497 1 v401663_497.htm 497

Sub-advised by:

Pacific Asset Management

ADVISORSHARES TRUST

4800 Montgomery Lane • Suite 150

Bethesda, Maryland 20814

www.advisorshares.com

877.843.3831

Prospectus dated February 13, 2015

This Prospectus provides important information about the AdvisorShares Pacific Asset Enhanced Floating Rate ETF, a series of AdvisorShares Trust. Before you invest, please read this Prospectus and the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information carefully and keep them for future reference.

The shares of the Fund have not been approved or disapproved by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission nor has the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this Prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

FUND SUMMARY	2

INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE	2

FUND FEES AND EXPENSES	2

PORTFOLIO TURNOVER	3

PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES	3

PRINCIPAL RISKS OF INVESTING IN THE FUND	4

FUND PERFORMANCE	6

MANAGEMENT	6

PURCHASE AND SALE OF FUND SHARES	6

TAX INFORMATION	7

PAYMENTS TO BROKER-DEALERS AND OTHER FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES	7

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE TRUST AND THE FUND	8

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUND’S INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE	8

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUND’S PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES	8

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE PRINCIPAL RISKS OF INVESTING IN THE FUND	10

OTHER INVESTMENT PRACTICES AND STRATEGIES	15

PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS	15

MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND	15

SHAREHOLDER INFORMATION	17

DISTRIBUTION PLAN	19

ADDITIONAL TAX INFORMATION	19

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS	21

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION	22

ADVISORSHARES PACIFIC ASSET ENHANCED FLOATING RATE ETF

(NYSE Arca Ticker: FLRT )

FUND SUMMARY

INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE

The AdvisorShares Pacific Asset Enhanced Floating Rate ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to provide a high level of current income.

FUND FEES AND EXPENSES

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. Most investors will incur customary brokerage commissions when buying or selling shares of the Fund, which are not reflected in the table below.

SHAREHOLDER FEES (fees paid directly from your investment)	None
ANNUAL FUND OPERATING EXPENSES (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
MANAGEMENT FEES	0.95%
DISTRIBUTION (12b-1) FEES	0.00%
OTHER EXPENSES(a)	0.21%
TOTAL ANNUAL OPERATING EXPENSES	1.16%
FEE WAIVER AND/OR EXPENSE REIMBURSEMENT(b)	0.06%
TOTAL ANNUAL OPERATING EXPENSES AFTER FEE WAIVER AND/OR EXPENSE REIMBURSEMENT	1.10%

(a)

Because the Fund is new, “Other Expenses” are based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year.

(b)

AdvisorShares Investments, LLC (the “Advisor”) has contractually agreed to reduce its fees and/or reimburse expenses to keep net expenses (excluding amounts payable pursuant to a Rule 12b-1 plan, interest expense, taxes, brokerage commissions, acquired fund fees and expenses, other expenditures that are capitalized in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and extraordinary expenses) from exceeding 1.10% of the Fund’s average daily net assets for at least one year from the date of this Prospectus. The expense limitation agreement may be terminated without payment of any penalty (i) by the Trust for any reason and at any time and (ii) by the Advisor, for any reason, upon ninety (90) days’ prior written notice to the Trust, such termination by the Advisor to be effective as of the close of business on the last day of the then-current one-year period.

EXAMPLE

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the shares of the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. This Example does not take into account creation or redemption transaction fees, or the brokerage commissions that you pay when purchasing or selling shares of the Fund. If these fees and commissions were included, your costs would be higher.

The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then sell 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. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

	1 YEAR	3 YEARS

AdvisorShares Pacific Asset Enhanced Floating Rate ETF	$112	$362

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 Total Annual Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance. This rate excludes the value of portfolio securities received or delivered as a result of in-kind creations or redemptions of the Fund’s shares. The Fund is new and does not yet have a portfolio turnover rate.

PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

Pacific Asset Management (the “Sub-Advisor”) seeks to achieve the Fund’s investment objective by selecting a focused portfolio comprised primarily of income producing floating rate loans and floating rate debt securities.

Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in floating rate loans and other floating rate debt securities and in derivatives or other instruments that have economic characteristics similar to such securities (such as swap agreements, including, but not limited to, total return swaps, credit default swaps, and interest rate swaps). The Fund is expected to invest primarily in loans and other securities that are rated below investment grade (i.e., high yield securities, sometimes called “junk bonds” or non-investment grade securities) or, if unrated, of comparable quality as determined by the Sub-Advisor. Floating rate loans and floating rate debt securities are those with interest rates which float, adjust or vary periodically based upon a benchmark indicator, a specified adjustment schedule, or prevailing interest rates. Floating rate loans and floating rate debt securities in which the Fund invests consist of senior secured floating rate loans and floating rate debt securities of domestic and U.S. dollar denominated foreign issuers. Senior floating rate loans and some floating rate debt securities are debt instruments that may have a right to payment that is senior to most other debts of the borrowers. Borrowers may include corporations, partnerships and other entities that operate in a variety of industries and geographic regions. Generally, secured floating rate loans are secured by specific assets of the borrower.

The Fund may invest up to 20% of its assets in certain other types of debt instruments or securities including senior unsecured floating rate loans and secured and unsecured second lien floating rate loans. Second lien loans generally are second in line behind senior loans in terms of prepayment priority with respect to pledged collateral.

The Sub-Advisor determines the target risk and investable universe, then constructs what it believes to be the most effective mix of investments in accordance with the overall portfolio guidelines. To seek an increase in yield, the Fund expects to employ leverage to enhance potential return. The timing and terms of leverage will be determined by the Sub-Advisor’s ETF Investment Committee (the “Committee”). The Fund may use leverage by borrowing money, normally on a floating rate basis, or through swap agreements. An investment is generally sold when it no longer offers relative value or an adverse change in corporate or sector fundamentals has occurred.

On a day-to-day basis, the Fund may hold money market instruments, cash, other cash equivalents, and exchange traded products (“ETPs”) that invest in these and other highly liquid instruments.

PRINCIPAL RISKS OF INVESTING IN THE FUND

The Fund is subject to a number of risks, as described below, that may affect the value of its shares, including the possible loss of money. As with any fund, there is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve its investment objective.

Counterparty Risk. The Fund may invest in financial instruments involving counterparties that attempt to gain exposure to a particular group of securities, index or asset class without actually purchasing those securities or investments, or to hedge a position. The Fund’s use of such financial instruments, including swap agreements and structured notes, involves risks that are different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. For example, if a swap agreement counterparty defaults on its payment obligations to the Fund, this default will cause the value of your investment in the Fund to decrease.

Credit Risk. The Fund could lose money if the issuer or guarantor of a debt instrument in which the Fund invests becomes unwilling or unable to make timely principal and/or interest payments or to otherwise meet its obligations. Credit risk is heightened to the extent the Fund invests in high yield securities.

Derivatives Risk. Derivatives may be riskier than other types of investments because they may be more sensitive to changes in economic or market conditions than other types of investments and could result in losses that significantly exceed the Fund’s original investment. A derivative is a financial contract the value of which depends on, or is derived from, the value of a financial asset (such as stock, bond or currency), a physical asset (such as gold), or a market index (such as the S&P 500 Index). Many derivatives create leverage thereby causing the Fund to be more volatile than it would be if it had not invested in derivatives. Derivatives also expose the Fund to counterparty risk (the risk that the derivative counterparty will not fulfill its contractual obligations) and to credit risk. The Fund may enter into swap agreements, including credit default and interest rate swaps, for purposes of attempting to gain exposure to a particular asset without actually purchasing that asset or to hedge a position. Credit default swaps may increase or decrease the Fund’s exposure to credit risk and could result in losses if the creditworthiness of the entity on which the credit default swap is based is not correctly evaluated. Swap agreements may also subject the Fund to the risk that the counterparty to the transaction may not meet its obligations.

Exchange-Traded Product Risk. The Fund may invest in certain ETPs. Through its positions in ETPs, the Fund will be subject to the risks associated with such ETP’s investments, or reference assets/benchmark components in the case of exchange-traded notes (“ETNs”), including the possibility that the value of the securities or instruments held by or linked to an ETP could decrease. An ETP’s lack of liquidity can result in its value being more volatile than the underlying portfolio investment or reference asset/benchmark component. In addition, certain ETPs may hold common portfolio positions, thereby reducing any diversification benefits.

Foreign Investment Risk. The Fund’s investments in securities of foreign issuers, including ADRs, may involve certain risks that are greater than those associated with investments in securities of U.S. issuers. These include risks of adverse changes in foreign economic, political, regulatory and other conditions; changes in currency exchange rates or exchange control regulations (including limitations on currency movements and exchanges); differing accounting, auditing, financial reporting and legal standards and practices; differing securities market structures; and higher transaction costs.

High Yield Securities Risk. The Fund’s investments in high yield securities or “junk bonds” are subject to a greater risk of loss of income and principal than higher grade debt securities. The Fund’s investment in high yield securities also subjects the Fund to greater levels of interest rate, credit and liquidity risk than funds that do not invest in such securities. Issuers of junk bonds are often highly leveraged and are more vulnerable to changes in the economy. These securities are considered predominately speculative with respect to the issuer’s continuing ability to make principal and interest payments.

Income Risk. The income from the Fund’s investments may decline because of falling market interest rates. This can result when the Fund invests the proceeds from new share sales, or from matured or called bonds, at market interest rates that are below the Fund’s portfolio current earnings rate.

Interest Rate Risk. Fixed income securities are subject to the risk that securities could lose value because of interest rate changes. Fixed income securities with longer maturities are subject to greater price shifts as a result of interest rate changes than fixed income securities with shorter maturities. Floating or adjustable rate securities (such as most loans) typically have less exposure to interest rate fluctuations than other fixed income securities and their exposure will generally be limited to the period of time until the interest rate on the security is reset.

Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk exists when particular Fund investments are difficult to purchase or sell. This can reduce the Fund’s returns because the Fund may be unable to transact at advantageous times or prices.

Loan Participation Risk. The Fund may not have a readily available market for loan participation interests and, in some cases, the Fund may have to dispose of such securities at a substantial discount from face value. Loan participations also involve the credit risk associated with the underlying corporate borrower.

Market Risk. Due to market conditions, the value of the Fund’s investments may fluctuate significantly from day to day. Price fluctuations may be temporary or may last for extended periods. This volatility may cause the value of your investment in the Fund to decrease.

Prepayment Risk. The Fund invests in floating rate securities, and may invest in mortgage related securities, each of which, like other debt securities, may be paid off early when the issuer of a debt security can repay the principal prior to a security’s maturity. If interest rates are falling, the Fund may have to reinvest the unanticipated proceeds at lower interest rates, resulting in a decline in the Fund’s income.

Trading Risk. Shares of the Fund may trade above or below their net asset value (“NAV”). The trading price of the Fund’s shares may deviate significantly from their NAV during periods of market volatility. In addition, trading in shares of the Fund may be halted because of market conditions or for reasons that, in view of the NYSE Arca (the “Exchange”) make trading in shares inadvisable.

FUND PERFORMANCE

A comparison of the Fund’s performance with that of a broad measure of market performance may give some indication of the risks of an investment in the Fund; however, the Fund is new and, therefore, does not have a performance history for a full calendar year. Of course, once the Fund has performance, this past performance (before and after taxes) does not necessarily indicate how the Fund will perform in the future.

Updated performance information is available on the Fund’s website at www.advisorshares.com.

MANAGEMENT

Name	Title

AdvisorShares Investments, LLC	Advisor

Pacific Asset Management	Sub-Advisor

PORTFOLIO MANAGERS

Name and Title		Length of Service with Sub-Advisor

Jason Rosiak, Senior Managing Director		since 2007

JP Leasure, Senior Managing Director		since 2007

Bob Boyd, Managing Director		since 2012

PURCHASE AND SALE OF FUND SHARES

The Fund issues and redeems shares on a continuous basis at NAV only in a large specified number of shares called a “Creation Unit.” The shares of the Fund that trade on the Exchange are “created” at their NAV by market makers, large investors and institutions only in block-size Creation Units of 50,000 shares. A “creator” enters into an authorized participant agreement (“Participant Agreement”) with the Distributor or uses a Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) participant who has executed a Participant Agreement (an “Authorized Participant”), then receives 50,000 shares of the Fund (or multiples thereof) generally in exchange for a specified amount of cash totaling the NAV of the Creation Unit(s).

Individual Fund shares may only be purchased and sold in secondary market transactions through brokers. The shares of the Fund are listed on the Exchange and, because shares trade at market price rather than at NAV, shares may trade at a value greater than or less than their NAV.

TAX INFORMATION

The Fund intends to make distributions that may be taxed as ordinary income or capital gains (or a combination thereof), unless you are investing through a tax-advantaged arrangement such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account (“IRA”), which may be taxed upon withdrawal.

PAYMENTS TO BROKER-DEALERS AND OTHER FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES

Investors purchasing shares in the secondary market through a brokerage account or with the assistance of a broker may be subject to brokerage commissions and charges. If you purchase Fund shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund, the Advisor or the Sub-Advisor may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing broker-dealers or other intermediaries and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE TRUST AND THE FUND

AdvisorShares Trust (the “Trust”) is a Delaware statutory trust offering a number of professionally managed investment portfolios or funds.

Section 12(d)(1) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), restricts investments by investment companies in the securities of other investment companies, including shares of the Fund.

Creation Units of the Fund generally are issued and redeemed in return for a specified amount of cash totaling the NAV of the Creation Units.

EXCEPT WHEN AGGREGATED IN CREATION UNITS, SHARES OF THE FUND ARE NOT REDEEMABLE SECURITIES.

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUND’S INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE

The investment objective of the Fund is non-fundamental and may be changed by the Trust’s Board of Trustees (the “Board”) without a shareholder vote.

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUND’S PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

The Fund is an actively managed exchange-traded fund (“ETF”) and, thus, does not seek to replicate the performance of a specified passive index of securities. Instead, it uses an active investment strategy in seeking to meet its investment objective. The Sub-Advisor, subject to the oversight of the Advisor and the Board, has discretion on a daily basis to manage the Fund’s portfolio in accordance with the Fund’s investment objective and investment policies.

The Sub-Advisor seeks to achieve the Fund’s investment objective by selecting a focused portfolio comprised primarily of income producing floating rate loans and floating rate debt securities (commonly referred to as bank loans, leveraged loans or floating rate loans), which consist of senior secured floating rate loans and other floating rate debt securities of domestic and U.S. dollar denominated foreign issuers.

Under normal circumstances, the Fund will generally invest at least 80% of its assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in floating rate loans and floating rate debt securities or in debt securities, derivatives or other instruments that have economic characteristics similar to such securities. Floating rate loans and floating rate debt securities are those with interest rates which float, adjust or vary periodically based upon a benchmark indicator, a specified adjustment schedule, or prevailing interest rates.

Floating rate loans will generally be purchased from banks or other financial institutions through assignments or participations. A direct interest in a floating rate loan may be acquired directly from the agent of the lender or another lender by assignment or an indirect interest may be acquired as a participation in another lender’s portion of a floating rate loan.

In pursuing its investment objective, the Fund seeks to outperform the Credit Suisse Institutional Leveraged Loan Index (the “Index”).

Investment Philosophy

The Sub-Advisor believes a disciplined portfolio decision-making process that focuses on credit fundamentals for individual security selection will lead to outstanding long-term performance versus the Fund’s peers and benchmark. The Sub-Advisor believes that the focus should be on the fundamentals of the businesses in which the Fund invests.

Selection Process

The Sub-Advisor’s selection process starts with a top-down market analysis and is complemented by bottom-up security selection.

Determine Investable Universe of Liquid Loans - The Sub-Advisor begins with a top-down analysis, which provides a framework for the strategy’s investable universe. The strategy aims to provide exposure to the most liquid segment of the bank loan marketplace. In general, the investable universe will be comprised of the largest loans in the Index. The factors considered by the Sub-Advisor when determining liquidity specifically for loans may include the frequency of trading or quotes, the number of dealers in the market willing to purchase or sell the loan, trading volume, the nature of the security, and the market for the security including prospects for future demand for the loan.

Top-Down Assessment for Portfolio Leverage - Once the Sub-Advisor has determined the investable universe, both the macro-economic environment and technical factors that could materially impact the credit markets are assessed. The Sub-Advisor assesses the economic and market climates. The Sub-Advisor then determines an overall target of portfolio risk and leverage to employ for the near term.

Portfolio Construction - Once the Sub-Advisor has determined the target risk and investable universe, the Sub-Advisor constructs what is believed to be the most effective mix of investments in accordance with the overall portfolio guidelines. As a result, investments with the most favorable risk/reward analyses will tend to have a greater representation or leverage in the Fund’s portfolio. Due to the nature of ETF structure and liquidity requirements, the portfolio will place a higher value on liquidity relative to products without such a requirement. The portfolio will be diversified by industry and issuer, with no individual issuer representing more than 5% of the portfolio. The typical duration positioning will be between 0.25 years to 0.75 years or as determined by the Sub-Advisor.

Monitor - Once an investment is made, monitoring takes place each business day. Portfolio values are monitored through daily third-party pricing. Credit updates are captured through the Sub-Advisor’s research system. This system serves as a centralized credit hub for the Sub-Advisor’s research team. The system aggregates information such as portfolio holdings, outlooks, analyst comments, and investment theses for the portfolio management, operations, and credit teams. Investments are sold based upon relative value opportunities or changes in corporate fundamentals.

A Note on Leverage

The Fund may use leverage by borrowing money, normally on a floating rate basis. The Committee formally meets on a regular basis to review and assess leverage terms and leverage amounts. The Committee seeks to use leverage for the purposes of making additional investments only if its members believe that, at the time of using leverage, the total return on the assets purchased with such funds will exceed interest payments and other costs on the leverage. The Fund may obtain investment exposure in excess of its assets in seeking to achieve its investment objective. The use of leverage for investment purposes increases both investment opportunity and investment risk.

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE PRINCIPAL RISKS OF INVESTING IN THE FUND

The Fund is subject to a number of risks that may affect the value of its shares. This section provides additional information about the Fund’s principal risks. The degree to which the risks described below apply to the Fund varies according to its investment allocation. Each investor should review the complete description of the principal risks before investing in the Fund. As with investing in other securities whose prices increase and decrease in market value, you may lose money by investing in the Fund.

Counterparty Risk. The Fund may invest in financial instruments involving counterparties for the purpose of attempting to gain exposure to a particular group of securities, index or asset class without actually purchasing those securities or investments, or to hedge a position. Such financial instruments may include, among others, total return, index, interest rate, and credit default swap agreements. The use of swap agreements and similar instruments exposes the Fund to risks that are different than those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. For example, the Fund bears the risk of loss of the amount expected to be received under a swap agreement in the event of the default or bankruptcy of a swap agreement counterparty. If a counterparty defaults on its payment obligations to the Fund, this default will cause the value of your investment in the Fund to decrease. In addition, the Fund may enter into swap agreements with a limited number of counterparties, which may increase the Fund’s exposure to counterparty credit risk. Similarly, if the credit quality of an issuer or guarantor of a debt instrument improves, this change may adversely affect the value of the Fund’s investment.

Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that the Fund could lose money if an issuer or guarantor of a debt instrument becomes unwilling or unable to make timely principal and/or interest payments, or to otherwise meet its obligations. The Fund is also subject to the risk that its investment in a debt instrument could decline because of concerns about the issuer’s credit quality or perceived financial condition. Fixed income securities are subject to varying degrees of credit risk, which are sometimes reflected in credit ratings.

Derivatives Risk. The Fund may invest in derivatives to gain market exposure, enhance returns or hedge against market declines. Examples of derivatives are options, futures, options on futures and swaps. The Fund’s use of derivative instruments involves risks different from or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other traditional investments. These risks include (i) the risk that the counterparty to a derivative transaction may not fulfill its contractual obligations; (ii) the risk of mispricing or improper valuation; and (iii) the risk that changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset, rate or index. These risks could cause the Fund to lose more than the principal amount invested. In addition, investments in derivatives may involve leverage, which means a small percentage of assets invested in derivatives can have a disproportionately larger impact on the Fund.

Exchange-Traded Product Risk. The Fund may invest in certain ETPs. Through its positions in ETPs, the Fund generally will be subject to the risks associated with such vehicle’s investments, or reference assets/benchmark componenets in the case of ETNs, including the possibility that the value of the securities or instruments held by or linked to an ETP could decrease. Certain of the ETPs may hold common portfolio positions, thereby reducing any diversification benefits. The ETPs in which the Fund invests are pooled investment vehicles that are not registered pursuant to the 1940 Act and, therefore, are not subject to the regulatory scheme of the 1940 Act including the investor protections afforded by the 1940 Act. Under normal market conditions, the Fund will purchase shares of or interest in ETPs in the secondary market. When the Fund invests in an ETP (except an ETN), in addition to directly bearing the expenses associated with its own operations, it also will bear a pro rata portion of the ETP’s expenses (including operating costs and management fees). Because ETNs are debt securities and not pools of securities, the Fund pays a specific investor fee for its investments in ETNs. Consequently, an investment in the Fund entails more direct and indirect expenses than a direct investment in an ETP.

Floating Rate Loan Risk. Floating rate loans (or bank loans) are usually rated below investment grade. The market for floating rate loans may be subject to irregular trading activity, wide bid/ask spreads, and extended trade settlement periods. The Fund’s investment in loans may take the form of a participation or an assignment. Loan participations typically represent direct participation in a loan to a borrower, and generally are offered by financial institutions or lending syndicates. The Fund may participate in such syndications, or can buy part of a loan, becoming a part lender. When purchasing loan participations, the Fund assumes the credit risk associated with the borrower and may assume the credit risk associated with an interposed financial intermediary. If the lead lender in a typical lending syndicate becomes insolvent, enters Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) receivership or, if not FDIC insured, enters into bankruptcy, the Fund may incur certain costs and delays in receiving payment or may suffer a loss of principal and/or interest. When the Fund is a purchaser of an assignment, it succeeds to all the rights and obligations under the loan agreement of the assigning bank or other financial intermediary and becomes a lender under the loan agreement with the same rights and obligations as the assigning bank or other financial intermediary. For example, if a loan is foreclosed, the Fund could become part owner of any collateral, and would bear the costs and liabilities associated with owning and disposing of the collateral. Floating rate loans are also subject to prepayment risk. Borrowers may pay off their loans sooner than expected particularly when interest rates are falling. The Fund investing in such securities will be forced to reinvest this money at lower yields, which can reduce the Fund’s returns. Similarly, debt obligations with call features have the risk that an issuer will exercise the right to pay an obligation (such as a mortgage-backed security) earlier than expected. Pre-payment and call risk typically occur when interest rates are declining. Conversely, when interest rates are rising, the duration of such securities tends to extend, making them more sensitive to changes in interest rates. This is sometimes referred to as extension risk.

Floating rate loans generally are subject to restrictions on transfer, and the Fund may be unable to sell its bank loans at a time when it may otherwise be desirable to do so or may be able to sell them only at prices that are less than their fair market value.

The Fund may find it difficult to establish a fair value for loans it holds. A loan may not be fully collateralized and can decline significantly in value. In addition, the Fund’s access to collateral may be limited by bankruptcy or other insolvency laws. If the Fund acquires a participation in a loan, the Fund may not be able to control the exercise of remedies that the lender would have under the loan and likely would not have any rights against the borrower directly. Loans made to finance highly leveraged corporate acquisitions may be especially vulnerable to adverse changes in economic or market conditions. A loan may also be in the form of a bridge loan, which are designed to provide temporary or “bridge” financing to a borrower, pending the sale of identified assets or the arrangement of longer-term loans or the issuance and sale of debt obligations. A borrower’s use of a bridge loan involves a risk that the borrower may be unable to locate permanent financing to replace the bridge loan, which may impair the borrower’s perceived creditworthiness.

Foreign Investment Risk. The Fund may have significant exposure to securities or obligations of foreign companies through its investments in financial instruments, such as ADRs, which are indirectly linked to the performance of foreign issuers. Foreign markets can be more volatile than the U.S. market due to increased risks of adverse issuer, political, regulatory, market, or economic developments and can perform differently from the U.S. market. Investing in financial instruments that are indirectly linked to the performance of foreign issuers may involve risks not typically associated with investing in U.S. issuers. The value of financial instruments denominated in foreign currencies, and of distributions from such financial instruments, can change significantly when foreign currencies strengthen or weaken relative to the U.S. dollar. Foreign markets generally have less trading volume and less liquidity than U.S. markets, and prices in some foreign markets may fluctuate more than those of financial instruments traded on U.S. markets. Many foreign countries lack accounting and disclosure standards comparable to those that apply to U.S. companies, and it may be more difficult to obtain reliable information regarding a foreign issuer's financial condition and operations. In certain countries, legal remedies available to investors may be more limited than those available with respect to investments in the United States. Transaction costs and costs associated with custody services are generally higher for foreign securities than they are for U.S. securities. Some foreign governments levy withholding taxes against dividend and interest income. Although in some countries portions of these taxes are recoverable, the non-recovered portion will reduce the income received by the Fund.

High Yield Securities Risk. Securities rated “BB” or below by S&P or “Ba” or below by Moody’s are known as high yield securities and are commonly referred to as “junk bonds.” Such securities entail greater price volatility and credit and interest rate risk than investment-grade securities. Analysis of the creditworthiness of high yield issuers is more complex than for higher-rated securities, making it more difficult for the Sub-Advisor to accurately predict risk. There is a greater risk with high yield fixed income securities that an issuer will not be able to make principal and interest payments when due. If the Fund pursues missed payments, there is a risk that Fund expenses could increase. In addition, lower-rated securities may not trade as often and may be less liquid than higher-rated securities, especially during periods of economic uncertainty or change. As a result of all of these factors, these securities are generally considered to be speculative.

Income Risk. The market value of fixed income investments changes in response to interest rate changes and other factors. The Fund’s income could decline due to falling market interest rates. This is because, in a falling interest rate environment, a fund generally will have to invest the proceeds from sales of fund shares, as well as the proceeds from maturing portfolio securities in lower-yielding securities. During periods of falling interest rates, the values of outstanding fixed income securities generally rise. Moreover, while securities with longer maturities tend to produce higher yields, the prices of longer maturity securities are also subject to greater market fluctuations as a result of changes in interest rates. During periods of falling interest rates, certain debt obligations with high interest rates may be prepaid (or “called”) by the issuer prior to maturity.

Interest Rate Risk. The values of fixed rate debt securities usually rise and fall in response to changes in interest rates. Declining interest rates generally increase the value of existing debt instruments, and rising interest rates generally decrease the value of existing debt instruments. Changes in a debt instrument’s value usually will not affect the amount of interest income paid to the Fund, but will affect the value of the Fund’s shares. Interest rate risk is generally greater for investments with longer maturities. Certain securities pay interest at variable or floating rates. Variable rate securities reset at specified intervals, while floating rate securities reset whenever there is a change in a specified index rate. In most cases, these reset provisions reduce the effect of changes in market interest rates on the value of the security. However, some securities do not track the underlying index directly, but reset based on formulas that can produce an effect similar to leveraging; others may also provide for interest payments that vary inversely with market rates. The market prices of these securities may fluctuate significantly when interest rates change.

Some investments give the issuer the option to call or redeem an investment before its maturity date. If an issuer calls or redeems an investment during a time of declining interest rates, the Fund might have to reinvest the proceeds in an investment offering a lower yield, and therefore it might not benefit from any increase in value as a result of declining interest rates.

Leverage Risk. Leverage is investment exposure that exceeds the initial amount invested. The loss on a leveraged investment may far exceed the Fund’s principal amount invested. Leverage can magnify the Fund’s gains and losses and, therefore, increase its volatility. There is no guarantee that the Fund will use leverage, or when it does, that the Fund’s leveraging strategy will be successful. The Fund cannot guarantee that the use of leverage will produce a high return on an investment. The Sub-Advisor will segregate liquid assets or otherwise cover transactions that may give rise to leverage risk to the extent of the financial exposure to the Fund. This requirement limits the amount of leverage the Fund may have at any one time, but it does not eliminate leverage risk. The use of leverage may result in the Fund having to liquidate holdings when it may not be advantageous to do so in order to satisfy its obligation or to meet segregation requirements.

Liquidity Risk. In certain circumstances, it may be difficult for the Fund to purchase and sell particular portfolio investments due to infrequent trading in such investments. The prices of such securities may experience significant volatility, make it more difficult for the Fund to transact significant amounts of such securities without an unfavorable impact on prevailing market prices, or make it difficult for the Sub-Advisor to dispose of such securities at a fair price at the time the Sub-Advisor believes it is desirable to do so. In addition, the Fund’s investments in ETNs and certain other ETPs may be subject to restrictions on the amount and timing of any redemptions. The Fund’s investments in such securities may restrict the Fund’s ability to take advantage of other market opportunities and adversely affect the value of the Fund’s portfolio holdings. The Fund’s investments in certain ETPs also may be subject to trading halts caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant to “circuit breaker” rules.

