485APOS 1 tuttle-485apos_041723.htm POST-EFFECTIVE AMENDMENT

 

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 17, 2023

 

Securities Act Registration No. 333-234544

Investment Company Act Registration No. 811-23439

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 


 

FORM N-1A

 

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
   
Pre-Effective Amendment No.   __
Post-Effective Amendment No. 47
   
and/or    
   
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940
   
Amendment No.  49

 

ETF OPPORTUNITIES TRUST
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)
 
Karen Shupe
Commonwealth Fund Services, Inc.
8730 Stony Point Parkway, Suite 205
Richmond, VA 23235
(804) 267-7400
(Address and Telephone Number of Principal Executive Offices)
 
 The Corporation Trust Co.
Corporation Trust Center, 1209 Orange St., Wilmington, DE 19801
(Name and Address of Agent for Service)
 
With Copy to:
John H. Lively
 Practus, LLP
11300 Tomahawk Creek Parkway, Suite 310
Leawood, KS 66211

 

It is proposed that this filing will become effective:

 

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

 

If appropriate, check the following box:

 

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

 

 

 

 

Subject to Completion

 

The information in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed. The Funds 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 jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.

 

TUTTLE CAPITAL 2X ALL INNOVATION ETF

TUTTLE CAPITAL 2X INVERSE ALL INNOVATION ETF

 

PROSPECTUS

________, 2023

 

This prospectus describes the Tuttle Capital 2X All Innovation ETF and the Tuttle Capital 2X Inverse All Innovation ETF (each a “Fund” and collectively, the “Funds”) which is authorized to offer one class of shares by this prospectus.

 

Fund Ticker

Principal U.S. Listing

Exchange

Tuttle Capital 2X All Innovation ETF UARK [__]
Tuttle Capital 2X Inverse All Innovation ETF

ZARK

[__]

 

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

 

 

 

 

Table of Contents

 

FUND SUMMARY – TUTTLE CAPITAL 2X ALL INNOVATION ETF 1
FUND SUMMARY – TUTTLE CAPITAL 2X INVERSE ALL INNOVATION ETF 30
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUNDS’ INVESTMENTS 58
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT RISK 73
MANAGEMENT 98
HOW TO BUY AND SELL SHARES 99
FREQUENT PURCHASES AND REDEMPTIONS OF FUND SHARES 100
DIVIDENDS, OTHER DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAXES 101
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS 105
FOR MORE INFORMATION 106

 

 

FUND SUMMARY –TUTTLE CAPITAL 2X ALL INNOVATION ETF

 

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUND

 

The Tuttle Capital 2X All Innovation ETF (the “Fund”) seeks daily leveraged investment results and is very different from most other exchange-traded funds. As a result, the Fund may be riskier than alternatives that do not use leverage because the Fund’s objective is to seek daily investment results, before fees and expenses, of 200% of the daily performance of five underlying reference exchange-traded funds (a “Reference ETF” or “Reference ETFs”) represented in its portfolio. The Fund will design its portfolio such that:

 

50% of its net assets are allocated to seeking to return 200% of the daily performance of the ARK Innovation ETF; and

12.5% of its net assets are allocated to seeking to return 200% of the daily performance of each of the ARK Next Generation Internet ETF, the ARK Fintech Innovation ETF, the ARK Genomic Revolution ETF and the ARK Autonomous Technology and Robotics ETF.

 

The return for investors that invest for periods longer or shorter than a trading day should not be expected to be 200% of the performance of any particular Reference ETF or all of the Reference ETFs for the period. The return of the Fund for a period longer than a trading day will be the result of each trading day’s compounded return over the period, which will very likely differ from 200% of the return of the Reference ETFs for that period. Longer holding periods, higher volatility of a Reference ETF and leverage increase the impact of compounding on an investor’s returns. During periods of higher volatility of a Reference ETF, the volatility of such Reference ETF may affect the Fund’s return as much as, or more than, the return of the Reference ETF.

 

The Fund is not suitable for all investors. The Fund is designed to be utilized only by knowledgeable investors who understand the potential consequences of seeking daily leveraged (2X) investment results, understand the risks associated with the use of leverage and are willing to monitor their portfolios frequently. The Fund is not intended to be used by, and is not appropriate for, investors who do not intend to actively monitor and manage their portfolios. For periods longer than a single day, the Fund will lose money if the Reference ETF’s performance is flat, and it is possible that the Fund will lose money even if the Reference ETF’s performance increases over a period longer than a single day. An investor could lose the full principal value of his/her investment within a single day if the Reference ETF loses more than 50% in one day.

 

Investment Objective

 

The Tuttle Capital 2X All Innovation ETF seeks daily investment results, before fees and expenses, of 200% of the daily performance of each Reference ETF represented in its portfolio. The Fund does not seek to achieve its stated investment objective for a period of time different than a trading day.

 

1

 

 

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

 

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

 

Annual Fund Operating Expenses

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

 
Management Fee(1) 0.75%
Other Expenses(2) 0.00%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses(3) 0.75%
     
(1)Under the Investment Advisory Agreement, Tuttle Capital Management LLC (the “Adviser”), at its own expense and without reimbursement from the Fund, pays all of the expenses of the Fund, excluding the advisory fees, interest expenses, taxes, acquired fund fees and expenses, brokerage commissions and any other portfolio transaction-related expenses and fees arising out of transactions effected on behalf of the Fund, credit facility fees and expenses, including interest expenses, and litigation and indemnification expenses and other extraordinary expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the Fund’s business.

 

(2)Other Expenses are estimated for the Fund’s initial fiscal year.

 

(3)The cost of investing in swaps, including the embedded cost of the swap and the operating expenses of the referenced assets, is an indirect expense that is not included in the above fee table and is not reflected in the expense example. The total indirect cost of investing in swaps, including the embedded cost of the swap and the operating expenses of the referenced assets, is estimated to be [__]% for the fiscal period ending ____, 2023.

 

Example

 

This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then hold or redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a five percent (5%) return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

 

Name of Fund 1 Year 3 Years
Tuttle Capital 2X All Innovation ETF $ $

 

2

 

 

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. As of the date of this Prospectus, the Fund has not yet commenced operations and therefore does not have any portfolio turnover information available.

 

Principal Investment Strategies

 

The Fund seeks daily leveraged investment results and is very different from most other exchange-traded funds. As a result, the Fund may be riskier than alternatives that do not use leverage because the Fund’s objective is to magnify (200%) the daily performance of five underlying reference exchange-traded funds (“Reference ETF” or “Reference ETFs”). The Fund will design it portfolio such that:

 

50% of its net assets are allocated to seeking to return 200% of the daily performance of the ARK Innovation ETF; and

12.5% of its net assets are allocated to seeking to return 200% of the daily performance of each of the ARK Next Generation Internet ETF, the ARK Fintech Innovation ETF, the ARK Genomic Revolution ETF and the ARK Autonomous Technology and Robotics ETF.

 

The Fund will enter into one or more swap agreements with respect to each Reference ETF with major global financial institutions for a specified period ranging from a day to more than one year whereby the Fund and the global financial institution will agree to exchange the return (or differentials in rates of return) earned or realized on each Reference ETF. The gross return to be exchanged or “swapped” between the parties is calculated with respect to a “notional amount,” e.g., the return on or change in value of a particular dollar amount representing the Reference ETF. The Adviser attempts to consistently apply leverage to increase the Fund’s exposure to 200% of each Reference ETF and expects to rebalance the Fund’s holdings daily to maintain such exposure.

 

Additionally, the Fund may invest between 40-80% of the Fund’s portfolio depending on the amount of collateral required by the Fund’s counterparties in (1) U.S. Government securities, such as bills, notes and bonds issued by the U.S. Treasury; (2) money market funds; (3) short term bond ETFs and/or (4) corporate debt securities, such as commercial paper and other short-term unsecured promissory notes issued by businesses that are rated investment grade or of comparable quality (“Collateral Investments”).

 

This document relates only to the securities offered hereby and does not relate to the underlying stock or other securities of the Reference ETFs. The Fund has derived all disclosures contained in this document regarding the Reference ETFs from the publicly available documents. In connection with the offering of the securities, neither the Fund, the Trust nor the Advisor has participated in the preparation of such documents or made any due diligence inquiry with respect to the Reference ETFs. Neither the Fund, the Trust nor the Advisor makes any representation that such publicly available documents or any other publicly available information regarding the Reference ETFs is accurate or complete. Furthermore, the Fund cannot give any assurance that all events occurring prior to the date hereof (including events that would affect the accuracy or completeness of the publicly available documents described above) that would affect the trading price of the Reference ETFs (and therefore the prices of the Reference ETFs at the time we price the securities) have been publicly disclosed. Subsequent disclosure of any such events or the disclosure of or failure to disclose material future events concerning the Reference ETFs could affect the value received with respect to the securities and therefore the value of the securities.

 

3

 

 

Each Reference ETF is a non-diversified, actively-managed exchange-traded fund which pursues the following investment strategies:

 

The ARK Innovation ETF will invest under normal circumstances primarily (at least 65% of its assets) in domestic and foreign equity securities of companies that are relevant to the Fund’s investment theme of disruptive innovation. The adviser to the ARK Innovation ETF defines “disruptive innovation” as the introduction of a technologically enabled new product or service that potentially changes the way the world works. The Adviser believes that companies relevant to this theme are those that rely on or benefit from the development of new products or services, technological improvements and advancements in scientific research relating to the areas of genomics as the study of genes and their functions and related techniques such as genomic sequencing (“Genomic Revolution Companies”); innovation in automation and manufacturing (“Automation Transformation Companies”), transportation, energy (“Energy Transformation Companies”), artificial intelligence (“Artificial Intelligence Companies”) and materials; the increased use of shared technology, infrastructure and services (“Next Generation Internet Companies”); and technologies that make financial services more efficient (“Fintech Innovation Companies”).

 

The ARK Innovation Next Generation ETF will invest under normal circumstances primarily (at least 80% of its assets) in domestic and foreign equity securities of companies that are relevant to the Fund’s investment theme of Next Generation Internet Companies, which also may include Fintech Innovation Companies.

 

The ARK Fintech Innovation ETF will invest under normal circumstances primarily (at least 80% of its assets) in domestic and foreign equity securities of companies that are engaged in the Fund’s investment theme of Fintech Innovation Companies. A company is deemed to be engaged in the theme of Fintech innovation if (i) it derives a significant portion of its revenue or market value from the theme of Fintech innovation or (ii) it has stated its primary business to be in products and services focused on the theme of Fintech innovation.

 

The ARK Genomic Revolution ETF will invest under normal circumstances primarily (at least 80% of its assets) in domestic and foreign equity securities of companies across multiple sectors, including healthcare, information technology, materials, energy and consumer discretionary, that are relevant to the Fund’s investment theme of Genomics Revolution Companies.

 

4

 

 

The ARK Autonomous Technology & Robotics ETF will invest under normal circumstances primarily (at least 80% of its assets) in domestic and foreign equity securities of autonomous technology and robotics companies that are relevant to the Fund’s investment theme of disruptive innovation.

 

The types of companies that the adviser to the ARK Innovation ETF, ARK Innovation Next Generation Internet ETF, ARK Fintech Innovation ETF, the ARK Genomic Revolution ETF and the ARK Autonomous Technology & Robotics ETF believes are Genomic Revolution Companies, Automation Transformation Companies, Energy Transformation Companies, Artificial Intelligence Companies, Next Generation Internet Companies or Fintech Innovation Companies are described below:

 

● Genomic Revolution Companies. Companies that are substantially focused on and are expected to substantially benefit from extending and enhancing the quality of human and other life by incorporating technological and scientific developments, improvements and advancements in genomics into their business, such as by offering new products or services that rely on genomic sequencing, analysis, synthesis or instrumentation. These companies may include ones across multiple sectors, such as healthcare, information technology, materials, energy and consumer discretionary. These companies may also develop, produce, manufacture or significantly rely on or enable bionic devices, bio-inspired computing, bioinformatics, molecular medicine and agricultural biotechnology.

 

The adviser defines “genomics” as the study of genes and their functions, and related techniques (e.g., genomic sequencing). The adviser uses the term “genomic sequencing” to refer to techniques that allow researchers to read and decipher the genetic information found in the DNA (i.e., the exact sequence of bases A, C, G and T in a DNA molecule), including the DNA of bacteria, plants, animals and human beings. The adviser defines “bioinformatics” as the science of collecting and analyzing complex biological data such as genetic codes.

 

● Automation Transformation Companies. Companies that are focused on man capitalizing on the productivity of machines, such as through the automation of functions, processes or activities previously performed by human labor, such as transportation through an emphasis on mobility as a service, or the use of robotics to perform other functions, activities or processes.

 

● Energy Transformation Companies. Companies that seek to capitalize on innovations or evolutions in: (i) ways that energy is stored or used; (ii) the discovery, collection and/or implementation of new sources of energy, including unconventional sources of oil or natural gas; and/or (iii) the production or development of new materials for use in commercial applications of energy production, use or storage.

 

● Artificial Intelligence Companies. Companies that are Artificial Intelligence (“AI”) Companies include a company that: (i) designs, creates, integrates, or delivers robotics, autonomous technology, and/or AI in the form of products, software, or systems; (ii) develops the building block components for robotics, autonomous technology, or AI, such as advanced machinery, semiconductors and databases used for machine learning; (iii) provides its own value-added services on top of such building block components, but are not core to the company’s product or service offering; and/or (iv) develops computer systems that are able to perform tasks that normally require human intelligence, such as visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, and translation between languages.

 

5

 

 

● Next Generation Internet Companies. Companies that are focused on and expected to benefit from shifting the bases of technology infrastructure from hardware and software to the cloud, enabling mobile and local services, such as companies that rely on or benefit from the increased use of shared technology, infrastructure and services. These companies may include mail order houses which generate the entirety of their business through websites and which offer internet-based products and services, such as streaming media or cloud storage in addition to traditional physical goods. These companies may also include ones that develop, use or rely on innovative payment methodologies, big data, the “internet of things,” machine learning, and social distribution and media.

 

The adviser defines the “internet of things” as a system of interrelated computing devices, mechanical and digital machines, or physical objects that are provided unique identifiers and the ability to transfer data over a network without requiring human-to-human or human-to-computer interaction.

 

● Fintech Innovation Companies. Companies that are focused on and expected to benefit from the shifting of the financial sector and economic transactions to technology infrastructure platforms, and technological intermediaries. Fintech Innovation Companies may also develop, use or rely on innovative payment platforms and methodologies, point of sale providers, e-commerce, transactional innovations, business analytics, fraud reduction, frictionless funding platforms, peer-to-peer lending, blockchain technologies, intermediary exchanges, asset allocation technology, cryptocurrency, mobile payments, and risk pricing and pooling aggregators. The Fund may have exposure to cryptocurrency, such as bitcoin, indirectly through an investment in a grantor trust. The Fund’s exposure to cryptocurrency may change over time and, accordingly, such exposure may not always be represented in the Fund’s portfolio.

 

The term “blockchain” refers to a peer-to-peer distributed ledger that is secured using cryptography. A distributed ledger is a shared electronic database where information is recorded and stored across multiple computers; a blockchain is one type of distributed ledger. A blockchain may be open and permissionless or private and permissioned. The Bitcoin and Ethereum blockchains are examples of open, public, permissionless blockchains. Blockchain derives its name from the way it stores transaction data in “blocks” that are linked together to form a chain. As the number of transactions grows, so does the blockchain. Blocks record and confirm the time and sequence of transactions, which are then logged into the blockchain network, which is, with respect to public blockchains, governed by rules agreed on by the network participants. Cryptocurrencies (also referred to as “virtual currencies” and “digital currencies”) are digital assets designed to act as a medium of exchange. There are thousands of cryptocurrencies, the most well-known of which is bitcoin.

  

6

 

 

Neither the Fund nor any of its affiliates makes any representation to you as to the performance of any of the Reference ETFs.

 

Principal Risks

 

The principal risks affecting shareholders’ investments in the Fund including the risks of the investment strategies of the Reference ETFs are set forth below. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the FDIC or any government agency. The Fund’s Shares will change in value, and you could lose money by investing in the Fund. The Fund may not achieve its investment objective.

 

Investment Risks of the Fund

 

The investment risks of the Fund are as follows:

 

Derivatives Risk. The Fund’s use of derivatives may be considered aggressive and may expose the Fund to greater risks and larger losses or smaller gains than investing directly in the reference asset(s) underlying those derivatives.  A derivative refers to any financial instrument whose value is derived, at least in part, from the price of an underlying security, asset, rate or index. The use of derivatives presents risks different from, and possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in traditional securities. Changes in the value of a derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying security, asset, rate or index. Gains or losses in a derivative may be magnified and may be much greater than the derivative’s original cost. 

 

Swap Agreement Risk.  The Fund expects to use swap agreements as a means to achieve its investment objective. Swap agreements are generally traded in over-the-counter (“OTC”) markets and have only recently become subject to regulation by the CFTC. CFTC rules, however, do not cover all types of swap agreements. Investors, therefore, may not receive the protection of CFTC regulation or the statutory scheme of the Commodity Exchange Act in connection with the Fund’s swap agreements. The lack of regulation in these markets could expose investors to significant losses under certain circumstances, including in the event of trading abuses or financial failure by participants.  Unlike in futures contracts, the counterparty to uncleared OTC swap agreements is generally a single bank or other financial institution, rather than a clearing organization backed by a group of financial institutions. As a result, the Fund is subject to increased counterparty risk with respect to the amount it expects to receive from counterparties to uncleared swaps. If a counterparty becomes bankrupt or otherwise fails to perform its obligations due to financial difficulties, the Fund could suffer significant losses on these contracts and the value of an investor’s investment in the Fund may decline.  OTC swaps of the type that may be utilized by the Fund are less liquid than futures contracts because they are not traded on an exchange, do not have uniform terms and conditions, and are generally entered into based upon the creditworthiness of the parties and the availability of credit support, such as collateral, and in general, are not transferable without the consent of the counterparty. Swaps are also subject to the risk of imperfect correlation between the value of the reference asset underlying the swap and the swap. Leverage inherent in derivatives will tend to magnify the Fund’s gains and losses. Moreover, with respect to the use of swap agreements, if a Reference ETF has a dramatic intraday move that causes a material decline in the Fund’s net assets, the terms of a swap agreement between the Fund and its counterparty may permit the counterparty to immediately close out the transaction with the Fund. In that event, the Fund may be unable to enter into another swap agreement or invest in other derivatives to achieve the desired exposure consistent with the Fund’s investment objective. This, in turn, may prevent the Fund from achieving its investment objective, even if a Reference ETF reverses all or a portion of its intraday move by the end of the day. As a result, the value of an investment in the Fund may change quickly and without warning.

 

7

 

 

Counterparty Risk. Investing in derivatives involves entering into contracts with third parties (i.e., counterparties). The use of derivatives involves risks that are different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. The Fund will be subject to credit risk (i.e., the risk that a counterparty is or is perceived to be unwilling or unable to make timely payments or otherwise meet its contractual obligations) with respect to the amount it expects to receive from counterparties to derivatives entered into by the Fund. If a counterparty becomes bankrupt or fails to perform its obligations, or if any collateral posted by the counterparty for the benefit of the Fund is insufficient or there are delays in the Fund’s ability to access such collateral, the value of an investment in the Fund may decline.

 

Volatility Risk. Volatility is the characteristic of a security or other asset, an index or a market to fluctuate significantly in price within a short time period. The value of the Fund’s investments in swaps – and therefore the value of an investment in the Fund – could decline significantly and without warning, including to zero. If you are not prepared to accept significant and unexpected changes in the value of the Fund and the possibility that you could lose your entire investment in the Fund, you should not invest in the Fund.

 

Leverage Risk. Leverage increases the risk of a total loss of an investor’s investment, may increase the volatility of the Fund, and may magnify any differences between the performance of the Fund and the Reference ETFs. Because the Fund includes a multiplier of two times (2x) each Reference ETF, a single day movement in a Reference ETF approaching 50% at any point in the day could result in the total loss of an investor’s investment if that movement is contrary to the investment objective of the Fund, even if a Reference ETF subsequently moves in an opposite direction, eliminating all or a portion of the earlier movement. This would be the case with any such single day movements in a Reference ETF, even if the Reference ETF maintains a level greater than zero at all times.

 

Although the Reference ETFs will not borrow funds for trading, the Fund should be considered highly leveraged. Leverage embedded in the swap agreements may result in the Fund holding positions whose face or notional value may be many times the Fund’s NAV. Furthermore, derivative instruments such as swaps are highly volatile and are subject to occasional rapid and substantial fluctuations. Higher volatility generally indicates higher risk.

 

8

 

 

Compounding Risk. The Fund has a single day investment objective, and the Fund’s performance for any other period is the result of its return for each day compounded over the period. The performance of the Fund for periods longer than a single day will very likely differ in amount, and possibly even direction, from 200% of the daily return of the Reference ETFs for the same period, before accounting for fees and expenses. Compounding affects all investments, but has a more significant impact on a leveraged fund. This effect becomes more pronounced as a Reference ETF’s volatility and holding periods increase. Fund performance for a period longer than a single day can be estimated given any set of assumptions for the following factors: (a) the Reference ETFs volatility; (b) the Reference ETFs performance; (c) period of time; (d) financing rates associated with leveraged exposure; and (e) other Fund expenses. The Reference ETFs volatility and performance are the two factors which have the most significant effect on Fund performance.

 

Total Loss Risk. Because the Fund utilizes leverage in seeking to achieve its investment objective, it will lose more money in market environments adverse to its daily investment objective than funds that do not employ leverage. The use of leveraged positions increases risk and could result in the total loss of an investor’s investment within a single day. The Fund’s investments in leveraged positions generally requires a small investment relative to the amount of investment exposure assumed. As a result, such investments may give rise to losses that far exceed the amount invested in those instruments.

 

Correlation Risk. A number of factors may affect the Fund’s ability to achieve a high degree of correlation with the Reference ETFs, and there is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve a high degree of correlation. Failure to achieve a high degree of correlation may prevent the Fund from achieving its investment objective, and the percentage change of the Fund’s NAV each day may differ, perhaps significantly in amount, and possibly even direction, from 200% of the percentage change of the Reference ETFs on such day.

 

In order to achieve a high degree of correlation with the Reference ETFs, the Fund seeks to rebalance its portfolio daily to keep exposure consistent with its investment objective. Being materially under- or overexposed to a particular Reference ETF may prevent the Fund from achieving a high degree of correlation with the Reference ETF and may expose the Fund to greater leverage risk. Market disruptions or closure, regulatory restrictions, market volatility, illiquidity in the markets for the financial instruments in which the Fund invests, and other factors will adversely affect the Fund’s ability to adjust exposure to requisite levels. The target amount of portfolio exposure is impacted dynamically by the Reference ETF’s movements, including intraday movements. Because of this, it is unlikely that the Fund will have perfect 200% exposure during the day or at the end of each day and the likelihood of being materially under- or overexposed is higher on days when a particular Reference ETF is volatile, particularly when the Reference ETF is volatile at or near the close of the trading day.

 

A number of other factors may also adversely affect the Fund’s correlation with the Reference ETFs, including fees, expenses, transaction costs, financing costs associated with the use of derivatives, income items, valuation methodology, accounting standards and disruptions or illiquidity in the markets for the securities or financial instruments in which the Fund invests. The Fund may take or refrain from taking positions in order to improve tax efficiency, comply with regulatory restrictions, or for other reasons, each of which may negatively affect the Fund’s correlation with the Reference ETFs. The Fund may also be subject to large movements of assets into and out of the Fund, potentially resulting in the Fund being under- or overexposed to the Reference ETFs and may be impacted by reconstitutions of the Reference ETFs and the Reference ETFs rebalancing events. Additionally, the Fund’s underlying investments and/or reference assets may trade on markets that may not be open on the same day as the Fund, which may cause a difference between the changes in the daily performance of the Fund and changes in the level of the Reference ETFs. Any of these factors could decrease correlation between the performance of the Fund and the Reference ETFs and may hinder the Fund’s ability to meet its daily investment objective on or around that day.

 

9

 

 

Rebalancing Risk. If for any reason the Fund is unable to rebalance all or a portion of its portfolio, or if all or a portion of the portfolio is rebalanced incorrectly, the Fund’s investment exposure may not be consistent with the Fund’s investment objective. In these instances, the Fund may have investment exposure to the Reference ETFs that is significantly greater or less than its stated multiple. As a result, the Fund may be more exposed to leverage risk than if it had been properly rebalanced and may not achieve its investment objective.

 

Collateral Investments Risk. The Fund’s use of Collateral Investments may include obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies and instrumentalities, including bills, notes and bonds issued by the U.S. Treasury, money market funds, short-term bond ETFs, and corporate debt securities, such as commercial paper.

 

Some securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies and U.S. Government-sponsored instrumentalities may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the United States, in which case the investor must look principally to the agency or instrumentality issuing or guaranteeing the security for ultimate repayment, and may not be able to assert a claim against the United States itself in the event that the agency or instrumentality does not meet its commitment. The U.S. Government, its agencies and instrumentalities do not guarantee the market value of their securities, and consequently, the value of such securities may fluctuate. Although the Fund may hold securities that carry U.S. Government guarantees, these guarantees do not extend to shares of the Fund.

 

Money market funds are subject to management fees and other expenses. Therefore, investments in money market funds will cause the Fund to bear indirectly a proportional share of the fees and costs of the money market funds in which it invests. At the same time, the Fund will continue to pay its own management fees and expenses with respect to all of its assets, including any portion invested in the shares of the money market fund. It is possible to lose money by investing in money market funds.

 

The Fund may purchase securities of open-end investment companies including ETFs if the purchase is in compliance with the Investment Company Act of 1940 Act (the “1940 Act”). If the Fund invests in securities of other investment companies, the return of any such investment will be reduced by the operating expenses, including investment advisory and administrative fees, of such investment companies. However, the Adviser believes that at times the return and liquidity features of these securities will be more beneficial than other types of securities.

 

10

 

 

Corporate debt securities such as commercial paper generally are short-term unsecured promissory notes issued by businesses. Corporate debt may be rated investment-grade or below investment-grade and may carry variable or floating rates of interest. Corporate debt securities carry both credit risk and interest rate risk. Credit risk is the risk that the Fund could lose money if the issuer of a corporate debt security is unable to pay interest or repay principal when it is due. Some corporate debt securities that are rated below investment-grade generally are considered speculative because they present a greater risk of loss, including default, than higher quality debt securities.

 

Debt Securities Risk and Fixed Income Risk. Investments in debt and fixed income securities, including U.S. Treasuries, or derivatives based on fixed income securities, subject the holder to the credit risk of the issuer and to interest rate risk. Generally, the value of debt securities will change inversely with changes in interest rates. To the extent that interest rates rise, certain underlying obligations may be paid off substantially slower than originally anticipated and the value of those securities may fall sharply. During periods of falling interest rates, the income received by the Fund may decline. If the principal on a debt security is prepaid before expected, the prepayments of principal may have to be reinvested in obligations paying interest at lower rates. Debt securities generally do not trade on a securities exchange making them generally less liquid and more difficult to value than common stock.

 

Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk that the value of the debt securities in the Fund’s portfolio will decline because of rising market interest rates. Interest rate risk is generally lower for shorter term debt securities and higher for longer-term debt securities. The Fund may be subject to a greater risk of rising interest rates than would normally be the case due to the current period of historically low rates and the effect of potential government fiscal policy initiatives and resulting market reaction to those initiatives. Duration is a reasonably accurate measure of a debt security’s price sensitivity to changes in interest rates and a common measure of interest rate risk. Duration measures a debt security’s expected life on a present value basis, taking into account the debt security’s yield, interest payments and final maturity. In general, duration represents the expected percentage change in the value of a security for an immediate 1% change in interest rates. For example, the price of a debt security with a three-year duration would be expected to drop by approximately 3% in response to a 1% increase in interest rates. Therefore, prices of debt securities with shorter durations tend to be less sensitive to interest rate changes than debt securities with longer durations. As the value of a debt security changes over time, so will its duration.

 

Call Risk. Some debt securities may be redeemed, or “called,” at the option of the issuer before their stated maturity date. In general, an issuer will call its debt securities if they can be refinanced by issuing new debt securities which bear a lower interest rate. The Fund is subject to the possibility that during periods of falling interest rates an issuer will call its high yielding debt securities. The Fund would then be forced to invest the proceeds at lower interest rates, likely resulting in a decline in the Fund’s income.

 

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Credit Risk. An issuer or other obligated party of a debt security may be unable or unwilling to make dividend, interest and/or principal payments when due. In addition, the value of a debt security may decline because of concerns about the issuer’s ability or unwillingness to make such payments.

 

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

 

Liquidity Risk. In certain circumstances, such as the disruption of the orderly markets for the financial instruments in which the Fund invests, the Fund might not be able to acquire or dispose of certain holdings quickly or at prices that represent true market value in the judgment of the Adviser. Markets for the financial instruments in which the Fund invests may be disrupted by a number of events, including but not limited to economic crises, health crises, natural disasters, excessive volatility, new legislation, or regulatory changes inside or outside of the U.S. For example, regulation limiting the ability of certain financial institutions to invest in certain financial instruments would likely reduce the liquidity of those instruments. These situations may prevent the Fund from limiting losses, realizing gains or achieving a high leveraged correlation with the Reference ETFs. The Fund is subject to liquidity risk primarily due to its investments in derivatives. Investments in derivative instruments involve the risk that the Fund may be unable to sell the derivative instrument or sell it at a reasonable price.

 

ETF Risks. The Fund is an exchange-traded fund, and, as a result of an ETF’s structure, it is exposed to the following risks:

 

Authorized Participants, Market Makers, and Liquidity Providers Limitation Risk. The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as Authorized Participants (“APs”). In addition, there may be a limited number of market makers and/or liquidity providers in the marketplace. To the extent either of the following events occur, shares of the Fund (“Shares”) may trade at a material discount to NAV and possibly face delisting: (i) APs exit the business or otherwise become unable to process creation and/or redemption orders and no other APs step forward to perform these services, or (ii) market makers and/or liquidity providers exit the business or significantly reduce their business activities and no other entities step forward to perform their functions.

 

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Cash Redemption Risk. The Fund’s investment strategy may require it to redeem Shares for cash or to otherwise include cash as part of its redemption proceeds. The Fund may be required to sell or unwind portfolio investments to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. This may cause the Fund to recognize a capital gain that it might not have recognized if it had made a redemption in-kind. As a result, the Fund may pay out higher annual capital gain distributions than if the in-kind redemption process was used.

 

Costs of Buying or Selling Shares. Due to the costs of buying or selling Shares, including brokerage commissions imposed by brokers and bid/ask spreads, frequent trading of Shares may significantly reduce investment results and an investment in Shares may not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments.

 

Shares May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV. As with all ETFs, Shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. Although it is expected that the market price of Shares will approximate the Fund’s NAV, there may be times when the market price of Shares is more than the NAV intra-day (premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (discount) due to supply and demand of Shares or during periods of market volatility. This risk is heightened in times of market volatility and volatility in the Fund’s portfolio holdings, periods of steep market declines, and periods when there is limited trading activity for Shares in the secondary market, in which case such premiums or discounts may be significant. If an investor purchases Shares at a time when the market price is at a premium to the NAV of the Shares or sells at a time when the market price is at a discount to the NAV of the Shares, then the investor may sustain losses that are in addition to any losses caused by a decrease in NAV.

 

Trading. Although Shares are listed for trading on a national securities exchange, and may be traded on other U.S. exchanges, there can be no assurance that Shares will trade with any volume, or at all, on any stock exchange. In stressed market conditions, the liquidity of Shares may begin to mirror the liquidity of the Fund’s underlying portfolio holdings, which can be significantly less liquid than Fund Shares.

 

Intraday Price Performance Risk. The intraday performance of shares of the Fund traded in the secondary market generally will be different from the performance of the Fund when measured from one NAV calculation-time to the next. When shares are bought intraday, the performance of the Fund’s Shares relative to the Reference ETFs until the Fund’s next NAV calculation time will generally be greater than or less than the Fund’s stated multiple times the performance of the Reference ETFs.

 

Market Maker Risk. If the Fund has lower average daily trading volumes, it may rely on a small number of third-party market makers to provide a market for the purchase and sale of Shares. Any trading halt or other problem relating to the trading activity of these market makers could result in a dramatic change in the spread between the Fund’s net asset value and the price at which the Shares are trading on the Exchange, which could result in a decrease in value of the Shares. In addition, decisions by market makers or Aps to reduce their role or step away from these activities in times of market stress could inhibit the effectiveness of the arbitrage process in maintaining the relationship between the underlying values of the Fund’s portfolio securities and the Fund’s market price. This reduced effectiveness could result in Shares trading at a discount to net asset value and also in greater than normal intra-day bid-ask spreads for Shares.

 

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

 

Transactions in Cash RiskThe Fund intends to effect its creations and redemptions primarily for cash, rather than in-kind securities. Paying redemption proceeds in cash rather than through in- kind delivery of portfolio securities may require the Fund to dispose of or sell portfolio investments at an inopportune time to obtain the cash needed to pay redemption proceeds. This may cause the Fund to incur certain costs such as brokerage costs, and to recognize gains or losses that it might not have incurred if it had paid redemption proceeds in-kind. As a result, the Fund may pay out higher or lower annual capital gains distributions than ETFs that redeem in-kind. In addition, the costs imposed on the Fund will decrease the Fund’s NAV unless the costs are offset by a transaction fee payable by an authorized participant.

 

Portfolio Turnover Risk. The Fund may incur high portfolio turnover to manage the Fund’s investment exposure. Additionally, active market trading of the Fund’s Shares may cause more frequent creation or redemption activities that could, in certain circumstances, increase the number of portfolio transactions. High levels of portfolio transactions increase brokerage and other transaction costs and may result in increased taxable capital gains. Each of these factors could have a negative impact on the performance of the Fund.

 

New Fund Risk. As of the date of this prospectus, the Fund has no operating history and currently has fewer assets than larger funds. Like other new funds, large inflows and outflows may impact the Fund’s market exposure for limited periods of time. This impact may be positive or negative, depending on the direction of market movement during the period affected.

 

Investment Risks of the Reference ETFs

 

The risks with respect to the investment strategies of the Reference ETFs are as follows:

 

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Blockchain Investments RiskThe ARK Next Generation Internet ETF and the ARK Fintech Innovation ETF may invest in companies that actively engage in blockchain technology. An investment in companies actively engaged in blockchain technology may be subject to the following risks:

 

● The technology is new and many of its uses may be untested.  The mechanics of using distributed ledger technology to transact in other types of assets, such as securities or derivatives, is relatively new and untested. There is no assurance that widespread adoption will occur. A lack of expansion in the usage of blockchain technology could adversely affect an investment in the Reference ETF. A breach to one blockchain could cause investors, and the public generally, to lose trust in blockchain technology and increase reluctance to issue and invest in assets recorded on blockchains. Furthermore, blockchain technology is subject to a rapidly-evolving regulatory landscape in the United States and in other countries, which might include security, privacy or other regulatory concerns that could require changes to blockchain networks.

 

Theft, loss or destruction.  Transacting on a blockchain depends in part specifically on the use of cryptographic keys that are required to access a user’s account (or “wallet”). The theft, loss or destruction of these keys impairs the value of ownership claims users have over the relevant assets being represented by the ledger (whether “smart contracts,” securities, currency or other digital assets). The theft, loss or destruction of private or public keys needed to transact on a blockchain could also adversely affect a company’s business or operations if it were dependent on the ledger.

 

● Competing platforms and technologies.  The development and acceptance of competing platforms or technologies may cause consumers or investors to use alternatives to blockchains.

 

● Cyber security incidents.  Cyber security incidents may compromise an issuer, its operations or its business. Cyber security incidents may also specifically target a user’s transaction history, digital assets, or identity, thereby leading to privacy concerns. In addition, certain features of blockchain technology, such as decentralization, open source protocol, and reliance on peer-to-peer connectivity, may increase the risk of fraud or cyber-attack by potentially reducing the likelihood of a coordinated response.

 

● Developmental risk.  Blockchain technology may never develop optimized transactional processes that lead to realized economic returns for any company in which the Fund invests. Companies that are developing applications of blockchain technology applications may not in fact do so or may not be able to capitalize on those blockchain technologies. The development of new or competing platforms may cause consumers and investors to use alternatives to blockchains.

 

● Intellectual property claims.  A proliferation of recent startups attempting to apply blockchain technology in different contexts means the possibility of conflicting intellectual property claims could be a risk to an issuer, its operations or its business. This could also pose a risk to blockchain platforms that permit transactions in digital securities. Regardless of the merit of any intellectual property or other legal action, any threatened action that reduces confidence in the viability of blockchain may adversely affect an investment in the Reference ETF.

 

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● Lack of liquid markets, and possible manipulation of blockchain-based assets.  Digital assets that are represented and trade on a blockchain may not necessarily benefit from viable trading markets. Stock exchanges have listing requirements and vet issuers, and perhaps users. These conditions may not necessarily be replicated on a blockchain, depending on the platform’s controls and other policies. The more lenient a blockchain is about vetting issuers of digital assets or users that transact on the platform, the higher the potential risk for fraud or the manipulation of digital assets. These factors may decrease liquidity or volume, or increase volatility of digital securities or other assets trading on a blockchain.

 

● Lack of regulation.  Digital commodities and their associated platforms are largely unregulated, and the regulatory environment is rapidly evolving. Because blockchain works by having every transaction build on every other transaction, participants can self-police any corruption, which can mitigate the need to depend on the current level of legal or government safeguards to monitor and control the flow of business transactions. As a result, companies engaged in such blockchain activities may be exposed to adverse regulatory action, fraudulent activity or even failure.

 

● Third party product defects or vulnerabilities.  Where blockchain systems are built using third party products, those products may contain technical defects or vulnerabilities beyond a company’s control. Open-source technologies that are used to build a blockchain application may also introduce defects and vulnerabilities.

 

● Reliance on the Internet.  Blockchain functionality relies on the Internet. A significant disruption of Internet connectivity affecting large numbers of users or geographic areas could impede the functionality of blockchain technologies and adversely affect the Referenced ETF. In addition, certain features of blockchain technology, such as decentralization, open-source protocol, and reliance on peer-to-peer connectivity, may increase the risk of fraud or cyber-attack by potentially reducing the likelihood of a coordinated response.

 

● Line of business risk.  Some of the companies in which the Reference ETF may invest are engaged in other lines of business unrelated to blockchain and these lines of business could adversely affect their operating results. The operating results of these companies may fluctuate as a result of these additional risks and events in the other lines of business. In addition, a company’s ability to engage in new activities may expose it to business risks with which it has less experience than it has with the business risks associated with its traditional businesses. Despite a company’s possible success in activities linked to its use of blockchain, there can be no assurance that the other lines of business in which these companies are engaged will not have an adverse effect on a company’s business or financial condition.

 

Communications Sector Risk. The ARK Innovation ETF, ARK Next Generation Internet ETF and the ARK Fintech Innovation ETF will be more affected by the performance of the communications sector than a fund with less exposure to such sector. Communication companies are particularly vulnerable to the potential obsolescence of products and services due to technological advancement and the innovation of competitors. Companies in the communications sector may also be affected by other competitive pressures, such as pricing competition, as well as research and development costs, substantial capital requirements and government regulation. Additionally, fluctuating domestic and international demand, shifting demographics and often unpredictable changes in consumer tastes can drastically affect a communication company’s profitability. While all companies may be susceptible to network security breaches, certain companies in the communications sector may be particular targets of hacking and potential theft of proprietary or consumer information or disruptions in service, which could have a material adverse effect on their businesses.

 

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Concentration Risk. The ARK Next Generation Internet ETF, the ARK Fintech Innovation ETF and the ARK Genomic Revolution ETF’s assets will be concentrated in securities of issuers having their principal business activities in the Internet information provider and catalog and mail order house industry. To the extent that the Reference ETF continues to be concentrated in the Internet information provider and catalog and mail order house industry, the Reference ETF will be subject to the risk that economic, political, or other conditions that have a negative effect on such industry, and likely will negatively impact the Reference ETF to a greater extent than if its assets were invested in a wider variety of sectors or industries.

 

The ARK Autonomous Technology & Robotics ETF’s assets will be concentrated in securities of issuers having their principal business activities in groups of industries in the (i) industrials sector or (ii) information technology sector. However, the Fund will not concentrate in any specific industry.

 

Consumer Discretionary Risk. The ARK Innovation ETF, the ARK Next Generation Internet ETF and the ARK Autonomous Technology & Robotics ETF may invest in companies in the consumer discretionary sector. The consumer discretionary sector may be affected by changes in domestic and international economies, exchange and interest rates, competition, consumers’ disposable income and consumer preferences, social trends and marketing campaigns.

 

Cryptocurrency Risk. The ARK Innovation ETF and the ARK Next Generation Internet ETF may invest in cryptocurrency. Cryptocurrencies (also referred to as “virtual currencies” and “digital currencies”) are digital assets designed to act as a medium of exchange. Cryptocurrency is an emerging asset class. There are thousands of cryptocurrencies, the most well-known of which is bitcoin. The Fund may have exposure to bitcoin indirectly through an investment in the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (“GBTC”), a privately offered, open-end investment vehicle that invests in bitcoin, or other pooled investment vehicles that invest in bitcoin, such as exchange-traded funds that are domiciled and listed for trading in Canada (“Canadian Bitcoin ETFs”).

 

Cryptocurrency generally operates without central authority (such as a bank) and is not backed by any government, corporation, or other entity. Cryptocurrency is not generally accepted as legal tender. Regulation of cryptocurrency is still developing. Federal, state and/or foreign governments may restrict the development, use, or exchange of cryptocurrency.

 

The market price of bitcoin has been subject to extreme fluctuations. The price of bitcoin could fall sharply (potentially to zero) for various reasons, including, but not limited to, regulatory changes, issues impacting the bitcoin network, events involving entities that facilitate transactions in bitcoin, or changes in user preferences in favor of alternative cryptocurrencies. Furthermore, events that impact one cryptocurrency may lead to a decline in the value of other cryptocurrencies, including bitcoin.

 

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Cryptocurrency exchanges and other trading venues on which cryptocurrencies trade are relatively new and, in most cases, largely unregulated. Therefore, cryptocurrency exchanges may be more exposed to fraud and failure than established, regulated exchanges for securities, derivatives and other currencies. Cryptocurrency exchanges may not have the same features as traditional exchanges to enhance the stability of trading on the exchange, such as measures designed to prevent sudden price swings such as “flash crashes.” As a result, the prices of cryptocurrencies on exchanges may be subject to more volatility than traditional assets traded on regulated exchanges. Cryptocurrency exchanges are also subject to cyber security risks. Cryptocurrency exchanges have experienced cyber security breaches in the past and may be breached in the future, which could result in the theft and/or loss of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies and impact the value of bitcoin. Furthermore, cyber security events, legal or regulatory actions, fraud, and technical glitches, may cause a cryptocurrency exchange to shut down temporarily or permanently, which may also affect the value of bitcoin.

 

The Reference ETF’s investments in GBTC or Canadian Bitcoin ETFs expose the Fund to all of the risks related to cryptocurrencies described above and also expose the Fund to risks related to GBTC and the Canadian Bitcoin ETFs directly. Shares of GBTC may trade at a significant premium or discount to NAV. To the extent GBTC trades at a discount to NAV, the value of the Fund’s investment in GBTC would typically decrease. Similar to fiat currencies (i.e., a currency that is backed by a central bank or a national, supra-national or quasi-national organization), cryptocurrencies, including bitcoin, are susceptible to theft, loss and destruction. If GBTC or a Canadian Bitcoin ETF experience theft, loss, or destruction of its bitcoin holdings, the Reference ETF’s investments in GBTC or the Canadian Bitcoin ETF could be harmed. Furthermore, because there is no guarantee that an active trading market for GBTC will exist at any time, the Reference ETF’s investments in GBTC may also be subject to liquidity risk, which can impair the value of the Fund’s investments in GBTC. Investors may experience losses if the value of the Reference ETF’s investments in GBTC or Canadian Bitcoin ETFs decline.

 

Cryptocurrency Tax Risk. Many significant aspects of the U.S. federal income tax treatment of investments in bitcoin are uncertain and an investment in bitcoin may produce income that is not treated as qualifying income for purposes of the income test applicable to regulated investment companies, such as the Fund. GBTC is expected to be treated as a grantor trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and therefore an investment by the Reference ETF in GBTC will generally be treated as a direct investment in bitcoin for such purposes. See “Taxes” in the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information for more information.

 

Currency Risk. Changes in currency exchange rates will affect the value of non-U.S. dollar denominated securities, the value of dividends and interest earned from such securities, gains and losses realized on the sale of such securities, and derivative transactions tied to such securities. A strong U.S. dollar relative to other currencies will adversely affect the value of the Reference ETF’s investments denominated in those other currencies.

 

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Depositary Receipts Risk.  The Reference ETFs may invest in depositary receipts. Depositary receipts generally involve similar risks to those associated with investments in foreign securities. Depositary receipts are securities that are typically issued by a bank or trust company that evidence ownership of underlying securities issued by a foreign corporation and entitle the holder to all dividends and capital gains that are paid out on the underlying foreign securities. Investments in depositary receipts may be less liquid than the underlying shares in their primary trading market. Depositary receipts may not necessarily be denominated in the same currency as the underlying securities into which they may be converted. The issuers of depositary receipts may discontinue issuing new depositary receipts and withdraw existing depositary receipts at any time, which may result in costs and delays in the distribution of the underlying assets to the Reference ETF and may negatively impact the Reference ETF’s performance.

 

Disruptive Innovation Risk. Companies that the Reference ETF’s adviser believes are capitalizing on disruptive innovation and developing technologies to displace older technologies or create new markets may not in fact do so. Companies that initially develop a novel technology may not be able to capitalize on the technology. Companies that develop disruptive technologies may face political or legal attacks from competitors, industry groups or local and national governments. These companies may also be exposed to risks applicable to sectors other than the disruptive innovation theme for which they are chosen, and the securities issued by these companies may underperform the securities of other companies that are primarily focused on a particular theme. The Reference ETFs may invest in a company that does not currently derive any revenue from disruptive innovations or technologies, and there is no assurance that a company will derive any revenue from disruptive innovations or technologies in the future. A disruptive innovation or technology may constitute a small portion of a company’s overall business. As a result, the success of a disruptive innovation or technology may not affect the value of the equity securities issued by the company.

 

Emerging Market Securities Risk. The Reference ETF’s investment in securities of emerging market issuers may present risks that are greater than or different from those associated with foreign securities due to less developed and liquid markets and such factors as increased economic, political, regulatory, or other uncertainties. Certain emerging market countries may be subject to less stringent requirements regarding accounting, auditing, financial reporting and record keeping and therefore, material information related to an investment may not be available or reliable. In addition, the Reference ETF is limited in its ability to exercise its legal rights or enforce a counterparty’s legal obligations in certain jurisdictions outside of the United States, in particular, in emerging markets countries.

 

Equity Securities Risk. The value of the equity securities the Reference ETFs hold may fall due to general market and economic conditions, perceptions regarding the industries in which the issuers of securities the Reference ETFs hold participate or factors relating to specific companies in which the Reference ETFs invest. These can include stock movements, purchases or sales of securities by the Reference ETFs, government policies, litigation and changes in interest rates, inflation, the financial condition of the securities’ issuer or perceptions of the issuer, or economic conditions in general or specific to the issuer. Equity securities may also be particularly sensitive to general movements in the stock market, and a decline in the broader market may affect the value of the Reference ETF’s equity investments.

 

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Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs).  The Reference ETFs may invest in stock of, warrants to purchase stock of, and other interests in SPACs or similar special purposes entities. A SPAC is a publicly traded company that raises investment capital for the purpose of acquiring or merging with an existing company. Investments in SPACs and similar entities are subject to a variety of risks beyond those associated with other equity securities. Because SPACs and similar entities do not have any operating history or ongoing business other than seeking acquisitions, the value of their securities is particularly dependent on the ability of the SPAC’s management to identify a merger target and complete an acquisition. Until an acquisition or merger is completed, a SPAC generally invests its assets, less a portion retained to cover expenses, in U.S. government securities, money market securities and cash and does not typically pay dividends in respect of its common stock. As a result, it is possible that an investment in a SPAC may lose value.

 

Financial Sector Risk. The ARK Fintech Innovation ETF may invest in companies in the financial sector. The factors that impact the financial sector will likely have a greater effect on the Reference ETF than on a fund with less exposure to such sector. Companies in the financial sector are especially subject to the adverse effects of economic recession, decreases in the availability of capital, volatile interest rates, portfolio concentrations in geographic markets and in commercial and residential real estate loans, and competition from new entrants in their fields of business. These industries are still extensively regulated at both the federal and state level and may be adversely affected by increased regulations.

 

Financial Technology Risk. The ARK Innovation ETF, ARK Next Generation Internet ETF and the ARK Fintech Innovation ETF may invest in financial technology companies. Companies that are developing financial technologies that seek to disrupt or displace established financial institutions generally face competition from much larger and more established firms. Fintech Innovation Companies may not be able to capitalize on their disruptive technologies if they face political and/or legal attacks from competitors, industry groups or local and national governments. Laws generally vary by country, creating some challenges to achieving scale. A Fintech Innovation Company may not currently derive any revenue, and there is no assurance that such company will derive any revenue from innovative technologies in the future. Additionally, Fintech Innovation Companies may be adversely impacted by potential rapid product obsolescence, cybersecurity attacks, increased regulatory oversight and disruptions in the technology they depend on.

 

Foreign Securities Risk. The Reference ETFs’ investments in foreign securities can be riskier than U.S. securities investments. Investments in the securities of foreign issuers (including investments in ADRs and GDRs) are subject to the risks associated with investing in those foreign markets, such as heightened risks of inflation or nationalization. The prices of foreign securities and the prices of U.S. securities have, at times, moved in opposite directions. In addition, securities of foreign issuers may lose value due to political, economic and geographic events affecting a foreign issuer or market. During periods of social, political or economic instability in a country or region, the value of a foreign security traded on U.S. exchanges could be affected by, among other things, increasing price volatility, illiquidity, or the closure of the primary market on which the security (or the security underlying the ADR or GDR) is traded. You may lose money due to political, economic and geographic events affecting a foreign issuer or market. The Reference ETFs normally will not hedge any foreign currency exposure.

 

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Future Expected Genomic Business Risk. The ARK Innovation ETF and the ARK Genomic Revolution ETF may invest in genomics revolution companies that do not currently derive a substantial portion of their current revenues from genomic-focused businesses and there is no assurance that any company will do so in the future, which may adversely affect the ability of the Reference ETF to achieve its investment objective.

 

Health Care Sector Risk. The ARK Innovation ETF and the ARK Genomic Revolution ETF may invest in companies in the health care sector. The health care sector may be affected by government regulations and government health care programs, restrictions on government reimbursement for medical expenses, increases or decreases in the cost of medical products and services and product liability claims, among other factors. Many health care companies are: (i) heavily dependent on patent protection and intellectual property rights and the expiration of a patent may adversely affect their profitability; (ii) subject to extensive litigation based on product liability and similar claims; and (iii) subject to competitive forces that may make it difficult to raise prices and, in fact, may result in price discounting. Many health care products and services may be subject to regulatory approvals. The process of obtaining such approvals may be long and costly, and delays or failure to receive such approvals may negatively impact the business of such companies. Additional or more stringent laws and regulations enacted in the future could have a material adverse effect on such companies in the health care sector. In addition, issuers in the health care sector include issuers having their principal activities in the biotechnology industry, medical laboratories and research, drug laboratories and research and drug manufacturers, which have the additional risks described below.

 

Biotechnology Company Risk.   A biotechnology company’s valuation can often be based largely on the potential or actual performance of a limited number of products and can accordingly be greatly affected if one of its products proves, among other things, unsafe, ineffective or unprofitable. Biotechnology companies are subject to regulation by, and the restrictions of, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, state and local governments, and foreign regulatory authorities.

 

Pharmaceutical Company Risk.   Companies in the pharmaceutical industry can be significantly affected by, among other things, government approval of products and services, government regulation and reimbursement rates, product liability claims, patent expirations and protection and intense competition.

 

Industrials Sector Risk. The ARK Autonomous Technology and Robotics ETF may invest in companies in the industrials sector. The industrials sector includes companies engaged in aerospace and defense, electrical engineering, machinery, and professional services. Companies in the industrials sector may be adversely affected by changes in government regulation, world events and economic conditions. In addition, companies in the industrials sector may be adversely affected by environmental damages, product liability claims and exchange rates.

 

Aerospace and Defense Company Risk. Companies in the aerospace and defense industry rely to a large extent on U.S. (and other) Government demand for their products and services and may be significantly affected by changes in government regulations and spending, as well as economic conditions and industry consolidation.

 

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Professional Services Company Risk. Professional services companies may be materially impacted by economic conditions and related fluctuations in client demand for marketing, business, technology and other consulting services. Professional services companies’ success depends in large part on attracting and retaining key employees and a failure to do so could adversely affect a company’s business. There are relatively few barriers to entry into the professional services market, and new competitors could readily seek to compete in one or more market segments, which could adversely affect a professional services company’s operating results through pricing pressure and loss of market share.

 

Information Technology Sector Risk. Each Reference ETF (except the ARK Genomic Revolution ETF) may invest in companies in the information technology sector. The information technology sector includes companies engaged in internet software and services, technology hardware and storage peripherals, electronic equipment instruments and components, and semiconductors and semiconductor equipment. Information technology companies face intense competition, both domestically and internationally, which may have an adverse effect on profit margins. Information technology companies may have limited product lines, markets, financial resources or personnel. The products of information technology companies may face rapid product obsolescence due to technological developments and frequent new product introduction, unpredictable changes in growth rates and competition for the services of qualified personnel. Failure to introduce new products, develop and maintain a loyal customer base, or achieve general market acceptance for their products could have a material adverse effect on a company’s business. Companies in the information technology sector are heavily dependent on intellectual property and the loss of patent, copyright and trademark protections may adversely affect the profitability of these companies.

 

Internet Company Risk. Many Internet-related companies have incurred large losses since their inception and may continue to incur large losses in the hope of capturing market share and generating future revenues. Accordingly, many such companies expect to incur significant operating losses for the foreseeable future, and may never be profitable. The markets in which many Internet companies compete face rapidly evolving industry standards, frequent new service and product announcements, introductions and enhancements, and changing customer demands. The failure of an Internet company to adapt to such changes could have a material adverse effect on the company’s business. Additionally, the widespread adoption of new Internet, networking, telecommunications technologies, or other technological changes could require substantial expenditures by an Internet company to modify or adapt its services or infrastructure, which could have a material adverse effect on an Internet company’s business.

 

Semiconductor Company Risk. Competitive pressures may have a significant effect on the financial condition of semiconductor companies and, as product cycles shorten and manufacturing capacity increases, these companies may become increasingly subject to aggressive pricing, which hampers profitability. Reduced demand for end-user products, under-utilization of manufacturing capacity, and other factors could adversely impact the operating results of companies in the semiconductor sector. Semiconductor companies typically face high capital costs and may be heavily dependent on intellectual property rights. The semiconductor sector is highly cyclical, which may cause the operating results of many semiconductor companies to vary significantly. The stock prices of companies in the semiconductor sector have been and likely will continue to be extremely volatile.

