485APOS 1 fp0069633_485apos.htm

AS FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION ON OCTOBER 15, 2021

 

REGISTRATION NOS. 333-122901

811-21719

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

 

FORM N-1A

 

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933   [  ]
PRE-EFFECTIVE AMENDMENT NO.   [  ]
POST-EFFECTIVE AMENDMENT NO. 1161      [X]
AND/OR  

 

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940   [  ]
AMENDMENT NO. 1174      [X]

 

 

 

INVESTMENT MANAGERS SERIES TRUST

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

 

235 W. Galena Street

Milwaukee, WI 53212

 

(Address of Principal Executive Offices, including Zip Code)

Registrant's Telephone Number, Including Area Code: (626) 385-5777

 

Diane J. Drake

Mutual Fund Administration, LLC

2220 E. Route 66, Suite 226

Glendora, CA 91740

(Name and Address of Agent for Service)

 

COPIES TO:

 

Laurie Anne Dee

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP

600 Anton Boulevard, Suite 1800

Costa Mesa, CA 92626

 

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

 

[  ]  immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b) of Rule 485; or

[  ]  on __________ pursuant to paragraph (b) of Rule 485; or

[  ]  60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(1) of Rule 485;

[  ]  on __________ pursuant to paragraph (a)(1) of Rule 485; or

[X]  75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of Rule 485; or

[  ]  on __________ pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of Rule 485; or

[  ]  on __________ pursuant to paragraph (a)(3) of Rule 485.

 

If appropriate, check the following box:

 

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

   

 

 

 

Green Alpha Growth & Income Fund

 

Class A Shares (   )

Class C Shares (   )

Institutional Class Shares (   )

 

PROSPECTUS

[    ], 2021

 

 

 

The Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) has not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this Prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

 

  

 

Green Alpha Growth & Income Fund

A series of Investment Managers Series Trust (the “Trust”)

 

Table of Contents

 

SUMMARY SECTION 1
MORE ABOUT THE FUND’S INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE, PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RISKS 8
MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND 14
DISTRIBUTION AND SHAREHOLDER SERVICE PLAN 16
PURCHASE OF SHARES 18
YOUR ACCOUNT WITH THE FUND 18
DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS 36
FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSEQUENCES 37
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS 38
APPENDIX A – WAIVERS AND DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE FROM INTERMEDIARIES AND CONVERSION POLICIES 39
FOR MORE INFORMATION 45

 

This Prospectus sets forth basic information about the Fund that you should know before investing. It should be read and retained for future reference.

 

The date of this Prospectus is [    ], 2021.

  

 

SUMMARY SECTION

 

 

Investment Objective

The investment objective of the Green Alpha Growth & Income Fund (the “Fund”) is to seek to achieve current income and long-term capital appreciation.

 

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table and example below. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in Class A Shares of the Fund. More information about these fees and other discounts is available from your financial professional and in the section titled “Choosing a Share Class” on page XX of the Prospectus and in “APPENDIX A – Waivers and Discounts Available from Intermediaries and Conversion Policies” of the Prospectus.

 

    Class A Shares   Class C Shares   Institutional Class Shares
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)            
Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases
(as a percentage of offering price)
  4.25%(1)   None   None
Maximum deferred sales charge (load) (as a percentage of the lesser of the value redeemed or the amount invested)   1.00%(2)   1.00%(2)   None
Wire fee   $ 20   $ 20   $ 20
Overnight check delivery fee for weekday   $ 25   $ 25   $ 25
Retirement account fees (annual maintenance fee)   $ 15   $ 15   $ 15
             

Annual Fund Operating Expenses

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

           
Management fees   %   %   %
Distribution and service (Rule 12b-1) fees   0.25%   1.00%   None
Other expenses (3)   %   %   %
Shareholder service fee   %   %   %
All Other Expenses   %   %   %
Acquired fund fees and expenses (3)   %   %   %
Total annual fund operating expenses   %   %   %
Fees waiver and/or expenses reimbursements (4)   ( %)   ( %)   ( %)
Total annual fund operating expenses after fee waiver and/or expense reimbursements (4)   %   %   %

 

1No initial sales charge is applied to purchases of $1 million or more.
2A contingent deferred sales charge (“CDSC”) of 1.00% will be charged on certain Class A Share purchases of $1 million or more that are redeemed in whole or in part within 12 months of the date of purchase. A CDSC of 1.00% will be charged on Class C Share purchases that are redeemed in whole or in part within 12 months of the date of purchase.
3Other expenses and acquired fund fees and expenses are estimated for the current fiscal year.
4The Fund’s advisor has contractually agreed to waive its fees and/or pay for operating expenses of the Fund to the extent necessary to ensure that total annual fund operating expenses (excluding any taxes, leverage interest, brokerage commissions, dividend and interest expenses of short sales, acquired fund fees and expenses (as determined in accordance with Form N-1A), expenses incurred in connection with any merger or reorganization and extraordinary expenses such as litigation expenses) do not exceed [ ]%, [ ]% and [ ]% of the average daily net assets of the Class A Shares, Class C Shares and Institutional Class Shares, respectively. This agreement is in effect until [December 31, 2023], and may be terminated before that date only by the Trust’s Board of Trustees. The Fund’s advisor is permitted to seek reimbursement from the Fund, subject to certain limitations, of fees waived or payments made to the Fund for a period ending three full fiscal years after the date of the waiver or payment. This reimbursement may be requested from the Fund if the reimbursement will not cause the Fund’s annual expense ratio to exceed the lesser of (a) the expense limitation in effect at the time such fees were waived or payments made, or (b) the expense limitation in effect at the time of the reimbursement.
 1 

 

Example

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

 

The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. The example reflects the Fund’s contractual fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement only for the term of the contractual fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement.

 

Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

 

  One Year Three Years
Class A Shares $ $
Class C Shares $ $
Institutional Class Shares $ $

 

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

 

  One Year Three Years
Class C Shares $ $

 

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 may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. The Fund is newly-created and, as a result, does not yet have a portfolio turnover rate.

 

Principal Investment Strategies

The Fund invests primarily in equity securities of companies that the Fund’s investment sub-advisor, Green Alpha Advisors (“Green Alpha” or the “Sub-Advisor”), believes are Next Economy™ companies (defined below), have above average growth potential and are reasonably valued. Stocks with a current dividend yield are prioritized in terms of security selection and position size, although a dividend is not required for portfolio inclusion. The Fund’s investments may include common stocks, real estate investment trusts (“REITs”), preferred stocks, and American Depository Receipts (“ADRs”). The Fund may invest in companies of all sizes and seeks diversification by economic sector and geography; however, the Fund may at times invest a significant portion of its assets in relatively few sectors, including the real estate and technology sectors. The Fund generally intends to purchase securities for long-term investments rather than short-term gains; however, a security may be held for a shorter than expected period of time if, for example, the Sub-Advisor needs to raise cash for liquidity purposes or believes that it is appropriate to do so.

 

The Fund focuses its investments on Next Economy™ companies. Next Economy™ companies are publicly traded companies that, in the Sub-Advisor’s view, are creating or enabling solutions to major systemic risks including, but not limited to: climate change, resource degradation and scarcity, and widening inequality and resulting erosion of social cohesion. The Sub-Advisor believes that the global economy has and will continue to evolve by factoring in these systemic risks, and that creative solutions to these systemic risks are becoming the major drivers of economic growth and generate investment returns. The Sub-Advisor maintains a proprietary list of over 450 Next Economy™ companies from multiple industries and economic sectors based on a proprietary set of qualitative and quantitative criteria. This list is created by the Sub-Advisor based on its review of various information and materials, including a company’s business plan, activities and operating policies, strength of management team, corporate governance practices, brand and product reputation, competitive positioning, industry growth probabilities, market size analysis, assessment of barriers to entry, assessment of aggregate sustainability risks, defensible patents and intellectual property, financials and other fundamentals including capital allocation priorities.

 2 

 

In constructing the Fund’s portfolio, the Sub-Advisor incorporates both top-down and bottom-up analysis. The Sub-Advisor’s top-down analysis seeks to first identify Next Economycompanies by evaluating (i) how solutions to major systemic risks can be deployed in specific sectors and industries, (ii) which solutions are more innovative and scalable, (iii) which solutions-driven companies are leaders among their peers, and (iv) what percentage of each company’s revenue is attributed to solutions to major systemic risks. The Sub-Advisor’s bottom-up analysis then seeks to (i) identify companies with high-functioning business models and (ii) determine whether a company’s stock price is reasonable or undervalued relative to the company’s underlying value, industry peers, and expected future growth. The Sub-Advisor then selects companies with compelling products, strong business models, and opportunities for above-market growth. The Sub-Advisor’s analyses may also guide the Sub-Advisor in determining the portfolio’s desired diversification across economic sectors and geographic regions.

 

Although the Fund will attempt to invest as much of its assets as is practical in common stocks, REITs, preferred stocks and ADRs, the Fund may maintain a reasonable (up to 20%) position in in U.S. Treasury Bills and money market instruments to meet redemption requests and other liquidity needs. Additionally, the Fund may purchase shares of open-end registered investment companies or exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”) that invest in equity securities when holding cash or cash equivalents as “placeholders” for asset classes in which the Sub-Advisor seeks to invest but has yet to identify attractive investment opportunities.

 

The Sub-Advisor generally will consider selling equity securities from the Fund’s portfolio when it believes such securities are no longer consistent with the Fund’s investment objectives or desired valuation metrics, other securities appear to offer more compelling opportunities, to meet redemption requests and in other circumstances the Sub-Advisor deems consistent with the Fund’s investment objectives.

 

The Fund is “non-diversified” under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), which means that it may invest more of its assets in fewer issuers than “diversified” mutual funds.

 

Principal Risks of Investing

Risk is inherent in all investing and you could lose money by investing in the Fund. A summary description of certain principal risks of investing in the Fund is set forth below. Before you decide whether to invest in the Fund, carefully consider these risk factors associated with investing in the Fund, which may cause investors to lose money. There can be no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective.

 

Market Risk. The market price of a security or instrument may decline, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably, due to general market conditions that are not specifically related to a particular company, such as real or perceived adverse economic or political conditions throughout the world, changes in the general outlook for corporate earnings, changes in interest or currency rates, or adverse investor sentiment generally. In addition, local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, or other events could have a significant impact on a security or instrument. The market value of a security or instrument also may decline because of factors that affect a particular industry or industries, such as labor shortages or increased production costs and competitive conditions within an industry.

 

Equity Risk. The value of the equity securities held by the Fund may fall due to general market and economic conditions, perceptions regarding the industries in which the issuers of securities held by the Fund participate, or factors relating to specific companies in which the Fund invests.

 

Management and Strategy Risk. The value of your investment depends on the judgment of the Fund’s Sub-Advisor about the quality, relative yield, value or market trends affecting a particular security, industry, sector or region, which may prove to be incorrect.

 

Growth-Oriented Investment Strategies Risk. Growth funds generally focus on stocks of companies believed to have above-average potential for growth in revenue and earnings. Growth securities typically are very sensitive to market movements because their market prices frequently reflect projections of future earnings or revenues, and when it appears that those expectations will not be met, the prices of growth securities typically fall.

 

Dividend Paying Stock Risk. Because the Fund can only distribute what it earns, the Fund’s distributions to shareholders could decline when dividend income from the dividend-paying stocks in the Fund’s portfolio declines. Investments in dividend-paying stocks involve the risk that such stocks may fall out of favor with investors and underperform the market. Also, a company may reduce or eliminate its dividend, which could affect the Fund’s ability to generate income.
 3 

 

Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) Risk. The Fund’s investment in REITs will subject the Fund to risks similar to those associated with direct ownership of real estate, including losses from casualty or condemnation, and changes in local and general economic conditions, supply and demand, interest rates, zoning laws, regulatory limitations on rents, property taxes and operating expenses. The Fund’s investments in non-U.S. REITs are subject to the risks associated with foreign investments generally including different legal and accounting standards than U.S. companies, less regulations, less liquid securities markets, and volatility in the prices of securities due to economic and social conditions abroad, political developments, and changes in the regulatory environments of foreign countries.

 

  Sector Focus Risk. From time to time, the Fund may invest a significant amount of its total assets in each of certain sectors of the economy. Each of those sectors may be subject to specific risks. These risks include governmental regulation of the sector and governmental monetary and fiscal policies, which may impact interest rates and currencies and affect corporate funding and international trade. Certain sectors may be more vulnerable than others to these factors. In addition, market sentiment and expectations toward a particular sector could affect a company’s market valuation and access to equity funding. For example, the Fund may hold a concentrated position in select sectors such as the Technology and Real Estate sectors. Performance of companies in the Technology sector may be affected by, among other things, government regulation, industry innovation, and consumer demand. Declines in real estate values, changes in interest rates, economic downturns, overbuilding and changes in zoning laws and government regulations can have a significant negative effect on companies in the Real Estate industry. Therefore, the Fund’s performance may be significantly impacted by the performance of these sectors.

 

Small-Cap and Mid-Cap Company Risk. The securities of small-capitalization and mid-capitalization companies may be subject to more abrupt or erratic market movements and may have lower trading volumes or more erratic trading than securities of larger, more established companies or market averages in general. In addition, such companies typically are more likely to be adversely affected than large capitalization companies by changes in earning results, business prospects, investor expectations or poor economic or market conditions.

 

Liquidity Risk.  The Fund may not be able to sell some or all of the investments that it holds due to a lack of demand in the marketplace or other factors such as market turmoil, or if the Fund is forced to sell an illiquid asset to meet redemption requests or other cash needs it may only be able to sell those investments at a loss. Illiquid assets may also be difficult to value.

 

Non-Diversification Risk. The Fund is classified as “non-diversified,” which means the Fund may invest a larger percentage of its assets in the securities of a smaller number of issuers than a diversified fund. Investment in securities of a limited number of issuers exposes the Fund to greater market risk and potential losses than if its assets were diversified among the securities of a greater number of issuers.

 

No Operating History. The Fund is newly organized and has no operating history. As a result, prospective investors have no track record or history on which to base their investment decisions.

 

Recent Market Events. An outbreak of a respiratory disease caused by a novel coronavirus (known as COVID-19) has resulted in a global pandemic and has caused major disruptions to economies and markets around the world, including the United States. Financial markets experienced and may continue to experience extreme volatility and severe losses, and trading in many instruments was and may continue to be disrupted as a result. Liquidity for many instruments was and may continue to be greatly reduced for extended periods of time. Some interest rates are very low and in some cases yields are negative. Governments and central banks, including the Federal Reserve in the United States, have taken extraordinary and unprecedented actions to support local and global economies and the financial markets. The impact of these measures, and whether they will be effective to mitigate the economic and market disruption, will not be known for some time. In addition, the outbreak of COVID-19, and measures taken to mitigate its effects, could result in disruptions to the services provided to the Fund by its service providers. Other market events like the COVID-19 outbreak may cause similar disruptions and effects.

 

Foreign Investment Risk. The prices of foreign securities may be more volatile than the prices of securities of U.S. issuers because of economic and social conditions abroad, political developments, and changes in the regulatory environments of foreign countries. Changes in exchange rates and interest rates, and the imposition of sanctions, confiscations, trade restrictions (including tariffs) and other government restrictions by the United States and/or other governments may adversely affect the values of the Fund’s foreign investments. Foreign companies are generally subject to different legal and accounting standards than U.S. companies, and foreign financial intermediaries may be subject to less supervision and regulation than U.S. financial firms. Foreign securities include American Depository Receipts (“ADRs”) and Global Depository Receipts (“GDRs”). Unsponsored ADRs and GDRs are organized independently and without the cooperation of the foreign issuer of the underlying securities, and involve additional risks because U.S. reporting requirements do not apply. In addition, the issuing bank may deduct shareholder distribution, custody, foreign currency exchange, and other fees from the payment of dividends. Emerging markets tend to be more volatile than the markets of more mature economies and generally have less diverse and less mature economic structures and less stable political systems than those of developed countries.
 4 

 

Nationalization Risk. Investments in China may be subject to loss due to expropriation or nationalization of assets and property or the imposition of restrictions on foreign investments and repatriation of capital. Any restrictions on repatriation of the Fund’s portfolio investments and/or capital may have an adverse effect on the Fund’s performance and the Fund’s ability to meet redemption requests.

 

Next Economy™ Companies Risk. The Fund’s focus on Next Economy™ companies may cause the Fund to make different investments than funds that do not focus on such companies. Under certain economic conditions, this could cause the Fund's investment performance to be worse than funds that do not focus on such companies. The Fund’s focus on Next Economy™ companies may affect the Fund's exposure to certain issuers, industries and sectors, and may adversely impact the Fund's performance depending on whether such issuers, industries or sectors are in or out of favor in the market.

 

Cybersecurity Risk. Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to Fund assets, customer data (including private shareholder information), or proprietary information, or cause the Fund, the Advisor, the Sub-Advisor and/or other service providers (including custodians, sub-custodians, transfer agents and financial intermediaries) to suffer data breaches, data corruption or loss of operational functionality. In an extreme case, a shareholder’s ability to exchange or redeem Fund shares may be affected. Issuers of securities in which the Fund invests are also subject to cybersecurity risks, and the value of those securities could decline if the issuers experience cybersecurity incidents.
 5 

 

Preferred Stock Risk. Preferred stock represents an equity interest in a company that generally entitles the holder to receive, in preference to the holders of other stocks such as common stock, dividends and a fixed share of the proceeds resulting from a liquidation of the company. The market value of preferred stock is subject to company-specific and market risks applicable generally to equity securities and is also sensitive to changes in the company’s creditworthiness, the ability of the company to make payments on the preferred stock, and changes in interest rates, typically declining in value if interest rates rise.

  

ETF and Mutual Fund Risk. Investing in ETFs or mutual funds (including other funds managed by the Fund’s advisor) will provide the fund with exposure to the risks of owning the underlying securities the ETFs or mutual funds hold. Shares of ETFs typically trade on securities exchanges and may at times trade at a premium or discount to their net asset values. In addition, an ETF or a mutual fund, if the mutual fund is an index fund, may not replicate exactly the performance of the benchmark index it seeks to track for a number of reasons, including transaction costs incurred by the ETF or mutual fund, the temporary unavailability of certain index securities in the secondary market, or discrepancies between the ETF or mutual fund and the index with respect to the weighting of securities or the number of securities held. It may be more expensive for the Fund to invest in an ETF or mutual fund than to own the portfolio securities of these investment vehicles directly. Investing in ETFs and mutual funds, which are investment companies, involves duplication of advisory fees and certain other expenses. The Fund will pay brokerage commissions in connection with the purchase and sale of shares of ETFs. In addition, the Fund may invest in underlying funds which invest a larger portion of their assets in one or more sectors than many other mutual funds, and thus will be more susceptible to negative events affecting those sectors.

 

Performance

The Fund is new and does not have a full calendar year performance record to compare against other mutual funds or broad measures of securities market performance such as indices. Performance information will be available after the Fund has been in operation for one calendar year.

 

Investment Advisor and Sub-Advisor

Liberty Street Advisors, Inc. is the Fund’s investment advisor (the “Advisor”). Green Alpha Advisors is the Fund’s sub-advisor (the “Sub-Advisor”).

 

Portfolio Managers

Jeremy Deems, Portfolio Manager, and Garvin Jabusch, Portfolio Manager, of Green Alpha Advisors have served as portfolio managers of the Fund since its inception and are jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio.

 6 

 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

As of the date of this Prospectus, Class A and Class C Shares are not available for purchase. To purchase shares of the Fund, you must invest at least the minimum amount.

 

Minimum Investments   To Open Your Account    To Add to Your Account  
Class A Shares and Class C Shares          
Standard Accounts   $2,500   $100  
Traditional and Roth IRA Accounts   $2,500   $100  
Accounts with Systematic Investment Plans   $2,500   $100  
Qualified Retirement Plans   $2,500   $100  
Institutional Class Shares          
All Accounts   $1,000,000   $100,000  

  

Fund shares are redeemable on any business day the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”) is open for business by written request or by telephone.

 

Tax Information

The Fund’s distributions are generally taxable, and will ordinarily be taxed as ordinary income, qualified dividend income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account. Shareholders investing through such tax-deferred arrangements may be taxed later upon withdrawal of monies from those arrangements. Although the Fund expects that a significant portion of its distributions will be treated as ordinary income, qualified dividend income or capital gains, no assurance can be given in this regard. Portions of distributions may also be considered tax-deferred returns of capital.

 

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies (including the Advisor) may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your financial advisor or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 7 

 

MORE ABOUT THE FUND’S INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE, PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RISKS

 

Investment Objective

The investment objective of the Green Alpha Growth & Income Fund is to seek to achieve current income and long-term capital appreciation. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective.

 

The Fund’s investment objective is not fundamental and may be changed by the Board of Trustees without shareholder approval, upon at least 60 days’ prior written notice to shareholders. The Fund’s investment strategies and policies may be changed from time to time without shareholder approval or prior written notice, unless specifically stated otherwise in this Prospectus or the SAI.

 

Principal Investment Strategies

The Fund invests primarily in equity securities of companies that the Sub-Advisor believes are Next Economy™ companies (defined below), have above average growth potential and are reasonably valued. Stocks with a current dividend yield are prioritized in terms of security selection and position size, although a dividend is not required for portfolio inclusion. The Fund’s investments may include common stocks, REITs, preferred stocks, and ADRs. The Fund may invest in companies of all sizes and seeks diversification by economic sector and geography; however, the Fund may at times invest a significant portion of its assets in relatively few sectors, including the real estate and technology sectors. The Fund generally intends to purchase securities for long-term investments rather than short-term gains; however, a security may be held for a shorter than expected period of time if, for example, the Sub-Advisor needs to raise cash for liquidity purposes or believes that it is appropriate to do so.

 

The Fund focuses its investments on Next Economy™ companies. Next Economy™ companies are publicly traded companies that, in the Sub-Advisor’s view, are creating or enabling solutions to major systemic risks including, but not limited to: climate change, resource degradation and scarcity, and widening inequality and resulting erosion of social cohesion. The Sub-Advisor believes that the global economy has and will continue to evolve by factoring in these systemic risks, and that creative solutions to these systemic risks are becoming the major drivers of economic growth and generate investment returns. The Sub-Advisor maintains a proprietary list of over 450 Next Economy™ companies from multiple industries and economic sectors based on a proprietary set of qualitative and quantitative criteria. This list is created by the Sub-Advisor based on its review of various information and materials, including a company’s business plan, activities and operating policies, strength of management team, corporate governance practices, brand and product reputation, competitive positioning, industry growth probabilities, market size analysis, assessment of barriers to entry, assessment of aggregate sustainability risks, defensible patents and intellectual property, financials and other fundamentals including capital allocation priorities.

 

In constructing the Fund’s portfolio, the Sub-Advisor incorporates both top-down and bottom-up analysis. The Sub-Advisor’s top-down analysis seeks to first identify Next Economycompanies by evaluating (i) how solutions to major systemic risks can be deployed in specific sectors and industries, (ii) which solutions are more innovative and scalable, (iii) which solutions-driven companies are leaders among their peers, and (iv) what percentage of each company’s revenue is attributed to solutions to major systemic risks. The Sub-Advisor’s bottom-up analysis then seeks to (i) identify companies with high-functioning business models and (ii) determine whether a company’s stock price is reasonable or undervalued relative to the company’s underlying value, industry peers, and expected future growth. The Sub-Advisor then selects companies with compelling products, strong business models, and opportunities for above-market growth. The Sub-Advisor’s analyses may also guide the Sub-Advisor in determining the portfolio’s desired diversification across economic sectors and geographic regions.

 

Although the Fund will attempt to invest as much of its assets as is practical in common stocks, REITs, preferred stocks and ADRs, the Fund may maintain a reasonable (up to 20%) position in in U.S. Treasury Bills and money market instruments to meet redemption requests and other liquidity needs. Additionally, the Fund may purchase shares of open-end registered investment companies or ETFs that invest in equity securities when holding cash or cash equivalents as “placeholders” for asset classes in which the Sub-Advisor seeks to invest but has yet to identify attractive investment opportunities.

 

The Sub-Advisor generally will consider selling equity securities from the Fund’s portfolio when it believes such securities are no longer consistent with the Fund’s investment objectives or desired valuation metrics, other securities appear to offer more compelling opportunities, to meet redemption requests and in other circumstances the Sub-Advisor deems consistent with the Fund’s investment objectives.

 8 

 

The Fund is “non-diversified” under the 1940 Act which means that it may invest more of its assets in fewer issuers than “diversified” mutual funds.

 

Cash and Temporary Defensive Positions. The Fund generally holds a portion of its assets in cash or high quality, short-term debt obligations and money market instruments for reserves to cover redemptions and unanticipated expenses. In addition, when the risk/reward profile for portfolio securities appears unfavorable, or when the Sub-Advisor believes price valuations are not attractive, the Sub-Advisor may, but is not required to, allow the Fund’s cash position to increase rather than purchase securities that fail to meet its investment criteria. In addition, there may be times when the Sub-Advisor may, but is not required to, respond to adverse market, economic, political or other considerations by causing the Fund’s cash position to increase, and may invest up to 100% of the Fund’s assets in high quality, short-term debt securities or other defensive investments for temporary defensive purposes. During temporary defensive periods, the Fund may not be able to achieve its investment objective and, instead, may focus on preserving its assets or mitigating risks. To the extent the Fund uses a money market fund for investment of cash, there will be some duplication of expenses because the Fund would bear its pro rata portion of such money market fund’s advisory fees and operational expenses.

 

Principal Risks of Investing

The Fund’s principal risks are set forth below. Before you decide whether to invest in the Fund, carefully consider these risk factors and special considerations associated with investing in the Fund, which may cause investors to lose money.

 

Market Risk. The market price of a security or instrument may decline, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably, due to general market conditions that are not specifically related to a particular company, such as real or perceived adverse economic or political conditions throughout the world, changes in the general outlook for corporate earnings, changes in interest or currency rates, or adverse investor sentiment generally. The market value of a security or instrument also may decline because of factors that affect a particular industry or industries, such as labor shortages or increased production costs and competitive conditions within an industry. In addition, local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, or other events could have a significant impact on a security or instrument. For example, the financial crisis that began in 2007 caused a significant decline in the value and liquidity of many securities; in particular, the values of some sovereign debt and of securities of issuers that invest in sovereign debt and related investments fell, credit became more scarce worldwide and there was significant uncertainty in the markets. More recently, the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively affected the worldwide economy, as well as the economies of individual countries, the financial health of individual companies and the market in general in significant and unforeseen ways. Such environments could make identifying investment risks and opportunities especially difficult for the Advisor. In response to the crises, the United States and other governments have taken steps to support financial markets. The withdrawal of this support or failure of efforts in response to a crisis could negatively affect financial markets generally as well as the value and liquidity of certain securities. In addition, policy and legislative changes in the United States and in other countries are changing many aspects of financial regulation. The impact of these changes on the markets, and the practical implications for market participants, may not be fully known for some time.

 

Equity Risk. The value of equity securities held by the Fund may fall due to general market and economic conditions, perceptions regarding the industries in which the issuers of securities held by the Fund participate, or factors relating to specific companies in which the Fund invests. The price of common stock of an issuer in the Fund’s portfolio may decline if the issuer fails to make anticipated dividend payments because, among other reasons, the financial condition of the issuer declines. Common stock is subordinated to preferred stocks, bonds and other debt instruments in a company’s capital structure in terms of priority with respect to corporate income, and therefore will be subject to greater dividend risk than preferred stocks or debt instruments of such issuers. In addition, while broad market measures of common stocks have historically generated higher average returns than fixed income securities, common stocks have also experienced significantly more volatility in those returns.
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Management and Strategy Risk. The evaluation and selection of the Fund’s investments depend on the judgment of the Sub-Advisor about the quality, relative yield, value or market trends affecting a particular security, issuer, sector or region, which may prove to be incorrect. Investment strategies employed by the Sub-Advisor in selecting investments for the Fund may not result in an increase in the value of your investment or in overall performance equal to that of other investments.

 

Growth-Oriented Investment Strategies Risk. Growth funds generally focus on stocks of companies believed to have above-average potential for growth in revenue and earnings. Growth securities typically are very sensitive to market movements because their market prices frequently reflect projections of future earnings or revenues, and when it appears that those expectations will not be met the prices of growth securities typically fall. Prices of these companies’ securities may be more volatile than those of other securities, particularly over the short term.

 

Dividend-Paying Stock Risk. Because the Fund can only distribute what it earns, the Fund’s distributions to shareholders could decline when dividend income from the dividend-paying stocks in the Fund’s portfolio declines. Investments in dividend-paying stocks involve the risk that such stocks may fall out of favor with investors and underperform the market. Also, a company may reduce or eliminate its dividend, which could affect the Fund’s ability to generate income

 

REIT Risk. The Fund’s investments in REITs will subject the Fund to risks similar to those associated with direct ownership of real estate, including losses from casualty or condemnation, and changes in local and general economic conditions, supply and demand, interest rates, zoning laws, regulatory limitations on rents, property taxes and operating expenses. The Fund’s investments in non-U.S. REITs are subject to the risks associated with foreign investments generally including different legal and accounting standards than U.S. companies, less regulations, less liquid securities markets, and volatility in the prices of securities due to economic and social conditions abroad, political developments, and changes in the regulatory environments of foreign countries. Investment in REITs is subject to additional risks, such as poor performance by the manager of the REIT, adverse changes to the tax laws or failure by the REIT to qualify for the favorable tax treatment generally available to REITs under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.  In addition, some REITs have limited diversification because they invest in a limited number of properties, a narrow geographic area, or a single type of property.

 

  Sector Focus Risk. From time to time, the Fund may invest a significant amount of its total assets in each of certain sectors of the economy. Each of those sectors may be subject to specific risks. These risks include governmental regulation of the sector and governmental monetary and fiscal policies, which may impact interest rates and currencies and affect corporate funding and international trade. Certain sectors may be more vulnerable than others to these factors. In addition, market sentiment and expectations toward a particular sector could affect a company’s market valuation and access to equity funding. For example, the Fund may hold a concentrated position in select sectors such as the Technology and Real Estate sectors. Performance of companies in the Technology sector may be affected by, among other things, government regulation, industry innovation, and consumer demand. Declines in real estate values, changes in interest rates, economic downturns, overbuilding and changes in zoning laws and government regulations can have a significant negative effect on companies in the Real Estate industry. Therefore, the Fund’s performance may be significantly impacted by the performance of these sectors.

 

Small-Cap and Mid-Cap Company Risk. Investing in small-capitalization and mid-capitalization companies generally involves greater risks than investing in large-capitalization companies. Small- or mid-cap companies may have limited product lines, markets or financial resources or may depend on the expertise of a few people and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic market movements than securities of larger, more established companies or market averages in general. Many small capitalization companies may be in the early stages of development. Since equity securities of smaller companies may lack sufficient market liquidity and may not be regularly traded, it may be difficult or impossible to sell securities at an advantageous time or a desirable price.

 

Liquidity Risk. Due to a lack of demand in the marketplace or other factors, such as market turmoil, the Fund may not be able to sell some or all of the investments that it holds, or if the Fund is forced to sell an illiquid asset to meet redemption requests or other cash needs, it may only be able to sell those investments at a loss.  Liquidity risk arises, for example, from small average trading volumes, trading restrictions, or temporary suspensions of trading.  In addition, when the market for certain investments is illiquid, the Fund may be unable to achieve its desired level of exposure to a certain sector. Liquid investments may become illiquid or less liquid after purchase by the Fund, particularly during periods of market turmoil. Illiquid and relatively less liquid investments may be harder to value, especially in changing markets.

 

Non-Diversification Risk. The Fund is classified as “non-diversified,” which means the Fund may invest a larger percentage of its assets in the securities of a smaller number of issuers than a diversified fund. Investment in securities of a limited number of issuers exposes the Fund to greater market risk and potential losses than if its assets were diversified among the securities of a greater number of issuers.
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No Operating History. The Fund is newly organized and has no operating history. As a result, prospective investors have no track record or history on which to base their investment decisions.

  

Recent Market Events. An outbreak of a respiratory disease caused by a novel coronavirus (known as COVID-19) has resulted in a global pandemic and has caused major disruptions to economies and markets around the world, including the United States. Financial markets experienced and may continue to experience extreme volatility and severe losses, and trading in many instruments was and may continue to be disrupted as a result. Liquidity for many instruments was and may continue to be greatly reduced for extended periods of time. Some interest rates are very low and in some cases yields are negative. Some sectors of the economy and individual issuers have experienced and may continue to experience particularly large losses. The pandemic has reduced liquidity of particular investments and asset classes; resulted in significant disruptions to business operations, including business closures; strained healthcare systems; disrupted supply chains, consumer demand and employee availability; and restricted travel. These conditions may continue for an extended period of time, or worsen. The pandemic may result in a sustained domestic or global economic downturn or recession. Developing or emerging market countries may be more adversely impacted. The ultimate economic fallout from the pandemic, and the long-term impact on economies, markets, industries and individual issuers, are not known. Governments and central banks, including the Federal Reserve in the United States, have taken extraordinary and unprecedented actions to support local and global economies and the financial markets. These actions have resulted in significant expansion of public debt, including in the United States. The long-term consequences of this level of public debt are not known. In addition, certain interest rates have been reduced to very low levels. The impact of these measures, and whether they will be effective to mitigate the economic and market disruption, will not be known for some time. The COVID-19 pandemic could continue to adversely affect the value and liquidity of a Fund’s investments, impair the Fund’s ability to satisfy redemption requests, and negatively impact the Fund’s performance. In addition, the outbreak of COVID-19, and measures taken to mitigate its effects, could result in disruptions to the services provided to a Fund by its service providers. Other market events like the COVID-19 outbreak may cause similar disruptions and effects.

 

Foreign Investment Risk. Investments in foreign securities are affected by risk factors generally not thought to be present in the United States. The prices of foreign securities may be more volatile than the prices of securities of U.S. issuers because of economic and social conditions abroad, political developments, and changes in the regulatory environments of foreign countries. Special risks associated with investments in foreign markets include less liquidity, less developed or less efficient trading markets, lack of comprehensive company information, less government supervision of exchanges, brokers and issuers, greater risks associated with counterparties and settlement, and difficulty in enforcing contractual obligations. Changes in exchange rates and interest rates, and the imposition of foreign taxes, sanctions, confiscations, trade restrictions (including tariffs) and other government restrictions by the United States and/or other governments may adversely affect the values of the Fund’s foreign investments. Foreign companies are generally subject to different legal and accounting standards than U.S. companies, and foreign financial intermediaries may be subject to less supervision and regulation than U.S. financial firms. The Fund’s investments in depository receipts (including ADRs) are subject to these risks, even if denominated in U.S. Dollars, because changes in currency and exchange rates affect the values of the issuers of depository receipts. In addition, the underlying issuers of certain depository receipts, particularly unsponsored or unregistered depository receipts, are under no obligation to distribute shareholder communications to the holders of such receipts, or to pass through to them any voting rights with respect to the deposited securities. Many of the risks with respect to foreign investments are more pronounced for investments in developing or emerging market countries. Emerging markets tend to be more volatile than the markets of more mature economies and generally have less diverse and less mature economic structures and less stable political systems than those of developed countries.
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Nationalization Risk. Investments in China may be subject to loss due to expropriation or nationalization of assets and property or the imposition of restrictions on foreign investments and repatriation of capital. Any restrictions on repatriation of the Fund’s portfolio investments and/or capital may have an adverse effect on the Fund’s performance and the Fund’s ability to meet redemption requests.

 

Next Economy™ Companies Risk. The Fund’s focus on Next Economy™ companies may cause the Fund to make different investments than funds that do not focus on such companies. Under certain economic conditions, this could cause the Fund's investment performance to be worse than funds that do not focus on such companies. The Fund’s focus on Next Economy™ companies may affect the Fund's exposure to certain issuers, industries and sectors, and may adversely impact the Fund's performance depending on whether such issuers, industries or sectors are in or out of favor in the market.

 

Cybersecurity Risk. Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to Fund assets, customer data (including private shareholder information), or proprietary information, or cause the Fund, the Advisor, the Sub-Advisor and/or other service providers (including custodians, sub-custodians, transfer agents and financial intermediaries) to suffer data breaches, data corruption or loss of operational functionality. A cybersecurity incident may disrupt the processing of shareholder transactions, impact the Fund’s ability to calculate its net asset value, and prevent shareholders from redeeming their shares. Issuers of securities in which the Fund invests are also subject to cybersecurity risks, and the value of those securities could decline if the issuers experience cybersecurity incidents.
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Preferred Stock Risk. Preferred stock represents an equity interest in a company that generally entitles the holder to receive, in preference to the holders of other stocks such as common stocks, dividends and a fixed share of the proceeds resulting from a liquidation of the company. Preferred stocks may pay fixed or adjustable rates of return. The market value of preferred stock is subject to issuer-specific and market risks applicable generally to equity securities and is sensitive to changes in the issuer’s creditworthiness, the ability of the issuer to make payments on the preferred stock and changes in interest rates, typically declining in value if interest rates rise. In addition, a company’s preferred stock generally pays dividends only after the company makes required payments to holders of its bonds and other debt. Therefore, the value of preferred stock will usually react more strongly than bonds and other debt to actual or perceived changes in the company’s financial condition or prospects.

  

ETF and Mutual Fund Risk. Investing in ETFs or mutual funds (including other funds managed by the Advisor) will provide the Fund with exposure to the risks of owning the underlying securities the ETFs or mutual funds hold. Shares of ETFs typically trade on securities exchanges and may at times trade at a premium or discount to their net asset values. In addition, an ETF or a mutual fund, if the mutual fund is an index fund, may not replicate exactly the performance of the benchmark index it seeks to track for a number of reasons, including transaction costs incurred by the ETF or mutual fund, the temporary unavailability of certain index securities in the secondary market, or discrepancies between the ETF or mutual fund and the index with respect to the weighting of securities or the number of securities held. It may be more expensive for the Fund to invest in an ETF or mutual fund than to own the portfolio securities of these investment vehicles directly. Investing in ETFs and mutual funds, which are investment companies, involves duplication of advisory fees and certain other expenses. The Fund will pay brokerage commissions in connection with the purchase and sale of shares of ETFs.

 

Portfolio Holdings Information

A description of the Fund’s policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Fund’s portfolio securities is available in the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”). Currently, disclosure of the Fund’s holdings is required to be made quarterly within 60 days of the end of each fiscal quarter in the Fund’s Annual Report and Semi-Annual Report to Fund shareholders, and in its monthly holdings report on Form N-PORT.

 

Cybersecurity

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

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

 

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

 

MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND

 

The Advisor and Sub-Advisor

Liberty Street Advisors, Inc., a New York corporation which maintains its principal offices at 100 Wall Street, Floor 20, New York, NY 10005, acts as the investment advisor to the Fund pursuant to an investment advisory agreement (the “Advisory Agreement”). The Advisor is an investment advisor registered with the SEC. As the Fund’s investment advisor, Liberty Street provides investment advisory services to the Fund, including: (i) designing the Fund’s initial investment policies and developing evolutionary changes to such policies as appropriate for presentation to the Board of Trustees; (ii) providing overall supervision for the general investment management operations of the Fund; (iii) monitoring and supervising the activities of the Sub-Advisor; and (iv) providing related administrative services. As of September 30, 2021, the Advisor had approximately $[ ] billion in assets under management.

 

Pursuant to the Advisory Agreement, the Fund pays the Advisor an annual advisory fee of [1.50]% of the Fund’s average daily net assets for the services and facilities it provides, payable on a monthly basis. Pursuant to a sub-advisory agreement, the Advisor pays a portion of its advisory fee to the Sub-Advisor. The Fund’s SAI provides additional information about the fees paid to the Advisor and the Sub-Advisor.

 

The Fund’s Sub-Advisor, Green Alpha Advisors, LLC (“Green Alpha”), with its principal office at 263 2nd Avenue, Suite 106B, Niwot, Colorado 80544, is registered as an investment advisor with the SEC, and is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio, selection of the Fund’s portfolio investments and supervision of its portfolio transactions subject to the general oversight of the Board and the Advisor. The Sub-Advisor focuses on traditional methods of security analysis; primarily research, critical thought and analytical depth, which are integral to their investment process. The Sub-Advisor is an independently owned and operated firm formed in 2007. Green Alpha offers investment advisory services to our clients in the form of separately managed accounts and a no-load mutual fund. As of September 30, 2021, Green Alpha had approximately $[ ] million in assets under management.

 

A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the Advisory agreement and Sub-Advisory Agreement will be included in the Fund’s [annual report to shareholders for the period ended December 31, 2021].

 

Portfolio Managers

Garvin Jabusch and Jeremy Deems are jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio.

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Garvin Jabusch has been the co-portfolio manager of the Shelton Green Alpha Fund since its inception on March 8, 2013. Mr. Jabusch cofounded Green Alpha Advisors in 2007 and he serves as the Chief Investment Officer of Green Alpha Advisors. Mr. Jabusch holds an MBA in international management and finance from the American Graduate School of International Management. Mr. Jabusch earned a BS in Anthropology from the University of Utah.

 

Jeremy Deems has been the co-portfolio manager of the Shelton Green Alpha Fund since its inception on March 8, 2013. Mr. Deems cofounded Green Alpha Advisors in 2007. Mr. Deems holds an MBA in Finance from Saint Mary’s College of California. Mr. Deems earned a BS in business administration, honors concentration in financial services and Minor in accounting from Saint Mary’s College of California. Mr. Deems was an active CPA and member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants from 2001 to 2016.

 

The SAI provides additional information about the portfolio managers’ method of compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers and the portfolio managers’ ownership of Fund securities.

 

Fund Expenses

The Fund is responsible for its own operating expenses (all of which will be borne directly or indirectly by the Fund’s shareholders), including among others, legal fees and expenses of counsel to the Fund and the Fund’s independent trustees; insurance (including trustees’ and officers’ errors and omissions insurance); auditing and accounting expenses; taxes and governmental fees; listing fees; fees and expenses of the Fund’s custodians, administrators, transfer agents, registrars and other service providers; expenses for portfolio pricing services by a pricing agent, if any; expenses in connection with the issuance and offering of shares; brokerage commissions and other costs of acquiring or disposing of any portfolio holding of the Fund; and any litigation expenses.

 

The Advisor has contractually agreed to waive its fees and/or pay for operating expenses of the Fund to ensure that the total annual fund operating expenses (excluding, as applicable, taxes, leverage interest, brokerage commissions, dividend and interest expenses on short sales, acquired fund fees and expenses as determined in accordance with Form N-1A, expenses incurred in connection with any merger or reorganization and extraordinary expenses such as litigation expenses) do not exceed [ ]%, [ ]%, and [ ]% of the average daily net assets of the Class A Shares, Class C Shares, and Institutional Class Shares, respectively. This agreement is in effect until [December 31, 2023], and it may be terminated before that date only by the Trust’s Board of Trustees.