Loan Participation Risk. A loan participation agreement involves the purchase of a share of a loan made by a bank to a company in return for a corresponding share of borrower’s principal and interest payments. The principal credit risk associated with acquiring loan participation interests is the credit risk associated with the underlying corporate borrower. There is also a risk that there may not be a readily available market for loan participation interests and, in some cases, this could result in the Fund disposing of such securities at a substantial discount from face value or holding such securities until maturity.

Market Risk. Investments in securities, in general, are subject to market risks that may cause their prices to fluctuate over time. The Fund’s investments may decline in value due to factors affecting securities or commodities markets generally, such as real or perceived adverse economic conditions or changes in interest or currency rates, or particular countries, segments, economic sectors, industries or companies within those markets. The value of securities convertible into equity securities, such as warrants or convertible debt, is also affected by prevailing interest rates, the credit quality of the issuer and any call provision. Fluctuations in the value of securities and financial instruments in which the Fund invests will cause the NAV of the Fund to fluctuate. Historically, the markets have moved in cycles, and the value of the Fund’s securities may fluctuate drastically from day to day. Because of its link to the markets, an investment in the Fund may be more suitable for long-term investors who can bear the risk of short-term principal fluctuations, which at times may be significant.

Prepayment Risk. The Fund invests in floating rate loans and may invest in mortgage related securities, each of which, like other debt securities, may be paid off early if the issuer of a security can repay principal prior to the maturity date. If interest rates are falling, the Fund may have to reinvest the unanticipated proceeds at lower interest rates, resulting in a decline in the Fund’s income. If interest rates are rising, the duration of fixed rate mortgage-related securities may be extended, making them more sensitive to changes in interest rates. As a result, in a period of rising interest rates, if the Fund holds mortgage-related securities, it may exhibit additional volatility. This is known as extension risk.

Trading Risk. Shares of the Fund may trade above or below their NAV. The NAV of shares will fluctuate with changes in the market value of the Fund’s holdings. The trading prices of shares will fluctuate in accordance with changes in NAV, as well as market supply and demand. However, given that shares can be created and redeemed only in Creation Units at NAV, the Advisor does not believe that large discounts or premiums to NAV will exist for extended periods of time. Although the Fund’s shares are currently listed on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active market for shares will develop or be maintained. In addition, trading shares of the Fund may be halted because of market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the Exchange, make trading in shares inadvisable.

OTHER INVESTMENT PRACTICES AND STRATEGIES

Temporary Defensive Positions. To respond to adverse market, economic, political or other conditions, the Fund may invest up to 100% of its total assets, without limitation, in debt securities and money market instruments, either directly or through ETPs. The Fund may be invested in this manner for extended periods, depending on the Sub-Advisor’s assessment of market conditions. Debt securities and money market instruments include shares of other mutual funds, commercial paper, certificates of deposit, bankers’ acceptances, U.S. government securities, repurchase agreements and bonds that are rated BBB or higher. While the Fund is in a defensive position, the opportunity to achieve its investment objective will be limited. Furthermore, to the extent that the Fund invests in money market funds, the Fund would bear its pro rata portion of each such money market fund’s advisory fees and operational expenses.

Please see the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) for a more complete list of portfolio investment strategies, permitted investments and related risks.

PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS

A description of the Fund’s policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of Fund portfolio securities is available in the SAI and on the Trust’s website at www.advisorshares.com. The Fund’s portfolio holdings will be disclosed on the Trust’s website daily after the close of trading on the Exchange and prior to the opening of trading on the Exchange the following day.

MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND

INVESTMENT ADVISOR

AdvisorShares Investments, LLC, located at 4800 Montgomery Lane, Suite 150, Bethesda, Maryland 20814, serves as investment advisor of the Fund. As of December 31, 2014, the Advisor had approximately $1.2 billion in assets under management.

The Advisor continuously reviews, supervises, and administers the Fund’s investment program. In particular, the Advisor provides investment and operational oversight of the Sub-Advisor. The Board supervises the Advisor and establishes policies that the Advisor must follow in its day-to-day management activities. Pursuant to an investment advisory agreement between the Trust and the Advisor, the Advisor is entitled to receive an annual advisory fee of 0.95% based on the average daily net assets of the Fund. The Advisor pays the Sub-Advisor out of the advisory fee it receives from the Fund. The investment advisory agreement may be terminated (i) by the Board, for any reason at any time, (ii) with respect to the Fund, upon the affirmative vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund, or (iii) by the Advisor upon thirty (30) days’ prior written notice to the Trust.

The Advisor bears all of its own costs associated with providing these advisory services and the expenses of the members of the Board who are affiliated with the Advisor. The Advisor may make payments from its own resources to broker-dealers and other financial institutions in connection with the sale of Fund shares.

The Advisor has contractually agreed to reduce its fees and/or reimburse expenses in order to keep net expenses (excluding amounts payable pursuant to a Rule 12b-1 plan, interest expense, taxes, brokerage commissions, acquired fund fees and expenses, other expenditures that are capitalized in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and extraordinary expenses) from exceeding 1.10% of the Fund’s average daily net assets for at least one year from the date of this Prospectus. The expense limitation agreement may be terminated, without payment of any penalty, (i) by the Trust for any reason and at any time and (ii) by the Advisor for any reason upon ninety (90) days’ prior written notice to the Trust, such termination to be effective as of the close of business on the last day of the then-current one-year period. If at any point it becomes unnecessary for the Advisor to reduce fees or make expense reimbursements, the Board may permit the Advisor to retain the difference between the Fund’s total annual operating expenses and 1.10% to recapture all or a portion of its prior fee reductions or expense reimbursements made during the preceding three-year period.

Pursuant to an exemptive order from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), the Advisor, subject to certain conditions, has the right to terminate an existing unaffiliated sub-advisor and/or hire a new unaffiliated sub-advisor or materially amend the terms of an agreement with an unaffiliated sub-advisor when the Board and the Advisor believe that a change would benefit the Fund. The Prospectus will be supplemented when there is a significant change in the Fund’s sub-advisory arrangement.

A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s initial approval of the Fund’s investment advisory agreement will be available in the Trust’s first Annual or Semi-Annual Report to Shareholders following the Fund’s commencement of operations.

INVESTMENT SUB-ADVISOR

Pacific Life Fund Advisors LLC d/b/a Pacific Asset Management, located at 700 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach, California 92660, serves as investment sub-advisor to the Fund. The Sub-Advisor is responsible for selecting the Fund’s investments in accordance with the Fund’s investment objective, policies and restrictions. The Sub-Advisor serves as investment advisor to a variety of open-ended mutual funds and institutional investor accounts. As of December 31, 2014, the Sub-Advisor had approximately $4.7 billion in assets under management.

A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s initial approval of the Fund’s investment sub-advisory agreement will be available in the Trust’s first Annual or Semi-Annual Report to Shareholders following the Fund’s commencement of operations.

PORTFOLIO MANAGERS

The following portfolio managers are primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund.

Jason Rosiak, Portfolio Manager and ETF Investment Committee Member. Jason is Senior Managing Director for the Sub-Advisor and a member of the Sub-Advisor’s ETF Investment Committee. Jason serves as the firm’s Head of Portfolio Management. In addition, Jason is a member of the Sub-Advisor’s Executive Investment Committee. Previously, Jason held senior positions at UBS Investment Bank, from 2006 to 2007, and Pacific Investment Management Company (PIMCO) from 1996 to 2005. While at PIMCO, Jason was a Senior Vice President and served as a Portfolio Manager and Head of High-Yield Trading. Jason is an investment professional with over 20 years’ experience in corporate and asset-backed securities on both the buy- and sell-side. Jason holds a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of California, Los Angeles and an MBA from the University of Southern California.

JP Leasure, Portfolio Manager and ETF Investment Committee Member. JP is a Senior Managing Director for the Sub-Advisor and a member of the Sub-Advisor’s ETF Investment Committee. He serves as the firm's Head of Credit Research. In addition, JP is a member of the Sub-Advisor’s Executive Investment Committee. JP joined the Sub-Advisor in 2007 and was formerly a senior member of Pacific Life Insurance Company’s credit research team, responsible for overseeing an approximately $10 billion portfolio of investment grade corporate public bonds and a portfolio of leveraged loans and was a member of the firm’s Workout Committee. Prior to joining the Sub-Advisor, JP was a member of Credit Lyonnais' Leveraged Finance Group. JP has over 17 years of investment and banking experience and holds a bachelor's degree from the University of California, Los Angeles and an MBA from Columbia University.

Bob Boyd, Portfolio Manager and ETF Investment Committee Member. Bob is a Managing Director for the Sub-Advisor and a member of the Sub-Advisor’s ETF Investment Committee. Bob serves as a Portfolio Manager and Credit Analyst for the firm. He joined the Sub-Advisor in 2012. Previously, Bob was with Pacific Investment Management (PIMCO) for 14 years, where he was a Vice President, Bank Loan Portfolio Manager, and Credit Analyst. Bob has over 17 years of investment experience, focused on leveraged finance, credit analysis, and structured products. He holds a bachelor's degree from California State University, Long Beach and an MBA from the University of Southern California.

Additional information about the portfolio manager’s compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio manager, and the portfolio manager’s ownership of securities in the Fund is available in the SAI.

OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS

Foreside Fund Services, LLC (the “Distributor”) is the principal underwriter and distributor of the Fund’s shares. The Distributor’s principal address is Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, Maine 04101. The Distributor will not distribute shares in less than whole Creation Units, and it does not maintain a secondary market in the shares. The Distributor is a broker-dealer registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”). The Distributor is not affiliated with the Advisor, Sub-Advisor, The Bank of New York Mellon or any of their respective affiliates.

The Bank of New York Mellon, located at 101 Barclay Street, New York, New York 10286, serves as the administrator, custodian, transfer agent and fund accounting agent for the Fund.

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, located at 2020 K Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20006, serves as legal counsel to the Fund.

Tait, Weller & Baker LLP, located at 1818 Market Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103, serves as the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm. The independent registered public accounting firm is responsible for auditing the annual financial statements of the Fund.

SHAREHOLDER INFORMATION

CALCULATING NET ASSET VALUE

The Fund calculates NAV by (i) taking the current market value of its total assets, (ii) subtracting any liabilities, and (iii) dividing that amount by the total number of shares owned by shareholders.

The Fund calculates NAV once each business day as of the regularly scheduled close of normal trading on the New York Stock Exchange, LLC (the “NYSE”) (normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time). The NYSE is typically closed on weekends and most national holidays.

In calculating NAV, the Fund generally values its portfolio investments at market prices. If market prices are unavailable or the Fund thinks that they are unreliable, or when the value of a security has been materially affected by events occurring after the relevant market closes, the Fund will price those securities at fair value as determined in good faith using methods approved by the Board. The use of fair valuation in pricing a security involves the consideration of a number of subjective factors and, therefore, is susceptible to the unavoidable risk that the valuation may be higher or lower than the price at which the security might actually trade if a reliable market price were readily available.

More information about the valuation of the Fund’s holdings can be found in the SAI.

SHARE TRADING PRICES

The price of the Fund’s shares is based on market price, which may differ from the Fund’s daily NAV per share and can be affected by market forces of supply and demand, economic conditions and other factors. The Exchange intends to disseminate the approximate value of the portfolio underlying a share of the Fund every fifteen seconds. This approximate value should not be viewed as a “real-time” update of the NAV per share of the Fund because the approximate value may not be calculated in the same manner as the NAV per share, which is computed once a day. The Fund is not involved in, or responsible for, the calculation or dissemination of such values and makes no warranty as to their accuracy.

PREMIUM/DISCOUNT INFORMATION

Information showing the number of days that the market price of the Fund’s shares was greater than the Fund’s NAV per share (i.e., at a premium) and the number of days it was less than the Fund’s NAV per share (i.e., at a discount) for various time periods is available by visiting the Fund’s website at www.advisorshares.com.

DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS

The Fund pays out dividends and distributes its net capital gains, if any, to shareholders at least annually.

ACTIVE INVESTORS AND MARKET TIMING

Shares of the Fund are listed for trading on the Exchange, which allows retail investors to purchase and sell individual shares at market prices throughout the trading day similar to other publicly traded securities. Because these secondary market trades do not involve the Fund directly, it is unlikely that secondary market trading would cause any harmful effects of market timing (for example, dilution, disruption of portfolio management, increases in the Fund’s trading costs, or realization of capital gains). The Board has determined not to adopt policies and procedures designed to prevent or monitor for frequent purchases and redemptions of the Fund’s shares because the Fund sells and redeems its shares at NAV only in Creation Units pursuant to the terms of a Participant Agreement between the Distributor and an Authorized Participant, generally in exchange for a specified amount of cash totaling the NAV of the Creation Units. Direct trading by Authorized Participants is critical to ensuring that the Fund’s shares trade at or close to NAV. The Fund also imposes transaction fees on such Creation Unit transactions that are designed to offset the Fund’s transfer and other transaction costs associated with the issuance and redemption of the Creation Unit shares.

BOOK ENTRY

Shares of the Fund are held in book-entry form, which means that no stock certificates are issued. DTC, or its nominee, is the record owner of all outstanding shares of the Fund and is recognized as the owner of all shares.

Investors owning shares of the Fund are beneficial owners as shown on the records of DTC or its participants. DTC serves as the securities depository for all shares. Participants in DTC include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and other institutions that directly or indirectly maintain a custodial relationship with DTC. As a beneficial owner of shares, you are not entitled to receive physical delivery of stock certificates or to have shares registered in your name, and you are not considered a registered owner of shares. Therefore, to exercise any right as an owner of shares, you must rely upon the procedures of DTC and its participants (e.g., broker-dealers, banks, trust companies, or clearing companies). These procedures are the same as those that apply to any stocks that you hold in book entry or “street name” through your brokerage account.

INVESTING IN THE FUND

For more information on how to buy and sell shares of the Fund, call the Trust at 877.THE.ETF1 (877.843.3831) or visit the Fund’s website at www.advisorshares.com.

DISTRIBUTION PLAN

The Fund has adopted a Distribution Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act that allows the Fund to pay distribution fees to the Distributor and other firms that provide distribution services. The Fund will pay distribution fees to the Distributor at an annual rate not to exceed 0.25% of its average daily net assets. If a service provider provides distribution services, the Distributor will pay the service provider out of its distribution fees.

No distribution fees are currently charged to the Fund; there are no plans to impose distribution fees, and no distribution fees will be charged for at least a year from the date of this Prospectus. However, to the extent distribution fees are charged in the future, because the Fund would pay these fees out of assets on an ongoing basis, over time these fees may cost you more than other types of sales charges and would increase the cost of your investment. At such time as distribution fees are charged, the Fund will notify investors by adding disclosure to the Fund’s website and in the Fund’s Prospectus. Any distribution fees will be approved by the Board.

ADDITIONAL TAX INFORMATION

The following is a summary of some important tax issues that affect the Fund and its shareholders. The summary is based on current tax law, which may be changed by legislative, judicial or administrative action. The summary is very general, and does not address investors subject to special rules, such as investors who hold shares through an IRA, 401(k) or other tax-advantaged account. More information about taxes is located in the SAI. You are urged to consult your tax advisor regarding specific questions as to federal, state and local income taxes.

Tax Status of the Fund

The Fund is treated as a separate entity for federal tax purposes and intends to qualify for the special tax treatment afforded to regulated investment companies (“RICs”) under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Internal Revenue Code”). As long as the Fund qualifies for treatment as a RIC, it pays no federal income tax on the earnings it timely distributes to shareholders.

Tax Status of Distributions

The Fund will, at least annually, distribute substantially all of its net investment income and net capital gains income.

The Fund’s distributions from income and net short-term capital gains will generally be taxed to you as ordinary income. The Fund does not expect a significant portion of its distributions to qualify to be reported as qualified dividend income (which generally is taxable to noncorporate shareholders at reduced tax rates) or to qualify for the dividends-received deduction for corporate shareholders.

Any distributions of net capital gain (the excess of the Fund’s net long-term capital gains over its net short-term capital losses) that you receive from the Fund generally are taxable as long-term capital gains regardless of how long you have owned your shares. Long-term capital gains are taxed to noncorporate shareholders at reduced tax rates.

Although the Fund may invest in municipal bonds (the interest upon which would be exempt from U.S. federal income tax if received by shareholders directly), Fund distributions attributable to that interest are not expected to be exempt from U.S. federal income tax.

Dividends and distributions are generally taxable to you whether you receive them in cash or reinvest them in additional shares.

Distributions paid in January but declared by the Fund in October, November or December of the previous year may be taxable to you in the previous year.

Shortly after the close of each calendar year, the Fund will inform you of the amount of your ordinary income dividends, foreign tax credits, and net capital gain distributions received from the Fund.

You may wish to avoid investing in the Fund shortly before a dividend or other distribution, because such a distribution will generally be taxable even though it may economically represent a return of a portion of your investment.

Taxes on Exchange-Listed Share Sales

Any capital gain or loss realized upon a sale of shares is generally treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the shares have been held for more than one year and as short-term capital gain or loss if the shares have been held for one year or less, except that any capital loss on the sale of shares held for six months or less is treated as long-term capital loss to the extent of amounts treated as distributions of long-term capital gains to the shareholder with respect to such shares.

Derivatives and Complex Securities

The Fund and ETPs in which the Fund invests may invest in complex securities such as equity options, index options, repurchase agreements, foreign currency contracts, hedges and swaps, transactions treated as straddles for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and futures contracts. These investments may be subject to numerous special and complex tax rules. These rules could affect whether gains and losses recognized by the Fund or the ETPs in which the Fund invests are treated as ordinary income or loss or capital gain or loss, accelerate the recognition of income to the Fund or the ETPs, cause income or gain to be recognized even though corresponding cash is not received by the Fund or the ETPs and/or defer the Fund’s or the ETPs’ ability to recognize losses. In turn, those rules may affect the amount, timing or character of the income distributed by the Fund. Additional information regarding the Fund’s and ETPs’ investments in complex securities can be found in the Fund’s SAI.

Investment in Foreign Securities

The Fund may be subject to foreign withholding taxes on income it may earn from investing in foreign securities which may reduce the return on such investments. The U.S. has entered into tax treaties with certain foreign countries that may entitle the Fund to a reduced rate of, or exemption from, foreign taxes on certain income it receives. The effective rate of foreign tax cannot be determined in advance because the amount of the Fund’s assets to be invested within various countries is not known. In addition, the Fund’s investments in foreign currencies may increase or accelerate the Fund’s recognition of ordinary income and may affect the timing or amount of the Fund’s distributions. The Fund may be eligible to file an election that would permit shareholders who are U.S. citizens, resident aliens or U.S. corporations to claim a foreign tax credit or deduction (but not both) on their U.S. income tax returns for their pro rata portion of qualified taxes paid by the Fund to foreign countries in respect of foreign securities held for at least the minimum period specified in the Internal Revenue Code. For the purposes of the foreign tax credit, each such shareholder would include in gross income from foreign sources its pro rata share of such taxes. Certain limitations imposed by the Internal Revenue Code may prevent shareholders from receiving a full foreign tax credit or deduction for their allocable amount of such taxes.

Medicare Tax

U.S. individuals with income exceeding certain thresholds are subject to a 3.8% Medicare contribution tax on all or a portion of their “net investment income,” including interest, dividends, and certain capital gains (generally including capital gains distributions and capital gains realized on the sale or exchange of shares). 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.

Non-U.S. Investors

If you are not a citizen or permanent resident of the United States, the Fund’s ordinary income dividends will generally be subject to a 30% U.S. withholding tax, unless a lower treaty rate applies or unless such income is effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business. The 30% withholding tax generally will not apply to distributions of net capital gain.

Distributions paid after June 30, 2014 (or, in certain cases, after later dates) and sale proceeds and certain capital gain dividends paid after December 31, 2016 to a shareholder that is a “foreign financial institution” as defined in Section 1471 of the Internal Revenue Code and that does not meet the requirements imposed on foreign financial institutions by Section 1471 will generally be subject to withholding tax at a 30% rate. Distributions paid after June 30, 2014 (or, in certain cases, after later dates) and sale proceeds and certain capital gain dividends paid after December 31, 2016 to a non-U.S. shareholder that is not a foreign financial institution will generally be subject to such withholding tax if the shareholder fails to make certain required certifications. A non-U.S. shareholder may be exempt from the withholding described in this paragraph under an applicable intergovernmental agreement between the U.S. and a foreign government, provided that the shareholder and the applicable foreign government comply with the terms of such agreement.

Backup Withholding

The Fund will be required in certain cases to withhold (as “backup withholding”) on amounts payable to any shareholder who (1) has provided the Fund either an incorrect tax identification number or no number at all, (2) is subject to backup withholding by the Internal Revenue Service for failure to properly report payments of interest or dividends, (3) has failed to certify to the Fund that such shareholder is not subject to backup withholding, or (4) has not certified that such shareholder is a U.S. person (including a U.S. resident alien). The backup withholding rate is currently 28%. Backup withholding will not, however, be applied to payments that have been subject to the 30% withholding tax applicable to shareholders who are neither citizens nor residents of the United States.

The foregoing discussion summarizes some of the consequences under current federal tax law of an investment in the Fund. It is not a substitute for personal tax advice. Consult your personal tax advisor about the potential tax consequences to you of an investment in the Fund under all tax laws applicable to you.

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

The Fund’s Financial Statements will be available after the Fund has completed a full fiscal year of operations.

ADVISORSHARES PACIFIC ASSET ENHANCED FLOATING RATE ETF

Advisor

AdvisorShares Investments, LLC

4800 Montgomery Lane, Suite 150

Bethesda, Maryland 20814

Sub-Advisor

Pacific Asset Management

700 Newport Center Drive

Newport Beach, California 92660

Distributor

Foreside Fund Services, LLC

Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100

Portland, Maine 04101

Legal Counsel

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP

2020 K Street, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20006

Administrator, Custodian

& Transfer Agent

The Bank of New York Mellon

101 Barclay Street

New York, New York 10286

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Additional and more detailed information about the Fund is included in the Fund’s SAI. The SAI has been filed with the SEC and is incorporated by reference into this Prospectus and, therefore, legally forms a part of this Prospectus. The SEC maintains the EDGAR database on its website (“http://www.sec.gov”), which contains the SAI, material incorporated by reference, and other information regarding registrants that file electronically with the SEC. You may also review and copy documents at the SEC Public Reference room in Washington, D.C. (for information on the operation of the Public Reference Room, call 202.551.8090). You may request documents from the SEC by mail, upon payment of a duplication fee, by writing to U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Public Reference Section, Washington, D.C. 20549-1520 or by emailing the SEC at publicinfo@sec.gov.

You may obtain a copy of the SAI and the Annual and Semi-Annual Reports (once available), without charge, by calling 877.843.3831, visiting the website at advisorshares.com, or writing to the Trust at 4800 Montgomery Lane, Suite 150, Bethesda, Maryland 20814. Additional information about the Fund’s investments will be available in the Fund’s Annual and Semi-Annual Reports. Also, 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 the last fiscal year.

No one has been authorized to give any information or to make any representations not contained in this Prospectus or in the SAI in connection with the offering of Fund shares. Do not rely on any such information or representations as having been authorized by the Fund. This Prospectus does not constitute an offering by the Fund in any jurisdiction where such an offering is not lawful.

The Trust’s SEC Investment Company Act File Number is 811-22110.

Statement of Additional Information

ADVISORSHARES TRUST

4800 Montgomery Lane

Suite 150

Bethesda, Maryland 20814

877.843.3831

www.advisorshares.com

AdvisorShares Trust (the “Trust”) is an investment company offering professionally managed investment portfolios. This Statement of Additional Information (the “SAI”) relates to shares of the following series (the “Fund”):

AdvisorShares Pacific Asset Enhanced Floating Rate ETF

(NYSE Arca Ticker: FLRT)

This SAI is not a prospectus. It should be read in conjunction with the Fund’s prospectus dated February 13, 2015 (the “Prospectus”). Capitalized terms not defined herein are defined in the Prospectus. Copies of the Fund’s Prospectus are available, without charge, upon request to the Trust at the address above or by telephoning the Trust at the telephone number above. Shares of the Fund are subject to listing on NYSE Arca, Inc. (the “Exchange”) and will trade in the secondary market.

The date of this SAI is February 13, 2015.

Table of Contents

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE TRUST	1

INVESTMENT POLICIES, TECHNIQUES AND RISK FACTORS	1

INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS	26

CONTINUOUS OFFERING	28

EXCHANGE LISTING AND TRADING	28

PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS AND BROKERAGE	29

MANAGEMENT OF THE TRUST	30

BOOK ENTRY ONLY SYSTEM	41

CREATION AND REDEMPTION OF CREATION UNITS	43

DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE	46

DIVIDENDS, DISTRIBUTIONS, AND TAXES	46

OTHER INFORMATION	55

COUNSEL	57

INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM	57

CUSTODIAN	57

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS	57

APPENDIX A	A-1

APPENDIX B	B-1

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE TRUST

The Trust, an open-end management investment company, was organized as a Delaware statutory trust on July 30, 2007. The Trust is permitted to offer separate series (i.e., funds) and additional series may be created from time to time. As of the date of this SAI, the Trust consists of twenty-four separate funds, not all of which are currently offered for sale. This SAI relates only to the Fund.

Each share issued by the Fund has a pro rata interest in the assets of the Fund. Shares have no preemptive, exchange, subscription or conversion rights and are freely transferable. Each share is entitled to participate equally in dividends and distributions declared by the Board of Trustees of the Trust (“Board”) with respect to the Fund, and in the net distributable assets of the Fund on liquidation. All payments received by the Trust for shares of the Fund belong to the Fund. The Fund has its own assets and liabilities.

The shares of the Fund are subject to approval for listing on the Exchange. The shares of the Fund, as described in the Fund’s Prospectus, will trade on the Exchange at market prices that may be below, at, or above net asset value (“NAV”) per share of the Fund.

The Fund offers and issues shares at NAV in aggregated lots of 50,000 or more (each a “Creation Unit” or a “Creation Unit Aggregation”), generally in exchange for a specified amount of cash totaling the NAV of the Creation Unit(s). Shares are redeemable only in Creation Unit Aggregations and, generally, in exchange for a specified cash payment. The Trust reserves the right to offer an in-kind option for creations and redemptions of Creation Units for the Fund. See the “Creation and Redemption of Creation Units” section for detailed information.

INVESTMENT POLICIES, TECHNIQUES AND RISK FACTORS

General

AdvisorShares Investments, LLC (the “Advisor”) serves as the investment advisor to the Fund, which is a diversified open-end management investment company. The Fund’s investment objective and principal investment strategies, as well as other important information, are described in the Fund’s Prospectus, which should be read together with this SAI. The investment objective of the Fund is non-fundamental and may be changed without the approval of shareholders.

The day-to-day portfolio management of the Fund is provided by Pacific Asset Management (the “Sub-Advisor”), the sub-advisor to the Fund, and is subject to the oversight of the Advisor and the Board.

The Sub-Advisor selects securities for the Fund’s investment pursuant to an “active” management strategy for security selection and portfolio construction.

The investment techniques and instruments described below and in the Fund’s Prospectus may, consistent with the Fund’s investment objective and investment policies, be used by the Fund if, in the opinion of the Advisor or the Sub-Advisor, such strategies will be advantageous to the Fund. The Fund may not invest in all of the instruments and techniques described below. In addition, the Fund is free to reduce or eliminate its activity with respect to any of the investment techniques described below without changing the Fund’s fundamental investment policies, and the Fund will periodically change the composition of its portfolio to best meet its investment objective. For more information about the Fund’s principal strategies and risks, please see the Fund’s Prospectus.

Borrowing

The Fund may borrow money for investment purposes. Borrowing for investment purposes is one form of leverage. Leveraging investments, by purchasing securities with borrowed money, is a speculative technique that increases investment risk, but also increases investment opportunity. Because substantially all of the Fund’s assets will fluctuate in value, whereas the interest obligations on borrowings may be fixed, the NAV per share of the Fund will increase more when the Fund’s portfolio assets increase in value and decrease more when the Fund’s portfolio assets decrease in value than would otherwise be the case. Moreover, interest costs on borrowings may fluctuate with changing market rates of interest and may partially offset or exceed the returns on the borrowed funds. Under adverse conditions, the Fund might have to sell portfolio securities to meet interest or principal payments at a time when investment considerations would not favor such sales. The Fund may use leverage during periods when its Sub-Advisor believes that the Fund’s investment objective would be furthered.