 

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Software Industry Risk. The software industry can be significantly affected by intense competition, aggressive pricing, technological innovations, and product obsolescence. Companies in the software industry are subject to significant competitive pressures, such as aggressive pricing, new market entrants, competition for market share, short product cycles due to an accelerated rate of technological developments and the potential for limited earnings and/or falling profit margins. These companies also face the risks that new services, equipment or technologies will not be accepted by consumers and businesses or will become rapidly obsolete. These factors can affect the profitability of these companies and, as a result, the value of their securities. Also, patent protection is integral to the success of many companies in this industry, and profitability can be affected materially by, among other things, the cost of obtaining (or failing to obtain) patent approvals, the cost of litigating patent infringement and the loss of patent protection for products (which significantly increases pricing pressures and can materially reduce profitability with respect to such products). In addition, many software companies have limited operating histories. Prices of these companies’ securities historically have been more volatile than other securities, especially over the short term.

 

Internet Companies Risk. The risks described below apply, in particular, to a Reference ETF’s investment in Next Generation Internet Companies.

 

Internet Information Provider Company Risk. The ARK Innovation ETF and the ARK Next Generation Internet ETF may invest in internet information provider companies. Internet information provider companies provide Internet navigation services and reference guide information and publish, provide or present proprietary advertising and/or third-party content. Such companies often derive a large portion of their revenues from advertising, and a reduction in spending by or loss of advertisers could seriously harm their business. This business is rapidly evolving and intensely competitive, and is subject to changing technologies, shifting user needs, and frequent introductions of new products and services. The research and development of new, technologically advanced products is a complex and uncertain process requiring high levels of innovation and investment, as well as the accurate anticipation of technology, market trends and consumer needs. The number of people who access the Internet is increasing dramatically and a failure to attract and retain a substantial number of such users to a company’s products and services or to develop products and technologies that are more compatible with alternative devices, could adversely affect operating results. Concerns regarding a company’s products, services or processes that may compromise the privacy of users or other privacy related matters, even if unfounded, could damage a company’s reputation and adversely affect operating results.

 

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Catalog and Mail Order House Company Risk. The ARK Innovation ETF and the ARK Next Generation Internet ETF may invest in catalog and mail order house companies. Catalog and mail order house companies may be exposed to significant inventory risks that may adversely affect operating results due to, among other factors: seasonality, new product launches, rapid changes in product cycles and pricing, defective merchandise, changes in consumer demand and consumer spending patterns, or changes in consumer tastes with respect to products. Demand for products can change significantly between the time inventory or components are ordered and the date of sale. The acquisition of certain types of inventory or components may require significant lead-time and prepayment and they may not be returnable. Failure to adequately predict customer demand or otherwise optimize and operate distribution centers could result in excess or insufficient inventory or distribution capacity, result in increased costs, impairment charges, or both. The business of catalog and mail order house companies can be highly seasonal and failure to stock or restock popular products in sufficient amounts during high demand periods could significantly affect revenue and future growth. Increased website traffic during peak periods could cause system interruptions which may reduce the volume of goods sold and the attractiveness of a company’s products and services.

 

International Closed-Market Trading Risk.  Because certain of the Reference ETF’s underlying securities trade on an exchange that is closed when the securities exchange on which Fund Shares list and trade is open, there are likely to be deviations between the current pricing of an underlying security and stale security pricing (i.e., the last quote from its closed foreign market), likely resulting in premiums or discounts to NAV that may be greater than those experienced by ETFs that do not invest in foreign securities.

 

Issuer Risk. The Reference ETFs are subject to the risk that the value of the Reference ETFs portfolio may decline due to a decline in value of the equity securities of particular issuers. The value of an issuer’s equity securities may decline for reasons directly related to the issuer, such as management performance and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods or services.

 

Large-Capitalization Companies Risk. The Reference ETFs may invest in large-capitalization companies.  Large-capitalization companies are generally less volatile than companies with smaller market capitalizations. In exchange for this potentially lower risk, the value of large-capitalization companies may not rise as much as that of companies with smaller market capitalizations.

 

Micro-Capitalization Companies Risk.  The Reference ETFs may invest in securities of micro-capitalization companies. Micro-capitalization companies are subject to substantially greater risks of loss and price fluctuations because their earnings and revenues tend to be less predictable (and some companies may be experiencing significant losses). Their share prices tend to be more volatile and their markets less liquid than companies with larger market capitalizations. The shares of micro-capitalization companies tend to trade less frequently than those of larger, more established companies, which can adversely affect the pricing of these securities and the future ability to sell these securities.

 

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Small- and Medium-Capitalization Companies Risk.  The ARK Next Generation Internet ETF may invest in securities of small- and medium-capitalization companies. Small- and medium-capitalization companies may be more volatile and more likely than large-capitalization companies to have narrower product lines, fewer financial resources, less management depth and experience and less competitive strength. Returns on investments in securities of small- and medium-capitalization companies could trail the returns on investments in securities of large-capitalization companies.

 

Investment Risks of the Fund and the Reference ETFs

 

Certain investment risks apply to both the Fund and the Reference ETFs as follows:

 

Active Management Risk. The Fund and the Reference ETFs are actively-managed. Their performance reflects investment decisions that the investment adviser makes for the Fund and the Reference ETFs. Such judgments about the Fund’s and the Reference ETFs investments may prove to be incorrect. If the investments selected and the strategies employed by the Fund or the Reference ETF fail to produce the intended results, the Fund or a Reference ETF could underperform as compared to other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies, or could have negative returns.

 

Active Market Risk. Although the Fund’s Shares and shares of the Reference ETFs are listed for trading on an exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for the Fund’s Shares or the shares of a Reference ETF will develop or be maintained. Shares trade on the Exchange at market prices that may be below, at or above the Fund’s net asset value. Similarly, shares of each Reference ETF also trade on an exchange (either NYSE Arca, Inc. or Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc.) at market prices that may be below, at or above such Reference ETFs net asset value. Securities, including the Fund’s Shares and shares of the Reference ETFs, are subject to market fluctuations and liquidity constraints that may be caused by such factors as economic, political, or regulatory developments, changes in interest rates, and/or perceived trends in securities prices. Shares of the Fund or of a Reference ETF could decline in value or underperform other investments.

 

Authorized Participant Concentration Risk. Only an authorized participant (“AP”) may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with the Fund. The Fund and the Reference ETFs have a limited number of institutions that act as APs on an agency basis (i.e. on behalf of other market participants). To the extent that these institutions exit the business or are unable to proceed with creation and/or redemption orders with respect to the Fund or a Reference ETF and no other AP is able to step forward to create or redeem, in either of these cases, Shares of the Fund or a Reference ETF may trade at a discount to their net asset value and possibly face delisting.

 

Cyber Security Risk. The Fund and the Reference ETFs are susceptible to operational risks through breaches in cyber security. A breach in cyber security refers to both intentional and unintentional events that may cause the Fund or a Reference ETF to lose proprietary information, suffer data corruption or lose operational capacity. Such events could cause the Fund or a Reference ETF to incur regulatory penalties, reputational damage, additional compliance costs associated with corrective measures and/or financial loss. In addition, cyber security breaches of the Fund’s or Reference ETF’s third-party service providers, such as its administrator, transfer agent, or custodian, as applicable, or issuers in which the Fund or Reference ETFs invest, can also subject the Fund and the Reference ETFs to many of the same risks associated with direct cyber security breaches. While the Fund has established business continuity plans and risk management systems designed to reduce the risks associated with cyber security, there is no guarantee that such efforts will succeed, especially because the Fund does not directly control the cyber security systems of issuers or third-party service providers.

 

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Market Risk. The value of a particular security, or Shares of the Fund in general or shares of the Reference ETFs, may fluctuate rapidly and unpredictably. Securities are subject to market fluctuations caused by such factors as economic, political, regulatory or market developments, changes in interest rates and perceived trends in securities prices. The value of the Fund’s shares will fluctuate based on the performance of the Fund’s investments and other factors affecting the securities markets generally. In addition, local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, spread of infectious diseases or other public health issues, recessions, or other events could have a significant negative impact on the Fund and its investments. For example, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) global pandemic and the aggressive responses taken by many governments, including closing borders, restricting international and domestic travel, and the imposition of prolonged quarantines or similar restrictions, had negative impacts, and in many cases severe impacts, on markets worldwide. While the development of vaccines has slowed the spread of the virus and allowed for the resumption of normal business activity in the United States, many countries continue to impose lockdown measures in an attempt to slow the spread. Additionally, there is no guarantee that vaccines will be effective against emerging variants of the disease. As this global pandemic illustrated, such events may affect certain geographic regions, countries, sectors and industries more significantly than others. These events also adversely affect the prices and liquidity of the Fund’s portfolio securities or other instruments, or those of the Reference ETFs, and could result in disruptions in the trading markets. Any of such circumstances could have a materially negative impact on the value of the Fund’s Shares or shares of the Reference ETFs and result in increased market volatility. During any such events, the Fund’s Shares or shares of the Reference ETFs may trade at increased premiums or discounts to their net asset value. Shares of the Fund or of the Reference ETFs could decline in value or underperform other investments.

 

Operational Risk. The Fund and the Reference ETFs are exposed to operational risks arising from a number of factors, including, but not limited to, human error, processing and communication errors, errors of the Fund’s service providers, counterparties or other third-parties, failed or inadequate processes and technology or systems failures. The Fund and the Adviser seek to reduce these operational risks through controls and procedures. However, these measures do not address every possible risk and may be inadequate to address these risks.

 

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Premium/Discount Risk. The market price of the Fund’s Shares and shares of the Reference ETFs will generally fluctuate in accordance with changes in the Fund’s and the Reference ETFs net asset value as well as the relative supply of and demand for Fund Shares and shares of the Reference ETF on the exchanges on which they trade. The Adviser cannot predict whether Fund Shares or shares of the Reference ETFs will trade below, at or above their net asset value because the Shares trade on the Exchange at market prices and not at net asset value. Similarly, shares of each Reference ETF also trade on an exchange at their market price and not at net asset value. Price differences may be due, in large part, to the fact that supply and demand forces at work in the secondary trading market for Fund Shares and shares of the Reference ETF will be closely related, but not identical, to the same forces influencing the prices of the holdings of the Fund or a Reference ETF trading individually or in the aggregate at any point in time. However, given that Shares can only be purchased and redeemed in Creation Units, and only to and from broker-dealers and large institutional investors that have entered into participation agreements (unlike shares of closed-end funds, which frequently trade at appreciable discounts from, and sometimes at premiums to, their net asset value), the Adviser believes that large discounts or premiums to the net asset value of Fund Shares should not be sustained. During stressed market conditions, the market for the Fund’s Shares or shares of a Reference ETF may become less liquid in response to deteriorating liquidity in the market for the Fund’s or a Reference ETF’s underlying portfolio holdings, which could in turn lead to differences between the market price of the Fund’s Shares (and shares of a Reference ETF) and their net asset value. Furthermore, the Fund or a Reference ETF may at times limit or suspend entirely the issuance of new Creation Units, which could have the effect of enhancing the premium or discount associated with the Fund’s Shares or shares of a Reference ETF.

 

The Reference ETFs face numerous market trading risks, including disruptions to the creation and redemption processes, losses from trading in secondary markets, the existence of extreme market volatility, the potential lack of an active trading market for their shares due to market stress, or trading halts impacting their shares or their underlying securities, which may result in shares of the Reference ETF trading at a significant premium or discount to their NAV. If a shareholder purchases shares of a Reference ETF 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, the shareholder may pay more for, or receive less than, the underlying value of the shares, respectively.

 

Non-Diversification Risk. The Fund and the Reference ETFs are classified as “non-diversified” under the 1940 Act. As a result, the Funds are only limited as to the percentage of its assets which may be invested in the securities of any one issuer by the diversification requirements imposed by the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). A decline in the value of an investment in a single issuer could cause a Fund’s overall value to decline to a greater degree than if the Fund held a more diversified portfolio. The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by entering into one or more swap agreements. The Fund may invest a relatively high percentage of its assets in a limited number of issuers and/or in swap agreements with a single counterparty or a few counterparties. As a result, the Fund may experience increased volatility and be more susceptible to a single economic or regulatory occurrence affecting one or more of these issuers and/or counterparties.

 

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Performance History

 

The Fund does not have a full calendar year of performance history. In the future, performance information will be presented in this section of the Prospectus. Performance information will contain a bar chart and table that provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund’s performance from year to year and by showing the Fund’s average annual returns for certain time periods as compared to a broad measure of market performance. Investors should be aware that past performance before and after taxes is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future.

 

Updated performance information for the Fund, including its current net asset value per share, is available by calling toll-free at (XXX) XXXX.

 

Investment Adviser

 

Tuttle Capital Management, LLC (the “Adviser”) is the investment adviser to the Fund.

 

Portfolio Manager

 

Matthew Tuttle, Chief Executive Officer of the Adviser, has served as the Fund’s portfolio manager since its inception.

 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

 

The Fund will issue (or redeem) shares to certain institutional investors (typically market makers or other broker-dealers) only in large blocks of at least [XXXXX] shares known as “Creation Units.” Creation Unit transactions are typically conducted in exchange for the deposit or delivery of in-kind securities and/or cash. Individual shares may only be purchased and sold on a national securities exchange through a broker-dealer. You can purchase and sell individual shares of the Fund throughout the trading day like any publicly traded security. The Fund’s shares are listed on the Exchange (i.e., NYSE Arca). The price of the Fund’s shares is based on market price, and because exchange-traded fund shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount). When buying or selling shares through a broker, most investors will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges and you may pay some or all of the spread between the bid and the offered prices in the secondary market for shares. Except when aggregated in Creation Units, the Fund’s shares are not redeemable securities. Recent information regarding the Fund, including its NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid/ask spreads, is available on the Fund’s website at www.[ ].com.

 

Tax Information

 

The Fund’s distributions will be taxed as ordinary income or capital gain, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account in which case withdrawals will be taxed.

 

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Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

 

If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (e.g., 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 financial intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

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FUND SUMMARY –TUTTLE CAPITAL 2X INVERSE ALL INNOVATION ETF

 

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUND

 

The Tuttle Capital 2X Inverse All Innovation ETF (the “Fund”) seeks daily leveraged inverse investment results and is very different from most other exchange-traded funds. As a result, the Fund may be riskier than alternatives that do not use leverage because the Fund’s objective is to seek daily inverse investment results, before fees and expenses, of -200% of the daily performance of five underlying reference exchange-traded funds (a “Reference ETF” or “Reference ETFs”) represented in its portfolio. The Fund will design its portfolio such that:

 

50% of its net assets are allocated to seeking to return -200% of the daily performance of the ARK Innovation ETF; and

 

12.5% of its net assets are allocated to seeking to return -200% of the daily performance of each of the ARK Next Generation Internet ETF, the ARK Fintech Innovation ETF, the ARK Genomic Revolution ETF and the ARK Autonomous Technology and Robotics ETF.

 

The return for investors that invest for periods longer or shorter than a trading day should not be expected to be -200% of the performance of any particular Reference ETF or all of the Reference ETFs for the period. The return of the Fund for a period longer than a trading day will be the result of each trading day’s compounded return over the period, which will very likely differ from -200% of the return of the Reference ETFs for that period. Longer holding periods, higher volatility of a Reference ETF and leverage increase the impact of compounding on an investor’s returns. During periods of higher volatility of a Reference ETF, the volatility of such Reference ETF may affect the Fund’s return as much as, or more than, the return of the Reference ETF.

 

The Fund is not suitable for all investors. The Fund is designed to be utilized only by knowledgeable investors who understand the potential consequences of seeking daily inverse leveraged (-2X) investment results, understand the risks associated with the use of leverage and are willing to monitor their portfolios frequently. The Fund is not intended to be used by, and is not appropriate for, investors who do not intend to actively monitor and manage their portfolios. For periods longer than a single day, the Fund will lose money if the Reference ETF’s performance is flat, and it is possible that the Fund will lose money even if the Reference ETF’s performance decreases over a period longer than a single day. An investor could lose the full principal value of his/her investment within a single day if the Reference ETF gains more than 50% in one day.

 

Investment Objective

 

The Tuttle Capital 2X Inverse All Innovation ETF seeks daily inverse (or opposite) investment results, before fees and expenses, of -200% of the daily performance of each Reference ETF represented in its portfolio. The Fund does not seek to achieve its stated investment objective for a period of time different than a trading day.

 

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Fees and Expenses of the Fund

 

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

 

Annual Fund Operating Expenses

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

 
Management Fee(1) 0.75%
Other Expenses(2) 0.00%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses(3) 0.75%
     
(4)Under the Investment Advisory Agreement, Tuttle Capital Management LLC (the “Adviser”), at its own expense and without reimbursement from the Fund, pays all of the expenses of the Fund, excluding the advisory fees, interest expenses, taxes, acquired fund fees and expenses, brokerage commissions and any other portfolio transaction-related expenses and fees arising out of transactions effected on behalf of the Fund, credit facility fees and expenses, including interest expenses, and litigation and indemnification expenses and other extraordinary expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the Fund’s business.

 

(5)Other Expenses are estimated for the Fund’s initial fiscal year.

 

(6)The cost of investing in swaps, including the embedded cost of the swap and the operating expenses of the referenced assets, is an indirect expense that is not included in the above fee table and is not reflected in the expense example. The total indirect cost of investing in swaps, including the embedded cost of the swap and the operating expenses of the referenced assets, is estimated to be [__]% for the fiscal period ending ____, 2023.

 

Example

 

This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then hold or redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a five percent (5%) return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

 

Name of Fund 1 Year 3 Years
Tuttle Capital 2X Inverse All Innovation ETF $ $

 

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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. As of the date of this Prospectus, the Fund has not yet commenced operations and therefore does not have any portfolio turnover information available.

 

Principal Investment Strategies

 

The Fund seeks daily leveraged inverse investment results and is very different from most other exchange-traded funds. As a result, the Fund may be riskier than alternatives that do not use leverage because the Fund’s objective is to inversely magnify (-200%) the daily performance of five underlying reference exchange-traded funds (“Reference ETF” or “Reference ETFs”). The Fund will design it portfolio such that:

 

50% of its net assets are allocated to seeking to return -200% of the daily performance of the ARK Innovation ETF; and

12.5% of its net assets are allocated to seeking to return -200% of the daily performance of each of the ARK Next Generation Internet ETF, the ARK Fintech Innovation ETF, the ARK Genomic Revolution ETF and the ARK Autonomous Technology and Robotics ETF.

 

The Fund will enter into one or more swap agreements that provide inverse (opposite) or short daily exposure with respect to each Reference ETF with major global financial institutions for a specified period ranging from a day to more than one year whereby the Fund and the global financial institution will agree to exchange the return (or differentials in rates of return) earned or realized on each Reference ETF that is equal on a daily basis, to -200% of the value of the Fund’s net assets. The gross return to be exchanged or “swapped” between the parties is calculated with respect to a “notional amount,” e.g., the return on or change in value of a particular dollar amount representing the Reference ETF. The Adviser attempts to consistently apply leverage to increase the Fund’s exposure to -200% of each Reference ETF and expects to rebalance the Fund’s holdings daily to maintain such exposure. When the Fund shorts securities it borrows shares of that security which it then sells. The Fund closes out a short sale by purchasing the security it has sold short and returning that security to the entity that lent the security.

 

Additionally, the Fund may invest between 40-80% of the Fund’s portfolio depending on the amount of collateral required by the Fund’s counterparties in (1) U.S. Government securities, such as bills, notes and bonds issued by the U.S. Treasury; (2) money market funds; (3) short term bond ETFs and/or (4) corporate debt securities, such as commercial paper and other short-term unsecured promissory notes issued by businesses that are rated investment grade or of comparable quality (“Collateral Investments”).

 

This document relates only to the securities offered hereby and does not relate to the underlying stock or other securities of the Reference ETFs. The Fund has derived all disclosures contained in this document regarding the Reference ETFs from the publicly available documents. In connection with the offering of the securities, neither the Fund, the Trust nor the Advisor has participated in the preparation of such documents or made any due diligence inquiry with respect to the Reference ETFs. Neither the Fund, the Trust nor the Advisor makes any representation that such publicly available documents or any other publicly available information regarding the Reference ETFs is accurate or complete. Furthermore, the Fund cannot give any assurance that all events occurring prior to the date hereof (including events that would affect the accuracy or completeness of the publicly available documents described above) that would affect the trading price of the Reference ETFs (and therefore the prices of the Reference ETFs at the time we price the securities) have been publicly disclosed. Subsequent disclosure of any such events or the disclosure of or failure to disclose material future events concerning the Reference ETFs could affect the value received with respect to the securities and therefore the value of the securities.

 

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Each Reference ETF is a non-diversified, actively-managed exchange-traded fund which pursues the following investment strategies:

 

The ARK Innovation ETF will invest under normal circumstances primarily (at least 65% of its assets) in domestic and foreign equity securities of companies that are relevant to the Fund’s investment theme of disruptive innovation. The adviser to the ARK Innovation ETF defines “disruptive innovation” as the introduction of a technologically enabled new product or service that potentially changes the way the world works. The Adviser believes that companies relevant to this theme are those that rely on or benefit from the development of new products or services, technological improvements and advancements in scientific research relating to the areas of genomics as the study of genes and their functions and related techniques such as genomic sequencing (“Genomic Revolution Companies”); innovation in automation and manufacturing (“Automation Transformation Companies”), transportation, energy (“Energy Transformation Companies”), artificial intelligence (“Artificial Intelligence Companies”) and materials; the increased use of shared technology, infrastructure and services (“Next Generation Internet Companies”); and technologies that make financial services more efficient (“Fintech Innovation Companies”).

 

The ARK Innovation Next Generation ETF will invest under normal circumstances primarily (at least 80% of its assets) in domestic and foreign equity securities of companies that are relevant to the Fund’s investment theme of Next Generation Internet Companies, which also may include Fintech Innovation Companies.

 

The ARK Fintech Innovation ETF will invest under normal circumstances primarily (at least 80% of its assets) in domestic and foreign equity securities of companies that are engaged in the Fund’s investment theme of Fintech Innovation Companies. A company is deemed to be engaged in the theme of Fintech innovation if (i) it derives a significant portion of its revenue or market value from the theme of Fintech innovation or (ii) it has stated its primary business to be in products and services focused on the theme of Fintech innovation.

 

The ARK Genomic Revolution ETF will invest under normal circumstances primarily (at least 80% of its assets) in domestic and foreign equity securities of companies across multiple sectors, including healthcare, information technology, materials, energy and consumer discretionary, that are relevant to the Fund’s investment theme of Genomics Revolution Companies.

 

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The ARK Autonomous Technology & Robotics ETF will invest under normal circumstances primarily (at least 80% of its assets) in domestic and foreign equity securities of autonomous technology and robotics companies that are relevant to the Fund’s investment theme of disruptive innovation.

 

The types of companies that the adviser to the ARK Innovation ETF, ARK Innovation Next Generation Internet ETF, ARK Fintech Innovation ETF, the ARK Genomic Revolution ETF and the ARK Autonomous Technology & Robotics ETF believes are Genomic Revolution Companies, Automation Transformation Companies, Energy Transformation Companies, Artificial Intelligence Companies, Next Generation Internet Companies or Fintech Innovation Companies are described below:

 

● Genomic Revolution Companies. Companies that are substantially focused on and are expected to substantially benefit from extending and enhancing the quality of human and other life by incorporating technological and scientific developments, improvements and advancements in genomics into their business, such as by offering new products or services that rely on genomic sequencing, analysis, synthesis or instrumentation. These companies may include ones across multiple sectors, such as healthcare, information technology, materials, energy and consumer discretionary. These companies may also develop, produce, manufacture or significantly rely on or enable bionic devices, bio-inspired computing, bioinformatics, molecular medicine and agricultural biotechnology.

 

The adviser defines “genomics” as the study of genes and their functions, and related techniques (e.g., genomic sequencing). The adviser uses the term “genomic sequencing” to refer to techniques that allow researchers to read and decipher the genetic information found in the DNA (i.e., the exact sequence of bases A, C, G and T in a DNA molecule), including the DNA of bacteria, plants, animals and human beings. The adviser defines “bioinformatics” as the science of collecting and analyzing complex biological data such as genetic codes.

 

● Automation Transformation Companies. Companies that are focused on man capitalizing on the productivity of machines, such as through the automation of functions, processes or activities previously performed by human labor, such as transportation through an emphasis on mobility as a service, or the use of robotics to perform other functions, activities or processes.

 

● Energy Transformation Companies. Companies that seek to capitalize on innovations or evolutions in: (i) ways that energy is stored or used; (ii) the discovery, collection and/or implementation of new sources of energy, including unconventional sources of oil or natural gas; and/or (iii) the production or development of new materials for use in commercial applications of energy production, use or storage.

 

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● Artificial Intelligence Companies. Companies that are Artificial Intelligence (“AI”) Companies include a company that: (i) designs, creates, integrates, or delivers robotics, autonomous technology, and/or AI in the form of products, software, or systems; (ii) develops the building block components for robotics, autonomous technology, or AI, such as advanced machinery, semiconductors and databases used for machine learning; (iii) provides its own value-added services on top of such building block components, but are not core to the company’s product or service offering; and/or (iv) develops computer systems that are able to perform tasks that normally require human intelligence, such as visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, and translation between languages.

 

● Next Generation Internet Companies. Companies that are focused on and expected to benefit from shifting the bases of technology infrastructure from hardware and software to the cloud, enabling mobile and local services, such as companies that rely on or benefit from the increased use of shared technology, infrastructure and services. These companies may include mail order houses which generate the entirety of their business through websites and which offer internet-based products and services, such as streaming media or cloud storage in addition to traditional physical goods. These companies may also include ones that develop, use or rely on innovative payment methodologies, big data, the “internet of things,” machine learning, and social distribution and media.

 

The adviser defines the “internet of things” as a system of interrelated computing devices, mechanical and digital machines, or physical objects that are provided unique identifiers and the ability to transfer data over a network without requiring human-to-human or human-to-computer interaction.

 

● Fintech Innovation Companies. Companies that are focused on and expected to benefit from the shifting of the financial sector and economic transactions to technology infrastructure platforms, and technological intermediaries. Fintech Innovation Companies may also develop, use or rely on innovative payment platforms and methodologies, point of sale providers, e-commerce, transactional innovations, business analytics, fraud reduction, frictionless funding platforms, peer-to-peer lending, blockchain technologies, intermediary exchanges, asset allocation technology, cryptocurrency, mobile payments, and risk pricing and pooling aggregators. The Fund may have exposure to cryptocurrency, such as bitcoin, indirectly through an investment in a grantor trust. The Fund’s exposure to cryptocurrency may change over time and, accordingly, such exposure may not always be represented in the Fund’s portfolio.

 

The term “blockchain” refers to a peer-to-peer distributed ledger that is secured using cryptography. A distributed ledger is a shared electronic database where information is recorded and stored across multiple computers; a blockchain is one type of distributed ledger. A blockchain may be open and permissionless or private and permissioned. The Bitcoin and Ethereum blockchains are examples of open, public, permissionless blockchains. Blockchain derives its name from the way it stores transaction data in “blocks” that are linked together to form a chain. As the number of transactions grows, so does the blockchain. Blocks record and confirm the time and sequence of transactions, which are then logged into the blockchain network, which is, with respect to public blockchains, governed by rules agreed on by the network participants. Cryptocurrencies (also referred to as “virtual currencies” and “digital currencies”) are digital assets designed to act as a medium of exchange. There are thousands of cryptocurrencies, the most well-known of which is bitcoin.

 

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Neither the Fund nor any of its affiliates makes any representation to you as to the performance of any of the Reference ETFs.

 

Principal Risks

 

The principal risks affecting shareholders’ investments in the Fund including the risks of the investment strategies of the Reference ETFs are set forth below. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the FDIC or any government agency. The Funds’ Shares will change in value, and you could lose money by investing in the Fund. The Fund may not achieve its inverse investment objective. The realization of certain of the risks described below that may result in adverse market movements may actually benefit the Fund due to its inverse investment objective.

 

Investment Risks of the Fund

 

The investment risks of the Fund are as follows:

 

Derivatives Risk. The Fund’s use of derivatives may be considered aggressive and may expose the Fund to greater risks and larger losses or smaller gains than investing directly in the reference asset(s) underlying those derivatives.  A derivative refers to any financial instrument whose value is derived, at least in part, from the price of an underlying security, asset, rate or index. The use of derivatives presents risks different from, and possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in traditional securities. Changes in the value of a derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying security, asset, rate or index. Gains or losses in a derivative may be magnified and may be much greater than the derivative’s original cost. 

 

Swap Agreement Risk.  The Fund expects to use swap agreements as a means to achieve its investment objective. Swap agreements are generally traded in over-the-counter (“OTC”) markets and have only recently become subject to regulation by the CFTC. CFTC rules, however, do not cover all types of swap agreements. Investors, therefore, may not receive the protection of CFTC regulation or the statutory scheme of the Commodity Exchange Act in connection with the Fund’s swap agreements. The lack of regulation in these markets could expose investors to significant losses under certain circumstances, including in the event of trading abuses or financial failure by participants.  Unlike in futures contracts, the counterparty to uncleared OTC swap agreements is generally a single bank or other financial institution, rather than a clearing organization backed by a group of financial institutions. As a result, the Fund is subject to increased counterparty risk with respect to the amount it expects to receive from counterparties to uncleared swaps. If a counterparty becomes bankrupt or otherwise fails to perform its obligations due to financial difficulties, the Fund could suffer significant losses on these contracts and the value of an investor’s investment in the Fund may decline.  OTC swaps of the type that may be utilized by the Fund are less liquid than futures contracts because they are not traded on an exchange, do not have uniform terms and conditions, and are generally entered into based upon the creditworthiness of the parties and the availability of credit support, such as collateral, and in general, are not transferable without the consent of the counterparty. Swaps are also subject to the risk of imperfect correlation between the value of the reference asset underlying the swap and the swap. Leverage inherent in derivatives will tend to magnify the Fund’s gains and losses. Moreover, with respect to the use of swap agreements, if a Reference ETF has a dramatic intraday move that causes a material decline in the Fund’s net assets, the terms of a swap agreement between the Fund and its counterparty may permit the counterparty to immediately close out the transaction with the Fund. In that event, the Fund may be unable to enter into another swap agreement or invest in other derivatives to achieve the desired exposure consistent with the Fund’s investment objective. This, in turn, may prevent the Fund from achieving its investment objective, even if a Reference ETF reverses all or a portion of its intraday move by the end of the day. As a result, the value of an investment in the Fund may change quickly and without warning.

 

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Counterparty Risk. Investing in derivatives involves entering into contracts with third parties (i.e., counterparties). The use of derivatives involves risks that are different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. The Fund will be subject to credit risk (i.e., the risk that a counterparty is or is perceived to be unwilling or unable to make timely payments or otherwise meet its contractual obligations) with respect to the amount it expects to receive from counterparties to derivatives entered into by the Fund. If a counterparty becomes bankrupt or fails to perform its obligations, or if any collateral posted by the counterparty for the benefit of the Fund is insufficient or there are delays in the Fund’s ability to access such collateral, the value of an investment in the Fund may decline.

 

Volatility Risk. Volatility is the characteristic of a security or other asset, an index or a market to fluctuate significantly in price within a short time period. The value of the Fund’s investments in swaps – and therefore the value of an investment in the Fund – could decline significantly and without warning, including to zero. If you are not prepared to accept significant and unexpected changes in the value of the Fund and the possibility that you could lose your entire investment in the Fund, you should not invest in the Fund.

 

Leverage Risk. Leverage increases the risk of a total loss of an investor’s investment, may increase the volatility of the Fund, and may magnify any differences between the performance of the Fund and the Reference ETFs. Because the Fund includes a multiplier of two times (2x or -2X) each Reference ETF, a single day movement in a Reference ETF approaching 50% at any point in the day could result in the total loss of an investor’s investment if that movement is contrary to the investment objective of the Fund, even if a Reference ETF subsequently moves in an opposite direction, eliminating all or a portion of the earlier movement. This would be the case with any such single day movements in a Reference ETF, even if the Reference ETF maintains a level greater than zero at all times.

 

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Although the Reference ETFs will not borrow funds for trading, the Fund should be considered highly leveraged. Leverage embedded in the swap agreements may result in the Fund holding positions whose face or notional value may be many times the Fund’s NAV. Furthermore, derivative instruments such as swaps are highly volatile and are subject to occasional rapid and substantial fluctuations. Higher volatility generally indicates higher risk.

 

Shorting Risk. A short position is a financial transaction in which an investor sells an asset that the investor does not own. In such a transaction, an investor’s short position appreciates when a reference asset falls in value. By contrast, the short position loses value when the reference asset’s value increases. Because historically most assets have risen in value over the long term, short positions are expected to depreciate in value. Accordingly, short positions may be riskier and more speculative than traditional investments. In addition, any income, dividends or payments by reference assets in which the Fund has a short position will impose expenses on the Fund that reduce returns.

 

The Tuttle Capital 2X Inverse All Innovation ETF may obtain short exposure through the use of derivatives, such as swap agreements. To the extent that the Fund obtains short exposure from derivatives, the Fund may be exposed to heightened volatility or limited liquidity related to the reference asset of the underlying short position, which will adversely impact the Fund’s ability to meet its investment objective or adversely impact its performance. If the Fund were to experience this volatility or decreased liquidity, the Fund may be required to obtain short exposure through alternative investment strategies that may be less desirable or more costly to implement. If the reference asset underlying the short position is thinly traded or has a limited market, there may be a lack of available securities or counterparties for the Fund to enter into a short position or obtain short exposure from a derivative.

 

Compounding Risk. The Fund has a single day investment objective, and the Fund’s performance for any other period is the result of its return for each day compounded over the period. The performance of the Fund for periods longer than a single day will very likely differ in amount, and possibly even direction, from -200% of the daily return of the Reference ETFs for the same period, before accounting for fees and expenses. Compounding affects all investments, but has a more significant impact on a leveraged fund. This effect becomes more pronounced as a Reference ETF’s volatility and holding periods increase. Fund performance for a period longer than a single day can be estimated given any set of assumptions for the following factors: (a) the Reference ETFs volatility; (b) the Reference ETFs performance; (c) period of time; (d) financing rates associated with leveraged exposure; and (e) other Fund expenses. The Reference ETFs volatility and performance are the two factors which have the most significant effect on Fund performance.

 

Total Loss Risk. Because the Fund utilizes leverage in seeking to achieve its investment objective, it will lose more money in market environments adverse to its daily investment objective than funds that do not employ leverage. The use of leveraged positions increases risk and could result in the total loss of an investor’s investment within a single day. The Fund’s investments in leveraged positions generally requires a small investment relative to the amount of investment exposure assumed. As a result, such investments may give rise to losses that far exceed the amount invested in those instruments.

 

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Inverse Correlation Risk. A number of factors may affect the Fund’s ability to achieve a high degree of inverse correlation with the Reference ETFs, and there is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve a high degree of inverse correlation. Failure to achieve a high degree of inverse correlation may prevent the Fund from achieving its investment objective, and the percentage change of the Fund’s NAV each day may differ, perhaps significantly in amount, and possibly even direction, from -200% of the percentage change of the Reference ETFs on such day.

 

In order to achieve a high degree of inverse correlation with the Reference ETFs, the Fund seeks to rebalance its portfolio daily to keep exposure consistent with its investment objective. Being materially under- or overexposed to a particular Reference ETF may prevent the Fund from achieving a high degree of inverse correlation with the Reference ETFs and may expose the Fund to greater leverage risk. Market disruptions or closure, regulatory restrictions, market volatility, illiquidity in the markets for the financial instruments in which the Fund invests, and other factors will adversely affect the Fund’s ability to adjust exposure to requisite levels. The target amount of portfolio exposure is impacted dynamically by the Reference ETF’s movements, including intraday movements. Because of this, it is unlikely that the Fund will have perfect -200% exposure during the day or at the end of each day and the likelihood of being materially under- or overexposed is higher on days when a particular Reference ETF is volatile, particularly when the Reference ETF is volatile at or near the close of the trading day.

 

A number of other factors may also adversely affect the Fund’s inverse correlation with the Reference ETFs, including fees, expenses, transaction costs, financing costs associated with the use of derivatives, income items, valuation methodology, accounting standards and disruptions or illiquidity in the markets for the securities or financial instruments in which the Fund invests. The Fund may take or refrain from taking positions in order to improve tax efficiency, comply with regulatory restrictions, or for other reasons, each of which may negatively affect the Fund’s inverse correlation with the Reference ETFs. The Fund may also be subject to large movements of assets into and out of the Fund, potentially resulting in the Fund being under- or overexposed to the Reference ETFs and may be impacted by reconstitutions of the Reference ETFs and the Reference ETFs rebalancing events. Additionally, the Fund’s underlying investments and/or reference assets may trade on markets that may not be open on the same day as the Fund, which may cause a difference between the changes in the daily performance of the Fund and changes in the level of the Reference ETFs. Any of these factors could decrease the inverse correlation between the performance of the Fund and the Reference ETFs and may hinder the Fund’s ability to meet its daily inverse investment objective on or around that day.

 

Rebalancing Risk. If for any reason the Fund is unable to rebalance all or a portion of its portfolio, or if all or a portion of the portfolio is rebalanced incorrectly, the Fund’s investment exposure may not be consistent with the Fund’s investment objective. In these instances, the Fund may have investment exposure to the Reference ETFs that is significantly greater or less than its stated multiple. As a result, the Fund may be more exposed to leverage risk than if it had been properly rebalanced and may not achieve its investment objective.

 

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Collateral Investments Risk. The Fund’s use of Collateral Investments may include obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies and instrumentalities, including bills, notes and bonds issued by the U.S. Treasury, money market funds, short-term bond ETFs, and corporate debt securities, such as commercial paper.

 

Some securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies and U.S. Government-sponsored instrumentalities may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the United States, in which case the investor must look principally to the agency or instrumentality issuing or guaranteeing the security for ultimate repayment, and may not be able to assert a claim against the United States itself in the event that the agency or instrumentality does not meet its commitment. The U.S. Government, its agencies and instrumentalities do not guarantee the market value of their securities, and consequently, the value of such securities may fluctuate. Although the Fund may hold securities that carry U.S. Government guarantees, these guarantees do not extend to shares of the Fund.

 

Money market funds are subject to management fees and other expenses. Therefore, investments in money market funds will cause the Fund to bear indirectly a proportional share of the fees and costs of the money market funds in which it invests. At the same time, the Fund will continue to pay its own management fees and expenses with respect to all of its assets, including any portion invested in the shares of the money market fund. It is possible to lose money by investing in money market funds.

 

The Fund may purchase securities of open-end investment companies including ETFs if the purchase is in compliance with the Investment Company Act of 1940 Act (the “1940 Act”). If the Fund invests in securities of other investment companies, the return of any such investment will be reduced by the operating expenses, including investment advisory and administrative fees, of such investment companies. However, the Adviser believes that at times the return and liquidity features of these securities will be more beneficial than other types of securities.

 

Corporate debt securities such as commercial paper generally are short-term unsecured promissory notes issued by businesses. Corporate debt may be rated investment-grade or below investment-grade and may carry variable or floating rates of interest. Corporate debt securities carry both credit risk and interest rate risk. Credit risk is the risk that the Fund could lose money if the issuer of a corporate debt security is unable to pay interest or repay principal when it is due. Some corporate debt securities that are rated below investment-grade generally are considered speculative because they present a greater risk of loss, including default, than higher quality debt securities.

 

Debt Securities Risk and Fixed Income Risk. Investments in debt and fixed income securities, including U.S. Treasuries, or derivatives based on fixed income securities, subject the holder to the credit risk of the issuer and to interest rate risk. Generally, the value of debt securities will change inversely with changes in interest rates. To the extent that interest rates rise, certain underlying obligations may be paid off substantially slower than originally anticipated and the value of those securities may fall sharply. During periods of falling interest rates, the income received by the Fund may decline. If the principal on a debt security is prepaid before expected, the prepayments of principal may have to be reinvested in obligations paying interest at lower rates. Debt securities generally do not trade on a securities exchange making them generally less liquid and more difficult to value than common stock.

 

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Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk that the value of the debt securities in the Fund’s portfolio will decline because of rising market interest rates. Interest rate risk is generally lower for shorter term debt securities and higher for longer-term debt securities. The Fund may be subject to a greater risk of rising interest rates than would normally be the case due to the current period of historically low rates and the effect of potential government fiscal policy initiatives and resulting market reaction to those initiatives. Duration is a reasonably accurate measure of a debt security’s price sensitivity to changes in interest rates and a common measure of interest rate risk. Duration measures a debt security’s expected life on a present value basis, taking into account the debt security’s yield, interest payments and final maturity. In general, duration represents the expected percentage change in the value of a security for an immediate 1% change in interest rates. For example, the price of a debt security with a three-year duration would be expected to drop by approximately 3% in response to a 1% increase in interest rates. Therefore, prices of debt securities with shorter durations tend to be less sensitive to interest rate changes than debt securities with longer durations. As the value of a debt security changes over time, so will its duration.

 

Call Risk. Some debt securities may be redeemed, or “called,” at the option of the issuer before their stated maturity date. In general, an issuer will call its debt securities if they can be refinanced by issuing new debt securities which bear a lower interest rate. The Fund is subject to the possibility that during periods of falling interest rates an issuer will call its high yielding debt securities. The Fund would then be forced to invest the proceeds at lower interest rates, likely resulting in a decline in the Fund’s income.

 

Credit Risk. An issuer or other obligated party of a debt security may be unable or unwilling to make dividend, interest and/or principal payments when due. In addition, the value of a debt security may decline because of concerns about the issuer’s ability or unwillingness to make such payments.

 

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

 

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Liquidity Risk. In certain circumstances, such as the disruption of the orderly markets for the financial instruments in which the Fund invests, the Fund might not be able to acquire or dispose of certain holdings quickly or at prices that represent true market value in the judgment of the Adviser. Markets for the financial instruments in which the Fund invests may be disrupted by a number of events, including but not limited to economic crises, health crises, natural disasters, excessive volatility, new legislation, or regulatory changes inside or outside of the U.S. For example, regulation limiting the ability of certain financial institutions to invest in certain financial instruments would likely reduce the liquidity of those instruments. These situations may prevent the Fund from limiting losses, realizing gains or achieving a high leveraged correlation with the Reference ETFs. The Fund is subject to liquidity risk primarily due to its investments in derivatives. Investments in derivative instruments involve the risk that the Fund may be unable to sell the derivative instrument or sell it at a reasonable price.

 

ETF Risks. The Fund is an exchange-traded fund, and, as a result of an ETF’s structure, it is exposed to the following risks:

 

Authorized Participants, Market Makers, and Liquidity Providers Limitation Risk. The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as Authorized Participants (“APs”). In addition, there may be a limited number of market makers and/or liquidity providers in the marketplace. To the extent either of the following events occur, shares of the Fund (“Shares”) may trade at a material discount to NAV and possibly face delisting: (i) APs exit the business or otherwise become unable to process creation and/or redemption orders and no other APs step forward to perform these services, or (ii) market makers and/or liquidity providers exit the business or significantly reduce their business activities and no other entities step forward to perform their functions.

 

Cash Redemption Risk. The Fund’s investment strategy may require it to redeem Shares for cash or to otherwise include cash as part of its redemption proceeds. The Fund may be required to sell or unwind portfolio investments to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. This may cause the Fund to recognize a capital gain that it might not have recognized if it had made a redemption in-kind. As a result, the Fund may pay out higher annual capital gain distributions than if the in-kind redemption process was used.

 

Costs of Buying or Selling Shares. Due to the costs of buying or selling Shares, including brokerage commissions imposed by brokers and bid/ask spreads, frequent trading of Shares may significantly reduce investment results and an investment in Shares may not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments.

 

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Shares May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV. As with all ETFs, Shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. Although it is expected that the market price of Shares will approximate the Fund’s NAV, there may be times when the market price of Shares is more than the NAV intra-day (premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (discount) due to supply and demand of Shares or during periods of market volatility. This risk is heightened in times of market volatility and volatility in the Fund’s portfolio holdings, periods of steep market declines, and periods when there is limited trading activity for Shares in the secondary market, in which case such premiums or discounts may be significant. If an investor purchases Shares at a time when the market price is at a premium to the NAV of the Shares or sells at a time when the market price is at a discount to the NAV of the Shares, then the investor may sustain losses that are in addition to any losses caused by a decrease in NAV.

 

Trading. Although Shares are listed for trading on a national securities exchange, and may be traded on other U.S. exchanges, there can be no assurance that Shares will trade with any volume, or at all, on any stock exchange. In stressed market conditions, the liquidity of Shares may begin to mirror the liquidity of the Fund’s underlying portfolio holdings, which can be significantly less liquid than Fund Shares.

 

Intraday Price Performance Risk. The intraday performance of shares of the Fund traded in the secondary market generally will be different from the performance of the Fund when measured from one NAV calculation-time to the next. When shares are bought intraday, the performance of the Fund’s Shares relative to the Reference ETFs until the Fund’s next NAV calculation time will generally be greater than or less than the Fund’s stated multiple times the performance of the Reference ETFs.

 

Market Maker Risk. If the Fund has lower average daily trading volumes, it may rely on a small number of third-party market makers to provide a market for the purchase and sale of Shares. Any trading halt or other problem relating to the trading activity of these market makers could result in a dramatic change in the spread between the Fund’s net asset value and the price at which the Shares are trading on the Exchange, which could result in a decrease in value of the Shares. In addition, decisions by market makers or Aps to reduce their role or step away from these activities in times of market stress could inhibit the effectiveness of the arbitrage process in maintaining the relationship between the underlying values of the Fund’s portfolio securities and the Fund’s market price. This reduced effectiveness could result in Shares trading at a discount to net asset value and also in greater than normal intra-day bid-ask spreads for Shares.

 

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

 

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Transactions in Cash RiskThe Fund intends to effect its creations and redemptions primarily for cash, rather than in-kind securities. Paying redemption proceeds in cash rather than through in- kind delivery of portfolio securities may require the Fund to dispose of or sell portfolio investments at an inopportune time to obtain the cash needed to pay redemption proceeds. This may cause the Fund to incur certain costs such as brokerage costs, and to recognize gains or losses that it might not have incurred if it had paid redemption proceeds in-kind. As a result, the Fund may pay out higher or lower annual capital gains distributions than ETFs that redeem in-kind. In addition, the costs imposed on the Fund will decrease the Fund’s NAV unless the costs are offset by a transaction fee payable by an authorized participant.

 

Portfolio Turnover Risk. The Fund may incur high portfolio turnover to manage the Fund’s investment exposure. Additionally, active market trading of the Fund’s Shares may cause more frequent creation or redemption activities that could, in certain circumstances, increase the number of portfolio transactions. High levels of portfolio transactions increase brokerage and other transaction costs and may result in increased taxable capital gains. Each of these factors could have a negative impact on the performance of the Fund.

 

New Fund Risk. As of the date of this prospectus, the Fund has no operating history and currently has fewer assets than larger funds. Like other new funds, large inflows and outflows may impact the Fund’s market exposure for limited periods of time. This impact may be positive or negative, depending on the direction of market movement during the period affected.

 

Investment Risks of the Reference ETFs

 

The risks with respect to the investment strategies of the Reference ETFs are as follows:

 

Blockchain Investments RiskThe ARK Next Generation Internet ETF and the ARK Fintech Innovation ETF may invest in companies that actively engage in blockchain technology. An investment in companies actively engaged in blockchain technology may be subject to the following risks:

 

● The technology is new and many of its uses may be untested.  The mechanics of using distributed ledger technology to transact in other types of assets, such as securities or derivatives, is relatively new and untested. There is no assurance that widespread adoption will occur. A lack of expansion in the usage of blockchain technology could adversely affect an investment in the Reference ETFs. A breach to one blockchain could cause investors, and the public generally, to lose trust in blockchain technology and increase reluctance to issue and invest in assets recorded on blockchains. Furthermore, blockchain technology is subject to a rapidly-evolving regulatory landscape in the United States and in other countries, which might include security, privacy or other regulatory concerns that could require changes to blockchain networks.

 

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Theft, loss or destruction.  Transacting on a blockchain depends in part specifically on the use of cryptographic keys that are required to access a user’s account (or “wallet”). The theft, loss or destruction of these keys impairs the value of ownership claims users have over the relevant assets being represented by the ledger (whether “smart contracts,” securities, currency or other digital assets). The theft, loss or destruction of private or public keys needed to transact on a blockchain could also adversely affect a company’s business or operations if it were dependent on the ledger.

 

● Competing platforms and technologies.  The development and acceptance of competing platforms or technologies may cause consumers or investors to use alternatives to blockchains.

 

● Cyber security incidents.  Cyber security incidents may compromise an issuer, its operations or its business. Cyber security incidents may also specifically target a user’s transaction history, digital assets, or identity, thereby leading to privacy concerns. In addition, certain features of blockchain technology, such as decentralization, open source protocol, and reliance on peer-to-peer connectivity, may increase the risk of fraud or cyber-attack by potentially reducing the likelihood of a coordinated response.

 

● Developmental risk.  Blockchain technology may never develop optimized transactional processes that lead to realized economic returns for any company in which the Fund invests. Companies that are developing applications of blockchain technology applications may not in fact do so or may not be able to capitalize on those blockchain technologies. The development of new or competing platforms may cause consumers and investors to use alternatives to blockchains.

 

● Intellectual property claims.  A proliferation of recent startups attempting to apply blockchain technology in different contexts means the possibility of conflicting intellectual property claims could be a risk to an issuer, its operations or its business. This could also pose a risk to blockchain platforms that permit transactions in digital securities. Regardless of the merit of any intellectual property or other legal action, any threatened action that reduces confidence in the viability of blockchain may adversely affect an investment in the Reference ETF.

 

● Lack of liquid markets, and possible manipulation of blockchain-based assets.  Digital assets that are represented and trade on a blockchain may not necessarily benefit from viable trading markets. Stock exchanges have listing requirements and vet issuers, and perhaps users. These conditions may not necessarily be replicated on a blockchain, depending on the platform’s controls and other policies. The more lenient a blockchain is about vetting issuers of digital assets or users that transact on the platform, the higher the potential risk for fraud or the manipulation of digital assets. These factors may decrease liquidity or volume, or increase volatility of digital securities or other assets trading on a blockchain.

 

● Lack of regulation.  Digital commodities and their associated platforms are largely unregulated, and the regulatory environment is rapidly evolving. Because blockchain works by having every transaction build on every other transaction, participants can self-police any corruption, which can mitigate the need to depend on the current level of legal or government safeguards to monitor and control the flow of business transactions. As a result, companies engaged in such blockchain activities may be exposed to adverse regulatory action, fraudulent activity or even failure.

 

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● Third party product defects or vulnerabilities.  Where blockchain systems are built using third party products, those products may contain technical defects or vulnerabilities beyond a company’s control. Open-source technologies that are used to build a blockchain application may also introduce defects and vulnerabilities.

 

● Reliance on the Internet.  Blockchain functionality relies on the Internet. A significant disruption of Internet connectivity affecting large numbers of users or geographic areas could impede the functionality of blockchain technologies and adversely affect the Referenced ETF. In addition, certain features of blockchain technology, such as decentralization, open-source protocol, and reliance on peer-to-peer connectivity, may increase the risk of fraud or cyber-attack by potentially reducing the likelihood of a coordinated response.

 

● Line of business risk.  Some of the companies in which the Reference ETF may invest are engaged in other lines of business unrelated to blockchain and these lines of business could adversely affect their operating results. The operating results of these companies may fluctuate as a result of these additional risks and events in the other lines of business. In addition, a company’s ability to engage in new activities may expose it to business risks with which it has less experience than it has with the business risks associated with its traditional businesses. Despite a company’s possible success in activities linked to its use of blockchain, there can be no assurance that the other lines of business in which these companies are engaged will not have an adverse effect on a company’s business or financial condition.

 

Communications Sector Risk. The ARK Innovation ETF, ARK Next Generation Internet ETF and the ARK Fintech Innovation ETF will be more affected by the performance of the communications sector than a fund with less exposure to such sector. Communication companies are particularly vulnerable to the potential obsolescence of products and services due to technological advancement and the innovation of competitors. Companies in the communications sector may also be affected by other competitive pressures, such as pricing competition, as well as research and development costs, substantial capital requirements and government regulation. Additionally, fluctuating domestic and international demand, shifting demographics and often unpredictable changes in consumer tastes can drastically affect a communication company’s profitability. While all companies may be susceptible to network security breaches, certain companies in the communications sector may be particular targets of hacking and potential theft of proprietary or consumer information or disruptions in service, which could have a material adverse effect on their businesses.

 

Concentration Risk. The ARK Next Generation Internet ETF, the ARK Fintech Innovation ETF and the ARK Genomic Revolution ETF’s assets will be concentrated in securities of issuers having their principal business activities in the Internet information provider and catalog and mail order house industry. To the extent that the Reference ETF continues to be concentrated in the Internet information provider and catalog and mail order house industry, the Reference ETFs will be subject to the risk that economic, political, or other conditions that have a negative effect on such industry, and likely will negatively impact the Reference ETFs to a greater extent than if its assets were invested in a wider variety of sectors or industries.

 

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The ARK Autonomous Technology & Robotics ETF’s assets will be concentrated in securities of issuers having their principal business activities in groups of industries in the (i) industrials sector or (ii) information technology sector. However, the Fund will not concentrate in any specific industry.

 

Consumer Discretionary Risk. The ARK Innovation ETF, the ARK Next Generation Internet ETF and the ARK Autonomous Technology & Robotics ETF may invest in companies in the consumer discretionary sector. The consumer discretionary sector may be affected by changes in domestic and international economies, exchange and interest rates, competition, consumers’ disposable income and consumer preferences, social trends and marketing campaigns.

 

Cryptocurrency Risk. The ARK Innovation ETF and the ARK Next Generation Internet ETF may invest in cryptocurrency. Cryptocurrencies (also referred to as “virtual currencies” and “digital currencies”) are digital assets designed to act as a medium of exchange. Cryptocurrency is an emerging asset class. There are thousands of cryptocurrencies, the most well-known of which is bitcoin. The Fund may have exposure to bitcoin indirectly through an investment in the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (“GBTC”), a privately offered, open-end investment vehicle that invests in bitcoin, or other pooled investment vehicles that invest in bitcoin, such as exchange-traded funds that are domiciled and listed for trading in Canada (“Canadian Bitcoin ETFs”).

 

Cryptocurrency generally operates without central authority (such as a bank) and is not backed by any government, corporation, or other entity. Cryptocurrency is not generally accepted as legal tender. Regulation of cryptocurrency is still developing. Federal, state and/or foreign governments may restrict the development, use, or exchange of cryptocurrency.

 

The market price of bitcoin has been subject to extreme fluctuations. The price of bitcoin could fall sharply (potentially to zero) for various reasons, including, but not limited to, regulatory changes, issues impacting the bitcoin network, events involving entities that facilitate transactions in bitcoin, or changes in user preferences in favor of alternative cryptocurrencies. Furthermore, events that impact one cryptocurrency may lead to a decline in the value of other cryptocurrencies, including bitcoin.

