Statement of Additional Information
[April 30, 2014]
This Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) provides general information about Welton Global Trend Fund (the “Fund”), a series of Trust for Professional Managers (the “Trust”). This SAI is not a prospectus and should be read in conjunction with the Fund’s current prospectus dated [April 30, 2014] (the “Prospectus”), as supplemented and amended from time to time, which is incorporated herein by reference. To obtain a copy of the Prospectus and/or the annual shareholder report when it becomes available, free of charge, please write or call the Fund at the address or toll-free telephone number below, or visit the Fund’s website at [fund website].
Welton Global Trend Fund
c/o U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC
P.O. Box 701
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201-0701
[toll-free number]
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THE TRUST
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INVESTMENT POLICIES, STRATEGIES AND ASSOCIATED RISKS
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INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS
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MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND
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Board of Trustees
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Trustees and Officers
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The Role of the Board of Trustees
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Board Leadership Structure
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Board Oversight of Risk Management
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Trustee Qualifications
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Trustee Ownership of Fund Shares
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Board Committees
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Trustee Compensation
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Control Persons and Principal Shareholders
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Investment Adviser
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Portfolio Managers
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SERVICE PROVIDERS
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Legal Counsel
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Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
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DISTRIBUTION AND SERVICING OF FUND SHARES
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PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS AND BROKERAGE
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PORTFOLIO TURNOVER
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CODE OF ETHICS
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PROXY VOTING PROCEDURES
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ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING COMPLIANCE PROGRAM
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PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS INFORMATION
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DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE
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ADDITIONAL PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION INFORMATION
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How to Purchase Shares
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How to Redeem Shares and Delivery of Redemption Proceeds
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Telephone Redemptions
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Redemption in Kind
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FEDERAL INCOME TAX MATTERS
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Wholly-Owned Subsidiary
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DISTRIBUTIONS
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COST BASIS REPORTING
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FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
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The Trust is a Delaware statutory trust organized on May 29, 2001, and is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) as an open-end management investment company. The Fund is one series, or mutual fund, formed by the Trust. The Fund is a diversified series and has its own investment objective and policies. As of the date of this SAI, shares of [thirty-five] other series of the Trust are offered in separate prospectuses and SAIs. The Trust may start additional series and offer shares of a new fund or share class under the Trust at any time.
The Trust is authorized to issue an unlimited number of interests (or shares). Interests in the Fund are represented by shares of beneficial interest each with a par value of $0.001. Each share of the Trust has equal voting rights and liquidation rights, and is voted in the aggregate and not by the series or class of shares, except in matters where a separate vote is required by the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), or when the matters affect only the interest of a particular series or class of shares. When matters are submitted to shareholders for a vote, each shareholder is entitled to one vote for each full share owned and fractional votes for fractional shares owned. 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 class. The Trust does not normally hold annual meetings of shareholders. The Trust’s Board of Trustees (the “Board” or the “Board of Trustees”) shall promptly call and give notice of a meeting of shareholders for the purpose of voting upon removal of any trustee when requested to do so in writing by shareholders holding 10% or more of the Trust’s outstanding shares.
Each share of the Fund represents an equal proportionate interest in the assets and liabilities belonging to the Fund and is entitled to such distributions out of the income belonging to the Fund as are declared by the Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees has the authority from time to time to divide or combine the shares of any series into a greater or lesser number of shares of that series so long as the proportionate beneficial interests in the assets belonging to that series and the rights of shares of any other series are in no way affected. Additionally, in case of any liquidation of a series, the holders of shares of the series being liquidated are entitled to receive a distribution out of the assets, net of the liabilities, belonging to that series. Expenses attributable to any series are borne by that series. Any general expenses of the Trust not readily identifiable as belonging to a particular series are allocated by, or under the direction of, the Board of Trustees on the basis of relative net assets, the number of shareholders or another equitable method. No shareholder is liable to further calls or to assessment by the Trust without his or her express consent.
The assets of the Fund received for the issue or sale of its shares, and all income, earnings, profits and proceeds thereof, subject only to the rights of creditors, shall constitute the underlying assets of the Fund. In the event of the dissolution or liquidation of the Fund, the holders of shares of the Fund are entitled to share pro rata in the net assets of the Fund available for distribution to shareholders.
Welton Fund Advisors LLC (the “Adviser”) serves as the investment adviser for the Fund.
Investment Objective
The investment objective of the Fund is long-term capital appreciation while maintaining low correlation to investor’s traditional core stock and bond holdings.
There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. The following discussion supplements the description of the Fund’s investment objective and principal investment strategies set forth in the Prospectus. Except for the fundamental investment restrictions listed below (see “Investment Restrictions”), the Fund’s investment strategies and policies are not fundamental and may be changed by sole action of the Board of Trustees, without shareholder approval. While the Fund is permitted to hold securities and engage in various strategies as described hereafter, it is not obligated to do so. The Fund’s investment objective may be changed without the approval of the Fund’s shareholders upon 60 days’ written notice to shareholders.
Whenever an investment policy or investment restriction states a maximum percentage of the Fund’s assets that may be invested in any security, or other asset, or sets forth a policy regarding quality standards, such standard or percentage limitation will be determined immediately after and as a result of the Fund’s acquisition or sale of such security or other asset. Accordingly, any subsequent change in values, net assets or other circumstances will not be considered when determining whether an investment complies with the Fund’s investment policies and investment restrictions set forth herein or in the Prospectus. In addition, if a bankruptcy or other extraordinary event occurs concerning a particular investment by the Fund, the Fund may receive stock, real estate or other investments that the Fund would not, or could not, buy. If this happens, the Fund will sell such investments as soon as practicable while trying to maximize the return to its shareholders. Please note, however, that the guidance referenced in the first two sentences of this paragraph does not apply to the Fund’s investments in illiquid securities or the Fund’s borrowing of money.
Diversification
The Fund is diversified. Under applicable federal laws, to qualify as a diversified fund, the Fund, with respect to 75% of its total assets, may not invest greater than 5% of its total assets in any one issuer and may not hold greater than 10% of the securities of one issuer. The remaining 25% of the Fund’s total assets does not need to be “diversified” and may be invested in securities of a single issuer, subject to other applicable laws.
The diversification of a mutual fund’s holdings is measured at the time the fund purchases a security. However, if a fund purchases a security and holds it for a period of time, the security may become a larger percentage of the fund’s total assets due to movements in the financial markets. If the market affects several securities held by a fund, the fund may have a greater percentage of its assets invested in securities of fewer issuers. Because the Fund is diversified, the Fund is less subject to the risk that its performance may be hurt disproportionately by the poor performance of relatively few securities despite the Fund qualifying as a diversified fund under applicable federal laws.
General Market Risks
The market value of a derivative instrument or security may move up or down, sometimes rapidly and unpredictably. These fluctuations may cause a derivative instrument or security to be worth less than the price originally paid for it, or less than it was worth at an earlier time. Market risk may affect an industry, a sector of the economy or the market as a whole.
Futures, Forward Contracts and Related Financial Instruments
General
. The Fund intends to invest a substantial portion of its assets in futures contracts, forward contacts and other financially-linked derivatives (collectively, “Financial Instruments”).
The use of Financial Instruments is subject to applicable regulations of the SEC, the several exchanges upon which they are traded and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (the “CFTC”). In addition, the Fund’s ability to use Financial Instruments will be limited by tax considerations. In addition to the instruments, strategies and risks described below and in the Prospectus, the Adviser may discover additional opportunities in connection with Financial Instruments and other similar or related techniques. These new opportunities may become available as the Adviser develops new techniques, as regulatory authorities broaden the range of permitted transactions and as new Financial Instruments or other techniques are developed. The Adviser may utilize these opportunities to the extent that they are consistent with the Fund’s investment objective and permitted by the Fund’s investment limitations and applicable regulatory authorities.
Special Risks.
The use of Financial Instruments involves special considerations and risks, certain of which are described below. Risks pertaining to particular Financial Instruments are described in the sections that follow.
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Successful use of most Financial Instruments depends upon the Adviser’s ability to predict movements of the underlying instruments. The ordinary spreads between prices in the cash and futures markets, due to the differences in the natures of those markets, are subject to distortion. Due to the possibility of distortion, a correct forecast of trends in the underlying instruments by the Adviser may still not result in a successful transaction. The Adviser may be incorrect in its expectations as to the extent of market movements or the time span within which the movements take place, which, thus, may result in the strategy being unsuccessful.
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Futures prices can diverge from the prices of their underlying instruments. Futures prices are affected by such factors as current and anticipated short-term interest rates, changes in volatility of the underlying instrument and the time remaining until expiration of the contract, which may not affect cash prices the same way. Imperfect or no correlation also may result from differing levels of demand in the futures markets, from structural differences in how futures are traded, and from imposition of daily price fluctuation limits or trading halts.
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As described below, the Fund might be required to maintain assets as “cover,” maintain segregated accounts or make margin payments when it takes positions in Financial Instruments involving obligations to third parties. If the Fund were unable to close out its positions in such Financial Instruments, it might be required to continue to maintain such assets or accounts or make such payments until the position expired or matured. These requirements might impair the Fund’s ability to sell a portfolio security or make an investment when it would otherwise be favorable to do so or require that the Fund sell a portfolio security at a disadvantageous time. The Fund’s ability to close out a position in a Financial Instrument prior to expiration or maturity depends on the existence of a liquid secondary market or, in the absence of such a market, the ability and willingness of the other party to the transaction (the “counter-party”) to enter into a transaction closing out the position. Therefore, there is no assurance that any position can be closed out at a time and price that is favorable to the Fund.
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Losses may arise due to unanticipated market price movements or lack of a liquid secondary market for any particular instrument at a particular time.
Cover.
Transactions using Financial Instruments, other than purchased options, expose the Fund to an obligation to another party. The Fund will not enter into any such transactions unless it owns either: (1) an offsetting (“covered”) position in securities or other options or futures contracts; or (2) cash and liquid assets with a value, marked-to-market daily, sufficient to cover its potential obligations to the extent not covered as provided in (1) above. The Fund will comply with SEC guidelines regarding cover for these instruments and will, if the guidelines so require, set aside cash or liquid assets in an account with an approved custodian, in the prescribed amount as determined daily. The Fund may enter into agreements with broker-dealers which require the broker-dealers to accept physical settlement for certain Financial Instruments. If this occurs, the Fund would treat the Financial Instrument as being cash-settled for purposes of determining the Fund’s coverage requirements.
Assets used as cover or held in an account cannot be sold while the position in the corresponding Financial Instrument is open, unless they are replaced with other appropriate assets. As a result, the commitment of a large portion of the Fund’s assets to cover accounts could impede portfolio management or the Fund’s ability to meet redemption requests or other current obligations.
Futures Contracts.
A futures contract obligates the seller to deliver (and the purchaser to take delivery of) the specified security on the expiration date of the contract. An index futures contract obligates the seller to deliver (and the purchaser to take) an amount of cash equal to a specific dollar amount times the difference between the value of a specific 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 securities in the index is made.
Whether the Fund realizes a gain or loss from futures activities depends upon movements in the underlying security or index. The extent of the Fund’s loss from an unhedged short position in futures contracts or from writing unhedged call options on futures contracts is potentially unlimited. The Fund only purchases and sells futures contracts that are traded on a U.S. exchange or board of trade.
No price is paid upon entering into a futures contract. Instead, at the inception of a futures contract the Fund is required to deposit “initial margin” in an amount generally equal to 10% or less of the contract value. Unlike margin in securities transactions, initial margin does not represent a borrowing, but rather is in the nature of a performance bond or good-faith deposit that is returned to the Fund at the termination of the transaction if all contractual obligations have been satisfied. Under certain circumstances, such as periods of high volatility, the Fund may be required by an exchange to increase the level of its initial margin payment, and initial margin requirements might be increased generally in the future by regulatory action.
Subsequent “variation margin” payments are made to and from the futures commission merchant daily as the value of the futures position varies, a process known as “marking-to-market.” Variation margin does not involve borrowing, but rather represents a daily settlement of the Fund’s obligations to or from a futures commission merchant. When the Fund purchases or sells a futures contract it is subject to daily variation margin calls that could be substantial in the event of adverse price movements. If the Fund has insufficient cash to meet daily variation margin requirements, it might need to sell securities at a time when such sales are disadvantageous.
Purchasers and sellers of futures contracts can enter into offsetting closing transactions, similar to closing transactions in options, by selling or purchasing, respectively, an instrument identical to the instrument purchased or sold. Positions in futures may be closed only on an exchange or board of trade that provides a secondary market. However, there can be no assurance that a liquid secondary market will exist for a particular contract at a particular time. In such event, it may not be possible to close a futures contract position.
Under certain circumstances, futures exchanges may establish daily limits on the amount that the price of a futures contract can vary from the previous day’s settlement price. Once that limit is reached, no trades may be made that day at a price beyond the limit. Daily price limits do not limit potential losses because prices could move to the daily limit for several consecutive days with little or no trading, thereby preventing liquidation of unfavorable positions.
If the Fund was unable to liquidate a futures contract position due to the absence of a liquid secondary market or the imposition of price limits, it could incur substantial losses. The Fund would continue to be subject to market risk with respect to the position. In addition, the Fund would continue to be required to make daily variation margin payments and might be required to maintain cash or liquid assets in an account.
Risks of Futures Contracts.
The ordinary spreads between prices in the cash and futures markets, due to differences in the natures of those markets, are subject to the following factors, which may create distortions. First, all participants in the futures market are subject to margin deposit and maintenance requirements. Rather than meeting additional margin deposit requirements, investors may close futures contracts through offsetting transactions, which could distort the normal relationships between the cash and futures markets. Second, the liquidity of the futures market depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants decide to make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced, thus producing distortion. Third, from the point of view of speculators, the deposit requirements in the futures market are less onerous than margin requirements in the securities market. Therefore, increased participation by speculators in the futures market may cause temporary price distortions.
Wholly-Owned Subsidiary
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The Fund’s investments in commodity-linked derivatives will primarily be made through a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Fund organized under the laws of the Cayman Islands (the “Trend Subsidiary”). The Trend Subsidiary may invest without limitation in commodity-linked derivative instruments, including commodity futures and forward contracts, swap agreements, as well as other instruments intended to serve as margin or collateral for these derivative instruments. The Trend Subsidiary may invest in any type of investment in which the Fund is permitted to invest, as described in the Prospectus and SAI. The Fund’s investment in the Trend Subsidiary will not exceed 25% of the value of the Fund’s total assets (ignoring any subsequent market appreciation in the Trend Subsidiary’s value). This limitation is imposed by Subchapter M of the Code and is measured at each taxable year and quarter end. The Adviser also serves as the investment advisor to the Trend Subsidiary, but will not receive separate compensation.