The Fund may also borrow money to facilitate management of the Fund’s portfolio by enabling the Fund to meet redemption requests when the liquidation of portfolio instruments would be inconvenient or disadvantageous. Such borrowing is not for investment purposes and will be repaid by the Fund promptly. As required by the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), the Fund must maintain continuous asset coverage (total assets, including assets acquired with borrowed funds, less liabilities exclusive of borrowings) of 300% of all amounts borrowed. If, at any time, the value of the Fund’s assets should fail to meet this 300% coverage test, the Fund, within three days (not including Sundays and holidays), will reduce the amount of the Fund’s borrowings to the extent necessary to meet this 300% coverage requirement. Maintenance of this percentage limitation may result in the sale of portfolio securities at a time when investment considerations otherwise indicate that it would be disadvantageous to do so.

In addition to the foregoing, the Fund is authorized to borrow money as a temporary measure for extraordinary or emergency purposes in amounts not in excess of 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets. Borrowings for extraordinary or emergency purposes are not subject to the foregoing 300% asset coverage requirement. The Fund is authorized to pledge portfolio securities the Sub-Advisor deems appropriate as may be necessary in connection with any borrowings for extraordinary or emergency purposes, in which event such pledging may not exceed 15% of the Fund’s assets, valued at cost.

Equity Securities

The Fund may invest in equity securities. Equity securities represent ownership interests in a company or partnership and consist of common stocks, preferred stocks, warrants to acquire common stock, securities convertible into common stock, and investments in master limited partnerships. Investments in equity securities in general are subject to market risks that may cause their prices to fluctuate over time. Fluctuations in the value of equity securities in which the Fund invests will cause the NAV per share of the Fund to fluctuate. The U.S. stock market tends to be cyclical, with periods when stock prices generally rise and periods when stock prices generally decline. The Fund may purchase equity securities traded in the U.S. on registered exchanges or the over-the-counter market. The Fund may invest in the types of equity securities described below:

Common Stock. Common stock represents an equity or ownership interest in an issuer. In the event an issuer is liquidated or declares bankruptcy, the claims of owners of bonds and preferred stock take precedence over the claims of those who own common stock.

Preferred Stock. Preferred stock represents an equity or ownership interest in an issuer that pays dividends at a specified rate and that has precedence over common stock in the payment of dividends. In the event an issuer is liquidated or declares bankruptcy, the claims of owners of bonds take precedence over the claims of those who own preferred and common stock.

Warrants. Warrants are instruments that entitle the holder to buy an equity security at a specific price for a specific period of time. Changes in the value of a warrant do not necessarily correspond to changes in the value of its underlying security. The price of a warrant may be more volatile than the price of its underlying security, and a warrant may offer greater potential for capital appreciation as well as capital loss. Warrants do not entitle a holder to dividends or voting rights with respect to the underlying security and do not represent any rights in the assets of the issuing company. A warrant ceases to have value if it is not exercised prior to its expiration date. These factors can make warrants more speculative than other types of investments.

Convertible Securities. Convertible securities are bonds, debentures, notes, preferred stocks or other securities that may be converted or exchanged (by the holder or by the issuer) into shares of the underlying common stock (or cash or securities of equivalent value) at a stated exchange ratio. A convertible security may also be called for redemption or conversion by the issuer after a particular date and under certain circumstances (including a specified price) established upon issue. If a convertible security held by the Fund is called for redemption or conversion, the Fund could be required to tender it for redemption, convert it into the underlying common stock, or sell it to a third-party.

Convertible securities generally have less potential for gain or loss than common stocks. Convertible securities generally provide yields higher than the underlying common stocks, but generally lower than comparable non-convertible securities. Because of this higher yield, convertible securities generally sell at a price above their “conversion value,” which is the current market value of the stock to be received upon conversion. The difference between this conversion value and the price of convertible securities will vary over time depending on changes in the value of the underlying common stocks and interest rates. When the underlying common stocks decline in value, convertible securities will tend not to decline to the same extent because of the interest or dividend payments and the repayment of principal at maturity for certain types of convertible securities. However, securities that are convertible other than at the option of the holder generally do not limit the potential for loss to the same extent as securities convertible at the option of the holder. When the underlying common stocks rise in value, the value of convertible securities may also be expected to increase. At the same time, however, the difference between the market value of convertible securities and their conversion value will narrow, which means that the value of convertible securities will generally not increase to the same extent as the value of the underlying common stocks. Because convertible securities may also be interest-rate sensitive, their value may increase as interest rates fall and decrease as interest rates rise. Convertible securities are also subject to credit risk, and are often lower-quality securities.

Master Limited Partnerships (“MLPs”). MLPs are limited partnerships in which the ownership units are publicly traded. MLP units are registered with the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and are freely traded on a securities exchange or in the over-the-counter market. MLPs often own several properties or businesses (or own interests) that are related to real estate development and oil and gas industries, but they also may finance motion pictures, research and development and other projects. Generally, an MLP is operated under the supervision of one or more managing general partners. Limited partners are not involved in the day-to-day management of the partnership.

The risks of investing in an MLP are generally those involved in investing in a partnership as opposed to a corporation. For example, state law governing partnerships is often less restrictive than state law governing corporations. Accordingly, there may be fewer protections afforded investors in an MLP than investors in a corporation. Additional risks involved with investing in an MLP are risks associated with the specific industry or industries in which the partnership invests, such as the risks of investing in real estate, or the oil and gas industries.

Rights. A right is a privilege granted to existing shareholders of a corporation to subscribe to shares of a new issue of common stock before it is issued. Rights normally have a short life of usually two to four weeks, are freely transferable and entitle the holder to buy the new common stock at a lower price than the public offering price. An investment in rights may entail greater risks than certain other types of investments. Generally, rights do not carry the right to receive dividends or exercise voting rights with respect to the underlying securities, and they do not represent any rights in the assets of the issuer. In addition, their value does not necessarily change with the value of the underlying securities, and they cease to have value if they are not exercised on or before their expiration date. Investing in rights increases the potential profit or loss to be realized from the investment as compared with investing the same amount in the underlying securities.

Investments in Foreign Equity Securities. The Fund may invest in the equity securities of foreign issuers, including the securities of foreign issuers in emerging countries. Emerging or developing markets exist in countries that are considered to be in the initial stages of industrialization. The risks of investing in these markets are similar to the risks of international investing in general, although the risks are greater in emerging and developing markets. Countries with emerging or developing securities markets tend to have economic structures that are less stable than countries with developed securities markets. This is because their economies may be based on only a few industries and their securities markets may trade a small number of securities. Prices on these exchanges tend to be volatile, and securities in these countries historically have offered greater potential for gain (as well as loss) than securities of companies located in developed countries.

Exchange-Traded Notes (ETNs)

The Fund may invest in ETNs. ETNs are senior, unsecured unsubordinated debt securities issued by an underwriting bank that are designed to provide returns that are linked to a particular benchmark less investor fees. ETNs have a maturity date and, generally, are backed only by the creditworthiness of the issuer. As a result, the value of an ETN may be influenced by time to maturity, level of supply and demand for the ETN, volatility and lack of liquidity in the underlying market (e.g., the commodities market), changes in the applicable interest rates, changes in the issuer’s credit rating, and economic, legal, political or geographic events that affect the referenced market. ETNs also may be subject to credit risk.

It is expected that the issuer’s credit rating will be investment-grade at the time of investment, however, the credit rating may be revised or withdrawn at any time and there is no assurance that a credit rating will remain in effect for any given time period. If a rating agency lowers the issuer’s credit rating or there is a decline in the perceived creditworthiness of the issuer, the value of the ETN will decline, as a lower credit rating reflects a greater risk that the issuer will default on its obligation to ETN investors. The Fund must pay an investor fee when investing in an ETN, which will reduce the amount of return on investment at maturity or upon redemption. There may be restrictions on the Fund’s right to redeem its investment in an ETN, which is meant to be held until maturity. There are no periodic interest payments for ETNs, and principal typically is not protected. As is the case with other exchange-traded products, an investor could lose some of or the entire amount invested in ETNs. The Fund’s decision to sell its ETN holdings may be limited by the availability of a secondary market.

Fixed Income Securities

The Fund intends to invest in fixed income securities. The market value of fixed income investments will change in response to interest rate changes and other factors. During periods of falling interest rates, the values of outstanding fixed income securities generally rise. Conversely, during periods of rising interest rates, the values of such securities generally decline. Moreover, while securities with longer maturities tend to produce higher yields, the prices of longer maturity securities are also subject to greater market fluctuations as a result of changes in interest rates. Changes by recognized agencies in the rating of any fixed income security and in the ability of an issuer to make payments of interest and principal also affect the value of these investments. Changes in the value of these securities will not necessarily affect cash income derived from these securities but will affect the Fund’s NAV. Additional information regarding fixed income securities is described below:

Duration. Duration is a measure of the expected change in value of a fixed income security for a given change in interest rates. For example, if interest rates changed by one percent, the value of a security having an effective duration of two years generally would vary by two percent. Duration takes the length of the time intervals between the present time and time that the interest and principal payments are scheduled, or in the case of a callable bond, expected to be received, and weighs them by the present values of the cash to be received at each future point in time.

Creditor Liability and Participation on Creditors’ Committees. Generally, when a fund holds bonds or other similar fixed income securities of an issuer, the fund becomes a creditor of the issuer. If the Fund is a creditor of an issuer it may be subject to challenges related to the securities that it holds, either in connection with the bankruptcy of the issuer or in connection with another action brought by other creditors of the issuer, shareholders of the issuer or the issuer itself. The Fund may from time to time participate on committees formed by creditors to negotiate with the management of financially troubled issuers of securities held by the Fund. Such participation may subject the Fund to expenses such as legal fees and may make the Fund an “insider” of the issuer for purposes of the federal securities laws, and therefore may restrict the Fund’s ability to trade in or acquire additional positions in a particular security when it might otherwise desire to do so. Participation by the Fund on such committees also may expose the Fund to potential liabilities under the federal bankruptcy laws or other laws governing the rights of creditors and debtors. The Fund will participate on such committees only when the Sub-Advisor believes that such participation is necessary or desirable to enforce the Fund’s rights as a creditor or to protect the value of securities held by the Fund. Further, the Sub-Advisor has the authority to represent the Trust, or the Fund, on creditors’ committees or similar committees and generally with respect to challenges related to the securities held by the Fund relating to the bankruptcy of an issuer or in connection with another action brought by other creditors of the issuer, shareholders of the issuer or the issuer itself.

Variable and Floating Rate Securities. Variable and floating rate instruments involve certain obligations that may carry variable or floating rates of interest, and may involve a conditional or unconditional demand feature. Such instruments bear interest at rates which are not fixed, but which vary with changes in specified market rates or indices. The interest rates on these securities may be reset daily, weekly, quarterly, or some other reset period, and may have a set floor or ceiling on interest rate changes. There is a risk that the current interest rate on such obligations may not accurately reflect existing market interest rates. A demand instrument with a demand notice exceeding seven days may be considered illiquid if there is no secondary market for such security.

Bank Obligations. Bank obligations may include certificates of deposit, bankers’ acceptances, and fixed time deposits. Certificates of deposit are negotiable certificates issued against funds 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. Fixed time deposits are bank obligations payable at a stated maturity date and bearing interest at a fixed rate. Fixed time deposits may be withdrawn on demand by the investor, but may be subject to early withdrawal penalties which vary depending upon market conditions and the remaining maturity of the obligation. There are no contractual restrictions on the right to transfer a beneficial interest in a fixed time deposit to a third-party, although there is no market for such deposits. The Fund will not invest in fixed time deposits which: (1) are not subject to prepayment; or (2) provide for withdrawal penalties upon prepayment (other than overnight deposits) if, in the aggregate, more than 15% of its net assets would be invested in such deposits, repurchase agreements with remaining maturities of more than seven days and other illiquid assets. Subject to the Trust’s limitation on concentration as described in the “Investment Restrictions” section below, there is no limitation on the amount of the Fund’s assets which may be invested in obligations of foreign banks which meet the conditions set forth herein.

Obligations of foreign banks involve somewhat different investment risks than those affecting obligations of U.S. banks, including the possibilities that their liquidity could be impaired because of future political and economic developments, that their obligations may be less marketable than comparable obligations of U.S. banks, that a foreign jurisdiction might impose withholding taxes on interest income payable on those obligations, that foreign deposits may be seized or nationalized, that foreign governmental restrictions such as exchange controls may be adopted which might adversely affect the payment of principal and interest on those obligations and that the selection of those obligations may be more difficult because there may be less publicly available information concerning foreign banks or the accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards, practices and requirements applicable to foreign banks may differ from those applicable to United States banks. Foreign banks are not generally subject to examination by any United States Government agency or instrumentality.

Debt Securities. Fixed income securities are debt securities. A debt security is a security consisting of a certificate or other evidence of a debt (secured or unsecured) on which the issuing company or governmental body promises to pay the holder thereof a fixed, variable, or floating rate of interest for a specified length of time, and to repay the debt on the specified maturity date, as discussed above. Some debt securities, such as zero coupon bonds, do not make regular interest payments but are issued at a discount to their principal or maturity value. Debt securities include a variety of fixed income obligations, including, but not limited to, corporate debt securities, government securities, municipal securities, convertible securities, and mortgage-backed securities. Debt securities include investment-grade securities, non-investment-grade securities, and unrated securities. Debt securities are subject to a variety of risks, such as interest rate risk, income risk, call/prepayment risk, inflation risk, credit risk, and currency risk.

Corporate Debt Securities. The Fund may seek to invest in corporate debt securities representative of one or more high yield bond or credit derivative indices, which may change from time to time. Selection will generally be dependent on independent credit analysis or fundamental analysis performed by the Sub-Advisor. The Fund may invest in all grades of corporate debt securities, including below investment-grade securities, as discussed below. See Appendix A for a description of corporate bond ratings. The Fund also may invest in unrated securities.

Corporate debt securities are typically fixed-income securities issued by businesses to finance their operations. Notes, bonds, debentures and commercial paper are the most common types of corporate debt securities. The primary differences between the different types of corporate debt securities are their maturities and secured or unsecured status. Commercial paper has the shortest term and is usually unsecured. The broad category of corporate debt securities includes debt issued by domestic or foreign companies of all kinds, including those with small-, mid- and large-capitalizations. Corporate debt may be rated investment-grade or below investment-grade and may carry variable or floating rates of interest.

Because of the wide range of types, and maturities, of corporate debt securities, as well as the range of creditworthiness of its issuers, corporate debt securities have widely varying potentials for return and risk profiles. For example, commercial paper issued by a large established domestic corporation that is rated investment-grade may have a modest return on principal, but carries relatively limited risk. On the other hand, a long-term corporate note issued by a small foreign corporation from an emerging market country that has not been rated may have the potential for relatively large returns on principal, but carries a relatively high degree of risk.

Corporate debt securities carry both credit risk and interest rate risk. Credit risk is the risk that a fund could lose money if the issuer of a corporate debt security is unable to pay interest or repay principal when it is due. Some corporate debt securities that are rated below investment-grade are generally considered speculative because they present a greater risk of loss, including default, than higher quality debt securities. The credit risk of a particular issuer’s debt security may vary based on its priority for repayment. For example, higher ranking (senior) debt securities have a higher priority than lower ranking (subordinated) securities. This means that the issuer might not make payments on subordinated securities while continuing to make payments on senior securities. In addition, in the event of bankruptcy, holders of higher-ranking senior securities may receive amounts otherwise payable to the holders of more junior securities. Interest rate risk is the risk that the value of certain corporate debt securities will tend to fall when interest rates rise. In general, corporate debt securities with longer terms tend to fall more in value when interest rates rise than corporate debt securities with shorter terms.

Below Investment-Grade Debt Securities. The Fund intends to invest in below investment-grade securities. Below investment-grade securities, also referred to as “high yield securities” or “junk bonds,” are debt securities that are rated lower than the four highest rating categories by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization (for example, lower than Baa3 by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (“Moody’s”) or lower than BBB- by Standard & Poor’s (“S&P”)) or are determined to be of comparable quality by the Fund’s Sub-Advisor. These securities are generally considered to be, on balance, predominantly speculative with respect to capacity to pay interest and repay principal in accordance with the terms of the obligation, and will generally involve more credit risk than securities in the investment-grade categories. Investment in these securities generally provides greater income and increased opportunity for capital appreciation than investments in higher quality securities, but they also typically entail greater price volatility and principal and income risk.

Analysis of the creditworthiness of issuers of high yield securities may be more complex than for issuers of investment-grade securities. Thus, reliance on credit ratings in making investment decisions entails greater risks for high yield securities than for investment-grade debt securities. The success of a fund’s advisor in managing high yield securities is more dependent upon its own credit analysis than is the case with investment-grade securities.

Some high yield securities are issued by smaller, less-seasoned companies, while others are issued as part of a corporate restructuring, such as an acquisition, merger, or leveraged buyout. Companies that issue high yield securities are often highly leveraged and may not have available to them more traditional methods of financing. Therefore, the risk associated with acquiring the securities of such issuers generally is greater than is the case with investment-grade securities. Some high yield securities were once rated as investment-grade but have been downgraded to junk bond status because of financial difficulties experienced by their issuers.

The market values of high yield securities tend to reflect individual issuer developments to a greater extent than do investment-grade securities, which in general react to fluctuations in the general level of interest rates. High yield securities also tend to be more sensitive to economic conditions than are investment-grade securities. A projection of an economic downturn or of a period of rising interest rates, for example, could cause a decline in junk bond prices because the advent of a recession could lessen the ability of a highly leveraged company to make principal and interest payments on its debt securities. If an issuer of high yield securities defaults, in addition to risking payment of all or a portion of interest and principal, a fund investing in such securities may incur additional expenses to seek recovery.

The secondary market on which high yield securities are traded may be less liquid than the market for investment-grade securities. Less liquidity in the secondary trading market could adversely affect the ability of a fund to sell a high yield security or the price at which a fund could sell a high yield security, and could adversely affect the daily NAV of fund shares. When secondary markets for high yield securities are less liquid than the market for investment-grade securities, it may be more difficult to value the securities because such valuation may require more research, and elements of judgment may play a greater role in the valuation because there is less reliable, objective data available.

The Fund will not necessarily dispose of a security if a credit-rating agency downgrades the rating of the security below its rating at the time of purchase. However, the Sub-Advisor will monitor the investment to determine whether continued investment in the security is in the best interest of shareholders.

Unrated Debt Securities. The Fund intends to invest in unrated debt securities. Unrated debt, while not necessarily lower in quality than rated securities, may not have as broad a market. Because of the size and perceived demand for the issue, among other factors, certain issuers may decide not to pay the cost of getting a rating for their bonds. The creditworthiness of the issuer, as well as any financial institution or other party responsible for payments on the security, will be analyzed to determine whether to purchase unrated bonds.

Asset-Backed Securities (“ABSs”). ABSs are created from many types of assets, including auto loans, credit card receivables, home equity loans, and student loans. ABSs are issued through special purpose vehicles that are bankruptcy remote from the issuer of the collateral. The credit quality of an ABS transaction depends on the performance of the underlying assets. To protect ABS investors from the possibility that some borrowers could miss payments or even default on their loans, ABSs include various forms of credit enhancement.

Some ABSs, particularly home equity loan transactions, are subject to interest-rate risk and prepayment risk. A change in interest rates can affect the pace of payments on the underlying loans, which in turn, affects total return on the securities. ABSs also carry credit or default risk. If many borrowers on the underlying loans default, losses could exceed the credit enhancement level and result in losses to investors in an ABS transaction. Finally, ABSs have structure risk due to a unique characteristic known as early amortization, or early payout, risk. Built into the structure of most ABSs are triggers for early payout, designed to protect investors from losses. These triggers are unique to each transaction and can include: a big rise in defaults on the underlying loans, a sharp drop in the credit enhancement level, or even the bankruptcy of the originator. Once early amortization begins, all incoming loan payments (after expenses are paid) are used to pay investors as quickly as possible based upon a predetermined priority of payment. Consistent with the Fund’s investment objectives and policies, the Sub-Advisor also may invest in other types of asset-backed securities.

Mortgage-Related Securities. The Fund may invest in mortgage-related securities. Mortgage-related securities are interests in pools of residential or commercial mortgage loans, including mortgage loans made by savings and loan institutions, mortgage bankers, commercial banks and others. Pools of mortgage loans are assembled as securities for sale to investors by various governmental, government-related and private organizations. The Fund also may invest in debt securities which are secured with collateral consisting of mortgage-related securities.

The recent financial downturn, particularly the increase in delinquencies and defaults on residential mortgages, falling home prices, and unemployment, has adversely affected the market for mortgage-related securities. In addition, various market and governmental actions may impair the ability to foreclose on or exercise other remedies against underlying mortgage holders, or may reduce the amount received upon foreclosure. These factors have caused certain mortgage-related securities to experience lower valuations and reduced liquidity. There is also no assurance that the U.S. government will take further action to support the mortgage-related securities industry, as it has in the past, should the economic downturn continue or the economy experience another downturn. Further, recent legislative action and any future government actions may significantly alter the manner in which the mortgage-related securities market functions. Each of these factors could ultimately increase the risk that the Fund could realize losses on mortgage-related securities.

Commercial Paper. The Fund may invest in commercial paper. Commercial paper is a short-term obligation with a maturity ranging from one to 270 days issued by banks, corporations and other borrowers. Such investments are unsecured and usually discounted. The Fund may invest in commercial paper rated A-1 or A-2 by S&P or Prime-1 or Prime-2 by Moody’s. See Appendix A for a description of commercial paper ratings.

Inflation-Indexed Bonds. The Fund may invest in inflation-indexed bonds, which are fixed income securities whose principal value is periodically adjusted according to the rate of inflation. Two structures are common. The U.S. Treasury and some other issuers use a structure that accrues inflation into the principal value of the bond. Most other issuers pay out the Consumer Price Index (“CPI”) accruals as part of a semiannual coupon.

Inflation-indexed securities issued by the U.S. Treasury have maturities of five, ten or thirty years, although it is possible that securities with other maturities will be issued in the future. U.S. Treasury securities pay interest on a semi-annual basis, equal to a fixed percentage of the inflation-adjusted principal amount. For example, if the Fund purchased an inflation-indexed bond with a par value of $1,000 and a 3% real rate of return coupon (payable 1.5% semi-annually), and inflation over the first six months was 1%, the mid-year par value of the bond would be $1,010 and the first semi-annual interest payment would be $15.15 ($1,010 times 1.5%). If inflation during the second half of the year resulted in the whole years’ inflation equaling 3%, the end-of-year par value of the bond would be $1,030 and the second semi-annual interest payment would be $15.45 ($1,030 times 1.5%).

If the periodic adjustment rate measuring inflation falls, the principal value of inflation-indexed bonds will be adjusted downward, and consequently the interest payable on these securities (calculated with respect to a smaller principal amount) will be reduced. Repayment of the original bond principal upon maturity (as adjusted for inflation) is guaranteed in the case of U.S. Treasury inflation-indexed bonds, even during a period of deflation. However, the current market value of the bonds is not guaranteed, and will fluctuate. The Fund also may invest in other inflation related bonds which may or may not provide a similar guarantee. If a guarantee of principal is not provided, the adjusted principal value of the bond repaid at maturity may be less than the original principal.

The value of inflation-indexed bonds is expected to change in response to changes in real interest rates. Real interest rates are tied to the relationship between nominal interest rates and the rate of inflation. Therefore, if inflation were to rise at a faster rate than nominal interest rates, real interest rates might decline, leading to an increase in value of inflation-indexed bonds. In contrast, if nominal interest rates increased at a faster rate than inflation, real interest rates might rise, leading to a decrease in value of inflation-indexed bonds.

While these securities are expected to be protected from long-term inflationary trends, short-term increases in inflation may lead to a decline in value. If interest rates rise due to reasons other than inflation (for example, due to changes in currency exchange rates), investors in these securities may not be protected to the extent that the increase is not reflected in the bond’s inflation measure.

The periodic adjustment of U.S. inflation-indexed bonds is tied to the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (“CPI-U”), which is calculated monthly by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The CPI-U is a measurement of changes in the cost of living, made up of components such as housing, food, transportation and energy. Inflation-indexed bonds issued by a foreign government are generally adjusted to reflect a comparable inflation index, calculated by that government. There can be no assurance that the CPI-U or any foreign inflation index will accurately measure the real rate of inflation in the prices of goods and services. Moreover, there can be no assurance that the rate of inflation in a foreign country will be correlated to the rate of inflation in the United States.

Any increase in the principal amount of an inflation-indexed bond will be considered taxable ordinary income, even though investors do not receive their principal until maturity.

Foreign Issuers

The Fund may invest in issuers located outside the United States directly, or in financial instruments, exchange traded funds (“ETFs”) or other exchange traded products (collectively, with ETFs, “ETPs”) that are indirectly linked to the performance of foreign issuers. Other examples of such financial instruments include ADRs, Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”), European Depositary Receipts (“EDRs”), International Depository Receipts (“IDRs”), “ordinary shares,” and “New York shares” issued and traded in the U.S. ADRs are U.S. dollar denominated receipts typically issued by U.S. banks and trust companies that evidence ownership of underlying securities issued by a foreign issuer. The underlying securities may not necessarily be denominated in the same currency as the securities into which they may be converted. The underlying securities are held in trust by a custodian bank or similar financial institution in the issuer’s home country. The depositary bank may not have physical custody of the underlying securities at all times and may charge fees for various services, including forwarding dividends and interest and corporate actions. Generally, ADRs in registered form are designed for use in domestic securities markets and are traded on exchanges or over-the-counter in the U.S. GDRs, EDRs, and IDRs are similar to ADRs in that they are certificates evidencing ownership of shares of a foreign issuer, however, GDRs, EDRs, and IDRs may be issued in bearer form and denominated in other currencies, and are generally designed for use in specific or multiple securities markets outside the U.S. EDRs, for example, are designed for use in European securities markets while GDRs are designed for use throughout the world. Ordinary shares are shares of foreign issuers that are traded abroad and on a U.S. exchange. New York shares are shares that a foreign issuer has allocated for trading in the U.S. ADRs, ordinary shares, and New York shares all may be purchased with and sold for U.S. dollars, which protects the Fund from the foreign settlement risks described below.

Depositary receipts may be sponsored or unsponsored. Although the two types of depositary receipt facilities (unsponsored or sponsored) are similar, there are differences regarding a holder’s rights and obligations and the practices of market participants. A depository may establish an unsponsored facility without participation by (or acquiescence of) the underlying issuer; typically, however, the depository requests a letter of non-objection from the underlying issuer prior to establishing the facility. Holders of unsponsored depositary receipts generally bear all the costs of the facility. The depository usually charges fees upon the deposit and withdrawal of the underlying securities, the conversion of dividends into U.S. dollars or other currency, the disposition of non-cash distributions, and the performance of other services. The depository of an unsponsored facility frequently is under no obligation to distribute shareholder communications received from the underlying issuer or to pass through voting rights to depositary receipt holders with respect to the underlying securities.

Sponsored depositary receipt facilities are created in generally the same manner as unsponsored facilities, except that sponsored depositary receipts are established jointly by a depository and the underlying issuer through a deposit agreement. The deposit agreement sets out the rights and responsibilities of the underlying issuer, the depository, and the depositary receipt holders. With sponsored facilities, the underlying issuer typically bears some of the costs of the depositary receipts (such as dividend payment fees of the depository), although most sponsored depositary receipts holders may bear costs such as deposit and withdrawal fees. Depositories of most sponsored depositary receipts agree to distribute notices of shareholder meetings, voting instructions, and other shareholder communications and information to the depositary receipt holders at the underlying issuer’s request.

Investing in foreign issuers may involve risks not typically associated with investing in issuers domiciled in the U.S. The value of securities denominated in foreign currencies, and of dividends from such securities, can change significantly when foreign currencies strengthen or weaken relative to the U.S. dollar. Foreign securities markets generally have less trading volume and less liquidity than U.S. markets, and prices in some foreign markets can be very volatile. Many foreign countries lack uniform accounting and disclosure standards comparable to those that apply to U.S. companies, and it may be more difficult to obtain reliable information regarding a foreign issuer’s financial condition and operations. In addition, the costs of foreign investing, including withholding taxes, brokerage commissions, and custodial fees, generally are higher than for U.S. investments.

Investing in companies located abroad also carries political and economic risks distinct from those associated with investing in the U.S. Foreign investment may be affected by actions of foreign governments adverse to the interests of U.S. investors, including the possibility of seizure, expropriation or nationalization of assets, including foreign deposits, confiscatory taxation, restrictions on U.S. investment, or on the ability to repatriate assets or to convert currency into U.S. dollars. There may be a greater possibility of default by foreign governments or foreign-government sponsored enterprises. Investments in foreign countries also involve a risk of local political, economic, or social instability, military action or unrest, or adverse diplomatic developments.