 

Cryptocurrency exchanges and other trading venues on which cryptocurrencies trade are relatively new and, in most cases, largely unregulated. Therefore, cryptocurrency exchanges may be more exposed to fraud and failure than established, regulated exchanges for securities, derivatives and other currencies. Cryptocurrency exchanges may not have the same features as traditional exchanges to enhance the stability of trading on the exchange, such as measures designed to prevent sudden price swings such as “flash crashes.” As a result, the prices of cryptocurrencies on exchanges may be subject to more volatility than traditional assets traded on regulated exchanges. Cryptocurrency exchanges are also subject to cyber security risks. Cryptocurrency exchanges have experienced cyber security breaches in the past and may be breached in the future, which could result in the theft and/or loss of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies and impact the value of bitcoin. Furthermore, cyber security events, legal or regulatory actions, fraud, and technical glitches, may cause a cryptocurrency exchange to shut down temporarily or permanently, which may also affect the value of bitcoin.

 

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The Reference ETF’s investments in GBTC or Canadian Bitcoin ETFs expose the Fund to all of the risks related to cryptocurrencies described above and also expose the Fund to risks related to GBTC and the Canadian Bitcoin ETFs directly. Shares of GBTC may trade at a significant premium or discount to NAV. To the extent GBTC trades at a discount to NAV, the value of the Fund’s investment in GBTC would typically decrease. Similar to fiat currencies (i.e., a currency that is backed by a central bank or a national, supra-national or quasi-national organization), cryptocurrencies, including bitcoin, are susceptible to theft, loss and destruction. If GBTC or a Canadian Bitcoin ETF experience theft, loss, or destruction of its bitcoin holdings, the Reference ETF’s investments in GBTC or the Canadian Bitcoin ETF could be harmed. Furthermore, because there is no guarantee that an active trading market for GBTC will exist at any time, the Reference ETF’s investments in GBTC may also be subject to liquidity risk, which can impair the value of the Fund’s investments in GBTC. Investors may experience losses if the value of the Reference ETF’s investments in GBTC or Canadian Bitcoin ETFs decline.

 

Cryptocurrency Tax Risk. Many significant aspects of the U.S. federal income tax treatment of investments in bitcoin are uncertain and an investment in bitcoin may produce income that is not treated as qualifying income for purposes of the income test applicable to regulated investment companies, such as the Fund. GBTC is expected to be treated as a grantor trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and therefore an investment by the Reference ETF in GBTC will generally be treated as a direct investment in bitcoin for such purposes. See “Taxes” in the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information for more information.

 

Currency Risk. Changes in currency exchange rates will affect the value of non-U.S. dollar denominated securities, the value of dividends and interest earned from such securities, gains and losses realized on the sale of such securities, and derivative transactions tied to such securities. A strong U.S. dollar relative to other currencies will adversely affect the value of the Reference ETF’s investments denominated in those other currencies.

 

Depositary Receipts Risk.  The Reference ETFs may invest in depositary receipts. Depositary receipts generally involve similar risks to those associated with investments in foreign securities. Depositary receipts are securities that are typically issued by a bank or trust company that evidence ownership of underlying securities issued by a foreign corporation and entitle the holder to all dividends and capital gains that are paid out on the underlying foreign securities. Investments in depositary receipts may be less liquid than the underlying shares in their primary trading market. Depositary receipts may not necessarily be denominated in the same currency as the underlying securities into which they may be converted. The issuers of depositary receipts may discontinue issuing new depositary receipts and withdraw existing depositary receipts at any time, which may result in costs and delays in the distribution of the underlying assets to the Reference ETF and may negatively impact the Reference ETF’s performance.

 

Disruptive Innovation Risk. Companies that the Reference ETF’s adviser believes are capitalizing on disruptive innovation and developing technologies to displace older technologies or create new markets may not in fact do so. Companies that initially develop a novel technology may not be able to capitalize on the technology. Companies that develop disruptive technologies may face political or legal attacks from competitors, industry groups or local and national governments. These companies may also be exposed to risks applicable to sectors other than the disruptive innovation theme for which they are chosen, and the securities issued by these companies may underperform the securities of other companies that are primarily focused on a particular theme. The Reference ETFs may invest in a company that does not currently derive any revenue from disruptive innovations or technologies, and there is no assurance that a company will derive any revenue from disruptive innovations or technologies in the future. A disruptive innovation or technology may constitute a small portion of a company’s overall business. As a result, the success of a disruptive innovation or technology may not affect the value of the equity securities issued by the company.

 

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Emerging Market Securities Risk. The Reference ETF’s investment in securities of emerging market issuers may present risks that are greater than or different from those associated with foreign securities due to less developed and liquid markets and such factors as increased economic, political, regulatory, or other uncertainties. Certain emerging market countries may be subject to less stringent requirements regarding accounting, auditing, financial reporting and record keeping and therefore, material information related to an investment may not be available or reliable. In addition, the Reference ETF is limited in its ability to exercise its legal rights or enforce a counterparty’s legal obligations in certain jurisdictions outside of the United States, in particular, in emerging markets countries.

 

Equity Securities Risk. The value of the equity securities the Reference ETFs hold may fall due to general market and economic conditions, perceptions regarding the industries in which the issuers of securities the Reference ETFs hold participate or factors relating to specific companies in which the Reference ETFs invest. These can include stock movements, purchases or sales of securities by the Reference ETFs, government policies, litigation and changes in interest rates, inflation, the financial condition of the securities’ issuer or perceptions of the issuer, or economic conditions in general or specific to the issuer. Equity securities may also be particularly sensitive to general movements in the stock market, and a decline in the broader market may affect the value of the Reference ETF’s equity investments.

 

Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs).  The Reference ETFs may invest in stock of, warrants to purchase stock of, and other interests in SPACs or similar special purposes entities. A SPAC is a publicly traded company that raises investment capital for the purpose of acquiring or merging with an existing company. Investments in SPACs and similar entities are subject to a variety of risks beyond those associated with other equity securities. Because SPACs and similar entities do not have any operating history or ongoing business other than seeking acquisitions, the value of their securities is particularly dependent on the ability of the SPAC’s management to identify a merger target and complete an acquisition. Until an acquisition or merger is completed, a SPAC generally invests its assets, less a portion retained to cover expenses, in U.S. government securities, money market securities and cash and does not typically pay dividends in respect of its common stock. As a result, it is possible that an investment in a SPAC may lose value.

 

Financial Sector Risk. The ARK Fintech Innovation ETF may invest in companies in the financial sector. The factors that impact the financial sector will likely have a greater effect on the Reference ETF than on a fund with less exposure to such sector. Companies in the financial sector are especially subject to the adverse effects of economic recession, decreases in the availability of capital, volatile interest rates, portfolio concentrations in geographic markets and in commercial and residential real estate loans, and competition from new entrants in their fields of business. These industries are still extensively regulated at both the federal and state level and may be adversely affected by increased regulations.

 

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Financial Technology Risk. The ARK Innovation ETF, ARK Next Generation Internet ETF and the ARK Fintech Innovation ETF may invest in financial technology companies. Companies that are developing financial technologies that seek to disrupt or displace established financial institutions generally face competition from much larger and more established firms. Fintech Innovation Companies may not be able to capitalize on their disruptive technologies if they face political and/or legal attacks from competitors, industry groups or local and national governments. Laws generally vary by country, creating some challenges to achieving scale. A Fintech Innovation Company may not currently derive any revenue, and there is no assurance that such company will derive any revenue from innovative technologies in the future. Additionally, Fintech Innovation Companies may be adversely impacted by potential rapid product obsolescence, cybersecurity attacks, increased regulatory oversight and disruptions in the technology they depend on.

 

Foreign Securities Risk. The Reference ETFs’ investments in foreign securities can be riskier than U.S. securities investments. Investments in the securities of foreign issuers (including investments in ADRs and GDRs) are subject to the risks associated with investing in those foreign markets, such as heightened risks of inflation or nationalization. The prices of foreign securities and the prices of U.S. securities have, at times, moved in opposite directions. In addition, securities of foreign issuers may lose value due to political, economic and geographic events affecting a foreign issuer or market. During periods of social, political or economic instability in a country or region, the value of a foreign security traded on U.S. exchanges could be affected by, among other things, increasing price volatility, illiquidity, or the closure of the primary market on which the security (or the security underlying the ADR or GDR) is traded. You may lose money due to political, economic and geographic events affecting a foreign issuer or market. The Reference ETFs normally will not hedge any foreign currency exposure.

 

Future Expected Genomic Business Risk. The ARK Innovation ETF and the ARK Genomic Revolution ETF may invest in genomics revolution companies that do not currently derive a substantial portion of their current revenues from genomic-focused businesses and there is no assurance that any company will do so in the future, which may adversely affect the ability of the Reference ETF to achieve its investment objective.

 

Health Care Sector Risk. The ARK Innovation ETF and the ARK Genomic Revolution ETF may invest in companies in the health care sector. The health care sector may be affected by government regulations and government health care programs, restrictions on government reimbursement for medical expenses, increases or decreases in the cost of medical products and services and product liability claims, among other factors. Many health care companies are: (i) heavily dependent on patent protection and intellectual property rights and the expiration of a patent may adversely affect their profitability; (ii) subject to extensive litigation based on product liability and similar claims; and (iii) subject to competitive forces that may make it difficult to raise prices and, in fact, may result in price discounting. Many health care products and services may be subject to regulatory approvals. The process of obtaining such approvals may be long and costly, and delays or failure to receive such approvals may negatively impact the business of such companies. Additional or more stringent laws and regulations enacted in the future could have a material adverse effect on such companies in the health care sector. In addition, issuers in the health care sector include issuers having their principal activities in the biotechnology industry, medical laboratories and research, drug laboratories and research and drug manufacturers, which have the additional risks described below.

 

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Biotechnology Company Risk.   A biotechnology company’s valuation can often be based largely on the potential or actual performance of a limited number of products and can accordingly be greatly affected if one of its products proves, among other things, unsafe, ineffective or unprofitable. Biotechnology companies are subject to regulation by, and the restrictions of, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, state and local governments, and foreign regulatory authorities.

 

Pharmaceutical Company Risk.   Companies in the pharmaceutical industry can be significantly affected by, among other things, government approval of products and services, government regulation and reimbursement rates, product liability claims, patent expirations and protection and intense competition.

 

Industrials Sector Risk. The ARK Autonomous Technology and Robotics ETF may invest in companies in the industrials sector. The industrials sector includes companies engaged in aerospace and defense, electrical engineering, machinery, and professional services. Companies in the industrials sector may be adversely affected by changes in government regulation, world events and economic conditions. In addition, companies in the industrials sector may be adversely affected by environmental damages, product liability claims and exchange rates.

 

Aerospace and Defense Company Risk. Companies in the aerospace and defense industry rely to a large extent on U.S. (and other) Government demand for their products and services and may be significantly affected by changes in government regulations and spending, as well as economic conditions and industry consolidation.

 

Professional Services Company Risk. Professional services companies may be materially impacted by economic conditions and related fluctuations in client demand for marketing, business, technology and other consulting services. Professional services companies’ success depends in large part on attracting and retaining key employees and a failure to do so could adversely affect a company’s business. There are relatively few barriers to entry into the professional services market, and new competitors could readily seek to compete in one or more market segments, which could adversely affect a professional services company’s operating results through pricing pressure and loss of market share.

 

Information Technology Sector Risk. Each Reference ETF (except the ARK Genomic Revolution ETF) may invest in companies in the information technology sector. The information technology sector includes companies engaged in internet software and services, technology hardware and storage peripherals, electronic equipment instruments and components, and semiconductors and semiconductor equipment. Information technology companies face intense competition, both domestically and internationally, which may have an adverse effect on profit margins. Information technology companies may have limited product lines, markets, financial resources or personnel. The products of information technology companies may face rapid product obsolescence due to technological developments and frequent new product introduction, unpredictable changes in growth rates and competition for the services of qualified personnel. Failure to introduce new products, develop and maintain a loyal customer base, or achieve general market acceptance for their products could have a material adverse effect on a company’s business. Companies in the information technology sector are heavily dependent on intellectual property and the loss of patent, copyright and trademark protections may adversely affect the profitability of these companies.

 

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Internet Company Risk. Many Internet-related companies have incurred large losses since their inception and may continue to incur large losses in the hope of capturing market share and generating future revenues. Accordingly, many such companies expect to incur significant operating losses for the foreseeable future, and may never be profitable. The markets in which many Internet companies compete face rapidly evolving industry standards, frequent new service and product announcements, introductions and enhancements, and changing customer demands. The failure of an Internet company to adapt to such changes could have a material adverse effect on the company’s business. Additionally, the widespread adoption of new Internet, networking, telecommunications technologies, or other technological changes could require substantial expenditures by an Internet company to modify or adapt its services or infrastructure, which could have a material adverse effect on an Internet company’s business.

 

Semiconductor Company Risk. Competitive pressures may have a significant effect on the financial condition of semiconductor companies and, as product cycles shorten and manufacturing capacity increases, these companies may become increasingly subject to aggressive pricing, which hampers profitability. Reduced demand for end-user products, under-utilization of manufacturing capacity, and other factors could adversely impact the operating results of companies in the semiconductor sector. Semiconductor companies typically face high capital costs and may be heavily dependent on intellectual property rights. The semiconductor sector is highly cyclical, which may cause the operating results of many semiconductor companies to vary significantly. The stock prices of companies in the semiconductor sector have been and likely will continue to be extremely volatile.

 

Software Industry Risk. The software industry can be significantly affected by intense competition, aggressive pricing, technological innovations, and product obsolescence. Companies in the software industry are subject to significant competitive pressures, such as aggressive pricing, new market entrants, competition for market share, short product cycles due to an accelerated rate of technological developments and the potential for limited earnings and/or falling profit margins. These companies also face the risks that new services, equipment or technologies will not be accepted by consumers and businesses or will become rapidly obsolete. These factors can affect the profitability of these companies and, as a result, the value of their securities. Also, patent protection is integral to the success of many companies in this industry, and profitability can be affected materially by, among other things, the cost of obtaining (or failing to obtain) patent approvals, the cost of litigating patent infringement and the loss of patent protection for products (which significantly increases pricing pressures and can materially reduce profitability with respect to such products). In addition, many software companies have limited operating histories. Prices of these companies’ securities historically have been more volatile than other securities, especially over the short term.

 

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Internet Companies Risk. The risks described below apply, in particular, to a Reference ETF’s investment in Next Generation Internet Companies.

 

Internet Information Provider Company Risk. The ARK Innovation ETF and the ARK Next Generation Internet ETF may invest in internet information provider companies. Internet information provider companies provide Internet navigation services and reference guide information and publish, provide or present proprietary advertising and/or third-party content. Such companies often derive a large portion of their revenues from advertising, and a reduction in spending by or loss of advertisers could seriously harm their business. This business is rapidly evolving and intensely competitive, and is subject to changing technologies, shifting user needs, and frequent introductions of new products and services. The research and development of new, technologically advanced products is a complex and uncertain process requiring high levels of innovation and investment, as well as the accurate anticipation of technology, market trends and consumer needs. The number of people who access the Internet is increasing dramatically and a failure to attract and retain a substantial number of such users to a company’s products and services or to develop products and technologies that are more compatible with alternative devices, could adversely affect operating results. Concerns regarding a company’s products, services or processes that may compromise the privacy of users or other privacy related matters, even if unfounded, could damage a company’s reputation and adversely affect operating results.

 

Catalog and Mail Order House Company Risk. The ARK Innovation ETF and the ARK Next Generation Internet ETF may invest in catalog and mail order house companies. Catalog and mail order house companies may be exposed to significant inventory risks that may adversely affect operating results due to, among other factors: seasonality, new product launches, rapid changes in product cycles and pricing, defective merchandise, changes in consumer demand and consumer spending patterns, or changes in consumer tastes with respect to products. Demand for products can change significantly between the time inventory or components are ordered and the date of sale. The acquisition of certain types of inventory or components may require significant lead-time and prepayment and they may not be returnable. Failure to adequately predict customer demand or otherwise optimize and operate distribution centers could result in excess or insufficient inventory or distribution capacity, result in increased costs, impairment charges, or both. The business of catalog and mail order house companies can be highly seasonal and failure to stock or restock popular products in sufficient amounts during high demand periods could significantly affect revenue and future growth. Increased website traffic during peak periods could cause system interruptions which may reduce the volume of goods sold and the attractiveness of a company’s products and services.

 

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International Closed-Market Trading Risk.  Because certain of the Reference ETF’s underlying securities trade on an exchange that is closed when the securities exchange on which Fund Shares list and trade is open, there are likely to be deviations between the current pricing of an underlying security and stale security pricing (i.e., the last quote from its closed foreign market), likely resulting in premiums or discounts to NAV that may be greater than those experienced by ETFs that do not invest in foreign securities.

 

Issuer Risk. The Reference ETFs are subject to the risk that the value of the Reference ETFs portfolio may decline due to a decline in value of the equity securities of particular issuers. The value of an issuer’s equity securities may decline for reasons directly related to the issuer, such as management performance and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods or services.

 

Large-Capitalization Companies Risk. The Reference ETFs may invest in large-capitalization companies.  Large-capitalization companies are generally less volatile than companies with smaller market capitalizations. In exchange for this potentially lower risk, the value of large-capitalization companies may not rise as much as that of companies with smaller market capitalizations.

 

Micro-Capitalization Companies Risk.  The Reference ETFs may invest in securities of micro-capitalization companies. Micro-capitalization companies are subject to substantially greater risks of loss and price fluctuations because their earnings and revenues tend to be less predictable (and some companies may be experiencing significant losses). Their share prices tend to be more volatile and their markets less liquid than companies with larger market capitalizations. The shares of micro-capitalization companies tend to trade less frequently than those of larger, more established companies, which can adversely affect the pricing of these securities and the future ability to sell these securities.

 

Small- and Medium-Capitalization Companies Risk.  The ARK Next Generation Internet ETF may invest in securities of small- and medium-capitalization companies. Small- and medium-capitalization companies may be more volatile and more likely than large-capitalization companies to have narrower product lines, fewer financial resources, less management depth and experience and less competitive strength. Returns on investments in securities of small- and medium-capitalization companies could trail the returns on investments in securities of large-capitalization companies.

 

Investment Risks of the Funds and the Reference ETFs

 

Certain investment risks apply to both the Funds and the Reference ETFs as follows:

 

Active Management Risk. The Fund and the Reference ETFs are actively-managed. Their performance reflects investment decisions that the investment adviser makes for the Fund and the Reference ETFs. Such judgments about the Fund’s and the Reference ETFs investments may prove to be incorrect. If the investments selected and the strategies employed by the Fund or the Reference ETF fail to produce the intended results, the Fund or a Reference ETF could underperform as compared to other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies, or could have negative returns.

 

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Active Market Risk. Although the Fund’s Shares and shares of the Reference ETFs are listed for trading on an exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for the Fund’s Shares or the shares of a Reference ETF will develop or be maintained. Shares trade on the Exchange at market prices that may be below, at or above the Fund’s net asset value. Similarly, shares of each Reference ETF also trade on an exchange (either NYSE Arca, Inc. or Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc.) at market prices that may be below, at or above such Reference ETFs net asset value. Securities, including the Fund’s Shares and shares of the Reference ETFs, are subject to market fluctuations and liquidity constraints that may be caused by such factors as economic, political, or regulatory developments, changes in interest rates, and/or perceived trends in securities prices. Shares of the Fund or of a Reference ETF could decline in value or underperform other investments.

 

Authorized Participant Concentration Risk. Only an authorized participant (“AP”) may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with the Fund. The Fund and the Reference ETFs have a limited number of institutions that act as APs on an agency basis (i.e. on behalf of other market participants). To the extent that these institutions exit the business or are unable to proceed with creation and/or redemption orders with respect to the Fund or a Reference ETF and no other AP is able to step forward to create or redeem, in either of these cases, Shares of the Fund or a Reference ETF may trade at a discount to their net asset value and possibly face delisting.

 

Cyber Security Risk. The Fund and the Reference ETFs are susceptible to operational risks through breaches in cyber security. A breach in cyber security refers to both intentional and unintentional events that may cause the Fund or a Reference ETF to lose proprietary information, suffer data corruption or lose operational capacity. Such events could cause the Fund or a Reference ETF to incur regulatory penalties, reputational damage, additional compliance costs associated with corrective measures and/or financial loss. In addition, cyber security breaches of the Fund’s or Reference ETF’s third-party service providers, such as its administrator, transfer agent, or custodian, as applicable, or issuers in which the Fund or Reference ETFs invest, can also subject the Fund and the Reference ETFs to many of the same risks associated with direct cyber security breaches. While the Fund has established business continuity plans and risk management systems designed to reduce the risks associated with cyber security, there is no guarantee that such efforts will succeed, especially because the Fund does not directly control the cyber security systems of issuers or third-party service providers.

 

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Market Risk. The value of a particular security, or Shares of the Fund in general or shares of the Reference ETFs, may fluctuate rapidly and unpredictably. Securities are subject to market fluctuations caused by such factors as economic, political, regulatory or market developments, changes in interest rates and perceived trends in securities prices. The value of the Fund’s shares will fluctuate based on the performance of the Fund’s investments and other factors affecting the securities markets generally. In addition, local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, spread of infectious diseases or other public health issues, recessions, or other events could have a significant negative impact on the Fund and its investments. For example, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) global pandemic and the aggressive responses taken by many governments, including closing borders, restricting international and domestic travel, and the imposition of prolonged quarantines or similar restrictions, had negative impacts, and in many cases severe impacts, on markets worldwide. While the development of vaccines has slowed the spread of the virus and allowed for the resumption of normal business activity in the United States, many countries continue to impose lockdown measures in an attempt to slow the spread. Additionally, there is no guarantee that vaccines will be effective against emerging variants of the disease. As this global pandemic illustrated, such events may affect certain geographic regions, countries, sectors and industries more significantly than others. These events also adversely affect the prices and liquidity of the Fund’s portfolio securities or other instruments, or those of the Reference ETFs, and could result in disruptions in the trading markets. Any of such circumstances could have a materially negative impact on the value of the Fund’s Shares or shares of the Reference ETFs and result in increased market volatility. During any such events, the Fund’s Shares or shares of the Reference ETFs may trade at increased premiums or discounts to their net asset value. Shares of the Fund or of the Reference ETFs could decline in value or underperform other investments.

 

Operational Risk. The Fund and the Reference ETFs are exposed to operational risks arising from a number of factors, including, but not limited to, human error, processing and communication errors, errors of the Fund’s service providers, counterparties or other third-parties, failed or inadequate processes and technology or systems failures. The Fund and the Adviser seek to reduce these operational risks through controls and procedures. However, these measures do not address every possible risk and may be inadequate to address these risks.

 

Premium/Discount Risk. The market price of the Fund’s Shares and shares of the Reference ETFs will generally fluctuate in accordance with changes in the Fund’s and the Reference ETFs net asset value as well as the relative supply of and demand for Fund Shares and shares of the Reference ETF on the exchanges on which they trade. The Adviser cannot predict whether Fund Shares or shares of the Reference ETFs will trade below, at or above their net asset value because the Shares trade on the Exchange at market prices and not at net asset value. Similarly, shares of each Reference ETF also trade on an exchange at their market price and not at net asset value. Price differences may be due, in large part, to the fact that supply and demand forces at work in the secondary trading market for Fund Shares and shares of the Reference ETF will be closely related, but not identical, to the same forces influencing the prices of the holdings of the Fund or a Reference ETF trading individually or in the aggregate at any point in time. However, given that Shares can only be purchased and redeemed in Creation Units, and only to and from broker-dealers and large institutional investors that have entered into participation agreements (unlike shares of closed-end funds, which frequently trade at appreciable discounts from, and sometimes at premiums to, their net asset value), the Adviser believes that large discounts or premiums to the net asset value of Fund Shares should not be sustained. During stressed market conditions, the market for the Fund’s Shares or shares of a Reference ETF may become less liquid in response to deteriorating liquidity in the market for the Fund’s or a Reference ETF’s underlying portfolio holdings, which could in turn lead to differences between the market price of the Fund’s Shares (and shares of a Reference ETF) and their net asset value. Furthermore, the Fund or a Reference ETF may at times limit or suspend entirely the issuance of new Creation Units, which could have the effect of enhancing the premium or discount associated with the Fund’s Shares or shares of a Reference ETF.

 

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The Reference ETFs face numerous market trading risks, including disruptions to the creation and redemption processes, losses from trading in secondary markets, the existence of extreme market volatility, the potential lack of an active trading market for their shares due to market stress, or trading halts impacting their shares or their underlying securities, which may result in shares of the Reference ETF trading at a significant premium or discount to their NAV. If a shareholder purchases shares of a Reference ETF 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, the shareholder may pay more for, or receive less than, the underlying value of the shares, respectively.

 

Non-Diversification Risk. The Fund and the Reference ETFs are classified as “non-diversified” under the 1940 Act. As a result, the Funds are only limited as to the percentage of its assets which may be invested in the securities of any one issuer by the diversification requirements imposed by the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). A decline in the value of an investment in a single issuer could cause a Fund’s overall value to decline to a greater degree than if the Fund held a more diversified portfolio. The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by entering into one or more swap agreements. The Fund may invest a relatively high percentage of its assets in a limited number of issuers and/or in swap agreements with a single counterparty or a few counterparties. As a result, the Fund may experience increased volatility and be more susceptible to a single economic or regulatory occurrence affecting one or more of these issuers and/or counterparties.

 

Performance History

 

The Fund does not have a full calendar year of performance history. In the future, performance information will be presented in this section of the Prospectus. Performance information will contain a bar chart and table that provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund’s performance from year to year and by showing the Fund’s average annual returns for certain time periods as compared to a broad measure of market performance. Investors should be aware that past performance before and after taxes is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future.

 

Updated performance information for the Fund, including its current net asset value per share, is available by calling toll-free at (XXX) XXXX.

 

Investment Adviser

 

Tuttle Capital Management, LLC (the “Adviser”) is the investment adviser to the Fund.

 

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Portfolio Manager

 

Matthew Tuttle, Chief Executive Officer of the Adviser, has served as the Fund’s portfolio manager since its inception.

 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

 

The Fund will issue (or redeem) shares to certain institutional investors (typically market makers or other broker-dealers) only in large blocks of at least [XXXXX] shares known as “Creation Units.” Creation Unit transactions are typically conducted in exchange for the deposit or delivery of in-kind securities and/or cash. Individual shares may only be purchased and sold on a national securities exchange through a broker-dealer. You can purchase and sell individual shares of the Fund throughout the trading day like any publicly traded security. The Fund’s shares are listed on the Exchange (i.e., NYSE Arca). The price of the Fund’s shares is based on market price, and because exchange-traded fund shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount). When buying or selling shares through a broker, most investors will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges and you may pay some or all of the spread between the bid and the offered prices in the secondary market for shares. Except when aggregated in Creation Units, the Fund’s shares are not redeemable securities. Recent information regarding the Fund, including its NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid/ask spreads, is available on the Fund’s website at www.[     ].com.

 

Tax Information

 

The Fund’s distributions will be taxed as ordinary income or capital gain, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account in which case withdrawals will be taxed.

 

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

 

If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (e.g., 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 financial 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 THE FUNDS’ INVESTMENTS

 

Tuttle Capital 2X All Innovation ETF

 

The investment objective of the Tuttle Capital 2X All Innovation ETF is to seek daily investment results, before fees and expenses, of 200% of the daily performance of five underlying Reference ETFs represented in its portfolio.

 

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The Fund will design its portfolio such that:

 

50% of its net assets are allocated to seeking to return 200% of the daily performance of the ARK Innovation ETF; and

 

12.5% of its net assets are allocated to seeking to return 200% of the daily performance of each of the ARK Next Generation Internet ETF, the ARK Fintech Innovation ETF, the ARK Genomic Revolution ETF and the ARK Autonomous Technology and Robotics ETF.

 

Tuttle Capital 2X Inverse All Innovation ETF

 

The investment objective of the Tuttle Capital 2X Inverse All Innovation ETF is to seek daily investment results, before fees and expenses, of -200% of the daily performance of five underlying Reference ETFs represented in its portfolio.

 

The Fund will design its portfolio such that:

 

50% of its net assets are allocated to seeking to return -200% of the daily performance of the ARK Innovation ETF; and

 

12.5% of its net assets are allocated to seeking to return -200% of the daily performance of each of the ARK Next Generation Internet ETF, the ARK Fintech Innovation ETF, the ARK Genomic Revolution ETF and the ARK Autonomous Technology and Robotics ETF.

 

The Tuttle Capital 2X All Innovation ETF and the Tuttle Capital 2X Inverse All Innovation ETF (each a “Fund” collectively, the “Funds”) do not seek to achieve their stated investment objective for a period of time different than a trading day. The Funds’ investment objectives may be changed by the Board of Trustees (the “Board”) of ETF Opportunities Trust (the “Trust”) without shareholder approval upon sixty (60) days’ written notice to shareholders. Unless otherwise noted, all other policies of the Funds may be changed without shareholder approval. Each Fund reserves the right to substitute a different ETF, index or security for the underlying ETF.

 

The Funds are not suitable for all investors. The Funds are designed to be utilized only by sophisticated investors, such as traders and active investors employing dynamic strategies. Such investors are expected to monitor and manage their portfolios frequently. Investors in each Fund should: (a) understand the risks associated with the use of leverage; (b) understand the consequences of seeking daily leveraged investment results; (c) intend to actively monitor and manage their investments. Investors who do not understand the Funds or do not intend to actively manage their funds and monitor their investments should not buy the Funds.

 

ETFs are funds that trade like other publicly traded securities. Unlike shares of a mutual fund, which can be bought and redeemed from the issuing fund by all shareholders at a price based on NAV, shares of the Funds may be purchased or redeemed directly from the Funds at NAV solely by Authorized Participants and only in aggregations of a specified number of shares Creation Units. Also, unlike shares of a mutual fund, shares of the Funds are listed on a national securities exchange and trade in the secondary market at market prices that change throughout the day.

 

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The Tuttle Capital 2X All Innovation ETF is an actively managed exchange traded fund that seeks to achieve on a daily basis, before fees and expenses, 200% of the daily performance of each Reference ETF represented in its portfolio for a single day, not for any other period, by entering into one or more swap agreements with respect to each Reference ETF. A “single day” is measured from the time the Fund calculates its net asset value (“NAV”) to the time of the Fund’s next NAV calculation.

 

The Tuttle Capital 2X Inverse All Innovation ETF is an actively managed exchange traded fund that seeks to achieve on a daily basis, before fees and expenses, -200% of the daily performance of each Reference ETF represented in its portfolio for a single day, not for any other period, by entering into one or more swap agreements with respect to each Reference ETF.

 

Each Fund will enter into swap agreements with respect to each Reference ETF with major global financial institutions for a specified period ranging from one day to more than one year whereby the Funds and the global financial institution will agree to exchange the return earned or realized on each Reference ETF. The gross returns to be exchanged or “swapped” between the parties is calculated with respect to a “notional amount,” e.g., the return on or change in value of a particular dollar amount representing the Reference ETF.

 

Each trading day the Adviser adjusts the Tuttle Capital 2X All Innovation ETF’s exposure to the Reference ETFs consistent with the Fund’s daily leveraged investment objective. The impact of market movements during the day determines whether the portfolio needs to be repositioned. If the collective value of the Reference ETFs has risen on a given day, the value of the Fund’s net assets should rise, meaning its exposure will typically need to be increased. Conversely, if the collective value of the Reference ETFs has fallen on a given day, the value of the Fund’s net assets should fall, meaning its exposure will typically need to be reduced.

 

Each trading day the Adviser adjusts the Tuttle Capital 2X Inverse All Innovation ETF’s exposure to the Reference ETFs consistent with the Fund’s daily leveraged inverse investment objective. The impact of market movements during the day determines whether the portfolio needs to be repositioned. If the collective value of the Reference ETFs has fallen on a given day, the value of the Fund’s net assets should rise, meaning its exposure will typically need to be increased. Conversely, if the collective value of the Reference ETFs has risen on a given day, the value of the Fund’s net assets should fall, meaning its exposure will typically need to be reduced.

 

The time and manner in which each Fund rebalances its portfolio may vary from day to day at the sole discretion of the Adviser depending upon market conditions and other circumstances. Generally, at or near the close of the market at each trading day, each Fund will position its portfolio to ensure that the Fund’s exposure to the Reference ETFs is consistent with its stated investment objective. Each Fund reviews its notional exposure under each of its swap agreement, which reflects the extent of the Fund’s total investment exposure under the swap, to ensure that the Fund’s exposure is in-line with its stated investment objective. The gross returns to be exchanged are calculated with respect to the notional amount and the Reference ETF’s returns to which the swap is linked. Swaps are typically closed out on a net basis. Thus, while the notional amount reflects a Fund’s total investment exposure under the swap, the net amount is the Fund’s current obligations (or rights) under the swap. That is the amount to be paid or received under the agreement based on the relative values of the positions held by each party to the agreement. If for any reason a Fund is unable to rebalance all or a portion of its portfolio, or if all or a portion of the portfolio is rebalanced incorrectly, a Fund’s investment exposure may not be consistent with the Fund’s investment objective. As a result, a Fund may be more or less exposed to leverage risk than if it had been properly rebalanced and may not achieve its investment objective. To the extent that a Fund needs to “roll” its swap positions (i.e., enter into new swap positions with a later expiration date as the current positions approach expiration), it could be subjected to increased costs, which could negatively impact the Fund’s performance.

 

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Additionally, the Funds may invest between 40-80% of each Fund’s portfolio depending on the amount of collateral required by the Fund’s counterparties in (1) U.S. Government securities, such as bills, notes and bonds issued by the U.S. Treasury; (2) money market funds; (3) short term bond ETFs and/or (4) corporate debt securities, such as commercial paper and other short-term unsecured promissory notes issued by businesses that are rated investment grade or of comparable quality.

 

THE TUTTLE CAPITAL 2X ALL INNOVATION ETF, TUTTLE CAPITAL 2X INVERSE ALL INNOVATION ETF, ETF Opportunities Trust, AND Tuttle Capital management, LLC ARE NOT AFFILIATED WITH THE ARK ETF TRUST, THE REFERENCE ETFs, OR ARK INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT LLC.

 

Principal Investments

 

Swap Agreements

 

The Tuttle Capital 2X All Innovation ETF will enter into swap agreements to pursue its investment objective of delivering daily investment results, before fees and expenses, of 200% of the daily performance of five underlying Reference ETFs. The Tuttle Capital 2X Inverse All Innovation ETF will enter into swap agreements to pursue its investment objective of delivering daily investment results, before fees and expenses, of -200% of the daily performance of five underlying Reference ETFs. The swap agreements may include as a reference asset investment vehicles that seek exposure to the Reference ETFs.

 

Swap agreements are contracts entered into primarily with major financial institutions for a specified period ranging from a day to more than one year. In a standard “swap” transaction, two parties agree to exchange the return (or differentials in rates of return) earned or realized on particular predetermined investments or instruments. The gross return to be exchanged or “swapped” between the parties is calculated with respect to a “notional amount,” e.g., the return on or change in value of a particular dollar amount representing the Reference ETFs. Each Fund may use a combination of swaps on the Reference ETFs and swaps on various investment vehicles that are designed to track the performance of the Reference ETF. The underlying investment vehicle may not track the performance of the underlying ETF due to embedded costs and other factors, which may increase a Fund’s correlation risk and impact the Fund’s ability to correlate with the underlying ETF.

 

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With respect to the use of swap agreements, if the Reference ETF has a dramatic intraday move that causes a material decline in net assets, the terms of a swap agreement between a Fund and its counterparty may permit the counterparty to immediately close out the transaction with the Fund. In that event, a Fund may be unable to enter into another swap agreement or invest in other derivatives to achieve the desired exposure consistent with its investment objective. This, in turn, may prevent a Fund from achieving its investment objective, even if the Reference ETFs reverse all or a portion of their intraday move by the end of the day. Any costs associated with using swap agreements may also have the effect of lowering a Fund’s return.

 

Each Fund may also invest in U.S. Government Securities, money market funds and corporate debt securities such as commercial paper or other short-term unsecured promissory notes issued by businesses that are rated investment grade or of comparable quality. Each Fund may also invest in short-term bond ETFs.

 

U.S. government securities include U.S. Treasury obligations and securities issued or guaranteed by various agencies of the U.S. government, or by various instrumentalities that have been established or sponsored by the U.S. government. U.S. Treasury obligations are backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. government. Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies and U.S. government sponsored instrumentalities may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government.

 

Non-Principal Investments

 

Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments

 

Each Fund may invest in securities with maturities of less than one year or cash equivalents, or they may hold cash. The percentage of each Fund invested in such holdings varies and depends on several factors, including market conditions. For more information on eligible short-term investments, see the SAI.

 

Additional Information Regarding Investment Techniques and Policies

 

The Effects of Fees and Expenses on the Return of a Fund for a Single Trading Day. To create the necessary exposure, each Fund uses leveraged investment techniques, which necessarily incur brokerage and financing charges. In light of these charges and a Fund’s operating expenses, the expected return of a Fund over one trading day is equal to the gross expected return, which is the daily return of each Reference ETF multiplied by a Fund’s daily leveraged investment objective, minus (i) financing charges incurred by the portfolio and (ii) daily operating expenses. For instance, if the Reference ETFs return 2% on a given day, the gross expected return of the Fund would be 4%, but the net expected return, which factors in the cost of financing the portfolio and the impact of operating expenses, would be lower. Each Fund will reposition its portfolio at the end of every trading day. Therefore, if an investor purchases the Tuttle Capital 2X All Innovation ETF shares at close of the markets on a given trading day, the investor’s exposure to the Reference ETFs would reflect 200% of the performance of the Reference ETFs during the following trading day, subject to the charges and expenses noted above.

 

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To create the necessary exposure, the Tuttle Capital 2X Inverse All Innovation ETF engages in short selling, borrowing and selling securities it does not own. The money that the Fund receives from short sales is an asset of the Fund that can generate income to help offset the Fund’s operating expenses. However, the costs of creating short exposure, which may require the Fund’s counterparties to borrow and sell certain securities, may offset or outweigh such income. As a holder of a short position, the Fund also is responsible for paying dividends and interest accruing on short positions, which is an expense to the Fund that could cause the Fund to lose money on the short sale and may adversely affect its performance. The Fund will reposition its portfolio at the end of every trading day. Therefore, if an investor purchases Fund shares at close of markets on a given day, the investor’s exposure to the Reference ETFs would reflect 200% of the inverse performance of the Reference ETFs during the following trading day.

 

A Cautionary Note to Investors Regarding Dramatic Reference ETF Movement. Each Fund could lose an amount greater than its net assets in the event of a movement of a Reference ETF in excess of 50% in a direction adverse to the Fund (meaning a decline in the value of the Reference ETFs with respect to the Tuttle Capital 2X All Innovation ETF and meaning an increase in the value of the Reference ETFs with respect to the Tuttle Capital 2X Inverse Innovation ETF). The risk of total loss exists.

 

If a Reference ETF has a dramatic adverse move that causes a material decline in the Fund’s net assets, the terms of a Fund’s swap agreements may permit the counterparty to immediately close out the swap transaction. In that event, a Fund may be unable to enter into another swap agreement or invest in other derivatives to achieve exposure consistent with a Fund’s investment objective. This may prevent a Fund from achieving its leveraged investment objective, even if the Reference ETF later reverses all or a portion the move, and result in significant losses.

 

Examples of the Impact of Daily Leverage and Compounding. Because each Fund’s exposure to each Reference ETF is repositioned on a daily basis, for a holding period longer than one day, the pursuit of a daily investment objective will result in daily leveraged compounding for each Fund. This means that the return of the Reference ETFs over a period of time greater than one day multiplied by a Fund’s daily leveraged investment objective (e.g., 200% or -200%) generally will not equal the Fund’s performance over that same period. As a consequence, investors should not plan to hold a Fund unmonitored for periods longer than a single trading day. This deviation increases with higher volatility in the Reference ETFs and longer holding periods. Further, the return for investors that invest for periods less than a full trading day or for a period different than a trading day will not be the product of the return of a Fund’s stated daily leveraged investment objective and the performance of the Reference ETFs for the full trading day. The actual exposure will largely be a function of the performance of the Reference ETFs from the end of the prior trading day.

 

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Consider the following examples:

 

While these examples are designed to show the effect on the Fund of leverage, volatility and performance with respect to a single Reference ETF, these examples apply to each Reference ETF.

 

Mary is considering investments in two Funds, Funds A and B. Fund A is an ETF which seeks (before fees and expenses) to match the performance of the Reference ETF. Fund B is a leveraged ETF and seeks daily leveraged investment results (before fees and expenses) that correspond to 200% of the daily performance of the Reference ETF.

 

An investment in Fund A would be expected to gain 5% on Day 1 and lose 4.76% on Day 2, returning the investment its original value. The following example assumes a $100 investment in Fund A when the Reference ETFs are also valued at $100:

 

Day Reference ETF Value Reference ETF Performance Value of Fund A Investment
  $100.00   $100.00
1 $105.00 5.00% $105.00
2 $100.00 -4.76% $100.00

 

The same $100 investment in Fund B would be expected to gain 10% on Day 1 (200% of 5%) but decline 9.52% on Day 2.

 

Day Reference ETF Performance 200% of Reference ETF Performance Value of Fund B Investment
      $100.00
1 5.00% 10.0% $110.00
2 -4.76% -9.52% $99.52

 

Although the percentage decline in Fund B is smaller on Day 2 than the percentage gain on Day 1, the loss is applied to a higher principal amount, so the investment in Fund B experiences a loss even when the aggregate index value for the two-day period has not declined. (These calculations do not include the charges for fund fees and expenses).

 

As you can see, an investment in Fund B has additional risks due to the effects of leverage and compounding.

 

An investor who purchases shares of the Fund intra-day will generally receive more, or less, than 200% exposure to the Reference ETFs from that point until the end of the trading day. The actual exposure will be largely a function of the performance of the Reference ETFs from the end of the prior trading day. If the Fund’s shares are held for a period longer than a single trading day, the Fund’s performance is likely to deviate from 200% or -200% of the return of the Reference ETF’s performance for the longer period. This deviation will increase with higher volatility of the Reference ETF and longer holding periods.

 

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Examples of the Impact of Volatility. The Fund rebalances its portfolio on a daily basis, increasing exposure in response to that day’s gains or reducing exposure in response to that day’s losses. Daily rebalancing will typically cause the Fund to lose money if the Reference ETFs experience volatility. A volatility rate is a statistical measure of the magnitude of fluctuations in the Reference ETF’s returns over a defined period. For periods longer than a trading day, volatility in the performance of the Reference ETFs from day to day is the primary cause of any disparity between the Fund’s actual returns and the returns of the Reference ETFs for such period. Volatility causes such disparity because it exacerbates the effects of compounding on the Fund’s returns. In addition, the effects of volatility are magnified in the Fund due to leverage. Consider the following three examples that demonstrate the effect of volatility on a hypothetical fund:

 

Example 1 – Reference ETFs Experience Low Volatility

 

Mary invests $10.00 in the Tuttle Capital 2X All Innovation ETF at the close of trading on Day 1. During Day 2, the Reference ETFs rise from 100 to 102, a 2% gain. Mary’s investment rises 4% to $10.40. Mary holds her investment through the close of trading on Day 3, during which the Reference ETFs rise from 102 to 104, a gain of 1.96%. Mary’s investment rises to $10.81, a gain during Day 3 of 3.92%. For the two-day period since Mary invested in the Fund, the Reference ETFs gained 4% although Mary’s investment increased by 8.1%. Because the Reference ETFs continued to trend upwards with low volatility, Mary’s return closely correlates to the 200% return of the return of the Reference ETFs for the period.

 

John invests $10.00 in the Tuttle Capital 2X Inverse All Innovation ETF at the close of trading on Day 1. During Day 2, the Reference ETFs gain 2%, and John’s investment falls by 4% to $9.60. On Day 3, the Reference ETFs rise by 1.96%, and John’s investment falls by 3.92% to $9.22. For the two-day period the Reference ETFs returned 4% while John’s investment lost 7.8%. John’s return still correlates to -200% return of the Reference ETFs, but not as closely as Mary’s investment in the Tuttle Capital 2X All Innovation ETF.

 

Example 2 – Reference ETF Experiences High Volatility

 

Mary invests $10.00 in the Tuttle Capital 2X All Innovation ETF after the close of trading on Day 1. During Day 2, the Reference ETF rises from 100 to 102, a 2% gain, and Mary’s investment rises 4% to $10.40. Mary continues to hold her investment through the end of Day 3, during which the Reference ETFs decline from 102 to 98, a loss of 3.92%. Mary’s investment declines by 7.84%, from $10.40 to $9.58. For the two-day period since Mary invested in the Fund, the Reference ETFs lost 2% while Mary’s investment decreased from $10 to $9.58, a 4.2% loss. The volatility of the Reference ETFs affected the correlation between the Reference ETF’s return for the two-day period and Mary’s return. In this situation, Mary lost more than two times the return of the Reference ETFs.

 

Conversely, John invests $10.00 in the Tuttle Capital 2X Inverse All Innovation ETF after the close of trading on Day 1. During Day 2, the Reference ETFs rise from 100 to 102, a 2% gain, and John’s investment falls 4% to $9.60. John continues to hold his investment through the end of Day 3, during which the Reference ETFs decline from 102 to 98, a loss of 3.92%. John’s investment rises by 7.84%, from $9.60 to $10.35. For the two-day period since John invested in the Fund, the Reference ETFs lost 2% while John’s investment increased from $10 to $10.35, a 3.5% gain. The volatility of the Reference ETFs affected the correlation between the Reference ETF’s return for the two-day period and John’s return. In this situation, John gained less than two times the return of the Reference ETFs.

 

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Example 3 – Intra-day Investment with Volatility

 

The examples above assumed that Mary purchased the Fund at the close of trading on Day 1 and sold her investment at the close of trading on a subsequent day. However, if she made an investment intra-day, she would have received a beta determined by the performance of the Reference ETFs from the end of the prior trading day until her time of purchase on the next trading day. Consider the following example.

 

Mary invests $10.00 in the Tuttle Capital 2X All Innovation ETF at 11 a.m. on Day 2. From the close of trading on Day 1 until 11 a.m. on Day 2, the Reference ETFs moved from 100 to 102, a 2% gain. In light of that gain, the Fund beta at the point at which Mary invests is 196%. During the remainder of Day 2, the Reference ETFs rise from 102 to 110, a gain of 7.84%, and Mary’s investment rises 15.4% (which is the Reference ETF’s gain of 7.84% multiplied by the 196% beta that she received) to $11.54. Mary continues to hold her investment through the close of trading on Day 3, during which the Reference ETFs decline from 110 to 90, a loss of 18.18%. Mary’s investment declines by 36.4%, from $11.54 to $7.34. For the period of Mary’s investment, the Reference ETFs declined from 102 to 90, a loss of 11.76%, while Mary’s investment decreased from $10.00 to $7.34, a 27% loss. The volatility of the Reference ETFs affected the correlation between the Reference ETF’s return for period and Mary’s return. In this situation, Mary lost more than two times the return of the Reference ETFs. Mary was also hurt because she missed the first 2% move of the Reference ETF and had a beta of 196% for the remainder of Day 2.

 

Market Volatility. Each Fund seeks to provide a return which is a multiple of the daily performance of the Reference ETFs. Neither Fund attempts to, and should not be expected to, provide returns which are a multiple of the return of the Reference ETFs for periods other than a single day. Each Fund rebalances its portfolio on a daily basis, increasing exposure in response to that day’s gains or reducing exposure in response to that day’s losses.

 

Daily rebalancing will impair a Fund’s performance if the Reference ETFs experience volatility. For instance, the Tuttle Capital 2X All Innovation ETF would be expected to lose 4% (as shown in Table 1 below) if the Reference ETFs provide no return over a one-year period and experienced annualized volatility of 20%. The Tuttle Capital 2X Inverse All Innovation ETF would be expected to lose 12% (as shown in Table 1 below) if the Reference ETFs provide no return over a one-year period and had annualized volatility of 20%. If the Reference ETF’s annualized volatility were to rise to 40%, the hypothetical loss for a one-year period for the Tuttle Capital 2X All Innovation ETF widens to approximately 15% while the loss for the Tuttle Capital Inverse 2X All Innovation ETF rises to 45%.

 

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Table 1

 

Volatility Range Tuttle Capital 2X All Innovation ETF Losses Tuttle Capital 2x Inverse All Innovation ETF Losses
10% -1% -3%
20% -4% -12%
30% -9% -26%
40% -15% -45%
50% -23% -65%
60% -33% -92%
70% -47% -99%
80% -55% -99%
90% -76% -99%
100% -84% -99%

 

Note that at higher volatility levels, there is a chance of a complete loss of Fund assets even if the Reference ETFs are flat. For instance, if annualized volatility of the Reference ETFs was 90%, the Tuttle Capital 2X All Innovation ETF based on the Reference ETFs would be expected to lose 76% and the Tuttle Capital 2X Inverse All Innovation ETF would be expected to lose 99% of its value, even if the Reference ETFs returned 0% for the year.

 

Table 2 shows the annualized historical volatility rate for Reference ETF over the five-year period ended December 31, 2022. Since market volatility has negative implications for funds which rebalance daily, investors should be sure to monitor and manage their investments in the Funds particularly in volatile markets. The negative implications of volatility in Table 1 can be combined with the recent volatility in Table 2 to give investors some sense of the risks of holding a Fund for longer periods over the past five years. Historical volatility and performance are not likely indicative of future volatility and performance.

 

Table 2 – Historic Volatility of the Reference ETFs

 

  5-Year Historical Volatility Rate
ARK Innovation ETF [__]%
ARK Next Generation Internet ETF [   ]%
ARK Fintech Innovation ETF [    ]%
ARK Genomic Revolution ETF [    ]%
ARK Autonomous Technology and Robotics ETF [    ]%

 

The Projected Returns of Funds for Intra-Day Purchases. Because the Funds rebalance their portfolio once daily, an investor who purchases shares during a day will likely have more, or less, than 200% leveraged investment exposure to the Reference ETF. The exposure to the Reference ETFs received by an investor who purchases a Fund intra-day will differ from the Fund’s stated daily leveraged investment objective (e.g., 200% or -200%) by an amount determined by the movement of the Reference ETFs from their value at the end of the prior day. If the Reference ETFs move in a direction favorable to the Fund between the close of the market on one trading day through the time on the next trading day when the investor purchases the Fund shares, the investor will receive less exposure to the Reference ETF than the stated fund daily leveraged investment objective (e.g., 200% or -200%). Conversely, if the Reference ETFs move in a direction adverse to the Fund, the investor will receive more exposure to the Reference ETF than the stated fund daily leveraged investment objective (e.g., 200% or -200%).

 

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Table 3 below indicates the exposure to the Reference ETFs that an intra-day purchase of the Fund would be expected to provide based upon the movement in the value of the Reference ETFs from the close of the market on the prior trading day. Such exposure holds until a subsequent sale on that same trading day or until the close of the market on that trading day. For instance, if the Reference ETF has moved 5% in a direction favorable to the Fund, the investor would receive exposure to the performance of the Reference ETFs from that point until the investor sells later that day or the end of the day equal to approximately 191% of the investor’s investment.

 

Conversely, if the Reference ETFs have moved 5% in a direction unfavorable to the Fund, an investor at that point would receive exposure to the performance of the Reference ETFs from that point until the investor sells later that day or the end of the day equal to approximately 211% of the investor’s investment.

 

The table includes a range of Reference ETF moves from 20% to -20% for the Fund. Movement of the Reference ETFs beyond the range noted below will result in exposure further from the Fund’s daily leveraged investment objective.

 

Table 3 – Intra-Day Leverage of Tuttle Capital 2X All Innovation ETF

 

Reference ETFs Resulting Exposure for Tuttle Capital 2X All Innovation ETF
-20% 267%
-15% 243%
-10% 225%
-5% 211%
0% 200%
5% 191%
10% 183%
15% 177%
20% 171%

 

Table 4 below indicates the exposure to the Reference ETFs that an intra-day purchase of the Tuttle Capital 2X Inverse All Innovation ETF would be expected to provide based upon the movement in the value of the Reference ETFs from the close of the market on the prior trading day. Such exposure holds until a subsequent sale on that same trading day or until the close of the market on that trading day. For instance, if the Reference ETFs have moved 5% in a direction favorable to the Fund, the investor would receive exposure to the performance of the Reference ETFs from that point until the investor sells later that day or the end of the day equal to approximately -173% of the investor’s investment. Conversely, if the Reference ETFs have moved 5% in a direction unfavorable to the Fund’s, an investor would receive exposure to the performance of the Reference ETFs from that point until the investor sells later that day or the end of the day equal to approximately 233% of the investor’s investment.

 

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The table includes a range of Reference ETFs moves from 20% to -20% for the Tuttle Capital 2X Inverse All Innovation Fund. Movement of the Reference ETFs beyond the range noted below will result in exposure further from the Fund’s daily leveraged investment objective.

 

Table 4 – Intra-Day Leverage of Tuttle Capital 2X Inverse All Innovation ETF

 

Reference ETF Resulting Exposure for Tuttle Capital 2X Inverse All Innovation ETF
-20% -114%
-15% -131%
-10% -150%
-5% -173%
0% -200%
5% -233%
10% -275%
15% -329%
20% -400%

 

The Projected Returns of the Fund for Periods Other Than a Single Trading Day. The Funds seek leveraged investment results on a daily basis — from the close of regular trading on one trading day to the close on the next trading day — which should not be equated with seeking a leveraged investment objective for any other period. For instance, if the Reference ETFs gain 10% for a week, a Fund should not be expected to provide a return of 20% for the week even if it meets its daily leveraged investment objective throughout the week. This is true because of the financing charges noted above but also because the pursuit of daily goals may result in daily leveraged compounding, which means that the return of the Reference ETF over a period of time greater than one day multiplied by the Fund’s daily leveraged investment objective or inverse daily leveraged investment objective (e.g., 200% of -200%) will not generally equal a Fund’s performance over that same period. In addition, the effects of compounding become greater the longer Shares are held beyond a single trading day.

 

The following tables set out a range of hypothetical daily performances during a given 10 trading days of a hypothetical Reference ETF and demonstrate how changes in the hypothetical Reference ETF impacts the hypothetical Funds’ performance for a trading day and cumulatively up to, and including, the entire 10 trading day period. The charts are based on a hypothetical $100 investment in the hypothetical Fund over a 10-trading day period and do not reflect fees or expenses of any kind.

