As
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on
Securities Act Registration No. 333-265972
Investment Company Act Registration No. 811-23812
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
☐ Pre-Effective Amendment No. __
☒ Post-Effective Amendment No. 95
and/or
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940
☒ Amendment No. 96
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)
1700 Broadway, Suite 2100
Denver, CO 80290
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)
Registrant’s Telephone Number, including Area Code: 303-226-4150
Nicholas Adams
Elevation Series Trust
1700 Broadway, Suite 2100
Denver, CO 80290
The Corporation Trust Company
1209 Orange Street
Wilmington, DE 19801
(Name and address of agent for service)
With copy to:
JoAnn M. Strasser
Thompson Hine LLP
17th Floor
41 South High Street
Columbus, Ohio 43215
Approximate date of proposed public offering: As soon as practicable after the effective date of the Registration Statement.
It is proposed that this filing will become effective:
| ☒ | Immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b) |
| ☐ | On (date) pursuant to paragraph (b) |
| ☐ | 60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(1) |
| ☐ | On (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(1) |
| ☐ | 75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) |
| ☐ | On (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of Rule 485. |
If appropriate, check the following box:
| ☐ | This post-effective amendment designates a new effective date for a previously filed post-effective amendment. |
PROSPECTUS
SRH U.S. Quality GARP ETF - SRHQ
Principal U.S. Listing Exchange: NYSE Arca, Inc.
THE U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION (“SEC”) HAS NOT APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED OF THESE SECURITIES OR PASSED UPON THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS PROSPECTUS. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
SRH U.S. QUALITY GARP ETF - SRHQ
SUMMARY
The SRH U.S. Quality GARP ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to provide investment results (before fees and expenses) that correspond to the SRH U.S. Quality GARP Index (the “Index”).
The following table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund (“Shares”). You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table and Example below.
| Management Fees | |
| Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees | |
| Other Expenses | |
| Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses |
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your Shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. The Example does not take into account brokerage commissions that you may pay on your purchases and sales of Shares. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
| 1 Year | 3 Years | 5 Years | 10 Years |
| $ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
The
Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio).
A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Shares are held in
a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s
performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was
The Fund employs a “passive management” – or indexing – investment approach designed to track the performance of the Index.
The SRH U.S. Quality GARP Index
The Index is intended to capture the performance of U.S. companies that exhibit consistent and moderate revenue growth but do not trade at excessive valuations. The creator of the Index, SRH Advisors, LLC (the “Index Provider”), has designed the Index to provide exposure to a diversified portfolio of U.S. companies featuring value, growth, and quality characteristics while maintaining overall market exposure close to that of widely-followed, broad-based U.S. equity benchmarks.
The Index is constructed through the application of an objective, rules-based methodology created by the Index Provider, which involves first defining the investable universe of securities, then screening the securities in the investable universe using value, growth, and quality metrics based on company valuation, revenue growth, and variability of such growth, respectively. Securities in the investable universe that pass each of these screens are included in the Index and are equal-weighted.
Defining the Index’s Investable Universe
The Index’s investable universe is first defined by the Index Provider to include the common stock of the top 1,000 U.S. domiciled companies (as determined by market capitalization as of testing date or any of the prior four quarter-ends from the testing date) listed on a major U.S. exchange. Only securities with over $1 million in median daily trading value over the prior 30 days are deemed eligible for the Index, while securities of Real Estate Investment Trusts (“REITs”), Master Limited partnerships (“MLPs”), American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”), Preferred Stocks, investment companies, Business Development Companies (“BDCs”) and Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (“SPACs”) are excluded from the Index’s investable universe.
2
Application of Value, Growth, and Quality Criterion Screens
Once the constituents of the Index’s investable universe have been established, they are next screened through the following value, growth, and quality screening criterions developed by the Index Provider.
The Index’s value criterion removes companies from the investable universe that exhibit an excessively high market valuation compared to their fundamental value, as measured by the ratio of a company’s enterprise value (equal to its market capitalization plus total debt, minus cash and cash equivalents) to its trailing 12-month free-cash-flow. To limit turnover in the Index and allow for appreciation of the securities, the Index utilizes a time buffer when applying this criterion, meaning a company is not excluded if it satisfies the free-cash-flow ratio test as of any of (i) the testing date or (ii) any of the prior six quarter-ends from the testing date.
The Index’s growth criterion removes companies from the investable universe that do not exhibit at least moderate long-term revenue growth, as measured by a company’s 5-year average revenue growth rate. To limit turnover in the Index, the Index utilizes a time buffer when applying this criterion, meaning a company is not excluded if it satisfies the revenue growth rate test as of any of (i) the testing date or (ii) the date one-year prior to the testing date.
The Index’s quality criterion removes companies from the investable universe that exhibit excessive or inconsistent growth that may be unsustainable. The Index excludes a company if it recorded an annual revenue growth rate in any of the past five years that exceeded an annual growth rate limit set by the Index.
Additional Information Regarding the Index
Following a final adjustment to exclude any companies subject to a pending acquisition transaction, the companies remaining are those that constitute the Index. The Index is equally weighted and is rebalanced and reconstituted annually.
The Index’s methodology is not constrained by specific market capitalization ranges or sectors. The Index’s constituents are typically characterized as mid-capitalization (defined as those with a market capitalization of $2 billion up to $10 billion) or large-capitalization companies (market capitalization of $10 billion or greater) but may include small capitalization companies. As of October 31, 2025, there were 59 companies in the Index, of which 33 were large-cap, 25 medium-cap, and 1 small-cap. At that point, the Index’s largest industry exposure allocation was to the Technology sector, but this may change following each Index reconstitution or rebalance.
The Fund’s Investment Strategy
The Fund attempts to invest all, or substantially all, of its assets in the common stocks that make up the Index. The Fund will generally use a “replication” strategy to achieve its investment objective, meaning it will invest in all of the component securities of the Index. The Fund, may use a “representative sampling” strategy, meaning it may invest in a sample of the securities in the Index whose risk, return and other characteristics closely resemble the risk, return and other characteristics of the Index as a whole, when Vident Asset Management (“Vident” or the “Sub-Adviser”), the Fund’s investment sub-adviser, believes it is in the best interests of the Fund.
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets, plus borrowings for investment purposes, in securities of issuers that are principally traded in the United States. To the extent the Index concentrates (i.e., holds more than 25% of its total assets) in the securities of a particular industry or group of related industries, the Fund will concentrate its investments to approximately the same extent as the Index.
Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund
The
principal risks of investing in the Fund are summarized below. Each risk summarized below is considered a “principal risk”
of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears.
| ● | Equity Market Risk. The equity securities held in the Fund’s portfolio may experience sudden, unpredictable drops in value or long periods of decline in value. This may occur because of factors that affect securities markets generally or factors affecting specific issuers, industries, or sectors in which the Fund invests. Common stocks are generally exposed to greater risk than other types of securities, such as preferred stock and debt obligations, because common stockholders generally have inferior rights to receive payment from issuers. In addition, local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, spread of infectious diseases or other public health issues, recessions, or other events could have a significant negative impact on the Fund and its investments. Such events could adversely affect the prices and liquidity of the Fund’s portfolio securities or other instruments and could result in disruptions in the trading markets. |
3
| ● | ETF Risks. The Fund is an ETF, and, as a result of an ETF’s structure, it is exposed to the following risks: |
| ○ | Authorized Participants, Market Makers, and Liquidity Providers Concentration Risk. The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as APs. In addition, there may be a limited number of market makers and/or liquidity providers in the marketplace. To the extent either of the following events occur, Shares may trade at a material discount to NAV and possibly face delisting: (i) APs exit the business or otherwise become unable to process creation and/or redemption orders and no other APs step forward to perform these services, or (ii) market makers and/or liquidity providers exit the business or significantly reduce their business activities and no other entities step forward to perform their functions. |
| ○ | Costs of Buying or Selling Shares. Due to the costs of buying or selling Shares, including brokerage commissions imposed by brokers and bid-ask spreads, frequent trading of Shares may significantly reduce investment results and an investment in Shares may not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments. |
| ○ | Shares May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV. As with all ETFs, Shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. Although it is expected that the market price of Shares will approximate the Fund’s NAV, there may be times when the market price of Shares is more than the NAV intra-day (premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (discount) due to supply and demand of Shares or during periods of market volatility. This risk is heightened in times of market volatility, periods of steep market declines, and periods when there is limited trading activity for Shares in the secondary market, in which case such premiums or discounts may be significant. |
| ○ | Trading. Although Shares are listed for trading on NYSE Arca, Inc. (the “Exchange”) and may be traded on U.S. exchanges other than the Exchange, there can be no assurance that Shares will trade with any volume, or at all, on any stock exchange. In stressed market conditions, the liquidity of Shares may begin to mirror the liquidity of the Fund’s underlying portfolio holdings, which can be significantly less liquid than Shares, and this could lead to differences between the market price of the Shares and the underlying value of those Shares. |
| ● | Correlation to Index. The performance of the Fund and the Index may vary due to factors such as fees and expenses of the Fund, transaction costs regulatory restrictions, and timing differences associated with additions to and deletions from the Index. In addition, errors in the construction or calculation of the Index may occur from time to time and may not be identified and corrected for some period of time, which may adversely impact the Fund and its shareholders. |
| ● | Market Capitalization Risk |
| ○ | Large-Capitalization Investing. The Fund’s performance may be adversely affected if securities of large cap companies underperform securities of smaller-capitalization companies or the market as a whole. The securities of large cap companies may be relatively mature compared to smaller companies and therefore subject to slower growth during times of economic expansion. Large-capitalization companies may also be unable to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in technology and consumer tastes. |
| ○ | Mid-Capitalization Investing. The Fund may invest in the securities of mid-capitalization companies. As a result, the Fund’s performance may be adversely affected if securities of mid-capitalization companies underperform securities of other capitalization ranges or the market as a whole. Securities of smaller companies are often more vulnerable to market volatility than securities of larger companies. |
| ○ | Small-Capitalization Investing. The Fund may invest in the securities of small-capitalization companies. As a result, the Fund may be more volatile than funds that invest in larger, more established companies. The securities of small-capitalization companies generally trade in lower volumes and are subject to greater and more unpredictable price changes than larger capitalization stocks or the stock market as a whole. Small-capitalization companies may be particularly sensitive to changes in interest rates, government regulation, borrowing costs and earnings. |
| ● | Passive Investment Risk. The Fund invests in the securities included in, or representative of, the Index regardless of their investment merit. The Fund does not attempt to outperform the Index or take defensive positions in declining markets. As a result, the Fund’s performance may be adversely affected by a general decline in the market segments relating to the Index. |
4
| ● | Sector Risk. To the extent the Fund invests more heavily in particular sectors of the economy, its performance will be especially sensitive to developments that significantly affect those sectors. The Fund may invest a significant portion of its assets in the following sectors and, therefore, the performance of the Fund could be negatively impacted by events affecting each of these sectors. |
| ○ | Consumer Discretionary Sector Risk. The success of consumer product manufacturers and retailers is tied closely to the performance of domestic and international economies, interest rates, exchange rates, competition, consumer confidence, changes in demographics and consumer preferences. Companies in the consumer discretionary sector depend heavily on disposable household income and consumer spending, and such companies may be strongly affected by social trends and marketing campaigns. These companies may be subject to severe competition, which may have an adverse impact on their profitability. |
| ○ | Financial Sector Risk. This sector can be significantly affected by changes in interest rates, government regulation, the rate of defaults on corporate, consumer and government debt, the availability and cost of capital, and fallout from the housing and sub-prime mortgage crisis. Insurance companies, in particular, may be significantly affected by changes in interest rates, catastrophic events, price and market competition, the imposition of premium rate caps, or other changes in government regulation or tax law and/or rate regulation, which may have an adverse impact on their profitability. This sector has experienced significant losses in the recent past, and the impact of more stringent capital requirements and of recent or future regulation on any individual financial company or on the sector as a whole cannot be predicted. In recent years, cyber-attacks and technology malfunctions and failures have become increasingly frequent in this sector and have caused significant losses. |
| ○ | Industrial Sector Risk. The industrial sector can be significantly affected by, among other things, worldwide economic growth, supply and demand for specific products and services, rapid technological developments, international political and economic developments, environmental issues, tariffs and trade barriers, and tax and governmental regulatory policies. As the demand for, or prices of, industrials increase, the value of the Fund’s investments generally would be expected to also increase. Conversely, declines in the demand for, or prices of, industrials generally would be expected to contribute to declines in the value of such securities. Such declines may occur quickly and without warning and may negatively impact the value of the Fund and your investment. |
| ○ | Information Technology Sector Risk. Market or economic factors impacting information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technological advances could have a significant effect on the value of the Fund’s investments. The value of stocks of information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology is particularly vulnerable to rapid changes in technology product cycles, rapid product obsolescence, government regulation and competition, both domestically and internationally, including competition from foreign competitors with lower production costs. Stocks of information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology, especially those of smaller, less-seasoned companies, tend to be more volatile than the overall market. Information technology companies are heavily dependent on patent and intellectual property rights, the loss or impairment of which may adversely affect profitability. |
| ● | Index Methodology Risk. Although the Index uses a rules-based proprietary index methodology that is designed to identify growth companies with a higher quality profile that trade at a reasonable valuation level relative to the broader market, there is no guarantee that this methodology will be successful or that the past performance of these stocks will continue. Companies that issue these stocks may experience lower than expected returns or may experience negative growth, as well as increased leverage, resulting in lower than expected or negative returns. |
| ● | Tracking Error Risk. As with all index funds, the performance of the Fund and the Index may differ from each other for a variety of reasons. For example, the Fund incurs operating expenses and portfolio transaction costs not incurred by the Index. In addition, the Fund may not be fully invested in the securities of the Index at all times or may hold securities not included in the Index. |
Updated
performance information is available on the Fund’s website at
5

| Return | Quarter/Year | ||
| - |
|
|||
1 Year |
Since
Inception | ||
| Returns before taxes | |||
| Returns after taxes on distributions | |||
| Returns after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares | |||
S&P
500 Total Return Index |
|||
Management
| Adviser: | Paralel Advisors LLC |
| Sub-Adviser: | Vident Asset Management |
| Portfolio Managers: | Rafael Zayas, CFA and Austin Wen, CFA, each since Fund inception, Yin Bhuyan since 2025 |
Purchase and Sale of Shares
Shares are listed on the Exchange, and individual Shares may only be bought and sold in the secondary market through brokers at market prices, rather than NAV. Because Shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, Shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount).
The Fund issues and redeems Shares at NAV only in large blocks known as “Creation Units,” which only APs (typically, broker- dealers) may purchase or redeem. The Fund generally issues and redeems Creation Units in exchange for a portfolio of securities and/ or a designated amount of U.S. cash.
Investors may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase Shares (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for Shares (ask) when buying or selling Shares in the secondary market (the “bid-ask spread”). Recent information about the Fund, including its NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads is available on the Fund’s website at srhfunds.com.
Tax Information
Fund distributions are generally taxable as ordinary income or capital gains (or a combination), unless your investment is in an IRA or other tax-advantaged account. Distributions on investments made through tax-deferred arrangements may be taxed later upon withdrawal of assets from those accounts.
6
Financial Intermediary Compensation
If you purchase Shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank) (an “Intermediary”), the Adviser or its affiliates may pay Intermediaries for certain activities related to the Fund, including participation in activities that are designed to make Intermediaries more knowledgeable about exchange traded products, including the Fund, or for other activities, such as marketing, educational training or other initiatives related to the sale or promotion of Shares. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the Intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Any such arrangements do not result in increased Fund expenses. Ask your salesperson or visit the Intermediary’s website for more information.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUND
Additional Information About the Fund’s Investment Objective. The Fund seeks to provide investment results (before fees and expenses) that correspond to the Index. Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets, plus borrowings for investment purposes, in the component securities of the Index. The Index is equal-weighted and is composed of U.S. common stocks, excluding interests in REITs, MLPs, ADRs, Preferred Stocks, other investment companies, BDCs, and SPACs.
Additional Information About the Fund’s Investment Strategies. The Fund has adopted the following policy to comply with Rule 35d-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940. The policy has been adopted as a non-fundamental investment policy and may be changed without shareholder approval upon 60 days’ written notice to shareholders.
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets, plus borrowings for investment purposes, in securities of issuers that are principally traded in the United States.
Additionally, the Fund generally may invest up to 20% of its total assets in securities not included in the Index, but which the Sub- Adviser believes will help it track the Index. These investments may occur in response to certain corporate actions and other changes to the companies comprising the Index that lead to Index reconstitutions, additions or deletions. For example, if a company included in the Index was being acquired for cash by a company that was not included, the acquired company would be removed from Index immediately on the acquisition’s effective date with the weighted value of the acquired company redistributed across the Index. The Fund, however, would not receive the proceeds from the transaction until the transaction’s settlement date. Thus, the Fund may determine to sell its entire position in the acquired company before the acquisition’s effective date and invest the proceeds in non-component securities of the Index that the Sub-Adviser believes will help minimize the Fund’s tracking error to the Index.
Index/Trademark Licenses/Disclaimers. SRH Advisors, LLC (the “Index Provider”) serves as the index provider for the Index. The Index Provider’s role is to compile, calculate, and maintain the Index. The Index Provider may engage a calculation agent to assist its duties in this role.
Additional Information About the Fund’s Principal Risks. This section provides additional information regarding the principal risks described in the Fund Summary. Each risk described below is considered a “principal risk” of investing in the applicable Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears. Each of the factors below could have a negative impact on the applicable Fund’s performance and trading prices.
| ● | Equity Market Risk. Common stocks are susceptible to general stock market fluctuations and to volatile increases and decreases in value as market confidence in and perceptions of their issuers change. These investor perceptions are based on various and unpredictable factors including: expectations regarding government, economic, monetary and fiscal policies; inflation and interest rates; economic expansion or contraction; and global or regional political, economic, public health, and banking crises. If you held common stock, or common stock equivalents, of any given issuer, you would generally be exposed to greater risk than if you held preferred stocks and debt obligations of the issuer because common stockholders, or holders of equivalent interests, generally have inferior rights to receive payments from issuers in comparison with the rights of preferred stockholders, bondholders, and other creditors of such issuers. |
| ● | ETF Risks. The Fund is an ETF, and, as a result of an ETF’s structure, is exposed to the following risks: |
| ○ | APs, Market Makers, and Liquidity Providers Concentration Risk. The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as APs. In addition, there may be a limited number of market makers and/or liquidity providers in the marketplace. To the extent either of the following events occur, Shares may trade at a material discount to NAV and possibly face delisting: (i) APs exit the business or otherwise become unable to process creation and/or redemption orders and no other APs step forward to perform these services, or (ii) market makers and/or liquidity providers exit the business or significantly reduce their business activities and no other entities step forward to perform their functions. |
7
| ○ | Costs of Buying or Selling Shares. Investors buying or selling Shares in the secondary market will pay brokerage commissions or other charges imposed by brokers, as determined by that broker. Brokerage commissions are often a fixed amount and may be a significant proportional cost for investors seeking to buy or sell relatively small amounts of Shares. In addition, secondary market investors will also incur the cost of the difference between the price at which an investor is willing to buy Shares (the “bid” price) and the price at which an investor is willing to sell Shares (the “ask” price). This difference in bid and ask prices is often referred to as the “spread” or “bid-ask spread.” The bid-ask spread varies over time for Shares based on trading volume and market liquidity, and the spread is generally lower if Shares have more trading volume and market liquidity and higher if Shares have little trading volume and market liquidity. Further, a relatively small investor base in the Fund, asset swings in the Fund, and/or increased market volatility may cause increased bid-ask spreads. Due to the costs of buying or selling Shares, including bid-ask spreads, frequent trading of Shares may significantly reduce investment results and an investment in Shares may not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments. |
| ○ | Shares May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV. As with all ETFs, Shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. Although it is expected that the market price of Shares will approximate the Fund’s NAV, there may be times when the market price of Shares is more than the NAV intra-day (premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (discount) due to supply and demand of Shares or during periods of market volatility. This risk is heightened in times of market volatility, periods of steep market declines, and periods when there is limited trading activity for Shares in the secondary market, in which case such premiums or discounts may be significant. |
| ○ | Trading. Although Shares are listed for trading on the Exchange and may be listed or traded on U.S. and non-U.S. stock exchanges other than the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for such Shares will develop or be maintained. Trading in Shares may be halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the Exchange, make trading in Shares inadvisable. In addition, trading in Shares on the Exchange is subject to trading halts caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant to Exchange “circuit breaker” rules, which temporarily halt trading on the Exchange when a decline in the S&P 500® Index during a single day reaches certain thresholds (e.g., 7%, 13%, and 20%). Additional rules applicable to the Exchange may halt trading in Shares when extraordinary volatility causes sudden, significant swings in the market price of Shares. There can be no assurance that Shares will trade with any volume, or at all, on any stock exchange. In stressed market conditions, the liquidity of Shares may begin to mirror the liquidity of the Fund’s underlying portfolio holdings, which can be significantly less liquid than Shares, and this could lead to differences between the market price of the Shares and the underlying value of those Shares. |
| ● | Correlation to Index. The performance of the Fund and the Index may vary due to factors such as fees and expenses of the Fund, transaction costs regulatory restrictions, and timing differences associated with additions to and deletions from the index. In addition, errors in the construction or calculation of the index may occur from time to time and may not be identified and corrected for some period of time, which may adversely impact the Fund and its shareholders. |
| ● | Market Capitalization Risk. |
| ○ | Large-Capitalization Investing. The securities of large-capitalization companies may be relatively mature compared to smaller companies and therefore subject to slower growth during times of economic expansion. Large-capitalization companies may also be unable to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in technology and consumer tastes. |
| ○ | Mid-Capitalization Investing. The securities of mid-capitalization companies may be more vulnerable to adverse issuer, market, political, or economic developments than securities of large- capitalization companies, but they may also be subject to slower growth than small-capitalization companies during times of economic expansion. The securities of mid-capitalization companies generally trade in lower volumes and are subject to greater and more unpredictable price changes than large capitalization stocks or the stock market as a whole, but they may also be nimbler and more responsive to new challenges than large-capitalization companies. Some mid-capitalization companies have limited product lines, markets, financial resources, and management personnel and tend to concentrate on fewer geographical markets relative to large-capitalization companies. |
| ○ | Small-Capitalization Investing. The Fund may invest in the securities of small-capitalization companies. As a result, the Fund may be more volatile than funds that invest in larger, more established companies. The securities of small-capitalization companies generally trade in lower volumes and are subject to greater and more unpredictable price changes than larger capitalization stocks or the stock market as a whole. Small-capitalization companies may be particularly sensitive to changes in interest rates, government regulation, borrowing costs and earnings. |
8
| ● | Passive Investment Risk. The Fund invests in the securities included in, or representative of, the Index regardless of their investment merit. The Fund does not attempt to outperform the Index or take defensive positions in declining markets. As a result, the Fund’s performance may be adversely affected by a general decline in the market segments relating to the Index. The returns from the types of securities in which the Fund invests may underperform returns from the various general securities markets or different asset classes. This may cause the Fund to underperform other investment vehicles that invest in different asset classes. Different types of securities (for example, large-, mid- and small-capitalization stocks) tend to go through cycles of doing better – or worse – than the general securities markets. In the past, these periods have lasted for as long as several years. |
| ● | Sector Risk. To the extent the Fund invests more heavily in particular sectors of the economy, its performance will be especially sensitive to developments that significantly affect those sectors. The Fund may invest a significant portion of its assets in the following sectors and, therefore, the performance of the Fund could be negatively impacted by events affecting each of these sectors. |
| ○ | Consumer Discretionary Sector Risk. The success of consumer product manufacturers and retailers is tied closely to the performance of domestic and international economies, interest rates, exchange rates, competition, consumer confidence, changes in demographics and consumer preferences. Companies in the consumer discretionary sector depend heavily on disposable household income and consumer spending, and such companies may be strongly affected by social trends and marketing campaigns. These companies may be subject to severe competition, which may have an adverse impact on their profitability. |
| ○ | Financial Sector Risk. Companies in the financial sector of an economy are often subject to extensive governmental regulation and intervention, which may adversely affect the scope of their activities, the prices they can charge and the amount of capital they must maintain. Governmental regulation may change frequently and may have significant adverse consequences for companies in the financial sector, including effects not intended by such regulation. The impact of recent or future regulation in various countries on any individual financial company or on the sector as a whole cannot be predicted. |
Certain risks may impact the value of investments in the financial sector more severely than those of investments outside this sector, including the risks associated with companies that operate with substantial financial leverage. Companies in the financial sector may also be adversely affected by increases in interest rates and loan losses, decreases in the availability of money or asset valuations, credit rating downgrades and adverse conditions in other related markets.
Insurance companies, in particular, may be subject to severe price competition and/or rate regulation, which may have an adverse impact on their profitability. Insurance companies are subject to extensive government regulation in some countries and can be significantly affected by changes in interest rates, general economic conditions, price and marketing competition, the imposition of premium rate caps, or other changes in government regulation or tax law. Different segments of the insurance industry can be significantly affected by mortality and morbidity rates, environmental clean-up costs and catastrophic events such as earthquakes, hurricanes and terrorist acts.
The financial sector is also a target for cyber-attacks and may experience technology malfunctions and disruptions. In recent years, cyber-attacks and technology failures have become increasingly frequent and have caused significant losses.
| ○ | Industrial Sector Risk. The industrial sector can be significantly affected by, among other things, worldwide economic growth, supply and demand for specific products and services, rapid technological developments, international political and economic developments, environmental issues, tariffs and trade barriers, and tax and governmental regulatory policies. As the demand for, or prices of, industrials increase, the value of the Fund’s investments generally would be expected to also increase. Conversely, declines in the demand for, or prices of, industrials generally would be expected to contribute to declines in the value of such securities. Such declines may occur quickly and without warning and may negatively impact the value of the Fund and your investment. |
| ○ | Information Technology Sector Risk. Market or economic factors impacting information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technological advances could have a significant effect on the value of the Fund’s investments. The value of stocks of information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology is particularly vulnerable to rapid changes in technology product cycles, rapid product obsolescence, government regulation and competition, both domestically and internationally, including competition from foreign competitors with lower production costs. Stocks of information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology, especially those of smaller, less-seasoned companies, tend to be more volatile than the overall market. Information technology companies are heavily dependent on patent and intellectual property rights, the loss or impairment of which may adversely affect profitability. Additionally, companies in the technology sector may face dramatic and often unpredictable changes in growth rates and competition for the services of qualified personnel. |
9
| ● | Index Methodology Risk. Although the Index uses a rules-based proprietary index methodology that is designed to identify growth companies with a higher quality profile that trade at a reasonable valuation level relative to the broader market, there is no guarantee that this methodology will be successful or that the past performance of these stocks will continue. Companies that issue these stocks may experience lower than expected returns or may experience negative growth, as well as increased leverage, resulting in lower than expected or negative returns. |
| ● | Tracking Error Risk. As with all index funds, the performance of the Fund and its respective Index may differ from each other for a variety of reasons. For example, the Fund incurs operating expenses and portfolio transaction costs not incurred by an Index. In addition, the Fund may not be fully invested in the securities of its respective Index at all times or may hold securities not included in the Index. The Fund may use a representative sampling strategy to achieve its investment objective, if the Fund’s Sub- Adviser believes it is in the best interest of the Fund, which generally can be expected to produce a greater non-correlation risk. |
PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS INFORMATION
Information about the Fund’s daily portfolio holdings is available at SRHfunds.com. A description of the Fund’s policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Fund’s portfolio holdings is available in the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”).
MANAGEMENT
Investment Adviser
Paralel Advisors LLC serves as the investment adviser to the Fund. Paralel is a SEC registered investment adviser with approximately $2.4 billion in assets under management as of December 31, 2025. Its principal office is located at 1700 Broadway, Suite 2100, Denver, CO 80290. Pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement, the Fund pays Paralel a unitary management fee, which is calculated daily and paid monthly, at an annual rate of 0.35% of the Fund’s average daily net assets. For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2025, the Fund paid Paralel a fee equal to 0.35% of the Fund’s average daily net assets.
Out of the unitary management fee, Paralel has agreed to pay substantially all expenses of the Fund, including the cost of transfer agency, custody, fund administration, securities lending and other non-distribution related services necessary for the Fund to operate, except for: the fee paid to Paralel pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement, interest charges on any borrowings, dividends and other expenses on securities sold short, taxes, brokerage commissions and other expenses incurred in placing orders for the purchase and sale of securities and other investment instruments, acquired fund fees and expenses, accrued deferred tax liability, distribution (12b-1) fees and expenses, and litigation expenses and other non-routine or extraordinary expenses.
The basis for the Board’s (as defined below) renewal of the Fund’s Investment Advisory Agreement and Sub-Advisory Agreement is available in the Fund’s annual N-CSR filing for the period ended October 31, 2025.
Manager of Managers Structure
Section 15(a) of the 1940 Act requires that all contracts pursuant to which persons serve as investment advisers to investment companies be approved by shareholders. This requirement also applies to the appointment of sub-advisers to the Fund. Elevation Series Trust (the “Trust”) and the Adviser have received exemptive relief from the SEC (the “Order”), which permits the Adviser, subject to the approval of the Board of Trustees of the Trust (the “Board”), including the approval of the Trustees who are not interested persons of the Trust, as defined in the 1940 Act (the “Independent Trustees”), to hire, replace, and/or modify any existing or future sub-advisory agreement with sub-advisers (the “Manager- of-Managers Structure”). The Adviser, subject to the oversight of the Board, has the ultimate responsibility for overseeing the Fund’s sub-advisers and recommending their hiring, termination and replacement. The Order also provides relief from certain disclosure obligations with regard to sub-advisory fees paid by the Adviser (not the Fund). The Order is subject to various conditions, including that the Fund will notify shareholders and provide them with certain information required by the exemptive order within 90 days of hiring a new sub-adviser. The sole initial shareholder of the Fund has approved the Fund’s operation under the Manager-of-Managers Structure as permitted by the Order.
The Manager-of-Managers Structure enables the Trust to operate with greater efficiency by not incurring the expense and delays associated with obtaining shareholder approvals for matters relating to sub-advisers or sub-advisory agreements. Operation of the Fund under the Manager-of-Managers Structure does not permit management fees paid by the Fund to the Adviser to be increased without shareholder approval. Shareholders will be notified of any changes made to the Sub-Adviser or material changes to sub-advisory agreements within 90 days of the change.
Sub-Adviser
Paralel has retained Vident Asset Management (“Vident” or the “Sub-Adviser”) to serve as sub-adviser for the Fund. Vident is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio. Vident, a registered investment adviser, is owned by Vident Capital Holdings, LLC which is controlled by MM VAM, LLC. MM VAM, LLC is owned by Casey Crawford. Its principal office is located at 1125 Sanctuary Parkway, Suite 515, Alpharetta, Georgia 30009. The Sub-Adviser is responsible for trading portfolio securities for the Fund, including selecting broker-dealers to execute purchase and sale transactions or in connection with any rebalancing or reconstitution of the Index, subject to the supervision of Paralel and the Board. For its services, the Sub-Adviser is paid a fee by Paralel, not the Fund, out of its management fee.
10
Portfolio Managers
The Fund is managed by Vident’s portfolio management team. The individual members of the team responsible for the day -to -day management of the Fund’s portfolio are listed below.
Rafael Zayas, CFA, Senior Vice President and Head of Portfolio Management & Trading — Mr. Zayas has over 15 years of trading and portfolio management experience in global equity products and ETFs. He is SVP, Head of Portfolio Management and Trading for Vident. Previously, Mr. Zayas focused on internation equities, specializing in managing and trading developed, emerging, and frontier market portfolios. Prior to joining Vident, he was a Portfolio Manager at Russell Investments for over $5 billion in quantitative strategies across global markets, including emerging, developed and frontier markets and listed alternatives. Before that, he was an equity Portfolio Manager at BNY Mellon Asset Management, where he was responsible for $150 million in internationally listed global equity ETFs and assisted in managing $3 billion of global ETF assets. Mr. Zayas holds a BS in Electrical Engineering from Cornell University. He also holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.
Austin Wen, CFA, Senior Portfolio Manager — Mr. Wen has over a decade of investment experience. He is a Senior Portfolio Manager at Vident, specializing in portfolio management and trading, derivative, and commodities-based portfolios, as well as risk monitoring and investment analysis. Previously, he was an analyst for Vident Financial, focusing on the development and review of various investment solutions. He began his career as a State Examiner for the Georgia Department of Banking and Finance. Mr. Wen obtained a BA in Finance from the University of Georgia and holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.
Yin Bhuyan, Senior Portfolio Manager – Ms. Bhuyan has over 12 years of expertise in trading and portfolio management, specializing in options and defined outcome ETFs. Prior to joining Vident, Ms. Bhuyan was the Director of ETF Portfolio Management at Milliman Financial Risk Management, LLC, where she focused on managing defined outcome ETFs and index tracking ETFs. She led the ETF portfolio management team, significantly contributing to the growth of assets to $16 billion in defined outcome ETFs. Before that, she traded in the S&P Options Pit at Cboe, specializing in volatility arbitrage and delta-neutral hedging strategies. Ms. Bhuyan holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from National Taipei University and an MBA from the University of Illinois at Chicago.
The Fund’s SAI provides additional information about the portfolio managers’ compensation structure, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers, and the portfolio managers’ ownership of Shares of the Fund.
HOW TO BUY AND SELL SHARES
The Fund issues and redeems Shares at NAV only in Creation Units. Only APs may acquire Shares directly from the Fund, and only APs may tender their Shares for redemption directly to the Fund, at NAV. APs must be a member or participant of a clearing agency registered with the SEC and must execute a Participant Agreement that has been agreed to by the Distributor (defined below), and that has been accepted by the Fund’s transfer agent, with respect to purchases and redemptions of Creation Units. Once created, Shares trade in the secondary market in quantities less than a Creation Unit.
Most investors buy and sell Shares in secondary market transactions through brokers. Shares are listed for trading on the secondary market on the Exchange and can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like other publicly traded securities.
When buying or selling Shares through a broker, you will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges, and you may pay some or all of the spread between the bid and the offer price in the secondary market on each leg of a round trip (purchase and sale) transaction. In addition, because secondary market transactions occur at market prices, you may pay more than NAV when you buy Shares and receive less than NAV when you sell those Shares.
Book Entry
Shares are held in book-entry form, which means that no stock certificates are issued. The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) or its nominee is the record owner of all outstanding Shares.
Investors owning Shares are beneficial owners as shown on the records of DTC or its participants. DTC serves as the securities depository for all Shares. DTC’s participants include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and other institutions that directly or indirectly maintain a custodial relationship with DTC. As a beneficial owner of Shares, you are not entitled to receive physical delivery of stock certificates or to have Shares registered in your name, and you are not considered a registered owner of Shares. Therefore, to exercise any right as an owner of Shares, you must rely upon the procedures of DTC and its participants. These procedures are the same as those that apply to any other securities that you hold in book entry or “street name” through your brokerage account.
Frequent Purchases and Redemptions of Shares
The Fund imposes no restrictions on the frequency of purchases and redemptions of Shares. In determining not to approve a written, established policy, the Board evaluated the risks of market timing activities by Fund shareholders. Purchases and redemptions by APs, who are the only parties that may purchase or redeem Shares directly with the Fund, are an essential part of the ETF process and help keep Share trading prices in line with NAV. As such, the Fund accommodates frequent purchases and redemptions by APs. However, the Board has also determined that frequent purchases and redemptions for cash may increase tracking error and portfolio transaction costs and may lead to the realization of capital gains. To minimize these potential consequences of frequent purchases and redemptions, the Fund employs fair value pricing and may impose transaction fees on purchases and redemptions of Creation Units to cover the custodial and other costs incurred by the Fund in effecting trades. In addition, the Fund and the Adviser reserve the right to reject any purchase order at any time.
11
Determination of NAV
The Fund’s NAV is calculated as of the scheduled close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”), generally 4:00p.m. Eastern time, each day the NYSE is open for business. Each NAV for a Fund is calculated by dividing the applicable Fund’s net assets by its Shares outstanding.
In calculating its NAV, the Fund generally values its assets on the basis of market quotations, last sale prices, or estimates of value furnished by a pricing service or brokers who make markets in such instruments. If the foregoing information is not available for a security held by a Fund or is determined to be unreliable, the security will be valued at fair value estimates under guidelines established by the Board (as described below).
Fair Value Pricing
The Adviser has been designated by the Board as the valuation designee for the Fund pursuant to Rule 2a-5 under the 1940 Act. In its capacity as valuation designee, the Adviser has adopted procedures and methodologies to fair value Fund securities whose market prices are not “readily available” or are deemed to be unreliable. For example, such circumstances may arise when: (i) a security has been de-listed or has had its trading halted or suspended; (ii) a security’s primary pricing source is unable or unwilling to provide a price; (iii) a security’s primary trading market is closed during regular market hours; or (iv) a security’s value is materially affected by events occurring after the close of the security’s primary trading market. The Board has appointed the Adviser as the Fund’s valuation designee to perform all fair valuations of the Fund’s portfolio investments, subject to the Board’s oversight. Accordingly, the Adviser has established procedures for its fair valuation of the Fund’s portfolio investments. Generally, when fair valuing a security held by the Fund, the Adviser will take into account all reasonably available information that may be relevant to a particular valuation including, but not limited to, fundamental analytical data regarding the issuer, information relating to the issuer’s business, recent trades or offers of the security, general and/or specific market conditions and the specific facts giving rise to the need to fair value the security. Fair value determinations are made in good faith and in accordance with the Adviser’s fair value methodologies. Due to the subjective and variable nature of determining the fair value of a security or other investment, there can be no assurance that the Adviser’s fair value will match or closely correlate to any market quotation that subsequently becomes available or the price quoted or published by other sources. In addition, the Fund may not be able to obtain the fair value assigned to the security upon the sale of such security.
Delivery of Shareholder Documents – Householding
Householding is an option available to certain investors of the Fund. Householding is a method of delivery, based on the preference of the individual investor, in which a single copy of certain shareholder documents can be delivered to investors who share the same address, even if their accounts are registered under different names. Householding for the Fund is available through certain broker- dealers. If you are interested in enrolling in householding and receiving a single copy of prospectuses and other shareholder documents, please contact your broker-dealer. If you are currently enrolled in householding and wish to change your householding status, please contact your broker-dealer.
DIVIDENDS, DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAXES
Dividends and Distributions
The Fund intends to pay out dividends, if any, quarterly. The Fund intends to distribute any net realized capital gains to its shareholders at least annually. The Fund will declare and pay capital gain distributions, if any, in cash. Distributions in cash may be reinvested automatically in additional whole Shares only if the broker through whom you purchased Shares makes such option available. Your broker is responsible for distributing the income and capital gain distributions to you.
Taxes
The following discussion is a summary of some important U.S. federal income tax considerations generally applicable to investments in the Fund. Your investment in the Fund may have other tax implications. Please consult your tax advisor about the tax consequences of an investment in Shares, including the possible application of foreign, state, and local tax laws.
The Fund has elected and intends to qualify each year for treatment as a regulated investment company (a “RIC”) within the meaning of Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). If it meets certain minimum distribution requirements, a RIC is not subject to tax at the fund level on income and gains from investments that are timely distributed to shareholders. However, the Fund’s failure to qualify as a RIC or to meet minimum distribution requirements would result (if certain relief provisions were not available) in fund-level taxation and, consequently, a reduction in income available for distribution to shareholders.
12
Unless your investment in Shares is made through a tax-exempt entity or tax-advantaged account, such as an IRA plan, you need to be aware of the possible tax consequences when the Fund makes distributions, when you sell your Shares listed on the Exchange, and when you purchase or redeem Creation Units (APs only).
Taxes on Distributions
The Fund intends to distribute, at least annually, substantially all of its net investment income and net capital gains. For federal income tax purposes, distributions of investment income are generally taxable as ordinary income or qualified dividend income. Taxes on distributions of capital gains (if any) are determined by how long the Fund owned the investments that generated them, rather than how long a shareholder has owned his or her Shares. Sales of assets held by the Fund for more than one year generally result in long- term capital gains and losses, and sales of assets held by the Fund for one year or less generally result in short-term capital gains and losses. Distributions of the Fund’s net capital gain (the excess of net long-term capital gains over net short-term capital losses) that are reported by the Fund as capital gain dividends (“Capital Gain Dividends”) will be taxable as long-term capital gains, which for non- corporate shareholders are subject to tax at reduced rates of up to 20% (lower rates apply to individuals in lower tax brackets). Distributions of short-term capital gain will generally be taxable as ordinary income. Dividends and distributions are generally taxable to you whether you receive them in cash or reinvest them in additional Shares.
Distributions reported by the Fund as “qualified dividend income” are generally taxed to non-corporate shareholders at rates applicable to long-term capital gains, provided holding period and other requirements are met. “Qualified dividend income” generally is income derived from dividends paid by U.S. corporations or certain foreign corporations that are either incorporated in a U.S. possession or eligible for tax benefits under certain U.S. income tax treaties. In addition, dividends that the Fund received in respect of stock of certain foreign corporations may be qualified dividend income if that stock is readily tradable on an established U.S. securities market. Corporate shareholders may be entitled to a dividends received deduction for the portion of dividends they receive from the Fund that are attributable to dividends received by the Fund from U.S. corporations, subject to certain limitations.
Under Treasury Regulations, a RIC that receives business interest income may pass through its net business interest income for purposes of the tax rules applicable to the interest expense limitations under Section 163(j) of the Code. A RIC’s total “Section 163(j) Interest Dividend” for a tax year is limited to the excess of the RIC’s business interest income over the sum of its business interest expense and its other deductions properly allocable to its business interest income. A RIC may, in its discretion, designate all or a portion of ordinary dividends as Section 163(j) Interest Dividends, which would allow the recipient shareholder to treat the designated portion of such dividends as interest income for purposes of determining such shareholder’s interest expense deduction limitation under Section 163(j). This can potentially increase the amount of a shareholder’s interest expense deductible under Section 163(j). In general, to be eligible to treat a Section 163(j) Interest Dividend as interest income, you must have held your shares in the Fund for more than 180 days during the 361-day period beginning on the date that is 180 days before the date on which the share becomes ex-dividend with respect to such dividend. Section 163(j) Interest Dividends, if so designated by the Fund, will be reported to your financial intermediary or otherwise in accordance with the requirements specified by the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”).
Shortly after the close of each calendar year, you will be informed of the amount and character of any distributions received from the Fund.
In general, your distributions are subject to federal income tax for the year in which they are paid. Certain distributions paid in January, however, may be treated as paid on December 31 of the prior year. Distributions are generally taxable even if they are paid from income or gains earned by the Fund before your investment (and thus were included in the Shares’ NAV when you purchased your Shares).
You may wish to avoid investing in the Fund shortly before a dividend or other distribution, because such a distribution will generally be taxable even though it may economically represent a return of a portion of your investment.
If you are neither a resident nor a citizen of the United States or if you are a foreign entity, distributions (other than Capital Gain Dividends) paid to you by the Fund will generally be subject to a U.S. withholding tax at the rate of 30%, unless a lower treaty rate applies. Gains from the sale or other disposition of your Shares generally are not subject to U.S. taxation, unless you are a nonresident alien individual who is physically present in the U.S. for 183 days or more per year. The Fund may, under certain circumstances, report all or a portion of a dividend as an “interest-related dividend” or a “short-term capital gain dividend,” which would generally be exempt from this 30% U.S. withholding tax, provided certain other requirements are met. Different tax consequences may result if you are a foreign shareholder engaged in a trade or business within the United States or if a tax treaty applies.
Under legislation generally known as “FATCA” (the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act), the Fund is required to withhold 30% of certain ordinary dividends it pays to shareholders that are foreign entities and that fail to meet prescribed information reporting or certification requirements.
The Fund (or a financial intermediary, such as a broker, through which a shareholder owns Shares) generally is required to withhold and remit to the U.S. Treasury a percentage of the taxable distributions and sale or redemption proceeds paid to any shareholder who fails to properly furnish a correct taxpayer identification number, who has underreported dividend or interest income, or who fails to certify that he, she or it is not subject to such withholding.
13
Taxes When Fund Shares are Sold on the Exchange
Any capital gain or loss realized upon a sale of Shares generally is treated as a long-term capital gain or loss if Shares have been held for more than one year and as a short-term capital gain or loss if Shares have been held for one year or less. However, any capital loss on a sale of Shares held for six months or less is treated as long-term capital loss to the extent of Capital Gain Dividends paid with respect to such Shares. Any loss realized on a sale will be disallowed to the extent Shares of the Fund are acquired, including through reinvestment of dividends, within a 61-day period beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the disposition of Shares. The ability to deduct capital losses may be limited.
The cost basis of Shares of the Fund acquired by purchase will generally be based on the amount paid for the Shares and then may be subsequently adjusted for other applicable transactions as required by the Code. The difference between the selling price and the cost basis of Shares generally determines the amount of the capital gain or loss realized on the sale or exchange of Shares. Contact the broker through whom you purchased your Shares to obtain information with respect to the available cost basis reporting methods and elections for your account.
Taxes on Purchases and Redemptions of Creation Units
An AP having the U.S. dollar as its functional currency for U.S. federal income tax purposes who exchanges securities for Creation Units generally recognizes a gain or a loss. The gain or loss will be equal to the difference between the value of the Creation Units at the time of the exchange and the exchanging AP’s aggregate basis in the securities delivered, plus the amount of any cash paid for the Creation Units. An AP who exchanges Creation Units for securities will generally recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the exchanging AP’s basis in the Creation Units and the aggregate U.S. dollar market value of the securities received, plus any cash received for such Creation Units. The IRS may assert, however, that a loss that is realized upon an exchange of securities for Creation Units may not be currently deducted under the rules governing “wash sales” (for an AP who does not mark-to-market their holdings), or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic position. APs exchanging securities should consult their own tax advisor with respect to whether wash sale rules apply and when a loss might be deductible.
Any gain or loss realized upon a creation or redemption of Creation Units will be treated as capital or ordinary gain or loss, depending on the circumstances. Any capital gain or loss realized upon redemption of Creation Units is generally treated as long-term capital gain or loss if Shares have been held for more than one year and as a short-term capital gain or loss if Shares have been held for one year or less.
The Fund may include a payment of cash in addition to, or in place of, the delivery of a basket of securities upon the redemption of Creation Units. The Fund may sell portfolio securities to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. This may cause the Fund to recognize investment income and/or capital gains or losses that it might not have recognized if it had completely satisfied the redemption in-kind. As a result, the Fund may be less tax efficient if it includes such a cash payment in the proceeds paid upon the redemption of Creation Units.
Net Investment Income Tax
U.S. individuals with income exceeding specified thresholds are subject to a 3.8% tax on all or a portion of their “net investment income,” which includes interest, dividends, and certain capital gains (generally including capital gains distributions and capital gains realized on the sale of Shares). This 3.8% tax also applies to all or a portion of the undistributed net investment income of certain shareholders that are estates and trusts.
The foregoing discussion summarizes some of the possible consequences under current federal tax law of an investment in the Fund. It is not a substitute for personal tax advice. You also may be subject to state and local tax on Fund distributions and sales of Shares. Consult your personal tax advisor about the potential tax consequences of an investment in Shares under all applicable tax laws. For more information, please see the section entitled “Federal Income Taxes” in the SAI.
DISTRIBUTION
The Distributor, Paralel Distributors LLC, is a broker-dealer registered with the SEC. The Distributor distributes Creation Units for the Fund on an agency basis and does not maintain a secondary market in Shares. The Distributor has no role in determining the policies of the Fund or the securities that are purchased or sold by the Fund. The Distributor’s principal address is 1700 Broadway, Suite 2100, Denver, Colorado 80290 and, along with the Fund’s Adviser, is under common control of the Fund’s Administrator. The Index Provider has an indirect, non-controlling interest in the parent company of the Distributor.
PREMIUM/DISCOUNT INFORMATION
Information regarding how often Shares of the Fund trade on the Exchange at a price above (i.e., at a premium) or below (i.e., at a discount) the NAV of the Fund is available on the Fund’s website at SRHFunds.com.
OTHER INFORMATION AND ADDITIONAL NOTICES
Certain Conditions on Shareholder Legal Actions
14
Pursuant to the Trust’s primary governing document, the Second Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust, shareholders wishing to pursue a derivative action (a suit brought by a shareholder on behalf of a Fund) are subject to various conditions including that: (i) the Trustees must have a reasonable amount of time to assess the complaining shareholders’ request for action, (ii) at least 10% of shareholders of the Fund must participate in the action (except with respect to claims arising under federal securities laws), and (iii) complaining shareholders must undertake to pay the expenses of advisers that the Trustees engage in consideration of whether to bring an action in the event the Trustees determine not to bring an action (except with respect to claims arising under federal securities laws).
In addition, shareholders wishing to pursue a derivative action (except with respect to claims arising under federal securities laws) must bring the compliant all shareholder legal complaints must be brought in the courts of the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware, or if such court does not have subject matter jurisdiction, any other court with appropriate subject matter jurisdiction in the State of Delaware. For non-federal securities laws claims, this requirement may be inconvenient for some shareholders and may cause such claims to be made in a less favorable forum than otherwise may have been made.
Additional Notices
Shares are not sponsored, endorsed, or promoted by the Exchange. The Exchange makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of the Shares or any member of the public regarding the ability of the Fund to track the total return performance of their respective Index or the ability of the Index identified herein to track the performance of their constituent securities. The Exchange is not responsible for, nor has it participated in, the determination of the compilation or the calculation of the Index, nor in the determination of the timing of, prices of, or quantities of the Shares to be issued, nor in the determination or calculation of the equation by which the Shares are redeemable. The Exchange has no obligation or liability to owners of the Shares in connection with the administration, marketing, or trading of the Shares.
The Exchange does not guarantee the accuracy and/or the completeness of the Index or the data included therein. The Exchange makes no warranty, express or implied, as to results to be obtained by the Fund, owners of the Shares, or any other person or entity from the use of the Index or the data included therein. The Exchange makes no express or implied warranties, and hereby expressly disclaims all warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose with respect to the Index or the data included therein. Without limiting any of the foregoing, in no event shall the Exchange have any liability for any lost profits or indirect, punitive, special, or consequential damages even if notified of the possibility thereof.
The Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, the Index Provider, and the Fund make no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of Shares or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in the Fund particularly. The Index Provider is a licensor of certain trademarks, service marks and trade names of the Fund. The Index Provider has no obligation to take the needs of the Fund or the owners of Shares into consideration in determining, composing, or calculating the Index. The Index Provider is not responsible for, and has not participated in, the determination of the timing of, prices of, or quantities of Shares to be issued or in the determination or calculation of the equation by which the Shares are redeemable. The Fund, the Index Provider and the Adviser do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or performance of the Index or the data included therein and shall have no liability in connection with the Index or Index calculations. The Index Provider owns the Index and the Index methodology and is the licensor of the Index to the Adviser. The Index Provider has contracted with an Index calculation agent to maintain and calculate the Index used by the Fund. The Index calculation agent shall have no liability for any errors or omissions in calculating the Index.
15
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
The financial highlights tables are intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for each fiscal period shown. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned or lost on an investment in the Fund (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions). This information has been audited by Cohen & Company, Ltd. the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the financial statements, are included in the Fund’s Form N-CSR dated October 31, 2025, which is available upon request and free of charge by calling the Fund’s Distributor at 1.877.524.9155.
16
SRH U.S. Quality GARP ETF
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
| For the Period | ||||||||||||||||
| October 4, 2022 | ||||||||||||||||
| For the Year | For the Year | For the Period | (Commencement of | |||||||||||||
| Ended | Ended | Ended | Operations) through | |||||||||||||
| October 31, 2025 | October 31, 2024 | October 31, 2023(a) | August 31, 2023(b) | |||||||||||||
| Net Asset Value - Beginning of Period | $ | 36.85 | $ | 27.71 | $ | 29.87 | $ | 25.66 | ||||||||
| INCOME FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS: | ||||||||||||||||
| Net investment income(c) | 0.29 | 0.25 | 0.05 | 0.25 | ||||||||||||
| Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss) on investments | 2.06 | 9.15 | (2.14 | ) | 4.17 | |||||||||||
| Total from Investment Operations | 2.35 | 9.40 | (2.09 | ) | 4.42 | |||||||||||
| DISTRIBUTIONS: | ||||||||||||||||
| From distributable earnings | (0.27 | ) | (0.26 | ) | (0.07 | ) | (0.21 | ) | ||||||||
| Total Distributions | (0.27 | ) | (0.26 | ) | (0.07 | ) | (0.21 | ) | ||||||||
| Net Increase/(Decrease) in net asset value | 2.08 | 9.14 | (2.16 | ) | 4.21 | |||||||||||
| Net Asset Value - End of Period | $ | 38.93 | $ | 36.85 | $ | 27.71 | $ | 29.87 | ||||||||
| TOTAL RETURN(d) | 6.42 | % | 34.00 | % | (7.00 | %) | 17.29 | % | ||||||||
| RATIOS AND SUPPLEMENTAL DATA: | ||||||||||||||||
| Net Assets, end of period (000s) | $ | 171,447 | $ | 147,544 | $ | 110,960 | $ | 119,598 | ||||||||
| Ratio of net operating expenses to average net assets | 0.35 | % | 0.35 | % | 0.35 | %(e) | 0.35 | %(e) | ||||||||
| Ratio of net investment income to average net assets | 0.76 | % | 0.74 | % | 1.01 | %(e) | 0.98 | %(e) | ||||||||
| Portfolio turnover rate(f)(g) | 35 | % | 40 | % | 0 | % | 41 | % | ||||||||
| (a) | Effective September 1, 2023, the Board approved changing the fiscal year-end of the Fund from August 31 to October 31. |
| (b) | The net asset value at the beginning of the period represents the initial shares outstanding on October 4, 2022 (Commencement of Operations). |
| (c) | Calculated based on the average number of Fund shares outstanding during each fiscal period. |
| (d) | Total return is calculated assuming an initial investment made at the net asset value at the beginning of the period and redemption at the net asset value on the last day of the period and assuming all distributions are reinvested. Total return calculated for a period of less than one year is not annualized. |
| (e) | Annualized. |
| (f) | Excludes the impact of in-kind transactions. |
| (g) | Portfolio turnover rate for periods less than one full year have not been annualized. |
17
PRIVACY NOTICE
Privacy Statement
Pursuant to SEC Regulation S-P (Privacy of Consumer Financial Information) the Trustees of the Elevation Series Trust (the “Trust”) has established the following policy regarding information about the Trust’s shareholders. We consider all shareholder data to be private and confidential, and we hold ourselves to the highest standards in its safekeeping and use.