 

Any reduction in advisory fees or payment of the Fund’s expenses made by the Advisor in a fiscal year may be reimbursed by the Fund for a period ending three full fiscal years after the date of reduction or payment if the Advisor so requests. This reimbursement may be requested from the Fund if the reimbursement will not cause the Fund’s annual expense ratio to exceed the lesser of (a) the expense limitation in effect at the time such fees were waived or payments made, or (b) the expense limitation in effect at the time of the reimbursement. However, the reimbursement amount may not exceed the total amount of fees waived and/or Fund expenses paid by the Advisor and will not include any amounts previously reimbursed to the Advisor by the Fund. Any such reimbursement is contingent upon the Board’s subsequent review of the reimbursed amounts. The Fund must pay current ordinary operating expenses before the Advisor is entitled to any reimbursement of fees and/or Fund expenses.

 

Prior Performance for Similar Accounts Managed by the Sub-Advisor

 

The following table sets forth performance data relating to the historical performance of all accounts (including registered investment companies) managed by the Sub-Advisor for the periods indicated that have investment objectives, policies, strategies and risks substantially similar to those of the Fund. The data does not represent the performance of the Fund and is provided to illustrate the past performance of the Sub-Advisor in managing substantially similar accounts as measured against a market index. You should not consider this performance data as an indication of future performance of the Fund.

 

The private accounts that are included in the performance data set forth below are not subject to the same types of expenses to which the Fund is subject, or to the diversification requirements, specific tax restrictions and investment limitations imposed on the Fund by the 1940 Act or Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). Consequently, the performance results for these private accounts could have been adversely affected if the private accounts had been regulated as investment companies under the federal securities laws.

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Average Annual Total Returns

For the Periods Ended September 30, 2021

Green Alpha Growth & Income Strategy Composite

 

  One Year Three Year Five Years Since Inception (10/31/2012)
Growth & Income Strategy Composite        
Net Returns, after fees/expenses* 39.48% 27.13% 22.12% 18.62%
Gross Returns 39.90% 27.51% 22.48% 18.97%
MSCI ACWI Index** 29.40% 12.90% 13.58% 11.75%

 

*The net returns for the composite are shown net of all fees and expenses. The fees and expenses are lower than the anticipated operating expenses of the Fund and accordingly, the performance results of the composite are higher than what the Fund’s performance would have been.

 

**The MSCI ACWI Index captures large to mid-cap representation across 23 Developed Markets countries (as determined by MSCI) (including the United States) and 23 Emerging Markets countries (as determined by MSCI). The index covers approximately 85% of the global equity opportunity set.

 

Results are based on fully discretionary accounts under management, including those accounts no longer with Green Alpha Advisors. Past performance is not indicative of future results. The U.S. Dollar is the currency used to express performance. Returns are presented gross and net of all fees and expenses and include the reinvestment of all income.

 

DISTRIBUTION AND SHAREHOLDER SERVICE PLAN

 

Distribution and Service (Rule 12b-1) Fees (For Class A and Class C Shares)

The Trust has adopted a plan on behalf of the Fund pursuant to Rule 12b-1 of the 1940 Act (the “12b-1 Plan”) which allows the Fund to pay distribution fees for the sale and distribution of its Class A Shares and Class C Shares and/or shareholder liaison service fees in connection with the provision of personal services to shareholders of Class A Shares and Class C Shares and the maintenance of shareholder accounts.

 

Foreside Fund Services, LLC, the Fund’s principal underwriter (the “Distributor”), acts as the Fund’s distributor in connection with the offering of the Fund’s shares. The Distributor may enter into arrangements with banks, broker-dealers and other financial institutions through which investors may purchase or redeem shares.

 

The Distributor is not affiliated with the Advisor, Sub-Advisor or their affiliates.

 

For Class A Shares, the maximum annual fee payable to the Distributor for such distribution and/or shareholder liaison services is 0.25% of the average daily net assets of such shares. For Class C shares, the maximum annual fees payable to the Distributor for distribution services and shareholder liaison services are 0.75% and 0.25%, respectively, of the average daily net assets of such shares. Since these fees are paid out of the Fund’s assets attributable to the Fund’s Class A Shares and Class C Shares, respectively, these fees will increase the cost of your investment and, over time, may cost you more than paying other types of sales charges. The net income attributable to Class A Shares and Class C Shares will be reduced by the amount of distribution and service fees and other expenses of the Fund associated with that respective class of shares. The Distributor may pay any or all amounts received under the Rule 12b-1 Plan to other persons for any distribution or administrative services provided by such persons to the Fund. Payments under the 12b-1 Plan are not tied exclusively to expenses actually incurred by the Distributor or others and the payments may exceed or be less than the amount of expenses actually incurred.

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To promote the sale of the Fund’s Class C Shares and to pay for certain shareholder liaison services, the Distributor may pay broker-dealers up to 1.00% of the amount invested by their clients in the Class C Shares of the Fund at the time the Shares are purchased (which includes prepayment of the first year’s 0.25% shareholder liaison service fee). These up-front payments to broker-dealers are financed by the Advisor. However, the Distributor receives and can pay reimbursement to the Advisor all of the 12b-1 fees with respect to such shares. During the first 12 months, the Advisor may retain the full 1.00% 12b-1 fee to recoup the up-front payment advanced at the time of purchase. After the Distributor has reimbursed the Advisor for the amounts that the Advisor has financed, the broker-dealers will receive from the Distributor the ongoing 12b-1 fees associated with their clients’ investments.

 

Institutional Class Shares are not subject to any distribution fees under the 12b-1 Plan.

 

To assist investors in comparing classes of shares, the table under the Prospectus heading “Fees and Expenses of the Fund” provides a summary of expenses and an example of the sales charges and expenses of the Fund applicable to each class of shares offered in this Prospectus.

 

Shareholder Servicing Fee

The Fund may pay a fee at an annual rate of up to [0.15%] of its average daily net assets to shareholder servicing agents. Shareholder servicing agents provide non-distribution administrative and support services to their customers, which may include establishing and maintaining accounts and records relating to shareholders, processing dividend and distribution payments from the Fund on behalf of shareholders, forwarding communications from the Fund, providing sub-accounting with respect to Fund shares, and other similar services.

 

Additional Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

The Advisor or the Sub-Advisor may pay service fees to intermediaries such as banks, broker-dealers, financial advisors or other financial institutions, some of which may be affiliates, for sub-administration, sub-transfer agency and other shareholder services associated with shareholders whose shares are held of record in omnibus accounts, other group accounts or accounts traded through registered securities clearing agents.

 

The Advisor or the Sub-Advisor, out of its own resources, and without additional cost to the Fund or its shareholders, may provide additional cash payments to broker-dealers or intermediaries that sell shares of the Fund. These additional cash payments are generally made to intermediaries that provide shareholder servicing, marketing support and/or access to sales meetings, sales representatives and management representatives of the intermediary. The Advisor or the Sub-Advisor may provide cash payments for inclusion of the Fund on a sales list, including a preferred or select sales list, or in other sales programs, or may pay an expense reimbursement in cases where the intermediary provides shareholder services to the Fund’s shareholders. The Advisor or the Sub-Advisor may also pay cash compensation in the form of finder’s fees that vary depending on the dollar amount of the shares sold. In addition, the Advisor’s broker-dealer affiliate may provide non-cash compensation to these intermediaries or their representatives. Such cash and non-cash compensation may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your financial advisor to recommend the Fund over another investment. Investors may wish to take these payments into account when considering and evaluating recommendations to purchase shares of the Fund. Ask your financial advisor or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

Although a financial intermediary that sells Fund shares may also act as a broker or dealer in connection with the purchase or sale of portfolio securities by the Fund or other funds advised by the Advisor, neither the Advisor, the Sub-Advisor nor any advisory affiliate considers a financial intermediary’s sales of shares of the Fund or other funds advised by the Advisor when choosing brokers or dealers to effect portfolio transactions for the Fund or other funds advised by the Advisor.

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PURCHASE OF SHARES

 

General

This Prospectus offers three classes of shares of the Fund, designated as Class A Shares, Class C Shares, and Institutional Class Shares. As of the date of this Prospectus Class A and Class C Shares are not available for purchase.

 

·Class A Shares generally incur sales loads at the time of purchase and annual distribution/service fees.
·Class C Shares may incur sales loads at the time of redemption and are subject to higher ongoing distribution fees and service fees.
·Institutional Class Shares incur no sales loads or distribution/service fees.

 

By offering multiple classes of shares, the Fund permits each investor to choose the class of shares that is most beneficial given the type of investor, the amount to be invested and the length of time the investor expects to hold the shares. As described more fully below, each class of shares offers a distinct structure of sales loads, distribution fees and service fees and other features that are designed to address the needs of a variety of investors.

 

Before you invest, you should compare the features of each share class, so that you can choose the class that is right for you. When selecting a share class, you should consider the following:

 

which shares classes are available to you;
how long you expect to own your shares;
how much you intend to invest;
total costs and expenses associated with a particular share class; and
whether you qualify for any reduction or waiver of sales charges.

 

Each class of shares generally has the same rights, except for the differing sales loads, distribution fees, service fees, any related expenses associated with each class of shares, and the exclusive voting rights by each class with respect to any distribution plan or service plan for such class of shares.

 

To the extent allowed by applicable law, the Fund reserves the right to discontinue offering shares at any time or to cease operating entirely.

 

YOUR ACCOUNT WITH THE FUND

 

Share Price

The offering price of each class of the Fund’s shares is the net asset value per share (“NAV”) of that class (plus sales charges, as applicable). The differences among the classes’ NAVs reflect the daily expense accruals of the distribution fees applicable to Class A Shares and Class C Shares.

 

The Fund’s NAVs are calculated as of 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, the normal close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”), on each day the NYSE is open for trading. If for example, the NYSE closes at 1:00 p.m. New York time, the Fund’s NAVs would still be determined as of 4:00 p.m. New York time. In this example, portfolio securities traded on the NYSE would be valued at their closing prices unless the Trust’s Valuation Committee determines that a “fair value” adjustment is appropriate due to subsequent events. The NAV for each class is determined by dividing the value of the Fund’s portfolio securities, cash and other assets (including accrued interest) allocable to such class, less all liabilities (including accrued expenses) allocable to such class, by the total number of outstanding shares of such class. The Fund’s NAVs may be calculated earlier if permitted by the SEC. The NYSE is closed on weekends and most U.S. national holidays. However, foreign securities listed primarily on non-U.S. markets may trade on weekends or other days on which the Fund does not value its shares, which may significantly affect the Fund’s NAVs on days when you are not able to buy or sell Fund shares.

 

The Fund values equity securities at the last reported sale price on the principal exchange or in the principal over-the-counter (OTC) market in which such securities are trading, as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE on the day the securities are being valued or, if there are no sales, at the mean of the most recent bid and asked prices. Equity securities that are traded on NASDAQ are valued at the NASDAQ Official Closing Price produced by NASDAQ each business day. Debt securities are valued at the mean between the last available bid and asked prices for such securities or, if such prices are not available, at fair value considering prices for securities of comparable maturity, quality, and type. The Fund values exchange-traded options at the last sales price, or, if no last sales price is available, at the last bid price.

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The Fund values securities for which market quotations are not readily available, including restricted securities, by methods approved by the Board of Trustees and that the Board believes accurately reflect fair value. Securities will be valued at fair value when market quotations are not readily available or are deemed unreliable, such as when a security’s value or a meaningful portion of the Fund’s portfolio is believed to have been materially affected by a significant event. Such events may include a natural disaster, an economic event like a bankruptcy filing, a trading halt in a security, an unscheduled early market close or a substantial fluctuation in domestic and foreign markets that has occurred between the close of the exchange on which the security principally trades and the close of the NYSE. In such a case, the Fund’s value for a security could be different from the last quoted market price. In addition, due to the subjective and variable nature of fair market value pricing, it is possible that the value determined for a particular asset may be materially different from the value realized upon such asset’s sale.

 

Trading in securities on many foreign securities exchanges and over-the-counter markets is normally completed before the close of business on each U.S. business day. In addition, securities trading in a particular country or countries may not take place on all U.S. business days or may take place on days which are not U.S. business days. Changes in valuations on certain securities may occur at times or on days on which the Fund’s NAVs are not calculated and on which the Fund does not affect sales and redemptions of its shares.

 

Pricing services generally value debt securities assuming orderly transactions of an institutional round lot size, but such securities may be held or transactions may be conducted in such securities in smaller, odd lot sizes. Odd lots often trade at lower prices than institutional round lots.

 

The price at which a purchase or redemption is effected is based on the next calculation of NAV after the order is placed, as described above.

 

NYSE Holiday Schedule. The NYSE is open every weekday, Monday through Friday, except when the following holidays are celebrated: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (the third Monday in January), President’s Day (the third Monday in February), Good Friday, Memorial Day (the last Monday in May), Independence Day, Labor Day (the first Monday in September), Thanksgiving Day (the fourth Thursday in November) and Christmas Day. Exchange holiday schedules are subject to change without notice. The NYSE may close early on the day before each of these holidays and the day after Thanksgiving Day.

 

Transactions through Third Parties. Certain financial institutions may be appointed as agents for or authorized by the Fund to accept on its behalf purchase and redemption requests that are received in good order. Subject to Fund approval, certain of these companies may be authorized to designate other entities to accept purchase and redemption orders on behalf of the Fund. A purchase or redemption order placed with a financial institution or its authorized agent is treated as if such orders were placed directly with the Fund, and will be deemed to have been received by the Fund when the financial institution or its authorized agent receives such order. If you invest through a broker or other financial institution, the policies of and fees charged by that institution may be in addition to those of the Fund as described in this Prospectus. These financial institutions may charge transaction fees and may set different minimum investments or limitations on buying or selling shares. These institutions may also provide you with certain shareholder services such as periodic account statements and trade confirmations summarizing your investment activity. Consult a representative of your financial institution for more information.

 

The Fund may enter into arrangements with financial institutions through which investors may purchase or redeem Fund shares. The Advisor or the Sub-Advisor may, at its own expense, compensate the financial institutions in connection with the sale or expected sale of Fund shares and it may sponsor various educational activities held by the financial institutions. Certain financial institutions may provide administrative services (such as sub-transfer agency, record-keeping or shareholder communications services) to investors purchasing shares of the Fund through such companies. The Advisor or the Sub-Advisor may pay fees to these financial institutions for their services. The Advisor or the Sub-Advisor may also compensate a financial institution for providing certain marketing support services, including finder’s fees, third party marketing services, business planning assistance, advertising, educating personnel of the financial institution about the Fund and shareholder financial planning needs, providing placement on the financial institution’s list of offered funds, counseling on the preparation of sales material and presentations and access to sales meetings, and arranging access to sales representatives and management representatives of the financial institution. Such payments may create an incentive for the financial institutions to recommend that you purchase Fund shares.

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Anti-Money Laundering Program. Customer identification and verification are part of the Trust’s overall obligation to deter money laundering under Federal law. The Trust has adopted an Anti-Money Laundering Program designed to prevent the Fund from being used for money laundering or the financing of terrorist activities. In this regard, the Fund reserves the right, to the extent permitted by law, to: (i) refuse, cancel or rescind any purchase or exchange order; (ii) freeze any account and/or suspend account services; or (iii) involuntarily close your account in cases of threatening conduct or suspected fraudulent or illegal activity. These actions will be taken when, in the sole discretion of Trust management, they are deemed to be in the best interest of the Fund or in cases when the Fund is requested or compelled to do so by governmental or law enforcement authority. If an order is rescinded or your account is liquidated due to perceived threatening conduct or suspected fraudulent or illegal activity, you will not be able to recoup any sales charges assessed. If your account is closed at the request of governmental or law enforcement authority, you may not receive proceeds of the redemption if the Fund is required to withhold such proceeds.

 

How To Buy Shares

 

How to Make Payments. Unless purchased through a third-party financial institution, all investments must be made by check, ACH, or wire. All checks must be payable in U.S. Dollars and drawn on U.S. financial institutions. The Fund does not accept purchases made by cash.

 

Checks. For all accounts, the check must be made payable on its face to “Liberty Street Funds.”

 

Regular Mail: Overnight Delivery:
Liberty Street Funds Liberty Street Funds
P.O. Box 2175 235 W. Galena Street
Milwaukee, WI 53201-2175 Milwaukee, WI 53212

 

To prevent check fraud, the Fund will not accept Treasury checks, credit card checks, traveler’s checks, starter checks, money orders, bank drafts, third party check or cashier’s checks for the purchase of shares. The Fund is unable to accept post-dated checks, post-dated on-line bill pay checks, or any conditional order or payment.

 

The Fund does not consider the U.S. Postal Service or other independent delivery services to be its agents.

 

ACH. ACH refers to the “Automated Clearing House” system maintained by the Federal Reserve Bank, which allows banks to process checks, transfer funds and perform other tasks. Your financial institution may charge you a fee for this service.

 

Wires. Instruct your financial institution with whom you have an account to make a Federal Funds wire payment to us. Your financial institution may charge you a fee for this service. Please contact UMB Fund Services, Inc. (the “Transfer Agent”) at (800) 207-7108 for wire instructions.

 

The Fund reserves the right to refuse, change, discontinue, or temporarily suspend account services, including purchase or telephone redemption privileges (if redemption by telephone is not available, you may send your redemption order to the Fund via regular or overnight delivery), for any reason, particularly when requests could adversely affect the Fund or its operations.

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The Transfer Agent will charge a fee against a shareholder’s account, in addition to any loss sustained by the Fund, for any payment that is returned. It is the policy of the Fund not to accept applications under certain circumstances or in amounts considered disadvantageous to shareholders. The Fund reserves the right to reject any application.

 

Checks sent via overnight delivery are also subject to a $25 charge (additional charge for Saturday delivery). There is also a $15.00 annual maintenance fee charged on retirement accounts or upon full redemption.

 

A Medallion signature guarantee must be obtained in those instances that require that a signature is guaranteed.

 

Minimum Investments. The Fund accepts investments in the following minimum amounts:

 

    Minimum Initial Investment    Minimum Additional Investment  
Class A Shares and Class C Shares*          
Direct Regular Accounts   $2,500   $100  
Traditional and Roth IRA Accounts   $2,500   $100  
Accounts with Automatic Investment Plans   $2,500   $100  
Qualified Retirement Plans   $2,500   $100  
Institutional Class Shares          
All Accounts   $1,000,000   $100,000  

  

*The maximum investment amount for Class C Shares is $999,999.

 

No initial or subsequent investment minimum is required for accounts maintained by financial institutions for the benefit of their clients who purchase shares through investment programs such as employee benefit plans like 401(k) retirement plans. In addition, for financial institutions, including registered investment advisors, making investments for a group of clients, the initial or subsequent investment minimum can be met through an aggregated purchase order for more than one client. The minimum for the Institutional Class Shares is waived for purchases pursuant to asset allocation programs, wrap fee programs, and other investment programs offered by financial institutions, including registered investment advisors, in which investment decisions are made on a discretionary basis by investment professionals. No initial or subsequent investment minimum is required for Trustees or officers of the Trust, directors, officers and employees of the Advisor, the Sub-Advisor or the Distributor or any of their affiliates, or the spouse, life-partner, parent, child, sibling or other close family member of any such person, any trust or individual retirement account or self-employed retirement plan for the benefit of any such person, or the estate of any such person. The Fund reserves the right to waive minimum investment amounts, if deemed appropriate by the Trust’s officers.

 

In addition, Institutional Class Shares may also be available on certain brokerage platforms of firms that have agreements with the Fund to offer such shares when acting solely on an agency basis for the purchase or sale of such shares. If you transact in Institutional Class Shares through one of these programs, the minimum is waived and you may be required to pay a commission and/or other forms of compensation to the broker. A list of these brokerage platforms can be found in Appendix A - Waivers and Discounts Available from Intermediaries and Conversion Policies.

 

Shares of the Fund may be purchased by check, by wire transfer of funds via a bank or through an approved financial intermediary (i.e., a supermarket, investment advisor, financial planner or consultant, broker, dealer or other investment professional and their agents) authorized by the Fund to receive purchase orders. Financial intermediaries may provide varying arrangements for their clients to purchase and redeem shares, which may include different sales charges as described in this Prospectus, additional fees and different investment minimums. In addition, from time to time, a financial intermediary may modify or waive its initial and subsequent investment minimums. Your financial intermediary may receive different compensation for selling Class A shares due to different sales charges among the share classes. Please see sections titled “Class A Shares – Sales Charge Schedule”, and “Appendix A – Waivers and Discounts Available from Intermediaries and Conversion Policies” of the Prospectus. The share classes your financial intermediary sells may depend on, among other things, the type of investor account and the policies, procedures and practices adopted by your financial intermediary. You should review those arrangements with your financial intermediary.

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Account Requirements

 

Type of Account   Requirement

Individual, Sole Proprietorship and Joint Accounts

Individual accounts and sole proprietorship accounts are owned by one person. Joint accounts have two or more owners (tenants).

 

• Instructions must be signed by all persons required to sign exactly as their names appear on the account.

• Provide a power of attorney or similar document for each person that is authorized to open or transact business for the account if not a named account owner.

Gifts or Transfers to a Minor (UGMA, UTMA)

These custodial accounts provide a way to give money to a child and obtain tax benefits.

 

• Depending on state laws, you can set up a custodial account under the UGMA or the UTMA.

• The custodian must sign instructions in a manner indicating custodial capacity.

Business Entities  

• Provide certified articles of incorporation, a government-issued business license or certificate, partnership agreement or similar document evidencing the identity and existence of the business entity.

• Submit a secretary’s (or similar) certificate listing the person(s) authorized to open or transact business for the account.

Trusts (including corporate pension plans)  

• The trust must be established before an account can be opened.

• Provide the first and signature pages from the trust document identifying the trustees.

• Provide a power of attorney or similar document for each person that is authorized to open or transact business in the account if not a trustee of the trust.

 

Account Application and Customer Identity Verification. To help the government fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering activities, federal law requires all financial institutions to verify and record information that identifies each person who opens an account.

 

When you open an account, you will be asked for your name, date of birth (for a natural person), your residential address or principal place of business, and mailing address, if different, as well as your Social Security Number or Taxpayer Identification Number. Additional information is required for corporations, partnerships and other entities, including the name, residential address, date of birth and Social Security Number of the underlying beneficial owners and authorized control persons of entity owners. If you do not supply the required information, the Fund will attempt to contact you or, if applicable, your financial advisor. If the Fund cannot obtain the required information within a timeframe established in our sole discretion, your application will be rejected.

 

When your application is in proper form and includes all required information, your application will normally be accepted and your order will be processed at the NAV next calculated after receipt of your application in proper form. If your application is accepted, the Fund will then attempt to verify your identity using the information you have supplied and other information about you that is available from third parties, including information available in public and private databases such as consumer reports from credit reporting agencies.

 

The Fund will try to verify your identity within a timeframe established in its sole discretion. If the Fund cannot do so, the Fund reserves the right to close your account at the NAV next calculated after the Fund decides to close your account and to remit proceeds to you via check, but only if your original check clears the bank.

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If your account is closed, you may be subject to a gain or loss on Fund shares and will be subject to any related taxes and will not be able to recoup any sales charges assessed.

 

The Fund may reject your application under the Trust’s Anti-Money Laundering Program. Under this program, your money may not be returned to you if your account is closed at the request of governmental or law enforcement authorities.

 

Limitations on Frequent Purchases and Redemptions. The Board has adopted policies and procedures with respect to frequent purchases and redemptions of Fund shares by Fund shareholders. It is the Fund’s policy to discourage short-term trading. Frequent trading in the Fund such as trades seeking short-term profits from market momentum and other timing strategies may interfere with the management of the Fund’s portfolio and result in increased administrative and brokerage costs and a potential dilution in the value of Fund shares. As money is moved in and out, the Fund may incur expenses buying and selling portfolio securities and these expenses are borne by Fund shareholders. The Fund does not permit market timing and does not accommodate frequent purchases or redemptions. In addition, the Fund may take action, which may include using its best efforts to restrict a shareholder from making additional purchases in the Fund, if that shareholder has engaged in four or more “round trips” in the Fund within a one-year period.

 

The Fund focuses on identifying frequent redemption transactions which may be harmful to the Fund or its shareholders. These transactions are analyzed for offsetting purchases within a pre-determined period of time. If frequent trading trends are detected, an appropriate course of action is taken. The Fund reserves the right to cancel, restrict, or reject without any prior notice, any purchase order, including transactions representing excessive trading, transactions that may be disruptive to the management of the Fund’s portfolio, and purchase orders not accompanied by payment.

 

Because the Fund receives purchase and sale orders through financial intermediaries that use omnibus or retirement accounts, the Fund cannot always detect frequent purchases and redemptions. As a consequence, the Fund’s ability to monitor and discourage abusive trading practices in such accounts may be limited.

 

Policy on Prohibition of Foreign Shareholders. The Fund requires that all shareholders must be a U.S. citizen residing in the United States or a U.S. Territory or a resident alien residing in the United States or a U.S. Territory, and they must also have a valid U.S. Taxpayer Identification Number to open an account with the Fund.

 

Investment Procedures

 

To contact the Fund, please call (800) 207-7108.

 

How to Open an Account   How to Add to Your Account

Through a Financial Advisor

Contact your advisor using the method that is most convenient for you.

 

Through a Financial Advisor

• Contact your advisor using the method that is most convenient for you.

By Check

• Call or write us for an account application, or visit www.libertystreetfunds.com.

• Complete the application (and other required documents).

• Mail us your application (and other required documents) and a check.

 

By Check

• Fill out an investment slip from a confirmation or write us a letter.

• Write your account number on your check.

• Mail us the slip (or your letter) and the check.

Regular Mail:

Liberty Street Funds

P.O. Box 2175

Milwaukee, WI 53201-2175

   
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Overnight Delivery:

Liberty Street Funds

235 W. Galena Street

Milwaukee, WI 53212

   
The Fund does not consider the U.S. Postal Service or other independent delivery services to be its agents.    

By Wire

• Call or write us for an account application or visit www.libertystreetfunds.com.

• Complete the application (and other required documents).

• Call us to fax the completed application (and other required documents) and we will assign you an account number.

• Mail us your original application (and other required documents).

• Instruct your financial institution to wire your money to us.

 

By Wire

• Call to notify us of your incoming wire.

• Instruct your financial institution to wire your money to us.

   

By ACH Payment (For Systematic Investments)

• Complete the systematic investment section of the application.

• Attach a voided check to your application.

• Mail us the completed application and voided check.

• We will electronically debit the purchase amount from the financial institution account identified on your account application.

 

Automatic Investment Plan. If you intend to use the Automatic Investment Plan (“AIP”), you may open your account with the initial minimum investment amount. Once an account has been opened, you may make additional investments in the Fund at regular intervals through the AIP. If elected on your account application, funds can be automatically transferred from your checking or savings account on the 5th, 10th, 15th, 20th or 25th of each month. In order to participate in the AIP, each additional subscription must be at least $100 for Class A and Class C Shares, and at least $100,000 for Institutional Class shares, and your financial institution must be a member of the Automated Clearing House (“ACH”) network. The first AIP purchase will be made 15 days after the Transfer Agent receives your request in good order. The Transfer Agent will charge a $25 fee for any ACH payment that is rejected by your bank. Your AIP will be terminated if two successive mailings we send to you are returned by the U.S. Postal Service as undeliverable. You may terminate your participation in the AIP at any time by notifying the Transfer Agent at (800) 207-7108 at least five days prior to the date of the next AIP transfer. The Fund may modify or terminate the AIP at any time without notice.

 

Canceled or Failed Payments. The Fund accepts checks and ACH transfers at full value subject to collection. If the Fund does not receive your payment for shares or you pay with a check or ACH transfer that does not clear, your purchase will be canceled. You will be responsible for any losses or expenses incurred by the Fund or the Transfer Agent, and the Fund may redeem shares you own in the account (or another identically registered account that you maintain with the Transfer Agent) as reimbursement. A $25 fee will be imposed for any returned checks/ACH transactions. The Fund and its agents have the right to reject or cancel any purchase due to nonpayment.

 

Selling Shares

You may redeem shares of the Fund at a price equal to the NAV next determined after the Transfer Agent and/or authorized agent receives your redemption request in good order. Generally, your redemption request cannot be processed on days the NYSE is closed. All requests received in good order by the Transfer Agent and/or authorized agent before the close of the regular trading session of the NYSE (generally, 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time) will usually be sent to the bank you indicate or mailed or wired, as applicable, on the following business day to the address, or pursuant to the wiring instructions, on record. Except as specified below, the Fund will process your redemption request and send your proceeds within seven calendar days after the Fund receives your redemption request.

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If you purchase shares using a check and request a redemption before the check has cleared, the Fund may postpone payment of your redemption proceeds up to 15 calendar days while the Fund waits for the check to clear. Furthermore, there are certain times when you may be unable to sell Fund shares or receive proceeds. Specifically, the Fund may suspend the right to redeem shares or postpone the date of payment upon redemption for more than seven calendar days: (1) for any period during which the NYSE is closed (other than customary weekend or holiday closings) or trading on the NYSE is restricted; (2) for any period during which an emergency exists affecting the sale of the Fund’s securities or making such sale or the fair determination of the value of the Fund’s net assets not reasonably practicable; or (3) for such other periods as the SEC may permit for the protection of the Fund’s shareholders.

 

How to Sell Shares from Your Account

Through a Financial Advisor

• Contact your advisor by the method that is most convenient for you.

By Mail

• Prepare a written request including:

• Your name(s) and signature(s) of all account owners

• Your account number

• The Fund name and class

• The dollar amount or number of shares you want to sell

• How and where to send the redemption proceeds

• Obtain a Medallion signature guarantee (if required).

• Obtain other documentation (if required).

• Mail us your request and documentation.

Regular Mail:

Liberty Street Funds

P.O. Box 2175

Milwaukee, WI 53201-2175

Overnight Delivery:

Liberty Street Funds

235 W. Galena Street

Milwaukee, WI 53212

The Fund does not consider the U.S. Postal Service or other independent delivery services to be its agents.

By Wire or ACH

• Wire or ACH redemptions are only available if your redemption is for $5,000 (except for systematic withdrawals) or more and you did not decline wire or ACH redemption privileges on your account application.

• Call us with your request (unless you declined telephone redemption privileges on your account application) (See “By Telephone”) or

• Mail us your request (See “By Mail”).

By Telephone

• Call us with your request (unless you declined telephone redemption privileges on your account application).

• Provide the following information:

• Your account number

• Exact name(s) in which the account is registered

• Additional form of identification

• Redemption proceeds will be:

• Mailed to you or

• Electronically credited to your account at the financial institution identified on your account application.

Systematically

• Complete the systematic withdrawal section of the application.

• Attach a voided check to your application.

• Mail us your completed application signed by all account owners.

• Redemption proceeds will be:

• Mailed to you or

• Electronically credited to your account at the financial institution identified on your account application.

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Wire or ACH Redemption Privileges. You may redeem your shares by wire or ACH unless you declined wire or ACH redemption privileges on your account application. The minimum amount that may be redeemed by wire is $5,000, except for systematic withdrawals.

 

Telephone Redemption Privileges. You may redeem your shares by telephone unless you declined telephone redemption privileges on your account application. You may be responsible for any unauthorized telephone order as long as the transfer agent takes reasonable measures to verify that the order is genuine. Telephone redemption orders may be difficult to complete during periods of significant economic or market activity. If you are not able to reach the Fund by telephone, you may send your redemption order to the Fund via regular or overnight delivery.

 

Systematic Withdrawal Plan. You may request that a predetermined dollar amount be sent to you on a monthly or quarterly basis. Your account must maintain a value of at least $10,000 for you to be eligible to participate in the Systematic Withdrawal Plan (“SWP”). The minimum withdrawal amount is $50. If you elect to receive redemptions through the SWP, the Fund will send a check to your address of record, or will send the payment via electronic funds transfer through the ACH network, directly to your bank account on record. You may request an application for the SWP by calling the Transfer Agent toll-free at (800) 207-7108. The Fund may modify or terminate the SWP at any time. You may terminate your participation in the SWP by calling the Transfer Agent at least five business days before the next withdrawal.

 

Medallion Signature Guarantee Requirements. To protect you and the Fund against fraud, signatures on certain requests must have a “Medallion signature guarantee.” A Medallion signature guarantee verifies the authenticity of your signature. You can obtain a Medallion signature guarantee from most banking institutions or securities brokers, but not from a notary public. The transfer agent will need written instructions signed by all registered shareholders, with a Medallion signature guarantee for each shareholder, for any of the following (the following situations apply if you are requesting the transaction directly through the Fund):

 

Written requests to redeem $100,000 or more;

 

Changes to a shareholder’s record name;

 

Redemptions from an account for which the address or account registration has changed within the last 30 days;

 

Sending redemption and distribution proceeds to any person, address or financial institution account not on record;

 

Sending redemption and distribution proceeds to an account with a different registration (name or ownership) from your account; or

 

Adding or changing ACH or wire instructions, telephone redemption options or any other election in connection with your account.

 

The Transfer Agent reserves the right to require a Medallion signature guarantee on all redemptions.

 

Cost Basis Information. Federal tax law requires that regulated investment companies, such as the Fund, report their shareholders’ cost basis, gain/loss, and holding period to the IRS on the shareholders’ Consolidated Form 1099s when “covered” shares of the regulated investment companies are sold. Covered shares are any shares acquired (including pursuant to a dividend reinvestment plan) on or after January 1, 2012.

 

The Fund has chosen “first-in, first-out” (FIFO) as its standing (default) tax lot identification method for all shareholders, which means this is the method the Fund will use to determine which specific shares are deemed to be sold when there are multiple purchases on different dates at differing net asset values, and the entire position is not sold at one time. The Fund’s standing tax lot identification method is the method it will use to report the sale of covered shares on your Consolidated Form 1099 if you do not select a specific tax lot identification method. Redemptions are taxable and you may realize a gain or a loss upon redemption of your shares. Certain shareholders may be subject to backup withholding.

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Subject to certain limitations, you may choose a method other than the Fund’s standing method at the time of your purchase or upon the sale of covered shares. Please refer to the appropriate Treasury regulations or consult your tax advisor with regard to your personal circumstances.

 

Exchange Privileges

You may exchange Class A, Class C and Institutional Class shares of the Fund for shares of other funds managed by the Advisor, which are offered in separate prospectuses. The amount of the exchange must be equal to or greater than the required minimum initial investment (see “Minimum Investment” table), as stated in that fund’s prospectus. You may realize either a gain or loss on those shares and will be responsible for paying any applicable taxes. If you exchange shares through a broker, the broker may charge you a transaction fee. If you are not using a broker, you may exchange shares by sending a written request to the Fund or by telephone. Be sure that your written request includes the dollar amount or number of shares to be exchanged, the name(s) on the account, the account number(s), and signed by all shareholders on the account. In order to limit expenses, the Fund reserves the right to limit the total number of exchanges you can make in any year. If a CDSC applies to your redemption of Fund shares, it will be waived for the transaction to exchange shares of the Fund for shares of another fund managed by the Advisor; however, the CDSC and the remaining time period for which the CDSC applies will carry to the other fund.

 

Small Accounts

If the value of your account falls below $1,000 (excluding Qualified Retirement Accounts) with respect to Institutional Shares or $500 (excluding Qualified Retirement Accounts or accounts with systematic investment plans) with respect to Class A Shares and Class C Shares, the Fund may ask you to increase your balance. If, after 60 days, the account value is still below $1,000 (excluding Qualified Retirement Accounts or accounts with systematic investment plans) for Institutional Shares or $500 (excluding Qualified Retirement Accounts) for Class A Shares and Class C Shares, the Fund may close your account if your balance falls below the Fund’s minimum initial investment amount due to your redemption activity. The Fund will not close your account if it falls below these amounts solely as a result of a reduction in your account’s market value. There are no minimum balance requirements for Qualified Retirement Accounts.

 

In-Kind Purchases and Redemptions

The Fund reserves the right to accept payment for shares in the form of securities that are permissible investments for the Fund. However, under unusual conditions that make the payment of cash unwise (and for the protection of the Fund’s remaining shareholders), the Fund may pay all or part of a shareholder’s redemption proceeds in liquid securities with a market value equal to the redemption price (known as redemption-in-kind). If the Fund redeems your shares in kind, you will bear any market risks associated with investment in these securities, and you will be responsible for the costs (including brokerage charges) of converting the securities to cash In-kind purchases and redemptions are generally taxable events and may result in the recognition of gain or loss for federal income tax purposes. See the SAI for further information about the terms of these purchases and redemptions.

 

Conversion of Shares

Shareholder Requests. A share conversion is a transaction in which shares of one class of the Fund are exchanged for shares of another class of the Fund. Share conversions can occur between Class A, Class C and Institutional Class Shares of the Fund. In a conversion, a shareholder will receive shares of another class equal in number to the aggregate net asset value attributable to the shares of the current class held by the shareholder divided by the net asset value per share of the other class. Generally, a shareholder may request, or a financial intermediary through which a shareholder has invested in the Fund may request, a share conversion when a shareholder becomes eligible for another share class of the Fund or no longer meets the eligibility of the share class owned by the shareholder (and another class exists for which the shareholder would be eligible). Please note that a share conversion is generally a non-taxable event, but you should consult with your personal tax advisor on your particular circumstances. Please note, all share shareholder conversion requests must be approved by the Advisor.

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A request for a share conversion will not be processed until it is received in “good order” (as defined above) by the Fund or your financial intermediary. To receive the NAV of the new class calculated that day, conversion requests must be received in good order by the Fund and approved by the Advisor before 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time. Please note that, because the NAV of each class of the Fund will generally vary from the NAVs of the other classes due to differences in expenses, you will receive a number of shares of the new class that is different from the number of shares that you held of the old class, but the total value of your holdings will remain the same.

 

The Fund’s frequent trading policies will not be applicable to share conversions. If you hold your shares through a financial intermediary, please contact the financial intermediary for more information on share conversions. Please note that certain financial intermediaries may not permit all types of share conversions. The Fund reserves the right to terminate, suspend or modify the share conversion privilege for any shareholder or group of shareholders.

 

Mandatory Conversions. The Fund reserves the right to automatically convert shareholders from one class to another if they either no longer qualify as eligible for their existing class or if they become eligible for another class. Such mandatory conversions may be as a result of a change in value of an account due to market movements, exchanges or redemptions. For mandatory conversions, no sales load, fee or other charge will be imposed by the Fund. The Fund will notify or cause certain financial intermediaries to notify affected shareholders in writing prior to any mandatory conversion.

 

Automatic Conversion of Class C Shares

 

Beginning March 1, 2019 (the “Effective Date”), Class C Shares will automatically convert to Class A Shares on a load-waived basis approximately eight years after the date of purchase. It is the financial intermediary’s responsibility to ensure that the shareholder is credited with the proper holding period. As of the Effective Date, certain financial intermediaries, including group retirement recordkeeping platforms, may not have been tracking such holding periods and therefore may not be able to process such conversions. In these instances, the automatic conversion of Class C Shares to Class A Shares will occur eight years after the Effective Date. Because the Fund receives purchase and sale orders through financial intermediaries that use omnibus or retirement accounts, the Fund’s Transfer Agent cannot always effect the automatic conversion. In such circumstances, the financial intermediary using omnibus or retirement accounts will effect the automatic conversion.

 

Class C Shares held for eight years, together with any Class C Shares acquired through a reinvestment of dividends or distributions during the eight-year period, are eligible for automatic conversion into Class A Shares of the same portfolio.

 

The automatic conversion feature of Class C shares of the Fund shall be suspended at any time that the Board of Trustees of the Fund determines that (i) the assessment of the higher fee under the Fund's Rule 12b-1 Plan for Class C results in the Fund's dividends or distributions constituting a preferential dividend under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and (ii) the conversion of Class C Shares into Class A Shares constitutes a taxable event under federal income tax law. In addition, the Board of Trustees of the Fund may suspend the automatic conversion feature by determining that any other condition to conversion set forth in the relevant prospectus, as amended from time to time, is not satisfied. The terms of the Fund’s prospectus may also contain exceptions to the automatic conversion feature of Class C Shares described above, including but not limited to exceptions for certain types of Class C shareholders or for Class C Shares held through certain financial intermediaries.

 

The Board of Trustees of the Fund may also suspend the automatic conversion of Class C Shares if it determines that suspension is appropriate to comply with the requirements of the 1940 Act, or any rule or regulation issued thereunder, relating to voting by Class C shareholders on the Fund's Rule 12b-1 Plan for Class A Shares or, in the alternative, the Board of Trustees may provide Class C shareholders with alternative conversion or exchange rights.

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The automatic conversion of Class C Shares to Class A Shares pursuant to this policy is not a taxable event for Federal income tax purposes. For automatic conversions, no sales load, fee or other charge will be imposed by the Fund. Please consult with your financial intermediary for additional information.

 

As described in Appendix A to this Prospectus, certain financial intermediaries may have different policies and procedures regarding automatic Class C Share conversions. For automatic Class C Share conversion policies applicable to a particular intermediary, please see “Appendix A – Waivers and Discounts Available from Intermediaries and Conversion Policies” of the Prospectus for a description.

 

Additional Investments

Additional subscriptions in the Fund generally may be made by investing at least the minimum amount shown in the table on page [ ]. Exceptions may be made at the Fund’s discretion. You may purchase additional shares of the Fund by sending a check together with the investment stub from your most recent account statement to the Fund at the applicable address listed in the table below. Please ensure that you include your account number on the check. If you do not have the investment stub from your account statement, list your name, address and account number on a separate sheet of paper and include it with your check. You may also make additional investments in the Fund by wire transfer of funds or through an approved financial intermediary. The minimum additional investment amount is automatically waived for shares purchased by Trustees of the Trust and current or retired directors and employees of the Advisor, the Sub-Advisor, and its affiliates. Please follow the procedures described in this Prospectus.

 

Dividend Reinvestment

You may reinvest dividends and capital gains distributions in shares of the Fund. Such shares are acquired at NAV (without a sales charge) on the applicable payable date of the dividend or capital gain distribution. Unless you instruct otherwise, dividends and distributions on Fund shares are automatically reinvested in shares of the same class of the Fund paying the dividend or distribution. This instruction may be made by writing to the Transfer Agent or by telephone by calling (800) 207-7108. You may, on the account application form or prior to any declaration, instruct that dividends and/or capital gain distributions be paid in cash or be reinvested in the Fund at the next determined NAV. If you elect to receive dividends and/or capital gain distributions in cash and the U.S. Postal Service cannot deliver the check, or if a check remains outstanding for six months or more, the Fund reserves the right to reinvest the distribution check in your account at the Fund’s current NAV and to reinvest all subsequent distributions.

 

Lost Accounts

The Transfer Agent may consider your account “lost” if correspondence to your address of record is returned as undeliverable on two consecutive occasions, unless the transfer agent determines your new address. When an account is “lost”, all distributions on the account will be reinvested in additional Fund shares. In addition, the amount of any outstanding checks (unpaid for six months or more) or checks that have been returned to the Transfer Agent may be reinvested at the then-current NAV and the checks will be canceled. However, checks will not be reinvested into accounts with a zero balance, but may be held in an account for a period of time until the Transfer Agent locates you.

