485APOS 1 ea169986_485apos.htm 485APOS

 

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 14, 2024

 

 

 

1933 Act Registration No. 333-180871

1940 Act Registration No. 811-22700

 

United States

Securities and Exchange Commission

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

Form N-1A

 

Registration Statement Under the Securities Act of 1933
Pre-Effective Amendment No. __
Post-Effective Amendment No. 249

and/or

Registration Statement Under the Investment Company Act of 1940
Amendment No. 251

 

Exchange Listed Funds Trust

10900 Hefner Pointe Drive

Suite 400

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73120

(Address of Principal Executive Offices, Zip Code)

 

(405) 778-8377

(Registrant’s Telephone Number, including Area Code)

 

J. Garrett Stevens

Exchange Listed Funds Trust

10900 Hefner Pointe Drive

Suite 400

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73120

(Name and Address of Agent for Service)

 

Copies to:

Morrison Warren, Esq.
Chapman and Cutler LLP
320 South Canal Street
Chicago, Illinois 60606

 

Richard Coyle, Esq.
Chapman and Cutler LLP
320 South Canal Street
Chicago, Illinois 60606

 

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

 

Immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b) of Rule 485.
On (date) pursuant to paragraph (b) of Rule 485.
60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(1) of Rule 485.
On (date) pursuant to paragraph (a) of Rule 485.
75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of Rule 485.
On (date) pursuant to paragraph (a) of Rule 485.

 

If appropriate, check the following box:

 

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

 

 

 

SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED FEBRUARY 14, 2024

 

THE INFORMATION IN THIS PROSPECTUS IS NOT COMPLETE AND MAY BE CHANGED. WE MAY NOT SELL THESE SECURITIES UNTIL THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT FILED WITH THE U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION IS EFFECTIVE. THIS PROSPECTUS IS NOT AN OFFER TO SELL THESE SECURITIES AND IS NOT SOLICITING AN OFFER TO BUY THESE SECURITIES IN ANY JURISDICTION IN WHICH THE OFFER OR SALE IS NOT PERMITTED.

 

Exchange Listed Funds Trust

 

Prospectus

 

[-], 2024

 

Stratified LargeCap Index ETF (Ticker Symbol: SSPY)

 

Stratified LargeCap Hedged ETF (Ticker Symbol: SHUS)

 

Principal Listing Exchange for the Funds: [-]

 

Neither the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this Prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

 

 

About This Prospectus

 

This Prospectus has been arranged into different sections so that you can easily review this important information. For detailed information about each Fund, please see:

 

  Page
Fund Summaries 1
Stratified LargeCap Index ETF 1
Stratified LargeCap Hedged ETF 9
Additional Principal Investment Strategies Information 18
Additional Principal Risk Information 18
Portfolio Holdings 26
Fund Management 26
Buying and Selling Fund Shares 28
Distribution and Service Plan 29
Dividends, Distributions and Taxes 29
Additional Information 34
Financial Highlights 35
How to Obtain More Information About the Funds Back Cover

 

 

 

Fund Summary – Stratified LargeCap Index ETF

 

Investment Objective

 

The Stratified LargeCap Index ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to provide investment results that, before expenses, correspond generally to the total return performance of publicly traded equity securities of companies comprising the Syntax Stratified LargeCap Index (the “Index”).

 

Fees and Expenses

 

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table and Example below.

 

Annual Fund Operating Expenses

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

Management Fee 0.45%
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees 0.00%
Other Expenses1 0.00%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses 0.45%

1 Based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year.

 

Example

 

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. 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 (including one year of capped expenses each period) remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your cost would be:

 

1 Year 3 Years
$[-] $[-]

 

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 shares of the Fund are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example above, affect the Fund’s performance. For the fiscal year ended [-], the Predecessor Fund’s (defined below) portfolio turnover rate was [-]% of the average value of its portfolio.

 

1

 

 

Principal Investment Strategies

 

The Fund seeks to provide investment results that, before expenses, correspond generally to the total return performance of publicly traded equity securities of companies comprising the Index. Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its total assets in the securities comprising the Index. The Index utilizes the same constituents as the S&P 500 Index, but weights them according to Syntax LLC’s (“Syntax” or the “Index Provider”) proprietary Stratified WeightTM methodology. From time to time, the Fund may invest in and hold securities that are not included in the Index when Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC, the Fund’s adviser (the “Adviser”) believes such securities will help the Fund to achieve its investment objective.

 

Syntax’s Stratified-Weight™ is the weighting methodology by which Syntax diversifies the weight of an index’s constituent companies that share “Related Business Risks.” Related Business Risk occurs when two or more companies provide similar products and/or services or share economic relationships such as having common suppliers, customers or competitors. The process of identifying, grouping and diversifying holdings across Related Business Risk groups within an index is called “stratification,” and was designed by Syntax to seek to correct for business risk concentrations that regularly occur in capitalization-weighted indices and equal-weighted indices. Capitalization weighting can cause an investor’s ownership to accumulate in the largest, most momentum-driven companies and industries, while equal weighting is intended to permit an investor’s ownership to accumulate in the industries that have the most company representatives in an index. Instead of concentrating investment exposure in the largest companies or the most represented industries, the Index diversifies (or stratifies) index weight across a fixed number of business risk groups in a manner designed to provide a diversified exposure to all of the business opportunities provided by the Index. The Related Business Risk groups are: Consumer Products & Services; Energy; Financials; Food; Industrials; Information; Information Tools; and Healthcare.

 

The Adviser generally will use a replication methodology, meaning it will invest in all of the securities comprising the Index in proportion to their respective weightings in the Index. However, the Adviser may utilize a sampling methodology under various circumstances, including when it may not be possible or practicable to purchase all of the securities in the Index. The Adviser expects that over time, if the Fund has sufficient assets, the correlation between the Fund’s performance, before fees and expenses, and that of the Index will be 95% or better. A figure of 100% would indicate perfect correlation.

 

The Fund may invest up to 20% of its assets in investments that are not included in the Index, but that the Adviser believes will help the Fund track the performance of the Index.

 

Under normal market conditions, the Index rebalances quarterly. The Index is reconstituted at the time the S&P 500 Index does the same, which is conducted on an ongoing basis. The market capitalization of companies in the S&P 500 Index as of [-] was between $[-] billion and $[-] trillion.

 

The Fund will be concentrated (i.e. hold 25% or more of its total assets) in an industry or a group of industries to the extent that the Index is so concentrated.

 

Please see the Additional Strategies Information section of the Prospectus for more information on the Syntax Stratified Weight methodology.

 

Principal Risks

 

As with all funds, a shareholder is subject to the risk that his or her investment could lose money. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the FDIC or any government agency. The principal risks affecting shareholders’ investments in the Fund, either directly or through its investments in an ETF, are set forth below.

 

2

 

 

Authorized Participant Concentration Risk. Only an authorized participant may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with the Fund. A limited number of institutions act as authorized participants for the Fund. To the extent that these institutions exit the business or are unable to proceed with creation and/or redemption orders and no other authorized participant steps forward to create or redeem, the Fund’s shares may trade at a premium or discount (the difference between the market price of the Fund’s shares and the Fund’s net asset value) and possibly face delisting and the bid/ask spread (the difference between the price that someone is willing to pay for shares of the Fund at a specific point in time versus the price at which someone is willing to sell) on the Fund’s shares may widen.

 

Current Market Conditions Risk. Current market conditions risk is the risk that a particular investment, or shares of the Fund in general, may fall in value due to current market conditions. As a means to fight inflation, which remains at elevated levels, the Federal Reserve and certain foreign central banks have raised interest rates and expect to continue to do so, and the Federal Reserve has announced that it intends to reverse previously implemented quantitative easing. U.S. regulators have proposed several changes to market and issuer regulations which would directly impact the Fund, and any regulatory changes could adversely impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment strategies or make certain investments. Recent and potential future bank failures could result in disruption to the broader banking industry or markets generally and reduce confidence in financial institutions and the economy as a whole, which may also heighten market volatility and reduce liquidity. The ongoing adversarial political climate in the United States, as well as political and diplomatic events both domestic and abroad, have and may continue to have an adverse impact the U.S. regulatory landscape, markets and investor behavior, which could have a negative impact on the Fund’s investments and operations. Other unexpected political, regulatory and diplomatic events within the U.S. and abroad may affect investor and consumer confidence and may adversely impact financial markets and the broader economy. For example, ongoing armed conflicts between Russia and Ukraine in Europe and among Israel, Hamas and other militant groups in the Middle East, have caused and could continue to cause significant market disruptions and volatility within the markets in Russia, Europe, the Middle East and the United States. The hostilities and sanctions resulting from those hostilities have and could continue to have a significant impact on certain Fund investments as well as Fund performance and liquidity. The economies of the United States and its trading partners, as well as the financial markets generally, may be adversely impacted by trade disputes and other matters. For example, the United States has imposed trade barriers and restrictions on China. In addition, the Chinese government is engaged in a longstanding dispute with Taiwan, continually threatening an invasion. If the political climate between the United States and China does not improve or continues to deteriorate, if China were to attempt invading Taiwan, or if other geopolitical conflicts develop or worsen, economies, markets and individual securities may be adversely affected, and the value of the Fund’s assets may go down. The COVID-19 global pandemic, or any future public health crisis, and the ensuing policies enacted by governments and central banks have caused and may continue to cause significant volatility and uncertainty in global financial markets, negatively impacting global growth prospects. While vaccines have been developed, there is no guarantee that vaccines will be effective against emerging future variants of the disease. As this global pandemic illustrated, such events may affect certain geographic regions, countries, sectors and industries more significantly than others. Advancements in technology may also adversely impact markets and the overall performance of the Fund. For instance, the economy may be significantly impacted by the advanced development and increased regulation of artificial intelligence. These events, and any other future events, may adversely affect the prices and liquidity of the Fund’s portfolio investments and could result in disruptions in the trading markets.

 

Cybersecurity Risk. The Fund is susceptible to operational risks through breaches in cyber security. A breach in cyber security refers to both intentional and unintentional events that may cause the Fund to lose proprietary information, suffer data corruption or lose operational capacity. Such events could cause the Fund to incur regulatory penalties, reputational damage, additional compliance costs associated with corrective measures and/or financial loss. Cyber security breaches may involve unauthorized access to the Fund’s digital information systems through “hacking” or malicious software coding but may also result from outside attacks such as denial-of-service attacks through efforts to make network services unavailable to intended users. In addition, cyber security breaches of the issuers of securities in which the Fund invests or the Fund’s third-party service providers, such as its administrator, transfer agent, custodian, or sub-adviser, as applicable, can also subject the Fund to many of the same risks associated with direct cyber security breaches. Although the Fund has established risk management systems designed to reduce the risks associated with cyber security, there is no guarantee that such efforts will succeed, especially because the Fund does not directly control the cyber security systems of issuers or third-party service providers.

 

3

 

 

Equity Securities Risk. The value of the Fund’s shares will fluctuate with changes in the value of the equity securities in which it invests. Equity securities prices fluctuate for several reasons, including changes in investors’ perceptions of the financial condition of an issuer or the general condition of the relevant equity market, such as market volatility, or when political or economic events affecting an issuer occur. Common stock prices may be particularly sensitive to rising interest rates, as the cost of capital rises and borrowing costs increase. Equity securities may decline significantly in price over short or extended periods of time, and such declines may occur in the equity market as a whole, or they may occur in only a particular country, company, industry or sector of the market.

 

Index Concentration Risk. The Fund will be concentrated in an industry or a group of industries to the extent that the Index is so concentrated. To the extent that the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in a single asset class or the securities of issuers within the same country, state, region, industry or sector, an adverse economic, business or political development may affect the value of the Fund’s investments more than if the Fund were more broadly diversified. A significant exposure makes the Fund more susceptible to any single occurrence and may subject the Fund to greater market risk than a fund that is more broadly diversified. There may be instances in which the Index, for a variety of reasons including changes in the prices of individual securities held by the Fund, has a larger exposure to a small number of stocks or a single stock relative to the rest of the stocks in the Index. Under such circumstances, the Fund will not deviate from the Index except in rare circumstances or in an immaterial way and therefore the Fund’s returns would be more greatly influenced by the returns of the stock(s) with the larger exposure. 

 

Index Provider Risk. There is no assurance that the Index Provider, or any agents that act on its behalf, will compile the Index accurately, or that the Index will be determined, maintained, constructed, reconstituted, rebalanced, composed, calculated or disseminated accurately. The Index Provider and its agents do not provide any representation or warranty in relation to the quality, accuracy or completeness of data in the Index, and do not guarantee that the Index will be calculated in accordance with its stated methodology. The Adviser’s mandate as described in this prospectus is to manage the Fund consistently with the Index provided by the Index Provider. The Adviser relies upon the Index provider and its agents to accurately compile, maintain, construct, reconstitute, rebalance, compose, calculate and disseminate the Index accurately. Therefore, losses or costs associated with any Index Provider or agent errors generally will be borne by the Fund and its shareholders. To correct any such error, the Index Provider or its agents may carry out an unscheduled rebalance of the Index or other modification of Index constituents or weightings. When the Fund in turn rebalances its portfolio, any transaction costs and market exposure arising from such portfolio rebalancing will be borne by the Fund and its shareholders. Unscheduled rebalances also expose the Fund to additional tracking error risk. Errors in respect of the quality, accuracy and completeness of the data used to compile the Index may occur from time to time and may not be identified and corrected by the Index Provider for a period of time or at all, particularly where the Index is less commonly used as a benchmark by funds or advisors. For example, during a period where the Index contains incorrect constituents, the Fund tracking the Index would have market exposure to such constituents and would be underexposed to the Index’s other constituents. Such errors may negatively impact the Fund and its shareholders. The Index Provider and its agents rely on various sources of information to assess the criteria of issuers included in the Index, including information that may be based on assumptions and estimates. Neither the Fund nor the Adviser can offer assurances that the Index’s calculation methodology or sources of information will provide an accurate assessment of included issuers. Unusual market conditions or issuer-specific events may cause the Index Provider to postpone a scheduled rebalance, exclude or substitute a security in the Index or undertake other measures which could cause the Index to vary from its normal or expected composition. The postponement of a scheduled rebalance in a time of market volatility could mean that constituents that would otherwise be removed at rebalance due to changes in market capitalizations, issuer credit ratings, or other reasons may remain, causing the performance and constituents of the Index to vary from those expected under normal conditions. Apart from scheduled rebalances, the Index Provider or its agents may carry out additional ad hoc rebalances to the Index due to unusual market conditions or in order, for example, to correct an error in the selection of index constituents.

 

4

 

 

Large Capitalization Companies Risk. Large capitalization companies may grow at a slower rate and be less able to adapt to changing market conditions than smaller capitalization companies. Thus, the return on investment in securities of large capitalization companies may be less than the return on investment in securities of small and/or mid capitalization companies. The performance of large capitalization companies also tends to trail the overall market during different market cycles.

 

Market Capitalization Deviation Risk. There can be no assurance that the securities held by the Fund will stay within the Fund’s intended market capitalization range. As a result, the Fund may be exposed to additional risk or investors may not be given the opportunity to invest fully in a certain market capitalization range.

 

Market Maker Risk. The Fund faces numerous market trading risks, including the potential lack of an active market for Fund shares due to a limited number of market markers. Decisions by market makers or authorized participants to reduce their role or step away from these activities in times of market stress could inhibit the effectiveness of the arbitrage process in maintaining the relationship between the underlying values of the Fund’s portfolio securities and the Fund’s market price. The Fund may rely on a small number of third-party market makers to provide a market for the purchase and sale of shares. Any trading halt or other problem relating to the trading activity of these market makers could result in a dramatic change in the spread between the Fund’s net asset value and the price at which the Fund’s shares are trading on the Exchange, which could result in a decrease in value of the Fund’s shares. This reduced effectiveness could result in Fund shares trading at a discount to net asset value and also in greater than normal intraday bid-ask spreads for Fund shares. 

 

Market Risk. Market risk is the risk that a particular investment, or shares of the Fund in general, may fall in value. Securities are subject to market fluctuations caused by real or perceived adverse economic, political, and regulatory factors or market developments, changes in interest rates and perceived trends in securities prices. Shares of the Fund could decline in value or underperform other investments. In addition, local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, market manipulation, government defaults, government shutdowns, regulatory actions, political changes, diplomatic developments, the imposition of sanctions and other similar measures, spread of infectious diseases or other public health issues, recessions, natural disasters, or other events could have a significant negative impact on the Fund and its investments. Any of such circumstances could have a materially negative impact on the value of the Fund’s shares, the liquidity of an investment, and may result in increased market volatility. During any such events, the Fund’s shares may trade at increased premiums or discounts to their net asset value, the bid/ask spread on the Fund’s shares may widen and the returns on investment may fluctuate.

 

Non-Correlation Risk. The Fund’s return may not match the return of the Index for a number of reasons. The Fund incurs operating expenses not applicable to the Index, and may incur costs in buying and selling securities, especially when rebalancing the Fund’s portfolio holdings to reflect changes in the composition of the Index. In addition, the Fund’s portfolio holdings may not exactly replicate the securities included in the Index or the ratios between the securities included in the Index. Additionally, in order to comply with its investment strategies and policies, the Fund portfolio may deviate from the composition of the Index. Accordingly, the Fund’s return may underperform the return of the Index.

 

5

 

 

Operational Risk. The Fund is subject to risks arising from various operational factors, including, but not limited to, human error, processing and communication errors, errors of the Fund’s service providers, counterparties or other third-parties, failed or inadequate processes and technology or systems failures. The Fund relies on third-parties for a range of services, including custody. Any delay or failure relating to engaging or maintaining such service providers may affect the Fund’s ability to meet its investment objective. Although the Fund and the Fund’s investment adviser seek to reduce these operational risks through controls and procedures, there is no way to completely protect against such risks.

 

Passive Investment Risk. The Fund is not actively managed. The Fund invests in securities included in or representative of the Index regardless of investment merit. The Fund generally will not attempt to take defensive positions in declining markets. In the event that the Index is no longer calculated, the Index license is terminated or the identity or character of the Index is materially changed, the Fund will seek to engage a replacement index.

 

Premium/Discount Risk. The market price of the Fund’s shares will generally fluctuate in accordance with changes in the Fund’s net asset value as well as the relative supply of and demand for shares on the Exchange. The Fund’s investment adviser cannot predict whether shares will trade below, at or above their net asset value because the shares trade on the Exchange at market prices and not at net asset value. Price differences may be due, in large part, to the fact that supply and demand forces at work in the secondary trading market for shares will be closely related, but not identical, to the same forces influencing the prices of the holdings of the Fund trading individually or in the aggregate at any point in time. However, given that shares can only be purchased and redeemed in Creation Units, and only to and from broker-dealers and large institutional investors that have entered into participation agreements (unlike shares of closed-end funds, which frequently trade at appreciable discounts from, and sometimes at premiums to, their net asset value), the Fund’s investment adviser believes that large discounts or premiums to the net asset value of shares should not be sustained. During stressed market conditions, the market for the Fund’s shares may become less liquid in response to deteriorating liquidity in the market for the Fund’s underlying portfolio holdings, which could in turn lead to differences between the market price of the Fund’s shares and their net asset value and the bid/ask spread on the Fund’s shares may widen.

 

Trading Issues Risk. Trading in Fund shares on the Exchange may be halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the Exchange, make trading in shares inadvisable. In addition, trading in Fund shares on the Exchange is subject to trading halts caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant to the Exchange’s “circuit breaker” rules. There can be no assurance that the requirements of the Exchange necessary to maintain the listing of the Fund will continue to be met or will remain unchanged. The Fund may have difficulty maintaining its listing on the Exchange in the event the Fund’s assets are small, the Fund does not have enough shareholders, or if the Fund is unable to proceed with creation and/or redemption orders.

 

Performance Information

 

The Fund is the successor to the Syntax Stratified LargeCap Index ETF, a series of Syntax ETF Trust (the “Predecessor Fund”), pursuant to a reorganization that took place after the close of business on [-]. The performance information provided for the periods on or prior to [-] is historical information for the Predecessor Fund. The Predecessor Fund had a substantially similar investment objective and investment strategy as the Fund. The performance record of the Predecessor Fund included The 500 Series of the Syntax Index Series LP (“500 Series”), a privately offered fund that was reorganized into the Predecessor Fund as of January 2, 2019, upon commencement of the Predecessor Fund’s operations. The Fund’s performance information, from January 1, 2015 to January 2, 2019, is that of the 500 Series. The returns were calculated using the methodology the SEC requires of registered funds. However, since the 500 Series did not calculate its returns on a per share basis, its returns have been calculated on its total net asset value. The 500 Series had investment objectives, policies and strategies that were, in all material respects, the same as those of the Predecessor Fund and the Fund, and was managed in a manner that, in all material respects, complied with the investment guidelines and restrictions of the Predecessor Fund and the Fund, which means that it also complied with the investment guidelines and restrictions of the Index. The Fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of future performance. Performance may be higher or lower in the future. Updated performance information is available at [-].

 

6

 

 

Annual Total Returns as of 12/31

 

[Bar chart to be provided.]

 

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

 

  Return Quarter/Year
Highest Return [-] [-]
Lowest Return [-] [-]

 

Average Annual Total Returns for the Periods Ended December 31, 2023

 

Stratified LargeCap Index ETF

 

1 Year

5 Years Since Inception
(1/1/2015)
Return Before Taxes [-] [-] [-]
Return After Taxes on Distributions [-] [-] [-]
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares [-] [-] [-]
S&P 500 Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes) [-] [-] [-]

 

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. Your actual after-tax returns will depend on your tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. In some cases, the return after taxes may exceed the return before taxes due to an assumed tax benefit from any losses on a sale of shares of the Fund at the end of the measurement period.

 

7

 

 

Investment Adviser

 

Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC serves as the investment adviser to the Fund.

 

Portfolio Managers

 

Andrew Serowik, Portfolio Manager of the Adviser, has served as a portfolio manager of the Fund since [-].

 

Gabriel Tan, Portfolio Manager of the Adviser, has served as a portfolio manager of the Fund since [-].

 

Todd Alberico, Portfolio Manager of the Adviser, has served as a portfolio manager of the Fund since [-].

 

Brian Cooper, Portfolio Manager of the Adviser, has served as a portfolio manager of the Fund since [-].

 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

 

The Fund issues and redeems shares on a continuous basis, at net asset value, only in large blocks of shares called “Creation Units.” Individual shares of the Fund may only be purchased and sold on the secondary market through a broker-dealer. Since shares of the Fund trade on securities exchanges in the secondary market at their market price rather than their net asset value, the Fund’s shares may trade at a price greater than (premium) or less than (discount) the Fund’s net asset value. An investor may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase shares of the Fund (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for shares of the Fund (ask) when buying or selling shares in the secondary market (the “bid-ask spread”). Recent information, including the Fund’s net asset value, market price, premiums and discounts, bid-ask spreads and the median bid-ask spread for the Fund’s most recent fiscal year, is available online at [-].

 

Tax Information

 

Distributions made by the Fund may be taxable as ordinary income, qualified dividend income, or long-term capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-advantaged arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or individual retirement account. In that case, you may be taxed when you take a distribution from such account, depending on the type of account, the circumstances of your distribution, and other factors.

 

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

 

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

 

8

 

 

Fund Summary – Stratified LargeCap Hedged ETF

 

Investment Objective

 

The Stratified LargeCap Hedged ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to obtain capital growth.

 

Fees and Expenses

 

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table and Example below.

 

Annual Fund Operating Expenses

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

Management Fee 0.95%
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees 0.00%
Other Expenses1 0.00%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses 0.95%

1 Based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year.

 

Example

 

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. 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 (including one year of capped expenses each period) remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your cost would be:

 

1 Year 3 Years
$[-] $[-]

 

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 shares of the Fund are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example above, affect the Fund’s performance. For the fiscal year ended [-], the Predecessor Fund’s (defined below) portfolio turnover rate was [-]% of the average value of its portfolio.

 

Principal Investment Strategies

 

The Fund is an actively managed exchange-traded fund (“ETF”) that invests in a portfolio of equity securities that follows a benchmark index (the Syntax Stratified LargeCap Index (the “Index”)), while also employing risk management strategies to limit downside risk and generate additional returns. The Index utilizes the same constituents as the S&P 500 Index, but weights them according to Syntax LLC’s (“Syntax” or the “Index Provider”) proprietary Stratified WeightTM methodology. Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in the securities of large capitalization companies. The Fund defines large capitalization companies as those that, at the time of investment, are constituents of the S&P 500 Index.

 

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Syntax’s Stratified-WeightTM is the weighting methodology by which Syntax diversifies the weight of an index’s constituent companies that share “Related Business Risks.” Related Business Risk occurs when two or more companies provide similar products and/or services or share economic relationships such as having common suppliers, customers or competitors. The process of identifying, grouping and diversifying holdings across Related Business Risk groups within an index is called “stratification,” and was designed by Syntax to seek to correct for business risk concentrations that regularly occur in capitalization-weighted indices and equal-weighted indices. Capitalization weighting can cause an investor’s ownership to accumulate in the largest, most momentum-driven companies and industries, while equal weighting is intended to permit an investor’s ownership to accumulate in the industries that have the most company representatives in an index. Instead of concentrating investment exposure in the largest companies or the most represented industries, Syntax diversifies (or stratifies) index weight across a fixed number of business risk groups in a manner designed to provide a diversified exposure to all of the business opportunities provided by the Index. The Related Business Risk groups are: Consumer Products & Services; Energy; Financials; Food; Industrials; Information; Information Tools; and Healthcare.

 

Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC (the “Adviser”) generally will use a replication methodology, meaning it will invest the Fund’s equity portfolio in all of the securities comprising the Index in proportion to their respective weightings in the Index. However, the Adviser may utilize a sampling methodology under various circumstances, including when it may not be possible or practicable to purchase all of the securities in the Index and given the number of constituents of the Index.

 

In addition to its equity holdings, the Fund will also use option spread strategies in an effort to manage the risk of the Fund’s equity holdings to negative market movements and to obtain option premiums to offset the cost of the options. The Fund may protect against large losses by hedging the Fund’s equity exposure through purchases of protective put option spreads on indices or funds. An option spread is a strategy where the Fund holds a long option and a short option, but with different prices or expirations. The Fund’s option spreads will include put and call option spreads on equity market indices, futures options on equity market indices, or funds. These strategies may be used to seek additional cash flow in the form of premiums from options sold by the Fund, contributing to the Fund’s total return, or when the Adviser believes there is the potential for higher risk of loss in equity markets. In exchange for this income, the Fund’s total return may be reduced relative to a portfolio consisting solely of equity securities in rising markets and may be enhanced relative to the same portfolio in flat or declining markets. The market value of the option strategy may be up to 20% of the Fund’s overall net asset value.

 

Principal Risks

 

As with all funds, a shareholder is subject to the risk that his or her investment could lose money. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the FDIC or any government agency. The principal risks affecting shareholders’ investments in the Fund, either directly or through its investments in an ETF, are set forth below.

 

Authorized Participant Concentration Risk. Only an authorized participant may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with the Fund. A limited number of institutions act as authorized participants for the Fund. To the extent that these institutions exit the business or are unable to proceed with creation and/or redemption orders and no other authorized participant steps forward to create or redeem, the Fund’s shares may trade at a premium or discount (the difference between the market price of the Fund’s shares and the Fund’s net asset value) and possibly face delisting and the bid/ask spread (the difference between the price that someone is willing to pay for shares of the Fund at a specific point in time versus the price at which someone is willing to sell) on the Fund’s shares may widen.

 

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Call Options Risk. The writer (seller) of a call option forgoes any profit from increases in the market value of the underlying security or index referenced by the call option above the sum of the premium and the strike price of the call but retains the risk of loss if the underlying security or index declines in value. When writing a call option, the Fund will have no control over the exercise of the option by the option holder and may lose the benefit from any capital appreciation on the underlying security or index. A number of factors may influence the option holder’s decision to exercise the option, including the value of the underlying security or index, price volatility, dividend yield and interest rates. To the extent that these factors increase the value of the call option, the option holder is more likely to exercise the option, which may negatively affect the Fund. When the Fund distributes the premium received from the sale of a call option, the distribution may reduce a shareholder’s tax basis in his or her shares of the Fund, causing a greater gain on a subsequent sale of such shares. However, if the sold call option is later exercised, the premium received by the Fund will be recognized as income for tax purposes. In such cases, if the premium has already been distributed to shareholders, the Fund may be required to sell other assets in order to fund the distribution.

 

Counterparty Risk. Fund transactions involving a counterparty are subject to the risk that the counterparty will not fulfill its obligation to the Fund. Counterparty risk may arise because of the counterparty’s financial condition (i.e., financial difficulties, bankruptcy, or insolvency), market activities and developments, or other reasons, whether foreseen or not. A counterparty’s inability to fulfill its obligation may result in significant financial loss to the Fund. The Fund may be unable to recover its investment from the counterparty or may obtain a limited recovery, and/or recovery may be delayed.

 

Current Market Conditions Risk. Current market conditions risk is the risk that a particular investment, or shares of the Fund in general, may fall in value due to current market conditions. As a means to fight inflation, which remains at elevated levels, the Federal Reserve and certain foreign central banks have raised interest rates and expect to continue to do so, and the Federal Reserve has announced that it intends to reverse previously implemented quantitative easing. U.S. regulators have proposed several changes to market and issuer regulations which would directly impact the Fund, and any regulatory changes could adversely impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment strategies or make certain investments. Recent and potential future bank failures could result in disruption to the broader banking industry or markets generally and reduce confidence in financial institutions and the economy as a whole, which may also heighten market volatility and reduce liquidity. The ongoing adversarial political climate in the United States, as well as political and diplomatic events both domestic and abroad, have and may continue to have an adverse impact the U.S. regulatory landscape, markets and investor behavior, which could have a negative impact on the Fund’s investments and operations. Other unexpected political, regulatory and diplomatic events within the U.S. and abroad may affect investor and consumer confidence and may adversely impact financial markets and the broader economy. For example, ongoing armed conflicts between Russia and Ukraine in Europe and among Israel, Hamas and other militant groups in the Middle East, have caused and could continue to cause significant market disruptions and volatility within the markets in Russia, Europe, the Middle East and the United States. The hostilities and sanctions resulting from those hostilities have and could continue to have a significant impact on certain Fund investments as well as Fund performance and liquidity. The economies of the United States and its trading partners, as well as the financial markets generally, may be adversely impacted by trade disputes and other matters. For example, the United States has imposed trade barriers and restrictions on China. In addition, the Chinese government is engaged in a longstanding dispute with Taiwan, continually threatening an invasion. If the political climate between the United States and China does not improve or continues to deteriorate, if China were to attempt invading Taiwan, or if other geopolitical conflicts develop or worsen, economies, markets and individual securities may be adversely affected, and the value of the Fund’s assets may go down. The COVID-19 global pandemic, or any future public health crisis, and the ensuing policies enacted by governments and central banks have caused and may continue to cause significant volatility and uncertainty in global financial markets, negatively impacting global growth prospects. While vaccines have been developed, there is no guarantee that vaccines will be effective against emerging future variants of the disease. As this global pandemic illustrated, such events may affect certain geographic regions, countries, sectors and industries more significantly than others. Advancements in technology may also adversely impact markets and the overall performance of the Fund. For instance, the economy may be significantly impacted by the advanced development and increased regulation of artificial intelligence. These events, and any other future events, may adversely affect the prices and liquidity of the Fund’s portfolio investments and could result in disruptions in the trading markets.

 

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Cybersecurity Risk. The Fund is susceptible to operational risks through breaches in cyber security. A breach in cyber security refers to both intentional and unintentional events that may cause the Fund to lose proprietary information, suffer data corruption or lose operational capacity. Such events could cause the Fund to incur regulatory penalties, reputational damage, additional compliance costs associated with corrective measures and/or financial loss. Cyber security breaches may involve unauthorized access to the Fund’s digital information systems through “hacking” or malicious software coding but may also result from outside attacks such as denial-of-service attacks through efforts to make network services unavailable to intended users. In addition, cyber security breaches of the issuers of securities in which the Fund invests or the Fund’s third-party service providers, such as its administrator, transfer agent, custodian, or sub-adviser, as applicable, can also subject the Fund to many of the same risks associated with direct cyber security breaches. Although the Fund has established risk management systems designed to reduce the risks associated with cyber security, there is no guarantee that such efforts will succeed, especially because the Fund does not directly control the cyber security systems of issuers or third-party service providers.

 

Derivatives Risk. The 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) 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. Derivative prices are highly volatile and may fluctuate substantially during a short period of time. Such prices are influenced by numerous factors that affect the markets, including, but not limited to: changing supply and demand relationships; government programs and policies; national and international political and economic events, changes in interest rates, inflation and deflation and changes in supply and demand relationships. Trading derivative instruments involves risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities. Derivative contracts ordinarily have leverage inherent in their terms. The low margin deposits normally required in trading derivatives, including futures contracts, permit a high degree of leverage. Accordingly, a relatively small price movement may result in an immediate and substantial loss. The use of leverage may also cause the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it would not be advantageous to do so in order to satisfy its obligations or to meet collateral segregation requirements. The use of leveraged derivatives can magnify potential for gain or loss and, therefore, amplify the effects of market volatility on share price.

 

Equity Securities Risk. The value of the Fund’s shares will fluctuate with changes in the value of the equity securities in which it invests. Equity securities prices fluctuate for several reasons, including changes in investors’ perceptions of the financial condition of an issuer or the general condition of the relevant equity market, such as market volatility, or when political or economic events affecting an issuer occur. Common stock prices may be particularly sensitive to rising interest rates, as the cost of capital rises and borrowing costs increase. Equity securities may decline significantly in price over short or extended periods of time, and such declines may occur in the equity market as a whole, or they may occur in only a particular country, company, industry or sector of the market.

 

Hedging Risk. If the Fund seeks to hedge at the wrong time or judges the market conditions incorrectly, or the hedged instrument does not correlate to the risk sought to be hedged, the hedge might be unsuccessful, reduce the Fund’s return, or create a loss. In addition, hedges, even when successful in mitigating risk, may not prevent the Fund from experiencing losses on its investments. Hedging instruments may also reduce or eliminate gains that may otherwise have been available had the Fund not used the hedging instruments.

 

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Large Capitalization Companies Risk. Large capitalization companies may grow at a slower rate and be less able to adapt to changing market conditions than smaller capitalization companies. Thus, the return on investment in securities of large capitalization companies may be less than the return on investment in securities of small and/or mid capitalization companies. The performance of large capitalization companies also tends to trail the overall market during different market cycles.

 

Management Risk. The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed portfolio. In managing the Fund’s investment portfolio, the portfolio managers will apply investment techniques and risk analyses that may not produce the desired result. There can be no guarantee that the Fund will meet its investment objectives.

 

Market Capitalization Deviation Risk. There can be no assurance that the securities held by the Fund will stay within the Fund’s intended market capitalization range. As a result, the Fund may be exposed to additional risk or investors may not be given the opportunity to invest fully in a certain market capitalization range.

 

Market Maker Risk. The Fund faces numerous market trading risks, including the potential lack of an active market for Fund shares due to a limited number of market markers. Decisions by market makers or authorized participants to reduce their role or step away from these activities in times of market stress could inhibit the effectiveness of the arbitrage process in maintaining the relationship between the underlying values of the Fund’s portfolio securities and the Fund’s market price. The Fund may rely on a small number of third-party market makers to provide a market for the purchase and sale of shares. Any trading halt or other problem relating to the trading activity of these market makers could result in a dramatic change in the spread between the Fund’s net asset value and the price at which the Fund’s shares are trading on the Exchange, which could result in a decrease in value of the Fund’s shares. This reduced effectiveness could result in Fund shares trading at a discount to net asset value and also in greater than normal intraday bid-ask spreads for Fund shares. 

 

Market Risk. Market risk is the risk that a particular investment, or shares of the Fund in general, may fall in value. Securities are subject to market fluctuations caused by real or perceived adverse economic, political, and regulatory factors or market developments, changes in interest rates and perceived trends in securities prices. Shares of the Fund could decline in value or underperform other investments. In addition, local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, market manipulation, government defaults, government shutdowns, regulatory actions, political changes, diplomatic developments, the imposition of sanctions and other similar measures, spread of infectious diseases or other public health issues, recessions, natural disasters, or other events could have a significant negative impact on the Fund and its investments. Any of such circumstances could have a materially negative impact on the value of the Fund’s shares, the liquidity of an investment, and may result in increased market volatility. During any such events, the Fund’s shares may trade at increased premiums or discounts to their net asset value, the bid/ask spread on the Fund’s shares may widen and the returns on investment may fluctuate.