 

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Table 5 – The Reference ETF Lacks a Clear Trend

 

Reference ETF Tuttle Capital 2X All Innovation ETF Tuttle Capital 2X Inverse All Innovation ETF
  Value Daily Performance Cumulative Performance NAV Daily Performance Cumulative Performance NAV Daily Performance Cumulative Performance
  100     $100.00     $100.00    
Day 1 105 5.00% 5.00% $110.00 10.00% 10.00% $90.00 -10.00% 10.00%
Day 2 110 4.76% 10.00% $120.48 9.52% 20.47% $81.43 -9.52% 18.57%
Day 3 100 -9.09% 0.00% $ 98.57 -18.18% -1.43% $96.23 18.18% -3.67%
Day 4 90 -10.00% -10.00% $ 78.86 -20.00% -21.14% $115.48 20.00% 15.48%
Day 5 85 -5.56% -15.00% $ 70.10 -11.12% -29.91% $128.31 11.12% 28.33%
Day 6 100 17.65% 0.00% $ 94.83 35.30% -5.17% $ 83.03 -35.30% -16.97%
Day 7 95 -5.00% -5.00% $ 85.35 -10.00% -14.65% $ 91.33 -10.00% -8.67%
Day 8 100 5.26% 0.00% $ 94.34 10.52% -5.68% $ 81.71 -10.52% -18.28%
Day 9 105 5.00% 5.00% $103.77 10.00% 3.76% $73.54 -10.00% -26.45%
Day 10 100 -4.76% 0.00% $ 93.89 -9.52% -6.12% $ 80.55 9.52% -19.45%

 

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The cumulative performance of the hypothetical Reference ETF in Table 5 is 0% for 10 trading days. The return of the hypothetical Tuttle Capital 2X All Innovation ETF for the 10-trading day period is -6.12%, while the return of the Tuttle Capital 2X Inverse All Innovation ETF is -19.45%. The volatility of the hypothetical Reference ETF’s performance and lack of a clear trend results in performance for each hypothetical Fund for the period which bears little relationship to the performance of the hypothetical 0Reference ETF for the 10-trading day period.

 

Table 6 – The Reference ETF Rises in a Clear Trend

 

Reference ETF Tuttle Capital 2X All Innovation ETF Tuttle Capital 2X Inverse All Innovation ETF
  Value NAV NAV NAV Daily Performance Cumulative Performance NAV Daily Performance Cumulative Performance
  100 $100.00 $100.00 $100.00     $100.00    
Day 1 102 $96.00 $96.00 $96.00 4.00% 4.00% $96.00 -4.00% -4.00%
Day 2 104 $92.24 $92.24 $92.24 3.92% 8.08% $92.24 -3.92% -7.76%
Day 3 106 $88.69 $88.69 $88.69 3.84% 12.23% $88.69 -3.84% -11.31%
Day 4 108 $85.34 $85.34 $85.34 3.78% 16.47% $85.34 -3.78% -14.66%
Day5 110 $82.18 $82.18 $82.18 3.70% 20.78% $82.18 -3.70% -17.82%
Day 6 112 $79.19 $79.19 $79.19 3.64% 25.17% $79.19 -3.64% -20.81%
Day 7 114 $76.36 $76.36 $76.36 3.58% 29.66% $76.36 -3.58% -23.64%
Day 8 116 $73.68 $73.68 $73.68 3.50% 34.19% $73.68 -3.50% -26.31%
Day 9 118 $71.14 $71.14 $71.14 3.44% 38.81% $71.14 -3.44% -28.85%
Day 10 120 $68.73 $68.73 $68.73 3.38% 43.50% $68.73 -3.38% -31.25%

 

The cumulative performance of the hypothetical Reference ETF in Table 6 is 20% for 10 trading days. The return of the hypothetical Tuttle Capital 2X All Innovation ETF for the 10-trading day period is 43.50%, and the return of the hypothetical Tuttle Capital 2X Inverse All Innovation ETF is -31.25%. In this case, because of the positive hypothetical Reference ETF trend, the hypothetical Tuttle Capital 2X All Innovation ETF’s gain is greater than 200% of the hypothetical Reference ETF gain and the hypothetical Tuttle Capital 2X Inverse All Innovation ETF’s decline is less than 200% of the hypothetical Reference ETFs gain for the 10-trading day period.

 

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Table 7 – The Reference ETF Declines in a Clear Trend

 

Reference ETF Tuttle Capital 2X All Innovation ETF Tuttle Capital 2X Inverse All Innovation ETF
  Value Daily Performance Cumulative Performance NAV Daily Performance Cumulative Performance NAV Daily Performance Cumulative Performance
  100     $100.00     $100.00    
Day 1 98 -2.00% -2.00% $ 96.00 -4.00% -4.00% $104.00 4.00% 4.00%
Day 2 96 -2.04% -4.00% $ 92.08 -4.08% -7.92% $108.24 4.08% 8.24%
Day 3 94 -2.08% -6.00% $ 88.24 -4.16% -11.75% $112.76 4.16% 12.75%
Day 4 92 -2.13% -8.00% $ 84.49 -4.26% -15.51% $117.55 4.26% 17.55%
Day 5 90 -2.17% -10.00% $ 80.82 -4.34% -19.17% $122.66 4.34% 22.65%
Day 6 88 -2.22% -12.00% $ 77.22 -4.44% -22.76% $128.12 4.44% 28.10%
Day 7 86 -2.27% -14.00% $ 73.71 -4.54% -26.27% $133.94 4.54% 33.91%
Day 8 84 -2.33% -16.00% $ 70.29 -4.66% -29.71% $140.17   4.66% 40.15%
Day 9 82 -2.38% -18.00% $ 66.94 -4.76% -33.05% $146.84 4.76% 46.82%
Day 10 80 -2.44% -20.00% $ 63.67 -4.88% -36.32% $154.01 4.88% 53.99%

 

The cumulative performance of the hypothetical Reference ETF in Table 7 is -20% for 10 trading days. The return of the hypothetical Tuttle Capital 2X All Innovation ETF for the 10-trading day period is -36.32% and the return of the hypothetical Tuttle Capital 2X Inverse All Innovation ETF is 53.99%. In this case, because of the negative hypothetical Reference ETF trend, the hypothetical Tuttle Capital 2X All Innovation Fund’s decline is less than 200% of the hypothetical Reference ETF decline and the hypothetical Tuttle Capital 2X Inverse All Innovation Fund’s gain is greater than 200% of the hypothetical Reference ETFs decline for the 10-trading day period.

 

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT RISK

 

It is important that you closely review and understand the risks of investing in each Fund. Each Fund’s NAV and investment return will fluctuate based upon changes in the value of its portfolio securities. You could lose money on your investment in each Fund, and each Fund could underperform other investments. There is no guarantee that each Fund will meet its investment objective. An investment in the Funds is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. Below are some of the specific risks of investing in the Funds including the risks of the investment strategies of the Reference ETFs. The realization of certain of the risks described below that may result in adverse market movements may actually benefit the Tuttle Capital 2X Inverse All Innovation ETF due to its inverse investment objective.

 

Principal Risks

 

Investment Risks of the Funds

 

The investment risks of the Funds are as follows:

 

Derivatives Risk. Each Fund’s investment exposure to derivatives may be considered aggressive and may expose each Fund to greater risks and larger losses or smaller gains than investing directly in the reference asset(s) underlying those derivatives. A derivative refers to any financial instrument whose value is derived, at least in part, from the price of an underlying security, asset, rate or index. The use of derivatives presents risks different from, and possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in traditional securities. Changes in the value of a derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying security, asset, rate or index. Gains or losses in a derivative may be magnified and may be much greater than the derivative’s original cost.

 

Swap Agreement Risk. Each Fund expects to use swap agreements as a means to achieve its investment objective. Swap agreements are generally traded in OTC markets and have only recently become subject to regulation by the CFTC. CFTC rules, however, do not cover all types of swap agreements. Investors, therefore, may not receive the protection of CFTC regulation or the statutory scheme of the Commodity Exchange Act in connection with the Funds’ swap agreements. The lack of regulation in these markets could expose investors to significant losses under certain circumstances, including in the event of trading abuses or financial failure by participants. Unlike in futures contracts, the counterparty to uncleared OTC swap agreements is generally a single bank or other financial institution, rather than a clearing organization backed by a group of financial institutions. As a result, the Fund is subject to increased counterparty risk with respect to the amount they expect to receive from counterparties to uncleared swaps. If a counterparty becomes bankrupt or otherwise fails to perform its obligations due to financial difficulties, the Fund could suffer significant losses on these contracts and the value of an investor’s investment in a Fund may decline. OTC swaps of the type that may be utilized by each Fund are less liquid than futures contracts because they are not traded on an exchange, do not have uniform terms and conditions, and are generally entered into based upon the creditworthiness of the parties and the availability of credit support, such as collateral, and in general, are not transferable without the consent of the counterparty. Swaps are also subject to the risk of imperfect correlation between the value of the reference asset underlying the swap and the swap. Leverage inherent in derivatives will tend to magnify a Fund’s gains and losses. Moreover, with respect to the use of swap agreements, if a Reference ETF has a dramatic intraday move that causes a material decline in a Fund’s net assets, the terms of a swap agreement between a Fund and its counterparty may permit the counterparty to immediately close out the transaction with the Fund. In that event, each Fund may be unable to enter into another swap agreement or invest in other derivatives to achieve the desired exposure consistent with each Fund’s investment objective. This, in turn, may prevent the Fund from achieving its investment objective, even if a Reference ETF reverses all or a portion of its intraday move by the end of the day. As a result, the value of an investment in each Fund may change quickly and without warning.

 

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Counterparty Risk. Investing in derivatives involves entering into contracts with third parties (i.e., counterparties). The use of derivatives involves risks that are different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. Each Fund will be subject to credit risk (i.e., the risk that a counterparty is or is perceived to be unwilling or unable to make timely payments or otherwise meet its contractual obligations) with respect to the amount it expects to receive from counterparties to derivatives entered into by a Fund. If a counterparty becomes bankrupt or fails to perform its obligations, or if any collateral posted by the counterparty for the benefit of a Fund is insufficient or there are delays in a Fund’s ability to access such collateral, the value of an investment in each Fund may decline.

 

Volatility Risk. Volatility is the characteristic of a security or other asset, an index or a market to fluctuate significantly in price within a short time period. The value of each Fund’s investments in swaps – and therefore the value of an investment in a Fund – could decline significantly and without warning, including to zero. If you are not prepared to accept significant and unexpected changes in the value of the Fund and the possibility that you could lose your entire investment in the Fund, you should not invest in the Fund.

 

Leverage Risk. Leverage increases the risk of a total loss of an investor’s investment, may increase the volatility of a Fund, and may magnify any differences between the performance of a Fund and the Reference ETFs. Because each Fund includes a multiplier of two times (2x or -2X) each Reference ETF, a single day movement in a Reference ETF approaching 50% at any point in the day could result in the total loss of an investor’s investment if that movement is contrary to the investment objective of each Fund, even if a Reference ETF subsequently move in an opposite direction, eliminating all or a portion of the earlier movement. This would be the case with any such single day movements in a Reference ETF, even if the Reference ETF maintain a level greater than zero at all times.

 

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Although the Reference ETFs will not borrow funds for trading, each Fund should be considered highly leveraged. Leverage embedded in the swap agreements may result in a Fund holding positions whose face or notional value may be many times the Fund’s NAV. Losses incurred on leveraged investments increase in direct proportion to the degree of leverage employed. Furthermore, derivative instruments such as swaps are highly volatile and are subject to occasional rapid and substantial fluctuations. Volatility is a statistical measurement of the variation of returns of a security or fund or index over time. Higher volatility generally indicates higher risk.

 

Shorting Risk (Tuttle Capital 2X Inverse All Innovation ETF only). The Fund may engage in short sales. Short sales are transactions in which the Fund borrows securities from a broker and sells the borrowed securities. The Fund is obligated to replace the security borrowed by purchasing the security at the market price at the time of replacement. If the market price of the underlying security goes down between the time the Fund sells the security and buys it back, the Fund will realize a gain on the transaction. Conversely, if the underlying security goes up in price during the period, the Fund will realize a loss on the transaction. Any such loss is increased by the amount of premium or interest the Fund must pay to the lender of the security. Likewise, any gain will be decreased by the amount of premium or interest the Fund must pay to the lender of the security. The Fund’s investment performance may also suffer if the Fund is required to close out a short position earlier than it had intended. This would occur if the securities lender required the Fund to deliver the securities the Fund borrowed at the commencement of the short sale and the Fund was unable to borrow the securities from another securities lender or otherwise obtain the security by other means. In addition, the Fund may be subject to expenses related to short sales that are not typically associated with investing in securities directly, such as costs of borrowing and margin account maintenance costs associated with the Fund’s open short positions. As the holder of a short position, the Fund also is responsible for paying the dividends and interest accruing on the short position, which is an expense to the Fund that could cause the Fund to lose money on the short sale and may adversely affect its performance.

 

The Fund will typically obtain inverse or “short” exposure through the use of derivatives such as swap agreements, which may expose the Fund to certain risks such as an increase in volatility or decrease in the liquidity of the securities or financial instruments of the underlying short position. If the Fund were to experience this volatility or decreased liquidity, the Fund’s return may be lower, the Fund’s ability to obtain inverse exposure through the use of derivatives may be limited or the Fund may be required to obtain inverse exposure through alternative investment strategies that may be less desirable or more costly to implement. If the securities or financial instruments underlying the short positions are thinly traded or have a limited market due to various factors, including regulatory action, the Fund may be unable to meet its investment objective due to a lack of available securities, financial instruments or counterparties. The Fund may not be able to issue additional Creation Units during period when it cannot meet its investment objective due to these factors. Any income, dividends or payments by the assets underlying the Fund’s short positions will negatively impact the Fund.

 

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Compounding Risk. Each Fund has a single day investment objective, and each Fund’s performance for any other period is the result of its return for each day compounded over the period. The performance of the Fund for periods longer than a single day will very likely differ in amount, and possibly even direction, from 200% or -200% of the daily return of their Reference ETFs for the same period, before accounting for fees and expenses. Compounding affects all investments, but has a more significant impact on a leveraged fund. This effect becomes more pronounced as a Reference ETF’s volatility and holding periods increase. Each Fund’s performance for a period longer than a single day can be estimated given any set of assumptions for the following factors: (a) the Reference ETF’s volatility; (b) the Reference ETFs performance; (c) period of time; (d) financing rates associated with leveraged exposure; and (e) other Fund expenses. The Reference ETF’s volatility and performance are the two factors which have the most significant effect on Fund performance.

 

Total Loss Risk. Because each Fund utilizes leverage in seeking to achieve its investment objective, it will lose more money in market environments adverse to its daily investment objective than funds that do not employ leverage. The use of leveraged positions increases risk and could result in the total loss of an investor’s investment within a single day. Each Fund’s investments in leveraged positions generally requires a small investment relative to the amount of investment exposure assumed. As a result, such investments may give rise to losses that far exceed the amount invested in those instruments.

 

Correlation Risk (Tuttle Capital 2X All Innovation ETF only). A number of factors may affect the Fund’s ability to achieve a high degree of correlation with the Reference ETFs, and there is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve a high degree of correlation. Failure to achieve a high degree of correlation may prevent the Fund from achieving its investment objective, and the percentage change of the Fund’s NAV each day may differ, perhaps significantly in amount, and possibly even direction, from 200% of the percentage change of the Reference ETFs on such day.

 

In order to achieve a high degree of correlation with the Reference ETFs, the Fund seeks to rebalance its portfolio daily to keep exposure consistent with its investment objective. Being materially under- or overexposed to a particular Reference ETF may prevent the Funds from achieving a high degree of correlation with the Reference ETF and may expose the Fund to greater leverage risk. Market disruptions or closure, regulatory restrictions, market volatility, illiquidity in the markets for the financial instruments in which the Fund invests, and other factors will adversely affect the Fund’s ability to adjust exposure to requisite levels. The target amount of portfolio exposure is impacted dynamically by the Reference ETF’s movements, including intraday movements. Because of this, it is unlikely that the Fund will have perfect 200% exposure during the day or at the end of each day and the likelihood of being materially under- or overexposed is higher on days when a particular Reference ETF is volatile, particularly when the Reference ETF is volatile at or near the close of the trading day.

 

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A number of other factors may also adversely affect the Fund’s correlation with the Reference ETFs, including fees, expenses, transaction costs, financing costs associated with the use of derivatives, income items, valuation methodology, accounting standards and disruptions or illiquidity in the markets for the securities or financial instruments in which the Fund invests. The Fund may take or refrain from taking positions in order to improve tax efficiency, comply with regulatory restrictions, or for other reasons, each of which may negatively affect the Fund’s correlation with the Reference ETFs. The Fund may also be subject to large movements of assets into and out of the Fund, potentially resulting in the Fund being under- or overexposed to the Reference ETFs. Additionally, the Fund’s underlying investments and/or reference assets may trade on markets that may not be open on the same day as the Fund, which may cause a difference between the changes in the daily performance of the Fund and changes in the level of the Reference ETFs. Any of these factors could decrease correlation between the performance of the Fund and the Reference ETFs and may hinder the Fund’s ability to meet its daily investment objective on or around that day.

 

Inverse Correlation Risk (Tuttle Capital 2X Inverse All Innovation ETF only). A number of factors may affect the Fund’s ability to achieve a high degree of inverse correlation with the Reference ETFs, and there is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve a high degree of inverse correlation. Failure to achieve a high degree of inverse correlation may prevent the Fund from achieving its daily inverse investment objective, and the percentage change of the Fund’s NAV each day may differ, perhaps significantly in amount, and possibly even direction, from -200% of the percentage change of the Reference ETFs on such day.

 

In order to achieve a high degree of inverse correlation with the Reference ETFs, the Fund seeks to rebalance its portfolio daily to keep exposure consistent with its inverse investment objective. Being materially under- or overexposed to a particular Reference ETF may prevent the Fund from achieving a high degree of inverse correlation with the Reference ETF and may expose the Fund to greater leverage risk. Market disruptions or closure, regulatory restrictions, market volatility, illiquidity in the markets for the financial instruments in which the Fund invests, and other factors will adversely affect the Fund’s ability to adjust exposure to requisite levels. The target amount of portfolio exposure is impacted dynamically by the Reference ETF’s movements, including intraday movements. Because of this, it is unlikely that the Fund will have perfect -200% exposure during the day or at the end of each day and the likelihood of being materially under- or overexposed is higher on days when a particular Reference ETF is volatile, particularly when the Reference ETF is volatile at or near the close of the trading day.

 

A number of other factors may also adversely affect the Fund’s inverse correlation with the Reference ETFs, including fees, expenses, transaction costs, financing costs associated with the use of derivatives, income items, valuation methodology, accounting standards and disruptions or illiquidity in the markets for the securities or financial instruments in which the Fund invests. The Fund may take or refrain from taking positions in order to improve tax efficiency, comply with regulatory restrictions, or for other reasons, each of which may negatively affect the Fund’s inverse correlation with the Reference ETFs. The Fund may also be subject to large movements of assets into and out of the Fund, potentially resulting in the Fund being under- or overexposed to the Reference ETFs and may be impacted by reconstitutions of the Reference ETFs and the Reference ETFs rebalancing events. Additionally, the Fund’s underlying investments and/or reference assets may trade on markets that may not be open on the same day as the Fund, which may cause a difference between the changes in the daily performance of the Fund and changes in the level of the Reference ETFs. Any of these factors could decrease the inverse correlation between the performance of the Fund and the Reference ETFs and may hinder the Fund’s ability to meet its daily investment objective on or around that day.

 

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Rebalancing Risk. If for any reason a Fund is unable to rebalance all or a portion of its portfolio, or if all or a portion of the portfolio is rebalanced incorrectly, the Fund’s investment exposure may not be consistent with the Fund’s investment objective. In these instances, the Fund may have investment exposure to the Reference ETFs that is significantly greater or less than its stated multiple. As a result, the Fund may be more exposed to leverage risk than if it had been properly rebalanced and may not achieve its investment objective.

 

Collateral Investments Risk. Each Fund’s use of Collateral Investments may include obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies and instrumentalities, including bills, notes and bonds issued by the U.S. Treasury, money market funds and corporate debt securities, such as commercial paper.

 

Some securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies and U.S. Government-sponsored instrumentalities may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the United States, in which case the investor must look principally to the agency or instrumentality issuing or guaranteeing the security for ultimate repayment, and may not be able to assert a claim against the United States itself in the event that the agency or instrumentality does not meet its commitment. The U.S. Government, its agencies and instrumentalities do not guarantee the market value of their securities, and consequently, the value of such securities may fluctuate. Although each Fund may hold securities that carry U.S. Government guarantees, these guarantees do not extend to shares of each Fund.

 

Money market funds are subject to management fees and other expenses. Therefore, investments in money market funds will cause a Fund to bear indirectly a proportional share of the fees and costs of the money market funds in which they invests. At the same time, a Fund will continue to pay their own management fees and expenses with respect to all of its assets, including any portion invested in the shares of the money market fund. It is possible to lose money by investing in money market funds.

 

Corporate debt securities such as commercial paper generally are short-term unsecured promissory notes issued by businesses. Corporate debt may be rated investment-grade or below investment-grade and may carry variable or floating rates of interest. Corporate debt securities carry both credit risk and interest rate risk. Credit risk is the risk that a Fund could lose money if the issuer of a corporate debt security is unable to pay interest or repay principal when it is due. Some corporate debt securities that are rated below investment-grade generally are considered speculative because they present a greater risk of loss, including default, than higher quality debt securities.

 

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Debt Securities Risk and Fixed Income Risk. Investments in debt and fixed income securities, including U.S. Treasuries, or derivatives based on fixed income securities, subject the holder to the credit risk of the issuer and to interest rate risk. Credit risk refers to the possibility that the issuer or other obligor of a security will not be able or willing to make payments of interest and principal when due. Generally, the value of debt securities will change inversely with changes in interest rates. To the extent that interest rates rise, certain underlying obligations may be paid off substantially slower than originally anticipated and the value of those securities may fall sharply. During periods of falling interest rates, the income received by a Fund may decline. If the principal on a debt security is prepaid before expected, the prepayments of principal may have to be reinvested in obligations paying interest at lower rates. Debt securities generally do not trade on a securities exchange making them generally less liquid and more difficult to value than common stock.

 

Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk that the value of the debt securities in the Fund’s portfolio will decline because of rising market interest rates. Interest rate risk is generally lower for shorter term debt securities and higher for longer-term debt securities. The Fund may be subject to a greater risk of rising interest rates than would normally be the case due to the current period of historically low rates and the effect of potential government fiscal policy initiatives and resulting market reaction to those initiatives. Duration is a reasonably accurate measure of a debt security’s price sensitivity to changes in interest rates and a common measure of interest rate risk. Duration measures a debt security’s expected life on a present value basis, taking into account the debt security’s yield, interest payments and final maturity. In general, duration represents the expected percentage change in the value of a security for an immediate 1% change in interest rates. For example, the price of a debt security with a three-year duration would be expected to drop by approximately 3% in response to a 1% increase in interest rates. Therefore, prices of debt securities with shorter durations tend to be less sensitive to interest rate changes than debt securities with longer durations. As the value of a debt security changes over time, so will its duration.

 

Call Risk. Some debt securities may be redeemed, or “called,” at the option of the issuer before their stated maturity date. In general, an issuer will call its debt securities if they can be refinanced by issuing new debt securities which bear a lower interest rate. Each Fund is subject to the possibility that during periods of falling interest rates an issuer will call its high yielding debt securities. Each Fund would then be forced to invest the proceeds at lower interest rates, likely resulting in a decline in each Fund’s income.

 

Credit Risk. An issuer or other obligated party of a debt security or a counterparty in respect of a derivative instrument may be unable or unwilling to satisfy its payments obligations to the Fund when due. In addition, the value of a debt security may decline because of concerns about the issuer’s ability or unwillingness to make such payments. Changes in an issuer’s credit rating or the market’s perception of an issuer’s creditworthiness may also affect the value of a Fund’s investment in that issuer. Securities rated in the four highest categories by the rating agencies are considered investment grade but they may also have some speculative characteristics. Investment grade ratings do not guarantee that bonds will not lose value or default. In addition, the credit quality of securities may be lowered if an issuer’s financial condition changes.

 

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

 

Liquidity Risk. In certain circumstances, such as the disruption of the orderly markets for the financial instruments in which a Fund invests, a Fund might not be able to acquire or dispose of certain holdings quickly or at prices that represent true market value in the judgment of the Adviser. Markets for the financial instruments in which a Fund invest may be disrupted by a number of events, including but not limited to economic crises, health crises, natural disasters, excessive volatility, new legislation, or regulatory changes inside or outside of the U.S. For example, regulation limiting the ability of certain financial institutions to invest in certain financial instruments would likely reduce the liquidity of those instruments. These situations may prevent a Fund from limiting losses, realizing gains or achieving a high leveraged correlation with its underlying ETF. The Reference ETF is subject to liquidity risk primarily due to its investments in derivatives. Investments in derivative instruments involve the risk that a Fund may be unable to sell the derivative instrument or sell it at a reasonable price.

 

ETF Risks. Each Fund is an exchange-traded fund, and, as a result of an ETF’s structure, it is exposed to the following risks:

 

Authorized Participants, Market Makers, and Liquidity Providers Limitation Risk. Each Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as Authorized Participants (“APs”). In addition, there may be a limited number of market makers and/or liquidity providers in the marketplace. To the extent either of the following events occur, shares of a Fund (“Shares”) may trade at a material discount to NAV and possibly face delisting: (i) APs exit the business or otherwise become unable to process creation and/or redemption orders and no other APs step forward to perform these services, or (ii) market makers and/or liquidity providers exit the business or significantly reduce their business activities and no other entities step forward to perform their functions.

 

Cash Redemption Risk. Each Fund’s investment strategy may require it to redeem Shares for cash or to otherwise include cash as part of its redemption proceeds. Each Fund may be required to sell or unwind portfolio investments to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. This may cause a Fund to recognize a capital gain that it might not have recognized if it had made a redemption in-kind. As a result, a Fund may pay out higher annual capital gain distributions than if the in-kind redemption process was used.

 

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Costs of Buying or Selling Shares. Due to the costs of buying or selling Shares, including brokerage commissions imposed by brokers and bid/ask spreads, frequent trading of Shares may significantly reduce investment results and an investment in Shares may not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments.

 

Shares May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV. As with all ETFs, Shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. Although it is expected that the market price of Shares will approximate a Fund’s NAV, there may be times when the market price of Shares is more than the NAV intra-day (premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (discount) due to supply and demand of Shares or during periods of market volatility. This risk is heightened in times of market volatility and volatility in a Fund’s portfolio holdings, periods of steep market declines, and periods when there is limited trading activity for Shares in the secondary market, in which case such premiums or discounts may be significant. If an investor purchases Shares at a time when the market price is at a premium to the NAV of the Shares or sells at a time when the market price is at a discount to the NAV of the Shares, then the investor may sustain losses that are in addition to any losses caused by a decrease in NAV.

 

Trading. Although Shares are listed for trading on a national securities exchange, and may be traded on other U.S. exchanges, there can be no assurance that Shares will trade with any volume, or at all, on any stock exchange. In stressed market conditions, the liquidity of Shares may begin to mirror the liquidity of a Fund’s underlying portfolio holdings, which can be significantly less liquid than Fund Shares.

 

Intraday Price Performance Risk. The intraday performance of shares of a Fund traded in the secondary market generally will be different from the performance of a Fund when measured from one NAV calculation-time to the next. When shares are bought intraday, the performance of a Fund’s Shares relative to the Reference ETFs until a Fund’s next NAV calculation time will generally be greater than or less than a Fund’s stated multiple times the performance of the Reference ETF.

 

Market Maker Risk. If each Fund has lower average daily trading volumes, it may rely on a small number of third-party market makers to provide a market for the purchase and sale of Shares. Any trading halt or other problem relating to the trading activity of these market makers could result in a dramatic change in the spread between each Fund’s net asset value and the price at which the Shares are trading on the Exchange, which could result in a decrease in value of the Shares. In addition, decisions by market makers or APs to reduce their role or step away from these activities in times of market stress could inhibit the effectiveness of the arbitrage process in maintaining the relationship between the underlying values of the Fund’s portfolio securities and the Fund’s market price. This reduced effectiveness could result in Shares trading at a discount to net asset value and also in greater than normal intra-day bid-ask spreads for Shares.

 

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

 

Transactions in Cash Risk. Each Fund intends to effect its creations and redemptions primarily for cash, rather than in-kind securities. Paying redemption proceeds in cash rather than through in-kind delivery of portfolio securities may require a Fund to dispose of or sell portfolio investments at an inopportune time to obtain the cash needed to pay redemption proceeds. This may cause a Fund to incur certain costs such as brokerage costs, and to recognize gains or losses that it might not have incurred if it had paid redemption proceeds in-kind. As a result, a Fund may pay out higher or lower annual capital gains distributions than ETFs that redeem in-kind. In addition, the costs imposed on a Fund will decrease the Fund’s NAV unless the costs are offset by a transaction fee payable by an authorized participant.

 

Portfolio Turnover Risk. Each Fund may incur high portfolio turnover to manage the Fund’s investment exposure. Additionally, active market trading of a Fund’s Shares may cause more frequent creation or redemption activities that could, in certain circumstances, increase the number of portfolio transactions. High levels of portfolio transactions increase brokerage and other transaction costs and may result in increased taxable capital gains. Each of these factors could have a negative impact on the performance of the Fund.

 

New Fund Risk. As of the date of this prospectus, each Fund has no operating history and currently have fewer assets than larger funds. Like other new funds, large inflows and outflows may impact a Fund’s market exposure for limited periods of time. This impact may be positive or negative, depending on the direction of market movement during the period affected.

 

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Investment Risks of the Reference ETFs

 

The risks with respect to the investment strategies of the Reference ETFs are as follows:

 

Blockchain Investments Risk.    The ARK Next Generation Internet ETF and the ARK Fintech Innovation ETF may invest in companies that actively engage in blockchain technology. An investment in companies actively engaged in blockchain technology may be subject to the following risks:

 

The technology is new and many of its uses may be untested.  The mechanics of using distributed ledger technology to transact in other types of assets, such as securities or derivatives, is relatively new and untested. There is no assurance that widespread adoption will occur. A lack of expansion in the usage of blockchain technology could adversely affect an investment in the Reference ETF . A breach to one blockchain could cause investors, and the public generally, to lose trust in blockchain technology and increase reluctance to issue and invest in assets recorded on blockchains. Furthermore, blockchain technology is subject to a rapidly-evolving regulatory landscape in the United States and in other countries, which might include security, privacy or other regulatory concerns that could require changes to blockchain networks.

 

Theft, loss or destruction.  Transacting on a blockchain depends in part specifically on the use of cryptographic keys that are required to access a user’s account (or “wallet”). The theft, loss or destruction of these keys impairs the value of ownership claims users have over the relevant assets being represented by the ledger (whether “smart contracts,” securities, currency or other digital assets). The theft, loss or destruction of private or public keys needed to transact on a blockchain could also adversely affect a company’s business or operations if it were dependent on the ledger.

 

Competing platforms and technologies.  The development and acceptance of competing platforms or technologies may cause consumers or investors to use an alternative to blockchains.

 

Cyber security incidents.  Cyber security incidents may compromise an issuer, its operations or its business. Cyber security incidents may also specifically target a user’s transaction history, digital assets, or identity, thereby leading to privacy concerns. In addition, certain features of blockchain technology, such as decentralization, open source protocol, and reliance on peer-to-peer connectivity, may increase the risk of fraud or cyber-attack by potentially reducing the likelihood of a coordinated response.

 

Developmental risk.  Blockchain technology may never develop optimized transactional processes that lead to realized economic returns for any company in which the Reference ETF invests. Companies that are developing applications of blockchain technology applications may not in fact do so or may not be able to capitalize on those blockchain technologies. The development of new or competing platforms may cause consumers and investors to use alternatives to blockchains.

 

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Intellectual property claims.  A proliferation of recent startups attempting to apply blockchain technology in different contexts means the possibility of conflicting intellectual property claims could be a risk to an issuer, its operations or its business. This could also pose a risk to blockchain platforms that permit transactions in digital securities. Regardless of the merit of any intellectual property or other legal action, any threatened action that reduces confidence in the viability of blockchain may adversely affect an investment in the Reference ETF .

 

Lack of liquid markets, and possible manipulation of blockchain-based assets.  Digital assets that are represented and trade on a blockchain may not necessarily benefit from viable trading markets. Stock exchanges have listing requirements and vet issuers, and perhaps users. These conditions may not necessarily be replicated on a blockchain, depending on the platform’s controls and other policies. The more lenient a blockchain is about vetting issuers of digital assets or users that transact on the platform, the higher the potential risk for fraud or the manipulation of digital assets. These factors may decrease liquidity or volume, or increase volatility of digital securities or other assets trading on a blockchain.

 

Lack of regulation.  Digital commodities and their associated platforms are largely unregulated, and the regulatory environment is rapidly evolving. Because blockchain works by having every transaction build on every other transaction, participants can self-police any corruption, which can mitigate the need to depend on the current level of legal or government safeguards to monitor and control the flow of business transactions. As a result, companies engaged in such blockchain activities may be exposed to adverse regulatory action, fraudulent activity or even failure.

 

Third party product defects or vulnerabilities.  Where blockchain systems are built using third party products, those products may contain technical defects or vulnerabilities beyond a company’s control. Open-source technologies that are used to build a blockchain application may also introduce defects and vulnerabilities.

 

Reliance on the Internet.  Blockchain functionality relies on the Internet. A significant disruption of Internet connectivity affecting large numbers of users or geographic areas could impede the functionality of blockchain technologies and adversely affect the Reference ETF. In addition, certain features of blockchain technology, such as decentralization, open source protocol, and reliance on peer-to-peer connectivity, may increase the risk of fraud or cyber-attack by potentially reducing the likelihood of a coordinated response.

 

Line of business risk.  Some of the companies in which the Reference ETF may invest are engaged in other lines of business unrelated to blockchain and these lines of business could adversely affect their operating results. The operating results of these companies may fluctuate as a result of these additional risks and events in the other lines of business. In addition, a company’s ability to engage in new activities may expose it to business risks with which it has less experience than it has with the business risks associated with its traditional businesses. Despite a company’s possible success in activities linked to its use of blockchain, there can be no assurance that the other lines of business in which these companies are engaged will not have an adverse effect on a company’s business or financial condition.

 

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Communications Sector Risk.    The ARK Innovation ETF, ARK Next Generation Internet ETF and the ARK Fintech Innovation ETF will be more affected by the performance of the communications sector than a fund with less exposure to such sector. Communication companies are particularly vulnerable to the potential obsolescence of products and services due to technological advancement and the innovation of competitors. Companies in the communications sector may also be affected by other competitive pressures, such as pricing competition, as well as research and development costs, substantial capital requirements and government regulation. Additionally, fluctuating domestic and international demand, shifting demographics and often unpredictable changes in consumer tastes can drastically affect a communication company’s profitability. While all companies may be susceptible to network security breaches, certain companies in the communications sector may be particular targets of hacking and potential theft of proprietary or consumer information or disruptions in service, which could have a material adverse effect on their businesses.

 

Concentration Risk.    The ARK Next Generation Internet ETF, the ARK Fintech Innovation ETF the ARK Genomic Revolution ETF and the ARK Autonomous Technology and Robotics ETF’s assets will be concentrated in securities of issuers having their principal business activities in a sector or sectors or an industry or group of industries. To the extent that the Reference ETF continues to be concentrated in a sector or sectors or in an industry or group of industries, it will be subject to the risk that economic, political or other conditions that have a negative effect on that sector or sectors or industry or group of industries will negatively impact them to a greater extent than if their assets were invested in a wider variety of sectors or industries.

 

Consumer Discretionary Risk.    The ARK Innovation ETF, the ARK Next Generation Internet ETF and the ARK Autonomous Technology and Robotics ETF may invest in companies in the consumer discretionary sector. The consumer discretionary sector may be affected by changes in domestic and international economies, exchange and interest rates, competition, consumers’ disposable income and consumer preferences, social trends and marketing campaigns.

 

Cryptocurrency Risk.   The ARK Innovation ETF and the ARK Next Generation Internet ETF may invest in cryptocurrency. Cryptocurrencies (also referred to as “virtual currencies” and “digital currencies”) are digital assets designed to act as a medium of exchange. Cryptocurrency is an emerging asset class. There are thousands of cryptocurrencies, the most well-known of which is bitcoin. The Reference ETFs may have exposure to bitcoin indirectly through an investment in the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (“GBTC”), a privately offered, open-end investment vehicle that invests in bitcoin, or other pooled investment vehicles that invest in bitcoin, such as exchange-traded funds that are domiciled and listed for trading in Canada (“Canadian Bitcoin ETFs”).

 

Cryptocurrency generally operates without central authority (such as a bank) and is not backed by any government, corporation, or other entity. Cryptocurrency is not generally accepted as legal tender. Regulation of cryptocurrency is still developing. Federal, state and/or foreign governments may restrict the development, use, or exchange of cryptocurrency.

 

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The market price of bitcoin has been subject to extreme fluctuations. The price of bitcoin could fall sharply (potentially to zero) for various reasons, including, but not limited to, regulatory changes, issues impacting the bitcoin network, events involving entities that facilitate transactions in bitcoin, or changes in user preferences in favor of alternative cryptocurrencies. Furthermore, events that impact one cryptocurrency may lead to a decline in the value of other cryptocurrencies, including bitcoin.

 

Cryptocurrency exchanges and other trading venues on which cryptocurrencies trade are relatively new and, in most cases, largely unregulated. Therefore, cryptocurrency exchanges may be more exposed to fraud and failure than established, regulated exchanges for securities, derivatives and other currencies. Cryptocurrency exchanges may not have the same features as traditional exchanges to enhance the stability of trading on the exchange, such as measures designed to prevent sudden price swings such as “flash crashes.” As a result, the prices of cryptocurrencies on exchanges may be subject to more volatility than traditional assets traded on regulated exchanges. Cryptocurrency exchanges are also subject to cyber security risks. Cryptocurrency exchanges have experienced cyber security breaches in the past and may be breached in the future, which could result in the theft and/or loss of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies and impact the value of bitcoin. Furthermore, cyber security events, legal or regulatory actions, fraud, and technical glitches, may cause a cryptocurrency exchange to shut down temporarily or permanently, which may also affect the value of bitcoin.

 

The Reference ETF’s investments in GBTC or Canadian Bitcoin ETFs expose it to all of the risks related to cryptocurrencies described above and also expose the Reference ETF to risks related to GBTC and the Canadian Bitcoin ETF directly. Shares of GBTC may trade at a significant premium or discount to NAV. To the extent GBTC trades at a discount to NAV, the value of the Reference ETF’s investment in GBTC would typically decrease. Similar to fiat currencies (i.e., a currency that is backed by a central bank or a national, supra-national or quasi-national organization), cryptocurrencies, including bitcoin, are susceptible to theft, loss and destruction. If GBTC or a Canadian Bitcoin ETF experience theft, loss, or destruction of its bitcoin holdings, the Reference ETF’s investments in GBTC or the Canadian Bitcoin ETF could be harmed. Furthermore, because there is no guarantee that an active trading market for GBTC will exist at any time, the Reference ETF’s investments in GBTC may also be subject to liquidity risk, which can impair the value of the Reference ETF’s investments in GBTC. Investors may experience losses if the value of the Reference ETF’s investments in GBTC or Canadian Bitcoin ETF decline.

 

Cryptocurrency Tax Risk.    Many significant aspects of the U.S. federal income tax treatment of investments in bitcoin are uncertain and an investment in bitcoin may produce income that is not treated as qualifying income for purposes of the income test applicable to regulated investment companies. GBTC is expected to be treated as a grantor trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and an investment by the Reference ETF in GBTC will generally be treated as a direct investment in bitcoin for such purposes. See “Taxes” in the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information for more information.

 

Currency Risk.    Changes in currency exchange rates will affect the value of non-U.S. dollar denominated securities, the value of dividends and interest earned from such securities, gains and losses realized on the sale of such securities, and derivative transactions tied to such securities.

 

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Foreign currency exchange rates may fluctuate significantly. They are determined by supply and demand in the foreign exchange markets, the relative merits of investments in different countries, actual or perceived changes in interest rates, and other complex factors. Currency exchange rates also can be affected unpredictably by intervention (or the failure to intervene) by U.S. or foreign governments or central banks or by currency controls or political developments. A strong U.S. dollar relative to other currencies will adversely affect the value of a Fund’s investments denominated in those other currencies.

 

Depositary Receipts Risk.  The Reference ETFs may invest in depositary receipts. Depositary receipts generally involve similar risks to those associated with investments in foreign securities. Depositary receipts are securities that are typically issued by a bank or trust company that evidence ownership of underlying securities issued by a foreign corporation and entitle the holder to all dividends and capital gains that are paid out on the underlying foreign securities. The issuers of certain depositary receipts are under no obligation to distribute shareholder communications to the holders of such receipts, or to pass through to them any voting rights with respect to the deposited securities. Investments in depositary receipts may be less liquid than the underlying shares in their primary trading market. Depositary receipts may not necessarily be denominated in the same currency as the underlying securities into which they may be converted. In addition, the issuers of the stock underlying unsponsored depositary receipts are not obligated to disclose material information in the United States. The issuers of depositary receipts may discontinue issuing new depositary receipts and withdraw existing depositary receipts at any time, which may result in costs and delays in the distribution of the underlying assets to the Reference ETF and may negatively impact the Reference ETF’s performance.

 

Disruptive Innovation Risk.    Companies that the Reference ETFs’ adviser believes are capitalizing on disruptive innovation and developing technologies to displace older technologies or create new markets may not in fact do so. Companies that initially develop a novel technology may not be able to capitalize on the technology. Companies that develop disruptive technologies may face political or legal attacks from competitors, industry groups or local and national governments. These companies may also be exposed to risks applicable to sectors other than the disruptive innovation theme for which they are chosen, and the securities issued by these companies may underperform the securities of other companies that are primarily focused on a particular theme. The Reference ETFs may invest in a company that does not currently derive any revenue from disruptive innovations or technologies, and there is no assurance that a company will derive any revenue from disruptive innovations or technologies in the future. A disruptive innovation or technology may constitute a small portion of a company’s overall business. As a result, the success of a disruptive innovation or technology may not affect the value of the equity securities issued by the company.

 

Emerging Market Securities Risk.    Investment in securities (including depositary receipts) of emerging market issuers may present risks that are greater than or different from those associated with foreign securities due to less developed and liquid markets and such factors as increased social, economic, political, regulatory, or other uncertainties. These risks include: smaller market capitalization of and less liquidity in securities markets, significant price volatility, restrictions on foreign investment and repatriation, greater social, economic and political uncertainty and instability, civil conflicts and war, more substantial governmental involvement in the economy, less governmental supervision and regulation, sanctions or other measures by the United States or other governments, higher transaction costs, unavailability of currency hedging techniques, less stringent investor protection standards, differences in accounting, auditing, financial reporting and recordkeeping standards, which may result in unavailability of material information about issuers and less developed legal systems. In addition, a Reference ETF is limited in its ability to exercise its legal rights or enforce a counterparty’s legal obligations in certain jurisdictions outside of the United States, in particular, in emerging markets countries. In certain markets where securities and other instruments are not traded “delivery versus payment,” the Reference ETF may not receive timely payment for securities or other instruments it has delivered or receive delivery of securities paid for and may be subject to increased risk that the counterparty will fail to make payments or delivery when due or default completely. In addition, emerging markets may be particularly sensitive to future economic or political crises, which could lead to or exacerbate existing price controls, forced mergers, expropriation or confiscatory taxation, seizure, nationalization or creation of government monopolies. Emerging market currencies may experience significant declines against the U.S. dollar. Inflation and rapid fluctuations in inflation rates have had, and may continue to have, negative effects on the economies and securities markets of certain emerging market countries. In addition, emerging securities markets may have different clearance and settlement procedures, which may be unable to keep pace with the volume of securities transactions or otherwise make it difficult to engage in such transactions. Settlement problems may cause the Reference ETF to miss attractive investment opportunities, hold a portion of its assets in cash pending investment, or be delayed in disposing of a portfolio security. Such a delay could result in possible liability to a purchaser of the security. Events and evolving conditions in certain economies or markets may alter the risks associated with investments tied to countries or regions that historically were perceived as comparatively stable becoming riskier and more volatile. These risks are magnified in emerging markets.

 

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Equity Securities Risk.    The value of the equity securities that the Reference ETFs hold will fall due to general market and economic conditions, perceptions regarding the industries in which the issuers of such securities participate or factors relating to specific companies in which the Reference ETFs invest. An unfavorable earnings report or a failure to make anticipated dividend payments by an issuer whose securities are held by the Reference ETFs may affect the value of the Reference ETF’s investment. Equity securities may also be particularly sensitive to general movements in the stock market, and a decline in the broader market may affect the value of the Reference ETF’s equity investments.

 

Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs).  The Reference ETFs may invest in stocks of, warrants to purchase stock of, and other interests in SPACs or similar special purposes entities. A SPAC is a publicly traded company that raises investment capital for the purpose of acquiring or merging with an existing company. Because SPACs and similar entities are so-called “blank check companies” and do not have any operating history or ongoing business other than seeking acquisitions, the value of their securities is particularly dependent on the ability of the SPAC’s management to identify a merger target and complete an acquisition. An investment in a SPAC or similar entity is subject to a variety of risks, including that (i) a significant portion of the monies raised by the SPAC for the purpose of identifying and effecting an acquisition or merger may be expended during the search for a target transaction; (ii) an attractive acquisition or merger target may not be identified at all and the SPAC will be required to return any remaining monies to shareholders; (iii) any proposed merger or acquisition may be unable to obtain the requisite approval, if any, of SPAC shareholders; (iv) an acquisition or merger once effected may prove unsuccessful and an investment in the SPAC may lose value; (v) the warrants or other rights with respect to the SPAC held by the Reference ETF may expire worthless or may be repurchased or retired by the SPAC at an unfavorable price; (vi) the Reference ETF may be delayed in receiving any redemption or liquidation proceeds from a SPAC to which it is entitled; (vii) an investment in an SPAC may be diluted by additional later offerings of interests in the SPAC or by other investors exercising existing rights to purchase shares of the SPAC; (viii) no or only a thinly traded market for shares of or interests in an SPAC may develop, leaving a Fund unable to sell its interest in an SPAC or to sell its interest only at a price below what the Fund believes is the SPAC interest’s intrinsic value; and (ix) the values of investments in SPACs may be highly volatile and may depreciate significantly over time. Until an acquisition or merger is completed, a SPAC generally invests its assets, less a portion retained to cover expenses, in U.S. government securities, money market securities and cash and does not typically pay dividends in respect of its common stock. As a result, it is possible that an investment in a SPAC may lose value.

 

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Financial Sector Risk.   The ARK Fintech Innovation ETF may invest in companies in the financial sector. The factors that impact the financial sector will likely have a greater effect on the Reference ETF than on a fund with less exposure to such sector. Companies in the financial sector are especially subject to the adverse effects of economic recession, decreases in the availability of capital, volatile interest rates, portfolio concentrations in geographic markets and in commercial and residential real estate loans, and competition from new entrants in their fields of business. These industries are still extensively regulated at both the federal and state level and may be adversely affected by increased regulations.

 

Financial Technology Risk. The ARK Innovation ETF, ARK Next Generation Internet ETF and the ARK Fintech Innovation ETF may invest in financial technology companies.   Companies that are developing financial technologies that seek to disrupt or displace established financial institutions generally face competition from much larger and more established firms. Fintech Innovation Companies may not be able to capitalize on their disruptive technologies if they face political and/or legal attacks from competitors, industry groups or local and national governments. Laws generally vary by country, creating some challenges to achieving scale. A Fintech Innovation Company may not currently derive any revenue, and there is no assurance that such company will derive any revenue from innovative technologies in the future. Additionally, Fintech Innovation Companies may be adversely impacted by potential rapid product obsolescence, cybersecurity attacks, increased regulatory oversight and disruptions in the technology they depend on.

 

Foreign Securities Risk.   The Reference ETFs investment in the securities of foreign issuers involves risks beyond those associated with investments in U.S. securities. These additional risks include greater market volatility, the availability of less reliable financial information, higher transactional and custody costs, taxation by foreign governments, decreased market liquidity and political instability. Because many foreign securities markets may be limited in size, the prices of securities that trade in such markets may be influenced by large traders. Certain foreign markets that have historically been considered relatively stable may become volatile in response to changed conditions or new developments. Increased interconnectivity of world economies and financial markets increases the possibility that adverse developments and conditions in one country or region will affect the stability of economies and financial markets in other countries or regions. Foreign issuers are often subject to less stringent requirements regarding accounting, auditing, financial reporting and record keeping than are U.S. issuers, and therefore, not all material information may be available or reliable. Securities exchanges or foreign governments may adopt rules or regulations that may negatively impact a Fund’s ability to invest in foreign securities or may prevent the Fund from repatriating its investments. In addition, a Fund may not receive shareholder communications or be permitted to vote the securities that it holds, as the issuers may be under no legal obligation to distribute shareholder communications.

 

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Certain issuers located in foreign countries in which the Reference ETFs may invest may operate in, or have dealings with, countries subject to sanctions and/or embargoes imposed by the U.S. Government and the United Nations and/or countries identified by the U.S. Government as state sponsors of terrorism. As a result, an issuer may sustain damage to its reputation if it is identified as an issuer which operates in, or has dealings with, such countries. The Reference ETFs, as an investor in such issuers, will be indirectly subject to those risks. The type and severity of sanctions and other similar measures, including counter sanctions and other retaliatory actions, that may be imposed could vary broadly in scope, and their impact is impossible to predict. These types of measures may include, but are not limited to, banning a sanctioned country from global payment systems that facilitate cross-border payments, restricting the settlement of securities transactions by certain investors, and freezing the assets of particular countries, entities, or persons. The imposition of sanctions and other similar measures could, among other things, cause a decline in the value and/or liquidity of securities issued by the sanctioned country or companies located in or economically tied to the sanctioned country, downgrades in the credit ratings of the sanctioned country or companies located in or economically tied to the sanctioned country, devaluation of the sanctioned country’s currency, and increased market volatility and disruption in the sanctioned country and throughout the world. Sanctions and other similar measures could limit or prevent the Reference ETFs from buying and selling securities (in the sanctioned country and other markets), significantly delay or prevent the settlement of securities transactions, and significantly impact the Reference ETF’s liquidity and performance.

 

Securities registration, custody, and settlement may in some instances be subject to delays and legal and administrative uncertainties. Foreign investment in the securities markets of certain foreign countries is restricted or controlled to varying degrees. These restrictions or controls may at times limit or preclude investment in certain securities and may increase the costs and expenses of the Reference ETF. Because of these restrictions, a Reference ETF may invest in entities that provide economic exposure to specific foreign issuers through contractual arrangements, but do not provide the entities or the Reference ETFs with ownership interests in those foreign issuers. Changes in law or regulation could significantly harm the value of a Reference ETF’s investments in such entities. In addition, the repatriation of investment income, capital or the proceeds of sales of securities from certain of the countries is controlled under regulations, including in some cases the need for certain advance government notification or authority, and if a deterioration occurs in a country’s balance of payments, the country could impose temporary restrictions on foreign capital remittances. The Reference ETFs also could be adversely affected by delays in, or a refusal to grant, any required governmental approval for repatriation, as well as by the application to it of other restrictions on investment.

 

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Future Expected Genomic Business Risk.    The ARK Innovation ETF and the ARK Genomic Revolution ETF may invest in Genomics Revolution Companies that do not currently derive a substantial portion of their current revenues from genomic-focused businesses and there is no assurance that any company will do so in the future, which may adversely affect the ability of the Reference ETFs to achieve its investment objective.

 

Health Care Sector Risk.  The ARK Innovation ETF and the ARK Genomic Revolution ETF may invest in companies in the health care sector.  The profitability of companies in the health care sector may be affected by extensive government regulations, restrictions on government reimbursement for medical expenses, rising costs of medical products and services, pricing pressure, an increased emphasis on outpatient services, limited number of products, product obsolescence due to industry innovation, changes in technologies and other market developments. A major source of revenue for certain companies in the health care sector is payments from the Medicare and Medicaid programs. As a result, such companies are sensitive to legislative changes and reductions in governmental spending for such programs. Failure of health care companies to comply with applicable laws and regulations can result in the imposition of civil and/or criminal fines, penalties and, in some instances, exclusion of participation in government sponsored programs such as Medicare and Medicaid. State or local health care reform measures may also adversely affect health care companies. Health care companies will continue to be affected by the efforts of governments and third-party payors to contain or reduce health care costs. Many health care companies are heavily dependent on patent protection. The expiration of patents may adversely affect the profitability of these companies. Many health care companies are subject to extensive litigation based on product liability and similar claims. Health care companies are subject to competitive forces that may make it difficult to raise prices and, in fact, may result in price discounting. Many new products in the health care sector may be subject to regulatory approvals. The process of obtaining such approvals may be long and costly, and delays or failure to receive such approvals may negatively impact the business of such companies. Companies in the health care sector may be thinly capitalized.

 

Biotechnology Company Risk.  A biotechnology company’s valuation can often be based largely on the potential or actual performance of a limited number of products and can accordingly be greatly affected if one of its products proves, among other things, unsafe, ineffective or unprofitable. Biotechnology companies are subject to regulation by, and the restrictions of, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, state and local governments, and foreign regulatory authorities.

 

Pharmaceutical Company Risk.  Companies in the pharmaceutical industry can be significantly affected by, among other things, government approval of products and services, government regulation and reimbursement rates, product liability claims, patent expirations and protection and intense competition.

 

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Industrials Sector Risk. The ARK Autonomous Technology and Robotics ETF may invest in the industrials sector which includes companies engaged in aerospace and defense, electrical engineering, machinery, and professional services. Companies in the industrials sector may be adversely affected by changes in government regulation, world events and economic conditions. In addition, companies in the industrials sector may be adversely affected by environmental damages, product liability claims and exchange rates.

 

Aerospace and Defense Company Risk. Companies in the aerospace and defense industry rely to a large extent on U.S. (and other) Government demand for their products and services and may be significantly affected by changes in government regulations and spending, as well as economic conditions and industry consolidation.

 

Professional Services Company Risk. Professional services companies may be materially impacted by economic conditions and related fluctuations in client demand for marketing, business, technology and other consulting services. Professional services companies’ success depends in large part on attracting and retaining key employees and a failure to do so could adversely affect a company’s business. There are relatively few barriers to entry into the professional services market, and new competitors could readily seek to compete in one or more market segments, which could adversely affect a professional services company’s operating results through pricing pressure and loss of market share.

 

Information Technology Sector Risk.  Each Reference ETF (except the ARK Genomic Revolution ETF) may invest in companies in the information technology sector.  The information technology sector includes companies engaged in internet software and services, technology hardware and storage peripherals, electronic equipment instruments and components, and semiconductors and semiconductor equipment. Information technology companies face intense competition, both domestically and internationally, which may have an adverse effect on profit margins. Information technology companies may have limited product lines, markets, financial resources or personnel. The products of information technology companies may face rapid product obsolescence due to technological developments and frequent new product introduction, unpredictable changes in growth rates and competition for the services of qualified personnel. Failure to introduce new products, develop and maintain a loyal customer base, or achieve general market acceptance for their products could have a material adverse effect on a company’s business. Companies in the information technology sector are heavily dependent on intellectual property and the loss of patent, copyright and trademark protections may adversely affect the profitability of these companies.

