01/15/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 01/15/2026 15:59
AS FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION ON JANUARY 15, 2026
REGISTRATION NOS. 033-79858
811-08544
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. 137 | ☒ | |
| AND/OR | ||
| REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940 | ☐ | |
| AMENDMENT NO. 138 | ☒ |
INVESTMENT MANAGERS SERIES TRUST III
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)
235 West Galena Street
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53212
(Address of Principal Executive Offices, including Zip Code)
Registrant's Telephone Number, Including Area Code: (626) 385-5777
Diane J. Drake
Mutual Fund Administration, LLC
2220 E. Route 66, Suite 226
Glendora, California 91740
(Name and Address of Agent for Service)
COPIES TO:
Laurie Anne Dee
Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP
600 Anton Boulevard, Suite 1800
Costa Mesa, California 92626
It is proposed that this filing will become effective (check appropriate box):
| ☐ | immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b) of Rule 485; or |
| ☐ | on _________ pursuant to paragraph (b) of Rule 485; or |
| ☐ | 60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(1) of Rule 485; |
| ☐ | on _________ pursuant to paragraph (a)(1) of Rule 485; or |
| ☒ | 75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of Rule 485; or |
| ☐ | on _________ pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of Rule 485; or |
| ☐ | on _________ pursuant to paragraph (a)(3) 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.
The information in this Prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This Prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and it is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state where the offer of sale is not permitted.
Subject to Completion
Dated January 15, 2026
PROSPECTUS
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Mast HedgeIndex Corporate Arbitrage ETF (Ticker: [ ]) |
|
Mast HedgeIndex Managed Futures Strategy ETF (Ticker: [ ]) |
|
Mast HedgeIndex Adaptive Equities ETF (Ticker: [ ]) |
|
Mast HedgeIndex Strategic Commodities ETF (Ticker: [ ]) |
[ ], 2026
Each Fund is a series of Investment Managers Series Trust III (the "Trust") (each a "Fund" and collectively the "Funds"). Shares of the Funds are listed on the [ ] (the [" "] or "Exchange").
Shares of the Funds trade on the Exchange at market prices that may be below, at or above the respective Fund's net asset value.
Neither the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") nor the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (the "CFTC") has 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
| Summary Section - Mast HedgeIndex Corporate Arbitrage ETF | 3 |
| Summary Section - Mast HedgeIndex Managed Futures Strategy ETF | 12 |
| Summary Section - Mast HedgeIndex Adaptive Equities ETF | 24 |
| Summary Section - Mast HedgeIndex Strategic Commodities ETF | 34 |
| More About the Funds Principal Investment Objectives, Principal Investment Strategies And Risks | 44 |
| Management of the Funds | 64 |
| Buying and Selling Fund Shares | 65 |
| Dividends, Distributions and Taxes | 67 |
| DISTRIBUTOR | 69 |
| FUND SERVICE PROVIDERS | 69 |
| ADDITIONAL INFORMATION | 70 |
| FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS | 70 |
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Summary Section - Mast HedgeIndex Corporate Arbitrage ETF
Investment Objective
The Mast HedgeIndex Corporate Arbitrage ETF seeks long-term capital appreciation.
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 ("Shares"). Investors may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table and example set forth below.
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
| Management Fees | 0.95% |
| Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees | None |
| Other Expenses(1) | 0.00% |
| Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses | 0.95% |
| (1) | "Other Expenses" are estimated for the current fiscal year. |
Example
This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds.
This example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your Shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain at current levels. This example does not include the brokerage commissions that investors may pay to buy and sell Shares.
Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, your costs, based on these assumptions would be:
| One Year | Three Years |
| $97 | $303 |
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it purchases and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover will cause the Fund to incur additional transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the example, may affect the Fund's performance. At the date of this prospectus, the Fund does not have an operating history and turnover data therefore is not available.
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Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund is an actively managed exchange-traded fund ("ETF") that seeks to achieve its investment objective by pursuing several arbitrage investment strategies employed by hedge funds and proprietary trading desks of investment banks, including merger arbitrage, volatility arbitrage, and other arbitrage and corporate event strategies described more fully below. To pursue these investment strategies, the Fund invests in a diversified portfolio of instruments, including equities, closed-end funds, rights, warrants, and derivatives. The Fund's advisor will employ hedging strategies with the intent of (i) reducing the risk associated with each of the arbitrage and corporate event strategies; (ii) keeping the overall volatility of the Fund's net asset value low; and (iii) maintaining a low correlation with the overall equity market.
Examples of Arbitrage and Corporate Event Strategies:
Merger Arbitrage: When engaging in merger arbitrage, the advisor buys shares of the "target" company in a proposed merger or other reorganization between two companies. If the consideration in the transaction consists of stock of the acquirer, the advisor will typically hedge the exposure to the acquirer by shorting the stock of the acquiring company.
Volatility Arbitrage: When engaging in volatility arbitrage, the advisor seeks to profit from the differences in implied volatility between index options and the options of individual stocks that make up the index.
Other Arbitrage and Corporate Event Strategies: The advisor also employs other arbitrage and corporate event strategies when market opportunities arise. Examples of such strategies can include corporate share repurchase activity, investments in IPOs (Initial Public Offerings), "dual-class" arbitrage and "closed-end fund" arbitrage, among other strategies. Additionally, as a part of its corporate events strategy, the Fund may invest in equities whose performance is expected to influence the long portfolios of hedge funds and small- and mid-capitalization stocks that have characteristics similar to companies in private equity buyout funds. A "buyout" fund is a type of fund that targets companies for acquisition or control in an attempt to enhance the value of those acquired companies. The Fund does not invest directly in private equity funds or the private equity of companies, and the Fund will not attempt to acquire or control private companies.
As a component of its overall investment process, the Fund's advisor utilizes quantitative models and methodologies proprietary to HedgeIndex, LLC. The use of such models and methodologies may vary, on a discretionary basis, based on market environments and economic trends as determined by the Fund's advisor.
The Fund may engage extensively in short sales of securities. When the Fund sells a security short, it borrows the security from a third party and sells it at the then current market price. The Fund is then obligated to buy the security on a later date so that it can return the security to the lender. For arbitrage strategies, the Fund will generally buy securities and simultaneously sell securities short in amounts that are intended to result in an approximately neutral economic exposure to overall market movements
The Fund makes use of derivative instruments for hedging purposes, as a substitute for investing in conventional securities, and for investment purposes. The Fund's use of derivative instruments includes, but is not limited to, options on equities and indices, futures on equities and indices, currency forwards, swaps on equities and indices. The Fund's use of such derivatives and certain other financial instruments will have the economic effect of financial leverage. Financial leverage magnifies the exposure to the swings in prices of an asset class underlying a financial instrument and results in increased volatility, which means that the Fund has the potential for greater gains and losses, than if the Fund did not use financial instruments with leverage. A decline in the Fund's assets due to losses magnified by the financial instruments providing leveraged exposure may require the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it may not be advantageous to do so in order to satisfy its obligations, to meet redemption requests or to meet the applicable requirements of the 1940 Act, and the rules thereunder.
In addition, the Fund may invest a significant portion of its assets in investment grade money market instruments, which may include, but are not limited to, U.S. government securities, U.S. government agency securities, short-term fixed income securities, money market mutual fund shares, and cash and cash equivalents. The Fund's money market instrument holdings may serve as collateral for the Fund's derivative positions and may also earn income for the Fund. During periods of market turbulence or low merger and acquisition activity, the Fund may hold a substantial amount in cash and cash equivalents. In addition, the Fund may lend its portfolio securities to broker-dealers and other institutions as a means of earning additional income.
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The Fund is "non-diversified," meaning that a relatively high percentage of its assets may be invested in a limited number of issuers of securities.
Principal Risks
You could lose money by investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other governmental agency. There can be no assurance that the Fund's investment objective will be achieved.
Merger and other arbitrage transactions risk. The Fund invests and takes short positions in securities of companies that are the subject of an acquisition. When the Fund's advisor determines that it is probable that an acquisition will be consummated, the Fund may seek to purchase securities at prices only slightly below the anticipated value to be paid or exchanged for such securities in the merger, exchange offer or cash tender offer (and substantially above the price at which such securities traded immediately prior to the announcement of the merger, exchange offer or cash tender offer). Likewise, when the advisor believes it is likely that a transaction will not be consummated, the Fund may take short positions in such securities in order to seek to capture the difference attributable to the perceived market overvaluation of the acquisition target. In the case of an investment in a potential acquisition target, if the proposed merger, exchange offer or cash tender offer appears likely not to be consummated, in fact is not consummated, or is delayed, the market price of the security to be tendered or exchanged will usually decline sharply, resulting in a loss to the Fund.
Every merger transaction is subject to unique risks. The risks of investing in securities related to a merger or acquisition transaction include the risk that the transaction is renegotiated, the risk that the transaction takes longer to complete than originally planned, and the risk that the transaction is never completed. These risks may occur for a variety of reasons, such as the inability to finance the transaction, lack of regulatory approval from the applicable state, federal or international regulatory agencies, or the failure of shareholders of the party companies to approve the transaction. These risks could cause the Fund to incur a loss.
Short Sales Risk. In connection with a short sale of a security or other instrument, the Fund is subject to the risk that instead of declining, the price of the security or other instrument sold short will rise. If the price of the security or other instrument sold short increases between the date of the short sale and the date on which the Fund replaces the security or other instrument borrowed to make the short sale, the Fund will experience a loss, which is theoretically unlimited since there is a theoretically unlimited potential for the market price of a security or other instrument sold short to increase. Shorting options or futures may have an imperfect correlation to the assets held by the Fund and may not adequately protect against losses in or may result in greater losses for the Fund's portfolio.
Equity Risk. The Fund may obtain exposure to equity securities. The value of equity securities may fall due to general market and economic conditions, perceptions regarding the industries in which the issuers of securities held by the Fund participate, or factors relating to specific companies in which the Fund invests.
Derivatives Risk. Derivatives include instruments and contracts that are based on and valued in relation to one or more underlying securities, financial benchmarks, indices, or other reference obligations or measures of value. Major types of derivatives include futures, options, swaps and forward contracts. Using derivatives exposes the Fund to additional or heightened risks, including leverage risk, liquidity risk, valuation risk, market risk, counterparty risk, and credit risk. Derivatives transactions can be highly illiquid and difficult to unwind or value, they can increase Fund volatility, and changes in the value of a derivative held by the Fund may not correlate with the value of the underlying instrument or the Fund's other investments. Many of the risks applicable to trading the instruments underlying derivatives are also applicable to derivatives trading. However, derivatives are subject to additional risks such as operational risk, including settlement issues, and legal risk, including that underlying documentation is incomplete or ambiguous. For derivatives that are required to be cleared by a regulated clearinghouse, other risks may arise from the Fund's relationship with a brokerage firm through which it submits derivatives trades for clearing, including in some cases from other clearing customers of the brokerage firm.
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Futures Risk. The Fund's use of futures contracts expose the Fund to leverage and tracking risks because a small investment in futures contracts may produce large losses and futures contracts may not be perfect substitutes for securities. The value of a futures contract tends to increase and decrease in correlation with the value of the underlying instrument. Risks of futures contracts may arise from an imperfect correlation between movements in the price of the futures and the price of the underlying instrument. The Fund's use of futures contracts exposes the Fund to leverage risk because of the small margin requirements relative to the value of the futures contract. A relatively small market movement will have a proportionately larger impact on the funds that the Fund has deposited or will have to deposit with a broker to maintain its futures position. Leverage can lead to large losses as well as gains. While futures contracts are generally liquid instruments, under certain market conditions they may become illiquid. Futures exchanges may impose daily or intraday price change limits and/or limit the volume of trading. Additionally, government regulation may further reduce liquidity through similar trading restrictions. As a result, the Fund may be unable to close out its futures contracts at a time that is advantageous. The price of futures can be highly volatile; using them could lower total return, and the potential loss from futures could exceed the Fund's initial investment in such contracts.
Swaps Risk. A swap is a two-party contract that generally obligates the parties to exchange payments based upon a specified reference security, index or index component. Swaps can involve greater risks than direct investment in securities or other similar instruments, because swaps may be leveraged and are subject to counterparty risk (e.g., the risk that the other party to the transaction defaults on its obligations), credit risk and valuation risk (i.e., swaps may be difficult to value). Swaps may also be considered illiquid. It may not be possible for the Fund to liquidate a swap position at an advantageous time or price, which may result in significant losses.
Options Risk. Purchasing and writing put and call options are highly specialized activities and entail greater than ordinary investment risks. The Fund may not fully benefit from or may lose money on an option if changes in its value do not correspond as anticipated to changes in the value of the underlying securities. If the Fund is not able to sell an option held in its portfolio, it would have to exercise the option to realize any profit and would incur transaction costs upon the purchase or sale of the underlying securities. Ownership of options involves the payment of premiums, which may adversely affect the Fund's performance. To the extent that the Fund invests in over-the-counter options, the Fund may be exposed to counterparty risk.
Forwards Risk. Forwards are not exchange-traded and therefore no clearinghouse or exchange stands ready to meet the obligations of the contracts. Thus, the Fund faces the risk that its counterparties may not perform their obligations. Forward contracts are not regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (the "CFTC") and therefore, the Fund will not receive any benefit of CFTC regulation when trading forward.
Leveraging Risk. Certain Fund transactions, such as entering into futures contracts, options and short sales, may give rise to a form of leverage. Leverage can magnify the effects of changes in the value of the Fund's investments and make the Fund more volatile. Leverage creates a risk of loss of value on a larger pool of assets than the Fund would otherwise have had, potentially resulting in the loss of all assets. The Fund may also have to sell assets at inopportune times to satisfy its obligations in connection with such transactions.
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Liquidity Risk. The Fund may not be able to sell some or all of the investments that it holds due to a lack of demand in the marketplace or other factors such as market turmoil, or if the Fund is forced to sell an illiquid asset to meet redemption requests or other cash needs it may only be able to sell those investments at a loss. Illiquid assets may also be difficult to value.
Foreign Investment Risk. The prices of foreign securities may be more volatile than the prices of securities of U.S. issuers because of economic and social conditions abroad, political developments, and changes in the regulatory environments of foreign countries. Changes in exchange rates and interest rates, and the imposition of sanctions, confiscations, trade restrictions (including tariffs) and other government restrictions by the United States and/or other governments may adversely affect the values of the Fund's foreign investments. Foreign companies are generally subject to different legal and accounting standards than U.S. companies, and foreign financial intermediaries may be subject to less supervision and regulation than U.S. financial firms. Foreign securities include American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs") and Global Depositary Receipts ("GDRs"). Unsponsored ADRs and GDRs are organized independently and without the cooperation of the foreign issuer of the underlying securities, and involve additional risks because U.S. reporting requirements do not apply. In addition, the issuing bank may deduct shareholder distribution, custody, foreign currency exchange, and other fees from the payment of dividends. Emerging markets tend to be more volatile than the markets of more mature economies and generally have less diverse and less mature economic structures and less stable political systems than those of developed countries.
Currency Risk. The values of investments in securities denominated in foreign currencies increase or decrease as the rates of exchange between those currencies and the U.S. dollar change. Currency conversion costs and currency fluctuations could erase investment gains or add to investment losses. Currency exchange rates can be volatile and are affected by factors such as general economic conditions, the actions of the United States and foreign governments or central banks, the imposition of currency controls, and speculation.
IPO risk. The market value of IPO shares will fluctuate considerably due to factors such as the absence of a prior public market, unseasoned trading, the small number of shares available for trading and limited information about the issuer. The purchase of IPO shares may involve high transaction costs. IPO shares are subject to market risk and liquidity risk.
Lack of Correlation Risk; Hedging Risk. There can be no assurance that the Fund's hedges will be effective. Any decrease in negative correlation or increase in positive correlation between the positions the Advisor anticipated would be offsetting (such as short and long positions in securities or currencies held by the Fund) could result in significant losses for the Fund.
Lending Portfolio Securities Risk. The Fund may lend its portfolio securities to broker-dealers and banks, provided that it may not lend securities if, as a result, the aggregate value of all securities loaned would exceed 33 1/3% of its total assets. The collateral, including the investment of any cash collateral, is subject to market depreciation. In the event of bankruptcy or other default of the borrower, the Fund could experience delays in both liquidating the loan collateral and recovering the loaned securities and losses. The collateral (including any investment of cash collateral) is not subject to the percentage limitations on the Fund's investments described elsewhere in this prospectus.
Market capitalization Risk. Larger, more established companies may be unable to attain the high growth rates of successful, smaller companies during periods of economic expansion. The securities of small-capitalization or mid-capitalization companies may be subject to more abrupt or erratic market movements and may have lower trading volumes or more erratic trading than securities of larger, more established companies or market averages in general. In addition, such companies typically are more likely to be adversely affected than large capitalization companies by changes in earning results, business prospects, investor expectations or poor economic or market conditions.
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Counterparty Risk. The Fund will be exposed to the credit of the counterparties to over-the-counter ("OTC") derivative contracts and repurchase agreements and their ability to satisfy the terms of the agreements, which exposes the Fund to the risk that the counterparties may default on their obligations to perform under the agreements. In the event of a bankruptcy or insolvency of a counterparty, the fund could experience delays in liquidating the positions and significant losses, including declines in the value of its investment during the period in which the Fund seeks to enforce its rights, inability to realize any gains on its investment during such period, loss of collateral and fees and expenses incurred in enforcing its rights.
Non-Diversification Risk. The Fund is classified as "non-diversified," which means the Fund may invest a larger percentage of its assets in the securities of a smaller number of issuers than a diversified fund. Investment in securities of a limited number of issuers exposes the Fund to greater market risk and potential losses than if its assets were diversified among the securities of a greater number of issuers.
Market Risk. The market price of a security or instrument may decline, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably, due to general market conditions that are not specifically related to a particular company, such as real or perceived adverse economic, political, or geopolitical conditions throughout the world, changes in the general outlook for corporate earnings, changes in interest or currency rates, or adverse investor sentiment generally. The market value of a security or instrument also may decline because of factors that affect a particular industry or industries, such as tariffs, labor shortages or increased production costs and competitive conditions within an industry. In addition, local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, international conflicts, trade disputes, supply chain disruptions, cybersecurity events, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, natural disasters or climate events, or other events could have a significant impact on a security or instrument. The increasing interconnectivity between global economies and financial markets increases the likelihood that events or conditions in one region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market.
ETF Structure Risks. The Fund is an ETF, and, as a result of an ETF's structure, it is exposed to the following risks:
| · | Authorized Participant Concentration Risk. Only an authorized participant ("AP") may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with the Fund. The Fund has 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 and no other AP is able to step forward to process creation or redemption orders, Shares may trade at a discount to the Fund's NAV and possibly face delisting. |
| · | Cash Transaction Risk. To the extent the Fund sells portfolio securities to meet some or all of a redemption request with cash, the Fund may incur taxable gains or losses that it might not have incurred had it made redemptions entirely 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. Investors buying or selling Shares in the secondary market will pay brokerage commissions or other charges imposed by brokers, as determined by that broker. Brokerage commissions are often a fixed amount and may be a significant proportional cost for investors seeking to buy or sell relatively small amounts of Shares. In addition, secondary market investors will also incur the cost of the difference between the price at which an investor is willing to buy Shares (the "bid" price) and the price at which an investor is willing to sell Shares (the "ask" price). This difference in bid and ask prices is often referred to as the "spread" or "bid-ask spread." The bid-ask spread varies over time for Shares based on trading volume and market liquidity, and the spread is generally lower if Shares have more trading volume and market liquidity and higher if shares have little trading volume and market liquidity. Further, a relatively small investor base in the Fund, asset swings in the Fund, and/or increased market volatility may cause increased bid-ask spreads. Due to the costs of buying or selling Shares, including 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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| · | Fluctuation of NAV Risk. 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). Differences in market price and NAV may be due, in large part, to the fact that supply and demand forces at work in the secondary trading market for Shares will be closely related to, but not identical to, the same forces influencing the prices of the holdings of the Fund trading individually or in the aggregate at any point in time. These differences can be especially pronounced during times of market volatility or stress. During these periods, the demand for Shares may decrease considerably and cause the market price of Shares to deviate significantly from the Fund's NAV. When all or a portion of an ETF's underlying securities trade in a market that is closed when the market in which the ETF's shares are listed and trading is open, there may be changes from the last quote from the closed market and the value of such security during the ETF's domestic trading day, which could lead to differences between the market price of the ETF's shares and their underlying NAV. |
| · | 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 NAV 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 NAV and also in greater than normal intra-day bid-ask spreads for Shares. |
| · | Shares are Not Individually Redeemable. Shares are only redeemable by the Fund at NAV if they are tendered in Creation Units. Only APs may engage in such creation and redemption transactions directly with the Fund. Individual Shares may be sold on a stock exchange at their current market prices, which may be less, more, or equal to their NAV. |
| · | Trading Issues Risk. Although the Shares are listed for trading on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for such Shares will develop or be maintained. Trading in Shares on the Exchange may be halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the Exchange, make trading in Shares inadvisable. In addition, trading in Shares on the Exchange is subject to trading halts caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant to the Exchange "circuit breaker" rules. Market makers are under no obligation to make a market in the Shares, and APs are not obligated to submit purchase or redemption orders for Creation Units. 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. Initially, due to the small asset size of the Fund, it may have difficulty maintaining its listings on the Exchange. |
Active Management Risk. The Fund is actively-managed and its performance reflects investment decisions that the Advisor makes for the Fund. Such judgments about the Fund's investments may prove to be incorrect. If the investments selected and the strategies employed by the Fund fail to produce the intended results, the Fund could underperform as compared to other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies, or could have negative returns.
9
Operational Risk. The Fund is 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 Advisor 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.
Valuation Risk. The sales price the Fund could receive for any particular portfolio investment may differ from the Fund's valuation of the investment, particularly for securities that trade in thin or volatile markets or that are valued by the Advisor using a fair value methodology. Investors who purchase or redeem Fund shares on days when the Fund is holding fair-valued securities may receive fewer or more shares or lower or higher redemption proceeds than they would have received if the Advisor had not fair-valued the security or had used a different valuation methodology.
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.
Recent Market Events. Periods of market volatility may occur in response to market events, public health emergencies, natural disasters or climate events, and other economic, political, and global macro factors. For example, in recent years the large expansion of government deficits and debt as a result of government actions to mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and inflation have resulted in extreme volatility in the global economy and in global financial markets. In addition, wars, or threats of war and aggression, such as Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the conflicts among nations and militant groups in the Middle East, have led, and in the future may lead, to increased short-term market volatility and may have adverse long-term effects on the U.S. and world economies and markets generally, each of which may negatively impact the Fund's investments. Additionally, since the change in the U.S. presidential administration in 2025, the administration has pursued an aggressive foreign policy agenda, including actual or potential imposition of tariffs, which may have consequences on the United States' relations with foreign countries, the economy, and markets generally. These and other similar events could be prolonged and could adversely affect the value and liquidity of the Fund's investments, impair the Fund's ability to satisfy redemption requests, and negatively impact the Fund's performance.
Cybersecurity Risk. Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to Fund assets, customer data (including private shareholder information), or proprietary information, or cause the Fund, the advisor and/or other service providers (including custodians, sub-custodians, transfer agents and financial intermediaries) to suffer data breaches, data corruption or loss of operational functionality. In an extreme case, a shareholder's ability to exchange or redeem Fund shares may be affected. Issuers of securities in which the Fund invests are also subject to cybersecurity risks, and the value of those securities could decline if the issuers experience cybersecurity incidents.
Performance
As of the date of this prospectus, the Fund has not yet commenced operations and therefore does not have a performance history. Once available, the Fund's performance information will be accessible on the Fund's website at www.mast-funds.com and will provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund.
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Management
Investment Advisor
Manteio Scalable Technologies LLC ("Mast Investments" or the "Advisor") is the Fund's investment advisor.
Portfolio Managers
Yung-Shin Kung, Portfolio Manager of the Advisor, is the Lead Portfolio Manager of the Fund. Mr. Kung has been primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund's portfolio since the Fund's inception in [ ], 2026.
Purchase and Sale of Shares
The Fund issues and redeems Shares on a continuous basis, at NAV, only in large blocks of shares called "Creation Units." Except when aggregated in Creation Units, the Shares are not redeemable securities of the Fund.
Individual Shares may only be purchased and sold on the secondary market through a broker-dealer. Since Shares trade on securities exchanges in the secondary market at their market price rather than their NAV, the Shares may trade at a price greater than (premium) or less than (discount) the Fund's net asset value. An investor may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase Shares (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for Shares (ask) when buying or selling Shares in the secondary market (the "bid-ask spread"). Recent information, including the Fund's NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads, is available online at www.mast-funds.com.
Tax Information
The Fund's distributions will generally be taxable as ordinary income or capital gains. A sale of Shares may result in capital gain or loss.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase Shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Advisor and Distribution Services, LLC, the Fund's distributor, may pay the intermediary for the sale of Shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary's website for more information.
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Summary Section - Mast HedgeIndex Managed Futures Strategy ETF
Investment Objective
The Mast HedgeIndex Managed Futures Strategy ETF (the "Fund") seeks to achieve positive absolute returns that have a low correlation to the returns of broad stock and bond markets.
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 ("Shares"). Investors may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table and example set forth below.
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
| Management Fees | 0.80% |
| Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees | 0.00% |
| Other Expenses(1) | 0.00% |
| Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses | 0.80% |
| (1) | The Fund invests in a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Fund organized under the laws of the Cayman Islands. "Other Expenses" include expenses of both the Fund and the wholly-owned subsidiary. "Other Expenses" are estimated for the current fiscal year. Actual expenses may differ from estimates. |
Example
This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds.
This example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your Shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain at current levels. This example does not include the brokerage commissions that investors may pay to buy and sell Shares.
Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, your costs, based on these assumptions would be:
| One Year | Three Years |
| $82 | $255 |
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it purchases and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover will cause the Fund to incur additional transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the example, may affect the Fund's performance. During the fiscal year ended October 31, 2025, the portfolio turnover rate of the Predecessor Fund (defined below) was 0% of the average value of its portfolio.
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Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund is an actively managed exchange-traded fund ("ETF") that seeks diverse exposure to macro trading opportunities such as significant price trends, both up and down, across asset classes, geographies and time horizons. The Fund may take long and/or short positions in asset classes, and the Fund's advisor dynamically adjusts its exposure to individual asset classes utilizing trend-following and macro trading approaches. As a component of its overall investment process, the Fund's advisor utilizes its proprietary HedgeIndex, LLC's quantitative models and methodologies to guide its investment approach or security selection although the use of such models and methodologies may vary, on a discretionary basis, based on market environments and economic trends as determined by the Fund's advisor.
The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing directly and/or indirectly through its wholly-owned subsidiary organized under the laws of the Cayman Islands (the "Subsidiary") in securities and derivative instruments including, but not limited to, equity index futures and options, swaps on equity index futures, equity swaps, interest rate futures and options, fixed income futures and options, swaps on fixed income futures, commodity and commodity index-linked futures and options, swaps on commodity and commodity index-linked futures, currency futures and options, swaps on currency futures, currency forwards and equity-, fixed income-, and commodity-notes. When used in this Prospectus, the term "Fund" includes the Subsidiary and the term "invest" includes investments the Fund makes directly and through the Subsidiary. There are no geographic limits on the Fund's holdings and the Fund will have exposure to U.S. and non-U.S. securities and currencies.
In addition, the Fund may have exposure to issuers of any size and credit quality. The Fund also invests a significant portion of its assets in investment grade money market instruments, which may include, but are not limited to, U.S. government securities, U.S. government agency securities, short-term fixed income securities, repurchase agreements, money market mutual fund shares, and cash and cash equivalents. The Fund's money market instrument holdings may serve as collateral for the Fund's derivative positions and may also earn income for the fund. The Fund's return is expected to be derived principally from changes in the value of securities and its portfolio is expected to consist principally of securities. In addition, the Fund may lend its portfolio securities to broker-dealers and other institutions as a means of earning additional income.
The Fund's use of futures, forwards, swaps and certain other financial instruments will have the economic effect of financial leverage. Financial leverage magnifies the exposure to the swings in prices of an asset class underlying a financial instrument and results in increased volatility, which means that the Fund has the potential for greater gains and losses, than if the Fund did not use financial instruments with leverage. A decline in the Fund's assets due to losses magnified by the financial instruments providing leveraged exposure may require the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it may not be advantageous to do so in order to satisfy its obligations, to meet redemption requests or to meet the applicable requirements of the 1940 Act, and the rules thereunder.
The Fund will enter into short positions, and it may use futures and swaps or sell a security short to do so. For example, the Fund may enter into a futures contract pursuant to which it agrees to sell an asset (that it does not currently own) at a specified price at a specified point in the future. This gives the Fund a short position with respect to the asset. At times, the Fund may have significant short positions.
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The Fund intends to make investments through the Subsidiary and may invest up to 25% of its total assets in the Subsidiary. The Fund will invest in the Subsidiary primarily to gain exposure to the commodities markets and crypto assets within the limitations of the U.S. federal tax laws, rules and regulations that apply to regulated investment companies. Generally, the Subsidiary will invest in long and short commodity-linked futures and swaps, but it may also invest in other types of futures, swaps and options, as well as certain money market instruments, including U.S. government securities, money market fund shares, repurchase agreements and other high-quality, short-term fixed income instruments. The primary purpose of the money market instruments held by the Subsidiary will be to serve as collateral for the Subsidiary's derivative positions; however, these instruments may also earn income for the Subsidiary. In addition, the Subsidiary may also invest in exchange-traded products that are listed and traded on U.S. exchanges and primarily hold crypto assets (i.e., bitcoin, ether, or other cryptocurrencies) ("Crypto Asset ETPs") and futures contracts linked to crypto assets ("Crypto Asset Futures"). Crypto assets (also referred to as "cryptocurrencies", "virtual currencies", and "digital currencies") are digital assets that are designed to act as a medium of exchange. Crypto assets are not issued by a government, bank, or central organization, and they exist via online, peer-to-peer computer networks that host public transaction ledgers where transfers are recorded on a blockchain. The Fund, through the Subsidiary, may have exposure to crypto assets equal to up to 10% of the Fund's net assets. The Subsidiary is managed by the advisor and has the same objective as the Fund.
The Fund is "non-diversified," meaning that a relatively high percentage of its assets may be invested in a limited number of issuers of securities.
Principal Risks
You could lose money by investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other governmental agency. There can be no assurance that the Fund's investment objective will be achieved. The principal risks described below reflect the aggregate operations of the Fund and its Subsidiary.
Derivatives Risk. Derivatives include instruments and contracts that are based on and valued in relation to one or more underlying securities, financial benchmarks, indices, or other reference obligations or measures of value. Major types of derivatives include futures, options, swaps and forward contracts. Using derivatives exposes the Fund to additional or heightened risks, including leverage risk, liquidity risk, valuation risk, market risk, counterparty risk, and credit risk. Derivatives transactions can be highly illiquid and difficult to unwind or value, they can increase Fund volatility, and changes in the value of a derivative held by the Fund may not correlate with the value of the underlying instrument or the Fund's other investments. Many of the risks applicable to trading the instruments underlying derivatives are also applicable to derivatives trading. However, derivatives are subject to additional risks such as operational risk, including settlement issues, and legal risk, including that underlying documentation is incomplete or ambiguous. For derivatives that are required to be cleared by a regulated clearinghouse, other risks may arise from the Fund's relationship with a brokerage firm through which it submits derivatives trades for clearing, including in some cases from other clearing customers of the brokerage firm.
Futures Risk. The Fund's use of futures contracts expose the Fund to leverage and tracking risks because a small investment in futures contracts may produce large losses and futures contracts may not be perfect substitutes for securities. The value of a futures contract tends to increase and decrease in correlation with the value of the underlying instrument. Risks of futures contracts may arise from an imperfect correlation between movements in the price of the futures and the price of the underlying instrument. The Fund's use of futures contracts exposes the Fund to leverage risk because of the small margin requirements relative to the value of the futures contract. A relatively small market movement will have a proportionately larger impact on the funds that the Fund has deposited or will have to deposit with a broker to maintain its futures position. Leverage can lead to large losses as well as gains. While futures contracts are generally liquid instruments, under certain market conditions they may become illiquid. Futures exchanges may impose daily or intraday price change limits and/or limit the volume of trading. Additionally, government regulation may further reduce liquidity through similar trading restrictions. As a result, the Fund may be unable to close out its futures contracts at a time that is advantageous. The price of futures can be highly volatile; using them could lower total return, and the potential loss from futures could exceed the Fund's initial investment in such contracts.
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Swaps Risk. A swap is a two-party contract that generally obligates the parties to exchange payments based upon a specified reference security, index or index component. Swaps can involve greater risks than direct investment in securities or other similar instruments, because swaps may be leveraged and are subject to counterparty risk (e.g., the risk that the other party to the transaction defaults on its obligations), credit risk and valuation risk (i.e., swaps may be difficult to value). Swaps may also be considered illiquid. It may not be possible for the Fund to liquidate a swap position at an advantageous time or price, which may result in significant losses.
Options Risk. Purchasing and writing put and call options are highly specialized activities and entail greater than ordinary investment risks. The Fund may not fully benefit from or may lose money on an option if changes in its value do not correspond as anticipated to changes in the value of the underlying securities. If the Fund is not able to sell an option held in its portfolio, it would have to exercise the option to realize any profit and would incur transaction costs upon the purchase or sale of the underlying securities. Ownership of options involves the payment of premiums, which may adversely affect the Fund's performance. To the extent that the Fund invests in over-the-counter options, the Fund may be exposed to counterparty risk.
Forwards Risk. Forwards are not exchange-traded and therefore no clearinghouse or exchange stands ready to meet the obligations of the contracts. Thus, the Fund faces the risk that its counterparties may not perform their obligations. Forward contracts are not regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (the "CFTC") and therefore, the Fund will not receive any benefit of CFTC regulation when trading forward.
Speculative Exposure Risk. Gains or losses from speculative positions in a derivative may be much greater than the derivative's original cost. For example, potential losses from swaps and speculative short sales are unlimited.
Commodity Exposure Risk. The Fund's and the Subsidiary's investments in commodity-linked derivative instruments may subject the Fund to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities, particularly if the investments involve leverage. The value of commodity-linked derivatives instruments may be affected by changes in overall market movements, commodity index volatility, changes in interest rates, or sectors affecting a particular industry or commodity, such as drought, floods, weather, livestock disease, embargoes, tariffs and international economic, political and regulatory developments. Use of leveraged commodity-linked derivatives creates an opportunity for increased return but, at the same time, creates the possibility for greater loss (including the likelihood of greater volatility of the Fund's NAV), and there can be no assurance that the Fund's use of leverage will be successful.
Leveraging Risk. Certain Fund transactions, such as entering into futures contracts, options and short sales, may give rise to a form of leverage. Leverage can magnify the effects of changes in the value of the Fund's investments and make the Fund more volatile. Leverage creates a risk of loss of value on a larger pool of assets than the Fund would otherwise have had, potentially resulting in the loss of all assets. The Fund may also have to sell assets at inopportune times to satisfy its obligations in connection with such transactions.
Short Sales Risk. In connection with a short sale of a security or other instrument, the Fund is subject to the risk that instead of declining, the price of the security or other instrument sold short will rise. If the price of the security or other instrument sold short increases between the date of the short sale and the date on which the Fund replaces the security or other instrument borrowed to make the short sale, the Fund will experience a loss, which is theoretically unlimited since there is a theoretically unlimited potential for the market price of a security or other instrument sold short to increase. Shorting options or futures may have an imperfect correlation to the assets held by the Fund and may not adequately protect against losses in or may result in greater losses for the Fund's portfolio.
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Crypto Asset Risk. Crypto assets, such as bitcoin and ether, are digital assets that are designed to act as a medium of exchange. Despite being referred to as "currencies," crypto assets are not widely accepted as a medium of exchange, and there is no guarantee that they will ever be accepted as such. The value of the Fund's indirect investments in crypto assets, through Crypto Asset ETPs and Crypto Asset Futures, is subject to fluctuations in the value of the underlying crypto assets. The value of a crypto asset is determined by the supply of and demand for the crypto asset in the global market, which consists of transactions on electronic exchanges. Pricing on exchanges and other venues can be volatile and can adversely affect the value of the Fund's exposure to the crypto asset. Currently, there is relatively limited use of crypto assets in the retail and commercial marketplace in comparison to the relatively large use of crypto assets by speculators, thus contributing to price volatility that could adversely affect the Fund's investments. Crypto asset transactions are irrevocable, and stolen or incorrectly transferred crypto assets may be irretrievable. As a result, any incorrectly executed transactions could adversely affect the value of the Fund's investments in Crypto Asset ETPs and Crypto Asset Futures.
Crypto assets generally operate without central authority (such as a bank) and are not backed by any government; therefore crypto assets are not subject to the same degree of regulation as are registered U.S. securities. The reporting, accounting and auditing standards for crypto assets may differ from the standards for registered U.S. securities. Due to the unregulated nature and lack of transparency surrounding the operations of crypto asset platforms, which may experience fraud, manipulation, security failures or operational problems, as well as the wider crypto asset market, the value of a crypto asset and, consequently, the value of the Fund's investments in Crypto Asset ETPs and Crypto Asset Futures may be adversely affected.
The Fund will indirectly bear its proportionate share of management fees and other expenses that are charged by Crypto Asset ETPs in addition to its own direct expenses and will pay brokerage commissions in connection with the purchase and sale of shares of Crypto Asset ETPs. Like other exchange-traded products, the shares of Crypto Asset ETPs may be bought and sold in the secondary market and may trade at a premium or discount to their net asset value. This risk is heightened in times of market volatility, periods of steep market declines, and periods when there is limited trading activity in the secondary market, in which case such premiums or discounts may be significant and the bid-ask spread could widen. Although the shares are listed for trading on an exchange, it cannot be assumed that an active trading market for the shares will be maintained. The lack of an active trading market for the shares may result in limited market liquidity and losses when selling the shares.
In addition, Crypto Asset ETPs have a limited number of financial institutions that may act as authorized participants ("APs") and there may be a limited number of market makers and/or liquidity providers in the marketplace. To the extent that (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 such functions, shares may trade at a material discount to NAV, the bid-ask spread could widen, and shares could face trading halts and/or delisting.
Crypto Asset ETPs are not registered investment companies under the 1940 Act or commodity pools under the Commodity Exchange Act ("CEA"), and therefore investors in Crypto Asset ETPs do not have the regulatory protections associated with ownership of shares in an investment company registered under the 1940 Act or the protections afforded by the CEA. Moreover, as sponsors of Crypto Asset ETPs have a limited track record in operating investment vehicles that specifically deal with crypto assets, their experience may be inadequate or unsuitable to manage them.
Liquidity Risk. The Fund may not be able to sell some or all of the investments that it holds due to a lack of demand in the marketplace or other factors such as market turmoil, or if the Fund is forced to sell an illiquid asset to meet redemption requests or other cash needs it may only be able to sell those investments at a loss. Illiquid assets may also be difficult to value.
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Foreign Investment Risk. The prices of foreign securities may be more volatile than the prices of securities of U.S. issuers because of economic and social conditions abroad, political developments, and changes in the regulatory environments of foreign countries. Changes in exchange rates and interest rates, and the imposition of sanctions, confiscations, trade restrictions (including tariffs) and other government restrictions by the United States and/or other governments may adversely affect the values of the Fund's foreign investments. Foreign companies are generally subject to different legal and accounting standards than U.S. companies, and foreign financial intermediaries may be subject to less supervision and regulation than U.S. financial firms. Foreign securities include American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs") and Global Depositary Receipts ("GDRs"). Unsponsored ADRs and GDRs are organized independently and without the cooperation of the foreign issuer of the underlying securities, and involve additional risks because U.S. reporting requirements do not apply. In addition, the issuing bank may deduct shareholder distribution, custody, foreign currency exchange, and other fees from the payment of dividends. Emerging markets tend to be more volatile than the markets of more mature economies and generally have less diverse and less mature economic structures and less stable political systems than those of developed countries.
Currency Risk. The values of investments in securities denominated in foreign currencies increase or decrease as the rates of exchange between those currencies and the U.S. dollar change. Currency conversion costs and currency fluctuations could erase investment gains or add to investment losses. Currency exchange rates can be volatile and are affected by factors such as general economic conditions, the actions of the United States and foreign governments or central banks, the imposition of currency controls, and speculation.
Equity Risk. The Fund may obtain exposure to equity securities. The value of equity securities may fall due to general market and economic conditions, perceptions regarding the industries in which the issuers of securities held by the Fund participate, or factors relating to specific companies in which the Fund invests.
Fixed Income Securities Risk. The prices of fixed income securities respond to economic developments, particularly interest rate changes, as well as to changes in an issuer's credit rating or market perceptions about the creditworthiness of an issuer. Generally, fixed income securities decrease in value if interest rates rise and increase in value if interest rates fall, and longer-term and lower rated securities are more volatile than shorter-term and higher rated securities.
Credit Risk. If an issuer or guarantor of a debt security held by the Fund or a counterparty to a financial contract with the Fund defaults or is downgraded or is perceived to be less creditworthy, or if the value of the assets underlying a security declines, the value of the Fund's portfolio will typically decline.
Interest Rate Risk. Generally fixed income securities decrease in value if interest rates rise and increase in value if interest rates fall, with longer-term securities being more sensitive than shorter-term securities. For example, the price of a security with a three-year duration would be expected to drop by approximately 3% in response to a 1% increase in interest rates. Generally, the longer the maturity and duration of a bond or fixed rate loan, the more sensitive it is to this risk. Falling interest rates also create the potential for a decline in the Fund's income. Changes in governmental policy, rising inflation rates, and general economic developments, among other factors, could cause interest rates to increase and could have a substantial and immediate effect on the values of the Fund's investments. In addition, a potential rise in interest rates may result in periods of volatility and increased redemptions that might require the Fund to liquidate portfolio securities at disadvantageous prices and times.
Lack of Correlation Risk; Hedging Risk. There can be no assurance that the Fund's hedges will be effective. Any decrease in negative correlation or increase in positive correlation between the positions the Advisor anticipated would be offsetting (such as short and long positions in securities or currencies held by the Fund) could result in significant losses for the Fund.
Counterparty Risk. The Fund will be exposed to the credit of the counterparties to over-the-counter ("OTC") derivative contracts and repurchase agreements and their ability to satisfy the terms of the agreements, which exposes the Fund to the risk that the counterparties may default on their obligations to perform under the agreements. In the event of a bankruptcy or insolvency of a counterparty, the fund could experience delays in liquidating the positions and significant losses, including declines in the value of its investment during the period in which the Fund seeks to enforce its rights, inability to realize any gains on its investment during such period, loss of collateral and fees and expenses incurred in enforcing its rights.
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Non-Diversification Risk. The Fund is classified as "non-diversified," which means the Fund may invest a larger percentage of its assets in the securities of a smaller number of issuers than a diversified fund. Investment in securities of a limited number of issuers exposes the Fund to greater market risk and potential losses than if its assets were diversified among the securities of a greater number of issuers.
Market Risk. The market price of a security or instrument may decline, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably, due to general market conditions that are not specifically related to a particular company, such as real or perceived adverse economic, political, or geopolitical conditions throughout the world, changes in the general outlook for corporate earnings, changes in interest or currency rates, or adverse investor sentiment generally. The market value of a security or instrument also may decline because of factors that affect a particular industry or industries, such as tariffs, labor shortages or increased production costs and competitive conditions within an industry. In addition, local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, international conflicts, trade disputes, supply chain disruptions, cybersecurity events, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, natural disasters or climate events, or other events could have a significant impact on a security or instrument. The increasing interconnectivity between global economies and financial markets increases the likelihood that events or conditions in one region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market.
Repurchase Agreement Risk. Repurchase agreements typically involve the acquisition by the Fund of fixed-income securities from a selling financial institution such as a bank or broker-dealer. The Fund may incur a loss if the other party to a repurchase agreement is unwilling or unable to fulfill its contractual obligations to repurchase the underlying security.
ETF Structure Risks. The Fund is an ETF, and, as a result of an ETF's structure, it is exposed to the following risks:
| · | Authorized Participant Concentration Risk. Only an authorized participant ("AP") may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with the Fund. The Fund has 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 and no other AP is able to step forward to process creation or redemption orders, Shares may trade at a discount to the Fund's NAV and possibly face delisting. |
| · | Cash Transaction Risk. To the extent the Fund sells portfolio securities to meet some or all of a redemption request with cash, the Fund may incur taxable gains or losses that it might not have incurred had it made redemptions entirely 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. Investors buying or selling Shares in the secondary market will pay brokerage commissions or other charges imposed by brokers, as determined by that broker. Brokerage commissions are often a fixed amount and may be a significant proportional cost for investors seeking to buy or sell relatively small amounts of Shares. In addition, secondary market investors will also incur the cost of the difference between the price at which an investor is willing to buy Shares (the "bid" price) and the price at which an investor is willing to sell Shares (the "ask" price). This difference in bid and ask prices is often referred to as the "spread" or "bid-ask spread." The bid-ask spread varies over time for Shares based on trading volume and market liquidity, and the spread is generally lower if Shares have more trading volume and market liquidity and higher if shares have little trading volume and market liquidity. Further, a relatively small investor base in the Fund, asset swings in the Fund, and/or increased market volatility may cause increased bid-ask spreads. Due to the costs of buying or selling Shares, including 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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| · | Fluctuation of NAV Risk. 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). Differences in market price and NAV may be due, in large part, to the fact that supply and demand forces at work in the secondary trading market for Shares will be closely related to, but not identical to, the same forces influencing the prices of the holdings of the Fund trading individually or in the aggregate at any point in time. These differences can be especially pronounced during times of market volatility or stress. During these periods, the demand for Shares may decrease considerably and cause the market price of Shares to deviate significantly from the Fund's NAV. When all or a portion of an ETF's underlying securities trade in a market that is closed when the market in which the ETF's shares are listed and trading is open, there may be changes from the last quote from the closed market and the value of such security during the ETF's domestic trading day, which could lead to differences between the market price of the ETF's shares and their underlying NAV. |
| · | 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 NAV 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 NAV and also in greater than normal intra-day bid-ask spreads for Shares. |
| · | Shares are Not Individually Redeemable. Shares are only redeemable by the Fund at NAV if they are tendered in Creation Units. Only APs may engage in such creation and redemption transactions directly with the Fund. Individual Shares may be sold on a stock exchange at their current market prices, which may be less, more, or equal to their NAV. |
| · | Trading Issues Risk. Although the Shares are listed for trading on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for such Shares will develop or be maintained. Trading in Shares on the Exchange may be halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the Exchange, make trading in Shares inadvisable. In addition, trading in Shares on the Exchange is subject to trading halts caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant to the Exchange "circuit breaker" rules. Market makers are under no obligation to make a market in the Shares, and APs are not obligated to submit purchase or redemption orders for Creation Units. 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. Initially, due to the small asset size of the Fund, it may have difficulty maintaining its listings on the Exchange. |
Active Management Risk. The Fund is actively-managed and its performance reflects investment decisions that the Advisor makes for the Fund. Such judgments about the Fund's investments may prove to be incorrect. If the investments selected and the strategies employed by the Fund fail to produce the intended results, the Fund could underperform as compared to other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies, or could have negative returns.
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Operational Risk. The Fund is 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 Advisor 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.
Valuation Risk. The sales price the Fund could receive for any particular portfolio investment may differ from the Fund's valuation of the investment, particularly for securities that trade in thin or volatile markets or that are valued by the Advisor using a fair value methodology. Investors who purchase or redeem Fund shares on days when the Fund is holding fair-valued securities may receive fewer or more shares or lower or higher redemption proceeds than they would have received if the Advisor had not fair-valued the security or had used a different valuation methodology.
Non-Diversification Risk. The Fund is classified as "non-diversified" under the 1940 Act. As a result, the Fund is 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 Code. The Fund seeks to achieve daily results that correspond to a multiple of the daily performance of a single issuer by entering into one or more swaps. In seeking this objective, the Fund may invest a relatively high percentage of its assets in swaps 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 the issuer or one or more of the counterparties.
Subsidiary Risk. By investing in the Subsidiary, the Fund will be indirectly exposed to the risks associated with the Subsidiary's investments. The Subsidiary is not registered under the 1940 Act and, unless otherwise noted, is not itself subject to all of the investor protections of the 1940 Act. Changes in the laws of the United States, the U.S. states or the Cayman Islands, under which the Fund and Subsidiary are organized and operated, as applicable, could prevent the Fund or the Subsidiary from operating as described in this Prospectus and could negatively affect the Fund and its shareholders.
Portfolio Turnover Risk. Active and frequent trading of the Fund's portfolio securities may lead to higher transaction costs and may result in a greater number of taxable transactions than would otherwise be the case, which could negatively affect the Fund's performance. A high rate of portfolio turnover is 100% or more.
Tax Risk. To qualify for the tax treatment available to regulated investment companies under the Code, the Fund must derive at least 90% of its gross income for each taxable year from sources treated as "qualifying income." Income derived from direct investments in commodities or certain crypto assets is not "qualifying income." In addition, the Internal Revenue Service (the "IRS") has issued a revenue ruling concluding that income and gains from certain commodity-linked derivatives does not constitute "qualifying income." Investment through the Subsidiary is expected to allow the Fund to gain exposure to the commodity markets and crypto assets within the limitations of the federal tax law requirements applicable to regulated investment companies. The tax treatment of the Fund's investment in commodity interests or in the Subsidiary could nevertheless be adversely affected by future legislation or Treasury regulations.
Investment through the Subsidiary may affect the timing and character of income and gain recognized by the Fund, and of distributions to shareholders. For example, the tax treatment of any gains/losses from trading in 1256 futures contracts, such as exchange-traded commodity futures contracts, are generally taxed 60% as long-term capital gains/losses and 40% short term capital gains/losses. However, because the Subsidiary is a "controlled foreign corporation" for U.S. federal income tax purposes, any income or gain recognized in respect of its investments in 1256 futures contracts will be passed through to the Fund as ordinary income, and distributions attributable to such income and gains will generally be taxable to shareholders as ordinary income.
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Government-Sponsored Entities Risk. The Fund's investment in U.S. government obligations may include securities issued or guaranteed as to principal and interest by the U.S. government, or its agencies or instrumentalities. There can be no assurance that the U.S. government would provide financial support to its agencies or instrumentalities (including government-sponsored enterprises) when it is not obligated to do so.
Recent Market Events. Periods of market volatility may occur in response to market events, public health emergencies, natural disasters or climate events, and other economic, political, and global macro factors. For example, in recent years the large expansion of government deficits and debt as a result of government actions to mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and inflation have resulted in extreme volatility in the global economy and in global financial markets. In addition, wars, or threats of war and aggression, such as Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the conflicts among nations and militant groups in the Middle East, have led, and in the future may lead, to increased short-term market volatility and may have adverse long-term effects on the U.S. and world economies and markets generally, each of which may negatively impact the Fund's investments. Additionally, since the change in the U.S. presidential administration in 2025, the administration has pursued an aggressive foreign policy agenda, including actual or potential imposition of tariffs, which may have consequences on the United States' relations with foreign countries, the economy, and markets generally. These and other similar events could be prolonged and could adversely affect the value and liquidity of the Fund's investments, impair the Fund's ability to satisfy redemption requests, and negatively impact the Fund's performance.
Cybersecurity Risk. Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to Fund assets, customer data (including private shareholder information), or proprietary information, or cause the Fund, the Advisor and/or other service providers (including custodians, sub-custodians, transfer agents and financial intermediaries) to suffer data breaches, data corruption or loss of operational functionality. In an extreme case, a shareholder's ability to exchange or redeem Shares may be affected. Issuers of securities in which the Fund invests are also subject to cybersecurity risks, and the value of those securities could decline if the issuers experience cybersecurity incidents.
The Shares will change in value, and you could lose money by investing in the Fund. The Fund may not achieve its investment objective.
Performance
The Fund will commence operations and acquire the assets and liabilities of the Mast Managed Futures Strategy Fund, which operated as a mutual fund (the "Predecessor Fund"), a series of Investment Managers Series Trust III, through the reorganization of the Predecessor Fund into the Fund, which is expected to occur on [ ], 2026 (the "Reorganization"). As a result of the Reorganization, the Fund will be the accounting and performance successor of the Predecessor Fund. Performance results shown in the bar chart and the performance table below reflect the performance of the Predecessor Fund.
The bar chart and table provide an indication of the risks of investing in the Predecessor Fund by showing changes in the Predecessor Fund's performance from year-to-year and by showing how the Predecessor Fund's average annual total returns based on net asset value compared to those of the of the Index and other market indices. The Fund's performance information is accessible on the Fund's website at www.mast-funds.com.
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Calendar-Year Total Return (before taxes) of Predecessor Fund
For each calendar year at NAV
| Highest Calendar Quarter Return at NAV | 13.44% | Quarter Ended 3/31/2022 |
| Lowest Calendar Quarter Return at NAV | (7.43)% | Quarter Ended 6/30/2015 |
|
Average Annual Total Returns (for periods ended December 31, 2025) |
1 Year | 5 Years | 10 Years |
| Return Before Taxes | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] |
| Bloomberg Global Aggregate Bond Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] |
| Credit Suisse Managed Futures Liquid Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] |
| * | After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor's tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. |
Management
Investment Advisor
Manteio Scalable Technologies LLC ("Mast Investments" or the "Advisor") is the Fund's investment advisor.
Portfolio Manager
Yung-Shin Kung, Portfolio Manager of the Advisor, is the Lead Portfolio Manager of the Fund. Mr. Kung has been primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund's portfolio since [ ], 2026, and the Predecessor Fund's portfolio since November 2015.
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Purchase and Sale of Shares
The Fund issues and redeems Shares on a continuous basis, at NAV, only in large blocks of shares called "Creation Units." Except when aggregated in Creation Units, the Shares are not redeemable securities of the Fund.
Individual Shares may only be purchased and sold on the secondary market through a broker-dealer. Since Shares trade on securities exchanges in the secondary market at their market price rather than their NAV, the Shares may trade at a price greater than (premium) or less than (discount) the Fund's net asset value. An investor may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase Shares (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for Shares (ask) when buying or selling Shares in the secondary market (the "bid-ask spread"). Recent information, including the Fund's NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads, is available online at www.mast-funds.com.
Tax Information
The Fund's distributions will generally be taxable as ordinary income or capital gains. A sale of Shares may result in capital gain or loss.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase Shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Advisor and Distribution Services, LLC, the Fund's distributor, may pay the intermediary for the sale of Shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary's website for more information.
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Summary Section - Mast HedgeIndex Adaptive Equities ETF
Investment Objective
The Mast HedgeIndex Pathfinder Strategic Growth ETF (the "Fund") seeks long-term capital appreciation.
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 ("Shares"). Investors may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table and example set forth below.
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
| Management Fees | 0.95% |
| Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees | 0.00% |
| Other Expenses(1) | 0.00% |
| Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses | 0.95% |
| (1) | "Other Expenses" are estimated for the current fiscal year. Actual expenses may differ from estimates. |
Example
This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds.
This example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your Shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain at current levels. This example does not include the brokerage commissions that investors may pay to buy and sell Shares.
Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, your costs, based on these assumptions would be:
| One Year | Three Years |
| $97 | $303 |
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it purchases and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover will cause the Fund to incur additional transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the example, may affect the Fund's performance.
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Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund is an actively managed exchange-traded fund ("ETF") that seeks to achieve its investment objective by utilizing an adaptive macro-strategy to allocate across global equity markets. The Fund invests, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities. Equity securities include common stock, preferred stock, warrants and rights, investment company securities, real estate investment trusts ("REITs"), American Depository Receipts ("ADRs"), European Depository Receipts ("EDRs"), and Global Depository Receipts ("GDRs"). The Fund may invest up to 20% of its assets in a broad range of instruments, including bonds, currencies, futures, forwards, exchange-traded and over-the-counter put and call options (both covered and uncovered) and swaps. There are no geographic limits on the Fund's holdings, and the Fund may have exposure to U.S. and non-U.S. securities and currencies.
