e497
Direxion
Shares Etf Trust
PROSPECTUS
33 Whitehall Street, 10th
Floor New
York, New York
10004 866-476-7523
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DIREXION FUNDS
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Sector Funds
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Direxion Airline Shares (FLYX)
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Direxion Auto Shares (DRVE)
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February 28, 2011
(As Supplemented May 26, 2011)
The funds offered in this prospectus (collectively, the
Funds) trade, or will trade, on NYSE Arca, Inc.
(Arca).
The Securities and Exchange Commission has not approved or
disapproved these securities or passed upon the adequacy of this
prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal
offense.
SUMMARY OF DIREXION
SHARES
Direxion Airline
Shares
Investment Objective
The Direxion Airline Shares (Fund) seeks investment
results, before fees and expenses, of the price performance of
the NYSE Arca Airline Index (Index).
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if
you buy or hold shares of the Fund (Shares).
Investors purchasing shares in the secondary market may pay
costs (including customary brokerage commissions) charged by
their broker.
Annual Fund Operating
Expenses(1) (expenses
that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your
investment)
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Management Fees
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0.35%
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Distribution
and/or
Service (12b-1) Fees
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0.00%
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Other Expenses of the Fund
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0.28%
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Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses
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0.63%
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Expense Waiver/Reimbursement
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0.08%
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Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Expense
Waiver/Reimbursement
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0.55%
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(1) |
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The Funds adviser, Rafferty Asset Management, LLC
(Rafferty or the Adviser) has
contractually agreed to waive all or a portion of its management
fee and/or
reimburse the Fund for Other Expenses through March 1,
2012, to the extent that the Funds Net Annual Operating
Expenses exceed 0.55% (excluding, as applicable, among other
expenses, taxes, leverage interest, Acquired Fund Fees and
Expenses, dividends or interest on short positions, other
interest expenses, brokerage commissions, expenses incurred in
connection with any merger or reorganization and extraordinary
expenses such as litigation). Any expense waiver is subject to
reimbursement by the Fund only within the following three years
if overall expenses fall below these percentage limitations.
This agreement may be terminated or revised at any time with the
consent of the Board of Trustees. |
Expense Example
This example is intended to help you compare the cost of
investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual
funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund
for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your
shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes
that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the
Funds operating expenses remain the same. Although your
actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions
your costs would be:
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1 Year
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3 Years
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$
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56
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$
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194
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Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it
buys and sells securities (or turns over its
portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher
transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund
shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not
reflected in Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the
example, affect the Funds performance.
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund, under normal circumstances, invests at least 80% of
its net assets in the equity securities that comprise the Index
and/or
financial instruments that provide exposure to the Index. These
financial instruments include: futures contracts; options on
securities, indices and futures contracts; equity caps, collars
and floors; swap agreements; forward contracts; short positions;
reverse repurchase agreements; exchange-traded funds
(ETFs); and other financial instruments. On a
day-to-day
basis, the Fund also holds short-term debt instruments that have
terms-to-maturity
of less than 397 days and exhibit high quality credit
profiles, including U.S. government securities and
repurchase agreements.
The Index is a modified equal-dollar weighted Index designed to
measure the performance of highly capitalized and liquid U.S.
and international passenger airline companies identified as
being in the airline industry and listed on developed and
emerging global market exchanges. The index provider,
Archipelago Holdings Inc. (Arca or the Index
Provider), an affiliate of NYSE Euronext, Inc., defines
developed markets as countries with western-style
legal systems, transparent financial rules for financial
reporting and sophisticated, liquid and accessible stock
exchanges with readily-exchangeable currencies. As of
December 31, 2011, the market capitalizations of stocks
included in the Index range from approximately $346 million
to approximately $9.4 billion, which includes small-, mid
and large-capitalization stocks.
The Fund may gain exposure to only a representative sample of
the securities in the Index that have aggregate characteristics
similar to those of the Index. The Fund gains this exposure
either by directly investing in the underlying securities of the
Index or by investing in derivatives that provide exposure to
those securities. The Fund seeks to remain fully invested at all
times consistent
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DIREXION FUNDS PROSPECTUS
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1
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with its investment objective. The Fund repositions its
portfolio in response to assets flowing into or out of the Fund.
To the extent the Fund experiences regular purchases or
redemptions of its shares, it may reposition its portfolio more
frequently. Additionally, the impact of the Indexs
movements will affect whether the Funds portfolio needs to
be re-positioned. For example, if the Index has added or removed
a security, the Funds portfolio may have to be
re-positioned to account for this change to the Index. These
re-positioning strategies may result in high portfolio turnover.
Consistent with the Index, the Fund will concentrate its
investment in the airline industry generally to the same extent
as the Index is so concentrated. The Fund is
non-diversified, meaning that a relatively high
percentage of its assets may be invested in a limited number of
issuers of securities.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund entails risk. The Fund could lose
money or its performance could trail that of other investment
alternatives. The Adviser cannot guarantee that the Fund will
achieve its objective. In addition, the Fund presents some risks
not traditionally associated with most mutual funds and
exchange-traded funds. It is important that investors closely
review all of the risks listed below and understand how these
risks interrelate before making an investment in the Fund.
Turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity,
credit and fixed income markets could negatively affect issuers
worldwide, including the Fund. There is the risk that you could
lose all or a portion of your money invested in the Fund.
Adverse Market
Conditions Risk
Because the Fund attempts to track the performance of the Index,
the Funds performance will suffer during conditions in
which the Index declines.
Advisers
Investment Strategy Risk
While the Adviser seeks to take advantage of investment
opportunities for the Fund that will maximize its investment
returns, there is no guarantee that such opportunities will
ultimately benefit the Fund. There is no assurance that the
Advisers investment strategy will enable the Fund to
achieve its investment objective.
Companies in the airline industry may be adversely affected by a
downturn in economic conditions that can result in decreased
demand for air travel. Due to the discretionary nature of
business and leisure travel spending, airline industry revenues
are heavily influenced by the condition of the U.S. economy and
economies in other regions of the world. Airline companies may
also be significantly affected by changes in fuel prices, which
may be very volatile. Due to the competitive nature of the
airline industry, airline companies may not be able to pass on
increased fuel prices to customers by increasing fares. The
airline industry may also be significantly affected by changes
in labor relations and insurance costs. The trend in the United
States has been to deregulate the transportation industry, which
could have a favorable long-term effect, but future government
decisions could adversely affect companies in the airline
industry. In addition, the airline industry may be significantly
affected by domestic and foreign acts of terrorism.
Concentration risk results from the Fund focusing its
investments in a specific industry or group of industries to
approximately the same extent that the Index is so concentrated.
The performance of the Fund may be more volatile than a fund
that does not concentrate its investments in a specific industry
or group of industries. The Fund also may be more susceptible to
any single economic market, political or regulatory occurrence
affecting that industry or group of industries.
The Fund may invest in financial instruments involving
counterparties for the purpose of attempting to gain exposure to
a particular group of securities or asset class without actually
purchasing those securities or investments, or to hedge a
position. These financial instruments may include swap
agreements and structured notes. The use of swap agreements and
other counterparty instruments involves risks that are different
from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities
transactions. For example, the Fund bears the risk of loss of
the amount expected to be received under a swap agreement in the
event of the default or bankruptcy of a swap agreement
counterparty. Swap agreements and other counterparty instruments
also may be considered to be illiquid. In addition, the Fund may
enter into swap agreements that involve a limited number of
counterparties, which may increase the Funds exposure to
counterparty credit risk. The Fund does not specifically limit
its counterparty risk with respect to any single counterparty.
Further, there is a risk that no suitable counterparties will be
willing to enter into, or continue to enter into, transactions
with the Fund and, as a result, the Fund may not be able to
achieve its investment objective.
Currency
Exchange Rate Risk
Changes in foreign currency exchange rates will affect the value
of what the Fund owns and the Funds share price.
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2
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DIREXION FUNDS PROSPECTUS
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Generally, when the U.S. dollar rises in value against a foreign
currency, an investment in that country loses value because that
currency is worth fewer U.S. dollars. Devaluation of a currency
by a countrys government or banking authority also will
have a significant impact on the value of any investments
denominated in that currency. Currency markets generally are not
as regulated as securities markets.
To the extent the Fund seeks exposure to foreign companies, the
Funds investments may be in the form of depositary
receipts or other securities convertible into securities of
foreign issuers, including American Depositary Receipts
(ADRs), European Depositary Receipts
(EDRs), and Global Depositary Receipts
(GDRs). While the use of ADRs, EDRs and GDRs, which
are traded on exchanges and represent and ownership in a foreign
security, provide an alternative to directly purchasing the
underlying foreign securities in their respective national
markets and currencies, investments in ADRs, EDRs, and GDRs
continue to be subject to certain of the risks associated with
investing directly in foreign securities.
The Fund uses investment techniques, including investments in
derivatives such as futures and forward contracts, options and
swaps, which may be considered aggressive. Investments in such
derivatives are subject to market risks that may cause their
prices to fluctuate over time and may increase the volatility of
the Fund. The use of derivatives may expose the Fund to
additional risks that it would not be subject to if it invested
directly in the securities underlying those derivatives, such as
counterparty risk and the risk that the derivatives may become
illiquid. The use of derivatives may result in larger losses or
smaller gains than otherwise would be the case. In addition, the
Funds investments in derivatives are subject to the
following risks:
Futures and Forward Contracts. There may be an
imperfect correlation between the changes in market value of the
securities held by the Fund and the prices of futures contracts.
There may not be a liquid secondary market for the futures
contracts. Forward currency transactions include the risks
associated with fluctuations in currency.
Hedging Risk. If the Fund uses a hedging
instrument at the wrong time or judges the market conditions
incorrectly, the hedge might be unsuccessful, reduce the
Funds investment return, or create a loss.
Options. There may be an imperfect correlation
between the prices of options and movements in the price of the
securities (or indices) hedged or used for cover which may cause
a given hedge not to achieve its objective.
Swap Agreements. Credit default swaps,
including credit default swaps on baskets of securities, are
subject to credit risk on the underlying investment. Interest
rate swaps are subject to interest rate and credit risk. Total
return swaps are subject to counterparty risk.
Early
Close/Trading Halt Risk
An exchange or market may close or issue trading halts on
specific securities, or the ability to buy or sell certain
securities or financial instruments may be restricted, which may
result in the Fund being unable to buy or sell certain
securities or financial instruments. In such circumstances, the
Fund may be unable to rebalance its portfolio, may be unable to
accurately price its investments
and/or may
incur substantial trading losses.
Indirectly investing in emerging markets instruments involve
greater risks than indirectly investing in foreign instruments
in general. Risks of investing in emerging market countries
include: political or social upheaval; nationalization of
businesses; restrictions on foreign ownership; prohibitions on
the repatriation of assets; and risks from an economys
dependence on revenues from particular commodities or
industries. In addition, currency transfer restrictions, limited
potential buyers for such instruments, delays and disruption in
settlement procedures and illiquidity or low volumes of
transactions may make exits difficult or impossible at times.
Investments in publicly issued equity securities and securities
that provide exposure to equity securities, including common
stocks, 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 (NAV) of the Fund to fluctuate.
Indirectly investing in foreign instruments may involve greater
risks than investing in domestic instruments. As a result, the
Funds returns and net asset values may be affected to a
large degree by fluctuations in currency exchange rates,
interest rates, political, diplomatic or economic conditions and
regulatory requirements in other countries. The laws and
accounting, auditing, and financial
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DIREXION FUNDS PROSPECTUS
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3
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reporting standards in foreign countries typically are not as
strict as they are in the U.S., and there may be less public
information available about foreign companies.
High Portfolio
Turnover Risk
The Fund may engage in active and frequent trading leading to
increased portfolio turnover, higher transaction costs, and the
possibility of increased capital gains, including short-term
and/or
long-term capital gains that will generally be taxable to
shareholders as ordinary income.
Some securities held by the Fund, including derivatives, may be
difficult to sell or illiquid, particularly during times of
market turmoil. Illiquid securities also may be difficult to
value. If the Fund is forced to sell an illiquid security at an
unfavorable time or at a price that is lower than
Raffertys judgment of the securitys true market
value, the Fund may be forced to sell the security at a loss.
Such a situation may prevent the Fund from limiting losses,
realizing gains or achieving a high correlation with the Index.
The Fund is subject to market risks that can affect the value of
its shares. These risks include political, regulatory, market
and economic developments, including developments that impact
specific economic sectors, industries or segments of the market.
The Fund is non-diversified, which means it invests a high
percentage of its assets in a limited number of securities. A
non-diversified funds net asset values and total returns
may fluctuate more or fall greater in times of weaker markets
than a conventional diversified fund.
The Fund is subject to the risk that a change in U.S. law and
related regulations will impact the way the Fund operates,
increase the particular costs of the Funds operations
and/or
change the competitive landscape.
Risks of
Investing in Other Investment Companies and ETFs
Investments in the securities of other investment companies and
ETFs, may involve duplication of advisory fees and certain other
expenses. Fund shareholders indirectly bear the Funds
proportionate share of the fees and expenses paid by
shareholders of the other investment company or ETF, in addition
to the fees and expenses Fund shareholders directly bear in
connection with the Funds own operations. If the
investment company or ETF fails to achieve its investment
objective, the value of the Funds investment will decline,
adversely affecting the Funds performance. In addition,
ETF shares potentially may trade at a discount or a premium and
are subject to brokerage and other trading costs, which could
result in greater expenses to the Fund. Finally, because the
value of ETF shares depends on the demand in the market, the
Adviser may not be able to liquidate the Funds holdings in
an ETFs shares at the most optimal time, adversely
affecting the Funds performance.
Small and Mid
Capitalization Company Risk
Investing in the securities of small
and/or mid
capitalization companies and securities that provide exposure to
small and/or
mid capitalization companies involves greater risks and the
possibility of greater price volatility than investing in
more-established, larger capitalization companies. Small- and
mid-capitalization companies often have narrower markets for
their goods
and/or
services and more limited managerial and financial resources
than larger, more established companies. Furthermore, those
companies often have limited product lines, services, markets,
financial resources or are dependent on a small management
group. In addition, because these stocks are not well-known to
the investing public, do not have significant institutional
ownership and are followed by relatively few security analysts,
there will normally be less publicly available information
concerning these securities compared to what is available for
the securities of larger companies. Adverse publicity and
investor perceptions, whether based on fundamental analysis, can
decrease the value and liquidity of securities held by the Fund.
As a result, their performance can be more volatile and they
face greater risk of business failure, which could increase the
volatility of the Funds portfolio.
Tax and
Distribution Risk
The Fund may have high portfolio turnover which causes the Fund
to generate significant amounts of taxable income. This income
is typically short-term capital gain, which is generally treated
as ordinary income when distributed to shareholders, or
short-term capital loss. The Fund rarely generates long-term
capital gain or loss. The Fund will generally need to distribute
this income in order to satisfy certain tax requirements. As a
result of the Funds high portfolio turnover, the Fund
could make large
and/or
frequent distributions. Because the Funds asset level
changes frequently, these distributions could comprise a
substantial portion or even all of the Funds net assets if
the Fund distributes this income after a decline in its net
assets. Shareholders in the Fund on the day of such
distributions may receive substantial distributions, which could
lead to
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4
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DIREXION FUNDS PROSPECTUS
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negative tax implications for such shareholders. Potential
investors are urged to consult their own tax advisers for more
detailed information.
Rules governing the federal income tax aspects of certain
derivatives, including total return equity swaps, real
estate-related swaps, credit default swaps and other credit
derivatives are not entirely clear. Because the Funds
status as a regulated investment company might be affected if
the Internal Revenue Service did not accept the Funds
treatment of certain transactions involving derivatives, the
Funds ability to engage in these transactions may be
limited.
The Fund may have difficulty achieving its target investment
returns due to fees and expenses, high portfolio turnover,
transaction costs,
and/or a
temporary lack of liquidity in the markets for the securities
held by the Fund. A failure to achieve its target for any period
of time may cause the Fund to provide returns for a longer
period that are worse than expected. In addition, even though
the Fund may meet its target for a period of time, this will not
necessarily produce the returns that might be expected in light
of the returns of the Index or the Funds benchmark for
that period.
The Fund values its portfolio as of the close of regular trading
on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) (generally
4:00 P.M. Eastern time). In some cases, foreign market
indices close before the NYSE opens or may not be open for
business on the same calendar days as the Fund. As a result, the
daily performance of the Fund can vary from the performance of
the Index.
Special Risks
of Exchange-Traded Funds
Not Individually Redeemable. Shares are
not individually redeemable and may be redeemed by the Fund at
NAV only in large blocks known as Creation Units. You may incur
brokerage costs purchasing enough Shares to constitute a
Creation Unit.
Trading Issues. Trading in Shares on an
exchange may be halted due to market conditions or for reasons
that, in the view of that exchange, make trading in Shares
inadvisable, such as extraordinary market volatility or other
reasons. There can be no assurance that Shares will continue to
meet the listing requirements of the exchange on which it
trades, and the listing requirements may be amended from time to
time.
Market Price Variance Risk. Individual
Shares of the Fund that are listed for trading on an exchange
can be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices.
The market prices of Shares will fluctuate in response to
changes in NAV and supply and demand for Shares. The Adviser
cannot predict whether Shares will trade above, below or at
their NAV. Differences between secondary market prices and NAV
for Shares may be due largely to supply and demand forces in the
secondary market, which forces may not be the same as those
influencing prices for securities or instruments held by the
Fund at a particular time. Given the fact that Shares can be
created and redeemed in Creation Units, the Adviser believes
that large discounts or premiums to the NAV of Shares should not
be sustained. There may, however, be times when the market price
and the NAV vary significantly and you may pay more than NAV
when buying Shares on the secondary market, and you may receive
less than NAV when you sell those Shares. The market price of
Shares, like the price of any exchange-traded security, includes
a bid-ask spread charged by the exchange
specialists, market makers or other participants that trade the
particular security. In times of severe market disruption, the
bid-ask spread often increases significantly. This means that
Shares may trade at a discount to NAV and the discount is likely
to be greatest when the price of Shares is falling fastest,
which may be the time that you most want to sell your Shares.
The Funds investment results are measured based upon the
NAV of the Fund over a period of time. Investors purchasing and
selling Shares in the secondary market may not experience
investment results consistent with those experienced by those
creating and redeeming directly with the Fund. There is no
guarantee that an active secondary market will develop for
Shares of the Fund.
Fund Performance
No performance information is presented for the Fund because it
does not have performance for a complete calendar year. In the
future, performance information for the Fund will be presented
in this section. Updated performance is available on the
Funds website at
http://direxionshares.com/etfs?performance
or by calling the Fund toll free at 1-866-476-7523.
Management
Investment Adviser
Rafferty Asset Management, LLC is the Funds investment
adviser.
Portfolio Manager
Paul Brigandi, the Funds Portfolio Manager, is primarily
responsible for the
day-to-day
management of the Fund and has served in this role since the
Funds inception in December of 2010.
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The Fund will issue and redeem Shares only to Authorized
Participants (typically, broker-dealers) in exchange for the
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DIREXION FUNDS PROSPECTUS
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5
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deposit or delivery of a basket of assets (securities
and/or cash)
in large blocks, known as Creation Units, each of which is
comprised of 50,000 Shares. Retail investors may only purchase
and sell Fund Shares on a national securities exchange
through a broker-dealer. Because the Shares trade at market
prices rather than net asset value, Shares may trade at a price
greater than net asset value (premium) or less than net asset
value (discount).
Tax Information
Income and capital gain distributions you receive from the Fund
are subject to federal income taxes and may also be subject to
state and local taxes. Distributions for this Fund may be
significantly higher than those of most exchange-traded funds.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial
Intermediaries
If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other
financial intermediary (such as a bank or financial advisor),
the Fund
and/or the
Adviser may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and
related services. These payments may create a conflict of
interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other financial
intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over
another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial
intermediarys website for more information.
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6
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DIREXION FUNDS PROSPECTUS
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Direxion Auto
Shares
Investment Objective
The Direxion Auto Shares (Fund) seeks investment
results, before fees and expenses, of the price performance of
the Dow Jones Automobiles & Parts Titans 30 Index
(Index).
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if
you buy or hold shares of the Fund (Shares).
Investors purchasing shares in the secondary market may pay
costs (including customary brokerage commissions) charged by
their broker.
Annual Fund Operating
Expenses(1) (expenses
that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your
investment)
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Management Fees
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0.35%
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Distribution
and/or
Service (12b-1) Fees
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0.00%
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Other Expenses of the Fund
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0.28%
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Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses
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0.63%
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Expense Waiver/Reimbursement
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0.08%
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Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Expense
Waiver/Reimbursement
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0.55%
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(1) |
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The Funds adviser, Rafferty Asset Management, LLC
(Rafferty or the Adviser) has
contractually agreed to waive all or a portion of its management
fee and/or
reimburse the Fund for Other Expenses through March 1,
2012, to the extent that the Funds Net Annual Operating
Expenses exceed 0.55% (excluding, as applicable, among other
expenses, taxes, leverage interest, Acquired Fund Fees and
Expenses, dividends or interest on short positions, other
interest expenses, brokerage commissions, expenses incurred in
connection with any merger or reorganization and extraordinary
expenses such as litigation). Any expense waiver is subject to
reimbursement by the Fund only within the following three years
if overall expenses fall below these percentage limitations.
This agreement may be terminated or revised at any time with the
consent of the Board of Trustees. |
Expense Example
This example is intended to help you compare the cost of
investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual
funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund
for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your
shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes
that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the
Funds operating expenses remain the same. Although your
actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions
your costs would be:
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1 Year
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3 Years
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$
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56
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$
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194
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Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it
buys and sells securities (or turns over its
portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher
transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund
shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not
reflected in Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the
example, affect the Funds performance.
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund, under normal circumstances, invests at least 80% of
its net assets in the equity securities that comprise the Index
and/or
financial instruments that provide exposure to the Index. These
financial instruments include: futures contracts; options on
securities, indices and futures contracts; equity caps, collars
and floors; swap agreements; forward contracts; short positions;
reverse repurchase agreements; exchange-traded funds
(ETFs); and other financial instruments. On a
day-to-day
basis, the Fund also holds short-term debt instruments that have
terms-to-maturity
of less than 397 days and exhibit high quality credit
profiles, including U.S. government securities and
repurchase agreements.
The Index is constructed as a direct adaptation of the Dow Jones
Global Index. It includes 30 domestic and international stocks
selected based on rankings by float-adjusted market
capitalization, revenue and net profit. The Index covers the
Automobile & Parts Super sector of the Industry
Classification Benchmark (ICB). The Index was first
calculated on February 12, 2001. As of December 31,
2010, the average market capitalization was $25.9 billion
with a median market capitalization of $16.2 billion.
The Fund may gain exposure to only a representative sample of
the securities in the Index that have aggregate characteristics
similar to those of the Index. The Fund gains this exposure
either by directly investing in the underlying securities of the
Index or by investing in derivatives that provide exposure to
those securities. The Fund seeks to remain fully invested at all
times consistent with its investment objective. The Fund
repositions its portfolio in response to assets flowing into or
out of the Fund. To the extent the Fund experiences regular
purchases or redemptions of its shares, it may reposition its
portfolio more frequently. Additionally, the impact of the
Indexs movements will affect whether the Funds
portfolio needs to be re-positioned. For example, if the Index
has added or
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DIREXION FUNDS PROSPECTUS
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7
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removed a security, the Funds portfolio may have to be
re-positioned to account for this change to the Index. These
re-positioning strategies may result in high portfolio turnover.
Consistent with the Index, the Fund will concentrate its
investment in the automotive industry generally to the same
extent as the Index is so concentrated. The Fund is
non-diversified, meaning that a relatively high
percentage of its assets may be invested in a limited number of
issuers of securities.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund entails risk. The Fund could lose
money or its performance could trail that of other investment
alternatives. The Adviser cannot guarantee that the Fund will
achieve its objective. In addition, the Fund presents some risks
not traditionally associated with most mutual funds. It is
important that investors closely review all of the risks listed
below and understand how these risks interrelate before making
an investment in the Fund. Turbulence in financial markets and
reduced liquidity in equity, credit and fixed income markets
could negatively affect issuers worldwide, including the Fund.
There is the risk that you could lose all or a portion of your
money invested in the Fund.
Adverse Market
Conditions Risk
Because the Fund attempts to track the performance of the Index,
the Funds performance will suffer during conditions in
which the Index declines.
Advisers
Investment Strategy Risk
While the Adviser seeks to take advantage of investment
opportunities for the Fund that will maximize its investment
returns, there is no guarantee that such opportunities will
ultimately benefit the Fund. There is no assurance that the
Advisers investment strategy will enable the Fund to
achieve its investment objective.
The automotive industry can be highly cyclical, and companies in
the industry may suffer periodic operating losses. The industry
can be significantly affected by labor relations and fluctuating
component prices. While most of the major manufacturers are
large, financially strong companies, many others are small and
can be non-diversified in both product line and customer base.
Concentration risk results from the Fund focusing its
investments in a specific industry or group of industries to
approximately the same extent that the Index is so concentrated.
The performance of the Fund may be more volatile than a fund
that does not concentrate its investments in a specific industry
or group of industries. The Fund also may be more susceptible to
any single economic market, political or regulatory occurrence
affecting that industry or group of industries.
The Fund may invest in financial instruments involving
counterparties for the purpose of attempting to gain exposure to
a particular group of securities or asset class without actually
purchasing those securities or investments, or to hedge a
position. These financial instruments may include swap
agreements and structured notes. The use of swap agreements and
other counterparty instruments involves risks that are different
from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities
transactions. For example, the Fund bears the risk of loss of
the amount expected to be received under a swap agreement in the
event of the default or bankruptcy of a swap agreement
counterparty. Swap agreements and other counterparty instruments
also may be considered to be illiquid. In addition, the Fund may
enter into swap agreements that involve a limited number of
counterparties, which may increase the Funds exposure to
counterparty credit risk. The Fund does not specifically limit
its counterparty risk with respect to any single counterparty.
Further, there is a risk that no suitable counterparties will be
willing to enter into, or continue to enter into, transactions
with the Fund and, as a result, the Fund may not be able to
achieve its investment objective.
Currency
Exchange Rate Risk
Changes in foreign currency exchange rates will affect the value
of what the Fund owns and the Funds share price.
Generally, when the U.S. dollar rises in value against a foreign
currency, an investment in that country loses value because that
currency is worth fewer U.S. dollars. Devaluation of a currency
by a countrys government or banking authority also will
have a significant impact on the value of any investments
denominated in that currency. Currency markets generally are not
as regulated as securities markets.
To the extent the Fund seeks exposure to foreign companies, the
Funds investments may be in the form of depositary
receipts or other securities convertible into securities of
foreign issuers, including American Depositary Receipts
(ADRs), European Depositary Receipts
(EDRs), and Global Depositary Receipts
(GDRs). While the use of ADRs, EDRs and GDRs, which
are traded on exchanges and represent and ownership in a foreign
security, provide an alternative to directly purchasing the
underlying foreign securities in their respective national
markets and
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8
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DIREXION FUNDS PROSPECTUS
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currencies, investments in ADRs, EDRs, and GDRs continue to be
subject to certain of the risks associated with investing
directly in foreign securities.
The Fund uses investment techniques, including investments in
derivatives such as futures and forward contracts, options and
swaps, which may be considered aggressive. Investments in such
derivatives are subject to market risks that may cause their
prices to fluctuate over time and may increase the volatility of
the Fund. The use of derivatives may expose the Fund to
additional risks that it would not be subject to if it invested
directly in the securities underlying those derivatives, such as
counterparty risk and the risk that the derivatives may become
illiquid. The use of derivatives may result in larger losses or
smaller gains than otherwise would be the case. In addition, the
Funds investments in derivatives are subject to the
following risks:
Futures and Forward Contracts. There may be an
imperfect correlation between the changes in market value of the
securities held by the Fund and the prices of futures contracts.
There may not be a liquid secondary market for the futures
contracts. Forward currency transactions include the risks
associated with fluctuations in currency.
Hedging Risk. If the Fund uses a hedging
instrument at the wrong time or judges the market conditions
incorrectly, the hedge might be unsuccessful, reduce the
Funds investment return, or create a loss.
Options. There may be an imperfect correlation
between the prices of options and movements in the price of the
securities (or indices) hedged or used for cover which may cause
a given hedge not to achieve its objective.
Swap Agreements. Credit default swaps,
including credit default swaps on baskets of securities, are
subject to credit risk on the underlying investment. Interest
rate swaps are subject to interest rate and credit risk. Total
return swaps are subject to counterparty risk.
Early
Close/Trading Halt Risk
An exchange or market may close or issue trading halts on
specific securities, or the ability to buy or sell certain
securities or financial instruments may be restricted, which may
result in the Fund being unable to buy or sell certain
securities or financial instruments. In such circumstances, the
Fund may be unable to rebalance its portfolio, may be unable to
accurately price its investments
and/or may
incur substantial trading losses.
Indirectly investing in emerging markets instruments involve
greater risks than indirectly investing in foreign instruments
in general. Risks of investing in emerging market countries
include: political or social upheaval; nationalization of
businesses; restrictions on foreign ownership; prohibitions on
the repatriation of assets; and risks from an economys
dependence on revenues from particular commodities or
industries. In addition, currency transfer restrictions, limited
potential buyers for such instruments, delays and disruption in
settlement procedures and illiquidity or low volumes of
transactions may make exits difficult or impossible at times.
Investments in publicly issued equity securities and securities
that provide exposure to equity securities, including common
stocks, 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 (NAV) of the Fund to fluctuate.
Indirectly investing in foreign instruments may involve greater
risks than investing in domestic instruments. As a result, the
Funds returns and net asset values may be affected to a
large degree by fluctuations in currency exchange rates,
interest rates, political, diplomatic or economic conditions and
regulatory requirements in other countries. The laws and
accounting, auditing, and financial reporting standards in
foreign countries typically are not as strict as they are in the
U.S., and there may be less public information available about
foreign companies.
High Portfolio
Turnover Risk
The Fund may engage in active and frequent trading leading to
increased portfolio turnover, higher transaction costs, and the
possibility of increased capital gains, including short-term
and/or
long-term capital gains that will generally be taxable to
shareholders as ordinary income.
Some securities held by the Fund, including derivatives, may be
difficult to sell or illiquid, particularly during times of
market turmoil. Illiquid securities also may be difficult to
value. If the Fund is forced to sell an illiquid security at an
unfavorable time or at a price that is lower than
Raffertys judgment of the securitys true market
value, the Fund may be forced to sell the security at a loss.
Such a situation may
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DIREXION FUNDS PROSPECTUS
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9
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prevent the Fund from limiting losses, realizing gains or
achieving a high correlation with the Index.
The Fund is subject to market risks that can affect the value of
its shares. These risks include political, regulatory, market
and economic developments, including developments that impact
specific economic sectors, industries or segments of the market.
The Fund is non-diversified, which means it invests a high
percentage of its assets in a limited number of securities. A
non-diversified funds net asset values and total returns
may fluctuate more or fall greater in times of weaker markets
than a conventional diversified fund.
The Fund is subject to the risk that a change in U.S. law and
related regulations will impact the way the Fund operates,
increase the particular costs of the Funds operations
and/or
change the competitive landscape.
Risks of
Investing in Other Investment Companies and ETFs
Investments in the securities of other investment companies and
ETFs, may involve duplication of advisory fees and certain other
expenses. Fund shareholders indirectly bear the Funds
proportionate share of the fees and expenses paid by
shareholders of the other investment company or ETF, in addition
to the fees and expenses Fund shareholders directly bear in
connection with the Funds own operations. If the
investment company or ETF fails to achieve its investment
objective, the value of the Funds investment will decline,
adversely affecting the Funds performance. In addition,
ETF shares potentially may trade at a discount or a premium and
are subject to brokerage and other trading costs, which could
result in greater expenses to the Fund. Finally, because the
value of ETF shares depends on the demand in the market, the
Adviser may not be able to liquidate the Funds holdings in
an ETFs shares at the most optimal time, adversely
affecting the Funds performance.
Tax and
Distribution Risk
The Fund may have high portfolio turnover which causes the Fund
to generate significant amounts of taxable income. This income
is typically short-term capital gain, which is generally treated
as ordinary income when distributed to shareholders, or
short-term capital loss. The Fund rarely generates long-term
capital gain or loss. The Fund will generally need to distribute
this income in order to satisfy certain tax requirements. As a
result of the Funds high portfolio turnover, the Fund
could make large
and/or
frequent distributions. Because the Funds asset level
changes frequently, these distributions could comprise a
substantial portion or even all of the Funds net assets if
the Fund distributes this income after a decline in its net
assets. Shareholders in the Fund on the day of such
distributions may receive substantial distributions, which could
lead to negative tax implications for such shareholders.
Potential investors are urged to consult their own tax advisers
for more detailed information.
Rules governing the federal income tax aspects of certain
derivatives, including total return equity swaps, real
estate-related swaps, credit default swaps and other credit
derivatives are not entirely clear. Because the Funds
status as a regulated investment company might be affected if
the Internal Revenue Service did not accept the Funds
treatment of certain transactions involving derivatives, the
Funds ability to engage in these transactions may be
limited.
The Fund may have difficulty achieving its target investment
returns due to fees and expenses, high portfolio turnover,
transaction costs,
and/or a
temporary lack of liquidity in the markets for the securities
held by the Fund. A failure to achieve its target for any period
of time may cause the Fund to provide returns for a longer
period that are worse than expected. In addition, even though
the Fund may meet its target for a period of time, this will not
necessarily produce the returns that might be expected in light
of the returns of the Index or the Funds benchmark for
that period.
The Fund values its portfolio as of the close of regular trading
on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) (generally
4:00 P.M. Eastern time). In some cases, foreign market
indices close before the NYSE opens or may not be open for
business on the same calendar days as the Fund. As a result, the
daily performance of the Fund can vary from the performance of
the Index.
Special Risks
of Exchange-Traded Funds
Not Individually Redeemable. Shares are
not individually redeemable and may be redeemed by the Fund at
NAV only in large blocks known as Creation Units. You may incur
brokerage costs purchasing enough Shares to constitute a
Creation Unit.
Trading Issues. Trading in Shares on an
exchange may be halted due to market conditions or for reasons
that, in the view of that exchange, make trading in Shares
inadvisable,
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10
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DIREXION FUNDS PROSPECTUS
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such as extraordinary market volatility or other reasons. There
can be no assurance that Shares will continue to meet the
listing requirements of the exchange on which it trades, and the
listing requirements may be amended from time to time.
Market Price Variance Risk. Individual
Shares of the Fund that are listed for trading on an exchange
can be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices.
The market prices of Shares will fluctuate in response to
changes in NAV and supply and demand for Shares. The Adviser
cannot predict whether Shares will trade above, below or at
their NAV. Differences between secondary market prices and NAV
for Shares may be due largely to supply and demand forces in the
secondary market, which forces may not be the same as those
influencing prices for securities or instruments held by the
Fund at a particular time. Given the fact that Shares can be
created and redeemed in Creation Units, the Adviser believes
that large discounts or premiums to the NAV of Shares should not
be sustained. There may, however, be times when the market price
and the NAV vary significantly and you may pay more than NAV
when buying Shares on the secondary market, and you may receive
less than NAV when you sell those Shares. The market price of
Shares, like the price of any exchange-traded security, includes
a bid-ask spread charged by the exchange
specialists, market makers or other participants that trade the
particular security. In times of severe market disruption, the
bid-ask spread often increases significantly. This means that
Shares may trade at a discount to NAV and the discount is likely
to be greatest when the price of Shares is falling fastest,
which may be the time that you most want to sell your Shares.
The Funds investment results are measured based upon the
NAV of the Fund over a period of time. Investors purchasing and
selling Shares in the secondary market may not experience
investment results consistent with those experienced by those
creating and redeeming directly with the Fund. There is no
guarantee that an active secondary market will develop for
Shares of the Fund.
