billion per instrumentality as needed, including the contribution
of cash capital to the instrumentalities in the event their liabilities exceed their assets. This was intended to ensure that the
instrumentalities maintain a positive net worth and meet their financial obligations, preventing mandatory triggering of receivership.
On December 24, 2009, the U.S. Treasury announced that it was amending the Agreement to allow the $200 billion cap on the U.S.
Treasury’s funding commitment to increase as necessary to accommodate any cumulative reduction in net worth over the next
three years. As a result of this Agreement, the investments of holders, including the Fund, of mortgage-backed securities and other
obligations issued by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are protected.
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U.S. Treasury Obligations.
U.S. Treasury obligations consist of bills, notes and
bonds issued by the U.S. Treasury and separately traded interest and principal component parts of such obligations that are transferable
through the federal book-entry system known as Separately Traded Registered Interest and Principal Securities (“STRIPS”)
and Treasury Receipts (“TRs”).
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Receipts.
Interests in separately traded interest and principal component parts of U.S.
government obligations that are issued by banks or brokerage firms and are created by depositing U.S. government obligations into
a special account at a custodian bank. The custodian holds the interest and principal payments for the benefit of the registered
owners of the certificates or receipts. The custodian arranges for the issuance of the certificates or receipts evidencing ownership
and maintains the register. TRs and STRIPS are interests in accounts sponsored by the U.S. Treasury. Receipts are sold as zero
coupon securities.
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U.S. Government Zero Coupon Securities.
STRIPS and receipts are sold as zero coupon
securities, that is, fixed income securities that have been stripped of their unmatured interest coupons. Zero coupon securities
are sold at a (usually substantial) discount and redeemed at face value at their maturity date without interim cash payments of
interest or principal. The amount of this discount is accreted over the life of the security, and the accretion constitutes the
income earned on the security for both accounting and tax purposes. Because of these features, the market prices of zero coupon
securities are generally more volatile than the market prices of securities that have similar maturity but that pay interest periodically.
Zero coupon securities are likely to respond to a greater degree to interest rate changes than are non-zero coupon securities with
similar maturity and credit qualities.
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U.S. Government Agencies.
Some obligations issued or guaranteed by agencies of the U.S.
government are supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury, others are supported by the right of the issuer to
borrow from the U.S. Treasury, while still others are supported only by the credit of the instrumentality. Guarantees of principal
by agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. government may be a guarantee of payment at the maturity of the obligation so that
in the event of a default prior to maturity there might not be a market and thus no means of realizing on the obligation prior
to maturity. Guarantees as to the timely payment of principal and interest do not extend to the value or yield of these securities
nor to the value of the Fund’s Shares.
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BORROWING
While the Fund does not anticipate doing
so, the Fund may borrow money for investment purposes. Borrowing for investment purposes is one form of leverage. Leveraging investments,
by purchasing securities with borrowed money, is a speculative technique that increases investment risk, but also increases investment
opportunity. Because substantially all of the Fund’s assets will fluctuate in value, whereas the interest obligations on
borrowings may be fixed, the net asset value per share (“NAV”) of the Fund will increase more when the Fund’s
portfolio assets increase in value and decrease more when the Fund’s portfolio assets decrease in value than would otherwise
be the case. Moreover, interest costs on borrowings may fluctuate with changing market rates of interest and may partially offset
or exceed the returns on the borrowed funds. Under adverse conditions, the Fund might have to sell portfolio securities to meet
interest or principal payments at a time when investment considerations would not favor such sales. The Fund intends to use leverage
during periods when the Investment Sub-Adviser believes that the Fund’s investment objective would be furthered.
The Fund may also borrow money to facilitate
management of the Fund’s portfolio by enabling the Fund to meet redemption requests when the liquidation of portfolio instruments
would be inconvenient or disadvantageous. Such borrowing is not for investment purposes and will be repaid by the borrowing Fund
promptly. As required by the 1940 Act, the Fund must maintain continuous asset coverage (total assets, including assets acquired
with borrowed funds, less liabilities exclusive of borrowings) of 300% of all amounts borrowed. If, at any time, the value of the
Fund’s assets should fail to meet this 300% coverage test, the Fund, within three days (not including Sundays and holidays),
will reduce the amount of the Fund’s borrowings to the extent necessary to meet this 300% coverage requirement. Maintenance
of this percentage limitation may result in the sale of portfolio securities at a time when investment considerations otherwise
indicate that it would be disadvantageous to do so.
LENDING PORTFOLIO SECURITIES
The Fund may lend portfolio securities
to certain creditworthy borrowers. The borrowers provide collateral that is maintained in an amount at least equal to the current
market value of the securities loaned. The Fund may terminate a loan at any time and obtain the return of the securities loaned.
The Fund receives the value of any interest or cash or non-cash distributions paid on the loaned securities. Distributions received
on loaned securities in lieu of dividend payments (
i.e.,
substitute payments) would not be considered qualified dividend
income.
With respect
to loans that are collateralized by cash, the borrower will be entitled to receive a fee based on the amount of cash collateral.
The Fund is compensated by the difference between the amount earned on the reinvestment of cash collateral and the fee paid to
the borrower. In the case of collateral other than cash,
the
Fund is compensated by a fee paid
by the borrower equal to a percentage of the market value of the loaned securities. Any cash collateral may be reinvested in certain
short-term instruments either directly on behalf of
the
lending Fund or through one or more joint
accounts or money market funds, which may include those managed by the Investment Sub-Adviser.
The Fund may
pay a portion of the interest or fees earned from securities lending to a borrower as described above, and to one or more securities
lending agents approved by the Board who administer the lending program for the Fund in accordance with guidelines approved by
the Board. In such capacity, the lending agent causes the delivery of loaned securities from
the
Fund
to borrowers, arranges for the return of loaned securities to the Fund at the termination of a loan, requests deposit of collateral,
monitors the daily value of the loaned securities and collateral, requests that borrowers add to the collateral when required by
the loan agreements, and provides recordkeeping and accounting services necessary for the operation of the program.
Securities lending involves exposure to
certain risks, including operational risk (
i.e.
, the risk of losses resulting from problems in the settlement and accounting
process), “gap” risk (
i.e.
, the risk of a mismatch between the return on cash collateral reinvestments and the
fees the Fund has agreed to pay a borrower), and credit, legal, counterparty and market risk. In the event a borrower does not
return the Fund’s securities as agreed, the Fund may experience losses if the proceeds received from liquidating the collateral
do not at least equal the value of the loaned security at the time the collateral is liquidated plus the transaction costs incurred
in purchasing replacement securities.
REVERSE REPURCHASE AGREEMENTS
The Fund may enter into reverse repurchase
agreements, which involve the sale of securities with an agreement to repurchase the securities at an agreed-upon price, date and
interest payment and have the characteristics of borrowing. The securities purchased with the funds obtained from the agreement
and securities collateralizing the agreement will have maturity dates no later than the repayment date. Generally the effect of
such transactions is that the Fund can recover all or most of the cash invested in the portfolio securities involved during the
term of the reverse repurchase agreement, while in many cases the Fund is able to keep some of the interest income associated with
those securities. Such transactions are only advantageous if the Fund has an opportunity to earn a greater rate of interest on
the cash derived from these transactions than the interest cost of obtaining the same amount of cash. Opportunities to realize
earnings from the use of the proceeds equal to or greater than the interest required to be paid may not always be available and
the Fund intends to use the reverse repurchase technique only when the Investment Sub-Adviser believes it will be advantageous
to the Fund. The use of reverse repurchase agreements may exaggerate any interim increase or decrease in the value of the Fund’s
assets. The Fund’s exposure to reverse repurchase agreements will be covered by securities having a value equal to or greater
than such commitments. Under the 1940 Act, reverse repurchase agreements are considered borrowings. Although there is no limit
on the percentage of total assets the Fund may invest in reverse repurchase agreements, the use of reverse repurchase agreements
is not a principal strategy of the Fund.
OTHER SHORT-TERM INSTRUMENTS
In addition to repurchase agreements, the
Fund may invest in short-term instruments, including money market instruments, on an ongoing basis to provide liquidity or for
other reasons. Money market instruments are generally short-term investments that may include but are not limited to: (i) shares
of money market funds; (ii) obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities (including
government-sponsored enterprises); (iii) negotiable certificates of deposit (“CDs”), bankers’ acceptances,
fixed time deposits and other obligations of U.S. and foreign banks (including foreign branches) and similar institutions; (iv) commercial
paper rated at the date of purchase “Prime-1” by Moody’s or “A-1” by S&P, or if unrated, of comparable
quality as determined by the Investment Sub-Adviser; (v) non-convertible corporate debt securities (e.g., bonds and debentures)
with remaining maturities at the date of purchase of not more than 397 days and that satisfy the rating requirements set forth
in Rule 2a-7 under the 1940 Act; and (vi) short-term U.S. dollar-denominated obligations of foreign banks (including U.S.
branches) that, in the opinion of the Investment Sub-Adviser, are of comparable quality to obligations of U.S. banks which may
be purchased by the Fund. Any of these instruments may be purchased on a current or a forward-settled basis. Money market instruments
also include shares of money market funds. Time deposits are non-negotiable deposits maintained in banking institutions for specified
periods of time at stated interest rates. Bankers’ acceptances are time drafts drawn on commercial banks by borrowers, usually
in connection with international transactions.
INVESTMENT COMPANIES
The Fund may invest in the securities of
other investment companies, including money market funds, subject to applicable limitations under Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940
Act. Pursuant to Section 12(d)(1), the Fund may invest in the securities of another investment company (the “acquired company”)
provided that the Fund, immediately after such purchase or acquisition, does not own in the aggregate: (i) more than 3% of the
total outstanding voting stock of the acquired company; (ii) securities issued by the acquired company having an aggregate value
in excess of 5% of the value of the total assets of the Fund; or (iii) securities issued by the acquired company and all other
investment companies (other than Treasury stock of the Fund) having an aggregate value in excess of 10% of the value of the total
assets of the Fund. To the extent allowed by law or regulation, the Fund may invest its assets in securities of investment companies
that are money market funds in excess of the limits discussed above.
If the Fund invests in and, thus, is a
shareholder of, another investment company, the Fund’s shareholders will indirectly bear the Fund’s proportionate share
of the fees and expenses paid by such other investment company, including advisory fees, in addition to both the management fees
payable directly by the Fund to the Fund’s own investment adviser and the other expenses that the Fund bears directly in
connection with the Fund’s own operations.
Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act restricts
investments by registered investment companies in securities of other registered investment companies, including the Fund. The
acquisition of the Fund’s Shares by registered investment companies is subject to the restrictions of Section 12(d)(1) of
the 1940 Act, except as may be permitted by exemptive rules under the 1940 Act or as may at some future time be permitted by an
exemptive order that permits registered investment companies to invest in the Fund beyond the limits of Section 12(d)(1), subject
to certain terms and conditions, including that the registered investment company enter into an agreement with the Fund regarding
the terms of the investment.
FUTURES CONTRACTS, OPTIONS AND SWAP AGREEMENTS
The Fund may utilize futures contracts,
options contracts and swap agreements. The Fund will segregate cash and/or appropriate liquid assets if required to do so by SEC
or Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) regulation or interpretation.
Futures contracts generally provide for
the future sale by one party and purchase by another party of a specified commodity or security at a specified future time and
at a specified price. Index futures contracts are settled daily with a payment by one party to the other of a cash amount based
on the difference between the level of the index specified in the contract from one day to the next. Futures contracts are standardized
as to maturity date and underlying instrument and are traded on futures exchanges.
The Fund is required to make a good faith
margin deposit in cash or U.S. government securities with a broker or custodian to initiate and maintain open positions in futures
contracts. A margin deposit is intended to assure completion of the contract (delivery or acceptance of the underlying commodity
or payment of the cash settlement amount) if it is not terminated prior to the specified delivery date. Brokers may establish deposit
requirements which are higher than the exchange minimums. Futures contracts are customarily purchased and sold on margin deposits
which may range upward from less than 5% of the value of the contract being traded.
After a futures contract position is opened,
the value of the contract is marked to market daily. If the futures contract price changes to the extent that the margin on deposit
does not satisfy margin requirements, payment of additional “variation” margin will be required. Conversely, change
in the contract value may reduce the required margin, resulting in a repayment of excess margin to the contract holder. Variation
margin payments are made to and from the futures broker for as long as the contract remains open. In such case, the Fund would
expect to earn interest income on its margin deposits. Closing out an open futures position is done by taking an opposite position
(“buying” a contract which has previously been “sold,” or “selling” a contract previously “purchased”)
in an identical contract to terminate the position. Brokerage commissions are incurred when a futures contract position is opened
or closed.
The Fund may purchase and sell put and
call options. Such options may relate to particular securities and may or may not be listed on a national securities exchange and
issued by the Options Clearing Corporation. Options trading is a highly specialized activity that entails greater than ordinary
investment risk. Options on particular securities may be more volatile than the underlying securities, and therefore, on a percentage
basis, an investment in options may be subject to greater fluctuation than an investment in the underlying securities themselves.
The Fund may use exchange-traded futures
and options, together with positions in cash and money market instruments, to simulate full investment in its underlying Index.
Exchange-traded futures and options contracts are not currently available for the Index. Under such circumstances, the Investment
Sub-Adviser may seek to utilize other instruments that it believes to be correlated to the applicable Index components or a subset
of the components.
To the extent the Fund uses futures
and options, it will do so in accordance with Rule 4.5 of the Commodity Exchange Act (“CEA”). The Trust, on behalf
of the Fund, has filed a notice of eligibility for exclusion from the definition of the term “commodity pool operator”
in accordance with Rule 4.5 so that the Fund is not subject to registration or regulation as a commodity pool operator under the
CEA.
However, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CTFC) has recently adopted amendments to this
exclusion, which require the Fund to either comply with the amended requirements or, if required, the Adviser to register with
respect to the Fund as a commodity pool operator (“CPO”). Registration by the Adviser as a CPO would subject
the Fund to dual regulation by the CFTC and SEC in accordance with rules that have not yet been finalized that are intended to
“harmonize” compliance obligations of the two different regulatory regimes. The Fund reserves the right to engage
in transactions involving futures, options and swaps to the extent allowed by the CFTC regulations in effect from time to time
and in accordance with the Fund’s policies. The effect of the CEA amendments may increase the Fund’s expenses
or limit its use of derivative instruments.
Restrictions on the Use of Futures and
Options. The Fund reserves the right to engage in transactions involving futures and options thereon to the extent allowed by the
CFTC regulations in effect from time to time and in accordance with the Fund’s policies. The Fund would take steps to prevent
its futures positions from “leveraging” its securities holdings. When it has a long futures position, it will maintain
with its custodian bank, cash or equivalents. When it has a short futures position, it will maintain with its custodian bank assets
substantially identical to those underlying the contract or cash and equivalents (or a combination of the foregoing) having a value
equal to the net obligation of the Fund under the contract (less the value of any margin deposits in connection with the position).
Short Sales. The Fund may engage in short
sales that are either “uncovered” or “against the box.” A short sale is “against the box” if
at all times during which the short position is open, the Fund owns at least an equal amount of the securities or securities convertible
into, or exchangeable without further consideration for, securities of the same issue as the securities that are sold short. A
short sale against the box is a taxable transaction to the Fund with respect to the securities that are sold short.
Uncovered short sales are transactions
under which the Fund sells a security it does not own. To complete such a transaction, the Fund must borrow the security to make
delivery to the buyer. The Fund then is obligated to replace the security borrowed by purchasing the security at the market price
at the time of the replacement. The price at such time may be more or less than the price at which the security was sold by the
Fund. Until the security is replaced, the Fund is required to pay the lender amounts equal to any dividends or interest that accrue
during the period of the loan. To borrow the security, the Fund also may be required to pay a premium, which would increase the
cost of the security sold. The proceeds of the short sale will be retained by the broker, to the extent necessary to meet margin
requirements, until the short position is closed out.
Until the Fund closes a short position
or replaces the borrowed security, the Fund may: (a) segregate cash or liquid securities at such a level that (i) the amount segregated
plus the amount deposited with the broker as collateral will equal the current value of the security sold short; and (ii) the amount
segregated plus the amount deposited with the broker as collateral will not be less than the market value of the security at the
time the security was sold short; or (b) otherwise cover the Fund’s short position.