General Statement
The Trust may collect nonpublic information (e.g., your name, address, e-mail address, Social Security Number, Trust holdings (collectively, “Personal Information”)) about shareholders from transactions in Trust shares. The Trust will not release Personal Information about current or former shareholders (except as permitted by law) unless one of the following conditions is met: we receive your prior written consent; (ii) we believe the recipient to be you or your authorized representative; (iii) to service or support the business functions of the Trust (as explained in more detail below), or (iv) we are required by law to release Personal Information to the recipient. The Trust have not and will not in the future give or sell Personal Information about their current or former shareholders to any company, individual, or group (except as per mitted by law) and as otherwise provided in this policy.
The Trust may make certain electronic services available to their shareholders and may solicit your email address and contact you by email, telephone or US mail regarding the availability of such services. The Trust may also contact shareholders by email, telephone or US mail in connection with these services, such as to confirm enrollment in electronic shareholder communications or to update your Personal Information. In no event will the Trust transmit your Personal Information via email without your consent.
Use of Personal Information
The Trust will only use Personal Information (i) as necessary to service or maintain shareholder accounts in the ordinary course of business and (ii) to support business functions of the Trust and their affiliated businesses. This means that the Trust may share certain Personal Information, only as per mitted by law, with affiliated businesses of the Trust, and that such information may be used for non- Trust-related solicitation. When Personal Information is shared with the Trust’s business affiliates, the Trust may do so without providing you the option of preventing these types of disclosures as permitted by law.
Safeguards Regarding Personal Information
Internally, we also restrict access to Personal Information to those who have a specific need for the records. We maintain physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards that comply with Federal standards to guard Personal Information. Any doubts about the confidentiality of Personal Information, as required by law, are resolved in favor of confidentiality.
18
SRH U.S. Quality GARP ETF
| Adviser | Paralel Advisors LLC 1700 Broadway, Suite 2100 Denver, Colorado 80290 |
Sub-Adviser | Vident Asset Management 1125 Sanctuary Parkway, Suite 515 Alpharetta, Georgia 30009 |
| Custodian, Transfer Agent | State Street One
Congress Street, Suite 1 |
Distributor | Paralel Distributors LLC 1700 Broadway, Suite 2100 Denver, Colorado 80290 |
| Legal Counsel | Thompson Hine LLP 41 S. High Street, Suite 1700 Columbus, Ohio 43215 |
Index Provider | SRH Advisors, LLC 2121
E. Crawford Place |
| Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm | Cohen & Company, Ltd. 8101 East Prentice Avenue, Suite 750 Greenwood Village, Colorado 80111 |
Fund Accountant and Administrator | Paralel Technologies LLC 1700 Broadway, Suite 2100 Denver, Colorado 80290 |
The Fund’s SAI provides additional details about the investments of the Fund and certain other additional information. A current SAI dated February 27, 2026 is on file with the SEC and is herein incorporated by reference into this Prospectus. It is legally considered a part of this Prospectus.
Annual/Semi-Annual Reports: Additional information about the Fund’s investments is available in the Fund’s annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders and in Form N-CSR, where you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance.
To make shareholder inquiries, for more detailed information on the Fund, or to request the SAI, annual or semi-annual shareholder reports, or Form N-CSR free of charge, please call the Fund's Distributor at 1.877.524.9155. Free copies of the Fund's shareholder reports, Prospectus, and the SAI are also available from our website at SRH Funds.com.
Shareholder reports and other information about the Fund are also available, free of charge, on the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov and copies of this information may be obtained, after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov.
No person is authorized to give any information or to make any representations about the Fund and its Shares not contained in this Prospectus and you should not rely on any other information. Read and keep this Prospectus for future reference.
SEC Investment Company Act File No. 811-23812
SRH
U.S. Quality GARP ETF
(SRHQ)
A series of Elevation Series Trust
Listed on NYSE Arca, Inc.
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
February 27, 2026
This Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) is not a prospectus and should be read in conjunction with the prospectus dated February 27, 2026, as may be supplemented from time to time (“Prospectus”), of the SRH U.S. Quality GARP ETF (the “Fund”), a series of Elevation Series Trust (the “Trust”). Capitalized terms used herein that are not defined have the same meaning as in the Prospectus, unless otherwise noted.
A copy of the Prospectus may be obtained, without charge by calling 1.877.524.9155, visiting SRHFunds.com, or writing to Paralel Distributors LLC, 1700 Broadway Suite 2100, Denver, Colorado 80290.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST AND THE FUND
The Trust is an open-end management investment company, currently consisting of multiple investment series. This SAI relates to the Fund. The Trust was organized as a Delaware statutory trust on March 7, 2022. The Trust is registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (together with the rules and regulations adopted thereunder, as amended, the “1940 Act”), as an open-end management investment company, and the offering of the Fund’s shares (“Shares”) is registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). The Trust is governed by its Board of Trustees (the “Board”). Paralel Advisors LLC (“Paralel” or the “Adviser”) serves as investment adviser to the Fund. Vident Asset Management (the “Sub-Adviser”) serves as sub-adviser to the Fund. The investment objective of the Fund is to seek to provide investment results (before fees and expenses) that correspond to the SRH U.S. Quality GARP Index (the “Index”). On February 28. 2025, the Fund’s name was changed from SRH U.S. Quality ETF to the SRH U.S. Quality GARP ETF. The Fund offers and issues Shares at its net asset value (“NAV”) only in aggregations of a specified number of Shares (each, a “Creation Unit”). The Fund generally offers and issues Shares in exchange for a basket of securities included in the Fund’s Index (“Deposit Securities”) together with the deposit of a specified cash payment (“Cash Component”). The Trust reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of a “cash in lieu” amount (“Deposit Cash”) to be added to the Cash Component to replace any Deposit Security. Shares are listed on the NYSE Arca, Inc. (the “Exchange”) and trade on the Exchange at market prices that may differ from the Shares’ NAV. Shares are also redeemable only in Creation Unit aggregations, primarily for a basket of Deposit Securities together with a Cash Component. A Creation Unit of the Fund generally consists of 50,000 Shares, though this may change from time to time as determined by the Fund. As a practical matter, only institutions or large investors purchase or redeem Creation Units. Except when aggregated in Creation Units, Shares are not redeemable securities.
Shares may be issued in advance of receipt of Deposit Securities subject to various conditions, including a requirement to maintain on deposit with the Trust cash at least equal to a specified percentage of the value of the missing Deposit Securities, as set forth in the Participant Agreement (as defined below). The Trust may impose a transaction fee for each creation or redemption. In all cases, such fees will be limited in accordance with the requirements of the SEC applicable to management investment companies offering redeemable securities. As in the case of other publicly traded securities, brokers’ commissions on transactions in the secondary market will be based on negotiated commission rates at customary levels.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE, POLICIES, AND RELATED RISKS
The Fund’s investment objective and principal investment strategies are described in the Prospectus. The following information supplements, and should be read in conjunction with, the Prospectus. For a description of certain permitted investments, see “Description of Permitted Investments” in this SAI.
With respect to the Fund’s investments, unless otherwise noted, if a percentage limitation on investment is adhered to at the time of investment or contract, a subsequent increase or decrease as a result of market movement or redemption will not result in a violation of such investment limitation.
Diversification
The Fund is “diversified” within the meaning of the 1940 Act. 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, other than investments in cash and cash items (including receivables), U.S. government securities, and securities of other investment companies. 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 the Fund’s holdings is measured at the time the fund purchases a security. However, if the 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 the Fund, the Fund may have a greater percentage of its assets invested in securities of a single issuer or a small number of issuers. However, the Fund intends to satisfy the asset diversification requirements for qualification as a regulated investment company (“RIC”) under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). See “Federal Income Taxes” below for details.
General Risks
The value of the Fund’s portfolio securities may fluctuate with changes in the financial condition of an issuer or counterparty, changes in specific economic or political conditions that affect a particular security or issuer and changes in general economic or political conditions. An investor in the Fund could lose money over short or long periods of time.
There can be no guarantee that a liquid market for the securities held by the Fund will be maintained. The existence of a liquid trading market for certain securities may depend on whether dealers will make a market in such securities. There can be no assurance that a market will be made or maintained or that any such market will be or remain liquid. The price at which securities may be sold and the value of Shares will be adversely affected if trading markets for the Fund’s portfolio securities are limited or absent, or if bid-ask spreads are wide.
1
Cyber Security Risk. Investment companies, such as the Fund, and its service providers may be subject to operational and information security risks resulting from cyber-attacks. Cyber-attacks include, among other behaviors, stealing or corrupting data maintained online or digitally, denial of service attacks on websites, the unauthorized release of confidential information or various other forms of cyber security breaches. Cyber-attacks affecting the Fund, the Adviser, Sub-Adviser, the Index Provider, custodian, transfer agent, intermediaries and other third-party service providers may adversely impact the Fund. For instance, cyber-attacks may interfere with the processing of shareholder transactions, impact the Fund’s ability to calculate its NAV, cause the release of private shareholder information or confidential company information, impede trading, subject the Fund to regulatory fines or financial losses, and cause reputational damage. The Fund may also incur additional costs for cyber security risk management purposes. Similar types of cyber security risks are also present for issuers of securities in which the Fund invests, which could result in material adverse consequences for such issuers, and may cause the Fund’s investments in such portfolio companies to lose value.
Recent Market Events. U.S. and international markets have experienced and may continue to experience significant periods of volatility in recent years and months due to a number of economic, political and global macro factors including rising inflation, uncertainty regarding central banks’ interest rate increases, the possibility of a national or global recession, trade tensions, political events, the war between Russia and Ukraine and the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic. As a result of continuing political tensions and armed conflicts, including the war between Ukraine and Russia, the U.S. and the European Union imposed sanctions on certain Russian individuals and companies, including certain financial institutions, and have limited certain exports and imports to and from Russia. The war has contributed to recent market volatility and may continue to do so.
These developments, as well as other events, could result in further market volatility and negatively affect financial asset prices, the liquidity of certain securities and the normal operations of securities exchanges and other markets, despite government efforts to address market disruptions. As a result, the risk environment remains elevated. The Adviser and Sub-Adviser will monitor developments and seek to manage the Fund in a manner consistent with achieving the Fund’s investment objective, but there can be no assurance that they will be successful in doing so.
DESCRIPTION OF PERMITTED INVESTMENTS
The following are descriptions of the Fund’s permitted investments and investment practices and the associated risk factors. The Fund will only invest in any of the following instruments or engage in any of the following investment practices if such investment or activity is consistent with the Fund’s investment objective and permitted by the Fund’s stated investment policies. Each of the permitted investments described below applies to the Fund unless otherwise noted.
Depositary Receipts. To the extent the Fund invests in stocks of foreign corporations, the Fund’s investment in securities of foreign companies may be in the form of depositary receipts or other securities convertible into securities of foreign issuers. American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) are dollar-denominated receipts representing interests in the securities of a foreign issuer, which securities may not necessarily be denominated in the same currency as the securities into which they may be converted. ADRs are receipts typically issued by United States banks and trust companies which evidence ownership of underlying securities issued by a foreign corporation. Generally, ADRs in registered form are designed for use in domestic securities markets and are traded on exchanges or over-the-counter in the United States. Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”), European Depositary Receipts (“EDRs”), and International Depositary Receipts (“IDRs”) are similar to ADRs in that they are certificates evidencing ownership of shares of a foreign issuer, however, GDRs, EDRs, and IDRs may be issued in bearer form and denominated in other currencies, and are generally designed for use in specific or multiple securities markets outside the U.S. EDRs, for example, are designed for use in European securities markets, while GDRs are designed for use throughout the world. Depositary receipts will not necessarily be denominated in the same currency as their underlying securities.
The Fund will not invest in any unlisted Depositary Receipts or any Depositary Receipt that the Sub-Adviser deems to be illiquid or for which pricing information is not readily available. In addition, all Depositary Receipts generally must be sponsored. However, the Fund may invest in unsponsored Depositary Receipts under certain limited circumstances. The issuers of unsponsored Depositary Receipts are not obligated to disclose material information in the United States and, therefore, there may be less information available regarding such issuers and there may not be a correlation between such information and the value of the Depositary Receipts. The use of Depositary Receipts may increase tracking error relative to the underlying Index.
Equity Securities. Equity securities, such as the common stocks of an issuer, are subject to stock market fluctuations and therefore may experience volatile changes in value as market conditions, consumer sentiment or the financial condition of the issuers change. A decrease in value of the equity securities in the Fund’s portfolio may also cause the value of the Fund’s Shares to decline.
An investment in the Fund should be made with an understanding of the risks inherent in an investment in equity securities, including the risk that the financial condition of issuers may become impaired or that the general condition of the stock market may deteriorate (either of which may cause a decrease in the value of the Fund’s portfolio securities and therefore a decrease in the value of Shares). Common stocks are susceptible to general stock market fluctuations and to volatile increases and decreases in value as market confidence and perceptions change. These investor perceptions are based on various and unpredictable factors, including expectations regarding government, economic, monetary and fiscal policies; inflation and interest rates; economic expansion or contraction; and global or regional political, economic, public health, or banking crises.
2
Holders of common stocks incur more risk than holders of preferred stocks and debt obligations because common stockholders, as owners of the issuer, generally have inferior rights to receive payments from the issuer in comparison with the rights of creditors or holders of debt obligations or preferred stocks. Further, unlike debt securities, which typically have a stated principal amount payable at maturity (whose value, however, is subject to market fluctuations prior thereto), or preferred stocks, which typically have a liquidation preference and which may have stated optional or mandatory redemption provisions, common stocks have neither a fixed principal amount nor a maturity. Common stock values are subject to market fluctuations as long as the common stock remains outstanding.
When-Issued Securities: A when-issued security is one whose terms are available and for which a market exists, but which has not been issued. When the Fund engages in when-issued transactions, it relies on the other party to consummate the sale. If the other party fails to complete the sale, the Fund may miss the opportunity to obtain the security at a favorable price or yield.
When purchasing a security on a when-issued basis, the Fund assumes the rights and risks of ownership of the security, including the risk of price and yield changes. At the time of settlement, the value of the security may be more or less than the purchase price. The yield available in the market when the delivery takes place also may be higher than those obtained in the transaction itself. Because the Fund does not pay for the security until the delivery date, these risks are in addition to the risks associated with its other investments.
Decisions to enter into “when-issued” transactions will be considered on a case-by-case basis when necessary to maintain continuity in a company’s index membership. The Fund may segregate cash or liquid securities equal in value to commitments for the when-issued transactions. The Fund may segregate additional liquid assets daily so that the value of such assets is equal to the amount of the commitments.
Types of Equity Securities:
Common Stocks — Common stocks represent units of ownership in a company. Common stocks usually carry voting rights and earn dividends. Unlike preferred stocks, which are described below, dividends on common stocks are not fixed but are declared at the discretion of the company’s board of directors.
Preferred Stocks — Preferred stocks are also units of ownership in a company. Preferred stocks normally have preference over common stock in the payment of dividends and the liquidation of the company. However, in all other respects, preferred stocks are subordinated to the liabilities of the issuer. Unlike common stocks, preferred stocks are generally not entitled to vote on corporate matters. Types of preferred stocks include adjustable-rate preferred stock, fixed dividend preferred stock, perpetual preferred stock, and sinking fund preferred stock.
Generally, the market values of preferred stock with a fixed dividend rate and no conversion element vary inversely with interest rates and perceived credit risk.
Rights and Warrants — A right is a privilege granted to existing shareholders of a corporation to subscribe to shares of a new issue of common stock before it is issued. Rights normally have a short life of usually two to four weeks, are freely transferable and entitle the holder to buy the new common stock at a lower price than the public offering price. Warrants are securities that are usually issued together with a debt security or preferred stock and that give the holder the right to buy proportionate amount of common stock at a specified price. Warrants are freely transferable and are traded on major exchanges. Unlike rights, warrants normally have a life that is measured in years and entitles the holder to buy common stock of a company at a price that is usually higher than the market price at the time the warrant is issued. Corporations often issue warrants to make the accompanying debt security more attractive.
An investment in warrants and rights may entail greater risks than certain other types of investments. Generally, rights and warrants do not carry the right to receive dividends or exercise voting rights with respect to the underlying securities, and they do not represent any rights in the assets of the issuer. In addition, their value does not necessarily change with the value of the underlying securities, and they cease to have value if they are not exercised on or before their expiration date. Investing in rights and warrants increases the potential profit or loss to be realized from the investment as compared with investing the same amount in the underlying securities.
Smaller Companies — The securities of small- and mid-capitalization companies may be more vulnerable to adverse issuer, market, political, or economic developments than securities of larger-capitalization companies. The securities of small- and mid-capitalization companies generally trade in lower volumes and are subject to greater and more unpredictable price changes than larger capitalization stocks or the stock market as a whole. Some small- or mid-capitalization companies have limited product lines, markets, and financial and managerial resources and tend to concentrate on fewer geographical markets relative to larger capitalization companies. There is typically less publicly available information concerning small- and mid-capitalization companies than for larger, more established companies. Small- and mid-capitalization companies also may be particularly sensitive to changes in interest rates, government regulation, borrowing costs, and earnings.
3
Tracking Stocks — The Fund may invest in tracking stocks. A tracking stock is a separate class of common stock whose value is linked to a specific business unit or operating division within a larger company and which is designed to “track” the performance of such business unit or division. The tracking stock may pay dividends to shareholders independent of the parent company. The parent company, rather than the business unit or division, generally is the issuer of tracking stock. However, holders of the tracking stock may not have the same rights as holders of the company’s common stock.
Exchange-Traded Funds (“ETFs”). The Fund may invest in shares of other investment companies (including ETFs). As the shareholder of another ETF, the Fund would bear, along with other shareholders, its pro rata portion of the other ETF’s expenses, including advisory fees. Such expenses are in addition to the expenses the Fund pays in connection with its own operations. The Fund’s investments in other ETFs may be limited by applicable law.
Disruptions in the markets for the securities underlying ETFs purchased or sold by the Fund could result in losses on investments in ETFs. ETFs also carry the risk that the price the Fund pays or receives may be higher or lower than the ETF’s NAV. ETFs are also subject to certain additional risks, including the risks of illiquidity and of possible trading halts due to market conditions or other reasons, based on the policies of the relevant exchange. ETFs and other investment companies in which the Fund may invest may be leveraged, which would increase the volatility of the Fund’s NAV.
Exchange-Traded Notes (“ETNs”). The Fund may invest in ETNs. ETNs generally are senior, unsecured, unsubordinated debt securities issued by a sponsor, such as an investment bank. ETNs are traded on exchanges and the returns are linked to the performance of market indexes. In addition to trading ETNs on exchanges, investors may redeem ETNs directly with the issuer on a periodic basis, typically in a minimum amount of 50,000 units, or hold the ETNs until maturity. The value of an ETN may be influenced by time to maturity, level of supply and demand for the ETN, volatility and lack of liquidity in the underlying market, changes in the applicable interest rates, and economic, legal, political or geographic events that affect the referenced market. Because ETNs are debt securities, they are subject to credit risk. If the issuer has financial difficulties or goes bankrupt, the Fund may not receive the return it was promised. If a rating agency lowers an issuer’s credit rating, the value of the ETN may decline and a lower credit rating reflects a greater risk that the issuer will default on its obligation. There may be restrictions on the Fund’s right to redeem its investment in an ETN. There are no periodic interest payments for ETNs, and principal is not protected. The Fund’s decision to sell its ETN holdings may be limited by the availability of a secondary market.
Illiquid Investments. The Fund may invest up to an aggregate amount of 15% of its net assets in illiquid investments, as such term is defined by Rule 22e-4 under the 1940 Act. The Fund may not invest in illiquid investments if, as a result of such investment, more than 15% of the Fund’s net assets would be invested in illiquid investments. Illiquid investments include securities subject to contractual or other restrictions on resale and other instruments that lack readily available markets. The inability of the Fund to dispose of illiquid investments readily or at a reasonable price could impair the Fund’s ability to raise cash for redemptions or other purposes. The liquidity of securities purchased by the Fund that are eligible for resale pursuant to Rule 144A, except for certain 144A bonds, will be monitored by the Fund on an ongoing basis. In the event that more than 15% of the Fund’s net assets are invested in illiquid investments, the Fund, in accordance with Rule 22e-4(b)(1)(iv), will report the occurrence to both the Board and the SEC and seek to reduce its holdings of illiquid investments within a reasonable period of time.
Investment Company Securities. The Fund may invest in the securities of other investment companies, including ETFs and money market funds, subject to applicable limitations under Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act and the rules applicable thereunder (including Rule 12d1-4). Investing in another pooled vehicle exposes the Fund to all the risks of that pooled vehicle. Pursuant to Section 12(d)(1), the Fund may invest in the securities of another investment company (the “acquired company”) provided that the Fund, immediately after such purchase or acquisition, does not own in the aggregate: (i) more than 3% of the total outstanding voting stock of the acquired company; (ii) securities issued by the acquired company having an aggregate value in excess of 5% of the value of the total assets of such Fund; or (iii) securities issued by the acquired company and all other investment companies (other than treasury stock of such Fund) having an aggregate value in excess of 10% of the value of the total assets of the Fund. To the extent allowed by law or regulation, the Fund may invest its assets in securities of investment companies that are money market funds in excess of the limits discussed above.
If the Fund invests in and, thus, is a shareholder of, another investment company, the Fund’s shareholders will indirectly bear the Fund’s proportionate share of the fees and expenses paid by such other investment company, including advisory fees, in addition to both the management fees payable directly by the Fund to the Fund’s own investment adviser and the other expenses that the Fund bears directly in connection with the Fund’s own operations.
Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act restricts investments by registered investment companies in securities of other registered investment companies, including the Fund. The acquisition of the Fund’s Shares by registered investment companies is subject to the restrictions of Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act, except as may be permitted by exemptive rules under the 1940 Act that permits registered investment companies to invest in the Fund beyond the limits of Section 12(d)(1), subject to certain terms and conditions, including that the registered investment company enter into an agreement with the Fund regarding the terms of the investment.
4
The Fund may rely on Section 12(d)(1)(F) and Rule 12d1-3 of the 1940 Act, which provide an exemption from Section 12(d)(1) that allows the Fund to invest all of its assets in other registered funds, including ETFs, if, among other conditions: (a) the Fund, together with its affiliates, acquires no more than three percent of the outstanding voting stock of any acquired fund, and (b) the sales load charged on the Fund’s Shares is no greater than the limits set forth in Rule 2341 of the Rules of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”). Additionally, the Fund may rely on Rule 12d1-4 under the 1940 Act to invest in such other funds in excess of the limits of Section 12(d)(1) if the Fund comply with the terms and conditions of such rule.
Money Market Instruments. The Fund may invest a portion of its assets in high-quality money market instruments on an ongoing basis to provide liquidity or for other reasons. The instruments in which the Fund may invest include: (i) short-term obligations issued by the U.S. Government; (ii) negotiable certificates of deposit (“CDs”), fixed time deposits and bankers’ acceptances of U.S. and foreign banks and similar institutions; (iii) commercial paper rated at the date of purchase “Prime-1” by Moody’s or “A-1+” or “A-1” by S&P or, if unrated, of comparable quality as determined by the Fund; and (iv) repurchase agreements. CDs are short-term negotiable obligations of commercial banks. Time deposits are non-negotiable deposits maintained in banking institutions for specified periods of time at stated interest rates. Banker’s acceptances are time drafts drawn on commercial banks by borrowers, usually in connection with international transactions.
Repurchase Agreements. The Fund may invest in repurchase agreements with commercial banks, brokers or dealers to generate income from its excess cash balances and to invest securities lending cash collateral. A repurchase agreement is an agreement under which the Fund acquires a financial instrument (e.g., a security issued by the U.S. government or an agency thereof, a banker’s acceptance or a certificate of deposit) from a seller, subject to resale to the seller at an agreed upon price and date (normally, the next Business Day). A repurchase agreement may be considered a loan collateralized by securities. The resale price reflects an agreed upon interest rate effective for the period the instrument is held by the Fund and is unrelated to the interest rate on the underlying instrument.
In these repurchase agreement transactions, the securities acquired by the Fund (including accrued interest earned thereon) must have a total value in excess of the value of the repurchase agreement and are held by the Custodian until repurchased. No more than an aggregate of 15% of the Fund’s net assets will be invested in illiquid investments, including repurchase agreements having maturities longer than seven days and securities subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale, or for which there are no readily available market quotations.
The use of repurchase agreements involves certain risks. For example, if the other party to the agreement defaults on its obligation to repurchase the underlying security at a time when the value of the security has declined, the Fund may incur a loss upon disposition of the security. If the other party to the agreement becomes insolvent and subject to liquidation or reorganization under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code or other laws, a court may determine that the underlying security is collateral for a loan by the Fund not within the control of the Fund and, therefore, the Fund may not be able to substantiate its interest in the underlying security and may be deemed an unsecured creditor of the other party to the agreement.
Reverse Repurchase Agreements. The Fund may enter into reverse repurchase agreements, which involve the sale of securities held by the Fund subject to its agreement to repurchase the securities at an agreed-upon date or upon demand and at a price reflecting a market rate of interest. Reverse repurchase agreements are subject to the Fund’s limitation on borrowings and may be entered into only with banks or securities dealers or their affiliates. While a reverse repurchase agreement is outstanding, the Fund may maintain the segregation, either on its records or with the Trust’s custodian, of cash or other liquid securities, marked-to-market daily, in an amount at least equal to its obligations under the reverse repurchase agreement.
Reverse repurchase agreements involve the risk that the buyer of the securities sold by the Fund might be unable to deliver them when that Fund seeks to repurchase. If the buyer of securities under a reverse repurchase agreement files for bankruptcy or becomes insolvent, the buyer or trustee or receiver may receive an extension of time to determine whether to enforce the Fund’s obligation to repurchase the securities, and the Fund’s use of the proceeds of the reverse repurchase agreement may effectively be restricted pending such decision.
Securities Lending. The Fund may lend portfolio securities in an amount up to one-third of its total assets to brokers, dealers and other financial institutions. In a portfolio securities lending transaction, the Fund receives from the borrower an amount equal to the interest paid or the dividends declared on the loaned securities during the term of the loan as well as the interest on the collateral securities, less any fees (such as finders or administrative fees) the Fund pays in arranging the loan. The Fund may share the interest it receives on the collateral securities with the borrower. The terms of Fund’s loans permit the Fund to reacquire loaned securities on five business days’ notice or in time to vote on any important matter. Loans are subject to termination at the option of the Fund or borrower at any time, and the borrowed securities must be returned when the loan is terminated. The Fund may pay fees to arrange for securities loans.
The SEC currently requires that the following conditions must be met whenever the Fund’s portfolio securities are loaned: (1) the Fund must receive at least 100% cash collateral from the borrower; (2) the borrower must increase such collateral whenever the market value of the securities rises above the level of such collateral; (3) the Fund must be able to terminate the loan at any time; (4) the Fund must receive reasonable interest on the loan, as well as any dividends, interest or other distributions on the loaned securities, and any increase in market value; (5) the Fund may pay only reasonable custodian fees approved by the Board in connection with the loan; (6) while voting rights on the loaned securities may pass to the borrower, the Board must terminate the loan and regain the right to vote the securities if a material event adversely affecting the investment occurs, and (7) the Fund may not loan its portfolio securities so that the value of the loaned securities is more than one-third of its total asset value, including collateral received from such loans. These conditions may be subject to future modification. Such loans will be terminable at any time upon specified notice. The Fund might experience the risk of loss if the institution with which it has engaged in a portfolio loan transaction breaches its agreement with the Fund. In addition, the Fund will not enter into any portfolio security lending arrangement having a duration of longer than one year. The principal risk of portfolio lending is potential default or insolvency of the borrower. In either of these cases, the Fund could experience delays in recovering securities or collateral or could lose all or part of the value of the loaned securities. As part of participating in a lending program, the Fund may be required to invest in collateralized debt or other securities that bear the risk of loss of principal. In addition, all investments made with the collateral received are subject to the risks associated with such investments. If such investments lose value, the Fund will have to cover the loss when repaying the collateral.
5
Any loans of portfolio securities are fully collateralized based on values that are marked-to-market daily. Any securities that the Fund may receive as collateral will not become part of the Fund’s investment portfolio at the time of the loan and, in the event of a default by the borrower, the Fund will, if permitted by law, dispose of such collateral except for such part thereof that is a security in which the Fund is permitted to invest. During the time securities are on loan, the borrower will pay the Fund any accrued income on those securities, and the Fund may invest the cash collateral and earn income or receive an agreed-upon fee from a borrower that has delivered cash- equivalent collateral.
Tax Risks. As with any investment, you should consider how your investment in Shares will be taxed. The tax information in the Prospectus and this SAI is provided as general information. You should consult your own tax professional about the tax consequences of an investment in Shares.
Unless your investment in Shares is made through a tax-exempt entity or tax-deferred retirement account, such as an individual retirement account, you need to be aware of the possible tax consequences when the Fund makes distributions or you sell Shares.
U.S. Government Securities. The Fund may invest in U.S. government securities. Securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities include U.S. Treasury securities, which are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury and which differ only in their interest rates, maturities, and times of issuance. U.S. Treasury bills have initial maturities of one- year or less; U.S. Treasury notes have initial maturities of one to ten years; and U.S. Treasury bonds generally have initial maturities of greater than ten years. Certain U.S. government securities are issued or guaranteed by agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. government including, but not limited to, obligations of U.S. government agencies or instrumentalities such as the Federal National Mortgage Association (“Fannie Mae”), the Government National Mortgage Association (“Ginnie Mae”), the Small Business Administration, the Federal Farm Credit Administration, the Federal Home Loan Banks, Banks for Cooperatives (including the Central Bank for Cooperatives), the Federal Land Banks, the Federal Intermediate Credit Banks, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Export- Import Bank of the United States, the Commodity Credit Corporation, the Federal Financing Bank, the Student Loan Marketing Association, the National Credit Union Administration and the Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation (“Farmer Mac”).
Some obligations issued or guaranteed by U.S. government agencies and instrumentalities, including, for example, Ginnie Mae pass- through certificates, are supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury. Other obligations issued by or guaranteed by federal agencies, such as those securities issued by Fannie Mae, are supported by the discretionary authority of the U.S. government to purchase certain obligations of the federal agency, while other obligations issued by or guaranteed by federal agencies, such as those of the Federal Home Loan Banks, are supported by the right of the issuer to borrow from the U.S. Treasury, while the U.S. government provides financial support to such U.S. government-sponsored federal agencies, no assurance can be given that the U.S. government will always do so, since the U.S. government is not so obligated by law. U.S. Treasury notes and bonds typically pay coupon interest semi-annually and repay the principal at maturity.
Future Developments. The Board may, in the future, authorize the Fund to invest in securities contracts and investments other than those listed in this SAI and in the Fund’s Prospectus, provided they are consistent with the Fund’s investment objective and do not violate any investment restrictions or policies.
ADDITIONAL INDEX INFORMATION
During each reconstitution, securities are screened to determine whether they comply with the index methodology and are eligible to be included in the Index. The date of the determination is sometimes referred to as the “Index measurement date” or the “Screening Point.” Based on this annual screening, securities that meet the Index requirements are added to the Index, and securities that do not meet such requirements are dropped from the Index. The Index measurement date is the last business day of March.
Index Maintenance. Index maintenance for the Index occurs throughout the year and includes monitoring and implementing the adjustments for company additions and deletions, stock splits, corporate restructurings and other corporate actions. Corporate actions are generally implemented after the close of trading on the day prior to the ex-date of such corporate actions. To the extent reasonably practicable, such changes will be announced at least two days prior to their implementation.
Index Availability. The Index is calculated and disseminated throughout each day the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) is open for trading.
6
Index Calculation Agent. SRH Advisors, LLC (the “Index Provider”) has retained an unaffiliated third-party service provider to calculate the Index (the “Calculation Agent”). The Calculation Agent, using the applicable rules-based methodology, will calculate, maintain and disseminate the Index on a daily basis. The Index Provider will monitor the results produced by the Calculation Agent to help ensure that the Index is being calculated in accordance with its applicable rules-based methodology. In addition, the Index Provider has established policies and procedures designed to prevent non-public information regarding pending changes to the Index from being used or disseminated in an improper manner.
INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS
The Trust has adopted the following investment restrictions as fundamental policies with respect to the Fund. These restrictions cannot be changed with respect to the Fund without the approval of the holders of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities. For the purposes of the 1940 Act, a “majority of outstanding shares” means the vote of the lesser of: (1) 67% or more of the voting securities of the Fund present at the meeting if the holders of more than 50% of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities are present or represented by proxy; or (2) more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund.
Except with the approval of a majority of the outstanding voting securities, the Fund may not:
| 1. | Purchase the securities of any issuer (other than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or any of its agencies or instrumentalities) if, as a result, more than 25% of the Fund’s total assets would be invested in the securities of companies whose principal business activities are in the same industry, except that the Fund will invest more than 25% of its total assets in securities of the same industry to approximately the same extent that the Fund’s underlying Index concentrates in the securities of a particular industry or group of industries. |
| 2. | Issue senior securities, except as permitted under the 1940 Act. |
| 3. | Borrow money, except as permitted under the 1940 Act. |
| 4. | Lend any security or make any other loan except as permitted under the 1940 Act. This means that no more than 33 1/3% of its total assets would be lent to other parties. This limitation does not apply to purchases of debt securities or to repurchase agreements, or to acquisitions of loans, loan participations or other forms of debt instruments, permissible under the Fund’s investment policies. |
| 5. | Purchase or sell real estate unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments (but this shall not prevent the Fund from investing in securities or other instruments backed by real estate, real estate investment trusts or securities of companies engaged in the real estate business). |
| 6. | Purchase or sell physical commodities unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments (but this shall not prevent the Fund from purchasing or selling options and futures contracts or from investing in securities or other instruments backed by physical commodities). |
| 7. | Act as an underwriter of another issuer’s securities, except to the extent that the Fund may be considered an underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act in the disposition of portfolio securities. |
In addition to the investment restrictions adopted as fundamental policies as set forth above, the Fund observes the following non-fundamental restriction, which may be changed without a shareholder vote.
| 1. | Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets, plus borrowings for investment purposes, in securities of issuers that are principally traded in the United States. |
If a percentage limitation is adhered to at the time of investment or contract, a later increase or decrease in percentage resulting from any change in value or total or net assets will not result in a violation of such restriction, except that the percentage limitation with respect to the borrowing of money will be observed continuously.
EXCHANGE LISTING AND TRADING
Shares are listed for trading and trade throughout the day on the Exchange.
There can be no assurance that the Fund will continue to meet the requirements of the Exchange necessary to maintain the listing of Shares. The Exchange will consider the suspension of trading in, and will initiate delisting proceedings of, the Shares if any of the requirements set forth in the Exchange rules, including compliance with Rule 6c-11(c) under the 1940 Act, are not continuously maintained or such other event shall occur or condition shall exist that, in the opinion of the Exchange, makes further dealings on the Exchange inadvisable. The Exchange will remove the Shares of the Fund from listing and trading upon termination of the Fund.
7
The Trust reserves the right to adjust the price levels of Shares in the future to help maintain convenient trading ranges for investors. Any adjustments would be accomplished through stock splits or reverse stock splits, which would have no effect on the net assets of the Fund.
MANAGEMENT OF THE TRUST
Board Responsibilities. The management and affairs of the Trust and its series are overseen by the Board, which elects the officers of the Trust who are responsible for administering the day-to-day operations of the Trust and the Fund. The Board has approved contracts, as described below, under which certain companies provide essential services to the Trust.
The day-to-day business of the Trust, including the management of risk, is performed by third-party service providers, such as the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, the Distributor, and the Administrator. The Board is responsible for overseeing the Trust’s service providers and, thus, has oversight responsibility with respect to risk management performed by those service providers. Risk management seeks to identify and address risks, i.e., events or circumstances that could have material adverse effects on the business, operations, shareholder services, investment performance or reputation of the Fund. The Fund and its service providers employ a variety of processes, procedures and controls to identify such events or circumstances, to lessen the probability of their occurrence and/or to mitigate the effects of such events or circumstances if they do occur. Each service provider is responsible for one or more discrete aspects of the Trust’s business (e.g., the Sub-Adviser is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio investments) and, consequently, for managing the risks associated with that business. The Board has emphasized to the Fund’s service providers the importance of maintaining vigorous risk management.
The Board’s role in risk oversight begins before the inception of the Fund, at which time certain of the Fund’s service providers present the Board with information concerning the investment objectives, strategies, and risks of the Fund as well as proposed investment limitations for the Fund. Additionally, the Adviser and Sub-Adviser provide the Board with an overview of, among other things, its investment philosophy, brokerage practices, and compliance infrastructure. Thereafter, the Board continues its oversight function as various personnel, including the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer, as well as personnel of the Sub-Adviser, and other service providers such as the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm, make periodic reports to the Audit Committee or to the Board with respect to various aspects of risk management. The Board and the Audit Committee oversee efforts by management and service providers to manage risks to which the Fund may be exposed.
The Board is responsible for overseeing the nature, extent, and quality of the services provided to the Fund by the Adviser and the Sub- Adviser and receives information about those services at its regular meetings. In addition, on an annual basis (following the initial two- year period), in connection with its consideration of whether to renew the Investment Advisory Agreement with the Adviser, and Sub- Advisory Agreement with the Sub-Adviser, the Board or its designee may meet with the Adviser and/or Sub-Adviser to review such services. Among other things, the Board regularly considers the Adviser’s and Sub-Adviser’s adherence to the Fund’s investment restrictions and compliance with various Fund policies and procedures and with applicable securities regulations. The Board also reviews information about the Fund’s performance and the Fund’s investments, including, for example, portfolio holdings schedules.
The Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer reports regularly to the Board to review and discuss compliance issues and Fund and Adviser or Sub-Adviser risk assessments. At least annually, the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer provides the Board with a report reviewing the adequacy and effectiveness of the Trust’s policies and procedures and those of its service providers, including the Adviser and the Sub- Adviser. The report addresses the operation of the policies and procedures of the Trust and each service provider since the date of the last report; any material changes to the policies and procedures since the date of the last report; any recommendations for material changes to the policies and procedures; and any material compliance matters since the date of the last report.
The Board receives reports from the Fund’s service providers regarding operational risks and risks related to the valuation and liquidity of portfolio securities. Annually, the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm reviews with the Audit Committee its audit of the Fund’s financial statements, focusing on major areas of risk encountered by the Fund and noting any significant deficiencies or material weaknesses in the Fund’s internal controls. Additionally, in connection with its oversight function, the Board oversees Fund management’s implementation of disclosure controls and procedures, which are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Trust in its periodic reports with the SEC are recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the required time periods. The Board also oversees the Trust’s internal controls over financial reporting, which comprise policies and procedures designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of the Trust’s financial reporting and the preparation of the Trust’s financial statements.
From their review of these reports and discussions with the Adviser and Sub-Adviser, the Chief Compliance Officer, independent registered public accounting firm and other service providers, the Board and the Audit Committee learn in detail about the material risks of the Fund, thereby facilitating a dialogue about how management and service providers identify and mitigate those risks.
8
The Board recognizes that not all risks that may affect the Fund can be identified and/or quantified, that it may not be practical or cost- effective to eliminate or mitigate certain risks, that it may be necessary to bear certain risks (such as investment-related risks) to achieve the Fund’s goals, and that the processes, procedures and controls employed to address certain risks may be limited in their effectiveness. Moreover, reports received by the Board as to risk management matters are typically summaries of the relevant information. Most of the Fund’s investment management and business affairs are carried out by or through the Adviser, Sub-Adviser, and other service providers, each of which has an independent interest in risk management but whose policies and the methods by which one or more risk management functions are carried out may differ from the Fund’s and each other’s in the setting of priorities, the resources available or the effectiveness of relevant controls. As a result of the foregoing and other factors, the Board’s ability to monitor and manage risk, as a practical matter, is subject to limitations.
Members of the Board. There are three members of the Board, two of whom are not interested persons of the Trust, as that term is defined in the 1940 Act (the “Independent Trustees”). Mr. Bradley Swenson serves as Chairman of the Board and is an interested person of the Trust, and Mr. Steven Norgaard serves as the Trust’s Lead Independent Trustee. As Lead Independent Trustee, Mr. Norgaard acts as a spokesperson for the Independent Trustees in between meetings of the Board, serves as a liaison for the Independent Trustees with the Trust’s service providers, officers, and legal counsel to discuss ideas informally, and participates in setting the agenda for meetings of the Board and separate meetings or executive sessions of the Independent Trustees.
The Board is comprised of a super-majority (66.6 percent) of Independent Trustees. There is an Audit Committee of the Board that is chaired by an Independent Trustee and comprised solely of Independent Trustees. The Audit Committee chair presides at the Audit Committee meetings, participates in formulating agendas for Audit Committee meetings, and coordinates with management to serve as a liaison between the Independent Trustees and management on matters within the scope of responsibilities of the Audit Committee as set forth in its Board-approved charter. The Trust has determined its leadership structure is appropriate given the specific characteristics and circumstances of the Trust. The Trust made this determination in consideration of, among other things, the fact that the Independent Trustees of the Trust constitute a super-majority of the Board, the number of Independent Trustees that constitute the Board, the amount of assets under management in the Trust, and the number of funds overseen by the Board. The Board also believes that its leadership structure facilitates the orderly and efficient flow of information to the Independent Trustees from management.
Additional information about each Trustee of the Trust is set forth below. The address of each Trustee of the Trust is c/o Paralel Technologies LLC, 1700 Broadway, Suite 2100, Denver, Colorado 80290.
| Name and Year of Birth | Position
Held with the Trust |
Term
of Office and Length of Time Served |
Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years | Number
of Portfolios in Fund Complex Overseen by Trustee(1) |
Other
Directorships Held by Trustee During Past 5 Years |
| Independent Trustees | |||||
| Kimberly
Storms Birth Year: 1972 |
Trustee | Since 2022 | Ms. Storms served at various roles at ALPS Fund Services, Inc. from 1998 through 2020, including as Senior Vice President - Director of Fund Administration (2004-2020) and Senior Vice President - Director of Fund Management (2020). During her tenure, Ms. Storms served as an officer to certain ETF, closed-end and open-end investment companies (1998-2020) and, within the past 5 years, Principal Financial Officer of ALPS Series Trust (2012-2020), Financial Investors Trust (2013-2020), Liberty All-Star Funds (2013-2020), and Cambria ETF Trust (2020). | 37 | Sterling Capital Funds (20 funds) (since 2022) |
| Steven
Norgaard Birth Year: 1964 |
Trustee | Since 2022 | Mr. Norgaard has been an attorney with Steven K. Norgaard, P.C. since 1994. | 38(2) | MFG Funds (fka Frontier Funds) (2 Funds) (since 2013); SRH Total Return Fund, Inc. (Since 2011) |
| Interested Trustees and Officer | |||||
| Bradley
J. Swenson Birth Year: 1972 |
Trustee, President | Since 2022 | Mr. Swenson is President of Paralel Distributors LLC (May 2022 to present) and Chief Compliance Officer of Paralel Technologies LLC (January 2023 to present). He previously served as President of TruePeak Consulting, LLC (August 2021 to December 2023). Mr. Swenson joined ALPS Fund Services, Inc. (“ALPS”) in 2004 and served as its President from June 2019 until June 2021. In this role, he served as an officer to certain other closed-end and open-end investment companies. He previously served as the Chief Operating Officer of ALPS (2015-2019). Mr. Swenson also previously served as Chief Compliance Officer to ALPS, its affiliated entities, and to certain ETF, closed-end and open-end investment companies (2004-2015). | 37 | None |
| (1) | The term “Fund Complex” means two or more registered investment companies that hold themselves out to investors as related companies for purposes of investment and investor services; or have a common investment adviser or that have an investment adviser that is an affiliated person of the investment adviser of any of the other registered investment companies. For the purposes of this table, all series of the Trust (37 funds, including the Funds) are included in the Fund Complex. |
| (2) | Mr. Norgaard also serves as a Director of the SRH Total Return Fund, Inc. whose investment adviser is the same as the investment adviser of SRH REIT Covered Call ETF, another series of the Trust, and the Fund. |
9
Individual Trustee Qualifications. The Trust has concluded that each of the Trustees should serve on the Board because of their ability to review and understand information about the Funds provided to them by management, to identify and request other information they may deem relevant to the performance of their duties, to question management and other service providers regarding material factors bearing on the management and administration of the Fund, and to exercise their business judgment in a manner that serves the best interests of the Fund’s shareholders. The Trust has concluded that each of the Trustees should serve as a Trustee based on his or her own experience, qualifications, attributes and skills as described below.
Bradley Swenson. Mr. Swenson has more than 25 years experienced focused on compliance and distribution in the mutual fund industry. Prior to joining Paralel, he spent seventeen years at ALPS in various capacities including, but not limited to, Chief Compliance Officer, Chief Operating Officer and President of ALPS Fund Services and ALPS Distributors. In addition to those roles Mr. Swenson built and led the Fund CCO services division and served as Fund CCO and President to various closed-end, ETF and mutual fund trusts. Mr. Swenson also held various roles at Janus Capital Group and Oppenheimer Funds including Senior Audit Manager and Compliance Manager. Mr. Swenson graduated from the University of Minnesota-Duluth with a B.S. in Accounting. Mr. Swenson holds FINRA Series 3, 6, 7, 24, 26, and 27 licenses.
Steven K. Norgaard. Mr. Norgaard serves as the lead independent trustee of the Trust, bringing more than 30 years of integrated legal, financial, and regulatory expertise to the Trust. He is an attorney and has successfully passed the certified public accountants (CPA) exam. Since 1994, he has been the principal of the law firm Steven K. Norgaard, P.C., having previously practiced law at the international firm McDermott, Will & Schulte. He currently serves as the Chairman of the Board of Directors for the SRH Total Return Fund, Inc. and as the lead independent director for the MFG Funds (formerly the Frontier Funds). His extensive background in corporate governance includes nearly a decade of senior leadership at Attorneys’ Title Guaranty Fund, Inc., where he served as Chairman of the Board of Directors. Additionally, he served on the Board of Directors of ATG Trust Company from 2007 to 2021. Prior to March 2015, Mr. Norgaard held independent directorships for the Boulder Total Return Fund, Inc., the Denali Fund, Inc., and the First Opportunity Fund, Inc., until their merger into the fund now known as SRH Total Return Fund, Inc. Kimberly Storms. Ms. Storms is the chair of the Audit Committee of the Board of Trustees and is the Trust’s Audit Committee Financial Expert. Ms. Storms has more than 25 years of experience concentrated on mutual fund back office and accounting operations. Ms. Storms served in various roles at ALPS Fund Services from 1998 through 2020, including as Senior Vice President - Director of Fund Administration. She graduated with a B.S. in Finance from the University of Louisiana. Ms. Storms brings significant experience from her prior time serving as an executive officer of several large fund complexes, as well as her knowledge in the accounting, investment and regulatory fields.
In its periodic assessment of the effectiveness of the Board, the Board considers the complementary individual skills and experience of the individual Trustees primarily in the broader context of the Board’s overall composition so that the Board, as a body, possesses the appropriate (and appropriately diverse) skills and experience to oversee the business of the Fund.
10
Board Committees. The Board has established the following standing committees of the Board:
Audit Committee. The Board has a standing Audit Committee that is composed of each of the Independent Trustees of the Trust. The Audit Committee operates under a written charter approved by the Board. The principal responsibilities of the Audit Committee include: recommending which firm to engage as the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm and whether to terminate this relationship; reviewing the independent registered public accounting firm’s compensation, the proposed scope and terms of its engagement, and the firm’s independence; pre-approving audit and non-audit services provided by the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm to the Trust and certain other affiliated entities; serving as a channel of communication between the independent registered public accounting firm and the Trustees; reviewing the results of each external audit, including any qualifications in the independent registered public accounting firm’s opinion, any related management letter, management’s responses to recommendations made by the independent registered public accounting firm in connection with the audit, reports submitted to the Committee by the internal auditing department of the Trust’s Administrator that are material to the Trust as a whole, if any, and management’s responses to any such reports; reviewing the Fund’s audited financial statements and considering any significant disputes between the Trust’s management and the independent registered public accounting firm that arose in connection with the preparation of those financial statements; considering, in consultation with the independent registered public accounting firm and the Trust’s senior internal accounting executive, if any, the independent registered public accounting firms’ report on the adequacy of the Trust’s internal financial controls; reviewing, in consultation with the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm, major changes regarding auditing and accounting principles and practices to be followed when preparing the Fund’s financial statements; and other audit related matters.
The Audit Committee also serves as the Qualified Legal Compliance Committee (“QLCC”) for the Trust for the purpose of compliance with Rules 205.2(k) and 205.3(c) of the Code of Federal Regulations, regarding alternative reporting procedures for attorneys retained or employed by an issuer who appear and practice before the SEC on behalf of the issuer (the “issuer attorneys”). An issuer attorney who becomes aware of evidence of a material violation by the Trust, or by any officer, director, employee, or agent of the Trust, may report evidence of such material violation to the QLCC as an alternative to the reporting requirements of Rule 205.3(b) (which requires reporting to the chief legal officer and potentially “up the ladder” to other entities). During the past fiscal year, the Audit Committee met five times.
Nominating Committee. The Board has a standing Nominating Committee that is composed of each of the Independent Trustees of the Trust. The Nominating Committee operates under a written charter approved by the Board. The principal responsibility of the Nominating Committee is to consider, recommend and nominate candidates to fill vacancies on the Trust’s Board, if any. The Nominating Committee generally will not consider nominees recommended by shareholders. The Nominating Committee meets periodically, as necessary. During the past fiscal year, the Nominating Committee did not meet.
Principal Officers of the Trust
The officers of the Trust conduct and supervise its daily business. The address of each officer of the Trust is c/o Paralel Technologies LLC, 1700 Broadway, Suite 2100, Denver, Colorado 80290. Additional information about the Trust’s officers is as follows:
Name and Year of Birth |
Position(s) Held with the Trust |
Term of Office and Length of Time Served |
Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years |
| Nicholas
Austin Birth Year: 1981 |
Treasurer | Indefinite term; since 2023 | Mr. Austin joined Paralel Technologies, LLC as Senior Controller in 2022. Prior to his current role, Mr. Austin served as Vice President/Fund Controller for SS&C ALPS from 2018 until 2022, and as Chief Financial Officer of Champion Medical Center from 2016 until 2018. |
Nicholas Adams Birth Year: 1983
|
Secretary | Indefinite term; since 2025 | Mr. Adams joined Paralel Technologies LLC as Investment Counsel in 2025. Prior to his current role, Mr. Adams served as Principal Legal Counsel for SS&C ALPS from 2022-2024, and associate counsel for Arnold, Newbold, Sollars and Hollins, P.C. from 2020-2022 and Stanziola Estate Law from 2019-2020. |
| Brenna
Fudjack Birth Year: 1986 |
Chief Compliance Officer | Indefinite term; since 2023 | Ms. Fudjack joined Paralel Technologies LLC as Deputy Chief Compliance officer in 2023. Prior to her current role, Ms. Fudjack served as Manager, Risk & Financial Advisory for Deloitte & Touche LLP from 2022-2023; Director of Compliance for Perella Weinberg Partners Capital Management LP / Agility from 2018-2022; Compliance Officer for Shelton Capital Management from 2017-2018; and Compliance Manager for ALPS Fund Services, Inc. from 2010-2017. |
11
Trustee Ownership of Shares. The Fund is required to show the dollar amount ranges of each Trustee’s “beneficial ownership” of Shares and each other series of the Trust as of the end of the most recently completed calendar year. Dollar amount ranges disclosed are established by the SEC. “Beneficial ownership” is determined in accordance with Rule 16a-1(a)(2) under the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”).
As of December 31, 2025, no Trustees owned Shares of the Fund.
Board Compensation. The Independent Trustees each receive a fee of $12,500 per quarter, a special meeting fee of $2,500, as well as reimbursement for reasonable travel, lodging and other expenses in connection with attendance at meetings. The Audit Committee Chair also receives a fee of $2000 per quarter. The Trust has no pension or retirement plan.
Independent Trustee fees are paid by the adviser to each series of the Trust through the applicable adviser’s unitary management fee, and not by the Funds. Trustee compensation does not include reimbursed out-of-pocket expenses in connection with attendance at meetings.
The following table shows the compensation earned by each Trustee during the past fiscal year of the Fund. Independent Trustee fees are paid by the adviser to each series of the Trust and not by the Fund. Trustee compensation does not include reimbursed out-of-pocket expenses in connection with attendance at meetings.