As a component of its overall investment process, the Fund's advisor utilizes its quantitative models and methodologies proprietary to HedgeIndex LLC. The use of such models and methodologies may vary based on market factors and economic trends as determined by the advisor.
The Fund may engage extensively in short sales of securities. When the Fund sells a security short, it borrows the security from a third party and sells it at the then current market price. The Fund is then obligated to buy the security on a later date so that it can return the security to the lender. The Fund utilizes a dynamic long-short equity strategy, investing up to approximately 135% of its net assets in long positions and up to approximately 60% of its net assets in short positions, resulting in net market exposure to global equity markets that, over time, averages approximately 100%, while potentially aggressively concentrating views on individual stocks. The Fund's advisor seeks to exploit "macro" market inefficiencies such as repeated cycles of asset prices overshooting and mean reverting which may not be justifiable given the concurrent changes in economic fundamentals, while simultaneously adapting to and harnessing the particularities of the contemporaneous macro regime, namely the interactions between (i) the standard inventory cycle; (ii) secular trends relating to the constant transformation of technology, demographics, and geopolitical trends; and (iii) monetary regimes and disruptive shocks. The Fund's use of leverage and short-selling is expected to vary through time.
The Fund may invest in bonds issued or guaranteed by domestic and international corporations or governments. The Fund may invest in bonds of any maturity, duration, and credit quality (both investment grade and below investment grade (commonly referred to as "high yield securities" or "junk bonds")). High yield securities (commonly referred to as "junk" bonds or below investment-grade securities) are instruments that are rated BB+ or lower by S&P Global Ratings or Fitch Inc. or Ba1 or lower by Moody's or equivalent ratings by another registered nationally recognized statistical rating organization ("NRSRO"), or, if unrated by an NRSRO, of comparable quality in the opinion of the Advisor. The Fund may invest globally (including in emerging markets. In addition, the Fund may have exposure to issuers of any size and credit quality.
The Fund also invests a significant portion of its assets in investment grade money market instruments, which may include, but are not limited to, U.S. government securities, U.S. government agency securities, short-term fixed income securities, repurchase agreements, money market mutual fund shares, and cash and cash equivalents. The Fund's money market instrument holdings may serve as collateral for the Fund's derivative positions and may also earn income for the fund. In addition, the Fund may lend its portfolio securities to broker-dealers and other institutions as a means of earning additional income.
The Fund's use of futures, forwards, swaps and certain other financial instruments will have the economic effect of financial leverage. Financial leverage magnifies the exposure to the swings in prices of an asset class underlying a financial instrument and results in increased volatility, which means that the Fund has the potential for greater gains and losses, than if the Fund did not use financial instruments with leverage. A decline in the Fund's assets due to losses magnified by the financial instruments providing leveraged exposure may require the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it may not be advantageous to do so in order to satisfy its obligations, to meet redemption requests or to meet the applicable requirements of the 1940 Act, and the rules thereunder.
The Fund is "non-diversified," meaning that a relatively high percentage of its assets may be invested in a limited number of issuers of securities.
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Principal Risks
You could lose money by investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other governmental agency. There can be no assurance that the Fund's investment objective will be achieved.
Equity Risk. The Fund may obtain exposure to equity securities. The value of equity securities may fall due to general market and economic conditions, perceptions regarding the industries in which the issuers of securities held by the Fund participate, or factors relating to specific companies in which the Fund invests.
Foreign Investment Risk. The prices of foreign securities may be more volatile than the prices of securities of U.S. issuers because of economic and social conditions abroad, political developments, and changes in the regulatory environments of foreign countries. Changes in exchange rates and interest rates, and the imposition of sanctions, confiscations, trade restrictions (including tariffs) and other government restrictions by the United States and/or other governments may adversely affect the values of the Fund's foreign investments. Foreign companies are generally subject to different legal and accounting standards than U.S. companies, and foreign financial intermediaries may be subject to less supervision and regulation than U.S. financial firms. Foreign securities include ADRs and GDRs. Unsponsored ADRs and GDRs are organized independently and without the cooperation of the foreign issuer of the underlying securities, and involve additional risks because U.S. reporting requirements do not apply. In addition, the issuing bank may deduct shareholder distribution, custody, foreign currency exchange, and other fees from the payment of dividends. Emerging markets tend to be more volatile than the markets of more mature economies and generally have less diverse and less mature economic structures and less stable political systems than those of developed countries.
Currency Risk. The values of investments in securities denominated in foreign currencies increase or decrease as the rates of exchange between those currencies and the U.S. dollar change. Currency conversion costs and currency fluctuations could erase investment gains or add to investment losses. Currency exchange rates can be volatile and are affected by factors such as general economic conditions, the actions of the United States and foreign governments or central banks, the imposition of currency controls, and speculation.
Short Sales Risk. In connection with a short sale of a security or other instrument, the Fund is subject to the risk that instead of declining, the price of the security or other instrument sold short will rise. If the price of the security or other instrument sold short increases between the date of the short sale and the date on which the Fund replaces the security or other instrument borrowed to make the short sale, the Fund will experience a loss, which is theoretically unlimited since there is a theoretically unlimited potential for the market price of a security or other instrument sold short to increase. Shorting options or futures may have an imperfect correlation to the assets held by the Fund and may not adequately protect against losses in or may result in greater losses for the Fund's portfolio.
Derivatives Risk. Derivatives include instruments and contracts that are based on and valued in relation to one or more underlying securities, financial benchmarks, indices, or other reference obligations or measures of value. Major types of derivatives include futures, options, swaps and forward contracts. Using derivatives exposes the Fund to additional or heightened risks, including leverage risk, liquidity risk, valuation risk, market risk, counterparty risk, and credit risk. Derivatives transactions can be highly illiquid and difficult to unwind or value, they can increase Fund volatility, and changes in the value of a derivative held by the Fund may not correlate with the value of the underlying instrument or the Fund's other investments. Many of the risks applicable to trading the instruments underlying derivatives are also applicable to derivatives trading. However, derivatives are subject to additional risks such as operational risk, including settlement issues, and legal risk, including that underlying documentation is incomplete or ambiguous. For derivatives that are required to be cleared by a regulated clearinghouse, other risks may arise from the Fund's relationship with a brokerage firm through which it submits derivatives trades for clearing, including in some cases from other clearing customers of the brokerage firm.
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Futures Risk. The Fund's use of futures contracts expose the Fund to leverage and tracking risks because a small investment in futures contracts may produce large losses and futures contracts may not be perfect substitutes for securities. The value of a futures contract tends to increase and decrease in correlation with the value of the underlying instrument. Risks of futures contracts may arise from an imperfect correlation between movements in the price of the futures and the price of the underlying instrument. The Fund's use of futures contracts exposes the Fund to leverage risk because of the small margin requirements relative to the value of the futures contract. A relatively small market movement will have a proportionately larger impact on the funds that the Fund has deposited or will have to deposit with a broker to maintain its futures position. Leverage can lead to large losses as well as gains. While futures contracts are generally liquid instruments, under certain market conditions they may become illiquid. Futures exchanges may impose daily or intraday price change limits and/or limit the volume of trading. Additionally, government regulation may further reduce liquidity through similar trading restrictions. As a result, the Fund may be unable to close out its futures contracts at a time that is advantageous. The price of futures can be highly volatile; using them could lower total return, and the potential loss from futures could exceed the Fund's initial investment in such contracts.
Swaps Risk. A swap is a two-party contract that generally obligates the parties to exchange payments based upon a specified reference security, index or index component. Swaps can involve greater risks than direct investment in securities or other similar instruments, because swaps may be leveraged and are subject to counterparty risk (e.g., the risk that the other party to the transaction defaults on its obligations), credit risk and valuation risk (i.e., swaps may be difficult to value). Swaps may also be considered illiquid. It may not be possible for the Fund to liquidate a swap position at an advantageous time or price, which may result in significant losses.
Options Risk. Purchasing and writing put and call options are highly specialized activities and entail greater than ordinary investment risks. The Fund may not fully benefit from or may lose money on an option if changes in its value do not correspond as anticipated to changes in the value of the underlying securities. If the Fund is not able to sell an option held in its portfolio, it would have to exercise the option to realize any profit and would incur transaction costs upon the purchase or sale of the underlying securities. Ownership of options involves the payment of premiums, which may adversely affect the Fund's performance. To the extent that the Fund invests in over-the-counter options, the Fund may be exposed to counterparty risk.
Forwards Risk. Forwards are not exchange-traded and therefore no clearinghouse or exchange stands ready to meet the obligations of the contracts. Thus, the Fund faces the risk that its counterparties may not perform their obligations. Forward contracts are not regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (the "CFTC") and therefore, the Fund will not receive any benefit of CFTC regulation when trading forward.
Speculative Exposure Risk. Gains or losses from speculative positions in a derivative may be much greater than the derivative's original cost. For example, potential losses from swaps and speculative short sales are unlimited.
Leveraging Risk. Certain Fund transactions, such as entering into futures contracts, options and short sales, may give rise to a form of leverage. Leverage can magnify the effects of changes in the value of the Fund's investments and make the Fund more volatile. Leverage creates a risk of loss of value on a larger pool of assets than the Fund would otherwise have had, potentially resulting in the loss of all assets. The Fund may also have to sell assets at inopportune times to satisfy its obligations in connection with such transactions.
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Liquidity Risk. The Fund may not be able to sell some or all of the investments that it holds due to a lack of demand in the marketplace or other factors such as market turmoil, or if the Fund is forced to sell an illiquid asset to meet redemption requests or other cash needs it may only be able to sell those investments at a loss. Illiquid assets may also be difficult to value.
Preferred stock risk. Preferred stock represents an equity interest in a company that generally entitles the holder to receive, in preference to the holders of other stocks such as common stock, dividends and a fixed share of the proceeds resulting from a liquidation of the company. The market value of preferred stock is subject to company-specific and market risks applicable generally to equity securities and is also sensitive to changes in the company's creditworthiness, the ability of the company to make payments on the preferred stock, and changes in interest rates, typically declining in value if interest rates rise.
Convertible Securities Risk. Convertible securities are subject to market and interest rate risk and credit risk. When the market price of the equity security underlying a convertible security decreases the convertible security tends to trade on the basis of its yield and other fixed income characteristics, and is more susceptible to credit and interest rate risks. When the market price of such equity security rises, the convertible security tends to trade on the basis of its equity conversion features and be more exposed to market risk. Convertible securities are typically issued by smaller capitalized companies with stock prices that may be more volatile than those of other companies.
Real estate investment trust (REIT) Risk. The Fund's investment in REITs will subject the Fund to risks similar to those associated with direct ownership of real estate, including losses from casualty or condemnation, and changes in local and general economic conditions, supply and demand, interest rates, zoning laws, regulatory limitations on rents, property taxes and operating expenses.
Fixed Income Securities Risk. The prices of fixed income securities respond to economic developments, particularly interest rate changes, as well as to changes in an issuer's credit rating or market perceptions about the creditworthiness of an issuer. Generally, fixed income securities decrease in value if interest rates rise and increase in value if interest rates fall, and longer-term and lower rated securities are more volatile than shorter-term and higher rated securities.
Credit Risk. If an issuer or guarantor of a debt security held by the Fund or a counterparty to a financial contract with the Fund defaults or is downgraded or is perceived to be less creditworthy, or if the value of the assets underlying a security declines, the value of the Fund's portfolio will typically decline.
Interest Rate Risk. Generally fixed income securities decrease in value if interest rates rise and increase in value if interest rates fall, with longer-term securities being more sensitive than shorter-term securities. For example, the price of a security with a three-year duration would be expected to drop by approximately 3% in response to a 1% increase in interest rates. Generally, the longer the maturity and duration of a bond or fixed rate loan, the more sensitive it is to this risk. Falling interest rates also create the potential for a decline in the Fund's income. Changes in governmental policy, rising inflation rates, and general economic developments, among other factors, could cause interest rates to increase and could have a substantial and immediate effect on the values of the Fund's investments. In addition, a potential rise in interest rates may result in periods of volatility and increased redemptions that might require the Fund to liquidate portfolio securities at disadvantageous prices and times.
High Yield ("Junk") Bond Risk. High yield bonds are debt securities rated below investment grade (often called "junk bonds"). Junk bonds are speculative, involve greater risks of default, downgrade, or price declines and are more volatile and tend to be less liquid than investment-grade securities. Companies issuing high yield bonds are less financially strong, are more likely to encounter financial difficulties, and are more vulnerable to adverse market events and negative sentiments than companies with higher credit ratings.
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Lack of Correlation Risk; Hedging Risk. There can be no assurance that the Fund's hedges will be effective. Any decrease in negative correlation or increase in positive correlation between the positions the Advisor anticipated would be offsetting (such as short and long positions in securities or currencies held by the Fund) could result in significant losses for the Fund.
Lending Portfolio Securities Risk. The Fund may lend its portfolio securities to broker-dealers and banks, provided that it may not lend securities if, as a result, the aggregate value of all securities loaned would exceed 33 1/3% of its total assets. The collateral, including the investment of any cash collateral, is subject to market depreciation. In the event of bankruptcy or other default of the borrower, the Fund could experience delays in both liquidating the loan collateral and recovering the loaned securities and losses. The collateral (including any investment of cash collateral) is not subject to the percentage limitations on the Fund's investments described elsewhere in this prospectus.
Counterparty Risk. The Fund will be exposed to the credit of the counterparties to over-the-counter ("OTC") derivative contracts and repurchase agreements and their ability to satisfy the terms of the agreements, which exposes the Fund to the risk that the counterparties may default on their obligations to perform under the agreements. In the event of a bankruptcy or insolvency of a counterparty, the fund could experience delays in liquidating the positions and significant losses, including declines in the value of its investment during the period in which the Fund seeks to enforce its rights, inability to realize any gains on its investment during such period, loss of collateral and fees and expenses incurred in enforcing its rights.
Non-Diversification Risk. The Fund is classified as "non-diversified," which means the Fund may invest a larger percentage of its assets in the securities of a smaller number of issuers than a diversified fund. Investment in securities of a limited number of issuers exposes the Fund to greater market risk and potential losses than if its assets were diversified among the securities of a greater number of issuers.
Market Risk. The market price of a security or instrument may decline, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably, due to general market conditions that are not specifically related to a particular company, such as real or perceived adverse economic, political, or geopolitical conditions throughout the world, changes in the general outlook for corporate earnings, changes in interest or currency rates, or adverse investor sentiment generally. The market value of a security or instrument also may decline because of factors that affect a particular industry or industries, such as tariffs, labor shortages or increased production costs and competitive conditions within an industry. In addition, local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, international conflicts, trade disputes, supply chain disruptions, cybersecurity events, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, natural disasters or climate events, or other events could have a significant impact on a security or instrument. The increasing interconnectivity between global economies and financial markets increases the likelihood that events or conditions in one region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market.
ETF Structure Risks. The Fund is an ETF, and, as a result of an ETF's structure, it is exposed to the following risks:
| · | Authorized Participant Concentration Risk. Only an authorized participant ("AP") may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with the Fund. The Fund has 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 and no other AP is able to step forward to process creation or redemption orders, Shares may trade at a discount to the Fund's NAV and possibly face delisting. |
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| · | Cash Transaction Risk. To the extent the Fund sells portfolio securities to meet some or all of a redemption request with cash, the Fund may incur taxable gains or losses that it might not have incurred had it made redemptions entirely 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. Investors buying or selling Shares in the secondary market will pay brokerage commissions or other charges imposed by brokers, as determined by that broker. Brokerage commissions are often a fixed amount and may be a significant proportional cost for investors seeking to buy or sell relatively small amounts of Shares. In addition, secondary market investors will also incur the cost of the difference between the price at which an investor is willing to buy Shares (the "bid" price) and the price at which an investor is willing to sell Shares (the "ask" price). This difference in bid and ask prices is often referred to as the "spread" or "bid-ask spread." The bid-ask spread varies over time for Shares based on trading volume and market liquidity, and the spread is generally lower if Shares have more trading volume and market liquidity and higher if shares have little trading volume and market liquidity. Further, a relatively small investor base in the Fund, asset swings in the Fund, and/or increased market volatility may cause increased bid-ask spreads. Due to the costs of buying or selling Shares, including 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. |
| · | Fluctuation of NAV Risk. 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). Differences in market price and NAV may be due, in large part, to the fact that supply and demand forces at work in the secondary trading market for Shares will be closely related to, but not identical to, the same forces influencing the prices of the holdings of the Fund trading individually or in the aggregate at any point in time. These differences can be especially pronounced during times of market volatility or stress. During these periods, the demand for Shares may decrease considerably and cause the market price of Shares to deviate significantly from the Fund's NAV. When all or a portion of an ETF's underlying securities trade in a market that is closed when the market in which the ETF's shares are listed and trading is open, there may be changes from the last quote from the closed market and the value of such security during the ETF's domestic trading day, which could lead to differences between the market price of the ETF's shares and their underlying NAV. |
| · | 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 NAV 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 NAV and also in greater than normal intra-day bid-ask spreads for Shares. |
| · | Shares are Not Individually Redeemable. Shares are only redeemable by the Fund at NAV if they are tendered in Creation Units. Only APs may engage in such creation and redemption transactions directly with the Fund. Individual Shares may be sold on a stock exchange at their current market prices, which may be less, more, or equal to their NAV. |
| · | Trading Issues Risk. Although the Shares are listed for trading on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for such Shares will develop or be maintained. Trading in Shares on the Exchange may be halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the Exchange, make trading in Shares inadvisable. In addition, trading in Shares on the Exchange is subject to trading halts caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant to the Exchange "circuit breaker" rules. Market makers are under no obligation to make a market in the Shares, and APs are not obligated to submit purchase or redemption orders for Creation Units. 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. Initially, due to the small asset size of the Fund, it may have difficulty maintaining its listings on the Exchange. |
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Active Management Risk. The Fund is actively-managed and its performance reflects investment decisions that the Advisor makes for the Fund. Such judgments about the Fund's investments may prove to be incorrect. If the investments selected and the strategies employed by the Fund fail to produce the intended results, the Fund could underperform as compared to other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies, or could have negative returns.
Operational Risk. The Fund is 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 Advisor 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.
Valuation Risk. The sales price the Fund could receive for any particular portfolio investment may differ from the Fund's valuation of the investment, particularly for securities that trade in thin or volatile markets or that are valued by the Advisor using a fair value methodology. Investors who purchase or redeem Fund shares on days when the Fund is holding fair-valued securities may receive fewer or more shares or lower or higher redemption proceeds than they would have received if the Advisor had not fair-valued the security or had used a different valuation methodology.
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.
Non-Diversification Risk. The Fund is classified as "non-diversified" under the 1940 Act. As a result, the Fund is 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 Code. The Fund seeks to achieve daily results that correspond to a multiple of the daily performance of a single issuer by entering into one or more swaps. In seeking this objective, the Fund may invest a relatively high percentage of its assets in swaps 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 the issuer or one or more of the counterparties.
Government-Sponsored Entities Risk. The Fund's investment in U.S. government obligations may include securities issued or guaranteed as to principal and interest by the U.S. government, or its agencies or instrumentalities. There can be no assurance that the U.S. government would provide financial support to its agencies or instrumentalities (including government-sponsored enterprises) when it is not obligated to do so.
Foreign Sovereign Risk. Foreign governments rely on taxes and other revenue sources to pay interest and principal on their debt obligations. The payment of principal and interest on these obligations may be adversely affected by a variety of factors, including economic results within the foreign country, changes in interest and exchange rates, changes in debt ratings, changing political sentiments, legislation, policy changes, a limited tax base or limited revenue sources, natural disasters, or other economic or credit problems. It is possible that a foreign sovereign may default on its debt obligations.
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Recent Market Events. Periods of market volatility may occur in response to market events, public health emergencies, natural disasters or climate events, and other economic, political, and global macro factors. For example, in recent years the large expansion of government deficits and debt as a result of government actions to mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and inflation have resulted in extreme volatility in the global economy and in global financial markets. In addition, wars, or threats of war and aggression, such as Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the conflicts among nations and militant groups in the Middle East, have led, and in the future may lead, to increased short-term market volatility and may have adverse long-term effects on the U.S. and world economies and markets generally, each of which may negatively impact the Fund's investments. Additionally, since the change in the U.S. presidential administration in 2025, the administration has pursued an aggressive foreign policy agenda, including actual or potential imposition of tariffs, which may have consequences on the United States' relations with foreign countries, the economy, and markets generally. These and other similar events could be prolonged and could adversely affect the value and liquidity of the Fund's investments, impair the Fund's ability to satisfy redemption requests, and negatively impact the Fund's performance.
Cybersecurity Risk. Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to Fund assets, customer data (including private shareholder information), or proprietary information, or cause the Fund, the Advisor and/or other service providers (including custodians, sub-custodians, transfer agents and financial intermediaries) to suffer data breaches, data corruption or loss of operational functionality. In an extreme case, a shareholder's ability to exchange or redeem Shares may be affected. Issuers of securities in which the Fund invests are also subject to cybersecurity risks, and the value of those securities could decline if the issuers experience cybersecurity incidents.
The Shares will change in value, and you could lose money by investing in the Fund. The Fund may not achieve its investment objective.
Performance
As of the date of this prospectus, the Fund has not yet commenced operations and therefore does not have a performance history. Once available, the Fund's performance information will be accessible on the Fund's website at www.mast-funds.com and will provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund.
Management
Investment Advisor
Manteio Scalable Technologies LLC ("Mast Investments" or the "Advisor") is the Fund's investment advisor.
Portfolio Manager
Yung-Shin Kung, Portfolio Manager of the Advisor, is the Lead Portfolio Manager of the Fund. Mr. Kung has been primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund's portfolio since the Fund's inception in [ ], 2026.
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Purchase and Sale of Shares
The Fund issues and redeems Shares on a continuous basis, at NAV, only in large blocks of shares called "Creation Units." Except when aggregated in Creation Units, the Shares are not redeemable securities of the Fund.
Individual Shares may only be purchased and sold on the secondary market through a broker-dealer. Since Shares trade on securities exchanges in the secondary market at their market price rather than their NAV, the Shares may trade at a price greater than (premium) or less than (discount) the Fund's net asset value. An investor may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase Shares (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for Shares (ask) when buying or selling Shares in the secondary market (the "bid-ask spread"). Recent information, including the Fund's NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads, is available online at www.mast-funds.com.
Tax Information
The Fund's distributions will generally be taxable as ordinary income or capital gains. A sale of Shares may result in capital gain or loss.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase Shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Advisor and Distribution Services, LLC, the Fund's distributor, may pay the intermediary for the sale of Shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary's website for more information.
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Summary Section - Mast HedgeIndex Strategic Commodities ETF
Investment Objective
The Mast HedgeIndex Strategic Commodities ETF (the "Fund") seeks to outperform the Bloomberg Commodity Index.
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 ("Shares"). Investors may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table and example set forth below.
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
| Management Fees | 0.65% |
| Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees | 0.00% |
| Other Expenses(1) | 0.00% |
| Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses | 0.65% |
| (1) | "The Fund invests in a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Fund organized under the laws of the Cayman Islands. "Other Expenses" include expenses of both the Fund and the wholly-owned subsidiary. "Other Expenses" are estimated for the current fiscal year. Actual expenses may differ from estimates. |
Example
This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds.
This example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your Shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain at current levels. This example does not include the brokerage commissions that investors may pay to buy and sell Shares.
Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, your costs, based on these assumptions would be:
| One Year | Three Years |
| $66 | $208 |
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it purchases and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover will cause the Fund to incur additional transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the example, may affect the Fund's performance.
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Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund is an actively managed exchange-traded fund ("ETF") that seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing in commodity-linked derivative instruments. Assets not invested in commodity-linked derivative instruments may be invested in fixed income securities. "Fixed income securities" include debt securities, mortgage-backed securities, and bonds issued or guaranteed by domestic and international corporations or governments.
The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing directly and/or indirectly through its wholly-owned subsidiary organized under the laws of the Cayman Islands (the "Subsidiary") in securities and commodity-linked derivative instruments including, but not limited to, commodity-linked notes; total return swaps, options, and forward contracts based on the value of commodities or commodities indexes; and commodity futures. When used in this Prospectus, the term "Fund" includes the Subsidiary and the term "invest" includes investments the Fund makes directly and through the Subsidiary.
As a component of its overall investment process, the Fund's advisor utilizes quantitative models and methodologies proprietary to HedgeIndex, LLC. The use of such models and methodologies may vary based on market factors and economic trends as determined by the advisor.
The Fund may invest in fixed income securities of any maturity, duration, and credit quality (both investment grade and below investment grade (commonly referred to as "high yield securities" or "junk bonds")). High yield securities (commonly referred to as "junk" bonds or below investment-grade securities) are instruments that are rated BB+ or lower by S&P Global Ratings or Fitch Inc. or Ba1 or lower by Moody's or equivalent ratings by another registered nationally recognized statistical rating organization ("NRSRO"), or, if unrated by an NRSRO, of comparable quality in the opinion of the Advisor. There are no geographic limits on the Fund's holdings, and the Fund will have exposure to U.S. and non-U.S. securities and currencies.
The Fund also invests a significant portion of its assets in investment grade money market instruments, which may include, but are not limited to, U.S. government securities, U.S. government agency securities, short-term fixed income securities, repurchase agreements, money market mutual fund shares, and cash and cash equivalents. The Fund's money market instrument holdings may serve as collateral for the Fund's derivative positions and may also earn income for the fund. The Fund may also invest directly in ETFs and other investment companies, including closed-end funds, that provide exposure to commodities.
The Fund's use of options, futures, forwards, swaps and certain other financial instruments will have the economic effect of financial leverage. Financial leverage magnifies the exposure to the swings in prices of an asset class underlying a financial instrument and results in increased volatility, which means that the Fund has the potential for greater gains and losses, than if the Fund did not use financial instruments with leverage. A decline in the Fund's assets due to losses magnified by the financial instruments providing leveraged exposure may require the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it may not be advantageous to do so in order to satisfy its obligations, to meet redemption requests or to meet the applicable requirements of the 1940 Act, and the rules thereunder.
The Fund will enter into short positions, and it may use futures and swaps or sell a security short to do so. For example, the Fund may enter into a futures contract pursuant to which it agrees to sell an asset (that it does not currently own) at a specified price at a specified point in the future. This gives the Fund a short position with respect to the asset. At times, the Fund may have significant short positions.
The Fund will primarily gain exposure to commodities and commodity-linked instruments through investments in the Subsidiary. The Subsidiary will invest in (long and short) commodity-linked futures and swaps. The Subsidiary is managed by the advisor and has the same investment objective as the Fund. The Fund may invest up to 25% of its total assets in the Subsidiary. Investment in the Subsidiary is expected to provide the Fund with commodity exposure within the limitations of the U.S. federal tax requirements that apply to regulated investment companies. Generally, the Subsidiary will invest in long and short commodity-linked futures and swaps, but it may also invest in other types of futures, swaps and options, as well as certain money market instruments, including U.S. government securities, money market fund shares, repurchase agreements and other high-quality, short-term fixed income instruments. The primary purpose of the money market instruments held by the Subsidiary will be to serve as collateral for the Subsidiary's derivative positions; however, these instruments may also earn income for the Subsidiary.
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The Fund is "non-diversified," meaning that a relatively high percentage of its assets may be invested in a limited number of issuers of securities.
Principal Risks
You could lose money by investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other governmental agency. There can be no assurance that the Fund's investment objective will be achieved. The principal risks described below reflect the aggregate operations of the Fund and its Subsidiary.
Derivatives Risk. Derivatives include instruments and contracts that are based on and valued in relation to one or more underlying securities, financial benchmarks, indices, or other reference obligations or measures of value. Major types of derivatives include futures, options, swaps and forward contracts. Using derivatives exposes the Fund to additional or heightened risks, including leverage risk, liquidity risk, valuation risk, market risk, counterparty risk, and credit risk. Derivatives transactions can be highly illiquid and difficult to unwind or value, they can increase Fund volatility, and changes in the value of a derivative held by the Fund may not correlate with the value of the underlying instrument or the Fund's other investments. Many of the risks applicable to trading the instruments underlying derivatives are also applicable to derivatives trading. However, derivatives are subject to additional risks such as operational risk, including settlement issues, and legal risk, including that underlying documentation is incomplete or ambiguous. For derivatives that are required to be cleared by a regulated clearinghouse, other risks may arise from the Fund's relationship with a brokerage firm through which it submits derivatives trades for clearing, including in some cases from other clearing customers of the brokerage firm.
Futures Risk. The Fund's use of futures contracts expose the Fund to leverage and tracking risks because a small investment in futures contracts may produce large losses and futures contracts may not be perfect substitutes for securities. The value of a futures contract tends to increase and decrease in correlation with the value of the underlying instrument. Risks of futures contracts may arise from an imperfect correlation between movements in the price of the futures and the price of the underlying instrument. The Fund's use of futures contracts exposes the Fund to leverage risk because of the small margin requirements relative to the value of the futures contract. A relatively small market movement will have a proportionately larger impact on the funds that the Fund has deposited or will have to deposit with a broker to maintain its futures position. Leverage can lead to large losses as well as gains. While futures contracts are generally liquid instruments, under certain market conditions they may become illiquid. Futures exchanges may impose daily or intraday price change limits and/or limit the volume of trading. Additionally, government regulation may further reduce liquidity through similar trading restrictions. As a result, the Fund may be unable to close out its futures contracts at a time that is advantageous. The price of futures can be highly volatile; using them could lower total return, and the potential loss from futures could exceed the Fund's initial investment in such contracts.
Swaps Risk. A swap is a two-party contract that generally obligates the parties to exchange payments based upon a specified reference security, index or index component. Swaps can involve greater risks than direct investment in securities or other similar instruments, because swaps may be leveraged and are subject to counterparty risk (e.g., the risk that the other party to the transaction defaults on its obligations), credit risk and valuation risk (i.e., swaps may be difficult to value). Swaps may also be considered illiquid. It may not be possible for the Fund to liquidate a swap position at an advantageous time or price, which may result in significant losses.
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Options Risk. Purchasing and writing put and call options are highly specialized activities and entail greater than ordinary investment risks. The Fund may not fully benefit from or may lose money on an option if changes in its value do not correspond as anticipated to changes in the value of the underlying securities. If the Fund is not able to sell an option held in its portfolio, it would have to exercise the option to realize any profit and would incur transaction costs upon the purchase or sale of the underlying securities. Ownership of options involves the payment of premiums, which may adversely affect the Fund's performance. To the extent that the Fund invests in over-the-counter options, the Fund may be exposed to counterparty risk.
Speculative Exposure Risk. Gains or losses from speculative positions in a derivative may be much greater than the derivative's original cost. For example, potential losses from swaps and speculative short sales are unlimited.
Commodity Exposure Risk. The Fund's and the Subsidiary's investments in commodity-linked derivative instruments may subject the Fund to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities, particularly if the investments involve leverage. The value of commodity-linked derivatives instruments may be affected by changes in overall market movements, commodity index volatility, changes in interest rates, or sectors affecting a particular industry or commodity, such as drought, floods, weather, livestock disease, embargoes, tariffs and international economic, political and regulatory developments. Use of leveraged commodity-linked derivatives creates an opportunity for increased return but, at the same time, creates the possibility for greater loss (including the likelihood of greater volatility of the Fund's NAV), and there can be no assurance that the Fund's use of leverage will be successful.
Leveraging Risk. Certain Fund transactions, such as entering into futures contracts, options and short sales, may give rise to a form of leverage. Leverage can magnify the effects of changes in the value of the Fund's investments and make the Fund more volatile. Leverage creates a risk of loss of value on a larger pool of assets than the Fund would otherwise have had, potentially resulting in the loss of all assets. The Fund may also have to sell assets at inopportune times to satisfy its obligations in connection with such transactions.
Short Sales Risk. In connection with a short sale of a security or other instrument, the Fund is subject to the risk that instead of declining, the price of the security or other instrument sold short will rise. If the price of the security or other instrument sold short increases between the date of the short sale and the date on which the Fund replaces the security or other instrument borrowed to make the short sale, the Fund will experience a loss, which is theoretically unlimited since there is a theoretically unlimited potential for the market price of a security or other instrument sold short to increase. Shorting options or futures may have an imperfect correlation to the assets held by the Fund and may not adequately protect against losses in or may result in greater losses for the Fund's portfolio.
Liquidity Risk. The Fund may not be able to sell some or all of the investments that it holds due to a lack of demand in the marketplace or other factors such as market turmoil, or if the Fund is forced to sell an illiquid asset to meet redemption requests or other cash needs it may only be able to sell those investments at a loss. Illiquid assets may also be difficult to value.
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Foreign Investment Risk. The prices of foreign securities may be more volatile than the prices of securities of U.S. issuers because of economic and social conditions abroad, political developments, and changes in the regulatory environments of foreign countries. Changes in exchange rates and interest rates, and the imposition of sanctions, confiscations, trade restrictions (including tariffs) and other government restrictions by the United States and/or other governments may adversely affect the values of the Fund's foreign investments. Foreign companies are generally subject to different legal and accounting standards than U.S. companies, and foreign financial intermediaries may be subject to less supervision and regulation than U.S. financial firms. Foreign securities include American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs") and Global Depositary Receipts ("GDRs"). Unsponsored ADRs and GDRs are organized independently and without the cooperation of the foreign issuer of the underlying securities, and involve additional risks because U.S. reporting requirements do not apply. In addition, the issuing bank may deduct shareholder distribution, custody, foreign currency exchange, and other fees from the payment of dividends. Emerging markets tend to be more volatile than the markets of more mature economies and generally have less diverse and less mature economic structures and less stable political systems than those of developed countries.
Currency Risk. The values of investments in securities denominated in foreign currencies increase or decrease as the rates of exchange between those currencies and the U.S. dollar change. Currency conversion costs and currency fluctuations could erase investment gains or add to investment losses. Currency exchange rates can be volatile and are affected by factors such as general economic conditions, the actions of the United States and foreign governments or central banks, the imposition of currency controls, and speculation.
Fixed Income Securities Risk. The prices of fixed income securities respond to economic developments, particularly interest rate changes, as well as to changes in an issuer's credit rating or market perceptions about the creditworthiness of an issuer. Generally, fixed income securities decrease in value if interest rates rise and increase in value if interest rates fall, and longer-term and lower rated securities are more volatile than shorter-term and higher rated securities.
Credit Risk. If an issuer or guarantor of a debt security held by the Fund or a counterparty to a financial contract with the Fund defaults or is downgraded or is perceived to be less creditworthy, or if the value of the assets underlying a security declines, the value of the Fund's portfolio will typically decline.
Interest Rate Risk. Generally fixed income securities decrease in value if interest rates rise and increase in value if interest rates fall, with longer-term securities being more sensitive than shorter-term securities. For example, the price of a security with a three-year duration would be expected to drop by approximately 3% in response to a 1% increase in interest rates. Generally, the longer the maturity and duration of a bond or fixed rate loan, the more sensitive it is to this risk. Falling interest rates also create the potential for a decline in the Fund's income. Changes in governmental policy, rising inflation rates, and general economic developments, among other factors, could cause interest rates to increase and could have a substantial and immediate effect on the values of the Fund's investments. In addition, a potential rise in interest rates may result in periods of volatility and increased redemptions that might require the Fund to liquidate portfolio securities at disadvantageous prices and times.
High Yield ("Junk") Bond Risk. High yield bonds are debt securities rated below investment grade (often called "junk bonds"). Junk bonds are speculative, involve greater risks of default, downgrade, or price declines and are more volatile and tend to be less liquid than investment-grade securities. Companies issuing high yield bonds are less financially strong, are more likely to encounter financial difficulties, and are more vulnerable to adverse market events and negative sentiments than companies with higher credit ratings.
Lack of Correlation Risk; Hedging Risk. There can be no assurance that the Fund's hedges will be effective. Any decrease in negative correlation or increase in positive correlation between the positions the Advisor anticipated would be offsetting (such as short and long positions in securities or currencies held by the Fund) could result in significant losses for the Fund.
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Counterparty Risk. The Fund will be exposed to the credit of the counterparties to over-the-counter ("OTC") derivative contracts and repurchase agreements and their ability to satisfy the terms of the agreements, which exposes the Fund to the risk that the counterparties may default on their obligations to perform under the agreements. In the event of a bankruptcy or insolvency of a counterparty, the fund could experience delays in liquidating the positions and significant losses, including declines in the value of its investment during the period in which the Fund seeks to enforce its rights, inability to realize any gains on its investment during such period, loss of collateral and fees and expenses incurred in enforcing its rights.
Non-Diversification Risk. The Fund is classified as "non-diversified," which means the Fund may invest a larger percentage of its assets in the securities of a smaller number of issuers than a diversified fund. Investment in securities of a limited number of issuers exposes the Fund to greater market risk and potential losses than if its assets were diversified among the securities of a greater number of issuers.
Market Risk. The market price of a security or instrument may decline, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably, due to general market conditions that are not specifically related to a particular company, such as real or perceived adverse economic, political, or geopolitical conditions throughout the world, changes in the general outlook for corporate earnings, changes in interest or currency rates, or adverse investor sentiment generally. The market value of a security or instrument also may decline because of factors that affect a particular industry or industries, such as tariffs, labor shortages or increased production costs and competitive conditions within an industry. In addition, local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, international conflicts, trade disputes, supply chain disruptions, cybersecurity events, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, natural disasters or climate events, or other events could have a significant impact on a security or instrument. The increasing interconnectivity between global economies and financial markets increases the likelihood that events or conditions in one region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market.
ETF Structure Risks. The Fund is an ETF, and, as a result of an ETF's structure, it is exposed to the following risks:
| · | Authorized Participant Concentration Risk. Only an authorized participant ("AP") may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with the Fund. The Fund has 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 and no other AP is able to step forward to process creation or redemption orders, Shares may trade at a discount to the Fund's NAV and possibly face delisting. |
| · | Cash Transaction Risk. To the extent the Fund sells portfolio securities to meet some or all of a redemption request with cash, the Fund may incur taxable gains or losses that it might not have incurred had it made redemptions entirely 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. Investors buying or selling Shares in the secondary market will pay brokerage commissions or other charges imposed by brokers, as determined by that broker. Brokerage commissions are often a fixed amount and may be a significant proportional cost for investors seeking to buy or sell relatively small amounts of Shares. In addition, secondary market investors will also incur the cost of the difference between the price at which an investor is willing to buy Shares (the "bid" price) and the price at which an investor is willing to sell Shares (the "ask" price). This difference in bid and ask prices is often referred to as the "spread" or "bid-ask spread." The bid-ask spread varies over time for Shares based on trading volume and market liquidity, and the spread is generally lower if Shares have more trading volume and market liquidity and higher if shares have little trading volume and market liquidity. Further, a relatively small investor base in the Fund, asset swings in the Fund, and/or increased market volatility may cause increased bid-ask spreads. Due to the costs of buying or selling Shares, including 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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| · | Fluctuation of NAV Risk. 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). Differences in market price and NAV may be due, in large part, to the fact that supply and demand forces at work in the secondary trading market for Shares will be closely related to, but not identical to, the same forces influencing the prices of the holdings of the Fund trading individually or in the aggregate at any point in time. These differences can be especially pronounced during times of market volatility or stress. During these periods, the demand for Shares may decrease considerably and cause the market price of Shares to deviate significantly from the Fund's NAV. When all or a portion of an ETF's underlying securities trade in a market that is closed when the market in which the ETF's shares are listed and trading is open, there may be changes from the last quote from the closed market and the value of such security during the ETF's domestic trading day, which could lead to differences between the market price of the ETF's shares and their underlying NAV. |
| · | 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 NAV 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 NAV and also in greater than normal intra-day bid-ask spreads for Shares. |
| · | Shares are Not Individually Redeemable. Shares are only redeemable by the Fund at NAV if they are tendered in Creation Units. Only APs may engage in such creation and redemption transactions directly with the Fund. Individual Shares may be sold on a stock exchange at their current market prices, which may be less, more, or equal to their NAV. |
| · | Trading Issues Risk. Although the Shares are listed for trading on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for such Shares will develop or be maintained. Trading in Shares on the Exchange may be halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the Exchange, make trading in Shares inadvisable. In addition, trading in Shares on the Exchange is subject to trading halts caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant to the Exchange "circuit breaker" rules. Market makers are under no obligation to make a market in the Shares, and APs are not obligated to submit purchase or redemption orders for Creation Units. 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. Initially, due to the small asset size of the Fund, it may have difficulty maintaining its listings on the Exchange. |
Active Management Risk. The Fund is actively-managed and its performance reflects investment decisions that the Advisor makes for the Fund. Such judgments about the Fund's investments may prove to be incorrect. If the investments selected and the strategies employed by the Fund fail to produce the intended results, the Fund could underperform as compared to other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies, or could have negative returns.
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Operational Risk. The Fund is 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 Advisor 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.
Valuation Risk. The sales price the Fund could receive for any particular portfolio investment may differ from the Fund's valuation of the investment, particularly for securities that trade in thin or volatile markets or that are valued by the Advisor using a fair value methodology. Investors who purchase or redeem Fund shares on days when the Fund is holding fair-valued securities may receive fewer or more shares or lower or higher redemption proceeds than they would have received if the Advisor had not fair-valued the security or had used a different valuation methodology.
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.
Non-Diversification Risk. The Fund is classified as "non-diversified" under the 1940 Act. As a result, the Fund is 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 Code. The Fund seeks to achieve daily results that correspond to a multiple of the daily performance of a single issuer by entering into one or more swaps. In seeking this objective, the Fund may invest a relatively high percentage of its assets in swaps 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 the issuer or one or more of the counterparties.
Subsidiary Risk. By investing in the Subsidiary, the Fund will be indirectly exposed to the risks associated with the Subsidiary's investments. The Subsidiary is not registered under the 1940 Act and, unless otherwise noted, is not itself subject to all of the investor protections of the 1940 Act. Changes in the laws of the United States, the U.S. states or the Cayman Islands, under which the Fund and Subsidiary are organized and operated, as applicable, could prevent the Fund or the Subsidiary from operating as described in this Prospectus and could negatively affect the Fund and its shareholders.
Portfolio Turnover Risk. Active and frequent trading of the Fund's portfolio securities may lead to higher transaction costs and may result in a greater number of taxable transactions than would otherwise be the case, which could negatively affect the Fund's performance. A high rate of portfolio turnover is 100% or more.
Tax Risk. To qualify for the tax treatment available to regulated investment companies under the Code, the Fund must derive at least 90% of its gross income for each taxable year from sources treated as "qualifying income." Income derived from direct investments in commodities or certain crypto assets is not "qualifying income." In addition, the Internal Revenue Service (the "IRS") has issued a revenue ruling concluding that income and gains from certain commodity-linked derivatives does not constitute "qualifying income." Investment through the Subsidiary is expected to allow the Fund to gain exposure to the commodity markets and crypto assets within the limitations of the federal tax law requirements applicable to regulated investment companies. The tax treatment of the Fund's investment in commodity interests or in the Subsidiary could nevertheless be adversely affected by future legislation or Treasury regulations.
Investment through the Subsidiary may affect the timing and character of income and gain recognized by the Fund, and of distributions to shareholders. For example, the tax treatment of any gains/losses from trading in 1256 futures contracts, such as exchange-traded commodity futures contracts, are generally taxed 60% as long-term capital gains/losses and 40% short term capital gains/losses. However, because the Subsidiary is a "controlled foreign corporation" for U.S. federal income tax purposes, any income or gain recognized in respect of its investments in 1256 futures contracts will be passed through to the Fund as ordinary income, and distributions attributable to such income and gains will generally be taxable to shareholders as ordinary income.
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Government-Sponsored Entities Risk. The Fund's investment in U.S. government obligations may include securities issued or guaranteed as to principal and interest by the U.S. government, or its agencies or instrumentalities. There can be no assurance that the U.S. government would provide financial support to its agencies or instrumentalities (including government-sponsored enterprises) when it is not obligated to do so.
Foreign Sovereign Risk. Foreign governments rely on taxes and other revenue sources to pay interest and principal on their debt obligations. The payment of principal and interest on these obligations may be adversely affected by a variety of factors, including economic results within the foreign country, changes in interest and exchange rates, changes in debt ratings, changing political sentiments, legislation, policy changes, a limited tax base or limited revenue sources, natural disasters, or other economic or credit problems. It is possible that a foreign sovereign may default on its debt obligations.
Recent Market Events. Periods of market volatility may occur in response to market events, public health emergencies, natural disasters or climate events, and other economic, political, and global macro factors. For example, in recent years the large expansion of government deficits and debt as a result of government actions to mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and inflation have resulted in extreme volatility in the global economy and in global financial markets. In addition, wars, or threats of war and aggression, such as Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the conflicts among nations and militant groups in the Middle East, have led, and in the future may lead, to increased short-term market volatility and may have adverse long-term effects on the U.S. and world economies and markets generally, each of which may negatively impact the Fund's investments. Additionally, since the change in the U.S. presidential administration in 2025, the administration has pursued an aggressive foreign policy agenda, including actual or potential imposition of tariffs, which may have consequences on the United States' relations with foreign countries, the economy, and markets generally. These and other similar events could be prolonged and could adversely affect the value and liquidity of the Fund's investments, impair the Fund's ability to satisfy redemption requests, and negatively impact the Fund's performance.
Cybersecurity Risk. Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to Fund assets, customer data (including private shareholder information), or proprietary information, or cause the Fund, the Advisor and/or other service providers (including custodians, sub-custodians, transfer agents and financial intermediaries) to suffer data breaches, data corruption or loss of operational functionality. In an extreme case, a shareholder's ability to exchange or redeem Shares may be affected. Issuers of securities in which the Fund invests are also subject to cybersecurity risks, and the value of those securities could decline if the issuers experience cybersecurity incidents.
The Shares will change in value, and you could lose money by investing in the Fund. The Fund may not achieve its investment objective.
Performance
As of the date of this prospectus, the Fund has not yet commenced operations and therefore does not have a performance history. Once available, the Fund's performance information will be accessible on the Fund's website at www.mast-funds.com and will provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund.
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Management
Investment Advisor
Manteio Scalable Technologies LLC ("Mast Investments" or the "Advisor") is the Fund's investment advisor.
Portfolio Manager
Yung-Shin Kung, Portfolio Manager of the Advisor, is the Lead Portfolio Manager of the Fund. Mr. Kung has been primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund's portfolio since the Fund's inception in [ ], 2026.
Purchase and Sale of Shares
The Fund issues and redeems Shares on a continuous basis, at NAV, only in large blocks of shares called "Creation Units." Except when aggregated in Creation Units, the Shares are not redeemable securities of the Fund.
Individual Shares may only be purchased and sold on the secondary market through a broker-dealer. Since Shares trade on securities exchanges in the secondary market at their market price rather than their NAV, the Shares may trade at a price greater than (premium) or less than (discount) the Fund's net asset value. An investor may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase Shares (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for Shares (ask) when buying or selling Shares in the secondary market (the "bid-ask spread"). Recent information, including the Fund's NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads, is available online at www.mast-funds.com.
Tax Information
The Fund's distributions will generally be taxable as ordinary income or capital gains. A sale of Shares may result in capital gain or loss.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase Shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Advisor and Distribution Services, LLC, the Fund's distributor, may pay the intermediary for the sale of Shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary's website for more information.
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More About the Funds Principal Investment Objectives, Principal Investment Strategies And Risks
Mast HedgeIndex Corporate Arbitrage ETF
Investment Objective
The Fund seeks long-term capital appreciation. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. The Fund's investment objective is not fundamental, and may be changed by the Board of Trustees without shareholder approval, upon at least 60 days' prior written notice to shareholders. The Fund's investment strategies and policies may be changed from time to time without shareholder approval or prior written notice, unless specifically stated otherwise in this Prospectus or the Statement of Additional Information ("SAI").
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund is an actively managed exchange-traded fund ("ETF") that seeks to achieve its investment objective by pursuing several arbitrage investment strategies employed by hedge funds and proprietary trading desks of investment banks, including merger arbitrage, volatility arbitrage, and other arbitrage and corporate event strategies described more fully below. To pursue these investment strategies, the Fund invests in a diversified portfolio of instruments, including equities, closed-end funds, rights, warrants, and derivatives. The Fund's advisor will employ hedging strategies with the intent of (i) reducing the risk associated with each of the arbitrage and corporate event strategies; (ii) keeping the overall volatility of the Fund's net asset value low; and (iii) maintaining a low correlation with the overall equity market.
Examples of Arbitrage and Corporate Event Strategies:
Merger Arbitrage: When engaging in merger arbitrage, the advisor buys shares of the "target" company in a proposed merger or other reorganization between two companies. If the consideration in the transaction consists of stock of the acquirer, the advisor will typically hedge the exposure to the acquirer by shorting the stock of the acquiring company.
Volatility Arbitrage: When engaging in volatility arbitrage, the advisor seeks to profit from the differences in implied volatility between index options and the options of individual stocks that make up the index.
Other Arbitrage and Corporate Event Strategies: The advisor also employs other arbitrage and corporate event strategies when market opportunities arise. Examples of such strategies can include corporate share repurchase activity, investments in IPOs, "dual-class" arbitrage and "closed-end fund" arbitrage, among other strategies. Additionally, as a part of its corporate events strategy, the Fund may invest in equities whose performance is expected to influence the long portfolios of hedge funds and small- and mid-capitalization stocks that have characteristics similar to companies in private equity buyout funds. A "buyout" fund is a type of fund that targets companies for acquisition or control in an attempt to enhance the value of those acquired companies. The Fund does not invest directly in private equity funds or the private equity of companies, and the Fund will not attempt to acquire or control private companies.
As a component of its overall investment process, the Fund's advisor utilizes quantitative models and methodologies proprietary to HedgeIndex, LLC. The use of such models and methodologies may vary, on a discretionary basis, based on market environments and economic trends as determined by the Fund's advisor.
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The Fund may engage extensively in short sales of securities. When the Fund sells a security short, it borrows the security from a third party and sells it at the then current market price. The Fund is then obligated to buy the security on a later date so that it can return the security to the lender. For arbitrage strategies, the Fund will generally buy securities and simultaneously sell securities short in amounts that are intended to result in an approximately neutral economic exposure to overall market movements
The Fund makes use of derivative instruments for hedging purposes, as a substitute for investing in conventional securities, and for investment purposes. The Fund's use of derivative instruments includes, but is not limited to, options on equities and indices, futures on equities and indices, currency forwards, swaps on equities and indices. The Fund's use of such derivatives and certain other financial instruments will have the economic effect of financial leverage. Financial leverage magnifies the exposure to the swings in prices of an asset class underlying a financial instrument and results in increased volatility, which means that the Fund has the potential for greater gains and losses, than if the Fund did not use financial instruments with leverage. A decline in the Fund's assets due to losses magnified by the financial instruments providing leveraged exposure may require the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it may not be advantageous to do so in order to satisfy its obligations, to meet redemption requests or to meet the applicable requirements of the 1940 Act, and the rules thereunder.
In addition, the Fund may invest a significant portion of its assets in investment grade money market instruments, which may include, but are not limited to, U.S. government securities, U.S. government agency securities, short-term fixed income securities, money market mutual fund shares, and cash and cash equivalents. The Fund's money market instrument holdings may serve as collateral for the Fund's derivative positions and may also earn income for the Fund. During periods of market turbulence or low merger and acquisition activity, the Fund may hold a substantial amount in cash and cash equivalents. In addition, the Fund may lend its portfolio securities to broker-dealers and other institutions as a means of earning additional income.
The Fund is "non-diversified," meaning that a relatively high percentage of its assets may be invested in a limited number of issuers of securities.
Mast HedgeIndex Managed Futures Strategy ETF
Investment Objective
The Fund seeks positive absolute returns that have a low correlation to the returns of broad stock and bond markets. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. The Fund's investment objective is not fundamental, and may be changed by the Board of Trustees without shareholder approval, upon at least 60 days' prior written notice to shareholders. The Fund's investment strategies and policies may be changed from time to time without shareholder approval or prior written notice, unless specifically stated otherwise in this Prospectus or the Statement of Additional Information ("SAI").
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund seeks diverse exposure to macro trading opportunities such as significant price trends, both up and down, across asset classes, geographies and time horizons. The Fund may take long and/or short positions in asset classes, and the Advisor dynamically adjusts its exposure to individual asset classes utilizing trend-following and macro trading approaches. As a component of its overall investment process, the Advisor may utilize certain quantitative models and methodologies to guide its investment approach or security selection although the use of such models and methodologies may vary based on market factors and economic trends as determined by the Advisor.
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The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing directly and/or indirectly through its wholly-owned Subsidiary organized under the laws of the Cayman Islands in securities and derivative instruments including, but not limited to, equity index futures and options, swaps on equity index futures, equity swaps, interest rate futures and options, fixed income futures and options, swaps on fixed income futures, commodity and commodity index-linked futures and options, swaps on commodity and commodity index-linked futures, currency futures and options, swaps on currency futures, currency forwards and equity-, fixed income-, and commodity-notes. When used in this Prospectus, the term "Fund" includes the Subsidiary and the term "invest" includes investments the Fund makes directly and through the Subsidiary. There are no geographic limits on the Fund's holdings and the Fund will have exposure to U.S. and non-U.S. securities and currencies.
In addition, the Fund may have exposure to issuers of any size and credit quality. The Fund also invests a significant portion of its assets in investment grade money market instruments, which may include, but are not limited to, U.S. government securities, U.S. government agency securities, short-term fixed income securities, repurchase agreements, money market mutual fund shares, and cash and cash equivalents. The Fund's money market instrument holdings may serve as collateral for the Fund's derivative positions and may also earn income for the fund. The Fund's return is expected to be derived principally from changes in the value of securities and its portfolio is expected to consist principally of securities.
The Fund's use of futures, forwards, swaps and certain other financial instruments will have the economic effect of financial leverage. Financial leverage magnifies the exposure to the swings in prices of an asset class underlying a financial instrument and results in increased volatility, which means that the Fund has the potential for greater gains and losses than if the Fund did not use financial instruments with leverage. A decline in the Fund's assets due to losses magnified by the financial instruments providing leveraged exposure may require the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it may not be advantageous to do so in order to satisfy its obligations, to meet redemption requests or to meet the applicable requirements of the 1940 Act, and the rules thereunder.
The Fund will enter into short positions, and it may use futures and swaps or sell a security short to do so. For example, the Fund may enter into a futures contract pursuant to which it agrees to sell an asset (that it does not currently own) at a specified price at a specified point in the future. This gives the Fund a short position with respect to the asset. At times, the Fund may have significant short positions.
The Fund intends to make investments through the Subsidiary and may invest up to 25% of its total assets in the Subsidiary. The Fund will invest in the Subsidiary primarily to gain exposure to the commodities markets and crypto assets within the limitations of the U.S. federal tax laws, rules and regulations that apply to regulated investment companies. Generally, the Subsidiary will invest in long and short commodity-linked futures and swaps, but it may also invest in other types of futures, swaps and options, as well as certain money market instruments, including U.S. government securities, money market fund shares, repurchase agreements and other high-quality, short-term fixed income instruments. The primary purpose of the money market instruments held by the Subsidiary will be to serve as collateral for the Subsidiary's derivative positions; however, these instruments may also earn income for the Subsidiary. In addition, the Subsidiary may also invest in Crypto Asset ETPs and Crypto Asset Futures. Crypto assets (also referred to as "cryptocurrencies", "virtual currencies", and "digital currencies") are digital assets that are designed to act as a medium of exchange. Crypto assets are not issued by a government, bank, or central organization, and they exist via online, peer-to-peer computer networks that host public transaction ledgers where transfers are recorded on a blockchain. The Fund, through the Subsidiary, may have exposure to crypto assets equal to up to 10% of the Fund's net assets. The Subsidiary is managed by the Advisor and has the same objective as the Fund.
The Fund is actively managed by the Advisor based on the Advisor's view of the prevailing trends in the market. The percentage of the Fund's portfolio exposed to an asset class and to particular strategy will vary from time to time.
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For defensive purposes, due to abnormal market conditions or economic situations as determined by the Advisor, the Fund may invest up to 100% of its total assets in cash or certain short-term securities. Although intended to avoid losses in adverse market, economic, political or other conditions, defensive tactics might be inconsistent with the Fund's principal investment strategies and might prevent the Fund from achieving its goal.
