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ADVISORSHARES MADRONA INTERNATIONAL ETF (NYSE Arca Ticker: FWDI)

 

SUMMARY PROSPECTUS – November 1, 2018

  

Before you invest in the AdvisorShares Fund, you may want to review the Fund’s prospectus and statement of additional information, which contain more information about the Fund and the risks of investing in the Fund. The Fund’s current prospectus and statement of additional information, each dated November 1, 2018, as supplemented from time to time, are incorporated by reference into this summary prospectus. You can find the Fund’s prospectus and statement of additional information, as well as other information about the Fund, online at http://advisorshares.com/fund/fwdi. You may also obtain this information at no charge by calling 877.843.3831 or by sending an email request to info@advisorshares.com.

 

INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE

 

The AdvisorShares Madrona International ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to provide long-term capital appreciation above the capital appreciation of its international benchmarks, such as the MSCI EAFE Index, the Fund’s primary benchmark, and the BNY Mellon Classic ADR Index, the Fund’s secondary benchmark.

 

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 0.80%
DISTRIBUTION (12b-1) FEES 0.00%
OTHER EXPENSES 0.98%
TOTAL ANNUAL OPERATING EXPENSES 1.78%
FEE WAIVER/EXPENSE REIMBURSEMENT* -0.53% 
TOTAL ANNUAL OPERATING EXPENSES AFTER FEE WAIVER/ EXPENSE REIMBURSEMENT 1.25%

 

  * AdvisorShares Investments, LLC (the “Advisor”) has contractually agreed to waive its fees and/or reimburse expenses to keep the Fund’s 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 1.25% 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 it becomes unnecessary for the Advisor to waive fees or reimburse expenses, the Trust’s Board of Trustees may permit the Advisor to retain the difference between the Fund’s total annual operating expenses and the expense limitation currently in effect, or, if lower, the expense limitation that was in effect at the time of the waiver and/or reimbursement, to recapture all or a portion of its prior fee waivers or expense reimbursements made during the immediately preceding three-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 5 YEARS 10 YEARS
AdvisorShares Madrona International ETF $127 $509 $915 $2,051

 

PORTFOLIO TURNOVER

 

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Total Annual Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect Fund 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. During the most recent fiscal year ended June 30, 2018, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 78% of the average value of its portfolio.

 

PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

 

The Fund is an actively managed exchange-traded fund (“ETF”). Madrona Funds, LLC (the “Sub-Advisor”) seeks to achieve the Fund’s investment objective by selecting a portfolio primarily composed of American Depository Receipts (“ADRs”) from among the largest issuers of Europe, Australasia and the Far East (“EAFE”) and Canada. ADRs are U.S. traded equity securities that represent interests in securities issued by foreign publicly listed companies. The Fund’s portfolio may also include ADRs that provide exposure to the largest issuers in markets deemed to be emerging markets. The Fund also may invest in repurchase agreements.

 

Securities are selected, weighted and sold based upon the Sub-Advisor’s proprietary investment process. The Sub-Advisor’s investment committee meets on a bi-weekly basis to monitor the portfolio and make allocation decisions. The investment committee uses third-party analyst research and a proprietary fundamental process to make allocation decisions. The Fund’s strategy may frequently involve buying and selling securities, which may lead to relatively high portfolio turnover.

 

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.

 

American Depositary Receipt Risk. ADRs have the same currency and economic risks as the underlying non-U.S. shares they represent. They are affected by the risks associated with non-U.S. securities, such as changes in political or economic conditions of other countries, changes in the exchange rates of, or exchange control regulations associated with, foreign currencies, and differing accounting, auditing, financial reporting, and legal standards and practices. In addition, investments in ADRs may be less liquid than the underlying securities in their primary trading market.

 

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Currency Risk. As a result of the Fund’s investments in securities receiving revenues in, foreign currencies, the Fund will be subject to currency risk. This is the risk that currencies to which the Fund is exposed will decline in value relative to the U.S. dollar, which may cause the dollar value of an investment in the Fund to be adversely affected.

 

Emerging Markets Risk. Certain of the Fund’s investments will expose the Fund’s portfolio to the risks of investing in emerging markets. Emerging markets, which consist of countries or markets with low to middle income economies as classified by the World Bank and other countries or markets with similar characteristics as determined by the Advisor, can be subject to greater social, economic, regulatory, and political uncertainties and can be extremely volatile.

 

Equity Risk. The prices of equity securities rise and fall daily. These price movements may result from factors affecting individual issuers, industries or the securities market as a whole. In addition, equity markets tend to move in cycles which may cause stock prices to fall over short or extended periods of time.

 

ETF Market Risk. In stressed market conditions, the market for ETF shares may become less liquid in response to deteriorating liquidity in the markets for the ETF’s underlying portfolio holdings. This adverse effect on liquidity for the ETF’s shares in turn can lead to differences between the market price of the ETF’s shares and the underlying value of those shares.

 

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. In addition, the securities of some foreign companies may be less liquid and, at times, more volatile than securities of comparable U.S. companies.

 

Geographic Investment Risk. To the extent that the Fund has significant investments in a particular country or region, the Fund will be susceptible to loss due to adverse market, political, regulatory, and geographic events affecting that country or region. The Fund has significant investment exposure to the countries and regions listed below.