Name |
Aggregate Compensation From Fund | Total Compensation From Fund Complex Paid to Trustees |
| Interested Trustees | ||
| Bradley J. Swenson | $0 | $0 |
| Independent Trustees | ||
| Kimberly Storms | $2,964 | $58,000 |
| Steven Norgaard | $2,964 | $50,000 |
PRINCIPAL SHAREHOLDERS, CONTROL PERSONS, AND MANAGEMENT OWNERSHIP
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 a shareholder that owns beneficially or through controlled companies more than 25% of the voting securities of a company or acknowledges the existence of control. Shareholders owning voting securities in excess of 25% may determine the outcome of any matter affecting and voted on by shareholders of the Fund. The following information is provided as of January 31, 2026.
| Name and Address of Beneficial Owner | Number of Shares |
Percent of Fund |
| The Charitable Support Partners CLAT *+ | 3,890,800 | 88.4% |
| Aggregate Shares owned by Horejsi Affiliates #+ | 4,291,975 | 97.5% |
| * | May be deemed to control the Fund because the holder holds more than 25% of the outstanding shares. |
| + | The sole trustee of the Charitable Support Partners CLAT (“CSPC”) is Peak Trust Company-AK (“Peak Trust”) 3350 Midtown Place, Suite 300, Anchorage, AK 99503. Peak Trust may be deemed to control CSPC and may be deemed to possess indirect beneficial ownership of the shares held by CSPC. As a result of his role with Peak Trust and other affiliates, Mr. Stewart Horejsi may be deemed to have indirect beneficial ownership of the shares directly beneficially owned by CSPC. However, Mr. Horejsi disclaims such beneficial ownership of the shares beneficially held by CSPC. Peak Trust also serves as the sole trustee of the Susan L. Ciciora Trust (“SLC Trust”). SLCT Holdings, LLC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the SLC Trust, which holds an indirect non- controlling investment in the Adviser. |
| # | Peak Trust, CSPC, and other persons and entities associated with the Horejsi family are collectively referred to as the “Horejsi Affiliates.” Included in the Horejsi Affiliates are Jack Ciciora and Courtney Ciciora, immediate family members (grandchildren) of Mr. Horejsi who do not share a residence with Mr. Horejsi, and own 11,000 and 6,675 shares of the Fund, respectively. Each Horejsi Affiliate disclaims beneficial ownership of the shares held by Mr. Ciciora and Ms. Ciciora except to the extent that such Horejsi Affiliate holds any pecuniary interest therein. Accordingly, the aggregate shares shown in the line “Aggregate Shares owned by Horejsi Affiliates” are provided for disclosure purposes only. |
12
In aggregate, the Trust’s officers and trustees own less than 1% of the Fund’s outstanding shares.
CODES OF ETHICS
The Trust, the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, and the Distributor (as defined under “The Distributor”) have each adopted codes of ethics pursuant to Rule 17j-1 of the 1940 Act. These codes of ethics are designed to prevent affiliated persons of the Trust, the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser and the Distributor from engaging in deceptive, manipulative or fraudulent activities in connection with securities held or to be acquired by the Fund (which may also be held by persons subject to the codes of ethics). Each Code of Ethics permits personnel subject to that Code of Ethics to invest in securities for their personal investment accounts, subject to certain limitations, including limitations related to securities that may be purchased or held by the Funds.
There can be no assurance that the codes of ethics will be effective in preventing such activities. Each code of ethics may be examined at the office of the SEC in Washington, D.C. or on the Internet at the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.
PROXY VOTING POLICIES
The Fund has delegated proxy voting responsibilities to the Adviser, subject to the Board’s oversight. In delegating proxy responsibilities, the Board has directed that proxies be voted consistent with the Fund’s and its shareholders’ best interests and in compliance with all applicable proxy voting rules and regulations. The Adviser has adopted proxy voting policies and guidelines for this purpose (“Proxy Voting Policies”) and has engaged a third-party proxy solicitation firm to assist with voting proxies in a timely manner and making voting recommendations under guidelines adopted by the Adviser. A copy of the Adviser’s Proxy Voting Policies are set forth in Appendix A to this SAI. The Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer is responsible for monitoring the effectiveness of the Proxy Voting Policies. The Proxy Voting Policies have been approved by the Trust as the policies and procedures that the Adviser will use when voting proxies on behalf of the Fund.
The Proxy Voting Policies address, among other things, material conflicts of interest that may arise between the interests of the Fund and the interests of the Adviser. The Proxy Voting Policies will ensure that all issues brought to shareholders are analyzed in light of the Adviser’s fiduciary responsibilities.
Information on how the Fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 is available (1) without charge, upon request, by calling the Distributor at 1.877.524.9155 and (2) on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
INVESTMENT ADVISER AND SUB-ADVISER
Investment Adviser
Paralel Advisors LLC (“Paralel”) serves as the investment adviser to the Fund. Paralel is a SEC registered investment adviser with approximately $2.4 billion in assets under management as of December 31, 2025. Paralel commenced operations as an SEC registered adviser in September 2021 and its principal office is located at 1700 Broadway, Suite 2100, Denver, CO 80290. Paralel’s parent company, Paralel Technologies LLC (“PTL”), is a fintech company that serves as a fund administrator to registered funds, including the Fund. Paralel along with Paralel Distributors LLC, are each subsidiaries of PTL. Jeremy May serves as Chief Executive Officer of Paralel and PTL; he may be deemed to indirectly control the Adviser through his ownership of PTL’s units and status as Manager of PTL, which is the Manager of the Adviser. Susan L. Ciciora Trust (“SLC Trust”), which may be deemed to be an affiliate of the Fund due to SLC Trust’s indirect beneficial ownership of the Fund, also has an indirect, non-controlling investment in the Adviser.
Pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement, the Fund pays Paralel a unitary management fee, which is calculated daily and paid monthly, at an annual rate of 0.35% based on a percentage of the Fund’s average daily net assets. Out of the unitary management fee, Paralel has agreed to pay substantially all expenses of the Fund, including the cost of transfer agency, custody, fund administration, securities lending and other non-distribution related services necessary for the Fund to operate, except for: the fee paid to Paralel pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement, interest charges on any borrowings, dividends and other expenses on securities sold short, taxes, brokerage commissions and other expenses incurred in placing orders for the purchase and sale of securities and other investment instruments, acquired fund fees and expenses, accrued deferred tax liability, and distribution (12b-1) fees and expenses paid by the Fund under any distribution plan adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, and litigation expenses and other non-routine or extraordinary expenses. Paralel, in turn, compensates the Sub-Adviser from the management fee the Adviser receives.
13
The Fund paid the Adviser the amounts for the periods listed below:
| Fiscal Period Ended | Advisory Fee Paid |
| October 31, 2025 | $572,978 |
| October 31, 2024 | $472,624 |
| October 31, 2023* | $67,034 |
| August 31, 2023** | $334,670 |
| * | For the period September 1, 2023 through October 31, 2023. |
| ** | For the period October 4, 2022 (commencement of operations) through August 31, 2023. |
The Advisory Agreement with respect to the Fund initially continued in force for an initial period of two years. Thereafter, the Advisory Agreement is renewable from year to year with respect to the Fund, so long as its continuance is approved at least annually (1) by the vote, cast in person at a meeting called for that purpose, of a majority of those Trustees who are not “interested persons” of the Adviser or the Trust; and (2) by the majority vote of either the full Board or the vote of a majority of the outstanding Shares of the Fund. The Advisory Agreement automatically terminates on assignment and is terminable on a 60-day written notice either by the Trust or the Adviser.
The Adviser shall not be liable to the Trust or any shareholder for anything done or omitted by it, except acts or omissions involving willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties imposed upon it by its agreement with the Trust or for any losses that may be sustained in the purchase, holding or sale of any security.
Sub-Adviser
The Trust, on behalf of the Fund, and the Adviser have retained Vident Asset Management (“Vident” or the “Sub-Adviser”), 1125 Sanctuary Parkway, Suite 515, Alpharetta, Georgia 30009, to serve as sub-adviser for the Fund. The Sub-Adviser was established in 2016 and is owned by Vident Capital Holdings, LLC which is controlled by MM VAM, LLC. MM VAM, LLC is owned by Casey Crawford.
Pursuant to a Sub-Advisory Agreement between the Trust, the Adviser, and the Sub-Adviser (the “Sub-Advisory Agreement”), the Sub- Adviser is responsible for trading portfolio securities on behalf of the Fund, including selecting broker-dealers to execute purchase and sale transactions as instructed by the Adviser or in connection with any rebalancing or reconstitution of the Fund’s respective Index, subject to the supervision of the Adviser and the Board. For the services it provides to the Fund, the Sub-Adviser is compensated by the Adviser from the management fees paid by the Fund to the Adviser.
The Sub-Advisory Agreement initially continued in force for an initial period of two years. Thereafter, the Sub-Advisory Agreement is renewable from year to year with respect to the Fund, so long as its continuance is approved at least annually (1) by the vote, cast in person at a meeting called for that purpose, of a majority of those Trustees who are not “interested persons” of the Trust; and (2) by the majority vote of either the full Board or the vote of a majority of the outstanding Shares of the Fund. The Sub-Advisory Agreement will terminate automatically in the event of its assignment, and is terminable at any time without penalty by the Board or, with respect to the Fund, by a majority of the outstanding Shares, or by the Adviser, in each case upon 60 days’ written notice to the Sub-Adviser, or by the Sub-Adviser on 90 days’ written notice to the Adviser and the Trust. The Sub-Advisory Agreement provides that the Sub-Adviser shall not be protected against any liability to the Trust or its shareholders by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on its part in the performance of its duties or from reckless disregard of its obligations or duties thereunder.
PORTFOLIO MANAGERS
Compensation
The Portfolio Managers receive a fixed base salary and discretionary bonus that are not tied to the performance of the Fund.
Share Ownership
The Fund is required to show the dollar ranges of the portfolio managers’ “beneficial ownership” of Shares of the Fund as of the end of the most recently completed fiscal year or a more recent date for a new portfolio manager. Dollar amount ranges disclosed are established by the SEC. “Beneficial ownership” is determined in accordance with Rule 16a-1(a)(2) under the Exchange Act. As of October 31, 2025, the Portfolio Managers did not beneficially own any Shares of the Fund.
Other Accounts
In addition to the Fund, the portfolio managers managed the following other accounts as of October 31, 2025, none of which were subject to a performance fee:
| Registered Investment Companies | Other
Pooled Investment Vehicles |
Other Accounts | ||||
| Portfolio Manager | Number of Accounts | Total Assets in the Accounts | Number of Accounts | Total Assets in the Accounts | Number of Accounts | Total Assets in the Accounts |
| Rafael Zayas, CFA | 65 | $9.50 billion | 17 | $5.25 billion | 0 | $0 |
| Austin Wen, CFA | 77 | $9.69 billion | 20 | $5.28 billion | 0 | $0 |
| Yin Bhuyan | 39 | $2.19 billion | 3 | $36.10 million | 0 | $0 |
14
Conflicts of Interest
A Portfolio Manager’s management of “other accounts” may give rise to potential conflicts of interest in connection with their 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 objectives as the Fund. Therefore, a potential conflict of interest may arise as a result of the identical investment objectives, whereby a Portfolio Manager could favor one account over another. Another potential conflict could include a Portfolio Manager’s knowledge about the size, timing and possible market impact of Fund trades, whereby a Portfolio Manager could use this information to the advantage of other accounts and to the disadvantage of the Funds they manage. However, the Sub-Adviser has established policies and procedures to ensure that the purchase and sale of securities among all accounts the Sub-Adviser manages are fairly and equitably allocated.
Conflicts may also arise because portfolio decisions regarding the Fund may benefit other accounts managed by the Sub-Adviser or its affiliates. For example, the sale of a long position or establishment of a short position by a fund sub-advised by the Sub-Adviser may impair the price of the same security sold short by (and therefore benefit) one or more other funds sub-advised by the Sub-Adviser, and the purchase of a security or covering of a short position in a security by the Fund may increase the price of the same security held by (and therefore benefit) one or more other funds sub-advised by the Sub-Adviser.
Conflicts may also arise when selecting other funds sub-advised by the Sub-Adviser as investments for the Fund because (i) the fees paid by the Adviser to the Sub-Adviser for sub-advising certain other funds may be higher than the fees paid by the Fund or another fund and (ii) the fees received by the Sub-Adviser and its affiliates as index provider may be higher for some funds than for the Fund or another fund.
THE DISTRIBUTOR
The Trust and Paralel Distributors LLC (the “Distributor”) are parties to a distribution agreement (“Distribution Agreement”), whereby the Distributor acts as principal underwriter for the Trust and distributes Shares. Shares are continuously offered for sale by the Distributor only in Creation Units. The Distributor will not distribute Shares in amounts less than a Creation Unit and does not maintain a secondary market in Shares. The principal business address of the Distributor is 1700 Broadway, Suite 2100, Denver, CO 80290. Susan L. Ciciora Trust (“SLC Trust”), which may be deemed to be an affiliate of the Fund due to SLC Trust’s indirect beneficial ownership of the Fund, also has an indirect, non-controlling investment in the Distributor.
Under the Distribution Agreement, the Distributor, as agent for the Trust, will review orders for the purchase and redemption of Creation Units, provided that any subscriptions and orders will not be binding on the Trust until accepted by the Trust. The Distributor is a broker-dealer registered under the Exchange Act and a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”).
The Distributor may also enter into agreements with securities dealers (“Soliciting Dealers”) who will solicit purchases of Creation Units of Shares. Such Soliciting Dealers may also be Authorized Participants (as discussed in “Procedures for Purchase of Creation Units” below) or DTC participants (as defined below).
The Distribution Agreement will continue for two years from its effective date and is renewable annually thereafter. The continuance of the Distribution Agreement must be specifically approved at least annually (i) by the vote of the Trustees or by a vote of the shareholders of the Fund and (ii) by the vote of a majority of the Independent Trustees who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operations of the Distribution Agreement or any related agreement, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. The Distribution Agreement is terminable without penalty by the Trust on 60 days’ written notice when authorized either by majority vote of its outstanding voting Shares or by a vote of a majority of its Board (including a majority of the Independent Trustees), or by the Distributor on 60 days’ written notice, and will automatically terminate in the event of its assignment. The Distribution Agreement provides that in the absence of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on the part of the Distributor, or reckless disregard by it of its obligations thereunder, the Distributor shall not be liable for any action or failure to act in accordance with its duties thereunder.
Intermediary Compensation. The Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, or their affiliates, out of their own resources and not out of Fund assets (i.e., without additional cost to the Fund or its shareholders), may pay certain broker dealers, banks and other financial intermediaries (“Intermediaries”) for certain activities related to the Fund, including participation in activities that are designed to make Intermediaries more knowledgeable about exchange traded products, including the Fund, or for other activities, such as marketing and educational training or support. These arrangements are not financed by the Fund and, thus, do not result in increased Fund expenses. They are not reflected in the fees and expenses listed in the fees and expenses sections of the Fund’s Prospectus and they do not change the price paid by investors for the purchase of Shares or the amount received by a shareholder as proceeds from the redemption of Shares.
15
Such compensation may be paid to Intermediaries that provide services to the Fund, including marketing and education support (such as through conferences, webinars and printed communications). The Adviser and Sub-Adviser periodically assess the advisability of continuing to make these payments. Payments to an Intermediary may be significant to the Intermediary, and amounts that Intermediaries pay to your adviser, broker or other investment professional, if any, may also be significant to such adviser, broker or investment professional. Because an Intermediary may make decisions about what investment options it will make available or recommend, and what services to provide in connection with various products, based on payments it receives or is eligible to receive, such payments create conflicts of interest between the Intermediary and its clients. For example, these financial incentives may cause the Intermediary to recommend the Fund over other investments. The same conflict of interest exists with respect to your financial adviser, broker or investment professional if he or she receives similar payments from his or her Intermediary firm.
Intermediary information is current only as of the date of this SAI. Please contact your adviser, broker, or other investment professional for more information regarding any payments his or her Intermediary firm may receive. Any payments made by the Adviser, Sub-Adviser or their affiliates to an Intermediary may create the incentive for an Intermediary to encourage customers to buy Shares.
If you have any additional questions, please call 1.877.524.9155.
THE ADMINISTRATOR, CUSTODIAN, AND TRANSFER AGENT
Paralel Technologies LLC (“PTL”), located at 1700 Broadway Suite 2100, Denver, Colorado 80290 serves as the Fund’s administrator and fund accountant. PTL is the parent company of the Adviser and Paralel Distributors LLC, the Fund’s Distributor. Pursuant to a Fund Administration Servicing Agreement and a Fund Accounting Servicing Agreement between the Trust and PTL, PTL provides the Trust with administrative and management services (other than investment advisory services) and accounting services, including portfolio accounting services, tax accounting services and furnishing financial reports. In this capacity, PTL 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 Shares. As compensation for the administration, accounting and management services, the Adviser, not the Fund, pays PTL a fee based on the Fund’s average daily net assets, subject to a minimum annual fee. PTL also is entitled to certain out-of- pocket expenses for the services mentioned above.
Pursuant to a Custody Agreement, State Street Bank and Trust (the “Custodian” or “State Street”), serves as the Custodian of the Fund’s assets. The Custodian holds and administers the assets in the Fund’s portfolio. Pursuant to the Custody Agreement, the Custodian receives an annual fee from the Adviser, not the Fund, based on the Trust’s total average daily net assets, subject to a minimum annual fee, and certain settlement charges. The Custodian also is entitled to certain out-of-pocket expenses.
Pursuant to a Transfer Agency Agreement, State Street (in such capacity, the “Transfer Agent”) serves as Transfer Agent for the Fund. Pursuant to the Transfer Agency Agreement, the Transfer Agent receives an annual fee from the Adviser, not the Fund.
LEGAL COUNSEL
Thompson Hine LLP, located at 41 South High Street, Suite 1700, Columbus Ohio 43215 serves as legal counsel for the Trust.
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
Cohen & Company, Ltd., located at 8101 East Prentice Avenue, Suite 750 Greenwood Village, Colorado 80111, serves as the independent registered public accounting firm for the Fund. Its services include auditing the Fund’s financial statements. Cohen & Co Advisory, LLC, an affiliate of Cohen & Company, Ltd., provides tax services as requested.
PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS DISCLOSURE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
The Board has adopted a policy regarding the disclosure of information about the Fund’s security holdings. The Fund’s entire portfolio holdings are publicly disseminated each day the Fund is open for business and may be available through financial reporting and news services, including publicly available internet web sites. In addition, the composition of the Deposit Securities (as defined below) is publicly disseminated daily prior to the opening of the Exchange via the National Securities Clearing Corporation (“NSCC”).
DESCRIPTION OF SHARES
The Declaration of Trust authorizes the issuance of an unlimited number of funds and Shares. Each Share represents an equal proportionate interest in the Fund with each other Share. Shares are entitled upon liquidation to a pro rata share in the net assets of the Fund. Shareholders have no preemptive rights. The Declaration of Trust provides that the Trustees may create additional series or classes of Shares. All consideration received by the Trust for shares of any additional funds and all assets in which such consideration is invested would belong to that fund and would be subject to the liabilities related thereto. Share certificates representing Shares will not be issued. Shares, when issued, are fully paid and non-assessable.
Each Share has one vote with respect to matters upon which a shareholder vote is required, consistent with the requirements of the 1940 Act and the rules promulgated thereunder. Shares of all funds of the Trust vote together as a single class, except that if the matter being voted on affects only a particular fund it will be voted on only by that fund and if a matter affects a particular fund differently from other funds, that fund will vote separately on such matter. As a Delaware statutory trust, the Trust is not required, and does not intend, to hold annual meetings of shareholders. Approval of shareholders will be sought, however, for certain changes in the operation of the Trust and for the election of Trustees under certain circumstances. Upon the written request of shareholders owning at least 10% of the Trust’s Shares, the Trust will call for a meeting of shareholders to consider the removal of one or more Trustees and other certain matters. In the event that such a meeting is requested, the Trust will provide appropriate assistance and information to the shareholders requesting the meeting.
16
Under the Declaration of Trust, the Trustees have the power to liquidate the Fund without shareholder approval. While the Trustees have no present intention of exercising this power, they may do so if the Fund fails to reach a viable size within a reasonable amount of time or for such other reasons as may be determined by the Board.
LIMITATION OF TRUSTEE LIABILITY
The Second Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust (“Declaration of Trust”) provides that a Trustee shall be liable only for his or her own willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of the office of Trustee, and shall not be liable for errors of judgment or mistakes of fact or law. The Trustees shall not be responsible or liable in any event for any neglect or wrong-doing of any officer, agent, employee, adviser or principal underwriter of the Trust, nor shall any Trustee be responsible for the act or omission of any other Trustee. The Declaration of Trust also provides that the Trust shall indemnify each person who is, or has been, a Trustee, officer, employee or agent of the Trust, any person who is serving or has served at the Trust’s request as a Trustee, officer, trustee, employee or agent of another organization in which the Trust has any interest as a shareholder, creditor or otherwise to the extent and in the manner provided in the Amended and Restated By-laws. However, nothing in the Declaration of Trust shall protect or indemnify a Trustee against any liability for his or her willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of the office of Trustee. Nothing contained in this section attempts to disclaim a Trustee’s individual liability in any manner inconsistent with the federal securities laws.
BROKERAGE TRANSACTIONS
The policy of the Trust regarding purchases and sales of securities for the Fund is that primary consideration will be given to obtaining the most favorable prices and efficient executions of transactions. Consistent with this policy, when securities transactions are effected on a stock exchange, the Trust’s policy is to pay commissions which are considered fair and reasonable without necessarily determining that the lowest possible commissions are paid in all circumstances. The Trust believes that a requirement always to seek the lowest possible commission cost could impede effective portfolio management and preclude the Fund and the Sub-Adviser from obtaining a high quality of brokerage and research services. In seeking to determine the reasonableness of brokerage commissions paid in any transaction, the Sub-Adviser will rely upon its experience and knowledge regarding commissions generally charged by various brokers and on its judgment in evaluating the brokerage services received from the broker effecting the transaction. Such determinations are necessarily subjective and imprecise, as in most cases, an exact dollar value for those services is not ascertainable. The Trust has adopted policies and procedures that prohibit the consideration of sales of Shares as a factor in the selection of a broker or dealer to execute its portfolio transactions.
The Sub-Adviser owes a fiduciary duty to its clients to seek to provide best execution on trades effected. In selecting a broker-dealer for each specific transaction, the Sub-Adviser chooses the broker-dealer deemed most capable of providing the services necessary to obtain the most favorable execution. “Best execution” is generally understood to mean the most favorable cost or net proceeds reasonably obtainable under the circumstances. The full range of brokerage services applicable to a particular transaction may be considered when making this judgment, which may include, but is not limited to: liquidity, price, commission, timing, aggregated trades, capable floor brokers or traders, competent block trading coverage, ability to position, capital strength and stability, reliable and accurate communications and settlement processing, use of automation, knowledge of other buyers or sellers, arbitrage skills, administrative ability, underwriting and provision of information on a particular security or market in which the transaction is to occur. The specific criteria will vary depending upon the nature of the transaction, the market in which it is executed, and the extent to which it is possible to select from among multiple broker-dealers. The Sub-Adviser will also use electronic crossing networks (“ECNs”) when appropriate.
Subject to the foregoing policies, brokers or dealers selected to execute the Fund’s portfolio transactions may include the Fund’s Authorized Participants (as discussed in “Procedures for Purchase of Creation Units” below) or their affiliates. An Authorized Participant or its affiliates may be selected to execute the Fund’s portfolio transactions in conjunction with an all-cash creation unit order or an order including “cash-in-lieu” (as described below under “Purchase and Redemption of Shares in Creation Units”), so long as such selection is in keeping with the foregoing policies. As described below under “Purchase and Redemption of Shares in Creation Units— Creation Transaction Fee” and “Redemption Transaction Fee”, the Fund may determine to not charge a variable fee on certain orders when the Adviser has determined that doing so is in the best interests of Fund shareholders, e.g., for creation orders that facilitate the rebalance of the Fund’s portfolio in a more tax efficient manner than could be achieved without such order, even if the decision to not charge a variable fee could be viewed as benefiting the Authorized Participant or its affiliate selected to execute the Fund’s portfolio transactions in connection with such orders.
17
The Sub-Adviser may use the Fund’s assets for, or participate in, third-party soft dollar arrangements, in addition to receiving proprietary research from various full-service brokers, the cost of which is bundled with the cost of the broker’s execution services. The Sub-Adviser does not “pay up” for the value of any such proprietary research. Section 28(e) of the Exchange Act permits the Sub-Adviser, under certain circumstances, to cause the Fund to pay a broker or dealer a commission for effecting a transaction in excess of the amount of commission another broker or dealer would have charged for effecting the transaction in recognition of the value of brokerage and research services provided by the broker or dealer. The Sub-Adviser may receive a variety of research services and information on many topics, which it can use in connection with its management responsibilities with respect to the various accounts over which it exercises investment discretion or otherwise provides investment advice. The research services may include qualifying order management systems, portfolio attribution and monitoring services and computer software and access charges which are directly related to investment research. Accordingly, the Fund may pay a broker commission higher than the lowest available in recognition of the broker’s provision of such services to the Sub-Adviser, but only if the Sub-Adviser determines the total commission (including the soft dollar benefit) is comparable to the best commission rate that could be expected to be received from other brokers. The amount of soft dollar benefits received depends on the amount of brokerage transactions effected with the brokers. A conflict of interest exists because there is an incentive to: 1) cause clients to pay a higher commission than the firm might otherwise be able to negotiate; 2) cause clients to engage in more securities transactions than would otherwise be optimal; and 3) only recommend brokers that provide soft dollar benefits.
The Sub-Adviser faces a potential conflict of interest when it uses client trades to obtain brokerage or research services. This conflict exists because the Sub-Adviser is able to use the brokerage or research services to manage client accounts without paying cash for such services, which reduces the Sub-Adviser’s expenses to the extent that the Sub-Adviser would have purchased such products had they not been provided by brokers. Section 28(e) permits the Sub-Adviser to use brokerage or research services for the benefit of any account it manages. Certain accounts managed by the Sub-Adviser may generate soft dollars used to purchase brokerage or research services that ultimately benefit other accounts managed by the Sub-Adviser, effectively cross subsidizing the other accounts managed by the Sub-Adviser that benefit directly from the product. The Sub-Adviser may not necessarily use all of the brokerage or research services in connection with managing a Fund whose trades generated the soft dollars used to purchase such products.
The Fund may deal with affiliates in principal transactions to the extent permitted by exemptive order or applicable rule or regulation.
Directed Brokerage. The Fund does not intend to direct brokerage transactions to a broker because of research services provided.
Brokerage with Fund Affiliates. The Fund may execute brokerage or other agency transactions through registered broker-dealer affiliates of the Fund, the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser or the Distributor for a commission in conformity with the 1940 Act, the Exchange Act and rules promulgated by the SEC. These rules require that commissions paid to the affiliate by the Fund for exchange transactions not exceed “usual and customary” brokerage commissions. The rules define “usual and customary” commissions to include amounts which are “reasonable and fair compared to the commission, fee or other remuneration received or to be received by other brokers in connection with comparable transactions involving similar securities being purchased or sold on a securities exchange during a comparable period of time.” The Trustees, including those who are not “interested persons” of the Fund, have adopted procedures for evaluating the reasonableness of commissions paid to affiliates and review these procedures periodically.
The Fund paid the following amounts in brokerage commissions in the following fiscal periods:
| Fiscal Year Ended | Brokerage Commissions |
| October 31, 2025 | $30,070 |
| October 31, 2024 | $31,378 |
| October 31, 2023* | $13,443 |
| August 31, 2023** | $15.86 |
| * | For the period September 1, 2023 through October 31, 2023. |
| ** | For the period October 4, 2022 (commencement of operations) through August 31, 2023. |
Securities of “Regular Broker-Dealers.” The Fund is required to identify any securities of its “regular brokers and dealers” (as such term is defined in the 1940 Act) that it may hold at the close of its most recent fiscal year. “Regular brokers or dealers” of the Fund are the ten brokers or dealers that, during the most recent fiscal year: (i) received the greatest dollar amounts of brokerage commissions from the Fund’s portfolio transactions; (ii) engaged as principal in the largest dollar amounts of portfolio transactions of the Fund; or (iii) sold the largest dollar amounts of Shares.
PORTFOLIO TURNOVER RATE
Portfolio turnover may vary from year to year, as well as within a year. High turnover rates are likely to result in comparatively greater brokerage expenses. The overall reasonableness of brokerage commissions is evaluated by the Sub-Adviser based upon its knowledge of available information as to the general level of commissions paid by other institutional investors for comparable services.
BOOK ENTRY ONLY SYSTEM
The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) acts as securities depositary for Shares. Shares are represented by securities registered in the name of DTC or its nominee, Cede & Co., and deposited with, or on behalf of, DTC. Except in limited circumstances set forth below, certificates will not be issued for Shares.
DTC is a limited-purpose trust company that was created to hold securities of its participants (the “DTC Participants”) and to facilitate the clearance and settlement of securities transactions among the DTC Participants in such securities through electronic book-entry changes in accounts of the DTC Participants, thereby eliminating the need for physical movement of securities certificates. DTC Participants include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and certain other organizations, some of whom (and/or their representatives) own DTC. More specifically, DTC is owned by a number of its DTC Participants and by the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) and FINRA. Access to the DTC system is also available to others such as banks, brokers, dealers, and trust companies that clear through or maintain a custodial relationship with a DTC Participant, either directly or indirectly (the “Indirect Participants”).
18
Beneficial ownership of Shares is limited to DTC Participants, Indirect Participants, and persons holding interests through DTC Participants and Indirect Participants. Ownership of beneficial interests in Shares (owners of such beneficial interests are referred to in this SAI as “Beneficial Owners”) is shown on, and the transfer of ownership is effected only through, records maintained by DTC (with respect to DTC Participants) and on the records of DTC Participants (with respect to Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners that are not DTC Participants). Beneficial Owners will receive from or through the DTC Participant a written confirmation relating to their purchase of Shares. The Trust recognizes DTC or its nominee as the record owner of all Shares for all purposes. Beneficial Owners of Shares are not entitled to have Shares registered in their names and will not receive or be entitled to physical delivery of Share certificates. Each Beneficial Owner must rely on the procedures of DTC and any DTC Participant and/or Indirect Participant through which such Beneficial Owner holds its interests, to exercise any rights of a holder of Shares.
Conveyance of all notices, statements, and other communications to Beneficial Owners is effected as follows. DTC will make available to the Trust upon request and for a fee a listing of Shares held by each DTC Participant. The Trust shall obtain from each such DTC Participant the number of Beneficial Owners holding Shares, directly or indirectly, through such DTC Participant. The Trust shall provide each such DTC Participant with copies of such notice, statement, or other communication, in such form, number and at such place as such DTC Participant may reasonably request, in order that such notice, statement or communication may be transmitted by such DTC Participant, directly or indirectly, to such Beneficial Owners. In addition, the Trust shall pay to each such DTC Participant a fair and reasonable amount as reimbursement for the expenses attendant to such transmittal, all subject to applicable statutory and regulatory requirements.
Share distributions shall be made to DTC or its nominee, Cede & Co., as the registered holder of all Shares. DTC or its nominee, upon receipt of any such distributions, shall credit immediately DTC Participants’ accounts with payments in amounts proportionate to their respective beneficial interests in the Fund as shown on the records of DTC or its nominee. Payments by DTC Participants to Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners of Shares held through such DTC Participants will be governed by standing instructions and customary practices, as is now the case with securities held for the accounts of customers in bearer form or registered in a “street name,” and will be the responsibility of such DTC Participants.
The Trust has no responsibility or liability for any aspect of the records relating to or notices to Beneficial Owners, or payments made on account of beneficial ownership interests in Shares, or for maintaining, supervising, or reviewing any records relating to such beneficial ownership interests, or for any other aspect of the relationship between DTC and the DTC Participants or the relationship between such DTC Participants and the Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners owning through such DTC Participants.
DTC may determine to discontinue providing its service with respect to the Fund at any time by giving reasonable notice to the Fund and discharging its responsibilities with respect thereto under applicable law. Under such circumstances, the Fund shall take action either to find a replacement for DTC to perform its functions at a comparable cost or, if such replacement is unavailable, to issue and deliver printed certificates representing ownership of Shares, unless the Trust makes other arrangements with respect thereto satisfactory to the Exchange.
PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION OF SHARES IN CREATION UNITS
The Trust issues and sells Shares only in Creation Units on a continuous basis through the Distributor, without a sales load (but subject to transaction fees, if applicable), at their NAV per share next determined after receipt of an order, on any Business Day, in proper form pursuant to the terms of the Authorized Participant Agreement (“Participant Agreement”). The NAV of Shares is calculated each business day as of the scheduled close of regular trading on the NYSE, generally 4:00 p.m., Eastern time. The Funds will not issue fractional Creation Units. A “Business Day” is any day on which the NYSE is open for business.
Fund Deposit. The consideration for purchase of a Creation Unit of the Fund generally consists of the in-kind deposit of a designated portfolio of securities (the “Deposit Securities”) per each Creation Unit, constituting a substantial replication, or a portfolio sampling representation, of the securities included in the Fund’s Index and the Cash Component (defined below), computed as described below. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Trust reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of a “cash in lieu” amount (“Deposit Cash”) to be added to the Cash Component to replace any Deposit Security. When accepting purchases of Creation Units for all or a portion of Deposit Cash, the Fund may incur additional costs associated with the acquisition of Deposit Securities that would otherwise be provided by an in-kind purchaser.
Together, the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, and the Cash Component constitute the “Fund Deposit,” which represents the minimum initial and subsequent investment amount for a Creation Unit of the Fund. The “Cash Component” is an amount equal to the difference between the NAV of Shares (per Creation Unit) and the value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable. If the Cash Component is a positive number (i.e., the NAV per Creation Unit exceeds the value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable), the Cash Component shall be such positive amount. If the Cash Component is a negative number (i.e., the NAV per Creation Unit is less than the value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable), the Cash Component shall be such negative amount and the creator will be entitled to receive cash in an amount equal to the Cash Component. The Cash Component serves the function of compensating for any differences between the NAV per Creation Unit and the value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable. Computation of the Cash Component excludes any stamp duty or other similar fees and expenses payable upon transfer of beneficial ownership of the Deposit Securities, if applicable, which shall be the sole responsibility of the Authorized Participant (as defined below).
19
The Fund, through NSCC, makes available on each Business Day, prior to the opening of business on the Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m., Eastern time), the list of the names and the required number of Shares of each Deposit Security or the required amount of Deposit Cash, as applicable, to be included in the current Fund Deposit (based on information at the end of the previous Business Day) for the Fund. The Fund Deposit is subject to any applicable adjustments as described below, to effect purchases of Creation Units of the Fund until such time as the next-announced composition of the Deposit Securities or the required amount of Deposit Cash, as applicable, is made available.
The identity and number of Shares of the Deposit Securities or the amount of Deposit Cash, as applicable, required for the Fund Deposit for the Fund changes as rebalancing adjustments and corporate action events are reflected from time to time by the Adviser with a view to the investment objective of the Fund. The composition of the Deposit Securities may also change in response to adjustments to the weighting or composition of the component securities of the Fund’s Index.
The Trust reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of Deposit Cash to replace any Deposit Security, which shall be added to the Cash Component, including, without limitation, in situations where the Deposit Security: (i) may not be available in sufficient quantity for delivery; (ii) may not be eligible for transfer through the systems of DTC for corporate securities and municipal securities;
(iii) may not be eligible for trading by an Authorized Participant (as defined below) or the investor for which it is acting; (iv) would be restricted under the securities laws or where the delivery of the Deposit Security to the Authorized Participant would result in the disposition of the Deposit Security by the Authorized Participant becoming restricted under the securities laws; or (v) in certain other situations (collectively, “custom orders”). The Trust also reserves the right to include or remove Deposit Securities from the basket in anticipation of Index rebalancing changes. The adjustments described above will reflect changes, known to the Adviser on the date of announcement to be in effect by the time of delivery of the Fund Deposit, in the composition of the subject Index being tracked by the Fund or resulting from certain corporate actions.
Procedures for Purchase of Creation Units. To be eligible to place orders with the Distributor to purchase a Creation Unit of the Fund, an entity must be (i) a “Participating Party” (i.e., a broker-dealer or other participant in the clearing process through the Continuous Net Settlement System of the NSCC (the “Clearing Process”)), a clearing agency that is registered with the SEC; or (ii) a DTC Participant (see “Book Entry Only System”). In addition, each Participating Party or DTC Participant (each, an “Authorized Participant”) must execute a Participant Agreement that has been agreed to by the Distributor, and that has been accepted by the Transfer Agent, with respect to purchases and redemptions of Creation Units. Each Authorized Participant will agree, pursuant to the terms of a Participant Agreement, on behalf of itself or any investor on whose behalf it will act, to certain conditions, including that it will pay to the Trust, an amount of cash sufficient to pay the Cash Component together with the creation transaction fee (described below), if applicable, and any other applicable fees and taxes.
All orders to purchase Shares directly from the Fund must be placed for one or more Creation Units and in the manner and by the time set forth in the Participant Agreement and/or applicable order form. The order cut-off time for orders to purchase Creation Units is 4:00
p.m. Eastern time, which time may be modified by the Fund from time-to-time by amendment to the Participant Agreement and/or applicable order form. In the case of custom orders, the order must be received by the Distributor no later than 3:00 p.m. Eastern time and 12:00 p.m. Eastern time for the Fund, or such earlier time as may be designated by the Fund and disclosed to Authorized Participants. The date on which an order to purchase Creation Units (or an order to redeem Creation Units, as set forth below) is received and accepted is referred to as the “Order Placement Date.”
An Authorized Participant may require an investor to make certain representations or enter into agreements with respect to the order (e.g., to provide for payments of cash, when required). Investors should be aware that their particular broker may not have executed a Participant Agreement and that, therefore, orders to purchase Shares directly from the Fund in Creation Units have to be placed by the investor’s broker through an Authorized Participant that has executed a Participant Agreement. In such cases there may be additional charges to such investor. At any given time, there may be only a limited number of broker-dealers that have executed a Participant Agreement and only a small number of such Authorized Participants may have international capabilities.
On days when the Exchange closes earlier than normal, the Fund may require orders to create Creation Units to be placed earlier in the day. In addition, if a market or markets on which the Fund’s investments are primarily traded is closed, the Fund will also generally not accept orders on such day(s). Orders must be transmitted by an Authorized Participant by telephone or other transmission method acceptable to the Distributor pursuant to procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement and in accordance with the applicable order form. On behalf of the Fund, the Distributor will notify the Custodian of such order. The Custodian will then provide such information to the appropriate local sub-custodian(s). Those placing orders through an Authorized Participant should allow sufficient time to permit proper submission of the purchase order to the Distributor by the cut-off time on such Business Day. Economic or market disruptions or changes, or telephone or other communication failure may impede the ability to reach the Distributor or an Authorized Participant.
20
Fund Deposits must be delivered by an Authorized Participant through the Federal Reserve System (for cash) or through DTC (for corporate securities), through a sub-custody agent (for foreign securities) and/or through such other arrangements allowed by the Trust or its agents. With respect to foreign Deposit Securities, the Custodian shall cause the sub-custodian of the Fund to maintain an account into which the Authorized Participant shall deliver, on behalf of itself or the party on whose behalf it is acting, such Deposit Securities (or Deposit Cash for all or a part of such securities, as permitted or required), with any appropriate adjustments as advised by the Trust. Foreign Deposit Securities must be delivered to an account maintained at the applicable local sub-custodian. The Fund Deposit transfer must be ordered by the Authorized Participant in a timely fashion so as to ensure the delivery of the requisite number of Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, to the account of the Fund or its agents by no later than 12:00 p.m. Eastern time (or such other time as specified by the Trust) on the Settlement Date. If the Fund or its agents do not receive all of the Deposit Securities, or the required Deposit Cash in lieu thereof, by such time, then the order may be deemed rejected and the Authorized Participant shall be liable to the Fund for losses, if any, resulting therefrom. The “Settlement Date” for the Fund is generally the second Business Day after the Order Placement Date. All questions as to the number of Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash to be delivered, as applicable, and the validity, form and eligibility (including time of receipt) for the deposit of any tendered securities or cash, as applicable, will be determined by the Trust, whose determination shall be final and binding. The amount of cash represented by the Cash Component must be transferred directly to the Custodian through the Federal Reserve Bank wire transfer system in a timely manner so as to be received by the Custodian no later than the Settlement Date. If the Cash Component and the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, are not received by the Custodian in a timely manner by the Settlement Date, the creation order may be cancelled. Upon written notice to the Distributor, such canceled order may be resubmitted the following Business Day using the Fund Deposit as newly constituted to reflect the then current NAV of the Fund.
The order shall be deemed to be received on the Business Day on which the order is placed provided that the order is placed in proper form prior to the applicable cut-off time and the federal funds in the appropriate amount are deposited with the Custodian on the Settlement Date. If the order is not placed in proper form as required, or federal funds in the appropriate amount are not received on the Settlement Date, then the order may be deemed to be rejected and the Authorized Participant shall be liable to the Fund for losses, if any, resulting therefrom. A creation request is considered to be in “proper form” if all procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement, order form and this SAI are properly followed.
Issuance of a Creation Unit. Except as provided in this SAI, Creation Units will not be issued until the transfer of good title to the Trust of the Deposit Securities or payment of Deposit Cash, as applicable, and the payment of the Cash Component have been completed. When the sub-custodian has confirmed to the Custodian that the required Deposit Securities (or the cash value thereof) have been delivered to the account of the relevant sub-custodian or sub-custodians, the Distributor and the Adviser shall be notified of such delivery, and the Trust will issue and cause the delivery of the Creation Units. The delivery of Creation Units so created generally will occur no later than the second Business Day following the day on which the purchase order is deemed received by the Distributor. The Authorized Participant shall be liable to the Fund for losses, if any, resulting from unsettled orders.
Creation Units may be purchased in advance of receipt by the Trust of all or a portion of the applicable Deposit Securities as described below. In these circumstances, the initial deposit will have a value greater than the NAV of Shares on the date the order is placed in proper form since, in addition to available Deposit Securities, cash must be deposited in an amount equal to the sum of (i) the Cash Component, plus (ii) an additional amount of cash equal to a percentage of the value as set forth in the Participant Agreement, of the undelivered Deposit Securities (the “Additional Cash Deposit”), which shall be maintained in a separate non-interest bearing collateral account. The Authorized Participant must deposit with the Custodian the Additional Cash Deposit, as applicable, by 12:00 p.m. Eastern time (or such other time as specified by the Trust) on the Settlement Date. If the Fund or its agents do not receive the Additional Cash Deposit in the appropriate amount, by such time, then the order may be deemed rejected and the Authorized Participant shall be liable to the Fund for losses, if any, resulting therefrom. An additional amount of cash shall be required to be deposited with the Trust, pending delivery of the missing Deposit Securities to the extent necessary to maintain the Additional Cash Deposit with the Trust in an amount at least equal to the applicable percentage, as set forth in the Participant Agreement, of the daily market value of the missing Deposit Securities. The Participant Agreement will permit the Trust to buy the missing Deposit Securities at any time. Authorized Participants will be liable to the Trust for the costs incurred by the Trust in connection with any such purchases. These costs will be deemed to include the amount by which the actual purchase price of the Deposit Securities exceeds the value of such Deposit Securities on the day the purchase order was deemed received by the Distributor plus the brokerage and related transaction costs associated with such purchases. The Trust will return any unused portion of the Additional Cash Deposit once all of the missing Deposit Securities have been properly received by the Custodian or purchased by the Trust and deposited into the Trust. In addition, a transaction fee, as described below under “Creation Transaction Fee,” may be charged. The delivery of Creation Units so created generally will occur no later than the Settlement Date.
Acceptance of Orders of Creation Units. The Trust reserves the right to reject an order for Creation Units transmitted to it by the Distributor with respect to the Fund including, without limitation, if (a) the order is not in proper form; (b) the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, delivered by the Participant are not as disseminated through the facilities of the NSCC for that date by the Custodian; (c) the investor(s), upon obtaining Shares ordered, would own 80% or more of the currently outstanding Shares of the Fund; (d) the acceptance of the Fund Deposit would, in the opinion of counsel, be unlawful; () (e) the acceptance or receipt of the order for a Creation Unit would, in the opinion of counsel to the Trust, be unlawful; or (f) in the event that circumstances outside the control of the Trust, the Custodian, the Transfer Agent and/or the Adviser make it for all practical purposes not feasible to process orders for Creation Units.
21
Examples of such circumstances include acts of God or public service or utility problems such as fires, floods, extreme weather conditions and power outages resulting in telephone, telecopy and computer failures; market conditions or activities causing trading halts; systems failures involving computer or other information systems affecting the Trust, the Distributor, the Custodian, a sub-custodian, the Transfer Agent, DTC, NSCC, Federal Reserve System, or any other participant in the creation process, and other extraordinary events. The Distributor shall notify a prospective creator of a Creation Unit and/or the Authorized Participant acting on behalf of the creator of a Creation Unit of its rejection of the order of such person. The Trust, the Transfer Agent, the Custodian, any sub-custodian and the Distributor are under no duty, however, to give notification of any defects or irregularities in the delivery of Fund Deposits nor shall either of them incur any liability for the failure to give any such notification. The Trust, the Transfer Agent, the Custodian and the Distributor shall not be liable for the rejection of any purchase order for Creation Units.
All questions as to the number of Shares of each security in the Deposit Securities and the validity, form, eligibility and acceptance for deposit of any securities to be delivered shall be determined by the Trust, and the Trust’s determination shall be final and binding.
Creation Transaction Fee. A fixed purchase (i.e., creation) transaction fee, payable to the Fund’s custodian, may be imposed for the transfer and other transaction costs associated with the purchase of Creation Units (“Creation Order Costs”). The standard fixed creation transaction fee for the Fund, regardless of the number of Creation Units created in the transaction, can be found in the table below. The Fund may adjust the standard fixed creation transaction fee from time to time. The fixed creation fee may be waived on certain orders if the Fund’s custodian has determined to waive some or all of the Creation Order Costs associated with the order or another party, such as the Adviser, has agreed to pay such fee. In addition, a variable fee, payable to the Fund, of up to the maximum percentage listed in the table below of the value of the Creation Units subject to the transaction may be imposed for cash purchases, non-standard orders, or partial cash purchases of Creation Units. The variable charge is primarily designed to cover additional costs (e.g., brokerage, taxes) involved with buying the securities with cash. The Fund may determine to not charge a variable fee on certain orders when the Adviser or Sub-Adviser has determined that doing so benefits the Fund and its shareholders (e.g., for creation orders that facilitate the rebalance of the Fund’s portfolio in a more tax efficient manner than could be achieved without such order).
Fixed Creation Transaction Fee
(In-Kind) |
Fixed Creation Transaction Fee (Cash) | Maximum Variable Transaction Fee |
| $500 | $100 | 2% |
Investors who use the services of a broker or other such intermediary may be charged a fee for such services. Investors are responsible for the fixed costs of transferring the Fund Securities from the Trust to their account or on their order.
Risks of Purchasing Creation Units. There are certain legal risks unique to investors purchasing Creation Units directly from the Fund. Because Shares may be issued on an ongoing basis, a “distribution” of Shares could be occurring at any time. Certain activities that a shareholder performs as a dealer could, depending on the circumstances, result in the shareholder being deemed a participant in the distribution in a manner that could render the shareholder a statutory underwriter and subject to the prospectus delivery and liability provisions of the Securities Act. For example, a shareholder could be deemed a statutory underwriter if it purchases Creation Units from the Fund, breaks them down into the constituent Shares, and sells those Shares directly to customers, or if a shareholder chooses to couple the creation of a supply of new Shares with an active selling effort involving solicitation of secondary-market demand for Shares. Whether a person is an underwriter depends upon all of the facts and circumstances pertaining to that person’s activities, and the examples mentioned here should not be considered a complete description of all the activities that could cause you to be deemed an underwriter.
Dealers who are not “underwriters” but are participating in a distribution (as opposed to engaging in ordinary secondary-market transactions), and thus dealing with Shares as part of an “unsold allotment” within the meaning of Section 4(a)(3)(C) of the Securities Act, will be unable to take advantage of the prospectus delivery exemption provided by Section 4(a)(3) of the Securities Act.
Redemption. Shares may be redeemed only in Creation Units at their NAV next determined after receipt of a redemption request in proper form by the Fund through the Transfer Agent and only on a Business Day. EXCEPT UPON LIQUIDATION OF THE FUND, THE TRUST WILL NOT REDEEM SHARES IN AMOUNTS LESS THAN CREATION UNITS. Investors must accumulate enough Shares in the secondary market to constitute a Creation Unit to have such Shares redeemed by the Trust. There can be no assurance, however, that there will be sufficient liquidity in the public trading market at any time to permit assembly of a Creation Unit. Investors should expect to incur brokerage and other costs in connection with assembling a sufficient number of Shares to constitute a redeemable Creation Unit.
With respect to the Fund, the Custodian, through the NSCC, makes available prior to the opening of business on the Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m., Eastern time) on each Business Day, the list of the names and Share quantities of the Fund’s portfolio securities that will be applicable (subject to possible amendment or correction) to redemption requests received in proper form (as defined below) on that day (“Fund Securities”). Fund Securities received on redemption may not be identical to Deposit Securities.
Redemption proceeds for a Creation Unit are paid either in-kind or in cash, or combination thereof, as determined by the Trust. With respect to in-kind redemptions of the Fund, redemption proceeds for a Creation Unit will consist of Fund Securities—as announced by the Custodian on the Business Day of the request for redemption received in proper form plus cash in an amount equal to the difference between the NAV of Shares being redeemed, as next determined after a receipt of a request in proper form, and the value of the Fund Securities (the “Cash Redemption Amount”), less a fixed redemption transaction fee, as applicable, as set forth below. In the event that the Fund Securities have a value greater than the NAV of Shares, a compensating cash payment equal to the differential is required to be made by or through an Authorized Participant by the redeeming shareholder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, at the Trust’s discretion, an Authorized Participant may receive the corresponding cash value of the securities in lieu of the in-kind securities value representing one or more Fund Securities.
22
Redemption Transaction Fee. A fixed redemption transaction fee, payable to the Fund’s custodian, may be imposed for the transfer and other transaction costs associated with the redemption of Creation Units (“Redemption Order Costs”). The standard fixed redemption transaction fee for the Fund, regardless of the number of Creation Units redeemed in the transaction, can be found in the table below. The Fund may adjust the redemption transaction fee from time to time. The fixed redemption fee may be waived on certain orders if the Fund’s custodian has determined to waive some or all of the Redemption Order Costs associated with the order or another party, such as the Adviser, has agreed to pay such fee.
In addition, a variable fee, payable to the Fund, of up to the maximum percentage listed in the table below of the value of the Creation Units subject to the transaction may be imposed for cash redemptions, non-standard orders, or partial cash redemptions (when cash redemptions are available) of Creation Units. The variable charge is primarily designed to cover additional costs (e.g., brokerage, taxes, spread, slippage costs) involved with selling portfolio securities to satisfy a cash redemption. The Fund may determine to not charge a variable fee on certain orders when the Adviser or Sub-Adviser has determined that doing so benefits the Fund and its shareholders (e.g., for redemption orders that facilitate the rebalance of the Fund’s portfolio in a more tax efficient manner than could be achieved without such order).
Fixed Redemption Transaction Fee
(In-Kind) |
Fixed Redemption Transaction Fee (Cash) | Maximum Variable Transaction Fee |
| $500 | $100 | 2% |
Investors who use the services of a broker or other such intermediary may be charged a fee for such services. Investors are responsible for the fixed costs of transferring the Fund Securities from the Trust to their account or on their order.
Procedures for Redemption of Creation Units.
Orders to redeem Creation Units of the Fund must be submitted in proper form to the Transfer Agent prior to 4:00 p.m. A redemption request is considered to be in “proper form” if (i) an Authorized Participant has transferred or caused to be transferred to the Trust’s Transfer Agent the Creation Unit(s) being redeemed through the book-entry system of DTC so as to be effective by the time as set forth in the Participant Agreement and (ii) a request in form satisfactory to the Trust is received by the Transfer Agent from the Authorized Participant on behalf of itself or another redeeming investor within the time periods specified in the Participant Agreement. If the Transfer Agent does not receive the investor’s Shares through DTC’s facilities by the times and pursuant to the other terms and conditions set forth in the Participant Agreement, the redemption request shall be rejected.
The Authorized Participant must transmit the request for redemption, in the form required by the Trust, to the Transfer Agent in accordance with procedures set forth in the Authorized Participant Agreement. Investors should be aware that their particular broker may not have executed an Authorized Participant Agreement, and that, therefore, requests to redeem Creation Units may have to be placed by the investor’s broker through an Authorized Participant who has executed an Authorized Participant Agreement. Investors making a redemption request should be aware that such request must be in the form specified by such Authorized Participant.
Investors making a request to redeem Creation Units should allow sufficient time to permit proper submission of the request by an Authorized Participant and transfer of the Shares to the Trust’s Transfer Agent; such investors should allow for the additional time that may be required to effect redemptions through their banks, brokers or other financial intermediaries if such intermediaries are not Authorized Participants.
Additional Redemption Procedures. In connection with taking delivery of Shares of Fund Securities upon redemption of Creation Units, a redeeming shareholder or Authorized Participant acting on behalf of such shareholder must maintain appropriate custody arrangements with a qualified broker-dealer, bank, or other custody providers in each jurisdiction in which any of the Fund Securities are customarily traded, to which account such Fund Securities will be delivered. Deliveries of redemption proceeds generally will be made within two business days of the trade date. However, due to the schedule of holidays in certain countries, the different treatment among foreign and U.S. markets of dividend record dates and dividend ex-dates (that is the last date the holder of a security can sell the security and still receive dividends payable on the security sold), and in certain other circumstances, the delivery of in-kind redemption proceeds may take longer than two Business Days after the day on which the redemption request is received in proper form. If neither the redeeming Shareholder nor the Authorized Participant acting on behalf of such redeeming Shareholder has appropriate arrangements to take delivery of the Fund Securities in the applicable foreign jurisdiction and it is not possible to make other such arrangements, or if it is not possible to effect deliveries of the Fund Securities in such jurisdiction, the Trust may, in its discretion, exercise its option to redeem such Shares in cash, and the redeeming Shareholders will be required to receive its redemption proceeds in cash.