 

Please note that the value of your account may be transferred to the appropriate state if no activity occurs in the account within the time period specified by the state law.

 

Payment of Redemption Proceeds

You may redeem shares of the Fund at a price equal to the NAV next determined after the Transfer Agent and/or authorized agent receives your redemption request in good order. Generally your redemption request cannot be processed on days the NYSE is closed. Redemption proceeds for requests received in good order by the Transfer Agent and/or authorized agent before the close of the regular trading session of the NYSE (generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time) will usually be sent to the address of record or the bank you indicate, or wired using the wire instructions on record, on the following business day. Payment of redemption proceeds may take longer than typically expected, but will be sent within seven calendar days after the Fund receives your redemption request, except as specified below.

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If you purchase shares using a check and request a redemption before the check has cleared, the Fund may postpone payment of your redemption proceeds up to 15 calendar days while the Fund waits for the check to clear. Furthermore, the Fund may suspend the right to redeem shares or postpone the date of payment upon redemption for more than seven calendar days: (1) for any period during which the NYSE is closed (other than customary weekend or holiday closings) or trading on the NYSE is restricted; (2) for any period during which an emergency exists affecting the sale of the Fund’s securities or making such sale or the fair determination of the value of the Fund’s net assets not reasonably practicable; or (3) for such other periods as the SEC may permit for the protection of the Fund’s shareholders.

 

Other Redemption Information

IRA and retirement plan redemptions from accounts for which UMB Bank, n.a. is the custodian must be completed on an IRA Distribution Form or other acceptable form approved by UMB Bank, n.a. Shareholders who hold shares of the Fund through an IRA or other retirement plan must indicate on their redemption requests whether to withhold federal income tax. Such redemption requests will generally be subject to a 10% federal income tax withholding unless a shareholder elects not to have taxes withheld. An IRA owner with a foreign residential address may not elect to forgo the 10% withholding. In addition, if you are a resident of certain states, state income tax also applies to non-Roth IRA distributions when federal withholding applies. Please consult with your tax professional.

 

The Fund generally pays sale (redemption) proceeds in cash. The Fund typically expects to satisfy redemption requests by selling portfolio assets or by using holdings of cash or cash equivalents. On a less regular basis, the Fund may also satisfy redemption requests by utilizing a temporary overdraft facility offered through its custodian, UMB Bank, n.a. The Fund uses these methods during both normal and stressed market conditions. During conditions that make the payment of cash unwise and/or in order to protect the interests of the Fund’s remaining shareholders, the Fund may pay all or part of a shareholder’s redemption proceeds in portfolio securities with a market value equal to the redemption price (redemption-in-kind) in lieu of cash. The Fund may redeem shares in kind during both normal and stressed market conditions. Generally, in-kind redemptions will be effected through pro rata distribution of the Fund’s portfolio securities. If the Fund redeems your shares in kind, you will bear any market risks associated with investment in these securities, and you will be responsible for the costs (including brokerage charges) of converting the securities to cash.

 

Choosing a Share Class

The Fund offers four classes of shares, each of which is designed for specific investors. Sales charges and fees may vary considerably between the Fund’s classes. You should carefully consider the differences in the fee and sales charge structures. Please review the Fee Table and Sales Charge Schedules before investing in the Fund. You may also want to consult with a financial advisor in order to help you determine which class is most appropriate for you. The following is a summary of the differences between Class A Shares, Class C Shares, and Institutional Class Shares of the Fund:

 

 Class A Shares  Class C Shares Institutional Class Shares
 • Designed for retail investors •  Designed for retail investors (available for purchase only through an approved broker-dealer or financial intermediary) •  Designed for institutions (financial institutions, corporations, trusts, estates and religious and charitable organizations) investing for proprietary programs, discretionary accounts, and corporate benefit plans. Institutional Class Shares may also be available on certain brokerage platforms of firms that have agreements with the Fund to offer such shares when acting solely on an agency basis for the purchase or sale of such shares. If you transact in Institutional Class Shares through one of these programs, the minimum is waived and you may be required to pay a commission and/or other forms of compensation to the broker.  A list of these brokerage platforms can be found in Appendix A - Waivers and Discounts Available from Intermediaries and Conversion Policies.

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• Initial sales charge of 4.25% or less

• No initial sales charge applied to purchases of $1 million or more

• No initial sales charge

• Maximum investment amount of $999,999

•  No initial or deferred sales charge. Institutional Class Shares may also be available on certain brokerage platforms of firms that have agreements with the Fund to offer such shares when acting solely on an agency basis for the purchase or sale of such shares. If you transact in Institutional Class Shares through one of these programs, the minimum is waived and you may be required to pay a commission and/or other forms of compensation to the broker.  A list of these brokerage platforms can be found in Appendix A - Waivers and Discounts Available from Intermediaries and Conversion Policies.     

•  Deferred sales charge of 1.00% on purchases of $1 million or more on all fund shares liquidated in whole or in part within 12 months of the date of purchase

•  Rule 12b-1 distribution or shareholder liaison services fee equal to 0.25% of the class’ average daily net assets

•  Shareholder service fee equal to 0.15% of the class’ average daily net assets

•  Deferred sales charge of 1.00% on purchases of fund shares liquidated in whole or in part within 12 months of the date of purchase

•  Rule 12b-1 distribution fee equal to 0.75/0.25% breakdown of the class’ average daily net assets for distribution and shareholder liaison services fee, respectively

•  Higher expense ratio than Class A Shares due to higher Rule 12b-1 distribution fee

•  Shareholder service fee equal to 0.15% of the class’ average daily net assets

•  No Rule 12b-1 distribution/service fee

•  Lower expense ratio than Class A Shares and Class C Shares because no Rule 12b-1 distribution fees or shareholder liaison service fees

•  Shareholder service fee equal to 0.15% of the class’ average daily net assets

 

Information on sales charges can be also found on the Fund’s website at www.libertystreetfunds.com, or please call (800) 207-7108, or consult with your financial advisor.

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Class A Shares. Class A shares of the Fund are sold at the offering price, which is NAV plus an initial maximum sales charge that varies with the amounts you invest as shown in the following chart. This means that part of your investment in the Fund will be used to pay the sales charge.

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Class A Shares—Sales Charge Schedule
  Sales Charge (Load) as % of:  
Amount of Purchase Public Offering Price Net Asset Value(1) Broker/Dealer Reallowance %
Less than $50,000 4.25% 4.44% 4.25%
At least $50,000 but less than $100,000 3.75% 3.90% 3.75%
At least $100,000 but less than $250,000 3.25% 3.36% 3.25%
At least $250,000 but less than $500,000 2.50% 2.56% 2.50%
At least $500,000 but less than $1,000,000 2.00% 2.04% 2.00%
$1,000,000 and greater(2) None None None

 

(1)Rounded to the nearest one-hundredth percent. Because of rounding of the calculation in determining sales charges, the charges may be more or less than those shown in the table.
(2)No initial sales charge applies on purchases of $1 million or more. A CDSC of up to 1.00% of the offering price will be charged on purchases of $1 million or more that are redeemed in whole or in part within 12 months of the date of purchase.

 

When purchasing Class A Shares, if the dollar amount of your purchase reaches a specified level, known as a breakpoint, you are entitled to pay a discounted initial sales charge. For example, a purchase of less than $50,000 of Class A shares of the Fund would pay an initial charge of 4.25%, while a purchase of $50,000 would pay an initial charge 3.75%. There are several breakpoints shown in the Class A Shares - Sales Charge Schedule table above. The greater the investment, the greater the sales charge discount. Investments above $1,000,000 have no front-end sales charge but may be subject to a CDSC (please see Contingent Deferred Sales Charge Schedule—Class A Shares and Class C Shares below for more information).

 

The offering price for Class A Shares includes the relevant sales charge. The commission received by the Distributor is the sales charge less the reallowance paid to certain financial institutions purchasing shares. Normally, reallowances are paid as indicated in the previous tables. Commissions received by the Distributor are not retained for compensation, but instead are retained to pay future distribution expenses.

 

The Advisor may pay a sales commission of up to 1.00% of the offering price of Class A shares to brokers that initiate and are responsible for purchases of $1 million or more according to the chart below. This does not apply to accounts for which an institution provides advisory or fiduciary services pursuant to an account management fee.

 

Sales Commission as % of Public Offering Price:
Aggregate Amount of Purchase(1)       Sales Commission
$1,000,000 but less than $5,000,000   1.00%    
$5,000,000 but less than $10,000,000   0.75%   of the amount over $5,000,000 plus $50,000
$10,000,000 but less than $15,000,000   0.50%   of the amount over $10,000,000 plus $87,500
$15,000,000 and greater   0.25%   of the amount over $15,000,000 plus $112,500

 

(1)Sales commissions will be calculated at the rate indicated in the table above based on the aggregate, not incremental, purchase amount.

 

Reduced Sales Charges—Class A Shares. You may qualify for a reduced initial sales charge on purchases of Class A Shares under rights of accumulation (“ROA”) or a letter of intent (“LOI”). The Class A Shares of other mutual funds managed by the Advisor may be included when considering eligibility for reduced sales charges under ROA or a LOI. The transaction processing procedures maintained by certain financial institutions through which you can purchase Fund shares may restrict the universe of accounts considered for purposes of calculating a reduced sales charge under ROA or LOI. For example, the processing procedures of a financial institution may limit accounts to those that share the same tax identification number or mailing address and that are maintained only with that financial institution. The Fund permits financial institutions to calculate ROA and LOI based on the financial institution’s transaction processing procedures. Please contact your financial institution before investing to determine the process used to identify accounts for ROA and LOI purposes.

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For rights of accumulation, you may take into account accumulated holdings in all Class A Shares of the Fund and any other fund managed by the Advisor that were purchased previously for accounts (a) (i) in your name, (ii) in the name of your spouse, (iii) in the name of you and your spouse, or (iv) in the name of your minor child under the age of 21, and (b) sharing the same mailing address (“Accounts”). Subject to your financial institution’s capabilities, your accumulated holdings will be calculated as the higher of (a) the current value of your existing holdings (as of the day prior to your additional Fund investment) or (b) the amount you invested (including reinvested dividends and capital gains, but excluding capital appreciation) less any withdrawals.

 

To be entitled to a reduced sales charge based on shares already owned, you must ask for the reduction at the time of purchase. You must also provide the Fund with your account number(s) and, if applicable, the account numbers for your spouse, children (provide the children’s ages), or other household members and, if requested by your financial institution, the following additional information regarding these Accounts:

 

Information or records regarding Class A Shares held in all accounts in your name at the Fund’s transfer agent (the “Transfer Agent”);

 

Information or records regarding Class A Shares held in all accounts in your name at a financial intermediary; and

 

Information or records regarding Class A Shares for accounts in the name of your spouse, children, or other household members, as applicable, at the Transfer Agent or another financial intermediary.

 

The Fund may amend or terminate this right of accumulation at any time.

 

You may also enter into an LOI, which expresses your intent to invest $50,000 or more in the Fund’s Class A Shares in accounts within a future period of 13 months. The Class A Shares of other mutual funds managed by the Advisor may be eligible to be included for purposes of calculating a reduced sales charge under a LOI. Each purchase under an LOI will be made at the public offering price applicable at the time of the purchase to a single transaction of the dollar amount indicated in the LOI. If you do not purchase the minimum investment referenced in the LOI, you must pay the Fund an amount equal to the difference between the dollar value of the sales charges paid under the LOI and the dollar value of the sales charges due on the aggregate purchases of the Class A Shares as if such purchases were executed in a single transaction. If incurred, these charges may be deducted directly from your account. Accounts subject to the LOI must be specifically identified in the LOI.

 

Elimination of Initial Sales Charges—Class A Shares. Certain persons may also be eligible to purchase or redeem Class A Shares without a sales charge. No sales charge is assessed on the reinvestment of Class A Shares’ distributions. No sales charge is assessed on purchases made for investment purposes by:

 

Shareholder investments in Class A Shares due to an automatic conversion from Class C Shares in accordance with the terms of this prospectus;

 

Investors with no associated broker/dealer who purchase shares directly through the Transfer Agent;

 

Investors purchasing shares through a financial institution that has an agreement with the Fund or the Distributor to waive sales charges or offer Class A shares through a no load network or platform (please see Appendix A for a list of financial institutions that have these arrangements);

 

A qualified retirement plan under Section 401(a) of the Internal Revenue Code (“the Code”) or a plan operating consistent with Section 403(b) of the Code;
 34 

 

Any bank, trust company, savings institution, registered investment advisor, financial planner or financial institution on behalf of an account for which it provides advisory or fiduciary services pursuant to an account management fee;

 

Trustees and officers of the Trust, directors, officers and full-time employees of the Advisor, the Sub-Advisor, the Distributor, any of their affiliates or any organization which has a selling agreement with the Fund or the Distributor, with respect to the Fund; the spouse, life partner, parent, child, sibling or other close family members of any such person; any trust or individual retirement account or retirement plan for the benefit of any such person; or the estate of any such person;

 

No sales charge is assessed on Class A Shares purchased as a result of an exchange of Class A Shares from another eligible fund managed by the Advisor that were subject to an initial sales charge;

 

No sales charge is assessed on Class A Shares purchased within 90 days from the redemption of Class A Shares of another eligible fund managed by the Advisor that were subject to an initial sales charge;

 

·Reinstatement privileges. If you redeem your Class A Shares that were subject to an initial sales charge and then decide to reinvest in Class A Shares, you may, within 90 calendar days of the date of your redemption, use all or any part of the proceeds of the redemption to reinstate, free of an initial sales charge, all or any part of your investment in Class A Shares of the Fund. The Transfer Agent must be informed that your new purchase represents a reinstated investment; or

 

Any shares purchased as a result of reinvesting dividends or distributions.

 

The Fund requires appropriate documentation of an investor’s eligibility to purchase or redeem Class A Shares without a sales charge. Any shares of the Fund so purchased may not be resold except to the Fund.

 

Contingent Deferred Sales Charge Schedule— Class A Shares and Class C Shares. A CDSC of 1.00% of the purchase or sales price, whichever is less, is assessed on redemptions of Class A Shares that were part of a purchase of $1 million or more and that are liquidated in whole or in part within 12 months of the date of purchase for the Fund. A CDSC of 1.00% of the purchase or sales price, whichever is less, is assessed on redemptions of Class C Shares that are liquidated in whole or in part within 12 months of the date of purchase for the Fund. The maximum investment amount for Class C Shares is $999,999. The transaction processing procedures maintained by certain financial institutions through which you can purchase Fund shares may impose lower maximum investment amounts for the Fund’s Class C Shares.

 

To satisfy a redemption request, the Fund will first liquidate shares that are not subject to a CDSC such as shares acquired with reinvested dividends and capital gains. The Fund will then liquidate shares in the order that they were first purchased until the redemption request is satisfied. Investors who think they may be eligible for a waiver of the CDSC should inform their financial advisor. An investor or financial intermediary must notify the Fund’s Transfer Agent prior to the redemption request to ensure receipt of the waiver.

 

Waivers of CDSC. A CDSC will not be assessed on the following redemptions of Class A Shares or Class C Shares:

 

Redemptions following death or permanent disability (as defined by the Code) of an individual investor:

 

Required minimum distributions from a tax-deferred retirement plan or an individual retirement account (IRA) as required under the Code;

 

Redemptions to return excess contributions made to a retirement plan;

 

Redemptions by any bank, trust company, savings institution, registered investment advisor, financial planner or financial institution on behalf of an account for which it provides advisory or fiduciary services pursuant to an account management fee; or
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Redemptions by trustees and officers of the Trust, directors, officers and full-time employees of the Advisor, the Sub-Advisor, the Distributor, any of their affiliates or any organization with which the Distributor has entered into a dealer agreement, the spouse, life partner, parent, child, sibling or other close family members of any such person; any trust or individual retirement account or self-employed retirement plan for the benefit of any such person; or the estate of any such person.

 

Exchanges into another eligible fund managed by the Advisor; however, the waiver of the CDSC shall only apply to the exchange transaction. The CDSC will still apply to the subsequent purchase of the other fund.

 

The availability of certain sales charge waivers and discounts will depend on whether you purchase your shares directly from the Fund or through a financial intermediary. As described in Appendix A to this Prospectus, financial intermediaries may have different policies and procedures regarding the availability of CDSC waivers. In all instances, it is the purchaser’s responsibility to notify the Fund or the purchaser’s financial intermediary at the time purchase of any relationship or other facts qualifying the purchaser for sales charge waivers or discounts. For waivers or discounts not available through a particular intermediary, shareholders will have to purchase Fund shares directly from the Fund or through another intermediary to receive these waivers or discounts. Please see “Appendix A – Waivers and Discounts Available from Intermediaries and Conversion Policies” of the Prospectus for a description of waivers or discounts available through certain intermediaries.

 

Retirement Accounts

You may invest in Fund shares through IRA accounts, including traditional and Roth IRAs. The Fund may also be appropriate for other retirement plans. Before investing in any IRA or other retirement plan, you should consult your tax advisor. Whenever making an investment in an IRA, be sure to indicate the year in which the contribution is made.

 

Availability of Information

Information regarding sales charges of the Fund and the applicability and availability of discounts from sales charges is available free of charge on the Fund’s website at www.libertystreetfunds.com. The Prospectus and SAI are also available on the website.

 

Prospectus and Shareholder Report Mailings

In order to reduce the amount of mail you receive and to help reduce expenses, we generally send a single copy of any shareholder report and Prospectus to each household. If you do not want the mailing of these documents to be combined with those of other members of your household, please contact your authorized dealer or the Transfer Agent.

 

Additional Information

The Fund enters into contractual arrangements with various parties, including among others the Advisor and Sub-Advisor, who provide services to the Fund. Shareholders are not parties to, or intended (or “third party”) beneficiaries of, those contractual arrangements.

 

The Prospectus and the SAI provide information concerning the Fund that you should consider in determining whether to purchase shares of the Fund. The Fund may make changes to this information from time to time. Neither this prospectus nor the SAI is intended to give rise to any contract rights or other rights in any shareholder, other than any rights conferred by federal or state securities laws that may not be waived.

 

DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS

 

The Fund will make dividend distributions of net investment income and net capital gains, if any, at least annually, typically in December. The Fund may make additional payments of dividends or distributions if it deems it desirable at any other time during the year.

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All dividends and distributions will be reinvested in Fund shares, unless you choose one of the following options: (1) to receive net investment income dividends in cash, while reinvesting capital gain distributions in additional Fund shares; or (2) to receive all dividends and distributions in cash. If you wish to change your distribution option, please write to the Transfer Agent before the payment date of the distribution.

 

If you elect to receive distributions in cash and the U.S. Postal Service cannot deliver your check, or if your distribution check has not been cashed for six months, the Fund reserves the right to reinvest the distribution check in your account at the Fund’s then current NAV and to reinvest all subsequent distributions.

 

FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSEQUENCES

 

The following discussion is very general and does not address investors subject to special rules, such as investors who hold Fund shares through an IRA, 401(k) plan or other tax-deferred account. The SAI contains further information about taxes. Because each shareholder’s circumstances are different and special tax rules may apply, you should consult your tax advisor about your investment in the Fund.

 

You will generally have to pay federal income taxes, as well as any state or local taxes, on distributions received from the Fund, whether paid in cash or reinvested in additional shares. If you sell Fund shares, it is generally considered a taxable event. If you exchange shares of the Fund for shares of another fund, the exchange will be treated as a sale of the Fund’s shares and any gain on the transaction may be subject to federal income tax.

 

Distributions of net investment income, other than “qualified dividend income,” are taxable for federal income tax purposes at ordinary income tax rates. Distributions of net short-term capital gains are also generally taxable at ordinary income tax rates. Distributions from the Fund’s net capital gain (i.e., the excess of its net long-term capital gain over its net short-term capital loss) are taxable for federal income tax purposes as long-term capital gain, regardless of how long the shareholder has held Fund shares.

 

Dividends paid by the Fund (but none of the Fund’s capital gain distributions) may qualify in part for the dividends-received deduction available to corporate shareholders, provided certain holding period and other requirements are satisfied. Distributions that the Fund reports as “qualified dividend income” may be eligible to be taxed to non-corporate shareholders at the reduced rates applicable to long-term capital gain if derived from the Fund’s qualified dividend income and/or if certain other requirements are satisfied. “Qualified dividend income” generally is income derived from dividends paid by U.S. corporations or certain foreign corporations that are either incorporated in a U.S. possession or eligible for tax benefits under certain U.S. income tax treaties. In addition, dividends that the Fund receives in respect of stock of certain foreign corporations may be qualified dividend income if that stock is readily tradable on an established U.S. securities market.

 

To the extent that any portion of a distribution received by a shareholder from the Fund is treated as a return of capital, it will decrease the shareholder’s tax basis in his or her Fund shares (but not below zero), which will result in an increase in the amount of gain (or decrease in the amount of loss) that will be recognized by the shareholder for federal income tax purposes on the later sale of such Fund shares. After a shareholder’s basis is reduced to zero, the shareholder’s share of any additional distributions in excess of the Fund’s earnings and profits will generally be treated as capital gains. The portion of the Fund’s distributions that may be classified as return of capital is uncertain and can be materially impacted by events that are not subject to the control of the Advisor or the Sub-Advisor (e.g., mergers, acquisitions, reorganizations and other capital transactions occurring at the individual CEF, Mutual Fund and ETF level). Because of these factors, the portion of the Fund’s distributions that is considered return of capital may vary materially from year to year. It is possible that a shareholder could receive a distribution treated as a return of capital during a taxable year in which the Fund operates at a loss.

 

There is no guarantee that future distributions will maintain the same classification for tax purposes as past distributions.

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You may want to avoid buying shares of the Fund just before it declares a distribution (on or before the record date), because such a distribution will be taxable to you even though it may effectively be a return of a portion of your investment.

 

Although distributions are generally taxable when received, dividends declared in October, November or December to shareholders of record as of a date in such month and paid during the following January are treated as if received on December 31 of the calendar year when the dividends were declared.

 

Information on the federal income tax status of dividends and distributions is provided annually.

 

Dividends and distributions from the Fund and net gain from redemptions of Fund shares will generally be taken into account in determining a shareholder’s “net investment income” for purposes of the Medicare contribution tax applicable to certain individuals, estates and trusts.

 

If you do not provide the Fund with your correct taxpayer identification number and any required certifications, you will be subject to backup withholding on your redemption proceeds, dividends and other distributions. The backup withholding rate is currently 24%.

 

Dividends and certain other payments made by the Fund to a non-U.S. shareholder are subject to withholding of federal income tax at the rate of 30% (or such lower rate as may be determined in accordance with any applicable treaty). Dividends that are reported by the Fund as “interest-related dividends” or “short-term capital gain dividends” are generally exempt from such withholding. In general, the Fund may report interest-related dividends to the extent of its net income derived from U.S.-source interest and the Fund may report short-term capital gain dividends to the extent its net short-term capital gain for the taxable year exceeds its net long-term capital loss. Backup withholding will not be applied to payments that have been subject to the 30% withholding tax described in this paragraph.

 

Under legislation commonly referred to as “FATCA,” unless certain non-U.S. entities that hold shares comply with IRS requirements that will generally require them to report information regarding U.S. persons investing in, or holding accounts with, such entities, a 30% withholding tax may apply to dividends payable to such entities. A non-U.S. shareholder may be exempt from the withholding described in this paragraph under an applicable intergovernmental agreement between the United States and a foreign government, provided that the shareholder and the applicable foreign government comply with the terms of the agreement.

 

Some of the Fund’s investment income may be subject to foreign income taxes that are withheld at the country of origin. Tax treaties between certain countries and the United States may reduce or eliminate such taxes, but there can be no assurance that the Fund will qualify for treaty benefits.

 

This discussion of distributions and taxes is not intended or written to be used as tax advice. Because everyone’s tax situation is different, we encourage you to consult with appropriate tax and accounting professionals about federal, state, local, or foreign tax consequences before considering an investment in the Fund.

 

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

 

Because the Fund has not commenced operations as of the date of this Prospectus, no financial information is available.

 38 

 

APPENDIX A – WAIVERS AND DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE FROM INTERMEDIARIES AND CONVERSION POLICIES

 

The availability of certain sales charge waivers and discounts will depend on whether you purchase your shares directly from the Fund or through a financial intermediary. Intermediaries may have different policies and procedures regarding the availability of front-end sales load waivers or contingent deferred sales load (“CDSC”) waivers, which are discussed below. In all instances, it is the purchaser’s responsibility to notify the Fund or the purchaser’s financial intermediary at the time of purchase of any relationship or other facts qualifying the purchaser for sales charge waivers or discounts. For waivers and discounts not available through a particular intermediary, shareholders will have to purchase Fund shares directly from the Fund or through another intermediary to receive these waivers or discounts.

 

Morgan Stanley

Effective July 1, 2018, shareholders purchasing Fund shares through a Morgan Stanley Wealth Management transactional brokerage account will be eligible only for the following front-end sales charge waivers with respect to Class A shares, which may differ from and may be more limited than those disclosed elsewhere in this Fund’s Prospectus or SAI.

 

Front-end Sales Charge Waivers on Class A Shares available at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management

 

Employer-sponsored retirement plans (e.g., 401(k) plans, 457 plans, employer-sponsored 403(b) plans, profit sharing and money purchase pension plans and defined benefit plans). For purposes of this provision, employer-sponsored retirement plans do not include SEP IRAs, Simple IRAs, SAR-SEPs or Keogh plans
Morgan Stanley employee and employee-related accounts according to Morgan Stanley’s account linking rules
Shares purchased through reinvestment of dividends and capital gains distributions when purchasing shares of the same fund
Shares purchased through a Morgan Stanley self-directed brokerage account
Class C (i.e., level-load) shares that are no longer subject to a contingent deferred sales charge and are converted to Class A shares of the same fund pursuant to Morgan Stanley Wealth Management’s share class conversion program
Shares purchased from the proceeds of redemptions within the same fund family, provided (i) the repurchase occurs within 90 days following the redemption, (ii) the redemption and purchase occur in the same account, and (iii) redeemed shares were subject to a front-end or deferred sales charge

 

Raymond James & Associates, Inc., Raymond James Financial Services, Inc., & each entity’s affiliates (“Raymond James”) - Defined Sales Charge Waiver Policies

 

Effective March 1, 2019, shareholders purchasing fund shares through a Raymond James platform or account, or through an introducing broker-dealer or independent registered investment adviser for which Raymond James provides trade execution, clearance, and/or custody service, will be eligible only for the following load waivers (front-end sales charge waivers and contingent deferred, or back-end, sales charge waivers) and discounts, which may differ from those disclosed elsewhere in this fund’s prospectus or SAI.

 

Front-end sales load waivers on Class A shares available at Raymond James

 

·Shares purchased in an investment advisory program.
·Shares purchased within the same fund family through a systematic reinvestment of capital gains distributions and dividend distributions.
·Employees and registered representatives of Raymond James or its affiliates and their family members as designated by Raymond James.
·Shares purchased from the proceeds of redemptions within the same fund family, provided (1) the repurchase occurs within 90 days following the redemption, (2) the redemption and purchase occur in the same account, and (3) redeemed shares were subject to a front-end or deferred sales load (known as Rights of Reinstatement).
 39 

 

·A shareholder in the Fund’s Class C shares will have their shares converted at net asset value to Class A shares (or the appropriate share class) of the Fund if the shares are no longer subject to a CDSC and the conversion is in line with the policies and procedures of Raymond James.

 

CDSC Waivers on Class A and C shares available at Raymond James

 

·Death or disability of the shareholder.
·Shares sold as part of a systematic withdrawal plan as described in the fund’s prospectus.
·Return of excess contributions from an IRA Account.
·Shares sold as part of a required minimum distribution for IRA and retirement accounts due to the shareholder reaching the qualified age based on applicable IRS regulations as described in the fund’s prospectus.
·Shares sold to pay Raymond James fees but only if the transaction is initiated by Raymond James.
·Shares acquired through a right of reinstatement.

 

Front-end load discounts available at Raymond James: breakpoints, rights of accumulation, and or letters of intent

 

·Breakpoints as described in this prospectus.
·Rights of accumulation which entitle shareholders to breakpoint discounts will be automatically calculated based on the aggregated holding of fund family assets held by accounts within the purchaser’s household at Raymond James. Eligible fund family assets not held at Raymond James may be included in the calculation of rights of accumulation only if the shareholder notifies his or her financial advisor about such assets.
·Letters of intent which allow for breakpoint discounts based on anticipated purchases within a fund family, over a 13-month time period. Eligible fund family assets not held at Raymond James may be included in the calculation of letters of intent only if the shareholder notifies his or her financial advisor about such assets.

 

Janney Montgomery Scott LLC

 

Effective May 1, 2020, if you purchase fund shares through a Janney Montgomery Scott LLC (“Janney”) brokerage account, you will be eligible for the following load waivers (front-end sales charge waivers and contingent deferred sales charge (“CDSC”), or back-end sales charge, waivers) and discounts, which may differ from those disclosed elsewhere in this fund’s Prospectus or SAI.

 

Front-end sales charge* waivers on Class A shares available at Janney

·Shares purchased through reinvestment of capital gains distributions and dividend reinvestment when purchasing shares of the same fund (but not any other fund within the fund family).
·Shares purchased by employees and registered representatives of Janney or its affiliates and their family members as designated by Janney.
·Shares purchased from the proceeds of redemptions within the same fund family, provided (1) the repurchase occurs within ninety (90) days following the redemption, (2) the redemption and purchase occur in the same account, and (3) redeemed shares were subject to a front-end or deferred sales load (i.e., right of reinstatement).
·Employer-sponsored retirement plans (e.g., 401(k) plans, 457 plans, employer-sponsored 403(b) plans, profit sharing and money purchase pension plans and defined benefit plans). For purposes of this provision, employer-sponsored retirement plans do not include SEP IRAs, Simple IRAs, SAR-SEPs or Keogh plans.
·Shares acquired through a right of reinstatement.
 40 

 

·Class C shares that are no longer subject to a contingent deferred sales charge and are converted to Class A shares of the same fund pursuant to Janney’s policies and procedures.

 

CDSC waivers on Class A and C shares available at Janney

·Shares sold upon the death or disability of the shareholder.
·Shares sold as part of a systematic withdrawal plan as described in the fund’s Prospectus.
·Shares purchased in connection with a return of excess contributions from an IRA account.
·Shares sold as part of a required minimum distribution for IRA and other retirement accounts due to the shareholder reaching age 70½ as described in the fund’s Prospectus.
·Shares sold to pay Janney fees but only if the transaction is initiated by Janney.
·Shares acquired through a right of reinstatement.
·Shares exchanged into the same share class of a different fund.

 

Front-end sales charge* discounts available at Janney: breakpoints, rights of accumulation,

and/or letters of intent

·Breakpoints as described in the fund’s Prospectus.
·Rights of accumulation (“ROA”), which entitle shareholders to breakpoint discounts, will be automatically calculated based on the aggregated holding of fund family assets held by accounts within the purchaser’s household at Janney. Eligible fund family assets not held at Janney may be included in the ROA calculation only if the shareholder notifies his or her financial advisor about such assets.
·Letters of intent which allow for breakpoint discounts based on anticipated purchases within a fund family, over a 13-month time period. Eligible fund family assets not held at Janney Montgomery Scott may be included in the calculation of letters of intent only if the shareholder notifies his or her financial advisor about such assets.

 

*Also referred to as an “initial sales charge.”

 

Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. (“OPCO”)

 

Effective February 26, 2020, shareholders purchasing Fund shares through an OPCO platform or account are eligible only for the following load waivers (front-end sales charge waivers and contingent deferred, or back-end, sales charge waivers) and discounts, which may differ from those disclosed elsewhere in this Fund’s prospectus or SAI.

 

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

·Employer-sponsored retirement, deferred compensation and employee benefit plans (including health savings accounts) and trusts used to fund those plans, provided that the shares are not held in a commission-based brokerage account and shares are held for the benefit of the plan
·Shares purchased by or through a 529 Plan
·Shares purchased through a OPCO affiliated investment advisory program
·Shares purchased through reinvestment of capital gains distributions and dividend reinvestment when purchasing shares of the same fund (but not any other fund within the fund family)
·Shares purchased form the proceeds of redemptions within the same fund family, provided (1) the repurchase occurs within 90 days following the redemption, (2) the redemption and purchase occur in the same amount, and (3) redeemed shares were subject to a front-end or deferred sales load (known as Rights of Restatement)
·A shareholder in the Fund’s Class C shares will have their shares converted at net asset value to Class A shares (or the appropriate share class) of the Fund if the shares are no longer subject to a CDSC and the conversion is in line with the policies and procedures of OPCO
·Employees and registered representatives of OPCO or its affiliates and their family members
·Directors or Trustees of the Fund, and employees of the Fund’s investment adviser or any of its affiliates, as described in this prospectus
 41 

 

CDSC Waivers on Class A and C Shares available at OPCO

·Death or disability of the shareholder
·Shares sold as part of a systematic withdrawal plan as described in the Fund’s prospectus
·Return of excess contributions from an IRA Account
·Shares sold as part of a required minimum distribution for IRA and retirement accounts due to the shareholder reaching age 70½ as described in the prospectus
·Shares sold to pay OPCO fees but only if the transaction is initiated by OPCO
·Shares acquired through a right of reinstatement

 

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

·Breakpoints as described in this prospectus.
·Rights of Accumulation (ROA) which entitle shareholders to breakpoint discounts will be automatically calculated based on the aggregated holding of fund family assets held by accounts within the purchaser’s household at OPCO. Eligible fund family assets not held at OPCO may be included in the ROA calculation only if the shareholder notifies his or her financial advisor about such assets

 

UBS Financial Services, Inc. (“UBS-FS”)

 

Pursuant to an agreement with the Fund, Institutional Class Shares may be available on certain brokerage platforms at UBS-FS. For such platforms, UBS-FS may charge commissions on brokerage transactions in the Fund’s Institutional Class Shares. A shareholder should contact UBS-FS for information about the commissions charged by UBS-FS for such transactions. The minimum for the Institutional Class Share is waived for transactions through such brokerage platforms at UBS-FS.

 

Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Inc. (“Stifel”)

 

Effective July 1, 2020, shareholders purchasing Fund shares through a Stifel platform or account or who own shares for which Stifel or an affiliate is the broker-dealer of record are eligible for the following additional sales charge waiver.

 

Front-End Sales Load Waivers on Class A Shares

 

Class C shares that have been held for more than seven (7) years will be converted to Class A shares of the same Fund pursuant to Stifel’s policies and procedures.
All other sales charges and reductions described elsewhere in the Fund’s Prospects or SAI still apply.

 

Robert W. Baird & Co. (“Baird”)

 

Effective June 15, 2020, shareholders purchasing fund shares through a Baird platform or account will only be eligible for the following sales charge waivers (front-end sales charge waivers and CDSC waivers) and discounts, which may differ from those disclosed elsewhere in this prospectus or the SAI.

 

Front-End Sales Charge Waivers on Investors A Shares Available at Baird

 

Shares purchased through reinvestment of capital gains distributions and dividend reinvestment when purchasing shares of the same fund
Shares purchase by employees and registered representatives of Baird or its affiliate and their family members as designated by Baird
Shares purchased from the proceeds of redemptions within the same fund family, provided (1) the repurchase occurs within 90 days following the redemption, (2) the redemption and purchase occur in the same accounts, and (3) redeemed shares were subject to a front-end or deferred sales charge (known as rights of reinstatement)
Employer-sponsored retirement plans or charitable accounts in a transactional brokerage account at Baird, including 401(k) plans, 457 plans, employer-sponsored 403(b) plans, profit sharing and money purchase pension plans and defined benefit plans. For purposes of this provision, employer-sponsored retirement plans do not include SEP IRAs, Simple IRAs or SAR-SEPs
 42 

 

CDSC Waivers on Investor A Shares Available at Baird

 

Shares sold due to death or disability of the shareholder
Shares sold as part of a systematic withdrawal plan as described in the Fund’s Prospectus
Shares bought due to returns of excess contributions from an IRA Account
Shares sold as part of a required minimum distribution for IRA and retirement accounts due to the shareholder reaching the qualified age based on applicable Internal Revenue Service regulations as described in the Fund’s prospectus
Shares sold to pay Baird fees but only if the transaction is initiated by Baird
Shares acquired through a right of reinstatement

 

Front-End Sales Charge Discounts Available at Baird: Breakpoints and/or Rights of Accumulations

 

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

 

******

 

Elimination of Initial Sales Charges—Class A Shares. No sales charge is assessed on purchases made for investment purposes by investors purchasing shares through the following financial institutions:

 

Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.

E*Trade

Morgan Stanley

TD Ameritrade, Inc.

Vanguard Marketing Corporation

 43 

 

Investment Advisor

Liberty Street Advisors, Inc.

100 Wall Street, 20th Floor

New York, New York 10005

 

Sub-Advisor

Green Alpha Advisors, LLC

263 2nd Avenue, Suite 106B

Niwot, Colorado 80544

 

Fund Co-Administrator

Mutual Fund Administration, LLC

2220 E. Route 66, Suite 226

Glendora, California 91740

 

Fund Co-Administrator, Transfer Agent and Fund Accountant

UMB Fund Services, Inc.

235 W. Galena Street

Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53212

 

Custodian

UMB Bank, n.a.

928 Grand Boulevard, 5th Floor

Kansas City, Missouri 64106

 

Distributor

Foreside Fund Services, LLC

Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100

Portland, Maine 04101

www.foreside.com

 

Counsel to the Trust

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP

600 Anton Boulevard, Suite 1800

Costa Mesa, California 92626

 

Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

[ ]

 44 

 

Green Alpha Growth & Income Fund

A series of Investment Managers Series Trust

 

FOR MORE INFORMATION

 

Statement of Additional Information (SAI)

The SAI provides additional details about the investments and techniques of the Fund and certain other additional information. A current SAI is on file with the SEC and is incorporated into this Prospectus by reference. This means that the SAI is legally considered a part of this Prospectus even though it is not physically within this Prospectus.

 

Shareholder Reports

Additional information about the Fund’s investments is available in the Fund’s annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders. In the Fund’s annual report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance during its most recent fiscal year.

 

The Fund’s SAI and annual and semi-annual reports will be available, free of charge, on the Fund’s website at www.libertystreetfunds.com. You can obtain a free copy of the Fund’s SAI or annual and semi-annual reports, request other information, or inquire about the Fund by contacting a broker that sells shares of the Fund or by calling the Fund (toll-free) at (800) 207-7108 or by writing to:

 

Liberty Street Funds

P.O. Box 2175

Milwaukee, WI 53201

 

Reports and other information about the Fund are also available:

 

Free of charge, on the SEC’s EDGAR database on the SEC’s Internet website at http://www.sec.gov; or
For a duplication fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov.

 

(Investment Company Act file number 811- 21719.)

 45 

 

The information in this Statement of Additional Information is not complete and may be changed. These securities may not be sold until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This Statement of Additional Information is not an offer to sell these securities.

 

Statement of Additional Information

[    ], 2021

 

Green Alpha Growth & Income Fund

a series of Investment Managers Series Trust

Class A Shares ( ), Class C Shares ( ), and Institutional Class Shares ( )

 

This Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) is not a prospectus, and it should be read in conjunction with the Prospectus dated [   ], 2021, as may be amended from time to time, of the Green Alpha Growth & Income Fund (the “Fund”), a series of Investment Managers Series Trust (the “Trust”). Liberty Street Advisors, Inc. (the “Advisor”) is the investment advisor to the Fund. Green Alpha Advisors, LLC (the “Sub-Advisor”) is the sub-advisor to the Fund. A copy of the Fund’s Prospectus may be obtained by contacting the Fund at the address or telephone number specified below.

 

Green Alpha Growth & Income Fund

P.O. Box 2175

Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201

(800) 207-7108

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

THE TRUST AND THE FUND B-2
INVESTMENT STRATEGIES, POLICIES AND RISKS B-2
MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND B-25
PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS AND BROKERAGE B-38
PORTFOLIO TURNOVER B-39
PROXY VOTING POLICY B-39
ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING PROGRAM B-40
PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS INFORMATION B-40
DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE B-42
PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION OF FUND SHARES B-43
FEDERAL INCOME TAX MATTERS B-44
DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS B-50
GENERAL INFORMATION B-51
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS B-53
APPENDIX A DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES RATINGS B-54
APPENDIX B PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES B-59

 B-1 

 

THE TRUST AND THE FUND

 

The Trust is an open-end management investment company organized as a Delaware statutory trust under the laws of the State of Delaware on February 15, 2005. The Trust currently consists of several other series of shares of beneficial interest. This SAI relates only to the Fund and not to the other series of the Trust.

 

The Trust is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) as an open-end management investment company. Such a registration does not involve supervision of the management or policies of the Fund. The Prospectus of the Fund and this SAI omit certain of the information contained in the Registration Statement filed with the SEC. Copies of such information may be obtained from the SEC upon payment of the prescribed fee.

 

The Fund is classified as a non-diversified fund, which means it is not subject to the diversification requirements under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”). Under the 1940 Act, a diversified fund may not, with respect to 75% of its total assets, invest more than 5% of its total assets in the securities of one issuer (and in not more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of an issuer), excluding cash, Government securities, and securities of other investment companies. Although the Fund is not required to comply with the above requirement, the Fund intends to diversify its assets to the extent necessary to qualify for tax treatment as a regulated investment company under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”).

 

The Fund currently offers three classes of shares: Class A, Class C and Institutional Class. As of the date of this SAI, Class A and Class C Shares are not currently available for purchase. Other classes may be established from time to time in accordance with the provisions of the Trust’s Agreement and Declaration of Trust (the “Declaration of Trust”). Each class of shares of the Fund generally is identical in all respects except that each class of shares is subject to its own distribution expenses and minimum investments. Each class of shares also has exclusive voting rights with respect to its distribution fees.

 

INVESTMENT STRATEGIES, POLICIES AND RISKS

 

The discussion below supplements information contained in the Fund’s Prospectus pertaining to the investment policies of the Fund.

 

Principal Investment Strategies, Policies and Risks

 

Market Conditions

 

Events in certain sectors historically have resulted, and may in the future result, in an unusually high degree of volatility in the financial markets, both domestic and foreign. These events have included, but are not limited to: bankruptcies, corporate restructurings, and other events related to the sub-prime mortgage crisis in 2008; governmental efforts to limit short selling and high frequency trading; measures to address U.S. federal and state budget deficits; social, political, and economic instability in Europe; economic stimulus by the Japanese central bank; steep declines in oil prices; dramatic changes in currency exchange rates; and China's economic slowdown. Interconnected global economies and financial markets increase the possibility that conditions in one country or region might adversely impact issuers in a different country or region. Such events may cause significant declines in the values and liquidity of many securities and other instruments. It is impossible to predict whether such conditions will recur. Because such situations may be widespread, it may be difficult to identify both risks and opportunities using past models of the interplay of market forces, or to predict the duration of such events.