 

Asia. While certain Asian economies are exemplars of growth and development others have been and continue to be subject, to some extent, to over-extension of credit, currency devaluations and restrictions, high unemployment, high inflation, decreased exports and economic recessions.

 

Canada. The Canadian economy is susceptible to adverse changes in certain commodities markets, including those related to the agricultural and mining industries. It is also heavily dependent on trading with key partners. Any reduction in this trading may adversely affect the Canadian economy.

 

Europe. The European economy is diverse and includes both large, competitive economies and small, struggling economies. The European economy is vulnerable to decreasing imports or exports, changes in governmental regulations on trade, changes in the exchange rate of the euro and recessions in EU economies.

 

United States. The United States is a significant trading partner of many emerging markets in which the Fund invests. The United States economy has traditionally been considered to be one of the most stable and productive economies in the world. However, the recent financial crisis, declining United States imports, new trade regulations, changes in exchange rates, and increasing public debt pose concerns for many of the United States’ trading partners that depend on its historically high levels of consumer spending and foreign investment.

 

Large-Capitalization Risk. Large-cap securities tend to go in and out of favor based on market and economic conditions. During a period when the demand for large-cap securities is less than for other types of investments — small-cap securities, for instance — the Fund’s performance could be reduced.

 

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Management Risk. The Sub-Advisor continuously evaluates the Fund’s holdings, purchases and sales with a view to achieving the Fund’s investment objective. However, achievement of the stated investment objective cannot be guaranteed. The Sub-Advisor’s judgment about the markets, the economy, or companies may not anticipate actual market movements, economic conditions or company performance, and these factors may affect the return on your investment.

 

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. 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.

 

Portfolio Turnover Risk. The Fund may experience relatively high portfolio turnover, which may result in increased transaction costs and Fund performance that is lower than expected.

 

Repurchase Agreement Risk. The Fund will be subject to credit risk with respect to the counterparties with which the Fund enters into repurchase agreements, including with respect to recovering or realizing on collateral.

 

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 and, in such instances, you may pay significantly more or receive significantly less than the underlying value of the Fund’s shares. There can be no assurance that an active trading market for the Fund’s shares will develop or be maintained. In addition, trading in shares of the Fund may be halted because of market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the NYSE Arca, Inc. (the “Exchange”), make trading in shares inadvisable.

 

FUND PERFORMANCE

 

The bar chart and table that follow show how the Fund has performed on a calendar year basis and provide an indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The table also shows how the Fund’s performance compares to the MSCI EAFE Index and the BNY Mellon Classic ADR Index. The MSCI EAFE Index is an unmanaged free float-adjusted market capitalization index that is designed to measure the equity market performance of developed markets, excluding the United States and Canada. The BNY Mellon Classic ADR Index combines the over the counter (OTC) traded ADRs with exchange-listed ADRs bringing transparency to the available universe of American Depositary Receipts, including those issued by many of the world’s premier companies. Both the bar chart and the table assume the reinvestment of all dividends and distributions. 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.

 

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Calendar Year Total Returns

 

(GRAPHIC)

 

The Fund’s year-to-date total return as of September 30, 2018 was -8.52%.

 

Best and Worst Quarter Returns (for the period reflected in the bar chart above) 

           
    Return     Quarter/Year
Highest Return   14.39%     1Q/2012
Lowest Return   -16.60%     3Q/2015

 

AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS FOR THE PERIODS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2017

 

ADVISORSHARES MADRONA INTERNATIONAL ETF

  1 Year 5 Year  

Since Inception 

(6/20/2011) 

Return Before Taxes Based on NAV 28.21% 6.95%   4.92%
Return After Taxes on Distributions 27.82% 6.66%   4.65%
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares 16.24% 5.52%   3.91%
MSCI EAFE Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)  25.03% 7.90%   6.37%
BNY Mellon Classic ADR Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes) 27.26% 7.14%   5.70%
             
             

After-tax returns are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on your tax situation and may differ from those shown and are not relevant if you hold your shares through tax-advantaged arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. In some cases, the return after taxes on distributions and sale of fund shares may exceed other average annual total returns due to an assumed tax benefit from any losses on a sale of shares at the end of the measurement period.

 

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MANAGEMENT

  

Name Title
AdvisorShares Investments, LLC Advisor
Madrona Funds, LLC Sub-Advisor

 

PORTFOLIO MANAGERS

 

Name and Title Length of Service with Sub-Advisor
Brian K. Evans, Founder, Managing Member and Portfolio Manager since 2010
Robert W. Bauer, Member and Portfolio Manager since 2010
Kristi R. Henderson, Member and Portfolio Manager since 2010

 

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 at least 25,000 shares. A “creator” enters into an authorized participant agreement (“Participant Agreement”) with the Fund’s distributor or uses a Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) participant who has executed a Participant Agreement (an “Authorized Participant”), and deposits into the Fund a portfolio of securities closely approximating the holdings of the Fund and a specified amount of cash, together totaling the NAV of the Creation Unit(s), in exchange for at least 25,000 shares of the Fund (or multiples thereof).

 

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 prices rather than at NAV, shares may trade at a value greater than or less than NAV.

 

TAX INFORMATION

 

The Fund intends to make distributions that may be taxed as ordinary income, qualified dividend 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.

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