 

Operational Risk. The Fund is subject to risks arising from various operational factors, including, but not limited to, human error, processing and communication errors, errors of the Fund’s service providers, counterparties or other third-parties, failed or inadequate processes and technology or systems failures. The Fund relies on third-parties for a range of services, including custody. Any delay or failure relating to engaging or maintaining such service providers may affect the Fund’s ability to meet its investment objective. Although the Fund and the Fund’s investment adviser seek to reduce these operational risks through controls and procedures, there is no way to completely protect against such risks.

 

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Options Risk. The use of options involves investment strategies and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions and depends on the ability of the Fund’s portfolio managers to forecast market movements correctly. The prices of options are influenced by, among other things, actual and anticipated changes in the value of the underlying instrument, or in interest or currency exchange rates, including the anticipated volatility, which in turn are affected by fiscal and monetary policies and by national and international political and economic events. As a seller (writer) of a put option, the Fund will lose money if the value of the reference index or security falls below the strike price and the buyer exercises the option; however, such loss will be partially offset by any premium received from the sale of the option. As the seller (writer) of a call option, the Fund will lose money if the value of the reference index or security rises above the strike price and the buyer exercises the option; however, such loss will be partially offset by any premium received from the sale of the option. As the buyer of a put or call option, the buyer risks losing the entire premium invested in the option if the buyer does not exercise the option. The effective use of options also depends on the Fund’s ability to terminate option positions at times deemed desirable to do so. There is no assurance that the Fund will be able to effect closing transactions at any particular time or at an acceptable price. In addition, there may at times be an imperfect correlation between the movement in values of options and their underlying securities and there may at times not be a liquid secondary market for certain options. Options may also involve the use of leverage, which could result in greater price volatility than other securities.

 

Premium/Discount Risk. The market price of the Fund’s shares will generally fluctuate in accordance with changes in the Fund’s net asset value as well as the relative supply of and demand for shares on the Exchange. The Fund’s investment adviser cannot predict whether shares will trade below, at or above their net asset value because the shares trade on the Exchange at market prices and not at net asset value. Price differences may be due, in large part, to the fact that supply and demand forces at work in the secondary trading market for shares will be closely related, but not identical, to the same forces influencing the prices of the holdings of the Fund trading individually or in the aggregate at any point in time. However, given that shares can only be purchased and redeemed in Creation Units, and only to and from broker-dealers and large institutional investors that have entered into participation agreements (unlike shares of closed-end funds, which frequently trade at appreciable discounts from, and sometimes at premiums to, their net asset value), the Fund’s investment adviser believes that large discounts or premiums to the net asset value of shares should not be sustained. During stressed market conditions, the market for the Fund’s shares may become less liquid in response to deteriorating liquidity in the market for the Fund’s underlying portfolio holdings, which could in turn lead to differences between the market price of the Fund’s shares and their net asset value and the bid/ask spread on the Fund’s shares may widen.

 

Put Options Risk. Purchasing and writing put options are highly specialized activities and entail greater than ordinary investment risks. The Fund may not fully benefit from or may lose money on an option if changes in its value do not correspond as anticipated to changes in the value of the underlying securities. The risk associated with selling a put option is that the market value of the underlying security could decrease and the option could be exercised, obligating the seller of the put option to settle the transaction at an exercise price that is higher than the prevailing market price. If the Fund is not able to sell an option held in its portfolio, it would have to exercise the option to realize any profit and would incur transaction costs upon the purchase or sale of the underlying securities. Ownership of options involves the payment of premiums, which may adversely affect the Fund’s performance. To the extent that the Fund invests in over-the-counter options, the Fund may be exposed to counterparty risk. A long put option gives the purchaser of the option the right to sell a specified quantity of an underlying asset at a fixed exercise price over a defined period of time. Purchased put options may expire worthless and the Fund would lose the premium it paid for the option.

 

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Tax Risks Associated with Investment in Options on Indexes. The Fund intends to invest a portion of its assets in options on indexes. The treatment of such derivatives may, in part, be based upon informal guidance issued by the Internal Revenue Service a number of years ago. Although the Fund believes that the Fund is treating such derivatives consistently with current tax law, if the Internal Revenue Service were to disagree, the Fund could lose its status as a RIC. If the Fund did not qualify as a RIC for any taxable year and certain relief provisions were not available, the Fund’s taxable income would be subject to tax at the Fund level and to a further tax at the Shareholder level when such income is distributed. In such event, in order to re-qualify for taxation as a RIC, the Fund might be required to recognize unrealized gains, pay substantial taxes and interest and make certain distributions. This would cause investors to incur higher tax liabilities than they otherwise would have incurred and would have a negative impact on Fund returns. In such event, the Fund’s Board of Trustees may determine to reorganize or close the Fund or materially change the Fund’s investment objective and strategies. In the event that the Fund fails to qualify as a RIC, the Fund will promptly notify Shareholders of the implications of that failure.

 

If the positions held and the Options sold or purchased are determined to be straddles (offsetting positions), the amount of long term capital gain available for distribution as a capital gain dividend may be reduced. Because of the loss of long-term capital gains from portfolio investments, in some factual circumstances investors could have a lower after-tax return from investing in the Fund than investing directly in the underlying assets.

 

The Fund may be required to mark some of its investments to market on an annual basis. Under the Code, certain types of options are required to be treated as if they were sold at the end of each year. Such treatment would cause the Fund to have taxable income without receiving cash. In order to maintain its RIC qualification, the Fund must distribute at least 90% of its income annually. Depending upon the circumstances, some assets may need to be sold to fund the required distributions. This process of recognizing deemed income and selling assets to fund distributions may accelerate the time at which Shareholders receive cash but may reduce the overall return on funds employed.

 

Trading Issues Risk. Trading in Fund shares on the Exchange may be halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the Exchange, make trading in shares inadvisable. In addition, trading in Fund shares on the Exchange is subject to trading halts caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant to the Exchange’s “circuit breaker” rules. There can be no assurance that the requirements of the Exchange necessary to maintain the listing of the Fund will continue to be met or will remain unchanged. The Fund may have difficulty maintaining its listing on the Exchange in the event the Fund’s assets are small, the Fund does not have enough shareholders, or if the Fund is unable to proceed with creation and/or redemption orders.

 

Valuation Risk. The Fund may hold securities or other assets that may be valued on the basis of factors other than market quotations. This may occur because the asset or security does not trade on a centralized exchange, or in times of market turmoil or reduced liquidity. There are multiple methods that can be used to value a portfolio holding when market quotations are not readily available. The value established for any portfolio holding at a point in time might differ from what would be produced using a different methodology or if it had been priced using market quotations. Portfolio holdings that are valued using techniques other than market quotations, including “fair valued” assets or securities, may be subject to greater fluctuation in their valuations from one day to the next than if market quotations were used. In addition, there is no assurance that the Fund could sell or close out a portfolio position for the value established for it at any time, and it is possible that the Fund would incur a loss because a portfolio position is sold or closed out at a discount to the valuation established by the Fund at that time. The Fund’s ability to value investments may be impacted by technological issues or errors by pricing services or other third-party service providers.

 

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Performance Information

 

The Fund is the successor to the Syntax Stratified U.S. Total Market Hedged ETF, a series of Syntax ETF Trust (the “Predecessor Fund”), pursuant to a reorganization that took place after the close of business on [-]. The performance information provided for the periods on or prior to [-] is historical information for the Predecessor Fund. The Fund’s investment objective and investment strategy have changed relative to the Predecessor Fund and the Predecessor Fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of the Fund’s future performance. Performance may be higher or lower in the future. Updated performance information is available at [-].

 

Annual Total Returns as of 12/31

 

[Bar chart to be provided.]

 

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

 

  Return Quarter/Year
Highest Return [-] [-]
Lowest Return [-] [-]

 

Average Annual Total Returns for the Periods Ended December 31, 2023

 

 

Stratified LargeCap Hedged ETF

 

1 Year

Since Inception
(6/15/2021)
Return Before Taxes [-] [-]
Return After Taxes on Distributions [-] [-]
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares [-] [-]
S&P Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes) [-] [-]

 

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. Your actual after-tax returns will depend on your tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. In some cases, the return after taxes may exceed the return before taxes due to an assumed tax benefit from any losses on a sale of shares of the Fund at the end of the measurement period.

 

Investment Adviser

 

Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC serves as the investment adviser to the Fund.

 

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Portfolio Managers

 

Andrew Serowik, Portfolio Manager of the Adviser, has served as a portfolio manager of the Fund since [-].

 

Gabriel Tan, Portfolio Manager of the Adviser, has served as a portfolio manager of the Fund since [-].

 

Todd Alberico, Portfolio Manager of the Adviser, has served as a portfolio manager of the Fund since [-].

 

Brian Cooper, Portfolio Manager of the Adviser, has served as a portfolio manager of the Fund since [-].

 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

 

The Fund issues and redeems shares on a continuous basis, at net asset value, only in large blocks of shares called “Creation Units.” Individual shares of the Fund may only be purchased and sold on the secondary market through a broker-dealer. Since shares of the Fund trade on securities exchanges in the secondary market at their market price rather than their net asset value, the Fund’s shares may trade at a price greater than (premium) or less than (discount) the Fund’s net asset value. An investor may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase shares of the Fund (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for shares of the Fund (ask) when buying or selling shares in the secondary market (the “bid-ask spread”). Recent information, including the Fund’s net asset value, market price, premiums and discounts, bid-ask spreads and the median bid-ask spread for the Fund’s most recent fiscal year, is available online at [-].

 

Tax Information

 

Distributions made by the Fund may be taxable as ordinary income, qualified dividend income, or long-term capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-advantaged arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or individual retirement account. In that case, you may be taxed when you take a distribution from such account, depending on the type of account, the circumstances of your distribution, and other factors.

 

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

 

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

 

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Additional Principal Investment Strategies Information

 

The Stratified LargeCap Index ETF seeks to provide investment results that, before fees and expenses, correspond generally to the total return performance of the Syntax Stratified LargeCap Index (the “Index”). The Fund’s investment objective is non-fundamental and may be changed without shareholder approval. The Fund’s 80% investment policy is also a non-fundamental policy and may be changed without shareholder approval upon 60 days’ notice to shareholders.

 

The Fund, using an “indexing” investment approach, seeks to provide investment results that, before fees and expenses, correspond generally to the total return performance of the Index. A number of factors may affect the Fund’s ability to achieve a high correlation with the Index, including the degree to which the Fund utilizes a sampling methodology, Fund expenses, rounding of share prices, the timing or magnitude of changes to the composition of the Index, regulatory policies, and portfolio turnover rate. There can be no guarantee that the Fund will achieve a high degree of correlation.

 

The Fund may sell securities that are represented in the Index or purchase securities not yet represented in the Index, in anticipation of their removal from or addition to the Index. There may also be instances in which the Adviser may choose to overweight securities in the Index, thus causing the Adviser to purchase or sell securities not in the Index that the Adviser believes are appropriate to substitute for certain securities in the Index or utilize various combinations of other available investment techniques in seeking to track the Index. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its assets in cash and cash equivalents, such as money market instruments, or in other types of investments not included in the Index, including in certain derivatives, specifically stock index futures, to equitize cash and help the Fund more closely track the Index. The Fund will not take defensive positions.

 

The Stratified LargeCap Hedged ETF is an actively managed ETF and uses an active investment strategy to seek to meet its investment objective. The Fund’s investment objective is a non-fundamental investment policy and may be changed without shareholder approval. The Fund’s 80% investment policy is also a non-fundamental policy and may be changed without shareholder approval upon 60 days’ notice to shareholders.

 

Each Fund may lend portfolio securities to certain creditworthy borrowers. Securities lending involves exposure to certain risks, including operational risk (i.e., the risk of losses resulting from problems in the settlement and accounting process), “gap” risk (i.e., the risk of a mismatch between the return on cash collateral reinvestments and the fees the Fund has agreed to pay a borrower), and credit, legal, counterparty and market risk. In the event a borrower does not return the Fund’s securities as agreed, the Fund may experience losses if the proceeds received from liquidating the collateral do not at least equal the value of the loaned security at the time the collateral is liquidated plus the transaction costs incurred in purchasing replacement securities.

 

Additional Principal Risk Information

 

Risk is inherent in all investing. Investing in a Fund involves risk, including the risk that you may lose all or part of your investment. There can be no assurance that a Fund will meet its stated objectives. Before you invest, you should consider the following disclosure pertaining to the Principal Risks set forth above as well as additional Non-Principal Risks set forth below in this prospectus. The order of the below risk factors does not indicate the significance of any particular risk factor.

 

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Principal Risks

 

Authorized Participant Concentration Risk. Only an authorized participant may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with the Funds. A limited number of institutions act as authorized participants for the Funds. However, participants are not obligated to make a market in a Fund’s shares or submit purchase and redemption orders for creation units. To the extent that these institutions exit the business, reduce their role or are unable to proceed with creation and/or redemption orders and no other authorized participant steps forward to create or redeem, a Fund’s shares may trade at a premium or discount to the Fund’s net asset value and possibly face delisting and the bid/ask spread on the Fund’s shares may widen.

 

Call Options Risk (Stratified LargeCap Hedged ETF). The writer (seller) of a call option forgoes any profit from increases in the market value of the underlying security or index referenced by the call option above the sum of the premium and the strike price of the call but retains the risk of loss if the underlying security or index declines in value. When writing a call option, the Fund will have no control over the exercise of the option by the option holder and may lose the benefit from any capital appreciation on the underlying security or index. A number of factors may influence the option holder’s decision to exercise the option, including the value of the underlying security or index, price volatility, dividend yield and interest rates. To the extent that these factors increase the value of the call option, the option holder is more likely to exercise the option, which may negatively affect the Fund.

 

When the Fund distributes the premium received from the sale of a call option, the distribution may reduce a shareholder’s tax basis in his or her shares of the Fund, causing a greater gain on a subsequent sale of such shares. However, if the sold call option is later exercised, the premium received by the Fund will be recognized as income for tax purposes. In such cases, if the premium has already been distributed to shareholders, the Fund may be required to sell other assets in order to fund the distribution.

 

Counterparty Risk (Stratified LargeCap Hedged ETF). The Fund may be subject to counterparty risk. If the Fund enters into an investment or transaction that depends on the performance of another party, the Fund becomes subject to the credit risk of that counterparty. The Fund’s ability to profit from these types of investments and transactions depends on the willingness and ability of the Fund’s counterparty to perform its obligations. If a counterparty fails to meet its contractual obligations, the Fund may be unable to terminate or realize any gain on the investment or transaction, resulting in a loss to the Fund. The Fund may experience significant delays in obtaining any recovery in an insolvency, bankruptcy, or other reorganization proceeding involving a counterparty (including recovery of any collateral posted by it) and may obtain only a limited recovery or may obtain no recovery in such circumstances. If the Fund holds collateral posted by its counterparty, it may be delayed or prevented from realizing on the collateral in the event of a bankruptcy or insolvency proceeding relating to the counterparty. Under applicable law or contractual provisions, including if the Fund enters into an investment or transaction with a financial institution and such financial institution (or an affiliate of the financial institution) experiences financial difficulties, then the Fund may in certain situations be prevented or delayed from exercising its rights to terminate the investment or transaction, or to realize on any collateral and may result in the suspension of payment and delivery obligations of the parties under such investment or transactions or in another institution being substituted for that financial institution without the consent of the Fund. Further, the Fund may be subject to “bail-in” risk under applicable law whereby, if required by the financial institution’s authority, the financial institution’s liabilities could be written down, eliminated or converted into equity or an alternative instrument of ownership. A bail-in of a financial institution may result in a reduction in value of some or all of securities and, if the Fund holds such securities or has entered into a transaction with such a financial security when a bail-in occurs, the Fund may also be similarly impacted.

 

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Cyber Security Risk. The Funds are susceptible to operational risks through breaches in cyber security. A breach in cyber security refers to both intentional and unintentional events that may cause a Fund to lose proprietary information, suffer data corruption or lose operational capacity. Such events could cause a Fund to incur regulatory penalties, reputational damage, additional compliance costs associated with corrective measures and/or financial loss. These risks typically are not covered by insurance. In general, cyber incidents can result from deliberate attacks or unintentional events. Cyber incidents include, but are not limited to, gaining unauthorized access to digital systems (e.g., through “hacking” or malicious software coding) for purposes of misappropriating assets or sensitive information, corrupting data or causing operational disruption. Cyber attacks may also be carried out in a manner that does not require gaining unauthorized access, such as causing denial-of-service attacks on websites (i.e., efforts to make network services unavailable to intended users). Cyber security failures by or breaches of the systems of the Adviser, distributor and other service providers (including, but not limited to, sub-advisers, index providers, fund accountants, custodians, transfer agents and administrators), market makers, authorized participants or the issuers of securities in which the Fund invests, have the ability to cause disruptions and impact business operations, potentially resulting in: financial losses; interference with the Fund’s ability to calculate its net asset value; disclosure of confidential trading information; impediments to trading; submission of erroneous trades or erroneous creation or redemption orders; the inability of the Fund or its service providers to transact business; violations of applicable privacy and other laws; regulatory fines penalties, reputational damage, reimbursement or other compensation costs; or additional compliance costs. Substantial costs may be incurred by a Fund in order to resolve or prevent cyber incidents in the future. While the Funds have established business continuity plans in the event of, and risk management systems to prevent, such cyber attacks, there are inherent limitations in such plans and systems, including the possibility that certain risks have not been identified and that prevention and remediation efforts will not be successful. Furthermore, the Funds cannot control the cyber security plans and systems put in place by service providers to the Funds, issuers in which the Funds invest, market makers or authorized participants. However, there is no guarantee that such efforts will succeed, and a Fund and its shareholders could be negatively impacted as a result.

 

Depositary Receipts Risk. The Funds may invest in depositary receipts. Depositary receipts are securities issued by a bank or trust company reflecting ownership of underlying securities issued by a foreign company. An investment in depositary receipts involves further risks due to certain unique features. Any distributions paid to the holders of depositary receipts are usually subject to a fee charged by the depositary. Holders of depositary receipts may have limited voting rights pursuant to a deposit agreement between the underlying issuer and the depositary. In certain cases, the depositary will vote the shares deposited with it as directed by the underlying issuer’s board of directors. Furthermore, investment restrictions in certain countries may adversely impact the value of depositary receipts because such restrictions may limit the ability to convert shares into depositary receipts and vice versa. Such restrictions may cause shares of the underlying issuer to trade at a discount or premium to the market price of the depositary receipt. Moreover, if depositary receipts are converted into shares, the laws in certain countries may limit the ability of a non-resident to trade the shares and to reconvert the shares to depositary receipts. Depositary receipts may be “sponsored” or “unsponsored.” Sponsored depositary receipts are established jointly by a depositary and the underlying issuer, whereas unsponsored depositary receipts may be established by a depositary without participation by the underlying issuer. Holders of unsponsored depositary receipts generally bear all the costs associated with establishing the unsponsored depositary receipts. In addition, the issuers of the securities underlying unsponsored depositary receipts are not obligated to disclose material information in the U.S. and, therefore, there may be less information available regarding such issuers and there may not be a correlation between such information and the market value of the depositary receipts.

 

Derivatives Risk (Stratified LargeCap Hedged ETF). The 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) 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. Derivative prices are highly volatile and may fluctuate substantially during a short period of time. Such prices are influenced by numerous factors that affect the markets, including, but not limited to: changing supply and demand relationships; government programs and policies; national and international political and economic events, changes in interest rates, inflation and deflation and changes in supply and demand relationships. Trading derivative instruments involves risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities. Derivative contracts ordinarily have leverage inherent in their terms. The low margin deposits normally required in trading derivatives, including futures contracts, permit a high degree of leverage. Accordingly, a relatively small price movement may result in an immediate and substantial loss. The use of leverage may also cause the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it would not be advantageous to do so in order to satisfy its obligations or to meet collateral segregation requirements. The use of leveraged derivatives can magnify potential for gain or loss and, therefore, amplify the effects of market volatility on share price.

 

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Equity Securities Risk. The value of a Fund’s shares will fluctuate with changes in the value of the equity securities in which it invests. Equity securities prices fluctuate for several reasons, including changes in investors’ perceptions of the financial condition of an issuer or the general condition of the relevant equity market, such as market volatility, or when political or economic events affecting the issuers occur. Common stock prices may be particularly sensitive to rising interest rates, as the cost of capital rises and borrowing costs increase. Equity securities may decline significantly in price over short or extended periods of time, and such declines may occur in the equity market as a whole, or they may occur in only a particular country, company, industry or sector of the market. Additionally, holders of an issuer’s common stock may be subject to greater risks than holders of its preferred stock and debt securities because common stockholders’ claims are subordinated to those of holders of preferred stocks and debt securities upon the bankruptcy of an issuer.

 

Hedging Risk (Stratified LargeCap Hedged ETF). If the Fund seeks to hedge at the wrong time or judges the market conditions incorrectly, or the hedged instrument does not correlate to the risk sought to be hedged, the hedge might be unsuccessful, reduce the Fund’s return, or create a loss. In addition, hedges, even when successful in mitigating risk, may not prevent the Fund from experiencing losses on its investments. Hedging instruments may also reduce or eliminate gains that may otherwise have been available had the Fund not used the hedging instruments.

 

Index Provider Risk (Stratified LargeCap Index ETF). There is no assurance that an Index Provider, or any agents that act on its behalf, will compile an Index accurately, or that an Index will be determined, maintained, constructed, reconstituted, rebalanced, composed, calculated or disseminated accurately. An Index Provider and its agents do not provide any representation or warranty in relation to the quality, accuracy or completeness of data in an Index, and do not guarantee that an Index will be calculated in accordance with its stated methodology. The Adviser’s mandate as described in this prospectus is to manage the Fund consistently with the Index provided by an Index Provider. The Adviser relies upon the Index Provider and its agents to accurately compile, maintain, construct, reconstitute, rebalance, compose, calculate and disseminate an Index accurately. Therefore, losses or costs associated with any Index Provider or agent errors generally will be borne by the Fund and its shareholders. To correct any such error, an Index Provider or its agents may carry out an unscheduled rebalance of an Index or other modification of Index constituents or weightings. When the Fund in turn rebalances its portfolio, any transaction costs and market exposure arising from such portfolio rebalancing will be borne by the Fund and its shareholders. Unscheduled rebalances also expose the Fund to additional tracking error risk. Errors in respect of the quality, accuracy and completeness of the data used to compile an Index may occur from time to time and may not be identified and corrected by an Index Provider for a period of time or at all, particularly where an Index is less commonly used as a benchmark by funds or advisors. For example, during a period where an Index contains incorrect constituents, the Fund tracking the Index would have market exposure to such constituents and would be underexposed to the Index’s other constituents. Such errors may negatively impact the Fund and its shareholders. An Index Provider and its agents rely on various sources of information to assess the criteria of issuers included in an Index, including information that may be based on assumptions and estimates. Neither the Fund nor the Adviser can offer assurances that an Index’s calculation methodology or sources of information will provide an accurate assessment of included issuers. Unusual market conditions may cause an Index Provider to postpone a scheduled rebalance, which could cause an Index to vary from its normal or expected composition. The postponement of a scheduled rebalance in a time of market volatility could mean that constituents that would otherwise be removed at rebalance due to changes in market capitalizations, issuer credit ratings, or other reasons may remain, causing the performance and constituents of an Index to vary from those expected under normal conditions. Apart from scheduled rebalances, an Index Provider or its agents may carry out additional ad hoc rebalances to an Index due to unusual market conditions or in order, for example, to correct an error in the selection of index constituents.

 

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Management Risk (Stratified LargeCap Hedged ETF). The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed portfolio. In managing the Fund’s investment portfolio, the portfolio managers will apply investment techniques and risk analyses that may not produce the desired result. There can be no guarantee that the Fund will meet its investment objective(s), meet relevant benchmarks or perform as well as other funds with similar objectives.

 

Market Capitalization Deviation Risk. There can be no assurance that the securities held by the Funds will stay within the Funds’ intended market capitalization range. As a result, the Funds may be exposed to additional risk or investors may not be given the opportunity to invest fully in a certain market capitalization range.

 

Market Maker Risk. The Funds face numerous market trading risks, including the potential lack of an active market for Fund shares due to a limited number of market markers. Decisions by market makers or authorized participants to reduce their role or step away from these activities in times of market stress could inhibit the effectiveness of the arbitrage process in maintaining the relationship between the underlying values of a Fund’s portfolio securities and the Fund’s market price. The Funds may rely on a small number of third-party market makers to provide a market for the purchase and sale of shares. Any trading halt or other problem relating to the trading activity of these market makers could result in a dramatic change in the spread between a Fund’s net asset value and the price at which the Fund’s shares are trading on the Exchange, which could result in a decrease in value of the Fund’s shares. This reduced effectiveness could result in Fund shares trading at a discount to net asset value and also in greater than normal intraday bid-ask spreads for Fund shares.

 

Market Risk. Market risk is the risk that a particular security, or shares of a Fund in general, may fall in value. Securities are subject to market fluctuations caused by such factors as economic, political, regulatory or market developments, changes in interest rates and perceived trends in securities prices. Shares of the Fund could decline in value or underperform other investments due to short-term market movements or any longer periods during more prolonged market downturns. In addition, local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, spread of infectious diseases or other public health issues, recessions, or other events could have a significant negative impact on the Fund and its investments. For example, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) global pandemic and the ensuing policies enacted by governments and central banks have caused and may continue to cause significant volatility and uncertainty in global financial markets, negatively impacting global growth prospects. While the U.S. has resumed “reasonably” normal business activity, many countries continue to impose lockdown measures. Additionally, there is no guarantee that vaccines will be effective against emerging variants of the disease. Additionally, in February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine which has caused and could continue to cause significant market disruptions and volatility within the markets in Russia, Europe, and the United States. The hostilities and sanctions resulting from those hostilities could have a significant impact on certain Fund investments as well as Fund performance. These events also adversely affect the prices and liquidity of the Fund’s portfolio securities or other instruments and could result in disruptions in the trading markets. Any of such circumstances could have a materially negative impact on the value of the Fund’s shares and result in increased market volatility. During any such events, the Fund’s shares may trade at increased premiums or discounts to their net asset value and the bid/ask spread on the Fund’s shares may widen.

 

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Non-Correlation Risk (Stratified LargeCap Index ETF). The Fund’s return may not match the return of the Index for a number of reasons. The Fund incurs operating expenses not applicable to its Index and may incur costs in buying and selling securities, especially when rebalancing the Fund’s portfolio holdings to reflect changes in the composition of the Index. In addition, the Fund’s portfolio holdings may not exactly replicate the securities included in its Index or the ratios between the securities included in the Index.

 

Operational Risk. The Funds are subject to risks arising from various operational factors, including, but not limited to, human error, processing and communication errors, errors of the Fund’s service providers, counterparties or other third-parties, failed or inadequate processes and technology or systems failures. The Fund relies on third-parties for a range of services, including custody. Any delay or failure relating to engaging or maintaining such service providers may affect the Fund’s ability to meet its investment objective. Although the Fund and the Fund’s investment adviser seek to reduce these operational risks through controls and procedures, there is no way to completely protect against such risks.

 

Options Risk (Stratified LargeCap Hedged ETF). The use of options involves investment strategies and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions and depends on the ability of the Fund’s portfolio manager to forecast market movements correctly. The prices of options are influenced by, among other things, actual and anticipated changes in the value of the underlying instrument, or in interest or currency exchange rates, including the anticipated volatility, which in turn are affected by fiscal and monetary policies and by national and international political and economic events. As the seller (writer) of a call option, the seller will tend to lose money if the value of the reference index or security rises above the strike price. As the buyer of a call option, the buyer risks losing the entire premium invested in the option if the buyer does not exercise the option. The effective use of options also depends on the Fund’s ability to terminate option positions at times deemed desirable to do so. There is no assurance that the Fund will be able to effect closing transactions at any particular time or at an acceptable price. In addition, there may at times be an imperfect correlation between the movement in values of options and their underlying securities and there may at times not be a liquid secondary market for certain options. Options may also involve the use of leverage, which could result in greater price volatility than other markets.

 

Passive Investment Risk (Stratified LargeCap Index ETF). Each Fund invests in securities included in or representative of an Index regardless of investment merit. The Stratified LargeCap Index Fund generally will not attempt to take defensive positions in declining markets. In the event that an Index is no longer calculated, the corresponding Index license is terminated or the identity or character of an Index is materially changed, the applicable Fund will seek to engage a replacement index.

 

Premium/Discount Risk. The market price of a Fund’s shares will generally fluctuate in accordance with changes in the Fund’s net asset value as well as the relative supply of and demand for shares on the Exchange. The Adviser cannot predict whether shares will trade below, at or above their net asset value because the shares trade on the Exchange at market prices and not at net asset value. Price differences may be due, in large part, to the fact that supply and demand forces at work in the secondary trading market for shares will be closely related, but not identical, to the same forces influencing the prices of the holdings of the Fund trading individually or in the aggregate at any point in time. However, given that shares can only be purchased and redeemed in Creation Units, and only to and from broker-dealers and large institutional investors that have entered into participation agreements (unlike shares of closed-end funds, which frequently trade at appreciable discounts from, and sometimes at premiums to, their net asset value), the Adviser believes that large discounts or premiums to the net asset value of shares should not be sustained absent disruptions to the creation and redemption mechanism, extreme market volatility or potential lack of authorized participants. During stressed market conditions, the market for the Fund’s shares may become less liquid in response to deteriorating liquidity in the market for the Fund’s underlying portfolio holdings, which could in turn lead to differences between the market price of the Fund’s shares and their net asset value and the bid/ask spread on the Fund’s shares may widen.

 

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Put Options Risk (Stratified LargeCap Hedged ETF). Purchasing and writing put options are highly specialized activities and entail greater than ordinary investment risks. The Fund may not fully benefit from or may lose money on an option if changes in its value do not correspond as anticipated to changes in the value of the underlying securities. The risk associated with selling a put option is that the market value of the underlying security could decrease and the option could be exercised, obligating the seller of the put option to settle the transaction at an exercise price that is higher than the prevailing market price. If the Fund is not able to sell an option held in its portfolio, it would have to exercise the option to realize any profit and would incur transaction costs upon the purchase or sale of the underlying securities. Ownership of options involves the payment of premiums, which may adversely affect the Fund’s performance. To the extent that the Fund invests in over-the-counter options, the Fund may be exposed to counterparty risk. A long put option gives the purchaser of the option the right to sell a specified quantity of an underlying asset at a fixed exercise price over a defined period of time. Purchased put options may expire worthless and the Fund would lose the premium it paid for the option.

 

Tax Risks Associated with Investment in Options On Indexes (Stratified LargeCap Hedged ETF). The Fund intends to invest a portion of its assets in options on indexes. The treatment of such derivatives may, in part, be based upon informal guidance issued by the Internal Revenue Service a number of years ago. Although the Fund believes that it is treating such derivatives consistently with current tax law, if the Internal Revenue Service were to disagree, the Fund could lose its status as a RIC. If the Fund did not qualify as a RIC for any taxable year and certain relief provisions were not available, the Fund’s taxable income would be subject to tax at the Fund level and to a further tax at the Shareholder level when such income is distributed. In such event, in order to re-qualify for taxation as a RIC, the Fund might be required to recognize unrealized gains, pay substantial taxes and interest and make certain distributions. This would cause investors to incur higher tax liabilities than they otherwise would have incurred and would have a negative impact on Fund returns. In such event, the Fund’s Board of Trustees may determine to reorganize or close the Fund or materially change the Fund’s investment objective and strategies. In the event that the Fund fails to qualify as a RIC, the Fund will promptly notify Shareholders of the implications of that failure.

 

If the positions held and the Options sold or purchased are determined to be straddles (offsetting positions), the amount of long term capital gain available for distribution as a capital gain dividend may be reduced. Because of the loss of long-term capital gains from portfolio investments, in some factual circumstances investors could have a lower after-tax return from investing in the Fund than investing directly in the underlying assets.

 

The Fund may be required to mark some of its investments to market on an annual basis. Under the Code, certain types of options are required to be treated as if they were sold at the end of each year. Such treatment would cause the Fund to have taxable income without receiving cash. In order to maintain its RIC qualification, the Fund must distribute at least 90% of its income annually. Depending upon the circumstances, some assets may need to be sold to fund the required distributions. This process of recognizing deemed income and selling assets to fund distributions may accelerate the time at which Shareholders receive cash but may reduce the overall return on funds employed.

 

Trading Issues Risk. Trading in Fund shares on the Exchange may be halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the Exchange, make trading in shares inadvisable. In addition, trading in Fund shares on the Exchange is subject to trading halts caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant to the Exchange’s “circuit breaker” rules. There can be no assurance that the requirements of the Exchange necessary to maintain the listing of the Fund will continue to be met or will remain unchanged. A Fund may have difficulty maintaining its listing on the Exchange in the event a Fund’s assets are small, the Fund does not have enough shareholders, or if the Fund is unable to proceed with creation and/or redemption orders.

 

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Valuation Risk (Stratified LargeCap Hedged ETF). The Fund may hold securities or other assets that may be valued on the basis of factors other than market quotations. This may occur because the asset or security does not trade on a centralized exchange, or in times of market turmoil or reduced liquidity. There are multiple methods that can be used to value a portfolio holding when market quotations are not readily available. The value established for any portfolio holding at a point in time might differ from what would be produced using a different methodology or if it had been priced using market quotations. Portfolio holdings that are valued using techniques other than market quotations, including “fair valued” assets or securities, may be subject to greater fluctuation in their valuations from one day to the next than if market quotations were used. In addition, there is no assurance that the Fund could sell or close out a portfolio position for the value established for it at any time, and it is possible that the Fund would incur a loss because a portfolio position is sold or closed out at a discount to the valuation established by the Fund at that time. The Fund’s ability to value investments may be impacted by technological issues or errors by pricing services or other third-party service providers.

 

Non-Principal Risks

 

Cash Transactions Risk. The Funds may, under certain circumstances, effect a portion of their creations and redemptions for cash rather than in-kind. As a result, an investment in a Fund may be less tax-efficient than an investment in an ETF that effects its creations and redemptions only in-kind. ETFs are able to make in-kind redemptions and avoid being taxed on gains on the distributed portfolio securities at the fund level. The Funds may be required to sell portfolio securities in order to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. Any recognized gain on these sales by the Funds will generally cause a Fund to recognize a gain it might not otherwise have recognized, or to recognize such gain sooner than would otherwise be required if it were to distribute portfolio securities only in-kind. The Funds intend to distribute these gains to shareholders to avoid being taxed on this gain at the fund level and otherwise comply with the special tax rules that apply to it. This strategy may cause shareholders to be subject to tax on gains they would not otherwise be subject to, or at an earlier date than if they had made an investment in a different ETF. Moreover, cash transactions may have to be carried out over several days if the securities market is relatively illiquid and may involve considerable brokerage fees and taxes. These brokerage fees and taxes, which will be higher than if a Fund sold and redeemed its shares entirely in-kind, will be passed on to those purchasing and redeeming Creation Units in the form of creation and redemption transaction fees. In addition, these factors may result in wider spreads between the bid and the offered prices of a Fund’s shares than for ETFs that distribute portfolio securities in-kind.

 

Failure to Qualify as a Regulated Investment Company Risk. If, in any year, a Fund fails to qualify as a regulated investment company under the applicable tax laws, the Fund would be taxed as an ordinary corporation. In such circumstances, the Fund could be required to recognize unrealized gains, pay substantial taxes and interest and make substantial distributions before requalifying as a regulated investment company that is accorded special tax treatment.

 

Intellectual Property Risk. Each Fund relies on a license and related sublicense that permits a Fund to use its Index and associated trade names, trademarks and service marks (the “Intellectual Property”) in connection with the Fund’s name and investment strategies. Such license and related sublicense may be terminated by the Index Provider, and, as a result, a Fund may lose its ability to use the Intellectual Property. There is also no guarantee that the Index Provider has all rights to license the Intellectual Property for use by a Fund. Accordingly, in the event the license is terminated or the Index Provider does not have rights to license the Intellectual Property, it may have a significant effect on the operation of a Fund.

 

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Issuer Specific Changes Risk. The value of an individual security or particular type of security can be more volatile than the market as a whole and can perform differently from the value of the market as a whole.

 

REIT Risk. The Fund may invest in REITs. REITs typically own and operate income-producing real estate, such as residential or commercial buildings, or real-estate related assets, including mortgages. As a result, investments in REITs are subject to the risks associated with investing in real estate, which may include, but are not limited to: fluctuations in the value of underlying properties; defaults by borrowers or tenants; market saturation; changes in general and local operating expenses; and other economic, political or regulatory occurrences affecting companies in the real estate sector. Additionally, investing in REITs involves certain other risks related to their structure and focus, which include, but are not limited to, dependency upon management skills, limited diversification, the risks of locating and managing financing for projects, heavy cash flow dependency, possible default by borrowers, the costs and potential losses of self-liquidation of one or more holdings, the risk of a possible lack of mortgage funds and associated interest rate risks, overbuilding, property vacancies, increases in property taxes and operating expenses, changes in zoning laws, losses due to environmental damages, changes in neighborhood values and appeal to purchasers, the possibility of failing to maintain exemptions from registration under the 1940 Act, failure to satisfy the requirements of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 for maintaining REIT status and, in many cases, relatively small market capitalization, which may result in less market liquidity and greater price volatility for a REIT’s shares. REITs are also subject to the risk that the real estate market may experience an economic downturn generally, which may have a material effect on the real estate in which the REITs invest and their underlying portfolio securities.