Fund Performance
The Fund is newly organized and has not yet commenced
operations; therefore, performance information is not yet
available.
Management
Investment Adviser
Rafferty Asset Management, LLC is the Funds investment
adviser.
Portfolio Manager
Paul Brigandi, the Funds Portfolio Manager, is primarily
responsible for the
day-to-day
management of the Fund and has served in this role since the
Funds inception.
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The Fund will issue and redeem Shares only to Authorized
Participants (typically, broker-dealers) in exchange for the
deposit or delivery of a basket of assets (securities
and/or cash)
in large blocks, known as Creation Units, each of which is
comprised of 50,000 Shares. Retail investors may only purchase
and sell Fund Shares on a national securities exchange
through a broker-dealer. Because the Shares trade at market
prices rather than net asset value, Shares may trade at a price
greater than net asset value (premium) or less than net asset
value (discount).
Tax Information
Income and capital gain distributions you receive from the Fund
are subject to federal income taxes and may also be subject to
state and local taxes. Distributions for this Fund may be
significantly higher than those of most exchange-traded funds.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial
Intermediaries
If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other
financial intermediary (such as a bank or financial advisor),
the Fund
and/or the
Adviser may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and
related services. These payments may create a conflict of
interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other financial
intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over
another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial
intermediarys website for more information.
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DIREXION FUNDS PROSPECTUS
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11
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OVERVIEW OF THE
DIREXION SHARES ETF TRUST
The Direxion Shares ETF Trust (Trust) is a
registered investment company offering a number of separate
exchange-traded funds. Rafferty Asset Management, LLC
(Rafferty, or Adviser) serves as the
investment adviser to each Fund. This Prospectus describes the
exchange-traded funds (each a Fund and collectively,
the Funds) noted below of the Trust.
The shares of the Funds (Shares) are currently
listed on the NYSE Arca, Inc. (the Exchange). When
the Shares are listed and trade on the Exchange, the market
prices for the Shares may be different from the
intra-day
value of the Shares disseminated by the Exchange and from their
net asset value (NAV). Unlike conventional mutual
funds, Shares are not individually redeemable securities.
Rather, each Fund issues and redeems Shares on a continuous
basis at NAV only in large blocks of Shares called
Creation Units. A Creation Unit consists of 50,000
Shares. Creation Units of the Funds are issued and redeemed in
cash and/or
in-kind for securities included in the relevant underlying index.
Shares may only be purchased from or redeemed with the Funds in
Creation Units. As a result, retail investors generally will not
be able to purchase or redeem Shares directly from or with the
Funds. Most retail investors will purchase or sell Shares in the
secondary market with the assistance of a broker. Thus, some of
the information contained in this prospectus, such as
information about purchasing and redeeming Shares from or with a
Fund and all references to the transaction fee imposed on
purchases and redemptions, is not relevant to retail investors.
As used in this prospectus, the terms daily,
day, and trading day, refer to the
period from the close of the markets one trading day to the
close of the markets on the next trading day.
Each Fund seeks investment results, before fees and expenses,
that track the index or benchmark noted below:
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Fund
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Index or Benchmark
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Direxion Airline Shares
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NYSE Arca Airline Index
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Direxion Auto Shares
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Dow Jones Automobiles &
Parts Titans 30 Index
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To pursue these results, the Funds listed above currently use
aggressive investment techniques such as engaging in swaps
transactions. There is no assurance that the Funds will achieve
their objectives and an investment in a Fund could lose money.
No single Fund is a complete investment program.
Changes in Investment Objective. Each Funds
investment objective is not a fundamental policy and may be
changed by the Funds Board of Trustees without shareholder
approval.
ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION REGARDING INVESTMENT TECHNIQUES AND POLICIES
Rafferty Asset Management, LLC , the investment adviser to the
Funds, uses a number of investment techniques in an effort to
achieve the stated goal for each Fund. The Funds each seek 100%
of the return of their benchmark indices, and to do this,
Rafferty creates net long positions. (Rafferty may
create short positions in the Funds even though the
net exposure in the Funds will be long.) Long positions move in
the same direction as their index or benchmark, advancing when
the index or benchmark advances and declining when the index or
benchmark declines. Short positions move in the opposite
direction of the index or benchmark, advancing when the index or
benchmark declines and declining when the index or benchmark
advances.
In seeking to achieve each Funds investment objective,
Rafferty uses statistical and quantitative analysis to determine
the investments each Fund makes and the techniques it employs.
In general, if a Fund is performing as designed, the return of
the index or benchmark will dictate the return for that Fund.
Each Fund pursues its investment objective regardless of the
market conditions and does not take defensive positions.
Each Fund offered in this prospectus invests significantly in
swap agreements, futures contracts on stock indices, options on
futures contracts, financial instruments such as options on
securities and stock index options, and ETFs. The Funds
generally may also hold a representative sample of the
securities in its benchmark index. The sampling of securities
that is held by a Fund is intended to maintain high correlation
with, and similar aggregate characteristics (e.g., market
capitalization and industry weightings) to, the benchmark index.
A Fund also may invest in securities that are not included in
the index or may overweight or underweight
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12
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DIREXION FUNDS PROSPECTUS
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certain components of the index. Certain Funds assets may
be concentrated in an industry or group of industries to the
extent that the Funds benchmark index concentrates in a
particular industry or group of industries. In addition, each
Fund offered in this prospectus is non-diversified, which means
that it may invest in the securities of a limited number of
issuers.
Each Fund is designed to provide investment returns, before fees
and expenses, that track the price performance of its index or
benchmark. While Rafferty attempts to minimize any
tracking error (the statistical measure of the
difference between the investment results of a Fund and the
performance of its index or benchmark), certain factors will
tend to cause a Funds investment results to vary from the
stated objective. A Fund may have difficulty in achieving its
target due to fees and expenses, high portfolio turnover,
transaction costs, significant purchase and redemption activity
by Fund shareholders
and/or a
temporary lack of liquidity in the markets for the securities
held by the Fund.
The
intra-day
value of each Funds shares, otherwise known as the
indicative optimized portfolio value or
IOPV, which is disseminated by the Exchange every 15
seconds throughout the business day, is based on the current
market value of the securities and cash required to be deposited
in exchange for a Creation Unit on the prior business day. The
IOPV does not necessarily reflect the precise composition of the
current portfolio of securities held by a Fund at a particular
point in time, nor the best possible valuation of the current
portfolio. Therefore, the IOPV should not be viewed as a
real-time update of the Funds NAV, which is
computed only once a day.
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DIREXION FUNDS PROSPECTUS
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13
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ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION REGARDING RISKS
An investment in any of the Funds entails risks. The Funds could
lose money, or their performance could trail that of other
investment alternatives. Rafferty cannot guarantee that any of
the Funds will achieve their objective. It is important that
investors closely review and understand these risks before
making an investment in any of the Funds. Turbulence in
financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and
fixed income markets could negatively affect issuers worldwide,
including the Funds. The table below provides the principal
risks of investing in the Funds. Following the table, each risk
is explained.
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Early
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Adverse
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Advisers
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Currency
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Close/
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Market
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Investment
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Airline
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Automotive
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Exchange
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Depositary
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Trading
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Emerging
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Equity
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Conditions
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Strategy
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Industry
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Industry
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Concentration
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Counterparty
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Rate
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Receipt
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Derivatives
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Halt
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Markets
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Securities
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Risk
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Risk
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Risk
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Risk
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Risk
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Risk
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Risk
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Risk
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Risk
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Risk
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Risk
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Risk
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Direxion Airline Shares
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X
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X
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X
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X
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X
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X
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X
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X
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X
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X
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X
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Direxion Auto Shares
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X
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X
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X
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X
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X
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X
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X
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X
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X
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X
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DIREXION FUNDS PROSPECTUS
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Risks of
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Investing
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Special
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High
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in Other
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Risks of
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Foreign
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Portfolio
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Non-
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Investment
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Tax and
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Tracking
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Valuation
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Exchange
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Securities
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Turnover
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Liquidity
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Market
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Diversification
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Regulatory
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Companies
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Distribution
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Error
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Time
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Traded
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Risk
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Risk
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Risk
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Risk
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Risk
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Risk
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and ETFs
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Risk
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Risk
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Risk
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Funds
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Direxion Airline Shares
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X
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X
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X
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X
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X
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X
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X
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X
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X
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X
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X
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Direxion Auto Shares
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X
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X
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X
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X
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X
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X
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X
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X
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X
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X
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X
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DIREXION FUNDS PROSPECTUS
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15
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Adverse Market
Conditions Risk
The performance of each Fund is designed to correlate to the
performance of an index or benchmark. As a consequence, a
Funds performance will suffer during conditions which are
adverse to the Funds investment goals. This means that if
the target index has fallen on a given day a Funds
performance also should fall.
Advisers
Investment Strategy Risk
While the Adviser seeks to take advantage of investment
opportunities for the Funds that will maximize their investment
returns, there is no guarantee that such opportunities will
ultimately benefit the Funds. The Adviser will aggressively
change the Funds portfolios in response to market
conditions that are unpredictable and may expose the Funds to
greater market risk than conventional mutual funds or
exchange-traded funds. There is no assurance that the
Advisers investment strategy will enable the Funds to
achieve their investment objectives.
For each Fund, concentration risk results from focusing a
Funds investments in a specific industry or group of
industries to approximately the same extent that the Funds
index is so concentrated. The performance of a Fund that focuses
its investments in a particular industry or sector may be more
volatile than a fund that does not concentrate its investments.
A Fund that concentrates its investments in an industry or group
of industries also may be more susceptible to any single
economic market, political or regulatory occurrence affecting
that industry or group of industries.
The Funds may invest in financial instruments involving
counterparties for the purpose of attempting to gain exposure to
a particular group of securities or asset class without actually
purchasing those securities or investments, or to hedge a
position. Such financial instruments include, but are not
limited to, total return, index, interest rate, and credit
default swap agreements, and structured notes. The Funds will
use short-term counterparty agreements to exchange the returns
(or differentials in rates of return) earned or realized in
particular predetermined investments or instruments. The Funds
will not enter into any agreement involving a counterparty
unless the Adviser believes that the other party to the
transaction is creditworthy. The use of swap agreements and
structured notes involves risks that are different from those
associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. For
example, the Funds bear the risk of loss of the amount expected
to be received under a swap agreement in the event of the
default or bankruptcy of a swap agreement counterparty. In
addition, the Funds may enter into swap agreements with a
limited number of counterparties, and certain of the Funds may
invest in commodity-linked structured notes issued by a limited
number of issuers that will act as counterparties, which may
increase the Funds exposure to counterparty credit risk.
Swap agreements and other counterparty instruments also may be
considered to be illiquid. Further, there is a risk that no
suitable counterparties will be willing to enter into, or
continue to enter into, transactions with the Funds and, as a
result, the Funds may not be able to achieve their investment
objectives.
Currency
Exchange Rate Risk
Each Fund, changes in foreign currency exchange rates will
affect the value of what a Fund owns and the Funds share
price. Generally, when the U.S. dollar rises in value against a
foreign currency, an investment in that country loses value
because that currency is worth fewer U.S. dollars. Devaluation
of a currency by a countrys government or banking
authority also will have a significant impact on the value of
any investments denominated in that currency. Currency markets
generally are not as regulated as securities markets.
In seeking exposure to foreign companies, a Funds
investments may be in the form of depositary receipts or other
securities convertible into securities of foreign issuers.
American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) are receipts
typically issued by an American bank or trust company that
evidence ownership of underlying securities issued by a foreign
corporation. European Depositary Receipts (EDRs) are
receipts issued in Europe that evidence a similar ownership
arrangement. Global Depositary Receipts (GDRs) are
receipts issued throughout the world that evidence a similar
arrangement. Generally, ADRs, in registered form, are designed
for use in the U.S. securities markets, and EDRs, in bearer
form, are designed for use in European securities markets. GDRs
are tradable both in the United States and in Europe and are
designed for use throughout the world. Depositary receipts will
not necessarily be denominated in the same currency as their
underlying securities.
The Funds use investment techniques, including investments in
derivatives such as futures contracts, forward contracts,
options and swaps, and other instruments that attempt to track
the price movement of underlying securities or indices, which
may be considered aggressive. The derivative instruments that
the Funds may invest in are described in
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16
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DIREXION FUNDS PROSPECTUS
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Additional Information Regarding Investment Techniques and
Policies. Investments in derivatives in general are
subject to market risks that may cause their prices to fluctuate
over time. In addition, such instruments may experience
potentially dramatic price changes (losses) and imperfect
correlations between the price of the contract and the
underlying security or index which will increase the volatility
of the Funds and may involve a small investment of cash relative
to the magnitude of the risk assumed. The use of derivatives may
expose the Funds to additional risks that they would not be
subject to if they invested directly in the securities
underlying those derivatives, such as counterparty risk and the
risk that the derivatives may become illiquid. The use of
derivatives may result in larger losses or smaller gains than
otherwise would be the case. The derivatives that the Funds may
invest in include:
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Futures. A futures contact is a contract to purchase
or sell a particular security, or the cash value of an index, at
a specified future date at a price agreed upon when the contract
is made. Under such contracts, no delivery of the actual
securities is required. Rather, upon the expiration of the
contract, settlement is made by exchanging cash in an amount
equal to the difference between the contract price and the
closing price of a security or index at expiration, net of the
variation margin that was previously paid.
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Forward Contracts. Forward contracts are two-party
contracts pursuant to which one party agrees to pay the
counterparty a fixed price for an agreed upon amount of
commodities, securities, or the cash value of the commodities,
securities or the securities index, at an agreed upon date. A
forward currency contract is an obligation to buy or sell a
specific currency at a future date, which may be any fixed
number of days from the date of the contract agreed upon by the
parties, at a price set at the time of the contract.
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Options. An option is a contract that gives the
purchaser (holder) of the option, in return for a premium, the
right to buy from (call) or sell to (put) the seller (writer) of
the option the security or currency underlying the option at a
specified exercise price at any time during the term of the
option (normally not exceeding nine months). The writer of an
option has the obligation upon exercise of the option to deliver
the underlying security or currency upon payment of the exercise
price or to pay the exercise price upon delivery of the
underlying security or currency.
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Options on Futures Contracts. An option on a futures
contract provides the holder with the right to enter into a
long position in the underlying futures contract, in
the case of a call option, or a short position in
the underlying futures contract in the case of a put option, at
a fixed exercise price to a stated expiration date. Upon
exercise of the option by the holder, the contract market
clearing house establishes a corresponding short position for
the writer of the option, in the case of a call option, or a
corresponding long position, in the case of a put option.
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Swap Agreements. A credit default swap enables an
investor to buy or sell protection against a credit event, such
as an issuers failure to make timely payments of interest
or principal, bankruptcy or restructuring. The terms of the
instrument are generally negotiated by a Fund and its swap
counterparty. In an interest rate swap, a Fund and another party
exchange the right to receive interest payments on a security or
other reference rate. The terms of the instrument are generally
negotiated by a Fund and its swap counterparty. In a total
return swap, one party agrees to pay the other party an amount
equal to the total return on a defined underlying asset or a
non-asset reference during a specified period of time. The
underlying asset might be a security or basket of securities or
a non-asset reference such as a securities index. In return, the
other party would make periodic payments based on a fixed or
variable interest rate or on a total return from a different
underlying asset or non-asset reference.
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Early
Close/Trading Halt Risk
An exchange or market may close or issue trading halts on
specific securities, or the ability to buy or sell certain
securities or financial instruments may be restricted, which may
result in a Fund being unable to buy or sell certain securities
or financial instruments. In such circumstances, a Fund may be
unable to rebalance its portfolio, may be unable to accurately
price its investments
and/or may
incur substantial trading losses.
For the Direxion Wireless Communications Shares, indirect
investments in emerging markets instruments involve greater
risks than investing in foreign instruments in general. Risks of
investing in emerging market countries include political or
social upheaval, nationalization of businesses, restrictions on
foreign ownership and prohibitions on the repatriation of
assets. There may also be risks from an economys
dependence on revenues from particular commodities or
industries. In addition, currency transfer restrictions, limited
potential buyers for such instruments, delays and disruption in
settlement procedures and illiquidity or low volumes of
transactions may make exits difficult or impossible at times.
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DIREXION FUNDS PROSPECTUS
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17
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For each Fund, investments in publicly issued equity securities
and securities that provide exposure to equity securities,
including common stocks, 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 a Fund invests will
cause the NAV of the Fund to fluctuate.
Each Fund, indirectly investing in foreign instruments may
involve greater risks than investing in domestic instruments. As
a result, a Funds returns and net asset values may be
affected to a large degree by fluctuations in currency exchange
rates, interest rates, political, diplomatic or economic
conditions and regulatory requirements in other countries. The
laws and accounting, auditing, and financial reporting standards
in foreign countries typically are not as strict as they are in
the U.S., and there may be less public information available
about foreign companies.
High Portfolio
Turnover Risk
The Funds may engage in active and frequent trading leading to
increased portfolio turnover, higher transaction costs, and the
possibility of increased capital gains, including short-term
and/or
long-term capital gains that will generally be taxable to
shareholders as ordinary income.
Some securities held by the Funds, including derivatives, may be
difficult to sell or illiquid, particularly during times of
market turmoil. Illiquid securities also may be difficult to
value. If the Fund is forced to sell an illiquid security at an
unfavorable time or at a price that is lower than
Raffertys judgment of the securitys true market
value, the Fund may be forced to sell the security at a loss.
Such a situation may prevent the Fund from limiting losses,
realizing gains or achieving a high correlation with the Index.
Each Fund is subject to market risks that can affect the value
of its shares. These risks include political, regulatory, market
and economic developments, including developments that impact
specific economic sectors, industries or segments of the market.
The Funds typically would lose value on a day when its
underlying index declines.
Each Fund is non-diversified. A non-diversified fund invests a
high percentage of its assets in a limited number of securities.
A non-diversified funds net asset values and total returns
may fluctuate more or fall greater in times of weaker markets
than a diversified mutual fund.
Each Fund is subject to the risk that a change in U.S. law and
related regulations will impact the way the Funds operate,
increase the particular costs of the Funds operations
and/or
change the competitive landscape.
Risks of
Investing in Other Investment Companies and ETFs
Investments in the securities of other investment companies and
ETFs, (which may, in turn invest in equities, bonds, and other
financial vehicles) may involve duplication of advisory fees and
certain other expenses. By investing in another investment
company or ETF, a Fund becomes a shareholder of that investment
company or ETF. As a result, Fund shareholders indirectly bear
the Funds proportionate share of the fees and expenses
paid by shareholders of the other investment company or ETF, in
addition to the fees and expenses Fund shareholders directly
bear in connection with the Funds own operations. As a
shareholder, the Fund must rely on the investment company or ETF
to achieve its investment objective. If the investment company
or ETF fails to achieve its investment objective, the value of
the Funds investment will decline, adversely affecting the
Funds performance. In addition, because ETFs are listed on
national stock exchanges and are traded like stocks listed on an
exchange, ETF shares potentially may trade at a discount or a
premium. Investments in ETFs are also subject to brokerage and
other trading costs, which could result in greater expenses to a
Fund. Finally, because the value of ETF shares depends on the
demand in the market, the Adviser may not be able to liquidate a
Funds holdings at the most optimal time, adversely
affecting the Funds performance.
Tax and
Distribution Risk
The Funds may have high portfolio turnover which causes the
Funds to generate significant amounts of taxable income. This
income is typically short-term capital gain, which is generally
treated as ordinary income when distributed to shareholders, or
short-term capital loss. The Funds rarely generate long-term
capital gain or loss. Each Fund will generally need to
distribute this income in order to satisfy certain tax
requirements. As a result of a Funds high portfolio
turnover, a Fund could make large
and/or
frequent distributions. Because each Funds asset level
changes frequently, these distributions could comprise a
substantial portion or even all of a Funds net assets if a
Fund distributes this income after a decline in its net assets.
Shareholders in
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18
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DIREXION FUNDS PROSPECTUS
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the Funds on the day of such distributions may receive
substantial distributions, which could lead to negative tax
implications for such shareholders. Potential investors are
urged to consult their own tax advisers for more detailed
information.
Rules governing the federal income tax aspects of certain
derivatives, including total return equity swaps, real
estate-related swaps, credit default swaps and other credit
derivatives are not entirely clear. Because the Funds
status as a regulated investment company might be affected if
the Internal Revenue Service did not accept the Funds
treatment of certain transactions involving derivatives, the
Funds ability to engage in these transactions may be
limited.
Each Fund may have difficulty achieving its target investment
returns due to fees and expenses, high portfolio turnover,
transaction costs,
and/or a
temporary lack of liquidity in the markets for the securities
held by the Fund. A failure to achieve its target for any period
of time may cause the Fund to provide returns for a longer
period that are worse than expected. In addition, even though
the Fund may meet its target for a period of time, this will not
necessarily produce the returns that might be expected in light
of the returns of the Index or the Funds benchmark for
that period.
The Funds value their portfolio as of the close of regular
trading on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE)
(generally 4:00 P.M. Eastern time). In some cases, foreign
market indices close before the NYSE opens or may not be open
for business on the same calendar days as the Funds. As a
result, the daily performance of certain Funds that track a
foreign market index can vary from the performance of that index.
Special Risks
of Exchange-Traded Funds
Not Individually Redeemable. Shares are not
individually redeemable and may be redeemed by a Fund at NAV
only in large blocks known as Creation Units. You may incur
brokerage costs purchasing enough Shares to constitute a
Creation Unit.
Trading Issues. Trading in Shares on an exchange may
be halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the
view of that exchange, make trading in Shares inadvisable, such
as extraordinary market volatility or other reasons. There can
be no assurance that Shares will continue to meet the listing
requirements of the Arca, and the listing requirements may be
amended from time to time.
Market Price Variance Risk. Individual Shares of a
Fund that are listed for trading on an exchange can be bought
and sold in the secondary market at market prices. The market
prices of Shares will fluctuate in response to changes in NAV
and supply and demand for Shares. The Adviser cannot predict
whether Shares will trade above, below or at their NAV.
Differences between secondary market prices and NAV for Shares
may be due largely to supply and demand forces in the secondary
market, which forces may not be the same as those influencing
prices for securities or instruments held by a Fund at a
particular time. Given the fact that Shares can be created and
redeemed in Creation Units, the Adviser believes that large
discounts or premiums to the NAV of Shares should not be
sustained. There may, however, be times when the market price
and the NAV vary significantly and you may pay more than NAV
when buying Shares on the secondary market, and you may receive
less than NAV when you sell those Shares. The market price of
Shares, like the price of any exchange-traded security, includes
a bid-ask spread charged by the exchange
specialists, market makers or other participants that trade the
particular security. In times of severe market disruption, the
bid-ask spread often increases significantly. This means that
Shares may trade at a discount to NAV and the discount is likely
to be greatest when the price of Shares is falling fastest,
which may be the time that you most want to sell your Shares. A
Funds investment results are measured based upon the NAV
of the Fund over a period of time. Investors purchasing and
selling Shares in the secondary market may not experience
investment results consistent with those experienced by those
creating and redeeming directly with a Fund. There is no
guarantee that an active secondary market will develop for
Shares of the Funds.
A Precautionary Note to Retail Investors. The
Depository Trust Company (DTC), a limited trust
company and securities depositary that serves as a national
clearinghouse for the settlement of trades for its participating
banks and broker-dealers, or its nominee will be the registered
owner of all outstanding Shares of each Fund of the Trust. Your
ownership of Shares will be shown on the records of DTC and the
DTC Participant broker through whom you hold the Shares. THE
TRUST WILL NOT HAVE ANY RECORD OF YOUR OWNERSHIP. Your
account information will be maintained by your broker, who will
provide you with account statements, confirmations of your
purchases and sales of Shares, and tax information. Your broker
also will be responsible for ensuring that you receive
shareholder reports and other communications from the Fund whose
Shares you own. Typically, you will receive other services
(e.g., average cost information) only if your broker offers
these services.
A Precautionary Note to Purchasers of Creation
Units. You should be aware of certain legal risks
unique to investors purchasing Creation Units directly from the
issuing Fund.
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DIREXION FUNDS PROSPECTUS
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19
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Because new Shares may be issued on an ongoing basis, a
distribution of Shares could be occurring at any
time. As a dealer, certain activities on your part could,
depending on the circumstances, result in your being deemed a
participant in the distribution, in a manner that could render
you a statutory underwriter and subject you to the prospectus
delivery and liability provisions of the Securities Act of 1933,
as amended (Securities Act). For example, you could
be deemed a statutory underwriter if you purchase Creation Units
from an issuing Fund, break them down into the constituent
Shares and sell those Shares directly to customers, or if you
choose 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
persons 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 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.
A Precautionary Note to Investment Companies. For
purposes of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended
(1940 Act), each Fund is a registered investment
company, and the acquisition of Shares by other investment
companies is subject to the restrictions of
Section 12(d)(1) thereof.
The Trust and the Funds have obtained an exemptive order from
the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the
SEC) allowing a registered investment company to
invest in a Fund beyond the limits of Section 12(d)(1)
subject to certain conditions, including that a registered
investment company enters into a Participation Agreement with
the Trust regarding the terms of the investment. Any investment
company considering purchasing Shares of a Fund in amounts that
would cause it to exceed the restrictions under
Section 12(d)(1) should contact the Trust.
A Precautionary Note Regarding Unusual
Circumstances. The Trust can postpone payment of
redemption proceeds for any period during which (1) the
Exchange is closed other than customary weekend and holiday
closings, (2) trading on the Exchange is restricted, as
determined by the SEC, (3) any emergency circumstances
exist, as determined by the SEC, or (4) the SEC by order
permits for the protection of shareholders of a Fund.
UNDERLYING INDEX
LICENSORS
Dow Jones Index. The Dow Jones
Automobiles & Parts Titans 30 Index is a product of
Dow Jones Indexes, a licensed trademark of CME Group Index
Services LLC (CME), and has been licensed for use.
Dow
Jones®
and the Dow Jones Indices are service marks of Dow Jones
Trademark Holdings, LLC (Dow Jones) and have been
sublicensed for use for certain purposes by Direxion
Shares ETF Trust. Direxion Shares ETF Trusts
Direxion Auto Shares is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or
promoted by CME Indexes, Dow Jones or their respective
affiliates, and CME Indexes, Dow Jones and their respective
affiliates make no representation regarding the advisability of
trading in such product.
NYSE Index. Neither the Trust nor the Funds are
sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by NYSE EURONEXT or its
affiliates (NYSE EURONEXT). NYSE EURONEXT makes no
representation or warranty regarding the advisability of
investing in securities generally, in the Funds particularly, or
the ability of the NYSE Arca Airline Index to track general
stock market performance.
NYSE EURONEXT MAKES NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, AND HEREBY
EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS
FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE WITH RESPECT TO THE NYSE INDEXES OR ANY
DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. IN NO EVENT SHALL NYSE EURONEXT HAVE ANY
LIABILITY FOR ANY SPECIAL, PUNITIVE, INDIRECT, OR CONSEQUENTIAL
DAMAGES (INCLUDING LOST PROFITS), EVEN IF NOTIFIED OF THE
POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.
HOW TO BUY AND SELL
SHARES
Each Fund issues and redeems Shares only in large blocks of
Shares called Creation Units.
Most investors will buy and sell Shares of each Fund in
secondary market transactions through brokers. Shares of each
Fund that are listed for trading on the secondary market on the
Exchange can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like
other publicly traded shares. There is no minimum investment.
Although Shares are generally purchased and sold in round
lots of 50,000 Shares, brokerage firms typically permit
investors to purchase or sell Shares in smaller
oddlots at no per-share price differential.
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20
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DIREXION FUNDS PROSPECTUS
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When buying or selling Shares through a broker, you will incur
customary brokerage commissions and charges, and you may pay
some or all of the spread between the bid and the offer price in
the secondary market on each leg of a round trip (purchase and
sale) transaction. In addition, because secondary market
transactions occur at market prices, you may pay more than NAV
when you buy Shares, and receive less than NAV when you sell
those Shares.
The Funds Exchange trading symbols are as follows:
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Fund
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Symbol
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Direxion Airline Shares
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FLYX
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Direxion Auto Shares
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DRVE
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Share prices are reported in dollars and cents per Share.
Investors may acquire Shares directly from each Fund, and
shareholders may tender their Shares for redemption directly to
each Fund, only in Creation Units, as discussed in the
Creations, Redemptions and Transaction Fees section
below. A Creation Unit consists of 50,000 Shares.
For information about acquiring Shares through a secondary
market purchase, please contact your broker. If you wish to sell
Shares of a Fund on the secondary market, you must do so through
your broker.
Book Entry. Shares are held in book-entry form,
which means that no stock certificates are issued. The DTC or
its nominee is the record owner of all outstanding Shares of the
Funds and is recognized as the owner of all Shares for all
purposes.
Investors owning Shares are beneficial owners as shown on the
records of the DTC or its participants. DTC serves as the
securities depository for all Shares. Participants in the DTC
include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies,
clearing corporations and other institutions that directly or
indirectly maintain a custodial relationship with DTC. As a
beneficial owner of Shares, you are not entitled to receive
physical delivery of stock certificates or to have Shares
registered in your name, and you are not considered a registered
owner of Shares. Therefore, to exercise any right as an owner of
Shares, you must rely upon the procedures of DTC and its
participants. These procedures are the same as those that apply
to any other stocks that you hold in book entry or street
name through your brokerage account.
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DIREXION FUNDS PROSPECTUS
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21
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ABOUT YOUR INVESTMENT
A Funds share price is known as its NAV. Each Fund
calculates its NAV as of the close of regular trading on the
NYSE, usually 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, each day the NYSE is
open for business (Business Day.) The NYSE is open
every week, Monday through Friday, except when the following
holidays are celebrated: New Years Day, Martin Luther
King, Jr. Day (the third Monday in January), Presidents
Day (the third Monday in February), Good Friday, Memorial Day
(the last Monday in May), July
4th,
Labor Day (the first Monday in September), Thanksgiving Day (the
fourth Thursday in November) and Christmas Day. The NYSE may
close early on the Business Day before each of these holidays
and on the day after Thanksgiving Day. NYSE holiday schedules
are subject to change without notice.
If the exchange or market on which a Funds investments are
primarily traded closes early, the NAV may be calculated prior
to its normal calculation time. Creation/redemption transaction
order time cutoffs would also be accelerated. The value of a
Funds assets that trade in markets outside the United
States or in currencies other than the U.S. dollar may fluctuate
when foreign markets are open but the Funds are not open for
business.
Share price is calculated by dividing a Funds net assets
by its shares outstanding. In calculating its NAV, each Fund
generally values its assets on the basis of market quotations,
last sale prices, or estimates of value furnished by a pricing
service or brokers who make markets in such instruments. If such
information is not available for a security held by the Fund, is
determined to be unreliable, or (to the Advisers
knowledge) does not reflect a significant event occurring after
the close of the market on which the security principally trades
(but before the close of trading on the NYSE), the security will
be valued at fair value estimates by the Adviser under
guidelines established by the Board of Trustees. Foreign
securities, currencies and other assets denominated in foreign
currencies are translated into U.S. dollars at the exchange rate
of such currencies against the U.S. Dollar, as provided by an
independent pricing service or reporting agency. The Funds also
rely on a pricing service in circumstances where the U.S.
securities markets exceed a pre-determined threshold to value
foreign securities held in the Funds portfolio. The
pricing service, its methodology or the threshold may change
from time to time. Debt obligations with maturities of
60 days or less are valued at amortized cost.
Fair Value Pricing. Securities are priced at a fair
value as determined by the Adviser, under the oversight of the
Board of Trustees, when reliable market quotations are not
readily available, the Funds pricing service does not
provide a valuation for such securities, the Funds pricing
service provides a valuation that in the judgment of the Adviser
does not represent fair value, the Adviser believes that the
market price is stale, or an event that affects the value of an
instrument (a Significant Event) has occurred since
closing prices were established, but before the time as of which
the Funds calculate their NAVs. Examples of Significant Events
may include: (1) events that relate to a single issuer or
to an entire market sector; (2) significant fluctuations in
domestic or foreign markets; or (3) occurrences not tied
directly to the securities markets, such as natural disasters,
armed conflicts, or significant government actions. If such
Significant Events occur, the Funds may value the instruments at
fair value, taking into account such events when it calculates
each Funds NAV. Fair value determinations are made in good
faith in accordance with procedures adopted by the Board of
Trustees. In addition, the Funds may also fair value an
instrument if trading in a particular instrument is halted and
does not resume prior to the closing of the exchange or other
market.
Attempts to determine the fair value of securities introduce an
element of subjectivity to the pricing of securities. As a
result, the price of a security determined through fair
valuation techniques may differ from the price quoted or
published by other sources and may not accurately reflect the
market value of the security when trading resumes. If a reliable
market quotation becomes available for a security formerly
valued through fair valuation techniques, Rafferty compares the
market quotation to the fair value price to evaluate the
effectiveness of the Funds fair valuation procedures and
will use that market value in the next calculation of NAV.
The Board of Trustees of the Trust has adopted a Distribution
and Service Plan (the Plan) pursuant to
Rule 12b-1
under the 1940 Act. In accordance with the Plan, each Fund is
authorized to pay an amount up to 0.25% of its average daily net
assets each year for certain distribution-related activities and
shareholder services.
No 12b-1 fees are currently paid by any Fund, and there are no
plans to impose these fees. However, in the event 12b-1 fees are
charted in the future, because the fees are paid out of each
Funds assets, over time these fees will increase the cost
of your investment and may cost you more than certain other
types of sales charges.
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22
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DIREXION FUNDS PROSPECTUS
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SHORT-TERM TRADING
Rafferty expects that some portion of the Funds assets may
come from professional money managers and investors who use the
Funds as part of asset allocation and market
timing investment strategies. These strategies often call
for frequent trading to take advantage of anticipated changes in
market conditions. Frequent trading of Fund Shares
could increase the rate of creations and redemptions of
Fund Shares and the Funds portfolio turnover, which
could involve correspondingly adverse tax consequences to a
Funds shareholders. Although the Funds reserve the right
to reject any purchase orders or suspend the offering of Shares,
the Funds do not currently impose any trading restrictions on
frequent trading nor actively monitor for trading abuses.
CREATIONS,
REDEMPTIONS AND TRANSACTION FEES
Creation Units. Investors such as market makers,
large investors and institutions who wish to deal in Creation
Units directly with a Fund must have entered into an authorized
participant agreement with the principal underwriter and the
transfer agent, or purchase through a dealer that has entered
into such an agreement. These investors are known as
Authorized Participants. Set forth below is a brief
description of the procedures applicable to the purchase and
redemption of Creation Units.
Purchase of Creation Units. To purchase Creation
Units directly from a Fund, you must deposit with the Fund a
basket of securities
and/or cash.
Each Business Day, prior to the opening of trading on the
Exchange, an agent of the Fund (Index Receipt Agent)
will make available through the NSCC a list of the names and
number of shares of each security, if any, to be included in
that days creation basket (Deposit
Securities). The identity and number of shares of the
Deposit Securities required for a Creation Unit will change from
time to time. Each Fund reserves the right to permit or require
the substitution of an amount of cash i.e., a
cash in lieu amount to be added to the
Balancing Amount (defined below) to replace any Deposit Security
that may not be available in sufficient quantity for delivery,
eligible for transfer through the clearing process (discussed
below) or the Federal Reserve System or eligible for trading by
an Authorized Participant or the investor for which it is
acting. For such custom orders, cash in lieu may be
added to the Balancing Amount (defined below). The Balancing
Amount and any cash in lieu must be paid to the
Trust on or before the third Business Day following the
Transmittal Date. You must also pay a Transaction Fee, described
below, in cash.
In addition to the in-kind deposit of securities, Authorized
Participants will either pay to, or receive from, a Fund an
amount of cash referred to as the Balancing Amount.