 

An outbreak of infectious respiratory illness caused by a novel coronavirus known as COVID-19 was first detected in China in December 2019 and has now been detected globally. This coronavirus has resulted in certain travel restrictions, closed international borders, enhanced health screenings at ports of entry and elsewhere, disruption of and delays in healthcare service preparation and delivery, prolonged quarantines, cancellations, supply chain disruptions, and lower consumer demand, as well as general concern and uncertainty. The impact of COVID-19, and other infectious illness outbreaks that may arise in the future, could adversely affect the economies of many nations or the entire global economy, individual issuers and capital markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illnesses in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The duration of the COVID-19 outbreak and its effects cannot be determined with certainty.

 B-2 

 

Equity Securities

 

Common Stock

 

The Fund may invest in common stock. Common stock represents an equity (ownership) interest in a company, and usually possesses voting rights and earns dividends. Dividends on common stock are not fixed but are declared at the discretion of the issuer. Common stock generally represents the riskiest investment in a company. In addition, common stock generally has the greatest appreciation and depreciation potential because increases and decreases in earnings are usually reflected in a company’s stock price.

 

The fundamental risk of investing in common stock is that the value of the stock might decrease. Stock values fluctuate in response to the activities of an individual company or in response to general market and/or economic conditions. While common stocks have historically provided greater long-term returns than preferred stocks, fixed-income and money market investments, common stocks have also experienced significantly more volatility than the returns from those other investments.

 

Preferred Stock

 

The Fund may invest in preferred stock. Preferred stock is a class of stock having a preference over common stock as to the payment of dividends and a share of the proceeds resulting from the, issuer’s liquidation although preferred stock is usually subordinate to the debt securities of the issuer. Some preferred stocks also entitle their holders to receive additional liquidation proceeds on the same basis as the holders of the issuer’s common stock. Preferred stock typically does not possess voting rights and its market value may change based on changes in interest rates. If interest rates rise, the fixed dividend on preferred stocks may be less attractive, causing the price of preferred stocks to decline. Preferred stock may have mandatory sinking fund provisions, as well as call/redemption provisions prior to maturity, a negative feature when interest rates decline. In addition, the Fund may receive stocks or warrants as a result of an exchange or tender of fixed income securities. Preference stock, which is more common in emerging markets than in developed markets, is a special type of common stock that shares in the earnings of an issuer, has limited voting rights, may have a dividend preference, and may also have a liquidation preference. Depending on the features of the particular security, holders of preferred and preference stock may bear the risks regarding common stock or fixed income securities.

 

Small- and Mid-Cap Stocks

 

The Fund may invest in stock of companies with market capitalizations that are small compared to other publicly traded companies. Investments in larger companies present certain advantages in that such companies generally have greater financial resources, more extensive research and development, manufacturing, marketing and service capabilities, and more stability and greater depth of management and personnel. Investments in smaller, less seasoned companies may present greater opportunities for growth but also may involve greater risks than customarily are associated with more established companies. The securities of smaller companies may be subject to more abrupt or erratic market movements than larger, more established companies. These companies may have limited product lines, markets or financial resources, or they may be dependent upon a limited management group. Their securities may be traded in the over-the-counter market or on a regional exchange, or may otherwise have limited liquidity. As a result of owning large positions in this type of security, the Fund is subject to the additional risk of possibly having to sell portfolio securities at disadvantageous times and prices if redemptions require the Fund to liquidate its securities positions. In addition, it may be prudent for the Fund, as its asset size grows, to limit the number of relatively small positions it holds in securities having limited liquidity in order to minimize its exposure to such risks, to minimize transaction costs, and to maximize the benefits of research. As a consequence, as the Fund’s asset size increases, the Fund may reduce its exposure to illiquid small capitalization securities, which could adversely affect performance.

 B-3 

 

The Fund may also invest in stocks of companies with medium market capitalizations (i.e., mid-cap companies). Such investments share some of the risk characteristics of investments in stocks of companies with small market capitalizations described above, although mid cap companies tend to have longer operating histories, broader product lines and greater financial resources and their stocks tend to be more liquid and less volatile than those of smaller capitalization issuers.

 

Foreign Investments

 

Foreign Securities

 

The Fund may make foreign investments. Investments in the securities of foreign issuers and other non-U.S. investments may involve risks in addition to those normally associated with investments in the securities of U.S. issuers or other U.S. investments. All foreign investments are subject to risks of foreign political and economic instability, adverse movements in foreign exchange rates, and the imposition or tightening of exchange controls and limitations on the repatriation of foreign capital. Other risks stem from potential changes in governmental attitude or policy toward private investment, which in turn raises the risk of nationalization, increased taxation or confiscation of foreign investors’ assets. Additionally, the imposition of sanctions, trade restrictions (including tariffs) and other government restrictions by the United States and/or other governments may adversely affect the values of the Fund’s foreign investments.

 

The financial problems in global economies over the past several years, including the European sovereign debt crisis, may continue to cause high volatility in global financial markets. In addition, global economies are increasingly interconnected, which increases the possibilities that conditions in one country or region might adversely impact a different country or region. The severity or duration of these conditions may also be affected if one or more countries leave the Euro currency or by other policy changes made by governments or quasi-governmental organizations.

 

Additional non-U.S. taxes and expenses may also adversely affect the Fund’s performance, including foreign withholding taxes on foreign securities’ dividends. Brokerage commissions and other transaction costs on foreign securities exchanges are generally higher than in the United States. Foreign companies may be subject to different accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards. To the extent foreign securities held by the Fund are not registered with the SEC or with any other U.S. regulator, the issuers thereof will not be subject to the reporting requirements of the SEC or any other U.S. regulator. Accordingly, less information may be available about foreign companies and other investments than is generally available on issuers of comparable securities and other investments in the United States. Foreign securities and other investments may also trade less frequently and with lower volume and may exhibit greater price volatility than U.S. securities and other investments.

 

Changes in foreign exchange rates will affect the value in U.S. Dollars of any foreign currency-denominated securities and other investments held by the Fund. Exchange rates are influenced generally by the forces of supply and demand in the foreign currency markets and by numerous other political and economic events occurring outside the United States, many of which may be difficult, if not impossible, to predict.

 

Income from any foreign securities and other investments will be received and realized in foreign currencies, and the Fund is required to compute and distribute income in U.S. Dollars. Accordingly, a decline in the value of a particular foreign currency against the U.S. Dollar occurring after the Fund’s income has been earned and computed in U.S. Dollars may require the Fund to liquidate portfolio securities or other investments to acquire sufficient U.S. Dollars to make a distribution. Similarly, if the exchange rate declines between the time the Fund incurs expenses in U.S. Dollars and the time such expenses are paid, the Fund may be required to liquidate additional portfolio securities or other investments to purchase the U.S. Dollars required to meet such expenses.

 

The Fund may purchase foreign bank obligations. In addition to the risks described above that are generally applicable to foreign investments, the investments that the Fund makes in obligations of foreign banks, branches or subsidiaries may involve further risks, including differences between foreign banks and U.S. banks in applicable accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards, and the possible establishment of exchange controls or other foreign government laws or restrictions applicable to the payment of certificates of deposit or time deposits that may affect adversely the payment of principal and interest on the securities and other investments held by the Fund.

 B-4 

 

Foreign Currency Transactions

 

The Fund may conduct foreign currency exchange transactions either on a spot, i.e., cash, basis at the prevailing rate in the foreign exchange market. Foreign currency transactions are generally used to obtain foreign currencies to settle securities transactions or to exchange one currency for another. They can also be used as a hedge to protect assets against adverse changes in foreign currency exchange rates or regulations. When a Fund uses foreign currency exchanges as a hedge, it may also limit potential gain that could result from an increase in the value of such currencies. Currency exchange rates may be volatile and the Fund may be affected either favorably or unfavorably by fluctuations in the relative rates of exchange between the currencies of different nations, market or economic downswings, or other relevant factors, such as the actions of governments or central banks, the imposition of currency controls, and speculation. Foreign currency hedging transactions are used to protect against foreign currency exchange rate risks.

 

There is no systematic reporting of last sale information for foreign currencies, and there is no regulatory requirement that quotations available through dealers or other market sources be firm or revised on a timely basis. Quotation information available is generally representative of very large transactions in the interbank market. The interbank market in foreign currencies is a global around-the-clock market. Since foreign currency transactions occurring in the interbank market involve substantially larger amounts than those that may be involved in the use of foreign currency options, the Fund may be disadvantaged by having to deal in an odd lot market (generally consisting of transactions of less than $1 million) for the underlying foreign currencies at prices that are less favorable than for round lots.

 

Depository Receipts

 

The Fund may invest in depository receipts. American Depository Receipts (“ADRs”) are negotiable receipts issued by a U.S. bank or trust company that evidence ownership of securities in a foreign company which have been deposited with such bank or trust company’s office or agent in a foreign country. European Depository Receipts (“EDRs”) are negotiable certificates held in the bank of one country representing a specific number of shares of a stock traded on an exchange of another country. Global Depository Receipts (“GDRs”) are negotiable certificates held in the bank of one country representing a specific number of shares of a stock traded on an exchange of another country. Canadian Depository Receipts (“CDRs”) are negotiable receipts issued by a Canadian bank or trust company that evidence ownership of securities in a foreign company which have been deposited with such bank or trust company’s office or agent in a foreign country.

 

Investing in ADRs, EDRs, GDRs, and CDRs presents risks that may not be equal to the risk inherent in holding the equivalent shares of the same companies that are traded in the local markets even though the Fund will purchase, sell and be paid dividends on ADRs, in U.S. Dollars. These risks include fluctuations in currency exchange rates, which are affected by international balances of payments and other economic and financial conditions; government intervention; speculation; and other factors. With respect to certain foreign countries, there is the possibility of expropriation or nationalization of assets, confiscatory taxation, political and social upheaval, and economic instability. The Fund may be required to pay foreign withholding or other taxes on certain ADRs, EDRs, GDRs, or CDRs that it owns, but investors may or may not be able to deduct their pro-rata share of such taxes in computing their taxable income, or take such shares as a credit against their U.S. federal income tax. See “Federal Income Tax Matters.” ADRs, EDRs, GDRs, and CDRs may be sponsored by the foreign issuer or may be unsponsored. Unsponsored ADRs, EDRs, GDRs, and CDRs are organized independently and without the cooperation of the foreign issuer of the underlying securities. Unsponsored ADRs, EDRs, GDRs, and CDRs are offered by companies which are not prepared to meet either the reporting or accounting standards of the United States. While readily exchangeable with stock in local markets, unsponsored ADRs, EDRs, GDRs, and CDRs may be less liquid than sponsored ADRs, EDRs, GDRs, and CDRs. Additionally, there generally is less publicly available information with respect to unsponsored ADRs, EDRs, GDRs, and CDRs.

 B-5 

 

Europe – Recent Events

 

A number of countries in Europe have experienced severe economic and financial difficulties. Many non-governmental issuers, and even certain governments, have defaulted on, or been forced to restructure, their debts; many other issuers have faced difficulties obtaining credit or refinancing existing obligations; financial institutions have in many cases required government or central bank support, have needed to raise capital, and/or have been impaired in their ability to extend credit; and financial markets in Europe and elsewhere have experienced extreme volatility and declines in asset values and liquidity. These difficulties may continue, worsen or spread within or outside Europe. Responses to the financial problems by European governments, central banks and others, including austerity measures and reforms, may not work, may result in social unrest and may limit future growth and economic recovery or have other unintended consequences. Further defaults or restructurings by governments and others of their debt could have additional adverse effects on economies, financial markets and asset valuations around the world.

 

The European Union (the “EU”) currently faces major issues involving its membership, structure, procedures and policies, including the successful political, economic and social integration of new member states, the EU’s resettlement and distribution of refugees, and resolution of the EU’s problematic fiscal and democratic accountability. In addition, one or more countries may abandon the Euro, the common currency of the EU, and/or withdraw from the EU. The impact of these actions, especially if they occur in a disorderly fashion, is not clear but could be significant and far-reaching.

 

United Kingdom Exit from the EU. On January 31, 2020, the United Kingdom (the “UK”) formally withdrew from the EU (commonly referred to as “Brexit”) and entered an 11-month transition period during which the UK remained part of the EU single market and customs union, the laws of which governed the economic, trade, and security relations between the UK and EU. The transition period concluded on December 31, 2020, and the UK left the EU single market and customs union under the terms of a new trade agreement. The agreement governs the new relationship between the UK and EU with respect to trading goods and services, but critical aspects of the relationship remain unresolved and subject to further negotiation and agreement. The political, regulatory, and economic consequences of Brexit are uncertain, and the ultimate ramifications may not be known for some time. The effects of Brexit on the UK and EU economies and the broader global economy could be significant, resulting in negative impacts, such as business and trade disruptions, increased volatility and illiquidity, and potentially lower economic growth of markets in the UK, EU, and globally, which could negatively impact the value of the Fund’s investments. Brexit could also lead to legal uncertainty and politically divergent national laws and regulations while the new relationship between the UK and EU is further defined and the UK determines which EU laws to replace or replicate. Additionally, depreciation of the British pound sterling and/or the euro in relation to the U.S. dollar following Brexit could adversely affect Fund investments denominated in the British pound sterling and/or the euro, regardless of the performance of the investment.

 

Whether or not the Fund invests in securities of issuers located in Europe or with significant exposure to European issuers or countries, these events could negatively affect the value and liquidity of the Fund’s investments due to the interconnected nature of the global economy and capital markets. The Fund may also be susceptible to these events to the extent that the Fund invests in municipal obligations with credit support by non-U.S. financial institutions.

 

Developments in the China Region

 

After nearly 30 years of unprecedented growth, the People’s Republic of China now faces a slowing economy. The real estate market, which many observers believed to be inflated, has begun to decline. Local governments, which had borrowed heavily to bolster growth, face high debt burdens and limited revenue sources. As a result, demand for Chinese exports by the United States and countries in Europe, and demands for Chinese imports from such countries, may weaken due to the effects of more limited economic growth. Additionally, Chinese actions to lay claim to disputed islands have caused relations with China’s regional trading partners to suffer, and could cause further disruption to regional and international trade. From time to time and as recently as January 2020, China has experienced outbreaks of infectious illnesses, and the country may be subject to other public health threats, infectious illnesses, diseases or similar issues in the future. Any spread of an infectious illness, public health threat or similar issue could reduce consumer demand or economic output, result in market closures, travel restrictions or quarantines, and generally have a significant impact on the Chinese economy. In the long run, China’s ability to develop and sustain a credible legal, regulatory, monetary, and socioeconomic system could influence the course of outside investment.

 B-6 

 

Investments in China

 

The Chinese economy is generally considered an emerging market and can be significantly affected by economic and political conditions and policy in China and surrounding Asian countries. A relatively small number of Chinese companies represent a large portion of China’s total market and thus may be more sensitive to adverse political or economic circumstances and market movements. The economy of China differs, often unfavorably, from the U.S. economy in such respects as structure, general development, government involvement, wealth distribution, rate of inflation, growth rate, allocation of resources and capital reinvestment, among others. Disclosure and regulatory standards in China are less stringent than U.S. standards, and there is substantially less publicly available information about Chinese issuers than there is about U.S. issuers. The PCAOB, which regulates auditors of U.S. public companies, has warned that it lacks the ability to inspect audit work and practices of PCAOB-registered accounting firms in China and Hong Kong. The PCAOB’s limited ability to oversee the operations of accounting firms in China and Hong Kong means that inaccurate or incomplete financial records of an issuer’s operations may not be detected, which could negatively impact a Fund’s investments in such companies. Under China’s political and economic system, the central government has historically exercised substantial control over virtually every sector of the Chinese economy through administrative regulation and/or state ownership. In addition, expropriation, including nationalization, confiscatory taxation, political, economic or social instability or other developments could adversely affect and significantly diminish the values of the Chinese companies in which a Fund invests. Moreover, the imposition of restrictions on repatriation of capital invested may have an adverse effect on the Fund’s performance and the Fund’s ability to meet redemption requests. International trade tensions may arise from time to time which can result in trade tariffs, embargoes, trade limitations, trade wars and other negative consequences. These consequences may trigger a reduction in international trade, the oversupply of certain manufactured goods, substantial price reductions of goods and possible failure of individual companies and/or large segments of China’s export industry with a potentially severe negative impact to a Fund. China’s currency, which historically has been managed in a tight range relative to the U.S. dollar, may in the future be subject to greater uncertainty as Chinese authorities change the policies that determine the exchange rate mechanism. From time to time and as recently as January 2020, China has experienced outbreaks of infectious illnesses, and the country may be subject to other public health threats or similar issues in the future. Any spread of an infectious illness, public health threat or similar issue could reduce consumer demand or economic output, result in market closures, travel restrictions or quarantines, and generally have a significant impact on the Chinese economy. A Fund’s rights with respect to its investments in A-Shares, if any, will generally be governed by Chinese law. China operates under a civil law system in which court precedent is not binding, which means that there is no binding precedent to interpret existing statutes and thus there is uncertainty regarding the implementation of existing law. It may therefore be difficult or impossible for the Fund to enforce its rights as an investor under Chinese law. Ultimately, China’s ability to develop and sustain a credible legal, regulatory, monetary, and socioeconomic system could influence the course of outside investment.

 

Investments in Hong Kong

 

In 1997, the United Kingdom handed over control of Hong Kong to China. Since that time, Hong Kong has been governed by a quasi-constitution known as the Basic Law, while defense and foreign affairs are the responsibility of the central government in Beijing. The chief executive of Hong Kong is appointed by the Chinese government. However, Hong Kong is able to participate in international organizations and agreements and it continues to function as an international financial center, with no exchange controls, free convertibility of the Hong Kong dollar and free inward and outward movement of capital. The Basic Law also guarantees existing freedoms, including the freedom of speech, assembly, press, and religion, as well as the right to strike and travel. Business ownership, private property, the right of inheritance and foreign investment are also protected by law. By treaty, China has committed to preserve Hong Kong’s high degree of autonomy in certain matters until 2047. However, as demonstrated by Hong Kong protests in recent years over political, economic, and legal freedoms, and the Chinese government’s response to them, there continues to exist political uncertainty within Hong Kong. For example, in June 2020 China adopted a new security law that severely limits freedom of speech in Hong Kong and expands police powers to seize electronic devices and intercept communications of suspects. Hong Kong has experienced strong economic growth in recent years due, in part, to its close ties with China and a strong service sector, but the decline in growth rates in China could limit Hong Kong’s future growth. In addition, if China exerts its authority so as to alter the economic, political or legal structures, or further alters the existing social policy of Hong Kong, investor and business confidence in Hong Kong could be negatively affected, which in turn could negatively affect markets and business performance. These and other factors could have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance.

 B-7 

 

Investments in Taiwan

 

For decades, a state of hostility has existed between Taiwan and China. Although tensions have lowered, exemplified by improved relations in recent years, the relationship with China remains a divisive political issue within Taiwan. As an export-oriented economy, Taiwan depends on a free-trade regime and remains vulnerable to downturns in the world economy. Taiwanese companies continue to compete mostly on price, producing generic products or branded merchandise on behalf of multinational companies. Accordingly, these businesses can be particularly vulnerable to currency volatility and increasing competition from neighboring lower-cost countries. Moreover, many Taiwanese companies are heavily invested in mainland China and other countries throughout Southeast Asia, making them susceptible to political events and economic crises in the region. Significantly, Taiwan and China have entered into agreements covering banking, securities, and insurance. Closer economic links with mainland China may bring greater opportunities for the Taiwanese economy, but such arrangements also pose new challenges. For example, foreign direct investment in China has resulted in Chinese import substitution away from Taiwan’s exports and a constriction of potential job creation in Taiwan. Likewise, the Taiwanese economy has experienced slow economic growth as demand for Taiwan’s exports has weakened due, in part, to declines in growth rates in China. Taiwan has sought to diversify its export markets and reduce its dependence on the Chinese market by increasing exports to the United States, Japan, Europe, and other Asian countries by, among other things, entering into free-trade agreements. The Taiwanese economy’s long-term challenges include a rapidly aging population, low birth rate, and the lingering effects of Taiwan’s diplomatic isolation. These and other factors could have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance.

 

Real Estate Investment Trusts (“REITs”)

 

The Fund may invest in REITs. REITs are pooled investment vehicles that invest primarily in income producing real estate or real estate related loans or interests. REITs are generally classified as equity REITs, mortgage REITs, or a combination of equity and mortgage REITs. Equity REITs invest the majority of their assets directly in real property and derive income primarily from the collection of rents. Equity REITs can also realize capital gains by selling properties that have appreciated in value. Mortgage REITs invest the majority of their assets in real estate mortgages and derive income from the collection of principal and interest payments. Similar to regulated investment companies such as the Fund, REITs are not taxed on income distributed to shareholders provided they comply with certain requirements of the Code. The Fund will indirectly bear its proportionate share of expenses incurred by REITs in which the Fund invests in addition to the expenses incurred directly by the Fund.

 

Investing in REITs involves certain unique risks in addition to those risks associated with investing in the real estate industry in general. Equity REITs may be affected by changes in the value of the underlying property owned by the REITs, while mortgage REITs may be affected by the quality of any credit extended. REITs are dependent upon management skills, are not diversified, and are subject to heavy cash flow dependency, default by borrowers and self-liquidation.

 

Investing in REITs involves risks similar to those associated with investing in small capitalization companies. REITs may have limited financial resources, may trade less frequently and in a limited volume and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than larger company securities. Historically, small capitalization stocks, such as REITs, have had more price volatility than larger capitalization stocks.

 

REITs may fail to qualify for the favorable federal income tax treatment generally available to them under the Code and may fail to maintain their exemptions from registration under the 1940 Act. REITs (especially mortgage REITs) also are subject to interest rate risks. When interest rates decline, the value of a REIT’s investment in fixed-rate obligations can be expected to rise. Conversely, when interest rates rise, the value of a REIT’s investment in fixed-rate obligations can be expected to decline. In contrast, as interest rates on adjustable rate mortgage loans are reset periodically, yields on a REIT’s investments in such loans will gradually align themselves to reflect changes in market interest rates, causing the value of such investments to fluctuate less dramatically in response to interest rate fluctuations than would investments in fixed-rate obligations.

 B-8 

 

Investment Company Securities

 

The Fund may invest in shares of other investment companies (each, an “Underlying Fund”), including open-end funds, closed-end funds, unit investment trusts (“UITs”) and exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”), to the extent permitted by applicable law and subject to certain restrictions set forth in this SAI.

 

Under Section 12(d)(1)(A) of the 1940 Act, the Fund may acquire securities of an Underlying Fund in amounts which, as determined immediately after the acquisition is made, do not exceed (i) 3% of the total outstanding voting stock of such Underlying Fund, (ii) 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets, and (iii) 10% of the value of the Fund’s total assets when combined with all other Underlying Fund securities held by the Fund. The Fund may exceed these statutory limits when permitted by SEC order or other applicable law or regulatory guidance, such as is the case with many ETFs. The SEC recently adopted certain regulatory changes and took other actions related to the ability of an investment company to invest in the securities of another investment company. These changes include, among other things, the rescission of certain SEC exemptive orders permitting investments in excess of the statutory limits and the withdrawal of certain related SEC staff no-action letters, and the adoption of Rule 12d1-4 under the 1940 Act. Rule 12d1-4, which was effective on January 19, 2021, permits the Fund to invest in other investment companies beyond the statutory limits, subject to certain conditions. The rescission of the applicable exemptive orders and the withdrawal of the applicable no-action letters is effective on January 19, 2022. After such time, an investment company will no longer be able to rely on the aforementioned exemptive orders and no-action letters, and will be subject instead to Rule 12d1-4 and other applicable rules under Section 12(d)(1).

 

Generally, under Sections 12(d)(1)(F) and 12(d)(1)(G) of the 1940 Act and SEC rules adopted pursuant to the 1940 Act, the Fund may acquire the securities of affiliated and unaffiliated Underlying Funds subject to the following guidelines and restrictions:

 

·The Fund may own an unlimited amount of the securities of any registered open-end fund or registered unit investment trust that is affiliated with the Fund, so long as any such Underlying Fund has a policy that prohibits it from acquiring any securities of registered open-end funds or registered UITs in reliance on certain sections of the 1940 Act.

 

·The Fund and its “affiliated persons” may own up to 3% of the outstanding stock  of any fund, subject to the following restrictions:

 

i.the Fund and each Underlying Fund, in the aggregate, may not charge a sales load greater than the limits set forth in Rule 2830(d)(3) of the Conduct Rules of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) applicable to funds of funds;

 

ii.each Underlying Fund is not obligated to redeem more than 1% of its total outstanding securities during any period less than 30 days; and

 

iii.the Fund is obligated either to (i) seek instructions from its shareholders with regard to the voting of all proxies with respect to the Underlying Fund and to vote in accordance with such instructions, or (ii) to vote the shares of the Underlying Fund held by the Fund in the same proportion as the vote of all other shareholders of the Underlying Fund.

 

Underlying Funds typically incur fees that are separate from those fees incurred directly by the Fund. The Fund’s purchase of such investment company securities results in the layering of expenses as Fund shareholders would indirectly bear a proportionate share of the operating expenses of such investment companies, including advisory fees, in addition to paying Fund expenses. In addition, the securities of other investment companies may also be leveraged and will therefore be subject to certain leverage risks. The net asset value and market value of leveraged securities will be more volatile and the yield to shareholders will tend to fluctuate more than the yield generated by unleveraged securities. Investment companies may have investment policies that differ from those of the Fund.

 B-9 

 

Under certain circumstances an open-end investment company in which the Fund invests may determine to make payment of a redemption by the Fund wholly or in part by a distribution in kind of securities from its portfolio, instead of in cash. As a result, the Fund may hold such securities until the Advisor determines it is appropriate to dispose of them. Such disposition will impose additional costs on the Fund.

 

Investment decisions by the investment advisors to the registered investment companies in which the Fund invests are made independently of the Fund. At any particular time, one Underlying Fund may be purchasing shares of an issuer whose shares are being sold by another Underlying Fund. As a result, under these circumstances the Fund indirectly would incur certain transactional costs without accomplishing any investment purpose.

 

Closed-End Funds

 

The Fund may invest in shares of closed-end funds. Investments in closed-end funds are subject to various risks, including reliance on management’s ability to meet the closed-end fund’s investment objective and to manage the closed-end fund portfolio; fluctuation in the net asset value of closed-end fund shares compared to the changes in the value of the underlying securities that the closed-end fund owns; and bearing a pro rata share of the management fees and expenses of each underlying closed-end fund resulting in the Fund’s shareholders being subject to higher expenses than if he or she invested directly in the closed-end fund(s). The closed-end funds in which the Fund will invest may be leveraged. As a result, the Fund may be exposed indirectly to leverage through investment in a closed-end fund. An investment in securities of a closed-end fund that uses leverage may expose the Fund to higher volatility in the market value of such securities and the possibility that the Fund’s long-term returns on such securities (and, indirectly, the long-term returns of the shares) will be diminished.

 

Exchange-Traded Funds and Mutual Funds

 

The Fund may invest in ETFs and Mutual Funds. ETFs are pooled investment vehicles that generally seek to track the performance of specific indices. ETFs may be organized as open-end funds or as unit investment trusts. Their shares are listed on stock exchanges and can be traded throughout the day at market-determined prices. Investing in ETFs or Mutual Funds provides the Fund with exposure to the risks of owning the underlying securities the ETFs or Mutual Funds hold. An ETF or a Mutual Fund, if the Mutual Fund is an index fund, may not replicate exactly the performance of the benchmark index it seeks to track for a number of reasons, including transaction costs incurred by the ETF or Mutual Fund, the temporary unavailability of certain index securities in the secondary market, or discrepancies between the ETF or Mutual Fund and the index with respect to the weightings of securities or the number of securities held. It may be more expensive for the Fund to invest in an ETF or Mutual Fund than to own the portfolio securities of these investment vehicles directly. Investing in ETFs and Mutual Funds involves duplication of advisory fees and certain other expenses.

 

An ETF generally issues index-based investments in large aggregations of shares known as “Creation Units” in exchange for a “Portfolio Deposit” consisting of (a) a portfolio of designated by the ETF, (b) a cash payment equal to a pro rata portion of the dividends accrued on the ETF’s portfolio securities since the last dividend payment by the ETF, net of expenses and liabilities, and (c) a cash payment or credit (“Balancing Amount”) designed to equalize the net asset value of the shares and the net asset value of a Portfolio Deposit.

 

Shares of ETFs are not individually redeemable, except upon the reorganization, merger, conversion or liquidation of the ETF. To redeem shares of an ETF, an investor must accumulate enough shares of the ETF to reconstitute a Creation Unit. The liquidity of small holdings of ETF shares, therefore, will depend upon the existence of a secondary market for such shares. Upon redemption of a Creation Unit, the investor will receive securities designated by the ETF (“Redemption Securities”) and a cash payment in an amount equal to the difference between the net asset value of the shares being redeemed and the net asset value of the Redemption Securities.

 B-10 

 

The price of ETF shares is based upon (but not necessarily identical to) the value of the securities held by the ETF. Accordingly, the level of risk involved in the purchase or sale of ETF shares is similar to the risk involved in the purchase or sale of traditional common stock, with the exception that the pricing mechanism for ETF shares is based on a basket of stocks. Disruptions in the markets for the securities underlying ETF shares purchased or sold by the Fund could result in losses on such shares. There is no assurance that the requirements of the national securities exchanges necessary to maintain the listing of shares of any ETF will continue to be met.

 

Government Obligations

 

The Fund may invest in U.S. government obligations. Such obligations include Treasury bills, certificates of indebtedness, notes and bonds. U.S. government obligations include securities issued or guaranteed as to principal and interest by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities. Treasury bills, the most frequently issued marketable government securities, have a maturity of up to one year and are issued on a discount basis. U.S. government obligations include securities issued or guaranteed by government-sponsored enterprises.

 

Payment of principal and interest on U.S. government obligations may be backed by the full faith and credit of the United States or may be backed solely by the issuing or guaranteeing agency or instrumentality itself. In the latter case, the investor must look principally to the agency or instrumentality issuing or guaranteeing the obligation for ultimate repayment, which agency or instrumentality may be privately owned. There can be no assurance that the U.S. government would provide financial support to its agencies or instrumentalities, including government-sponsored enterprises, where it is not obligated to do so. In addition, U.S. government obligations are subject to fluctuations in market value due to fluctuations in market interest rates. As a general matter, the value of debt instruments, including U.S. government obligations, declines when market interest rates increase and rises when market interest rates decrease. Certain types of U.S. government obligations are subject to fluctuations in yield or value due to their structure or contract terms.

 

Short-Term Investments

 

The Fund may invest in any of the following securities and instruments:

 

Bank Certificates of Deposit, Bankers’ Acceptances and Time Deposits. The Fund may acquire certificates of deposit, bankers’ acceptances and time deposits in U.S. Dollar or foreign currencies. Certificates of deposit are negotiable certificates issued against monies deposited in a commercial bank for a definite period of time and earning a specified return. Bankers’ acceptances are negotiable drafts or bills of exchange, normally drawn by an importer or exporter to pay for specific merchandise, which are “accepted” by a bank, meaning in effect that the bank unconditionally agrees to pay the face value of the instrument on maturity. The commercial banks issuing these short-term instruments which the Fund may acquire must, at the time of purchase, have capital, surplus and undivided profits in excess of $100 million (including assets of both domestic and foreign branches), based on latest published reports, or less than $100 million if the principal amount of such bank obligations are fully insured by the U.S. government. If the Fund holds instruments of foreign banks or financial institutions, it may be subject to additional investment risks that are different in some respects from those incurred if the Fund invests only in debt obligations of U.S. domestic issuers. See “Foreign Securities” above. Such risks include future political and economic developments, the possible imposition of withholding taxes by the particular country in which the issuer is located, the possible confiscation or nationalization of foreign deposits, the possible establishment of exchange controls, or the adoption of other foreign governmental restrictions which may adversely affect the payment of principal and interest on these securities.

 

Domestic banks and foreign banks are subject to different governmental regulations with respect to the amount and types of loans that may be made and interest rates that may be charged. In addition, the profitability of the banking industry depends largely upon the availability and cost of funds and the interest income generated from lending operations. General economic conditions and the quality of loan portfolios affect the banking industry.

 

As a result of federal and state laws and regulations, domestic banks are required to maintain specified levels of reserves, limited in the amount that they can loan to a single borrower, and are subject to regulations designed to promote financial soundness. However, such laws and regulations may not necessarily apply to foreign banks, thereby affecting the risk involved in bank obligations that the Fund may acquire.

 B-11 

 

In addition to purchasing certificates of deposit and bankers’ acceptances, to the extent permitted under its investment strategies and policies stated above and in the Prospectus, the Fund may invest in interest-bearing time deposits or other interest-bearing deposits in commercial or savings banks. Time deposits are non-negotiable deposits maintained at a banking institution for a specified period of time at a specified interest rate.

 

Savings Association Obligations. The Fund may invest in certificates of deposit (interest-bearing time deposits) issued by savings banks or savings and loan associations that have capital, surplus and undivided profits in excess of $100 million, based on latest published reports, or less than $100 million if the principal amount of such obligations is fully insured by the U.S. government.

 

Commercial Paper, Short-Term Notes and Other Corporate Obligations. The Fund may invest a portion of its assets in commercial paper and short-term notes. Commercial paper consists of unsecured promissory notes issued by corporations. Issues of commercial paper and short-term notes will normally have maturities of less than nine months and fixed rates of return, although such instruments may have maturities of up to one year.

 

The Fund’s investment in commercial paper and short-term notes will consist of issues rated at the time of purchase “A-2” or higher by S&P, “Prime-1” or “Prime-2” by Moody’s, or similarly rated by another nationally recognized statistical rating organization or, if unrated, will be determined by the Sub-Advisor to be of comparable quality. These rating symbols are described in Appendix A.

 

Corporate debt obligations are subject to the risk of an issuer’s inability to meet principal and interest payments on the obligations, i.e., credit risk. The Sub-Advisor may actively expose the Fund to credit risk. However, there can be no guarantee that the Sub-Advisor will be successful in making the right selections and thus fully mitigate the impact of credit risk changes on the Fund.

 

Other Investment Strategies, Policies and Risks

 

Equity Securities

 

Convertible Securities

 

The Fund may invest in convertible securities. A convertible security is a preferred stock, warrant or other security that may be converted or exchanged for a prescribed amount of common stock or other security of the same or a different issuer or into cash within a particular period of time at a specified price or formula. A convertible security generally entitles the holder to receive the dividend or interest until the convertible security matures or is redeemed, converted or exchanged. Before conversion, convertible securities generally have characteristics similar to both fixed income and equity securities. Although to a lesser extent than with fixed income securities generally, the market value of convertible securities tends to decline as interest rates increase and, conversely, tends to increase as interest rates decline. In addition, because of the conversion feature, the market value of convertible securities tends to vary with fluctuations in the market value of the underlying common stocks and, therefore, also will react to variations in the general market for equity securities. A significant feature of convertible securities is that as the market price of the underlying common stock declines, convertible securities tend to trade increasingly on a yield basis, and so they may not experience market value declines to the same extent as the underlying common stock. When the market price of the underlying common stock increases, the prices of the convertible securities tend to rise as a reflection of the value of the underlying common stock. While no securities investments are without risk, investments in convertible securities generally entail less risk than investments in common stock of the same issuer.

 

Warrants and Rights

 

The Fund may invest in warrants or rights (including those acquired in units or attached to other securities) that entitle (but do not obligate) the holder to buy equity securities at a specific price for a specific period of time but will do so only if such equity securities are deemed appropriate by the Sub-Advisor. Rights are similar to warrants but typically have a shorter duration and are issued by a company to existing stockholders to provide those holders the right to purchase additional shares of stock at a later date. Warrants and rights do not have voting rights, do not earn dividends, and do not entitle the holder to any rights with respect to the assets of the company that has issued them. They do not represent ownership of the underlying companies but only the right to purchase shares of those companies at a specified price on or before a specified exercise date. Warrants and rights tend to be more volatile than the underlying stock, and if at a warrant’s expiration date the stock is trading at a price below the price set in the warrant or right, the warrant will expire worthless. Conversely, if at the expiration date the stock is trading at a price higher than the price set in the warrant, the Fund can acquire the stock at a price below its market value. The prices of warrants and rights do not necessarily parallel the prices of the underlying securities. An investment in warrants or rights may be considered speculative.

 B-12 

 

Foreign Investments

 

Emerging Markets

 

The Fund may invest in companies organized or doing substantial business in emerging market countries or developing countries as defined by the World Bank, International Financial Corporation, or the Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) emerging market indices or other comparable indices. Investing in emerging markets involves additional risks and special considerations not typically associated with investing in other more established economies or markets. Such risks may include (i) increased risk of nationalization or expropriation of assets or confiscatory taxation; (ii) greater social, economic and political uncertainty, including war; (iii) higher dependence on exports and the corresponding importance of international trade; (iv) greater volatility, less liquidity and smaller capitalization of markets; (v) greater volatility in currency exchange rates; (vi) greater risk of inflation; (vii) greater controls on foreign investment and limitations on realization of investments, repatriation of invested capital and on the ability to exchange local currencies for U.S. dollars; (viii) increased likelihood of governmental involvement in and control over the economy; (ix) governmental decisions to cease support of economic reform programs or to impose centrally planned economies; (x) differences in regulatory, accounting, auditing, and financial reporting and recordkeeping standards, which may result in the unavailability of material information about issuers; (xi) less extensive regulation of the markets; (xii) longer settlement periods for transactions and less reliable clearance and custody arrangements; (xiii) less developed corporate laws regarding fiduciary duties of officers and directors and the protection of investors; (xiv) certain considerations regarding the maintenance of the Fund’s securities with local brokers and securities depositories and (xv) the imposition of withholding or other taxes on dividends, interest, capital gains, other income or gross sale or disposition proceeds.

 

Repatriation of investment income, assets and the proceeds of sales by foreign investors may require governmental registration and/or approval in some emerging market countries. The Fund could be adversely affected by delays in or a refusal to grant any required governmental registration or approval for such repatriation, or by withholding taxes imposed by emerging market countries on interest or dividends paid on securities held by the Fund or gains from the disposition of such securities.

 

In emerging markets, there is often less government supervision and regulation of business and industry practices, stock exchanges, over-the-counter markets, brokers, dealers, counterparties and issuers than in other more established markets. The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, which regulates auditors of U.S. public companies, for example, is unable to inspect audit work and practices in certain countries, such as China. Any regulatory supervision that is in place may be subject to manipulation or control. Some emerging market countries do not have mature legal systems comparable to those of more developed countries. Moreover, the process of legal and regulatory reform may not be proceeding at the same pace as market developments, which could result in investment risk. Legislation to safeguard the rights of private ownership may not yet be in place in certain areas, and there may be the risk of conflict among local, regional and national requirements. In certain cases, the laws and regulations governing investments in securities may not exist or may be subject to inconsistent or arbitrary appreciation or interpretation. Both the independence of judicial systems and their immunity from economic, political or nationalistic influences remain largely untested in many countries. It may also be difficult or impossible for the Fund to pursue legal remedies or to obtain and enforce judgments in local courts.

 B-13 

 

In addition, there may be restrictions on investments in Chinese companies. For example, the President of the United States of America recently signed an Executive Order prohibiting U.S. persons from purchasing or investing in publicly-traded securities of companies identified by the U.S. Government as “Chinese Military-Industrial Complex Companies.” The list of such companies can change from time to time, and as a result of forced selling or an inability to participate in an investment the Advisor or Sub-Advisor otherwise believes is attractive, the Fund may incur losses.

 

Debt Securities

 

The Fund may invest in debt securities. Debt securities are used by issuers to borrow money. Generally, issuers pay investors periodic interest and repay the amount borrowed either periodically during the life of the security and/or at maturity. Some debt securities, such as zero coupon bonds, do not pay current interest, but are purchased at a discount from their face values and accrue interest at the applicable coupon rate over a specified time period. Some debt securities pay a periodic coupon that is not fixed; instead payments “float” relative to a reference rate, such as LIBOR. This “floating rate” debt may pay interest at levels above or below the previous interest payment. The market prices of debt securities fluctuate depending on such factors as interest rates, credit quality and maturity. In general, market prices of debt securities decline when interest rates rise and increase when interest rates fall.

 

Lower rated debt securities, those rated Ba or below by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (“Moody’s) and/or BB or below by Standard & Poor’s Ratings Group (“S&P”) or unrated but determined by the Advisor to be of comparable quality, are described by the rating agencies as speculative and involve greater risk of default or price changes than higher rated debt securities due to changes in the issuer’s creditworthiness or the fact that the issuer may already be in default. The market prices of these securities may fluctuate more than higher quality securities and may decline significantly in periods of general economic difficulty. It may be more difficult to sell or to determine the value of lower rated debt securities.

 

Certain additional risk factors related to debt securities are discussed below:

 

Sensitivity to interest rate and economic changes. Debt securities may be sensitive to economic changes, political and corporate developments, and interest rate changes. In addition, during an economic downturn or periods of rising interest rates, issuers that are highly leveraged may experience increased financial stress that could adversely affect their ability to meet projected business goals, obtain additional financing, and service their principal and interest payment obligations. Furthermore, periods of economic change and uncertainty can be expected to result in increased volatility of market prices and yields of certain debt securities. For example, prices of these securities can be affected by financial contracts held by the issuer or third parties (such as derivatives) related to the security or other assets or indices.

 

Payment expectations. Debt securities may contain redemption or call provisions. If an issuer exercises these provisions in a lower interest rate environment, the Fund would have to replace the security with a lower yielding security, resulting in decreased income to investors. If the issuer of a debt security defaults on its obligations to pay interest or principal or is the subject of bankruptcy proceedings, the Fund may incur losses or expenses in seeking recovery of amounts owed to it.

 

Liquidity. Liquidity risk may result from the lack of an active market, or reduced number and capacity of traditional market participants to make a market in fixed income securities, and may be magnified in a rising interest rate environment or other circumstances where investor redemptions from fixed income mutual funds may be higher than normal, causing increased supply in the market due to selling activity. In such cases, the Fund, due to limitations on investments in illiquid securities and the difficulty in purchasing and selling such securities or instruments, may be unable to achieve its desired level of exposure to a certain sector. To the extent that the Fund’s principal investment strategies involve investments in securities of companies with smaller market capitalizations, foreign non-U.S. securities, Rule 144A securities, illiquid sectors of fixed income securities, derivatives or securities with substantial market and/or credit risk, the Fund will tend to have the greatest exposure to liquidity risk. Further, fixed income securities with longer durations until maturity face heightened levels of liquidity risk as compared to fixed income securities with shorter durations until maturity. Finally, liquidity risk also refers to the risk of unusually high redemption requests or other unusual market conditions that may make it difficult for the Fund to fully honor redemption requests within the allowable time period. Meeting such redemption requests could require the Fund to sell securities at reduced prices or under unfavorable conditions, which would reduce the value of the Fund. It may also be the case that other market participants may be attempting to liquidate fixed income holdings at the same time as the Fund, causing increased supply in the market and contributing to liquidity risk and downward pricing pressure.