The Trend Subsidiary is not registered under the 1940 Act, but will be subject to certain protections of the Act with respect to the Fund, as described in this SAI. All of the Fund’s investments in the Trend Subsidiary will be subject to the investment policies and restrictions of the Fund, including those related to leverage, collateral and segregation requirements and liquidity. In addition, the valuation and brokerage policies of the Fund will be applied to the Trend Subsidiary. The Fund’s investments in the Trend Subsidiary are not subject to all investor protection provisions of the 1940 Act. However, because the Fund is the sole investor in the Trend Subsidiary, and the Fund and Trend Subsidiary are both managed by the Adviser, it is not likely that the Trend Subsidiary will take any action that is contrary to the interests of the Fund and its shareholders.
Regulatory changes, including changes in the laws of the United States or the Cayman Islands, could result in the inability of the Fund and/or the Trend Subsidiary to operate as described in the Fund’s Prospectus and this SAI. Such changes could potentially impact the Fund’s ability to implement its investment strategy and could result in decreased investment returns. For example, in the event changes to the laws of the Cayman Islands require the Trend Subsidiary to pay taxes to a governmental authority, the Fund would be likely to suffer decreased returns.
Commodity Pool Operator Exclusion.
The Adviser currently intends to operate the Fund and the Trend Subsidiary in a manner whereby the Fund’s and the Trend Subsidiary’s investments in commodities will likely exceed the limits required for compliance with of Rule 4.5 of the CFTC regulations under the Commodity Exchange Act (the “CEA”). As a result, the Fund and the Trend Subsidiary are deemed to be “commodity pools” under the CEA. Accordingly, the Adviser is deemed to be a “commodity pool operator” with respect to the operations of the Fund and the Trend Subsidiary and will be required to register with and be subject to regulation under the CEA.
The impact on the Fund and the Trend Subsidiary of CFTC requirements is uncertain. CFTC-mandated disclosure, reporting and recordkeeping obligations, which have been “harmonized” with the overlapping SEC obligations, will apply with respect to the Fund and the Trend Subsidiary. The effects of these regulatory changes could reduce investment returns or limit the Fund’s and the Trend Subsidiary’s ability to implement its investment strategy. Investors in the Fund and the Trend Subsidiary and their financial advisers should consider whether the Fund’s and the Trend Subsidiary’s status as “commodity pools” impacts their operations or status under the CEA in deciding whether to invest in the Fund and the Trend Subsidiary.
General Tax Risks
The Fund’s investments and investment strategies may be subject to special and complex federal income tax provisions that may, among other things: (i) disallow, suspend or otherwise limit the allowance of certain losses or deductions; (ii) accelerate income to the Fund; (iii) convert long-term capital gain taxable at lower rates into short-term capital gain or ordinary income taxable at higher rates; (iv) convert an ordinary loss or a deduction into a capital loss (the deductibility of which is more limited); (v) treat dividends that would otherwise constitute qualified dividend income as non-qualified dividend income; or (vii) create a risk that the Fund will fail the diversification and source of income requirements under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), which could cause the Fund to fail to qualify for the tax treatment applicable to a regulated investment company (“RIC”). To allow the Fund to pursue its investment strategy within the limits of Subchapter M of the Code, the Fund will invest in certain investments through a wholly-owned subsidiary, as discussed above under “Wholly-Owned Subsidiary.”
Investments in the Trend Subsidiary are expected to provide exposure to the commodity markets within the limitations of Subchapter M of the Code. In order to qualify for the special tax treatment accorded RICs and their shareholders under the Code, the Fund must, among other things, satisfy certain diversification requirements, including the requirement that not more than 25% of the value of the Fund’s total assets may be invested in the securities (other than those of the U.S. government or other RICs) of any one issuer or of two or more issuers which the Fund controls and which are engaged in the same, similar or related trades or businesses. Therefore, so long as the Fund is subject to this limit, the Fund may not invest any more than 25% of the value of its total assets in the Trend Subsidiary. In addition, in order to qualify for the special tax treatment accorded RICs and their shareholders under the Code, the Fund must, among other things, derive at least 90% of its gross income from certain specified sources (qualifying income). Income from certain commodity-linked derivatives does not constitute qualifying income to the Fund. If the Fund treats income from a particular instrument as qualifying income and the income is later determined not to constitute qualifying income, and, together with any other non-qualifying income, causes the Fund’s non-qualifying income to exceed 10% of its gross income in any taxable year, the Fund will fail to qualify as a RIC unless it is eligible to and does pay a tax at the Fund level. The Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) has issued a number of private letter rulings to third parties not associated with the Fund (which only those third parties may rely on), which indicate that certain income from a fund’s investment in a wholly-owned foreign subsidiary will constitute qualifying income for purposes of Subchapter M of the Code. However, the IRS has suspended issuance of any further letters pending a review of its position on this issue. Accordingly, at this time, the Fund does not intend to seek a private letter ruling on the issue of whether income from the Trend Subsidiary will be qualifying income for the purposes of Subchapter M of the Code. If the IRS were to change its position with respect to the conclusions reached in its private letter rulings, the income from the Fund’s investments in the Trend Subsidiary might not be qualifying income, and the Fund may be required to restructure its investments to satisfy the qualifying income requirements or might cease to qualify as a RIC, in which case the Fund would be taxed as a regular corporation.
Swap Agreements
The Fund may enter into swap agreements. Swap agreements are two-party contracts entered into primarily by institutional investors for periods ranging from a day to more than one year. In a standard “swap” transaction, two parties agree to exchange the returns (or differentials in rates of return) earned or realized on particular predetermined investments or instruments. The gross returns to be exchanged or “swapped” between the parties are calculated with respect to a “notional amount,” i.e., the return on or increase in value of a particular dollar amount invested in a “basket” of securities representing a particular index.
Most swap agreements entered into by the Fund calculate the obligations of the parties to the agreement on a “net basis.” Consequently, the Fund’s current obligations (or rights) under a swap agreement will generally be equal only to the net amount to be paid or received under the agreement based on the relative values of the positions held by each party to the agreement (the “net amount”). Payments may be made at the conclusion of a swap agreement or periodically during its term.
Swap agreements do not involve the delivery of securities or other underlying assets. Accordingly, if a swap is entered into on a net basis, if the other party to a swap agreement defaults, the Fund’s risk of loss consists of the net amount of payments that the Fund is contractually entitled to receive, if any.
The net amount of the excess, if any, of the Fund’s obligations over its entitlements with respect to a swap agreement entered into on a net basis will be accrued daily and an amount of cash or liquid assets having an aggregate net asset value (“NAV”) at least equal to the accrued excess will be maintained in an account with the Fund’s custodian that satisfies the 1940 Act. The Fund will also establish and maintain such accounts with respect to its total obligations under any swaps that are not entered into on a net basis. Obligations under swap agreements so covered will not be construed to be “senior securities” for purposes of the Fund’s investment restriction concerning senior securities.
Because they are two-party contracts and may have terms of greater than seven days, swap agreements may be considered to be illiquid for the Fund’s illiquid investment limitations. The Fund will not enter into any swap agreement unless the Adviser believes that the other party to the transaction is creditworthy. The Fund bears the risk of loss of the amount expected to be received under a swap agreement in the event of the default or bankruptcy of a swap agreement counterparty.
The Fund may enter into a swap agreement in circumstances where the Adviser believes that it may be more cost effective or practical than buying the underlying securities or a futures contract or an option on such securities. The counterparty to any swap agreement will typically be a bank, investment banking firm or broker-dealer. The counterparty will generally agree to pay the Fund the amount, if any, by which the notional amount of the swap agreement would have increased in value had it been invested in the particular stocks represented in the index, plus the dividends that would have been received on those stocks. The Fund will agree to pay to the counterparty a floating rate of interest on the notional amount of the swap agreement plus the amount, if any, by which the notional amount would have decreased in value had it been invested in such stocks. Therefore, the return to the Fund on any swap agreement should be the gain or loss on the notional amount plus dividends on the stocks less the interest paid by the Fund on the notional amount.
The swap market has grown substantially in recent years with a large number of banks and investment banking firms acting both as principals and as agents utilizing standardized swap documentation. As a result, the swap market has become relatively liquid in comparison with the markets for other similar instruments that are traded in the over-the-counter (“OTC”) market. The Adviser, under the supervision of the Board, is responsible for determining and monitoring the liquidity of Fund transactions in swap agreements. The use of equity swaps is a highly specialized activity that involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions.
The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the “Dodd-Frank Act”) and related regulatory developments will ultimately require the clearing and exchange-trading of many OTC derivative instruments that the CFTC and the SEC recently defined as “swaps,” including non-deliverable foreign exchange forwards, OTC foreign exchange options, and swaptions. Mandatory exchange-trading and clearing will take place on a phased-in basis based on the type of market participant and CFTC approval of contracts for central clearing. The Adviser will continue to monitor developments in this area, particularly to the extent regulatory changes affect the Fund’s ability to enter into swap agreements.
Risks of Potential Government Regulation of Derivatives
It is possible that additional government regulation of various types of derivative instruments, including futures, and swap agreements, may limit or prevent the Fund from using such instruments as part of its investment strategy, and could ultimately prevent the Fund from being able to achieve its investment objective. It is impossible to fully predict the effects of past, present or future legislation and regulation in this area, but the effects could be substantial and adverse. It is possible that legislative and regulatory activity could limit or restrict the ability of the Fund to use certain instruments as part of its investment strategy. Limits or restrictions applicable to the counterparties with which the Fund engages in derivative transactions could also prevent the Fund from using certain instruments.
There is a possibility of future regulatory changes altering, perhaps to a material extent, the nature of an investment in the Fund or the ability of the Fund to continue to implement its investment strategies. The futures and swaps markets are subject to comprehensive statutes, regulations, and margin requirements. In addition, the SEC, the CFTC and the exchanges are authorized to take extraordinary actions in the event of a market emergency, including, for example, the implementation or reduction of speculative position limits, the implementation of higher margin requirements, the establishment of daily price limits, and the suspension of trading. The regulation of futures and swaps transactions in the United States is a rapidly changing area of law and is subject to modification by government action. In particular, the Dodd-Frank Act will change the way in which the U.S. financial system is supervised and regulated. Title VII of the Dodd-Frank Act sets forth a new legislative framework for OTC derivatives, including financial instruments, such as swaps, in which the Fund may invest. Title VII of the Dodd-Frank Act makes broad changes to the OTC derivatives markets, grants significant new authority to the SEC and the CFTC to regulate OTC derivatives and market participants, and will require clearing and exchange trading of many OTC derivative transactions. The CFTC and the SEC finalized the definition of “swap” and “security-based swap,” which provide parameters around which contracts will be subject to further regulation under the Dodd-Frank Act.
Provisions in the Dodd-Frank Act include new capital and margin requirements and the mandatory use of clearinghouse mechanisms for many OTC derivative transactions. The CFTC, the SEC and other federal regulators have been tasked with developing the rules and regulations enacting the provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act. Because there is a prescribed phase-in period during which most of the mandated rulemaking and regulations will be implemented, it is not possible at this time to gauge the exact nature and scope of the impact of the Dodd-Frank Act on the Fund. However, it is expected that swap dealers, major market participants and swap counterparties will experience new and/or additional regulations, requirements, compliance burdens and associated costs. The new law and the rules to be promulgated may negatively impact the Fund’s ability to meet its investment objective either through limits or requirements imposed on it or upon its counterparties. In particular, any new position limits imposed on the Fund or its counterparties may impact the Fund’s ability to invest in futures and swaps in a manner that efficiently meets its investment objective. New requirements, even if not directly applicable to the Fund, including capital requirements and mandatory clearing, may increase the cost of the Fund’s investments and cost of doing business, which could adversely affect investors.
Foreign Investments and Currencies
The Fund may make investments in securities of non-U.S. issuers (“foreign securities”), including U.S. dollar-denominated securities, foreign securities and securities of companies incorporated outside the U.S.
Risks of Investing in Foreign Securities
. Investments in foreign securities involve certain inherent risks, including the following:
Political and Economic Factors
. Individual foreign economies of certain countries may differ favorably or unfavorably from the U.S. economy in such respects as growth of gross national product, rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency, diversification and balance of payments position. The internal politics of certain foreign countries may not be as stable as those of the United States. Governments in certain foreign countries also continue to participate to a significant degree, through ownership interest or regulation, in their respective economies. Action by these governments could include restrictions on foreign investment, nationalization, expropriation of goods or imposition of taxes, and could have a significant effect on market prices of securities and payment of interest. The economies of many foreign countries are heavily dependent upon international trade and are accordingly affected by the trade policies and economic conditions of their trading partners. Enactment by these trading partners of protectionist trade legislation could have a significant adverse effect upon the securities markets of such countries.
Currency Fluctuations
. The Fund may invest in securities denominated in foreign currencies. Accordingly, a change in the value of any such currency against the U.S. dollar will result in a corresponding change in the U.S. dollar value of the Fund’s assets denominated in that currency. Such changes will also affect the Fund’s income. The value of the Fund’s assets may also be affected significantly by currency restrictions and exchange control regulations enacted from time to time.
Market Characteristics
. Foreign securities in which the Fund invests will be purchased in OTC markets or on exchanges located in the countries in which the principal offices of the issuers of the various securities are located, if that is the best available market. Foreign exchanges and markets may be more volatile than those in the United States. While growing in volume, they usually have substantially less volume than U.S. markets, and the Fund’s foreign securities may be less liquid and more volatile than U.S. securities. Moreover, settlement practices for transactions in foreign markets may differ from those in United States markets, and may include delays beyond periods customary in the U.S. Foreign security trading practices, including those involving securities settlement where Fund assets may be released prior to receipt of payment or securities, may expose the Fund to increased risk in the event of a failed trade or the insolvency of a foreign broker-dealer.
Legal and Regulatory Matters
. Certain foreign countries may have less supervision of securities markets, brokers and issuers of securities, and less financial information available from issuers, than is available in the United States.
Taxes
. The interest and dividends payable on certain of the Fund’s foreign portfolio securities may be subject to foreign withholding taxes, thus reducing the net amount of income available for distribution to Fund shareholders.
Costs
. To the extent that the Fund invests in foreign securities, its expense ratio is likely to be higher than those of investment companies investing only in domestic securities, since the cost of maintaining the custody of foreign securities is higher.
Emerging Markets
. Some of the securities in which the Fund may invest may be located in developing or emerging markets, which entail additional risks, including less social, political and economic stability; smaller securities markets and lower trading volume, which may result in less liquidity and greater price volatility; national policies that may restrict the Fund’s investment opportunities, including restrictions on investments in issuers or industries, or expropriation or confiscation of assets or property; and less developed legal structures governing private or foreign investment.
In considering whether to invest in the securities of a foreign company, the Adviser may consider such factors as the characteristics of the particular company, differences between economic trends and the performance of securities markets within the U.S. and those within other countries, and also factors relating to the general economic, governmental and social conditions of the country or countries where the company is located. The extent to which the Fund will be invested in foreign companies and countries and depositary receipts will fluctuate from time to time, depending on the Adviser’s assessment of prevailing market, economic and other conditions.