Swap Agreements. The Fund may enter into
swap agreements; including interest rate, index, and total return swap agreements. Swap agreements are contracts between parties
in which one party agrees to make periodic payments to the other party based on the change in market value or level of a specified
rate, index or asset. In return, the other party agrees to make payments to the first party based on the return of a different
specified rate, index or asset. Swap agreements will usually be done on a net basis,
i.e.
, where the two parties make net
payments with the Fund receiving or paying, as the case may be, only the net amount of the two payments. The net amount of the
excess, if any, of the Fund’s obligations over its entitlements with respect to each swap is accrued on a daily basis and
an amount of cash or equivalents having an aggregate value at least equal to the accrued excess is maintained by the Fund.
FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS
The Fund may take advantage of opportunities
in the area of options and futures contracts, options on futures contracts, warrants, swaps and any other investments which are
not presently contemplated for use by the Fund or which are not currently available but which may be developed, to the extent such
opportunities are both consistent with the Fund’s investment objective and legally permissible for the Fund. Before entering
into such transactions or making any such investment, the Fund will provide appropriate disclosure.
SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS AND RISKS
A discussion of the risks associated with
an investment in the Fund is contained in the Prospectus. The discussion below supplements, and should be read in conjunction with,
the Prospectus.
GENERAL
Investment in the Fund should be made with
an understanding that the value of the Fund’s portfolio securities may fluctuate in accordance with changes in the financial
condition of the issuers of the portfolio securities, the value of securities generally and other factors.
An investment in the Fund should also be
made with an understanding of the risks inherent in an investment in securities, including the risk that the financial condition
of issuers may become impaired or that the general condition of the securities markets may deteriorate (either of which may cause
a decrease in the value of the portfolio securities and thus in the value of Shares). Securities are susceptible to general market
fluctuations and to volatile increases and decreases in value as market confidence in and perceptions of their issuers change.
These investor perceptions are based on various and unpredictable factors including expectations regarding government, economic,
monetary and fiscal policies, inflation and interest rates, economic expansion or contraction, and global or regional political,
economic and banking crises.
Holders of common stocks incur more risk
than holders of preferred stocks and debt obligations because common stockholders, as owners of the issuer, have generally inferior
rights to receive payments from the issuer in comparison with the rights of creditors of, or holders of debt obligations or preferred
stocks issued by, the issuer. Further, unlike debt securities which typically have a stated principal amount payable at maturity
(whose value, however, will be subject to market fluctuations prior thereto), or preferred stocks which typically have a liquidation
preference and which may have stated optional or mandatory redemption provisions, common stocks have neither a fixed principal
amount nor a maturity. Common stock values are subject to market fluctuations as long as the common stock remains outstanding.
FUTURES AND OPTIONS TRANSACTIONS
Positions in futures contracts and options
may be closed out only on an exchange which provides a secondary market therefore. However, there can be no assurance that a liquid
secondary market will exist for any particular futures contract or option at any specific time. Thus, it may not be possible to
close a futures or options position. In the event of adverse price movements, the Fund would continue to be required to make daily
cash payments to maintain its required margin. In such situations, if the Fund has insufficient cash, it may have to sell portfolio
securities to meet daily margin requirements at a time when it may be disadvantageous to do so. In addition, the applicable Fund
may be required to make delivery of the instruments underlying futures contracts it has sold.
The Fund will minimize the risk that it
will be unable to close out a futures or options contract by only entering into futures and options for which there appears to
be a liquid secondary market.
The risk of loss in trading futures contracts
or uncovered call options in some strategies (e.g., selling uncovered index futures contracts) is potentially unlimited. The Fund
does not plan to use futures and options contracts, when available, in this manner. The risk of a futures position may still be
large as traditionally measured due to the low margin deposits required. In many cases, a relatively small price movement in a
futures contract may result in immediate and substantial loss or gain to the investor relative to the size of a required margin
deposit. The Fund, however, intends to utilize futures and options contracts in a manner designed to limit their risk exposure
to that which is comparable to what they would have incurred through direct investment in securities.
Utilization of futures transactions by
the Fund involves the risk of imperfect or even negative correlation to the benchmark Index if the index underlying the futures
contracts differs from the benchmark Index. There is also the risk of loss by the Fund of margin deposits in the event of bankruptcy
of a broker with whom the Fund has an open position in the futures contract or option.
Certain financial futures exchanges limit
the amount of fluctuation permitted in futures contract prices during a single trading day. The daily limit establishes the maximum
amount that the price of a futures contract may vary either up or down from the previous day’s settlement price at the end
of a trading session. Once the daily limit has been reached in a particular type of contract, no trades may be made on that day
at a price beyond that limit. The daily limit governs only price movement during a particular trading day and therefore does not
limit potential losses, because the limit may prevent the liquidation of unfavorable positions. Futures contract prices have occasionally
moved to the daily limit for several consecutive trading days with little or no trading, thereby preventing prompt liquidation
of futures positions and subjecting some futures traders to substantial losses.
RISKS OF SWAP AGREEMENTS
Swap agreements are subject to the risk
that the swap counterparty will default on its obligations. If such a default occurs, the Fund will have contractual remedies pursuant
to the agreements related to the transaction, but such remedies may be subject to bankruptcy and insolvency laws which could affect
the Fund’s rights as a creditor.
The use of interest-rate and index swaps
is a highly specialized activity that involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio
security transactions. These transactions generally do not involve the delivery of securities or other underlying assets or principal.
INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS
The Trust has adopted the following investment
restrictions as fundamental policies with respect to the Fund. These restrictions cannot be changed with respect to the Fund without
the approval of the holders of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities. For these purposes of the 1940 Act,
a “majority of outstanding shares” means the vote of the lesser of: (1) 67% or more of the voting securities of the
Fund present at the meeting if the holders of more than 50% of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities are present or represented
by proxy; or (2) more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund. Except with the approval of a majority of the
outstanding voting securities, the Fund may not:
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1.
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Concentrate its investments in an industry or group of industries (
i.e.
, hold 25% or more
of its total assets in the stocks of a particular industry or group of industries), except that the Fund will concentrate to approximately
the same extent that its underlying Index concentrates in the stocks of such particular industry or group of industries. For purposes
of this limitation, securities of the U.S. government (including its agencies and instrumentalities), repurchase agreements collateralized
by U.S. government securities and securities of state or municipal governments and their political subdivisions are not considered
to be issued by members of any industry.
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2.
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Borrow money or issue senior securities (as defined under the 1940 Act), except to the extent permitted
under the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder or any exemption therefrom, as such statute, rules or regulations may
be amended or interpreted from time to time.
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3.
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Make loans, except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder
or any exemption therefrom, as such statute, rules or regulations may be amended or interpreted from time to time.
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4.
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Purchase or sell commodities or real estate, except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act,
the rules and regulations thereunder or any exemption therefrom, as such statute, rules or regulations may be amended or interpreted
from time to time.
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5.
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Underwrite securities issued by other persons, except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act,
the rules and regulations thereunder or any exemption therefrom, as such statute, rules or regulations may be amended or interpreted
from time to time.
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In addition to the investment restrictions
adopted as fundamental policies as set forth above, the Fund observes the following restrictions, which may be changed without
a shareholder vote.
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1.
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The Fund will not hold illiquid assets in excess of 15% of its net assets. An illiquid asset is
any asset which may not be sold or disposed of in the ordinary course of business within seven days at approximately the value
at which the Fund has valued the investment.
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2.
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Under normal circumstances, the Fund will not invest less than 80% of its net assets, plus the
amount of any borrowings for investment purposes, in securities of Master Limited Partnerships (“MLPs”). Prior to any
change in this 80% investment policy, the Fund will provide shareholders with 60 days’ written notice.
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If a percentage limitation is adhered to
at the time of investment or contract, a later increase or decrease in percentage resulting from any change in value or total or
net assets will not result in a violation of such restriction, except that the percentage limitations with respect to the borrowing
of money and illiquid securities will be observed continuously.
The following descriptions of certain provisions
of the 1940 Act may assist investors in understanding the above policies and restrictions:
Concentration
. The SEC has defined
concentration as investing 25% or more of an investment company’s total assets in an industry or group of industries, with
certain exceptions.
Borrowing
. The 1940 Act presently
allows a fund to borrow from any bank (including pledging, mortgaging or hypothecating assets) in an amount up to 33 1/3% of its
total assets (not including temporary borrowings not in excess of 5% of its total assets).
Senior Securities
. Senior securities
may include any obligation or instrument issued by a fund evidencing indebtedness. The 1940 Act generally prohibits funds from
issuing senior securities, although it does not treat certain transactions as senior securities, such as certain borrowings, short
sales, reverse repurchase agreements, firm commitment agreements and standby commitments, with appropriate earmarking or segregation
of assets to cover such obligation.
Lending
. Under the 1940 Act, a fund
may only make loans if expressly permitted by its investment policies. The Fund’s current investment policy on lending is
as follows: a fund may not make loans if, as a result, more than 33 1/3% of its total assets would be lent to other parties, except
that the Fund may: (i) purchase or hold debt instruments in accordance with its investment objective and policies; (ii) enter into
repurchase agreements; and (iii) engage in securities lending as described in its SAI.
Underwriting
. Under the 1940 Act,
underwriting securities involves a fund purchasing securities directly from an issuer for the purpose of selling (distributing)
them or participating in any such activity either directly or indirectly.
Real Estate
. The 1940 Act does not
directly restrict an investment company's ability to invest in real estate, but does require that every investment company have
a fundamental investment policy governing such investments. The Fund will not purchase or sell real estate, except that the Fund
may purchase marketable securities issued by companies which own or invest in real estate (including REITs).
Commodities
. The Fund will not purchase
or sell physical commodities or commodities contracts, except that the Fund may purchase: (i) marketable securities issued by companies
which own or invest in commodities or commodities contracts; and (ii) commodities contracts relating to financial instruments,
such as financial futures contracts and options on such contracts.
EXCHANGE LISTING AND TRADING
A discussion of exchange listing and trading
matters associated with an investment in the Fund is contained in the Prospectus under “Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares”
in the Fund summary and “Buying and Selling the Fund.” The discussion below supplements, and should be read in conjunction
with, such sections of the Prospectus.
The Shares of the Fund are approved for
listing and trading on the Exchange, subject to notice of issuance. The Shares trade on the Exchange at prices that may differ
to some degree from their net asset value. There can be no assurance that the requirements of the Exchange necessary to maintain
the listing of Shares of the Fund will continue to be met.
The Exchange may, but is not required to,
remove the Shares of the Fund from listing if: (1) following the initial twelve-month period beginning upon the commencement of
trading of the Fund, there are fewer than 50 beneficial holders of the Shares for 30 or more consecutive trading days; (2) the
value of its underlying Index or portfolio of securities on which the Fund is based is no longer calculated or available; (3) the
“indicative optimized portfolio value” (“IOPV”) of the Fund is no longer calculated or available; or (4)
such other event shall occur or condition exists that, in the opinion of the Exchange, makes further dealings on the Exchange inadvisable.
In addition, the Exchange will remove the Shares from listing and trading upon termination of the Trust or the Fund.
The Exchange (or market data vendors or
other information providers) will disseminate, every fifteen seconds during the regular trading day, an IOPV relating to the Fund.
The IOPV calculations are estimates of the value of the Fund’s NAV per Share and are based on the current market value of
the securities and/or cash required to be deposited in exchange for a Creation Unit. Premiums and discounts between the IOPV and
the market price may occur. This should not be viewed as a “real-time” update of the net asset value per Share of the
Fund, which is calculated only once a day. Neither the Fund, the Adviser, the Investment Sub-Adviser nor the Trading Sub-Adviser,
or any of their affiliates, are involved in, or responsible for, the calculation or dissemination of such IOPVs and make no warranty
as to their accuracy.
The Trust reserves the right to adjust
the Share price of the Fund in the future to maintain convenient trading ranges for investors. Any adjustments would be accomplished
through stock splits or reverse stock splits, which would have no effect on the net assets of the Fund.
As in the case of other publicly traded
securities, brokers’ commissions on transactions will be based on negotiated commission rates at customary levels.
The base and trading currencies of the
Fund is the U.S. dollar. The base currency is the currency in which the Fund’s net asset value per Share is calculated and
the trading currency is the currency in which Shares of the Fund are listed and traded on the Exchange.
MANAGEMENT OF THE TRUST
The following information supplements and
should be read in conjunction with the section in the Prospectus entitled “Fund Management.”
TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS OF THE TRUST
Board Responsibilities.
The management
and affairs of the Trust and its series, including the Fund described in this SAI, are overseen by the Trustees. The Board elects
the officers of the Trust who are responsible for administering the day-to-day operations of the Trust and the Fund. The Board
has approved contracts, as described below, under which certain companies provide essential services to the Trust.
Like most mutual funds, the day-to-day
business of the Trust, including the management of risk, is performed by third party service providers, such as the Adviser, the
Investment Sub-Adviser, the Trading Sub-Adviser, the Distributor and Administrator. The Trustees are responsible for overseeing
the Trust’s service providers and, thus, have oversight responsibility with respect to risk management performed by those
service providers. Risk management seeks to identify and address risks,
i.e.
, events or circumstances that could have material
adverse effects on the business, operations, shareholder services, investment performance or reputation of the Fund. The Fund and
its service providers employ a variety of processes, procedures and controls to identify various of those possible events or circumstances,
to lessen the probability of their occurrence and/or to mitigate the effects of such events or circumstances if they do occur.
Each service provider is responsible for one or more discrete aspects of the Trust’s business (e.g., the Investment Sub-Adviser
is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio investments) and, consequently, for managing the risks
associated with that business. The Board has emphasized to the Fund’s service providers the importance of maintaining vigorous
risk management.
The Trustees’ role in risk oversight
begins before the inception of the Fund, at which time certain of the Fund’s service providers present the Board with information
concerning the investment objectives, strategies and risks of the Fund as well as proposed investment limitations for the Fund.
Additionally, the Fund’s Adviser provides the Board with an overview of, among other things, its investment philosophy, brokerage
practices and compliance infrastructure. Thereafter, the Board continues its oversight function as various personnel, including
the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer, as well as personnel of the Investment Sub-Adviser, the Trading Sub-Adviser and other
service providers such as the Fund’s independent accountants, make periodic reports to the Audit Committee or to the Board
with respect to various aspects of risk management. The Board and the Audit Committee oversee efforts by management and service
providers to manage risks to which the Fund may be exposed.
The Board is responsible for overseeing
the nature, extent and quality of the services provided to the Fund by the Adviser, the Investment Sub-Adviser and the Trading
Sub-Adviser and receives information about those services at its regular meetings. In addition, on an annual basis, in connection
with its consideration of whether to renew the Advisory Agreements with the Adviser and the Sub-Advisers, the Board meets with
the Adviser and the Sub-Advisers to review such services. Among other things, the Board regularly considers the Adviser and the
Sub-Advisers’ adherence to the Fund’s investment restrictions and compliance with various Fund policies and procedures
and with applicable securities regulations. The Board also reviews information about the Fund’s performance and the Fund’s
investments, including, for example, portfolio holdings schedules.
The Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer
reports regularly to the Board to review and discuss compliance issues and Fund and Adviser risk assessments. At least annually,
the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer provides the Board with a report reviewing the adequacy and effectiveness of the Trust’s
policies and procedures and those of its service providers, including the Adviser and the Sub-Advisers. The report addresses the
operation of the policies and procedures of the Trust and each service provider since the date of the last report; any material
changes to the policies and procedures since the date of the last report; any recommendations for material changes to the policies
and procedures; and any material compliance matters since the date of the last report.
The Board receives reports from the Fund’s
service providers regarding operational risks and risks related to the valuation and liquidity of portfolio securities. The Board
has also established a Fair Value Committee that is responsible for implementing the Trust’s Fair Value Procedures and providing
reports to the Board concerning investments for which market quotations are not readily available. Annually, the independent registered
public accounting firm reviews with the Audit Committee its audit of the Fund’s financial statements, focusing on major areas
of risk encountered by the Fund and noting any significant deficiencies or material weaknesses in the Fund’s internal controls.