 B-14 

 

The Sub-Advisor attempts to reduce the risks described above through diversification of the Fund’s portfolio, credit analysis of each issuer, and by monitoring broad economic trends as well as corporate and legislative developments, but there can be no assurance that it will be successful in doing so. Credit ratings of debt securities provided by rating agencies indicate a measure of the safety of principal and interest payments, not market value risk. The rating of an issuer is a rating agency’s view of past and future potential developments related to the issuer and may not necessarily reflect actual outcomes. There can be a lag between corporate developments and the time a rating is assigned and updated.

 

Changing Fixed Income Market Conditions. Following the financial crisis that began in 2007, the U.S. government and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the “Federal Reserve”), as well as certain foreign governments and central banks, took steps to support financial markets, including by keeping interest rates at historically low levels and by purchasing large quantities of securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities on the open market (“Quantitative Easing”). Similar steps were taken again in 2020 in an effort to support the economy during the coronavirus pandemic. This and other government interventions may not work as intended, particularly if the efforts are perceived by investors as being unlikely to achieve the desired results. In addition, when the Federal Reserve determines to “taper” or reduce Quantitative Easing and/or raise the federal funds rate, there is a risk that interest rates across the U.S. financial system will rise. Such policy changes may expose fixed-income and related markets to heightened volatility and may reduce liquidity for certain Fund investments, which could cause the value of the Fund’s investments and share price to decline. If the Fund invests in derivatives tied to fixed income markets it may be more substantially exposed to these risks than a fund that does not invest in derivatives.

 

Bond markets have consistently grown over the past three decades while the capacity for traditional dealer counterparties to engage in fixed income trading has not kept pace and in some cases has decreased. As a result, dealer inventories of corporate bonds, which provide a core indication of the ability of financial intermediaries to “make markets,” are at or near historic lows in relation to market size. Because market makers provide stability to a market through their intermediary services, the significant reduction in dealer inventories could potentially lead to decreased liquidity and increased volatility in the fixed income markets. Such issues may be exacerbated during periods of economic uncertainty.

 

Bond Ratings. Bond rating agencies may assign modifiers (such as +/–) to ratings categories to signify the relative position of a credit within the rating category. Investment policies that are based on ratings categories should be read to include any security within that category, without considering the modifier. Please refer to Appendix A for more information about credit ratings.

 

Lower Rated Debt Securities

 

The Fund may invest in lower rated fixed-income securities (commonly known as “junk bonds”). The lower ratings reflect a greater possibility that adverse changes in the financial condition of the issuer or in general economic conditions, or both, or an unanticipated rise in interest rates, may impair the ability of the issuer to make payments of interest and principal. The inability (or perceived inability) of issuers to make timely payment of interest and principal would likely make the values of securities held by the Fund more volatile and could limit the Fund’s ability to sell its securities at prices approximating the values the Fund had placed on such securities. In the absence of a liquid trading market for securities held by it, the Fund at times may be unable to establish the fair value of such securities. Securities ratings are based largely on the issuer’s historical financial condition and the rating agencies’ analysis at the time of rating. Consequently, the rating assigned to any particular security is not necessarily a reflection of the issuer’s current financial condition, which may be better or worse than the rating would indicate. In addition, the rating assigned to a security by Moody’s or S&P (or by any other nationally recognized securities rating agency) does not reflect an assessment of the volatility of the security’s market value or the liquidity of an investment in the security.

 B-15 

 

Like those of other fixed-income securities, the values of lower-rated securities fluctuate in response to changes in interest rates. A decrease in interest rates will generally result in an increase in the value of the Fund’s fixed-income assets. Conversely, during periods of rising interest rates, the value of the Fund’s fixed-income assets will generally decline. The values of lower-rated securities may often be affected to a greater extent by changes in general economic conditions and business conditions affecting the issuers of such securities and their industries. Negative publicity or investor perceptions may also adversely affect the values of lower-rated securities. Changes by nationally recognized securities rating agencies in their ratings of any fixed-income security and changes in the ability of an issuer to make payments of interest and principal may also affect the value of these investments. Changes in the value of portfolio securities generally will not affect income derived from these securities, but will affect the Fund’s net asset value. The Fund will not necessarily dispose of a security when its rating is reduced below its rating at the time of purchase. However, the Sub-Advisor will monitor the investment to determine whether its retention will assist in meeting the Fund’s investment objective. Issuers of lower-rated securities are often highly leveraged, so that their ability to service their debt obligations during an economic downturn or during sustained periods of rising interest rates may be impaired. Such issuers may not have more traditional methods of financing available to them and may be unable to repay outstanding obligations at maturity by refinancing.

 

The risk of loss due to default in payment of interest or repayment of principal by such issuers is significantly greater because such securities frequently are unsecured and subordinated to the prior payment of senior indebtedness. It is possible that, under adverse market or economic conditions or in the event of adverse changes in the financial condition of the issuer, the Fund could find it more difficult to sell these securities when the Advisor believes it advisable to do so or may be able to sell the securities only at prices lower than if they were more widely held. Under these circumstances, it may also be more difficult to determine the fair value of such securities for purposes of computing the Fund’s net asset value. In order to enforce its rights in the event of a default, the Fund may be required to participate in various legal proceedings or take possession of and manage assets securing the issuer’s obligations on such securities. This could increase the Fund’s operating expenses and adversely affect the Fund’s net asset value. The ability of a holder of a tax-exempt security to enforce the terms of that security in a bankruptcy proceeding may be more limited than would be the case with respect to securities of private issuers. In addition, the Fund’s intention to qualify as a “regulated investment company” under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”) may limit the extent to which the Fund may exercise its rights by taking possession of such assets. To the extent the Fund invests in securities in the lower rating categories, the achievement of the Fund’s investment objective is more dependent on the Sub-Advisor’s investment analysis than would be the case if the Fund were investing in securities in the higher rating categories.

 

Over-the-Counter Transactions – Fixed Income Securities

 

The Fund may enter into over-the-counter (“OTC”) transactions involving fixed income securities. OTC transactions differ from exchange-traded transactions in several respects. OTC transactions are transacted directly with dealers and not with a clearing corporation. Without the availability of a clearing corporation, OTC transaction pricing is normally done by reference to information from market makers, which information is carefully monitored by the Advisor and verified in appropriate cases. As OTC transactions are transacted directly with dealers, there is a risk of nonperformance by the dealer as a result of the insolvency of such dealer or otherwise. The Fund intends to enter into OTC transactions only with dealers which agree to, and which are expected to be capable of, entering into closing transactions with the Fund. There is also no assurance that the Fund will be able to liquidate an OTC transaction at any time prior to expiration.

 

Sovereign Debt Obligations

 

The Fund may invest in sovereign debt obligations, which are securities issued or guaranteed by foreign governments governmental agencies or instrumentalities and political subdivisions, including debt of developing countries. Sovereign debt may be in the form of conventional securities or other types of debt instruments such as loans or loan participations. Sovereign debt of developing countries may involve a high degree of risk, and may be in default or present the risk of default. Governmental entities responsible for repayment of the debt may be unable or unwilling to repay principal and pay interest when due, and may require renegotiation or rescheduling of debt payments. In addition, prospects for repayment of principal and payment of interest may depend on political as well as economic factors. Although some sovereign debt, such as Brady Bonds, is collateralized by U.S. government securities, repayment of principal and payment of interest is not guaranteed by the U.S. government. There is no bankruptcy proceeding by which sovereign debt on which governmental entities have defaulted may be collected in whole or in part.

 B-16 

 

Zero Coupon, Step Coupon, and Pay-In-Kind Securities

 

Within the parameters of its specific investment policies, the Fund may invest in zero coupon, pay-in-kind, and step coupon securities. Zero coupon bonds are securities that make no fixed interest payments but instead are issued and traded at a discount from their face value. They do not entitle the holder to any periodic payment of interest prior to maturity. Step coupon bonds trade at a discount from their face value and pay coupon interest. The coupon rate is low for an initial period and then increases to a higher coupon rate thereafter. The discount from the face amount or par value depends on the time remaining until cash payments begin, prevailing interest rates, liquidity of the security, and the perceived credit quality of the issuer. Pay-in-kind bonds normally give the issuer an option to pay cash at a coupon payment date or give the holder of the security a similar bond with the same coupon rate and a face value equal to the amount of the coupon payment that would have been made.

 

Generally, the market prices of zero coupon, step coupon, and pay-in-kind securities are more volatile than the prices of securities that pay interest periodically and in cash and are likely to respond to changes in interest rates to a greater degree than other types of debt securities having similar maturities and credit quality.

 

Floating Rate, Inverse Floating Rate and Index Obligations

 

The Fund may invest in debt securities with interest payments or maturity values that are not fixed, but float in conjunction with (or inversely to) an underlying index or price. These securities may be backed by sovereign or corporate issuers, or by collateral such as mortgages. The indices and prices upon which such securities can be based include interest rates, currency rates and commodities prices. Floating rate securities pay interest according to a coupon which is reset periodically. The reset mechanism may be formula based, or reflect the passing through of floating interest payments on an underlying collateral pool. Inverse floating rate securities are similar to floating rate securities except that their coupon payments vary inversely with an underlying index by use of a formula. Inverse floating rate securities tend to exhibit greater price volatility than other floating rate securities. Interest rate risk and price volatility on inverse floating rate obligations can be high, especially if leverage is used in the formula. Index securities pay a fixed rate of interest, but have a maturity value that varies by formula, so that when the obligation matures a gain or loss may be realized. The risk of index obligations depends on the volatility of the underlying index, the coupon payment and the maturity of the obligation.

 

Exchange-Traded Notes (“ETNs”)

 

The Fund may invest in ETNs. An investment in an ETN involves risks, including possible loss of principal. ETNs are unsecured debt securities issued by a bank that are linked to the total return of a market index. Risks of investing in ETNs also include limited portfolio diversification, uncertain principal payment, and illiquidity. Additionally, the investor fee will reduce the amount of return on maturity or at redemption, and as a result the investor may receive less than the principal amount at maturity or upon redemption, even if the value of the relevant index has increased. An investment in an ETN may not be suitable for all investors.

 

Master Limited Partnerships (“MLPs”)

 

The Fund may invest in MLPs. An MLP is an entity receiving partnership taxation treatment under the Code, the interests or “units” of which are traded on securities exchanges like shares of corporate stock. A typical MLP consists of a general partner and limited partners; however, some entities receiving partnership taxation treatment under the Code are established as limited liability companies. The general partner manages the partnership; has an ownership stake in the partnership, typically a 2% general partner equity interest and usually additional common units and subordinated units; and is typically eligible to receive an incentive distribution. The limited partners provide capital to the partnership, have a limited (if any) role in the operation and management of the partnership, and receive cash distributions. An MLP typically pays an established minimum quarterly distribution to common unit holders, as provided under the terms of its partnership agreement. Common units have arrearage rights in distributions to the extent that the MLP fails to make minimum quarterly distributions. Once the MLP distributes the minimum quarterly distribution to common units, subordinated units then are entitled to receive distributions of up to the minimum quarterly distribution, but have no arrearage rights. At the discretion of the general partners’ board of directors, any distributable cash that exceeds the minimum quarterly distribution that the MLP distributed to the common and subordinated units is then distributed to both common and subordinated units, typically on a pro rata basis. Incentive distributions are often paid to the general partner such that as the distribution to limited partnership interests increases, the general partner may receive a proportionately larger share of the total distribution. Incentive distributions are designed to encourage the general partner, who controls and operates the partnership, to maximize the partnership’s cash flow and increase distributions to the limited partners.

 B-17 

 

Generally speaking, MLP investment returns are enhanced during periods of declining or low interest rates and tend to be negatively influenced when interest rates are rising. As an income vehicle, the unit price can be influenced by general interest rate trends independent of specific underlying fundamentals. In addition, most MLPs are leveraged and typically carry a portion of a “floating” rate debt, and a significant upward swing in interest rates would also drive interest expense higher. Furthermore, most MLPs grow by acquisitions partly financed by debt, and higher interest rates could make it more difficult to make acquisitions.

 

Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (“SPACs”)

 

SPACs are collective investment structures that pool funds in order to seek potential acquisition opportunities. The Fund may invest in stock, warrants, and other securities of SPACs or similar special purpose entities. Unless and until an acquisition is completed, a SPAC generally invests its assets (less a portion retained to cover expenses) in U.S. government securities, money market fund securities and cash. To the extent the SPAC is invested in cash or similar securities, this may impact the Fund’s ability to meet its investment objective. If an acquisition that meets the requirements for the SPAC is not completed within a pre-established period of time, the invested funds are returned to the entity’s shareholders, less certain permitted expenses, and any warrants issued by the SPAC will expire worthless. As SPACs and similar entities generally have no operating history or ongoing business other than seeking acquisitions, the value of their securities is particularly dependent on the ability of the entity’s management to identify and complete a profitable acquisition. Certain SPACs may pursue acquisitions only within certain industries or regions, which may increase the volatility of their prices. In addition, these securities, which are typically traded in the over-the-counter market, may be considered illiquid and/or be subject to restrictions on resale.

 

SPAC Management. Each SPAC’s management team will be responsible for identifying business combination opportunities and negotiating the terms of the transaction and, consequently, the Fund will be dependent upon the integrity, skill and judgment of the management team of each SPAC in which the Fund invests. Often a SPAC’s management team consists of financial industry professionals who may have little, if any, experience in managing companies in the business sectors in which the potential issuers to be acquired by the SPAC operate. It is not generally expected that the officers and directors of a SPAC will be required to commit their full business time and attention to the management of the SPAC, which could create a conflict of interest when allocating their time between the SPAC’s operations and their other commitments. If such other commitments require the SPAC’s management team to devote more substantial amounts of time to their other business and affairs, their ability to devote time to the SPAC’s management would be limited, possibly having a negative impact on the SPAC’s ability to consummate a transaction. In addition, the officers and directors of a SPAC in which the Fund invests may become involved with other SPACs in which the Fund does not invest which may engage in similar business opportunities. Consequently, the officers and directors could have conflicts of interest in determining to which SPAC a particular business opportunity should be presented. In such circumstances, there can be no assurance that a given business opportunity would be presented to the SPAC in which the Fund holds an investment. After a transaction, the management of a SPAC, while often retaining a seat on the board of directors of the post-combination entity, will often step down from day-to-day management of the post-combination entity, leaving investors dependent on the skill of the incumbent or new management of the issuer acquired by the SPAC.

 B-18 

 

SPAC Transaction Targets and the Consummation of Transactions. The typical SPAC transaction target is a private company. Due diligence on these companies may be difficult and they will often not have the same level of financial controls as public entities. To the extent that a SPAC completes a business combination with a financially unstable company or an entity in its development stage, the SPAC may be affected by numerous risks inherent in the business operations of that entity. If a SPAC completes a business combination with an entity in an industry characterized by a high level of risk, the SPAC may be affected by the risks of that industry. At times when general market conditions are not favorable for mergers and acquisitions activity or other capital formation, the percentage of SPACs that fail to find transactions and must dissolve is likely to increase. During such periods the Fund, if invested in SPAC securities, may experience less attractive returns.

 

SPACs are subject to significant “event risk;” that is, a SPAC’s success depends on its ability to identify and close a transaction within a relatively short period delimited in its charter. If a SPAC fails to close a transaction within that period it is typically required to liquidate and dissolve. As noted, upon such dissolution the holders of common stock receive a fixed distribution from a trust established to hold IPO proceeds. Upon a SPAC’s dissolution, the warrants will expire worthless. Therefore, the Fund may expect from time to time to suffer complete losses of its investments in certain SPAC warrants.

 

If a SPAC consummates a transaction, there can be no assurance that an investment in the units, shares or warrants of the SPAC will ultimately prove to be more favorable to investors than a direct investment, if an opportunity were available, in the target business. This is especially the case with regards to SPAC warrants - warrant holders may sustain losses even in the event of a consummation if the value of the SPAC’s common stock after the transaction is less than the strike price of the warrants. In addition, because a SPAC may be able to call warrants for redemption after the warrants become exercisable if the sale price of the common stock equals or exceeds a specified price for a specified number of trading days, the Fund’s profit potential with respect to SPAC warrants may be limited by such call feature.

 

The operating companies that result from SPAC transactions face all of the risks that typically follow a major business transaction, including the risks relating to integration following the transaction and the risks inherent in trying to achieve a new business plan. Further, SPAC operating companies often are public companies for the first time following consummation of a transaction, and therefore may not be experienced in facing the challenges, expenses and risks of being a public company, including the increased regulatory and financial scrutiny and the need to comply with applicable governance and accounting requirements.

 

Structured Investments

 

The Fund may invest in structured investments. A structured investment is a security having a return tied to an underlying index or other security or asset class. Structured investments generally are individually negotiated agreements and may be traded OTC. Structured investments are organized and operated to restructure the investment characteristics of the underlying security. This restructuring involves the deposit with or purchase by an entity, such as a corporation or trust, on specified instruments (such as commercial bank loans) and the issuance by that entity or one or more classes of securities (“structured securities”) backed by, or representing interests in, the underlying instruments. The cash flow on the underlying instruments may be apportioned among the newly issued structured securities to create securities with different investment characteristics, such as varying maturities, payment priorities and interest rate provisions, and the extent of such payments made with respect to structured securities is dependent on the extent of the cash flow on the underlying instruments. Because structured securities typically involve no credit enhancement, their credit risk generally will be equivalent to that of the underlying instruments. Investments in structured securities are generally of a class of structured securities that is either subordinated or unsubordinated to the right of payment of another class. Subordinated structured securities typically have higher yields and present greater risks than unsubordinated structured securities. Structured securities are typically sold in private placement transactions, and there currently is no active trading market for structured securities. Investments in government and government-related and restructured debt instruments are subject to special risks, including the inability or unwillingness to repay principal and interest, requests to reschedule or restructure outstanding debt and requests to extend additional loan amounts. Certain issuers of structured investments may be deemed to be “investment companies” as defined in the 1940 Act. As a result, the Fund’s investment in these structured investments may be limited by the restrictions contained in the 1940 Act. Structured investments are typically sold in private placement transactions, and there currently is no active trading market for structured investments.

 B-19 

 

When-Issued or Delayed-Delivery Securities

 

The Fund may purchase securities on a when-issued or delayed delivery basis. For example, delivery of and payment for these securities can take place a month or more after the date of the purchase commitment. The purchase price and the interest rate payable, if any, on the securities are fixed on the purchase commitment date or at the time the settlement date is fixed. The value of such securities is subject to market fluctuations and, in the case of fixed income securities, no interest accrues to the Fund until settlement takes place. When purchasing a security on a when-issued or delayed-delivery basis, the Fund assumes the rights and risks of ownership of the security, including the risk of price and yield fluctuations. Accordingly, at the time the Fund makes the commitment to purchase securities on a when-issued or delayed delivery basis, it will record the transaction, reflect the value each day of such securities in determining its net asset value and, if applicable, calculate the maturity for the purposes of average maturity from that date. At the time of its acquisition, a when-issued security may be valued at less than the purchase price. The Fund will make commitments for such when-issued transactions only when it has the intention of actually acquiring the securities. To facilitate such acquisitions, the Fund will maintain with its custodian a segregated account with liquid assets, consisting of cash, U.S. government securities or other appropriate securities, in an amount at least equal to such commitments. On delivery dates for such transactions, the Fund will meet its obligations from maturities or sales of the securities held in the segregated account and/or from cash flow. If, however, the Fund chooses to dispose of the right to acquire a when-issued security prior to its acquisition, it could, as with the disposition of any other portfolio obligation, recognize taxable capital gain or loss due to market fluctuation. Also, the Fund may be disadvantaged if the other party to the transaction defaults.

 

Repurchase Agreements

 

The Fund may enter into repurchase agreements with respect to its portfolio securities. Pursuant to such agreements, the Fund acquires securities from financial institutions such as banks and broker-dealers deemed to be creditworthy by the Sub-Advisor, subject to the seller’s agreement to repurchase and the Fund’s agreement to resell such securities at a mutually agreed upon date and price. The repurchase price generally equals the price paid by the Fund plus interest negotiated on the basis of current short-term rates (which may be more or less than the rate on the underlying portfolio security). Securities subject to repurchase agreements will be held by the custodian or in the Federal Reserve/Treasury Book-Entry System or an equivalent foreign system. The seller under a repurchase agreement will be required to maintain the value of the underlying securities at not less than 102% of the repurchase price under the agreement. If the seller defaults on its repurchase obligation, the Fund will suffer a loss to the extent that the proceeds from a sale of the underlying securities are less than the repurchase price under the agreement. Bankruptcy or insolvency of such a defaulting seller may cause the Fund’s rights with respect to such securities to be delayed or limited. Repurchase agreements are considered to be loans under the 1940 Act.

 

Reverse Repurchase Agreements

 

The Fund may enter into “reverse” repurchase agreements to avoid selling securities during unfavorable market conditions to meet redemptions. The Fund may invest a maximum of 10% of total assets in reverse repurchase agreements. Pursuant to a reverse repurchase agreement, the Fund will sell portfolio securities and agree to repurchase them from the buyer at a particular date and price. When the Fund enters into a reverse repurchase agreement, it will establish a segregated account in which it will maintain liquid assets in an amount at least equal to the repurchase price marked to market daily (including accrued interest), and will subsequently monitor the account to ensure that such equivalent value is maintained. The Fund pays interest on amounts obtained pursuant to reverse repurchase agreements. Reverse repurchase agreements are considered to be borrowings by the Fund.

 

Short Sales

 

The Fund may seek to hedge investments or realize additional gains through the use of short sales. A short sale is a transaction in which the Fund sells a security it does not own in anticipation that the market price of that security will decline. If the price of the security sold short increases between the time of the short sale and the time the Fund replaces the borrowed security, the Fund will incur a loss; conversely, if the price declines, the Fund will realize a capital gain. Any gain will be decreased, and any loss will be increased, by the transaction costs incurred by the Fund, including the costs associated with providing collateral to the broker-dealer (usually cash and liquid securities) and the maintenance of collateral with its custodian. The Fund also may be required to pay a premium to borrow a security, which would increase the cost of the security sold short. Although the Fund’s gain is limited to the price at which it sold the security short, its potential loss is theoretically unlimited.

 B-20 

 

The broker-dealer will retain the net proceeds of the short sale to the extent necessary to meet margin requirements until the short position is closed out.

 

When the Sub-Advisor believes that the price of a particular security held by the Fund may decline, it may make “short sales against the box” to hedge the unrealized gain on such security. Selling short against the box involves selling a security which the Fund owns for delivery at a specified date in the future. The Fund will incur transaction costs to open, maintain and close short sales against the box.

 

To the extent the Fund sells securities short (except in the case of short sales “against the box”), it is required to segregate an amount of cash or liquid securities on its records equal to the market price of the securities sold short. The segregated assets are marked to market daily in an attempt to ensure that the amount deposited in the segregated account is at least equal to the market value of the securities sold short. Segregated securities cannot be sold while the position they are covering is outstanding, unless they are replaced with similar securities. As a result, there is the possibility that segregation of a large percentage of the Fund’s assets could affect its portfolio management.

 

Borrowing

 

The Fund may engage in limited borrowing activities. Borrowing creates an opportunity for increased return, but, at the same time, creates special risks. Furthermore, if the Fund were to engage in borrowing, an increase in interest rates could reduce the value of the Fund’s shares by increasing the Fund’s interest expense. Subject to the limitations described under “Investment Limitations” below, the Fund may be permitted to borrow for temporary purposes and/or for investment purposes. Such a practice will result in leveraging of the Fund’s assets and may cause the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it would not be advantageous to do so. This borrowing may be secured or unsecured. Provisions of the 1940 Act require the Fund to maintain continuous asset coverage (that is, total assets including borrowings, less liabilities exclusive of borrowings) of 300% of the amount borrowed, with an exception for borrowings not in excess of 5% of the Fund’s total assets made for temporary administrative purposes. Any borrowings for temporary administrative purposes in excess of 5% of the Fund’s total assets will count against this asset coverage requirement. If the 300% asset coverage should decline as a result of market fluctuations or other reasons, the Fund may be required to sell some of its portfolio holdings within three days to reduce the debt and restore the 300% asset coverage, even though it may be disadvantageous from an investment standpoint if the Fund sells securities at that time. Borrowing will tend to exaggerate the effect on net asset value of any increase or decrease in the market value of the Fund’s portfolio. Money borrowed will be subject to interest charges which may or may not be recovered by appreciation of the securities purchased, if any. The Fund also may be required to maintain minimum average balances in connection with such borrowings or to pay a commitment or other fee to maintain a line of credit; either of these requirements would increase the cost of borrowing over the stated interest rate.

 

Illiquid and Restricted Securities

 

The Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities. Illiquid securities are securities that the Fund reasonably expects cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the securities. Illiquid securities may be difficult to value, and the Fund may have difficulty or be unable to dispose of such securities promptly or at reasonable prices. The Fund will not purchase any illiquid investment if, immediately after the acquisition, its illiquid investments that are assets would exceed the 15% limit. 

 B-21 

 

The Fund may invest in restricted securities. Restricted securities are securities that may not be sold freely to the public absent registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”), or an exemption from registration. While restricted securities are generally presumed to be illiquid, it may be determined that a particular restricted security is liquid. Rule 144A under the 1933 Act 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 sold pursuant to Rule 144A in many cases provide both readily ascertainable values for restricted securities and the ability to liquidate an investment to satisfy share redemption orders. Such markets might include automated systems for the trading, clearance and settlement of unregistered securities of domestic and foreign issuers, such as the PORTAL System sponsored by NASDAQ. An insufficient number of qualified buyers interested in purchasing Rule 144A eligible restricted securities, however, could adversely affect the marketability of such portfolio securities and result in the Fund’s inability to dispose of such securities promptly or at favorable prices.

 

The Fund may purchase commercial paper issued pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) of the 1933 Act. 4(a)(2) commercial paper typically has the same price and liquidity characteristics as commercial paper, except that the resale of 4(a)(2) commercial paper is limited to the institutional investor marketplace. Such a restriction on resale makes 4(a)(2) commercial paper technically a restricted security under the 1933 Act. In practice, however, 4(a)(2) commercial paper can be resold as easily as any other unrestricted security held by the Fund.

 

Rule 22e-4 under the 1940 Act requires, among other things, that the Fund establish a liquidity risk management program (“LRMP”) that is reasonably designed to assess and manage liquidity risk. Rule 22e-4 defines “liquidity risk” as the risk that a fund could not meet requests to redeem shares issued by the fund without significant dilution of the remaining investors’ interests in the fund. The Fund has implemented a LRMP to meet the relevant requirements. Among other things, the LRMP provides for the classification of each Fund investment as a “highly liquid investment,” “moderately liquid investment,” “less liquid investment” or “illiquid investment.” The liquidity risk classifications of the Fund’s investments are determined after reasonable inquiry and taking into account relevant market, trading and investment-specific considerations. To the extent that a Fund investment is deemed to be an “illiquid investment” or a “less liquid investment,” the Fund can expect to be exposed to greater liquidity risk. There is no guarantee the LRMP will be effective in its operations, and complying with Rule 22e-4, including bearing related costs, could impact the Fund’s performance and its ability to seek its investment objective.

 

Lending Portfolio Securities

 

Consistent with applicable regulatory requirements and the Fund’s investment restrictions, the Fund may lend portfolio securities to securities broker-dealers or financial institutions, provided that such loans are callable at any time by the Fund (subject to notice provisions described below), and are at all times secured by cash or cash equivalents, which are maintained in a segregated account pursuant to applicable regulations and that are at least equal to the market value, determined daily, of the loaned securities. The advantage of such loans is that the Fund continues to receive the income on the loaned securities while at the same time earns interest on the cash amounts deposited as collateral, which will be invested in short-term obligations. The Fund will not lend portfolio securities if such loans are not permitted by the laws or regulations of any state in which its shares are qualified for sale. The Fund’s loans of portfolio securities will be collateralized in accordance with applicable regulatory requirements and no loan will cause the value of all loaned securities to exceed 33 1/3% of the value of the Fund’s total assets.

 

A loan may generally be terminated by the borrower on one business day’s notice, or by the Fund on five business days’ notice. If the borrower fails to deliver the loaned securities within five days after receipt of notice or fails to maintain the requisite amount of collateral, the Fund could use the collateral to replace the securities while holding the borrower liable for any excess of replacement cost over collateral. As with any extensions of credit, there are risks of delay in recovery and in some cases even loss of rights in the collateral should the borrower of the securities fail financially. However, these loans of portfolio securities will only be made to firms deemed by the Fund’s management to be creditworthy and when the income that can be earned from such loans justifies the attendant risks. Upon termination of the loan, the borrower is required to return the securities to the Fund. Any gain or loss in the market price during the loan period would inure to the Fund. The risks associated with loans of portfolio securities are substantially similar to those associated with repurchase agreements. Thus, if the counterparty to the loan petitions for bankruptcy or becomes subject to the U.S. Bankruptcy Code, the law regarding the rights of the Fund is unsettled. As a result, under extreme circumstances, there may be a restriction on the Fund’s ability to sell the collateral, and the Fund would suffer a loss. When voting or consent rights that accompany loaned securities pass to the borrower, the Fund will follow the policy of calling the loaned securities, to be delivered within one day after notice, to permit the exercise of such rights if the matters involved would have a material effect on the Fund’s investment in such loaned securities. The Fund will pay reasonable finder’s, administrative and custodial fees in connection with a loan of its securities.

 B-22 

 

Temporary Investments

 

The Fund may take temporary defensive measures that are inconsistent with the Fund’s normal fundamental or non-fundamental investment policies and strategies in response to adverse market, economic, political, or other conditions as determined by the Sub-Advisor. Such measures could include, but are not limited to, investments in (1) highly liquid short-term fixed income securities issued by or on behalf of municipal or corporate issuers, obligations of the U.S. government and its agencies, commercial paper, and bank certificates of deposit; (2) repurchase agreements involving any such securities; and (3) other money market instruments. The Fund also may invest in shares of money market mutual funds to the extent permitted under applicable law. Money market mutual funds are investment companies, and the investments in those companies by the Fund are in some cases subject to certain fundamental investment restrictions. As a shareholder in a mutual fund, the Fund will bear its ratable share of its expenses, including management fees, and will remain subject to payment of the fees to the Advisor, with respect to assets so invested. The Fund may not achieve its investment objectives during temporary defensive periods.

 

Cybersecurity Risk

 

Investment companies, such as the Fund, and its service providers may be subject to operational and information security risks resulting from cyber attacks. Cyber attacks include, among other behaviors, stealing or corrupting data maintained online or digitally, denial of service attacks on websites, the unauthorized release of confidential information or various other forms of cybersecurity breaches. Cyber attacks affecting the Fund, the Advisor or Sub-Advisor, the Fund’s custodian or transfer agent, or intermediaries or other third-party service providers may adversely impact the Fund. For instance, cyber attacks may interfere with the processing of shareholder transactions, impact the Fund’s ability to calculate its net asset value, cause the release of private shareholder information or confidential company information, impede trading, subject the Fund to regulatory fines or financial losses, and cause reputational damage. The Fund may also incur additional costs for cybersecurity risk management purposes. While the Fund and its service providers have established business continuity plans and risk management systems designed to prevent or reduce the impact of cybersecurity attacks, such plans and systems have inherent limitations due in part to the ever-changing nature of technology and cybersecurity attack tactics, and there is a possibility that certain risks have not been adequately identified or prepared for. Furthermore, the Fund cannot control any cybersecurity plans or systems implemented by its service providers.

 

Similar types of cybersecurity risks are also present for issuers of securities in which the Fund invests, which could result in material adverse consequences for such issuers, and may cause the Fund’s investment in such portfolio companies to lose value.

 

LIBOR Risk

 

Many financial instruments, financings or other transactions to which the Fund may be a party use or may use a floating rate based on the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”). LIBOR is the offered rate at which major international banks can obtain wholesale, unsecured funding, and LIBOR may be available for different durations (e.g., 1 month or 3 months) and for different currencies. LIBOR may be a significant factor in determining the Fund’s payment obligations under a derivative investment, the cost of financing to the Fund or an investment’s value or return to the Fund, and may be used in other ways that affect the Fund’s investment performance. In July 2017, the Financial Conduct Authority, the United Kingdom’s financial regulatory body, announced that after 2021 it will cease its active encouragement of banks to provide the quotations needed to sustain LIBOR. That announcement suggests that LIBOR may cease to be published or utilized after that time, although it is possible that all or a part of the phase out may be delayed. Various financial industry groups have begun planning for that transition, but there are obstacles to converting certain securities and transactions to a new benchmark. Transition planning is ongoing, and the effect of the transition process and its ultimate success cannot yet be determined. The transition process may lead to increased volatility and illiquidity in markets for instruments the terms of which are based on LIBOR. It could also lead to a reduction in the value of some LIBOR-based investments and reduce the effectiveness of new hedges placed against existing LIBOR-based investments. While some LIBOR-based instruments may contemplate a scenario in which LIBOR is no longer available by providing for an alternative rate-setting methodology and/or increased costs for certain LIBOR-related instruments or financing transactions, not all may have such provisions and there may be significant uncertainty regarding the effectiveness of any such alternative methodologies, resulting in prolonged adverse market conditions for the Fund. Since the usefulness of LIBOR as a benchmark could deteriorate during the transition period, these effects could occur prior to the completion of the phase out. The willingness and ability of issuers to include enhanced provisions in new and existing contracts or instruments also remains uncertain. Any of these factors may adversely affect the Fund’s performance or NAV.

 B-23 

 

Investment Restrictions

 

The Fund has adopted the following restrictions as fundamental policies, which may not be changed without the favorable “vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding voting securities” of the Fund, as defined in the 1940 Act. Under the 1940 Act, the “vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding voting securities” of the Fund means the vote of the holders of the lesser of (i) 67% of the shares of the Fund represented at a meeting at which the holders of more than 50% of its outstanding shares are represented or (ii) more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Fund. The Fund’s investment objective is a non-fundamental policy and may be changed without shareholder approval.

 

The Fund may not:

 

1.Issue senior securities, borrow money or pledge its assets, except that (i) the Fund may borrow from banks in amounts not exceeding one-third of its net assets (including the amount borrowed); and (ii) this restriction shall not prohibit the Fund from engaging in or writing options transactions or short sales or investing in or writing financial futures, swaps, when-issued or delayed delivery securities, or reverse repurchase agreements;

 

2.Act as underwriter, except to the extent the Fund may be deemed to be an underwriter in connection with the sale of securities in its investment portfolio;

 

3.Invest 25% or more of its total assets, calculated at the time of purchase, in any one industry (other than securities issued by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities);

 

4.Purchase or sell real estate or interests in real estate or real estate limited partnerships (although the Fund may purchase and sell securities which are secured by real estate and securities of companies which invest or deal in real estate, such as REITs;

 

5.Make loans of money, except (a) for purchases of debt securities consistent with the investment policies of the Fund, (b) by engaging in repurchase agreements or, (c) through the loan of portfolio securities in an amount up to 33 1/3% of the Fund’s net assets; or

 

6.Purchase or sell physical commodities, unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments. This limitation shall not prevent the Fund from purchasing, selling or entering into future contracts, or acquiring securities or other instruments and options thereon backed by, or related to, physical commodities.

 

In applying the Fund’s fundamental policy concerning industry concentration described above, it is a matter of nonfundamental policy that investments in certain broader categories of companies will not be considered to be investments in the same industry, for example: technology companies will be divided according to their products and services so that hardware, software, information services and outsourcing, and telecommunications will each be considered separate industries; financial service companies will be classified according to the end users of their services so that automobile finance, bank finance and diversified finance will each be considered separate industries; asset-backed securities will be classified according to the underlying assets securing such securities; REITs will be divided according to the property type on which they focus (e.g., office, data center, retail, residential) so that REITs focusing on separate property types will each be considered separate industries; and utility companies will be divided according to their services so that gas, gas transmission, electric and telephone will each be considered separate industries.

 B-24 

 

Non-Fundamental Policies

 

The Fund observes the following restriction as a matter of operating but not fundamental policy, pursuant to positions taken by federal regulatory authorities:

 

The Fund may not invest, in the aggregate, more than 15% of its net assets in securities that the Fund reasonably expects cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the securities.

 

Except with respect to borrowing, if a percentage or rating restriction on investment or use of assets set forth herein or in the Prospectus is adhered to at the time a transaction is effected, later changes in percentage resulting from any cause other than actions by the Fund will not be considered a violation.

 

MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND

 

Trustees and Officers

 

The overall management of the business and affairs of the Trust is vested with its Board of Trustees. The Board approves all significant agreements between the Trust and persons or companies furnishing services to it, including the agreements with the Advisor, Sub-Advisor, co-administrators, distributor, custodian and transfer agent. The day-to-day operations of the Trust are delegated to its officers, except that the Sub-Advisor is responsible for making day-to-day investment decisions in accordance with the Fund’s investment objectives, strategies, and policies, all of which are subject to general supervision by the Board.

 

The Trustees and officers of the Trust, their years of birth and positions with the Trust, term of office with the Trust and length of time served, their business addresses and principal occupations during the past five years and other directorships held during the past five years are listed in the table below. Unless noted otherwise, each person has held the position listed for a minimum of five years. Charles H. Miller, Ashley Toomey Rabun, William H. Young and John P. Zader are all of the Trustees who are not “interested persons” of the Trust, as that term is defined in the 1940 Act (collectively, the “Independent Trustees”).

 B-25 

 

Name, Address, Year of Birth and Position(s) held with Trust Term of Officec and Length of Time Served

Principal Occupation During the

Past Five Years and Other Affiliations

Number of Portfolios in the Fund Complex Overseen by Trusteed Other Directorships Held by Trustee During the Past Five Yearse
“Independent” Trustees:      

Charles H. Miller a

(born 1947)

Trustee

Since November 2007 Retired (2013 – present); Executive Vice President, Client Management and Development, Access Data, a Broadridge company, a provider of technology and services to asset management firms (1997 – 2012). 7

361 Social Infrastructure Fund,

a closed-end investment company.

Ashley Toomey Rabun a

(born 1952)

Trustee and Chairperson of the Board

 

Since November 2007 Retired (2016 – present); President and Founder, InvestorReach, Inc. a financial services consulting firm (1996 – 2015). 7

361 Social Infrastructure Fund,

a closed-end investment company; Select Sector SPDR Trust, a registered investment company (includes 11 portfolios).

William H. Young a
(born 1950)

Trustee

Since November 2007 Retired (2014 – present); Independent financial services consultant (1996 –2014); Interim CEO, Unified Fund Services (now Huntington Fund Services), a mutual fund service provider (2003 – 2006); Senior Vice President, Oppenheimer Management Company (1983 – 1996); Chairman, NICSA, an investment management trade association (1993 – 1996). 7

361 Social Infrastructure Fund,

a closed-end investment company.

John P. Zader a

(born 1961)

Trustee

Since November 2007 Retired (June 2014 – present); CEO, UMB Fund Services, Inc., a mutual fund and hedge fund service provider, and the transfer agent, fund accountant, and co-administrator for the Fund (December 2006 – June 2014); President, Investment Managers Series Trust (December 2007 – June 2014). 7

Investment Managers Series Trust II, a registered investment company (includes [ ] portfolios);

361 Social Infrastructure Fund,

a closed-end investment company.

 B-26 

 

 

Name, Address, Year of Birth and Position(s) held with Trust Term of Officec and Length of Time Served

Principal Occupation During the

Past Five Years and Other Affiliations

Number of Portfolios in the Fund Complex Overseen by Trusteed Other Directorships Held by Trustee During the Past Five Yearse
Interested Trustees:        

Eric M. Banhazl b†

(born 1957)

Trustee

Since January 2008 Chairman, Foothill Capital Management, LLC, a registered investment advisor (2018 – present);  Chairman (2016 – present), President (2006 – 2015), Mutual Fund Administration, LLC, the co-administrator for the Fund (2006 – present). 7

Investment Managers Series Trust II, a registered investment company (includes [ ] portfolios);

361 Social Infrastructure Fund,

a closed-end investment company.

Maureen Quill a*

(born 1963)

Trustee and President

Since June 2019 President, Investment Managers Series Trust (June 2014 – present); President, UMB Distribution Services (March 2013 – present), EVP/Executive Director Registered Funds (January 2018 – present), Chief Operating Officer (June 2014 – January 2018), and Executive Vice President (January 2007 – June 2014), UMB Fund Services, Inc.; Vice President, Investment Managers Series Trust (December 2013 – June 2014).   7 361 Social Infrastructure Fund, a closed-end investment company.
Officers of the Trust:    

Rita Dam b

(born 1966)

Treasurer and Assistant Secretary

Since December 2007 Treasurer, 361 Social Infrastructure Fund (December 2019 – present); Co-President, Foothill Capital Management, LLC, a registered investment advisor (2018 – present);  Co-Chief Executive Officer (2016 – present), and Vice President (2006 – 2015), Mutual Fund Administration, LLC. N/A N/A

Joy Ausili b

(born 1966)

Vice President, Assistant Secretary and Assistant Treasurer

Since March 2016 Vice President and Assistant Secretary, 361 Social Infrastructure Fund (December 2019 – present); Co-President, Foothill Capital Management, LLC, a registered investment advisor (2018 – present);  Co-Chief Executive Officer (2016 – present), and Vice President (2006 – 2015), Mutual Fund Administration, LLC. Secretary and Assistant Treasurer, Investment Managers Series Trust (December 2007 – March 2016). N/A N/A

 B-27 

 

Name, Address, Year of Birth and Position(s) held with Trust Term of Officec and Length of Time Served

Principal Occupation During the

Past Five Years and Other Affiliations

Number of Portfolios in the Fund Complex Overseen by Trusteed Other Directorships Held by Trustee During the Past Five Yearse

Diane Drake b

(born 1967)

Secretary

Since March 2016 Secretary, 361 Social Infrastructure Fund (December 2019 – present); Senior Counsel, Mutual Fund Administration, LLC (October 2015 – present); Chief Compliance Officer, Foothill Capital Management, LLC, a registered investment advisor (2018 – 2019). N/A N/A

Martin Dziura b

(born 1959)

Chief Compliance Officer

Since June 2014 Principal, Dziura Compliance Consulting, LLC (October 2014 –  present); Managing Director, Cipperman Compliance Services (2010 – September 2014); Chief Compliance Officer, Hanlon Investment Management (2009 – 2010); Vice President − Compliance, Morgan Stanley Investment Management (2000 − 2009). N/A N/A

 

aAddress for certain Trustees and certain officers: 235 W. Galena Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53212.
bAddress for Mr. Banhazl, Ms. Ausili, Ms. Dam and Ms. Drake: 2220 E. Route 66, Suite 226, Glendora, California 91740.