 

Legislation/Litigation Risk. From time to time, various legislative initiatives are proposed in the United States and abroad, which may have a negative impact on certain companies in which the Fund invests. In addition, litigation regarding any of the issuers of the securities owned by the Fund, or industries represented by these issuers, may negatively impact the value of the securities. Such legislation or litigation may cause the Fund to lose value or may result in higher portfolio turnover if the Adviser determines to sell such a holding.

 

Portfolio Holdings

 

A description of the Funds’ policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Funds’ portfolio securities is available in the Funds’ Statement of Additional Information (the “SAI”).

 

Fund Management

 

Adviser

 

Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC, an Oklahoma limited liability company, is located at 10900 Hefner Pointe Drive, Suite 400, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73120, its primary place of business, and 295 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10017. The Adviser was formed in 2009 and provides investment advisory services to exchange-traded funds.

 

Under an investment advisory agreement between the Trust, on behalf of the Funds, and the Adviser, the Adviser provides investment advisory services to the Funds. The Adviser is responsible for, among other things, the selection and ongoing monitoring of the securities in each Fund’s portfolio, trading portfolio securities on behalf of the Funds, selecting broker-dealers to execute purchase and sale transactions, subject to the oversight of the Board, and certain other services necessary for the management of the Funds. For the services it provides to the Funds, the Adviser is entitled to a fee calculated daily and paid monthly at an annual rate of 0.45% of the average daily net assets of the Stratified LargeCap Index ETF and 0.95% of the average daily net assets of the Stratified LargeCap Hedged ETF.

 

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ETC Platform Services, LLC (“ETC Platform Services”), a direct wholly-owned subsidiary of the Adviser, administers the Funds’ business affairs and provides office facilities and equipment, certain clerical, bookkeeping and administrative services, paying agent services under the Funds’ unitary fee arrangement (as described below), and its officers and employees to serve as officers or Trustees of the Trust. ETC Platform Services also arranges for transfer agency, custody, fund administration and accounting, and other non-distribution related services necessary for the Funds to operate. For the services it provides to the Funds, ETC Platform Services is paid a fee calculated daily and paid monthly based on a percentage of each Fund’s average daily net assets.

 

The Adviser has agreed to pay all expenses incurred by the Funds (including the fee charged by ETC Platform Services) except for the advisory fee, interest, taxes, brokerage commissions and other expenses incurred in placing orders for the purchase and sale of securities and other investment instruments, acquired fund fees and expenses, accrued deferred tax liability, extraordinary expenses, and distribution fees and expenses paid by the Funds under any distribution plan adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act (“Excluded Expenses”). As part of an arrangement between the Adviser and the Sub-Adviser, the Sub-Adviser has agreed to assume the Adviser’s obligation to pay all expenses of the Funds (except Excluded Expenses) and, to the extent applicable, pay the Adviser a minimum fee.

 

Pursuant to an SEC exemptive order and subject to the conditions of that order, the Adviser may, with Board approval but without shareholder approval, change or select new sub-advisers, materially amend the terms of an agreement with a sub-adviser (including an increase in its fee), or continue the employment of a sub-adviser after an event that would otherwise cause the automatic termination of services. Shareholders will be notified of any such changes.

 

A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s renewal of the investment advisory agreement with the Adviser will be available in the Funds’ next shareholder report.

 

Portfolio Managers

 

Andrew Serowik joined the Adviser from Goldman Sachs in May 2018. He began his career at Spear, Leeds & Kellogg (“SLK”), continuing with Goldman after its acquisition of SLK in September 2000. During his career of more than 18 years at the combined companies, he held various roles, including managing the global Quant ETF Strats team and One Delta ETF Strats. He designed and developed systems for portfolio risk calculation, algorithmic ETF trading, and execution monitoring, with experience across all asset classes. He graduated from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in finance.

 

Gabriel Tan joined the Adviser in May 2019 as an Associate Portfolio Manager and was promoted to Portfolio Manager in December 2020. He began his career at UBS and BBR Partners where he worked as a financial planning analyst and a portfolio strategist for over four years. During his time there, he developed comprehensive wealth management solutions focused on portfolio optimization, trust and estate planning, and tax planning.

 

Mr. Alberico joined the Adviser in November 2020 as a Portfolio Manager. From 2005 to 2011, he worked on the ETF trading and portfolio risk management team at Goldman Sachs. He subsequently held roles at Cantor Fitzgerald (from 2011 to 2013) and Virtu Financial (from 2013 to 2020). Mr. Alberico has worked on several different facets of ETF trading, from lead market-making and electronic trading to customer facing institutional business developing models for block trading as well as transitional trades. Mr. Alberico graduated from St. John’s University in NY with a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance.

 

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Mr. Cooper joined the Adviser in November 2021. Previously, Mr. Cooper had roles in trade operations for Constellation Advisers from March 2017 until April 2018 and for QFR Capital Management from April 2018 until July 2020 and in the middle office derivatives group of Elliot Capital Management from September 2020 until November 2021. Prior to these roles, he spent 14 years working in various operational roles for Falcon Management Corporation, a global macro family office, gaining exposure to a variety of asset classes with a focus on operations, accounting, and technology. Mr. Cooper graduated from Pennsylvania State University in 2002 with a Bachelor of Science in Finance and a minor in Business Law.

 

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

 

Buying and Selling Fund Shares

 

General

 

Shares of each Fund are listed for trading on the Exchange. When you buy or sell a Fund’s shares on the secondary market, you will pay or receive the market price. You may incur customary brokerage commissions and charges and may pay some or all of the spread between the bid and the offered price in the secondary market on each leg of a round trip (purchase and sale) transaction. The shares of a Fund will trade on the Exchange at prices that may differ to varying degrees from the daily NAV of such shares. A business day with respect to each Fund is any day on which the Exchange is open for business. The Exchange is generally open Monday through Friday and is closed on weekends and the following holidays: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

 

NAV per share for a Fund is computed by dividing the value of the net assets of that Fund (i.e., the value of its total assets less total liabilities) by its total number of shares outstanding. Expenses and fees, including management and distribution fees, if any, are accrued daily and taken into account for purposes of determining NAV. NAV is determined each business day, normally as of the close of regular trading of the New York Stock Exchange (ordinarily 4:00 p.m., Eastern time).

 

When determining NAV, the value of a Fund’s portfolio investments is determined pursuant to the Trust’s valuation policy and the Adviser’s fair valuation policy and procedures. In general, the value of a Fund’s portfolio investments is based on market prices of securities, which generally means a valuation obtained from an exchange or other market (or based on a price quotation or other equivalent indication of the value supplied by an exchange or other market) or a valuation obtained from an independent pricing service. Pursuant to Rule 2a-5 under the 1940 Act, the Adviser has been designated by the Board as the valuation designee with responsibility for fair valuation subject to oversight by the Board. If an investment’s market price is not readily available or does not otherwise accurately reflect the fair value of the security, pursuant to the Trust’s valuation policy, the investment will be fair valued in accordance with the Adviser’s fair valuation policy and procedures, which were approved by the Board. An investment may be fair valued in a variety of circumstances, including but not limited to, situations when the value of a security in a Fund’s portfolio has been materially affected by events occurring after the close of the market on which the security is principally traded but prior to the close of the Exchange (such as in the case of a corporate action or other news that may materially affect the price of a security) or trading in a security has been suspended or halted. Accordingly, a Fund’s NAV may reflect certain portfolio securities’ fair values rather than their market prices.

 

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Fair value pricing involves subjective judgments and it is possible that a fair value determination for a security will materially differ from the value that could be realized upon the sale of the security.

 

Frequent Purchases and Redemptions of Fund Shares

 

The Funds do not impose any restrictions on the frequency of purchases and redemptions of Creation Units; however, each Fund reserves the right to reject or limit purchases at any time as described in the SAI. When considering that no restriction or policy was necessary, the Board evaluated the risks posed by arbitrage and market timing activities, such as whether frequent purchases and redemptions would interfere with the efficient implementation of a Fund’s investment strategy, or whether they would cause a Fund to experience increased transaction costs. The Board considered that, unlike traditional mutual funds, shares of each Fund are issued and redeemed only in large quantities of shares known as Creation Units available only from the Funds directly to Authorized Participants, and that most trading in the Funds occurs on the Exchange at prevailing market prices and does not involve the Funds directly. Given this structure, the Board determined that it is unlikely that trading due to arbitrage opportunities or market timing by shareholders would result in negative impact to the Funds or its shareholders. In addition, frequent trading of a Fund’s shares by Authorized Participants and arbitrageurs is critical to ensuring that the market price remains at or close to NAV.

 

Distribution and Service Plan

 

Each Fund has adopted a Distribution and Service Plan in accordance with Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act pursuant to which payments of up to 0.25% of a Fund’s average daily net assets may be made for the sale and distribution of its shares. No payments pursuant to the Distribution and Service Plan will be made during the twelve (12) month period from the date of this Prospectus. Thereafter, 12b-1 fees may only be imposed after approval by the Board. Because these fees, if imposed, would be paid out of a Fund’s assets on an ongoing basis, if payments are made in the future, these fees will increase the cost of your investment and may cost you more than paying other types of sales charges.

 

Dividends, Distributions and Taxes

 

Fund Distributions

 

Each Fund pays out dividends from its net investment income annually and distributes its net capital gains, if any, to investors at least annually. 

 

Dividend Reinvestment Service

 

Brokers may make available to their customers who own shares of a Fund the Depository Trust Company book-entry dividend reinvestment service. If this service is available and used, dividend distributions of both income and capital gains will automatically be reinvested in additional whole shares of the applicable Fund purchased on the secondary market. Without this service, investors would receive their distributions in cash. To determine whether the dividend reinvestment service is available and whether there is a commission or other charge for using this service, consult your broker. Brokers may require a Fund’s shareholders to adhere to specific procedures and timetables.

 

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Tax Information

 

The following is a summary of certain important U.S. federal income tax issues that affect each Fund and its shareholders. The summary is based on current tax laws, which may be changed by legislative, judicial or administrative action. You should not consider this summary to be a comprehensive explanation of the tax treatment of a Fund, or the tax consequences of an investment in a Fund. More information about taxes is located in the SAI. You are urged to consult your tax adviser regarding specific questions as to federal, state and local income taxes.

 

Tax Status of the Funds

 

Each Fund has elected and intends to qualify each year for the special tax treatment afforded to a RIC under the Internal Revenue Code. As long as a Fund maintains its qualification for treatment as a RIC and meets certain minimum distribution requirements, then it generally is not subject to federal income tax on the earnings it timely distributes to its shareholders. However, if a Fund fails to qualify as a RIC or to meet minimum distribution requirements it would result in fund level taxation (if certain relief provisions were not available) and consequently a reduction in income available for distribution to shareholders.

 

Unless you are a tax-exempt entity or your investment in Fund shares is made through a tax-deferred retirement account, such as an individual retirement account, you need to be aware of the possible tax consequences when a Fund makes distributions, you sell Fund shares, and you purchase or redeem Creation Units (Authorized Participants only).

 

Tax Status of Distributions

 

·Each Fund intends to distribute for each year substantially all of its net investment income and net capital gains income.

 

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

 

·The income dividends you receive from a Fund will be generally taxed as either ordinary income or “qualified dividend income.” Dividends that are reported by a Fund as qualified dividend income are generally taxable to non-corporate shareholders at tax rates of up to 20% (lower rates apply to individuals in lower tax brackets). Qualified dividend income generally is income derived from dividends paid to a Fund by U.S. corporations or certain foreign corporations that are either incorporated in a U.S. possession or eligible for tax benefits under certain U.S. income tax treaties. In addition, dividends that a Fund receives in respect of stock of certain foreign corporations may be qualified dividend income if that stock is readily tradable on an established U.S. securities market. For such dividends to be taxed as qualified dividend income to a non-corporate shareholder, a Fund must satisfy certain holding period requirements with respect to the underlying stock and the non-corporate shareholder must satisfy holding period requirements with respect to his or her ownership of the Fund’s shares. Holding periods may be suspended for these purposes for stock that is hedged. Certain of the Funds’ investment strategies may limit their ability to make distributions eligible for treatment as qualified dividend income.

 

·Taxes on distributions of capital gains (if any) may be determined by how long a Fund owned the investments that generated them, rather than how long a shareholder has owned their shares. Sales of assets held by a Fund for more than one year generally result in long-term capital gains and losses, and sales of assets held by a Fund for one year or less generally result in short-term capital gains and losses. Distributions from a Fund’s short-term capital gains are generally taxable as ordinary income. Distributions from a Fund’s net capital gain (the excess of the Fund’s net long-term capital gains over its net short-term capital losses) are taxable as long-term capital gains regardless of how long you have owned your shares of a Fund. For non-corporate shareholders, long-term capital gains are generally taxable at tax rates of up to 20% (lower rates apply to individuals in lower tax brackets).

 

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·If the positions held and the Options sold or purchased are determined to be straddles (offsetting positions), the amount of long term capital gain available for distribution as a capital gain dividend may be reduced. Because of the loss of long-term capital gains from portfolio investments, in some factual circumstances investors could have a lower after-tax return from investing in the Fund than investing directly in the underlying assets.

 

·The Fund may be required to mark some of its investments to market on an annual basis. Under the Code, certain types of options are required to be treated as if they were sold at the end of each year. Such treatment would cause the Fund to have taxable income without receiving cash. In order to maintain its RIC qualification, the Fund must distribute at least 90% of its income annually. Depending upon the circumstances, some assets may need to be sold to fund the required distributions. This process of recognizing deemed income and selling assets to fund distributions may accelerate the time at which Shareholders receive cash but may reduce the overall return on funds employed.

 

·Corporate shareholders may be entitled to a dividends-received deduction for the portion of dividends they receive from a Fund that are attributable to dividends received by the Fund from U.S. corporations, subject to certain limitations. Certain of the Funds’ investment strategies may limit their ability to make distributions eligible for the dividends received deduction for corporate shareholders.

 

·A Fund that receives business interest income may pass through its net business interest income for purposes of the tax rules applicable to the interest expense limitations under Section 163(j) of the Internal Revenue Code. A Fund’s total “Section 163(j) Interest Dividend” for a tax year is limited to the excess of the Fund’s business interest income over the sum of its business interest expense and its other deductions properly allocable to its business interest income. A Fund may, in its discretion, designate all or a portion of ordinary dividends as Section 163(j) Interest Dividends, which would allow the recipient shareholder to treat the designated portion of such dividends as interest income for purposes of determining such shareholder’s interest expense deduction limitation under Section 163(j). This can potentially increase the amount of a shareholder’s interest expense deductible under Section 163(j). In general, to be eligible to treat a Section 163(j) Interest Dividend as interest income, you must have held your shares in a Fund for more than 180 days during the 361-day period beginning on the date that is 180 days before the date on which the share becomes ex-dividend with respect to such dividend. Section 163(j) Interest Dividends, if so designated by a Fund, will be reported to your financial intermediary or otherwise in accordance with the requirements specified by the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”).

 

·In general, your distributions are subject to federal income tax for the year in which they are paid. However, distributions paid in January but declared by a Fund in October, November or December of the previous year payable to shareholders of record in such a month may be taxable to you in the previous year.

 

·You should note that if you purchase shares of a Fund just before a distribution, the purchase price would reflect the amount of the upcoming distribution. In this case, you would be taxed on the entire amount of the distribution received, even though, as an economic matter, the distribution simply constitutes a return of your investment. This is known as “buying a dividend” and should be avoided by taxable investors.

 

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·Each Fund (or your broker) will inform you of the amount of your ordinary income dividends, qualified dividend income, and net capital gain distributions shortly after the close of each calendar year.

 

Tax Status of Share Transactions

 

Each sale of Fund shares or redemption of Creation Units will generally be a taxable event. In general, any gain or loss realized upon a taxable disposition of shares by a shareholder will be treated as capital gain or loss if the shares are capital assets in the shareholder’s hands, and will be long-term capital gain or loss if the shares have been held for more than 12 months, and short-term capital gain or loss if the shares are held for 12 months or less. Any capital loss on the sale of shares of a Fund held for six months or less is treated as long-term capital loss to the extent distributions of long-term capital gain were paid (or treated as paid) with respect to such shares. Any loss realized on a sale will be disallowed to the extent shares of a Fund are acquired, including through reinvestment of dividends, within a 61-day period beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the sale of Fund shares. The ability to deduct capital losses may be limited.

 

An Authorized Participant who exchanges securities for Creation Units generally will recognize gain or loss from the exchange. The gain or loss will be equal to the difference between (i) the market value of the Creation Units at the time of the exchange plus any cash received in the exchange and (ii) the exchanger’s aggregate basis in the securities surrendered plus any cash paid for the Creation Units. An Authorized Participant who exchanges Creation Units for securities will generally recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between (i) the exchanger’s basis in the Creation Units and (ii) the aggregate market value of the securities and the amount of cash received. The IRS, however, may assert that a loss that is realized upon an exchange of securities for Creation Units may not be currently deducted under the rules governing “wash sales” (for a person who does not mark-to-market their holdings), or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic position. Authorized Participants should consult their own tax advisor with respect to whether wash sales rules apply and when a loss might be deductible.

 

A Fund may include cash when paying the redemption price for Creation Units in addition to, or in place of, the delivery of a basket of securities. A Fund may be required to sell portfolio securities in order to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. This may cause a Fund to recognize investment income and/or capital gains or losses that it might not have recognized if it had completely satisfied the redemption in-kind. As a result, a Fund may be less tax efficient if it includes such a cash payment than if the in-kind redemption process was used.

 

Foreign Taxes

 

To the extent a Fund invests in foreign securities, it may be subject to foreign withholding taxes with respect to dividends or interest the Fund receives from sources in foreign countries. If more than 50% of the total assets of a Fund consist of foreign securities, the Fund will be eligible to elect to treat some of those taxes as a distribution to shareholders, which would allow shareholders to offset some of their U.S. federal income tax. A Fund (or your broker) will notify you if it makes such an election and provide you with the information necessary to reflect foreign taxes paid on your income tax return.

 

Foreign tax credits, if any, received by a Fund as a result of an investment in another RIC (including an ETF which is taxable as a RIC) will not be passed through to you unless the Fund qualifies as a “qualified fund-of-funds” under the Internal Revenue Code. If a Fund is a “qualified fund-of-funds” it will be eligible to file an election with the IRS that will enable the Fund to pass along these foreign tax credits to its shareholders. A Fund will be treated as a “qualified fund-of-funds” under the Internal Revenue Code if at least 50% of the value of the Fund’s total assets (at the close of each quarter of the Fund’s taxable year) is represented by interests in other RICs.

 

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Net Investment Income Tax

 

U.S. individuals with income exceeding $200,000 ($250,000 if married and filing jointly) are subject to a 3.8% tax on all or a portion of their “net investment income,” which includes interest, dividends, and certain capital gains (including certain capital gain distributions and capital gains realized on the sale of shares of a 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.

 

Non-U.S. Investors

 

If you are a nonresident alien individual or a foreign corporation, trust or estate, (i) a Fund’s ordinary income dividends will generally be subject to a 30% U.S. withholding tax, unless a lower treaty rate applies but (ii) gains from the sale or other disposition of shares of a Fund generally are not subject to U.S. taxation, unless you are a nonresident alien individual who is physically present in the U.S. for 183 days or more per year. A Fund may, under certain circumstances, report all or a portion of a dividend as an “interest-related dividend” or a “short-term capital gain dividend,” which would generally be exempt from this 30% U.S. withholding tax, provided certain other requirements are met. Non-U.S. shareholders who fail to provide an applicable IRS form may be subject to backup withholding on certain payments from a Fund. Backup withholding will not be applied to payments that are subject to the 30% (or lower applicable treaty rate) withholding tax described in this paragraph. Different tax consequences may result if you are a foreign shareholder engaged in a trade or business within the United States or if you are a foreign shareholder entitled to claim the benefits of a tax treaty.

 

Backup Withholding

 

A Fund (or financial intermediaries, such as brokers, through which shareholders own Fund shares) generally is required to withhold and to remit to the U.S. Treasury a percentage of the taxable distributions and the sale or redemption proceeds paid to any shareholder who fails to properly furnish a correct taxpayer identification number, who has under-reported dividend or interest income, or who fails to certify that he, she or it is not subject to such withholding. The backup withholding rate is currently 24%. Backup withholding is not an additional tax and any amounts withheld may be credited against the shareholder’s ultimate U.S. tax liability.

 

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

 

More information about taxes is in the SAI.

 

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Additional Information

 

Investments by Other Registered Investment Companies

 

For purposes of the 1940 Act, each Fund is treated as a registered investment company. Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act restricts investments by investment companies in the securities of other investment companies, including shares of the Funds. Rule 12d1-4 under the 1940 Act permits registered investment companies to invest in exchange-traded funds offered by the Trust, including the Funds, beyond the limits of Section 12(d)(1) subject to certain terms and conditions, including that such registered investment companies enter into an agreement with the Trust. However, if a Fund were to invest in securities of other investment companies beyond the limits set forth in Section 12(d)(1)(A) by relying on Rule 12d1-4, other registered investment companies would not be permitted to rely on that rule to invest in that Fund in excess of the Section 12(d)(1)(A) limits.

 

Continuous Offering

 

The method by which Creation Units are purchased and traded may raise certain issues under applicable securities laws. Because new Creation Units are issued and sold by the Funds on an ongoing basis, at any point a “distribution,” as such term is used in the Securities Act of 1933 (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 and liability provisions of the Securities Act.

 

For example, a broker-dealer firm or its client may be deemed a statutory underwriter if it takes Creation Units after placing an order with the Funds’ distributor, breaks them down into individual 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 of a Fund. 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 categorization as an underwriter.

 

Broker-dealer firms should also note that dealers who are not “underwriters” but are effecting transactions in shares of a Fund, whether or not participating in the distribution of such shares, are generally required to deliver a prospectus. This is because the prospectus delivery exemption in Section 4(a)(3) of the Securities Act is not available with respect to such transactions as a result of Section 24(d) of the 1940 Act. As a result, broker dealer-firms should note that dealers who are not underwriters but are participating in a distribution (as contrasted with ordinary secondary market transactions) and thus dealing with shares of a Fund that are part of an “unsold allotment” within the meaning of Section 4(a)(3)(C) of the Securities Act would be unable to take advantage of the prospectus delivery exemption provided by Section 4(a)(3) of the Securities Act. Firms that incur a prospectus delivery obligation with respect to shares of a Fund are reminded that under Rule 153 under 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 the Exchange is satisfied by the fact that such Fund’s Prospectus is available on the SEC’s electronic filing system. The prospectus delivery mechanism provided in Rule 153 is only available with respect to transactions on an exchange.

 

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Premium/Discount Information

 

Information regarding how often the shares of each Fund traded on the Exchange at a price above (i.e., at a premium) or below (i.e., at a discount) the NAV of such Fund for various time periods can be found at [-].

 

Financial Highlights

 

The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand each Fund’s financial performance since the Funds commenced operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single share of a Fund. The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned or lost on an investment in each Fund (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions). A Reorganization of the Predecessor Funds into the Funds is expected to occur upon shareholder approval on or about [-]. Accordingly, the Financial Highlights tables represent the financial performance of each Predecessor Fund and have not been restated to reflect any differences in expenses paid by each Predecessor Fund and those paid by the Funds, respectively. This information has been derived from the financial statements audited by [-], the Predecessor Funds’ independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the Predecessor Funds’ financial statements, are included in the Predecessor Funds’ Annual Report, which is available upon request.

 

[-]

 

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Exchange Listed Funds Trust

10900 Hefner Pointe Drive, Suite 400

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73120

 

ANNUAL/SEMI-ANNUAL REPORTS TO SHAREHOLDERS

 

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

 

STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (SAI)

 

The SAI provides more detailed information about the Funds. The SAI is incorporated by reference into, and is thus legally a part of, this Prospectus.

 

HOUSEHOLDING

 

Householding is an option available to certain Fund investors. Householding is a method of delivery, based on the preference of the individual investor, in which a single copy of certain shareholder documents can be delivered to investors who share the same address, even if their accounts are registered under different names. Please contact your broker-dealer if you are interested in enrolling in householding and receiving a single copy of prospectuses and other shareholder documents, or if you are currently enrolled in householding and wish to change your householding status.

 

HOW TO OBTAIN MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUNDS

 

To request a free copy of the latest annual or semi-annual report or the SAI, or to request additional information about the Funds or to make other inquiries, please contact us as follows:

 

Call:

[-]
Monday through Friday
8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (Eastern Time)  

Write: Exchange Listed Funds Trust
10900 Hefner Pointe Drive, Suite 400
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73120  
       
Visit: [-]      

 

The SAI and other information are also available from a financial intermediary (such as a broker-dealer or bank) through which the Funds’ shares may be purchased or sold.

 

INFORMATION PROVIDED BY THE U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

 

Reports and other information about the Funds are available on the EDGAR Database at http://www.sec.gov and copies of this information also may be obtained, after paying a duplicating fee, by emailing the SEC at publicinfo@sec.gov.

 

The Trust’s Investment Company Act file number: 811-22700

 

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SUBJECT TO COMPLETION,
DATED FEBRUARY 14, 2024

 

THE INFORMATION IN THIS STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION IS NOT COMPLETE AND MAY BE CHANGED. WE MAY NOT SELL THESE SECURITIES UNTIL THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT FILED WITH THE U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION IS EFFECTIVE. THIS STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION IS NOT AN OFFER TO SELL THESE SECURITIES AND IS NOT SOLICITING AN OFFER TO BUY THESE SECURITIES IN ANY JURISDICTION IN WHICH THE OFFER OR SALE IS NOT PERMITTED.

 

STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

 

STRATIFIED LARGECAP INDEX ETF (TICKER SYMBOL: SSPY)

STRATIFIED LARGECAP HEDGED ETF (TICKER SYMBOL: SHUS)

Each a series of EXCHANGE LISTED FUNDS TRUST

 

[-], 2024

 

Principal Listing Exchange for the Funds: [-]

 

Investment Adviser:

Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC

 

This Statement of Additional Information (the “SAI”) is not a prospectus. The SAI should be read in conjunction with the Fund’s prospectus dated [-], 2024, as may be revised from time to time (the “Prospectus”). Capitalized terms used herein that are not defined have the same meaning as in the Prospectus, unless otherwise noted. A copy of the Prospectus may be obtained without charge by writing the Fund’s distributor, Foreside Fund Services, LLC, at Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, Maine 04101, by visiting the Fund’s website at www.[-].com, or by calling [toll-free] [-].

 

The audited financial statements of the predecessor of each Fund, Syntax Stratified LargeCap Index ETF and Syntax Stratified U.S. Total Market Hedged ETF (each a “Predecessor Fund”), are incorporated into this Statement of Additional Information by reference to the Predecessor Fund’s Annual Report to Shareholders dated [-], which was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on [-]. The Annual Report is available without charge by calling [-] or by visiting the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

 

 

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

general information about THE TRUST 1
information about investment policies, PERMITTED INVESTMENTS, and related risks 1
INVESTMENT restrictions 13
exchange listing and trading 15
management of the trust 15
CODEs OF ETHICS 21
PROXY VOTING POLICIES 21
INVESTMENT ADVISORY AND OTHER SERVICES 21
THE PORTFOLIO MANAGERs 22
THE distributor 23
THE administrator 24
THE CUSTODIAN 25
THE TRANSFER AGENT 25
LEGAL COUNSEL 25
INDEPENDENT registered public accounting firm 25
portfolio holdings DISCLOSURE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES 25
DESCRIPTION OF SHARES 25
LIMITATION OF TRUSTEES’ LIABILITY 26
BROKERAGE TRANSACTIONS 26
PORTFOLIO TURNOVER RATE 28
BOOK ENTRY ONLY SYSTEM 28
CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS OF SECURITIES 29
Purchase and REDEMPtion of shares in creation units 29
DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE 36
DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS 37
FEDERAL INCOME TAXES 37
Financial Statements 46
INDEX DISCLAIMERS 47
appendix a: proxy voting policy and procedures A-1

 

 

 

 

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE TRUST

 

Exchange Listed Funds Trust (the “Trust”) is an open-end management investment company consisting of multiple investment series. This SAI relates to the Stratified LargeCap Index ETF (SSPY) and Stratified LargeCap Hedged ETF (SHUS) (each, a “Fund” and collectively, the “Funds”). The Trust was organized as a Delaware statutory trust on April 4, 2012 as Exchange Traded Concepts Trust II and changed its name on June 2, 2015. The Trust is registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”) as an open-end management investment company, and the offering of each Fund’s shares is registered under the Securities Act of 1933 (the “Securities Act”). Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC (the “Adviser”) serves as investment adviser to each Fund. The Stratified LargeCap Index ETF and Stratified LargeCap Hedged ETF are the successors to the Syntax Stratified LargeCap Index ETF and Syntax Stratified U.S. Total Market Hedged ETF, respectively, each a series of Syntax ETF Trust, (each a “Predecessor Fund”), which will be reorganized into the Funds on or about [-].

 

Each Fund offers and issues shares at their net asset value (“NAV”) only in aggregations of a specified number of shares (each, a “Creation Unit”). Each Fund generally offers and issues shares in exchange for a basket of securities closely approximating the holdings of that Fund (“Deposit Securities”) together with the deposit of a specified cash payment (“Cash Component”). The Trust reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of a “cash in lieu” amount (“Deposit Cash”) to be added to the Cash Component to replace any Deposit Security. Each Fund’s shares are listed on the [-] (the “Exchange”) and trade on the Exchange at market prices. These prices may differ from a Fund’s NAV per share. Each Fund’s shares are redeemable only in Creation Unit aggregations, and generally in exchange for portfolio securities and a specified cash payment.

 

INFORMATION ABOUT INVESTMENT POLICIES, PERMITTED INVESTMENTS, AND RELATED RISKS

 

Each Fund’s investment objective, principal investment strategies, and principal risks are described in the Prospectus. Because each Fund invests primarily in a portfolio of exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”), each Fund operates in a manner that is commonly referred to as a “fund of funds.”

 

An investment in a Fund should be made with an understanding that the value of a Fund’s portfolio securities may fluctuate because of changes in the financial condition of the issuers of the portfolio securities, the value of securities generally and other factors. An investor could lose money by investing in a Fund.

 

An investment in a Fund should also be made with an understanding of the risks inherent in an investment in securities, including the risk that the financial condition of issuers may become impaired or that the general condition of the securities markets may deteriorate (either of which may cause a decrease in the value of the portfolio securities and thus in the value of shares of a Fund). Securities are susceptible to general market fluctuations and to volatile increases and decreases in value as market confidence in and perceptions of their issuers change. These investor perceptions are based on various and unpredictable factors including expectations regarding government, economic, monetary and fiscal policies, inflation and interest rates, economic expansion or contraction, and global or regional political, economic and banking crises.

 

The following are descriptions of investment practices and permitted investments and the associated risk factors. A Fund will only engage in the following investment practices and invest in the following instruments, either directly or through an investment in an ETF or mutual fund, if such practice or investment is consistent with such Fund’s investment objective and permitted by such Fund’s stated investment policies.

 

DIVERSIFICATION

 

Each of the Funds is classified as a diversified investment company under the 1940 Act.

 

EQUITY SECURITIES

 

Equity securities represent ownership interests in a company. 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 a Fund invests will cause the NAV of that Fund to fluctuate.

 

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Common Stocks. Common stocks represent units of ownership in a company. Common stocks usually carry voting rights and earn dividends. Unlike preferred stocks, which are described below, dividends on common stocks are not fixed but are declared at the discretion of the company’s board of directors. Holders of common stocks incur more risk than holders of preferred stocks and debt obligations because common stockholders, as owners of the issuer, have generally inferior rights to receive payments from the issuer in comparison with the rights of creditors of, or holders of debt obligations or preferred stocks issued by, the issuer. Further, unlike debt securities which typically have a stated principal amount payable at maturity (whose value, however, will be subject to market fluctuations prior thereto), or preferred stocks which typically have a liquidation preference and which may have stated optional or mandatory redemption provisions, common stocks have neither a fixed principal amount nor a maturity. Common stock values are subject to market fluctuations as long as the common stock remains outstanding.

 

Preferred Stocks. Preferred stocks are also units of ownership in a company. Preferred stocks normally have preference over common stock in the payment of dividends and the liquidation of the company. However, in all other respects, preferred stocks are subordinated to the liabilities of the issuer. Unlike common stocks, preferred stocks are generally not entitled to vote on corporate matters. Types of preferred stocks include adjustable-rate preferred stock, fixed dividend preferred stock, perpetual preferred stock, and sinking fund preferred stock. Generally, the market value of preferred stock with a fixed dividend rate and no conversion element varies inversely with interest rates and perceived credit risk.

 

Convertible Securities. Convertible securities are securities that may be exchanged for, converted into, or exercised to acquire a predetermined number of shares of the issuer’s common stock at the investor’s option during a specified time period (such as convertible preferred stocks, convertible debentures and warrants). A convertible security is generally a fixed income security that is senior to common stock in an issuer’s capital structure, but is usually subordinated to similar non-convertible securities. In exchange for the conversion feature, many corporations will pay a lower rate of interest on convertible securities than debt securities of the same corporation. In general, the market value of a convertible security is at least the higher of its “investment value” (i.e., its value as a fixed income security) or its “conversion value” (i.e., its value upon conversion into its underlying common stock).

 

Convertible securities are subject to the same risks as similar securities without the convertible feature. The price of a convertible security is more volatile during times of steady interest rates than other types of debt securities. The price of a convertible security tends to increase as the market value of the underlying stock rises, whereas it tends to decrease as the market value of the underlying common stock declines.

 

Rights and Warrants. A right is a privilege granted to existing shareholders of a corporation to subscribe to shares of a new issue of common stock before it is issued. Rights normally have a short life of usually two to four weeks, are freely transferable and entitle the holder to buy the new common stock at a lower price than the public offering price. Warrants are securities that are usually issued together with a debt security or preferred stock and that give the holder the right to buy proportionate amount of common stock at a specified price. Warrants are freely transferable and are traded on major exchanges. Unlike rights, warrants normally have a life that is measured in years and entitles the holder to buy common stock of a company at a price that is usually higher than the market price at the time the warrant is issued. Corporations often issue warrants to make the accompanying debt security more attractive.

 

An investment in warrants and rights may entail greater risks than certain other types of investments. Generally, rights and warrants do not carry the right to receive dividends or exercise voting rights with respect to the underlying securities, and they do not represent any rights in the assets of the issuer. In addition, their value does not necessarily change with the value of the underlying securities, and they cease to have value if they are not exercised on or before their expiration date. Investing in rights and warrants increases the potential profit or loss to be realized from the investment as compared with investing the same amount in the underlying securities.

 

Small and Medium-Sized Companies. Investors in small and medium-sized companies typically take on greater risk and price volatility than they would by investing in larger, more established companies. This increased risk may be due to the greater business risks of their small or medium size, limited markets and financial resources, narrow product lines and frequent lack of management depth. The securities of small and medium-sized companies are often traded in the over-the-counter market and might not be traded in volumes typical of securities traded on a national securities exchange. Thus, the securities of small and medium capitalization companies are likely to be less liquid, and subject to more abrupt or erratic market movements, than securities of larger, more established companies.

 

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Large-Sized Companies. Investments in large capitalization companies may go in and out of favor based on market and economic conditions and may underperform other market segments. Some large capitalization companies may be unable to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in technology and consumer tastes, and may not be able to attain the high growth rate of successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion. As such, returns on investments in stocks of large capitalization companies could trail the returns on investments in stocks of small and mid-capitalization companies.

 

General Risks of Investing in Stocks. While investing in stocks allows investors to participate in the benefits of owning a company, such investors must accept the risks of ownership. Unlike bondholders, who have preference to a company’s earnings and cash flow, preferred stockholders, followed by common stockholders in order of priority, are entitled only to the residual amount after a company meets its other obligations. For this reason, the value of a company’s stock will usually react more strongly to actual or perceived changes in the company’s financial condition or prospects than its debt obligations. Stockholders of a company that fares poorly can lose money.

 

Stock markets tend to move in cycles with short or extended periods of rising and falling stock prices. The value of a company’s stock may fall because of:

 

§Factors that directly relate to that company, such as decisions made by its management or lower demand for the company’s products or services;

 

§Factors affecting an entire industry, such as increases in production costs; and

 

§Changes in general financial market conditions that are relatively unrelated to the company or its industry, such as changes in interest rates, currency exchange rates or inflation rates.

