N-1A/A 1 n-1a.htm

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. 1
X
 
   
Post-Effective Amendment No.
 
 
 
and/or
  
 
   
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940
X
 
   
Amendment No. 1
X
 
(Check appropriate box or boxes)
 
 

Davis Fundamental ETF Trust
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)
2949 E. Elvira Rd.
Ste. 101
Tucson, AZ 85756
(Address of Principal Executive Office)
(520) 434-3778
(Registrant's Telephone Number, including Area Code)
 
   
Name and Address of Agent for Service:
  
Ryan M. Charles
  
Vice President and Secretary
  
2949 E. Elvira Rd. Ste. 101
  
Tucson, AZ  85756
  
It is proposed that this filing will become effective (check appropriate box):
 
             
¨
 
immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b) of rule 485
 
¨
 
75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of rule 485
       
¨
 
on (date) pursuant to paragraph (b)(1)(v) of rule 485
 
¨
 
on (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of rule 485
       
¨
 
60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(1) of rule 485
 
X
 
As soon as practicable after the effective date of this registration statement.
       
¨
 
on (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(1) of rule 485
 
 
 
 
 
 

THE REGISTRANT HEREBY AMENDS THIS REGISTRATION STATEMENT ON SUCH DATE OR DATES AS MAY BE NECESSARY TO DELAY ITS EFFECTIVE DATE UNTIL THE REGISTRANT SHALL FILE A FURTHER AMENDMENT THAT SPECIFICALLY STATES THAT THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT SHALL THEREAFTER BECOME EFFECTIVE IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 8(A) OF THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, OR UNTIL THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT SHALL BECOME EFFECTIVE ON SUCH DATE AS THE COMMISSION, ACTING PURSUANT TO SAID SECTION 8(A), MAY DETERMINE.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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
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 state where the offer or sale is not permitted.

Subject to Completion
Preliminary Prospectus dated August 10, 2016

Davis Focused US Equity ETF (DAVS)
Davis Select Financial ETF (DSFE)
Davis Select World Opportunities ETF (DSWO)

PROSPECTUS

November XX, 2016

Portfolios of Davis Fundamental ETF Trust

Principal U.S. Listing Exchange for each ETF: xxx.






The Securities and Exchange Commission has not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
LOGO



Table of Contents
Davis Focused US Equity ETF Summary ("DAVS")
Davis Select Financial ETF Summary ("DSFE")
Davis Select World Opportunities ETF Summary ("DSWO")
Additional Information About Investment Objectives, Principal Strategies
      and Principal Risks
Non-Principal Investment Strategies and Related Risks
Management and Organization
Shareholder Information
Buying and Selling Shares
How Your Shares Are Valued
Portfolio Holdings
How The Funds Pay Earnings
Federal Income Taxes
Fees Paid to Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
Frequent Purchases and Redemptions of Fund Shares
Householding
Financial Highlights




















 
This prospectus contains important information. Please read it carefully before investing and keep it for future reference.
No financial adviser, dealer, salesperson, or any other person has been authorized to give any information or to make any representations, other than those contained in this prospectus, in connection with the offer contained in this prospectus and, if given or made, such other information or representations must not be relied on as having been authorized by the Fund, the Fund's investment adviser, or the Fund's distributor.
This prospectus does not constitute an offer by the Fund or by the Fund's distributor to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities offered hereby in any jurisdiction to any person to whom it is unlawful for the Fund to make such an offer.
 

Davis Focused US Equity ETF Summary ("DAVS")
Investment Objective
Davis Focused US Equity ETF's investment objective is long-term capital growth and capital preservation.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
These tables describe the fees and expenses that you will incur if you own shares of the Fund. Investors may pay usual and customary brokerage commissions and other charges, which are not reflected in the Example below, on their purchases and sales of shares.
Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
 
Management Fees
0.55%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees
0.00%
Other Expenses(1)
0.XX%
Total Annual Operating Expenses
0.xx%
Less Fee Waiver or Expense Reimbursement(2)
XX%
Net Expenses
XX%
(1)
"Other Expenses" are based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year.
(2)
Davis Selected Advisers, L.P. has contractually agreed to waive fees and/or reimburse the Fund's expenses to the extent necessary to cap total annual fund operating expenses at 0.90% until November 1, 2017. After that date, there is no assurance that the Adviser will continue to cap expenses. The expense cap cannot be terminated prior to November 1, 2017, without the consent of the Board of Trustees.
Example. This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. This Example does not take into account brokerage commissions that you pay when purchasing or selling shares. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and the Fund's operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:
1 Year
3 Years
$XX
$XX
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund may pay transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance. This Fund is newly offered. Therefore, it does not have a turnover rate to report for the most recent fiscal year.
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund is an actively-managed exchange-traded fund ("ETF"). Davis Selected Advisers, L.P. ("Davis Advisors" or the "Adviser"), the Fund's investment adviser, uses the Davis Investment Discipline to invest the Fund's portfolio principally in common stocks issued by large companies with market capitalizations of at least $10 billion. At least 80% of the Fund's net assets are invested in U.S. companies. The Fund is non-diversified and, therefore, is allowed to focus its investments in fewer companies than a fund that is required to diversify its portfolio. The Fund's portfolio, generally, contains between 15 and 35 companies, although the precise number of its investments will vary over time. The Fund may also invest in mid- and small-capitalization companies. The Fund may invest up to 20% of net assets in non-U.S. companies.
Davis Investment Discipline. Davis Advisors manages equity funds using the Davis Investment Discipline. Davis Advisors conducts extensive research to try to identify businesses that possess characteristics that Davis Advisors believes foster the creation of long-term value, such as proven management, a durable franchise and business model, and sustainable competitive advantages. Davis Advisors aims to invest in such businesses when they are trading at discounts to their intrinsic worth. Davis Advisors emphasizes individual stock selection and believes that the ability to evaluate management is critical. Davis Advisors routinely visits managers at their places of business in order to gain insight into the relative value of different businesses. Such research, however rigorous, involves predictions and forecasts that are inherently uncertain. After determining which companies Davis Advisors believes the Fund should own, Davis Advisors then turns its analysis to determining the intrinsic value of those companies' equity securities. Davis Advisors seeks companies whose equity securities can be purchased at a discount from Davis Advisors' estimate of those companies' intrinsic values, based upon fundamental analysis of cash flows, assets and liabilities, and other criteria that Davis Advisors deems to be material on a company-by-company basis. Davis Advisors' goal is to invest in companies for the long term (ideally, five years or longer, although this goal may not be met). Davis Advisors considers selling a company's equity securities if the securities' market price exceeds Davis Advisors' estimates of intrinsic value, if the ratio of the risks and rewards of continuing to own the company's equity securities is no longer attractive, to raise cash to purchase a more attractive investment opportunity, to satisfy net redemptions, or for other purposes.
Principal Risks of Investing in Davis Focused US Equity ETF
You may lose money by investing in Davis Focused US Equity ETF and the Fund's performance could trail that of other investments. Investors in the Fund should have a long-term perspective and be able to tolerate potentially sharp declines in value.
The principal risks of investing in the Fund, listed alphabetically, include:
§
Authorized Participant Concentration risk. Only an Authorized Participant (as defined in the XX "Creations and Redemptions" section of the Fund's prospectus) may engage in creation and/or redemption transactions directly with the Fund. The Fund has a limited number of financial intermediaries that act as Authorized Participants. To the extent that these intermediaries exit the business or are unable to proceed with creation and/or redemption orders with respect to the Fund and no other Authorized Participant is able to step forward to create or redeem Creation Units, Fund shares may trade at a discount to NAV and could face delisting.
§
Common Stock risk. Common stock represents an ownership position in a company. An adverse event may have a negative impact on a company and could result in a decline in the price of its common stock. Common stock is, generally, subordinate to an issuer's other securities, including preferred, convertible, and debt securities.
§
Depositary Receipts risk. Depositary receipts, consisting of American Depositary Receipts, European Depositary Receipts, and Global Depositary Receipts, are certificates evidencing ownership of shares of a foreign issuer. Depositary receipts are subject to many of the risks associated with investing directly in foreign securities. Depositary receipts may trade at a discount (or a premium) to the underlying security and may be less liquid than the underlying securities listed on an exchange.
§
Fees and Expenses risk. The Fund may not earn enough through income and capital appreciation to offset the operating expenses of the Fund. All mutual funds incur operating fees and expenses. Fees and expenses reduce the return that a shareholder may earn by investing in a fund, even when a fund has favorable performance. A low-return environment, or a bear market, increases the risk that a shareholder may lose money.
§
Financial Services risk. Investing a significant portion of assets in the financial services sector may cause the Fund to be more sensitive to problems affecting financial companies.
§
Focused Portfolio risk. Funds that invest in a limited number of companies may have more risk because changes in the value of a single security may have a more significant effect, either negative or positive, on the value of the Fund's total portfolio.
§
Foreign Country risk. Securities of foreign companies (including ADRs) may be subject to greater risk as foreign economies may not be as strong or diversified, foreign political systems may not be as stable, and foreign financial reporting standards may not be as rigorous as they are in the United States. There may also be less information publicly available regarding the non-U.S. issuers and their securities. These securities may be less liquid (and, in some cases, may become illiquid) and could be harder to value than more liquid securities.
§
Foreign Currency risk. The change in value of a foreign currency against the U.S. dollar will result in a change in the U.S. dollar value of securities denominated in that foreign currency. For example, when the Fund holds a security that is denominated in a foreign currency, a decline of that foreign currency against the U.S. dollar would, generally, cause the value of the Fund's shares to decline.
§
Headline risk. The Fund may invest in a company when the company becomes the center of controversy after receiving adverse media attention concerning its operations, long-term prospects, management, or for other reasons. While Davis Advisors researches companies subject to such contingencies, it cannot be correct every time, and the company's stock may never recover or may become worthless.
§
Large-Capitalization Companies risk. Companies with $10 billion or more in market capitalization are considered by the Adviser to be large-capitalization companies. Large-capitalization companies, generally, experience slower rates of growth in earnings per share than do mid- and small-capitalization companies.
§
Manager risk. Poor security selection or focus on securities in a particular sector, category, or group of companies may cause the Fund to underperform relevant benchmarks or other funds with a similar investment objective.
§
Market Trading risk. The Fund is subject to a number of market trading risks, which include the possibility of an inactive market for Fund shares, losses from trading in secondary markets, periods of high volatility, and disruptions in the creation/redemption process. ONE OR MORE OF THESE FACTORS, AMONG OTHERS, COULD LEAD TO THE FUND'S SHARES TRADING AT A PREMIUM OR DISCOUNT TO NAV.
§
Mid- and Small-Capitalization Companies risk. Companies with less than $10 billion in market capitalization are considered by the Adviser to be mid- or small-capitalization companies. Mid- and small-capitalization companies typically have more limited product lines, markets, and financial resources than larger companies, and their securities may trade less frequently and in more limited volume than those of larger, more mature companies.
§
Stock Market risk. Stock markets tend to move in cycles, with periods of rising prices and periods of falling prices, including the possibility of sharp declines.
Your investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency, entity, or person.
Performance Results
The Fund has not yet commenced operations and therefore does not have a performance history. Once available, the Fund's performance information will be accessible on the Fund's website at XX. When this prospectus is updated after a full year of operations, a bar chart and table will be included that will provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing the variability of the Fund's return based on net assets and comparing the Fund's performance to a broad measure of market performance.
Management
Investment Adviser. Davis Selected Advisers, L.P. serves as the Fund's investment adviser.
Sub-Adviser. Davis Selected Advisers-NY, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of the Adviser, serves as the Fund's sub-adviser.
Portfolio Managers. As of the date of this prospectus, the portfolio managers listed below are jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund's portfolio.
Portfolio Managers
Experience with this Fund
Primary Title with Investment Adviser or Sub-Adviser
Christopher Davis
Since November 2016
Chairman, Davis Selected Advisers, L.P.
Danton Goei
Since November 2016
Vice President, Davis Selected Advisers-NY, Inc.
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The Fund is an actively-managed ETF. Individual shares of the Fund are listed on a national securities exchange. Most investors will buy and sell shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer. The price of Fund shares is based on the market price, and because ETF shares trade at a market price rather than at NAV, shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (a premium) or less than NAV (a discount). The Fund will only issue or redeem shares that have been aggregated into blocks of 50,000 shares or multiples thereof ("Creation Units") to Authorized Participants who have entered into agreements with the Fund's distributor. The Fund, generally, will issue or redeem Creations Units in return for a designated portfolio of securities (and an amount of cash) the Fund specifies each day ("Creation Basket").
For important information about the purchase and sale of Fund shares and tax information, please see the "XX" section of the Fund's prospectus.
Tax Information
If the Fund earns income or realizes capital gains, it intends to make distributions that may be taxed as ordinary income, qualified dividend income, or capital gains by federal, state, and local authorities.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase the Davis Focused US Equity ETF through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies 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 the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary's website for more information.


Davis Select Financial ETF Summary ("DSFE")
Investment Objective
Davis Select Financial ETF's investment objective is long-term growth of capital.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
These tables describe the fees and expenses that you will incur if you own shares of the Fund. Investors may pay usual and customary brokerage commissions and other charges, which are not reflected in the Example below, on their purchases and sales of shares.
Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
 
Management Fees
0.55%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees
0.00%
Other Expenses(1)
0.XX%
Total Annual Operating Expenses
0.xx%
Less Fee Waiver or Expense Reimbursement(2)
XX%
Net Expenses
XX%
(1)
"Other Expenses" are based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year.
(2)
Davis Selected Advisers, L.P. has contractually agreed to waive fees and/or reimburse the Fund's expenses to the extent necessary to cap total annual fund operating expenses at 0.90% until November 1, 2017. After that date, there is no assurance that the Adviser will continue to cap expenses. The expense cap cannot be terminated prior to November 1, 2017, without the consent of the Board of Trustees.
Example. This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. This Example does not take into account brokerage commissions that you pay when purchasing or selling shares. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and the Fund's operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:
1 Year
3 Years
$XX
$XX
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance. This Fund is newly offered. Therefore, it does not have a turnover rate to report for the most recent fiscal year.
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund is an actively-managed exchange-traded fund ("ETF"). Davis Selected Advisers, L.P. ("Davis Advisors" or the "Adviser"), the Fund's investment adviser, uses the Davis Investment Discipline to invest at least 80% of the Fund's net assets in securities issued by companies principally engaged in the financial services sector. The Fund invests, principally, in common stocks (including indirect holdings of common stock through depositary receipts). The Fund may invest in large, medium, or small companies without regard to market capitalization and may invest in issuers in foreign countries, including countries with developed or emerging markets.
A company is principally engaged in financial services if it owns financial services-related assets that constitute at least 50% of the value of all of its assets, or if it derives at least 50% of its revenues from providing financial services. Companies in the financial services sector include commercial banks, industrial banks, savings institutions, finance companies, diversified financial services companies, investment banking firms, securities brokerage houses, investment advisory companies, leasing companies, insurance companies, and companies providing similar services.
Davis Investment Discipline. Davis Advisors manages equity funds using the Davis Investment Discipline. Davis Advisors conducts extensive research to try to identify businesses that possess characteristics that Davis Advisors believes foster the creation of long-term value, such as proven management, a durable franchise and business model, and sustainable competitive advantages. Davis Advisors aims to invest in such businesses when they are trading at discounts to their intrinsic worth. Davis Advisors emphasizes individual stock selection and believes that the ability to evaluate management is critical. Davis Advisors routinely visits managers at their places of business in order to gain insight into the relative value of different businesses. Such research, however rigorous, involves predictions and forecasts that are inherently uncertain. After determining which companies Davis Advisors believes the Fund should own, Davis Advisors then turns its analysis to determining the intrinsic value of those companies' equity securities. Davis Advisors seeks companies whose equity securities can be purchased at a discount from Davis Advisors' estimate of those companies' intrinsic values, based upon fundamental analysis of cash flows, assets and liabilities, and other criteria that Davis Advisors deems to be material on a company-by-company basis. Davis Advisors' goal is to invest in companies for the long term (ideally, five years or longer, although this goal may not be met). Davis Advisors considers selling a company's equity securities if the securities' market price exceeds Davis Advisors' estimates of intrinsic value, if the ratio of the risks and rewards of continuing to own the company's equity securities is no longer attractive, to raise cash to purchase a more attractive investment opportunity, to satisfy net redemptions, or other purposes.
Principal Risks of Investing in Davis Select Financial ETF
You may lose money by investing in Davis Select Financial ETF and the Fund's performance could trail that of other investments. Investors in the Fund should have a long-term perspective and be able to tolerate potentially sharp declines in value.
The principal risks of investing in the Fund, listed alphabetically, include:
§
Authorized Participant Concentration risk. Only an Authorized Participant (as defined in the XX "Creations and Redemptions" section of the Fund's prospectus) may engage in creation and/or redemption transactions directly with the Fund. The Fund has a limited number of financial intermediaries that act as Authorized Participants. To the extent that these intermediaries exit the business or are unable to proceed with creation and/or redemption orders with respect to the Fund and no other Authorized Participant is able to step forward to create or redeem Creation Units, Fund shares may trade at a discount to NAV and could face delisting.
§
Common Stock risk. Common stock represents an ownership position in a company. An adverse event may have a negative impact on a company and could result in a decline in the price of its common stock. Common stock is, generally, subordinate to an issuer's other securities, including preferred, convertible, and debt securities.
§
Credit risk. Financial institutions are often highly leveraged and may not be able to make timely payments of interest and principal.
§
Depositary Receipts risk. Depositary receipts, consisting of American Depositary Receipts, European Depositary Receipts, and Global Depositary Receipts, are certificates evidencing ownership of shares of a foreign issuer. Depositary receipts are subject to many of the risks associated with investing directly in foreign securities. Depositary receipts may trade at a discount (or a premium) to the underlying security and may be less liquid than the underlying securities listed on an exchange.
§
Fees and Expenses risk. The Fund may not earn enough through income and capital appreciation to offset the operating expenses of the Fund. All mutual funds incur operating fees and expenses. Fees and expenses reduce the return that a shareholder may earn by investing in a fund, even when a fund has favorable performance. A low-return environment, or a bear market, increases the risk that a shareholder may lose money.
§
Financial Services risk. Risks of investing in the financial services sector include: (i) Systemic risk; (ii) Regulatory actions; (iii) Changes in interest rates: unstable and/or rising interest rates; (iv) Non-diversified loan portfolios; (v) Credit; and (vi) Competition.
§
Foreign Country risk. Securities of foreign companies (including ADRs) may be subject to greater risk as foreign economies may not be as strong or diversified, foreign political systems may not be as stable, and foreign financial reporting standards may not be as rigorous as they are in the United States. There may also be less information publicly available regarding the non-U.S. issuers and their securities. These securities may be less liquid (and, in some cases, may become illiquid) and could be harder to value than more liquid securities.
§
Foreign Currency risk. The change in value of a foreign currency against the U.S. dollar will result in a change in the U.S. dollar value of securities denominated in that foreign currency. For example, when the Fund holds a security that is denominated in a foreign currency, a decline of that foreign currency against the U.S. dollar would, generally, cause the value of the Fund's shares to decline.
§
Headline risk. The Fund may invest in a company when the company becomes the center of controversy after receiving adverse media attention concerning its operations, long-term prospects, management, or for other reasons. While Davis Advisors researches companies subject to such contingencies, it cannot be correct every time, and the company's stock may never recover or may become worthless.
§
Interest Rate Sensitivity risk. Interest rates may have a powerful influence on the earnings of financial institutions.
§
Large-Capitalization Companies risk. Companies with $10 billion or more in market capitalization are considered by the Adviser to be large-capitalization companies. Large-capitalization companies, generally, experience slower rates of growth in earnings per share than do mid- and small-capitalization companies.
§
Manager risk. Poor security selection or focus on securities in a particular sector, category, or group of companies may cause the Fund to underperform relevant benchmarks or other funds with a similar investment objective.
§
Market Trading risk. The Fund is subject to a number of market trading risks, which include the possibility of an inactive market for Fund shares, losses from trading in secondary markets, periods of high volatility, and disruptions in the creation/redemption process. ONE OR MORE OF THESE FACTORS, AMONG OTHERS, COULD LEAD TO THE FUND'S SHARES TRADING AT A PREMIUM OR DISCOUNT TO NAV.
§
Mid- and Small-Capitalization Companies risk. Companies with less than $10 billion in market capitalization are considered by the Adviser to be mid- or small-capitalization companies. Mid- and small-capitalization companies typically have more limited product lines, markets, and financial resources than larger companies, and their securities may trade less frequently and in more limited volume than those of larger, more mature companies.
§
Stock Market risk. Stock markets tend to move in cycles, with periods of rising prices and periods of falling prices, including the possibility of sharp declines.
Your investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency, entity, or person.
Performance Results
The Fund has not yet commenced operations and therefore does not have a performance history. Once available, the Fund's performance information will be accessible on the Fund's website at XX. When this prospectus is updated after a full year of operations, a bar chart and table will be included that will provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing the variability of the Fund's return based on net assets and comparing the Fund's performance to a broad measure of market performance.
Management
Investment Adviser. Davis Selected Advisers, L.P. serves as the Fund's investment adviser.
Sub-Adviser. Davis Selected Advisers-NY, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of the Adviser, serves as the Fund's sub-adviser.
Portfolio Manager
Experience with this Fund
Primary Title with Investment Adviser or Sub-Adviser
Christopher Davis
Since November 2016
Chairman, Davis Selected Advisers, L.P.
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The Fund is an actively-managed ETF. Individual shares of the Fund are listed on a national securities exchange. Most investors will buy and sell shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer. The price of Fund shares is based on the market price, and because ETF shares trade at a market price rather than at NAV, shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (a premium) or less than NAV (a discount). The Fund will only issue or redeem shares that have been aggregated into blocks of 50,000 shares or multiples thereof ("Creation Units") to Authorized Participants who have entered into agreements with the Fund's distributor. The Fund, generally, will issue or redeem Creations Units in return for a designated portfolio of securities (and an amount of cash) the Fund specifies each day ("Creation Basket").
For important information about the purchase and sale of Fund shares and tax information, please see the "XX" section of the Fund's prospectus.
Tax Information
If the Fund earns income or realizes capital gains, it intends to make distributions that may be taxed as ordinary income, qualified dividend income, or capital gains by federal, state, and local authorities.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase the Davis Select Financial ETF through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies 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 the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary's website for more information.


Davis Select World Opportunities ETF Summary ("DSWO")
Investment Objective
Davis Select World Opportunities ETF's investment objective is long-term growth of capital.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
These tables describe the fees and expenses that you will incur if you own shares of the Fund. Investors may pay usual and customary brokerage commissions and other charges, which are not reflected in the Example below, on their purchases and sales of shares.
Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
 
Management Fees
0.55%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees
0.00%
Other Expenses(1)
0.XX%
Total Annual Operating Expenses
0.xx%
Less Fee Waiver or Expense Reimbursement(2)
XX%
Net Expenses
XX%
(1)
"Other Expenses" are based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year.
(2)
Davis Selected Advisers, L.P. has contractually agreed to waive fees and/or reimburse the Fund's expenses to the extent necessary to cap total annual fund operating expenses at 0.90% until November 1, 2017. After that date, there is no assurance that the Adviser will continue to cap expenses. The expense cap cannot be terminated prior to November 1, 2017, without the consent of the Board of Trustees.
Example. This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and the Fund's operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:
1 Year
3 Years
$XX
$XX
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance. This Fund is newly offered. Therefore, it does not have a turnover rate to report for the most recent fiscal year.
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund is an actively-managed exchange-traded fund ("ETF"). Davis Selected Advisers, L.P. ("Davis Advisors" or the "Adviser"), the Fund's investment adviser, uses the Davis Investment Discipline to invest the Fund's portfolio principally in common stocks (including indirect holdings of common stock through depositary receipts) issued by both United States and foreign companies, including countries with developed or emerging markets. The Fund may invest in large, medium, or small companies without regard to market capitalization. The Fund will invest significantly (at least 40% of total assets under normal market conditions and at least 30% of total assets if market conditions are not deemed favorable) in issuers (i) organized or located outside of the U.S.; (ii) whose primary trading market is located outside the U.S.; or (iii) doing a substantial amount of business outside the U.S., which the Fund considers to be a company that derives at least 50% of its revenue from business outside the U.S. or has at least 50% of its assets outside the U.S. Under normal market conditions, the Fund will invest in issuers representing at least three different countries.
Davis Investment Discipline. Davis Advisors manages equity funds using the Davis Investment Discipline. Davis Advisors conducts extensive research to try to identify businesses that possess characteristics that Davis Advisors believes foster the creation of long-term value, such as proven management, a durable franchise and business model, and sustainable competitive advantages. Davis Advisors aims to invest in such businesses when they are trading at discounts to their intrinsic worth. Davis Advisors emphasizes individual stock selection and believes that the ability to evaluate management is critical. Davis Advisors routinely visits managers at their places of business in order to gain insight into the relative value of different businesses. Such research, however rigorous, involves predictions and forecasts that are inherently uncertain. After determining which companies Davis Advisors believes the Fund should own, Davis Advisors then turns its analysis to determining the intrinsic value of those companies' equity securities. Davis Advisors seeks companies whose equity securities can be purchased at a discount from Davis Advisors' estimate of those companies' intrinsic values, based upon fundamental analysis of cash flows, assets and liabilities, and other criteria that Davis Advisors deems to be material on a company-by-company basis. Davis Advisors' goal is to invest in companies for the long term (ideally, five years or longer, although this goal may not be met). Davis Advisors considers selling a company's equity securities if the securities' market price exceeds Davis Advisors' estimates of intrinsic value, if the ratio of the risks and rewards of continuing to own the company's equity securities is no longer attractive, to raise cash to purchase a more attractive investment opportunity, to satisfy net redemptions, or other purposes.
Principal Risks of Investing in Davis Select World Opportunities ETF
You may lose money by investing in Davis Select World Opportunities ETF and the Fund's performance could trail that of other investments. Investors in the Fund should have a long-term perspective and be able to tolerate potentially sharp declines in value.
The principal risks of investing in the Fund, listed alphabetically, include:
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Authorized Participant Concentration risk. Only an Authorized Participant (as defined in the XX "Creations and Redemptions" section of the Fund's prospectus) may engage in creation and/or redemption transactions directly with the Fund. The Fund has a limited number of financial intermediaries that act as Authorized Participants. To the extent that these intermediaries exit the business or are unable to proceed with creation and/or redemption orders with respect to the Fund and no other Authorized Participant is able to step forward to create or redeem Creation Units, Fund shares may trade at a discount to NAV and could face delisting.
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Common Stock risk. Common stock represents an ownership position in a company. An adverse event may have a negative impact on a company and could result in a decline in the price of its common stock. Common stock is generally subordinate to an issuer's other securities, including preferred, convertible, and debt securities.
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Depositary Receipts risk. Depositary receipts, consisting of American Depositary Receipts, European Depositary Receipts, and Global Depositary Receipts, are certificates evidencing ownership of shares of a foreign issuer. Depositary receipts are subject to many of the risks associated with investing directly in foreign securities. Depositary receipts may trade at a discount (or a premium) to the underlying security and may be less liquid than the underlying securities listed on an exchange.
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Emerging Market risk. Securities of issuers in emerging and developing markets may offer special investment opportunities, but present risks not found in more mature markets.
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Fees and Expenses risk. The Fund may not earn enough through income and capital appreciation to offset the operating expenses of the Fund. All mutual funds incur operating fees and expenses. Fees and expenses reduce the return that a shareholder may earn by investing in a fund, even when a fund has favorable performance. A low return environment, or a bear market, increases the risk that a shareholder may lose money.
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Foreign Country risk. Securities of foreign companies (including ADRs) may be subject to greater risk as foreign economies may not be as strong or diversified, foreign political systems may not be as stable, and foreign financial reporting standards may not be as rigorous as they are in the United States. There may also be less information publicly available regarding the non-U.S. issuers and their securities. These securities may be less liquid (and, in some cases, may become illiquid) and could be harder to value than more liquid securities.
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Foreign Currency risk. The change in value of a foreign currency against the U.S. dollar will result in a change in the U.S. dollar value of securities denominated in that foreign currency. For example, when the Fund holds a security that is denominated in a foreign currency, a decline of that foreign currency against the U.S. dollar would generally cause the value of the Fund's shares to decline.
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Headline risk. The Fund may invest in a company when the company becomes the center of controversy after receiving adverse media attention concerning its operations, long-term prospects, management, or for other reasons. While Davis Advisors researches companies subject to such contingencies, it cannot be correct every time, and the company's stock may never recover or may become worthless.
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Large-Capitalization Companies risk. Companies with $10 billion or more in market capitalization are considered by the Adviser to be large-capitalization companies. Large-capitalization companies generally experience slower rates of growth in earnings per share than do mid- and small-capitalization companies.
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Manager risk. Poor security selection or focus on securities in a particular sector, category, or group of companies may cause the Fund to underperform relevant benchmarks or other funds with a similar investment objective.
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Market Trading risk. The Fund is subject to a number of market trading risks, which include the possibility of an inactive market for Fund shares, losses from trading in secondary markets, periods of high volatility, and disruptions in the creation/redemption process. ONE OR MORE OF THESE FACTORS, AMONG OTHERS, COULD LEAD TO THE FUND'S SHARES TRADING AT A PREMIUM OR DISCOUNT TO NAV.
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Mid- and Small-Capitalization Companies risk. Companies with less than $10 billion in market capitalization are considered by the Adviser to be mid- or small-capitalization companies. Mid- and small-capitalization companies typically have more limited product lines, markets, and financial resources than larger companies, and their securities may trade less frequently and in more limited volume than those of larger, more mature companies.
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Stock Market risk. Stock markets tend to move in cycles, with periods of rising prices and periods of falling prices, including the possibility of sharp declines.
Your investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency, entity, or person.
Performance Results
The Fund has not yet commenced operations and therefore does not have a performance history. Once available, the Fund's performance information will be accessible on the Fund's website at XX. When this prospectus is updated after a full year of operations, a bar chart and table will be included that will provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing the variability of the Fund's return based on net assets and comparing the Fund's performance to a broad measure of market performance.
Management
Investment Adviser. Davis Selected Advisers, L.P. serves as the Fund's investment adviser.
Sub-Adviser. Davis Selected Advisers-NY, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of the Adviser, serves as the Fund's sub-adviser.
Portfolio Managers. As of the date of this prospectus, the portfolio managers listed below are jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund's portfolio.
Portfolio Managers
Experience with this Fund
Primary Title with Investment Adviser or Sub-Adviser
Christopher Davis
Since November 2016
Chairman, Davis Selected Advisers, L.P.
Danton Goei
Since November 2016
Vice President, Davis Selected Advisers-NY, Inc.
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The Fund is an actively-managed ETF. Individual shares of the Fund are listed on a national securities exchange. Most investors will buy and sell shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer. The price of Fund shares is based on the market price, and because ETF shares trade at a market price rather than at NAV, shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (a premium) or less than NAV (a discount). The Fund will only issue or redeem shares that have been aggregated into blocks of 50,000 shares or multiples thereof ("Creation Units") to Authorized Participants who have entered into agreements with the Fund's distributor. The Fund, generally, will issue or redeem Creations Units in return for a designated portfolio of securities (and an amount of cash) the Fund specifies each day ("Creation Basket").
For important information about the purchase and sale of Fund shares and tax information, please see the "XX" section of the Fund's prospectus.
Tax Information
If the Fund earns income or realizes capital gains, it intends to make distributions that may be taxed as ordinary income, qualified dividend income, or capital gains by federal, state, and local authorities.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase the Davis Select World Opportunities ETF through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies 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 the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary's website for more information.