The Balancing Amount is the amount equal to the differential, if
any, between the market value of the Deposit Securities and the
NAV of a Creation Unit. The Fund will publish, on a daily basis,
information about the previous days Balancing Amount. The
Balancing Amount may, at times, represent a significant portion
of the aggregate purchase price (or, in the case of redemptions,
the redemption proceeds). This is because the
mark-to-market
value of the financial instruments held by the Funds will be
included in the Balancing Amount (not in the Deposit Basket or
Redemption Basket).
All purchase orders for Creation Units must be placed by or
through an Authorized Participant. Purchase orders will be
processed either through a manual clearing process run at the
DTC (Manual Clearing Process) or through an enhanced
clearing process (Enhanced Clearing Process) that is
available only to those DTC participants that also are
participants in the Continuous Net Settlement System of the
National Securities Clearing Corporation (NSCC).
Authorized Participants that do not use the Enhanced Clearing
Process will be charged a higher Transaction Fee (discussed
below). A purchase order must be received in good order by the
transfer agent by 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, whether
transmitted by mail, through the transfer agents automated
system, telephone, facsimile or other means permitted under the
Participant Agreement, in order to receive that days NAV
per Share. All other procedures set forth in the Participant
Agreement must be followed in order for you to receive the NAV
determined on that day.
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 in an amount up to 115%
of the market value of the missing Deposit Securities. Any such
transaction effected with the Trust must be effected using the
Manual Clearing Process consistent with the terms of the
Authorized Participant Agreement.
Redemption of Creation Units. Redemption proceeds
will be paid either in cash or in-kind with a basket of
securities (Redemption Securities). In most
cases, Redemption Securities will be the same as Deposit
Securities on a given day. There will be times, however, when
the Deposit and Redemption Securities differ. The
composition of the Redemption Securities will be available
through the NSCC. Each Fund reserves the right to honor a
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DIREXION FUNDS PROSPECTUS
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23
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redemption request with a non-conforming redemption basket.
If the value of a Creation Unit is higher than the value of the
Redemption Securities, you will receive from the Fund a
Balancing Amount in cash. If the value of a Creation Unit is
lower than the value of the Redemption Securities, you will
be required to pay to the Fund a Balancing Amount in cash. If
you are receiving a Balancing Amount, the amount due will be
reduced by the amount of the applicable Transaction Fee.
As with purchases, redemptions may be processed either through
the Manual Clearing Process or the Enhanced Clearing Process. A
redemption order must be received in good order by the transfer
agent by 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, whether transmitted by
mail, through the transfer agents automated system,
telephone, facsimile or other means permitted under the
Participant Agreement, in order to receive that days NAV
per Share. All other procedures set forth in the Participant
Agreement must be followed in order for you to receive the NAV
determined on that day.
An investor may request a redemption in cash, which a Fund may
in its sole discretion permit. Investors that elect to receive
cash in lieu of one or more of the Redemption Securities
are subject to an additional charge. Redemptions of Creation
Units for cash (when available)
and/or
outside of the Enhanced Clearing Process also require the
payment of an additional charge.
Transaction Fees on Creation and
Redemption Transactions. Each Fund will impose
Transaction Fees to offset transfer and other transaction costs
associated with the issuance and redemption of Creation Units.
There is a fixed and a variable component to the total
Transaction Fee on transactions in Creation Units. A fixed
Transaction Fee is applicable to each creation and redemption
transaction, regardless of the number of Creation Units
transacted. A variable Transaction Fee based upon the value of
each Creation Unit also is applicable to each redemption
transaction. Purchasers and redeemers of Creation Units of the
Funds effected through the Manual Clearing Process are required
to pay an additional charge to compensate for brokerage and
other expenses. In addition, purchasers of Creation Units are
responsible for payment of the costs of transferring the Deposit
Securities to the Trust. Redeemers of Creation Units are
responsible for the costs of transferring securities from the
Trust. Investors who use the services of a broker or other such
intermediary may pay additional fees for such services. In
addition, Rafferty may, from time to time, at its own expense,
compensate purchasers of Creation Units who have purchased
substantial amounts of Creation Units and other financial
institutions for administrative or marketing services.
The table on the next page summarizes the components of the
Transaction Fees.
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Fixed Transaction Fee
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Maximum
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Additional
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In-Kind
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Cash
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Charge for
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Purchases
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Outside
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and
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Direxion Shares ETF Trust
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NSCC
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Outside NSCC
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NSCC
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Redemptions*
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Direxion Airline Shares
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$250
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Up to 300% of NSCC Amount
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$250
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Up to 0.05%
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Direxion Auto Shares
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$250
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Up to 300% of NSCC Amount
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$250
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Up to 0.05%
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As a percentage of the amount invested.
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MANAGEMENT OF THE
FUNDS
Rafferty provides investment management services to the Funds.
Rafferty has been managing investment companies since 1997.
Rafferty is located at 33 Whitehall Street,
10th
Floor, New York, New York 10004. As of April 29, 2011, the
Adviser had approximately $8.1 billion in assets under
management.
Under an investment advisory agreement between the Trust and
Rafferty, the Funds pay Rafferty 0.35% at an annualized rate
based on a percentage of the Funds daily net assets.
A discussion regarding the basis on which the Board of Trustees
approved the investment advisory agreements for the Funds will
be available in the Trusts first annual report to
shareholders for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2011.
An investment team of Rafferty employees has the
day-to-day
responsibility for managing the Funds. The investment team
generally decides the target allocation of each Funds
investments and on a
day-to-day
basis, an individual portfolio manager executes transactions for
the Funds consistent with the target allocation. The portfolio
managers rotate among the Funds periodically so that no single
portfolio manager is responsible for a specific Fund for
extended periods of time. Paul Brigandi, each Funds
Portfolio
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DIREXION FUNDS PROSPECTUS
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Manager, is primarily responsible for the
day-to-day
management of the Funds.
Mr. Brigandi has been a Portfolio Manager at Rafferty since
June 2004. Mr. Brigandi was previously involved in the
equity trading training program for Fleet Boston Financial
Corporation from August 2002 to April 2004. Mr. Brigandi is
a 2002 graduate of Fordham University.
The Funds SAI provides additional information about the
investment team members compensation, other accounts they
manage and their ownership of securities in the Funds.
PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS
A description of the Funds policies and procedures with
respect to the disclosure of the Funds portfolio
securities is available in the Funds SAI.
OTHER SERVICE
PROVIDERS
Foreside Fund Services, LLC (Distributor)
serves as the Funds distributor. Bank of New York Mellon
serves as the Funds transfer agent, administrator,
custodian and index receipt agent. The Distributor is not
affiliated with the Adviser, Rafferty or the Funds
transfer agent.
PAYMENTS BY RAFFERTY
Rafferty may, from time to time, at its own expense, compensate
purchasers of Creation Units who have purchased substantial
amounts of Creation Units and other financial institutions for
administrative or marketing services. These payments may be made
from profits received by Rafferty from management fees paid to
Rafferty by the Funds. Such activities by Rafferty may provide
incentives to financial institutions to purchase or market
shares of the Funds. Additionally, these activities may give
Rafferty additional access to sales representatives of such
financial institutions, which may increase sales of a
Funds shares.
DISTRIBUTIONS
Fund Distributions. Each Fund pays out
dividends from its net investment income, and distributes any
net capital gains, to its shareholders at least annually. Each
Fund is authorized to declare and pay capital gain distributions
in additional Shares thereof or in cash. The Funds may have high
portfolio turnover, which will cause the Funds to generate
significant amounts of taxable income. The Funds will generally
need to distribute this income in order to satisfy certain tax
requirements. As a result of a Funds high portfolio
turnover, a Fund could make large
and/or
frequent distributions.
Dividend Reinvestment Service. Brokers may make the
DTC book-entry dividend reinvestment service (Reinvestment
Service) available to their customers who are shareholders
of a Fund. If the Reinvestment Service is used with respect to a
Fund, its distributions of both net income and capital gains
will automatically be reinvested in additional and fractional
Shares thereof purchased in the secondary market. Without the
Reinvestment Service, investors will receive Fund distributions
in cash, except as noted above under
Fund Distributions. To determine whether the
Reinvestment Service is available and whether there is a
commission or other charge for using the service, consult your
broker. Fund shareholders should be aware that brokers may
require them to adhere to specific procedures and timetables to
use the Reinvestment Service.
TAXES
As with any investment, you should consider the tax consequences
of buying, holding, and disposing of Shares. The tax information
in this Prospectus is only a general summary of some important
federal tax considerations generally affecting the Funds and
their shareholders. No attempt is made to present a complete
explanation of the
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DIREXION FUNDS PROSPECTUS
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25
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federal tax treatment of the Funds activities, and this
discussion is not intended as a substitute for careful tax
planning. Accordingly, potential investors are urged to consult
their own tax advisers for more detailed information and for
information regarding any state, local, or foreign taxes
applicable to the Funds and to an investment in Shares.
Fund distributions to you and your sale of your Shares will have
tax consequences to you unless you hold your Shares through a
tax-exempt entity or tax-deferred retirement arrangement, such
as an individual retirement account or 401(k) plan.
Each Fund intends to qualify each year for taxation as a
regulated investment company. If a Fund so qualifies
and satisfies certain distribution requirements, the Fund will
not be subject to federal income tax on income distributed in a
timely manner to its shareholders in the form of dividends or
capital gain distributions.
Taxes on Distributions. Dividends from a Funds
investment company taxable income generally, the sum
of net investment income, the excess of net short-term capital
gain over net long-term capital loss, and net gains from certain
foreign currency transactions, if any, all determined without
regard to any deduction for dividends paid will be
taxable to you as ordinary income to the extent of its earnings
and profits, whether they are paid in cash or reinvested in
additional Shares. However, dividends a Fund pays to you through
2012 that are attributable to its qualified dividend
income (i.e., dividends it receives on stock of
most domestic and certain foreign corporations with respect to
which it satisfies certain holding period and other
restrictions) generally will be subject to federal income tax at
a maximum of 15% if you are an individual, trust, or estate and
satisfy those restrictions with respect to your Shares. A
portion of a Funds dividends also may be eligible for the
dividends-received deduction allowed to corporations
the eligible portion may not exceed the aggregate dividends the
Fund receives from domestic corporations subject to federal
income tax (excluding real estate investment trusts) and
excludes dividends from foreign corporations subject
to similar restrictions. However, dividends a corporate
shareholder deducts pursuant to that deduction are subject
indirectly to the federal alternative minimum tax.
Distributions of a Funds net capital gain (which is the
excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital
loss) that it recognizes on sales or exchanges of capital assets
through its last taxable year beginning before January 1,
2013, will be taxable to you as long-term capital gains, at a
maximum rate of 15% if you are an individual, trust, or estate,
regardless of your holding period for the Shares on which they
are paid and regardless of whether they are paid in cash or
reinvested in additional Shares. A Funds capital gain
distributions may vary considerably from one year to the next as
a result of its investment activities and cash flows and the
performance of the markets in which it invests.
Distributions in excess of a Funds current and accumulated
earnings and profits first will reduce your adjusted tax basis
in your Shares and, after that basis is reduced to zero, will
constitute capital gain. That capital gain will be long-term
capital gain, and thus will be taxed at a maximum rate of 15%
(if you are an individual, trust, or estate) through 2012, if
the distributions are attributable to Shares you held for more
than one year.
In general, distributions are subject to federal income tax for
the year when they are paid. However, certain distributions paid
in January may be treated as paid on December 31 of the prior
year.
Because of the possibility of high portfolio turnover, the Funds
may generate significant amounts of taxable income. Accordingly,
the Funds may need to make large
and/or
frequent distributions. A substantial portion of this income is
typically short-term capital gain or loss which will generally
be treated as ordinary income when distributed to shareholders.
Fund distributions to tax-deferred or qualified plans, such as
an IRA, retirement plan or pension plan, generally will not be
taxable. However, distributions from such plans will be taxable
to the individual participant notwithstanding the character of
the income earned by the qualified plan. Please consult a tax
advisor for a more complete explanation of the federal, state,
local and foreign tax consequences of investing in a Fund
through such a plan.
Taxes When Shares are Sold. Generally, you will
recognize taxable gain or loss if you sell or otherwise dispose
of your Shares. Any gain arising from such a disposition
generally will be treated as long-term capital gain if you held
the Shares for more than one year, taxable at the maximum 15%
rate mentioned above if you are an individual, trust, or estate;
otherwise, it will be treated as short-term capital gain.
However, any capital loss arising from the disposition of Shares
held for six months or less will be treated as long-term capital
loss to the extent of capital gain distributions received with
respect to those Shares. In addition, all or a portion of any
loss recognized on a sale or exchange of Shares will be
disallowed to the extent other Shares of the same Fund are
purchased (whether through reinvestment of distributions or
otherwise) within a period of 61 days beginning
30 days before and ending 30 days after the date of
the sale or exchange; in that event, the basis in the newly
purchased Shares will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss.
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26
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DIREXION FUNDS PROSPECTUS
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Holders of Creation Units. A person who purchases
Shares of a Fund by exchanging securities for a Creation Unit
generally will recognize capital gain or loss equal to the
difference between the market value of the Creation Unit and the
persons aggregate basis in the exchanged securities,
adjusted for any Balancing Amount paid or received. A
shareholder who redeems a Creation Unit generally will recognize
gain or loss to the same extent and in the same manner as
described above under Taxes When Shares are Sold.
Miscellaneous. A Fund must withhold and remit to the
U.S. Treasury 28% of dividends and capital gain distributions
otherwise payable to any individual or certain other
non-corporate shareholder who fails to certify that the social
security or other taxpayer identification number furnished to
the Fund is correct or who furnishes an incorrect number
(together with the withholding described in the next sentence,
backup withholding). Withholding at that rate also
is required from a Funds dividends and capital gain
distributions otherwise payable to such a shareholder who is
subject to backup withholding for any other reason. Backup
withholding is not an additional tax, and any amounts so
withheld may be credited against a shareholders federal
income tax liability or refunded.
You may also be subject to state and local taxes on Fund
distributions and dispositions of Shares.
Non-U.S.
Shareholders. A
non-U.S.
shareholder is an investor that, for Federal income tax
purposes, is a nonresident alien individual, a foreign
corporation or a foreign estate or trust. Except where discussed
otherwise, this disclosure assumes that a
non-U.S.
shareholders ownership of Shares in a Fund is not
effectively connected with a trade or business conducted by such
non-U.S.
shareholder in the United States. This disclosure does not
address
non-U.S.
shareholders who are present in the United States for
183 days or more during the taxable year. Such shareholders
should consult their tax advisors with respect to the particular
tax consequences to them of an investment in a Fund. The tax
consequences to a
non-U.S.
shareholder entitled to claim the benefits of an applicable tax
treaty may be different from those described herein.
Non-U.S.
shareholders should consult their tax advisors with respect to
the particular tax consequences to them of an investment in a
Fund.
Dividends paid by a Fund to
non-U.S.
shareholders will be subject to withholding tax at a 30% rate or
a reduced rate specified by an applicable income tax treaty to
the extent derived from investment income (other than
qualified interest income or short-term
capital gains, as described below). In order to obtain a
reduced rate of withholding, a
non-U.S.
shareholder will be required to provide an Internal Revenue
Service (IRS)
Form W-8BEN
(or substitute form) certifying its entitlement to benefits
under a treaty. The withholding tax does not apply to regular
dividends paid to a
non-U.S.
shareholder who provides an IRS
Form W-8ECI,
certifying that the dividends are effectively connected with the
non-U.S.
shareholders conduct of a trade or business within the
United States. Instead, the effectively connected dividends will
be subject to regular U.S. income tax as if the
non-U.S.
shareholder were a U.S. shareholder. A
non-U.S.
corporations earnings and profits attributable to such
dividends may also be subject to additional branch profits
tax imposed at a rate of 30% (or lower treaty rate).
In general, Federal income tax will not apply to gain realized
on the sale or other disposition of shares of a Fund or to any
Fund distributions designated as capital gain dividends,
short-term capital gain dividends, or interest-related dividends.
The exemption for short-term capital gain dividends and
interest-related dividends applies only with respect to a Fund
taxable year ending on or before October 31, 2012, unless
legislation is enacted extending this exemption to later taxable
years. Short-term capital gain dividends are
dividends that are attributable to short-term capital gain
realized by the Fund (generally, the excess of a Funds net
short-term capital gain over long-term capital loss for such
taxable year, computed with certain adjustments).
Interest-related dividends are dividends that are
attributable to certain original discount, interest on
obligations in registered form (with certain exceptions),
interest on deposits derived from U.S. sources and any
interest-related dividend from another regulated investment
company, reduced by expenses that are allocable to such income.
Depending on its circumstances, a Fund may designate all, some
or none of its potentially eligible dividends as short-term
capital gain dividends and interest-related dividends
and/or treat
such dividends, in whole or in part, as ineligible for this
exemption from withholding.
In order to qualify for this exemption from withholding, a
non-U.S.
shareholder will need to comply with applicable certification
requirements relating to its
non-U.S.
status (including, in general, furnishing an IRS
Form W-8BEN
or substitute form). In the case of shares held through an
intermediary, the intermediary may withhold even if a Fund
designates the payment as a short-term capital gain dividend or
an interest-related dividend.
Non-U.S.
shareholders should contact their intermediaries with respect to
the application of these rules to their accounts.
A non-U.S.
shareholder who fails to provide an IRS
Form W-8BEN
or other applicable form may be subject to backup withholding at
the appropriate rate. See the discussion of backup withholding
under Miscellaneous above.
More information about taxes is in the Funds SAI.
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DIREXION FUNDS PROSPECTUS
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FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
The Funds are newly organized and therefore have not yet had
performance for a complete calendar year.
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DIREXION FUNDS PROSPECTUS
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PROSPECTUS
33 Whitehall Street, 10th
Floor New
York, New York
10004 866-476-7523
Statement of Additional Information
(SAI):
The Funds SAI contains more information on the Funds and
their investment policies. The SAI is incorporated in this
Prospectus by reference (meaning it is legally part of this
Prospectus). A current SAI is on file with the Securities and
Exchange Commission (SEC).
Annual and Semi-Annual Reports to Shareholders:
The Funds reports will provide additional information on
the Funds investment holdings, performance data and a
letter discussing the market conditions and investment
strategies that significantly affected the Funds
performance during that period.
To Obtain the SAI or Fund Reports Free of
Charge:
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Write to:
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Direxion Shares ETF Trust
33 Whitehall Street, 10th Floor
New York, New York 10004
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Call:
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866-476-7523
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By Internet:
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www.direxionshares.com
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These documents and other information about the Funds can be
reviewed and copied at the SEC Public Reference Room in
Washington, D.C. Information on the operation of the Public
Reference Room may be obtained by calling the SEC at
(202) 551-8090.
Reports and other information about the Funds may be viewed on
screen or downloaded from the EDGAR Database on the SECs
website at http://www.sec.gov. Copies of these documents may be
obtained, after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic request
at the following
e-mail
address: publicinfo@sec.gov, or by writing the SECs Public
Reference Section, Washington, D.C.
20549-0102.
SEC File Number:
811-22201
DIREXION SHARES ETF TRUST
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
33 Whitehall Street, 10th Floor
New York, New York 10004
866-476-7523
The Direxion Shares ETF Trust (Trust) is an investment company that offers shares of a variety of
exchange-traded funds (each a Fund and collectively, the Funds) to the public. The shares of
the Funds (Shares) offered in this Statement of Additional Information (SAI) trade, or will
trade, on the NYSE Arca, Inc. This SAI relates to the Funds listed below.
Sector Funds
Direxion Airline Shares (FLYX)
Direxion Auto Shares (DRVE)
February 28, 2011
(As Supplemented May 26, 2011)
This SAI, as dated above, is not a prospectus. It should be read in conjunction with the Funds
Prospectus dated February 28, 2011, as supplemented May 26, 2011. This SAI is incorporated
herein by reference into the Funds Prospectus. In other words, it is legally part of the Funds
Prospectus. To receive a copy of the Prospectus, without charge, write or call the Trust at the
address or telephone number listed above.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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THE DIREXION SHARES ETF TRUST |
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CLASSIFICATION OF THE FUNDS |
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EXCHANGE LISTING AND TRADING |
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INVESTMENT POLICIES AND TECHNIQUES |
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4 |
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Bank Obligations |
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4 |
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Caps, Floors and Collars |
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5 |
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Corporate Debt Securities |
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5 |
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Depositary Receipts |
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6 |
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Equity Securities |
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6 |
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Foreign Currencies |
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7 |
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Foreign Securities |
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10 |
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Hybrid Instruments |
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11 |
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Illiquid Investments and Restricted Securities |
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11 |
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Indexed Securities |
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12 |
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Total Return Swaps |
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12 |
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Options, Futures and Other Strategies |
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12 |
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Other Investment Companies |
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18 |
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Payment-In-Kind Securities and Strips |
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18 |
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Repurchase Agreements |
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18 |
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Reverse Repurchase Agreements |
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19 |
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Short Sales |
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19 |
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Swap Agreements |
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19 |
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U.S. Government Sponsored Enterprises (GSE) |
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20 |
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U.S. Government Securities |
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21 |
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When-Issued Securities |
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22 |
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Other Investment Risks and Practices |
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22 |
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Risk of Tracking Error |
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23 |
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INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS |
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23 |
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PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS AND BROKERAGE |
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24 |
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PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS INFORMATION |
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25 |
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MANAGEMENT OF THE TRUST |
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26 |
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The Board of Trustees |
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26 |
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Risk Oversight |
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26 |
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Board Structure and Related Matters |
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27 |
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Board Committees |
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29 |
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Principal Officers of the Trust |
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29 |
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Principal Shareholders, Control Persons and Management Ownership |
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31 |
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Investment Adviser |
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31 |
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Portfolio Managers |
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32 |
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Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures |
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33 |
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Fund Administrator, Index Receipt Agent, Fund Accounting Agent, Transfer Agent and Custodian |
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33 |
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Distributor |
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33 |
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Distribution and Service Plan |
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34 |
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Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm |
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34 |
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Legal Counsel |
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34 |
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DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE |
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34 |
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONCERNING SHARES |
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35 |
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Organization and Description of Shares of Beneficial Interest |
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35 |
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Book Entry Only System |
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36 |
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PURCHASES AND REDEMPTIONS |
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37 |
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i
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Page |
Purchase and Issuance of Creation Units |
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37 |
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Purchases through the Clearing Process |
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38 |
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Purchases Through the Manual Clearing Process |
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39 |
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Rejection of Purchase Orders |
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39 |
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Redemption of Creation Units |
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40 |
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Placement of Redemption Orders Using Enhanced Clearing Process |
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40 |
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Placement of Redemption Orders Outside Clearing Process |
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40 |
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Transaction Fees |
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44 |
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Continuous Offering |
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44 |
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DIVIDENDS, OTHER DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAXES |
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45 |
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Dividends and other Distributions |
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45 |
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Taxes |
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45 |
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FINANCIAL STATEMENTS |
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49 |
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APPENDIX A: DESCRIPTION OF CORPORATE BOND RATINGS |
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A-1 |
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APPENDIX B: PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES |
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B-1 |
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ii
THE DIREXION SHARES ETF TRUST
The Trust is a Delaware statutory trust organized on April 23, 2008 and is registered with the
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as an open-end management investment company under the
Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (1940 Act). The Trust currently consists of 114
separate series or Funds.
The Funds seek to provide investment results, before fees and expenses, which correspond to the
performance of a particular index or benchmark.
Each Fund issues and redeems Shares only in large blocks of Shares called Creation Units. Most
investors will buy and sell Shares of each Fund in secondary market transactions through brokers.
Shares of certain of the Funds are listed for trading on the secondary market on an exchange.
Shares can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like other publicly traded shares. There
is no minimum investment. Although Shares are generally purchased and sold in round lots of 100
Shares, brokerage firms typically permit investors to purchase or sell Shares in smaller odd
lots, at no per-share price differential. Investors may acquire Shares directly from each Fund,
and shareholder may tender their Shares for redemption directly to each Fund, only in Creation
Units of 50,000 Shares, as discussed in the Purchases and Redemptions section below.
The Funds offered in this SAI trade, or will trade, on the NYSE Arca, Inc. (the Exchange).
CLASSIFICATION OF THE FUNDS
Each Fund is a non-diversified series of the Trust pursuant to the 1940 Act. A Fund is
considered non-diversified because a relatively high percentage of its assets may be invested in
the securities of a limited number of issuers. To the extent that a Fund assumes large positions
in the securities of a small number of issuers, the Funds net asset value (NAV) may fluctuate to
a greater extent than that of a diversified company as a result of changes in the financial
condition or in the markets assessment of the issuers, and the Fund may be more susceptible to any
single economic, political or regulatory occurrence than a diversified company.
Each Funds classification as a non-diversified series means that the proportion of its assets
that may be invested in the securities of a single issuer is not limited by the 1940 Act. Each
Fund, however, intends to meet certain tax-related diversification standards at the end of each
quarter of its taxable year.
EXCHANGE LISTING AND TRADING
The Shares of certain of the Funds will be listed on an Exchange. If the Shares (which are
redeemable only when aggregated in Creation Units) trade on an Exchange, they may trade at prices
that differ to some degree from their net asset value. There can be no assurance that the
requirements of an Exchange necessary to maintain the listing of Shares of each Fund will continue
to be met. An Exchange may, but is not required to, remove the Shares of a Fund from listing if
(i) following the initial 12-month period beginning at the commencement of trading of a Fund, there
are fewer than 50 beneficial owners of the Shares of the Fund for 30 or more consecutive trading
days; (ii) the value of the Underlying Index is no longer calculated or available; or (iii) such
other event shall occur or condition exist that, in the opinion of an Exchange, makes further
dealings on the Exchange inadvisable. An Exchange will remove the Shares of a Fund from listing
and trading upon termination of such Fund.
As is the case of other stocks traded on each Exchange, brokers commissions on transactions will
be based on negotiated commission rates at customary levels. The Trust reserves the right to
adjust the price levels of the Shares in the future to help 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 a Fund.
The trading prices of each Funds shares in the secondary market generally differ from each Funds
daily NAV per share and are affected by market forces such as supply and demand, economic
conditions and other factors. Rafferty Asset Management, LLC (Rafferty or Adviser) may, from
time to time, make payments to certain market makers in the Trusts shares. Information regarding
the intraday value of shares of each Fund, also known as the indicative optimized portfolio value
(IOPV), is disseminated every 15 seconds throughout the trading day by the national securities
exchange on which a Fund is listed or by market data vendors or other information providers.
3
The IOPV is based on the current market value of the securities and cash required to be deposited
in exchange for a Creation Unit. The IOPV does not necessarily reflect the precise composition of
the current portfolio of securities held by a Fund as a particular point in time, nor the best
possible valuation of the current portfolio. Therefore, the IOPV should not be viewed as a
real-time update of the NAV, which is computed only once a day. The IOPV is generally determined
by using both current market quotations and/or price quotations obtained from broker-dealers that
may trade in the portfolio securities held by the Funds. The quotations of certain Fund holdings
may not be updated during U.S. trading hours is such holdings do not trade in the U.S. The Funds
are not involved in, nor responsible for, the calculation or dissemination of the IOPV and make no
representations or warranty as to its accuracy.
INVESTMENT POLICIES AND TECHNIQUES
The Funds generally invest at least 80% of their net assets (plus any borrowings
for investment purposes) in the securities of an index and/or: futures contracts; options on securities, indices and futures contracts;
equity caps, collars and floors; swap agreements; forward contracts; short positions, reverse repurchase agreements; and other financial
instruments (collectively, Financial Instruments). The Funds also generally hold short-term debt instruments that have terms-to-maturity
of less than 397 days and exhibit high quality credit profiles, including U.S. government securities and repurchase agreements
(collectively, Money Market Instruments). In particular, the Funds below seek to track the following investment indices or
benchmarks:
|
|
|
Fund
|
|
Index or Benchmark |
Direxion Airline Shares
|
|
NYSE Arca Airline Index |
Direxion Auto Shares
|
|
Dow Jones Automobiles & Parts Titans 30 Index |
With the exception of limitations described in the Investment Restrictions section below,
each Fund may engage in the investment strategies discussed below. There is no assurance that any
of these strategies or any other strategies and methods of investment available to a Fund will
result in the achievement of the Funds objective.
This section provides a description of the securities in which a Fund may invest to achieve its
investment objective, the strategies it may employ and the corresponding risks of such securities
and strategies. The greatest risk of investing in an exchange-traded fund is that its returns will
fluctuate and you could lose money. Recent events in the financial sector have resulted, and may
continue to result, in an unusually high degree of volatility in the financial markets. Both
domestic and foreign equity markets could experience increased volatility and turmoil, with issuers
that have exposure to the real estate, mortgage and credit markets particularly affected, and it is
uncertain whether or for how long these conditions could continue. The U.S. government has already
taken a number of unprecedented actions designed to support certain financial institutions and
segments of the financial markets that have experienced extreme volatility, and in some cases a
lack of liquidity.
Reduced liquidity in equity, credit and fixed-income markets may adversely affect many issuers
worldwide. This reduced liquidity may result in less money being available to purchase raw
materials, goods and services from emerging markets, which may, in turn, bring down the prices of
these economic staples. It may also result in emerging market issuers having more difficulty
obtaining financing, which may, in turn, cause a decline in their stock prices. These events and
possible continued market turbulence may have an adverse effect on the Funds.
Bank Obligations
Money Market Instruments. The Funds may invest in bankers acceptances, certificates of
deposit, demand and time deposits, savings shares and commercial paper of domestic banks and
savings and loans that have assets of at least $1 billion and capital, surplus, and undivided
profits of over $100 million as of the close of their most recent fiscal year, or instruments that
are insured by the Bank Insurance Fund or the Savings Institution Insurance Fund of the Federal
Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). The Funds also may invest in high quality, short-term,
corporate debt obligations, including variable rate demand notes, having a maturity of one year or
less. Because there is no secondary trading market in demand notes, the inability of the issuer to
make required payments could impact adversely a Funds ability to resell when it deems advisable to
do so.
4
A Fund may invest in foreign money market instruments, which typically involve more risk that
investing in U.S. money market instruments. See Foreign Securities below. These risks include,
among others, higher brokerage commissions, less public information, and less liquid markets in
which to sell and meet large shareholder redemption requests.
Bankers Acceptances. Bankers acceptances generally are negotiable instruments (time
drafts) drawn to finance the export, import, domestic shipment or storage of goods. They are
termed accepted when a bank writes on the draft its agreement to pay it at maturity, using the
word accepted. The bank is, in effect, unconditionally guaranteeing to pay the face value of the
instrument on its maturity date. The acceptance may then be held by the accepting bank as an
asset, or it may be sold in the secondary market at the going rate of interest for a specified
maturity.
Certificates of Deposit (CDs). The FDIC is an agency of the U.S. government that insures
the deposits of certain banks and savings and loan associations up to $100,000 per deposit. The
interest on such deposits may not be insured to the extent this limit is exceeded. Current federal
regulations also permit such institutions to issue insured negotiable CDs in amounts of $100,000 or
more without regard to the interest rate ceilings on other deposits. To remain fully insured,
these investments must be limited to $100,000 per insured bank or savings and loan association.
Commercial Paper. Commercial paper includes notes, drafts or similar instruments payable
on demand or having a maturity at the time of issuance not exceeding nine months, exclusive of days
of grace or any renewal thereof. A Fund may invest in commercial paper rated A-l or A-2 by
Standard & Poors® Ratings Services (S&P®) or Prime-1 or Prime-2 by Moodys
Investors Service®, Inc. (Moodys), and in other lower quality commercial
paper.
Caps, Floors and Collars
The Funds may enter into caps, floors and collars relating to securities, interest rates or
currencies. In a cap or floor, the buyer pays a premium (which is generally, but not always a
single up-front amount) for the right to receive payments from the other party if, on specified
payment dates, the applicable rate, index or asset is greater than (in the case of a cap) or less
than (in the case of a floor) an agreed level, for the period involved and the applicable notional
amount. A collar is a combination instrument in which the same party buys a cap and sells a floor.
Depending upon the terms of the cap and floor comprising the collar, the premiums will partially
or entirely offset each other. The notional amount of a cap, collar or floor is used to calculate
payments, but is not itself exchanged. The Funds may be both buyers and sellers of these
instruments. In addition, the Funds may engage in combinations of put and call options on
securities (also commonly known as collars), which may involve physical delivery of securities.
Like swaps, caps, floors and collars are very flexible products. The terms of the transactions
entered by the Funds may vary from the typical examples described here.
Corporate Debt Securities
A Fund may invest in investment grade corporate debt securities of any rating or maturity.
Investment grade corporate bonds are those rated BBB or better by S&P® or Baa or better
by Moodys. Securities rated BBB by S&P® are considered investment grade, but Moodys
considers securities rated Baa to have speculative characteristics. See Appendix A for a
description of corporate bond ratings. A Fund may also invest in unrated securities.
Corporate debt securities are fixed-income securities issued by businesses to finance their
operations, although corporate debt instruments may also include bank loans to companies. Notes,
bonds, debentures and commercial paper are the most common types of corporate debt securities, with
the primary difference being their maturities and secured or un-secured status. Commercial paper
has the shortest term and is usually unsecured.
The broad category of corporate debt securities includes debt issued by domestic or foreign
companies of all kinds, including those with small-, mid- and large-capitalizations. Corporate
debt may be rated investment-grade or below investment-grade and may carry variable or floating
rates of interest.
Because of the wide range of types, and maturities, of corporate debt securities, as well as the
range of creditworthiness of its issuers, corporate debt securities have widely varying potentials
for return and risk profiles. For example, commercial paper issued by a large established domestic
corporation that is rated investment-grade
5
may have a modest return on principal, but carries relatively limited risk. On the other hand, a
long-term corporate note issued by a small foreign corporation from an emerging market country that
has not been rated may have the potential for relatively large returns on principal, but carries a
relatively high degree of risk.
Corporate debt securities carry both credit risk and interest rate risk. Credit risk is the risk
that a Fund could lose money if the issuer of a corporate debt security is unable to pay interest
or repay principal when it is due. Some corporate debt securities that are rated below
investment-grade are generally considered speculative because they present a greater risk of loss,
including default, than higher quality debt securities. The credit risk of a particular issuers
debt security may vary based on its priority for repayment. For example, higher ranking (senior)
debt securities have a higher priority than lower ranking (subordinated) securities. This means
that the issuer might not make payments on subordinated securities while continuing to make
payments on senior securities. In addition, in the event of bankruptcy, holders of higher-ranking
senior securities may receive amounts otherwise payable to the holders of more junior securities.
Interest rate risk is the risk that the value of certain corporate debt securities will tend to
fall when interest rates rise. In general, corporate debt securities with longer terms tend to
fall more in value when interest rates rise than corporate debt securities with shorter terms.
Depositary Receipts
To the extent a Fund invests in stocks of foreign corporations, a Funds investment in such stocks
may also be in the form of depositary receipts or other securities convertible into securities of
foreign issuers. Depositary receipts may not necessarily be denominated in the same currency as
the underlying securities into which they may be converted. American Depositary Receipts (ADRs)
are receipts typically issued by an American bank or trust company that evidence ownership of
underlying securities issued by a foreign corporation. European Depositary Receipts (EDRs) are
receipts issued in Europe that evidence a similar ownership arrangement. Global Depositary
Receipts (GDRs) are receipts issued throughout the world that evidence a similar arrangement.
Generally, ADRs, in registered form, are designed for use in the U.S. securities markets, and EDRs,
in bearer form, are designed for use in European securities markets. GDRs are tradable both in the
United States and in Europe and are designed for use throughout the world. Depositary receipts
will not necessarily be denominated in the same currency as their underlying securities.
Depositary receipts may be purchased through sponsored or unsponsored facilities. A sponsored
facility is established jointly by the issuer of the underlying security and a depositary, whereas
a depositary may establish an unsponsored facility without participation by the issuer of the
depositary security. Holders of unsponsored depositary receipts generally bear all the costs of
such facilities and the depositary of an unsponsored facility frequently is under no obligation to
distribute shareholder communications received from the issuer of the deposited security or to pass
through voting rights to the holders of such receipts of the deposited securities.