23
In addition, an investor may request a redemption in cash that the Fund may, in its sole discretion, permit. In either case, the investor will receive a cash payment equal to the NAV of its Shares based on the NAV of Shares of the Fund next determined after the redemption request is received in proper form (minus a redemption transaction fee, if applicable, and additional charge for requested cash redemptions specified above, to offset the Trust’s brokerage and other transaction costs associated with the disposition of Fund Securities). The Fund may also, in its sole discretion, upon request of a shareholder, provide such redeemer a portfolio of securities that differs from the exact composition of the Fund Securities but does not differ in NAV.
Redemptions of Shares for Fund Securities will be subject to compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws and the Funds (whether or not it otherwise permits cash redemptions) reserve the right to redeem Creation Units for cash to the extent that the Trust could not lawfully deliver specific Fund Securities upon redemptions or could not do so without first registering the Fund Securities under such laws. An Authorized Participant or an investor for which it is acting subject to a legal restriction with respect to a particular security included in the Fund Securities applicable to the redemption of Creation Units may be paid an equivalent amount of cash. The Authorized Participant may request the redeeming investor of the Shares to complete an order form or to enter into agreements with respect to such matters as compensating cash payment. Further, an Authorized Participant that is not a “qualified institutional buyer,” (“QIB”) as such term is defined under Rule 144A of the Securities Act, will not be able to receive Fund Securities that are restricted securities eligible for resale under Rule 144A. An Authorized Participant may be required by the Trust to provide a written confirmation with respect to QIB status to receive Fund Securities.
Because the portfolio securities of the Fund may trade on other exchanges on days that the Exchange is closed or are otherwise not Business Days for such Fund, shareholders may not be able to redeem their Shares of the Fund, or to purchase or sell Shares of the Fund on the Exchange, on days when the NAV of the Fund could be significantly affecting by events in the relevant foreign markets.
The right of redemption may be suspended or the date of payment postponed with respect to the Fund (1) for any period during which the Exchange is closed (other than customary weekend and holiday closings); (2) for any period during which trading on the Exchange is suspended or restricted; (3) for any period during which an emergency exists as a result of which disposal of the Shares of the Fund or determination of the NAV of the Shares is not reasonably practicable; or (4) in such other circumstance as is permitted by the SEC.
DETERMINATION OF NAV
NAV per Share for the Fund is computed by dividing the value of the net assets of the Fund (i.e., the value of its total assets less total liabilities) by the total number of Shares outstanding, rounded to the nearest cent. Expenses and fees, including the management fees, are accrued daily and taken into account for purposes of determining NAV. The NAV of the Fund is calculated by PTL and determined at the scheduled close of the regular trading session on the NYSE (ordinarily 4:00 p.m., Eastern time) on each day that the NYSE is open, provided that fixed-income assets may be valued as of the announced closing time for trading in fixed-income instruments on any day that the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (“SIFMA”) announces an early closing time.
In calculating the Fund’s NAV per Share, the Fund’s investments are generally valued using market valuations. A market valuation generally means a valuation (i) obtained from an exchange, a pricing service, or a major market maker (or dealer), (ii) based on a price quotation or other equivalent indication of value supplied by an exchange, a pricing service, or a major market maker (or dealer) or (iii) based on amortized cost. In the case of shares of other funds that are not traded on an exchange, a market valuation means such fund’s published NAV per share. The Fund may use various pricing services, or discontinue the use of any pricing service, as approved by the Board from time to time. A price obtained from a pricing service based on such pricing service’s valuation matrix may be considered a market valuation.
DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS
The following information supplements and should be read in conjunction with the section in the Prospectus entitled “Dividends, Distributions and Taxes.”
General Policies. Dividends from net investment income, if any, are declared and paid at least annually by Fund. Distributions of net realized securities gains, if any, generally are declared and paid once a year, but the Fund may make distributions on a more frequent basis to improve index tracking or to comply with the distribution requirements of the Code, in all events in a manner consistent with the provisions of the 1940 Act.
Dividends and other distributions on Shares are distributed, as described below, on a pro rata basis to Beneficial Owners of such Shares. Dividend payments are made through DTC Participants and Indirect Participants to Beneficial Owners then of record with proceeds received from the Trust.
The Fund makes additional distributions to the extent necessary (i) to distribute the entire annual taxable income of the Fund, plus any net capital gains and (ii) to avoid imposition of the excise tax imposed by Section 4982 of the Code. Management of the Trust reserves the right to declare special dividends if, in its reasonable discretion, such action is necessary or advisable to preserve the Fund’s eligibility for treatment as a RIC or to avoid imposition of income or excise taxes on undistributed income.
Dividend Reinvestment Service. The Trust will not make the DTC book-entry dividend reinvestment service available for use by Beneficial Owners for reinvestment of their cash proceeds, but certain individual broker-dealers may make available the DTC book- entry Dividend Reinvestment Service for use by Beneficial Owners of the Fund through DTC Participants for reinvestment of their dividend distributions. Investors should contact their brokers to ascertain the availability and description of these services. Beneficial Owners should be aware that each broker may require investors to adhere to specific procedures and timetables to participate in the dividend reinvestment service and investors should ascertain from their brokers such necessary details. If this service is available and used, dividend distributions of both income and realized gains will be automatically reinvested in additional whole Shares issued by the Trust of the Fund at NAV per Share. Distributions reinvested in additional Shares will nevertheless be taxable to Beneficial Owners acquiring such additional Shares to the same extent as if such distributions had been received in cash.
24
FEDERAL INCOME TAXES
The following is only a summary of certain U.S. federal income tax considerations generally affecting the Fund and its shareholders that supplements the discussion in the Prospectus. No attempt is made to present a comprehensive explanation of the federal, state, local or foreign tax treatment of the Fund or its shareholders, and the discussion here and in the Prospectus is not intended to be a substitute for careful tax planning.
The following general discussion of certain U.S. federal income tax consequences is based on provisions of the Code and the regulations issued thereunder as in effect on the date of this SAI. New legislation, as well as administrative changes or court decisions, may significantly change the conclusions expressed herein, and may have a retroactive effect with respect to the transactions contemplated herein.
Shareholders are urged to consult their own tax advisers regarding the application of the provisions of tax law described in this SAI in light of the particular tax situations of the shareholders and regarding specific questions as to federal, state, foreign or local taxes.
Taxation of the Fund. The Fund has elected and intends to continue to qualify each year to be treated as a separate RIC under the Code. As such, the Fund should not be subject to federal income taxes on their net investment income and capital gains, if any, to the extent that they timely distribute such income and capital gains to their shareholders. To qualify for treatment as a RIC, the Fund must distribute annually to its shareholders at least the sum of 90% of its net investment income (generally including the excess of net short- term capital gains over net long-term capital losses) and 90% of its net tax-exempt interest income, if any (the “Distribution Requirement”) and also must meet several additional requirements. Among these requirements are the following: (i) at least 90% of the Fund’s gross income each taxable year must be derived from dividends, interest, payments with respect to certain securities loans, gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities or foreign currencies, or other income derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock, securities or foreign currencies and net income derived from interests in qualified publicly traded partnerships (the “Qualifying Income Requirement”); and (ii) at the end of each quarter of the Fund’s taxable year, the Fund’s assets must be diversified so that (a) at least 50% of the value of the Fund’s total assets is represented by cash and cash items, U.S. government securities, securities of other RICs, and other securities, with such other securities limited, in respect to any one issuer, to an amount not greater in value than 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets and to not more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer, including the equity securities of a qualified publicly traded partnership, and (b) not more than 25% of the value of its total assets is invested, including through corporations in which the Fund owns a 20% or more voting stock interest, in the securities (other than U.S. government securities or securities of other RICs) of any one issuer, the securities (other than securities of other RICs) of two or more issuers which the Fund controls and which are engaged in the same, similar, or related trades or businesses, or the securities of one or more qualified publicly traded partnerships (the “Diversification Requirement”).
It may not be possible for Fund to fully implement a representative sampling strategy while satisfying the Diversification Requirement. The Fund’s effort to satisfy the Diversification Requirement may affect the Fund’s execution of its investment strategy and may cause the Fund’s return to deviate from that of the Index, and the Fund’s efforts to represent the Index using a sampling strategy, if such a strategy is used at any point, may cause it inadvertently to fail to satisfy the Diversification Requirement.
To the extent the Fund makes investments that may generate income that is not qualifying income, including certain derivatives, the Fund will seek to restrict the resulting income from such investments so that the Fund’s non-qualifying income does not exceed 10% of its gross income.
Although the Fund intends to distribute substantially all of its net investment income and may distribute their capital gains for any taxable year, the Fund will be subject to federal income taxation to the extent any such income or gains are not distributed. The Fund is treated as a separate corporation for federal income tax purposes. The Fund therefore is considered to be a separate entity in determining its treatment under the rules for RICs described herein. The requirements (other than certain organizational requirements) for qualifying RIC status are determined at the fund level rather than at the Trust level.
If the Fund fails to satisfy the Qualifying Income Requirement or the Diversification Requirement in any taxable year, the Fund may be eligible for relief provisions if the failures are due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect and if a penalty tax is paid with respect to each failure to satisfy the applicable requirements. Additionally, relief is provided for certain de minimis failures of the Diversification Requirement where the Fund corrects the failure within a specified period of time. To be eligible for the relief provisions with respect to a failure to meet the Diversification Requirement, the Fund may be required to dispose of certain assets. If these relief provisions were not available to the Fund and it were to fail to qualify for treatment as a RIC for a taxable year, all of its taxable income would be subject to tax at the regular 21% corporate rate without any deduction for distributions to shareholders, and its distributions (including capital gains distributions) generally would be taxable to the shareholders of the Fund as ordinary income dividends, subject to the dividends received deduction for corporate shareholders and the lower tax rates on qualified dividend income received by non-corporate shareholders, subject to certain limitations. To requalify for treatment as a RIC in a subsequent taxable year, the Fund would be required to satisfy the RIC qualification requirements for that year and to distribute any earnings and profits from any year in which the Fund failed to qualify for tax treatment as a RIC. If the Fund failed to qualify as a RIC for a period greater than two taxable years, it would generally be required to pay a Fund-level tax on certain net built in gains recognized with respect to certain of its assets upon a disposition of such assets within five years of qualifying as a RIC in a subsequent year. The Board reserves the right not to maintain the qualification of the Fund for treatment as a RIC if it determines such course of action to be beneficial to shareholders. If the Fund determines that it will not qualify as a RIC, the Fund will establish procedures to reflect the anticipated tax liability in the Fund’s NAV.
25
The Fund may elect to treat part or all of any “qualified late year loss” as if it had been incurred in the succeeding taxable year in determining the Fund’s taxable income, net capital gain, net short-term capital gain, and earnings and profits. The effect of this election is to treat any such “qualified late year loss” as if it had been incurred in the succeeding taxable year in characterizing Fund distributions for any calendar year. A “qualified late year loss” generally includes net capital loss, net long-term capital loss, or net short-term capital loss incurred after October 31 of the current taxable year (commonly referred to as “post-October losses”) and certain other late-year losses.
Capital losses in excess of capital gains (“net capital losses”) are not permitted to be deducted against a RIC’s net investment income. Instead, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, potentially subject to certain limitations, the Fund may carry a net capital loss from any taxable year forward indefinitely to offset its capital gains, if any, in years following the year of the loss. To the extent subsequent capital gains are offset by such losses, they will not result in U.S. federal income tax liability to the Fund and may not be distributed as capital gains to its shareholders. Generally, the Fund may not carry forward any losses other than net capital losses. The carryover of capital losses may be limited under the general loss limitation rules if the Fund experiences an ownership change as defined in the Code. As of October 31, 2025, the Fund had $8,876,295 short-term and $2,313,478 long-term capital loss carry forwards, not subject to expiration.
The Fund will be subject to a nondeductible 4% federal excise tax on certain undistributed income if it does not distribute to its shareholders in each calendar year an amount at least equal to 98% of its ordinary income for the calendar year plus 98.2% of its capital gain net income for the one-year period ending on October 31 of that year, subject to an increase for any shortfall in the prior year’s distribution. For this purpose, any ordinary income or capital gain net income retained by the Fund and subject to corporate income tax will be considered to have been distributed. The Fund intends to declare and distribute dividends and distributions in the amounts and at the times necessary to avoid the application of the excise tax, but can make no assurances that all such tax liability will be eliminated. The Fund may in certain circumstances be required to liquidate Fund investments in order to make sufficient distributions to avoid federal excise tax liability at a time when the investment adviser might not otherwise have chosen to do so, and liquidation of investments in such circumstances may affect the ability of the Fund to satisfy the requirement for qualification as a RIC.
If the Fund meets the Distribution Requirement but retains some or all of its income or gains, it will be subject to federal income tax to the extent any such income or gains are not distributed. The Fund may designate certain amounts retained as undistributed net capital gain in a notice to its shareholders, who (i) will be required to include in income for U.S. federal income tax purposes, as long-term capital gain, their proportionate shares of the undistributed amount so designated, (ii) will be entitled to credit their proportionate shares of the income tax paid by the Fund on that undistributed amount against their federal income tax liabilities and to claim refunds to the extent such credits exceed their tax liabilities, and (iii) will be entitled to increase their tax basis, for federal income tax purposes, in their Shares by an amount equal to the excess of the amount of undistributed net capital gain included in their respective income over their respective income tax credits.
Taxation of Shareholders – Distributions. The Fund intends to distribute, at least annually, substantially all of its investment company taxable income (computed without regard to the deduction for dividends paid), its net tax-exempt income, if any, and any net capital gain (net recognized long-term capital gains in excess of net recognized short-term capital losses, taking into account any capital loss carryforwards). The distribution of investment company taxable income (as so computed) and net realized capital gain will be taxable to Fund shareholders regardless of whether the shareholder receives these distributions in cash or reinvests them in additional Shares.
The Fund (or your broker) will report to shareholders annually the amounts of dividends paid from ordinary income, the amount of distributions of net capital gain, the portion of dividends which may qualify for the dividends-received deduction for corporations, and the portion of dividends which may qualify for treatment as qualified dividend income, which is taxable to non-corporate shareholders at rates of up to 20%.
Qualified dividend income includes, in general, subject to certain holding period and other requirements, dividend income from taxable domestic corporations and certain foreign corporations. Subject to certain limitations, eligible foreign corporations include those incorporated in possessions of the United States, those incorporated in certain countries with comprehensive tax treaties with the United States, and other foreign corporations if the stock with respect to which the dividends are paid is readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States. Dividends received by the Fund from an ETF, an underlying fund taxable as a RIC, or from a REIT may be treated as qualified dividend income generally only to the extent so reported by such ETF, underlying fund, or REIT, however, dividends received by the Fund from a REIT are generally not treated as qualified dividend income. If 95% or more of the Fund’s gross income (calculated without taking into account net capital gain derived from sales or other dispositions of stock or securities) consists of qualified dividend income, the Fund may report all distributions of such income as qualified dividend income.
Fund dividends will not be treated as qualified dividend income if the Fund does not meet holding period and other requirements with respect to dividend paying stocks in its portfolio, and the shareholder does not meet holding period and other requirements with respect to the Shares on which the dividends were paid.
26
Distributions by the Fund of its net short-term capital gains will be taxable as ordinary income. Distributions from the Fund’s net capital gain will be taxable to shareholders at long-term capital gains rates, regardless of how long shareholders have held their Shares. Distributions may be subject to state and local taxes.
In the case of corporate shareholders, certain dividends received by the Fund from U.S. corporations (generally, dividends received by the Fund in respect of any share of stock (1) with a tax holding period of at least 46 days during the 91-day period beginning on the date that is 45 days before the date on which the stock becomes ex-dividend as to that dividend and (2) that is held in an unleveraged position) and distributed and appropriately so reported by the Fund may be eligible for the 50% dividends received deduction. Certain preferred stock must have a holding period of at least 91 days during the 181-day period beginning on the date that is 90 days before the date on which the stock becomes ex-dividend as to that dividend to be eligible. Capital gain dividends distributed to the Fund from other RICs are not eligible for the dividends received deduction. To qualify for the deduction, corporate shareholders must meet the minimum holding period requirement stated above with respect to their Shares, taking into account any holding period reductions from certain hedging or other transactions or positions that diminish their risk of loss with respect to their Shares, and, if they borrow to acquire or otherwise incur debt attributable to Shares, they may be denied a portion of the dividends received deduction with respect to those Shares.
Under Treasury Regulations, a RIC that receives business interest income may pass through its net business interest income for purposes of the tax rules applicable to the interest expense limitations under Section 163(j) of the Code. A RIC’s total “Section 163(j) Interest Dividend” for a tax year is limited to the excess of the RIC’s business interest income over the sum of its business interest expense and its other deductions properly allocable to its business interest income. A RIC may, in its discretion, designate all or a portion of ordinary dividends as Section 163(j) Interest Dividends, which would allow the recipient shareholder to treat the designated portion of such dividends as interest income for purposes of determining such shareholder’s interest expense deduction limitation under Section 163(j). This can potentially increase the amount of a shareholder’s interest expense deductible under Section 163(j). In general, to be eligible to treat a Section 163(j) Interest Dividend as interest income, you must have held your shares in the Fund for more than 180 days during the 361-day period beginning on the date that is 180 days before the date on which the share becomes ex-dividend with respect to such dividend. Section 163(j) Interest Dividends, if so designated by the Fund, will be reported to your financial intermediary or otherwise in accordance with the requirements specified by the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”).
Although dividends generally will be treated as distributed when paid, any dividend declared by the Fund in October, November or December and payable to shareholders of record in such a month that is paid during the following January will be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as received by shareholders on December 31 of the calendar year in which it was declared.
Shareholders who have not held Shares for a full year should be aware that the Fund may report and distribute, as ordinary dividends or capital gain dividends, a percentage of income that is not equal to the percentage of the Fund’s ordinary income or net capital gain, respectively, actually earned during the applicable shareholder’s period of investment in the Fund. A taxable shareholder may wish to avoid investing in the Fund shortly before a dividend or other distribution, because the distribution will generally be taxable even though it may economically represent a return of a portion of the shareholder’s investment.
To the extent that the Fund makes a distribution of income received by the Fund in lieu of dividends (a “substitute payment”) with respect to securities on loan pursuant to a securities lending transaction, such income will not constitute qualified dividend income to individual shareholders and will not be eligible for the dividends received deduction for corporate shareholders.
If the Fund’s distributions exceed its earnings and profits, all or a portion of the distributions made for a taxable year may be recharacterized as a return of capital to shareholders. A return of capital distribution will generally not be taxable, but will reduce each shareholder’s cost basis in the Fund and result in a higher capital gain or lower capital loss when the Shares on which the distribution was received are sold. After a shareholder’s basis in the Shares has been reduced to zero, distributions in excess of earnings and profits will be treated as gain from the sale of the shareholder’s Shares.
Taxation of Shareholders – Sale, Redemption, or Exchange of Shares. A sale, redemption, or exchange of Shares may give rise to a gain or loss. For tax purposes, an exchange of your Fund shares of a different fund is the same as a sale. In general, any gain or loss realized upon a taxable disposition of Shares will be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if Shares have been held for more than 12 months. Otherwise, the gain or loss on the taxable disposition of Shares will generally be treated as short-term capital gain or loss. Any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of Shares held for six months or less will be treated as long-term capital loss, rather than short-term capital loss, to the extent of any amounts treated as distributions to the shareholder of long-term capital gain (including any amounts credited to the shareholder as undistributed capital gains). All or a portion of any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of Shares may be disallowed if substantially identical Shares are acquired (through the reinvestment of dividends or otherwise) within a 61-day period beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the disposition. In such a case, the basis of the newly acquired Shares will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss.
The cost basis of Shares acquired by purchase will generally be based on the amount paid for Shares and then may be subsequently adjusted for other applicable transactions as required by the Code. The difference between the selling price and the cost basis of Shares generally determines the amount of the capital gain or loss realized on the sale or exchange of Shares. Contact the broker through whom you purchased your Shares to obtain information with respect to the available cost basis reporting methods and elections for your account.
27
An Authorized Participant who exchanges securities for Creation Units generally will recognize a gain or a loss. The gain or loss will be equal to the difference between the market value of the Creation Units at the time and the sum of the exchanger’s aggregate basis in the securities surrendered plus the amount of cash paid for such Creation Units. A person who redeems Creation Units will generally recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the exchanger’s basis in the Creation Units and the sum of the aggregate market value of any securities received plus the amount of any cash received for such Creation Units. The ability of Authorized Participants to receive a full or partial cash redemption of Creation Units of the Fund may limit the tax efficiency of such Fund. The IRS, however, may assert that a loss realized upon an exchange of securities for Creation Units cannot currently be deducted under the rules governing “wash sales” (for a person who does not mark-to-market its portfolio) or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic position.
Any gain or loss realized upon a creation or redemption of Creation Units will be treated as capital or ordinary gain or loss, depending on the circumstances. Any capital gain or loss realized upon the creation of Creation Units will generally be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the securities exchanged for such Creation Units have been held for more than one year. Any capital gain or loss realized upon the redemption of Creation Units will generally be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if Shares comprising the Creation Units have been held for more than one year. Otherwise, such capital gains or losses will generally be treated as short-term capital gains or losses. Any capital loss upon a redemption of Creation Units held for six months or less may be treated as long-term capital loss to the extent of any amounts treated as distributions to the applicable Authorized Participant of long-term capital gain with respect to the Creation Units (including any amounts credited to the Authorized Participant as undistributed capital gains).
The Trust, on behalf of the Fund, has the right to reject an order for Creation Units if the purchaser (or a group of purchasers) would, upon obtaining the Creation Units so ordered, own 80% or more of the outstanding Shares and if, pursuant to Section 351 of the Code, the Fund would have a basis in the deposit securities different from the market value of such securities on the date of deposit. The Trust also has the right to require the provision of information necessary to determine beneficial Share ownership for purposes of the 80% determination. If the Fund does issue Creation Units to a purchaser (or a group of purchasers) that would, upon obtaining the Creation Units so ordered, own 80% or more of the outstanding Shares, the purchaser (or a group of purchasers) will not recognize gain or loss upon the exchange of securities for Creation Units.
Authorized Participants purchasing or redeeming Creation Units should consult their own tax advisers with respect to the tax treatment of any creation or redemption transaction and whether the wash sales rule applies and when a loss may be deductible.
Taxation of Shareholders – Net Investment Income Tax. U.S. individuals with adjusted gross income (subject to certain adjustments) exceeding certain threshold amounts ($250,000 if married filing jointly or if considered a “surviving spouse” for federal income tax purposes, $125,000 if married filing separately, and $200,000 in other cases) are subject to a 3.8% tax on all or a portion of their “net investment income,” which includes taxable interest, dividends, and certain capital gains (generally including capital gain distributions and capital gains realized on the sale of Shares). This 3.8% tax also applies to all or a portion of the undistributed net investment income of certain shareholders that are estates and trusts.
Taxation of Fund Investments. Certain of the Fund’s investments may be subject to complex provisions of the Code (including provisions relating to hedging transactions, straddles, integrated transactions, foreign currency contracts, forward foreign currency contracts, and notional principal contracts) that, among other things, may affect the Fund’s ability to qualify as a RIC, affect the character of gains and losses realized by the Fund (e.g., may affect whether gains or losses are ordinary or capital), accelerate recognition of income to the Fund and defer losses. These rules could therefore affect the character, amount and timing of distributions to shareholders. These provisions also may require the Fund to mark to market certain types of positions in its portfolio (i.e., treat them as if they were closed out) which may cause the Fund to recognize income without the Fund receiving cash with which to make distributions in amounts sufficient to enable the Fund to satisfy the RIC distribution requirements for avoiding income and excise taxes. The Fund intends to monitor its transactions, intends to make appropriate tax elections, and intends to make appropriate entries in its books and records in order to mitigate the effect of these rules and preserve the Fund’s qualification for treatment as a RIC. To the extent the Fund invests in an underlying fund that is taxable as a RIC, the rules applicable to the tax treatment of complex securities will also apply to the underlying funds that also invest in such complex securities and investments.
Backup Withholding. The Fund will be required in certain cases to withhold (as “backup withholding”) on amounts payable to any shareholder who (1) fails to provide a correct taxpayer identification number certified under penalty of perjury; (2) is subject to backup withholding by the IRS for failure to properly report all payments of interest or dividends; (3) fails to provide a certified statement that he or she is not subject to “backup withholding”; or (4) fails to provide a certified statement that he or she is a U.S. person (including a U.S. resident alien). The backup withholding rate is currently 24%. Backup withholding is not an additional tax and any amounts withheld may be credited against the shareholder’s ultimate U.S. tax liability. Backup withholding will not be applied to payments that have been subject to the 30% withholding tax on shareholders who are neither citizens nor permanent residents of the U.S.
Non-U.S. Shareholders. Any non-U.S. investors in the Fund may be subject to U.S. withholding and estate tax and are encouraged to consult their tax advisers prior to investing in the Fund. Foreign shareholders (i.e., nonresident alien individuals and foreign corporations, partnerships, trusts and estates) are generally subject to U.S. withholding tax at the rate of 30% (or a lower tax treaty rate) on distributions derived from taxable ordinary income. The Fund may, under certain circumstances, report all or a portion of a dividend as an “interest- related dividend” or a “short-term capital gain dividend,” which would generally be exempt from this 30% U.S. withholding tax, provided certain other requirements are met. Short-term capital gain dividends received by a nonresident alien individual who is present in the U.S. for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the taxable year are not exempt from this 30% withholding tax.
28
Gains realized by foreign shareholders from the sale or other disposition of Shares generally are not subject to U.S. taxation, unless the recipient is an individual who is physically present in the U.S. for 183 days or more per year. Foreign shareholders who fail to provide an applicable IRS form may be subject to backup withholding on certain payments from the Fund. Backup withholding will not be applied to payments that are subject to the 30% (or lower applicable treaty rate) withholding tax described in this paragraph. Different tax consequences may result if the foreign shareholder is engaged in a trade or business within the United States. In addition, the tax consequences to a foreign shareholder entitled to claim the benefits of a tax treaty may be different than those described above.
Under legislation generally known as “FATCA” (the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act), the Fund is required to withhold 30% of certain ordinary dividends it pays to shareholders that fail to meet prescribed information reporting or certification requirements. In general, no such withholding will be required with respect to a U.S. person or non-U.S. person that timely provides the certifications required by a fund or its agent on a valid IRS Form W-9 or applicable series of IRS Form W-8, respectively. Shareholders potentially subject to withholding include foreign financial institutions (“FFIs”), such as non-U.S. investment funds, and non-financial foreign entities (“NFFEs”). To avoid withholding under FATCA, an FFI generally must enter into an information sharing agreement with the IRS in which it agrees to report certain identifying information (including name, address, and taxpayer identification number) with respect to its U.S. account holders (which, in the case of an entity shareholder, may include its direct and indirect U.S. owners), and an NFFE generally must identify and provide other required information to the Fund or other withholding agent regarding its U.S. owners, if any. Such non-U.S. shareholders also may fall into certain exempt, excepted or deemed compliant categories as established by regulations and other guidance. A non-U.S. shareholder resident or doing business in a country that has entered into an intergovernmental agreement with the United States to implement FATCA will be exempt from FATCA withholding provided that the shareholder and the applicable foreign government comply with the terms of the agreement.
A non-U.S. entity that invests in the Fund will need to provide the Fund with documentation properly certifying the entity’s status under FATCA in order to avoid FATCA withholding. Non-U.S. investors in the Fund should consult their tax advisors in this regard.
Tax-Exempt Shareholders. Certain tax-exempt shareholders, including qualified pension plans, individual retirement accounts, salary deferral arrangements, 401(k) plans, and other tax-exempt entities, generally are exempt from federal income taxation except with respect to their unrelated business taxable income (“UBTI”). Tax-exempt entities are not permitted to offset losses from one unrelated trade or business against the income or gain of another unrelated trade or business. Certain net losses incurred prior to January 1, 2018 are permitted to offset gain and income created by an unrelated trade or business, if otherwise available. Under current law, the Fund generally serves to block UBTI from being realized by its tax-exempt shareholders with respect to their shares of Fund income. However, notwithstanding the foregoing, tax-exempt shareholders could realize UBTI by virtue of their investment in the Fund if, for example, (i) the Fund invests in residual interests of Real Estate Mortgage Investment Conduits (“REMICs”), (ii) the Fund invests in a REIT that is a taxable mortgage pool (“TMP”) or that has a subsidiary that is a TMP or that invests in the residual interest of a REMIC, or (iii) Shares constitute debt-financed property in the hands of the tax-exempt shareholders within the meaning of section 514(b) of the Code. Charitable remainder trusts are subject to special rules and should consult their tax advisers. The IRS has issued guidance with respect to these issues and prospective shareholders, especially charitable remainder trusts, are strongly encouraged to consult with their tax advisers regarding these issues.
The Fund’s shares held in a tax-qualified retirement account will generally not be subject to federal taxation on income and capital gains distributions from the Fund until a shareholder begins receiving payments from their retirement account. Because each shareholder’s tax situation is different, shareholders should consult their tax advisors with specific reference to their own tax situations, including their state, local, and foreign tax liabilities.
Certain Potential Tax Reporting Requirements. Under U.S. Treasury regulations, if a shareholder recognizes a loss on disposition of Shares of $2 million or more for an individual shareholder or $10 million or more for a corporate shareholder (or certain greater amounts over a combination of years), the shareholder must file with the IRS a disclosure statement on IRS Form 8886. Direct shareholders of portfolio securities are in many cases excepted from this reporting requirement, but under current guidance, shareholders of a RIC are not excepted. Significant penalties may be imposed for the failure to comply with the reporting requirements. The fact that a loss is reportable under these regulations does not affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayer’s treatment of the loss is proper. Shareholders should consult their tax advisers to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances.
Other Issues. In those states which have income tax laws, the tax treatment of Fund and of Fund shareholders with respect to distributions by the Fund may differ from federal tax treatment.
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
The audited financial statements and report of the independent registered public accounting firm required to be included in this SAI are hereby incorporated by reference to the Fund’s Form N-CSR filed with the SEC for fiscal year ended October 31, 2025. You can obtain a copy of the Fund’s Form N-CSR without charge by calling the Fund at 1.877.524.9155.
29
Appendix A
Proxy Voting and Class Actions
Most Recently Revised: October 2023
Background
In Proxy Voting by Investment Advisers, Investment Advisers Act Release No. 2106 (January 31, 2003), the SEC noted that, “The federal securities laws do not specifically address how an adviser must exercise its proxy voting authority for its clients. Under the Advisers Act, however, an adviser is a fiduciary that owes each of its clients a duty of care and loyalty with respect to all services undertaken on the client’s behalf, including proxy voting. The duty of care requires an adviser with proxy voting authority to monitor corporate events and to vote the proxies.”
Rule 206(4)-6 under the Advisers Act requires each registered investment adviser that exercises proxy voting authority with respect to client securities to:
| ● | Adopt and implement written policies and procedures reasonably designed to ensure that the adviser votes client securities in the clients’ best interests. Such policies and procedures must address the manner in which the adviser will resolve material conflicts of interest that can arise during the proxy voting process; |
| ● | Disclose to clients how they may obtain information from the adviser about how the adviser voted with respect to their securities; and |
| ● | Describe to clients the adviser’s proxy voting policies and procedures and, upon request, furnish a copy of the policies and procedures. |
Rule 206(4)-6 is supplemented by:
| ● | Investment Advisers Act Release No. 5325 (September 10, 2019) (“Release No. 5325”), which contains guidance regarding the proxy voting responsibilities of investment advisers under the Advisers Act. Among other subjects, Release No. 5325 addresses the oversight of proxy advisory firms by investment advisers; and |
| ● | Investment Advisers Act Release No. 5547 (July 22, 2020), which contains supplementary guidance addressing: the risk of voting a proxy before an issuer files additional soliciting materials with the SEC; and associated client disclosures in this regard. |
Additionally, paragraph (c)(2) of Rule 204-2 imposes additional recordkeeping requirements on investment advisers that execute proxy voting authority, as described in the Maintenance of Books and Records section of this Manual.
The Fund is required to describe the policies and procedures that the Company uses to determine how to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities. As such, the Company’s proxy voting guidelines are provided in the Fund’s compliance manual.
The Fund is required to disclose annually the complete proxy voting record on Form N-PX, which provides information relating to how it voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30, not later than August 31 of each year.
The Advisers Act lacks specific guidance regarding an adviser’s duty to direct clients’ participation in class actions. However, many investment advisers adopt policies and procedures regarding class actions.
A-1
Risks
In developing these policies and procedures, Paralel considered numerous risks associated with the proxy voting process. This analysis includes risks such as:
| ● | Paralel lacks written proxy voting policies and procedures; |
| ● | Proxies are not identified and processed in a timely manner; |
| ● | Proxies are not voted in Funds’ best interests; |
| ● | Conflicts of interest between Paralel and a Fund are not identified or resolved appropriately; |
| ● | Paralel votes a proxy before the issuer files additional soliciting materials with the SEC; |
| ● | Proxy voting records, Client requests for proxy voting information, and Paralel’s responses to such requests, are not properly maintained; |
| ● | Paralel lacks policies and procedures regarding Funds’ participation in class actions; and |
| ● | Paralel fails to maintain documentation associated with Funds’ participation in class actions. |
Policies and Procedures
Paralel will rely on the Proxy Voting Procedures of each Fund client in determining how votes are to be cast. If the Fund client does not have Proxy Voting Procedures that provide guidelines on how to vote, Paralel will follow the below guidelines to determine how votes are cast.
Sub-Advisory Relationships
With respect to sub-advisory relationships, Paralel may follow up with the sub-adviser if there is a question about a particular proxy voting decision since the sub-adviser is the investment decision-maker. However, Paralel will rely upon the proxy voting guidelines of each Fund to address how Paralel will generally vote (or factors it will consider) with respect to particular matters, including corporate governance issues, compensation plans (including stock options) and social issues (“Voting Guidelines”), provided no conflict of interest exists.
Proxy Voting Guidelines
Proxies are assets of Paralel’s Funds that must be voted with diligence, care, and loyalty. Paralel will vote each proxy in accordance with its fiduciary duty to its Funds. Paralel will generally seek to vote proxies in a way enhances or protects the economic value of client accounts of the Funds’ assets, when looking at the Funds in aggregate. The Senior Investment Analyst coordinates Paralel’s proxy voting process. Paralel seeks to avoid the occurrence of actual or apparent material conflicts of interest in the proxy voting process by voting in accordance with predetermined voting guidelines and observing other procedures that are intended to guard against and manage conflicts of interest.
Paralel has adopted Institutional Shareholder Services, Inc.’s (“ISS”) standard benchmark proxy voting guidelines. Paralel will apply the most appropriate guidelines to ensure proxy votes are voted consistent with proxy voting policies and procedures and in the best interests of clients. Paralel has created multiple guidelines to cover various markets, including, but not limited to: U.S., Canada, Europe, United Kingdom, Asia, Africa and Australia. Paralel retains the right to override any of ISS’ guidelines on a case-by-case basis. A concise summary of ISS’ current Proxy Voting Guidelines can be found at: http://www.issgovernance.com/policy.
Specifically, the following ISS guidelines are used for each of the following Funds:
| SRH Total Return Fund, Inc. | ISS US Voting Guidelines |
| SRH U.S. Quality GARP ETF | ISS US Voting Guidelines |
| SRH REIT Covered Call ETF | ISS US Voting Guidelines |
Proxy Voting Procedures
Paragraph (c)(ii) of Rule 204-2 under the Advisers Act requires Paralel to maintain certain books and records associated with its proxy voting policies and procedures. Paralel’s recordkeeping obligations are described in the Maintenance of Books and Records section of this Manual. The Senior Investment Analyst will ensure that Paralel complies with all applicable recordkeeping requirements associated with proxy voting.
Paralel has adopted the following proxy voting procedures designed to ensure that proxies are properly identified and voted, and that any conflicts of interest are addressed appropriately:
| ● | Paralel will use an independent, third-party vendor, to implement its proxy voting process as Paralel’s proxy voting agent. This retention is subject to Paralel continuously assessing the vendor’s independence from Paralel and its affiliates, and the vendor’s ability to perform its responsibilities (and, especially, its responsibility to vote client proxies in accordance with Paralel’s proxy voting guidelines) free of any actual, potential or apparent material conflicts of interests that may arise between the interests of the vendor, its affiliates, the vendor’s other clients and the owners, officers or employees of any such firm, on the one hand, and Paralel’s clients, on the other hand. As means of performing this assessment, Paralel will require various reports and notices from the vendor, as well as periodic audits of the vendor’s voting record and other due diligence. |
| ○ | ISS will provide proxy analysis and record keeping services in addition to voting proxies on behalf of Paralel in accordance with this Policy. |
A-2
| ● | On a daily basis, Paralel or designee will send to ISS a holdings file detailing each equity holding held in all accounts over which Paralel has voting authority. |
| ● | Paralel will complete a Vote Authorization Registration with ISS for any new client, which will describe how ballots will be executed on behalf of the client. In addition, Paralel will complete and provide the client’s custodian bank with a Letter of Authorization. The letter will serve as notice that Paralel has retained ISS to act as the voting agent for the securities held in the client’s account and will instruct the custodian bank to forward all ballots, meeting notices, and other proxy materials to ISS. |
| ● | ISS will receive proxy material information from Proxy Edge or the custodian bank for the account. This will include issues to be voted upon, together with a breakdown of holdings for Paralel accounts. ISS will then reconcile information it receives from Proxy Edge and custodian banks. Any discrepancies will be promptly noted and resolved by ISS, with notice to Paralel. |
| ● | Whenever a vote is solicited, ISS will execute the vote according to Paralel’s Voting Guidelines which will be delivered by Paralel to ISS as discussed in these policies and procedures. Changes will be promptly provided to ISS. |
| ○ | If ISS is unsure how to vote a particular proxy, ISS will issue a request for voting instructions to Paralel over a secure website. Paralel personnel will check this website regularly. The request will be accompanied by a recommended vote. The recommended vote will be based upon ISS’ understanding of the Voting Guidelines previously delivered to ISS. Paralel will promptly provide ISS with any amendments or modifications to the Voting Guidelines if necessary. Paralel will return a final instruction to vote to ISS, which ISS will record with Proxy Edge or the custodian bank as the agent. |
| ● | Each time that ISS sends Paralel a request to vote, the request will be accompanied by the recommended vote determined in accordance with Paralel’s Voting Guidelines. ISS will vote as indicated in the request unless (i) the Fund has reserved discretion, (ii) Paralel, in communication with the sub-adviser, determines that the best interest of clients requires a different vote. In such situations, ISS will vote based on the direction of the client or Paralel, as the case may be. |
| ● | ISS will have procedures in place to ensure that a vote is cast on every security holding maintained by Paralel on which a vote is solicited. On a yearly basis, or as required by our clients, Paralel will receive a report from ISS detailing Paralel’s voting for the previous period. |
| ● | To the extent that proxy issues arise that are not contemplated by the Voting Guidelines, the person responsible for voting (e.g., Proxy Administrator or Representative) will consult with the portfolio manager at the sub-adviser (if any), or , if appropriate, the CCO or counsel, to determine how to vote the proxy and will record a brief summary of the rationale behind the decision. Similarly, if Paralel votes a proxy contrary to the principles set forth in the Voting Guidelines, the person responsible for voting will record a summary of the rationale behind the decision, including the identities of the persons consulted on the matter. |
| ● | Paralel will identify any conflicts that exist between the interests of Paralel and its Funds by reviewing the relationship of Paralel and the sub-adviser with the issuer of each security to determine if Paralel or the sub-adviser, or any of their personnel, have any financial, business or personal relationship with the issuer. |
| ● | Paralel will not neglect its proxy voting responsibilities, but it may abstain from voting if it deems that abstaining is in its Funds’ best interests. For example, Paralel may be unable to vote securities that have been lent by the custodian. |
| ● | ISS will retain the following information in connection with each proxy vote: |
| ○ | The Issuer’s name; |
| ○ | The security’s ticker symbol or CUSIP, as applicable; |
| ○ | The shareholder meeting date; |
A-3
| ○ | The number of shares that Paralel voted; |
| ○ | A brief identification of the matter voted on; |
| ○ | Whether the matter was proposed by the Issuer or a security-holder; |
| ○ | Whether Paralel cast a vote; |
| ○ | How Paralel cast its vote (for the proposal, against the proposal, or abstain); and |
| ● | Whether Paralel cast its vote with or against management. |
| ● | Any attempt to influence the proxy voting process by Issuers or others not identified in these policies and procedures should be promptly reported to the CCO. Similarly, any Fund’s attempt to influence proxy voting with respect to other Funds’ securities should be promptly reported to the Fund CCO. |
| ● | Proxies received after a Fund terminates its advisory relationship with Paralel will not be voted. |
Voting Proxies for Loaned Securities
Neither Paralel nor the Proxy Voting Service will be able to vote proxies for any securities loaned out of a Fund account. In the event that Paralel is aware of a material vote on behalf of a Fund and Paralel has the ability to call back loans and is aware of the securities on loan by the custodian, Paralel may call back the loan and vote the proxies if time permits.
Class Actions and Corporate Actions
To the extent that the Company receives notice of a class action or corporate action in which a Fund is entitled to participate, the Company will direct the Fund’s participation in accordance with its fiduciary duty. With respect to corporate actions that require investment discretion, Paralel intends to delegate the investment decision-making process to the Fund’s sub-adviser. Should a situation require Paralel make a decision, the Company will review a variety of factors and make a determination with respect to the corporate action.
Disclosures to Funds
The Company will provide an annual certification as to its adherence to its proxy voting policies to each Fund Board.
As a matter of policy, the Company does not disclose how it expects to vote on upcoming proxies.
Form N-PX
In addition, Paralel shall complete a Form N-PX Report as of June 30 for the preceding twelve months, which is filed not later than August 31 of each year.
Paralel’s CCO or designee, along with the Fund Administrator, will review the Form N-PX for each fund prior to filing such report to ensure, on a reasonable basis, the completeness and accuracy of the filing.
A-4
PROSPECTUS
February 27, 2026
SRH REIT Covered Call ETF - SRHR
Principal U.S. Listing Exchange: NYSE Arca, Inc.
THE U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION (“SEC”) HAS NOT APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED OF THESE SECURITIES OR PASSED UPON THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS PROSPECTUS. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1
SRH REIT COVERED CALL ETF - SRHR
SUMMARY
The investment objective of the SRH REIT Covered Call ETF (the “Fund”) is to provide total return.
The following table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund (“Shares”). You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table and Example below.
| Management Fees | |||
| Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees | |||
| Other Expenses | |||
| Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses |
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your Shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. The Example does not take into account brokerage commissions that you may pay on your purchases and sales of Shares. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
| 1 Year | 3 Years | 5 Years | 10 Years |
| $ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
The
Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio).
A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Shares are held in
a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s
performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was
REIT Portfolio
SRH Advisors, LLC (the “Sub-Adviser”), a sub-adviser to the Fund, will select approximately 20-30 REITs for inclusion in the Fund’s portfolio based on several quantitative and qualitative factors to isolate candidates likely to provide long-term capital appreciation and annual distribution growth. These factors include the REIT’s organic net operating income growth (defined as the net operating income growth attributable to the REIT’s existing businesses, excluding any income derived as a result of corporate activities, such as mergers and asset acquisitions), the estimated fair value of its underlying real estate properties, the quality of its underlying real estate properties, and the Sub-Adviser’s assessment of the REIT’s managerial team’s investment strategy (i.e. management’s stated strategy in regards to the management and operation of the REIT’s portfolio), experience, and alignment of incentives with that strategy. In addition, the Sub-Adviser considers the REIT’s subsector focus (such as residential, self-storage, infrastructure, office, etc.) in the context of prevailing macroeconomic and industry trends when selecting REITs for the Fund’s portfolio.
REITs may be sold when the Sub-Adviser observes a significant negative change in one of the selection factors such as a change in management or management strategy, the organic growth slows, or the valuation of the underlying assets declines. Additionally, in connection with the option strategy discussed below, a REIT may be sold if a call option written by the Fund on that specific REIT is exercised.
1
Option Strategy
The Fund also employs an option strategy by writing U.S. exchange-traded covered call options on select securities in the REIT portfolio with the goal of generating additional income and selective repurchase of such options. A call option written (sold) by the Fund gives the holder (buyer) the right to buy a certain security at a predetermined strike price from the Fund. The strategy generates income for the Fund from the price (premium) paid by the buyer for the option contract. The intention of the Fund is to reduce risk and enhance total return by tactically selling call options on some or all of the securities in the REIT portfolio. The call options may not correspond to approximately 100% of the value of the securities held by the Fund, therefore representing a partially covered strategy. The Fund is not obligated to write call options on every REIT in the portfolio and at times, it may have very few call option positions. The Sub-Adviser determines to sell a covered call on a particular security based on a variety of criteria, including, but not limited to, the premiums available, liquidity of the option contract or underlying REIT, the prospective capital appreciation of the security, and the market environment. The call options written (sold) may either be traditional exchange-listed options or FLexible EXchange (“FLEX”) options. The implications of the written (sold) FLEX call options are describe in more detail here:
Call Options – When the Fund sells a call option, the Fund receives a premium in exchange for an obligation to sell shares of a reference asset at a strike price on the expiration date if the buyer of the call option exercises it. If the reference asset closes above the strike price as of the expiration date and the buyer exercises the call option, the Fund will have to pay the difference between the value of the reference asset and the strike price. If the reference asset closes below the strike price as of the expiration date, the call option may end up worthless and the Fund retains the premium.
FLEX Options – FLEX options are options guaranteed by the Options Clearing Corporation (OCC), that allow investors to customize key contract terms, including expiration date, exercise style, and exercise price, and expanded position limits. Because FLEX options may not trade regularly, a model-based valuation for the FLEX options that references the quoted prices for listed options may be used to value the FLEX options.
Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund
The
principal risks of investing in the Fund are summarized below. Each risk summarized below is considered a “principal risk”
of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears.
| ● | REIT Risk. The value of investments in REIT shares may decline because of adverse developments affecting the real estate industry and real property values. In general, real estate values can be affected by a variety of factors, including supply and demand for properties, the economic health of the country or of different regions, and the strength of specific industries that rent properties. Also, qualification as a REIT under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”) in any particular year is a complex analysis that depends on a number of factors. There can be no assurance that an entity in which the Fund invests with the expectation that it will be taxed as a REIT will, in fact, qualify as a REIT. An entity that fails to qualify as a REIT would be subject to a corporate level tax, would not be entitled to a deduction for dividends paid to its shareholders and would not pass through to its shareholders the character of income earned by the entity. |
| ● | Real Estate Investment Risk. The Fund concentrates its investments in real estate companies such as REITs. As such, the Fund is subject to risks associated with the direct ownership of real estate securities and an investment in the Fund will be closely linked to the performance of the real estate markets. These risks include, among others: declines in the value of real estate; risks related to general and local economic conditions; possible lack of availability of mortgage funds or other limits to accessing the credit or capital markets; defaults by borrowers or tenants, particularly during an economic downturn; and changes in interest rates. Real estate is highly sensitive to general and local economic conditions and developments and is characterized by intense competition and periodic overbuilding. Many real estate companies, including REITs, utilize leverage (and some may be highly leveraged), which increases investment risk and the risk normally associated with debt financing, and could potentially magnify the Fund’s losses. |
| ○ | Concentration Risk. Real estate companies may own a limited number of properties and concentrate their investments in a particular geographic region or property type. |
| ○ | Equity REITs Risk. Certain REITs may make direct investments in real estate, often referred to as “Equity REITs.” Equity REITs earn rental income from leasing those properties and may realize gains or losses when selling the properties. Equity REITs will be affected by conditions in the real estate rental market. |
| ○ | Interest Rate Risk. Rising interest rates could result in higher costs of capital for real estate companies, which could negatively affect a real estate company’s ability to meet its payment obligations. On the other hand, declining interest rates could result in increased prepayment on loans and require redeployment of capital in less desirable investments by such real estate company. Thus, rising interest rates and/or declining interest rates may cause the value of the Fund’s investments to decline. |
2
| ○ | Leverage Risk. Real estate companies may use leverage (and some may be highly leveraged). Leverage, and the financial covenants related thereto, may increase investment risk and the risks normally associated with debt financing and adversely affect a company’s operations and market value, especially during periods of rising interest rates. |
| ○ | Liquidity Risk. Investing in real estate companies may involve risks similar to those associated with investing in small- capitalization companies. Lower trading volume in a real estate company shares means that buy and sell transactions in those shares could have a magnified impact on share price. In addition, real estate is relatively illiquid and, therefore, a real estate company may have a limited ability to vary or liquidate its investments at opportune times. |
| ○ | Operational Risk. Real estate companies are dependent upon management skills and may have limited financial resources. Real estate companies are generally not diversified and may be subject to heavy cash flow dependency, default by borrowers and self-liquidation. A real estate company may also have joint ventures in certain of its properties and, consequently, its ability to control decisions relating to such properties may be limited. |
| ○ | Property Risk. Real estate companies may be subject to risks relating to functional obsolescence or reduced desirability of properties; extended vacancies due to economic conditions and tenant bankruptcies; catastrophic events such as earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes and terrorist acts; casualty or condemnation losses; and demographic trends, such as population shifts, changing tastes and values, and other legal, cultural, technological, global or local economic developments. |
| ○ | Regulatory Risk. Real estate income and values may be adversely affected by a wide range of rules, regulations, and government actions pertaining to taxes, zoning, and the environment. |
| o | Repayment Risk. The prices of real estate company securities may drop because of the failure of borrowers to repay their loans, poor management, or the inability to obtain financing either on favorable terms or at all. If the properties do not generate sufficient income to meet operating expenses, ground lease payments, tenant improvements, third-party leasing commissions and other capital expenditures, the income and ability of the real estate companies to make payments of interest and principal on their loans will be adversely affected. |
| ○ | U.S. Tax Risk. Certain U.S. real estate companies, such as REITs, are subject to special U.S. federal tax requirements. A REIT that fails to comply with such tax requirements may be subject to U.S. federal income taxation, which may affect the value of the REIT and the characterization of the REIT’s distributions. The U.S. federal tax requirement that a REIT distributes substantially all of its net income to its shareholders may result in the REIT having insufficient capital for future expenditures. |
| ● | Covered Call Risk. The writer of a covered call option forgoes any profit from increases in the market value of the underlying security covering the call option above the sum of the premium and the strike price of the call but retains the risk of loss if the underlying security declines in value. The Fund has no control over the exercise of the option by the option holder and may lose the benefit from any capital appreciation on the underlying security. |
| ● | Equity Market Risk. The equity securities held in the Fund’s portfolio, including REITs, may experience sudden, unpredictable drops in value or long periods of decline in value. This may occur because of factors that affect securities markets generally or factors affecting specific issuers, industries, or sectors in which the Fund invests. Common stocks are generally exposed to greater risk than other types of securities, such as preferred stock and debt obligations, because common stockholders generally have inferior rights to receive payment from issuers. In addition, local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, spread of infectious diseases or other public health issues, recessions, or other events could have a significant negative impact on the Fund and its investments. For example, the global pandemic caused by COVID-19, a novel coronavirus, and the aggressive responses taken by many governments, including closing borders, restricting international and domestic travel, and the imposition of prolonged quarantines or similar restrictions, has had negative impacts, and in many cases severe impacts, on markets worldwide. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused prolonged disruptions to the normal business operations of companies around the world and the impact of such disruptions is hard to predict. Such events may affect certain geographic regions, countries, sectors and industries more significantly than others. Such events could adversely affect the prices and liquidity of the Fund’s portfolio securities or other instruments and could result in disruptions in the trading markets. |
3
| ● | ETF Risks. The Fund is an ETF, and, as a result of an ETF’s structure, it is exposed to the following risks: |
| ○ | Authorized Participants, Market Makers, and Liquidity Providers Concentration Risk. The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as Authorized Participants (“APs”). In addition, there may be a limited number of market makers and/or liquidity providers in the marketplace. To the extent either of the following events occur, Shares may trade at a material discount to NAV and possibly face delisting: (i) APs exit the business or otherwise become unable to process creation and/or redemption orders and no other APs step forward to perform these services, or (ii) market makers and/or liquidity providers exit the business or significantly reduce their business activities and no other entities step forward to perform their functions. |
| ○ | Costs of Buying or Selling Shares. Due to the costs of buying or selling Shares, including brokerage commissions imposed by brokers and bid-ask spreads, frequent trading of Shares may significantly reduce investment results and an investment in Shares may not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments. |
| ○ | Shares May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV. As with all ETFs, Shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. Although it is expected that the market price of Shares will approximate the Fund’s NAV, there may be times when the market price of Shares is more than the NAV intra-day (premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (discount) due to supply and demand of Shares or during periods of market volatility. This risk is heightened in times of market volatility, periods of steep market declines, and periods when there is limited trading activity for Shares in the secondary market, in which case such premiums or discounts may be significant. |
| ○ | Trading. Although Shares are listed for trading on NYSE Arca, Inc. (the “Exchange”) and may be traded on U.S. exchanges other than the Exchange, there can be no assurance that Shares will trade with any volume, or at all, on any stock exchange. In stressed market conditions, the liquidity of Shares may begin to mirror the liquidity of the Fund’s underlying portfolio holdings, which can be significantly less liquid than Shares, and this could lead to differences between the market price of the Shares and the underlying value of those Shares. |
| ● | Derivatives Risk. The Fund’s use of options involves risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other traditional investments. These risks include (i) the risk that the counterparty to a derivative transaction may not fulfill its contractual obligations; (ii) the risk of mispricing or improper valuation; and (iii) the risk that changes in the value of an option may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset, rate or index. Derivative prices may be highly volatile at times and may fluctuate substantially during a short period of time. |
| ● | FLEX Options Risk: The Fund may utilize FLEX options issued and guaranteed for settlement by the OCC. The Fund bears the risk that the OCC will be unable to, or unwilling to, perform their obligations under the contracts. In the unlikely event that the OCC cannot meet their obligations, the Fund could suffer significant losses. Additionally, FLEX options may be more illiquid than other securities, including traditional options. To the extent that the FLEX options may not be expected to experience regular trading, the FLEX options held by the Fund may be valued based on a price quotation or other equivalent indication of value supplied by a pricing service, rather than based on a price last traded on an exchange. In less liquid markets for FLEX options, the Fund may have difficulty entering into or closing out certain positions at designated times and/or prices. With the creation and redemption of Shares, to the extent market participants are not willing or able to enter into FLEX option transactions with the Fund at prices that reflect the market price of the Shares, the Fund’s NAV and, in turn the share price of the Fund, could suffer significant losses. The Fund may experience substantial downside from specific FLEX option positions, and some may expire worthless. As a FLEX option approaches the predetermined expiration date, its value typically moves in parallel with the value of its underlying reference asset. However, prior to such date, the value of the FLEX options may not increase or decrease at the same rate as the reference asset’s share price on a day-to-day basis. The value of the underlying FLEX options will be affected by many market factors, such as changes in the reference asset’s share price, interest rates, the volatility of the reference asset, and the remaining time until the FLEX options expire. |
| ● | Options Premium Tax Risk: The Fund’s investment strategy may limit its ability to distribute dividends eligible for treatment as qualified dividend income, which for non-corporate shareholders are subject to federal income tax at rates of up to 20%. The Fund’s investment strategy may also limit its ability to distribute dividends eligible for the dividends-received deduction for corporate shareholders. For these reasons, a significant portion of distributions received by Fund shareholders may be subject to tax at effective tax rates that are higher than the rates that would apply if the Fund were to engage in a different investment strategy. You should consult your tax advisor as to the tax consequences of acquiring, owning and disposing of Shares in the Fund. |
| ● | Market Capitalization Risk |
| ○ | Large-Capitalization Investing. The Fund’s performance may be adversely affected if securities of large cap companies underperform securities of smaller-capitalization companies or the market as a whole. The securities of large cap companies may be relatively mature compared to smaller companies and therefore subject to slower growth during times of economic expansion. Large-capitalization companies may also be unable to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in technology and consumer tastes. |
4
| ○ | Mid-Capitalization Investing. The Fund may invest in the securities of mid-capitalization companies. As a result, the Fund’s performance may be adversely affected if securities of mid-capitalization companies underperform securities of other capitalization ranges or the market as a whole. Securities of smaller companies are often more vulnerable to market volatility than securities of larger companies. |
| ○ | Small-Capitalization Investing. The Fund may invest in the securities of small-capitalization companies. As a result, the Fund may be more volatile than funds that invest in larger, more established companies. The securities of small-capitalization companies generally trade in lower volumes and are subject to greater and more unpredictable price changes than larger capitalization stocks or the stock market as a whole. Small-capitalization companies may be particularly sensitive to changes in interest rates, government regulation, borrowing costs and earnings. |
| ● | Active Management Risk. The Sub-Adviser’s judgments about the growth, value or potential appreciation of an investment may prove to be incorrect or fail to have the intended results, which could adversely impact the Fund’s performance and cause it to underperform relative to its benchmark, or not to achieve its investment objective. |
| ● | Non-Diversification Risk. The Fund is non-diversified and can invest a greater portion of its assets in the obligations or securities of a small number of issuers or any single issuer than a diversified fund can. A change in the value of one or a few issuers’ securities will therefore affect the value of the Fund more than if it was a diversified fund. |
| ● | Allocation Risk. If the Fund’s strategy for allocating assets among different subsectors of REITs does not work as intended, the Fund may not achieve its objective or may underperform other funds with the same or similar investment strategy. |
| ● | Concentration Risk. Because the Fund will invest more than 25% of its assets in the real estate industry, the Fund is subject to greater volatility risk than a fund that is not concentrated in a single industry. The Fund’s investments may be concentrated in regions or states, which exposes the Fund to region- or state-specific economic risks. |
Updated
performance information is available on the Fund’s website at

| Return | Quarter/Year | ||
| - |
1 Year |
Since Inception ( | ||
| Returns before taxes | - |
||
| Returns after taxes on distributions | - |
||
| Returns after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares | - |
S&P
500 Total Return Index |
|||
Morningstar
US Real Estate Sector Index |
5
Management
| Adviser: | Paralel Advisors LLC |
| Sub-Adviser: | SRH Advisors, LLC |
| Sub-Adviser Portfolio Managers: | Jacob Hemmer, since Fund inception |
| Trading Sub-Adviser: | Vident Asset Management |
| Trading Sub-Adviser Portfolio Managers: | Rafael Zayas, CFA, and Austin Wen, CFA, each since Fund inception, Yin Bhuyan since 2025 |
Purchase and Sale of Shares
Shares are listed on the Exchange, and individual Shares may only be bought and sold in the secondary market through brokers at market prices, rather than NAV. Because Shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, Shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount).