Futures and Options Transactions

Futures and Options on Futures. The Fund may buy and sell futures contracts, which provide for the future sale by one party and purchase by another party of a specified amount of a specific security at a specified future time and at a specified price. An option on a futures contract gives the purchaser the right, in exchange for a premium, to assume a position in a futures contract at a specified exercise price during the term of the option. The Fund will reduce the risk that it will be unable to close out a futures contract by only entering into futures contracts that are traded on a national futures exchange regulated by the Commodities Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”). The Fund may use futures contracts and related options for bona fide hedging; attempting to offset changes in the value of securities held or expected to be acquired or be disposed of; attempting to gain exposure to a particular market, index or instrument; or other risk management purposes. To the extent the Fund invests in futures, options on futures or other instruments subject to regulation by the CFTC, it will do so in reliance on and in accordance with CFTC Regulation 4.5. The Trust, on behalf of certain of its series, has filed a notice of eligibility for exclusion from the definition of the term “commodity pool operator” in accordance with CFTC Regulation 4.5. Therefore, the Fund is not deemed to be a “commodity pool”, and the Advisor is not deemed to be a “commodity pool operator” with respect to the Fund, under the Commodity Exchange Act (“CEA”) and they are not subject to registration or regulation as such under the CEA. The Fund reserves the right to engage in transactions involving futures, options thereon and swaps to the extent allowed by CFTC regulations in effect from time to time and in accordance with the Fund’s policies.

The Fund may buy and sell index futures contracts with respect to any index that is traded on a recognized exchange or board of trade. An index futures contract is a bilateral agreement pursuant to which two parties agree to take or make delivery of an amount of cash equal to a specified dollar amount times the difference between the index value at the close of trading of the contract and the price at which the futures contract is originally struck. No physical delivery of the securities comprising the index is made. Instead, settlement in cash must occur upon the termination of the contract, with the settlement being the difference between the contract price, and the actual level of the stock index at the expiration of the contract. Generally, contracts are closed out prior to the expiration date of the contract.

When the Fund purchases or sells a futures contract, or sells an option thereon, the Fund is required to “cover” its position in order to limit leveraging and related risks. To cover its position, the Fund may maintain with its custodian bank (and marked-to-market on a daily basis), a segregated account consisting of cash or liquid securities that, when added to any amounts deposited with a futures commission merchant as margin, are equal to the market value of the futures contract or otherwise “cover” its position in a manner consistent with the 1940 Act or the rules and SEC interpretations thereunder. If the Fund continues to engage in the described securities trading practices and properly segregates assets, the segregated account will function as a practical limit on the amount of leverage which the Fund may undertake and on the potential increase in the speculative character of the Fund’s outstanding portfolio securities. Additionally, such segregated accounts will generally assure the availability of adequate funds to meet the obligations of the fund arising from such investment activities.

The Fund may also cover its long position in a futures contract by purchasing a put option on the same futures contract with a strike price (i.e., an exercise price) as high or higher than the price of the futures contract. In the alternative, if the strike price of the put is less than the price of the futures contract, the Fund will maintain, in a segregated account, cash or liquid securities equal in value to the difference between the strike price of the put and the price of the futures contract. The Fund may also cover its long position in a futures contract by taking a short position in the instruments underlying the futures contract, or by taking positions in instruments with prices which are expected to move relatively consistently with the futures contract. The Fund may cover its short position in a futures contract by taking a long position in the instruments underlying the futures contracts, or by taking positions in instruments with prices which are expected to move relatively consistently with the futures contract.

The Fund may cover its sale of a call option on a futures contract by taking a long position in the underlying futures contract at a price less than or equal to the strike price of the call option. In the alternative, if the long position in the underlying futures contract is established at a price greater than the strike price of the written (sold) call, the Fund will maintain, in a segregated account, cash or liquid securities equal in value to the difference between the strike price of the call and the price of the futures contract. The Fund may also cover its sale of a call option by taking positions in instruments with prices which are expected to move relatively consistently with the call option. The Fund may cover its sale of a put option on a futures contract by taking a short position in the underlying futures contract at a price greater than or equal to the strike price of the put option, or, if the short position in the underlying futures contract is established at a price less than the strike price of the written put, the Fund will maintain, in a segregated account, cash or liquid securities equal in value to the difference between the strike price of the put and the price of the futures contract. The Fund may also cover its sale of a put option by taking positions in instruments with prices which are expected to move relatively consistently with the put option.

There are significant risks associated with the Fund’s use of futures contracts and related options, including the following: (1) the success of a hedging strategy may depend on the Sub-Advisor’s ability to predict movements in the prices of individual securities, fluctuations in markets and movements in interest rates; (2) there may be an imperfect or no correlation between the changes in market value of the securities held by the Fund and the prices of futures and options on futures; (3) there may not be a liquid secondary market for a futures contract or option; (4) trading restrictions or limitations may be imposed by an exchange; and (5) government regulations may restrict trading in futures contracts and options on futures. In addition, some strategies reduce the Fund’s exposure to price fluctuations, while others tend to increase its market exposure.

Other Options. The Fund may write (sell) and purchase put and call options on indices and enter into related closing transactions. A put option on a security gives the purchaser of the option the right to sell, and the writer of the option the obligation to buy, the underlying security at any time during the option period. A call option on a security gives the purchaser of the option the right to buy, and the writer of the option the obligation to sell, the underlying security at any time during the option period. The premium paid to the writer is the consideration for undertaking the obligations under the option contract.

Put and call options on indices are similar to options on securities except that options on an index give the holder the right to receive, upon exercise of the option, an amount of cash if the closing level of the underlying index is greater than (or less than, in the case of puts) the exercise price of the option. This amount of cash is equal to the difference between the closing price of the index and the exercise price of the option, expressed in dollars multiplied by a specified number. Thus, unlike options on individual securities, all settlements are in cash, and gain or loss depends on price movements in the particular market represented by the index generally, rather than the price movements in individual securities.

All options written on indices or securities must be covered. The SEC staff has indicated that a written call option on a security may be covered if a fund (1) owns the security underlying the call until the option is exercised or expires, (2) holds an American-style call on the same security as the call written with an exercise price (i) no greater than the exercise price of the call written or (ii) greater than the exercise price of the call written if the difference is maintained by the fund in cash or other liquid assets designated on the fund’s records or placed in a segregated account with the fund’s custodian, (3) has an absolute and immediate right to acquire the security without additional cost (or if additional consideration is required, cash or other liquid assets in such amount have been segregated), or (4) segregates cash or other liquid assets on the fund’s records or with the custodian in an amount equal to (when added to any margin on deposit) the current market value of the call option, but not less than the exercise price, marked to market daily. If the call option is exercised by the purchaser during the option period, the seller is required to deliver the underlying security against payment of the exercise price or pay the difference. The seller’s obligation terminates upon expiration of the option period or when the seller executes a closing purchase transaction with respect to such option.

All put options written by the Fund will be covered by (1) segregating cash, cash equivalents, such as U.S. Treasury securities or overnight repurchase agreements, or other liquid assets on the Fund’s records or with the custodian having a value at least equal to exercise price of the option (less cash received, if any) or (2) holding a put option on the same security as the option written where the exercise price of the written put option is (i) equal to or higher than the exercise price of the option written or (ii) less than the exercise price of the option written provided the Fund segregates cash or other liquid assets in the amount of the difference.

The Fund may trade put and call options on securities, securities indices and currencies, as the Sub-Advisor determines is appropriate in seeking the Fund’s investment objective, and except as restricted by the Fund’s investment limitations.

The initial purchase (sale) of an option contract is an “opening transaction.” In order to close out an option position, the Fund may enter into a “closing transaction,” which is simply the purchase of an option contract on the same security with the same exercise price and expiration date as the option contract originally opened. If the Fund is unable to effect a closing purchase transaction with respect to an option it has written, it will not be able to sell the underlying security until the option expires or the Fund delivers the security upon exercise.

The Fund may purchase put and call options on securities to protect against a decline in the market value of the securities in its portfolio or to anticipate an increase in the market value of securities that the Fund may seek to purchase in the future. The Fund purchasing put and call options pays a premium; therefore, if price movements in the underlying securities are such that exercise of the options would not be profitable for the Fund, loss of the premium paid may be offset by an increase in the value of the Fund’s securities or by a decrease in the cost of acquisition of securities by the Fund.

The Fund may write covered call options on securities as a means of increasing the yield on its assets and as a means of providing limited protection against decreases in its market value. When the Fund writes an option, if the underlying securities do not increase or decrease to a price level that would make the exercise of the option profitable to the holder thereof, the option generally will expire without being exercised and the Fund will realize as profit the premium received for such option. When a call option of which the Fund is the writer is exercised, the Fund will be required to sell the underlying securities to the option holder at the strike price, and will not participate in any increase in the price of such securities above the strike price. When a put option of which the Fund is the writer is exercised, the Fund will be required to purchase the underlying securities at a price in excess of the market value of such securities.

The Fund may purchase and write options on an exchange or over-the-counter. OTC options differ from exchange traded options in several respects. They are transacted directly with dealers and not with a clearing corporation, and therefore entail the risk of non-performance by the dealer. OTC options are available for a greater variety of securities and for a wider range of expiration dates and exercise prices than are available for exchange traded options. Because OTC options are not traded on an exchange, pricing is done normally by reference to information from a market maker. It is the SEC’s position that OTC options are generally illiquid.

The market value of an option generally reflects the market price of an underlying security. Other principal factors affecting market value include supply and demand, interest rates, the pricing volatility of the underlying security and the time remaining until the expiration date.

Risks associated with options transactions include: (1) the success of a hedging strategy may depend on an ability to predict movements in the prices of individual securities, fluctuations in markets and movements in interest rates; (2) there may be an imperfect correlation between the movement in prices of options and the securities underlying them; (3) there may not be a liquid secondary market for options; and (4) while the Fund will receive a premium when it writes covered call options, it may not participate fully in a rise in the market value of the underlying security.

Structured Notes. The Fund may invest in structured notes, which are debt obligations that also contain an embedded derivative component with characteristics that adjust the obligation’s risk/return profile. Generally, the performance of a structured note will track that of the underlying debt obligation and the derivative embedded within it. The Fund have the right to receive periodic interest payments from the issuer of the structured notes at an agreed-upon interest rate and a return of the principal at the maturity date.

Structured notes are typically privately negotiated transactions between two or more parties. The Fund bears the risk that the issuer of the structured note will default or become bankrupt which may result in the loss of principal investment and periodic interest payments expected to be received for the duration of its investment in the structured notes.

In the case of structured notes on credit default swaps, the Fund is also subject to the credit risk of the corporate credits underlying the credit default swaps. If one of the underlying corporate credits defaults, the Fund may receive the security that has defaulted, or alternatively a cash settlement may occur, and the Fund’s principal investment in the structured note would be reduced by the corresponding face value of the defaulted security.

The market for structured notes may be, or suddenly can become, illiquid. The other parties to the transaction may be the only investors with sufficient understanding of the derivative to be interested in bidding for it. Changes in liquidity may result in significant, rapid, and unpredictable changes in the prices for structured notes. In certain cases, a market price for a credit-linked security may not be available. The collateral for a structured note may be one or more credit default swaps, which are subject to additional risks. See “Swap Agreements” for a description of additional risks associated with credit default swaps.

Illiquid Securities

The Fund may invest up to an aggregate amount of 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities (calculated at the time of investment), including Rule 144A securities. The Fund will monitor its portfolio liquidity on an ongoing basis to determine whether, in light of current circumstances, an adequate level of liquidity is being maintained, and will consider taking appropriate steps in order to maintain adequate liquidity if, through a change in values, net assets, or other circumstances, more than 15% of the Fund’s net assets are invested in illiquid securities. Illiquid securities include securities subject to contractual or other restrictions on resale and other instruments that lack readily available markets as determined in accordance with SEC guidance.

A portfolio security is illiquid if it cannot be disposed of in the ordinary course of business within seven days at approximately the value ascribed to it by the Fund. Under the current guidelines of the staff of the SEC, illiquid securities also are considered to include, among other securities, purchased OTC options, certain cover for OTC options, repurchase agreements with maturities in excess of seven days, and certain securities whose disposition is restricted under the federal securities laws. The Fund may not be able to sell illiquid securities when the Sub-Advisor considers it desirable to do so or may have to sell such securities at a price that is lower than the price that could be obtained if the securities were more liquid. In addition, the sale of illiquid securities also may require more time and may result in higher dealer discounts and other selling expenses than does the sale of securities that are not illiquid. Illiquid securities also may be more difficult to value due to the unavailability of reliable market quotations for such securities, and investment in illiquid securities may have an adverse impact on NAV.

Investments in Other Investment Companies

The Fund may invest in the securities of other investment companies to the extent that such an investment would be consistent with the requirements of Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act, or any rule, regulation or order of the SEC or interpretation thereof. Generally, a fund may invest in the securities of another investment company (the “acquired company”) provided that the fund, immediately after such purchase or acquisition, does not own in the aggregate (i) more than 3% of the total outstanding voting stock of the acquired company, (ii) securities issued by the acquired company having an aggregate value in excess of 5% of the value of the total assets of the fund, or (iii) securities issued by the acquired company and all other investment companies (other than U.S. Treasury stock of the fund) having an aggregate value in excess of 10% of the value of the total assets of the fund. A fund also may invest in the securities of other investment companies if the fund is part of a “master-feeder” structure or operates as a fund of funds in compliance with Section 12(d)(1)(E), (F) and (G) and the rules thereunder. Section 12(d)(1) prohibits another investment company from selling its shares to the fund if, after the sale (i) the fund owns more than 3% of the other investment company’s voting stock or (ii) the fund and other investment companies, and companies controlled by them, own more than 10% of the voting stock of such other investment company. The Trust has entered into agreements with several unaffiliated ETFs that permit, pursuant to an SEC order, the Fund to purchase shares of those ETFs beyond the Section 12(d)(1) limits described above. The Fund will only make such investments in conformity with the requirements of Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Internal Revenue Code”).

If the Fund invests in, and thus, is a shareholder of, another investment company, the Fund’s shareholders will indirectly bear the Fund’s proportionate share of the fees and expenses paid by such other investment company, including advisory fees, in addition to both the management fees payable directly by the Fund to the Fund’s own investment advisor and the other expenses that the Fund bears directly in connection with the Fund’s own operations.

Consistent with the restrictions discussed above, the Fund may invest in several different types of investment companies from time to time, including mutual funds, ETFs, closed-end funds, and business development companies (“BDCs”), when the Advisor or Sub-Advisor believes such an investment is in the best interests of the Fund and its shareholders. For example, the Fund may elect to invest in another investment company when such an investment presents a more efficient investment option than buying securities individually. The Fund also may invest in investment companies that are included as components of an index, such as BDCs, to seek to track the performance of that index. A BDC is a less common type of closed-end investment company that more closely resembles an operating company than a typical investment company. BDCs generally focus on investing in, and providing managerial assistance to, small, developing, financially troubled, private companies or other companies that may have value that can be realized over time and with management assistance. Similar to an operating company, a BDC’s total annual operating expense ratio typically reflects all of the operating expenses incurred by the BDC, and is generally greater than the total annual operating expense ratio of a mutual fund that does not bear the same types of operating expenses. However, as a shareholder of a BDC, the Fund does not directly pay for a portion of all of the operating expenses of the BDC, just as a shareholder of computer manufacturer does not directly pay for the cost of labor associated with producing such computers. As a result, when the Fund invests in a BDC, its Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses will be effectively overstated by an amount equal to the Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses. Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses are not included as an operating expense of the Fund in the Fund’s financial statements, which more accurately reflect the Fund’s actual operating expenses.

Investment companies may include index-based investments, such as ETFs that hold substantially all of their assets in securities representing a specific index. The main risk of investing in index-based investments is the same as investing in a portfolio of equity securities comprising the index. The market prices of index-based investments will fluctuate in accordance with both changes in the market value of their underlying portfolio securities and due to supply and demand for the instruments on the exchanges on which they are traded (which may result in their trading at a discount or premium to their NAVs). Index-based investments may not replicate exactly the performance of their specific index because of transaction costs and the temporary unavailability of certain component securities of the index.

The Fund may invest in index-based ETFs as well as ETFs that are actively managed.

Lending of Portfolio Securities

The Fund may lend portfolio securities to brokers, dealers and other financial organizations that meet capital and other credit requirements or other criteria established by the Fund’s Board. These loans, if and when made, may not exceed 33¹/₃% of the total asset value of the Fund (including the loan collateral). The Fund will not lend portfolio securities to the Advisor, Sub-Advisor, or their affiliates, unless it has applied for and received specific authority to do so from the SEC. Loans of portfolio securities will be fully collateralized by cash, letters of credit or U.S. government securities, and the collateral will be maintained in an amount equal to at least 100% of the current market value of the loaned securities by marking to market daily. Any gain or loss in the market price of the securities loaned that might occur during the term of the loan would be for the account of the Fund. The Fund may pay a part of the interest earned from the investment of collateral, or other fee, to an unaffiliated third-party for acting as the Fund’s securities lending agent. By lending its securities, the Fund may increase its income by receiving payments from the borrower that reflect the amount of any interest or any dividends payable on the loaned securities as well as by either investing cash collateral received from the borrower in short-term instruments or obtaining a fee from the borrower when U.S. government securities or letters of credit are used as collateral.

The Fund will adhere to the following conditions whenever its portfolio securities are loaned: (i) the Fund must receive at least 100% cash collateral or equivalent securities of the type discussed in the preceding paragraph from the borrower; (ii) the borrower must increase such collateral whenever the market value of the securities rises above the level of such collateral; (iii) the Fund must be able to terminate the loan on demand; (iv) the Fund must receive reasonable interest on the loan, as well as any dividends, interest or other distributions on the loaned securities and any increase in market value; (v) the Fund may pay only reasonable fees in connection with the loan (which fees may include fees payable to the lending agent, the borrower, the Fund’s administrator and the custodian); and (vi) voting rights on the loaned securities may pass to the borrower, provided, however, that if a material event adversely affecting the investment occurs, the Fund must terminate the loan and regain the right to vote the securities. The Fund’s securities lending arrangements are subject to Board approval. In addition, to the extent the Fund engages in securities lending, the Board has adopted procedures that are reasonably designed to ensure that the foregoing criteria will be met. Loan agreements involve certain risks in the event of default or insolvency of the borrower, including possible delays or restrictions upon the Fund’s ability to recover the loaned securities or dispose of the collateral for the loan, which could give rise to loss because of adverse market action, expenses and/or delays in connection with the disposition of the underlying securities.

Loan Participations and Assignments

Senior Loans. The Fund may invest in floating rate senior loans of domestic or foreign borrowers (“Senior Loans”) primarily by purchasing participations or assignments of a portion of a Senior Loan. Floating rate loans are those with interest rates that float, adjust or vary periodically based upon benchmark indicators, specified adjustment schedules or prevailing interest rates. Senior Loans often are secured by specific assets of the borrower, although the Fund may invest in Senior Loans that are not secured by any collateral. The Fund generally invests in loans that may be in the form of participations and assignments. When investing in loan participations, the Fund does not have a direct contractual relationship with the borrower and has no rights against the borrower, i.e., the fund cannot enforce its rights directly; it must rely on intermediaries to enforce its rights. When investing in assignments, the Fund steps into the shoes of the intermediary who sold it the assignment and can enforce the assigned rights directly. These rights may include the right to vote along with other lenders on such matters as enforcing the terms of a loan agreement (e.g., declaring defaults, initiating collection action, etc.). Taking such actions typically requires at least a vote of the lenders holding a majority of the investment in a loan, and may require a vote by lenders holding two-thirds or more of the investment in a loan. Because the Fund typically does not hold a majority of the investment in any loan, it may not be able by itself to control decisions that require a vote by the lenders.

Senior Loans are loans that are typically made to business borrowers to finance leveraged buy-outs, recapitalizations, mergers, stock repurchases, and internal growth. Senior Loans generally hold the most senior position in the capital structure of a borrower and are usually secured by liens on the assets of the borrowers, including tangible assets such as cash, accounts receivable, inventory, property, plant and equipment, common and/or preferred stock of subsidiaries, and intangible assets including trademarks, copyrights, patent rights and franchise value.

By virtue of their senior position and collateral, Senior Loans typically provide lenders with the first right to cash flows or proceeds from the sale of a borrower’s collateral if the borrower becomes insolvent (subject to the limitations of bankruptcy law, which may provide higher priority to certain claims such as, for example, employee salaries, employee pensions, and taxes). This means Senior Loans are generally repaid before unsecured bank loans, corporate bonds, subordinated debt, trade creditors, and preferred or common stockholders.

Senior Loans typically pay interest at least quarterly at rates which equal a fixed percentage spread over a base rate such as the London Inter-Bank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”). For example, if LIBOR is 1.00% and the borrower is paying a fixed spread of 3.50%, the total interest rate paid by the borrower would be 4.50%. Base rates and, therefore, the total rates paid on Senior Loans float, i.e., they change as market rates of interest change. Although a base rate such as LIBOR can change every day, loan agreements for Senior Loans typically allow the borrower the ability to choose how often the base rate for its loan will change. Such periods can range from one day to one year, with most borrowers choosing monthly or quarterly reset periods. During periods of rising interest rates, borrowers will tend to choose longer reset periods, and during periods of declining interest rates, borrowers will tend to choose shorter reset periods. The fixed spread over the base rate on a Senior Loan typically does not change.

Senior Loans generally are arranged through private negotiations between a borrower and several financial institutions or lending syndicates represented by an agent who is usually one of the originating lenders. In larger transactions, it is common to have several agents; however, generally only one such agent has primary responsibility for ongoing administration of a Senior Loan. Agents are typically paid fees by the borrower for their services. The agent is primarily responsible for negotiating the loan agreement which establishes the terms and conditions of the Senior Loan and the rights of the borrower and the lenders. The agent also is responsible for monitoring collateral and for exercising remedies available to the lenders such as foreclosure upon collateral. The agent is normally responsible for the collection of principal and interest payments from the borrower and the apportionment of these payments to the credit of all institutions which are parties to the loan agreement. Unless, under the terms of the loan, the Fund has direct recourse against the borrower, the Fund may have to rely on the agent or other financial intermediary to apply appropriate credit remedies against a borrower. The Sub-Advisor will also monitor these aspects of the Fund’s investments and, where the Fund owns an assignment, will be directly involved with the agent and the other lenders regarding the exercise of credit remedies.

A financial institution’s employment as agent might be terminated in the event that it fails to observe a requisite standard of care or becomes insolvent. A successor agent would generally be appointed to replace the terminated agent, and assets held by the agent under the loan agreement should remain available to holders of such indebtedness. However, if assets held by the agent for the benefit of the Fund were determined to be subject to the claims of the agent’s general creditors, the Fund might incur certain costs and delays in realizing payment on a Senior Loan and could suffer a loss of principal and/or interest. In situations involving other interposed financial institutions (e.g., an insurance company or governmental agency) similar risks may arise.

The risks associated with Senior Loans are similar to the risks of “junk” securities. The Fund’s investments in Senior Loans is typically below investment grade and is considered speculative because of the credit risk of their issuers. Moreover, any specific collateral used to secure a loan may decline in value or lose all its value or become illiquid, which would adversely affect the loan’s value. Economic and other events, whether real or perceived, can reduce the demand for certain Senior Loans or Senior Loans generally, which may reduce market prices and cause the Fund’s NAV per share to fall. The frequency and magnitude of such changes cannot be predicted.

Senior Loans and other debt securities are also subject to the risk of price declines and to increases in prevailing interest rates, although floating rate debt instruments are less exposed to this risk than fixed rate debt instruments. Conversely, the floating rate feature of Senior Loans means the Senior Loans will not generally experience capital appreciation in a declining interest rate environment. Declines in interest rates may also increase prepayments of debt obligations and require a Fund to invest assets at lower yields.

Although Senior Loans in which the Fund will invest will often be secured by collateral, there can be no assurance that liquidation of such collateral would satisfy the borrower’s obligation in the event of a default or that such collateral could be readily liquidated. In the event of bankruptcy of a borrower, the Fund could experience delays or limitations in its ability to realize the benefits of any collateral securing a Senior Loan. The Fund may also invest in Senior Loans that are not secured.

Senior Loans and other types of direct indebtedness may not be readily marketable and may be subject to restrictions on resale. In some cases, negotiations involved in disposing of indebtedness may require weeks to complete. Consequently, some indebtedness may be difficult or impossible to dispose of readily at what the Sub-Advisor believes to be a fair price. In addition, valuation of illiquid indebtedness involves a greater degree of judgment in determining the Fund’s NAV than if that value were based on available market quotations, and could result in significant variations in the Fund’s daily share price. At the same time, some loan interests are traded among certain financial institutions and accordingly may be deemed liquid. As the market for different types of indebtedness develops, the liquidity of these instruments is expected to improve. In addition, the Fund currently intends to treat indebtedness for which there is no readily available market as illiquid for purposes of the Fund’s limitation on illiquid investments. In addition, floating rate loans may require the consent of the borrower and/or the agent prior to sale or assignment. These consent requirements can delay or impede the Fund’s ability to sell loans and can adversely affect a loan’s liquidity and the price that can be obtained.

Interests in Senior Loans generally are not listed on any national securities exchange or automated quotation system and no active market may exist for many of the Senior Loans in which the Fund may invest. If a secondary market exists for certain of the Senior Loans in which the Fund invests, such market may be subject to irregular trading activity, wide bid/ask spreads and extended trade settlement periods. To the extent that legislation or state or federal regulators impose additional requirements or restrictions with respect to the ability of financial institutions to make loans in connection with highly leveraged transactions, the availability of Senior Loan interests for investment by a Fund may be adversely affected.

The Fund may have certain obligations in connection with a loan, such as, under a revolving credit facility that is not fully drawn down, to loan additional funds under the terms of the credit facility. The Fund will maintain a segregated account with its custodian of liquid securities with a value equal to the amount, if any, of the loan that the Fund has obligated itself to make to the borrower, but that the borrower has not yet requested.

The Fund may receive and/or pay certain fees in connection with its activities in buying, selling and holding loans. These fees are in addition to interest payments received, and may include facility fees, commitment fees, commissions and prepayment penalty fees. When the Fund buys a loan, it may receive a facility fee, and when it sells a loan, it may pay a facility fee. The Fund may receive a commitment fee based on the undrawn portion of the underlying line of credit portion of a loan, or, in certain circumstances, the Fund may receive a prepayment penalty fee on the prepayment of a loan by a borrower.

The Fund is not subject to any restrictions with respect to the maturity of Senior Loans it holds, and Senior Loans usually will have rates of interest that are redetermined either daily, monthly, quarterly, semi-annually or annually. Investment in Senior Loans with longer interest rate redetermination periods may increase fluctuations in a Fund’s NAV as a result of changes in interest rates. As a result, as short-term interest rates increase, interest payable to the Fund from its investments in Senior Loans should increase, and as short-term interest rates decrease, interest payable to the Fund from its investments in Senior Loans should decrease. The amount of time required to pass before the Fund will realize the effects of changing short-term market interest rates on its portfolio will vary with the dollar-weighted average time until the next interest rate redetermination on the Senior Loans in the investment portfolio.

The participation interest and assignments in which the Fund intends to invest may not be rated by any nationally recognized rating service. The Fund may invest in loan participations and assignments with credit quality comparable to that of issuers of its securities investments.

In addition, it is conceivable that under emerging legal theories of lender liability, the Fund which purchases an assignment could be held liable as co-lender. It is unclear whether loans and other forms of direct indebtedness offer securities law protections against fraud and misrepresentation. In the absence of definitive regulatory guidance, the Fund will rely on the Sub-Advisor’s research in an attempt to avoid situations where fraud or misrepresentation could adversely affect the Fund.

The Fund, pursuant to its fundamental investment restrictions, may also be a lender (originator), or part of a group of lenders originating a Senior Loan. When the Fund is a primary lender, it will have a direct contractual relationship with the borrower, may enforce compliance by the borrower with the terms of the loan agreement and may under contractual arrangements among the lenders have rights with respect to any funds acquired by other lenders through setoff. A lender also has full voting and consent rights under the applicable loan agreement. Action subject to lender vote or consent generally requires the vote or consent of the holders of a majority or some greater specified percentage of the outstanding principal amount of the Senior Loan. Certain decisions, such as reducing the amount or increasing the time for payment of interest on or repayment of principal of a Senior Loan, or releasing collateral therefor, frequently require the unanimous vote or consent of all lenders affected. When the Fund is a primary lender originating a Senior Loan, it may share in a fee paid by the borrower to the primary lenders.

If the Fund purchases a floating rate loan as part of the original group of lenders or issues loans directly to the borrower (a loan originator/primary lender), it may also be deemed an underwriter and may be subject to underwriting liability and litigation risk. There is a risk that lenders and investors in loans can be sued by other creditors and shareholders of the borrowers, and may need to serve on a creditor’s committee or seek to enforce the Fund’s rights in a bankruptcy proceeding. It is possible that losses could be greater than the original loan amount and that losses could occur years after the principal and interest on the loan has been repaid.