Forward Currency Contracts
The Fund may enter into forward currency contracts. A forward currency contract is an obligation to purchase or sell a specific currency at a future date, which may be any fixed number of days from the date of the contract agreed upon by the parties, at a price set at the time of the contract.
Bonds, Debt and Fixed Income Obligations
The Fund may invest in bonds and other types of debt and fixed income obligations of U.S. and foreign issuers, including bonds, notes and debentures issued by corporations and U.S. and foreign Government securities. These securities may pay fixed, variable, adjustable or floating rates of interest, and may include zero coupon obligations that do not pay interest until maturity.
The Fund may invest in investment grade and non-investment grade bonds, debt and fixed-income obligations. Investment grade debt securities have received a rating from Standard & Poor’s Ratings Service (“S&P”), or Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (“Moody’s”) in one of the four highest rating categories or, if not rated, have been determined by the Adviser to be of comparable quality to such rated securities. Non-investment grade debt securities (typically called “junk bonds”) have received a rating from S&P or Moody’s of below investment grade, or have been given no rating and are determined by the Adviser to be of a quality below investment grade. There are no limitations on the maturity or duration of debt securities that may be purchased by the Fund.
Corporate Debt Securities.
Corporate debt securities are fixed-income securities issued by businesses to finance their operations, although corporate debt instruments may also include bank loans to companies. Notes, bonds, debentures and commercial paper are the most common types of corporate debt securities, with the primary difference being their maturities and secured or unsecured status. Commercial paper has the shortest term and is usually unsecured.
The broad category of corporate debt securities includes debt issued by domestic or foreign companies of all kinds, including those with small-, mid- and large-capitalizations. Corporate debt may be rated investment grade or below investment grade and may carry variable or floating rates of interest.
Because of the wide range of types, and maturities, of corporate debt securities, as well as the range of creditworthiness of its issuers, corporate debt securities have widely varying potentials for return and risk profiles. For example, commercial paper issued by a large established domestic corporation that is rated investment grade may have a modest return on principal, but carries relatively limited risk. On the other hand, a long-term corporate note issued by a small foreign corporation from an emerging market country that has not been rated may have the potential for relatively large returns on principal, but carries a relatively high degree of risk.
Corporate debt securities carry both credit risk and interest rate risk. Credit risk is the risk that the Fund could lose money if the issuer of a corporate debt security is unable to pay interest or repay principal when it is due. Some corporate debt securities that are rated below investment grade are generally considered speculative because they present a greater risk of loss, including default, than higher quality debt securities. The credit risk of a particular issuer’s debt security may vary based on its priority for repayment. For example, higher ranking (senior) debt securities have a higher priority than lower ranking (subordinated) securities. This means that the issuer might not make payments on subordinated securities while continuing to make payments on senior securities. In addition, in the event of bankruptcy, holders of higher-ranking senior securities may receive amounts otherwise payable to the holders of more junior securities. Interest rate risk is the risk that the value of certain corporate debt securities will tend to fall when interest rates rise. In general, corporate debt securities with longer terms tend to fall more in value when interest rates rise than corporate debt securities with shorter terms.
High Yield Fixed-Income Securities
. Higher yield fixed-income securities and loans, often referred to as “junk bonds” or “leveraged loans,” are lower-grade debt instruments that generally offer higher yields than other debt securities. They can also carry a greater risk of default, which is the risk that the issuer will not make interest or principal payments when due. In the event of an unanticipated default, the Fund would experience a reduction in its income, and could expect a decline in the market value of the securities affected by the default. During an economic downturn or substantial period of rising interest rates, highly leveraged issuers may experience financial stress that adversely affects their ability to service their principal and interest payment obligations, to meet projected business goals and to obtain additional financing, and any of these factors could lead to a default.
The market prices of lower-grade debt securities are generally less sensitive to interest rate changes than higher rated investments but are more sensitive to adverse economic or political conditions and negative, individual issuer developments. Lower-grade debt securities may also have less liquid markets than higher rated debt securities, and their liquidity may be more heavily impacted by adverse economic, political or issuer conditions. Negative publicity or investor perceptions, as well as new or proposed laws, may also have a significant impact on the market for these debt securities.
Credit quality of lower-grade securities can change suddenly and unexpectedly, and even recently-issued credit ratings may not fully reflect the actual risks posed by a particular higher yielding, high-risk debt security. For these reasons, the Adviser uses independent and ongoing review of credit quality in addition to the national rating organizations in selecting debt securities for the Fund.
Unrated Debt Securities.
Unrated debt, while not necessarily lower in quality than rated securities, may not have as broad a market. Because of the size and perceived demand for the issue, among other factors, certain issuers may decide not to pay the cost of getting a rating for their debt securities. The creditworthiness of the issuer, as well as any financial institution or other party responsible for payments on the security, will be analyzed by the Adviser to determine whether to purchase unrated bonds for the Fund.
U.S. Government Obligations.
The Fund may invest in various types of U.S. Government obligations. U.S. Government obligations include securities issued or guaranteed as to principal and interest by the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities, such as the U.S. Treasury. Payment of principal and interest on U.S. Government obligations may be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. 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. As a result, there is a risk that these entities will default on a financial obligation. For instance, securities issued by the Government National Mortgage Association are supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. Securities issued by the Federal National Mortgage Association (“FNMA”) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“FHLMC”) are supported only by the discretionary authority of the U.S. Government. 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. The U.S. government also took steps to provide additional financial support to FNMA and FHLMC. No assurance can be given that the U.S. Treasury initiatives with respect to FNMA and FHLMC will be successful. Securities issued by the Student Loan Marketing Association are supported only by the credit of that agency.
Zero-Coupon Securities
. The Fund may invest in zero-coupon bonds as part of its investment strategy, without limitation. Zero-coupon securities make no periodic interest payments but are sold at a deep discount to their face value. The buyer recognizes a rate of return determined by the gradual appreciation of the security, which is redeemed at face value on a specified maturity date. The discount varies depending on the time remaining until maturity, as well as market interest rates, the liquidity of the security, and the issuer’s perceived credit quality. If the issuer defaults, the holder may not receive any return on his or her investment. Because zero-coupon securities bear no interest and compound semiannually at the rate fixed at the time of issuance, their value generally is more volatile than the value of other debt securities. Since zero-coupon bondholders do not receive interest payments, when interest rates rise, zero-coupon securities fall more dramatically in value than bonds that pay interest on a current basis. When interest rates fall, zero-coupon securities rise more rapidly in value because they reflect a fixed rate of return. An investment in zero-coupon and delayed interest securities may cause the Fund to recognize income, and therefore the Fund may be required to make distributions to shareholders before the Fund receives any cash payments on its investment. The Fund may have to accordingly dispose of its portfolio investments under disadvantageous circumstances in order to generate sufficient cash to satisfy the distribution requirements for maintaining its status as a RIC under subchapter M of the Code.
Investment Companies and Exchange Traded Funds
The Fund may invest in shares of other investment companies, including money market mutual funds, other mutual funds or exchange traded funds (“ETFs”). The Fund’s investments in money market mutual funds may be used for cash management purposes and to maintain liquidity in order to satisfy redemption requests or pay unanticipated expenses. The Fund limits its investments in securities issued by other investment companies in accordance with the 1940 Act. With certain exceptions, Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act precludes the Fund from acquiring (i) more than 3% of the total outstanding shares of another investment company; (ii) shares of another investment company having an aggregate value in excess of 5% of the value of the total assets of the Fund; or (iii) shares of another registered investment company and all other investment companies having an aggregate value in excess of 10% of the value of the total assets of the Fund (such limits do not apply to investments in money market funds). However, Section 12(d)(1)(F) of the 1940 Act provides that the provisions of paragraph 12(d)(1) shall not apply to securities purchased or otherwise acquired by the Fund if: (i) immediately after such purchase or acquisition not more than 3% of the total outstanding shares of such investment company is owned by the Fund and all affiliated persons of the Fund; and (ii) the Fund has not offered or sold, and is not proposing to offer or sell its shares through a principal underwriter or otherwise at a public offering price that includes a sales load of more than 1 1/2%. Rule 12d1-3 under the 1940 Act provides, however, that the Fund may rely on the Section 12(d)(1)(F) exemption and charge a sales load in excess of 1 1/2% provided the sales load and any service fee charged does not exceed limits set forth in applicable rules of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”).
If the Fund invests in investment companies, including ETFs, pursuant to Section 12(d)(1)(F), it must comply with the following voting restrictions: when the Fund exercises voting rights, by proxy or otherwise, with respect to investment companies owned by the Fund, the Fund will either seek instruction from the Fund’s shareholders with regard to the voting of all proxies and vote in accordance with such instructions, or vote the shares held by the Fund in the same proportion as the vote of all other holders of the securities of the investment company. In addition, an investment company purchased by the Fund pursuant to Section 12(d)(1)(F) shall not be required to redeem its shares in an amount exceeding 1% of such investment company’s total outstanding shares in any period of less than thirty days. To the extent the Fund is unable to redeem such shares within 7 days of a redemption request, the shares will be deemed illiquid and subject to the limitation that the Fund may not invest more than 15% of the value of its net assets, computed at the time of investment, in illiquid securities. In addition to the advisory and operational fees the Fund bears directly in connection with its own operation, the Fund will also bear its pro rata portion of the advisory and operational expenses incurred indirectly through its investments in other investment companies.
Exchange-Traded Funds
. ETFs are open-end investment companies whose shares are listed on a national securities exchange. An ETF is similar to a traditional mutual fund, but trades at different prices during the day on a security exchange like a stock. Similar to investments in other investment companies discussed above, the Fund’s investments in ETFs will involve duplication of advisory fees and other expenses since the Fund will be investing in another investment company. In addition, the Fund’s investment in ETFs is also subject to its limitations on investments in investment companies discussed above. To the extent the Fund invests in ETFs which focus on a particular market segment or industry, the Fund will also be subject to the risks associated with investing in those sectors or industries. To the extent the Fund invests in inverse ETFs, such investments are subject to the risk that their performance will decline as the value of their benchmark indices rises. The shares of the ETFs in which the Fund will invest will be listed on a national securities exchange and the Fund will purchase or sell these shares on the secondary market at its current market price, which may be more or less than its NAV per share.
As a purchaser of ETF shares on the secondary market, the Fund will be subject to the market risk associated with owning any security whose value is based on market price. ETF shares historically have tended to trade at or near their NAV, but there is no guarantee that they will continue to do so. Unlike traditional mutual funds, shares of an ETF may be purchased and redeemed directly from the ETFs only in large blocks (typically 50,000 shares or more) and only through participating organizations that have entered into contractual agreements with the ETF. The Fund does not expect to enter into such agreements and therefore will not be able to purchase and redeem its ETF shares directly from the ETF.
Exchange Traded Notes
An exchange traded note (“ETN”) is a type of unsecured, unsubordinated debt security that differs from other types of bonds and notes because ETN returns are typically based upon the performance of a market index. ETNs are publically traded on a U.S. securities exchange. An ETN incurs certain expenses not incurred by its applicable index, and an investment in an ETN will bear its proportionate share of any fees and expenses borne by the ETN. The market value of an ETN share may differ from its NAV. The share may trade at a premium or discount to its NAV, which may be due to, among other things, differences in the supply and demand in the market for the share. Although an ETN is a debt security, it is unlike a typical bond, in that there are no periodic interest payments and principal is not protected. ETNs are subject to credit risk and the value of the ETN may drop due to a downgrade in the issuer’s credit rating, despite the underlying market benchmark or strategy remaining unchanged.
Repurchase Agreements
The Fund may enter into repurchase agreements. Under such agreements, the seller of the security agrees to repurchase it at a mutually agreed upon time and price. The repurchase price may be higher than the purchase price, the difference being income to the Fund, or the purchase and repurchase prices may be the same, with interest at a stated rate due to the Fund together with the repurchase price on repurchase. In either case, the income to the Fund is unrelated to the interest rate on the security itself. Such repurchase agreements will be made only with banks with assets of $500 million or more that are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or with Government securities dealers recognized by the Federal Reserve Board and registered as broker-dealers with the SEC or exempt from such registration. The Funds will generally enter into repurchase agreements of short durations, from overnight to one week, although the underlying securities generally have longer maturities. The Fund may not enter into a repurchase agreement with more than seven days to maturity if, as a result, more than 15% of the value of the Fund’s net assets would be invested in illiquid securities including such repurchase agreements.
For purposes of the 1940 Act, a repurchase agreement is deemed to be a loan from the Fund to the seller of the U.S. Government security that is subject to the repurchase agreement. It is not clear whether a court would consider the U.S. Government security acquired by the Fund subject to a repurchase agreement as being owned by the Fund or as being collateral for a loan by the Fund to the seller. In the event of the commencement of bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings with respect to the seller of the U.S. Government security before its repurchase under a repurchase agreement, the Fund could encounter delays and incur costs before being able to sell the security. Delays may involve loss of interest or a decline in price of the U.S. Government security. If a court characterizes the transaction as a loan and the Fund has not perfected a security interest in the U.S. Government security, the Fund may be required to return the security to the seller’s estate and be treated as an unsecured creditor of the seller. As an unsecured creditor, the Fund would be at the risk of losing some or all of the principal and income involved in the transaction. As with any unsecured debt instrument purchased for the Fund, the Adviser seeks to minimize the risk of loss through repurchase agreements by analyzing the creditworthiness of the other party, in this case the seller of the U.S. Government security.
Apart from the risk of bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings, there is also the risk that the seller may fail to repurchase the security. However, the Fund will always receive as collateral for any repurchase agreement to which it is a party securities acceptable to the Adviser, the market value of which is equal to at least 100% of the amount invested by the Fund plus accrued interest, and the Fund will make payment against such securities only upon physical delivery or evidence of book entry transfer to the account of its custodian. If the market value of the U.S. Government security subject to the repurchase agreement becomes less than the repurchase price (including interest), the Fund will direct the seller of the U.S. Government security to deliver additional securities so that the market value of all securities subject to the repurchase agreement will equal or exceed the repurchase price. It is possible that the Fund could be unsuccessful in seeking to enforce on the seller a contractual obligation to deliver additional securities.
Mortgage-Backed Securities and Asset-Backed Securities
Mortgage-backed securities represent direct or indirect participations in, or are secured by and payable from, mortgage loans secured by real property, and include single- and multi-class pass-through securities and collateralized mortgage obligations (“CMOs”). Such securities may be issued or guaranteed by U.S. Government agencies or instrumentalities, such as the 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 Mae,” or by private issuers, generally originators and investors in mortgage loans, including savings associations, mortgage bankers, commercial banks, investment bankers and special purpose entities (collectively, “private lenders”).