 

Internet Company Risk.  Many Internet-related companies have incurred large losses since their inception and may continue to incur large losses in the hope of capturing market share and generating future revenues. Accordingly, many such companies expect to incur significant operating losses for the foreseeable future, and may never be profitable. The markets in which many Internet companies compete face rapidly evolving industry standards, frequent new service and product announcements, introductions and enhancements, and changing customer demands. The failure of an Internet company to adapt to such changes could have a material adverse effect on the company’s business. Additionally, the widespread adoption of new Internet, networking, telecommunications technologies, or other technological changes could require substantial expenditures by an Internet company to modify or adapt its services or infrastructure, which could have a material adverse effect on an Internet company’s business.

 

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Semiconductor Company Risk.  Competitive pressures may have a significant effect on the financial condition of semiconductor companies and, as product cycles shorten and manufacturing capacity increases, these companies may become increasingly subject to aggressive pricing, which hampers profitability. Reduced demand for end-user products, under-utilization of manufacturing capacity, and other factors could adversely impact the operating results of companies in the semiconductor sector. Semiconductor companies typically face high capital costs and may be heavily dependent on intellectual property rights. The semiconductor sector is highly cyclical, which may cause the operating results of many semiconductor companies to vary significantly. The stock prices of companies in the semiconductor sector have been and likely will continue to be extremely volatile.

 

Software Industry Risk.  The software industry can be significantly affected by intense competition, aggressive pricing, technological innovations, and product obsolescence. Companies in the software industry are subject to significant competitive pressures, such as aggressive pricing, new market entrants, competition for market share, short product cycles due to an accelerated rate of technological developments and the potential for limited earnings and/or falling profit margins. These companies also face the risks that new services, equipment or technologies will not be accepted by consumers and businesses or will become rapidly obsolete. These factors can affect the profitability of these companies and, as a result, the value of their securities. Also, patent protection is integral to the success of many companies in this industry, and profitability can be affected materially by, among other things, the cost of obtaining (or failing to obtain) patent approvals, the cost of litigating patent infringement and the loss of patent protection for products (which significantly increases pricing pressures and can materially reduce profitability with respect to such products). In addition, many software companies have limited operating histories. Prices of these companies’ securities historically have been more volatile than other securities, especially over the short term.

 

Internet Companies Risk. The risks described below apply, in particular, to a Reference ETFs investment in Next Generation Internet Companies.

 

Internet Information Provider Company Risk.  The ARK Innovation ETF and the ARK Next Generation Internet ETF may invest in internet information provider companies. Internet information provider companies provide Internet navigation services and reference guide information and publish, provide or present proprietary advertising and/or third party content. Such companies often derive a large portion of their revenues from advertising, and a reduction in spending by or loss of advertisers could seriously harm their business. This business is rapidly evolving and intensely competitive, and is subject to changing technologies, shifting user needs, and frequent introductions of new products and services. The research and development of new, technologically advanced products is a complex and uncertain process requiring high levels of innovation and investment, as well as the accurate anticipation of technology, market trends and consumer needs. The number of people who access the Internet is increasing dramatically and a failure to attract and retain a substantial number of such users to a company’s products and services or to develop products and technologies that are more compatible with alternative devices, could adversely affect operating results. Concerns regarding a company’s products, services or processes that may compromise the privacy of users or other privacy related matters, even if unfounded, could damage a company’s reputation and adversely affect operating results.

 

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Catalog and Mail Order House Company Risk.  The ARK Innovation ETF and the ARK Next Generation Internet ETF may invest in catalog and mail order house companies. Catalog and mail order house companies may be exposed to significant inventory risks that may adversely affect operating results due to, among other factors: seasonality, new product launches, rapid changes in product cycles and pricing, defective merchandise, changes in consumer demand and consumer spending patterns, or changes in consumer tastes with respect to products. Demand for products can change significantly between the time inventory or components are ordered and the date of sale. The acquisition of certain types of inventory or components may require significant lead-time and prepayment and they may not be returnable. Failure to adequately predict customer demand or otherwise optimize and operate distribution centers could result in excess or insufficient inventory or distribution capacity, result in increased costs, impairment charges, or both. The business of catalog and mail order house companies can be highly seasonal and failure to stock or restock popular products in sufficient amounts during high demand periods could significantly affect revenue and future growth. Increased website traffic during peak periods could cause system interruptions which may reduce the volume of goods sold and the attractiveness of a company’s products and services.

 

International Closed-Market Trading Risk.  Because certain of the Reference ETF’s underlying securities trade on an exchange that is closed when the securities exchange on which the Reference ETF’s Shares list and trade is open, there are likely to be deviations between the current pricing of an underlying security and stale security pricing (i.e., the last quote from its closed foreign market), likely resulting in premiums or discounts to NAV that may be greater than those experienced by ETFs that do not invest in foreign securities.

 

Large-Capitalization Companies Risk. The Reference ETFs may invest in large-capitalization companies. Large-capitalization companies tend to go in and out of favor based on market and economic conditions. Large-capitalization companies generally are less volatile than companies with smaller market capitalizations. In exchange for this potentially lower risk, the value of large capitalization companies may not rise as much as that of smaller-capitalization companies.

 

Micro-Capitalization Companies Risk.  The Reference ETFs may invest in securities of micro-capitalization companies. Micro-capitalization companies are subject to substantially greater risks of loss and price fluctuations because their earnings and revenues tend to be less predictable (and some companies may be experiencing significant losses). Their share prices tend to be more volatile and their markets less liquid than companies with larger market capitalizations. The shares of micro-capitalization companies tend to trade less frequently than those of larger, more established companies, which can adversely affect the pricing of these securities and the future ability to sell these securities. In addition, because these companies are not well-known to the investing public, do not have significant institutional ownership and are followed by relatively few security analysts, there will normally be less publicly available information concerning their securities compared to what is available for the securities of larger companies. Adverse publicity and investor perceptions, regardless of whether the perceptions are based on fundamental analysis, can decrease the value and liquidity of securities held by the Reference ETF.

 

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Small- and Medium-Capitalization Companies Risk. The ARK Next Generation Internet ETF may invest in securities of small- and medium-capitalization companies may invest in small- and medium-capitalization companies and, therefore, will be subject to certain risks associated with small- and medium-capitalization companies. These companies are often subject to less analyst coverage and may be in early and less predictable periods of their corporate existences, with little or no record of profitability. In addition, these companies often have greater price volatility, lower trading volume and less liquidity than larger more established companies. Small- and medium-capitalization companies tend to have smaller revenues, narrower product lines, less management depth and experience, smaller shares of their product or service markets, fewer financial resources and less competitive strength than large-capitalization companies. Returns on investments in securities of small- and medium-capitalization companies could trail the returns on investments in securities of larger capitalization companies.

 

Investment Risks of the Funds and the Reference ETFs

 

Certain investment risks apply to both the Funds and the Reference ETFs as follows:

 

Active Management Risk. Each Fund and the Reference ETFs are actively-managed and their performance reflects investment decisions that the investment adviser makes for the Funds and the Reference ETFs. Such judgments about the Funds’ and the Reference ETFs investments may prove to be incorrect. If the investments selected and the strategies employed by a Fund or the Reference ETF fail to produce the intended results, a Fund or a Reference ETF could underperform as compared to other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies, or could have negative returns.

 

Active Market Risk. Although each Fund’s Shares and shares of the Reference ETF are listed for trading on an exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for a Fund’s Shares or shares of a Reference ETF will develop or be maintained. Shares trade on the Exchange at market prices that may be below, at or above a Fund’s net asset value. Similarly, shares of each Reference ETF also trade on an exchange (either NYSE Arca, Inc. or Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc.) at market prices that may be below, at or above such Reference ETFs net asset value. Securities, including a Fund’s Shares and shares of the Reference ETFs, are subject to market fluctuations and liquidity constraints that may be caused by such factors as economic, political, or regulatory developments, changes in interest rates, and/or perceived trends in securities prices. Shares of each Fund or of a Reference ETF could decline in value or underperform other investments.

 

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Authorized Participant Concentration Risk. Only an AP may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with each Fund. Each Fund and the Reference ETFs have a limited number of institutions that act as APs on an agency basis (i.e. on behalf of other market participants). To the extent that these institutions exit the business or are unable to proceed with creation and/or redemption orders with respect to each Fund or to a Reference ETF and no other AP is able to step forward to create or redeem, in either of these cases, Shares of each Fund or a Reference ETF may trade at a discount to their net asset value and possibly face delisting.

 

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

 

Market Risk. The value of a particular security, or Shares of each Fund in general or shares of the Reference ETFs , may fluctuate rapidly and unpredictably. Securities are subject to market fluctuations caused by such factors as economic, political, regulatory or market developments, changes in interest rates and perceived trends in securities prices. In addition, local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, spread of infectious diseases or other public health issues, recessions, or other events could have a significant negative impact on a Fund and their investments. For example, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) global pandemic and the aggressive responses taken by many governments, including closing borders, restricting international and domestic travel, and the imposition of prolonged quarantines or similar restrictions, had negative impacts, and in many cases severe impacts, on markets worldwide. While the development of vaccines has slowed the spread of the virus and allowed for the resumption of normal business activity in the United States, many countries continue to impose lockdown measures in an attempt to slow the spread. Additionally, there is no guarantee that vaccines will be effective against emerging variants of the disease. As this global pandemic illustrated, such events may affect certain geographic regions, countries, sectors and industries more significantly than others. These events also adversely affect the prices and liquidity of a Fund’s portfolio securities or other instruments and could result in disruptions in the trading markets. Any of such circumstances could have a materially negative impact on the value of a Fund’s Shares and result in increased market volatility. During any such events, a Fund’s Shares or shares of a Reference ETF may trade at increased premiums or discounts to their net asset value. Shares of each Fund or of the Reference ETFs could decline in value or underperform other investments.

 

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Operational Risk. Each Fund and the Reference ETFs are exposed to operational risks arising from a number of factors, including, but not limited to, human error, processing and communication errors, errors of a Fund’s service providers, counterparties or other third-parties, failed or inadequate processes and technology or systems failures. Each Fund and the Adviser seek to reduce these operational risks through controls and procedures. However, these measures do not address every possible risk and may be inadequate to address these risks.

 

Premium/Discount Risk. The market price of each Fund’s Shares and shares of the Reference ETFs will generally fluctuate in accordance with changes in a Fund’s and the Reference ETFs net asset value as well as the relative supply of and demand for Fund Shares and shares of the Reference ETFs on the exchanges on which they trade. The Adviser cannot predict whether Fund Shares or shares of a Reference ETF will trade below, at or above their net asset value because the Shares trade on the Exchange at market prices and not at net asset value. Similarly, shares of each Reference ETF also trade on an exchange at their market price and not at net asset value. Price differences may be due, in large part, to the fact that supply and demand forces at work in the secondary trading market for Fund Shares and shares of the Reference ETFs will be closely related, but not identical, to the same forces influencing the prices of the holdings of the Fund or a Reference ETF trading individually or in the aggregate at any point in time. However, given that Shares can only be purchased and redeemed in Creation Units, and only to and from broker-dealers and large institutional investors that have entered into participation agreements (unlike shares of closed-end funds, which frequently trade at appreciable discounts from, and sometimes at premiums to, their net asset value), the Adviser believes that large discounts or premiums to the net asset value of Shares should not be sustained. During stressed market conditions, the market for the Funds’ Shares or shares of a Reference ETF may become less liquid in response to deteriorating liquidity in the market for the Fund’s or a Reference ETFs underlying portfolio holdings, which could in turn lead to differences between the market price of the Fund’s Shares (and shares of a Reference ETF) and their net asset value. Furthermore, the Fund or a Reference ETF may at times limit or suspend entirely the issuance of new Creation Units, which could have the effect of enhancing the premium or discount associated with the Funds’ Shares or shares of a Reference ETF.

 

Non-Diversification Risk. Each Fund and the Reference ETFs are classified as “non-diversified” under the 1940 Act. As a result, they are only limited as to the percentage of its assets which may be invested in the securities of any one issuer by the diversification requirements imposed by the Code. A decline in the value of an investment in a single issuer could cause a Fund’s overall value to decline to a greater degree than if the Fund held a more diversified portfolio. Each Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by entering into one or more swap agreements. Each Fund may invest a relatively high percentage of their assets in a limited number of issuers and/or in swap agreements with a single counterparty or a few counterparties. As a result, each Fund may experience increased volatility and be more susceptible to a single economic or regulatory occurrence affecting one or more of these issuers and/or counterparties.

 

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MANAGEMENT

 

The Investment Adviser. Tuttle Capital Management, LLC (the “Adviser”), 155 Lockwood Rd., Riverside, Connecticut 06878, is the investment adviser for each Fund. The Adviser is registered as an investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. The Adviser is a Delaware limited liability company and was organized in 2012.

 

Under the Investment Advisory Agreement between the Adviser and the Trust, on behalf of each Fund (the “Investment Advisory Agreement”), the Adviser is responsible for the day-to-day management of each Fund’s investments. The Adviser also: (i) furnishes the Fund with office space and certain administrative services; and (ii) provides guidance and policy direction in connection with its daily management of each Fund’s assets, subject to the authority of the Board. For its services, the Adviser is entitled to receive an annual management fee calculated daily and payable monthly, as a percentage of each Fund’s average daily net assets, at the rate of 0.75%.

 

Under the Investment Advisory Agreement, the Adviser has agreed, at its own expense and without reimbursement from each Fund, to pay all expenses of the Funds, except for: the fee paid to the Adviser pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement, interest expenses, taxes, acquired fund fees and expenses, brokerage commissions and any other portfolio transaction related expenses and fees arising out of transactions effected on behalf of the Funds, credit facility fees and expenses, including interest expenses, and litigation and indemnification expenses and other extraordinary expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the Fund’s business.

 

A discussion regarding the basis for the Board approving the Investment Advisory Agreement for the Funds will be available in the Funds’ semi-annual report for the period ending [_____,] once that report is produced.

 

The Portfolio Manager

 

Matthew Tuttle, Chief Executive Officer of the Adviser, has served as each Fund’s portfolio manager since its inception. Matthew Tuttle has involved in the financial services industry since 1990. He has an MBA in finance from Boston University and is the author of two financial books, Financial Secrets of My Wealthy Grandparents and How Harvard and Yale Beat the Market. He has been launching and managing ETFs since 2015.

 

The SAI provides additional information about the portfolio managers’ compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers, and the portfolio managers’ ownership in the Funds.

 

The Trust

 

Each Fund is a non-diversified series of the ETF Opportunities Trust, an open-end management investment company organized as a Delaware statutory trust on March 18, 2019. The Board supervises the operations of the Funds according to applicable state and federal law, and the Board is responsible for the overall management of the Funds’ business affairs.

 

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Portfolio Holdings

 

A description of the Funds’ policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Funds’ portfolio securities is available in the Funds’ SAI. Complete holdings are published on the Funds’ website on a daily basis. Please visit the Funds’ website at www.XXX.com. In addition, each Fund’s complete holdings (as of the dates of such reports) are available in reports on Form N-PORT and Form N-CSR filed with the SEC.

 

HOW TO BUY AND SELL SHARES

 

Most investors will buy and sell shares of the Funds through broker-dealers at market prices. Shares of the Funds are listed for trading on the Exchange and on the secondary market during the trading day and can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like other shares of publicly traded securities. Shares of the Tuttle Capital 2X All Innovation ETF trade under the trading symbol “UARK“. Shares of the Tuttle Capital 2X Inverse All Innovation ETF trade under the trading symbol “ZARK“. Shares may only be purchased and sold on the secondary market when the Exchange is open for trading.

 

When buying or selling shares through a broker, you will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges, and you may pay some or all of the spread between the bid and the offered price in the secondary market on each leg of a round trip (purchase and sale) transaction.

 

The NAV of each Fund’s shares is calculated at the close of regular trading on the Exchange, generally 4:00 p.m. New York time, on each day the Exchange is open. The NAV of each Fund’s Shares is determined by dividing the total value of a Fund’s portfolio investments and other assets, less any liabilities, by the total number of Shares outstanding of the Fund.

 

In calculating its NAV, a Fund generally values its assets on the basis of market quotations, last sale prices, or estimates of value furnished by a pricing service or brokers who make markets in such instruments.

 

Fair value pricing is used by a Fund when market quotations are not readily available or are deemed to be unreliable or inaccurate based on factors such as evidence of a thin market in the security or a significant event occurring after the close of the market but before the time as of which a Fund’s NAV is calculated. When fair-value pricing is employed, the prices of securities used by a Fund to calculate its NAV may differ from quoted or published prices for the same securities.

 

APs may acquire shares directly from each Fund, and APs may tender their shares for redemption directly to the Fund, at NAV per share only in large blocks, or Creation Units, of at least [XX,XXX] shares. Purchases and redemptions directly with the Funds must follow each Fund’s procedures, which are described in the SAI.

 

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Under normal circumstances, each Fund will pay out redemption proceeds to a redeeming AP within two (2) days after the AP’s redemption request is received, in accordance with the process set forth in the Funds’ SAI and in the agreement between the AP and the Funds’ distributor. However, the Funds reserve the right, including under stressed market conditions, to take up to seven (7) days after the receipt of a redemption request to pay an AP, all as permitted by the 1940 Act. The Funds anticipate regularly meeting redemption requests primarily through in-kind redemptions. However, the Funds reserve the right to pay all or portion of the redemption proceeds to an AP in cash. Cash used for redemptions will be raised from the sale of portfolio assets or may come from existing holdings of cash or cash equivalents.

 

Each Fund may liquidate and terminate at any time without shareholder approval.

 

Book Entry

Shares are held in book entry form, which means that no stock certificates are issued. The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) or its nominee is the record owner of all outstanding shares and is recognized as the owner of all shares for all purposes.

 

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

 

FREQUENT PURCHASES AND REDEMPTIONS OF FUND SHARES

 

Shares can only be purchased and redeemed directly from each Fund in Creation Units by APs, and the vast majority of trading in shares occurs on the secondary market. Because the secondary market trades do not directly involve a Fund, it is unlikely those trades would cause 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 regard to the purchase or redemption of Creation Units directly with a Fund, to the extent effected in-kind (i.e., for securities), those trades do not cause the harmful effects that may result from frequent cash trades. To the extent trades are effected in whole or in part in cash, those trades could result in dilution to the Fund and increased transaction costs, which could negatively impact a Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. However, 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. In addition, each Fund imposes transaction fees on purchases and redemptions of shares to cover the custodial and other costs incurred by the Fund in effecting trades. These fees increase if an investor substitutes cash in part or in whole for securities, reflecting the fact that a Fund’s trading costs increase in those circumstances. Given this structure, the Trust has determined that it is not necessary to adopt policies and procedures to detect and deter market timing of the shares.

 

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DIVIDENDS, OTHER DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAXES

 

Shares are traded throughout the day in the secondary market on a national securities exchange on an intra-day basis and are created and redeemed in-kind and/or for cash in Creation Units at each day’s next calculated NAV. In-kind arrangements are designed to protect ongoing shareholders from the adverse effects on a Fund’s portfolio that could arise from frequent cash redemption transactions. The Funds expect to typically satisfy redemptions in-kind. However, if a Fund satisfies a redemption in cash this may result in the Fund selling portfolio securities to obtain cash to meet net fund redemptions which can have an adverse tax impact on taxable shareholders. These sales may generate taxable gains for the ongoing shareholders of the fund, whereas the shares’ in-kind redemption mechanism generally will not lead to a tax event for the Fund or its ongoing shareholders.

 

Ordinarily, dividends from net investment income, if any, are declared and paid at least monthly by each Fund. The Funds will distribute its net realized capital gains, if any, to shareholders at least annually. The Funds may also pay a special distribution at the end of a calendar year to comply with federal tax requirements.

 

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

 

Distributions in cash may be reinvested automatically in additional whole shares only if the broker through whom you purchased shares makes such option available.

 

Taxes

 

As with any investment, you should consider how your investment in shares will be taxed. The tax information in this Prospectus is provided as general information. You should consult your own tax professional about the tax consequences of an investment in shares.

 

Unless your investment in shares is made through a tax-exempt entity or tax-deferred retirement account, such as an individual retirement account, you need to be aware of the possible tax consequences when:

 

-A Fund makes distributions,

-You sell your shares listed on the Exchange, and

-You purchase or redeem Creation Units.

 

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Taxes on Distributions 

Distributions from the Fund’s net investment income, including net short-term capital gains, if any, are taxable to you as ordinary income, except that the Fund’s dividends attributable to its “qualified dividend income” (e.g., dividends received on stock of most domestic and certain foreign corporations with respect to which the Fund satisfies certain holding period and other restrictions), if any, generally are subject to federal income tax for non-corporate shareholders who satisfy those restrictions with respect to their shares at the rate for net capital gain. A part of the Fund’s dividends also may be eligible for the dividends-received deduction allowed to corporations -- the eligible portion may not exceed the aggregate dividends the Fund receives from domestic corporations subject to federal income tax (excluding REITs) and excludes dividends from foreign corporations -- subject to similar restrictions. However, dividends a corporate shareholder deducts pursuant to that deduction are subject indirectly to the federal alternative minimum tax. 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 affect the Fund’s performance.

 

In general, your distributions are subject to federal income tax when they are paid, whether you take them in cash or reinvest them in the Fund (if that option is available). Distributions reinvested in additional shares through the means of a dividend reinvestment service, if available, will be taxable to shareholders acquiring the additional shares to the same extent as if such distributions had been received in cash. Distributions of net long-term capital gains, if any, in excess of net short-term capital losses are taxable as long-term capital gains, regardless of how long you have held the shares.

 

Distributions in excess of a Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits are treated as a tax-free return of capital to the extent of your basis in the shares and as capital gain thereafter. A distribution will reduce a Fund’s NAV per share and may be taxable to you as ordinary income or capital gain (as described above) even though, from an investment standpoint, the distribution may constitute a return of capital.

 

By law, the Funds are required to withhold twenty-four percent (24%) of your distributions and redemption proceeds if you have not provided the Fund with a correct Social Security number or other taxpayer identification number and in certain other situations.

 

Taxes on Exchange-Listed Share Sales 

Any capital gain or loss realized upon a sale of shares is generally treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the shares have been held for more than one year and as short-term capital gain or loss if the shares have been held for one (1) year or less. The ability to deduct capital losses from sales of shares may be limited.

 

Taxes on Purchase and Redemption of Creation Units 

An Authorized Participant who exchanges securities for Creation Units generally will recognize a gain or a loss equal to the difference between the market value of the Creation Units at the time of the exchange and the sum of the exchanger’s aggregate basis in the securities surrendered plus any Cash Component it pays. An Authorized Participant who exchanges Creation Units for securities 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 market value of the securities received plus any cash equal to the difference between the NAV of the shares being redeemed and the value of the securities. The Internal Revenue Service (“Service”), however, may assert that a loss realized upon an exchange of securities for Creation Units cannot be deducted currently under the rules governing “wash sales” or for other reasons. Persons exchanging securities should consult their own tax advisor with respect to whether wash sale rules apply and when a loss might be deductible.

 

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Any capital gain or loss realized upon redemption of Creation Units is generally treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the shares have been held for more than one (1) year and as short-term capital gain or loss if the shares have been held for one (1) year or less.

 

If you purchase or redeem Creation Units, you will be sent a confirmation statement showing how many shares you purchased or sold and at what price. See “Tax Status” in the SAI for a description of the newly effective requirement regarding basis determination methods applicable to share redemptions and the Fund’s obligation to report basis information to the Service.

 

The foregoing discussion summarizes some of the possible consequences under current federal tax law of an investment in the Fund. It is not a substitute for personal tax advice. Consult your personal tax advisor about the potential tax consequences of an investment in the shares under all applicable tax laws. See “Tax Status” in the SAI for more information.

 

FUND SERVICE PROVIDERS

 

Commonwealth Fund Services, Inc. (the “Administrator”) is the Funds’ administrator. The firm is primarily in the business of providing administrative services to retail and institutional mutual funds and exchange-traded funds.

 

Citi Fund Services Ohio, Inc. (“Citi”) serves as the Funds’ fund accountant and it provides certain other services to the Funds not provided by the Administrator. Citi is primarily in the business of providing administrative and fund accounting and transfer agent services to retail and institutional exchange-traded funds and mutual funds.

 

Citibank, N.A., serves as the Funds’ custodian and transfer agent.

 

Foreside Fund Services, LLC (the “Distributor”) serves as the Distributor of Creation Units for the Funds on an agency basis. The Distributor does not maintain a secondary market in shares.

 

Practus, LLP services as legal counsel to the Trust and the Funds.

 

___________, serves as the Funds’ independent registered public accounting firm. The independent registered public accounting firm is responsible for auditing the annual financial statements of the Fund.

 

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OTHER INFORMATION

 

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 a Fund on an ongoing basis, a “distribution,” as such term is used in the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), may occur at any point. Broker-dealers and other persons are cautioned that some activities on their part may, depending on the circumstances, result in their being deemed participants in a distribution in a manner which could render them statutory underwriters and subject them to the prospectus delivery requirement and liability provisions of the Securities Act.

 

For example, a broker-dealer firm or its client may be deemed a statutory underwriter if it takes Creation Units after placing an order with the Distributor, breaks them down into constituent shares and sells the 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 characterization 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. As a result, broker-dealer firms should note that dealers who are not “underwriters” but are participating in a distribution (as contrasted with engaging in ordinary secondary market transactions) and thus dealing with the shares that are part of an overallotment within the meaning of Section 4(3)(C) of the Securities Act, will be unable to take advantage of the prospectus delivery exemption provided by Section 4(3) of the Securities Act. For delivery of prospectuses to exchange members, the prospectus delivery mechanism of Rule 153 under the Securities Act is only available with respect to transactions on a national exchange.

 

Dealers effecting transactions in the shares, whether or not participating in this distribution, are generally required to deliver a Prospectus. This is in addition to any obligation of dealers to deliver a Prospectus when acting as underwriters.

 

Premium/Discount Information 

When available, information regarding how often the shares of the Funds traded on the Exchange at a price above (i.e., at a premium) or below (i.e., at a discount) the NAV of each Fund will be available at www.XXX.com.

 

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FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

 

Because the Funds have not yet commenced operations as of the date hereof, no financial highlights are available. In the future, financial highlights will be presented in this section of the Prospectus.

 

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FOR MORE INFORMATION

 

You will find more information about the Funds in the following documents:

 

The Funds’ annual and semi-annual reports will contain more information about the Funds. The Funds’ annual report will contain a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that had a significant effect on the Funds’ performance during the last fiscal year.

 

For more information about the Funds, you may wish to refer to the Funds’ SAI dated [__, 2023], which is on file with the SEC and incorporated by reference into this prospectus. You can obtain a free copy of the annual and semi-annual reports, and SAI by writing to Tuttle Capital 2X All Innovation ETF or Tuttle Capital 2X Inverse All Innovation ETF, 8730 Stony Point Parkway, Suite 205, Richmond, Virginia 23235, by calling the Fund toll-free at (XXX) XXX-XXXX, by email at: mail@ccofva.com. The Funds’ annual and semi-annual reports, prospectus and SAI are all available for viewing/downloading at www.XXX.com. General inquiries regarding the Funds may also be directed to the above address or telephone number.

 

Copies of these documents and other information about the Funds are available on the EDGAR Database on the Commission’s Internet site at http://www.sec.gov, and copies of these documents may also be obtained, after paying a duplication fee, by electronic request at the following email address: publicinfo@sec.gov.

 

(Investment Company Act File No. 811-23439)

 

 106

 

 

 

Subject to Completion

 

The information in this Statement of Additional Information is not complete and may be changed. The Funds 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 is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.

 

TUTTLE CAPITAL 2X ALL INNOVATION ETF

Ticker: UARK

 

TUTTLE CAPITAL 2X INVERSE ALL INNOVATION ETF 

Ticker: ZARK

 

(each, a “Fund” and collectively, the “Funds”)

 

8730 Stony Point Parkway, Suite 205

Richmond, Virginia 23235 

XXX-XXX-XXXX

 

STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

 

Dated _________, 2023

 

This Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) is not a prospectus. It should be read in conjunction with the current prospectus for the Funds dated ________, 2023 as it may be supplemented or revised from time to time. This SAI is incorporated by reference into the Funds’ prospectus. You can obtain a free copy of the annual and semi-annual reports (once available), prospectus and SAI by writing to Tuttle Capital 2X All Innovation ETF or Tuttle Capital 2X Inverse All Innovation ETF, 8730 Stony Point Parkway, Suite 205, Richmond, Virginia 23235, by calling the Funds toll free at XXX-XXX-XXXX or by e-mail at: mail@ccofva.com. The Funds’ annual and semi-annual reports (once available), prospectus and SAI are all available for viewing/downloading at www.XXX.com. General inquiries regarding the Funds may also be directed to the above address or telephone number.

 

Investment Adviser:

Tuttle Capital Management, LLC 

155 Lockwood Rd.

Riverside, Connecticut 06878

 


 

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

THE TRUST 1
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES AND POLICIES 1
INVESTMENT LIMITATIONS 13
MANAGEMENT AND OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS 14
TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS OF THE TRUST 17
CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL SECURITIES HOLDERS 22
DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE 22
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT PURCHASES AND SALES 24
ADDITIONAL PAYMENTS TO FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES 33
TAXES 33
BROKERAGE ALLOCATION AND OTHER PRACTICES 45
DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO SECURITIES HOLDINGS 47
DESCRIPTION OF SHARES 48
PROXY VOTING 49
CODES OF ETHICS 49
EXHIBIT A 51
EXHIBIT B 53
EXHIBIT C 54

 

 

 

THE TRUST

 

General. This SAI relates to Tuttle Capital 2X All Innovation ETF and Tuttle Capital 2X Inverse All Innovation ETF (each, a “Fund” and collectively, the “Funds”) and should be read in conjunction with the prospectus of the Funds. This SAI is incorporated by reference into the Funds’ prospectus. No investment in shares should be made without reading the prospectus. Each Fund is a non-diversified series of ETF Opportunities Trust, a Delaware statutory trust (the “Trust”). The Trust is registered as an open-end management investment company. The Trust is governed by its Board of Trustees (the “Board” or “Trustees”). The investment adviser to the Funds is Tuttle Capital Management, LLC (the “Adviser”).

 

Each Fund may issue an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest (“Shares”). All Shares have equal rights and privileges. Each Share is entitled to one vote on all matters as to which Shares are entitled to vote. In addition, each Share is entitled to participate equally with other Shares (i) in dividends and distributions declared by the Funds and (ii) on liquidation to its proportionate share of the assets remaining after satisfaction of outstanding liabilities. Shares are fully paid, non-assessable and fully transferable when issued and have no pre-emptive, conversion or exchange rights. Fractional Shares have proportionately the same rights, including voting rights, as are provided for a full Share.

 

Each Fund will issue and redeem Shares at net asset value (“NAV”) in aggregations of at least [XXXXX] Shares (each a “Creation Unit”). The Funds will issue and redeem Creation Units principally for cash. The Funds reserve the right to offer creations and redemptions of Shares in exchange for a basket of securities (the “Deposit Securities”), together with the deposit of a specified cash payment (the “Cash Component”), plus a transaction fee. Each Fund is listed on a national securities exchange (the “Exchange”) as set forth below.

 

Fund Ticker Symbol Principal U.S. Listing
Exchange

Tuttle Capital 2X All Innovation ETF

 

Tuttle Capital 2X Inverse All Innovation ETF

UARK

 

ZARK

[__]

 

[__]

 

 

Shares will trade on the Exchange at market prices that may be below, at, or above NAV. In the event of the liquidation of either Fund, a share split, reverse split or the like, the Trust may revise the number of Shares in a Creation Unit.

 

Shares may be issued in advance of receipt of Deposit Securities subject to various conditions as described herein - see the section titled “Placement of Creation Orders Outside the Clearing Process” of this SAI. In each instance of such cash creations or redemptions, transaction fees may be imposed and may be higher than the transaction fees associated with in-kind creations or redemptions. See “Additional Information About Purchase and Redemptions” below.

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES AND POLICIES

 

Each Fund’s investment objective and principal investment strategies are described in the prospectus. Each Fund is “non-diversified” as that term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”). As a non-diversified fund, each Fund is permitted to invest in fewer securities at any one time than a diversified fund. The following information supplements, and should be read in conjunction with, the prospectus. For a description of certain permitted investments discussed below, see “Investment Strategies, Policies and Risks” in this SAI.

 

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Portfolio Turnover. Average annual portfolio turnover rate is the ratio of the lesser of sales or purchases to the monthly average value of the portfolio securities owned during the year, excluding from both the numerator and the denominator all securities with maturities at the time of acquisition of one year or less. A higher portfolio turnover rate involves greater transaction expenses to the Fund and may result in the realization of net capital gains, which would be taxable to shareholders when distributed. As of the date of this Prospectus, the Funds have not yet commenced operations and therefore do not have any portfolio turnover information available.

 

INVESTMENT STRATEGIES, POLICIES AND RISKS

 

The following discussion of investment techniques and instruments supplements, and should be read in conjunction with, the investment information in the Funds’ prospectus. In seeking to meet its investment objective, the Funds may invest in any type of security whose characteristics are consistent with its investment programs. To the extent particular investment techniques or instruments that are not described in the Principal Investment Strategies disclosure of the Funds’ prospectus, such investment techniques and instruments are not a part of the principal strategies and the corresponding risks are not principal risks of the Funds.

 

Principal Investment Strategies, Policies And Risks

 

Swaps. Each Fund may enter into total return swaps, which may be used either as economically similar substitutes for owning the reference asset specified in the swap, such as the securities that comprise a given market index, particular securities or commodities, or other assets or indicators. They also may be used as a means of obtaining exposure in markets where the reference asset is unavailable or it may otherwise be impossible or impracticable for a Fund to own that asset. “Total return” refers to the payment (or receipt) of the total return on the underlying reference asset, which is then exchanged for the receipt (or payment) of an interest rate. Total return swaps provide a Fund with the additional flexibility of gaining exposure to a market or sector index in a potentially more economical way.

 

Most swaps entered into by a Fund calculate and settle the obligations of the parties to the agreement on a “net basis” with a single payment. Consequently, the Funds’ current obligations (or rights) under a swap will generally be equal only to the net amount to be paid or received under the agreement based on the relative values of the positions held by each party to the agreement (the “net amount”). Other swaps may require initial premium (discount) payments as well as periodic payments (receipts) related to the interest leg of the swap or to the default of the reference entity. Each Fund’s obligations under most swaps will be accrued daily (offset against any amounts owed to the Fund by the counterparty to the swap) and any accrued but unpaid net amounts owed to a swap counterparty will be covered by segregating or earmarking cash or other assets determined to be liquid. However, typically no payments will be made until the settlement date.

 

Fixed Income Investments and Cash Equivalents. Fixed income investments and cash equivalents held by the Funds may include, without limitation, the types of investments set forth below.

 

(1) The Funds may invest in U.S. government securities, including bills, notes and bonds differing as to maturity and rates of interest, which are either issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury or by U.S. government agencies or instrumentalities. U.S. government securities include securities that are issued or guaranteed by the United States Treasury, by various agencies of the U.S. government, or by various instrumentalities that have been established or sponsored by the U.S. government. U.S. Treasury securities are backed by the “full faith and credit” of the United States. Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies and U.S. government-sponsored instrumentalities may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the United States. Some of the U.S. government agencies that issue or guarantee securities include the Export-Import Bank of the United States, the Farmers Home Administration, the Federal Housing Administration, the Maritime Administration, the Small Business Administration and the Tennessee Valley Authority. An instrumentality of the U.S. government is a government agency organized under federal charter with government supervision. Instrumentalities issuing or guaranteeing securities include, among others, the Federal Home Loan Banks, the Federal Land Banks, the Central Bank for Cooperatives, Federal Intermediate Credit Banks and Federal National Mortgage Association. In the case of those U.S. government securities not backed by the full faith and credit of the United States, the investor must look principally to the agency or instrumentality issuing or guaranteeing the security for ultimate repayment, and may not be able to assert a claim against the United States itself in the event that the agency or instrumentality does not meet its commitment. The U.S. government, its agencies and instrumentalities do not guarantee the market value of their securities, and consequently, the value of such securities may fluctuate.

 

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(2) The Funds may invest in certificates of deposit issued against funds deposited in a bank or savings and loan association. Such certificates are for a definite period of time, earn a specified rate of return, and are normally negotiable. If such certificates of deposit are non-negotiable, they will be considered illiquid securities and be subject to the Fund’s 15% restriction on investments in illiquid securities. Pursuant to the certificate of deposit, the issuer agrees to pay the amount deposited plus interest to the bearer of the certificate on the date specified thereon. Under current FDIC regulations, the maximum insurance payable as to any one certificate of deposit is $250,000; therefore, certificates of deposit purchased by the Funds may not be fully insured. The Funds may only invest in certificates of deposit issued by U.S. banks with at least $1 billion in assets.

 

(3) The Funds may invest in bankers’ acceptances, which are short-term credit instruments used to finance commercial transactions. Generally, an acceptance is a time draft drawn on a bank by an exporter or an importer to obtain a stated amount of funds to pay for specific merchandise. The draft is then “accepted” by a bank that, in effect, unconditionally guarantees to pay the face value of the instrument on its maturity date. The acceptance may then be held by the accepting bank as an asset or it may be sold in the secondary market at the going rate of interest for a specific maturity.

 

(4) The Funds may invest in bank time deposits, which are monies kept on deposit with banks or savings and loan associations for a stated period of time at a fixed rate of interest. There may be penalties for the early withdrawal of such time deposits, in which case the yields of these investments will be reduced.

 

(5) The Funds may invest in commercial paper, which are short-term unsecured promissory notes, including variable rate master demand notes issued by corporations to finance their current operations. Master demand notes are direct lending arrangements between a Fund and a corporation. There is no secondary market for the notes. However, they are redeemable by a Fund at any time. The Funds’ portfolio managers will consider the financial condition of the corporation (e.g., earning power, cash flow and other liquidity ratios) and will continuously monitor the corporation’s ability to meet all of its financial obligations, because the Fund’s liquidity might be impaired if the corporation were unable to pay principal and interest on demand. The Funds may invest in commercial paper only if it has received the highest rating from at least one nationally recognized statistical rating organization or, if unrated, judged by the Adviser to be of comparable quality.

 

(6) The Funds may invest in shares of money market funds, as consistent with its investment objective and policies. Shares of money market funds are subject to management fees and other expenses of those funds. Therefore, investments in money market funds will cause a Fund to bear proportionately the costs incurred by the money market fund’s operations. At the same time, the Funds will continue to pay its own management fees and expenses with respect to all of its assets, including any portion invested in the shares of other investment companies. It is possible for the Funds to lose money by investing in money market fund.

 

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(7) The Funds may invest in corporate debt securities, as consistent with its investment objective and policies. Corporate debt may be rated investment-grade or below investment-grade and may carry variable or floating rates of interest. Some corporate debt securities that are rated below investment-grade generally are considered speculative because they present a greater risk of loss, including default, than higher quality debt securities. The Funds could lose money if the issuer of a corporate debt security is unable to pay interest or repay principal when it is due.

 

Cash Reserves. In seeking to achieve its investment objective, as a cash reserve, for liquidity purposes, or as cover for positions it has taken, the Funds may invest all or part of its assets in cash or cash equivalents, which include, but are not limited to, short-term money market instruments, U.S. government securities, certificates of deposit, bankers acceptances, or repurchase agreements secured by U.S. government securities.

 

Illiquid Securities. In accordance with Rule 22e-4 under the 1940 Act (the “Liquidity Rule”), the Funds may hold up to 15% of its net assets in “illiquid investments.” For this purpose, the term "illiquid investments" are investments that the Fund cannot reasonably be expected to be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment.  The Funds may, however, hold an illiquid investment if it becomes illiquid after purchase. The Funds monitor the portion of its total assets that are invested in illiquid securities on an ongoing basis in order to ensure that the value of illiquid securities held by a Fund does not exceed 15% of the Fund’s net assets. 

 

The Funds must classify each portfolio investment at least monthly into one of four liquidity categories (highly liquid, moderately liquid, less liquid and illiquid), which are defined pursuant to the Liquidity Rule. Such classification is to be made using information obtained after reasonable inquiry and taking into account relevant market, trading and investment-specific considerations. Moreover, in making such classification determinations, a Fund determines whether trading varying portions of a position in a particular portfolio investment or asset class, in sizes that a Fund would reasonably anticipate trading, is reasonably expected to significantly affect its liquidity, and if so, a Fund takes this determination into account when classifying the liquidity of that investment. The Funds may be assisted in classification determinations by one or more third-party service providers. Investments classified according to this process as “illiquid investments” are those subject to the 15% limit on illiquid investments.

 

The Funds have a liquidity risk management program designed to assess and manage the Funds’ liquidity risk. The program has been approved by the Board, which has also approved the appointment of a liquidity program administrator (the “LPA”). The LPA is responsible for oversight of the Funds’ liquidity risk management efforts, including classifying the liquidity of each Fund investment, ensuring the Fund holds no more than 15% of net asset value in illiquid investments, and reporting to the Board regarding the effectiveness and operation of the liquidity risk management program.

 

Other Investment Risks

 

Overview. An investment in the Funds should be made with an understanding of the risks that an investment in the Fund shares entails, including the risk that the financial condition of the issuers of the equity securities or the general condition of the securities market may worsen and the value of the securities and therefore the value of the Fund may decline. The Funds may not be an appropriate investment for those who are unable or unwilling to assume the risks involved generally with such an investment. The past market and earnings performance of any of the securities included in the Funds is not predictive of their future performance.

 

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Borrowing and Leverage Risk. The Funds may borrow money for cash management purposes or investment purposes. Borrowing for investment is a form of leverage. Leveraging investments, by purchasing securities with borrowed money, is a speculative technique which increases investment risk, but also increases investment opportunity. Because substantially all of a Fund’s assets will fluctuate in value, whereas the interest obligations on borrowings may be fixed, the NAV per share of the Fund will fluctuate more when the Fund are leveraging its investments than would otherwise be the case. Moreover, interest costs on borrowings may fluctuate with changing market rates of interest and may partially offset or exceed the returns on the borrowed funds. Under adverse conditions, a Fund might have to sell portfolio securities to meet interest or principal payments at a time when investment considerations would not favor such sales. Consistent with the requirements of the 1940 Act, a Fund must maintain continuous asset coverage (total assets, including assets acquired with borrowed funds, less liabilities exclusive of borrowings) of 300% of all amounts borrowed. If at any time the value of a Fund’s assets should fail to meet this 300% coverage test, the Fund, within three days (not including weekends and holidays), will reduce the amount of the Fund’s borrowings to the extent necessary to meet this 300% coverage requirement. Maintenance of this percentage limitation may result in the sale of portfolio securities at a time when investment considerations would not favor such sale. Obligations under futures contracts and swap agreements that are similarly covered will not be considered “senior securities” and, therefore, will not be subject to the 300% asset coverage requirement.

 

Counterparty Credit Risk. The Funds will not enter into any uncleared swap (i.e., not cleared by a central counterparty) unless the Adviser believes that the other party to the transaction is creditworthy. The counterparty to an uncleared swap will typically be a major global financial institution. The Funds will be subject to credit risk with respect to the counterparties with which the Fund enter into derivatives contracts and other transactions such as repurchase agreements or reverse repurchase agreements. The Funds’ ability to profit from these types of investments and transactions will depend on the willingness and ability of their counterparty to perform its obligations. If a counterparty fails to meet its contractual obligations, a Fund may be unable to terminate or realize any gain on the investment or transaction, resulting in a loss to the Fund. The Funds may experience significant delays in obtaining any recovery in an insolvency, bankruptcy, or other reorganization proceeding involving its counterparty (including recovery of any collateral posted by it) and may obtain only a limited recovery or may obtain no recovery in such circumstances. If a Fund holds collateral posted by its counterparty, it may be delayed or prevented from realizing on the collateral in the event of a bankruptcy or insolvency proceeding relating to the counterparty. Under applicable law or contractual provisions, including if a Fund enters into an investment or transaction with a financial institution and such financial institution (or an affiliate of the financial institution) experiences financial difficulties, then a Fund may in certain situations be prevented or delayed from exercising its rights to terminate the investment or transaction, or to realize on any collateral, and may result in the suspension of payment and delivery obligations of the parties under such investment or transactions or in another institution being substituted for that financial institution without the consent of the Fund. Further, a Fund may be subject to “bail-in” risk under applicable law whereby, if required by the financial institution’s authority, the financial institution’s liabilities could be written down, eliminated or converted into equity or an alternative instrument of ownership. A bail-in of a financial institution may result in a reduction in value of some or all of its securities and, if a Fund holds such securities or has entered into a transaction with such a financial security when a bail-in occurs, the Fund may also be similarly impacted.

 

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Upon entering into a cleared swap, a Fund is required to deposit with its Futures Commission Merchant (“FCM”) an amount of cash or cash equivalents equal to a small percentage of the notional amount (this amount is subject to change by the FCM or clearing house through which the trade is cleared). This amount, known as “initial margin,” is in the nature of a performance bond or good faith deposit on the cleared swap and is returned to the Fund upon termination of the swap, assuming all contractual obligations have been satisfied. Subsequent payments, known as “variation margin” to and from the broker will be made daily as the price of the swap fluctuates, making the long and short position in the swap contract more or less valuable, a process known as “marking-to-market.” The premium (discount) payments are built into the daily price of the swap and thus are amortized through the variation margin. The variation margin payment also includes the daily portion of the periodic payment stream.

 

A party to a cleared swap is subject to the credit risk of the clearing house and the FCM through which it holds its position. Credit risk of market participants with respect to cleared swaps is concentrated in a few clearing houses, and it is not clear how an insolvency proceeding of a clearing house would be conducted and what impact an insolvency of a clearing house would have on the financial system. An FCM is generally obligated to segregate all Fund received from customers with respect to cleared swap positions from the FCM’s proprietary assets. However, all funds and other property received by an FCM from its customers are generally held by the FCM on a commingled basis in an omnibus account, and the FCM may invest those funds in certain instruments permitted under the applicable regulations. The assets of a Fund might not be fully protected in the event of the bankruptcy of the Fund’s FCM, because the Fund would be limited to recovering only a pro rata share of all available funds segregated on behalf of the FCM’s customers for a relevant account class. Also, the FCM is required to transfer to the clearing house the amount of margin required by the clearing house for cleared swaps positions, which amounts are generally held in an omnibus account at the clearing house for all customers of the FCM. Regulations promulgated by the CFTC require that the FCM notify the clearing house of the amount of initial margin provided by the FCM to the clearing house that is attributable to each customer. However, if the FCM does not provide accurate reporting, the Fund is subject to the risk that a clearing house will use the Fund’s assets held in an omnibus account at the clearing house to satisfy payment obligations of a defaulting customer of the clearing member to the clearing house. In addition, if an FCM does not comply with the applicable regulations or its agreement with the Fund, or in the event of fraud or misappropriation of customer assets by an FCM, the Fund could have only an unsecured creditor claim in an insolvency of the FCM with respect to the margin held by the FCM.

 

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

 

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Derivatives Risk. The use of derivatives presents risks different from, and possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in traditional securities. Among the risks presented are market risk, credit risk, management risk and liquidity risk. The use of derivatives can lead to losses because of adverse movements in the price or value of the underlying asset, index or rate, which may be magnified by certain features of the derivatives. In addition, when a Fund invests in certain derivative securities, including, but not limited to, when-issued securities, forward commitments, futures contracts and interest rate swaps, a Fund is effectively leveraging its investments, which could result in exaggerated changes in the net asset value of the Fund’s shares and can result in losses that exceed the amount originally invested. The success of the Advisor’s derivatives strategies will depend on its ability to assess and predict the impact of market or economic developments on the underlying asset, index or rate and the derivative itself, without the benefit of observing the performance of the derivative under all possible market conditions. Liquidity risk exists when a security cannot be purchased or sold at the time desired, or cannot be purchased or sold without adversely affecting the price. Certain specific risks associated with an investment in derivatives may include: market risk, credit risk, correlation risk, liquidity risk, legal risk and systemic or “interconnection” risk, as specified below.

 

Market Risk. Market risk is the risk that the value of the underlying assets may go up or down. Adverse movements in the value of an underlying asset can expose a Fund to losses. Market risk is the primary risk associated with derivative transactions. Derivative instruments may include elements of leverage and, accordingly, fluctuations in the value of the derivative instrument in relation to the underlying asset may be magnified. The successful use of derivative instruments depends upon a variety of factors, particularly the portfolio manager’s ability to predict movements of the securities, currencies and commodities markets, which may require different skills than predicting changes in the prices of individual securities. There can be no assurance that any particular strategy adopted will succeed. A decision to engage in a derivative transaction will reflect the portfolio managers’ judgment that the derivative transaction will provide value to a Fund and its shareholders and is consistent with a Fund’s objective, investment limitations and operating policies. In making such a judgment, the portfolio managers will analyze the benefits and risks of the derivative transactions and weigh them in the context of a Fund’s overall investments and investment objective.

 

Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that a loss may be sustained as a result of the failure of a counterparty to comply with the terms of a derivative instrument. Specifically, the FCM or the clearing house could fail to perform its obligations, causing significant losses to a Fund. For example, a Fund could lose margin payments it has deposited with an FCM as well as any gains owed but not paid to the Fund, if the FCM or clearing house becomes insolvent or otherwise fails to perform its obligations. Credit risk of market participants with respect to derivatives that are centrally cleared is concentrated in a few clearing houses and it is not clear how an insolvency proceeding of a clearing house would be conducted and what impact an insolvency of a clearing house would have on the financial system. Under current CFTC regulations, a FCM maintains customers’ assets in a bulk segregated account. If a FCM fails to do so, or is unable to satisfy a substantial deficit in a customer account, its other customers may be subject to risk of loss of their funds in the event of that FCM’s bankruptcy. In that event, in the case of futures and options on futures, the FCM’s customers are entitled to recover, even in respect of property specifically traceable to them, only a proportional share of all property available for distribution to all of that FCM’s customers. In addition, if the FCM does not comply with the applicable regulations, or in the event of a fraud or misappropriation of customer assets by the FCM, a Fund could have only an unsecured creditor claim in an insolvency of the FCM with respect to the margin held by the FCM. FCMs are also required to transfer to the clearing house the amount of margin required by the clearing house, which amount is generally held in an omnibus account at the clearing house for all customers of the FCM.

 

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Correlation Risk. Correlation risk is the risk that there might be an imperfect correlation, or even no correlation, between price movements of a derivative instrument and price movements of investments being hedged. When a derivative transaction is used to completely hedge another position, changes in the market value of the combined position (the derivative instrument plus the position being hedged) result from an imperfect correlation between the price movements of the two instruments. With a perfect hedge, the value of the combined position remains unchanged with any change in the price of the underlying asset. With an imperfect hedge, the value of the derivative instrument and its hedge are not perfectly correlated. For example, if the value of a derivative instrument used in a short hedge (such as writing a call option, buying a put option or selling a futures contract) increased by less than the decline in value of the hedged investments, the hedge would not be perfectly correlated. This might occur due to factors unrelated to the value of the investments being hedged, such as speculative or other pressures on the markets in which these instruments are traded. The effectiveness of hedges using instruments on indices will depend, in part, on the degree of correlation between price movements in the underlying ETF and the price movements in the investments being hedged.

 

Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk that a derivative instrument cannot be sold, closed out or replaced quickly at or very close to its fundamental value. Generally, exchange contracts are very liquid because the exchange clearing house is the counterparty of every contract. OTC transactions are less liquid than exchange-traded derivatives since they often can only be closed out with the other party to the transaction. A Fund might be required by applicable regulatory requirements to maintain assets as “cover,” maintain segregated accounts and/or make margin payments when it takes positions in derivative instruments involving obligations to third parties (i.e., instruments other than purchase options). If ae Fund is unable to close out its positions in such instruments, it might be required to continue to maintain such assets or accounts or make such payments until the position expires, matures or is closed out. These requirements might impair a Fund’s ability to sell a security or make an investment at a time when it would otherwise be favorable to do so, or require that a Fund sell a portfolio security at a disadvantageous time. A Fund’s ability to sell or close out a position in an instrument prior to expiration or maturity depends upon the existence of a liquid secondary market or, in the absence of such a market, the ability and willingness of the counterparty to enter into a transaction closing out the position. Due to liquidity risk, there is no assurance that any derivatives position can be sold or closed out at a time and price that is favorable to a Fund.

 

Legal Risk. Legal risk is the risk of loss caused by the unenforceability of a party’s obligations under the derivative. While a party seeking price certainty agrees to surrender the potential upside in exchange for downside protection, the party taking the risk is looking for a positive payoff. Despite this voluntary assumption of risk, a counterparty that has lost money in a derivative transaction may try to avoid payment by exploiting various legal uncertainties about certain derivative products.

 

Systemic or “Interconnection” Risk. Systemic or “interconnection” risk is the risk that a disruption in the financial markets will cause difficulties for all market participants. In other words, a disruption in one market will spill over into other markets, perhaps creating a chain reaction. Much of the OTC derivatives market takes place among the OTC dealers themselves, thus creating a large interconnected web of financial obligations. This interconnectedness raises the possibility that a default by one large dealer could create losses for other dealers and destabilize the entire market for OTC derivative instruments.

 

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Government Regulation of Derivatives Risk. It is possible that government regulation of various types of derivative instruments, including swap agreements, may limit or prevent the Funds from using such instruments as a part of its investment strategy, and could ultimately prevent the Funds from being able to achieve its investment objective. It is impossible to predict fully the effects of legislation and regulation in this area, but the effects could be substantial and adverse.

 

The regulation of derivatives in the U.S., the EU and other jurisdictions is a rapidly changing area of law and is subject to modification by government and judicial action. Recent legislative and regulatory reforms, including the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, have resulted in new regulation of derivatives, including clearing, margin reporting, recordkeeping and registration requirements for certain types of derivatives. Because these requirements are new and evolving, and certain of the rules are not yet final, their ultimate impact remains unclear. New regulations could, among other things, restrict a Fund’s ability to engage in swap transactions (for example, by making certain types of swap transactions no longer available to a Fund) and/or increase the costs of such swap transactions (for example, by increasing margin or capital requirements), and a Fund may as a result be unable to execute its investment strategies in a manner that the Adviser might otherwise choose. There is a possibility of future regulatory changes altering, perhaps to a material extent, the nature of an investment in the Funds or the ability of the Funds to continue to implement its investment strategies.

 

Also, as described above, in the event of a counterparty’s (or its affiliate’s) insolvency, a Fund’s ability to exercise remedies could be stayed or eliminated under special resolution regimes adopted in the United States, the EU and various other jurisdictions. Such regimes provide government authorities with broad authority to intervene when a financial institution is experiencing financial difficulty and may prohibit the Fund from exercising termination rights based on the financial institution’s insolvency. In particular, in the EU, governmental authorities could reduce, eliminate or convert to equity the liabilities to the Fund of a counterparty experiencing financial difficulties (sometimes referred to as a “bail in”).