Fund investments in depositary receipts, which include ADRs, GDRs and EDRs, are deemed to be
investments in foreign securities for purposes of a Funds investment strategy.
Equity Securities
Common Stocks. A Fund may invest in common stocks. Common stocks represent the residual
ownership interest in the issuer and are entitled to the income and increase in the value of the
assets and business of the entity after all of its obligations and preferred stock are satisfied.
Common stocks generally have voting rights. Common stocks fluctuate in price in response to many
factors including historical and prospective earnings of the issuer, the value of its assets,
general economic conditions, interest rates, investor perceptions and market liquidity.
Convertible Securities. A Fund may invest in convertible securities that may be considered
high yield securities. Convertible securities include corporate bonds, notes and preferred stock
that can be converted into or exchanged for a prescribed amount of common stock of the same or a
different issue within a particular period of time at a specified price or formula. A convertible
security entitles the holder to receive interest paid or accrued on debt or dividends paid on
preferred stock until the convertible stock matures or is redeemed, converted or exchanged. While
no securities investment is without some risk, investments in convertible securities generally
entail less risk than the issuers common stock, although the extent to which such risk is reduced
depends in large measure upon the degree to which the convertible security sells above its value as
a fixed income security. The market value of convertible securities tends to
6
decline as interest rates increase and, conversely, to increase as interest rates decline. While
convertible securities generally offer lower interest or dividend yields than nonconvertible debt
securities of similar quality, they do enable the investor to benefit from increases in the market
price of the underlying common stock. When investing in convertible securities, a Fund may invest
in the lowest credit rating category.
Preferred Stock. A Fund may invest in preferred stock. A preferred stock blends the
characteristics of a bond and common stock. It can offer the higher yield of a bond and has
priority over common stock in equity ownership, but does not have the seniority of a bond and its
participation in the issuers growth may be limited. Preferred stock has preference over common
stock in the receipt of dividends and in any residual assets after payment to creditors if the
issuer is dissolved. Although the dividend is set at a fixed annual rate, in some circumstances it
can be changed or omitted by the issuer. When investing in preferred stocks, a Fund may invest in
the lowest credit rating category.
Warrants and Rights. A Fund may purchase warrants and rights, which are instruments that
permit a Fund to acquire, by subscription, the capital stock of a corporation at a set price,
regardless of the market price for such stock. Warrants may be either perpetual or of limited
duration, but they usually do not have voting rights or pay dividends. The market price of
warrants is usually significantly less than the current price of the underlying stock. Thus, there
is a greater risk that warrants might drop in value at a faster rate than the underlying stock.
Foreign Currencies
A Fund may invest directly and indirectly in foreign currencies. Investments in foreign currencies
are subject to numerous risks not least being the fluctuation of foreign currency exchange rates
with respect to the U.S. dollar. Exchange rates fluctuate for a number of reasons.
Inflation. Exchange rates change to reflect changes in a currencys buying power.
Different countries experience different inflation rates due to different monetary and fiscal
policies, different product and labor market conditions, and a host of other factors.
Trade Deficits. Countries with trade deficits tend to experience a depreciating currency.
Inflation may be the cause of a trade deficit, making a countrys goods more expensive and less
competitive and so reducing demand for its currency.
Interest Rates. High interest rates may raise currency values in the short term by making
such currencies more attractive to investors. However, since high interest rates are often the
result of high inflation, long-term results may be the opposite.
Budget Deficits and Low Savings Rates. Countries that run large budget deficits and save
little of their national income tend to suffer a depreciating currency because they are forced to
borrow abroad to finance their deficits. Payments of interest on this debt can inundate the
currency markets with the currency of the debtor nation. Budget deficits also can indirectly
contribute to currency depreciation if a government chooses inflationary measure to cope with its
deficits and debt.
Political Factors. Political instability in a country can cause a currency to depreciate.
Demand for a certain currency may fall if a country appears a less desirable place in which to
invest and do business.
Government Control. Through their own buying and selling of currencies, the worlds
central banks sometimes manipulate exchange rate movements. In addition, governments occasionally
issue statements to influence peoples expectations about the direction of exchange rates, or they
may instigate policies with an exchange rate target as the goal.
The value of a Funds investments is calculated in U.S. dollars each day that the New York Stock
Exchange is open for business. As a result, to the extent that a Funds assets are invested in
instruments denominated in foreign currencies and the currencies appreciate relative to the U.S.
dollar, a Funds NAV per share as expressed in U.S. dollars (and, therefore, the value of your
investment) should increase. If the U.S. dollar appreciates relative to the other currencies, the
opposite should occur.
7
The currency-related gains and losses experienced by a Fund will be based on changes in the value
of portfolio securities attributable to currency fluctuations only in relation to the original
purchase price of such securities as stated in U.S. dollars. Gains or losses on shares of a Fund
will be based on changes attributable to fluctuations in the NAV of such shares, expressed in U.S.
dollars, in relation to the original U.S. dollar purchase price of the shares. The amount of
appreciation or depreciation in a Funds assets also will be affected by the net investment income
generated by the money market instruments in which each Fund invests and by changes in the value of
the securities that are unrelated to changes in currency exchange rates.
A Fund may incur currency exchange costs when it sells instruments denominated in one currency and
buy instruments denominated in another.
Currency Transactions. A Fund conducts currency exchange transactions on a spot basis.
Currency transactions made on a spot basis are for cash at the spot rate prevailing in the currency
exchange market for buying or selling currency. A Fund also enters into forward currency
contracts. See Options, Futures and Other Strategies below. A forward currency contract is an
obligation to buy or sell a specific currency at a future date, which may be any fixed number of
days from the date of the contract agreed upon by the parties, at a price set at the time of the
contract. These contracts are entered into on the interbank market conducted directly between
currency traders (usually large commercial banks) and their customers.
A Fund may invest in a combination of forward currency contracts and U.S. dollar-denominated market
instruments in an attempt to obtain an investment result that is substantially the same as a direct
investment in a foreign currency-denominated instrument. This investment technique creates a
synthetic position in the particular foreign-currency instrument whose performance the Adviser is
trying to duplicate. For example, the combination of U.S. dollar-denominated instruments with
long forward currency exchange contracts creates a position economically equivalent to a money
market instrument denominated in the foreign currency itself. Such combined positions are
sometimes necessary when the money market in a particular foreign currency is small or relatively
illiquid.
A Fund may invest in forward currency contracts to hedge either specific transactions (transaction
hedging) or portfolio positions (position hedging). Transaction hedging is the purchase or sale of
forward currency contracts with respect to specific receivables or payables of a Fund in connection
with the purchase and sale of portfolio securities. Position hedging is the sale of a forward
currency contract on a particular currency with respect to portfolio positions denominated or
quoted in that currency.
A Fund may use forward currency contracts for position hedging if consistent with its policy of
trying to expose its net assets to foreign currencies. A Fund is not required to enter into
forward currency contracts for hedging purposes and it is possible that a Fund may not be able to
hedge against a currency devaluation that is so generally anticipated that a Fund is unable to
contract to sell the currency at a price above the devaluation level it anticipates. It also is
possible, under certain circumstances, that a Fund may have to limit its currency transactions to
qualify as a regulated investment company under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended
(Code). See Dividends, Other Distributions and Taxes.
A Fund currently does not intend to enter into a forward currency contract with a term of more than
one year, or to engage in position hedging with respect to the currency of a particular country to
more than the aggregate market value (at the time the hedging transaction is entered into) of its
portfolio securities denominated in (or quoted in or currently convertible into or directly related
through the use of forward currency contracts in conjunction with money market instruments to) that
particular currency.
At or before the maturity of a forward currency contract, a Fund may either sell a portfolio
security and make delivery of the currency, or retain the security and terminate its contractual
obligation to deliver the currency by buying an offsetting contract obligating it to buy, on the
same maturity date, the same amount of the currency. If a Fund engages in an offsetting
transaction, it may later enter into a new forward currency contract to sell the currency.
If a Fund engages in an offsetting transaction, it will incur a gain or loss to the extent that
there has been movement in forward currency contract prices. If forward prices go down during the
period between the date a Fund enters into
8
a forward currency contract for the sale of a currency and the date it enters into an offsetting
contract for the purchase of the currency, a Fund will realize a gain to the extent that the price
of the currency it has agreed to sell exceeds the price of the currency it has agreed to buy. If
forward prices go up, a Fund will suffer a loss to the extent the price of the currency it has
agreed to buy exceeds the price of the currency it has agreed to sell.
Since a Fund invests in money market instruments denominated in foreign currencies, it may hold
foreign currencies pending investment or conversion into U.S. dollars. Although a Fund values its
assets daily in U.S. dollars, it does not convert its holdings of foreign currencies into U.S.
dollars on a daily basis. A Fund will convert its holdings from time to time, however, and incur
the costs of currency conversion. Foreign exchange dealers do not charge a fee for conversion, but
they do realize a profit based on the difference between the prices at which they buy and sell
various currencies. Thus, a dealer may offer to sell a foreign currency to a Fund at one rate, and
offer to buy the currency at a lower rate if a Fund tries to resell the currency to the dealer.
Foreign Currency Options. A Fund may invest in foreign currency-denominated securities and
may buy or sell put and call options on foreign currencies. A Fund may buy or sell put and call
options on foreign currencies either on exchanges or in the over-the-counter (OTC) market. A put
option on a foreign currency gives the purchaser of the option the right to sell a foreign currency
at the exercise price until the option expires. A call option on a foreign currency gives the
purchaser of the option the right to purchase the currency at the exercise price until the option
expires. Currency options traded on U.S. or other exchanges may be subject to position limits
which may limit the ability of a Fund to reduce foreign currency risk using such options. OTC
options differ from traded options in that they are two-party contracts with price and other terms
negotiated between buyer and seller, and generally do not have as much market liquidity as
exchange-traded options.
Foreign Currency Exchange-Related Securities.
Foreign currency warrants. Foreign currency warrants such as Currency Exchange
WarrantsSM (CEWsSM) are warrants which entitle the holder to receive from
their issuer an amount of cash (generally, for warrants issued in the United States, in U.S.
dollars) which is calculated pursuant to a predetermined formula and based on the exchange rate
between a specified foreign currency and the U.S. dollar as of the exercise date of the warrant.
Foreign currency warrants generally are exercisable upon their issuance and expire as of a
specified date and time. Foreign currency warrants have been issued in connection with U.S.
dollar-denominated debt offerings by major corporate issuers in an attempt to reduce the foreign
currency exchange risk which, from the point of view of prospective purchasers of the securities,
is inherent in the international fixed-income marketplace. Foreign currency warrants may attempt
to reduce the foreign exchange risk assumed by purchasers of a security by, for example, providing
for a supplemental payment in the event that the U.S. dollar depreciates against the value of a
major foreign currency such as the Japanese yen or the Euro. The formula used to determine the
amount payable upon exercise of a foreign currency warrant may make the warrant worthless unless
the applicable foreign currency exchange rate moves in a particular direction (e.g., unless the
U.S. dollar appreciates or depreciates against the particular foreign currency to which the warrant
is linked or indexed). Foreign currency warrants are severable from the debt obligations with which
they may be offered, and may be listed on exchanges. Foreign currency warrants may be exercisable
only in certain minimum amounts, and an investor wishing to exercise warrants who possesses less
than the minimum number required for exercise may be required either to sell the warrants or to
purchase additional warrants, thereby incurring additional transaction costs. In the case of any
exercise of warrants, there may be a time delay between the time a holder of warrants gives
instructions to exercise and the time the exchange rate relating to exercise is determined, during
which time the exchange rate could change significantly, thereby affecting both the market and cash
settlement values of the warrants being exercised. The expiration date of the warrants may be
accelerated if the warrants should be delisted from an exchange or if their trading should be
suspended permanently, which would result in the loss of any remaining time value of the warrants
(i.e., the difference between the current market value and the exercise value of the warrants),
and, in the case the warrants were out-of-the-money, in a total loss of the purchase price of the
warrants.
Warrants are generally unsecured obligations of their issuers and are not standardized foreign
currency options issued by the Options Clearing Corporation (OCC). Unlike foreign currency
options issued by OCC, the terms of foreign exchange warrants generally will not be amended in the
event of governmental or regulatory actions affecting exchange rates or in the event of the
imposition of other regulatory controls affecting the international currency markets. The initial
public offering price of foreign currency warrants is generally considerably in excess
9
of the price that a commercial user of foreign currencies might pay in the interbank market for a
comparable option involving significantly larger amounts of foreign currencies. Foreign currency
warrants are subject to significant foreign exchange risk, including risks arising from complex
political or economic factors.
Principal exchange rate linked securities. Principal exchange rate linked securities
(PERLsSM) are debt obligations the principal on which is payable at maturity in an
amount that may vary based on the exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and a particular foreign
currency at or about that time. The return on standard principal exchange rate linked securities
is enhanced if the foreign currency to which the security is linked appreciates against the U.S.
dollar, and is adversely affected by increases in the foreign exchange value of the U.S. dollar;
reverse principal exchange rate linked securities are like the standard securities, except that
their return is enhanced by increases in the value of the U.S. dollar and adversely impacted by
increases in the value of foreign currency. Interest payments on the securities are generally made
in U.S. dollars at rates that reflect the degree of foreign currency risk assumed or given up by
the purchaser of the notes (i.e., at relatively higher interest rates if the purchaser has assumed
some of the foreign exchange risk, or relatively lower interest rates if the issuer has assumed
some of the foreign exchange risk, based on the expectations of the current market). Principal
exchange rate linked securities may in limited cases be subject to acceleration of maturity
(generally, not without the consent of the holders of the securities), which may have an adverse
impact on the value of the principal payment to be made at maturity.
Performance indexed paper. Performance indexed paper (PIPsSM) is U.S.
dollar-denominated commercial paper the yield of which is linked to certain foreign exchange rate
movements. The yield to the investor on performance indexed paper is established at maturity as a
function of spot exchange rates between the U.S. dollar and a designated currency as of or about
that time (generally, the index maturity two days prior to maturity). The yield to the investor
will be within a range stipulated at the time of purchase of the obligation, generally with a
guaranteed minimum rate of return that is below, and a potential maximum rate of return that is
above, market yields on U.S. dollar-denominated commercial paper, with both the minimum and maximum
rates of return on the investment corresponding to the minimum and maximum values of the spot
exchange rate two business days prior to maturity.
Foreign Securities
A Fund may have both direct and indirect exposure through investments in stock index futures
contracts, options on stock index futures contracts and options on securities and on stock indices
to foreign securities. In most cases, the best available market for foreign securities will be on
exchanges or in OTC markets located outside the United States.
Investing in foreign securities carries political and economic risks distinct from those associated
with investing in the United States. Investments in foreign securities also involve the risk of
possible adverse changes in investment or exchange control regulations, expropriation or
confiscatory taxation, limitation on or delays in the removal of funds or other assets of a fund,
political or financial instability or diplomatic and other developments that could affect such
investments. Foreign investments may be affected by actions of foreign governments adverse to the
interests of U.S. investors, including the possibility of expropriation or nationalization of
assets, confiscatory taxation, restrictions on U.S. 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. Investments in foreign countries
also involve a risk of local political, economic or social instability, military action or unrest
or adverse diplomatic developments.
Developing and Emerging Markets. Emerging and developing markets abroad may offer special
opportunities for investing but may have greater risks than more developed foreign markets, such as
those in Europe, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Japan. There may be even less liquidity in
their securities markets, and settlements of purchases and sales of securities may be subject to
additional delays. They are subject to greater risks of limitations on the repatriation of income
and profits because of currency restrictions imposed by local governments. Those countries may
also be subject to the risk of greater political and economic instability, which can greatly affect
the volatility of prices of securities in those countries.
Investing in emerging market securities imposes risks different from, or greater than, risks of
investing in foreign developed countries. These risks include: smaller market capitalization of
securities markets, which may suffer periods of relative illiquidity; significant price volatility;
restrictions on foreign investment; possible repatriation of
10
investment income and capital. In addition, foreign investors may be required to register the
proceeds of sales; future economic or political crises could lead to price controls, forced
mergers, expropriation or confiscatory taxation, seizure, nationalization, or creation of
government monopolies. The currencies of emerging market countries may experience significant
declines against the U.S. dollar. Inflation and rapid fluctuations in inflation rates have had,
and may continue to have, negative effects on the economies and securities markets of
certain emerging market countries. Additional risks of emerging markets securities may include:
greater social, economic and political uncertainty and instability; more substantial governmental
involvement in the economy; less governmental supervision and regulation; unavailability of
currency hedging techniques; companies that are newly organized and small; differences in auditing
and financial reporting standards, which may result in unavailability of material information about
issuers; and less developed legal systems. In addition, emerging securities markets may have
different clearance and settlement procedures, which may be unable to keep pace with the volume of
securities transactions or otherwise make it difficult to engage in such transactions.
Hybrid Instruments
A Fund may invest in hybrid instruments. A hybrid instrument is a type of potentially high-risk
derivative that combines a traditional stock, bond, or commodity with an option or forward
contract. Generally, the principal amount, amount payable upon maturity or redemption, or interest
rate of a hybrid is tied (positively or negatively) to the price of some commodity, currency or
securities index or another interest rate or some other economic factor (each a benchmark). The
interest rate or (unlike most fixed income securities) the principal amount payable at maturity of
a hybrid security may be increased or decreased, depending on changes in the value of the
benchmark. A hybrid could be, for example, a bond issued by an oil company that pays a small base
level of interest, in addition to interest that accrues when oil prices exceed a certain
predetermined level. Such a hybrid instrument would be a combination of a bond and a call option
on oil.
Hybrids can be used as an efficient means of pursuing a variety of investment goals, including
currency hedging, and increased total return. Hybrids may not bear interest or pay dividends. The
value of a hybrid or its interest rate may be a multiple of a benchmark and, as a result, may be
leveraged and move (up or down) more steeply and rapidly than the benchmark. These benchmarks may
be sensitive to economic and political events, such as commodity shortages and currency
devaluations, which cannot be readily foreseen by the purchaser of a hybrid. Under certain
conditions, the redemption value of a hybrid could be zero. Thus, an investment in a hybrid may
entail significant market risks that are not associated with a similar investment in a traditional,
U.S. dollar-denominated bond that has a fixed principal amount and pays a fixed rate or floating
rate of interest. The purchase of hybrids also exposes a Fund to the credit risk of the issuer of
the hybrids. These risks may cause significant fluctuations in the NAV of a Fund.
Certain issuers of structured products such as hybrid instruments may be deemed to be investment
companies as defined in the 1940 Act. As a result, a Funds investment in these products may be
subject to limits applicable to investments in investment companies and may be subject to
restrictions contained in the 1940 Act.
Illiquid Investments and Restricted Securities
Each Fund may purchase and hold illiquid investments. No Fund will purchase or otherwise acquire
any security if, as a result, more than 15% of its net assets (taken at current value) would be
invested in investments that are illiquid by virtue of the absence of a readily available market or
legal or contractual restrictions on resale. This policy does not include restricted securities
eligible for resale pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (1933
Act), which the Board of Trustees (Board or Trustees) or Rafferty, the Funds investment
adviser, has determined under Board-approved guidelines are liquid. No Fund, however, currently
anticipates investing in such restricted securities.
The term illiquid investments for this purpose means investments that cannot be disposed of
within seven days in the ordinary course of business at approximately the amount at which a Fund
has valued the investments. Investments currently considered to be illiquid include: (1)
repurchase agreements not terminable within seven days; (2) securities for which market quotations
are not readily available; (3) OTC options and their underlying collateral; (4) bank deposits,
unless they are payable at principal amount plus accrued interest on demand or within seven days
after demand; and (5) restricted securities not determined to be liquid pursuant to guidelines
established
11
by the Board; and (6) in certain circumstances, securities involved in swap, cap, floor or collar
transactions. The assets used as cover for OTC options written by a Fund will be considered
illiquid unless the OTC options are sold to qualified dealers who agree that a Fund may repurchase
any OTC option it writes at a maximum price to be calculated by a formula set forth in the option
agreement. The cover for an OTC option written subject to this procedure would be considered
illiquid only to the extent that the maximum repurchase price under the formula exceeds the
intrinsic value of the option.
A Fund may not be able to sell illiquid investments when Rafferty considers it desirable to do so
or may have to sell such investments at a price that is lower than the price that could be obtained
if the investments were liquid. In addition, the sale of illiquid investments may require more
time and result in higher dealer discounts and other selling expenses than does the sale of
investments that are not illiquid. Illiquid investments also may be more difficult to value due to
the unavailability of reliable market quotations for such investments, and investment in illiquid
investments may have an adverse impact on NAV.
Rule 144A establishes a safe harbor from the registration requirements of the 1933 Act for
resales of certain securities to qualified institutional buyers. Institutional markets for
restricted securities that have developed as a result of Rule 144A provide both readily
ascertainable values for certain restricted securities and the ability to liquidate an investment
to satisfy share redemption orders. An insufficient number of qualified institutional buyers
interested in purchasing Rule 144A-eligible securities held by a Fund, however, could affect
adversely the marketability of such portfolio securities, and a Fund may be unable to dispose of
such securities promptly or at reasonable prices.
Indexed Securities
A Fund may purchase indexed securities, which are securities, the value of which varies positively
or negatively in relation to the value of other securities, securities indices or other financial
indicators, consistent with its investment objective. Indexed securities may be debt securities or
deposits whose value at maturity or coupon rate is determined by reference to a specific instrument
or statistic. Recent issuers of indexed securities have included banks, corporations and certain
U.S. government agencies.
The performance of indexed securities depends to a great extent on the performance of the security
or other instrument to which they are indexed and also may be influenced by interest rate changes
in the United States and abroad. At the same time, indexed securities are subject to the credit
risks associated with the issuer of the security, and their values may decline substantially if the
issuers creditworthiness deteriorates. Indexed securities may be more volatile than the
underlying instruments. Certain indexed securities that are not traded on an established market
may be deemed illiquid. See Illiquid Investments and Restricted Securities above.
Total Return Swaps
A Fund may enter into total return swaps for hedging purposes and non-hedging purposes. Since
swaps are entered into for good faith hedging purposes or are offset by a segregated account
maintained by an approved custodian, Rafferty believes that swaps do not constitute senior
securities as defined in the 1940 Act and, accordingly, will not treat them as being subject to a
Funds borrowing restrictions. The net amount of the excess, if any, of a Funds obligations over
its entitlement with respect to each total return swap will be accrued on a daily basis and an
amount of cash or other liquid securities having an aggregate NAV at least equal to such accrued
excess will be maintained in a segregated account by each Funds custodian. A Fund will not enter
into any total return swap unless Rafferty believes that the other party to the transaction is
creditworthy. If there is a default by the other party to such a transaction, a Fund will have
contractual remedies pursuant to the agreement. The swap market has grown substantially in recent
years with a large number of banks and investment banking firms acting both as principals and as
agents utilizing standardized swap documentation. As a result, the swap market has become
relatively liquid in comparison with the markets for other similar instruments which are traded in
the interbank market.
Options, Futures and Other Strategies
General. A Fund may use certain options (traded on an exchange and OTC, or otherwise),
futures contracts (sometimes referred to as futures) and options on futures contracts
(collectively, Financial Instruments) as a
12
substitute for a comparable market position in the underlying security, to attempt to hedge or
limit the exposure of a Funds position, to create a synthetic money market position, for certain
tax-related purposes and to effect closing transactions.
The use of Financial Instruments is subject to applicable regulations of the SEC, the several
exchanges upon which they are traded and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (the CFTC). In
addition, a Funds ability to use Financial Instruments will be limited by tax considerations. See
Dividends, Other Distributions and Taxes. Pursuant to a claim for exemption filed with the
National Futures Association on behalf of each Fund, each Fund is not deemed to be a commodity pool
operator or a commodity pool under the Commodity Exchange Act and is not subject to registration or
regulation as such under the Commodity Exchange Act.
In addition to the instruments, strategies and risks described below and in the Prospectus,
Rafferty may discover additional opportunities in connection with Financial Instruments and other
similar or related techniques. These new opportunities may become available as Rafferty develops
new techniques, as regulatory authorities broaden the range of permitted transactions and as new
Financial Instruments or other techniques are developed. Rafferty may utilize these opportunities
to the extent that they are consistent with a Funds investment objective and permitted by a Funds
investment limitations and applicable regulatory authorities. A Funds Prospectus or this SAI will
be supplemented to the extent that new products or techniques involve materially different risks
than those described below or in the Prospectus.
Special Risks. The use of Financial Instruments involves special considerations and risks,
certain of which are described below. Risks pertaining to particular Financial Instruments are
described in the sections that follow.
(1) Successful use of most Financial Instruments depends upon Raffertys ability to predict
movements of the overall securities markets, which requires different skills than predicting
changes in the prices of individual securities. The ordinary spreads between prices in the cash
and futures markets, due to the differences in the natures of those markets, are subject to
distortion. Due to the possibility of distortion, a correct forecast of stock market trends by
Rafferty may still not result in a successful transaction. Rafferty may be incorrect in its
expectations as to the extent of market movements or the time span within which the movements take
place, which, thus, may result in the strategy being unsuccessful.
(2) Options and futures prices can diverge from the prices of their underlying instruments.
Options and futures prices are affected by such factors as current and anticipated short-term
interest rates, changes in volatility of the underlying instrument and the time remaining until
expiration of the contract, which may not affect security prices the same way. Imperfect or no
correlation also may result from differing levels of demand in the options and futures markets and
the securities markets, from structural differences in how options and futures and securities are
traded, and from imposition of daily price fluctuation limits or trading halts.
(3) As described below, a Fund might be required to maintain assets as cover, maintain segregated
accounts or make margin payments when it takes positions in Financial Instruments involving
obligations to third parties (e.g., Financial Instruments other than purchased options). If a Fund
were unable to close out its positions in such Financial Instruments, it might be required to
continue to maintain such assets or accounts or make such payments until the position expired or
matured. These requirements might impair a Funds ability to sell a portfolio security or make an
investment when it would otherwise be favorable to do so or require that a Fund sell a portfolio
security at a disadvantageous time. A Funds ability to close out a position in a Financial
Instrument prior to expiration or maturity depends on the existence of a liquid secondary market
or, in the absence of such a market, the ability and willingness of the other party to the
transaction (the counterparty) to enter into a transaction closing out the position. Therefore,
there is no assurance that any position can be closed out at a time and price that is favorable to
a Fund.
(4) Losses may arise due to unanticipated market price movements, lack of a liquid secondary market
for any particular instrument at a particular time or due to losses from premiums paid by a Fund on
options transactions.
Cover. Transactions using Financial Instruments, other than purchased options, expose a
Fund to an obligation to another party. A Fund will not enter into any such transactions unless it
owns either (1) an offsetting (covered) position in securities or other options or futures
contracts or (2) cash and liquid assets with a value, marked-to-
13
market daily, sufficient to cover its potential obligations to the extent not covered as provided
in (1) above. Each Fund will comply with SEC guidelines regarding cover for these instruments and
will, if the guidelines so require, set aside cash or liquid assets in an account with its
custodian, the Bank of New York Mellon (BNYM), in the prescribed amount as determined daily.
Assets used as cover or held in an account cannot be sold while the position in the corresponding
Financial Instrument is open, unless they are replaced with other appropriate assets. As a result,
the commitment of a large portion of a Funds assets to cover or accounts could impede portfolio
management or a Funds ability to meet redemption requests or other current obligations.
Options. The value of an option position will reflect, among other things, the current
market value of the underlying investment, the time remaining until expiration, the relationship of
the exercise price to the market price of the underlying investment and general market conditions.
Options that expire unexercised have no value. Options currently are traded on the Chicago Board
Options Exchange® (CBOE®), the Arca and other exchanges, as well
as the OTC markets.
By buying a call option on a security, a Fund has the right, in return for the premium paid, to buy
the security underlying the option at the exercise price. By writing (selling) a call option and
receiving a premium, a Fund becomes obligated during the term of the option to deliver securities
underlying the option at the exercise price if the option is exercised. By buying a put option, a
Fund has the right, in return for the premium, to sell the security underlying the option at the
exercise price. By writing a put option, a Fund becomes obligated during the term of the option to
purchase the securities underlying the option at the exercise price.
Because options premiums paid or received by a Fund are small in relation to the market value of
the investments underlying the options, buying and selling put and call options can be more
speculative than investing directly in securities.
A Fund may effectively terminate its right or obligation under an option by entering into a closing
transaction. For example, a Fund may terminate its obligation under a call or put option that it
had written by purchasing an identical call or put option; this is known as a closing purchase
transaction. Conversely, a Fund may terminate a position in a put or call option it had purchased
by writing an identical put or call option; this is known as a closing sale transaction. Closing
transactions permit a Fund to realize profits or limit losses on an option position prior to its
exercise or expiration.
Risks of Options on Securities. Exchange-traded options in the United States are issued by
a clearing organization affiliated with the exchange on which the option is listed that, in effect,
guarantees completion of every exchange-traded option transaction. In contrast, OTC options are
contracts between a Fund and its counterparty (usually a securities dealer or a bank) with no
clearing organization guarantee. Thus, when a Fund purchases an OTC option, it relies on the
counterparty from whom it purchased the option to make or take delivery of the underlying
investment upon exercise of the option. Failure by the counterparty to do so would result in the
loss of any premium paid by a Fund as well as the loss of any expected benefit of the transaction.
A Funds ability to establish and close out positions in exchange-traded options depends on the
existence of a liquid market. However, there can be no assurance that such a market will exist at
any particular time. Closing transactions can be made for OTC options only by negotiating directly
with the counterparty, or by a transaction in the secondary market if any such market exists.
There can be no assurance that a Fund will in fact be able to close out an OTC option position at a
favorable price prior to expiration. In the event of insolvency of the counterparty, a Fund might
be unable to close out an OTC option position at any time prior to its expiration.
If a Fund were unable to effect a closing transaction for an option it had purchased, it would have
to exercise the option to realize any profit. The inability to enter into a closing purchase
transaction for a covered call option written by a Fund could cause material losses because a Fund
would be unable to sell the investment used as cover for the written option until the option
expires or is exercised.
14
Risks of Options on Currencies and Securities. Exchange-traded options in the United
States are issued by a clearing organization affiliated with the exchange on which the option is
listed that, in effect, guarantees completion of every exchange-traded option transaction. In
contrast, OTC options are contracts between a Fund and its counterparty (usually a securities
dealer or a bank) with no clearing organization guarantee. Thus, when a Fund purchases an OTC
option, it relies on the counterparty from which it purchased the option to make or take delivery
of the underlying investment upon exercise of the option. Failure by the counterparty to do so
would result in the loss of any premium paid by a Fund as well as the loss of any expected benefit
of the transaction.
A Funds ability to establish and close out positions in exchange-traded options depends on the
existence of a liquid market. However, there can be no assurance that such a market will exist at
any particular time. Closing transactions can be made for OTC options only by negotiating directly
with the counterparty, or by a transaction in the secondary market if any such market exists.
There can be no assurance that a Fund will in fact be able to close out an OTC option position at a
favorable price prior to expiration. In the event of insolvency of the counterparty, a Fund might
be unable to close out an OTC option position at any time prior to its expiration.
If a Fund were unable to effect a closing transaction for an option it had purchased, it would have
to exercise the option to realize any profit. The inability to enter into a closing purchase
transaction for a covered call option written by a Fund could cause material losses because a Fund
would be unable to sell the investment used as cover for the written option until the option
expires or is exercised.
Options on Indices. An index fluctuates with changes in the market values of the
securities included in the index. Options on indices give the holder the right to receive an
amount of cash upon exercise of the option. Receipt of this cash amount will depend upon the
closing level of the index upon which the option is based being greater than (in the case of a
call) or less than (in the case of put) the exercise price of the option. Some stock index options
are based on a broad market index such as the S&P 500® Index, the NYSE Composite Index
or the AMEX® Major Market Index or on a narrower index such as the Philadelphia Stock
Exchange Over-the-Counter Index.
Each of the exchanges has established limitations governing the maximum number of call or put
options on the same index that may be bought or written by a single investor, whether acting alone
or in concert with others (regardless of whether such options are written on the same or different
exchanges or are held or written on one or more accounts or through one or more brokers). Under
these limitations, option positions of all investment companies advised by Rafferty are combined
for purposes of these limits. Pursuant to these limitations, an exchange may order the liquidation
of positions and may impose other sanctions or restrictions. These positions limits may restrict
the number of listed options that a Fund may buy or sell.
Puts and calls on indices are similar to puts and calls on securities or futures contracts except
that all settlements are in cash and gain or loss depends on changes in the index in question
rather than on price movements in individual securities or futures contracts. When a Fund writes a
call on an index, it receives a premium and agrees that, prior to the expiration date, the
purchaser of the call, upon exercise of the call, will receive from a Fund an amount of cash if the
closing level of the index upon which the call is based is greater than the exercise price of the
call. The amount of cash is equal to the difference between the closing price of the index and the
exercise price of the call times a specified multiple (multiplier), which determines the total
value for each point of such difference. When a Fund buys a call on an index, it pays a premium
and has the same rights to such call as are indicated above. When a Fund buys a put on an
index, it pays a premium and has the right, prior to the expiration date, to require the seller of
the put, upon a Funds exercise of the put, to deliver to a Fund an amount of cash if the closing
level of the index upon which the put is based is less than the exercise price of the put, which
amount of cash is determined by the multiplier, as described above for calls. When a Fund writes a
put on an index, it receives a premium and the purchaser of the put has the right, prior to the
expiration date, to require a Fund to deliver to it an amount of cash equal to the difference
between the closing level of the index and the exercise price times the multiplier if the closing
level is less than the exercise price.
Risks of Options on Indices. If a Fund has purchased an index option and exercises it
before the closing index value for that day is available, it runs the risk that the level of the
underlying index may subsequently change. If such a change causes the exercised option to fall
out-of-the-money, a Fund will be required to pay the difference between the closing index value and
the exercise price of the option (times the applicable multiplier) to the assigned writer.
15
OTC Options. Unlike exchange-traded options, which are standardized with respect to
the underlying instrument, expiration date, contract size and strike price, the terms of OTC
options (options not traded on exchanges) generally are established through negotiation with the
other party to the option contract. While this type of arrangement allows a Fund great flexibility
to tailor the option to its needs, OTC options generally involve greater risk than exchange-traded
options, which are guaranteed by the clearing organization of the exchanges where they are traded.
Forward Contracts. The Funds may enter into equity, equity index or interest rate forward
contracts for purposes of attempting to gain exposure to an index or group of securities without
actually purchasing these securities, or to hedge a position. Forward contracts are two-party
contracts pursuant to which one party agrees to pay the counterparty a fixed price for an agreed
upon amount of commodities, securities, or the cash value of the commodities, securities or the
securities index, at an agreed upon date. Because they are two-party contracts and because they
may have terms greater than seven days, forward contracts may be considered to be illiquid for the
Funds illiquid investment limitations. A Fund will not enter into any forward contract unless
Rafferty believes that the other party to the transaction is creditworthy. A Fund bears the risk
of loss of the amount expected to be received under a forward contract in the event of the default
or bankruptcy of a counterparty. If such a default occurs, a Fund will have contractual remedies
pursuant to the forward contract, but such remedies may be subject to bankruptcy and insolvency
laws which could affect the Funds rights as a creditor.
Futures Contracts and Options on Futures Contracts. A futures contract obligates the
seller to deliver (and the purchaser to take delivery of) the specified security on the expiration
date of the contract. An index futures contract obligates the seller to deliver (and the purchaser
to take) an amount of cash equal to a specific dollar amount times the difference between the value
of a specific index at the close of the last trading day of the contract and the price at which the
agreement is made. No physical delivery of the underlying securities in the index is made.
When a Fund writes an option on a futures contract, it becomes obligated, in return for the premium
paid, to assume a position in the futures contract at a specified exercise price at any time during
the term of the option. If a Fund writes a call, it assumes a short futures position. If it
writes a put, it assumes a long futures position. When a Fund purchases an option on a futures
contract, it acquires the right in return for the premium it pays to assume a position in a futures
contract (a long position if the option is a call and a short position if the option is a put).