Additionally, in connection with its oversight function, the Board oversees Fund management’s implementation of disclosure
controls and procedures, which are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Trust in its periodic reports
with the SEC are recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the required time periods. The Board also oversees the Trust’s
internal controls over financial reporting, which comprise policies and procedures designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding
the reliability of the Trust's financial reporting and the preparation of the Trust's financial statements.
From their review of these reports and
discussions with the Adviser, the Sub-Advisers, the Chief Compliance Officer, the independent registered public accounting firm
and other service providers, the Board and the Audit Committee learn in detail about the material risks of the Fund, thereby facilitating
a dialogue about how management and service providers identify and mitigate those risks.
The Board recognizes that not all risks
that may affect the Fund can be identified and/or quantified, that it may not be practical or cost-effective to eliminate or mitigate
certain risks, that it may be necessary to bear certain risks (such as investment-related risks) to achieve the Fund’s goals,
and that the processes, procedures and controls employed to address certain risks may be limited in their effectiveness. Moreover,
reports received by the Trustees as to risk management matters are typically summaries of the relevant information. Most of the
Fund’s investment management and business affairs are carried out by or through the Fund’s Adviser and other service
providers each of which has an independent interest in risk management but whose policies and the methods by which one or more
risk management functions are carried out may differ from the Fund’s and each other’s in the setting of priorities,
the resources available or the effectiveness of relevant controls. As a result of the foregoing and other factors, the Board’s
ability to monitor and manage risk, as a practical matter, is subject to limitations.
Members of the Board.
There are
five members of the Board of Trustees, four of whom are not interested persons of the Trust, as that term is defined in the 1940
Act (“independent Trustees”). J. Garrett Stevens, the sole interested Trustee, serves as Chairman of the Board. The
Trust does not have a lead independent trustee. The Board of Trustees is comprised of a super-majority (67 percent) of independent
Trustees. There is an Audit Committee of the Board that is chaired by an independent Trustee and comprised solely of independent
Trustees. The Audit Committee chair presides at the Committee meetings, participates in formulating agendas for Committee meetings,
and coordinates with management to serve as a liaison between the independent Trustees and management on matters within the scope
of responsibilities of the Committee as set forth in its Board-approved charter. The Trust has determined its leadership structure
is appropriate given the specific characteristics and circumstances of the Trust. The Trust made this determination in consideration
of, among other things, the fact that the independent Trustees of the Fund constitute a super-majority of the Board, the number
of independent Trustees that constitute the Board, the amount of assets under management in the Trust, and the number of funds
overseen by the Board. The Board also believes that its leadership structure facilitates the orderly and efficient flow of information
to the independent Trustees from Fund management.
The Board of Trustees has two standing
committees: the Audit Committee and the Nominating Committee (as defined below). The Audit Committee and Nominating Committee are
chaired by an independent Trustee and composed of independent Trustees.
Set forth below are the names, dates of
birth, position with the Trust, length of term of office, and the principal occupations and other directorships held during at
least the last five years of each of the persons currently serving as a Trustee of the Trust.
Name, Address, and Age
|
Position(s) Held 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
|
Interested Trustee
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. Garrett Stevens
2545 S. Kelly Ave., Suite C, Edmond, OK 73013
(33 years old)
|
Trustee and President
|
Trustee
(Since 2009); President
(Since 2011)
|
T.S. Phillips Investments, Inc. 2000 to 2011— Investment
Advisor; Exchange Traded Concepts Trust 2009 to 2011 — Chief Executive Officer and Secretary; Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC
2009 to Present — Chief Executive Officer and Portfolio Manager;
Exchange Traded Concepts Trust II 2012 to Present — President
|
4
|
ETF Series Solutions — Trustee
|
Independent Trustees
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gary L. French
c/o Exchange Traded Concepts Trust
2545 S. Kelly Ave., Suite C, Edmond, OK 73013
(61 years old)
|
Trustee
|
Since 2011
|
State Street Bank, US Investor Services — Fund Administration 2002 to 2010 — Senior Vice President
|
4
|
Exchange Traded Concepts Trust II — Trustee
|
David M. Mahle
c/o Exchange Traded Concepts Trust 2545 S. Kelly Ave., Suite C, Edmond, OK 73013
(69 years old)
|
Trustee
|
Since 2011
|
Jones Day 2012 to Present — Consultant; Jones Day 2008 to 2011 — Of Counsel; Jones Day 1988-2008 — Partner
|
4
|
Exchange Traded Concepts Trust II — Trustee
|
Kurt Wolfgruber
c/o Exchange Traded Concepts Trust 2545 S. Kelly Ave., Suite
C, Edmond, OK 73013
(62 years old)
|
Trustee
|
Since 2012
|
Oppenheimer Funds, Inc. 2007-2009 — President
|
4
|
New Mountain Finance Corp. — Director; Exchange Traded Concepts Trust II — Trustee
|
Mark Zurack
c/o Exchange Traded Concepts Trust 2545 S. Kelly Ave., Suite C, Edmond, OK 73013
(56 years old)
|
Trustee
|
Since 2011
|
Columbia Business School 2002 to present — Professor
|
4
|
None
|
Individual Trustee Qualifications.
The
Trust has concluded that each of the Trustees should serve on the Board because of their ability to review and understand information
about the Fund provided to them by management, to identify and request other information they may deem relevant to the performance
of their duties, to question management and other service providers regarding material factors bearing on the management and administration
of the Fund, and to exercise their business judgment in a manner that serves the best interests of the Fund’s shareholders.
The Trust has concluded that each of the Trustees should serve as a Trustee based on their own experience, qualifications, attributes
and skills as described below.
The Trust has concluded that Mr. Stevens
should serve as Trustee because of the experience he gained in his roles with registered broker-dealer and investment management
firms, as Chief Executive Officer of the Adviser, his experience in and knowledge of the financial services industry, and the experience
he has gained as serving as trustee of the Trust since 2009.
The Trust has concluded that Mr. French
should serve as a Trustee because of the experience he gained in various leadership roles with companies, including large financial
institutions, that operated and administered to investment companies, his knowledge of such industries, as well as his significant
financial and accounting experience.
The Trust has concluded that Mr. Mahle
should serve as Trustee because of the experience he has gained as an attorney in the investment management industry of a major
law firm, representing exchange-traded funds and other investment companies as well as their sponsors and advisers and his knowledge
and experience in investment management law and the financial services industry.
The Trust has concluded that Mr. Wolfgruber should serves as
a Trustee because of his experience as President and Chief Investment Officer of Oppenheimer Funds, Inc. Mr. Wolfgruber was responsible
for the investment process of $65 billion in assets in the Oppenheimer domestic equity portfolio teams and has been involved in
investment management for over 30 years.
The Trust has concluded that Mr. Zurack
should serve as a Trustee because of the experience he has gained serving in various leadership roles in the equity derivatives
groups of a large financial institution, his experience in teaching equity derivatives at the graduate level, as well as his knowledge
of the financial services industry.
In its periodic assessment of the effectiveness
of the Board, the Board considers the complementary individual skills and experience of the individual Trustees primarily in the
broader context of the Board’s overall composition so that the Board, as a body, possesses the appropriate (and appropriately
diverse) skills and experience to oversee the business of the funds.
Set forth below are the names, dates of
birth, position with the Trust, length and term of office, and the principal occupations and other directorships held during at
least the last five years of each of the persons currently serving as officers of the Trust.
OFFICERS
Name, Address, and Age
|
Position(s) Held with the Trust
|
Term of Office and Length of Time Served
|
Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years
|
Other Directorships held during the Past 5 Years
|
J. Garrett Stevens
3555 Northwest 2545 S. Kelly Ave., Suite C, Edmond, OK 73013
(33 years old)
|
Trustee and President
|
Trustee
(Since 2009)
President
(Since 2011)
|
T.S. Phillips Investments, Inc. 2000 to 2011— Investment Advisor; Exchange Traded Concepts Trust 2009 to 2011 — Chief Executive Officer and Secretary; Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC 2009 to Present — Chief Executive Officer and Portfolio Manager; Exchange Traded Concepts Trust II 2012 to present — President
|
ETF Series Solutions — Trustee
|
Richard Hogan
2545 S. Kelly Ave., Suite C, Edmond, OK 73013
(51 years old)
|
Treasurer and Secretary
|
Since 2011
|
Yorkville ETF Advisors 2011 to present — Managing Member; Private Investor — 2002 to 2011
|
Board Member of Peconic Land Trust of Suffolk County, NY.; Exchange
Traded Concepts Trust II — Trustee
|
Peter Rodriguez
SEI Investments Company One Freedom Valley Drive Oaks, PA 19456 (50 years old)
|
Assistant
Treasurer
|
Since 2011
|
Director, Fund Accounting, SEI Investments Global Funds Services, Company 2011 to present, 1997 to 2005; Director, Mutual Fund Trading, SEI Private Trust Company, 2009 to 2011; Director, Asset Data Services, Global Wealth Services, 2006 to 2009; Director, Portfolio Accounting, SEI Investments Global Fund Services, 2005 to 2006
|
None
|
Carolyn Mead
SEI Investments Company One Freedom Valley Drive Oaks, PA 19456 (55 years old)
|
Assistant Secretary
|
Since 2009
|
Counsel, SEI Investments 2007 to present. Associate, Stradley, Ronon, Stevens & Young, 2004 to 2007. Counsel at ING Variable Annuities from 1999 to 2002.
|
None
|
COMPENSATION OF THE TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS
|
·
|
The following table sets forth the fees paid, as well as estimated compensation to be paid, to
the Trustees for the fiscal year ending November 30, 2013. Trustee compensation does not include reimbursed out-of-pocket expenses
in connection with attendance meetings.
|
Name
|
Aggregate Compensation
|
Pension or Retirement Benefits Accrued as Part of Fund Expenses
|
Estimated Annual Benefits Upon Retirement
|
Total Compensation from the Trust and Fund Complex
1
|
Interested Trustee
|
Stevens
|
$0
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
$0 for service on (1) board
|
Independent Trustees
|
French
|
$25,000
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
$25,000 for service on (1) board
|
Wolfgruber
|
$25,000
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
$25,000 for service on (1) board
|
Mahle
|
$25,000
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
$25,000 for service on (1) board
|
Zurack
|
$25,000
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
$25,000 for service on (1) board
|
1
The Trust is the only investment
company in the “Fund Complex.”
BOARD COMMITTEES
The Board has established the following
standing committees:
Audit Committee
. The Board has a
standing Audit Committee that is composed of each of the independent Trustees of the Trust. The Audit Committee operates under
a written charter approved by the Board. The principal responsibilities of the Audit Committee include: recommending which firm
to engage as the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm and whether to terminate this relationship; reviewing
the independent registered public accounting firm’s compensation, the proposed scope and terms of its engagement, and the
firm’s independence; pre-approving audit and non-audit services provided by the Fund’s independent registered public
accounting firm to the Trust and certain other affiliated entities; serving as a channel of communication between the independent
registered public accounting firm and the Trustees; reviewing the results of each external audit, including any qualifications
in the independent registered public accounting firm’s opinion, any related management letter, management’s responses
to recommendations made by the independent registered public accounting firm in connection with the audit, reports submitted to
the Committee by the internal auditing department of the Trust’s Administrator that are material to the Trust as a whole,
if any, and management’s responses to any such reports; reviewing the Fund’s audited financial statements and considering
any significant disputes between the Trust’s management and the independent registered public accounting firm that arose
in connection with the preparation of those financial statements; considering, in consultation with the independent registered
public accounting firm and the Trust’s senior internal accounting executive, if any, the independent registered public accounting
firms’ report on the adequacy of the Trust’s internal financial controls; reviewing, in consultation with the Fund’s
independent registered public accounting firm, major changes regarding auditing and accounting principles and practices to be followed
when preparing the Fund’s financial statements; and other audit related matters. The Audit Committee meets periodically,
as necessary, and met two (2) times in the most recently completed fiscal year.
Nominating Committee
. The Board
has a standing Nominating Committee that is composed of each of the independent Trustees of the Trust. The Nominating Committee
operates under a written charter approved by the Board. The principal responsibility of the Nominating Committee is to consider,
recommend and nominate candidates to fill vacancies on the Trust’s Board, if any. The Nominating Committee generally will
not consider nominees recommended by shareholders. The Nominating Committee meets periodically, as necessary, and met two (2) times
in the most recently completed fiscal year.
Fair Value Committee
. The Board
also has established a Fair Value Committee that is comprised of representatives from the Adviser, representatives from the Fund’s
administrator, counsel to the Fund, and/or members of the Board of Trustees. The Fair Value Committee operates under procedures
approved by the Board. The Fair Value Committee is responsible for the valuation and revaluation of any portfolio investments for
which market quotations or prices are not readily available. Mr. Stevens, Mr. French, Mr. Wolfgruber and Mr. Zurack currently serve
as the Board’s delegates on the Fair Value Committee. The Fair Value Committee meets periodically, as necessary, and did
not meet during the most recently completed fiscal year.
OWNERSHIP OF FUND SHARES
The following table shows the dollar amount
ranges of each Trustee’s “beneficial ownership” of Shares of the Fund and each other series of the Trust as of
the end of the most recently completely calendar year. Dollar amount ranges disclosed are established by the SEC. “Beneficial
ownership” is determined in accordance with Rule 16a-1(a)(2) under the 1934 Act.
Name
|
Dollar Range of Shares Owned in the Fund
1
|
Aggregate Dollar Range of Shares (All Funds in the Complex)
2,3
|
Interested Trustee
|
|
|
J. Garrett Stevens
|
None
|
None
|
Independent Trustees
|
|
|
Gary L. French
|
None
|
None
|
Edward A. Kerbs
|
None
|
None
|
David M. Mahle
|
None
|
None
|
Kurt Wolfgruber
|
None
|
None
|
Mark A. Zurack
|
None
|
None
|
1
Because the Fund is new, as
of the date of this SAI, none of the Trustees owned Shares of the Fund.
2
Valuation date is December
31, 2012.
3
The Trust is the only investment
company in the “Fund Complex.”
CODES OF ETHICS
The Trust, the Adviser, the Sub-Advisers
and SEI Investments Distribution Co. (the “Distributor”) have each adopted codes of ethics pursuant to Rule 17j-1 of
the 1940 Act. These codes of ethics designed to prevent affiliated persons of the Trust, the Adviser, the Sub-Advisers and the
Distributor from engaging in deceptive, manipulative or fraudulent activities in connection with securities held or to be acquired
by the Fund (which may also be held by persons subject to the codes of ethics).
There can be no assurance that the codes
of ethics will be effective in preventing such activities. Each code of ethics, filed as exhibits to this registration statement,
may be examined at the office of the SEC in Washington, D.C. or on the Internet at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
PROXY VOTING POLICIES
The Board of Trustees has delegated the
responsibility to vote proxies for securities held in the Fund’s portfolio to the Adviser. The Adviser has delegated the
responsibility to vote proxies for securities held in the Fund to the Trading Sub-Adviser. Proxies for the portfolio securities
are voted in accordance with the Trading Sub-Adviser’s proxy voting guidelines, which are set forth in Exhibit A to this
SAI. Information regarding how the Fund votes proxies relating to its portfolio securities during the most recent twelve-month
period ended June 30 will be available: (1) without charge by calling 1-855-YES-YETF; (2) on the Fund’s website at
www.yetfs.com
;
and (3) on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
INVESTMENT ADVISORY AND OTHER SERVICES
Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC (“ETC”),
an Oklahoma limited liability company located at 2545 South Kelly Avenue, Suite C, Edmond, Oklahoma 73013, serves as the investment
adviser to the Fund. The Adviser is majority owned by Yorkville ETF Holdings LLC.
The Trust and the Adviser have entered
into an investment advisory agreement dated March 2, 2012, as amended December 6, 2012 (the “Advisory Agreement”),
with respect to the Fund. Under the Advisory Agreement, the Adviser provides investment advice to the Fund and oversees the day-to-day
operations of the Fund, subject to the direction and control of the Board and the officers of the Trust. The Adviser, in consultation
with sub-advisers, arranges for transfer agency, custody, fund administration and accounting, and other non-distribution related
services necessary for the Fund to operate. The Adviser administers the Fund’s business affairs, provides office facilities
and equipment and certain clerical, bookkeeping and administrative services, and provides its officers and employees to serve as
officers or Trustees of the Trust.