 

In addition, Rule 18f-4 under the 1940 Act provides for the regulation of registered investment companies’ use of derivatives and certain related instruments. The new rule, among other things, limits derivatives exposure through one of two value-at-risk tests and eliminates the asset segregation framework for covering derivatives and certain financial instruments arising from the SEC’s Release 10666 and ensuing staff guidance. Limited derivatives users (as determined by Rule 18f-4) are not, however, subject to the full requirements under the rule.

 

These and other new rules and regulations could, among other things, further restrict the Funds’ ability to engage in, or increase the cost to a Fund of, derivatives transactions, for example, by making some types of derivatives no longer available to the Fund, increasing margin or capital requirements, or otherwise limiting liquidity or increasing transaction costs. The implementation of the clearing requirement for certain swaps has increased the costs of derivatives transactions for a Fund, since a Fund has to pay fees to its clearing members and are typically required to post more margin for cleared derivatives than they have historically posted for bilateral derivatives. The costs of derivatives transactions may increase further as clearing members raise their fees to cover the costs of additional capital requirements and other regulatory changes applicable to the clearing members. Certain aspects of these regulations are still being implemented, so their potential impact on the Funds and the financial system are not yet known. While the regulations and central clearing of some derivatives transactions are designed to reduce systemic risk (i.e., the risk that the interdependence of large derivatives dealers could cause them to suffer liquidity, solvency or other challenges simultaneously), there is no assurance that the mechanisms imposed under the regulations will achieve that result, and in the meantime, as noted above, central clearing, minimum margin requirements and related requirements expose the Funds to new kinds of risks and costs.

 

9 

 

 

Short Sales. The Tuttle Capital 2X Inverse All Innovation Fund may engage in short sale transactions under which the Fund sells a security it does not own. To complete such a transaction, the Fund must borrow the security to make delivery to the buyer. The Fund then is obligated to replace the security borrowed by purchasing the security at the market price at the time of replacement. The price at such time may be more or less than the price at which the security was sold by the Fund. Until the security is replaced, the Fund is required to pay to the lender amounts equal to any dividends that accrue during the period of the loan. The proceeds of the short sale will be retained by the broker, to the extent necessary to meet the margin requirements, until the short position is closed out. The Fund will also incur transactions costs when conducting short sales.

 

Until the Fund closes its short position or replaces the borrowed stock, the Fund will: (1) maintain an account containing cash or liquid assets at such a level that (a) the amount deposited in the account plus the amount deposited with the broker as collateral will equal the current value of the stock sold short and (b) the amount deposited in the account plus the amount deposited with the broker as collateral will not be less than the market value of the stock at the time the stock was sold short; or (2) otherwise cover the Fund’s short position.

 

The Fund will incur a loss as a result of a short sales or short exposure to reference assets utilizing derivatives if the price of the security or reference asset increases between the date of the short sale or exposure and the date on which the Fund replaces the borrowed security or terminates the derivatives providing short exposure. The Fund will realize a gain if the price of a security or reference asset declines in price between those dates. The amount of any gain will be decreased, and the amount of any loss will be increased, by the amount of the premium, dividends or interest the Fund may be required to pay, if any, in connection with a short sale or derivatives that provide short exposure.

 

Illiquid Securities Risk. Illiquid securities may be difficult to dispose of at the price at which the Funds have valued the securities and at the times when the Fund believes it is desirable to do so. The market price of illiquid securities generally is more volatile than that of more liquid securities, which may adversely affect the price that the Fund recovers upon the sale of such securities. Illiquid securities are also more difficult to value, especially in challenging markets. Investment of the Fund’s assets in illiquid securities may restrict the Fund’s ability to take advantage of market opportunities. The risks associated with illiquid securities may be particularly acute in situations in which the Fund’s operations require cash and could result in the Fund incurring losses on the sale of illiquid or restricted securities.

 

Listing Standards Risk. The Funds are required by the Exchange to comply with certain listing standards (which includes certain investment parameters) in order to maintain its listing on the Exchange. Compliance with these listing standards may compel a Fund to sell securities at an inopportune time or for a price other than the security’s then-current market value. The sale of securities in such circumstances could limit a Fund’s profit or require the Fund to incur a loss, and as a result, the Fund’s performance could be impacted.

 

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

 

10 

 

 

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

 

Regulatory Margin Risk. In recent years, regulators across the globe, including the CFTC and the U.S. banking regulators, have adopted margin requirements applicable to uncleared swaps. While the Funds are not directly subject to these requirements, where the Funds’ counterparties are subject to the requirements, uncleared swaps between a Fund and those counterparties are required to be marked-to-market on a daily basis, and collateral is required to be exchanged to account for any changes in the value of such swaps. The rules impose a number of requirements as to these exchanges of margin, including as to the timing of transfers, the type of collateral (and valuations for such collateral) and other matters that may be different than what the Fund would agree with its counterparty in the absence of such regulation. In all events, where a Fund is required to post collateral to its swap counterparty, such collateral will be posted to an independent bank custodian, where access to the collateral by the swap counterparty will generally not be permitted unless the Fund is in default on its obligations to the swap counterparty.

 

In addition to the variation margin requirements, regulators have adopted “initial” margin requirements applicable to uncleared swaps. Where applicable, these rules require parties to an uncleared swap to post, to a custodian that is independent from the parties to the swap, collateral (in addition to any “variation margin” collateral noted above) in an amount that is either (i) specified in a schedule in the rules or (ii) calculated by the regulated party in accordance with a model that has been approved by that party’s regulator(s). At this time, the initial margin rules do not apply to the Funds’ swap trading relationships. However, the rules are being implemented on a phased basis, and in the near future, the rules may apply to the Funds. In the event that the rules apply, they would impose significant costs on the Funds’ ability to engage in uncleared swaps and, as such, could adversely affect the Adviser’s ability to manage the Funds, may impair the Funds’ ability to achieve their investment objective and/or may result in reduced returns to the Funds’ investors.

 

Termination and Default Risk. Certain of the Funds’ swap agreements contain termination provisions that, among other things, require the Fund to maintain a pre-determined level of net assets, and/or provide limits regarding the decline of the Fund’s net asset value over specific periods of time, which may or may not be exclusive of redemptions. If a Fund were to trigger such provisions and have open derivative positions, at that time counterparties to the swaps could elect to terminate such agreements and request immediate payment in an amount equal to the net liability positions, if any, under the relevant agreement.

 

11 

 

 

U.S. Government Securities. U.S. government securities are subject to interest rate risk but generally do not involve the credit risks associated with investments in other types of debt securities. As a result, the yields available from U.S. government securities are generally lower than the yields available from other debt securities. U.S. government securities are guaranteed only as to the timely payment of interest and the payment of principal when held to maturity. While securities issued or guaranteed by U.S. federal government agencies (such as Ginnie Mae) are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, securities issued by government sponsored entities (such as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac) are solely the obligation of the issuer and generally do not carry any guarantee from the U.S. government. No assurance can be given that the U.S. government will provide financial support to its government sponsored entities or any other agency if not obligated by law to do so.

 

Special Considerations

 

Tracking and Correlation. Several factors may affect each Fund’s ability to achieve a high degree of correlation with its underlying ETF. Among these factors are: (i) the Fund’s fees and expenses, including brokerage (which may be increased by high portfolio turnover) and the costs associated with the use of derivatives; (ii) an imperfect correlation between the performance of instruments held by the Fund, such as swaps, and the performance of the underlying ETF; (iii) bid-ask spreads (the effect of which may be increased by portfolio turnover); (iv) holding instruments traded in a market that has become illiquid or disrupted; (v) the Fund’s share prices being rounded to the nearest cent; (vi) changes to the underlying ETF that are not disseminated in advance; (vii) the need to conform the Fund’s portfolio holdings to comply with investment restrictions or policies or regulatory or tax law requirements; limit-up or limit-down trading halts on options or futures contracts which may prevent the Fund from purchasing or selling options or futures contracts; (viii) early and unanticipated closings of the markets on which the holdings of the Fund trade, resulting in the inability of the Fund to execute intended portfolio transactions; and (ix) fluctuations in currency exchange rates.

 

Also, because each Fund engages in daily rebalancing to position its portfolio so that its exposure to the underlying ETF is consistent with the Fund’s daily investment objective, disparities between estimated and actual purchases and redemptions of the Fund may cause the Fund to be under- or overexposed to its benchmark. This may result in greater tracking and correlation error.

 

Furthermore, Tuttle Capital 2X All Innovation ETF has an investment objective to seek daily investment results, before fees and expenses, that correspond to specified multiple (e.g. 200% ) of the daily performance of its underlying ETF for a single day, not for any other period. Conversely, the Tuttle Capital 2X Inverse All Innovation ETF has an investment objective to seek daily inverse investment results, before fees and expenses, that correspond to specified multiple (e.g. -200% ) of the daily performance of its underlying ETF for a single day, not for any other period. A “single day” is measured from the time a Fund calculates its NAV to the time of the Fund’s next NAV calculation. In addition, while a close correlation of a Fund its underlying ETF may be achieved on any single day, the Fund’s performance for any other period is the result of its return for each day compounded over the period. This usually will differ in amount and possibly even direction from specified multiple (e.g. 200% or -200%) of the daily return of the underlying ETF for the same period, before accounting for fees and expenses, as further described in the Funds’ Prospectus.

 

Leverage. The Funds intend to use, on a regular basis, leveraged investment techniques in pursuing their investment objectives. Leverage exists when a Fund achieves the right to a return on a capital base that exceeds the Fund’s assets. Utilization of leverage involves special risks and should be considered to be speculative. Specifically, leverage creates the potential for greater gains to Fund shareholders during favorable market conditions and the risk of magnified losses during adverse market conditions. Leverage is likely to cause higher volatility of the NAVs of a Fund’s Shares. Leverage may also involve the creation of a liability that does not entail any interest costs or the creation of a liability that requires the Fund to pay interest which would decrease the Fund’s total return to shareholders. If a Fund achieves its investment objectives, during adverse market conditions, shareholders should experience a loss greater than they would have incurred had the Fund not been leveraged.

 

12 

 

 

INVESTMENT LIMITATIONS

 

Fundamental. The investment limitations described below have been adopted by the Trust with respect to the Funds and are fundamental (“Fundamental”), i.e., they may not be changed without the affirmative vote of a majority of the outstanding shares of a Fund. As used in the Prospectus and the Statement of Additional Information, the term “majority” of the outstanding shares of the Funds means the lesser of: (1) 67% or more of the outstanding shares of a Fund present at a meeting, if the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding shares of a Fund are present or represented at such meeting; or (2) more than 50% of the outstanding shares of a Fund. Other investment practices which may be changed by the Board of Trustees without the approval of shareholders to the extent permitted by applicable law, regulation or regulatory policy are considered non-fundamental (“Non-Fundamental”).

 

The Funds:

 

1.May not borrow money except as permitted under the 1940 Act, and as interpreted or modified by regulatory authority having jurisdiction.

 

2.May not issue any senior securities to others, except as permitted under the 1940 Act, and as interpreted or modified by regulatory authority having jurisdiction.

 

3.May not underwrite securities issued by others except to the extent the Fund may be deemed to be an underwriter under the federal securities laws, in connection with the disposition of portfolio securities.

 

4.May not invest more than 25% of the value of its net assets in the securities of one or more issuers conducting their principal business activities in the same industry or group of industries. The limitation against industry concentration does not apply to investments in securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities, or to shares of investment companies; however, the Funds will not invest more than 25% of its net assets in any investment company that so concentrates. In complying with this restriction, the Funds will not consider a bank-issued guaranty or financial guaranty insurance as a separate security.

 

5.May not purchase or sell real estate except as permitted under the 1940 Act, and as interpreted or modified by regulatory authority having jurisdiction.

 

6.May not make loans to others, except as permitted under the 1940 Act, and as interpreted or modified by regulatory authority having jurisdiction.

 

7.May invest in commodities only as permitted by the 1940 Act or other governing statute, by the Rules thereunder, or by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) or other regulatory agency with authority over the Funds.

 

Except with respect to borrowing and circumstances where a Fund is required to “cover” its positions, if a percentage or rating restriction on an investment or use of assets set forth herein or in the Prospectus is adhered to at the time a transaction is effected, later changes in such percentages or restrictions resulting from any cause other than actions by the Funds will not be considered a violation. Currently, subject to modification to conform to the 1940 Act as interpreted or modified, the Funds are permitted, consistent with the 1940 Act, to borrow, and pledge its shares to secure such borrowing, provided, that immediately thereafter there is asset coverage of at least 300% for all borrowings by a Fund from a bank. If borrowings exceed this 300% asset coverage requirement by reason of a decline in net assets of a Fund, the Fund will reduce its borrowings within three days (not including Sundays and holidays) to the extent necessary to comply with the 300% asset coverage requirement. The 1940 Act also permits a Fund to borrow for temporary purposes only in an amount not exceeding 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets at the time when the loan is made. A loan shall be presumed to be for temporary purposes if it is repaid within 60 days and is not extended or renewed. To the extent outstanding borrowings of a Fund exceed 5% of the value of the total assets of the Fund, the Fund will not make additional purchases of securities – the foregoing shall not be construed to prevent a Fund from settling portfolio transactions or satisfying shareholder redemptions orders. The SEC has indicated, however, that certain types of transactions, which could be deemed “borrowings” (such as firm commitment agreements and reverse repurchase agreements), are permissible if the Fund “covers” the agreements by establishing and maintaining segregated accounts.

 

13 

 

 

Currently, with respect to senior securities, the 1940 Act and regulatory interpretations of relevant provisions of the 1940 Act establish the following general limits, subject to modification to conform to the 1940 Act as interpreted or modified: Open-end registered investment companies such as the Funds is not permitted to issue any class of senior security or to sell any senior security of which they are the issuers. The Trust is, however, permitted to issue separate series of shares and to divide those series into separate classes. Each Fund currently offers one class of shares. The Funds have no intention of issuing senior securities, except that the Trust has issued its shares in separate series and may divide those series into classes of shares. Collateral arrangements with respect to forward contracts, futures contracts or options, including deposits of initial and variation margin, are not considered to be the issuance of a senior security for purposes of this restriction.

 

With respect to the Funds’ Fundamental Policy #4 as described above, the Funds will consider, to the extent practicable and consistent with applicable rules, regulations of the SEC and applicable guidance from the staff of the SEC, investments of its underlying investment companies when determining its compliance with the policy.

 

Notwithstanding any of the foregoing limitations, any investment company, whether organized as a trust, association or corporation, or a personal holding company, may be merged or consolidated with or acquired by the Trust, provided that if such merger, consolidation or acquisition results in an investment in the securities of any issuer prohibited by said paragraphs, the Trust shall, within ninety days after the consummation of such merger, consolidation or acquisition, dispose of all of the securities of such issuer so acquired or such portion thereof as shall bring the total investment therein within the limitations imposed by said paragraphs above as of the date of consummation.

 

MANAGEMENT AND OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS

 

Investment Adviser. Tuttle Capital Management, LLC (the “Adviser”), 155 Lockwood Rd., Riverside, Connecticut 06878, is the investment adviser for the Funds. The Adviser is registered as an investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. The Adviser is a Delaware limited liability company and was organized in 2012.

 

The Adviser currently provides investment advisory services pursuant to an investment advisory agreement (the “Advisory Agreement”). Under the terms of the Advisory Agreement, the Adviser manages the investment portfolio of the Funds, subject to the policies adopted by the Trust’s Board of Trustees. In addition, the Adviser: (i) furnishes office space and all necessary office facilities, equipment and executive personnel necessary for managing the assets of the Fund; and (ii) provides guidance and policy direction in connection with its daily management of the Funds’ assets, subject to the authority of the Trust’s Board of Trustees. Under the Advisory Agreement, the Adviser assumes and pays, at its own expense and without reimbursement from the Trust, all ordinary expenses of the Funds, except the fee paid to the Adviser pursuant to the Advisory Agreement, distribution fees or expenses under a Rule 12b-1 plan (if any), interest expenses, taxes, acquired fund fees and expenses, brokerage commissions and any other portfolio transaction related expenses and fees arising out of transactions effected on behalf of the Funds, credit facility fees and expenses, including interest expenses, and litigation and indemnification expenses and other extraordinary expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the Funds’ business.

 

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For its services with respect to the Funds, the Adviser is entitled to receive an annual management fee 0.75%, calculated daily and payable monthly as a percentage of each Fund’s average daily net assets.

 

The Advisory Agreement was approved by the Trustees (including (including a majority of the Trustees who are not “interested persons” of the Trust, as defined in the 1940 Act (the “Independent Trustees”)) in compliance with the 1940 Act. The Advisory Agreement will continue in force for an initial period of up to two years. Thereafter, the Advisory Agreement is renewable from year to year with respect to the Funds, so long as its continuance is approved at least annually (1) by the vote, cast in person at a meeting called for that purpose, of a majority of the Independent Trustees; and (2) by the majority vote of either the full Board or the vote of a majority of the outstanding shares of each Fund. The Advisory Agreement will terminate automatically in the event of its assignment, and is terminable at any time without penalty by the Board or by a majority of each Fund’s outstanding shares on not less than 60 days’ written notice to the Adviser, or by the Adviser on 90 days’ written notice to the Trust. The Advisory Agreement provides that the Adviser shall not be protected against any liability to the Trust or its shareholders by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence on its part in the performance of its duties or from reckless disregard of its obligations or duties thereunder.

 

The Adviser may make payments to banks or other financial institutions that provide shareholder services and administer shareholder accounts. If a bank or other financial institution were prohibited from continuing to perform all or a part of such services, management of the Funds believe that there would be no material impact on the Funds or their shareholders. Financial institutions may charge their customers fees for offering these services to the extent permitted by applicable regulatory authorities, and the overall return to those shareholders availing themselves of the financial institution’s services will be lower than to those shareholders who do not. The Funds may purchase securities issued by financial institutions that provide such services; however, in selecting investments for the Funds, no preference will be shown for such securities.

 

Portfolio Manager. As described in the prospectus, Matthew Tuttle serves as the Funds’ Portfolio Manager and is responsible for the day-to-day investment management of the Funds. In addition to the Funds, the Portfolio Manager is responsible for the day-to-day management of certain other accounts, as listed below. The information below is provided as of ____, 2023:

 

Portfolio
Manager

Other 

Registered

Investment

Company 

Accounts

Assets

Managed

($ millions)

Other Pooled 

Investment

Vehicle

Accounts

Assets 

Managed

($ millions)

Other

Accounts

Assets 

Managed

($ millions)

Total

Assets

Managed

($ millions)

Matthew Tuttle `            

 

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

 

Compensation.    The Portfolio Manager does not receive any special or additional compensation from the Adviser for his services as Portfolio Manager. The Portfolio Manager’s compensation is based solely on the overall financial operating results of the Adviser. The portfolio manager’s compensation is not directly linked to the Funds’ performance, although positive performance and growth in managed assets are factors that may contribute to the Adviser’s distributable profits and assets under management.

 

Portfolio Manager’s Share Ownership.  As of the date of this SAI, the Portfolio Manager did not beneficially own shares of the Funds.

 

Administrator.    Pursuant to a Fund Services Agreement, Commonwealth Fund Services, Inc., 8730 Stony Point Parkway, Suite 205, Richmond, Virginia 23235 (the “Administrator”) serves as the Funds’ administrator. In its capacity as administrator, the Administrator supervises all aspects of the operations of the Funds except those performed by the Adviser. The Administrator provides certain administrative services and facilities to the Funds, including, among other responsibilities, assisting in the preparation and filing of documents required for compliance by the Funds with applicable laws and regulations and arranging for the maintenance of books and records of the Funds. The Administrator receives an asset-based fee computed daily and paid monthly on the average daily net assets of the Funds, subject to a minimum fee plus out-of-pocket expenses.

 

Fund Accountant and Other Services.   Pursuant to a Services Agreement with Citi Fund Services Ohio, Inc. (“Citi”), located at 4400 Easton Commons, Suite 200, Columbus, Ohio 43219, Citi provides certain financial administration services (other than those provided by the Administrator) and fund accounting services to the Funds. As financial administrator, Citi performs services including but not limited to: (1) calculating Fund expenses; (2) calculating the Fund performance data; and (3) providing certain compliance support services. As fund accountant, Citi maintains certain financial records of the Trust and provides accounting services to the Funds that include the daily calculation of each Fund’s NAV. Citi also performs certain other services on behalf of the Trust including providing financial information for the Trust’s federal and state tax returns and financial reports required to be filed with the SEC.

 

For the financial administration and fund accounting services provided to the Trust, the Trust has agreed to pay to Citi an annual asset based fee as a percentage of the aggregate net assets of the Funds, subject to certain breakpoints and minimum fee requirements. Citi is also entitled to fees for services that it renders with respect to the filing of Form N-PORT, its services related to liquidity risk management and out-of-pocket expenses.

 

Custodian and Transfer Agency. Pursuant to a Custodial and Agency Services Agreement with the Trust, Citibank, N.A. (“Custodian”), located at 388 Greenwich Street, New York, New York 10048, serves as Custodian for the Funds and safeguards and holds the Funds’ cash and securities, settles the Funds’ securities transactions and collects income on the Funds’ investments. Under the agreement, the Custodian also: (1) provides data required by the Adviser to determine each Fund’s Creation Basket and estimated All Cash Amount for each Business Day); (2) monitors the settlement of securities comprising the Creation Basket and any cash in connection with the purchase and redemption of Creation Units and requests the issuance of related Creation Units; (3) deposits securities comprising the Creation Basket and/or cash received from Authorized Participants in connection with purchases of Creation Units into each Fund’s custody and cash accounts; (4) disburses securities comprising the Creation Basket and/or cash from the Funds’ custody and cash accounts to Authorized Participants in connection with the redemptions of Creation Units; and (5) performs certain other related services, (See “Purchase and Redemption of Creation Units,” below). As transfer agent, the Custodian issues shares of each Fund in Creation Units to fill purchase orders for the Funds' shares, maintains records of the issuance and redemption of the Funds' shares, and acts as the Funds' dividend disbursing agent.

 

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Distributor and Principal Underwriter.    Foreside Fund Services, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Foreside Financial Group, LLC (doing business as ACA Group), (the “Distributor”) the Funds’ distributor, is located at Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, Maine 04101. The Distributor is a broker-dealer registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “1934 Act”), and a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”).

 

Shares will be continuously offered for sale by the Trust through the Distributor only in whole Creation Units, as described in the section of this SAI entitled “Additional Information About Purchases and Sales.” The Distributor also acts as an agent for the Trust. The Distributor will deliver a prospectus to persons purchasing Shares in Creation Units and will maintain records of both orders placed with it and confirmations of acceptance furnished by it. The Distributor has no role in determining the investment policies of the Funds or which securities are to be purchased or sold by the Funds.

 

The Board has not adopted a Distribution and Service Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 (“Rule 12b-1 Plan”) under the 1940 Act with respect to the Funds. No Rule 12b-1 fees are currently paid by the Funds and there are no plans to impose these fees.

 

The Adviser and its affiliates may, out of their own resources, pay amounts to third parties for distribution or marketing services on behalf of the Funds. The making of these payments could create a conflict of interest for a financial intermediary receiving such payments.

 

Legal Counsel.   Practus, LLP, 11300 Tomahawk Creek Parkway, Suite 310, Leawood, Kansas 66211, serves as legal counsel to the Trust and the Funds.

 

Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.   The Funds’ independent registered public accounting firm, [____________] audits the Funds’ annual financial statements, assists in the preparation of certain reports to the SEC, and prepares the Trust’s tax returns. [Address].

 

TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS OF THE TRUST

 

Trustees and Officers.   The Trust is governed by the Board, which is responsible for protecting the interests of shareholders. The trustees are experienced businesspersons who meet throughout the year to oversee the Trust’s activities, review contractual arrangements with companies that provide services to the Funds and review performance. The names, addresses and ages of the trustees and officers of the Trust, together with information as to their principal occupations during the past five years, are listed below.

 

Each Trustee was nominated to serve on the Board of Trustees based on their particular experiences, qualifications, attributes and skills. Generally, the Trust believes that each Trustee is competent to serve because of their individual overall merits including: (i) experience; (ii) qualifications; (iii) attributes; and (iv) skills. Mr. David J. Urban has been a Professor of Education since 1989. His strategic planning, organizational and leadership skills help the Board set long-term goals. Ms. Mary Lou H. Ivey has business experience as a practicing tax accountant since 1996 and, as such, brings tax, budgeting and financial reporting skills to the Board. Mr. Theo H. Pitt has experience as an investor, including his role as trustee of several other investment companies and business experience as Senior Partner of a financial consulting company, as a partner of a real estate partnership and as an Account Administrator for a money management firm. The Trust does not believe any one factor is determinative in assessing a Trustee’s qualifications, but that the collective experience of each Trustee makes them each highly qualified.

 

 17

 

 

The Chairman of the Board of Trustees is Ms. Ivey, who is not an “interested person” of the Trust, within the meaning of the 1940 Act. The Trust also has an independent Audit Committee that allows the Board to access the expertise necessary of oversee the Trust, identify risks, recognize shareholder concerns and needs and highlight opportunities. The Audit Committee is able to focus Board time and attention to matters of interest to shareholders and, through its private sessions with the Trust’s auditor, Chief Compliance Officer and legal counsel, stay fully informed regarding management decisions.

 

ETFs face a number of risks, including investment risk, compliance risk and valuation risk. The Board oversees management of the Fund’s risks directly and through its officers. While day-to-day risk management responsibilities rest with the Fund’s Chief Compliance Officer, investment advisers and other service providers, the Board monitors and tracks risk by: (1) receiving and reviewing quarterly reports related to the performance and operations of the Fund; (2) reviewing and approving, as applicable, the compliance policies and procedures of the Trust, including the Trust’s valuation policies and transaction procedures; (3) periodically meeting with the portfolio manager to review investment strategies, techniques and related risks; (4) meeting with representatives of key service providers, including the Fund’s investment advisers, administrator, distributor, transfer agent and the independent registered public accounting firm, to discuss the activities of the Fund; (5) engaging the services of the Chief Compliance Officer of the Fund to monitor and test the compliance procedures of the Trust and its service providers; (6) receiving and reviewing reports from the Trust’s independent registered public accounting firm regarding the Fund’s financial condition and the Trust’s internal controls; and (7) receiving and reviewing an annual written report prepared by the Chief Compliance Officer reviewing the adequacy of the Trust’s compliance policies and procedures and the effectiveness of their implementation. The Board has concluded that its general oversight of the investment adviser and other service providers as implemented through the reporting and monitoring process outlined above allows the Board to effectively administer its risk oversight function.

 

Following is a list of the Trustees and executive officers of the Trust and their principal occupation over the last five years. The mailing address of each Trustee and officer is 8730 Stony Point Parkway, Suite 205, Richmond, Virginia, 23235, unless otherwise indicated.

 

NON-INTERESTED TRUSTEES

 

NAME, AGE  
AND
POSITION
WITH THE
TRUST
TERM OF
OFFICE AND
LENGTH OF
TIME
SERVED

PRINCIPAL
OCCUPATION(S) DURING
THE PAST FIVE 

YEARS

NUMBER OF
FUNDS IN FUND
COMPLEX
OVERSEEN BY
TRUSTEE

OTHER
DIRECTORSHIPS

HELD BY
TRUSTEE

David J. Urban

(68) 

Trustee

Indefinite, Since December, 2019

Dean, Jones College of Business, Middle Tennessee State University since July 2013.

 

[12] Independent Trustee of World Funds Trust for the twenty series of that trust.

 

 

 18

 

 

NAME, AGE  AND POSITION WITH THE TRUST TERM OF OFFICE AND LENGTH OF TIME SERVED

PRINCIPAL OCCUPATION(S) DURING THE PAST FIVE 

YEARS

NUMBER OF FUNDS IN FUND COMPLEX OVERSEEN BY TRUSTEE

OTHER DIRECTORSHIPS 

HELD BY TRUSTEE  

Mary Lou H. Ivey

(65)

Trustee

Indefinite, Since December, 2019 Senior Vice President, Episcopal Church Building Fund (national nonprofit organization), since January 2022. Accountant, Harris, Hardy & Johnstone, P.C., (accounting firm), from 2008 to 2021. [12] Independent Trustee of World Funds Trust for the twenty series of that trust.

Theo H. Pitt, Jr.

(87)

Trustee

Indefinite, Since December, 2019 Senior Partner, Community Financial Institutions Consulting (bank consulting) since 1997. [12]

Independent Trustee of Chesapeake Investment Trust for the one series of that trust; Chairman of Hillman Capital Management Investment Trust; World Funds Trust for the twenty series of that trust; and Starboard Investment Trust for the eleven series of that trust; (all registered investment companies).

 

 

OFFICERS WHO ARE NOT TRUSTEES

 

NAME, AGE  AND POSITION(S) WITH THE TRUST TERM OF OFFICE AND LENGTH OF TIME SERVED

PRINCIPAL OCCUPATION(S) DURING THE PAST FIVE

YEARS

David Bogaert

(59)

President

Indefinite, Since December 2019 Managing Director of Business Development, Commonwealth Fund Services, Inc. (fund administration), October 2013 – present.

Thomas A. Carter

(56)

Vice President

Indefinite, Since December 2019 President Ridgeline Research September 2019 through present; President ALPS Advisors and ALPS Portfolio Solutions Distributors 2007-November 2018.  Garden leave November 2018-September 2019.

Karen M. Shupe

(59)

Treasurer and Principal Executive Officer

Indefinite, Since December 2019 Managing Director of Fund Operations, Commonwealth Fund Services, Inc., 2003 to present.

Ann T. MacDonald

(68)

Assistant Treasurer and Principal Financial Officer

Indefinite, Since December 2019 Managing Director, Fund Administration and Fund Accounting, Commonwealth Fund Services, Inc., 2003 to present.

 

 19

 

 

NAME, AGE  AND POSITION(S) WITH THE TRUST TERM OF OFFICE AND LENGTH OF TIME SERVED

PRINCIPAL OCCUPATION(S) DURING THE PAST FIVE

 YEARS

John H. Lively

(54)

Secretary 

Indefinite, Since December 2019

Attorney, Practus, LLP (law firm), May 2018 to present; Attorney, The Law Offices of John H. Lively & Associates, Inc. (law firm), March 2010 to May 2018.

 

Holly B. Giangiulio

(61)

Assistant Secretary

Indefinite, Since December 2019

Managing Director, Corporate Operations, Commonwealth Fund Services, Inc., January 2015 to present.

 

Laura Wright

(50)

Assistant Secretary

Indefinite, Since July 2022 Managing Director of Corporate Operations, Commonwealth Fund Services, Inc., January 2015 to present.

J. Stephen King

(60)

Assistant Secretary

Indefinite, Since September 2022 Attorney, Practus, LLP (law firm), 2020 to present; The TCW Group, Inc. (investment management firm), 2017 to 2020.

Gino E. Malaspina

(55)

Assistant Secretary

Indefinite, Since September 2022 Counsel, Practus, LLP (law firm), since August 2022; Vice President and Senior Counsel, State Street Corporation, October 2019 to July 2022; Senior Counsel, Apex Fund Services (formerly, Atlantic Fund Services), June 2014 to October 2019.

Soth Chin

(57)

Chief Compliance Officer

Indefinite, Since March 2023

Managing Member of FIT Compliance, LLC (financial services compliance and consulting firm) since October 2016

 

Julian G. Winters

(54)

Assistant Chief Compliance Officer

Indefinite, Since March 2023 Managing Member of Watermark Solutions, LLC (investment compliance and consulting) since March 2007.

 

The Board of Trustees oversees the Trust and certain aspects of the services provided by the Adviser and the Funds’ other service providers. Each Trustee will hold office until their successors have been duly elected and qualified or until their earlier resignation or removal. Each officer of the Trust serves at the pleasure of the Board and for a term of one year or until their successors have been duly elected and qualified.

 

The Trust has a standing Audit Committee of the Board composed of Mr. Urban, Ms. Ivey and Mr. Pitt. The functions of the Audit Committee are to meet with the Trust’s independent auditors to review the scope and findings of the annual audit, discuss the Trust’s accounting policies, discuss any recommendations of the independent auditors with respect to the Trust’s management practices, review the impact of changes in accounting standards on the Trust’s financial statements, recommend to the Board the selection of independent registered public accounting firm, and perform such other duties as may be assigned to the Audit Committee by the Board. The Audit Committee met [_] times during the fiscal year ended [_].

 

The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is comprised of Mr. Urban, Ms. Ivey and Mr. Pitt. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee’s purposes, duties and powers are set forth in its written charter, which is described in Exhibit C – the charter also describes the process by which shareholders of the Trust may make nominations. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee met [_] times during the fiscal year ended [__].

 

The Qualified Legal Compliance Committee is comprised of Mr. Urban, Ms. Ivey and Mr. Pitt. The Qualified Legal Compliance Committee receives, investigates, and makes recommendations as to the appropriate remedial action in connection with any report of evidence of a material violation of the securities laws or breach of fiduciary duty or similar violation by the Trust, its officers, Trustees, or agents. The Qualified Legal Compliance Committee did not meet during the fiscal year ended [__].

 

 20

 

 

Trustee Compensation.   Each Trustee who is not an “interested person” of the Trust may receive compensation for their services to the Trust. All Trustees are reimbursed for any out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with attendance at meetings. Prior to January 1, 2022, each Trustee received a retainer fee at the annualized rate of $7,500. Effective January 1, 2022, each Trustee receives a retainer fee at the annualized rate of $12,000.Additionally, each Trustee may receive a fee of $2,500 per special meeting. Compensation to be received by each Trustee from the Trust for the Funds’ first fiscal year is estimated as follows:

 

Name of Person / Position

Aggregate Compensation

From Fund

Pension or Retirement Benefits Accrued as Part of Fund Expenses Estimated Annual Benefits Upon Retirement Total Compensation From Fund and Fund Complex Paid To Trustees (*)(1)
         
David J. Urban, Trustee $ $0 $0 $

Mary Lou H. Ivey, Trustee

$

 

$0

$0

$

Theo H. Pitt, Jr., Trustee $ $0 $0 $
         
Kevin Farragher(2), Trustee $ $0 $0 $

 

* The Trust does not pay deferred compensation.

(1) The “Fund Complex” consists of the Tuttle Capital Funds.

 

(2) Mr. Kevin Farragher resigned as Trustee of the Trust on March 6, 2023.

 

Trustee Ownership of Fund Shares.  The table below shows for each Trustee, the amount of Fund equity securities beneficially owned by each Trustee, and the aggregate value of all investments in equity securities of the Funds of the Trust, as of December 31, 2022, and stated as one of the following ranges: A = None; B = $1-$10,000; C = $10,001-$50,000; D = $50,001-$100,000; and E = over $100,000.

 

Name of Trustee Dollar Range of Equity Securities in the Funds Aggregate Dollar Range of Equity Securities in all Registered Investment Companies Overseen by the Trustees in Family of Investment Companies
Non-Interested Trustees    
David J. Urban [ ] [ ]
Mary Lou H. Ivey [ ] [ ]
Theo H. Pitt, Jr. [ ] [ ]

 

Sales Loads. No front-end or deferred sales charges are applied to purchase of Fund shares by current or former trustees, officers, employees or agents of the Trust, the Adviser or the principal underwriter and by the members of their immediate families. No front-end or deferred sales charges are applied to the purchase of Shares.

 

 21

 

 

Policies Concerning Personal Investment Activities. The Funds and the Adviser have each adopted a Code of Ethics, pursuant to Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act that permit investment personnel, subject to their particular code of ethics, to invest in securities, including securities that may be purchased or held by the Funds, for their own account.

 

The Codes of Ethics are on file with, and can be reviewed on the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s Internet website at http://www.sec.gov.

 

Proxy Voting Policies.  The Trust is required to disclose information concerning the Funds’ proxy voting policies and procedures to shareholders. The Board has delegated to Adviser the responsibility for decisions regarding proxy voting for securities held by the Funds. The Adviser will vote such proxies in accordance with its proxy policies and procedures, which have been reviewed by the Board. The proxy voting policy for the Trust can be found in Exhibit A and the proxy voting policy of the Adviser can be found in Exhibit B. Any material changes to the proxy policies and procedures will be submitted to the Board for approval. Information regarding how the Funds voted proxies relating to portfolio securities for the most recent 12-month period ending June 30, will be available (1) without charge, upon request by calling (XXX) XXX-XXXX; and (2) on the SEC’s Internet website at http://www.sec.gov.

 

CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL SECURITIES HOLDERS

 

A principal shareholder is any person who owns (either of record or beneficially) 5% or more of the outstanding shares of the Funds. A control person is one who owns, either directly or indirectly, more than 25% of the voting securities of the Funds or acknowledges the existence of such control. As a controlling shareholder, each of these persons could control the outcome of any proposal submitted to the shareholders for approval, including changes to a Fund’s fundamental policies or the terms of the management agreement with the Adviser. Since the economic benefit of investing in an ETF is passed through to the underlying investors of the record owners of 25% or more of the Fund shares, these record owners are not considered the beneficial owners of the Fund’s shares or control persons of the Fund. 

 

The Funds have not yet commenced operations as of the date of this SAI.

 

DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE

 

Calculation of Share Price

 

The NAV of each Fund’s shares is determined by dividing the total value of the Fund’s portfolio investments and other assets, less any liabilities, by the total number of shares outstanding of the Fund. Shares are valued at the close of regular trading on the Exchange (normally 4:00 p.m., Eastern time) (the “Exchange Close”) on each day that the Exchange is open. For purposes of calculating the NAV, a Fund normally use pricing data for domestic equity securities received shortly after the Exchange Close and does not normally take into account trading, clearances or settlements that take place after the Exchange Close. Domestic fixed income and foreign securities are normally priced using data reflecting the earlier closing of the principal markets for those securities. Information that becomes known to a Fund or its agents after the NAV has been calculated on a particular day will not generally be used to retroactively adjust the price of the security or the NAV determined earlier that day.

 

 22

 

 

Generally, a Fund’s domestic securities (including underlying ETFs which hold portfolio securities primarily listed on foreign (non-U.S.) exchanges) are valued each day at the last quoted sales price on each security’s primary exchange. Securities traded or dealt in upon one or more securities exchanges for which market quotations are readily available and not subject to restrictions against resale shall be valued at the last quoted sales price on the primary exchange or, in the absence of a sale on the primary exchange, at the mean between the current bid and ask prices on such exchange. If market quotations are not readily available, securities will be valued at their fair market value as determined in good faith by the Valuation Designee (as defined below). Securities that are not traded or dealt in any securities exchange (whether domestic or foreign) and for which over-the-counter market quotations are readily available generally shall be valued at the last sale price or, in the absence of a sale, at the mean between the current bid and ask price on such over-the- counter market.

 

Certain securities or investments for which daily market quotes are not readily available may be valued, pursuant to methodologies established by the Board. Debt securities not traded on an exchange may be valued at prices supplied by a pricing agent(s) approved by the Board based on broker or dealer supplied valuations or matrix pricing, a method of valuing securities by reference to the value of other securities with similar characteristics, such as rating, interest rate and maturity. Short-term investments having a maturity of 60 days or less may be generally valued at amortized cost when it approximated fair value.

 

Exchange traded options are valued at the last quoted sales price or, in the absence of a sale, at the mean between the current bid and ask prices on the exchange on which such options are traded. Futures and options on futures are valued at the settlement price determined by the exchange, or, if no settlement price is available, at the last sale price as of the close of business prior to when a Fund calculates NAV. Other securities for which market quotes are not readily available are valued at fair value as determined in good faith by the Valuation Designee (as defined below). Swap agreements and other derivatives are generally valued daily depending on the type of instrument and reference assets based upon market prices, the mean between bid and asked price quotations from market makers or by a pricing service or Valuation Designee (as defined below)in accordance with the valuation procedures approved by the Board.

 

Under certain circumstances, the Funds may use an independent pricing service approved by the Board to calculate the fair market value of foreign equity securities on a daily basis by applying valuation factors to the last sale price or the mean price as noted above. The fair market values supplied by the independent pricing service will generally reflect market trading that occurs after the close of the applicable foreign markets of comparable securities or the value of other instruments that have a strong correlation to the fair-valued securities. The independent pricing service will also take into account the current relevant currency exchange rate. A security that is fair valued may be valued at a price higher or lower than actual market quotations or the value determined by other funds using their own fair valuation procedures. Because foreign securities may trade on days when Shares are not priced, the value of securities held by a Fund can change on days when Shares cannot be redeemed or purchased. In the event that a foreign security’s market quotations are not readily available or are deemed unreliable (for reasons other than because the foreign exchange on which it trades closed before a Fund’s calculation of NAV), the security will be valued at its fair market value as determined in good faith by the Fund’s Valuation Designee (as defined below). Without fair valuation, it is possible that short-term traders could take advantage of the arbitrage opportunity and dilute the NAV of long-term investors. Fair valuation of a Fund’s portfolio securities can serve to reduce arbitrage opportunities available to short-term traders, but there is no assurance that it will prevent dilution of a Fund’s NAV by short-term traders. In addition, because the Funds may invest in underlying ETFs which hold portfolio securities primarily listed on foreign (non-U.S.) exchanges, and these exchanges may trade on weekends or other days when the underlying ETFs do not price their shares, the value of these portfolio securities may change on days when you may not be able to buy or sell Shares.

 

 23

 

 

Investments initially valued in currencies other than the U.S. dollar are converted to U.S. dollars using exchange rates obtained from pricing services or other parties in accordance with the valuation procedures approved by the Board. As a result, the NAV of the Shares may be affected by changes in the value of currencies in relation to the U.S. dollar. The value of securities traded in markets outside the United States or denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar may be affected significantly on a day that the Exchange is closed and an investor is not able to purchase, redeem or exchange Shares.

 

Investments for which market quotations are not readily available are valued at fair value as determined in good faith pursuant to Rule 2a-5 under the 1940 Act. As a general principle, the fair value of a security or other asset is the price that would be received upon the sale of the security or asset in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date and time. Pursuant to Rule 2a-5, the Board has designated the Adviser as the valuation designee (“Valuation Designee”) for the Funds to perform fair value determinations relating to all Fund investments. The Adviser may carry out its designated responsibilities as Valuation Designee through a fair valuation committee, and may apply fair valuation methodologies approved by the Board, or utilize prices or inputs from pricing services, quotation reporting systems, valuation agents and other third-party sources that have been approved by the Board.

 

Fair valuation may require subjective determinations about the value of a security. While the Funds’ and Valuation Designee’s policies and procedures are intended to result in a calculation of each Fund’s NAV that fairly reflects security values as of the time of pricing, the Fund cannot ensure that fair values accurately reflect the price that the Fund could obtain for a security if it were to dispose of that security as of the time of pricing (for instance, in a forced or distressed sale). The prices used by each Fund may differ from the value that would be realized if the securities were sold.

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT PURCHASES AND SALES

 

PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION OF CREATION UNITS

 

Creation Units

 

The Trust issues and sells Shares of the Funds only in Creation Units on a continuous basis on any business day through the Distributor at the Shares’ NAV next determined after receipt of an order in proper form. The Distributor processes purchase orders only on a day that the Exchange is open for trading (a “Business Day”).

 

Generally, the Trust will issue and sell Creation Units at NAV for “in kind” consideration, meaning the initiator of a creation or redemption order will deposit or receive as consideration a portfolio of all or some of the securities held in each Fund’s portfolio, plus a cash amount (an “In Kind Creation” and “In Kind Redemption”). At the discretion of the Adviser, the Funds may elect at any time, and from time to time, that the consideration for the purchase and redemption of Creation Units will be made entirely in a cash amount equal to the NAV of the shares that constitute the Creation Unit(s) (an “All Cash Amount”).

 

Creation Orders

 

The consideration for an In Kind Creation generally consists of the Deposit Securities for each Creation Unit constituting a substantial replication, or representation, of the securities included in a Fund’s portfolio as selected by the Adviser (“Fund Securities”) and the Cash Component computed as described below. Together, the Deposit Securities and the Cash Component constitute the “Fund Deposit,” which represents the minimum investment amount for a Creation Unit of a Fund. The Cash Component serves to compensate the Trust or the Authorized Participant, as applicable, for any differences between the NAV per Creation Unit and the Deposit Amount (as defined below). The Cash Component is an amount equal to the difference between the NAV of the Fund Shares (per Creation Unit) and the “Deposit Amount,” an amount equal to the market value of the Deposit Securities. If the Cash Component is a positive number (i.e., the NAV per Creation Unit exceeds the Deposit Amount), the Authorized Participant will deliver the Cash Component. If the Cash Component is a negative number (i.e., the NAV per Creation Unit is less than the Deposit Amount), the Authorized Participant will receive the Cash Component.

 

 24

 

 

In addition, the Trust reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of an amount of cash (that is a “cash in lieu” amount) to be added to the Cash Component to replace any Deposit Security which may not be available in sufficient quantity for delivery or that may not be eligible for transfer through the systems of DTC or the Clearing Process (discussed below) or for other similar reasons. The Trust also reserves the right to permit or require a “cash in lieu” amount where the delivery of Deposit Securities by the Authorized Participant (as described below) would be restricted under the securities laws or where delivery of Deposit Securities to the Authorized Participant would result in the disposition of Deposit Securities by the Authorized Participant becoming restricted under the securities laws, and in certain other situations.

 

The Custodian, through the NSCC (see the section of this SAI entitled “Purchase and Redemption of Creation Units—Procedures for Creation of Creation Units”), makes available on each Business Day, prior to the opening of business on the Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m. New York time), the list of the name and the required number of shares of each Deposit Security (if any) to be included in the current Fund Deposit (based on information at the end of the previous Business Day) for the Funds. This Fund Deposit is applicable, subject to any adjustments as described below, to orders to effect creations of Creation Units of the Funds until such time as the next-announced composition of the Deposit Securities is made available, or unless the Adviser elects to receive an All Cash Amount in connection with the creation of Creation Units.

 

The identity and number of shares of the Deposit Securities required for a Fund Deposit for the Funds changes as rebalancing adjustments and corporate action events are reflected within the Funds from time to time by the Adviser, with a view to the investment objective of the Funds. In addition, the Trust reserves the right to permit the substitution of an amount of cash – i.e., a “cash in lieu” amount – to be added to the Cash Component to replace any Deposit Security that may not be available in sufficient quantity for delivery or that may not be eligible for transfer through the systems of DTC or the Clearing Process (discussed below), or which might not be eligible for trading by an Authorized Participant (as defined below) or the investor for which it is acting or other relevant reason. In addition to the list of names and number of securities constituting the current Deposit Securities of a Fund Deposit, the Custodian, through the NSCC, also makes available on each Business Day the estimated Cash Component, effective through and including the previous Business Day, per outstanding Creation Unit of each Fund.

 

The process for a creation order involving an All Cash Amount will be the same as the process for an In Kind Creation, except that the Cash Component will be the entirety of the amount deposited as consideration for the Creation Unit(s).

 

Procedures for Creation of Creation Units

 

All orders to create Creation Units must be placed with the Distributor either (1) through Continuous Net Settlement System of the NSCC (“Clearing Process”), a clearing agency that is registered with the SEC, by a “Participating Party,” i.e., a broker-dealer or other participant in the Clearing Process; or (2) outside the Clearing Process by a DTC Participant. In each case, the Participating Party or the DTC Participant must have executed an agreement with the Distributor with respect to creations and redemptions of Creation Units (“Participant Agreement”); such parties are collectively referred to as “APs” or “Authorized Participants.” Investors should contact the Distributor for the names of Authorized Participants. All Fund Shares, whether created through or outside the Clearing Process, will be entered on the records of DTC for the account of a DTC Participant.

 

 25

 

 

The Distributor will process orders to purchase Creation Units received by the closing time of the regular trading session on the Exchange (“Closing Time”) (normally 4:00 p.m. New York time), as long as they are in proper form. If an order to purchase Creation Units is received in proper form by Closing Time, then it will be processed that day. Purchase orders received in proper form after Closing Time will be processed on the following Business Day and will be priced at the NAV determined on that day. Custom orders must be received by the Distributor no later than 3:00 p.m. New York time on the trade date. In the case of an In Kind Creation, a custom order may be placed by an Authorized Participant in the event that the Trust permits the substitution of an amount of cash to be added to the Cash Component to replace any Deposit Security which may not be available in sufficient quantity for delivery or which may not be eligible for trading by such Authorized Participant or the investor for which it is acting or other relevant reason. The date on which an order to create Creation Units (or an order to redeem Creation Units, as discussed below) is placed is referred to as the “Transmittal Date.” Orders must be transmitted by an Authorized Participant by telephone or other transmission method acceptable to the Distributor pursuant to procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement, as described below in the sections entitled “Placement of Creation Orders Using the Clearing Process” and “Placement of Creation Orders Outside the Clearing Process.”

 

All orders to create Creation Units from investors who are not Authorized Participants shall be placed with an Authorized Participant in the form required by such Authorized Participant. In addition, the Authorized Participant may request the investor to make certain representations or enter into agreements with respect to the order, 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, therefore, orders to create Creation Units of the Funds 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.

 

Those placing orders for Creation Units through the Clearing Process should afford sufficient time to permit proper submission of the order to the Distributor prior to the Closing Time on the Transmittal Date. Orders for Creation Units that are effected outside the Clearing Process are likely to require transmittal by the DTC Participant earlier on the Transmittal Date than orders effected using the Clearing Process. Those persons placing orders outside the Clearing Process should ascertain the deadlines applicable to DTC and the Federal Reserve Bank wire system by contacting the operations department of the broker or depository institution effectuating such transfer of the Fund Deposit. For more information about Clearing Process and DTC, see the sections below entitled “Placement of Creation Orders Using the Clearing Process” and “Placement of Creation Orders Outside the Clearing Process.”

 

Placement of Creation Orders Using the Clearing Process

 

The Clearing Process is the process of creating or redeeming Creation Units through the Continuous Net Settlement System of the NSCC. All Fund Deposits and/or Cash Component, as applicable, made through the Clearing Process must be delivered through a Participating Party that has executed a Participant Agreement. The Participant Agreement authorizes the Distributor or transfer agent to transmit through the Custodian to NSCC, on behalf of the Participating Party, such trade instructions as are necessary to effect the Participating Party’s creation order. Pursuant to such trade instructions to NSCC, the Participating Party agrees to deliver the requisite Fund Deposits and/or Cash Component, as applicable, to the Trust, together with such additional information as may be required by the Distributor. An order to create Creation Units through the Clearing Process is deemed received by the Distributor or transfer agent on the Transmittal Date if (1) such order is received by the Distributor not later than the Closing Time on such Transmittal Date and (2) all other procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement are properly followed.

 

 26

 

 

Placement of Creation Orders Outside the Clearing Process

 

All Fund Deposits and/or Cash Component, as applicable, made outside the Clearing Process must be delivered through a DTC Participant that has executed a Participant Agreement. A DTC Participant who wishes to place an order creating Creation Units to be effected outside the Clearing Process does not need to be a Participating Party, but such orders must state that the DTC Participant is not using the Clearing Process and that the creation of Creation Units will instead be effected through a transfer of cash and securities directly through DTC. The Fund Deposit transfer must be ordered by the DTC Participant on the Transmittal Date in a timely fashion so as to ensure the delivery of the requisite number of Deposit Securities through DTC to the account of the Fund by no later than 11:00 a.m. New York time on the next Business Day following the Transmittal Date (“DTC Cut-Off-Time”).

 

All questions as to the amount of an All Cash Amount, the number of Deposit Securities to be delivered, or the amount of a Cash Component, and the validity, form and eligibility (including time of receipt) for the deposit of any tendered securities, will be determined by the Trust, whose determination shall be final and binding. The amount of cash equal to the Cash Component (including All Cash Amounts) 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 2:00 p.m. New York time on the next Business Day following the Transmittal Date. An order to create Creation Units outside the Clearing Process is deemed received by the Distributor on the Transmittal Date if (1) such order is received by the Distributor not later than the Closing Time on such Transmittal Date and (2) all other procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement are properly followed. However, if the Custodian does not receive both the requisite Deposit Securities and the Cash Component or the All Cash Amount, as applicable, by 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., respectively, on the next Business Day following the Transmittal Date, such order will be canceled. Upon written notice to the Distributor, such canceled order may be resubmitted the following Business Day using the Fund Deposits and/or Cash Components as newly constituted to reflect the then-current Deposit Securities and Cash Component, or the All Cash Amount, as applicable. The delivery of Creation Units so created will occur no later than the third Business Day following the day on which the purchase order is deemed received by the Distributor.

 

Additional transaction fees may be imposed with respect to transactions effected through a DTC participant outside the Clearing Process and in the limited circumstances in which any cash can be used in lieu of Deposit Securities to create Creation Units. See the section of this SAI entitled “Purchase and Redemption of Creation Units—Creation Transaction Fee.”

 

Creation Units of an In-Kind Creation may be created in advance of receipt by the Trust of all or a portion of the applicable Deposit Securities. In these circumstances, the initial deposit will have a value greater than the NAV of the Fund 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 (1) the Cash Component plus (2) 125% of the then-current market value of the undelivered Deposit Securities (“Additional Cash Deposit”). 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 Closing Time and funds in the appropriate amount are deposited with the Custodian by 11:00 a.m. New York time the following Business Day. If the order is not placed in proper form by Closing Time or funds in the appropriate amount are not received by 11:00 a.m. the next Business Day, then the order may be deemed to be canceled and the Authorized Participant shall be liable to each Fund for losses, if any, resulting therefrom. An additional amount of cash shall be required to be deposited with the Trust, pending receipt of the undelivered Deposit Securities to the extent necessary to maintain the Additional Cash Deposit with the Trust in an amount at least equal to 125% of the daily marked-to-market value of the undelivered Deposit Securities. To the extent that undelivered Deposit Securities are not received by 1:00 p.m. New York time on the third Business Day following the day on which the purchase order is deemed received by the Distributor, or in the event a marked-to-market payment is not made within one Business Day following notification by the Distributor that such a payment is required, the Trust may use the cash on deposit to purchase the undelivered Deposit Securities. Authorized Participants will be liable to the Trust and each Fund for 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 undelivered Deposit Securities have been properly received by the Custodian or purchased by the Trust and deposited into the Trust’s custodial account. In addition, a transaction fee will be charged in all cases. See the section below entitled “Creation Transaction Fee.” The delivery of Creation Units so created will occur no later than the third Business Day following the day on which the purchase order is deemed received by the Distributor.

 

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Acceptance of Orders for Creation Units

 

The Trust reserves the absolute right to reject a creation order transmitted to it by the Distributor if: (1) the order is not in proper form; (2) if the Cash Component paid is incorrect; (3) the investor(s), upon obtaining the Fund Shares ordered, would own 80% or more of the currently outstanding Shares of the Funds; (4) the Deposit Securities delivered are not as disseminated for that date by the Custodian, as described above; (5) acceptance of the Deposit Securities would have certain adverse tax consequences to the Funds; (6) acceptance of the Fund Deposit would, in the opinion of counsel, be unlawful; (7) 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; or (8) there exist circumstances outside the control of the Trust, the Custodian, transfer agent, the Distributor and the Adviser that make it for all practical purposes impossible to process creation orders. Examples of such circumstances include acts of God; 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 Adviser, the Distributor or transfer agent, DTC, NSCC, the Custodian or sub-custodian or any other participant in the creation process and similar extraordinary events. The Distributor shall notify a prospective creator of a Creation Unit and/or the Authorized Participant acting on behalf of such prospective creator of its rejection of the order. The Trust, the Custodian, any sub-custodian, the transfer agent and the Distributor are under no duty, however, to give notification of any defects or irregularities in the delivery of Fund Deposits nor shall any of them incur any liability for the failure to give any such notification. All questions as to the number of shares of each security in the Deposit Securities and the validity, form, eligibility and acceptance for deposit of any securities to be delivered shall be determined by the Trust and the Trust’s determination shall be final and binding.