Mortgage-backed securities issued by private lenders may be supported by pools of mortgage loans or other mortgage-backed securities that are guaranteed, directly or indirectly, by the U.S. Government or one of its agencies or instrumentalities, or they may be issued without any governmental guarantee of the underlying mortgage assets but with some form of non-governmental credit enhancement. Until recently, FNMA and FHLMC were government-sponsored corporations owned entirely by private stockholders. In September 2008, at the direction of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, FNMA and FHLMC were placed into conservatorship under the FHFA. The U.S. government also took steps to provide additional financial support to FNMA and FHLMC. No assurance can be given that the U.S. Treasury initiatives with respect to FNMA and FHLMC will be successful.
Asset-backed debt obligations represent direct or indirect participation in, or are secured by and payable from, assets such as motor vehicle installment sales contracts, other installment loan contracts, home equity loans, leases of various types of property and receivables from credit card or other revolving credit arrangements. The credit quality of most asset-backed securities depends primarily on the credit quality of the assets underlying such securities, how well the entity issuing the security is insulated from the credit risk and bankruptcy of the originator or any other affiliated entities and the amount and quality of any credit enhancement of the securities. Payments or distributions of principal and interest on asset-backed debt obligations may be supported by non-governmental credit enhancements including letters of credit, reserve funds, over-collateralization and guarantees by third parties.
The rate of principal payment on mortgage- and asset-backed securities generally depends on the rate of principal payments received on the underlying assets, which in turn may be affected by a variety of economic and other factors. As a result, the yield on any mortgage- or asset-backed security is difficult to predict with precision and actual yield to maturity may be more or less than the anticipated yield to maturity. The yield characteristics of mortgage- and asset-backed debt obligations differ from those of traditional debt obligations. Among the principal differences are that interest and principal payments are made more frequently on mortgage- and asset-backed debt obligations, usually monthly, and that principal may be prepaid at any time because the underlying assets generally may be prepaid at any time. As a result, if these debt obligations or securities are purchased at a premium, a prepayment rate that is faster than expected will reduce yield to maturity, while a prepayment rate that is slower than expected will have the opposite effect of increasing the yield to maturity. Conversely, if these debt obligations or securities are purchased at a discount, a prepayment rate that is faster than expected will increase yield to maturity, while a prepayment rate that is slower than expected will reduce yield to maturity. Mortgage-backed securities available for reinvestment by the Fund are likely to be greater during a period of declining interest rates and, as a result, are likely to be reinvested at lower interest rates than during a period of rising interest rates. Accelerated prepayments on debt obligations or securities purchased at a premium also impose a risk of loss of principal because the premium may not have been fully amortized at the time the principal is prepaid in full. The market for privately issued mortgage-backed securities is smaller and less liquid than the market for government-sponsored mortgage-backed securities.
While asset-backed securities may be issued with only one class of security, many asset-backed securities are issued in more than one class, each with different payment terms. Mortgage-backed securities may be issued with either a single class of security or multiple classes, which are commonly referred to as a CMO. Multiple class mortgage- and asset-backed securities are issued for two main reasons. First, multiple classes may be used as a method of providing selective credit support. This is accomplished typically through creation of one or more classes whose right to payments on the asset-backed security is made subordinate to the right to such payments of the remaining class or classes. Second, multiple classes may permit the issuance of securities with payment terms, interest rates or other characteristics differing both from those of each other and from those of the underlying assets. Examples include separate trading of registered interest and principal of securities (“STRIPS”) (mortgage- and asset-backed securities entitling the holder to disproportionate interests with respect to the allocation of interest and principal of the assets backing the security), and securities with class or classes having characteristics that mimic the characteristics of non-asset-backed securities, such as floating interest rates (i.e., interest rates that adjust as a specified benchmark changes) or scheduled amortization of principal.
The Fund may invest in stripped mortgage-backed securities, which receive differing proportions of the interest and principal payments from the underlying assets, including interest-only (“IO”) and principal-only (“PO”) securities. IO and PO mortgage-backed securities may be illiquid. The market value of such securities generally is more sensitive to changes in prepayment and interest rates than is the case with traditional mortgage-backed securities, and in some cases such market value may be extremely volatile.
Mortgage- and asset-backed securities, other than as described above, or in which the payment streams on the underlying assets are allocated in a manner different than those described above may be issued in the future. The Fund may invest in such mortgage- and asset-backed securities if such investment is otherwise consistent with its investment objective and policies and with the investment restrictions of the Fund.
If the Fund purchases mortgage- or asset-backed securities that are “subordinated” to other interests in the same mortgage pool, the Fund as a holder of those securities may only receive payments after the pool’s obligations to other investors have been satisfied. An unexpectedly high rate of defaults on the mortgages held by a mortgage pool may substantially limit the pool’s ability to make payments of principal or interest to the Fund as a holder of such subordinated securities, reducing the values of those securities or in some cases rendering them worthless. The risk of such defaults is generally higher in the case of mortgage pools that include so called “subprime” mortgages. An unexpectedly high or low rate of prepayments on a pool’s underlying mortgages may have a similar effect on subordinated securities. A mortgage pool may issue securities subject to various levels of subordination, and the risk of non-payment affects securities at each level, although the risk is greater in the case of more highly subordinated securities. Government policy that would encourage principal forgiveness or encourage refinancing of mortgages could have a negative impact on certain mortgage-backed securities.
Borrowing
The Fund may borrow to increase its portfolio holdings of securities. The Fund will limit its borrowing to an amount not to exceed one-third of its total assets. Such borrowings may be on a secured or unsecured basis at fixed or variable rates of interest. The 1940 Act requires the Fund to maintain continuous asset coverage of not less than 300% with respect to all borrowings. This allows the Fund to borrow for such purposes an amount (when taken together with any borrowings for temporary or emergency purposes as described below) equal to as much as 50% of the value of its net assets (not including such borrowings). If such asset coverage should decline to less than 300% due to market fluctuations or other reasons, the Fund may be required to dispose of some of its portfolio holdings within three days in order to reduce the Fund’s debt and restore the 300% asset coverage, even though it may be disadvantageous from an investment standpoint to dispose of assets at that time.
The Fund may also be deemed to be borrowing when entering into certain derivative transactions such as certain options, forwards or swap transactions. This type of borrowing is generally referred to as economic leverage.
The use of borrowing by the Fund involves special risk considerations that may not be associated with other funds having similar policies. Since substantially all of the Fund’s assets fluctuate in value, whereas the interest obligation resulting from a borrowing will be fixed by the terms of the Fund’s agreement with its lender, the asset value per share of the Fund will tend to increase more when its portfolio securities increase in value and decrease more when its portfolio securities decrease in value than would otherwise be the case if the Fund did not borrow funds. In addition, interest costs on borrowings may fluctuate with changing market rates of interest and may partially offset or exceed the return earned on borrowed funds. Under adverse market conditions, the Fund might have to sell portfolio securities to meet interest or principal payments at a time when fundamental investment considerations would not favor such sales. The interest which the Fund must pay on borrowed money, together with any additional fees to maintain a line of credit or any minimum average balances required to be maintained, are additional costs which will reduce or eliminate any net investment income and may also offset any potential capital gains. Unless the appreciation and income, if any, on assets acquired with borrowed funds exceed the costs of borrowing, the use of leverage will diminish the investment performance of the Fund compared with what it would have been without leverage.
Illiquid Securities
The Fund is limited by its restrictions to investing only up to 15% of its net assets in securities that are illiquid at the time of purchase, which means that there may be legal or contractual restrictions on their disposition, or that there are no readily available market quotations for such a security. Illiquid securities present the risks that the Fund may have difficulty valuing these holdings and/or may be unable to sell these holdings at the time or price desired. There are generally no restrictions on the Fund’s ability to invest in restricted securities (that is, securities that are not registered pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933 (the “Securities Act”)), except to the extent such securities may be considered illiquid. Securities issued pursuant to Rule 144A of the Securities Act will be considered liquid if determined to be so under procedures adopted by the Board of Trustees. The Adviser is responsible for making the determination as to the liquidity of restricted securities (pursuant to the procedures adopted by the Board of Trustees).
The Fund will determine a security to be illiquid if it cannot be sold or disposed of in the ordinary course of business within seven days at the value at which the Fund has valued the security. Factors considered in determining whether a security is illiquid may include, but are not limited to: the frequency of trades and quotes for the security; the number of dealers willing to purchase and sell the security and the number of potential purchasers; the number of dealers who undertake to make a market in the security; the nature of the security, including whether it is registered or unregistered, and the market place; whether the security has been rated by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization (“NRSRO”); the period of time remaining until the maturity of a debt instrument or until the principal amount of a demand instrument can be recovered through demand; the nature of any restrictions on resale; and with respect to municipal lease obligations and certificates of participation, there is reasonable assurance that the obligation will remain liquid throughout the time the obligation is held and, if unrated, an analysis similar to that which would be performed by an NRSRO is performed. If a restricted security is determined to be liquid, it will not be included within the category of illiquid securities, which may not exceed 15% of the Fund’s net assets. Investing in Rule 144A securities could have the effect of increasing the level of the Fund’s illiquidity to the extent that the Fund, at a particular point in time may be unable to find qualified institutional buyers interested in purchasing the securities. The Fund is permitted to sell restricted securities to qualified institutional buyers.
Temporary Strategies; Cash or Similar Investments
For temporary defensive purposes, up to 100% of the Fund’s total assets may be invested in high-quality, short-term debt securities and money market instruments. These short-term debt securities and money market instruments include shares of other mutual funds, commercial paper, certificates of deposit, bankers’ acceptances, U.S. Government securities and repurchase agreements. Taking a temporary defensive position may result in the Fund not achieving its investment objective. Furthermore, to the extent that the Fund invests in money market mutual funds for its cash position, there will be some duplication of expenses because the Fund would bear its pro rata portion of such money market funds’ management fees and operational expenses.
For longer periods of time, the Fund may hold a substantial cash position. If the market advances during periods when the Fund is holding a large cash position, the Fund may not participate to the extent it would have if the Fund had been more fully invested, and this may result in the Fund not achieving its investment objective during that period. To the extent that the Fund uses a money market fund for its cash position, there will be some duplication of expenses because the Fund would bear its pro rata portion of such money market fund’s advisory fees and operational expenses.
The Fund may invest in any of the following securities and instruments:
Bank Certificates of Deposit, Bankers’ Acceptances and Time Deposits.
The Fund may acquire certificates of deposit, bankers’ acceptances and time deposits. Certificates of deposit are negotiable certificates issued against funds deposited in a commercial bank for a definite period of time and earning 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. Certificates of deposit and bankers’ acceptances acquired by the Fund will be dollar denominated obligations of domestic or foreign banks or financial institutions which at the time of purchase 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 bank 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 by a fund that 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 on interest income payable on the securities, the possible seizure or nationalization of foreign deposits, the possible establishment of exchange controls or the adoption of other foreign governmental restrictions which might 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 which may be made and interest rates which may be charged. In addition, the profitability of the banking industry depends largely upon the availability and cost of funds for the purpose of financing lending operations under prevailing money market conditions. General economic conditions as well as exposure to credit losses arising from possible financial difficulties of borrowers play an important part in the operations of the banking industry.
As a result of federal and state laws and regulations, domestic banks are, among other things, required to maintain specified levels of reserves, limited in the amount which they can loan to a single borrower, and subject to other regulations designed to promote financial soundness. However, such laws and regulations do not necessarily apply to foreign bank obligations that the Fund may acquire.
In addition to purchasing certificates of deposit and bankers’ acceptances, to the extent permitted under its investment objectives and policies stated above and in its Prospectus, the Fund may make interest bearing time or other interest bearing deposits in commercial or savings banks. Time deposits are non-negotiable deposits maintained at a banking institution for a specified period of time at a specified interest rate.
Savings Association Obligations.
The Fund 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.
Commercial Paper, Short Term Notes and Other Corporate Obligations.
The 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.
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” by Moody’s, or similarly rated by another NRSRO or, if unrated, will be determined by the Adviser to be of comparable quality.
Fundamental Investment Restrictions
The Trust (on behalf of the 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 under the 1940 Act. Under the 1940 Act, the vote of the holders of a “majority of the outstanding voting securities” 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 may not:
|
1.
|
issue senior securities, except to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act or any rules, exemptions or interpretations thereunder that may be adopted, granted or issued by the SEC
;
|
|
2.
|
underwrite the securities of other issuers (except that the Fund may engage in transactions involving the acquisition, disposition or resale of its portfolio securities under circumstances where it may be considered to be an underwriter under the Securities Act);
|
|
3.
|
purchase or sell real estate or interests in real estate, unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities (although the Fund may purchase and sell securities which are secured by real estate and securities of companies that invest or deal in real estate);
|
|
4.
|
purchase or sell commodities or commodities contracts, unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments and provided that this restriction does not prevent the Fund from engaging in transactions involving currencies and futures contracts and options thereon or investing in securities or other instruments that are secured by commodities, or investing in precious metals in accordance with the Fund’s investment objective and policies set forth in the Prospectus;
|
|
5.
|
make loans of money (except for the lending of the Fund’s portfolio securities and purchases of debt securities consistent with the investment policies of the Fund);
|
|
6.
|
w
ith respect to 75% of its total assets, purchase the securities of any one issuer if, immediately after and as a result of such purchase, (a) the value of the Fund’s holdings in the securities of such issuer exceeds 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets, or (b) the Fund owns more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of the issuer (this restriction does not apply to investments in the securities of the U.S. Government, or its agencies or instrumentalities, or other investment companies)
; or
|
|
7.
|
invest in the securities of any one industry if, as a result, 25% or more of the Fund’s total assets would be invested in the securities of such industry, except that the foregoing does not apply to securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities.
|
Non-Fundamental Investment Restrictions
The following lists the non-fundamental investment restriction applicable to the Fund. This restriction can be changed by the Board of Trustees, but the change will only be effective after prior written notice is given to shareholders of the Fund.
|
1.
|
The Fund may not invest more than 15% of the value of its net assets, computed at the time of investment, in illiquid securities. Illiquid securities are those securities without readily available market quotations, including repurchase agreements having a maturity of more than seven days. Illiquid securities may include restricted securities not determined by the Board of Trustees to be liquid, non-negotiable time deposits, OTC options, and repurchase agreements providing for settlement in more than seven days after notice.
|
Except with respect to the limitations on borrowing and investments in illiquid securities, 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 the Fund will not be considered a violation.
The management and affairs of the Fund are supervised by the Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees consists of four individuals. The Trustees are fiduciaries for the Fund’s shareholders and are governed by the laws of the State of Delaware in this regard. The Board of Trustees establishes policies for the operation of the Fund and appoints the officers who conduct the daily business of the Fund.