Whether a Fund realizes a gain or loss from futures activities depends upon movements in the
underlying security or index. The extent of a Funds loss from an unhedged short position in
futures contracts or from writing unhedged call options on futures contracts is potentially
unlimited. A Fund only purchases and sells futures contracts and options on futures contracts that
are traded on a U.S. exchange or board of trade.
No price is paid upon entering into a futures contract. Instead, at the inception of a futures
contract a Fund is required to deposit initial margin in an amount generally equal to 10% or less
of the contract value. Margin also must be deposited when writing a call or put option on a
futures contract, in accordance with applicable exchange rules. Unlike margin in securities
transactions, initial margin does not represent a borrowing, but rather is in the nature of a
performance bond or good-faith deposit that is returned to a Fund at the termination of the
transaction if all contractual obligations have been satisfied. Under certain circumstances, such
as periods of high volatility, a Fund may be required by an exchange to increase the level of its
initial margin payment, and initial margin requirements might be increased generally in the future
by regulatory action.
Subsequent variation margin payments are made to and from the futures commission merchant daily
as the value of the futures position varies, a process known as marking-to-market. Variation
margin does not involve borrowing, but rather represents a daily settlement of a Funds obligations
to or from a futures commission merchant. When a Fund purchases an option on a futures contract,
the premium paid plus transaction costs is all that is at risk. In contrast, when a Fund purchases
or sells a futures contract or writes a call or put option thereon, it is subject to daily
variation margin calls that could be substantial in the event of adverse price movements. If a
Fund has insufficient cash to meet daily variation margin requirements, it might need to sell
securities at a time when such sales are disadvantageous.
Purchasers and sellers of futures contracts and options on futures can enter into offsetting
closing transactions, similar to closing transactions in options, by selling or purchasing,
respectively, an instrument identical to the instrument purchased or sold. Positions in futures
and options on futures contracts may be closed only on an
16
exchange or board of trade that provides a secondary market. However, there can be no assurance
that a liquid secondary market will exist for a particular contract at a particular time. In such
event, it may not be possible to close a futures contract or options position.
Under certain circumstances, futures exchanges may establish daily limits on the amount that the
price of a futures contract or an option on a futures contract can vary from the previous days
settlement price; once that limit is reached, no trades may be made that day at a price beyond the
limit. Daily price limits do not limit potential losses because prices could move to the daily
limit for several consecutive days with little or no trading, thereby preventing liquidation of
unfavorable positions.
If a Fund were unable to liquidate a futures contract or an option on a futures position due to the
absence of a liquid secondary market or the imposition of price limits, it could incur substantial
losses. A Fund would continue to be subject to market risk with respect to the position. In
addition, except in the case of purchased options, a Fund would continue to be required to make
daily variation margin payments and might be required to maintain cash or liquid assets in an
account.
Risks of Futures Contracts and Options Thereon. The ordinary spreads between prices in the
cash and futures markets (including the options on futures markets), due to differences in the
natures of those markets, are subject to the following factors, which may create distortions.
First, all participants in the futures market are subject to margin deposit and maintenance
requirements. Rather than meeting additional margin deposit requirements, investors may close
futures contracts through offsetting transactions, which could distort the normal relationships
between the cash and futures markets. Second, the liquidity of the futures market depends on
participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the
extent participants decide to make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be
reduced, thus producing distortion. Third, from the point of view of speculators, the deposit
requirements in the futures market are less onerous than margin requirements in the securities
market. Therefore, increased participation by speculators in the futures market may cause
temporary price distortions.
Risks Associated with Commodity Futures Contracts. There are several additional risks
associated with transactions in commodity futures contracts.
Storage. Unlike the financial futures markets, in the commodity futures markets there are
costs of physical storage associated with purchasing the underlying commodity. The price of the
commodity futures contract will reflect the storage costs of purchasing the physical commodity,
including the time value of money invested in the physical commodity. To the extent that the
storage costs for an underlying commodity change while a Fund is invested in futures contracts on
that commodity, the value of the futures contract may change proportionately.
Reinvestment. In the commodity futures markets, producers of the underlying commodity may
decide to hedge the price risk of selling the commodity by selling futures contracts today to lock
in the price of the commodity at delivery tomorrow. In order to induce speculators to purchase the
other side of the same futures contract, the commodity producer generally must sell the futures
contract at a lower price than the expected future spot price. Conversely, if most hedgers in the
futures market are purchasing futures contracts to hedge against a rise in prices, then speculators
will only sell the other side of the futures contract at a higher futures price than the expected
future spot price of the commodity. The changing nature of the hedgers and speculators in the
commodity markets will influence whether futures prices are above or below the expected future spot
price, which can have significant implications for a Fund. If the nature of hedgers and
speculators in futures markets has shifted when it is time for a Fund to reinvest the proceeds of a
maturing contract in a new futures contract, the Fund might reinvest at higher or lower futures
prices, or choose to pursue other investments.
Other Economic Factors. The commodities which underlie commodity futures contracts may be
subject to additional economic and non-economic variables, such as drought, floods, weather,
livestock disease, embargoes, tariffs, and international economic, political and regulatory
developments. These factors may have a larger impact on commodity prices and commodity-linked
instruments, including futures contracts, than on traditional securities. Certain commodities are
also subject to limited pricing flexibility because of supply and demand factors. Others are
subject to broad price fluctuations as a result of the volatility of the prices for certain raw
materials and the
17
instability of supplies of other materials. These additional variables may create additional
investment risks which subject a Funds investments to greater volatility than investments in
traditional securities.
Combined Positions. A Fund may purchase and write options in combination with each other.
For example, a Fund may purchase a put option and write a call option on the same underlying
instrument, in order to construct a combined position whose risk and return characteristics are
similar to selling a futures contract. Another possible combined position would involve writing a
call option at one strike price and buying a call option at a lower price, in order to reduce the
risk of the written call option in the event of a substantial price increase. Because combined
options positions involve multiple trades, they result in higher transaction costs and may be more
difficult to open and close out.
Other Investment Companies
Open-End and Closed-End Investment Companies. The Funds may invest in shares of open-end
and closed-end investment companies in accordance with the investment restrictions in the 1940 Act.
Shares of an exchange-traded fund (ETF) that has received exemptive relief from the SEC to
permit other funds to invest in the shares without these limitations are excluded from such
restrictions. A Fund, as a shareholder of another investment company, will bear its pro-rata
portion of the other investment companys advisory fee and other expenses, in addition to its own
expenses and will be exposed to the investment risks associated with the other investment company.
To the extent that a Fund invests in open-end or closed-end investment companies that invest
primarily in the securities of companies located outside the United States, see the risks related
to foreign securities set forth above.
Exchange-Traded Funds. The Funds may invest in ETFs, which are registered investment
companies, partnerships or trusts that are bought and sold on a securities exchange. A Fund may
also invest in exchange-traded notes (ETN), which are structured debt securities. Additionally,
a Fund may invest in swap agreements referencing ETFs. Whereas ETFs liabilities are secured by
their portfolio securities, ETNs liabilities are unsecured general obligations of the issuer.
Most ETFs and ETNs are designed to track a particular market segment or index. ETFs and ETNs share
expenses associated with their operation, typically including, with respect to ETFs, advisory fees.
When a Fund invests in an ETF or ETN, in addition to directly bearing expenses associated with its
own operations, it will bear its pro rata portion of the ETFs or ETNs expenses. The risks of
owning an ETF or ETN generally reflect the risks of owning the underlying securities the ETF or ETN
is designed to track, although lack of liquidity in an ETF or ETN could result in it being more
volatile than the underlying portfolio of securities. If a Fund invests in ETFs or swap agreements
referencing ETFs, the underlying ETFs may not necessarily track the same index as the Fund. In
addition, because of ETF or ETN expenses, compared to owning the underlying securities directly, it
may be more costly to own an ETF or ETN. The value of an ETN security should also be expected to
fluctuate with the credit rating of the issuer.
Payment-In-Kind Securities and Strips
A Fund may invest in payment-in-kind securities and strips of any rating or maturity.
Payment-in-kind securities allow the issuer, at its option, to make current interest payments on
the bonds either in cash or in bonds. Both zero-coupon securities and payment-in-kind securities
allow an issuer to avoid the need to generate cash to meet current interest payments. Even though
such securities do not pay current interest in cash, a Fund nonetheless is required to accrue
interest income on these investments and to distribute the interest income at least annually to
shareholders. Thus, a Fund could be required at times to liquidate other investments to satisfy
distribution requirements. A Fund may also invest in strips, which are debt securities whose
interest coupons are taken out and traded separately after the securities are issued but otherwise
are comparable to zero-coupon securities. Like zero-coupon securities and payment-in-kind
securities, strips are generally more sensitive to interest rate fluctuations than interest paying
securities of comparable term and quality.
Repurchase Agreements
A Fund may enter into repurchase agreements with banks that are members of the Federal Reserve
System or securities dealers who are members of a national securities exchange or are primary
dealers in U.S. government securities. Repurchase agreements generally are for a short period of
time, usually less than a week. Under a repurchase agreement, a Fund purchases a U.S. government
security and simultaneously agrees to sell the security
18
back to the seller at a mutually agreed-upon future price and date, normally one day or a few days
later. The resale price is greater than the purchase price, reflecting an agreed-upon market
interest rate during a Funds holding period. While the maturities of the underlying securities in
repurchase agreement transactions may be more than one year, the term of each repurchase agreement
always will be less than one year. Repurchase agreements with a maturity of more than seven days
are considered to be illiquid investments. No Fund may enter into such a repurchase agreement if,
as a result, more than 15% of the value of its net assets would then be invested in such repurchase
agreements and other illiquid investments. See Illiquid Investments and Restricted Securities
above.
A Fund will always receive, as collateral, securities whose market value, including accrued
interest, at all times will be at least equal to 100% of the dollar amount invested by a Fund in
each repurchase agreement. In the event of default or bankruptcy by the seller, a Fund will
liquidate those securities (whose market value, including accrued interest, must be at least 100%
of the amount invested by a Fund) held under the applicable repurchase agreement, which securities
constitute collateral for the sellers obligation to repurchase the security. If the seller
defaults, a Fund might incur a loss if the value of the collateral securing the repurchase
agreement declines and might incur disposition costs in connection with liquidating the collateral.
In addition, if bankruptcy or similar proceedings are commenced with respect to the seller of the
security, realization upon the collateral by a Fund may be delayed or limited.
Reverse Repurchase Agreements
A Fund may borrow by entering into reverse repurchase agreements with the same parties with whom it
may enter into repurchase agreements. Under a reverse repurchase agreement, a Fund sells
securities and agrees to repurchase them at a mutually agreed to price. At the time a Fund enters
into a reverse repurchase agreement, it will establish and maintain a segregated account with an
approved custodian containing liquid high-grade securities, marked-to-market daily, having a value
not less than the repurchase price (including accrued interest). Reverse repurchase agreements
involve the risk that the market value of securities retained in lieu of sale by a Fund may decline
below the price of the securities a Fund has sold but is obliged to repurchase. If the buyer of
securities under a reverse repurchase agreement files for bankruptcy or becomes insolvent, such
buyer or its trustee or receiver may receive an extension of time to determine whether to enforce a
Funds obligation to repurchase the securities. During that time, a Funds use of the proceeds of
the reverse repurchase agreement effectively may be restricted. Reverse repurchase agreements
create leverage, a speculative factor, and are considered borrowings for the purpose of a Funds
limitation on borrowing.
Short Sales
A Fund may engage in short sale transactions under which a Fund sells a security it does not own.
To complete such a transaction, a Fund must borrow the security to make delivery to the buyer. A
Fund then is obligated to replace the security borrowed by purchasing the security at the market
price at the time of replacement. The price at such time may be more or less than the price at
which the security was sold by a Fund. Until the security is replaced, a Fund is required to pay
to the lender amounts equal to any dividends that accrue during the period of the loan. The
proceeds of the short sale will be retained by the broker, to the extent necessary to meet the
margin requirements, until the short position is closed out.
Until a Fund closes its short position or replaces the borrowed stock, a Fund will: (1) maintain
an account containing cash or liquid assets at such a level that (a) the amount deposited in the
account plus the amount deposited with the broker as collateral will equal the current value of the
stock sold short and (b) the amount deposited in the account plus the amount deposited with the
broker as collateral will not be less than the market value of the stock at the time the stock was
sold short; or (2) otherwise cover a Funds short position.
Swap Agreements
A Fund may enter into swap agreements. Swap agreements are two-party contracts entered into
primarily by institutional investors for periods ranging from a day to more than one year. In a
standard swap transaction, two parties agree to exchange the returns (or differentials in rates
of return) earned or realized on particular predetermined investments or instruments. The gross
returns to be exchanged or swapped between the parties are
19
calculated with respect to a notional amount, i.e., the return on or increase in value of a
particular dollar amount invested in a basket of securities representing a particular index.
Most swap agreements entered into by a Fund calculate the obligations of the parties to the
agreement on a net basis. Consequently, a Funds current obligations (or rights) under a swap
agreement generally will be equal to the net amount to be paid or received under the agreement
based on the relative values of the positions held by each party to the agreement (the net
amount). Payments may be made at the conclusion of a swap agreement or periodically during its
term.
Swap agreements do not involve the delivery of securities or other underlying assets. Accordingly,
if a swap is entered into on a net basis, if the other party to a swap agreement defaults, a Funds
risk of loss consists of the net amount of payments that such Fund is contractually entitled to
receive, if any.
The net amount of the excess, if any, of a Funds obligations over its entitlements with respect to
a swap agreement entered into on a net basis will be accrued daily and an amount of cash or liquid
asset having an aggregate NAV at least equal to the accrued excess will be maintained in an account
with the Custodian that satisfies the 1940 Act. A Fund also will establish and maintain such
accounts with respect to its total obligations under any swaps that are not entered into on a net
basis. Obligations under swap agreements so covered will not be construed to be senior
securities for purposes of a Funds investment restriction concerning senior securities.
Because they are two-party contracts and because they may have terms of greater than seven days,
swap agreements may be considered to be illiquid for a Funds illiquid investment limitations. A
Fund will not enter into any swap agreement unless Rafferty believes that the other party to the
transaction is creditworthy. A Fund bears the risk of loss of the amount expected to be received
under a swap agreement in the event of the default or bankruptcy of a swap agreement counterparty.
A Fund may enter into a swap agreement with respect to an equity market index in circumstances
where Rafferty believes that it may be more cost effective or practical than buying the securities
represented by such index or a futures contract or an option on such index. The counterparty to
any swap agreement will typically be a bank, investment banking firm or broker-dealer. The
counterparty will generally agree to pay a Fund the amount, if any, by which the notional amount of
the swap agreement would have increased in value had it been invested in the particular stocks
represented in the index, plus the dividends that would have been received on those stocks. A Fund
will agree to pay to the counterparty a floating rate of interest on the notional amount of the
swap agreement plus the amount, if any, by which the notional amount would have decreased in value
had it been invested in such stocks. Therefore, the return to a Fund on any swap agreement should
be the gain or loss on the notional amount plus dividends on the stocks less the interest paid by a
Fund on the notional amount.
The swap market has grown substantially in recent years with a large number of banks and investment
banking firms acting both as principals and as agents utilizing standardized swap documentation.
As a result, the swap market has become relatively liquid in comparison with the markets for other
similar instruments that are traded in the OTC market. Rafferty, under the supervision of the
Board, is responsible for determining and monitoring the liquidity of Fund transactions in swap
agreements.
The use of equity swaps is a highly specialized activity that involves investment techniques and
risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions.
U.S. Government Sponsored Enterprises (GSE)
GSE securities are securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies or
instrumentalities. Some obligations issued by GSEs and instrumentalities are supported by the full
faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury; others by the right of the issuer to borrow from the U.S.
Treasury; others by discretionary authority of the U.S. government to purchase certain obligations
of the agency or instrumentality; and others only by the credit of the agency or instrumentality.
Those securities bear fixed, floating or variable rates of interest. Interest may fluctuate based
on generally recognized reference rates or the relationship of rates. While the U.S. government
currently provides financial support to such GSEs or instrumentalities, no assurance can be given
that it will always do so, since it is not so obligated by law.
20
Certain U.S. government debt securities, such as securities of the Federal Home Loan Banks, are
supported by the right of the issuer to borrow from the U.S. Treasury. Others, such as securities
issued by the Fannie Mae© and Freddie Mac©, are supported only by the credit
of the corporation. In the case of securities not backed by the full faith and credit of the
United States, a fund must look principally to the agency issuing or guaranteeing the obligation in
the event the agency or instrumentality does not meet its commitments. The U.S. government may
choose not to provide financial support to GSEs or instrumentalities if it is not legally obligated
to do so. A fund will invest in securities of such instrumentalities only when Rafferty is
satisfied that the credit risk with respect to any such instrumentality is comparatively minimal.
U.S. Government Securities
A Fund may invest in securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies or
instrumentalities.
U.S. government securities are high-quality instruments issued or guaranteed as to principal or
interest by the U.S. Treasury or by an agency or instrumentality of the U.S. government. Not all
U.S. government securities are backed by the full faith and credit of the United States. Some are
backed by the right of the issuer to borrow from the U.S. Treasury; others are backed by
discretionary authority of the U.S. government to purchase the agencies obligations; while others
are supported only by the credit of the instrumentality. In the case of securities not backed by
the full faith and credit of the United States, the investor must look principally to the agency
issuing or guaranteeing the obligation for ultimate repayment.
U.S. government securities include Treasury Bills (which mature within one year of the date they
are issued), Treasury Notes (which have maturities of one to ten years) and Treasury Bonds (which
generally have maturities of more than 10 years). All such Treasury securities are backed by the
full faith and credit of the United States.
U.S. government agencies and instrumentalities that issue or guarantee securities include the
Federal Housing Administration, the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae©), the
Farmers Home Administration, the Export-Import Bank of the United States, the Small Business
Administration, the Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae®), the General Services
Administration, the Central Bank for Cooperatives, the Federal Home Loan Banks the Federal Home
Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac©), the Farm Credit Banks, the Maritime Administration, the
Tennessee Valley Authority, the Resolution Funding Corporation and the Student Loan Marketing
Association (Sallie Mae©).
Yields on short-, intermediate- and long-term U.S. government securities are dependent on a variety
of factors, including the general conditions of the money and bond markets, the size of a
particular offering and the maturity of the obligation. Debt securities with longer maturities
tend to produce higher capital appreciation and depreciation than obligations with shorter
maturities and lower yields. The market value of U.S. government securities generally
21
varies inversely with changes in the market interest rates. An increase in interest rates,
therefore, generally would reduce the market value of a Funds portfolio investments in U.S.
government securities, while a decline in interest rates generally would increase the market value
of a Funds portfolio investments in these securities.
When-Issued Securities
A Fund may enter into firm commitment agreements for the purchase of securities on a specified
future date. A Fund may purchase, for example, new issues of fixed-income instruments on a
when-issued basis, whereby the payment obligation, or yield to maturity, or coupon rate on the
instruments may not be fixed at the time of transaction. A Fund will not purchase securities on a
when-issued basis if, as a result, more than 15% of its net assets would be so invested. If a Fund
enters into a firm commitment agreement, liability for the purchase price and the rights and risks
of ownership of the security accrue to a Fund at the time it becomes obligated to purchase such
security, although delivery and payment occur at a later date. Accordingly, if the market price of
the security should decline, the effect of such an agreement would be to obligate a Fund to
purchase the security at a price above the current market price on the date of delivery and
payment. During the time a Fund is obligated to purchase such a security, it will be required to
segregate assets with an approved custodian in an amount sufficient to settle the transaction.
Other Investment Risks and Practices
Borrowing. A Fund may borrow money for investment purposes, which is a form of leveraging.
Leveraging investments, by purchasing securities with borrowed money, is a speculative technique
that increases investment risk while increasing investment opportunity. Leverage will magnify
changes in a Funds NAV and on a Funds investments. Although the principal of such borrowings
will be fixed, a Funds assets may change in value during the time the borrowing is outstanding.
Leverage also creates interest expenses for a Fund. To the extent the income derived from
securities purchased with borrowed funds exceeds the interest a Fund will have to pay, that Funds
net income will be greater than it would be if leverage were not used. Conversely, if the income
from the assets obtained with borrowed funds is not sufficient to cover the cost of leveraging, the
net income of a Fund will be less than it would be if leverage were not used, and therefore the
amount available for distribution to shareholders as dividends will be reduced. The use of
derivatives in connection with leverage creates the potential for significant loss.
A Fund may borrow money to facilitate management of a Funds portfolio by enabling a 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, a 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 required asset coverage declines as a result
of market fluctuations or other reasons, a Fund may be required to sell some of its portfolio
investments within three days to reduce the amount of its borrowings and restore the 300% asset
coverage, even though it may be disadvantageous from an investment standpoint to sell portfolio
instruments at that time.
Lending Portfolio Securities.
Each Fund may lend portfolio securities with a value not exceeding 33 1/3% of its total assets to
brokers, dealers, and financial institutions. Borrowers are required continuously to secure their
obligations to return securities on loan from a Fund by depositing any combination of short-term
government securities, shares of registered and unregistered money market funds and cash as
collateral with a Fund. The collateral must be equal to at least 100% of the market value of the
loaned securities, which will be marked to market daily. The value of this collateral could
decline, causing the Fund to experience a loss. While a Funds portfolio securities are on loan, a
Fund continues to receive interest on the securities loaned and simultaneously earns either
interest on the investment of the collateral or fee income if the loan is otherwise collateralized.
A Fund may invest the interest received and the collateral, thereby earning additional income.
Loans would be subject to termination by the lending Fund on a four-business days notice or by the
borrower on a one-day notice. Borrowed securities must be returned when the loan is terminated.
Any gain or loss in the market price of the borrowed securities that occurs during the term of the
loan inures to the
22
lending Fund and that Funds shareholders. A lending Fund may pay reasonable finders, borrowers,
administrative and custodial fees in connection with a loan. A Fund could lose money from
securities lending if, for example, it is delayed or prevented from selling the collateral after a
loan is made, in recovering the securities loaned or if the Fund incurs losses on the reinvestment
of cash collateral. Each Fund currently has no intention of lending its portfolio securities.
Portfolio Turnover. The Trust anticipates that each Funds annual portfolio turnover will
vary. A Funds portfolio turnover rate is calculated by the value of the securities purchased or
securities sold, excluding all securities whose maturities at the time of acquisition were one year
or less, divided by the average monthly value of such securities owned during the year. Based on
this calculation, instruments with remaining maturities of less than one year are excluded from the
portfolio turnover rate. Such instruments generally would include futures contracts and options,
since such contracts generally have a remaining maturity of less than one year. In any given
period, all of a Funds investments may have a remaining maturity of less than one year; in that
case, the portfolio turnover rate for that period would be equal to zero. However, each Funds
portfolio turnover rate calculated with all securities whose maturities were one year or less is
anticipated to be unusually high.
High portfolio turnover involves correspondingly greater expenses to a Fund, including brokerage
commissions or dealer mark-ups and other transaction costs on the sale of securities and
reinvestments in other securities. Such sales also may result in adverse tax consequences to a
Funds shareholders resulting from its distributions of increased net capital gains, if any,
recognized as a result of the sales. The trading costs and tax effects associated with portfolio
turnover may adversely affect a Funds performance.
Risk of Tracking Error
Several factors may affect a Funds ability to track the performance of its applicable index.
Among these factors are: (1) Fund expenses, including brokerage expenses and commissions (which may
be increased by high portfolio turnover); (2) less than all of the securities in the target index
being held by a Fund and securities not included in the target index being held by a Fund; (3) an
imperfect correlation between the performance of instruments held by a Fund, such as futures
contracts and options, and the performance of the underlying securities in the cash market
comprising an index; (4) bid-ask spreads; (5) a Fund holding instruments that are illiquid or the
market for which becomes disrupted; and (6) the need to conform a Funds portfolio holdings to
comply with that Funds investment restrictions or policies, or regulatory or tax law requirements.
While index futures and options contracts closely correlate with the applicable indices over long
periods, shorter-term deviation, such as on a daily basis, does occur with these instruments. As a
result, a Funds short-term performance will reflect such deviation from its target index.
INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS
The Trust, on behalf of each Fund, has adopted the following investment policies which are
fundamental policies that may not be changed without the affirmative vote of a majority of the
outstanding voting securities of the Fund, as defined by the 1940 Act. As defined by the 1940 Act,
a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund means the affirmative vote
of the lesser of (1) more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Fund or (2) 67% or more of the
shares present at a meeting, if more than 50% of the outstanding shares are represented at the
meeting in person or by proxy.
Each Funds investment objective is a non-fundamental policy of the Fund. Non-fundamental policies
may be changed by the Board without shareholder approval.
For purposes of the following limitations, all percentage limitations apply immediately after a
purchase or initial investment. Except with respect to borrowing money, if a percentage limitation
is adhered to at the time of the investment, a later increase or decrease in the percentage
resulting from any change in value or net assets will not result in a violation of such
restrictions. If at any time a Funds borrowings exceed its limitations due to a decline in net
assets, such borrowings will be reduced promptly to the extent necessary to comply with the
limitation.
23
Each Fund may not:
1. |
|
Borrow money, except to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations
thereunder and any applicable exemptive relief. |
2. |
|
Issue senior securities, except to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act, the rules and
regulations thereunder and any applicable exemptive relief. |
3. |
|
Make loans, except to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations
thereunder and any applicable exemptive relief. |
4. |
|
Except for any Fund that is concentrated in an industry or group of industries within the
meaning of the 1940 Act, purchase the securities of any issuer (other than securities issued
or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or any of its agencies or instrumentalities) if, as a
result, 25% or more of the Funds total assets would be invested in the securities of
companies whose principal business activities are in the same industry. |
5. |
|
Purchase or sell real estate, except that, to the extent permitted by applicable law, each
Fund may (a) invest in securities or other instruments directly secured by real estate, and
(b) invest in securities or other instruments issued by issuers that invest in real estate. |
6. |
|
Purchase or sell commodities or commodity contracts unless acquired as a result of ownership
of securities or other instruments issued by persons that purchase or sell commodities or
commodities contracts; but this shall not prevent a Fund from purchasing, selling and entering
into financial futures contracts (including futures contracts on indices of securities,
interest rates and currencies), and options on financial futures contracts (including futures
contracts on indices of securities, interest rates and currencies), warrants, swaps, forward
contracts, foreign currency spot and forward contracts and other financial instruments. |
7. |
|
Underwrite securities issued by others, except to the extent that a Fund may be considered an
underwriter within the meaning of the 1933 Act in the disposition of restricted securities or
other investment company securities. |
PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS AND BROKERAGE
Subject to the general supervision by the Trustees, Rafferty is responsible for decisions to buy
and sell securities for each Fund, the selection of broker-dealers to effect the transactions, and
the negotiation of brokerage commissions, if any. Rafferty expects that a Fund may execute
brokerage or other agency transactions through registered broker-dealers, for a commission, in
conformity with the 1940 Act, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and
regulations thereunder.
When selecting a broker or dealer to execute portfolio transactions, Rafferty considers many
factors, including the rate of commission or the size of the broker-dealers spread, the size and
difficulty of the order, the nature of the market for the security, operational capabilities of the
broker-dealer and the research, statistical and economic data furnished by the broker-dealer to
Rafferty.
In effecting portfolio transactions for a Fund, Rafferty seeks to receive the closing prices of
securities that are in line with those of the securities included in the applicable index and seeks
to execute trades of such securities at the lowest commission rate reasonably available. With
respect to agency transactions, Rafferty may execute trades at a higher rate of commission if
reasonable in relation to brokerage and research services provided to a Fund or Rafferty. Such
services may include the following: information as to the availability of securities for purchase
or sale; statistical or factual information or opinions pertaining to investment; wire services;
and appraisals or evaluations of portfolio securities. Each Fund believes that the requirement
always to seek the lowest possible commission cost could impede effective portfolio management and
preclude a Fund and Rafferty from obtaining a high quality of brokerage and research services. In
seeking to determine the reasonableness of brokerage commissions paid in any transaction, Rafferty
relies upon its experience and knowledge regarding commissions generally charged by various brokers
and on its judgment in evaluating the brokerage and research services received from the broker
effecting the transaction.
24
Rafferty may use research and services provided to it by brokers in servicing all Funds; however,
not all such services may be used by Rafferty in connection with a Fund. While the receipt of such
information and services is useful in varying degrees and generally would reduce the amount of
research or services otherwise performed by Rafferty, this information and these services are of
indeterminable value and would not reduce Raffertys investment advisory fee to be paid by a Fund.
Purchases and sales of U.S. government securities normally are transacted through issuers,
underwriters or major dealers in U.S. government securities acting as principals. Such
transactions are made on a net basis and do not involve payment of brokerage commissions. The cost
of securities purchased from an underwriter usually includes a commission paid by the issuer to the
underwriters; transactions with dealers normally reflect the spread between bid and asked prices.
Brokerage commissions are not available for the Funds because the Funds are newly organized.
PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS INFORMATION
Disclosure of a Funds complete holdings is required to be made quarterly within 60 days of the end
of each fiscal quarter in the Annual Report and Semi-Annual Report to Fund shareholders and in the
quarterly holdings report on Form N-Q. These reports are available, free of charge, on the EDGAR
database on the SECs website at www.sec.gov. In addition, each Funds portfolio holdings will be
made available on the Funds website at www.direxionshares.com each day the Funds are open for
business.
The portfolio composition file (PCF) and the IOPV, which contain portfolio holdings information,
is made available daily, including to the Funds service providers to facilitate the provision of
services to the Funds and to certain other entities as necessary for transactions in Creation
Units. Such entities may be limited to National Securities Clearing Corporation (NSCC) members,
subscribers to various fee-based services, investors that have entered into an authorized
participant agreement with the Distributor and the transfer agent or purchase Creation Units
through a dealer that has entered into such an agreement (Authorized Participants), and other
institutional market participants that provide information services. Each business day, Fund
portfolio holdings information will be provided to the Distributor or other agent for dissemination
through the facilities of the NSCC and/or through other fee-based services to NSCC members and/or
subscribers to the fee-based services, including Authorized Participants, and to entities that
publish and/or analyze such information in connection with the process of purchasing or redeeming
Creation Units or trading shares of Funds in the secondary market.
Daily access to the PCF file and IOPV is permitted to: (i) certain personnel of service providers
that are involved in portfolio management and providing administrative, operational, or other
support to portfolio management; (ii) Authorized Participants through NSCC, and (iii) other
personnel of the Adviser and the Funds distributor, administrator, custodian and fund accountant
who are involved in functions which may require such information to conduct business in the
ordinary course.
From time to time, rating and ranking organizations such as Standard & Poors® and
Morningstar®, Inc. may request complete portfolio holdings information in connection
with rating a Fund. To prevent such parties from potentially misusing the complete portfolio
holdings information, a Fund will generally only disclose such information no earlier than one
business day following the date of the information. Portfolio holdings information made available
in connection with the creation/redemption process may be provided to other entities that provide
additional services to the Funds in the ordinary course of business after it has been disseminated
to the NSCC.
In addition, the Funds President may grant exceptions to permit additional disclosure of the
complete portfolio holdings information at differing times and with differing lag times to rating
agencies and to the parties noted above, provided that (1) a Fund has a legitimate business purpose
for doing so; (2) it is in the best interests of shareholders; (3) the recipient is subject to a
confidentiality agreement; and (4) the recipient is subject to a duty not to trade on the nonpublic
information. The Chief Compliance Officer shall report any disclosures made pursuant to this
exception to the Board.
25
MANAGEMENT OF THE TRUST
The Board of Trustees
The Trust is governed by its Board. The Board is responsible for and oversees the overall
management and operations of the Trust and the Funds, which includes the general oversight and
review of the Funds investment activities, in accordance with federal law and the law of the State
of Delaware, as well as the stated policies of the Funds. The Board oversees the Trusts officers
and service providers, including Rafferty, which is responsible for the management of the
day-to-day operations of the Funds based on policies and agreements reviewed and approved by the
Board. In carrying out these responsibilities, the Board regularly interacts with and receives
reports from senior personnel of service providers, including personnel from BNYM and Alaric
Compliance Services, LLC (Alaric), and the Trusts Chief Compliance Officer (CCO). The Board
also is assisted by the Trusts independent auditor (who reports directly to the Trusts Audit
Committee), independent counsel and other professionals as appropriate.
Risk Oversight
Consistent with its responsibility for oversight of the Trust and the Funds, the Board oversees the
management of risks relating to the administration and operation of the Trust and the Funds.
Rafferty, as part of its responsibilities for the day-to-day operations of the Funds, is
responsible for day-to-day risk management for the Funds. The Board, in the exercise of its
reasonable business judgment performs its risk management oversight directly and, as to certain
matters, through its committees (described below) and through the Independent Trustees. The
following provides an overview of the principal, but not all, aspects of the Boards oversight of
risk management for the Trust and the Funds.
The Board has adopted, and periodically reviews, policies and procedures designed to address risks
to the Trust and the Funds. In addition, under the general oversight of the Board, Rafferty and
other service providers to the Funds have themselves adopted a variety of policies, procedures and
controls designed to address particular risks to the Funds. Different processes, procedures and
controls are employed with respect to different types of risks.
The Board also oversees risk management for the Trust and the Funds through review of regular
reports, presentations and other information from officers of the Trust and other persons. The CCO
and senior officers of Rafferty, BNYM and Alaric regularly report to the Board on a range of
matters, including those relating to risk management. The Board also regularly receives reports
from Rafferty and BNYM with respect to the Funds investments. In addition to regular reports from
these parties, the Board also receives reports regarding other service providers to the Trust,
either directly or through Rafferty, BNYM, Alaric or the CCO, on a periodic or regular basis. At
least annually, the Board receives a report from the CCO regarding the effectiveness of the Funds
compliance program. Also, on an annual basis, the Board receives reports, presentations and other
information from Rafferty in connection with the Boards consideration of the renewal of each of
the Trusts agreements with Rafferty and the Trusts distribution plan under Rule 12b-1 under the
1940 Act.
The CCO also reports regularly to the Audit Committee on Fund valuation matters. In addition, the
Audit Committee receives regular reports from the Trusts independent registered public accounting
firm on internal control and financial reporting matters. On at least a quarterly basis, the
Independent Trustees meet with the CCO to discuss matters relating to the Funds compliance
program.
26
Board Structure and Related Matters
Board members who are not interested persons of the Funds as defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the
1940 Act (Independent Trustees) constitute three-quarters of the Board. The Trustees discharge
their responsibilities collectively as a Board, as well as through Board committees, each of which
operates pursuant to a charter approved by the Board that delineates the specific responsibilities
of that committee. The Board has established three standing committees: the Audit Committee, the
Nominating Committee and the Qualified Legal Compliance Committee. For example, the Audit
Committee is responsible for specific matters related to oversight of the Funds independent
auditors, subject to approval of the Audit Committees recommendations by the Board. The members
and responsibilities of each Board committee are summarized below.
The Board periodically evaluates its structure and composition as well as various aspects of its
operations. The Board believes that its leadership structure, including its Independent Trustees
and Board committees, is appropriate for the Trust in light of, among other factors, the asset size
and nature of the Funds, the number of Funds overseen by the Board, the arrangements for the
conduct of the Funds operations, the number of Trustees, and the Boards responsibilities. On an
annual basis, the Board conducts a self-evaluation that considers, among other matters, whether the
Board and its committees are functioning effectively and whether, given the size and composition of
the Board and each of its committees, the Trustees are able to oversee effectively the number of
Funds in the complex.
The Trust is part of the Direxion Family of Investment Companies, which is comprised of the 114
portfolios within the Trust, 32 portfolios within the Direxion Funds and 1 portfolio within
Direxion Insurance Trust. The Independent Trustees constitute three-quarters of the board of
trustees of Trust.