The Fund is "non-diversified," meaning that a relatively high percentage of its assets may be invested in a limited number of issuers of securities.
Mast HedgeIndex Adaptive Equities ETF
Investment Objective
The Fund seeks long-term capital appreciation. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. The Fund's investment objective is not fundamental and may be changed by the Board of Trustees without shareholder approval, upon at least 60 days' prior written notice to shareholders. The Fund's investment strategies and policies may be changed from time to time without shareholder approval or prior written notice, unless specifically stated otherwise in this Prospectus or the Statement of Additional Information ("SAI").
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund is an actively managed exchange-traded fund ("ETF") that seeks to achieve its investment objective by utilizing an adaptive macro-strategy to allocate across global equity markets. The Fund invests, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities. Equity securities include common stock, preferred stock, warrants and rights, investment company securities, real estate investment trusts ("REITs"), American Depository Receipts ("ADRs"), European Depository Receipts ("EDRs"), and Global Depository Receipts ("GDRs"). The Fund's 80% investment policy is not fundamental and may be changed by the Board of Trustees upon at least 60 days' prior written notice to shareholders.
The Fund may invest up to 20% of its assets in a broad range of instruments, including bonds, currencies, futures, forwards, exchange-traded and over-the-counter put and call options (both covered and uncovered) and swaps. There are no geographic limits on the Fund's holdings, and the Fund may have exposure to U.S. and non-U.S. securities and currencies.
As a component of its overall investment process, the Fund's advisor utilizes its quantitative models and methodologies proprietary to HedgeIndex LLC. The use of such models and methodologies may vary based on market factors and economic trends as determined by the advisor.
The Fund may engage extensively in short sales of securities. When the Fund sells a security short, it borrows the security from a third party and sells it at the then current market price. The Fund is then obligated to buy the security on a later date so that it can return the security to the lender. The Fund utilizes a dynamic long-short equity strategy, investing up to approximately 135% of its net assets in long positions and up to approximately 60% of its net assets in short positions, resulting in net market exposure to global equity markets that, over time, averages approximately 100%, while potentially aggressively concentrating views on individual stocks. The Fund's advisor seeks to exploit "macro" market inefficiencies such as repeated cycles of asset prices overshooting and mean reverting which may not be justifiable given the concurrent changes in economic fundamentals, while simultaneously adapting to and harnessing the particularities of the contemporaneous macro regime, namely the interactions between (i) the standard inventory cycle; (ii) secular trends relating to the constant transformation of technology, demographics, and geopolitical trends; and (iii) monetary regimes and disruptive shocks. The Fund's use of leverage and short-selling is expected to vary through time.
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The Fund may invest in bonds issued or guaranteed by domestic and international corporations or governments. The Fund may invest in bonds of any maturity, duration, and credit quality (both investment grade and below investment grade (commonly referred to as "high yield securities" or "junk bonds")). High yield securities (commonly referred to as "junk" bonds or below investment-grade securities) are instruments that are rated BB+ or lower by S&P Global Ratings or Fitch Inc. or Ba1 or lower by Moody's or equivalent ratings by another registered nationally recognized statistical rating organization ("NRSRO"), or, if unrated by an NRSRO, of comparable quality in the opinion of the Advisor. The Fund may invest globally (including in emerging markets. In addition, the Fund may have exposure to issuers of any size and credit quality.
The Fund also invests a significant portion of its assets in investment grade money market instruments, which may include, but are not limited to, U.S. government securities, U.S. government agency securities, short-term fixed income securities, repurchase agreements, money market mutual fund shares, and cash and cash equivalents. The Fund's money market instrument holdings may serve as collateral for the Fund's derivative positions and may also earn income for the fund.
The Fund's use of futures, forwards, swaps and certain other financial instruments will have the economic effect of financial leverage. Financial leverage magnifies the exposure to the swings in prices of an asset class underlying a financial instrument and results in increased volatility, which means that the Fund has the potential for greater gains and losses, than if the Fund did not use financial instruments with leverage. A decline in the Fund's assets due to losses magnified by the financial instruments providing leveraged exposure may require the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it may not be advantageous to do so in order to satisfy its obligations, to meet redemption requests or to meet the applicable requirements of the 1940 Act, and the rules thereunder.
The Fund is "non-diversified," meaning that a relatively high percentage of its assets may be invested in a limited number of issuers of securities.
Mast HedgeIndex Strategic Commodities ETF
Investment Objective
The Fund seeks to outperform the Bloomberg Commodity Index. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. The Fund's investment objective is not fundamental and may be changed by the Board of Trustees without shareholder approval, upon at least 60 days' prior written notice to shareholders. The Fund's investment strategies and policies may be changed from time to time without shareholder approval or prior written notice, unless specifically stated otherwise in this Prospectus or the Statement of Additional Information ("SAI").
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund is an actively managed exchange-traded fund ("ETF") that seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing in commodity-linked derivative instruments. Assets not invested in commodity-linked derivative instruments may be invested in fixed income securities. "Fixed income securities" include debt securities, mortgage-backed securities, and bonds issued or guaranteed by domestic and international corporations or governments.
The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing directly and/or indirectly through its wholly-owned subsidiary organized under the laws of the Cayman Islands (the "Subsidiary") in securities and commodity-linked derivative instruments including, but not limited to, commodity-linked notes; total return swaps, options, and forward contracts based on the value of commodities or commodities indexes; and commodity futures. When used in this Prospectus, the term "Fund" includes the Subsidiary and the term "invest" includes investments the Fund makes directly and through the Subsidiary.
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As a component of its overall investment process, the Fund's advisor utilizes quantitative models and methodologies proprietary to HedgeIndex, LLC. The use of such models and methodologies may vary based on market factors and economic trends as determined by the advisor.
The Fund may invest in fixed income securities of any maturity, duration, and credit quality (both investment grade and below investment grade (commonly referred to as "high yield securities" or "junk bonds")). High yield securities (commonly referred to as "junk" bonds or below investment-grade securities) are instruments that are rated BB+ or lower by S&P Global Ratings or Fitch Inc. or Ba1 or lower by Moody's or equivalent ratings by another registered nationally recognized statistical rating organization ("NRSRO"), or, if unrated by an NRSRO, of comparable quality in the opinion of the Advisor. There are no geographic limits on the Fund's holdings, and the Fund will have exposure to U.S. and non-U.S. securities and currencies.
The Fund also invests a significant portion of its assets in investment grade money market instruments, which may include, but are not limited to, U.S. government securities, U.S. government agency securities, short-term fixed income securities, repurchase agreements, money market mutual fund shares, and cash and cash equivalents. The Fund's money market instrument holdings may serve as collateral for the Fund's derivative positions and may also earn income for the fund. The Fund may also invest directly in ETFs and other investment companies, including closed-end funds, that provide exposure to commodities.
The Fund's use of options, futures, forwards, swaps and certain other financial instruments will have the economic effect of financial leverage. Financial leverage magnifies the exposure to the swings in prices of an asset class underlying a financial instrument and results in increased volatility, which means that the Fund has the potential for greater gains and losses, than if the Fund did not use financial instruments with leverage. A decline in the Fund's assets due to losses magnified by the financial instruments providing leveraged exposure may require the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it may not be advantageous to do so in order to satisfy its obligations, to meet redemption requests or to meet the applicable requirements of the 1940 Act, and the rules thereunder.
The Fund will enter into short positions, and it may use futures and swaps or sell a security short to do so. For example, the Fund may enter into a futures contract pursuant to which it agrees to sell an asset (that it does not currently own) at a specified price at a specified point in the future. This gives the Fund a short position with respect to the asset. At times, the Fund may have significant short positions.
The Fund will primarily gain exposure to commodities and commodity-linked instruments through investments in the Subsidiary. The Subsidiary will invest in (long and short) commodity-linked futures and swaps. The Subsidiary is managed by the advisor and has the same investment objective as the Fund. The Fund may invest up to 25% of its total assets in the Subsidiary. Investment in the Subsidiary is expected to provide the Fund with commodity exposure within the limitations of the U.S. federal tax requirements that apply to regulated investment companies. Generally, the Subsidiary will invest in long and short commodity-linked futures and swaps, but it may also invest in other types of futures, swaps and options, as well as certain money market instruments, including U.S. government securities, money market fund shares, repurchase agreements and other high-quality, short-term fixed income instruments. The primary purpose of the money market instruments held by the Subsidiary will be to serve as collateral for the Subsidiary's derivative positions; however, these instruments may also earn income for the Subsidiary.
The Fund is "non-diversified," meaning that a relatively high percentage of its assets may be invested in a limited number of issuers of securities.
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Principal Risks of Investing in the Funds
The following table sets forth the Funds' principal risks. Before you decide whether to invest in a Fund, carefully consider these risk factors and special considerations associated with investing in the Fund, which may cause you to lose money. Following the table is further information describing the Funds' principal risks listed in the table.
| Investments and Risks | Arbitrage ETF |
Futures Strategy ETF |
Adaptive Equities ETF |
Commodities ETF |
| Merger and Arbitrage Transactions Risk | X | |||
| Derivatives Risk | X | X | X | X |
| Futures Risk | X | X | X | X |
| Swaps Risk | X | X | X | X |
| Options Risk | X | X | X | X |
| Short Sales Risk | X | X | X | X |
| Crypto Assets Risk | X | |||
| Forwards Risk | X | X | X | X |
| Speculative Exposure Risk | X | X | X | X |
| Commodity Exposure Risk | X | X | ||
| Equity Risk | X | X | ||
| Foreign Investment Risk | X | X | X | X |
| Currency Risk | X | X | X | X |
| Preferred Stock Risk | X | X | ||
| Convertible Securities Risk | X | |||
| REITs Risk | X | |||
| IPO Risk | X | |||
| Fixed Income Securities Risk | X | X | ||
| Credit Risk | X | X | ||
| Interest Rate Risk | X | X | ||
| High Yield ("Junk") Bond Risk | X | X | ||
| Leveraging Risk | X | X | X | X |
| Liquidity Risk | X | X | X | X |
| Lack of Correlation Risk, Hedging Risk | X | X | X | X |
| Market Capitalization Risk | X | X | ||
| Counterparty Risk | X | X | X | X |
| Market Risk | X | X | X | X |
| ETF Structure Risk | X | X | X | X |
| Active Management Risk | X | X | X | X |
| Operational Risk | X | X | X | X |
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| Investments and Risks | Arbitrage ETF |
Futures Strategy ETF |
Adaptive Equities ETF |
Commodities ETF |
| Valuation Risk | X | X | X | X |
| New Fund Risk | X | X | X | |
| Non-Diversification Risk | X | X | X | X |
| Subsidiary Risk | X | X | ||
| Portfolio Turnover Risk | X | X | ||
| Tax Risk | X | X | ||
| Government Sponsored Entities Risk | X | X | X | |
| Foreign Sovereign Risk | X | X | X | |
| Repurchase Agreement Risk | X | |||
| Lending Portfolio Securities Risk | X | X | ||
| Recent Market Events | X | X | X | X |
| Cybersecurity Risk | X | X | X | X |
The principal risks described below reflect the aggregate operations of each Fund and its respective Subsidiary.
Merger and Other Arbitrage Transactions Risk. When the Advisor determines that it is probable that an acquisition will be consummated, the Fund may purchase securities at prices often only slightly below the anticipated value to be paid or exchanged for such securities in the merger, exchange offer or cash tender offer (and substantially above the price at which such securities traded immediately prior to the announcement of the merger, exchange offer or cash tender offer). In the case of an investment in a potential acquisition target, if the proposed merger, exchange offer or cash tender offer appears likely not to be consummated, in fact is not consummated, or is delayed, the market price of the security to be tendered or exchanged will usually decline sharply, resulting in a loss to the Fund. In addition, the Fund may determine that the proposed consideration for a security that is the subject of a change of control is likely to be increased, either by the original bidder or by another party. In those circumstances, the Fund may purchase securities above the current proposed consideration, thereby exposing the Merger Arbitrage Fund to an even greater degree of risk.
When the Advisor believes it is likely that a transaction will not be consummated, the Fund may sell the securities of the target company short, at times significantly below the announced consideration for the securities in the transaction. If the transaction (or another transaction, such as a defensive merger or a friendly tender offer) is consummated at or above the announced consideration, the Fund may be forced to cover the short position in the market at a higher price than the short sale price, with a resulting loss.
The consummation of mergers, exchange offers, cash tender offers and other change of control events can be prevented or delayed by a variety of factors, including: (i) regulatory and antitrust restrictions; (ii) political motivations; (iii) industry weakness; (iv) stock specific events; (v) failed financings and (vi) general market declines. Offers for tender or exchange offers and merger proposals customarily reserve the right to cancel such transactions in a variety of circumstances, including an insufficient response from shareholders or material adverse change at the target company. Even if the defensive activities of a target company or the actions of regulatory authorities fail to defeat an acquisition, they may result in significant delays, during which the Fund's capital will be committed to the transaction and interest charges may be incurred on funds borrowed to finance its arbitrage activities in connection with the transaction.
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Exchange offers or cash tender offers are often made for less than all of the outstanding securities of an issuer, with the provision that, if a greater number is tendered, securities will be accepted on a pro rata basis. Thus, after the completion of a tender offer, and at a time when the market price of the securities has declined below its cost, the Fund may have returned to it, and be forced to sell at a loss, a portion of the securities it had previously tendered.
There is typically asymmetry in the risk/reward payout of mergers - the losses that can occur in the event of deal break-ups can far exceed the gains to be had if deals close successfully. For instance, mark-to-market losses can occur intra-month even if a particular deal is not breaking-up and such losses may or may not be recouped upon successful consummation of such deal. In certain transactions, the Fund may not be hedged against market fluctuations or, in liquidation situations, may not accurately value the assets of the company being liquidated. This can result in losses, even if the proposed transaction is consummated.
The Fund's strategies also depend on the overall volume of merger activity for success, which has historically been cyclical in nature. During periods when merger activity is low, it may be difficult or impossible to identify opportunities for profit or to identify a sufficient number of such opportunities to provide diversification among potential merger transactions. The Merger Arbitrage Fund's strategies are also subject to the risk of overall market movements. To the extent that a general increase or decline in equity market values affects the stocks involved in a merger arbitrage position differently, the position may be exposed to loss. At any given time, arbitrageurs can become improperly hedged by accident or in an effort to maximize risk-adjusted returns. This can lead to inadvertent market-related losses.
Derivatives Risk. Derivatives include instruments and contracts that are based on and valued in relation to one or more underlying securities, financial benchmarks, indices, or other reference obligations or measures of value. Major types of derivatives include futures, options, swaps and forward contracts. Depending on how a Fund uses derivatives and the relationship between the market value of the derivative and the underlying instrument, the use of derivatives could increase or decrease the Fund's exposure to the risks of the underlying instrument. Using derivatives exposes a Fund to additional or heightened risks, including leverage risk, liquidity risk, valuation risk, market risk, counterparty risk, and credit risk. A small investment in derivatives could have a potentially large impact on a Fund's performance. Derivatives transactions can be highly illiquid and difficult to unwind or value, they can increase Fund volatility, and changes in the value of a derivative held by a Fund may not correlate with the value of the underlying instrument or the Fund's other investments. Many of the risks applicable to trading the instruments underlying derivatives are also applicable to derivatives trading. However, derivatives are subject to additional risks such as operational risk (such as documentation issues and settlement issues) and legal risk (such as insufficient documentation, insufficient capacity or authority of a counterparty, and issues with the legality or enforceability of a contract). For derivatives that are required to be cleared by a regulated clearinghouse, other risks may arise from a Fund's relationship with a brokerage firm through which it submits derivatives trades for clearing, including in some cases from other clearing customers of the brokerage firm. The Funds would also be exposed to counterparty risk with respect to the clearinghouse. Financial reform laws have changed many aspects of financial regulation applicable to derivatives. Once implemented, new regulations, including margin, clearing, and trade execution requirements, may make investment in derivatives more costly, may limit their availability, may present different risks or may otherwise adversely affect the value or performance of these instruments. The extent and impact of these regulations are not yet fully known and may not be known for some time.
Rule 18f-4 under the 1940 Act (the "Derivatives Rule") provides a comprehensive regulatory framework for the use of derivatives by registered investment companies, such as the Funds, and sets an outer limit on leverage based on value-at-risk (or "VaR"). The effect of the Derivatives Rule could, among other things, make investment in derivatives more costly, limit the availability or reduce the liquidity of derivatives, or otherwise adversely affect the value or performance of derivatives. Any such adverse future developments could impair the effectiveness or raise the costs of the Funds' derivative transactions, impede the employment of the Funds' derivatives strategies, or adversely affect the Funds' performance.
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Futures Risk. The value of a futures contract tends to increase and decrease in correlation with the value of the underlying instrument. Risks of futures contracts may arise from an imperfect correlation between movements in the price of the futures and the price of the underlying instrument. A Fund's use of futures contracts (and related options) exposes the Fund to leverage risk because of the small margin requirements relative to the value of the futures contract. A relatively small market movement will have a proportionately larger impact on the funds that the Fund has deposited or will have to deposit with a broker to maintain its futures positions. Leverage can lead to large losses as well as gains. While futures contracts are generally liquid instruments, under certain market conditions they may become illiquid. Futures exchanges may impose daily or intraday price change limits and/or limit the volume of trading. Additionally, government regulation may further reduce liquidity through similar trading restrictions. As a result, a Fund may be unable to close out its futures contracts at a time that is advantageous. The price of futures can be highly volatile; using them could lower total return, and the potential loss from futures could exceed the Fund's initial investment in such contracts.
Swaps Risk. A swap is a two-party contract that generally obligates the parties to exchange payments based upon a specified reference security, index or index component. Swaps can involve greater risks than direct investment in securities or other similar instruments, because swaps may be leveraged and are subject to counterparty risk (e.g., the risk that the other party to the transaction defaults on its obligations), credit risk and valuation risk (i.e., swaps may be difficult to value). Swaps may also be considered illiquid. It may not be possible for a Fund to liquidate a swap position at an advantageous time or price, which may result in significant losses.
Options Risk. If a put or call option purchased by a Fund expires without being sold or exercised, the Fund would lose the premium it paid for the option. The risk involved in writing a covered call option is the lack of liquidity for the option. If a Fund is not able to close out the option transaction, the Fund would not be able to sell the underlying security until the option expires or is exercised. The risk involved in writing an uncovered call option is that there could be an increase in the market value of the underlying security caused by declining interest rates or other factors. If this occurs, the option could be exercised and the underlying security would then be sold by the Fund at a lower price than its current market value. The risk involved in writing a put option is that the market value of the underlying security could decrease as a result of rising interest rates or other factors. If this occurs, the option could be exercised and the underlying security would then be sold to the Fund at a higher price than its prevailing market value. Purchasing and writing put and call options are highly specialized activities and entail greater than ordinary investment risks. To the extent that a Fund invests in over-the-counter options, the Fund may be exposed to credit risk with regard to parties with which it trades and may also bear the risk of settlement default. These risks may differ materially from those entailed in exchange-traded transactions, which generally are backed by clearing organization guarantees, daily marking-to-market and settlement, and segregation and minimum capital requirements applicable to intermediaries. Transactions entered directly between two counterparties generally do not benefit from such protections and expose the parties to the risk of counterparty default.
Short Sales Risk. In connection with a short sale of a security or other instrument, each Fund is subject to the risk that instead of declining, the price of the security or other instrument sold short will rise. If the price of the security or other instrument sold short increases between the date of the short sale and the date on which a Fund replaces the security or other instrument borrowed to make the short sale, the Fund will experience a loss, which is theoretically unlimited since there is a theoretically unlimited potential for the market price of a security or other instrument sold short to increase. Shorting options or futures may have an imperfect correlation to the assets held by a Fund and may not adequately protect against losses in or may result in greater losses for the Fund's portfolio. By investing the proceeds received from selling securities short, the Fund is employing leverage, which creates special risks. Furthermore, until the Fund replaces a security borrowed, or sold short, it must pay to the lender amounts equal to any dividends that accrue during the period of the short sale. In addition, each Fund will incur certain transaction fees associated with short selling.
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Crypto Asset Risk. Crypto assets, such as bitcoin and ether, are digital assets that are designed to act as a medium of exchange. Despite being referred to as "currencies," crypto assets are not widely accepted as a medium of exchange, and there is no guarantee that they will ever be accepted as such. The value of the Fund's indirect investments in crypto assets, through Crypto Asset ETPs and Crypto Asset Futures, is subject to fluctuations in the value of the underlying crypto assets. The value of a crypto asset is determined by the supply of and demand for the crypto asset in the global market, which consists of transactions on electronic exchanges. Pricing on exchanges and other venues can be volatile and can adversely affect the value of the Fund's exposure to the crypto asset. Currently, there is relatively limited use of crypto assets in the retail and commercial marketplace in comparison to the relatively large use of crypto assets by speculators, thus contributing to price volatility that could adversely affect the Fund's investments. Crypto asset transactions are irrevocable, and stolen or incorrectly transferred crypto assets may be irretrievable. As a result, any incorrectly executed transactions could adversely affect the value of the Fund's investments in Crypto Asset ETPs and Crypto Asset Futures.
Crypto assets generally operate without central authority (such as a bank) and are not backed by any government; therefore crypto assets are not subject to the same degree of regulation as are registered U.S. securities. The reporting, accounting and auditing standards for crypto assets may differ from the standards for registered U.S. securities. Due to the unregulated nature and lack of transparency surrounding the operations of crypto asset platforms, which may experience fraud, manipulation, security failures or operational problems, as well as the wider crypto asset market, the value of a crypto asset and, consequently, the value of the Fund's investments in Crypto Asset ETPs and Crypto Asset Futures may be adversely affected.
Countries, including the United States, may restrict or outlaw the acquisition, use, or sale of one or more crypto assets in the future, and regulation in the United States is still developing. Ongoing and future regulatory actions may alter, perhaps to a materially adverse extent, the nature of investments in crypto assets generally. Depending on its characteristics, a crypto asset may be considered a "security" under the federal securities laws. The test for determining whether a particular crypto asset is a "security" is complex and difficult to apply, and the outcome is difficult to predict. A determination that a crypto asset is a "security" may adversely affect the value of the crypto asset.
The Fund will indirectly bear its proportionate share of management fees and other expenses that are charged by Crypto Asset ETPs in addition to its own direct expenses and will pay brokerage commissions in connection with the purchase and sale of shares of Crypto Asset ETPs. Like other exchange-traded products, the shares of Crypto Asset ETPs may be bought and sold in the secondary market and may trade at a premium or discount to their net asset value. This risk is heightened in times of market volatility, periods of steep market declines, and periods when there is limited trading activity in the secondary market, in which case such premiums or discounts may be significant and the bid-ask spread could widen. Although the shares are listed for trading on an exchange, it cannot be assumed that an active trading market for the shares will be maintained. The lack of an active trading market for the shares may result in limited market liquidity and losses when selling the shares.
In addition, Crypto Asset ETPs have a limited number of financial institutions that may act as APs and there may be a limited number of market makers and/or liquidity providers in the marketplace. To the extent that (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 such functions, shares may trade at a material discount to net asset value, the bid-ask spread could widen, and shares could face trading halts and/or delisting.
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Furthermore, the inability of Crypto Asset ETPs to facilitate in-kind creations and redemptions of shares could have adverse consequences for the performance of Crypto Asset ETPs. The use of cash creations and redemptions, as opposed to in-kind creations and redemptions, may adversely affect the arbitrage transactions by APs intended to keep the price of Crypto Asset ETPs' shares closely linked to the price of the underlying crypto asset, and, as a result, the price of the shares may fall or otherwise diverge from net asset value.
Crypto Asset ETPs are not registered investment companies under the 1940 Act or commodity pools under the CEA, and therefore investors in Crypto Asset ETPs do not have the regulatory protections associated with ownership of shares in an investment company registered under the 1940 Act or the protections afforded by the CEA. Moreover, as sponsors of Crypto Asset ETPs have a limited track record in operating investment vehicles that specifically deal with crypto assets, their experience may be inadequate or they may be unable to successfully manage them. This limited experience poses several potential risks to the effective management and operation of Crypto Asset ETPs. Crypto assets, such as bitcoin and ether, are known for their high volatility, unique technical, legal and regulatory challenges, and rapidly evolving market dynamics. The sponsors' limited experience in this specific field may not fully equip them to navigate these complexities effectively.
Forwards Risk. The Funds may enter into forward contracts that are not traded on exchanges and may not be regulated. There are no limitations on daily price moves of forward contracts. Banks and other dealers with which the Fund maintains accounts may require that the Fund deposit margin with respect to such trading. The Funds' counterparties are not required to continue making markets in such contracts. There have been periods during which certain counterparties have refused to continue to quote prices for forward contracts or have quoted prices with an unusually wide spread (the difference between the price at which the counterparty is prepared to buy and that at which it is prepared to sell). Arrangements to trade forward contracts may be made with only one or a few counterparties, and liquidity problems therefore might be greater than if such arrangements were made with numerous counterparties. The imposition of credit controls by governmental authorities might limit such forward trading to less than the amount that the Advisor would otherwise recommend, to the possible detriment of the Fund.
Speculative Exposure Risk. Gains or losses from speculative positions in a derivative may be much greater than the derivative's original cost. For example, potential losses from swaps and speculative short sales are unlimited.
Commodity Exposure Risk. The Funds' and the Subsidiaries' investments in commodity-linked derivative instruments may subject the Funds to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities, particularly if the investments involve leverage. The value of commodity-linked derivatives instruments may be affected by changes in overall market movements, commodity index volatility, changes in interest rates, or sectors affecting a particular industry or commodity, such as drought, floods, weather, livestock disease, embargoes, tariffs and international economic, political and regulatory developments. Use of leveraged commodity-linked derivatives creates an opportunity for increased return but, at the same time, creates the possibility for greater loss (including the likelihood of greater volatility of the Funds' NAV), and there can be no assurance that the Funds' use of leverage will be successful.
Equity Risk. The value of equity securities held by the Fund may fall due to general market and economic conditions, perceptions regarding the industries in which the issuers of securities held by the Funds participate, or factors relating to specific companies in which the Fund invests. The price of common stock of an issuer in the Fund's portfolio may decline if the issuer fails to make anticipated dividend payments because, among other reasons, the financial condition of the issuer declines. Common stock is subordinated to preferred stocks, bonds and other debt instruments in a company's capital structure in terms of priority with respect to corporate income, and therefore will be subject to greater dividend risk than preferred stocks or debt instruments of such issuers. In addition, while broad market measures of common stocks have historically generated higher average returns than fixed income securities, common stocks have also experienced significantly more volatility in those returns.
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Foreign Investment Risk. Investments in foreign securities are affected by risk factors generally not thought to be present in the United States. The prices of foreign securities may be more volatile than the prices of securities of U.S. issuers because of economic and social conditions abroad, political developments, and changes in the regulatory environments of foreign countries. Special risks associated with investments in foreign markets include less liquidity, less developed or less efficient trading markets, lack of comprehensive company information, less government supervision of exchanges, brokers and issuers, greater risks associated with counterparties and settlement, and difficulty in enforcing contractual obligations. Changes in exchange rates and interest rates, and the imposition of foreign taxes, sanctions, confiscations, trade restrictions (including tariffs) and other government restrictions by the United States and/or other governments may adversely affect the values of a Fund's foreign investments. Foreign companies are generally subject to different legal and accounting standards than U.S. companies, and foreign financial intermediaries may be subject to less supervision and regulation than U.S. financial firms. The Funds' investments in depositary receipts (including ADRs) are subject to these risks, even if denominated in U.S. dollars, because changes in currency and exchange rates affect the values of the issuers of depositary receipts. In addition, the underlying issuers of certain depositary receipts, particularly unsponsored or unregistered 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.
Currency Risk. The values of investments in securities denominated in foreign currencies increase or decrease as the rates of exchange between those currencies and the U.S. dollar change. Currency conversion costs and currency fluctuations could erase investment gains or add to investment losses. Currency exchange rates can be volatile and are affected by factors such as general economic conditions, the actions of the United States and foreign governments or central banks, the imposition of currency controls, and speculation.
Preferred stock risk. Preferred stock represents an equity interest in a company that generally entitles the holder to receive, in preference to the holders of other stocks such as common stocks, dividends and a fixed share of the proceeds resulting from a liquidation of the company. Preferred stocks may pay fixed or adjustable rates of return. The market value of preferred stock is subject to issuer-specific and market risks applicable generally to equity securities and is sensitive to changes in the issuer's creditworthiness, the ability of the issuer to make payments on the preferred stock and changes in interest rates, typically declining in value if interest rates rise. In addition, a company's preferred stock generally pays dividends only after the company makes required payments to holders of its bonds and other debt. Therefore, the value of preferred stock will usually react more strongly than bonds and other debt to actual or perceived changes in the company's financial condition or prospects.
Convertible Securities Risk. Convertible securities are securities that are convertible into or exchangeable for common or preferred stock. The values of convertible securities may be affected by changes in interest rates, the creditworthiness of their issuer, and the ability of the issuer to repay principal and to make interest payments. A convertible security tends to perform more like a stock when the underlying stock price is high and more like a debt security when the underlying stock price is low. A convertible security is not as sensitive to interest rate changes as a similar non-convertible debt security and generally has less potential for gain or loss than the underlying stock.
REITs risk. The Fund's investments in REITs will subject the Fund to risks similar to those associated with direct ownership of real estate, including losses from casualty or condemnation, and changes in local and general economic conditions, supply and demand, interest rates, zoning laws, regulatory limitations on rents, property taxes and operating expenses. Investment in REITs is subject to additional risks, such as poor performance by the manager of the REIT, adverse changes to the tax laws or failure by the REIT to qualify for the favorable tax treatment generally available to REITs under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"). In addition, some REITs have limited diversification because they invest in a limited number of properties, a narrow geographic area, or a single type of property.
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Fixed Income Securities Risk. The prices of fixed income securities respond to economic developments, particularly interest rate changes, as well as to changes in an issuer's credit rating or market perceptions about the creditworthiness of an issuer. Prices of fixed income securities tend to move inversely with changes in interest rates. Generally, fixed income securities decrease in value if interest rates rise and increase in value if interest rates fall, with lower rated securities more volatile than higher rated securities. The longer the effective maturity and duration of a Fund's portfolio, the more the Fund's share price is likely to react to changes in interest rates. (Duration is a weighted measure of the length of time required to receive the present value of future payments, both interest and principal, from a fixed income security.) Some fixed income securities give the issuer the option to call, or redeem, the securities before their maturity dates. If an issuer calls its security during a time of declining interest rates, a Fund might have to reinvest the proceeds in an investment offering a lower yield, and therefore might not benefit from any increase in value of the security as a result of declining interest rates. During periods of market illiquidity or rising interest rates, prices of callable issues are subject to increased price fluctuation. In addition, a Fund may be subject to extension risk, which occurs during a rising interest rate environment because certain obligations may be paid off by an issuer more slowly than anticipated, causing the value of those securities held by the Fund to fall.
Credit Risk. If an obligor (such as the issuer itself or a party offering credit enhancement) for a security held by the Fund fails to pay amounts due when required by the terms of the security, otherwise defaults, is perceived to be less creditworthy, becomes insolvent or files for bankruptcy, a security's credit rating is downgraded or the credit quality or value of any underlying assets declines, the value of the Fund's investment could decline. If a Fund enters into financial contracts (such as certain derivatives, repurchase agreements, reverse repurchase agreements, and when-issued, delayed delivery and forward commitment transactions), the Fund will be subject to the credit risk presented by the counterparties.
Interest Rate Risk. Prices of fixed income securities tend to move inversely with changes in interest rates. Generally fixed income securities decrease in value if interest rates rise and increase in value if interest rates fall, with longer-term securities being more sensitive than shorter-term securities. For example, the price of a security with a three-year duration would be expected to drop by approximately 3% in response to a 1% increase in interest rates. Duration is a weighted measure of the length of time required to receive the present value of future payments, both interest and principal, from a fixed income security. Generally, the longer the maturity and duration of a bond or fixed rate loan, the more sensitive it is to this risk. Falling interest rates also create the potential for a decline in a Fund's income. Changes in governmental policy, rising inflation rates, and general economic developments, among other factors, could cause interest rates to increase and could have a substantial and immediate effect on the values of a Fund's investments. These risks are greater during periods of rising inflation. In addition, a potential rise in interest rates may result in periods of volatility and increased redemptions that might require a Fund to liquidate portfolio securities at disadvantageous prices and times.
High Yield ("Junk") Bond Risk. High yield bonds (often called "junk bonds") are speculative, involve greater risks of default or downgrade and are more volatile and tend to be less liquid than investment-grade securities. High yield bonds involve a greater risk of price declines than investment-grade securities due to actual or perceived changes in an issuer's creditworthiness. Companies issuing high yield fixed-income securities are less financially strong, are more likely to encounter financial difficulties, and are more vulnerable to adverse market events and negative sentiments than companies with higher credit ratings. These factors could affect such companies' abilities to make interest and principal payments and ultimately could cause such companies to stop making interest and/or principal payments. In such cases, payments on the securities may never resume, which would result in the securities owned by the Fund becoming worthless. The market prices of junk bonds are generally less sensitive to interest rate changes than higher rated investments, but more sensitive to adverse economic or political changes or individual developments specific to the issuer.
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Leveraging Risk. The use of leverage, such as entering into futures contracts, options, and short sales, may magnify a Fund's gains or losses. Because many derivatives have a leverage component, adverse changes in the value or level of the underlying instrument can result in a loss substantially greater than the amount invested in the derivative itself. Certain derivatives have the potential for unlimited loss, regardless of the size of the initial investment.
Liquidity Risk. Due to a lack of demand in the marketplace or other factors, such as market turmoil, the Fund may not be able to sell some or all of the investments that it holds, or if the Fund is forced to sell an illiquid asset to meet redemption requests or other cash needs, it may only be able to sell those investments at a loss. Liquidity risk arises, for example, from small average trading volumes, trading restrictions, or temporary suspensions of trading. In addition, when the market for certain investments is illiquid, the Fund may be unable to achieve its desired level of exposure to a certain sector. Liquid investments may become illiquid or less liquid after purchase by the Fund, particularly during periods of market turmoil. Illiquid and relatively less liquid investments may be harder to value, especially in changing markets. Moreover, the reduction in dealer market-making capacity in the fixed income markets that has occurred in recent years has the potential to decrease the liquidity of the Fund's investments. Liquidity risk may be more pronounced for the Fund's investments in developing countries.
Lack of Correlation Risk; Hedging Risk. There can be no assurance that a Fund's hedges will be effective. Any decrease in negative correlation or increase in positive correlation between the positions the Advisor anticipated would be offsetting (such as short and long positions in securities or currencies held by the Fund) could result in significant losses for the Fund.
Market capitalization risk. Larger, more established companies may be unable to attain the high growth rates of successful, smaller companies during periods of economic expansion. In addition, large-capitalization companies may be unable to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in technology and consumer tastes and may be more prone to global economic risks. Investing in small-capitalization and mid-capitalization companies generally involves greater risks than investing in large-capitalization companies. Small- or mid-cap companies may have limited product lines, markets or financial resources or may depend on the expertise of a few people and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic market movements than securities of larger, more established companies or market averages in general. Many small capitalization companies may be in the early stages of development. Since equity securities of smaller companies may lack sufficient market liquidity and may not be regularly traded, it may be difficult or impossible to sell securities at an advantageous time or a desirable price.
Counterparty Risk. The Fund will be exposed to the credit of the counterparties to OTC derivative contracts and repurchase agreements and their ability to satisfy the terms of the agreements, which exposes the Fund to the risk that the counterparties may default on their obligations to perform under the agreements. In the event of a bankruptcy or insolvency of a counterparty, a Fund could experience delays in liquidating the positions and significant losses, including declines in the value of its investment during the period in which the Fund seeks to enforce its rights, inability to realize any gains on its investment during such period, loss of collateral and fees and expenses incurred in enforcing its rights.
Market Risk. The market price of a security or instrument may decline, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably, due to general market conditions that are not specifically related to a particular company, such as real or perceived adverse economic, political, or geopolitical conditions throughout the world, changes in the general outlook for corporate earnings, changes in interest or currency rates, or adverse investor sentiment generally. The market value of a security or instrument also may decline because of factors that affect a particular industry or industries, such as tariffs, labor shortages or increased production costs and competitive conditions within an industry.
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In addition, local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, international conflicts, trade disputes, supply chain disruptions, cybersecurity events, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, natural disasters or climate events, or other events could have a significant impact on a security or instrument. Such events could make identifying investment risks and opportunities especially difficult for the Advisor. In response to certain crises, the United States and other governments have taken steps to support financial markets. The withdrawal of this support or failure of efforts in response to a crisis could negatively affect financial markets generally as well as the value and liquidity of certain securities. In addition, policy and legislative changes in the United States and in other countries are changing many aspects of financial regulation. The impact of these changes on the markets, and the practical implications for market participants, may not be fully known for some time. The increasing interconnectivity between global economies and financial markets increases the likelihood that events or conditions in one region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market.
ETF Structure Risks. Each Fund is an ETF, and, as a result of an ETF's structure, it is exposed to the following risks:
| · | Authorized Participant Concentration Risk. Only an AP may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with the Funds. Each Fund 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 a Fund and no other AP is able to step forward to process creation or redemption orders, Shares may trade at a discount to the Fund's NAV and possibly face delisting. |
| · | Cash Transaction Risk. To the extent a Fund sells portfolio securities to meet some or all of a redemption request with cash, the Fund may incur taxable gains or losses that it might not have incurred had it made redemptions entirely in-kind. As a result, a Fund may pay out higher annual capital gain distributions than if the in-kind redemption process was used. |
| · | Costs of Buying or Selling Shares. Investors buying or selling shares in the secondary market will pay brokerage commissions or other charges imposed by brokers, as determined by that broker. Brokerage commissions are often a fixed amount and may be a significant proportional cost for investors seeking to buy or sell relatively small amounts of shares. In addition, secondary market investors will also incur the cost of the difference between the price at which an investor is willing to buy Shares (the "bid" price) and the price at which an investor is willing to sell Shares (the "ask" price). This difference in bid and ask prices is often referred to as the "spread" or "bid-ask spread." The bid-ask spread varies over time for shares based on trading volume and market liquidity, and the spread is generally lower if shares have more trading volume and market liquidity and higher if shares have little trading volume and market liquidity. Further, a relatively small investor base in a Fund, asset swings in a Fund, and/or increased market volatility may cause increased bid-ask spreads. Due to the costs of buying or selling shares, including 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. |
| · | Fluctuation of NAV Risk. 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). Differences in market price and NAV may be due, in large part, to the fact that supply and demand forces at work in the secondary trading market for shares will be closely related to, but not identical to, the same forces influencing the prices of the holdings of a Fund trading individually or in the aggregate at any point in time. These differences can be especially pronounced during times of market volatility or stress. During these periods, the demand for Fund Shares may decrease considerably and cause the market price of Fund Shares to deviate significantly from the Fund's NAV. When all or a portion of an ETF's underlying securities trade in a market that is closed when the market in which the ETF's shares are listed and trading is open, there may be changes from the last quote from the closed market and the value of such security during the ETF's domestic trading day, which could lead to differences between the market price of the ETF's shares and their underlying NAV. |
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| · | Market Maker Risk. If a 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 NAV 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 NAV and also in greater than normal intra-day bid-ask spreads for Shares. |
| · | Shares are Not Individually Redeemable. Shares are only redeemable by the Funds at NAV if they are tendered in Creation Units. Only APs may engage in such creation and redemption transactions directly with the Funds. Individual Shares may be sold on a stock exchange at their current market prices, which may be less, more, or equal to their NAV. |
| · | Trading Issues Risk. Although the Funds' Shares are listed for trading on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for such Fund Shares will develop or be maintained. 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 Fund 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 "circuit breaker" rules. Market makers are under no obligation to make a market in the Fund Shares, and APs are not obligated to submit purchase or redemption orders for Creation Units. 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. Initially, due to the small asset size of the Funds, they may have difficulty maintaining their listings on the Exchange. |
Active Management Risk. The value of your investment depends on the judgment of the Advisor about the quality, relative yield, value or market trends affecting a particular security, industry, sector or region, which may prove to be incorrect. Investment strategies employed by the Advisor in selecting investments for the Funds may not result in an increase in the value of your investment or in overall performance equal to other investments. The Fund also bears the risk that the proprietary model used by the portfolio managers will not be successful in identifying investments that will help the Fund achieve its investment objective, causing the Fund to underperform other funds with a similar investment objective.
Operational Risk. The Fund is 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 Advisor 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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Valuation Risk. Many factors may influence the price at which the Fund could sell any particular portfolio investment. The sales price may well differ-higher or lower-from the Fund's last valuation, and such differences could be significant, particularly for illiquid securities and securities that trade in relatively thin markets and/or markets that experience extreme volatility. If market conditions make it difficult to value some investments, the Advisor may value these investments using more subjective methods, such as fair value methodologies. Investors who purchase or redeem Fund shares on days when the Fund is holding fair-valued securities may receive fewer or more shares, or lower or higher redemption proceeds, than they would have received if the Advisor had not fair-valued the securities or had used a different valuation methodology. The value of foreign securities, certain fixed income securities, and currencies may be materially affected by events after the close of the market on which they are valued but before the Fund determines its net asset value.
Subsidiary Risk. By investing in its respective Subsidiary, each Fund will be indirectly exposed to the risks associated with the Subsidiary's investments. Each Subsidiary is not registered under the 1940 Act and, unless otherwise noted in this Prospectus, is not itself subject regulation under the 1940 Act. Thus, the Fund, as an investor in its Subsidiary, will not have all of the protections offered to investors in regulated investment companies. Each Fund, however, wholly owns and controls its respective Subsidiary. Further, the Advisor acts as the investment advisor for each Subsidiary, making it unlikely that a Subsidiary would intentionally take action contrary to the interests of a Fund and its shareholders.
Changes in the laws of the United States, the U.S. states or the Cayman Islands could prevent a Subsidiary from operating as described in this Prospectus and could negatively affect the Fund and its shareholders. In addition, the Cayman Islands currently does not impose any income, corporate, capital gain or withholding taxes on the Subsidiaries. If this were to change and the Subsidiaries were required to pay Cayman Islands taxes, the investment returns of the Funds would be adversely affected.
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.
Non-Diversification Risk. Each Fund is classified as "non-diversified," which means the Fund may invest a larger percentage of its assets in the securities of a smaller number of issuers than a diversified fund. Investment in securities of a limited number of issuers exposes the Funds to greater market risk and potential losses than if their assets were diversified among the securities of a greater number of issuers.
Portfolio Turnover Risk. Active and frequent trading of a Fund's portfolio securities may lead to higher transaction costs and may result in a greater number of taxable transactions than would otherwise be the case, which could negatively affect the Fund's performance. A high rate of portfolio turnover is 100% or more.
Tax Risk. To qualify for the tax treatment available to regulated investment companies under the Code, a Fund must derive at least 90% of its gross income for each taxable year from sources treated as "qualifying income." Income derived from direct investments in commodities or certain crypto assets is not "qualifying income." In addition, the IRS has issued a revenue ruling concluding that income and gains from certain commodity-linked derivatives does not constitute "qualifying income." Investment through the Subsidiary is expected to allow a Fund to gain exposure to the commodity markets and crypto assets within the limitations of the federal tax law requirements applicable to regulated investment companies. The tax treatment of a Fund's investment in commodity interests or in the Subsidiary could nevertheless be adversely affected by future legislation or Treasury regulations.
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The tax treatment of the Fund's investment in commodity interests or in its Subsidiary could also be adversely affected by future legislation or Treasury regulations. If income derived by the Fund from its investments in commodity interests and in its Subsidiary does not constitute "qualifying income," the Fund may not be able to qualify as a regulated investment company under the Code; in that case, the Fund would be subject to U.S. federal income tax at regular corporate rates on its taxable income, including its net capital gain, even if such income were distributed to its shareholders, and all distributions out of earnings and profits would be taxed to shareholders as dividend income. If future legislation, Treasury regulations or IRS guidance further limits the Fund's ability to treat its income from its investments in commodity interests or in the Subsidiary as "qualifying income," the Fund and the Advisor will consider what action to take, including potentially liquidating the Fund.
For U.S. federal income tax purposes, the Subsidiary will be treated as a corporation. As a result, the Subsidiary will be treated as conducting its own activities and recognizing its own income. The Subsidiary will be subject to U.S. federal income tax, at the rate applicable to U.S. corporations, on its net income, if any, that is treated as "effectively connected" with the conduct of a trade or business in the United States ("effectively connected income"). In addition, the Subsidiary will be subject to a 30% U.S. branch profits tax in respect of its "dividend equivalent amount," as defined in Section 884 of the Code, attributable to its effectively connected income. The Fund generally expects that the activity of the Subsidiary will not be treated as a U.S. trade or business, but this conclusion is not free from doubt. In this regard, applicable law provides a "safe harbor" applicable to a non-U.S. corporation (other than a dealer in securities) that engages in the U.S. in trading securities (including contracts or options to buy or sell securities) for its own account, pursuant to which such non-U.S. corporation will not be deemed to be engaged in a U.S. trade or business by reason of those transactions. The safe harbor also provides that a non-U.S. corporation (other than a dealer in commodities) that engages in the U.S. in trading commodities for its own account is not deemed to be engaged in a U.S. trade or business if the commodities are of a kind customarily dealt in on an organized commodity exchange and if the transaction is of a kind customarily consummated at such place. Pursuant to proposed regulations, a non-U.S. taxpayer (other than a dealer in stocks, securities or derivatives) that effects transactions in the U.S. in certain derivatives for its own account is not deemed to be engaged in a U.S. trade or business by reason of those transactions.
Certain crypto assets might not constitute securities, commodities or derivatives, so the Subsidiary's activities with respect to crypto assets might not fall within the safe harbor. If any of the Subsidiary's activities were determined not to be of the type described in the safe harbor, the Subsidiary may be treated as engaged in a U.S. trade or business.
In addition, depending on the structure of a particular crypto asset, the IRS may take the position that a crypto asset is equivalent to another type of asset, e.g., an equity or debt interest in an arrangement that is treated as an entity for U.S. federal income tax purposes. If a particular crypto asset is viewed as an interest in an entity treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes and the activities surrounding that crypto asset are viewed as giving rise to a U.S. trade or business, the Subsidiary could be treated as engaged in a U.S. trade or business. Additionally, the Subsidiary's other activities with respect to crypto assets, including any mining or staking activities, may constitute a U.S. trade or business. If the Subsidiary were treated as engaged in a U.S. trade or business, the Fund's returns could be significantly reduced.
Significant aspects of the U.S. federal income tax treatment of crypto assets are uncertain. The IRS and U.S. Department of Treasury have issued only limited guidance on the taxation of crypto assets. The existing guidance does not address the U.S. federal income tax treatment of crypto assets that are not digital currency and does not address many other significant aspects of the U.S. federal income tax treatment of crypto assets. Accordingly, the manner in which the Subsidiary's investments and activities relating to crypto assets, if any, will be treated for federal income tax purposes is uncertain, and will depend upon the application of complex aspects of U.S. federal income tax law.
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Government-Sponsored Entities Risk. A Fund's investment in U.S. government obligations may include securities issued or guaranteed as to principal and interest by the U.S. government, or its agencies or instrumentalities. Payment of principal and interest on U.S. government obligations may be backed by the full faith and credit of the United States or may be backed solely by the issuing or guaranteeing agency or instrumentality itself. There can be no assurance that the U.S. government would provide financial support to its agencies or instrumentalities (including government-sponsored enterprises) when it is not obligated to do so.
Foreign Sovereign Risk. Foreign governments rely on taxes and other revenue sources to pay interest and principal on their debt obligations. The payment of principal and interest on these obligations may be adversely affected by a variety of factors, including economic results within the foreign country, changes in interest and exchange rates, changes in debt ratings, changing political sentiments, legislation, policy changes, a limited tax base or limited revenue sources, natural disasters, or other economic or credit problems. It is possible that a foreign sovereign may default on its debt obligations.
Repurchase Agreement Risk. Each Fund may enter into repurchase agreements, which are transactions in which the Fund purchases securities or other obligations from a bank or securities dealer and simultaneously commits to resell them to a counterparty at an agreed-upon date or upon demand and at a price reflecting a market rate of interest unrelated to the coupon rate or maturity of the purchased obligations. A Fund's investment in repurchase agreements may be subject to market and credit risk with respect to the collateral securing the repurchase agreements. If the market value of the underlying obligations of a repurchase agreement declines, the counterparty must provide additional collateral so that at all times the value of the collateral is greater than the repurchase price of the underlying obligations. Nonetheless, should a counterparty become insolvent or otherwise default, there could be a delay before a Fund is able to liquidate the collateral, which would subject the collateral and the Fund to market risk during that period. If a Fund's counterparty should default on its obligations and the Fund is delayed or prevented from recovering the collateral, or if the value of the collateral is insufficient, the Fund may realize a loss.
Lending Portfolio Securities Risk. The Fund may lend its portfolio securities to broker-dealers and banks, provided that it may not lend securities if, as a result, the aggregate value of all securities loaned would exceed 33 1/3% of its total assets. Any such loan must be continuously secured by collateral (cash or U.S. government securities). The securities lending agent will invest cash collateral in short-term investments, which are subject to market depreciation. In the event of bankruptcy or other default of the borrower, the Fund could experience delays in both liquidating the loan collateral and recovering the loaned securities and losses. The collateral (including any investment of cash collateral) is not subject to the percentage limitations on the Fund's investments described elsewhere in this prospectus.
Recent Market Events. Periods of market volatility may occur in response to market events, public health emergencies, natural disasters or climate events, and other economic, political, and global macro factors. For example, in recent years the large expansion of government deficits and debt as a result of government actions to mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and inflation have resulted in extreme volatility in the global economy and in global financial markets. In addition, wars or threats of war and aggression, such as Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the conflicts among nations and militant groups in the Middle East, have led, and in the future may lead, to increased short-term market volatility and may have adverse long-term effects on the U.S. and world economies and markets generally, each of which may negatively impact the Funds' investments. Additionally, since the change in the U.S. presidential administration in 2025, the administration has pursued an aggressive foreign policy agenda, including through suggestions that the United States should control sovereign foreign territories, attempts to restructure federal government agencies with international influence, and the actual or potential imposition of tariffs on foreign countries, including China and long-time U.S. allies. In particular, the imposition of tariffs could lead to retaliatory tariffs by foreign countries, increased and prolonged market volatility, and sector-specific downturns in industries reliant on international trade. The new administration has also sought to reduce the headcount of and freeze funding available to certain U.S. government agencies. Such efforts may continue throughout U.S. federal agencies, which could increase administrative burdens on remaining government employees, increase processing times of company filings, alter regulatory policymaking, and increase regulatory volatility. These efforts may have a negative impact on the Funds or on markets generally.
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The U.S. government and the Federal Reserve, as well as certain foreign governments and central banks, took extraordinary actions to support local and global economies and the financial markets in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This and other government intervention into the economy and financial markets may not work as intended, and have resulted in a large expansion of government deficits and debt, the long-term consequences of which are not known. In addition, raising the ceiling on U.S. government debt and passing periodic legislation to fund the government have become increasingly politicized. Any failure to do either could lead to a default on U.S. government obligations, with unpredictable consequences for economies and markets in the United States and elsewhere.
In September 2024, the Federal Reserve lowered interest rates for the first time since 2020. Changing interest rate environments (whether downward or upward) impact various sectors of the economy and asset classes in different ways. For example, low interest rate environments tend to be positive for the equity markets, whereas high interest rate environments tend to apply downward pressure on earnings and equity prices.
The events and circumstances described above could be prolonged and could adversely affect the value and liquidity of the Funds' investments, impair the Funds' ability to satisfy redemption requests, and negatively impact the Funds' performance. Other market events may cause similar disruptions and effects.
Cybersecurity Risk. Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to Fund assets, customer data (including private shareholder information), or proprietary information, or cause the Funds, the Advisor and/or other service providers (including custodians, sub-custodians, transfer agents and financial intermediaries) to suffer data breaches, data corruption or loss of operational functionality. In an extreme case, a shareholder's ability to exchange or redeem Fund Shares may be affected. Issuers of securities in which the Funds invest are also subject to cybersecurity risks, and the value of those securities could decline if the issuers experience cybersecurity incidents.
Management of the Funds
Investment Advisor
Manteio Scalable Technologies LLC ("Mast Investments"), a Delaware limited liability company, is the Funds' investment advisor and provides investment advisory services to the Funds pursuant to an investment advisory agreement between the Advisor and the Trust (the "Advisory Agreement"). Mast Investments' principal address is 111 Town Square Place, Suite 1203, Jersey City, New Jersey 07310. Mast Investments is an indirect subsidiary of Manteio Partners LLC, and is under common control with Manteio Capital LLC, which has been registered with the SEC as an investment advisor since 2021. Mast Investments is a direct wholly-owned subsidiary of Manteio Scalable Partners LLC. As of December 31, 2025, Mast Investments and its affiliates had approximately $[ ] million in assets under management.
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Pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement between the Advisor and the Trust, on behalf of each Fund has agreed to pay the below annual unitary management fee.
| Fund |
Contractual Advisory Fees As a Percentage of Average Daily Net Assets |
| Mast HedgeIndex Corporate Arbitrage ETF | 0.95% |
| Mast HedgeIndex Managed Futures Strategy ETF | 0.80% |
| Mast HedgeIndex Adaptive Equities ETF | 0.95% |
| Mast HedgeIndex Strategic Commodities ETF | 0.65% |
The unitary management fee is designed to pay the Funds' expenses and to compensate the Advisor for the services it provides to the Funds. Out of the unitary management fee, the Advisor pays substantially all expenses of the Funds and their respective Subsidiary (as applicable), including the cost of transfer agency, custody, fund administration, legal, audit and other service and license fees. However, the Advisor is not responsible for advisory fee, interest, taxes, brokerage commissions and other expenses incurred in placing orders for the purchase and sale of securities and other investment instruments, dividend and interest expense on securities sold short, acquired fund fees and expenses, professional fees related to services for the collection of foreign tax reclaims, accrued deferred tax liability, extraordinary expenses, and distribution fees and expenses paid by the Fund under any distribution plan adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act.
Portfolio Manager
Yung-Shin Kung is the Lead Portfolio Manager of each Fund following the reorganization of each Predecessor Fund, which occurred on November 22, 2024. Previously, Mr. Kung was the Lead Portfolio of each Predecessor Fund since November 2015. Prior to joining Mast Investments, Mr. Kung was the Head and Chief Investment Officer of UBS AM (Americas) Quantitative Investment Strategies. Since 2009, he has held various leadership positions in Credit Suisse Asset Management including Head of Portfolio Management - Americas and Global Head of Hedge Fund Research within the Alternative Funds Solutions group. Mr. Kung was a Director at Merrill Lynch in the Financial Products Group from 2006-2009, where he developed and marketed customized structured products and provided advice and guidance to hedge fund investors. Prior to his time at Merrill Lynch, Mr. Kung spent eight years at Credit Suisse First Boston in several departments including structured debt capital markets, technology investment banking, and alternative investments. Mr. Kung began his career at Credit Suisse First Boston in 1997. He serves on the Advisory Board of the San Francisco State University Big Data Program and is a member of the University of Chicago's Leaders in Philanthropy. Mr. Kung holds a B.A. in Economics from the University of Chicago, where he was elected Phi Beta Kappa, and fulfilled the college's requirements for a B.A. in Statistics.
The Fund's SAI provides additional information about the compensation structure for the portfolio managers, other accounts that the portfolio managers manage and the ownership of Shares by the portfolio managers.
A discussion regarding the basis for the Board's approval of the Advisory Agreement for the Fund will be available in the Fund's first Form N-CSR filing.
Buying and Selling Fund Shares
Fund Shares are listed for trading on the Exchange. When you buy or sell the Funds' Shares on the secondary market, you will pay or receive the market price. You may incur customary brokerage commissions and charges and may pay some or all of the spread between the bid and the offered price in the secondary market on each leg of a round trip (purchase and sale) transaction. The Shares of the Funds will trade on the Exchange at prices that may differ to varying degrees from the daily NAV of such shares. A "Business Day" with respect to the Funds is any day on which the Exchange is open for business. The Exchange is generally open Monday through Friday and is closed on weekends and the following holidays: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth National Independence Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.