Additional Information About Investment Objectives, Principal Strategies and Principal Risks
This prospectus contains important information about investing in the Fund. Please read this prospectus carefully before you make any investment decisions. Additional information regarding the Fund is available at www.XX.com
Shares of the Fund are listed for trading on the xxx. The Funds' shares trade under the trading symbols "DAVS" (Davis Focused US Equity ETF), "DSFE" (Davis Select Financial ETF), and "DSWO" (Davis Select World Opportunities ETF).
Investment Objective
Each Fund's investment objective is non-fundamental and may be changed by the Board of Trustees (the "Board") of Davis Fundamental ETF Trust (the "Fund" or "Trust") without shareholder approval. There is no assurance that a Fund will meet its investment objective.
Principal Investment Strategies
Some of the principal investment strategies and risks for a Fund are described in more detail below. The risks described below are a principal risk of each Fund unless otherwise noted. The prospectus and statement of additional information contain a number of investment strategies and risks that may be important to consider even though they are not principal investment strategies or principal risks for a Fund. The prospectus also contains disclosure that describes Davis Advisors' process for determining when the Fund may pursue a non-principal investment strategy.
Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund
If you buy shares of a Fund, you may lose some or all of the money that you invest. The investment return and principal value of an investment in a Fund will fluctuate. Your shares may be worth more or less than their original cost. The likelihood of loss may be greater if you invest for a shorter period of time. This section describes the principal risks (but not the only risks) that could cause the value of your investment in the Fund to decline, and which could prevent the Fund from achieving its stated investment objective.
The principal risks of investing in the Fund, listed alphabetically, include:
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Common Stock risk. Common stock represents ownership positions in companies. The prices of common stock fluctuate based on changes in the financial condition of their issuers and on market and economic conditions. Events that have a negative impact on a business probably will be reflected in a decline in the price of its common stock. Furthermore, when the total value of the stock market declines, most common stocks, even those issued by strong companies, likely will decline in value. Common stock is, generally, subordinate to an issuer's other securities, including preferred, convertible, and debt securities.
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Depositary Receipts risk. Securities of a foreign company may involve investing in Depositary Receipts, which include American Depositary Receipts, European Depositary Receipts, and Global Depositary Receipts, which are certificates evidencing ownership of shares of a foreign issuer. These certificates are issued by depositary banks and, generally, trade on an established market in the United States or elsewhere. The underlying shares are held in trust by a custodian bank or similar financial institution in the issuer's home country. The depositary bank may not have physical custody of the underlying securities at all times and may charge fees for various services, including forwarding dividends, interest, and corporate actions. Depositary receipts are alternatives to directly purchasing the underlying foreign securities in their national markets and currencies. However, depositary receipts continue to be subject to many of the risks associated with investing directly in foreign securities. These risks include foreign exchange risk as well as the political and economic risks of the underlying issuer's country. Depositary receipts may trade at a discount (or a premium) to the underlying security and may be less liquid than the underlying securities listed on an exchange.
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Emerging Market risk. (DSWO only)  Securities of issuers in emerging and developing markets may offer special investment opportunities, but present risks not found in more mature markets. Those securities may be more difficult to sell at an acceptable price and their prices may be more volatile than securities of issuers in more developed markets. Settlements of trades may be subject to greater delays so that the Fund might not receive the proceeds of a sale of a security on a timely basis. In unusual situations, it may not be possible to repatriate sales proceeds in a timely fashion. These investments may be very speculative.
Emerging markets might have less developed trading markets and exchanges. These countries may have less-developed legal and accounting systems and investments may be subject to greater risks of government restrictions on withdrawing the sale proceeds of securities from the country. Companies operating in emerging markets may not be subject to U.S. prohibitions against doing business with countries that are state sponsors of terrorism. Economies of developing countries may be more dependent on relatively few industries that may be highly vulnerable to local and global changes. Governments may be more unstable and present greater risks of nationalization, expropriation, or restrictions on foreign ownership of stocks of local companies.
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Financial Services risk. (DAVS and DSFE only)  A company is "principally engaged" in financial services if it owns financial services related assets constituting at least 50% of the total value of its assets, or if at least 50% of its revenues are derived from its provision of financial services. The financial services sector consists of several different industries that behave differently in different economic and market environments including, for example, banking, insurance, and securities brokerage houses. Companies in the financial services sector include: commercial banks, industrial banks, savings institutions, finance companies, diversified financial services companies, investment banking firms, securities brokerage houses, investment advisory companies, leasing companies, insurance companies and companies providing similar services. Due to the wide variety of companies in the financial services sector, they may react in different ways to changes in economic and market conditions.
Risks of investing in the financial services sector include: (i) Systemic risk: factors outside the control of a particular financial institution – like the failure of another, significant financial institution or material disruptions to the credit markets – may adversely affect the ability of the financial institution to operate normally or may impair its financial condition; (ii) Regulatory actions: financial services companies may suffer setbacks if regulators change the rules under which they operate; (iii) Changes in interest rates: unstable and/or rising interest rates may have a disproportionate effect on companies in the financial services sector; (iv) Non-diversified loan portfolios: financial services companies whose securities the Fund purchases may themselves have concentrated portfolios, such as a high level of loans to real estate developers, which makes them vulnerable to economic conditions that affect that industry; (v) Credit: financial services companies may have exposure to investments or agreements, which under certain circumstances may lead to losses, for example sub-prime loans; and (vi) Competition: the financial services sector has become increasingly competitive.
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Banking. Commercial banks (including "money center" regional and community banks), savings and loan associations and holding companies of the foregoing are especially subject to adverse effects of volatile interest rates, concentrations of loans in particular industries or classifications (such as real estate, energy, or sub-prime mortgages), and significant competition. The profitability of these businesses is to a significant degree dependent on the availability and cost of capital funds. Economic conditions in the real estate market may have a particularly strong effect on certain banks and savings associations. Commercial banks and savings associations are subject to extensive federal and, in many instances, state regulation. Neither such extensive regulation nor the federal insurance of deposits ensures the solvency or profitability of companies in this industry, and there is no assurance against losses in securities issued by such companies.
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Insurance. Insurance companies are particularly subject to government regulation and rate setting, potential anti-trust and tax law changes, and industry-wide pricing and competition cycles. Property and casualty insurance companies also may be affected by weather, terrorism, long-term climate changes, and other catastrophes. Life and health insurance companies may be affected by mortality and morbidity rates, including the effects of epidemics. Individual insurance companies may be exposed to reserve inadequacies, problems in investment portfolios (for example, real estate or "junk" bond holdings) and failures of reinsurance carriers.
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Other Financial Services Companies. Many of the investment considerations discussed in connection with banks and insurance companies also apply to other financial services companies. These companies are subject to extensive regulation, rapid business changes, and volatile performance dependent on the availability and cost of capital, prevailing interest rates and significant competition. General economic conditions significantly affect these companies. Credit and other losses resulting from the financial difficulty of borrowers or other third parties have a potentially adverse effect on companies in this industry. Investment banking, securities brokerage and investment advisory companies are particularly subject to government regulation and the risks inherent in securities trading and underwriting activities.
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Other Regulatory Limitations. Regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") impose limits on: (i) investments in the securities of companies that derive more than 15% of their gross revenues from the securities or investment management business (although there are exceptions, the Fund is prohibited from investing more than 5% of its total assets in a single company that derives more than 15% of its gross revenues from the securities or investment management business); and (ii) investments in insurance companies. The Fund, generally, is prohibited from owning more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of an insurance company.
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Focused Portfolio risk. (DAVS only) Funds that invest in a limited number of companies may have more risk because changes in the value of a single security may have a more significant effect, either negative or positive, on the value of the Fund's total portfolio.

A fund may be classified as a "non-diversified" fund under the 1940 Act, which means that it is permitted to invest its assets in a more limited number of issuers than "diversified" investment companies. A diversified investment company may not, with respect to 75% of its total assets, invest more than 5% of its total assets in the securities of any one issuer (other than U.S. Government securities and securities of other investment companies) and may not own more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of any one issuer. While a fund may be a non-diversified investment company, and therefore not subject to the statutory diversification requirements discussed above, the Fund may still intend to diversify its assets to the extent necessary to qualify for tax treatment as a regulated investment company under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Internal Revenue Code").

At any given point in time, a diversified fund may not meet the diversification test outlined above due to appreciation in its portfolio holdings. In such case, the Fund is not required to sell portfolio holdings to meet the diversification test.

The diversification standards under the Internal Revenue Code require that a fund diversify its holdings so that, at the end of each fiscal quarter, (i) at least 50% of the market value of a fund's assets are represented by cash, U.S. Government securities, securities of other regulated investment companies and other securities limited with respect to any one issuer to an amount not greater than 5% of a fund's assets and 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer, and (ii) not more than 25% of the value of a fund's assets is invested in the securities of any one issuer (other than U.S. Government securities and the securities of other regulated investment companies), or of two or more issuers which a fund controls (i.e., owns, directly or indirectly, 20% of the voting stock) and which are determined to be engaged in the same or similar trades or businesses or related trades or businesses.

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Foreign Country risk. Foreign companies may issue both equity and fixed income securities. A company may be classified as either "domestic" or "foreign" depending upon which factors the Adviser considers most important for a given company. Factors that the Adviser considers in classifying a company as domestic or foreign include: (i) whether the company is organized under the laws of the United States or a foreign country; (ii) whether the company's securities principally trade in securities markets outside of the United States; (iii) the source of the majority of the company's revenues or profits; and (iv) the location of the majority of the company's assets. The Adviser generally follows the country classification indicated by a third-party service provider but may use a different country classification if the Adviser's analysis of the four factors provided above or other factors that the Adviser deems relevant indicate that a different country classification is more appropriate. Foreign country risk can be more focused on factors concerning specific countries or geographic areas when a Fund's holdings are more focused in these countries or geographic areas. The annual and semi-annual reports include a breakdown by country for each Fund.
The Funds invest a significant portion of their assets in securities issued by companies operating, incorporated, or principally traded in foreign countries. Investing in foreign countries involves risks that may cause the Funds' performance to be more volatile than it would be if the Funds invested solely in the United States. Foreign economies may not be as strong or as diversified, foreign political systems may not be as stable, and foreign financial reporting standards may not be as rigorous as they are in the United States. In addition, foreign capital markets may not be as well developed, so securities may be less liquid, transaction costs may be higher, and investments may be subject to more government regulation. When the Funds invest in foreign securities, the Funds' operating expenses are likely to be higher than those of an investment company investing exclusively in U.S. securities, since the custodial and certain other expenses associated with foreign investments are expected to be higher.
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Foreign Currency risk. Securities issued by foreign companies in foreign markets are frequently denominated in foreign currencies. The change in value of a foreign currency against the U.S. dollar will result in a change in the U.S. dollar value of securities denominated in that foreign currency. For example, when the Fund holds a security that is denominated in a foreign currency, a decline of that foreign currency against the U.S. dollar would generally cause the value of the Fund's shares to decline. The Fund may, but generally does not, hedge its currency risk.
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Headline risk. Davis Advisors seeks to acquire companies with durable business models that can be purchased at attractive valuations relative to what Davis Advisors believes to be the companies' intrinsic values. Davis Advisors may make such investments when a company becomes the center of controversy after receiving adverse media attention. The company may be involved in litigation, the company's financial reports or corporate governance may be challenged, the company's public filings may disclose a weakness in internal controls, greater government regulation may be contemplated, or other adverse events may threaten the company's future. While Davis Advisors researches companies subject to such contingencies, Davis Advisors cannot be correct every time, and the company's stock may never recover or may become worthless.
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Market Trading risk. Each Fund faces numerous market trading risks, including disruptions to the creation and redemption processes of the Fund, losses from trading in secondary markets, the existence of extreme market volatility, or potential lack of an active trading market for shares. These risks may result in shares trading at a significant premium or discount to NAV. The NAV of shares will fluctuate with changes in the market value of a Fund's securities holdings. The market prices of shares will fluctuate in accordance with changes in their NAV and supply and demand. The Adviser cannot predict whether shares will trade below, at, or above their NAV. Price differences may be due, in large part, to the fact that supply and demand forces for shares, at work in the secondary trading market, will be closely related, but not identical to the same forces influencing the prices of the securities in a Fund's portfolio, trading individually or in the aggregate at any point in time. The shareholder may sustain losses if a shareholder purchases shares at a time when the market price is at a premium to the NAV or sells shares at a time when the market price is at a discount to the NAV. Any of these factors, discussed above and further below, among others, may lead to shares trading at a premium or discount to a Fund's NAV.
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Absence of Prior Active Market. Each Fund is a newly organized series of an investment company and, thus, has no operating history. While the Funds' shares are expected to be listed on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for shares will develop or be maintained. The Distributor does not maintain a secondary market in shares.
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Trading Issues. Trading in 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 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 shares of the Fund will continue to be met.
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Trading Costs. Buying or selling Fund shares on an Exchange involves two types of costs that apply to all securities transactions. When buying or selling shares of the Fund through a broker, you will likely incur a brokerage commission and other charges. In addition, you may incur the cost of the "spread", which is the difference between what investors are willing to pay for Fund shares (the "bid" price) and the price at which they are willing to sell Fund shares (the "ask" price). There may also be regulatory and other charges that are incurred as a result of trading activity. Because of the costs inherent in buying or selling Fund shares, frequent trading may detract significantly from investment results and an investment in Fund shares may not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments through a brokerage account.
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Mid- and Small-Capitalization Companies risk. Companies with less than $10 billion in market capitalization are considered by the Adviser to be mid- or small-capitalization companies. Investing in mid- and small-capitalization companies may be more risky than investing in large-capitalization companies. Smaller companies typically have more limited product lines, markets, and financial resources than larger companies, and their securities may trade less frequently and in more limited volume than those of larger, more mature companies. Securities of these companies may be subject to volatility in their prices. They may have a limited trading market, which may adversely affect the Fund's ability to dispose of them and can reduce the price the Fund might be able to obtain for them. Other investors that own a security issued by a mid- or small-capitalization company for whom there is limited liquidity might trade the security when the Fund is attempting to dispose of its holdings in that security. In that case, the Fund might receive a lower price for its holdings than otherwise might be obtained. Mid- and small-capitalization companies also may be unseasoned. These include companies that have been in operation for less than three years, including the operations of any predecessors.
The Fund's shares are not deposits or obligations of any bank, are not guaranteed by any bank, are not insured by the FDIC or any other agency, and involve investment risks, including possible loss of the principal amount invested.
Non-Principal Investment Strategies and Related Risks
The Fund may implement investment strategies that are not principal investment strategies if, in the Adviser's professional judgment, the strategies are appropriate. A strategy includes any policy, practice, or technique used by the Fund to achieve its investment objectives. Whether a particular strategy, including a strategy to invest in a particular type of security, is a principal investment strategy depends on the strategy's anticipated importance in achieving the Fund's investment objectives, and how the strategy affects the Fund's potential risks and returns. In determining what is a principal investment strategy, the Adviser considers, among other things, the amount of the Fund's assets expected to be committed to the strategy, the amount of the Fund's assets expected to be placed at risk by the strategy, and the likelihood of the Fund losing some or all of those assets from implementing the strategy. Non-principal investment strategies are, generally, those investments that constitute less than 5% to 10% of a Fund's assets, depending upon their potential impact on the investment performance of the Fund. There are exceptions to the 5% to 10% of assets test, including, but not limited to, the percentage of the Fund's assets invested in a single industry or in a single country.
While the Adviser expects to pursue the Fund's investment objective by implementing the principal investment strategies described in the Fund's prospectus, the Fund may employ non-principal investment strategies or securities if, in Davis Advisors' professional judgment, the securities, trading, or investment strategies are appropriate. Factors that Davis Advisors considers in pursuing these other strategies include whether the strategy: (i) is likely to be consistent with shareholders' reasonable expectations; (ii) is likely to assist the Adviser in pursuing the Fund's investment objective; (iii) is consistent with the Fund's investment objective; (iv) will not cause the Fund to violate any of its fundamental or non-fundamental investment restrictions; and (v) will not materially change the Fund's risk profile from the risk profile that results from following the principal investment strategies, as described in this prospectus and further explained in the Fund's statement of additional information, as amended from time to time.
Depositary Receipts (DSFE Only). As non-principal investment strategies, the Fund may invest no more than 20% of its assets in depositary receipts (including sponsored ADRs and Global Depositary Receipts (''GDRs'')), rights, warrants, preferred securities, and convertible securities. The Fund may invest up to 10% of its total assets in unsponsored ADRs traded over-the-counter (''OTC'').
Repurchase Agreements. The Funds may enter into repurchase agreements. A repurchase agreement is an agreement to purchase a security and to sell that security back to the original owner at an agreed-on price. The resale price reflects the purchase price plus an agreed-on incremental amount, which is unrelated to the coupon rate or maturity of the purchased security. The repurchase obligation of the seller is, in effect, secured by the underlying securities. In the event of a bankruptcy or other default of a seller of a repurchase agreement, the Fund could experience both delays in liquidating the underlying securities and losses, including: (i) possible decline in the value of the collateral during the period while the Fund seeks to enforce its rights thereto; (ii) possible loss of all or a part of the income during this period; and (iii) expenses of enforcing its rights.
The Fund will enter into repurchase agreements only when the seller agrees that the value of the underlying securities, including accrued interest (if any), will at all times be equal to or exceed the value of the repurchase agreement. The Fund may enter into tri-party repurchase agreements in which a third-party custodian bank ensures the timely and accurate exchange of cash and collateral. The majority of these transactions run from day to day, and delivery pursuant to the resale typically occurs within one to seven days of the purchase. The Fund normally will not enter into repurchase agreements maturing in more than seven days.
Short-Term Investments. The Fund uses short-term investments, such as treasury bills and repurchase agreements, to maintain flexibility while evaluating long-term opportunities.
Temporary Defensive Investments. The Fund may, but is not required to, use short-term investments for temporary defensive purposes. In the event that Davis Advisors' Portfolio Managers anticipate a decline in the market values of the companies in which the Fund invests (due to economic, political, or other factors), the Fund may reduce its risk by investing in short-term securities until market conditions improve. While the Fund is invested in short-term investments, it will not be pursuing its long-term growth of capital investment objective. Unlike equity securities, these investments will not appreciate in value when the market advances and will not contribute to long-term capital growth.
For more details concerning current investments and market outlook, please see the Fund's most recent shareholder report.
Management and Organization
Davis Selected Advisers, L.P. ("Davis Advisors") serves as the investment adviser for the Fund. Davis Advisors' offices are located at 2949 East Elvira Road, Suite 101, Tucson, Arizona 85756. Davis Advisors provides investment advice to the Fund, manages its business affairs, and provides day-to-day administrative services. Davis Advisors also serves as investment adviser for other mutual funds and institutional and individual clients. Pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement between Davis Advisors and Davis Fundamental ETF Trust, the Fund pays the Adviser a monthly fee at an annual rate of 0.55% (stated as a percentage of the average daily net assets of the Fund). A discussion regarding the basis for the approval of the Fund's Investment Advisory and Service Agreements by the Fund's Trustees is contained in the Fund's most recent semi-annual report to shareholders.
Davis Selected Advisers–NY, Inc. serves as the sub-adviser for the Fund. Davis Selected Advisers–NY, Inc.'s offices are located at 620 Fifth Avenue 3rd Floor, New York, New York 10020. Davis Selected Advisers–NY, Inc. provides investment management and research services for the Fund and other institutional clients and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Davis Advisors. Davis Selected Advisers–NY, Inc.'s fee is paid by Davis Advisors, not the Fund.
Execution of Portfolio Transactions. Davis Advisors places orders with broker-dealers for the Fund's portfolio transactions. Davis Advisors seeks to place portfolio transactions with brokers or dealers who will execute transactions as efficiently as possible and at the most favorable net price. In placing executions and paying brokerage commissions or dealer markups, Davis Advisors considers price, commission, timing, competent block trading coverage, capital strength and stability, research resources, and other factors. Subject to best price and execution, Davis Advisors may place orders for the Fund's portfolio transactions with broker-dealers who have sold shares of the Fund. However, when Davis Advisors places orders for the Fund's portfolio transactions, it does not give any consideration to whether a broker-dealer has sold shares of the Fund. In placing orders for the Fund's portfolio transactions, the Adviser does not commit to any specific amount of business with any particular broker-dealer.
The Fund has not yet commenced operations and therefore does not have brokerage commission history for the past three years.
Portfolio Managers
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Christopher Davis has served as a Portfolio Manager of the Davis Focused US Equity ETF, Davis Select Financial ETF, and Davis Select World Opportunities ETF since November 2016 and also manages other equity funds advised by Davis Advisors. Mr. Davis has served as an analyst and portfolio manager for Davis Advisors since 1989.
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Danton Goei has served as a Portfolio Manager of the Davis Focused US Equity ETF and Davis Select World Opportunities ETF since November 2016 and also manages other equity funds advised by Davis Advisors. Mr. Goei started with Davis Advisors as a research analyst in 1998.
The Portfolio Managers listed above are jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund's portfolio. A limited portion of the Fund's assets may be managed by Davis Advisors' research analysts, subject to review by the Fund's Portfolio Managers.
The statement of additional information provides additional information about the Portfolio Managers' compensation, other accounts managed by the Portfolio Managers, and the Portfolio Managers' investments in the Fund.
Administrator, Custodian and Transfer Agent
State Street Bank and Trust Company ("State Street") is the administrator, custodian, and transfer agent for the Fund.
Shareholder Information
Additional shareholder information, including how to buy and sell shares of the Fund, is available, free of charge, by calling toll-free: 1-800-XXX or visiting our website at www.XX.com.
Procedures and Shareholder Rights are Described by Current Prospectus and Other Disclosure Documents.
Investors should look to the most recent prospectus and statement of additional information for the Fund, as amended or supplemented from time to time, for information concerning the Fund, including information on how to purchase and redeem Fund shares and how to contact the Fund. The most recent prospectus and statement of additional information (including any supplements or amendments thereto) will be on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission as part of the Fund's registration statement. Please also see the back cover of this prospectus for information on other ways to obtain information about the Fund.
Buying and Selling Shares
The shares of each Fund have been approved for primary listing on the xxx. Shares of the Fund are available for trading during the trading day. Shares can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like shares of other publicly traded companies. The Fund does not impose any minimum investment for shares of a Fund purchased on an exchange or otherwise in the secondary market. The Funds' shares trade under the trading symbols "DAVS" (Davis Focused US Equity ETF), "DSFE" (Davis Select Financial ETF), and "DSWO" (Davis Select World Opportunities ETF).
If you buy or sell shares in the secondary market, you will incur customary brokerage commissions and other charges. The commission is frequently a fixed amount and may be a significant proportional cost for investors seeking to buy or sell small amounts of shares.
In addition, you may incur the cost of the "spread," that is, any difference between the bid price and the ask price in the secondary market on each leg of a round trip (purchase and sale) transaction. The spread varies over time for shares of the Fund based on the Fund's trading volume and market liquidity. In times of severe market disruption or low trading volume in a Fund's shares, this spread can increase significantly.
It is anticipated that shares will trade in the secondary market at prices that differ to varying degrees from the NAV of shares (see the section "How Your Shares are Valued" for more information). During periods of disruptions to creations and redemptions or the existence of extreme market volatility, the market prices of shares are more likely to differ significantly from the shares' NAV. Generally, the spread is lower if the Fund has high trading volume and market liquidity, and higher if the Fund has little trading volume and market liquidity (which is often the case for funds that are newly launched or small in size). The Fund's spread may also be impacted by the liquidity of the underlying securities held by the Fund, particularly for newly launched or smaller funds or in instances of significant volatility of the underlying securities.
Information regarding the intraday value of shares of the Fund, also known as the "indicative optimized portfolio value" ("IOPV"), is disseminated every 15 seconds throughout each trading day by the Exchange or by market data vendors or other information providers. The IOPV is based on the current market value of the securities and/or cash required to be deposited in exchange for a Creation Unit. The IOPV does not necessarily reflect the precise composition of the current portfolio of securities held by a Fund at a particular point in time or the best possible valuation of the current portfolio. Therefore, the IOPV should not be viewed as a "real-time" update of the Fund's NAV, which is computed only once a day. The IOPV is generally determined by using both current market quotations and/or price quotations obtained from broker-dealers and other market intermediaries that may trade in the portfolio securities held by the Fund. The Fund, the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, Foreside Fund Services, the Fund's distributor, and their respective affiliates are not involved in, or responsible for, the calculation or dissemination of the IOPV and make no representation or warranty as to its accuracy.

The Depository Trust Company (''DTC'') serves as securities depository for the Fund's shares. The shares may be held only in book-entry form; stock certificates will not be issued. DTC, or its nominee, is the record or registered owner of all outstanding shares. Beneficial ownership of shares will be shown on the records of DTC or its participants. Beneficial owners of shares are not considered the registered holder thereof and are subject to the same restrictions and procedures as any beneficial owner of stocks held in book-entry or ''street name'' form. DTC or its nominee is the record owner of all outstanding shares of the Funds and is recognized as the owner of all shares for all purposes. For more information on book-entry form, see the section in the Fund's statement of additional information that describes it in further detail.
The Exchange is open for trading 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, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. Because non-U.S. exchanges may be open on days when the Exchange is not open, the value of the securities in a Fund's portfolio may change on days when shareholders will not be able to purchase or sell the Fund's shares.
Shares of the Fund may be acquired or redeemed directly from the Fund only in Creation Units or multiples thereof, as discussed in the Creations and Redemptions section of this prospectus. Only an Authorized Participant XX ("AP") (as defined in the Creations and Redemptions section below) may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with the Fund. Once created, shares of the Fund, generally, trade in the secondary market in amounts less than a Creation Unit.
Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act restricts investments by investment companies in the securities of other investment  companies. Registered investment companies are permitted to invest in a Fund beyond the limits set forth in Section 12(d)(1), subject to certain terms and conditions set forth in SEC rules or in an SEC exemptive order issued to the Trust. In order for a registered investment company to invest in shares of the Fund beyond the limitations of Section 12(d)(1) pursuant to the exemptive relief obtained by the Trust, the registered investment company must enter into an agreement with the Trust.
How Your Shares Are Valued
The NAV of the Fund's shares is determined by taking the market value of the total assets, subtracting the Funds' liabilities, and then dividing the result (net assets) by the number of shares outstanding. The NAV of each Fund is determined each business day as of the close of trading (ordinarily 4:00 p.m., Eastern time) on the New York Stock Exchange, generally, based on prices at the time of closing, provided that Fund assets or liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are converted into U.S. dollars at the current market rates on the date of valuation as quoted by one or more sources.  A business day is, generally, each day that the NYSE is open for trading. Expenses and fees, including the Management Fee, are accrued daily and taken into account for purposes of determining NAV.
The value of the securities and other assets and liabilities held by the Fund is determined pursuant to valuation policies and procedures approved by the Board. The Fund's assets and liabilities are valued on the basis of market quotations, when readily available.
Valuation of Portfolio Securities
The Fund values securities for which market quotations are readily available at current market value. Short-term securities are valued at amortized cost. Securities listed on the NYSE and NASDAQ (and other national exchanges) are valued at the last reported sales price on the day of valuation. Securities traded in the OTC market and listed securities for which no sale was reported on that date are valued at the closing bid price. Securities traded on foreign exchanges are valued based upon the last sales price on the principal exchange on which the security is traded prior to the time when the Fund's assets are valued.
Securities (including illiquid securities) for which market quotations are not readily available are valued at their fair value. Fair value represents a good faith approximation of the value of an asset or liability. Securities whose values have been materially affected by what the Pricing Committee identifies as a significant event, occurring before the Fund's assets are valued, but after the close of their respective exchanges, will be fair valued. Fair value is determined in good faith, using consistently applied procedures under the supervision of the Trustees. Fair valuation is based on subjective factors and, as a result, the fair value price of a security may differ from the security's market price and may not be the price at which the security may be sold. Fair valuation could result in a different NAV than an NAV determined by using market quotations. The Trustees have delegated the determination of fair value of securities for which prices are either unavailable or unreliable to a Pricing Committee, as further described in the statement of additional information. The Trustees review and discuss with management a summary of fair valued securities in quarterly Board meetings.
In general, foreign securities are more likely to require a fair value determination than domestic securities because circumstances may arise between the close of the market on which the securities trade and the time when the Fund values its portfolio securities, which may affect the value of such securities. Securities denominated in foreign currencies and traded in foreign markets will have their values converted into U.S. dollar equivalents at the prevailing exchange rates, as computed by State Street. Fluctuation in the values of foreign currencies in relation to the U.S. dollar may affect the net asset value of the Fund's shares, even if there has not been any change in the foreign currency prices of the Fund's investments.
Securities of smaller companies are also, generally, more likely to require a fair value determination because they may be thinly traded and less liquid than traditional securities of larger companies.
The Fund may occasionally be entitled to receive award proceeds from litigation relating to an investment security. The Fund, generally, does not recognize a gain on contingencies until such payment is certain, which in most cases is when it receives payment.
To the extent that the Fund's portfolio investments trade in markets on days when the Fund is not open for business, the Fund's NAV may vary on those days. In addition, trading in certain portfolio investments may not occur on days the Fund is open for business because markets or exchanges other than the NYSE may be closed. If the exchange or market on which the Fund's underlying investments are primarily traded closes early, the NAV may be calculated prior to its normal market calculation time. For example, the primary trading markets for the Fund may close early on the day before certain holidays and the day after Thanksgiving.
Fixed income securities may be valued at prices supplied by the Fund's pricing agent based on broker or dealer supplied valuations or matrix pricing, a pricing method of valuing securities by reference to the value of other securities with similar characteristics, such as rating, interest rate, and maturity. Government, corporate and asset-backed bonds, convertible securities, and high-yield or junk bonds are normally valued on the basis of prices provided by independent pricing services. Prices provided by the pricing services may be determined without exclusive reliance on quoted prices, and may reflect appropriate factors such as institutional-size trading in similar groups of securities, developments related to special securities, dividend rate, maturity, and other market data. Prices for fixed income securities received from pricing services sometimes represent best estimates. In addition, if the prices provided by the pricing service and independent quoted prices are unreliable, the Fund will arrive at its own fair valuation using the Fund's fair value procedures.
Premium/Discount Information
Information regarding how often shares of the Fund traded on the Exchange at a price above (i.e., at a premium) or below (i.e., at a discount) the NAV of the applicable Fund since the inception of the Fund can be found at www.XX.com.
Portfolio Holdings
A description of the Fund's policies and procedures, with respect to the disclosure of the Fund's portfolio holdings, is available in the statement of additional information.
The Fund's portfolio holdings are published twice a year in the annual and semi-annual reports, which are mailed approximately 60 days after the end of the Fund's second- and fourth-fiscal quarters. In addition, the Fund publishes its portfolio holdings on the Fund's website (www.XX.com). Other information concerning the Fund's portfolio holdings may also be published on the Fund's website from time to time. The publicly disclosed portfolio may exclude certain securities when allowed by applicable regulations and deemed to be in the best interest of a Fund.
How The Funds Pay Earnings
There are two ways you can receive payments from the Fund:
§
Dividends. Dividends are distributions to shareholders of net investment income and short-term capital gains on investments.
§
Capital Gains. Capital gains are profits received by the Fund from the sale of securities held for the long term, which are then distributed to shareholders.
No dividend reinvestment service is provided by the Fund. Broker-dealers may make available the DTC book-entry dividend reinvestment service for the use of beneficial owners of the Fund for reinvestment of their dividend distributions. Beneficial owners should contact their broker to determine the availability and costs of the service and the details of participation therein. Brokers may require beneficial owners to adhere to specific procedures and timetables. If this service is available and exercised, dividend distributions of both income and realized gains will be automatically reinvested in additional whole shares of the Fund purchased in the secondary market.
Dividends and Distributions
§
The Fund ordinarily distributes dividends and capital gains, if any, at least annually but the Fund may make distributions on a more frequent basis for a Fund. The Fund reserves the right to declare special distributions if, in its reasonable discretion, such action is necessary or advisable to preserve its status as a regulated investment company or to avoid imposition of income or excise taxes on undistributed income or realized gains.
§
When a dividend or capital gain is distributed, the net asset value per share is reduced by the amount of the payment.
§
Dividend payments are made through DTC participants and indirect participants to beneficial owners, then of record, with proceeds received from the Fund. Your broker is responsible for distributing any dividends and capital gain distributions to you.
Federal Income Taxes
The following discussion is very general. Because each shareholder's circumstances are different and special tax rules may apply, you should consult your tax adviser about your investment in a Fund. As with any investment, you should consider how your investment in shares of the Fund will be taxed.
You will, generally, have to pay federal income taxes, as well as any other state and local taxes, on any distributions that may be received from the Fund. If you sell Fund shares, it is, generally, considered a taxable event. The following table summarizes the tax status to you of certain transactions related to the Fund:
Transaction
Federal Tax Status
Redemption of shares
Usually capital gain or loss; long term, only if shares owned more than one year
Distributions of net capital gain
(excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss)
Long-term capital gain
Ordinary dividends
(including distributions of net short-term capital gain)
Ordinary income; certain dividends potentially taxable at long-term capital gain rates
Distributions of net long-term capital gains (net long-term capital gains in excess of net short-term capital losses), if any, are taxable to you as long-term capital gains, regardless of how long you have owned your shares. Certain dividends may be treated as "qualified dividend income," which for non-corporate shareholders is taxed at reduced rates. "Qualified dividend income," generally, is income derived from dividends paid by U.S. corporations or certain foreign corporations that are either incorporated in a U.S. possession or eligible for tax benefits under certain U.S. income tax treaties. In addition, dividends received from foreign corporations may be treated as qualified dividend income, if the stock, with respect to which the dividends are paid, is readily tradable on an established U.S. securities market. A portion of the dividends received from the Fund (but none of the Fund's capital gain distributions) may qualify for the dividends-received deduction for corporate shareholders.
You may want to avoid buying shares when the Fund is about to declare a dividend or distribution because it will be taxable to you even though it may effectively be a return of a portion of your investment. Similarly, shareholders that are investing through a taxable account should consider the embedded gains or losses of the Fund. For example, a new shareholder could be subject to taxes on a distribution it receives from the Fund that was earned when it was not a shareholder. It is important to note that investors are only taxed on their own economic income over the life of the investment. The embedded gains or losses for the Fund are disclosed in the most recent annual and semi-annual report.
The Fund's dividends and other distributions are, generally, treated as received by shareholders when they are paid. However, if any dividend or distribution is declared by the Fund in October, November, or December of any calendar year and payable to shareholders of record on a specified date in such a month, but is actually paid during the following January, such dividend or distribution will be treated as received by each shareholder on December 31 of the year in which it was declared.
Creations and Redemptions
Prior to trading in the secondary market, shares of the Fund are "created" at NAV by market makers, large investors, and institutions only in block-size Creation Units of XX50,000 shares or multiples thereof. Each "creator" or Authorized Participant has entered into an agreement with the Fund's distributor, Foreside Fund Services, LLC (the "Distributor").
A creation transaction, which is subject to acceptance by the Distributor, generally, takes place when an Authorized Participant deposits into the Fund a designated portfolio of securities (including any portion of such securities for which cash may be substituted) and a specified amount of cash, approximating the holdings of the Fund, in exchange for a specified number of Creation Units. To the extent practicable, the composition of such portfolio, generally, corresponds pro rata to the holdings of the Fund. However, creation and redemption baskets may differ.
Similarly, shares can be redeemed only in Creation Units, generally, for a designated portfolio of securities (including any portion of such securities for which cash may be substituted) held by the Fund and a specified amount of cash. Except when aggregated in Creation Units, shares are not redeemable by the Fund.
The prices at which creations and redemptions occur are based on the next calculation of NAV after a creation or redemption order is received in an acceptable form under the Authorized Participant Agreement.
Only an Authorized Participant may create or redeem Creation Units directly with the Fund.
In the event of a system failure or other interruption, including disruptions at market makers or Authorized Participants, orders to purchase or redeem Creation Units either may not be executed according to the Fund's instructions or may not be executed at all, or the Fund may not be able to place or change orders.
To the extent the Fund engages in in-kind transactions, the Fund intends to comply with the U.S. federal securities laws in accepting securities for deposit and satisfying redemptions with redemption securities by, among other means, assuring that any securities accepted for deposit and any securities used to satisfy redemption requests will be sold in transactions that would be exempt from registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act"). Further, an Authorized Participant that is not a "qualified institutional buyer," as such term is defined under Rule 144A of the 1933 Act, will not be able to receive restricted securities eligible for resale under Rule 144A.
Creations and redemptions must be made through a firm that is either a member of the Continuous Net Settlement System of the National Securities Clearing Corporation or a DTC participant that has executed an agreement with the Distributor with respect to creations and redemptions of Creation Unit aggregations. Information about the procedures regarding creation and redemption of Creation Units (including the cut-off times for receipt of creation and redemption orders) is included in the Fund's statement of additional information.
Because new shares may be created and issued on an ongoing basis, a "distribution," as such term is used in the 1933 Act, may be occurring at any point during the life of the Fund. 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 that could render them statutory underwriters subject to the prospectus delivery and liability provisions of the 1933 Act. Any determination of whether one is an underwriter must take into account all the relevant facts and circumstances of each particular case.
Broker-dealers should also note that dealers who are not "underwriters" but are participating in a distribution (as contrasted to ordinary secondary transactions), and thus dealing with shares that are part of an "unsold allotment" within the meaning of Section 4(a)(3)(C) of the 1933 Act, would be unable to take advantage of the prospectus delivery exemption provided by Section 4(a)(3) of the 1933 Act. For delivery of prospectuses to exchange members, the prospectus delivery mechanism of Rule 153 under the 1933 Act is available only with respect to transactions on a national securities exchange.
Costs Associated with Creations and Redemptions
Authorized Participants are charged standard creation and redemption transaction fees to offset transfer and other transaction costs associated with the issuance and redemption of Creation Units. The standard creation and redemption transaction fees are set forth in the table below. The standard creation transaction fee is charged to the Authorized Participant on the day such Authorized Participant creates a Creation Unit and is the same regardless of the number of Creation Units purchased by the Authorized Participant on the applicable business day. Similarly, the standard redemption transaction fee is charged to the Authorized Participant on the day such Authorized Participant redeems a Creation Unit and is the same regardless of the number of Creation Units redeemed by the Authorized Participant on the applicable business day. Creations and redemptions for cash (when cash creations and redemptions, in whole or in part, are available or specified) are also subject to an additional charge (up to the maximum amounts shown in the table below). This charge is intended to compensate for brokerage, tax, foreign exchange, execution, price movement, and other costs and expenses related to cash transactions. Investors who use the services of a broker or other financial intermediary to acquire or dispose of Fund shares may pay fees for such services. The following table shows, as of XX, 2016, the approximate value of one Creation Unit, standard fees, and maximum additional charges for creations and redemptions, as described above:
Approximate Value of a Creation Unit
Creation Unit Size
Standard Creation Redemption Fee
Maximum Additional Charge for Creations*
Maximum Additional Charge for Redemptions*
$1,000,000
50,000
$xxx
xxx%
xxx%
 