The Board holds four regularly scheduled in-person meetings each year. The Board may hold special
meetings, as needed, either in person or by telephone, to address matters arising between regular
meetings. During a portion of each in-person meeting, the Independent Trustees meet outside of
managements presence. The Independent Trustees may hold special meetings, as needed, either in
person or by telephone.
The Trustees of the Trust are identified in the tables below, which provide information regarding
their age, business address and principal occupation during the past five years including any
affiliation with Rafferty, the length of service to the Trust, and the position, if any, that they
hold on the board of directors of companies other than the Trust as of December 31, 2010. Each of
the non-interested Trustees of the Trust also serve on the Board of the Direxion Funds and Direxion
Insurance Trust, the other registered investment companies in the Direxion mutual fund complex.
Unless otherwise noted, an individuals business address is 33 Whitehall Street, 10th
Floor, New York, New York 10004.
Interested Trustees
|
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# of |
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Portfolios in |
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Direxion |
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Family of |
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Other Trusteeships/ |
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Term of |
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Investment |
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Directorships Held |
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Position(s) |
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Office and |
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Companies |
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by |
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Held with |
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Length of |
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Principal Occupation(s) |
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Overseen by |
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Trustee During Past |
Name, Address and Age |
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Fund |
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Time Served |
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During Past Five Years |
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Trustee(2) |
|
Five Years |
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Daniel D. ONeill(1)
Age: 42
|
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President, Chairman
of the Board of
Trustees and
Treasurer
|
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Since 2008
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Managing Director of
Rafferty,
1999-present.
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141 |
|
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None. |
27
Non-Interested Trustees
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# of Portfolios |
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in Direxion |
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Family of |
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Other Trusteeships/ |
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Term of |
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Investment |
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Directorships Held |
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Position(s) |
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Office and |
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Companies |
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by |
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Held with |
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Length of |
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Principal Occupation(s) |
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Overseen by |
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Trustee During Past |
Name, Address and Age |
|
Fund |
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Time Served |
|
During Past Five Years |
|
Trustee(2) |
|
Five Years |
|
Daniel J. Byrne
Age: 67
|
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Trustee
|
|
Lifetime of Trust
until removal or
resignation; Since
2008
|
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President and Chief
Executive Officer of
Byrne Securities Inc.,
1992-present.
|
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141 |
|
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None. |
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Gerald E. Shanley III
Age: 67
|
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Trustee
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Lifetime of Trust
until removal or
resignation; Since
2008
|
|
Retired, Since 2002;
Business Consultant,
1985-present;
Co-Trustee with United
States Trust Co. of
New York Under Will of
Charles S. Payson,
1987-present; C.P.A.,
1979-present.
|
|
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141 |
|
|
None. |
|
|
|
|
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|
|
|
|
|
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John Weisser
Age: 69
|
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Trustee
|
|
Lifetime of Trust
until removal or
resignation; Since
2008
|
|
Retired, Since 1995;
Salomon Brothers, Inc,
1971-1995, most
recently as Managing
Director.
|
|
|
141 |
|
|
Director, MainStay
VP Fund Series;
Director ICAP
Funds, Inc;
Director, The
MainStay Funds;
Director, Eclipse
Funds, Inc.; (66
Funds Total) |
|
|
|
(1) |
|
Mr. ONeill is affiliated with Rafferty. Mr. ONeill is the Managing Director of
Rafferty and owns a beneficial interest in Rafferty. |
|
(2) |
|
The Direxion Family of Investment Companies consists of the Direxion Funds which
currently offers for sale to the public 32 portfolios, the Direxion Insurance Trust which
currently offers for sale 1 portfolio and the Direxion Shares ETF Trust which currently offers
for sale to the public 42 of the 114 funds currently registered with the SEC. |
In addition to the information set forth in the tables above and other relevant
qualifications, experience, attributes or skills applicable to a particular Trustee, the following
provides further information about the qualifications and experience of each Trustee.
Daniel J. Byrne: Mr. Byrne has extensive financial services and business experience as an
executive at a securities broker-dealer firm, a partner in a hedge fund, and president and chief
executive officer of a private corporation. He has served as a director of a civic organization.
He also has multiple years of service as a Trustee.
Daniel D. ONeill: Mr. ONeill has extensive experience in the investment management business,
including as managing director of Rafferty.
Gerald E. Shanley III: Mr. Shanley has audit experience and spent ten years in the tax practice of
an international public accounting firm. He is a certified public accountant and has a JD degree.
He has extensive business experience as the president of a closely held manufacturing company, a
director of several closely held companies, a business and tax consultant and a trustee of a
private investment trust. He has served on the boards of several charitable and not for profit
organizations. He also has multiple years of service as a Trustee.
John Weisser: Mr. Weisser has extensive experience in the investment management business,
including as managing director of an investment bank and a director of other registered investment
companies. He also has multiple years of service as a Trustee.
28
Board Committees
The Trust has an Audit Committee, consisting of Messrs. Weisser, Byrne and Shanley. The members of
the Audit Committee are not interested persons of the Trust (as defined in the 1940 Act). The
primary responsibilities of the Trusts Audit Committee are, as set forth in its charter, to make
recommendations to the Board Members as to: the engagement or discharge of the Trusts independent
registered public accounting firm (including the audit fees charged by the accounting firm); the
supervision of investigations into matters relating to audit matters; the review with the
independent registered public accounting firm of the results of audits; and addressing any other
matters regarding audits.
The Trust also has a Nominating Committee, consisting of Messrs. Weisser, Byrne and Shanley, each
of whom is a disinterested member of the Board. The primary responsibilities of the nominating
committee are to make recommendations to the Board on issues related to the composition and
operation of the Board, and communicate with management on those issues. The Nominating Committee
also evaluates and nominates Board member candidates. The Nominating Committee will consider
nominees recommended by shareholders. Such recommendations should be in writing and addressed to a
Fund with attention to the Nominating Committee Chair. The recommendations must include the
following Preliminary Information regarding the nominee: (1) name; (2) date of birth; (3)
education; (4) business professional or other relevant experience and areas of expertise; (5)
current business and home addresses and contact information; (6) other board positions or prior
experience; and (7) any knowledge and experience relating to investment companies and investment
company governance.
The Trust has a Qualified Legal Compliance Committee, consisting of Messrs. Weisser, Byrne and
Shanley. The members of the Qualified Legal Compliance Committee are not interested persons of
the Trust (as defined in the 1940 Act). The primary responsibility of the Trusts Qualified Legal
Compliance Committee is to receive, review and take appropriate action with respect to any report
(Report) made or referred to the Committee by an attorney of evidence of a material violation of
applicable U.S. federal or state securities law, material breach of a fiduciary duty under U.S.
federal or state law or a similar material violation by the Trust or by any officer, director,
employee or agent of the Trust.
Principal Officers of the Trust
The officers of the Trust conduct and supervise its daily business. Unless otherwise noted, an
individuals business address is 33 Whitehall Street, 10th Floor, New York, New York
10004. As of the date of this SAI, the officers of the Trust, their ages, their business address
and their principal occupations during the past five years are as follows:
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# of Portfolios |
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in Direxion |
|
|
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|
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Term of |
|
|
|
Family of |
|
|
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|
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Office and |
|
|
|
Investment |
|
Other Trusteeships/ |
|
|
Position(s) |
|
Length of |
|
|
|
Companies |
|
Directorships Held |
|
|
Held with |
|
Time |
|
Principal Occupation(s) |
|
Overseen by |
|
by Trustee During |
Name, Address and Age |
|
Fund |
|
Served(1) |
|
During Past Five Years |
|
Trustee(2) |
|
Past Five Years |
|
Daniel D. ONeill
Age: 42
|
|
President and
Chairman of the
Board of Trustees
|
|
Since 2008
|
|
Managing Director of
Rafferty,
1999-present.
|
|
|
141 |
|
|
N/A |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Patrick J. Rudnick
Age: 37
|
|
Principal Financial
Officer and
Treasurer
|
|
One Year;
Since 2010
|
|
Vice President, U.S.
Bancorp Fund Services,
LLC, since 2006;
formerly, Manager,
PricewaterhouseCoopers
LLP (1999-2006).
|
|
|
N/A |
|
|
N/A |
29
|
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# of Portfolios |
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|
|
|
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in Direxion |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Term of |
|
|
|
Family of |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Office and |
|
|
|
Investment |
|
Other Trusteeships/ |
|
|
Position(s) |
|
Length of |
|
|
|
Companies |
|
Directorships Held |
|
|
Held with |
|
Time |
|
Principal Occupation(s) |
|
Overseen by |
|
by Trustee During |
Name, Address and Age |
|
Fund |
|
Served(1) |
|
During Past Five Years |
|
Trustee(2) |
|
Past Five Years |
|
Bernard Bob Frize
Age: 40
|
|
Chief Compliance
Officer
|
|
Since 2008
|
|
Director, Alaric
Compliance Services,
LLC September 2007 to
present; Business
Consultant,
BusinessEdge Solutions
January 2007 June
2007; Associate Vice
President, Pershing
Adviser Solutions
April 1996 January
2007.
|
|
|
N/A |
|
|
N/A |
|
|
|
(1) |
|
Each officer of the Trust holds office until his or her successor is elected and
qualified or until his or her earlier death, inability to serve, removal or resignation. |
|
(2) |
|
The Direxion Family of Investment Companies consists of the Direxion Funds which
currently offers for sale to the public 32 portfolios, the Direxion Insurance Trust which
currently offers for sale 1 portfolio and the Direxion Shares ETF Trust which currently offers
for sale to the public 42 of the 114 funds currently registered with the SEC. |
As of the calendar year ended December 31, 2010, no Trustee owns Shares of any Fund. The
following table shows the amount of equity securities owned in the Direxion Family of Investment
Companies by the Trustees as of the calendar year ended December 31, 2010:
|
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dollar Range of Equity |
|
|
|
|
Securities Owned: |
|
Interested Trustee: |
|
Non-Interested Trustees: |
|
|
|
Daniel D. ONeill |
|
Daniel J. Byrne |
|
Gerald E. Shanley III |
|
John Weisser |
Aggregate Dollar Range
of Equity Securities in
the Direxion Family of
Investment
Companies(1) |
|
Over $100,000 |
|
$ |
10,000 - $50,000 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
|
$ |
10,000 - $50,000 |
|
|
|
|
(1) |
|
The Direxion Family of Investment Companies consists of: (1) the
Direxion Shares ETF Trust, which currently offers for sale to the public 42 of the 114
funds currently registered with the SEC; (2) Direxion Funds, which currently offers for
sale to the public 32 funds; and (3) the Direxion Insurance Trust, which currently
offers for sale to the public 1 fund. |
The Trusts Trust Instrument provides that the Trustees will not be liable for errors of
judgment or mistakes of fact or law. However, they are not protected against any liability to
which they would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence
or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of their office.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Aggregate |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Compensation From |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pension or Retirement |
|
|
|
|
|
the Direxion Family |
|
|
Aggregate |
|
Benefits Accrued As |
|
Estimated Annual |
|
of Investment |
|
|
Compensation |
|
Part of the Trusts |
|
Benefits Upon |
|
Companies Paid to |
Name of Person, Position |
|
From the Funds |
|
Expenses |
|
Retirement |
|
the
Trustees(1) |
|
Interested Trustees |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Daniel D. ONeill |
|
$ |
0 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
Disinterested Trustees |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Daniel J. Byrne |
|
$ |
1,637 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
|
$ |
98,329 |
|
Gerald E. Shanley III |
|
$ |
1,637 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
|
$ |
98,329 |
|
30
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Aggregate |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Compensation From |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pension or Retirement |
|
|
|
|
|
the Direxion Family |
|
|
Aggregate |
|
Benefits Accrued As |
|
Estimated Annual |
|
of Investment |
|
|
Compensation |
|
Part of the Trusts |
|
Benefits Upon |
|
Companies Paid to |
Name of Person, Position |
|
From the Funds |
|
Expenses |
|
Retirement |
|
the
Trustees(1) |
|
John Weisser |
|
$ |
1,637 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
|
$ |
98,329 |
|
|
|
|
(1) |
|
For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2011
trustees fees and expenses for the
Trust are estimated to be $219,250. |
Principal Shareholders, Control Persons and Management Ownership
A principal shareholder is any person who owns of record or beneficially 5% or more of the
outstanding shares of a Fund. A control person is a shareholder that owns beneficially or through
controlled companies more than 25% of the voting securities of a company or acknowledges the
existence of control. Shareholders owning voting securities in excess of 25% may determine the
outcome of any matter affecting and voted on by shareholders of a Fund. Principal shareholder,
control persons and Trustee and officer ownership are not available for the Funds because the Funds
are newly organized.
Investment Adviser
Rafferty Asset Management, LLC, 33 Whitehall Street, 10th Floor, New York, New York
10004, provides investment advice to the Funds. Rafferty was organized as a New York limited
liability corporation in June 1997. Lawrence C. Rafferty controls Rafferty through his ownership
in Rafferty Holdings, LLC.
Under an Investment Advisory Agreement (Advisory Agreement) between the Trust, on behalf of each
Fund, and Rafferty dated August 13, 2008, Rafferty provides a continuous investment program for
each Funds assets in accordance with its investment objectives, policies and limitations, and
oversees the day-to-day operations of a Fund, subject to the supervision of the Trustees. Rafferty
bears all costs associated with providing these advisory services and the expenses of the Trustees
who are affiliated with or interested persons of Rafferty. The Trust bears all other expenses that
are not assumed by Rafferty as described in the Prospectus. The Trust also is liable for
nonrecurring expenses as may arise, including litigation to which a Fund may be a party. The Trust
also may have an obligation to indemnify its Trustees and officers with respect to any such
litigation.
Pursuant to the Advisory Agreement, the Funds pay Rafferty 0.35% at an annualized rate based on a
percentage of the Funds daily net assets.
Each Fund is responsible for its own operating expenses. Rafferty has contractually agreed to
waive its fees and/or reimburse the Funds operating expenses (excluding, as applicable, among
other expenses, taxes, leverage interest, dividends or interest on short positions, other interest
expenses, brokerage commissions, expenses incurred in connection with any merger or reorganization
and extraordinary expenses such as litigation) through March 1, 2012, to the extent that they
exceed 0.55% of the daily net assets of the Funds. This agreement may be terminated at any time at
the discretion of the Board upon notice to the Adviser and without the approval of Fund
shareholders. The agreement may be terminated by the Adviser only with the consent of the Board.
The Advisory Agreement was initially approved by the Trustees (including all non-interested
Trustees) and Rafferty, as sole shareholder of each Fund in compliance with the 1940 Act. The
Advisory Agreement with respect to each
Fund will continue in force for an initial period of two years after the date of its approval.
Thereafter, the Advisory Agreement will be renewable from year to year with respect to each Fund,
so long as its continuance is approved at least annually (1) by the vote, cast in person at a
meeting called for that purpose, of a majority of those Trustees who are not interested persons
of Rafferty or the Trust; and (2) by the majority vote of either the full Board or the vote of a
majority of the outstanding shares of a Fund. The Advisory Agreement automatically terminates on
assignment and is terminable on a 60-day written notice either by the Trust or Rafferty.
Advisory Fees are not available for the Funds because the Funds are newly organized. Rafferty shall
not be liable to the Trust or any shareholder for anything done or omitted by it, except acts or
omissions involving willful
31
misfeasance, bad faith, negligence or reckless disregard of the duties
imposed upon it by its agreement with the Trust or for any losses that may be sustained in the
purchase, holding or sale of any security.
Pursuant to Section 17(j) of the 1940 Act and Rule 17j-1 thereunder, the Trust, Rafferty and the
distributor have adopted Codes of Ethics (Codes). These Codes permit portfolio managers and
other access persons of a Fund to invest in securities that may be owned by a Fund, subject to
certain restrictions.
Portfolio Managers
An investment team of Rafferty employees has the day-to-day responsibility for managing the Funds.
The investment team generally decides the target allocation of each Funds investments and on a
day-to-day basis, an individual portfolio manager executes transactions for the Funds consistent
with the target allocation. The portfolio managers rotate among the Funds periodically so that no
single portfolio manager is responsible for a specific Fund for extended periods of time. Paul
Brigandi, each Funds Portfolio Manager, is primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of
the Funds.
In addition to the Funds, each member of the investment team manages the following other accounts
as of October 31, 2010:
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Total Number of |
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Total Assets of |
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Accounts with |
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Accounts with |
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Total Number |
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Performance Based |
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Performance |
Accounts |
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of Accounts |
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Total Assets |
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Fees |
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Based Fees |
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Registered Investment Companies |
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66 |
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$7.2 billion |
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0 |
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$ |
0 |
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Other Pooled Investment Vehicles |
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0 |
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$ |
0 |
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0 |
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$ |
0 |
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Other Accounts |
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|
1 |
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$38 million |
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0 |
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$ |
0 |
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Rafferty manages other accounts with investment objectives similar to that of the Funds. In
addition, two or more Funds may invest in the same securities but the nature of each investment
(long or short) may be opposite and in different proportions. Rafferty ordinarily executes
transactions for a Fund market-on-close, in which Funds purchasing or selling the same security
receive the same closing price.
Rafferty has not identified any additional material conflicts between a Fund and other accounts
managed by the investment team. However, the portfolio managers management of other accounts
may give rise to potential conflicts of interest in connection with their management of a Funds
investments, on the one hand, and the investments of other accounts, on the other. The other
accounts may have the same investment objective as the Funds. Therefore, a potential conflict of
interest may arise as a result of the identical investment objectives, whereby the portfolio
managers could favor one account over and devote unequal time and attention to a Fund and other
accounts. Another potential conflict could include the portfolio managers knowledge about size,
timing and possible market impact of Fund trades, whereby a portfolio manager could use this
information to the advantage of
other accounts and to the disadvantage of a Fund. This could create potential conflicts of
interest resulting in a Fund paying higher fees or one investment vehicle out performing another.
The Adviser has established policies ad procedures to ensure that the purchase and sale of
securities among all accounts it manages are fairly and equitably allocated.
The investment teams compensation is paid by Rafferty. Their compensation primarily consists of a
fixed base salary and a bonus. The investment teams salary is reviewed annually and increases are
determined by factors such as performance and seniority. Bonuses are determined by the individual
performance of an employee including factors such as attention to detail, process, and efficiency,
and are impacted by the overall performance of the firm.
32
The investment teams salary and bonus are not based on a Funds performance and as a result,
no benchmarks are used. Along with all other employees of Rafferty, the investment team
may participate in the firms 401(k) retirement plan where Rafferty may make matching contributions
up to a defined percentage of their salary.
The members of the investment team do not own any shares of the Funds as of the date of this SAI.
Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures
The Board has adopted proxy voting policies and procedures (Proxy Policies) wherein the Trust has
delegated to Rafferty the responsibility for voting proxies relating to portfolio securities held
by a Fund as part of their investment advisory services, subject to the supervision and oversight
of the Board. The Proxy Voting Policies of Rafferty are attached as Appendix B. Notwithstanding
this delegation of responsibilities, however, each Fund retains the right to vote proxies relating
to its portfolio securities. The fundamental purpose of the Proxy Policies is to ensure that each
vote will be in a manner that reflects the best interest of a Fund and their shareholders, taking
into account the value of a Funds investments.
More Information. The actual voting records relating to portfolio securities for future
12-month periods ending June 30 will be available without charge, upon request by calling
toll-free, 1-866-476-7523 or by accessing the SECs website at www.sec.gov.
Fund Administrator, Index Receipt Agent, Fund Accounting Agent, Transfer Agent and
Custodian
The Bank of New York Mellon, One Wall Street, New York, New York 10286, serves as the Funds
transfer agent, administrator, custodian and index receipt agent. Rafferty also performs certain
administrative services for the Funds.
Pursuant to a Fund Administration and Accounting Agreement between the Trust and BNYM, BNYM
provides the Trust with administrative and management services (other than investment advisory
services) and accounting services, including portfolio accounting services, tax accounting services
and furnishing financial reports. As compensation for the administration and management services,
the Trust pays BNYM a fee based on the Trusts total average daily net assets of 0.04% on net
assets, with a minimum annual complex fee of approximately $200,000. For the accounting services,
the Trust pays BNYM a fee based on the Trusts total average daily net assets of 0.03% and a
minimum annual complex fee of approximately $160,000. BNYM also is entitled to certain
out-of-pocket expenses for the services mentioned above, including pricing expenses.
Pursuant to a Custodian Agreement, BNYM serves as the custodian of a Funds assets. The custodian
holds and administers the assets in a Funds portfolios. Pursuant to the Custody Agreement, the
custodian receives an annual fee based on the Trusts total average daily net assets of 0.0075% and
certain settlement charges. The custodian also is entitled to certain out-of-pocket expenses.
Administrative and management services fees are not available for the Funds because the Funds are
newly organized.
Distributor
Foreside Fund Services, LLC, located at 3 Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, Maine 04101,
serves as the distributor (Distributor) in connection with the continuous offering of each
Funds shares. The Distributor is a broker-dealer registered with the SEC under the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 and a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. The Trust offers
Shares of the Funds for sale through the Distributor in Creation Units, as described below. The
Distributor will not sell or redeem Shares in quantities less than Creation Units. The Distributor
will deliver a Prospectus to persons purchasing Creation Units and will maintain records of
Creation Unit orders placed and confirmations furnished by it. Pursuant to a written agreement,
the Adviser pays the Distributor for distribution-related services.
33
Distribution and Service Plan
Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act provides that an investment company may bear expenses of distributing
its shares only pursuant to a plan adopted in accordance with the Rule. The Trustees have adopted
a Rule 12b-1 Distribution and Service Plan (Rule 12b-1 Plan) pursuant to which each Fund may pay
certain expenses incurred in the distribution of its shares and the servicing and maintenance of
existing shareholder accounts. The Distributor, as the Funds principal underwriter, and Rafferty
may have a direct or indirect financial interest in the Plan or any related agreement. Pursuant to
the Rule 12b-1 Plan, each Fund may pay a fee of up to 0.25% of the Funds average daily net assets.
No Rule 12b-1 fee is currently being charged to any of the Funds.
The Plan was approved by the Board, including a majority of the non-interested Trustees of the
Funds. In approving each Plan, the Trustees determined that there is a reasonable likelihood that
the Plans will benefit the Funds and their shareholders. The Trustees will review quarterly and
annually a written report provided by the Treasurer of the amounts expended under the Plans and the
purpose for which such expenditures were made.
The Plan permits payments to be made by each Fund to the Distributor or other third parties for
expenditures incurred in connection with the distribution of Fund shares to investors and the
provision of certain shareholder services. The distributor or other third parties are authorized
to engage in advertising, the preparation and distribution of sales literature and other
promotional activities on behalf of each Fund. In addition, the Plan authorizes payments by each
Fund to the Distributor or other third parties for the cost related to selling or servicing
efforts, preparing, printing and distributing Fund prospectuses, statements of additional
information, and shareholder reports to investors.
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
Ernst & Young LLP (E&Y), 5 Times Square New York, New York, 10036 is the independent registered
public accounting firm for the Trust.
Legal Counsel
The Trust has selected K&L Gates LLP, 1601 K Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20006, as its legal
counsel.
DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE
A Funds share price is known as its NAV. Each Fund calculates its NAV as of the close of regular
trading on the NYSE, usually 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, each day the NYSE is open for business
(Business Day.) The NYSE is open every week, Monday through Friday, except when the following
holidays are celebrated: New Years Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (the third Monday in January),
Presidents Day (the third Monday in February), Good Friday, Memorial Day (the last Monday in May),
July 4th, Labor Day (the first Monday in September), Thanksgiving Day (the fourth
Thursday in November) and Christmas Day. The NYSE may close early on the business day before each
of these holidays and on the day after Thanksgiving Day. NYSE holiday schedules are subject to
change without notice.
If the exchange or market on which the other Funds investments are primarily traded closes early,
the NAV may be calculated prior to its normal calculation time. Creation/redemption transaction
order time cutoffs would also be accelerated. The value of a Funds assets that trade in markets
outside the United States or in currencies other than the U.S. dollar may fluctuate when foreign
markets are open but the Funds are not open for business.
A security listed or traded on an exchange, domestic or foreign, is valued at its last sales price
on the principal exchange on which it is traded prior to the time when assets are valued. If no
sale is reported at that time, the mean of the last bid and asked prices is used. Securities
primarily traded on the NASDAQ Global Market® (NASDAQ®) for which market
quotations are readily available shall be valued using the NASDAQ® Official Closing
Price (NOCP) provided by NASDAQ® each business day. The NOCP is the most recently
reported price as of 4:00:02 p.m. Eastern time, unless that price is outside the range of the
inside bid and asked prices in that case, NASDAQ® will adjust the price to equal the
inside bid or asked price, whichever is closer. If the NOCP is not
34
available, such securities shall be valued at the last sale price on the day of valuation, or if
there has been no sale on such day, at the mean between the bid and asked prices.
When market quotations for options and futures positions held by a Fund are readily available,
those positions will be valued based upon such quotations. Securities and other assets for which
market quotations are not readily available, or for which Rafferty has reason to question the
validity of quotations received, are valued at fair value by procedures as adopted by the Board.
For purposes of determining NAV per share of a Fund, options and futures contracts are valued at
the last sales prices of the exchanges on which they trade. The value of a futures contract equals
the unrealized gain or loss on the contract that is determined by marking the contract to the last
sale price for a like contract acquired on the day on which the futures contract is being valued.
The value of options on futures contracts is determined based upon the last sale price for a like
option acquired on the day on which the option is being valued. A last sale price may not be used
for the foregoing purposes if the market makes a limited move with respect to a particular
instrument.
For valuation purposes, quotations of foreign securities or other assets denominated in foreign
currencies are translated to U.S. dollar equivalents using the net foreign exchange rate in effect
at the close of the stock exchange in the country where the security is issued. Short-term debt
instruments having a maturity of 60 days or less are valued at amortized cost, which approximates
market value. If the Board determines that the amortized cost method does not represent the fair
value of the short-term debt instrument, the investment will be valued at fair value as determined
by procedures as adopted by the Board. U.S. government securities are valued at the mean between
the closing bid and asked price provided by an independent third party pricing service (Pricing
Service).
OTC securities held by a Fund will be valued at the last sales price or, if no sales price is
reported, the mean of the last bid and asked price is used. The portfolio securities of a Fund
that are listed on national exchanges are valued at the last sales price of such securities; if no
sales price is reported, the mean of the last bid and asked price is used. Dividend income and
other distributions are recorded on the ex-distribution date.
Illiquid securities, securities for which reliable quotations or pricing services are not readily
available, and all other assets not valued in accordance with the foregoing principles will be
valued at their respective fair value as determined in good faith by, or under procedures
established by, the Trustees, which procedures may include the delegation of certain
responsibilities regarding valuation to Rafferty or the officers of the Trust. The officers of the
Trust report, as necessary, to the Trustees regarding portfolio valuation determinations. The
Trustees, from time to time, will review these methods of valuation and will recommend changes that
may be necessary to assure that the investments of a Fund are valued at fair value.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONCERNING SHARES
Organization and Description of Shares of Beneficial Interest
The Trust is a Delaware statutory trust and registered investment company. The Trust was organized
on April 23, 2008, and has authorized capital of unlimited Shares of beneficial interest of no par
value which may be issued in more than one class or series. Currently, the Trust consists of
multiple separately managed series. The Board may designate additional series of beneficial
interest and classify Shares of a particular series into one or more classes of that series.
All Shares of the Trust are freely transferable. The Shares do not have preemptive rights or
cumulative voting rights, and none of the Shares have any preference to conversion, exchange,
dividends, retirements, liquidation, redemption, or any other feature. Shares have equal voting
rights, except that, in a matter affecting a particular series or class of Shares, only Shares of
that series of class may be entitled to vote on the matter. Trust shareholders are entitled to
require the Trust to redeem Creation Units of their Shares. The Trust Instrument confers upon the
Broad of Trustees the power, by resolution, to alter the number of Shares constituting a Creation
Unit or to specify that Shares of the Trust may be individually redeemable. The Trust reserves the
right to adjust the stock prices of Shares of the Trust to maintain convenient trading ranges for
investors. Any such adjustments would be
35
accomplished through stock splits or reverse stock splits which would have no effect on the net
assets of the applicable Fund.
Under Delaware law, the Trust is not required to hold an annual shareholders meeting if the 1940
Act does not require such a meeting. Generally, there will not be annual meetings of Trust
shareholders. Trust shareholders may remove Trustees from office by votes cast at a meeting of
Trust shareholders or by written consent. If requested by shareholders of at least 10% of the
outstanding Shares of the Trust, the Trust will call a meeting of Funds shareholders for the
purpose of voting upon the question of removal of a Trustee of the Trust and will assist in
communications with other Trust shareholders.
The Trust Instrument disclaims liability of the shareholders of the officers of the Trust for acts
or obligations of the Trust which are binding only on the assets and property of the Trust. The
Trust Instrument provides for indemnification from the Trusts property for all loss and expense of
any Fund shareholder held personally liable for the obligations of the Trust. The risk of a Trust
shareholder incurring financial loss on account of shareholder liability is limited to
circumstances in which the Funds would not be able to meet the Trusts obligations and this risk,
thus, should be considered remote.
If a Fund does not grow to a size to permit it to be economically viable, the Fund may cease
operations. In such an event, investors may be required to liquidate or transfer their investments
at an inopportune time.
Book Entry Only System
The Depository Trust Company (DTC) acts as securities depositary for the Shares. The Shares of
each Fund are represented by global securities registered in the name of DTC or its nominee and
deposited with, or on behalf of, DTC. Except as provided below, certificates will not be issued
for Shares.
DTC has advised the Trust as follows: it is a limited-purpose trust company organized under the
laws of the State of New York, a member of the Federal Reserve System, a clearing corporation
within the meaning of the New York Uniform Commercial Code, and a clearing agency registered
pursuant to the provisions of Section 17A of the Exchange Act. DTC was created to hold securities
of its participants (DTC Participants) and to facilitate the clearance and settlement of
securities transactions among the DTC Participants in such securities through electronic book-entry
changes in accounts of the DTC Participants, thereby eliminating the need for physical movement of
securities certificates. DTC Participants include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust
companies, clearing corporations and certain other organizations, some of whom (and/or their
representatives) own DTC. More specifically, DTC is owned by a number of its DTC Participants and
by the New York Stock Exchange, Inc., the AMEX and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.
Access to the DTC system is also available to others such as banks, brokers, dealers and trust
companies that clear through or maintain a custodial relationship with a DTC Participant, either
directly or indirectly (Indirect Participants). DTC agrees with and represents to DTC
Participants that it will administer its book-entry system in accordance with its rules and by-laws
and requirements of law. 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 laws of some jurisdictions may require that certain purchasers of
securities take physical delivery of such securities in definitive form. Such laws may impair the
ability of certain investors to acquire beneficial interests in Shares.
Beneficial owners of Shares are not entitled to have Shares registered in their names, will not
receive or be entitled to receive physical delivery of certificates in definitive form and are not
considered the registered holder thereof. Accordingly, each Beneficial owner must rely on the
procedures of DTC, the DTC Participant and any Indirect Participant through which such Beneficial
owner holds its interests, to exercise any rights of a holder of Shares. The Trust understands
that under existing industry practice, in the event the Trust requests any action of holders of
Shares, or a Beneficial owner desires to take any action that DTC, as the record owner of all
outstanding Shares, is entitled to take, DTC would authorize the DTC Participants to take such
action and that the DTC Participants would
36
authorize the Indirect Participants and Beneficial owners acting through such DTC Participants to
take such action and would otherwise act upon the instructions of Beneficial owners owning through
them. As described above, the Trust recognizes DTC or its nominee as the owner of all Shares for
all purposes. Conveyance of all notices, statements and other communications to Beneficial owners
is effected as follows. Pursuant to the Depositary Agreement between the Trust and DTC, DTC is
required to make available to the Trust upon request and for a fee to be charged to the Trust a
listing of Share holdings of each DTC Participant. The Trust shall inquire of each such DTC
Participant as to the number of Beneficial owners holding Shares, directly or indirectly, through
such DTC Participant. The Trust shall provide each such DTC Participant with copies of such
notice, statement or other communication, in such form, number and at such place as such DTC
Participant may reasonably request, in order that such notice, statement or communication may be
transmitted by such DTC Participant, directly or indirectly, to such Beneficial owners. In
addition, the Trust shall pay to each such DTC Participant a fair and reasonable amount as
reimbursement for the expenses attendant to such transmittal, all subject to applicable statutory
and regulatory requirements.
Distributions of Shares shall be made to DTC or its nominee, Cede & Co., as the registered holder
of all Shares. DTC or its nominee, upon receipt of any such distributions, shall credit
immediately DTC Participants accounts with payments in amounts proportionate to their respective
beneficial interests in Shares as shown on the records of DTC or its nominee. Payments by DTC
Participants to Indirect Participants and Beneficial owners of Shares held through such DTC
Participants will be governed by standing instructions and customary practices, as is now the case
with securities held for the accounts of customers in bearer form or registered in a street name,
and will be the responsibility of such DTC Participants. The Trust has no responsibility or
liability for any aspects of the records relating to or notices to Beneficial owners, or payments
made on account of beneficial ownership interests in such Shares, or for maintaining, supervising
or reviewing any records relating to such beneficial ownership interests or for any other aspect of
the relationship between DTC and the DTC Participants or the relationship between such DTC
Participants an the Indirect Participants and Beneficial owners owning through such DTC
Participants.
DTC may determine to discontinue providing its service with respect to Shares at any time by giving
reasonable notice to the Trust and discharging its responsibilities with respect thereto under
applicable law. Under such circumstances, the Trust shall take action either to find a replacement
for DTC to perform its functions at a comparable cost or, if such a replacement is unavailable, to
issue and deliver printed certificates representing ownership of Shares, unless the Trust makes
other arrangements with respect thereto satisfactory to the Exchange. 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 brokers may make a dividend reinvestment service
available to their clients. Brokers offering such services may require investors to adhere to
specific procedures and timetables in order to participate. Investors interested in such a service
should contact their broker for availability and other necessary details.
PURCHASES AND REDEMPTIONS
The Trust issues and redeems Shares of each Fund only in aggregations of Creation Units. The
number of Shares of a Fund that constitute a Creation Unit for each Fund and the value of such
Creation Unit will be 50,000 and $3,000,000, respectively.
See Purchase and Issuance of Shares in Creation Units and Redemption in Creation Units below.
The Board reserves the right to declare a split or a consolidation in the number of Shares
outstanding of any Fund, and may make a corresponding change in the number of Shares constituting a
Creation Unit, in the event that the per Shares price in the secondary market rises (or declines)
to an amount that falls outside the range deemed desirable by the Board for any other reason.
Purchase and Issuance of Creation Units
The Trust issues and sells Shares only in Creation Units on a continuous basis through the
Distributor, without a sales load, at their net asset value next determined after receipt, on any
Business Day (as defined above), of an order in proper form.
37
Creation Units of Shares may be purchased only by or through an Authorized Participant. Such
Authorized Participant will agree pursuant to the terms of such Authorized Participant Agreement on
behalf of itself or any investor on whose behalf it will act, as the case may be, to certain
conditions, including that such Authorized Participant will make available an amount of cash
sufficient to pay the Balancing Amount and the transaction fee described below. The Authorized
Participant may require the investor to enter into an agreement with such Authorized Participant
with respect to certain matters, including payment of the Balancing Amount. Investors who are not
Authorized Participants must make appropriate arrangements with an Authorized Participant.
Investors should be aware that their particular broker may not be a DTC Participant or may not have
executed an Authorized Participant Agreement, and that therefore orders to purchase Creation Units
of Shares may have to be placed by the investors broker through an Authorized Participant. As a
result, purchase orders placed through an Authorized Participant may result in additional charges
to such investor.