Address for Mr. Dziura: 309 Woodridge Lane, Media, Pennsylvania 19063.

cTrustees and officers serve until their successors have been duly elected.
dThe Trust is comprised of [ ] series managed by unaffiliated investment advisors. Each Trustee serves as Trustee of each series of the Trust. The term “Fund Complex” applies only to the series managed by the same investment advisor. The Fund’s investment advisor also serves as investment advisor to the Braddock Multi-Strategy Income Fund, Robinson Opportunistic Income Fund, Robinson Tax Advantaged Income Fund, Securian AM Balanced Stabilization Fund, Securian AM Equity Stabilization Fund, Securian AM Real Asset Income Fund, and West Loop Realty Fund, which are offered in separate prospectuses. The Funds do not hold themselves out as related to any other series within the Trust, for purposes of investment and investor services.
e“Other Directorships Held” includes only directorships of companies required to register or file reports with the SEC under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (that is, “public companies”), or other investment companies registered under the 1940 Act.
Mr. Banhazl is an “interested person” of the Trust by virtue of his position with Mutual Fund Administration, LLC.
*Ms. Quill is an “interested person” of the Trust by virtue of her position with UMB Fund Services, Inc.

 

Compensation

 

Each Independent Trustee currently receives from the Trust a quarterly retainer of $32,500. Prior to January 1, 2021, each Independent Trustee received a quarterly retainer of $30,000. Each Independent Trustee also receives $4,000 for each special in-person meeting attended and $1,500 for each telephonic meeting attended. In addition, Ms. Rabun receives an additional annual retainer of $25,000 for serving as Chairperson of the Board; and each of Mr. Young, Mr. Miller and Mr. Zader receives an additional annual retainer of $10,000 for serving as Audit Committee Chair, Valuation Committee Chair and Nominating, Governance and Regulatory Review Committee Chair, respectively. The Trust has no pension or retirement plan. The 361 Social Infrastructure Fund, an affiliated person of the Trust, also pays compensation to the Trustees for their service as Trustees.

 B-28 

 

The Trustees may elect to defer payment of their compensation from the Fund(s) pursuant to the Trust’s non-qualified Deferred Compensation Plan for Trustees which permits the Trustees to defer receipt of all or part of their compensation from the Trust. Amounts deferred are deemed invested in shares of one or more series of the Trust, as selected by the Trustee from time to time. A Trustee’s deferred compensation account will be paid in cash at such times as elected by the Trustee, subject to certain mandatory payment provisions in the Deferred Compensation Plan. Deferral and payment elections under the Deferred Compensation Plan are subject to strict requirements for modification.

 

Name of Person/Position 

Aggregate

Compensation

From the Fund ($)1

   Pension or Retirement Benefits Accrued as Part of Fund’s Expenses ($)  Estimated Annual  Benefits Upon Retirement ($)  Total Compensation from Fund and Fund Complex Paid to Trustees ($)1,2
Charles H. Miller, Independent Trustee and Valuation Committee Chair  $1,500   None  None  [  ]
Ashley Toomey Rabun, Independent Trustee and Chairperson  $1,500   None  None  [  ]
William H. Young, Independent Trustee and Audit Committee Chair  $1,500   None  None  [  ]
John Zader, Independent Trustee and Nominating, Governance and Regulatory Review Committee Chair  $1,500   None  None  [  ]

 

1Estimated for the first year.
2There are currently numerous portfolios comprising the Trust. The term “Fund Complex” applies only to the series managed by the same advisor. The Advisor also serves as investment advisor to the Braddock Multi-Strategy Income Fund, Robinson Opportunistic Income Fund, Robinson Tax Advantaged Income Fund, Securian AM Balanced Stabilization Fund, Securian AM Equity Stabilization Fund, Securian AM Real Asset Income Fund, and West Loop Realty Fund, which are offered in separate prospectuses. The Funds do not hold themselves out as related to any other series within the Trust, for purposes of investment and investor services.

 

Mr. Banhazl and Ms. Quill are not compensated for their service as Trustees because of their affiliation with the Trust. Officers of the Trust are not compensated by the Fund for their services.

 

Additional Information Concerning the Board and the Trustees

 

The current Trustees were selected in November 2007 (January 2008 for Mr. Banhazl and June 2019 for Ms. Quill) with a view towards establishing a Board that would have the broad experience needed to oversee a registered investment company comprised of multiple series employing a variety of different investment strategies. As a group, the Board has extensive experience in many different aspects of the financial services and asset management industries.

 

The Trustees were selected to join the Board based upon the following factors, among others: character and integrity; willingness to serve and willingness and ability to commit the time necessary to perform the duties of a Trustee; as to each Trustee other than Mr. Banhazl, Ms. Quill and Mr. Zader (at that time), satisfying the criteria for not being classified as an “interested person” of the Trust as defined in the 1940 Act; and, as to Mr. Banhazl and Ms. Quill, their positions with Mutual Fund Administration, LLC and UMB Fund Services, Inc., respectively, the Trust’s co-administrators. In addition, the Trustees have the following specific experience, qualifications, attributes and/or skills relevant to the operations of the Trust:

 B-29 

 

Ms. Rabun has substantial senior executive experience in mutual fund marketing and distribution and serving in senior executive and board positions with mutual funds, including multiple series trusts similar to the Trust.

 

Mr. Miller has significant senior executive experience with respect to marketing and distribution of mutual funds, including multiple series trusts similar to the Trust.

 

Mr. Young has broad senior executive experience with respect to the operations and management of mutual funds and administrative service providers, including multiple series trusts similar to the Trust.

 

Mr. Banhazl has significant experience serving in senior executive and board positions for mutual funds and with respect to the organization and operation of mutual funds and multiple series trusts similar to the Trust.

 

Mr. Zader has substantial experience serving in senior executive positions at mutual fund administrative service providers.

 

Ms. Quill has substantial experience serving in senior executive positions at mutual fund administrative service providers.

 

In its periodic self-assessment of the effectiveness of the Board, the Board considers the complementary individual skills and experience of the individual Trustees primarily in the broader context of the Board’s overall composition so that the Board, as a body, possesses the appropriate (and appropriately diverse) skills and experience to oversee the business of the Fund. The summaries set forth above as to the qualifications, attributes and skills of the Trustees are required by the registration form adopted by the SEC, do not constitute holding out the Board or any Trustee as having any special expertise or experience, and do not impose any greater responsibility or liability on any such person or on the Board as a whole than would otherwise be the case.

 

The Board of Trustees has three standing committees: the Audit Committee, the Nominating, Governance and Regulatory Review Committee (the “Nominating Committee”), and the Valuation Committee.

 

The function of the Audit Committee, with respect to each series of the Trust, is to review the scope and results of the series’ annual audit and any matters bearing on the audit or the series’ financial statements and to assist the Board’s oversight of the integrity of the series’ pricing and financial reporting. The Audit Committee is comprised of all of the Independent Trustees and is chaired by Mr. Young. It does not include any Interested Trustees. The Audit Committee is expected to meet at least twice a year with respect to each series of the Trust.

 

The Audit Committee also serves as the Qualified Legal Compliance Committee for the Trust for the purpose of compliance with Rules 205.2(k) and 205.3(c) of the Code of Federal Regulations regarding alternative reporting procedures for attorneys retained or employed by an issuer who appear and practice before the SEC on behalf of the issuer.

 

The Nominating Committee is responsible for reviewing matters pertaining to composition, committees, and operations of the Board, as well as assisting the Board in overseeing matters related to certain regulatory issues. The Nominating Committee meets from time to time as needed. The Nominating Committee will consider trustee nominees properly recommended by the Trust’s shareholders. Shareholders who wish to recommend a nominee should send nominations that include, among other things, biographical data and the qualifications of the proposed nominee to the Trust’s Secretary. The Independent Trustees comprise the Nominating Committee, and the Committee is chaired by Mr. Zader.

 B-30 

 

The function of the Valuation Committee is to recommend to the Board for its approval methodologies for valuing securities held by any series of the Trust for which current and reliable market quotations are not readily available; monitor prices determined by officers of the Trust pursuant to such methodologies; and approve fair valued security prices that are not determined pursuant to an approved methodology. The actions of the Valuation Committee are subsequently reviewed by the Board. The Valuation Committee is comprised of all the Trustees and is chaired by Mr. Miller, but action may be taken by any one of the Trustees. The Valuation Committee meets as needed.

 

Independent Trustees comprise 67% of the Board and Ashley Toomey Rabun, an Independent Trustee, serves as Chairperson of the Board. The Chairperson serves as a key point person for dealings between the Trust’s management and the other Independent Trustees. As noted above, through the committees of the Board the Independent Trustees consider and address important matters involving each series of the Trust, including those presenting conflicts or potential conflicts of interest. The Independent Trustees also regularly meet outside the presence of management and are advised by independent legal counsel. The Board has determined that its organization and leadership structure are appropriate in light of its fiduciary and oversight obligations, the special obligations of the Independent Trustees, and the relationship between the Interested Trustees and the Trust’s co-administrators. The Board also believes that its structure facilitates the orderly and efficient flow of information to the Independent Trustees from management.

 

Consistent with its responsibility for oversight of the Fund in the interests of shareholders, the Board among other things oversees risk management of the Fund’s investment programs and business affairs directly and through the Audit Committee. The Board has emphasized to the Advisor and the Sub-Advisor the importance of maintaining vigorous risk management programs and procedures.

 

The Fund faces a number of risks, such as investment risk, valuation risk, reputational risk, risk of operational failure or lack of business continuity, and legal, compliance and regulatory risk. Risk management seeks to identify and address risks, i.e., events or circumstances that could have material adverse effects on the business, operations, shareholder services, investment performance or reputation of the Fund. Under the overall supervision of the Board, the Advisor, the Sub-Advisor and other service providers to the Fund employ a variety of processes, procedures and controls to identify various of those possible events or circumstances, to lessen the probability of their occurrence and/or to mitigate the effects of such events or circumstances if they do occur. Different processes, procedures and controls are employed with respect to different types of risks. Various personnel, including the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer (the “CCO,”), the Advisor’s management, the Sub-Advisor’s management and other service providers (such as the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm) make periodic reports to the Board or to the Audit Committee with respect to various aspects of risk management. The Board recognizes that not all risks that may affect the Fund can be identified, that it may not be practical or cost-effective to eliminate or mitigate certain risks, that it may be necessary to bear certain risks (such as investment-related risks) to achieve the Fund’s investment objective, and that the processes, procedures and controls employed to address certain risks may be limited in their effectiveness. Moreover, reports received by the Trustees as to risk management matters are typically summaries of the relevant information. As a result of the foregoing and other factors, the Board’s risk management oversight is subject to substantial limitations.

 

Fund Shares Beneficially Owned by Trustees

 

Certain information regarding ownership by the Trustees of the Fund and other series of the Trust, as of the date of this SAI, is set forth in the following table.

 B-31 

 

Name of Trustee Dollar Range of Equity Securities in the Fund ($) Aggregate Dollar Range of Equity Securities in all Registered Investment Companies Overseen by Trustee in Family of Investment Companies ($)
Charles H. Miller, Independent Trustee None None
Ashley Toomey Rabun, Independent Trustee None None
William H. Young, Independent Trustee None $50,001 - $100,000
John P. Zader, Independent Trustee None None
Eric M. Banhazl, Interested Trustee None Over $100,000
Maureen Quill, Interested Trustee None None

 

Control Persons, Principal Shareholders, and Management Ownership

 

[A control person is one who owns beneficially or through controlled companies more than 25% of the voting securities of the Fund or acknowledges the existence of control. Shareholders with a controlling interest could affect the outcome of voting or the direction of management of the Fund. The Fund has no information regarding the beneficial owners of Fund shares owned through accounts with financial intermediaries. As of the date of this SAI, the Fund is under the control of the Advisor, which had voting authority with respect to 100% of the outstanding shares in the Fund on such date. However, once the Fund commences investment operations and its shares are sold to the public, this control will be diluted.

 

As of the date of this SAI, the Trustees and officers of the Trust as a group did not own more than 1% of the outstanding shares of the Fund. Furthermore, neither the Independent Trustees, nor members of their immediate families, own securities beneficially or of record in the Advisor, Sub-Advisor, the Fund’s distributor, Foreside Fund Services, LLC (the “Distributor”), or any of their respective affiliates.]

 

The Advisor

 

The Advisor, Liberty Street Advisors, Inc., 100 Wall Street, Floor 20, New York, New York 10005, serves as investment advisor to the Fund pursuant to an Investment Advisory Agreement with the Trust (the “Advisory Agreement”). The Advisor is a corporation organized in New York. The Advisor is privately owned with the controlling interests held by Raymond A. Hill, III, Timothy Reick, Victor J. Fontana and Scott Daniels.

 

Pursuant to the terms of the Advisory Agreement, the Advisor provides the Fund with investment advice, makes recommendations with respect to the selection and continued employment of the Sub-Advisor to manage the Fund’s assets, supervises the investment program of the Fund and the composition of its investment portfolio, reviews investment performance and adherence to compliance procedures, and oversees the investments made by the Sub-Advisor. The Advisor also continuously monitors the Sub-Advisor’s compliance with the Fund’s investment objective, policies and restrictions. Subject to such policies as the Board of Trustees may determine, the Advisor is ultimately responsible for investment decisions for the Fund.

 

The Advisory Agreement will continue in effect with respect to the Fund from year to year only if such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by the Board or by vote of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities and by a majority of the Trustees who are not parties to the Advisory Agreement or interested persons of any such party, at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on the Advisory Agreement. The Advisory Agreement is terminable without penalty by the Trust on behalf of the Fund, upon giving the Advisor 60 days’ notice when authorized either by a majority vote of the Fund’s shareholders or by a vote of a majority of the Board, or by the Advisor on 60 days’ written notice, and will automatically terminate in the event of its “assignment” (as defined in the 1940 Act). The Advisory Agreement provides that the Advisor shall not be liable for any error of judgment or for any loss suffered by the Trust in connection with the Advisory Agreement, except for a loss resulting from a breach of fiduciary duty, or for a loss resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of its duties, or from reckless disregard by the Advisor of its duties under the Advisory Agreement.

 B-32 

 

In consideration of the services to be provided by the Advisor pursuant to the Advisory Agreement, the Advisor is entitled to receive from the Fund an investment advisory fee computed daily and paid monthly based on an annual rate equal to a percentage of the Fund’s average daily net assets specified in the Prospectus.

 

The Sub-Advisor

 

Green Alpha Advisors, LLC, 263 2nd Avenue, Suite 106B, Niwot, Colorado 80544, serves as the sub-advisor for the Fund pursuant to a sub-advisory agreement with the Advisor (the “Sub-Advisory Agreement”). Subject to the oversight of the Board and the Advisor, the Sub-Advisor makes decisions regarding the investment and reinvestment of the Fund’s assets. The Sub-Advisor is privately owned with the controlling interests held by Jeremy Deems, Garvin Jabusch and the Sierra Club.

 

The Advisor compensates the Sub-Advisor out of the investment advisory fees the Advisor receives from the Fund. The Sub-Advisor makes investment decisions for the assets it has been allocated to manage, subject to the overall supervision of the Advisor.

 

The Sub-Advisory Agreement will continue in effect from year to year only as long as such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by (i) the Board of Trustees of the Trust or by the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting shares of the Fund, and (ii) by the vote of a majority of the Trustees of the Trust who are not parties to the Sub-Advisory Agreement or interested persons of the Advisor or the Sub-Advisor or the Trust. The Sub-Advisory Agreement may be terminated at any time without the payment of any penalty by the Board of Trustees of the Trust or by the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting shares of the Fund, or by the Sub-Advisor or the Advisor upon 60 days’ written notice to the other party. Additionally, the Sub-Advisory Agreement automatically terminates in the event of its assignment. The Sub-Advisory Agreement provides that the Sub-Advisor shall not be liable for any error of judgment or for any loss suffered by the Trust in connection with the Sub-Advisory Agreement, except for a loss resulting from a breach of fiduciary duty, or for a loss resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of its duties, or from reckless disregard by the Sub-Advisor of its duties under the Sub-Advisory Agreement.

 

Fund Expenses

 

For services rendered by the Advisor under the Advisory Agreement, the Fund pays the Advisor a fee, payable monthly, in an annual amount equal to [ ]% of the Fund’s average daily net assets. The Sub-Advisor’s fee, payable monthly and calculated as a percentage of the Fund’s average daily net assets, is paid by the Advisor and not the Fund.

 

The Fund is responsible for its own operating expenses (all of which will be borne directly or indirectly by the Fund’s shareholders), including among others, legal fees and expenses of counsel to the Fund and the Fund’s Independent Trustees; insurance (including Trustees’ and officers’ errors and omissions insurance); auditing and accounting expenses; taxes and governmental fees; listing fees; dues and expenses incurred in connection with membership in investment company organizations; fees and expenses of the Fund’s custodians, administrators, transfer agents, registrars and other service providers; expenses for portfolio pricing services by a pricing agent, if any; expenses in connection with the issuance and offering of shares; expenses relating to investor and public relations; expenses of registering or qualifying securities of the Fund for public sale; brokerage commissions and other costs of acquiring or disposing of any portfolio holding of the Fund; expenses of preparation and distribution of reports, notices and dividends to shareholders; expenses of the dividend reinvestment plan; compensation and expenses of trustees; any litigation expenses; and costs of shareholders’ and other meetings.

 

The Advisor has contractually agreed to waive its fees and/or pay for operating expenses of the Fund to ensure that the total annual fund operating expenses (excluding, as applicable, taxes, leverage interest, brokerage commission, dividend and interest expenses on short sales, acquired fund fees and expenses (as determined in accordance with Form N-1A), expenses incurred in connection with any merger or reorganization, or extraordinary expenses such as litigation expenses) do not exceed [ ]%, [ ]%, and [ ]% of the average daily net assets of the Class A Shares, Class C Shares, and Institutional Class Shares of the Fund, respectively. This agreement is effective until [December 31, 2023], and may be terminated before that date only by the Board of Trustees.

 B-33 

 

Any reduction in advisory fees or payment of the Fund’s expenses made by the Advisor in a fiscal year may be reimbursed by the Fund for a period ending three full fiscal years after the date of reduction or payment if the Advisor so requests. This reimbursement may be requested from the Fund if the reimbursement will not cause the Fund’s annual expense ratio to exceed the lesser of (a) the expense limitation in effect at the time such fees were waived or payments made, or (b) the expense limitation in effect at the time of the reimbursement. However, the reimbursement amount may not exceed the total amount of fees waived and/or Fund expenses paid by the Advisor and will not include any amounts previously reimbursed to the Advisor by the Fund. Any such reimbursement is contingent upon the Board’s subsequent review of the reimbursed amounts. The Fund must pay current ordinary operating expenses before the Advisor is entitled to any reimbursement of fees and/or Fund expenses.

 

Portfolio Managers

 

Other Accounts Managed by the Portfolio Managers. As of the date of this SAI, information on other accounts managed by the Fund’s portfolio managers is as follows.

 

  Registered Investment Companies Other Pooled Investment Vehicles Other Accounts
Portfolio Managers Number of Accounts

Total Assets

(in Million)

Number of Accounts

Total Assets

(in Million)

Number of Accounts

Total Assets

(in Million)

Garvin Jabusch 1 343 1 25 483 496
Jeremy Deems 1 343 1 25 483 496

 

  Number of Accounts with Advisory Fee Based on Performance
  Registered Investment Companies Other Pooled Investment Vehicles Other Accounts
Portfolio Managers Number of Accounts Total Assets (in Million) Number of Accounts Total Assets (in Million) Number of Accounts Total Assets (in Million)
Garvin Jabusch None $0 None $0 None $0
Jeremy Deems None $0 None $0 None $0

 

Material Conflicts of Interest. Actual or apparent conflicts of interest may arise when a portfolio manager has day-to-day management responsibilities with respect to more than one fund or other account. Where conflicts of interest arise between the Fund and other accounts managed by the portfolio managers, the Sub-Advisor will proceed in a manner that ensures that the Fund will not be treated less favorably. There may be instances in which similar portfolio transactions may be executed for the same security for numerous accounts managed by the portfolio managers. In such instances, securities will be allocated in accordance with the Sub-Advisor’s trade allocation policy. Though the Sub-Advisor has policies and procedures in place to address conflicts of interest, there is no guarantee that the Sub-Advisor’s procedures will detect each and every situation in which a conflict arises.

 

Compensation. The portfolio managers are compensated by the Sub-Advisor. Each portfolio manager receives compensation in the form of a salary and bonus. The bonus pool is assessed on the firm’s overall profitability and is allocated based on each individual’s contribution to work performance, firm growth and profitability. The portfolio managers are also significant equity holders in the Sub-Advisor and as such, may participate in any profit distributions by the Sub-Advisor.

 B-34 

 

Ownership of the Fund by the Portfolio Managers. As of the date of this SAI, the portfolio managers owned the following securities in the Fund:

 

Name of Portfolio Manager

Dollar Range of Fund Shares Owned

(None, $1-$10,000, $10,001-$50,000,

$50,001-$100,000, $100,001 - $500,000,

$500,001 - $1,000,000, Over $1,000,000)

Garvin Jabusch None
Jeremy Deems None

 

Service Providers

 

Pursuant to a Co-Administration Agreement (the “Co-Administration Agreement”), UMB Fund Services, Inc. (“UMBFS”), 235 West Galena Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53212, and Mutual Fund Administration, LLC (“MFAC”), 2220 E. Route 66, Suite 226, Glendora, California 91740 (collectively the “Co-Administrators”), act as co-administrators for the Fund. The Co-Administrators provide certain administrative services to the Fund, including, among other responsibilities, coordinating the negotiation of contracts and fees with, and the monitoring of performance and billing of, the Fund’s independent contractors and agents; preparing for signature by an officer of the Trust of all documents required to be filed for compliance with applicable laws and regulations including those of the securities laws of various states; arranging for the computation of performance data, including net asset value and yield; arranging for the maintenance of books and records of the Fund; and providing, at their own expense, office facilities, equipment and personnel necessary to carry out their duties. In this capacity, the Co-Administrators do not have any responsibility or authority for the management of the Fund, the determination of investment policy, or for any matter pertaining to the distribution of Fund shares. The Co-Administration Agreement provides that neither Co-Administrator shall be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by the Trust or its series, except for losses resulting from a Co-Administrator’s willful misfeasance, bad faith or negligence in the performance of its duties or from reckless disregard by it of its obligations and duties under the Agreement.

 

Pursuant to the Co-Administration Agreement, the Fund pays the Co-Administrators a fee for administration services. The fee is payable monthly based on the Fund’s average daily net assets.

 

UMBFS also acts as the Trust’s fund accountant, transfer agent and dividend disbursing agent pursuant to separate agreements.

 

UMB Bank, n.a. (the “Custodian”), an affiliate of UMBFS, is the custodian of the assets of the Fund pursuant to a custody agreement between the Custodian and the Trust, whereby the Custodian provides services for fees on a transactional basis plus out-of-pocket expenses. The Custodian’s address is 928 Grand Boulevard, Kansas City, Missouri 64106. The Custodian does not participate in decisions pertaining to the purchase and sale of securities by the Fund.

 

[    ] is the independent registered public accounting firm for the Fund. Its services include auditing the Fund’s financial statements and the performance of related tax services.

 

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP (“Morgan Lewis”), 600 Anton Boulevard, Suite 1800, Costa Mesa, California 92626, serves as legal counsel to the Trust.

 

Paul Hastings LLP (“Paul Hastings”), 101 California Street, 48th Floor, San Francisco, California 94111, serves as legal counsel to the Independent Trustees.

 

Distributor and the Distribution Agreement

 

Foreside Fund Services, LLC is the distributor (also known as the principal underwriter) of the shares of the Fund and is located at Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, Maine 04101. The Distributor is a registered broker-dealer and is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”). The Distributor is not affiliated with the Trust, the Advisor, the Sub-Advisor or any other service provider for the Fund.

 B-35 

 

Under a Distribution Agreement with the Trust dated September 30, 2014 (the “Distribution Agreement”), the Distributor acts as the agent of the Trust in connection with the continuous offering of shares of the Fund. The Distributor continually distributes shares of the Fund on a best efforts basis. The Distributor has no obligation to sell any specific quantity of Fund shares. The Distributor and its officers have no role in determining the investment policies or which securities are to be purchased or sold by the Trust.

 

The Distributor may enter into agreements with selected broker-dealers, banks or other financial intermediaries for distribution of shares of the Fund. With respect to certain financial intermediaries and related fund “supermarket” platform arrangements, the Fund and/or the Advisor, rather than the Distributor, typically enter into such agreements. These financial intermediaries may charge a fee for their services and may receive shareholder service or other fees from parties other than the Distributor. These financial intermediaries may otherwise act as processing agents and are responsible for promptly transmitting purchase, redemption and other requests to the Fund.

 

Investors who purchase shares through financial intermediaries will be subject to the procedures of those intermediaries through which they purchase shares, which may include charges, investment minimums, cutoff times and other restrictions in addition to, or different from, those listed herein. Information concerning any charges or services will be provided to customers by the financial intermediary through which they purchase shares. Investors purchasing shares of the Fund through financial intermediaries should acquaint themselves with their financial intermediary’s procedures and should read the Prospectus in conjunction with any materials and information provided by their financial intermediary. The financial intermediary, and not its customers, will be the shareholder of record, although customers may have the right to vote shares depending upon their arrangement with the financial intermediary. The Distributor does not receive compensation from the Fund for its distribution services except the distribution/service fees with respect to the shares of those classes for which a Rule 12b-1 distribution plan is effective. The Advisor pays the Distributor a fee for certain distribution-related services.

 

The Distribution Agreement provides that the Distributor shall not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by the Trust in connection with the performance of the Distributor’s obligations and duties under the Distribution Agreement, except a loss resulting from the Distributor’s willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of such duties and obligations, or by reason of its reckless disregard thereof. The Distribution Agreement will continue in effect with respect to the Fund only if such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by the Board or by vote of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities and, in either case, by a majority of the trustees who are not parties to the Distribution Agreement or “interested persons” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of any such party. The Distribution Agreement is terminable without penalty by the Trust on behalf of the Fund on 60 days’ written notice when authorized either by a majority vote of the Fund’s shareholders or by vote of a majority of the Board, including a majority of the trustees who are not “interested persons” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Trust, or by the Distributor on 60 days’ written notice, and will automatically terminate in the event of its “assignment” (as defined in the 1940 Act).

 

The Distributor does not retain sales charges for the sale of the Fund’s Class A Shares. Pursuant to the Distribution Agreement, should any amounts be retained by the Distributor, such amounts would not be held for profit at the Distributor, but instead would be used solely for distribution related expenditures.

 

Rule 12b-1 Plan

 

The Trust has adopted a plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act (the “12b-1 Plan”) that provides for Fund assets to be used for the payment for distribution services for Class A and Class C shares. The 12b-1 Plan provides alternative methods for paying sales charges and may help the Fund grow or maintain asset levels to provide operational efficiencies and economies of scale. The 12b-1 Plan also provides for the payment of service fees in connection with the provision of post-sales shareholders liaison services to holders of Class A and Class C shares as defined in FINRA regulations, including personal services such as responding to customer inquiries, and services related to the maintenance of shareholder accounts. Because 12b-1 fees are paid out of Fund assets attributable to Class A and Class C shares on an ongoing basis, they will, over time, increase the cost of an investment and may cost more than other types of sales charges.

 B-36 

 

The 12b-1 Plan provides that the distribution fees paid by Class A and Class C shares of the Fund may be used to pay for any expenses primarily intended to result in the sale of shares of such Class, including: (a) costs of payments, including incentive compensation, made to agents for and consultants to the Distributor or the Trust, including pension administration firms that provide distribution services and broker-dealers that engage in the distribution of the shares of the Fund or Class; (b) payments made to, and expenses of, persons who provide support services in connection with the distribution of shares of such Class of the Fund; (c) payments made pursuant to any dealer agreements between the Distributor and certain broker-dealers, financial institutions and other service providers with respect to such Class of the Fund; (d) costs relating to the formulation and implementation of marketing and promotional activities; (e) costs of printing and distributing prospectuses, statements of additional information and reports of the Fund to prospective shareholders of such Class of the Fund; (f) costs involved in preparing, printing and distributing sales literature pertaining to such Class of the Fund; (g) costs involved in obtaining such information, analyses and reports with respect to marketing and promotional activities that the Trust may deem advisable with respect to such Class of the Fund, and (h) reimbursement to the Advisor for expenses advanced on behalf of the Fund or Class with respect to such activities. The 12b-1 Plan is a compensation plan, which means that the Distributor is compensated regardless of its expenses, as opposed to a reimbursement plan which reimburses only for expenses incurred. The Distributor does not retain any 12b-1 fees for profit. All 12b-1 fees are held in a retention account by the Distributor to pay for and/or reimburse the Fund, the Advisor, and its related parties for distribution related expenditures.

 

The 12b-1 Plan may not be amended to materially increase the amount to be paid by the Fund’s Class A and Class C shares for distribution services without the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of such shares. The 12b-1 Plan shall continue in effect indefinitely with respect to a Class, provided that such continuance is approved at least annually by a vote of a majority of the Trustees, including the Independent Trustees, cast in person at a meeting called for such purpose or by vote of at least a majority of the outstanding voting securities of such Class. The 12b-1 Plan may be terminated with respect to a Class at any time without penalty by vote of a majority of the Independent Trustees or by vote of the majority of the outstanding voting securities of such Class.

 

If the 12b-1 Plan is terminated for the Fund’s Class A and Class C shares in accordance with its terms, the obligation of the Fund to make payments to the Distributor pursuant to the 12b-1 Plan will cease and the Fund will not be required to make any payments past the termination date. Thus, there will be no legal obligation for the Fund to pay any expenses incurred by the Distributor other than for fees already payable under the 12b-1 Plan, if the 12b-1 Plan is terminated in accordance with its terms for any reason.

 

Shareholder Service Plan

 

The Board has adopted, on behalf of the Fund, a Shareholder Service Plan (the “Service Plan”) under which the Advisor will provide, or arrange for others (such as banks, trust companies, broker-dealers and other financial intermediaries (each, a “Service Organization”)) to provide, certain specified non-distribution shareholder servicing functions for Fund shares owned by its respective customers, including but not limited to (a) establishing and maintaining accounts and records relating to customers who invest in the Fund; (b) aggregating and processing orders involving Fund shares; (c) processing dividend and other distribution payments from the Fund on behalf of customers; (d) preparing tax reports or forms on behalf of customers; (e) forwarding communications from the Fund; (f) providing sub-accounting with respect to Fund shares; (g) providing customers with a service that invests the assets of their accounts in Fund shares pursuant to specific or pre-authorized instructions; and (h) providing such other similar services as the Advisor may reasonably request to the extent it or a Service Organization is permitted to do so under applicable statutes, rules or regulations. The Fund will pay the Advisor or Service Organizations, as applicable, at an annual rate of up to 0.15% of the Fund’s average daily net assets, payable monthly. The amount paid by the Fund to any Service Organization may be expressed in terms of a dollar amount per shareholder account in the Fund held by clients of the Service Organization, and/or in terms of percentage of the net assets of such accounts.

 B-37 

 

The Advisor’s affiliated broker-dealer, HRC Fund Associates, LLC (“HRC”), markets the Fund shares pursuant to a marketing agreement with the Advisor. HRC acts as a wholesaling agent which markets the Fund to financial intermediaries, who in turn and at their discretion may recommend the Fund for purchase to their clients. HRC may also market the Fund to institutional investors. The Advisor pays HRC out of its own resources and without additional cost to the Fund or its shareholders.

 

Marketing and Support Payments

 

The Advisor or the Sub-Advisor, out of its own resources and without additional cost to the Fund or its shareholders, provides cash payments to certain financial intermediaries who sell shares of the Fund. These payments are in addition to other fees described in the Fund’s Prospectus and this SAI, and are generally provided for shareholder services or marketing support. Payments for marketing support are typically for inclusion of the Fund on sales lists, including electronic sales platforms. Investors may wish to take these payments into account when considering and evaluating recommendations to purchase shares of the Fund. The Advisor’s affiliated broker-dealer, HRC Fund Associates, LLC (“HRC”), markets the Fund shares pursuant to a marketing agreement with the Advisor. HRC acts as a wholesaling agent which markets the Fund to financial intermediaries, who in turn and at their discretion may recommend the Fund for purchase to their clients. HRC may also market the Fund to institutional investors. The Advisor pays HRC out of its own resources and without additional cost to the Fund or its shareholders.

 

Dealer Reallowances

 

The Fund’s Class A shares are subject to a sales charge that includes a dealer reallowance, which varies depending on how much the shareholder invests. The Distributor pays the appropriate dealer reallowance to dealers who have entered into an agreement with the Distributor to sell shares of the Fund. More detailed information on the sales charge and its application is contained in the Prospectus. The Distributor does not retain sales charges for the sale of the Fund’s Class A shares.

 

PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS AND BROKERAGE

 

The Sub-Advisor determines which securities are to be purchased and sold by the Fund and which broker-dealers are eligible to execute the Fund’s portfolio transactions. The purchases and sales of securities in the OTC market will generally be executed by using a broker for the transaction.

 

Purchases of portfolio securities for the Fund also may be made directly from issuers or from underwriters. Where possible, purchase and sale transactions will be effected through dealers (including banks) that specialize in the types of securities which the Fund will be holding unless better executions are available elsewhere. Dealers and underwriters usually act as principals for their own accounts. Purchases from underwriters will include a concession paid by the issuer to the underwriter and purchases from dealers will include the spread between the bid and the asked price. If the execution and price offered by more than one dealer or underwriter are comparable, the order may be allocated to a dealer or underwriter that has provided research or other services as discussed below.

 

In placing portfolio transactions, the Sub-Advisor will use its reasonable efforts to choose broker-dealers capable of providing the services necessary to obtain the most favorable price and execution available. The full range and quality of services available will be considered in making these determinations, such as the size of the order, the difficulty of execution, the operational facilities of the broker-dealer involved, the risk in positioning the block of securities, and other factors. In those instances where it is reasonably determined that more than one broker-dealer can offer the services needed to obtain the most favorable price and execution available, consideration may be given to those broker-dealers which furnish or supply research and statistical information to the Sub-Advisor that they may lawfully and appropriately use in their investment advisory capacities, as well as provide other services in addition to execution services. The Sub-Advisor considers such information, which is in addition to and not in lieu of the services required to be performed by it under its Sub-Advisory Agreement with respect to the Fund, to be useful in varying degrees, but of indeterminable value.

 B-38 

 

While it is the Fund’s general policy to seek to obtain the most favorable price and execution available in selecting a broker-dealer to execute portfolio transactions for the Fund, weight is also given to the ability of a broker-dealer to furnish brokerage and research services as defined in Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, to the Fund or to the Sub-Advisor, even if the specific services are not directly useful to the Fund and may be useful to the Sub-Advisor in advising other clients. In negotiating commissions with a broker or evaluating the spread to be paid to a dealer, the Fund may therefore pay a higher commission or spread than would be the case if no weight were given to the furnishing of these supplemental services, provided that the amount of such commission or spread has been determined in good faith by the Sub-Advisor to be reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and/or research services provided by such broker-dealer. The standard of reasonableness is to be measured in light of the Sub-Advisor’s overall responsibilities to the Fund.

 

Investment decisions for the Fund are made independently from those of other client accounts that may be managed or advised by the Sub-Advisor. Nevertheless, it is possible that at times, identical securities will be acceptable for both the Fund and one or more of such client accounts. In such event, the position of the Fund and such client accounts in the same issuer may vary and the holding period may likewise vary. However, to the extent any of these client accounts seek to acquire the same security as the Fund at the same time, the Fund may not be able to acquire as large a position in such security as it desires, or it may have to pay a higher price or obtain a lower yield for such security. Similarly, the Fund may not be able to obtain as high a price for, or as large an execution of, an order to sell any particular security at the same time as the Sub-Advisor’s other client accounts.

 

The Fund does not effect securities transactions through brokers in accordance with any formula, nor does it effect securities transactions through brokers for selling shares of the Fund. However, broker-dealers who execute brokerage transactions may effect purchase of shares of the Fund for their customers. The brokers may also supply the Fund with research, statistical and other services.

 

Holdings of Securities of the Fund’s Regular Brokers and Dealers

 

From time to time, the Fund may acquire and hold securities issued by its “regular brokers or dealers” or the parents of those brokers or dealers. “Regular brokers or dealers” (as such term is defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund are the ten brokers or dealers that, during the most recent fiscal year, (i) received the greatest dollar amounts of brokerage commissions from the Fund’s portfolio transactions, (ii) engaged as principal in the largest dollar amounts of the portfolio transactions of the Fund, or (iii) sold the largest dollar amounts of the Fund’s shares. The Fund did not hold any securities of its “regular brokers or dealers” during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020.

 

PORTFOLIO TURNOVER

 

Although the Fund generally will not invest for short-term trading purposes, portfolio securities may be sold without regard to the length of time they have been held when, in the opinion of the Sub-Advisor, investment considerations warrant such action. Portfolio turnover rate is calculated by dividing (1) the lesser of purchases or sales of portfolio securities for the fiscal year by (2) the monthly average of the value of portfolio securities owned during the fiscal year. A 100% turnover rate would occur if all the securities in the Fund’s portfolio, with the exception of securities whose maturities at the time of acquisition were one year or less, were sold and either repurchased or replaced within one year. A high rate of portfolio turnover (100% or more) generally leads to higher transaction costs and may result in a greater number of taxable transactions. To the extent net short-term capital gains are realized, any distributions resulting from such gains will be taxed at ordinary income tax rates for federal income tax purposes. The Fund is newly-created and, as a result, does not yet have a portfolio turnover rate.

 

PROXY VOTING POLICY

 

The Board has adopted Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures (“Trust Policies”) on behalf of the Trust, which delegates the responsibility for voting the Fund’s proxies to the Sub-Advisor, subject to the Board’s continuing oversight. The Trust Policies require that the Sub-Advisor vote proxies received in a manner consistent with the best interests of the Fund. The Trust Policies also require the Sub-Advisor to present to the Board, at least annually, the Sub-Advisor’s Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures (“Sub-Advisor’s Proxy Policies”) and a record of each proxy voted by the Sub-Advisor on behalf of the Fund, including a report on the resolution of all proxies identified by the Sub-Advisor as involving a conflict of interest. See Appendix B for the Trust Policies and Sub-Advisor’s Proxy Policies. These policies are intended to serve as guidelines and to further the economic value of each security held by the Fund. The Trust’s CCO will review the Trust Policies and the Sub-Advisor Policies annually. Each proxy will be considered individually, taking into account the relevant circumstances at the time of each vote.

 B-39 

 

If a proxy proposal raises a material conflict between the Sub-Advisor’s interests and the Fund’s interests, the Sub-Advisor will resolve the conflict by following the policy guidelines or the recommendation of an independent third party.

 

The Fund is required to annually file Form N-PX, which lists the Fund’s complete proxy voting record for the 12-month period ended June 30 of each year. Once filed, the Fund’s proxy voting record will be available without charge, upon request, by calling toll-free (800) 207-7108 and on the SEC’s web site at www.sec.gov.

 

ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING PROGRAM

 

The Trust has established an Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Program (the “Program”) as required by the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (“USA PATRIOT Act”). In order to ensure compliance with this law, the Program provides for the development and implementation of internal practices, procedures and controls, designation of anti-money laundering compliance officers, an ongoing training program and an independent audit function to determine the effectiveness of the Program.

 

Procedures to implement the Program include, but are not limited to, determining that the Distributor and the Fund’s Transfer Agent have established proper anti-money laundering procedures, reporting suspicious and/or fraudulent activity, checking shareholder names against designated government lists, including Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”), and a complete and thorough review of all new opening account applications. The Trust will not transact business with any person or entity whose identity cannot be adequately verified under the provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act.

 

PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS INFORMATION

 

The Trust has adopted policies and procedures regarding disclosure of portfolio holdings information (the “Disclosure Policy”). The Board of Trustees determined that the adoption of the Disclosure Policy, including the disclosure permitted therein, was in the best interests of the Trust. The Disclosure Policy applies to the Fund, Advisor, Sub-Advisor, and other internal parties involved in the administration, operation or custody of the Fund, including, but not limited to UMBFS, MFAC, the Board of Trustees, counsel to the Trust, Morgan Lewis, counsel to the Independent Trustees, Paul Hastings, and the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm, [ ] (collectively, the “Service Providers”). Pursuant to the Disclosure Policy, non-public information concerning the Fund’s portfolio holdings may be disclosed to its Service Providers only if such disclosure is consistent with the antifraud provisions of the federal securities laws and the fiduciary duties owed by the Fund, the Advisor and the Sub-Advisor to the Fund’s shareholders. The Fund and its Service Providers may not receive compensation or any other consideration (which includes any agreement to maintain assets in the Fund or in other investment companies or accounts managed by the Sub-Advisor or any affiliated person of the Sub-Advisor) in connection with the disclosure of portfolio holdings information of the Fund. The Fund’s Disclosure Policy is implemented and overseen by the CCO of the Trust, subject to the oversight of the Board of Trustees. Periodic reports regarding these procedures will be provided to the Trust’s Board.

 

Portfolio holdings information will be deemed public when it has been (1) posted to the Fund’s public website (www.libertystreetfunds.com) or (2) disclosed in periodic regulatory filings on the SEC’s website (www.sec.gov). The Advisor may make publicly available the Fund’s total portfolio holdings as of the most recent calendar quarter on the Fund’s public website no earlier than five days after the date of such information (e.g., information as of January 31 may be made available no earlier than February 5).

 B-40 

 

Non-Public Portfolio Holdings Information Policy. All portfolio holdings information that has not been disseminated in a manner making it available to investors generally as described above is considered non-public portfolio holdings information for the purposes of the Disclosure Policy. Pursuant to the Disclosure Policy, the Fund or its Service Providers may disclose non-public portfolio holdings information to certain third parties who fall within pre-authorized categories on a daily basis, with no lag time unless otherwise specified below. These third parties include: (i) the Fund’s Service Providers and others who need access to such information in the performance of their contractual or other duties and responsibilities to the Fund (e.g., custodians, accountants, the Advisor, the Sub-Advisor, administrators, attorneys, officers and Trustees) and who are subject to duties of confidentiality imposed by law or contract, (ii) brokers who execute trades for the Fund, (iii) evaluation service providers (as described below) and (iv) shareholders receiving in-kind redemptions (as described below).