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Each Fund's NAV is calculated as of 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, the normal close of regular trading on the NYSE, on each day the NYSE is open for trading. If for example, the NYSE closes at 1:00 p.m. Eastern time, the Fund's NAVs would still be determined as of 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. In this example, portfolio securities traded on the NYSE would be valued at their closing prices unless the Trust's Valuation Committee determines that a "fair value" adjustment is appropriate due to subsequent events. The NAV is determined by dividing the value of the Fund's portfolio securities, cash and other assets (including accrued interest), less all liabilities (including accrued expenses), by the total number of outstanding shares. The Funds' NAV may be calculated earlier if permitted by the SEC. The NYSE is closed on weekends and most U.S. national holidays. However, foreign securities listed primarily on non-U.S. markets may trade on weekends or other days on which a Fund does not value its shares, which may significantly affect the Fund's NAV on those days.
The Funds' securities generally are valued at market price. Securities are valued at fair value when market quotations are not readily available. The Board has adopted procedures to be followed when the Funds must utilize fair value pricing, including when reliable market quotations are not readily available, when the Funds' pricing service does not provide a valuation (or provides a valuation that, in the judgment of the Advisor, does not represent the security's fair value), or when, in the judgment of the Advisor, events have rendered the market value unreliable (see, for example, the discussion of fair value pricing of foreign securities in the paragraph below). Valuing securities at fair value involves reliance on the judgment of the Advisor and the Board (or a committee thereof), and may result in a different price being used in the calculation of the Funds' NAV from quoted or published prices for the same securities. Fair value determinations are made in good faith in accordance with procedures adopted by the Board. There can be no assurance that the Funds will obtain the fair value assigned to a security if it sells the security.
In certain circumstances, the Funds employs fair value pricing to ensure greater accuracy in determining daily NAV and to prevent dilution by frequent traders or market timers who seek to exploit temporary market anomalies. Fair value pricing may be applied to foreign securities held by the Funds upon the occurrence of an event after the close of trading on non-U.S. markets but before the close of trading on the NYSE when the Funds' NAV is determined. If the event may result in a material adjustment to the price of the Funds' foreign securities once non-U.S. markets open on the following business day (such as, for example, a significant surge or decline in the U.S. market), the Funds may value such foreign securities at fair value, taking into account the effect of such event, in order to calculate the Funds' NAV.
Other types of portfolio securities that the Funds may fair value include, but are not limited to: (1) investments that are illiquid or traded infrequently, including "restricted" securities and private placements for which there is no public market; (2) investments for which, in the judgment of the Advisor, the market price is stale; (3) securities of an issuer that has entered into a restructuring; (4) securities for which trading has been halted or suspended; and (5) fixed income securities for which there is not a current market value quotation.
Frequent Purchases and Redemptions of Fund Shares
The Funds do not impose any restrictions on the frequency of purchases and redemptions of Creation Units; however, the Funds reserve the right to reject or limit purchases at any time as described in the SAI. When considering that no restriction or policy was necessary, the Board evaluated the risks posed by arbitrage and market timing activities, such as whether frequent purchases and redemptions would interfere with the efficient implementation of the Funds' investment strategies, or whether they would cause the Funds to experience increased transaction costs. The Board considered that, unlike traditional mutual funds, Shares of the Funds are issued and redeemed only in large quantities of shares known as Creation Units available only from the Funds directly to APs, and that most trading in the Funds occurs on the Exchange at prevailing market prices and does not involve the Funds directly. Given this structure, the Board determined that it is unlikely that trading due to arbitrage opportunities or market timing by shareholders would result in negative impact to the Funds or their shareholders. In addition, frequent trading of Shares of the Funds done by APs and arbitrageurs is critical to ensuring that the market price remains at or close to NAV.
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Availability of Information
Each Business Day, the following information will be available at www.mast-funds.com with respect to each Fund: (i) information for each portfolio holding that will form the basis of the next calculation of the Fund's NAV per share; (ii) the Fund's NAV per share, market price, and premium or discount, each as of the end of the prior Business Day; (iii) a table showing the number of days the Fund's Shares traded at a premium or discount during the most recently completed calendar year and the most recently completed calendar quarter since that year; (iv) a line graph showing Fund share premiums or discounts for the most recently completed calendar year and the most recently completed calendar quarter since that year; (v) the Fund's median bid-ask spread over the last thirty calendar days; and (vi) if during the past year the Fund's premium or discount was greater than 2% for more than seven consecutive trading days, a statement that the Fund's premium or discount, as applicable, was greater than 2% and a discussion of the factors that are reasonably believed to have materially contributed to the premium or discount.
Dividends, Distributions and Taxes
Fund Distributions
The Funds pays out dividends from its net investment income and distributes its net capital gains, if any, to investors at least annually.
Dividend Reinvestment Service
Brokers may make available to their customers who own Shares of the Fund the Depository Trust Company book-entry dividend reinvestment service. If this service is available and used, dividend distributions of both income and capital gains will automatically be reinvested in additional whole Shares of the Fund purchased on the secondary market. Without this service, investors would receive their distributions in cash. To determine whether the dividend reinvestment service is available and whether there is a commission or other charge for using this service, consult your broker. Brokers may require the Fund's shareholders to adhere to specific procedures and timetables.
Federal Income Tax Consequences
The following discussion is very general and does not address investors subject to special rules, such as investors who hold Fund Shares through an IRA, 401(k) plan or other tax-advantaged account. The SAI contains further information about taxes. Because each shareholder's circumstances are different and special tax rules may apply, you should consult your tax advisor about your investment in the Fund.
You will generally have to pay federal income taxes, as well as any state or local taxes, on distributions received from the Funds, whether paid in cash or reinvested in additional shares. If you sell Fund Shares, it is generally considered a taxable event. Distributions of net investment income, other than distributions the Funds report as "qualified dividend income," are taxable for federal income tax purposes at ordinary income tax rates. Distributions of net short-term capital gains are also generally taxable at ordinary income tax rates. Distributions from a Fund's net capital gain (i.e., the excess of its net long-term capital gain over its net short-term capital loss) are taxable for federal income tax purposes as long-term capital gain, regardless of how long the shareholder has held Fund Shares.
Dividends paid by a Fund (but none of the Fund's capital gain distributions) may qualify in part for the dividends-received deduction available to corporate shareholders, provided certain holding period and other requirements are satisfied. Distributions that a Fund reports as "qualified dividend income" may be eligible to be taxed to non-corporate shareholders at the reduced rates applicable to long-term capital gain if derived from the Fund's qualified dividend income and if certain other requirements are satisfied. "Qualified dividend income" generally is income derived from dividends paid by U.S. corporations or certain foreign corporations that are either incorporated in a U.S. possession or eligible for tax benefits under certain U.S. income tax treaties. In addition, dividends that a Fund receives in respect of stock of certain foreign corporations may be qualified dividend income if that stock is readily tradable on an established U.S. securities market.
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Since the Funds' income is derived primarily from sources that do not pay dividends, it is not expected that a substantial portion of the dividends paid by the Funds will qualify either for the dividends-received deduction for corporations or for any favorable U.S. federal income tax rate available to non-corporate shareholders on "qualified dividend income."
You may want to avoid buying Shares of a Fund just before it declares a distribution (on or before the record date), because such a distribution will be taxable to you even though it may effectively be a return of a portion of your investment.
Although distributions are generally taxable when received, dividends declared in October, November or December to shareholders of record as of a date in such month and paid during the following January are treated as if received on December 31 of the calendar year when the dividends were declared.
Information on the federal income tax status of dividends and distributions is provided annually.
Dividends and distributions from a Fund and net gain from sales of Fund Shares will generally be taken into account in determining a shareholder's "net investment income" for purposes of the Medicare contribution tax applicable to certain individuals, estates and trusts.
If you do not provide your Fund with your correct taxpayer identification number and any required certifications, you will be subject to backup withholding on your dividends and other distributions. The backup withholding rate is currently 24%.
Dividends and certain other payments made by a Fund to a non-U.S. shareholder are subject to withholding of federal income tax at the rate of 30% (or such lower rate as may be determined in accordance with any applicable treaty). Dividends that are reported by a Fund as "interest-related dividends" or "short-term capital gain dividends" are generally exempt from such withholding. In general, a Fund may report interest-related dividends to the extent of its net income derived from U.S.-source interest and the Fund may report short-term capital gain dividends to the extent its net short-term capital gain for the taxable year exceeds its net long-term capital loss. Backup withholding will not be applied to payments that have been subject to the 30% withholding tax described in this paragraph.
Under legislation commonly referred to as "FATCA," unless certain non-U.S. entities that hold shares comply with requirements of the Internal Revenue Service (the "IRS") that will generally require them to report information regarding U.S. persons investing in, or holding accounts with, such entities, a 30% withholding tax may apply to Fund distributions payable to such entities. A non-U.S. shareholder may be exempt from the withholding described in this paragraph under an applicable intergovernmental agreement between the United States and a foreign government, provided that the shareholder and the applicable foreign government comply with the terms of the agreement.
An AP who exchanges securities for Creation Units generally will recognize a gain or a loss. The gain or loss will be equal to the difference between the market value of the Creation Units at the time and the sum of the exchanger's aggregate basis in the securities surrendered plus the amount of any 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 exchanger's basis in the Creation Units and the sum of the aggregate market value of any securities received plus the amount of any cash received for such Creation Units. The IRS, however, may assert that a loss realized upon an exchange of securities for Creation Units cannot be deducted currently 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 gain or loss realized upon a creation of Creation Units will be treated as a capital gain or loss if the AP holds the securities exchanged therefor as capital assets, and otherwise will be ordinary income or loss. Similarly, any gain or loss realized upon a redemption of Creation Units of a Fund will be treated as a capital gain or loss if the AP holds the Shares of the Fund comprising the Creation Units as capital assets, and otherwise will be an ordinary income or loss. Any capital gain or loss realized upon the creation of Creation Units will generally be treated as a long-term capital gain or loss if the securities exchanged for such Creation Units have been held for more than one year, and otherwise will be a short-term capital gain or loss. Any capital gain or loss realized upon the redemption of Creation Units of a Fund will generally be treated as a long-term capital gain or loss if the Shares of the Fund comprising the Creation Units have been held for more than one year, and otherwise, will generally be a short-term capital gain or loss. Any capital loss realized upon a redemption of Creation Units held for 6 months or less will be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any amounts treated as distributions to the applicable AP of long-term capital gains with respect to the Creation Units (including any amounts credited to the AP as undistributed capital gains).
Each Fund has the right to reject an order for Creation Units if the purchaser (or a group of purchasers) would, upon obtaining the Shares of the Fund so ordered, own 80% or more of the outstanding Shares of the Fund and if, pursuant to Section 351 of the Code, the Fund would have a basis in any securities different from the market value of such securities on the date of deposit. Each Fund also has the right to require information necessary to determine beneficial share ownership for purposes of the 80% determination. If a Fund does issue Creation Units to a purchaser (or a group of purchasers) that would, upon obtaining the Shares of the Fund so ordered, own 80% or more of the outstanding Shares of the Fund, the purchaser (or a group of purchasers) may not recognize gain or loss upon the exchange of securities for Creation Units.
Persons purchasing or redeeming Creation Units should consult their own tax advisors with respect to the tax treatment of any creation or redemption transaction.
DISTRIBUTOR
Distribution Services, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Foreside Financial Group, LLC (d/b/a ACA Group), (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.
The Trust has adopted a Distribution and Service Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. In accordance with its Rule 12b-1 plan, the Funds are authorized to pay an amount up to 0.25% of their average daily net assets each year to reimburse the Distributor for amounts expended to finance activities primarily intended to result in the sale of Creation Units or the provision of investor services. The Distributor may also use this amount to compensate securities dealers or other persons that are APs for providing distribution assistance, including broker-dealer and shareholder support and educational and promotional services. The Funds do not and have no current intention of paying 12b-1 fees. However, in the event 12b-1 fees are charged in the future, because these fees are paid out of a Fund's assets, over time these fees will increase the cost of your investment and may cost you more than certain other types of sales charges.
FUND SERVICE PROVIDERS
Co-Administrators. UMB Fund Services, Inc. ("UMBFS"), 235 West Galena Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53212, and Mutual Fund Administration, LLC ("MFAC"), 2220 E. Route 66, Suite 226, Glendora, California 91740 (collectively the "Co-Administrators"), act as co-administrators for the Funds. Pursuant to the Co-Administration Agreement, the Co-Administrators receive a fee for administration services based on each Fund's average daily net assets, which is paid by the Advisor.
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Transfer Agent. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co., located at 50 Post Office Square, Boston, Massachusetts 02110, serves as the Funds' transfer agent. The transfer agent provides record keeping and shareholder services.
Custodian. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co., located at 50 Post Office Square, Boston, Massachusetts 02110, serves as the Funds' custodian. The custodian holds the securities, cash and other assets of the Funds.
Fund Accounting Agent. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co., located at 50 Post Office Square, Boston, Massachusetts 02110, serves as the fund accounting agent for the Funds. The fund accounting agent calculates the Funds' daily NAV.
Legal Counsel. Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP ("Morgan Lewis"), 600 Anton Boulevard, Suite 1800, Costa Mesa, California 92626, serves as legal counsel to the Trust and to the Independent Trustees.
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm. [ ], serves as the Funds' independent registered public accounting firm and is responsible for auditing the annual financial statements of the Funds.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Investments by Other Registered Investment Companies
For purposes of the 1940 Act, each Fund is treated as a registered investment company. Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act restricts investments by investment companies in the securities of other investment companies, including Shares of the Funds. Rule 12d1-4 under the 1940 Act permits registered investment companies to invest in exchange-traded funds offered by the Trust, including the Funds, beyond the limits of Section 12(d)(1) subject to certain terms and conditions, including that such registered investment companies enter into an agreement with the Trust.
Continuous Offering
The method by which Creation Units are purchased and traded may raise certain issues under applicable securities laws. Because new Creation Units are issued and sold by the Funds on an ongoing basis, at any point a "distribution," as such term is used in the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), may occur. Broker-dealers and other persons are cautioned that some activities on their part may, depending on the circumstances, result in their being deemed participants in a distribution in a manner which could render them statutory underwriters and subject them to the prospectus delivery and liability provisions of the Securities Act.
For example, a broker-dealer firm or its client may be deemed a statutory underwriter if it takes Creation Units after placing an order with the transfer agent, breaks them down into individual shares, and sells such shares directly to customers, or if it chooses to couple the creation of a supply of new shares with an active selling effort involving solicitation of secondary market demand for shares. A determination of whether one is an underwriter for purposes of the Securities Act must take into account all the facts and circumstances pertaining to the activities of the broker-dealer or its client in the particular case, and the examples mentioned above should not be considered a complete description of all the activities that could lead to categorization as an underwriter.
Broker-dealer firms should also note that dealers who are not "underwriters" but are effecting transactions in Shares of the Funds, whether or not participating in the distribution of Shares of the Funds, are generally required to deliver a prospectus. This is because the prospectus delivery exemption in Section 4(a)(3) of the Securities Act is not available with respect to such transactions as a result of Section 24(d) of the 1940 Act. As a result, broker dealer-firms should note that dealers who are not underwriters but are participating in a distribution (as contrasted with ordinary secondary market transactions) and thus dealing with Shares of the Funds that are part of an unsold allotment within the meaning of Section 4(a)(3)(C) of the Securities Act would be unable to take advantage of the prospectus delivery exemption provided by Section 4(a)(3) of the Securities Act. Firms that incur a prospectus delivery obligation with respect to Shares of the Funds are reminded that under Rule 153 under the Securities Act, a prospectus delivery obligation under Section 5(b)(2) of the Securities Act owed to an exchange member in connection with a sale on the Exchange is satisfied by the fact that the Funds' Prospectus is available on the SEC's electronic filing system. The prospectus delivery mechanism provided in Rule 153 is only available with respect to transactions on an exchange.
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
The Funds are new and have no performance history as of the date of this prospectus. Financial information therefore is not available.
70
Mast HedgeIndex Corporate Arbitrage ETF
Mast HedgeIndex Managed Futures Strategy ETF
Mast HedgeIndex Adaptive Equities ETF
Mast HedgeIndex Strategic Commodities ETF
each a series of Investment Managers Series Trust III
| FOR MORE INFORMATION |
Statement of Additional Information (SAI)
The SAI provides additional details about the investments and techniques of the Funds and certain other additional information. The current SAI is on file with the SEC and is incorporated into this Prospectus by reference. This means that the SAI is legally considered a part of this Prospectus even though it is not physically within this Prospectus.
Shareholder Reports and Financials and Other Information
Additional information about each Fund's investments is available in the Fund's annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders and each Fund's Financials and Other Information, which are each included in the Fund's Form N-CSR filings. In each Fund's annual report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund's performance during its most recent fiscal year. In each Fund's Financial Statements and Other Information, you will find the Fund's annual and semi-annual financial statements.
The Funds' SAI is available and the Funds' annual and semi-annual reports, and Financial Statements and Other Information is available, free of charge, on the Funds' website at https://www.mast-funds.com/. You can also obtain a free copy of the Funds' SAI or the Funds' annual and semi-annual reports, request other information, or inquire about a Fund by contacting a broker that sells shares of the Funds or by calling the Funds (toll-free) at 1-xxx-xxx-xxxx or by writing to or by writing to the Funds' distributor, Distribution Services, LLC, 190 Middle Street, Suite 301, Portland, Maine 04101.
Reports and other information about the Funds are also available:
Free of charge on the SEC's EDGAR Database on the SEC's Internet site at http://www.sec.gov; or
For a duplication fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: [email protected].
(Investment Company Act file no. 811-21719.)
71
The information in this Statement of Additional Information is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This Statement of Additional Information is not an offer to sell these securities and it is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state where the offer of sale is not permitted.
Subject to Completion
Dated January 15, 2026
Statement of Additional Information
[ ]
Mast HedgeIndex Corporate Arbitrage ETF
(Ticker: [ ])
Mast HedgeIndex Managed Futures Strategy ETF
(Ticker: [ ])
Mast HedgeIndex Adaptive Equities ETF
(Ticker: [ ])
Mast HedgeIndex Strategic Commodities ETF
(Ticker: [ ])
Each a series of Investment Managers Series Trust III
This Statement of Additional Information ("SAI") is not a prospectus, and it should be read in conjunction with the Prospectus dated [ ] of the Mast HedgeIndex Corporate Arbitrage ETF (the "Arbitrage ETF), the Mast HedgeIndex Managed Futures Strategy ETF (the "Futures Strategy ETF), the Mast HedgeIndex Adaptive Equities ETF (the "Adaptive Equities ETF"), and the Mast HedgeIndex Strategic Commodities ETF (the "Commodities ETF") (each a Fund, and together the "Funds"), each a series of Investment Managers Series Trust III (the "Trust"). Manteio Scalable Technologies LLC (the "Advisor" or "Mast Investments") is the investment advisor to the Funds. A copy of the Funds' Prospectus, Annual Report, Semi-Annual Report, and Financial Statements and Other Information (when available) can be obtained by contacting the Funds at the address or telephone number specified below.
Distribution Services, LLC
190 Middle Street
Suite 301
Portland, Maine 04101
(xxx) xxx-xxxx
TABLE OF CONTENTS
| THE TRUST AND THE FUNDS | B-3 |
| INVESTMENT STRATEGIES, POLICIES AND RISKS | B-4 |
| INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS | B-41 |
| MANAGEMENT OF THE FUNDS | B-43 |
| PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS AND BROKERAGE | B-52 |
| PORTFOLIO TURNOVER | B-53 |
| PROXY VOTING POLICY | B-53 |
| ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING PROGRAM | B-54 |
| PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS INFORMATION | B-54 |
| DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE | B-55 |
| BOOK ENTRY ONLY SYSTEM | B-56 |
| PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION OF SHARES IN CREATION UNITS | B-57 |
| FEDERAL INCOME TAX MATTERS | B-66 |
| DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS | B-74 |
| GENERAL INFORMATION | B-74 |
| FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | B-76 |
| APPENDIX A DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES RATINGS | B-77 |
| APPENDIX B PROXY VOTING POLICIES | B-82 |
B-2
The Trust and The Funds
Investment Managers Series Trust III was organized under the name The Regis Fund II as a Delaware business trust on May 18, 1994. The Regis Fund II changed its name to UAM Funds Trust on October 31, 1995. UAM Funds Trust changed its name to FPA Funds Trust on August 30, 2002. FPA Funds Trust changed its name to Investment Managers Series Trust III on January 10, 2024. The Trust currently consists of several other series of shares of beneficial interest. This SAI relates only to the Funds and not to the other series of the Trust. The Funds are also referred to as the "Mast Funds."
The Trust is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") as an open-end management investment company. Such a registration does not involve supervision of the management or policies of the Fund. The Prospectus of the Funds and this SAI omit certain of the information contained in the Registration Statement filed with the SEC. Copies of such information may be obtained from the SEC upon payment of the prescribed fee.
The Futures Strategy ETF will acquire all the assets and liabilities of the Mast Managed Futures Strategy Fund, a series of the Trust (the "Predecessor Fund"). The acquisition is expected to occur during the [second] quarter of 2026. The Fund will adopt the prior performance and financial history of the Predecessor Fund. Previously, the Predecessor Fund acquired all the assets and liabilities of the Credit Suisse Managed Futures Strategy Fund, a series of Credit Suisse Opportunity Funds, on November 22, 2024, and adopted the prior performance and financial history of that fund.
Each Fund is classified as a non-diversified fund, which means it is not subject to the diversification requirements under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"). Under the 1940 Act, a diversified fund may not, with respect to 75% of its total assets, invest more than 5% of its total assets in the securities of one issuer (and in not more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of an issuer), excluding cash, government securities, and securities of other investment companies. Although a Fund is not required to comply with the above requirement, each Fund intends to diversify its assets to the extent necessary to qualify for tax treatment as a regulated investment company under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code").
Each Fund offers and issues shares at their net asset value ("NAV") only in aggregations of a specified number of shares (each, a "Creation Unit"). The Funds generally offers and issues shares in exchange for a basket of securities designated by the Fund ("Deposit Securities") together with the deposit of a specified cash payment ("Cash Component"). The Trust reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of a "cash in lieu" amount ("Deposit Cash") to be added to the Cash Component to replace any Deposit Security. The shares of the Fund are listed on the [ ] (the "Exchange") and trade on the Exchange at market prices. These prices may differ from the shares' NAV per share. The shares of a Fund are also redeemable only in Creation Unit aggregations, and generally in exchange for portfolio securities designated by the Fund and a specified cash payment.
B-3
Investment Strategies, Policies and Risks
The discussion below supplements information contained in the Funds' Prospectus pertaining to the investment policies of one or more of the Funds. The Prospectus identifies and summarizes the individual types of securities in which each Fund invests as part of its principal investment strategies and the principal risks associated with such investments. The investments, investment policies and investment restrictions set out below supplement those set forth in the Prospectus. Each Fund's investments must be consistent with its investment objective and policies. Accordingly, not all of the types of securities discussed below are eligible investments for each of the Funds. Each Fund is permitted, but not obligated, to engage in the investment strategies and invest in the investments which are identified as applicable to the Fund in the table below. Certain practices, techniques or instruments may not be principal activities of a Fund but, to the extent employed, could from time to time have a material impact on the Fund's performance.
|
Investments and Risks |
Arbitrage ETF |
Futures Strategy ETF |
Adaptive Equities ETF |
Commodities ETF |
| Derivatives: | X | X | X | X |
| Options on Securities and Securities Indices | X | X | X | X |
| Futures and Options on Futures | X | X | X | X |
| Stock Index Futures | X | X | X | X |
| Forwards | X | X | X | X |
| Swaps | X | X | X | X |
| Counterparty Risk | X | X | X | X |
| OTC Derivative Transactions | X | X | X | X |
| Commodities and Commodity Contracts | X | X | X | |
| Equity Securities: | X | X | ||
| Common Stock | X | X | ||
| Preferred Stock | X | X | ||
| Small- and Mid-Cap Stocks | X | X | ||
| Warrants and Rights | X | X | ||
| Convertible Securities | X | |||
| Debt Securities: | X | X | X | |
| Government Obligations | X | X | X | X |
| Agency Obligations | X | X | X | |
| Lower-Rated Debt Securities | X* | X | X | X |
| Over-the-Counter Transactions - Fixed Income Securities | X | X | X | |
| Sovereign Debt Obligations | X | X | X | |
| Zero Coupon, Step Coupon, and Pay-In-Kind Securities | X* | X* | X* | |
| Floating Rate, Inverse Floating Rate and Index Obligations | X* | X* | X* | |
| Mortgage-Backed Securities | X | |||
| Foreign Investments: | X | X | X | X |
| Emerging Markets | X | X | X | X |
| Foreign Currency Transactions | X | X | X | X |
| Depositary Receipts | X | X | X | |
| Europe-Recent Events | X | X | X | X |
| Developments in the China Region | X | X | X | X |
B-4
|
Investments and Risks |
Arbitrage ETF |
Futures Strategy ETF |
Adaptive Equities ETF |
Commodities ETF |
| Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs) | X | |||
| Repurchase Agreements | X | |||
| Reverse Repurchase Agreements | X* | |||
| Short Sales | X | X | ||
| Borrowing | X | X | X | X |
| Investments in the Subsidiary | X | X | ||
| Investment Company Securities | X | X | X | X |
| Exchange-Traded Funds | X* | X | X* | X* |
| Exchange-Traded Notes | X* | X* | X* | X* |
| Crypto Asset Exposure | X | |||
| Real Estate Investment Trusts | X* | X | ||
| Master Limited Partnerships | X* | |||
| When-Issued or Delayed-Delivery Instruments | X* | X* | X* | |
| Private Placements and Restricted Securities | X* | X* | X* | X* |
| Illiquid and Restricted Securities | X | X | X | X |
| Short-Term Investments: | X | X | X | X |
| Commercial Paper, Short-Term Notes and Other Corporate Obligations | X* | X* | X* | X* |
| Certificates of Deposit, Bankers' Acceptances and Time Deposits | X* | X* | X* | X* |
| Savings Association Obligations | X* | X* | X* | X* |
| Temporary Investments | X* | X* | X* | X* |
| Lending Portfolio Securities | X | X* | X | X* |
| Cybersecurity Risk | X | X | X | X |
| * | Non-principal investment strategy of the Fund. |
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; public health emergencies (including widespread health crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic); China's economic slowdown; expansion of government deficits and debt; bank failures; higher inflation; and military conflicts and wars, including Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the war among Israel, Hamas and other militant groups in the Middle East. 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.
B-5
Derivatives
The Fund may utilize a variety of derivatives contracts, such as futures, options, swaps and forward contracts, both for investment purposes and for hedging purposes. Hedging involves special risks including the possible default by the other party to the transaction, illiquidity and, to the extent the Advisor's assessment of certain market movements is incorrect, the risk that the use of hedging could result in losses greater than if hedging had not been used. Nonetheless, with respect to certain investment positions, the Fund may not be sufficiently hedged against market fluctuations, in which case an investment position could result in a loss greater than if the Advisor had been sufficiently hedged with respect to such position.
The Advisor will not, in general, attempt to hedge all market or other risks inherent in the Fund's positions, and may hedge certain risks, if at all, only partially. Specifically, the Advisor may choose not, or may determine that it is economically unattractive, to hedge certain risks, either in respect of particular positions or in respect of the Fund's overall portfolio. Moreover, it should be noted that the Fund's portfolio always will be exposed to unidentified systematic risk factors and to certain risks that cannot be completely hedged, such as credit risk (relating both to particular securities and to counterparties). The Fund's portfolio composition may result in various directional market risks remaining unhedged, although the Advisor may rely on diversification to control such risks to the extent that the Advisor believes it is desirable to do so.
The regulation of derivatives markets in the United States is a rapidly changing area of law and is subject to modification by government and judicial action. In particular, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the "Dodd-Frank Act"), signed into law in 2010, granted significant authority to the SEC and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission ("CFTC") to impose comprehensive regulations on the over-the-counter and cleared derivatives markets. These regulations include, but are not limited to, mandatory clearing of certain derivatives and requirements relating to disclosure, margin and trade reporting. New regulations could adversely affect the value, availability and performance of certain derivative instruments, may make them more costly, and may limit or restrict their use by the Funds.
Each Fund operates under Rule 18f-4 under the 1940 Act (the "Derivatives Rule"), which, among other things, governs the use of derivative instruments and certain financing transactions (e.g., reverse repurchase agreements) by registered investment companies. The Derivatives Rule requires investment companies that enter into derivatives transactions and certain other transactions that create future payment or delivery obligations to, among other things, (i) comply with a value-at-risk ("VaR") leverage limit, and (ii) adopt and implement a comprehensive written derivatives risk management program. These and other requirements apply unless (a) the Fund qualifies as a "limited derivatives user," which the Derivatives Rule defines as a fund that limits its derivatives exposure to 10% of its net assets, or (b) the Fund does not engage in derivatives transactions as defined in the Derivatives Rule. Complying with the Derivatives Rule may increase the cost of the Fund's investments and cost of doing business, which could adversely affect investors. The Derivatives Rule may not be effective to limit the Fund's risk of loss. In particular, measurements of VaR rely on historical data and may not accurately measure the degree of risk reflected in the Fund's derivatives or other investments. Other potentially adverse regulatory obligations can develop suddenly and without notice.
B-6
Certain additional risk factors related to derivatives are discussed below:
Derivatives Risk. Under recently adopted rules by the CFTC, transactions in some types of interest rate swaps and index credit default swaps on North American and European indices will be required to be cleared. In a cleared derivatives transaction, the Fund's counterparty is a clearing house (such as CME Clearing, ICE Clearing or LCH.Clearnet), rather than a bank or broker. Since the Fund is not a member of clearing houses and only members of a clearing house can participate directly in the clearing house, the Fund will hold cleared derivatives through accounts at clearing members, who are futures commission merchants that are members of the clearing houses and who have the appropriate regulatory approvals to engage in swaps. The Fund will make and receive payments owed under cleared derivatives transactions (including margin payments) through its accounts at clearing members. Clearing members guarantee performance of their clients' obligations to the clearing house. In contrast to bilateral derivatives transactions, following a period of advance notice to the Fund, clearing members generally can require termination of existing cleared derivatives transactions at any time and increases in margin above the margin that it required at the beginning of a transaction. Clearing houses also have broad rights to increase margin requirements for existing transactions and to terminate transactions. Any such increase or termination could interfere with the ability of the Fund to pursue its investment strategy. Also, the Fund is subject to execution risk if it enters into a derivatives transaction that is required to be cleared (or that the Advisor expects to be cleared), and no clearing member is willing or able to clear the transaction on the Fund's behalf. While the documentation in place between the Fund and its clearing members generally provides that the clearing members will accept for clearing all transactions submitted for clearing that are within credit limits specified by the clearing members in advance, the Fund could be subject to this execution risk if the Fund submits for clearing transactions that exceed such credit limits, if the clearing house does not accept the transactions for clearing, or if the clearing members do not comply with their agreement to clear such transactions. In that case, the transaction might have to be terminated, and the Fund could lose some or all of the benefit of any increase in the value of the transaction after the time of the transaction. In addition, new regulations could, among other things, restrict the Fund's ability to engage in, or increase the cost to the Fund of, derivatives transactions, for example, by making some types of derivatives no longer available to the Fund or increasing margin or capital requirements. If the Fund is not able to enter into a particular derivatives transaction, the Fund's investment performance and risk profile could be adversely affected as a result.
Counterparty Risk. Counterparty risk with respect to OTC derivatives may be affected by new regulations promulgated by the CFTC and SEC affecting the derivatives market. As described under "Derivatives Risk" above, some derivatives transactions will be required to be cleared, and a party to a cleared derivatives transaction is subject to the credit risk of the clearing house and the clearing member through which it holds its cleared position, rather than the credit risk of its original counterparty to the derivative transaction. Clearing members are required to segregate all funds received from customers with respect to cleared derivatives transactions from the clearing member's proprietary assets. However, all funds and other property received by a clearing broker from its customers are generally held by the clearing broker on a commingled basis in an omnibus account, which may also invest those funds in certain instruments permitted under the applicable regulations. The assets of the Fund might not be fully protected in the event of the bankruptcy of the Fund's clearing member because the Fund would be limited to recovering only a pro rata share of all available funds segregated on behalf of the clearing broker's customers for a relevant account class. Also, the clearing member transfers to the clearing house the amount of margin required by the clearing house for cleared derivatives transactions, which amounts are generally held in an omnibus account at the clearing house for all customers of the clearing member. For commodities futures positions, the clearing house may use all of the collateral held in the clearing member's omnibus account to meet a loss in that account, without regard to which customer in fact supplied that collateral. Accordingly, in addition to bearing the credit risk of its clearing member, each customer to a futures transaction also bears "fellow customer" risk from other customers of the clearing member. However, with respect to cleared swaps, recent regulations promulgated by the CFTC require that the clearing member notify the clearing house of the amount of initial margin provided by the clearing member to the clearing house that is attributable to each customer. Because margin in respect of cleared swaps must be earmarked for specific clearing member customers, the clearing house may not use the collateral of one customer to cover the obligations of another customer. However, if the clearing member 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, a clearing member may generally choose to provide to the clearing house the net amount of variation margin required for cleared swaps for all of the clearing member's customers in the aggregate, rather than the gross amount of each customer. The Fund is therefore subject to the risk that a clearing house will not make variation margin payments owed to the Fund if another customer of the clearing member has suffered a loss and is in default.
B-7
Options on Securities and Securities Indices
The Funds may invest in options on securities and stock indices. A call option entitles the purchaser, in return for the premium paid, to purchase specified securities at a specified price during the option period. A put option entitles the purchaser, in return for the premium paid, to sell specified securities during the option period. The Funds may invest in both European-style or American-style options. A European-style option is only exercisable immediately prior to its expiration. American-style options are exercisable at any time prior to the expiration date of the option.
Writing Call Options. Each Fund may write covered call options. A call option is "covered" if the Fund owns the security underlying the call or has an absolute right to acquire the security without additional cash consideration or, if additional cash consideration is required, cash or cash equivalents in such amounts as held in a segregated account by the Fund's custodian. The writer of a call option receives a premium and gives the purchaser the right to buy the security underlying the option at the exercise price. The writer has the obligation upon exercise of the option to deliver the underlying security against payment of the exercise price during the option period. If the writer of an exchange-traded option wishes to terminate his obligation, he may effect a "closing purchase transaction." This is accomplished by buying an option of the same series as the option previously written. A writer may not effect a closing purchase transaction after it has been notified of the exercise of an option.
Effecting a closing transaction in a written call option will permit a Fund to write another call option on the underlying security with either a different exercise price, expiration date or both. Also, effecting a closing transaction will permit the cash or proceeds from the concurrent sale of any securities subject to the option to be used for other investments of the Fund. If a Fund desires to sell a particular security from its portfolio on which it has written a call option, it will effect a closing transaction prior to or concurrent with the sale of the security.
The Funds will realize a gain from a closing transaction if the cost of the closing transaction is less than the premium received from writing the option or if the proceeds from the closing transaction are more than the premium paid to purchase the option. The Funds will realize a loss from a closing transaction if the cost of the closing transaction is more than the premium received from writing the option or if the proceeds from the closing transaction are less than the premium paid to purchase the option. However, because increases in the market price of a call option will generally reflect increases in the market price of the underlying security, any loss to a Fund resulting from the repurchase of a call option is likely to be offset in whole or in part by appreciation of the underlying security owned by the Fund.
If a Fund were assigned an exercise notice on a call it has written, it would be required to liquidate portfolio securities in order to satisfy the exercise, unless it has other liquid assets that are sufficient to satisfy the exercise of the call. If a Fund has written a call, there is also a risk that the market may decline between the time the Fund has a call exercised against it, at a price which is fixed as of the closing level of the index on the date of exercise, and the time it is able to sell securities in its portfolio.
B-8
In addition to covered call options, the Funds may write uncovered (or "naked") call options on securities, including shares of ETFs, and indices.
Writing Covered Index Call Options. Each Fund may sell index call options. The Funds may also execute a closing purchase transaction with respect to the option it has sold and then sell another option with either a different exercise price and/or expiration date. The Funds' objective in entering into such closing transactions is to increase option premium income, to limit losses or to protect anticipated gains in the underlying stocks. The cost of a closing transaction, while reducing the premium income realized from the sale of the option, should be offset, at least in part, by the appreciation in the value of the underlying index, and by the opportunity to realize additional premium income from selling a new option.
When a Fund sells an index call option, it does not deliver the underlying stocks or cash to the broker through whom the transaction is effected. In the case of an exchange-traded option, the Fund establishes an escrow account. The Fund's custodian (or a securities depository acting for the custodian) acts as the Fund's escrow agent. The escrow agent enters into documents known as escrow receipts with respect to the stocks included in the Fund (or escrow receipts with respect to other acceptable securities). The escrow agent releases the stocks from the escrow account when the call option expires or the Fund enters into a closing purchase transaction. Until such release, the underlying stocks cannot be sold by the Fund. The Fund may enter into similar collateral arrangements with the counterparty when it sells OTC index call options.
The purchaser of an index call option sold by the Fund may exercise the option at a price fixed as of the closing level of the index on exercise date. Unless the Fund has liquid assets sufficient to satisfy the exercise of the index call option, the Fund would be required to liquidate portfolio securities to satisfy the exercise. The market value of such securities may decline between the time the option is exercised and the time the Fund is able to sell the securities. For example, even if an index call which the Fund has written is "covered" by an index call held by the Fund with the same strike price, it will bear the risk that the level of the index may decline between the close of trading on the date the exercise notice is filed with the Options Clearing Corporation and the close of trading on the date the Fund exercises the call it holds or the time it sells the call, which in either case would occur no earlier than the day following the day the exercise notice was filed. If the Fund fails to anticipate an exercise, it may have to borrow from a bank (in amounts not exceeding 5% of the Fund's total assets) pending settlement of the sale of the portfolio securities and thereby incur interest charges. If trading is interrupted on the index, the Fund would not be able to close out its option positions.
Risks of Transactions in Options. There are several risks associated with transactions in options on securities and indices. Options may be more volatile than the underlying securities and, therefore, on a percentage basis, an investment in options may be subject to greater fluctuation in value than an investment in the underlying securities themselves. There are also significant differences between the securities and options markets that could result in an imperfect correlation between these markets, causing a given transaction not to achieve its objective. In addition, a liquid secondary market for particular options may be absent for reasons which include the following: there may be insufficient trading interest in certain options; restrictions may be imposed by an exchange on opening transactions or closing transactions or both; trading halts, suspensions or other restrictions may be imposed with respect to particular classes or series of options of underlying securities; unusual or unforeseen circumstances may interrupt normal operations on an exchange; the facilities of an exchange or clearing corporation may not be adequate to handle current trading volume at all times; or one or more exchanges could, for economic or other reasons, decide or be compelled at some future date to discontinue the trading of options (or a particular class or series of options), in which event the secondary market on that exchange (or in that class or series of options) would cease to exist, although outstanding options that had been issued by a clearing corporation as a result of trades on that exchange would continue to be exercisable in accordance with their terms.
A decision as to whether, when and how to use options involves the exercise of skill and judgment, and even a well-conceived transaction may be unsuccessful to some degree because of market behavior or unexpected events. The extent to which a Fund may enter into options transactions may be limited by the requirements of the Code for qualification of the Fund as a regulated investment company.
B-9
OTC Options. The Funds may engage in transactions involving OTC as well as exchange-traded options. Certain additional risks are specific to OTC options. The Funds may engage a clearing corporation to exercise exchange-traded options, but if a Fund purchased an OTC option, it must then rely on the dealer from which it purchased the option if the option is exercised. Failure by the dealer to do so would result in the loss of the premium paid by the Fund as well as loss of the expected benefit of the transaction.
Exchange-traded options generally have a continuous liquid market while OTC options may not. Consequently, the Funds may generally be able to realize the value of an OTC option it has purchased only by exercising or reselling the option to the dealer who issued it. Similarly, when a Fund writes an OTC option, the Fund may generally be able to close out the option prior to its expiration only by entering into a closing purchase transaction with the dealer to whom the Fund originally wrote the option. While the Funds will seek to enter into OTC options only with dealers who will agree to and are expected to be capable of entering into closing transactions with the Funds, there can be no assurance that the Funds will at any time be able to liquidate an OTC option at a favorable price at any time prior to expiration. Unless a Fund, as a covered OTC call option writer, is able to effect a closing purchase transaction, it will not be able to liquidate securities (or other assets) used as cover until the option expires or is exercised. In the event of insolvency of the other party, the Funds may be unable to liquidate an OTC option. With respect to options written by a Fund, the inability to enter into a closing transaction may result in material losses to the Fund.
The SEC has taken the position that purchased OTC options are illiquid securities. A Fund may treat the cover used for written OTC options as liquid if the dealer agrees that the Fund may repurchase the OTC option it has written for a maximum price to be calculated by a predetermined formula. In such cases, the OTC option would be considered illiquid only to the extent the maximum purchase price under the formula exceeds the intrinsic value of the option. Accordingly, each Fund will treat OTC options as subject to the Fund's limitation on illiquid securities. If the SEC changes its position on the liquidity of OTC options, the Funds will change the treatment of such instruments accordingly.
Stock Index Options. The Funds may invest in options on indices, including broad-based security indices. Puts and calls on indices are similar to puts and calls on other investments except that all settlements are in cash and gain or loss depends on changes in the index in question rather than on price movements in individual securities. When a Fund writes a call on an index, it receives a premium and agrees that, prior to the expiration date, the purchaser of the call, upon exercise of the call, will receive from the fund an amount of cash if the closing level of the index upon which the call is based is greater than the exercise price of the call. The amount of cash is equal to the difference between the closing price of the index and the exercise price of the call times a specified multiple ("multiplier"), which determines the total dollar value for each point of such difference. When a Fund buys a call on an index, it pays a premium and has the same rights as to such call as are indicated above. When a Fund buys a put on an index, it pays a premium and has the right, prior to the expiration date, to require the seller of the put, upon the Fund's exercise of the put, to deliver to the fund an amount of cash if the closing level of the index upon which the put is based is less than the exercise price of the put, which amount of cash is determined by the multiplier, as described above for calls. When a Fund writes a put on an index, it receives a premium and the purchaser of the put has the right, prior to the expiration date, to require the Fund to deliver to it an amount of cash equal to the difference between the closing level of the index and exercise price times the multiplier if the closing level is less than the exercise price.
The risks of investment in options on indices may be greater than options on securities. Because index options are settled in cash, if a Fund writes a call on an index it cannot provide in advance for its potential settlement obligations by acquiring and holding the underlying index. A Fund can offset some of the risk of writing a call index option by holding a diversified portfolio of securities or instruments similar to those on which the underlying index is based. However, a Fund cannot, as a practical matter, acquire and hold a portfolio containing exactly the same securities or instruments as underlie the index and, as a result, bears a risk that the value of the securities or instruments held will vary from the value of the index.
B-10
Even if a Fund could assemble a portfolio that exactly reproduced the composition of the underlying index, it still would not be fully covered from a risk standpoint because of the "timing risk" inherent in writing index options. When an index option is exercised, the amount of cash that the holder is entitled to receive is determined by the difference between the exercise price and the closing index level on the date when the option is exercised. As with other kinds of options, the Fund as the call writer will not learn of the assignment until the next business day at the earliest. The time lag between exercise and notice of assignment poses no risk for the writer of a covered call on a specific underlying security or instrument, such as common stock, because there the writer's obligation is to deliver the underlying security or instrument, not to pay its value as of a fixed time in the past. So long as the writer already owns the underlying security or instrument, it can satisfy its settlement obligations by simply delivering it, and the risk that its value may have declined since the exercise date is borne by the exercising holder. In contrast, even if the writer of an index call holds investments that exactly match the composition of the underlying index, it will not be able to satisfy its assignment obligations by delivering those investments against payment of the exercise price. Instead, it will be required to pay cash in an amount based on the closing index value on the exercise date. By the time it learns that it has been assigned, the index may have declined, with a corresponding decline in the value of its portfolio. This "timing risk" is an inherent limitation on the ability of index call writers to cover their risk exposure by holding security or instrument positions.
If a Fund has purchased an index option and exercises it before the closing index value for that day is available, it runs the risk that the level of the underlying index may subsequently change. If such a change causes the exercised option to fall out-of-the-money, the Fund will be required to pay the difference between the closing index value and the exercise price of the option (times the applicable multiplier) to the assigned writer.
Futures and Options on Futures
The Funds may use interest rate, foreign currency, index and other futures contracts. The Funds may use options on futures contracts. A futures contract provides for the future sale by one party and purchase by another party of a specified quantity of the security or other financial instrument at a specified price and time. A futures contract on an index is an agreement pursuant to which two parties agree to take or make delivery of an amount of cash equal to the difference between the value of the index at the close of the last trading day of the contract and the price at which the index contract originally was written. Although the value of an index might be a function of the value of certain specified securities, physical delivery of these securities is not always made. A public market exists in futures contracts covering a number of indexes, as well as financial instruments, including, without limitation: U.S. Treasury bonds; U.S. Treasury notes; GNMA Certificates; three-month U.S. Treasury bills; 90-day commercial paper; bank certificates of deposit; Eurodollar certificates of deposit; the Australian dollar; the Canadian dollar; the British Pound; the Japanese Yen; the Swiss Franc; the Mexican Peso; and certain multinational currencies, such as the Euro. It is expected that other futures contracts will be developed and traded in the future.
The Funds may purchase and write (sell) call and put futures options. Futures options possess many of the same characteristics as options on securities and indexes (discussed above). A futures option gives the holder the right, in return for the premium paid, to assume a long position (call) or short position (put) in a futures contract at a specified exercise price upon expiration of, or at any time during the period of, the option. Upon exercise of a call option, the holder acquires a long position in the futures contract and the writer is assigned the opposite short position. In the case of a put option, the opposite is true. When a purchase or sale of a futures contract is made by a Fund, the Fund is required to deposit with its futures commission merchant a specified amount of liquid assets ("initial margin"). The margin required for a futures contract is set by the exchange on which the contract is traded and may be modified during the term of the contract. The initial margin is in the nature of a performance bond or good faith deposit on the futures contract that is returned to the Fund upon termination of the contract, assuming all contractual obligations have been satisfied. Each Fund expects to earn taxable interest income on its initial margin deposits. Each Fund, as a writer of an option, may have no control over whether the underlying futures contracts may be sold (call) or purchased (put) and as a result, bears the market risk of an unfavorable change in the valuation of the futures contracts underlying the written option. Each Fund, as a purchaser of an option, bears the risk that the counterparties to the option may not have the ability to meet the terms of the option contract.
B-11
Futures and options on futures are regulated by the CFTC. The Advisor is registered as a commodity pool operator with respect to the Funds. As a result, the Advisor is subject to CFTC requirements in its capacity as such with respect to the Funds, including recordkeeping, reporting, and disclosure requirements. In addition, the Advisor may be subject to substantially the same requirements with regard to each Subsidiary.
A futures contract held by a Fund is valued daily at the official settlement price of the exchange on which it is traded. Each day the Fund pays or receives cash, called "variation margin", equal to the daily change in value of the futures contract. This process is known as "marking to market". Variation margin does not represent a borrowing or loan by the Fund but is instead a settlement between the Fund and the broker of the amount one would owe the other if the futures contract expired. In computing daily net asset value, a Fund will mark to market its open futures positions. Each Fund also is required to deposit and to maintain margin with respect to put and call options on futures contracts written by it. Such margin deposits will vary depending on the nature of the underlying futures contract (and the related initial margin requirements), the current market value of the option and other futures positions held by the Fund. Although some futures contracts call for making or taking delivery of the underlying securities, generally these obligations are closed out prior to delivery by offsetting purchases or sales of matching futures contracts (involving the same exchange, underlying security or index and delivery month). If an offsetting purchase price is less than the original sale price, the Fund realizes a capital gain, or if it is more, the Fund realizes a capital loss. Conversely, if an offsetting sale price is more than the original purchase price, the Fund realizes a capital gain, or if it is less, the Fund realizes a capital loss. The transaction costs also must be included in these calculations.
The Funds may write covered straddles consisting of a call and a put written on the same underlying futures contract. A straddle will be covered when sufficient assets are deposited to meet the Fund's immediate obligations. The Funds may use the same liquid assets to cover both the call and put options if the exercise price of the call and put are the same, or if the exercise price of the call is higher than that of the put.
Stock Index Futures
The Funds may invest in stock index futures only as a substitute for a comparable market position in the underlying securities. A stock index future obligates the seller to deliver (and the purchaser to accept), effectively, an amount of cash equal to a specific dollar amount times the difference between the value of a specific stock index at the close of the last trading day of the contract and the price at which the agreement is made. No physical delivery of the underlying stocks in the index is made. With respect to stock indices that are permitted investments, the Fund intends to purchase and sell futures contracts on the stock index for which it can obtain the best price with consideration also given to liquidity.
Swaps
The Funds may enter into interest rate, currency and index swaps and the purchase or sale of related caps, floors and collars. Each Fund may enter into these transactions to preserve a return or spread on a particular investment or portion of its portfolio, to protect against currency fluctuations or to protect against any increase in the price of securities it anticipates purchasing at a later date. Swaps may be used in conjunction with other instruments to offset interest rate, currency or other underlying risks. For example, interest rate swaps may be offset with "caps," "floors" or "collars". A "cap" is essentially a call option which places a limit on the amount of floating rate interest that must be paid on a certain principal amount. A "floor" is essentially a put option which places a limit on the minimum amount that would be paid on a certain principal amount. A "collar" is essentially a combination of a long cap and a short floor where the limits are set at different levels.
B-12
A Fund will usually enter into swaps on a net basis; that is, the two payment streams will be netted out in a cash settlement on the payment date or dates specified in the instrument, with the Fund receiving or paying, as the case may be, only the net amount of the two payments.
Total Return Swaps. The Funds may enter into total return swaps for investment purposes. Total return swaps are contracts in which one party agrees to make periodic payments based on the change in market value of the underlying assets, which may include a specified security, basket of securities or security indexes during the specified period, in return for periodic payments based on a fixed or variable interest rate of the total return from other underlying assets.
Total return swaps may be used to obtain exposure to a security or market without owning or taking physical custody of such security or market, including in cases in which there may be disadvantages associated with direct ownership of a particular security. In a typical total return equity swap, payments made by a Fund or the counterparty are based on the total return of a particular reference asset or assets (such as an equity security, a combination of such securities, or an index). That is, one party agrees to pay another party the return on a stock, basket of stocks, or stock index in return for a specified interest rate. By entering into an equity index swap, for example, the index receiver can gain exposure to stocks making up the index of securities without actually purchasing those stocks. Total return swaps involve not only the risk associated with the investment in the underlying securities, but also the risk of the counterparty not fulfilling its obligations under the agreement.
Credit Default Swaps. The Funds may enter into credit default swaps for investment purposes. A credit default swap may have as reference obligations one or more securities that are not currently held by the Fund. The Funds may be either the buyer or seller in the transaction. Credit default swaps may also be structured based on the debt of a basket of issuers, rather than a single issuer, and may be customized with respect to the default event that triggers purchase or other factors. As a seller, a Fund would generally receive an upfront payment or a fixed rate of income throughout the term of the swap, which typically is between six months and three years, provided that there is no credit event. If a credit event occurs, generally the seller must pay the buyer the full face amount of deliverable obligations of the reference obligations that may have little or no value. If a Fund were a buyer and no credit event occurs, the Fund would recover nothing if the swap is held through its termination date. However, if a credit event occurs, the buyer may elect to receive the full notional value of the swap in exchange for an equal face amount of deliverable obligations of the reference obligation that may have little or no value. The use of swaps by a Fund entails certain risks, which may be different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in the securities and other investments that are the referenced asset for the swaps. Swaps are highly specialized instruments that require investment techniques, risk analyses, and tax planning different from those associated with stocks, bonds, and other traditional investments. The use of a swap requires an understanding not only of the referenced asset, reference rate, or index, but also of the swap itself, without the benefit of observing the performance of the swap under all the possible market conditions. Because some swaps have a leverage component, adverse changes in the value or level of the underlying asset, reference rate, or index can result in a loss substantially greater than the amount invested in the swap itself. Certain swaps have the potential for unlimited loss, regardless of the size of the initial investment.
Each Fund may also purchase credit default swaps in order to hedge against the risk of default of the debt of a particular issuer or basket of issuers, in which case the Fund would function as the counterparty referenced in the preceding paragraph. This would involve the risk that the investment may expire worthless and would only generate income in the event of an actual default by the issuer(s) of the underlying obligation(s) (or, as applicable, a credit downgrade or other indication of financial instability). It would also involve the risk that the seller may fail to satisfy its payment obligations to the Fund in the event of a default. The purchase of credit default swaps involves costs, which will reduce the Fund's return.
B-13
Currency Swaps. The Funds may enter into currency swaps for investment purposes. Currency swaps are similar to interest rate swaps, except that they involve multiple currencies. A Fund may enter into a currency swap when it has exposure to one currency and desires exposure to a different currency. Typically the interest rates that determine the currency swap payments are fixed, although occasionally one or both parties may pay a floating rate of interest. Unlike an interest rate swap, however, the principal amounts are exchanged at the beginning of the contract and returned at the end of the contract. In addition to paying and receiving amounts at the beginning and termination of the agreements, both sides will also have to pay in full periodically based upon the currency they have borrowed. Change in foreign exchange rates and changes in interest rates, as described above, may negatively affect currency swaps.
Interest Rate Swaps. Each Fund may enter into an interest rate swap in an effort to protect against declines in the value of fixed income securities held by the Fund. In such an instance, the Fund may agree to pay a fixed rate (multiplied by a notional amount) while a counterparty agrees to pay a floating rate (multiplied by the same notional amount). If interest rates rise, resulting in a diminution in the value of the Fund's portfolio, the fund would receive payments under the swap that would offset, in whole or in part, such diminution in value.
Options on Swaps. Each Fund may enter into options on swaps. An option on a swap, or a "swaption," is a contract that gives a counterparty the right (but not the obligation) to enter into a new swap or to shorten, extend, cancel or otherwise modify an existing swap, at some designated future time on specified terms. In return, the purchaser pays a "premium" to the seller of the contract. The seller of the contract receives the premium and bears the risk of unfavorable changes on the underlying swap. The Funds may write (sell) and purchase put and call swaptions. Each Fund may also enter into swaptions on either an asset-based or liability-based basis, depending on whether the Fund is hedging its assets or its liabilities. Each Fund may write (sell) and purchase put and call swaptions to the same extent it may make use of standard options on securities or other instruments. A Fund may enter into these transactions primarily to preserve a return or spread on a particular investment or portion of its holdings, as a duration management technique, to protect against an increase in the price of securities the Fund anticipates purchasing at a later date, or for any other purposes, such as for speculation to increase returns. Swaptions are generally subject to the same risks involved in the Fund's use of options.
Depending on the terms of the particular option agreement, a Fund will generally incur a greater degree of risk when it writes a swaption than it will incur when it purchases a swaption. When a Fund purchases a swaption, it risks losing only the amount of the premium it has paid should it decide to let the option expire unexercised. However, when a Fund writes a swaption, upon exercise of the option the Fund will become obligated according to the terms of the underlying agreement.
OTC Derivatives Transactions
The Funds may enter into OTC derivatives transactions. The Dodd-Frank Act established a new statutory framework that comprehensively regulated the OTC derivatives markets for the first time. Key Dodd-Frank Act provisions relating to OTC derivatives require rulemaking by the SEC and the CFTC, not all of which has been proposed or finalized as at the date of this SAI. Prior to the Dodd-Frank Act, the OTC derivatives markets were traditionally traded on a bilateral basis (so-called "bilateral OTC transactions"). Now certain OTC derivatives contracts are required to be centrally cleared and traded on exchanges or electronic trading platforms called swap execution facilities ("SEFs").