For the services the Adviser provides,
the
Fund pays the Adviser a fee, which is calculated daily and paid monthly, at an annual rate
of 0.82% on the average daily net assets of the Fund, subject to a $25,000 minimum fee. Under the investment advisory agreement,
the Adviser has agreed to pay all expenses incurred by the Trust except for the advisory fee, interest, taxes, brokerage commissions
and other expenses incurred in placing orders for the purchase and sale of securities and other investment instruments, acquired
fund fees and expenses, accrued deferred tax liability, extraordinary expenses, and distribution fees and expenses paid by the
Trust under any distribution plan adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act (the “Excluded Expenses”).
The Adviser has retained Yorkville ETF
Advisors, LLC (“Yorkville ETF Advisors”), 950 Third Avenue, 23rd Floor New York, New York 10022, to make investment
decisions for the Fund and continuously review, supervise and administer the investment program of the Fund, subject to the supervision
of the Adviser and the Board. Under a sub-advisory agreement, the Adviser pays the Investment Sub-Adviser a fee, which is calculated
daily and paid monthly at an annual rate of 0.62% based on a percentage of the average daily net assets of the Fund. Under the
sub-advisory agreement, Yorkville ETF Advisors, LLC has agreed to assume the Adviser’s responsibility to pay, or cause to
be paid, all expenses of the Fund, except Excluded Expenses, not paid by the Adviser, including any portion of the minimum fee
payable by the Fund to the Adviser that exceeds 0.82% of the Fund’s average daily net assets. ETC and Yorkville ETF Advisors
are under the common control of Darren R. Schuringa, who is an officer of and has a controlling interest in both advisers.
The Adviser has also retained Index Management
Solutions, LLC, One Commerce Square, 2005 Market Street, Suite 2020, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103. The Trading Sub-Adviser
was established in 2009 and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of VTL Associates, LLC. The Trading Sub-Adviser is responsible for trading
portfolio securities on behalf of the Fund, including selecting broker-dealers to execute purchase and sale transactions as instructed
by the Investment Sub-Adviser or in connection with any rebalancing or reconstitution of the Index, subject to the supervision
of the Adviser and the Board of Trustees. Under a sub-advisory agreement, the Adviser pays the Trading Sub-Adviser a fee, calculated
daily and paid monthly, at an annual rate of 0.055% based on a percentage of the average daily net assets of the Fund, subject
to a $10,000 minimum fee.
After the initial two-year term, the continuance
of an advisory or sub-advisory agreement must be specifically approved at least annually: (i) by the vote of the Trustees or by
a vote of the shareholders of the Fund; and (ii) by the vote of a majority of the Trustees who are not parties to an advisory or
sub-advisory agreement or “interested persons” or of any party thereto, cast in person at a meeting called for the
purpose of voting on such approval. An advisory or sub-advisory agreement will terminate automatically in the event of its assignment,
and is terminable at any time without penalty by the Trustees of the Trust or, with respect to the Fund, by a majority of the outstanding
voting securities of the Fund, or by the Adviser on not more than 60 days’ nor less than 30 days’ written notice to
the Trust. As used in the advisory and sub-advisory agreements, the terms “majority of the outstanding voting securities,”
“interested persons” and “assignment” have the same meaning as such terms in the 1940 Act.
THE PORTFOLIO MANAGER
This section includes information about
the Fund’s portfolio manager, including information about other accounts he manages, the dollar range of Shares he owns and
how he is compensated.
COMPENSATION
Darren R. Schuringa, CFA, (the “Portfolio
Manager”) is the portfolio manager of the Fund. The Portfolio Manager is compensated by the Investment Sub-Adviser. The Portfolio
Manager is compensated solely through his ownership in the Investment Sub-Adviser.
SHARES OWNED BY PORTFOLIO MANAGER
The Fund
is required to show the dollar range of each portfolio manager’s “beneficial ownership” of Shares of the Fund
as of the end of the most recently completed fiscal year. Dollar amount ranges disclosed are established by the SEC. “Beneficial
ownership” is determined in accordance with Rule 16a-1(a)(2) under the Exchange Act. Because the Fund is new, as of the date
of this SAI, the Portfolio Manager did not beneficially own Shares of the Fund
.
OTHER ACCOUNTS
In addition to the Fund, the Portfolio
Manager is responsible for the day-to-day management of certain other accounts, as listed below. The information below is provided
as of December 31, 2012, unless otherwise noted.
Name
|
Registered
Investment Companies
|
Other Pooled
Investment Vehicles
|
Other Accounts*
|
Number of Accounts
|
Total Assets
($ millions)
|
Number of Accounts
|
Total Assets ($ millions)
|
Number of Accounts
|
Total Assets ($ millions)
|
Darren R. Schuringa
|
1
|
$98.5
|
0
|
0
|
207
|
217
|
* as of September 30, 2012
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
The portfolio manager’s management
of “other accounts” is not expected to give rise to potential conflicts of interest in connection with his management
of the Fund’s investments, on the one hand, and the investments of the other accounts, on the other.
THE DISTRIBUTOR
The Trust and
SEI Investments Distribution
Co. (the “Distributor”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of SEI Investments, and an affiliate of the Administrator, are parties
to an amended and restated distribution agreement dated November 10, 2011 (“Distribution Agreement”), whereby the Distributor
acts as principal underwriter for the Trust’s shares and distributes the Shares of the Fund. Shares are continuously offered
for sale by the Distributor only in Creation Units. Each Creation Unit is made up of at least 50,000 shares. The Distributor will
not distribute Shares in amounts less than a Creation Unit. The principal business address of the Distributor is One Freedom Valley
Drive, Oaks, Pennsylvania 19456.
Under the Distribution Agreement, the Distributor,
as agent for the Trust, will solicit orders for the purchase of the Shares, provided that any subscriptions and orders will not
be binding on the Trust until accepted by the Trust. The Distributor will deliver Prospectuses and, upon request, Statements of
Additional Information to persons purchasing Creation Units and will maintain records of orders placed with it. The Distributor
is a broker-dealer registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) and a member of the Financial
Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”).
The Distributor may also enter into agreements
with securities dealers (“Soliciting Dealers”) who will solicit purchases of Creation Units of Shares. Such Soliciting
Dealers may also be Authorized Participants (as discussed in “Procedures for Creation of Creation Units” below) or
DTC participants (as defined below).
The Distribution Agreement will continue
for two years from its effective date and is renewable thereafter. The continuance of the Distribution Agreement must be specifically
approved at least annually (i) by the vote of the Trustees or by a vote of the shareholders of the Fund and (ii) by the vote of
a majority of the Trustees who are not “interested persons” of the Trust and have no direct or indirect financial interest
in the operations of the Distribution Agreement or any related agreement, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of
voting on such approval. The Distribution Agreement is terminable without penalty by the Trust on 60 days written notice when authorized
either by majority vote of its outstanding voting shares or by a vote of a majority of its Board (including a majority of the Independent
Trustees), or by the Distributor on 60 days written notice, and will automatically terminate in the event of its assignment. The
Distribution Agreement provides that in the absence of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on the part of the Distributor,
or reckless disregard by it of its obligations thereunder, the Distributor shall not be liable for any action or failure to act
in accordance with its duties thereunder.
The Distributor may also provide trade
order processing services pursuant to a services agreement.
Distribution Plan.
The Trust has
adopted a Distribution Plan (the “Plan”) in accordance with the provisions of Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, which
regulates circumstances under which an investment company may directly or indirectly bear expenses relating to the distribution
of its shares. No payments pursuant to the Plan will be made during the initial twelve (12) months of operation. Continuance of
the Plan must be approved annually by a majority of the Trustees of the Trust and by a majority of the Trustees who are not interested
persons (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Trust and have no direct or indirect financial interest in the Plan or in any agreements
related to the Plan (“Qualified Trustees”). The Plan requires that quarterly written reports of amounts spent under
the Plan and the purposes of such expenditures be furnished to and reviewed by the Trustees. The Plan may not be amended to increase
materially the amount that may be spent thereunder without approval by a majority of the outstanding shares of any class of the
Fund that is affected by such increase. All material amendments of the Plan will require approval by a majority of the Trustees
of the Trust and of the Qualified Trustees.
The Plan provides that Shares of the Fund
pay the Distributor an annual fee of up to a maximum of 0.25% of the average daily net assets of the Shares. Under the Plan, the
Distributor may make payments pursuant to written agreements to financial institutions and intermediaries such as banks, savings
and loan associations and insurance companies including, without limit, investment counselors, broker-dealers and the Distributor’s
affiliates and subsidiaries (collectively, “Agents”) as compensation for services and reimbursement of expenses incurred
in connection with distribution assistance. The Plan is characterized as a compensation plan since the distribution fee will be
paid to the Distributor without regard to the distribution expenses incurred by the Distributor or the amount of payments made
to other financial institutions and intermediaries. The Trust intends to operate the Plan in accordance with its terms and with
FINRA rules concerning sales charges.
Under the Plan, subject to the limitations
of applicable law and regulations, the Fund is authorized to compensate the Distributor up to the maximum amount to finance any
activity primarily intended to result in the sale of Creation Units of the Fund or for providing or arranging for others to provide
shareholder services and for the maintenance of shareholder accounts. Such activities may include, but are not limited to: (i)
delivering copies of the Fund’s then current reports, prospectuses, notices, and similar materials, to prospective purchasers
of Creation Units; (ii) marketing and promotional services, including advertising; (iii) paying the costs of and compensating others,
including Authorized Participants with whom the Distributor has entered into written Authorized Participant Agreements, for performing
shareholder servicing on behalf of the Fund; (iv) compensating certain Authorized Participants for providing assistance in distributing
the Creation Units of the Fund, including the travel and communication expenses and salaries and/or commissions of sales personnel
in connection with the distribution of the Creation Units of the Fund; (v) payments to financial institutions and intermediaries
such as banks, savings and loan associations, insurance companies and investment counselors, broker-dealers, mutual fund supermarkets
and the affiliates and subsidiaries of the Trust’s service providers as compensation for services or reimbursement of expenses
incurred in connection with distribution assistance; (vi) facilitating communications with beneficial owners of Shares, including
the cost of providing (or paying others to provide) services to beneficial owners of shares, including, but not limited to, assistance
in answering inquiries related to Shareholder accounts, and (vi) such other services and obligations as are set forth in the Distribution
Agreement.
THE ADMINISTRATOR
SEI Investments Global Funds Services (the
“Administrator”), a Delaware statutory trust, has its principal business offices at One Freedom Valley Drive, Oaks,
Pennsylvania 19456. SEI Investments Management Corporation (“SIMC”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of SEI Investments Company
(“SEI Investments”), is the owner of all beneficial interest in the Administrator. SEI Investments and its subsidiaries
and affiliates, including the Administrator, are leading providers of funds evaluation services, trust accounting systems, and
brokerage and information services to financial institutions, institutional investors, and money managers. The Administrator and
its affiliates also serve as administrator or sub-administrator to other mutual funds.
The Trust and the Administrator have entered
into an amended and restated administration agreement dated November 10, 2011 (the “Administration Agreement”). Under
the Administration Agreement, the Administrator provides the Trust with administrative services, including regulatory reporting
and all necessary office space, equipment, personnel and facilities. Pursuant to a schedule to the Administration Agreement, the
Administrator also serves as the shareholder servicing agent for the Fund whereby the Administrator provides certain shareholder
services to the Fund.
The Administration Agreement provides that
the Administrator shall not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by the Trust in connection
with the matters to which the Administration Agreement relates, except a loss resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith or
gross negligence on the part of the Administrator in the performance of its duties or from reckless disregard by it of its duties
and obligations thereunder.
For its services under the Administration
Agreement, the Administrator is entitled to a fee, based on assets under management, subject to a minimum fee.
THE CUSTODIAN
JPMorgan
Chase Bank, N.A. (the “Custodian”) 4 New York Plaza
, New York, New York 10004
serves as the custodian of the Fund. The Custodian holds cash, securities
and other assets of the Fund as required by the 1940 Act.
THE TRANSFER AGENT
JPMorgan Chase
Bank, N.A.
(the “Transfer Agent”), 4 New York Plaza
, New York, New York 10004
serves
as the Fund’s transfer agent and dividend disbursing agent under an agency services agreement with the Trust.
LEGAL COUNSEL
Bingham McCutchen LLP, 2020 K Street NW
Washington, DC 20006 serves as legal counsel to the Trust.
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING
FIRM
Cohen Fund Audit Services, Ltd., 1350 Euclid
Avenue, Suite 800, Cleveland, Ohio 44115, serves as the independent registered public accounting firm for the Fund. PricewaterhouseCoopers,
350 South Grand Avenue, 49th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 900071, is responsible for calculating the effective tax rate of the Fund.
PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS DISCLOSURE POLICIES
AND PROCEDURES
The Trust’s Board of Trustees has
adopted a policy regarding the disclosure of information about the Fund’s security holdings. The Fund’s entire portfolio
holdings are publicly disseminated each day the Fund is open for business through financial reporting and news services including
publicly available internet web sites. In addition, the composition of the In-Kind Creation Basket and the In-Kind Redemption Basket,
is publicly disseminated daily prior to the opening of the NYSE Arca via the NSCC.
DESCRIPTION OF SHARES
The Declaration of Trust authorizes the
issuance of an unlimited number of funds and shares of each fund. Each share of a fund represents an equal proportionate interest
in that fund with each other share. Shares are entitled upon liquidation to a pro rata share in the net assets of the fund. Shareholders
have no preemptive rights. The Declaration of Trust provides that the Trustees of the Trust may create additional series or classes
of shares. All consideration received by the Trust for shares of any additional funds and all assets in which such consideration
is invested would belong to that fund and would be subject to the liabilities related thereto. Share certificates representing
shares will not be issued. The Fund’s Shares, when issued, are fully paid and non-assessable.
Each Share has one vote with respect to
matters upon which a shareholder vote is required consistent with the requirements of the 1940 Act and the rules promulgated thereunder.
Shares of all funds vote together as a single class, except that if the matter being voted on affects only a particular fund it
will be voted on only by that fund and if a matter affects a particular fund differently from other funds, that fund will vote
separately on such matter. As a Delaware statutory trust, the Trust is not required, and does not intend, to hold annual meetings
of shareholders. Approval of shareholders will be sought, however, for certain changes in the operation of the Trust and for the
election of Trustees under certain circumstances. Upon the written request of shareholders owning at least 10% of the Trust’s
shares, the Trust will call for a meeting of shareholders to consider the removal of one or more trustees and other certain matters.
In the event that such a meeting is requested, the Trust will provide appropriate assistance and information to the shareholders
requesting the meeting.
Under the Declaration of Trust, the Trustees
have the power to liquidate the Fund without shareholder approval. While the Trustees have no present intention of exercising this
power, they may do so if the Fund fails to reach a viable size within a reasonable amount of time or for such other reasons as
may be determined by the Board.
LIMITATION OF TRUSTEES’ LIABILITY
The Declaration of Trust provides that
a Trustee shall be liable only for his or her own willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the
duties involved in the conduct of the office of Trustee, and shall not be liable for errors of judgment or mistakes of fact or
law. The Trustees shall not be responsible or liable in any event for any neglect or wrong-doing of any officer, agent, employee,
investment adviser or principal underwriter of the Trust, nor shall any Trustee be responsible for the act or omission of any other
Trustee. The Declaration of Trust also provides that The Trust shall indemnify each person who is, or has been, a Trustee, officer,
employee or agent of the Trust, any person who is serving or has served at the Trust’s request as a Trustee, officer, trustee,
employee or agent of another organization in which the Trust has any interest as a shareholder, creditor or otherwise to the extent
and in the manner provided in the By-Laws. However, nothing in the Declaration of Trust shall protect or indemnify a Trustee against
any liability for his or her willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the
conduct of the office of Trustee. Nothing contained in this section attempts to disclaim a Trustee’s individual liability
in any manner inconsistent with the federal securities laws.