 

Evaluation Service Providers. These third parties include mutual fund evaluation services, such as Morningstar, Inc. and Lipper, Inc., if the Fund has a legitimate business purpose for disclosing the information, provided that the third party expressly agrees to maintain the non-public portfolio holdings information in confidence and not to trade portfolio securities based on the non-public portfolio holdings information. Subject to the terms and conditions of any agreement between the Fund or its authorized service providers and the third party, if these conditions for disclosure are satisfied, there shall be no restriction on the frequency with which the Fund’s non-public portfolio holdings information is released, and no lag period shall apply. In addition, persons who owe a duty of trust or confidence to the Fund or its Service Providers (such as legal counsel) may receive non-public portfolio holdings information without entering into a non-disclosure agreement.

 

Shareholder In-Kind Distributions. The Fund may, in certain circumstances, pay redemption proceeds to a shareholder by an in-kind distribution of portfolio securities (instead of cash). In such circumstances, pursuant to the Disclosure Policy, Fund shareholders may receive a complete listing of the portfolio holdings of the Fund up to seven (7) calendar days prior to making the redemption request provided that they represent orally or in writing that they agree to maintain the confidentiality of the portfolio holdings information and not to trade portfolio securities based on the non-public holdings information.

 

Other Entities. Pursuant to the Disclosure Policy, the Fund, the Advisor or the Sub-Advisor may disclose non-public portfolio holdings information to a third party who does not fall within the pre-approved categories, and who are not executing broker-dealers; however, prior to the receipt of any non-public portfolio holdings information by such third party, the recipient must have entered into a non-disclosure agreement and the disclosure arrangement must have been approved by the CCO of the Trust. The CCO will report to the Board of Trustees on a quarterly basis regarding any recipients of non-public portfolio holdings information approved pursuant to this paragraph. There are no other ongoing arrangements as of the date of this SAI.

 

The Advisor, the Sub-Advisor, and its affiliates may provide investment advice to clients other than the Fund that have investment objectives that may be substantially similar to those of the Fund. These clients also may have portfolios consisting of holdings substantially similar to those of the Fund and generally have access to current portfolio holdings information for their accounts. These clients do not owe the Advisor, the Sub-Advisor, or the Fund a duty of confidentiality with respect to disclosure of their portfolio holdings.

 

Current Arrangements Regarding Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings. As of the date of this SAI, the Trust or the Fund has ongoing business arrangements with the following entities which involve making portfolio holdings information available to such entities as an incidental part of the services they provide to the Trust: (i) the Advisor, the Sub-Advisor, MFAC and UMBFS (the Co-Administrators), and UMB Bank, N.A. (the Custodian), pursuant to investment management, administration and custody agreements, respectively, under which the Trust’s portfolio holdings information is provided daily on a real-time basis (i.e. with no time lag); (ii) [ ] (independent registered public accounting firm), Morgan Lewis and Paul Hastings (attorneys) to which the Trust provides portfolio holdings information on a regular basis with varying lag times after the date of the information; (iii) Practical Computer Application, to which MFAC provides the Trust’s portfolio holdings information on a daily basis for programming and database hosting services in connection with MFAC’s administrative services to the Trust; (iv) Donnelley Financial Solutions, to which the Trust provides portfolio holdings information on a monthly basis in connection with filing of Form N-PORT; (v) FilePoint to which MFAC provides the Fund’s portfolio holdings on a monthly basis in connection with filings of Form N-PORT; (vi) Morningstar, Inc., Lipper Inc., Refinitiv, Thomson Financial, Vickers Stock Research Corporation, and Bloomberg L.P., to which the Fund’s portfolio holdings information is provided quarterly after the end of the previous fiscal quarter, with a 60-day time lag and no earlier than the date such information is filed on the SEC’s EDGAR system on Form N-PORT (for the first and third fiscal quarters) or the Annual or Semi-Annual Report is mailed to shareholders (for the second and fourth fiscal quarters), as applicable; and (vii) Gainskeeper, Inc. and its affiliates, pursuant to an administrative agency agreement under which the Trust provides the Fund’s portfolio tax lot holdings and transaction level data information on a daily basis.

 B-41 

 

DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE

 

The net asset values per share (“NAVs”) of the Fund’s shares will fluctuate and are determined as of 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, the normal close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”), on each day the NYSE is open for trading. The NAVs may be calculated earlier if permitted by the SEC. The NYSE annually announces the days on which it will not be open for trading. The most recent announcement indicates that the NYSE will not be open for the following holidays: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. However, the NYSE may close on days not included in that announcement.

 

The NAV of each class is computed by dividing (a) the difference between the value of the Fund’s securities, cash and other assets and the amount of the Fund’s expenses and liabilities attributable to the class by (b) the number of shares outstanding in that class (assets – liabilities / # of shares = NAV). Each NAV takes into account all of the expenses and fees of that class of the Fund, including management fees and administration fees, which are accrued daily.

 

Net Assets = NAV
Shares Outstanding

 

Generally, the Fund’s investments are valued at market value or, in the absence of a market value, at fair value as determined in good faith by the Sub-Advisor and the Trust’s Valuation Committee pursuant to procedures approved by or under the direction of the Board. Pursuant to those procedures, the Board considers, among other things: 1) the last sale price on the securities exchange, if any, on which a security is primarily traded; 2) the mean between the bid and ask prices; 3) price quotations from an approved pricing service, (which use information provided by market makers or estimates of market value based on similar securities) and 4) other factors as necessary to determine a fair value under certain circumstances.

 

The Fund’s securities which are traded on securities exchanges are valued at the last sale price on the exchange on which such securities are traded, as of the close of business on the day the securities are being valued or, lacking any reported sales, at the mean between the last available bid and ask prices.

 

Pricing services generally value debt securities assuming orderly transactions of an institutional round lot size, but such securities may be held or transactions may be conducted in such securities in smaller, odd lot sizes. Odd lots often trade at lower prices than institutional round lots.

 

Securities that are traded on more than one exchange are valued on the exchange determined by the Sub-Advisor to be the primary market. Securities primarily traded in the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotation (“NASDAQ”), National Market System for which market quotations are readily available shall be valued using the NASDAQ Official Closing Price (“NOCP”). If the NOCP is not available, such securities shall be valued at the last sale price on the day of valuation, or if there has not been any sale on such day, at the mean between the bid and ask prices. OTC securities which are not traded in the NASDAQ National Market System are valued at the most recent trade price.

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Stocks that are “thinly traded” or events occurring when a foreign market is closed but the NYSE is open (for example, the value of a security held by the Fund has been materially affected by events occurring after the close of the exchange or market on which the security is principally traded) may create a situation where a market quote would not be readily available. When a market quote is not readily available, the security’s value is based on “fair value” as determined by procedures adopted by the Board. The Board will periodically review the reliability of the Fund’s fair value methodology. The Fund may hold portfolio securities, such as those traded on foreign securities exchanges that trade on weekends or other days when the Fund’s shares are not priced. Therefore, the value of the Fund’s shares may change on days when shareholders will not be able to purchase or redeem shares.

 

Short-term debt obligations with remaining maturities in excess of 60 days are valued at current market prices, as discussed above. Short-term securities with 60 days or less remaining to maturity are, unless conditions indicate otherwise, amortized to maturity based on their cost to the Fund if acquired within 60 days of maturity or, if already held by the Fund on the 60th day, based on the value determined on the 61st day.

 

All other assets of the Fund are valued in such manner as the Board in good faith deems appropriate to reflect as their fair value.

 

PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION OF FUND SHARES

 

Detailed information on the purchase and redemption of shares is included in the Fund’s Prospectus. Shares of the Fund are sold at the next offering price calculated after receipt of an order for purchase. In order to purchase shares of the Fund, you must invest the initial minimum investment for the relevant class of shares. However, the Fund reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to waive the minimum initial investment amount for certain investors, or to waive or reduce the minimum initial investment for 401(k) plans or other tax-deferred retirement plans. You may purchase shares on any day that the NYSE is open for business by placing orders with the Fund.

 

The Fund reserves the right to refuse any purchase requests, particularly those that would not be in the best interests of the Fund or its shareholders and could adversely affect the Fund or its operations. This includes those from any individual or group who, in the Fund’s view, is likely to engage in or has a history of excessive trading (usually defined as more than four round-trip transactions out of the Fund within a calendar year). Furthermore, the Fund may suspend the right to redeem its shares or postpone the date of payment upon redemption for more than seven calendar days (i) for any period during which the NYSE is closed (other than customary weekend or holiday closings) or trading on the NYSE is restricted; (ii) for any period during which an emergency exists affecting the sale of the Fund’s securities or making such sale or the fair determination of the value of the Fund’s net assets not reasonably practicable; or (iii) for such other periods as the SEC may permit for the protection of the Fund’s shareholders. In addition, if shares are purchased using a check and a redemption is requested before the check has cleared, the Fund may postpone payment of the redemption proceeds up to 15 days while the Fund waits for the check to clear.

 

Redemptions In Kind. The Trust has filed an election under SEC Rule 18f-1 committing to pay in cash all redemptions by a shareholder of record up to amounts specified by the rule (the lesser of (i) $250,000 or (ii) 1% of the Fund’s assets). The Fund has reserved the right to pay the redemption price of its shares in excess of the amounts specified by the rule, either totally or partially, by an in-kind distribution of portfolio securities (instead of cash). The securities so distributed would be valued at the same amounts as those assigned to them in calculating the NAV for the Fund shares being redeemed. If a shareholder receives an in-kind distribution, the shareholder could incur brokerage or other charges in converting the securities to cash.

 

The Fund does not intend to hold any significant percentage of its portfolio in illiquid securities, although the Fund, like virtually all mutual funds, may from time to time hold a small percentage of securities that are illiquid. In the unlikely event the Fund were to elect to make an in-kind redemption, the Fund expects that it would follow the normal protocol of making such distribution by way of a pro rata distribution based on its entire portfolio. If the Fund held illiquid securities, such distribution may contain a pro rata portion of such illiquid securities or the Fund may determine, based on a materiality assessment, not to include illiquid securities in the in-kind redemption. The Fund does not anticipate that it would ever selectively distribute a greater than pro rata portion of any illiquid securities to satisfy a redemption request. If such securities are included in the distribution, shareholders may not be able to liquidate such securities and may be required to hold such securities indefinitely. Shareholders’ ability to liquidate such securities distributed in-kind may be restricted by resale limitations or substantial restrictions on transfer imposed by the issuers of the securities or by law. Shareholders may only be able to liquidate such securities distributed in-kind at a substantial discount from their value, and there may be higher brokerage costs associated with any subsequent disposition of these securities by the recipient.

 B-43 

 

FEDERAL INCOME TAX MATTERS

 

The following is a summary of certain material U.S. federal (and, where noted, state and local) income tax considerations affecting the Fund and its shareholders. The discussion is very general. Current and prospective shareholders are therefore urged to consult their own tax advisers with respect to the specific federal, state, local and foreign tax consequences of investing in the Fund. The summary is based on the laws in effect on the date of this SAI and existing judicial and administrative interpretations thereof, all of which are subject to change, possibly with retroactive effect.

 

The Fund is treated as a separate entity from other series of the Trust for federal income tax purposes. The Fund has elected (or intends to elect) to be, and intends to qualify each year for treatment as, a “regulated investment company” under Subchapter M of the Code by complying with all applicable requirements of the Code, including, among other things, requirements as to the sources of the Fund’s income, diversification of the Fund’s assets and timing of Fund distributions. To so qualify, the Fund must, among other things: (a) derive at least 90% of its gross income in each taxable year from dividends, interest, payments with respect to certain securities loans, and gains from the sale or other disposition of stock or securities or foreign currencies, or other income (including, but not limited to, gains from options, futures or forward contracts) derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock, securities or currencies, and net income derived from interests in “qualified publicly traded partnerships” (i.e., partnerships that are traded on an established securities market or tradable on a secondary market, other than partnerships that derive 90% of their income from interest, dividends, capital gains, and other traditionally permitted mutual fund income); (b) diversify its holdings so that, at the end of each quarter of the Fund’s taxable year, (i) at least 50% of the market value of the Fund’s assets is represented by cash, securities of other regulated investment companies, U.S. government securities and other securities, with such other securities limited, in respect of any one issuer, to an amount not greater than 5% of the Fund’s assets and not greater than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer and (ii) not more than 25% of the value of its assets is invested, including through corporations in which the Fund owns a 20% or more voting stock interest, in the securities (other than U.S. government securities or securities of other regulated investment companies) of any one issuer, in the securities (other than the securities of other regulated investment companies) of any two or more issuers that the Fund controls and that are determined to be engaged in the same or similar trades or businesses or related trades or businesses, or in the securities of one or more “qualified publicly traded partnerships;” and (c) distribute an amount equal to the sum of at least 90% of its investment company taxable income (computed without regard to the dividends-paid deduction) and 90% of its net tax-exempt income, if any, for the tax year (including, for purposes of satisfying this distribution requirement, certain distributions made by the Fund after the close of its taxable year that are treated as made during such taxable year).

 

As a regulated investment company, the Fund will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on the portion of its taxable investment income and capital gains that it distributes to its shareholders provided that it satisfies a minimum distribution requirement. In order to also avoid liability for a non-deductible federal excise tax, the Fund must distribute (or be deemed to have distributed) by December 31 of each calendar year at least the sum of (i)  98% of its ordinary income for such year, (ii)  98.2% of the excess of its realized capital gains over its realized capital losses for the 12-month period generally ending on October 31 during such year and (iii) any amounts from the prior calendar year that were not distributed and on which the Fund paid no federal income tax. The Fund will be subject to income tax at the regular corporate tax rate on any taxable income or gains that it does not distribute to its shareholders. The Fund's policy is to distribute to its shareholders all investment company taxable income (determined without regard to the deduction for dividends paid) and any net capital gain (the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss) for each fiscal year in a manner that complies with the distribution requirements of the Code, so that the Fund will not be subject to any federal income or excise taxes.

 B-44 

 

If, for any taxable year, the Fund were to fail to qualify as a regulated investment company or were to fail to meet certain minimum distribution requirements under the Code, it would be taxed in the same manner as an ordinary corporation and distributions to its shareholders would not be deductible by the Fund in computing its taxable income. In addition, in the event of a failure to qualify, the Fund’s distributions, to the extent derived from the Fund’s current or accumulated earnings and profits, including any distributions of net capital gain, would be taxable to shareholders as ordinary dividend income for federal income tax purposes. However, such dividends would be eligible, subject to any generally applicable limitations, (i) to be treated as qualified dividend income in the case of shareholders taxed as individuals, and (ii) for the dividends-received deduction in the case of corporate shareholders. Moreover, if the Fund were to fail to qualify as a regulated investment company in any year, it would be required to pay out its earnings and profits accumulated in that year in order to qualify again as a regulated investment company. Under certain circumstances, the Fund may be able to cure a failure to qualify as a regulated investment company, but in order to do so the Fund might incur significant Fund-level taxes and might be forced to dispose of certain assets. If the Fund failed to qualify as a regulated investment company for a period greater than two taxable years, the Fund would generally be required to recognize any net built-in gains with respect to certain of its assets upon a disposition of such assets within five years of qualifying as a regulated investment company in a subsequent year.

 

Shareholders generally will be subject to federal income taxes on distributions made by the Fund whether paid in cash or additional shares. Distributions of net investment income (including interest, dividend income and net short-term capital gain in excess of any net long-term capital loss, less certain expenses), other than qualified dividend income, will be taxable to shareholders as ordinary income. Distributions of qualified dividend income generally will be taxed to non-corporate shareholders at the federal income tax rates applicable to net capital gain, provided the Fund reports the amount distributed as qualified dividend income.

 

In general, dividends may be reported by the Fund as qualified dividend income if they are attributable to qualified dividend income received by the Fund. Qualified dividend income generally means dividend income received from the Fund’s investments in common and preferred stock of U.S. companies and stock of certain qualified foreign corporations, provided that certain holding period and other requirements are met by both the Fund and its shareholders. If 95% or more of the Fund’s gross income (calculated without taking into account net capital gain derived from sales or other dispositions of stock or securities) consists of qualified dividend income, the Fund may report all distributions of such income as qualified dividend income.

 

A foreign corporation is treated as a qualified foreign corporation for this purpose if it is incorporated in a possession of the United States or it is eligible for the benefits of certain income tax treaties with the United States and meets certain additional requirements. Certain foreign corporations that are not otherwise qualified foreign corporations will be treated as qualified foreign corporations with respect to dividends paid by them if the stock with respect to which the dividends are paid is readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States. Passive foreign investment companies are not qualified foreign corporations for this purpose. Dividends received by the Fund from REITs generally do not qualify for treatment as qualified dividend income.

 

Dividends paid by the Fund may qualify in part for the dividends-received deduction available to corporate shareholders, provided the Fund reports the amount distributed as a qualifying dividend and certain holding period and other requirements under the Code are satisfied. The reported amount, however, cannot exceed the aggregate amount of qualifying dividends received by the Fund for its taxable year. Eligibility for qualified dividend income treatment and the dividends-received deduction may be reduced or eliminated if, among other things, (i) the shareholder is under an obligation (whether pursuant to a short sale or otherwise) to make related payments with respect to positions in substantially similar or related property or (ii) certain holding period requirements are not satisfied at both the Fund and shareholder levels. In addition, qualified dividend income treatment is not available if a shareholder elects to have the dividend income treated as investment income for purposes of the limitation on deductibility of investment interest.

 

If the Fund receives a dividend (other than a capital gain dividend) in respect of any share of REIT stock with a tax holding period of at least 46 days during the 91-day period beginning on the date that is 45 days before the date on which the stock becomes ex-dividend as to that dividend, then Fund dividends attributable to that REIT dividend income (as reduced by certain Fund expenses) may be reported by the Fund as eligible for the 20% deduction for “qualified REIT dividends” generally available to noncorporate shareholders under the Code. In order to qualify for this deduction, noncorporate shareholders must meet minimum holding period requirements with respect to their Fund shares.

 B-45 

 

Distributions of net capital gain, if any, that the Fund reports as capital gain dividends will be taxable to non-corporate shareholders as long-term capital gain without regard to how long a shareholder has held shares of the Fund. The Fund may retain certain amounts of capital gains and designate them as undistributed net capital gain in a notice to its shareholders, who (i) will be required to include in income for U.S. federal income tax purposes, as long-term capital gain, their proportionate shares of the undistributed amounts so designated, (ii) will be entitled to credit their proportionate shares of the income tax paid by the Fund on those undistributed amounts against their federal income tax liabilities and to claim refunds to the extent such credits exceed their liabilities and (iii) will be entitled to increase their federal income tax basis in their shares by an amount equal to the excess of the amounts of undistributed net capital gain included in their respective income over their respective income tax credits.

 

For U.S. federal income tax purposes, the Fund is permitted to carry forward indefinitely a net capital loss from any taxable year to offset its capital gains, if any, in years following the year of the loss. To the extent subsequent capital gains are offset by such losses, they will not result in U.S. federal income tax liability to the Fund and may not be distributed as capital gains to shareholders. Generally, the Fund may not carry forward any losses other than net capital losses. Under certain circumstances, the Fund may elect to treat certain losses as though they were incurred on the first day of the taxable year immediately following the taxable year in which they were actually incurred.

 

Distributions in excess of earnings and profits will, as to each shareholder, be treated as a tax-free return of capital to the extent of the shareholder’s basis in his or her Fund shares. A distribution treated as a return of capital will reduce the shareholder’s basis in his or her shares, which will result in an increase in the amount of gain (or a decrease in the amount of loss) that will be recognized by the shareholder for tax purposes on a later sale of such shares. After the shareholder’s basis is reduced to zero, any distributions in excess of earnings and profits will be treated as a capital gain, assuming the shareholder holds his or her shares as capital assets.

 

A 3.8% Medicare contribution tax generally applies to all or a portion of the net investment income of a shareholder who is an individual and not a nonresident alien for federal income tax purposes and who has adjusted gross income (subject to certain adjustments) that exceeds a threshold amount ($250,000 if married filing jointly or if considered a “surviving spouse” for federal income tax purposes, $125,000 if married filing separately, and $200,000 in other cases). This 3.8% tax also applies to all or a portion of the undistributed net investment income of certain shareholders that are estates and trusts. For these purposes, interest, dividends and certain capital gains (among other categories of income) are generally taken into account in computing a shareholder’s net investment income.

 

Certain tax-exempt educational institutions are subject to a 1.4% tax on net investment income. For these purposes, certain dividends and capital gain distributions, and certain gains from the disposition of Fund shares (among other categories of income), are generally taken into account in computing a shareholder’s net investment income.

 

Distributions are generally taxable when received.  However, distributions declared in October, November or December to shareholders of record on a date in such a month and paid the following January are taxable for federal income tax purposes as if received on December 31 of the calendar year in which declared. Distributions are includable in alternative minimum taxable income in computing a shareholder's liability for the federal alternative minimum tax, which is imposed on individual taxpayers under the Code. In addition, certain distributions made after the close of a taxable year of the Fund may be “spilled back” and treated for certain purposes as paid by the Fund during such taxable year. In such case, shareholders generally will be treated as having received such dividends in the taxable year in which the distributions were actually made. For purposes of calculating the amount of a regulated investment company’s undistributed income and gain subject to the 4% excise tax described above, such “spilled back” dividends are treated as paid by the regulated investment company when they are actually paid.

 

A redemption of Fund shares may result in recognition of a taxable gain or loss. The gain or loss will generally be treated as a long-term capital gain or loss if the shares are held for more than one year, and as a short-term capital gain or loss if the shares are held for one year or less. Any loss realized upon a redemption or exchange of shares held for six months or less will be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any amounts treated as distributions of long-term capital gains during such six-month period. Any loss realized upon a redemption may be disallowed under certain wash sale rules to the extent shares of the Fund or substantially identical stock or securities are purchased (through reinvestment of distributions or otherwise) within 30 days before or after the redemption.

 B-46 

 

If a shareholder recognizes a loss with respect to the Fund’s shares of $2 million or more for an individual shareholder or $10 million or more for a corporate shareholder (or certain greater amounts over a combination of years), the shareholder must file with the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) a disclosure statement on IRS Form 8886. Direct shareholders of portfolio securities are in many cases exempted from this reporting requirement, but under current guidance, shareholders of a regulated investment company are not exempted. The fact that a loss is so reportable does not affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayer’s treatment of the loss is proper.

 

The Fund's transactions in options and other similar transactions, such as futures, may be subject to special provisions of the Code that, among other things, affect the character of any income realized by the Fund from such investments, accelerate recognition of income to the Fund, defer Fund losses, affect the holding period of the Fund's securities, affect whether distributions will be eligible for the dividends-received deduction or be treated as qualified dividend income and affect the determination of whether capital gain and loss is characterized as long-term or short-term capital gain or loss. These rules could therefore affect the character, amount and timing of distributions to shareholders. These provisions may also require the Fund to "mark-to-market" certain types of the positions in its portfolio (i.e., treat them as if they were closed out), which may cause the Fund to recognize income without receiving cash with which to make distributions in amounts necessary to satisfy the distribution requirements for avoiding U.S. federal income and excise taxes. The Fund will monitor these transactions and will make the appropriate entries in its books and records, and if the Fund deems it advisable, will make appropriate elections if available in order to mitigate the effect of these rules, prevent disqualification of the Fund as a regulated investment company and minimize the imposition of U.S. federal income and excise taxes.

 

The Fund's transactions in broad based equity index futures contracts, exchange-traded options on such indices and certain other futures contracts are generally considered "Section 1256 contracts" for federal income tax purposes. Any unrealized gains or losses on such Section 1256 contracts are treated as though they were realized at the end of each taxable year. The resulting gain or loss is treated as 60% long-term capital gain or loss and 40% short-term capital gain or loss. Gain or loss recognized on actual sales of Section 1256 contracts is treated in the same manner. As noted above, distributions of net short-term capital gain are taxable to shareholders as ordinary income while distributions of net long-term capital gain are taxable to shareholders as long-term capital gain, regardless of how long the shareholder has held shares of the Fund.

 

The Fund's entry into a short sale transaction, an option or certain other contracts, such as futures, could be treated as the constructive sale of an appreciated financial position, causing the Fund to realize gain, but not loss, on the position.

 

If the Fund invests in certain pay-in-kind securities, zero coupon securities, deferred interest securities or, in general, any other securities with original issue discount (or with market discount if the Fund elects to include market discount in income currently), the Fund must accrue income on such investments for each taxable year, which generally will be prior to the receipt of the corresponding cash payments. However, the Fund must distribute, at least annually, all or substantially all of its investment company taxable income (determined without regard to the deduction for dividends paid), including such accrued income to shareholders to avoid federal income and excise taxes. Therefore, the Fund may have to sell portfolio securities (potentially under disadvantageous circumstances) to generate cash, or may have to undertake leverage by borrowing cash, to satisfy these distribution requirements. Dispositions of portfolio securities may result in additional gains and additional distribution requirements.

 

If the Fund invests in a market discount bond, it will be required to treat any gain recognized on the disposition of such market discount bond as ordinary income (instead of capital gain) to the extent of the accrued market discount, unless the Fund elects to include the market discount in income as it accrues as discussed above. A market discount bond is a security acquired in the secondary market at a price below its redemption value (or its adjusted issue price if it is also an original issue discount bond).

 B-47 

 

The Fund may be subject to withholding and other taxes imposed by foreign countries, including taxes on interest, dividends and capital gains with respect to its investments in those countries, which would, if imposed, reduce the yield on or return from those investments. Tax treaties between certain countries and the United States may reduce or eliminate such taxes in some cases. So long as the Fund qualifies for treatment as a regulated investment company and incurs “qualified foreign taxes,” if more than 50% of its net assets at the close of its taxable year consist of stock or securities of foreign corporations, which for this purpose may include obligations of foreign governmental issuers, the Fund may elect to "pass through" to its shareholders the amount of such foreign taxes paid. If this election is made, information with respect to the amount of the foreign income taxes that are allocated to the Fund's shareholders will be provided to them and any shareholder subject to tax on dividends will be required (i) to include in ordinary gross income (in addition to the amount of the taxable dividends actually received) his/her proportionate share of the foreign taxes paid that are attributable to such dividends; and (ii) either to deduct his/her proportionate share of such foreign taxes in computing his/her taxable income or to claim that amount as a foreign tax credit (subject to applicable limitations) against U.S. income taxes.

 

Shareholders who do not itemize deductions for U.S. federal income tax purposes will not be able to deduct their pro rata portion of qualified foreign taxes paid by the Fund, although such shareholders will be required to include their shares of such taxes in gross income if the Fund makes the election described above. Qualified foreign taxes generally include taxes that would be treated as income taxes under U.S. tax regulations but do not include most other taxes, such as stamp taxes, securities transaction taxes, and similar taxes. No deduction for such taxes will be permitted to individuals in computing their alternative minimum tax liability.

 

If the Fund makes the election to pass through qualified foreign taxes and a shareholder chooses to take a credit for the foreign taxes deemed paid by such shareholder, the amount of the credit that may be claimed in any year may not exceed the same proportion of the U.S. tax against which such credit is taken that the shareholder’s taxable income from foreign sources (but not in excess of the shareholder’s entire taxable income) bears to his entire taxable income. For this purpose, long-term and short-term capital gains the Fund realizes and distributes to shareholders will generally not be treated as income from foreign sources in their hands, nor will distributions of certain foreign currency gains subject to Section 988 of the Code or of any other income realized by the Fund that is deemed, under the Code, to be U.S.-source income in the hands of the Fund. This foreign tax credit limitation may also be applied separately to certain specific categories of foreign-source income and the related foreign taxes. As a result of these rules, which may have different effects depending upon each shareholder’s particular tax situation, certain shareholders may not be able to claim a credit for the full amount of their proportionate share of the foreign taxes paid by the Fund. Shareholders who are not liable for U.S. federal income taxes, including tax-exempt shareholders, will ordinarily not benefit from this election. If the Fund does make the election, it will provide required tax information to shareholders. The Fund generally may deduct any foreign taxes that are not passed through to its shareholders in computing its income available for distribution to shareholders to satisfy applicable tax distribution requirements. Under certain circumstances, if the Fund receives a refund of foreign taxes paid in respect of a prior year, the value of the Fund’s shares could be affected, or any foreign tax credits or deductions passed through to shareholders in respect of the Fund’s foreign taxes for the current year could be reduced.

 

Foreign exchange gains or losses realized by the Fund in connection with certain transactions involving foreign currency-denominated debt securities, certain options and futures contracts relating to foreign currency, foreign currency forward contracts, foreign currencies, or payables or receivables denominated in a foreign currency are subject to Section 988 of the Code, which generally causes such gains or losses to be treated as ordinary gain or loss and may affect the amount, timing and character of distributions to shareholders.

 

The Fund may purchase the securities of certain foreign companies treated as passive foreign investment companies for federal income tax purposes (“PFICs”). PFICs may be the only or primary means by which the Fund may invest in some countries. If the Fund invests in equity securities of PFICs, it may be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a portion of any "excess distribution" or gain from the disposition of such securities even if such income is distributed as a taxable dividend to shareholders. Additional charges in the nature of interest may be imposed on the Fund with respect to deferred taxes arising from such distributions or gains. Capital gains on the sale of such holdings will be deemed to be ordinary income regardless of how long such PFICs are held. A “qualified electing fund” election or a “mark to market” election may generally be available that would ameliorate these adverse tax consequences, but such elections could require the Fund to recognize taxable income or gain (subject to the distribution requirements applicable to regulated investment companies, as described above) without the concurrent receipt of cash. In order to satisfy the distribution requirements and avoid a tax on the Fund, the Fund may be required to liquidate portfolio securities that it might otherwise have continued to hold, potentially resulting in additional taxable gain or loss to the fund. In order for the Fund to make a qualified electing fund election with respect to a PFIC, the PFIC would have to agree to provide certain tax information to the Fund on an annual basis, which it might not agree to do. The Fund may limit and/or manage its holdings in PFICs to limit its tax liability or maximize its return from these investments.]

 B-48 

 

If a sufficient percentage of the interests in a foreign issuer are held by the Fund, independently or together with certain other U.S. persons, that issuer may be treated as a “controlled foreign corporation” (a “CFC”) with respect to the Fund, in which case the Fund will be required to take into account each year, as ordinary income, its share of certain portions of that issuer’s income, whether or not such amounts are distributed. The Fund may have to dispose of its portfolio securities (potentially resulting in the recognition of taxable gain or loss, and potentially under disadvantageous circumstances) to generate cash, or may have to borrow the cash, to meet its distribution requirements and avoid Fund-level taxes. In addition, some Fund gains on the disposition of interests in such an issuer may be treated as ordinary income. The Fund may limit and/or manage its holdings in issuers that could be treated as CFCs in order to limit its tax liability or maximize its after-tax return from these investments.

 

Depreciation or other cost recovery deductions passed through to the Fund from investments in MLPs in a given year will generally reduce the Fund’s taxable income, but those deductions may be recaptured in the Fund’s income in one or more subsequent years. When recognized and distributed, recapture income will generally be taxable to shareholders of the Fund at the time of the distribution at ordinary income tax rates, even though those shareholders might not have held shares in the Fund at the time the deductions were taken by the Fund, and even though those shareholders will not have corresponding economic gain on their shares at the time of the recapture. In order to distribute recapture income or to fund redemption requests, the Fund may need to liquidate investments, which may lead to additional recapture income.

 

Noncorporate taxpayers are generally eligible for a deduction of up to 20% of “qualified publicly traded partnership income.” The Fund will not be able to claim such a deduction in respect of income allocated to it by any MLPs or other publicly traded partnerships in which it invests, and absent any additional guidance, the law does not allow noncorporate shareholders to be able to claim a deduction in respect of Fund dividends attributable to any such income.

 

Non-U.S. persons are subject to U.S. tax on disposition of a “United States real property interest” (a “USRPI”). Gain on such a disposition is sometimes referred to as “FIRPTA gain.” The Code provides a look-through rule for distributions of “FIRPTA gain” if certain requirements are met. If the look-through rule applies, certain distributions attributable to income received by the Fund, e.g., from REITs, may be treated as gain from the disposition of a USRPI, causing distributions to be subject to U.S. withholding tax at rates of up to 21%, and require non-U.S. shareholders to file nonresident U.S. income tax returns.

 

The Fund is required to withhold (as “backup withholding”) a portion of reportable payments, including dividends, capital gain distributions and the proceeds of redemptions and exchanges or repurchases of Fund shares, paid to shareholders who have not complied with certain IRS regulations. The backup withholding rate is currently 24%. In order to avoid this withholding requirement, shareholders, other than certain exempt entities, must certify on IRS Forms W-9 or on certain other documents, that the Social Security Numbers or other Taxpayer Identification Numbers they provide are their correct numbers and that they are not currently subject to backup withholding, or that they are exempt from backup withholding. The Fund may nevertheless be required to backup withhold if it receives notice from the IRS or a broker that a number provided is incorrect or that backup withholding is applicable as a result of previous underreporting of interest or dividend income.

 

Ordinary dividends and certain other payments made by the Fund to non-U.S. shareholders are generally subject to withholding tax at a 30% rate (or a lower rate as may be determined in accordance with any applicable treaty). In order to obtain a reduced rate of withholding, a non-U.S. shareholder will be required to provide an IRS Form W-8BEN or similar 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. shareholder’s 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. corporation receiving effectively connected dividends may also be subject to additional “branch profits tax” imposed at a rate of 30% (or a lower treaty rate).

 B-49 

 

The 30% withholding tax described in the preceding paragraph generally will not apply to distributions of net capital gain, to redemption proceeds, or to dividends that the Fund reports as (a) interest-related dividends, to the extent such dividends are derived from the Fund’s “qualified net interest income,” or (b) short-term capital gain dividends, to the extent such dividends are derived from the Fund’s “qualified short-term gain.” “Qualified net interest income” is the Fund’s net income derived from U.S.-source interest and original issue discount, subject to certain exceptions and limitations. “Qualified short-term gain” generally means the excess of the net short-term capital gain of the Fund for the taxable year over its net long-term capital loss, if any. In order to qualify for an 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 other applicable form). Backup withholding will not be applied to payments that are subject to this 30% withholding tax.

 

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

 

This discussion and the related discussion in the Prospectus have been prepared by management of the Fund, and counsel to the Trust has expressed no opinion in respect thereof.

 

Shareholders and prospective shareholders of the Fund should consult their own tax advisors concerning the effect of owning shares of the Fund in light of their particular tax situations.

 

DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS

 

The Fund will receive income in the form of dividends and interest earned on its investments in securities. This income, less the expenses incurred in its operations, is the Fund’s net investment income, substantially all of which will be declared as dividends to the Fund’s shareholders.

 

The amount of income dividend payments by the Fund is dependent upon the amount of net investment income received by the Fund from its portfolio holdings, is not guaranteed and is subject to the discretion of the Board. The Fund does not pay “interest” or guarantee any fixed rate of return on an investment in its shares.

 

The Fund also may derive capital gains or losses in connection with sales or other dispositions of its portfolio securities. Any net gain the Fund may realize from transactions involving investments held for less than the period required for long-term capital gain or loss recognition or otherwise producing short-term capital gains and losses (taking into account any available carryover of capital losses), although a distribution from capital gains, will be distributed to shareholders with and as a part of the income dividends paid by the Fund and will generally be taxable to shareholders as ordinary income for federal income tax purposes. If during any year the Fund realizes a net gain on transactions involving investments held for more than the period required for long-term capital gain or loss recognition or otherwise producing long-term capital gains and losses, the Fund will have a net long-term capital gain. After deduction of the amount of any net short-term capital loss, the balance (to the extent not offset by any capital losses available to be carried over) generally will be distributed and treated as long-term capital gains in the hands of the shareholders regardless of the length of time the Fund’s shares may have been held by the shareholders. For more information concerning applicable capital gains tax rates, see your tax advisor.

 B-50 

 

Any dividend or distribution paid by the Fund reduces the Fund’s NAVs on the date paid by the amount of the dividend or distribution per share. Accordingly, a dividend or distribution paid shortly after a purchase of shares by a shareholder will generally be taxable, even if it effectively represents a partial return of the shareholder’s capital.

 

Dividends and other distributions will be made in the form of additional shares of the Fund unless the shareholder has otherwise indicated. Investors have the right to change their elections with respect to the reinvestment of dividends and distributions by notifying the Transfer Agent in writing, but any such change will be effective only as to dividends and other distributions for which the record date is seven or more business days after the Transfer Agent has received the written request.

 

The Fund’s investments in partnerships, if any, including in qualified publicly traded partnerships, may result in that Fund being subject to state, local or foreign income, franchise or withholding tax liabilities.

 

GENERAL INFORMATION

 

Investment Managers Series Trust is an open-end management investment company organized as a Delaware statutory trust under the laws of the State of Delaware on February 15, 2005. The Trust has a number of outstanding series of shares of beneficial interest, each of which represents interests in a separate portfolio of securities.

 

The Trust’s Declaration of Trust permits the Trustees to create additional series of shares, to issue an unlimited number of full and fractional shares of beneficial interest of each series, including the Fund, and to divide or combine the shares of any series into a greater or lesser number of shares without thereby changing the proportionate beneficial interest in the series. The assets belonging to a series are charged with the liabilities in respect of that series and all expenses, costs, charges and reserves attributable to that series only. Therefore, any creditor of any series may look only to the assets belonging to that series to satisfy the creditor’s debt. Any general liabilities, expenses, costs, charges or reserves of the Trust which are not readily identifiable as pertaining to any particular series are allocated and charged by the Trustees to and among the existing series in the sole discretion of the Trustees. Each share of the Fund represents an interest in the Fund proportionately equal to the interest of each other share. Upon the Fund’s liquidation, all shareholders would share pro rata in the net assets of the Fund available for distribution to shareholders.

 

The Trust may offer more than one class of shares of any series. Each share of a series or class represents an equal proportionate interest in that series or class with each other share of that series or class. With respect to the Fund, the Trust currently offers the following classes of shares: Class A Shares, Class C Shares, and Institutional Class Shares. As of the date of this SAI, Class A and Class C Shares are not available for purchase. The Trust has reserved the right to create and issue additional series or classes. Each share of a series or class represents an equal proportionate interest in that series or class with each other share of that series or class.

 

The shares of each series or class participate equally in the earnings, dividends and assets of the particular series or class. Expenses of the Trust, which are not attributable to a specific series or class, are allocated among all the series in a manner believed by management of the Trust to be fair and equitable. Shares issued do not have pre-emptive or conversion rights. Shares when issued are fully paid and non-assessable, except as set forth below. Shareholders are entitled to one vote for each share held. Shares of each series or class generally vote together, except when required under federal securities laws to vote separately on matters that only affect a particular series or class, such as the approval of distribution plans for a particular class.

 

The Trust is not required to hold annual meetings of shareholders but will hold special meetings of shareholders of a series or class when, in the judgment of the Board, it is necessary or desirable to submit matters for a shareholder vote. Shareholders have, under certain circumstances, the right to communicate with other shareholders in connection with requesting a meeting of shareholders for the purpose of removing one or more trustees. Shareholders also have, in certain circumstances, the right to remove one or more trustees without a meeting. No material amendment may be made to the Trust’s Declaration of Trust without the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of each portfolio affected by the amendment.

 B-51 

 

The Trust’s Declaration of Trust provides that, at any meeting of shareholders of the Trust or of any series or class, a shareholder servicing agent may vote any shares as to which such shareholder servicing agent is the agent of record for shareholders who are not represented in person or by proxy at the meeting, proportionately in accordance with the votes cast by holders of all shares of that portfolio otherwise represented at the meeting in person or by proxy as to which such shareholder servicing agent is the agent of record. Any shares so voted by a shareholder servicing agent will be deemed represented at the meeting for purposes of quorum requirements. Any series or class may be terminated (i) upon the merger or consolidation with, or the sale or disposition of all or substantially all of its assets to, another entity, if approved by the vote of the holders of two-thirds of its outstanding shares, except that if the Board recommends such merger, consolidation or sale or disposition of assets, the approval by vote of the holders of a majority of the series’ or class’ outstanding shares will be sufficient, or (ii) by the vote of the holders of a majority of its outstanding shares, or (iii) by the Board by written notice to the series’ or class’ shareholders. Unless each series and class is so terminated, the Trust will continue indefinitely.

 

Shareholders may send communications to the Board. Shareholders should send communications intended for the Board by addressing the communications to the Board, in care of the Secretary of the Trust and sending the communication to 2220 E. Route 66, Suite 226, Glendora, California 91740. A shareholder communication must (i) be in writing and be signed by the shareholder, (ii) provide contact information for the shareholder, (iii) identify the Fund to which it relates, and (iv) identify the class and number of shares held by the shareholder. The Secretary of the Trust may, in good faith, determine that a shareholder communication should not be provided to the Board because it does not reasonably relate to the Trust or its operations, management, activities, policies, service providers, Board, officers, shareholders or other matters relating to an investment in the Fund or is otherwise immaterial in nature. Other shareholder communications received by the Fund not directly addressed and sent to the Board will be reviewed and generally responded to by management, and will be forwarded to the Board only at management’s discretion based on the matters contained therein.

 

The Declaration of Trust provides that no Trustee or officer of the Trust shall be subject to any personal liability in connection with the assets or affairs of the Trust or any of its series except for losses in connection with his or her willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of his or her duties. The Trust has also entered into an indemnification agreement with each Trustee which provides that the Trust shall advance expenses and indemnify and hold harmless the Trustee in certain circumstances against any expenses incurred by the Trustee in any proceeding arising out of or in connection with the Trustee’s service to the Trust, to the maximum extent permitted by the Delaware Statutory Trust Act, the 1933 Act and the 1940 Act, and which provides for certain procedures in connection with such advancement of expenses and indemnification.

 

The Trust’s Declaration of Trust also provides that the Trust shall maintain appropriate insurance (for example, fidelity bonding and errors and omissions insurance) for the protection of the Trust, its shareholders, trustees, officers, employees and agents covering possible tort and other liabilities.

 

The Declaration of Trust does not require the issuance of stock certificates. If stock certificates are issued, they must be returned by the registered owners prior to the transfer or redemption of shares represented by such certificates.

 

Rule 18f-2 under the 1940 Act provides that as to any investment company which has two or more series outstanding and as to any matter required to be submitted to shareholder vote, such matter is not deemed to have been effectively acted upon unless approved by the holders of a “majority” (as defined in the rule) of the voting securities of each series affected by the matter. Such separate voting requirements do not apply to the election of Trustees or the ratification of the selection of accountants. The Rule contains special provisions for cases in which an advisory contract is approved by one or more, but not all, series. A change in investment policy may go into effect as to one or more series whose holders so approve the change even though the required vote is not obtained as to the holders of other affected series.

 B-52 

 

The Trust, the Advisor and the Sub-Advisor have adopted Codes of Ethics under Rule 17j-1 of the 1940 Act. These codes of ethics permit, subject to certain conditions, personnel of each of those entities to invest in securities that may be purchased or held by the Fund.

 

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

As the Fund has recently commenced operations, there are no financial statements available at this time. Shareholders of the Fund will be informed of the Fund’s progress through periodic reports when those reports become available. Financial statements certified by the independent registered public accounting firm will be submitted to shareholders at least annually.