Bilateral OTC transactions differ from exchange-traded or cleared derivatives transactions in several respects. Bilateral OTC transactions are transacted directly with dealers and not with a clearing corporation. Without the availability of a clearing corporation, bilateral OTC transaction pricing is normally done by reference to information from market makers, which information is carefully monitored by the Advisor and verified in appropriate cases. As bilateral OTC transactions are entered into directly with a dealer, there is a risk of nonperformance by the dealer as a result of its insolvency or otherwise. Under recently-adopted CFTC regulations, counterparties of registered swap dealers and major swap participants have the right to elect segregation of initial margin in respect of uncleared swaps. If a counterparty makes such an election, any initial margin that is posted to the swap dealer or major swap participant must be segregated in individual customer accounts held at an independent third-party custodian. In addition, the collateral may only be invested in certain categories of instruments identified in the CFTC's regulations. Agreements covering these segregation arrangements must generally provide for consent by both the counterparty and the swap dealer or major swap participant to withdraw margin from the segregated account. Given these limitations on the use of uncleared swaps collateral, there is some likelihood that the electing counterparty will experience an increase in the costs associated with trading swaps with the relevant swap dealer or major swap participant. Certain other protections apply to a counterparty to uncleared swaps under the CFTC's regulations even if the counterparty does not elect segregation of its initial margin. These regulations are newly adopted, and it remains unclear whether they will be effective in protecting initial margin in the manner intended in the event of significant market stress or the insolvency of a swap dealer or major swap participant.
B-14
Furthermore, a bilateral OTC transaction may only be terminated voluntarily by entering into a closing transaction with the dealer with which a Fund originally dealt. Any such cancellation may require a Fund to pay a premium to that dealer. In those cases in which a Fund has entered into a covered transaction and cannot voluntarily terminate the transaction, the Fund will not be able to sell the underlying security until the transaction expires or is exercised or different cover is substituted. The Funds will seek to enter into OTC transactions only with dealers which agree to, and which are expected to be capable of, entering into closing transactions with the Funds. There is also no assurance that a Fund will be able to liquidate an OTC transaction at any time prior to expiration.
The requirement to execute certain OTC derivatives contracts on SEFs may offer certain advantages over traditional bilateral OTC trading, such as ease of execution, price transparency, increased liquidity and/or favorable pricing. However, SEF trading may make it more difficult and costly for the Fund to enter into highly tailored or customized transactions and may result in additional costs and risks. Market participants such as the Funds that execute derivatives contracts through a SEF, whether directly or through a broker intermediary, are required to submit to the jurisdiction of the SEF and comply with SEF and CFTC rules and regulations which impose, among other things disclosure and recordkeeping obligations. In addition, the Fund will generally incur SEF or broker intermediary fees when it trades on a SEF. A Fund may also be required to indemnify the SEF or broker intermediary for any losses or costs that may result from the Fund's transactions on the SEF.
Commodities and Commodity Contracts
The Funds may purchase and sell commodity futures contracts and options; may enter into foreign exchange contracts; may enter into swaps and other financial transactions not requiring the delivery of physical commodities; and may purchase physical commodity contracts or options on such contracts in compliance with applicable commodities laws. Investing in commodities in this manner carries risks. The Funds may also invest in instruments related to commodities, including structured notes, securities of commodities finance and operating companies. A Fund's exposure to the commodities markets may subject the Fund to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities. The value of commodity-linked instruments may be affected by changes in overall market movements, commodity index volatility, changes in interest rates, and other risks affecting a particular industry or commodity. The Funds will only invest in commodities transactions that the Advisor believes can be readily liquidated.
There are additional factors associated with commodity futures contracts which may subject a Fund's investments in them to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities. In the commodity futures markets there are often costs of physical storage associated with purchasing the underlying commodity. The price of the commodity futures contract will reflect the storage costs of purchasing the physical commodity, including the time value of money invested in the physical commodity. To the extent that the storage costs for an underlying commodity change while the Fund is invested in futures contracts on that commodity, the value of the futures contract may change proportionately. In the commodity futures markets, producers of the underlying commodity may decide to hedge the price risk of selling the commodity by selling futures contracts today to lock in the price of the commodity at delivery tomorrow. In order to induce speculators to purchase the other side of the same futures contract, the commodity producer generally must sell the futures contract at a lower price than the expected future spot price of the commodity. Conversely, if most hedgers in the futures market are purchasing futures contracts to hedge against a rise in prices, then speculators will only sell the other side of the futures contract at a higher futures price than the expected future spot price of the commodity. The changing nature of the hedgers and speculators in the commodities markets will influence whether futures prices are above or below the expected future spot price, which can have significant implications for the Fund. If the nature of hedgers and speculators in futures markets has shifted when it is time for the Fund to reinvest the proceeds of a maturing futures contract in a new futures contract, the Fund might reinvest at higher or lower futures prices, or choose to pursue other investments. The commodities which underlie commodity futures contracts may be subject to additional economic and non-economic variables, such as drought, floods, weather, livestock disease, embargoes, tariffs, and international economic, political and regulatory developments. These factors may have a larger impact on commodity prices and commodity-linked instruments, including futures contracts, than on traditional securities. Certain commodities are also subject to limited pricing flexibility because of supply and demand factors. Others are subject to broad price fluctuations as a result of the volatility of the prices for certain raw materials and the instability of the supplies of other materials.
B-15
Changes in the regulation of derivatives, including commodity-based derivatives, arising from the Dodd-Frank Act may make it more expensive for the Funds and otherwise limit the Funds' ability to engage in such trading, which could adversely affect the Funds.
Equity Securities
Common Stock
The Funds may invest in common stock. Common stock represents an equity (ownership) interest in a company, and usually possesses voting rights and earns dividends. Dividends on common stock are not fixed but are declared at the discretion of the issuer. Common stock generally represents the riskiest investment in a company. In addition, common stock generally has the greatest appreciation and depreciation potential because increases and decreases in earnings are usually reflected in a company's stock price.
The fundamental risk of investing in common stock is that the value of the stock might decrease. Stock values fluctuate in response to the activities of an individual company or in response to general market and/or economic conditions. While common stocks have historically provided greater long-term returns than preferred stocks, fixed-income and money market investments, common stocks have also experienced significantly more volatility than the returns from those other investments.
Preferred Stock
The Funds may invest in preferred stock. Preferred stock is a class of stock having a preference over common stock as to the payment of dividends and a share of the proceeds resulting from the issuer's liquidation although preferred stock is usually subordinate to the debt securities of the issuer. Some preferred stocks also entitle their holders to receive additional liquidation proceeds on the same basis as the holders of the issuer's common stock. Preferred stock typically does not possess voting rights and its market value may change based on changes in interest rates. If interest rates rise, the fixed dividend on preferred stocks may be less attractive, causing the price of preferred stocks to decline. Preferred stock may have mandatory sinking fund provisions, as well as call/redemption provisions prior to maturity, a negative feature when interest rates decline. In addition, a fund may receive stocks or warrants as a result of an exchange or tender of fixed income securities. Preference stock, which is more common in emerging markets than in developed markets, is a special type of common stock that shares in the earnings of an issuer, has limited voting rights, may have a dividend preference, and may also have a liquidation preference. Depending on the features of the particular security, holders of preferred and preference stock may bear the risks regarding common stock or fixed income securities.
B-16
Small- and Mid-Cap Stocks
The Funds may invest in stock of companies with market capitalizations that are small compared to other publicly traded companies. Investments in larger companies present certain advantages in that such companies generally have greater financial resources, more extensive research and development, manufacturing, marketing and service capabilities, and more stability and greater depth of management and personnel. Investments in smaller, less seasoned companies may present greater opportunities for growth but also may involve greater risks than customarily are associated with more established companies. The securities of smaller companies may be subject to more abrupt or erratic market movements than larger, more established companies. These companies may have limited product lines, markets or financial resources, or they may be dependent upon a limited management group. Their securities may be traded in the over-the-counter market or on a regional exchange, or may otherwise have limited liquidity. As a result of owning large positions in this type of security, a Fund is subject to the additional risk of possibly having to sell portfolio securities at disadvantageous times and prices if redemptions require a Fund to liquidate its securities positions. In addition, it may be prudent for a Fund, as its asset size grows, to limit the number of relatively small positions it holds in securities having limited liquidity in order to minimize its exposure to such risks, to minimize transaction costs, and to maximize the benefits of research. As a consequence, as a Fund's asset size increases, a Fund may reduce its exposure to illiquid small capitalization securities, which could adversely affect performance.
The Funds may also invest in stocks of companies with medium market capitalizations (i.e., mid-cap companies). Such investments share some of the risk characteristics of investments in stocks of companies with small market capitalizations described above, although mid cap companies tend to have longer operating histories, broader product lines and greater financial resources and their stocks tend to be more liquid and less volatile than those of smaller capitalization issuers.
Warrants and Rights
The Funds may invest in warrants or rights (including those acquired in units or attached to other securities) that entitle (but do not obligate) the holder to buy equity securities at a specific price for a specific period of time but will do so only if such equity securities are deemed appropriate by the Advisor, as applicable. Rights are similar to warrants but typically have a shorter duration and are issued by a company to existing stockholders to provide those holders the right to purchase additional shares of stock at a later date. Warrants and rights do not have voting rights, do not earn dividends, and do not entitle the holder to any rights with respect to the assets of the company that has issued them. They do not represent ownership of the underlying companies but only the right to purchase shares of those companies at a specified price on or before a specified exercise date. Warrants and rights tend to be more volatile than the underlying stock, and if at a warrant's expiration date the stock is trading at a price below the price set in the warrant, the warrant will expire worthless. Conversely, if at the expiration date the stock is trading at a price higher than the price set in the warrant or right, a Fund can acquire the stock at a price below its market value. The prices of warrants and rights do not necessarily parallel the prices of the underlying securities. An investment in warrants or rights may be considered speculative.
Convertible Securities
The Funds may invest in convertible securities. A convertible security is a preferred stock, warrant or other security that may be converted or exchanged for a prescribed amount of common stock or other security of the same or a different issuer or into cash within a particular period of time at a specified price or formula. A convertible security generally entitles the holder to receive the dividend or interest until the convertible security matures or is redeemed, converted or exchanged. Before conversion, convertible securities generally have characteristics similar to both fixed income and equity securities. Although to a lesser extent than with fixed income securities generally, the market value of convertible securities tends to decline as interest rates increase and, conversely, tends to increase as interest rates decline. In addition, because of the conversion feature, the market value of convertible securities tends to vary with fluctuations in the market value of the underlying common stocks and, therefore, also will react to variations in the general market for equity securities. A significant feature of convertible securities is that as the market price of the underlying common stock declines, convertible securities tend to trade increasingly on a yield basis, and so they may not experience market value declines to the same extent as the underlying common stock. When the market price of the underlying common stock increases, the prices of the convertible securities tend to rise as a reflection of the value of the underlying common stock. While no securities investments are without risk, investments in convertible securities generally entail less risk than investments in common stock of the same issuer.
B-17
Debt Securities
The Funds may invest in debt securities. Debt securities are used by issuers to borrow money. Generally, issuers pay investors periodic interest and repay the amount borrowed either periodically during the life of the security and/or at maturity. Some debt securities, such as zero coupon bonds, do not pay current interest, but are purchased at a discount from their face values and accrue interest at the applicable coupon rate over a specified time period. Some debt securities pay a periodic coupon that is not fixed; instead payments "float" relative to a reference rate, such as the Secured Overnight Financing Rate ("SOFR"). This "floating rate" debt may pay interest at levels above or below the previous interest payment. The market prices of debt securities fluctuate depending on such factors as interest rates, credit quality and maturity. In general, market prices of debt securities decline when interest rates rise and increase when interest rates fall.
Lower rated debt securities, those rated Ba or below by Moody's Investors Service, Inc. ("Moody's") and/or BB or below by Standard & Poor's Ratings Group ("S&P") or unrated but determined by the Advisor to be of comparable quality, are described by the rating agencies as speculative and involve greater risk of default or price changes than higher rated debt securities due to changes in the issuer's creditworthiness or the fact that the issuer may already be in default. The market prices of these securities may fluctuate more than higher quality securities and may decline significantly in periods of general economic difficulty. It may be more difficult to sell or to determine the value of lower rated debt securities.
Certain additional risk factors related to debt securities are discussed below:
Sensitivity to interest rate and economic changes. Debt securities may be sensitive to economic changes, political and corporate developments, and interest rate changes. In addition, during an economic downturn or periods of rising interest rates, issuers that are highly leveraged may experience increased financial stress that could adversely affect their ability to meet projected business goals, obtain additional financing, and service their principal and interest payment obligations. Furthermore, periods of economic change and uncertainty can be expected to result in increased volatility of market prices and yields of certain debt securities. For example, prices of these securities can be affected by financial contracts held by the issuer or third parties (such as derivatives) related to the security or other assets or indices.
Payment expectations. Debt securities may contain redemption or call provisions. If an issuer exercises these provisions in a lower interest rate environment, the Funds would have to replace the security with a lower yielding security, resulting in decreased income to investors. If the issuer of a debt security defaults on its obligations to pay interest or principal or is the subject of bankruptcy proceedings, the Funds may incur losses or expenses in seeking recovery of amounts owed to it.
Liquidity. Liquidity risk may result from the lack of an active market, or reduced number and capacity of traditional market participants to make a market in fixed income securities, and may be magnified in a rising interest rate environment or other circumstances where investor redemptions from fixed income mutual funds may be higher than normal, causing increased supply in the market due to selling activity. In such cases, the Funds, due to limitations on investments in illiquid securities and the difficulty in purchasing and selling such securities or instruments, may be unable to achieve its desired level of exposure to a certain sector. To the extent that the Funds' principal investment strategies involve investments in securities of companies with smaller market capitalizations, foreign non-U.S. securities, Rule 144A securities, illiquid sectors of fixed income securities, derivatives or securities with substantial market and/or credit risk, the Funds will tend to have the greatest exposure to liquidity risk. Further, fixed income securities with longer durations until maturity face heightened levels of liquidity risk as compared to fixed income securities with shorter durations until maturity. Finally, liquidity risk also refers to the risk of unusually high redemption requests or other unusual market conditions that may make it difficult for the Funds to fully honor redemption requests within the allowable time period. Meeting such redemption requests could require the Funds to sell securities at reduced prices or under unfavorable conditions, which would reduce the value of the Funds. It may also be the case that other market participants may be attempting to liquidate fixed income holdings at the same time as the Funds, causing increased supply in the market and contributing to liquidity risk and downward pricing pressure.
B-18
The Advisor attempts to reduce the risks described above through diversification of the Funds' portfolio, credit analysis of each issuer, and by monitoring broad economic trends as well as corporate and legislative developments, but there can be no assurance that it will be successful in doing so. Credit ratings of debt securities provided by rating agencies indicate a measure of the safety of principal and interest payments, not market value risk. The rating of an issuer is a rating agency's view of past and future potential developments related to the issuer and may not necessarily reflect actual outcomes. There can be a lag between corporate developments and the time a rating is assigned and updated.
Changing Fixed Income Market Conditions. Following the financial crisis that began in 2007, the U.S. government and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the "Federal Reserve") as well as certain foreign governments and central banks, took steps to support the financial markets, including by keeping interest rates at historically low levels and by purchasing large quantities of securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities on the open market (i.e., "quantitative easing"). Similar steps were taken again in 2020 in an effort to support the economy during the coronavirus pandemic. In 2022, the Federal Reserve began to unwind its balance sheet by not replacing existing bond holdings as they mature (i.e., "quantitative tightening"). Also in 2022, the Federal Reserve began raising the federal funds rate in an effort to help fight inflation. Such policy changes may expose fixed-income and related markets to heightened volatility and may reduce liquidity for certain Fund investments, which could cause the value of a Fund's investments and share price to decline. If the Fund invests in derivatives tied to fixed income markets it may be more substantially exposed to these risks than a fund that does not invest in derivatives. Government interventions such as those described above may not work as intended, particularly if the efforts are perceived by investors as being unlikely to achieve the desired results.
Bond markets have consistently grown over the past three decades while the capacity for traditional dealer counterparties to engage in fixed income trading has not kept pace and in some cases has decreased. As a result, dealer inventories of corporate bonds, which provide a core indication of the ability of financial intermediaries to "make markets," are at or near historic lows in relation to market size. Because market makers provide stability to a market through their intermediary services, the significant reduction in dealer inventories could potentially lead to decreased liquidity and increased volatility in the fixed income markets. Such issues may be exacerbated during periods of economic uncertainty.
Bond Ratings. Bond rating agencies may assign modifiers (such as +/-) to ratings categories to signify the relative position of a credit within the rating category. Investment policies that are based on ratings categories should be read to include any security within that category, without considering the modifier. Please refer to Appendix A for more information about credit ratings.
B-19
Government Obligations
The Funds may invest in U.S. government obligations. Such obligations include Treasury bills, certificates of indebtedness, notes and bonds. U.S. government obligations include securities issued or guaranteed as to principal and interest by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities. Treasury bills, the most frequently issued marketable government securities, have a maturity of up to one year and are issued on a discount basis. U.S. government obligations include securities issued or guaranteed by government-sponsored enterprises.
Payment of principal and interest on U.S. government obligations may be backed by the full faith and credit of the United States or may be backed solely by the issuing or guaranteeing agency or instrumentality itself. In the latter case, the investor must look principally to the agency or instrumentality issuing or guaranteeing the obligation for ultimate repayment, which agency or instrumentality may be privately owned. There can be no assurance that the U.S. government would provide financial support to its agencies or instrumentalities, including government-sponsored enterprises, where it is not obligated to do so. In addition, U.S. government obligations are subject to fluctuations in market value due to fluctuations in market interest rates. As a general matter, the value of debt instruments, including U.S. government obligations, declines when market interest rates increase and rises when market interest rates decrease. Certain types of U.S. government obligations are subject to fluctuations in yield or value due to their structure or contract terms.
Agency Obligations
The Funds may invest in agency obligations, such as obligations of the Export-Import Bank of the United States, Tennessee Valley Authority, Resolution Funding Corporation, Farmers Home Administration, Federal Home Loan Banks, Federal Intermediate Credit Banks, Federal Farm Credit Banks, Federal Land Banks, Federal Housing Administration, Government National Mortgage Association ("GNMA"), commonly known as "Ginnie Mae," Federal National Mortgage Association ("FNMA"), commonly known as "Fannie Mae," Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation ("FHLMC"), commonly known as "Freddie Mac," and the Student Loan Marketing Association ("SLMA"). Some, such as those of the Export-Import Bank of the United States, are supported only by the right of the issuer to borrow from the Treasury; others, such as those of the FNMA and FHLMC, are supported by only the discretionary authority of the U.S. government to purchase the agency's obligations; still others, such as those of the SLMA, are supported only by the credit of the instrumentality. No assurance can be given that the U.S. government would provide financial support to U.S. government-sponsored instrumentalities because they are not obligated by law to do so. As a result, there is a risk that these entities will default on a financial obligation. For instance, in September 2008, at the direction of the U.S. Treasury, FNMA and FHLMC were placed into conservatorship under the Federal Housing Finance Agency, a newly created independent regulator.
Lower-Rated Debt Securities
The Funds may invest in lower-rated fixed-income securities (commonly known as "junk bonds"). The lower ratings reflect a greater possibility that adverse changes in the financial condition of the issuer or in general economic conditions, or both, or an unanticipated rise in interest rates, may impair the ability of the issuer to make payments of interest and principal. The inability (or perceived inability) of issuers to make timely payment of interest and principal would likely make the values of securities held by the Fund more volatile and could limit the Fund's ability to sell its securities at prices approximating the values the Fund had placed on such securities. In the absence of a liquid trading market for securities held by it, the Fund at times may be unable to establish the fair value of such securities. Securities ratings are based largely on the issuer's historical financial condition and the rating agencies' analysis at the time of rating. Consequently, the rating assigned to any particular security is not necessarily a reflection of the issuer's current financial condition, which may be better or worse than the rating would indicate. In addition, the rating assigned to a security by Moody's or S&P (or by any other nationally recognized securities rating agency) does not reflect an assessment of the volatility of the security's market value or the liquidity of an investment in the security.
B-20
Like those of other fixed-income securities, the values of lower-rated securities fluctuate in response to changes in interest rates. A decrease in interest rates will generally result in an increase in the value of the Fund's fixed-income assets. Conversely, during periods of rising interest rates, the value of the Fund's fixed-income assets will generally decline. The values of lower-rated securities may often be affected to a greater extent by changes in general economic conditions and business conditions affecting the issuers of such securities and their industries. Negative publicity or investor perceptions may also adversely affect the values of lower-rated securities. Changes by nationally recognized securities rating agencies in their ratings of any fixed-income security and changes in the ability of an issuer to make payments of interest and principal may also affect the value of these investments. Changes in the value of portfolio securities generally will not affect income derived from these securities, but will affect the Fund's net asset value. The Fund will not necessarily dispose of a security when its rating is reduced below its rating at the time of purchase. However, the Advisor will monitor the investment to determine whether its retention will assist in meeting each Fund's investment objective. Issuers of lower-rated securities are often highly leveraged, so that their ability to service their debt obligations during an economic downturn or during sustained periods of rising interest rates may be impaired. Such issuers may not have more traditional methods of financing available to them and may be unable to repay outstanding obligations at maturity by refinancing.
The risk of loss due to default in payment of interest or repayment of principal by such issuers is significantly greater because such securities frequently are unsecured and subordinated to the prior payment of senior indebtedness. It is possible that, under adverse market or economic conditions or in the event of adverse changes in the financial condition of the issuer, the Fund could find it more difficult to sell these securities when the Advisor believes it advisable to do so or may be able to sell the securities only at prices lower than if they were more widely held. Under these circumstances, it may also be more difficult to determine the fair value of such securities for purposes of computing the Fund's net asset value. In order to enforce its rights in the event of a default, the Fund may be required to participate in various legal proceedings or take possession of and manage assets securing the issuer's obligations on such securities. This could increase the Fund's operating expenses and adversely affect the Fund's net asset value. The ability of a holder of a tax-exempt security to enforce the terms of that security in a bankruptcy proceeding may be more limited than would be the case with respect to securities of private issuers. In addition, each Fund's intention to qualify as a "regulated investment company" under the Code may limit the extent to which the Fund may exercise its rights by taking possession of such assets. To the extent a Fund invests in securities in the lower rating categories, the achievement of the Fund's investment objective is more dependent on the Advisor's investment analysis than would be the case if the Fund were investing in securities in the higher rating categories.
Over-the-Counter Transactions - Fixed Income Securities
The Funds may enter into over-the-counter ("OTC") transactions involving fixed income securities. OTC transactions differ from exchange-traded transactions in several respects. OTC transactions are transacted directly with dealers and not with a clearing corporation. Without the availability of a clearing corporation, OTC transaction pricing is normally done by reference to information from market makers, which information is carefully monitored by the Advisor and verified in appropriate cases. As OTC transactions are transacted directly with dealers, there is a risk of nonperformance by the dealer as a result of the insolvency of such dealer or otherwise. The Funds intends to enter into OTC transactions only with dealers which agree to, and which are expected to be capable of, entering into closing transactions with the Funds. There is also no assurance that the Funds will be able to liquidate an OTC transaction at any time prior to expiration.
B-21
Sovereign Debt Obligations
The Funds may invest in sovereign debt obligations, which are securities issued or guaranteed by foreign governments, governmental agencies or instrumentalities and political subdivisions, including debt of developing countries. Sovereign debt may be in the form of conventional securities or other types of debt instruments such as loans or loan participations. Sovereign debt of developing countries may involve a high degree of risk, and may be in default or present the risk of default. Governmental entities responsible for repayment of the debt may be unable or unwilling to repay principal and pay interest when due, and may require renegotiation or rescheduling of debt payments. In addition, prospects for repayment of principal and payment of interest may depend on political as well as economic factors. Although some sovereign debt, such as Brady Bonds, is collateralized by U.S. government securities, repayment of principal and payment of interest is not guaranteed by the U.S. government. There is no bankruptcy proceeding by which sovereign debt on which governmental entities have defaulted may be collected in whole or in part.
Zero Coupon, Step Coupon, and Pay-In-Kind Securities
Zero coupon bonds are securities that make no fixed interest payments but instead are issued and traded at a discount from their face value. They do not entitle the holder to any periodic payment of interest prior to maturity. Step coupon bonds trade at a discount from their face value and pay coupon interest. The coupon rate is low for an initial period and then increases to a higher coupon rate thereafter. The discount from the face amount or par value depends on the time remaining until cash payments begin, prevailing interest rates, liquidity of the security, and the perceived credit quality of the issuer. Pay-in-kind bonds normally give the issuer an option to pay cash at a coupon payment date or give the holder of the security a similar bond with the same coupon rate and a face value equal to the amount of the coupon payment that would have been made.
Generally, the market prices of zero coupon, step coupon, and pay-in-kind securities are more volatile than the prices of securities that pay interest periodically and in cash and are likely to respond to changes in interest rates to a greater degree than other types of debt securities having similar maturities and credit quality.
Floating Rate, Inverse Floating Rate and Index Obligations
The Funds may invest in debt securities with interest payments or maturity values that are not fixed, but float in conjunction with (or inversely to) an underlying index or price. These securities may be backed by sovereign or corporate issuers, or by collateral such as mortgages. The indices and prices upon which such securities can be based include interest rates, currency rates and commodities prices. Floating rate securities pay interest according to a coupon which is reset periodically. The reset mechanism may be formula based, or reflect the passing through of floating interest payments on an underlying collateral pool. Inverse floating rate securities are similar to floating rate securities except that their coupon payments vary inversely with an underlying index by use of a formula. Inverse floating rate securities tend to exhibit greater price volatility than other floating rate securities. Interest rate risk and price volatility on inverse floating rate obligations can be high, especially if leverage is used in the formula. Index securities pay a fixed rate of interest, but have a maturity value that varies by formula, so that when the obligation matures a gain or loss may be realized. The risk of index obligations depends on the volatility of the underlying index, the coupon payment and the maturity of the obligation.
Mortgage-Backed Securities
The Fund may invest in mortgage-backed securities and derivative mortgage-backed securities, and may also invest in "principal only" and "interest only" components. Mortgage-backed securities are securities that directly or indirectly represent a participation in, or are secured by and payable from, mortgage loans on real property. As with other debt securities, mortgage-backed securities are subject to credit risk and interest rate risk. However, the yield and maturity characteristics of mortgage-backed securities differ from traditional debt securities. A major difference is that the principal amount of the obligations may normally be prepaid at any time because the underlying assets (i.e., loans) generally may be prepaid at any time. The relationship between prepayments and interest rates may give some mortgage-backed securities less potential for growth in value than conventional fixed-income securities with comparable maturities. In addition, in periods of falling interest rates, the rate of prepayments tends to increase. During such periods, the reinvestment of prepayment proceeds by the Fund will generally be at lower rates than the rates that were carried by the obligations that have been prepaid. If interest rates rise, borrowers may prepay mortgages more slowly than originally expected. This may further reduce the market value of mortgage-backed securities and lengthen their durations. Because of these and other reasons, a mortgage-backed security's total return, maturity and duration may be difficult to predict precisely.
B-22
Mortgage-backed securities come in different classes that have different risks. Junior classes of mortgage-backed securities are designed to protect the senior class investors against losses on the underlying mortgage loans by taking the first loss if there are liquidations among the underlying loans. Junior classes generally receive principal and interest payments only after all required payments have been made to more senior classes. If the Fund invests in junior classes of mortgage-related securities, it may not be able to recover all of its investment in the securities it purchases. In addition, if the underlying mortgage portfolio has been overvalued, or if mortgage values subsequently decline, the Fund may suffer significant losses. Investments in mortgage-backed securities involve the risks of interruptions in the payment of interest and principal (delinquency) and the potential for loss of principal if the property underlying the security is sold as a result of foreclosure on the mortgage (default). These risks include the risks associated with direct ownership of real estate, such as the effects of general and local economic conditions on real estate values, the conditions of specific industry segments, the ability of tenants to make lease payments and the ability of a property to attract and retain tenants, which in turn may be affected by local market conditions such as oversupply of space or a reduction of available space, the ability of the owner to provide adequate maintenance and insurance, energy costs, government regulations with respect to environmental, zoning, rent control and other matters, and real estate and other taxes. If the underlying borrowers cannot pay their mortgage loans, they may default and the lenders may foreclose on the property.
The ability of borrowers to repay mortgage loans underlying mortgage-backed securities will typically depend upon the future availability of financing and the stability of real estate values. For mortgage loans not guaranteed by a government agency or other party, the only remedy of the lender in the event of a default is to foreclose upon the property. If borrowers are not able or willing to pay the principal balance on the loans, there is a good chance that payments on the related mortgage-related securities will not be made. Certain borrowers on underlying mortgages may become subject to bankruptcy proceedings, in which case the value of the mortgage-backed securities may decline.
Foreign Investments
The Funds may make foreign investments. Investments in the securities of foreign issuers and other non-U.S. investments may involve risks in addition to those normally associated with investments in the securities of U.S. issuers or other U.S. investments. All foreign investments are subject to risks of foreign political and economic instability, adverse movements in foreign exchange rates, and the imposition or tightening of exchange controls and limitations on the repatriation of foreign capital. Other risks stem from potential changes in governmental attitude or policy toward private investment, which in turn raises the risk of nationalization, increased taxation or confiscation of foreign investors' assets. Additionally, the imposition of sanctions, trade restrictions (including tariffs) and other government restrictions by the United States and/or other governments may adversely affect the values of the Fund's foreign investments.
The financial problems in global economies over the past several years, including the European sovereign debt crisis, may continue to cause high volatility in global financial markets. In addition, global economies are increasingly interconnected, which increases the possibilities that conditions in one country or region might adversely impact a different country or region. The severity or duration of these conditions may also be affected if one or more countries leave the Euro currency or by other policy changes made by governments or quasi-governmental organizations.
B-23
Additional non-U.S. taxes and expenses may also adversely affect the Funds' performance, including foreign withholding taxes on foreign securities' dividends. Brokerage commissions and other transaction costs on foreign securities exchanges are generally higher than in the United States. Foreign companies may be subject to different accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards. To the extent foreign securities held by the Funds are not registered with the SEC or with any other U.S. regulator, the issuers thereof will not be subject to the reporting requirements of the SEC or any other U.S. regulator. Accordingly, less information may be available about foreign companies and other investments than is generally available on issuers of comparable securities and other investments in the United States. Foreign securities and other investments may also trade less frequently and with lower volume and may exhibit greater price volatility than U.S. securities and other investments.
Changes in foreign exchange rates will affect the value in U.S. dollars of any foreign currency-denominated securities and other investments held by the Funds. Exchange rates are influenced generally by the forces of supply and demand in the foreign currency markets and by numerous other political and economic events occurring outside the United States, many of which may be difficult, if not impossible, to predict.
Income from any foreign securities and other investments will be received and realized in foreign currencies, and the Funds are required to compute and distribute income in U.S. dollars. Accordingly, a decline in the value of a particular foreign currency against the U.S. dollar occurring after the Funds' income has been earned and computed in U.S. dollars may require the Funds to liquidate portfolio securities or other investments to acquire sufficient U.S. dollars to make a distribution. Similarly, if the exchange rate declines between the time the Funds incurs expenses in U.S. dollars and the time such expenses are paid, the Funds may be required to liquidate additional portfolio securities or other investments to purchase the U.S. dollars required to meet such expenses.
The Funds may purchase foreign bank obligations. In addition to the risks described above that are generally applicable to foreign investments, the investments that the Funds makes in obligations of foreign banks, branches or subsidiaries may involve further risks, including differences between foreign banks and U.S. banks in applicable accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards, and the possible establishment of exchange controls or other foreign government laws or restrictions applicable to the payment of certificates of deposit or time deposits that may affect adversely the payment of principal and interest on the securities and other investments held by the Funds.
Emerging Markets
The Funds may invest in companies organized or doing substantial business in emerging market countries or developing countries as defined by the World Bank, International Financial Corporation, or the Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) emerging market indices or other comparable indices. Investing in emerging markets involves additional risks and special considerations not typically associated with investing in other more established economies or markets. Such risks may include (i) increased risk of nationalization or expropriation of assets or confiscatory taxation; (ii) greater social, economic and political uncertainty, including war; (iii) higher dependence on exports and the corresponding importance of international trade; (iv) greater volatility, less liquidity and smaller capitalization of markets; (v) greater volatility in currency exchange rates; (vi) greater risk of inflation; (vii) greater controls on foreign investment and limitations on realization of investments, repatriation of invested capital and on the ability to exchange local currencies for U.S. dollars; (viii) increased likelihood of governmental involvement in and control over the economy; (ix) governmental decisions to cease support of economic reform programs or to impose centrally planned economies; (x) differences in regulatory, accounting, auditing, and financial reporting and recordkeeping standards, which may result in the unavailability of material information about issuers; (xi) less extensive regulation of the markets; (xii) longer settlement periods for transactions and less reliable clearance and custody arrangements; (xiii) less developed corporate laws regarding fiduciary duties of officers and directors and the protection of investors; (xiv) certain considerations regarding the maintenance of the Fund's securities with local brokers and securities depositories and (xv) the imposition of withholding or other taxes on dividends, interest, capital gains, other income or gross sale or disposition proceeds.
B-24
Repatriation of investment income, assets and the proceeds of sales by foreign investors may require governmental registration and/or approval in some emerging market countries. The Fund could be adversely affected by delays in or a refusal to grant any required governmental registration or approval for such repatriation, or by withholding taxes imposed by emerging market countries on interest or dividends paid on securities held by the Fund or gains from the disposition of such securities.
In emerging markets, there is often less government supervision and regulation of business and industry practices, stock exchanges, over-the-counter markets, brokers, dealers, counterparties and issuers than in other more established markets. The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board ("PCAOB"), which regulates auditors of U.S. public companies, for example, may be unable to inspect audit work and practices in certain countries. The PCAOB's limited ability to oversee the operations of accounting firms in such countries would mean that inaccurate or incomplete financial records of an issuer's operations may not be detected, which could negatively impact a Fund's investments in such company. Any regulatory supervision that is in place may be subject to manipulation or control. Some emerging market countries do not have mature legal systems comparable to those of more developed countries. Moreover, the process of legal and regulatory reform may not be proceeding at the same pace as market developments, which could result in investment risk. Legislation to safeguard the rights of private ownership may not yet be in place in certain areas, and there may be the risk of conflict among local, regional and national requirements. In certain cases, the laws and regulations governing investments in securities may not exist or may be subject to inconsistent or arbitrary appreciation or interpretation. Both the independence of judicial systems and their immunity from economic, political or nationalistic influences remain largely untested in many countries. It may also be difficult or impossible for the Fund to pursue legal remedies or to obtain and enforce judgments in local courts.
Many Chinese companies have created variable interest entities ("VIEs") as a means to circumvent limits on foreign ownership of equity in Chinese companies. Investments in companies that use a VIE structure may pose additional risks because the investment is made through an intermediary entity that exerts control of the underlying operating business through contractual means rather than equity ownership and, as a result, may limit the rights of an investor. Although VIEs are a longstanding industry practice and well known to officials and regulators in China, VIE structures are not formally recognized under Chinese law. Investors face uncertainty about future actions by the government of China that could significantly affect an operating company's financial performance and the enforceability of the VIE's contractual arrangements. It is uncertain whether Chinese officials or regulators will withdraw their implicit acceptance of the VIE structure, or whether any new laws, rules, or regulations relating to VIE structures will be adopted or, if adopted, what impact they would have on the interests of foreign shareholders. Under extreme circumstances, China might prohibit the existence of VIEs, or sever their ability to transmit economic and governance rights to foreign individuals and entities; if so, the market value of the Funds' associated portfolio holdings would likely suffer significant, detrimental, and possibly permanent effects, which could result in substantial investment losses.
There may also be restrictions on imports from certain countries, such as Russia, and dealings and transactions with certain Russian companies, officials, individuals, and state-sponsored entities. Further, there may be restrictions on investments in companies domiciled in certain countries, such as China and Russia. Such restrictions can change from time to time, and as a result of forced selling or an inability to participate in an investment the Advisor otherwise believes is attractive, the Fund may incur losses. Any of these factors may adversely affect the Fund's performance or the Fund's ability to pursue its investment objective.
B-25
Foreign Currency Transactions
The Funds may conduct foreign currency transactions on a spot, i.e., cash, basis at the prevailing rate in the foreign exchange market. Foreign currency transactions are generally used to obtain foreign currencies to settle securities transactions or to exchange one currency for another. They can also be used as a hedge to protect assets against adverse changes in foreign currency exchange rates or regulations. When a Fund uses foreign currency exchanges as a hedge, it may also limit potential gain that could result from an increase in the value of such currencies. Currency exchange rates may be volatile and the Fund may be affected either favorably or unfavorably by fluctuations in the relative rates of exchange between the currencies of different nations, market or economic downswings, or other relevant factors, such as the actions of governments or central banks, the imposition of currency controls, and speculation. Foreign currency hedging transactions are used to protect against foreign currency exchange rate risks.
There is no systematic reporting of last sale information for foreign currencies, and there is no regulatory requirement that quotations available through dealers or other market sources be firm or revised on a timely basis. Quotation information available is generally representative of very large transactions in the interbank market. The interbank market in foreign currencies is a global around-the-clock market. Since foreign currency transactions occurring in the interbank market involve substantially larger amounts than those that may be involved in the use of foreign currency options, the Fund may be disadvantaged by having to deal in an odd lot market (generally consisting of transactions of less than $1 million) for the underlying foreign currencies at prices that are less favorable than for round lots.
Depositary Receipts
The Funds may invest in depositary receipts. American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs") are negotiable receipts issued by a U.S. bank or trust company that evidence ownership of securities in a foreign company which have been deposited with such bank or trust company's office or agent in a foreign country. European Depositary Receipts ("EDRs") are negotiable certificates held in the bank of one country representing a specific number of shares of a stock traded on an exchange of another country. Global Depositary Receipts ("GDRs") are negotiable certificates held in the bank of one country representing a specific number of shares of a stock traded on an exchange of another country. Canadian Depositary Receipts ("CDRs") are negotiable receipts issued by a Canadian bank or trust company that evidence ownership of securities in a foreign company which have been deposited with such bank or trust company's office or agent in a foreign country.
Investing in ADRs, EDRs, GDRs, and CDRs presents risks that may not be equal to the risk inherent in holding the equivalent shares of the same companies that are traded in the local markets even though the Fund will purchase, sell and be paid dividends on ADRs in U.S. dollars. These risks include fluctuations in currency exchange rates, which are affected by international balances of payments and other economic and financial conditions; government intervention; speculation; and other factors. With respect to certain foreign countries, there is the possibility of expropriation or nationalization of assets, confiscatory taxation, political and social upheaval, and economic instability. The Funds may be required to pay foreign withholding or other taxes on certain ADRs, EDRs, GDRs, or CDRs that it owns, but investors may or may not be able to deduct their pro-rata share of such taxes in computing their taxable income, or take such shares as a credit against their U.S. federal income tax. See "Federal Income Tax Matters." ADRs, EDRs, GDRs, and CDRs may be sponsored by the foreign issuer or may be unsponsored. Unsponsored ADRs, EDRs, GDRs, and CDRs are organized independently and without the cooperation of the foreign issuer of the underlying securities. Unsponsored ADRs, EDRs, GDRs, and CDRs are offered by companies which are not prepared to meet either the reporting or accounting standards of the United States. While readily exchangeable with stock in local markets, unsponsored ADRs, EDRs, GDRs, and CDRs may be less liquid than sponsored ADRs, EDRs, GDRs, and CDRs. Additionally, there generally is less publicly available information with respect to unsponsored ADRs, EDRs, GDRs, and CDRs.
B-26
Europe - Recent Events
Most developed countries in Western Europe are members of the European Union (the "EU"), and many are also members of the European Monetary Union ("EMU"), and most EMU members are part of the euro zone, a group of EMU countries that share the euro as their common currency. Members of the EMU must comply with restrictions on inflation rates, deficits, debt levels, and fiscal and monetary controls. The implementation of any of these EMU restrictions or controls, as well as any of the following events in Europe, may have a significant impact on the economies of some or all European countries: (i) the default or threat of default by an EU member country on its sovereign debt, (ii) economic recession in an EU member country, (iii) changes in EU or governmental regulations on trade, (iv) changes in currency exchange rates of the euro, the British pound, and other European currencies, (v) changes in the supply and demand for European imports or exports, and (vi) high unemployment rates. In the recent past, European financial markets have experienced volatility and adverse trends due to concerns about economic downturns and/or rising government debt levels in certain European countries, which in turn negatively affected the euro's exchange rate. A significant decline in the value of the euro may produce unpredictable effects on trade and commerce generally and could lead to increased volatility in financial markets worldwide. In the event that an EMU member defaults on its sovereign debt or exits from the EMU, especially if either such event occurs in a disorderly manner, the default or exit may adversely affect the value of the euro as well as the performance of other European economies and issuers.
Adverse economic and political events in one European country, including war, may have adverse effects across Europe. For example, the extent and duration of Russia's military invasion of Ukraine, initiated in February 2022, and the broad-ranging economic sanctions levied against Russia by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, and other countries, remain unknown, but these events could have a significant adverse impact on Europe's overall economy.
United Kingdom Exit from the EU. On January 31, 2020, the United Kingdom (the "UK") formally withdrew from the EU (commonly referred to as "Brexit") and, after a transition period, left the EU single market and customs union under the terms of a new trade agreement, effective January 1, 2021. The effects of Brexit are also being shaped by the trade agreements that the UK negotiates with other countries and will depend largely upon the UK's ability to negotiate favorable terms with the EU regarding trade and market access. Although the longer term political, regulatory, and economic consequences of Brexit are uncertain, Brexit has caused volatility in UK, EU, and global markets. The potential negative effects of Brexit on the UK and EU economies and the broader global economy could include, among others, business and trade disruptions, increased volatility and illiquidity, currency fluctuations, and potentially lower economic growth of markets in the UK, EU, and globally, which could negatively impact the value of a Fund's investments. Brexit could also lead to legal uncertainty and politically divergent national laws and regulations while the relationship between the UK and EU continues to be defined and the UK determines which EU laws to replace or replicate.
Russia's Invasion of Ukraine. Russia has attempted to assert its influence in Eastern Europe in the recent past through economic and military measures, including military incursions into Georgia in 2008 and eastern Ukraine in 2014, heightening geopolitical risk in the region and tensions with the West. On February 24, 2022, Russia initiated a large-scale invasion of Ukraine resulting in the displacement of millions of Ukrainians from their homes, a substantial loss of life, and the widespread destruction of property and infrastructure throughout Ukraine. In response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the governments of the United States, Canada, Japan, the EU, the UK, and many other nations joined together to impose heavy economic sanctions on certain Russian individuals, including its political leaders, as well as Russian corporate and banking entities and other Russian industries and businesses. The sanctions restrict companies from doing business with Russia and Russian companies, prohibit transactions with the Russian central bank and other key Russian financial institutions and entities, ban Russian airlines and ships from using many other countries' airspace and ports, respectively, and place a freeze on certain Russian assets. The sanctions also removed some Russian banks from the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunications (SWIFT), the electronic network that connects banks globally to facilitate cross-border payments. In addition, the United States has banned oil and other energy imports from Russia, as well as other popular Russian exports, such as diamonds, seafood, and vodka. The EU, the UK and other countries have also placed restrictions on certain oil, energy, and luxury goods imports from Russia. The extent and duration of the war in Ukraine and the longevity and severity of sanctions remain unknown, but they could have a significant adverse impact on the European economy as well as the price and availability of certain commodities, including oil and natural gas, throughout the world. Further, an escalation of the military conflict beyond Ukraine's borders could result in significant, long-lasting damage to the economies of Eastern and Western Europe as well as the global economy.
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General. Whether or not the Fund invests in securities of issuers located in Europe or with significant exposure to European issuers or countries, these events could negatively affect the value and liquidity of the Fund's investments due to the interconnected nature of the global economy and capital markets. The Fund may also be susceptible to these events to the extent that the Fund invests in municipal obligations with credit support by non-U.S. financial institutions.
Developments in the China Region
Although China's economy has experienced past periods of rapid growth, there is no assurance that such growth rates will recur. In particular, the growth rate of China's economy had slowed over the years leading up to the global economic recession in 2020. China's economy rebounded in 2021 as China recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic, but China's economy grew at a slower rate in 2022 through 2024 than any year in the decade leading up to 2020. It remains unclear though whether these trends will continue in the future. In addition, China's economic slowdown has negatively impacted the once rapidly growing Chinese real estate market, leading to the financial collapse of China's largest real estate company. The slowdown in China's real estate market has also resulted in local Chinese governments facing high levels of debt and fewer viable means to raise revenue, especially with the fall in demand for housing.
Despite attempts to restructure its economy towards consumption, China remains heavily dependent on exports. Reduction in spending on Chinese products and services, supply chain diversification, institution of additional tariffs, sanctions or other trade barriers, or a downturn in any of the economies of China's key trading partners may have an adverse impact on both the Chinese economy and Chinese companies. Additionally, Chinese actions to lay claim to disputed islands have caused relations with certain of China's trading partners to suffer, and could cause further disruption to regional and international trade. From time to time, China has experienced outbreaks of infectious illnesses, and the country may be subject to other public health threats, infectious illnesses, diseases or similar issues in the future. Any spread of an infectious illness, public health threat or similar issue could reduce consumer demand or economic output, result in market closures, travel restrictions or quarantines, and generally have a significant impact on the Chinese economy. In the long run, China's ability to develop and sustain a credible legal, regulatory, monetary, and socioeconomic system could influence the course of outside investment.
Special Purpose Acquisition Companies ("SPACs")
SPACs are collective investment structures that pool funds in order to seek potential acquisition opportunities. The Fund may invest in stock, warrants, and other securities of SPACs or similar special purpose entities. Unless and until an acquisition is completed, a SPAC generally invests its assets (less a portion retained to cover expenses) in U.S. government securities, money market fund securities and cash. To the extent the SPAC is invested in cash or similar securities, this may impact the Fund's ability to meet its investment objectives. If an acquisition that meets the requirements for the SPAC is not completed within a pre-established period of time, the invested funds are returned to the entity's shareholders, less certain permitted expenses, and any warrants issued by the SPAC will expire worthless. As SPACs and similar entities generally have no operating history or ongoing business other than seeking acquisitions, the value of their securities is particularly dependent on the ability of the entity's management to identify and complete a profitable acquisition. Certain SPACs may pursue acquisitions only within certain industries or regions, which may increase the volatility of their prices. In addition, these securities, which are typically traded in the over-the-counter market, may be considered illiquid and/or be subject to restrictions on resale.
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SPAC Management. Each SPAC's management team will be responsible for identifying business combination opportunities and negotiating the terms of the transaction and, consequently, the Fund will be dependent upon the integrity, skill and judgment of the management team of each SPAC in which the Fund invests. Often a SPAC's management consists of financial industry professionals who may have little, if any, experience in managing companies in the business sectors in which the potential issuers to be acquired by the SPAC operate. It is not generally expected that the officers and directors of a SPAC will be required to commit their full business time and attention to the management of the SPAC, which could create a conflict of interest when allocating their time between the SPAC's operations and their other commitments. If such other commitments require the SPAC's management team to devote more substantial amounts of time to their other business and affairs, their ability to devote time to the SPAC's management would be limited, possibly having a negative impact on the SPAC's ability to consummate a transaction. In addition, the officers and directors of a SPAC in which the Fund invests may become involved with other SPACs in which the Fund does not invest which may engage in similar business opportunities. Consequently, the officers and directors could have conflicts of interest in determining to which SPAC a particular business opportunity should be presented. In such circumstances, there can be no assurance that a given business opportunity would be presented to the SPAC in which the Fund holds an investment. After a transaction, the management of a SPAC, while often retaining a seat on the board of directors of the post-combination entity, will often step down from day-to-day management of the post-combination entity, leaving investors dependent on the skill of the incumbent or new management of the issuer acquired by the SPAC.
SPAC Transaction Targets and the Consummation of Transactions. The typical SPAC transaction target is a private company. Due diligence on these companies may be difficult and they will often not have the same level of financial controls as public entities. To the extent that a SPAC completes a business combination with a financially unstable company or an entity in its development stage, the SPAC may be affected by numerous risks inherent in the business operations of that entity. If a SPAC completes a business combination with an entity in an industry characterized by a high level of risk, the SPAC may be affected by the risks of that industry. At times when general market conditions are not favorable for mergers and acquisitions activity or other capital formation, the percentage of SPACs that fail to find transactions and must dissolve is likely to increase. During such periods investors, such as the Fund, that are long in SPAC securities are less likely to experience attractive risk adjusted returns.
SPACs are subject to significant "event risk;" that is, a SPAC's success depends on its ability to identify and close a transaction within a relatively short period delimited in its charter. If a SPAC fails to close a transaction within that period it is typically required to liquidate and dissolve. As noted, upon such dissolution the holders of common stock receive a fixed distribution from a trust established to hold IPO proceeds. Upon a SPAC's dissolution, the warrants will expire worthless. Therefore, the Fund may expect from time to time to suffer complete losses of its investments in certain SPAC warrants.
If a SPAC consummates a transaction, there can be no assurance that an investment in the units, shares or warrants of the SPAC will ultimately prove to be more favorable to investors than a direct investment, if an opportunity were available, in the target business. This is especially the case with regards to SPAC warrants - warrant holders may sustain losses even in the event of a consummation if the value of the SPAC's common stock after the transaction is less than the strike price of the warrants. In addition, because a SPAC may be able to call warrants for redemption after the warrants become exercisable if the sale price of the common stock equals or exceeds a specified price for a specified number of trading days, the Fund's profit potential with respect to SPAC warrants may be limited by such call feature.
The operating companies that result from SPAC Transactions face all of the risks that typically follow a major business transaction, including the risks relating to integration following the transaction and the risks inherent in trying to achieve a new business plan. Further, SPAC operating companies often are public companies for the first time following consummation of a transaction, and therefore may not be experienced in facing the challenges, expenses and risks of being a public company, including the increased regulatory and financial scrutiny and the need to comply with applicable governance and accounting requirements.
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Repurchase Agreements
The Funds may enter into repurchase agreements with respect to its portfolio securities. Pursuant to such agreements, the Funds acquire securities from financial institutions such as banks and broker-dealers deemed to be creditworthy by the Advisor, subject to the seller's agreement to repurchase and the Funds' agreement to resell such securities at a mutually agreed upon date and price. The repurchase price generally equals the price paid by the Funds plus interest negotiated on the basis of current short-term rates (which may be more or less than the rate on the underlying portfolio security). Securities subject to repurchase agreements will be held by the custodian or in the Federal Reserve/Treasury Book-Entry System or an equivalent foreign system. The seller under a repurchase agreement will be required to maintain the value of the underlying securities at not less than 102% of the repurchase price under the agreement. If the seller defaults on its repurchase obligation, the Funds will suffer a loss to the extent that the proceeds from a sale of the underlying securities are less than the repurchase price under the agreement. Bankruptcy or insolvency of such a defaulting seller may cause the Funds' rights with respect to such securities to be delayed or limited. Repurchase agreements are considered to be loans under the 1940 Act.
Reverse Repurchase Agreements
The Funds may enter into "reverse" repurchase agreements to avoid selling securities during unfavorable market conditions to meet redemptions. The Funds may invest a maximum of 10% of its total assets in reverse repurchase agreements. Pursuant to a reverse repurchase agreement, the Funds will sell portfolio securities and agree to repurchase them from the buyer at a particular date and price. Whenever the Fund enters into a reverse repurchase agreement, it will either (i) consistent with Section 18 of the 1940 Act, maintain asset coverage of at least 300% of the value of the repurchase agreement or (ii) treat the reverse repurchase agreement as a derivatives transaction for purposes of Rule 18f-4, including, as applicable, the VaR based limit on leverage risk. The Funds pay interest on amounts obtained pursuant to reverse repurchase agreements. Reverse repurchase agreements are considered to be borrowings by the Funds.
Short Sales
A Fund may seek to hedge investments or realize additional gains through the use of short sales. A short sale is a transaction in which a Fund sells a security it does not own in anticipation that the market price of that security will decline. If the price of the security sold short increases between the time of the short sale and the time a Fund replaces the borrowed security, the Fund will incur a loss; conversely, if the price declines, the Fund will realize a capital gain. Any gain will be decreased, and any loss will be increased, by the transaction costs incurred by a Fund, including the costs associated with providing collateral to the broker-dealer (usually cash and liquid securities) and the maintenance of collateral with its custodian. A Fund also may be required to pay a premium to borrow a security, which would increase the cost of the security sold short. Although a Fund's gain is limited to the price at which it sold the security short, its potential loss is theoretically unlimited.
The broker-dealer will retain the net proceeds of the short sale to the extent necessary to meet margin requirements until the short position is closed out.
When the Advisor believes that the price of a particular security held by a Fund may decline, it may make "short sales against the box" to hedge the unrealized gain on such security. Selling short against the box involves selling a security which a Fund owns for delivery at a specified date in the future. A Fund will incur transaction costs to open, maintain and close short sales against the box.
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Borrowing
The Funds may engage in limited borrowing activities. Borrowing creates an opportunity for increased return, but, at the same time, creates special risks. Furthermore, if the Funds were to engage in borrowing, an increase in interest rates could reduce the value of the Funds' shares by increasing the Funds' interest expense. Subject to the limitations described under "Investment Limitations" below, the Funds may be permitted to borrow for temporary purposes and/or for investment purposes. Such a practice will result in leveraging of the Funds' assets and may cause the Funds to liquidate portfolio positions when it would not be advantageous to do so. This borrowing may be secured or unsecured. Provisions of the 1940 Act require the Funds to maintain continuous asset coverage (that is, total assets including borrowings, less liabilities exclusive of borrowings) of 300% of the amount borrowed, with an exception for borrowings not in excess of 5% of the Funds' total assets made for temporary administrative purposes. Any borrowings for temporary administrative purposes in excess of 5% of the Funds' total assets will count against this asset coverage requirement. If the 300% asset coverage should decline as a result of market fluctuations or other reasons, the Funds may be required to sell some of its portfolio holdings within three days to reduce the debt and restore the 300% asset coverage, even though it may be disadvantageous from an investment standpoint if the Funds sell securities at that time. Borrowing will tend to exaggerate the effect on net asset value of any increase or decrease in the market value of the Funds' portfolios. Money borrowed will be subject to interest charges which may or may not be recovered by appreciation of the securities purchased, if any. The Funds also may be required to maintain minimum average balances in connection with such borrowings or to pay a commitment or other fee to maintain a line of credit; either of these requirements would increase the cost of borrowing over the stated interest rate.
Investments in the Subsidiary
Each Fund may invest up to 25% of its total assets in the shares of its respective wholly-owned and controlled subsidiary (each, a "Subsidiary"). Each Subsidiary is an exempted company incorporated with limited liability under the laws of the Cayman Islands and is overseen by its own board of directors. Each Fund is the sole shareholder of its respective Subsidiary. Each Subsidiary is advised by the Advisor, and has the same investment objective as the corresponding Fund. With respect to its contract with each Subsidiary, Mast Investments complies with the provisions of the 1940 Act relating to investment advisory contracts (Section 15). Each Subsidiary complies with Section 8 of the 1940 Act governing investment policies and Section 18 of the 1940 Act governing capital structure and leverage on an aggregate basis with the corresponding Fund. Each Subsidiary also complies with Section 17 of the 1940 Act governing affiliated transactions and custody. Because each Subsidiary invests in some of the investments described in this SAI, the corresponding Fund will be directly or indirectly exposed to such investments. For that reason, references in the SAI to investments by, and activities and risks of, each Fund may also include investments by, and activities and risks of, the corresponding Subsidiary.
Investments in its Subsidiary are expected to provide a Fund with exposure to the commodity markets and crypto assets within the limitations of Subchapter M of the Code. Each Subsidiary invests primarily in commodity-linked derivative instruments, including swaps, commodity options, futures and options on futures. Although a Fund may enter into these commodity-linked derivative instruments directly, the Fund will likely gain exposure to these derivative instruments indirectly by investing in its Subsidiary. Each Subsidiary will also invest in fixed income instruments, some of which are intended to serve as margin or collateral for the Subsidiary's derivatives positions.