*
As a percentage of the net asset value per Creation Unit, inclusive, in the case of redemptions of the standard redemption transaction fee.
Fees Paid to Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
Davis Selected Advisers, L.P. and its affiliates may make payments to broker-dealers, banks, registered investment advisers, or other intermediaries related to marketing and educational activities (e.g., presentations, training programs, conferences, or their making shares of the Funds available to their customers, including in certain investment programs). These fees are paid by Davis Advisors or affiliates from their own resources. Payments of this type are sometimes referred to as revenue-sharing payments. A financial intermediary may make decisions about which investment options it recommends or makes available and the level of services provided to its customers based on the payments it is eligible to receive. Therefore, such payments to an intermediary create conflicts of interest between the intermediary and its customers and may cause the intermediary to recommend the Fund over another investment. More information regarding these payments can be found in the Fund's statement of additional information. Investors should consult their financial intermediaries regarding the details of payments they may receive in connection with the sale of Fund shares.
Other Compensation. The Adviser and affiliates may, from its own resources and not from the Fund's, pay additional fees to the extent not prohibited by state or federal laws, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), or any self-regulatory agency, such as the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA).
Frequent Purchases and Redemptions of Fund Shares
The Board has evaluated the risks of frequent purchases and redemptions of Fund shares (''market timing'') by a Fund's shareholders. The Board has adopted a policy of not monitoring for market timing that appears to attempt to take advantage of a potential arbitrage opportunity presented by a lag between a change in the value of the Fund's portfolio securities after the close of the primary markets for the Fund's portfolio securities and the reflection of that change in the Fund's NAV, because the Fund sells and redeems its shares directly through transactions that are in-kind and/or for cash.
The Board noted that shares can only be purchased and redeemed directly from a Fund in Creation Units by Authorized Participants (''APs'') and that the vast majority of trading in shares occurs on the secondary market. Because secondary market trades do not involve a Fund directly, it is unlikely those trades would cause many of the harmful effects of market timing, including dilution, disruption of portfolio management, increases in the Fund's trading costs, and the realization of capital gains. With respect to trades directly with a Fund, to the extent affected in-kind, those trades do not cause any of the harmful effects (as previously noted) that may result from frequent cash trades. To the extent that the Fund allows or requires trades to be effected in whole or in part in cash, the Board noted that those trades could result in dilution to a Fund and increased transaction costs, which could negatively impact the Fund's ability to achieve its investment objective. However, the Board noted that direct trading by APs is critical to ensuring that shares trade at or close to NAV. Each Fund also employs fair valuation pricing to minimize potential dilution from market timing. Each Fund imposes transaction fees on in-kind purchases and redemptions of shares to cover the custodial and other costs incurred by the Fund in affecting in-kind trades; these fees increase if an investor substitutes cash, in part or in whole, for securities, reflecting the fact that the Fund's trading costs increase in those circumstances. Given this structure, the Board determined that it is not necessary to adopt policies and procedures to detect and deter market timing of shares. The Board has not adopted a policy of monitoring for other frequent trading activity because shares of the Fund are listed for trading on a national securities exchange.
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.


Financial Highlights
The Fund has not yet commenced operations and, therefore, does not have a five-year performance history to present.

DAVIS FUNDAMENTAL ETF TRUSTFinancial Highlights

                                                         
The following financial information represents selected data for each share of capital stock outstanding throughout each period:
                                                         
     
                         
                                 
                                                         
                                                     
                       
                       
                         
                                                         
                                                     
                       
                       
                         
                                 
                                                         
                                 
                                                         
                                                     
                                           
                                                     
                                   
                                   
                                 
                                 
                                                         
   
   
   
   
 











Obtaining Additional Information
Additional information about the Fund's investments is available in the Fund's annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders. In the Fund's annual report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund's performance during its last fiscal year. The statement of additional information provides more detailed information about the Davis Fundamental ETF Trust and its management and operations. The statement of additional information and the Fund's annual and semi-annual reports are available, without charge, upon request.
The Fund's statement of additional information and annual report have been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, are incorporated into this prospectus by reference, and are legally a part of this prospectus.
Additional information can be requested:
By Telephone. Call the Fund's toll-free at 1-800-XXX-XXXX, Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern time. You may also call this number for account inquiries.
By Mail. Write to:
Davis Fundamental ETF Trust
c/o State Street Bank and Trust Company
P.O. Box XX
Boston, MA XX
On the Internet. www.XX
From the SEC. Additional copies of the registration statement can be obtained, for a duplicating fee, by visiting the Public Reference Room or writing the Public Reference Section of the SEC, Washington, DC 20549-1520, or by sending an electronic request to publicinfo@sec.gov. Reports and other information about the Fund are also available on the EDGAR database on the SEC website (www.sec.gov). For more information on the operations of the Public Reference Room, call 1-202-551-8090.


 Investment Company Act File No.
811-23181
 
 

 
 
 
 
 

PRELIMINARY STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
dated August 10, 2016
Subject to Completion

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 SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION IS EFFECTIVE. THIS STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION IS NOT AN OFFER TO SELL THESE SECURITIES AND IT IS NOT SOLICITING AN OFFER TO BUY THESE SECURITIES IN ANY STATE WHERE THE OFFER OR SALES IS NOT PERMITTED.


November XX, 2016

DAVIS SELECT WORLD OPPORTUNITIES ETF
DAVIS SELECT FINANCIAL ETF
DAVIS FOCUSED US EQUITY ETF

Each an Authorized Series of
Davis Fundamental ETF Trust
2949 East Elvira Road, Suite 101
Tucson, Arizona 85756
1-800-XX


This Statement of Additional Information is not a Prospectus and should be read in conjunction with the Fund's Prospectus dated November XX, 2016. This Statement of Additional Information incorporates the Prospectus by reference. A copy of the Fund's Prospectus may be obtained, without charge, by calling Investor Services at 1-800-XX or by visiting our website at http://www.xxx.com.

The Fund's most recent Annual Report and Semi-Annual Report to Shareholders are separate documents that, when available, may be obtained without charge by calling Investor Services. The Annual Report, accompanying notes, and the report of independent registered public accounting firm appearing in the Annual Report are incorporated by reference in this Statement of Additional Information. The Semi-Annual Report (unaudited) and the accompanying notes are incorporated by reference into this Statement of Additional Information.

 
Ticker Symbol
Davis Select World Opportunities ETF
DSWO
Davis Select Financial ETF
DSFE
Davis Focused US Equity ETF
DAVS


Principal U.S. Listing Exchange for each ETF: XX




Table of Contents
Section I: Investment Objectives, Strategies, Risks and Restrictions 
General Information
Investment Objective
Non-Principal Investment Strategies and Risks
Portfolio Transactions
Investment Restrictions
Exchange Listing and Trading
Section II: The Trust and Key Persons 
Organization of the Trust
Trustees and Officers
Trustees
Independent Trustees' Compensation
Officers
Standing Committees of the Board of Trustees
Risk Oversight
Trustees' Fund Holdings
Independent Trustees' Affiliations and Transactions
Certain Shareholders of the Fund
Portfolio Managers
Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings
Book Entry Only System
Other Important Service Providers
Section III: Purchase and Redemption of Creation Units 
Section IV: General Information 
Determining the Price of Shares
Dividends and Distributions
Federal Income Taxes
General Considerations
Procedures and Shareholder Rights are Described by Current Prospectus and Other Disclosure Documents
Performance Data
Appendix A: Quality Ratings of Debt Securities 
Appendix B: Summary of the Adviser's Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures 