The Trustees and officers of the Trust are listed below with their addresses, present positions with the Trust and principal occupations over at least the last five years.
|
Name, Address and Age
|
Position(s) Held
with the Trust
|
Term of Office and Length of Time Served
|
Number of Portfolios in Trust Overseen by Trustee
|
Principal Occupation(s)
During the Past Five Years
|
Other Directorships Held by Trustee During the Past Five Years
|
|
Independent Trustees
|
|
Michael D. Akers, Ph.D.
615 E. Michigan St.
Milwaukee, WI 53202
Age: 59
|
Trustee
|
Indefinite Term; Since August 22, 2001
|
[36]
|
Professor and Chair, Department of Accounting, Marquette University (2004-present).
|
Independent Trustee, USA MUTUALS (an open-end investment company with two portfolios).
|
|
Gary A. Drska
615 E. Michigan St.
Milwaukee, WI 53202
Age: 57
|
Trustee
|
Indefinite Term; Since August 22, 2001
|
[36]
|
Pilot, Frontier/Midwest Airlines, Inc. (airline company) (1986-present).
|
Independent Trustee, USA MUTUALS (an open-end investment company with two portfolios).
|
|
Name, Address and Age
|
Position(s) Held
with the Trust
|
Term of Office and Length of Time Served
|
Number of Portfolios in Trust Overseen by Trustee
|
Principal Occupation(s)
During the Past Five Years
|
Other Directorships Held by Trustee During the Past Five Years
|
|
Jonas B. Siegel
615 E. Michigan St.
Milwaukee, WI 53202
Age: 70
|
Trustee
|
Indefinite Term; Since October 23, 2009
|
[36]
|
Managing Director, Chief Administrative Officer (“CAO”) and Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”), Granite Capital International Group, L.P. (an investment management firm) (1994-2011); Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and CCO of Granum Series Trust (an open-end investment company) (1997-2007); President, CAO and CCO, Granum Securities, LLC (a broker-dealer) (1997-2007).
|
Independent Trustee,
Gottex Multi-Asset Endowment fund complex (three closed-end investment companies); Independent Trustee, Gottex Multi-Alternatives fund complex (three closed-end investment companies); Independent Manager, Ramius IDF fund complex (two closed-end investment companies).
|
|
Interested Trustee and Officers
|
|
Joseph C. Neuberger*
615 E. Michigan St.
Milwaukee, WI 53202
Age: 52
|
Chairperson and Trustee
|
Indefinite Term; Since August 22, 2001
|
[36]
|
Executive Vice President, U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC (1994-present).
|
Trustee, Buffalo Funds (an open-end investment company with ten portfolios); Trustee, USA MUTUALS (an open-end investment company with two portfolios).
|
|
John Buckel
615 E. Michigan St.
Milwaukee, WI 53202
Age: 56
|
President and Principal Executive Officer
|
Indefinite Term; Since January 24, 2013
|
N/A
|
Mutual Fund Administrator, U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC (2004-present).
|
N/A
|
|
Name, Address and Age
|
Position(s) Held
with the Trust
|
Term of Office and Length of Time Served
|
Number of Portfolios in Trust Overseen by Trustee
|
Principal Occupation(s)
During the Past Five Years
|
Other Directorships Held by Trustee During the Past Five Years
|
|
Jennifer A. Lima
615 E. Michigan St.
Milwaukee, WI 53202
Age: 40
|
Vice President, Treasurer and Principal Financial and Accounting Officer
|
Indefinite Term; Since January 24, 2013
|
N/A
|
Mutual Fund Administrator, U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC (2002-present).
|
N/A
|
|
Rachel A. Spearo
615 E. Michigan St.
Milwaukee, WI 53202
Age: 34
|
Secretary
|
Indefinite Term; Since November 15, 2005
|
N/A
|
Vice President, U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC (2004-present).
|
N/A
|
|
Robert M. Slotky
615 E. Michigan St.
Milwaukee, WI 53202
Age: 66
|
Chief Compliance Officer, Vice President and Anti-Money Laundering Officer
|
Indefinite Term; Since January 26, 2011
|
N/A
|
Senior Vice President, U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, (2001- present).
|
N/A
|
|
Jesse J. Schmitting
615 E. Michigan St.
Milwaukee, WI 53202
Age: 32
|
Assistant Treasurer
|
Indefinite Term; Since July 21, 2011
|
N/A
|
Mutual Fund Administrator, U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC (2008-present).
|
N/A
|
|
*
|
Mr. Neuberger is an “interested person” of the Trust as defined by the 1940 Act
by virtue of
the fact that he is an interested person of Quasar Distributors, LLC (the “Distributor”), the Fund’s principal underwriter.
|
The Board of Trustees provides oversight of the management and operations of the Trust. Like all mutual funds, the day-to-day responsibility for the management and operation of the Trust is the responsibility of various service providers to the Trust and its individual series, such as the Adviser, Distributor, and the Fund’s administrator, custodian, and transfer agent, each of whom are discussed in greater detail in this SAI. The Board approves all significant agreements with the Adviser, Distributor, and the Fund’s administrator, custodian and transfer agent. The Board has appointed various individuals of certain of these service providers as officers of the Trust, with responsibility to monitor and report to the Board on the Trust’s day-to-day operations. In conducting this oversight, the Board receives regular reports from these officers and service providers regarding the Trust’s operations. The Board has appointed a CCO who reports directly to the Board and who administers the Trust’s compliance program and regularly reports to the Board as to compliance matters, including an annual compliance review. Some of these reports are provided as part of formal “Board Meetings,” which are held five times per year, in person, and such other times as the Board determines is necessary, and involve the Board’s review of recent Trust operations. From time to time one or more members of the Board may also meet with Trust officers in less formal settings, between formal Board Meetings to discuss various topics. In all cases, however, the role of the Board and of any individual Trustee is one of oversight and not of management of the day-to-day affairs of the Trust, and its oversight role does not make the Board a guarantor of the Trust’s investments, operations or activities.
The Board has structured itself in a manner that it believes allows it to effectively perform its oversight function. The Board of Trustees is composed of three Independent Trustees – Dr. Michael D. Akers, Mr. Gary A. Drska and Mr. Jonas B. Siegel – and one Trustee who is a “interested person” of the Trust (the “Interested Trustee”) – Mr. Joseph C. Neuberger. Accordingly, 75% of the members of the Board are Independent Trustees, Trustees who are not affiliated with the Adviser or its affiliates, or any other investment adviser or other service provider to the Trust or any underlying fund. The Board of Trustees has established three standing committees, an Audit Committee, a Nominating Committee and a Valuation Committee, which are discussed in greater detail under “Board Committees” below. Each of the Audit Committee and the Nominating Committee are comprised entirely of Independent Trustees. The Independent Trustees have engaged their own independent counsel to advise them on matters relating to their responsibilities in connection with the Trust.
The Trust’s Chairperson, Mr. Neuberger, is an “interested person” of the Trust, as defined by the 1940 Act, by virtue of the fact that he is an interested person of the Distributor, which acts as principal underwriter to the Fund and many of the Trust’s other underlying funds. Mr. Neuberger also serves as Executive Vice President of U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, the Fund’s administrator (the “Administrator”). The Trust has not appointed a lead Independent Trustee.
In accordance with the fund governance standards prescribed by the SEC under the 1940 Act, the Independent Trustees on the Nominating Committee select and nominate all candidates for Independent Trustee positions. Each Trustee was appointed to serve on the Board of Trustees because of his experience, qualifications, attributes and skills as set forth in the subsection “Trustee Qualifications” below.
The Board reviews its structure regularly in light of the characteristics and circumstances of the Trust, including: the unaffiliated nature of each investment adviser and the fund(s) managed by such adviser; the number of funds that comprise the Trust; the variety of asset classes that those funds reflect; the net assets of the Trust; the committee structure of the Trust; and the independent distribution arrangements of each of the Trust’s underlying funds.
The Board has determined that the function and composition of the Audit Committee and the Nominating Committee are appropriate means to address any potential conflicts of interest that may arise from the Chairperson’s status as an Interested Trustee. In addition, the inclusion of all Independent Trustees as members of the Audit Committee and the Nominating Committee allows all such Trustees to participate in the full range of the Board of Trustees’ oversight duties, including oversight of risk management processes discussed below. Given the specific characteristics and circumstances of the Trust as described above, the Trust has determined that the Board’s leadership structure is appropriate.
As part of its oversight function, the Board receives and reviews various risk management reports and assessments and discusses these matters with appropriate management and other personnel, including personnel of the Trust’s service providers. Because risk management is a broad concept composed of many elements (such as, for example, investment risk, issuer and counterparty risk, compliance risk, operational risks, business continuity risks, etc.) the oversight of different types of risks is handled in different ways. For example, the CCO regularly reports to the Board during Board Meetings and meets in executive session with the Independent Trustees and their legal counsel to discuss compliance and operational risks. In addition, the Independent Trustee designated as the Audit Committee’s “audit committee financial expert” meets with the Treasurer and the Trust’s independent public accounting firm to discuss, among other things, the internal control structure of the Trust’s financial reporting function. The full Board receives reports from the investment advisers to the underlying funds and the portfolio managers as to investment risks as well as other risks that may be discussed during Audit Committee meetings.
The Board believes that each of the Trustees has the qualifications, experience, attributes and skills appropriate to their continued service as Trustees of the Trust in light of the Trust’s business and structure. The Trustees have substantial business and professional backgrounds that indicate they have the ability to critically review, evaluate and assess information provided to them. Certain of these business and professional experiences are set forth in detail in the table above. In addition, the Trustees have substantial board experience and, in their service to the Trust, have gained substantial insight as to the operation of the Trust. The Board annually conducts a “self-assessment” wherein the effectiveness of the Board and the individual Trustees is reviewed.
In addition to the information provided in the table above, below is certain additional information concerning each individual Trustee. The information provided below, and in the table above, is not all-inclusive. Many of the Trustees’ qualifications to serve on the Board involve intangible elements, such as intelligence, integrity, work ethic, the ability to work together, the ability to communicate effectively, the ability to exercise judgment, the ability to ask incisive questions, and commitment to shareholder interests. In conducting its annual self-assessment, the Board has determined that the Trustees have the appropriate attributes and experience to continue to serve effectively as Trustees of the Trust.
Michael D. Akers, Ph.D., CPA.
Dr. Akers has served as an Independent Trustee of the Trust since August 2001. Dr. Akers has also served as an independent trustee of USA Mutuals, an open-end investment company, since 2001. Dr. Akers has been a Professor and Chair of the Department of Accounting of Marquette University since 2004, and was Associate Professor of Accounting of Marquette University from 1996 to 2004. Dr. Akers is a certified public accountant, a certified fraud examiner, a certified internal auditor and a certified management accountant. Through his experience as a trustee of mutual funds and his employment experience, Dr. Akers is experienced with financial, accounting, regulatory and investment matters.
Gary A. Drska.
Mr. Drska has served as an Independent Trustee of the Trust since August 2001. Mr. Drska has also served as an independent trustee of USA Mutuals since 2001. Mr. Drska has served as a Pilot of Frontier/Midwest Airlines, Inc., an airline company, since 1986. Through his experience as a trustee of mutual funds, Mr. Drska is experienced with financial, accounting, regulatory and investment matters.
Joseph C. Neuberger
. Mr. Neuberger has served as an Interested Trustee of the Trust since August 2001. Mr. Neuberger has also served as a trustee of USA Mutuals since 2001 and Buffalo Funds, an open-end investment company, since 2003. Mr. Neuberger has served as Executive Vice President of the Administrator, a multi-service line service provider to mutual funds, since 1994. Through his experience as a trustee of mutual funds and his employment experience, Mr. Neuberger is experienced with financial, accounting, regulatory and investment matters.
Jonas B. Siegel, CPA
. Mr. Siegel has served as a Trustee of the Trust since October 2009. Mr. Siegel has also served, since 2010, as a trustee of the Gottex Multi-Asset Endowment fund complex and the Gottex Multi-Alternatives fund complex, each of which is composed of three closed-end investment companies, and, since 2011, as an Independent Manager of the Ramius IDF fund complex, which is composed of two closed-end investment companies. Mr. Siegel previously served as the Managing Director, CAO and CCO of Granite Capital International Group, L.P., an investment management firm, from 1994 to 2011, as Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and CCO of Granum Series Trust, an open-end investment company, from 1997 to 2007, and as President, CAO and CCO of Granum Securities, LLC, a broker-dealer, from 1997 to 2007. Mr. Siegel is a certified public accountant. Through his experience as a trustee of mutual funds and his employment experience, Mr. Siegel is experienced with financial, accounting, regulatory and investment matters.
As of the date of this SAI, no Trustee of the Trust beneficially owned shares of the Fund or any other series of the Trust.
Furthermore, as of the date of this SAI, neither the Trustees who are not “interested” persons of the Fund, nor members of their immediate families, own securities beneficially, or of record, in the Adviser, the Distributor or any of their affiliates. During the past two years ended December 31, 2013, neither the Trustees who are not “interested” persons of the Fund nor members of their immediate families, have had a direct or indirect interest, the value of which exceeds $120,000 in: (i) the Adviser, the Distributor or any of their affiliates, or (ii) any transaction or relationship in which any such entity, the Fund, any officer of the Fund, or any of their affiliates was a party.
Audit Committee
. The Trust has an Audit Committee, which is comprised of the Independent Trustees. The Audit Committee reviews financial statements and other audit-related matters for the Fund. The Audit Committee also holds discussions with management and with the Fund’s independent auditor concerning the scope of the audit and the auditor’s independence.
Nominating Committee
. The Trust has a Nominating Committee, which is comprised of the Independent Trustees, Dr. Michael D. Akers, Mr. Gary A. Drska. and Mr. Jonas B. Siegel. The Nominating Committee is responsible for seeking and reviewing candidates for consideration as nominees for the position of trustee and meets only as necessary. As part of this process, the Nominating Committee considers criteria for selecting candidates sufficient to indentify a diverse group of qualified individuals to serve as trustees.
The Nominating Committee will consider nominees recommended by shareholders for vacancies on the Board of Trustees. Recommendations for consideration by the Nominating Committee should be sent to the President of the Trust in writing together with the appropriate biographical information concerning each such proposed nominee, and such recommendation must comply with the notice provisions set forth in the Trust’s By-Laws. In general, to comply with such procedures, such nominations, together with all required information, must be delivered to and received by the Secretary of the Trust at the principal executive office of the Trust not later than 60 days prior to the shareholder meeting at which any such nominee would be voted on. Shareholder recommendations for nominations to the Board of Trustees will be accepted on an ongoing basis and such recommendations will be kept on file for consideration when there is a vacancy on the Board of Trustees. The Nominating Committee’s procedures with respect to reviewing shareholder nominations will be disclosed as required by applicable securities laws.