 

Because preferred stock is generally junior to debt securities and other obligations of the issuer, deterioration in the credit quality of the issuer will cause greater changes in the value of a preferred stock than in a more senior debt security with similar stated yield characteristics.

 

WHEN-ISSUED SECURITIES

 

A when-issued security is one whose terms are available and for which a market exists, but which has not been issued. When a Fund engages in when-issued transactions, it relies on the other party to consummate the sale.  If the other party fails to complete the sale, a Fund may miss the opportunity to obtain the security at a favorable price or yield.

 

When purchasing a security on a when-issued basis, a Fund assumes the rights and risks of ownership of the security, including the risk of price and yield changes. At the time of settlement, the market value of the security may be more or less than the purchase price.  The yield available in the market when the delivery takes place also may be higher than those obtained in the transaction itself.  Because a Fund does not pay for the security until the delivery date, these risks are in addition to the risks associated with its other investments.

 

Decisions to enter into “when-issued” transactions will be considered on a case-by-case basis when necessary to maintain continuity in a company’s index membership. A Fund will segregate cash or liquid securities equal in value to commitments for the when-issued transactions.  A Fund will segregate additional liquid assets daily so that the value of such assets is equal to the amount of the commitments. Such transactions, however, would be deemed not to involve a senior security (i.e., will not be considered derivatives transactions or subject to asset segregation requirements), provided that (i) the Fund intends to physically settle the transaction and (ii) the transaction will settle within 35 days of its trade date. If such a transaction were considered to be a derivatives transaction, it would be subject to the requirements of Rule 18f-4 under the 1940 Act. For a discussion of the requirements of Rule 18f-4, please see the Futures Contracts, Options, and Swap Agreements section of this SAI.

 

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FOREIGN SECURITIES

 

Foreign Issuers. Each Fund may invest in securities of issuers located outside the United States directly, or in financial instruments that are indirectly linked to the performance of foreign issuers. Examples of such financial instruments include depositary receipts, which are described further below, “ordinary shares,” and “New York shares” issued and traded in the United States.  Ordinary shares are shares of foreign issuers that are traded abroad and on a United States exchange. New York shares are shares that a foreign issuer has allocated for trading in the United States. American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”), ordinary shares, and New York shares all may be purchased with and sold for U.S. dollars, which protects a Fund from the foreign settlement risks described below.

 

Investing in foreign companies may involve risks not typically associated with investing in United States companies. The U.S. dollar value of securities of foreign issuers and of distributions in foreign currencies from such securities can change significantly when foreign currencies strengthen or weaken relative to the U.S. dollar. Foreign securities markets generally have less trading volume and less liquidity than United States markets, and prices in some foreign markets can be very volatile compared to those of domestic securities. Therefore, a Fund’s investment in foreign securities may be less liquid and subject to more rapid and erratic price movements than comparable securities listed for trading on U.S. exchanges. Non-U.S. equity securities may trade at price/earnings multiples higher than comparable U.S. securities and such levels may not be sustainable. There may be less government supervision and regulation of foreign stock exchanges, brokers, banks and listed companies abroad than in the U.S. Moreover, settlement practices for transactions in foreign markets may differ from those in U.S. markets. Such differences may include delays beyond periods customary in the U.S. and practices, such as delivery of securities prior to receipt of payment, which increase the likelihood of a failed settlement, which can result in losses to a Fund. The value of non-U.S. investments and the investment income derived from them may also be affected unfavorably by changes in currency exchange control regulations. Foreign brokerage commissions, custodial expenses and other fees are also generally higher than for securities traded in the U.S. This may cause a Fund to incur higher portfolio transaction costs than domestic equity funds. Fluctuations in exchange rates may also affect the earning power and asset value of the foreign entity issuing a security, even one denominated in U.S. dollars. Dividend and interest payments may be repatriated based on the exchange rate at the time of disbursement, and restrictions on capital flows may be imposed. Many foreign countries lack uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards comparable to those that apply to United States companies, and it may be more difficult to obtain reliable information regarding a foreign issuer’s financial condition and operations. In addition, the costs of foreign investing, including withholding taxes, brokerage commissions, and custodial fees, generally are higher than for United States investments.

 

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

 

Investing in companies domiciled in emerging market countries may be subject to greater risks than investments in developed countries. These risks include: (i) less social, political, and economic stability; (ii) greater illiquidity and price volatility due to smaller or limited local capital markets for such securities, or low or non-existent trading volumes; (iii) foreign exchanges and broker-dealers may be subject to less scrutiny and regulation by local authorities; (iv) local governments may decide to seize or confiscate securities held by foreign investors and/or local governments may decide to suspend or limit an issuer’s ability to make dividend or interest payments; (v) local governments may limit or entirely restrict repatriation of invested capital, profits, and dividends; (vi) capital gains may be subject to local taxation, including on a retroactive basis; (vii) issuers facing restrictions on dollar or euro payments imposed by local governments may attempt to make dividend or interest payments to foreign investors in the local currency; (viii) investors may experience difficulty in enforcing legal claims related to the securities and/or local judges may favor the interests of the issuer over those of foreign investors; (ix) bankruptcy judgments may only be permitted to be paid in the local currency; (x) limited public information regarding the issuer may result in greater difficulty in determining market valuations of the securities, and (xi) lax financial reporting on a regular basis, substandard disclosure, and differences in accounting standards may make it difficult to ascertain the financial health of an issuer.

 

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Depositary Receipts.  A Fund’s investment in securities of foreign companies may be in the form of depositary receipts or other securities convertible into securities of foreign issuers.  ADRs are dollar-denominated receipts representing interests in the securities of a foreign issuer, which securities may not necessarily be denominated in the same currency as the securities into which they may be converted. ADRs are receipts typically issued by United States banks and trust companies which evidence ownership of underlying securities issued by a foreign corporation. Generally, ADRs in registered form are designed for use in domestic securities markets and are traded on exchanges or over-the-counter in the United States. American Depositary Shares (ADSs) are U.S. dollar-denominated equity shares of a foreign-based company available for purchase on an American stock exchange. ADSs are issued by depository banks in the United States under an agreement with the foreign issuer, and the entire issuance is called an ADR and the individual shares are referred to as ADSs. Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”), European Depositary Receipts (“EDRs”), and International Depositary Receipts (“IDRs”) are similar to ADRs in that they are certificates evidencing ownership of shares of a foreign issuer, however, GDRs, EDRs, and IDRs may be issued in bearer form and denominated in other currencies, and are generally designed for use in specific or multiple securities markets outside the U.S. EDRs, for example, are designed for use in European securities markets while GDRs are designed for use throughout the world.  Depositary receipts will not necessarily be denominated in the same currency as their underlying securities.

 

All depositary receipts generally must be sponsored. However, a Fund may invest in unsponsored depositary receipts under certain limited circumstances. Sponsored ADRs are those in which the non-U.S. company enters into an agreement directly with the U.S. depositary bank to arrange for recordkeeping, forwarding of shareholder communications, payment of dividends, and other services. An unsponsored ADR is set up without the cooperation of the non-U.S. company and may be initiated by an investment bank or broker-dealer wishing to establish a U.S. trading market. The issuers of unsponsored depositary receipts are not obligated to disclose material information in the United States, and, therefore, there may be less information available regarding such issuers and there may not be a correlation between such information and the market value of the depositary receipts.

 

REPURCHASE AGREEMENTS

 

A Fund may invest in repurchase agreements with commercial banks, brokers or dealers to generate income from its excess cash balances and to invest securities lending cash collateral. A repurchase agreement is an agreement under which a Fund acquires a financial instrument (e.g., a security issued by the U.S. Government or an agency thereof, a banker’s acceptance or a certificate of deposit) from a seller, subject to resale to the seller at an agreed upon price and date (normally, the next business day). A repurchase agreement may be considered a loan collateralized by securities. The resale price reflects an agreed upon interest rate effective for the period the instrument is held by a Fund and is unrelated to the interest rate on the underlying instrument.

 

In these repurchase agreement transactions, the securities acquired by a Fund (including accrued interest earned thereon) must have a total value in excess of the value of the repurchase agreement and are held by the Funds’ custodian until repurchased. No more than an aggregate of 15% of a Fund’s net assets will be invested in illiquid securities, including repurchase agreements having maturities longer than seven days and securities subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale, or for which there are no readily available market quotations.

 

The use of repurchase agreements involves certain risks. For example, if the other party to the agreement defaults on its obligation to repurchase the underlying security at a time when the value of the security has declined, a Fund may incur a loss upon disposition of the security. If the other party to the agreement becomes insolvent and subject to liquidation or reorganization under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code or other laws, a court may determine that the underlying security is collateral for a loan by a Fund not within the control of such Fund and, therefore, the Fund may not be able to substantiate its interest in the underlying security and may be deemed an unsecured creditor of the other party to the agreement.

 

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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”), the Government National Mortgage Association (“Ginnie Mae”), the Small Business Administration, the Federal Farm Credit Administration, the Federal Home Loan Banks, Banks for Cooperatives (including the Central Bank for Cooperatives), the Federal Land Banks, the Federal Intermediate Credit Banks, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Export-Import Bank of the United States, the Commodity Credit Corporation, the Federal Financing Bank, the Student Loan Marketing Association, the National Credit Union Administration and the Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation (Farmer Mac).

 

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

 

Securities backed by the full faith and credit of the United States are generally considered to be among the most creditworthy investments available. While the U.S. Government continuously has honored its credit obligations, political events have, at times, called into question whether the United States would default on its obligations. Such an event would be unprecedented and there is no way to predict its impact on the securities markets; however, it is very likely that default by the United States would result in losses and market prices and yields of securities supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government may be adversely affected.

 

·U.S. Treasury Obligations. U.S. Treasury obligations consist of bills, notes and bonds issued by the U.S. Treasury and separately traded interest and principal component parts of such obligations that are transferable through the federal book-entry system known as Separately Traded Registered Interest and Principal Securities (“STRIPS”) and Treasury Receipts (“TRs”).

 

·Receipts. Interests in separately traded interest and principal component parts of U.S. government obligations that are issued by banks or brokerage firms and are created by depositing U.S. government obligations into a special account at a custodian bank. The custodian holds the interest and principal payments for the benefit of the registered owners of the certificates or receipts. The custodian arranges for the issuance of the certificates or receipts evidencing ownership and maintains the register. TRs and STRIPS are interests in accounts sponsored by the U.S. Treasury. Receipts are sold as zero coupon securities.

 

·U.S. Government Zero Coupon Securities. STRIPS and receipts are sold as zero coupon securities, that is, fixed income securities that have been stripped of their unmatured interest coupons. Zero coupon securities are sold at a (usually substantial) discount and redeemed at face value at their maturity date without interim cash payments of interest or principal. The amount of this discount is accreted over the life of the security, and the accretion constitutes the income earned on the security for both accounting and tax purposes. Because of these features, the market prices of zero coupon securities are generally more volatile than the market prices of securities that have similar maturity but that pay interest periodically. Zero coupon securities are likely to respond to a greater degree to interest rate changes than are non-zero coupon securities with similar maturity and credit qualities.

 

·U.S. Government Agencies. Some obligations issued or guaranteed by agencies of the U.S. Government are supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury, others are supported by the right of the issuer to borrow from the U.S. Treasury, while still others are supported only by the credit of the instrumentality. Guarantees of principal by agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. Government may be a guarantee of payment at the maturity of the obligation so that in the event of a default prior to maturity there might not be a market and thus no means of realizing on the obligation prior to maturity. Guarantees as to the timely payment of principal and interest do not extend to the value or yield of these securities nor to the value of shares of a Fund.

 

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BORROWING

 

While the Funds do not anticipate doing so, each Fund may borrow money and/or securities 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 a Fund’s assets will fluctuate in value, whereas the interest obligations on borrowings may be fixed, the NAV of a Fund will increase more when a Fund’s portfolio assets increase in value and decrease more when a 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, a Fund might have to sell portfolio securities to meet interest or principal payments at a time when investment considerations would not favor such sales. Each Fund may use leverage during periods when the Sub-Adviser believes that a Fund’s investment objective would be furthered.

 

Each Fund may also borrow money to facilitate management of its portfolio by enabling a Fund to meet redemption requests when the liquidation of portfolio instruments would be inconvenient or disadvantageous. Such borrowing is not for investment purposes and will be repaid by the borrowing Fund promptly. Section 18 of the 1940 Act imposes limitations on the amount of borrowing or leverage that a registered investment company may incur. As required by the 1940 Act, the borrowing 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 borrowing Fund’s assets should fail to meet this 300% coverage test, such Fund, within three days (not including Sundays and holidays), will reduce the amount of its borrowings to the extent necessary to meet this 300% coverage requirement. Maintenance of this percentage limitation may result in the sale of portfolio securities at a time when investment considerations otherwise indicate that it would be disadvantageous to do so.

 

LENDING PORTFOLIO SECURITIES

 

Each Fund may lend portfolio securities to certain creditworthy borrowers. The borrowers provide collateral that is maintained in an amount at least equal to the current market value of the securities loaned. A Fund may terminate a loan at any time and obtain the return of the securities loaned. A Fund receives the value of any interest or cash or non-cash distributions paid on the loaned securities. Distributions received on loaned securities in lieu of dividend payments (i.e., substitute payments) would not be considered qualified dividend income.

 

With respect to loans that are collateralized by cash, the borrower will be entitled to receive a fee based on the amount of cash collateral. A Fund is compensated by the difference between the amount earned on the reinvestment of cash collateral and the fee paid to the borrower. In the case of collateral other than cash, a Fund is compensated by a fee paid by the borrower equal to a percentage of the market value of the loaned securities. Any cash collateral may be reinvested in certain short-term instruments either directly on behalf of the lending Fund or through one or more joint accounts or money market funds, which may include those managed by the Adviser and/or Sub-Adviser.

 

A Fund may pay a portion of the interest or fees earned from securities lending to a borrower as described above, and to one or more securities lending agents approved by the Trust’s Board of Trustees (the “Board”) who administer the lending program for the Funds in accordance with guidelines approved by the Board. In such capacity, the lending agent causes the delivery of loaned securities from a Fund to borrowers, arranges for the return of loaned securities to a Fund at the termination of a loan, requests deposit of collateral, monitors the daily value of the loaned securities and collateral, requests that borrowers add to the collateral when required by the loan agreements, and provides recordkeeping and accounting services necessary for the operation of the program.

 

Securities lending involves exposure to certain risks, including operational risk (i.e., the risk of losses resulting from problems in the settlement and accounting process), “gap” risk (i.e., the risk of a mismatch between the return on cash collateral reinvestments and the fees a Fund has agreed to pay a borrower), and credit, legal, counterparty and market risk. In the event a borrower does not return a Fund’s securities as agreed, such Fund may experience losses if the proceeds received from liquidating the collateral do not at least equal the value of the loaned security at the time the collateral is liquidated plus the transaction costs incurred in purchasing replacement securities. Consistent with interpretations of the 1940 Act issued by the staff of the SEC, which interpretations may change from time to time, the Fund may not have on loan at any given time securities representing more than one-third of its total assets (inclusive of collateral received from borrowers).

 

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REVERSE REPURCHASE AGREEMENTS

 

Each Fund may enter into reverse repurchase agreements, which involve the sale of securities with an agreement to repurchase the securities at an agreed-upon price, date and interest payment and have the characteristics of borrowing. The securities purchased with the funds obtained from the agreement and securities collateralizing the agreement will have maturity dates no later than the repayment date. Generally, the effect of such transactions is that a Fund can recover all or most of the cash invested in the portfolio securities involved during the term of the reverse repurchase agreement, while in many cases a Fund is able to keep some of the interest income associated with those securities. Such transactions are only advantageous if a Fund has an opportunity to earn a greater rate of interest on the cash derived from these transactions than the interest cost of obtaining the same amount of cash. Opportunities to realize earnings from the use of the proceeds equal to or greater than the interest required to be paid may not always be available and each Fund intends to use the reverse repurchase technique only when the Sub-Adviser believes it will be advantageous to the Funds. The use of reverse repurchase agreements may exaggerate any interim increase or decrease in the value of a Fund’s assets. Under the 1940 Act, a Fund may elect to treat reverse repurchase agreements either as (i) borrowings subject to the asset coverage requirement of Section 18 of the 1940 Act or (ii) derivatives transactions for purposes of Rule 18f-4 under the 1940 Act including, as applicable, the value at risk (“VaR”) test to limit leverage risk. The use of reverse repurchase agreements is not a principal strategy of any Fund.

 

OTHER SHORT-TERM INSTRUMENTS

 

In addition to repurchase agreements, a Fund may invest in short-term instruments, including money market instruments, on an ongoing basis to provide liquidity or for other reasons. Money market instruments are generally short-term investments that may include but are not limited to: (i) shares of money market funds; (ii) obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities (including government-sponsored enterprises); (iii) negotiable certificates of deposit (“CDs”), bankers’ acceptances, fixed time deposits and other obligations of U.S. and foreign banks (including foreign branches) and similar institutions; (iv) commercial paper rated at the date of purchase “Prime-1” by Moody’s or “A-1” by S&P, or if unrated, of comparable quality as determined by the Sub-Adviser; (v) non-convertible corporate debt securities (e.g., bonds and debentures) with remaining maturities at the date of purchase of not more than 397 days; and (vi) short-term U.S. dollar-denominated obligations of foreign banks (including U.S. branches) that, in the opinion of the Sub-Adviser, are of comparable quality to obligations of U.S. banks which may be purchased by the Funds. Any of these instruments may be purchased on a current or a forward-settled basis. Time deposits are non-negotiable deposits maintained in banking institutions for specified periods of time at stated interest rates. Bankers’ acceptances are time drafts drawn on commercial banks by borrowers, usually in connection with international transactions.

 

INVESTMENT COMPANIES

 

Each Fund may invest in the securities of other investment companies, including money market funds, subject to applicable limitations under Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act. Pursuant to Section 12(d)(1)(A), a Fund may invest in the securities of another investment company (the “acquired company”) provided that such 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 a Fund; or (iii) securities issued by the acquired company and all other investment companies (other than Treasury stock of a Fund) having an aggregate value in excess of 10% of the value of the total assets of a Fund. To the extent permitted by the 1940 Act or rule, regulation, no action relief, or exemptive relief thereunder, a Fund may invest its assets in securities of investment companies in excess of the limits discussed above, subject to applicable conditions.

 

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

 

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

 

The acquisition of a Fund’s shares by investment companies is subject to the same limitations of Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act discussed above. Similarly, investments in excess of the limitations may be permitted by the 1940 Act or rule, regulation, no-action relief, or exemptive relief thereunder, subject to applicable conditions.

 

ILLIQUID INVESTMENTS

 

A Fund may not acquire any illiquid investment if, immediately after the acquisition, the Fund would have invested more than 15% of its net assets in illiquid investments. An illiquid investment is any investment that a Fund reasonably expects cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment. If the percentage of a Fund’s net assets invested in illiquid investments exceeds 15% due to market activity or changes in the Fund’s portfolio, the Fund will take appropriate measures to reduce its holdings of illiquid investments.

 

A Fund may not be able to sell illiquid investments when desired or may have to sell such investments at a price that is lower than the price that could be obtained if the investments were more liquid. In addition, the sale of illiquid investments also may require more time and may result in higher dealer discounts and other selling expenses than does the sale of investments that are not illiquid. Illiquid investments also may be more difficult to value due to the unavailability of reliable market quotations and such investments may have an adverse impact on NAV.

 

FUTURES CONTRACTS, OPTIONS AND SWAP AGREEMENTS

 

Each Fund may utilize futures contracts, options contracts and swap agreements. Rule 18f-4 under the 1940 Act imposes requirements and restrictions on a fund’s use of certain derivatives that may oblige the fund to make payments or incur additional obligations in the future. Rule 18f-4 imposes limits on the amount of leverage risk to which a fund may be exposed through such derivatives. If a fund’s derivatives exposure is more than 10% of its net assets the fund must apply a VaR test to its use of certain derivatives and financing transactions, establish and maintain a derivatives risk management program, and appoint a derivatives risk manager to implement such program.

 

Futures Contracts. Futures contracts generally provide for the future sale by one party and purchase by another party of a specified commodity or security at a specified future time and at a specified price. Index futures contracts are settled daily with a payment by one party to the other of a cash amount based on the difference between the level of the index specified in the contract from one day to the next. Futures contracts are standardized as to maturity date and underlying instrument and are traded on futures exchanges.

 

Each Fund is required to make a good faith margin deposit in cash or U.S. government securities with a broker or custodian to initiate and maintain open positions in futures contracts. A margin deposit is intended to assure completion of the contract (delivery or acceptance of the underlying commodity or payment of the cash settlement amount) if it is not terminated prior to the specified delivery date. Brokers may establish deposit requirements which are higher than the exchange minimums. Futures contracts are customarily purchased and sold on margin deposits which may range upward from less than 5% of the value of the contract being traded.

 

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After a futures contract position is opened, the value of the contract is marked to market daily. If the futures contract price changes to the extent that the margin on deposit does not satisfy margin requirements, payment of additional “variation” margin will be required. Conversely, change in the contract value may reduce the required margin, resulting in a repayment of excess margin to the contract holder. Variation margin payments are made to and from the futures broker for as long as the contract remains open. In such case, a Fund would expect to earn interest income on its margin deposits. Closing out an open futures position is done by taking an opposite position (“buying” a contract which has previously been “sold,” or “selling” a contract previously “purchased”) in an identical contract to terminate the position. Brokerage commissions are incurred when a futures contract position is opened or closed.

 

Options. Each Fund may purchase and sell put and call options. A call option gives a holder the right to purchase a specific security or an index at a specified price (“exercise price”) within a specified period of time. A put option gives a holder the right to sell a specific security or an index at a specified price within a specified period of time. The initial purchaser of a call option pays the “writer,” i.e., the party selling the option, a premium which is paid at the time of purchase and is retained by the writer whether or not such option is exercised. A Fund may purchase put options to hedge its portfolio against the risk of a decline in the market value of securities held and may purchase call options to hedge against an increase in the price of securities it is committed to purchase. A Fund may write put and call options along with a long position in options to increase its ability to hedge against a change in the market value of the securities it holds or is committed to purchase.

  

Options may relate to particular securities and may or may not be listed on a national securities exchange and issued by the Options Clearing Corporation. Options trading is a highly specialized activity that entails greater than ordinary investment risk. Options on particular securities may be more volatile than the underlying securities, and therefore, on a percentage basis, an investment in options may be subject to greater fluctuation than an investment in the underlying securities themselves.

 

Restrictions on the Use of Futures and Options. Under Rule 4.5 of the Commodity Exchange Act (“CEA”), the investment adviser of a registered investment company may claim exclusion from registration as a commodity pool operator only if the registered investment company that it advises uses futures contracts solely for “bona fide hedging purposes” or limits its use of futures contracts for non-bona fide hedging purposes such that (i) the aggregate initial margin and premiums required to establish non-bona fide hedging positions with respect to futures contracts do not exceed 5% of the liquidation value of the registered investment company’s portfolio, or (ii) the aggregate “notional value” of the non-bona fide hedging commodity interests do not exceed 100% of the liquidation value of the registered investment company’s portfolio (taking into account unrealized profits and unrealized losses on any such positions). The Adviser has claimed exclusion on behalf of each Fund under Rule 4.5. Rule 4.5 effectively limits a Fund’s use, and its investment in funds that make use of futures, options on futures, swaps, or other commodity interests. Each Fund currently intends to comply with the terms of Rule 4.5 so as to avoid regulation as a commodity pool, and as a result, the ability of a Fund to utilize, or invest in funds that utilize futures, options on futures, swaps, or other commodity interests may be limited in accordance with the terms of the rule.

 

Risks of Futures and Options Transactions. Positions in futures contracts and options may be closed out only on an exchange which provides a secondary market therefor. However, there can be no assurance that a liquid secondary market will exist for any particular futures contract or option at any specific time. Thus, it may not be possible to close a futures or options position. In the event of adverse price movements, a Fund would continue to be required to make daily cash payments to maintain its required margin. In such situations, if a Fund has insufficient cash, it may have to sell portfolio securities to meet daily margin requirements at a time when it may be disadvantageous to do so. In addition, a Fund may be required to make delivery of the instruments underlying futures contracts it has sold.

 

The risk of loss in trading futures contracts or uncovered call options in some strategies (e.g., selling uncovered index futures contracts) is potentially unlimited. The risk of a futures position may still be large as traditionally measured due to the low margin deposits required. In many cases, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in immediate and substantial loss or gain to the investor relative to the size of a required margin deposit.

 

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Utilization of futures transactions by a Fund involves the risk of loss by a Fund of margin deposits in the event of bankruptcy of a broker with whom such Fund has an open position in the futures contract or option.

 

Certain financial futures exchanges limit the amount of fluctuation permitted in futures contract prices during a single trading day. The daily limit establishes the maximum amount that the price of a futures contract may vary either up or down from the previous day’s settlement price at the end of a trading session. Once the daily limit has been reached in a particular type of contract, no trades may be made on that day at a price beyond that limit. The daily limit governs only price movement during a particular trading day and therefore does not limit potential losses, because the limit may prevent the liquidation of unfavorable positions. Futures contract prices have occasionally moved to the daily limit for several consecutive trading days with little or no trading, thereby preventing prompt liquidation of futures positions and subjecting some futures traders to substantial losses.

 

Swap Agreements. Each Fund may enter into swap agreements, including interest rate, index, and total return swap agreements. Swap agreements are contracts between parties in which one party agrees to make periodic payments to the other party based on the change in market value or level of a specified rate, index or asset. In return, the other party agrees to make payments to the first party based on the return of a different specified rate, index or asset. Swap agreements will usually be done on a net basis, i.e., where the two parties make net payments with a Fund receiving or paying, as the case may be, only the net amount of the two payments. The net amount of the excess, if any, of a Fund’s obligations over its entitlements with respect to each swap is accrued on a daily basis and an amount of cash or equivalents having an aggregate value at least equal to the accrued excess is maintained by the Fund.

 

In a total return swap transaction, one party agrees to pay the other party an amount equal to the total return on a defined underlying asset or a non-asset reference during a specified period of time. The underlying asset might be a security or basket of securities, and the non-asset reference could be a securities index. In return, the other party would make periodic payments based on a fixed or variable interest rate or on the total return from a different underlying asset or non-asset reference. The payments of the two parties could be made on a net basis.

 

Options on Swaps.  An option on a swap agreement, or a “swaption,” is a contract that gives a counterparty the right (but not the obligation) to enter into a new swap agreement or to shorten, extend, cancel or otherwise modify an existing swap agreement, at some designated future time on specified terms. In return, the purchaser pays a “premium” to the seller of the contract. The seller of the contract receives the premium and bears the risk of unfavorable changes on the underlying swap. The Funds may write (sell) and purchase put and call swaptions. The Funds may also enter into swaptions on either an asset-based or liability-based basis, depending on whether a Fund is hedging its assets or its liabilities. The Funds may write (sell) and purchase put and call swaptions to the same extent it may make use of standard options on securities or other instruments. The Funds may enter into these transactions primarily to preserve a return or spread on a particular investment or portion of its holdings, as a duration management technique, to protect against an increase in the price of securities a Fund anticipates purchasing at a later date, or for any other purposes, such as for speculation to increase returns. Swaptions are generally subject to the same risks involved in a Fund’s use of options.

 

Risks of Swap Agreements. The risk of loss with respect to swaps generally is limited to the net amount of payments that a Fund is contractually obligated to make. Swap agreements are subject to the risk that the swap counterparty will default on its obligations. If such a default occurs, a Fund will have contractual remedies pursuant to the agreements related to the transaction, but such remedies may be subject to bankruptcy and insolvency laws which could affect a Fund’s rights as a creditor (e.g., a Fund may not receive the net amount of payments that it contractually is entitled to receive).

 

The use of interest-rate and index swaps is a highly specialized activity that involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio security transactions. These transactions generally do not involve the delivery of securities or other underlying assets or principal.

 

Total return swaps could result in losses if the underlying asset or reference does not perform as anticipated. Total return swaps can have the potential for unlimited losses. A Fund may lose money in a total return swap if the counterparty fails to meet its obligations.

 

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SHORT SALES

 

Each Fund may engage in short sales that are either “uncovered” or “against the box.” A short sale is “against the box” if at all times during which the short position is open, a Fund owns at least an equal amount of the securities or securities convertible into, or exchangeable without further consideration for, securities of the same issue as the securities that are sold short. A short sale against the box is a taxable transaction to a Fund with respect to the securities that are sold short.

 

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

 

CUSTODIAN RISK

 

The Funds are exposed to the risk that, in the event of the insolvency or bankruptcy of its custodian, a Fund would be delayed or prevented from recovering its assets from the custodian. The assets of a Fund are identified in the custodian’s books as belonging to that Fund, and securities and debt obligations of that Fund held by the custodian are segregated from other assets of the custodian, which will mitigate but not eliminate this risk. No such segregation applies to cash held by the custodian on behalf of a Fund, which increases the risk that such Fund could be delayed or prevented from recovering its assets in the event of the insolvency or bankruptcy of the custodian. Each Fund also is exposed to the risk of bankruptcy of any foreign sub-custodians utilized by the custodian, which may not be part of the same group of companies as the custodian. In addition, a Fund may invest in markets where custodial and/or settlement systems are not fully developed.

 

RECENT MARKET CIRCUMSTANCES

 

Local, regional, or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, recessions, or other events could have a significant impact on the market generally and on specific securities. Periods of market volatility may occur in response to such events and other economic, political, and global macro factors.

 

The COVID-19 pandemic, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and higher inflation have resulted in extreme volatility in the financial markets, economic downturns around the world, severe losses to some sectors of the economy and individual issuers, and reduced liquidity of certain instruments. These events have caused significant disruptions to business operations, including business closures; strained healthcare systems; disruptions to supply chains and employee availability; large fluctuations in consumer demand; large expansion of government deficits and debt as a result of government actions to mitigate the effects of such events; and widespread uncertainty regarding the long-term effects of such events.

 

Governments and central banks, including the Federal Reserve in the United States, took extraordinary and unprecedented actions to support local and global economies and the financial markets in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including by keeping interest rates at historically low levels for an extended period. The Federal Reserve concluded its market support activities in 2022 and began to raise interest rates in an effort to fight inflation. The Federal Reserve may determine to raise interest rates further. This and other government intervention into the economy and financial markets to address the pandemic, inflation, or other significant events in the future may not work as intended, particularly if the efforts are perceived by investors as being unlikely to achieve the desired results.

 

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CYBER SECURITY RISK

 

Investment companies, such as the Funds, and their service providers may be subject to operational and information security risks resulting from cyber attacks.  Cyber attacks include, among other behaviors, stealing or corrupting data maintained online or digitally, denial of service attacks on websites, the unauthorized release of confidential information or various other forms of cyber security breaches.  Cyber attacks affecting the Funds or the Adviser, custodian, transfer agent, intermediaries and other third-party service providers may adversely impact the Funds.  For instance, cyber attacks may interfere with the processing of shareholder transactions, impact a Fund’s ability to calculate its NAV, cause the release of private shareholder information or confidential company information, impede trading, subject a Fund to regulatory fines or financial losses, and cause reputational damage.  A Fund may also incur additional costs for cyber security risk management purposes.  Similar types of cyber security risks are also present for issuers of securities in which a Fund invests, which could result in material adverse consequences for such issuers, and may cause a Fund’s investment in such portfolio companies to lose value.

 

INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS

 

The Trust has adopted the following investment restrictions as fundamental policies with respect to the Funds. These restrictions cannot be changed with respect to a Fund without the approval of the holders of a majority of such Fund’s outstanding voting securities. For these purposes, a “majority of outstanding voting securities” means the vote of the lesser of: (1) 67% or more of the voting securities of a Fund present at the meeting if the holders of more than 50% of such Fund’s outstanding voting securities are present or represented by proxy; or (2) more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities of a Fund.

 

Except with the approval of a majority of the outstanding voting securities, each Fund may not:

 

1.Borrow money or issue senior securities (as defined under the 1940 Act), except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder or any exemption therefrom, as such statute, rules or regulations may be amended or interpreted from time to time.
2.Make loans, except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder or any exemption therefrom, as such statute, rules or regulations may be amended or interpreted from time to time.
3.Purchase or sell commodities or real estate, except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder or any exemption therefrom, as such statute, rules or regulations may be amended or interpreted from time to time.
4.Underwrite securities issued by other persons, except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder or any exemption therefrom, as such statute, rules or regulations may be amended or interpreted from time to time.

 

Except with the approval of a majority of the outstanding voting securities, Stratified LargeCap Index ETF may not:

 

Concentrate its investments in an industry or group of industries (i.e., invest more than 25% of its total assets in the securities of companies in a particular industry or group of industries), except that the Fund will concentrate to approximately the same extent that the Syntax Stratified LargeCap Index concentrates in the securities of companies in such particular industry or group of industries. For purposes of this limitation, securities of the U.S. Government (including its agencies and instrumentalities), repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. government securities, and securities of state or municipal governments and their political subdivisions are not considered to be issued by members of any industry.

 

Except with the approval of a majority of the outstanding voting securities, Stratified LargeCap Hedged ETF may not:

 

Concentrate its investments in an industry or group of industries (i.e., invest more than 25% of its total assets in the securities of companies in a particular industry or group of industries). For purposes of this limitation, securities of the U.S. Government (including its agencies and instrumentalities), repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. government securities, and securities of state or municipal governments and their political subdivisions are not considered to be issued by members of any industry.

 

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If a percentage limitation is adhered to at the time of investment or contract, a later increase or decrease in percentage resulting from any change in value of total or net assets will not result in a violation of such restriction, except that the percentage limitations with respect to the borrowing of money will be observed continuously.

 

The following descriptions of certain provisions of the 1940 Act may assist investors in understanding the above policies and restrictions:

 

Concentration. The SEC has defined concentration as investing more than 25% of an investment company’s total assets in a particular industry or group of industries, with certain exceptions.

 

Diversification. Under the 1940 Act, a diversified investment management company, as to 75% of its total assets, may not purchase securities of any issuer (other than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agents or instrumentalities or securities of other investment companies) if, as a result, more than 5% of its total assets would be invested in the securities of such issuer, or more than 10% of the issuer’s outstanding voting securities would be held by the company.

 

Borrowing. The 1940 Act presently allows a fund to borrow from any bank (including pledging, mortgaging or hypothecating assets) in an amount up to 33 1/3% of its total assets (not including temporary borrowings not in excess of 5% of its total assets).

 

Senior Securities. Senior securities may include any obligation or instrument constituting a security issued by a Fund and evidencing indebtedness or a future payment obligation. The 1940 Act generally prohibits funds from issuing senior securities other than borrowing from a bank subject to specific asset coverage requirements. The 1940 Act prohibitions and restrictions on the issuance of senior securities are designed to protect shareholders from the potentially adverse effects of a fund’s issuance of senior securities including, in particular, the risks associated with excessive leverage of a fund’s assets. Certain types of derivatives give rise to future payment obligations and, therefore, also may be considered to be senior securities. Rule 18f-4 under the 1940 Act permits funds that comply with the conditions therein to enter into certain types of derivatives transactions notwithstanding the prohibitions and restrictions on the issuance of senior securities under the 1940 Act.

 

Lending. Under the 1940 Act, a fund may only make loans if expressly permitted by its investment policies. The Funds’ current investment policy on lending is as follows: a Fund may not make loans if, as a result, more than 33 1/3% of its total assets would be lent to other parties, except that a Fund may: (i) purchase or hold debt instruments in accordance with its investment objective and policies; (ii) enter into repurchase agreements; and (iii) engage in securities lending as described in the SAI.

 

Underwriting. Under the 1940 Act, underwriting securities involves a fund purchasing securities directly from an issuer for the purpose of selling (distributing) them or participating in any such activity either directly or indirectly.

 

Real Estate. The 1940 Act does not directly restrict an investment company’s ability to invest in real estate, but does require that every investment company have a fundamental investment policy governing such investments. The Funds will not purchase or sell real estate, except that, to the extent permitted by applicable law, a Fund may purchase marketable securities issued by companies that own or invest in real estate (including real estate investment trusts (“REITs”)).

 

Commodities. A Fund will not purchase or sell physical commodities or commodities contracts, except that a Fund may purchase: (i) marketable securities issued by companies which own or invest in commodities or commodities contracts; and (ii) commodities contracts relating to financial instruments, such as financial futures contracts and options on such contracts.

 

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EXCHANGE LISTING AND TRADING

 

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

 

The shares of the Funds are approved for listing and trading on the Exchange. A Fund’s shares trade on the Exchange at prices that may differ to some degree from its NAV. There can be no assurance that the requirements of the Exchange necessary to maintain the listing of shares of a Fund will continue to be met.