 

Creation Units typically are issued on a “T+1 basis” (that is, one Business Day after trade date). To the extent contemplated by an Authorized Participant’s agreement with the Distributor, the Trust will issue Creation Units of an In Kind Creation to such Authorized Participant notwithstanding the fact that the corresponding Portfolio Deposits have not been received in part or in whole, in reliance on the undertaking of the Authorized Participant to deliver the missing Deposit Securities as soon as possible, which undertaking shall be secured by such Authorized Participant’s delivery and maintenance of collateral having a value equal to 110%, which the Adviser may change from time to time, of the value of the missing Deposit Securities in accordance with the Trust’s then-effective procedures. Such collateral must be delivered no later than 2:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on the contractual settlement date. The only collateral that is acceptable to the Trust is cash in U.S. Dollars or an irrevocable letter of credit in form, and drawn on a bank, that is satisfactory to the Trust. The cash collateral posted by the Authorized Participant may be invested at the risk of the Authorized Participant, and income, if any, on invested cash collateral will be paid to that Authorized Participant.

 

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Information concerning the Trust’s current procedures for collateralization of missing Deposit Securities is available from the Distributor or transfer agent. The Authorized Participant Agreement will permit the Trust to buy the missing Deposit Securities at any time and will subject the Authorized Participant to liability for any shortfall between the cost to the Trust of purchasing such securities and the cash collateral or the amount that may be drawn under any letter of credit.

 

In certain cases, Authorized Participants will create and redeem Creation Units (whether by In Kind Creation/Redemption or for an All Cash Amount) on the same trade date. In these instances, the Trust reserves the right to settle these transactions on a net basis. All questions as to the amount of cash required to be delivered, 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, as applicable, shall be determined by the Trust, and the Trust’s determination shall be final and binding.

 

Creation Transaction Fee

 

Authorized Participants will be required to pay to the Custodian a fixed transaction fee (“Creation Transaction Fee”) in connection with creation orders that is intended to offset the transfer and other transaction costs associated with the issuance of Creation Units. The standard creation transaction fee will be the same regardless of the number of Creation Units purchased by an investor on the applicable Business Day. The Creation Transaction Fee charged by the Funds’ custodian for each creation order is [$250.00].

 

In addition, a variable fee, payable to each Fund, of a percentage of the value of the Creation Units subject to the transaction may be imposed for cash purchases, non-standard orders, or partial cash purchases of Creation Units. The variable charge is primarily designed to cover additional costs (e.g., brokerage, taxes) involved with buying the securities with cash. The Funds may determine to not charge a variable fee on certain orders when the Adviser has determined that doing so is in the best interests of Fund shareholders. Investors are responsible for the costs of transferring the securities constituting the Deposit Securities to the account of the Trust.

 

In order to seek to replicate the In Kind Creation order process for creation orders executed in whole or in part with cash, the Trust expects to purchase, in the secondary market or otherwise gain exposure to, the portfolio securities that could have been delivered as a result of an In Kind Creation order pursuant to local law or market convention, or for other reasons (“Creation Market Purchases”). In such cases where the Trust makes Creation Market Purchases, the Authorized Participant will reimburse the Trust for, among other things, any difference between the market value at which the securities and/or financial instruments were purchased by the Trust and the cash-in-lieu amount, applicable registration fees, brokerage commissions and certain taxes.

 

The Creation Transaction Fee may be waived for the Funds when the Adviser believes that waiver of the Creation Transaction Fee is in the best interest of the Funds. When determining whether to waive the Creation Transaction Fee, the Adviser considers a number of factors including whether waiving the Creation Transaction Fee will: facilitate the initial launch of each Fund; facilitate portfolio rebalancings in a less costly manner; improve the quality of the secondary trading market for the Funds’ shares; and not result in a Fund bearing additional costs or expenses as a result of the waiver.

 

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Redemption Orders

 

The process to redeem Creation Units is essentially the reverse of the process by which Creation Units are created, as described above. To redeem Shares directly from a Fund, an investor must be an Authorized Participant or must redeem through an Authorized Participant. The Trust redeems Creation Units on a continuous basis on any Business Day through the Distributor at the Shares’ NAV next determined after receipt of an order in proper form. Each Fund will not redeem Shares in amounts less than Creation Units. Authorized Participants 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.

 

Generally, Creation Units of the Funds will also be redeemed at NAV principally in kind, although a Fund reserves the right to redeem all or a portion in kind, in each case less a transaction fee as described below. With respect to In Kind Redemptions, the Custodian, through the NSCC, makes available prior to the opening of business on the Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m. New York time) on each Business Day, the identity of the Fund Securities that will be applicable (subject to possible amendment or correction) to redemption requests received in proper form (as described below) on that day. Fund Securities received on redemption may not be identical to Deposit Securities that are applicable to creations of Creation Units. The redemption proceeds for an In Kind Redemption of a Creation Unit consists of Fund Securities – as announced on the Business Day the request for redemption is received in proper form – plus or minus cash in an amount equal to the difference between the NAV of the Fund Shares being redeemed, as next determined after a receipt of a redemption request in proper form, and the value of the Fund Securities (“Cash Redemption Amount”), less a redemption transaction fee (see the section below entitled “Redemption Transaction Fee”).

 

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

 

Deliveries of redemption proceeds by each Fund generally will be made within one Business Day (that is “T+1”). However, as discussed in Appendix B, each Fund reserves the right to settle redemption transactions and deliver redemption proceeds on a basis other than T+1 to accommodate foreign market holiday schedules, to account for different treatment among foreign and U.S. markets of dividend record dates and dividend ex-dates (that is the last date the holder of a security can sell the security and still receive dividends payable on the security sold), and in certain other circumstances.

 

The process for a redemption order involving an All Cash Amount will be the same as the process for an In-Kind Redemption, except that the proceeds of the redemption will be paid entirely in cash. Proceeds of redemptions of Creation Units payable in an All Cash Amount will be paid to the Authorized Participant redeeming Shares on behalf of the redeeming investor as soon as practicable after the date of redemption (within seven calendar days thereafter).

 

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Placement of Redemption Orders Using the Clearing Process

 

Orders to redeem Creation Units through the Clearing Process must be delivered through an Authorized Participant that has executed a Participant Agreement. Investors other than Authorized Participants are responsible for making arrangements with an Authorized Participant for an order to redeem. An order to redeem Creation Units is deemed received by the Trust on the Transmittal Date if: (1) such order is received by the Distributor not later than Closing Time on such Transmittal Date; and (2) all other procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement are properly followed. Such order will be effected based on the NAV of the relevant Fund as next determined. An order to redeem Creation Units using the Clearing Process made in proper form but received by the Distributor after Closing Time will be deemed received on the next Business Day immediately following the Transmittal Date and will be effected at the NAV determined on such next Business Day. The requisite Fund Securities and/or the Cash Redemption Amount, as applicable, will be transferred by the third NSCC business day following the date on which such request for redemption is deemed received.

 

Placement of Redemption Orders Outside the Clearing Process

 

Orders to redeem Creation Units outside the Clearing Process must be delivered through a DTC Participant that has executed the Participant Agreement. A DTC Participant who wishes to place an order for redemption of Creation Units to be effected outside the Clearing Process does not need to be a Participating Party, but such orders must state that the DTC Participant is not using the Clearing Process and that redemption of Creation Units will instead be effected through transfer of Fund Shares directly through DTC. An order to redeem Creation Units outside the Clearing Process is deemed received by the Distributor on the Transmittal Date if (1) such order is received by the Distributor not later than Closing Time on such Transmittal Date; (2) such order is accompanied or followed by the requisite number of Fund Shares, which delivery must be made through DTC to the Custodian no later than the DTC Cut-Off-Time, and the Cash Redemption Amount, if owed to the Fund, which delivery must be made by 2:00 p.m. New York Time; and (3) all other procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement are properly followed. After the Distributor receives an order for redemption outside the Clearing Process, the Distributor will initiate procedures to transfer the requisite Fund Securities which are expected to be delivered and the Cash Redemption Amount, if any, by the third Business Day following the Transmittal Date.

 

The calculation of the value of the Fund Securities and/or the Cash Redemption Amount, as applicable, to be delivered or received upon redemption (by the Authorized Participant or the Trust, as applicable) will be made by the Custodian according to the procedures set forth the section of this SAI entitled “Determination of Net Asset Value” computed on the Business Day on which a redemption order is deemed received by the Distributor. Therefore, if a redemption order in proper form is submitted to the Distributor by a DTC Participant not later than Closing Time on the Transmittal Date, and the requisite number of Shares of each Fund are delivered to the Custodian prior to the DTC Cut-Off-Time, then the value of the Fund Securities and/or the Cash Redemption Amount, as applicable, to be delivered or received (by the Authorized Participant or the Trust, as applicable) will be determined by the Custodian on such Transmittal Date. If, however, either (1) the requisite number of Shares of the relevant Fund are not delivered by the DTC Cut-Off-Time, as described above, or (2) the redemption order is not submitted in proper form, then the redemption order will not be deemed received as of the Transmittal Date. In such case, the value of the Fund Securities and/or the Cash Redemption Amount, as applicable, to be delivered or received will be computed on the Business Day following the Transmittal Date provided that the Fund Shares of the relevant Fund are delivered through DTC to the Custodian by 11:00 a.m. New York time the following Business Day pursuant to a properly submitted redemption order.

 

The Trust may in its discretion at any time, or from time to time, exercise its option to redeem Fund Shares solely for consideration in the form of an All Cash Amount, and the redeeming Authorized Participant will be required to receive its redemption proceeds in cash. In addition, an investor may request a redemption in cash that the Trust may permit, in its sole discretion. In either case, the investor will receive an All Cash Amount payment equal to the NAV of its Fund Shares based on the NAV of Shares of the relevant Fund next determined after the redemption request is received in proper form (minus a transaction fee which will include an additional charge for cash redemptions to offset the Fund’s brokerage and other transaction costs associated with the disposition of Fund Securities). Each Fund may also, in its sole discretion, upon request of a shareholder, provide such redeemer a portfolio of securities that differs from the exact composition of the Fund Securities, or cash in lieu of some securities added to the Cash Redemption Amount, but in no event will the total value of the securities delivered and the cash transmitted differ from the NAV. Redemptions of Fund Shares for Fund Securities will be subject to compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws and a 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.

 

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An Authorized Participant or an investor for which it is acting that is subject to a legal restriction with respect to a particular security included in the Fund Securities applicable to the redemption of a Creation Unit may be paid an equivalent amount of cash. The Authorized Participant may request the redeeming Beneficial Owner of the Fund Shares to complete an order form or to enter into agreements with respect to such matters as compensating cash payment, beneficial ownership of shares or delivery instructions.

 

Redemption Transaction Fee

 

Investors will be required to pay to the Custodian a fixed transaction fee (“Redemption Transaction Fee”) to offset the transfer and other transaction costs associated with the redemption of Creation Units. The standard redemption transaction fee will be the same regardless of the number of Creation Units redeemed by an investor on the applicable Business Day. The Redemption Transaction Fee charged by the Funds’ custodian for each redemption order is [$250.00].

 

An additional variable fee of up to three (3) times the fixed Transaction Fee plus all commission and fees payable to the Funds in connection with the sale of the Fund Securities (expressed as a percentage value of such Fund Securities) may be imposed for (1) redemptions effected outside the Clearing Process and (2) redemptions made in an All Cash Amount (to offset the Trust’s brokerage and other transaction costs associated with the sale of Fund Securities). Investors will also bear the costs of transferring the Fund Securities from the Trust to their account or on their order.

 

In order to seek to replicate the In Kind Redemption order process for creation orders executed in whole or in part with cash, the Trust expects to sell, in the secondary market, the portfolio securities or settle any financial instruments that may not be permitted to be re-registered in the name of the Participating Party as a result of an In Kind Redemption order pursuant to local law or market convention, or for other reasons (“Market Sales”). In such cases where the Trust makes Market Sales, the Authorized Participant will reimburse the Trust for, among other things, any difference between the market value at which the securities and/or financial instruments were sold or settled by the Trust and the cash-in-lieu amount, applicable registration fees, brokerage commissions and certain taxes.

 

Regardless of form, the Redemption Transaction Fee (including any reimbursements related to in cash redemptions or additional variable fees for In Kind Redemptions) will be limited in accordance with the requirements of the SEC applicable to management investment companies offering redeemable securities (currently, no more than 2% of the value of the shares redeemed).

 

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The Redemption Transaction Fee may be waived for the Funds when the Adviser believes that waiver of the Redemption Transaction Fee is in the best interest of the Funds. When determining whether to waive the Redemption Transaction Fee, the Adviser considers a number of factors including whether waiving the Redemption Transaction Fee will: facilitate portfolio rebalancings in a less costly manner; improve the quality of the secondary trading market for the Funds’ shares; and not result in the Funds bearing additional costs or expenses as a result of the waiver.

 

ADDITIONAL PAYMENTS TO FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES

 

The Adviser and its affiliates may, out of its own resources and without additional cost to the Funds or their shareholders, pay a solicitation fee to securities dealers or other financial intermediaries (collectively, a “Financial Intermediary.”)

 

TAXES

 

The following discussion is a summary of certain U.S. federal income tax considerations affecting the Funds and their shareholders. The discussion reflects applicable federal income tax laws of the U.S. as of the date of this SAI, which tax laws may be changed or subject to new interpretations by the courts or the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”), possibly with retroactive effect. No attempt is made to present a detailed explanation of all U.S. income, estate or gift tax, or foreign, state or local tax concerns affecting the Funds and their shareholders (including shareholders owning large positions in each Fund). The discussion set forth herein does not constitute tax advice. Investors are urged to consult their own tax advisers to determine the tax consequences to them of investing in each Fund.

 

In addition, no attempt is made to address tax concerns applicable to an investor with a special tax status such as a financial institution, real estate investment trust, insurance company, regulated investment company (“RIC”), individual retirement account, other tax-exempt entity, dealer in securities or non-U.S. investor. Furthermore, this discussion does not reflect possible application of the alternative minimum tax (“AMT”). Unless otherwise noted, this discussion assumes shares of the Funds are held by U.S. shareholders and that such shares are held as capital assets.

 

A U.S. shareholder is a beneficial owner of shares of each Fund that is for U.S. federal income tax purposes:

 

a citizen or individual resident of the United States (including certain former citizens and former long-term residents);

a corporation or other entity treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, created or organized in or under the laws of the United States or any state thereof or the District of Columbia;

an estate, the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income taxation regardless of its source; or

a trust with respect to which a court within the United States is able to exercise primary supervision over its administration and one or more U.S. shareholders have the authority to control all of its substantial decisions or the trust has made a valid election in effect under applicable Treasury regulations to be treated as a U.S. person.

 

A “Non-U.S. shareholder” is a beneficial owner of shares of a Fund that is an individual, corporation, trust or estate and is not a U.S. shareholder. If a partnership (including any entity treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes) holds shares of a Fund, the tax treatment of a partner in the partnership generally depends upon the status of the partner and the activities of the partnership. A prospective shareholder who is a partner of a partnership holding Fund shares should consult its tax advisors with respect to the purchase, ownership and disposition of its Fund shares.

 

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Taxation as a RIC. Each Fund intends to qualify and remain qualified as a RIC under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Internal Revenue Code”). Each Fund will qualify as a RIC if, among other things, it meets the source-of-income and the asset-diversification requirements. With respect to the source-of-income requirement, a Fund must derive in each taxable year at least 90% of its gross income (including tax-exempt interest) from (i) dividends, interest, payments with respect to certain securities loans, gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities or foreign currencies, or other income (including but not limited to gains from options, futures and forward contracts) derived with respect to its business of investing in such shares, securities or currencies and (ii) net income derived from an interest in a “qualified publicly traded partnership.” A “qualified publicly traded partnership” is generally defined as a publicly traded partnership under Internal Revenue Code section 7704. However, for these purposes, a qualified publicly traded partnership does not include a publicly traded partnership if 90% or more of its income is described in (i) above. Income derived from a partnership (other than a qualified publicly traded partnership) or trust is qualifying income to the extent such income is attributable to items of income of the partnership or trust which would be qualifying income if realized by a Fund in the same manner as realized by the partnership or trust.

 

If a RIC fails this 90% source-of-income test as long as such failure was due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect it is no longer subject to a corporate level tax. Instead, the amount of the penalty for non-compliance is the amount by which the non-qualifying income exceeds one-ninth of the qualifying gross income.

 

With respect to the asset-diversification requirement, each Fund must diversify its holdings so that, at the end of each quarter of each taxable year (i) at least 50% of the value of the Fund’s total assets is represented by cash and cash items, U.S. government securities, the securities of other RICs and other securities, if such other securities of any one issuer do not represent more than 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets or more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer, and (ii) not more than 25% of the value of the Fund’s total assets is invested in the securities other than U.S. government securities or the securities of other RICs of (a) one issuer, (b) two or more issuers that are controlled by the Fund and that are engaged in the same, similar or related trades or businesses, or (c) one or more qualified publicly traded partnerships.

 

If a RIC fails this asset-diversification test, such RIC, in addition to other cure provisions previously permitted, has a 6-month period to correct any failure without incurring a penalty if such failure is “de minimis,” meaning that the failure does not exceed the lesser of 1% of the RIC’s assets, or $10 million.

 

Similarly, if a RIC fails this asset-diversification test and the failure is not de minimis, a RIC can cure failure if: (a) the RIC files with the Treasury Department a description of each asset that causes the RIC to fail the diversification tests; (b) the failure is due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect; and (c) the failure is cured within six months (or such other period specified by the Treasury). In such cases, a tax is imposed on the RIC equal to the greater of: (a) $50,000 or (b) an amount determined by multiplying the highest rate of tax (currently 21%) by the amount of net income generated during the period of diversification test failure by the assets that caused the RIC to fail the diversification test.

 

If a Fund qualifies as a RIC and distributes to its shareholders, for each taxable year, at least 90% of the sum of (i) its “investment company taxable income” as that term is defined in the Internal Revenue Code (which includes, among other things, dividends, taxable interest, the excess of any net short-term capital gains over net long-term capital losses and certain net foreign exchange gains as reduced by certain deductible expenses) without regard to the deduction for dividends paid, and (ii) the excess of its gross tax-exempt interest, if any, over certain deductions attributable to such interest that are otherwise disallowed, a Fund will be relieved of U.S. federal income tax on any income of a Fund, including long-term capital gains, distributed to shareholders. However, any ordinary income or capital gain retained by a Fund will be subject to U.S. federal income tax at regular corporate federal income tax rates (currently at a maximum rate of 21%). The Funds intend to distribute at least annually substantially all of their investment company taxable income, net tax-exempt interest, and net capital gain.

 

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The Funds will generally be subject to a nondeductible 4% federal excise tax on the portion of its undistributed ordinary income with respect to each calendar year and undistributed capital gains if it fails to meet certain distribution requirements with respect to the one-year period ending on October 31 in that calendar year. To avoid the 4% federal excise tax, the required minimum distribution is generally equal to the sum of (i) 98% of the Fund’s ordinary income (computed on a calendar year basis), (ii) 98.2% of the Fund’s capital gain net income (generally computed for the one-year period ending on October 31) and (iii) any income realized, but not distributed, and on which we paid no federal income tax in preceding years. The Funds generally intend to make distributions in a timely manner in an amount at least equal to the required minimum distribution and therefore, under normal market conditions, does not expect to be subject to this excise tax.

 

The Funds may be required to recognize taxable income in circumstances in which it does not receive cash. For example, if a Fund hold debt obligations that are treated under applicable tax rules as having original issue discount (such as debt instruments with payment in kind interest or, in certain cases, with increasing interest rates or that are issued with warrants), the Fund must include in income each year a portion of the original issue discount that accrues over the life of the obligation regardless of whether cash representing such income is received by the Fund in the same taxable year. Because any original issue discount accrued will be included in the Fund’s “investment company taxable income” (discussed above) for the year of accrual, the Fund may be required to make a distribution to its shareholders to satisfy the distribution requirement, even though it will not have received an amount of cash that corresponds with the income earned.

 

To the extent that a Fund has capital loss carryforwards from prior tax years, those carryforwards will reduce the net capital gains that can support the Fund’s distribution of Capital Gain Dividends. If a Fund use net capital losses incurred in taxable years beginning on or before December 22, 2010 (pre-2011 losses), those carryforwards will not reduce the Fund’s current earnings and profits, as losses incurred in later years will. As a result, if the Fund then makes distributions of capital gains recognized during the current year in excess of net capital gains (as reduced by carryforwards), the portion of the excess equal to pre-2011 losses factoring into net capital gain will be taxable as an ordinary dividend distribution, even though that distributed excess amount would not have been subject to tax if retained by the Fund. Capital loss carryforwards are reduced to the extent they offset current-year net realized capital gains, whether the Fund retains or distribute such gains. Beginning in 2011, a RIC is permitted to carry forward net capital losses indefinitely and may allow losses to retain their original character (as short or as long-term). For net capital losses recognized prior to such date, such losses are permitted to be carried forward up to 8 years and are characterized as short-term. These capital loss carryforwards may be utilized in future years to offset net realized capital gains of the Fund, if any, prior to distributing such gains to shareholders.

 

Except as set forth in “Failure to Qualify as a RIC,” the remainder of this discussion assumes that the Funds will qualify as a RIC for each taxable year.

 

Failure to Qualify as a RIC. If the Fund is unable to satisfy the 90% distribution requirement or otherwise fail to qualify as a RIC in any year, they will be subject to corporate level income tax on all of its income and gain, regardless of whether or not such income was distributed. Distributions to the Fund’s shareholders of such income and gain will not be deductible by the Fund in computing its taxable income. In such event, the Fund’s distributions, to the extent derived from the Fund’s current or accumulated earnings and profits, would constitute ordinary dividends, which would generally be eligible for the dividends received deduction available to corporate shareholders, and non-corporate shareholders would generally be able to treat such distributions as “qualified dividend income” eligible for reduced rates of U.S. federal income taxation, if holding period and other requirements are satisfied.

 

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Distributions in excess of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits would be treated first as a return of capital to the extent of the shareholders’ tax basis in their Fund shares, and any remaining distributions would be treated as a capital gain. To qualify as a RIC in a subsequent taxable year, the Fund would be required to satisfy the source-of-income, the asset diversification, and the annual distribution requirements for that year and dispose of any earnings and profits from any year in which the Fund failed to qualify for tax treatment as a RIC. Subject to a limited exception applicable to RICs that qualified as such under the Internal Revenue Code for at least one year prior to disqualification and that requalify as a RIC no later than the second year following the nonqualifying year, the Fund would be subject to tax on any unrealized built-in gains in the assets held by it during the period in which the Fund failed to qualify for tax treatment as a RIC that are recognized within the subsequent 10 years, unless the Fund made a special election to pay corporate-level tax on such built-in gain at the time of its requalification as a RIC.

 

Taxation for U.S. Shareholders. Distributions paid to U.S. shareholders by the Fund from its investment company taxable income (which is, generally, the Fund’s ordinary income plus net realized short-term capital gains in excess of net realized long-term capital losses) are generally taxable to U.S. shareholders as ordinary income to the extent of the Fund’s earnings and profits, whether paid in cash or reinvested in additional shares. Such distributions (if designated by the Fund) may qualify (i) for the dividends received deduction in the case of corporate shareholders under Section 243 of the Internal Revenue Code to the extent that the Fund’s income consists of dividend income from U.S. corporations, excluding distributions from tax-exempt organizations, exempt farmers’ cooperatives or real estate investment trusts or (ii) in the case of individual shareholders, as qualified dividend income eligible to be taxed at reduced rates under Section 1(h)(11) of the Internal Revenue Code (which provides for a maximum 20% rate) to the extent that the Fund receives qualified dividend income, and provided in each case certain holding period and other requirements are met. Qualified dividend income is, in general, dividend income from taxable domestic corporations and qualified foreign corporations (e.g., generally, foreign corporations incorporated in a possession of the United States or in certain countries with a qualified comprehensive income tax treaty with the United States, or the stock with respect to which such dividend is paid is readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States). A qualified foreign corporation generally excludes any foreign corporation, which for the taxable year of the corporation in which the dividend was paid, or the preceding taxable year, is a passive foreign investment company. Distributions made to a U.S. shareholder from an excess of net long-term capital gains over net short-term capital losses (“capital gain dividends”), including capital gain dividends credited to such shareholder but retained by the Fund, are taxable to such shareholder as long-term capital gain if they have been properly designated by the Fund, regardless of the length of time such shareholder owned the shares of the Fund. The maximum tax rate on capital gain dividends received by individuals is generally 20%. Distributions in excess of the Fund’s earnings and profits will be treated by the U.S. shareholder, first, as a tax-free return of capital, which is applied against and will reduce the adjusted tax basis of the U.S. shareholder’s shares and, after such adjusted tax basis is reduced to zero, will constitute capital gain to the U.S. shareholder (assuming the shares are held as a capital asset). The Fund is not required to provide written notice designating the amount of any qualified dividend income or capital gain dividends and other distributions. The Forms 1099 will instead serve this notice purpose.

 

As a RIC, the Fund will be subject to the AMT, but any items that are treated differently for AMT purposes must be apportioned between the Fund and the shareholders and this may affect the shareholders’ AMT liabilities. The Fund intends in general to apportion these items in the same proportion that dividends paid to each shareholder bear to the Fund’s taxable income (determined without regard to the dividends paid deduction).

 

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For purpose of determining (i) whether the annual distribution requirement is satisfied for any year and (ii) the amount of capital gain dividends paid for that year, the Fund may, under certain circumstances, elect to treat a dividend that is paid during the following taxable year as if it had been paid during the taxable year in question. If the Fund makes such an election, the U.S. shareholder will still be treated as receiving the dividend in the taxable year in which the distribution is made. However, any dividend declared by the Fund in October, November or December of any calendar year, payable to shareholders of record on a specified date in such a month and actually paid during January of the following year, will be treated as if it had been received by the U.S. shareholders on December 31 of the year in which the dividend was declared.

 

The Fund intends to distribute all realized capital gains, if any, at least annually. If, however, the Fund is to retain any net capital gain, the Fund may designate the retained amount as undistributed capital gains in a notice to shareholders who, if subject to U.S. federal income tax on long-term capital gains, (i) will be required to include in income as long-term capital gain, their proportionate shares of such undistributed amount, and (ii) will be entitled to credit their proportionate shares of the federal income tax paid by the Fund on the undistributed amount against their U.S. federal income tax liabilities, if any, and to claim refunds to the extent the credit exceeds such liabilities. If such an event occurs, the tax basis of shares owned by a shareholder of the Fund will, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, generally be increased by the difference between the amount of undistributed net capital gain included in the shareholder’s gross income and the tax deemed paid by the shareholders.

 

Sales of shares or redemption of creation units and other dispositions of the shares, such as exchanges, of the Fund generally are taxable events. U.S. shareholders should consult their own tax adviser with reference to their individual circumstances to determine whether any particular transaction in the shares of the Fund is properly treated as a sale or exchange for federal income tax purposes, as the following discussion assumes, and the tax treatment of any gains or losses recognized in such transactions. The sale of shares or redemption of creation units or other disposition of shares of the Fund will generally result in capital gain or loss to the shareholder equal to the difference between the amount realized and his adjusted tax basis in the shares sold or exchanged, and will be long-term capital gain or loss if the shares have been held for more than one year at the time of sale. Any loss upon the sale or exchange of shares held for six months or less will be treated as long-term capital loss to the extent of any capital gain dividends received (including amounts credited as an undistributed capital gain dividend) by such shareholder with respect to such shares. A loss realized on a sale or exchange of shares of the Fund generally will be disallowed if other substantially identical shares are acquired within a 61-day period beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the date that the shares are disposed. In such case, the basis of the shares acquired will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss. Present law taxes both long-term and short-term capital gain of corporations at the rates applicable to ordinary income of corporations. For non-corporate taxpayers, short-term capital gain will currently be taxed at the rate applicable to ordinary income, while long-term capital gain generally will be taxed at a maximum rate of 20%. Capital losses are subject to certain limitations.

 

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

 

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Any capital gain or loss realized upon the creation of Creation Units will generally be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the securities exchanged for such Creation Units have been held for more than one year. Any capital gain or loss realized upon the redemption of Creation Units will generally be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the Shares comprising the Creation Units have been held for more than one year. Otherwise, such capital gains or losses will be treated as short-term capital gains or losses. Any loss realized upon a redemption of Creation Units held for six months or less will be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any amounts treated as distributions to the applicable Authorized Participant of long-term capital gains with respect to the Creation Units (including any amounts credited to the Authorized Participant as undistributed capital gains).

 

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

 

Persons purchasing or redeeming 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 rules apply and when a loss might be deductible.

 

Federal law requires that ETFs companies report their shareholders’ cost basis, gain/loss, and holding period to the Internal Revenue Service on the Fund’s shareholders’ Consolidated Form 1099s when “covered” securities are sold. Covered securities are any regulated investment company and/or dividend reinvestment plan shares acquired on or after January 1, 2012.

 

The Fund has chosen average cost as the standing (default) tax lot identification method for all shareholders. A tax lot identification method is the way the Fund will determine which specific shares are deemed to be sold when there are multiple purchases on different dates at differing net asset values, and the entire position is not sold at one time. The Fund has chosen average cost as its standing (default) tax lot identification method for all shareholders. The Fund’s standing tax lot identification method is the method covered shares will be reported on your Consolidated Form 1099 if you do not select a specific tax lot identification method. You may choose a method different than the Fund’s standing method and will be able to do so at the time of your purchase or upon the sale of covered shares. Please refer to the appropriate Internal Revenue Service regulations or consult your tax advisor with regard to your personal circumstances.

 

For those securities defined as “covered” under current Internal Revenue Service cost basis tax reporting regulations, the Funds are responsible for maintaining accurate cost basis and tax lot information for tax reporting purposes. The Funds are not responsible for the reliability or accuracy of the information for those securities that are not “covered.” The Funds and theri service providers do not provide tax advice. You should consult independent sources, which may include a tax professional, with respect to any decisions you may make with respect to choosing a tax lot identification method.

 

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For taxable years beginning after December 31, 2013, certain U.S. shareholders, including individuals and estates and trusts, will be subject to an additional 3.8% Medicare tax on all or a portion of their “net investment income,” which should include dividends from the Funds and net gains from the disposition of shares of the Funds. U.S. shareholders are urged to consult their own tax advisors regarding the implications of the additional Medicare tax resulting from an investment in the Funds.

 

Straddles. When the Funds enter into an offsetting position to limit the risk on another position, the “straddle” rules usually come into play. An option or other position entered into or held by a Fund in conjunction with any other position held by the Fund may constitute a “straddle” for Federal income tax purposes. In general, straddles are subject to certain rules that may affect the character and timing of the Fund’s gains and losses with respect to straddle positions. The key features of the straddle rules are as follows:

 

The Funds may have to wait to deduct any losses. If a Fund has a capital gain in one position of a straddle and a capital loss in the other, the Fund may not recognize the loss for federal income tax purposes until the Fund disposes of both positions. This might occur, for example, if the Fund had a highly appreciated stock position and the Fund purchased protective put options (which give the Fund the right to sell the stock to someone else for a period of time at a predetermined price) to offset the risk. If the stock continued to increase in value and the put options expired worthless, the Fund must defer recognition of the loss on its put options until the Fund sells and recognizes the gain on the original, appreciated position.

 

A Fund’s capital gain holding period may get clipped. The moment the Fund enters into a typical straddle, the capital gains holding period on its offsetting positions is frozen. If the Fund held the original position for one year or less (thus not qualifying for the long-term capital gains rate), not only is the holding period frozen, it starts all over again when the Fund disposes of the offsetting position.

 

Losses recognized with respect to certain straddle positions that would otherwise constitute short-term capital losses may be treated as long-term capital losses. This generally has the effect of reducing the tax benefit of such losses.

 

The Funds may not be able to deduct any interest expenses or carrying charges. During the offsetting period, any interest or carrying charges associated with the straddle are not currently tax deductible, but must be capitalized (added to cost basis).

 

Original Issue Discount, Pay-In-Kind Securities, Market Discount and Commodity-Linked Notes. Some debt obligations with a fixed maturity date of more than one year from the date of issuance (and zero-coupon debt obligations with a fixed maturity date of more than one year from the date of issuance) that may be acquired by a Fund may be treated as debt obligations that are issued originally at a discount. Generally, the amount of the original issue discount (“OID”) is treated as interest income and is included in the Fund’s taxable income (and required to be distributed by the Fund) over the term of the debt obligation, even though payment of that amount is not received until a later time, upon partial or full repayment or disposition of the debt security.

 

Some debt obligations (with a fixed maturity date of more than one year from the date of issuance) that may be acquired by a Fund in the secondary market may be treated as having “market discount.” Very generally, market discount is the excess of the stated redemption price of a debt obligation (or in the case of an obligations issued with OID, its “revised issue price”) over the purchase price of such obligation. Generally, any gain recognized on the disposition of, and any partial payment of principal on, a debt obligation having market discount is treated as ordinary income to the extent the gain, or principal payment, does not exceed the “accrued market discount” on such debt obligation. Alternatively, a Fund may elect to accrue market discount currently, in which case the Fund will be required to include the accrued market discount in the Fund’s income (as ordinary income) and thus distribute it over the term of the debt security, even though payment of that amount is not received until a later time, upon partial or full repayment or disposition of the debt security. The rate at which the market discount accrues, and thus is included in the Fund’s income, will depend upon which of the permitted accrual methods the Fund elects. In the case of higher-risk securities, the amount of market discount may be unclear. See “Higher-Risk Securities.”

 

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Some debt obligations (with a fixed maturity date of one year or less from the date of issuance) that may be acquired by a Fund may be treated as having “acquisition discount” (very generally, the excess of the stated redemption price over the purchase price), or OID in the case of certain types of debt obligations. The Fund will be required to include the acquisition discount, or OID, in income (as ordinary income) over the term of the debt obligation, even though payment of that amount is not received until a later time, upon partial or full repayment or disposition of the debt security. The Fund may make one or more of the elections applicable to debt obligations having acquisition discount, or OID, which could affect the character and timing of recognition of income.

 

In addition, payment-in-kind securities will, and commodity-linked notes may, give rise to income that is required to be distributed and is taxable even though the Fund holding the security receives no interest payment in cash on the security during the year.

 

If a Fund holds the foregoing kinds of securities, they may be required to pay out as an income distribution each year an amount that is greater than the total amount of cash interest the Fund actually received. Such distributions may be made from the cash assets of the Fund or by liquidation of portfolio securities, if necessary (including when it is not advantageous to do so). The Fund may realize gains or losses from such liquidations. In the event the Fund realizes net capital gains from such transactions, their shareholders may receive a larger capital gain distribution than they would in the absence of such transactions.

 

Higher-Risk Securities. To the extent such investments are permissible for a Fund, the Fund may invest in debt obligations that are in the lowest rating categories or are unrated, including debt obligations of issuers not currently paying interest or who are in default. Investments in debt obligations that are at risk of or in default present special tax issues for the Fund. Tax rules are not entirely clear about issues such as when the Fund may cease to accrue interest, OID or market discount, when and to what extent deductions may be taken for bad debts or worthless securities and how payments received on obligations in default should be allocated between principal and income. In limited circumstances, it may also not be clear whether the Fund should recognize market discount on a debt obligation, and if so, what amount of market discount the Fund should recognize. These and other related issues will be addressed by the Fund when, as and if it invests in such securities, in order to seek to ensure that it distributes sufficient income to preserve its status as a regulated investment company and does not become subject to U.S. federal income or excise tax.

 

Issuer Deductibility of Interest. A portion of the interest paid or accrued on certain high yield discount obligations owned by a Fund may not be deductible to (and thus, may affect the cash flow of) the issuer. If a portion of the interest paid or accrued on certain high yield discount obligations is not deductible, that portion will be treated as a dividend for purposes of the corporate dividends-received deduction. In such cases, if the issuer of the high yield discount obligations is a domestic corporation, dividend payments by the Fund may be eligible for the dividends-received deduction to the extent of the deemed dividend portion of such accrued interest.

 

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Interest paid on debt obligations owned by a Fund, if any, that are considered for U.S. tax purposes to be payable in the equity of the issuer or a related party will not be deductible to the issuer, possibly affecting the cash flow of the issuer.

 

Tax-Exempt Shareholders. A tax-exempt shareholder could recognize UBTI by virtue of its investment in a Fund if shares in the Fund constitute debt-financed property in the hands of the tax-exempt shareholder within the meaning of Internal Revenue Code Section 514(b). Furthermore, a tax-exempt shareholder may recognize UBTI if the Fund recognize “excess inclusion income” derived from direct or indirect investments in residual interests in REMICs or equity interests in TMPs if the amount of such income recognized by the Fund exceeds the Fund’s investment company taxable income (after taking into account deductions for dividends paid by the Fund).

 

In addition, special tax consequences apply to charitable remainder trusts (“CRTs”) that invest in regulated investment companies that invest directly or indirectly in residual interests in REMICs or equity interests in TMPs. Under legislation enacted in December 2006, a CRT (as defined in section 664 of the Internal Revenue Code) that realizes any UBTI for a taxable year, must pay an excise tax annually of an amount equal to such UBTI. Under IRS guidance issued in October 2006, a CRT will not recognize UBTI solely as a result of investing in a Fund that recognize “excess inclusion income.” Rather, if at any time during any taxable year a CRT (or one of certain other tax-exempt shareholders, such as the United States, a state or political subdivision, or an agency or instrumentality thereof, and certain energy cooperatives) is a record holder of a share in the Fund that recognize “excess inclusion income,” then the regulated investment company will be subject to a tax on that portion of its “excess inclusion income” for the taxable year that is allocable to such shareholders, at the highest federal corporate income tax rate. The extent to which this IRS guidance remains applicable in light of the December 2006 legislation is unclear. To the extent permitted under the 1940 Act, a Fund may elect to specially allocate any such tax to the applicable CRT, or other shareholder, and thus reduce such shareholder’s distributions for the year by the amount of the tax that relates to such shareholder’s interest in the Fund. The Funds have not yet determined whether such an election will be made. CRTs and other tax-exempt investors are urged to consult their tax advisers concerning the consequences of investing in the Funds.

 

Foreign Taxation. Income received by a Fund from sources within foreign countries may be subject to withholding and other taxes imposed by such countries. Tax conventions between certain countries and the U.S. may reduce or eliminate such taxes.

 

A “qualified fund of funds” is a RIC that has at least 50% of the value of its total interests invested in other RICs at the end of each quarter of the taxable year. If a Fund satisfies this requirement or if they meet certain other requirements, which include a requirement that more than 50% of the value of the Fund’s total assets at the close of its taxable year consist of stocks or securities of foreign corporations, then the Fund should be eligible to file an election with the IRS that may enable its shareholders to receive either the benefit of a foreign tax credit, or a tax deduction, with respect to any foreign and U.S. possessions income taxes paid by the Fund, subject to certain limitations.

 

Foreign Shareholders. Capital Gain Dividends are generally not subject to withholding of U.S. federal income tax. Absent a specific statutory exemption, dividends other than Capital Gain Dividends paid by a Fund to a shareholder that is not a “U.S. person” within the meaning of the Internal Revenue Code (such shareholder, a “foreign shareholder”) are subject to withholding of U.S. federal income tax at a rate of 30% (or lower applicable treaty rate) even if they are funded by income or gains (such as portfolio interest, short-term capital gains, or foreign-source dividend and interest income) that, if paid to a foreign person directly, would not be subject to withholding.

 

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A regulated investment company is not required to withhold any amounts (i) with respect to distributions (other than distributions to a foreign person (a) that does not provide a satisfactory statement that the beneficial owner is not a U.S. person, (b) to the extent that the dividend is attributable to certain interest on an obligation if the foreign person is the issuer or is a 10% shareholder of the issuer, (c) that is within a foreign country that has inadequate information exchange with the United States, or (d) to the extent the dividend is attributable to interest paid by a person that is a related person of the foreign person and the foreign person is a controlled foreign corporation) from U.S.-source interest income of types similar to those not subject to U.S. federal income tax if earned directly by an individual foreign person, to the extent such distributions are properly reported as such by a Fund in a written notice to shareholders (“interest-related dividends”), and (ii) with respect to distributions (other than (a) distributions to an individual foreign person who is present in the United States for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the year of the distribution and (b) distributions subject to special rules regarding the disposition of U.S. real property interests as described below) of net short-term capital gains in excess of net long-term capital losses to the extent such distributions are properly reported by the regulated investment company (“short-term capital gain dividends”). If the Fund invests in an underlying fund that pays such distributions to the Fund, such distributions retain their character as not subject to withholding if properly reported when paid by the Fund to foreign persons.

 

The Funds are permitted to report such part of their dividends as interest-related or short-term capital gain dividends as are eligible, but is not required to do so. These exemptions from withholding will not be available to foreign shareholders of a Fund that do not currently report dividends as interest-related or short-term capital gain dividends.

 

In the case of shares held through an intermediary, the intermediary may withhold even if the Fund report all or a portion of a payment as an interest-related or short-term capital gain dividend to shareholders. Foreign persons should contact their intermediaries regarding the application of these rules to their accounts.

 

Under U.S. federal tax law, a beneficial holder of shares who is a foreign shareholder generally is not subject to U.S. federal income tax on gains (and is not allowed a deduction for losses) realized on the sale of shares of a 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, (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, or (iii) the special rules relating to gain attributable to the sale or exchange of “U.S. real property interests” (“USRPIs”) apply to the foreign shareholder’s sale of shares of the Fund or to the Capital Gain Dividend the foreign shareholder received (as described below).

 

Special rules would apply if the Fund is either a “U.S. real property holding corporation” (“USRPHC”) or would be a USRPHC but for the operation of certain exceptions to the definition thereof. Very generally, a USRPHC is a domestic corporation that holds USRPIs the fair market value of which equals or exceeds 50% of the sum of the fair market values of the corporation’s USPRIs, interests in real property located outside the United States, and other assets. USRPIs are generally defined as any interest in U.S. real property and any interest (other than solely as a creditor) in a USRPHC or former USRPHC.

 

If a Fund is a USRPHC or would be a USRPHC but for the exceptions referred to above, any distributions by the Fund to a foreign shareholder (including, in certain cases, distributions made by the Fund in redemption of its shares) attributable to gains realized by the Fund on the disposition of USRPIs or to distributions received by the Fund from a lower-tier regulated investment company or REIT that the Fund is required to treat as USRPI gain in its hands generally would be subject to U.S. tax withholding. In addition, such distributions could result in the foreign shareholder being required to file a U.S. tax return and pay tax on the distributions at regular U.S. federal income tax rates. The consequences to a foreign shareholder, including the rate of such withholding and character of such distributions (e.g., as ordinary income or USRPI gain), would vary depending upon the extent of the foreign shareholder’s current and past ownership of the Fund. On and after January 1, 2012, this “look-through” USRPI treatment for distributions by the Fund, if it were either a USRPHC or would be a USRPHC but for the operation of the exceptions referred to above, to foreign shareholders applies only to those distributions that, in turn, are attributable to distributions received by the Fund from a lower-tier REIT, unless Congress enacts legislation providing otherwise.

 

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In addition, if a Fund is a USRPHC or former USRPHC, it could be required to withhold U.S. tax on the proceeds of a share redemption by a greater-than-5% foreign shareholder, in which case such foreign shareholder generally would also be required to file U.S. tax returns and pay any additional taxes due in connection with the redemption.

 

Whether or not a Fund is characterized as a USRPHC will depend upon the nature and mix of the Fund’s assets. The Funds do not expect to be a USRPHC. Foreign shareholders should consult their tax advisors concerning the application of these rules to their investment in the Funds.

 

If a beneficial holder of Fund shares who is a foreign shareholder has a trade or business in the United States, and the dividends are effectively connected with the beneficial holder’s conduct of that trade or business, the dividend will be subject to U.S. federal net income taxation at regular income tax rates.

 

If a beneficial holder of Fund shares who is a foreign shareholder is eligible for the benefits of a tax treaty, any effectively connected income or gain will generally be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a net basis only if it is also attributable to a permanent establishment maintained by that beneficial holder in the United States.

 

To qualify for any exemptions from withholding described above or for lower withholding tax rates under income tax treaties, or to establish an exemption from backup withholding, a foreign shareholder must comply with special certification and filing requirements relating to its non-US status (including, in general, furnishing an IRS Form W-8BEN or substitute form). Foreign shareholders in the Fund should consult their tax advisers in this regard.

 

A beneficial holder of Fund shares who is a foreign shareholder may be subject to state and local tax and to the U.S. federal estate tax in addition to the federal tax on income referred to above.

 

Backup Withholding. Each Fund generally is required to withhold and remit to the U.S. Treasury a percentage of the taxable distributions and redemption proceeds paid to any individual shareholder who fails to properly furnish the Fund with a correct taxpayer identification number, who has under-reported dividend or interest income, or who fails to certify to the Fund that he or she is not subject to such withholding. The backup withholding tax rate is currently 24%.

 

Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld may be credited against the shareholder’s U.S. federal income tax liability, provided the appropriate information is furnished to the IRS.

 

Tax Shelter Reporting Regulations. Under U.S. Treasury regulations, if a shareholder recognizes a loss with respect to a Fund’s shares of $2 million or more for an individual shareholder or $10 million or more for a corporate shareholder, the shareholder must file with the IRS a disclosure statement on Form 8886. Direct shareholders of portfolio securities are in many cases excepted from this reporting requirement, but under current guidance, shareholders of a regulated investment company are not excepted. Future guidance may extend the current exception from this reporting requirement to shareholders of most or all regulated investment companies. The fact that a loss is reportable under these regulations does not affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayer’s treatment of the loss is proper. Shareholders should consult their tax advisers to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances.

 

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Shareholder Reporting Obligations With Respect to Foreign Financial Assets. Certain individuals (and, if provided in future guidance, certain domestic entities) must disclose annually their interests in “specified foreign financial assets” on IRS Form 8938, which must be attached to their U.S. federal income tax returns for taxable years beginning after March 18, 2010. The IRS has not yet released a copy of the Form 8938 and has suspended the requirement to attach Form 8938 for any taxable year for which an income tax return is filed before the release of Form 8938. Following Form 8938’s release, individuals will be required to attach to their next income tax return required to be filed with the IRS a Form 8938 for each taxable year for which the filing of Form 8938 was suspended. Until the IRS provides more details regarding this reporting requirement, including in Form 8938 itself and related Treasury regulations, it remains unclear under what circumstances, if any, a shareholder’s (indirect) interest in the Fund’s “specified foreign financial assets,” if any, will be required to be reported on this Form 8938.

 

Other Reporting and Withholding Requirements. Rules enacted in March 2010 require the reporting to the IRS of direct and indirect ownership of foreign financial accounts and foreign entities by U.S. persons. Failure to provide this required information can result in a 30% withholding tax on certain payments (“withholdable payments”) made after December 31, 2013. Specifically, withholdable payments subject to this 30% withholding tax include payments of U.S.-source dividends and interest made on or after January 1, 2014, and payments of gross proceeds from the sale or other disposal of property that can produce U.S.-source dividends or interest made on or after January 1, 2015.

 

The IRS has issued only very preliminary guidance with respect to these new rules; their scope remains unclear and potentially subject to material change. Very generally, it is possible that distributions made by the Fund after the dates noted above (or such later dates as may be provided in future guidance) to a shareholder, including a distribution in redemption of shares and a distribution of income or gains otherwise exempt from withholding under the rules applicable to non-U.S. shareholders described above (e.g., Capital Gain Dividends, Short-Term Capital Gain Dividends and interest-related dividends, as described above) will be subject to the new 30% withholding requirement. Payments to a foreign shareholder that is a “foreign financial institution” will generally be subject to withholding, unless such shareholder enters into a timely agreement with the IRS. Payments to shareholders that are U.S. persons or foreign individuals will generally not be subject to withholding, so long as such shareholders provide the Fund with such certifications or other documentation, including, to the extent required, with regard to such shareholders’ direct and indirect owners, as the Fund require to comply with the new rules. Persons investing in the Fund through an intermediary should contact their intermediary regarding the application of the new reporting and withholding regime to their investments in the Fund.

 

Shareholders are urged to consult a tax advisor regarding this new reporting and withholding regime, in light of their particular circumstances.

 

Shares Purchased through Tax-Qualified Plans. Special tax rules apply to investments through defined contribution plans and other tax-qualified plans. Shareholders should consult their tax advisers to determine the suitability of shares of the Fund as an investment through such plans, and the precise effect of an investment on their particular tax situation.

 

FATCA. Payments to a shareholder that is either a foreign financial institution (“FFI”) or a non-financial foreign entity (“NFFE”) within the meaning of the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (“FATCA”) may be subject to a generally nonrefundable 30% withholding tax on: (a) income dividends paid by a Fund after June 30, 2014 and (b) certain capital gain distributions. FATCA withholding tax generally can be avoided: (a) by an FFI, subject to any applicable intergovernmental agreement or other exemption, if it enters into a valid agreement with the IRS to, among other requirements, report required information about certain direct and indirect ownership of foreign financial accounts held by U.S. persons with the FFI and (b) by an NFFE, if it: (i) certifies that it has no substantial U.S. persons as owners or (ii) if it does have such owners, reports information relating to them. The Fund may disclose the information that it receives from its shareholders to the IRS, non-U.S. taxing authorities or other parties as necessary to comply with FATCA. Withholding also may be required if a foreign entity that is a shareholder of the Fund fails to provide the Fund with appropriate certifications or other documentation concerning its status under FATCA.

 

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Possible Tax Law Changes. At the time this SAI was prepared, there were various legislative proposals under consideration that would amend the Internal Revenue Code. At this time, though, it is not possible to determine whether any of these proposals will become law and how these changes might affect the Fund or its shareholders.

 

The foregoing is a general and abbreviated summary of the provisions of the Internal Revenue Code and the Treasury regulations in effect as they directly govern the taxation of the Funds and their shareholders. These provisions are subject to change by legislative and administrative action, and any such change may be retroactive. Shareholders are urged to consult their tax advisers regarding specific questions as to U.S. federal income, estate or gift taxes, or foreign, state, local taxes or other taxes.

 

BROKERAGE ALLOCATION AND OTHER PRACTICES

 

Brokerage Transactions. Generally, equity securities are bought and sold through brokerage transactions for which commissions are payable. Purchases from underwriters will include the underwriting commission or concession, and purchases from dealers serving as market makers will include a dealer's mark-up or reflect a dealer's mark-down. The purchase price for securities bought from dealers serving as market makers will similarly include the dealer's mark up or reflect a dealer's mark down. When a Fund executes transactions in the over-the-counter market, it will generally deal with primary market makers unless prices that are more favorable are otherwise obtainable.

 

In selecting brokers and dealers to execute portfolio transactions, the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser may consider research and brokerage services furnished to the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser or their affiliates. The Adviser or the Sub-Adviser may not consider sales of shares of the Funds as a factor in the selection of brokers and dealers, but may place portfolio transactions with brokers and dealers that promote or sell a Fund’s shares so long as such transactions are done in accordance with the policies and procedures established by the Trustees that are designed to ensure that the selection is based on the quality of execution and not on sales efforts. When placing portfolio transactions with a broker or dealer, the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser may aggregate securities to be sold or purchased for the Funds with those to be sold or purchased for other advisory accounts managed by the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser. In aggregating such securities, the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser will average the transaction as to price and will allocate available investments in a manner that the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser believes to be fair and reasonable to the Funds and such other advisory accounts. An aggregated order will generally be allocated on a pro rata basis among all participating accounts, based on the relative dollar values of the participating accounts, or using any other method deemed to be fair to the participating accounts, with any exceptions to such methods involving the Trust being reported to the Trustees.

 

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Section 28(e) of the 1934 Act permits the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser, under certain circumstances, to cause the Funds to pay a broker or dealer a commission for effecting a transaction in excess of the amount of commission another broker or dealer would have charged for effecting the transaction in recognition of the value of brokerage and research services provided by the broker or dealer. In addition to agency transactions, the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser may receive brokerage and research services in connection with certain riskless principal transactions, in accordance with applicable SEC guidance. Brokerage and research services include: (1) furnishing advice as to the value of securities, the advisability of investing in, purchasing or selling securities, and the availability of securities or purchasers or sellers of securities; (2) furnishing analyses and reports concerning issuers, industries, securities, economic factors and trends, Fund strategy, and the performance of accounts; and (3) effecting securities transactions and performing functions incidental thereto (such as clearance, settlement, and custody). In the case of research services, the Adviser believes that access to independent investment research is beneficial to its investment decision-making processes and, therefore, to the Funds.

 

To the extent that research services may be a factor in selecting brokers, such services may be in written form or through direct contact with individuals and may include information as to particular companies and securities as well as market, economic, or institutional areas and information which assists in the valuation and pricing of investments. Examples of research-oriented services for which the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser might utilize Fund commissions include research reports and other information on the economy, industries, sectors, groups of securities, individual companies, statistical information, political developments, technical market action, pricing and appraisal services, credit analysis, risk measurement analysis, performance and other analysis. The Adviser or the Sub-Adviser may use research services furnished by brokers in servicing all client accounts and not all services may necessarily be used in connection with the account that paid commissions to the broker providing such services. Information so received by the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser will be in addition to and not in lieu of the services required to be performed by the Adviser or Sub-Adviser under their respective advisory agreements. Any advisory or other fees paid to the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser are not reduced as a result of the receipt of research services.

 

In some cases the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser may receive a service from a broker that has both a "research" and a "non-research" use. When this occurs, the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser makes a good faith allocation, under all the circumstances, between the research and non-research uses of the service. The percentage of the service that is used for research purposes may be paid for with client commissions, while the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser will use its own funds to pay for the percentage of the service that is used for non-research purposes. In making this good faith allocation, the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser faces a potential conflict of interest, but the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser believes that its allocation procedures are reasonably designed to ensure that it appropriately allocates the anticipated use of such services to their research and non-research uses.

 

From time to time, the Funds may purchase new issues of securities in a fixed price offering. In these situations, the seller may be a member of the selling group that will, in addition to selling securities, provide the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser with research services. FINRA has adopted rules expressly permitting these types of arrangements under certain circumstances. Generally, the seller will provide research "credits" in these situations at a rate that is higher than that which is available for typical secondary market transactions. These arrangements may not fall within the safe harbor of Section 28(e).