Section I:
Investment Objectives, Strategies, Risks and Restrictions
This Statement of Additional Information ("SAI") supplements and should be read in conjunction with the Prospectus for Davis Select World Opportunities ETF, Davis Select Financial ETF, and Davis Focused US Equity ETF (each a "Fund" and jointly the "Fund" or the "Funds"). In the discussions that follow, "Fund" applies equally to all three Davis ETF entities, unless the context indicates otherwise.
The Adviser and Sub-Adviser. The Funds are managed by Davis Selected Advisers, L.P. (the "Adviser") and Davis Selected Advisers – NY, Inc. (the "Sub-Adviser").
General Information
Each Fund is a series of Davis Fundamental ETF Trust (the "Trust"), an open-end management investment company organized as a Delaware business trust on March 18, 2016. Each series of the Trust represents shares of beneficial interest in a separate portfolio of securities and other assets, with its own objective and policies. 
Each Fund issues and redeems shares at its net asset value per share ("NAV") only in large block aggregations of a specified number of shares ("Creation Units"). Currently, Creation Units generally consist of 50,000 shares, though this may change from time to time. Creation Units are not expected to consist of less than 50,000 shares. As a practical matter, only institutions or large investors purchase or redeem Creation Units. Except when aggregated in Creation Units, shares of the Fund are not redeemable securities.
The Fund generally issues and redeems shares either in exchange for (i) a basket of securities included in its Portfolio ("Deposit Securities") together with the deposit of a specified cash payment ("Cash Component"); or (ii) a cash payment equal in value to the Deposit Securities ("Deposit Cash") together with the Cash Component. The primary consideration accepted by the Fund (i.e., Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash) is set forth under "Purchase and Redemption of Creation Units" later in this SAI. The Trust reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of a  "cash in lieu"  amount to be added to the Cash Component to replace any Deposit Security and reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of Deposit Securities in lieu of Deposit Cash (subject to applicable legal requirements). The shares have been approved for listing and secondary trading on a national securities exchange (the "Exchange"). The shares will trade on the Exchange at market prices. These prices may differ from the shares' NAV.
Shares may be issued in advance of receipt of Deposit Securities subject to various conditions including a requirement to maintain on deposit with the Trust cash at least equal to a specified percentage of the market value of the missing Deposit Securities, as set forth in the Participant Agreement (as defined herein). The Trust may impose a transaction fee for each creation or redemption. In all cases, such fees will be limited in accordance with the requirements of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") applicable to management investment companies offering redeemable securities. In addition to the fixed creation or redemption transaction fee, an additional transaction fee of up to three times the fixed creation or redemption transaction fee and/or an additional variable charge may apply.
The Funds are new and, therefore, portfolio turnover information is not yet available.
Each Fund intends to qualify each year for treatment as a regulated investment company (a "RIC") under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"), so that it will not be subject to federal income tax on income and gains that are timely distributed to Fund shareholders. Each Fund will invest its assets, and otherwise conduct its operations, in a manner that is intended to satisfy the qualifying income, diversification and distribution requirements necessary to establish and maintain eligibility for such treatment.
Certain matters under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"), which must be submitted to a vote of the holders of the outstanding voting securities of a series, shall not be deemed to have been effectively acted upon unless approved by the holders of a majority of the outstanding voting shares of each series affected by such matter.
Continuous Offering. The method by which Creation Units of shares are created and traded may raise certain issues under applicable securities laws. Because new Creation Units of shares are issued and sold by the Trust on an ongoing basis, at any point a "distribution," as such term is used in the Securities Act 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 Foreside Fund Services, LLC (the "Distributor"), breaks them down into constituent shares, and sells such shares directly to customers, or if it chooses to couple the creation of a supply of new shares with an active selling effort involving solicitation of secondary market demand for shares. A determination of whether one is an underwriter for purposes of the Securities Act must take into account all the facts and circumstances pertaining to the activities of the broker-dealer or its client in the particular case, and the examples mentioned above should not be considered a complete description of all the activities that could lead to a categorization as an underwriter.
Broker-dealer firms should also note that dealers who are not "underwriters" but are effecting transactions in shares, whether or not participating in the distribution of shares, are generally required to deliver a prospectus. This is because the prospectus delivery exemption in Section 4(3) of the Securities Act is not available in respect of such transactions as a result of Section 24(d) of the 1940 Act. Firms that incur a prospectus-delivery obligation with respect to shares of the Fund are reminded that under Securities Act Rule 153, 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 the Fund's Prospectus is available at the Exchange upon request. The prospectus delivery mechanism provided in Rule 153 is only available with respect to transactions on an exchange.
Investment Objective
The investment objective, principal investment strategies, and the main risks of investing in each Fund are described in the Fund's Prospectus. There is no assurance that a Fund will achieve its investment objective. An investment in a Fund may not be appropriate for all investors and short-term investing is discouraged. The Funds' investment objectives are not fundamental policies and may be changed by the Board of Trustees without a vote of shareholders. The Fund's Prospectus would be amended prior to any change in investment objective and shareholders would be provided at least 30 days' notice before the change in investment objective was implemented.
Non-Principal Investment Strategies and Risks
Each Fund may implement investment strategies which are not principal investment strategies if, in the Adviser's professional judgment, the strategies are appropriate. A strategy includes any policy, practice, or technique used by the Funds to achieve their investment objectives. Whether a particular strategy, including a strategy to invest in a particular type of security, is a principal investment strategy depends on the strategy's anticipated importance in achieving the Fund's investment objective, and how the strategy affects the Fund's potential risks and returns. In determining what a principal investment strategy is, the Adviser considers, among other things, the amount of the Fund's assets expected to be committed to the strategy, the amount of the Fund's assets expected to be placed at risk by the strategy, and the likelihood of the Fund losing some or all of those assets from implementing the strategy. Non-principal investment strategies are generally those investments which constitute less than 5% to 10% of a Fund's assets depending upon their potential impact upon the investment performance of the Fund. There are exceptions to the 5% to 10% of assets test, including, but not limited to, the percentage of a Fund's assets invested in a single industry or in a single country.
While the Adviser expects to pursue the Fund's investment objective by implementing the principal investment strategies described in the Fund's Prospectus, a Fund may employ non-principal investment strategies or securities if, in Davis Advisors' professional judgment, the securities, trading, or investment strategies are appropriate. Factors that Davis Advisors considers in pursuing these other strategies include whether the strategy (i) is likely to be consistent with shareholders' reasonable expectations; (ii) is likely to assist the Adviser in pursuing the Fund's investment objective; (iii) is consistent with the Fund's investment objective; (iv) will not cause the Fund to violate any of its fundamental or non-fundamental investment restrictions; and (v) will not materially change the Fund's risk profile from the risk profile that results from following the principal investment strategies as described in the Fund's Prospectus and further explained in this SAI, as amended from time to time.
The composition of the Fund's portfolio and the strategies that the Adviser may use to try to achieve the Fund's investment objective may vary depending on market conditions and available investment opportunities. The Fund is not required to use any of the investment strategies described below in pursuing its investment objective. The Fund may use some of the investment strategies rarely or not at all. Whether the Fund uses a given investment strategy at a given time depends on the professional judgment of the Adviser.
The principal investment strategies and risks for each Fund are described in the Prospectus. An investment strategy which is a principal investment strategy for one Fund may be a non-principal investment strategy for one of the other Funds which therefore may only invest a limited portion of its assets in the non-principal investment strategy, as described above. A number of investment strategies and risks, which are not principal investment strategies or principal risks for any of the Funds (and therefore are not included in the Fund's Prospectus), are described below.
Equity Strategies and Risks
Emphasizing Investments in Selected Market Sectors. The Fund may invest up to 25% of its net assets in the securities of issuers conducting their principal business activities in the same industry (or sub-industry). Significant investments in selected market sectors render a portfolio particularly vulnerable to the risks of its target sectors.
Passive Foreign Investment Companies. Some securities of companies domiciled outside the U.S. in which the Fund may invest may be considered passive foreign investment companies ("PFICs") under U.S. tax laws. PFICs are foreign corporations which generate primarily passive income. For federal tax purposes, a corporation is deemed a PFIC if 75% or more of the foreign corporation's gross income for its tax year is passive income or, in general, if 50% or more of its assets are assets that produce or are held to produce passive income. Passive income is further defined as any income considered foreign personal holding company income within the subpart F provisions defined by Section 954 of the Internal Revenue Code.
Investing in PFICs involves the risks associated with investing in foreign securities, as described in the Prospectus. There is also the risk that the Fund may not realize that a foreign corporation it invests in is a PFIC for federal tax purposes. Federal tax laws impose severe tax penalties for failure to properly report investment income from PFICs. The Fund makes efforts to ensure compliance with federal tax reporting of these investments, however, there can be no guarantee that the Fund's efforts will always be successful.
Unsponsored Depositary Receipts. The Fund may invest in both sponsored and unsponsored arrangements. In a sponsored arrangement, the foreign issuer assumes the obligation to pay some or all of the depositary's transaction fees, whereas in an unsponsored arrangement the foreign issuer assumes no obligations and the depositary's transaction fees are paid by the holders. Foreign issuers in respect of whose securities unsponsored depositary receipts have been issued are not necessarily obligated to disclose material information in the markets in which the unsponsored depositary receipts are traded and, therefore, such information may not be reflected in the prices of such securities in those markets. Shareholder benefits, voting rights and other attached rights may not be extended to the holders of unsponsored depositary receipts.
Investments in Other Investment Companies. The Fund can invest in securities issued by other investment companies, which can include open-end funds, closed-end funds, or exchange-traded funds. The Fund may do so as a way of gaining exposure to securities represented by the investment company's portfolio at times when the Fund may not be able to buy those securities directly. As shareholders of an investment company, the Fund would be subject to its ratable share of that investment company's expenses, including its advisory and administration expenses. At the same time, the Fund would bear its own management fees and expenses. The Fund does not intend to invest in other investment companies, unless the portfolio manager believes that the potential benefits of the investment justify the expenses. The Fund's investments in the securities of other investment companies are subject to the limits that apply to those kinds of investments under the 1940 Act.
Initial Public Offerings ("IPO"). An IPO is the initial public offering of securities of a particular company. IPOs in which the Fund invests can have a dramatic impact on Fund performance and assumptions about future performance based on that impact may not be warranted. Investing in IPOs involves risks. Many, but not all, of the companies issuing IPOs are small, unseasoned companies. Many are companies that have only been in operation for short periods of time. Small company securities, including IPOs, are subject to greater volatility in their prices than are securities issued by more established companies. If the Fund does not intend to make a long-term investment in an IPO (it is sometimes possible to immediately sell an IPO at a profit) the Adviser may not perform the same detailed research on the company that it does for core holdings.
Rights and Warrants. Rights and warrants are forms of equity securities. Warrants, basically, are options to purchase equity securities at specific prices valid for a specific period of time. Their prices do not necessarily move parallel to the prices of the underlying securities. Rights are similar to warrants, but normally have shorter maturities and are distributed directly by issuers to their shareholders. Rights and warrants have no voting rights, receive no dividends and have no rights with respect to the assets of the issuer.
Other Forms of Equity Securities. In addition to common stock, the Fund may invest in other forms of equity securities, including preferred stocks and securities with equity conversion or purchase rights. The prices of equity securities fluctuate based on changes in the financial condition of their issuers and on market and economic conditions. Events that have a negative impact on a business probably will be reflected in a decline in the price of its equity securities. Furthermore, when the total value of the stock market declines, most equity securities, even those issued by strong companies, likely will decline in value.
Cash Management. For defensive purposes and as warranted by prevailing market conditions and the Fund's principal investment strategy, the Fund may temporarily and without limitation hold high-grade, short-term money market instruments, cash and cash equivalents, including repurchase agreements. The Fund also may invest in registered investment companies which are regulated as money market funds or companies exempted from registration under Sections 3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) of the 1940 Act that themselves primarily invest in temporary defensive investments, including U.S. Government securities and commercial paper. To the extent that the management fees paid to other investment companies are for the same or similar services as the management fees paid by the Fund, there will be a layering of fees that would increase expenses and decrease returns. Investments in other investment companies are limited by the 1940 Act and the rules thereunder.
Derivatives. The Fund can invest in a variety of derivative investments to pursue its investment objective using both speculative and/or hedging strategies, although it is not anticipated that the Fund will invest in derivative investments. The Fund can use some derivative instruments described below.
Hedging. The Fund can use hedging to attempt to protect against declines in the market value of the Fund's portfolio, to permit the Fund to retain unrealized gains in the value of portfolio securities that have appreciated or to facilitate selling securities for investment reasons. To do so, the Fund could:
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sell futures contracts;
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buy puts on such futures or on securities; or
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write covered calls on securities or futures.
The Fund can use hedging to establish a position in the securities market as a temporary substitute for purchasing particular securities. In that case, the Fund would normally seek to purchase the securities and then terminate that hedging position. The Fund might also use this type of hedge to attempt to protect against the possibility that its portfolio securities would not be fully included in a rise in the value of the market. To do so, the Fund could:
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buy futures;
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buy calls on such futures or on securities; or
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sell puts on such futures or on securities.
The Fund is not obligated to use hedging instruments, even though it is permitted to use them in the Adviser's discretion, as described below. The Fund's strategy of hedging with futures and options on futures will be incidental to the Fund's activities in the underlying cash market. The particular hedging instruments the Fund can use are described below. The Fund can employ new hedging instruments and strategies when they are developed, if those investment methods are consistent with the Fund's investment objective and are permissible under applicable regulations governing the Fund.
Futures. The Fund can buy and sell futures contracts that relate to (i) broad-based stock indices ("stock index futures"); (ii) debt securities ("interest rate futures"); (iii) other broad-based securities indices ("financial futures"); (iv) foreign currencies ("forward contracts"); or (v) commodities ("commodity futures").
A broad-based stock index is used as the basis for trading stock index futures. They may in some cases be based on stocks of issuers in a particular industry or group of industries. A stock index assigns relative values to the common stocks included in the index and its value fluctuates in response to the changes in value of the underlying stocks. A stock index cannot be purchased or sold directly. Financial futures are similar contracts based on the future value of the basket of securities that comprise the index. These contracts obligate the seller to deliver, and the purchaser to take, cash to settle the futures transaction. There is no delivery made of the underlying securities to settle the futures obligation. Either party may also settle the transaction by entering into an off-setting contract.
An interest rate future obligates the seller to deliver (and the purchaser to take) cash or a specified type of debt security to settle the futures transaction. Either party also could enter into an off-setting contract to close out the position.
On entering into a futures transaction, the Fund will be required to deposit an initial margin payment with the futures commission merchant (the "futures broker"). Initial margin payments will be deposited with the Fund's custodian bank in an account registered in the futures broker's name. However, the futures broker can gain access to that account only under specified conditions. As the future is marked to market (that is, its value on the Fund's books is changed) to reflect changes in its market value, subsequent margin payments, called variation margin, will be paid to or by the futures broker daily.
At any time before expiration of the future, the Fund can elect to close out its position by taking an opposite position, at which time a final determination of variation margin is made and any additional cash must be paid by or released to the Fund. Any loss or gain on the future is then realized by the Fund for tax purposes. All futures transactions, except forward contracts, are effected through a clearinghouse associated with the exchange on which the contracts are traded.
Put and Call Options. The Fund can buy and sell (and sell short) certain kinds of put options ("puts") and call options ("calls"). The Fund can buy and sell exchange-traded and over-the-counter put and call options, including index options, securities options, currency options, commodities options, and options on the other types of futures described above.
Writing Covered Call Options. The Fund can write (that is, sell) covered calls. If the Fund sells a call option, it must be covered. That means the Fund must own the security subject to the call while the call is outstanding or, for certain types of calls, the call can be covered by identifying liquid assets on the Fund's books to enable the Fund to satisfy its obligations if the call is exercised.
When the Fund writes a call on a security, it receives cash (a premium). The Fund agrees to sell the underlying security to a purchaser of a corresponding call on the same security during the call period at a fixed exercise price regardless of market price changes during the call period. The call period is usually not more than nine months. The exercise price may differ from the market price of the underlying security. If the Fund owns the underlying security, the Fund continues to bear the risk of loss that the price of the underlying security may decline during the call period. That risk may be offset to some extent by the premium the Fund receives. If the value of the investment does not rise above the call price, it is likely that the call will lapse without being exercised. In that case, the Fund would keep the cash premium and the investment. If the underlying security should rise in value above the call price, the Fund may either have to deliver the underlying security to the owner of the call without profiting from the rise in value, or pay the owner of the call the difference between the call price and the current value of the underlying security.
When the Fund writes a call on an index, it receives cash (a premium). If the buyer of the call exercises it, the Fund will pay an amount of cash equal to the difference between the closing price of the call and the exercise price, multiplied by a specified multiple that determines the total value of the call for each point of difference. If the value of the underlying investment does not rise above the call price, it is likely that the call will lapse without being exercised. In that case, the Fund would keep the cash premium.
The Fund's custodian bank, or a securities depositary acting for the custodian bank, will act as the Fund's escrow agent, through the facilities of the Options Clearing Corporation (the "OCC"), as to the investments on which the Fund has written calls traded on exchanges or as to other acceptable escrow securities. In that way, no margin will be required for such transactions. The OCC will release the securities on the expiration of the option or when the Fund enters into a closing transaction.
When the Fund writes an over-the-counter ("OTC") option, it will treat as illiquid (for purposes of its restriction on holding illiquid securities) the marked-to-market value of any OTC option it holds, unless the option is subject to a buy-back agreement by the executing broker. To terminate its obligation on a call it has written, the Fund can purchase a corresponding call in a "closing purchase transaction." The Fund will then realize a profit or loss, depending on whether the net of the amount of the option transaction costs and the premium received on the call the Fund wrote is more or less than the price of the call the Fund purchases to close out the transaction. The Fund may realize a profit if the call expires unexercised, because the Fund will retain the underlying security and the premium it received when it wrote the call. Any such profits are considered short-term capital gains for federal income tax purposes, as are the premiums on lapsed calls. When distributed by the Fund, they are taxable as ordinary income. If the Fund cannot effect a closing purchase transaction due to the lack of a market, it will have to hold the callable securities until the call expires or is exercised.
The Fund also can write calls on a futures contract without owning the futures contract or securities deliverable under the contract. To do so, at the time the call is written, the Fund must cover the call by identifying an equivalent dollar amount of liquid assets on the Fund's books. The Fund will identify additional liquid assets on its books if the value of the segregated assets drops below 100% of the current value of the future. Because of this segregation requirement, in no circumstances would the Fund's receipt of an exercise notice as to that future require the Fund to deliver a futures contract. It would simply put the Fund in a short futures position, which is permitted by the Fund's hedging policies.
Writing Put Options. The Fund can write/sell put options. A put option on securities gives the purchaser the right to sell, and the writer the obligation to buy, the underlying investment at the exercise price during the option period.
If the Fund writes a put, the put must be covered by liquid assets identified on the Fund's books. The premium the Fund receives from writing a put represents a profit, as long as the price of the underlying investment remains equal to or above the exercise price of the put. However, the Fund also assumes the obligation during the option period to buy the underlying investment from the buyer of the put at the exercise price, even if the value of the investment falls below the exercise price. If a put the Fund has written expires unexercised, the Fund realizes a gain in the amount of the premium less the transaction costs incurred. If the put is exercised, the Fund must fulfill its obligation to purchase the underlying investment at the exercise price. The purchase price usually will exceed the market value of the investment at that time. In that case, the Fund may incur a loss if it sells the underlying investment. That loss will be equal to the sum of the sale price of the underlying investment and the premium received minus the sum of the exercise price and any transaction costs the Fund incurred.
When writing a put option on a security, to secure its obligation to pay for the underlying security the Fund will deposit in escrow or otherwise segregate liquid assets with a value equal to or greater than the exercise price of the underlying securities. The Fund therefore foregoes the opportunity of investing the segregated assets or writing calls against those assets.
As long as the Fund's obligation as the put writer continues, it may be assigned an exercise notice by the broker-dealer through which the put was sold. That notice will require the Fund to take delivery of the underlying security and pay the exercise price. The Fund has no control over when it may be required to purchase the underlying security, since it may be assigned an exercise notice at any time prior to the termination of its obligation as the writer of the put. That obligation terminates on expiration of the put. It also may terminate if, before it receives an exercise notice, the Fund effects a closing purchase transaction by purchasing a put of the same series as it sold. Once the Fund has been assigned an exercise notice, it cannot effect a closing purchase transaction.
The Fund can decide to effect a closing purchase transaction to realize a profit on an outstanding put option it has written or to prevent the underlying security from being exercised. Effecting a closing purchase transaction also will permit the Fund to write another put option on the security or to sell the security and use the proceeds from the sale for other investments. The Fund will realize a profit or loss from a closing purchase transaction depending on whether the cost of the transaction is less or more than the premium received from writing the put option. Any profits from writing puts are considered short-term capital gains for federal tax purposes and, when distributed by the Fund, are taxable as ordinary income.
Purchasing Calls and Puts. The Fund can purchase calls to protect against the possibility that the Fund's portfolio will not participate in an anticipated rise in the securities market. When the Fund buys a call (other than in a closing purchase transaction), it pays a premium. The Fund then has the right to buy the underlying investment from a seller of a corresponding call on the same investment during the call period at a fixed exercise price. The Fund benefits only if it sells the call at a profit or if, during the call period, the market price of the underlying investment is above the sum of the call price plus the transaction costs and the premium paid for the call and the Fund exercises the call. If the Fund does not exercise the call or sell it (whether or not at a profit), the call will become worthless at its expiration date. In that case, the Fund will have paid the premium, but lost the right to purchase the underlying investment.
The Fund can buy puts regardless of whether it holds the underlying investment in its portfolio. When the Fund purchases a put, it pays a premium and, except as to puts on indices, has the right to sell the underlying investment to a seller of a put on a corresponding investment during the put period at a fixed exercise price. Buying a put on securities or futures the Fund owns enables the Fund to attempt to protect itself during the put period against a decline in the value of the underlying investment below the exercise price by selling the underlying investment at the exercise price to a seller of a corresponding put. If the market price of the underlying investment is equal to or above the exercise price and, as a result, the put is not exercised or resold, the put will become worthless at its expiration date. In that case, the Fund will have paid the premium but lost the right to sell the underlying investment. However, the Fund can sell the put prior to its expiration. That sale may or may not be at a profit.
When the Fund purchases a call or put on an index or future, it pays a premium, but settlement is in cash rather than by delivery of the underlying investment to the Fund. Gain or loss depends on changes in the index in question (and thus on price movements in the securities market generally) rather than on price movements in individual securities or futures contracts.
Forward Contracts. Forward contracts are foreign currency exchange contracts. They are used to buy or sell foreign currency for future delivery at a fixed price. The Fund uses them to "lock in" the U.S. dollar price of a security denominated in a foreign currency that the Fund has bought or sold, or to protect against possible losses from changes in the relative values of the U.S. dollar and a foreign currency. The Fund limits its exposure in foreign currency exchange contracts in a particular foreign currency to the amount of its assets denominated in that currency or a closely correlated currency. The Fund also can use "cross-hedging" where the Fund hedges against changes in currencies other than the currency in which a security it holds is denominated.
Under a forward contract, one party agrees to purchase, and another party agrees to sell, a specific currency at a future date. That date may be any fixed number of days from the date of the contract agreed on by the parties. The transaction price is set at the time the contract is entered into. These contracts are traded in the inter-bank market conducted directly among currency traders (usually large commercial banks) and their customers.
The Fund can use forward contracts to protect against uncertainty in the level of future exchange rates. The use of forward contracts does not eliminate the risk of fluctuations in the prices of the underlying securities the Fund owns or intends to acquire, but it does fix a rate of exchange in advance. Although forward contracts may reduce the risk of loss from a decline in the value of the hedged currency, at the same time they limit any potential gain if the value of the hedged currency increases.
When the Fund enters into a contract for the purchase or sale of a security denominated in a foreign currency, or when it anticipates receiving dividend payments in a foreign currency, the Fund might desire to "lock in" the U.S. dollar price of the security or the U.S. dollar equivalent of the dividend payments. To do so, the Fund might enter into a forward contract for the purchase or sale of the amount of foreign currency involved in the underlying transaction, in a fixed amount of U.S. dollars per unit of the foreign currency ("transaction hedge"). The transaction hedge will protect the Fund against a loss from an adverse change in the currency exchange rates during the period between the date on which the security is purchased or sold or on which the payment is declared and the date on which the payments are made or received.
The Fund also could use forward contracts to lock in the U.S. dollar value of portfolio positions ("position hedge"). When the Fund believes that foreign currency might suffer a substantial decline against the U.S. dollar, it could enter into a forward contract to sell an amount of that foreign currency approximating the value of some or all of the Fund's portfolio securities denominated in that foreign currency. When the Fund believes that the U.S. dollar may suffer a substantial decline against a foreign currency, it could enter into a forward contract to buy that foreign currency for a fixed dollar amount. Alternatively, the Fund could enter into a forward contract to sell a different foreign currency for a fixed U.S. dollar amount if the Fund believes that the U.S. dollar value of the foreign currency to be sold pursuant to its forward contract will fall whenever there is a decline in the U.S. dollar value of the currency in which portfolio securities of the Fund are denominated ("cross hedge").
The Fund will cover its short positions in these cases by identifying to its custodian bank assets having a value equal to the aggregate amount of the Fund's commitment under forward contracts. The Fund will not enter into forward contracts or maintain a net exposure to such contracts if the consummation of the contracts would obligate the Fund to deliver an amount of foreign currency in excess of the value of the Fund's portfolio securities or other assets denominated in that currency or another currency that is the subject of the hedge. However, to avoid excess transactions and transaction costs, the Fund can maintain a net exposure to forward contracts in excess of the value of the Fund's portfolio securities or other assets denominated in foreign currencies if the excess amount is "covered" by liquid securities denominated in any currency. The cover must be at least equal at all times to the amount of that excess. As one alternative, the Fund can purchase a call option permitting the Fund to purchase the amount of foreign currency being hedged by a forward sale contract at a price no higher than the forward contract price. As another alternative, the Fund can purchase a put option permitting the Fund to sell the amount of foreign currency subject to a forward purchase contract at a price as high as or higher than the forward contract price.
The precise matching of the amounts under forward contracts and the value of the securities involved generally will not be possible because the future value of securities denominated in foreign currencies will change as a consequence of market movements between the date the forward contract is entered into and the date it is sold. In some cases, the Adviser might decide to sell the security and deliver foreign currency to settle the original purchase obligation. If the market value of the security is less than the amount of foreign currency that the Fund is obligated to deliver, the Fund might have to purchase additional foreign currency on the "spot" (that is, cash) market to settle the security trade. If the market value of the security instead exceeds the amount of foreign currency the Fund is obligated to deliver to settle the trade, the Fund might have to sell on the spot market some of the foreign currency received on the sale of the security. There will be additional transaction costs on the spot market in those cases.
The projection of short-term currency market movements is extremely difficult, and the successful execution of a short-term hedging strategy is highly uncertain. Forward contracts involve the risk that anticipated currency movements would not be accurately predicted, causing the Fund to sustain losses on these contracts and to pay additional transactions costs. The use of forward contracts in this manner might reduce the Fund's performance if there are unanticipated changes in currency prices to a greater degree than if the Fund had not entered into such contracts.
At or before the maturity of a forward contract requiring the Fund to sell a currency, the Fund might sell a portfolio security and use the sale proceeds to make delivery of the currency. In the alternative, the Fund might retain the security and offset its contractual obligation to deliver the currency by purchasing a second contract. Under that contract the Fund will obtain, on the same maturity date, the same amount of the currency that it is obligated to deliver. Similarly, the Fund might close out a forward contract requiring it to purchase a specified currency by entering into a second contract entitling it to sell the same amount of the same currency on the maturity date of the first contract. The Fund would realize a gain or loss as a result of entering into such an off-setting forward contract under either circumstance. The gain or loss will depend on the extent to which the exchange rate or rates between the currencies involved moved between the execution dates of the first and off-setting contracts.
The cost to the Fund of engaging in forward contracts varies with factors such as the currencies involved, the length of the contract period and the market conditions then prevailing. Because forward contracts usually are entered into on a principal basis, no brokerage fees or commissions are involved. Because these contracts are not traded on an exchange, the Fund must evaluate the credit and performance risk of the counterparty under each forward contract.
Although the Fund values its assets daily in terms of U.S. dollars, it does not intend to convert its holdings of foreign currencies into U.S. dollars on a daily basis. The Fund can convert foreign currency from time to time and will incur costs in doing so. Foreign exchange dealers do not charge a fee for conversion, but they do seek to realize a profit based on the difference between the prices at which they buy and sell various currencies. Thus, a dealer might offer to sell a foreign currency to the Fund at one rate, while offering a lesser rate of exchange if the Fund desires to resell that currency to the dealer.
Index-Linked Notes. Principal and/or interest payments on these notes depend on the performance of an underlying index. Currency-indexed securities are another derivative the Fund can use. Typically these are short-term or intermediate-term debt securities. Their value at maturity or the rates at which they pay income are determined by the change in value of the U.S. dollar against one or more foreign currencies or an index. In some cases, these securities may pay an amount at maturity based on a multiple of the amount of the relative currency movements. This type of index security offers the potential for increased income or principal payments, but at a greater risk of loss than a typical debt security of the same maturity and credit quality.
Debt Exchangeable for Common Stock of an Issuer or "Equity-Linked Debt Securities" of an Issuer. At maturity, the debt security is exchanged for common stock of the issuer or it is payable in an amount based on the price of the issuer's common stock at the time of maturity. Both alternatives present a risk that the amount payable at maturity will be less than the principal amount of the debt because the price of the issuer's common stock might not be as high as the Adviser expected.
Interest Rate Swap Transactions. The Fund can enter into interest rate swap agreements. In an interest rate swap, the Fund and another party exchange their right to receive or their obligation to pay interest on a security. For example, they might swap the right to receive floating rate payments for fixed rate payments. The Fund can enter into swaps only on securities that it owns. Also, the Fund will identify liquid assets on its books (typically U.S. Treasury notes, certificates of deposit, other high-grade, short-term obligations or interest-bearing cash equivalents) to cover any amounts it could owe under swaps that exceed the amounts it is entitled to receive, and it will adjust that amount daily as needed.
Swap Agreements entail both Interest Rate Risk and Credit Risk. There is a risk that based on movements of interest rates in the future the payments made by the Fund under a swap agreement will be greater than the payments it received. Credit risk arises from the possibility that the counterparty will default. If the counterparty defaults, the Fund's loss will consist of the net amount of contractual interest payments that the Fund has not yet received. The Adviser will monitor the creditworthiness of counterparties to the Fund's interest rate swap transactions on an ongoing basis.
The Fund can enter into swap transactions with certain counterparties pursuant to master netting agreements. A master netting agreement provides that all swaps done between the Fund and that counterparty shall be regarded as parts of an integral agreement. If amounts are payable on a particular date in the same currency in respect of one or more swap transactions, the amount payable on that date in that currency shall be the net amount. In addition, the master netting agreement may provide that if one party defaults generally or on one swap, the counterparty can terminate all of the swaps with that party. Under these agreements, if a default results in a loss to one party, the measure of that party's damages is calculated by reference to the average cost of a replacement swap for each swap. It is measured by the mark-to-market value at the time of the termination of each swap. The gains and losses on all swaps are then netted, and the result is the counterparty's gain or loss on termination. The termination of all swaps and the netting of gains and losses on termination, generally, is referred to as "aggregation."
Hedging Foreign Currency. To attempt to reduce exposure to currency fluctuations, the Fund may trade in forward foreign currency exchange contracts ("forward contracts"), currency futures contracts and options thereon and securities indexed to foreign securities. These techniques are not always effective and their use may expose the Fund to other risks, such as liquidity and counterparty risk. The Adviser exercises its professional judgment as to whether the reduction in currency risk justifies the expense and exposure to liquidity and counterparty risk. These techniques may be used to lock in an exchange rate in connection with transactions in securities denominated or traded in foreign currencies, to hedge the currency risk in foreign securities held by the Fund and to hedge a currency risk involved in an anticipated purchase of foreign securities. Cross-hedging also may be utilized, that is, entering into a hedge transaction with respect to a foreign currency different from the one in which a trade is to be made or in which a portfolio security is principally traded. There is no limitation on the amount of assets that may be committed to currency hedging. However, the currency hedging transactions may be utilized as a tool to reduce currency fluctuation risks due to a current or anticipated position in foreign securities. The successful use of currency hedging transactions usually depends on the Adviser's ability to forecast interest rate and currency exchange rate movements. Should interest or exchange rates move in an unexpected manner, the anticipated benefits of futures contracts, options or forward contracts may not be achieved or losses may be realized and thus the Fund could be in a worse position than if such strategies had not been used. Unlike many exchange-traded futures contracts, there are no daily price fluctuation limits with respect to options on currencies and forward contracts, and adverse market movements therefore could continue to an unlimited extent over a period of time. In addition, the correlation between movements in the prices of such instruments and movements in the prices of the securities and currencies hedged or used for cover will not be perfect and could produce unanticipated losses. Unanticipated changes in currency prices may result in poorer overall performance for the Fund than if it had not entered into such contracts. When taking a position in an anticipatory hedge (when the Fund purchases a futures contract or other similar instrument to gain market exposure in anticipation of purchasing the underlying securities at a later date), the Fund is required to set aside cash or high-grade liquid securities to fully secure the obligation.
A forward contract is an obligation to purchase or sell a specific currency for an agreed price at a future date that is individually negotiated and privately traded by currency traders and their customers. Such a contract gives the Fund a position in a negotiated, currently non-regulated market. The Fund may enter into a transaction hedge via a forward contract, for example, when it enters into a contract for the purchase or sale of a security denominated in a foreign currency in order to "lock in" the U.S. dollar price of the security. Additionally, when the Adviser believes that a foreign currency may suffer a substantial decline against the U.S. dollar, the Fund may enter into a forward sale contract to sell an amount of that foreign currency approximating the value of some or all of the Fund's portfolio securities denominated in such foreign currency. When the Adviser believes that the U.S. dollar may suffer a substantial decline against a foreign currency, the Fund may enter into a position hedge via a forward purchase contract to buy that foreign currency for a fixed dollar amount in anticipation of purchasing foreign traded securities. In this situation the Fund may, in the alternative, enter into cross hedge via a forward contract with respect to a different foreign currency for a fixed U.S. dollar amount. This may be done, for example, where the Adviser believes that the U.S. dollar value of the currency to be sold pursuant to the forward contract will fall whenever there is a decline in the U.S. dollar value of the currency in which portfolio securities of the Fund are denominated.
The Fund may purchase and write put and call options on foreign currencies for the purpose of protecting against declines in the U.S. dollar value of foreign currency-denominated portfolio securities and against increases in the U.S. dollar cost of such securities to be acquired. As in the case of other kinds of options, however, the writing of an option on a foreign currency constitutes only a partial hedge, up to the amount of the premium received, and the Fund could be required to purchase or sell foreign currencies at disadvantageous exchange rates, thereby incurring losses. The purchase of an option on a foreign currency may constitute an effective hedge against fluctuations in exchange rates although, in the event of rate movements adverse to the Fund's position, it may forfeit the entire amount of the premium plus related transaction costs. Options on foreign currencies to be written or purchased by the Fund are traded on U.S. and foreign exchanges or OTC. Currently, a significant portion or all of the value of an OTC option may be treated as an illiquid investment and subject to the restriction on such investments as long as the SEC requires that OTC options be treated as illiquid. Generally, the Fund would utilize options traded on exchanges where the options are standardized.
The Fund may enter into contracts for the purchase or sale for future delivery of foreign currencies ("currency futures contracts") and may purchase and write put and call options to buy or sell currency futures contracts. A "sale" of a currency futures contract means the acquisition of a contractual obligation to deliver the foreign currencies called for by the contract at a specified price on a specified date. A "purchase" of a currency futures contract means the incurring of a contractual obligation to acquire the foreign currencies called for by the contract at a specified price on a specified date. Options on currency futures contracts to be purchased by the Fund will be traded on U.S. or foreign exchanges or OTC. The Fund also may purchase securities (debt securities or deposits) that have their coupon rate or value at maturity determined by reference to the value of one or more foreign currencies. These strategies will be used for hedging purposes only. The Fund will hold securities or other options or futures positions whose values are expected to offset its obligations under the hedge strategies. The Fund will not enter into a currency hedging position that exposes the Fund to an obligation to another party unless it follows its segregated account procedures.
The Fund's ability to dispose of its positions in futures contracts, options and forward contracts will depend on the availability of liquid markets in such instruments. Markets in options and futures with respect to currencies are still developing. It is impossible to predict the amount of trading interest that may exist in various types of futures contracts, options and forward contracts. If a secondary market does not exist with respect to an option purchased or written by the Fund over-the-counter, it might not be possible to effect a closing transaction in the option (i.e., dispose of the option) with the result that (i) an option purchased by the Fund would have to be exercised in order for the Fund to realize any profit; and (ii) the Fund may not be able to sell currencies covering an option written by the Fund until the option expires or it delivers the underlying futures currency on exercise. Therefore, no assurance can be given that the Fund will be able to utilize these instruments effectively for the purposes set forth above. The Fund's ability to engage in currency hedging transactions may be limited by tax considerations.
Risks of Hedging with Options and Futures. The use of hedging instruments requires special skills and knowledge of investment techniques that are different than what is required for normal portfolio management. If the Adviser uses a hedging instrument at the wrong time or judges market conditions incorrectly, hedging strategies may reduce the Fund's return or may compound its losses. The Fund also could experience losses if the prices of its futures and options positions were not correlated with its other investments.
The Fund's option activities could affect its portfolio turnover rate and brokerage commissions. The exercise of calls written by the Fund might cause the Fund to sell related portfolio securities, thus increasing its turnover rate. The exercise by the Fund of puts on securities will cause the sale of underlying investments, increasing portfolio turnover. Although the decision whether to exercise a put it holds is within the Fund's control, holding a put might cause the Fund to sell the related investments for reasons that would not exist in the absence of the put.
The Fund could pay a brokerage commission each time it buys a call or put, sells a call or put, or buys or sells an underlying investment in connection with the exercise of a call or put. Those commissions could be higher on a relative basis than the commissions for direct purchases or sales of the underlying investments. Premiums paid for options are small in relation to the market value of the underlying investments. Consequently, put and call options offer large amounts of leverage. The leverage offered by trading in options could result in the Fund's net asset value being more sensitive to changes in the value of the underlying investment.
If a covered call written by the Fund is exercised on an investment that has increased in value, the Fund will be required to sell the investment at the call price. It will not be able to realize any profit if the investment has increased in value above the call price.
An option position may be closed out only on a market that provides secondary trading for options of the same series, and there is no assurance that a liquid secondary market will exist for any particular option. The Fund might experience a loss if it could not close out a position because of an illiquid market for the future or option.
There is a risk in using short hedging by selling futures or purchasing puts on broad-based indices or futures to attempt to protect against declines in the value of the Fund's portfolio securities. The risk is that the prices of the futures or the applicable index will correlate imperfectly with the behavior of the cash prices of the Fund's securities. For example, it is possible that while the Fund has used hedging instruments in a short hedge, the market might advance and the value of the securities held in the Fund's portfolio might decline. If that occurred, the Fund would lose money on the hedging instruments and also experience a decline in the value of its portfolio securities. However, while this could occur for a very brief period or to a very small degree, over time the value of a diversified portfolio of securities will tend to move in the same direction as the indices on which the hedging instruments are based. The risk of imperfect correlation increases as the composition of the Fund's portfolio diverges from the securities included in the applicable index. To compensate for the imperfect correlation of movements in the price of the portfolio securities being hedged and movements in the price of the hedging instruments, the Fund might use hedging instruments in a greater dollar amount than the dollar amount of portfolio securities being hedged. It might do so if the historical volatility of the prices of the portfolio securities being hedged is more than the historical volatility of the applicable index.
The ordinary spreads between prices in the cash and futures markets are subject to distortions, due to differences in the nature of those markets. First, all participants in the futures market are subject to margin deposit and maintenance requirements. Rather than meeting additional margin deposit requirements, investors may close futures contracts through off-setting transactions that could distort the normal relationship between the cash and futures markets. Second, the liquidity of the futures market depends on participants entering into off-setting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants decide to make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced, thus producing distortion. Third, from the point of view of speculators, the deposit requirements in the futures market are less onerous than margin requirements in the securities markets. Therefore, increased participation by speculators in the futures market may cause temporary price distortions.
The Fund can use hedging instruments to establish a position in the securities markets as a temporary substitute for the purchase of individual securities ("long hedging") by buying futures and/or calls on such futures, broad-based indices or on securities. It is possible that when the Fund does so, the market might decline. If the Fund then concludes not to invest in securities because of concerns that the market might decline further or for other reasons, the Fund will realize a loss on the hedging instruments that is not offset by a reduction in the price of the securities purchased.
Regulatory Aspects of Hedging Instruments. If and when the Fund begins using futures and options on futures, the Fund will be required to operate within certain guidelines and restrictions with respect to the use of futures as established by the Commodities Futures Trading Commission (the "CFTC"). In particular, prior to trading in derivatives, the Fund intends to comply with Rule 4.5 and make the necessary filings with the CFTC to be exempted from registration with the CFTC as a commodity pool operator. To comply with Rule 4.5, the Fund would be required to limit its transactions in commodities to below one of two thresholds. One of the thresholds requires that the Fund's aggregate initial margin and premiums posted for its non-bona fide hedging trading in these instruments must not exceed five percent of the liquidating value of its portfolio. As an alternative, the Fund may limit the aggregate net notional value of its derivatives transactions not used solely for bona fide hedging purposes to no more than 100 percent of the liquidation value of its portfolio determined at the time the most recent position was established.
Transactions in options by the Fund are subject to limitations established by the option exchanges. The exchanges limit the maximum number of options that may be written or held by a single investor or group of investors acting in concert. Those limits apply regardless of whether the options were written or purchased on the same or different exchanges, or are held in one or more accounts or through one or more different exchanges or through one or more brokers. Thus, the number of options that the Fund can write or hold may be affected by options written or held by other entities, including other investment companies having the same adviser as the Fund (or an adviser that is an affiliate of the Fund's adviser). The exchanges also impose position limits on futures transactions. An exchange may order the liquidation of positions found to be in violation of those limits and may impose certain other sanctions.
Under the 1940 Act, when the Fund purchases a future, it must maintain cash or readily marketable short-term debt instruments in an amount equal to the market value of the securities underlying the future, less the margin deposit applicable to it.