 

The Exchange will consider the suspension of trading in, and will initiate delisting procedures of, the shares of a Fund under any of the following circumstances: (1) if the Exchange becomes aware that the Fund is no longer eligible to operate in reliance on Rule 6c-11 under the 1940 Act; (2) if any of the continued listing requirements set forth in the Exchange’s rules are not continuously maintained; (3) following the initial twelve-month period beginning upon the commencement of trading of the Fund, there are fewer than 50 record and/or beneficial holders of the Fund’s shares; or (4) such other event occurs or condition exists that, in the opinion of the Exchange, makes further dealings on the Exchange inadvisable. In addition, the Exchange will remove the shares from listing and trading upon termination of the Trust or a Fund.

 

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

 

As in the case of other publicly traded securities, brokers’ commissions on transactions will be based on negotiated commission rates at customary levels.

 

The base and trading currencies of each Fund is the U.S. dollar. The base currency is the currency in which each Fund’s NAV per share is calculated and the trading currency is the currency in which shares of each Fund are listed and traded on the Exchange.

 

MANAGEMENT OF THE TRUST

 

Board Responsibilities. The management and affairs of the Trust and its series, including the Funds described in this SAI, are overseen by the Board. The Board elects the officers of the Trust who are responsible for administering the day-to-day operations of the Trust and the Funds. The Board has approved contracts, as described below, under which certain companies provide essential services to the Trust.

 

Like most funds, the day-to-day business of the Trust, including the management of risk, is performed by third party service providers, such as the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, the Trust’s distributor and the Trust’s administrator. The Trustees are responsible for overseeing the Trust’s service providers and, thus, have oversight responsibility with respect to risk management performed by those service providers. Risk management seeks to identify and address risks, i.e., events or circumstances that could have material adverse effects on the business, operations, shareholder services, investment performance or reputation of each Fund. Each Fund and its service providers employ a variety of processes, procedures and controls to identify various of those possible events or circumstances, to lessen the probability of their occurrence and/or to mitigate the effects of such events or circumstances if they do occur. Each service provider is responsible for one or more discrete aspects of the Trust’s business (e.g., the Sub-Adviser is responsible for making investment decisions for the Funds) and, consequently, for managing the risks associated with that business. The Board has emphasized to the Funds’ service providers the importance of maintaining vigorous risk management.

 

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The Trustees’ role in risk oversight begins before the inception of a Fund, at which time certain of such Fund’s service providers present the Board with information concerning the investment objectives, strategies and risks of that Fund as well as proposed investment limitations for the Fund. Additionally, the Adviser and the Sub-Adviser provide the Board with an overview of, among other things, their investment philosophies, brokerage practices and compliance infrastructure. Thereafter, the Board continues its oversight function as various personnel, including the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer, as well as personnel of the Adviser, Sub-Adviser and other service providers such as a Fund’s independent accountants, make periodic reports to the Audit Committee or to the Board with respect to various aspects of risk management. The Board and the Audit Committee oversee efforts by management and service providers to manage risks to which a Fund may be exposed.

 

The Board is responsible for overseeing the nature, extent and quality of the services provided to a Fund by the Adviser and the Sub-Adviser, and receives information about those services at its regular meetings. In addition, on an annual basis, in connection with its consideration of whether to renew the advisory agreement with the Adviser and the sub-advisory agreement with the Sub-Adviser, the Board meets with the Adviser and the Sub-Adviser to review such services. Among other things, the Board regularly considers the Adviser’s and the Sub-Adviser’s adherence to a Fund’s investment restrictions and compliance with various Fund policies and procedures and with applicable securities regulations. The Board also reviews information about each Fund’s performance and each Fund’s investments, including, for example, portfolio holdings schedules.

 

The Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer reports regularly to the Board to review and discuss compliance issues and Fund and Adviser risk assessments. At least annually, the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer provides the Board with a report reviewing the adequacy and effectiveness of the Trust’s policies and procedures and those of its service providers, including the Adviser and the Sub-Adviser. 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 each Fund’s service providers regarding operational risks and risks related to the valuation and liquidity of portfolio securities. The Adviser has a Fair Value Committee that, subject to the oversight of the Board, is responsible for implementing the Trust’s valuation policy and providing reports to the Board concerning investments for which market quotations are not readily available and, thus, are fair valued by the Adviser as valuation designee pursuant to the Adviser’s fair valuation policy and procedures. Annually, the independent registered public accounting firm reviews with the Audit Committee its audit of each Fund’s financial statements, focusing on major areas of risk encountered by each Fund and noting any significant deficiencies or material weaknesses in a Fund’s internal controls. Additionally, in connection with its oversight function, the Board oversees Fund management’s implementation of disclosure controls and procedures, which are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Trust in its periodic reports with the SEC are recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the required time periods. The Board also oversees the Trust’s internal controls over financial reporting, which comprise policies and procedures designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of the Trust’s financial reporting and the preparation of the Trust’s financial statements.

 

From their review of these reports and discussions with the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, the Chief Compliance Officer, the independent registered public accounting firm and other service providers, the Board and the Audit Committee learn in detail about the material risks of a 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 a Fund can be identified and/or quantified, that it may not be practical or cost-effective to eliminate or mitigate certain risks, that it may be necessary to bear certain risks (such as investment-related risks) to achieve a Fund’s goals, and that the processes, procedures and controls employed to address certain risks may be limited in their effectiveness. Moreover, reports received by the Trustees as to risk management matters are typically summaries of the relevant information. Most of each Fund’s investment management and business affairs are carried out by or through the Adviser and other service providers each of which has an independent interest in risk management but whose policies and the methods by which one or more risk management functions are carried out may differ from each Fund’s and each other’s in the setting of priorities, the resources available or the effectiveness of relevant controls. As a result of the foregoing and other factors, the Board’s ability to monitor and manage risk, as a practical matter, is subject to limitations.

 

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Members of the Board. There are four members of the Board, three of whom are not interested persons of the Trust, as that term is defined in the 1940 Act (“Independent Trustees”). J. Garrett Stevens, the sole interested Trustee, serves as Chair of the Board and Timothy Jacoby serves as the Trust’s lead Independent Trustee. As lead Independent Trustee, Mr. Jacoby acts as a spokesperson for the Independent Trustees in between meetings of the Board, serves as a liaison for the Independent Trustees with the Trust’s service providers, officers, and legal counsel to discuss ideas informally, and participates as needed in setting the agenda for meetings of the Board and separate meetings or executive sessions of the Independent Trustees. Independent Trustees comprise 75% of the Board. The Trust has determined its leadership structure is appropriate given the specific characteristics and circumstances of the Trust. The Trust made this determination in consideration of, among other things, the fact that the Independent Trustees constitute a super-majority of the Board, the number of Independent Trustees that constitute the Board, the amount of assets under management in the Trust, and the number of funds overseen by the Board. The Board also believes that its leadership structure facilitates the orderly and efficient flow of information to the Independent Trustees from Fund management.

 

Set forth below is information about each of the persons currently serving as a Trustee of the Trust. The address of each Trustee of the Trust is c/o Exchange Listed Funds Trust, 10900 Hefner Pointe Drive, Suite 400, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73120.

 

Name and Year of
Birth

 

Position(s)
Held with
the Trust

Term of
Office and
Length of
Time Served1
Principal Occupation(s)
During Past 5 Years
Number of
Portfolios in
Fund
Complex2
Overseen By
Trustee

Other
Directorships
Held by Trustee
During the Past 5
Years

Interested Trustee3

J. Garrett Stevens

(1979)

President Since 2022 Investment Adviser/Vice President, T.S. Phillips Investments, Inc. (since 2000); Chief Executive Officer, Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC (since 2009); President, Exchange Traded Concepts Trust (since 2011). 37 Interested Trustee, Exchange Traded Concepts Trust (34 portfolios)(since 2009)
Independent Trustees

Timothy Jacoby

(1952)

Trustee Since 2014 None 37 Independent Trustee, Bridge Builder Trust (14 portfolios) (since 2022); Independent Trustee, Edward Jones Money Market Fund (since 2017); Audit Committee Chair, Perth Mint Physical Gold ETF (2018 to 2020)

Linda Petrone

(1962)

Trustee Since 2019 Founding Partner, Sage Search Advisors (since 2012). 37 None

Stuart Strauss

(1953)

Trustee Since 2022 Partner, Dechert LLP (2009 to 2020) 37 None

1 Each Trustee shall serve during the continued life of the Trust until he or she dies, resigns, is declared bankrupt or incompetent by a court of competent jurisdiction, or is removed.

2 The fund complex includes each series of the Trust and of Exchange Traded Concepts Trust.

3 Mr. Hogan is an “interested person” of the Trust, as that term is defined in the 1940 Act, by virtue of his employment with, and ownership interest in, the Adviser.

 

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

 

The Trust has concluded that Mr. Stevens should serve as a Trustee because of the experience he gained in his roles with registered broker-dealer and investment management firms, as Chief Executive Officer of the Adviser, his experience in and knowledge of the financial services industry, Mr. Stevens is a Founder of the Adviser.

 

The Trust has concluded that Mr. Jacoby should serve as a Trustee because of the experience he has gained from over 25 years in or serving the investment management industry. Until his retirement in June 2014, Mr. Jacoby served as a partner at the audit and professional services firm Deloitte & Touche LLP, where he had worked since 2000, providing various services to asset management firms that manage mutual funds, hedge funds and private equity funds. Prior to that, Mr. Jacoby held various senior positions at financial services firms. Additionally, he served as a partner at Ernst & Young LLP. Mr. Jacoby is a Certified Public Accountant.

 

The Trust has concluded that Ms. Petrone should serve as a Trustee because of the experience she has gained serving in leadership roles in the equity derivatives group and the prime brokerage group of a large financial institution as well as her experience as a derivative strategist at a large alternative manager and her broad knowledge of the financial services industry. She currently works with financial institutions to recruit talent for investment teams as well as for business roles at alternative managers.

 

The Trust has concluded that Mr. Strauss should serve as a Trustee because of the experience he has gained as an attorney in the investment management industry, including as partner of a major law firm, representing exchange-traded funds and other investment companies as well as their sponsors and advisers and his knowledge of and experience in investment management law and the financial services industry.

 

In its periodic assessment of the effectiveness of the Board, the Board considers the complementary individual skills and experience of the individual Trustees primarily in the broader context of the Board’s overall composition so that the Board, as a body, possesses the appropriate (and appropriately diverse) skills and experience to oversee the business of the Funds.

 

Trustee Compensation. Effective January 1, 2023, as compensation for service on the Board, each Independent Trustee is entitled to receive a $70,000 annual base fee. In addition, Mr. Jacoby is entitled to a $7,500 annual fee for his service as Audit Committee chair and a $7,500 annual fee for his service as lead Independent Trustee, and Ms. Petrone is entitled to a $5,000 annual fee for her service as Governance and Nominating Committee chair. Prior to January 1, 2023, each Independent Trustee was entitled to receive a $75,000 annual base fee, Mr. Jacoby was entitled to a $5,000 annual fee for his service as Audit Committee chair and a $5,000 annual fee for his service as lead Independent Trustee, and Ms. Petrone was entitled to a $2,500 annual fee for her service as Governance and Nominating Committee chair.

 

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The following table sets forth the estimated compensation to be paid to the Trustees of the Trust for the fiscal year ended [-], 2024. Independent Trustee fees are paid from the unitary fee paid to the Adviser by each Fund and the other series of the Trust. Trustee compensation does not include reimbursed out-of-pocket expenses in connection with attendance at meetings. 

 

Name

Aggregate
Compensation

Pension or
Retirement Benefits
Accrued as Part of
Fund Expenses
Estimated
Annual
Benefits Upon
Retirement
Estimated Compensation from the Trust and Fund Complex1
Interested Trustee
J. Garrett Stevens $[-] N/A N/A $[-] for service on [-] boards
Independent Trustees
Timothy Jacoby $[-] N/A N/A $[-] for service on [-] boards
Linda Petrone $[-] N/A N/A $[-] for service on [-] boards
Stuart Strauss $[-] N/A N/A $[-] for service on [-] boards
1 The fund complex includes each series of the Trust and Exchange Traded Concepts Trust.

 

Officers. Set forth below is information about each of the persons currently serving as officers of the Trust. The address of each officer is c/o Exchange Listed Funds Trust, 10900 Hefner Pointe Drive, Suite 400, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73120.

 

Name
and Year of Birth

Position(s)
Held with
the Trust

Term of
Office and
Length of
Time Served1

Principal Occupation(s)
During Past 5 Years

J. Garrett Stevens

(1979)

President Since 2012 Investment Adviser/Vice President, T.S. Phillips Investments, Inc. (since 2000); Chief Executive Officer, Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC (since 2009); President, Exchange Traded Concepts Trust (since 2011).

Richard Malinowski

(1983)

Vice President and Secretary Since 2022 General Counsel, Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC (since 2022); Senior Vice President and Senior Managing Counsel, Ultimus Fund Solutions LLC, (2020 to 2022); Senior Vice President, Ultimus Fund Solutions LLC (2017 to 2020).

Christopher Roleke

(1972)

Treasurer Since 2012 Controller, Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC (since 2022); Managing Director/Fund Principal Financial Officer, Foreside Management Services, LLC (2011 to 2022).

James Baker Jr.

(1951)

Assistant Treasurer Since 2015 Managing Partner, Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC (since 2011).

Matthew Fleischer

(1983)

Chief Compliance Officer Since 2021 Chief Compliance Officer, Exchange Traded Concepts Trust (since 2021); Vice President, Compliance, Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., Goldman Sachs Asset Management Funds (2017 to 2021).

Heather Nichols

(1983)

Assistant Secretary Since 2023 Counsel, Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC (since 2023); Principal, HND Compliance and Regulatory Services, LLC (2015 to 2023).

1 Each officer serves at the pleasure of the Board.

 

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Committees. The Board has established the following committees:

 

Audit Committee. The Board has an Audit Committee that is composed of each of the Independent Trustees of the Trust. The Audit Committee operates under a written charter approved by the Board. The principal responsibilities of the Audit Committee include: recommending which firm to engage as the Funds’ independent registered public accounting firm and whether to terminate this relationship; reviewing the independent registered public accounting firm’s compensation, the proposed scope and terms of its engagement, and the firm’s independence; pre-approving audit and non-audit services provided by the Funds’ independent registered public accounting firm to the Trust and certain other affiliated entities; serving as a channel of communication between the independent registered public accounting firm and the Trustees; reviewing the results of each external audit, including any qualifications in the independent registered public accounting firm’s opinion, any related management letter, management’s responses to recommendations made by the independent registered public accounting firm in connection with the audit, reports submitted to the Committee by the internal auditing department of the Trust’s administrator that are material to the Trust as a whole, if any, and management’s responses to any such reports; reviewing each Fund’s audited financial statements and considering any significant disputes between the Trust’s management and the independent registered public accounting firm that arose in connection with the preparation of those financial statements; considering, in consultation with the independent registered public accounting firm and the Trust’s senior internal accounting executive, if any, the independent registered public accounting firms’ report on the adequacy of the Trust’s internal financial controls; reviewing, in consultation with the Funds’ independent registered public accounting firm, major changes regarding auditing and accounting principles and practices to be followed when preparing a Fund’s financial statements; and other audit related matters. The Audit Committee also serves as the Trust’s Qualified Legal Compliance Committee, which provides a mechanism for reporting legal violations. The Audit Committee meets periodically, as necessary, and met [-] times during the most recently completed fiscal year.

 

Governance and Nominating Committee. The Board has a Governance and Nominating Committee that is composed of each of the Independent Trustees of the Trust. The Governance and Nominating Committee operates under a written charter approved by the Board. The principal responsibility of the Governance and Nominating Committee is to consider, recommend and nominate candidates to fill vacancies on the Board, if any. The Governance and Nominating Committee generally will not consider nominees recommended by shareholders. The Governance and Nominating Committee meets periodically, as necessary, and met [-] times during the most recently completed fiscal year.

 

Fund Shares Owned by Board Members. The following table shows the dollar amount ranges of each Trustee’s “beneficial ownership” of shares of each Fund and each other 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 Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”). As of [-], the Trustees and officers owned less than 1% of the outstanding shares of the Funds.

 

 

Name

Dollar Range of Fund Shares Owned Aggregate Dollar Range of Shares Owned in
Series of the Trust
Interested Trustee
J. Garrett Stevens None None
Independent Trustees
Timothy Jacoby None None
Linda Petrone None None
Stuart Strauss None None

 

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CODES OF ETHICS

 

The Trust, the Adviser and Foreside Financial Group LLC (on behalf of the Trust’s distributor and its affiliates) have each adopted a code of ethics pursuant to Rule 17j-1 of the 1940 Act. These codes of ethics are designed to prevent affiliated persons of the Trust, the Adviser and Foreside Financial Group from engaging in deceptive, manipulative or fraudulent activities in connection with securities held or to be acquired by a Fund. These codes of ethics permit, subject to certain conditions, personnel of each of those entities to invest in securities, including those that may be purchased or held by a Fund.

 

There can be no assurance that the codes of ethics will be effective in preventing such activities. Each code of ethics, filed as exhibits to this registration statement, may be examined at the office of the SEC in Washington, D.C. or on the Internet at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

 

PROXY VOTING POLICIES

 

The Board has delegated the responsibility to vote proxies for securities held in a Fund’s portfolio to the Adviser. Proxies for the portfolio securities are voted in accordance with the Adviser’s proxy voting policies and procedures, which are set forth in Appendix A to this SAI. Information regarding how each Fund voted proxies relating to its portfolio securities during the most recent twelve-month period ended June 30 is available without charge by calling [ ] and on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

 

INVESTMENT ADVISORY AND OTHER SERVICES

 

Adviser. Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC, an Oklahoma limited liability company located at 10900 Hefner Pointe Drive, Suite 400, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73120, its primary place of business, and 295 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10017, serves as the investment adviser to each Fund. The Adviser is majority owned by Cottonwood ETF Holdings LLC.

 

The Trust and the Adviser have entered into an investment advisory agreement with respect to the Fund (the “Advisory Agreement”). Under the Advisory Agreement, the Adviser provides investment advisory services to the Fund. The Adviser is responsible for, among other things, overseeing the Sub-Adviser, including regular review of the Sub-Adviser’s performance, trading portfolio securities on behalf of the Fund, and selecting broker-dealers to execute purchase and sale transactions, subject to the oversight of the Board. For the services it provides to the Funds, the Adviser is entitled to a fee calculated daily and paid monthly at an annual rate of 0.45% of the average daily net assets of the Stratified LargeCap Index ETF and 0.95% of the average daily net assets of the Stratified LargeCap Hedged ETF.

 

For the periods indicated below, the Predecessor Funds paid the following aggregate management fees to its predecessor adviser:

 

[Table to be provided.]

 

21

 

 

Certain administrative services for the Fund are performed by ETC Platform Services, LLC (“ETC Platform Services”), a Delaware limited liability company and direct wholly owned subsidiary of the Adviser located at 10900 Hefner Pointe Drive, Suite 400, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73120, its primary place of business, and 295 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10017. Pursuant to a Platform Services Administration Agreement, ETC Platform Services administers the Fund’s business affairs and provides office facilities and equipment, certain clerical, compliance, bookkeeping and administrative services, paying agent services under the Fund’s unitary fee arrangement (as described below), and its officers and employees to serve as officers or Trustees of the Trust. ETC Platform Services also arranges for transfer agency, custody, fund administration and accounting, and other non-distribution related services necessary for the Fund to operate. For the services it provides to the Fund, ETC Platform Services is paid a fee calculated daily and paid monthly based on a percentage of the Fund’s average daily net assets.

 

Under the Advisory Agreement, the Adviser has agreed to pay all expenses incurred by the Fund (including the fee charged by ETC Platform Services) except for the advisory fee, interest, taxes, brokerage commissions and other expenses incurred in placing or settlement of orders for the purchase and sale of securities and other investment instruments, acquired fund fees and expenses, accrued deferred tax liability, extraordinary expenses, and distribution fees and expenses paid by the Fund under any distribution plan adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act (“Excluded Expenses”). As part of an arrangement between the Adviser and Sub-Adviser, the Sub-Adviser has agreed to assume the Adviser’s obligation to pay all expenses of the Fund (except the Excluded Expenses) and, to the extent applicable, pay the Adviser a minimum fee.

 

After the initial two-year term, the continuance of the Advisory Agreement must be specifically approved at least annually: (i) by the vote of the Trustees or by a vote of the shareholders of the Fund; and (ii) by the vote of a majority of the Trustees who are not parties to the Advisory Agreement or “interested persons” or of any party thereto, in accordance with the 1940 Act. The Advisory Agreement will terminate automatically in the event of its assignment, and is terminable at any time without penalty by the Trustees of the Trust or, with respect to the Fund, by a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund, or by the Adviser on not more than sixty (60) days’ nor less than thirty (30) days’ written notice to the Trust. As used in the Advisory Agreement, the terms “majority of the outstanding voting securities,” “interested persons” and “assignment” have the same meaning as such terms in the 1940 Act.

 

The Trust and the Adviser have obtained exemptive relief, In the Matter of Exchange Traded Concepts Trust, et al., Investment Company Act Release Nos. 31453 (February 10, 2015) (Notice) and 31502 (March 10, 2015) (the “Order”), pursuant to which the Adviser may, with Board approval but without shareholder approval, change or select new sub-advisers, materially amend the terms of an agreement with a sub-adviser (including an increase in its fee), or continue the employment of a sub-adviser after an event that would otherwise cause the automatic termination of services, subject to the conditions of the Order. Shareholders will be notified of any sub-adviser changes.

 

THE PORTFOLIO MANAGERS

 

Andrew Serowik, Todd Alberico, Gabriel Tan, and Brian Cooper serve as each Fund’s portfolio managers. This section includes information about the portfolio managers, including information about compensation, other accounts managed, and the dollar range of Fund shares owned.

 

Portfolio Manager Compensation. The compensation of Messrs. Serowik, Alberico, Tan, and Cooper includes a salary and discretionary bonus based on the profitability of the Adviser.

 

No portfolio manager’s compensation is directly related to the performance of the underlying assets of a Fund.

 

Fund Shares Owned by the Portfolio Managers. Each Fund is required to show the dollar range of the portfolio managers’ “beneficial ownership” of shares of a Fund as of the end of the most recently completed fiscal year. Dollar amount ranges disclosed are established by the SEC. “Beneficial ownership” is determined in accordance with Rule 16a-1(a)(2) under the Exchange Act. As of [-], the portfolio managers did not beneficially own shares of any Fund.

 

22

 

 

Other Accounts Managed by the Portfolio Managers. In addition to the Funds, as of [-], 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

Number
of
Accounts

 

Total Assets
(in millions)

Number of
Accounts

Total Assets

(in millions)

 

Number of
Accounts

Total Assets

(in millions)

Andrew Serowik [-] $[-] [-] $[-] [-] $[-]
Gabriel Tan [-] $[-] [-] $[-] [-] $[-]
Todd Alberico [-] $[-] [-] $[-] [-] $[-]
Brian Cooper [-] $[-] [-] $[-] [-] $[-]

*Assets in this account are subject to a performance based advisory fee.

 

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

 

THE DISTRIBUTOR

 

The Trust and Foreside Fund Services, LLC (the “Distributor”) are parties to an amended and restated distribution agreement (the “Distribution Agreement”) whereby the Distributor acts as principal underwriter for the Trust’s shares and distributes the shares of each Fund. Shares of each Fund are continuously offered for sale by the Distributor only in Creation Units. The Distributor will not distribute shares of a Fund in amounts less than a Creation Unit. The principal business address of the Distributor is Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, Maine 04101.

 

The Distributor will deliver prospectuses and, upon request, Statements of Additional Information to persons purchasing Creation Units and will maintain records of orders placed with it. The Distributor is a broker-dealer registered under the Exchange Act and a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”).

 

The Distributor may enter into agreements with securities dealers wishing to purchase Creation Units if such securities dealers qualify as Authorized Participants (as discussed in “Procedures for Creation of Creation Units” below).

 

The Distribution Agreement will continue for two years from its effective date and is renewable thereafter. The continuance of the Distribution Agreement with respect to each Fund must be specifically approved at least annually (i) by the vote of the Trustees or by a vote of the shareholders of each Fund and (ii) by the vote of a majority of the Trustees who are not “interested persons” of the Trust and have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operations of the Distribution Agreement or any related agreement, in accordance with the 1940 Act. The Distribution Agreement is terminable without penalty by the Trust on 60 days’ written notice when authorized either by majority vote of a Fund’s outstanding voting shares or by a vote of a majority of its Board (including a majority of the Independent Trustees), or by the Distributor on 60 days’ written notice, and will automatically terminate in the event of its assignment.

 

The Distributor also may provide trade order processing services pursuant to a services agreement.

 

23

 

 

Distribution and Service Plan. The Trust has adopted a Distribution and Service Plan (the “Plan”) in accordance with the provisions of Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, which regulates circumstances under which an investment company may directly or indirectly bear expenses relating to the distribution of its shares. No payments pursuant to the Plan will be made during the twelve (12) month period from the date of this SAI. Thereafter, 12b-1 fees may only be imposed after approval by the Board.

 

Continuance of the Plan must be approved annually by a majority of the Trustees of the Trust and by a majority of the Trustees who are not interested persons (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Trust and have no direct or indirect financial interest in the Plan or in any agreements related to the Plan (“Qualified Trustees”). The Plan requires that quarterly written reports of amounts spent under the Plan and the purposes of such expenditures be furnished to and reviewed by the Trustees. The Plan may not be amended to increase materially the amount that may be spent thereunder without approval by a majority of the outstanding shares of any class of a Fund that is affected by such increase. All material amendments of the Plan will require approval by a majority of the Trustees of the Trust and of the Qualified Trustees.

 

The Plan provides that the Funds pay the Distributor an annual fee of up to a maximum of 0.25% of the average daily net assets of the shares of each Fund. Under the Plan, the Distributor may make payments pursuant to written agreements to financial institutions and intermediaries such as banks, savings and loan associations and insurance companies including, without limit, investment counselors, broker-dealers and the Distributor’s affiliates and subsidiaries (collectively, “Agents”) as compensation for services and reimbursement of expenses incurred in connection with distribution assistance. The Plan is characterized as a compensation plan since the distribution fee will be paid to the Distributor without regard to the distribution expenses incurred by the Distributor or the amount of payments made to other financial institutions and intermediaries. The Trust intends to operate the Plan in accordance with its terms and with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) rules concerning sales charges.

 

Under the Plan, subject to the limitations of applicable law and regulations, a Fund is authorized to compensate the Distributor up to the maximum amount to finance any activity primarily intended to result in the sale of Creation Units of the Funds or for providing or arranging for others to provide shareholder services and for the maintenance of shareholder accounts. Such activities may include, but are not limited to: (i) delivering copies of a Fund’s then current reports, prospectuses, notices, and similar materials, to prospective purchasers of Creation Units; (ii) marketing and promotional services, including advertising; (iii) paying the costs of and compensating others, including Authorized Participants with whom the Distributor has entered into written Authorized Participant Agreements, for performing shareholder servicing on behalf of a Fund; (iv) compensating certain Authorized Participants for providing assistance in distributing the Creation Units of a Fund, including the travel and communication expenses and salaries and/or commissions of sales personnel in connection with the distribution of the Creation Units of a Fund; (v) payments to financial institutions and intermediaries such as banks, savings and loan associations, insurance companies and investment counselors, broker-dealers, mutual fund supermarkets and the affiliates and subsidiaries of the Trust’s service providers as compensation for services or reimbursement of expenses incurred in connection with distribution assistance; (vi) facilitating communications with beneficial owners of shares of a Fund, including the cost of providing (or paying others to provide) services to beneficial owners of shares of a Fund, including, but not limited to, assistance in answering inquiries related to shareholder accounts, and (vii) such other services and obligations as are set forth in the Distribution Agreement.

 

THE ADMINISTRATOR

 

[-] (“[-]”), located at [-], serves as the administrator to the Fund.

 

For services provided under the administration agreement with the Trust, [-] is entitled to a fee based on assets under management, paid by the Adviser, subject to a minimum fee. The Fund is new and, therefore, the Adviser has not paid the Administrator any fees for administrative services to the Fund as of the date of this SAI.

 

24

 

 

THE CUSTODIAN

 

[-], located at [-], serves as the custodian of the Fund (the “Custodian”). The Custodian holds cash, securities and other assets of the Fund as required by the 1940 Act.

 

THE TRANSFER AGENT

 

[-], located at [-], serves as transfer agent and dividend disbursing agent of the Fund.

 

LEGAL COUNSEL

 

Chapman and Cutler LLP, located at 320 South Canal Street, Chicago, IL 60606, serves as legal counsel to the Trust.

 

INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

 

[-], located at [-], serves as the independent registered public accounting firm for the Funds.

 

PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS DISCLOSURE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

 

The Board has adopted a policy regarding the disclosure of information about each Fund’s security holdings.

 

A Fund’s entire portfolio holdings are publicly disseminated each day that Fund is open for business through financial reporting and news services including publicly available internet websites. In addition, the composition of the in-kind creation basket and the in-kind redemption basket, is publicly disseminated daily prior to the opening of the Exchange via the NSCC.

 

Greater than daily access to information concerning a Fund’s portfolio holdings will be permitted (i) to certain personnel of service providers to the Fund involved in portfolio management and providing administrative, operational, risk management, or other support to portfolio management, and (ii) to other personnel of the Fund’s service providers 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 the Trust’s exemptive relief, agreements with the Fund, and the terms of the Trust’s current registration statement. From time to time, and in the ordinary course of business, such information may also be disclosed (i) to other entities that provide services to a Fund, including pricing information vendors, and third parties that deliver analytical, statistical or consulting services to a Fund and (ii) generally after it has been disseminated to the NSCC.

 

Each Fund will disclose its complete portfolio holdings in public filings with the SEC on a quarterly basis, based on the Fund’s fiscal year-end, within 60 days of the end of the quarter, and will provide that information to shareholders, as required by federal securities laws and regulations thereunder.

 

No person is authorized to disclose any of a Fund’s portfolio holdings or other investment positions (whether in writing, by fax, by e-mail, orally, or by other means) except in accordance with this policy. The Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer may authorize disclosure of portfolio holdings. The Board reviews the implementation of this policy on a periodic basis.

 

DESCRIPTION OF SHARES

 

The Declaration of Trust authorizes the issuance of an unlimited number of funds (or series) and shares of each fund. Each share of a fund represents an equal proportionate interest in that fund with each other share. Shares of each fund are entitled upon liquidation to a pro rata share in the net assets of that fund. Shareholders have no preemptive rights. The Declaration of Trust provides that the Trustees of the Trust may create additional series or classes of shares. All consideration received by the Trust for shares of any additional funds and all assets in which such consideration is invested would belong to that fund and would be subject to the liabilities related thereto. Share certificates representing shares will not be issued. Each fund’s shares, when issued, are fully paid and non-assessable.

 

Each share of a fund has one vote with respect to matters upon which a shareholder vote is required consistent with the requirements of the 1940 Act and the rules promulgated thereunder. Shares of all funds vote together as a single class, except that if the matter being voted on affects only a particular fund it will be voted on only by that fund and if a matter affects a particular fund differently from other funds, that fund will vote separately on such matter. As a Delaware statutory trust, the Trust is not required, and does not intend, to hold annual meetings of shareholders. Approval of shareholders will be sought, however, for certain changes in the operation of the Trust and for the election of Trustees under certain circumstances.

 

25

 

 

Under the Declaration of Trust, the Trustees have the power to liquidate a fund without shareholder approval. While the Trustees have no present intention of exercising this power, they may do so if a fund fails to reach a viable size within a reasonable amount of time or for such other reasons as may be determined by the Board.

 

LIMITATION OF TRUSTEES’ LIABILITY

 

The Declaration of Trust provides that a Trustee shall be liable only for his or her own willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of the office of Trustee, and shall not be liable for errors of judgment or mistakes of fact or law. The Trustees shall not be responsible or liable in any event for any neglect or wrong-doing of any officer, agent, employee, investment adviser or principal underwriter of the Trust, nor shall any Trustee be responsible for the act or omission of any other Trustee. The Declaration of Trust also provides that the Trust shall indemnify each person who is, or has been, a Trustee, officer, employee or agent of the Trust, any person who is serving or has served at the Trust’s request as a Trustee, officer, trustee, employee or agent of another organization in which the Trust has any interest as a shareholder, creditor or otherwise to the extent and in the manner provided in the By-Laws. However, nothing in the Declaration of Trust shall protect or indemnify a Trustee against any liability for his or her willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of the office of Trustee. Nothing contained in this section attempts to disclaim a Trustee’s individual liability in any manner inconsistent with the federal securities laws.

 

BROKERAGE TRANSACTIONS

 

The policy of the Trust regarding purchases and sales of securities for a Fund is that primary consideration will be given to obtaining the most favorable prices and efficient executions of transactions. Consistent with this policy, when securities transactions are effected on a stock exchange, the Trust’s policy is to pay commissions which are considered fair and reasonable without necessarily determining that the lowest possible commissions are paid in all circumstances. The Trust believes that a requirement always to seek the lowest possible commission cost could impede effective portfolio management and preclude the Funds and the Adviser from obtaining a high quality of brokerage and research services. In seeking to determine the reasonableness of brokerage commissions paid in any transaction, the Adviser will rely upon its experience and knowledge regarding commissions generally charged by various brokers and on its judgment in evaluating the brokerage services received from the broker effecting the transaction. Such determinations are necessarily subjective and imprecise, as in most cases, an exact dollar value for those services is not ascertainable. The Trust has adopted policies and procedures that prohibit the consideration of sales of a Fund’s shares as a factor in the selection of a broker or dealer to execute its portfolio transactions.

 

The Adviser owes a fiduciary duty to its clients to seek to provide best execution on trades effected. In selecting a broker/dealer for each specific transaction, the Adviser chooses the broker/dealer deemed most capable of providing the services necessary to obtain the most favorable execution. Best execution is generally understood to mean the most favorable cost or net proceeds reasonably obtainable under the circumstances. The full range of brokerage services applicable to a particular transaction may be considered when making this judgment, which may include, but is not limited to: liquidity, price, commission, timing, aggregated trades, capable floor brokers or traders, competent block trading coverage, ability to position, capital strength and stability, reliable and accurate communications and settlement processing, use of automation, knowledge of other buyers or sellers, arbitrage skills, administrative ability, underwriting and provision of information on a particular security or market in which the transaction is to occur. The specific criteria will vary depending upon the nature of the transaction, the market in which it is executed, and the extent to which it is possible to select from among multiple broker/dealers. The Adviser will also use electronic crossing networks (“ECNs”) when appropriate.

 

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The Adviser does not currently use Fund assets for, or participate in, third-party soft dollar arrangements or receive proprietary research from full service brokers. The Adviser also does not “pay up” for the value of any such proprietary research. If, in the future, the Adviser were to obtain brokerage and research services from broker-dealers, it would do so in arrangements that are consistent with Section 28(e) of the Exchange Act. Section 28(e) of the Exchange Act permits the Adviser, under certain circumstances, to cause a Fund to pay a broker or dealer a commission for effecting a transaction in excess of the amount of commission another broker or dealer would have charged for effecting the transaction in recognition of the value of brokerage and research services provided by the broker or dealer. The Adviser may receive a variety of research services and information on many topics, which it can use in connection with its management responsibilities with respect to the various accounts over which it exercises investment discretion or otherwise provides investment advice. The research services may include qualifying order management systems, portfolio attribution and monitoring services and computer software and access charges which are directly related to investment research. Accordingly, a Fund may pay a broker commission higher than the lowest available in recognition of the broker’s provision of such services to the Adviser, but only if the Adviser determines the total commission (including the soft dollar benefit) is comparable to the best commission rate that could be expected to be received from other brokers. The amount of soft dollar benefits received depends on the amount of brokerage transactions effected with the brokers. A conflict of interest exists because there is an incentive to: (1) cause clients to pay a higher commission than the firm might otherwise be able to negotiate; (2) cause clients to engage in more securities transactions than would otherwise be optimal; and (3) only recommend brokers that provide soft dollar benefits.

 

The Adviser would face a potential conflict of interest if it were to use client trades to obtain brokerage or research services. This conflict exists because the Adviser is able to use the brokerage or research services to manage client accounts without paying cash for such services, which reduces the Adviser’s expenses to the extent that the Adviser would have purchased such products had they not been provided by brokers. Section 28(e) permits the Adviser to use brokerage or research services for the benefit of any account it manages. Certain accounts managed by the Adviser may generate soft dollars used to purchase brokerage or research services that ultimately benefit other accounts managed by the Adviser, effectively cross subsidizing the other accounts managed by the Adviser that benefit directly from the product. The Adviser may not necessarily use all of the brokerage or research services in connection with managing a Fund whose trades generated the soft dollars used to purchase such products.