BROKERAGE TRANSACTIONS
The policy
of the Trust regarding purchases and sales of securities for
the
Fund is that primary consideration
will be given to obtaining the most favorable prices and efficient executions of transactions. Consistent with this policy, when
securities transactions are effected on a stock exchange, the Trust’s policy is to pay commissions which are considered fair
and reasonable without necessarily determining that the lowest possible commissions are paid in all circumstances. The Trust believes
that a requirement always to seek the lowest possible commission cost could impede effective portfolio management and preclude
the
Fund and the Trading Sub-Adviser from obtaining a high quality of brokerage and research
services. In seeking to determine the reasonableness of brokerage commissions paid in any transaction, the Trading Sub-Adviser
will rely upon its experience and knowledge regarding commissions generally charged by various brokers and on its judgment in evaluating
the brokerage services received from the broker effecting the transaction. Such determinations are necessarily subjective and imprecise,
as in most cases, an exact dollar value for those services is not ascertainable. The Trust has adopted policies and procedures
that prohibit the consideration of sales of the Fund’s Shares as a factor in the selection of a broker or dealer to execute
its portfolio transactions.
The Trading Sub-Adviser owes a fiduciary
duty to its clients to seek to provide best execution on trades effected. In selecting a broker/dealer for each specific transaction,
the Trading Sub-Adviser chooses the broker/dealer deemed most capable of providing the services necessary to obtain the most favorable
execution. Best execution is generally understood to mean the most favorable cost or net proceeds reasonably obtainable under the
circumstances. The full range of brokerage services applicable to a particular transaction may be considered when making this judgment,
which may include, but is not limited to: liquidity, price, commission, timing, aggregated trades, capable floor brokers or traders,
competent block trading coverage, ability to position, capital strength and stability, reliable and accurate communications and
settlement processing, use of automation, knowledge of other buyers or sellers, arbitrage skills, administrative ability, underwriting
and provision of information on a particular security or market in which the transaction is to occur. The specific criteria will
vary depending upon the nature of the transaction, the market in which it is executed, and the extent to which it is possible to
select from among multiple broker/dealers. The Trading Sub-Adviser will also use electronic crossing networks (“ECNs”)
when appropriate.
The Adviser does not currently use the
Fund’s assets for, or participate in, any third party soft dollar arrangements, although it may receive proprietary research
from various full service brokers, the cost of which is bundled with the cost of the broker’s execution services. The Adviser
does not “pay up” for the value of any such proprietary research.
The Trading Sub-Adviser is responsible,
subject to oversight by the Adviser and the Board, for placing orders on behalf of the Fund for the purchase or sale of portfolio
securities. If purchases or sales of portfolio securities of the Fund and one or more other investment companies or clients supervised
by the Trading Sub-Adviser are considered at or about the same time, transactions in such securities are allocated among the several
investment companies and clients in a manner deemed equitable and consistent with its fiduciary obligations to all by the Trading
Sub-Adviser. In some cases, this procedure could have a detrimental effect on the price or volume of the security so far as the
Fund is concerned. However, in other cases, it is possible that the ability to participate in volume transactions and to negotiate
lower brokerage commissions will be beneficial to the Fund. The primary consideration is prompt execution of orders at the most
favorable net price.
The Fund may deal with affiliates in principal
transactions to the extent permitted by exemptive order or applicable rule or regulation.
The Fund had not commenced operations as
of the date of this SAI and therefore did not pay brokerage commissions during the past fiscal year.
Brokerage with Fund Affiliates.
The
Fund may execute brokerage or other agency transactions through registered broker-dealer affiliates of either the Fund, the Adviser,
the Sub-Advisers or the Distributor for a commission in conformity with the 1940 Act, the Exchange Act and rules promulgated by
the SEC. These rules require that commissions paid to the affiliate by the Fund for exchange transactions not exceed
“
usual
and customary” brokerage commissions. The rules define “usual and customary” commissions to include amounts which
are “reasonable and fair compared to the commission, fee or other remuneration received or to be received by other brokers
in connection with comparable transactions involving similar securities being purchased or sold on a securities exchange during
a comparable period of time.” The Trustees, including those who are not “interested persons” of the Fund, have
adopted procedures for evaluating the reasonableness of commissions paid to affiliates and review these procedures periodically.
Securities of “Regular Broker-Dealer.”
The Fund is required to identify any securities of its “regular brokers and dealers” (as such term is defined in the
1940 Act) which it may hold at the close of its most recent fiscal year. “Regular brokers or dealers” of the Trust
are the ten brokers or dealers that, during the most recent fiscal year: (i) received the greatest dollar amounts of brokerage
commissions from the Trust’s portfolio transactions; (ii) engaged as principal in the largest dollar amounts of portfolio
transactions of the Trust; or (iii) sold the largest dollar amounts of the Trust’s shares. Because the Fund is new, as of
the date of this SAI, the Fund does not hold any securities of “regular broker dealers” to report.
PORTFOLIO TURNOVER RATE
Portfolio turnover may vary from year to
year, as well as within a year. High turnover rates are likely to result in comparatively greater brokerage expenses. The overall
reasonableness of brokerage commissions is evaluated by the Trading Sub-Adviser based upon its knowledge of available information
as to the general level of commissions paid by other institutional investors for comparable services.
BOOK ENTRY ONLY SYSTEM
DTC acts as securities depositary for the
Shares. Shares of the Fund are represented by securities registered in the name of DTC or its nominee, Cede & Co., and deposited
with, or on behalf of, DTC. Except in limited circumstances set forth below, certificates will not be issued for Shares.
DTC is a limited-purpose trust company
that was created to hold securities of its participants (the “DTC’s Participants”) and to facilitate the clearance
and settlement of securities transactions among the DTC Participants in such securities through electronic book-entry changes in
accounts of the DTC Participants, thereby eliminating the need for physical movement of securities certificates. DTC Participants
include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and certain other organizations, some of
whom (and/or their representatives) own DTC. More specifically, DTC is owned by a number of its DTC Participants and by the NYSE
and FINRA. Access to the DTC system is also available to others such as banks, brokers, dealers, and trust companies that clear
through or maintain a custodial relationship with a DTC Participant, either directly or indirectly (the "Indirect Participants").
Beneficial ownership of Shares is limited
to DTC Participants, Indirect Participants, and persons holding interests through DTC Participants and Indirect Participants. Ownership
of beneficial interests in Shares (owners of such beneficial interests are referred to herein as “Beneficial Owners”)
is shown on, and the transfer of ownership is effected only through, records maintained by DTC (with respect to DTC Participants)
and on the records of DTC Participants (with respect to Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners that are not DTC Participants).
Beneficial Owners will receive from or through the DTC Participant a written confirmation relating to their purchase of Shares.
The Trust recognizes DTC or its nominee as the record owner of all Shares for all purposes. Beneficial Owners of Shares are not
entitled to have Shares registered in their names, and will not receive or be entitled to physical delivery of share certificates.
Each Beneficial Owner must rely on the procedures of DTC and any DTC Participant and/or Indirect Participant through which such
Beneficial Owner holds its interests, to exercise any rights of a holder of Shares.
Conveyance of all notices, statements,
and other communications to Beneficial Owners is effected as follows. DTC will make available to the Trust upon request and for
a fee a listing of Shares held by each DTC Participant. The Trust shall obtain from each such DTC Participant the number of Beneficial
Owners holding Shares, directly or indirectly, through such DTC Participant. The Trust shall provide each such DTC Participant
with copies of such notice, statement, or other communication, in such form, number and at such place as such DTC Participant may
reasonably request, in order that such notice, statement or communication may be transmitted by such DTC Participant, directly
or indirectly, to such Beneficial Owners. In addition, the Trust shall pay to each such DTC Participant a fair and reasonable amount
as reimbursement for the expenses attendant to such transmittal, all subject to applicable statutory and regulatory requirements.
Share distributions shall be made to DTC
or its nominee, Cede & Co., as the registered holder of all Shares. DTC or its nominee, upon receipt of any such distributions,
shall credit immediately DTC Participants' accounts with payments in amounts proportionate to their respective beneficial interests
in the Fund as shown on the records of DTC or its nominee. Payments by DTC Participants to Indirect Participants and Beneficial
Owners of Shares held through such DTC Participants will be governed by standing instructions and customary practices, as is now
the case with securities held for the accounts of customers in bearer form or registered in a "street name," and will
be the responsibility of such DTC Participants.
The Trust has no responsibility or liability
for any aspect of the records relating to or notices to Beneficial Owners, or payments made on account of beneficial ownership
interests in the Fund’s Shares, or for maintaining, supervising, or reviewing any records relating to such beneficial ownership
interests, or for any other aspect of the relationship between DTC and the DTC Participants or the relationship between such DTC
Participants and the Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners owning through such DTC Participants.
DTC may
determine to discontinue providing its service with respect to the Fund at any time by giving reasonable notice to the Fund and
discharging its responsibilities with respect thereto under applicable law. Under such circumstances, the Fund shall take action
either to find a replacement for DTC to perform its functions at a comparable cost or, if such replacement is unavailable, to
issue and deliver printed certificates representing ownership of Shares, unless the Trust makes other arrangements with respect
thereto satisfactory to the Exchange.
CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS
OF SECURITIES
The Fund had not commenced operations as
of the date of this SAI and therefore no person owned of record beneficially 5% or more of any Shares of the Fund.
PURCHASE AND ISSUANCE OF SHARES IN CREATION
UNITS
The Trust issues and sells Shares of the
Fund only: (i) in Creation Units on a continuous basis through the Distributor, without a sales load (but subject to transaction
fees), at their NAV per share next determined after receipt of an order, on any Business Day, in proper form pursuant to the terms
of the Authorized Participant Agreement (“Participant Agreement”); or (ii) pursuant to the Dividend Reinvestment Service
(defined below). The NAV of the Fund’s Shares is calculated each business day as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE
Arca, generally 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time. The Fund will not issue fractional Creation Units. A Business Day is any day on which
the NYSE Arca is open for business.
FUND DEPOSIT. The consideration for purchase
of a Creation Unit of the Fund generally consists of the in-kind deposit of a designated portfolio of securities (the “Deposit
Securities”) per each Creation Unit, constituting a substantial replication, or a portfolio sampling representation, of the
securities included in the Fund’s benchmark Index and the Cash Component (defined below), computed as described below. Notwithstanding
the foregoing, the Trust reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of a “cash in lieu” amount (“Deposit
Cash”) to be added to the Cash Component to replace any Deposit Security. When accepting purchases of Creation Units for
all or a portion of Deposit Cash, the Fund may incur additional costs associated with the acquisition of Deposit Securities that
would otherwise be provided by an in-kind purchaser.
Together, the Deposit Securities or Deposit
Cash, as applicable, and the Cash Component constitute the “Fund Deposit,” which represents the minimum initial and
subsequent investment amount for a Creation Unit of any Fund. The “Cash Component” is an amount equal to the difference
between the net asset value of the Shares (per Creation Unit) and the market value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as
applicable. If the Cash Component is a positive number (
i.e.
, the net asset value per Creation Unit exceeds the market value
of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable), the Cash Component shall be such positive amount. If the Cash Component
is a negative number (
i.e.
, the net asset value per Creation Unit is less than the market value of the Deposit Securities
or Deposit Cash, as applicable), the Cash Component shall be such negative amount and the creator will be entitled to receive cash
in an amount equal to the Cash Component. The Cash Component serves the function of compensating for any differences between the
net asset value per Creation Unit and the market value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable. Computation of
the Cash Component excludes any stamp duty or other similar fees and expenses payable upon transfer of beneficial ownership of
the Deposit Securities, if applicable, which shall be the sole responsibility of the Authorized Participant (as defined below).
The Fund, through NSCC, makes available
on each Business Day, immediately prior to the opening of business on the Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m., Eastern time), the list
of the names and the required number of shares of each Deposit Security or the required amount of Deposit Cash, as applicable,
to be included in the current Fund Deposit (based on information at the end of the previous Business Day) for the Fund. Such Fund
Deposit is subject to any applicable adjustments as described below, in order to effect purchases of Creation Units of the Fund
until such time as the next-announced composition of the Deposit Securities or the required amount of Deposit Cash, as applicable,
is made available.
The identity and number of shares of the
Deposit Securities or the amount of Deposit Cash, as applicable, required for the Fund Deposit for the Fund changes as rebalancing
adjustments and corporate action events are reflected from time to time by the Adviser with a view to the investment objective
of the Fund. The composition of the Deposit Securities may also change in response to adjustments to the weighting or composition
of the component securities of the Fund’s Index.
The Trust reserves the right to permit
or require the substitution of an amount of cash (
i.e.,
a “cash in lieu” amount) to replace any Deposit Security,
which shall be added to the Deposit Cash, if applicable, and the Cash Component, including, without limitation, in situations where
the Deposit Security: (i) may not be available in sufficient quantity for delivery; (ii) may not be eligible for transfer through
the systems of DTC for corporate securities and municipal securities; (iii) may not be eligible for trading by an Authorized Participant
(as defined below) or the investor for which it is acting; (iv) would be restricted under the securities laws or where the delivery
of the Deposit Security to the Authorized Participant would result in the disposition of the Deposit Security by the Authorized
Participant becoming restricted under the securities laws; or (v) in certain other situations (collectively, “custom orders”).
The Trust also reserves the right to include or remove Deposit Securities from the basket in anticipation of index rebalancing
changes. The adjustments described above will reflect changes, known to the Adviser on the date of announcement to be in effect
by the time of delivery of the Fund Deposit, in the composition of the subject Index being tracked by the Fund or resulting from
certain corporate actions.
PROCEDURES FOR PURCHASE OF CREATION UNITS.
To be eligible to place orders with the Distributor to purchase a Creation Unit of the Fund, an entity must be (i) a “Participating
Party”,
i.e.
, a broker-dealer or other participant in the clearing process through the Continuous Net Settlement System
of the NSCC (the “Clearing Process”), a clearing agency that is registered with the SEC; or (ii) a DTC Participant
(see “BOOK ENTRY ONLY SYSTEM”). In addition, each Participating Party or DTC Participant (each, an “Authorized
Participant”) must execute a Participant Agreement that has been agreed to by the Distributor, and that has been accepted
by the Transfer Agent and the Trust, with respect to purchases and redemptions of Creation Units. Each Authorized Participant will
agree, pursuant to the terms of a Participant Agreement, on behalf of itself or any investor on whose behalf it will act, to certain
conditions, including that it will pay to the Trust, an amount of cash sufficient to pay the Cash Component together with the Creation
Transaction Fee (defined below) and any other applicable fees and taxes. The Adviser may retain all or a portion of the Transaction
Fee to the extent the Adviser bears the expenses that otherwise would be borne by the Trust in connection with the purchase of
a Creation Unit, which the Transaction Fee is designed to cover.
All orders to purchase Shares directly
from the Fund must be placed for one or more Creation Units in the manner set forth in the Participant Agreement no later than
the time the Fund prices its shares (the “Cut-Off Time”). The date on which an order to purchase Creation Units (or
an order to redeem Creation Units, as set forth below) is received and accepted is referred to as the “Order Placement Date.”
An Authorized Participant may require an
investor to make certain representations or enter into agreements with respect to the order, (e.g., to provide for payments of
cash, when required). Investors should be aware that their particular broker may not have executed a Participant Agreement and
that, therefore, orders to purchase Shares directly from the Fund in Creation Units have to be placed by the investor’s broker
through an Authorized Participant that has executed a Participant Agreement. In such cases there may be additional charges to such
investor. At any given time, there may be only a limited number of broker-dealers that have executed a Participant Agreement and
only a small number of such Authorized Participants may have international capabilities.
On days when the Exchange closes earlier
than normal, the Fund may require orders to create Creation Units to be placed earlier in the day. In addition, if a market or
markets on which the Fund’s investments are primarily traded is closed, the Fund will also generally not accept orders on
such day(s). Orders must be transmitted by an Authorized Participant by telephone or other transmission method acceptable to the
Distributor pursuant to procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement and in accordance with the AP Handbook. With respect
to the Fund, the Distributor will notify the Custodian of such order. The Custodian will then provide such information to the appropriate
local sub-custodian(s). Those placing orders through an Authorized Participant should allow sufficient time to permit proper submission
of the purchase order to the Distributor by the Cut-Off Time on such Business Day. Economic or market disruptions or changes, or
telephone or other communication failure may impede the ability to reach the Distributor or an Authorized Participant.