Tax Aspects of Certain Hedging Instruments. Certain foreign currency exchange contracts in which the Fund can invest are treated as "Section 1256 contracts" under the Internal Revenue Code. In general, gains or losses relating to Section 1256 contracts are characterized as 60% long-term and 40% short-term capital gains or losses under the Code. However, foreign currency gains or losses arising from Section 1256 contracts that are forward contracts, generally, are treated as ordinary income or loss. In addition, Section 1256 contracts held by the Fund at the end of each taxable year are "marked-to-market," and unrealized gains or losses are treated as though they were realized. These contracts also may be marked-to-market for purposes of determining the excise tax applicable to investment company distributions and for other purposes under rules prescribed pursuant to the Internal Revenue Code. An election can be made by the Fund to exempt those transactions from this marked-to-market treatment.
Certain forward contracts the Fund enters into may result in "straddles" for federal income tax purposes. The straddle rules may affect the character and timing of gains (or losses) recognized by the Fund on straddle positions. Generally, a loss sustained on the disposition of a position making up a straddle is allowed only to the extent that the loss exceeds any unrecognized gain in the off-setting positions making up the straddle. A previously disallowed loss generally is allowed at the point when there is no unrecognized gain in the off-setting positions making up the straddle, or the off-setting position is disposed of.
Under the Internal Revenue Code, the following gains or losses are treated as ordinary income or loss: (i) gains or losses attributable to fluctuations in exchange rates that occur between the time the Fund accrues interest or other receivables or accrues expenses or other liabilities denominated in a foreign currency and the time the Fund actually collects such receivables or pays such liabilities; and (ii) gains or losses attributable to fluctuations in the value of a foreign currency between the date of acquisition of a debt security denominated in a foreign currency or foreign currency forward contracts and the date of disposition.
Currency gains and losses are offset against market gains and losses on each trade before determining a net "Section 988" gain or loss under the Internal Revenue Code for that trade, which may increase or decrease the amount of the Fund's investment income available for distribution to its shareholders.
Additional Non-Principal Investment Strategies and Risks
Settlement Risks. Settlement systems in some markets (especially those of developing countries) are generally less well organized than those of more developed markets. There may be risks that settlement may be delayed and that cash or securities belonging to the Fund may be at risk because of failures or defects in the systems. In particular, market practice may require that payment be made before receipt of the security being purchased or that delivery of a security be made before payment is received. In such a situation, a default by a broker or bank that is processing the transaction may cause the Fund to suffer a loss.
Distressed Companies. The Fund may invest in, or continue to hold, debt or securities issued by distressed companies which are, or are about to be, involved in reorganizations, financial restructurings, or bankruptcy. A bankruptcy, merger or other restructuring, or a tender or exchange offer, proposed or pending at the time the Fund invests in the debt or securities may not be completed on the terms or within the time frame contemplated, which may result in losses to the Fund. Debt obligations of distressed companies typically are unrated, lower-rated, in default or close to default and are generally more likely to become worthless than the securities of more financially stable companies.
Borrowing. The Fund may purchase additional securities so long as borrowings do not exceed 5% of its total assets. The Fund may obtain such short-term credit as may be necessary for the clearance of purchases and sales of portfolio securities. The Fund may borrow from banks provided that, immediately after any such borrowing there is an asset coverage of at least 300% for all borrowings. In the event that such asset coverage at any time falls below 300%, the Fund shall, within three days thereafter (not including Sundays and holidays) reduce the amount of its borrowings to an extent that the asset coverage of such borrowings shall be at least 300%. Borrowing money would have the effect of temporarily leveraging the Fund's assets and potentially exposing the Fund to leveraged losses.
Lending Portfolio Securities. The Fund may lend its portfolio securities to certain types of eligible borrowers approved by the Board of Trustees. The Fund may engage in securities lending to earn additional income or to raise cash for liquidity purposes. The Fund must receive collateral for a loan. Under current applicable regulatory requirements (which are subject to change), on each business day the loan collateral must be at least equal to the value of the loaned securities. The collateral must consist of cash, bank letters of credit, securities of the U.S. Government or its agencies or instrumentalities, or other cash equivalents in which the Fund is permitted to invest.
Lending activities are strictly limited, as described in the section titled "Investment Restrictions." Lending money or securities involves the risk that the Fund may suffer a loss if a borrower does not repay a loan when due. To manage this risk, the Fund deals only with counterparties it believes to be creditworthy and requires that the counterparty deposit collateral with the Fund.
When it loans securities, the Fund still owns the securities, receives amounts equal to the dividends or interest on loaned securities and is subject to gains or losses on those securities. The Fund also receives one or more of (i) negotiated loan fees; (ii) interest on securities used as collateral; and/or (iii) interest on any short-term debt instruments purchased with such loan collateral. Either type of interest may be shared with the borrower. The Fund also may pay reasonable finder's, custodian, and administrative fees in connection with these loans. The terms of the Fund's loans must meet applicable tests under the Internal Revenue Code and must permit the Fund to reacquire loaned securities on five days' notice or in time to vote on any important matter.
For purposes of applying the limitation set forth below in the Investment Restrictions sub-section titled "Making Loans", there are no limitations with respect to unsecured loans made by the Fund to an unaffiliated party. However, if the Fund loans its portfolio securities, the obligation on the part of the Fund to return collateral upon termination of the loan could be deemed to involve the issuance of a senior security within the meaning of Section 18(f) of the 1940 Act. In order to avoid violation of Section 18(f), the Fund may not make a loan of portfolio securities if, as a result, more than one-third of its total asset value (at market value computed at the time of making a loan) would be on loan.
Short Sales. When the Fund believes that a security is overvalued, it may sell the security short and borrow the same security from a broker or other institution to complete the sale. If the price of the security decreases in value, the Fund may make a profit and, conversely, if the security increases in value, the Fund will incur a loss because it will have to replace the borrowed security by purchasing it at a higher price. There can be no assurance that the Fund will be able to close out the short position at any particular time or at an acceptable price. Although the Fund's gain is limited to the amount at which it sold a security short, its potential loss is not limited. A lender may request that the borrowed securities be returned on short notice; if that occurs at a time when other short sellers of the subject security are receiving similar requests, a "short squeeze" can occur. This means that the Fund might be compelled, at the most disadvantageous time, to replace borrowed securities previously sold short with purchases on the open market at prices significantly greater than those at which the securities were sold short. Short selling also may produce higher than normal portfolio turnover and result in increased transaction costs to the Fund. If the Fund sells a security short it will either own an off-setting "long position" (an economically equivalent security which is owned) or establish a "Segregated Account" as described in this SAI.
The Fund also may make short sales "against-the-box," in which it sells short securities it owns. The Fund will incur transaction costs, including interest expenses, in connection with opening, maintaining and closing short sales against-the-box, which results in a "constructive sale," requiring the Fund to recognize any taxable gain from the transaction.
The Fund has adopted a non-fundamental investment limitation that prevents it from selling any security short if it would cause more than 5% of its total assets, taken at market value, to be sold short. This limitation does not apply to selling short against the box.
When-Issued and Delayed-Delivery Transactions. The Fund can invest in securities on a "when-issued" basis and can purchase or sell securities on a "delayed-delivery" basis. When-issued and delayed-delivery are terms that refer to securities whose terms and indenture are available and for which a market exists, but that are not available for immediate delivery.
When such transactions are negotiated, the price (which generally is expressed in yield terms) is fixed at the time the commitment is made. Delivery and payment for the securities take place at a later date (generally within 45 days of the date the offer is accepted). The securities are subject to change in value from market fluctuations during the period until settlement. The value at delivery may be less than the purchase price. For example, changes in interest rates before settlement will affect the value of such securities and may cause a loss to the Fund. During the period between purchase and settlement, no payment is made by the Fund to the issuer and no interest accrues to the Fund from the investment.
The Fund may engage in when-issued transactions to secure what the Adviser considers to be an advantageous price and yield at the time of entering into the obligation. When the Fund enters into a when-issued or delayed-delivery transaction, it relies on the other party to complete the transaction. Its failure to do so may cause the Fund to lose the opportunity to obtain the security at a price and yield the Adviser considers to be advantageous. When the Fund engages in when-issued and delayed-delivery transactions, it does so for the purpose of acquiring or selling securities consistent with its investment objective and strategies, and not for the purpose of investment leverage. Although the Fund will enter into delayed-delivery or when-issued purchase transactions to acquire securities, it can dispose of a commitment before settlement. If the Fund chooses to dispose of the right to acquire a when-issued security before its acquisition or to dispose of its right to delivery or receive against a forward commitment, it may incur a gain or loss.
At the time the Fund makes the commitment to purchase or sell a security on a when-issued or delayed-delivery basis, it records the transaction on its books and reflects the value of the security purchased in determining the Fund's net asset value. In a sale transaction, it records the proceeds to be received. The Fund will identify on its books liquid securities of any type at least equal in value to the value of the Fund's purchase commitments until the Fund pays for the investment.
When-issued and delayed-delivery transactions can be used by the Fund as defensive techniques to hedge against anticipated changes in interest rates and prices. For instance, in periods of rising interest rates and falling prices, the Fund might sell securities in its portfolio on a forward commitment basis to attempt to limit its exposure to anticipated falling prices. In periods of falling interest rates and rising prices, the Fund might sell portfolio securities and purchase the same or similar securities on a when-issued or delayed-delivery basis to obtain the benefit of currently higher cash yields.
Cybersecurity Risk. With the increased use of technologies such as the Internet to conduct business, the Fund has become potentially more susceptible to operational and information security risks through breaches in cybersecurity. In general, a breach in cybersecurity can result from either a deliberate attack or an unintentional event. Cybersecurity breaches may involve, among other things, infection by computer viruses or other malicious software code or unauthorized access to the Fund's digital information systems, networks or devices through "hacking" or other means, in each case for the purpose of misappropriating assets or sensitive information, corrupting data or causing operational disruption or failures in the physical infrastructure or operating systems that support the Fund. Cybersecurity risks also include the risk of losses of service resulting from external attacks that do not require unauthorized access to the Fund's systems, networks, or devices. For example, denial-of-service attacks on the investment adviser's or an affiliate's website could effectively render the Fund's network services unavailable to Fund shareholders and other intended end-users. Any such cybersecurity breaches or losses of service may cause the Fund to lose proprietary information, suffer data corruption, or lose operational capacity, which, in turn could cause the Fund to incur regulatory penalties, reputational damage, additional compliance costs associated with corrective measures, and/or financial loss. While the Fund and its investment adviser have established plans and procedures designed to prevent or reduce the impact of a cybersecurity attack, there is no guarantee that these plans and procedures will be successful. There are inherent limitations in these plans and procedures given the ever changing nature of technology and cybersecurity attack tactics and there is a possibility that certain risks have not been adequately identified or prepared for.
In addition, cybersecurity failures by or breaches of the Fund's third-party service providers (including, but not limited to, the Fund's investment adviser, transfer agent, custodian, liquidity market maker,  primary exchange, INAV agent, authorized participants and other financial intermediaries) may disrupt the business operations of the service providers and of the Fund, potentially resulting in financial losses; the inability of authorized participants to transact business with the Fund and of the Fund to process transactions; the inability of the Fund to calculate its net asset value; violations of applicable privacy and other laws, rules, and regulations; regulatory fines and penalties; reputational damage; reimbursement or other compensatory costs; and/or additional compliance costs associated with implementation of any corrective measures. The Fund and its shareholders could be negatively impacted as a result of any such cybersecurity breaches, and there can be no assurance that the Fund will not suffer losses relating to cybersecurity attacks or other informational security breaches affecting the Fund's third-party service provider in the future, particularly as the Fund cannot control cybersecurity plans or systems implemented by such service providers.
Securities the Fund invests in are subject to cybersecurity risks in similar ways to the Fund. A cybersecurity risk or cybersecurity event may cause the Fund's investments in such issuers to lose value. In extreme cases a risk or event could cause the issuer to cease business.
Segregated Accounts. A number of the Fund's potential non-principal investment strategies may require it to establish segregated accounts. When the Fund enters into an investment strategy that would result in a "senior security," as that term is defined in the 1940 Act, the Fund will either: (i) own an off-setting position in securities; or (ii) set aside liquid securities in a segregated account with its custodian bank (or designated in the Fund's books and records) in the amount prescribed. The Fund will maintain the value of such segregated accounts equal to the prescribed amount by adding or removing additional liquid securities to account for fluctuations in the value of securities held in such accounts. Securities held in a segregated account cannot be sold while the senior security is outstanding, unless they are replaced with qualifying securities and the value of the account is maintained.
A segregated account is not required when the Fund holds securities, options, or futures positions whose value is expected to offset its obligations that would otherwise require a segregated account. The Fund may also use other SEC approved methods to reduce or eliminate the leveraged aspects of senior securities.
Portfolio Transactions
The Adviser is responsible for the placement of portfolio transactions, subject to the supervision of the Fund's Board of Trustees. The following is a summary of the Adviser's trading policies, which are described in Part 2 of its Form ADV. The Adviser is primarily a discretionary investment adviser. Accordingly, the Adviser generally determines the securities and quantities to be bought and sold for each client's account.
Securities of "Regular Broker-Dealer". 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. The Fund is new and has not engaged in transactions prior to the date of this SAI.
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 or transaction costs. The overall reasonableness of brokerage commissions and transaction costs is evaluated by the Adviser based upon its knowledge of available information as to the general level of commissions and transaction costs paid by other institutional investors for comparable services.
The Fund also has a brokerage committee, which reviews the Fund's trading as described in the section titled "Standing Committees of the Board of Trustees."
Best Execution. The Adviser follows procedures intended to provide reasonable assurance of best execution. However, there can be no assurance that best execution will in fact be achieved in any given transaction. The Adviser seeks to place portfolio transactions with brokers or dealers who will execute transactions as efficiently as possible and at the most favorable net price. In placing executions and paying brokerage commissions or dealer markups, the Adviser considers, among other factors, price, commission, timing, aggregated trades, capable floor brokers or traders, competent block trading coverage, ability to position, capital strength and stability, reliable and accurate communication and settlement processing, use of automation, knowledge of other buyers or sellers, arbitrage skills, administrative ability, underwriting and provision of information on the particular security or market in which the transaction is to occur, research, the range and quality of the services made available to clients, and the payment of bona fide client expenses. The Adviser may place orders for portfolio transactions with broker-dealers who have sold shares of funds which the Adviser serves as adviser or sub-adviser. However, when the Adviser places orders for portfolio transactions, it does not give any consideration to whether a broker-dealer has sold shares of the funds which the Adviser serves as adviser or sub-adviser. The applicability of specific criteria will vary depending on 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.
Cross Trades. When the Adviser deems it to be advantageous, the Fund may purchase or sell securities directly from or to another client account which is managed by the Adviser. This may happen due to a variety of circumstances, including situations when the Fund must purchase securities due to holding excess cash and, at the same time, a different client of the Adviser must sell securities in order to increase its cash position. Cross trades are only executed when deemed beneficial to the Fund and the other client, and the Adviser has adopted written procedures to ensure fairness to both parties.
Investment Allocations. The Adviser considers many factors when allocating securities among its clients, (including the Fund) including but not limited to the client's investment style, applicable restrictions (i.e., a restriction preventing the holding of illiquid securities), availability of securities, available cash, anticipated liquidity, and existing holdings. The Adviser employs several portfolio managers, each of whom performs independent research and develops different levels of conviction concerning potential investments. Clients managed by the portfolio manager performing the research may receive priority allocations of limited investment opportunities that are in short supply, including IPOs.
Clients are not assured of participating equally or at all in particular investment allocations. The nature of a client's investment style may exclude it from participating in many investment opportunities, even if the client is not strictly precluded from participation based on written investment restrictions. For example, (i) large-cap value clients are unlikely to participate in IPOs of small-capitalization companies; (ii) the Adviser may allocate short-term trading opportunities to clients pursuing active trading strategies rather than clients pursuing long-term buy-and-hold strategies; (iii) minimum block sizes may be optimal for liquidity which may limit the participation of smaller accounts; (iv) it is sometimes impractical for some custodians to deal with securities which are difficult to settle; and (v) private accounts and managed money/wrap accounts generally do not participate in direct purchases of foreign securities, but may participate in depositary receipts consisting of American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs"), European Depositary Receipts ("EDRs"), and Global Depositary Receipts ("GDRs").
The Adviser attempts to allocate limited investment opportunities, including IPOs, among clients in a manner that is fair and equitable when viewed over a considerable period of time and involving many allocations. When the Adviser is limited in the amount of a particular security it can purchase, due to a limited supply, limited liquidity, or other reason, the Adviser may allocate the limited investment opportunity to a subset of eligible clients. The Adviser would then allocate the next limited investment opportunity to a different subset of eligible clients, rotating among subsets as limited investment opportunities are identified.
The Adviser serves as investment adviser for a number of clients and may deal with conflicts of interest when allocating investment opportunities among its various clients. For example, (i) the Adviser receives different advisory fees from different clients; (ii) the performance records of some clients are more public than the performance records of other clients; and (iii) the Adviser and its affiliates, owners, officers and employees have invested substantial amounts of their own capital in some client accounts (notably the Davis Funds, Selected Funds, and Clipper Fund), but do not invest their own capital in every client's account. The majority of the Adviser's clients pursue specific investment strategies, many of which are similar. The Adviser expects that, over long periods of time, most clients pursuing similar investment strategies should experience similar, but not identical, investment performance. Many factors affect investment performance, including, but not limited to: (i) the timing of cash deposits and withdrawals to and from an account; (ii) the fact that the Adviser may not purchase or sell a given security on behalf of all clients pursuing similar strategies; (iii) price and timing differences when buying or selling securities; and (iv) the clients' different investment restrictions. The Adviser's trading policies are designed to minimize possible conflicts of interest in trading for its clients.
Limitations on Aggregate Investments in a Single Company. The Adviser's policy is not to invest for the purpose of exercising control or management of other companies. In extraordinary circumstances, the Adviser may seek to influence management. In such an event, appropriate government and regulatory filings would be made.
Federal and state laws, as well as company documents (sometimes referred to as "poison pills") may limit the percentage of a company's outstanding shares which may be purchased or owned by the Adviser's clients. This is especially true in heavily regulated industries such as insurance, banking, and real estate investment trusts. Unless it can obtain an exception, the Adviser will not make additional purchases of these companies for its clients if, as a result of such purchase, shares in excess of the applicable investment limitation (for example, 9.9% of outstanding voting shares) would be held by its clients in the aggregate.
Order Priority. The Adviser's trading desk prioritizes incoming orders of similar purchases and sales of securities between institutional and managed money/wrap account orders. The Adviser's trading desk typically executes orders for institutional clients, including investment companies, institutional private accounts, sub-advised accounts and others. Managed money/wrap account program sponsors typically execute orders for managed money/wrap accounts.
The Adviser's trading desk attempts to coordinate the timing of orders with a trade rotation to prevent the Adviser from "bidding against itself" on orders. Generally, a block trade representing a portion of the total trade is placed first for institutional and private accounts. Once this trade is completed, the Adviser places orders for wrap accounts, one sponsor at a time. Sponsors of certain model portfolios will execute trades for their clients. These model portfolio sponsors are included as a part of the wrap account trade rotation. If the Adviser has not received a response from a model portfolio sponsor within a reasonable period of time, the Adviser will resume through the trade rotation. If this occurs, it is possible that the model portfolio sponsor and the Adviser will be executing similar trades for discretionary clients. The trading concludes with another block transaction for institutional and private accounts. The trading desk follows procedures intended to provide reasonable assurance that no clients are disadvantaged by this trade rotation; and the compliance department monitors execution quality. However, there can be no assurance that best execution will in fact be achieved in any given transaction.
Pattern Accounts. The Adviser serves as investment adviser for a number of clients which are patterned after model portfolios or designated mutual funds managed by the Adviser. For example, a client pursuing the Adviser's large-cap value strategy may be patterned after Davis New York Venture Fund. A client patterned after Davis New York Venture Fund will usually have all of its trading (other than trading reflecting cash flows due to client deposits or withdrawals) aggregated with that of Davis New York Venture Fund. In unusual circumstances, the Adviser may not purchase or sell a given security on behalf of all clients (even clients managed in a similar style), and it may not execute a purchase of securities or a sale of securities for all participating clients at the same time.
Orders for accounts which are not patterned after model portfolios or designated mutual funds are generally executed in the order received by the trading desk, with the following exceptions: (i) the execution of orders for clients that have directed that particular brokers be used may be delayed until the orders which do not direct a particular broker have been filled; (ii) the execution of orders may be delayed when the client (or responsible portfolio manager) requests such delay due to market conditions in the security to be purchased or sold; and (iii) the execution of orders which are to be bunched or aggregated.
Aggregated Trades. Generally, the Adviser's equity portfolio managers communicate investment decisions to a centralized equity trading desk, while fixed income portfolio managers normally place their transactions themselves. The Adviser frequently follows the practice of aggregating orders of various institutional clients for execution, if the Adviser believes that this will result in the best net price and most favorable execution. In some instances, aggregating trades could adversely affect a given client. However, the Adviser believes that aggregating trades generally benefits clients because larger orders tend to have lower execution costs, and the Adviser's clients do not compete with one another trading in the market. Directed brokerage trades in a particular security are typically executed separately from, and possibly after, the Adviser's other client trades.
In general, all of the Adviser's clients (excluding clients who are directing brokerage and managed account/wrap programs) seeking to purchase or sell a given security at approximately the same time will be aggregated into a single order or series of orders. When an aggregated order is filled, all participating clients receive the price at which the order was executed. If, at a later time, the participating clients wish to purchase or sell additional shares of the same security, or if additional clients seek to purchase or sell the same security, then the Adviser will issue a new order and the clients participating in the new order will receive the price at which the new order was executed.
In the event that an aggregated order is not entirely filled, the Adviser will allocate the purchases or sales among participating clients in the manner it considers to be most equitable and consistent with its fiduciary obligations to all such clients. Generally, partially-filled orders are allocated pro rata based on the initial order submitted by each participating client.
In accordance with the various managed account/wrap programs in which the Adviser participates, the Adviser typically directs all trading to the applicable program sponsor, unless, in the Adviser's reasonable discretion, doing so would adversely affect the client. Clients typically pay no commissions on trades executed through program sponsors. In the event that an order to the sponsor of a managed account/wrap program is not entirely filled, the Adviser will allocate the purchases or sales among the clients of that sponsor in the manner it considers to be most equitable and consistent with its fiduciary obligations to all such clients. Generally, partially-filled orders are allocated among the particular sponsor's participating clients on a random basis that is anticipated to be equitable over time.
Trading Error Correction. In the course of managing client accounts, it is possible that trading errors will occur from time to time. The Adviser has adopted Trading Error Correction Policies & Procedures which, when the Adviser is at fault, seek to place a client's account in the same position it would have been had there been no error. The Adviser retains flexibility in attempting to place a client's account in the same position it would have been had there been no error. The Adviser attempts to treat all material errors uniformly, regardless of whether they would result in a profit or loss to the client. For example, the Adviser may purchase securities from a client account at cost if they were acquired due to a trading error. If more than one trading error, or a series of trading errors, is discovered in a client account, then gains and losses on the erroneous trades may be netted.
Research Paid For With Commissions ("Soft Dollars"). The Adviser does not use client commissions, "soft dollars," to pay for: (i) computer hardware or software, or other electronic communications facilities; (ii) publications, both paper based or electronic, that are available to the general public; and (iii) third-party research services. If the Adviser determines to purchase such services, it pays for them using its own resources.
The Adviser's portfolio managers may take into account the research resources, as well as the execution capacity, of a brokerage firm in selecting brokers. Thus, transactions may be directed to a brokerage firm which provides: (i) important information concerning a company; (ii) introductions to key company officers; (iii) industry and company conferences; and (iv) other value added research services. The Adviser may have an incentive to select or recommend a broker-dealer based on its interest in receiving the research or services, rather than on its clients' interest in receiving most favorable execution. If the Adviser were to direct brokerage to a firm providing these value added services, the Adviser may receive a benefit as it may not have to pay for the services it has received.
The Adviser follows the concepts of Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Subject to the criteria of Section 28(e), the Adviser may pay a broker a brokerage commission in excess of that which another broker might have charged for effecting the same transactions, in recognition of the value of the brokerage and research services provided by or through the broker. The Adviser's Head Trader exercises his professional judgment to determine which brokerage firm is best suited to execute any given portfolio transaction. This includes transactions executed through brokerage firms which provide the services listed above. The Adviser does not attempt to allocate soft dollar benefits to client accounts proportionately to the commissions which the accounts pay to brokerage firms which provide research services. The Adviser believes it is important to its investment decision-making to have access to independent research.
Exceptions. There are occasions when the Adviser varies the trading procedures and considerations described above. The Adviser exercises its best judgment in determining whether clients should execute portfolio transactions simultaneously with, prior to, or subsequent to the model portfolio or designated mutual fund that they are patterned after. The factors that the Adviser considers in exercising its judgment include, but are not limited to, the need for confidentiality of the purchase or sale, market liquidity of the securities in issue, the particular events or circumstances that prompt the purchase or sale of the securities, and operational efficiencies. Even when transactions are executed on the same day, clients may not receive the same price as the model portfolios or designated mutual funds they are patterned after. If the transactions are not aggregated, such prices may be better or worse.
Portfolio Turnover. Because the Fund's portfolios are managed using the Davis Investment Discipline, portfolio turnover is expected to be low. The Fund anticipates that during normal market conditions, its annual portfolio turnover rate will be less than 100%. However, depending upon market conditions, portfolio turnover rate will vary. At times, it could be high, which could require the payment of larger amounts in brokerage commissions and possibly more taxable distributions.
When the Adviser deems it to be appropriate, a Fund may engage in active and frequent trading to achieve its investment objective. Active trading may include participation in IPOs. Active trading may result in the realization and distribution to shareholders of larger amounts of capital gains compared with a fund with less active trading strategies, which could increase shareholder tax liability. Active trading may also generate larger amounts of short-term capital gains, which are generally taxable as ordinary income when distributed to taxable shareholders. Frequent trading also increases transaction costs which could detract from a Fund's performance.
The Funds are new and, therefore, portfolio turnover information is not yet available.
Portfolio Commissions. The Fund has not commenced operations as of the date of this SAI and, therefore, has not paid brokerage commissions during the past fiscal year.
Investments in Certain Broker-Dealers. The Fund is required to identify any securities of its "regular brokers and dealers" which it may hold at the close of its most recent fiscal year. The Fund's regular brokers and dealers are the ten brokers or dealers receiving the greatest amount of commissions from the Fund's portfolio transactions during the most recent fiscal year, the ten brokers or dealers engaging in the largest amount of principal transactions during the most recent fiscal year, and the ten brokers or dealers that sold the largest amount of Fund shares during the most recent fiscal year.
The Funds are new and have not engaged in transactions prior to the date of this SAI.
Investment Restrictions
The Funds follow investment strategies developed in accordance with their investment objectives, policies, and restrictions described in their Prospectus and this SAI.
The Fund has adopted the fundamental investment policies set forth below, which may not be changed without shareholder approval. Where necessary, an explanation following a fundamental policy describes the Fund's practices with respect to that policy, as permitted by governing rules, regulations, and interpretations. If the governing rules, regulations, and/or interpretations change, the Fund's investment practices may change without a shareholder vote.
The fundamental investment restrictions set forth below may not be changed without the approval of the lesser of: (i) 67% or more of the voting securities present at such meeting if the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities of such company are present or represented by proxy; or (ii) more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities of such company.
Except for the fundamental investment policies regarding borrowing, all percentage restrictions apply as of the time of an investment without regard to any later fluctuations in the value of portfolio securities or other assets. All references to the assets of a Fund are in terms of current market value.
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Diversification (Davis Select World Opportunities ETF & Davis Select Financial ETF). The Fund may not make any investment that is inconsistent with its classification as a diversified investment company under the 1940 Act.
Further Explanation of Diversification Policy. To remain classified as a diversified investment company under the 1940 Act, the Fund must conform with the following: (i) with respect to 75% of its total assets, a diversified investment company may not invest more than 5% of its total assets, determined at market or other fair value at the time of purchase, in the securities of any one issuer; or (ii) invest in more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of any one issuer, determined at the time of purchase. These limitations do not apply to investments in securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or its agencies or instrumentalities.
Diversification (Davis Focused US Equity ETF). The Fund is not required to diversify its investments.
Further Explanation of Diversification Policy. The Fund intends to remain classified as a regulated investment company under the Internal Revenue Code. This requires the Fund to conform to the following: (i) at the end of each quarter of the taxable year, at least 50% of the value of the Fund's total assets must be represented by cash and cash items, U.S. Government securities, securities of other regulated investment companies, and "other securities." For this purpose, "other securities" does not include investments in the securities of any one issuer that represent more than 5% of the value of the Fund's total assets or more than 10% of the issuer's outstanding voting securities.
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Concentration (Davis Select World Opportunities ETF & Davis Focused US Equity ETF). The Fund may not concentrate its investments in the securities of issuers primarily engaged in any particular industry.
Further Explanation of Concentration Policy. The Fund may not invest 25% or more of its total assets, taken at market value, in the securities of issuers primarily engaged in any particular industry (other than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or its agencies or instrumentalities). The Fund generally uses the Global Industry Classification Standard ("GICS"), as developed by Morgan Stanley Capital International and Standard & Poor's Corporation, to determine industry classification. GICS presents industry classification as a series of levels (i.e., sector, industry group, industry, and sub-industry). For purposes of measuring concentration, the Fund generally classifies companies at the "industry group" or "industry" level. However, further analysis may lead the Adviser to classify companies at the sub-industry level. The Adviser will only measure concentration at the sub-industry level when it believes that the various sub-industries in question can reasonably be expected to be impacted differently to a material extent by future economic events. For example, in the "Insurance" industry, the Adviser believes that the sub-industries (insurance brokers, life & health insurance, multi-line insurance, property & casualty insurance, and reinsurance) can reasonably be expected to be impacted differently to a material extent by future economic events such as natural disasters, global politics, inflation, unemployment, technology, etc. In addition, the Adviser may reclassify a company into an entirely different sector if it believes that the GICS classification on a specific company does not accurately describe the company.
Concentration (Davis Select Financial ETF). The Fund concentrates its investments in the financial services industry.
Further Explanation of Concentration Policy. Financial services are a "sector" composed of a number of "industries," examples of which are included in the following paragraph. The concentration policy requires the Fund to invest at least 25% of its assets in securities principally engaged in the financial services group of industries which together make up the financial services sector. Due to the non-fundamental Name Policy, under normal circumstances the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets, plus any borrowing for investment purposes, in securities issued by companies principally engaged in the financial services sector.
A company is "principally engaged" in financial services if it owns financial services related assets constituting at least 50% of the total value of the company's assets, or if at least 50% of the company's revenues are derived from its provision of financial services. The financial services sector consists of several different industries that behave differently in different economic and market environments (e.g., banking, insurance, and securities brokerage houses). Companies in the financial services sector include commercial banks, industrial banks, savings institutions, finance companies, diversified financial services companies, investment banking firms, securities brokerage houses, investment advisory companies, leasing companies, insurance companies, and companies providing similar services.
The Fund may not invest 25% or more of its total assets, taken at market value, in the securities of issuers primarily engaged in any particular industry (other than issuers in the financial services sector or securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or its agencies or instrumentalities).
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Issuing Senior Securities (All Funds). The Fund may not issue senior securities, except as permitted under applicable law, including the 1940 Act and published SEC staff positions.
Further Explanation of Issuing Senior Securities. The Fund may not issue senior securities, except as provided by the 1940 Act and any rules, regulations, orders, or letters issued thereunder. This limitation does not apply to selling short against the box. See the non-fundamental restriction further limiting short selling below. The 1940 Act defines a "Senior Security" as any bond, debenture, note, or similar obligation constituting a security and evidencing indebtedness.
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Borrowing (All Funds). The Fund may not borrow money, except to the extent permitted by applicable law including the 1940 Act and published SEC staff positions.
Further Explanation of Borrowing Policy. The Fund may borrow from banks, provided that immediately thereafter the Fund has 300% asset coverage for all borrowings. The Fund may purchase additional securities so long as borrowings do not exceed 5% of its total assets. The Fund may obtain such short-term credit as may be necessary for the clearance of purchases and sales of portfolio securities. In the event that market fluctuations cause borrowing to exceed the limits stated above, the Adviser would act to remedy the situation as promptly as possible, normally within three business days, although it is not required to dispose of portfolio holdings immediately if the Fund would suffer losses as a result.
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Underwriting (All Funds). The Fund may not underwrite securities of other issuers except to the extent permitted by applicable law, including the 1940 Act and published SEC staff positions.
Further Explanation of Underwriting Policy. The Fund may not underwrite securities of other issuers, except insofar as the Fund may be deemed to be an underwriter in connection with the disposition of its portfolio securities.
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Investments in Commodities and Real Estate (All Funds). The Fund may not purchase or sell commodities or real estate, except to the extent permitted by applicable law, including the 1940 Act and published SEC staff positions.
Further Explanation of Policy Restricting Investments in Commodities and Real Estate. The Fund may purchase or sell financial futures contracts, options on financial futures contracts, currency contracts, and options on currency contracts as described in its Prospectus and SAI. The Fund may not purchase or sell real estate, except that the Fund may invest in securities that are directly or indirectly secured by real estate or issued by issuers that invest in real estate.
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Making Loans (All Funds). The Fund may not make loans to other persons, except as allowed by applicable law including the 1940 Act and published SEC staff positions.
Further Explanation of Lending Policy. The acquisition of investment securities or other investment instruments, entering into repurchase agreements, leaving cash on deposit with the Fund's custodian, and similar actions are not deemed to be the making of a loan.
To generate income and offset expenses, the Fund may lend portfolio securities to broker-dealers and other financial institutions that the Adviser believes to be creditworthy in an amount up to 331/3% of its total assets, taken at market value. While securities are on loan, the borrower will pay the Fund any income accruing on the security. The Fund may invest any collateral it receives in additional portfolio securities, typically U.S. Treasury notes, certificates of deposit, other high-grade, short-term obligations, or interest-bearing cash equivalents. The Fund is still subject to gains or losses due to changes in the market value of securities that it has lent.
When the Fund lends its securities, it will require the borrower to give the Fund collateral in cash or U.S. Government securities. The Fund will require collateral in an amount equal to at least 100% of the current market value of the securities lent, including accrued interest. The Fund has the right to call a loan and obtain the securities lent any time on notice of not more than five business days. The Fund may pay reasonable fees in connection with such loans.
Non-Fundamental Investment Policies
The Funds have adopted and will follow the non-fundamental investment policies set forth below, which may be changed by the Fund's Board of Trustees without the approval of the Fund's shareholders.
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Liquidity. The Portfolio shall be invested in publicly traded or otherwise readily marketable equity securities. A security which may become illiquid after purchase. If this occurs the Adviser would attempt to liquidate the Fund's investment in this illiquid security in an orderly fashion.
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High-Yield, High-Risk Securities. The Fund will not purchase debt securities rated BB or Ba or lower (sometimes referred to as "Junk Bonds") if the securities are in default at the time of purchase or if such purchase would then cause more than 20% of the Fund's net assets to be invested in such lower-rated securities.
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Options. The Fund will not purchase an option if the purchase would cause the total premiums (at market) of all options then owned to exceed 5% of the Fund's total assets. The Fund will not sell covered calls if the transaction would cause the total premiums (at market) of all covered calls then written to exceed 25% of the Fund's total assets. For additional information concerning option strategies and their risks, see the sub-section titled "Derivatives."
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Futures Contracts. The Fund will not engage in a futures transaction if the transaction would cause the nominal value of futures contracts then purchased or sold to exceed 25% of the Fund's total assets. For additional information concerning futures contracts and their risks, see the sub-section titled "Derivatives."
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Short Selling. The Fund will not sell any security short if it would cause more than 5% of its total assets, taken at market value, to be sold short. This limitation does not apply to selling short against the box.
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Investing For Control. The Fund does not invest for the purpose of exercising control or management of other companies.
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Mortgage, Pledge, Lend, or Hypothecate Assets. The Fund will not mortgage, pledge, lend, or hypothecate more than 331/3% of its total assets, taken at market value in securities lending or other activities.
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Name Policy. Under normal circumstances, Davis Select Financial ETF invests at least 80% of net assets plus any borrowing for investment purposes in securities issued by companies in the financial services sector. Davis Focused US Equity ETF invests at least 80% of net assets plus any borrowing for investment purposes in securities issued by U.S. companies.  Each Fund will comply with its Name Policy as of the time an investment is made. If at some point a Fund no longer meets the 80% test (e.g., due to market value changes), it would not be required to sell assets, although any future investments would need to be made in a manner that tends to bring the Fund back into compliance. In addition, because the 80% test applies under "normal circumstances," a Fund could depart from the 80% requirement to take temporary defensive positions or due to other unusual events.
Davis Select Financial ETF and Davis Focused US Equity ETF would provide the Fund's shareholders with at least 60 days' prior notice before changing its Name Policies, as described above.
Exchange Listing and Trading
A discussion of exchange listing and trading matters associated with an investment in the Fund is contained in the Prospectus under "Buying and Selling Shares." The discussion below supplements, and should be read in conjunction with, such section of the Prospectus.
The shares of the Fund are approved for listing and trading on the Exchange, subject to notice of issuance. The shares trade on the Exchange at prices that may differ from their net asset value. There can be no assurance that the requirements of the Exchange necessary to maintain the listing of shares of the Fund will continue to be met.
The Exchange may, but is not required to, remove the shares of the Fund from listing if: (i) following the initial twelve-month period beginning upon the commencement of trading of the Fund, there are fewer than 50 beneficial holders of the shares for 30 or more consecutive trading days; (ii) the value of its underlying portfolio of securities on which the Fund is based is no longer calculated or available; (iii) the "indicative optimized portfolio value" (" IOPV ") of the Fund is no longer calculated or available; (iv) the disclosed portfolio holdings are no longer made available or are not made available to all market participants at the same time; (v) if the Fund has failed to file any filings required by the SEC or the Fund is not in compliance with any exemptive order or no-action relief granted by the commission; or (vi) such other event shall occur 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 the Fund.
The Trust reserves the right to adjust the share price of the 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 the 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 the Fund is the U.S. dollar. The base currency is the currency in which the Fund's net asset value per share is calculated and the trading currency is the currency in which shares of the Fund are listed and traded on the Exchange.
Section II:
The Trust and Key Persons
This SAI should be read in conjunction with, and supplements information available in, the Prospectus.
Organization of the Trust
The Trust. Davis Fundamental ETF Trust (the "Trust") is a business trust established in Delaware in 2016 and registered under the 1940 Act. The Trust may issue multiple series, each of which would represent an interest in its separate portfolio. Currently, there are three series: (i) Davis Select World Opportunities ETF ("DSWO"), (ii) Davis Select Financial ETF ("DSFE"), and (iii) Davis Focused US Equity ETF ("DAVS"). For some issues, such as the election of Trustees, all of Davis Fundamental ETF Trust's authorized series vote together. For other issues, such as approval of the advisory agreement, each authorized series votes separately. Shares do not have cumulative voting rights; therefore, the holders of more than 50% of the voting power can elect all of the Trustees. Rule 18f-2 under the 1940 Act provides that any matter required to be submitted under the provisions of the 1940 Act or applicable state law or otherwise to the shareholders of the outstanding voting securities of an investment company will not be deemed to have been effectively acted on unless approved by the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of each series affected by such matter. Rule 18f-2 further provides that a series shall be deemed to be affected by a matter unless it is clear that the interests of each series in the matter are identical or that the matter does not affect any interest of such series. Rule 18f-2 exempts the selection of independent accountants and the election of Board members from the separate voting requirements of the Rule.
The Trust does not hold regular annual shareholder meetings. Shareholder meetings are held when they are required under the 1940 Act or when otherwise called for special purposes. Special shareholder meetings may be called on the written request of shareholders of at least 2/3 of the voting power that could be cast at the meeting. The Fund will provide assistance in calling and holding such special meetings to the extent required by applicable Delaware law or SEC rules and regulations then in effect.
Trustees and Officers
The management of the Trust, including general supervision of the duties performed for the Fund by the Adviser under the Investment Management Agreement, is the responsibility of the Board of Trustees (the "Board"). The Board is comprised of three members, one of whom is an "interested person" (as such term "interested person" is defined in the 1940 Act) and two of whom are not interested persons (referred to herein as "Independent Trustees"). One Independent Trustee was previously an officer to the Adviser and its affiliates. The Board establishes the Fund's policies and meets regularly to review the activities of the officers, who are responsible for day-to-day operations of the Fund, the Adviser, and certain other service providers. The Board approves all significant agreements between the Fund and those companies that furnish services to the Fund. Trustees are elected and serve until their successors are elected and qualified. Information about the Trustees, including their business addresses, dates of birth, principal occupations during the past five years, and other current Directorships of publicly traded companies or funds, are set forth in the table below.
XX serves as the Chairman of the Board. The Independent Trustees have designated a Lead Independent Trustee, who functions as a liaison between the Chairman of the Board and the other Independent Trustee(s). The Lead Independent Trustee presides at all Executive Sessions of the Independent Trustees, reviews and provides input on Board meeting agendas and materials, and typically represents the Independent Trustees in discussions with Davis Advisors management. XX currently serves as Lead Independent Director. The Board has reviewed and determined that its leadership and committee structure is appropriate. The Chairman may perform such other functions as may be requested by the Board from time to time. The Board has designated a number of standing committees, as further described below, each of which has a Chairman. The Board may also designate working groups or ad hoc committees as it deems appropriate.
The Board believes that this leadership structure is appropriate because it allows the Board to exercise informed and independent judgment over matters under its purview, and it allocates areas of responsibility among committees or working groups of Trustees and the full Board in a manner that enhances effective oversight. The Board also believes that having a majority of Independent Trustees is appropriate and in the best interest of the Fund's shareholders. Nevertheless, the Board also believes that having interested persons serve on the Board brings corporate and financial viewpoints that are, in the Board's view, crucial elements in its decision-making process. The leadership structure of the Board may be changed at any time and in the discretion of the Board, including in response to changes in circumstances or the characteristics of the Funds.
Trustees
For the purposes of their service as Trustees to the Davis Fundamental ETF Trust, the business address for each of the Trustees is: 2949 East Elvira Road, Suite 101, Tucson, AZ 85756.
Name, Date of Birth, Position Held with Fund, Length of Service
Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years
Number of Portfolios Overseen
Other Directorships
 