 

The Adviser is responsible, subject to oversight by the Board, for placing orders on behalf of a Fund for the purchase or sale of portfolio securities. If purchases or sales of portfolio securities of a Fund and one or more other investment companies or clients supervised by the Adviser are considered at or about the same time, transactions in such securities are allocated among the several investment companies and clients in a manner deemed equitable and consistent with its fiduciary obligations to all by the Adviser. In some cases, this procedure could have a detrimental effect on the price or volume of the security so far as a Fund is concerned. However, in other cases, it is possible that the ability to participate in volume transactions and to negotiate lower brokerage commissions will be beneficial to a Fund. The primary consideration is prompt execution of orders at the most favorable net price.

 

A Fund may deal with affiliates in principal transactions to the extent permitted by exemptive order or applicable rule or regulation.

 

The Fund is new and therefore did not pay brokerage commissions during the past fiscal year.

 

The following table sets forth the aggregate amount of brokerage commissions paid by the Predecessor Funds for the specified periods.

 

[Broker Commissions table of Predecessor Funds to be provided.]

 

Directed Brokerage. The Fund is new and therefore did not pay commissions on brokerage transactions directed to brokers pursuant to an agreement or understanding whereby the broker provides research or other brokerage services to the Adviser or Sub-Adviser.

 

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Brokerage with Fund Affiliates. The Fund may execute brokerage or other agency transactions through registered broker-dealer affiliates of the Fund, the Adviser, Sub-Adviser, or the Distributor for a commission in conformity with the 1940 Act, the Exchange Act and rules promulgated by the SEC. These rules require that commissions paid to the affiliate by the Fund for exchange transactions not exceed “usual and customary” brokerage commissions. The rules define “usual and customary” commissions to include amounts which are “reasonable and fair compared to the commission, fee or other remuneration received or to be received by other brokers in connection with comparable transactions involving similar securities being purchased or sold on a securities exchange during a comparable period of time.” The Trustees, including those who are not “interested persons” of the Fund, have adopted procedures for evaluating the reasonableness of commissions paid to affiliates and review these procedures periodically.

 

The Fund is new and therefore did not pay brokerage commissions to affiliated brokers during the past fiscal year.

 

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 it may hold at the close of its most recent fiscal year. “Regular brokers or dealers” of the Trust are the ten brokers or dealers that, during the most recent fiscal year: (i) received the greatest dollar amounts of brokerage commissions from the Trust’s portfolio transactions; (ii) engaged as principal in the largest dollar amounts of portfolio transactions of the Trust; or (iii) sold the largest dollar amounts of the Trust’s shares.

 

PORTFOLIO TURNOVER RATE

 

Portfolio turnover may vary from year to year, as well as within a year. High turnover rates are likely to result in comparatively greater brokerage expenses. The overall reasonableness of brokerage commissions is evaluated by the Adviser based upon its knowledge of available information as to the general level of commissions paid by other institutional investors for comparable services. Each Predecessor Fund’s portfolio turnover rates for the specified periods are set forth in the table below. In-kind transactions are not taken into account in calculating the portfolio turnover rate.

 

[Portfolio Turnover Rate table of Predecessor Funds to be provided.]

 

BOOK ENTRY ONLY SYSTEM

 

Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) acts as securities depositary for each Fund’s shares. Shares of each Fund are represented by securities registered in the name of DTC or its nominee, Cede & Co., and deposited with, or on behalf of, DTC. Except in limited circumstances set forth below, certificates will not be issued for shares of a Fund.

 

DTC is a limited-purpose trust company that 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 of a Fund is limited to DTC Participants, Indirect Participants, and persons holding interests through DTC Participants and Indirect Participants. Ownership of beneficial interests in shares of each Fund (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 of a Fund. The Trust recognizes DTC or its nominee as the record owner of all shares of each Fund for all purposes. Beneficial Owners of shares of a Fund are not entitled to have such shares registered in their names, and will not receive or be entitled to physical delivery of share certificates. Each Beneficial Owner must rely on the procedures of DTC and any DTC Participant and/or Indirect Participant through which such Beneficial Owner holds its interests, to exercise any rights of a holder of shares of a Fund.

 

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

 

Share distributions shall be made to DTC or its nominee, Cede & Co., as the registered holder of all shares of a Fund. 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 a Fund as shown on the records of DTC or its nominee. Payments by DTC Participants to Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners of shares of a Fund 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 a Fund’s shares, or for maintaining, supervising, or reviewing any records relating to such beneficial ownership interests, or for any other aspect of the relationship between DTC and the DTC Participants or the relationship between such DTC Participants and the Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners owning through such DTC Participants.

 

DTC may determine to discontinue providing its service with respect to a Fund at any time by giving reasonable notice to the Fund and discharging its responsibilities with respect thereto under applicable law. Under such circumstances, a Fund shall take action either to find a replacement for DTC to perform its functions at a comparable cost or, if such replacement is unavailable, to issue and deliver printed certificates representing ownership of shares of the Fund, unless the Trust makes other arrangements with respect thereto satisfactory to the Exchange.

 

CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS OF SECURITIES

 

The Funds are new and therefore no person owned of record or beneficially 5% or more of each Fund’s shares as of the date of this SAI.

 

Although the Predecessor Funds did not have information concerning their beneficial ownership held in the names of DTC Participants, as of [-] the names, addresses and percentage ownership of each DTC Participant that owned of record 5% or more of the outstanding Shares of a Predecessor Fund were as follows:

 

[Control Persons table for Predecessor Funds to be provided.]

 

PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION OF SHARES IN CREATION UNITS

 

Each Fund issues and redeems its shares on a continuous basis, at NAV, only in a large specified number of shares called a “Creation Unit,” either in-kind for securities or in cash for the value of such securities. The NAV of each Fund’s shares is determined once each business day, as described below under “Determination of Net Asset Value.” The Creation Unit size may change. Authorized Participants will be notified of such change.

 

PURCHASE (CREATION). The Trust issues and sells shares of the Funds only: (i) in Creation Units on a continuous basis through the Distributor, without a sales load (but subject to transaction fees), at their NAV per share next determined after receipt of an order, on any business day, in proper form pursuant to the terms of the Authorized Participant Agreement (“Participant Agreement”); or (ii) pursuant to the Dividend Reinvestment Service (defined below). The Funds will not issue fractional Creation Units. A business day is, generally, any day on which the Exchange is open for business.

 

FUND DEPOSIT. The consideration for purchase of a Creation Unit of a Fund generally consists of either (i) the in-kind deposit of a designated portfolio of securities (the “Deposit Securities”) per each Creation Unit, constituting a substantial replication, or a portfolio sampling representation, of the securities included in a Fund’s portfolio and the Cash Component (defined below), computed as described below, or (ii) the cash value of the Deposit Securities (“Deposit Cash”) and the Cash Component. When accepting purchases of Creation Units for cash, a Fund may incur additional costs associated with the acquisition of Deposit Securities that would otherwise be provided by an in-kind purchaser. These additional costs may be recoverable from the purchaser of Creation Units.

 

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Together, the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, and the Cash Component constitute the “Fund Deposit,” which represents the minimum initial and subsequent investment amount for a Creation Unit of a Fund. The “Cash Component” is an amount equal to the difference between the NAV of the shares of each Fund (per Creation Unit) and the market value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable. If the Cash Component is a positive number (i.e., the NAV per Creation Unit exceeds the market value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable), the Cash Component shall be such positive amount. If the Cash Component is a negative number (i.e., the NAV per Creation Unit is less than the market value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable), the Cash Component shall be such negative amount and the creator will be entitled to receive cash in an amount equal to the Cash Component. The Cash Component serves the function of compensating for any differences between the NAV per Creation Unit and the market value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable. Computation of the Cash Component excludes any stamp duty or other similar fees and expenses payable upon transfer of beneficial ownership of the Deposit Securities, if applicable, which shall be the sole responsibility of the Authorized Participant (as defined below).

 

Each Fund, through NSCC, makes available on each business day, prior to the opening of business on the Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m., Eastern time), the list of the names and the required number of shares of each Deposit Security or the required amount of Deposit Cash, as applicable, to be included in the current Fund Deposit (based on information at the end of the previous business day) for a Fund. Such Fund Deposit is subject to any applicable adjustments as described below, in order to effect purchases of Creation Units of a Fund until such time as the next-announced composition of the Deposit Securities or the required amount of Deposit Cash, as applicable, is made available.

 

The identity and number of shares of the Deposit Securities or the amount of Deposit Cash, as applicable, required for the Fund Deposit for the Funds changes as rebalancing adjustments and corporate action events are reflected from time to time by the Adviser with a view to the investment objective of each Fund.

 

The Trust reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of Deposit Cash to replace any Deposit Security, which shall be added to the Cash Component, including, without limitation, in situations where the Deposit Security: (i) may not be available in sufficient quantity for delivery; (ii) may not be eligible for transfer through the systems of DTC for corporate securities and municipal securities or the Federal Reserve System for U.S. Treasury securities; (iii) may not be eligible for trading by an Authorized Participant (as defined below) or the investor for which it is acting; (iv) would be restricted under the securities laws or where the delivery of the Deposit Security to the Authorized Participant would result in the disposition of the Deposit Security by the Authorized Participant becoming restricted under the securities laws; or (v) in certain other situations (collectively, “custom orders”). The Trust also reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of Deposit Securities in lieu of Deposit Cash.

 

CASH PURCHASE METHOD. The Trust may at its discretion permit full or partial cash purchases of Creation Units of a Fund. When full or partial cash purchases of Creation Units are available or specified for a Fund, they will be effected in essentially the same manner as in-kind purchases thereof. In the case of a full or partial cash purchase, the Authorized Participant must pay the cash equivalent of the Deposit Securities it would otherwise be required to provide through an in-kind purchase, plus the same Cash Component required to be paid by an in-kind purchaser together with a creation transaction fee and non-standard charges, as may be applicable.

 

PROCEDURES FOR PURCHASE OF CREATION UNITS. To be eligible to place orders with the Distributor to purchase a Creation Unit of a Fund, an entity must be (i) a “Participating Party”, i.e., a broker-dealer or other participant in the clearing process through the Continuous Net Settlement System of the NSCC (the “Clearing Process”), a clearing agency that is registered with the SEC; or (ii) a DTC Participant (see “BOOK ENTRY ONLY SYSTEM”). In addition, each Participating Party or DTC Participant (each, an “Authorized Participant”) must execute a Participant Agreement that has been agreed to by the Distributor, and that has been accepted by the Transfer Agent and the Trust, with respect to purchases and redemptions of Creation Units. Each Authorized Participant will agree, pursuant to the terms of a Participant Agreement, on behalf of itself or any investor on whose behalf it will act, to certain conditions, including that it will pay to the Trust, an amount of cash sufficient to pay the Cash Component together with the creation transaction fee and any other applicable fees, taxes, and additional variable charges. The Adviser may retain all or a portion of the creation transaction fee to the extent the Adviser bears the expenses that otherwise would be borne by the Trust in connection with the purchase of a Creation Unit, which the creation transaction fee is designed to cover.

 

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All orders to purchase shares directly from a Fund, including custom orders, must be placed for one or more Creation Units in the manner and by the time set forth in the Participant Agreement and/or applicable order form. The date on which an order to purchase Creation Units (or an order to redeem Creation Units, as set forth below) is received and accepted is referred to as the “Order Placement Date.”

 

An Authorized Participant may require an investor to make certain representations or enter into agreements with respect to the order, (e.g., to provide for payments of cash, when required). Investors should be aware that their particular broker may not have executed a Participant Agreement and that, therefore, orders to purchase shares directly from a Fund in Creation Units have to be placed by the investor’s broker through an Authorized Participant that has executed a Participant Agreement. In such cases there may be additional charges to such investor. At any given time, there may be only a limited number of broker-dealers that have executed a Participant Agreement and only a small number of such Authorized Participants may have international capabilities.

 

On days when the Exchange closes earlier than normal, a Fund may require orders to create Creation Units to be placed earlier in the day. In addition, if a market or markets on which a Fund’s investments are primarily traded is closed, a Fund will also generally not accept orders on such day(s). Orders must be transmitted by an Authorized Participant by telephone or other transmission method acceptable to the Distributor pursuant to procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement and in accordance with the AP Handbook or applicable order form. The Distributor will notify the Custodian of such order. The Custodian will then provide such information to the appropriate local sub-custodian(s). Those placing orders through an Authorized Participant should allow sufficient time to permit proper submission of the purchase order to the Distributor by the applicable cut-off time on such business day. Economic or market disruptions or changes, or telephone or other communication failure may impede the ability to reach the Distributor or an Authorized Participant.

 

Fund Deposits must be delivered by an Authorized Participant through the Federal Reserve System (for cash and U.S. government securities) or through DTC (for corporate securities), through a sub-custody agent (for foreign securities) and/or through such other arrangements allowed by the Trust or its agents. With respect to foreign Deposit Securities, the Custodian shall cause the sub-custodian of each Fund to maintain an account into which the Authorized Participant shall deliver, on behalf of itself or the party on whose behalf it is acting, such Deposit Securities (or Deposit Cash for all or a part of such securities, as permitted or required), with any appropriate adjustments as advised by the Trust. Foreign Deposit Securities must be delivered to an account maintained at the applicable local sub-custodian. The Fund Deposit transfer must be ordered by the Authorized Participant in a timely fashion so as to ensure the delivery of the requisite number of Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, to the account of a Fund or its agents by no later than the Settlement Date. The “Settlement Date” for a Fund is generally the second business day after the Order Placement Date. All questions as to the number of Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash to be delivered, as applicable, and the validity, form and eligibility (including time of receipt) for the deposit of any tendered securities or cash, as applicable, will be determined by the Trust, whose determination shall be final and binding. The amount of cash represented by the Cash Component must be transferred directly to the Custodian through the Federal Reserve Bank wire transfer system in a timely manner so as to be received by the Custodian no later than the Settlement Date. If the Cash Component and the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, are not received by the Custodian in a timely manner by the Settlement Date, the creation order may be cancelled and the Authorized Participant shall be liable to a Fund for losses, if any, resulting therefrom. Upon written notice to the Distributor, such canceled order may be resubmitted the following business day using the Fund Deposit as newly constituted to reflect the then current NAV of a Fund.

 

The order shall be deemed to be received on the business day on which the order is placed provided that the order is placed in proper form prior to the applicable cut-off time and the federal funds in the appropriate amount are deposited by 2:00 p.m., Eastern time, with the Custodian on the Settlement Date. If the order is not placed in proper form as required, or federal funds in the appropriate amount are not received by 2:00 p.m. Eastern time on the Settlement Date, then the order may be deemed to be rejected and the Authorized Participant shall be liable to the applicable Fund for losses, if any, resulting therefrom. A creation request is considered to be in “proper form” if all procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement, AP Handbook, order form, and this SAI are properly followed.

 

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ISSUANCE OF A CREATION UNIT. Except as provided herein, Creation Units will not be issued until the transfer of good title to the Trust of the Deposit Securities or payment of Deposit Cash, as applicable, and the payment of the Cash Component have been completed. When the sub-custodian has confirmed to the Custodian that the required Deposit Securities (or the cash value thereof) have been delivered to the account of the relevant sub-custodian or sub-custodians, the Distributor and the Adviser shall be notified of such delivery, and the Trust will issue and cause the delivery of the Creation Units. The delivery of Creation Units so created generally will occur no later than the second business day following the day on which the purchase order is deemed received by the Distributor. However, each Fund reserves the right to settle Creation Unit transactions on a basis other than the second business day following the day on which the purchase order is deemed received by the Distributor in order to accommodate foreign market holiday schedules, to account for different treatment among foreign and U.S. markets of dividend record dates and ex-dividend dates (that is the last day the holder of a security can sell the security and still receive dividends payable on the security), and in certain other circumstances. The Authorized Participant shall be liable to the applicable Fund for losses, if any, resulting from unsettled orders.

 

Creation Units may be purchased in advance of receipt by the Trust of all or a portion of the applicable Deposit Securities as described below. In these circumstances, the initial deposit will have a value greater than the NAV of the shares of a Fund on the date the order is placed in proper form since in addition to available Deposit Securities, cash must be deposited in an amount equal to the sum of (i) the Cash Component, plus (ii) an additional amount of cash equal to a percentage of the market value as set forth in the Participant Agreement, of the undelivered Deposit Securities (the “Additional Cash Deposit”), which shall be maintained in a separate non-interest bearing collateral account. The Authorized Participant must deposit with the Custodian the Additional Cash Deposit, as applicable, by the time set forth in the Participant Agreement on the Settlement Date. If a Fund or its agents do not receive the Additional Cash Deposit in the appropriate amount, by such time, then the order may be deemed rejected and the Authorized Participant shall be liable to the applicable Fund for losses, if any, resulting therefrom. An additional amount of cash shall be required to be deposited with the Trust, pending delivery of the missing Deposit Securities to the extent necessary to maintain the Additional Cash Deposit with the Trust in an amount at least equal to the applicable percentage, as set forth in the Participant Agreement, of the daily marked to market value of the missing Deposit Securities. The Trust may use such Additional Cash Deposit to buy the missing Deposit Securities at any time. Authorized Participants will be liable to the Trust for all costs, expenses, dividends, income, and taxes associated with missing Deposit Securities, including the costs incurred by the Trust in connection with any such purchases. These costs will be deemed to include the amount by which the actual purchase price of the Deposit Securities exceeds the value of such Deposit Securities on the day the purchase order was deemed received by the Distributor plus the brokerage and related transaction costs associated with such purchases. The Trust will return any unused portion of the Additional Cash Deposit once all of the missing Deposit Securities have been properly received by the Custodian or purchased by the Trust and deposited into the Trust. In addition, a creation transaction fee as set forth below under “Creation Transaction Fee” may be charged and an additional variable charge may also apply. The delivery of Creation Units so created generally will occur no later than the Settlement Date.

 

ACCEPTANCE OF ORDERS OF CREATION UNITS. The Trust reserves the right to reject an order for Creation Units transmitted to it by BNY Mellon in respect of a Fund including, without limitation, if (a) the order is not in proper form; (b) the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, delivered by the Participant are not as disseminated through the facilities of the NSCC for that date by the Custodian; (c) the investor(s), upon obtaining the shares ordered, would own 80% or more of the currently outstanding shares of the Fund; (d) the acceptance of the Fund Deposit would, in the opinion of counsel, be unlawful; (e) the acceptance or receipt of the order for a Creation Unit would, in the opinion of counsel to the Trust, be unlawful; or (f) circumstances outside the control of the Trust, the Custodian, the Transfer Agent and/or the Adviser make it for all practical purposes not feasible to process orders for Creation Units.

 

Examples of such circumstances include acts of God or public service or utility problems such as fires, floods, extreme weather conditions and power outages resulting in telephone, telecopy and computer failures; market conditions or activities causing trading halts; systems failures involving computer or other information systems affecting the Trust, the Distributor, the Custodian, a sub-custodian, the Transfer Agent, DTC, NSCC, Federal Reserve System, or any other participant in the creation process, and other extraordinary events. The Distributor shall notify a prospective creator of a Creation Unit and/or the Authorized Participant acting on behalf of the creator of a Creation Unit of its rejection of the order of such person. The Trust, the Transfer Agent, the Custodian, any sub-custodian and the Distributor are under no duty, however, to give notification of any defects or irregularities in the delivery of Fund Deposits nor shall either of them incur any liability for the failure to give any such notification. The Trust, the Transfer Agent, the Custodian and the Distributor shall not be liable for the rejection of any purchase order for Creation Units. Given the importance of the ongoing issuance of Creation Units to maintaining a market price that is at or close to the underlying net asset value of the Fund, the Trust does not intend to suspend acceptance of orders for Creation Units.

 

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All questions as to the number of shares of each security in the Deposit Securities and the validity, form, eligibility and acceptance for deposit of any securities to be delivered shall be determined by the Trust, and the Trust’s determination shall be final and binding.

 

CREATION TRANSACTION FEE. A fixed purchase (i.e., creation) transaction fee may be imposed for the transfer and other transaction costs associated with the purchase of Creation Units (“Creation Order Costs”). The standard creation transaction fee for each Fund, regardless of the number of Creation Units created in the transaction, is set forth in the table below.

 

Fund Creation Transaction Fee
Stratified LargeCap Index ETF [-]
Stratified LargeCap Hedged ETF [-]

 

Each Fund may adjust the creation transaction fee from time to time. The creation transaction fee may be waived on certain orders if the Custodian has determined to waive some or all of the Creation Order Costs associated with the order or another party, such as the Adviser, has agreed to pay such fee.

 

In addition, a variable fee may be imposed for cash purchases, non-standard orders, or partial cash purchases of Creation Units. The variable fee is primarily designed to cover non-standard charges, e.g., brokerage, taxes, foreign exchange, execution, market impact, and other costs and expenses, related to the execution of trades resulting from such transaction. In all cases, such fees will be limited in accordance with the requirements of the SEC applicable to management investment companies offering redeemable securities. Each Fund may determine not to charge a variable fee on certain orders when the Adviser has determined that doing so is in the best interests of Fund shareholders, e.g., for creation orders that facilitate the rebalance of a Fund’s portfolio in a more efficient manner than could have been achieved without such order.

 

Investors who use the services of an Authorized Participant, broker or other such intermediary may be charged a fee for such services which may include an amount for the creation transaction fee and non-standard charges. Investors are responsible for the costs of transferring the securities constituting the Deposit Securities to the account of the Trust. The Adviser may retain all or a portion of the transaction fee to the extent the Adviser bears the expenses that otherwise would be borne by the Trust in connection with the issuance of a Creation Unit, which the transaction fee is designed to cover.

 

RISKS OF PURCHASING CREATION UNITS. There are certain legal risks unique to investors purchasing Creation Units directly from the Funds. Because each Fund’s shares may be issued on an ongoing basis, a “distribution” of shares could be occurring at any time. Certain activities that a shareholder performs as a dealer could, depending on the circumstances, result in the shareholder being deemed a participant in the distribution in a manner that could render the shareholder a statutory underwriter and subject to the prospectus delivery and liability provisions of the Securities Act. For example, a shareholder could be deemed a statutory underwriter if it purchases Creation Units from a Fund, breaks them down into the constituent shares, and sells those shares directly to customers, or if a shareholder chooses to couple the creation of a supply of new shares with an active selling effort involving solicitation of secondary-market demand for shares. Whether a person is an underwriter depends upon all of the facts and circumstances pertaining to that person’s activities, and the examples mentioned here should not be considered a complete description of all the activities that could cause you to be deemed an underwriter.

 

Dealers who are not “underwriters” but are participating in a distribution (as opposed to engaging in ordinary secondary-market transactions), and thus dealing with a Fund’s shares as part of an “unsold allotment” within the meaning of Section 4(a)(3)(C) of the Securities Act, will be unable to take advantage of the prospectus delivery exemption provided by Section 4(a)(3) of the Securities Act.

 

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REDEMPTION. Shares of each Fund may be redeemed only in Creation Units at their NAV next determined after receipt of a redemption request in proper form by a Fund through the Transfer Agent and only on a business day. EXCEPT UPON LIQUIDATION OF A FUND, THE TRUST WILL NOT REDEEM SHARES IN AMOUNTS LESS THAN CREATION UNITS. Investors must accumulate enough shares of a Fund 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.

 

With respect to each Fund, the Custodian, through the NSCC, makes available prior to the opening of business on the Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m. Eastern time) on each business day, the list of the names and share quantities of the Fund’s portfolio securities that will be applicable (subject to possible amendment or correction) to redemption requests received in proper form (as defined below) on that day (“Fund Securities”). Fund Securities received on redemption may not be identical to Deposit Securities.

 

Redemption proceeds for a Creation Unit are paid either in-kind or in cash, or combination thereof, as determined by the Trust. With respect to in-kind redemptions of a Fund, redemption proceeds for a Creation Unit will consist of Fund Securities, as announced by the Custodian on the business day of the request for redemption received in proper form, plus cash in an amount equal to the difference between the NAV of the shares being redeemed, as next determined after a receipt of a request in proper form, and the value of Fund Securities (the “Cash Redemption Amount”), less any fixed redemption transaction fee as set forth below and any applicable additional variable charge as set forth below. In the event that the Fund Securities have a value greater than the NAV of the shares of a Fund, a compensating cash payment equal to the differential is required to be made by or through an Authorized Participant by the redeeming shareholder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, at the Trust’s discretion, an Authorized Participant may receive the corresponding cash value of the securities in lieu of the in-kind securities value representing one or more Fund Securities.

 

CASH REDEMPTION METHOD. Although the Trust does not ordinarily permit full or partial cash redemptions of Creation Units of the Funds, when full or partial cash redemptions of Creation Units are available or specified for a Fund, they will be effected in essentially the same manner as in-kind redemptions thereof. In the case of full or partial cash redemptions, the Authorized Participant receives the cash equivalent of the Fund Securities it would otherwise receive through an in-kind redemption, plus the same Cash Redemption Amount to be paid to an in-kind redeemer.

 

REDEMPTION TRANSACTION FEE. A fixed redemption transaction fee may be imposed for the transfer and other transaction costs associated with the redemption of Creation Units (“Redemption Order Costs”). The standard redemption transaction fee for each Fund, regardless of the number of Creation Units redeemed in the transaction, is set forth in the table below.

 

Fund Redemption Transaction Fee
Stratified LargeCap Index ETF [-]
Stratified LargeCap Hedged ETF [-]

  

Each Fund may adjust the redemption transaction fee from time to time. The redemption transaction fee may be waived on certain orders if the Custodian has determined to waive some or all of the Redemption Order Costs associated with the order or another party, such as the Adviser, has agreed to pay such fee.

 

In addition, a variable fee, payable to a Fund, may be imposed for cash redemptions, non-standard orders, or partial cash redemptions for such Fund. The variable fee is primarily designed to cover non-standard charges, e.g., brokerage, taxes, foreign exchange, execution, market impact, and other costs and expenses, related to the execution of trades resulting from such transaction. In all cases, such fees will be limited in accordance with the requirements of the SEC applicable to management investment companies offering redeemable securities. Each Fund may determine not to charge a variable fee on certain orders when the Adviser has determined that doing so is in the best interests of Fund shareholders, e.g., for redemption orders that facilitate the rebalance of a Fund’s portfolio in a more tax efficient manner than could be achieved without such order.

 

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Investors who use the services of an Authorized Participant, broker or other such intermediary may be charged a fee for such services, which may include an amount for the redemption transaction fee and non-standard charges. Investors are responsible for the costs of transferring the securities constituting the Fund Securities to the account of the Trust. The non-standard charges are payable to a Fund as it incurs costs in connection with the redemption of Creation Units, the receipt of Fund Securities and the Cash Redemption Amount and other transactions costs. The Adviser may retain all or a portion of the redemption transaction fee to the extent the Adviser bears the expenses that otherwise would be borne by the Trust in connection with the redemption of a Creation Unit, which the redemption transaction fee is designed to cover.

 

PROCEDURES FOR REDEMPTION OF CREATION UNITS. Orders to redeem Creation Units must be submitted in proper form to the Transfer Agent prior to the time as set forth in the Participant Agreement. A redemption request is considered to be in “proper form” if (i) an Authorized Participant has transferred or caused to be transferred to the Trust’s Transfer Agent the Creation Unit(s) being redeemed through the book-entry system of DTC so as to be effective by the time as set forth in the Participant Agreement and (ii) a request in form satisfactory to the Trust is received by the Transfer Agent from the Authorized Participant on behalf of itself or another redeeming investor within the time periods specified in the Participant Agreement. If the Transfer Agent does not receive the investor’s shares of a Fund through DTC’s facilities by the times and pursuant to the other terms and conditions set forth in the Participant Agreement, the redemption request shall be rejected, unless, to the extent contemplated by the Participant Agreement, collateral is posted in an amount equal to a percentage of the value of the missing shares of a Fund as specified in the Participant Agreement (and marked to market daily).

 

The Authorized Participant must transmit the request for redemption, in the form required by the Trust, to the Transfer Agent in accordance with procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement. Investors should be aware that their particular broker may not have executed a Participant Agreement, and that, therefore, requests to redeem Creation Units may have to be placed by the investor’s broker through an Authorized Participant who has executed a Participant Agreement. Investors making a redemption request should be aware that such request must be in the form specified by such Authorized Participant. Investors making a request to redeem Creation Units should allow sufficient time to permit proper submission of the request by an Authorized Participant and transfer of the shares of a Fund to the Trust’s Transfer Agent; such investors should allow for the additional time that may be required to effect redemptions through their banks, brokers or other financial intermediaries if such intermediaries are not Authorized Participants.

 

ADDITIONAL REDEMPTION PROCEDURES. In connection with taking delivery of shares of Fund Securities upon redemption of Creation Units, a redeeming shareholder or Authorized Participant acting on behalf of such shareholder must maintain appropriate custody arrangements with a qualified broker-dealer, bank or other custody providers in each jurisdiction in which any of the Fund Securities are customarily traded, to which account such Fund Securities will be delivered. Deliveries of redemption proceeds generally will be made within two business days of the trade date. However, due to the schedule of holidays in certain countries, the different treatment among foreign and U.S. markets of dividend record dates and dividend ex-dates (that is the last date the holder of a security can sell the security and still receive dividends payable on the security sold), and in certain other circumstances, the delivery of in-kind redemption proceeds may take longer than two business days after the day on which the redemption request is received in proper form. If neither the redeeming shareholder nor the Authorized Participant acting on behalf of such redeeming shareholder has appropriate arrangements to take delivery of the Fund Securities in the applicable foreign jurisdiction and it is not possible to make other such arrangements, or if it is not possible to effect deliveries of the Fund Securities in such jurisdiction, the Trust may, in its discretion, exercise its option to redeem such shares in cash, and the redeeming shareholders will be required to receive redemption proceeds in cash.

 

If it is not possible to make other such arrangements, or it is not possible to effect deliveries of the Fund Securities, the Trust may in its discretion exercise its option to redeem such shares in cash, and the redeeming investor will be required to receive its redemption proceeds in cash. In addition, an investor may request a redemption in cash that a Fund may, in its sole discretion, permit. In either case, the investor will receive a cash payment equal to the NAV of its shares based on the NAV of shares of a Fund next determined after the redemption request is received in proper form (minus a redemption transaction fee and additional charge for requested cash redemptions specified above, to offset the Trust’s brokerage and other transaction costs associated with the disposition of Fund Securities). Each Fund may also, in its sole discretion, upon request of a shareholder, provide such redeemer a portfolio of securities that differs from the exact composition of the Fund Securities but does not differ in NAV.

 

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Pursuant to the Participant Agreement, an Authorized Participant submitting a redemption request is deemed to make certain representations to the Trust regarding the Authorized Participant’s ability to tender for redemption the requisite number of shares of a Fund. The Trust reserves the right to verify these representations at its discretion, but will typically require verification with respect to a redemption request from the applicable Fund in connection with higher levels of redemption activity and/or short interest in that Fund. If the Authorized Participant, upon receipt of a verification request, does not provide sufficient verification of its representations as determined by the Trust, the redemption request will not be considered to have been received in proper form and may be rejected by the Trust.

 

Redemptions of shares for Fund Securities will be subject to compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws and each Fund (whether or not it otherwise permits cash redemptions) reserves the right to redeem Creation Units for cash to the extent that the Trust could not lawfully deliver specific Fund Securities upon redemptions or could not do so without first registering the Fund Securities under such laws. An Authorized Participant or an investor for which it is acting subject to a legal restriction with respect to a particular security included in the Fund Securities applicable to the redemption of Creation Units may be paid an equivalent amount of cash. The Authorized Participant may request the redeeming investor of the shares of a Fund to complete an order form or to enter into agreements with respect to such matters as compensating cash payment. Further, an Authorized Participant that is not a “qualified institutional buyer,” (“QIB”) as such term is defined under Rule 144A of the Securities Act, will not be able to receive Fund Securities that are restricted securities eligible for resale under Rule 144A. An Authorized Participant may be required by the Trust to provide a written confirmation with respect to QIB status in order to receive Fund Securities.

 

Because the portfolio securities of each Fund may trade on the relevant exchange(s) on days that the Exchange is closed or are otherwise not business days for such Fund, shareholders may not be able to redeem their shares, or to purchase or sell shares on the Exchange, on days when the NAV of such Fund could be significantly affected by events in the relevant foreign markets.

 

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

 

DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE

 

NAV per share for a Fund is computed by dividing the value of the net assets of such Fund (i.e., the value of its total assets less total liabilities) by the total number of shares outstanding, rounded to the nearest cent. Expenses and fees, including the management fees, are accrued daily and taken into account for purposes of determining NAV. The NAV of a Fund is calculated by BNY Mellon and determined at 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, provided that fixed-income assets may be valued as of the announced closing time for trading in fixed-income instruments on any day that the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (“SIFMA”) announces an early closing time.

 

In calculating a Fund’s NAV per share, that Fund’s investments are generally valued using readily available market quotations. A market quotation is readily available only when that quotation is a quoted price (unadjusted) in active markets for identical investments that the Fund can access at the measurement date. A market quotation is not “readily available” if it is deemed not to be reliable. Valuations for the Fund’s investments may be obtained from an exchange, a pricing service, or a major market maker (or dealer), and based on a readily available price quotation or other equivalent indication of value supplied by an exchange, a pricing service, or a major market maker (or dealer). In the case of shares of other funds that are not traded on an exchange, a market valuation means such fund’s published NAV per share. The Adviser may use various pricing services, or discontinue the use of any pricing service. Any assets or liabilities denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar are converted into U.S. dollars at the current market rates on the date of valuation as quoted by one or more sources.

 

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In the event that current market valuations are not readily available or such valuations do not reflect current market value, the Trust’s valuation policy requires the Adviser, as the Funds’ Board-approved valuation designee, to determine an investment’s fair value in accordance with the Adviser’s fair valuation policy and procedures. In determining such fair value, the Adviser may consider, among other things, (i) price comparisons among multiple sources, (ii) a review of corporate actions and news events, and (iii) a review of relevant financial indicators (e.g., movement in interest rates, market indices, and prices). In these cases, a Fund’s NAV may reflect certain portfolio securities’ fair values rather than their market prices. Fair value pricing involves subjective judgments and it is possible that the fair value determination for a security is materially different than the value that could be realized upon the sale of the security. With respect to securities that are primarily listed on foreign exchanges, the value of that Fund’s portfolio securities may change on days when you will not be able to purchase or sell your shares.

 

DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS

 

The following information supplements and should be read in conjunction with the section in the Prospectus entitled “Dividends, Distributions and Taxes.”

 

General Policies. Dividends from net investment income, if any, are declared and paid annually by the Fund. Distributions of remaining net realized securities gains, if any, generally are declared and paid once a year, but the Fund may make distributions on a more frequent basis for the Fund to comply with the distribution requirements of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 in all events in a manner consistent with the provisions of the 1940 Act.

 

Dividends and other distributions on shares of a Fund 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 Funds.

 

Each Fund will make additional distributions to the extent necessary (i) to distribute the entire annual taxable income of a 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 if, in its reasonable discretion, such action is necessary or advisable to preserve a Fund’s eligibility for treatment as a regulated investment company (“RIC”) or to avoid imposition of income or excise taxes on undistributed income.

 

Dividend Reinvestment Service. The Trust will not make the DTC book-entry dividend reinvestment service available for use by Beneficial Owners for reinvestment of their cash proceeds, but certain individual broker-dealers may make available the DTC book-entry Dividend Reinvestment Service for use by Beneficial Owners of a Fund through DTC Participants for reinvestment of their dividend distributions. Investors should contact their brokers to ascertain the availability and description of these services. Beneficial Owners should be aware that each broker may require investors to adhere to specific procedures and timetables in order to participate in the dividend reinvestment service and investors should ascertain from their brokers such necessary details. If this service is available and used, dividend distributions of both income and realized gains will be automatically reinvested in additional whole shares issued by the Trust of the same Fund at NAV per share. Distributions reinvested in additional shares of a Fund will nevertheless be taxable to Beneficial Owners acquiring such additional shares to the same extent as if such distributions had been received in cash.

 

FEDERAL INCOME TAXES

 

The following is a summary of certain additional U.S. federal income tax considerations generally affecting each 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 a Fund or its shareholders, and the discussion here and in the Prospectus is not intended to be a substitute for careful tax planning. The summary is very general, and does not address investors subject to special rules, such as investors who hold shares through an individual retirement account (“IRA”), 401(k) or other tax-advantaged account.

 

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The following general discussion of certain U.S. 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 transactions contemplated herein.

 

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

 

Regulated Investment Company Status. Each Fund has elected and intends to qualify each year to be treated as a RIC under the Internal Revenue Code. By following such a policy, a Fund expects to eliminate or reduce to a nominal amount the federal taxes to which it may be subject. If a Fund qualifies as a RIC, it will generally not be subject to federal income taxes on the net investment income and net realized capital gains that it timely distributes to its shareholders. The Board reserves the right not to maintain the qualification of a Fund as a RIC if it determines such course of action to be beneficial to shareholders.