The Fund may also make its investments in floating rate loans through structured notes or swap agreements. Investments through these instruments involve counterparty risk, i.e., the risk that the party from which such instrument is purchased will not perform as agreed.

The Fund may incur legal expense in seeking to enforce its rights under a loan, and there can be no assurance of success or a recovery in excess of the Fund’s expenditures.

Some funds limit the amount of assets that will be invested in any one issuer or in issuers within the same industry. For purposes of these limits, the Fund generally will treat the borrower as the “issuer” of indebtedness held by the Fund. In the case of loan participations where a bank or other lending institution serves as a financial intermediary between the Fund and the borrower, if the participation does not shift to the Fund the direct debtor-creditor relationship with the borrower, current SEC interpretations require the Fund to treat both the lending bank or other lending institution and the borrower as “issuers” for the purposes of determining whether the Fund has invested more than 5% of its total assets in a single issuer or more than 25% of its assets in a particular industry. Treating a financial intermediary as an issuer of indebtedness may restrict the Fund’s ability to invest in indebtedness related to a single financial intermediary, or a group of intermediaries engaged in the same industry, even if the underlying borrowers represent many different companies and industries.

Junior Loans. The Fund may invest in secured and unsecured subordinated loans, second lien loans and subordinated bridge loans (“Junior Loans”). Second lien loans are generally second in line in terms of repayment priority. A second lien loan may have a claim on the same collateral pool as the first lien or it may be secured by a separate set of assets, such as property, plants, or equipment. Second lien loans generally give investors priority over general unsecured creditors in the event of an asset sale. Junior Loans are subject to the same general risks inherent to any loan investment, including credit risk, market and liquidity risk, and interest rate risk. Due to their lower place in the Borrower’s capital structure and possible unsecured status, Junior Loans involve a higher degree of overall risk than Senior Loans of the same borrower. The Fund may purchase Junior Loan interests either in the form of an assignment or a loan participation.

Pooled Investment Vehicles

The Fund may invest in the securities of pooled vehicles that are not investment companies and, thus, not required to comply with the provisions of the 1940 Act. As a result, as a shareholder of such pooled vehicles, the Fund will not have all of the investor protections afforded by the 1940 Act. Such pooled vehicles may, however, be required to comply with the provisions of other federal securities laws, such as the Securities Act. These pooled vehicles typically hold commodities, such as gold or oil, currency, or other property that is itself not a security. If the Fund invests in, and thus, is a shareholder of, a pooled vehicle, the Fund’s shareholders will indirectly bear the Fund’s proportionate share of the fees and expenses paid by the pooled vehicle, including any applicable management fees, in addition to both the management fees payable directly by the Fund to the Advisor and the other expenses that the Fund bears directly in connection with its own operations.

The Fund may invest in certain ETFs or other ETPs that are not taxable as regulated investment companies (“RICs”). These non-RIC ETPs may produce non-qualifying income for purposes of the “90% Test” (as defined below), which must be met in order for the Fund to maintain its status as a RIC under the Internal Revenue Code. If one or more of these non-RIC ETPs generates more non-qualifying income for purposes of the 90% Test than the Fund’s portfolio management expects, this non-qualifying income may be attributed to the Fund and could cause the Fund to inadvertently fail the 90% Test, thereby causing the Fund to inadvertently fail to qualify as a RIC under the Internal Revenue Code.

Portfolio Turnover

Portfolio turnover may vary from year to year, as well as within a year. Generally, the higher the Fund’s rate of portfolio turnover, the higher the transaction costs borne by the Fund and its long-term shareholders. In addition, the Fund’s portfolio turnover level may adversely affect the ability of the Fund to achieve its investment objective. Because the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate, to a great extent, will depend on the creation and redemption activity of investors, it is difficult to estimate what the Fund’s actual portfolio turnover rate will be in the future.

“Portfolio Turnover Rate” is defined under the rules of the SEC as the lesser of the value of the securities purchased or of the securities sold, excluding all securities whose maturities at the time of acquisition were one-year or less, divided by the average monthly value of such securities owned during the year. Based on this definition, instruments with a remaining maturity of less than one-year are excluded from the calculation of the portfolio turnover rate. Instruments excluded from the calculation of portfolio turnover generally would include the futures contracts and options contracts in which the Fund invests since such contracts generally have a remaining maturity of less than one year.

Repurchase Agreements

The Fund may enter into repurchase agreements with financial institutions, which may be deemed to be loans. The Fund follows certain procedures designed to minimize the risks inherent in such agreements. These procedures include effecting repurchase transactions only with large, well-capitalized and well-established financial institutions whose condition will be continually monitored by the Sub-Advisor. In addition, the value of the collateral underlying the repurchase agreement will always be at least equal to the repurchase price, including any accrued interest earned on the repurchase agreement. In the event of a default or bankruptcy by a selling financial institution, the Fund will seek to liquidate such collateral. However, the exercising of the Fund’s right to liquidate such collateral could involve certain costs or delays and, to the extent that proceeds from any sale upon a default of the obligation to repurchase were less than the repurchase price, the Fund could suffer a loss. It is the current policy of the Fund not to invest in repurchase agreements that do not mature within seven days if any such investment, together with any other illiquid assets held by the Fund, amounts to more than 15% of the Fund’s net assets. The investments of the Fund in repurchase agreements, at times, may be substantial when, in the view of the Sub-Advisor, liquidity or other considerations so warrant.

Short Sales

The Fund may engage in short sales transactions in which the Fund sells a security it does not own. To complete such a transaction, the Fund must borrow or otherwise obtain the security to make delivery to the buyer. The Fund then is obligated to replace the security borrowed by purchasing the security at the market price at the time of replacement. The price at such time may be more or less than the price at which the security was sold by the Fund. Until the security is replaced, the Fund is required to pay to the lender amounts equal to any dividends or interest, which accrue during the period of the loan. To borrow the security, the Fund also may be required to pay a premium, which would increase the cost of the security sold. The Fund may also use repurchase agreements to satisfy delivery obligations in short sales transactions. The proceeds of the short sale will be retained by the broker, to the extent necessary to meet the margin requirements, until the short position is closed out.

Until the Fund closes its short position or replaces the borrowed security, the Fund will: (a) maintain a segregated account containing cash or liquid securities at such a level that (i) the amount deposited in the account plus the amount deposited with the broker as collateral will equal the current value of the security sold short and (ii) the amount deposited in the segregated account plus the amount deposited with the broker as collateral will not be less than the market value of the security at the time the security was sold short; or (b) otherwise cover the Fund’s short position. The Fund may use up to 100% of its portfolio to engage in short sales transactions and collateralize its open short positions.

Swap Agreements

The Fund may enter into swap agreements, including, but not limited to, total return swaps, index swaps, and interest rate swaps. The Fund may utilize swap agreements in an attempt to gain exposure to the securities in a market without actually purchasing those securities, or to hedge a position. Swap agreements are two-party contracts entered into primarily by institutional investors for periods ranging from a day to more than one-year. In a standard “swap” transaction, two parties agree to exchange the returns (or differentials in rates of return) earned or realized on particular predetermined investments or instruments. The gross returns to be exchanged or “swapped” between the parties are calculated with respect to a “notional amount,” i.e., the return on or increase in value of a particular dollar amount invested in a “basket” of securities representing a particular index.

Forms of swap agreements include interest rate caps, under which, in return for a premium, one party agrees to make payments to the other to the extent that interest rates exceed a specified rate, or “cap,” interest rate floors, under which, in return for a premium, one party agrees to make payments to the other to the extent that interest rates fall below a specified level, or “floor;” and interest rate collars, under which a party sells a cap and purchases a floor or vice versa in an attempt to protect itself against interest rate movements exceeding given minimum or maximum levels.

The Fund’s obligations under a swap agreement will be accrued daily (offset against any amounts owing to the Fund) and any accrued but unpaid net amounts owed to a swap counterparty will be covered by segregating assets determined to be liquid. Obligations under swap agreements so covered will not be construed to be “senior securities” for purposes of the Fund’s investment restriction concerning senior securities. Because they are two-party contracts which may have terms of greater than seven days, swap agreements may be considered to be illiquid for purposes of the Fund’s illiquid investment limitations. The Fund will not enter into any swap agreement unless the Advisor believes that the other party to the transaction is creditworthy. The Fund bears the risk of loss of the amount expected to be received under a swap agreement in the event of the default or bankruptcy of a swap agreement counterparty.

The Fund may enter into swap agreements to invest in a market without owning or taking physical custody of the underlying securities in circumstances in which direct investment is restricted for legal reasons or is otherwise impracticable. The counterparty to any swap agreement will typically be a bank, investment banking firm or broker-dealer. The counterparty will generally agree to pay the Fund the amount, if any, by which the notional amount of the swap agreement would have increased in value had it been invested in the particular stocks, plus the dividends that would have been received on those stocks. The Fund will agree to pay to the counterparty a floating rate of interest on the notional amount of the swap agreement plus the amount, if any, by which the notional amount would have decreased in value had it been invested in such stocks. Therefore, the return to the Fund on any swap agreement should be the gain or loss on the notional amount plus dividends on the stocks less the interest paid by the Fund on the notional amount.

Swap agreements typically are settled on a net basis, which means that the two payment streams are netted out, with the Fund receiving or paying, as the case may be, only the net amount of the two payments. Payments may be made at the conclusion of a swap agreement or periodically during its term. Other swap agreements, may require initial premium (discount) payments as well as periodic payments (receipts) related to the interest leg of the swap or to the default of a reference obligation. The Fund will earmark and reserve assets necessary to meet any accrued payment obligations when it is the buyer of a credit default swap.

Swap agreements do not involve the delivery of securities or other underlying assets. Accordingly, the risk of loss with respect to swap agreements is limited to the net amount of payments that the Fund is contractually obligated to make. If a swap counterparty defaults, the Fund’s risk of loss consists of the net amount of payments the Fund is contractually entitled to receive, if any. The net amount of the excess, if any, of the Fund’s obligations over its entitlements with respect to each equity swap will be accrued on a daily basis and an amount of cash or liquid assets, having an aggregate NAV at least equal to such accrued excess will be maintained in a segregated account by the Fund’s custodian. Inasmuch as these transactions are entered into for hedging purposes or are offset by segregated cash of liquid assets, as permitted by applicable law, the Fund and the Advisor believe that these transactions do not constitute senior securities under the 1940 Act and, accordingly, will not treat them as being subject to the Fund’s borrowing restrictions.

The swap market has grown substantially in recent years with a large number of banks and investment banking firms acting both as principals and as agents utilizing standardized swap documentation. As a result, the swap market has become relatively liquid in comparison with the markets for other similar instruments, which are traded in the OTC market. The Advisor, under the supervision of the Board, is responsible for determining and monitoring the liquidity of Fund transactions in swap agreements.

The use of swap agreements is a highly specialized activity which involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. If a counterparty’s creditworthiness declines, the value of the swap would likely decline. Moreover, there is no guarantee that a Fund could eliminate its exposure under an outstanding swap agreement by entering into an offsetting swap agreement with the same or another party.

U.S. Government Securities

The Fund may invest in U.S. government securities. Securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities include U.S. Treasury securities, which are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury and which differ only in their interest rates, maturities, and times of issuance. U.S. Treasury bills have initial maturities of one year or less; U.S. Treasury notes have initial maturities of one to ten years; and U.S. Treasury bonds generally have initial maturities of greater than ten years. Certain U.S. government securities are issued or guaranteed by agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. government including, but not limited to, obligations of U.S. government agencies or instrumentalities such as the Federal National Mortgage Association (“Fannie Mae”), Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“Freddie Mac”), Government National Mortgage Association (“Ginnie Mae”), Small Business Administration, Federal Farm Credit Administration, Federal Home Loan Banks, Banks for Cooperatives (including the Central Bank for Cooperatives), Federal Land Banks, Federal Intermediate Credit Banks, Tennessee Valley Authority, Export-Import Bank of the United States, Commodity Credit Corporation, Federal Financing Bank, National Credit Union Administration and the Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation (Farmer Mac).

Some obligations issued or guaranteed by U.S. government agencies and instrumentalities, including, for example, Ginnie Mae pass-through certificates, are supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury. Other obligations issued by or guaranteed by federal agencies, such as those securities issued by Fannie Mae, are supported by the discretionary authority of the U.S. government to purchase certain obligations of the federal agency, while other obligations issued by or guaranteed by federal agencies, such as those of the Federal Home Loan Banks, are supported by the right of the issuer to borrow from the U.S. Treasury, while the U.S. government provides financial support to such U.S. government-sponsored federal agencies, no assurance can be given that the U.S. government will always do so, since the U.S. government is not so obligated by law. U.S. Treasury notes and bonds typically pay coupon interest semi-annually and repay the principal at maturity.

In September 2008, the U.S. Treasury announced a federal takeover of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, placing the two federal instrumentalities in conservatorship. Under the terms of the takeover, the U.S. Treasury agreed to acquire $1 billion of senior preferred stock of each instrumentality and obtained warrants for the purchase of common stock of each instrumentality. Under these Senior Preferred Stock Purchase Agreements (“SPAs”), the U.S. Treasury has pledged to provide a limited amount of capital per instrumentality as needed, including the contribution of cash capital to the instrumentalities in the event their liabilities exceed their assets. In May 2009, the U.S. Treasury increased its maximum commitment to each instrumentality under the SPAs from $100 billion to $200 billion per instrumentality. In December 2009, the U.S. Treasury amended the SPAs to provide Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac with some additional flexibility to meet the requirement to reduce their mortgage portfolios. Also in December 2009, the U.S. Treasury further amended the SPAs to allow the cap on the U.S. Treasury’s funding commitment to increase as necessary to accommodate any cumulative reduction in Fannie Mae’s and Freddie Mac’s net worth through the end of 2012. On August 17, 2012, the U.S. Treasury announced that it was again amending the Agreement to terminate the requirement that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac each pay a 10% dividend annually on all amounts of received under the funding commitment. Instead, they will transfer to the U.S. Treasury on a quarterly basis all profits earned during a quarter that exceed a capital reserve amount of $3 billion. The U.S. Treasury stated that the purpose of the change was to wind down Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae and to benefit taxpayers. At the start of 2013, the unlimited support the U.S. Treasury extended to the two companies expired — Fannie Mae’s bailout is now capped at $125 billion and Freddie Mac has a limit of $149 billion. In August 2013, President Obama announced his proposal to shut down Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae as part of a plan to overhaul the U.S.’s mortgage finance system.

Until further action is taken, the actions of the U.S. Treasury are intended to ensure that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac maintain a positive net worth and meet their financial obligations, preventing mandatory triggering of receivership. No assurance can be given that the U.S. Treasury initiatives will be successful. Other U.S. government securities the Fund may invest in include (but are not limited to) securities issued or guaranteed by the Federal Housing Administration, Farmers Home Loan Administration, Export-Import Bank of the U.S., Small Business Administration, General Services Administration, Central Bank for Cooperatives, Federal Farm Credit Banks, Federal Intermediate Credit Banks, Federal Land Banks, Maritime Administration, Tennessee Valley Authority and District of Columbia Armory Board. Because the U.S. government is not obligated by law to provide support to an instrumentality it sponsors, the Fund will invest in obligations issued by such an instrumentality only if the Sub-Advisor determines that the credit risk with respect to the instrumentality does not make its securities unsuitable for investment by the Fund.

The Fund may also invest in separately traded principal and interest components of securities guaranteed or issued by the U.S. government or its agencies, instrumentalities or sponsored enterprises if such components trade independently under the Separate Trading of Registered Interest and Principal of Securities program (“STRIPS”) or any similar program sponsored by the U.S. government. STRIPS may be sold as zero coupon securities. See “Zero Coupon Bonds” for additional information.

When-Issued, Delayed-Delivery and Forward Commitment Securities

The Fund, from time to time, in the ordinary course of business, may purchase securities on a when-issued, delayed-delivery or forward commitment basis (i.e., delivery and payment can take place between a month and 120 days after the date of the transaction). These securities are subject to market fluctuation and no interest accrues to the purchaser during this period. At the time the Fund makes the commitment to purchase securities on a when-issued, delayed-delivery or forward commitment basis, the Fund will record the transaction and thereafter reflect the value of the securities, each day, in determining the Fund’s NAV. The Fund will not purchase securities on a when-issued, delayed-delivery or forward commitment basis if, as a result, more than 15% of the Fund’s net assets would be so invested. At the time of delivery of the securities, the value of the securities may be more or less than the purchase price. The Fund will also establish a segregated account with the Fund’s custodian bank in which the Fund will maintain cash or liquid securities equal to or greater in value than the Fund’s purchase commitments for such when-issued, delayed-delivery or forward commitment securities. The Trust does not believe that the Fund’s NAV or income will be adversely affected by the Fund’s purchase of securities on a when-issued, delayed-delivery or forward commitment basis.

Zero Coupon Bonds

The Fund may invest in U.S. Treasury zero-coupon bonds. These securities are U.S. Treasury bonds which have been stripped of their un-matured interest coupons, the coupons themselves, and receipts or certificates representing interests in such stripped debt obligations and coupons. Interest is not paid in cash during the term of these securities, but is accrued and paid at maturity. Such obligations have greater price volatility than coupon obligations and other normal interest-paying securities, and the value of zero coupon securities reacts more quickly to changes in interest rates than do coupon bonds. Because dividend income is accrued throughout the term of the zero coupon obligation, but is not actually received until maturity, the Fund may have to sell other securities to pay said accrued dividends prior to maturity of the zero coupon obligation. Unlike regular U.S. Treasury bonds which pay semi-annual interest, U.S. Treasury zero coupon bonds do not generate semi-annual coupon payments. Instead, zero coupon bonds are purchased at a substantial discount from the maturity value of such securities, the discount reflecting the current value of the deferred interest; this discount is amortized as interest income over the life of the security, and is taxable even though there is no cash return until maturity. Zero coupon U.S. Treasury issues originally were created by government bond dealers who bought U.S. Treasury bonds and issued receipts representing an ownership interest in the interest coupons or in the principal portion of the bonds. Subsequently, the U.S. Treasury began directly issuing zero coupon bonds with the introduction of STRIPS. While zero coupon bonds eliminate the reinvestment risk of regular coupon issues, that is, the risk of subsequently investing the periodic interest payments at a lower rate than that of the security held, zero coupon bonds fluctuate much more sharply than regular coupon-bearing bonds. Thus, when interest rates rise, the value of zero coupon bonds will decrease to a greater extent than will the value of regular bonds having the same interest rate.

INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS

Fundamental Policies of the Fund

The investment limitations listed below are fundamental policies of the Fund, and cannot be changed with respect to the Fund without the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund. Under the 1940 Act, a “vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities” of a fund means the affirmative vote of the lesser of (1) more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Fund or (2) 67% or more of the shares present at a shareholders meeting if more than 50% of the outstanding shares are represented at the meeting in person or by proxy.

The Fund may not:

Borrow money, except to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder and any applicable exemptive relief. The 1940 Act presently allows a fund to (1) borrow from any bank (including pledging, mortgaging or hypothecating assets) in an amount up to 33^1/3% of its total assets, (2) borrow money for temporary purposes in an amount not exceeding 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets at the time of the loan, and (3) enter into reverse repurchase agreements.

Purchase or sell commodities or commodity contracts unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments issued by persons that purchase or sell commodities or commodities contracts; but this shall not prevent the Fund from purchasing, selling and entering into financial futures contracts (including futures contracts on indices of securities, interest rates and currencies), options on financial futures contracts (including futures contracts on indices of securities, interest rates and currencies), warrants, swaps, forward contracts, foreign currency spot and forward contracts or other derivative instruments that are not related to physical commodities.

(i) With respect to 75% of its total assets, purchase securities of any issuer (except securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities or shares of investment companies) if, as a result, more than 5% of its total assets would be invested in the securities of such issuer, or (ii) acquire more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of any one issuer.*

Invest 25% or more of its total assets in the securities of one or more issuers conducting their principal business activities in the same industry or group of industries. This limitation does not apply to investments in securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities, or shares of investment companies. The Fund will not invest 25% or more of its total assets in any investment company that so concentrates.*

Make loans, except as permitted under the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder and any applicable exemptive relief.**

Purchase or sell real estate, except that, to the extent permitted by applicable law, the Fund may (a) invest in securities or other instruments directly or indirectly secured by real estate and (b) invest in securities or other instruments issued by issuers that invest in real estate.

Issue senior securities, except to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder and any applicable exemptive relief.

Underwrite securities issued by others, except to the extent that the Fund may be considered an underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act in the disposition of restricted securities or in connection with investments in other investment companies.

Non-Fundamental Policies

In addition to the investment objective of the Fund, the investment limitations listed below are non-fundamental policies of the Fund and may be changed with respect to the Fund by the Board. The Fund may not:

Purchase or hold illiquid securities if, in the aggregate, more than 15% of its net assets would be invested in illiquid securities.

Change its investment strategy to invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in floating rate loans and other floating rate debt securities and in derivatives or other instruments that have economic characteristics similar to such securities without providing 60 days’ prior notice to shareholders.

* For purposes of this policy, the issuer of the underlying security will be deemed to be the issuer of any respective depositary receipt.

** Without limiting the foregoing, the Fund may: (a) acquire publicly distributed or privately placed debt securities or other debt instruments (including participations and assignments of loans) in which it is authorized to invest in accordance with its investment objectives and policies; (b) engage in direct loan activity as originator or part of a loan syndicate; (c) enter into repurchase agreements; and (d) lend its portfolio securities to the extent permitted under applicable law.

CONTINUOUS OFFERING

The method by which Creation Units are created and sold may raise certain issues under applicable securities laws. Because new Creation Units of shares are issued and sold by the Fund on an ongoing basis, at any point a “distribution,” as such term is used in the Securities Act, may occur. Broker-dealers and other persons are cautioned that some activities on their part may, depending on the circumstances, result in their being deemed participants in a distribution in a manner which could render them statutory underwriters and subject them to the prospectus delivery requirement and liability provisions of the Securities Act.

For example, a broker-dealer firm or its client may be deemed a statutory underwriter if it takes Creation Units after placing an order with Foreside Fund Services, LLC (the “Distributor”), breaks them down into constituent shares, and sells such shares directly to customers, or if it chooses to couple the creation of a supply of new shares with an active selling effort involving solicitation of secondary market demand for shares. A determination of whether one is an underwriter for purposes of the Securities Act must take into account all the facts and circumstances pertaining to the activities of the broker-dealer or its client in the particular case, and the examples mentioned above should not be considered a complete description of all the activities that could lead to a categorization as an underwriter.

Broker-dealer firms should also note that dealers who are not “underwriters,” but are effecting transactions in shares, whether or not participating in the distribution of shares, are generally required to deliver a prospectus. This is because the prospectus delivery exemption in Section 4(3) of the Securities Act is not available in respect of such transactions as a result of Section 24(d) of the 1940 Act. Firms that incur a prospectus delivery obligation with respect to shares are reminded that, under Rule 153 of the Securities Act, a prospectus delivery obligation under Section 5(b)(2) of the Securities Act owed to an exchange member in connection with a sale on an exchange is satisfied by the fact that the prospectus is available at the exchange upon request. The prospectus delivery mechanism provided in Rule 153 is only available with respect to transactions on an exchange.

EXCHANGE LISTING AND TRADING

A discussion of exchange listing and trading matters associated with an investment in the Fund is contained in the Fund’s Prospectus. The discussion below supplements, and should be read in conjunction with, the Fund’s Prospectus.

Shares of the Fund are listed and traded on the Exchange. The shares of the Fund will trade on the Exchange at prices that may differ to some degree from the Fund’s NAV. There can be no assurance that the requirements of the Exchange necessary to maintain the listing of shares will continue to be met.

As in the case of other stocks traded on the Exchange, broker’s commissions on purchases or sales of shares in market transactions will be based on negotiated commission rates at customary levels.

The Trust reserves the right to adjust the price levels of shares in the future to help maintain convenient trading ranges for investors. Any adjustments would be accomplished through stock splits or reverse stock splits, which would have no effect on the net assets of the Fund.

PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS AND BROKERAGE

Brokerage Transactions. Generally, equity securities are bought and sold through brokerage transactions for which commissions are payable. Purchases from underwriters will include the underwriting commission or concession, and purchases from dealers serving as market makers will include a dealer’s mark-up or reflect a dealer’s mark-down. Money market securities and other debt securities are usually bought and sold directly from the issuer or an underwriter or market maker for the securities. Generally, the Fund will not pay brokerage commissions for such purchases. When a debt security is bought from an underwriter, the purchase price will usually include an underwriting commission or concession. The purchase price for securities bought from dealers serving as market makers will similarly include the dealer’s mark up or reflect a dealer’s mark down. When the Fund executes transactions in the over-the-counter market, it will generally deal with primary market makers unless prices that are more favorable are otherwise obtainable.

In addition, the Sub-Advisor may place a combined order, often referred to as “bunching,” for two or more accounts it manages, including the Fund, engaged in the purchase or sale of the same security or other instrument if, in its judgment, joint execution is in the best interest of each participant and will result in best price and execution. Transactions involving commingled orders are allocated in a manner deemed equitable to each account or Fund. Although it is recognized that, in some cases, the joint execution of orders could adversely affect the price or volume of the security that a particular account or the Fund may obtain, it is the opinion of the Sub-Advisor, Advisor, and Board that the advantages of combined orders outweigh the possible disadvantages of separate transactions. In addition, in some instances, the Fund effecting the larger portion of a combined order may not benefit to the same extent as participants effecting smaller portions of the combined order. Nonetheless, the Advisor believes that the ability of the Fund to participate in higher volume transactions generally will be beneficial to the Fund.

Brokerage Selection. The Trust does not expect to use one particular broker-dealer to effect the Trust’s portfolio transactions. When one or more broker-dealers is believed capable of providing the best combination of price and execution, the Sub-Advisor is not required to select a broker-dealer based on the lowest commission rate available for a particular transaction. In such cases, the Sub-Advisor may pay a higher commission than otherwise obtainable from other brokers in return for brokerage research services provided to the Sub-Advisor consistent with Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”). Section 28(e) provides that a sub-advisor may cause a fund to pay a broker-dealer a commission for effecting a transaction in excess of the amount of commission another broker or dealer would have charged as long as the sub-advisor makes a good faith determination that the amount of commission is reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and research services provided by the broker-dealer. To the extent the Sub-Advisor obtains brokerage and research services that it otherwise would acquire at its own expense, the Sub-Advisor may have an incentive to place a greater volume of transactions or pay higher commissions than would otherwise be the case.

The Sub-Advisor will only obtain brokerage and research services from broker-dealers in arrangements that are consistent with Section 28(e) of the Exchange Act. The types of products and services that the Sub-Advisor may obtain from broker-dealers through such arrangements will include research reports and other information on the economy, industries, sectors, groups of securities, individual companies, statistical information, political developments, technical market action, pricing and appraisal services, credit analysis, risk measurement analysis, performance and other analysis. The Sub-Advisor may use products and services provided by brokers in servicing all of its client accounts and not all such products and services may necessarily be used in connection with the account that paid commissions to the broker-dealer providing such products and services. Any advisory or other fees paid to the Sub-Advisor are not reduced as a result of the receipt of brokerage and research services.

In some cases, the Sub-Advisor may receive a product or service from a broker that has both a “research” and a “non-research” use. When this occurs, the Sub-Advisor will make a good faith allocation between the research and non-research uses of the product or service. The percentage of the service that is used for research purposes may be paid for with brokerage commissions, while the Sub-Advisor will use its own funds to pay for the percentage of the service that is used for non-research purposes. In making this good faith allocation, the Sub-Advisor faces a potential conflict of interest, but the Sub-Advisor believes that its allocation procedures are reasonably designed to appropriately allocate the anticipated use of such products and services to research and non-research uses.

Brokerage with Fund Affiliates. The Fund may execute brokerage or other agency transactions through registered broker-dealer affiliates of the Fund, the Advisor, the Fund’s Sub-Advisor, or the Distributor for a commission in conformity with the 1940 Act, the Exchange Act and rules promulgated by the SEC. Under the 1940 Act and the Exchange Act, affiliated broker-dealers are permitted to receive and retain compensation for effecting portfolio transactions for the Fund on an exchange if a written contract is in effect between the affiliate and the Fund expressly permitting the affiliate to receive and retain such compensation. These rules further require that commissions paid to the affiliate by the Fund for exchange transactions not exceed “usual and customary” brokerage commissions. The rules define “usual and customary” commissions to include amounts which are “reasonable and fair compared to the commission, fee or other remuneration received or to be received by other brokers in connection with comparable transactions involving similar securities being purchased or sold on a securities exchange during a comparable period of time.” The Board, including those trustees who are not “interested persons” of the Fund, has adopted procedures for evaluating the reasonableness of commissions paid to affiliates and reviews these procedures periodically.