Fund Deposits must be delivered by an Authorized
Participant through the Federal Reserve System (for cash) or through DTC (for corporate securities), through a subcustody agent
for (for foreign securities) and/or through such other arrangements allowed by the Trust or its agents. With respect to foreign
Deposit Securities, the Custodian shall cause the subcustodian of the Fund to maintain an account into which the Authorized Participant
shall deliver, on behalf of itself or the party on whose behalf it is acting, such Deposit Securities (or Deposit Cash for all
or a part of such securities, as permitted or required), with any appropriate adjustments as advised by the Trust. Foreign Deposit
Securities must be delivered to an account maintained at the applicable local subcustodian. The Fund Deposit transfer must be ordered
by the Authorized Participant in a timely fashion so as to ensure the delivery of the requisite number of Deposit Securities or
Deposit Cash, as applicable, to the account of the Fund or its agents by no later than the Settlement Date. The “Settlement
Date” for the Fund is generally the third Business Day after the Order Placement Date. All questions as to the number of
Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash to be delivered, as applicable, and the validity, form and eligibility (including time of receipt)
for the deposit of any tendered securities or cash, as applicable, will be determined by the Trust, whose determination shall be
final and binding. The amount of cash represented by the Cash Component must be transferred directly to the Custodian through the
Federal Reserve Bank wire transfer system in a timely manner so as to be received by the Custodian no later than the Settlement
Date. If the Cash Component and the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, are not received by in a timely manner by
the Settlement Date, the creation order may be cancelled. Upon written notice to the Distributor, such canceled order may be resubmitted
the following Business Day using a Fund Deposit as newly constituted to reflect the then current NAV of the Fund.
The order shall be deemed to be received
on the Business Day on which the order is placed provided that the order is placed in proper form prior to the Cut-Off Time and
the federal funds in the appropriate amount are deposited by 2:00 p.m. or 3:00 p.m. Eastern time, with the Custodian on the Settlement
Date. If the order is not placed in proper form as required, or federal funds in the appropriate amount are not received by 2:00
p.m. or 3:00 p.m. Eastern time on the Settlement Date, then the order may be deemed to be rejected and the Authorized Participant
shall be liable to the Fund for losses, if any, resulting therefrom. A creation request is considered to be in “proper form”
if all procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement, the AP Handbook and this SAI are properly followed.
ISSUANCE OF A CREATION UNIT. Except as
provided herein, Creation Units will not be issued until the transfer of good title to the Trust of the Deposit Securities or payment
of Deposit Cash, as applicable, and the payment of the Cash Component have been completed. When the subcustodian has confirmed
to the Custodian that the required Deposit Securities (or the cash value thereof) have been delivered to the account of the relevant
subcustodian or subcustodians, the Distributor and the Adviser shall be notified of such delivery, and the Trust will issue and
cause the delivery of the Creation Units. The delivery of Creation Units so created generally will occur no later than the third
Business Day following the day on which the purchase order is deemed received by the Distributor. However, the Fund reserves the
right to settle Creation Unit transactions on a basis other than the third Business Day following the day on which the purchase
order is deemed received by the Distributor in order to accommodate foreign market holiday schedules, to account for different
treatment among foreign and U.S. markets of dividend record dates and ex-dividend dates (that is the last day the holder of a security
can sell the security and still receive dividends payable on the security), and in certain other circumstances. The Authorized
Participant shall be liable to the Fund for losses, if any, resulting from unsettled orders.
Creation Units may be purchased in advance
of receipt by the Trust of all or a portion of the applicable Deposit Securities as described below. In these circumstances, the
initial deposit will have a value greater than the net asset value of the Shares on the date the order is placed in proper form
since in addition to available Deposit Securities, cash must be deposited in an amount equal to the sum of (i) the Cash Component,
plus (ii) an additional amount of cash equal to a percentage of the market value as set forth in the Participant Agreement, of
the undelivered Deposit Securities (the “Additional Cash Deposit”), which shall be maintained in a separate non-interest
bearing collateral account. An additional amount of cash shall be required to be deposited with the Trust, pending delivery of
the missing Deposit Securities to the extent necessary to maintain the Additional Cash Deposit with the Trust in an amount at least
equal to the applicable percentage, as set forth in the Participant Agreement, of the daily marked to market value of the missing
Deposit Securities. The Participant Agreement will permit the Trust to buy the missing Deposit Securities at any time. Authorized
Participants will be liable to the Trust for the costs incurred by the Trust in connection with any such purchases. These costs
will be deemed to include the amount by which the actual purchase price of the Deposit Securities exceeds the market value of such
Deposit Securities on the day the purchase order was deemed received by the Distributor plus the brokerage and related transaction
costs associated with such purchases. The Trust will return any unused portion of the Additional Cash Deposit once all of the missing
Deposit Securities have been properly received by the Custodian or purchased by the Trust and deposited into the Trust. In addition,
a Transaction Fee as set forth below under “Creation Transaction Fee” will be charged in all cases. The delivery of
Creation Units so created generally will occur no later than the Settlement Date.
ACCEPTANCE OF ORDERS OF CREATION UNITS.
The Trust reserves the absolute right to reject an order for Creation Units transmitted to it by the Distributor in respect of
the Fund including, without limitation, if (a) the order is not in proper form; (b) the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as
applicable, delivered by the Participant are not as disseminated through the facilities of the NSCC for that date by the Custodian;
(c) the investor(s), upon obtaining the Shares ordered, would own 80% or more of the currently outstanding Shares of the Fund;
(d) acceptance of the Deposit Securities would have certain adverse tax consequences to the Fund; (e) the acceptance of the Fund
Deposit would, in the opinion of counsel, be unlawful; (f) the acceptance of the Fund Deposit would otherwise, in the discretion
of the Trust or the Adviser, have an adverse effect on the Trust or the rights of beneficial owners; (g) the acceptance or receipt
of the order for a Creation Unit would, in the opinion of counsel to the Trust, be unlawful; or (h) circumstances outside the control
of the Trust, the Custodian, the Transfer Agent and/or the Adviser make it for all practical purposes not feasible to process orders
for Creation Units.
Examples of such circumstances include
acts of God or public service or utility problems such as fires, floods, extreme weather conditions and power outages resulting
in telephone, telecopy and computer failures; market conditions or activities causing trading halts; systems failures involving
computer or other information systems affecting the Trust, the Distributor, the Custodian, a sub-custodian, the Transfer Agent,
DTC, NSCC, Federal Reserve System, or any other participant in the creation process, and other extraordinary events. The Distributor
shall notify a prospective creator of a Creation Unit and/or the Authorized Participant acting on behalf of the creator of a Creation
Unit of its rejection of the order of such person. The Trust, the Transfer Agent, the Custodian, any sub-custodian and the Distributor
are under no duty, however, to give notification of any defects or irregularities in the delivery of Fund Deposits nor shall either
of them incur any liability for the failure to give any such notification. The Trust, the Transfer Agent, the Custodian and the
Distributor shall not be liable for the rejection of any purchase order for Creation Units.
All questions as to the number of shares
of each security in the Deposit Securities and the validity, form, eligibility and acceptance for deposit of any securities to
be delivered shall be determined by the Trust, and the Trust’s determination shall be final and binding.
CREATION TRANSACTION FEE. A purchase (
i.e.
,
creation) transaction fee is imposed for the transfer and other transaction costs associated with the purchase of Creation Units,
and investors will be required to pay a creation transaction fee regardless of the number of Creation Units created in the transaction.
The Fund may adjust the creation transaction fee from time to time based upon actual experience. An additional charge of up to
five (5) times the fixed transaction fee may be imposed for cash purchases, non-standard orders, or partial cash purchases for
the Fund. Investors who use the services of a broker or other such intermediary may be charged a fee for such services. Investors
are responsible for the costs of transferring the securities constituting the Deposit Securities to the account of the Trust. The
Adviser may retain all or a portion of the Transaction Fee to the extent the Adviser bears the expenses that otherwise would be
borne by the Trust in connection with the purchase of a Creation Unit, which the Transaction Fee is designed to cover.
The standard creation transaction fee for
the Fund will be $500. The maximum creation transaction fee for the Fund will be $3,000.
RISKS OF PURCHASING CREATION UNITS. There
are certain legal risks unique to investors purchasing Creation Units directly from the Fund. Because the Fund’s Shares may
be issued on an ongoing basis, a “distribution” of Shares could be occurring at any time. Certain activities that a
shareholder performs as a dealer could, depending on the circumstances, result in the shareholder being deemed a participant in
the distribution in a manner that could render the shareholder a statutory underwriter and subject to the prospectus delivery and
liability provisions of the Securities Act of 1933. For example, a shareholder could be deemed a statutory underwriter if it purchases
Creation Units from the Fund, breaks them down into the constituent Shares, and sells those shares directly to customers, or if
a shareholder chooses to couple the creation of a supply of new Shares with an active selling effort involving solicitation of
secondary-market demand for Shares. Whether a person is an underwriter depends upon all of the facts and circumstances pertaining
to that person's activities, and the examples mentioned here should not be considered a complete description of all the activities
that could cause you to be deemed an underwriter.
Dealers who are not “underwriters”
but are participating in a distribution (as opposed to engaging in ordinary secondary-market transactions), and thus dealing with
the Fund’s Shares as part of an “unsold allotment” within the meaning of Section 4(3)(C) of the Securities Act,
will be unable to take advantage of the prospectus delivery exemption provided by Section 4(3) of the Securities Act.
REDEMPTION. Shares may be redeemed only
in Creation Units at their net asset value next determined after receipt of a redemption request in proper form by the Fund through
the Transfer Agent and only on a Business Day. EXCEPT UPON LIQUIDATION OF THE FUND, THE TRUST WILL NOT REDEEM SHARES IN AMOUNTS
LESS THAN CREATION UNITS. Investors must accumulate enough Shares in the secondary market to constitute a Creation Unit in order
to have such Shares redeemed by the Trust. There can be no assurance, however, that there will be sufficient liquidity in the public
trading market at any time to permit assembly of a Creation Unit. Investors should expect to incur brokerage and other costs in
connection with assembling a sufficient number of Shares to constitute a redeemable Creation Unit.
Redemptions are effected principally for
cash. With respect to the Fund, the Custodian, through the NSCC, makes available immediately prior to the opening of business on
the Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m. Eastern time) on each Business Day, the list of the names and share quantities of the Fund’s
portfolio securities that will be applicable (subject to possible amendment or correction) to redemption requests received in proper
form (as defined below) on that day (“Fund Securities”). Fund Securities received on redemption may not be identical
to Deposit Securities.
If the Fund effects redemptions in-kind,
the redemption proceeds for a Creation Unit will consist of Fund Securities -- as announced by the Custodian on the Business Day
of the request for redemption received in proper form plus cash in an amount equal to the difference between the net asset value
of the Shares being redeemed, as next determined after a receipt of a request in proper form, and the value of the Fund Securities
(the “Cash Redemption Amount”), less a redemption transaction fee as set forth below. In the event that the Fund Securities
have a value greater than the net asset value of the Shares, a compensating cash payment equal to the differential is required
to be made by or through an Authorized Participant by the redeeming shareholder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, at the Trust’s
discretion, an Authorized Participant may receive the corresponding cash value of the securities in lieu of the in-kind securities
value representing one or more Fund Securities.
REDEMPTION TRANSACTION FEE. A redemption
transaction fee is imposed for the transfer and other transaction costs associated with the redemption of Creation Units. An additional
variable charge for cash redemptions (when cash redemptions are available or specified) for the Fund may be imposed to compensate
the Fund for the costs associated with selling the applicable securities. Investors are responsible for the costs of transferring
the Fund Securities from the Trust to their account or on their order. As set forth above, the Fund expects to effect redemptions
principally for cash. The Fund may adjust these fees from time to time based on actual experience. As a result, in order to seek
to replicate the in-kind redemption order process, the Fund expects to sell, in the secondary market, the portfolio securities
that will not be delivered as part of an in-kind redemption order (“Market Sales”). In such cases where the Fund makes
Market Sales, the Authorized Participant will reimburse the Fund for, among other things, any difference between the market value
at which the securities were sold by the Fund and the cash in lieu amount (which amount, at the Investment Sub-Adviser’s
discretion, may be capped), applicable registration fees, brokerage commissions and taxes. To the extent applicable, brokerage
commissions incurred in connection with the Fund’s sale of portfolio securities will be at the expense of the Fund and will
affect the value of all Shares of the Fund; but the Investment Sub-Adviser may adjust the transaction fee to the extent the composition
of the redemption securities changes or cash in lieu is added to the Cash Redemption Amount to protect ongoing shareholders.
The redemption transaction fee for each
Creation Unit of the Fund will not exceed $1,000.
PROCEDURES FOR REDEMPTION OF CREATION UNITS.
The Clearing Process is only available for in-kind redemptions and will not be used for cash redemptions. To the extent redemptions
are effected in-kind, orders to redeem Creation Units through the Clearing Process must be submitted in proper form to the Transfer
Agent prior to the time as set forth in the Participant Agreement. A redemption request is considered to be in “proper form”
if (i) an Authorized Participant has transferred or caused to be transferred to the Trust’s Transfer Agent the Creation Unit(s)
being redeemed through the book-entry system of DTC so as to be effective by the time as set forth in the Participant Agreement
and (ii) a request in form satisfactory to the Trust is received by the Transfer Agent from the Authorized Participant on behalf
of itself or another redeeming investor within the time periods specified in the Participant Agreement. If the Transfer Agent does
not receive the investor’s Shares through DTC’s facilities by the times and pursuant to the other terms and conditions
set forth in the Participant Agreement, the redemption request shall be rejected.
The Fund expects to redeem Fund Shares
for cash. As a result, the redeeming Beneficial Owner will be required to receive its redemption proceeds in cash. The investor
will receive a cash payment equal to the NAV of its Fund Shares based on the NAV of Shares of the relevant Fund next determined
after the redemption request is received in proper form (minus a redemption transaction fee and additional charge for requested
cash redemptions specified above, to offset the Fund’s brokerage and other transaction costs associated with the disposition
of Fund Securities).
The Authorized Participant must transmit
the request for redemption, in the form required by the Trust, to the Transfer Agent in accordance with procedures set forth in
the Authorized Participant Agreement and by the Cut-Off Time. Investors should be aware that their particular broker may not have
executed an Authorized Participant Agreement, and that, therefore, requests to redeem Creation Units may have to be placed by the
investor’s broker through an Authorized Participant who has executed an Authorized Participant Agreement. Investors making
a redemption request should be aware that such request must be in the form specified by such Authorized Participant. Investors
making a request to redeem Creation Units should allow sufficient time to permit proper submission of the request by an Authorized
Participant and transfer of the Shares to the Trust’s Transfer Agent; such investors should allow for the additional time
that may be required to effect redemptions through their banks, brokers or other financial intermediaries if such intermediaries
are not Authorized Participants.
In connection with taking delivery of shares
of Fund Securities upon redemption of Creation Units, a redeeming shareholder or Authorized Participant acting on behalf of such
Shareholder must maintain appropriate custody arrangements with a qualified broker-dealer, bank or other custody providers in each
jurisdiction in which any of the Fund Securities are customarily traded, to which account such Fund Securities will be delivered.
Deliveries of redemption proceeds generally will be made within three business days of the trade date.
ADDITIONAL REDEMPTION PROCEDURES. In connection
with taking delivery of shares of Fund Securities upon redemption of Creation Units, the Authorized Participant must maintain appropriate
custody arrangements with a qualified broker-dealer, bank or other custody providers in each jurisdiction in which any of the Fund
Securities are customarily traded, to which account such Fund Securities will be delivered. Deliveries of redemption proceeds generally
will be made within three business days of the trade date. However, due to the schedule of holidays in certain countries, the different
treatment among foreign and U.S. markets of dividend record dates and dividend ex-dates (that is the last date the holder of a
security can sell the security and still receive dividends payable on the security sold), and in certain other circumstances, the
delivery of in-kind redemption proceeds may take longer than three Business Days after the day on which the redemption request
is received in proper form. If neither the redeeming Shareholder nor the Authorized Participant acting on behalf of such redeeming
Shareholder has appropriate arrangements to take delivery of the Fund Securities in the applicable foreign jurisdiction and it
is not possible to make other such arrangements, or if it is not possible to effect deliveries of the Fund Securities in such jurisdiction,
the Trust may, in its discretion, exercise its option to redeem such Shares in cash, and the redeeming Shareholders will be required
to receive its redemption proceeds in cash.