Purchases through the Clearing Process
An Authorized Participant may place an order to purchase (or redeem) Creation Units (i) through the
Continuous Net Settlement clearing processes of NSCC as such processes have been enhanced to effect
purchases (and redemptions) of Creation Units, such processes being referred to herein as the
Enhanced Clearing Process, or (ii) outside the Enhanced Clearing Process, being referred to
herein as the Manual Clearing Process. To purchase or redeem through the Enhanced Clearing
Process, an Authorized Participant must be a member of National Securities Clearing Corporation
(NSCC) that is eligible to use the Continuous Net Settlement system. For purchase orders placed
through the Enhanced Clearing Process, in the Authorized Participant Agreement the Participant
authorizes the Transfer Agent to transmit to the NSCC, on behalf of an Authorized Participant, such
trade instructions as are necessary to effect the Authorized Participants purchase order.
Pursuant to such trade instructions to the NSCC, the Authorized Participant agrees to deliver the
Portfolio Deposit and such additional information as may be required by the Transfer Agent or the
Distributor. A purchase order must be received in good order by the transfer agent by 4:00 p.m.
Eastern Time, whether transmitted by mail, through the transfer agents automated system,
telephone, facsimile or other means permitted under the Authorized Participant Agreement, in order
to receive that days NAV per Share. All other procedures set forth in the Authorized Participant
Agreement must be followed in order for you to receive the NAV determined on that day.
The consideration for purchase of a Creation Unit of Shares of a Fund consists of either cash or
the Deposit Securities that is a representative sample of the securities in the Funds underlying
index, the Balancing Amount, and the appropriate Transaction Fee (collectively, the Portfolio
Deposit). The Balancing Amount will be the amount equal to the differential, if any, between the
total aggregate market value of the Deposit Securities and the NAV of the Creation Unit(s) being
purchased and will be paid to, or received from, the Trust after the NAV has been calculated.
BNYM makes available through the NSCC on each Business Day, either immediately prior to the opening
of business on the Exchange or the night before, the list of the names and the required number of
shares of each Deposit Security to be included in the current Portfolio Deposit (based on
information at the end of the previous Business Day) for each Fund. Such Portfolio Deposit is
applicable, subject to any adjustments as described below, in order to effect purchases of Creation
Units of Shares of a given Fund until such time as the next-announced Portfolio Deposit made
available.
The identity and number of shares of the Deposit Securities required for each Fund changes as
rebalancing adjustments and corporate action events are reflected from time to time by Rafferty
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 securities
constituting the relevant securities index. In addition, the Trust reserves the right to permit or
require the substitution of an amount of cash (i.e., a cash in lieu amount) to be added to the
Balancing Amount to replace any Deposit Security which may not be available in sufficient quantity
for delivery or for other similar reasons. The adjustments described above will reflect changes,
known to Rafferty on the date of announcement to be in effect by the time of delivery of the
Portfolio Deposit, in the composition of the subject index being tracked by the relevant Fund, or
resulting from stock splits and other corporate actions.
38
In addition to the list of names and numbers of securities constituting the current Deposit
Securities of a Portfolio Deposit, on each Business Day, the Balancing Amount effective through and
including the previous Business Day, per outstanding Share of each Fund, will be made available.
Shares may be issued 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
greater value than the NAV of the Shares on the date the order is placed in proper form since, in
addition to the available Deposit Securities, cash must be deposited in an amount equal to the sum
of (i) the Balancing Amount, plus (ii) 115% of the market value of the undelivered Deposit
Securities (the Additional Cash Deposit). 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
115% of the daily marked to market value of the missing Deposit Securities. The Participation
Agreement will permit the Trust to buy the missing Deposit Securities 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 Bank or purchased by the Trust and deposited into the Trust. In addition, a transaction
fee, as listed below, will be charged in all cases. The delivery of Shares so purchased will occur
no later than the third Business Day following the day on which the purchase order is deemed
received by the Distributor. Due to the schedule of holidays in certain countries, however, the
delivery of Shares may take longer than three Business Days following the day on which the purchase
order is received. In such cases, the local market settlement procedures will not commence until
the end of local holiday periods. A list of local holidays in the foreign countries or markets
relevant to the international funds is set forth under Regular Foreign Holidays below.
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 Trusts determination shall be final and binding.
Purchases Through the Manual Clearing Process
An Authorized Participant that wishes to place an order to purchase Creation Units outside the
Enhanced Clearing Process must state that it is not using the Enhanced Clearing Process and that
the purchase instead will be effected through a transfer of securities and cash either through the
Federal Reserve System (for cash and U.S. government securities) or directly through DTC.
Purchases (and redemptions) of Creation Units of the Funds settled outside the Enhanced Clearing
Process will be subject to a higher Transaction Fee than those settled through the Enhanced
Clearing Process. Purchase orders effected outside the Enhanced Clearing Process are likely to
require transmittal by the Authorized Participant earlier on the Transmittal Date than orders
effected using the Enhanced Clearing Process. Those persons placing orders outside the Enhanced
Clearing Process should ascertain the deadlines applicable to DTC and the Federal Reserve System
(for cash and U.S. government securities) by contacting the operations department of the broker or
depository institution effectuating such transfer of the Portfolio Deposit.
Rejection of Purchase Orders
The Trust reserves the absolute right to reject a purchase order transmitted to it by the
Distributor in respect of any Fund if (a) the purchaser or group of purchasers, upon obtaining the
shares ordered, would own 80% or more of the currently outstanding Shares of any Fund; (b) the
Deposit Securities delivered are not as specified by Rafferty and Rafferty has not consented to
acceptance of an in-kind deposit that varies from the designated Deposit Securities; (c)
acceptance of the purchase transaction order would have certain adverse tax consequences to the
Fund; (d) the acceptance of the purchase transaction order would, in the opinion of counsel, be
unlawful; (e) the acceptance of the purchase transaction order would otherwise, in the discretion
of the Trust or Rafferty, have an adverse effect on the Trust or the rights of beneficial owners;
(f) the value of a Cash Purchase Amount, or the value of the Balancing Amount to accompany an
in-kind deposit exceed a purchase authorization limit extended to an Authorized Participant by the
custodian and the Authorized Participant has not deposited an amount in excess of such purchase
authorization with the custodian by 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the Transmittal Date; or (g) in the
event that
39
circumstances outside the control of the Trust, the Distributor and Rafferty make it impractical
to process purchase orders. The Trust shall notify a prospective purchaser of its rejection of the
order of such person. The Trust and the Distributor are under no duty, however, to give
notification of any defects or irregularities in the delivery of purchase transaction orders nor
shall either of them incur any liability for the failure to give any such notification.
Redemption of Creation Units
Shares may be redeemed only in Creation Units at their NAV next determined after receipt of a
redemption request in proper form by the Distributor on any Business Day. The Trust will not
redeem Shares in amounts less than Creation Units. Beneficial owners also may sell Shares in the
secondary market, but must accumulate enough Shares 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
of Shares. Investors should expect to incur brokerage and other costs in connection with
assembling a sufficient number of Shares to constitute a redeemable Creation Unit.
Placement of Redemption Orders Using Enhanced Clearing Process
Orders to redeem Creation Units of Funds through the Enhanced Clearing Process must be delivered
through an Authorized Participant that is a member of NSCC that is eligible to use the Continuous
Net Settlement System. A redemption order must be received in good order by the transfer agent by
4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, whether transmitted by mail, through the transfer agents automated system,
telephone, facsimile or other means permitted under the Authorized Participant Agreement, in order
to receive that days NAV per Share. All other procedures set forth in the Authorized Participant
Agreement must be followed in order for you to receive the NAV determined on that day.
With respect to each Fund, Rafferty makes available through the NSCC immediately prior to the
opening of business on the Exchange on each day that the Exchange is open for business the
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 (Redemption
Securities). These securities may, at times, not be identical to Deposit Securities which are
applicable to a purchase of Creation Units.
The redemption proceeds for a Creation Unit consist of either cash or Redemption Securities, as
announced by Rafferty through the NSCC on any Business Day, plus the Balancing Amount. The
redemption transaction fee described below is deducted from such redemption proceeds.
Placement of Redemption Orders Outside Clearing Process
Orders to redeem Creation Units of Funds outside the Clearing Process must be delivered through a
DTC Participant that has executed the Authorized Participant Agreement and, for the Fixed Income
Funds, has the ability to transact through the Federal Reserve System. A DTC Participant who
wishes to place an order for redemption of Creation Units of a Fund to be effected outside the
Clearing Process need not be an Authorized Participant, but such orders must state that the DTC
Participant is not using the Clearing Process and that redemption of Creation Units will instead be
effected through transfer of Shares directly through DTC or the Federal Reserve System (for cash
and U.S. government securities). A redemption order must be received in good order by the transfer
agent by 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, whether transmitted by mail, through the transfer agents
automated system, telephone, facsimile or other means permitted under the Authorized Participant
Agreement, in order to receive that days NAV per Share. All other procedures set forth in the
Authorized Participant Agreement must be followed in order for you to receive the NAV determined on
that day. The order must be accompanied or preceded by the requisite number of Shares of Funds
specified in such order, which delivery must be made through DTC or the Federal Reserve System to
the Custodian by the third Business Day following such Transmittal Date (DTC Cut-Off Time); and
(iii) all other procedures set forth in the Authorized Participant Agreement must be properly
followed.
For the Funds, if it is not possible to effect deliveries of the Redemption Securities, the Fund
may in its discretion exercise its option to redeem such Shares in cash, and the redeeming
shareholder will be required to receive its redemption proceeds in cash. In addition, an investor
may request a redemption in cash which the Fund may, in its sole discretion, permit. The Fund may
also, in its sole discretion, upon request of a shareholder, provide such
40
redeemer a portfolio of securities which differs from the exact composition of the Fund Securities
but does not differ in net asset value.
After the Transfer Agent has deemed an order for redemption of a Funds shares outside the Clearing
Process received, the Transfer Agent will initiate procedures to transfer the requisite Redemption
Securities, which are expected to be delivered within three Business Days, and the Balancing Amount
minus the Transaction Fee. In addition, with respect to Fund redemptions honored in cash, the
redeeming party will receive the Cash Redemption Amount by the third Business Day following the
Transmittal Date on which such redemption order is deemed received by the Transfer Agent. Due to
the schedule of holidays in certain countries, however, the receipt of the Cash Redemption Amount
may take longer than three Business Days following the Transmittal Date. In such cases, the local
market settlement procedures will not commence until the end of local holiday periods. See below
for a list of local holidays in the foreign country relevant to the international funds.
In certain instances, Authorized Participants may create and redeem Creation Unit aggregations of
the same Fund on the same trade date. In this instance, the Trust reserves the right to settle
these transactions on a net basis.
The right of redemption may be suspended or the date of payment postponed with respect to any Fund
(1) for any period during which the New York Stock Exchange is closed (other than customary weekend
and holiday closings); (2) for any period during which trading on the New York Stock 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 Funds portfolio securities or determination of its net asset value
is not reasonably practicable; or (4) in such other circumstance as is permitted by the SEC.
Regular Foreign Holidays
The Funds generally intend to effect deliveries of Creation Units and portfolio securities on a
basis of T plus three Business Days (i.e., days on which the national securities exchange is
open). The Funds may effect deliveries of Creation Units and portfolio securities on a basis other
than T plus three in order to accommodate local holiday schedules, to account for different
treatment among foreign and U.S. markets of dividend record dates and ex-dividend dates or under
certain other circumstances. The ability of the Trust to effect in-kind creations and redemptions
within three Business Days of receipt of an order in good form is subject, among other things, to
the condition that, within the time period from the date of the order to the date of delivery of
the securities, there are no days that are holidays in the applicable foreign market. For every
occurrence of one or more intervening holidays in the applicable foreign market that are not
holidays observed in the U.S. equity market, the redemption settlement cycle will be extended by
the number of such intervening holidays. In addition to holidays, other unforeseeable closings in
a foreign market due to emergencies may also prevent the Trust from delivering securities within
normal settlement periods. The securities delivery cycles currently practicable for transferring
portfolio securities to redeeming Authorized Participants, coupled with foreign market holiday
schedules, will require a delivery process longer than seven calendar days for the international
funds, in certain circumstances. The holidays applicable to the international funds during such
periods are listed below, as are instances where more than seven days will be needed to deliver
redemption proceeds. Although certain holidays may occur on different dates in subsequent years,
the number of days required to deliver redemption proceeds in any given year is not expected to
exceed the maximum number of days listed below for the funds. The proclamation of new holidays,
the treatment by market participants of certain days as informal holidays (e.g., days on which no
or limited securities transactions occur, as a result of substantially shortened trading hours),
the elimination of existing holidays or changes in local securities delivery practices could affect
the information set forth herein at some time in the future.
The dates in calendar year 2011 in which the regular holidays affecting the relevant securities
markets of the below listed countries are as follows:
2011
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Argentina |
|
Australia |
|
Austria |
|
Belgium |
|
Brazil |
|
Chile |
January 1
|
|
January 1
|
|
January 1
|
|
January 1
|
|
January 20
|
|
January 1 |
March 7,8,24,25
|
|
January 26
|
|
January 6
|
|
April 22, 25
|
|
January 25
|
|
April 22 |
April 21, 22
|
|
March 14
|
|
April 22, 25
|
|
June 2, 3, 13
|
|
March 7, 8, 9
|
|
June 27 |
May 25
|
|
April 12, 22, 25, 26
|
|
April 5
|
|
July 2011
|
|
April 21, 22
|
|
August 15 |
June 20
|
|
June 13
|
|
June 2
|
|
August 15
|
|
June 23
|
|
September 19 |
41
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Argentina |
|
Australia |
|
Austria |
|
Belgium |
|
Brazil |
|
Chile |
August 15
|
|
August 1
|
|
June 13, 23
|
|
November 1, 11,
|
|
September 7
|
|
October 10, 31 |
October 10
|
|
October 3
|
|
August 15
|
|
December 26
|
|
October 12
|
|
November 1 |
November 28
|
|
November 1
|
|
October 26
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|
|
|
November 2
|
|
December 8 |
December 8, 9
|
|
December 23, 26,
27, 30
|
|
November 1
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|
|
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November 15 |
|
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|
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|
|
December 8 |
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December 26 |
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|
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December 30 |
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|
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|
|
|
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|
|
The Czech |
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|
|
|
China |
|
Columbia |
|
Republic |
|
Egypt |
|
Finland |
|
France |
January 1, 3
|
|
January 1
|
|
January 1
|
|
January 25
|
|
January 1
|
|
January 1 |
January 17
|
|
January 10
|
|
April 25
|
|
February 15
|
|
January 6
|
|
April 22, 25 |
February 2, 3, 4,
7, 8, 21
|
|
March 21
|
|
July 5, 6
|
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April 24, 25
|
|
April 21, 22, 25
|
|
June 2, 13 |
April 4, 5, 22, 25
|
|
April 21, 22
|
|
Sept. 28
|
|
May 1
|
|
June 2
|
|
July 14 |
May 2, 10, 30
|
|
June 6, 27
|
|
October 28
|
|
August 31
|
|
June 24
|
|
August 15 |
June 6
|
|
July 4, 20
|
|
November 17
|
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July 23
|
|
December 6, 26
|
|
November 1, 11 |
July 1, 4
|
|
August 15
|
|
December 26
|
|
September 1
|
|
|
|
December 26 |
Sept. 5, 12, 13
|
|
October 17
|
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|
|
October 6 |
|
|
|
|
October 3, 4, 5, 6,
7, 10
|
|
November 7, 14
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November 6, 7, 8 |
|
|
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Nov. 11, 24
|
|
December 8 |
|
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Dec. 26, 27 |
|
|
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Germany |
|
Greece |
|
Hong Kong |
|
Hungary |
|
India |
|
Indonesia |
January 1
|
|
January 1
|
|
January 1
|
|
January 1
|
|
January 26
|
|
January 1 |
April 22, 25
|
|
January 6
|
|
February 3, 4
|
|
March 14, 15, 19
|
|
February 16
|
|
February 15 |
June 2, 13, 23
|
|
|
|
April 5, 22, 25
|
|
April 25
|
|
March 2
|
|
April 22 |
October 3
|
|
March 7
|
|
May 2
|
|
June 13
|
|
April 1, 4, 12, 14,
22
|
|
May 17 |
December 26
|
|
March 25
|
|
May 10
|
|
October 31
|
|
May 17
|
|
June 2, 29 |
|
|
April 22
|
|
June 6
|
|
November 1, 5
|
|
August 15, 19, 31
|
|
August 17, 29, 30,
31 |
|
|
|
|
July 1
|
|
December 26
|
|
September 1, 30
|
|
September 1, 2 |
|
|
April 25
|
|
September 13
|
|
|
|
October 6, 26, 27
|
|
December 26 |
|
|
August 15
|
|
October 5
|
|
|
|
November 7, 10 |
|
|
|
|
October 28
|
|
December 26, 27
|
|
|
|
December 6 |
|
|
|
|
December 26 |
|
|
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|
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|
|
|
Ireland |
|
Israel |
|
Italy |
|
Japan |
|
Malaysia |
|
Mexico |
January 3, 17
|
|
March 20
|
|
January 6
|
|
January 3
|
|
January 20
|
|
January 1 |
February 21
|
|
April 18, 19, 24, 25
|
|
April 22
|
|
January 10
|
|
February 1, 3, 4, 15
|
|
February 7 |
April 22, 25, 29
|
|
May 9, 10
|
|
April 25
|
|
February 11
|
|
May 2, 17
|
|
March 21 |
May 2, 30
|
|
June 7, 8
|
|
June 2
|
|
March 21
|
|
August 30, 31
|
|
April 21, 22 |
June 6
|
|
August 9
|
|
August 15
|
|
April 29
|
|
September 1, 16
|
|
September 16 |
July 4
|
|
September 28, 29, 30
|
|
November 1
|
|
May 3, 4, 5
|
|
October 26
|
|
November 2, 21 |
August 29
|
|
October 7, 12, 13,
19, 20
|
|
December 8
|
|
July 18
|
|
November 7, 28
|
|
December 12 |
September 5
|
|
|
|
December 26
|
|
September 19, 23
|
|
December 26 |
|
|
October 10
|
|
|
|
|
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October 10 |
|
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November 11, 24
|
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|
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November 3, 23 |
|
|
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December 26, 27
|
|
|
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December 23 |
|
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|
|
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|
|
|
|
|
The Netherlands |
|
New Zealand |
|
Peru |
|
The Philippines |
|
Portugal |
|
Russia |
January 1
|
|
January 3, 4, 24, 31
|
|
January 1
|
|
January 1
|
|
January 1
|
|
January 3, 4, 5, 6,
7, 10 |
April
|
|
April 22, 25
|
|
April 21, 22
|
|
April 21, 22
|
|
March 8
|
|
February 23 |
April
|
|
June 6
|
|
June 29
|
|
August 29
|
|
April 21, 22, 25
|
|
March 5, 7, 8 |
April 30
|
|
February 6
|
|
July 28-29
|
|
November 1
|
|
June 10, 13, 23
|
|
May 2, 9 |
May 4-5
|
|
October 24
|
|
August 30
|
|
November 30
|
|
August 15
|
|
June 13 |
42
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Netherlands |
|
New Zealand |
|
Peru |
|
The Philippines |
|
Portugal |
|
Russia |
May
|
|
November 11
|
|
November 1
|
|
December 30
|
|
October 5
|
|
November 4 |
May
|
|
December 26, 27
|
|
December 8
|
|
|
|
November 1 |
|
|
December 5
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
December 1, 8, 23,
26, 30 |
|
|
December 25-26 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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|
|
|
|
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|
|
Singapore |
|
South Africa |
|
South Korea |
|
Spain |
|
Sweden |
|
Switzerland |
January 1
|
|
January 1
|
|
January 3
|
|
January 6
|
|
January 5, 6
|
|
April 11, 22, 25 |
February 3, 4
|
|
March 21
|
|
February 2, 3, 4
|
|
April 21, 22, 25
|
|
April 21, 22, 25
|
|
June 2, 13 |
April 22
|
|
April 22, 25, 27
|
|
March 1
|
|
August 15
|
|
June 1, 2, 6, 24
|
|
August 1 |
May 2, 17
|
|
May 2
|
|
May 5, 10
|
|
October 12
|
|
November 4
|
|
September 12 |
August 9, 30
|
|
June 16
|
|
June 6
|
|
November 1
|
|
December 26
|
|
December 26 |
October 26
|
|
August 9
|
|
August 15
|
|
December 6, 8, 26 |
|
|
|
|
November 7
|
|
December 16
|
|
September 12, 13 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
December 26
|
|
December 26
|
|
October 3 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
December 30 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Taiwan |
|
Thailand |
|
Turkey |
|
United Kingdom |
February 2, 3, 4,
7, 28
|
|
January 3
|
|
May 19
|
|
January 3, 17 |
April 4, 5
|
|
February 18
|
|
August 29, 30, 31
|
|
February 21 |
May 2
|
|
April 6, 13, 14, 15
|
|
September 1
|
|
April 22, 25, 29 |
June 6
|
|
May 2, 5, 16,1 7
|
|
October 28
|
|
May 2, 30 |
September 12
|
|
July 1, 15
|
|
November 7, 8, 9
|
|
July 4 |
October 10
|
|
August 12
|
|
|
|
August 29 |
|
|
October 24
|
|
|
|
September 5 |
|
|
December 5, 12
|
|
|
|
October 10 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
November 11, 24 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
December 26, 27 |
Redemption
The longest redemption cycle for the international funds is a function of the longest redemption
cycles among the countries whose stocks comprise the international funds. In the calendar year
2011*, the dates of the regular holidays affecting the following securities markets present the
worst-case redemption cycle for the international funds is as follows:
2011*
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Redemption Request |
|
Redemption |
|
|
Country |
|
Date |
|
Settlement Date |
|
Settlement Period |
China
|
|
January 28, 2011
|
|
February 9, 2011
|
|
|
12 |
|
|
|
January 31, 2011
|
|
February 10, 2011
|
|
|
10 |
|
|
|
February 1, 2011
|
|
February 11, 2011
|
|
|
10 |
|
|
|
February 2, 2011
|
|
February 11, 2011
|
|
|
9 |
|
|
|
February 3, 2011
|
|
February 11, 2011
|
|
|
8 |
|
|
|
September 28, 2011
|
|
October 10, 2011
|
|
|
12 |
|
|
|
September 29, 2011
|
|
October 11, 2011
|
|
|
12 |
|
|
|
September 30, 2011
|
|
October 12, 2011
|
|
|
12 |
|
|
|
October 3, 2011
|
|
October 12, 2011
|
|
|
9 |
|
|
|
October 4, 2011
|
|
October 12, 2011
|
|
|
8 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Egypt
|
|
November 4, 2011
|
|
November 14, 2011
|
|
|
10 |
|
|
|
November 14, 2011
|
|
November 23, 2011
|
|
|
9 |
|
|
|
November 15, 2011
|
|
November 23, 2011
|
|
|
8 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Hong Kong
|
|
January 28, 2011
|
|
February 7, 2011
|
|
|
10 |
|
|
|
January 31, 2011
|
|
February 8, 2011
|
|
|
8 |
|
|
|
February 1, 2011
|
|
February 9, 2011
|
|
|
8 |
|
43
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Redemption Request |
|
Redemption |
|
|
Country |
|
Date |
|
Settlement Date |
|
Settlement Period |
Israel
|
|
September 23, 2011
|
|
October 3, 2011
|
|
|
10 |
|
|
|
September 26, 2011
|
|
October 3, 2011
|
|
|
7 |
|
|
|
September 27, 2011
|
|
October 5, 2011
|
|
|
8 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Japan
|
|
April 28, 2011
|
|
May 6, 2011
|
|
|
8 |
|
|
|
April 29, 2011
|
|
May 9, 2011
|
|
|
10 |
|
|
|
May 2, 2011
|
|
May 10, 2011
|
|
|
8 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Malaysia
|
|
August 26, 2011
|
|
September 5, 2011
|
|
|
9 |
|
|
|
August 29, 2011
|
|
September 6, 2011
|
|
|
8 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Russia
|
|
January 3, 2011
|
|
January 11, 2011
|
|
|
8 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
South Korea
|
|
January 28, 2011
|
|
February 7, 2011
|
|
|
10 |
|
|
|
January 31, 2011
|
|
February 8, 2011
|
|
|
8 |
|
|
|
February 1, 2011
|
|
February 9, 2011
|
|
|
8 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Taiwan
|
|
January 28, 2011
|
|
February 7, 2011
|
|
|
10 |
|
|
|
January 31, 2011
|
|
February 8, 2011
|
|
|
8 |
|
|
|
February 1, 2011
|
|
February 9, 2011
|
|
|
8 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Thailand
|
|
April 8, 2011
|
|
April 18, 2011
|
|
|
10 |
|
|
|
April 11, 2011
|
|
April 19, 2011
|
|
|
8 |
|
|
|
April 12, 2011
|
|
April 20, 2011
|
|
|
8 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Turkey
|
|
August 25, 2011
|
|
September 5, 2011
|
|
|
11 |
|
|
|
August 26, 2011
|
|
September 6, 2011
|
|
|
11 |
|
|
|
August 29, 2011
|
|
September 6, 2011
|
|
|
8 |
|
|
|
November 3, 2011
|
|
November 11, 2011
|
|
|
8 |
|
|
|
November 4, 2011
|
|
November 14, 2011 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
* |
|
Settlement dates in the table above have been confirmed as of 9/27/2010. Holidays are
subject to change without further notice. |
Transaction Fees
Transaction fees are imposed as set forth in the table in the Prospectus. Transaction Fees payable
to the Trust are imposed to compensate the Trust for the transfer and other transaction costs of a
Fund associated with the issuance and redemption of Creation Units of Shares. There is a fixed and
a variable component to the total Transaction Fee. A fixed Transaction Fee is applicable to each
creation or redemption transaction, regardless of the number of Creation Units purchased or
redeemed. In addition, a variable Transaction Fee based upon the value of each Creation Unit also
is applicable to each redemption transaction.
Purchasers of Creation Units of Funds for cash are required to pay an additional charge to
compensate the relevant Fund for brokerage and market impact expenses relating to investing in
portfolios securities. Where the Trust permits an in-kind purchaser to substitute cash in lieu of
depositing a portion of the Deposit Securities, the purchaser will be assessed an additional charge
for cash purchases.
Purchasers of Shares in Creation Units are responsible for the costs of transferring the securities
constituting the Deposit Securities to the account of the Trust. The purchase transaction fees for
in-kind purchases and cash purchases (when available) are listed in the table below. Investors
will also bear the costs of transferring securities from the Fund to their account or on their
order. Investors who use the services of a broker or other such intermediary may be charged a fee
for such services. In addition, Rafferty may, from time to time, at its own expense, compensate
purchasers of Creation Units who have purchased substantial amounts of Creation Units and other
financial institutions for administrative or marketing services.
Continuous Offering
The method by which Creation Units of Shares are created and traded may raise certain issues under
applicable securities laws. Because new Creation Units of Shares are issued and sold by the Trust
on an ongoing basis, at any point a distribution, as such term is used in the Securities Act, may
occur. Broker-dealers and other persons are
44
cautioned that some activities on their part may,
depending on the circumstances, result in their being deemed participants in a distribution in a
manner which could render them statutory underwriters and subject them to the prospectus delivery
and liability provisions of the Securities Act. For example, a broker-dealer firm or its client
may be deemed a statutory underwriter if it takes Creation Units after placing an order with the
Distributor, breaks them down into constituent Shares, and sells some or all of the Shares
comprising such Creation Units directly to its customers; or if it chooses to couple the creation
of a supply of new Shares with an active selling effort involving solicitation of secondary market
demand for Shares. A determination of whether a person is an underwriter for the purposes of the
Securities Act depends upon all the facts and circumstances pertaining to that persons activities.
Thus, the examples mentioned above should not be considered a complete description of all the
activities that could lead to a categorization as an underwriter. Broker-dealer firms should also
note that dealers who are effecting transactions in Shares, whether or not participating in the
distribution of Shares, are generally required to deliver a prospectus. This is because the
prospectus delivery exemption in Section 4(3) of the Securities Act is not available in respect of
such transactions as a result of Section 24(d) of the 1940 Act. Broker-dealer firms should note
that dealers who are not underwriters but are participating in a distribution (as contrasted to
ordinary secondary market transaction), and thus dealing with Shares that are part of an unsold
allotment within the meaning of section 4(3)(C) of the Securities Act, would be unable to take
advantage of the prospectus delivery exemption provided by section 4(3) of the Securities Act.
Firms that incur a prospectus-delivery obligation with respect to Shares are reminded that under
Securities Act Rule 153 a prospectus delivery obligation under Section 5(b)(2) of the Securities
Act owed to a national securities exchange member in connection with a sale on the national
securities exchange is
satisfied by the fact that the Funds prospectus is available at the national securities exchange
on which the Shares of such Fund trade upon request. The prospectus delivery mechanism provided in
Rule 153 is only available with respect to transactions on a national securities exchange and not
with respect to upstairs transactions.
DIVIDENDS, OTHER DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAXES
Dividends and other Distributions
As stated in the Prospectus, each Fund pays out dividends to its shareholders from its net
investment income at least annually. A Fund also distributes its net short-term capital gain, if
any, annually but may make more frequent distributions thereof if necessary to avoid income or
excise taxes. Each Fund may realize net capital gain (i.e., the excess of net long-term capital
gain over net short-term capital loss) and thus anticipates annual distributions thereof. The
Trustees may revise this dividend policy, or postpone the payment of dividends, if a Fund has or
anticipates any large unexpected expense, loss or fluctuation in net assets that, in the Trustees
opinion, might have a significant adverse effect on its shareholders.
Investors should be aware that if shares are purchased shortly before the record date for any
dividend or capital gain distribution, the shareholder will pay full price for the shares and
receive some portion of the purchase price back as a taxable distribution (with the tax
consequences described in the Prospectus).
Taxes
Regulated Investment Company Status. Each Fund is treated as a separate corporation for
federal tax purposes and intends to qualify as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of
Chapter 1 of Subtitle A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (Code) (RIC). If a
Fund so qualifies and satisfies the Distribution Requirement (defined below) for a taxable year, it
will not be subject to federal income tax on the part of its investment company taxable income
(generally consisting of net investment income, the excess of net short-term capital gain over net
long-term capital loss (short-term capital gain), and net gains and losses from certain foreign
currency transactions, all determined without regard to any deduction for dividends paid) and net
capital gain it distributes to its shareholders for that year.
To qualify for treatment as a RIC, a Fund must distribute to its shareholders for each taxable year
at least 90% of its investment company taxable income (Distribution Requirement) and must meet
several additional requirements. For each Fund, these requirements include the following: (1) the
Fund must derive at least 90% of its gross income each taxable year from (a) dividends, interest,
payments with respect to securities loans and gains from the sale or other disposition of
securities or foreign currencies, or other income (including gains from options, futures, or
forward contracts) derived with respect to its business of investing in securities or those
currencies, and (b) net income from an interest in a qualified publicly traded partnership
(QPTP) (Income Requirement); and (2) at the close of each quarter of the Funds taxable year,
(a) at least 50% of the value of its total assets must be represented by cash and cash
45
items, U.S.
government securities, securities of other RICs and other securities, with those other securities
limited, in respect of any one issuer, to an amount that does not exceed 5% of the value of the
Funds total assets and that does not represent more than 10% of the issuers outstanding voting
securities (equity securities of QPTPs being considered voting securities for these purposes), and
(b) not more than 25% of the value of its total assets may be invested in (i) securities (other
than U.S. government securities or the securities of other RICs) of any one issuer, (ii) securities
(other than securities of other RICs) of two or more issuers the Fund controls that are determined
to be engaged in the same, similar or related trades or businesses, or (iii) securities of one or
more QPTPs (collectively, Diversification Requirements). The Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
has ruled that income from a derivative contract on a commodity index generally is not qualifying
income for purposes of the Income Requirement.
Although each Fund intends to satisfy all the foregoing requirements, there is no assurance that a
Fund will be able to do so. The investment by a Fund primarily in options and futures positions
entails some risk that it might fail to satisfy the Diversification Requirements. There is some
uncertainty regarding the valuation of such positions for purposes of those requirements;
accordingly, it is possible that the method of valuation the Funds use, pursuant to which each of
them would expect to be treated as satisfying the Diversification Requirements, would not be
accepted in an audit by the IRS, which might apply a different method resulting in disqualification
of one or more of the Funds.
If a Fund failed to qualify for treatment as a RIC for any taxable year, (1) its taxable income,
including net capital gain, would be taxed at corporate income tax rates (up to 35%), (2) it would
not receive a deduction for the distributions it makes to its shareholders, and (3) the
shareholders would treat all those distributions, including distributions of net capital gain, as
dividends (that is, ordinary income, except for the part of those dividends that is qualified
dividend income (described in the Prospectus) (QDI) if certain holding period and other
requirements are met) to the extent of the Funds earnings and profits; those dividends would be
eligible for the dividends-received deduction available to corporations under certain
circumstances. In addition, the Fund would be required to recognize unrealized gains, pay
substantial taxes and interest, and make substantial distributions before requalifying for RIC
treatment.
Excise Tax. Each Fund will be subject to a nondeductible 4% excise tax (Excise Tax) to
the extent it fails to distribute by the end of any calendar year substantially all of its ordinary
income for that year and capital gain net income for the one-year period ending on October 31 of
that year, plus certain other amounts.
Income from Foreign Securities. Dividends and interest a Fund receives, and gains it
realizes, on foreign securities may be subject to income, withholding, or other taxes imposed by
foreign countries and U.S. possessions that would reduce the yield and/or total return on its
securities. Tax conventions between certain countries and the United States may reduce or
eliminate these taxes, however, and many foreign countries do not impose taxes on capital gains in
respect of investments by foreign investors.
Gains or losses (1) from the disposition of foreign currencies, including forward currency
contracts, (2) on the disposition of each foreign-currency-denominated debt security that are
attributable to fluctuations in the value of the foreign currency between the dates of acquisition
and disposition of the security, and (3) that are attributable to fluctuations in exchange rates
that occur between the time a Fund accrues dividends, interest, or other receivables, or expenses
or other liabilities, denominated in a foreign currency and the time the Fund actually collects the
receivables or pays the liabilities, generally will be treated as ordinary income or loss. These
gains or losses will increase or decrease the amount of a Funds investment company taxable income
to be distributed to its shareholders.
Each Fund may invest in the stock of passive foreign investment companies (PFICs). A PFIC is
any foreign corporation (with certain exceptions) that, in general, meets either of the following
tests: (1) at least 75% of its gross income for the taxable year is passive; or (2) an average of
at least 50% of its assets produce, or are held for the production of, passive income. Under
certain circumstances, a Fund will be subject to federal income tax on a portion of any excess
distribution it receives on the stock of a PFIC or of any gain on its disposition of the stock
(collectively, PFIC income), plus interest thereon, even if the Fund distributes the PFIC income
as a dividend to its shareholders. The balance of the PFIC income will be included in the Funds
investment company taxable income and, accordingly, will not be taxable to it to the extent it
distributes that income to its shareholders. Fund distributions thereof will not be eligible for
the 15% maximum federal income tax rate on individuals QDI.
46
If a Fund invests in a PFIC and elects to treat the PFIC as a qualified electing fund (QEF),
then, in lieu of the foregoing tax and interest obligation, the Fund would be required to include
in income each year its pro rata share of the QEFs annual ordinary earnings and net capital gain
which the Fund probably would have to distribute to satisfy the Distribution Requirement and
avoid imposition of the Excise Tax even if the Fund did not receive those earnings and gain from
the QEF. In most instances it will be very difficult, if not impossible, to make this election
because of certain requirements thereof.
Each Fund may elect to mark to market its stock in any PFIC. Marking-to-market, in this
context, means including in gross income each taxable year (and treating as ordinary income) the
excess, if any, of the fair market value of the PFICs stock over a Funds adjusted basis therein
as of the end of that year. Pursuant to the election, a Fund also would be allowed to deduct (as
an ordinary, not a capital, loss) the excess, if any, of its adjusted basis in PFIC stock over the
fair market value thereof as of the taxable year-end, but only to the extent of any net
mark-to-market gains with respect to that stock the Fund included in income for prior taxable years
under the election. A Funds adjusted basis in each PFICs stock with respect to which it makes
this election would be adjusted to reflect the amounts of income included and deductions taken
thereunder.