The Fund issues and redeems Shares at NAV only in large blocks known as “Creation Units,” which only APs (typically, broker- dealers) may purchase or redeem. The Fund generally issues and redeems Creation Units in exchange for a portfolio of securities and/ or a designated amount of U.S. cash.
Investors may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase Shares (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for Shares (ask) when buying or selling Shares in the secondary market (the “bid-ask spread”). Recent information about the Fund, including its NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads is available on the Fund’s website at srhfunds.com.
Tax Information
Fund distributions are generally taxable as ordinary income or capital gains (or a combination), unless your investment is in an IRA or other tax-advantaged account. Distributions on investments made through tax-deferred arrangements may be taxed later upon withdrawal of assets from those accounts.
Financial Intermediary Compensation
If you purchase Shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank) (an “Intermediary”), the Adviser or its affiliates may pay Intermediaries for certain activities related to the Fund, including participation in activities that are designed to make Intermediaries more knowledgeable about exchange traded products, including the Fund, or for other activities, such as marketing, educational training or other initiatives related to the sale or promotion of Shares. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the Intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Any such arrangements do not result in increased Fund expenses. Ask your salesperson or visit the Intermediary’s website for more information.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUND
Additional Information About the Fund’s Investment Objective. The investment objective of the Fund is to provide total return. The Fund’s investment objective may be changed by the Board of Trustees (the “Board”) of Elevation Series Trust (the “Trust”) upon 60 days’ written notice to shareholders.
Additional Information About the Fund’s Investment Strategies. The Fund has adopted the following policy to comply with Rule 35d-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940. The policy has been adopted as a non-fundamental investment policy and may be changed without shareholder approval upon 60 days’ written notice to shareholders.
6
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets in REITs. The Fund defines a REIT as a company that invests in real estate and derives its income from rents or sales of real property or interest on loans secured by mortgages on real property, and includes holding or parent companies that own REITs.
The Sub-Adviser will select approximately 20-30 REITs for the Fund based on several quantitative and qualitative factors to isolate candidates likely to provide long-term capital appreciation and annual distribution growth. These factors include the REIT’s organic net operating income growth (defined as the net operating income growth attributable to the REIT’s existing businesses, excluding any income derived as a result of corporate activities, such as mergers and asset acquisitions), the estimated fair value of its underlying real estate properties, the quality of its underlying real estate properties, and the Sub-Adviser’s assessment of the REIT’s managerial team’s investment strategy (i.e. management’s stated strategy in regards to the management and operation of the REIT’s portfolio), experience, and alignment of incentives with that strategy. In addition, The Sub-Adviser considers the REIT’s subsector focus (such as residential, self-storage, infrastructure, office, etc.) in the context of prevailing macroeconomic and industry trends when selecting REITs for the Fund’s portfolio.
In addition, the Fund strategically implements an option strategy consisting of writing (selling) U.S. exchange-traded covered call options on the REITs in the Fund’s portfolio with the goal of generating additional income. A call option written (sold) by the Fund gives the holder (buyer) the right to buy a certain security at a predetermined strike price from the Fund. The call options generally have an expiration date of one to six months, although the Sub-Adviser may write options with a shorter or longer duration if it believes the terms of the option are superior to others. The strategy generates income for the Fund from the price (premium) paid by the buyer for the option contract. The intention of the Fund is to reduce risk and enhance total return by tactically selling call options on some or all of the securities in the REIT portfolio, although such call options also reduce the Fund’s ability to profit from increases in the value of its REIT portfolio. The Fund is not obligated to write call options on every REIT in the portfolio and at times, it may have very few call options positions. The Sub-Adviser determines to sell a covered call on a particular security based on a variety of criteria, including, but not limited to, the premiums available, liquidity of the option contract or underlying REIT, the prospective capital appreciation of the security, and the market environment.
Additional Information About the Fund’s Principal Risks. This section provides additional information regarding the principal risks described in the Fund Summary. Each risk described below is considered a “principal risk” of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears. Each of the factors below could have a negative impact on the applicable Fund’s performance and trading prices.
| ● | REIT Risk. Investments in REITs will subject the Fund to various risks. REIT share prices may decline because of adverse developments affecting the real estate industry and real property values. In general, real estate values can be affected by a variety of factors, including supply and demand for properties, the economic health of the country or of different regions, and the strength of specific industries that rent properties. REITs often invest in highly leveraged properties. Returns from REITs, which typically are small or medium capitalization stocks, may trail returns from the overall stock market. In addition, changes in interest rates may hurt real estate values or make REIT shares less attractive than other income- producing investments. REITs are also subject to heavy cash flow dependency, defaults by borrowers and self-liquidation. |
Qualification as a REIT under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, in any particular year is a complex analysis that depends on a number of factors. There can be no assurance that an entity in which the Fund invests with the expectation that it will be taxed as a REIT will, in fact, qualify as a REIT. An entity that fails to qualify as a REIT would be subject to a corporate level tax, would not be entitled to a deduction for dividends paid to its shareholders and would not pass through to its shareholders the character of income earned by the entity. If the Fund were to invest in an entity that failed to qualify as a REIT, such failure could significantly reduce the Fund’s yield on that investment. REITs can be classified as equity REITs, mortgage REITs and hybrid REITs. Equity REITs invest primarily in real property and earn rental income from leasing those properties. They may also realize gains or losses from the sale of properties. Equity REITs will be affected by conditions in the real estate rental market and by changes in the value of the properties they own. Mortgage REITs invest primarily in mortgages and similar real estate interests and receive interest payments from the owners of the mortgaged properties. Mortgage REITs will be affected by changes in creditworthiness of borrowers and changes in interest rates. Hybrid REITs invest both in real property and in mortgages. Equity and mortgage REITs are dependent upon management skills, may not be diversified and are subject to the risks of financing projects.
Dividends paid by REITs will not generally qualify for the reduced U.S. federal income tax rates applicable to qualified dividends under the Code. The Fund’s investments in REITs may include an additional risk to shareholders. Some or all of a REIT’s annual distributions to its investors may constitute a non-taxable return of capital. Any such return of capital will generally reduce the Fund’s basis in the REIT investment, but not below zero. To the extent the distributions from a particular REIT exceed the Fund’s basis in such REIT, the Fund will generally recognize gain. In part because REIT distributions often include a nontaxable return of capital, Fund distributions to shareholders may also include a nontaxable return of capital. Shareholders that receive such a distribution will also reduce their tax basis in their shares of the Fund, but not below zero. To the extent the distribution exceeds a shareholder’s basis in the Fund’s shares, such shareholder will generally recognize a capital gain. The Fund does not have any investment restrictions with respect to investments in REITs.
7
| ● | Real Estate Investment Risk. The Fund concentrates its investments in real estate companies such as REITs. As such, the Fund is subject to risks associated with the direct ownership of real estate securities and an investment in the Fund will be closely linked to the performance of the real estate markets. These risks include, among others: declines in the value of real estate; risks related to general and local economic conditions; possible lack of availability of mortgage funds or other limits to accessing the credit or capital markets; defaults by borrowers or tenants, particularly during an economic downturn; and changes in interest rates. Real estate is highly sensitive to general and local economic conditions and developments and is characterized by intense competition and periodic overbuilding. Many real estate companies, including REITs, utilize leverage (and some may be highly leveraged), which increases investment risk and the risk normally associated with debt financing, and could potentially magnify the Fund’s losses. |
| ○ | Concentration Risk. Real estate companies may own a limited number of properties and concentrate their investments in a particular geographic region or property type. |
| ○ | Equity REITs Risk. Certain REITs may make direct investments in real estate, often referred to as “Equity REITs.” Equity REITs invest primarily in real properties and earn rental income from leasing those properties, and may realize gains or losses from the sale of properties. Equity REITs will be affected by conditions in the real estate rental market and by changes in the value of the properties they own. A decline in rental income may occur because of extended vacancies, limitations on rents, the failure to collect rents, increased competition from other properties or poor management. Equity REITs also can be affected by rising interest rates, discussed below. |
| ○ | Interest Rate Risk. Rising interest rates could result in higher costs of capital for real estate companies, which could negatively affect a real estate company’s ability to meet its payment obligations. Declining interest rates could result in increased prepayment on loans and require redeployment of capital in less desirable investments by such real estate company. Rising interest rates may cause investors to demand a high annual yield from future distributions that, in turn, could decrease the market prices for such REITs. Because many real estate projects are dependent upon receiving financing, this could cause the value of the REITs in which the Fund invests to decline. |
| ○ | Leverage Risk. Real estate companies may use leverage (and some may be highly leveraged), which increases investment risk and the risks normally associated with debt financing, and could adversely affect a company’s operations and market value in periods of rising interest rates. Financial covenants related to a real estate company’s leveraging may affect the ability of it to operate effectively. |
| ○ | Liquidity Risk. Investing in real estate companies may involve risks similar to those associated with investing in small- capitalization companies. There may be less trading in real estate company shares, which means that buy and sell transactions in those shares could have a magnified impact on share price, resulting in additional and significant volatility. In addition, real estate is relatively illiquid and, therefore, a real estate company may have a limited ability to vary or liquidate its investments in properties in response to changes in economic or other conditions. |
| ○ | Operational Risk. Real estate companies are dependent upon management skills and may have limited financial resources. Real estate companies are generally not diversified and may be subject to heavy cash flow dependency, default by borrowers and self-liquidation. A real estate company may also have joint ventures in certain of its properties and, consequently, its ability to control decisions relating to such properties may be limited. |
| ○ | Property Risk. Real estate companies may be subject to risks relating to functional obsolescence or reduced desirability of properties; extended vacancies due to economic conditions and tenant bankruptcies; catastrophic events such as earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes and terrorist acts; and casualty or condemnation losses. Real estate income and values also may be greatly affected by demographic trends, such as population shifts, changing tastes and values, or increasing vacancies or declining rents resulting from legal, cultural, technological, global or local economic developments. |
| ○ | Regulatory Risk. Real estate income and values may be adversely affected by applicable domestic laws (including tax laws). Government actions, such as tax increases, zoning law changes or environmental regulations also may have a major impact on real estate. |
| ○ | Repayment Risk. The prices of real estate company securities may drop because of the failure of borrowers to repay their loans, poor management, or the inability to obtain financing either on favorable terms or at all. If the properties do not generate sufficient income to meet operating expenses, including, where applicable, debt service, ground lease payments, tenant improvements, third-party leasing commissions and other capital expenditures, the income and ability of the real estate companies to make payments of interest and principal on their loans will be adversely affected. |
| ○ | U.S. Tax Risk. Certain U.S. real estate companies, such as REITs, are subject to special U.S. federal tax requirements. A REIT that fails to comply with such tax requirements may be subject to U.S. federal income taxation, which may affect the value of the REIT and the characterization of the REIT’s distributions. The U.S. federal tax requirement that a REIT distributes substantially all of its net income to its shareholders may result in the REIT having insufficient capital for future expenditures. |
8
| ● | Covered Call Risk. The writer of a covered call option forgoes any profit from increases in the market value of the underlying security covering the call option above the sum of the premium and the strike price of the call but retains the risk of loss if the underlying security declines in value. The Fund will have no control over the exercise of the option by the option holder and may lose the benefit from any capital appreciation on the underlying security. A number of factors may influence the option holder’s decision to exercise the option, including the value of the underlying security, price volatility, dividend yield and interest rates. To the extent that these factors increase the value of the call option, the option holder is more likely to exercise the option, which may negatively affect the Fund. |
| ● | Equity Market Risk. Common stocks are susceptible to general stock market fluctuations and to volatile increases and decreases in value as market confidence in and perceptions of their issuers change. These investor perceptions are based on various and unpredictable factors including: expectations regarding government, economic, monetary and fiscal policies; inflation and interest rates; economic expansion or contraction; and global or regional political, economic, public health, and banking crises. If you held common stock, or common stock equivalents, of any given issuer, you would generally be exposed to greater risk than if you held preferred stocks and debt obligations of the issuer because common stockholders, or holders of equivalent interests, generally have inferior rights to receive payments from issuers in comparison with the rights of preferred stockholders, bondholders, and other creditors of such issuers. |
Financial markets in the United States and around the world experienced extreme and, in many cases, unprecedented and severe losses due to the global pandemic caused by COVID-19. The pandemic has resulted in a wide range of social and economic disruptions, including closed borders, voluntary or compelled quarantines of large populations, stressed healthcare systems, reduced or prohibited domestic or international travel, and supply chain disruptions affecting the United States and many other countries. Some sectors of the economy and individual issuers have experienced particularly large losses as a result of these disruptions, and such disruptions may continue for an extended period of time or reoccur in the future to a similar or greater extent. The impact of these events and other epidemics or pandemics in the future could adversely affect Fund performance.
| ● | ETF Risks. The Fund is an ETF, and, as a result of an ETF’s structure, is exposed to the following risks: |
| ○ | APs, Market Makers, and Liquidity Providers Concentration Risk. The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as APs. In addition, there may be a limited number of market makers and/or liquidity providers in the marketplace. To the extent either of the following events occur, Shares may trade at a material discount to NAV and possibly face delisting: (i) APs exit the business or otherwise become unable to process creation and/or redemption orders and no other APs step forward to perform these services, or (ii) market makers and/or liquidity providers exit the business or significantly reduce their business activities and no other entities step forward to perform their functions. |
Costs of Buying or Selling Shares. Investors buying or selling Shares in the secondary market will pay brokerage commissions or other charges imposed by brokers, as determined by that broker. Brokerage commissions are often a fixed amount and may be a significant proportional cost for investors seeking to buy or sell relatively small amounts of Shares. In addition, secondary market investors will also incur the cost of the difference between the price at which an investor is willing to buy Shares (the “bid” price) and the price at which an investor is willing to sell Shares (the “ask” price). This difference in bid and ask prices is often referred to as the “spread” or “bid-ask spread.” The bid-ask spread varies over time for Shares based on trading volume and market liquidity, and the spread is generally lower if Shares have more trading volume and market liquidity and higher if Shares have little trading volume and market liquidity. Further, a relatively small investor base in the Fund, asset swings in the Fund, and/or increased market volatility may cause increased bid-ask spreads. Due to the costs of buying or selling Shares, including bid-ask spreads, frequent trading of Shares may significantly reduce investment results and an investment in Shares may not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments.
| ○ | Shares May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV. As with all ETFs, Shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. Although it is expected that the market price of Shares will approximate the Fund’s NAV, there may be times when the market price of Shares is more than the NAV intra-day (premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (discount) due to supply and demand of Shares or during periods of market volatility. This risk is heightened in times of market volatility, periods of steep market declines, and periods when there is limited trading activity for Shares in the secondary market, in which case such premiums or discounts may be significant. |
| ○ | Trading. Although Shares are listed for trading on the Exchange and may be listed or traded on U.S. and non-U.S. stock exchanges other than the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for such Shares will develop or be maintained. Trading in Shares may be halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the Exchange, make trading in Shares inadvisable. In addition, trading in Shares on the Exchange is subject to trading halts caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant to Exchange “circuit breaker” rules, which temporarily halt trading on the Exchange when a decline in the S&P 500® Index during a single day reaches certain thresholds (e.g., 7%, 13%, and 20%). Additional rules applicable to the Exchange may halt trading in Shares when extraordinary volatility causes sudden, significant swings in the market price of Shares. There can be no assurance that Shares will trade with any volume, or at all, on any stock exchange. In stressed market conditions, the liquidity of Shares may begin to mirror the liquidity of the Fund’s underlying portfolio holdings, which can be significantly less liquid than Shares, and this could lead to differences between the market price of the Shares and the underlying value of those Shares. |
9
| ● | Derivatives Risk. The Fund’s use of options involves risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other traditional investments. These risks include (i) the risk that the counterparty to a derivative transaction may not fulfill its contractual obligations; (ii) the risk of mispricing or improper valuation; and (iii) the risk that changes in the value of an option may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset, rate or index. Derivative prices may be highly volatile at times and may fluctuate substantially during a short period of time. Such prices are influenced by numerous factors that affect the markets, including, but not limited to: changing supply and demand relationships; government programs and policies; national and international political and economic events, changes in interest rates, inflation and deflation and changes in supply and demand relationships |
| ● | FLEX Options Risk. The Fund may utilize FLEX options issued and guaranteed for settlement by the OCC. The Fund bears the risk that the OCC will be unable to, or unwilling to, perform their obligations under the contracts. In the unlikely event that the OCC cannot meet their obligations, the Fund could suffer significant losses. Additionally, FLEX options may be more illiquid than other securities, including traditional options. To the extent that the FLEX options may not be expected to experience regular trading, the FLEX options held by the Fund may be valued based on a price quotation or other equivalent indication of value supplied by a pricing service, rather than based on a price last traded on an exchange. In less liquid markets for FLEX options, the Fund may have difficulty entering into or closing out certain positions at designated times and/or prices. With the creation and redemption of Shares, to the extent market participants are not willing or able to enter into FLEX option transactions with the Fund at prices that reflect the market price of the Shares, the Fund’s net asset value (“NAV”) and, in turn the share price of the Fund, could suffer significant losses. The Fund may experience substantial downside from specific FLEX option positions, and some may expire worthless. As a FLEX option approaches the predetermined expiration date, its value typically moves in parallel with the value of its underlying reference asset. However, prior to such date, the value of the FLEX options may not increase or decrease at the same rate as the reference asset’s share price on a day-to-day basis. The value of the underlying FLEX options will be affected by many market factors, such as changes in the reference asset’s share price, interest rates, the volatility of the reference asset, and the remaining time until the FLEX options expire. |
| ● | Options Premium Tax Risk. The Fund’s investment strategy may limit its ability to distribute dividends eligible for treatment as qualified dividend income, which for non-corporate shareholders are subject to federal income tax at rates of up to 20%. The Fund’s investment strategy may also limit its ability to distribute dividends eligible for the dividends-received deduction for corporate shareholders. For these reasons, a significant portion of distributions received by Fund shareholders may be subject to tax at effective tax rates that are higher than the rates that would apply if the Fund were to engage in a different investment strategy. You should consult your tax advisor as to the tax consequences of acquiring, owning and disposing of Shares in the Fund. |
● Market Capitalization Risk
| ○ | Large-Capitalization Investing. The securities of large-capitalization companies may be relatively mature compared to smaller companies and therefore subject to slower growth during times of economic expansion. Large-capitalization companies may also be unable to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in technology and consumer tastes. |
| ○ | Mid-Capitalization Investing. The securities of mid-capitalization companies may be more vulnerable to adverse issuer, market, political, or economic developments than securities of large- capitalization companies, but they may also be subject to slower growth than small-capitalization companies during times of economic expansion. The securities of mid-capitalization companies generally trade in lower volumes and are subject to greater and more unpredictable price changes than large capitalization stocks or the stock market as a whole, but they may also be nimbler and more responsive to new challenges than large-capitalization companies. Some mid-capitalization companies have limited product lines, markets, financial resources, and management personnel and tend to concentrate on fewer geographical markets relative to large-capitalization companies. |
| ○ | Small-Capitalization Investing. The Fund may invest in the securities of small-capitalization companies. As a result, the Fund may be more volatile than funds that invest in larger, more established companies. The securities of small- capitalization companies generally trade in lower volumes and are subject to greater and more unpredictable price changes than larger capitalization stocks or the stock market as a whole. Small-capitalization companies may be particularly sensitive to changes in interest rates, government regulation, borrowing costs and earnings. |
10
| ● | Active Management Risk. The Fund’s judgments about the growth, value or potential appreciation of an investment may prove to be incorrect or fail to have the intended results, which could adversely impact the Fund’s performance and cause it to underperform relative to its benchmark, or not to achieve its investment goal. |
| ● | Non-Diversification Risk. The Fund is non-diversified and can invest a greater portion of its assets in the obligations or securities of a small number of issuers or any single issuer than a diversified fund can. A change in the value of one or a few issuers’ securities will therefore affect the value of the Fund more than if it was a diversified fund. |
| ● | Allocation Risk. The ability of the Fund to achieve its investment objective depends, in part, on the ability of the Sub-Adviser to allocate effectively the Fund’s assets among the various REIT subsectors. There can be no assurance that the actual allocations will be effective in achieving the Fund’s investment objective or delivering positive returns. |
| ● | Concentration Risk. Because the Fund will invest more than 25% of its assets in the real estate industry, the Fund is subject to greater volatility risk than a fund that is not concentrated in a single industry. The Fund’s investments may be concentrated in regions or states, which exposes the Fund to region- or state-specific economic risks. |
PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS INFORMATION
Information about the Fund’s daily portfolio holdings is available at SRHfunds.com. A description of the Fund’s policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Fund’s portfolio holdings is available in the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”).
MANAGEMENT
Investment Adviser
Paralel Advisors LLC (“Paralel”) serves as the investment adviser to the Fund. Paralel is a SEC registered investment adviser with approximately $2.4 billion in assets under management as of December 31, 2025. Its principal office is located at 1700 Broadway, Suite 2100, Denver, CO 80290. Pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement, the Fund pays Paralel a unitary management fee, which is calculated daily and paid monthly, at an annual rate of 0.75% of the Fund’s average daily net assets. For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2025, the Fund paid Paralel a management fee equal to 0.75% of the Fund’s average daily net assets.
Out of the unitary management fee, Paralel has agreed to pay substantially all expenses of the Fund, including the cost of transfer agency, custody, fund administration, securities lending and other non-distribution related services necessary for the Fund to operate, except for: the management fee paid to Paralel pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement, interest charges on any borrowings, dividends and other expenses on securities sold short, taxes, brokerage commissions and other expenses incurred in placing orders for the purchase and sale of securities and other investment instruments, acquired fund fees and expenses, accrued deferred tax liability, any distribution fees and expenses paid by the Fund under any distribution plan adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, and litigation expenses and other non-routine or extraordinary expenses.
The basis for the Board’s approval of the Fund’s Investment Advisory Agreement and Sub-Advisory Agreement is available in the Fund’s annual N-CSR filing for the period ended October 31, 2025.
Manager of Managers Structure
Section 15(a) of the 1940 Act requires that all contracts pursuant to which persons serve as investment advisers to investment companies be approved by shareholders. This requirement also applies to the appointment of sub-advisers to the Fund. The Trust and the Adviser have received exemptive relief from the SEC (the “Order”), which permits the Adviser, subject to the approval of the Board, including the approval of the Trustees who are not interested persons of the Trust, as defined in the 1940 Act (the “Independent Trustees”), to hire, replace, and/or modify any existing or future sub-advisory agreement with sub-advisers (the “Manager- of-Managers Structure”). The Adviser, subject to the oversight of the Board, has the ultimate responsibility for overseeing the Fund’s sub-advisers and recommending their hiring, termination and replacement. The Order also provides relief from certain disclosure obligations with regard to sub-advisory fees paid by the Adviser (not the Fund). The Order is subject to various conditions, including that the Fund will notify shareholders and provide them with certain information required by the exemptive order within 90 days of hiring a new sub-adviser. The sole initial shareholder of the Fund has approved the Fund’s operation under the Manager-of-Managers Structure as permitted by the Order.
The Manager-of-Managers Structure enables the Trust to operate with greater efficiency by not incurring the expense and delays associated with obtaining shareholder approvals for matters relating to sub-advisers or sub-advisory agreements. Operation of the Fund under the Manager-of-Managers Structure does not permit management fees paid by the Fund to the Adviser to be increased without shareholder approval. Shareholders will be notified of any changes made to the Sub-Adviser or material changes to sub-advisory agreements within 90 days of the change.
11
Sub-Adviser
Paralel has retained SRH Advisors, LLC to serve as the primary sub-adviser to the Fund. The Sub-Adviser is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio and determining the portfolio securities to be bought and sold. The Sub-Adviser, an Alaska limited liability company, is a registered investment adviser and its principal office is located at 2121 E. Crawford Place, Salina, Kansas 67401. The Sub-Adviser was formed in 2008 and provides investment advisory services to a number of private client accounts and serves as sub-adviser to the SRH Total Return Fund, Inc., a closed-end investment company. For its services, the Sub-Adviser is paid a fee by Paralel, not the Fund, out of its management fee.
Trading Sub-Adviser
Paralel has retained Vident Asset Management (“Vident”) to serve as trading sub-adviser for the Fund. Vident is responsible for trading portfolio securities for the Fund. Vident, a registered investment adviser, is owned by Vident Capital Holdings, LLC which is controlled by MM VAM, LLC. MM VAM, LLC is owned by Casey Crawford. Its principal office is located at 1125 Sanctuary Parkway, Suite 515, Alpharetta, Georgia 30009. Vident was formed in 2016 and provides investment advisory services to ETFs, including the Fund. For its services, Vident is paid a fee by Paralel, not the Fund, out of its management fee.
Sub-Adviser Portfolio Managers
The Fund is managed by Jacob Hemmer. Mr. Hemmer is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio.
Jacob Hemmer, CFA, Vice President, Chief Investment Officer, and Portfolio Manager — Mr. Hemmer has over 13 years of investment management experience. He is responsible for the oversight, investment research, and management of the firm’s investment strategies and investment team. Mr. Hemmer is also an investment adviser representative who provides investment management and financial planning services to the Sub-Adviser’s private clients. As of January 1, 2026, Mr. Hemmer serves on the Board of Directors of the SRH Total Return Fund, Inc. Prior to joining the Sub-Adviser in 2018, Mr. Hemmer was a Financial Advisor for Raymond James Financial Services, Inc dba. Hampton Financial from 2012 to 2018. Mr. Hemmer holds a B.S. in Business from Colorado State University and holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.
Vident Portfolio Managers
The Fund’s trading is managed by Vident’s portfolio management team. The individual members of the team responsible for the day- to-day trading of the Fund’s portfolio are listed below.
Rafael Zayas, CFA, Senior Vice President and Head of Portfolio Management & Trading — Mr. Zayas has over 15 years of trading and portfolio management experience in global equity products and ETFs. He is SVP, Head of Portfolio Management and Trading for Vident. Previously, Mr. Zayas focused on international equities, specializing in managing and trading developed, emerging, and frontier market portfolios. Prior to joining Vident, he was a Portfolio Manager at Russell Investments for over $5 billion in quantitative strategies across global markets, including emerging, developed and frontier markets and listed alternatives. Before that, he was an equity Portfolio Manager at BNY Mellon Asset Management, where he was responsible for $150 million in internationally listed global equity ETFs and assisted in managing $3 billion of global ETF assets. Mr. Zayas holds a BS in Electrical Engineering from Cornell University. He also holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.
Austin Wen, CFA, Senior Portfolio Manager — Mr. Wen has over a decade of investment experience. He is a Senior Portfolio Manager at Vident, specializing in portfolio management and trading of equity, derivative, and commodities-based portfolios, as well as risk monitoring and investment analysis. Previously, he was an analyst for Vident Financial, focusing on the development and review of various investment solutions. He began his career as a State Examiner for the Georgia Department of Banking and Finance. Mr. Wen obtained a BA in Finance from the University of Georgia and holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.
Yin Bhuyan, Senior Portfolio Manager – Ms. Bhuyan has over 12 years of expertise in trading and portfolio management, specializing in options and defined outcome ETFs. Prior to joining Vident, Ms. Bhuyan was the Director of ETF Portfolio Management at Milliman Financial Risk Management, LLC, where she focused on managing defined outcome ETFs and index tracking ETFs. She led the ETF portfolio management team, significantly contributing to the growth of assets to $16 billion in defined outcome ETFs. Before that, she traded in the S&P Options Pit at Cboe, specializing in volatility arbitrage and delta-neutral hedging strategies. Ms. Bhuyan holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from National Taipei University and an MBA from the University of Illinois at Chicago.
The Fund’s SAI provides additional information about the portfolio managers’ compensation structure, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers, and the portfolio managers’ ownership of Shares of the Fund.
HOW TO BUY AND SELL SHARES
The Fund issues and redeems Shares at NAV only in Creation Units. Only APs may acquire Shares directly from the Fund, and only APs may tender their Shares for redemption directly to the Fund, at NAV. APs must be a member or participant of a clearing agency registered with the SEC and must execute a Participant Agreement that has been agreed to by the Distributor (defined below), and that has been accepted by the Fund’s transfer agent, with respect to purchases and redemptions of Creation Units. Once created, Shares trade in the secondary market in quantities less than a Creation Unit.
Most investors buy and sell Shares in secondary market transactions through brokers. Shares are listed for trading on the secondary market on the Exchange and can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like other publicly traded securities.
12
When buying or selling Shares through a broker, you will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges, and you may pay some or all of the spread between the bid and the offer price in the secondary market on each leg of a round trip (purchase and sale) transaction. In addition, because secondary market transactions occur at market prices, you may pay more than NAV when you buy Shares and receive less than NAV when you sell those Shares.
Book Entry
Shares are held in book-entry form, which means that no stock certificates are issued. The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) or its nominee is the record owner of all outstanding Shares.
Investors owning Shares are beneficial owners as shown on the records of DTC or its participants. DTC serves as the securities depository for all Shares. DTC’s participants include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and other institutions that directly or indirectly maintain a custodial relationship with DTC. As a beneficial owner of Shares, you are not entitled to receive physical delivery of stock certificates or to have Shares registered in your name, and you are not considered a registered owner of Shares. Therefore, to exercise any right as an owner of Shares, you must rely upon the procedures of DTC and its participants. These procedures are the same as those that apply to any other securities that you hold in book entry or “street name” through your brokerage account.
Frequent Purchases and Redemptions of Shares
The Fund imposes no restrictions on the frequency of purchases and redemptions of Shares. In determining not to approve a written, established policy, the Board evaluated the risks of market timing activities by Fund shareholders. Purchases and redemptions by APs, who are the only parties that may purchase or redeem Shares directly with the Fund, are an essential part of the ETF process and help keep Share trading prices in line with NAV. As such, the Fund accommodates frequent purchases and redemptions by APs. However, the Board has also determined that frequent purchases and redemptions for cash may increase tracking error and portfolio transaction costs and may lead to the realization of capital gains. To minimize these potential consequences of frequent purchases and redemptions, the Fund employs fair value pricing and may impose transaction fees on purchases and redemptions of Creation Units to cover the custodial and other costs incurred by the Fund in effecting trades. In addition, the Fund and the Adviser reserve the right to reject any purchase order at any time.
Determination of NAV
The Fund’s NAV is calculated as of the scheduled close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”), generally 4:00p.m. Eastern time, each day the NYSE is open for business. Each NAV for a Fund is calculated by dividing the applicable Fund’s net assets by its Shares outstanding.
In calculating its NAV, the Fund generally values its assets on the basis of market quotations, last sale prices, or estimates of value furnished by a pricing service or brokers who make markets in such instruments. If the foregoing information is not available for a security held by a Fund or is determined to be unreliable, the security will be valued at fair value estimates under guidelines established by the Board (as described below).
Fair Value Pricing
The Adviser has been designated by the Board as the valuation designee for the Fund pursuant to Rule 2a-5 under the 1940 Act. In its capacity as valuation designee, the Adviser has adopted procedures and methodologies to fair value Fund securities whose market prices are not “readily available” or are deemed to be unreliable. For example, such circumstances may arise when: (i) a security has been de-listed or has had its trading halted or suspended; (ii) a security’s primary pricing source is unable or unwilling to provide a price; (iii) a security’s primary trading market is closed during regular market hours; or (iv) a security’s value is materially affected by events occurring after the close of the security’s primary trading market. The Board has appointed the Adviser as each Fund’s valuation designee to perform all fair valuations of the Funds’ portfolio investments, subject to the Board’s oversight. Accordingly, the Adviser has established procedures for its fair valuation of each Fund’s portfolio investments. Generally, when fair valuing a security held by a Fund, the Adviser will take into account all reasonably available information that may be relevant to a particular valuation including, but not limited to, fundamental analytical data regarding the issuer, information relating to the issuer’s business, recent trades or offers of the security, general and/or specific market conditions and the specific facts giving rise to the need to fair value the security. Fair value determinations are made in good faith and in accordance with the Adviser’s fair value methodologies. Due to the subjective and variable nature of determining the fair value of a security or other investment, there can be no assurance that the Adviser’s fair value will match or closely correlate to any market quotation that subsequently becomes available or the price quoted or published by other sources. In addition, a Fund may not be able to obtain the fair value assigned to the security upon the sale of such security.
Delivery of Shareholder Documents – Householding
Householding is an option available to certain investors of the Fund. Householding is a method of delivery, based on the preference of the individual investor, in which a single copy of certain shareholder documents can be delivered to investors who share the same address, even if their accounts are registered under different names. Householding for the Fund is available through certain broker-dealers. If you are interested in enrolling in householding and receiving a single copy of prospectuses and other shareholder documents, please contact your broker-dealer. If you are currently enrolled in householding and wish to change your householding status, please contact your broker-dealer.
13
DIVIDENDS, DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAXES
Dividends and Distributions
The Fund intends to pay out dividends, if any, monthly. The Fund intends to distribute any net realized capital gains to its shareholders at least annually. The Fund will declare and pay capital gain distributions, if any, in cash. Distributions in cash may be reinvested automatically in additional whole Shares only if the broker through whom you purchased Shares makes such option available. Your broker is responsible for distributing the income and capital gain distributions to you.
Taxes
The following discussion is a summary of some important U.S. federal income tax considerations generally applicable to investments in the Fund. Your investment in the Fund may have other tax implications. Please consult your tax advisor about the tax consequences of an investment in Shares, including the possible application of foreign, state, and local tax laws.
The Fund has elected and intends to qualify each year for treatment as a regulated investment company (a “RIC”) within the meaning of Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). If it meets certain minimum distribution requirements, a RIC is not subject to tax at the fund level on income and gains from investments that are timely distributed to shareholders. However, the Fund’s failure to qualify as a RIC or to meet minimum distribution requirements would result (if certain relief provisions were not available) in fund-level taxation and, consequently, a reduction in income available for distribution to shareholders.
Unless your investment in Shares is made through a tax-exempt entity or tax-advantaged account, such as an IRA plan, you need to be aware of the possible tax consequences when the Fund makes distributions, when you sell your Shares listed on the Exchange, and when you purchase or redeem Creation Units (APs only).
Taxes on Distributions
The Fund intends to distribute, at least annually, substantially all of its net investment income and net capital gains. For federal income tax purposes, distributions of investment income are generally taxable as ordinary income or qualified dividend income. Taxes on distributions of capital gains (if any) are determined by how long the Fund owned the investments that generated them, rather than how long a shareholder has owned his or her Shares. Sales of assets held by the Fund for more than one year generally result in long- term capital gains and losses, and sales of assets held by the Fund for one year or less generally result in short-term capital gains and losses. Distributions of the Fund’s net capital gain (the excess of net long-term capital gains over net short-term capital losses) that are reported by the Fund as capital gain dividends (“Capital Gain Dividends”) will be taxable as long-term capital gains, which for non- corporate shareholders are subject to tax at reduced rates of up to 20% (lower rates apply to individuals in lower tax brackets). Distributions of short-term capital gain will generally be taxable as ordinary income. Dividends and distributions are generally taxable to you whether you receive them in cash or reinvest them in additional Shares.
Distributions reported by the Fund as “qualified dividend income” are generally taxed to non-corporate shareholders at rates applicable to long-term capital gains, provided holding period and other requirements are met. “Qualified dividend income” generally is income derived from dividends paid by U.S. corporations or certain foreign corporations that are either incorporated in a U.S. possession or eligible for tax benefits under certain U.S. income tax treaties. In addition, dividends that the Fund received in respect of stock of certain foreign corporations may be qualified dividend income if that stock is readily tradable on an established U.S. securities market. Corporate shareholders may be entitled to a dividends received deduction for the portion of dividends they receive from the Fund that are attributable to dividends received by the Fund from U.S. corporations, subject to certain limitations.
Under recently issued final Treasury Regulations, a RIC that receives business interest income may pass through its net business interest income for purposes of the tax rules applicable to the interest expense limitations under Section 163(j) of the Code. A RIC’s total “Section 163(j) Interest Dividend” for a tax year is limited to the excess of the RIC’s business interest income over the sum of its business interest expense and its other deductions properly allocable to its business interest income. A RIC may, in its discretion, designate all or a portion of ordinary dividends as Section 163(j) Interest Dividends, which would allow the recipient shareholder to treat the designated portion of such dividends as interest income for purposes of determining such shareholder’s interest expense deduction limitation under Section 163(j). This can potentially increase the amount of a shareholder’s interest expense deductible under Section 163(j). In general, to be eligible to treat a Section 163(j) Interest Dividend as interest income, you must have held your shares in the Fund for more than 180 days during the 361-day period beginning on the date that is 180 days before the date on which the share becomes ex-dividend with respect to such dividend. Section 163(j) Interest Dividends, if so designated by the Fund, will be reported to your financial intermediary or otherwise in accordance with the requirements specified by the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”).
Shortly after the close of each calendar year, you will be informed of the amount and character of any distributions received from the Fund.
14
In general, your distributions are subject to federal income tax for the year in which they are paid. Certain distributions paid in January, however, may be treated as paid on December 31 of the prior year. Distributions are generally taxable even if they are paid from income or gains earned by the Fund before your investment (and thus were included in the Shares’ NAV when you purchased your Shares).
You may wish to avoid investing in the Fund shortly before a dividend or other distribution, because such a distribution will generally be taxable even though it may economically represent a return of a portion of your investment.
If you are neither a resident nor a citizen of the United States or if you are a foreign entity, distributions (other than Capital Gain Dividends) paid to you by the Fund will generally be subject to a U.S. withholding tax at the rate of 30%, unless a lower treaty rate applies. Gains from the sale or other disposition of your Shares generally are not subject to U.S. taxation, unless you are a nonresident alien individual who is physically present in the U.S. for 183 days or more per year. The Fund may, under certain circumstances, report all or a portion of a dividend as an “interest-related dividend” or a “short-term capital gain dividend,” which would generally be exempt from this 30% U.S. withholding tax, provided certain other requirements are met. Different tax consequences may result if you are a foreign shareholder engaged in a trade or business within the United States or if a tax treaty applies.
Under legislation generally known as “FATCA” (the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act), the Fund is required to withhold 30% of certain ordinary dividends it pays to shareholders that are foreign entities and that fail to meet prescribed information reporting or certification requirements.
The Fund (or a financial intermediary, such as a broker, through which a shareholder owns Shares) generally is required to withhold and remit to the U.S. Treasury a percentage of the taxable distributions and sale or redemption proceeds paid to any shareholder who fails to properly furnish a correct taxpayer identification number, who has underreported dividend or interest income, or who fails to certify that he, she or it is not subject to such withholding.
Taxes When Fund Shares are Sold on the Exchange
Any capital gain or loss realized upon a sale of Shares generally is treated as a long-term capital gain or loss if Shares have been held for more than one year and as a short-term capital gain or loss if Shares have been held for one year or less. However, any capital loss on a sale of Shares held for six months or less is treated as long-term capital loss to the extent of Capital Gain Dividends paid with respect to such Shares. Any loss realized on a sale will be disallowed to the extent Shares of the Fund are acquired, including through reinvestment of dividends, within a 61-day period beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the disposition of Shares. The ability to deduct capital losses may be limited.
The cost basis of Shares of the Fund acquired by purchase will generally be based on the amount paid for the Shares and then may be subsequently adjusted for other applicable transactions as required by the Code. The difference between the selling price and the cost basis of Shares generally determines the amount of the capital gain or loss realized on the sale or exchange of Shares. Contact the broker through whom you purchased your Shares to obtain information with respect to the available cost basis reporting methods and elections for your account.
Taxes on Purchases and Redemptions of Creation Units
An AP having the U.S. dollar as its functional currency for U.S. federal income tax purposes who exchanges securities for Creation Units generally recognizes a gain or a loss. The gain or loss will be equal to the difference between the value of the Creation Units at the time of the exchange and the exchanging AP’s aggregate basis in the securities delivered, plus the amount of any cash paid for the Creation Units. An AP who exchanges Creation Units for securities will generally recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the exchanging AP’s basis in the Creation Units and the aggregate U.S. dollar market value of the securities received, plus any cash received for such Creation Units. The IRS may assert, however, that a loss that is realized upon an exchange of securities for Creation Units may not be currently deducted under the rules governing “wash sales” (for an AP who does not mark-to-market their holdings), or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic position. APs exchanging securities should consult their own tax advisor with respect to whether wash sale rules apply and when a loss might be deductible.
Any gain or loss realized upon a creation or redemption of Creation Units will be treated as capital or ordinary gain or loss, depending on the circumstances. Any capital gain or loss realized upon redemption of Creation Units is generally treated as long-term capital gain or loss if Shares have been held for more than one year and as a short-term capital gain or loss if Shares have been held for one year or less.
The Fund may include a payment of cash in addition to, or in place of, the delivery of a basket of securities upon the redemption of Creation Units. The Fund may sell portfolio securities to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. This may cause the Fund to recognize investment income and/or capital gains or losses that it might not have recognized if it had completely satisfied the redemption in-kind. As a result, the Fund may be less tax efficient if it includes such a cash payment in the proceeds paid upon the redemption of Creation Units.
Net Investment Income Tax
U.S. individuals with income exceeding specified thresholds are subject to a 3.8% tax on all or a portion of their “net investment income,” which includes interest, dividends, and certain capital gains (generally including capital gains distributions and capital gains realized on the sale of Shares). This 3.8% tax also applies to all or a portion of the undistributed net investment income of certain shareholders that are estates and trusts.
15
The foregoing discussion summarizes some of the possible consequences under current federal tax law of an investment in the Fund. It is not a substitute for personal tax advice. You also may be subject to state and local tax on Fund distributions and sales of Shares. Consult your personal tax advisor about the potential tax consequences of an investment in Shares under all applicable tax laws. For more information, please see the section entitled “Federal Income Taxes” in the SAI.
DISTRIBUTION
The Distributor, Paralel Distributors LLC, is a broker-dealer registered with the SEC. The Distributor distributes Creation Units for the Fund on an agency basis and does not maintain a secondary market in Shares. The Distributor has no role in determining the policies of the Fund or the securities that are purchased or sold by the Fund. The Distributor’s principal address is 1700 Broadway, Suite 2100, Denver, Colorado 80290 and, along with the Fund’s Adviser, is under common control of the Fund’s Administrator. The Sub-Adviser has an indirect, non-controlling interest in the parent company of the Distributor.
PREMIUM/DISCOUNT INFORMATION
Information regarding how often Shares of the Fund trade on the Exchange at a price above (i.e., at a premium) or below (i.e., at a discount) the NAV of the Fund is available on the Fund’s website at SRHFunds.com.
OTHER INFORMATION AND ADDITIONAL NOTICES
Certain Conditions on Shareholder Legal Actions
Pursuant to the Trust’s primary governing document, the Second Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust, shareholders wishing to pursue a derivative action (a suit brought by a shareholder on behalf of a Fund) are subject to various conditions including that: (i) the Trustees must have a reasonable amount of time to assess the complaining shareholders’ request for action, (ii) at least 10% of shareholders of the Fund must participate in the action (except with respect to claims arising under federal securities laws), and (iii) complaining shareholders must undertake to pay the expenses of advisers that the Trustees engage in consideration of whether to bring an action in the event the Trustees determine not to bring an action (except with respect to claims arising under federal securities laws).
In addition, shareholders wishing to pursue a derivative action (except with respect to claims arising under federal securities laws) must bring the compliant all shareholder legal complaints must be brought in the courts of the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware, or if such court does not have subject matter jurisdiction, any other court with appropriate subject matter jurisdiction in the State of Delaware. For non-federal securities laws claims, this requirement may be inconvenient for some shareholders and may cause such claims to be made in a less favorable forum than otherwise may have been made.
Additional Notices
Shares are not sponsored, endorsed, or promoted by the Exchange. The Exchange makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of the Shares. The Exchange is not responsible for, nor has it participated in, the determination of the timing of, prices of, or quantities of the Shares to be issued, nor in the determination or calculation of the equation by which the Shares are redeemable. The Exchange has no obligation or liability to owners of the Shares in connection with the administration, marketing, or trading of the Shares.
Without limiting any of the foregoing, in no event shall the Exchange have any liability for any lost profits or indirect, punitive, special, or consequential damages even if notified of the possibility thereof.
Neither the Adviser, the Sub-Advisers, nor the Fund make any representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of Shares or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in the Fund particularly.
16
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
The financial highlights tables are intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for each fiscal period shown. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned or lost on an investment in the Fund (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions). This information has been audited by Cohen & Company, Ltd. the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the financial statements, are included in the Fund’s annual N-CSR filing for the period ended October 31, 2025, which is available upon request and free of charge by calling the Fund’s Distributor at 1.877.524.9155.
17
SRH REIT Covered Call ETF
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
| For the Period | ||||||||
| November 1, 2023 | ||||||||
| For the Year | (Commencement of | |||||||
| Ended | Operations) through | |||||||
| October 31, 2025 | October 31, 2024(a) | |||||||
| Net Asset Value - Beginning of Period | $ | 59.35 | $ | 50.23 | ||||
| INCOME FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS: | ||||||||
| Net investment income(b) | 1.61 | 1.50 | ||||||
| Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss) on investments | (3.89 | ) | 11.52 | |||||
| Total from Investment Operations | (2.28 | ) | 13.02 | |||||
| DISTRIBUTIONS: | ||||||||
| From distributable earnings | (2.87 | ) | (3.51 | ) | ||||
| From tax return of capital | (0.85 | ) | (0.39 | ) | ||||
| Total Distributions | (3.72 | ) | (3.90 | ) | ||||
| Net Increase/(Decrease) in net asset value | (6.00 | ) | 9.12 | |||||
| Net Asset Value - End of Period | $ | 53.35 | $ | 59.35 | ||||
| TOTAL RETURN(c) | (3.91 | %) | 26.42 | % | ||||
| RATIOS AND SUPPLEMENTAL DATA: | ||||||||
| Net Assets, end of period (000s) | $ | 48,011 | $ | 53,417 | ||||
| Ratio of net operating expenses to average net assets | 0.75 | % | 0.75 | %(d) | ||||
| Ratio of net investment income to average net assets | 2.88 | % | 2.61 | %(d) | ||||
| Portfolio turnover rate(e)(f) | 38 | % | 44 | % | ||||
| (a) | The net asset value at the beginning of the period represents the initial shares outstanding on November 1, 2023 (Commencement of Operations). |
| (b) | Calculated based on the average number of Fund shares outstanding during each fiscal period. |
| (c) | Total return is calculated assuming an initial investment made at the net asset value at the beginning of the period and redemption at the net asset value on the last day of the period and assuming all distributions are reinvested. Total return calculated for a period of less than one year is not annualized. |
| (d) | Annualized. |
| (e) | Excludes the impact of in-kind transactions. |
| (f) | Portfolio turnover rate for periods less than one full year have not been annualized. |
18
PRIVACY NOTICE
Privacy Statement
Pursuant to SEC Regulation S-P (Privacy of Consumer Financial Information) the Trustees of the Elevation Series Trust (the “Trust”) has established the following policy regarding information about the Trust’s shareholders. We consider all shareholder data to be private and confidential, and we hold ourselves to the highest standards in its safekeeping and use.
General Statement
The Trust may collect nonpublic information (e.g., your name, address, e-mail address, Social Security Number, Trust holdings (collectively, “Personal Information”)) about shareholders from transactions in Trust shares. The Trust will not release Personal Information about current or former shareholders (except as permitted by law) unless one of the following conditions is met: we receive your prior written consent; (ii) we believe the recipient to be you or your authorized representative; (iii) to service or support the business functions of the Trust (as explained in more detail below), or (iv) we are required by law to release Personal Information to the recipient. The Trust have not and will not in the future give or sell Personal Information about their current or former shareholders to any company, individual, or group (except as per mitted by law) and as otherwise provided in this policy.
The Trust may make certain electronic services available to their shareholders and may solicit your email address and contact you by email, telephone or US mail regarding the availability of such services. The Trust may also contact shareholders by email, telephone or US mail in connection with these services, such as to confirm enrollment in electronic shareholder communications or to update your Personal Information. In no event will the Trust transmit your Personal Information via email without your consent.
Use of Personal Information
The Trust will only use Personal Information (i) as necessary to service or maintain shareholder accounts in the ordinary course of business and (ii) to support business functions of the Trust and their affiliated businesses. This means that the Trust may share certain Personal Information, only as per mitted by law, with affiliated businesses of the Trust, and that such information may be used for non- Trust-related solicitation. When Personal Information is shared with the Trust’s business affiliates, the Trust may do so without providing you the option of preventing these types of disclosures as permitted by law.
Safeguards Regarding Personal Information
Internally, we also restrict access to Personal Information to those who have a specific need for the records. We maintain physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards that comply with Federal standards to guard Personal Information. Any doubts about the confidentiality of Personal Information, as required by law, are resolved in favor of confidentiality.
19
SRH REIT Covered Call ETF
| Adviser | Paralel Advisors LLC | Sub-Advisers | SRH Advisors, LLC |
| 1700 Broadway, Suite 2100 | 2121 E. Crawford Place | ||
| Denver, Colorado 80290 | Salina, Kansas 67401 | ||
| Vident Asset Management | |||
| 1125 Sanctuary Parkway, Suite 515 | |||
| Alpharetta, Georgia 30009 | |||
| Custodian, Transfer | State Street | Distributor | Paralel Distributors LLC |
| Agent | One Lincoln Street, | 1700 Broadway, Suite 2100 | |
| Boston, Massachusetts 02111 | Denver, Colorado 80290 | ||
| Legal Counsel | Thompson Hine LLP | Fund Accountant and | Paralel Technologies LLC |
| 41 S. High Street, Suite 1700 | Administrator | 1700 Broadway, Suite 2100 | |
| Columbus, Ohio 43215 | Denver, Colorado 80290 | ||
| Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm | Cohen & Company, Ltd.