Independent Trustees:
 
XX
X
3
   
XX
XXXX.
3
   
 
Interested Trustee:
Kenneth Eich
(XX/XX/XXXX)
 
XX
3
   
   
Independent Trustees' Compensation
During the fiscal year ended October 31, 2017, the compensation paid to the Trustees, who are not considered to be interested persons of the Fund, is listed in the table below. The Trustees receive no pecuniary retirement benefits accrued as Fund expenses. Interested Trustees are not compensated by the Fund.
Independent Trustees
Davis Select World Opportunities ETF
Davis Select Financial ETF
Davis Focused US Equity ETF
Aggregate Fund Compensation(1)
Total Complex Compensation(2)
XX
XX
     
XX
XX
XX
     
XX
(1)
"Aggregate Fund Compensation" is the aggregate compensation paid for service as a director by all series of Davis Fundamental ETF Trust.
(2)
"Total complex compensation" is the aggregate compensation paid for service as a director by all mutual funds with the same investment adviser. There are six registered investment companies in the complex.
Effective November 1, 2016, Independent Trustees receive a $15,000 retainer for their service.
Officers
All officers of the Trust (including the Interested Trustee/Chairman) hold positions as executive officers with the Adviser and its affiliates, including Davis Selected Advisers, L.P. (the "Adviser"), Davis Selected Advisers – NY, Inc. (the "Sub-Adviser"), Davis Distributors, LLC, Davis Investments, LLC (the sole general partner of the Adviser), and other affiliated companies. The Trust does not pay salaries to any of its officers. Each of the Trust's officers serves for one year, and until his or her successor is elected and qualified.
Christopher Davis (born 07/13/65, Davis Fundamental ETF Trust officer since 2016). President of the Davis Fundamental ETF Trust (consisting of 3 portfolios), Davis Funds (consisting of 13 portfolios), Selected Funds (consisting of two portfolios), and Clipper Funds Trust (consisting of one portfolio); Director Davis Funds, Selected Funds and Clipper Fund; Chairman, Davis Selected Advisers, L.P.; and also serves as an executive officer of certain companies affiliated with the Adviser, including sole member of the Adviser's general partner, Davis Investments, LLC.
Kenneth Eich (born 08/14/53, Davis Fundamental ETF Trust officer since 2016). Executive Vice President and Principal Executive Officer of the Davis Fundamental ETF Trust (consisting of 3 portfolios), Davis Funds (consisting of 13 portfolios), Selected Funds (consisting of two portfolios), and Clipper Funds Trust (consisting of one portfolio); Chief Operating Officer, Davis Selected Advisers, L.P.; and also serves as an executive officer of certain companies affiliated with the Adviser.
Douglas Haines (born 03/04/71, Davis Fundamental ETF Trust officer since 2016). Vice President, Treasurer, Chief Financial Officer, Principal Financial Officer, and Principal Accounting Officer of the Davis Fundamental ETF Trust (consisting of three portfolios), Davis Funds (consisting of 13 portfolios), Selected Funds (consisting of two portfolios), and Clipper Funds Trust (consisting of one portfolio); Vice President and Director of Fund Accounting, Davis Selected Advisers, L.P.
Sharra Haynes (born 09/25/66, Davis Fundamental ETF Trust officer since 2016). Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer of the Davis Fundamental ETF Trust (consisting of three portfolios), Davis Funds (consisting of 13 portfolios), Selected Funds (consisting of two portfolios), and Clipper Funds Trust (consisting of one portfolio); Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer, Davis Selected Advisers, L.P.; and also serves as an executive officer of certain companies affiliated with the Adviser.
Ryan Charles (born 07/25/78, Davis Fundamental ETF Trust officer since 2016). Vice President and Secretary of the Davis Fundamental ETF Trust (consisting of three portfolios), Davis Funds (consisting of 13 portfolios), Selected Funds (consisting of two portfolios), and Clipper Funds Trust (consisting of one portfolio); Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Secretary, Davis Selected Advisers, L.P.; and also serves as an executive officer of certain companies affiliated with the Adviser.
Standing Committees of the Board of Trustees
Although the Board has general criteria that guide its choice of candidates to serve on the Board, there are no specific required qualifications for Board membership, including with respect to the diversity of candidates for Board membership. Candidates for Board membership nominated by shareholders are not treated differently than candidates nominated from other sources. The Board believes that the different perspectives, viewpoints, professional experience, education, and individual qualities of each Director represent a diversity of experiences and a variety of complementary skills. It is the Trustees' belief that this allows the Board, as a whole, to oversee the business of the Fund in a manner consistent with the best interests of the Fund's shareholders. When considering potential nominees to fill vacancies on the Board, and as part of its annual self-evaluation, the Board reviews the mix of skills and other relevant experiences of the Trustees; qualified candidates will be men or women of proven character and talent who have achieved notable success in their professional careers. The specific talents that the Nominating Committee of the Board seeks in a candidate depend to a great extent upon the Board's needs at the time a vacancy occurs.
The table above provides the professional experience of each Trustee on an individual basis. This disclosure includes the length of time serving the Fund, other directorships held, and their principal occupation during the past five years. Each of the Trustees has spent a significant amount of their professional career working with registered investment companies. For this reason they have become familiar with the regulatory and investment matters that may impact the Fund.  This experience contributes to the Trustees' deliberations. In light of the Fund's business and structure, the Board believes the experience of each Trustee is beneficial for overseeing the business of the Fund. Moreover, the Board believes that the different experiences and backgrounds of the Trustees are complementary and enhance the Board's ability to oversee the Fund's affairs.
Audit Committee. The Board has established an Audit Committee, which is comprised of XX Trustees (XX, Chair; XX; and XX). The Audit Committee has a charter. The Audit Committee reviews financial statements and other audit-related matters for the Trust. The Audit Committee also holds discussions with management and with the Independent Accountants concerning the scope of the audit and the auditor's independence. The Audit Committee meets as often as deemed appropriate by the Audit Committee. The Audit Committee expects to meet four times during the year ended December 2017.
The Board of Trustees has determined that XX is the Trust's independent audit committee financial expert, pursuant to Section 407 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and as defined by Item 3 of Form N-CSR of the 1940 Act. In their deliberations, the Board of Trustees considered XX: (i) professional experience; (ii) independence as defined in Item 3 of Form N-CSR; and (iii) integrity and absence of disciplinary history.
Nominating Committee. The Trust has a Nominating Committee, which is comprised of XX (XX, Chair; and XX), which meets as often as deemed appropriate by the Nominating Committee. The Fund does not elect Trustees annually. Each Trustee serves until retirement, resignation, death, or removal. The Nominating Committee expects that it will meet one time during the year ended December 2017. The Nominating Committee reviews and nominates persons to serve as members of the Board of Trustees, and reviews and makes recommendations concerning the compensation of the Independent Trustees. The Chairperson of the Nominating Committee also currently serves as the Chairman of the Board and (i) presides over Board meetings; (ii) presides over Executive Sessions of the Independent Trustees of the Fund, in addition to presiding over meetings of the committee; (iii) participates with the officers and counsel in the preparation of agendas and materials for Board meetings; (iv) facilitates communication between the Independent Trustees and management, and among the Independent Trustees; and (v) has such other responsibilities as the Board or Independent Trustees shall determine. The Nominating Committee has a charter. When the Board is seeking a candidate to become a Trustee, it considers qualified candidates received from a variety of sources, including having authority to retain third parties that may receive compensation related to identifying and evaluating candidates. Shareholders may propose nominees by writing to the Nominating Committee, in care of the Secretary of the Davis Fundamental ETF Trust, at 2949 East Elvira, Suite 101, Tucson, Arizona 85756.
Brokerage Committee. The Trust has a Brokerage Committee, which is comprised entirely of Independent Trustees (XX, Chair; and XX), which meets as often as deemed appropriate by the Brokerage Committee. The Brokerage Committee expects to meet once during the year ended December 2017. The Brokerage Committee reviews and makes recommendations concerning the Trust's portfolio brokerage and trading practices.
Pricing Committee. The Trust has a Pricing Committee (XX, Chair; XX , an XX of the Fund; and XX, an XX of the Fund) that meets as often as deemed appropriate by the Pricing Committee. The Pricing Committee expects to meet four times during the year ended December 2017. The Pricing Committee reviews and makes recommendations concerning pricing of the Fund's portfolio securities.
Risk Oversight
As a registered investment company, the Funds are subject to a variety of risks, including investment risk, valuation risk, reputational risk, risk of operational failure or lack of business continuity, and legal, compliance and regulatory risk. Risk management seeks to identify and address risks (i.e., events or circumstances that could have material adverse effects on the business, operations, shareholder services, investment performance or reputation of the Fund).
Day-to-day management of the Trust, including risk management, is the responsibility of the Fund's contractual service providers, including the Fund's investment adviser, principal underwriter/distributor, custodian and transfer agent. Each of these entities is responsible for specific portions of the Fund's operations, including the processes and associated risks relating to the Fund's investments, integrity of cash movements, financial reporting, operations and compliance. The Board oversees the service providers' discharge of their responsibilities, including the processes they use to manage relevant risks.
As part of its overall activities, the Board reviews the management of the Fund's risk management structure by various departments of the Adviser, including Portfolio Management, Fund Operations, Legal and Internal Audit, as well as by the Trust's Chief Compliance Officer ("CCO"). The responsibility to manage the Fund's risk management structure on a day-to-day basis is within the Adviser's overall investment management responsibilities. The Adviser has its own, independent interest in risk management.
The Board discharges risk oversight as part of its overall activities, with the assistance of its Audit Committee and CCO. In addressing issues regarding the Trust's risk management between meetings, appropriate representatives of the Adviser communicate with the Chair of the Board or the Trust's CCO, who is accountable and reports directly to the Board. Various personnel, including the Trust's CCO, the Adviser's management, and other service providers (such as the independent accountants) make periodic reports to the Board or to the Audit Committee with respect to various aspects of risk management.
The Board recognizes that not all risks that may affect the Fund can be identified, that it may not be practical or cost-effective to eliminate or mitigate certain risks, that it may be necessary to bear certain risks (such as investment-related risks) to achieve each Fund's investment objectives, and that the processes, procedures, and controls employed to address certain risks may be limited in their effectiveness. Moreover, reports received by the Trustees as to risk management matters are typically summaries of the relevant information. As a result of the foregoing and other factors, the Board's risk management oversight is subject to substantial limitations.
The Audit Committee assists the Board in reviewing with the independent auditors, at various times throughout the year, matters relating to the annual audits and financial accounting and reporting matters. The Pricing Committee reviews and makes recommendations concerning pricing of the Fund's portfolio securities.
The Trust's CCO assists the Board in overseeing the significant investment policies of the relevant Fund. The CCO monitors these policies. The Board receives and considers the CCO's annual written report, which, among other things, summarizes material compliance issues that arose during the previous year and any remedial action taken to address these issues, as well as any material changes to the compliance programs. The Board also receives and considers reports from the Trust's CCO throughout the year. As part of its oversight responsibilities, the Board has approved various compliance policies and procedures. Each Committee presents reports to the Board which may prompt further discussion of issues concerning the oversight of the Trust's risk management. The Board also may discuss particular risks that are not addressed in the Committee process.
Trustees' Fund Holdings
The information in the table below discloses (i) the dollar ranges of each Trustee's beneficial ownership in the Fund, and (ii) each Trustee's aggregate beneficial ownership in all Funds within the Davis Fundamental ETF Trust complex, as of December 31, 2015.
Investments are listed in the following ranges: none, $1-10,000, $10,001-50,000, $50,001-100,000 and over $100,000:
Independent Trustees
Davis Select World Opportunities ETF
Davis Select Financial ETF
Davis Focused US Equity ETF
Total Invested In All Funds(1)
XX
   
XX
 
XX
   
XX
 
Interested Trustee
Davis Select World Opportunities ETF
Davis Select Financial ETF
Davis Focused US Equity ETF
Total Invested In All Funds(1)
Kenneth Eich
   
XX
 
(1)
Total Invested in All Funds is the aggregate dollar range of investments in all Funds overseen by the individual Trustee and managed by Davis Selected Advisers, L.P.
As of XX, 2016 the officers and Trustees of the Trust, in the aggregated, owned no shares of the Fund.
Independent Trustees' Affiliations and Transactions
None of the Independent Trustees (or their immediate family members) own any securities issued by the Trust's investment adviser, sub-adviser, principal underwriter or any company (other than a registered investment company) directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by or under common control with the above listed companies (hereafter referred to as the "Adviser and its affiliates"). Mr. Eich owns partnership units (directly, indirectly, or both) in the Adviser and is considered to be an Interested Trustee.
None of the Independent Trustees (or their immediate family members) have had any direct or indirect interest, the value of which exceeds $120,000, during the last two calendar years in the Adviser or in the Adviser and its affiliates.
None of the Independent Trustees (or their immediate family members) have had any material interest in any transaction, or series of transactions, during the last two years, in which the amount involved exceeds $120,000 and to which any of the following persons was a party: including any Davis Fundamental ETF Trust, an officer of the Davis Fundamental ETF Trust, or any fund managed by the Adviser or in the Adviser and its affiliates.
None of the Independent Trustees (or their immediate family members) have had any direct or indirect relationships during the last two years, in which the amount involved exceeds $120,000 and to which any of the following persons was a party: any Davis Fundamental ETF Trust, an officer of the Davis Fundamental ETF Trust, or any fund managed by the Adviser or in the Adviser and its affiliates.
None of the officers of the Adviser and its affiliates have served during the last two years on the board of directors/trustees of a company where any Trustee of the Fund (or any of the Trustees' immediate family members) served as an officer.
Certain Shareholders of the Fund
As of XX, 2016, officers and Trustees as a group owned the following percentages of shares issued by the Funds(1):
 
Officers and Trustees
Davis Select World Opportunities ETF
XX
*
   
Davis Select Financial ETF
XX
*
   
Davis Focused US Equity ETF
XX
*
   
(1)
This percentage does not include investments controlled indirectly, including holdings by Davis Selected Advisers, L.P.
*
Indicates that officers and Trustees as a group owned less than 1% of the outstanding shares of the indicated shares.
The Fund had not commenced operations prior to the date of this SAI and therefore did not have any beneficial owners that owned greater than 5% of the outstanding voting securities as of the date of this SAI.
An Authorized Participant may hold of record more than 25% of the outstanding shares of the Fund. From time to time, Authorized Participants may be a beneficial and/or legal owner of the Fund, may be affiliated with an index provider, may be deemed to have control of a Fund and/or may be able to affect the outcome of matters presented for a vote of the shareholders of a Fund. Authorized Participants may execute an irrevocable proxy granting the Distributor or an affiliated of the Distributor (the "Agent") the power to vote or abstain from voting such Authorized Participant's beneficially or legally owned shares of a Fund. In such cases, the Agent shall mirror vote (or abstain from voting) such shares in the same proportion as all other beneficial owners of the voting Fund.
The following table sets forth as of XX, 2016, the name and holdings of each person known by Davis Fundamental ETF Trust, to be a record owner of more than 5% of the outstanding shares of the Funds. Other than as indicated below, the Fund is not aware of any shareholder who beneficially owns more than 25% of the Fund's total outstanding shares. Shareholders owning a significant percentage of the Fund's shares do not affect the voting rights of other shareholders.
 
Name and Address of Shareholders Owning More Than 5% of Fund
Percent Outstanding
Davis Select World Opportunities ETF
XX
 
XX%
     
Davis Select Financial ETF
 
   
     
Davis Focused US Equity ETF
   
     
     

Davis Selected Advisers, L.P. and Davis Selected Advisers-NY, Inc. Davis Selected Advisers, L.P. (the "Adviser"), whose principal office is at 2949 East Elvira Road, Suite 101, Tucson, Arizona 85756, serves as investment adviser for Davis Fundamental ETF Trust responsibility for the overall management of the Fund. The Adviser is also responsible for managing the Fund's business affairs and providing day-to-day administrative services to the Fund. The Adviser also provides advisory or sub-advisory services to other parties including other registered investment companies, private accounts, offshore funds, and managed money/wrap accounts. Davis Investments, LLC, an entity controlled by Christopher Davis, is the Adviser's sole general partner. Mr. Davis is Chairman of the Adviser and, as the sole member of the general partner, controls the Adviser. Davis Selected Advisers – NY, Inc. (the "Sub-Adviser"), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Adviser, performs investment management, research, and other services for the Davis Fundamental ETF Trust on behalf of the Adviser, under sub-advisory agreements with the Adviser. All fees paid to the Sub-Adviser are paid by the Adviser.
Advisory Agreement with Davis Selected Advisers, L.P. and Sub-Advisory Agreement with Davis Selected Advisers-NY, Inc. Pursuant to an advisory agreement, each Fund pays the Adviser a fee according to the following schedule:
Davis Focused US Equity ETF, Davis Select Financial ETF, and Davis Select World Opportunities ETF pay the Adviser a fee at the annual rate of 0.55% of average net assets.
Expense Cap. The Adviser is contractually committed to waive fees and/or reimburse each Fund's expenses such XX until November 1, 2017. After that date, there is no assurance that the Adviser will continue to cap expenses.
The aggregate fees paid to the Adviser during the last three fiscal years are not available as the Fund has not been in existence during all of these periods.
In accordance with the provisions of the 1940 Act, the Advisory Agreement and Sub-Advisory Agreement will terminate automatically on assignment and are subject to cancellation on 60 days' written notice by the Board of Trustees, the vote of the holders of a majority of the Funds' outstanding shares or the Adviser. The continuance of the Advisory Agreement and Sub-Advisory Agreement must be approved at least annually by the Funds' Board of Trustees or by the vote of holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of the Funds. In addition, any new agreement, or the continuation of the existing agreement, must be approved by a majority of Trustees who are not parties to the agreements or interested persons of any such party. The Advisory Agreement also makes provisions for portfolio transactions and brokerage policies of the Funds, which are discussed above under "Portfolio Transactions."
The Adviser has entered into a Sub-Advisory Agreement with its wholly owned subsidiary, Davis Selected Advisers – NY, Inc., where the Sub-Adviser performs research and other services on behalf of the Adviser. Under the Agreement, the Adviser pays all of the Sub-Adviser's direct and indirect costs of operation. All fees paid to the Sub-Adviser are paid by the Adviser and not the Funds.
Pursuant to the Advisory Agreement, the Adviser, subject to the general supervision of the Funds' Board of Trustees, provides management and investment advice and furnishes statistical, executive and clerical personnel, bookkeeping, office space and equipment necessary to carry out its investment advisory functions and such corporate managerial duties as requested by the Board of Trustees of the Funds. The Funds bear all expenses other than those specifically assumed by the Adviser under the Advisory Agreement, including preparation of its tax returns, financial reports to regulatory authorities, dividend determinations, transactions and accounting matters related to its custodian bank, transfer agency, custodial and investor services, and qualification of its shares under federal and state securities laws.
The aggregate amounts paid to the Adviser during the last three fiscal years are not available as the Fund has not been in existence during all of these periods.
Approval of the Advisory and Sub-Advisory Agreements. The Board of Trustees is scheduled to meet four times a year. The Trustees believe that matters bearing on the Advisory and Sub-Advisory Agreements are considered at most, if not all, of their meetings. The Independent Trustees are advised by independent legal counsel selected by the Independent Trustees. A discussion of the Trustees' considerations in the annual approval of Advisory and Sub-Advisory Agreements is included in the Fund's next Annual or Semi-Annual Report following the annual approval.
Unique Nature of Each Fund. The Adviser may serve as the investment adviser or sub-adviser to other funds that have investment objectives and principal investment strategies similar to those of the Funds. While the Trust's portfolios may have many similarities to these other funds, the investment performance of each fund will be different due to a number of differences between the funds, including differences in expense ratios and cash flows.
Code of Ethics. The Adviser, Sub-Adviser, Distributor and the Davis Fundamental ETF Trust have adopted a Code of Ethics, meeting the requirements of Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act that regulate the personal securities transactions of the Adviser's investment personnel, other employees and affiliates with access to information regarding securities transactions of the Funds. Such employees may invest in securities, including securities that may be purchased or held by the Funds. A copy of the Code of Ethics is on public file with, and available from, the SEC.
Continuing Regulation. The Adviser, like most other asset managers, is subject to ongoing inquiries from the SEC and/or the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority ("FINRA") regarding industry practices.
Litigation. In June of 2014 and in August of 2014, two separate class action lawsuits were filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York on behalf of investors in Davis New York Venture Fund ("DNYVF") against Davis Selected Advisers, L.P. and Davis Selected Advisers – N.Y., Inc. (the Sub-Adviser of Davis Selected Advisers, L.P.). The plaintiffs claim that the defendants (the "Davis Entities") charged DNYVF excessive fees to manage DNYVF. In September of 2014, these two claims were consolidated into one lawsuit. The lawsuit seeks monetary damages and other relief. The Davis Entities believe that the action is without merit and have undertaken a vigorous defense in these proceedings. Although no determination can be made at this time, it is not anticipated that this lawsuit will have a material adverse effect on the Davis Entities, their assets, or the Fund.
Proxy Voting Policies and Record. The Board of Trustees has directed the Adviser to vote the Fund's portfolio securities in conformance with the Adviser's Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures. These policies and procedures are summarized in Appendix B. Information regarding how the Funds voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 is available on the Fund's website, www.XX.com, without charge, by calling Davis Fundamental ETF Trust's Investor Services at 1-800-XXX-XXXX, or on the Commission's website (www.sec.gov).
Portfolio Managers
Davis Select World Opportunities ETF. The portfolio managers of Davis Select World Opportunities ETF are Christopher Davis and Danton Goei. They are the persons primarily responsible for investing the Fund's assets on a daily basis.
Davis Select Financial ETF. The portfolio manager of Davis Select Financial ETF is Christopher Davis. Mr. Davis is the person primarily responsible for investing the Fund's assets on a daily basis.
Davis Focused US Equity ETF. The portfolio managers of Davis Focused US Equity ETF are Christopher Davis and Danton Goei. They are the persons primarily responsible for investing the Fund's assets on a daily basis.
Accounts Managed as of December 31, 2015
Portfolio Managers
Dollar Range of Fund Shares Owned(5)
Number of RICs(2)
Assets(1) in RICs in millions
Number of OPIV(3)
Assets(1) in OPIV(3) in millions
Number of OA(4)
Assets in OA(4) in millions
Davis Select World Opportunities ETF
Christopher Davis
XX
           
Danton Goei
XX
           
Davis Select Financial ETF
Christopher Davis
XX
           
Davis Focused US Equity ETF
Christopher Davis
XX
           
Danton Goei
XX
           
(1)
"Assets" means total assets managed by the portfolio manager. Some or all of these assets may be co-managed with another portfolio manager who will also be credited with managing the same assets. The sum of assets managed by Davis Advisors' portfolio managers may exceed the total assets managed by Davis Advisors.
(2)
"RIC" means Registered Investment Company.
(3)
"OPIV" means Other Pooled Investment Vehicles.
(4)
"OA" means Other Accounts. These accounts are primarily private accounts and sponsors of managed money/wrap accounts.
(5)
Ownership disclosure is made using the following ranges: None; (F) $1 - $10,000; (E) $10,001 - $50,000; (D) $50,001 - $100,000; (C) $100,001 - $500,000; (B) $500,001 - $1 million; (A) over $1 million.
Structure of Compensation
Christopher Davis' compensation for services provided to the Adviser consists of a base salary. The Adviser's portfolio managers are provided benefits packages including life insurance, health insurance, and participation in the Adviser's 401(k) plan comparable to that received by other company employees.
Danton Goei's compensation for services provided to the Adviser consists of: (i) a base salary; (ii) an annual discretionary bonus; (iii) awards of equity ("Units") in Davis Selected Advisers, L.P. including Units, and/or phantom Units; and (iv) an incentive plan whereby the Adviser purchases shares in selected mutual funds managed by the Adviser. At the end of specified periods, generally five-years following the date of purchase, some, all, or none of the Fund shares will be registered in the employee's name based on fund performance, after expenses on a pre-tax basis, versus the Fund's benchmark index, as described in the Fund's Prospectus or, in limited cases, based on performance ranking among established peer groups. The Adviser does not purchase incentive shares in every fund these portfolio managers manage or assist on. In limited cases, such incentive compensation is tied on a memorandum basis to the performance of the portion of the Fund ("sleeve") managed by the analyst versus the Fund's benchmark. The Adviser's portfolio managers are provided benefits packages including life insurance, health insurance, and participation in the Adviser's 401(k) plan comparable to that received by other company employees.
Potential Conflicts of Interest
Potential conflicts of interest may arise in connection with the management of multiple accounts, including potential conflicts of interest related to the knowledge and timing of the Funds' trades, investment opportunities, broker selection, and Fund investments. Portfolio managers and other investment professionals may be privy to the size, timing, and possible market impact of a Fund's trades. It is theoretically possible that portfolio managers could use this information to the advantage of other accounts they manage and to the possible detriment of a Fund. It is possible that an investment opportunity may be suitable for both a Fund and other accounts managed by portfolio managers, but may not be available in sufficient quantities for both the Fund and the other accounts to participate fully. Similarly, there may be limited opportunity to sell an investment held by a Fund and another account. Management of multiple portfolios and/or other accounts may result in a portfolio manager devoting unequal time and attention to the management of each portfolio and/or other account. The Adviser seeks to manage such competing interests for the time and attention of portfolio managers. For example, many of Davis Advisors' portfolio managers focus on a small set of model accounts with similar accounts being managed by investing in the same securities and using the same investment weightings that are used in connection with the management of the model accounts.
If a portfolio manager identifies a limited investment opportunity which may be suitable for more than one portfolio or other account, a portfolio may not be able to take full advantage of that opportunity due to an allocation of filled purchase or sale orders across all eligible portfolios and other accounts. Large clients may generate more revenue for the Adviser than do smaller accounts. Accounts which pay higher management fees usually generate more revenue than accounts of the same size paying lower management fees. A portfolio manager may be faced with a conflict of interest when allocating limited investment opportunities given the benefit to the Adviser of favoring accounts that pay a higher fee or generate more income for the Adviser. To deal with these situations, the Adviser has adopted procedures for allocating limited investment opportunities across multiple accounts.
With respect to securities transactions for the portfolios, the Adviser determines which broker to use to execute each order, consistent with its duty to seek best execution of the transaction. However, with respect to certain other accounts (such as mutual funds, other pooled investment vehicles that are not registered mutual funds, and other accounts managed for organizations and individuals), the Adviser may be limited by the client with respect to the selection of brokers or may be instructed to direct trades through a particular broker. In these cases, the Adviser may place separate, non-simultaneous, transactions for a portfolio and another account which may temporarily affect the market price of the security or the execution of the transaction, or both, to the detriment of the portfolio or the other account.
Substantial investment of the Adviser or Davis Family assets in certain mutual funds may lead to conflicts of interest. A portion of a portfolio manager's compensation may include awards of equity in Davis Advisors. A portfolio manager may face a conflict of interest given that the Adviser is more heavily invested in some funds than in other funds. A portion of the portfolio manager's compensation may also include an incentive plan whereby the Adviser purchases shares in certain funds managed by Davis Advisors. A portfolio manager may face a conflict of interest given that his long-term compensation may be more heavily determined by the performance of one fund, or portion of a fund, than by another fund which he also manages. To mitigate these potential conflicts of interest, the Adviser has adopted policies and procedures intended to ensure that all clients are treated fairly over time. Davis Advisors does not receive an incentive based fee on any account.
Davis Advisors expects that, over long periods of time, most clients pursuing similar investment strategies should experience similar, but not identical, investment performance. Many factors affect investment performance, including, but not limited to: (i) the timing of cash deposits and withdrawals to and from an account; (ii) the possibility that Davis Advisors may not purchase or sell a given security on behalf of all clients pursuing similar strategies; (iii) price and timing differences when buying or selling securities; and (iv) clients pursuing similar investment strategies but imposing different investment restrictions. Davis Advisors has adopted written trading policies designed to minimize possible conflicts of interest in trading for its clients.
Conflicts of interest may also arise regarding proxy voting. Davis Advisors has adopted written proxy voting policies designed to minimize possible conflicts of interest when voting proxies on behalf of its clients.
Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings
Portfolio Holdings Information is Protected. Information about the Fund's portfolio holdings is proprietary information which the Adviser is committed to protecting. The Fund has adopted procedures reasonably designed to ensure that portfolio holdings information is not released on a selective basis except to qualified persons rendering services to the Fund which require that those persons receive information concerning the Fund's portfolio holdings. Neither the Fund nor the Adviser receives compensation with respect to the disclosure of portfolio holdings.
Public Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings. Davis Fundamental ETF Trust has adopted a policy regarding the disclosure of information about the Trust's portfolio holdings. The Board must approve all material amendments to this policy. The Fund's portfolio holdings are publicly disseminated each day the Fund is open for business through financial reporting and news services including publicly accessible Internet web sites. In addition, a basket composition file, which includes the security names and share quantities to deliver in exchange for shares, together with estimates and actual cash components, is publicly disseminated daily prior to the opening of the Exchange via the National Securities Clearing Corporation ("NSCC"). The basket represents one Creation Unit of the Fund. The Trust, the Adviser, the Distributor and the Administrator will not disseminate non-public information concerning the Trust, except information may be made available prior to its public availability: (i) to a party for a legitimate business purpose related to the day-to-day operations of the Fund, including (a) a service provider, (b) the stock exchanges upon which the ETF is listed, (c) the NSCC, (d) the Depository Trust Company,  and (e) financial data/research companies such as Morningstar, Bloomberg L.P., and Reuters; or (ii) to any other party for a legitimate business or regulatory purpose, upon waiver or exception, with the consent of an applicable Trust officer.
Book Entry Only System
The following information supplements, and should be read in conjunction with, the section in the Fund's Prospectus titled "Buying and Selling Shares."
The Depository Trust Company ("DTC") acts as securities depositary for the shares. Shares of the Fund are represented by securities registered in the name of DTC or its nominee and deposited with, or on behalf of, DTC. Except in the limited circumstance provided below, certificates will not be issued for shares.
DTC, a limited-purpose trust company, was created to hold securities of its participants (the "DTC Participants") and to facilitate the clearance and settlement of securities transactions among the DTC Participants in such securities through electronic book-entry changes in accounts of the DTC Participants, thereby eliminating the need for physical movement of securities certificates. DTC Participants include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and certain other organizations, some of whom (and/or their representatives) own DTC. More specifically, DTC is owned by a number of its DTC Participants and by the New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE") and FINRA. Access to the DTC system is also available to others such as banks, brokers, dealers and trust companies that clear through or maintain a custodial relationship with a DTC Participant, either directly or indirectly (the "Indirect Participants").
Beneficial ownership of shares is limited to DTC Participants, Indirect Participants and persons holding interests through DTC Participants and Indirect Participants. Ownership of beneficial interests in shares (owners of such beneficial interests are referred to herein as "Beneficial Owners") is shown on, and the transfer of ownership is effected only through, records maintained by DTC (with respect to DTC Participants) and on the records of DTC Participants (with respect to Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners that are not DTC Participants). Beneficial Owners will receive from or through the DTC Participant a written confirmation relating to their purchase of shares.
Conveyance of all notices, statements and other communications to Beneficial Owners is affected as follows. Pursuant to the Depositary Agreement between the Trust and DTC, DTC is required to make available to the Trust upon request and for a fee to be charged to the Trust a listing of the shares of the Fund held by each DTC Participant. The Trust, either directly or through a third-party service, shall inquire of each such DTC Participant as to the number of Beneficial Owners holding shares, directly or indirectly, through such DTC Participant. The Trust, either directly or through a third-party service, 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 and/or third party service 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 as the registered holder of all shares. DTC or its nominee, upon receipt of any such distributions, shall credit immediately DTC Participants' accounts with payments in amounts proportionate to their respective beneficial interests in shares of the Fund as shown on the records of DTC or its nominee. Payments by DTC Participants to Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners of Shares held through such DTC Participants will be governed by standing instructions and customary practices, as is now the case with securities held for the accounts of customers in bearer form or registered in a "street name," and will be the responsibility of such DTC Participants.
The Trust has no responsibility or liability for any aspects of the records relating to or notices to Beneficial Owners, or payments made on account of beneficial ownership interests in such shares, or for maintaining, supervising or reviewing any records relating to such beneficial ownership interests or for any other aspect of the relationship between DTC and the DTC Participants or the relationship between such DTC Participants and the Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners owning through such DTC Participants.
DTC may determine to discontinue providing its service with respect to shares at any time by giving reasonable notice to the Trust and discharging its responsibilities with respect thereto under applicable law. Under such circumstances, the Trust shall take action either to find a replacement for DTC to perform its functions at a comparable cost or, if such a replacement is unavailable, to issue and deliver printed certificates representing ownership of shares, unless the Trust makes other arrangements with respect thereto satisfactory to the Exchange.
Other Important Service Providers
The Distributor. Foreside Fund Services ("Foreside" or the "Distributor"), LLC, 3 Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, Maine 04101, serves as the distributor for the Fund's shares pursuant to a Distribution Agreement dated [     ], 2016 (the "Distribution Agreement"). 
Pursuant to the Distribution Agreement, the Fund appointed the Distributor to be its agent for the distribution of the Fund's shares on a continuous offering basis. Shares will be continuously offered for sale by the Trust through the Distributor only in Creation Units, as described in the Prospectus and below under "Purchase and Redemption of Creation Units." Shares in less than Creation Units are not distributed by the Distributor. The Distributor will deliver the Prospectus to persons purchasing Creation Units and will maintain records of both orders placed with it and confirmations of acceptance furnished by it. The Distributor is a broker-dealer registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act") and a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority ("FINRA"). The Distributor has no role in determining the investment policies of the Trust or which securities are to be purchased or sold by the Trust. The Distributor may assist Authorized Participants in assembling shares to purchase Creation Units or upon redemption, for which it may receive commissions or other fees from such Authorized Participants.
The Adviser and/or its affiliates may make payments to broker-dealers, registered investment advisers, banks or other intermediaries (together, "intermediaries") related to marketing activities and presentations, educational training programs, conferences, the development of technology platforms and reporting systems, or their making shares of the Fund available to their customers generally and in certain investment programs. Such payments, which may be significant to the intermediary, are not made by the Fund. Rather, such payments are made by the Adviser and/or its affiliates from their own resources, which come directly or indirectly in part from fees paid by the Fund. Payments of this type are sometimes referred to as revenue-sharing payments. A financial intermediary may make decisions about which investment options it recommends or makes available, or the level of services provided, to its customers based on the payments it is eligible to receive. Therefore, such payments to an intermediary create conflicts of interest between the intermediary and its customers and may cause the intermediary to recommend the Fund over another investment.
Custodian. State Street Bank and Trust Company ("State Street" or the "Custodian"), One Lincoln Street, Boston, MA 02111, serves as custodian of each of the Fund's assets. The Custodian maintains all of the instruments representing the Fund's investments and all cash. 
Transfer Agent. State Street also serves as the Fund's Transfer Agent.
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm. KPMG LLP ("KPMG"), 1225 17th Street, Suite 800, Denver, CO 80202, serves as the Fund's independent registered public accounting firm. KPMG audits the Fund's financial statements, performs other related audit services, and meets with the Audit Committee of the Board of Trustees. KPMG also acts as the independent registered public accounting firm to certain other funds advised by the Adviser. In addition, KPMG prepares the Fund's federal and state income tax returns and related forms. Audit and non-audit services provided by KPMG to the Fund must be pre-approved by the Audit Committee.
Counsel. Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, LLP, 300 South Grand Avenue, Twenty-Second Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90071-3132, acts as legal counsel to the Fund and also serves as counsel for the Trustees.
Section III:
Purchase and Redemption of Creation Units
This SAI should be read in conjunction with, and supplements information available in, the Fund's Prospectus.
The Fund issues and redeems its shares on a continuous basis, at net asset value, only in a large specified number of shares called a "Creation Unit," either principally in-kind for securities included in a Fund or in cash for the value of such securities. The value of a Fund is determined once each business day, as described under the "Valuation of Portfolio Securities" section in the Fund's Prospectus. The Creation Unit size for a Fund may change. Authorized Participants will be notified of such change. The principal consideration for creations and redemptions for a Fund is set forth in the table below:
 