Derivatives Strategies. The use of derivatives strategies, such as writing (selling) and
purchasing options and futures contracts and entering into forward contracts, involves complex
rules that will determine for income tax purposes the
amount, character, and timing of recognition of the gains and losses a Fund realizes in connection
therewith. Gains from the disposition of foreign currencies (except certain gains therefrom that
may be excluded by future regulations), and gains from options, futures, and forward contracts a
Fund derives with respect to its business of investing in securities or foreign currencies, will be
treated as qualifying income under the Income Requirement. Each Fund will monitor its
transactions, make appropriate tax elections, and make appropriate entries in its books and records
when it acquires any foreign currency, option, futures contract, forward contract, or hedged
investment to mitigate the effect of these rules, prevent its disqualification as a RIC, and
minimize the imposition of federal income and excise taxes.
Some futures contracts (other than securities futures contracts, as defined in Code section
1234B(c)), foreign currency contracts, and nonequity options (i.e., certain listed options, such
as those on a broad-based securities index) in which a Fund invests may be subject to Code
section 1256 (collectively section 1256 contracts). Section 1256 contracts that a Fund holds at
the end of its taxable year must be marked to market (that is, treated as having been sold at
that time for their fair market value) for federal income tax purposes, with the result that
unrealized gains or losses will be treated as though they were realized. Sixty percent of any net
gain or loss recognized on these deemed sales, and 60% of any net realized gain or loss from any
actual sales of section 1256 contracts, will be treated as long-term capital gain or loss, and the
balance will be treated as short-term capital gain or loss. These rules may operate to increase
the amount that a Fund must distribute to satisfy the Distribution Requirement (i.e., with respect
to the portion treated as short-term capital gain), which will be taxable to its shareholders as
ordinary income when distributed to them, and to increase the net capital gain a Fund recognizes,
without in either case increasing the cash available to it. A Fund may elect not to have the
foregoing rules apply to any mixed straddle (that is, a straddle, which the Fund clearly
identifies in accordance with applicable regulations, at least one (but not all) of the positions
of which are section 1256 contracts), although doing so may have the effect of increasing the
relative proportion of short-term capital gain (taxable as ordinary income) and thus increasing the
amount of dividends it must distribute. Section 1256 contracts also may be marked-to-market for
purposes of the Excise Tax.
Code section 1092 (dealing with straddles) also may affect the taxation of options, futures, and
forward contracts in which a Fund may invest. That section defines a straddle as offsetting
positions with respect to actively traded personal property; for these purposes, options, futures,
and forward contracts are positions in personal property. Under that section, any loss from the
disposition of a position in a straddle may be deducted only to the extent the loss exceeds the
unrealized gain on the offsetting position(s) of the straddle. In addition, these rules may
postpone the recognition of loss that otherwise would be recognized under the mark-to-market rules
discussed above. The regulations under section 1092 also provide certain wash sale rules, which
apply to transactions where a position is sold at a loss and a new offsetting position is acquired
within a prescribed period, and short sale rules applicable to straddles. If a Fund makes
certain elections, the amount, character, and timing of recognition of gains and losses from the
affected straddle positions would be determined under rules that vary according to the elections
made. Because only a few of the regulations implementing the straddle rules have been promulgated,
the tax consequences to a Fund of straddle transactions are not entirely clear.
47
If a call option written by a Fund lapses (i.e., terminates without being exercised), the
amount of the premium it received for the option will be short-term capital gain. If a Fund enters
into a closing purchase transaction with respect to a written call option, it will have a
short-term capital gain or loss based on the difference between the premium it received for the
option it wrote and the premium it pays for the option it buys. If such an option is exercised and
a Fund thus sells the securities or futures contract subject to the option, the premium the Fund
received will be added to the exercise price to determine the gain or loss on the sale. If a call
option purchased by a Fund lapses, it will realize short-term or long-term capital loss, depending
on its holding period for the call option. If a Fund exercises a purchased call option, the
premium it paid for the option will be added to the basis in the subject securities or futures
contract.
If a Fund has an appreciated financial position generally, an interest (including an interest
through an option, futures, or forward contract or short sale) with respect to any stock, debt
instrument (other than straight debt), or partnership interest the fair market value of which
exceeds its adjusted basis and enters into a constructive sale of the position, the Fund will
be treated as having made an actual sale thereof, with the result that it will recognize gain at
that time. A constructive sale generally consists of a short sale, an offsetting notional
principal contract, or a futures or forward contract a Fund or a related person enters into with
respect to the same or substantially identical property. In addition, if the appreciated financial
position is itself a short sale or such a contract, acquisition of the underlying property or
substantially identical property will be deemed a constructive sale. The foregoing will not apply,
however, to any Funds transaction during any taxable year that otherwise would be treated as a
constructive sale if the transaction is closed within 30 days after the end of that year and the
Fund holds the appreciated financial position unhedged for 60 days after that closing (i.e., at no
time during that 60-day period is the Funds risk of loss regarding that position reduced by reason
of certain specified transactions with respect to substantially identical or related property, such
as having an option to sell, being contractually obligated to sell, making a short sale, or
granting an option to buy substantially identical stock or securities).
Income from Zero-Coupon and Payment-in-Kind Securities. A Fund may acquire zero-coupon or
other securities (such as strips) issued with original issue discount (OID). As a holder of
those securities, a Fund must include in its gross income the OID that accrues on the securities
during the taxable year, even if it receives no corresponding payment on them during the year.
Similarly, a Fund must include in its gross income securities it receives as interest on
payment-in-kind securities. Because each Fund annually must distribute substantially all of its
investment company taxable income, including any accrued OID and other non-cash income, to satisfy
the Distribution Requirement and avoid imposition of the Excise Tax, a Fund may be required in a
particular year to distribute as a dividend an amount that is greater than the total amount of cash
it actually receives. Those distributions will be made from a Funds cash assets or from the
proceeds of sales of portfolio securities, if necessary. A Fund may realize capital gains or
losses from those sales, which would increase or decrease its investment company taxable income
and/or net capital gain.
Income from Zero-Coupon and Payment-in-Kind Securities. A Fund may acquire zero-coupon or
other securities (such as strips) issued with original issue discount (OID). As a holder of
those securities, a Fund must include in its gross income the OID that accrues on the securities
during the taxable year, even if it receives no corresponding payment on them during the year.
Similarly, a Fund must include in its gross income securities it receives as interest on
payment-in-kind securities. Because each Fund annually must distribute substantially all of its
investment company taxable income, including any accrued OID and other non-cash income, to satisfy
the Distribution Requirement and avoid imposition of the Excise Tax, a Fund may be required in a
particular year to distribute as a dividend an amount that is greater than the total amount of cash
it actually receives. Those distributions will be made from a Funds cash assets or from the
proceeds of sales of portfolio securities, if necessary. A Fund may realize capital gains or
losses from those sales, which would increase or decrease its investment company taxable income
and/or net capital gain.
Income from REITs. A Fund may invest in REITs that (1) hold residual interests in real
estate mortgage investment conduits (REMICs) or (2) engage in mortgage securitization
transactions that cause the REITs to be taxable mortgage pools (TMPs) or have a qualified REIT
subsidiary that is a TMP. A portion of the net income allocable to REMIC residual interest holders
may be an excess inclusion. The Code authorizes the issuance of regulations dealing with the
taxation and reporting of excess inclusion income of REITs and RICs that hold residual REMIC
interests and of REITs, or qualified REIT subsidiaries, that are TMPs. Although those regulations
have not yet been issued, the U.S. Treasury Department and the Service issued a notice in 2006
(Notice) announcing that, pending
48
the issuance of further guidance, the Service would apply the principles in the following
paragraphs to all excess inclusion income, whether from REMIC residual interests or TMPs.
The Notice provides that a REIT must (1) determine whether it or its qualified REIT subsidiary (or
a part of either) is a TMP and, if so, calculate the TMPs excess inclusion income under a
reasonable method, (2) allocate its excess inclusion income to its shareholders generally in
proportion to dividends paid, (3) inform shareholders that are not disqualified organizations
(i.e., governmental units and tax-exempt entities that are not subject to the unrelated business
income tax) of the amount and character of the excess inclusion income allocated thereto, (4) pay
tax (at the highest federal income tax rate imposed on corporations) on the excess inclusion income
allocated to its disqualified organization shareholders, and (5) apply the withholding tax
provisions with respect to the excess inclusion part of dividends paid to foreign persons without
regard to any treaty exception or reduction in tax rate. Excess inclusion income allocated to
certain tax-exempt entities (including qualified retirement plans, individual retirement accounts,
and public charities) constitutes unrelated business taxable income to them.
A RIC with excess inclusion income is subject to rules identical to those in clauses (2) through
(5) (substituting that are nominees for that are not disqualified organizations in clause (3)
and inserting record shareholders that are after its in clause (4)). The Notice further
provides that a RIC is not required to report the amount and character of the excess inclusion
income allocated to its shareholders that are not nominees, except that, (1) a RIC with excess
inclusion income from all sources that exceeds 1% of its gross income must do so and (2) any other
RIC must do so by taking into account only excess inclusion income allocated to the RIC from a REIT
the excess inclusion income of which exceeded 3% of the REITs dividends. No Fund will invest
directly in REMIC residual interests, and no Fund intends to invest in REITs that, to its
knowledge, invest in those interests or are TMPs or have a qualified REIT subsidiary that is a TMP.
The foregoing is only a general summary of some of the important federal income tax considerations
generally affecting the Funds. No attempt is made to present a complete explanation of the federal
tax treatment of the Funds activities, and this discussion is not intended as a substitute for
careful tax planning. Accordingly, potential investors are urged to consult their own tax advisers
for more detailed information and for information regarding any state, local, or foreign taxes
applicable to a Fund and to distributions therefrom.
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Financial statements are not available for the Funds because the Funds are newly organized.
49
APPENDIX A
Description of Corporate Bond Ratings
Moodys Investors Service and Standard and Poors Corporation are two prominent independent rating
agencies that rate the quality of bonds. Following are expanded explanations of the ratings shown
in the Prospectus and this SAI.
Moodys Investors Service Long-Term Corporate Obligation Ratings
Moodys long-term obligation ratings are opinions of the relative credit risk of fixed-income
obligations with an original maturity of one year or more. They address the possibility that a
financial obligation will not be honored as promised. Such ratings use Moodys Global Scale and
reflect both the likelihood of default and any financial loss suffered in the event of default.
Aaa: Obligations rated Aaa are judged to be of the highest quality, with minimal credit risk.
Aa: Obligations rated Aa are judged to be of high quality and are subject to very low credit risk.
A: Obligations rated A are considered upper-medium grade and are subject to low credit risk.
Baa: Obligations rated Baa are subject to moderate credit risk. They are considered medium-grade
and as such may possess certain speculative characteristics.
Ba: Obligations rated Ba are judged to have speculative elements and are subject to substantial
credit risk.
B: Obligations rated B are considered speculative and are subject to high credit risk.
Caa: Obligations rated Caa are judged to be of poor standing and are subject to very high credit
risk.
Ca: Obligations rated Ca are highly speculative and are likely in, or very near, default, with some
prospect of recovery of principal and interest.
C: Obligations rated C are the lowest rated class of bonds and are typically in default, with
little prospect for recovery of principal or interest.
Note: Moodys appends numerical modifiers 1, 2, and 3 to each generic rating classification from Aa
through Caa. The modifier 1 indicates that the obligation ranks in the higher end of its generic
rating category; the modifier 2 indicates a mid-range ranking; and the modifier 3 indicates a
ranking in the lower end of that generic rating category.
Generally, investment-grade debt securities are those rated Baa3 or better by Moodys.
Standard and Poors Long-Term Issue Credit Ratings
Issue credit ratings are based, in varying degrees, on the following considerations:
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Likelihood of paymentcapacity and willingness of the obligor to meet its financial
commitment on an obligation in accordance with the terms of the obligation; |
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Nature of and provisions of the obligation; |
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Protection afforded by, and relative position of, the obligation in the event of
bankruptcy, reorganization, or other arrangement under the laws of bankruptcy and other
laws affecting creditors rights. |
Issue ratings are an assessment of default risk, but may incorporate an assessment of relative
seniority or ultimate recovery in the event of default. Junior obligations are typically rated
lower than senior obligations, to reflect the lower priority in bankruptcy, as noted above. (Such
differentiation may apply when an entity has both senior and
A-1
subordinated obligations, secured and unsecured obligations, or operating company and holding
company obligations.)
AAA: An obligation rated AAA has the highest rating assigned by Standard & Poors. The obligors
capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is extremely strong.
AA: An obligation rated AA differs from the highest-rated obligations only to a small degree. The
obligors capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is very strong.
A: An obligation rated A is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in
circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher-rated categories. However, the
obligors capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is still strong.
BBB: An obligation rated BBB exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic
conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of the obligor
to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
Note: Obligations rated BB, B, CCC, CC, and C are regarded as having significant
speculative characteristics. BB indicates the least degree of speculation and C the highest.
While such obligations will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these may be
outweighed by large uncertainties or major exposures to adverse conditions.
BB: An obligation rated BB is less vulnerable to nonpayment than other speculative issues.
However, it faces major ongoing uncertainties or exposure to adverse business, financial, or
economic conditions which could lead to the obligors inadequate capacity to meet its financial
commitment on the obligation.
B: An obligation rated B is more vulnerable to nonpayment than obligations rated BB, but the
obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. Adverse
business, financial, or economic conditions will likely impair the obligors capacity or
willingness to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
CCC: An obligation rated CCC is currently vulnerable to nonpayment, and is dependent upon
favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial
commitment on the obligation. In the event of adverse business, financial, or economic conditions,
the obligor is not likely to have the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
CC: An obligation rated CC is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment.
C: A C rating is assigned to obligations that are currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment,
obligations that have payment arrearages allowed by the terms of the documents, or obligations of
an issuer that is the subject of a bankruptcy petition or similar action which have not experienced
a payment default. Among others, the C rating may be assigned to subordinated debt, preferred
stock or other obligations on which cash payments have been suspended in accordance with the
instruments terms.
D: An obligation rated D is in payment default. The D rating category is used when payments on
an obligation are not made on the date due even if the applicable grace period has not expired,
unless Standard & Poors believes that such payments will be made during such grace period. The D
rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of a similar action
if payments on an obligation are jeopardized.
Note: Plus (+) or minus (-). The ratings from AA to CCC may be modified by the addition of a
plus (+) or minus (-) sign to show relative standing within the major rating categories.
NR: This indicates that no rating has been requested, that there is insufficient information on
which to base a rating, or that Standard & Poors does not rate a particular obligation as a matter
of policy.
Generally, investment-grade debt securities are those rated BBB or better by Standard & Poors.
A-2
APPENDIX B
Direxion Shares ETF Trust
Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures
Recognizing the increased scrutiny that both institutions and corporations are under, it is
important to have corporate governance that appreciates the importance of consistently applied
policy guidelines that are aligned with investors views on key issues. With this in mind we
currently use ISSs proxy voting service to execute ballots on behalf of the Direxion Shares ETF
Trust (collectively, the Trust). ISS prepares custom research and votes per their
recommendation. If we agree with their recommendation, no action is required. However, we retain
the right and ability to override the vote if you disagree with ISSs vote recommendation.
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Rafferty Asset Management, LLC (Rafferty) views seriously its responsibility to exercise
voting authority over securities that are owned by the Trust. |
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To document that proxies are being voted, ISS (on behalf of the Trust) will maintain a record
reflecting when and how each proxy is voted consistent with the requirements of Rule 206(4)-6
under the Investment Advisors Act of 1940 and other applicable regulations. Rafferty will make
its proxy voting history and policies and procedures available to shareholders upon request. |
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Guidelines for Voting Proxies |
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Rafferty generally follows the recommendations of ISSs proxy voting guidelines as outlined
below. Proxy proposals are considered on their own merits and a determination is made as to
support or oppose managements recommendation. Rafferty will typically accept ISSs
recommendations on social issues as it does not have the means to evaluate the economic impact
of such proposals, or determine a consensus among shareholders social or political viewpoints. |
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Review and Compliance |
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It is Raffertys responsibility to oversee ISSs proxy voting to ensure compliance and timely
reporting to US Bank. Reports are verified monthly through ISSs Votex website. ISS provides
US Bank with the NP-X file covering the period from July 1st through June
30th of the following year. US Bank files the NP-X with the SEC on the Trusts
behalf. These records are maintained for five years and the previous two years proxy voting
records can be accessed by contacting US Bank. |
Below is a summary outlining ISSs US Proxy Voting Guidelines.
1. Auditors
Ratifying Auditors
Vote FOR proposals to ratify auditors, unless:
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An auditor has a financial interest in or association with the company, and is
therefore not independent; |
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There is reason to believe that the independent auditor has rendered an opinion which
is neither accurate nor indicative of the companys financial position; or |
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Fees for non-audit services are excessive. |
B-1
2. Board of Directors
Voting on Director Nominees in Uncontested Elections
Vote CASE-BY-CASE on director nominees, examining, but not limited to, the following factors:
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Composition of the board and key board committees; |
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Attendance at board and committee meetings; |
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Corporate governance provisions and takeover activity; |
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Disclosures under Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act; |
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Long-term company performance relative to a market and peer index; |
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Extent of the directors investment in the company; |
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Existence of related party transactions; |
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Whether the chairman is also serving as CEO; |
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Whether a retired CEO sits on the board; |
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Number of outside boards at which a director serves. |
WITHHOLD from individual directors who:
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Attend less than 75 percent of the board and committee meetings without a valid excuse
(such as illness, service to the nation, work on behalf of the company); |
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Sit on more than six public company boards; |
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Are CEOs of public companies who sit on the boards of more than two public companies
besides their own (withhold only at their outside boards). |
WITHHOLD from the entire board (except for new nominees, who should be considered on a CASE-BY-CASE
basis) if:
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The companys poison pill has a dead-hand or modified dead-hand feature. Withhold every
year until this feature is removed; |
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The board adopts or renews a poison pill without shareholder approval since the
beginning of 2005, does not commit to putting it to shareholder vote within 12 months of
adoption or reneges on a commitment to put the pill to a vote and has not yet been withheld
from for this issue; |
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The board failed to act on a shareholder proposal that received approval by a majority
of the shares outstanding the previous year; |
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The board failed to act on a shareholder proposal that received approval of the
majority of shares cast for the previous two consecutive years; |
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The board failed to act on takeover offers where the majority of the shareholders
tendered their shares; |
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At the previous board election, any director received more than 50 percent withhold
votes of the shares cast and the company has failed to address the issue(s) that caused the
high withhold rate; |
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A Russell 3000 company underperformed its industry group (GICS group). The test will consist
of the bottom performers within each industry group. |
WITHHOLD from inside directors and affiliated outside directors when:
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The inside or affiliated outside director serves on any of the three key committees:
audit, compensation, or nominating; |
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The company lacks an audit, compensation, or nominating committee so that the full
board functions as that committee; |
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The full board is less than majority independent. |
WITHHOLD from the members of the Audit Committee if:
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The non-audit fees paid to the auditor are excessive; |
B-2
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A material weakness identified in the Section 404 disclosures rises to a level of
serious concern; there are chronic internal control issues and an absence of established
effective control mechanisms. |
WITHHOLD from the members of the Compensation Committee if:
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There is a negative correlation between chief executive pay and company performance; |
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The company fails to submit one-time transfers of stock options to a shareholder vote; |
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The company fails to fulfill the terms of a burn rate commitment they made to
shareholders; |
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The company has poor compensation practices. |
WITHHOLD from directors, individually or the entire board, for egregious actions or failure to
replace management as appropriate.
Classification/Declassification of the Board
Vote AGAINST proposals to classify the board. Vote FOR proposals to repeal classified boards and to
elect all directors annually.
Independent Chair (Separate Chair/CEO)
Generally vote FOR shareholder proposals requiring the position of chair be filled by an
independent director unless there are compelling reasons to recommend against the proposal, such as
a counterbalancing governance structure. This should include all of the following:
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Designated lead director, elected by and from the independent board members with
clearly delineated and comprehensive duties. (The role may alternatively reside with a
presiding director, vice chairman, or rotating lead director; however the director must
serve a minimum of one year in order to qualify as a lead director.); |
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Two-thirds independent board; |
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All-independent key committees; |
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Established governance guidelines; |
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The company does not under-perform its peers. |
Majority Vote Shareholder Proposals
Generally vote FOR reasonably crafted shareholders proposals calling for directors to be elected
with an affirmative majority of votes cast and/or the elimination of the plurality standard for
electing directors (including binding resolutions requesting that the board amend the companys
bylaws), provided the proposal includes a carve-out for a plurality voting standard when there are
more director nominees than board seats (e.g., contested elections). Consider voting AGAINST the
shareholder proposal if the company has adopted a formal corporate governance policy that present a
meaningful alternative to the majority voting standard and provide an adequate response to both new
nominees as well as incumbent nominees who fail to receive a majority of votes cast.
At a minimum, a companys policy should articulate the following elements to adequately address
each director nominee who fails to receive an affirmative of majority of votes cast in an election:
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Established guidelines disclosed annually in the proxy statement concerning the process
to follow for nominees who receive majority withhold votes; |
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The policy needs to outline a clear and reasonable timetable for all decision-making
regarding the nominees status; |
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The policy needs to specify that the process of determining the nominees status will
be managed by independent directors and must exclude the nominee in question; |
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An outline of a range of remedies (for example, acceptance of the resignation,
maintaining the director but curing the underlying causes of the withheld votes, etc.); |
B-3
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The final decision on the nominees status should be promptly disclosed via an SEC
filing. The policy needs to include the timeframe for disclosure and require a full
explanation of how the decision was reached. |
In addition, the company should articulate to shareholders why its policy is the best structure for
demonstrating accountability to shareholders.
3. Proxy Contests
Voting for Director Nominees in Contested Elections
Vote CASE-BY-CASE on the election of directors in contested elections, considering the following
factors:
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Long-term financial performance of the target company relative to its industry; |
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Managements track record; |
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Background to the proxy contest; |
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Qualifications of director nominees (both slates); |
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Strategic plan of dissident slate and quality of critique against management; |
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Likelihood that the proposed goals and objectives can be achieved (both slates); |
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Stock ownership positions. |
Reimbursing Proxy Solicitation Expenses
Vote CASE-BY-CASE on proposals to reimburse proxy solicitation expenses. When voting in conjunction
with support of a dissident slate, vote FOR the reimbursement of all appropriate proxy solicitation
expenses associated with the election.
4. Takeover Defenses
Poison Pills
Vote FOR shareholder proposals requesting that the company submit its poison pill to a shareholder
vote or redeem it UNLESS the company has: (1) A shareholder approved poison pill in place; or (2)
The company has adopted a policy concerning the adoption of a pill in the future specifying that
the board will only adopt a shareholder rights plan if either:
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Shareholders have approved the adoption of the plan; or |
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The board, in its exercise of its fiduciary responsibilities, determines that it is in
the best interest of shareholders under the circumstances to adopt a pill without the delay
in adoption that would result from seeking stockholder approval (i.e. the fiduciary out
provision). A poison pill adopted under this fiduciary out will be put to a shareholder
ratification vote within twelve months of adoption or expire. If the pill is not approved
by a majority of the votes cast on this issue, the plan will immediately terminate. |
Vote FOR shareholder proposals calling for poison pills to be put to a vote within a time period of
less than one year after adoption. If the company has no non-shareholder approved poison pill in
place and has adopted a policy with the provisions outlined above, vote AGAINST the proposal. If
these conditions are not met, vote FOR the proposal, but with the caveat that a vote within twelve
months would be considered sufficient.
Vote CASE-by-CASE on management proposals on poison pill ratification, focusing on the features of
the shareholder rights plan. Rights plans should contain the following attributes:
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No lower than a 20 percent trigger, flip-in or flip-over; |
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A term of no more than three years; |
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No dead-hand, slow-hand, no-hand or similar feature that limits the ability of a future
board to redeem the pill; |
B-4
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Shareholder redemption feature (qualifying offer clause); if the board refuses to
redeem the pill 90 days after a qualifying offer is announced, ten percent of the shares
may call a special meeting or seek a written consent to vote on rescinding the pill. |
Supermajority Vote Requirements
Vote AGAINST proposals to require a supermajority shareholder vote. Vote FOR proposals to lower
supermajority vote requirements.
5. Mergers and Corporate Restructurings
For mergers and acquisitions, evaluate the proposed transaction based on these factors:
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Valuation Is the value to be received by the target shareholders (or paid by the
acquirer) reasonable? |
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Market reaction How has the market responded to the proposed deal? |
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Strategic rationale Does the deal make sense strategically? Cost and revenue
synergies should not be overly aggressive or optimistic, but reasonably achievable. |
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Negotiations and process Were the terms of the transaction negotiated at arms
length? Was the process fair and equitable? |
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Conflicts of interest Are insiders benefiting from the transaction disproportionately
and inappropriately as compared to non-insider shareholders? As the result of potential
conflicts, the directors and officers of the company may be more likely to vote to approve
a merger than if they did not hold these interests. |
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Governance Will the combined company have a better or worse governance profile than
the parties to the transaction? |
6. State of Incorporation
Reincorporation Proposals
Vote CASE-BY-CASE on proposals to change a companys state of incorporation, taking into
consideration both financial and corporate governance concerns, including the reasons for
reincorporating, a comparison of the governance provisions, comparative economic benefits, and a
comparison of the jurisdictional laws. Vote FOR reincorporation when the economic factors outweigh
any neutral or negative governance changes.
7. Capital Structure
Common Stock Authorization
Vote CASE-BY-CASE on proposals to increase the number of shares of common stock authorized for
issuance using a model developed by ISS. Vote FOR proposals to approve increases beyond the
allowable increase when a companys shares are in danger of being de-listed or if a companys
ability to continue to operate as a going concern is uncertain. In addition, for capital requests
less than or equal to 300 percent of the current authorized shares that marginally fail the
calculated allowable cap (i.e., exceed the allowable cap by no more than 5 percent), on a
CASE-BY-CASE basis, vote FOR the increase based on the companys performance and whether the
companys ongoing use of shares has shown prudence.
Issue Stock for Use with Rights Plan
Vote AGAINST proposals that increase authorized common stock for the explicit purpose of
implementing a non-shareholder approved shareholder rights plan (poison pill).
B-5
Preferred Stock
Vote AGAINST proposals authorizing the creation of new classes of preferred stock with unspecified
voting, conversion, dividend distribution, and other rights (blank check preferred stock). Vote
AGAINST proposals to increase the number of blank check preferred stock authorized for issuance
when no shares have been issued or reserved for a specific purpose.
Vote FOR proposals to create de-clawed blank check preferred stock (stock that cannot be used as
a takeover defense). Vote FOR proposals to authorize preferred stock in cases where the company
specifies the voting, dividend, conversion, and other rights of such stock and the terms of the
preferred stock appear reasonable. Vote CASE-BY-CASE on proposals to increase the number of blank
check preferred shares after analyzing the number of preferred shares available for issue given a
companys industry and performance in terms of shareholder returns.
8. Executive and Director Compensation
Equity Compensation Plans
Vote CASE-BY-CASE on equity-based compensation plans. Vote AGAINST the plan if:
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The total cost of the companys equity plans is unreasonable; |
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The plan expressly permits the repricing of stock options without prior shareholder
approval; |
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There is a disconnect between CEO pay and the companys performance; |
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The companys three year burn rate exceeds the greater of 2 percent and the mean plus 1
standard deviation of its industry group; or |
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The plan is a vehicle for poor pay practices. |
Director Compensation
Vote CASE-BY-CASE on compensation plans for non-employee directors, based on the cost of the plans
against the companys allowable cap. Vote for the plan if ALL of the following qualitative factors
in the boards compensation plan are met and disclosed in the proxy statement:
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Stock ownership guidelines with a minimum of three times the annual cash retainer. |
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Vesting schedule or mandatory holding/deferral period: |
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A minimum vesting of three years for stock options or restricted stock; or |
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Deferred stock payable at the end of a three-year deferral period. |
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A balanced mix between cash and equity. If the mix is heavier on equity, the vesting
schedule or deferral period should be more stringent, with the lesser of five years or the
term of directorship. |
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No retirement/benefits and perquisites for non-employee directors; and |
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A table with a detailed disclosure of the cash and equity compensation for each
non-employee director for the most recent fiscal year. |
Disclosure of CEO Compensation-Tally Sheet
Companies should provide better and more transparent disclosure related to CEO pay. Consider
withhold votes in the future from the compensation committee and voting against equity plans if
compensation disclosure is not improved and a tally sheet is not provided.
Employee Stock Purchase PlansQualified Plans
Vote CASE-BY-CASE on qualified employee stock purchase plans. Vote FOR plans if:
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Purchase price is at least 85 percent of fair market value; |
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Offering period is 27 months or less; and |
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The number of shares allocated to the plan is ten percent or less of the outstanding
shares. |
Employee Stock Purchase PlansNon-Qualified Plans
Vote CASE-by-CASE on nonqualified employee stock purchase plans. Vote FOR plans with:
B-6
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Broad-based participation (i.e., all employees with the exclusion of individuals with 5
percent or more of beneficial ownership of the company); |
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Limits on employee contribution (a fixed dollar amount or a percentage of base salary); |
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Company matching contribution up to 25 percent of employees contribution, which is
effectively a discount of 20 percent from market value; |
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No discount on the stock price on the date of purchase since there is a company
matching contribution. |
Option Exchange Programs/Re-pricing Options
Vote CASE-by-CASE on management proposals seeking approval to exchange/reprice options, taking into
consideration historic trading patterns, rationale for the re-pricing, value-for-value exchange
treatment of surrendered options, option vesting, term of the option, exercise price and
participation. Vote FOR shareholder proposals to put option re-
pricing to a shareholder vote.
Severance Agreements for Executives/Golden Parachutes
Vote FOR shareholder proposals to require golden parachutes or executive severance agreements to be
submitted for shareholder ratification, unless the proposal requires shareholder approval prior to
entering into employment contracts. Vote on a CASE-BY-CASE basis on proposals to ratify or cancel
golden parachutes. An acceptable parachute should include:
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A trigger beyond the control of management; |
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The amount should not exceed three times base amount (defined as the average annual
taxable W-2 compensation during the five years prior to the year in which the change of
control occurs; |
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Change-in-control payments should be double-triggered, i.e., (1) after a change in the
companys ownership structure has taken place, and (2) termination of the executive as a
result of the change in control. |
9. Corporate Responsibility
Animal Rights
Generally vote AGAINST proposals to phase out the use of animals in product testing unless:
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The company is conducting animal testing programs that are unnecessary or not required
by regulation; |
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The company is conducting animal testing when suitable alternatives are accepted and
used at peer firms; |
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The company has been the subject of recent, significant controversy related to its
testing programs. |
Generally vote FOR proposals seeking a report on the companys animal welfare standards.
Drug Pricing and Re-importation
Generally vote AGAINST proposals requesting that companies implement specific price restraints on
pharmaceutical products unless the company fails to adhere to legislative guidelines or industry
norms in its product pricing. Vote CASE-BY-CASE on proposals requesting that the company evaluate
their product pricing considering:
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The existing level of disclosure on pricing policies; |
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Deviation from established industry pricing norms; |
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The companys existing initiatives to provide its products to needy consumers; |
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Whether the proposal focuses on specific products or geographic regions. |
Generally vote FOR proposals requesting that companies report on the financial and legal impact of
their policies regarding prescription drug re-importation unless such information is already
publicly disclosed.
B-7
Generally vote AGAINST proposals requesting that companies adopt specific policies to encourage or
constrain prescription drug re-importation.
Genetically Modified Foods
Vote AGAINST proposals asking companies to voluntarily label genetically engineered (GE)
ingredients in their products or alternatively to provide interim labeling and eventually eliminate
GE ingredients due to the costs and feasibility of labeling and/or phasing out the use of GE
ingredients.
Tobacco
Most tobacco-related proposals (such as on second-hand smoke, advertising to youth and spin-offs of
tobacco-related business) should be evaluated on a CASE-BY-CASE basis.
Toxic Chemicals
Generally vote FOR resolutions requesting that a company discloses its policies related to toxic
chemicals. Vote CASE-BY-CASE on resolutions requesting that companies evaluate and disclose the
potential financial and legal risks associated with utilizing certain chemicals.
Generally vote AGAINST resolutions requiring that a company reformulate its products within a
certain timeframe unless such actions are required by law in specific markets.
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
Generally vote AGAINST request for reports outlining potential environmental damage from drilling
in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) unless:
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New legislation is adopted allowing development and drilling in the ANWR region; |
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The company intends to pursue operations in the ANWR; and |
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The company has not disclosed an environmental risk report for its ANWR operations. |
Concentrated Area Feeding Operations (CAFOs)
Vote FOR resolutions requesting that companies report to shareholders on the risks and liabilities
associated with CAFOs unless:
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The company has publicly disclosed guidelines for its corporate and contract farming
operations, including compliance monitoring; or |
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The company does not directly source from CAFOs. |
Global Warming and Kyoto Protocol Compliance
Generally vote FOR proposals requesting a report on greenhouse gas emissions from company
operations and/or products unless this information is already publicly disclosed or such factors
are not integral to the companys line of business. Generally vote AGAINST proposals that call for
reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by specified amounts or within a restrictive time frame
unless the company lags industry standards and has been the subject of recent, significant fines or
litigation resulting from greenhouse gas emissions.
Generally vote FOR resolutions requesting that companies outline their preparations to comply with
standards established by Kyoto Protocol signatory markets unless:
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The company does not maintain operations in Kyoto signatory markets; |
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The company already evaluates and substantially discloses such information; or, |
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Greenhouse gas emissions do not significantly impact the companys core businesses. |
Political Contributions
Vote CASE-BY-CASE on proposals to improve the disclosure of a companys political contributions
considering: any recent significant controversy or litigation related to the companys political
B-8
contributions or governmental affairs; and the public availability of a policy on political
contributions. Vote AGAINST proposals barring the company from making political contributions.
Link Executive Compensation to Social Performance
Vote CASE-BY-CASE on proposals to review ways of linking executive compensation to social factors,
such as corporate downsizings, customer or employee satisfaction, community involvement, human
rights, environmental performance, predatory lending, and executive/employee pay disparities.
Outsourcing/Offshoring
Vote CASE-BY-CASE on proposals calling for companies to report on the risks associated with
outsourcing, considering: the risks associated with certain international markets; the utility of
such a report; and the existence of a publicly available code of corporate conduct that applies to
international operations.
Human Rights Reports
Vote CASE-BY-CASE on requests for reports detailing the companys operations in a particular
country and on proposals to implement certain human rights standards at company facilities or those
of its suppliers and to commit to outside, independent monitoring.
10. Mutual Fund Proxies
Election of Directors
Vote CASE-BY-CASE on the election of directors and trustees, following the same guidelines for
uncontested directors for public company shareholder meetings. However, mutual fund boards do not
usually have compensation committees, so do not withhold for the lack of this committee.
Converting Closed-end Fund to Open-end Fund
Vote CASE-BY-CASE on conversion proposals, considering the following factors:
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Past performance as a closed-end fund; |
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Market in which the fund invests; |
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Measures taken by the board to address the discount; and |
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Past shareholder activism, board activity, and votes on related proposals. |
Establish Director Ownership Requirement
Generally vote AGAINST shareholder proposals that mandate a specific minimum amount of stock that
directors must own in order to qualify as a director or to remain on the board.
Reimburse Shareholder for Expenses Incurred
Vote CASE-BY-CASE on shareholder proposals to reimburse proxy solicitation expenses. When
supporting the dissidents, vote FOR the reimbursement of the solicitation expenses.
Terminate the Investment Advisor
Vote CASE-BY-CASE on proposals to terminate the investment advisor, considering the following
factors:
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Performance of the funds net asset value; |
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The funds history of shareholder relations; |
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The performance of other funds under the advisors management. |
B-9