The Fund pays
transaction costs when it buys and sells securities or instruments (i.e., “turns over” its portfolio). A high rate of portfolio turnover may result in increased transaction costs, including
brokerage commissions, which must be borne by the Fund and its shareholders, and is also likely to result in higher short-term capital gains for taxable shareholders. These costs are not reflected in the annual fund operating expenses or in the
expense example above, but are reflected in the Fund’s performance. The Fund’s portfolio turnover rate for the fiscal year ended November 30, 2020 was 121% of the average value of its portfolio.
The Fund
invests, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its net assets plus any borrowings for investment purposes (measured at the time of purchase) (“Net Assets”) in U.S. and non-U.S. equity or fixed income securities issued by energy
infrastructure companies, including master limited partnerships (“MLPs”) and “C” corporations (“C-Corps”). The Fund’s investments in MLPs will not exceed 25% of the Fund’s total assets as measured at
the time of purchase. The Fund intends to concentrate its investments in the energy sector.
For purposes of the Fund’s 80% policy discussed
above, the Fund’s investments in energy infrastructure companies include U.S. and non-U.S. issuers that: (i) are classified by a third party as operating within the oil and gas storage and transportation sub-industries; (ii) are part of the
Fund’s stated benchmark; or (iii) have at least 50% of their assets, income, sales or profits committed to, or derived from, traditional or alternative midstream (energy infrastructure) businesses, which include businesses that are engaged in
the treatment, gathering, compression, processing, transportation, transmission, fractionation, storage, terminalling, wholesale marketing, liquefaction/regasification of natural gas, natural gas liquids, crude oil, refined products or ether energy
sources as well as businesses engaged in owning, storing and transporting alternative energy sources, such as renewables (wind, solar, hydrogen, geothermal, biomass) and alternative fuels (ethanol, hydrogen, biodiesel).
The Fund’s MLP investments may include MLPs
structured as limited partnerships (“LPs”) or limited liability companies (“LLCs”); MLPs that are taxed as C-Corps; institutional units (“I-Units”) issued by MLP affiliates; private investments in public equities
(“PIPEs”) issued by MLPs; and other U.S. and non-U.S. equity and fixed income securities and derivative instruments, including pooled investment vehicles and exchange-traded notes (“ETNs”), that provide exposure to
MLPs.
The Fund may also invest up to 20% of its
Net Assets in non-energy infrastructure investments, including equity and fixed income securities of U.S. and non-U.S. companies. Such investments may include issuers in the upstream and downstream sectors of the energy value chain. Upstream energy
companies are primarily engaged in the exploration, recovery, development and production of crude oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids. Downstream energy companies are primarily engaged in the refining and retail distribution of natural gas
liquids and crude oil.
The Fund’s
investments may be of any credit quality, duration or capitalization size. The Fund may also invest in derivatives, including options, futures, forwards, swaps, options on swaps, structured securities and other derivative instruments. While the Fund
may invest in derivatives for hedging purposes, the Fund generally does not intend to hedge its exposures. The Fund’s investments in derivatives, pooled investment vehicles, and other investments are counted towards the Fund’s 80% policy
to the extent they have economic characteristics
similar to the investments included within that policy. The Fund may
also invest in privately held companies and companies that only recently began to trade publicly. The Fund may invest in stock, warrants and other securities of special purpose acquisition companies (“SPACs”).
THE FUND IS NON-DIVERSIFIED UNDER THE INVESTMENT
COMPANY ACT OF 1940, AS AMENDED (“INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT”), AND MAY INVEST A LARGER PERCENTAGE OF ITS ASSETS IN FEWER ISSUERS THAN DIVERSIFIED MUTUAL FUNDS.
The Fund’s benchmark index is the Alerian
Midstream Energy Select Index (Total Return, Unhedged, USD). The Alerian Midstream Energy Select Index (Total Return, Unhedged, USD) is a composite of North American energy infrastructure companies and is a capped, float-adjusted,
capitalization-weighted index, whose constituents are engaged in midstream activities involving energy commodities.
Principal
Risks of the Fund |
Loss of
money is a risk of investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) or any government agency. The Fund should not be relied upon
as a complete investment program. There can be no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. Investments in the Fund involve substantial risks which prospective investors should consider carefully before investing. The Fund's
principal risks are presented below in alphabetical order, and not in the order of importance or potential exposure.
Credit/Default Risk. An issuer or guarantor of fixed income securities or instruments held by the Fund (which may have low credit ratings) may default on its obligation to pay interest and repay principal or default
on any other obligation. The credit quality of the Fund’s portfolio securities or instruments may meet the Fund’s credit quality requirements at the time of purchase but then deteriorate thereafter, and such a deterioration can occur
rapidly. In certain instances, the downgrading or default of a single holding or guarantor of the Fund’s holding may impair the Fund’s liquidity and have the potential to cause significant deterioration in net asset value
(“NAV”). These risks are more pronounced in connection with the Fund’s investments in non-investment grade fixed income securities.
Derivatives Risk.
The Fund's use of options, futures, swaps, options on swaps and other derivative instruments may result in losses. These instruments, which may pose risks in addition to and greater
than those associated with investing directly in securities, currencies or other instruments, may be illiquid or less liquid, volatile, difficult to price and leveraged so that small changes in the value of the underlying instruments may produce
disproportionate losses to the Fund. Certain derivatives are also subject to counterparty risk, which is the risk that the other party in the transaction will not fulfill its contractual obligations. The use of derivatives is a highly specialized
activity that involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with investments in more traditional securities and instruments.
Dividend-Paying Investments Risk. The Fund’s investments in dividend-paying securities could cause the Fund to underperform other funds. Securities that pay dividends, as a group, can fall out of favor with the market, causing
such securities to underperform securities that do not pay dividends. Depending upon market conditions and political and legislative responses to such conditions, dividend-paying securities that meet the Fund’s investment criteria may not be
widely available and/or may be highly concentrated in only a few market sectors. In