Creation*
Redemption*
Davis Select World Opportunities ETF
In-Kind
In-Kind
Davis Select Financial ETF
In-Kind
In-Kind
Davis Focused U.S. Equity ETF
In-Kind
In-Kind
* May be revised at any time without notice
Purchase (Creation). The Trust issues and sells shares of the Fund only 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 (as defined below), in proper form pursuant to the terms of the Authorized Participant Agreement ("Participant Agreement"). A "Business Day" with respect to the Fund is, generally, any day on which the NYSE 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 and the Cash Component (defined below), computed as described below or (ii) the cash value of the Deposit Securities ("Deposit Cash") and "Cash Component," computed as described below. 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.
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 the Fund. The "Cash Component" which may include a Dividend Equivalent Payment, is an amount equal to the difference between the net asset value of the shares (per Creation Unit) and the market value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable. The "Dividend Equivalent Payment" enables the Fund to make a complete distribution of dividends on the day preceding the next dividend payment date, and is an amount equal, on a per Creation Unit basis, to the dividends on all the portfolio securities of the Fund ("Dividend Securities") with ex-dividend dates within the accumulation period for such distribution (the "Accumulation Period"), net of expenses and liabilities for such period, as if all of the Dividend Securities had been held by the Fund for the entire Accumulation Period. The Accumulation Period begins on the ex-dividend date for the Fund and ends on the day preceding the next ex-dividend date. If the Cash Component is a positive number (i.e., the net asset value 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 net asset value 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 net asset value 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.
The Custodian, through NSCC, makes available on each Business Day, immediately prior to the opening of business on the NYSE (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 the Fund. Such Fund Deposit is subject to any applicable adjustments as described below, in order to effect purchases of Creation Units of the 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 a Fund Deposit for the Fund changes as rebalancing adjustments, interest payments and corporate action events are reflected from time to time by the Adviser with a view to the investment objective of the Fund. Information regarding a Fund Deposit necessary for the purchase of a Creation Unit is made available to Authorized Participants and other market participants seeking to transact in Creation Unit aggregations. The composition of the Deposit Securities may also change in response to adjustments to the weighting or composition of the component securities of a Fund.
As noted above, 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 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, "non-standard orders"). The Trust also reserves the right to: (i) permit or require the substitution of Deposit Securities in lieu of Deposit Cash; and (ii) include or remove Deposit Securities from the basket in anticipation of Fund rebalancing changes. The adjustments described above will reflect changes, known to the Adviser on the date of announcement to be in effect by the time of delivery of the Fund Deposit, resulting from certain corporate actions.
Procedures for Purchase of Creation Units. To be eligible to place orders with the Distributor, as facilitated via the Transfer Agent, to purchase a Creation Unit of the Fund, an entity must be (i) a "Participating Party", i.e., a broker-dealer or other participant in the clearing process through the Continuous Net Settlement System of the NSCC (the "Clearing Process"), a clearing agency that is registered with the SEC; or (ii) a DTC Participant (see "Book Entry Only System"). 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 the Transfer Agent, and that has been accepted by 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 (described below) and any other applicable fees, taxes and additional variable charge.
All orders to purchase shares directly from the Fund, including non-standard orders, must be placed for one or more Creation Units and in the manner and by the time set forth in the Participant Agreement and/or the 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 the 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 applicable order form. Those placing orders through an Authorized Participant should allow sufficient time to permit proper submission of the purchase order by the 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 and municipal securities), through a subcustody 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 subcustodian of the 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. Foreign Deposit Securities must be delivered to an account maintained at the applicable local subcustodian. 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 the Fund or its agents by no later than the Settlement Date. The "Settlement Date" for the Fund is generally the third 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 in a timely manner by the Settlement Date, the creation order may be cancelled. Upon written notice to the Distributor, such canceled order may be resubmitted the following Business Day using a Fund Deposit as newly constituted to reflect the then current NAV of the Fund. The delivery of Creation Units so created generally will occur no later than the third Business Day following the day on which the purchase order is deemed received by the Distributor.
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. or 3:00 p.m. Eastern time (per applicable instructions), 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. or 3:00 p.m. Eastern time (per applicable instructions) on the Settlement Date, then the order may be deemed to be rejected and the Authorized Participant shall be liable to the 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, order form and this SAI are properly followed.
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 subcustodian has confirmed to the Custodian that the required Deposit Securities (or the cash value thereof) have been delivered to the account of the relevant subcustodian(s), the Distributor and the Adviser shall be notified of such delivery, and the Trust will issue and cause the delivery of the Creation Units.
In instances where the Trust accepts Deposit Securities for the purchase of a Creation Unit, the Creation Unit 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 net asset value of the shares 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 general non-interest bearing collateral account. 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 market value of such Deposit Securities on the day the purchase order was deemed received by the Distributor plus the brokerage and related transaction costs associated with such purchases. The Trust will return any unused portion of the Additional Cash Deposit once all of the missing Deposit Securities have been properly received by the Custodian or purchased by the Trust and deposited into the Trust. In addition, a transaction fee as set forth below under "Creation Transaction Fees" will be charged in all cases and an additional variable charge may also be applied. 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 absolute right to reject an order for Creation Units transmitted in respect of the Fund at its discretion, including, without limitation, if (i) the order is not in proper form; (ii) 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; (iii) the investor(s), upon obtaining the shares ordered, would own 80% or more of the currently outstanding shares of the Fund; (iv) acceptance of the Deposit Securities would have certain adverse tax consequences to the Fund; (v) the acceptance of the Fund Deposit would, in the opinion of counsel, be unlawful; (vi) the acceptance of the Fund Deposit would otherwise, in the discretion of the Trust or the Adviser, have an adverse effect on the Trust or the rights of beneficial owners; (vii) the acceptance or receipt of the order for a Creation Unit would, in the opinion of counsel to the Trust, be unlawful; or (viii) in the event that 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, the Transfer Agent, DTC, NSCC, Federal Reserve System, or any other participant in the creation process, and other extraordinary events. The Trust or its agents shall communicate to the Authorized Participant its rejection of an order. The Trust, the Transfer Agent, the 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.
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.
Redemption. Shares may be redeemed only in Creation Units at their net asset value next determined after receipt of a redemption request in proper form by the Fund through the Transfer Agent and only on a Business Day. EXCEPT UPON LIQUIDATION OF THE FUND, THE TRUST WILL NOT REDEEM SHARES IN AMOUNTS LESS THAN CREATION UNITS. Investors must accumulate enough shares in the secondary market to constitute a Creation Unit in order to have such shares redeemed by the Trust. There can be no assurance, however, that there will be sufficient liquidity in the public trading market at any time to permit assembly of a Creation Unit. Investors should expect to incur brokerage and other costs in connection with assembling a sufficient number of shares to constitute a redeemable Creation Unit.
With respect to the Fund, the Custodian, through the NSCC, makes available immediately prior to the opening of business on the NYSE (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 a combination thereof, as determined by the Trust. With respect to in-kind redemptions of the 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 net asset value of the shares being redeemed, as next determined after a receipt of a request in proper form, and the value of the Fund Securities (the "Cash Redemption Amount"), less a fixed redemption transaction fee and any applicable additional variable charge as set forth below. In the event that the Fund Securities have a value greater than the net asset value of the shares, 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.
Procedures for Redemption of Creation Units. After the Trust has deemed an order for redemption received, the Trust will initiate procedures to transfer the requisite Fund Securities and the Cash Redemption Amount to the Authorized Participant by the Settlement Date. With respect to in-kind redemptions of the Fund, the calculation of the value of the Fund Securities and the Cash Redemption Amount to be delivered upon redemption will be made by the Custodian according to the procedures set forth under "Determination of Net Asset Value," computed on the Business Day on which a redemption order is deemed received by the Trust. Therefore, if a redemption order in proper form is submitted to the Distributor by a DTC Participant by the specified time on the Order Placement Date, and the requisite number of shares of the Fund are delivered to the Custodian prior to 2:00 p.m. or 3:00 p.m. Eastern time (per applicable instructions) on the Settlement Date, then the value of the Fund Securities and the Cash Redemption Amount to be delivered will be determined by the Custodian on such Order Placement Date. If the requisite number of shares of the Fund are not delivered by 2:00 p.m. or 3:00 p.m. Eastern time (per applicable instructions) on the Settlement Date, the Fund will not release the underlying securities for delivery unless collateral is posted in such percentage amount of missing shares as set forth in the Participant Agreement (marked-to-market daily).
With respect to in-kind redemptions of the Fund, in connection with taking delivery of shares of Fund Securities upon redemption of Creation Units, an Authorized Participant 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 (or such other arrangements as allowed by the Trust or its agents), to which account such Fund Securities will be delivered. Deliveries of redemption proceeds generally will be made within three Business Days of the trade date.
If it is not possible to make other such arrangements, or if 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 the 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 the 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). The 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 net asset value.
An Authorized Participant submitting a redemption request is deemed to represent to the Trust that it (or its client) (i) owns outright or has full legal authority and legal beneficial right to tender for redemption the requisite number of shares to be redeemed and can receive the entire proceeds of the redemption, and (ii) the shares to be redeemed have not been loaned or pledged to another party nor are they the subject of a repurchase agreement, securities lending agreement or such other arrangement which would preclude the delivery of such shares to the Trust. 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 Fund in connection with higher levels of redemption activity and/or short interest in the 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 the 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 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.
The right of redemption may be suspended or the date of payment postponed with respect to the Fund (i) for any period during which the Exchange is closed (other than customary weekend and holiday closings); (ii) for any period during which trading on the Exchange is suspended or restricted; (iii) for any period during which an emergency exists as a result of which disposal of the shares of the Fund or determination of the NAV of the shares is not reasonably practicable; or (iv) in such other circumstance as is permitted by the SEC.
Required Early Acceptance of Orders. Notwithstanding the foregoing, as described in the Participant Agreement and/or applicable order form, certain series of the Trust may require orders to be placed up to one or more Business Days prior to the trade date, as described in the Participant Agreement or the applicable order form, in order to receive the trade date's net asset value. Orders to purchase shares of such funds that are submitted on the Business Day immediately preceding a holiday or a day (other than a weekend) that the equity markets in the relevant foreign market are closed may not be accepted. Authorized Participants may be notified that the cut-off time for an order may be earlier on a particular Business Day, as described in the Participant Agreement and the applicable order form.
Creation and Redemption Transaction Fees. A transaction fee, as set forth in the table below, is imposed for the transfer and other transaction costs associated with the purchase or redemption of Creation Units, as applicable. Authorized Participants will be required to pay a fixed creation transaction fee and/or a fixed redemption transaction fee, as applicable, on a given day regardless of the number of Creation Units created or redeemed on that day. The Fund may adjust the transaction fee from time to time. An additional charge or a variable charge (discussed below) will be applied to certain creation and redemption transactions, including non-standard orders and whole or partial cash purchases or redemptions. With respect to creation orders, Authorized Participants are responsible for the costs of transferring the securities constituting the Deposit Securities to the account of the Trust and with respect to redemption orders, Authorized Participants are responsible for the costs of transferring the Fund Securities from the Trust to their account or on their order. Investors who use the services of a broker or other such intermediary may also be charged a fee for such services.
 
Transaction Fee (1)(2)
Maximum Transaction Fee (1)(2)
Davis Select World Opportunities ETF
   
Davis Select Financial ETF
   
Davis Focused U.S. Equity ETF
   
(1) From time to time, the Fund may waive all or a portion of its applicable transaction fee(s). An additional charge of up to three (3) times the standard transaction fee may be charged to the extent a transaction is outside of the clearing process.
(2) In addition to the transaction fees listed above, the Fund may charge an additional variable fee for creations and redemptions in cash to offset brokerage and impact expenses associated with the cash transaction. The variable transaction fee will be calculated based on historical transaction cost data and the Adviser's view of current market conditions; however, the actual variable fee charged for a given transaction may be lower or higher than the trading expenses incurred by the Fund with respect to that transaction.
Section IV:
General Information
This SAI should be read in conjunction with, and supplements information available in, the Prospectus.
Determining the Price of Shares
The Prospectus describes procedures used to determine the net asset value. This SAI supplements that discussion.
Valuation of Portfolio Securities. The valuation of each Fund's portfolio securities is described in the Fund's Prospectus and Annual Report.
Dividends and Distributions
The Funds' Prospectus describes the Funds' dividend and distribution policies. This SAI supplements that discussion.
The Funds intend to pay out dividends, if any, on an annual basis. The Fund intends to distribute its net realized capital gains, if any, to investors annually. The Fund may occasionally be required to make supplemental distributions. Distributions in cash may be reinvested automatically in additional whole shares only if the broker through whom you purchased shares makes such option available. Your broker is responsible for distributing the income and capital gain distributions to you.
The Trust reserves the right to declare special distributions if, in its reasonable discretion, such action is necessary or advisable to preserve the status of the Fund as a RIC or to avoid imposition of income or excise taxes on undistributed income.
Capital Stock. The Fund issues shares of beneficial interest, par value [$.01] per share. The Board has the right to establish additional series in the future, to determine the preferences, voting powers, rights and privileges thereof and to modify such preferences, voting powers, rights and privileges without shareholder approval.
The Trust is not required to and does not intend to hold annual meetings of shareholders. The Trust's Declaration of Trust (the "Declaration"), requires a shareholder vote only on those matters where the 1940 Act requires a vote of shareholders and otherwise permits the Trustees to take actions without seeking the consent of shareholders. For example, the Declaration gives the Trustees the authority to approve reorganizations between the Fund and another entity, such as another exchange-traded fund, or the sale of all or substantially all of the Fund's assets, or the termination of the Trust or the Fund without shareholder approval if the 1940 Act would not require such approval. Each share has one vote with respect to matters upon which a shareholder vote is required, consistent with the requirements of the 1940 Act and the rules promulgated thereunder. Shares of all series of the Trust vote together as a single class except as otherwise required by the 1940 Act, or if the matter being voted on affects only a particular series; and, if a matter affects a particular series differently from other series, the shares of that series will vote separately on such matter.
The Trustees establish the number of Trustees and may fill vacancies on the Board, except when election of Trustees by the shareholders is required under the 1940 Act. Trustees are then elected by a plurality of votes cast by shareholders at a meeting at which a quorum is present. The Declaration also provides that Trustees may be removed, with cause, by a vote of shareholders holding at least two-thirds of the voting power of the Trust, or by a vote of two-thirds of the remaining Trustees. "Cause" requires willful misconduct, dishonesty, fraud or a felony conviction. The provisions of the Declaration relating to the election and removal of Trustees may not be amended without the approval of two-thirds of the Trustees.
Under the Declaration, by becoming a shareholder of the Fund, each shareholder is expressly held to have agreed to be bound by the provisions of the Declaration and the Trust's By-Laws. The Declaration may, except in limited circumstances, be amended by the Trustees in any respect without a shareholder vote. Shareholders may be required to disclose information on direct or indirect ownership of Fund shares in order to comply with various laws applicable to the Fund or as the Trustees may determine, and ownership of Fund shares may be disclosed by the Fund if so required by law or regulation. In addition, pursuant to the Declaration, the Trustees may, in their discretion, require the Trust to redeem shares held by any shareholder for any reason under terms set by the Trustees.
In order to permit legitimate inquiries and claims while avoiding the time, expense, distraction and other harm that can be caused to the Fund or its shareholders as a result of spurious shareholder claims, demands and derivative actions, the Declaration provides a detailed process for the bringing of derivative actions by shareholders, and provides that actions that are derivative in nature may not be brought directly. Consistent with applicable Delaware law, prior to bringing a derivative action, a demand must first be made on the Trustees. The Declaration details various information, certifications, undertakings and acknowledgements that must be included in the demand. If a majority of the Trustees who are considered independent for the purposes of considering the demand determine that maintaining the suit would not be in the best interests of the Fund, the Trustees are required to reject the demand and the complaining shareholder may not proceed with the derivative action unless the shareholder is able to sustain the burden of proof to a court that the decision of the Trustees not to pursue the requested action was not a good faith exercise of their business judgment on behalf of the Fund. In making such a determination, a Trustee is not considered to have a personal financial interest by virtue of being compensated for his or her services as a Trustee. If a demand is rejected, the complaining shareholder may be responsible for the Fund's costs and expenses if a court determines that a derivative action was made without reasonable cause or for an improper purpose, if a derivative or direct action is dismissed on the basis of a failure to comply with the procedural provisions relating to shareholder actions as set forth in the Declaration or if a direct action is dismissed by a court for failure to state a claim. Any shareholder bringing an action against the Fund waives the right to trial by jury to the fullest extent permitted by law and any action commenced by a shareholder may be brought only in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware or if any such action may not be brought in that court, then in the Delaware Court of Chancery (the "Chosen Courts"), under the terms of the Declaration. Except as prohibited by law, if a shareholder commences an applicable action in a court other than a Chosen Court, the shareholder may be obligated to reimburse the Fund and any applicable Trustee or officer of the Fund made party to such proceeding for the costs and expenses (including attorneys' fees) incurred in connection with any successful motion to dismiss, stay or transfer of the action.
The Declaration specifically provides, however, that no provision of the Declaration is effective to require a waiver of compliance with any provision of, or restrict any shareholder rights expressly granted by, the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the Securities Exchange act of 1934, as amended, or the 1940 Act, or any rule, regulation or order of the SEC thereunder. The provisions of the Declaration are severable, and if the Trustees determine, with the advice of counsel, that any such provision, in whole or in part, conflict with applicable laws and regulations, the conflicting provisions, or part or parts thereof, will be deemed to be not part of the Declaration (provided, that any such determination will not render any of the remaining provisions invalid or improper).
The Declaration contains an express disclaimer of shareholder liability for acts or obligations of the Trust and requires that notice of this disclaimer be given in each agreement, obligation or instrument entered into or executed by the Trust or the Trustees. The Declaration further provides for indemnification out of the assets and property of the Trust for all losses and expenses of any shareholder held personally liable for the obligations of the Trust. Thus, the risk of a shareholder incurring financial loss on account of shareholder liability is limited to circumstances in which both inadequate insurance existed and the Trust or the Fund itself was unable to meet its obligations. The Trust believes the likelihood of the occurrence of these circumstances is remote.
The Declaration further provides that a Trustee acting in his or her capacity as Trustee is not personally liable to any person other than the Trust or its series, in connection with the affairs of the Trust or for any act, omission, or obligation of the Trust. A Trustee is liable only for his or her own bad faith, willful misfeasance, gross negligence or reckless disregard of his or her duties involved in the conduct of his or her office. The Declaration requires the Trust to indemnify any persons who are or who have been Trustees, officers or employees of the Trust for any liability for actions or failure to act except to the extent prohibited by applicable federal law. In making any determination as to whether any person is entitled to the advancement of expenses in connection with a claim for which indemnification is sought, such person is entitled to a rebuttable presumption that he or she did not engage in conduct for which indemnification is not available. The Declaration provides that any Trustee who serves as chair of the Board of Trustees or of a committee of the Board of Trustees, Lead Independent Trustee, or audit committee financial expert, or in any other similar capacity will not be subject to any greater standard of care or liability because of such position.
Shareholder inquiries may be made by writing to the Trust, c/o the Adviser, Davis Selected Advisers, L.P., at 2949 East Elvira Road, Suite 101, Tucson, Arizona 85756. As of the date of this SAI, no one owned any shares of the Funds.
Federal Income Taxes
The Funds' Prospectus provides a general discussion of federal income taxes. This SAI supplements that discussion. This discussion is not intended to be a full discussion of all the aspects of the federal income tax law and its effects on the Funds and their shareholders. Shareholders may be subject to state and local taxes on distributions. Each investor should consult his or her own tax adviser regarding the effect of federal, state and local taxes on any investment in the Fund.
If the Fund qualifies for treatment as a RIC, the Fund will not be subject to federal income tax on income and gains that are distributed in a timely manner to its shareholders in the form of dividends.
If, for any taxable year, the Fund was to fail to qualify as a RIC or was to fail to meet the distribution requirement described above, it would be taxed in the same manner as an ordinary corporation and distributions to its shareholders would not be deductible by the Fund in computing its taxable income. In addition, the Fund's distributions, to the extent derived from the Fund's current and accumulated earnings and profits, including any distributions of net long-term capital gains, would be taxable to shareholders as ordinary dividend income for federal income tax purposes. However, such dividends would be eligible, subject to any generally applicable limitations, (i) to be treated as qualified dividend income in the case of shareholders taxed as individuals, and (ii) for the dividends-received deduction in the case of corporate shareholders. Moreover, the Fund would be required to pay out its earnings and profits accumulated in that year in order to qualify for treatment as a RIC in a subsequent year. Under certain circumstances, the Fund may be able to cure a failure to qualify as a RIC, but in order to do so the Fund may incur significant Fund-level taxes and may be forced to dispose of certain assets. If the Fund failed to qualify as a RIC for a period greater than two taxable years, the Fund would generally be required to recognize any net built-in gains with respect to certain of its assets upon a disposition of such assets within ten years of qualifying as a RIC in a subsequent year.
The Fund intends to distribute at least annually to its shareholders substantially all of its investment company taxable income (computed without regard to the dividends-paid deduction) and net capital gain (the excess of the Fund's net long-term capital gain over its net short-term capital loss). Investment income that is retained by the Fund will generally be subject to tax at regular corporate rates. If the Fund retains any net capital gain, that gain will be subject to tax at corporate rates, but the Fund may designate the retained amount as undistributed capital gains in a notice to its shareholders who (i) will be required to include in income for federal income tax purposes, as long-term capital gain, their shares of such undistributed amount, (ii) will be deemed to have paid their proportionate shares of the tax paid by the Fund on such undistributed amount against their federal income tax liabilities, if any, and (iii) will be entitled to claim refunds on a properly filed U.S. tax return to the extent the credit exceeds such liabilities. For federal income tax purposes, the tax basis of shares owned by a shareholder of the Fund will be increased by an amount equal to the difference between the amount of undistributed capital gains included in the shareholder's gross income and the tax deemed paid by the shareholder.
If the Fund fails to distribute in a calendar year an amount at least equal to the sum of 98% of its ordinary income for such year and 98.2% of its capital gain net income for the one-year period ending October 31 of such year, plus any retained amount from the prior year, the Fund will be subject to a non-deductible 4% excise tax on the undistributed amount. For these purposes, the Fund will be treated as having distributed any amount on which it has been subject to corporate income tax for the taxable year ending within the calendar year. The Fund intends to declare and pay dividends and distributions in the amounts and at the times necessary to avoid the application of the 4% excise tax, although there can be no assurance that it will be able to do so.
The Fund may elect to treat part or all of any "qualified late year loss" as if it had been incurred in the succeeding taxable year in determining the Fund's taxable income, net capital gain, net short-term capital gain, and earnings and profits. A "qualified late year loss" 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, and certain other late-year losses.
If the Fund has a "net capital loss" (that is, capital losses in excess of capital gains), the excess of the Fund's net short-term capital losses over its net long-term capital gains is treated as a short-term capital loss arising on the first day of the Fund's next taxable year, and the excess (if any) of the Fund's net long-term capital losses over its net short-term capital gains is treated as a long-term capital loss arising on the first day of the Fund's next taxable year.
Distributions. Distributions are generally taxable whether shareholders receive them in cash or reinvest them in additional shares. Moreover, distributions on the Fund's shares are generally subject to federal income tax as described herein to the extent they do not exceed the Fund's realized income and gains, even though such distributions may economically represent a return of a particular shareholder's investment. Investors may therefore wish to avoid purchasing shares at a time when the Fund's NAV reflects gains that are either unrealized, or realized but not distributed. Realized income and gains must generally be distributed even when the Fund's NAV also reflects unrealized losses.
Dividends and other distributions by the Fund are generally treated under the Code as received by the shareholders at the time the dividend or distribution is made. However, if any dividend or distribution is declared by the Fund in October, November or December of any calendar year and payable to its shareholders of record on a specified date in such a month but is actually paid during the following January, such dividend or distribution will be deemed to have been received by each shareholder on December 31 of the year in which the dividend was declared.
Distributions by the Fund of investment income are generally taxable as ordinary income. Taxes on distributions of capital gains are determined by how long the Fund owned the assets that generated those gains, rather than how long a shareholder has owned his or her Fund shares. Sales of assets held by the Fund for more than one year generally result in long-term capital gains and losses, and sales of assets held by the Fund for one year or less generally result in short-term capital gains and losses. Distributions from the Fund's net capital gain that are properly reported by the Fund as capital gain dividends ("Capital Gain Dividends") will be taxable as long-term capital gains. For individuals, long-term capital gains are subject to tax at reduced maximum tax rates. Distributions of gains from the sale of investments that the Fund owned for one year or less will be taxable as ordinary income.
For noncorporate shareholders, distributions of investment income reported by the Fund as derived from "qualified dividend income" will be taxed at the rates applicable to long-term capital gain, provided holding period and other requirements are met at both the shareholder and Fund level. In order for some portion of the dividends received by a Fund shareholder to be "qualified dividend income," the Fund making the distribution must meet holding period and other requirements with respect to some portion of the dividend-paying stocks in its portfolio and the shareholder must meet holding period and other requirements with respect to the Fund's shares. A dividend will not be treated as qualified dividend income (at either the Fund or shareholder level) (i) if the dividend is received with respect to any share of stock held for fewer than 61 days during the 121-day period beginning on the date that is 60 days before the date on which such share becomes ex-dividend with respect to such dividend (or, in the case of certain preferred stock, 91 days during the 181-day period beginning 90 days before the ex-dividend date); (ii) to the extent that the recipient is under an obligation (whether pursuant to a short sale or otherwise) to make related payments with respect to positions in substantially similar or related property; (iii) if the recipient elects to have the dividend income treated as investment income for purposes of the limitation on deductibility of investment interest; or (iv) if the dividend is received from a foreign corporation that is (a) not eligible for the benefits of a comprehensive income tax treaty with the United States (with the exception of dividends paid on stock of such a foreign corporation that is readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States) or (b) treated as a passive foreign investment company.
In general, distributions of investment income reported by the Fund as derived from qualified dividend income will be treated as qualified dividend income by a shareholder taxed as an individual, provided the shareholder meets the holding period and other requirements described above with respect to the Fund's shares. To the extent that the Fund makes a distribution of income received by the Fund in lieu of dividends (a "substitute payment") with respect to securities on loan pursuant to a securities lending transaction, such income will not constitute qualified dividend income to individual shareholders and will not be eligible for the dividends received deduction for corporate shareholders.
Dividends and distributions from the Fund and capital gain on the sale of Fund shares are generally taken into account in determining a shareholder's "net investment income" for purposes of the Medicare contribution tax applicable to certain individuals, estates and trusts.
If the Fund makes distributions in excess of the Fund's current and accumulated earnings and profits in any taxable year, the excess distribution to each shareholder will be treated as a return of capital to the extent of the shareholder's tax basis in its shares, and will reduce the shareholder's tax basis in its shares. After the shareholder's basis has been reduced to zero, any such distributions will result in a capital gain, assuming the shareholder holds his or her shares as capital assets. A reduction in a shareholder's tax basis in its shares will reduce any loss or increase any gain on a subsequent taxable disposition by the shareholder of its shares
Sale or Exchange of Shares. A sale or exchange of shares in the Fund may give rise to a gain or loss. In general, any gain or loss realized upon a taxable disposition of shares will be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the shares have been held for more than 12 months. Otherwise, the gain or loss on the taxable disposition of shares will be treated as short-term capital gain or loss. However, any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of shares held for six months or less will be treated as long-term, rather than short-term, to the extent of any long-term capital gain distributions received (or deemed received) by the shareholder with respect to the shares. All or a portion of any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of shares will be disallowed if substantially identical shares of the Fund are purchased within 30 days before or after the disposition. In such a case, the basis of the newly purchased shares will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss.
Backup Withholding. The Fund (or financial intermediaries, such as brokers, through which a shareholder holds Fund shares) generally is required to withhold and to remit to the U.S. Treasury a percentage of the taxable distributions and 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 tax rate is 28%. 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 Internal Revenue Service (the "IRS").
Federal Tax Treatment of Certain Fund Investments. Transactions of the Fund in options, futures contracts, hedging transactions, forward contracts, swap agreements, straddles and foreign currencies may be subject to various special and complex tax rules, including mark-to-market, constructive sale, straddle, wash sale and short sale rules. These rules could affect the Fund's ability to qualify as a RIC, affect whether gains and losses recognized by the Fund are treated as ordinary income or capital gain, accelerate the recognition of income to the Fund, and/or defer the Fund's ability to recognize losses. These rules may in turn affect the amount, timing or character of the income distributed to shareholders by the Fund.
The 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 as of the end of such year on certain regulated futures contracts, foreign currency contracts and options that qualify as Section 1256 contracts in addition to the gains and losses actually realized with respect to such contracts during the year. Gain or loss from Section 1256 contracts that are required to be marked-to-market annually will generally 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.
With respect to investments in zero coupon securities which are sold at original issue discount and thus do not make periodic cash interest payments, the 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 the Fund intends to distribute substantially all of its net investment income to its shareholders, the 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 the 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.
The Fund may invest in inflation-linked debt securities. Any increase in the principal amount of an inflation-linked debt security will be original interest discount, which is taxable as ordinary income and is required to be distributed, even though the Fund will not receive the principal, including any increase thereto, until maturity. As noted above, if the Fund invests in such securities it may be required to liquidate other investments, including at times when it is not advantageous to do so, in order to satisfy its distribution requirements and to eliminate any possible taxation at the Fund level.
Foreign Investments. Income received by the Fund from sources within foreign countries (including, for example, dividends or interest on stock or securities of non-U.S. issuers) may be subject to withholding and other taxes imposed by such countries. Tax treaties between such countries and the U.S. may reduce or eliminate such taxes.
Tax-Exempt Shareholders. Under current law, income of a RIC that would be treated as unrelated business taxable income ("UBTI") if earned directly by a tax-exempt entity generally will not be attributed as UBTI to a tax-exempt entity that is a shareholder in the RIC. Notwithstanding this "blocking" effect, a tax-exempt shareholder could realize UBTI by virtue of its investment in the Fund if: (i) shares in the Fund constitute debt-financed property in the hands of the tax-exempt shareholder within the meaning of Code Section 514(b), (ii) if the Fund invests in REITs that hold residual interests in REMICs, (iii) the Fund invests in a REIT that is a taxable mortgage pool ("TMP") or in a REIT that has a subsidiary that is a TMP, or (iv) if the Fund holds residual interests in REMICs.
Non-U.S. Investors. In general, dividends, other than Capital Gain Dividends paid by the Fund to a shareholder that is not a "U.S. person" within the meaning of the Code are subject to withholding of U.S. federal income tax at a rate of 30% (or lower applicable treaty rate) on distributions derived from taxable ordinary income. The 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.
A beneficial holder of shares who is a non-U.S. person is not, in general, subject to U.S. federal income tax on gains (and is not allowed a U.S. income tax deduction for losses) realized on a sale of shares of the Fund or on Capital Gain Dividends unless (i) such gain or dividend is effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business carried on by such holder within the United States or (ii) in the case of an individual holder, the holder is present in the United States for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the year of the sale or the receipt of the Capital Gain Dividend and certain other conditions are met.
Ordinary dividends, redemption payments and certain Capital Gain Dividends paid after June 30, 2014 to a non-U.S. shareholder that fails to meet certain requirements or make certain required certifications are generally subject to withholding tax at a 30% rate. Under current IRS guidance, withholding on such payments will begin at different times depending on the type of payment, the type of payee, and when the shareholder's account is or was opened. In general, withholding with respect to ordinary dividends began on July 1, 2014, although in many cases withholding on ordinary dividends will begin on a later date. Withholding on redemption payments and certain Capital Gain Dividends is currently scheduled to begin on January 1, 2019. A non-U.S. shareholder may be exempt from the withholding described in this paragraph under an intergovernmental agreement between the U.S. and a foreign government, provided that the shareholder and the applicable foreign government comply with the terms of such agreement.
In order for a non-U.S. investor to qualify for an exemption from backup withholding, described above, the non-U.S. investor must comply with special certification and filing requirements. Non-U.S. investors in the Fund should consult their tax advisors in this regard.
A beneficial holder of shares who is a non-U.S. person may be subject to 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 income or gain effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business will generally be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a net basis only if it is also attributable to a permanent establishment maintained by the shareholder in the United States.
Creation and Redemption of Creation Units. An Authorized Participant having the U.S. dollar as its functional currency for U.S. federal income tax purposes that exchanges securities for Creation Units generally will recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between (i) the sum of the market value of the Creation Units at the time of the exchange and any cash received by the Authorized Participant in the exchange, and (ii) the sum of the exchanger's aggregate basis in the securities surrendered and any cash paid for such Creation Units. All or a portion of any gain or loss recognized by an Authorized Participant exchanging a currency other than its functional currency for Creation Units may be treated as ordinary income or loss. A person who redeems Creation Units will generally recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the exchanger's basis in the Creation Units and the sum of the aggregate U.S. dollar market value of any securities received plus the amount of any cash received for such Creation Units. The IRS, however, may assert that a loss that is realized upon an exchange of securities for Creation Units by an Authorized Participant who does not mark-to-market its holdings may not be currently deducted under the rules governing "wash sales," or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic position. All or some portion of any capital gain or loss realized upon the creation of Creation Units in exchange for securities will generally be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if securities exchanged for such Creation Units have been held for more than one year.
Any capital gain or loss realized upon the redemption of Creation Units will generally be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the Creation Units have been held for more than one year. Otherwise, such capital gains or losses will be treated as short-term capital gains or losses.
Persons exchanging securities for Creation Units should consult their own tax advisors 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.
Section 351. The Trust on behalf of the Fund has the right to reject an order for a purchase of shares of the Fund if the purchaser (or any 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 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.
Certain Reporting Regulations. Under U.S. Treasury regulations, generally, 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. Significant penalties may be imposed for the failure to comply with the reporting regulations. The fact that a loss is reportable under these regulations does not affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayer's treatment of the loss is proper. Shareholders should consult their tax advisors to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances.
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 Code. The difference between the selling price and the cost basis of shares generally determines the amount of the capital gain or loss realized on the sale or exchange of shares. Contact the broker through whom you purchased your shares to obtain information with respect to the available cost basis reporting methods and elections for your account.
General Considerations
The federal income tax discussion set forth above is for general information only. Prospective investors should consult their tax advisors regarding the specific federal income tax consequences of purchasing, holding and disposing of shares of the Fund, as well as the effect of state, local and foreign tax law and any proposed tax law changes.
Procedures and Shareholder Rights are Described by Current Prospectus and Other Disclosure Documents
Among other disclosures, the Funds' most current Prospectus, SAI, Annual and Semi-Annual Reports, and other documents describe (i) the procedures which the Fund follows when interacting with shareholders; and (ii) shareholders' rights. The Fund's procedures and shareholders' rights may change from time to time to reflect changing laws, rules, and operations. The Fund's Prospectus and other disclosure documents will be amended from time to time to reflect these changes.
Performance Data
From time to time, the Funds may advertise information regarding their performance. These performance figures are based on historical results and are not intended to indicate future performance.
Average Annual Total Returns
Average Annual Total Return Before Taxes. The Funds may advertise their investment performance without reflecting the potential effects of income taxes.
"Average Annual Total Return Before Taxes" represents the average annual compounded rate of return for the periods presented. Periods of less than one year are not annualized. Average annual total return measures both the net investment income generated by, and the effect of any realized or unrealized appreciation or depreciation of, the underlying investments in the Fund's portfolio. Average annual total return is calculated in accordance with the standardized method prescribed by the SEC by determining the average annual compounded rates of return over the periods indicated which would equate the initial amount invested to the ending redeemable value, according to the following formula:
Where:
P
=
hypothetical initial payment of $1,000
 