8101 East Prentice Avenue, Suite 750 Greenwood Village, Colorado 80111 |
The Fund’s SAI provides additional details about the investments of the Fund and certain other additional information. A current SAI dated February 27, 2026 is on file with the SEC and is herein incorporated by reference into this Prospectus. It is legally considered a part of this Prospectus.
Annual/Semi-Annual Reports: Additional information about the Fund’s investments is available in the Fund’s annual and semi- annual reports to shareholders and in Form N-CSR, where you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance.
To make shareholder inquiries, for more detailed information on the Fund, or to request the SAI, annual or semi-annual shareholder reports, or Form N-CSR free of charge, please call the Fund's Distributor at 1.877.524.9155. Free copies of the Fund's shareholder reports, Prospectus, and the SAI are also available from our website at SRH Funds.com.
Shareholder reports and other information about the Fund are also available, free of charge, on the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s Internet site at www.sec.gov and copies of this information may be obtained, after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov.
No person is authorized to give any information or to make any representations about the Fund and its Shares not contained in this Prospectus and you should not rely on any other information. Read and keep this Prospectus for future reference.
SEC Investment Company Act File No. 811-23812
20
SRH REIT Covered Call ETF (SRHR)
A series of Elevation Series Trust
Listed on NYSE Arca, Inc.
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
February 27, 2026
This Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) is not a prospectus and should be read in conjunction with the prospectus dated February 27, 2026, as may be supplemented from time to time (“Prospectus”), of the SRH REIT Covered Call ETF (the “Fund”), a series of Elevation Series Trust (the “Trust”). Capitalized terms used herein that are not defined have the same meaning as in the Prospectus, unless otherwise noted.
A copy of the Prospectus may be obtained, without charge by calling 1.877.524.9155, visiting SRHFunds.com, or writing to Paralel Distributors LLC, 1700 Broadway Suite 2100, Denver, Colorado 80290.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
i
GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST AND THE FUND
The Trust is an open-end management investment company, currently consisting of multiple investment series. This SAI relates to the Fund. The Trust was organized as a Delaware statutory trust on March 7, 2022. The Trust is registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (together with the rules and regulations adopted thereunder, as amended, the “1940 Act”), as an open-end management investment company, and the offering of the Fund’s shares (“Shares”) is registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). The Trust is governed by its Board of Trustees (the “Board”). Paralel Advisors LLC (“Paralel” or the “Adviser”) serves as investment adviser to the Fund. SRH Advisors, LLC serves as the primary sub-adviser to the Fund (the “Sub-Adviser”) and Vident Asset Management serves as the trading sub-adviser for the Fund (the “Trading Sub-Adviser” or “Vident”). The Fund seeks to provide total return as its investment objective.
The Fund offers and issues Shares at its net asset value (“NAV”) only in aggregations of a specified number of Shares (each, a “Creation Unit”). The Fund generally offers and issues Shares in exchange for a basket of securities (“Deposit Securities”) together with the deposit of a specified cash payment (“Cash Component”). The Trust reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of a “cash in lieu” amount (“Deposit Cash”) to be added to the Cash Component to replace any Deposit Security. Shares are listed on the NYSE Arca, Inc. (the “Exchange”) and trade on the Exchange at market prices that may differ from the Shares’ NAV. Shares are also redeemable only in Creation Unit aggregations, primarily for a basket of Deposit Securities together with a Cash Component. A Creation Unit of the Fund generally consists of 25,000 Shares, though this may change from time to time. As a practical matter, only institutions or large investors purchase or redeem Creation Units. Except when aggregated in Creation Units, Shares are not redeemable securities.
Shares may be issued in advance of receipt of Deposit Securities subject to various conditions, including a requirement to maintain on deposit with the Trust cash at least equal to a specified percentage of the value of the missing Deposit Securities, as set forth in the Participant Agreement (as defined below). The Trust may impose a transaction fee for each creation or redemption. In all cases, such fees will be limited in accordance with the requirements of the SEC applicable to management investment companies offering redeemable securities. As in the case of other publicly traded securities, brokers’ commissions on transactions in the secondary market will be based on negotiated commission rates at customary levels.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES, POLICIES, AND RELATED RISKS
The Fund’s investment objective and principal investment strategies are described in the Prospectus. The following information supplements, and should be read in conjunction with, the Prospectus. For a description of certain permitted investments, see “Description of Permitted Investments” in this SAI.
With respect to the Fund’s investments, unless otherwise noted, if a percentage limitation on investment is adhered to at the time of investment or contract, a subsequent increase or decrease as a result of market movement or redemption will not result in a violation of such investment limitation.
Diversification
The Fund is “non-diversified” within the meaning of the 1940 Act, meaning it may invest in fewer companies than diversified investment companies. However, the Fund intends to satisfy the asset diversification requirements for qualification as a regulated investment company (“RIC”) under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). See “Federal Income Taxes” below for details.
General Risks
The value of the Fund’s portfolio securities may fluctuate with changes in the financial condition of an issuer or counterparty, changes in specific economic or political conditions that affect a particular security or issuer and changes in general economic or political conditions. An investor in the Fund could lose money over short or long periods of time.
There can be no guarantee that a liquid market for the securities held by the Fund will be maintained. The existence of a liquid trading market for certain securities may depend on whether dealers will make a market in such securities. There can be no assurance that a market will be made or maintained or that any such market will be or remain liquid. The price at which securities may be sold and the value of Shares will be adversely affected if trading markets for the Fund’s portfolio securities are limited or absent, or if bid-ask spreads are wide.
Cyber Security Risk. Investment companies, such as the Fund, and its service providers may be subject to operational and information security risks resulting from cyber attacks. Cyber attacks include, among other behaviors, stealing or corrupting data maintained online or digitally, denial of service attacks on websites, the unauthorized release of confidential information or various other forms of cyber security breaches. Cyber attacks affecting the Fund, the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, the Trading Sub-Adviser, custodian, transfer agent, intermediaries and other third-party service providers may adversely impact the Fund. For instance, cyber attacks may interfere with the processing of shareholder transactions, impact the Fund’s ability to calculate its NAV, cause the release of private shareholder information or confidential company information, impede trading, subject the Fund to regulatory fines or financial losses, and cause reputational damage. The Fund may also incur additional costs for cyber security risk management purposes. Similar types of cyber security risks are also present for issuers of securities in which the Fund invests, which could result in material adverse consequences for such issuers, and may cause the Fund’s investments in such portfolio companies to lose value.
1
Recent Market Events. U.S. and international markets have experienced and may continue to experience significant periods of volatility in recent years and months due to a number of economic, political and global macro factors including rising inflation, uncertainty regarding central banks’ interest rate increases, the possibility of a national or global recession, trade tensions, political events, the war between Russia and Ukraine and the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic. The global recovery from COVID-19 may last for an extended period of time. As a result of continuing political tensions and armed conflicts, including the war between Ukraine and Russia, the U.S. and the European Union imposed sanctions on certain Russian individuals and companies, including certain financial institutions, and have limited certain exports and imports to and from Russia. The war has contributed to recent market volatility and may continue to do so.
These developments, as well as other events, could result in further market volatility and negatively affect financial asset prices, the liquidity of certain securities and the normal operations of securities exchanges and other markets, despite government efforts to address market disruptions. As a result, the risk environment remains elevated. The Adviser and Sub-Adviser will monitor developments and seek to manage the Fund in a manner consistent with achieving the Fund’s investment objective, but there can be no assurance that they will be successful in doing so.
DESCRIPTION OF PERMITTED INVESTMENTS
The following are descriptions of the Fund’s permitted investments and investment practices and the associated risk factors. The Fund will only invest in any of the following instruments or engage in any of the following investment practices if such investment or activity is consistent with the Fund’s investment objective and permitted by the Fund’s stated investment policies. Each of the permitted investments described below applies to the Fund unless otherwise noted.
Derivatives. Derivatives are financial instruments whose values are based on the value of one or more indicators, such as a security, asset, currency, interest rate, or index. The Fund’s use of derivatives involves risks different from, and possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other more traditional investments. Moreover, although the value of a derivative is based on an underlying indicator, a derivative does not carry the same rights as would be the case if the Fund invested directly in the underlying securities.
The SEC adopted regulations governing the use of derivatives by registered investment companies (“Rule 18f-4”). Rule 18f-4 imposes limits on the amount of derivatives the Fund can enter into, treats derivatives as senior securities, and if the Fund’s use of derivatives is more than a limited specified exposure amount, requires the Fund to establish and maintain a comprehensive derivatives risk management program and appoint a derivatives risk manager.
Equity Securities. Equity securities, such as the common stocks of an issuer, are subject to stock market fluctuations and therefore may experience volatile changes in value as market conditions, consumer sentiment or the financial condition of the issuers change. A decrease in value of the equity securities in the Fund’s portfolio may also cause the value of the Fund’s Shares to decline.
An investment in the Fund should be made with an understanding of the risks inherent in an investment in equity securities, including the risk that the financial condition of issuers may become impaired or that the general condition of the stock market may deteriorate (either of which may cause a decrease in the value of the Fund’s portfolio securities and therefore a decrease in the value of Shares). Common stocks are susceptible to general stock market fluctuations and to volatile increases and decreases in value as market confidence and perceptions change. These investor perceptions are based on various and unpredictable factors, including expectations regarding government, economic, monetary and fiscal policies; inflation and interest rates; economic expansion or contraction; and global or regional political, economic, public health, or banking crises.
Holders of common stocks incur more risk than holders of preferred stocks and debt obligations because common stockholders, as owners of the issuer, generally have inferior rights to receive payments from the issuer in comparison with the rights of creditors or holders of debt obligations or preferred stocks. Further, unlike debt securities, which typically have a stated principal amount payable at maturity (whose value, however, is subject to market fluctuations prior thereto), or preferred stocks, which typically have a liquidation preference and which may have stated optional or mandatory redemption provisions, common stocks have neither a fixed principal amount nor a maturity. Common stock values are subject to market fluctuations as long as the common stock remains outstanding.
When-Issued Securities: A when-issued security is one whose terms are available and for which a market exists, but which has not been issued. When the Fund engages in when-issued transactions, it relies on the other party to consummate the sale. If the other party fails to complete the sale, the Fund may miss the opportunity to obtain the security at a favorable price or yield.
When purchasing a security on a when-issued basis, the Fund assumes the rights and risks of ownership of the security, including the risk of price and yield changes. At the time of settlement, the value of the security may be more or less than the purchase price. The yield available in the market when the delivery takes place also may be higher than those obtained in the transaction itself. Because the Fund does not pay for the security until the delivery date, these risks are in addition to the risks associated with its other investments.
2
Decisions to enter into “when-issued” transactions will be considered on a case-by-case basis when necessary to maintain continuity in a company’s index membership. The Fund will segregate cash or liquid securities equal in value to commitments for the when-issued transactions. The Fund will segregate additional liquid assets daily so that the value of such assets is equal to the amount of the commitments.
Types of Equity Securities
Common Stocks — Common stocks represent units of ownership in a company. Common stocks usually carry voting rights and earn dividends. Unlike preferred stocks, which are described below, dividends on common stocks are not fixed but are declared at the discretion of the company’s board of directors.
Preferred Stocks — Preferred stocks are also units of ownership in a company. Preferred stocks normally have preference over common stock in the payment of dividends and the liquidation of the company. However, in all other respects, preferred stocks are subordinated to the liabilities of the issuer. Unlike common stocks, preferred stocks are generally not entitled to vote on corporate matters. Types of preferred stocks include adjustable-rate preferred stock, fixed dividend preferred stock, perpetual preferred stock, and sinking fund preferred stock.
Generally, the market values of preferred stock with a fixed dividend rate and no conversion element vary inversely with interest rates and perceived credit risk.
Real Estate Securities — The real estate securities in which the Fund may invest consist of securities issued by Real Estate Investment Trusts (“REITs”) and/or Real Estate Operating Companies (“REOCs”) that are listed on a securities exchange or traded over-the-counter (“OTC”). A REOC is typically structured as a “C” corporation under the Code and is not required to distribute any portion of its income. A REOC, therefore, does not receive the same favorable tax treatment that is accorded a REIT. In addition, the value of the Fund’s securities issued by REOCs may be adversely affected by income streams derived from businesses other than real estate ownership. Details of REITs are provided below in the section entitled “REITs”.
Rights and Warrants — A right is a privilege granted to existing shareholders of a corporation to subscribe to shares of a new issue of common stock before it is issued. Rights normally have a short life of usually two to four weeks, are freely transferable and entitle the holder to buy the new common stock at a lower price than the public offering price. Warrants are securities that are usually issued together with a debt security or preferred stock and that give the holder the right to buy proportionate amount of common stock at a specified price. Warrants are freely transferable and are traded on major exchanges. Unlike rights, warrants normally have a life that is measured in years and entitles the holder to buy common stock of a company at a price that is usually higher than the market price at the time the warrant is issued. Corporations often issue warrants to make the accompanying debt security more attractive.
An investment in warrants and rights may entail greater risks than certain other types of investments. Generally, rights and warrants do not carry the right to receive dividends or exercise voting rights with respect to the underlying securities, and they do not represent any rights in the assets of the issuer. In addition, their value does not necessarily change with the value of the underlying securities, and they cease to have value if they are not exercised on or before their expiration date. Investing in rights and warrants increases the potential profit or loss to be realized from the investment as compared with investing the same amount in the underlying securities.
Smaller Companies — The securities of small- and mid-capitalization companies may be more vulnerable to adverse issuer, market, political, or economic developments than securities of larger-capitalization companies. The securities of small- and mid-capitalization companies generally trade in lower volumes and are subject to greater and more unpredictable price changes than larger capitalization stocks or the stock market as a whole. Some small- or mid-capitalization companies have limited product lines, markets, and financial and managerial resources and tend to concentrate on fewer geographical markets relative to larger capitalization companies. There is typically less publicly available information concerning small- and mid-capitalization companies than for larger, more established companies. Small- and mid-capitalization companies also may be particularly sensitive to changes in interest rates, government regulation, borrowing costs, and earnings.
Exchange-Traded Funds (“ETFs”). The Fund may invest in shares of other investment companies (including ETFs). As the shareholder of another ETF, the Fund would bear, along with other shareholders, its pro rata portion of the other ETF’s expenses, including advisory fees. Such expenses are in addition to the expenses the Fund pays in connection with its own operations. The Fund’s investments in other ETFs may be limited by applicable law.
Disruptions in the markets for the securities underlying ETFs purchased or sold by the Fund could result in losses on investments in ETFs. ETFs also carry the risk that the price the Fund pays or receives may be higher or lower than the ETF’s NAV. ETFs are also subject to certain additional risks, including the risks of illiquidity and of possible trading halts due to market conditions or other reasons, based on the policies of the relevant exchange. ETFs and other investment companies in which the Fund may invest may be leveraged, which would increase the volatility of the Fund’s NAV.
3
Illiquid Investments. The Fund may invest up to an aggregate amount of 15% of its net assets in illiquid investments, as such term is defined by Rule 22e-4 under the 1940 Act. The Fund may not invest in illiquid investments if, as a result of such investment, more than 15% of the Fund’s net assets would be invested in illiquid investments. Illiquid investments include securities subject to contractual or other restrictions on resale and other instruments that lack readily available markets. The inability of the Fund to dispose of illiquid investments readily or at a reasonable price could impair the Fund’s ability to raise cash for redemptions or other purposes. The liquidity of securities purchased by the Fund that are eligible for resale pursuant to Rule 144A, except for certain 144A bonds, will be monitored by the Fund on an ongoing basis. In the event that more than 15% of the Fund’s net assets are invested in illiquid investments, the Fund, in accordance with Rule 22e-4(b)(1)(iv), will report the occurrence to both the Board and the SEC and seek to reduce its holdings of illiquid investments within a reasonable period of time.
Investment Company Securities. The Fund may invest in the securities of other investment companies, including ETFs and money market funds, subject to applicable limitations under Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act and the rules applicable thereunder (including Rule 12d1-4). Investing in another pooled vehicle exposes the Fund to all the risks of that pooled vehicle. Pursuant to Section 12(d)(1), the Fund may invest in the securities of another investment company (the “acquired company”) provided that the Fund, immediately after such purchase or acquisition, does not own in the aggregate: (i) more than 3% of the total outstanding voting stock of the acquired company; (ii) securities issued by the acquired company having an aggregate value in excess of 5% of the value of the total assets of such Fund; or (iii) securities issued by the acquired company and all other investment companies (other than treasury stock of such Fund) having an aggregate value in excess of 10% of the value of the total assets of the Fund. To the extent allowed by law or regulation, the Fund may invest its assets in securities of investment companies that are money market funds in excess of the limits discussed above.
If the Fund invests in and, thus, is a shareholder of, another investment company, the Fund’s shareholders will indirectly bear the Fund’s proportionate share of the fees and expenses paid by such other investment company, including advisory fees, in addition to both the management fees payable directly by the Fund to the Fund’s own investment adviser and the other expenses that the Fund bears directly in connection with the Fund’s own operations.
Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act restricts investments by registered investment companies in securities of other registered investment companies, including the Fund. The acquisition of the Fund’s Shares by registered investment companies is subject to the restrictions of Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act, except as may be permitted by exemptive rules under the 1940 Act that permits registered investment companies to invest in the Fund beyond the limits of Section 12(d)(1), subject to certain terms and conditions, including that the registered investment company enter into an agreement with the Fund regarding the terms of the investment.
The Fund may rely on Section 12(d)(1)(F) and Rule 12d1-3 of the 1940 Act, which provide an exemption from Section 12(d)(1) that allows the Fund to invest all of its assets in other registered funds, including ETFs, if, among other conditions: (a) the Fund, together with its affiliates, acquires no more than three percent of the outstanding voting stock of any acquired fund, and (b) the sales load charged on the Fund’s Shares is no greater than the limits set forth in Rule 2341 of the Rules of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”). Additionally, the Fund may rely on Rule 12d1-4 under the 1940 Act to invest in such other funds in excess of the limits of Section 12(d)(1) if the Fund complies with the terms and conditions of such rule.
Money Market Instruments. The Fund may invest a portion of its assets in high-quality money market instruments on an ongoing basis to provide liquidity or for other reasons. The instruments in which the Fund may invest include: (i) short-term obligations issued by the U.S. Government; (ii) negotiable certificates of deposit (“CDs”), fixed time deposits and bankers’ acceptances of U.S. and foreign banks and similar institutions; (iii) commercial paper rated at the date of purchase “Prime-1” by Moody’s or “A-1+” or “A-1” by S&P or, if unrated, of comparable quality as determined by the Fund; and (iv) repurchase agreements. CDs are short-term negotiable obligations of commercial banks. Time deposits are non-negotiable deposits maintained in banking institutions for specified periods of time at stated interest rates. Banker’s acceptances are time drafts drawn on commercial banks by borrowers, usually in connection with international transactions.
Options on Securities. The Fund may purchase and write (i.e., sell) put and call options. Such options may relate to particular securities or stock indices, and may or may not be listed on a domestic or foreign securities exchange and may or may not be issued by the Options Clearing Corporation. Options trading is a highly specialized activity that entails greater than ordinary investment risk. Options may be more volatile than the underlying instruments, and therefore, on a percentage basis, an investment in options may be subject to greater fluctuation than an investment in the underlying instruments themselves.
A call option for a particular security gives the purchaser of the option the right to buy, and the writer (seller) the obligation to sell, the underlying security at the stated exercise price at any time prior to the expiration of the option, regardless of the market price of the security. The premium paid to the writer is in consideration for undertaking the obligation under the option contract. A put option for a particular security gives the purchaser the right to sell the security at the stated exercise price at any time prior to the expiration date of the option, regardless of the market price of the security.
4
Stock index options are put options and call options on various stock indices. In most respects, they are identical to listed options on common stocks. The primary difference between stock options and index options occurs when index options are exercised. In the case of stock options, the underlying security, common stock, is delivered. However, upon the exercise of an index option, settlement does not occur by delivery of the securities comprising the index. The option holder who exercises the index option receives an amount of cash if the closing level of the stock index upon which the option is based is greater than, in the case of a call, or less than, in the case of a put, the exercise price of the option. This amount of cash is equal to the difference between the closing price of the stock index and the exercise price of the option expressed in dollars times a specified multiple. A stock index fluctuates with changes in the market value of the stocks included in the index. For example, some stock index options are based on a broad market index, such as the Standard & Poor’s 500® Index or the Value Line Composite Index or a narrower market index, such as the Standard & Poor’s 100®. Indices may also be based on an industry or market segment, such as the NYSE Arca Oil Index. Options on stock indices are currently traded on the Chicago Board Options Exchange, the New York Stock Exchange and the NASDAQ OMX PHLX.
The Fund’s obligation to sell an instrument subject to a call option written by it, or to purchase an instrument subject to a put option written by it, may be terminated prior to the expiration date of the option by the Fund’s execution of a closing purchase transaction, which is effected by purchasing on an exchange an option of the same series (i.e., same underlying instrument, exercise price and expiration date) as the option previously written. A closing purchase transaction will ordinarily be effected to realize a profit on an outstanding option, to prevent an underlying instrument from being called, to permit the sale of the underlying instrument or to permit the writing of a new option containing different terms on such underlying instrument. The cost of such a liquidation purchase plus transactions costs may be greater than the premium received upon the original option, in which event the Fund will have paid a loss in the transaction. There is no assurance that a liquid secondary market will exist for any particular option. An option writer unable to effect a closing purchase transaction will not be able to sell the underlying instrument until the option expires or the optioned instrument is delivered upon exercise. In such circumstances, the writer will be subject to the risk of market decline or appreciation in the instrument during such period.
If an option purchased by the Fund expires unexercised, the Fund realizes a loss equal to the premium paid. If the Fund enters into a closing sale transaction on an option purchased by it, the Fund will realize a gain if the premium received by the Fund on the closing transaction is more than the premium paid to purchase the option, or a loss if it is less. If an option written by the Fund expires on the stipulated expiration date or if the Fund enters into a closing purchase transaction, it will realize a gain (or loss if the cost of a closing purchase transaction exceeds the net premium received when the option is sold). If an option written by the Fund is exercised, the proceeds of the sale will be increased by the net premium originally received and the Fund will realize a gain or loss.
Options on Stock Indexes. The Fund’s purchase and sale of options on stock indexes will be subject to risks described below under “Transactions in Stock Options.” In addition, the distinctive characteristics of options on stock indexes create certain risks that are not present with stock options.
Since the value of a stock index option depends upon the movements in the level of the stock index, rather than the price of a particular stock, whether the Fund will realize a gain or loss on the purchase or sale of an option on a stock index depends upon movements in the level of stock prices in the stock market generally or in an industry or market segment rather than movements in the price of a particular stock. Accordingly, successful use by the Fund of options on stock indexes is subject to the Sub-Adviser’s ability to correctly predict movements in the direction of the stock market generally or of a particular industry or market segment. This requires skills and techniques different from predicting changes in the price of individual stocks.
Stock index prices may be distorted if trading of certain stocks included in the stock index is interrupted. Trading in the stock index options also may be interrupted in certain circumstances, such as if trading were halted in a substantial number of stocks included in the stock index. If this occurred, the Fund would not be able to close out options that it had purchased or written and, if restrictions on exercise were imposed, might not be able to exercise an option that it was holding, which could result in substantial losses to the Fund. It is the policy of the Fund to purchase or write options only on stock indexes that include a number of stocks sufficient to minimize the likelihood of a trading halt in the stock index, for example, the S&P 100 or S&P 500 index option.
Although the markets for certain stock index option contracts have developed rapidly, the markets for other stock index options are still relatively illiquid. The ability to establish and close out positions on such options will be subject to the development and maintenance of a liquid secondary market. It is not certain that this market will develop in all stock index option contracts. Fund will not purchase or sell stock index option contracts unless and until, in the Sub-Adviser’s opinion, the market for such options has developed sufficiently that the risk in connection with these transactions is no greater than the risk in connection with options on stock.
OTC Options. Unlike exchange-traded options, which are standardized with respect to the underlying instrument, expiration date, contract size and strike price, the terms of OTC options (options not traded on exchanges) generally are established through negotiation with the other party to the option contract. While this type of arrangement allows the Fund great flexibility to tailor the option to its needs, OTC options generally involve greater risk than exchange-traded options, which are guaranteed by the clearing organization of the exchanges where they are traded.
REITs. The Fund will invest in securities of real estate investment trusts (“REITs”). REITs are publicly traded corporations or trusts that specialize in acquiring, holding and managing residential, commercial or industrial real estate. A REIT is not taxed at the entity level on income distributed to its shareholders or unitholders if it distributes to shareholders or unitholders at least 95% of its taxable income for each taxable year and complies with regulatory requirements relating to its organization, ownership, assets and income.
5
REITs generally can be classified as “Equity REITs,” “Mortgage REITs” and “Hybrid REITs.” An Equity REIT invests the majority of its assets directly in real property and derives its income primarily from rents and from capital gains on real estate appreciation which are realized through property sales. A Mortgage REIT invests the majority of its assets in real estate mortgage loans and services its income primarily from interest payments. A Hybrid REIT combines the characteristics of an Equity REIT and a Mortgage REIT. Although the Fund can invest in all three kinds of REITs, its emphasis is expected to be on investments in Equity REITs.
Investments in the real estate industry involve particular risks. The real estate industry has been subject to substantial fluctuations and declines on a local, regional and national basis in the past and may continue to be in the future. Real property values, and income from real property continue to be in the future. Real property values and income from real property may decline due to general and local economic conditions, overbuilding and increased competition, increases in property taxes and operating expenses, changes in zoning laws, casualty or condemnation losses, regulatory limitations on rents, changes in neighborhoods and in demographics, increases in market interest rates, or other factors. Factors such as these may adversely affect companies that own and operate real estate directly, companies that lend to such companies, and companies that service the real estate industry.
Direct investments in REITs also involve risks. Equity REITs will be affected by changes in the values of and income from the properties they own, while Mortgage REITs may be affected by the credit quality of the mortgage loans they hold. In addition, REITs are dependent on specialized management skills and on their ability to generate cash flow for operating purposes and to make distributions to shareholders or unitholders REITs may have limited diversification and are subject to risks associated with obtaining financing for real property, as well as to the risk of self-liquidation. REITs also can be adversely affected by their failure to qualify for tax-free pass-through treatment of their income under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or their failure to maintain an exemption from registration under the 1940 Act. By investing in REITs indirectly through the Fund, a shareholder bears not only a proportionate share of the expenses of the Fund, but also may indirectly bear similar expenses of some of the REITs in which it invests.
Repurchase Agreements. The Fund may invest in repurchase agreements with commercial banks, brokers or dealers to generate income from its excess cash balances and to invest securities lending cash collateral. A repurchase agreement is an agreement under which the Fund acquires a financial instrument (e.g., a security issued by the U.S. government or an agency thereof, a banker’s acceptance or a certificate of deposit) from a seller, subject to resale to the seller at an agreed upon price and date (normally, the next Business Day). A repurchase agreement may be considered a loan collateralized by securities. The resale price reflects an agreed upon interest rate effective for the period the instrument is held by the Fund and is unrelated to the interest rate on the underlying instrument.
In these repurchase agreement transactions, the securities acquired by the Fund (including accrued interest earned thereon) must have a total value in excess of the value of the repurchase agreement and are held by the Custodian until repurchased. No more than an aggregate of 15% of the Fund’s net assets will be invested in illiquid investments, including repurchase agreements having maturities longer than seven days and securities subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale, or for which there are no readily available market quotations.
The use of repurchase agreements involves certain risks. For example, if the other party to the agreement defaults on its obligation to repurchase the underlying security at a time when the value of the security has declined, the Fund may incur a loss upon disposition of the security. If the other party to the agreement becomes insolvent and subject to liquidation or reorganization under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code or other laws, a court may determine that the underlying security is collateral for a loan by the Fund not within the control of the Fund and, therefore, the Fund may not be able to substantiate its interest in the underlying security and may be deemed an unsecured creditor of the other party to the agreement.
Reverse Repurchase Agreements. The Fund may enter into reverse repurchase agreements, which involve the sale of securities held by the Fund subject to its agreement to repurchase the securities at an agreed-upon date or upon demand and at a price reflecting a market rate of interest. Reverse repurchase agreements are subject to the Fund’s limitation on borrowings and may be entered into only with banks or securities dealers or their affiliates. While a reverse repurchase agreement is outstanding, the Fund will maintain the segregation, either on its records or with the Trust’s custodian, of cash or other liquid securities, marked-to-market daily, in an amount at least equal to its obligations under the reverse repurchase agreement.
Reverse repurchase agreements involve the risk that the buyer of the securities sold by the Fund might be unable to deliver them when that Fund seeks to repurchase. If the buyer of securities under a reverse repurchase agreement files for bankruptcy or becomes insolvent, the buyer or trustee or receiver may receive an extension of time to determine whether to enforce the Fund’s obligation to repurchase the securities, and the Fund’s use of the proceeds of the reverse repurchase agreement may effectively be restricted pending such decision.
Securities Lending. The Fund may lend portfolio securities in an amount up to one-third of its total assets to brokers, dealers and other financial institutions. In a portfolio securities lending transaction, the Fund receives from the borrower an amount equal to the interest paid or the dividends declared on the loaned securities during the term of the loan as well as the interest on the collateral securities, less any fees (such as finders or administrative fees) the Fund pays in arranging the loan. The Fund may share the interest it receives on the collateral securities with the borrower. The terms of Fund’s loans permit the Fund to reacquire loaned securities on five business days’ notice or in time to vote on any important matter. Loans are subject to termination at the option of the Fund or borrower at any time, and the borrowed securities must be returned when the loan is terminated. The Fund may pay fees to arrange for securities loans.
6
The SEC currently requires that the following conditions must be met whenever the Fund’s portfolio securities are loaned: (1) the Fund must receive at least 100% cash collateral from the borrower; (2) the borrower must increase such collateral whenever the market value of the securities rises above the level of such collateral; (3) the Fund must be able to terminate the loan at any time; (4) the Fund must receive reasonable interest on the loan, as well as any dividends, interest or other distributions on the loaned securities, and any increase in market value; (5) the Fund may pay only reasonable custodian fees approved by the Board in connection with the loan; (6) while voting rights on the loaned securities may pass to the borrower, the Board must terminate the loan and regain the right to vote the securities if a material event adversely affecting the investment occurs, and (7) the Fund may not loan its portfolio securities so that the value of the loaned securities is more than one-third of its total asset value, including collateral received from such loans. These conditions may be subject to future modification. Such loans will be terminable at any time upon specified notice. The Fund might experience the risk of loss if the institution with which it has engaged in a portfolio loan transaction breaches its agreement with the Fund. In addition, the Fund will not enter into any portfolio security lending arrangement having a duration of longer than one year. The principal risk of portfolio lending is potential default or insolvency of the borrower. In either of these cases, the Fund could experience delays in recovering securities or collateral or could lose all or part of the value of the loaned securities. As part of participating in a lending program, the Fund may be required to invest in collateralized debt or other securities that bear the risk of loss of principal. In addition, all investments made with the collateral received are subject to the risks associated with such investments. If such investments lose value, the Fund will have to cover the loss when repaying the collateral.
Any loans of portfolio securities are fully collateralized based on values that are marked-to-market daily. Any securities that the Fund may receive as collateral will not become part of the Fund’s investment portfolio at the time of the loan and, in the event of a default by the borrower, the Fund will, if permitted by law, dispose of such collateral except for such part thereof that is a security in which the Fund is permitted to invest. During the time securities are on loan, the borrower will pay the Fund any accrued income on those securities, and the Fund may invest the cash collateral and earn income or receive an agreed-upon fee from a borrower that has delivered cash-equivalent collateral.
Stock Index Futures. The Fund may purchase and sell stock index futures contracts as a hedge against changes resulting from market conditions in the values of securities that are held in its portfolio or that it intends to purchase or when such purchase or sale is economically appropriate for the reduction of risks inherent in the ongoing management of the Fund. A stock index futures contract is an agreement in which one party agrees to deliver to the other an amount of cash equal to a specific dollar amount times the difference between the value of a specific stock index at the close of the last trading day of the contract and the price at which the agreement is made.
The Fund may hedge a portion of its portfolio by selling stock index futures contracts or purchasing puts on these contracts to limit exposure to an actual or anticipated market decline. This provides an alternative to liquidation of securities positions. Conversely, during a market advance or when the Sub-Adviser anticipates an advance, the Fund may hedge a portion of its portfolio by purchasing stock index futures, or options on these futures. This affords a hedge against the Fund not participating in a market advance when it is not fully invested and serves as a temporary substitute for the purchase of individual securities, which may later be purchased in a more advantageous manner.
The Fund’s successful use of stock index futures contracts depends upon the Sub-Adviser’s ability to predict the direction of the market and is subject to various additional risks. The correlation between movement in the price of the stock index future and the price of the securities being hedged is imperfect and the risk from imperfect correlation increases as the composition of the Fund’s portfolio diverges from the composition of the relevant index. In addition, if the Fund purchases futures to hedge against market advances before it can invest in common stock in an advantageous manner and the market declines, there may be a loss on the futures contracts. In addition, the ability of the Fund to close out a futures position or an option on futures depends on a liquid secondary market. There is no assurance that liquid secondary markets will exist for any particular futures contract or option on a futures contract at any particular time. The risk of loss to the Fund is theoretically unlimited when the Fund sells an uncovered futures contract because there is an obligation to make delivery unless the contract is closed out, regardless of fluctuations in the price of the underlying security.
Tax Risks. As with any investment, you should consider how your investment in Shares will be taxed. The tax information in the Prospectus and this SAI is provided as general information. You should consult your own tax professional about the tax consequences of an investment in Shares.
Unless your investment in Shares is made through a tax-exempt entity or tax-deferred retirement account, such as an individual retirement account, you need to be aware of the possible tax consequences when the Fund makes distributions or you sell Shares.
Transactions in Stock Options. Purchase and sales of options involves the risk that there will be no market in which to effect a closing transaction. An option position may be closed out only on an exchange that provides a secondary market for an option of the same series or if the transaction was an over-the-counter transaction, through the original broker-dealer. Although the Fund will generally buy and sell options for which there appears to be an active secondary market, there is no assurance that a liquid secondary market on an exchange will exist for any particular option, or at any particular time, and for some options no secondary market on an exchange may exist. If the Fund, as a covered call or put option writer, is unable to effect an offsetting closing transaction in a secondary market, it will, for a call option it has written, not be able to sell the underlying security until the call option expires and, for a put option it has written, not be able to avoid purchasing the underlying security until the put option expires.
7
U.S. Government Securities. The Fund may invest in U.S. government securities. Securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities include U.S. Treasury securities, which are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury and which differ only in their interest rates, maturities, and times of issuance. U.S. Treasury bills have initial maturities of one-year or less; U.S. Treasury notes have initial maturities of one to ten years; and U.S. Treasury bonds generally have initial maturities of greater than ten years. Certain U.S. government securities are issued or guaranteed by agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. government including, but not limited to, obligations of U.S. government agencies or instrumentalities such as the Federal National Mortgage Association (“Fannie Mae”), the Government National Mortgage Association (“Ginnie Mae”), the Small Business Administration, the Federal Farm Credit Administration, the Federal Home Loan Banks, Banks for Cooperatives (including the Central Bank for Cooperatives), the Federal Land Banks, the Federal Intermediate Credit Banks, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Export- Import Bank of the United States, the Commodity Credit Corporation, the Federal Financing Bank, the Student Loan Marketing Association, the National Credit Union Administration and the Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation (“Farmer Mac”).
Some obligations issued or guaranteed by U.S. government agencies and instrumentalities, including, for example, Ginnie Mae pass-through certificates, are supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury. Other obligations issued by or guaranteed by federal agencies, such as those securities issued by Fannie Mae, are supported by the discretionary authority of the U.S. government to purchase certain obligations of the federal agency, while other obligations issued by or guaranteed by federal agencies, such as those of the Federal Home Loan Banks, are supported by the right of the issuer to borrow from the U.S. Treasury, while the U.S. government provides financial support to such U.S. government-sponsored federal agencies, no assurance can be given that the U.S. government will always do so, since the U.S. government is not so obligated by law. U.S. Treasury notes and bonds typically pay coupon interest semi-annually and repay the principal at maturity.
Future Developments. The Board may, in the future, authorize the Fund to invest in securities contracts and investments other than those listed in this SAI and in the Fund’s Prospectus, provided they are consistent with the Fund’s investment objective and do not violate any investment restrictions or policies.
INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS
The Trust has adopted the following investment restrictions as fundamental policies with respect to the Fund. These restrictions cannot be changed with respect to the Fund without the approval of the holders of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities. For the purposes of the 1940 Act, a “majority of outstanding shares” means the vote of the lesser of: (1) 67% or more of the voting securities of the Fund present at the meeting if the holders of more than 50% of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities are present or represented by proxy; or (2) more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund.
Except with the approval of a majority of the outstanding voting securities, the Fund may not:
| 1. | Purchase the securities of any issuer (other than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or any of its agencies or instrumentalities) if, as a result, more than 25% of the Fund’s total assets would be invested in the securities of companies whose principal business activities are in the same industry, except that the Fund will invest more than 25% of its total assets in securities of companies whose principal business activities are in the real estate related industry including REITs. |
| 2. | Issue senior securities, except as permitted under the 1940 Act. |
| 3. | Borrow money, except as permitted under the 1940 Act. |
| 4. | Lend any security or make any other loan except as permitted under the 1940 Act. This means that no more than 331/3% of its total assets would be lent to other parties. This limitation does not apply to purchases of debt securities or to repurchase agreements, or to acquisitions of loans, loan participations or other forms of debt instruments, permissible under the Fund’s investment policies. |
| 5. | Purchase or sell real estate unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments (but this shall not prevent the Fund from investing in securities or other instruments backed by real estate, real estate investment trusts or securities of companies engaged in the real estate business). |
| 6. | Purchase or sell physical commodities unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments (but this shall not prevent the Fund from purchasing or selling options and futures contracts or from investing in securities or other instruments backed by physical commodities). |
8
| 7. | Act as an underwriter of another issuer’s securities, except to the extent that the Fund may be considered an underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act in the disposition of portfolio securities. |
In addition to the investment restrictions adopted as fundamental policies as set forth above, the Fund observes the following non-fundamental restriction, which may be changed without a shareholder vote.
| 1. | Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets, plus borrowings for investment purposes, in real estate investment trusts (“REITs”). |
If a percentage limitation is adhered to at the time of investment or contract, a later increase or decrease in percentage resulting from any change in value or total or net assets will not result in a violation of such restriction, except that the percentage limitation with respect to the borrowing of money will be observed continuously.
EXCHANGE LISTING AND TRADING
Shares are listed for trading and trade throughout the day on the Exchange.
There can be no assurance that the Fund will continue to meet the requirements of the Exchange necessary to maintain the listing of Shares. The Exchange will consider the suspension of trading in, and will initiate delisting proceedings of, the Shares if any of the requirements set forth in the Exchange rules, including compliance with Rule 6c-11(c) under the 1940 Act, are not continuously maintained or such other event shall occur or condition shall exist that, in the opinion of the Exchange, makes further dealings on the Exchange inadvisable. The Exchange will remove the Shares of the Fund from listing and trading upon termination of the Fund.
The Trust reserves the right to adjust the price levels of Shares in the future to help maintain convenient trading ranges for investors. Any adjustments would be accomplished through stock splits or reverse stock splits, which would have no effect on the net assets of the Fund.
MANAGEMENT OF THE TRUST
Board Responsibilities. The management and affairs of the Trust and its series are overseen by the Board, which elects the officers of the Trust who are responsible for administering the day-to-day operations of the Trust and the Fund. The Board has approved contracts, as described below, under which certain companies provide essential services to the Trust.
The day-to-day business of the Trust, including the management of risk, is performed by third-party service providers, such as the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, the Trading Sub-Adviser, the Distributor, and the Administrator. The Board is responsible for overseeing the Trust’s service providers and, thus, has oversight responsibility with respect to risk management performed by those service providers. Risk management seeks to identify and address risks, i.e., events or circumstances that could have material adverse effects on the business, operations, shareholder services, investment performance or reputation of the Fund. The Fund and its service providers employ a variety of processes, procedures and controls to identify such events or circumstances, to lessen the probability of their occurrence and/or to mitigate the effects of such events or circumstances if they do occur. Each service provider is responsible for one or more discrete aspects of the Trust’s business (e.g., the Sub-Adviser is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio investments) and, consequently, for managing the risks associated with that business. The Board has emphasized to the Fund’s service providers the importance of maintaining vigorous risk management.
The Board’s role in risk oversight begins before the inception of the Fund, at which time certain of the Fund’s service providers present the Board with information concerning the investment objective, strategies, and risks of the Fund as well as proposed investment limitations for the Fund. Additionally, the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, and the Trading Sub-Adviser provide the Board with an overview of, among other things, its investment philosophy, brokerage practices, and compliance infrastructure. Thereafter, the Board continues its oversight function as various personnel, including the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer, as well as personnel of the Sub-Adviser, the Trading Sub-Adviser, and other service providers such as the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm, make periodic reports to the Audit Committee or to the Board with respect to various aspects of risk management. The Board and the Audit Committee oversee efforts by management and service providers to manage risks to which the Fund may be exposed.
The Board is responsible for overseeing the nature, extent, and quality of the services provided to the Fund by the Adviser the Sub-Adviser, and the Trading Sub-Adviser, and receives information about those services at its regular meetings. In addition, on an annual basis (following the initial two-year period), in connection with its consideration of whether to renew the Investment Advisory Agreement with the Adviser, and Sub-Advisory Agreements with the Sub-Adviser and the Trading Sub-Adviser, the Board or its designee may meet with the Adviser and/or the Sub-Adviser or the Trading Sub-Adviser to review such services. Among other things, the Board regularly considers the Adviser’s and Sub-Adviser’s adherence to the Fund’s investment restrictions and compliance with various Fund policies and procedures and with applicable securities regulations. The Board also reviews information about the Fund’s performance and the Fund’s investments, including, for example, portfolio holdings schedules.
9
The Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer reports regularly to the Board to review and discuss compliance issues and Fund and Adviser or Sub-Adviser risk assessments. At least annually, the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer provides the Board with a report reviewing the adequacy and effectiveness of the Trust’s policies and procedures and those of its service providers, including the Adviser the Sub-Adviser, and the Trading Sub-Adviser. The report addresses the operation of the policies and procedures of the Trust and each service provider since the date of the last report; any material changes to the policies and procedures since the date of the last report; any recommendations for material changes to the policies and procedures; and any material compliance matters since the date of the last report.
The Board receives reports from the Fund’s service providers regarding operational risks and risks related to the valuation and liquidity of portfolio securities. Annually, the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm reviews with the Audit Committee its audit of the Fund’s financial statements, focusing on major areas of risk encountered by the Fund and noting any significant deficiencies or material weaknesses in the Fund’s internal controls. Additionally, in connection with its oversight function, the Board oversees Fund management’s implementation of disclosure controls and procedures, which are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Trust in its periodic reports with the SEC are recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the required time periods. The Board also oversees the Trust’s internal controls over financial reporting, which comprise policies and procedures designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of the Trust’s financial reporting and the preparation of the Trust’s financial statements.
From their review of these reports and discussions with the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, and the Trading Sub-Adviser, the Chief Compliance Officer, independent registered public accounting firm and other service providers, the Board and the Audit Committee learn in detail about the material risks of the Fund, thereby facilitating a dialogue about how management and service providers identify and mitigate those risks.
The Board recognizes that not all risks that may affect the Fund can be identified and/or quantified, that it may not be practical or cost-effective to eliminate or mitigate certain risks, that it may be necessary to bear certain risks (such as investment-related risks) to achieve the Fund’s goals, and that the processes, procedures and controls employed to address certain risks may be limited in their effectiveness. Moreover, reports received by the Board as to risk management matters are typically summaries of the relevant information. Most of the Fund’s investment management and business affairs are carried out by or through the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, the Trading Sub-Adviser, and other service providers, each of which has an independent interest in risk management but whose policies and the methods by which one or more risk management functions are carried out may differ from the Fund’s and each other’s in the setting of priorities, the resources available or the effectiveness of relevant controls. As a result of the foregoing and other factors, the Board’s ability to monitor and manage risk, as a practical matter, is subject to limitations.
Members of the Board. There are three members of the Board, two of whom are not interested persons of the Trust, as that term is defined in the 1940 Act (the “Independent Trustees”). Mr. Bradley Swenson serves as Chairman of the Board and is an interested person of the Trust, and Mr. Steven Norgaard serves as the Trust’s Lead Independent Trustee. As Lead Independent Trustee, Mr. Norgaard acts as a spokesperson for the Independent Trustees in between meetings of the Board, serves as a liaison for the Independent Trustees with the Trust’s service providers, officers, and legal counsel to discuss ideas informally, and participates in setting the agenda for meetings of the Board and separate meetings or executive sessions of the Independent Trustees.
The Board is comprised of a super-majority (66.6 percent) of Independent Trustees. There is an Audit Committee of the Board that is chaired by an Independent Trustee and comprised solely of Independent Trustees. The Audit Committee chair presides at the Audit Committee meetings, participates in formulating agendas for Audit Committee meetings, and coordinates with management to serve as a liaison between the Independent Trustees and management on matters within the scope of responsibilities of the Audit Committee as set forth in its Board-approved charter. The Trust has determined its leadership structure is appropriate given the specific characteristics and circumstances of the Trust. The Trust made this determination in consideration of, among other things, the fact that the Independent Trustees of the Trust constitute a super-majority of the Board, the number of Independent Trustees that constitute the Board, the amount of assets under management in the Trust, and the number of funds overseen by the Board. The Board also believes that its leadership structure facilitates the orderly and efficient flow of information to the Independent Trustees from management.
10
Additional information about each Trustee of the Trust is set forth below. The address of each Trustee of the Trust is c/o Paralel Technologies LLC, 1700 Broadway, Suite 2100, Denver, Colorado 80290.
Name and Year of Birth |
Position Held with the Trust |
Term of Office and Length of Time Served |
Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years |
Number of Portfolios in Fund Complex Overseen by Trustee(1) | Other Directorships Held by Trustee During Past 5 Years |
| Independent Trustees | |||||
| Kimberly Storms | Trustee | Since 2022 | Ms. Storms served at various roles at ALPS | 37 | Sterling Capital |
| Birth Year: 1972 | Fund Services, Inc. from 1998 through | Funds (20 Funds) | |||
| 2020, including as Senior Vice President - | (since 2022) | ||||
| Director of Fund Administration (2004- | |||||
| 2020) and Senior Vice President - Director | |||||
| of Fund Management (2020). During her | |||||
| tenure, Ms. Storms served as an officer to | |||||
| certain ETF, closed-end and open-end | |||||
| investment companies (1998-2020) and, | |||||
| within the past 5 years, Principal Financial | |||||
| Officer of ALPS Series Trust (2012-2020), | |||||
| Financial Investors Trust (2013-2020), | |||||
| Liberty All-Star Funds | |||||
| (2013-2020), and Cambria ETF | |||||
| Trust (2020). | |||||
| Steven Norgaard | Trustee | Since 2022 | Mr. Norgaard has been an attorney with | 38(2) | MFG Funds (fka Frontier Funds) (2 |
| Birth Year: 1964 | Steven K. Norgaard, P.C. since 1994. | Funds) (since | |||
| 2013); SRH Total | |||||
| Return Fund, Inc. | |||||
| (Since 2011) | |||||
| Interested Trustees and Officers | |||||
| Bradley J. Swenson | Trustee, | Since 2022 | Mr. Swenson is President of Paralel | 37 | None |
| Birth Year: 1972 | President | Distributors LLC (May 2022 to present) and | |||
| Chief Compliance Officer of Paralel Technologies LLC (January 2023 to present). He previously served as President of TruePeak Consulting, LLC | |||||
| (August 2021 to December 2023). Mr. | |||||
| Swenson joined ALPS Fund Services, Inc. | |||||
| (“ALPS”) in 2004 and served as its | |||||
| President from June 2019 until June 2021. | |||||
| In this role, he served as an officer to certain | |||||
| other closed-end and open-end investment | |||||
| companies. He previously served as the | |||||
| Chief Operating Officer of ALPS (2015- | |||||
| 2019). Mr. Swenson also previously served | |||||
| as Chief Compliance Officer to ALPS, its | |||||
| affiliated entities, and to certain ETF, | |||||
| closed-end and open-end investment | |||||
| companies (2004-2015). | |||||
| (1) | The term “Fund Complex” means two or more registered investment companies that hold themselves out to investors as related companies for purposes of investment and investor services; or have a common investment adviser or that have an investment adviser that is an affiliated person of the investment adviser of any of the other registered investment companies. For the purposes of this table, all series of the Trust (37 funds, including the Fund) are included in the Fund Complex. |
| (2) | Mr. Norgaard also serves as a Director of the SRH Total Return Fund, Inc. whose investment adviser is the same as the investment adviser of SRH U.S. Quality GARP ETF, another series of the Trust, and the Fund. |
11
Individual Trustee Qualifications. The Trust has concluded that each of the Trustees should serve on the Board because of their ability to review and understand information about the Fund provided to them by management, to identify and request other information they may deem relevant to the performance of their duties, to question management and other service providers regarding material factors bearing on the management and administration of the Fund, and to exercise their business judgment in a manner that serves the best interests of the Fund’s shareholders. The Trust has concluded that each of the Trustees should serve as a Trustee based on his or her own experience, qualifications, attributes and skills as described below.
Bradley Swenson. Mr. Swenson has more than 25 years experienced focused on compliance and distribution in the mutual fund industry. Prior to joining Paralel, he spent seventeen years at ALPS in various capacities including, but not limited to, Chief Compliance Officer, Chief Operating Officer and President of ALPS Fund Services and ALPS Distributors. In addition to those roles Mr. Swenson built and led the Fund CCO services division and served as Fund CCO and President to various closed-end, ETF and mutual fund trusts. Mr. Swenson also held various roles at Janus Capital Group and Oppenheimer Funds including Senior Audit Manager and Compliance Manager. Mr. Swenson graduated from the University of Minnesota-Duluth with a B.S. in Accounting. Mr. Swenson holds FINRA Series 3, 6, 7, 24, 26, and 27 licenses.
Steven K. Norgaard. Mr. Norgaard serves as the lead independent trustee of the Trust, bringing more than 30 years of integrated legal, financial, and regulatory expertise to the Trust. He is an attorney and has successfully passed the certified public accountants (CPA) exam. Since 1994, he has been the principal of the law firm Steven K. Norgaard, P.C., having previously practiced law at the international firm McDermott, Will & Schulte. He currently serves as the Chairman of the Board of Directors for the SRH Total Return Fund, Inc. and as the lead independent director for the MFG Funds (formerly the Frontier Funds). His extensive background in corporate governance includes nearly a decade of senior leadership at Attorneys’ Title Guaranty Fund, Inc., where he served as Chairman of the Board of Directors. Additionally, he served on the Board of Directors of ATG Trust Company from 2007 to 2021. Prior to March 2015, Mr. Norgaard held independent directorships for the Boulder Total Return Fund, Inc., the Denali Fund, Inc., and the First Opportunity Fund, Inc., until their merger into the fund now known as SRH Total Return Fund, Inc. Kimberly Storms. Ms. Storms is the chair of the Audit Committee of the Board of Trustees and is the Trust’s Audit Committee Financial Expert. Ms. Storms has more than 25 years of experience concentrated on mutual fund back office and accounting operations. Ms. Storms served in various roles at ALPS Fund Services from 1998 through 2020, including as Senior Vice President - Director of Fund Administration. She graduated with a B.S. in Finance from the University of Louisiana. Ms. Storms brings significant experience from her prior time serving as an executive officer of several large fund complexes, as well as her knowledge in the accounting, investment and regulatory fields.
In its periodic assessment of the effectiveness of the Board, the Board considers the complementary individual skills and experience of the individual Trustees primarily in the broader context of the Board’s overall composition so that the Board, as a body, possesses the appropriate (and appropriately diverse) skills and experience to oversee the business of the funds.
Board Committees. The Board has established the following standing committees of the Board:
Audit Committee. The Board has a standing Audit Committee that is composed of each of the Independent Trustees of the Trust. The Audit Committee operates under a written charter approved by the Board. The principal responsibilities of the Audit Committee include: recommending which firm to engage as the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm and whether to terminate this relationship; reviewing the independent registered public accounting firm’s compensation, the proposed scope and terms of its engagement, and the firm’s independence; pre-approving audit and non-audit services provided by the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm to the Trust and certain other affiliated entities; serving as a channel of communication between the independent registered public accounting firm and the Trustees; reviewing the results of each external audit, including any qualifications in the independent registered public accounting firm’s opinion, any related management letter, management’s responses to recommendations made by the independent registered public accounting firm in connection with the audit, reports submitted to the Committee by the internal auditing department of the Trust’s Administrator that are material to the Trust as a whole, if any, and management’s responses to any such reports; reviewing the Fund’s audited financial statements and considering any significant disputes between the Trust’s management and the independent registered public accounting firm that arose in connection with the preparation of those financial statements; considering, in consultation with the independent registered public accounting firm and the Trust’s senior internal accounting executive, if any, the independent registered public accounting firms’ report on the adequacy of the Trust’s internal financial controls; reviewing, in consultation with the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm, major changes regarding auditing and accounting principles and practices to be followed when preparing the Fund’s financial statements; and other audit related matters.