Securities of “Regular Broker-Dealers.” The Fund is required to identify any securities of its “regular brokers and dealers” (as such term is defined in the 1940 Act) which the Fund may hold at the close of its most recent fiscal year. “Regular brokers or dealers” of the Trust are the ten brokers or dealers that, during the most recent fiscal year (i) received the greatest dollar amounts of brokerage commissions from the Trust’s portfolio transactions, (ii) engaged as principal in the largest dollar amounts of portfolio transactions of the Trust, or (iii) sold the largest dollar amounts of the Trust’s shares.

Because the Fund is new, as of the date of this SAI, the Fund did not hold any securities of its “regular brokers and dealers.”

MANAGEMENT OF THE TRUST

Board of Trustees

Board Responsibilities. The Board of Trustees is responsible for overseeing the management and affairs of the Fund and each of the Trust’s other funds, which are not described in this SAI. The Board has considered and approved contracts, as described herein, under which certain companies provide essential management and administrative services to the Trust. Like most funds, the day-to-day business of the Trust, including the day-to-day management of risk, is performed by third-party service providers, such as the Advisor, the Fund’s Sub-Advisor, Distributor and Administrator. The Board is responsible for overseeing the Trust’s service providers and, thus, has oversight responsibility with respect to the risk management performed by those service providers. Risk management seeks to identify and eliminate or mitigate the potential effects of risks, i.e., events or circumstances that could have material adverse effects on the business, operations, shareholder services, investment performance or reputation of the Trust or funds. Under the overall supervision of the Board and the Audit Committee (discussed in more detail below), the service providers to the Fund employ a variety of processes, procedures and controls to identify risks relevant to the operations of the Trust and the Fund to lessen the probability of their occurrence and/or to mitigate the effects of such events or circumstances if they do occur. Each service provider is responsible for one or more discrete aspects of the Trust’s business (e.g., the Sub-Advisor is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio investments) and, consequently, for managing the risks associated with that activity. The Board has emphasized to the Fund’s service providers the importance of maintaining vigorous risk management.

The Board’s role in risk management oversight begins before the inception of a fund, at which time the fund’s primary service providers present the Board with information concerning the investment objectives, strategies and risks of the fund as well as proposed investment limitations for the fund. Additionally, the Advisor provides the Board with an overview of, among other things, its investment philosophy, brokerage practices and compliance infrastructure. Thereafter, the Board oversees the risk management of the fund’s operations, in part, by requesting periodic reports from and otherwise communicating with various personnel of the fund and its service providers, including in particular the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer and the fund’s independent accountants. The Board and, with respect to identified risks that relate to its scope of expertise, the Audit Committee, oversee efforts by management and service providers to manage risks to which the fund may be exposed.

The Board is responsible for overseeing the nature, extent and quality of the services provided to the Fund by the Advisor and the Sub-Advisor and receives information about those services at its regular meetings. In addition, on an annual basis, in connection with its consideration of whether to renew the Advisory Agreement and the Sub-Advisory Agreement with the Advisor and the Sub-Advisor, respectively, the Board meets with the Advisor and Sub-Advisor to review such services. Among other things, the Board regularly considers the Advisor’s and the Sub-Advisor’s adherence to the Fund’s investment restrictions and compliance with various Fund policies and procedures and with applicable securities regulations. The Board also reviews information about the Fund’s investments, including, for example, portfolio holdings schedules and reports on the Advisor’s or the Sub-Advisor’s use of higher-risk financial instruments in managing the Fund, if any, as well as reports on the Fund’s investments in other investment companies, if any.

The Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer reports regularly to the Board to review and discuss compliance issues and Fund, Advisor, and Sub-Advisor risk assessments. At least annually, the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer provides the Board with a report reviewing the adequacy and effectiveness of the Trust’s policies and procedures and those of its service providers, including the Advisor and the Sub-Advisor. The report addresses the operation of the policies and procedures of the Trust and each service provider since the date of the last report; any material changes to the policies and procedures since the date of the last report; any recommendations for material changes to the policies and procedures; and any material compliance matters since the date of the last report.

The Board receives reports from the Fund’s service providers regarding operational risks and risks related to the valuation and liquidity of portfolio securities. The Administrator makes regular reports to the Board concerning investments for which market quotations are not readily available. Annually, the independent registered public accounting firm reviews with the Audit Committee its audit of the Fund’s financial statements, focusing on major areas of risk encountered by the Fund and noting any significant deficiencies or material weaknesses in the Fund’s internal controls. Additionally, in connection with its oversight function, the Board oversees Fund management’s implementation of disclosure controls and procedures, which are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Trust in its periodic reports with the SEC, are recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the required time periods. The Board also oversees the Trust’s internal controls over financial reporting, which comprise policies and procedures designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of the Trust’s financial reporting and the preparation of the Trust’s financial statements.

From their review of these reports and discussions with the Advisor, Sub-Advisor, Chief Compliance Officer, independent registered public accounting firm, and other service providers, the Board and the Audit Committee review in detail any material risks of the Fund, thereby facilitating a dialogue about how management and service providers identify and mitigate those risks.

The Board recognizes that not all risks that may affect the Fund can be identified, that it may not be practical or cost-effective to eliminate or mitigate certain risks, that it may be necessary to bear certain risks (such as investment-related risks) to achieve the Fund’s goals, and that the processes, procedures and controls employed to address certain risks may be limited in their effectiveness. Moreover, despite the periodic reports the Board receives, it may not be made aware of all of the relevant information of a particular risk. Most of the Fund’s investment management and business affairs are carried out by or through the Advisor, Sub-Advisor, and other service providers. Each of these parties has an independent interest in risk management, but its policies and the methods by which one or more risk management functions are carried out may differ from that of the Fund and the other parties in the setting of priorities, the resources available or the effectiveness of relevant controls. As a result of the foregoing and other factors, the Board’s risk management oversight is subject to substantial limitations.

Members of the Board and Officers of the Trust. Set forth below are the names, ages, position with the Trust, term of office, and the principal occupations for a minimum of the last five years of each of the persons currently serving as members of the Board and as Executive Officers of the Trust. Also included below is the term of office for each of the Executive Officers of the Trust. The members of the Board serve as Trustees for the life of the Trust or until retirement, removal, or their office is terminated pursuant to the Trust’s Declaration of Trust.

The Chairman of the Board, Noah Hamman, is an interested person of the Trust as that term is defined in the 1940 Act. No single independent Trustee serves as a lead independent Trustee. The Trust has determined its leadership structure is appropriate given the specific characteristics the Trust and its operations. The Trust made this determination in consideration of, among other things, the fact that the Trustees who are not interested persons of the Fund (i.e., Independent Trustees”) constitute at least fifty percent (50%) of the Board, the fact that the Audit Committee is composed of the Independent Trustees, the amount of assets under management in the Trust, and the number of funds (and classes of shares) overseen by the Board. The Board also believes that its leadership structure facilitates the orderly and efficient flow of information to the Independent Trustees from Fund management.

Name, Address
and Date of Birth of
Trustee/Officer

Position(s)
Held with
the Trust,
Term of Office
and Length of
Time Served

Principal Occupation(s)
During Past 5 Years

Number of
Portfolios in
Fund
Complex
Overseen
by Trustee/
Officer

Other
Directorships
Held by
Trustee
During Past 5
Years

Interested Trustee

Noah Hamman*

4800 Montgomery Lane, Suite 150
Bethesda, MD 20814

(1968)

Trustee (no set term); served since 2009

President of AdvisorShares Trust (2009-present); Chief Executive Officer, President, and Founder of AdvisorShares Investments, LLC (2006-present); President and Chief Executive Officer of Arrow Investment Advisors, LLC (2006-2008); Vice-President - Business Development of Rydex Investments (2001-2006).

None

Name, Address and Date of Birth of Trustee/Officer		Position(s) Held with the Trust, Term of Office and Length of Time Served	Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years	Number of Portfolios in Fund Complex Overseen by Trustee/ Officer	Other Directorships Held by Trustee During Past 5 Years
Independent Trustees
Elizabeth (“Betsy”) Piper/Bach 4800 Montgomery Lane, Suite 150 Bethesda, MD 20814 (1952)		Trustee (no set term); served since 2009	Vice President / Chief Operating Officer of NADA Retirement Administrators, Inc. (2009-present); President of Cardinal Trust and Investments; Chief Investment Officer for Wilson/Bennett Capital Management (2006); Senior Vice President and Chief Trust Officer at FBR National Trust Co. (2001-2006).	24	None
William G. McVay 4800 Montgomery Lane, Suite 150 Bethesda, MD 20814 (1954)		Trustee (no set term); served since 2011	Founder of RDK Strategies, LLC (2007-present); Vice President of Zephyr Associates, Inc. (2001-2006); Executive Vice President of Financeware, Inc. (2000); First Vice President of Legg Mason Wood Walker, Inc. (1989-2000).	24	None
Officers of AdvisorShares Trust
Noah Hamman 4800 Montgomery Lane, Suite 150 Bethesda, MD 20814 (1968)	President (no set term); served since 2009		President of AdvisorShares Trust (2009-present); Chief Executive Officer, President, and Founder of AdvisorShares Investments, LLC (2006-present); President and Chief Executive Officer of Arrow Investment Advisors, LLC (2006-2008); Vice President - Business Development of Rydex Investments (2001-2006).	24	Not applicable
Dan Ahrens 4144 N. Central Expressway, Suite 600 Dallas, TX 75204 (1966)	Secretary and Treasurer (no set terms); served since 2009		Managing Director of AdvisorShares Investments, LLP (2013-present); Chief Compliance Officer of the Trust (2009-2013); Executive Vice President of AdvisorShares Investments, LLC (2008 - 2013); President of Ahrens Advisors, LP (2005 - 2008); President of Mutuals Advisors, Inc. & Mutuals.com Funds (2003-2005).	24	Not applicable
Stefanie Little 11 Gina Marie Lane Elkton, MD 21921 (1967)	Chief Compliance Officer (no set term); served since 2013		Chief Compliance Officer of AdvisorShares Investments, LLC and the Trust (2013-present); Managing Member of SEC Compliance Alliance, LLC (2012-present), President of Little Consulting Group, Inc. (2011-present); Director of Cipperman Compliance Services (2008-2011).	24	Not applicable

Mr. Hamman is an “interested” person of the Trust, as that term is defined in the 1940 Act, by virtue of his ownership and controlling interest in the Advisor.

Board Standing Committee. The Board has established the following standing committee:

Audit Committee. The Board has a standing Audit Committee that is composed of each of the Independent Trustees. The Audit Committee operates under a written charter approved by the Board. The principal responsibilities of the Audit Committee include (i) recommending which firm to engage as the Trust’s independent registered public accounting firm and whether to terminate this relationship, (ii) reviewing the independent registered public accounting firm’s compensation, the proposed scope and terms of its engagement, and the firm’s independence, (iii) serving as a channel of communication between the independent registered public accounting firm and the Board, (iv) reviewing the results of each external audit, including any qualifications in the independent registered public accounting firm’s opinion, any related management letter, management’s responses to recommendations made by the independent registered public accounting firm in connection with the audit, if any, reports submitted to the Committee by the Trust’s service providers that are material to the Trust as a whole, and management’s responses to any such reports, (v) reviewing the Trust’s audited financial statements and considering any significant disputes between the Trust’s management and the independent registered public accounting firm that arose in connection with the preparation of those financial statements, (vi) considering, in consultation with the independent registered public accounting firm and the Trust’s senior internal accounting executive, the independent registered public accounting firm’s report on the adequacy of the Trust’s internal financial controls, (vii) reviewing, in consultation with the Trust’s independent registered public accounting firm, major changes regarding auditing and accounting principles and practices to be followed when preparing the Trust’s financial statements, and (viii) other audit related matters. The Audit Committee met five times during the most recently completed fiscal year.

Individual Trustee Qualifications. The Board has concluded that each of the Trustees should serve on the Board because of his or her ability to review and understand information about the Trust and the Fund provided by management, to identify and request other information he or she may deem relevant to the performance of his or her duties, to question management and other service providers regarding material factors bearing on the management and administration of the Fund, and to exercise his or her business judgment in a manner that serves the best interests of the Fund and its shareholders. The Board has concluded that each of the Trustees should serve as a Trustee based on his or her experience, qualifications, attributes and skills, as described below.

The Board has concluded that Mr. Hamman should serve as Trustee because of his extensive experience with mutual fund company business development, and the development of exchange-traded funds in particular, as well as his knowledge of and experience in the financial services industry in general.

The Board has concluded that Ms. Piper/Bach should serve as Trustee because of her extensive experience in and knowledge of public company accounting and auditing, the financial services industry, and fiduciary and banking law.

The Board has concluded that Mr. McVay should serve as Trustee because of his extensive experience in providing investment advice and business consulting services to financial institutions, endowments, foundations, corporations and pension funds.

Fund Shares Owned by Board Members. The following table shows the dollar amount range of each Trustee’s “beneficial ownership” of shares of the Fund and all series of the Trust as of the end of the most recently completed calendar year. Dollar amount ranges disclosed are established by the SEC. “Beneficial ownership” is determined in accordance with Rule 16a-1(a)(2) under the Exchange Act. As of January 31, 2015, the Trustees and officers of the Trust owned less than 1% of the outstanding shares of the Trust.

Trustee Name	Fund Name	Dollar Range of Fund Shares	Aggregate Dollar Range of Shares in Fund Complex Overseen by Trustee
Interested Trustee
Noah Hamman	AdvisorShares Pacific Asset Enhanced Floating Rate ETF	None	Over $100,000
Independent Trustees
Elizabeth (Betsy) Piper/Bach	AdvisorShares Pacific Asset Enhanced Floating Rate ETF	None	$1 - $10,000
William G. McVay	AdvisorShares Pacific Asset Enhanced Floating Rate ETF	None	None

Board Compensation. The following table sets forth the compensation that was paid to each Trustee by the Trust for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2014.

Name of Trustee	Aggregate Compensation From Trust	Pension or Retirement Benefits Accrued as Part of Trust’s Expenses	Estimated Annual Benefits Upon Retirement	Total Compensation from Fund Complex
Interested Trustee
Noah Hamman	$0	N/A	N/A	$0
Independent Trustees
Elizabeth (Betsy) Piper/Bach	$25,000	N/A	N/A	$25,000
William G. McVay	$25,000	N/A	N/A	$25,000

Control Persons and Principal Holders of Securities

Because the Fund is new, as of the date of this SAI, there were no beneficial owners of the Fund.

Codes of Ethics

The Board, on behalf of the Trust, has adopted a code of ethics pursuant to Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act. In addition, the Advisor and Sub-Advisor has each adopted a code of ethics pursuant to Rule 17j-1. These codes of ethics (each, a “Code of Ethics” and collectively, the “Codes of Ethics”) apply to the personal investing activities of trustees, directors, officers and certain employees (“access persons”). Rule 17j-1 and the Codes of Ethics are designed to prevent unlawful practices in connection with the purchase or sale of securities by access persons. Under each Code of Ethics, access persons are permitted to engage in personal securities transactions, but are required to report their personal securities transactions for monitoring purposes. In addition, certain access persons are required to obtain approval before investing in private placements and are prohibited from investing in IPOs. Copies of the Codes of Ethics are on file with the SEC, and are available to the public.

Proxy Voting

The Board has delegated responsibility for decisions regarding proxy voting for securities held by the Fund to the Sub-Advisor. The Sub-Advisor will vote such proxies in accordance with its proxy policies and procedures, which are included in Appendix B to this SAI. The Board will periodically review the Fund’s proxy voting record.

The Trust will annually disclose its complete proxy voting record on Form N-PX. The Trust’s most recent Form N-PX will be available without charge, upon request by calling 877.843.3831 or by writing to the Trust at 4800 Montgomery Lane, Suite 150, Bethesda, Maryland 20814. The Trust’s Form N-PX will also be available on the SEC’s web site at www.sec.gov.

The Advisor and the Advisory Agreement

The Advisor, a registered investment advisor under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the “Advisers Act”), is located at 4800 Montgomery Lane, Suite 150, Bethesda, Maryland 20814. The Advisor is a Delaware limited liability company organized on October 12, 2006. The membership units are owned and controlled by Wilson Lane Group, LLC (which is controlled by Noah Hamman), and by Fund.com, Inc.

Pursuant to an investment advisory agreement with the Trust dated June 2, 2009, as amended from time to time (the “Advisory Agreement”), the Advisor serves as the investment advisor for the Trust and provides investment advice to the Fund and oversees the day-to-day operations of the Fund, subject to direction and control of the Board and the officers of the Trust. In addition to its overall responsibility to manage the Fund, the Advisor oversees the investment and the reinvestment of the assets of the Fund by the Sub-Advisor, in accordance with the investment objectives, policies, and limitations of the Fund, subject to the general supervision and control of the Board and the officers of the Trust.

The Advisor bears all costs associated with providing these advisory services and the expenses of the members of the Board who are affiliated with or interested persons of the Advisor. The Advisor, from its own resources, including profits from advisory fees received from the Fund, provided such fees are legitimate and not excessive, may make payments to broker-dealers and other financial institutions for their expenses in connection with the distribution of Fund shares, and otherwise currently pay all distribution costs for Fund shares. The Advisor may from time to time reimburse certain expenses of the Fund in order to limit the Fund’s operating expenses as described in the Fund’s Prospectus.

After an initial two-year term, the continuance of the Advisory Agreement must be specifically approved at least annually by (i) a majority vote of the Trustees, including a majority vote of such Trustees who are not “interested persons” of the Trust or the Advisor, at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval, or (ii) the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund. The Advisory Agreement will terminate automatically in the event of its assignment, and is terminable at any time without penalty by the Board or, with respect to the Fund, by a majority of the outstanding shares of the Fund. In addition, the Advisor may, at any time, terminate the Advisory Agreement by not more than 60 days’ nor less than 30 days’ written notice to the Trust.

A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s initial approval of the Fund’s Advisory Agreement will be available in the Fund’s first Annual or Semi-Annual Report to Shareholders following the Fund’s commencement of operations.

For its investment management services, the Advisor is entitled to a fee, which is calculated daily and paid monthly, at the annual rates listed below based on the average daily net assets of the Fund. With respect to the Fund, the Advisor has contractually agreed to reduce its fees and/or reimburse expenses in order to keep net expenses (excluding amounts payable pursuant to any plan adopted in accordance with Rule 12b-1, interest expense, taxes, brokerage commissions, acquired fund fees and expenses, other expenditures which are capitalized in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and extraordinary expenses) from exceeding the Maximum Annual Operating Expense Limit (listed below) of the Fund’s average daily net assets for at least a year from the date of the Prospectus. The expense limitation agreement may be terminated without payment of any penalty (i) by the Trust for any reason and at any time and (ii) by the Advisor, for any reason, upon ninety (90) days’ prior written notice to the Trust, such termination by the Advisor to be effective as of the close of business on the last day of the then-current one year period. If at any point it becomes unnecessary for the Advisor to reduce fees or make expense reimbursements, the Board may permit the Advisor to retain the difference between the Fund’s total annual operating expenses and the Fund’s Maximum Annual Operating Expense Limit to recapture all or a portion of its prior fee reductions or expense reimbursements made during the preceding three-year period.

Fund	Advisory Fee as a % of Average Daily Net Assets	Maximum Annual Operating Expense Limit
AdvisorShares Pacific Asset Enhanced Floating Rate ETF	0.95%	1.10%

The Sub-Advisor and the Sub-Advisory Agreement

Under a Sub-Advisory Agreement, the Sub-Advisor serves as the investment sub-advisor to the Fund, makes the investment decisions for the Fund, and continuously reviews, supervises and administers the investment program of the Fund, subject to the supervision of, and policies established by, the Advisor and the Board. Pacific Life Fund Advisors LLC (“PLFA”), a Delaware limited liability company formed on October 3, 2006, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Pacific Life Insurance Company. PLFA’s business division, Pacific Asset Management, was formed and commenced operations in May 2007 and specializes in institutional fixed income asset management. PLFA conducts its fixed income asset management services business under the name Pacific Asset Management. Pacific Asset Management focuses on credit investments and serves as the Sub-Advisor of the Fund.

After an initial two-year term, the continuance of the Sub-Advisory Agreement must be specifically approved at least annually by (i) the vote of the Trustees or by a vote of the shareholders of the Fund and (ii) the vote of a majority of the Trustees who are not parties to the respective Sub-Advisory Agreement or “interested persons” of any party thereto, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. The Sub-Advisory Agreement will terminate automatically in the event of its assignment, or in the event of a termination of the Advisory Agreement, and is terminable at any time without penalty by the Board or, with respect to the Fund, by a majority of the outstanding shares of the Fund, on not less than 30 days’ nor more than 60 days’ written notice to the Sub-Advisor, or by the Sub-Advisor on 90 days’ written notice to the Trust. The Sub-Advisory Agreement provides that the Sub-Advisor shall not be protected against any liability to the Trust or its shareholders by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on its part in the performance of its duties or from reckless disregard of its obligations or duties thereunder.

Sub-Advisory Fees Paid to the Sub-Advisor. For its services under the Sub-Advisory Agreement, the Sub-Advisor is entitled to a fee, which is calculated daily and paid monthly, by the Advisor, at an annual rate based on the average daily net assets of the Fund as follows:

Fund	Sub-Advisor	Sub-Advisory Fee
AdvisorShares Pacific Asset Enhanced Floating Rate ETF	Pacific Asset Management	0.60%

The Advisor, pursuant to an exemptive order and subject to certain conditions, including Board approval, may terminate an existing unaffiliated sub-advisor and/or hire one or more new unaffiliated sub-advisors for the Fund, materially amend the terms of an agreement with an unaffiliated sub-advisor, or continue the employment of an unaffiliated sub-advisor after events that would otherwise cause an automatic termination of a sub-advisory agreement. Consequently, under the exemptive order, the Advisor has the right to hire, terminate and replace a sub-advisor when the Board and the Advisor feel that a change would benefit the Fund. Within 90 days of retaining a new sub-advisor, shareholders of the Fund will receive notification of the change. This “manager of managers” arrangement enables the Fund to operate with greater efficiency and without incurring the expense and delays associated with obtaining shareholder approval of sub-advisory agreements. The arrangement does not permit investment advisory fees paid by the Fund to be increased or change the Advisor’s obligations under the Advisory Agreement, including the Advisor’s responsibility to monitor and oversee sub-advisory services furnished to the Fund, without shareholder approval. Furthermore, any sub-advisory agreements with affiliates of the Fund or the Advisor will require shareholder approval.

A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s initial approval of the Fund’s Sub-Advisory Agreement will be available in the Fund’s first Annual or Semi-Annual Report to Shareholders following the Fund’s commencement of operations.

Portfolio Managers

This section includes information about the Fund’s portfolio managers, including information about other accounts they manage, the dollar range of Fund shares they own, and how they are compensated. The tables reflecting the dollar range of each portfolio manager’s “beneficial ownership” of shares of the Fund use dollar amount ranges established by the SEC. “Beneficial ownership” is determined in accordance with Rule 16a-1(a)(2) under the Exchange Act.

Portfolio Manager Compensation. The portfolio managers are compensated by the Sub-Advisor and do not receive any compensation directly from the Fund or the Advisor. The Sub-Advisor pays its portfolio managers a salary plus a discretionary bonus. The discretionary bonus is based on accomplishment of personal, team, and enterprise objectives.

Fund Shares Owned by Portfolio Managers. As of the date of this SAI, the portfolio managers did not own any shares of the Fund.

Other Accounts Managed by Portfolio Managers. The portfolio managers are responsible for the day-to-day management of certain other accounts, as follows:

Name	Registered Investment Companies^*		Other Pooled Investment Vehicles^*		Other Accounts^*
Name	Number of Accounts	Total Assets (in millions)	Number of Accounts	Total Assets	Number of Accounts	Total Assets (in millions)
Jason Rosiak	6	$3,095,893,770	0	$0	11	$1,501,900,930
JP Leasure	2	$1,272,703,790	0	$0	4	$618,998,146
Bob Boyd	2	$1,123,651,929	0	$0	0	$0

* Information provided is as of December 31, 2014.

Conflicts of Interest

The portfolio managers’ management of other accounts may give rise to potential conflicts of interest in connection with their management of the Fund’s investments, on the one hand, and the investments of the other accounts, on the other. The other accounts may have the same investment objective as the Fund they manage. Therefore, a potential conflict of interest may arise as a result of the identical investment objectives, whereby the portfolio managers could favor one account over another. Another potential conflict could include the portfolio managers’ knowledge about the size, timing and possible market impact of Fund trades, whereby a portfolio manager could use this information to the advantage of other accounts and to the disadvantage of the Fund they manage. However, the Sub-Advisor has established policies and procedures to ensure that the purchase and sale of securities among all accounts the Sub-Advisor manages are fairly and equitably allocated.

Administration, Custody and Transfer Agency Agreements

The Bank of New York Mellon (the “Administrator”) serves as administrator, custodian and transfer agent for the Fund. The principal address of the Administrator is 101 Barclay Street, New York, New York 10286. Under the Fund’s Administration and Accounting Agreement with the Trust, the Administrator provides necessary administrative and accounting services for the maintenance and operations of the Trust and the Fund. In addition, the Administrator makes available the office space, equipment, personnel and facilities required to provide such services. Under the Fund’s Custodian Agreement with the Trust, the Administrator maintains in separate accounts cash, securities and other assets of the Trust and the Fund, keeps all necessary accounts and records, and provides other services. The Administrator is required, upon the order of the Trust, to deliver securities held by it and to make payments for securities purchased by the Fund. Pursuant to the Fund’s Transfer Agency and Service Agreement with the Trust, the Administrator acts as a transfer agent for the Fund’s authorized and issued shares of beneficial interest, and as dividend disbursing agent of the Fund.

In consideration for its administrative services, the Administrator is entitled to a fee, which is calculated daily and paid monthly, at an annual rate of 0.025% on the first $1 billion on the gross adjusted assets of the Fund and 0.02% on the gross adjusted assets of the Fund exceeding $1 billion.

Distribution

Distributor. Foreside Fund Services, LLC (the “Distributor”) serves as the principal underwriter and distributor of shares of the Fund. The principal address of the Distributor is Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, Maine 04101. The Distributor has entered into an agreement with the Trust pursuant to which it distributes shares of the Fund (the “Distribution Agreement”). The Distributor continually distributes shares of the Fund on a best effort basis. The Distributor has no obligation to sell any specific quantity of Fund shares. The Distribution Agreement will continue for two years from its effective date and is renewable annually. Shares are continuously offered for sale by the Fund through the Distributor only in Creation Units, as described in the Fund’s Prospectus and this SAI. Shares amounting to less than a Creation Unit are not distributed by the Distributor. The Distributor is a broker-dealer registered under the Exchange Act and a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”). The Distributor, its affiliates and officers have no role in determining the investment policies or which securities are to be purchased or sold by the Fund. The Distributor is not affiliated with the Trust, the Advisor, the Sub-Advisor, or any stock exchange.

The Distribution Agreement for the Fund provides that it may be terminated at any time, without the payment of any penalty, on at least 60 days’ prior written notice to the other party (i) by vote of a majority of the Independent Trustees or (ii) by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund. The Distribution Agreement will terminate automatically in the event of its “assignment,” as that term is defined in the 1940 Act.

Distribution Plan. The Fund has adopted a distribution plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act (the “Distribution Plan”). Under the Distribution Plan, the Distributor, or designated service providers, may receive up to 0.25% of the Fund’s assets attributable to shares as compensation for distribution services. Distribution services may include, but are not limited to: (i) services in connection with distribution assistance or (ii) payments to financial institutions and other financial intermediaries, such as broker-dealers, mutual fund “supermarkets” and the Distributor’s affiliates and subsidiaries, as compensation for services or reimbursement of expenses incurred in connection with distribution assistance.

No distribution fees are currently charged to the Fund; there are no plans to impose distribution fees, and no distribution fees will be charged for at least a year from the date of this SAI. However, in the event that distribution fees are charged in the future, because the Fund will pay these fees out of assets on an ongoing basis, over time distribution fees may cost you more than other types of sales charges and will increase the cost of your investment in the Fund.

Costs and Expenses. The Fund bears all expenses of its operation other than those assumed by the Advisor, which are discussed in detail above under “The Advisor and the Advisory Agreement.”