Each Subsidiary is otherwise generally subject to the same fundamental, non-fundamental and certain other investment restrictions as the applicable Fund, including the timing and method of the valuation of the Subsidiary's portfolio investments and shares of the Subsidiary. Each Subsidiary is managed pursuant to compliance policies and procedures that are the same, in all material respects, as the policies and procedures adopted by the applicable Fund.
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Each Subsidiary has an investment management agreement with the Advisor pursuant to which the Advisor manages the assets of the Subsidiary, but receives no additional compensation for doing so. Each Subsidiary also has entered into a co-administration agreement with the Advisor, pursuant to which the Advisor or such affiliate provides certain administrative services for the Subsidiary, but receives no additional compensation for doing so. Each Subsidiary has also entered into separate contracts for the provision of custody, transfer agency, and accounting agent services with the same or with affiliates of the same service providers that provide those services to the Funds.
The financial statements of each Subsidiary are consolidated with the applicable Fund's financial statements, which are included in the Fund's Annual Financials and Other Information, which are included as part of the Fund's Form N-CSR filings. Copies of the Annual Financials and Other Information will be provided without charge upon request as indicated on the front cover of this SAI.
Each Subsidiary is not registered under the 1940 Act, and, unless otherwise noted in the Prospectus or this SAI, is not subject to all the investor protections of the 1940 Act. However, each Fund wholly owns and controls its Subsidiary, and the Fund and the Subsidiary are both managed by the Advisor, making it unlikely that the Subsidiary will take action contrary to the interests of the Fund and its shareholders. The Board has oversight responsibility for the investment activities of each Fund, including its investment in its Subsidiary, and the Fund's role as sole shareholder of the Subsidiary. As noted above, each Subsidiary will generally be subject to the same investment restrictions and limitations, and follow the same compliance policies and procedures, as the applicable Fund. In addition, changes in the laws of the United States and/or the Cayman Islands could result in the inability of a Fund and/or its Subsidiary to operate as described in the Prospectus and the SAI and could adversely affect the Fund. For example, the Cayman Islands does not currently impose any income, corporate or capital gains tax, estate duty, inheritance tax, gift tax or withholding tax on the Subsidiary. If Cayman Islands law changes such that a Subsidiary must pay Cayman Islands taxes, Fund shareholders would likely suffer decreased investment returns.
Each Fund does not currently intend to create or acquire primary control of any entity which engages in investment activities in securities or other assets, other than entities it wholly-owns.
Investment Company Shares
A Fund may invest in shares of other investment companies (each, an "Underlying Fund"), including open-end funds, closed-end funds, unit investment trusts ("UITs") and exchange-traded funds ("ETFs"), to the extent permitted by applicable law and subject to certain restrictions set forth in this SAI.
Under Section 12(d)(1)(A) of the 1940 Act, each Fund may acquire shares of an Underlying Fund in amounts which, as determined immediately after the acquisition is made, do not exceed (i) 3% of the total outstanding voting stock of such Underlying Fund, (ii) 5% of the value of the Fund's total assets, and (iii) 10% of the value of the Fund's total assets when combined with all other Underlying Fund shares held by the Fund. The Funds may exceed these statutory limits when permitted by SEC order or other applicable law or regulatory guidance, such as is the case with many ETFs. In October 2020, the SEC adopted certain regulatory changes and took other actions related to the ability of an investment company to invest in the shares of another investment company. These changes include, in part, the rescission of certain SEC exemptive orders permitting investments in excess of the statutory limits, the withdrawal of certain related SEC staff no-action letters, and the adoption of Rule 12d1-4 under the 1940 Act, which permits the Funds to invest in other investment companies beyond the statutory limits, subject to certain conditions. Rule 12d1-4, among other things, (1) applies to both "acquired funds" and "acquiring funds," each as defined under the rule; (2) includes limits on control and voting of acquired funds' shares; (3) requires that the investment advisers of acquired funds and acquiring funds relying on the rule make certain specified findings based on their evaluation of the relevant fund of funds structure; (4) requires acquired funds and acquiring funds that are relying on the rule, and which do not have the same investment adviser, to enter into fund of funds investment agreements, which must include specific terms; and (5) includes certain limits on complex fund of funds structures.
B-32
Generally, under Sections 12(d)(1)(F) and 12(d)(1)(G) of the 1940 Act and SEC rules adopted pursuant to the 1940 Act, a Fund may acquire the shares of affiliated and unaffiliated Underlying Funds subject to the following guidelines and restrictions:
| • | A Fund may own an unlimited amount of the shares of any registered open-end fund or registered unit investment trust that is affiliated with a Fund, so long as any such Underlying Fund has a policy that prohibits it from acquiring any shares of registered open-end funds or registered UITs in reliance on certain sections of the 1940 Act. |
| • | A Fund and its "affiliated persons" may own up to 3% of the outstanding stock of any fund, subject to the following restrictions: |
| i. | the Fund and each Underlying Fund, in the aggregate, may not charge a sales load greater than the limits set forth in Rule 2830(d)(3) of the Conduct Rules of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority ("FINRA") applicable to funds of funds; |
| ii. | each Underlying Fund is not obligated to redeem more than 1% of its total outstanding shares during any period less than 30 days; and |
| iii. | the Fund is obligated either to (i) seek instructions from its shareholders with regard to the voting of all proxies with respect to the Underlying Fund and to vote in accordance with such instructions, or (ii) to vote the shares of the Underlying Fund held by the Fund in the same proportion as the vote of all other shareholders of the Underlying Fund. |
Underlying Funds typically incur fees that are separate from those fees incurred directly by a Fund. A Fund's purchase of such investment company shares results in the layering of expenses as Fund shareholders would indirectly bear a proportionate share of the operating expenses of such investment companies, including advisory fees, in addition to paying Fund expenses. In addition, the shares of other investment companies may also be leveraged and will therefore be subject to certain leverage risks. The net asset value and market value of leveraged securities will be more volatile and the yield to shareholders will tend to fluctuate more than the yield generated by unleveraged securities. Investment companies may have investment policies that differ from those of a Fund.
Under certain circumstances an open-end investment company in which a Fund invests may determine to make payment of a redemption by a Fund wholly or in part by a distribution in kind of securities from its portfolio, instead of in cash. As a result, a Fund may hold such securities until the Advisor determines it is appropriate to dispose of them. Such disposition will impose additional costs on a Fund.
Investment decisions by the investment advisors to the registered investment companies in which a Fund invests are made independently of a Fund. At any particular time, one Underlying Fund may be purchasing shares of an issuer whose shares are being sold by another Underlying Fund. As a result, under these circumstances a Fund indirectly would incur certain transactional costs without accomplishing any investment purpose.
Exchange-Traded Funds
The Funds may invest in ETFs. ETFs are pooled investment vehicles that generally seek to track the performance of specific indices. ETFs may be organized as open-end funds or as UITs. Their shares are listed on stock exchanges and can be traded throughout the day at market-determined prices.
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An ETF generally issues index-based investments in large aggregations of shares known as "Creation Units" in exchange for a "Portfolio Deposit" consisting of (a) a portfolio of securities designated by the ETF, (b) a cash payment equal to a pro rata portion of the dividends accrued on the ETF's portfolio securities since the last dividend payment by the ETF, net of expenses and liabilities, and (c) a cash payment or credit designed to equalize the net asset value of the shares and the net asset value of a Portfolio Deposit.
Shares of ETFs are not individually redeemable, except upon the reorganization, merger, conversion or liquidation of the ETF. To redeem shares of an ETF, an investor must accumulate enough shares of the ETF to reconstitute a Creation Unit. The liquidity of small holdings of ETF shares, therefore, will depend upon the existence of a secondary market for such shares. Upon redemption of a Creation Unit, the investor will receive securities designated by the ETF ("Redemption Securities") and a cash payment in an amount equal to the difference between the net asset value of the shares being redeemed and the net asset value of the Redemption Securities.
The price of ETF shares is based upon (but not necessarily identical to) the value of the securities held by the ETF. Accordingly, the level of risk involved in the purchase or sale of ETF shares is similar to the risk involved in the purchase or sale of traditional common stock, with the exception that the pricing mechanism for ETF shares is based on a basket of stocks. Disruptions in the markets for the securities underlying ETF shares purchased or sold by a Fund could result in losses on such shares. There is no assurance that the requirements of the national securities exchanges necessary to maintain the listing of shares of any ETF will continue to be met.
Exchange-Traded Notes ("ETNs")
The Funds may invest in ETNs. An investment in an ETN involves risks, including possible loss of principal. ETNs are unsecured debt securities issued by a bank that are linked to the total return of a market index. Risks of investing in ETNs also include limited portfolio diversification, uncertain principal payment, and illiquidity. Additionally, the investor fee will reduce the amount of return on maturity or at redemption, and as a result the investor may receive less than the principal amount at maturity or upon redemption, even if the value of the relevant index has increased. An investment in an ETN may not be suitable for all investors.
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles
The Funds may invest in pooled investment vehicles, including limited partnerships. Examples of such vehicles include private equity funds and private equity funds of funds. A private equity fund generally invests in non-public companies that the fund's manager believes will experience significant growth over a certain time period. A private equity fund of funds invests in other private equity funds of the type described. Investments in private equity funds, once made, typically may not be redeemed for several years, though they may be sold to other investors under certain circumstances.
To the extent that the Fund invests in pooled investment vehicles, such investments may be deemed illiquid. In addition, the Fund will bear its ratable share of such vehicles' expenses, including its management expenses and performance fees. Performance fees are fees paid to the vehicle's manager based on the vehicle's investment performance (or returns) as compared to some benchmark. The fees the Fund pays to invest in a pooled investment vehicle may be higher than the fees it would pay if the manager of the pooled investment vehicle managed the Fund's assets directly. Further, the performance fees payable to the manager of a pooled investment vehicle may create an incentive for the manager to make investments that are riskier or more speculative than those it might make in the absence of an incentive fee.
B-34
Crypto Asset Exposure
Each Subsidiary may invest in exchange-traded products that are listed and traded on U.S. exchanges and primarily hold crypto assets (i.e., bitcoin, ether, or other cryptocurrencies ("Crypto Asset ETPs") and futures contracts linked to crypto assets ("Crypto Asset Futures"). Crypto Asset ETPs are relatively new investment products and, as a result, may have limited financial and operating histories. The Funds' investment exposure to Crypto Asset ETPs and Crypto Asset Futures subjects each Fund to many of the same risks as an investment in a crypto asset. The value of shares in Crypto Asset ETPs and the value of Crypto Asset Futures is subject to a number of factors, including the supply and demand for such crypto asset in the global market, the capabilities and development of blockchain technologies, crypto assets' dependence on the internet, other technologies, and the role played by key service providers, users, developers and other facilitators (e.g., miners), and the potential for malicious activity at various stages in the crypto asset investment cycle. Shares of Crypto Asset ETPs may trade at premiums (i.e., the market price of the shares is more than the NAV) or discounts (i.e., the market price of the shares is less than the NAV), which may be significant. The risk that share prices differ from a Crypto Asset ETP's NAV and/or the price of a crypto asset is likely to increase during times of market volatility or stressed market conditions. Under such conditions, the market for shares of Crypto Asset ETPs may become less liquid making it difficult for the Funds to either increase or decrease their investment exposure to Crypto Asset ETPs. Extreme volatility affecting crypto assets, such as bitcoin or ether, may persist for extended periods and the value of the Funds' investment exposure to Crypto Asset ETPs and Crypto Asset Futures may decline significantly without recovery. The shares of Crypto Asset ETPs to which the Funds may have investment exposure are not registered under the 1940 Act, and therefore, do not afford investors the protections typical of investments in U.S. registered funds.
While the Funds will not invest directly in a crypto asset, the value of the Funds' exposure to Crypto Asset ETPs and Crypto Asset Futures are subject to fluctuations in the value of crypto assets, which may be highly volatile. Crypto assets (also referred to as "cryptocurrencies", "virtual currencies" and "digital currencies"), such as bitcoin and ether, are digital assets designed to act as a medium of exchange. The value of crypto assets is determined by supply and demand in the global crypto asset markets, which consist primarily of transactions of the respective crypto assets on electronic exchanges or trading venues. Crypto assets are relatively new, and their value is influenced by a wide variety of factors that are uncertain and difficult to evaluate, such as the infancy of their development, regulatory changes, a crisis of confidence, their dependence on technologies such as cryptographic protocols, their dependence on the role played by miners and developers and the potential for malicious activity (e.g., theft). Crypto assets generally operate without central authority (such as a bank) and are not backed by any government. Crypto assets are not legal tender. Currently, there is relatively limited use of crypto assets in the retail and commercial marketplaces, which contributes to price volatility. Federal, state, and/or foreign governments may restrict the use and exchange of crypto assets, and regulation in the United States is still developing. The market prices of crypto assets, including bitcoin and ether, have been subject to extreme fluctuations. If crypto asset markets continue to be subject to sharp fluctuations, investors may experience losses. Similar to fiat currencies (i.e., a currency that is backed by a central bank or a national, supra-national or quasi-national organization), crypto assets are susceptible to theft, loss, and destruction. Crypto asset exchanges and other trading venues on which crypto assets trade are relatively new and, in most cases, largely unregulated and may therefore be more exposed to market manipulation, fraud, and failure than established, regulated exchanges for securities, derivatives, and other currencies. Investors in crypto assets may have little or no recourse should such theft, fraud, or manipulation occur and could suffer significant losses. Additionally, holders of crypto assets may not be able to access their wallets due to the loss, theft, compromise, or destruction of the private keys associated with the public addresses that hold the crypto assets. Crypto asset transactions are irrevocable, and stolen or incorrectly transferred crypto assets may be irretrievable. The Funds' indirect exposure to crypto assets subjects it to volatility experienced by the crypto asset exchanges and other crypto asset trading venues, which may adversely affect the value of the Funds. Crypto asset exchanges may stop operating or permanently shut down due to fraud, technical glitches, hackers, or malware, which may also affect the price of crypto assets and thus the Funds' investment exposure to crypto assets.
B-35
Real Estate Investment Trusts("REITs")
The Funds may invest in REITs. REITs are pooled investment vehicles that invest primarily in income producing real estate or real estate related loans or interests. REITs are generally classified as equity REITs, mortgage REITs, or a combination of equity and mortgage REITs. Equity REITs invest the majority of their assets directly in real property and derive income primarily from the collection of rents. Equity REITs can also realize capital gains by selling properties that have appreciated in value. Mortgage REITs invest the majority of their assets in real estate mortgages and derive income from the collection of principal and interest payments. Similar to regulated investment companies such as the Fund, REITs are not taxed on income distributed to shareholders provided they comply with certain requirements of the Code. A Fund will indirectly bear its proportionate share of expenses incurred by REITs in which the Fund invests in addition to the expenses incurred directly by the Fund.
Investing in REITs involves certain unique risks in addition to those risks associated with investing in the real estate industry in general. Equity REITs may be affected by changes in the value of the underlying property owned by the REITs, while mortgage REITs may be affected by the quality of any credit extended. REITs are dependent upon management skills, are not diversified, and are subject to heavy cash flow dependency, default by borrowers and self-liquidation.
Investing in REITs involves risks similar to those associated with investing in small capitalization companies. REITs may have limited financial resources, may trade less frequently and in a limited volume and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than larger company securities. Historically, small capitalization stocks, such as REITs, have had more price volatility than larger capitalization stocks.
REITs may fail to qualify for the favorable federal income tax treatment generally available to them under the Code and may fail to maintain their exemptions from registration under the 1940 Act. REITs (especially mortgage REITs) also are subject to interest rate risks. When interest rates decline, the value of a REIT's investment in fixed-rate obligations can be expected to rise. Conversely, when interest rates rise, the value of a REIT's investment in fixed-rate obligations can be expected to decline. In contrast, as interest rates on adjustable rate mortgage loans are reset periodically, yields on a REIT's investments in such loans will gradually align themselves to reflect changes in market interest rates, causing the value of such investments to fluctuate less dramatically in response to interest rate fluctuations than would investments in fixed-rate obligations.
Master Limited Partnerships ("MLPs")
The Fund may invest in MLPs. An MLP is an entity eligible for partnership taxation treatment under the Code, the interests or "units" of which are traded on securities exchanges like shares of corporate stock. A typical MLP consists of a general partner and limited partners; however, some entities treated as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes are established as limited liability companies. The general partner manages the partnership; has an ownership stake in the partnership, typically a 2% general partner equity interest and usually additional common units and subordinated units; and is typically eligible to receive an incentive distribution. The limited partners provide capital to the partnership, have a limited (if any) role in the operation and management of the partnership, and receive cash distributions. An MLP typically pays an established minimum quarterly distribution to common unit holders, as provided under the terms of its partnership agreement. Common units have arrearage rights in distributions to the extent that the MLP fails to make minimum quarterly distributions. Once the MLP distributes the minimum quarterly distribution to common units, subordinated units then are entitled to receive distributions of up to the minimum quarterly distribution, but have no arrearage rights. At the discretion of the general partners' board of directors, any distributable cash that exceeds the minimum quarterly distribution that the MLP distributed to the common and subordinated units is then distributed to both common and subordinated units, typically on a pro rata basis. Incentive distributions are often paid to the general partner such that as the distribution to limited partnership interests increases, the general partner may receive a proportionately larger share of the total distribution. Incentive distributions are designed to encourage the general partner, who controls and operates the partnership, to maximize the partnership's cash flow and increase distributions to the limited partners.
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Generally speaking, MLP investment returns are enhanced during periods of declining or low interest rates and tend to be negatively influenced when interest rates are rising. As an income vehicle, the unit price can be influenced by general interest rate trends independent of specific underlying fundamentals. In addition, most MLPs are leveraged and typically carry a portion of a "floating" rate debt, and a significant upward swing in interest rates would also drive interest expense higher. Furthermore, most MLPs grow by acquisitions partly financed by debt, and higher interest rates could make it more difficult to make acquisitions.
When-Issued or Delayed-Delivery Securities
The Funds may purchase securities on a when-issued or delayed delivery basis. For example, delivery of and payment for these securities can take place a month or more after the date of the purchase commitment. The purchase price and the interest rate payable, if any, on the securities are fixed on the purchase commitment date or at the time the settlement date is fixed. The value of such securities is subject to market fluctuations and, in the case of fixed income securities, no interest accrues to the Fund until settlement takes place. When purchasing a security on a when-issued or delayed-delivery basis, a Fund assumes the rights and risks of ownership of the security, including the risk of price and yield fluctuations. Accordingly, at the time a Fund makes the commitment to purchase securities on a when-issued or delayed delivery basis, it will record the transaction, reflect the value each day of such securities in determining its net asset value and, if applicable, calculate the maturity for the purposes of average maturity from that date. At the time of its acquisition, a when-issued security may be valued at less than the purchase price. A Fund will make commitments for such when-issued transactions only when it has the intention of actually acquiring the securities. If, however, a Fund chooses to dispose of the right to acquire a when-issued security prior to its acquisition, it could, as with the disposition of any other portfolio obligation, recognize taxable capital gain or loss due to market fluctuation. Also, a Fund may be disadvantaged if the other party to the transaction defaults.
A transaction in when-issued or delayed-delivery securities would be deemed not to involve a senior security (i.e., it will not be considered a derivatives transaction or subject to asset segregation requirements), provided that (i) the Fund intends to physically settle the transaction, and (ii) the transaction will settle within 35 days of its trade date. If such a transaction were considered to be a derivatives transaction it would be subject to the requirements of the Derivatives Rule described in the "Derivatives" section of this SAI.
Private Placements and Restricted Securities
The Fund may invest in private placement and restricted securities. Private placement securities are securities that have been privately placed and are not registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act"). They are eligible for sale only to certain eligible investors. Private placements often may offer attractive opportunities for investment not otherwise available on the open market. Private placements typically may be sold only to qualified institutional buyers (or, in the case of the initial sale of certain securities, to accredited investors as defined in Rule 501(a) under the 1933 Act), or in a privately negotiated transaction or to a limited number of purchasers, or in limited quantities after they have been held for a specified period of time and other conditions are met pursuant to an exemption from registration.
Private placements and other restricted securities may only be sold in privately negotiated transactions or in a public offering with respect to which a registration statement is in effect under the 1933 Act. Where registration is required, the Fund may be obligated to pay all or part of the registration expenses and a considerable period may elapse between the time of the decision to sell and the time the Fund may be permitted to sell a security under an effective registration statement. If, during such a period, adverse market conditions were to develop, the Fund might obtain a less favorable price than that which prevailed when it decided to sell. Restricted securities issued pursuant to Rule 144A under the 1933 Act that have a readily available market usually are not deemed illiquid for purposes of the limitation on investment in illiquid securities by the Fund discussed below under "Illiquid Securities." However, investing in Rule 144A securities could result in increasing the level of the Fund's illiquidity if qualified institutional buyers become, for a time, uninterested in purchasing these securities.
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Investing in private placement and other restricted securities is subject to certain risks. Because there may be relatively few potential purchasers for such securities, especially under adverse market or economic conditions or in the event of adverse changes in the financial condition of the issuer, the Fund could find it more difficult to sell such securities when it may be advisable to do so or it may be able to sell such securities only at prices lower than if such securities were more widely held. At times, it also may be more difficult to determine the fair value of such securities for purposes of computing the Fund's net asset value due to the absence of a trading market.
The Fund intends to limit the purchase of private placements and other restricted securities, together with other securities considered to be illiquid, to not more than 15% of its net assets.
Illiquid and Restricted Securities
Each Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities. Illiquid securities are securities that a Fund reasonably expects cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the securities. Illiquid securities may be difficult to value, and a Fund may have difficulty or be unable to dispose of such securities promptly or at reasonable prices.
The Funds may invest in restricted securities. Restricted securities are securities that may not be sold freely to the public absent registration under the 1933 Act, or an exemption from registration. While restricted securities are generally presumed to be illiquid, it may be determined that a particular restricted security is liquid. Rule 144A under the 1933 Act establishes a safe harbor from the registration requirements of the 1933 Act for resales of certain securities to qualified institutional buyers. Institutional markets for restricted securities sold pursuant to Rule 144A in many cases provide both readily ascertainable values for restricted securities and the ability to liquidate an investment to satisfy share redemption orders. Such markets might include automated systems for the trading, clearance and settlement of unregistered securities of domestic and foreign issuers, such as the PORTAL System sponsored by NASDAQ. An insufficient number of qualified buyers interested in purchasing Rule 144A eligible restricted securities, however, could adversely affect the marketability of such portfolio securities and result in the Funds' inability to dispose of such securities promptly or at favorable prices.
The Funds may purchase commercial paper issued pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) of the 1933 Act. 4(a)(2) commercial paper typically has the same price and liquidity characteristics as commercial paper, except that the resale of 4(a)(2) commercial paper is limited to the institutional investor marketplace. Such a restriction on resale makes 4(a)(2) commercial paper technically a restricted security under the 1933 Act. In practice, however, 4(a)(2) commercial paper can be resold as easily as any other unrestricted security held by a Fund.
Rule 22e-4 under the 1940 Act requires, among other things, that the Funds establish a liquidity risk management program ("LRMP") that is reasonably designed to assess and manage liquidity risk. Rule 22e-4 defines "liquidity risk" as the risk that a fund could not meet requests to redeem shares issued by the fund without significant dilution of the remaining investors' interests in the fund. The Funds have implemented a LRMP to meet the relevant requirements. Additionally, the Board, including a majority of the Independent Trustees, approved the designation of the Advisor as the Funds' LRMP administrator to administer such program, and will review no less frequently than annually a written report prepared by the Advisor that addresses the operation of the LRMP and assesses its adequacy and effectiveness of implementation. Among other things, the LRMP provides for the classification of each Fund investment as a "highly liquid investment," "moderately liquid investment," "less liquid investment" or "illiquid investment." The liquidity risk classifications of each Fund's investments are determined after reasonable inquiry and taking into account relevant market, trading and investment-specific considerations. To the extent that a Fund investment is deemed to be an "illiquid investment" or a "less liquid investment," the Fund can expect to be exposed to greater liquidity risk. There is no guarantee the LRMP will be effective in its operations, and complying with Rule 22e-4, including bearing related costs, could impact a Fund's performance and its ability to seek its investment objective.
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The Funds will not purchase illiquid securities if, as a result of the purchase, more than 15% of the Fund's net assets are invested in such securities. If at any time a portfolio manager and/or the Advisor determines that the value of illiquid securities held by a Fund exceeds 15% of the Fund's net assets, the Fund's portfolio managers and the Advisor will take such steps as they consider appropriate to reduce the percentage as soon as reasonably practicable.
Short-Term Investments
The Funds may invest in any of the following securities and instruments:
Certificates of Deposit, Bankers' Acceptances and Time Deposits. The Fund may acquire certificates of deposit, bankers' acceptances and time deposits in U.S. dollar or foreign currencies. Certificates of deposit are negotiable certificates issued against monies deposited in a commercial bank, or savings and loan association for a definite period of time that earn a specified return. Bankers' acceptances are negotiable drafts or bills of exchange, normally drawn by an importer or exporter to pay for specific merchandise, which are "accepted" by a bank, meaning in effect that the bank unconditionally agrees to pay the face value of the instrument on maturity. Time deposits are non-negotiable deposits maintained at a banking institution for a specified period of time at a specified interest rate. The Fund may only acquire certificates of deposit, bankers' acceptances, and time deposits issued by commercial banks or savings and loan associations that, at the time of the Fund's investment, have capital, surplus and undivided profits in excess of $100 million (including assets of both domestic and foreign branches), based on latest published reports, or less than $100 million if the principal amount of such obligations are fully insured by the U.S. government. If the Fund holds instruments of foreign banks or financial institutions, it may be subject to additional investment risks that are different in some respects from those incurred if the Fund invests only in debt obligations of U.S. domestic issuers. See "Foreign Investments" above. Such risks include future political and economic developments, the possible imposition of withholding taxes by the particular country in which the issuer is located, the possible confiscation or nationalization of foreign deposits, the possible establishment of exchange controls, or the adoption of other foreign governmental restrictions which may adversely affect the payment of principal and interest on these securities.
Domestic banks and foreign banks are subject to different governmental regulations with respect to the amount and types of loans that may be made and interest rates that may be charged. In addition, the profitability of the banking industry depends largely upon the availability and cost of funds and the interest income generated from lending operations. General economic conditions and the quality of loan portfolios affect the banking industry.
As a result of federal and state laws and regulations, domestic banks are required to maintain specified levels of reserves, are limited in the amount that they can loan to a single borrower, and are subject to regulations designed to promote financial soundness. However, such laws and regulations may not necessarily apply to foreign banks, thereby affecting the risk involved in bank obligations that the Funds may acquire.
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Commercial Paper, Short-Term Notes and Other Corporate Obligations. Each Fund may invest a portion of its assets in commercial paper and short-term notes. Commercial paper consists of unsecured promissory notes issued by corporations. Issues of commercial paper and short-term notes will normally have maturities of less than nine months and fixed rates of return, although such instruments may have maturities of up to one year.
The Funds' investment in commercial paper and short-term notes will consist of issues rated at the time of purchase "A-2" or higher by S&P, "Prime-1" or "Prime-2" by Moody's, or similarly rated by another nationally recognized statistical rating organization or, if unrated, will be determined by the Advisor to be of comparable quality. These rating symbols are described in Appendix A.
Corporate debt obligations are subject to the risk of an issuer's inability to meet principal and interest payments on the obligations, i.e., credit risk. The Advisor may actively expose a Fund to credit risk. However, there can be no guarantee that the Advisor will be successful in making the right selections and thus fully mitigate the impact of credit risk changes on a Fund.
Savings Association Obligations. The Funds may invest in certificates of deposit (interest-bearing time deposits) issued by savings banks or savings and loan associations that have capital, surplus and undivided profits in excess of $100 million, based on latest published reports, or less than $100 million if the principal amount of such obligations is fully insured by the U.S. government.
Temporary Investments
Each Fund may take temporary defensive measures that are inconsistent with a Fund's normal fundamental or non-fundamental investment policies and strategies in response to adverse market, economic, political, or other conditions as determined by the Advisor. Such measures could include, but are not limited to, investments in (1) highly liquid short-term fixed income securities issued by or on behalf of municipal or corporate issuers, obligations of the U.S. government and its agencies, commercial paper, and bank certificates of deposit; (2) repurchase agreements involving any such securities; and (3) other money market instruments. A Fund also may invest in shares of money market mutual funds to the extent permitted under applicable law. Money market mutual funds are investment companies, and the investments in those companies by a Fund are in some cases subject to certain fundamental investment restrictions. As a shareholder in a mutual fund, a Fund will bear its ratable share of its expenses, including management fees, and will remain subject to payment of the fees to the Advisor, with respect to assets so invested. A Fund may not achieve its investment objective during temporary defensive periods.
Lending Portfolio Securities
Consistent with applicable regulatory requirements and the Funds' investment restrictions, the Funds may lend portfolio securities to securities broker-dealers or financial institutions, provided that such loans are callable at any time by the Funds (subject to notice provisions described below), and are at all times secured by cash or cash equivalents, which are maintained in a segregated account pursuant to applicable regulations and that are at least equal to the market value, determined daily, of the loaned securities. The advantage of such loans is that the Funds continue to receive the income on the loaned securities while at the same time earns interest on the cash amounts deposited as collateral, which will be invested in short-term obligations. The Funds will not lend portfolio securities if such loans are not permitted by the laws or regulations of any state in which its shares are qualified for sale. The Funds' loans of portfolio securities will be collateralized in accordance with applicable regulatory requirements and no loan will cause the value of all loaned securities to exceed 33 1/3% of the value of the Funds' total assets.
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A loan may generally be terminated by the borrower on one business day's notice, or by the Funds on five business days' notice. If the borrower fails to deliver the loaned securities within five days after receipt of notice or fails to maintain the requisite amount of collateral, the Funds could use the collateral to replace the securities while holding the borrower liable for any excess of replacement cost over collateral. As with any extensions of credit, there are risks of delay in recovery and in some cases even loss of rights in the collateral should the borrower of the securities fail financially. However, these loans of portfolio securities will only be made to firms deemed by the Funds' management to be creditworthy and when the income that can be earned from such loans justifies the attendant risks. Upon termination of the loan, the borrower is required to return the securities to the Funds. Any gain or loss in the market price during the loan period would inure to the Funds. The risks associated with loans of portfolio securities are substantially similar to those associated with repurchase agreements. Thus, if the counterparty to the loan petitions for bankruptcy or becomes subject to the U.S. Bankruptcy Code, the law regarding the rights of the Funds are unsettled. As a result, under extreme circumstances, there may be a restriction on the Funds' ability to sell the collateral, and the Funds would suffer a loss. When voting or consent rights that accompany loaned securities pass to the borrower, the Funds will follow the policy of calling the loaned securities, to be delivered within one day after notice, to permit the exercise of such rights if the matters involved would have a material effect on the Funds' investment in such loaned securities. The Funds will pay reasonable finder's, administrative and custodial fees in connection with a loan of its securities.
Cybersecurity Risk
Investment companies, such as a Fund, and its service providers may be subject to operational and information security risks resulting from cyber attacks. Cyber attacks include, among other behaviors, stealing or corrupting data maintained online or digitally, denial of service attacks on websites, the unauthorized release of confidential information or various other forms of cyber security breaches. Cyber attacks affecting a Fund or the Advisor, a Fund's custodian or transfer agent, or intermediaries or other third-party service providers may adversely impact a Fund. 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 a Fund to regulatory fines or financial losses, and cause reputational damage. A Fund may also incur additional costs for cybersecurity risk management purposes. While a Fund and its 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, a Fund cannot control any cybersecurity plans or systems implemented by its service providers.
Similar types of cybersecurity risks are also present for issuers of securities in which a Fund invests, which could result in material adverse consequences for such issuers, and may cause a Fund's investment in such portfolio companies to lose value.
Investment Restrictions
Each Fund has adopted the following restrictions as fundamental policies, which may not be changed without the favorable "vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding voting securities" of the Fund, as defined in the 1940 Act. Under the 1940 Act, the "vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding voting securities" of the Fund means the vote of the holders of the lesser of (i) 67% of the shares of the Fund represented at a meeting at which the holders of more than 50% of its outstanding shares are represented or (ii) more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Fund. The Fund's investment objective is a non-fundamental policy and may be changed without shareholder approval.
Each Fund may not:
| 1. | Issue senior securities, borrow money or pledge its assets, except that (i) the Fund may borrow from banks in amounts not exceeding one-third of its net assets (including the amount borrowed); and (ii) this restriction shall not prohibit the Fund from engaging in options transactions or short sales or investing in financial futures, swaps, when-issued or delayed delivery securities, or reverse repurchase agreements. |
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| 2. | Act as underwriter, except to the extent the Fund may be deemed to be an underwriter in connection with the sale of securities in its investment portfolio. |
| 3. | Purchase or sell real estate or interests in real estate or real estate limited partnerships (although the Fund may purchase and sell securities which are secured by real estate and securities of companies which invest or deal in real estate, such as REITs). |
| 4. | Invest 25% or more of the value of its total assets, calculated at the time of purchase and taken at market value, in any one industry (other than the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities); |
| 5. | Purchase or sell physical commodities, unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments. This limitation shall not prevent the Fund from purchasing, selling or entering into future contracts, or acquiring securities or other instruments and options thereon backed by, or related to, physical commodities. |
| 6. | Make loans of money, except (a) for purchases of debt securities consistent with the investment policies of the Fund, (b) by engaging in repurchase agreements or, (c) through the loan of portfolio securities in an amount up to 33 1/3% of the Fund's net assets. |
Each Fund observes the following restriction as a matter of operating but not fundamental policy, pursuant to positions taken by federal regulatory authorities:
Each Fund may not invest, in the aggregate, more than 15% of its net assets in securities that the Fund reasonably expects cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the securities.
To the extent a Fund is an "acquired fund" in a fund of funds arrangement relying on Rule 12d1-4 under the 1940 Act, the Fund will limit its acquisition of securities of investment companies and companies that would be investment companies under the 1940 Act but for the exclusion from the definition of investment company in Section 3(c)(1) or Section 3(c)(7) of the 1940 Act to an aggregate amount that does not exceed 10% of the Fund's total assets (measured immediately after acquisition); provided that such limitation shall not apply to investments by the Fund in: (a) another fund as part of a master-feeder structure in reliance on Section 12(d)(1)(E) of the 1940 Act (master feeder arrangements); (b) money market funds in reliance on Rule 12d1-1 under the 1940 Act; master feeder arrangements); (c) a wholly owned and controlled subsidiary of the Fund; (d) securities received as a dividend or as a result of a plan of reorganization of a company; or (e) securities of another fund received pursuant to an interfund lending arrangement permitted by an exemptive order issued by the SEC.
The Adaptive Equities ETF seeks to invest under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its net assets (plus borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities. This 80% investment policy may be changed by the Board of Trustees upon 60 days' prior written notice to shareholders.
Except with respect to borrowing, if a percentage or rating restriction on 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 percentage resulting from any cause other than actions by a Fund will not be considered a violation.
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Management of the FundS
Trustees and Officers
The overall management of the business and affairs of the Trust is vested with its Board of Trustees. The Board approves all significant agreements between the Trust and persons or companies furnishing services to it, including the agreements with the Advisor, co-administrators, distributor, custodian and transfer agent. The day-to-day operations of the Trust are delegated to its officers, except that the Advisor are responsible for making day-to-day investment decisions in accordance with each Fund's investment objective, strategies, and policies, all of which are subject to general supervision by the Board.
All Trustees of the Trust are also trustees of Source Capital, a closed-end investment management company.
Trustees serve until the next meeting of shareholders or until their successors are duly elected. Since shareholder meetings are not held each year, a Trustee's term is indefinite in length. If a Trustee dies or resigns, a successor generally can be elected by the remaining Trustees. The Trustees and officers of the Trust, their years of birth and positions with the Trust, term of office with the Trust and length of time served, their business addresses and principal occupations during the past five years and other directorships held during the past five years are listed in the table below.
Sandra Brown, Robert F. Goldrich, and John P. Zader are all of the Trustees who are not "interested persons" of the Trust, as that term is defined in the 1940 Act (collectively, the "Independent Trustees").
|
Name, Address, Year of |
Term of |
Principal Occupation During the Past Five |
Number of
Overseen by |
Other |
| "Independent" Trustees: | ||||
|
Sandra Brown a (born 1955) Trustee |
Since 2016 | Consultant (2009 - present). Formerly, CEO and President of Transamerica Financial Advisers, Inc. (1999 - 2009); President, Transamerica Securities Sales Corp. (1998 - 2009); Vice President, Bank of America Mutual Fund Administration (1990 - 1998); Trustee of Bragg Capital Trust (2020 - 2023). | 2 | None. |
|
Robert F. Goldrich a (born 1962) Trustee |
Since 2022 | President of WireFox LLC (2022 - present); SVP Strategies Initiative of CMW Strategies (2022 - 2024); President/CFO of the Leon Levy Foundation (2014 - 2022); Trustee of Bragg Capital Trust (2022 - 2023). | 2 | None. |
|
John P. Zader a (born 1961) Trustee |
Since 2023 |
Retired (June 2014 - present); Formerly, CEO, UMB Fund Services, Inc., a mutual fund and hedge fund service provider, (December 2006 - June 2014); President, Investment Managers Series Trust (December 2007 - June 2014). |
2 | Investment Managers Series Trust II, a registered investment company (includes 107 portfolios). |
| Interested Trustees: | ||||
|
J. Richard Atwood a* (born 1960) Trustee |
Since 2016** | Retired (January 2025 - present); Formerly, Director and President of FPA GP, Inc., the General Partner of the Adviser (2018 - 2024) and Managing Partner of FPA (2000 - 2024); Director/Trustee of each FPA Fund since 2016. President of each FPA Fund (2016 - 2023). | 2 | None. |
|
Maureen Quill b† (born 1963) Trustee and President |
Since 2023 | President of Investment Managers Series Trust III (2023 - present); President, Investment Managers Series Trust (2019 - present); EVP/Executive Director Registered Funds (January 2018 - present).Formerly, Chief Operating Officer(June 2014 - January 2018), and Executive Vice President (January 2007 - June 2014), UMB Fund Services, Inc.; President, UMB Distribution Services(March 2013 - December 2020); Vice President, Investment Managers Series Trust (December 2013 - June 2014). | 2 | Investment Managers Series Trust, a registered investment company (includes 32 portfolios) (2019 - present). |
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|
Name, Address, Year of |
Term of |
Principal Occupation During the Past Five |
Number of
Overseen by |
Other |
| Officers of the Trust: | ||||
|
Rita Dam b (born 1966) Treasurer and Assistant Secretary |
Since 2023 | Co-Chief Executive Officer (2016 - present), and Formerly, Vice President (2006 - 2015), Mutual Fund Administration, LLC; Treasurer and Assistant Secretary, Investment Managers Series Trust (December 2007 - present); Formerly, Co-President, Foothill Capital Management, LLC, a registered investment advisor (2018 - 2022). | N/A | N/A |
|
Diane Drake b (born 1967) Secretary |
Since 2023 | Senior Counsel, Mutual Fund Administration, LLC (October 2015 - present); Chief Compliance Officer, Foothill Capital Management, LLC, a registered investment advisor (2018 - 2019). | N/A | N/A |
|
Martin Dziura b (born 1959) Chief Compliance Officer |
Since 2023 | Principal, Dziura Compliance Consulting, LLC (October 2014 - present); Formerly, Managing Director, Cipperman Compliance Services (2010 - September 2014); Chief Compliance Officer, Hanlon Investment Management (2009 - 2010); Vice President − Compliance, Morgan Stanley Investment Management (2000 − 2009). | N/A | N/A |
|
Max Banhazl b (born 1987) Vice President |
Since 2023 | Vice President, Mutual Fund Administration, LLC (2012 - present); Formerly, Managing Director, Marketing and Sales Director, Foothill Capital Management (2018 - 2022). | N/A | N/A |
|
Korey Bauer b (born 1989) Vice President |
Since 2023 | Vice President/Business Development, Mutual Fund Administration, LLC (2022 - present); Formerly, Chief Investment Officer, Managing Director, and Portfolio Manager of Foothill Capital Management (2018 - 2022); Portfolio Manager, AXS Investments, LLC (2020 - 2022); President, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Compliance Officer of Bauer Capital Management, LLC (2014 - 2018). | N/A | N/A |
| a | Address for each Trustee: 235 West Galena Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53212. |
| b | Address for Ms. Dam, Ms. Drake, Mr. Banhazl, and Mr. Bauer: 2220 E. Route 66, Suite 226, Glendora, California 91740. Address for Mr. Dziura: 309 Woodridge Lane, Media, Pennsylvania 19063. |
| c | Trustees and officers serve until their successors have been duly elected. |
| d | The Trust is comprised of multiple series managed by unaffiliated investment advisors. Each Trustee serves as Trustee of each series of the Trust. The term "Fund Complex" applies only to the series managed by the same investment advisor. The Mast Funds do not hold themselves out as related to any other series within the Trust, for purposes of investment and investor services. |
| e | "Other Directorships Held" includes only directorships of companies required to register or file reports with the SEC under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (that is, "public companies"), or other investment companies registered under the 1940 Act. |
| † | Ms. Quill is an "interested person" of the Trust by virtue of her position with UMB Fund Services, Inc. |
| * | Mr. Atwood is an "interested person" of the Trust by virtue of his affiliation with First Pacific Advisors, LP, the investment advisor to other series of the Trust. |
| ** | Mr. Atwood will resign as Trustee of the Trust by April 30, 2026. |
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Trustee Compensation
The Funds typically pay each Independent Trustee an annual retainer, as well as fees for attending meetings of the Board and its Committees. Board and Committee chairs receive additional fees for their services. No pension or retirement benefits are accrued as part of Fund expenses. Each such Independent Trustee is also reimbursed for out-of-pocket expenses incurred as a Trustee.
Effective January 1, 2026, each Independent Trustee will receive a fixed annual retainer of $195,000, payable in equal quarterly increments; $6,000 for each special in-person meeting attended; and $2,500 for each other special meeting attended by videoconference or teleconference at which Board action is taken and/or materials were prepared for review. In addition, Mr. Zader will receive an additional annual retainer of $50,000 for serving as Chair of the Board; Ms. Brown will receive an additional annual retainer of $20,000 for serving as Chair of the Audit Committee; and Mr. Goldrich will receive an additional annual retainer of $20,000 for serving as Chair of the Nominating Committee.
The Trust has no pension or retirement plan. No other entity affiliated with the Trust pays any compensation to the Trustees.
The Trustees may elect to defer payment of their compensation from the Funds pursuant to the Trust's non-qualified Deferred Compensation Plan for Trustees which permits the Trustees to defer receipt of all or part of their compensation from the Trust. Amounts deferred are deemed invested in shares of one or more series of the Trust, as selected by the Trustee from time to time. A Trustee's deferred compensation account will be paid in cash at such times as elected by the Trustee, subject to certain mandatory payment provisions in the Deferred Compensation Plan. Deferral and payment elections under the Deferred Compensation Plan are subject to strict requirements for modification. The Advisor, and not the Funds, pay the Independent Trustees' compensation.
|
Sandra Brown,
And
Committee |
Robert F. Committee Chair |
John P. Zader,
and |
|
| Arbitrage ETF 1 | None | None | None |
| Futures Strategy ETF1 | None | None | None |
| Adaptive Equities ETF1 | None | None | None |
| Commodities ETF1 | None | None | None |
| Pension or Retirement Benefits Accrued as Part of Fund's Expenses | None | None | None |
| Estimated Annual Benefits Upon Retirement | None | None | None |
| Total Compensation from Fund Complex Paid to Trustees1,2 | $[ ] | $[ ] | $[ ] |
| 1 | Fees paid to the Independent Trustees are paid by the Advisor and not by the Fund. |
| 2 | There are currently multiple portfolios comprising the Trust. The term "Fund Complex" applies only to the series managed by the same investment advisor. The Fund's investment advisor also serves as investment advisor to the Mast Multialternative Strategy Fund and the Mast Managed Futures Strategy Fund which are offered in separate prospectuses. The Funds do not hold themselves out as related to any other series within the Trust, for purposes of investment and investor services. |
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Mr. Atwood and Ms. Quill are not compensated for their service as Trustees because of their affiliation with the Trust. Officers of the Trust are not compensated by the Fund for their services.
Additional Information Concerning the Board and the Trustees
The current Trustees were selected in 2016 (2022 for Mr. Goldrich and 2023 for Mr. Zader and Ms. Quill) with a view towards establishing a Board that would have the broad experience needed to oversee a registered investment company comprised of multiple series employing a variety of different investment strategies. As a group, the Board has extensive experience in many different aspects of the financial services and asset management industries.
The Trustees were selected to join the Board based upon the following factors, among others: character and integrity; willingness to serve and willingness and ability to commit the time necessary to perform the duties of a Trustee; as to each Trustee other than Mr. Atwood and Ms. Quill (at that time), satisfying the criteria for not being classified as an "interested person" of the Trust as defined in the 1940 Act; as to Mr. Atwood and Ms. Quill, their positions with First Pacific Advisors, LP and UMB Fund Services, Inc., respectively. In addition, the Trustees have the following specific experience, qualifications, attributes and/or skills relevant to the operations of the Trust:
| • | Ms. Brown has substantial experience in the investment management industry, including as a consultant with respect to operations and marketing of investment managers and distribution of mutual funds and other investment products, and as senior executive with a registered investment advisor. |
| • | Mr. Goldrich has extensive leadership experience in the investment management industry, including as a as a consultant with respect to operations and marketing of investment managers and distribution of mutual funds and other investment product and principal and a chief executive officer of a registered investment advisor. |
| • | Mr. Zader has substantial experience serving in senior executive positions at mutual fund service providers. |
| • | Mr. Atwood has substantial experience serving as senior executive with a registered investment advisor. |
| • | Ms. Quill has substantial experience serving in senior executive positions at mutual fund administration service providers. |
In its periodic self-assessment of the effectiveness of the Board, the Board considers the complementary individual skills and experience of the individual Trustees primarily in the broader context of the Board's overall composition so that the Board, as a body, possesses the appropriate (and appropriately diverse) skills and experience to oversee the business of the Fund. The summaries set forth above as to the qualifications, attributes and skills of the Trustees are required by the registration form adopted by the SEC, do not constitute holding out the Board or any Trustee as having any special expertise or experience, and do not impose any greater responsibility or liability on any such person or on the Board as a whole than would otherwise be the case.
The Board of Trustees has two standing committees: the Audit Committee and the Nominating Committee.
| • | The function of the Audit Committee, with respect to each series of the Trust, is to review the scope and results of the series' annual audit and any matters bearing on the audit or the series' financial statements and to assist the Board's oversight of the integrity of the series' pricing and financial reporting. The Audit Committee is comprised of all of the Independent Trustees and is chaired by Sandra Brown. It does not include any Interested Trustees. The Audit Committee is expected to meet at least twice a year with respect to each series of the Trust. The Audit Committee met twice during the fiscal year ended October 31, 2025 with respect to the Funds. |
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The Audit Committee also serves as the Qualified Legal Compliance Committee for the Trust for the purpose of compliance with Rules 205.2(k) and 205.3(c) of the Code of Federal Regulations regarding alternative reporting procedures for attorneys retained or employed by an issuer who appear and practice before the SEC on behalf of the issuer.
| • | The Nominating Committee is responsible for reviewing matters pertaining to composition, committees, and operations of the Board, as well as assisting the Board in overseeing matters related to certain regulatory issues. The Nominating Committee meets from time to time as needed. The Nominating Committee will consider trustee nominees properly recommended by the Trust's shareholders. Shareholders who wish to recommend a nominee should send nominations that include, among other things, biographical data and the qualifications of the proposed nominee to the Trust's Secretary. The Independent Trustees comprise the Nominating Committee, and the Committee is chaired by Robert F. Goldrich. The Nominating Committee met twice during the fiscal year ended October 31, 2025. |
Independent Trustees comprise 60% of the Board and John Zader, an Independent Trustee, serves as Chairperson of the Board. The Chairperson serves as a key point person for dealings between the Trust's management and the other Independent Trustees. As noted above, through the committees of the Board the Independent Trustees consider and address important matters involving each series of the Trust, including those presenting conflicts or potential conflicts of interest. The Independent Trustees also regularly meet outside the presence of management and are advised by independent legal counsel. The Board has determined that its organization and leadership structure are appropriate in light of its fiduciary and oversight obligations, the special obligations of the Independent Trustees, and the relationship between the Interested Trustees and the Trust's co-administrators. The Board also believes that its structure facilitates the orderly and efficient flow of information to the Independent Trustees from management.
Consistent with its responsibility for oversight of the Funds in the interests of shareholders, the Board among other things oversees risk management of the Funds' investment programs and business affairs directly and through the Audit Committee. The Board has emphasized to the Advisor the importance of maintaining vigorous risk management programs and procedures.
The Funds face a number of risks, such as investment risk, valuation risk, reputational risk, risk of operational failure or lack of business continuity, and legal, compliance and regulatory risk. Risk management seeks to identify and address risks, i.e., events or circumstances that could have material adverse effects on the business, operations, shareholder services, investment performance or reputation of the Funds. Under the overall supervision of the Board, the Advisor, and other service providers to the Funds employ a variety of processes, procedures and controls to identify various of those possible events or circumstances, to lessen the probability of their occurrence and/or to mitigate the effects of such events or circumstances if they do occur. Different processes, procedures and controls are employed with respect to different types of risks. Various personnel, including the Trust's Chief Compliance Officer (the "CCO"), the Advisor's management, and other service providers (such as each Fund's independent registered public accounting firm) make periodic reports to the Board or to the Audit Committee with respect to various aspects of risk management. The Board recognizes that not all risks that may affect a Fund can be identified, that it may not be practical or cost-effective to eliminate or mitigate certain risks, that it may be necessary to bear certain risks (such as investment-related risks) to achieve a Fund's investment objective, and that the processes, procedures and controls employed to address certain risks may be limited in their effectiveness. Moreover, reports received by the Trustees as to risk management matters are typically summaries of the relevant information. As a result of the foregoing and other factors, the Board's risk management oversight is subject to substantial limitations.
B-47
Fund Shares Beneficially Owned by Trustees
As of the date of this SAI, none of the Trustees owned any shares of the Funds.
Control Persons, Principal Shareholders, and Management Ownership
As of the date of this SAI, the Fund is under the control of the Advisor, which had voting authority with respect to 100% of the outstanding shares in each Fund on such date. However, once a Fund commences investment operations and its shares are sold to the public, this control will be diluted. The Trustees and officers of the Trust as a group did not own more than 1% of the outstanding shares of the Funds. Furthermore, neither the Independent Trustees, nor members of their immediate families, own securities beneficially or of record in the Advisor, the Fund's distributor, Distribution Services, LLC., or any of their respective affiliates
As of the date of this SAI, the Trustees and officers of the Trust as a group did not own more than 1% of the outstanding shares of the Funds. Furthermore, neither the Independent Trustees, nor members of their immediate families, own securities beneficially or of record in the Advisor, the Fund's distributor, Distribution Services, LLC (the "Distributor") or any respective affiliates.
The Advisor
Manteio Scalable Technologies LLC ("Mast Investments"), located at 111 Town Square Place, Suite 1203, Jersey City, New Jersey 07310, acts as investment advisor to the Funds pursuant to an Investment Advisory Agreement (the "Advisory Agreement"). Subject to such policies as the Board of Trustees may determine, the Advisor is ultimately responsible for investment decisions for the Funds. Pursuant to the terms of the Advisory Agreement, the Advisor provides the Funds with such investment advice and supervision as it deems necessary for the proper supervision of each Fund's investments. The Advisor also continuously monitors and maintains each Fund's investment criteria and determines from time to time what securities may be purchased by the Funds. Mast Investments is an indirect subsidiary of Manteio Partners LLC, and is under common control with Manteio Capital LLC, which has been registered with the SEC as an investment advisor since 2021. Mast Investments is a direct wholly-owned subsidiary of Manteio Scalable Partners LLC. The indirect principal owner of Mast Investments is Yung-Shin Kung, President. The principal partners of Manteio Partners LLC are: Peter A. Christodoulou, Michael J. Cash, Chief Investment Officer of Manteio, and Marcus Novacheck, Head of Equity Market Liquidity.
The Advisory Agreement will remain in effect for an initial two-year period. After the initial two-year period, the Advisory Agreement will continue in effect with respect to a Fund from year to year only if such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by the Board or by vote of a majority of the Funds' outstanding voting securities and by a majority of the Trustees who are not parties to the Advisory Agreement or interested persons of any such party, at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on the Advisory Agreement. The Advisory Agreement is terminable without penalty by the Trust on behalf of the Funds, upon giving the Advisor 60 days' notice when authorized either by a majority vote of the Funds' shareholders or by a vote of a majority of the Board, or by the Advisor on 60 days' written notice, and will automatically terminate in the event of its "assignment" (as defined in the 1940 Act). The Advisory Agreement provides that the Advisor shall not be liable for any error of judgment or for any loss suffered by the Trust in connection with the Advisory Agreement, except for a loss resulting from a breach of fiduciary duty, or for a loss resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of its duties, or from reckless disregard by the Advisor of its duties under the Advisory Agreement.
In consideration of the services to be provided by the Advisor pursuant to the Advisory Agreement, the Advisor is entitled to receive from each Fund an investment advisory fee computed daily and paid monthly based on an annual rate equal to a percentage of the Fund's average daily net assets specified in the Prospectus. The Advisor will pay all expenses incurred by the Funds and its respective Subsidiary (as applicable) except for the advisory fee, interest, taxes, brokerage commissions and other expenses incurred in placing orders for the purchase and sale of securities and other investment instruments, dividend and interest expense on securities sold short, acquired fund fees and expenses, professional fees related to services for the collection of foreign tax reclaims, accrued deferred tax liability, extraordinary expenses, and distribution fees and expenses paid under any distribution plan adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act.
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The Predecessor Fund paid the following advisory fees to the investment advisor, for the periods indicated:
|
Fees Paid (after waivers) |
Advisory Fees Waived |
Reimbursements | |
| For the fiscal year ended October 31, 20251 | $1,010,126 | $(353,530) | $0 |
| For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2024 | $1,878,310 | $(273,226) | $0 |
| For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2023 | $3,266,608 | $(67,772) | $0 |
| 1 | Prior to November 22, 2024, fees were paid to the advisor of the Credit Suisse Managed Futures Strategy Fund. |
Portfolio Manager
Set forth below is the following information as of December 31, 2025, with respect to the portfolio manager primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of each Fund's portfolio: (i) other accounts managed by the portfolio manager, (ii) a description of the portfolio manager's compensation structure and (iii) the dollar range of the portfolio manager's investments in the Fund.
|
Registered Investment Companies |
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles |
Other Accounts | ||||
| Portfolio Managers |
Number of Accounts |
Total Assets (in millions) |
Number of Accounts |
Total Assets (in millions) |
Number of Accounts |
Total Assets (in millions) |
| Yung-Shin Kung | 2 | $242 | 01 | $0 | 03 | $0 |
| Number of Accounts with Advisory Fee Based on Performance | ||||||
|
Registered Investment Companies |
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles |
Other Accounts | ||||
| Portfolio Managers |
Number of Accounts |
Total Assets (in millions) |
Number of Accounts |
Total Assets (in millions) |
Number of Accounts |
Total Assets (in millions) |
| Yung-Shin Kung | 2 | $242 | 0 | $0 | 0 | $0 |
Material Conflicts of Interest. Actual or apparent conflicts of interest may arise when a portfolio manager has day-to-day management responsibilities with respect to more than one fund or other account. Where conflicts of interest arise between the Fund and other accounts managed by the portfolio manager, the Advisor will proceed in a manner that ensures that the Fund will not be treated less favorably. There may be instances where similar portfolio transactions may be executed for the same security for numerous accounts managed by the portfolio managers. In such instances, securities will be allocated in accordance with the Advisor's trade allocation policy.
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Compensation. Mr. Kung is compensated by the Advisor. Mr. Kung receives a fixed base salary and discretionary bonus. Mr. Kung's compensation arrangements are not determined on the basis of specific funds or accounts managed.