 

In order to qualify as a RIC under the Internal Revenue Code, a Fund must distribute annually to its shareholders at least an amount equal to the sum of 90% of a Fund’s net investment company taxable income for such year (including, for this purpose, dividends, taxable interest, and the excess of net short-term capital gains over net long-term capital losses, less operating expenses), computed without regard to the dividends paid deduction, and at least 90% of its net tax-exempt interest income for such year, if any (the “Distribution Requirement”) and also must meet certain additional requirements. One of these additional requirements for RIC qualification is that a Fund must receive at least 90% of its gross income each taxable 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 (including but not limited to gains from options, futures or forward contracts) derived with respect to a Fund’s business of investing in such stock, securities, foreign currencies and net income from interests in qualified publicly traded partnerships (the “90% Test”). A second requirement for qualification as a RIC is that a Fund must diversify its holdings so that, at the end of each quarter of a Fund’s taxable year: (a) at least 50% of the market value of a 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 a Fund’s total assets or 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer, including the equity securities of a qualified publicly traded partnership; and (b) not more than 25% of the value of its total assets is invested, including through corporations in which a Fund owns a 20% or more voting stock interest, in the securities (other than U.S. government securities or securities of other RICs) of any one issuer or the securities (other than the securities of another RIC) of two or more issuers that a Fund controls and which are engaged in the same or similar trades or businesses or related trades or businesses, or the securities of one or more qualified publicly traded partnerships (the “Asset Test”).

 

If a Fund fails to satisfy the 90% Test or the Asset Test, a 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 where a Fund corrects the failure within a specified period of time. In order to be eligible for the relief provisions with respect to a failure to meet the Asset Test, a Fund may be required to dispose of certain assets. If these relief provisions are not available to a Fund and it fails to qualify for treatment as a RIC for a taxable year, all of its taxable income would be subject to tax at the regular 21% corporate income tax rate without any deduction for distributions to shareholders, and its distributions (including capital gains distributions) to its shareholders generally would be taxable as ordinary income dividends to the extent of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits, subject to the dividends received deduction for corporate shareholders and the lower tax rates on qualified dividend income received by non-corporate shareholders. In addition, a Fund could be required to recognize unrealized gains, pay substantial taxes and interest, and make substantial distributions before requalifying as a RIC. If a Fund determines that it will not qualify for treatment as a RIC, a Fund will establish procedures to reflect the anticipated tax liability in a Fund’s NAV.

 

Although each Fund intends to distribute annually to its shareholders substantially all of its net investment income and may distribute its capital gains for any taxable year, a Fund will be subject to federal income taxation to the extent any such income or gains are not distributed.

 

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Notwithstanding the Distribution Requirement described above, a Fund will be subject to a nondeductible 4% federal excise tax on certain undistributed taxable income if it does not distribute to its shareholders in each calendar year an amount at least equal to 98% of its ordinary income for the calendar year and 98.2% of its capital gain net income for the twelve months ended October 31 of that year, subject to an increase for any shortfall in the prior year’s distribution. For this purpose, any ordinary income or capital gain net income retained by a Fund and subject to corporate income tax will be considered to have been distributed. Each Fund intends to declare and distribute dividends and distributions in the amounts and at the times necessary to avoid the application of this 4% excise tax, but can make no assurances that all such tax liability will be completely eliminated. A Fund may in certain circumstances be required to liquidate Fund investments in order to make sufficient distributions to avoid federal excise tax liability at a time when the investment adviser might not otherwise have chosen to do so, and liquidation of investments in such circumstances may affect the ability of the Fund to satisfy the requirement for qualification as a RIC.

 

A 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. The effect of this election is to treat any such “qualified late year loss” as if it had been incurred in the succeeding taxable year in characterizing Fund distributions for any calendar year. A “qualified late year loss” generally includes net capital loss, net long-term capital loss, or net short-term capital loss incurred after October 31 of the current taxable year (commonly referred to as “post-October losses”) and certain other late-year losses.

 

Capital losses in excess of capital gains (“net capital losses”) are not permitted to be deducted against a RIC’s net investment income. Instead, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, potentially subject to certain limitations, a RIC may carry net capital losses from any taxable year forward to offset capital gains in future years. A Fund is permitted to carry net capital losses forward indefinitely. To the extent subsequent capital gains are offset by such losses, they will not result in U.S. federal income tax liability to the Fund and may not be distributed as capital gains to shareholders. Generally, a Fund may not carry forward any losses other than net capital losses. The carryover of capital losses may be limited under the general loss limitation rules if a Fund experiences an ownership change as defined in the Internal Revenue Code.

 

Taxation of Shareholders. Each Fund receives income generally in the form of dividends and interest on investments. This income, plus net short-term capital gains, if any, less expenses incurred in the operation of a Fund, constitutes a Fund’s net investment income from which dividends may be paid to you. Any distribution by a Fund from such income will be taxable to you as ordinary income or at the lower capital gains rates that apply to individuals receiving qualified dividend income, whether you take them in cash or in additional shares.

 

Subject to certain limitations and requirements, dividends reported by a Fund as qualified dividend income will be taxable to non-corporate shareholders at rates of up to 20%. In general, dividends may be reported by a Fund as qualified dividend income if they are paid from dividends received by the Fund on common and preferred stock of U.S. corporations or on stock of certain eligible foreign corporations, provided that certain holding period and other requirements are met by the Fund with respect to the dividend-paying stocks in its portfolio. Subject to certain limitations, eligible foreign corporations include those incorporated in possessions of the United States or in certain countries with comprehensive tax treaties with the United States, and other foreign corporations if the stock with respect to which the dividends are paid is readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States. A dividend will not be treated as qualified dividend income to the extent that: (i) the shareholder has not held the shares on which the dividend was paid for more than 60 days during the 121-day period that begins on the date that is 60 days before the date on which the shares become “ex-dividend” (which is the day on which declared distributions (dividends or capital gains) are deducted from a Fund’s assets before it calculates the NAV) with respect to such dividend, (ii) a Fund has not satisfied similar holding period requirements with respect to the securities it holds that paid the dividends distributed to the shareholder), (iii) the shareholder is under an obligation (whether pursuant to a short sale or otherwise) to make related payments with respect to substantially similar or related property, or (iv) the shareholder elects to treat such dividend as investment income under Section 163(d)(4)(B) of the Internal Revenue Code. Therefore, if you lend your shares in a Fund, such as pursuant to a securities lending arrangement, you may lose the ability to treat dividends (paid while the shares are held by the borrower) as qualified dividend income. Dividends that a Fund receives from an underlying fund taxable as a RIC or from a REIT will be treated as qualified dividend income only to the extent so reported by such, underlying fund or REIT. Certain of the Funds’ investment strategies may limit their ability to make distributions eligible for treatment as qualified dividend income.

 

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Distributions by a Fund of its net short-term capital gains will be taxable as ordinary income. Capital gain distributions consisting of a Fund’s net capital gains will be taxable as long-term capital gains for individual shareholders currently set at a maximum rate of 20% regardless of how long you have held your shares in the Fund.

 

In the case of corporate shareholders, a Fund’s distributions (other than capital gain distributions) generally qualify for the dividends received deduction to the extent such distributions are so reported and do not exceed the gross amount of qualifying dividends received by a Fund for the year. Generally, and subject to certain limitations (including certain holding period limitations), a dividend will be treated as a qualifying dividend if it has been received from a domestic corporation. Certain of the Funds’ investment strategies may limit their ability to make distributions that qualify for the dividends received deduction for corporate shareholders.

 

A Fund’s participation in loans of securities may affect the amount, timing, and character of distributions to its shareholders. If a Fund participates in a securities lending transaction and receives a payment in lieu of dividends (a “substitute payment”) with respect to securities on loan in a securities lending transaction, such income generally will not constitute qualified dividend income and thus dividends attributable to such income will not be eligible for taxation at the rates applicable to qualified dividend income for individual shareholders and will not be eligible for the dividends received deduction for corporate shareholders.

 

If the positions held and the Options sold or purchased are determined to be straddles (offsetting positions), the amount of long term capital gain available for distribution as a capital gain dividend may be reduced. Because of the loss of long-term capital gains from portfolio investments, in some factual circumstances investors could have a lower after-tax return from investing in the Fund than investing directly in the underlying assets.

 

The Fund may be required to mark some of its investments to market on an annual basis. Under the Code, certain types of options are required to be treated as if they were sold at the end of each year. Such treatment would cause the Fund to have taxable income without receiving cash. In order to maintain its RIC qualification, the Fund must distribute at least 90% of its income annually. Depending upon the circumstances, some assets may need to be sold to fund the required distributions. This process of recognizing deemed income and selling assets to fund distributions may accelerate the time at which Shareholders receive cash but may reduce the overall return on funds employed.

 

A Fund that receives business interest income may pass through its net business interest income for purposes of the tax rules applicable to the interest expense limitations under Section 163(j) of the Internal Revenue Code. A Fund’s total “Section 163(j) Interest Dividend” for a tax year is limited to the excess of the Fund’s business interest income over the sum of its business interest expense and its other deductions properly allocable to its business interest income. A Fund may, in its discretion, designate all or a portion of ordinary dividends as Section 163(j) Interest Dividends, which would allow the recipient shareholder to treat the designated portion of such dividends as interest income for purposes of determining such shareholder’s interest expense deduction limitation under Section 163(j). This can potentially increase the amount of a shareholder’s interest expense deductible under Section 163(j). In general, to be eligible to treat a Section 163(j) Interest Dividend as interest income, you must have held your shares in a Fund for more than 180 days during the 361-day period beginning on the date that is 180 days before the date on which the share becomes ex-dividend with respect to such dividend. Section 163(j) Interest Dividends, if so designated by a Fund, will be reported to your financial intermediary or otherwise in accordance with the requirements specified by the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”).

 

Although dividends generally will be treated as distributed when paid, any dividend declared by a Fund in October, November or December and payable to shareholders of record in such a month that is paid during the following January will be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as received by shareholders on December 31 of the calendar year in which it was declared. A taxable shareholder may wish to avoid investing in a Fund shortly before a dividend or other distribution, because the distribution will generally be taxable even though it may economically represent a return of a portion of the shareholder’s investment.

 

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

 

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Each Fund’s shareholders will be notified annually by the Fund (or their broker) as to the federal tax status of all distributions made by the Fund. Distributions may be subject to state and local taxes. Shareholders who have not held Fund shares for a full year should be aware that a Fund may report and distribute to a shareholder, as ordinary dividends or capital gain dividends, a percentage of income that is not equal to the percentage of a Fund’s ordinary income or net capital gain, respectively, actually earned during the shareholder’s period of investment in a Fund.

 

Sales, Exchanges or Redemptions. A sale of a Fund’s shares may give rise to a gain or loss. In general, any gain or loss realized upon a taxable disposition of shares by a shareholder will be treated as capital gain or loss if the shares are capital assets in the shareholder’s hands, and will be long-term capital gain or loss if the shares have been held for more than 12 months, and short-term capital gain or loss if the shares are held for 12 months or less. However, if shares on which a shareholder has received a long-term capital gain distribution are subsequently sold, exchanged, or redeemed and such shares have been held for six months or less, any loss recognized will be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of the long-term capital gain distribution. In addition, the loss realized on a sale or other disposition of shares will be disallowed to the extent a shareholder repurchases (or enters into a contract or option to repurchase) shares within a period of 61 days (beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the disposition of the shares). This loss disallowance rule will apply to shares received through the reinvestment of dividends during the 61-day period. In such a case, the basis of the newly purchased shares will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss.

 

An Authorized Participant who exchanges securities for Creation Units generally will recognize gain or loss from the exchange. The gain or loss will be equal to the difference between the market value of the Creation Units at the time of the exchange and the sum of the exchanger’s aggregate basis in the securities surrendered plus the amount of cash paid for such Creation Units. The ability of Authorized Participants to receive a full or partial cash redemption of Creation Units of a Fund may limit the tax efficiency of a Fund. A person who redeems Creation Units will generally recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the sum of the aggregate market value of any securities received plus the amount of any cash received for such Creation Units and the exchanger’s basis in the Creation Units. The IRS, however, may assert that a loss realized upon an exchange of securities for Creation Units cannot be deducted currently under the rules governing “wash sales” (for an Authorized Participant that does not mark-to-market its holdings) or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic position.

 

Any gain or loss realized upon a creation or redemption of Creation Units will be treated as capital or ordinary gain or loss, depending on the circumstances. 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, and otherwise will generally be short-term capital gain or loss. Any capital loss realized upon a redemption of Creation Units held for six months or less should be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any amounts treated as distributions to the applicable Authorized Participant of long-term capital gains with respect to the shares included in the Creation Units (including any amounts credited to the Authorized Participant as undistributed capital gains).

 

The Trust on behalf of a Fund has the right to reject an order for a purchase of shares of a Fund 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 securities different from the market value of such securities on the date of deposit. The Trust also has the right to require information necessary to determine beneficial share ownership for purposes of the 80% determination. If a Fund issues Creation Units to a purchaser (or a group of purchasers) that would, upon obtaining the shares so ordered, own 80% or more of the outstanding shares of the Fund, the purchaser (or a group of purchasers) may not recognize gain or loss upon the exchange of securities for Creation Units.

 

Authorized Participants purchasing or redeeming Creation Units should consult their own tax advisers with respect to the tax treatment of any creation or redemption transaction and whether the wash sales rule applies and when a loss might be deductible.

 

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Net Investment Income Tax. U.S. individuals with adjusted gross income (subject to certain adjustments) exceeding certain threshold amounts ($250,000 if married and 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% tax on all or a portion of their “net investment income.” This 3.8% tax also applies to all or a portion of the undistributed net investment income of certain shareholders that are estates and trusts. For these purposes, interest, dividends and certain capital gains (including capital gain distributions and capital gains realized on the sale of shares of a Fund or the redemption of Creation Units), among other categories of income, are generally taken into account in computing a shareholder’s net investment income.

 

Taxation of Fund Investments. Certain of each Fund’s investments may be subject to complex provisions of the Internal Revenue Code (including provisions relating to hedging transactions, straddles, integrated transactions, foreign currency contracts, forward foreign currency contracts, and notional principal contracts) which, among other things, may affect a Fund’s ability to qualify as a RIC, affect the character of gains and losses realized by a Fund (i.e., may affect whether gains or losses are ordinary or capital), accelerate recognition of income to a Fund and defer losses and, in limited cases, subject a Fund to U.S. federal income tax on income from certain of its foreign securities. These rules could therefore affect the character, amount and timing of distributions to shareholders. These provisions also may require a 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 a Fund to recognize income without receiving cash with which to make distributions in amounts necessary to satisfy the RIC Distribution Requirement and for avoiding excise taxes. Accordingly, in order to avoid certain income and excise taxes, a Fund may be required to liquidate its investments at a time when the investment adviser might not otherwise have chosen to do so. Each Fund intends to monitor its transactions, intends to make appropriate tax elections, and intends to make appropriate entries in its books and records in order to mitigate the effect of these rules and preserve its eligibility for treatment as a RIC. To the extent a Fund invests in an underlying fund that is taxable as a RIC, the rules applicable to the tax treatment of complex securities will also apply to the underlying funds that also invest in such complex securities and investments.

 

Each Fund is required for federal income tax purposes to mark-to-market and recognize as income for each taxable year its net unrealized gains and losses on certain futures and options contracts subject to section 1256 of the Internal Revenue Code (“Section 1256 Contracts”) as of the end of the year as well as those actually realized during the year. Gain or loss from Section 1256 Contracts on broad-based indexes required to be marked to market will be 60% long-term and 40% short-term capital gain or loss. Application of this rule may alter the timing and character of distributions to shareholders. A Fund may be required to defer the recognition of losses on Section 1256 Contracts to the extent of any unrecognized gains on offsetting positions held by the Fund. These provisions may also require the Funds to mark-to-market certain types of positions in their portfolios (i.e., treat them as if they were closed out), which may cause a Fund to recognize income without receiving cash with which to make distributions in amounts necessary to satisfy the Distribution Requirement described above and for avoiding the excise tax discussed above. Accordingly, in order to avoid certain income and excise taxes, a Fund may be required to liquidate its investments at a time when the investment adviser might not otherwise have chosen to do so.

 

With respect to investments in STRIPS, TRs, and other zero coupon securities which are sold at original issue discount and thus do not make periodic cash interest payments, a Fund will 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. Because each Fund intends to distribute all of its net investment income to its shareholders, a Fund may have to sell Fund securities to distribute such imputed income which may occur at a time when the Adviser would not have chosen to sell such securities and which may result in taxable gain or loss.

 

Any market discount recognized on a bond is taxable as ordinary income. A market discount bond is a bond acquired in the secondary market at a price below redemption value or adjusted issue price if issued with original issue discount. Absent an election by a Fund to include the market discount in income as it accrues, gain on the Fund’s disposition of such an obligation will be treated as ordinary income rather than capital gain to the extent of the accrued market discount.

 

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If a Fund acquires any equity interest in certain foreign investment entities (i) that receive at least 75% of their annual gross income from passive sources (such as interest, dividends, certain rents and royalties, or capital gains) or (ii) where at least 50% of the corporation’s assets (computed based on average fair market value) either produce or are held for the production of passive income (“passive foreign investment companies” or “PFICs”), the Fund will generally be subject to one 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 PFIC, 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, and in such event would be required to distribute to shareholders any such mark-to-market gains in accordance with the Distribution Requirement set forth above. Each Fund intends to make the appropriate tax elections, if possible, and take any additional steps that are necessary to mitigate the effect of these rules. A Fund may limit and/or manage their holdings in passive foreign investment companies to limit its tax liability or maximize its return from these investments. Amounts included in income each year by a Fund arising from a QEF election, will be “qualifying income” under the 90% Test (as described above) even if not distributed to the Fund, if the Fund derives such income from its business of investing in stock, securities or currencies.

 

A Fund’s transactions in foreign currencies and forward foreign currency contracts will generally be subject to special 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), accelerate recognition of income to the Fund and defer losses. These rules could therefore affect the character, amount and timing of distributions to shareholders. These provisions also may require a 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 satisfy the RIC Distribution Requirement and for avoiding the excise tax described above. The Funds intend to monitor their transactions, intend to make the appropriate tax elections, and intend to make the appropriate entries in their books and records when they acquire any foreign currency or forward foreign currency contract in order to mitigate the effect of these rules so as to prevent disqualification of a Fund as a RIC and minimize the imposition of income and excise taxes.

 

Additionally, the Treasury Department has authority to issue regulations that would exclude foreign currency gains from the 90% Test described above if such gains are not directly related to a Fund’s business of investing in stock or securities (or options and futures with respect to stock or securities). Accordingly, regulations may be issued in the future that could treat some or all of a Fund’s non-U.S. currency gains as non-qualifying income, thereby potentially jeopardizing the Fund’s status as a RIC for all years to which the regulations are applicable.

 

Certain of the Funds’ commodity-related investments will not generate income that is “qualifying income” under the 90% Test (as described above). Each Fund will seek to restrict its income from such investments that do not generate qualifying income to a maximum of 10% of its gross income (when combined with its other investments that produce non-qualifying income) to comply with the 90% Test. However, a Fund might generate more non-qualifying income than anticipated, might not be able to generate qualifying income in a particular taxable year at levels sufficient to meet the 90% Test, or might not be able to determine the percentage of qualifying income it derives for a taxable year until after year-end. Accordingly, the extent to which a Fund invests in commodities or commodity-linked derivatives directly may be limited by the 90% Test, which the Fund must continue to satisfy to maintain its status as a RIC. As such, a Fund could be required to reduce its exposure to such investments, which may result in difficulty in implementing each Fund’s investment strategy. Please see the discussion above in the section titled “Regulated Investment Company Status” for a discussion of the impact of a Fund failing to meet the 90% Test. To the extent a Fund invests in an underlying fund that is taxable as a RIC and that directly makes certain commodity-related investments, the tax rules related to such investments and associated risks described above with respect to such Fund will also apply to the underlying fund that makes such commodity-related investments.

 

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Foreign Taxes. A Fund may be subject to withholding and other taxes imposed by foreign countries, including taxes on interest, dividends and capital gains with respect to any investments in those countries. Any such taxes would, if imposed, reduce the yield on or return from those investments. Tax conventions between certain countries and the U.S. may reduce or eliminate such taxes in some cases. If more than 50 percent of the value of a Fund’s total assets at the close of its taxable year consists of certain foreign securities, then the Fund will be eligible to and intends to file and election with the IRS that may enable shareholders, in effect, to receive either the benefit of a foreign tax credit, or a deduction from such taxes, with respect to any foreign and U.S. possessions income taxes paid by the Fund, subject to certain limitations. Pursuant to the election, a Fund will treat those taxes as dividends paid to its shareholders. Each such shareholder will be required to include a proportionate share of those taxes in gross income as income received from a foreign source and must treat the amount so included as if the shareholder had paid the foreign tax directly. The shareholder may then either deduct the taxes deemed paid by him or her in computing his or her taxable income or, alternatively, use the foregoing information in calculating any foreign tax credit they may be entitled to use against the shareholders’ federal income tax. No deductions for foreign taxes paid by a Fund may be claimed, however, by non-corporate shareholders who do not itemize deductions. No deduction for such taxes will be permitted to individuals in computing their alternative minimum tax liability. If a Fund makes the election, the Fund (or your broker) will report annually to its shareholders the respective amounts per share of the Fund’s income from sources within, and taxes paid to, foreign countries and U.S. possessions.

 

A shareholder’s ability to claim a foreign tax credit or deduction in respect of foreign taxes paid by a Fund may be subject to certain limitations imposed by the Internal Revenue Code, which may result in a shareholder not receiving a full credit or deduction (if any) for the amount of such taxes. In particular, shareholders must hold their Fund shares (without protection from risk of loss) on the ex-dividend date and for at least 15 additional days during the 30-day period surrounding the ex-dividend date to be eligible to claim a foreign tax credit with respect to a given dividend. Shareholders who do not itemize on their federal income tax returns may claim a credit (but no deduction) for such foreign taxes. Even if a Fund were eligible to make such an election for a given year, it may determine not to do so. Shareholders that are not subject to U.S. federal income tax, and those who invest in a Fund through tax-advantaged accounts (including those who invest through IRAs or other tax-advantaged retirement plans), generally will receive no benefit from any tax credit or deduction passed through by such Fund.

 

Foreign tax credits, if any, received by a Fund as a result of an investment in another RIC (including an ETF which is taxable as a RIC) will not be passed through to you unless the Fund qualifies as a “qualified fund-of-funds” under the Internal Revenue Code. If a Fund is a “qualified fund of funds” it will be eligible to file an election with the IRS that will enable the Fund to pass along these foreign tax credits to its shareholders. A Fund will be treated as a “qualified fund of funds” under the Internal Revenue Code if at least 50% of the value of the Fund’s total assets (at the close of each quarter of the Fund’s taxable year) is represented by interests in other RICs.

 

To the extent a Fund invests in an underlying fund that indicates that such underlying fund intends to satisfy the tax requirements to be treated as a RIC under the Internal Revenue Code, the Fund may be able to receive the benefits of a “qualified fund of funds” as described above. If, however, an underlying fund loses its status as a RIC under the Internal Revenue Code, a Fund would no longer be permitted to count its investment in such underlying fund for purposes of satisfying the requirements to be a “qualified fund of funds.” In addition, an underlying fund that loses its status as a RIC would be treated as a regular corporation subject to entity level taxation prior to making any distributions to a Fund which would affect the amount, timing and character of such income distributed by an underlying fund to a Fund.

 

Backup Withholding. Each Fund (or financial intermediaries, such as brokers through which a shareholder holds shares of a Fund) will be required in certain cases to withhold (as “backup withholding”) at a 24% withholding rate and remit to the U.S. Treasury the withheld amount of taxable dividends paid to any shareholder who: (1) fails to provide a correct taxpayer identification number certified under penalty of perjury; (2) is subject to backup withholding by the IRS for failure to properly report all payments of interest or dividends; (3) fails to provide a certified statement that he or she is not subject to backup withholding; or (4) fails to provide a certified statement that he or she is a U.S. person (including a U.S. resident alien). The backup withholding rate is 24%. Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld may be credited against the shareholder’s U.S. federal income tax liability, provided the appropriate information is furnished to the IRS.

 

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Foreign Shareholders. Any foreign shareholders in a Fund may be subject to U.S. withholding and estate tax and are encouraged to consult their tax advisors prior to investing in a Fund. 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 ordinary income. A Fund may, under certain circumstances, report all or a portion of a dividend as an “interest-related dividend” or a “short-term capital gain dividend,” which would generally be exempt from this 30% U.S. withholding tax, provided certain other requirements are met. Short-term capital gain dividends received by a nonresident alien individual who is present in the U.S. for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the taxable year are not exempt from this 30% withholding tax. Gains realized by foreign shareholders from the sale or other disposition of shares of a Fund generally are not subject to U.S. taxation, unless the recipient is an individual who is physically present in the U.S. for 183 days or more per year. Foreign shareholders who fail to provide an applicable IRS form may be subject to backup withholding on certain payments from a Fund. Backup withholding will not be applied to payments that are subject to the 30% (or lower applicable treaty rate) withholding tax described in this paragraph. 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.

 

Under legislation known as “FATCA” (the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act), a U.S. withholding tax of 30% will apply to payments to certain foreign entities of U.S.-source interest and dividends unless various U.S. information reporting and due diligence requirements that are different from, and in addition to, the beneficial owner certification requirements described above have been satisfied. 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 the agreement. A Fund will not pay any additional amounts in respect to any amounts withheld. Non-U.S. shareholders should consult their tax advisers regarding the effect, if any, of this legislation on their ownership and sale or disposition of a Fund’s common shares.

 

A beneficial holder of shares who is a foreign person may be subject to foreign, state and local tax and to the U.S. federal estate tax in addition to the federal income tax consequences referred to above. If a shareholder is eligible for the benefits of a tax treaty, any effectively connected income or gain will generally be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a net basis only if it is also attributable to a permanent establishment or fixed base maintained by the shareholder in the United States.

 

Tax-Exempt Shareholders. Certain tax-exempt shareholders, including qualified pension plans, IRAs, salary deferral arrangements, 401(k)s, and other tax-exempt entities, generally are exempt from federal income taxation except with respect to their unrelated business taxable income (“UBTI”). Tax-exempt entities are not permitted to offset losses from one trade or business against the income or gain of another trade or business. Certain net losses incurred prior to January 1, 2018 are permitted to offset gain and income created by an unrelated trade or business, if otherwise available. Under current law, a Fund generally serves to block UBTI from being realized by its tax-exempt shareholders. However, notwithstanding the foregoing, the tax-exempt shareholder could realize UBTI by virtue of an investment in a Fund where, for example: (i) the Fund invests in residual interests of Real Estate Mortgage Investment Conduits (“REMICs”), (ii) the Fund invests in a REIT that is a taxable mortgage pool (“TMP”) or that has a subsidiary that is a TMP or that invests in the 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 advisor. The IRS has issued guidance with respect to these issues and prospective shareholders, especially charitable remainder trusts, are strongly encouraged to consult their tax advisors regarding these issues.

 

A Fund’s shares held in a tax-qualified retirement account will generally not be subject to federal taxation on income and capital gains distributions from a Fund until a shareholder begins receiving payments from their retirement account.

 

Certain Potential Tax Reporting Requirements. 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 (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 are not excepted. A shareholder who fails to make the required disclosure to the IRS may be subject to substantial penalties. 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 advisers to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances.

 

Cost Basis Reporting. 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. If you purchased your shares through a broker, you should contact such broker to obtain information with respect to the available cost basis reporting methods and elections for your account.

 

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State Taxes. Depending upon state and local law, distributions by a Fund to its shareholders and the ownership of such shares may be subject to state and local taxes. Rules of state and local taxation of dividend and capital gains distributions from RICs often differ from the rules for federal income taxation described above. It is expected that each Fund will not be liable for any corporate excise, income or franchise tax in Delaware if it qualifies as a RIC for federal income tax purposes.

 

The foregoing discussion is based on U.S. federal tax laws and regulations which are in effect on the date of this SAI. Such laws and regulations may be changed by legislative or administrative action. Shareholders are advised to consult their tax advisers concerning their specific situations and the application of federal, state, local and foreign taxes.

 

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

As a result of the reorganization of the Predecessor Funds, the audited financial statements and notes thereto for the Predecessor Funds, contained in each Predecessor Fund’s Annual Report to Shareholders dated [-], are incorporated by reference into this Statement of Additional Information and have been audited by [-], the independent registered public accounting firm for the Predecessor Funds, whose report also appears in each Predecessor Fund’s Annual Report and is also incorporated by reference herein. Each Predecessor Fund’s unaudited financial statements for the six months ended [-], which appear in each Predecessor Fund’s Semi-Annual Report to Shareholders dated [-], are also incorporated by reference herein. No other parts of the Annual Report or Semi-Annual Report are incorporated by reference herein. The Annual Report and Semi-Annual Report is available without charge by calling [-] or by visiting the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

 

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INDEX DISCLAIMERS

 

The Adviser (“Licensee”) has entered into license agreements with Syntax, LLC, (the “Index Provider”) pursuant to which the Adviser pays a fee to use the Indices for the Funds’ use. The Adviser is sub- licensing rights to the Indices to the Funds at no charge.

 

Syntax Stratified LargeCap Index is the property of Syntax, which has contracted with S&P Opco, LLC (a subsidiary of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC) to calculate and maintain the Index. The Index is not sponsored by S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC or its affiliates or its third-party licensors, including Standard & Poor’s Financial Services LLC and Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC (collectively, “S&P Dow Jones Indices”). S&P Dow Jones Indices will not be liable for any errors or omissions in calculating the Indices. “Calculated by S&P Dow Jones Indices” and the related stylized mark(s) are service marks of S&P Dow Jones Indices and have been licensed for use by Syntax. S&P® is a registered trademark of Standard & Poor’s Financial Services LLC, and Dow Jones® is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC.

 

The Funds are not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by S&P Dow Jones Indices. S&P Dow Jones Indices does not make any representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of the Funds or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in the Funds particularly or the ability of the Indices to track general market performance. S&P Dow Jones Indices’ only relationship to Syntax with respect to the Index is the licensing of the S&P 500® Index and its constituents, certain trademarks, service marks and trade names of S&P Dow Jones Indices, and the provision of the calculation services related to each Index. S&P Dow Jones Indices is not responsible for and has not participated in the determination of the prices and amount of the Funds or the timing of the issuance or sale of the Funds or in the determination or calculation of the equation by which the Funds may be converted into cash or other redemption mechanics. S&P Dow Jones Indices has no obligation or liability in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of the Funds. S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC is not an investment advisor. Inclusion of a security within each Index is not a recommendation by S&P Dow Jones Indices to buy, sell, or hold such security, nor is it investment advice.

 

S&P DOW JONES INDICES DOES NOT GUARANTEE THE ADEQUACY, ACCURACY, TIMELINESS AND/OR THE COMPLETENESS OF THE INDEX OR ANY DATA RELATED THERETO OR ANY COMMUNICATION WITH RESPECT THERETO, INCLUDING, ORAL, WRITTEN, OR ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS. S&P DOW JONES INDICES SHALL NOT BE SUBJECT TO ANY DAMAGES OR LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS, OMISSIONS, OR DELAYS THEREIN EXCEPT THOSE ARISING FROM FRAUD OR GROSS NEGLIGENCE ON THE PART OF S&P. S&P DOW JONES INDICES MAKES NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE OR AS TO RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED BY SYNTAX, OWNERS OF THE FUNDS, OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY FROM THE USE OF THE INDEX OR WITH RESPECT TO ANY DATA RELATED THERETO. WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OF THE FOREGOING, IN NO EVENT WHATSOEVER SHALL S&P DOW JONES INDICES BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, PUNITIVE, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, LOSS OF PROFITS, TRADING LOSSES, LOST TIME, OR GOODWILL, EVEN IF THEY HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, TORT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR OTHERWISE.

 

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Appendix A

 

EXCHANGE TRADED CONCEPTS, LLC

PROXY VOTING POLICY AND PROCEDURES

 

Introduction

 

Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC (“ETC”) recognizes that proxies for companies whose securities are held in client portfolios have an economic value, and it seeks to maximize that economic value by ensuring that votes are cast in a manner that it believes to be in the best interest of the affected clients. Proxies are considered client assets and are to be managed with the same care, skill and diligence as all other client assets.

 

Proxy Voting Policies

 

Proxy voting will be conducted by either ETC or the sub-advisers.2 To the extent that ETC is responsible for proxy voting, ETC has engaged Institutional Shareholder Services (“ISS”), to provide research on proxy matters and voting recommendations, and to cast votes on behalf of ETC. ISS executes and maintains appropriate records related to the proxy voting process, and ETC has access to those records. ETC maintains records of differences, if any, between this Policy and the actual votes cast. ETC may, in the future, decide to engage a different proxy advisory firm.

 

ISS has created multiple guidelines to cover various markets and specialties. ETC will apply the most appropriate guidelines to ensure proxy votes are voted consistent with proxy voting policies and procedures and in the best interests of clients. ETC has reviewed each of ISS’s voting guidelines and has determined that those guidelines provide guidance in the best interest of ETC’s clients. This Policy and ISS’s proxy voting guidelines will be reviewed at least annually. This review will include, but will not necessarily be limited to, any proxy voting issues that may have arisen or any material conflicts of interest that were identified and the steps that were taken to resolve those conflicts.

 

There may be times when ETC believes that the best interests of the client will be better served if ETC votes a proxy counter to ISS’s guidelines pertaining to the matter to be voted upon. In those cases, ETC will generally review the research provided by ISS on the particular issue, and it may also conduct its own research or solicit additional research from another third party on the issue. After considering this information and, as necessary, discussing the issue with other relevant parties, ETC will determine how to vote on the issue in a manner which ETC believes is consistent with this Policy and in the best interests of the client.

 

Each sub-adviser’s proxy voting policies and procedures have been approved by the Trusts’ Board of Trustees and when a sub-adviser has been delegated authority to vote a proxy, it will vote such proxy in accordance with the approved proxy voting policies and procedures.

 

In addition, the sub-advisers may engage the services of an independent third party (“Proxy Firm”) to cast proxy votes according to the sub-advisers’ established guidelines. ETC has deemed in the best interest of clients to permit a sub-adviser the authority to cast proxy votes in accordance with the proxy voting policies submitted by that firm and approved by the Trusts’ Board of Trustees. The sub-adviser must promptly notify ETC of any proxy votes that are not voted consistently with the guidelines set forth in its policy.

 

 

2 As of the date of the last revision to this Policy, ETC’s clients include the series (or portfolios) of Exchange Traded Concepts Trust, Exchange Listed Funds Trust, and ETF Series Solutions (the “Trusts”) for which ETC serves as investment adviser, together with certain series (or portfolios) of trusts for which ETC serves as trading sub-adviser. For certain series for which ETC serves as investment adviser, ETC has engaged one or more sub-advisers. For some series, ETC is responsible for voting proxies and, for the remaining series, another adviser or sub-adviser is responsible for proxy voting.

 

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Conflict of Interest Identification and Resolution

 

Although ETC does not believe that conflicts of interest will generally arise in connection with its proxy voting policies, ETC seeks to minimize the potential for conflict by utilizing the services of ISS to provide voting recommendations that are consistent with relevant regulatory requirements. Occasions may arise during the analysis and voting process in which the best financial interests of clients might conflict with the interests of ISS. ISS has developed a “separation wall” as security between its proxy recommendation service and the other services it and its affiliated companies provide to clients who may also be a portfolio company for which proxies are solicited.

 

In resolving a conflict, ETC may decide to take one of the following courses of action: (1) determine that the conflict or potential conflict is not material, (2) request that disclosure be made to clients for whom proxies will be voted to disclose the conflict of interest and the recommended proxy vote and to obtain consent from such clients, (3) ETC may vote the proxy or engage an independent third-party or fiduciary to determine how the proxies should be voted, (4) abstain from voting or (5) take another course of action that adequately addresses the potential for conflict. Employees are required to report to the CCO any attempted or actual improper influence regarding proxy voting.

 

ETC will provide clients a copy of the complete Policy. ETC will also provide to clients, upon request, information on how their securities were voted.

 

Proxy Voting Operational Procedures

 

Reconciliation Process

 

Each account’s custodian provides holdings to ISS on a daily basis. Proxy materials are sent to ISS, which verifies that materials for future shareholder meetings are received for each record date position. ISS researches and resolves situations where expected proxy materials have not been received. ISS also notifies ETC of any proxy materials received that were not expected.

 

Voting Identified Proxies

 

A proxy is identified when it is reported through the ISS automated system or when a custodian bank notifies ISS of its existence. As a general rule, ETC votes all proxies that it is entitled to vote that are identified within the solicitation period. ETC may apply a cost-benefit analysis to determine whether to vote a proxy. For example, if ETC is required to re-register shares of a company in order to vote a proxy and that re-registration process imposes trading and transfer restrictions on the shares, commonly referred to as “blocking,” ETC generally abstains from voting that proxy.