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries. The Advisor and Sub-Advisor (the “Advisor Entities”) may pay certain broker-dealers, banks and other financial intermediaries (“Intermediaries”) for certain activities related to the Fund and other series of the Trust. The Advisor Entities make these payments from their own assets and not from the assets of the Fund. Although a portion of the Advisor Entities’ revenue comes directly or indirectly in part from fees paid by the Fund and other series of the Trust, these payments do not increase the price paid by investors for the purchase of shares of, or the cost of owning, the Fund or other series of the Trust. The Advisor Entities make payments for Intermediaries’ participation in activities that are designed to make registered representatives, other professionals and individual investors more knowledgeable about exchange-traded products, including the Fund, or for other activities, such as participation in marketing activities and presentations, educational training programs, conferences, the development of technology platforms and reporting systems (“Education Costs”). The Advisor Entities also make payments to Intermediaries for certain printing, publishing and mailing costs associated with the Fund or materials relating to ETPs in general (“Publishing Costs”). In addition, the Advisor Entities make payments to Intermediaries that make shares of the Fund and certain other series of the Trust available to their clients, develop new products that feature the Advisor or otherwise promote the Fund and other series of the Trust. The Advisor Entities may also reimburse expenses or make payments from their own assets to Intermediaries or other persons in consideration of services or other activities that the Advisor Entities believe may benefit the Advisor’s business or facilitate investment in the Funds or other series of the Trust. Payments of the type described above are sometimes referred to as revenue-sharing payments.

Payments to an Intermediary may be significant to the Intermediary, and amounts that Intermediaries pay to your salesperson or other investment professional may also be significant for your salesperson or other investment professional. Because an Intermediary may make decisions about which investment options it will recommend or make available to its clients or what services to provide for various products based on payments it receives or is eligible to receive, such payments may create conflicts of interest between the Intermediary and its clients and these financial incentives may cause the Intermediary to recommend the Fund and other series of the Trust over other investments. The same conflict of interest and financial incentive exist with respect to your salesperson or other investment professional if he or she receives similar payments from his or her Intermediary firm.

The Advisor has contractual arrangements to make payments (in addition to payments for Education Costs or Publishing Costs) to one Intermediary, Raymond James Financial Services (“RJFS”). Pursuant to this special, long-term and significant arrangement (the “Marketing Program”), RJFS and certain of its affiliates have agreed, among other things, to actively promote the Fund and other series of the Trust to customers and investment professionals and in advertising campaigns as the preferred ETF, to offer the Fund and certain other series of the Trust in certain RJFS platforms and investment programs, in some cases at a reduced commission rate or commission free, and to provide marketing data to the Advisor. The Advisor has agreed to facilitate the Marketing Program by, among other things, making certain payments to RJFS for marketing and implementing certain brokerage and investment programs. Upon termination of the arrangement, the Advisor will make additional payments to RJFS based upon a number of criteria, including the overall success of the Marketing Program and the level of services provided by RJFS during the wind-down period.

In addition, as of November 1, 2014, the Advisor is participating in a program offered by RJFS that will provide the Advisor with information about shareholder ownership of the Fund and assist with developing opportunities to provide shareholders with lower transaction costs. The Fund has agreed to reimburse the Advisor for a portion of its payments to participate in the program.

Any additions, modifications, or deletions to Intermediaries listed above that have occurred since the date of this SAI are not included in the list. Further, the Advisor Entities make Education Costs and Publishing Costs payments to other Intermediaries that are not listed above. The Advisor Entities may determine to make such payments based on any number of metrics. For example, the Advisor Entities may make payments at year-end or other intervals in a fixed amount, an amount based upon an Intermediary’s services at defined levels or an amount based on the Intermediary’s net sales of one or more series of the Trust in a year or other period, any of which arrangements may include an agreed-upon minimum or maximum payment, or any combination of the foregoing. As of the date of this SAI, the Advisor anticipates that the payments paid by the Advisor Entities in connection with the Fund and other series of the Trust will be immaterial to the Advisor Entities in the aggregate for the next year. Please contact your salesperson or other investment professional for more information regarding any such payments his or her Intermediary firm may receive. Any payments made by the Advisor Entities to an Intermediary may create the incentive for an Intermediary to encourage customers to buy shares of the Fund and/or other series of the Trust.

BOOK-ENTRY ONLY SYSTEM

The following information supplements and should be read in conjunction with the section in the Fund’s Prospectus entitled “Shareholder Information.”

Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) acts as securities depository for the Fund’s shares. Shares of the Fund are represented by securities registered in the name of DTC or its nominee, Cede & Co., and deposited with, or on behalf of, DTC.

DTC, a limited-purpose trust company, was created to hold securities of its participants (the “DTC Participants”) and to facilitate the clearance and settlement of securities transactions among the DTC Participants in such securities through electronic book-entry changes in accounts of the DTC Participants, thereby eliminating the need for physical movement of securities’ certificates. DTC Participants include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and certain other organizations, some of whom (and/or their representatives) own DTC. More specifically, DTC is owned by a number of its DTC Participants and by the NYSE and FINRA. Access to the DTC system is also available to others such as banks, brokers, dealers and trust companies that clear through or maintain a custodial relationship with a DTC Participant, either directly or indirectly (the “Indirect Participants”).

Beneficial ownership of shares is limited to DTC Participants, Indirect Participants and persons holding interests through DTC Participants and Indirect Participants. Ownership of beneficial interests in shares (owners of such beneficial interests are referred to herein as “Beneficial Owners”) is shown on, and the transfer of ownership is effected only through, records maintained by DTC (with respect to DTC Participants) and on the records of DTC Participants (with respect to Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners that are not DTC Participants). Beneficial Owners will receive from or through the DTC Participant a written confirmation relating to their purchase of shares.

Conveyance of all notices, statements and other communications to Beneficial Owners is effected as follows. Pursuant to the Depositary Agreement between the Trust and DTC, DTC is required to make available to the Trust upon request and for a fee to be charged to the Trust a listing of the shares of the Fund held by each DTC Participant. The Trust shall inquire of each such DTC Participant as to the number of Beneficial Owners holding shares, directly or indirectly, through such DTC Participant. The Trust shall provide each such DTC Participant with copies of such notice, statement or other communication, in such form, number and at such place as such DTC Participant may reasonably request, in order that such notice, statement or communication may be transmitted by such DTC Participant, directly or indirectly, to such Beneficial Owners. In addition, the Trust shall pay to each such DTC Participants a fair and reasonable amount as reimbursement for the expenses attendant to such transmittal, all subject to applicable statutory and regulatory requirements.

Share distributions shall be made to DTC or its nominee, Cede & Co., as the registered holder of all shares. DTC or its nominee, upon receipt of any such distributions, shall credit immediately DTC Participants’ accounts with payments in amounts proportionate to their respective beneficial interests in shares of the Fund as shown on the records of DTC or its nominee. Payments by DTC Participants to Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners of shares held through such DTC Participants will be governed by standing instructions and customary practices, as is now the case with securities held for the accounts of customers in bearer form or registered in a “street name,” and will be the responsibility of such DTC Participants.

The Trust has no responsibility or liability for any aspect of the records relating to or notices to Beneficial Owners, or payments made on account of beneficial ownership interests in such shares, or for maintaining, supervising or reviewing any records relating to such beneficial ownership interests, or for any other aspect of the relationship between DTC and the DTC Participants or the relationship between such DTC Participants and the Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners owning through such DTC Participants.

DTC may decide to discontinue providing its service with respect to shares at any time by giving reasonable notice to the Trust and discharging its responsibilities with respect thereto under applicable law. Under such circumstances, the Trust shall take action to find a replacement for DTC to perform its functions at a comparable cost. The DTC Participants’ rules and policies are made publicly available through its website at www.dtcc.com.

CREATION AND REDEMPTION OF CREATION UNITS

Creation

The Trust issues and sells shares of the Fund only in Creation Units on a continuous basis through the Distributor, at their NAV next determined after receipt, on any Business Day (as defined below), of an order received in proper form.

A “Business Day” with respect to the Fund is any day on which the Exchange is open for business. As of the date of the Prospectus, the Exchange observes the following holidays: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, President’s Day (Washington’s Birthday), Good Friday, Memorial Day (observed), Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

Cash Purchase. Unlike many other ETFs, Creation Units of the Fund are sold only for cash (“Cash Purchase Amount”). Creation Units are sold at the net asset value next computed, plus a transaction fee, as described below. The Trust reserves the right to offer an in-kind option for creations of Creation Units for the Fund.

Procedures for Creation of Creation Units. To be eligible to place orders with the Distributor to create a Creation Unit of the Fund, an entity must be (i) a “Participating Party,” i.e., a broker-dealer or other participant in the clearing process through the Continuous Net Settlement System of the NSCC (the “Clearing Process”), a clearing agency that is registered with the SEC; or (ii) a DTC Participant (see “Book Entry Only System”), and, in each case, must have executed an agreement with the Trust, the Distributor and the Administrator with respect to creations and redemptions of Creation Units (“Participant Agreement”) (discussed below). A Participating Party and DTC Participant are collectively referred to as an “Authorized Participant.” Investors should contact the Distributor for the names of Authorized Participants that have signed a Participant Agreement with the Fund. All shares of the Fund, however created, will be entered on the records of DTC in the name of Cede & Co. for the account of a DTC Participant.

All orders to create Creation Units must be placed for one or more Creation Unit size aggregations of 50,000 or more shares. All orders to create Creation Units, whether through the Clearing Process (through a Participating Party) or outside the Clearing Process (through a DTC Participant), must be received by the Distributor no later than 3:00 p.m., Eastern Time, an hour earlier than the close of the regular trading session on the Exchange (ordinarily 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time), in each case on the date such order is placed in order for the creation of Creation Units to be effected based on the NAV of shares of the Fund as next determined on such date after receipt of the order in proper form. The date on which an order to create Creation Units (or an order to redeem Creation Units as discussed below) is placed is referred to as the “Transmittal Date.” Orders must be transmitted by an Authorized Participant by telephone or other transmission method acceptable to the Distributor pursuant to procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement, as described below (see “Placement of Creation Orders”). Severe economic or market disruptions or changes, or telephone or other communication failure, may impede the ability to reach the Distributor or an Authorized Participant.

Orders to create Creation Units of the Fund shall be placed with an Authorized Participant, as applicable, in the form required by such Authorized Participant. In addition, the Authorized Participant may request the investor to make certain representations or enter into agreements with respect to the order, i.e., to provide for payments of cash, when required. Investors should be aware that their particular broker may not have executed a Participant Agreement and, therefore, orders to create Creation Units of the Fund have to be placed by the investor’s broker through an Authorized Participant that has executed a Participant Agreement. At any given time there may be only a limited number of broker-dealers that have executed a Participant Agreement. Those placing orders for Creation Units through the Clearing Process should afford sufficient time to permit proper submission of the order to the Distributor prior to 3:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on the Transmittal Date.

Orders for creation that are effected outside the Clearing Process are likely to require transmittal by the DTC Participant earlier on the Transmittal Date than orders effected using the Clearing Process. Those persons placing orders outside the Clearing Process should ascertain the deadlines applicable to DTC and the Federal Reserve Bank wire system by contacting the operations department of the broker or depository institution effecting such transfer of the Cash Purchase Amount.

Placement of Creation Orders. All purchases of the Fund will be effected through a transfer of cash directly through DTC. Those persons placing purchase orders should ascertain the deadlines applicable to DTC and the Federal Reserve Bank wire system by contacting the operations department of the broker or depository institution effectuating such transfer of the Cash Purchase Amount together with the applicable transaction fee.

Acceptance of Orders for Creation Units. The Trust reserves the absolute right to reject a creation order transmitted to it by the Distributor in respect of the Fund if (a) the order is not in proper form; (b) the investor(s), upon obtaining the shares ordered, would own 80% or more of the currently outstanding shares of the Fund; (c) acceptance of the Cash Purchase Amount would have certain adverse tax consequences to the Fund; (d) acceptance of the Cash Purchase Amount would, in the opinion of counsel, be unlawful; (e) acceptance of the Cash Purchase Amount would otherwise, in the discretion of the Trust or the Advisor, have an adverse effect on the Trust or the rights of beneficial owners; or (f) in the event that circumstances outside the control of the Trust, the Distributor and the Advisor make it for all practical purposes impossible to process creation orders. Examples of such circumstances include acts of God or public service or utility problems such as fires, floods, extreme weather conditions and power outages resulting in telephone, telecopy and computer failures; market conditions or activities causing trading halts; systems failures involving computer or other information systems affecting the Trust, the Advisor, the Distributor, DTC, NSCC or any other participant in the creation process, and similar extraordinary events. The Distributor shall notify a prospective creator of a Creation Unit and/or the Authorized Participant acting on behalf of the creator of a Creation Unit of its rejection of the order of such person. The Trust, the Administrator and the Distributor are under no duty, however, to give notification of any defects or irregularities in the delivery of the Cash Purchase Amount nor shall any of them incur any liability for the failure to give any such notification.

Creation Transaction Fee. To compensate the Trust for transfer and other transaction costs involved in creation transactions through the Clearing Process, investors will be required to pay a minimum creation transaction fee, assessed per transaction, as follows:

Fund	Creation Transaction Fee*
AdvisorShares Pacific Asset Enhanced Floating Rate ETF	$500

The Fund, subject to approval by the Board, may adjust the fee from time to time based upon actual experience. Investors who use the services of a broker or other such intermediary in addition to an Authorized Participant to effect a creation of a Creation Unit may be charged a fee for such services.

Redemption

Shares may be redeemed only in Creation Units at their NAV next determined after receipt of a redemption request in proper form by the Fund through the Administrator and only on a Business Day. The Trust will not redeem shares in amounts less than Creation Units. Beneficial Owners must accumulate enough shares in the secondary market to constitute a Creation Unit in order to have such shares redeemed by the Trust. There can be no assurance, however, that there will be sufficient liquidity in the public trading market at any time to permit assembly of a Creation Unit. Investors should expect to incur brokerage and other costs in connection with assembling a sufficient number of shares to constitute a redeemable Creation Unit.

Cash Redemption Amount. The redemption proceeds for a Creation Unit of the Fund will consist solely of cash in an amount equal to the NAV of the shares being redeemed, as next determined after receipt of a request in proper form, less a redemption transaction fee described below (the “Cash Redemption Amount”). The Trust reserves the right to offer an in-kind option for redemptions of Creation Units for the Fund.

Placement of Redemption Orders Using Clearing Process. Orders to redeem Creation Units through the Clearing Process must be delivered through a Participating Party that has executed the Participant Agreement. An order to redeem Creation Units using the Clearing Process is deemed received on the Transmittal Date if (i) such order is received by the Administrator not later than 3:00 p.m., Eastern Time on such Transmittal Date; and (ii) all other procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement are properly followed; such order will be effected based on the NAV of the Fund as next determined. An order to redeem Creation Units using the Clearing Process made in proper form but received by the Fund after 3:00 p.m., Eastern Time will be deemed received on the next Business Day immediately following the Transmittal Date and will be effected at the NAV next determined on such Business Day. The requisite Cash Redemption Amount will be transferred by the third (3rd) NSCC Business Day following the date on which such request for redemption is deemed received.

Placement of Redemption Orders Outside Clearing Process. Orders to redeem Creation Units outside the Clearing Process must be delivered through a DTC Participant that has executed the Participant Agreement. A DTC Participant who wishes to place an order for redemption of Creation Units to be effected outside the Clearing Process need not be a Participating Party, but such orders must state that the DTC Participant is not using the Clearing Process and that redemption of Creation Units will instead be effected through transfer of shares directly through DTC. An order to redeem Creation Units outside the Clearing Process is deemed received by the Administrator on the Transmittal Date if (i) such order is received by the Administrator not later than 3:00 p.m., Eastern Time on such Transmittal Date; (ii) such order is accompanied or proceeded by the requisite number of shares of the Fund and/or the Cash Redemption Amount specified in such order, which delivery must be made through DTC to the Administrator no later than 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., respectively, Eastern Time, on the next Business Day following such Transmittal Date (the “DTC Cut-Off-Time”); and (iii) all other procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement are properly followed.

After the Administrator has deemed an order for redemption outside the Clearing Process received, the Administrator will initiate procedures to transfer the requisite Cash Redemption Amount to the Authorized Participant by the third Business Day following the Transmittal Date on which such redemption order is deemed received by the Administrator.

The right of redemption may be suspended or the date of payment postponed with respect to the Fund (1) for any period during which the Exchange is closed (other than customary weekend and holiday closings); (2) for any period during which trading on the Exchange is suspended or restricted; (3) for any period during which an emergency exists as a result of which disposal of the shares of the Fund or determination of the shares’ NAV is not reasonably practicable; or (4) in such other circumstance as is permitted by the SEC.

Redemption Transaction Fee. To compensate the Trust for transfer and other transaction costs involved in redemption transactions through the Clearing Process, investors will be required to pay a minimum redemption transaction fee, assessed per transaction as follows:

Fund	Redemption Transaction Fee*
AdvisorShares Pacific Asset Enhanced Floating Rate ETF	$500

The Fund, subject to approval by the Board, may adjust the fee from time to time based upon actual experience. Investors who use the services of a broker or other such intermediary in addition to an Authorized Participant to effect a redemption of a Creation Unit may be charged a fee for such services.

DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE

The following information supplements and should be read in conjunction with the section in the Fund’s Prospectus entitled “Calculating NAV.”

The NAV per share of the Fund is computed by dividing the value of the net assets of the Fund (i.e., the value of its total assets less total liabilities) by the total number of shares of the Fund outstanding, rounded to the nearest cent. Expenses and fees, including without limitation, the management, administration and distribution fees, are accrued daily and taken into account for purposes of determining NAV per share. The NAV per share for the Fund is calculated by the Administrator and determined as of the close of the regular trading session on the Exchange (ordinarily 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time) on each day that such exchange is open.

In computing the Fund’s NAV, the Fund’s securities holdings are valued based on their last readily available market price. Price information on listed securities, including ETFs in which the Fund invests, is taken from the exchange where the security is primarily traded. Other portfolio securities and assets for which market quotations are not readily available or determined to not represent the current fair value are valued based on fair value as determined in good faith by the Fund’s Sub-Advisor in accordance with procedures adopted by the Board.

DIVIDENDS, DISTRIBUTIONS, AND TAXES

Dividends and Distributions

The following information supplements and should be read in conjunction with the section in the Prospectus entitled “Shareholder Information.”

General Policies. Dividends from net investment income, if any, are declared and paid at least annually by the Fund. Distributions of net capital gains (the excess of net long-term capital gains over short-term capital losses), if any, generally are also declared and paid once a year. The Fund may make distributions on a more frequent basis in order to comply with the distribution requirements of the Internal Revenue Code, in all events in a manner consistent with the provisions of the 1940 Act.

Dividends and other distributions on shares are distributed, as described below, on a pro rata basis to Beneficial Owners of such shares. Dividend payments are made through DTC Participants and Indirect Participants to Beneficial Owners then of record with proceeds received from the Fund.

The Fund may make additional distributions to the extent necessary (i) to distribute all ordinary taxable income of the Fund, plus any net capital gains, and (ii) to avoid imposition of the excise tax imposed by Section 4982 of the Internal Revenue Code. Management of the Trust reserves the right to declare special dividends for the Fund if, in its reasonable discretion, such action is necessary or advisable to preserve the status of the Fund as a RIC or to avoid imposition of income or excise taxes on undistributed income.

Dividend Reinvestment Service. No reinvestment service is provided by the Trust. Broker-dealers may make available the DTC book-entry Dividend Reinvestment Service for use by Beneficial Owners of the Fund for reinvestment of their dividend distributions. Beneficial Owners should contact their broker to determine the availability and costs of the service and the details of participation therein. Brokers may require Beneficial Owners to adhere to specific procedures and timetables. If this service is available and used, dividend distributions of both income and realized gains will be automatically reinvested in additional whole shares of the Fund purchased in the secondary market.

Federal Income Taxes

The following is a summary of certain additional federal income tax considerations generally affecting the Fund and its shareholders that supplements the summary in the Prospectus. No attempt is made to present a comprehensive explanation of the federal, state, local or foreign tax treatment of the Fund or its shareholders, and the discussion here and in the Prospectus is not intended to be a substitute for careful tax planning.

The following general discussion of certain federal income tax consequences is based on provisions of the Internal Revenue Code and the regulations issued thereunder as in effect on the date of this SAI. New legislation, as well as administrative changes or court decisions, may significantly change the conclusions expressed herein, and may have a retroactive effect with respect to the matters addressed herein.

Shareholders are urged to consult their own tax advisors regarding the application of the provisions of tax law described in this SAI in light of the particular tax situations of the shareholders and regarding specific questions as to federal, state, or local taxes.

Regulated Investment Company (RIC) Status

The Fund will seek to qualify for treatment as a RIC under the Internal Revenue Code. Provided that for each tax year the Fund: (i) meets the requirements to be treated as a RIC (as discussed below), and (ii) distributes at least an amount equal to the sum of 90% of the Fund’s net investment income for such year (including, for this purpose, the excess of net realized short-term capital gains over net long-term capital losses) and 90% of its net tax-exempt interest income, the Fund itself will not be subject to federal income taxes to the extent the Fund’s net investment income and the Fund’s net realized capital gains, if any, are distributed to the Fund’s shareholders. One of several requirements for RIC qualification is that the Fund must receive at least 90% of the Fund’s gross income each year from dividends, interest, payments with respect to certain securities loans, gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities or foreign currencies, or other income derived with respect to the Fund’s business of investing in stock, securities, foreign currencies and net income from an interest in a qualified publicly traded partnership (the “90% Test”). A second requirement for qualification as a RIC is that the Fund must diversify its holdings so that, at the end of each quarter of the Fund’s taxable year: (a) at least 50% of the market value of the Fund’s total assets is represented by cash and cash items, U.S. government securities, securities of other RICs, and other securities, with these other securities limited, in respect to any one issuer, to an amount not greater than 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets or 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer; and (b) not more than 25% of the value of its total assets are invested in the securities (other than U.S. government securities or securities of other RICs) of any one issuer, the securities (other than securities of other RICs) of two or more issuers which the Fund controls and which are engaged in the same, similar, or related trades or businesses, or the securities of one or more qualified publicly traded partnerships (the “Asset Test”).

If the Fund fails to satisfy the 90% Test or the Asset Test, the Fund may be eligible for relief provisions if the failures are due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect and if a penalty tax is paid with respect to each failure to satisfy the applicable requirements. Additionally, relief is provided for certain de minimis failures of the Asset Test. In order to qualify for relief provisions for a failure to meet the Asset Test, the Fund may be required to dispose of certain assets. If the Fund fails to qualify for treatment as a RIC for any year, and the relief provisions are not available, all of its taxable income will be subject to federal income tax at regular corporate rates without any deduction for distributions to shareholders. In such case, its shareholders would be taxed as if they received ordinary dividends, although the dividends could be eligible for the dividends received deduction for corporate shareholders and the dividends may be eligible for the lower tax rates available to noncorporate shareholders on qualified dividend income. To requalify for treatment as a RIC in a subsequent taxable year, the Fund would be required to satisfy the RIC qualification requirements for that year and to distribute any earnings and profits from any year in which the Fund failed to qualify for tax treatment as a RIC. If the Fund failed to qualify as a RIC for a period greater than two taxable years, it would generally be required to pay a Fund-level tax on certain net built-in gains recognized with respect to certain of its assets upon a disposition of such assets within ten years of qualifying as a RIC in a subsequent year. The Board reserves the right not to maintain the qualification of the Fund for treatment as a RIC if it determines such course of action to be beneficial to shareholders. If the Fund determines that it will not qualify for treatment as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code, the Fund will establish procedures to reflect the anticipated tax liability in the Fund’s NAV.

The Fund may elect to treat part or all of any “qualified late year loss” as if it had been incurred in the succeeding taxable year in determining the Fund’s taxable income, net capital gain, net short-term capital gain, and earnings and profits. A “qualified late year loss” may include a net capital loss, net long-term capital loss, or net short-term capital loss incurred after October 31 of the current taxable year, or certain other late-year losses.

If the Fund has a “net capital loss” (that is, capital losses in excess of capital gains) for a taxable year beginning after December 22, 2010 (a “Post-2010 Loss”), the excess of the Fund’s net short-term capital losses over its net long-term capital gains is treated as a short-term capital loss arising on the first day of the Fund’s next taxable year, and the excess (if any) of the Fund’s net long-term capital losses over its net short-term capital gains is treated as a long-term capital loss arising on the first day of the Fund’s next taxable year. Unused capital losses that are carried forward into tax years subsequent to the year of their realization are called “capital loss carryforwards”. The Fund’s unused capital loss carryforwards that arose in taxable years that began on or before December 22, 2010 (“Pre-2011 Losses”) are available to be applied against future capital gains, if any, realized by the Fund prior to the expiration of those capital loss carryforwards, generally eight years after the year in which they arose. The Fund’s Post-2010 Losses must be fully utilized before the Fund will be permitted to utilize carryforwards of Pre-2011 Losses.

The Fund will generally be subject to a nondeductible 4% federal excise tax to the extent it fails to distribute by the end of any calendar year at least the sum of 98% of its ordinary income for the year and 98.2% of its capital gain net income for the one-year period generally ending on October 31 of that year, plus certain other amounts. The Fund intends to make sufficient distributions, or deemed distributions, to avoid imposition of the excise tax, but can make no assurances that all such tax liability will be eliminated.

Fund Distributions

The Fund intends to distribute substantially all its net investment income and net realized capital gains to shareholders, at least annually. The distribution of net investment income and net realized capital gains generally will be taxable to Fund shareholders regardless of whether the shareholder receives these distributions in cash or reinvests them in additional shares. If the Fund meets the distribution requirement but retains some or all of its taxable income or gains, it will be subject to a corporate tax on the income or gains retained. The Fund may designate certain retained amounts as undistributed net capital gain in a notice to its shareholders who (a) will be required to include in income for U.S. federal income tax purposes, as long-term capital gains, their proportionate shares of the undistributed amount, (b) will be entitled to credit their proportionate shares of the income tax paid by the Fund on the undistributed amount against their U.S. federal income tax liabilities, if any, and to claim refunds to the extent their credits exceed their tax liabilities, if any, and (c) will be entitled to increase their tax basis, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, in their shares by an amount equal to the excess of the amount of undistributed net capital gain included in their respective income over their respective income tax credits. Organizations or persons not subject to U.S. federal income tax on such capital gains will be entitled to a refund of their pro rata share of such taxes paid by the Fund upon timely filing appropriate returns or claims for refund with the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”).

The Fund may report some or all of its net investment income distributions to shareholders as qualified dividend income, which, for noncorporate shareholders, is generally eligible for taxation at reduced rates. The portion of distributions that the Fund reports as qualified dividend income is generally limited to the amount of qualified dividend income received by the Fund, but if 95% or more of the Fund’s gross income (exclusive of net capital gain from sales of stocks and securities) consists of qualified dividend income, all of the Fund’s net investment income distributions may be reported as qualified dividend income. Qualified dividend income is, in general, dividend income from taxable domestic corporations and certain foreign corporations (i.e., foreign corporations incorporated in a possession of the United States or in certain countries with a comprehensive tax treaty with the United States, and other foreign corporations if the stock with respect to which the dividend income is paid is readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States). Dividends received by the Fund from an ETP taxable as a RIC may qualify in whole or in part as qualified dividend income under the same rules that apply to the Fund’s distributions. The investment strategies of the Fund may limit its ability to distribute dividends eligible for treatment as qualified dividend income. In order for some portion of the dividends received by the Fund’s shareholder to be qualified dividend income, the Fund must meet holding period and other requirements with respect to the dividend paying stocks in its portfolio, and the shareholder must meet holding period and other requirements with respect to the Fund’s shares.

Certain dividends received by the Fund from U.S. corporations (generally, dividends received by the Fund in respect of any share of stock (1) 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 and (2) that is held in an unleveraged position) and distributed and appropriately so reported by the Fund may be eligible for the 70% dividends-received deduction generally available to corporations under the Internal Revenue Code. Certain preferred stock must have a holding period of at least 91 days during the 181-day period beginning on the date that is 90 days before the date on which the stock becomes ex-dividend as to that dividend in order to be eligible. Capital gain dividends distributed to the Fund from other RICs are not eligible for the dividends-received deduction. In order to qualify for the deduction, corporate shareholders must meet the minimum holding period requirement stated above with respect to their Fund shares, taking into account any holding period reductions from certain hedging or other transactions or positions that diminish their risk of loss with respect to their Fund shares, and, if they borrow to acquire or otherwise incur debt attributable to Fund shares, they may be denied a portion of the dividends-received deduction with respect to those shares. The entire dividend, including the otherwise deductible amount, will be included in determining the excess, if any, of a corporation’s adjusted current earnings over its alternative minimum taxable income, which may increase a corporation’s alternative minimum tax liability. Any corporate shareholder should consult its tax adviser regarding the possibility that its tax basis in its shares may be reduced, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, by reason of “extraordinary dividends” received with respect to the shares and, to the extent such basis would be reduced below zero, current recognition of income may be required. The Fund’s investment strategy may limit its ability to distribute dividends eligible for the dividends-received deduction for corporate shareholders.