If it is not possible to make other such
arrangements, or it is not possible to effect deliveries of the Fund Securities, the Trust may in its discretion exercise its option
to redeem such Shares in cash, and the redeeming investor will be required to receive its redemption proceeds in cash. In addition,
an investor may request a redemption in cash that the Fund may, in its sole discretion, permit. In either case, the investor will
receive a cash payment equal to the NAV of its Shares based on the NAV of Shares of the Fund next determined after the redemption
request is received in proper form (minus a redemption transaction fee and additional charge for requested cash redemptions specified
above, to offset the Trust’s brokerage and other transaction costs associated with the disposition of Fund Securities). The
Fund may also, in its sole discretion, upon request of a shareholder, provide such redeemer a portfolio of securities that differs
from the exact composition of the Fund Securities but does not differ in net asset value.
Redemptions of Shares for Fund Securities
will be subject to compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws and the Fund (whether or not it otherwise permits
cash redemptions) reserves the right to redeem Creation Units for cash to the extent that the Trust could not lawfully deliver
specific Fund Securities upon redemptions or could not do so without first registering the Fund Securities under such laws. An
Authorized Participant or an investor for which it is acting subject to a legal restriction with respect to a particular security
included in the Fund Securities applicable to the redemption of Creation Units may be paid an equivalent amount of cash. The Authorized
Participant may request the redeeming investor of the Shares to complete an order form or to enter into agreements with respect
to such matters as compensating cash payment. Further, an Authorized Participant that is not a “qualified institutional buyer,”
(“QIB”) as such term is defined under Rule 144A of the Securities Act, will not be able to receive Fund Securities
that are restricted securities eligible for resale under Rule 144A. An Authorized Participant may be required by the Trust to provide
a written confirmation with respect to QIB status in order to receive Fund Securities.
Because the portfolio securities of the
Fund may trade on the relevant exchange(s) on days that the Exchange is closed or are otherwise not Business Days for the Fund,
shareholders may not be able to redeem their Shares of the Fund, or to purchase or sell Shares of the Fund on the Exchange, on
days when the NAV of the Fund could be significantly affecting by events in the relevant foreign markets.
The right of redemption may be suspended
or the date of payment postponed with respect to the Fund (1) for any period during which the Exchange is closed (other than customary
weekend and holiday closings); (2) for any period during which trading on the Exchange is suspended or restricted; (3) for any
period during which an emergency exists as a result of which disposal of the Shares of the Fund or determination of the NAV of
the Shares is not reasonably practicable; or (4) in such other circumstance as is permitted by the SEC.
DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE
Net asset value per Share for the Fund
is computed by dividing the value of the net assets of the Fund (
i.e.
, the value of its total assets less total liabilities)
by the total number of Shares outstanding, rounded to the nearest cent. Expenses and fees, including the management fees, are accrued
daily and taken into account for purposes of determining net asset value. The net asset value of the Fund is calculated by the
Custodian and determined at the close of the regular trading session on the NYSE (ordinarily 4:00 p.m. Eastern time) on each day
that such exchange is open, provided that fixed-income assets may be valued as of the announced closing time for trading in fixed-income
instruments on any day that the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (“SIFMA”) announces an early
closing time.
In calculating the Fund’s net asset
value per Share, the Fund’s investments are generally valued using market valuations. A market valuation generally means
a valuation (i) obtained from an exchange, a pricing service, or a major market maker (or dealer), (ii) based on a price
quotation or other equivalent indication of value supplied by an exchange, a pricing service, or a major market maker (or dealer)
or (iii) based on amortized cost. In the case of shares of other funds that are not traded on an exchange, a market valuation
means such fund’s published net asset value per share. The Investment Sub-Adviser may use various pricing services, or discontinue
the use of any pricing service, as approved by the Board from time to time. A price obtained from a pricing service based on such
pricing service’s valuation matrix may be considered a market valuation. Any assets or liabilities denominated in currencies
other than the U.S. dollar are converted into U.S. dollars at the current market rates on the date of valuation as quoted by one
or more sources.
In the event that current market valuations
are not readily available or such valuations do not reflect current market value, the Trust’s procedures require the Fair
Value Committee to determine a security’s fair value if a market price is not readily available. In determining such value
the Pricing and Investment Committee may consider, among other things, (i) price comparisons among multiple sources, (ii) a review
of corporate actions and news events, and (iii) a review of relevant financial indicators (e.g., movement in interest rates, market
indices, and prices from the Fund’s index provider). In these cases, the Fund’s net asset value may reflect certain
portfolio securities’ fair values rather than their market prices. Fair value pricing involves subjective judgments and it
is possible that the fair value determination for a security is materially different than the value that could be realized upon
the sale of the security. In addition, fair value pricing could result in a difference between the prices used to calculate the
Fund’s net asset value and the prices used by the Fund’s benchmark Index. This may result in a difference between the
Fund’s performance and the performance of the Fund’s benchmark Index. With respect to securities that are primarily
listed on foreign exchanges, the value of the Fund’s portfolio securities may change on days when you will not be able to
purchase or sell your Shares.
DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS
The following information supplements and
should be read in conjunction with the section in the Prospectus entitled “Dividends, Distributions and Taxes.”
General Policies
. Distributions
are declared and paid quarterly by the Fund.
Dividends and other distributions on shares
are distributed, as described below, on a pro rata basis to Beneficial Owners of such shares. Dividend payments are made through
DTC Participants and Indirect Participants to Beneficial Owners then of record with proceeds received from the Trust.
Dividend Reinvestment Service
. The
Trust will not make the DTC book-entry dividend reinvestment service available for use by Beneficial Owners for reinvestment of
their cash proceeds, but certain individual broker-dealers may make available the DTC book-entry Dividend Reinvestment Service
for use by Beneficial Owners of the Fund through DTC Participants for reinvestment of their dividend distributions. Investors should
contact their brokers to ascertain the availability and description of these services. Beneficial Owners should be aware that each
broker may require investors to adhere to specific procedures and timetables in order to participate in the dividend reinvestment
service and investors should ascertain from their brokers such necessary details. If this service is available and used, dividend
distributions of both income and realized gains will be automatically reinvested in additional whole Shares issued by the Trust
of the same Fund at NAV per share. Distributions reinvested in additional Shares of the Fund will nevertheless be taxable to Beneficial
Owners acquiring such additional Shares to the same extent as if such distributions had been received in cash.
FEDERAL INCOME TAXES
The following is a summary of certain federal
income tax considerations generally affecting the Fund and its shareholders that supplements the discussion in the Prospectus.
No attempt is made to present a detailed explanation of the federal, state, local or foreign tax treatment of the Fund or its shareholders,
and the discussion here and in the Prospectus is not intended to be a substitute for careful tax planning.
The following general discussion of certain
federal income tax consequences is based on provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”),
and the regulations issued thereunder as in effect on the date of this SAI. New legislation, as well as administrative changes
or court decisions, may significantly change the conclusions expressed herein, and may have a retroactive effect with respect to
the transactions contemplated herein.
Shareholders are urged to consult their
own tax advisers regarding the application of the provisions of tax law described in this SAI in light of the particular tax situations
of the shareholders and regarding specific questions as to foreign, federal, state, or local taxes.
The Fund is taxed as a regular corporation
under Subchapter C of the Code for federal income tax purposes and as such is obligated to pay federal and applicable state and
foreign corporate taxes on its taxable income. This differs from most investment companies, which elect to be treated as “regulated
investment companies” under the Code in order to avoid paying entity level income taxes. Under current law, the Fund is not
eligible to elect treatment as a regulated investment company due to its investments primarily in MLPs invested in energy assets.
As a result, the Fund will be obligated to pay federal and state taxes on its taxable income as opposed to most other investment
companies which are not so obligated. The extent to which the Fund is required to pay U.S. federal, state or local corporate income,
franchise, alternative minimum or other corporate taxes could materially reduce the Fund’s cash available to make distributions
on the Shares.
The amount of taxes currently paid by a
Fund will vary depending on the amount of income, gains, losses, and deductions the Fund is allocated from its MLP investments
and on the Fund’s realized gains and losses, and such taxes will reduce your return from an investment in a Fund.
The Fund invests primarily in MLPs, which
generally are treated as partnerships for federal income tax purposes. As a partner in MLPs, the Fund must report its allocable
share of the MLPs’ taxable income in computing its taxable income, regardless of the extent (if any) to which the MLPs make
distributions. Based upon the Adviser’s review of the historic results of the types of MLPs in which the Fund invests, the
Adviser expects that the cash flow received by the fund with respect to its MLP investments will generally exceed the net taxable
income allocated to the Fund. This excess cash flow will result primarily from deductions, such as depreciation, amortization and
depletion, that will be allocated to the Fund from the MLPs. The excess cash flow generally will not be currently taxable to the
Fund but, rather, will result in a reduction of the Fund’s adjusted tax basis in each MLP as described in the following paragraph.
There is no assurance that the Adviser’s expectation regarding the tax character of MLP distributions will be realized. If
this expectation is not realized, there may be greater tax expense borne by the Fund and less cash available to distribute to you
or to pay to expenses.
MLPs are publicly traded partnerships under
the Code. The Code generally requires publicly traded partnerships to be treated as corporations for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
If, however, a publicly traded partnership satisfies certain requirements, it will be treated as a partnership for U.S. federal
income tax purposes. Specifically, if a publicly traded partnership receives 90 percent or more of its income from qualifying sources,
such as interest, dividends, real estate rents, gain from the sale or disposition of real property, income and gain from certain
mineral or natural resources activities, income and gain from the transportation or storage of certain fuels, gain from the sale
or disposition of a capital asset held for the production of such income, and, in certain circumstances, income and gain from commodities
or futures, forwards and options with respect to commodities, then the publicly traded partnership will be treated as a partnership
for federal income tax purposes. Mineral or natural resources activities include exploration, development, production, mining,
processing, refining, marketing and transportation (including pipelines), of oil and gas, minerals, geothermal energy, fertilizers,
timber or industrial source carbon dioxide. The MLPs in which the Fund will invest are expected to be treated as partnerships for
tax purposes.
The Fund will also recognize gain or loss
on the sale, exchange or other taxable disposition of its portfolio assets, including equity securities of MLPs, equal to the difference
between the amount realized by the Fund on the sale, exchange or other taxable disposition and the Fund’s adjusted tax basis
in such assets. Any such gain will be subject to U.S. federal income tax at the regular graduated corporate rates, regardless of
how long the Fund has held such assets. The amount realized by the Fund in any case generally will be the amount paid by the purchaser
of the asset plus, in the case of MLP equity securities, the Fund’s allocable share, if any, of the MLP’s debt that
will be allocated to the purchaser as a result of the sale, exchange or other taxable disposition. A Fund’s tax basis in
its equity securities in an MLP is generally equal to the amount the Fund paid for the equity securities, (x) increased by
the Fund’s allocable share of the MLP’s net taxable income and certain MLP debt, if any, and (y) decreased by
the Fund’s allocable share of the MLP’s net losses and any distributions received by the Fund from the MLP.
Although any distribution by an MLP to
the Fund in excess of the Fund’s allocable share of such MLP’s net taxable income may create a temporary economic benefit
to the Fund, such distribution will decrease the Fund’s tax basis in its MLP investment and will therefore increase the amount
of gain (or decrease the amount of loss) that will be recognized on the sale of an equity security in the MLP by the Fund. A portion
of any gain or loss recognized by a Fund on a disposition of an MLP equity security (or by an MLP on a disposition of an underlying
asset) may be separately computed and taxed as ordinary income or loss under the Code to the extent attributable to assets of the
MLP that give rise to depreciation recapture, intangible drilling and development cost recapture, or other “unrealized receivables”
or “inventory items” under the Code. Any such gain may exceed net taxable gain realized on the disposition and will
be recognized even if there is a net taxable loss on the disposition. As a corporation, the Fund’s capital gains will be
taxed at ordinary income rates, so treatment of gains as ordinary income will not cause the gains to be taxed at a higher rate.
Nevertheless, a Fund’s net capital losses may only be used to offset capital gains and therefore could not be used to offset
gains that are treated as ordinary income. Thus, a Fund could recognize both gain that is treated as ordinary income and a capital
loss on a disposition of an MLP equity security (or on an MLP’s disposition of an underlying asset) and would not be able
to use the capital loss to offset that gain.
Any capital losses that a Fund recognizes
on a disposition of an equity security of an MLP can only be used to offset capital gains that the Fund recognizes. Any
capital losses that a Fund is unable to use may be carried back for three taxable years and forward for five taxable years to reduce
the Fund’s capital gains in such years. Because (i) the periods for which capital losses may be carried back and forward
are limited and (ii) the disposition of an equity security of an MLP may be treated, in significant part, as ordinary income,
capital losses incurred by the Fund may expire without being utilized.
A Fund’s allocable share of certain
percentage depletion deductions and intangible drilling costs of the MLPs in which the Fund invests may be treated as items of
tax preference for purposes of calculating the Fund’s alternative minimum taxable income. Such items may increase the Fund’s
alternative minimum taxable income and increase the likelihood that the Fund may be subject to the alternative minimum tax.
Distributions made to you by a Fund (other
than distributions in redemption of shares subject to Section 302(b) of the Code) will generally constitute dividends to the extent
of your allocable share of the Fund’s current or accumulated earnings and profits, as calculated for federal income tax purposes.
Generally, a corporation’s earnings and profits are computed based upon net taxable income, with certain specified adjustments.
Based upon the historic performance of the types of MLPs in which the Fund intend to invest, the Adviser anticipates that the distributed
cash from the MLPs generally will exceed the Fund’s share of the MLPs’ net taxable income. Because the Fund’s
earnings and profits will be based on its allocable share of net taxable income from MLPs (and not on distributions received from
MLPs), the Adviser anticipates that only a portion of the Fund’s distributions will be treated as dividend income to you.
To the extent that distributions to you exceed your allocable share of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits,
your tax basis in the Fund’s Shares with respect to which the distribution is made will be reduced, which will increase the
amount of any taxable gain (or decrease the amount of any tax loss) realized upon a subsequent sale or redemption of such Shares.
To the extent you hold such Shares as a capital asset and have no further basis in the Shares to offset the distribution, you will
report the excess as capital gain.
Distributions treated as dividends under
the foregoing rules generally will be taxable as ordinary income to you but may be treated as “qualified dividend income.”
Qualified dividend income received by individuals and other noncorporate shareholders is taxed at long-term capital gain rates.
For a dividend to constitute qualified dividend income, the shareholder generally must hold the shares paying the dividend for
more than 60 days during the 121-day period beginning 60 days before the ex-dividend date, although a longer period may apply if
the shareholder engages in certain risk reduction transactions with respect to the common stock.
Dividends paid by the Fund are expected
to be eligible for the dividends-received deduction available to corporate shareholders under Section 243 of the Code. However,
corporate shareholders should be aware that certain limitations apply to the availability of the dividends received deduction,
including rules which limit the deduction in cases where (i) certain holding period requirements are not met, (ii) the corporate
shareholder is obligated (e.g., pursuant to a short sale) to make related payments with respect to positions in substantially similar
or related property, or (iii) the corporate shareholder’s investment in shares of a particular Fund is financed with indebtedness.
Corporate shareholders should consult their own tax advisors regarding the application of these limitations to their particular
situations.
A sale or exchange of Shares in the Fund
may give rise to a gain or loss. In general, any gain or loss realized upon a taxable disposition of Shares will be treated as
long-term capital gain or loss if the Shares have been held for more than one year. Otherwise, the gain or loss on the taxable
disposition of Shares will be treated as short-term capital gain or loss. All or a portion of any loss realized upon a taxable
disposition of Shares will be disallowed if other substantially identical shares of the Fund are purchased (through reinvestment
of dividends or otherwise) within 30 days before or after the disposition. In such a case, the basis of the newly purchased shares
will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss.