 

Although not necessarily an exhaustive list, other instances in which ETC may be unable or may determine not to vote a proxy are as follows: (1) situations where the underlying securities have been lent out pursuant to an account’s participation in a securities lending program and the cost-benefit ETC analysis indicates that the cost to recall the security outweighs the benefit; (2) instances when proxy materials are not delivered or are delivered in a manner that does not provide ETC sufficient time to analyze the proxy and make an informed decision by the voting deadline; and (3) occasions when required local-market documentation cannot be filed and approved prior to the proxy voting deadline.

 

Proxy Oversight Procedures

 

In order to fulfill its oversight responsibilities related to the use of a proxy advisory firm, ETC will conduct a due diligence review of ISS annually and requests, at a minimum, the following information:

 

¨ISS’ Policies, Procedures and Practices Regarding Potential Conflicts of Interest
¨ISS’ Regulatory Code of Ethics
¨The most recent SSAE 16 report of ISS controls conducted by an independent auditor (if available)
¨ISS’ Form ADV Part 2 to determine whether ISS disclosed any new potential conflicts of interest

 

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On a quarterly basis, ETC will request from ISS a certification indicating that all proxies were voted and voted in accordance with pre-determined guidelines and a summary of any material changes to the firm’s policies and procedures designed to address conflicts of interest. In addition, a Proxy Voting Record Report is reviewed by ETC on a periodic basis. The Proxy Voting Record Report includes all proxies that were voted during a period of time.

 

In order to fulfill its oversight responsibilities when a sub-adviser is responsible for voting proxies, ETC will request a certification of compliance and completion and review the sub-advisers’ Proxy Voting Record Report on a periodic basis.

 

Maintenance of Proxy Voting Records

 

The following records are maintained for a period of five years, with records being maintained for the first two years on site:

 

oThese policy and procedures, and any amendments thereto;
oEach proxy statement (the majority of which are maintained on a third-party automated system);
oRecord of each vote cast;
oDocumentation, if any, created by ETC that was material to making a decision how to vote proxies on behalf of a client or that memorializes the basis for a decision;
oVarious reports related to the above procedures; and
oEach written client request for information and a copy of any written response by ETC to a client’s written or oral request for information.

 

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PART C: OTHER INFORMATION

 

Item 28.Exhibits

 

(a)(1)Certificate of Trust of Exchange Listed Funds Trust (formerly, Exchange Traded Concepts Trust II)  (the “Registrant” or the “Trust”) dated April 3, 2012, as filed with the state of Delaware on April 4, 2012, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (a)(1) to the Registrant’s Initial Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) via EDGAR Accession No. 0001144204-12-023014 on April 20, 2012.

 

(a)(2)Certificate of Amendment, dated June 2, 2015, to the Certificate of Trust dated April 3, 2012, as filed with the State of Delaware on June 2, 2015, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (a)(2) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 16 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No 0001398344-15-003746 on June 5, 2015.

 

(a)(3)Registrant’s Agreement and Declaration of Trust dated September 10, 2012 is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (a)(2) to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001144204-12-050445 on September 10, 2012.

 

(b)Registrant’s Amended and Restated By-Laws dated December 9, 2022 are incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (b) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 237 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001213900-23-024791 on March 31, 2023.

 

(c)Not applicable.

 

(d)(1)Advisory Agreement dated June 12, 2015 between the Registrant and Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC (the “Advisory Agreement”) is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(2) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 40 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001398344-17-003605 on March 16, 2017.

 

(d)(2)Schedule A, as revised December 5, 2023, to the Advisory Agreement is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(3) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 246 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001213900-23-096430 on December 18, 2023.

 

(d)(3)Revised Schedule A to the Advisory Agreement reflecting the addition of the Bancreek International Large Cap ETF, to be filed by amendment.

 

(d)(4)Revised Schedule A to the Advisory Agreement reflecting the addition of the Stratified LargeCap Index ETF and Stratified LargeCap Hedged ETF, to be filed by amendment.

 

(d)(5)Fee Waiver Agreement dated May 10, 2022 between the Registrant and Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(12) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 234 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001213900-22-051959 on August 30, 2022.

 

1

 

 

(d)(6)Sub-Advisory Agreement dated March 15, 2017 between Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC and Saba Capital Management, L.P. is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(7) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 48 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR on August 28, 2017.

 

(d)(7)Sub-Advisory Agreement dated September 14, 2020 between Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC and Cabana LLC, d/b/a Cabana Asset Management (the “Cabana Asset Management Sub-Advisory Agreement”) is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(7) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 177 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001213900-20-026494 on September 14, 2020.

 

(d)(8)Revised Schedule A, dated July 6, 2021, to the Cabana Asset Management Sub-Advisory Agreement is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(7) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 212 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001213900-21-035815 on July 6, 2021.

 

(d)(9)Sub-Advisory Agreement dated December 5, 2023 between Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC and Bancreek Capital Advisors, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(11) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 246 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001213900-23-096430 on December 18, 2023.

 

(d)(10)Revised Schedule A to the Bancreek Capital Advisors, LLC Sub-Advisory Agreement to be filed by amendment.

 

(e)(1)ETF Distribution Agreement, effective as of September 30, 2021, between the Registrant and Foreside Fund Services, LLC (the “Novated ETF Distribution Agreement”) is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (e)(1) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 228 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001213900-22-023171 on May 2, 2022.

 

(e)(2)ETF Distribution Agreement dated May 31, 2017 between the Registrant and Foreside Fund Services, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (e)(1) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 45 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001398344-17-008378 on July 7, 2017.

 

(e)(3)ETF Distribution Agreement dated May 23, 2013 between the Registrant and Foreside Fund Services, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (e)(1) to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001398344-13-002713 on June 3, 2013.

 

(e)(4)First Amendment, effective as of April 13, 2022, to the Novated ETF Distribution Agreement is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (e)(4) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 228 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001213900-22-023171 on May 2, 2022.

 

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(e)(5)Second Amendment, dated May 9, 2023, to the Novated ETF Distribution Agreement is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (e)(5) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 239 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001213900-23-041530 on May 19, 2023.

 

(e)(6)Third Amendment, effective as of October 18, 2023, to the Novated ETF Distribution Agreement is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (e)(6) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 244 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001213900-23-082241 on November 1, 2023.

 

(e)(7)Fourth Amendment, effective as of November 22, 2023, to the Novated ETF Distribution Agreement is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (e)(7) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 246 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001213900-23-096430 on December 18, 2023.

 

(e)(8)Amendments to the Novated ETF Distribution Agreement, reflecting the addition of the Bancreek International Large Cap ETF, to be filed by amendment.

 

(e)(9)Amendments to the Novated ETF Distribution Agreement, reflecting the addition of the Stratified LargeCap Index ETF and Stratified LargeCap Hedged ETF, to be filed by amendment.

 

(e)(10)Form of Participant Agreement between Foreside Fund Services, LLC and Citibank, N.A. is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (e)(2) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001398344-13-002986 on June 28, 2013.

 

(e)(11)Authorized Participant Agreement dated July 6, 2015 between Foreside Fund Services, LLC and Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (e)(5) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 32 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001398344-16-016806 on August 15, 2016.

 

(f)Not applicable.

 

(g)(1)Custody Agreement dated June 19, 2015 between the Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon (the “BNYM Custody Agreement”) is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (g)(2) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 21 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001398344-16-010712 on March 4, 2016.

 

(g)(2)Amendment to Schedule II, dated November 1, 2023, to the BNYM Custody Agreement is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (g)(2) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 244 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001213900-23-082241 on November 1, 2023.

 

(g)(3)Custody and Transfer Agent Agreement dated December 13, 2023 between the Registrant and Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. (the “BBH Custody and Transfer Agency Agreement”) is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (g)(3) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 246 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001213900-23-096430 on December 18, 2023.

 

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(g)(4)Revised Appendix A to BBH Custody and Transfer Agency Agreement, relating to the Bancreek International Large Cap ETF, to be filed by amendment.

 

(g)(5)Revised Appendix A to BBH Custody and Transfer Agency Agreement, relating to the Stratified LargeCap Index ETF and Stratified LargeCap Hedged ETF, to be filed by amendment.

 

(g)(6)Foreign Custody Manager Agreement dated June 19, 2015 between the Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon (the “Foreign Custody Manager Agreement”) is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (g)(4) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 21 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001398344-16-010712 on March 4, 2016.

 

(g)(7)Amendment to Annex I, dated May 24, 2021, to the Foreign Custody Manager Agreement is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (g)(4) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 212 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001213900-21-035815 on July 6, 2021.

 

(h)(1)Fund Administration and Accounting Agreement dated June 19, 2015 between the Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon (the “Administration and Accounting Agreement”) is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(3) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 21 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001398344-16-010712 on March 4, 2016.

 

(h)(2)Amendment, dated April 28, 2020, to the Administration and Accounting Agreement is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(12) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 177 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001213900-20-026494 on September 14, 2020.

 

(h)(3)Amendment and updated Exhibit A, dated November 1, 2023, to the Administration and Accounting Agreement is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(3) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 244 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001213900-23-082241 on November 1, 2023.

 

(h)(4)ETF Master Services Agreement dated December 5, 2023 between the Registrant and Ultimus Fund Services, LLC (the “Ultimus Master Services Agreement”), is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(4) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 246 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001213900-23-096430 on December 18, 2023.

 

(h)(5)Revised Schedule A to the Master Services Agreement, relating to the addition of the Bancreek International Large Cap ETF, to be filed by amendment.

 

(h)(6)Revised Schedule A to the Master Services Agreement, relating to the addition of the Stratified LargeCap Index ETF and Stratified LargeCap Hedged ETF, to be filed by amendment.

 

(h)(7)Transfer Agency and Service Agreement dated June 19, 2015 between the Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon (the “Transfer Agency and Service Agreement”) is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(6) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 21 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001398344-16-010712 on March 4, 2016.

 

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(h)(8)Amendment and revised Appendix A, dated November 1, 2023, to the Transfer Agency and Service Agreement is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(6) to Post-Effective Amendment No.244 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001213900-23-082241 on November 1, 2023.

 

(h)(9)Platform Services Agreement dated January 2, 2023 between the Registrant, ETC Platform Services, LLC and Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC (the “Platform Services Agreement”) is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(6) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 239 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001213900-23-041530 on May 19, 2023.

 

(h)(10)Second Amendment, dated May 1, 2023, to the Platform Services Agreement is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(7) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 239 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001213900-23-041530 on May 19, 2023.

 

(h)(11)First Amended and Restated Exhibit A, dated May 16, 2023, to the Platform Services Agreement is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(10) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 244 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001213900-23-082241 on November 1, 2023.

 

(h)(12)Third Amended and Restated Exhibit A, dated December 5, 2023, to the Platform Services Agreement is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(10) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 246 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001213900-23-096430 on December 18, 2023.

 

(h)(13)Amendment to the Platform Services Agreement, reflecting the addition of the Bancreek International Large Cap ETF, to be filed by amendment.

 

(h)(14)Amendment to the Platform Services Agreement, reflecting the addition of the Stratified LargeCap Index ETF and Stratified LargeCap Hedged ETF, to be filed by amendment.

 

(h)(15)Expense Limitation Agreement, effective as of May 10, 2022, between the Registrant and Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC (the “Expense Limitation Agreement’”) is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(15) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 234 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001213900-22-051959 on August 30, 2022.

 

(h)(16)Amended Schedule A, effective January 5, 2024, to the Expense Limitation Agreement is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(14) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 248 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001213900-24-001499 on January 5, 2024.

 

(h)(17)Sub-License Agreement dated April 12, 2022 between the Registrant and Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC, relating to the Akros Monthly Payout ETF, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(23) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 228 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001213900-22-023171 on May 2, 2022.

 

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(h)(18)Authorized Use Agreement dated November 20, 2020 and Exhibit A thereto, amended as of October 18, 2023, between the Registrant and Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(15) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 244 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001213900-23-082241 on November 1, 2023.

 

(h)(19)Form of Rule 12d1-4 Fund of Funds Investment Agreement is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(16) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 246 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001213900-23-096430 on December 18, 2023.

 

(i)(1)Opinion and Consent of Counsel, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, LLP, relating to Saba Closed-End Funds ETF, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (i)(4) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 40 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001398344-17-003605 on March 16, 2017.

 

(i)(2)Opinion and Consent of Counsel, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, LLP, relating to the QRAFT AI-Enhanced U.S. Large Cap ETF and QRAFT AI-Enhanced U.S. Large Cap Momentum ETF, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (i)(6) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 142 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001615774-19-007494 on May 10, 2019.

 

(i)(3)Opinion and Consent of Counsel, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, relating to the Cabana Target Drawdown 7 ETF (now, the Cabana Target Beta ETF) and Cabana Target Drawdown 10 ETF is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (i)(6) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 177 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001213900-20-026494 on September 14, 2020.

 

(i)(4)Opinion and Consent of Counsel, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, relating to the QRAFT AI-Enhanced U.S. Next Value ETF, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (i)(7) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 184 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001213900-20-038559 on November 20, 2020.

 

(i)(5)Opinion and Consent of Counsel, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, relating to the Cabana Target Leading Sector Rotation Moderate ETF, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (i)(10) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 212 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001213900-21-035815 on July 6, 2021.

 

(i)(6)Opinion and Consent of Counsel, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, relating to the Akros Monthly Payout ETF, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (i)(12) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 228 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001213900-22-023171 on May 2, 2022.

 

(i)(7)Opinion and Consent of Counsel, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, relating to the QRAFT AI-Pilot U.S. Large Cap Dynamic Beta and Income ETF, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (i)(12) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 239 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001213900-23-041530 on May 19, 2023.

 

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(i)(8)Opinion and Consent of Counsel, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, relating to the LG QRAFT AI-Powered U.S. Large Cap Core ETF, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (i)(11) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 244 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001213900-23-082241 on November 1, 2023.

 

(i)(9)Opinion and Consent of Counsel, Chapman and Cutler LLP, relating to the Bancreek U.S. Large Cap ETF, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (i)(12) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 246 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001213900-23-096430 on December 18, 2023.

 

(i)(10)Opinion and Consent of Counsel, Chapman and Cutler LLP, relating to the Bancreek International Large Cap ETF, to be filed by amendment.

 

(i)(11)Opinion and Consent of Counsel, Chapman and Cutler LLP, relating to the Stratified LargeCap Index ETF and Stratified LargeCap Hedged ETF, to be filed by amendment.

 

(j)Not applicable.

 

(k)Not applicable.

 

(l)Seed Capital Subscription Agreement dated May 21, 2013 between the Registrant and Horizons ETFs Management (USA) LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (l) to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001398344-13-002713 on June 3, 2013.

 

(m)Distribution and Service Plan, adopted September 26, 2012, as last revised October 13, 2023 (the “Distribution and Service Plan”), is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (m)(1) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 244 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001213900-23-082241 on November 1, 2023.

 

(n)Not applicable.

 

(o)Not applicable.

 

(p)(1)Registrant’s Code of Ethics, as amended February 22, 2022, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (p)(1) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 388 to Exchange Traded Concept Trust’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-156529 and 811-22263), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001213900-22-012993 on March 16, 2022.

 

(p)(2)Code of Ethics of Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC, adopted December 2021, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (p)(2) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 388 to Exchange Traded Concept Trust’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-156529 and 811-22263), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001213900-22-012993 on March 16, 2022.

 

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(p)(3)Code of Ethics of Saba Capital Management, L.P. is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (p)(6) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 40 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001398344-17-003605 on March 16, 2017.

 

(p)(4)Code of Ethics of Cabana LLC, d/b/a/ Cabana Asset Management, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (p)(6) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 177 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001213900-20-026494 on September 14, 2020.

 

(p)(5)Code of Ethics of Bancreek Capital Advisors, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (p)(6) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 246 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001213900-23-096430 on December 18, 2023.

 

(q)(1)Powers of Attorney dated December 8, 2020 for Ms. Linda Petrone and Mr. Timothy J. Jacoby is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (q)(1) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 245 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001213900-23-083609 on November 6, 2023.

 

(q)(2)Power of Attorney dated January 24, 2022 for Mr. Stuart Strauss is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (q)(2) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 225 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180871 and 811-22700), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001213900-22-016239 on March 30, 2022.

 

Item 29.Persons Controlled by or Under Common Control with the Fund

 

Not applicable.

 

Item 30.Indemnification

 

The Trustees shall not be responsible or liable in any event for any neglect or wrongdoing of any officer, agent, employee, adviser or principal underwriter of the Trust, nor shall any Trustee be responsible for the act or omission of any other Trustee, and, subject to the provisions of the By-Laws, the Trust out of its assets may indemnify and hold harmless each and every Trustee and officer of the Trust from and against any and all claims, demands, costs, losses, expenses, and damages whatsoever arising out of or related to such Trustee’s or officer’s performance of his or her duties as a Trustee or officer of the Trust; provided that nothing herein contained shall indemnify, hold harmless or protect any Trustee or officer from or against any liability to the Trust or any Shareholder to which he or she would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his or her office.

 

Every note, bond, contract, instrument, certificate or undertaking and every other act or thing whatsoever issued, executed or done by or on behalf of the Trust or the Trustees or any of them in connection with the Trust shall be conclusively deemed to have been issued, executed or done only in or with respect to their or his or her capacity as Trustees or Trustee, and such Trustees or Trustee shall not be personally liable thereon.

 

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

 

Item 31.Business and Other Connections of the Investment Adviser

 

Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC (the “Adviser”) serves as investment adviser for each series of the Trust.  The principal address of the Adviser is 10900 Hefner Pointe Drive, Suite 400, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73120. The Adviser is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.

 

Bancreek Capital Advisors, LLC (“Bancreek Capital”), principally located at 401 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 1200, Santa Monica, California 90401, serves as sub-adviser for the Registrant’s Bancreek U.S. Large Cap ETF. Bancreek Capital is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.

 

Cabana LLC, d/b/a Cabana Asset Management (“Cabana”), serves as the investment sub-adviser for the Trust’s Cabana Target Beta ETF, Cabana Target Drawdown 10 ETF, and Cabana Target Leading Sector Rotation Moderate ETF. The principal address for Cabana is 220 South School Avenue, Fayetteville, Arkansas 72701. Cabana is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.

 

Saba Capital Management, L.P. (“Saba”) serves as investment sub-adviser for the Trust’s Saba Closed-End Funds ETF.  The principal address of Saba is 405 Lexington Avenue, 58th Floor, New York, New York 10174-7199. Saba is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.

 

9

 

 

Any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature in which each director or principal officer of the Adviser, Bancreek Capital, Cabana, and Saba is or has been, at any time during the last two fiscal years, engaged for his or her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner or trustee are as follows:

 

The Adviser

 

Name and Position

with Adviser*

 

Name of Other Company*

Connection

with Other Company*

J. Garrett Stevens,

Chief Executive Officer

T.S. Phillips Investments, Inc. Vice President
Phillips Capital Advisors, Inc. Vice President
James J. Baker, Jr., Member N/A N/A

 

* Information provided is as of October 31, 2023.

 

Bancreek Capital

 

 

 

Name and Position with
Bancreek Capital*

 

Name of Other Company*

 

Connection with Other
Company*

Andrew Skatoff, Founder and Chief Investment Officer Bancreek Capital Management, LP Partner
Kevin Polli, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Compliance Officer Bancreek Capital Management, LP Partner
Eric Pachman, Chief Analytics Officer Bancreek Capital Management, LP Partner
Anton Yen, Chief Data Scientist Bancreek Capital Management, LP Partner

 

* Information provided is as of December 1, 2023.

 

10

 

 

Cabana

 

Name and Position

with Cabana*

 

 

Name of Other Company*

 

Connection with

Other Company*

George Chaddwick Mason,

Chief Executive Officer

The Cabana Group, LLC

Cabana Black, LLC

Cabana Realty, LLC

6620, LLC

Cabana Law Group, LLC

Mason Farms, LLC

Mason Properties LLC

224 North Block LLC

736 Bluff Lane LLC

632 Penrose LLC

6606 Mission LLC

6204 Mission LLC

6304 Mission LLC

Officer and Member

Officer and Member

Officer and Member

Officer and Member

Attorney and Member

Officer and Member

Officer and Member

Officer and Member

Officer and Member

Officer and Member

Officer and Member

Officer and Member

Officer and Member

Louis Abraham Shaff

Chief Financial Officer

The Cabana Group, LLC

Cabana Black, LLC

Cabana Realty, LLC

BLBS, LLC

Prevost Shaff Mason & Carns, PLLC

Grove Holdings LLC

Officer and Member

Officer and Member

Officer and Member

Officer and Member

Attorney and Member

Member

Christopher Lloyd Carns

Chief Operating Officer

The Cabana Group, LLC

Cabana Black, LLC

HCCJ, LLC

Prevost Shaff Mason & Carns, PLLC

OK BJS, LLC

Officer and Member

Officer and Member

Officer and Member

Attorney and Member

Officer and Member

Albert Moore

Chief Compliance Officer &
Corporate Counsel

The Cabana Group, LLC

Alpha Compliance

Employee

Employee

 

* Information provided is as of August 25, 2023.

 

11

 

 

Saba

 

Name and Position

With Saba*

 

Name of Other Company*

 

Connection with Other Company*

Boaz Weinstein, Portfolio Manager N/A N/A
Pierre Weinstein, Portfolio Manager N/A N/A
Paul Kazarian, Portfolio Manager N/A N/A

 

* Information provided is as of March 21, 2023.

 

Item 32.Principal Underwriters*

 

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

 

1.AB Active ETFs, Inc.
2.ABS Long/Short Strategies Fund
3.Absolute Shares Trust
4.ActivePassive Core Bond ETF, Series of Trust for Professional Managers
5.ActivePassive Intermediate Municipal Bond ETF, Series of Trust for Professional Managers
6.ActivePassive International Equity ETF, Series of Trust for Professional Managers
7.ActivePassive U.S. Equity ETF, Series of Trust for Professional Managers
8.Adaptive Core ETF, Series of Collaborative Investment Series Trust
9.AdvisorShares Trust
10.AFA Multi-Manager Credit Fund
11.AGF Investments Trust
12.AIM ETF Products Trust
13.Alexis Practical Tactical ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
14.AlphaCentric Prime Meridian Income Fund
15.American Century ETF Trust
16.Amplify ETF Trust

 

12

 

 

17.Applied Finance Core Fund, Series of World Funds Trust
18.Applied Finance Explorer Fund, Series of World Funds Trust
19.Applied Finance Select Fund, Series of World Funds Trust
20.ARK ETF Trust
21.ARK Venture Fund
22.B.A.D. ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
23.Bitwise Funds Trust
24.Bluestone Community Development Fund
25.BondBloxx ETF Trust
26.Bramshill Multi-Strategy Income Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust
27.Bridgeway Funds, Inc.
28.Brinker Capital Destinations Trust
29.Brookfield Real Assets Income Fund Inc.
30.Build Funds Trust
31.Calamos Convertible and High Income Fund
32.Calamos Convertible Opportunities and Income Fund
33.Calamos Dynamic Convertible and Income Fund
34.Calamos ETF Trust
35.Calamos Global Dynamic Income Fund
36.Calamos Global Total Return Fund
37.Calamos Strategic Total Return Fund
38.Carlyle Tactical Private Credit Fund
39.Cboe Vest Bitcoin Strategy Managed Volatility Fund, Series of World Funds Trust
40.Cboe Vest S&P 500® Dividend Aristocrats Target Income Fund, Series of World Funds Trust
41.Cboe Vest US Large Cap 10% Buffer Strategies Fund, Series of World Funds Trust
42.Cboe Vest US Large Cap 10% Buffer VI Fund, Series of World Funds Trust
43.Cboe Vest US Large Cap 20% Buffer Strategies Fund, Series of World Funds Trust
44.Cboe Vest US Large Cap 20% Buffer VI Fund, Series of World Funds Trust
45.Center Coast Brookfield MLP & Energy Infrastructure Fund
46.Clifford Capital Focused Small Cap Value Fund, Series of World Funds Trust
47.Clifford Capital International Value Fund, Series of World Funds Trust
48.Clifford Capital Partners Fund, Series of World Funds Trust
49.Cliffwater Corporate Lending Fund
50.Cliffwater Enhanced Lending Fund
51.Cohen & Steers Infrastructure Fund, Inc.
52.Convergence Long/Short Equity ETF, Series of Trust for Professional Managers
53.CornerCap Small-Cap Value Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series
54.CrossingBridge Pre-Merger SPAC ETF, Series of Trust for Professional Managers
55.Curasset Capital Management Core Bond Fund, Series of World Funds Trust
56.Curasset Capital Management Limited Term Income Fund, Series of World Funds Trust
57.Davis Fundamental ETF Trust
58.Defiance Daily Short Digitizing the Economy ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions
59.Defiance Hotel, Airline, and Cruise ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions
60.Defiance Next Gen Connectivity ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions
61.Defiance Next Gen H2 ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions
62.Defiance Pure Electric Vehicle ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions
63.Defiance Quantum ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions

 

13

 

 

64.Direxion Funds
65.Direxion Shares ETF Trust
66.Dividend Performers ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
67.Dodge & Cox Funds
68.DoubleLine ETF Trust
69.DoubleLine Income Solutions Fund
70.DoubleLine Opportunistic Credit Fund
71.DoubleLine Yield Opportunities Fund
72.DriveWealth ETF Trust
73.EIP Investment Trust
74.Ellington Income Opportunities Fund
75.ETF Managers Trust
76.ETF Opportunities Trust
77.Evanston Alternative Opportunities Fund
78.Exchange Listed Funds Trust
79.FlexShares Trust
80.Forum Funds
81.Forum Funds II
82.Forum Real Estate Income Fund
83.Goose Hollow Tactical Allocation ETF, Series of Collaborative Investment Series Trust
84.Grayscale Future of Finance ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions
85.Guinness Atkinson Funds
86.Harbor ETF Trust
87.Horizon Kinetics Blockchain Development ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
88.Horizon Kinetics Energy and Remediation ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
89.Horizon Kinetics Inflation Beneficiaries ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
90.Horizon Kinetics Medical ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
91.Horizon Kinetics SPAC Active ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
92.IDX Funds
93.Innovator ETFs Trust
94.Ironwood Institutional Multi-Strategy Fund LLC
95.Ironwood Multi-Strategy Fund LLC
96.John Hancock Exchange-Traded Fund Trust
97.LDR Real Estate Value-Opportunity Fund, Series of World Funds Trust
98.Mairs & Power Balanced Fund, Series of Trust for Professional Managers
99.Mairs & Power Growth Fund, Series of Trust for Professional Managers
100.Mairs & Power Minnesota Municipal Bond ETF, Series of Trust for Professional Managers
101.Mairs & Power Small Cap Fund, Series of Trust for Professional Managers
102.Manor Investment Funds
103.Merk Stagflation ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
104.Milliman Variable Insurance Trust
105.Mindful Conservative ETF, Series of Collaborative Investment Series Trust
106.Moerus Worldwide Value Fund, Series of Northern Lights Fund Trust IV
107.Mohr Growth ETF, Series of Collaborative Investment Series Trust
108.Mohr Sector Navigator ETF, Series of Collaborative Investment Series Trust
109.Morgan Stanley ETF Trust
110.Morningstar Funds Trust

 

14

 

 

111.Mutual of America Investment Corporation
112.NEOS ETF Trust
113.North Square Investments Trust
114.OTG Latin American Fund, Series of World Funds Trust
115.Overlay Shares Core Bond ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
116.Overlay Shares Foreign Equity ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
117.Overlay Shares Hedged Large Cap Equity ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
118.Overlay Shares Large Cap Equity ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
119.Overlay Shares Municipal Bond ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
120.Overlay Shares Short Term Bond ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
121.Overlay Shares Small Cap Equity ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
122.Palmer Square Opportunistic Income Fund
123.Partners Group Private Income Opportunities, LLC
124.Performance Trust Mutual Funds, Series of Trust for Professional Managers
125.Perkins Discovery Fund, Series of World Funds Trust
126.Philotimo Focused Growth and Income Fund, Series of World Funds Trust
127.Plan Investment Fund, Inc.
128.PMC Core Fixed Income Fund, Series of Trust for Professional Managers
129.PMC Diversified Equity Fund, Series of Trust for Professional Managers
130.Point Bridge America First ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions
131.Preferred-Plus ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
132.Putnam ETF Trust
133.Quaker Investment Trust
134.Rareview Dynamic Fixed Income ETF, Series of Collaborative Investment Series Trust
135.Rareview Inflation/Deflation ETF, Series of Collaborative Investment Series Trust
136.Rareview Systematic Equity ETF, Series of Collaborative Investment Series Trust
137.Rareview Tax Advantaged Income ETF, Series of Collaborative Investment Series Trust
138.Renaissance Capital Greenwich Funds
139.Reynolds Funds, Inc.
140.RiverNorth Enhanced Pre-Merger SPAC ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
141.RiverNorth Patriot ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
142.RMB Investors Trust
143.Robinson Opportunistic Income Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust
144.Robinson Tax Advantaged Income Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust
145.Roundhill Alerian LNG ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
146.Roundhill Ball Metaverse ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
147.Roundhill BIG Bank ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
148.Roundhill BIG Tech ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
149.Roundhill Cannabis ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
150.Roundhill IO Digital Infrastructure ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
151.Roundhill MEME ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
152.Roundhill S&P Global Luxury ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
153.Roundhill Sports Betting & iGaming ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
154.Roundhill Video Games ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
155.Rule One Fund, Series of World Funds Trust
156.Securian AM Real Asset Income Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust
157.Six Circles Trust

 

15

 

 

158.Sound Shore Fund, Inc.
159.Sparrow Funds
160.Spear Alpha ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
161.STF Tactical Growth & Income ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
162.STF Tactical Growth ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
163.Strategic Trust
164.Strategy Shares
165.Swan Hedged Equity US Large Cap ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
166.Syntax ETF Trust
167.Tekla World Healthcare Fund
168.Tema ETF Trust
169.Teucrium Agricultural Strategy No K-1 ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
170.Teucrium AiLA Long-Short Agriculture Strategy ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
171.Teucrium AiLA Long-Short Base Metals Strategy ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
172.The 2023 ETF Series Trust
173.The Community Development Fund
174.The Finite Solar Finance Fund
175.The Private Shares Fund
176.The SPAC and New Issue ETF, Series of Collaborative Investment Series Trust
177.Third Avenue Trust
178.Third Avenue Variable Series Trust
179.Tidal ETF Trust
180.Tidal Trust II
181.TIFF Investment Program
182.Timothy Plan High Dividend Stock Enhanced ETF, Series of The Timothy Plan
183.Timothy Plan High Dividend Stock ETF, Series of The Timothy Plan
184.Timothy Plan International ETF, Series of The Timothy Plan
185.Timothy Plan Market Neutral ETF, Series of The Timothy Plan
186.Timothy Plan US Large/Mid Cap Core ETF, Series of The Timothy Plan
187.Timothy Plan US Large/Mid Core Enhanced ETF, Series of The Timothy Plan
188.Timothy Plan US Small Cap Core ETF, Series of The Timothy Plan
189.Total Fund Solution
190.Touchstone ETF Trust
191.TrueShares Eagle Global Renewable Energy Income ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
192.TrueShares Low Volatility Equity Income ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
193.TrueShares Structured Outcome (April) ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
194.TrueShares Structured Outcome (August) ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
195.TrueShares Structured Outcome (December) ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
196.TrueShares Structured Outcome (February) ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
197.TrueShares Structured Outcome (January) ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
198.TrueShares Structured Outcome (July) ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
199.TrueShares Structured Outcome (June) ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
200.TrueShares Structured Outcome (March) ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
201.TrueShares Structured Outcome (May) ETF, Listed Funds Trust
202.TrueShares Structured Outcome (November) ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
203.TrueShares Structured Outcome (October) ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
204.TrueShares Structured Outcome (September) ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust

 

16

 

 

205.TrueShares Technology, AI & Deep Learning ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
206.U.S. Global Investors Funds
207.Union Street Partners Value Fund, Series of World Funds Trust
208.Variant Alternative Income Fund
209.Variant Impact Fund
210.VictoryShares Core Intermediate Bond ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
211.VictoryShares Core Plus Intermediate Bond ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
212.VictoryShares Corporate Bond ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
213.VictoryShares Developed Enhanced Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
214.VictoryShares Dividend Accelerator ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
215.VictoryShares Emerging Markets Value Momentum ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
216.VictoryShares Free Cash Flow ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
217.VictoryShares International High Div Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
218.VictoryShares International Value Momentum ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
219.VictoryShares International Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
220.VictoryShares NASDAQ Next 50 ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
221.VictoryShares Short-Term Bond ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
222.VictoryShares THB Mid Cap ESG ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
223.VictoryShares US 500 Enhanced Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
224.VictoryShares US 500 Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
225.VictoryShares US Discovery Enhanced Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
226.VictoryShares US EQ Income Enhanced Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
227.VictoryShares US Large Cap High Div Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
228.VictoryShares US Multi-Factor Minimum Volatility ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
229.VictoryShares US Small Cap High Div Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
230.VictoryShares US Small Cap Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
231.VictoryShares US Small Mid Cap Value Momentum ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
232.VictoryShares US Value Momentum ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
233.VictoryShares WestEnd US Sector ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
234.Volatility Shares Trust
235.West Loop Realty Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust
236.Wilshire Mutual Funds, Inc.
237.Wilshire Variable Insurance Trust
238.WisdomTree Digital Trust
239.WisdomTree Trust
240.WST Investment Trust
241.XAI Octagon Floating Rate & Alternative Income Term Trust

 

17

 

 

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

 

Name Address Position with Underwriter

Position with Registrant

 

Teresa Cowan 111 E. Kilbourn Ave, Suite 2200, Milwaukee, WI 53202 President/Manager None
       

Chris Lanza

Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME 04101

Vice President

None

       
Kate Macchia Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME 04101 Vice President None
       
Nanette K. Chern Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME 04101 Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer None
       
Kelly B. Whetstone Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME 04101 Secretary None
       

Susan L. LaFond

111 E. Kilbourn Ave, Suite 2200, Milwaukee, WI 53202

Treasurer

None

       
Weston Sommers Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME  04101 Financial and Operations Principal and Chief Financial Officer None

 

Item 32(c)Not applicable.

 

* Information provided in this Item 32 is as of October 24, 2023.

 

Item 33.Location of Accounts and Records

 

Books or other documents required to be maintained by Section 31(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, and the rules promulgated thereunder, are maintained as follows:

 

Registrant:

 

c/o Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC

10900 Hefner Pointe Drive, Suite 400

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73120

 

Adviser:

 

Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC

10900 Hefner Pointe Drive, Suite 400

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73120

 

295 Madison Avenue, 26th Floor

New York, New York 10017

 

Sub-Advisers:

 

Bancreek Capital Advisors, LLC

401 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 1200

Santa Monica, California 90401

 

Cabana Asset Management

220 South School Avenue

Fayetteville, Arkansas 72701

 

18

 

 

Saba Capital Management, L.P.

405 Lexington Avenue, 58th Floor

New York, New York 10174-7199

 

Distributor:

 

Foreside Fund Services, LLC

Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100

Portland, Maine 04101

 

Custodians:

 

The Bank of New York

240 Greenwich Street

New York, New York 10286

 

Brown Brothers Harriman & Co.

50 Post Office Square

Boston, Massachusetts 02110

 

Administrators:

 

The Bank of New York

240 Greenwich Street

New York, New York 10286

 

Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC

4221 North 203rd Street, Suite 100

Elkhorn, NE 68022

 

Item 34.Management Services

 

Not applicable.

 

Item 35.Undertakings

 

Not applicable.

 

19

 

 

SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 (the “1933 Act”) and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Registrant has duly caused this Post-Effective Amendment No. 249 to Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereto duly authorized, in the City of Oklahoma, State of Oklahoma, on this 14th day of February 2024.

 

  Exchange Listed Funds Trust
   
  /s/ J. Garrett Stevens
  J. Garrett Stevens
  Trustee and President (Principal Executive Officer)

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the 1933 Act, this Post-Effective Amendment No. 249 to the Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacity and on the date indicated.

 

Signature   Title   Date
         
/s/ J. Garrett Stevens   Trustee and President   February 14, 2024
J. Garrett Stevens   (Principal Executive Officer)    
         
/s/ Christopher Roleke   Treasurer   February 14, 2024
Christopher Roleke   (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)    
         
*   Trustee   February 14, 2024
Linda Petrone        
         
*   Trustee   February 14, 2024
Stuart Strauss        
         
*   Trustee   February 14, 2024
Timothy J. Jacoby        
         
* /s/ J. Garrett Stevens        
J. Garrett Stevens        

 

*Attorney-in-Fact, pursuant to power of attorney.