The Audit Committee also serves as the Qualified Legal Compliance Committee (“QLCC”) for the Trust for the purpose of compliance with Rules 205.2(k) and 205.3(c) of the Code of Federal Regulations, regarding alternative reporting procedures for attorneys retained or employed by an issuer who appear and practice before the SEC on behalf of the issuer (the “issuer attorneys”). An issuer attorney who becomes aware of evidence of a material violation by the Trust, or by any officer, director, employee, or agent of the Trust, may report evidence of such material violation to the QLCC as an alternative to the reporting requirements of Rule 205.3(b) (which requires reporting to the chief legal officer and potentially “up the ladder” to other entities). During the past fiscal year, the Audit Committee met five times.
12
Nominating Committee. The Board has a standing Nominating Committee that is composed of each of the Independent Trustees of the Trust. The Nominating Committee operates under a written charter approved by the Board. The principal responsibility of the Nominating Committee is to consider, recommend and nominate candidates to fill vacancies on the Trust’s Board, if any. The Nominating Committee generally will not consider nominees recommended by shareholders. The Nominating Committee meets periodically, as necessary. During the past fiscal year, the Nominating Committee did not meet.
Principal Officers of the Trust
The officers of the Trust conduct and supervise its daily business. The address of each officer of the Trust is c/o Paralel Technologies LLC, 1700 Broadway, Suite 2100, Denver, Colorado 80290. Additional information about the Trust’s officers is as follows:
| Name and Year of Birth | Position(s) Held with the Trust | Term of Office and Length of Time Served | Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years |
| Brenna
Fudjack Birth Year: 1986 |
Chief Compliance Officer |
Indefinite term; since 2023 |
Ms. Fudjack joined Paralel Technologies LLC as Deputy Chief Compliance officer in 2023. Prior to her current role, Ms. Fudjack served as Manager, Risk & Financial Advisory for Deloitte & Touche LLP from 2022-2023; Director of Compliance for Perella Weinberg Partners Capital Management LP / Agility from 2018-2022; Compliance Officer for Shelton Capital Management from 2017-2018; and Compliance Manager among other compliance roles for ALPS Fund Services, Inc. from 2010-2017. |
| Nicholas
Austin Birth Year: 1981 |
Treasurer
|
Indefinite term; since 2023 |
Mr. Austin joined Paralel Technologies, LLC as Senior Controller in 2022. Prior to his current role, Mr. Austin served as Vice President/Fund Controller for SS&C ALPS from 2018 until 2022, and as Chief Financial Officer of Champion Medical Center from 2016 until 2018. |
| Nicholas
Adams Birth Year: 1983 |
Secretary
|
Indefinite term; since 2025 |
Mr. Adams joined Paralel Technologies LLC as Investment Counsel in 2025. Prior to his current role, Mr. Adams served as Principal Legal Counsel for SS&C ALPS from 2022-2024, and associate counsel for Arnold, Newbold, Sollars and Hollins, P.C. from 2020-2022 and Stanziola Estate Law from 2019-2020. |
Trustee Ownership of Shares. The Fund is required to show the dollar amount ranges of each Trustee’s “beneficial ownership” of Shares and each other series of the Trust as of the end of the most recently completed calendar year. Dollar amount ranges disclosed are established by the SEC. “Beneficial ownership” is determined in accordance with Rule 16a-1(a)(2) under the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”).
As of December 31, 2025, no Trustees owned Shares of the Fund.
Board Compensation. The Independent Trustees each receive a fee of $12,500 per quarter, a special meeting fee of $2,500, as well as reimbursement for reasonable travel, lodging and other expenses in connection with attendance at meetings. The Audit Committee chair also receives a fee of $2,000 per quarter. The Trust has no pension or retirement plan.
Independent Trustee fees are paid by the adviser to each series of the Trust through the applicable adviser’s unitary management fee, and not by the Funds. Trustee compensation does not include reimbursed out-of-pocket expenses in connection with attendance at meetings.
13
The following table shows the compensation earned by each Trustee during the past fiscal year of the Fund. Independent Trustee fees are paid by the adviser to each series of the Trust and not by the Fund. Trustee compensation does not include reimbursed out-of-pocket expenses in connection with attendance at meetings.
Name |
Aggregate Compensation From Fund |
Total Compensation From Fund Complex Paid to Trustees |
| Interested Trustees | ||
| Bradley J. Swenson | $0 | $0 |
| Independent Trustees | ||
| Kimberly Storms | $2,964 | $58,000 |
| Steven Norgaard | $2,964 | $50,000 |
PRINCIPAL SHAREHOLDERS, CONTROL PERSONS, AND MANAGEMENT OWNERSHIP
A principal shareholder is any person who owns of record or beneficially 5% or more of the outstanding Shares of a Fund. A control person is a shareholder that owns beneficially or through controlled companies more than 25% of the voting securities of a company or acknowledges the existence of control. Shareholders owning voting securities in excess of 25% may determine the outcome of any matter affecting and voted on by shareholders of a Fund. The following information is provided as of January 31, 2026.
| Name and Address of Beneficial Owner | Number of Shares | Percent of Fund |
| Lola Brown Trust No. 1B*+ | 875,000 | 96.7% |
* May be deemed to control the Fund because the holder holds more than 25% of the outstanding shares.
+ The sole trustee of the Lola Brown Trust No. 1B (“LBT”) is Peak Trust Company-AK (“Peak Trust”), 3350 Midtown Place, Suite 300, Anchorage, AK 99503. Peak Trust may be deemed to control LBT and may be deemed to possess indirect beneficial ownership of the shares held by LBT. Peak Trust also serves as the sole trustee of the Susan L. Ciciora Trust No. 1 (“SLCT”). SLCT Holdings, LLC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the SLCT, which holds an indirect non-controlling investment in the Adviser.
As of December 31, 2025, no Trustees and officers of the Trust owned Shares of the Fund.
CODES OF ETHICS
The Trust, the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, the Trading Sub-Adviser, and the Distributor (as defined under “The Distributor”) have each adopted codes of ethics pursuant to Rule 17j-1 of the 1940 Act. These codes of ethics are designed to prevent affiliated persons of the Trust, the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, the Trading Sub-Adviser, and the Distributor from engaging in deceptive, manipulative or fraudulent activities in connection with securities held or to be acquired by the Fund (which may also be held by persons subject to the codes of ethics). Each Code of Ethics permits personnel subject to that Code of Ethics to invest in securities for their personal investment accounts, subject to certain limitations, including limitations related to securities that may be purchased or held by the Funds.
There can be no assurance that the codes of ethics will be effective in preventing such activities. Each code of ethics may be examined at the office of the SEC in Washington, D.C. or on the Internet at the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.
PROXY VOTING POLICIES
The Fund has delegated proxy voting responsibilities to the Adviser, subject to the Board’s oversight. In delegating proxy responsibilities, the Board has directed that proxies be voted consistent with the Fund’s and its shareholders’ best interests and in compliance with all applicable proxy voting rules and regulations. The Adviser has adopted proxy voting policies and guidelines for this purpose (“Proxy Voting Policies”) and has engaged a third-party proxy solicitation firm to assist with voting proxies in a timely manner and making voting recommendations under guidelines adopted by the Adviser. A copy of the Adviser’s Proxy Voting Policies are set forth in Appendix A to this SAI. The Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer is responsible for monitoring the effectiveness of the Proxy Voting Policies. The Proxy Voting Policies have been approved by the Trust as the policies and procedures that the Adviser will use when voting proxies on behalf of the Fund.
The Proxy Voting Policies address, among other things, material conflicts of interest that may arise between the interests of the Fund and the interests of the Adviser. The Proxy Voting Policies will ensure that all issues brought to shareholders are analyzed in light of the Adviser’s fiduciary responsibilities.
Information on how the Fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 is available (1) without charge, upon request, by calling the Distributor at 1.877.524.9155 and (2) on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
14
INVESTMENT ADVISER AND SUB-ADVISERS
Investment Adviser
Paralel Advisors LLC (“Paralel”) serves as the investment adviser to the Fund. Paralel is a SEC registered investment adviser with approximately $2.4 billion in managed assets under management as of October 31, 2025. Paralel commenced operations as an SEC registered adviser in September 2021 and its principal office is located at 1700 Broadway, Suite 2100, Denver, CO 80290. Paralel’s parent company, Paralel Technologies LLC (“PTL”), is a fintech company that serves as a fund administrator to registered funds, including the Fund. Paralel along with Paralel Distributors LLC, are each subsidiaries of PTL. Jeremy May serves as Chief Executive Officer of Paralel and PTL; he may be deemed to indirectly control the Adviser through his ownership of PTL’s units and status as Manager of PTL, which is the Manager of the Adviser. SLCT, which may be deemed to be an affiliate of the Fund due to SLCT’s indirect beneficial ownership of the Fund, also has an indirect, non-controlling investment in the Adviser.
Pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement, the Fund pays Paralel a unitary management fee, which is calculated daily and paid monthly, at an annual rate of 0.75% based on a percentage of the Fund’s average daily net assets. Out of the unitary management fee, Paralel has agreed to pay substantially all expenses of the Fund, including the cost of transfer agency, custody, fund administration, securities lending and other non-distribution related services necessary for the Fund to operate, except for: the fee paid to Paralel pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement, interest charges on any borrowings, dividends and other expenses on securities sold short, taxes, brokerage commissions and other expenses incurred in placing orders for the purchase and sale of securities and other investment instruments, acquired fund fees and expenses, accrued deferred tax liability, distribution fees and expenses paid by the Fund under any distribution plan adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, and litigation expenses and other non-routine or extraordinary expenses. Paralel, in turn, compensates the Sub-Adviser and the Trading Sub-Adviser from the management fee the Adviser receives.
The Fund paid the Adviser the amounts for the periods listed below:
| Fiscal Year Ended | Advisory Fee Paid |
| October 31, 2025 | $377,623 |
| October 31, 2024 | $383,817 |
The Advisory Agreement with respect to the Fund initially continued in force for an initial period of two years. Thereafter, the Advisory Agreement is renewable from year to year with respect to the Fund, so long as its continuance is approved at least annually (1) by the vote, cast in person at a meeting called for that purpose, of a majority of those Trustees who are not “interested persons” of the Adviser or the Trust; and (2) by the majority vote of either the full Board or the vote of a majority of the outstanding Shares of the Fund. The Advisory Agreement automatically terminates on assignment and is terminable on a 60-day written notice either by the Trust or the Adviser.
The Adviser shall not be liable to the Trust or any shareholder for anything done or omitted by it, except acts or omissions involving willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties imposed upon it by its agreement with the Trust or for any losses that may be sustained in the purchase, holding or sale of any security.
Sub-Adviser
The Trust, on behalf of the Fund, and the Adviser have retained SRH Advisors, LLC (the “Sub-Adviser”) to serve as the primary sub-adviser to the Fund. The Sub-Adviser was formed in 2008 and is a registered investment adviser with its principal office located at 2121 E. Crawford Place, Salina, Kansas 67401.
Pursuant to a Sub-Advisory Agreement between the Trust, the Adviser, and the Sub-Adviser (the “Sub-Advisory Agreement”), the Sub-Adviser is compensated by the Adviser from the management fees paid by the Fund to the Adviser.
The Sub-Advisory Agreement initially continued in force for an initial period of two years. Thereafter, the Sub-Advisory Agreement is renewable from year to year with respect to the Fund, so long as its continuance is approved at least annually (1) by the vote, cast in person at a meeting called for that purpose, of a majority of those Trustees who are not “interested persons” of the Trust; and (2) by the majority vote of either the full Board or the vote of a majority of the outstanding Shares of the Fund. The Sub-Advisory Agreement will terminate automatically in the event of its assignment, and is terminable at any time without penalty by the Board or, with respect to the Fund, by a majority of the outstanding Shares, or by the Adviser, in each case upon 60 days’ written notice to the Sub-Adviser, or by the Sub-Adviser on 90 days’ written notice to the Adviser and the Trust. The Sub-Advisory Agreement provides that the Sub-Adviser shall not be protected against any liability to the Trust or its shareholders by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on its part in the performance of its duties or from reckless disregard of its obligations or duties thereunder.
15
Trading Sub-Adviser
The Trust, on behalf of the Fund, and the Adviser have retained Vident Asset Management (the “Trading Sub-Adviser” or “Vident”) to serve as the trading sub-adviser for the Fund. Vident was established in 2016 and provides investment advisory services to ETFs, including the Fund. Its principal office is located at 1125 Sanctuary Parkway, Suite 515, Alpharetta, Georgia 30009.
Pursuant to a sub-advisory agreement between the Trust, the Adviser, and Vident (the “Trading Sub-Advisory Agreement”), Vident is compensated by the Adviser from the management fees paid by the Fund to the Adviser.
The Trading Sub-Advisory Agreement initially continued in force for an initial period of two years. Thereafter, the Trading Sub-Advisory Agreement is renewable from year to year with respect to the Fund, so long as its continuance is approved at least annually (1) by the vote, cast in person at a meeting called for that purpose, of a majority of those Trustees who are not “interested persons” of the Trust; and (2) by the majority vote of either the full Board or the vote of a majority of the outstanding Shares of the Fund. The Trading Sub-Advisory Agreement will terminate automatically in the event of its assignment, and is terminable at any time without penalty by the Board or, with respect to the Fund, by a majority of the outstanding Shares, or by the Adviser, in each case upon 60 days’ written notice to Vident, or by Vident on 90 days’ written notice to the Adviser and the Trust. The Trading Sub-Advisory Agreement provides that Vident shall not be protected against any liability to the Trust or its shareholders by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on its part in the performance of its duties or from reckless disregard of its obligations or duties thereunder.
PORTFOLIO MANAGERS
Compensation
The Sub-Adviser’s Portfolio Managers are paid an annual fixed salary and are offered participation in the firm’s 401K, as well as other benefits that are offered generally to the Sub-Adviser’s employees. In evaluating a portfolio manager’s salary, the Fund’s performance may be one of many factors considered, but the Sub-Adviser does not tie its portfolio manager compensation to specific levels of performance relative to fixed benchmarks. Other factors that may also be significant in determining a portfolio manager’s compensation include, without limitation, the effectiveness of leadership within the Sub-Adviser’s investment team, the contributions to the Sub-Adviser’s overall performance, the general performance of other registered investment funds for which the Sub-Adviser’s Portfolio Manager serves as a portfolio manager, quality of discrete securities analysis performed, idea generation, among others. Generally, the Sub-Adviser’s Portfolio Managers do not receive annual bonuses. For the Sub-Adviser’s Private Clients, in addition to an annual fixed salary and other benefits mentioned above, the Sub-Adviser’s Portfolio Managers receive a portion of the fees paid to the Sub-Adviser by these Private Clients. In addition, each of the Sub-Adviser’s Portfolio Managers are a party to separate long-term incentive agreements whereby at the age of 65 they are entitled to an additional one-time incentive payment calculated based on the net asset value of another registered investment fund for which the Sub-Adviser provides sub-advisory services.
The Vident Portfolio Managers receive a fixed base salary and discretionary bonus that are not tied to the performance of the Fund.
Share Ownership
The Fund is required to show the dollar ranges of the portfolio managers’ “beneficial ownership” of Shares of the Fund as of the end of the most recently completed fiscal year or a more recent date for a new portfolio manager. Dollar amount ranges disclosed are established by the SEC. “Beneficial ownership” is determined in accordance with Rule 16a-1(a)(2) under the Exchange Act.
Set forth below is the dollar range of equity securities beneficially owned by each portfolio manager in the Fund as of October 31, 2025:
| Portfolio Manager | Dollar Range of Equity Securities in the Fund |
| Jacob Hemmer | $1 - $10,000 |
| Rafael Zayas | None |
| Austin Wen | None |
| Yin Bhuyan | None |
16
Other Accounts
In addition to the Fund, the portfolio managers managed the following other accounts as of October 31, 2025, none of which were subject to a performance fee:
Sub-Adviser Portfolio Managers
| Registered Investment Companies | Other Pooled Investment Vehicles | Other Accounts | ||||
Portfolio Manager |
Number of Accounts |
Total Assets in the Accounts | Number of Accounts |
Total Assets in the Accounts | Number of Accounts |
Total Assets in the Accounts |
| Jacob Hemmer | 1 | $2.38 billion | 0 | $0 | 393 | $756.45 million |
Vident Portfolio Managers
| Registered Investment Companies | Other Pooled Investment Vehicles | Other Accounts | ||||
Portfolio Manager |
Number of Accounts |
Total Assets in the Accounts | Number of Accounts |
Total Assets in the Accounts | Number of Accounts |
Total Assets in the Accounts |
| Rafael Zayas | 65 | $9.62 billion | 17 | $5.25 billion | 0 | $0 |
| Austin Wen | 77 | $9.81 billion | 20 | $5.28 billion | 0 | $0 |
| Yin Bhuyan | 39 | $2.32 billion | 3 | $36.10 million | 0 | $0 |
Conflicts of Interest
A Portfolio Manager’s management of “other accounts” may give rise to potential conflicts of interest in connection with their 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 objective, whereby a Portfolio Manager could favor one account over another. Another potential conflict could include a Portfolio Manager’s knowledge about the size, timing and possible market impact of Fund trades, whereby a Portfolio Manager could use this information to the advantage of other accounts and to the disadvantage of the Funds they manage. However, the Sub-Adviser and the Trading Sub-Adviser have each established policies and procedures to ensure that the purchase and sale of securities among all accounts the Sub-Adviser and the Trading Sub-Adviser manage are fairly and equitably allocated.
17
Conflicts may also arise because portfolio decisions regarding the Fund may benefit other accounts managed by the Sub-Adviser, the Trading Sub-Adviser, or their affiliates. For example, the sale of a long position or establishment of a short position by a fund sub-advised by the Sub-Adviser may impair the price of the same security sold short by (and therefore benefit) one or more other funds sub-advised by the Sub-Adviser, and the purchase of a security or covering of a short position in a security by the Fund may increase the price of the same security held by (and therefore benefit) one or more other funds sub-advised by the Sub-Adviser.
Conflicts may also arise when selecting other funds sub-advised by the Sub-Adviser as investments for the Fund because the fees paid by the Adviser to the Sub-Adviser for sub-advising certain other funds may be higher than the fees paid by the Fund or another fund.
THE DISTRIBUTOR
The Trust and Paralel Distributors LLC (the “Distributor”) are parties to a distribution agreement (“Distribution Agreement”), whereby the Distributor acts as principal underwriter for each series of the Trust, including the Fund, and distributes Shares. Shares are continuously offered for sale by the Distributor only in Creation Units. The Distributor will not distribute Shares in amounts less than a Creation Unit and does not maintain a secondary market in Shares. The principal business address of the Distributor is 1700 Broadway, Suite 2100, Denver, CO 80290.
Under the Distribution Agreement, the Distributor, as agent for the Trust, will review orders for the purchase and redemption of Creation Units, provided that any subscriptions and orders will not be binding on the Trust until accepted by the Trust. The Distributor is a broker-dealer registered under the Exchange Act and a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”).
The Distributor may also enter into agreements with securities dealers (“Soliciting Dealers”) who will solicit purchases of Creation Units of Shares. Such Soliciting Dealers may also be Authorized Participants (as discussed in “Procedures for Purchase of Creation Units” below) or DTC participants (as defined below).
The Distribution Agreement will continue for two years from its effective date and is renewable annually thereafter. The continuance of the Distribution Agreement must be specifically approved at least annually (i) by the vote of the Trustees or by a vote of the shareholders of the Fund and (ii) by the vote of a majority of the Independent Trustees who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operations of the Distribution Agreement or any related agreement, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. The Distribution Agreement is terminable without penalty by the Trust on 60 days’ written notice when authorized either by majority vote of its outstanding voting Shares or by a vote of a majority of its Board (including a majority of the Independent Trustees), or by the Distributor on 60 days’ written notice, and will automatically terminate in the event of its assignment. The Distribution Agreement provides that in the absence of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on the part of the Distributor, or reckless disregard by it of its obligations thereunder, the Distributor shall not be liable for any action or failure to act in accordance with its duties thereunder.
Intermediary Compensation. The Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, or their affiliates, out of their own resources and not out of Fund assets (i.e., without additional cost to the Fund or its shareholders), may pay certain broker dealers, banks and other financial intermediaries (“Intermediaries”) for certain activities related to the Fund, including participation in activities that are designed to make Intermediaries more knowledgeable about exchange traded products, including the Fund, or for other activities, such as marketing and educational training or support. These arrangements are not financed by the Fund and, thus, do not result in increased Fund expenses. They are not reflected in the fees and expenses listed in the fees and expenses sections of the Fund’s Prospectus and they do not change the price paid by investors for the purchase of Shares or the amount received by a shareholder as proceeds from the redemption of Shares.
Such compensation may be paid to Intermediaries that provide services to the Fund, including marketing and education support (such as through conferences, webinars and printed communications). The Adviser and Sub-Adviser periodically assess the advisability of continuing to make these payments. Payments to an Intermediary may be significant to the Intermediary, and amounts that Intermediaries pay to your adviser, broker or other investment professional, if any, may also be significant to such adviser, broker or investment professional. Because an Intermediary may make decisions about what investment options it will make available or recommend, and what services to provide in connection with various products, based on payments it receives or is eligible to receive, such payments create conflicts of interest between the Intermediary and its clients. For example, these financial incentives may cause the Intermediary to recommend the Fund over other investments. The same conflict of interest exists with respect to your financial adviser, broker or investment professional if he or she receives similar payments from his or her Intermediary firm.
Intermediary information is current only as of the date of this SAI. Please contact your adviser, broker, or other investment professional for more information regarding any payments his or her Intermediary firm may receive. Any payments made by the Adviser, Sub-Adviser or their affiliates to an Intermediary may create the incentive for an Intermediary to encourage customers to buy Shares.
If you have any additional questions, please call 1.877.524.9155.
18
THE ADMINISTRATOR, CUSTODIAN, AND TRANSFER AGENT
Paralel Technologies LLC (“PTL”), located at 1700 Broadway Suite 2100, Denver, Colorado 80290 serves as the Fund’s administrator and fund accountant. PTL is the parent company of the Adviser and Paralel Distributors LLC, the Fund’s Distributor.
Pursuant to an Administration and Fund Accounting Agreement between the Trust and PTL, PTL provides the Trust with administrative and management services (other than investment advisory services) and accounting services, including portfolio accounting services, tax accounting services and furnishing financial reports. In this capacity, PTL 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 Shares. As compensation for the administration, accounting and management services, the Adviser pays PTL a fee based on the Fund’s average daily net assets, subject to a minimum annual fee. PTL also is entitled to certain out-of-pocket expenses for the services mentioned above.
Pursuant to a Custody Agreement, State Street Bank and Trust Company (the “Custodian” or “State Street”), serves as the Custodian of the Fund’s assets. The Custodian holds and administers the assets in the Fund’s portfolio. Pursuant to the Custody Agreement, the Custodian receives an annual fee from the Adviser based on the Fund’s total average daily net assets, subject to a minimum annual fee, and certain settlement charges. The Custodian also is entitled to certain out-of-pocket expenses.
Pursuant to a Transfer Agency Agreement, State Street (in such capacity, the “Transfer Agent”) serves as Transfer Agent for the Fund. Pursuant to the Transfer Agency Agreement, the Transfer Agent receives an annual fee from the Adviser.
LEGAL COUNSEL
Thompson Hine LLP, located at 41 South High Street, Suite 1700, Columbus, Ohio 43215 serves as legal counsel for the Trust.
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
Cohen & Company, Ltd., located at 8101 East Prentice Avenue, Suite 750 Greenwood Village, Colorado 80111, serves as the independent registered public accounting firm for the Fund. Its services include auditing the Fund’s financial statements. Cohen & Co Advisory, LLC, an affiliate of Cohen & Company, Ltd., provides tax services as requested.
PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS DISCLOSURE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
The Board has adopted a policy regarding the disclosure of information about the Fund’s security holdings. The Fund’s entire portfolio holdings are publicly disseminated each day the Fund is open for business and may be available through financial reporting and news services, including publicly available internet web sites. In addition, the composition of the Deposit Securities (as defined below) is publicly disseminated daily prior to the opening of the Exchange via the National Securities Clearing Corporation (“NSCC”).
DESCRIPTION OF SHARES
The Declaration of Trust authorizes the issuance of an unlimited number of funds and Shares. Each Share represents an equal proportionate interest in the Fund with each other Share. Shares are entitled upon liquidation to a pro rata share in the net assets of the Fund. Shareholders have no preemptive rights. The Declaration of Trust provides that the Trustees may create additional series or classes of Shares. All consideration received by the Trust for shares of any additional funds and all assets in which such consideration is invested would belong to that fund and would be subject to the liabilities related thereto. Share certificates representing Shares will not be issued. Shares, when issued, are fully paid and non-assessable.
Each Share has one vote with respect to matters upon which a shareholder vote is required, consistent with the requirements of the 1940 Act and the rules promulgated thereunder. Shares of all funds of the Trust vote together as a single class, except that if the matter being voted on affects only a particular fund it will be voted on only by that fund and if a matter affects a particular fund differently from other funds, that fund will vote separately on such matter. As a Delaware statutory trust, the Trust is not required, and does not intend, to hold annual meetings of shareholders. Approval of shareholders will be sought, however, for certain changes in the operation of the Trust and for the election of Trustees under certain circumstances. Upon the written request of shareholders owning at least 10% of the Trust’s Shares, the Trust will call for a meeting of shareholders to consider the removal of one or more Trustees and other certain matters. In the event that such a meeting is requested, the Trust will provide appropriate assistance and information to the shareholders requesting the meeting.
Under the Declaration of Trust, the Trustees have the power to liquidate the Fund without shareholder approval. While the Trustees have no present intention of exercising this power, they may do so if the Fund fails to reach a viable size within a reasonable amount of time or for such other reasons as may be determined by the Board.
LIMITATION OF TRUSTEE LIABILITY
The Second Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust (“Declaration of Trust”) provides that a Trustee shall be liable only for his or her own willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of the office of Trustee, and shall not be liable for errors of judgment or mistakes of fact or law. The Trustees shall not be responsible or liable in any event for any neglect or wrong-doing of any officer, agent, employee, adviser or principal underwriter of the Trust, nor shall any Trustee be responsible for the act or omission of any other Trustee. The Declaration of Trust also provides that the Trust shall indemnify each person who is, or has been, a Trustee, officer, employee or agent of the Trust, any person who is serving or has served at the Trust’s request as a Trustee, officer, trustee, employee or agent of another organization in which the Trust has any interest as a shareholder, creditor or otherwise to the extent and in the manner provided in the Amended and Restated By-laws. However, nothing in the Declaration of Trust shall protect or indemnify a Trustee against any liability for his or her willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of the office of Trustee. Nothing contained in this section attempts to disclaim a Trustee’s individual liability in any manner inconsistent with the federal securities laws.
19
BROKERAGE TRANSACTIONS
The policy of the Trust regarding purchases and sales of securities for the Fund is that primary consideration will be given to obtaining the most favorable prices and efficient executions of transactions. Consistent with this policy, when securities transactions are effected on a stock exchange, the Trust’s policy is to pay commissions which are considered fair and reasonable without necessarily determining that the lowest possible commissions are paid in all circumstances. The Trust believes that a requirement always to seek the lowest possible commission cost could impede effective portfolio management and preclude the Fund and the Trading Sub-Adviser from obtaining a high quality of brokerage and research services. In seeking to determine the reasonableness of brokerage commissions paid in any transaction, the Trading Sub-Adviser will rely upon its experience and knowledge regarding commissions generally charged by various brokers and on its judgment in evaluating the brokerage services received from the broker effecting the transaction. Such determinations are necessarily subjective and imprecise, as in most cases, an exact dollar value for those services is not ascertainable. The Trust has adopted policies and procedures that prohibit the consideration of sales of Shares as a factor in the selection of a broker or dealer to execute its portfolio transactions.
The Trading Sub-Adviser owes a fiduciary duty to its clients to seek to provide best execution on trades effected. In selecting a broker-dealer for each specific transaction, the Trading Sub-Adviser chooses the broker-dealer deemed most capable of providing the services necessary to obtain the most favorable execution. “Best execution” is generally understood to mean the most favorable cost or net proceeds reasonably obtainable under the circumstances. The full range of brokerage services applicable to a particular transaction may be considered when making this judgment, which may include, but is not limited to: liquidity, price, commission, timing, aggregated trades, capable floor brokers or traders, competent block trading coverage, ability to position, capital strength and stability, reliable and accurate communications and settlement processing, use of automation, knowledge of other buyers or sellers, arbitrage skills, administrative ability, underwriting and provision of information on a particular security or market in which the transaction is to occur. The specific criteria will vary depending upon the nature of the transaction, the market in which it is executed, and the extent to which it is possible to select from among multiple broker-dealers. The Trading Sub-Adviser will also use electronic crossing networks (“ECNs”) when appropriate.
Subject to the foregoing policies, brokers or dealers selected to execute the Fund’s portfolio transactions may include the Fund’s Authorized Participants (as discussed in “Procedures for Purchase of Creation Units” below) or their affiliates. An Authorized Participant or its affiliates may be selected to execute the Fund’s portfolio transactions in conjunction with an all-cash creation unit order or an order including “cash-in-lieu” (as described below under “Purchase and Redemption of Shares in Creation Units”), so long as such selection is in keeping with the foregoing policies. As described below under “Purchase and Redemption of Shares in Creation Units—Creation Transaction Fee” and “Redemption Transaction Fee”, the Fund may determine to not charge a variable fee on certain orders when the Adviser has determined that doing so is in the best interests of Fund shareholders, e.g., for creation orders that facilitate the rebalance of the Fund’s portfolio in a more tax efficient manner than could be achieved without such order, even if the decision to not charge a variable fee could be viewed as benefiting the Authorized Participant or its affiliate selected to execute the Fund’s portfolio transactions in connection with such orders.
The Trading Sub-Adviser may use the Fund’s assets for, or participate in, third-party soft dollar arrangements, in addition to receiving proprietary research from various full-service brokers, the cost of which is bundled with the cost of the broker’s execution services. The Trading Sub-Adviser does not “pay up” for the value of any such proprietary research. Section 28(e) of the Exchange Act permits the Trading Sub-Adviser, under certain circumstances, to cause the Fund to pay a broker or dealer a commission for effecting a transaction in excess of the amount of commission another broker or dealer would have charged for effecting the transaction in recognition of the value of brokerage and research services provided by the broker or dealer. The Trading Sub-Adviser may receive a variety of research services and information on many topics, which it can use in connection with its management responsibilities with respect to the various accounts over which it exercises investment discretion or otherwise provides investment advice. The research services may include qualifying order management systems, portfolio attribution and monitoring services and computer software and access charges which are directly related to investment research. Accordingly, the Fund may pay a broker commission higher than the lowest available in recognition of the broker’s provision of such services to the Trading Sub-Adviser, but only if the Trading Sub-Adviser determines the total commission (including the soft dollar benefit) is comparable to the best commission rate that could be expected to be received from other brokers. The amount of soft dollar benefits received depends on the amount of brokerage transactions effected with the brokers. A conflict of interest exists because there is an incentive to: 1) cause clients to pay a higher commission than the firm might otherwise be able to negotiate; 2) cause clients to engage in more securities transactions than would otherwise be optimal; and 3) only recommend brokers that provide soft dollar benefits.
20
The Trading Sub-Adviser faces a potential conflict of interest when it uses client trades to obtain brokerage or research services. This conflict exists because the Trading Sub-Adviser is able to use the brokerage or research services to manage client accounts without paying cash for such services, which reduces the Trading Sub-Adviser’s expenses to the extent that the Trading Sub-Adviser would have purchased such products had they not been provided by brokers. Section 28(e) permits the Trading Sub-Adviser to use brokerage or research services for the benefit of any account it manages. Certain accounts managed by the Sub-Adviser may generate soft dollars used to purchase brokerage or research services that ultimately benefit other accounts managed by the Trading Sub-Adviser, effectively cross subsidizing the other accounts managed by the Trading Sub-Adviser that benefit directly from the product. The Trading Sub-Adviser may not necessarily use all of the brokerage or research services in connection with managing a Fund whose trades generated the soft dollars used to purchase such products.
The Fund may deal with affiliates in principal transactions to the extent permitted by exemptive order or applicable rule or regulation.
Directed Brokerage. The Fund does not intend to direct brokerage transactions to a broker because of research services provided.
Brokerage with Fund Affiliates. The Fund may execute brokerage or other agency transactions through registered broker-dealer affiliates of the Fund, the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, the Trading Sub-Adviser or the Distributor for a commission in conformity with the 1940 Act, the Exchange Act and rules promulgated by the SEC. These rules require that commissions paid to the affiliate by the Fund for exchange transactions not exceed “usual and customary” brokerage commissions. The rules define “usual and customary” commissions to include amounts which are “reasonable and fair compared to the commission, fee or other remuneration received or to be received by other brokers in connection with comparable transactions involving similar securities being purchased or sold on a securities exchange during a comparable period of time.” The Trustees, including those who are not “interested persons” of the Fund, have adopted procedures for evaluating the reasonableness of commissions paid to affiliates and review these procedures periodically.
The Fund paid the following amounts in brokerage commissions in the following fiscal periods:
| Fiscal Year Ended | Brokerage Commissions |
| October 31, 2025 | $82,626 |
| October 31, 2024 | $47,960 |
Securities of “Regular Broker-Dealers.” The Fund is required to identify any securities of its “regular brokers and dealers” (as such term is defined in the 1940 Act) that it may hold at the close of its most recent fiscal year. “Regular brokers or dealers” of the Fund are the ten brokers or dealers that, during the most recent fiscal year: (i) received the greatest dollar amounts of brokerage commissions from the Fund’s portfolio transactions; (ii) engaged as principal in the largest dollar amounts of portfolio transactions of the Fund; or (iii) sold the largest dollar amounts of Shares.
PORTFOLIO TURNOVER RATE
Portfolio turnover may vary from year to year, as well as within a year. High turnover rates are likely to result in comparatively greater brokerage expenses. The overall reasonableness of brokerage commissions is evaluated by the Trading Sub-Adviser based upon its knowledge of available information as to the general level of commissions paid by other institutional investors for comparable services.
BOOK ENTRY ONLY SYSTEM
The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) acts as securities depositary for Shares. Shares are represented by securities registered in the name of DTC or its nominee, Cede & Co., and deposited with, or on behalf of, DTC. Except in limited circumstances set forth below, certificates will not be issued for Shares.
DTC is a limited-purpose trust company that was created to hold securities of its participants (the “DTC Participants”) and to facilitate the clearance and settlement of securities transactions among the DTC Participants in such securities through electronic book-entry changes in accounts of the DTC Participants, thereby eliminating the need for physical movement of securities certificates. DTC Participants include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and certain other organizations, some of whom (and/or their representatives) own DTC. More specifically, DTC is owned by a number of its DTC Participants and by the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) and FINRA. Access to the DTC system is also available to others such as banks, brokers, dealers, and trust companies that clear through or maintain a custodial relationship with a DTC Participant, either directly or indirectly (the “Indirect Participants”).
Beneficial ownership of Shares is limited to DTC Participants, Indirect Participants, and persons holding interests through DTC Participants and Indirect Participants. Ownership of beneficial interests in Shares (owners of such beneficial interests are referred to in this SAI as “Beneficial Owners”) is shown on, and the transfer of ownership is effected only through, records maintained by DTC (with respect to DTC Participants) and on the records of DTC Participants (with respect to Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners that are not DTC Participants). Beneficial Owners will receive from or through the DTC Participant a written confirmation relating to their purchase of Shares. The Trust recognizes DTC or its nominee as the record owner of all Shares for all purposes. Beneficial Owners of Shares are not entitled to have Shares registered in their names and will not receive or be entitled to physical delivery of Share certificates. Each Beneficial Owner must rely on the procedures of DTC and any DTC Participant and/or Indirect Participant through which such Beneficial Owner holds its interests, to exercise any rights of a holder of Shares.
21
Conveyance of all notices, statements, and other communications to Beneficial Owners is effected as follows. DTC will make available to the Trust upon request and for a fee a listing of Shares held by each DTC Participant. The Trust shall obtain from each such DTC Participant the number of Beneficial Owners holding Shares, directly or indirectly, through such DTC Participant. The Trust shall provide each such DTC Participant with copies of such notice, statement, or other communication, in such form, number and at such place as such DTC Participant may reasonably request, in order that such notice, statement or communication may be transmitted by such DTC Participant, directly or indirectly, to such Beneficial Owners. In addition, the Trust shall pay to each such DTC Participant a fair and reasonable amount as reimbursement for the expenses attendant to such transmittal, all subject to applicable statutory and regulatory requirements.
Share distributions shall be made to DTC or its nominee, Cede & Co., as the registered holder of all Shares. DTC or its nominee, upon receipt of any such distributions, shall credit immediately DTC Participants’ accounts with payments in amounts proportionate to their respective beneficial interests in the Fund as shown on the records of DTC or its nominee. Payments by DTC Participants to Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners of Shares held through such DTC Participants will be governed by standing instructions and customary practices, as is now the case with securities held for the accounts of customers in bearer form or registered in a “street name,” and will be the responsibility of such DTC Participants.
The Trust has no responsibility or liability for any aspect of the records relating to or notices to Beneficial Owners, or payments made on account of beneficial ownership interests in Shares, or for maintaining, supervising, or reviewing any records relating to such beneficial ownership interests, or for any other aspect of the relationship between DTC and the DTC Participants or the relationship between such DTC Participants and the Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners owning through such DTC Participants.
DTC may determine to discontinue providing its service with respect to the Fund at any time by giving reasonable notice to the Fund and discharging its responsibilities with respect thereto under applicable law. Under such circumstances, the Fund shall take action either to find a replacement for DTC to perform its functions at a comparable cost or, if such replacement is unavailable, to issue and deliver printed certificates representing ownership of Shares, unless the Trust makes other arrangements with respect thereto satisfactory to the Exchange.
PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION OF SHARES IN CREATION UNITS
The Trust issues and sells Shares only in Creation Units on a continuous basis through the Distributor, without a sales load (but subject to transaction fees, if applicable), at their NAV per share next determined after receipt of an order, on any Business Day, in proper form pursuant to the terms of the Authorized Participant Agreement (“Participant Agreement”). The NAV of Shares is calculated each business day as of the scheduled close of regular trading on the NYSE, generally 4:00 p.m., Eastern time. The Funds will not issue fractional Creation Units. A “Business Day” is any day on which the NYSE is open for business.
Fund Deposit. The consideration for purchase of a Creation Unit of the Fund generally consists of either (i) the in-kind deposit of a designated portfolio of securities (the “Deposit Securities”) per each Creation Unit and the Cash Component (defined below), computed as described below or (ii) the cash value of the Deposit Securities (“Deposit Cash”) and “Cash Component,” computed as described below. When accepting purchases of Creation Units for cash, the Fund may incur additional costs associated with the acquisition of Deposit Securities that would otherwise be provided by an in-kind purchaser.
Together, the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, and the Cash Component constitute the “Fund Deposit,” which represents the minimum initial and subsequent investment amount for a Creation Unit of the Fund. The “Cash Component” is an amount equal to the difference between the NAV of Shares (per Creation Unit) and the value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable. If the Cash Component is a positive number (i.e., the NAV per Creation Unit exceeds the value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable), the Cash Component shall be such positive amount. If the Cash Component is a negative number (i.e., the NAV per Creation Unit is less than the value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable), the Cash Component shall be such negative amount and the creator will be entitled to receive cash in an amount equal to the Cash Component. The Cash Component serves the function of compensating for any differences between the NAV per Creation Unit and the value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable. Computation of the Cash Component excludes any stamp duty or other similar fees and expenses payable upon transfer of beneficial ownership of the Deposit Securities, if applicable, which shall be the sole responsibility of the Authorized Participant (as defined below).
The Fund, through NSCC, makes available on each Business Day, prior to the opening of business on the Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m., Eastern time), the list of the names and the required number of Shares of each Deposit Security or the required amount of Deposit Cash, as applicable, to be included in the current Fund Deposit (based on information at the end of the previous Business Day) for the Fund. The Fund Deposit is subject to any applicable adjustments as described below, to effect purchases of Creation Units of the Fund until such time as the next-announced composition of the Deposit Securities or the required amount of Deposit Cash, as applicable, is made available.
The identity and number of Shares of the Deposit Securities or the amount of Deposit Cash, as applicable, required for the Fund Deposit for the Fund changes as rebalancing adjustments and corporate action events are reflected from time to time by the Adviser with a view to the investment objective of the Fund.
22
The Trust reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of Deposit Cash to replace any Deposit Security, which shall be added to the Cash Component, including, without limitation, in situations where the Deposit Security: (i) may not be available in sufficient quantity for delivery; (ii) may not be eligible for transfer through the systems of DTC for corporate securities and municipal securities; (iii) may not be eligible for trading by an Authorized Participant (as defined below) or the investor for which it is acting; (iv) would be restricted under the securities laws or where the delivery of the Deposit Security to the Authorized Participant would result in the disposition of the Deposit Security by the Authorized Participant becoming restricted under the securities laws; or (v) in certain other situations (collectively, “custom orders”). The Trust also reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of Deposit Securities in lieu of Deposit Cash. The adjustments described above will reflect changes, known to the Adviser on the date of announcement to be in effect by the time of delivery of the Fund Deposit, resulting from certain corporate actions.
Procedures for Purchase of Creation Units. To be eligible to place orders with the Distributor to purchase a Creation Unit of the Fund, an entity must be (i) a “Participating Party” (i.e., a broker-dealer or other participant in the clearing process through the Continuous Net Settlement System of the NSCC (the “Clearing Process”)), a clearing agency that is registered with the SEC; or (ii) a DTC Participant (see “Book Entry Only System”). In addition, each Participating Party or DTC Participant (each, an “Authorized Participant”) must execute a Participant Agreement that has been agreed to by the Distributor, and that has been accepted by the Transfer Agent, with respect to purchases and redemptions of Creation Units. Each Authorized Participant will agree, pursuant to the terms of a Participant Agreement, on behalf of itself or any investor on whose behalf it will act, to certain conditions, including that it will pay to the Trust, an amount of cash sufficient to pay the Cash Component together with the creation transaction fee (described below), if applicable, and any other applicable fees and taxes.
All orders to purchase Shares directly from the Fund must be placed for one or more Creation Units and in the manner and by the time set forth in the Participant Agreement and/or applicable order form. The order cut-off time for orders to purchase Creation Units is 4:00 p.m. Eastern time, which time may be modified by the Fund from time-to-time by amendment to the Participant Agreement and/or applicable order form. In the case of custom orders, the order must be received by the Distributor no later than 3:00 p.m. Eastern time and 12:00 p.m. Eastern time for the Fund, or such earlier time as may be designated by the Fund and disclosed to Authorized Participants. The date on which an order to purchase Creation Units (or an order to redeem Creation Units, as set forth below) is received and accepted is referred to as the “Order Placement Date.”
An Authorized Participant may require an investor to make certain representations or enter into agreements with respect to the order (e.g., to provide for payments of cash, when required). Investors should be aware that their particular broker may not have executed a Participant Agreement and that, therefore, orders to purchase Shares directly from the Fund in Creation Units have to be placed by the investor’s broker through an Authorized Participant that has executed a Participant Agreement. In such cases there may be additional charges to such investor. At any given time, there may be only a limited number of broker-dealers that have executed a Participant Agreement and only a small number of such Authorized Participants may have international capabilities.
On days when the Exchange closes earlier than normal, the Fund may require orders to create Creation Units to be placed earlier in the day. In addition, if a market or markets on which the Fund’s investments are primarily traded is closed, the Fund will also generally not accept orders on such day(s). Orders must be transmitted by an Authorized Participant by telephone or other transmission method acceptable to the Distributor pursuant to procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement and in accordance with the applicable order form. On behalf of the Fund, the Distributor will notify the Custodian of such order. The Custodian will then provide such information to the appropriate local sub-custodian(s). Those placing orders through an Authorized Participant should allow sufficient time to permit proper submission of the purchase order to the Distributor by the cut-off time on such Business Day. Economic or market disruptions or changes, or telephone or other communication failure may impede the ability to reach the Distributor or an Authorized Participant.
Fund Deposits must be delivered by an Authorized Participant through the Federal Reserve System (for cash) or through DTC (for corporate securities), through a sub-custody agent (for foreign securities) and/or through such other arrangements allowed by the Trust or its agents. With respect to foreign Deposit Securities, the Custodian shall cause the sub-custodian of the Fund to maintain an account into which the Authorized Participant shall deliver, on behalf of itself or the party on whose behalf it is acting, such Deposit Securities (or Deposit Cash for all or a part of such securities, as permitted or required), with any appropriate adjustments as advised by the Trust. Foreign Deposit Securities must be delivered to an account maintained at the applicable local sub-custodian. The Fund Deposit transfer must be ordered by the Authorized Participant in a timely fashion so as to ensure the delivery of the requisite number of Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, to the account of the Fund or its agents by no later than 12:00 p.m. Eastern time (or such other time as specified by the Trust) on the Settlement Date. If the Fund or its agents do not receive all of the Deposit Securities, or the required Deposit Cash in lieu thereof, by such time, then the order may be deemed rejected and the Authorized Participant shall be liable to the Fund for losses, if any, resulting therefrom. The “Settlement Date” for the Fund is generally the Business Day immediately after the Order Placement Date. All questions as to the number of Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash to be delivered, as applicable, and the validity, form and eligibility (including time of receipt) for the deposit of any tendered securities or cash, as applicable, will be determined by the Trust, whose determination shall be final and binding. The amount of cash represented by the Cash Component must be transferred directly to the Custodian through the Federal Reserve Bank wire transfer system in a timely manner so as to be received by the Custodian no later than the Settlement Date. If the Cash Component and the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, are not received by the Custodian in a timely manner by the Settlement Date, the creation order may be cancelled. Upon written notice to the Distributor, such canceled order may be resubmitted the following Business Day using the Fund Deposit as newly constituted to reflect the then current NAV of the Fund.
23
The order shall be deemed to be received on the Business Day on which the order is placed provided that the order is placed in proper form prior to the applicable cut-off time and the federal funds in the appropriate amount are deposited with the Custodian on the Settlement Date. If the order is not placed in proper form as required, or federal funds in the appropriate amount are not received on the Settlement Date, then the order may be deemed to be rejected and the Authorized Participant shall be liable to the Fund for losses, if any, resulting therefrom. A creation request is considered to be in “proper form” if all procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement, order form and this SAI are properly followed.
Issuance of a Creation Unit. Except as provided in this SAI, Creation Units will not be issued until the transfer of good title to the Trust of the Deposit Securities or payment of Deposit Cash, as applicable, and the payment of the Cash Component have been completed. When the sub-custodian has confirmed to the Custodian that the required Deposit Securities (or the cash value thereof) have been delivered to the account of the relevant sub-custodian or sub-custodians, the Distributor and the Adviser shall be notified of such delivery, and the Trust will issue and cause the delivery of the Creation Units. The delivery of Creation Units so created generally will occur no later than the Business Day immediately following the day on which the purchase order is deemed received by the Distributor. The Authorized Participant shall be liable to the Fund for losses, if any, resulting from unsettled orders.
Creation Units may be purchased in advance of receipt by the Trust of all or a portion of the applicable Deposit Securities as described below. In these circumstances, the initial deposit will have a value greater than the NAV of Shares on the date the order is placed in proper form since, in addition to available Deposit Securities, cash must be deposited in an amount equal to the sum of (i) the Cash Component, plus (ii) an additional amount of cash equal to a percentage of the value as set forth in the Participant Agreement, of the undelivered Deposit Securities (the “Additional Cash Deposit”), which shall be maintained in a separate non-interest bearing collateral account. The Authorized Participant must deposit with the Custodian the Additional Cash Deposit, as applicable, by 12:00 p.m. Eastern time (or such other time as specified by the Trust) on the Settlement Date. If the Fund or its agents do not receive the Additional Cash Deposit in the appropriate amount, by such time, then the order may be deemed rejected and the Authorized Participant shall be liable to the Fund for losses, if any, resulting therefrom. An additional amount of cash shall be required to be deposited with the Trust, pending delivery of the missing Deposit Securities to the extent necessary to maintain the Additional Cash Deposit with the Trust in an amount at least equal to the applicable percentage, as set forth in the Participant Agreement, of the daily market value of the missing Deposit Securities. The Participant Agreement will permit the Trust to buy the missing Deposit Securities at any time. Authorized Participants will be liable to the Trust for the costs incurred by the Trust in connection with any such purchases. These costs will be deemed to include the amount by which the actual purchase price of the Deposit Securities exceeds the value of such Deposit Securities on the day the purchase order was deemed received by the Distributor plus the brokerage and related transaction costs associated with such purchases. The Trust will return any unused portion of the Additional Cash Deposit once all of the missing Deposit Securities have been properly received by the Custodian or purchased by the Trust and deposited into the Trust. In addition, a transaction fee, as described below under “Creation Transaction Fee,” may be charged. The delivery of Creation Units so created generally will occur no later than the Settlement Date.
Acceptance of Orders of Creation Units. The Trust reserves the right to reject an order for Creation Units transmitted to it by the Distributor with respect to the Fund including, without limitation, if (a) the order is not in proper form; (b) the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, delivered by the Participant are not as disseminated through the facilities of the NSCC for that date by the Custodian; (c) the investor(s), upon obtaining Shares ordered, would own 80% or more of the currently outstanding Shares of the Fund; (d) the acceptance of the Fund Deposit would, in the opinion of counsel, be unlawful; (e) the acceptance or receipt of the order for a Creation Unit would, in the opinion of counsel to the Trust, be unlawful; or (f) in the event that circumstances outside the control of the Trust, the Custodian, the Transfer Agent and/or the Adviser make it for all practical purposes not feasible to process orders for Creation Units.
Examples of such circumstances include acts of God or public service or utility problems such as fires, floods, extreme weather conditions and power outages resulting in telephone, telecopy and computer failures; market conditions or activities causing trading halts; systems failures involving computer or other information systems affecting the Trust, the Distributor, the Custodian, a sub-custodian, the Transfer Agent, DTC, NSCC, Federal Reserve System, or any other participant in the creation process, and other extraordinary events. The Distributor shall notify a prospective creator of a Creation Unit and/or the Authorized Participant acting on behalf of the creator of a Creation Unit of its rejection of the order of such person. The Trust, the Transfer Agent, the Custodian, any sub-custodian and the Distributor are under no duty, however, to give notification of any defects or irregularities in the delivery of Fund Deposits nor shall either of them incur any liability for the failure to give any such notification. The Trust, the Transfer Agent, the Custodian and the Distributor shall not be liable for the rejection of any purchase order for Creation Units.
All questions as to the number of Shares of each security in the Deposit Securities and the validity, form, eligibility and acceptance for deposit of any securities to be delivered shall be determined by the Trust, and the Trust’s determination shall be final and binding.
Creation Transaction Fee. A fixed purchase (i.e., creation) transaction fee, payable to the Fund’s custodian, may be imposed for the transfer and other transaction costs associated with the purchase of Creation Units (“Creation Order Costs”). The standard fixed creation transaction fee for the Fund, regardless of the number of Creation Units created in the transaction, can be found in the table below. The Fund may adjust the standard fixed creation transaction fee from time to time. The fixed creation fee may be waived on certain orders if the Fund’s custodian has determined to waive some or all of the Creation Order Costs associated with the order or another party, such as the Adviser, has agreed to pay such fee.
24
In addition, a variable fee, payable to the Fund, of up to the maximum percentage listed in the table below of the value of the Creation Units subject to the transaction may be imposed for cash purchases, non-standard orders, or partial cash purchases of Creation Units. The variable charge is primarily designed to cover additional costs (e.g., brokerage, taxes, spreads, slippage costs) involved with buying the securities with cash. The Fund may determine to not charge a variable fee on certain orders when the Adviser or a Sub-Adviser has determined that doing so benefits the Fund and its shareholders (e.g., for creation orders that facilitate the rebalance of the Fund’s portfolio in a more tax efficient manner than could be achieved without such order).
Fixed Creation Transaction Fee (In-Kind) |
Fixed Creation Transaction Fee (Cash) | Maximum Variable Transaction Fee |
| $150 | $100 | 2% |
Investors who use the services of a broker or other such intermediary may be charged a fee for such services. Investors are responsible for the fixed costs of transferring the Fund Securities from the Trust to their account or on their order.
Risks of Purchasing Creation Units. There are certain legal risks unique to investors purchasing Creation Units directly from the Fund. Because Shares may be issued on an ongoing basis, a “distribution” of Shares could be occurring at any time. Certain activities that a shareholder performs as a dealer could, depending on the circumstances, result in the shareholder being deemed a participant in the distribution in a manner that could render the shareholder a statutory underwriter and subject to the prospectus delivery and liability provisions of the Securities Act. For example, a shareholder could be deemed a statutory underwriter if it purchases Creation Units from the Fund, breaks them down into the constituent Shares, and sells those Shares directly to customers, or if a shareholder chooses to couple the creation of a supply of new Shares with an active selling effort involving solicitation of secondary-market demand for Shares. Whether a person is an underwriter depends upon all of the facts and circumstances pertaining to that person’s activities, and the examples mentioned here should not be considered a complete description of all the activities that could cause you to be deemed an underwriter.
Dealers who are not “underwriters” but are participating in a distribution (as opposed to engaging in ordinary secondary-market transactions), and thus dealing with Shares as part of an “unsold allotment” within the meaning of Section 4(a)(3)(C) of the Securities Act, will be unable to take advantage of the prospectus delivery exemption provided by Section 4(a)(3) of the Securities Act.
Redemption. Shares may be redeemed only in Creation Units at their NAV next determined after receipt of a redemption request in proper form by the Fund through the Transfer Agent and only on a Business Day. EXCEPT UPON LIQUIDATION OF THE FUND, THE TRUST WILL NOT REDEEM SHARES IN AMOUNTS LESS THAN CREATION UNITS. Investors must accumulate enough Shares in the secondary market to constitute a Creation Unit to have such Shares redeemed by the Trust. There can be no assurance, however, that there will be sufficient liquidity in the public trading market at any time to permit assembly of a Creation Unit. Investors should expect to incur brokerage and other costs in connection with assembling a sufficient number of Shares to constitute a redeemable Creation Unit.