Valuation Committee
. The Trust has a Valuation Committee. The Valuation Committee is responsible for the following: (1) monitoring the valuation of Fund securities and other investments; and (2) as required, when the Board of Trustees is not in session, determining the fair value of illiquid securities and other holdings after consideration of all relevant factors, which determinations are reported to the Board. The Valuation Committee is currently composed of Mr. John Buckel, Ms. Jennifer Lima and Mr. Jesse Schmitting who each serve as an officer of the Trust. The Valuation Committee meets as necessary when a price for a portfolio security is not readily available.
As the Fund is new, none of the Trust’s committees have met with respect to the Fund.
For their service as Trustees, the Independent Trustees receive from the Trust a retainer fee of $45,000 per year, $2,000 for each in-person Board meeting attended and $1,000 for each telephonic Board meeting, as well as reimbursement for expenses incurred in connection with attendance at meetings. Interested Trustees of the Trust do not receive any compensation for their service as Trustee. Because the Fund has recently commenced operations, the following compensation figures represent estimates for the current fiscal year ending November 30, 2014:
|
Name of Person/Position
|
Aggregate Compensation
from the Fund
1
|
Pension or Retirement Benefits Accrued as Part of Fund Expenses
|
Estimated Annual Benefits
Upon Retirement
|
Total Compensation from the Fund and the Trust
2
Paid to Trustees
|
|
Dr. Michael D. Akers,
Independent Trustee
|
$[…]
|
None
|
None
|
$[…]
|
|
Gary A. Drska,
Independent Trustee
|
$[…]
|
None
|
None
|
$[…]
|
|
Jonas B. Siegel,
Independent Trustee
|
$[…]
|
None
|
None
|
$[…]
|
|
Joseph C. Neuberger,
Interested Trustee
|
None
|
None
|
None
|
None
|
|
1
|
Trustees fees and expenses are allocated among the Fund and any other series comprising the Trust.
|
|
2
|
There are currently [thirty-five] other portfolios comprising the Trust.
|
A principal shareholder is any person who owns of record or beneficially 5% or more of the outstanding shares of the Fund. A control person is one who owns beneficially or through controlled companies more than 25% of the voting securities of the Fund or acknowledges the existence of control.
A controlling person possesses the ability to control the outcome of matters submitted for shareholder vote by the Fund.
As of the date of this SAI, there were no principal shareholders or control persons of the Fund.
Investment advisory services are provided to the Fund by the Adviser, Welton Fund Advisors LLC, pursuant to an investment advisory agreement (the “Advisory Agreement”). The Adviser is a majority-owned subsidiary of Welton Investment Corporation (“Welton”), a privately held investment manager that serves as the investment manager to, and managing member of, privately offered U.S. and non-U.S. hedge fund portfolios. Welton’s sole shareholder is the Welton Family Trust dated January 28, 1992 (the “Welton Family Trust”). Dr. Patrick L. Welton and Annette L. Welton serve as trustees to the Welton Family Trust. The Adviser’s registered address is The Eastwood Building, San Carlos Between 5
th
and 6
th
, Carmel, California 93921-6147.
After an initial two-year period, the Advisory Agreement continues in effect from year to year, only if such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by: (i) the Board of Trustees or the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund; and (ii) the vote of a majority of the Trustees of the Trust who are not parties to the Advisory Agreement nor interested persons thereof, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. The Advisory Agreement is terminable without penalty by the Trust, on behalf of the Fund, upon 60 days’ written notice to the Adviser, when authorized by either: (i) a majority vote of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund; or (ii) by a vote of a majority of the Board of Trustees, or by the Adviser upon 60 days’ written notice to the Trust. The Advisory Agreement will automatically terminate in the event of its “assignment,” as defined under the 1940 Act. The Advisory Agreement provides that the Adviser under such agreement shall not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss arising out of any investment or for any act or omission in the execution of portfolio transactions for the Fund, except for willful misfeasance, bad faith or negligence in the performance of its duties, or by reason of reckless disregard of its obligations and duties thereunder.
In consideration of the services provided by the Adviser pursuant to the Advisory Agreement, the Adviser is entitled to receive from the Fund a management fee computed daily and paid monthly, based on a rate equal to 1.00% of the Fund’s average annual net assets, as specified in the Prospectus. However, the Adviser may voluntarily agree to waive a portion of the management fees payable to it on a month-to-month basis, including additional fees above and beyond any contractual agreement the Adviser may have to waive management fees and/or reimburse Fund expenses.
Fund Expenses
. The Fund is responsible for its own operating expenses. The Adviser has agreed to waive management fees payable to it by the Fund and/or to reimburse the Fund’s operating expenses to the extent necessary to limit the Fund’s aggregate annual operating expenses (exclusive generally of interest, acquired fund fees and expenses, leverage and tax expenses, dividends and interest expenses on short positions, brokerage commissions, and extraordinary expenses) to the limit set forth in the “Fees and Expenses of the Fund” table in the Prospectus. Any such reimbursements made by the Adviser of its management fees or reimbursement of expenses that are the Fund’s obligation are subject to reimbursement by the Fund to the Adviser, if so requested by the Adviser, in subsequent fiscal years if the aggregate amount actually paid by the Fund toward the operating expenses for such fiscal year (taking into account the reimbursement) does not exceed the limitation on Fund expenses. The Adviser is permitted to be reimbursed only for management fee waivers and expense payments made in the previous three fiscal years from the date the expense was incurred. Any such reimbursement is also contingent upon the Board of Trustees’ subsequent review and ratification of the reimbursed amounts. Such reimbursement may not be paid prior to the Fund’s payment of current ordinary operating expenses.
As disclosed in the Prospectus, Dr. Patrick L. Welton, Justin Balas, Brent Hankins, and Oren Rosen, PhD, serve as the co-portfolio managers of the Fund (each, a “Portfolio Manager,” and collectively, the “Portfolio Managers”).
Other Accounts Managed by the Portfolio Managers
The table below identifies, for each Portfolio Manager of the Fund, the number of accounts managed (excluding the Fund) and the total assets in such accounts, within each of the following categories: registered investment companies, other pooled investment vehicles, and other accounts. To the extent that any of these accounts are subject to an advisory fee which is based on account performance, this information is reflected in a separate table below. Asset amounts have been rounded and are approximate as of March 31, 2014.
|
Category of Account
|
Total Number of
Accounts Managed
|
Total Assets in
Accounts Managed (in millions)
|
Number of Accounts for which
Advisory Fee is Based
on Performance
|
Assets in Accounts for which
Advisory Fee is Based on
Performance (in millions)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dr. Patrick Welton
|
|
|
|
|
|
Other Registered Investment Companies
|
[…]
|
$[…]
|
[…]
|
$[…]
|
|
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles
|
[…]
|
$[…]
|
[…]
|
$[…]
|
|
Other Accounts
|
[…]
|
$[…]
|
[…]
|
$[…]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Justin Balas
|
|
|
|
|
|
Other Registered Investment Companies
|
[…]
|
$[…]
|
[…]
|
$[…]
|
|
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles
|
[…]
|
$[…]
|
[…]
|
$[…]
|
|
Other Accounts
|
[…]
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Brent Hankins
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Other Registered Investment Companies
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Other Pooled Investment Vehicles
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Other Accounts
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Oren Rosen, PhD
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Other Registered Investment Companies
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Other Pooled Investment Vehicles
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Other Accounts
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Material Conflicts of Interest
The Portfolio Managers’ management of “other accounts” may give rise to potential conflicts of interest in connection with the management of the Fund’s investments, on the one hand, and the investments of the other accounts, on the other. The other accounts may have the same investment objective as the Fund. Therefore, a potential conflict of interest may arise as a result of the identical investment objectives, whereby the Portfolio Managers could favor one account over another. Another potential conflict could include the Portfolio Managers’ knowledge about the size, timing and possible market impact of Fund trades, whereby the Portfolio Managers could use this information to the advantage of other accounts and to the disadvantage of the Fund. However, the Adviser has established policies and procedures to ensure that the purchase and sale of securities among all accounts they manage are fairly and equitably allocated.
Portfolio Manager Compensation
Principals of the Adviser, including the Portfolio Managers, are compensated by a combination of base salary plus profit-sharing based on the profitability of the firm and employee performance.
Ownership of Securities in the Fund by the Portfolio Managers
As of the date of this SAI, the Portfolio Managers did not own any shares of the Fund.
Pursuant to an administration agreement between the Trust and U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, 615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 53202, (the “Administrator” or “USBFS”), the Administrator acts as the Fund’s administrator. The Administrator provides certain administrative services to the Fund, including, among other responsibilities, coordinating the negotiation of contracts and fees with, and the monitoring of performance and billing of, the Fund’s independent contractors and agents; preparation for signature by an officer of the Trust all of the documents required to be filed for compliance by the Trust and the Fund with applicable laws and regulations excluding those of the securities laws of various states; arranging for the computation of performance data, including NAV and yield; responding to shareholder inquiries; and arranging for the maintenance of books and records of the Fund, and providing, at its own expense, office facilities, equipment and personnel necessary to carry out its duties. In this capacity, the Administrator does not have any responsibility or authority for the management of the Fund, the determination of investment policy, or for any matter pertaining to the distribution of Fund shares. USBFS also acts as fund accountant (“Fund Accountant”), transfer agent (“Transfer Agent”) and dividend disbursing agent under separate agreements with the Trust. For its administration and fund accounting services, the Administrator receives from the Fund a combined fee computed daily and payable monthly based on the Fund’s average net assets at the rate of 0.08% of average net assets on the first $250 million, 0.06% of average net assets on the next $250 million, and 0.05% on the balance, all subject to an annual minimum fee of $72,000.
Pursuant to a custody agreement between the Trust and the Fund, U.S. Bank, N.A., an affiliate of USBFS, serves as the custodian of the Fund’s assets (the “Custodian”), whereby the Custodian provides custody services for fees on a transaction basis plus out-of-pocket expenses. The Custodian’s address is 1555 North River Center Drive, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 53212. The Custodian does not participate in decisions relating to the purchase and sale of securities by the Fund. U.S. Bank, N.A. and its affiliates may participate in revenue sharing arrangements with service providers of mutual funds in which the Fund may invest.
Godfrey & Kahn, S.C., 780 North Water Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202, serves as counsel to the Fund.
[To be determined], serves as the independent registered public accounting firm for the Fund.
The Trust has entered into a distribution agreement (the “Distribution Agreement”) with the Distributor, Quasar Distributors, LLC, 615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 53202, pursuant to which the Distributor acts as the Fund’s principal underwriter, provides certain administration services and promotes and arranges for the sale of the Fund’s shares. The offering of the Fund’s shares is continuous, and the Distributor distributes the Fund’s shares on a best efforts basis. The Distributor is not obligated to sell any certain number of shares of the Fund. The Distributor, Administrator and Custodian are affiliated companies. The Distributor is a registered broker-dealer and member of the FINRA.
The Distribution Agreement has an initial term of up to two years and will continue in effect only if its continuance is specifically approved at least annually by the Board of Trustees or by vote of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities and, in either case, by a majority of the Trustees who are not parties to the Distribution Agreement or “interested persons” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of any such party. The Distribution Agreement is terminable without penalty by the Trust on behalf of the Fund on 60 days’ written notice when authorized either by a majority vote of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund or by vote of a majority of the Board of Trustees, including a majority of the Trustees who are not “interested persons” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Trust, or by the Distributor on 60 days’ written notice. The Distribution Agreement will automatically terminate in the event of its “assignment” (as defined in the 1940 Act).
Pursuant to the Advisory Agreement, the Adviser determines which securities are to be purchased and sold by the Fund and which broker-dealers are eligible to execute the Fund’s portfolio transactions. Purchases and sales of securities in the OTC market will generally be executed directly with a “market-maker” unless, in the opinion of the Adviser, a better price and execution can otherwise be obtained by using a broker for the transaction.
Purchases of portfolio securities for the Fund will be effected through broker-dealers (including banks) that specialize in the types of securities that the Fund will be holding, unless better executions are available elsewhere. Dealers usually act as principal for their own accounts. Purchases from dealers will include a spread between the bid and the asked price. If the execution and price offered by more than one dealer are comparable, the order may be allocated to a dealer that has provided research or other services as discussed below.
In placing portfolio transactions, the Adviser 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, such as the size of the order, the difficulty of execution, the operational facilities of the firm involved, the firm’s risk in positioning a block of securities and other factors available, will be considered in making these determinations. 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 that furnish or supply research and statistical information to the Adviser that it may lawfully and appropriately use in its investment advisory capacities, as well as provide other brokerage services in addition to execution services. The Adviser 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 Fund, to be useful in varying degrees, but of indeterminable value. Portfolio transactions may be placed with broker-dealers who sell shares of the Fund subject to rules adopted by FINRA and the SEC. Portfolio transactions may also be placed with broker-dealers in which the Adviser has invested on behalf of the Fund and/or client accounts.
While it is the Fund’s general policy to first 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 to the Fund or to the Adviser, even if the specific services are not directly useful to the Fund and may be useful to the Adviser in advising other clients. In negotiating commissions with a broker or evaluating the spread to be paid to a dealer, the 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 Adviser 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 Adviser’s overall responsibilities to the Fund.
Investment decisions for the Fund are made independently from those of other client accounts. Nevertheless, it is possible that at times identical securities will be acceptable for both the Fund and one or more of such client accounts. In such event, the position of the Fund and such client account(s) in the same issuer may vary and the length of time that each may choose to hold its investment in the same issuer may likewise vary. However, to the extent any of these client accounts seek to acquire the same security as the Fund at the same time, the Fund may not be able to acquire as large a portion of such security as it desires, or it may have to pay a higher price or obtain a lower yield for such security. Similarly, the 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. If one or more of such client accounts simultaneously purchases or sells the same security that the Fund is purchasing or selling, each day’s transactions in such security will be allocated between the Fund and all such client accounts in a manner deemed equitable by the Adviser, taking into account the respective sizes of the accounts and the amount being purchased or sold. It is recognized that in some cases this system could have a detrimental effect on the price or value of the security insofar as the Fund is concerned. In other cases, however, it is believed that the ability of the Fund to participate in volume transactions may produce better executions for the Fund. Notwithstanding the above, the Adviser may execute buy and sell orders for accounts and take action in performance of their duties with respect to any of its accounts that may differ from actions taken with respect to another account, so long as the Adviser shall, to the extent practical, allocate investment opportunities to accounts, including the Fund, over a period of time on a fair and equitable basis and in accordance with applicable law.
Portfolio securities may be sold without regard to the length of time they have been held when, in the opinion of the Adviser, 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 the 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 above-average transaction costs and may generate capital gains, including short-term capital gains taxable to shareholders at ordinary income rates (for non-corporate shareholders, currently taxed at a maximum rate of 39.6%). To the extent that the Fund experiences an increase in brokerage commissions due to a higher portfolio turnover rate, the performance of the Fund could be negatively impacted by the increased expenses incurred by the Fund.
The Fund, the Adviser and the Distributor have each adopted a code of ethics under Rule 17j-1 of the 1940 Act. Such codes of ethics permit, subject to certain conditions, personnel of the Adviser and Distributor to invest in securities that may be purchased or held by the Fund.