Ownership of the Funds by Portfolio Manager. As of December 31, 2025, Mr. Kung held the following in the Funds:
| Predecessor Fund |
Dollar Range of Equity Securities in each Fund managed by the named Portfolio Manager* |
| Arbitrage ETF | [A] |
| Futures Strategy ETF | [C] |
| Adaptive Equities ETF | [A] |
| Commodities ETF | [A] |
| * | Key to Dollar Ranges: |
| A. | None |
| B. | $1 - $10,000 |
| C. | $10,001 - $50,000 |
| D. | $50,001 - $100,000 |
| E. | Over $100,000 |
Service Providers
Pursuant to a Co-Administration Agreement (the "Co-Administration Agreement"), UMB Fund Services, Inc. ("UMBFS"), 235 West Galena Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53212, and Mutual Fund Administration, LLC ("MFAC"), 2220 E. Route 66, Suite 226, Glendora, California 91740 (collectively the "Co-Administrators"), act as co-administrators for the Funds. The Co-Administrators provide certain administrative services to the Funds, including, among other responsibilities, coordinating the negotiation of contracts and fees with, and the monitoring of performance and billing of, the Funds' independent contractors and agents; preparing for signature by an officer of the Trust of all documents required to be filed for compliance with applicable laws and regulations including those of the securities laws of various states; arranging for the computation of performance data, including net asset value and yield; arranging for the maintenance of books and records of the Funds; and providing, at their own expense, office facilities, equipment and personnel necessary to carry out their duties. In this capacity, the Co-Administrators do not have any responsibility or authority for the management of the Funds, the determination of investment policy, or for any matter pertaining to the distribution of Fund shares. The Co-Administration Agreement provides that neither Co-Administrator shall be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by the Trust or its series, except for losses resulting from a Co-Administrator's willful misfeasance, bad faith or negligence in the performance of its duties or from reckless disregard by it of its obligations and duties under the Co-Administration Agreement.
The Advisor pays the Co-Administrators a fee for administration services. The fee is payable monthly based on the Fund's average daily net assets.
Transfer Agent. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co., 50 Post Office Square, Boston, Massachusetts 02110, serves as the Funds' transfer agent. The transfer agent provides record keeping and shareholder services.
Custodian. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co., 50 Post Office Square, Boston, Massachusetts 02110, serves as the Funds' custodian. The custodian holds the securities, cash and other assets of the Funds.
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Fund Accounting Agent. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co., 50 Post Office Square, Boston, Massachusetts 02110, serves as the fund accounting agent for the Funds. The fund accounting agent calculates each Fund's daily NAV.
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm [ ], located at [ ], is the independent registered public accounting firm for the Funds. Its services include auditing the Funds' financial statements and the performance of related tax services.
Legal Counsel. Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP ("Morgan Lewis"), 600 Anton Boulevard, Suite 1800, Costa Mesa, California 92626, serves as legal counsel to the Trust and to the Independent Trustees.
Distributor and the Distribution Agreement
Distribution Services, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Foreside Financial Group, LLC (d/b/a ACA Group), is the distributor (also known as the principal underwriter) of the shares of the Fund. Distribution Services, LLC is located at 190 Middle Street, Suite 301, Portland, Maine 04101. The Distributor is a registered broker-dealer and is a member of FINRA. The Distributor is not affiliated with the Trust, the Advisor, or any other service provider for the Funds.
The offering of the Funds' shares is continuous. The Distribution Agreement has an initial term of two years and thereafter is renewable annually if specifically approved each year (a) by the Board or by a vote of a majority (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund's outstanding voting securities and (b) by a majority of the Fund's Trustees who are not parties to the Distribution Agreement or interested persons (as defined in the 1940 Act) of any such party, by votes cast in person at a meeting called for such purpose. The Distribution Agreement has been approved by the Board and a majority of the Fund's Trustees who are not parties to the Distribution Agreement or interested persons of any such party (as defined in the 1940 Act). The Distribution Agreement terminates if assigned (as defined in the 1940 Act) and may be terminated, without penalty, by either party on 60 days' written notice. The Distributor's obligation under the Distribution Agreement is an agency or best efforts arrangement pursuant to which the Distributor is required to take and pay for only those Fund shares sold to the public. The Distributor is not obligated to sell any stated number of Fund shares.
Rule 12b-1 Plan
The Trust has adopted a plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act (the "12b-1 Plan") that provides for the Funds' assets to be used for the payment for distribution services. The Funds may reimburse the Distributor up to a maximum annual rate of 0.25% of its average daily net assets. The Funds do not currently pay, and the Funds have no current intention to pay 12b-1 fees.
In the event 12b-1 fees are charged in the future, under the 12b-1 Plan, and as required by Rule 12b-1, the Trustees will receive and review after the end of each calendar quarter a written report provided by the Distributor of the amounts expended under the 12b-1 Plan and the purpose for which such expenditures were made. With the exception of the Distributor and its affiliates, no "interested person" of the Trust (as such term is defined in the 1940 Act) and no Trustee of the Trust has a direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of the 12b-1 Plan or any related agreement.
Marketing and Support Payments
The Advisor, out of its own resources and without additional cost to the Funds or its shareholders, may provide cash payments or other compensation to certain financial intermediaries who sell shares of the Fund. These payments are in addition to other fees described in the Funds' Prospectus and this SAI, and are generally provided for shareholder services or marketing support. Payments for marketing support are typically for inclusion of a Fund on sales lists, including electronic sales platforms. Investors may wish to take these payments into account when considering and evaluating recommendations to purchase shares of the Funds.
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Portfolio Transactions and Brokerage
Pursuant to the Advisory Agreement, the Advisor determines which securities are to be purchased and sold by each Fund and which broker-dealers are eligible to execute each Fund's portfolio transactions. The purchases and sales of securities in the over-the-counter market will generally be executed by using a broker for the transaction.
Purchases of portfolio securities for a Fund also may be made directly from issuers or from underwriters. Where possible, purchase and sale transactions will be effected through dealers (including banks) that specialize in the types of securities which a Fund will be holding unless better executions are available elsewhere. Dealers and underwriters usually act as principals for their own accounts. Purchases from underwriters will include a concession paid by the issuer to the underwriter and purchases from dealers will include the spread between the bid and the asked price. If the execution and price offered by more than one dealer or underwriter are comparable, the order may be allocated to a dealer or underwriter that has provided research or other services as discussed below.
In placing portfolio transactions, the Advisor will use reasonable efforts to choose broker-dealers capable of providing the services necessary to obtain the most favorable price and execution available. The full range and quality of services available will be considered in making these determinations, such as the size of the order, the difficulty of execution, the operational facilities of the broker-dealer involved, the risk in positioning the block of securities, and other factors. In those instances where it is reasonably determined that more than one broker-dealer can offer the services needed to obtain the most favorable price and execution available, consideration may be given to those broker-dealers which furnish or supply research and statistical information to the Advisor that they may lawfully and appropriately use in their investment advisory capacities, as well as provide other services in addition to execution services. The Advisor considers such information, which is in addition to and not in lieu of the services required to be performed by it under its Advisory Agreement with the Funds, to be useful in varying degrees, but of indeterminable value.
While it is each Fund's general policy to seek to obtain the most favorable price and execution available in selecting a broker-dealer to execute portfolio transactions for the Fund, weight is also given to the ability of a broker-dealer to furnish brokerage and research services as defined in Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, to the Fund or to the Advisor, even if the specific services are not directly useful to the Funds and may be useful to the Advisor in advising other clients. In negotiating commissions with a broker or evaluating the spread to be paid to a dealer, a Fund may therefore pay a higher commission or spread than would be the case if no weight were given to the furnishing of these supplemental services, provided that the amount of such commission or spread has been determined in good faith by the Advisor to be reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and/or research services provided by such broker-dealer. The standard of reasonableness is to be measured in light of the Advisor's overall responsibilities to each Fund.
Investment decisions for each Fund are made independently from those of other client accounts that may be managed or advised by the Advisor. Nevertheless, it is possible that at times, identical securities will be acceptable for both a Fund and one or more of such client accounts. In such event, the position of the Fund and such client accounts in the same issuer may vary and the holding period may likewise vary. However, to the extent any of these client accounts seek to acquire the same security as a Fund at the same time, the Fund may not be able to acquire as large a position in such security as it desires, or it may have to pay a higher price or obtain a lower yield for such security. Similarly, a Fund may not be able to obtain as high a price for, or as large an execution of, an order to sell any particular security at the same time as the Advisor's other client accounts.
B-52
The Funds do not effect securities transactions through brokers in accordance with any formula, nor do they effect securities transactions through brokers for selling shares of the Funds. However, broker-dealers who execute brokerage transactions may effect purchase of shares of the Funds for their customers. The brokers may also supply the Fund with research, statistical and other services.
The Predecessor Fund paid the following brokerage commissions for the periods indicated:
|
Brokerage Commissions |
|
| For the fiscal year ended October 31, 20251 | $[ ] |
| For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2024 | $268,150 |
| For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2023 | $272,038 |
| 1 | Prior to November 22, 2024, broker dealer commissions were paid by the Credit Suisse Managed Futures Strategy Fund. |
Holdings of Securities of the Funds' Regular Brokers and Dealers
From time to time, a Fund may acquire and hold securities issued by its "regular brokers or dealers" or the parents of those brokers or dealers. "Regular brokers or dealers" (as such term is defined in the 1940 Act) of a Fund are the ten brokers or dealers that, during the most recent fiscal year, (i) received the greatest dollar amounts of brokerage commissions from the Fund's portfolio transactions, (ii) engaged as principal in the largest dollar amounts of the portfolio transactions of the Fund, or (iii) sold the largest dollar amounts of the Fund's shares. Any securities of any "regular brokers or dealers" held by the Fund during a fiscal year will be disclosed by the Fund after the end of such fiscal year.
Portfolio Turnover
Although the Funds generally will not invest for short-term trading purposes, portfolio securities may be sold without regard to the length of time they have been held when, in the opinion of the Advisor, as applicable, investment considerations warrant such action. Portfolio turnover rate is calculated by dividing (1) the lesser of purchases or sales of portfolio securities for the fiscal year by (2) the monthly average of the value of portfolio securities owned during the fiscal year. A 100% turnover rate would occur if all the securities in a Fund's portfolio, with the exception of securities whose maturities at the time of acquisition were one year or less, were sold and either repurchased or replaced within one year. A high rate of portfolio turnover (100% or more) generally leads to higher transaction costs and may result in a greater number of taxable transactions. To the extent net short-term capital gains are realized, any distributions resulting from such gains will generally be taxed at ordinary income tax rates for federal income tax purposes.
The Predecessor Fund's portfolio turnover rates were 0% for the fiscal years ended October 31, 2025, and October 31, 2024.
Proxy Voting Policy
The Board has adopted Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures (the "Trust Policies") on behalf of the Trust, which delegates the responsibility for voting each Fund's proxies to the Advisor, as applicable, subject to the Board's continuing oversight. The Trust Policies require that the Advisor vote proxies received in a manner consistent with the best interests of the Fund. The Trust Policies also require the Advisor to present to the Board, at least annually, the Advisor's Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures ("Advisor's Policies") and a record of each proxy voted by the Advisor on behalf of each Fund, including a report on the resolution of all proxies identified by the Advisor as involving a conflict of interest. See Appendix B for the Advisor's Proxy Policies and Procedures and the Trust Policies. The Trust Policies and Advisor's Policies are intended to serve as guidelines and to further the economic value of each security held by the Funds. The Trust's CCO will review the policies annually. Each proxy will be considered individually, taking into account the relevant circumstances at the time of each vote. Aspect and Chesapeake do not currently engage in, nor does it anticipate engaging in, the purchase or sale of voting securities and therefore currently does not receive, nor vote, proxies nor does it anticipate receiving or voting proxies.
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If a proxy proposal raises a material conflict between the Advisor's or its affiliates' interests and a Fund's interests, the Advisor will resolve the conflict by following the policy guidelines or the recommendation of an independent third party.
Each Fund is required to annually file Form N-PX, which lists the Fund's complete proxy voting record for the 12-month period ended June 30 of each year. Once filed, the Fund's proxy voting record will be available without charge, upon request, by visiting the Funds' website at www.mastfunds.com, by calling 1-833-829-0010 or by visiting the SEC's web site at http://www.sec.gov.
Anti-Money Laundering Program
The Trust has established an Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Program (the "Program") as required by the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 ("USA PATRIOT Act"). In order to ensure compliance with this law, the Program provides for the development and implementation of internal practices, procedures and controls, designation of anti-money laundering compliance officers, an ongoing training program and an independent audit function to determine the effectiveness of the Program.
Procedures to implement the Program include, but are not limited to, determining that the Funds' Distributor and Transfer Agent have established proper anti-money laundering procedures, reporting suspicious and/or fraudulent activity, checking shareholder names against designated government lists, including Office of Foreign Assets Control, and a complete and thorough review of all new opening account applications. The Trust will not transact business with any person or entity whose identity cannot be adequately verified under the provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act.
Portfolio Holdings Information
The Trust's Board has adopted a policy regarding the disclosure of information about the Funds' security holdings. Each Fund's entire portfolio holdings are publicly disseminated each day the Fund is open for business through financial reporting and news services including publicly available internet web sites. In addition, the composition of the in-kind creation basket and the in-kind redemption basket is publicly disseminated daily prior to the opening of the Exchange via the NSCC.
Greater than daily access to information concerning the Funds' portfolio holdings will be permitted (i) to certain personnel of service providers to the Funds involved in portfolio management and providing administrative, operational, risk management, or other support to portfolio management, and (ii) to other personnel of the Funds' service providers who deal directly with, or assist in, functions related to investment management, administration, custody and fund accounting, as may be necessary to conduct business in the ordinary course, agreements with the Funds, and the terms of the Trust's current registration statement. From time to time, and in the ordinary course of business, such information may also be disclosed (i) to other entities that provide services to the Funds, including pricing information vendors, and third parties that deliver analytical, statistical or consulting services to the Funds and (ii) generally after it has been disseminated to the NSCC.
Each Fund will disclose its complete portfolio holdings in public filings with the SEC on a quarterly basis, based on the Fund's fiscal year-end, within 60 days of the end of the quarter, and will provide that information to shareholders, as required by federal securities laws and regulations thereunder.
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No person is authorized to disclose any of the Funds' portfolio holdings or other investment positions (whether in writing, by fax, by e-mail, orally, or by other means) except in accordance with this policy. The Trust's Chief Compliance Officer may authorize disclosure of portfolio holdings. The Board reviews the implementation of this policy on a periodic basis.
Determination of Net Asset Value
The NAVs of each Fund's shares will fluctuate and are determined as of 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, the normal close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (the "NYSE") on each day the NYSE is open for trading. The NAVs may be calculated earlier if permitted by the SEC. The NYSE annually announces the days on which it will not be open for trading. The most recent announcement indicates that the NYSE will not be open for the following holidays: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth National Independence Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. However, the NYSE may close on days not included in that announcement.
The NAV of each class of each Fund is computed by dividing (a) the difference between the value of the Fund's securities, cash and other assets and the amount of the Fund's expenses and liabilities attributable to the class by (b) the number of shares outstanding in that class (assets - liabilities / # of shares = NAV). Each NAV takes into account all of the expenses and fees of that class of a Fund, including management fees and administration fees, which are accrued daily.
| Net Assets | = | NAV | ||
| Shares Outstanding |
Generally, a Fund's investments are valued at market value or, in the absence of a market value, at fair value as determined in good faith by the Advisor pursuant to procedures approved by or under the direction of the Board. Pursuant to those procedures, the Board has designated the Advisor as each Fund's valuation designee (the "Valuation Designee") responsible for determining whether market quotations are readily available and reliable, and making good faith determinations of fair value when appropriate. The Valuation Designee carries out its responsibilities with respect to fair value determinations through its Valuation Committee. As the Valuation Designee, the Advisor is responsible for the establishment and application, in a consistent manner, of appropriate methodologies for determining the fair value of investments, periodically reviewing the selected methodologies used for continuing appropriateness and accuracy, and making any changes or adjustments to the methodologies as appropriate. The Valuation Designee is also responsible for the identification, periodic assessment, and management of material risks, including material conflicts of interest, associated with fair value determinations, taking into account the Fund's investments, significant changes in the Fund's investment strategies or policies, market events, and other relevant factors. The Valuation Designee is subject to the general oversight of the Board.
A Fund's securities which are traded on securities exchanges are valued at the last sale price on the exchange on which such securities are traded, as of the close of business on the day the securities are being valued or, lacking any reported sales, at the mean between the last available bid and ask prices.
Pricing services generally value debt securities assuming orderly transactions of an institutional round lot size, but such securities may be held or transactions may be conducted in such securities in smaller, odd lot sizes. Odd lots often trade at lower prices than institutional round lots.
Securities that are traded on more than one exchange are valued on the exchange determined by the Advisor to be the primary market. Securities primarily traded in the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotation ("NASDAQ"), National Market System for which market quotations are readily available shall be valued using the NASDAQ Official Closing Price ("NOCP"). If the NOCP is not available, such securities shall be valued at the last sale price on the day of valuation, or if there has not been any sale on such day, at the mean between the bid and ask prices. OTC securities which are not traded in the NASDAQ National Market System shall be valued at the most recent trade price.
B-55
Stocks that are "thinly traded" or events occurring when a foreign market is closed but the NYSE is open (for example, the value of a security held by the Fund has been materially affected by events occurring after the close of the exchange or market on which the security is principally traded) may create a situation where a market quote would not be readily available. When a market quote is not readily available, the security's value is based on "fair value" as determined by the Advisor's procedures, which have been approved by the Board. The Advisor will periodically test the appropriateness and accuracy of the fair value methodologies that have been selected for the Fund. The Fund may hold portfolio securities, such as those traded on foreign securities exchanges that trade on weekends or other days when the Fund's shares are not priced. Therefore, the value of a Fund's shares may change on days when shareholders will not be able to purchase or redeem shares.
Short-term debt obligations with remaining maturities in excess of 60 days are valued at current market prices, as discussed above. Short-term securities with 60 days or less remaining to maturity are, unless conditions indicate otherwise, are amortized to maturity based on their cost to a Fund if acquired within 60 days of maturity or, if already held by the Fund on the 60th day, based on the value determined on the 61st day.
All other assets of the Funds are valued in such manner as the Advisor, in good faith, deems appropriate to reflect as their fair value.
BOOK ENTRY ONLY SYSTEM
Depository Trust Company ("DTC") acts as securities depositary for the Fund's shares. Shares of the Fund are represented by securities registered in the name of DTC or its nominee, Cede & Co., and deposited with, or on behalf of, DTC. Except in limited circumstances set forth below, certificates will not be issued for shares.
DTC is a limited-purpose trust company that was created to hold securities of its participants (the "DTC Participants") and to facilitate the clearance and settlement of securities transactions among the DTC Participants in such securities through electronic book-entry changes in accounts of the DTC Participants, thereby eliminating the need for physical movement of securities certificates. DTC Participants include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and certain other organizations, some of whom (and/or their representatives) own DTC. More specifically, DTC is owned by a number of its DTC Participants and by the NYSE and FINRA. Access to the DTC system is also available to others such as banks, brokers, dealers, and trust companies that clear through or maintain a custodial relationship with a DTC Participant, either directly or indirectly (the "Indirect Participants").
Beneficial ownership of shares of the Fund is limited to DTC Participants, Indirect Participants, and persons holding interests through DTC Participants and Indirect Participants. Ownership of beneficial interests in shares of the Fund (owners of such beneficial interests are referred to herein as "Beneficial Owners") is shown on, and the transfer of ownership is effected only through, records maintained by DTC (with respect to DTC Participants) and on the records of DTC Participants (with respect to Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners that are not DTC Participants). Beneficial Owners will receive from or through the DTC Participant a written confirmation relating to their purchase of shares of the Fund. The Trust recognizes DTC or its nominee as the record owner of all shares of the Fund for all purposes. Beneficial Owners of shares of the Fund are not entitled to have such shares registered in their names, and will not receive or be entitled to physical delivery of share certificates. Each Beneficial Owner must rely on the procedures of DTC and any DTC Participant and/or Indirect Participant through which such Beneficial Owner holds its interests, to exercise any rights of a holder of shares of the Fund.
B-56
Conveyance of all notices, statements, and other communications to Beneficial Owners is effected as follows. DTC will make available to the Trust upon request and for a fee a listing of shares of the Fund held by each DTC Participant. The Trust shall obtain from each such DTC Participant the number of Beneficial Owners holding shares of the Fund, directly or indirectly, through such DTC Participant. The Trust shall provide each such DTC Participant with copies of such notice, statement, or other communication, in such form, number and at such place as such DTC Participant may reasonably request, in order that such notice, statement or communication may be transmitted by such DTC Participant, directly or indirectly, to such Beneficial Owners. In addition, the Trust shall pay to each such DTC Participant a fair and reasonable amount as reimbursement for the expenses attendant to such transmittal, all subject to applicable statutory and regulatory requirements.
Share distributions shall be made to DTC or its nominee, Cede & Co., as the registered holder of all shares of the Fund. DTC or its nominee, upon receipt of any such distributions, shall credit immediately DTC Participants' accounts with payments in amounts proportionate to their respective beneficial interests in the Fund as shown on the records of DTC or its nominee. Payments by DTC Participants to Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners of shares of the Fund held through such DTC Participants will be governed by standing instructions and customary practices, as is now the case with securities held for the accounts of customers in bearer form or registered in a "street name," and will be the responsibility of such DTC Participants.
The Trust has no responsibility or liability for any aspect of the records relating to or notices to Beneficial Owners, or payments made on account of beneficial ownership interests in the Fund's shares, or for maintaining, supervising, or reviewing any records relating to such beneficial ownership interests, or for any other aspect of the relationship between DTC and the DTC Participants or the relationship between such DTC Participants and the Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners owning through such DTC Participants.
DTC may determine to discontinue providing its service with respect to the Fund at any time by giving reasonable notice to the Fund and discharging its responsibilities with respect thereto under applicable law. Under such circumstances, the Fund shall take action either to find a replacement for DTC to perform its functions at a comparable cost or, if such replacement is unavailable, to issue and deliver printed certificates representing ownership of shares of the Fund, unless the Trust makes other arrangements with respect thereto satisfactory to the Exchange.
PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION OF SHARES IN CREATION UNITS
The Fund issues and redeems its shares on a continuous basis, at NAV, only in a large specified number of shares called a "Creation Unit," either principally in-kind for securities designated by the Fund together with the deposit of a specified cash payment or in cash for the value of such securities. The NAV of the Fund's shares is determined once each Business Day (defined below), as described below under "Determination of Net Asset Value." The Creation Unit size may change. Authorized Participants will be notified of such change.
Purchase (Creation)
The Trust issues and sells shares of the Fund only: (i) in Creation Units on a continuous basis through the Distributor, without a sales load (but subject to transaction fees), at their NAV per share next determined after receipt of an order, on any Business Day, in proper form pursuant to the terms of the Authorized Participant Agreement ("Participant Agreement"); or (ii) pursuant to the Dividend Reinvestment Service (defined below). The Fund will not issue fractional Creation Units. A Business Day is, generally, any day on which the Exchange is open for business.
B-57
Fund Deposit
The consideration for purchase of a Creation Unit of the Fund generally consists of either (i) the in-kind deposit of the Deposit Securities and the Cash Component (defined below), computed as described below, or (ii) the cash value of the Deposit Cash and the Cash Component. When accepting purchases of Creation Units for cash, the Fund may incur additional costs associated with the acquisition of Deposit Securities that would otherwise be provided by an in-kind purchaser. These additional costs may be recoverable from the purchaser of Creation Units.
Together, the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, and the Cash Component constitute the "Fund Deposit," which represents the minimum initial and subsequent investment amount for a Creation Unit of the Fund. The "Cash Component" is an amount equal to the difference between the NAV of the shares of the Fund (per Creation Unit) and the market value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable. If the Cash Component is a positive number (i.e., the NAV per Creation Unit exceeds the market value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable), the Cash Component shall be such positive amount. If the Cash Component is a negative number (i.e., the NAV per Creation Unit is less than the market value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable), the Cash Component shall be such negative amount and the creator will be entitled to receive cash in an amount equal to the Cash Component. The Cash Component serves the function of compensating for any differences between the NAV per Creation Unit and the market value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable. Computation of the Cash Component excludes any stamp duty or other similar fees and expenses payable upon transfer of beneficial ownership of the Deposit Securities, if applicable, which shall be the sole responsibility of the Authorized Participant (as defined below).
The Fund, through NSCC, makes available on each Business Day, prior to the opening of business on the Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m., Eastern time), the list of the names and the required number of shares of each Deposit Security or the required amount of Deposit Cash, as applicable, to be included in the current standard Fund Deposit (based on information at the end of the previous Business Day) for the Fund. Such standard Fund Deposit is subject to any applicable adjustments as described below, in order to effect purchases of Creation Units of the Fund until such time as the next-announced composition of the Deposit Securities or the required amount of Deposit Cash, as applicable, is made available.
The identity and number of shares of the Deposit Securities or the amount of Deposit Cash, as applicable, required for the Fund Deposit for the Fund may be changed from time to time with a view to the investment objective of the Fund. The composition of the Deposit Securities may also change in response to corporate action events and adjustments to the weighting or composition of the Fund's portfolio.
The Trust reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of Deposit Cash to replace any Deposit Security, which shall be added to the Cash Component, including, without limitation, in situations where the Deposit Security: (i) may not be available in sufficient quantity for delivery; (ii) may not be eligible for transfer through the systems of DTC for corporate securities and municipal securities or the Federal Reserve System for U.S. Treasury securities; (iii) may not be eligible for trading by an Authorized Participant (as defined below) or the investor for which it is acting; (iv) would be restricted under the securities laws or where the delivery of the Deposit Security to the Authorized Participant would result in the disposition of the Deposit Security by the Authorized Participant becoming restricted under the securities laws; or (v) in certain other situations (collectively, "custom orders"). The Trust also reserves the right to (i) permit or require the substitution of Deposit Securities in lieu of Deposit Cash; and (ii) include or remove Deposit Securities from the basket in anticipation of or implementation of changes to the Fund's portfolio.
When redeeming Creation Units for cash, the Fund may incur additional costs associated with the disposition of Deposit Securities that would otherwise be provided to an in-kind redeemer. These additional costs may be recoverable from the redeemer of Creation Units.
B-58
Cash Purchase Method
The Trust may at its discretion permit full or partial cash purchases of Creation Units of the Fund. When full or partial cash purchases of Creation Units are available or specified for the Fund, they will be effected in essentially the same manner as in-kind purchases thereof. In the case of a full or partial cash purchase, the Authorized Participant must pay the cash equivalent of the Deposit Securities it would otherwise be required to provide through an in-kind purchase, plus the same Cash Component required to be paid by an in-kind purchaser together with a creation transaction fee and non-standard charges, as may be applicable.
Procedures for Purchase of Creation Units
To be eligible to place orders with the Transfer Agent to purchase a Creation Unit of the Fund, an entity must be (i) a "Participating Party", i.e., a broker-dealer or other participant in the clearing process through the Continuous Net Settlement System of the NSCC (the "Clearing Process"), a clearing agency that is registered with the SEC; or (ii) a DTC Participant (see "Book Entry Only System"). In addition, each Participating Party or DTC Participant (each, an "Authorized Participant") must execute a Participant Agreement that has been agreed to by the Distributor, and that has been accepted by the Transfer Agent and the Trust, with respect to purchases and redemptions of Creation Units. Each Authorized Participant will agree, pursuant to the terms of a Participant Agreement, on behalf of itself or any investor on whose behalf it will act, to certain conditions, including that it will pay to the Trust, an amount of cash sufficient to pay the Cash Component together with the creation transaction fee (defined below) and any other applicable fees, taxes, and additional variable charge. The Adviser may retain all or a portion of the creation transaction fee to the extent the Adviser bears the expenses that otherwise would be borne by the Trust in connection with the purchase of a Creation Unit, which the creation transaction fee is designed to cover.
All orders to purchase shares of the Fund directly from the Fund, including custom orders, must be placed for one or more Creation Units in the manner and by the time set forth in the Participant Agreement and/or applicable order form. The date on which an order to purchase Creation Units (or an order to redeem Creation Units, as set forth below) is received and accepted is referred to as the "Order Placement Date."
An Authorized Participant may require an investor to make certain representations or enter into agreements with respect to the order, (e.g., to provide for payments of cash, when required). Investors should be aware that their particular broker may not have executed a Participant Agreement and that, therefore, orders to purchase shares directly from the Fund in Creation Units have to be placed by the investor's broker through an Authorized Participant that has executed a Participant Agreement. In such cases there may be additional charges to such investor. At any given time, there may be only a limited number of broker-dealers that have executed a Participant Agreement and only a small number of such Authorized Participants may have international capabilities.
On days when the Exchange closes earlier than normal, the Fund may require orders to create Creation Units to be placed earlier in the day. In addition, if a market or markets on which the Fund's investments are primarily traded is closed, the Fund will also generally not accept orders on such day(s). Orders must be transmitted by an Authorized Participant by telephone or other transmission method acceptable to the Transfer Agent pursuant to procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement and in accordance with the AP Handbook or applicable order form. The Transfer Agent will notify the Custodian of such order. The Custodian will then provide such information to the appropriate local sub-custodian(s). Those placing orders through an Authorized Participant should allow sufficient time to permit proper submission of the purchase order to the Transfer Agent by the applicable cut-off time on such Business Day. Economic or market disruptions or changes, or telephone or other communication failure may impede the ability to reach the Transfer Agent or an Authorized Participant.
B-59
Fund Deposits must be delivered by an Authorized Participant through the Federal Reserve System (for cash and U.S. government securities) or through DTC (for corporate securities), through a sub-custody agent (for foreign securities) and/or through such other arrangements allowed by the Trust or its agents. With respect to foreign Deposit Securities, the Custodian shall cause the sub-custodian of the Fund to maintain an account into which the Authorized Participant shall deliver, on behalf of itself or the party on whose behalf it is acting, such Deposit Securities (or Deposit Cash for all or a part of such securities, as permitted or required), with any appropriate adjustments as advised by the Trust. Foreign Deposit Securities must be delivered to an account maintained at the applicable local sub-custodian. The Fund Deposit transfer must be ordered by the Authorized Participant in a timely fashion so as to ensure the delivery of the requisite number of Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, to the account of the Fund or its agents by no later than the Settlement Date. The "Settlement Date" for the Fund is generally the first Business Day after the Order Placement Date. All questions as to the number of Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash to be delivered, as applicable, and the validity, form and eligibility (including time of receipt) for the deposit of any tendered securities or cash, as applicable, will be determined by the Trust, whose determination shall be final and binding. The amount of cash represented by the Cash Component must be transferred directly to the Custodian through the Federal Reserve Bank wire transfer system in a timely manner so as to be received by the Custodian no later than the Settlement Date. If the Cash Component and the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, are not received by the Custodian in a timely manner by the Settlement Date, the creation order may be cancelled and the Authorized Participant shall be liable to the Fund for losses, if any, resulting therefrom. Upon written notice to the Distributor, such canceled order may be resubmitted the following Business Day using the Fund Deposit as newly constituted to reflect the then current NAV of the Fund.
The order shall be deemed to be received on the Business Day on which the order is placed provided that the order is placed in proper form prior to the applicable cut-off time and the federal funds in the appropriate amount are deposited by 4:00 p.m. Eastern time, with the Custodian on the Settlement Date. If the order is not placed in proper form as required, or federal funds in the appropriate amount are not received by 4:00 p.m. Eastern time on the Settlement Date, then the order may be deemed to be rejected and the Authorized Participant shall be liable to the Fund for losses, if any, resulting therefrom. A creation request is considered to be in "proper form" if all procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement, AP Handbook, order form, and this SAI are properly followed.
Issuance of a Creation Unit
Except as provided herein, Creation Units will not be issued until the transfer of good title to the Trust of the Deposit Securities or payment of Deposit Cash, as applicable, and the payment of the Cash Component have been completed. When the sub-custodian has confirmed to the Custodian that the required Deposit Securities (or the cash value thereof) have been delivered to the account of the relevant sub-custodian or sub-custodians, the Adviser shall be notified of such delivery, and the Trust will issue and cause the delivery of the Creation Units. The delivery of Creation Units so created generally will occur no later than the first Business Day following the day on which the purchase order is deemed received by the Transfer Agent. However, the Fund reserves the right to settle Creation Unit transactions on a basis other than the first Business Day following the day on which the purchase order is deemed received by the Transfer Agent in order to accommodate foreign market holiday schedules, to account for different treatment among foreign and U.S. markets of dividend record dates and ex-dividend dates (that is the last day the holder of a security can sell the security and still receive dividends payable on the security), and in certain other circumstances. The Authorized Participant shall be liable to the Fund for losses, if any, resulting from unsettled orders.
B-60
Creation Units may be purchased in advance of receipt by the Trust of all or a portion of the applicable Deposit Securities as described below. In these circumstances, the initial deposit will have a value greater than the NAV of the shares of the Fund on the date the order is placed in proper form since in addition to available Deposit Securities, cash must be deposited in an amount equal to the sum of (i) the Cash Component, plus (ii) an additional amount of cash equal to a percentage of the market value as set forth in the Participant Agreement, of the undelivered Deposit Securities (the "Additional Cash Deposit"), which shall be maintained in a separate non-interest bearing collateral account. The Authorized Participant must deposit with the Custodian the Additional Cash Deposit, as applicable, by the time set forth in the Participant Agreement on the Settlement Date. If the Fund or its agents do not receive the Additional Cash Deposit in the appropriate amount, by such time, then the order may be deemed rejected and the Authorized Participant shall be liable to the Fund for losses, if any, resulting therefrom. An additional amount of cash shall be required to be deposited with the Trust, pending delivery of the missing Deposit Securities to the extent necessary to maintain the Additional Cash Deposit with the Trust in an amount at least equal to the applicable percentage, as set forth in the Participant Agreement, of the daily marked to market value of the missing Deposit Securities. The Trust may use such Additional Cash Deposit to buy the missing Deposit Securities at any time. Authorized Participants will be liable to the Trust for all costs, expenses, dividends, income, and taxes associated with missing Deposit Securities, including the costs incurred by the Trust in connection with any such purchases. These costs will be deemed to include the amount by which the actual purchase price of the Deposit Securities exceeds the value of such Deposit Securities on the day the purchase order was deemed received by the Transfer Agent plus the brokerage and related transaction costs associated with such purchases. The Trust will return any unused portion of the Additional Cash Deposit once all of the missing Deposit Securities have been properly received by the Custodian or purchased by the Trust and deposited into the Trust. In addition, a creation transaction fee as set forth below under "Creation Transaction Fee" may be charged and an additional variable charge may also apply. The delivery of Creation Units so created generally will occur no later than the Settlement Date.
Acceptance of Orders of Creation Units
The Trust reserves the right to reject an order for Creation Units transmitted to it by the Transfer Agent in respect of the Fund including, without limitation, if (a) the order is not in proper form or the Deposit Securities delivered do not consist of the securities that the Custodian specified; (b) the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, delivered by the Participant are not as disseminated through the facilities of the NSCC for that date by the Custodian; (c) the investor(s), upon obtaining the shares ordered, would own 80% or more of the currently outstanding shares of the Fund; (d) the acceptance of the Fund Deposit would, in the opinion of counsel, be unlawful; (e) the acceptance or receipt of the order for a Creation Unit would, in the opinion of counsel to the Trust, be unlawful; or (f) circumstances outside the control of the Trust, the Custodian, the Transfer Agent, the Distributor and/or the Adviser make it for all practical purposes not feasible to process orders for Creation Units.
Examples of such circumstances include acts of God or public service or utility problems such as fires, floods, extreme weather conditions and power outages resulting in telephone, telecopy and computer failures; market conditions or activities causing trading halts; systems failures involving computer or other information systems affecting the Trust, the Distributor, the Custodian, a sub-custodian, the Transfer Agent, DTC, NSCC, Federal Reserve System, or any other participant in the creation process, and other extraordinary events. The Distributor shall notify a prospective creator of a Creation Unit and/or the Authorized Participant acting on behalf of the creator of a Creation Unit of its rejection of the order of such person. The Trust, the Transfer Agent, the Custodian, any sub-custodian and the Distributor are under no duty, however, to give notification of any defects or irregularities in the delivery of Fund Deposits nor shall either of them incur any liability for the failure to give any such notification. The Trust, the Transfer Agent, the Custodian and the Distributor shall not be liable for the rejection of any purchase order for Creation Units.
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.
B-61
Creation Transaction Fee
A fixed purchase (i.e., creation) transaction fee may be imposed for the transfer and other transaction costs associated with the purchase of Creation Units ("Creation Order Costs"). The standard creation transaction fee for the Fund is currently $400 for in-kind purchases and $100 for cash purchases, regardless of the number of Creation Units created in the transaction. The Fund may adjust the creation transaction fee from time to time. The creation transaction fee may be waived on certain orders if the Custodian has determined to waive some or all of the Creation Order Costs associated with the order or another party, such as the Adviser, has agreed to pay such fee.
In addition, a variable fee may be imposed for cash purchases, non-standard orders, or partial cash purchases of Creation Units. The variable fee is primarily designed to cover non-standard charges, e.g., brokerage, taxes, foreign exchange, execution, market impact, and other costs and expenses, related to the execution of trades resulting from such transaction. In all cases, such fees will be limited in accordance with the requirements of the SEC applicable to management investment companies offering redeemable securities. The Fund may determine not to charge a variable fee on certain orders when the Adviser has determined that doing so is in the best interests of Fund shareholders, e.g., for creation orders that facilitate the rebalance of the Fund's portfolio in a more efficient manner than could have been achieved without such order.
Investors who use the services of an Authorized Participant, broker or other such intermediary may be charged a fee for such services which may include an amount for the creation transaction fee and non-standard charges. Investors are responsible for the costs of transferring the securities constituting the Deposit Securities to the account of the Trust. The Adviser may retain all or a portion of the Transaction Fee to the extent the Adviser bears the expenses that otherwise would be borne by the Trust in connection with the issuance of a Creation Unit, which the Transaction Fee is designed to cover.
Risks of Purchasing Creation Units
There are certain legal risks unique to investors purchasing Creation Units directly from the Fund. Because the Fund's shares may be issued on an ongoing basis, a "distribution" of shares could be occurring at any time. Certain activities that a shareholder performs as a dealer could, depending on the circumstances, result in the shareholder being deemed a participant in the distribution in a manner that could render the shareholder a statutory underwriter and subject to the prospectus delivery and liability provisions of the Securities Act of 1933. For example, a shareholder could be deemed a statutory underwriter if it purchases Creation Units from the Fund, breaks them down into the constituent shares, and sells those shares directly to customers, or if a shareholder chooses to couple the creation of a supply of new shares with an active selling effort involving solicitation of secondary-market demand for shares. Whether a person is an underwriter depends upon all of the facts and circumstances pertaining to that person's activities, and the examples mentioned here should not be considered a complete description of all the activities that could cause you to be deemed an underwriter.
Dealers who are not "underwriters" but are participating in a distribution (as opposed to engaging in ordinary secondary-market transactions), and thus dealing with the Fund's shares as part of an "unsold allotment" within the meaning of Section 4(a)(3)(C) of the Securities Act, will be unable to take advantage of the prospectus delivery exemption provided by Section 4(a)(3) of the Securities Act.
Redemption
Shares of the Fund may be redeemed only in Creation Units at their NAV next determined after receipt of a redemption request in proper form by the Fund through the Transfer Agent and only on a Business Day. EXCEPT UPON REORGANIZATION, MERGER, CONVERSION OR LIQUIDATION OF THE FUND, THE TRUST WILL NOT REDEEM SHARES IN AMOUNTS LESS THAN CREATION UNITS. Investors must accumulate enough shares of the Fund in the secondary market to constitute a Creation Unit in order to have such shares redeemed by the Trust. There can be no assurance, however, that there will be sufficient liquidity in the public trading market at any time to permit assembly of a Creation Unit. Investors should expect to incur brokerage and other costs in connection with assembling a sufficient number of shares to constitute a redeemable Creation Unit.
B-62
With respect to the Fund, the Custodian, through the NSCC, makes available prior to the opening of business on the Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m. Eastern time) on each Business Day, the list of the names and share quantities of securities designated by the Fund that will be applicable (subject to possible amendment or correction) to redemption requests received in proper form (as defined below) on that day ("Redemption Securities"). Redemption Securities received on redemption may not be identical to Deposit Securities. The identity and number of shares of the Redemption Securities or the Cash Redemption Amount (defined below) may be changed from time to time with a view to the investment objective of the Fund.
Redemption proceeds for a Creation Unit are paid either in-kind or in cash, or combination thereof, as determined by the Trust. With respect to in-kind redemptions of the Fund, redemption proceeds for a Creation Unit will consist of Redemption Securities plus cash in an amount equal to the difference between the NAV of the shares of the Fund being redeemed, as next determined after a receipt of a request in proper form, and the value of the Redemption Securities (the "Cash Redemption Amount"), less any fixed redemption transaction fee as set forth below and any applicable additional variable charge as set forth below. In the event that the Redemption Securities have a value greater than the NAV of the shares of the Fund, a compensating cash payment equal to the differential is required to be made by or through an Authorized Participant by the redeeming shareholder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, at the Trust's discretion, an Authorized Participant may receive the corresponding cash value of the securities in lieu of the in-kind securities value representing one or more Redemption Securities.
Cash Redemption Method
Full or partial cash redemptions of Creation Units will be effected in essentially the same manner as in-kind redemptions thereof. In the case of full or partial cash redemptions, the Authorized Participant receives the cash equivalent of the Redemption Securities it would otherwise receive through an in-kind redemption, plus the same Cash Redemption Amount to be paid to an in-kind redeemer.
Redemption Transaction Fee
A fixed redemption transaction fee may be imposed for the transfer and other transaction costs associated with the redemption of Creation Units ("Redemption Order Costs"). The transaction fee for the redemption of Creation Units is $400 for in-kind redemptions and $100 for cash redemptions. The Fund may adjust the redemption transaction fee from time to time. The redemption transaction fee may be waived on certain orders if the Custodian has determined to waive some or all of the Redemption Order Costs associated with the order or another party, such as the Adviser, has agreed to pay such fee.
In addition, a variable fee, payable to the Fund, may be imposed for cash redemptions, non-standard orders, or partial cash redemptions for the Fund. The variable fee is primarily designed to cover non-standard charges, e.g., brokerage, taxes, foreign exchange, execution, market impact, and other costs and expenses, related to the execution of trades resulting from such transaction. In all cases, such fees will be limited in accordance with the requirements of the SEC applicable to management investment companies offering redeemable securities. The Fund may determine not to charge a variable fee on certain orders when the Adviser has determined that doing so is in the best interests of Fund shareholders, e.g., for redemption orders that facilitate the rebalance of the Fund's portfolio in a more tax efficient manner than could be achieved without such order.
Investors who use the services of an Authorized Participant, broker or other such intermediary may be charged a fee for such services, which may include an amount for the redemption transaction fees and non-standard charges. Investors are responsible for the costs of transferring the securities constituting the Redemption Securities to the account of the Trust. The non-standard charges are payable to the Fund as it incurs costs in connection with the redemption of Creation Units, the receipt of Redemption Securities and the Cash Redemption Amount and other transactions costs. The Adviser may retain all or a portion of the redemption transaction fee to the extent the Adviser bears the expenses that otherwise would be borne by the Trust in connection with the redemption of a Creation Unit, which the redemption transaction fee is designed to cover.
B-63
When redeeming Creation Units for cash, the Fund may incur additional costs associated with the disposition of Deposit Securities that would otherwise be provided to an in-kind redeemer. These additional costs may be recoverable from the redeemer of Creation Units.
Procedures for Redemption of Creation Units
Orders to redeem Creation Units must be submitted in proper form to the Transfer Agent prior to the time as set forth in the Participant Agreement. A redemption request is considered to be in "proper form" if (i) an Authorized Participant has transferred or caused to be transferred to the Trust's Transfer Agent the Creation Unit(s) being redeemed through the book-entry system of DTC so as to be effective by the time as set forth in the Participant Agreement and (ii) a request in form satisfactory to the Trust is received by the Transfer Agent from the Authorized Participant on behalf of itself or another redeeming investor within the time periods specified in the Participant Agreement. If the Transfer Agent does not receive the investor's shares of the Fund through DTC's facilities by the times and pursuant to the other terms and conditions set forth in the Participant Agreement, the redemption request shall be rejected, unless, to the extent contemplated by the Participant Agreement, collateral is posted in an amount equal to a percentage of the value of the missing shares of the Fund as specified in the Participant Agreement (and marked to market daily).
The Authorized Participant must transmit the request for redemption, in the form required by the Trust, to the Transfer Agent in accordance with procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement. Investors should be aware that their particular broker may not have executed a Participant Agreement, and that, therefore, requests to redeem Creation Units may have to be placed by the investor's broker through an Authorized Participant who has executed a Participant Agreement. Investors making a redemption request should be aware that such request must be in the form specified by such Authorized Participant. Investors making a request to redeem Creation Units should allow sufficient time to permit proper submission of the request by an Authorized Participant and transfer of the shares of the Fund to the Trust's Transfer Agent; such investors should allow for the additional time that may be required to effect redemptions through their banks, brokers or other financial intermediaries if such intermediaries are not Authorized Participants.
Additional Redemption Procedures
In connection with taking delivery of shares of Redemption Securities upon redemption of Creation Units, a redeeming shareholder or Authorized Participant acting on behalf of such shareholder must maintain appropriate custody arrangements with a qualified broker-dealer, bank or other custody providers in each jurisdiction in which any of the Redemption Securities are customarily traded, to which account such Redemption Securities will be delivered. Deliveries of redemption proceeds generally will be made within one Business Day of the trade date. However, due to the schedule of holidays in certain countries, the different treatment among foreign and U.S. markets of dividend record dates and dividend ex-dates (that is the last date the holder of a security can sell the security and still receive dividends payable on the security sold), and in certain other circumstances, the delivery of in-kind redemption proceeds may take longer than one Business Day after the day on which the redemption request is received in proper form. If neither the redeeming shareholder nor the Authorized Participant acting on behalf of such redeeming shareholder has appropriate arrangements to take delivery of the Redemption Securities in the applicable foreign jurisdiction and it is not possible to make other such arrangements, or if it is not possible to effect deliveries of the Redemption Securities in such jurisdiction, the Trust may, in its discretion, exercise its option to redeem such shares in cash, and the redeeming shareholders will be required to receive redemption proceeds in cash.
B-64
If it is not possible to make other such arrangements, or it is not possible to effect deliveries of the Redemption Securities, the Trust may in its discretion exercise its option to redeem such shares in cash, and the redeeming investor will be required to receive its redemption proceeds in cash. In addition, an investor may request a redemption in cash that the Fund may, in its sole discretion, permit. In either case, the investor will receive a cash payment equal to the NAV of its shares based on the NAV of shares of the Fund next determined after the redemption request is received in proper form (minus a redemption transaction fee and additional charge for requested cash redemptions specified above, to offset the Trust's brokerage and other transaction costs associated with the disposition of Redemption Securities). The Fund may also, in its sole discretion, upon request of a shareholder, provide such redeemer a portfolio of securities that differs from the exact composition of the Redemption Securities but does not differ in NAV.
Pursuant to the Participant Agreement, an Authorized Participant submitting a redemption request is deemed to make certain representations to the Trust regarding the Authorized Participant's ability to tender for redemption the requisite number of shares of the Fund. The Trust reserves the right to verify these representations at its discretion, but will typically require verification with respect to a redemption request from the Fund in connection with higher levels of redemption activity and/or short interest in the Fund. If the Authorized Participant, upon receipt of a verification request, does not provide sufficient verification of its representations as determined by the Trust, the redemption request will not be considered to have been received in proper form and may be rejected by the Trust.
Redemptions of shares for Redemption Securities will be subject to compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws and the Fund (whether or not it otherwise permits cash redemptions) reserves the right to redeem Creation Units for cash to the extent that the Trust could not lawfully deliver specific Redemption Securities upon redemptions or could not do so without first registering the Redemption Securities under such laws. An Authorized Participant or an investor for which it is acting subject to a legal restriction with respect to a particular security included in the Redemption Securities applicable to the redemption of Creation Units may be paid an equivalent amount of cash. The Authorized Participant may request the redeeming investor of the shares of the Fund to complete an order form or to enter into agreements with respect to such matters as compensating cash payment. Further, an Authorized Participant that is not a "qualified institutional buyer," ("QIB") as such term is defined under Rule 144A of the Securities Act, will not be able to receive Redemption Securities that are restricted securities eligible for resale under Rule 144A. An Authorized Participant may be required by the Trust to provide a written confirmation with respect to QIB status in order to receive Redemption Securities.
Because the portfolio securities of the Fund may trade on the relevant exchange(s) on days that the Exchange is closed or are otherwise not Business Days for the Fund, shareholders may not be able to redeem their shares, or to purchase or sell shares on the Exchange, on days when the NAV of the Fund could be significantly affected by events in the relevant foreign markets.
The right of redemption may be suspended or the date of payment postponed with respect to the Fund (1) for any period during which the New York Stock Exchange is closed (other than customary weekend and holiday closings); (2) for any period during which trading on the New York Stock Exchange is suspended or restricted; (3) for any period during which an emergency exists as a result of which disposal of the securities owned by the Fund or determination of the NAV of the shares of the Fund is not reasonably practicable; or (4) in such other circumstance as is permitted by the SEC.
B-65
Federal Income Tax Matters
The following is a summary of certain material U.S. federal (and, where noted, state and local) income tax considerations affecting each Fund and its shareholders. The discussion is very general. Current and prospective shareholders are therefore urged to consult their own tax advisors with respect to the specific federal, state, local and foreign tax consequences of investing in a Fund. The summary is based on the laws in effect on the date of this SAI and existing judicial and administrative interpretations thereof, all of which are subject to change, possibly with retroactive effect.
Each Fund is treated as a separate entity from other series of the Trust for federal income tax purposes. Each Fund has elected to be, and intends to qualify each year for treatment as, a "regulated investment company" under Subchapter M of the Code by complying with all applicable requirements of the Code, including, among other things, requirements as to the sources of the Fund's income, diversification of the Fund's assets and timing of Fund distributions. To so qualify, a Fund must, among other things: (a) derive at least 90% of its gross income in each taxable year from dividends, interest, payments with respect to certain securities loans, and gains from the sale or other disposition of stock or securities or foreign currencies, or other income (including, but not limited to, gains from options, futures or forward contracts) derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock, securities or currencies, and net income derived from interests in "qualified publicly traded partnerships" (i.e., partnerships that are traded on an established securities market or tradable on a secondary market, other than partnerships that derive 90% of their income from interest, dividends, capital gains, and other traditionally permitted mutual fund income) (collectively, "qualifying income"); (b) diversify its holdings so that, at the end of each quarter of the Fund's taxable year, (i) at least 50% of the market value of the Fund's assets is represented by cash, securities of other regulated investment companies, U.S. government securities and other securities, with such other securities limited, in respect of any one issuer, to an amount not greater than 5% of the Fund's assets and not greater than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer and (ii) not more than 25% of the value of its assets is invested, including through corporations in which the Fund owns a 20% or more voting stock interest, in the securities (other than U.S. government securities or securities of other regulated investment companies) of any one issuer, in the securities (other than the securities of other regulated investment companies) of any two or more issuers that the Fund controls and that are determined to be engaged in the same or similar trades or businesses or related trades or businesses, or in the securities of one or more "qualified publicly traded partnerships"; and (c) distribute an amount equal to the sum of at least 90% of its investment company taxable income (computed without regard to the dividends-paid deduction) and 90% of its net tax-exempt income, if any, for the tax year (including, for purposes of satisfying this distribution requirement, certain distributions made by the Fund after the close of its taxable year that are treated as made during such taxable year).
As a regulated investment company, a Fund will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on the portion of its taxable investment income and capital gains that it distributes to its shareholders provided that it satisfies a minimum distribution requirement. In order to also avoid liability for a non-deductible federal excise tax, a Fund must distribute (or be deemed to have distributed) by December 31 of each calendar year at least the sum of (i) 98% of its ordinary income for such year, (ii) 98.2% of the excess of its realized capital gains over its realized capital losses for the 12-month period generally ending on October 31 during such year and (iii) any amounts from the prior calendar year that were not distributed and on which the Fund paid no federal income tax. A Fund will be subject to income tax at the applicable corporate tax rate on any taxable income or gains that it does not distribute to its shareholders. Each Fund's policy is to distribute to its shareholders all investment company taxable income (determined without regard to the deduction for dividends paid) and any net capital gain (the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss) for each fiscal year in a manner that complies with the distribution requirements of the Code, so that the Fund will not be subject to any federal income or excise taxes.
B-66
If, for any taxable year, a Fund were to fail to qualify as a regulated investment company or were to fail to meet certain minimum distribution requirements under the Code, it would be taxed in the same manner as an ordinary corporation and distributions to its shareholders would not be deductible by the Fund in computing its taxable income. In addition, in the event of a failure to qualify, a Fund's distributions, to the extent derived from the Fund's current or accumulated earnings and profits, including any distributions of net capital gain, would be taxable to shareholders as ordinary dividend income for federal income tax purposes. However, such dividends would be eligible, subject to any generally applicable limitations, (i) to be treated as qualified dividend income in the case of shareholders taxed as individuals and (ii) for the dividends received deduction in the case of corporate shareholders. Moreover, if a Fund were to fail to qualify as a regulated investment company in any year, it would be required to distribute its earnings and profits accumulated in that year in order to qualify again as a regulated investment company. Under certain circumstances, a Fund may be able to cure a failure to qualify as a regulated investment company, but in order to do so the Fund might incur significant Fund-level taxes and might be forced to dispose of certain assets. If a Fund failed to qualify as a regulated investment company for a period greater than two taxable years, the Fund would generally be required to recognize any net built-in gains with respect to certain of its assets upon a disposition of such assets within five years of qualifying as a regulated investment company in a subsequent year.
Shareholders generally will be subject to federal income taxes on distributions made by a Fund whether paid in cash or additional shares. Distributions of net investment income (including interest, dividend income and net short-term capital gain in excess of any net long-term capital loss, less certain expenses), other than qualified dividend income, will be taxable to shareholders as ordinary income. Distributions of qualified dividend income, generally will be taxed to non-corporate shareholders at the federal income tax rates applicable to net capital gain, provided the Fund reports the amount distributed as qualified dividend income.
In general, dividends may be reported by a Fund as qualified dividend income if they are attributable to qualified dividend income received by the Fund. Qualified dividend income generally means dividend income received from a Fund's investments in common and preferred stock of U.S. companies and stock of certain qualified foreign corporations, provided that certain holding period and other requirements are met by both the Fund and its shareholders. If 95% or more of a Fund's gross income (calculated without taking into account net capital gain derived from sales or other dispositions of stock or securities) consists of qualified dividend income, the Fund may report all distributions of such income as qualified dividend income.
A foreign corporation is treated as a qualified foreign corporation for this purpose if it is incorporated in a possession of the United States or it is eligible for the benefits of certain income tax treaties with the United States and meets certain additional requirements. Certain foreign corporations that are not otherwise qualified foreign corporations will be treated as qualified foreign corporations with respect to dividends paid by them if the stock with respect to which the dividends are paid is readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States. Passive foreign investment companies are not qualified foreign corporations for this purpose. Dividends received by a Fund from REITs generally do not qualify for treatment as qualified dividend income.
Dividends paid by a Fund may qualify in part for the dividends-received deduction available to corporate shareholders, provided the Fund reports the amount distributed as a qualifying dividend and certain holding period and other requirements under the Code are satisfied. The reported amount, however, cannot exceed the aggregate amount of qualifying dividends received by the Fund for its taxable year. Eligibility for qualified dividend income treatment and the dividends-received deduction may be reduced or eliminated if, among other things, (i) the shareholder is under an obligation (whether pursuant to a short sale or otherwise) to make related payments with respect to positions in substantially similar or related property or (ii) certain holding period requirements are not satisfied at both the Fund and shareholder levels. In addition, qualified dividend income treatment is not available if a shareholder elects to have the dividend income treated as investment income for purposes of the limitation on deductibility of investment interest.