An Authorized Participant who exchanges
securities for Creation Units generally will recognize a gain or a loss. The gain or loss will be equal to the difference between
(i) the sum of the market value of the Creation Units at the time of the exchange and any net amount of cash received by the Authorized
Participant in the exchange and (ii) the sum of the Authorized Participant’s aggregate basis in the securities surrendered
therefore and any net amount of cash paid for such Creation Units. A person who redeems Creation Units will generally recognize
a gain or loss equal to the difference between the exchanger’s basis in the Creation Units and the sum of the aggregate market
value of any securities received plus the amount of any cash received for such Creation Units. The Internal Revenue Service, however,
may assert that a loss realized upon an exchange of securities for Creation Units cannot be deducted currently under the rules
governing “wash sales,” or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic position.
Any capital gain or loss realized upon
the creation of Creation Units will generally be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the securities exchanged for such
Creation Units have been held for more than one year. Any capital gain or loss realized upon the redemption of Creation Units will
generally be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the Creation Units have been held for more than one year. Otherwise,
such capital gains or losses will be treated as short-term capital gains or losses.
The Trust on behalf of the Fund has the
right to reject an order for a purchase of shares of the Trust if the purchaser (or group of purchasers) would, upon obtaining
the shares so ordered, own 80% or more of the outstanding shares of the Fund and if, pursuant to Section 351 of the Code, the Fund
would have a basis in the securities different from the market value of such securities on the date of deposit. The Trust also
has the right to require information necessary to determine beneficial share ownership for purposes of the 80% determination.
Persons purchasing or redeeming Creation
Units should consult their own tax advisors with respect to the tax treatment of any creation or redemption transaction.
Medicare Contribution Tax
. A Medicare
contribution tax is imposed at the rate of 3.8% on net investment income, including dividends, interest, and capital gain, of U.S.
individuals with income exceeding specified thresholds, and on undistributed net investment income of certain estates and trusts.
Foreign Investments
. Income received
by the Fund from sources within foreign countries (including, for example, dividends or interest on stock or securities of non-U.S.
issuers) may be subject to withholding and other taxes imposed by such countries. Tax treaties between such countries and the U.S.
may reduce or eliminate such taxes. Foreign taxes paid by the Fund will reduce the return from the Fund’s investments.
Back-Up Withholding
. The Fund will
be required in certain cases to withhold at the applicable withholding rate and remit to the U.S. Treasury the withheld amount
of taxable dividends paid to a shareholder who (1) fails to provide a correct taxpayer identification number certified under penalty
of perjury; (2) is subject to withholding by the Internal Revenue Service for failure to properly report all payments of interest
or dividends; (3) fails to provide a certified statement that he or she is not subject to “backup withholding;” or
(4) fails to provide a certified statement that he or she is a U.S. person (including a U.S. resident alien). Backup withholding
is not an additional tax and any amounts withheld may be credited against the shareholder’s ultimate U.S. tax liability.
Foreign Shareholders
. Foreign shareholders
(
i.e.
, shareholders who are not “U.S. persons” within the meaning of the Code) are generally subject to U.S.
withholding tax at the rate of 30% (or a lower tax treaty rate) on dividend distributions. Gains from the sale or other disposition
of Shares of the Fund generally are not subject to U.S. taxation, unless the recipient is an individual who either (1) meets the
Code’s definition of “resident alien” or (2) is physically present in the U.S. for 183 days or more per year.
Different tax consequences may result if the foreign shareholder is engaged in a trade or business within the United States. In
addition, the tax consequences to a foreign shareholder entitled to claim the benefits of a tax treaty may be different than those
described above.
Certain distributions paid after December
31, 2013 to a non-U.S. shareholder that fails to make certain required certifications, or that is a “foreign financial institution”
as defined in Section 1471 of the Code and that does not meet the requirements imposed on foreign financial institutions by Section
1471, are generally subject to withholding tax at a 30% rate. Under current IRS guidance, withholding on such payments will begin
at different times depending on the type of payment, the type of payee, and whether the shareholder’s account is opened before
or after January 1, 2014. Withholding with respect to ordinary dividends is currently scheduled to begin on January 1, 2014 for
accounts opened on or after that date and on certain later dates for accounts opened before January 1, 2014. Withholding on gross
proceeds from the sale or disposition of property that can produce U.S.-source dividends is currently scheduled to begin on January 1, 2017.
The extent, if any, to which such withholding tax may be reduced or eliminated by an applicable tax treaty is unclear.
A beneficial holder of Shares who is a
foreign person may be subject to state and local tax and to the U.S. federal estate tax in addition to the federal income tax consequences
referred to above. If a shareholder is eligible for the benefits of a tax treaty, any effectively connected income or gain will
generally be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a net basis only if it is also attributable to a permanent establishment maintained
by the shareholder in the United States.
Certain Reporting Regulations
. Under
U.S. Treasury regulations, if a shareholder recognizes a loss of $2 million or more for an individual shareholder or $10 million
or more for a corporate shareholder, the shareholder must file with the Internal Revenue Service a disclosure statement on Form
8886. Direct shareholders of portfolio securities are in many cases excepted from this reporting requirement. The fact that a loss
is reportable under these regulations does not affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayer’s treatment of the
loss is proper. Shareholders should consult their tax advisors to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of
their individual circumstances.
Other Issues
. The Fund may be subject
to tax or taxes in certain states where MLPs do business. Furthermore, in those states which have income tax laws, the tax treatment
of the Fund and of Fund shareholders with respect to distributions by the Fund may differ from federal tax treatment.
The foregoing discussion is based on federal
tax laws and regulations which are in effect on the date of this Statement of Additional Information. Such laws and regulations
may be changed by legislative or administrative action. Shareholders are advised to consult their tax advisors concerning their
specific situations and the application of state, local and foreign taxes.
Exhibit A
Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures
I. General
Index Management Solutions, LLC (the “Trading Sub-Adviser”)
recognizes its obligation to vote proxies for investments held by clients over which it exercises discretionary voting authority
in the clients’ best interest. Unless a client specifically reserves the right, in writing, to vote its own proxies, the
Trading Sub-Adviser will vote all proxies and act on all other corporate actions in a timely manner in accordance with these Proxy
Voting Policies and Procedures (the “Proxy Voting Policies”). The Trading Sub-Adviser will notify clients in writing
if it declines the responsibility of voting proxies and will make provisions for its clients to receive proxy information.
II. Disclosure of Proxy Voting Policies
A. General Requirements of Rule
206(4)-6
Pursuant to the requirements of
Rule 206(4)-6 under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (the “Advisers Act”), the Trading Sub-Adviser: (i) has adopted
these Proxy Voting Policies that are reasonably designed to ensure that the Trading Sub-Adviser votes client securities in the
best interest of such clients; (ii) will disclose to clients how they may obtain information on how the Trading Sub-Adviser voted
their proxies; and (iii) will describe to clients its Proxy Voting Policies and, upon their request, provide copies to clients
upon request.
B. Disclosure of Proxy Voting
Policies and Voting Information
The Trading Sub-Adviser’s
Proxy Voting Procedures will be described in Part II of its Form ADV. The disclosure will state that a client may obtain a copy
of the complete Proxy Voting Policies upon request. The Trading Sub-Adviser’s Form ADV, Part II will also indicate that clients
may obtain information from the Trading Sub-Adviser on how their securities were voted.
III. Proxy Voting Policies - Procedures and Guidelines
A. Procedures
The Trading Sub-Adviser’s
portfolio managers are ultimately responsible for ensuring that all proxies received by Trading Sub-Adviser are voted in a timely
manner and in a manner consistent with the Trading Sub-Adviser’s determination of the client’s best interests.
B. Guidelines
The following guidelines summarize
the Trading Sub-Adviser’s positions on various issues and give a general indication as to how the Trading Sub-Adviser will
vote shares on each issue. Although the Trading Sub-Adviser will usually vote proxies in accordance with these guidelines, the
Trading Sub-Adviser reserves the right to vote certain issues counter to the guidelines if, after a thorough review of the matter,
the Trading Sub-Adviser determines that a client’s best interests would be served by such a vote. The Trading Sub-Adviser,
in good faith, shall consider such additional factors as it determines relevant, depending on current issues and issues particular
to any company. Moreover, the list of guidelines below may not include all potential voting issues. To the extent that the guidelines
do not cover potential voting issues, the Trading Sub-Adviser will vote on such issues in a manner that is consistent with the
spirit of these guidelines and that promotes the best interests of the client.
1.
Routine Matters
.
Routine proposals are those that do not change the structure, bylaws or operations of a corporation. Given the routine nature of
these proposals, proxies will normally be voted with management. Traditionally, these issues include:
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Election of auditors recommended by management, unless seeking to replace auditors due to a dispute over policies.
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Date and place of annual meeting.
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Ratification of directors’ actions on routine matters since previous annual meeting.
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Reasonable Employee Stock Purchase Plans.
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Establishing reasonable 401 (k) Plans.
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2.
Board of Directors
.
If a company’s performance has been poor over a period of time or other negative factors exist, such as unusual litigation,
the Trading Sub-Adviser may consider withholding its proxy in favor of any incumbent members of board of directors or voting against
an incumbent member. The Trading Sub-Adviser also considers it important that publicly held companies maintain a board of directors
independent from management and qualified in their own respect. Board of directors should also be independent from influence and
otherwise from any investment consulting or banking firm for the company. Subject to the foregoing, the Trading Sub-Adviser will
generally vote in favor of the incumbent Board’s share.
3.
Management Compensation
.
The Trading Sub-Adviser generally votes in favor of proposals to align management compensation with the interests of stockholders.
However, the Trading Sub-Adviser considers excessive compensation to be against the best interest of stockholders. It may also
consider such compensation as a factor to vote against any incumbent director.
4.
Change of Control
Provisions
. The Trading Sub-Adviser disfavors change of control provisions in whatever format, and will generally vote against
these provisions absent good reasons to the contrary. The Trading Sub-Adviser generally votes against any management proposal that
is not deemed to be in the shareholders’ best interests as entrenching management. Proposals in this category include issues
regarding the issuer’s board or management entrenchment and anti-takeover measures such as the following:
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Proposals to stagger board members’ terms;
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Proposals to limit the ability of shareholders to call special meetings;
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Proposals to require super majority votes;
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Proposals requesting excessive increases in authorized common or preferred shares where management provides no explanation
for the use or need of these additional shares;
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Proposals regarding “poison pill” provisions;
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Permitting “green mail”; and
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Providing cumulative voting rights.
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5.
Capital Structures
.
The Trading Sub-Adviser votes on capital structure proposals according to the reasons for the proposals and in a manner to increase
stockholder value. For example, proposals to increase the number of authorized shares of stock for acquisitions or to raise capital
are favored over proposals to increase the number of authorized shares for management compensation. Proposals to buy back shares
of common stock are generally favored. Proposals to issue shares in such a manner to prevent a change of control are generally
disfavored.
6.
Auditor Approval
.
In determining whether to ratify the appointment of outside auditors, the Trading Sub-Adviser considers the integrity, qualifications,
and disciplinary history of the proposed accounting firm. Any firm with a significant amount of disciplinary history or legal claims
against it is disfavored. The Trading Sub-Adviser does not necessarily consider the size of the accounting firm to be one of the
more important factors. A qualified, independent, and active audit committee’s recommendation is given deference in ratifying
the appointed independent auditors.
7.
Corporate Governance
.
Any provisions furthering good corporate governance, integrity and informed decisions by the board of directors, management or
otherwise are endorsed by the Trading Sub-Adviser.
8.
Shareholder Action
.
If proxy materials relate to shareholder action, the Trading Sub-Adviser shall review the matter with regard to the best interests
of the client and to recover the most value possible or to maintain the highest value of the investment. Within the consideration
of the recovery of an investment with respect to a lawsuit, the time value of money and the risks and nature of the lawsuit shall
be considered.
9.
Director Management
Retirement and Compensation
. The Trading Sub-Adviser reviews director/management mandatory retirement policy; option and stock
grants to management and directors, pay and retirement packages to management and directors each issue in this category on a case-by-case
basis. Voting decisions will be made based on clients’ long-term financial interest.
10.
Shareholder Proposals
.
The Trading Sub-Adviser reviews shareholder proposals individually and determines each proposal on its own individual merits. The
Trading Sub-Adviser balances the needs of the company to maintain flexibility in its business operations against other considerations
proposed by shareholders.
C. Limitations.
In certain circumstances, in accordance
with a client’s investment advisory contract (or other written directive) or where the Trading Sub-Adviser has determined
that it is in the client’s best interest, the Trading Sub-Adviser will not vote proxies received. The following are circumstances
in which the Trading Sub-Adviser may limit its role in voting proxies:
1.
Client Maintains
Proxy Voting Authority
. Where client specifies in writing that it will maintain the authority to vote proxies itself or that
it has delegated the right to vote proxies to a third party, the Trading Sub-Adviser will not vote the securities and will direct
the relevant custodian to sent the proxy material directly to the client. If any proxy material is received by the Trading Sub-Adviser,
it will promptly be forwarded to the client or specified third party.
2.
Terminated Account
.
Once a client account has been terminated with the Trading Sub-Adviser in accordance with its investment advisory agreement, the
Trading Sub-Adviser will not vote any proxies received after the termination. However, the client may specify in writing that proxies
should be directed to the client or a specified third party for action.
3.
Limited Value
.
If the Trading Sub-Adviser determines that the value of a client’s economic interest or the value of the portfolio holding
is indeterminable or insignificant, the Trading Sub-Adviser may abstain from voting a client’s proxies. The Trading Sub-Adviser
also will not vote proxies received for securities which are no longer held by the client’s account. In addition, the Trading
Sub-Adviser may determine in its discretion not to vote securities where the economic value of the securities in the client account
is less than
$10,000
.
4.
Securities Lending
Programs
. When securities are out on loan, they are transferred into the borrower’s name and are voted by the borrower,
in its discretion. However, where the Trading Sub-Adviser determines that a proxy vote, or other shareholder action, is materially
important to the client’s account, the Trading Sub-Adviser will recall the security for purposes of voting.
5.
Unjustifiable Costs
.
In certain circumstances, after doing a cost-benefit analysis, the Trading Sub-Adviser may abstain from voting where the cost of
voting a client’s proxy would exceed any anticipated benefits to the client of the proxy proposal.
D. Conflict of Interest.
If a potential conflict of interest
exists between a client and the interest of the Trading Sub-Adviser in voting proxies, any of the following procedures may be followed
to resolve the conflict:
1.
Vote in Accordance
with the Guidelines
. The Trading Sub-Adviser may address its potential conflict of interest by voting in accordance with the
pre-determined guidelines set forth by these Proxy Voting Policies.
2.
Obtain Consent of
Clients
. The Trading Sub-Adviser may address its potential conflict by disclosing the conflict to the relevant clients and
obtaining their consent to the proposed vote prior to voting the proxy. The disclosure to the client will include sufficient detail
regarding the matter to be voted on and the nature of the Trading Sub-Adviser’s conflict so that the client is able to make
an informed decision regarding the vote. If a client does not respond to such a conflict disclosure request or denies the request,
the Trading Sub-Adviser will abstain from voting the securities held by that client’s account.
E. Client Directions
The Trading Sub-Adviser follows
and adheres to any policies, procedures and directions of clients regarding the voting of proxies. Such directions must be in writing,
duly authorized by the client and delivered to the Trading Sub-Adviser sufficiently in advance to vote the proxies as directed.
F. Third Party
If the Trading Sub-Adviser determines
to use a third party service provider to vote proxies, the Trading Sub-Adviser must assure that the third party complies with Rule
206(4)-6, these Proxy Voting Policies and maintains required records.
IV. Record Keeping
A. Maintenance
The Trading Sub-Adviser maintains:
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these Proxy Voting Policies, and all amendments thereto;
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all proxy statements received regarding client securities; provided, however, that the Trading Sub-Adviser may rely on the
proxy statement filed on EDGAR as its records;
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a record of all votes cast on behalf of clients;
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records of all client requests for proxy voting information;
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any documents prepared by the Trading Sub-Adviser that were material to making a decision how to vote or that memorialized
the basis for the decision; and
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all records relating to requests made to clients regarding conflicts of interest in voting the proxy.
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B. Form N-PX
The Trading Sub-Adviser will coordinate
with any exchange-traded fund (“ETF”) it advises or sub-advises to assist it in the provision of all information required
to be filed by the ETF on Form N-PX.