The Board of Trustees has adopted proxy voting policies and procedures (the “Proxy Policies”) on behalf of the Trust which delegate the responsibility for voting proxies to the Adviser, subject to the Board of Trustee’s continuing oversight. The Proxy Policies require that the Adviser vote proxies received in a manner consistent with the best interests of the Fund and its shareholders. The Proxy Policies also require the Adviser to present to the Board of Trustees, at least annually, the Adviser’s Proxy Policies and a record of each proxy voted by the Adviser on behalf of the Fund, including a report on the resolution of all proxies identified by the Adviser as involving a conflict of interest.
The Adviser’s general philosophy is to vote proxies in a manner that, in its judgment, is most likely to maximize the value of its Clients’ investments.
The actual voting records relating to portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 will be available without charge, upon request, by calling toll-free, [toll-free number] or by accessing the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
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 (the “USA PATRIOT Act”). To ensure compliance with this law, the Trust’s Program provides for the development 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. Mr. Robert M. Slotky has been designated as the Trust’s Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Officer.
Procedures to implement the Program include, but are not limited to: determining that the Distributor and the Transfer Agent have established proper anti-money laundering procedures; reporting suspicious and/or fraudulent activity; and a complete and thorough review of all new account applications. The Fund will not transact business with any person or entity whose identity cannot be adequately verified under the provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act.
As a result of the Program, the Fund may be required to “freeze” the account of a shareholder if the shareholder appears to be involved in suspicious activity or if certain account information matches information on government lists of known terrorists or other suspicious persons, or the Fund may be required to transfer the account or proceeds of the account to a governmental agency.
The Trust, on behalf of the Fund, has adopted portfolio holdings disclosure policies (“Portfolio Holdings Policies”) that govern the timing and circumstances of disclosure of portfolio holdings of the Fund. The Adviser has also adopted the Portfolio Holdings Policies. Information about the Fund’s portfolio holdings will not be distributed to any third party except in accordance with these Portfolio Holdings Policies. The Adviser and the Board of Trustees have considered the circumstances under which the Fund’s portfolio holdings may be disclosed under the Portfolio Holdings Policies. The Adviser and the Board of Trustees have also considered actual and potential material conflicts that could arise in such circumstances between the interests of the Fund’s shareholders and the interests of the Adviser, Distributor or any other affiliated person of the Fund. After due consideration, the Adviser and the Board of Trustees have determined that the Fund has a legitimate business purpose for disclosing portfolio holdings to persons described in the Portfolio Holdings Policies. The Board of Trustees also authorized the Adviser or appointed officers to consider and authorize dissemination of portfolio holdings information to additional parties, after considering the best interests of the shareholders and potential conflicts of interest in making such disclosures.
The Board of Trustees exercises continuing oversight of the disclosure of the Fund’s portfolio holdings by: (1) overseeing the implementation and enforcement of the Portfolio Holdings Policies, codes of ethics and other relevant policies of the Fund and its service providers by the CCO; (2) considering reports and recommendations by the CCO concerning any material compliance matters (as defined in Rule 38a-1 under the 1940 Act); and (3) considering whether to approve any amendment to these Portfolio Holdings Policies. The Board of Trustees reserves the right to amend the Portfolio Holdings Policies at any time without prior notice in its sole discretion.
Disclosure of the Fund’s complete holdings is required to be made quarterly within 60 days of the end of each fiscal quarter, in the annual and semi-annual reports to Fund shareholders, and in the quarterly holdings report on Form N-Q. These reports will be made available, free of charge, on the EDGAR database on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
In the event of a conflict between the interests of the Fund and the interests of the Adviser, or an affiliated person of the Adviser, the CCO of the Adviser, in consultation with the Trust’s CCO, shall make a determination in the best interests of the Fund, and shall report such determination to the Board of Trustees at the end of the quarter in which such determination was made. Any employee of the Adviser who suspects a breach of this obligation must report the matter immediately to the CCO of the Adviser or to his or her supervisor.
In addition, material non-public holdings information may be provided without lag as part of the normal investment activities of the Fund to each of the following entities which, by explicit agreement or by virtue of their respective duties to the Fund, are required to maintain the confidentiality of the information disclosed: the Administrator; the Fund Accountant; the Custodian; the Transfer Agent; the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm; counsel to the Fund or the Board of Trustees (current parties are identified in this SAI); broker-dealers (in connection with the purchase or sale of securities or requests for price quotations or bids on one or more securities); and regulatory authorities. Portfolio holdings information not publicly available with the SEC may only be provided to additional third parties, in accordance with the Portfolio Holdings Policies, when the Fund has a legitimate business purpose, and the third party recipient is subject to a confidentiality agreement. [Currently, approximately 5 business days following a calendar quarter, the Fund provides its quarterly portfolio holdings to rating and ranking organizations, including
Lipper, a Thomson Reuters company, Morningstar, Inc., Standard & Poor’s Financial Services, LLC, Bloomberg L.P., Thomson Reuters Corporation, Vickers Stock Research Corporation and Capital-Bridge, Inc.]
Portfolio holdings information may be separately provided to any person at the same time that it is filed with the SEC or one day after it is first published on the Fund’s website. Portfolio holdings disclosure may be approved under the Portfolio Holdings Policies by the Trust’s CCO, Treasurer or President.
In no event shall the Adviser, its affiliates or employees, or the Fund receive any direct or indirect compensation in connection with the disclosure of information about the Fund’s portfolio holdings.
There can be no assurance that the Portfolio Holdings Policies and these procedures will protect the Fund from potential misuse of that information by individuals or entities to which it is disclosed.
The NAV of the Fund’s shares will fluctuate and is determined as of the close of trading on the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”) (generally 4:00 p.m., Eastern time) each business day. The NYSE annually announces the days on which it will not be open for trading. The most recent announcement indicates that it will not be open on the following days: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. However, the NYSE may close on days not included in that announcement.
The NAV per share is computed by dividing the value of the securities held by the Fund plus any cash or other assets (including interest and dividends accrued but not yet received) minus all liabilities (including accrued expenses) by the total number of shares in the Fund outstanding at such time.
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Net Assets
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Net Asset Value Per Share
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Generally, the 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 Adviser and the Valuation Committee pursuant to procedures approved by or under the direction of the Board of Trustees.
Investments held by the Fund through the Trend Subsidiary are valued using the same procedures as investments held directly by the Fund.
The Fund’s securities, including depositary receipts, 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 asked price.
Securities that are traded on more than one exchange are valued on the exchange determined by the Adviser to be the primary market.
Fixed income securities and forward currency contracts are valued at the mean between the bid and asked prices. If the bid and asked prices are not readily available, an approved pricing service may provide a price determined by a matrix pricing method or other analytical pricing models. Short-term debt securities having a maturity of less than 60 days are valued at amortized cost. If a short-term debt security has a maturity of greater than 60 days, it is valued at market price. Redeemable securities issued by open-end, registered investment companies are valued at the NAVs of such companies for purchase and/or redemption orders placed on that day. ETFs and ETNs are valued at the last reported sale price on the exchange on which the security is principally traded. Swaps are valued by an approved pricing service.
All other assets of the Fund are valued in such manner as the Board of Trustees in good faith deems appropriate to reflect their fair value.
Additional Purchase and Redemption
Information
The information provided below supplements the information contained in the Prospectus regarding the purchase and redemption of Fund shares.
You may purchase shares of the Fund directly from the Fund, or from securities brokers, dealers or other financial intermediaries (collectively, “Financial Intermediaries”). Investors should contact their Financial Intermediary directly for appropriate instructions, as well as information pertaining to accounts and any service or transaction fees that may be charged. The Fund may enter into arrangements with certain Financial Intermediaries whereby such Financial Intermediaries (and other authorized designees) are authorized to accept your order on behalf of the Fund (each an “Authorized Intermediary”). If you transmit your purchase request to an Authorized Intermediary before the close of regular trading (generally 4:00 p.m., Eastern time) on a day that the NYSE is open for business, shares will be purchased at the applicable price next computed after it is received by the Financial Intermediary. Investors should check with their Financial Intermediary to determine if it is an Authorized Intermediary.
Shares are purchased at the applicable price determined after the Transfer Agent or Authorized Intermediary receives your purchase request in good order. In most cases, in order to receive that day’s applicable price, the Transfer Agent must receive your order in good order before the close of regular trading on the NYSE (generally 4:00 p.m., Eastern time).
The Trust reserves the right in its sole discretion (i) to suspend the continued offering of the Fund’s shares; (ii) to reject purchase orders in whole or in part when in the judgment of the Adviser or the Distributor such rejection is in the best interest of the Fund, and (iii) to reduce or waive the minimum for initial and subsequent investments for certain fiduciary accounts or under circumstances where certain economies can be achieved in sales of the Fund’s shares.
You may redeem your Fund shares any day the NYSE is open for regular trading, either directly with the Fund or through your Financial Intermediary.
Payments to shareholders for shares of the Fund redeemed directly from the Fund will be made as promptly as possible, but no later than seven days after receipt by the Transfer Agent of the written request in proper form, with the appropriate documentation as stated in the Prospectus, except that the Fund may suspend the right of redemption or postpone the date of payment during any period when (a) trading on the NYSE is restricted as determined by the SEC or the NYSE is closed for other than weekends and holidays; (b) an emergency exists as determined by the SEC making disposal of portfolio securities or valuation of net assets of the Fund not reasonably practicable; or (c) for such other period as the SEC may permit for the protection of the Fund’s shareholders. Under unusual circumstances, the Fund may suspend redemptions, or postpone payment for more than seven days, but only as authorized by SEC rules.
The value of shares on redemption or repurchase may be more or less than the investor’s cost, depending upon the market value of the Fund’s portfolio securities at the time of redemption or repurchase.
Shareholders with telephone transaction privileges established on their account may redeem Fund shares by telephone. Upon receipt of any instructions or inquiries by telephone from the shareholder, the Fund or its authorized agents may carry out the instructions and/or respond to the inquiry consistent with the shareholder’s previously established account service options. For joint accounts, instructions or inquiries from either party will be carried out without prior notice to the other account owners. In acting upon telephone instructions, the Fund and its agents use procedures that are reasonably designed to ensure that such instructions are genuine. These include recording all telephone calls, requiring pertinent information about the account and sending written confirmation of each transaction to the registered owner.
The Transfer Agent will employ reasonable procedures to confirm that instructions communicated by telephone are genuine. If the Transfer Agent fails to employ reasonable procedures, the Fund and the Transfer Agent may be liable for any losses due to unauthorized or fraudulent instructions. If these procedures are followed, however, to the extent permitted by applicable law, neither the Fund nor its agents will be liable for any loss, liability, cost or expense arising out of any redemption request, including any fraudulent or unauthorized request. For additional information, contact the Transfer Agent.
The Fund does not intend to redeem shares in any form except cash. The Trust, however, has filed a notice of election under Rule 18f-1 of the 1940 Act that allows the Fund to satisfy, in kind, redemption requests of a certain amount. Specifically, if the amount you are redeeming during any 90-day period is in excess of the lesser of $250,000 or 1.00% of the net assets of the Fund, valued at the beginning of such period, the Fund has the right to redeem your shares by giving you the amount that exceeds $250,000 or 1.00% of the net assets of the Fund in securities instead of cash. If the Fund pays your redemption proceeds by a distribution of securities, you could incur brokerage or other charges in converting the securities to cash, and will bear any market risks associated with such securities until they are converted into cash. Redemptions in kind are taxed in the same manner as redemptions paid in cash.
Each series of the Trust is treated as a separate entity for federal income tax purposes. The Fund, a series of the Trust, intends to qualify and elect to be treated as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code, provided it complies with all applicable requirements regarding the source of its income, diversification of its assets and timing and amount of distributions. The Fund’s policy is to distribute to its shareholders all of its investment company taxable income and any net capital gain 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. However, the Fund can give no assurances that its anticipated distributions will be sufficient to eliminate all taxes at the Fund level. If the Fund does not qualify as a RIC and is unable to obtain relief from such failure, it would be taxed as a corporation and, in such case, it would be more beneficial for a shareholder to directly own the Fund’s underlying investments rather than indirectly owning the underlying investments through the Fund.
To qualify as a RIC, the Fund must derive at least 90% of its gross income from “qualifying income,” which includes: (1) dividends, interest, certain payments with respect to securities loans and gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities or foreign currencies; and (2) other income (including but not limited to gains from options, futures or forward contracts) derived with respect to the Fund’s business of investing in such stock, securities or foreign currencies. Some Fund investments may produce income that will not constitute qualifying income for the purposes of this annual gross income requirement (such as income derived with respect to the Trend Subsidiary, which is not repatriated to the Fund in the same taxable year as included in the Fund’s income under subpart F of the Code). Although foreign currency gains currently constitute qualifying income, the U.S. Treasury Department has the authority to issue regulations excluding from the definition of “qualifying income” a RIC’s foreign currency gains not “directly related” to its “principal business” of investing in stock or securities (or options and futures with respect thereto). If any such regulations are issued, such regulations could treat gains from some of the Fund’s foreign currency-denominated positions as non-qualifying income, and there is a remote possibility that such regulations could be applied retroactively, in which case the Fund might not qualify as a RIC for one or more years. There can be no assurance that the Fund will satisfy all requirements to be taxed as a RIC.
The Fund will be subject to a 4% excise tax if it fails to distribute (or be deemed to have distributed) by December 31 of each calendar year (i) at least 98% of its ordinary income for such year, (ii) at least 98.2% of its capital gain net income for the 12-month period ending on October 31 during such year (reduced by any net ordinary losses, but not below the Fund’s net capital gain for that period),
and (iii) any amounts from the prior calendar year that were not distributed and on which the Fund paid no federal income tax.
Investment company taxable income generally consists of interest, dividends, net short-term capital gain and net gain from foreign currency transactions, less expenses. Net capital gain is the excess of net long-term gain from the Fund’s sales or exchanges of capital assets over the net short-term loss from such sales or exchanges, taking into account any capital loss carryforward of the Fund. The Fund may elect to defer certain losses for tax purposes.
Distributions of investment company taxable income are taxable to shareholders at ordinary income rates which, for non-corporate shareholders, are currently as high as 39.6%. For non-corporate shareholders, a portion of the Fund’s distributions of investment company taxable income may consist of “qualified dividend income” eligible for taxation at the reduced rates applicable to long-term capital gains to the extent the amount distributed is attributable to and reported as “qualified dividend income” and the shareholder meets certain holding period requirements with respect to its Fund shares. For corporate shareholders, a portion of the Fund’s distributions of investment company taxable income may qualify for the intercorporate dividends-received deduction to the extent the Fund receives dividends directly or indirectly from U.S. corporations, reports the amount distributed as eligible for deduction and the shareholder meets certain holding period requirements. The aggregate amount so reported to either non-corporate or corporate shareholders cannot, however, exceed the aggregate amount of such dividends received by the Fund for its taxable year.