B-67
If a Fund receives a dividend (other than a capital gain dividend) in respect of any share of REIT stock with a tax holding period of at least 46 days during the 91-day period beginning on the date that is 45 days before the date on which the stock becomes ex-dividend as to that dividend, then Fund dividends attributable to that REIT dividend income (as reduced by certain Fund expenses) may be reported by the Fund as eligible for the 20% deduction for "qualified REIT dividends" generally available to noncorporate shareholders under the Code. In order to qualify for this deduction, noncorporate shareholders must meet minimum holding period requirements with respect to their Fund shares.
Under Section 163(j) of the Code, a taxpayer's business interest expense is generally deductible to the extent of the taxpayer's business interest income plus certain other amounts. If the Fund earns business interest income, it may report a portion of its dividends as "Section 163(j) interest dividends," which its shareholders may be able to treat as business interest income for purposes of Section 163(j) of the Code. The Fund's "Section 163(j) interest dividend" for a tax year will be limited to the excess of its business interest income over the sum of its business interest expense and other deductions properly allocable to its business interest income. In general, the Fund's shareholders may treat a distribution reported as a Section 163(j) interest dividend as interest income only to the extent the distribution exceeds the sum of the portions of the distribution reported as other types of tax-favored income. To be eligible to treat a Section 163(j) interest dividend as interest income, a shareholder may need to meet certain holding period requirements in respect of the Fund shares and must not have hedged its position in the Fund shares in certain ways.
Distributions of net capital gain, if any, that a Fund reports as capital gain dividends will be taxable to non-corporate shareholders as long-term capital gain without regard to how long a shareholder has held shares of the Fund. A Fund may retain certain amounts of capital gains and designate them as undistributed net capital gain in a notice to its shareholders, who (i) will be required to include in income for U.S. federal income tax purposes, as long-term capital gain, their proportionate shares of the undistributed amounts so designated, (ii) will be entitled to credit their proportionate shares of the income tax paid by the Fund on those undistributed amounts against their federal income tax liabilities and to claim refunds to the extent such credits exceed their liabilities and (iii) will be entitled to increase their federal income tax basis in their shares by an amount equal to the excess of the amounts of undistributed net capital gain included in their respective income over their respective income tax credits.
For U.S. federal income tax purposes, the Fund is permitted to carry forward indefinitely a net capital loss from any taxable year to offset its capital gains, if any, in years following the year of the loss. To the extent subsequent capital gains are offset by such losses, they will not result in U.S. federal income tax liability to the Fund and may not be distributed as capital gains to shareholders. Generally, the Fund may not carry forward any losses other than net capital losses. Under certain circumstances, the Fund may elect to treat certain losses as though they were incurred on the first day of the taxable year immediately following the taxable year in which they were actually incurred.
Distributions in excess of earnings and profits will, as to each shareholder, be treated as a tax-free return of capital to the extent of the shareholder's basis in his or her Fund shares. A distribution treated as a return of capital will reduce the shareholder's basis in his or her shares, which will result in an increase in the amount of gain (or a decrease in the amount of loss) that will be recognized by the shareholder for tax purposes on a later sale of such shares. After the shareholder's basis is reduced to zero, any distributions in excess of earnings and profits will be treated as a capital gain, assuming the shareholder holds his or her shares as capital assets.
A 3.8% Medicare contribution tax generally applies to all or a portion of the net investment income of a shareholder who is an individual and not a nonresident alien for federal income tax purposes and who has adjusted gross income (subject to certain adjustments) that exceeds a threshold amount ($250,000 if married filing jointly or if considered a "surviving spouse" for federal income tax purposes, $125,000 if married filing separately, and $200,000 in other cases). This 3.8% tax also applies to all or a portion of the undistributed net investment income of certain shareholders that are estates and trusts. For these purposes, interest, dividends and certain capital gains (among other categories of income) are generally taken into account in computing a shareholder's net investment income.
B-68
Certain tax-exempt educational institutions are subject to a 1.4% tax on net investment income. For these purposes, certain dividends and capital gain distributions, and certain gains from the disposition of Fund shares (among other categories of income), are generally taken into account in computing a shareholder's net investment income.
Distributions are generally taxable when received. However, distributions declared in October, November or December to shareholders of record on a date in such a month and paid the following January are taxable for federal income tax purposes as if received on December 31 of the calendar year in which declared. In addition, certain distributions made after the close of a taxable year of a Fund may be "spilled back" and treated for certain purposes as paid by the Fund during such taxable year. In such case, shareholders generally will be treated as having received such dividends in the taxable year in which the distributions were actually made. For purposes of calculating the amount of a regulated investment company's undistributed income and gain subject to the 4% excise tax described above, such "spilled back" dividends are treated as paid by the regulated investment company when they are actually paid.
A sale of Fund shares may result in recognition of a taxable gain or loss. The gain or loss will generally be treated as a long-term capital gain or loss if the shares are held for more than one year, and as a short-term capital gain or loss if the shares are held for one year or less. Any loss realized upon a redemption or exchange of shares held for six months or less will be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any amounts treated as distributions of long-term capital gains during such six-month period. Any loss realized upon a redemption may be disallowed under certain wash sale rules to the extent shares of the same Fund or substantially identical stock or securities are purchased (through reinvestment of distributions or otherwise) within 30 days before or after the redemption.
An Authorized Participant who exchanges securities for Creation Units generally will recognize gain or loss from the exchange. The gain or loss will be equal to the difference between the market value of the Creation Units at the time of the exchange and the sum of the exchanger's aggregate basis in the securities surrendered plus the amount of cash paid for such Creation Units. The ability of Authorized Participants to receive a full or partial cash redemption of Creation Units of the Fund may limit the tax efficiency of the Fund. A person who redeems Creation Units will generally recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the sum of the aggregate market value of any securities received plus the amount of any cash received for such Creation Units and the exchanger's basis in the Creation Units. The IRS, however, may assert that a loss realized upon an exchange of securities for Creation Units cannot be deducted currently under the rules governing "wash sales" (for an Authorized Participant which does not mark-to-market its holdings) or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic position.
Any gain or loss realized upon a creation of Creation Units will be treated as capital gain or loss if the Authorized Participant holds the securities exchanged therefor as capital assets, and otherwise will be ordinary income or loss. Similarly, any gain or loss realized upon a redemption of Creation Units will be treated as capital gain or loss if the Authorized Participant holds the shares comprising the Creation Units as capital assets, and otherwise will be ordinary income or loss. 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, and otherwise will be short-term capital gain or loss. Any capital gain or loss realized upon the redemption of Creation Units will generally be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the shares comprising the Creation Units have been held for more than one year, and otherwise will generally be short-term capital gain or loss. Any capital loss realized upon a redemption of Creation Units held for six months or less should be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any amounts treated as distributions to the applicable Authorized Participant of long-term capital gains with respect to the shares included in the Creation Units (including any amounts credited to the Authorized Participant as undistributed capital gains).
B-69
The Trust, on behalf of the Fund, has the right to reject an order for a purchase of shares of the Fund if the purchaser (or a group of purchasers) would, upon obtaining the shares so ordered, own 80% or more of the outstanding shares of the Fund and if, pursuant to Section 351 of the 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 a group of purchasers) that would, upon obtaining the shares so ordered, own 80% or more of the outstanding shares of the Fund, the purchaser (or a group of purchasers) may not recognize gain or loss upon the exchange of securities for Creation Units. Persons purchasing or redeeming Creation Units should consult their own tax advisers with respect to the tax treatment of any creation or redemption transaction.
If a shareholder recognizes a loss with respect to the Fund's shares of $2 million or more for an individual shareholder or $10 million or more for a corporate shareholder (or certain greater amounts over a combination of years), the shareholder must file with the IRS a disclosure statement on IRS Form 8886. Direct shareholders of portfolio securities are in many cases exempted from this reporting requirement, but under current guidance, shareholders of a regulated investment company are not exempted. The fact that a loss is so reportable does not affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayer's treatment of the loss is proper.
A Fund's transactions in options and other similar transactions, such as futures, may be subject to special provisions of the Code that, among other things, affect the character of any income realized by the Fund from such investments, accelerate recognition of income to the Fund, defer Fund losses, affect the holding period of the Fund's securities, affect whether distributions will be eligible for the dividends-received deduction or be treated as qualified dividend income and affect the determination of whether capital gain and loss is characterized as long-term or short-term capital gain or loss. These rules could therefore affect the character, amount and timing of distributions to shareholders. These provisions may also require a Fund to "mark-to-market" certain types of the positions in its portfolio (i.e., treat them as if they were closed out), which may cause the Fund to recognize income without receiving cash with which to make distributions in amounts necessary to satisfy the distribution requirements for avoiding U.S. federal income and excise taxes. The Funds will monitor these transactions and will make the appropriate entries in its books and records, and if a Fund deems it advisable, will make appropriate elections if available in order to mitigate the effect of these rules, prevent disqualification of the Fund as a regulated investment company and minimize the imposition of U.S. federal income and excise taxes.
The Funds' transactions in broad based equity index futures contracts, exchange-traded options on such indices and certain other futures contracts are generally considered "Section 1256 contracts" for federal income tax purposes. Any unrealized gains or losses on such Section 1256 contracts are treated as though they were realized at the end of each taxable year. The resulting gain or loss is treated as 60% long-term capital gain or loss and 40% short-term capital gain or loss. Gain or loss recognized on actual sales of Section 1256 contracts is treated in the same manner. As noted above, distributions of net short-term capital gain are generally taxable to shareholders as ordinary income while distributions of net long-term capital gain are taxable to shareholders as long-term capital gain, regardless of how long the shareholder has held shares of the Fund.
A Fund's entry into a short sale transaction, an option or certain other contracts, such as futures, could be treated as the constructive sale of an appreciated financial position, causing the Fund to realize gain, but not loss, on the position.
If a Fund invests in certain pay-in-kind securities, zero coupon securities, deferred interest securities or, in general, any other securities with original issue discount (or with market discount if the Fund elects to include market discount in income currently), the Fund must accrue income on such investments for each taxable year, which generally will be prior to the receipt of the corresponding cash payments. However, the Fund must distribute, at least annually, all or substantially all of its investment company taxable income (determined without regard to the deduction for dividends paid), including such accrued income to shareholders to avoid federal income and excise taxes. Therefore, the Fund may have to sell portfolio securities (potentially under disadvantageous circumstances) to generate cash, or may have to undertake leverage by borrowing cash, to satisfy these distribution requirements. Dispositions of portfolio securities may result in additional gains and additional distribution requirements.
B-70
If a Fund invests in a market discount bond, it will be required to treat any gain recognized on the disposition of such market discount bond as ordinary income (instead of capital gain) to the extent of the accrued market discount, unless the Fund elects to include the market discount in income as it accrues as discussed above. A market discount bond is a security acquired in the secondary market at a price below its redemption value (or its adjusted issue price if it is also an original issue discount bond).
The Funds may be subject to withholding and other taxes imposed by foreign countries, including taxes on interest, dividends and capital gains with respect to its investments in those countries, which would, if imposed, reduce the yield on or return from those investments. Tax treaties between certain countries and the United States may reduce or eliminate such taxes in some cases. So long as the Fund qualifies for treatment as a regulated investment company and incurs "qualified foreign taxes," if more than 50% of its net assets at the close of its taxable year consist of stock or securities of foreign corporations, which for this purpose may include obligations of foreign governmental issuers, the Fund may elect to "pass through" to its shareholders the amount of such foreign taxes paid. If this election is made, information with respect to the amount of the foreign income taxes that are allocated to the Fund's shareholders will be provided to them and any shareholder subject to tax on dividends will be required (i) to include in ordinary gross income (in addition to the amount of the taxable dividends actually received) his/her proportionate share of the foreign taxes paid that are attributable to such dividends; and (ii) either to deduct his/her proportionate share of such foreign taxes in computing his/her taxable income or to claim that amount as a foreign tax credit (subject to applicable limitations) against U.S. income taxes.
Shareholders who do not itemize deductions for U.S. federal income tax purposes will not be able to deduct their pro rata portion of qualified foreign taxes paid by the Fund, although such shareholders will be required to include their shares of such taxes in gross income if the Fund makes the election described above. Qualified foreign taxes generally include taxes that would be treated as income taxes under U.S. Treasury regulations but do not include most other taxes, such as stamp taxes, securities transaction taxes, and similar taxes. No deduction for such taxes will be permitted to individuals in computing their alternative minimum tax liability.
If a Fund makes the election to pass through qualified foreign taxes and a shareholder chooses to take a credit for the foreign taxes deemed paid by such shareholder, the amount of the credit that may be claimed in any year may not exceed the same proportion of the U.S. tax against which such credit is taken that the shareholder's taxable income from foreign sources (but not in excess of the shareholder's entire taxable income) bears to his entire taxable income. For this purpose, long-term and short-term capital gains the Fund realizes and distributes to shareholders will generally not be treated as income from foreign sources in their hands, nor will distributions of certain foreign currency gains subject to Section 988 of the Code or of any other income realized by the Fund that is deemed, under the Code, to be U.S.-source income in the hands of the Fund. This foreign tax credit limitation may also be applied separately to certain specific categories of foreign-source income and the related foreign taxes. As a result of these rules, which may have different effects depending upon each shareholder's particular tax situation, certain shareholders may not be able to claim a credit for the full amount of their proportionate share of the foreign taxes paid by the Fund. Shareholders who are not liable for U.S. federal income taxes, including tax-exempt shareholders, will ordinarily not benefit from this election. If the Fund does make the election, it will provide required tax information to shareholders. The Fund generally may deduct any foreign taxes that are not passed through to its shareholders in computing its income available for distribution to shareholders to satisfy applicable tax distribution requirements. Under certain circumstances, if the Fund receives a refund of foreign taxes paid in respect of a prior year, the value of the Fund's shares could be affected, or any foreign tax credits or deductions passed through to shareholders in respect of the Fund's foreign taxes for the current year could be reduced.
B-71
Foreign exchange gains or losses realized by a Fund in connection with certain transactions involving foreign currency-denominated debt securities, certain options and futures contracts relating to foreign currency, foreign currency forward contracts, foreign currencies, or payables or receivables denominated in a foreign currency are subject to Section 988 of the Code, which generally causes such gains or losses to be treated as ordinary gain or loss and may affect the amount, timing and character of distributions to shareholders.
A Fund may purchase the securities of certain foreign entities treated as passive foreign investment companies for federal income tax purposes ("PFIC"). PFICs may be the only or primary means by which the Fund may invest in some countries. If a Fund invests in equity securities of PFICs, it may be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a portion of any "excess distribution" or gain from the disposition of such securities even if such income is distributed as a taxable dividend to shareholders. Additional charges in the nature of interest may be imposed on the Fund with respect to deferred taxes arising from such distributions or gains. Capital gains on the sale of such holdings will be deemed to be ordinary income regardless of how long such PFICs are held. A "qualified electing fund" election or a "mark to market" election may generally be available that would ameliorate these adverse tax consequences, but such elections could require a Fund to recognize taxable income or gain (subject to the distribution requirements applicable to regulated investment companies, as described above) without the concurrent receipt of cash. In order to satisfy the distribution requirements and avoid a tax on a Fund, the Fund may be required to liquidate portfolio securities that it might otherwise have continued to hold, potentially resulting in additional taxable gain or loss to the Fund. In order for a Fund to make a qualified electing fund election with respect to a PFIC, the PFIC would have to agree to provide certain tax information to the Fund on an annual basis, which it might not agree to do. A Fund may limit and/or manage its holdings in PFICs to limit its tax liability or maximize its return from these investments. The Fund may limit and/or manage its holdings in PFICs to limit its tax liability or maximize its return from these investments.
If a sufficient percentage of the equity interests in a foreign issuer that is treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes are held by the Fund, independently or together with certain other U.S. persons, that issuer may be treated as a "controlled foreign corporation" (a "CFC") with respect to the Fund, in which case the Fund will be required to take into account each year, as ordinary income, its share of certain portions of that issuer's income, whether or not such amounts are distributed. The Fund may have to dispose of its portfolio securities (potentially resulting in the recognition of taxable gain or loss, and potentially under disadvantageous circumstances) to generate cash, or may have to borrow the cash, to meet its distribution requirements and avoid Fund-level taxes. In addition, some Fund gains on the disposition of interests in such an issuer may be treated as ordinary income. The Fund may limit and/or manage its holdings in issuers that could be treated as CFCs in order to limit its tax liability or maximize its after-tax return from these investments.
In addition, if the Fund owned 10% or more of the voting power of a foreign entity treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes for the last tax year of the foreign entity beginning before January 1, 2018, the Fund may have been required to include in its income its share of certain deferred foreign income of that foreign entity. Under those circumstances, the Fund may have been able to make an election to pay tax liability in respect of its share of any such income over eight years. It is possible that these deferred payments could affect the value of shares, even though all or some of the Fund's shareholders at the time of any deferred payment may have derived no economic benefit from the foreign entity's deferred income.
Depreciation or other cost recovery deductions passed through to the Fund from investments in MLPs in a given year will generally reduce the Fund's taxable income, but those deductions may be recaptured in the Fund's income in one or more subsequent years. When recognized and distributed, recapture income will generally be taxable to shareholders of the Fund at the time of the distribution at ordinary income tax rates, even though those shareholders might not have held shares in the Fund at the time the deductions were taken by the Fund, and even though those shareholders will not have corresponding economic gain on their shares at the time of the recapture. In order to distribute recapture income or to fund redemption requests, the Fund may need to liquidate investments, which may lead to additional recapture income.
B-72
Noncorporate taxpayers are generally eligible for a deduction of up to 20% of "qualified publicly traded partnership income." The Fund will not be able to claim such a deduction in respect of income allocated to it by any MLPs or other publicly traded partnerships in which it invests, and absent any additional guidance, the law does not allow noncorporate shareholders to be able to claim a deduction in respect of Fund dividends attributable to any such income.
Non-U.S. persons are subject to U.S. tax on disposition of a "United States real property interest" (a "USRPI"). Gain on such a disposition is sometimes referred to as "FIRPTA gain." The Code provides a look-through rule for distributions of "FIRPTA gain" if certain requirements are met. If the look-through rule applies, certain distributions attributable to income received by a Fund, e.g., from REITs, may be treated as gain from the disposition of a USRPI, causing distributions to be subject to U.S. withholding tax at rates of up to 21%, and require non-U.S. shareholders to file nonresident U.S. income tax returns.
The Funds are required to withhold (as "backup withholding") a portion of reportable payments, including dividends, capital gain distributions and the proceeds of redemptions and exchanges or repurchases of Fund shares, paid to shareholders who have not complied with certain Treasury regulations. The backup withholding rate is currently 24%. In order to avoid this withholding requirement, shareholders, other than certain exempt entities, must certify on IRS Forms W-9 or on certain other documents, that the Social Security Numbers or other Taxpayer Identification Numbers they provide are their correct numbers and that they are not currently subject to backup withholding, or that they are exempt from backup withholding. The Fund may nevertheless be required to backup withhold if it receives notice from the IRS or a broker that a number provided is incorrect or that backup withholding is applicable as a result of previous underreporting of interest or dividend income.
Ordinary dividends and certain other payments made by a Fund to non-U.S. shareholders are generally subject to withholding tax at a 30% rate (or a lower rate as may be determined in accordance with any applicable treaty). In order to obtain a reduced rate of withholding, a non-U.S. shareholder will be required to provide an IRS Form W-8BEN or similar form certifying its entitlement to benefits under a treaty. The withholding tax does not apply to regular dividends paid to a non-U.S. shareholder who provides an IRS Form W-8ECI, certifying that the dividends are effectively connected with the non-U.S. shareholder's conduct of a trade or business within the United States. Instead, the effectively connected dividends will be subject to regular U.S. income tax as if the non-U.S. shareholder were a U.S. shareholder. A non-U.S. corporation receiving effectively connected dividends may also be subject to additional "branch profits tax" imposed at a rate of 30% (or a lower treaty rate).
The 30% withholding tax described in the preceding paragraph generally will not apply to distributions of net capital gain, to redemption proceeds, or to dividends that a Fund reports as (a) interest-related dividends, to the extent such dividends are derived from the Fund's "qualified net interest income," or (b) short-term capital gain dividends, to the extent such dividends are derived from the Fund's "qualified short-term gain." "Qualified net interest income" is the Fund's net income derived from U.S.-source interest and original issue discount, subject to certain exceptions and limitations. "Qualified short-term gain" generally means the excess of the net short-term capital gain of the Fund for the taxable year over its net long-term capital loss, if any. In order to qualify for an exemption from withholding, a non-U.S. shareholder will need to comply with applicable certification requirements relating to its non-U.S. status (including, in general, furnishing an IRS Form W-8BEN or other applicable form). Backup withholding will not be applied to payments that are subject to this 30% withholding tax.
Unless certain non-U.S. entities that hold Fund shares comply with IRS requirements that will generally require them to report information regarding U.S. persons investing in, or holding accounts with, such entities, a 30% withholding tax may apply to the Fund's dividends payable to such entities. A non-U.S. shareholder may be exempt from the withholding described in this paragraph under an applicable intergovernmental agreement between the United States and a foreign government, provided that the shareholder and the applicable foreign government comply with the terms of such agreement.
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This discussion and the related discussion in the Prospectus have been prepared by management of the Funds, and counsel to the Trust has expressed no opinion in respect thereof.
Shareholders and prospective shareholders of the Fund should consult their own tax advisors concerning the effect of owning shares of a Fund in light of their particular tax situations.
Dividends and Distributions
Each Fund will receive income in the form of dividends and interest earned on its investments in securities. This income, less the expenses incurred in its operations, is the Fund's net investment income, substantially all of which will be declared as dividends to the Fund's shareholders.
The amount of income dividend payments by a Fund is dependent upon the amount of net investment income received by the Fund from its portfolio holdings, is not guaranteed and is subject to the discretion of the Board. The Funds do not pay "interest" or guarantee any fixed rate of return on an investment in its shares.
The Funds also may derive capital gains or losses in connection with sales or other dispositions of its portfolio securities. Any net gain a Fund may realize from transactions involving investments held for less than the period required for long-term capital gain or loss recognition or otherwise producing short-term capital gains and losses (taking into account any available carryover of capital losses), although a distribution from capital gains, will be distributed to shareholders with and as a part of the income dividends paid by the Fund and will generally be taxable to shareholders as ordinary income for federal income tax purposes. If during any year a Fund realizes a net gain on transactions involving investments held for more than the period required for long-term capital gain or loss recognition or otherwise producing long-term capital gains and losses, the Fund will have a net long-term capital gain. After deduction of the amount of any net short-term capital loss, the balance (to the extent not offset by any capital losses available to be carried over) generally will be distributed and treated as long-term capital gains in the hands of the shareholders regardless of the length of time the Fund's shares may have been held by the shareholders. For more information concerning applicable capital gains tax rates, see your tax advisor.
Any dividend or distribution paid by a Fund reduces the Fund's NAV on the date paid by the amount of the dividend or distribution per share. Accordingly, a dividend or distribution paid shortly after a purchase of shares by a shareholder will generally be taxable, even if it effectively represents a partial return of the shareholder's capital.
Dividends and other distributions will be made in the form of additional shares of a Fund unless the shareholder has otherwise indicated. Investors have the right to change their elections with respect to the reinvestment of dividends and distributions by notifying the Transfer Agent in writing, but any such change will be effective only as to dividends and other distributions for which the record date is seven or more business days after the Transfer Agent has received the written request.
A Fund's investments in partnerships, if any, including in qualified publicly traded partnerships, may result in that Fund being subject to state, local or foreign income, franchise or withholding tax liabilities.
General Information
Investment Managers Series Trust III is an open-end management investment company organized as a Delaware statutory trust under the laws of the State of Delaware. The Trust has a number of outstanding series of shares of beneficial interest, each of which represents interests in a separate portfolio of securities.
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The Trust's Declaration of Trust permits the Trustees to create additional series of shares, to issue an unlimited number of full and fractional shares of beneficial interest of each series, including the Fund, and to divide or combine the shares of any series into a greater or lesser number of shares without thereby changing the proportionate beneficial interest in the series. The assets belonging to a series are charged with the liabilities in respect of that series and all expenses, costs, charges and reserves attributable to that series only. Therefore, any creditor of any series may look only to the assets belonging to that series to satisfy the creditor's debt. Any general liabilities, expenses, costs, charges or reserves of the Trust which are not readily identifiable as pertaining to any particular series are allocated and charged by the Trustees to and among the existing series in the sole discretion of the Trustees. Each share of the Fund represents an interest in the Fund proportionately equal to the interest of each other share. Upon the Fund's liquidation, all shareholders would share pro rata in the net assets of the Fund available for distribution to shareholders.
The Trust may offer more than one class of shares of any series. Each share of a series or class represents an equal proportionate interest in that series or class with each other share of that series or class.
The shares of each series or class participate equally in the earnings, dividends and assets of the particular series or class. Expenses of the Trust which are not attributable to a specific series or class are allocated among all the series in a manner believed by management of the Trust to be fair and equitable. Shares issued do not have pre-emptive or conversion rights. Shares when issued are fully paid and non-assessable, except as set forth below. Shareholders are entitled to one vote for each share held. Shares of each series or class generally vote together, except when required under federal securities laws to vote separately on matters that only affect a particular series or class, such as the approval of distribution plans for a particular class.
The Trust is not required to hold annual meetings of shareholders but will hold special meetings of shareholders of a series or class when, in the judgment of the Board, it is necessary or desirable to submit matters for a shareholder vote. Shareholders have, under certain circumstances, the right to communicate with other shareholders in connection with requesting a meeting of shareholders for the purpose of removing one or more trustees. Shareholders also have, in certain circumstances, the right to remove one or more trustees without a meeting. No material amendment may be made to the Trust's Declaration of Trust without the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of each portfolio affected by the amendment.
The Trust's Declaration of Trust provides that, at any meeting of shareholders of the Trust or of any series or class, a shareholder servicing agent may vote any shares as to which such shareholder servicing agent is the agent of record for shareholders who are not represented in person or by proxy at the meeting, proportionately in accordance with the votes cast by holders of all shares of that portfolio otherwise represented at the meeting in person or by proxy as to which such shareholder servicing agent is the agent of record. Any shares so voted by a shareholder servicing agent will be deemed represented at the meeting for purposes of quorum requirements. Any series or class may be terminated (i) upon the merger or consolidation with, or the sale or disposition of all or substantially all of its assets to, another entity, if approved by the vote of the holders of two-thirds of its outstanding shares, except that if the Board recommends such merger, consolidation or sale or disposition of assets, the approval by vote of the holders of a majority of the series' or class' outstanding shares will be sufficient, or (ii) by the vote of the holders of a majority of its outstanding shares, or (iii) by the Board by written notice to the series' or class' shareholders. Unless each series and class is so terminated, the Trust will continue indefinitely.
Shareholders may send communications to the Board. Shareholders should send communications intended for the Board by addressing the communications to the Board, in care of the Secretary of the Trust and sending the communication to 2220 E. Route 66, Suite 226, Glendora, California 91740. A shareholder communication must (i) be in writing and be signed by the shareholder, (ii) provide contact information for the shareholder, (iii) identify the Fund to which it relates, and (iv) identify the class and number of shares held by the shareholder. The Secretary of the Trust may, in good faith, determine that shareholder communication should not be provided to the Board because it does not reasonably relate to the Trust or its operations, management, activities, policies, service providers, Board, officers, shareholders or other matters relating to an investment in the Fund or is otherwise immaterial in nature. Other shareholder communications received by the Funds not directly addressed and sent to the Board will be reviewed and generally responded to by management and will be forwarded to the Board only at management's discretion based on the matters contained therein.
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The Declaration of Trust provides that no Trustee or officer of the Trust shall be subject to any personal liability in connection with the assets or affairs of the Trust or any of its series except for losses in connection with his or her willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of his or her duties. The Trust has also entered into an indemnification agreement with each Trustee which provides that the Trust shall advance expenses and indemnify and hold harmless the Trustee in certain circumstances against any expenses incurred by the Trustee in any proceeding arising out of or in connection with the Trustee's service to the Trust, to the maximum extent permitted by the Delaware Statutory Trust Act, the 1933 Act and the 1940 Act, and which provides for certain procedures in connection with such advancement of expenses and indemnification.
The Trust's Declaration of Trust also provides that the Trust shall maintain appropriate insurance (for example, fidelity bonding and errors and omissions insurance) for the protection of the Trust, its shareholders, trustees, officers, employees and agents covering possible tort and other liabilities.
The Declaration of Trust does not require the issuance of stock certificates. If stock certificates are issued, they must be returned by the registered owners prior to the transfer or redemption of shares represented by such certificates.
Rule 18f-2 under the 1940 Act provides that as to any investment company which has two or more series outstanding and as to any matter required to be submitted to shareholder vote, such matter is not deemed to have been effectively acted upon unless approved by the holders of a "majority" (as defined in the rule) of the voting securities of each series affected by the matter. Such separate voting requirements do not apply to the election of Trustees or the ratification of the selection of accountants. The Rule contains special provisions for cases in which an advisory contract is approved by one or more, but not all, series. A change in investment policy may go into effect as to one or more series whose holders so approve the change even though the required vote is not obtained as to the holders of other affected series.
The Trust, and the Advisor have adopted Codes of Ethics under Rule 17j-1 of the 1940 Act. These codes of ethics permit, subject to certain conditions, personnel of each of those entities to invest in securities that may be purchased or held by each Fund.
Financial Statements
As the Funds have not commenced operations, there are no financial statements available at this time. Shareholders of the Funds will be informed of the Funds' progress through periodic reports when those reports become available. Financial statements certified by the independent registered public accounting firm will be submitted to shareholders at least annually. The Futures Strategy ETF has adopted the financial statements of the Predecessor Fund. Those financial statements were audited by the Predecessor Funds' registered public accounting firm. A copy of the Predecessor Funds' Annual Report, Semi-Annual Report, and the Financial Statements and Other Information, which was filed as part of Form N-CSR, can be obtained at no charge by calling 1-xxx-xxx-xxxx or writing the Funds.
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Appendix A
Description of Securities Ratings
Corporate Bonds (Including Convertible Bonds)
Moody's
Aaa Obligations rated Aaa are judged to be of the highest quality, with minimal credit risk.
Aa Obligations rated Aa are judged to be of high quality and are subject to very low credit risk.
A Obligations rated A are considered upper-medium grade and are subject to low credit risk.
Baa Obligations rated Baa are subject to moderate credit risk. They are considered medium-grade and as such may possess certain speculative characteristics.
Ba Obligations rated Ba are judged to have speculative elements and are subject to substantial credit risk.
B Obligations rated B are considered speculative and are subject to high credit risk.
Caa Obligations rated Caa are judged to be of poor standing and are subject to very high credit risk.
Ca Obligations rated Ca are highly speculative and are likely in, or very near, default, with some prospect of recovery.
C Obligations rated C are the lowest rated class of bonds and are typically in default, with little prospect for recovery of principal or interest.
Note Moody's applies numerical modifiers 1, 2, and 3 in each generic rating classification from Aa through Caa. The modifier 1 indicates that the obligation ranks in the higher end of its generic rating category; the modifier 2 indicates a mid-range ranking; and the modifier 3 indicates a ranking in the lower end of that generic rating category.
S&P
AAA An obligation rated AAA has the highest rating assigned by Standard & Poor's. The obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is extremely strong.
AA An obligation rated AA differs from the highest-rated obligations only in small degree. The obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is very strong.
A An obligation rated A is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher-rated categories. However, the obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is still strong.
BBB An obligation rated BBB exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
Note Obligations rated BB, B, CCC, CC, and C are regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. BB indicates the least degree of speculation and C the highest. While such obligations will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these may be outweighed by large uncertainties or major exposures to adverse conditions.
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BB An obligation rated BB is less vulnerable to nonpayment than other speculative issues. However, it faces major ongoing uncertainties or exposure to adverse business, financial or economic conditions, which could lead to the obligor's inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
B An obligation rated B is more vulnerable to nonpayment than obligations rated BB, but the obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. Adverse business, financial, or economic conditions will likely impair the obligor's capacity or willingness to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
CCC An obligation rated CCC is currently vulnerable to nonpayment, and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. In the event of adverse business, financial, or economic conditions, the obligor is not likely to have the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
CC An obligation rated CC is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment.
C The C rating may be used to cover a situation where a bankruptcy petition has been filed or similar action has been taken, but payments on this obligation are being continued.
D An obligation rated D is in payment default. The D rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due even if the applicable grace period has not expired, unless Standard & Poor's believes that such payments will be made during such grace period. The D rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of a similar action if payments on an obligation are jeopardized.
Note Plus (+) or minus (-). The ratings from AA to CCC may be modified by the addition of a plus or minus sign to show relative standing within the major rating categories. The "r" symbol is attached to the ratings of instruments with significant noncredit risks. It highlights risks to principal or volatility of expected returns, which are not addressed in the credit rating. Examples include: obligations linked or indexed to equities, currencies, or commodities; obligations exposed to severe prepayment risk-such as interest-only or principal-only mortgage securities; and obligations with unusually risky interest terms, such as inverse floaters.
Preferred Stock
Moody's
Aaa An issue that is rated "Aaa" is considered to be a top-quality preferred stock. This rating indicates good asset protection and the least risk of dividend impairment within the universe of preferred stocks.
Aa An issue that is rated "Aa" is considered a high-grade preferred stock. This rating indicates that there is a reasonable assurance the earnings and asset protection will remain relatively well maintained in the foreseeable future.
A An issue that is rated "A" is considered to be an upper-medium grade preferred stock. While risks are judged to be somewhat greater than in the "Aaa" and "Aa" classification, earnings and asset protection are, nevertheless, expected to be maintained at adequate levels.
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Baa An issue that is rated "Baa" is considered to be a medium-grade preferred stock, neither highly protected nor poorly secured. Earnings and asset protection appear adequate at present but may be questionable over any great length of time.
Ba An issue that is rated "Ba" is considered to have speculative elements and its future cannot be considered well assured. Earnings and asset protection may be very moderate and not well safeguarded during adverse periods. Uncertainty of position characterizes preferred stocks in this class.
B An issue that is rated "B" generally lacks the characteristics of a desirable investment. Assurance of dividend payments and maintenance of other terms of the issue over any long period of time may be small.
Caa An issue that is rated "Caa" is likely to be in arrears on dividend payments. This rating designation does not purport to indicate the future status of payments.
Ca An issue that is rated "Ca" is speculative in a high degree and is likely to be in arrears on dividends with little likelihood of eventual payments.
C This is the lowest rated class of preferred or preference stock. Issues so rated can thus be regarded as having extremely poor prospects of ever attaining any real investment standing.
Note Moody's applies numerical modifiers 1, 2, and 3 in each rating classification: the modifier 1 indicates that the security ranks in the higher end of its generic rating category; the modifier 2 indicates a mid-range ranking and the modifier 3 indicates that the issue ranks in the lower end of its generic rating category.
S&P
AAA This is the highest rating that may be assigned by Standard & Poor's to a preferred stock issue and indicates an extremely strong capacity to pay the preferred stock obligations.
AA A preferred stock issue rated AA also qualifies as a high-quality, fixed-income security. The capacity to pay preferred stock obligations is very strong, although not as overwhelming as for issues rated AAA.
A An issue rated A is backed by a sound capacity to pay the preferred stock obligations, although it is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions.
BBB An issue rated BBB is regarded as backed by an adequate capacity to pay the preferred stock obligations. Whereas it normally exhibits adequate protection parameters, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity to make payments for a preferred stock in this category than for issues in the A category.
BB, B, CCC Preferred stock rated BB, B, and CCC is regarded, on balance, as predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer's capacity to pay preferred stock obligations. BB indicates the lowest degree of speculation and CCC the highest. While such issues will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these are outweighed by large uncertainties or major risk exposures to adverse conditions.
CC The rating CC is reserved for a preferred stock issue that is in arrears on dividends or sinking fund payments, but that is currently paying.
C A preferred stock rated C is a nonpaying issue.
D A preferred stock rated D is a nonpaying issue with the issuer in default on debt instruments.
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N.R. This indicates that no rating has been requested, that there is insufficient information on which to base a rating, or that Standard & Poor's does not rate a particular type of obligation as a matter of policy.
Note Plus (+) or minus (-). To provide more detailed indications of preferred stock quality, ratings from AA to CCC may be modified by the addition of a plus or minus sign to show relative standing within the major rating categories.
Short Term Ratings
Moody's
Moody's employs the following three designations, all judged to be investment grade, to indicate the relative repayment ability of rated issuers:
Prime-1 Issuers rated Prime-1 (or supporting institutions) have a superior ability for repayment of senior short-term debt obligations. Prime-1 repayment ability will often be evidenced by many of the following characteristics:
| • | Leading market positions in well-established industries. |
| • | High rates of return on funds employed. |
| • | Conservative capitalization structure with moderate reliance on debt and ample asset protection. |
| • | Broad margins in earnings coverage of fixed financial charges and high internal cash generation. |
| • | Well-established access to a range of financial markets and assured sources of alternate liquidity. |
Prime-2 Issuers rated Prime-2 (or supporting institutions) have a strong ability for repayment of senior short-term debt obligations. This will normally be evidenced by many of the characteristics cited above but to a lesser degree. Earnings trends and coverage ratios, while sound, may be more subject to variation. Capitalization characteristics, while still appropriate, may be more affected by external conditions. Ample alternate liquidity is maintained.
Prime-3 Issuers rated Prime-3 (or supporting institutions) have an acceptable ability for repayment of senior short-term obligations. The effect of industry characteristics and market compositions may be more pronounced. Variability in earnings and profitability may result in changes in the level of debt protection measurements and may require relatively high financial leverage. Adequate alternate liquidity is maintained.
Not Prime Issuers rated Not Prime do not fall within any of the Prime rating categories.
S&P
A-1 A short-term obligation rated A-1 is rated in the highest category by Standard & Poor's. The obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is strong. Within this category, certain obligations are designated with a plus sign (+). This indicates that the obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on these obligations is extremely strong.
A-2 A short-term obligation rated A-2 is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher rating categories. However, the obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is satisfactory.
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A-3 A short-term obligation rated A-3 exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
B A short-term obligation rated B is regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. The obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation; however, it faces major ongoing uncertainties, which could lead to the obligor's inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
C A short-term obligation rated C is currently vulnerable to nonpayment and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
D A short-term obligation rated D is in payment default. The D rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due even if the applicable grace period has not expired, unless Standard & Poor's believes that such payments will be made during such grace period. The D rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of a similar action if payments on an obligation are jeopardized.
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APPENDIX B
INVESTMENT MANAGERS SERIES TRUST III
PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
Investment Managers Series Trust III (the "Trust") is registered as an open-end 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 Advisors
The Board believes that the investment advisor of each Fund (each, an "Advisor" and, collectively, the "Advisors"), 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 will therefore defer to, and rely on, the Advisor of each Fund to make decisions on how to cast proxy votes on behalf of such Fund. An Advisor may delegate this responsibility to a Fund's Sub-Advisor(s).
The Trust hereby designates the Advisor 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 Advisor 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 Advisor will perform these duties in accordance with the Advisor's proxy voting policy, a copy of which will be presented to the Board for its review. Each Advisor is responsible for providing its current proxy voting policies and procedures to the Trust's Chief Compliance Officer ("CCO") and for promptly providing any subsequent amendments to the proxy voting policies and procedures to the CCO as they are adopted and implemented, and the CCO will then report such updates to the Board.
Each Advisor will provide a completed annual voting record for the prior 12 months ended June 30th, as required by the Proxy Rule, for each series of the Trust for which it acts as advisor, to the Trust's co-administrator, Mutual Fund Administration, LLC ("MFAC") no later than July 31st of each year. MFAC (acting as filing agent) will file the Form N-PX with the Securities and Exchange Commission no later than August 31st of each year.
In connection with each filing on behalf of a Fund, the Advisor's Chief Compliance Officer must sign and return to MFAC no later than July 30th the attached Form N-PX Certification (attached to Appendix N, Exhibit A) stating that the Advisor has adopted proxy voting policies and procedures in compliance with the SEC's Proxy Rule.
Availability of Proxy Voting Policy and Records Available to Fund Shareholders
If a Fund or an Advisor has a website, a copy of the Advisor's proxy voting policy and this Policy may be posted 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 transfer agent will notify the Advisor of any such request of proxy voting procedures. The Advisor shall reply to any Fund shareholder request within three (3) business days of receipt of the request, by first-class mail or other means designed to ensure equally prompt delivery.
If the Fund has a website, it must make publicly available free of charge the information contained in the Fund's most recently filed report on Form N-PX on its website as soon as reasonably practicable after filing the report. Each Advisor will be primarily responsible for making its Fund's Form N-PX filing publicly accessible. An Advisor may engage one or more third-party service providers ("Service Providers") to assist in making prospectuses and other disclosure documents publicly accessible and/or to assist with delivery of paper and electronic copies of these documents.
For each Fund, specified members of the relevant Advisor's staff will maintain versions of the Fund's most recent Form N-PX in the format required by Form N-PX on the Fund's website. MFAC, the Trust's co-administrator, and the Trust's Chief Compliance Officer (the "CCO") will be responsible for periodically testing each Advisor's performance of its obligations to maintain accessibility and availability of its Fund's Form N-PX document.
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MAST INVESTMENTS PROXY VOTING POLICY
The following Proxy Voting Policy and its corresponding procedures have been adopted by Mast Investments to comply with Rule 206(4)-6 under the Advisers Act and other fiduciary obligations. The Policy applies to voting securities held by Mast Investment's Advisory Clients and has been designed to ensure that Mast Investments votes proxies in the best interest of its Advisory Clients. Additionally, because the Firm may invest in debt or lending instruments, this Proxy Voting Policy extends to waivers and amendments to various lending transaction documents. For purposes of this policy, requests for waivers or amendments are treated as proxies. In accordance with its obligations under this rule, Mast Investments has designed and adopted the following procedures to ensure that proxies are voted, and any requests for waivers and amendments determined, at all times in the best interest of the Firm's Advisory Clients holding such securities or investments. Any questions or concerns regarding this Proxy Policy, or whether a particular issue may present a material conflict of interest with respect to Mast Investment's voting of Advisory Client proxies or requests for waivers and amendments, should be directed to the CCO.
Proxies are assets of the Firm's Advisory Clients that must be voted with diligence, care, and loyalty. For most matters involving proxies, the Firm's policy is to not vote a proxy if it believes the proposal is not adverse to the best interest of the Firm's Advisory Clients or, if adverse, the outcome of the vote is not in doubt in order to avoid the unnecessary expenditure of time and the cost to review the proxy materials in detail and carry out the vote. In such circumstances, the Firm believes that devoting this time to investments activities on behalf of the Firm's Advisory Clients best serves its clients. The CIO coordinates the Firm's proxy voting process with the COO having overall responsibility of overseeing that proxies received by the Firm are voted.
Paragraph (c)(ii) of Rule 204-2 under the Advisers Act requires the Firm to maintain certain books and records associated with its proxy voting policies and procedures. The Firm's recordkeeping obligations are described in the Records Maintenance and Retention Policy section of this Manual. The COO, in consultation with the Management Committee will ensure that the Firm complies with all applicable recordkeeping requirements associated with proxy voting.
While the decision whether or not to vote a proxy must be made on a case-by-case basis, the Firm generally does not vote if it believes the proposal is not adverse to the best interest of the Advisory Clients or, if adverse, the outcome of the vote is not in doubt. In the situations where the Firm does vote a proxy, the Firm generally votes proxies in accordance with the following general guidelines:
| • | Routine Matters will generally be voted consistent with management's recommendation. Examples of routine matters include uncontested election of directors, ratification of auditors, and corporate name change. |
| • | Non-routine matters will be voted on a fact sensitive basis. Examples of proxy proposal issues which are so fact sensitive that no general voting policy with respect to such issues may be established by the Firm include merger/acquisition approvals, spin-offs, liquidations, tender offers, and corporate restructurings. |
The COO, in consultation with the Management Committee, will evaluate whether to vote the proxy proposals received by the Firm. If the proxies are voted, the proxy proposals received by the Firm and designated above in the proxy voting policies as "Routine Matters" will be voted by the COO in accordance with the proxy voting policies, and proxy proposals received by the Firm and designated above in the proxy voting policies as "Non-Routine Matters" (or not addressed in the proxy voting policies) will be reviewed by the COO, in consultation with the Governance Committee, on a case-by-case basis. All "Non-Routine" voting decisions shall be documented.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the COO, or his designee, may vote a proxy categorized as a "Routine Matter" contrary to the proxy voting guidelines if the COO, or his designee, in consultation with the Management Committee, determines that such action is in the best interest of Clients. In the event that the COO, or his designee, is instructed to vote contrary to the proxy voting guidelines, the basis for the voting decision will be documented.
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In addition to not voting proxies where the Firm deems the expenditure of time and cost of voting would exceed the anticipated benefit to Advisory Clients, the COO, or his designee, in consultation with the Management Committee, may choose not to vote proxies in certain situations or for certain Advisory Clients, such as where a proxy is received by the Firm for a security it no longer manages on behalf of an Advisory Client.
The Firm may occasionally be subject to conflicts of interest in the voting of proxies due to business or personal relationships it maintains with persons having an interest in the outcome of certain votes. The Firm, its affiliates and/or Employees may also occasionally have business or personal relationships with the proponents of proxy proposals, participants in proxy contests, corporate directors and officers, or candidates for directorships. If at any time, the Firm becomes aware of a conflict of interest relating to a particular proxy proposal, the Firm will handle the proposal as follows:
| • | if the proposal is designated in the proxy voting policies above as a "Routine Matter" the proposal will be voted by the Firm in accordance with the proxy voting policies, provided little discretion on the part of the Firm is involved; or |
| • | if the proposal is designated in the proxy voting policies above as a "Non-Routine Matter" (or not addressed in the proxy voting policies), the Firm will take such action as is necessary to ensure that the Firm's vote (including the decision whether to vote) is based on the applicable Advisory Client's best interests. |
FORM N-PX
As the investment adviser to the Mutual Funds, Mast Investments must annually file a record of all proxies voted on behalf of the Mutual Funds during the prior year with the SEC on Form N-PX and post a record of its proxy votes on its website.
Form N-PX must be filed by August 31 of each year for proxy votes placed during the prior calendar year.
CLASS ACTIONS
The Firm does not direct Advisory Clients' participation in class actions.
DISCLOSURES TO ADVISORY CLIENTS
Any request for information about proxy voting should be promptly forwarded to the CCO, who will respond to any such requests.
RECORDKEEPING
Mast Investments will maintain the appropriate proxy voting records as required under the Advisers Act (and may delegate certain of the recordkeeping functions relating to the voting of proxies to its service provider). A list of the records required to be maintained is set forth in the Records Maintenance and Retention Policy.
CONFIDENTIALITY
All reports and any other information filed with Mast Investments pursuant to this Proxy Voting Policy will be treated as confidential, except that the same may be disclosed to Mast Investments's management, any regulatory or self-regulatory authority or agency upon its request, or as required by law or court or administrative order.
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PART C: OTHER INFORMATION
Mast ETFs
| ITEM 28. | EXHIBITS. |
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| ITEM 29. | PERSONS CONTROLLED BY OR UNDER COMMON CONTROL WITH THE FUNDS. |
Not applicable.
| ITEM 30. | INDEMNIFICATION. |
Pursuant to Del. Code Ann. Title 12 Section 3817, a Delaware statutory trust may provide in its governing instrument for the indemnification of its officers and Trustees from and against any and all claims and demands whatsoever.
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Reference is made to Article 8, Section 8.4 of the Registrant's Agreement and Declaration of Trust, which provides:
Subject to the limitations, if applicable, hereinafter set forth in this Section 8.4, the Trust shall indemnify (from the assets of the Series or Series to which the conduct in question relates) each of its Trustees, officers, employees and agents (including Persons who serve at the Trust's request as directors, officers or trustees of another organization in which the Trust has any interest as a shareholder, creditor or otherwise (hereinafter, together with such Person's heirs, executors, administrators or personal representative, referred to as a "Covered Person")) against all liabilities, including but not limited to amounts paid in satisfaction of judgments, in compromise or as fines and penalties, and expenses, including reasonable accountants' and counsel fees, incurred by any Covered Person in connection with the defense or disposition of any action, suit or other proceeding, whether civil or criminal, before any court or administrative or legislative body, in which such Covered Person may be or may have been involved as a party or otherwise or with which such Covered Person may be or may have been threatened, while in office or thereafter, by reason of being or having been such a Trustee or officer, director or trustee, except with respect to any matter as to which it has been determined that such Covered Person (i) did not act in good faith in the reasonable belief that such Covered Person's action was in or not opposed to the best interests of the Trust; (ii) had acted with willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of such Covered Person's office (iii) for a criminal proceeding, had reasonable cause to believe that his conduct was unlawful (the conduct described in (i), (ii) and (iii) being referred to hereafter as "Disabling Conduct"). A determination that the Covered Person is entitled to indemnification may be made by (i) a final decision on the merits by a court or other body before whom the proceeding was brought that the Covered Person to be indemnified was not liable by reason of Disabling Conduct, (ii) dismissal of a court action or an administrative proceeding against a Covered Person for insufficiency of evidence of Disabling Conduct, or (iii) a reasonable determination, based upon a review of the facts, that the indemnity was not liable by reason of Disabling Conduct by (a) a vote of a majority of a quorum of Trustees who are neither "interested persons" of the Trust as defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act nor parties to the proceeding (the "Disinterested Trustees"), or (b) an independent legal counsel in a written opinion. Expenses, including accountants' and counsel fees so incurred by any such Covered Person (but excluding amounts paid in satisfaction of judgments, in compromise or as fines or penalties), may be paid from time to time by one or more Series to which the conduct in question related in advance of the final disposition of any such action, suit or proceeding; provided that the Covered Person shall have undertaken to repay the amounts so paid to such Series if it is ultimately determined that indemnification of such expenses is not authorized under this Article 8 and (i) the Covered Person shall have provided security for such undertaking, (ii) the Trust shall be insured against losses arising by reason of any lawful advances, or (iii) a majority of a quorum of the disinterested Trustees, or an independent legal counsel in a written opinion, shall have determined, based on a review of readily available facts (as opposed to a full trial type inquiry), that there is reason to believe that the Covered Person ultimately will be found entitled to indemnification.
Insofar as indemnification for liability arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to trustees, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a trustee, officer or controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such trustee, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
The Registrant has also entered into Indemnification Agreements with each of its trustees which provide that the Registrant shall advance expenses and indemnify and hold harmless each trustee in certain circumstances against any expenses incurred by a trustee in any proceeding arising out of or in connection with the trustee's service to the Registrant, to the maximum extent permitted by the Delaware Statutory Trust Act, the Securities Act of 1933 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, and which provide for certain procedures in connection with such advancement of expenses and indemnification.
| ITEM 31. | BUSINESS AND OTHER CONNECTIONS OF INVESTMENT ADVISER. |
With respect to the Advisor, the response to this Item will be incorporated by reference to the Advisor's Uniform Application for Investment Adviser Registration (Form ADV) on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). The Advisor's Form ADV may be obtained, free of charge, at the SEC's website at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov.
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| ITEM 32. | PRINCIPAL UNDERWRITERS. |
(a) Distribution Services, LLC (the "Distributor"), the principal underwriter for Registrant, serves as principal underwriter for the Registrant and the following investment companies registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended:
| 1. | AOG Institutional Fund |
| 2. | Aspiriant Risk-Managed Capital Appreciation Fund |
| 3. | Aspiriant Risk-Managed Real Assets Fund |
| 4. | Aspiriant Trust |
| 5. | Callodine Specialty Income Fund |
| 6. | EP Emerging Markets Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust |
| 7. | EuroPac Gold Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust |
| 8. | EuroPac International Bond Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust |
| 9. | EuroPac International Dividend Income Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust |
| 10. | EuroPac International Value Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust |
| 11. | E-Valuator Funds Trust |
| 12. | Felicitas Private Markets Fund |
| 13. | FlowStone Opportunity Fund |
| 14. | Green Century Funds |
| 15. | Hamilton Lane Private Assets Fund |
| 16. | Hamilton Lane Private Infrastructure Fund |
| 17. | Investment Managers Series Trust III |
| 18. | MA Specialty Credit Income Fund |
| 19. | Monachil Credit Income Fund |
| 20. | Pender Real Estate Credit Fund |
| 21. | Pursuit Asset-Based Income Fund |
| 22. | Redwood Private Real Estate Debt Fund |
| 23. | StepStone Private Credit Income Fund |
| 24. | StepStone Private Equity Strategies Fund |
| 25. | StepStone Private Infrastructure Fund |
| 26. | StepStone Private Markets |
| 27. | StepStone Private Venture and Growth Fund |
| 28. | The Marsico Investment Fund |
| 29. | Thirdline Real Estate Income |
| 30. | Variant Alternative Income Fund |
| 31. | Variant Alternative Lending Fund |
| 32. | Variant Impact Fund |
(b) The following are the Officers of the Distributor, the Registrant's underwriter. The Distributor's main business address is 190 Middle Street, Suite 301, Portland, Maine 04101.
| Name | Address | Position with Underwriter | Position with Registrant | |||
| Teresa Cowan |
190 Middle Street, Suite 301, Portland, Maine 04101 |
President | None | |||
| Chris Lanza |
190 Middle Street, Suite 301, Portland, Maine 04101 |
Vice President | None | |||
| Kate Macchia |
190 Middle Street, Suite 301, Portland, Maine 04101 |
Vice President | None | |||
| Gordon B. Taylor |
190 Middle Street, Suite 301, Portland, Maine 04101 |
Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer | None | |||
| Gabriel E. Edelman |
190 Middle Street, Suite 301, Portland, Maine 04101 |
Secretary | None | |||
| Susan L. LaFond |
190 Middle Street, Suite 301, Portland, Maine 04101 |
Treasurer | None | |||
| Weston Sommers |
190 Middle Street, Suite 301, Portland, Maine 04101 |
Financial and Operations Principal and Chief Financial Officer | None |
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(c) Not applicable
ITEM 33. LOCATION OF BOOKS AND RECORDS.
The books and records required to be maintained by Section 31(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 are maintained at the following locations:
| Records Relating to: | Are located at: |
| Registrant's Transfer Agent, Fund Accountant and Custodian |
Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. 50 Post Office Square Boston, Massachusetts 02110 |
| Registrant's Co-Administrator |
Mutual Fund Administration, LLC 2220 E. Route 66, Suite 226 Glendora, California 91740 |
| Registrant's Co-Administrator |
UMB Fund Services, LLC 235 West Galena Street Milwaukee, WI 53212 |
| Registrant's Advisor |
Manteio Scalable Technologies LLC 111 Town Square Place, Suite 1203 Jersey City, New Jersey 07310 |
| Registrant's Distributor |
Distribution Services, LLC 190 Middle Street, Suite 301 Portland, Maine 04101 |
ITEM 34. MANAGEMENT SERVICES.
There is no management-related service contract under which services are provided to Registrant which is not discussed in Parts A or B hereof.
ITEM 35. UNDERTAKINGS.
Not applicable.
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the Registrant has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, duly authorized, in the City of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, on the 15th day of January, 2026.
| INVESTMENT MANAGERS SERIES TRUST III | ||
| By: | /s/ Maureen Quill | |
| Maureen Quill | ||
| President and Principal Executive Officer | ||
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Registration Statement has been signed on 15th day of January, 2026, by the following persons in the capacities set forth below.
| Signatures | Title | |
| /s/ Maureen Quill | Trustee, President & Principal Executive Officer | |
| Maureen Quill | ||
| † | Trustee | |
| Sandra Brown | ||
| † | Trustee | |
| Robert F. Goldrich | ||
| † | Trustee | |
| John P. Zader | ||
| Trustee | ||
| J. Richard Atwood | ||
| /s/ Rita Dam | Treasurer, Principal Accounting Officer & Principal | |
| Rita Dam | Financial Officer | |
| † By: | /s/Rita Dam | |
| Rita Dam | ||
|
Attorney-in-fact, pursuant to power of attorney previously filed with Post-Effective Amendment No. 127 filed on November 19, 2024. |
||
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