 B-53 

 

APPENDIX A
DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES RATINGS

 

Corporate Bonds (Including Convertible Bonds)

 

Moody’s

 

AaaBonds that are rated Aaa are judged to be of the best quality. They carry the smallest degree of investment risk and are generally referred to as “gilt edged.” Interest payments are protected by a large or by an exceptionally stable margin and principal is secure. While the various protective elements are likely to change, such changes as can be visualized are most unlikely to impair the fundamentally strong position of such issues.

 

AaBonds that are rated Aa are judged to be of high quality by all standards. Together with the Aaa group they comprise what are generally known as high-grade bonds. They are rated lower than the best bonds because margins of protection may not be as large as in Aaa securities or fluctuation of protective elements may be of greater amplitude or there may be other elements present, which make the long-term risk, appear somewhat larger than the Aaa securities.

 

ABonds that are rated A possess many favorable investment attributes and are to be considered as upper-medium-grade obligations. Factors giving security to principal and interest are considered adequate, but elements may be present which suggest a susceptibility to impairment sometime in the future.

 

BaaBonds that are rated Baa are considered as medium-grade obligations (i.e., they are neither highly protected nor poorly secured). Interest payments and principal security appear adequate for the present but certain protective elements may be lacking or may be characteristically unreliable over any great length of time. Such bonds lack outstanding investment characteristics and in fact have speculative characteristics as well.

 

BaBonds that are rated Ba are judged to have speculative elements; their future cannot be considered as well assured. Often the protection of interest and principal payments may be very moderate, and thereby not well safeguarded during both good and bad times over the future. Uncertainty of position characterizes bonds in this class.

 

BBonds that are rated B generally lack characteristics of the desirable investment. Assurance of interest and principal payments or of maintenance of other terms of the contract over any long period of time may be small.

 

CaaBonds that are rated Caa are of poor standing. Such issues may be in default or there may be present elements of danger with respect to principal or interest. Ca Bonds, which are rated Ca, represent obligations that are speculative in a high degree. Such issues are often in default or have other marked shortcomings.

 

CBonds that are rated C are the lowest rated class of bonds, and issues so rated can be regarded as having extremely poor prospects of ever attaining any real investment standing.

 

NoteMoody’s applies numerical modifiers 1, 2, and 3 in 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.

 B-54 

 

S&P

 

AAAAn obligation rated AAA has the highest rating assigned by Standard & Poor’s. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is extremely strong.

 

AAAn obligation rated AA differs from the highest-rated obligations only in small degree. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is very strong.

 

AAn 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 obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is still strong.

 

BBBAn 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.

 

NoteObligations 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.

 

BBAn 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 obligor’s inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.

 

BAn 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 obligor’s capacity or willingness to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.

 

CCCAn 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.

 

CCAn obligation rated CC is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment.

 

CThe C rating may be used to cover a situation where a bankruptcy petition has been filed or similar action has been taken, but payments on this obligation are being continued.

 

DAn 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 & Poor’s 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.

 

NotePlus (+) 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. The “r” symbol is attached to the ratings of instruments with significant noncredit risks. It highlights risks to principal or volatility of expected returns, which are not addressed in the credit rating. Examples include: obligations linked or indexed to equities, currencies, or commodities; obligations exposed to severe prepayment risk-such as interest-only or principal-only mortgage securities; and obligations with unusually risky interest terms, such as inverse floaters.

 B-55 

 

Preferred Stock

 

Moody’s

 

AaaAn issue that is rated “Aaa” is considered to be a top-quality preferred stock. This rating indicates good asset protection and the least risk of dividend impairment within the universe of preferred stocks.

 

AaAn issue that is rated “Aa” is considered a high-grade preferred stock. This rating indicates that there is a reasonable assurance the earnings and asset protection will remain relatively well maintained in the foreseeable future.

 

AAn issue that is rated “A” is considered to be an upper-medium grade preferred stock. While risks are judged to be somewhat greater than in the “Aaa” and “Aa” classification, earnings and asset protection are, nevertheless, expected to be maintained at adequate levels.

 

BaaAn issue that is rated “Baa” is considered to be a medium-grade preferred stock, neither highly protected nor poorly secured. Earnings and asset protection appear adequate at present but may be questionable over any great length of time.

 

BaAn issue that is rated “Ba” is considered to have speculative elements and its future cannot be considered well assured. Earnings and asset protection may be very moderate and not well safeguarded during adverse periods. Uncertainty of position characterizes preferred stocks in this class.

 

BAn issue that is rated “B” generally lacks the characteristics of a desirable investment. Assurance of dividend payments and maintenance of other terms of the issue over any long period of time may be small.

 

CaaAn issue that is rated “Caa” is likely to be in arrears on dividend payments. This rating designation does not purport to indicate the future status of payments.

 

CaAn issue that is rated “Ca” is speculative in a high degree and is likely to be in arrears on dividends with little likelihood of eventual payments.

 

CThis is the lowest rated class of preferred or preference stock. Issues so rated can thus be regarded as having extremely poor prospects of ever attaining any real investment standing.

 

NoteMoody’s applies numerical modifiers 1, 2, and 3 in each rating classification: the modifier 1 indicates that the security ranks in the higher end of its generic rating category; the modifier 2 indicates a mid-range ranking and the modifier 3 indicates that the issue ranks in the lower end of its generic rating category.

 

S&P

 

AAAThis is the highest rating that may be assigned by Standard & Poor’s to a preferred stock issue and indicates an extremely strong capacity to pay the preferred stock obligations.

 

AAA preferred stock issue rated AA also qualifies as a high-quality, fixed-income security. The capacity to pay preferred stock obligations is very strong, although not as overwhelming as for issues rated AAA.

 B-56 

 

AAn issue rated A is backed by a sound capacity to pay the preferred stock obligations, although it is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions.

 

BBBAn issue rated BBB is regarded as backed by an adequate capacity to pay the preferred stock obligations. Whereas it normally exhibits adequate protection parameters, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity to make payments for a preferred stock in this category than for issues in the A category.

 

BBB, CCC Preferred stock rated BB, B, and CCC is regarded, on balance, as predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay preferred stock obligations. BB indicates the lowest degree of speculation and CCC the highest. While such issues will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these are outweighed by large uncertainties or major risk exposures to adverse conditions.

 

CCThe rating CC is reserved for a preferred stock issue that is in arrears on dividends or sinking fund payments, but that is currently paying.

 

CA preferred stock rated C is a nonpaying issue.

 

DA preferred stock rated D is a nonpaying issue with the issuer in default on debt instruments.

 

N.R.This indicates that no rating has been requested, that there is insufficient information on which to base a rating, or that Standard & Poor’s does not rate a particular type of obligation as a matter of policy.

 

NotePlus (+) or minus (-). To provide more detailed indications of preferred stock quality, 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.

 

Short Term Ratings

 

Moody’s

 

Moody’s employs the following three designations, all judged to be investment grade, to indicate the relative repayment ability of rated issuers:

 

Prime-1Issuers rated Prime-1 (or supporting institutions) have a superior ability for repayment of senior short-term debt obligations. Prime-1 repayment ability will often be evidenced by many of the following characteristics:

 

Leading market positions in well-established industries.

 

High rates of return on funds employed.

 

Conservative capitalization structure with moderate reliance on debt and ample asset protection.

 

Broad margins in earnings coverage of fixed financial charges and high internal cash generation.

 

Well-established access to a range of financial markets and assured sources of alternate liquidity.

 

Prime-2Issuers rated Prime-2 (or supporting institutions) have a strong ability for repayment of senior short-term debt obligations. This will normally be evidenced by many of the characteristics cited above but to a lesser degree. Earnings trends and coverage ratios, while sound, may be more subject to variation. Capitalization characteristics, while still appropriate, may be more affected by external conditions. Ample alternate liquidity is maintained.

 B-57 

 

Prime-3Issuers rated Prime-3 (or supporting institutions) have an acceptable ability for repayment of senior short-term obligations. The effect of industry characteristics and market compositions may be more pronounced. Variability in earnings and profitability may result in changes in the level of debt protection measurements and may require relatively high financial leverage. Adequate alternate liquidity is maintained.

 

Not PrimeIssuers rated Not Prime do not fall within any of the Prime rating categories.

 

S&P

 

A-1A short-term obligation rated A-1 is rated in the highest category by Standard & Poor’s. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is strong. Within this category, certain obligations are designated with a plus sign (+). This indicates that the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on these obligations is extremely strong.

 

A-2A short-term obligation rated A-2 is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher rating categories. However, the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is satisfactory.

 

A-3A short-term obligation rated A-3 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.

 

BA short-term obligation rated B is regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. The obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation; however, it faces major ongoing uncertainties, which could lead to the obligor’s inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.

 

CA short-term obligation rated C 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.

 

DA short-term 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 & Poor’s 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.

 B-58 

 

APPENDIX B

 

INVESTMENT MANAGERS SERIES TRUST

 

PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

 

Investment Managers Series Trust (the “Trust”) is registered as an open-end investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (“1940 Act”). The Trust offers multiple series (each a “Fund” and, collectively, the “Funds”). Consistent with its fiduciary duties and pursuant to Rule 30b1-4 under the 1940 Act (the “Proxy Rule”), the Board of Trustees of the Trust (the “Board”) has adopted this proxy voting policy on behalf of the Trust (the “Policy”) to reflect its commitment to ensure that proxies are voted in a manner consistent with the best interests of the Funds’ shareholders.

 

Delegation of Proxy Voting Authority to Fund Advisors

 

The Board believes that the investment advisor of each Fund (each an “Advisor” and, collectively, the “Advisors”), as the entity that selects the individual securities that comprise its Fund’s portfolio, is the most knowledgeable and best-suited to make decisions on how to vote proxies of portfolio companies held by that Fund. The Trust will therefore defer to, and rely on, the Advisor of each Fund to make decisions on how to cast proxy votes on behalf of such Fund. An Advisor may delegate this responsibility to a Fund’s Sub-Advisor(s).

 

The Trust hereby designates the Advisor of each Fund as the entity responsible for exercising proxy voting authority with regard to securities held in the Fund’s investment portfolio. Consistent with its duties under this Policy, each Advisor shall monitor and review corporate transactions of corporations in which the Fund has invested, obtain all information sufficient to allow an informed vote on all proxy solicitations, ensure that all proxy votes are cast in a timely fashion, and maintain all records required to be maintained by the Fund under the Proxy Rule and the 1940 Act. Each Advisor will perform these duties in accordance with the Advisor’s proxy voting policy, a copy of which will be presented to the Board for its review. Each Advisor will promptly provide to the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”) updates to its proxy voting policy as they are adopted and implemented, and the Trust’s CCO will then report such updates to the Board.

 

Availability of Proxy Voting Policy and Records Available to Fund Shareholders

 

If a Fund or an Advisor has a website, a copy of the Advisor’s proxy voting policy and this Policy may be posted on such website. A copy of such policies and of each Fund’s proxy voting record shall also be made available, without charge, upon request of any shareholder of the Fund, by calling the applicable Fund’s toll-free telephone number as printed in the Fund’s prospectus. The Trust’s transfer agent will notify the Advisor of any such request of proxy voting procedures. The Advisor shall reply to any Fund shareholder request within three (3) business days of receipt of the request, by first-class mail or other means designed to ensure equally prompt delivery.

 

Each Advisor will provide a complete annual voting record, as required by the Proxy Rule, for each series of the Trust for which it acts as advisor, to the Trust’s co-administrator no later than July 31st of each year. The Trust’s co-administrator, MFAC, will file a report based on such record on Form N-PX on an annual basis with the Securities and Exchange Commission no later than August 31st of each year.

 

Each Advisor is responsible for providing its current proxy voting policies and procedures and any subsequent amendments to the Trust’s CCO. SEC Form N-PX is filed with respect to each Fund by MFAC (acting as filing agent), by no later than August 31st of each year. Each such filing details all proxies voted on behalf of the Fund for the prior twelve months ended June 30th. In connection with each filing on behalf of the Fund, the Advisor’s CCO must sign and return to MFAC no later than July 30th a Form N-PX Certification stating that the Advisor has adopted proxy voting policies and procedures in compliance with the SEC’s Proxy Voting Rule.

 B-59 

 

SUB-ADVISOR’S PROXY POLICIES AND GUIDELINES

 

[To be filed by amendment]

 B-60 

 

PART C: OTHER INFORMATION

 

Braddock Multi-Strategy Income Fund

Green Alpha Growth & Income Fund

Robinson Opportunistic Income Fund

Robinson Tax Advantaged Income Fund

West Loop Realty Fund

 

  ITEM 28. EXHIBITS

 

(a) (1)   Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust of Registrant dated March 5, 2014 is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (a)(9) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 494 to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Commission on March 28, 2014.
       
    (i) Amendment to the Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust of Registrant dated September 17, 2020 is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (a)(1)(i) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 1128 to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Commission on November 12, 2020.
       
  (2)   Certificate of Trust of the Registrant dated February 15, 2005 is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (a)(2) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 14 filed with the Commission on March 31, 2006.
       
  (3)   Certificate of Amendment to Certificate of Trust of the Registrant dated May 31, 2005 is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (a)(3) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 14 filed with the Commission on March 31, 2006.
       
  (4)   Certificate of Amendment to Certificate of Trust of the Registrant dated December 3, 2007 is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (a)(3) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 29 filed with the Commission on December 5, 2007.
       
  (5)   Certificate of Correction to Certificate of Trust dated November 23, 2009 is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (a)(5) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 73 filed with the Commission on December 30, 2009.
       
  (6)   Certificate of Designation of the Braddock Multi-Strategy Income Fund is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (a)(10) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 693 filed with the Commission on October 16, 2015.
       
  (7)   Certificate of Designation of the Robinson Opportunistic Income Fund is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (a)(10) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 694 filed with the Commission on October 16, 2015.
       
  (8)   Certificate of Designation of the Robinson Tax Advantaged Income Fund is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (a)(10) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 534 filed with the Commission on July 17, 2014.
       
  (9)   Certificate of Designation of the West Loop Realty Fund (formerly, Chilton Realty Income & Growth Fund) is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (a)(9) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 423 filed with the Commission on October 15, 2013.
       

 

 

 

  (10)   Certificate of Designation of the Green Alpha Growth & Income Fund – filed herewith.
       
(b)     By-Laws of Registrant as amended on January 9, 2008, March 25, 2009, December 5, 2013 and March 10, 2016 is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (b) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 784 filed with the Commission on August 23, 2016.
       
(c)     Instruments Defining Rights of Security Holders is incorporated by reference to Registrant’s Agreement and Declaration of Trust and Bylaws.
       
(d)     Investment Advisory Agreement:
       
  (1)   Investment Advisory Agreement dated December 31, 2015 with respect to the Braddock Multi-Strategy Income Fund is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(2) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 858 filed with the Commission on April 28, 2017.
       
  (2)   Form of Sub-Advisory Agreement between Liberty Street Advisors, Inc. and Braddock Financial LLC with respect to the Braddock Multi-Strategy Income Fund is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(1) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 715 filed with the Commission on December 23, 2015.
       
  (3)   Investment Advisory Agreement dated December 31, 2015 with respect to the Robinson Opportunistic Income Fund is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(2) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 858 filed with the Commission on April 28, 2017.
       
  (4)   Sub-Advisory Agreement dated December 31, 2015 between Liberty Street Advisors, Inc. and Robinson Capital Management, LLC with respect to the Robinson Opportunistic Income Fund is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(1) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 718 filed with the Commission on December 30, 2015.
       
  (5)   Investment Advisory Agreement dated September 30, 2014 with respect to the Robinson Tax Advantaged Income Fund is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(2) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 558 filed with the Commission on September 30, 2014.
       
  (6)   Sub-Advisory Agreement dated September 30, 2014 between Liberty Street Advisors, Inc. and Robinson Capital Management, LLC with respect to the Robinson Tax Advantaged Income Fund is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(1) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 558 filed with the Commission on September 30, 2014.
       
  (7)   Amended and Restated Investment Advisory Agreement dated February 1, 2017 with respect to the West Loop Realty Fund is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(2) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 859 filed with the Commission on April 28, 2017.
       
  (8)   Sub-Advisory Agreement dated December 31, 2013 between Liberty Street Advisors, Inc. and Chilton Capital Management LLC with respect to the West Loop Realty Fund is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(1) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 444 filed with the Commission on December 31, 2013.
       
  (9)   Investment Advisory Agreement with respect to the Green Alpha Growth & Income Fund – to be filed by amendment.
       

 

 

 

  (10)   Sub-Advisory Agreement between Liberty Street Advisors, Inc. and Green Alpha Advisors with respect to the Green Alpha Growth & Income Fund – to be filed by amendment.
       
(e)     Form of Distribution Agreement is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (e) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 67 filed with the Commission on August 14, 2009.
       
  (1)   Distribution Agreement is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (e)(1) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 957 filed with the Commission on July 25, 2018.
       
(f)     Bonus or Profit Sharing Contracts is not applicable.
       
(g)     Custody Agreement is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (g) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 31 filed with the Commission on February 1, 2008.
       
  (1)   Amendment to Custody Agreement is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (g)(1) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 1145 filed with the Commission on March 29, 2021.
       
(h)     Other Material Contracts:
       
  (1)   Amended and Restated Transfer Agency Agreement dated March 25, 2009 is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(1) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 56 filed with the Commission on April 1, 2009.
       
    (i) Amended and Restated Schedule B to the Amended and Restated Transfer Agency Agreement dated March 25, 2009 is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(1)(i) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 571 filed with the Commission on October 24, 2014.
       
  (2)   Amended and Restated Fund Accounting Agreement dated March 5, 2014 is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(2)(i) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 490 filed with the Commission on March 28, 2014.
       
   (3)   Second Amended and Restated Co-Administration Agreement dated March 5, 2014 is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(3)(i) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 490 filed with the Commission on March 28, 2014.
       
    (i) Amendment to Co-Administration Agreement dated August 4, 2014 is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(3)(ii) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 571 filed with the Commission on October 24, 2014.
       
  (4)   Operating Expenses Limitation Agreement:
       
    (i) Operating Expenses Limitation Agreement dated December 31, 2015 with respect to the Braddock Multi-Strategy Income Fund is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(4) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 858 filed with the Commission on April 28, 2017.
       
    (ii) Operating Expenses Limitation Agreement dated December 31, 2015 with respect to the Robinson Opportunistic Income Fund is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(4) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 861 filed with the Commission on April 28, 2017.
       

 

 

 

    (iii) Amended and Restated Operating Expenses Limitation Agreement dated September 18, 2015 with respect to the Robinson Tax Advantaged Income Fund is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(4) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 860 filed with the Commission on April 28, 2017.
       
    (iv) Second Amended and Restated Operating Expenses Limitation Agreement dated February 1, 2017 with respect to the West Loop Realty Fund is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(4) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 859 filed with the Commission on April 28, 2017.
       
    (v) Operating Expenses Limitation Agreement with respect to the Green Alpha Growth & Income Fund – to be filed by amendment.
       
  (5)   Amended and Restated Shareholder Service Plan – to be filed by amendment.
       
  (6)   Credit Agreement dated December 27, 2018 with respect to the Braddock Multi-Strategy Income Fund, Robinson Opportunistic Income Fund and Robinson Tax Advantaged Income Fund is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(6) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 1019 filed with the Commission on April 30, 2019.
       
  (7)   Participating Fund Agreement:
       
    (i) Participating Fund Agreement dated January 23, 2019 with respect to the Braddock Multi-Strategy Income Fund is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(7) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 1016 filed with the Commission on April 30, 2019.
       
    (ii) Participating Fund Agreement dated February 2, 2017 with respect to the Robinson Opportunistic Income Fund is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(7) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 1019 filed with the Commission on April 30, 2019.
       
    (iii) Participating Fund Agreement dated February 2, 2017 with respect to the Robinson Tax Advantaged Income Fund is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(7) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 1018 filed with the Commission on April 30, 2019.
       
  (8)   International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc. 2002 Master Agreement:
       
    (i) 2002 Master Agreement with respect to the Robinson Opportunistic Income Fund is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(8) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 1019 filed with the Commission on April 30, 2019.
       
    (ii) 2002 Master Agreement with respect to the Robinson Tax Advantaged Income Fund is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(8) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 1018 filed with the Commission on April 30, 2019.

 

 

 

       
(i)     Legal Opinion:
       
  (1)   Legal Opinion with respect to the Braddock Multi-Strategy Income Fund is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (i) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 715 filed with the Commission on December 23, 2015.
       
  (2)   Legal Opinion with respect to the Robinson Opportunistic Income Fund is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (i) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 718 filed with the Commission on December 30, 2015.
       
  (3)   Legal Opinion with respect to the Robinson Tax Advantaged Income Fund is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (i) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 558 filed with the Commission on September 30, 2014.
       
  (4)   Legal Opinion with respect to the West Loop Realty Fund is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (i) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 444 filed with the Commission on December 31, 2013.
       
  (5)   Legal Opinion with respect to the Green Alpha Growth & Income Fund – to be filed by amendment.
       
(j)     Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm:
       
  (1)   Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm dated April 28, 2021 with respect to the Braddock Multi-Strategy Income Fund is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (j)(1) Post-Effective Amendment No. 1149 filed with the Commission on April 28, 2021.
       
  (2)   Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm dated April 28, 2021 with respect to the Robinson Opportunistic Income Fund is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (j)(4) Post-Effective Amendment No. 1149 filed with the Commission on April 28, 2021.
       
  (3)   Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm dated April 28, 2021 with respect to the Robinson Tax Advantaged Income Fund is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (j)(5) Post-Effective Amendment No. 1149 filed with the Commission on April 28, 2021.
       
  (4)   Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm dated April 28, 2021 with respect to the West Loop Realty Fund is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (j)(6) Post-Effective Amendment No. 1149 filed with the Commission on April 28, 2021.
       
  (5)   Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm with respect to the Green Alpha Growth & Income Fund – to be filed by amendment.
       
(k)     Not applicable.
       
(l)     Subscription Agreement:
       
  (1)   Initial Subscription Agreement with respect to the Braddock Multi-Strategy Income Fund is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (l) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 715 filed with the Commission on December 23, 2015.
       

 

 

 

    (i) Form of Subscription Agreement Relating to Class T Shares with respect to the Braddock Multi-Strategy Income Fund is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (l)(1) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 858 filed with the Commission on December April 28, 2017.
       
  (2)   Initial Subscription Agreement with respect to the Robinson Opportunistic Income Fund is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (l) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 718 filed with the Commission on December 30, 2015.
       
    (i) Form of Subscription Agreement (Class T) with respect to the Robinson Opportunistic Income Fund is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (l)(1) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 861 filed with the Commission on April 28, 2017.
       
  (3)   Initial Subscription Agreement with respect to the Robinson Tax Advantaged Income Fund is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (l) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 558 filed with the Commission on September 30, 2014.
       
    (i) Form of Subscription Agreement (Class T) with respect to the Robinson Tax Advantaged Income Fund is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (l)(1) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 860 filed with the Commission on April 28, 2017.
       
  (4)   Initial Subscription Agreement with respect to West Loop Realty Fund is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (l) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 444 filed with the Commission on December 31, 2013.
       
    (i) Form of Subscription Agreement Relating to Class T Shares with respect to West Loop Realty Fund is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (l) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 859 filed with the Commission on December April 28, 2017.
       
  (5)   Initial Subscription Agreement with respect to the Green Alpha Growth & Income Fund – to be filed by amendment.

 

(m)     Amended and Restated Distribution Plan – to be filed by amendment.
       
(n)     Amended Multiple Class Plan Pursuant to Rule 18f-3 – to be filed by amendment.
       
(o)     Power of Attorney for Ashley Rabun, Charles Miller, William Young, John Zader, Eric Banhazl and Maureen Quill is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (o) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 1032 filed with the Commission on August 28, 2019.
       
(p)     Code of Ethics:
       
  (1)   Code of Ethics of the Trust is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (p)(1) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 998 filed with the Commission on February 26, 2019.
       
  (2)   Code of Ethics of the Advisor is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (p)(2) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 623 filed with the Commission on March 30, 2015.
       

 

 

 

  (3)   Code of Ethics of the Sub-Advisor with respect to the Braddock Multi-Strategy Income Fund is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (p)(3) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 1105 filed with the Commission on April 29, 2020.
       
  (4)   Code of Ethics of the Sub-Advisor with respect to the Robinson Opportunistic Income Fund and Robinson Tax Advantaged Income Fund is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (p)(3) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 558 filed with the Commission on September 30, 2014.
       
  (5)   Code of Ethics of the Sub-Advisor with respect to the West Loop Realty Fund is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (p)(3) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 444 filed with the Commission on December 31, 2013.
       
  (6)   Code of Ethics of the Sub-Advisor with respect to the Green Alpha Growth & Income Fund – to be filed by amendment.

 

ITEM 29. PERSONS CONTROLLED BY OR UNDER COMMON CONTROL WITH THE FUND

 

See the Statement of Additional Information.

 

ITEM 30. INDEMNIFICATION

 

Pursuant to Del. Code Ann. Title 12 Section 3817, a Delaware statutory trust may provide in its governing instrument for the indemnification of its officers and Trustees from and against any and all claims and demands whatsoever.

 

Reference is made to Article 8, Section 8.4 of the Registrant's Agreement and Declaration of Trust, which provides:

 

Subject to the limitations, if applicable, hereinafter set forth in this Section 8.4, the Trust shall indemnify (from the assets of the Series or Series to which the conduct in question relates) each of its Trustees, officers, employees and agents (including Persons who serve at the Trust's request as directors, officers or trustees of another organization in which the Trust has any interest as a shareholder, creditor or otherwise (hereinafter, together with such Person's heirs, executors, administrators or personal representative, referred to as a "Covered Person")) against all liabilities, including but not limited to amounts paid in satisfaction of judgments, in compromise or as fines and penalties, and expenses, including reasonable accountants' and counsel fees, incurred by any Covered Person in connection with the defense or disposition of any action, suit or other proceeding, whether civil or criminal, before any court or administrative or legislative body, in which such Covered Person may be or may have been involved as a party or otherwise or with which such Covered Person may be or may have been threatened, while in office or thereafter, by reason of being or having been such a Trustee or officer, director or trustee, except with respect to any matter as to which it has been determined that such Covered Person (i) did not act in good faith in the reasonable belief that such Covered Person's action was in or not opposed to the best interests of the Trust; (ii) had acted with willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of such Covered Person's office (iii) for a criminal proceeding, had reasonable cause to believe that his conduct was unlawful (the conduct described in (i), (ii) and (iii) being referred to hereafter as "Disabling Conduct"). A determination that the Covered Person is entitled to indemnification may be made by (i) a final decision on the merits by a court or other body before whom the proceeding was brought that the Covered Person to be indemnified was not liable by reason of Disabling Conduct, (ii) dismissal of a court action or an administrative proceeding against a Covered Person for insufficiency of evidence of Disabling Conduct, or (iii) a reasonable determination, based upon a review of the facts, that the indemnity was not liable by reason of Disabling Conduct by (a) a vote of a majority of a quorum of Trustees who are neither "interested persons" of the Trust as defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act nor parties to the proceeding (the "Disinterested Trustees"), or (b) an independent legal counsel in a written opinion. Expenses, including accountants' and counsel fees so incurred by any such Covered Person (but excluding amounts paid in satisfaction of judgments, in compromise or as fines or penalties), may be paid from time to time by one or more Series to which the conduct in question related in advance of the final disposition of any such action, suit or proceeding; provided that the Covered Person shall have undertaken to repay the amounts so paid to such Series if it is ultimately determined that indemnification of such expenses is not authorized under this Article 8 and (i) the Covered Person shall have provided security for such undertaking, (ii) the Trust shall be insured against losses arising by reason of any lawful advances, or (iii) a majority of a quorum of the disinterested Trustees, or an independent legal counsel in a written opinion, shall have determined, based on a review of readily available facts (as opposed to a full trial type inquiry), that there is reason to believe that the Covered Person ultimately will be found entitled to indemnification.

 

 

 

Insofar as indemnification for liability arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to trustees, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a trustee, officer or controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such trustee, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

 

The Registrant has also entered into Indemnification Agreements with each of its trustees which provide that the Registrant shall advance expenses and indemnify and hold harmless each trustee in certain circumstances against any expenses incurred by a trustee in any proceeding arising out of or in connection with the trustee's service to the Registrant, to the maximum extent permitted by the Delaware Statutory Trust Act, the Securities Act of 1933 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, and which provide for certain procedures in connection with such advancement of expenses and indemnification.

 

Pursuant to the Distribution Agreement between the Trust and Foreside Fund Services, LLC (the “Distributor”), the Trust has agreed to indemnify, defend and hold the Distributor, and each of , its present or former directors, members, officers, employees, representatives and any person who controls or previously controlled the Distributor within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act (“Distributor Indemnitees”), free and harmless (a) from and against any and all losses, claims, demands, liabilities, damages, charges, payments, costs and expenses (including the costs of investigating or defending any alleged losses, claims, demands, liabilities, damages, charges, payments, costs or expenses and any counsel fees incurred in connection therewith) of any and every nature (“Losses”) which Distributor and/or each of the Distributor Indemnitees may incur under the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act, any other statute (including Blue Sky laws) or any rule or regulation thereunder, or under common law or otherwise, arising out of or based upon any untrue statement, or alleged untrue statement, of a material fact contained in the registration statement or any prospectus, an annual or interim report to shareholders or sales literature or any amendments or supplements thereto, or arising out of or based upon any omission, or alleged omission, to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; provided, however, that the Trust’s obligation to indemnify Distributor and any of the Distributor Indemnitees shall not be deemed to cover any Losses arising out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made therein in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to the Distributor and furnished to the Trust or its counsel by Distributor in writing for the purpose of, and used in, the preparation thereof; (b) from and against any and all Losses which Distributor and/or each of the Distributor Indemnitees may incur in connection with this Agreement or the Distributor’s performance hereunder, except to the extent the Losses result from the Distributor’s willful misfeasance, bad faith or negligence in the performance of its duties, or by reason of its reckless disregard of its obligations and duties under this Agreement, (c) from and against any and all Losses which Distributor and/or each of the Distributor Indemnitees may incur resulting from the actions or inactions of any prior service provider to the Trust or any Funds in existence prior to, and added to Schedule A after, the date of this Agreement, or (d) from and against any and all Losses which Distributor and/or each of the Distributor Indemnitees may incur when acting in accordance with instructions from the Trust or its representatives; and provided further that to the extent this agreement of indemnity may require indemnity of any Distributor Indemnitee who is also a trustee or officer of the Trust, no such indemnity shall inure to the benefit of such trustee or officer if to do so would be against public policy as expressed in the 1933 Act or the 1940 Act.

 

 

 

ITEM 31. BUSINESS AND OTHER CONNECTIONS OF THE INVESTMENT ADVISER

 

With respect to the Advisor, the response to this Item is incorporated by reference to the Advisor’s Uniform Application for Investment Adviser Registration (Form ADV) on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). The Advisor’s Form ADV may be obtained, free of charge, at the SEC’s website at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov.

 

With respect to the Sub-Advisor, the response to this Item is incorporated by reference to the Sub-Advisor’s Uniform Application for Investment Adviser Registration (Form ADV) on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). The Sub-Advisor’s Form ADV may be obtained, free of charge, at the SEC’s website at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov.

 

Item 32. Foreside Fund Services, LLC

 

Item 32(a) Foreside Fund Services, LLC (the “Distributor”) serves as principal underwriter for the following investment companies registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended:

 

1. ABS Long/Short Strategies Fund
2. Absolute Shares Trust
3. AdvisorShares Trust
4. AGF Investments Trust (f/k/a FQF Trust)
5. AIM ETF Products Trust
6. AlphaCentric Prime Meridian Income Fund
7. American Century ETF Trust
8. American Customer Satisfaction ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions
9. Amplify ETF Trust
10. ARK ETF Trust
11. ASYMmetric ETFs Trust
12. Bluestone Community Development Fund (f/k/a The 504 Fund)
13. Braddock Multi-Strategy Income Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust
14. Bridgeway Funds, Inc.
15. Brinker Capital Destinations Trust
16. Cabot Equity Growth ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
17. Calamos Convertible and High Income Fund
18. Calamos Convertible Opportunities and Income Fund
19. Calamos Global Total Return Fund
20. Carlyle Tactical Private Credit Fund
21. Center Coast Brookfield MLP & Energy Infrastructure Fund
22. Changebridge Capital Long/Short ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
23. Changebridge Capital Sustainable Equity ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust

 

 

 

24. Cliffwater Corporate Lending Fund
25. CornerCap Group of Funds
26. Davis Fundamental ETF Trust
27. Defiance Nasdaq Junior Biotechnology ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions
28. Defiance Next Gen Connectivity ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions
29. Defiance Next Gen H2 ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions
30. Defiance Next Gen SPAC Derived ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions
31. Defiance Quantum ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions
32. Direxion Shares ETF Trust
33. Eaton Vance NextShares Trust
34. Eaton Vance NextShares Trust II
35. EIP Investment Trust
36. Ellington Income Opportunities Fund
37. EntrepreneurShares Series Trust
38. Esoterica Thematic ETF Trust
39. ETF Opportunities Trust
40. Evanston Alternative Opportunities Fund
41. Exchange Listed Funds Trust (f/k/a Exchange Traded Concepts Trust II)
42. Fiera Capital Series Trust
43. FlexShares Trust
44. Forum Funds
45. Forum Funds II
46. Friess Small Cap Growth Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series
47. Guinness Atkinson Funds
48. Horizon Kinetics Inflation Beneficiaries ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
49. Infinity Core Alternative Fund
50. Innovator ETFs Trust
51. Innovator ETFs Trust II (f/k/a Elkhorn ETF Trust)
52. Ironwood Institutional Multi-Strategy Fund LLC
53. Ironwood Multi-Strategy Fund LLC
54. IVA Fiduciary Trust
55. John Hancock Exchange-Traded Fund Trust
56. Mairs & Power Funds Trust
57. Mairs & Power Minnesota Municipal Bond ETF, Series of Trust for Professional Managers
58. Manor Investment Funds
59. Moerus Worldwide Value Fund, Series of Northern Lights Fund Trust IV
60. Morgan Creek - Exos SPAC Originated ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
61. Morningstar Funds Trust
62. OSI ETF Trust
63. Overlay Shares Core Bond ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
64. Overlay Shares Foreign Equity ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
65. Overlay Shares Large Cap Equity ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
66. Overlay Shares Municipal Bond ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
67. Overlay Shares Small Cap Equity ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
68. Overlay Shares Short Term Bond ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
69. Overlay Shares Hedged Large Cap Equity ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
70. Pacific Global ETF Trust
71. Palmer Square Opportunistic Income Fund
72. Partners Group Private Income Opportunities, LLC
73. PENN Capital Funds Trust
74. Performance Trust Mutual Funds, Series of Trust for Professional Managers

 

 

 

75. Plan Investment Fund, Inc.
76. PMC Funds, Series of Trust for Professional Managers
77. Point Bridge GOP Stock Tracker ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions
78. Quaker Investment Trust
79. Rareview Dynamic Fixed Income ETF, Series of Collaborative Investment Series Trust
80. Rareview Tax Advantaged Income ETF, Series of Collaborative Investment Series Trust
81. Renaissance Capital Greenwich Funds
82. Reverse Cap Weighted U.S. Large Cap ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions
83. RMB Investors Trust (f/k/a Burnham Investors Trust)
84. Robinson Opportunistic Income Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust
85. Robinson Tax Advantaged Income Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust
86. Roundhill BITKRAFT Esports & Digital Entertainment ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
87. Roundhill MVP ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
88. Roundhill Sports Betting & iGaming ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
89. Roundhill Streaming Services & Technology ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
90. Salient MF Trust
91. Securian AM Balanced Stabilization Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust
92. Securian AM Equity Stabilization Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust
93. Securian AM Real Asset Income Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust
94. SharesPost 100 Fund
95. Six Circles Trust
96. Sound Shore Fund, Inc.
97. Strategy Shares
98. Swan Hedged Equity US Large Cap ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
99. Syntax ETF Trust
100. The Chartwell Funds
101. The Community Development Fund
102. The Relative Value Fund
103. The SPAC and New Issue ETF, Series of Collaborative Investment Series Trust
104. Third Avenue Trust
105. Third Avenue Variable Series Trust
106. Tidal ETF Trust
107. TIFF Investment Program
108. Timothy Plan High Dividend Stock ETF, Series of The Timothy Plan
109. Timothy Plan International ETF, Series of The Timothy Plan
110. Timothy Plan US Large/Mid Cap Core ETF, Series of The Timothy Plan
111. Timothy Plan US Small Cap Core ETF, Series of The Timothy Plan
112. Transamerica ETF Trust
113. Trend Aggregation Aggressive Growth ETF, Series of Collaborative Investment Series Trust
114. Trend Aggregation Conservative ETF, Series of Collaborative Investment Series Trust
115. Trend Aggregation Dividend Stock ETF, Series of Collaborative Investment Series Trust
116. Trend Aggregation ESG ETF, Series of Collaborative Investment Series Trust
117. Trend Aggregation US ETF, Series of Collaborative Investment Series Trust
118. TrueShares AI & Deep Learning ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
119. TrueShares ESG Active Opportunities ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
120. TrueShares Low Volatility Equity Income ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
121. TrueShares Structured Outcome (August) ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
122. TrueShares Structured Outcome (July) ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
123. TrueShares Structured Outcome (November) ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
124. TrueShares Structured Outcome (October) ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
125. TrueShares Structured Outcome (December) ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust

 

 

 

126. TrueShares Structured Outcome (September) ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
127. TrueShares Structured Outcome (January) ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
128. TrueShares Structured Outcome (February) ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
129. TrueShares Structured Outcome (March) ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
130. U.S. Global Investors Funds
131. Variant Alternative Income Fund
132. VictoryShares Developed Enhanced Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
133. VictoryShares Dividend Accelerator ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
134. VictoryShares Emerging Market High Div Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
135. VictoryShares International High Div Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
136. VictoryShares International Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
137. VictoryShares NASDAQ Next 50 ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
138. VictoryShares Protect America ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
139. VictoryShares Top Veteran Employers ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
140. VictoryShares US 500 Enhanced Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
141. VictoryShares US 500 Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
142. VictoryShares US Discovery Enhanced Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
143. VictoryShares US EQ Income Enhanced Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
144. VictoryShares US Large Cap High Div Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
145. VictoryShares US Multi-Factor Minimum Volatility ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
146. VictoryShares US Small Cap High Div Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
147. VictoryShares US Small Cap Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
148. VictoryShares USAA Core Intermediate-Term Bond ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
149. VictoryShares USAA Core Short-Term Bond ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
150. VictoryShares USAA MSCI Emerging Markets Value Momentum ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
151. VictoryShares USAA MSCI International Value Momentum ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
152. VictoryShares USAA MSCI USA Small Cap Value Momentum ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
153. VictoryShares USAA MSCI USA Value Momentum ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
154. West Loop Realty Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust (f/k/a Chilton Realty Income & Growth Fund)
155. WisdomTree Trust
156. WST Investment Trust
157. XAI Octagon Floating Rate & Alternative Income Term Trust

 

  Item 32(b) The following are the Officers and Manager of the Distributor, the Registrant’s underwriter. The Distributor’s main business address is Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, Maine 04101.

 

Name Address Position with Underwriter Position with Registrant
Richard J. Berthy

Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100,

Portland, ME 04101

President, Treasurer and Manager None
Mark A. Fairbanks

Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100,

Portland, ME 04101

Vice President

None

 

Teresa Cowan

111 E. Kilbourn Avenue, Suite 2200,

Milwaukee, WI 53202

Vice President None

Jennifer K. DiValerio

 

899 Cassatt Road, 400 Berwyn Park, Suite 110, Berwyn, PA 19312 Vice President None
Nanette K. Chern

Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100,

Portland, ME 04101

Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer None
Jennifer E. Hoopes

Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100,

Portland, ME 04101

Secretary None

 

 

 

   Item 32(c) Not applicable.

 

ITEM 33. LOCATION OF ACCOUNTS AND RECORDS.

 

The books and records required to be maintained by Section 31(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 are maintained at the following locations:

 

Records Relating to: Are located at:
Registrant’s Transfer Agent, Fund Accountant and Co-Administrator

UMB Fund Services, Inc.

235 W. Galena Street
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53212

Registrant’s Co-Administrator

Mutual Fund Administration, LLC

2220 E. Route 66, Suite 226

Glendora, California 91740

Registrant’s Custodian

UMB Bank, n.a.

928 Grand Boulevard

Kansas City, Missouri, 64141

Registrant’s Investment Adviser

 

Liberty Street Advisors, Inc.

100 Wall Street, 20th Floor

New York, New York 10005

Funds’ Distributor

Foreside Fund Services, LLC

Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100

Portland, Maine 04101

 

The documents required to be maintained by paragraphs (5), (6), (10) and (11) of Rule 31a-1(b) will be maintained by the Funds’ Sub-Advisor:

 

 

 

Records Relating to: Are located at:
Braddock Multi-Strategy Income Fund’s Sub-Advisor

Braddock Financial LLC

1200 17th Street, Suite 1210

Denver, CO 80202

Green Alpha Growth & Income Fund’s Sub-Advisor

Green Alpha Advisors

263 2nd Avenue, Suite 106B

Niwot, Colorado 80544

Robinson Opportunistic Income Fund’s and

Robinson Tax Advantaged Income Fund’s Sub-Advisor

Robinson Capital Management, LLC

63 Kercheval Ave. Suite 111

Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan 48236

West Loop Realty Fund’s Sub-Advisor

Chilton Capital Management LLC

1177 West Loop South, Suite 1750,

Houston, Texas 77027

 

ITEM 34. MANAGEMENT SERVICES

 

Not applicable.

 

ITEM 35. UNDERTAKINGS

 

Not applicable.

 

 

 

 

SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, duly authorized, in the City of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, on the 15th day of October, 2021.

 

  INVESTMENT MANAGERS SERIES TRUST  
       
  By: /s/ Maureen Quill  
    Maureen Quill  
    Trustee, President and Principal Executive Officer  

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this Registration Statement has been signed on the 15th day of October, 2021, by the following persons in the capacities set forth below.

 

Signature   Title  

 

     

Ashley Toomey Rabun

 

  Trustee  
     

William H. Young

 

  Trustee  
     

Charles H. Miller

 

  Trustee  
       
John P. Zader   Trustee  
 

 

 

 

Eric M. Banhazl

 

/s/ Maureen Quill

 

Trustee

 

 

 

Maureen Quill

 

/s/ Rita Dam

 

Trustee, President and Principal Executive Officer

 

 

 
Rita Dam   Treasurer and Principal Financial Officer  

 

By /s/ Rita Dam  
Attorney-in-fact, pursuant to power of attorney previously filed
with Post-Effective Amendment No. 1032 on August 28, 2019.

 

 

 

 

 

EXHIBIT INDEX

 

Exhibit Exhibit No.
Certificate of Designation of the Green Alpha Growth & Income Fund EX.99.28(a)(10)