 

Brokerage with Fund Affiliates. The Funds may execute brokerage or other agency transactions through registered broker-dealer affiliates of the Fund, the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser for a commission in conformity with the 1940 Act, the 1934 Act and rules promulgated by the SEC. These rules further require that commissions paid to the affiliate by the Funds for exchange transactions not exceed "usual and customary" brokerage commissions. The rules define "usual and customary" commissions to include amounts which are "reasonable and fair compared to the commission, fee or other remuneration received or to be received by other brokers in connection with comparable transactions involving similar securities being purchased or sold on a securities exchange during a comparable period of time." The Trustees, including those who are not "interested persons" of the Funds, have adopted procedures for evaluating the reasonableness of commissions paid to affiliates and review these procedures periodically.

 

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Securities of "Regular Broker-Dealers”. Each Fund is required to identify any securities of its "regular brokers and dealers" (as such term is defined in the 1940 Act) which the Fund may hold at the close of its most recent fiscal year. Each Fund is newly formed and has not commenced operations as of the date of this SAI.

 

DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO SECURITIES HOLDINGS

 

On each Business Day (as defined in the Creation and Redemption of Creation Units section of this SAI), prior to the opening of regular trading on the Funds’ primary listing exchange, the Funds disclose on their website (www.XXX.com) certain information relating to the portfolio holdings that will form the basis of the Funds’ next net asset value per share calculation.

 

In addition, certain information may also be made available to certain parties:

 

Communications of Data Files: Each Fund may make available through the facilities of the National Securities Clearing Corporation (“NSCC”) or through posting on the Fund’s website, prior to the opening of trading on each business day, a list of the Fund’s holdings (generally pro-rata) that Authorized Participants could deliver to the Fund to settle purchases of the Fund (i.e. Deposit Securities) or that Authorized Participants would receive from the Fund to settle redemptions of the Fund (i.e. Fund Securities). These files are known as the Portfolio Composition Files and the Fund Data Files (collectively, “Files”). The Files are applicable for the next trading day and are provided to the NSCC and/or posted on the Funds’ website after the close of markets in the U.S.

 

Communications with Authorized Participants and Liquidity Providers: Certain employees of the Adviser, Distributor and Custodian are responsible for interacting with Authorized Participants and liquidity providers with respect to discussing custom basket proposals as described in the Custom Baskets section of this SAI. As part of these discussions, these employees may discuss with an Authorized Participant or liquidity provider the securities each Fund is willing to accept for a creation, and securities that the Fund will provide on a redemption.

 

The Adviser may also discuss portfolio holdings-related information with broker/dealers, in connection with settling each Fund’s transactions, as may be necessary to conduct business in the ordinary course in a manner consistent with the disclosure in the Funds’ current registration statement.

 

Communications with Listing Exchanges: From time to time, employees of the Adviser, Distributor and/or Custodian may discuss portfolio holdings information with the applicable primary listing exchange for the Funds as needed to meet the exchange listing standards.

 

Communication of Other Information: Certain explanatory information regarding the Files is released to Authorized Participants and liquidity providers on a daily basis, but is only done so after the Files are posted to the Funds’ website.

 

Third-Party Service Providers: Certain portfolio holdings information may be disclosed to the Trustees and their counsel, outside counsel for the Funds, auditors and to certain third-party service providers (i.e., fund administrator, custodian, proxy voting service, and printers), as may be necessary to conduct business in the ordinary course in a manner consistent with applicable policies, agreements with the Funds, the terms of the current registration statement and federal securities laws and regulations thereunder.

 

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Each Fund files its complete portfolio holdings schedule with the SEC on a quarterly basis. This schedule is filed with the Trust’s annual and semi-annual reports on Form N-CSR for the second and fourth fiscal quarters and on Form N-PORT for the first and third fiscal quarters. Certain portfolio information is also included on Form N-PORT that is filed for the second and fourth fiscal quarters. The portfolio holdings information provided in these reports is as of the end of the respective quarter. Form N-CSR must be filed with the SEC no later than ten (10) calendar days after the Trust transmits its annual or semi-annual report to its shareholders. Form N-PORT must be filed with the SEC and will be made publicly available no later than sixty (60) calendar days after the end of the applicable quarter.

 

No consideration may be received by the Funds, the Adviser, or any other person in connection with the disclosure of portfolio information. The Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer or his or her delegate may authorize disclosure of portfolio holdings information pursuant to the above policy and procedures, subject to restrictions on selective disclosure imposed by applicable law. The Board reviews the policy and procedures for disclosure of portfolio holdings information at least annually.

 

DESCRIPTION OF SHARES

 

The Trust’s Agreement and Declaration of Trust authorizes the Board to issue an unlimited number of full and fractional shares of beneficial interest in the Trust and to classify or reclassify any unissued shares into one or more series of shares. The Agreement and Declaration of Trust further authorizes the trustees to classify or reclassify any series of shares into one or more classes. The Trust’s shares of beneficial interest have no par value.

 

Each Fund is authorized to issue one class of shares imposing no front-end or deferred sales charges, no 12b-1 fee and no service fee.

 

Shares have no preemptive rights and only such conversion or exchange rights as the Board may grant in its discretion. When issued for payment as described in the applicable prospectus, shares will be fully paid and non-assessable. In the event of a liquidation or dissolution of the Trust or an individual fund, shareholders of a fund are entitled to receive the assets available for distribution belonging to the particular fund, and a proportionate distribution, based upon the relative asset values of the respective fund, of any general assets of the Trust not belonging to any particular fund which are available for distribution.

 

Shareholders are entitled to one vote for each full share held, and a proportionate fractional vote for each fractional share held and will vote in the aggregate and not by class, except as otherwise expressly required by law or when the Board determines that the matter to be voted on affects only the interests of shareholders of a particular class. Voting rights are not cumulative and, accordingly, the holders of more than 50% of the aggregate of the Trust’s outstanding shares may elect all of the trustees, irrespective of the votes of other shareholders.

 

Rule 18f-2 under the 1940 Act provides that any matter required to be submitted to the holders of the outstanding voting securities of an investment company such as the Trust shall not be deemed to have been effectively acted upon unless approved by the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of each fund affected by the matter. A particular fund is deemed to be affected by a matter unless it is clear that the interests of each fund in the matter are substantially identical or that the matter does not affect any interest of the fund. Under the Rule, the approval of an investment management agreement or any change in an investment objective, if fundamental, or in a fundamental investment policy would be effectively acted upon with respect to a fund only if approved by a majority of the outstanding shares of such fund. However, the Rule also provides that the ratification of the appointment of independent public accountants, the approval of principal underwriting contracts and the election of trustees may be effectively acted upon by shareholders of the Trust voting without regard to series or class.

 

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The Trust does not presently intend to hold annual meetings of shareholders except as required by the 1940 Act or other applicable law. Upon the written request of shareholders owning at least 25% of the Trust’s shares, the Trust will call for a meeting of shareholders to consider the removal of one or more trustees and other certain matters. To the extent required by law, the Trust will assist in shareholder communication in such matters.

 

The Board has full power and authority, in its sole discretion, and without obtaining shareholder approval, to divide or combine the shares of any class or series thereof into a greater or lesser number, to classify or reclassify any issued shares or any class or series thereof into one or more classes or series of shares, and to take such other action with respect to the Trust’s shares as the Board may deem desirable. The Agreement and Declaration of Trust authorizes the Trustees, without shareholder approval, to cause the Trust to merge or to consolidate with any corporation, association, trust or other organization in order to change the form of organization and/or domicile of the Trust or to sell or exchange all or substantially all of the assets of the Trust, or any series or class thereof, in dissolution of the Trust, or any series or class thereof. The Agreement and Declaration of Trust permits the termination of the Trust or of any series or class of the Trust by the Trustees without shareholder approval. However, the exercise of such authority by the Board without shareholder approval may be subject to certain restrictions or limitations under the 1940 Act.

 

PROXY VOTING

 

The Board of Trustees of the Trust has delegated responsibility for decisions regarding proxy voting for securities held by each Fund to the Adviser. The Adviser will vote such proxies in accordance with its proxy voting policies and procedures, which are included in Exhibit B to this SAI. The Board of Trustees will periodically review each Fund’s proxy voting record. The proxy voting policies and procedures of the Trust are included as Exhibit A to this SAI.

 

The Trust is required to disclose annually each Fund’s complete proxy voting record on Form N-PX. Any material changes to the proxy policies and procedures will be submitted to the Board for approval. Information regarding how each Fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities for the most recent 12-month period ending June 30, will be available (1) without charge, upon request by calling XXX-XXX-XXXX or by writing to the Fund at 8730 Stony Point Parkway, Suite 205, Richmond, Virginia 23235; and (2) on the SEC’s Internet website at http://www.sec.gov.

 

CODES OF ETHICS

 

The Board of Trustees, on behalf of the Trust, has adopted a Code of Ethics pursuant to Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act. In addition, the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser and the Administrator have each adopted Codes of Ethics pursuant to Rule 17j-1. These Codes of Ethics apply to the personal investing activities of trustees, officers and certain employees (“access persons”). Rule 17j-1 and the Codes of Ethics are designed to prevent unlawful practices in connection with the purchase or sale of securities by access persons. Under each Code of Ethics, access persons are permitted to engage in personal securities transactions, but are required to report their personal securities transactions for monitoring purposes. The personnel subject to the Codes are permitted to invest in securities, including securities that may be purchased or held by the Funds. In addition, certain access persons are required to obtain approval before investing in initial public offerings or private placements, or are prohibited from making such investments. Copies of these Codes of Ethics are on file with the SEC, and are available to the public on the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s Internet website at http://www.sec.gov.

 

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FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

The Funds are new and do not have audited financial statements at this time. Upon completion of the Funds’ first fiscal period/year, audited financial statements will become available.

 

Tuttle Capital Funds 

8730 Stony Point Parkway, Suite 205 

Richmond, Virginia 23235 

Telephone: XXX-XXX-XXXX

 

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EXHIBIT A

 

ETF OPPORTUNITIES TRUST

 

PROXY VOTING POLICY AND PROCEDURES

 

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

 

Delegation of Proxy Voting Authority to Fund Advisers

 

The Board believes that the investment adviser, or the investment sub-adviser as appropriate, of each Fund (each an “Adviser”), as the entity that selects the individual securities that comprise its Fund’s portfolio, is the most knowledgeable and best-suited to make decisions on how to vote proxies of portfolio companies held by that Fund. The Trust shall therefore defer to, and rely on, the Adviser of each Fund to make decisions on how to cast proxy votes on behalf of such Fund.

 

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

 

Conflict of Interest Transactions

 

In some instances, an Adviser may be asked to cast a proxy vote that presents a conflict between the interests of a Fund’s shareholders and those of the Adviser or an affiliated person of the Adviser. In such case, the Adviser is instructed to abstain from making a voting decision and to forward all necessary proxy voting materials to the Trust to enable the Board to make a voting decision. When the Board is required to make a proxy voting decision, only the Trustees without a conflict of interest with regard to the security in question or the matter to be voted upon shall be permitted to participate in the decision of how the Fund’s vote will be cast. In the event that the Board is required to vote a proxy because an Adviser has a conflict of interest with respect to the proxy, the Board will vote such proxy in accordance with the Adviser’s proxy voting policy, to the extent consistent with the shareholders’ best interests, as determined by the Board in its discretion. The Board shall notify the Adviser of its final decision on the matter and the Adviser shall vote in accordance with the Board’s decision. 

 

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Availability of Proxy Voting Policy and Records Available to Fund Shareholders

 

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

 

Each Adviser shall provide a complete voting record, as required by the Proxy Rule, for each series of the Trust for which it acts as adviser, to the Trust’s administrator within 30 days following the end of each 12-month period ending June 30. The Trust’s administrator will file a report based on such record on Form N-PX on an annual basis with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission no later than August 31st of each year.

 

Adopted: December 4, 2019 

 

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EXHIBIT B

 

PROXY VOTING POLICY AND PROCEDURES [ADVISER]

 

[Policies to be provided by Tuttle]

 

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EXHIBIT C

 

Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee Charter 

ETF Opportunities Trust

 

Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee Membership

 

1.The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee of ETF Opportunities Trust (the “Trust”) shall be composed entirely of Independent Trustees.

 

Board Nominations and Functions

 

1.The Committee shall make nominations for Trustee membership on the Board of Trustees, including the Independent Trustees. The Committee shall evaluate candidates’ qualifications for Board membership and their independence from the investment advisers to the Trust’s series portfolios and the Trust’s other principal service providers. Persons selected as Independent Trustees must not be an “interested person” as that term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, nor shall Independent Trustees have any affiliations or associations that shall preclude them from voting as an Independent Trustee on matters involving approvals and continuations of Rule 12b-1 Plans, Investment Advisory Agreements and such other standards as the Committee shall deem appropriate. The Committee shall also consider the effect of any relationships beyond those delineated in the 1940 Act that might impair independence, e.g., business, financial or family relationships with managers or service providers. See Appendix A for Procedures with Respect to Nominees to the Board.

2.The Committee shall periodically review Board governance procedures and shall recommend any appropriate changes to the full Board of Trustees.

3.The Committee shall periodically review the composition of the Board of Trustees to determine whether it may be appropriate to add individuals with different backgrounds or skill sets from those already on the Board.

4.The Committee shall periodically review trustee compensation and shall recommend any appropriate changes to the Independent Trustees as a group.

 

Committee Nominations and Functions

 

1.The Committee shall make nominations for membership on all committees and shall review committee assignments at least annually.

2.The Committee shall review, as necessary, the responsibilities of any committees of the Board, whether there is a continuing need for each committee, whether there is a need for additional committees of the Board, and whether committees should be combined or reorganized. The Committee shall make recommendations for any such action to the full Board.

 

Other Powers and Responsibilities

 

1.The Committee shall have the resources and authority appropriate to discharge its responsibilities, including authority to retain special counsel and other experts or consultants at the expense of the Trust.

2.The Committee shall review this Charter at least annually and recommend any changes to the full Board of Trustees.

 

Adopted: December 4, 2019

 

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APPENDIX A TO THE NOMINATING AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

COMMITTEE CHARTER

 

ETF OPPORTUNITIES TRUST

 

PROCEDURES WITH RESPECT TO NOMINEES TO THE BOARD

 

I.Identification of Candidates. When a vacancy on the Board of Trustees exists or is anticipated, and such vacancy is to be filled by an Independent Trustee, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee shall identify candidates by obtaining referrals from such sources as it may deem appropriate, which may include current Trustees, management of the Trust, counsel and other advisors to the Trustees, and shareholders of the Trust who submit recommendations in accordance with these procedures. In no event shall the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee consider as a candidate to fill any such vacancy an individual recommended by any investment adviser of any series portfolio of the Trust, unless the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee has invited management to make such a recommendation.

 

II.Shareholder Candidates. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee shall, when identifying candidates for the position of Independent Trustee, consider any such candidate recommended by a shareholder if such recommendation contains: (i) sufficient background information concerning the candidate, including evidence the candidate is willing to serve as an Independent Trustee if selected for the position; and (ii) is received in a sufficiently timely manner as determined by the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee in its discretion. Shareholders shall be directed to address any such recommendations in writing to the attention of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, c/o the Secretary of the Trust. The Secretary shall retain copies of any shareholder recommendations which meet the foregoing requirements for a period of not more than 12 months following receipt. The Secretary shall have no obligation to acknowledge receipt of any shareholder recommendations.

 

III.Evaluation of Candidates. In evaluating a candidate for a position on the Board of Trustees, including any candidate recommended by shareholders of the Trust, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee shall consider the following: (i) the candidate’s knowledge in matters relating to the mutual fund industry; (ii) any experience possessed by the candidate as a director or senior officer of public companies; (iii) the candidate’s educational background; (iv) the candidate’s reputation for high ethical standards and professional integrity; (v) any specific financial, technical or other expertise possessed by the candidate, and the extent to which such expertise would complement the Board’s existing mix of skills, core competencies and qualifications; (vi) the candidate’s perceived ability to contribute to the ongoing functions of the Board, including the candidate’s ability and commitment to attend meetings regularly and work collaboratively with other members of the Board; (vii) the candidate’s ability to qualify as an Independent Trustee and any other actual or potential conflicts of interest involving the candidate and the Trust; and (viii) such other factors as the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee determines to be relevant in light of the existing composition of the Board and any anticipated vacancies. Prior to making a final recommendation to the Board, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee shall conduct personal interviews with those candidates it concludes are the most qualified candidates.

 

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OTHER INFORMATION

 

Item 28. Exhibits

 

(a)(1)   Certificate of Trust of ETF Opportunities Trust (“Registrant”) is herein incorporated by reference from the Registrant’s Pre-Effective Amendment No 1 on Form N-1A/A filed on June 15, 2020. 
     
(a)(2)   Agreement and Declaration of Trust is herein incorporated by reference from the Registrant’s Pre-Effective Amendment No 1 on Form N-1A/A filed on June 15, 2020.
     
(b)   By-Laws of the Registrant is herein incorporated by reference from the Registrant’s Pre-Effective Amendment No 1 on Form N-1A/A filed on June 15, 2020.
     
(c)   Articles IV, VII and VIII of the Declaration of Trust, Exhibit 28(a)(2) above, define the rights of holders of the securities being registered. (Certificates for shares are not issued.)
     
(d)(1)   Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and Ridgeline Research LLC on behalf of the American Conservative Values ETF and American Conservative Values Small-Cap ETF is herein incorporated by reference from the Registrant’s Pre-Effective Amendment No 1 on Form N-1A/A filed on June 15, 2020.
     
(d)(2)   Sub-Advisory Agreement between Vident Investment Advisory, LLC and Ridgeline Research LLC on behalf of the American Conservative Values ETF and American Conservative Values Small-Cap ETF is herein incorporated by reference from the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 8 on Form N-1A filed on April 16, 2021.
     
(d)(3)   Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and Formidable Asset Management, LLC on behalf of the Formidable ETF, the Formidable Small/Mid Cap ETF and the Formidable Fortress ETF (“Formidable ETFs”) is herein incorporated by reference from the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 19 on Form N-1A filed on October 12, 2021.
     
(d)(4)   Sub-Advisory Agreement between Toroso Asset Management and Formidable Asset Management, LLC on behalf of the Formidable ETFs is herein incorporated by reference from the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 19 on Form N-1A filed October 12, 2021.
     
(d)(5)   Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and Applied Finance Advisors, LLC on behalf of the Applied Finance Valuation Large Cap ETF is herein incorporated by reference from the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 11 on Form N-1A filed on July 20, 2021.
     
(d)(6)   Sub-Advisory Agreement between Toroso Asset Management and Applied Finance Advisors, LLC on behalf of the Applied Finance Valuation Large Cap ETF is herein incorporated by reference from the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 11 on Form N-1A filed on July 20, 2021.
     
(d)(9)   Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and Gea Sphere, LLC on behalf of the Alpha Dog ETF is herein incorporated by reference from the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 22 on Form N-1A filed November 23, 2021.
     
(d)(10)   Sub-Advisory Agreement between Toroso Asset Management and Gea Sphere, LLC on behalf of the Alpha Dog ETF is herein incorporated by reference from the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 22 on Form N-1A filed November 23, 2021.
     
(d)(11)   Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and Kingsbarn Capital Management, LLC on behalf of the Kingsbarn Tactical Bond ETF is herein incorporated by reference from the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 26 on Form N-1A filed on March 24, 2022.
     
(d)(12)   Sub-Advisory Agreement between Vident Investment Advisory LLC and Kingsbarn Capital Management, LLC on behalf of the Kingsbarn Tactical Bond ETF is herein incorporated by reference from the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 26 on Form N-1A filed on March 24, 2022.

 

 

 

 

(d)(13)   Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and Kingsbarn Capital Management, LLC on behalf of the Kingsbarn Dividend Opportunity ETF (f/k/a Kingsbarn Tactical Inflation ETF) is herein incorporated by reference from the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 45 on Form N-1A filed on March 30, 2023. 
     
(d)(14)   Sub-Advisory Agreement between Vident Investment Advisory LLC and Kingsbarn Capital Management, LLC on behalf of the Kingsbarn Dividend Opportunity ETF (f/k/a Kingsbarn Tactical Inflation ETF) is herein incorporated by reference from the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 45 on Form N-1A filed on March 30, 2023. 
     
(d)(15)   Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and WealthTrust Asset Management, LLC on behalf of the WealthTrust DBS Long Term Growth ETF is herein incorporated by reference from the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 22 on Form N-1A filed November 23, 2021.
     
(d)(16)   Sub-Advisory Agreement between Toroso Asset Management and WealthTrust Asset Management, LLC on behalf of the WealthTrust DBS Long Term Growth ETF is herein incorporated by reference from the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 22 on Form N-1A filed November 23, 2021.
     
(d)(17)   Amended and Restated Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and Cultivar Capital, Inc. on behalf of the Cultivar ETF is herein incorporated by reference from the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 34 on Form N-1A filed on November 28, 2022. 
     
(d)(18)   Sub-Advisory Agreement between Toroso Asset Management and Cultivar Capital, Inc. on behalf of the Cultivar ETF is herein incorporated by reference from the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 26 on Form N-1A filed on March 24, 2022.
     
(d)(24)   Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and Tuttle Capital Management LLC on behalf of Tuttle Capital 2X DBMF ETF (To be Filed by Amendment).
     
(d)(25)   Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and Tuttle Capital Management LLC on behalf of Tuttle Capital 2X All Innovation ETF and Tuttle Capital 2X Inverse All Innovation ETF (To be Filed by Amendment).
     
(e)(1)   Distribution Agreement between the Registrant and Foreside Fund Services, LLC on behalf of  the American Conservative Values ETF and American Conservative Values Small-Cap ETF is herein incorporated by reference from the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 8 on Form N-1A filed on April 16, 2021.
     
(e)(2)   First Amendment to the ETF Distribution Agreement between the Registrant and Foreside Fund Services, LLC on behalf of the American Conservative Values ETF, the American Conservative Values Small-Cap ETF and the Real Asset Strategies ETF is herein incorporated by reference from the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 8 on Form N-1A filed on April 16, 2021.
     
(e)(3)   Third Amendment to the Distribution Agreement between the Registrant and Foreside Fund Services, LLC on behalf of the Funds in the Trust is herein incorporated by reference from the Registrant’s Post-Effective No. 19 on Form N-1A filed on October 12, 2021.
     
(e)(4)   ETF Distribution Agreement between Registrant and Foreside Fund Services, LLC on behalf of the Funds in the Trust is herein incorporated by reference from Registrant’s Post-Effective No 30 on Form N-1A filed on September 1, 2022. 
     
(e)(5)   Fourth Amendment to ETF Distribution Agreement between the Registrant and Foreside Fund Services, LLC on behalf of the Kingsbarn Dividend Opportunity ETF (f/k/a Kingsbarn Tactical Inflation ETF) is herein incorporated by reference from the Registrant’s Post-Effective No. 44 on Form N-1A filed on March 17, 2023. 

 

 

 

 

(e)(6)   Amendment to ETF Distribution Agreement between the Registrant and Foreside Fund Services, LLC on behalf of Tuttle Capital 2X DBMF ETF (To be Filed by Amendment).
     
(e)(7)   Amendment to ETF Distribution Agreement between the Registrant and Foreside Fund Services, LLC on behalf of Tuttle Capital 2X All Innovation ETF and Tuttle Capital 2X Inverse All Innovation ETF (To be Filed by Amendment).
     
(e)(8)   Form of Authorized Participant Agreement with Foreside Fund Services, LLC is herein incorporated by reference from the Registrant’s Pre-Effective Amendment No 1 on Form N-1A/A filed on June 15, 2020.
     
(f)   Not applicable.
     
(g)(1)   Global Custodial and Transfer Agency Services Agreement between the Registrant and Citibank, N.A. on behalf of the American Conservative Values ETF and American Conservative Values Small-Cap ETF is herein incorporated by reference from the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 8 on Form N-1A filed on April 16, 2021.
     
(g)(2)  

Amendment No. 1 to the Global Custodial and Transfer Agency Services Agreement between the Registrant and Citibank, N.A. on behalf of the American Conservative Values ETF and American Conservative Values Small-Cap ETF is herein incorporated by reference from the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 8 on Form N-1A filed on April 16, 2021.

 

(g)(3)   Amendment No. 4 to the Global Custodial and Transfer Agency Services Agreement between the Registrant and Citibank, N.A. on behalf of the Applied Finance Valuation Large Cap ETF is herein incorporated by reference from the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 11 on Form N-1A filed on July 20, 2021.
     
 (g)(4)   Amendment No. 5 to the Global Custodial and Transfer Agency Services Agreement between the Registrant and Citibank, N.A. on behalf of the Formidable ETFs is herein incorporated by reference from the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 11 on Form N-1A filed on July 20, 2021.
     
(g)(5)   Amendment No. 6 to the Global Custodial and Transfer Agency Services Agreement between the Registrant and Citibank, N.A. on behalf of the Alpha Dog ETF and Kingsbarn Tactical Bond ETF is herein incorporated by reference from the Registrant’s Post-Effective No. 19 on Form N-1A filed on October 12, 2021.
     
(g)(6)   Amendment No. 7 to the Global Custodial and Transfer Agency Services Agreement between the Registrant and Citibank, N.A. on behalf of the WealthTrust DBS Long Term Growth ETF and the UBC Algorithmic Fundamentals ETF is herein incorporated by reference from the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 22 on Form N-1A filed November 23, 2021.
     
(g)(7)   Amendment No. 8 to the Global Custodial and Transfer Agency Services Agreement between the Registrant and Citibank, N.A. on behalf of the Cultivar ETF is herein incorporated by reference from the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 26 on Form N-1A filed on March 24, 2022.
     
(g)(8)  

Amendment to the Global Custodial and Transfer Agency Services Agreement between the Registrant and Citibank, N.A. on behalf of the Kingsbarn Dividend Opportunity ETF (f/k/a Kingsbarn Tactical Inflation ETF) is herein incorporated by reference from the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 45 on Form N-1A filed on March 30, 2023. 

 

(g)(9)   Amendment to the Global Custodial and Transfer Agency Services Agreement between the Registrant and Citibank, N.A. on behalf of the Tuttle Capital 2X DBMF ETF (To be Filed by Amendment).

 

 

 

 

(g)(10)   Amendment to Global Custodial and Transfer Agency Services Agreement between the Registrant and Citibank, N.A. on behalf of Tuttle Capital 2X All Innovation ETF and Tuttle Capital 2X Inverse All Innovation ETF (To be Filed by Amendment).
     
(h)(1)   Fund Services Agreement between the Registrant and Commonwealth Fund Services, Inc. on behalf of the American Conservative Values ETF and American Conservative Values Small-Cap ETF is herein incorporated by reference from the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 8 on Form N-1A filed on April 16, 2021.
     
(h)(2)   Fund Services Agreement between the Registrant and Commonwealth Fund Services, Inc. on behalf of the Formidable ETFs is herein incorporated by reference from the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 19 on Form N-1A filed on October 12, 2021.
     
(h)(3)   Fund Services Agreement between the Registrant and Commonwealth Fund Services, Inc. on behalf of the Applied Finance Valuation Large Cap ETF is herein incorporated by reference from the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No 11 on Form N-1A filed on July 20, 2021.
     
(h)(4)   Fund Services Agreement between the Registrant and Commonwealth Fund Services, Inc. on behalf of the Alpha Dog ETF is herein incorporated by reference from the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 22 on Form N-1A filed November 23, 2021.
     
(h)(5)   Fund Services Agreement between the Registrant and Commonwealth Fund Services, Inc. on behalf of the Kingsbarn Tactical Bond ETF is herein incorporated by reference from the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 22 on Form N-1A filed November 23, 2021.
     
(h)(6)   Fund Services Agreement between the Registrant and Commonwealth Fund Services, Inc. on behalf of the Kingsbarn Dividend Opportunity ETF (f/k/a Kingsbarn Tactical Inflation ETF) is herein incorporated by reference from the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 45 on Form N-1A filed on March 30, 2023. 
     
(h)(7)   Fund Services Agreement between the Registrant and Commonwealth Fund Services, Inc. on behalf of the WealthTrust DBS Long Term Growth ETF is herein incorporated by reference from the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 22 on Form N-1A filed November 23, 2021.
     
(h)(8)   Fund Services Agreement between the Registrant and Commonwealth Fund Services, Inc. on behalf of the Cultivar ETF is herein incorporated by reference from the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 26 on Form N-1A filed on March 24, 2022.
     
(h)(9)   Fund Services Agreement between the Registrant and Commonwealth Fund Services, Inc. on behalf of the Tuttle Capital 2X DBMF ETF (To be Filed by Amendment).
     
(h)(10)   Fund Services Agreement between Registrant and Commonwealth Fund Services, Inc. on behalf of Tuttle Capital 2X All Innovation ETF and Tuttle Capital 2X Inverse All Innovation ETF (To be Filed by Amendment).
     
(h)(11)   Services Agreement (Fund Accounting services) between the Registrant, Citi Fund Services Ohio, Inc. and Citibank, N.A. on behalf of the American Conservative Values ETF and the American Conservative Values Small-Cap ETF is herein incorporated by reference from the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 8 on Form N-1A filed on April 16, 2021.
     
(h)(12)   Amendment No. 4 to the Services Agreement (Fund Accounting services) between the Registrant, Citi Fund Services Ohio, Inc. and Citibank, N.A. on behalf of the Funds of the Trust is herein incorporated by reference from the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 8 on Form N-1A filed on April 16, 2021.
     
(h)(13)   Amendment No. 6 to the Services Agreement (Fund Accounting services) between the Registrant, Citi Fund Services Ohio, Inc. and Citibank, N.A. on behalf of the Funds of the Trust is herein incorporated by reference from the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 11 on Form N-1A filed on July 20, 2021.

 

 

 

 

(h)(14)   Amendment No. 7 to the Services Agreement (Fund Accounting services) between the Registrant, Citi Fund Services Ohio, Inc. and Citibank, N.A. on behalf of the Alpha Dog ETF and Kingsbarn Tactical Bond ETF is herein incorporated by reference from the Registrant’s Post-Effective No. 19 on Form N-1A filed on October 12, 2021.
     
(h)(15)   Amendment No. 8 to the Services Agreement (Fund Accounting services) between the Registrant, Citi Fund Services Ohio, Inc. and Citibank, N.A. on behalf of the WealthTrust DBS Long Term Growth ETF is herein incorporated by reference from the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 22 on Form N-1A filed November 23, 2021.
     
(h)(16)   Amendment No. 9 to the Services Agreement (Fund Accounting services) between the Registrant, Citi Fund Services Ohio, Inc. and Citibank, N.A. on behalf of the Cultivar ETF is herein incorporated by reference from the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 26 on Form N-1A filed on March 24, 2022.
     
(h)(17)   Amendment No. 10 to the Services Agreement (Fund Accounting services) between the Registrant, Citi Fund Services Ohio, Inc. and Citibank, N.A. on behalf of the Trust is herein incorporated by reference from Registrant’s Post-Effective No. 33 on Form N-1A filed on November 28, 2022. 
     
(h)(18)   Amendment No. 12 to the Services Agreement (Fund Accounting services) between the Registrant, Citi Fund Services Ohio, Inc. and Citibank, N.A. on behalf of the Kingsbarn Dividend Opportunity ETF (f/k/a Kingsbarn Tactical Inflation ETF) is herein incorporated by reference from the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 45 on Form N-1A filed on March 30, 2023.
     
(h)(19)   Amendment to the Services Agreement (Fund Accounting services) between the Registrant, Citi Fund Services Ohio, Inc. and Citibank, N.A. on behalf of the Tuttle Capital 2X DBMF ETF (To be Filed by Amendment).
     
(h)(20)   Amendment to the Services Agreement (Fund Accounting services) between the Registrant, Citi Fund Services Ohio, Inc. and Citibank, N.A. on behalf of Tuttle Capital 2X All Innovation ETF and Tuttle Capital 2X Inverse All Innovation ETF (To be Filed by Amendment).
     
(h)(21)   Fee Waiver Letter dated March 6, 2023, between the Registrant and Kingsbarn Capital Management, LLC on behalf of the Kingsbarn Tactical Bond ETF is herein incorporated by reference from the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 45 on Form N-1A filed on March 30, 2023.
     
(i)(1)   Opinion and Consent of Practus, LLP regarding the legality of securities registered with respect to the American Conservative Values ETF and the American Conservative Values Small-Cap ETF is herein incorporated by reference from the Registrant’s Pre-Effective Amendment No 1 on Form N-1A/A filed on June 15, 2020.
     
(i)(2)   Consent of Legal Counsel for the American Conservative Values ETF and the American Conservative Values Small-Cap ETF was filed as an exhibit to the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 23 on Form N-1A filed on November 29, 2021.
     
(i)(3)   Opinion and Consent of Counsel regarding the legality of securities registered with respect to the Formidable ETFs is herein incorporated by reference from the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 6 on Form N-1A filed on March 12, 2021.
     
(i)(4)   Consent of Legal Counsel for the Formidable ETFs is herein incorporated by reference from the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 29 on Form N-1A filed on July 29, 2022.  
     
(i)(5)   Opinion and Consent of Counsel regarding the legality of securities registered with respect to the Applied Finance Valuation  Large Cap ETF is herein incorporated by reference from the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 8 on Form N-1A filed on April 16, 2021.

 

 

 

 

(i)(6)   Consent of Legal Counsel for the Applied Finance Valuation Large Cap ETF was filed as an exhibit to the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 27 on Form N-1A filed on April 29, 2022.
     
(i)(7)   Opinion and Consent of Counsel regarding the legality of securities registered with respect to the Alpha Dog ETF is herein incorporated by reference from the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 19 on Form N-1A filed on October 12, 2021.
     
(i)(8)   Opinion and Consent of Counsel regarding the legality of securities registered with respect to the Kingsbarn Tactical Bond ETF is herein incorporated by reference from the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 21 on Form N-1A filed on November 9, 2021.
     
(i)(9)   Opinion and Consent of Counsel regarding the legality of securities registered with respect to the Kingsbarn Dividend Opportunity ETF (f/k/a Kingsbarn Tactical Inflation ETF) is herein incorporated by reference form the Registration’s Post-Effective Amendment No 28 on Form N-1A filed on June 7, 2022.  
     
(i)(10)   Opinion and Consent of Counsel regarding the legality of securities registered with respect to the WealthTrust DBS Long Term Growth is herein incorporated by reference from the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 22 on Form N-1A filed November 23, 2021.
     
(i)(11)   Opinion and Consent of Counsel regarding the legality of securities registered with respect to the Cultivar ETF is herein incorporated by reference from the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 26 on Form N-1A filed on March 24, 2022.
     
(i)(12)   Opinion and Consent of Counsel regarding legality of securities registered with respect to the Tuttle Capital 2X DBMF ETF (To be Filed by Amendment).
     
(i)(13)   Opinion and Consent of Counsel regarding legality of securities registered with respect to Tuttle Capital 2X All Innovation ETF and Tuttle Capital 2X Inverse All Innovation ETF (To be Filed by Amendment).
     
(j)(1)   Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm on behalf of the American Conservative Values ETF and the American Conservative Values Small-Cap ETF is herein incorporated by reference from Registrant’s Post-Effective No 33 on Form N-1A filed on November 28, 2022. 
     
(j)(2)   Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm on behalf of the Formidable ETFs was filed as an exhibit to the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 29 on Form N-1A filed on July 29, 2022. 
     
(j)(3)   Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm on behalf of the Applied Finance Valuation Large Cap ETF was filed as an exhibit to the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 27 on Form N-1A filed on April 29, 2022.
     

(j)(4)

  Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm on behalf of the Cultivar ETF is herein incorporated by reference from Registrant’s Post-Effective No. 34 on Form N-1A filed on November 28, 2022. 
     
(j)(5)   Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm on behalf of the WealthTrust DBS Long Term Growth ETF is herein incorporated by reference from Registrant’s Post-Effective No. 36 on Form N-1A filed on November 28, 2022. 
     
(j)(6)   Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm on behalf of the Alpha Dog ETF is herein incorporated by reference from Registrant’s Post-Effective No. 40 on Form N-1A filed on January 27, 2023. 

 

 

 

 

(j)(7)   Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm on behalf of the Kingsbarn Tactical Bond ETF is herein incorporated by reference from the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 45 on Form N-1A filed on March 30, 2023.
     
(l)   Initial Capital Agreement is herein incorporated by reference from the Registrant’s Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 on Form N-1A/A filed on June 15, 2020.
     
(m)(1)   Plan of Distribution Pursuant to Rule 12b-1. Not Applicable.
     
(n)(1)   Rule 18f-3 Multi-Class Plan. Not applicable.
     
(o)   Reserved.
     
(p)(1)   Code of Ethics for the Registrant is herein incorporated by reference from the Registrant’s Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 on Form N-1A/A filed on June 15, 2020.
     
(p)(2)   Code of Ethics for Ridgeline Research, LLC is herein incorporated by reference from the Registrant’s Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 on Form N-1A/A filed on June 15, 2020.
     
(p)(3)   Code of Ethics for Vident Investment Advisory, LLC is herein incorporated by reference from Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 40 on Form N-1A filed on January 27, 2023.  
     
(p)(4)   Code of Ethics for Formidable Asset Management, LLC is herein incorporated by reference from the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 6 on Form N-1A filed on March 12, 2021.
     
(p)(5)   Code of Ethics for Toroso Asset Management is herein incorporated by reference filed from the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 27 on Form N-1A filed on April 29, 2022.
     
(p)(6)   Code of Ethics for Applied Finance Advisors, LLC is herein incorporated by reference from the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 45 on Form N-1A filed on March 30, 2023.
     
(p)(7)   Code of Ethics for Gea Sphere, LLC (To be Filed by Amendment).
     
(p)(8)   Code of Ethics for Kingsbarn Capital Management, LLC is herein incorporated by reference filed from the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 27 on Form N-1A filed on April 29, 2022.
     
(p)(9)   Code of Ethics for WealthTrust Asset Management, LLC (To be Filed by Amendment).
     
(p)(10)   Code of Ethics for Cultivar Capital, Inc. (To be Filed by Amendment).
     
(p)(11)   Code of Ethics for Tuttle Capital Management LLC (To be Filed by Amendment).
     
(q)   Power of Attorney for Mary Lou H. Ivey, David J. Urban and Theo H. Pitt, Jr. is herein incorporated by reference from the Registrant’s Post-Effective No. 44 on Form N-1A filed on March 17, 2023.
     

Item 29. Persons Controlled By or Under Common Control With Registrant 

Not Applicable.

 

Item 30. Indemnification

 

See Article VIII, Section 2 of the Registrant’s Agreement and Declaration of Trust and the section titled “Indemnification of Trustees, Officers, Employees and Other Agents” in the Registrant’s By-Laws.

 

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

 

 

 

 

Item 31. Business and other Connections of the Investment Adviser

 

The description of the Investment Adviser is found under the caption “Management,” “The Investment Adviser” in the Prospectus and under the caption “Investment Adviser” in the Statement of Additional Information constituting Parts A and B, respectively, of this Registration Statement, which are incorporated by reference herein. The Investment Adviser may provide investment advisory services to persons or entities other than the Registrant.

 

Item 32.Foreside Fund Services, LLC

 

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

 

1.AB Active ETFs, Inc.
2.ABS Long/Short Strategies Fund
3.Absolute Shares Trust
4.Adaptive Core ETF, Series of Collaborative Investment Series Trust
5.AdvisorShares Trust
6.AFA Multi-Manager Credit Fund
7.AGF Investments Trust
8.AIM ETF Products Trust
9.Alexis Practical Tactical ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
10.Alpha Intelligent – Large Cap Growth ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
11.Alpha Intelligent – Large Cap Value ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
12.AlphaCentric Prime Meridian Income Fund
13.American Century ETF Trust
14.Amplify ETF Trust
15.Applied Finance Core Fund, Series of World Funds Trust
16.Applied Finance Explorer Fund, Series of World Funds Trust
17.Applied Finance Select Fund, Series of World Funds Trust
18.ARK ETF Trust
19.ARK Venture Fund
20.ASYMmetric ETFs Trust
21.B.A.D. ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
22.Bitwise Funds Trust
23.Bluestone Community Development Fund
24.BondBloxx ETF Trust
25.Bramshill Multi-Strategy Income Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust
26.Bridgeway Funds, Inc.
27.Brinker Capital Destinations Trust
28.Brookfield Real Assets Income Fund Inc.
29.Build Funds Trust
30.Calamos Convertible and High Income Fund
31.Calamos Convertible Opportunities and Income Fund
32.Calamos Dynamic Convertible and Income Fund
33.Calamos ETF Trust
34.Calamos Global Dynamic Income Fund

 

 

 

 

35.Calamos Global Total Return Fund
36.Calamos Strategic Total Return Fund
37.Carlyle Tactical Private Credit Fund
38.Cboe Vest Bitcoin Strategy Managed Volatility Fund, Series of World Funds Trust
39.Cboe Vest S&P 500® Dividend Aristocrats Target Income Fund, Series of World Funds Trust
40.Cboe Vest US Large Cap 10% Buffer Strategies Fund, Series of World Funds Trust
41.Cboe Vest US Large Cap 10% Buffer VI Fund, Series of World Funds Trust
42.Cboe Vest US Large Cap 20% Buffer Strategies Fund, Series of World Funds Trust
43.Cboe Vest US Large Cap 20% Buffer VI Fund, Series of World Funds Trust
44.Center Coast Brookfield MLP & Energy Infrastructure Fund
45.Clifford Capital Focused Small Cap Value Fund, Series of World Funds Trust
46.Clifford Capital International Value Fund, Series of World Funds Trust
47.Clifford Capital Partners Fund, Series of World Funds Trust
48.Cliffwater Corporate Lending Fund
49.Cliffwater Enhanced Lending Fund
50.Cohen & Steers Infrastructure Fund, Inc.
51.Convergence Long/Short Equity ETF, Series of Trust for Professional Managers
52.CornerCap Small-Cap Value Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series
53.CrossingBridge Pre-Merger SPAC ETF, Series of Trust for Professional Managers
54.Curasset Capital Management Core Bond Fund, Series of World Funds Trust
55.Curasset Capital Management Limited Term Income Fund, Series of World Funds Trust
56.Davis Fundamental ETF Trust
57.Defiance Daily Short Digitizing the Economy ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions
58.Defiance Hotel, Airline, and Cruise ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions
59.Defiance Next Gen Connectivity ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions
60.Defiance Next Gen H2 ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions
61.Defiance Quantum ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions
62.Direxion Shares ETF Trust
63.Dividend Performers ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
64.Dodge & Cox Funds
65.DoubleLine ETF Trust
66.DoubleLine Opportunistic Credit Fund
67.DoubleLine Yield Opportunities Fund
68.Eaton Vance NextShares Trust
69.Eaton Vance NextShares Trust II
70.EIP Investment Trust
71.Ellington Income Opportunities Fund
72.ETF Opportunities Trust
73.Evanston Alternative Opportunities Fund
74.Exchange Listed Funds Trust
75.Fiera Capital Series Trust
76.FlexShares Trust
77.Forum Funds
78.Forum Funds II
79.Forum Real Estate Income Fund
80.Goose Hollow Tactical Allocation ETF, Series of Collaborative Investment Series Trust
81.Grayscale Future of Finance ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions
82.Grizzle Growth ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
83.Guinness Atkinson Funds
84.Harbor ETF Trust
85.Horizon Kinetics Blockchain Development ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
86.Horizon Kinetics Energy and Remediation ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
87.Horizon Kinetics Inflation Beneficiaries ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
88.Horizon Kinetics Medical ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
89.Horizon Kinetics SPAC Active ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
90.IDX Funds
91.Innovator ETFs Trust
92.Ironwood Institutional Multi-Strategy Fund LLC
93.Ironwood Multi-Strategy Fund LLC
94.John Hancock Exchange-Traded Fund Trust
95.Kelly Strategic ETF Trust

 

 

 

 

96.LDR Real Estate Value-Opportunity Fund, Series of World Funds Trust
97.LifeGoal Conservative Wealth Builder ETF, Series of Northern Lights Fund Trust II
98.LifeGoal Home Down Payment ETF, Series of Northern Lights Fund Trust II
99.LifeGoal Wealth Builder ETF, Series of Northern Lights Fund Trust II
100.Mairs & Power Balanced Fund, Series of Trust for Professional Managers
101.Mairs & Power Growth Fund, Series of Trust for Professional Managers
102.Mairs & Power Minnesota Municipal Bond ETF, Series of Trust for Professional Managers
103.Mairs & Power Small Cap Fund, Series of Trust for Professional Managers
104.Manor Investment Funds
105.Merk Stagflation ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
106.Milliman Variable Insurance Trust
107.Mindful Conservative ETF, Series of Collaborative Investment Series Trust
108.Moerus Worldwide Value Fund, Series of Northern Lights Fund Trust IV
109.Mohr Growth ETF, Series of Collaborative Investment Series Trust
110.Mohr Sector Navigator ETF, Series of Collaborative Investment Series Trust
111.Morgan Creek-Exos Active SPAC Arbitrage ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
112.Morgan Stanley ETF Trust
113.Morningstar Funds Trust
114.OTG Latin American Fund, Series of World Funds Trust
115.Overlay Shares Core Bond ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
116.Overlay Shares Foreign Equity ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
117.Overlay Shares Hedged Large Cap Equity ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
118.Overlay Shares Large Cap Equity ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
119.Overlay Shares Municipal Bond ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
120.Overlay Shares Short Term Bond ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
121.Overlay Shares Small Cap Equity ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
122.Palmer Square Opportunistic Income Fund
123.Partners Group Private Income Opportunities, LLC
124.Performance Trust Mutual Funds, Series of Trust for Professional Managers
125.Perkins Discovery Fund, Series of World Funds Trust
126.Philotimo Focused Growth and Income Fund, Series of World Funds Trust
127.Plan Investment Fund, Inc.
128.PMC Funds, Series of Trust for Professional Managers
129.Point Bridge America First ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions
130.Preferred-Plus ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
131.Putnam ETF Trust
132.Quaker Investment Trust
133.Rareview Dynamic Fixed Income ETF, Series of Collaborative Investment Series Trust
134.Rareview Inflation/Deflation ETF, Series of Collaborative Investment Series Trust
135.Rareview Systematic Equity ETF, Series of Collaborative Investment Series Trust
136.Rareview Tax Advantaged Income ETF, Series of Collaborative Investment Series Trust
137.Renaissance Capital Greenwich Funds
138.Revere Sector Opportunity ETF, Series of Collaborative Investment Series Trust
139.Reynolds Funds, Inc.
140.RiverNorth Enhanced Pre-Merger SPAC ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
141.RiverNorth Patriot ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
142.RMB Investors Trust
143.Robinson Opportunistic Income Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust
144.Robinson Tax Advantaged Income Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust
145.Roundhill Ball Metaverse ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
146.Roundhill Cannabis ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
147.Roundhill IO Digital Infrastructure ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
148.Roundhill MEME ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
149.Roundhill Sports Betting & iGaming ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
150.Roundhill Video Games ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
151.Rule One Fund, Series of World Funds Trust
152.Securian AM Balanced Stabilization Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust
153.Securian AM Equity Stabilization Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust
154.Securian AM Real Asset Income Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust
155.SHP ETF Trust
156.Six Circles Trust

 

 

 

 

157.Sound Shore Fund, Inc.
158.Sparrow Funds
159.Spear Alpha ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
160.STF Tactical Growth & Income ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
161.STF Tactical Growth ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
162.Strategy Shares
163.Swan Hedged Equity US Large Cap ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
164.Syntax ETF Trust
165.Teucrium Agricultural Strategy No K-1 ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
166.The Community Development Fund
167.The Finite Solar Finance Fund
168.The Private Shares Fund
169.The SPAC and New Issue ETF, Series of Collaborative Investment Series Trust
170.Third Avenue Trust
171.Third Avenue Variable Series Trust
172.Tidal ETF Trust
173.Tidal Trust II
174.TIFF Investment Program
175.Timothy Plan High Dividend Stock Enhanced ETF, Series of The Timothy Plan
176.Timothy Plan High Dividend Stock ETF, Series of The Timothy Plan
177.Timothy Plan International ETF, Series of The Timothy Plan
178.Timothy Plan Market Neutral ETF, Series of The Timothy Plan
179.Timothy Plan US Large/Mid Cap Core ETF, Series of The Timothy Plan
180.Timothy Plan US Large/Mid Core Enhanced ETF, Series of The Timothy Plan
181.Timothy Plan US Small Cap Core ETF, Series of The Timothy Plan
182.Total Fund Solution
183.Touchstone ETF Trust
184.TrueShares Eagle Global Renewable Energy Income ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
185.TrueShares ESG Active Opportunities ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
186.TrueShares Low Volatility Equity Income ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
187.TrueShares Structured Outcome (April) ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
188.TrueShares Structured Outcome (August) ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
189.TrueShares Structured Outcome (December) ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
190.TrueShares Structured Outcome (February) ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
191.TrueShares Structured Outcome (January) ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
192.TrueShares Structured Outcome (July) ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
193.TrueShares Structured Outcome (June) ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
194.TrueShares Structured Outcome (March) ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
195.TrueShares Structured Outcome (May) ETF, Listed Funds Trust
196.TrueShares Structured Outcome (November) ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
197.TrueShares Structured Outcome (October) ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
198.TrueShares Structured Outcome (September) ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
199.TrueShares Technology, AI & Deep Learning ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust
200.U.S. Global Investors Funds
201.Union Street Partners Value Fund, Series of World Funds Trust
202.Variant Alternative Income Fund
203.Variant Impact Fund
204.VictoryShares Developed Enhanced Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
205.VictoryShares Dividend Accelerator ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
206.VictoryShares Emerging Markets Value Momentum ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
207.VictoryShares International High Div Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
208.VictoryShares International Value Momentum ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
209.VictoryShares International Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
210.VictoryShares NASDAQ Next 50 ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
211.VictoryShares Protect America ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
212.VictoryShares Top Veteran Employers ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
213.VictoryShares US 500 Enhanced Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
214.VictoryShares US 500 Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
215.VictoryShares US Discovery Enhanced Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
216.VictoryShares US EQ Income Enhanced Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
217.VictoryShares US Large Cap High Div Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II

 

 

 

 

218.VictoryShares US Multi-Factor Minimum Volatility ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
219.VictoryShares US Small Cap High Div Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
220.VictoryShares US Small Cap Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
221.VictoryShares US Small Mid Cap Value Momentum ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
222.VictoryShares US Value Momentum ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
223.VictoryShares USAA Core Intermediate-Term Bond ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
224.VictoryShares USAA Core Short-Term Bond ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
225.VictoryShares WestEnd US Sector ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
226.Walthausen Funds

227.West Loop Realty Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust

228.WisdomTree Digital Trust

229.WisdomTree Trust

230.WST Investment Trust

231.XAI Octagon Floating Rate & Alternative Income Term Trust

 

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

 

Name Address Position with Underwriter

Position with Registrant

 

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

Chris Lanza 

Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME 04101 

Vice President

None

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

Kelly B. Whetstone 

Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME 04101

Secretary

None

Susan L. LaFond 111 E. Kilbourn Ave, Suite 2200, Milwaukee, WI 53202 Treasurer None

 

Item 32(c)Not applicable.

 

Item 33. Location of Accounts and Records

 

The accounts, books or other documents of the Registrant required to be maintained by Section 31(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the rules promulgated thereunder are kept in several locations:

 

a)           Adviser

Ridgeline Research LLC, 14961 Finegan Farm Drive, Darnestown, Maryland 20874 (records relating to its function as investment adviser to the American Conservative Values ETF and the American Conservative Values Small-Cap ETF).

 

b)           Sub-Adviser

Vident Investment Advisory, LLC, 1125 Sanctuary Parkway, Suite 515, Alpharetta, Georgia 30009 (records relating to its function as sub-adviser to the American Conservative Values ETF, the American Conservative Values Small-Cap ETF, the Kingsbarn Tactical Bond ETF and the Kingsbarn Dividend Opportunity ETF (f/k/a Kingsbarn Tactical Inflation ETF)).

 

c)            Adviser

Formidable Asset Management, LLC, 221 East fourth Street, Suite 2700, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 (records relating to its function as investment adviser to the Formidable ETFs).

 

d)           Sub-Adviser

Toroso Investments, LLC, 898 N. Broadway, Suite 2, Massapequa, New York 11758 (records relating to its function as sub-adviser to the Formidable ETFs, the Applied Finance Valuation Large Cap ETF, Alpha Dog ETF, WealthTrust DBS Long Term Growth ETF and the Cultivar ETF).

 

 

 

 

 

e)           Adviser

Applied Finance Advisors, LLC, 17806 IH 10, Suite 300, San Antonio, Texas 78257 (records relating to its function as adviser to the Applied Finance Valuation Large Cap ETF).

 

f)            Adviser

Gea Sphere, LLC, 55 Mystery Farm Road, Cranston, Rhode Island, 02921 (records relating to its function as adviser to the Alpha Dog ETF).

 

g)           Adviser

Kingsbarn Capital Management, LLC, 1645 Village Center Circle, Suite 200, Las Vegas, Nevada 89134 (records relating to its function as adviser to the Kingsbarn Tactical Bond ETF and Kingsbarn Dividend Opportunity ETF (f/k/a Kingsbarn Tactical Inflation ETF)).

 

h)           Adviser

WealthTrust Asset Management, LLC, 4458 Legendary Drive, Suite 140, Destin, Florida 32541 (records relating to its function as adviser to the WealthTrust DBS Long Term Growth ETF).

 

i)             Adviser

Cultivar Capital, Inc., 421 E. Hickory Street, Suite 103, Denton, Texas 76201 (records relating to its function as adviser to the Cultivar ETF).

 

j)            Adviser Tuttle Capital Management LLC, 155 Lockwood Rd., Riverside Connecticut 06878 (records relating to its function as adviser to the Tuttle Capital 2X DBMF ETF).
k)          

Custodian, Transfer Agency

 

Citibank, N.A., 390 Greenwich Street, 6th Floor, New York, New York 10013.
l)             Administrator Commonwealth Fund Services, Inc., 8730 Stony Point Parkway, Suite 205, Richmond, Virginia 23235.
     
m)          Distributor

Foreside Fund Services, LLC, Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, Maine 04101.

 

n)           Fund Accountant

Citi Fund Services Ohio, Inc., located at 4400 Easton Commons, Suite 200, Columbus, Ohio, 43219.

 

Item 34. Management Services

 

Not applicable.  

 

Item 35. Undertakings

 

Not applicable.

 

 

 

 

SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the Registrant has duly caused this Post-Effective Amendment No. 47 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Richmond, Commonwealth of Virginia on the 17th day of April, 2023.

 

ETF OPPORTUNITIES TRUST

 

By: /s/ Karen M. Shupe  
  Karen M. Shupe  
  Treasurer and Principal Executive Officer  

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, this Post-Effective Amendment No. 47 to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated. 

         
Signature   Title   Date
         
         
*David J. Urban   Trustee   April 17, 2023
         
*Mary Lou H. Ivey   Trustee   April 17, 2023
         
*Theo H. Pitt, Jr.   Trustee   April 17, 2023
         
/s/ Karen M. Shupe   Treasurer and Principal Executive Officer   April 17, 2023
 Karen M. Shupe        
         
/s/ Ann T. MacDonald   Assistant Treasurer and Principal Financial Officer   April 17, 2023
 Ann T. MacDonald        

 

*By: /s/ Karen M. Shupe        
Karen M. Shupe        

 

*Attorney-in-fact pursuant to Powers of Attorney

 

 

 

 

 

 

EXHIBITS

 

None