T
=
average annual total return
 
n
=
number of years
 
ERV
=
ending redeemable value at the end of the 1-, 5-, and 10-year periods of a hypothetical $1,000 payment made at the beginning of such period
This calculation: (i) assumes all dividends and distributions are reinvested at net asset value on the appropriate reinvestment dates; and (ii) deducts: all recurring fees, such as advisory fees, charged as expenses to all shareholder accounts.
Average Annual Total Return After Taxes on Distributions. The Funds may advertise their investment performance on an after-tax basis. After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor's tax situation and may differ from those shown, and after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. If returns are negative, returns after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares may be higher than returns before taxes as the resulting capital losses from the sale of Fund shares would be available to offset capital gains from other investments.
"Average Annual Total Return After Taxes on Distributions" adjusts the before taxes quotation for the effects of paying the highest individual marginal federal income tax rate on distributions paid by the Fund. Average annual total return after-taxes on distributions is calculated separately for each class in accordance with the standardized method prescribed by the SEC by determining the average annual compounded rates of return over the periods indicated. That would equate the initial amount invested to the ending redeemable value, according to the following formula:
Where:
P
=
hypothetical initial payment of $1,000
 
T
=
average annual total return (after taxes on distributions)
 
n
=
number of years
 
ATVD
=
ending redeemable value, after taxes on fund distributions but not after taxes on sale of fund shares, at the end of the 1-, 5-, and 10-year periods of a hypothetical $1,000 payment made at the beginning of such period
Average Annual Total Return After-Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares. The Funds may advertise their investment performance after taxes on distribution and sale of Fund shares.
"Average Annual Total Return After-Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares" adjusts the after-taxes quotation for the effects of paying the highest individual marginal federal income tax rate on the sale of Fund shares. Average annual total return after-taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares is calculated in accordance with the standardized method prescribed by the SEC by determining the average annual compounded rates of return over the periods indicated. That would equate the initial amount invested to the ending redeemable value, according to the following formula:
Where:
P
=
hypothetical initial payment of $1,000
 
T
=
average annual total return
(after taxes on distributions and sale of fund shares)
 
n
=
number of years
 
ATVDR
=
ending redeemable value, after taxes on fund distributions and sale of fund shares, at the end of the period of a hypothetical $1,000 payment made at the beginning of such period

Average Annual Total Returns. "Average Annual Total Return" is calculated in the same manner as "Average Annual Total Return Before Taxes."
Other Performance Measures. "Cumulative Total Return" is a measure of a Fund's performance encompassing all elements of return. Total return reflects the change in share price over a given period and assumes all distributions are taken in additional Fund shares. Total return is determined by assuming a hypothetical investment at the beginning of the period, deducting a maximum front-end or applicable contingent deferred sales charge, adding in the reinvestment of all income dividends and capital gains, calculating the ending value of the investment at the net asset value as of the end of the specified time period and subtracting the amount of the original investment, and dividing by the original investment. This calculated amount is then expressed as a percentage by multiplying by 100. Periods of less than one year are not annualized.
"30-Day SEC Yield" is computed in accordance with a standardized method prescribed by the rules of the SEC. 30-Day SEC Yield is a measure of the net investment income per share (as defined) earned over a specified 30-day period expressed as a percentage of the maximum offering price of the Fund's shares at the end of the period. Such yield figure was determined by dividing the net investment income per share on the last day of the period, according to the following formula:
Where:
a
=
dividends and interest earned during the period
 
b
=
expenses accrued for the period
 
c
=
the average daily number of shares outstanding during the period that were entitled to receive dividends
 
d
=
the maximum offering price per share on the last day of the period
A Fund's 30-Day SEC Yield fluctuates depending on prevailing interest rates, quality, maturities, types of instruments held and operating expenses. Thus, any yield quotation should not be considered representative of future results. If a broker-dealer charges investors for services related to the purchase or redemption of Fund shares, the yield effectively will be reduced.
Performance Rankings
Lipper Rankings. From time to time, the Funds may publish the ranking of the performance of its shares by Lipper Analytical Services, Inc. Lipper is a widely recognized independent mutual fund monitoring service. Lipper monitors the performance of regulated investment companies, including the Funds, and ranks their performance for various periods in categories based on investment style. The Lipper performance rankings are based on total returns that include the reinvestment of capital gain distributions and income dividends but do not take sales charges or taxes into consideration. Lipper also publishes "peer-group" indices of the performance of all mutual funds in a category that it monitors and averages of the performance of the Funds in particular categories.
Morningstar Ratings and Rankings. From time to time, the Funds may publish the ranking and/or star rating of the performance of its shares by Morningstar, Inc., an independent mutual fund monitoring service. Morningstar rates and ranks mutual funds in broad investment categories: domestic stock funds, international stock funds, taxable bond funds and municipal bond funds.
Performance Rankings and Comparisons by Other Entities and Publications. From time to time, the Funds may include in their advertisements and sales literature performance information about the Funds cited in newspapers and other periodicals such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Barron's, or similar publications. That information may include performance quotations from other sources, including Lipper and Morningstar. The performance of the Fund may be compared in publications to the performance of various market indices or other investments and averages, performance rankings or other benchmarks prepared by recognized mutual fund statistical services.
Investors also may wish to compare the returns of each Fund to the return on fixed-income investments available from banks and thrift institutions. Those include certificates of deposit, ordinary interest-paying checking and savings accounts and other forms of fixed- or variable-time deposits and various other instruments such as Treasury bills. However, none of the Fund's returns or share prices are guaranteed or insured by the FDIC or any other agency and will fluctuate daily, while bank depositary obligations may be insured by the FDIC and may provide fixed rates of return. Repayment of principal and payment of interest on Treasury securities is backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government.
From time to time, the Fund may publish rankings or ratings of the Adviser or Funds transfer agent and of the investor services provided by them to shareholders of the Funds. Those ratings or rankings of shareholder and investor services by third-parties may include comparisons of their services to those provided by other mutual fund families selected by the rating or ranking services. They may be based on the opinions of the rating or ranking service itself, using its research or judgment, or based on surveys of investors, brokers, shareholders or others.
Other Performance Statistics
In reports or other communications to shareholders and in advertising material, the performance of the Fund may be compared to recognized unmanaged indices or averages of the performance of similar securities. Also, the performance of the Fund may be compared to that of other funds of comparable size and objectives as listed in the rankings prepared by Lipper, Morningstar, or similar independent mutual fund rating services, and the Fund may use evaluations published by nationally recognized independent ranking services and publications. Any given performance comparison should not be considered representative of the Fund's performance for any future period.
In advertising and sales literature the Funds may publish various statistics relating to investment portfolios such as the average price-to-book and price-to-earnings ratios, beta, alpha, R-squared, standard deviation, etc. of the Funds' portfolio holdings.
The performance of the Funds may be compared in publications to the performance of various indices and investments for which reliable performance data is available and to averages, performance rankings or other information prepared by recognized mutual fund statistical services. The Fund's Annual Report and Semi-Annual Report contain additional performance information and are available on request and without charge by calling toll-free at 1-800-XX, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern time.

Appendix A:
Quality Ratings of Debt Securities
Moody's Corporate Bond Ratings
Aaa - Bonds that are rated Aaa are judged to be of the best quality. They carry the smallest degree of investment risk and generally are referred to as "gilt-edged." Interest payments are protected by a large or by an exceptionally stable margin and principal is secure. While the various protective elements are likely to change, such changes as can be visualized are unlikely to impair the fundamentally strong position of such issues.
Aa - Bonds that are rated Aa are judged to be of high quality by all standards. Together with the Aaa group, they comprise what generally are known as high-grade bonds. They are rated lower than the best bonds because margins of protection may not be as large as in Aaa securities, fluctuation of protective elements may be of greater amplitude, or there may be other elements present that make the long-term risks appear somewhat larger than Aaa securities.
A - Bonds that are rated A possess many favorable investment attributes and are to be considered as upper medium-grade-obligations. Factors giving security to principal and interest are considered adequate, but elements may be present that suggest a susceptibility to impairment sometime in the future.
Baa - Bonds that are rated Baa are considered as medium grade obligations, i.e., they are neither highly protected nor poorly secured. Interest payments and principal security appear adequate for the present but certain protective elements may be lacking or may be characteristically unreliable over any great length of time. Such bonds lack outstanding investment characteristics and in fact have speculative characteristics as well.
Ba - Bonds that are rated Ba are judged to have speculative elements as their future cannot be considered as well assured. Often the protection of interest and principal payments may be very moderate and thereby not well safeguarded during both good and bad times over the future. Uncertainty of position characterizes bonds in this class.
B - Bonds that are rated B generally lack characteristics of the desirable investment. Assurance of interest and principal payments or of maintenance of other terms of the contract over any longer period of time may be small.
Caa - Bonds that are rated Caa are of poor standing. Such issues may be in default, or there may be present elements of danger with respect to principal or interest.
Ca - Bonds that are rated Ca represent obligations that are speculative in a high degree. Such issues are often in default or have other marked shortcomings.
C - Bonds that are rated C are the lowest rated class of bonds, and issues so rated can be regarded as having extremely poor prospects of ever attaining any real investment standing.
Standard & Poor's Corporate Bond Ratings
AAA - Debt rated AAA has the highest rating assigned by Standard and Poor's. Capacity to pay interest and repay principal is extremely strong.
AA - Debt rated AA has a very strong capacity to pay interest and repay principal and differs from the highest rated issues only in small degree.
A - Debt rated A has a strong capacity to pay interest and repay principal although it is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than debt in higher rated categories.
BBB - Debt rated BBB is regarded as having an adequate capacity to pay interest and repay principal. Whereas it normally exhibits adequate protection parameters, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity to pay interest and repay principal for debt in this category than in higher rated categories.
BB - Debt rated BB has less near-term vulnerability to default than other speculative issues. However, it faces major ongoing uncertainties or exposure to adverse business, financial or economic conditions that could lead to inadequate capacity to meet timely interest and principal payments. The BB rating category also is used for debt subordinated to senior debt that is assigned an actual or implied BBB- rating.
B - Debt rated B has a greater vulnerability to default but currently has the capacity to meet interest payments and principal repayments. Adverse business, financial or economic conditions will likely impair capacity or willingness to pay interest and repay principal. The B rating category is also used for debt subordinated to senior debt that is assigned an actual or implied BB or BB- rating.
CCC - Debt rated CCC has a currently identifiable vulnerability to default and is dependent on favorable business, financial and economic conditions to meet timely payment of interest and repayment of principal. In the event of adverse business, financial or economic conditions, it is not likely to have the capacity to pay interest and repay principal. The CCC rating category is also used for debt subordinated to senior debt that is assigned an actual or implied B or B– rating.
CC - The rating CC typically is applied to debt subordinated to senior debt that is assigned an actual or implied CCC rating.
C - The rating C is typically applied to debt subordinated to senior debt that is assigned an actual or implied CCC– debt rating. The C rating may be used to cover a situation where a bankruptcy petition has been filed, but debt service payments are continued.
CI - The rating CI is reserved for income bonds on which no interest is being paid.
D - Debt rated D is in payment default. The D rating category is used when interest payments or principal payments are not made on the date due even if the applicable grace period has not expired, unless S&P believes that such payments will be made during such grace period. The D rating also will be used on the filing of a bankruptcy petition if debt service payments are jeopardized.
Moody's Commercial Paper Ratings
Moody's commercial paper ratings are opinions of the ability of issuers to repay punctually promissory obligations not having an original maturity in excess of nine months. Moody's employs the following three designations, all judged to be investment grade, to indicate the relative repayment capacity of rated issuers: Prime-1 (superior capacity), Prime-2 (strong capacity) and Prime-3 (acceptable capacity). In assigning ratings to an issuer that represents that its commercial paper obligations are supported by the credit of another entity or entities, Moody's evaluates the financial strength of the indicated affiliated corporations, commercial banks, insurance companies, foreign governments or other entities, but only as one factor in the total rating assessment.
Standard & Poor's Commercial Paper Ratings
The S&P commercial paper rating is a current assessment of the likelihood of timely payment of debt having an original maturity of no more than 365 days. Ratings are graded in four categories, ranging from A for the highest quality to D for the lowest. Issues assigned an A rating are regarded as having the greatest capacity for timely payment. Within the A category, the numbers 1, 2 and 3 indicate relative degrees of safety. The addition of a plus sign to the category A-1 denotes that the issue is determined to possess overwhelming safety characteristics.

Appendix B:
Summary of The Adviser's Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures (August 2008)
Davis Selected Advisers, L.P. (the "Adviser") votes on behalf of its clients in matters of corporate governance through the proxy voting process. The Adviser takes its ownership responsibilities very seriously and believes the right to vote proxies for its clients' holdings is a significant asset of the clients. The Adviser exercises its voting responsibilities as a fiduciary, solely with the goal of maximizing the value of its clients' investments.
The Adviser votes proxies with a focus on the investment implications of each issue. For each proxy vote, the Adviser takes into consideration its duty to clients and all other relevant facts known to the Adviser at the time of the vote. Therefore, while these guidelines provide a framework for voting, votes are ultimately cast on a case-by-case basis.
The Adviser has adopted written Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures and established a Proxy Oversight Group to oversee voting policies and deal with potential conflicts of interest. In evaluating issues, the Proxy Oversight Group may consider information from many sources, including the portfolio managers for each client account, management of a company presenting a proposal, shareholder groups, and independent proxy research services.
Clients may obtain a copy of the Adviser's Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures, and/or a copy of how their own proxies were voted, by writing to:
Davis Selected Advisers, L.P.
Attn: Chief Compliance Officer
2949 East Elvira Road, Suite 101
Tucson, Arizona, 85756
Guiding Principles
Creating Value for Existing Shareholders. The most important factors that we consider in evaluating proxy issues are: (i) the company's or management's long-term track record of creating value for shareholders. In general, we will consider the recommendations of a management with a good record of creating value for shareholders as more credible than the recommendations of managements with a poor record; (ii) whether, in our estimation, the current proposal being considered will significantly enhance or detract from long-term value for existing shareholders; and (iii) whether a poor record of long term performance resulted from poor management or from factors outside of management's control.
Other factors which we consider may include:
§
Shareholder Oriented Management. One of the factors that the Adviser considers in selecting stocks for investment is the presence of shareholder-oriented management. In general, such managements will have a large ownership stake in the company. They will also have a record of taking actions and supporting policies designed to increase the value of the company's shares and thereby enhance shareholder wealth. The Adviser's research analysts are active in meeting with top management of portfolio companies and in discussing their views on policies or actions which could enhance shareholder value. Whether management shows evidence of responding to reasonable shareholder suggestions, and otherwise improving general corporate governance, is a factor which may be taken into consideration in proxy voting.
§
Allow responsible management teams to run the business. Because we try generally to invest with "owner oriented" managements (see above), we vote with the recommendation of management on most routine matters, unless circumstances such as long standing poor performance or a change from our initial assessment indicate otherwise. Examples include the election of trustees and ratification of auditors. The Adviser supports policies, plans and structures that give management teams appropriate latitude to run the business in the way that is most likely to maximize value for owners. Conversely, the Adviser opposes proposals that limit management's ability to do this. The Adviser will generally vote with management on shareholder social and environmental proposals on the basis that their impact on share value is difficult to judge and is therefore best done by management.
§
Preserve and expand the power of shareholders in areas of corporate governance. Equity shareholders are owners of the business, and company boards and management teams are ultimately accountable to them. The Adviser supports policies, plans and structures that promote accountability of the board and management to owners, and align the interests of the board and management with owners. Examples include: annual election of all board members and incentive plans that are contingent on delivering value to shareholders. The Adviser generally opposes proposals that reduce accountability or misalign interests, including but not limited to classified boards, poison pills, excessive option plans, and repricing of options.
§
Support compensation policies that reward management teams appropriately for performance. We believe that well thought out incentives are critical to driving long-term shareholder value creation. Management incentives ought to be aligned with the goals of long-term owners. In our view, the basic problem of skyrocketing executive compensation is not high pay for high performance, but high pay for mediocrity or worse. In situations where we feel that the compensation practices at companies we own are not acceptable, we will exercise our discretion to vote against compensation committee members and specific compensation proposals.
The Adviser exercises its professional judgment in applying these principles to specific proxy votes. The Adviser's Proxy Policies and Procedures provide additional explanation of the analysis which the Adviser may conduct when applying these guiding principles to specific proxy votes.
Conflicts of Interest
A potential conflict of interest arises when the Adviser has business interests that may not be consistent with the best interests of its client. The Adviser's Proxy Oversight Group is charged with resolving material potential conflicts of interest which it becomes aware of. It is charged with resolving conflicts in a manner that is consistent with the best interests of clients. There are many acceptable methods of resolving potential conflicts, and the Proxy Oversight Group exercises its judgment and discretion to determine an appropriate means of resolving a potential conflict in any given situation:
§
Votes consistent with the "General Proxy Voting Policies," are presumed to be consistent with the best interests of clients;
§
The Adviser may disclose the conflict to the client and obtain the client's consent prior to voting the proxy;
§
The Adviser may obtain guidance from an independent third-party;
§
The potential conflict may be immaterial; or
§
Other reasonable means of resolving potential conflicts of interest which effectively insulate the decision on how to vote client proxies from the conflict.


 
 

 
Davis Fundamental ETF Trust
PART C—OTHER INFORMATION
Item 28. Exhibits.
 
(a)
Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust dated June 24, 2016 of Davis Fundamental ETF Trust (the "Registrant"). (1)
(b)
Bylaws of Registrant dated March 17, 2016. (1)
(c)
Not applicable.
(d)
Investment Advisory Agreement between Registrant and Davis Selected Advisers, L.P. (2)
(ii)
Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement between Davis Selected Advisers, L.P. and Davis Selected Advisers-NY, Inc. (2)
(e)
Distribution Agreement between Registrant and Foreside Fund Services, LLC (2)
(f)
Not applicable.
(g)
Custody Agreement between Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust. (2)
(h)
Transfer Agency and Service Agreement between the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust. (2)
(i)
Opinion and Consent of Morgan, Lewis and Bockius LLP. (2)
(j)
Consent of independent registered public accountants. (2)
(k)
Not applicable.
(l)
Not applicable.
(m)
Not applicable.
(n)
Not applicable.
(o)
Reserved.
(p)
Code of Ethics of Registrant and Davis Selected Advisers, L.P. (2)
(q)
Powers of Attorney (2)
 

(1)
Filed herewith.
(2)
To be filed by amendment.
Item 29. Persons Controlled by or Under Common Control with the Fund.
None.
Item 30. Indemnification.
Section 8.4 of the Declaration of Trust provides:
Section 1.1  Indemnification.  The Trust shall indemnify to the fullest extent permitted by law each of its Trustees, former Trustees, Trustees emeritus, Advisory Board Members and officers and persons who serve at the Trust's request as directors, officers or trustees of another organization in which the Trust has any interest as a shareholder, creditor, or otherwise, and may indemnify any trustee, director or officer of a predecessor organization (each an "Indemnified Person"), and may indemnify its employees and agents, against all liabilities and expenses (including amounts paid in satisfaction of judgments, in compromise, as fines and penalties, and expenses including reasonable accountants' and counsel fees) reasonably incurred in connection with the defense or disposition of any action, suit or other proceeding of any kind and nature whatsoever, whether brought in the right of the Trust or otherwise, and whether of a civil, criminal or administrative nature, before any court or administrative or legislative body, including any appeal therefrom, in which he or she may be involved as a party, potential party, non-party witness or otherwise or with which he or she may be threatened, while as an Indemnified Person or thereafter, by reason of being or having been such an Indemnified Person, except that no Indemnified Person shall be indemnified against any liability to the Trust or its Shareholders to which such Indemnified Person would otherwise be subject by reason of bad faith, willful misfeasance, gross negligence or reckless disregard of his or her duties involved in the conduct of such Indemnified Person's office (such willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard being referred to herein as "Disabling Conduct").  Expenses, including accountants' and counsel fees so incurred by any such Indemnified Person (but excluding amounts paid in satisfaction of judgments, in compromise or as fines or penalties), shall be promptly paid from time to time, and the expenses of the Trust's employees or agents may be paid from time to time, by the Trust or a Series in advance of the final disposition of any such action, suit or proceeding upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of such Indemnified Person to repay amounts so paid to the Trust if it is ultimately determined that indemnification of such expenses is not authorized under this Article 8 and either (i) such Indemnified Person provides security for such undertaking, (ii) the Trust is insured against losses arising by reason of such payment, or (iii) a majority of a quorum of disinterested, non-party Trustees, or independent legal counsel in a written opinion, determines, based on a review of readily available facts, that there is reason to believe that such Indemnified Person ultimately will be found entitled to indemnification.
Item 31. Business and Other Connections of the Investment Adviser.
Davis Selected Advisers, L.P. ("DSA") and affiliated companies comprise a financial services organization whose business consists primarily of providing investment management services as the investment adviser and manager for investment companies registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, unregistered domestic and off-shore investment companies, and as an investment adviser to institutional and individual accounts. DSA also serves as sub-adviser to other investment companies. Affiliated companies include:
Davis Investments, LLC: the sole general partner of DSA. Controlled by its sole member, Christopher C. Davis.
Venture Advisers, Inc.: is a corporation whose primary purpose is to hold limited partner units in DSA.
Davis Selected Advisers – NY, Inc.: a wholly-owned subsidiary of DSA, is a federally registered investment adviser which serves as sub-adviser for many of DSA's advisory clients.
Davis Distributors LLC: a wholly owned subsidiary of DSA, and is a registered broker-dealer which serves as primary underwriter of the Davis Funds and Selected Funds.
Other business of a substantial nature that directors or officers of DSA are or have been engaged in the last two years:
Christopher C. Davis (7/13/65), 620 Fifth Avenue, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10020. A director and an officer of all of the Davis Funds. Officer and director of each of the Selected Funds. President and Trustee of Clipper Funds Trust, Director, Chairman of Davis Investments, LLC. Also serves as a director and/or senior officer for several companies affiliated with DSA, which are described above. Director, Graham Holdings.
Kenneth C. Eich (8/14/53), 2949 East Elvira Road, Suite 101, Tucson, AZ 85756. Executive Vice President and Principal Executive Officer of each of the Davis Funds, Selected Funds, and Clipper Fund; Chief Operating Officer of Davis Investments, LLC. Also serves as a senior officer for several companies affiliated with DSA which are described above.
Douglas Haines (3/4/71) 2949 East Elvira Road, Suite 101, Tucson, AZ 85756. Vice President, Treasurer, Chief Financial Officer, Principal Financial Officer, and Principal Accounting Officer of each of the Davis Funds, the Selected Funds, and Clipper Fund; Vice President of Davis Investments, LLC.
Sharra L. Haynes (9/25/66) 2949 East Elvira Road, Suite 101, Tucson, AZ 85756. Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer of each of the Davis Funds, the Selected Funds, and Clipper Fund; Vice President of Davis Investments, LLC. Also serves as Chief Compliance Officer for DSA and as a senior officer for several companies affiliated with DSA which are described above.
Ryan Charles (7/25/78) 2949 East Elvira Road, Suite 101, Tucson, AZ 85756. Vice President and Secretary of each of the Davis Funds, Selected Funds, and Clipper Fund; Vice President, Chief Legal Officer, and Secretary, Davis Investments, LLC. Also serves as a senior officer for several companies affiliated with DSA which are described above.
Gary Tyc (5/27/56), 2949 East Elvira Road, Suite 101, Tucson, AZ 85756. Vice President, Chief Financial Officer Treasurer, and Assistant Secretary of Davis Investments, LLC. Also serves as a senior officer for several companies affiliated with DSA which are described above.
Russell O. Wiese (5/18/66) 620 Fifth Avenue, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10020. Chief Marketing Officer of Davis Investments, LLC. Also serves as a director and/or senior officer for several companies affiliated with DSA which are described above.

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.
ABS Long/Short Strategies Fund
2.
Absolute Shares Trust
3.
AdvisorShares Trust
4.
American Beacon Funds
5.
American Beacon Select Funds
6.
Archstone Alternative Solutions Fund
7.
Ark ETF Trust
8.
Avenue Mutual Funds Trust
9.
BP Capital TwinLine Energy Fund, Series of Professionally Managed Portfolios
10.
BP Capital TwinLine MLP Fund, Series of Professionally Managed Portfolios
11.
Braddock Multi-Strategy Income Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust
12.
Bridgeway Funds, Inc.
13.
Burnham Investors Trust
14.
Calamos ETF Trust
15.
Center Coast MLP Focus Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust
16.
Center Coast MLP & Infrastructure Fund (closed-end non-interval, exchange listed fund)
17.
Context Capital Funds
18.
CornerCap Group of Funds
19.
Corsair Opportunity Fund
20.
Direxion Shares ETF Trust
21.
Eaton Vance NextShares Trust
22.
Eaton Vance NextShares Trust II
23.
Evanston Alternative Opportunities Fund
24.
Exchange Listed Funds Trust
25.
FEG Absolute Access Fund I LLC
26.
FlexShares Trust
27.
Forum Funds
28.
Forum Funds II
29.
FQF Trust
30.
FSI Low Beta Absolute Return Fund
31.
Guinness Atkinson Funds
32.
Henderson Global Funds
33.
Horizon Spin-off and Corporate Restructuring Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust (f/k/a Liberty Street Horizon Fund)
34.
Horizons ETF Trust
35.
Infinity Core Alternative Fund
36.
Ironwood Institutional Multi-Strategy Fund LLC
37.
Ironwood Multi-Strategy Fund LLC
38.
John Hancock Exchange-Traded Fund Trust
39.
Little Harbor Multistrategy Composite Fund
40.
Lyons Funds
41.
Manor Investment Funds
42.
Miller/Howard Funds Trust
43.
Moerus Worldwide Value Fund, Series of Northern Lights Fund Trust IV
44.
Montage Managers Trust
45.
Palmer Square Opportunistic Income Fund
46.
PENN Capital Funds Trust
47.
Performance Trust Mutual Funds, Series of Trust for Professional Managers
48.
Pine Grove Alternative Fund
49.
Pine Grove Alternative Institutional Fund
50.
Plan Investment Fund, Inc.
51.
PMC Funds, Series of Trust for Professional Managers
52.
Quaker Investment Trust
53.
Ramius Archview Credit and Distressed Feeder Fund
54.
Ramius Archview Credit and Distressed Fund
55.
Recon Capital Series Trust
56.
Renaissance Capital Greenwich Funds
57.
Robinson Opportunistic Income Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust
58.
Robinson Tax Advantaged Income Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust
59.
Salient MF Trust
60.
SharesPost 100 Fund
61.
Sound Shore Fund, Inc.
62.
Steben Alternative Investment Funds
63.
Steben Select Multi-Strategy Fund
64.
Strategy Shares
65.
The 504 Fund
66.
The Community Development Fund
67.
TIFF Investment Program
68.
TrimTabs ETF Trust
69.
Turner Funds
70.
U.S. Global Investors Funds
71.
West Loop Realty Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust (f/k/a Chilton Realty Income & Growth Fund)
72.
Wintergreen Fund, Inc.
73.
WisdomTree Trust

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

Name
Address
Position with Underwriter
Position with Registrant
       
Richard J. Berthy
Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME  04101
President, Treasurer and Manager
None
       
Mark A. Fairbanks
 
 
Jennifer K. DiValerio
 
Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME  04101
 
899 Cassatt Road, 400 Berwyn Park, Suite 110, Berwyn, PA 19312
 
 
Vice President
Vice President
None
None
Nanette K. Chern
Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME  04101
Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer
None
       
Jennifer E. Hoopes
Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME  04101
Secretary
None
       

Item 32(c) Not applicable.


 
Item 33. Location of Accounts and Records.
Accounts and records are maintained at the offices of Davis Selected Advisers, L.P., 2949 East Elvira Road, Suite 101, Tucson, Arizona 85756, and at the offices of the Registrant's custodian, State Street Bank and Trust Company, One Heritage Drive, North Quincy, Massachusetts 02107, and the Registrant's transfer agent State Street Bank and Trust, Two Heritage Drive, Seventh Floor, North Quincy, Massachusetts 02107.
Item 34. Management Services.
Not applicable.
Item 35. Undertakings.
None.

 
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the Registrant has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, duly authorized, in the City of Tucson and State of Arizona on the 10th day of August 2016.
DAVIS FUNDAMENTAL ETF TRUST
*By: /s/ Kenneth C. Eich
Kenneth C. Eich
Sole Trustee


Pursuant to the requirements of the 1933 Act, this Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated on August 10, 2016.

SIGNATURE TITLE
/s/ Kenneth C. Eich Sole Trustee
Kenneth C. Eich