Distributions of net capital gain are taxable as long-term capital gain regardless of the length of time shares of the Fund have been held. For non-corporate shareholders, long-term capital gain is currently taxed at a maximum rate of 20%. Distributions of net capital gain are not eligible for “qualified dividend income” treatment or the dividends-received deduction referred to in the previous paragraph.
Distributions of investment company taxable income and net capital gain will be taxable as described above, whether received in additional Fund shares or in cash. Shareholders who choose to receive distributions in the form of additional shares will have a cost basis for federal income tax purposes in each share so received equal to the NAV of a share on the reinvestment date. 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 as if received on December 31. Distributions are generally includable in alternative minimum taxable income in computing a shareholder’s liability for the alternative minimum tax.
Certain individuals, trusts and estates may be subject to a Medicare tax of 3.8% (in addition to the regular income tax). The Medicare tax is imposed on the lesser of: (i) a taxpayer’s investment income, net of deductions properly allocable to such income; or (ii) the amount by which the taxpayer’s modified adjusted gross income exceeds certain thresholds ($250,000 for married individuals filing jointly, $200,000 for unmarried individuals and $125,000 for married individuals filing separately). The Fund’s distributions are includable in a shareholder’s investment income for purposes of this Medicare tax. In addition, any capital gain realized by a shareholder upon the sale or redemption of Fund shares is includable in such shareholder’s investment income for purposes of this Medicare tax.
A sale or redemption of Fund shares, whether for cash or in-kind proceeds, may result in recognition of a taxable gain or loss. Gain or loss realized upon a sale or redemption of Fund shares will generally be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the shares have been held for more than one year, and, if held for one year or less, as short-term capital gain or loss. Any loss realized upon a sale or redemption of shares held for six months or less will be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any distributions of net capital gain received or deemed to be received with respect to such shares. In determining the holding period of such shares for this purpose, any period during which your risk of loss is offset by means of options, short sales, or similar transactions is not counted. Any loss realized upon a sale or redemption may be disallowed under certain wash sale rules to the extent shares of the Fund are purchased (through reinvestment of distributions or otherwise) within 30 days before or after the redemption. If a shareholder’s loss is disallowed under the wash sale rules, the basis of the new shares will be increased to preserve the loss until a future sale or redemption of the shares.
The Fund’s transactions, if any, in options, futures contracts, swaps and other investments may be subject to special provisions of the Code that, among other things, may accelerate recognition of income to the Fund, defer the Fund’s losses, and affect whether capital gain and loss is characterized as long-term or short-term. These provisions could therefore affect the character, amount and timing of distributions to shareholders. These provisions also may require a Fund to “mark-to-market” certain positions (i.e., treat them as if they were closed out). This “mark-to-market” requirement may cause the Fund to recognize income without receiving cash, and the Fund may have difficulty making distributions to shareholders in the amounts necessary to satisfy the distribution requirements for maintaining the Fund’s status as a RIC and avoiding any income and excise taxes at the Fund level. Accordingly, the Fund may have to dispose of its investments under disadvantageous circumstances in order to generate sufficient cash to satisfy the distribution requirements.
Under the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (“FATCA”), the Fund may be required to withhold a generally nonrefundable 30% tax on distributions of investment company taxable income paid after June 30, 2014 and distributions of net capital gain and the gross proceeds of a sale or redemption of Fund shares paid after December 31, 2016 to (i) certain “foreign financial institutions” unless such foreign financial institution agrees to verify, monitor, and report to the IRS the identity of certain of its accountholders, among other things (unless such entity is deemed compliant under the terms of an intergovernmental agreement with the U.S.), and (ii) certain “non-financial foreign entities” unless such entity certifies to the Fund that it does not have any substantial U.S. owners or provides the name, address, and taxpayer identification number of each substantial U.S. owner, among other things. This FATCA withholding tax could also affect the Fund’s return on its investments in foreign securities or affect a shareholder’s return if the shareholder holds its Fund shares through a foreign intermediary. You are urged to consult your tax adviser regarding the application of this FATCA withholding tax to your investment in the Fund and the potential certification, compliance, due diligence, reporting, and withholding obligations to which you may become subject in order to avoid this withholding tax.
If more than 50% of the value of the Fund’s total assets at the close of its taxable year consists of stock and securities in foreign corporations, the Fund will be eligible to, and may, file an election with the IRS that would enable the Fund’s shareholders, in effect, to receive the benefit of the foreign tax credit with respect to any income taxes paid by the Fund to foreign countries and U.S. possessions. Pursuant to the election, the Fund would treat those foreign taxes as distributions paid to its shareholders, and each shareholder would be required to (i) include in gross income, and treat as paid by him, his proportionate share of those taxes, (ii) treat his share of those taxes and of any distribution paid by the Fund that represents income from foreign countries or U.S. possessions as his own income from those sources, and (iii) either deduct the taxes deemed paid by him in computing his taxable income or, alternatively, claim the foreign tax credit against his federal income tax. The Fund will report to its shareholders shortly after each taxable year their respective share of income from sources within, and taxes paid to, foreign countries and U.S. possessions if the Fund makes this election. The Code may limit a shareholder’s ability to claim a foreign tax credit. Shareholders who elect to deduct their portion of the Fund’s foreign taxes rather than take the foreign tax credit must itemize deductions on their income tax returns.
Except in the case of certain exempt shareholders, if a shareholder does not furnish the Fund with its correct Social Security Number or taxpayer identification number and certain certifications or the Fund receives notification from the IRS requiring backup withholding, the Fund is required by federal law to withhold federal income tax from the shareholder’s distributions and redemption proceeds at a rate of 28% for U.S. residents.
Foreign taxpayers (including nonresident aliens) are generally subject to a flat withholding rate of 30% on U.S.-source income. This withholding rate may be lower under the terms of a tax convention.
A foreign corporation, such as the Trend Subsidiary, will generally not be subject to U.S. federal income tax unless it is deemed to be engaged in a U.S. trade or business. However, the Code provides a safe harbor (the “Safe Harbor”) pursuant to which a foreign corporation (other than a dealer in stocks, securities, commodities or derivatives) will not be deemed to be engaged in a U.S. trade or business as a result of trading securities or commodities for its own account within the United States. Additionally, pursuant to proposed regulations, a foreign corporation (other than a dealer in stocks, securities, commodities or derivatives) that effects within the U.S. transactions in derivatives (including (i) derivatives based upon stocks, securities and certain commodities, and (ii) certain notional principal contracts based upon an interest rate, equity or certain commodities and currencies) for its own account is not deemed to be engaged in a U.S. trade or business. Although the proposed regulations are not final, the IRS has indicated in the preamble to the proposed regulations that for periods prior to the effective date of the proposed regulations, foreign corporations may take any reasonable position with respect to the application of the Safe Harbor to derivatives, and that a position consistent with the proposed regulations will be considered a reasonable position.
The Trend Subsidiary intends to operate so as to meet the requirements of the Safe Harbor and, hence, not be engaged in a U.S. trade or business. Assuming that the Trend Subsidiary is not deemed to be engaged in the conduct of a U.S. trade or business, the Trend Subsidiary should not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on gains derived from the sale or exchange of securities, commodities or derivatives, provided, as is anticipated, that the Fund does not acquire any securities that are considered “U.S. real property interests.” However, no assurance can be given that the Trend Subsidiary will not be deemed to be engaged in the conduct of a U.S. trade or business. If the Trend Subsidiary were so considered, then the Trend Subsidiary would be subject to regular U.S. corporate taxation in respect of its net income considered to be effectively connected with such trade or business. In addition to the income tax on income effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business, the Trend Subsidiary would also be subject to a 30% branch profits tax on its “effectively connected” earnings that are not considered to have been reinvested in a U.S. trade or business, and to a 30% branch-level interest tax generally with respect to certain interest allowable as a deduction in computing its net “effectively connected” income.
Although the Trend Subsidiary is not expected to be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a net income basis, income derived by the Trend Subsidiary may be subject to withholding taxes imposed by the U.S. In general, a foreign corporation is subject to withholding tax at a flat rate of 30% on the gross amount of certain U.S.-source income (such as interest and dividends) which is not effectively connected to a U.S. trade or business conducted by the foreign corporation. There is currently no tax treaty between the United States and the Cayman Islands that would lower the rate of this withholding tax rate. Certain types of income are specifically exempted from this withholding tax, such as short-term and long-term U.S.-source capital gains and portfolio interest (as defined under the Code).
The Trend Subsidiary will be wholly-owned by the Fund. A U.S. person who owns (directly, indirectly or constructively) 10% or more of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of a foreign corporation is a “U.S. Shareholder” for purposes of the controlled foreign corporation (“CFC”) provisions of the Code. A foreign corporation is a CFC if, on any day of its taxable year, more than 50% of the voting power or value of its stock is owned (directly, indirectly or constructively) by “U.S. Shareholders.” Because the Fund is a U.S. person that will own all of the stock of the Trend Subsidiary, the Fund will be a “U.S. Shareholder” and the Trend Subsidiary will be a CFC. As a “U.S. Shareholder,” the Fund will be required to include in gross income for U.S. federal income tax purposes all of the Trend Subsidiary’s “Subpart F income” (defined, in part, below), whether or not such income is distributed by the Trend Subsidiary. It is expected that all of the Trend Subsidiary’s income will be “Subpart F income.” “Subpart F income” generally includes interest, original issue discount, dividends, net gain from the disposition of stocks or securities, receipts with respect to securities loans and net payments received with respect to equity swaps and similar derivatives. “Subpart F income” also includes the excess of gains over losses from transactions (including futures, forward and similar transactions) in any commodities. The Fund’s recognition of the Trend Subsidiary’s “Subpart F income” will increase the Fund’s tax basis in the Trend Subsidiary. Distributions made by the Trend Subsidiary to the Fund will be tax-free, to the extent of its previously undistributed “Subpart F income,” and will correspondingly reduce the Fund’s tax basis in the Trend Subsidiary. “Subpart F income” is generally treated as ordinary income, regardless of the character of the Trend Subsidiary’s underlying income.
In general, each “U.S. Shareholder” is required to file IRS Form 5471 with its U.S. federal income tax (or information) returns providing information about its ownership of the CFC. In addition, a “U.S. Shareholder” may in certain circumstances be required to report a disposition of shares in the Trend Subsidiary by attaching IRS Form 5471 to its U.S. federal income tax (or information) return that it would normally file for the taxable year in which the disposition occurs. In general, these filing requirements will apply to shareholders of the Fund if the shareholder is a U.S. person who owns (directly, indirectly or constructively within the meaning of Sections 958(a) and (b) of the Code) 10% or more of the total combined voting power of all classes of voting stock of a foreign corporation that is a CFC for an uninterrupted period of 30 days or more during any tax year of the foreign corporation, and who owned that stock on the last day of that year. The Fund will notify any shareholder that exceeds this 10% threshold during the taxable year.
The Trend Subsidiary intends to comply with the provisions of FATCA or the intergovernmental agreement signed by the Cayman Islands and the United States to avoid being subject to the 30% FATCA withholding tax on “withholdable payments” received by the Trend Subsidiary after June 30, 2014.
This section is not intended to be a full discussion of federal tax laws and the effect of such laws on you. There may be other federal, state, foreign or local tax considerations to a particular investor. You are urged to consult your own tax adviser.
The Fund will generally receive income primarily in the form of foreign currency gains, dividends, interest earned on its investments in securities and distributions from the Trend Subsidiary. This income, less the expenses incurred in its operations, is the Fund’s net investment income, substantially all of which will be distributed to the Fund’s shareholders.
The amount of the Fund’s distributions 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 of Trustees. The Fund does not pay “interest” or guarantee any fixed rate of return on an investment in its shares.
The Fund may also realize capital gains or losses in connection with sales or other dispositions (either actual or deemed) of its portfolio securities. Any net gain that the Fund may realize from transactions involving investments held 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 capital loss carryforward) will be distributed to shareholders as a part of distributions of net investment income. If during any year the Fund realizes a net gain on transactions involving investments held for 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 loss carryforward) will be distributed and treated as long-term capital gains in the hands of the shareholders regardless of the length of time that the shares may have been held by the shareholders. Net capital losses of the Fund may be carried over indefinitely, and will generally retain their character as short-term or long-term capital losses. For more information concerning applicable capital gains tax rates, please consult your tax adviser.
Any distribution paid by the Fund reduces the Fund’s NAV per share on the date paid by the amount of the distribution per share. Accordingly, a distribution paid shortly after a purchase of shares by a shareholder would represent, in substance, a partial return of capital (to the extent it is paid on the shares so purchased), even though it would be subject to income taxes.
Distributions will be reinvested in additional shares of the Fund unless the shareholder has otherwise indicated. Shareholders have the right to change their elections with respect to the reinvestment of distributions by notifying the Transfer Agent in writing. However, any such change will be effective only as to distributions for which the record date is five or more business days after the Transfer Agent has received the written request.
The Fund is required to report to the IRS the cost basis of shares when certain shareholder sell or redeem their shares (“covered shares”). This reporting requirement does not apply to shares held through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an IRA, or to shares held by tax-exempt organizations, financial institutions, corporations (other than S corporations), banks, credit unions and certain other entities and government bodies. The Fund is not required to determine or report a shareholder’s cost basis in non-covered shares and is not responsible for the accuracy or reliability of any information provided for non-covered shares.
The cost basis of a share is generally its purchase price adjusted for distributions, returns of capital, and other corporate actions. Cost basis is used to determine whether the sale or redemption of a share results in a gain or loss. If you sell or redeem covered shares during any year, then the Fund will report the gain or loss, cost basis, and holding period of such shares to the IRS and you on Consolidated Form 1099.
A cost basis method is the method by which the Fund determines which specific covered shares are deemed to be sold or redeemed when a shareholder sells or redeems less than its entire holding of Fund shares and has made multiple purchases of Fund shares on different dates at differing net asset values. If a shareholder does not affirmatively elect a cost basis method, the Fund will use average cost method, which averages the basis of all Fund shares in an account regardless of holding period, and shares sold or redeemed are deemed to be those with the longest holding period first. Each shareholder may elect in writing (and not over the telephone) any alternate IRS-approved cost basis method to calculate the cost basis in its shares. The default cost basis method applied by the Fund or the alternate method elected by a shareholder may not be changed after the settlement date of a disposition of Fund shares.
If you hold Fund shares through a financial intermediary (or another nominee), please contact that broker or nominee with respect to the reporting of cost basis and available elections for your account.
You are encouraged to consult your tax adviser regarding the application of these cost basis reporting rules and, in particular, which cost basis calculation method you should elect.
As the Fund has recently commenced operations, there are no financial statements available at this time. Shareholders of the Fund will be informed of the Fund’s 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.