Distributions reported to Fund shareholders as capital gain dividends will be taxable at the rates applicable to long-term capital gains, regardless of how long the shareholder has owned the shares.

The Fund’s shareholders will be notified annually by the Fund as to the federal tax status of all distributions made by the Fund. Distributions may be subject to state and local taxes.

A distribution will reduce the Fund’s net asset value per share and may be taxable to you as ordinary income or capital gain, even though, from an investment standpoint, the distribution may constitute a return of capital.

Shareholders who have not held Fund shares for a full year should be aware that the Fund may report and distribute, as ordinary dividends or capital gain dividends, a percentage of income that is not equal to the percentage of the Fund’s ordinary income or net capital gain, respectively, actually earned during the period of investment in the Fund.

To the extent that the Fund makes a distribution of income received by the Fund in lieu of dividends (a “substitute payment”) with respect to securities on loan pursuant to a securities lending transaction, such income will not constitute qualified dividend income to individual shareholders and will not be eligible for the dividends received deduction for corporate shareholders.

If the Fund’s distributions for a taxable year exceed its current and accumulated earnings and profits, all or a portion of the distributions made for the taxable year may be re-characterized as a return of capital to shareholders. A return of capital distribution will generally not be taxable, but will reduce each shareholder’s cost basis in the Fund’s shares and generally result in a higher reported capital gain or lower reported capital loss when those shares on which the distribution was received are sold. After a shareholder’s basis in the Fund’s shares has been reduced to zero, distributions by the Fund in excess of earnings and profits will be treated as gain from the sale of the shareholder’s shares.

Dividends declared to shareholders of record in October, November or December and actually paid in January of the following year will be treated as having been received by shareholders on December 31 of the calendar year in which declared.

U.S. individuals with adjusted gross income (subject to certain adjustments) exceeding certain threshold amounts ($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) are subject to a 3.8% Medicare contribution tax on all or a portion of their “net investment income,” which includes taxable interest, dividends, and certain capital gains (generally including capital gain distributions and capital gains realized on the sale of Shares of the Fund). 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.

Sale or Redemption of Shares

Sales and redemptions of Fund shares are generally taxable transactions for federal income tax purposes. In general, if you hold your shares as a capital asset, gain or loss realized will be capital in nature and will be classified as long-term or short-term, depending on the length of the time shares have been held.

All or a portion of any loss realized upon the sale or redemption of Fund shares will be disallowed to the extent that substantially identical shares in the Fund are purchased (through reinvestment of dividends or otherwise) within 30 days before or after the sale or redemption. Any loss disallowed under these rules will be added to the tax basis in the newly purchased shares. In addition, any loss realized by a shareholder on the disposition of shares held for six months or less is treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any amounts treated as distributions of long-term capital gains to the shareholder with respect to such shares (including any amounts credited to the shareholder as undistributed capital gains).

The cost basis of shares acquired by purchase will generally be based on the amount paid for the shares and then may be subsequently adjusted for other applicable transactions as required by the Internal Revenue Code. The difference between the selling price and the cost basis of shares generally determines the amount of the capital gain or loss realized on the sale or exchange of shares. Contact the broker through whom you purchased your shares to obtain information with respect to the available cost basis reporting methods and elections for your account.

Foreign Taxes

The Fund may be subject to foreign withholding taxes on income it may earn from investing in foreign securities. Any such taxes may reduce the return on such investments. Tax conventions between certain countries and the United States may reduce or eliminate such taxes in some cases. The Fund’s investments in certain foreign securities or foreign currencies may increase or accelerate the Fund’s recognition of ordinary income and may affect the timing or amount of the Fund’s distributions. If more than 50% of the value of the Fund’s assets at taxable year- end is represented by debt and equity securities of foreign corporations, the Fund may elect to permit shareholders who are U.S. citizens, resident aliens or U.S. corporations to claim a foreign tax credit or deduction (but not both) on their U.S. income tax returns for their pro rata portion of qualified taxes paid by the Fund to foreign countries in respect of foreign securities the Fund has held for at least the minimum period specified in the Internal Revenue Code. If at least 50% of the value of the Fund’s total assets at the close of each quarter of a taxable year consists of interests in RICs (including ETPs that are RICs), the Fund may elect to permit shareholders who are U.S. citizens, resident aliens or U.S. corporations to claim a foreign tax credit or deduction (but not both) on their U.S. federal income tax returns for their pro rata portion of (1) any qualified taxes paid by those other RICs and passed through to the Fund for that taxable year and (2) any qualified foreign taxes paid by the Fund itself for that taxable year. No reduction for such taxes will be permitted to individuals in computing their alternative minimum tax liability. In the event the Fund makes an election described in this paragraph, each such shareholder will be required to include in gross income its pro rata share of such taxes. Certain limitations imposed by the Internal Revenue Code may prevent shareholders from receiving a full foreign tax credit or deduction for their allocable amount of such taxes.

Investment in Certain ETPs and Certain Direct Fund Investments

The Fund may invest in ETPs that are taxable as RICs under the Internal Revenue Code. Any income the Fund receives from such ETPs should be qualifying income for purposes of the 90% Test.

The Fund may also invest in one or more ETPs that are not taxable as RICs under the Internal Revenue Code and that may generate non-qualifying income for purposes of the 90% Test. Similarly, the Fund may make certain direct investments that may produce non-qualifying income for purposes of the 90% Test. The Fund’s Sub-Advisor and Advisor anticipate monitoring investments that may produce non-qualifying income to ensure that the Fund satisfies the 90% Test. Nevertheless, non-qualifying income of the Fund may be more than anticipated, the Fund may be unable to generate qualifying income at levels sufficient to ensure it satisfies the 90% Test, or the Fund might not be able to determine the percentage of qualifying income it derives for a taxable year until after year-end. In any such case, the Fund could fail the 90% Test and, if the relief provisions discussed above are unavailable, fail to qualify as a RIC.

The Fund may invest in ETPs that are structured in a manner that causes income, gains, losses, credits and deductions of the ETPs to be taken into account for U.S. federal income tax purposes by the Fund whether or not any distributions are made from the ETPs to the Fund. Thus, the Fund may be required to take into account income or gains in a taxable year without receiving any cash and may have to sell assets to distribute such income or gains. Those sales will generally result in additional taxable gain or loss and may occur at a time when the Fund’s Sub-Advisor or Advisor would not otherwise have chosen to sell such securities.

Options, Swaps and Other Complex Securities

The Fund may invest in complex securities such as equity options, index options, repurchase agreements, foreign currency contracts, hedges and swaps, transactions treated as straddles for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and futures contracts. These investments may be subject to numerous special and complex tax rules. These rules could affect whether gains and losses recognized by the Fund are treated as ordinary income or long-term or short-term capital gain, accelerate the recognition of income to the Fund and/or defer the Fund’s ability to recognize losses. In turn, those rules may affect the amount, timing or character of the income distributed by the Fund.

With respect to any investments in zero coupon, payment-in-kind, and similar securities which are sold at original issue discount and thus do not make periodic cash interest payments, the Fund will generally be required to include as part of its current income the imputed interest on such obligations even though the Fund has not received any interest payments on such obligations during that period.

The Fund may be required for federal income tax purposes to mark to market and recognize as income and loss for each taxable year its net unrealized gains and losses on certain futures contracts and options as of the end of the year as well as those actually realized during the year. Options on “broad based” securities indices are classified as “non-equity options” under the Internal Revenue Code. Gains and losses resulting from the expiration, exercise, or closing of such non-equity options, as well as gains and losses resulting from futures contract transactions, will be treated as 60% long-term capital gain or loss and 40% short-term capital gain or loss (hereinafter, “blended gain or loss”). In addition, any non-equity option and futures contract held by the Fund on the last day of a fiscal year will be treated as sold for market value on that date, and gain or loss recognized as a result of such deemed sale will be blended gain or loss.

Any transactions in foreign currencies and forward foreign currency contracts will be subject to provisions of the Internal Revenue Code that, among other things, may affect the character of gains and losses realized by the Fund (i.e., may affect whether gains or losses are ordinary or capital), may accelerate recognition of income by the Fund and may defer Fund losses. These rules could therefore affect the character, amount and timing of distributions to Fund shareholders. These provisions also may require the Fund to mark to market certain types of 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 facilitate satisfaction of the RIC distribution requirements for avoiding income and excise taxes.

If the Fund owns shares in certain foreign investment entities, referred to as “passive foreign investment companies” or “PFICs,” the Fund will generally be subject to one or more of the following special tax regimes: (i) the Fund may be liable for U.S. federal income tax, and an additional interest charge, on a portion of any “excess distribution” from such foreign entity or any gain from the disposition of such shares, even if the entire distribution or gain is paid out by the Fund as a dividend to its shareholders, (ii) if the Fund were able and elected to treat a PFIC as a “qualified electing fund” or “QEF,” the Fund would be required each year to include in income, and distribute to shareholders in accordance with the distribution requirements set forth above, the Fund’s pro rata share of the ordinary earnings and net capital gains of the passive foreign investment company, whether or not such earnings or gains are distributed to the Fund, or (iii) the Fund may be entitled to mark-to-market annually shares of the PFIC, whether or not any distributions are made to the Fund, and in such event would be required to distribute to shareholders any such mark-to-market gains in accordance with the distribution requirements set forth above.

Short Sales

In general, gain or loss on a short sale is recognized when the Fund closes the sale by delivering the borrowed property to the lender, not when the borrowed property is sold. Gain or loss from a short sale by the Fund is generally considered as capital gain or loss to the extent that the property used to close the short sale constitutes a capital asset in the Fund’s hands. Except with respect to certain situations where the property used by the Fund to close a short sale has a long-term holding period on the date of the short sale, the gains on short sales are generally treated as short-term capital gains. These rules may also affect the holding period of “substantially identical property” held by the Fund. Moreover, the Fund’s loss on a short sale will be treated as a long-term capital loss if, on the date of the short sale, “substantially identical property” has been held by the Fund for more than one year. In general, the Fund will not be permitted to deduct payments made to reimburse the lender of securities for dividends paid on borrowed stock if the short sale is closed on or before the 45th day after the short sale is entered into.

Backup Withholding

In certain cases, the Fund will be required to withhold (as “backup withholding”) on reportable dividends and distributions, as well as the proceeds of any redemptions of Creation Units, paid to a shareholder who: (1) has failed to provide a correct taxpayer identification number (usually the shareholder’s social security number), (2) is subject to backup withholding by the IRS, (3) has failed to provide the Fund with the certifications required by the IRS to document that the shareholder is not subject to backup withholding, or (4) has failed to certify that he or she is a U.S. person (including a U.S. resident alien). The backup withholding rate is 28%. Backup withholding will not, however, be applied to payments that have been subject to the 30% withholding tax applicable to shareholders who are neither citizens nor residents of the U.S. (discussed below).

Foreign Shareholders

Foreign shareholders (i.e., nonresident alien individuals and foreign corporations, partnerships, trusts and estates) are generally subject to U.S. withholding tax at the rate of 30% (or a lower tax treaty rate) on distributions derived from taxable net investment income and short-term capital gains. Different tax consequences may result if the foreign shareholder is engaged in a trade or business within the United States. In addition, the tax consequences to a foreign shareholder entitled to claim the benefits of a tax treaty may be different than those described above.

Distributions and redemption payments and certain capital gain dividends paid after June 30, 2014 (or, in certain cases, after later dates) to a non-U.S. shareholder that fails to make certain required certifications, that is a “foreign financial institution” as defined in Section 1471 of the Internal Revenue Code, and that does not meet the requirements imposed on foreign financial institutions by Section 1471 will generally be subject to withholding tax at a 30% rate. Withholding on such payments will begin at different times depending on the type of payment, the type of payee, and when the shareholder’s account is or was opened. In general, withholding with respect to ordinary dividends began on July 1, 2014, although in many cases withholding on ordinary dividends will begin on a later date. Withholding on redemption payments and certain capital gain dividends is currently scheduled to begin on January 1, 2017. A non-U.S. shareholder may be exempt from the withholding described in this paragraph under an applicable intergovernmental agreement between the U.S. and a foreign government, provided that the shareholder and the applicable foreign government comply with the terms of such agreement.

Taxes on Creation and Redemptions of Creation Units

A person who purchases a Creation Unit by exchanging securities in-kind generally will recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between (a) the sum of the market value of the Creation Units at the time and any net cash received, and (b) the sum of the purchaser’s aggregate basis in the securities surrendered and any net cash paid for the Creation Units. A person who redeems Creation Units will generally recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between (x) the sum of the redeemer’s basis in the Creation Units and any net cash paid, and (y) the sum of the aggregate market value of the securities received and any net cash received. The IRS, however, may assert that a loss realized upon an in-kind exchange of securities for Creation Units or an exchange of Creation Units for securities cannot be deducted currently under the rules governing “wash sales,” or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic position.

Any capital gain or loss realized upon the creation of Creation Units will generally be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the securities exchanged for such Creation Units have been held for more than one year. Any capital gain or loss realized upon the redemption of Creation Units will generally be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the shares comprising the Creation Units have been held for more than one year. Otherwise, such capital gains or losses will be treated as short-term capital gains or losses. In some circumstances, a redemption of Creation Units may potentially cause amounts received by the shareholder in the redemption to be treated as dividend income rather than as a payment in exchange for Creation Units. Any loss upon a redemption of Creation Units held for six months or less will be treated as long-term capital loss to the extent of any amounts treated as distributions to the person redeeming the Creation Units of long-term capital gain with respect to the Creation Units (including any amounts credited to that person as undistributed capital gains). Persons purchasing or redeeming Creation Units should consult their own tax advisors with respect to the tax treatment of any creation or redemption transaction.

The Fund has the right to reject an order for Creation Units if the purchaser (or a group of purchasers) would, upon obtaining the shares so ordered, own 80% or more of the outstanding shares of the Fund and if, pursuant to section 351 of the Internal Revenue Code, the Fund would have a basis in the deposit securities different from the market value of such securities on the date of deposit. The Fund also has the right to require information necessary to determine beneficial share ownership for purposes of the 80% determination. If the Fund does issue Creation Units to a purchaser (or a group of purchasers) that would, upon obtaining the Creation Units so ordered, own 80% or more of the outstanding shares of the Fund, the purchaser (or a group of purchasers) will not recognize gain or loss upon the exchange of securities for Creation Units.

Other Tax Considerations

Certain tax-exempt shareholders, including qualified pension plans, individual retirement accounts, salary deferral arrangements, 401(k) plans, and other tax-exempt entities, generally are exempt from federal income taxation except with respect to their unrelated business taxable income (“UBTI”). Under current law, a RIC generally serves to block UBTI from being realized by its tax-exempt shareholders with respect to the RIC’s investments. However, notwithstanding the foregoing, tax-exempt shareholders could realize UBTI by virtue of an investment in the Fund where, for example, (i) the Fund invests in REITs that hold residual interests in real estate mortgage investment conduits (“REMICs”), (ii) the Fund invests in a REIT that: (a) is a taxable mortgage pool (“TMP”), (b) has a TMP subsidiary, or (c) invests in a residual interest of a REMIC, or (iii) shares in the Fund constitute debt-financed property in the hands of the tax-exempt shareholder within the meaning of section 514(b) of the Internal Revenue Code. Charitable remainder trusts are subject to special rules and should consult their tax advisors. There are no restrictions preventing ETPs from holding investments in REITs that hold residual interests in REMICs, and the Fund or ETP may do so. The IRS has issued guidance with respect to these issues and prospective shareholders, especially charitable remainder trusts, are strongly encouraged to consult with their tax advisors regarding these issues.

Under U.S. Treasury regulations, if a shareholder recognizes a loss of $2 million or more for an individual shareholder or $10 million or more for a corporate shareholder in any single taxable year (or certain greater amounts over a combination of years), the shareholder must file with the IRS a disclosure statement on IRS Form 8886. Direct shareholders of portfolio securities are in many cases excepted from this reporting requirement, but under current guidance, shareholders of a RIC, such as the Fund, are not excepted. The fact that a loss is reportable under these regulations does not affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayer’s treatment of the loss is proper. Shareholders should consult their tax advisors to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances.

The Fund may be subject to tax or taxes in certain states where the Fund does business. Furthermore, in those states which have income tax laws, the tax treatment of the Fund and of Fund shareholders with respect to distributions by the Fund may differ from federal tax treatment.

Shareholders are urged to consult their own tax advisors regarding the particular tax consequences to them of an investment in the Fund and regarding specific questions as to foreign, federal, state, or local taxes.

OTHER INFORMATION

Portfolio Holdings

The Board has approved portfolio holdings disclosure policies that govern the timing and circumstances of disclosure to shareholders and third parties of information regarding the portfolio investments held by the Fund. These policies and procedures, as described below, are designed to ensure that disclosure of portfolio holdings is in the best interests of Fund shareholders, and address conflicts of interest between the interests of Fund shareholders and those of the Advisor, Sub-Advisor, Distributor, or any affiliated person of the Fund, the Advisor, Sub-Advisor, or Distributor.

Each Business Day, Fund portfolio holdings information will be provided to the Distributor or other agent for dissemination through the facilities of the NSCC and/or other fee-based subscription services to NSCC members and/or subscribers to those other fee-based subscription services, including Authorized Participants, and to entities that publish and/or analyze such information in connection with the process of purchasing or redeeming Creation Units or trading shares of the Fund in the secondary market. This information typically reflects the Fund’s anticipated holdings on the following Business Day. Daily access to information concerning the Fund’s portfolio holdings also is permitted (i) to certain personnel of those service providers who are involved in portfolio management and providing administrative, operational, risk management, or other support to portfolio management, including affiliated broker-dealers and/or Authorized Participants and (ii) to other personnel of the Advisor, Sub-Advisor, and other service providers, such as the Administrator, and fund accountant, who deal directly with, or assist in, functions related to investment management, administration, custody and fund accounting, as may be necessary to conduct business in the ordinary course in a manner consistent with agreements with the Fund and/or the terms of the Fund’s current registration statement.

From time to time, information concerning Fund portfolio holdings, other than portfolio holdings information made available in connection with the creation/redemption process, as discussed above, may also be provided to other entities that provide additional services to the Fund, including, among others, rating or ranking organizations, in the ordinary course of business, no earlier than one Business Day following the date of the information. Portfolio holdings information made available in connection with the creation/redemption process may be provided to other entities that provide additional services to the Fund in the ordinary course of business after it has been disseminated to the NSCC.

The Fund’s Chief Compliance Officer, or a compliance manager designated by the Chief Compliance Officer, may also grant exceptions to permit additional disclosure of Fund portfolio holdings information at differing times and with different lag times (the period from the date of the information to the date the information is made available), if any, in instances where the Fund has legitimate business purposes for doing so, it is in the best interests of shareholders, and the recipients are subject to a duty of confidentiality, including a duty not to trade on the nonpublic information and are required to execute an agreement to that effect. The Board will be informed of any such disclosures at its next regularly scheduled meeting or as soon as is reasonably practicable thereafter. In no event shall the Fund, Advisor, Sub-Advisor, or any other party receive any direct or indirect compensation in connection with the disclosure of information about Fund portfolio holdings.

The Board exercises continuing oversight of the disclosure of the Fund’s portfolio holdings by (1) overseeing the implementation and enforcement of portfolio holdings disclosure policies and procedures, the Codes of Ethics, and the protection of non-public information policies and procedures (collectively, the “Portfolio Holdings Governing Policies”) by the Fund’s Chief Compliance Officer and the Fund, (2) considering reports and recommendations by the Chief Compliance Officer concerning any material compliance matters (as defined in Rule 38a-1 under the 1940 Act and Rule 206(4)-7 under the Advisers Act) that may arise in connection with any Portfolio Holdings Governing Policies, and (3) considering whether to approve or ratify any amendment to any Portfolio Holdings Governing Policies. The Board and the Fund reserve the right to amend the Portfolio Holdings Governing Policies and Procedures at any time and from time to time without prior notice in their sole discretion. For purposes of the Portfolio Holdings Governing Policies, the term “portfolio holdings” means the equity and debt securities (e.g., stocks and bonds) held by the Fund and does not mean the cash investments, derivatives, and other investment positions (collectively, other investment positions) held by the Fund, which are not disclosed.

In addition to the permitted disclosures described above, the Fund must disclose its complete holdings quarterly within 60 days of the end of each fiscal quarter in the Annual Report and Semi-Annual Report to Fund shareholders and in the quarterly holdings report on Form N-Q. These reports are available, free of charge, on the EDGAR database on the SEC’s web site at www.sec.gov.

Voting Rights

Each share has one vote with respect to matters upon which a shareholder vote is required consistent with the requirements of the 1940 Act and the rules promulgated thereunder. Shareholders receive one vote for every full Fund share owned. The Fund will vote separately on matters relating solely to the Fund. All shares of the Fund are freely transferable.

As a Delaware statutory trust, the Trust is not required to hold annual shareholder meetings unless otherwise required by the 1940 Act. However, a meeting may be called by the Board on the written request of shareholders owning at least 10% of the outstanding shares of the Trust entitled to vote. If a meeting is requested by shareholders, the Trust will provide appropriate assistance and information to the shareholders who requested the meeting. Shareholder inquiries can be made by calling 877.843.3831 or by writing to the Trust at 4800 Montgomery Lane, Suite 150, Bethesda, Maryland 20814.

Shareholder Inquiries

Shareholders may visit the Trust’s web site at www.advisorshares.com or call 877.843.3831 to obtain information on account statements, procedures, and other related information.

COUNSEL

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, located at 2020 K Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20006, serves as counsel to the Trust.

INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

CUSTODIAN

The Bank of New York Mellon, located at 101 Barclay Street, New York, New York 10286, serves as custodian for the Trust and the Fund under a custody agreement between the Trust and the Custodian. Pursuant to the agreement, the Bank of New York Mellon holds the portfolio securities of the Fund and maintains all necessary related accounts and records.

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

As of the date of this SAI, the Fund has not yet commenced operations and therefore, it does not have any financial statements. The Fund’s financial statements will be available after the Fund has completed a full year of operations.

APPENDIX A

Bond Ratings

Below is a description of Standard & Poor’s Ratings Group (“Standard & Poor’s”) and Moody’s Investors

Service, Inc. (“Moody’s”) bond rating categories.

Standard & Poor’s Ratings Group Corporate Bond Ratings

AAA -This is the highest rating assigned by Standard & Poor’s to a debt obligation and indicates an extremely strong capacity to pay principal and interest.

AA - Bonds rated “AA” also qualify as high-quality debt obligations. Capacity to pay principal and interest is very strong, and in the majority of instances they differ from “AAA” issues only in small degree.

A - Bonds rated “A” have a strong capacity to pay principal and interest, although they are somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than bonds in higher rated categories.

BBB - Bonds rated “BBB” are regarded as having an adequate capability to pay principal and interest. Whereas they normally exhibit adequate protection parameters, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity to pay principal and interest for bonds in this category than for bonds in higher rated categories.

BB - Bonds rated “BB” have less near-term vulnerability to default than other speculative issues. However, they face major ongoing uncertainties or exposure to adverse business, financial, or economic conditions which could lead to inadequate capacity to meet timely interest and principal payments.

B - Bonds rated “B” have a greater vulnerability to default but currently have the capacity to meet interest payments and principal repayments. Adverse business, financial, or economic conditions will likely impair capacity or willingness to pay interest and repay principal.

CCC - Bonds rated “CCC” have a currently identifiable vulnerability to default and are dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions to meet timely payment of interest and repayment of principal. In the event of adverse business, financial, or economic conditions, they are not likely to have the capacity to pay interest and repay principal.

Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. Corporate Bond Ratings

Aaa - Bonds rated “Aaa” are judged to be of the best quality. They carry the smallest degree of investment risk and are generally referred to a “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.

Aa - Bonds 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 protections 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 in “Aaa” securities.

A-1

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

Baa - Bonds 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.

Ba - Bonds 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.

A-2

APPENDIX B

PACIFIC ASSET MANAGEMENT

Proxy Voting Policy

Summary:

The purpose of these procedures is to describe how Pacific Asset Management, as per its fiduciary obligation, follows adopted policies and procedures that are reasonably designed to ensure that the company votes proxies in the best interest of its clients, to disclose information about those policies and procedures, and to disclose how its clients may obtain information on how the adviser has voted their proxies.

Policies and Procedures:

Pacific Asset Management has implemented Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures (“Policies”) that are designed to reasonably ensure that Pacific Asset Management votes proxies prudently and in the best interest of its advisory clients for whom Pacific Asset Management has voting authority. The Policies address, among other things, conflicts of interest that may arise between Pacific Asset Management’s interest and its clients’ interest. Pacific Asset Management will take steps to identify the existence of any material conflicts of interest relating to the securities to be voted. Conflicts based on business relationships or dealings with affiliates of Pacific Asset Management will only be considered to the extent that Pacific Asset Management has actual knowledge of such business relationships.

Given the nature of the portfolios managed, Pacific Asset Management does not typically invest in equity securities, and therefore the volume of proxies is relatively low. All custodian banks are notified of their responsibility to forward to Pacific Asset Management all proxy materials. When proxy materials are received, Operations verifies that materials for all holdings from each custodian bank are also received. Furthermore, if an Analyst becomes aware of an upcoming proxy vote, Operations follows up with the Custodians to ensure that materials are received. If an expected proxy is not received by the voting deadline, Pacific Asset Management will direct the Custodian to vote in accordance with Pacific Asset Management’s instructions.

Pacific Asset Management’s process in dealing with proxy issues is both thorough and reasonable, and is geared to promote maximum long-term shareholder value. Pacific Asset Management Analysts review all proxies that are received on an individual basis, weighing Pacific Asset Management’s knowledge about a company, its current management, and the management’s past performance records against the merits of each proxy issue.

Proxy proposals generally fall into one of the three following categories: routine matters, social issues, and business proposals. Routine proxy proposals, amendments, or resolutions are defined as those, which do not change the structure, by-laws, or operations of the corporation. With regards to routine matters, Pacific Asset Management has determined to vote with management on routine matters and will generally vote for the proposals that are reflective of reasonable and equitable corporate standards. Social issues appear in proxy proposals that attempt to deal with activities of social conscience. Shareholders’ groups sometimes submit proposals to change lawful corporate activities in order to meet the goals of certain groups or private interests that they represent. As a fiduciary, Pacific Asset Management must serve exclusively the financial interests of the account beneficiaries. Pacific Asset Management will seek to determine the business benefits of corporate actions as well as the social costs of such actions. Pacific Asset Management will support management in areas where acceptable efforts are made on behalf of special interest of social conscience, which are not detrimental to its clients. Pacific Asset Management believes the burden of social responsibility rests with management. Business proposals are resolutions that change the status of the corporation, its individual securities, or the ownership status of those securities. Pacific Asset Management will vote in favor of business proposals as long as the client position or value is either preserved or enhanced.

B-1

Pacific Asset Management generally votes with the recommendations of a company’s Board of Directors on standard or non-controversial items, unless otherwise warranted following a review of the issues involved. All proxies are sent to the appropriate Pacific Asset Management Analyst for review and recommendation based on his or her knowledge of the company. Analyst recommendations to vote with management on certain items are voted accordingly, and all other recommendations and issues are reviewed by the Chief Compliance Officer of Pacific Asset Management. Pacific Asset Management tailors its review and voting of proxies based on the domicile of the company, the nature of the clients holding the security, and the positions held.

When a material conflict of interest exists, Pacific Asset Management will choose among the following options to eliminate such conflict: (1) vote in accordance with the Policies if doing so involves little or no discretion; (2) if possible, erect information barriers around the person or persons making voting decisions sufficient to insulate the decision from the conflict; (3) if practical, notify affected clients of the conflict of interest and seek a waiver of the conflict; or (4) if agreed upon in writing with the client, forward the proxies to the affected client and allow the client to vote the proxies.

From time to time, voting securities may be held in client portfolios as a result of corporate actions or because equity securities may be attached to debt securities purchased by the portfolio, although such positions are expected to be minimal. Compliance will provide proxy voting information to the client where applicable. It is not expected that voting securities will be held in money market portfolio(s).

Oversight Controls:

Proxy processing is the responsibility of Pacific Life’s Investment Operations. Any vote not clearly within the guidelines stated above is reviewed by the Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”) along with members of senior management of Pacific Asset Management. If a security is held by more than one portfolio and the analyst’s response differs between portfolios, the CCO will be notified. Such votes shall be discussed with and approved by the CCO. On a quarterly basis the CCO reviews all votes to ensure that the appropriate determination regarding compliance with the guidelines was made.

Escalation:

Votes not covered by the above-stated guidelines and contested situations are approved by the CCO. Any errors will be addressed with the CCO. Any material violations of the procedures with respect to a material conflict of interest shall be brought to the attention of the CCO.

B-2