With respect to the Fund, the Custodian, through the NSCC, makes available prior to the opening of business on the Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m., Eastern time) on each Business Day, the list of the names and Share quantities of the Fund’s portfolio securities that will be applicable (subject to possible amendment or correction) to redemption requests received in proper form (as defined below) on that day (“Fund Securities”). Fund Securities received on redemption may not be identical to Deposit Securities.
Redemption proceeds for a Creation Unit are paid either in-kind or in cash, or combination thereof, as determined by the Trust. With respect to in-kind redemptions of the Fund, redemption proceeds for a Creation Unit will consist of Fund Securities—as announced by the Custodian on the Business Day of the request for redemption received in proper form plus cash in an amount equal to the difference between the NAV of Shares being redeemed, as next determined after a receipt of a request in proper form, and the value of the Fund Securities (the “Cash Redemption Amount”), less a fixed redemption transaction fee, as applicable, as set forth below. In the event that the Fund Securities have a value greater than the NAV of Shares, a compensating cash payment equal to the differential is required to be made by or through an Authorized Participant by the redeeming shareholder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, at the Trust’s discretion, an Authorized Participant may receive the corresponding cash value of the securities in lieu of the in-kind securities value representing one or more Fund Securities.
Redemption Transaction Fee. A fixed redemption transaction fee, payable to the Fund’s custodian, may be imposed for the transfer and other transaction costs associated with the redemption of Creation Units (“Redemption Order Costs”). The standard fixed redemption transaction fee for the Fund, regardless of the number of Creation Units redeemed in the transaction, can be found in the table below. The Fund may adjust the redemption transaction fee from time to time. The fixed redemption fee may be waived on certain orders if the Fund’s custodian has determined to waive some or all of the Redemption Order Costs associated with the order or another party, such as the Adviser, has agreed to pay such fee.
25
In addition, a variable fee, payable to the Fund, of up to the maximum percentage listed in the table below of the value of the Creation Units subject to the transaction may be imposed for cash redemptions, non-standard orders, or partial cash redemptions (when cash redemptions are available) of Creation Units. The variable charge is primarily designed to cover additional costs (e.g., brokerage, taxes, spreads, slippage costs) involved with selling portfolio securities to satisfy a cash redemption. The Fund may determine to not charge a variable fee on certain orders when the Adviser or Sub-Adviser has determined that doing so benefits the Fund and its shareholders (e.g., for redemption orders that facilitate the rebalance of the Fund’s portfolio in a more tax efficient manner than could be achieved without such order).
Fixed Creation Transaction Fee (In-Kind) |
Fixed Creation Transaction Fee (Cash) | Maximum Variable Transaction Fee |
| $150 | $100 | 2% |
Investors who use the services of a broker or other such intermediary may be charged a fee for such services. Investors are responsible for the fixed costs of transferring the Fund Securities from the Trust to their account or on their order.
Procedures for Redemption of Creation Units.
Orders to redeem Creation Units of the Fund must be submitted in proper form to the Transfer Agent prior to 4:00 p.m. A redemption request is considered to be in “proper form” if (i) an Authorized Participant has transferred or caused to be transferred to the Trust’s Transfer Agent the Creation Unit(s) being redeemed through the book-entry system of DTC so as to be effective by the time as set forth in the Participant Agreement and (ii) a request in form satisfactory to the Trust is received by the Transfer Agent from the Authorized Participant on behalf of itself or another redeeming investor within the time periods specified in the Participant Agreement. If the Transfer Agent does not receive the investor’s Shares through DTC’s facilities by the times and pursuant to the other terms and conditions set forth in the Participant Agreement, the redemption request shall be rejected.
The Authorized Participant must transmit the request for redemption, in the form required by the Trust, to the Transfer Agent in accordance with procedures set forth in the Authorized Participant Agreement. Investors should be aware that their particular broker may not have executed an Authorized Participant Agreement, and that, therefore, requests to redeem Creation Units may have to be placed by the investor’s broker through an Authorized Participant who has executed an Authorized Participant Agreement. Investors making a redemption request should be aware that such request must be in the form specified by such Authorized Participant.
Investors making a request to redeem Creation Units should allow sufficient time to permit proper submission of the request by an Authorized Participant and transfer of the Shares to the Trust’s Transfer Agent; such investors should allow for the additional time that may be required to effect redemptions through their banks, brokers or other financial intermediaries if such intermediaries are not Authorized Participants.
Additional Redemption Procedures. In connection with taking delivery of Shares of Fund Securities upon redemption of Creation Units, a redeeming shareholder or Authorized Participant acting on behalf of such shareholder must maintain appropriate custody arrangements with a qualified broker-dealer, bank, or other custody providers in each jurisdiction in which any of the Fund Securities are customarily traded, to which account such Fund Securities will be delivered. Deliveries of redemption proceeds generally will be made within two business days of the trade date. However, due to the schedule of holidays in certain countries, the different treatment among foreign and U.S. markets of dividend record dates and dividend ex-dates (that is the last date the holder of a security can sell the security and still receive dividends payable on the security sold), and in certain other circumstances, the delivery of in-kind redemption proceeds may take longer than two Business Days after the day on which the redemption request is received in proper form. If neither the redeeming Shareholder nor the Authorized Participant acting on behalf of such redeeming Shareholder has appropriate arrangements to take delivery of the Fund Securities in the applicable foreign jurisdiction and it is not possible to make other such arrangements, or if it is not possible to effect deliveries of the Fund Securities in such jurisdiction, the Trust may, in its discretion, exercise its option to redeem such Shares in cash, and the redeeming Shareholders will be required to receive its redemption proceeds in cash.
In addition, an investor may request a redemption in cash that the Fund may, in its sole discretion, permit. In either case, the investor will receive a cash payment equal to the NAV of its Shares based on the NAV of Shares of the Fund next determined after the redemption request is received in proper form (minus a redemption transaction fee, if applicable, and additional charge for requested cash redemptions specified above, to offset the Trust’s brokerage and other transaction costs associated with the disposition of Fund Securities). The Fund may also, in its sole discretion, upon request of a shareholder, provide such redeemer a portfolio of securities that differs from the exact composition of the Fund Securities but does not differ in NAV.
26
Redemptions of Shares for Fund Securities will be subject to compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws and the Fund (whether or not it otherwise permits cash redemptions) reserves the right to redeem Creation Units for cash to the extent that the Trust could not lawfully deliver specific Fund Securities upon redemptions or could not do so without first registering the Fund Securities under such laws. An Authorized Participant or an investor for which it is acting subject to a legal restriction with respect to a particular security included in the Fund Securities applicable to the redemption of Creation Units may be paid an equivalent amount of cash. The Authorized Participant may request the redeeming investor of the Shares to complete an order form or to enter into agreements with respect to such matters as compensating cash payment. Further, an Authorized Participant that is not a “qualified institutional buyer,” (“QIB”) as such term is defined under Rule 144A of the Securities Act, will not be able to receive Fund Securities that are restricted securities eligible for resale under Rule 144A. An Authorized Participant may be required by the Trust to provide a written confirmation with respect to QIB status to receive Fund Securities.
Because the portfolio securities of the Fund may trade on other exchanges on days that the Exchange is closed or are otherwise not Business Days for such Fund, shareholders may not be able to redeem their Shares of the Fund, or to purchase or sell Shares of the Fund on the Exchange, on days when the NAV of the Fund could be significantly affecting by events in the relevant foreign markets.
The right of redemption may be suspended or the date of payment postponed with respect to the Fund (1) for any period during which the Exchange is closed (other than customary weekend and holiday closings); (2) for any period during which trading on the Exchange is suspended or restricted; (3) for any period during which an emergency exists as a result of which disposal of the Shares of the Fund or determination of the NAV of the Shares is not reasonably practicable; or (4) in such other circumstance as is permitted by the SEC.
DETERMINATION OF NAV
NAV per Share for the Fund is computed by dividing the value of the net assets of the Fund (i.e., the value of its total assets less total liabilities) by the total number of Shares outstanding, rounded to the nearest cent. Expenses and fees, including the management fees, are accrued daily and taken into account for purposes of determining NAV. The NAV of the Fund is calculated by PTL and determined at the scheduled close of the regular trading session on the NYSE (ordinarily 4:00 p.m., Eastern time) on each day that the NYSE is open, provided that fixed-income assets may be valued as of the announced closing time for trading in fixed-income instruments on any day that the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (“SIFMA”) announces an early closing time.
In calculating the Fund’s NAV per Share, the Fund’s investments are generally valued using market valuations. A market valuation generally means a valuation (i) obtained from an exchange, a pricing service, or a major market maker (or dealer), (ii) based on a price quotation or other equivalent indication of value supplied by an exchange, a pricing service, or a major market maker (or dealer) or (iii) based on amortized cost. In the case of shares of other funds that are not traded on an exchange, a market valuation means such fund’s published NAV per share. The Fund may use various pricing services, or discontinue the use of any pricing service, as approved by the Board from time to time. A price obtained from a pricing service based on such pricing service’s valuation matrix may be considered a market valuation.
DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS
The following information supplements and should be read in conjunction with the section in the Prospectus entitled “Dividends, Distributions and Taxes.”
General Policies. Dividends from net investment income, if any, are declared and paid at least annually by the Fund. Distributions of net realized securities gains, if any, generally are declared and paid once a year, but the Fund may make distributions on a more frequent basis to reduce or eliminate federal excise or income taxes or to comply with the distribution requirements of the Code, in all events in a manner consistent with the provisions of the 1940 Act.
Dividends and other distributions on Shares are distributed, as described below, on a pro rata basis to Beneficial Owners of such Shares. Dividend payments are made through DTC Participants and Indirect Participants to Beneficial Owners then of record with proceeds received from the Trust.
The Fund makes additional distributions to the extent necessary (i) to distribute the entire annual taxable income of the Fund, plus any net capital gains and (ii) to avoid imposition of the excise tax imposed by Section 4982 of the Code. Management of the Trust reserves the right to declare special dividends if, in its reasonable discretion, such action is necessary or advisable to preserve the Fund’s eligibility for treatment as a RIC or to avoid imposition of income or excise taxes on undistributed income.
Dividend Reinvestment Service. The Trust will not make the DTC book-entry dividend reinvestment service available for use by Beneficial Owners for reinvestment of their cash proceeds, but certain individual broker-dealers may make available the DTC book-entry Dividend Reinvestment Service for use by Beneficial Owners of the Fund through DTC Participants for reinvestment of their dividend distributions. Investors should contact their brokers to ascertain the availability and description of these services. Beneficial Owners should be aware that each broker may require investors to adhere to specific procedures and timetables to participate in the dividend reinvestment service and investors should ascertain from their brokers such necessary details. If this service is available and used, dividend distributions of both income and realized gains will be automatically reinvested in additional whole Shares issued by the Trust of the Fund at NAV per Share. Distributions reinvested in additional Shares will nevertheless be taxable to Beneficial Owners acquiring such additional Shares to the same extent as if such distributions had been received in cash.
27
FEDERAL INCOME TAXES
The following is only a summary of certain U.S. federal income tax considerations generally affecting the Fund and its shareholders that supplements the discussion in the Prospectus. No attempt is made to present a comprehensive explanation of the federal, state, local or foreign tax treatment of the Fund or its shareholders, and the discussion here and in the Prospectus is not intended to be a substitute for careful tax planning.
The following general discussion of certain U.S. federal income tax consequences is based on provisions of the Code and the regulations issued thereunder as in effect on the date of this SAI. New legislation, as well as administrative changes or court decisions, may significantly change the conclusions expressed herein, and may have a retroactive effect with respect to the transactions contemplated herein.
Shareholders are urged to consult their own tax advisers regarding the application of the provisions of tax law described in this SAI in light of the particular tax situations of the shareholders and regarding specific questions as to federal, state, foreign or local taxes.
Taxation of the Fund. The Fund has elected and intends to continue to qualify each year to be treated as a separate RIC under the Code. As such, the Fund should not be subject to federal income taxes on their net investment income and capital gains, if any, to the extent that they timely distribute such income and capital gains to their shareholders. To qualify for treatment as a RIC, the Fund must distribute annually to its shareholders at least the sum of 90% of its net investment income (generally including the excess of net short- term capital gains over net long-term capital losses) and 90% of its net tax-exempt interest income, if any (the “Distribution Requirement”) and also must meet several additional requirements. Among these requirements are the following: (i) at least 90% of the Fund’s gross income each taxable year must be derived from dividends, interest, payments with respect to certain securities loans, gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities or foreign currencies, or other income derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock, securities or foreign currencies and net income derived from interests in qualified publicly traded partnerships (the “Qualifying Income Requirement”); and (ii) at the end of each quarter of the Fund’s taxable year, the Fund’s assets must be diversified so that (a) at least 50% of the value of the Fund’s total assets is represented by cash and cash items, U.S. government securities, securities of other RICs, and other securities, with such other securities limited, in respect to any one issuer, to an amount not greater in value than 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets and to not more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer, including the equity securities of a qualified publicly traded partnership, and (b) not more than 25% of the value of its total assets is invested, including through corporations in which the Fund owns a 20% or more voting stock interest, in the securities (other than U.S. government securities or securities of other RICs) of any one issuer, the securities (other than securities of other RICs) of two or more issuers which the Fund controls and which are engaged in the same, similar, or related trades or businesses, or the securities of one or more qualified publicly traded partnerships (the “Diversification Requirement”).
To the extent the Fund makes investments that may generate income that is not qualifying income, including certain derivatives, the Fund will seek to restrict the resulting income from such investments so that the Fund’s non-qualifying income does not exceed 10% of its gross income.
Although the Fund intends to distribute substantially all of its net investment income and may distribute their capital gains for any taxable year, the Fund will be subject to federal income taxation to the extent any such income or gains are not distributed. The Fund is treated as a separate corporation for federal income tax purposes. The Fund therefore is considered to be a separate entity in determining its treatment under the rules for RICs described herein. The requirements (other than certain organizational requirements) for qualifying RIC status are determined at the fund level rather than at the Trust level.
If the Fund fails to satisfy the Qualifying Income Requirement or the Diversification Requirement in any taxable year, the Fund may be eligible for relief provisions if the failures are due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect and if a penalty tax is paid with respect to each failure to satisfy the applicable requirements. Additionally, relief is provided for certain de minimis failures of the Diversification Requirement where the Fund corrects the failure within a specified period of time. To be eligible for the relief provisions with respect to a failure to meet the Diversification Requirement, the Fund may be required to dispose of certain assets. If these relief provisions were not available to the Fund and it were to fail to qualify for treatment as a RIC for a taxable year, all of its taxable income would be subject to tax at the regular 21% corporate rate without any deduction for distributions to shareholders, and its distributions (including capital gains distributions) generally would be taxable to the shareholders of the Fund as ordinary income dividends, subject to the dividends received deduction for corporate shareholders and the lower tax rates on qualified dividend income received by non-corporate shareholders, subject to certain limitations. To requalify for treatment as a RIC in a subsequent taxable year, the Fund would be required to satisfy the RIC qualification requirements for that year and to distribute any earnings and profits from any year in which the Fund failed to qualify for tax treatment as a RIC. If the Fund failed to qualify as a RIC for a period greater than two taxable years, it would generally be required to pay a Fund-level tax on certain net built in gains recognized with respect to certain of its assets upon a disposition of such assets within five years of qualifying as a RIC in a subsequent year. The Board reserves the right not to maintain the qualification of the Fund for treatment as a RIC if it determines such course of action to be beneficial to shareholders. If the Fund determines that it will not qualify as a RIC, the Fund will establish procedures to reflect the anticipated tax liability in the Fund’s NAV.
28
The Fund may elect to treat part or all of any “qualified late year loss” as if it had been incurred in the succeeding taxable year in determining the Fund’s taxable income, net capital gain, net short-term capital gain, and earnings and profits. The effect of this election is to treat any such “qualified late year loss” as if it had been incurred in the succeeding taxable year in characterizing Fund distributions for any calendar year. A “qualified late year loss” generally includes net capital loss, net long-term capital loss, or net short-term capital loss incurred after October 31 of the current taxable year (commonly referred to as “post-October losses”) and certain other late-year losses.
Capital losses in excess of capital gains (“net capital losses”) are not permitted to be deducted against a RIC’s net investment income. Instead, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, potentially subject to certain limitations, the Fund may carry a net capital loss from any taxable year forward indefinitely to offset its capital gains, if any, in years following the year of the loss. To the extent subsequent capital gains are offset by such losses, they will not result in U.S. federal income tax liability to the Fund and may not be distributed as capital gains to its shareholders. Generally, the Fund may not carry forward any losses other than net capital losses. The carryover of capital losses may be limited under the general loss limitation rules if the Fund experiences an ownership change as defined in the Code. As of October 31, 2025 the Fund had $13,776 long-term capital loss carry forwards, not subject to expiration.
The Fund will be subject to a nondeductible 4% federal excise tax on certain undistributed income if it does not distribute to its shareholders in each calendar year an amount at least equal to 98% of its ordinary income for the calendar year plus 98.2% of its capital gain net income for the one-year period ending on October 31 of that year, subject to an increase for any shortfall in the prior year’s distribution. For this purpose, any ordinary income or capital gain net income retained by the Fund and subject to corporate income tax will be considered to have been distributed. The Fund intends to declare and distribute dividends and distributions in the amounts and at the times necessary to avoid the application of the excise tax, but can make no assurances that all such tax liability will be eliminated. The Fund may in certain circumstances be required to liquidate Fund investments in order to make sufficient distributions to avoid federal excise tax liability at a time when the investment adviser might not otherwise have chosen to do so, and liquidation of investments in such circumstances may affect the ability of the Fund to satisfy the requirement for qualification as a RIC.
If the Fund meets the Distribution Requirement but retains some or all of its income or gains, it will be subject to federal income tax to the extent any such income or gains are not distributed. The Fund may designate certain amounts retained as undistributed net capital gain in a notice to its shareholders, who (i) will be required to include in income for U.S. federal income tax purposes, as long-term capital gain, their proportionate shares of the undistributed amount so designated, (ii) will be entitled to credit their proportionate shares of the income tax paid by the Fund on that undistributed amount against their federal income tax liabilities and to claim refunds to the extent such credits exceed their tax liabilities, and (iii) will be entitled to increase their tax basis, for federal income tax purposes, in their Shares by an amount equal to the excess of the amount of undistributed net capital gain included in their respective income over their respective income tax credits.
Taxation of Shareholders – Distributions. The Fund intends to distribute at least annually to its shareholders substantially all of its investment company taxable income (computed without regard to the deduction for dividends paid), its net tax-exempt income, if any, and any net capital gain (net recognized long-term capital gains in excess of net recognized short-term capital losses, taking into account any capital loss carryforwards). The distribution of investment company taxable income (as so computed) and net realized capital gain will be taxable to Fund shareholders regardless of whether the shareholder receives these distributions in cash or reinvests them in additional Shares.
The Fund (or your broker) will report to shareholders annually the amounts of dividends paid from ordinary income, the amount of distributions of net capital gain, the portion of dividends which may qualify for the dividends-received deduction for corporations, and the portion of dividends which may qualify for treatment as qualified dividend income, which is taxable to non-corporate shareholders at rates of up to 20%.
Qualified dividend income includes, in general, subject to certain holding period and other requirements, dividend income from taxable domestic corporations and certain foreign corporations. Subject to certain limitations, eligible foreign corporations include those incorporated in possessions of the United States, those incorporated in certain countries with comprehensive tax treaties with the United States, and other foreign corporations if the stock with respect to which the dividends are paid is readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States. Dividends received by the Fund from an ETF, an underlying fund taxable as a RIC, or from a REIT may be treated as qualified dividend income generally only to the extent so reported by such ETF, underlying fund, or REIT, however, dividends received by the Fund from a REIT are generally not treated as qualified dividend income. If 95% or more of the Fund’s gross income (calculated without taking into account net capital gain derived from sales or other dispositions of stock or securities) consists of qualified dividend income, the Fund may report all distributions of such income as qualified dividend income.
Fund dividends will not be treated as qualified dividend income if the Fund does not meet holding period and other requirements with respect to dividend paying stocks in its portfolio, and the shareholder does not meet holding period and other requirements with respect to the Shares on which the dividends were paid.
29
Distributions by the Fund of its net short-term capital gains will be taxable as ordinary income. Distributions from the Fund’s net capital gain will be taxable to shareholders at long-term capital gains rates, regardless of how long shareholders have held their Shares. Distributions may be subject to state and local taxes.
In the case of corporate shareholders, certain dividends received by the Fund from U.S. corporations (generally, dividends received by the Fund in respect of any share of stock (1) with a tax holding period of at least 46 days during the 91-day period beginning on the date that is 45 days before the date on which the stock becomes ex-dividend as to that dividend and (2) that is held in an unleveraged position) and distributed and appropriately so reported by the Fund may be eligible for the 50% dividends received deduction. Certain preferred stock must have a holding period of at least 91 days during the 181-day period beginning on the date that is 90 days before the date on which the stock becomes ex-dividend as to that dividend to be eligible. Capital gain dividends distributed to the Fund from other RICs are not eligible for the dividends received deduction. To qualify for the deduction, corporate shareholders must meet the minimum holding period requirement stated above with respect to their Shares, taking into account any holding period reductions from certain hedging or other transactions or positions that diminish their risk of loss with respect to their Shares, and, if they borrow to acquire or otherwise incur debt attributable to Shares, they may be denied a portion of the dividends received deduction with respect to those Shares.
Under recently issued final Treasury Regulations, a RIC that receives business interest income may pass through its net business interest income for purposes of the tax rules applicable to the interest expense limitations under Section 163(j) of the Code. A RIC’s total “Section 163(j) Interest Dividend” for a tax year is limited to the excess of the RIC’s business interest income over the sum of its business interest expense and its other deductions properly allocable to its business interest income. A RIC may, in its discretion, designate all or a portion of ordinary dividends as Section 163(j) Interest Dividends, which would allow the recipient shareholder to treat the designated portion of such dividends as interest income for purposes of determining such shareholder’s interest expense deduction limitation under Section 163(j). This can potentially increase the amount of a shareholder’s interest expense deductible under Section 163(j). In general, to be eligible to treat a Section 163(j) Interest Dividend as interest income, you must have held your shares in the Fund for more than 180 days during the 361-day period beginning on the date that is 180 days before the date on which the share becomes ex-dividend with respect to such dividend. Section 163(j) Interest Dividends, if so designated by the Fund, will be reported to your financial intermediary or otherwise in accordance with the requirements specified by the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”).
Although dividends generally will be treated as distributed when paid, any dividend declared by the Fund in October, November or December and payable to shareholders of record in such a month that is paid during the following January will be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as received by shareholders on December 31 of the calendar year in which it was declared.
Shareholders who have not held Shares for a full year should be aware that the Fund may report and distribute, as ordinary dividends or capital gain dividends, a percentage of income that is not equal to the percentage of the Fund’s ordinary income or net capital gain, respectively, actually earned during the applicable shareholder’s period of investment in the Fund. A taxable shareholder may wish to avoid investing in the Fund shortly before a dividend or other distribution, because the distribution will generally be taxable even though it may economically represent a return of a portion of the shareholder’s investment.
To the extent that the Fund makes a distribution of income received by the Fund in lieu of dividends (a “substitute payment”) with respect to securities on loan pursuant to a securities lending transaction, such income will not constitute qualified dividend income to individual shareholders and will not be eligible for the dividends received deduction for corporate shareholders.
If the Fund’s distributions exceed its earnings and profits, all or a portion of the distributions made for a taxable year may be recharacterized as a return of capital to shareholders. A return of capital distribution will generally not be taxable, but will reduce each shareholder’s cost basis in the Fund and result in a higher capital gain or lower capital loss when the Shares on which the distribution was received are sold. After a shareholder’s basis in the Shares has been reduced to zero, distributions in excess of earnings and profits will be treated as gain from the sale of the shareholder’s Shares.
Taxation of Shareholders – Sale, Redemption, or Exchange of Shares. A sale, redemption, or exchange of Shares may give rise to a gain or loss. For tax purposes, an exchange of your Fund shares of a different fund is the same as a sale. In general, any gain or loss realized upon a taxable disposition of Shares will be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if Shares have been held for more than 12 months. Otherwise, the gain or loss on the taxable disposition of Shares will generally be treated as short-term capital gain or loss. Any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of Shares held for six months or less will be treated as long-term capital loss, rather than short-term capital loss, to the extent of any amounts treated as distributions to the shareholder of long-term capital gain (including any amounts credited to the shareholder as undistributed capital gains). All or a portion of any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of Shares may be disallowed if substantially identical Shares are acquired (through the reinvestment of dividends or otherwise) within a 61-day period beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the disposition. In such a case, the basis of the newly acquired Shares will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss.
The cost basis of Shares acquired by purchase will generally be based on the amount paid for Shares and then may be subsequently adjusted for other applicable transactions as required by the Code. The difference between the selling price and the cost basis of Shares generally determines the amount of the capital gain or loss realized on the sale or exchange of Shares. Contact the broker through whom you purchased your Shares to obtain information with respect to the available cost basis reporting methods and elections for your account.
30
An Authorized Participant who exchanges securities for Creation Units generally will recognize a gain or a loss. The gain or loss will be equal to the difference between the market value of the Creation Units at the time and the sum of the exchanger’s aggregate basis in the securities surrendered plus the amount of cash paid for such Creation Units. A person who redeems Creation Units will generally recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the exchanger’s basis in the Creation Units and the sum of the aggregate market value of any securities received plus the amount of any cash received for such Creation Units. The ability of Authorized Participants to receive a full or partial cash redemption of Creation Units of the Fund may limit the tax efficiency of such Fund. The IRS, however, may assert that a loss realized upon an exchange of securities for Creation Units cannot currently be deducted under the rules governing “wash sales” (for a person who does not mark-to-market its portfolio) or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic position.
Any gain or loss realized upon a creation or redemption of Creation Units will be treated as capital or ordinary gain or loss, depending on the circumstances. Any capital gain or loss realized upon the creation of Creation Units will generally be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the securities exchanged for such Creation Units have been held for more than one year. Any capital gain or loss realized upon the redemption of Creation Units will generally be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if Shares comprising the Creation Units have been held for more than one year. Otherwise, such capital gains or losses will generally be treated as short-term capital gains or losses. Any capital loss upon a redemption of Creation Units held for six months or less may be treated as long-term capital loss to the extent of any amounts treated as distributions to the applicable Authorized Participant of long-term capital gain with respect to the Creation Units (including any amounts credited to the Authorized Participant as undistributed capital gains).
The Trust, on behalf of the Fund, has the right to reject an order for Creation Units if the purchaser (or a group of purchasers) would, upon obtaining the Creation Units so ordered, own 80% or more of the outstanding Shares and if, pursuant to Section 351 of the Code, the Fund would have a basis in the deposit securities different from the market value of such securities on the date of deposit. The Trust also has the right to require the provision of information necessary to determine beneficial Share ownership for purposes of the 80% determination. If the Fund does issue Creation Units to a purchaser (or a group of purchasers) that would, upon obtaining the Creation Units so ordered, own 80% or more of the outstanding Shares, the purchaser (or a group of purchasers) will not recognize gain or loss upon the exchange of securities for Creation Units.
Authorized Participants purchasing or redeeming Creation Units should consult their own tax advisers with respect to the tax treatment of any creation or redemption transaction and whether the wash sales rule applies and when a loss may be deductible.
Taxation of Shareholders – Net Investment Income Tax. U.S. individuals with adjusted gross income (subject to certain adjustments) exceeding certain threshold amounts ($250,000 if married filing jointly or if considered a “surviving spouse” for federal income tax purposes, $125,000 if married filing separately, and $200,000 in other cases) are subject to a 3.8% tax on all or a portion of their “net investment income,” which includes taxable interest, dividends, and certain capital gains (generally including capital gain distributions and capital gains realized on the sale of Shares). This 3.8% tax also applies to all or a portion of the undistributed net investment income of certain shareholders that are estates and trusts.
Taxation of Fund Investments. Certain of the Fund’s investments may be subject to complex provisions of the Code (including provisions relating to hedging transactions, straddles, integrated transactions, foreign currency contracts, forward foreign currency contracts, and notional principal contracts) that, among other things, may affect the Fund’s ability to qualify as a RIC, affect the character of gains and losses realized by the Fund (e.g., may affect whether gains or losses are ordinary or capital), accelerate recognition of income to the Fund and defer losses. These rules could therefore affect the character, amount and timing of distributions to shareholders. These provisions also may require the Fund to mark to market certain types of positions in its portfolio (i.e., treat them as if they were closed out) which may cause the Fund to recognize income without the Fund receiving cash with which to make distributions in amounts sufficient to enable the Fund to satisfy the RIC distribution requirements for avoiding income and excise taxes. The Fund intends to monitor its transactions, intends to make appropriate tax elections, and intends to make appropriate entries in its books and records in order to mitigate the effect of these rules and preserve the Fund’s qualification for treatment as a RIC. To the extent the Fund invests in an underlying fund that is taxable as a RIC, the rules applicable to the tax treatment of complex securities will also apply to the underlying funds that also invest in such complex securities and investments.
Backup Withholding. The Fund will be required in certain cases to withhold (as “backup withholding”) on amounts payable to any shareholder who (1) fails to provide a correct taxpayer identification number certified under penalty of perjury; (2) is subject to backup withholding by the IRS for failure to properly report all payments of interest or dividends; (3) fails to provide a certified statement that he or she is not subject to “backup withholding”; or (4) fails to provide a certified statement that he or she is a U.S. person (including a U.S. resident alien). The backup withholding rate is currently 24%. Backup withholding is not an additional tax and any amounts withheld may be credited against the shareholder’s ultimate U.S. tax liability. Backup withholding will not be applied to payments that have been subject to the 30% withholding tax on shareholders who are neither citizens nor permanent residents of the U.S.
31
Non-U.S. Shareholders. Any non-U.S. investors in the Fund may be subject to U.S. withholding and estate tax and are encouraged to consult their tax advisers prior to investing in the Fund. Foreign shareholders (i.e., nonresident alien individuals and foreign corporations, partnerships, trusts and estates) are generally subject to U.S. withholding tax at the rate of 30% (or a lower tax treaty rate) on distributions derived from taxable ordinary income. The Fund may, under certain circumstances, report all or a portion of a dividend as an “interest-related dividend” or a “short-term capital gain dividend,” which would generally be exempt from this 30% U.S. withholding tax, provided certain other requirements are met. Short-term capital gain dividends received by a nonresident alien individual who is present in the U.S. for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the taxable year are not exempt from this 30% withholding tax. Gains realized by foreign shareholders from the sale or other disposition of Shares generally are not subject to U.S. taxation, unless the recipient is an individual who is physically present in the U.S. for 183 days or more per year. Foreign shareholders who fail to provide an applicable IRS form may be subject to backup withholding on certain payments from the Fund. Backup withholding will not be applied to payments that are subject to the 30% (or lower applicable treaty rate) withholding tax described in this paragraph. Different tax consequences may result if the foreign shareholder is engaged in a trade or business within the United States. In addition, the tax consequences to a foreign shareholder entitled to claim the benefits of a tax treaty may be different than those described above.
Under legislation generally known as “FATCA” (the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act), the Fund is required to withhold 30% of certain ordinary dividends it pays to shareholders that fail to meet prescribed information reporting or certification requirements. In general, no such withholding will be required with respect to a U.S. person or non-U.S. person that timely provides the certifications required by a fund or its agent on a valid IRS Form W-9 or applicable series of IRS Form W-8, respectively. Shareholders potentially subject to withholding include foreign financial institutions (“FFIs”), such as non-U.S. investment funds, and non-financial foreign entities (“NFFEs”). To avoid withholding under FATCA, an FFI generally must enter into an information sharing agreement with the IRS in which it agrees to report certain identifying information (including name, address, and taxpayer identification number) with respect to its U.S. account holders (which, in the case of an entity shareholder, may include its direct and indirect U.S. owners), and an NFFE generally must identify and provide other required information to the Fund or other withholding agent regarding its U.S. owners, if any. Such non-U.S. shareholders also may fall into certain exempt, excepted or deemed compliant categories as established by regulations and other guidance. A non-U.S. shareholder resident or doing business in a country that has entered into an intergovernmental agreement with the United States to implement FATCA will be exempt from FATCA withholding provided that the shareholder and the applicable foreign government comply with the terms of the agreement.
A non-U.S. entity that invests in the Fund will need to provide the Fund with documentation properly certifying the entity’s status under FATCA in order to avoid FATCA withholding. Non-U.S. investors in the Fund should consult their tax advisors in this regard.
Tax-Exempt Shareholders. Certain tax-exempt shareholders, including qualified pension plans, individual retirement accounts, salary deferral arrangements, 401(k) plans, and other tax-exempt entities, generally are exempt from federal income taxation except with respect to their unrelated business taxable income (“UBTI”). Tax-exempt entities are not permitted to offset losses from one unrelated trade or business against the income or gain of another unrelated trade or business. Certain net losses incurred prior to January 1, 2018 are permitted to offset gain and income created by an unrelated trade or business, if otherwise available. Under current law, the Fund generally serves to block UBTI from being realized by its tax-exempt shareholders with respect to their shares of Fund income. However, notwithstanding the foregoing, tax-exempt shareholders could realize UBTI by virtue of their investment in the Fund if, for example, (i) the Fund invests in residual interests of Real Estate Mortgage Investment Conduits (“REMICs”), (ii) the Fund invests in a REIT that is a taxable mortgage pool (“TMP”) or that has a subsidiary that is a TMP or that invests in the residual interest of a REMIC, or (iii) Shares constitute debt-financed property in the hands of the tax-exempt shareholders within the meaning of section 514(b) of the Code. Charitable remainder trusts are subject to special rules and should consult their tax advisers. The IRS has issued guidance with respect to these issues and prospective shareholders, especially charitable remainder trusts, are strongly encouraged to consult with their tax advisers regarding these issues.
The Fund’s shares held in a tax-qualified retirement account will generally not be subject to federal taxation on income and capital gains distributions from the Fund until a shareholder begins receiving payments from their retirement account. Because each shareholder’s tax situation is different, shareholders should consult their tax advisors with specific reference to their own tax situations, including their state, local, and foreign tax liabilities.
Certain Potential Tax Reporting Requirements. Under U.S. Treasury regulations, if a shareholder recognizes a loss on disposition of Shares of $2 million or more for an individual shareholder or $10 million or more for a corporate shareholder (or certain greater amounts over a combination of years), the shareholder must file with the IRS a disclosure statement on IRS Form 8886. Direct shareholders of portfolio securities are in many cases excepted from this reporting requirement, but under current guidance, shareholders of a RIC are not excepted. Significant penalties may be imposed for the failure to comply with the reporting requirements. The fact that a loss is reportable under these regulations does not affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayer’s treatment of the loss is proper. Shareholders should consult their tax advisers to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances.
Other Issues. In those states which have income tax laws, the tax treatment of Fund and of Fund shareholders with respect to distributions by the Fund may differ from federal tax treatment.
32
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
The audited financial statements and report of the independent registered public accounting firm required to be included in this SAI are hereby incorporated by reference to the Fund’s Form N-CSR filed with the SEC for fiscal year ended October 31, 2025. You can obtain a copy of the Fund’s Form N-CSR without charge by calling the Fund at 1.877.524.9155.
33
APPENDIX A
Proxy Voting and Class Actions
Most Recently Revised: October 2023
Background
In Proxy Voting by Investment Advisers, Investment Advisers Act Release No. 2106 (January 31, 2003), the SEC noted that, “The federal securities laws do not specifically address how an adviser must exercise its proxy voting authority for its clients. Under the Advisers Act, however, an adviser is a fiduciary that owes each of its clients a duty of care and loyalty with respect to all services undertaken on the client’s behalf, including proxy voting. The duty of care requires an adviser with proxy voting authority to monitor corporate events and to vote the proxies.”
Rule 206(4)-6 under the Advisers Act requires each registered investment adviser that exercises proxy voting authority with respect to client securities to:
| ● | Adopt and implement written policies and procedures reasonably designed to ensure that the adviser votes client securities in the clients’ best interests. Such policies and procedures must address the manner in which the adviser will resolve material conflicts of interest that can arise during the proxy voting process; |
| ● | Disclose to clients how they may obtain information from the adviser about how the adviser voted with respect to their securities; and |
| ● | Describe to clients the adviser’s proxy voting policies and procedures and, upon request, furnish a copy of the policies and procedures. |
Rule 206(4)-6 is supplemented by:
| ● | Investment Advisers Act Release No. 5325 (September 10, 2019) (“Release No. 5325”), which contains guidance regarding the proxy voting responsibilities of investment advisers under the Advisers Act. Among other subjects, Release No. 5325 addresses the oversight of proxy advisory firms by investment advisers; and |
| ● | Investment Advisers Act Release No. 5547 (July 22, 2020), which contains supplementary guidance addressing: the risk of voting a proxy before an issuer files additional soliciting materials with the SEC; and associated client disclosures in this regard. |
Additionally, paragraph (c)(2) of Rule 204-2 imposes additional recordkeeping requirements on investment advisers that execute proxy voting authority, as described in the Maintenance of Books and Records section of this Manual.
The Fund is required to describe the policies and procedures that the Company uses to determine how to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities. As such, the Company’s proxy voting guidelines are provided in the Fund’s compliance manual.
The Fund is required to disclose annually the complete proxy voting record on Form N-PX, which provides information relating to how it voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30, not later than August 31 of each year.
The Advisers Act lacks specific guidance regarding an adviser’s duty to direct clients’ participation in class actions. However, many investment advisers adopt policies and procedures regarding class actions.
Risks
In developing these policies and procedures, Paralel considered numerous risks associated with the proxy voting process. This analysis includes risks such as:
| ● | Paralel lacks written proxy voting policies and procedures; |
| ● | Proxies are not identified and processed in a timely manner; |
| ● | Proxies are not voted in Funds’ best interests; |
| ● | Conflicts of interest between Paralel and a Fund are not identified or resolved appropriately; |
34
| ● | Paralel votes a proxy before the issuer files additional soliciting materials with the SEC; |
| ● | Proxy voting records, Client requests for proxy voting information, and Paralel’s responses to such requests, are not properly maintained; |
| ● | Paralel lacks policies and procedures regarding Funds’ participation in class actions; and |
| ● | Paralel fails to maintain documentation associated with Funds’ participation in class actions. |
Policies and Procedures
Paralel will rely on the Proxy Voting Procedures of each Fund client in determining how votes are to be cast. If the Fund client does not have Proxy Voting Procedures that provide guidelines on how to vote, Paralel will follow the below guidelines to determine how votes are cast.
Sub-Advisory Relationships
With respect to sub-advisory relationships, Paralel may follow up with the sub-adviser if there is a question about a particular proxy voting decision since the sub-adviser is the investment decision-maker. However, Paralel will rely upon the proxy voting guidelines of each Fund to address how Paralel will generally vote (or factors it will consider) with respect to particular matters, including corporate governance issues, compensation plans (including stock options) and social issues (“Voting Guidelines”), provided no conflict of interest exists.
Proxy Voting Guidelines
Proxies are assets of Paralel’s Funds that must be voted with diligence, care, and loyalty. Paralel will vote each proxy in accordance with its fiduciary duty to its Funds. Paralel will generally seek to vote proxies in a way enhances or protects the economic value of client accounts of the Funds’ assets, when looking at the Funds in aggregate. The Senior Investment Analyst coordinates Paralel’s proxy voting process. Paralel seeks to avoid the occurrence of actual or apparent material conflicts of interest in the proxy voting process by voting in accordance with predetermined voting guidelines and observing other procedures that are intended to guard against and manage conflicts of interest.
Paralel has adopted Institutional Shareholder Services, Inc.’s (“ISS”) standard benchmark proxy voting guidelines. Paralel will apply the most appropriate guidelines to ensure proxy votes are voted consistent with proxy voting policies and procedures and in the best interests of clients. Paralel has created multiple guidelines to cover various markets, including, but not limited to: U.S., Canada, Europe, United Kingdom, Asia, Africa and Australia. Paralel retains the right to override any of ISS’ guidelines on a case-by-case basis. A concise summary of ISS’ current Proxy Voting Guidelines can be found at: http://www.issgovernance.com/policy.
Specifically, the following ISS guidelines are used for each of the following Funds:
| SRH Total Return Fund, Inc. | ISS US Voting Guidelines |
| SRH U.S. Quality ETF | ISS US Voting Guidelines |
| SRH REIT Covered Call ETF | ISS US Voting Guidelines |
Proxy Voting Procedures
Paragraph (c)(ii) of Rule 204-2 under the Advisers Act requires Paralel to maintain certain books and records associated with its proxy voting policies and procedures. Paralel’s recordkeeping obligations are described in the Maintenance of Books and Records section of this Manual. The Senior Investment Analyst will ensure that Paralel complies with all applicable recordkeeping requirements associated with proxy voting.
Paralel has adopted the following proxy voting procedures designed to ensure that proxies are properly identified and voted, and that any conflicts of interest are addressed appropriately:
| ● | Paralel will use an independent, third-party vendor, to implement its proxy voting process as Paralel’s proxy voting agent. This retention is subject to Paralel continuously assessing the vendor’s independence from Paralel and its affiliates, and the vendor’s ability to perform its responsibilities (and, especially, its responsibility to vote client proxies in accordance with Paralel’s proxy voting guidelines) free of any actual, potential or apparent material conflicts of interests that may arise between the interests of the vendor, its affiliates, the vendor’s other clients and the owners, officers or employees of any such firm, on the one hand, and Paralel’s clients, on the other hand. As means of performing this assessment, Paralel will require various reports and notices from the vendor, as well as periodic audits of the vendor’s voting record and other due diligence. |
| ○ | ISS will provide proxy analysis and record keeping services in addition to voting proxies on behalf of Paralel in accordance with this Policy. |
| ● | On a daily basis, Paralel or designee will send to ISS a holdings file detailing each equity holding held in all accounts over which Paralel has voting authority. |
| ● | Paralel will complete a Vote Authorization Registration with ISS for any new client, which will describe how ballots will be executed on behalf of the client. In addition, Paralel will complete and provide the client’s custodian bank with a Letter of Authorization. The letter will serve as notice that Paralel has retained ISS to act as the voting agent for the securities held in the client’s account and will instruct the custodian bank to forward all ballots, meeting notices, and other proxy materials to ISS. |
35
| ● | ISS will receive proxy material information from Proxy Edge or the custodian bank for the account. This will include issues to be voted upon, together with a breakdown of holdings for Paralel accounts. ISS will then reconcile information it receives from Proxy Edge and custodian banks. Any discrepancies will be promptly noted and resolved by ISS, with notice to Paralel. |
| ● | Whenever a vote is solicited, ISS will execute the vote according to Paralel’s Voting Guidelines which will be delivered by Paralel to ISS as discussed in these policies and procedures. Changes will be promptly provided to ISS. |
| ○ | If ISS is unsure how to vote a particular proxy, ISS will issue a request for voting instructions to Paralel over a secure website. Paralel personnel will check this website regularly. The request will be accompanied by a recommended vote. The recommended vote will be based upon ISS’ understanding of the Voting Guidelines previously delivered to ISS. Paralel will promptly provide ISS with any amendments or modifications to the Voting Guidelines if necessary. Paralel will return a final instruction to vote to ISS, which ISS will record with Proxy Edge or the custodian bank as the agent. |
| ● | Each time that ISS sends Paralel a request to vote, the request will be accompanied by the recommended vote determined in accordance with Paralel’s Voting Guidelines. ISS will vote as indicated in the request unless (i) the Fund has reserved discretion, (ii) Paralel, in communication with the sub-adviser, determines that the best interest of clients requires a different vote. In such situations, ISS will vote based on the direction of the client or Paralel, as the case may be. |
| ● | ISS will have procedures in place to ensure that a vote is cast on every security holding maintained by Paralel on which a vote is solicited. On a yearly basis, or as required by our clients, Paralel will receive a report from ISS detailing Paralel’s voting for the previous period. |
| ● | To the extent that proxy issues arise that are not contemplated by the Voting Guidelines, the person responsible for voting (e.g., Proxy Administrator or Representative) will consult with the portfolio manager at the sub-adviser (if any), or , if appropriate, the CCO or counsel, to determine how to vote the proxy and will record a brief summary of the rationale behind the decision. Similarly, if Paralel votes a proxy contrary to the principles set forth in the Voting Guidelines, the person responsible for voting will record a summary of the rationale behind the decision, including the identities of the persons consulted on the matter. |
| ● | Paralel will identify any conflicts that exist between the interests of Paralel and its Funds by reviewing the relationship of Paralel and the sub-adviser with the issuer of each security to determine if Paralel or the sub-adviser, or any of their personnel, have any financial, business or personal relationship with the issuer. |
| ● | Paralel will not neglect its proxy voting responsibilities, but it may abstain from voting if it deems that abstaining is in its Funds’ best interests. For example, Paralel may be unable to vote securities that have been lent by the custodian. |
| ● | ISS will retain the following information in connection with each proxy vote: |
| ○ | The Issuer’s name; |
| ○ | The security’s ticker symbol or CUSIP, as applicable; |
| ○ | The shareholder meeting date; |
| ○ | The number of shares that Paralel voted; |
| ○ | A brief identification of the matter voted on; |
| ○ | Whether the matter was proposed by the Issuer or a security-holder; |
| ○ | Whether Paralel cast a vote; |
| ○ | How Paralel cast its vote (for the proposal, against the proposal, or abstain); and |
| ● | Whether Paralel cast its vote with or against management. |
| ● | Any attempt to influence the proxy voting process by Issuers or others not identified in these policies and procedures should be promptly reported to the CCO. Similarly, any Fund’s attempt to influence proxy voting with respect to other Funds’ securities should be promptly reported to the Fund CCO. |
| ● | Proxies received after a Fund terminates its advisory relationship with Paralel will not be voted. |
Voting Proxies for Loaned Securities
Neither Paralel nor the Proxy Voting Service will be able to vote proxies for any securities loaned out of a Fund account. In the event that Paralel is aware of a material vote on behalf of a Fund and Paralel has the ability to call back loans and is aware of the securities on loan by the custodian, Paralel may call back the loan and vote the proxies if time permits.
36
Class Actions and Corporate Actions
To the extent that the Company receives notice of a class action or corporate action in which a Fund is entitled to participate, the Company will direct the Fund’s participation in accordance with its fiduciary duty. With respect to corporate actions that require investment discretion, Paralel intends to delegate the investment decision-making process to the Fund’s sub-adviser. Should a situation require Paralel make a decision, the Company will review a variety of factors and make a determination with respect to the corporate action.
Disclosures to Funds
The Company will provide an annual certification as to its adherence to its proxy voting policies to each Fund Board.
As a matter of policy, the Company does not disclose how it expects to vote on upcoming proxies.
Form N-PX
In addition, Paralel shall complete a Form N-PX Report as of June 30 for the preceding twelve months, which is filed not later than August 31 of each year.
Paralel’s CCO or designee, along with the Fund Administrator, will review the Form N-PX for each fund prior to filing such report to ensure, on a reasonable basis, the completeness and accuracy of the filing.
37
PROSPECTUS
February 27, 2026
| Fund Name | Ticker | Exchange |
| TrueShares Quarterly Bull Hedge ETF | (QBUL) | Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc. |
| TrueShares Quarterly Bear Hedge ETF | (QBER) | Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc. |
each a series of Elevation Series Trust (the “Trust”)
THIS PROSPECTUS PROVIDES IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT TRUESHARES QUARTERLY BULL HEDGE ETF AND TRUESHARES QUARTERLY BEAR HEDGE ETF THAT YOU SHOULD KNOW BEFORE INVESTING. PLEASE READ IT CAREFULLY AND KEEP IT FOR FUTURE REFERENCE.
THE U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION (“SEC”) HAS NOT APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED OF THESE SECURITIES OR PASSED UPON THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS PROSPECTUS. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
The investment objective of TrueShares Quarterly Bull Hedge ETF (the “Fund”) is total return with substantial protection of principal.
The following table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund (“Shares”). You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table and Example below.
| Management Fees | |
| Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees | |
| Other Expenses | |
| Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses |
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your Shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. The Example does not take into account brokerage commissions that you may pay on your purchases and sales of Shares. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
| 1 Year | 3 Years | 5 Years | 10 Years |
| $ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
The
Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio).
A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Shares are held in
a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s
performance. For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2025, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was
The Fund is an actively managed ETF that aims to provide the benefits of partial equity exposure while mitigating the risk posed by a decline in U.S. equity markets. The adviser’s strategy is designed to achieve the Fund’s goals, typically, over rolling three-month periods. This strategy potentially results in growth with lower volatility and mitigated downside equity market risk (sometimes referred to as “tail risk”). The Fund seeks to achieve its goals by combining: (1) an investment of substantially all its assets in a portfolio of short-term income-generating debt securities with (2) a modest investment in call options on securities or indexes that are representative of U.S. large capitalization companies. Over the long-term, the adviser expects income from the debt securities and capital gains from call options to combine to fulfill the “total return” aspect of the Fund’s investment objective.
1
Income Component
The Fund seeks income through a strategy focused on high-quality short-term fixed income debt securities. The Fund anticipates a typical maturity of three months for its income portfolio but may invest in securities with a duration of one-year or less. The Fund invests without restriction as to issuer type but anticipates investing primarily in securities of the U.S. Government, its agencies, instrumentalities and sponsored enterprises; fixed-income ETFs; and corporations.
To generate higher income, the Fund may also employ an option box spread strategy. While gains from options are capital gains, this options strategy is commonly referred to as an income producer and, therefore, is included in the Fund’s income component description. A box spread is a four-part, same expiration date, option portfolio with a maturity payout that does not vary and is considered a form of synthetic money market instrument. For example, the four parts of a box spread could be composed of (i) a long $5 in-the-money call option position paired with (ii) a written $5 out-of-the-money call option position; and (iii) a long $5 in-the-money put option position paired with (iv) a written $5 out-of-the-money put option position. At expiration of the options, no matter what the price of the underlying reference asset is, the payout to the Fund will be $10. If the Fund can construct this portfolio for less than $10 it will be profitable at expiration.
The chart below illustrates the $10 payout that results from the example above. As the call leg increases in value, the put leg decreases in value such that, in total, the payoff is always $10.
When the call options and income-generating investments carry matching maturities, an amount equal to the yield from the income strategy, net of the Fund’s management fee, is deployed to trade call options. If the income-generating investments carry a duration longer than the call positions, the amount invested in call options will be an amount equal to annualized income net of management fee and divided by the number of three-month segments remaining until maturity and capped at that amount for each rolling three-month period. At times, the presence of an extreme low-rate environment could make generating income more challenging, which may result in the Fund utilizing a maximum of one percent (net of the Fund’s management fee) of portfolio principal per three-month rolling period to implement the call options strategy.
Call Options Component
The Fund invests a modest portion of its portfolio in standardized exchange-listed options or in exchange-traded FLexible EXchange Options® (“FLEX Options”), which are customized exchange-traded option contracts available through the Chicago Board Option Exchange (“Cboe”) that are guaranteed for settlement by The Options Clearing Corporation (“OCC”). The adviser selects options on securities, indexes, or ETFs that it believes are representative of U.S. large capitalization companies. The Fund defines large- capitalization companies as those with market capitalizations above $10 billion at the time of measurement, and defines U.S. companies as those organized in the U.S.; having a class of securities whose principal securities market is in the U.S.; or derives 50% or more of its total revenues or earnings from goods produced, sales made, or services provided in the U.S., or maintains 50% or more of its employees, assets, investments, operations, or other business activity in the U.S.
2
A call option gives the owner the right, but not the obligation, to buy a reference asset at a specified price (strike price) within or at the end of a specific time period. In the event the reference asset declines in value, the value of a call option generally will decrease, whereas the value of a call option will generally increase if the reference asset appreciates in value. Under normal circumstances, the Fund anticipates trading options on rolling three-month periods (i.e., quarterly); however, the Fund may trade options with expiration dates that are modestly longer or shorter than three months for a number of reasons such as if market volatility renders them more cost- effective.
At the beginning of each three-month period, the Fund purchases out of the money (above current market price) or at-the-money call options. The adviser evaluates the relative prices of at-the-money and out-of-the money options and selects those with the highest expected return in light of then-recent U.S. large capitalization equity market volatility. The partial amount of equity upside the Fund captures is dictated by the adviser’s strategy of targeting investments in call options to an amount approximately equal to the amount of income generated by the Fund’s portfolio. Using this strategy, based on recent market conditions, the adviser anticipates that the Fund will capture 20% to 40% of U.S. large capitalization equity market gains on a quarter-to-quarter basis.
Substantial Protection of Principal
The income component of the Fund’s portfolio is expected to represent at least 98% of its assets on a quarter-to-quarter basis, which the adviser believes will fulfil the “substantial protection of principal” aspect of the Fund’s investment objective. For example, even if a 2% call options component of the Fund’s portfolio expired worthless, the Fund would still have at least 98% of its value preserved by the high-quality short-term fixed income debt securities portfolio. Actual value preserved is expected to be somewhat higher than 98% because interest earned is expected to be higher than Fund expenses. The adviser believes that protection of at least 98% of principal on a quarter-to-quarter basis, even in adverse low-rate environments, would be considered substantial protection by most investors.
Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund
The
principal risks of investing in the Fund are summarized below. Each risk summarized below is considered a “principal risk”
of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears.
| ● | Options Risk. Buying and selling (writing) options are speculative activities and entail greater than ordinary investment risks. As the buyer of a call option, the Fund risks losing the entire premium invested in the option if the Fund does not exercise the option. |
| ● | FLEX Options Risk. The Fund may invest in FLEX Options issued and guaranteed for settlement by the OCC. The Fund bears the risk that the OCC will be unable or unwilling to perform its obligations under the FLEX Options contracts. Additionally, FLEX Options may become illiquid, and in such cases, the Fund may have difficulty closing out certain FLEX Options positions at desired times and prices. |
| ● | Derivatives Risk. Options are a derivative investment. The Fund’s use of derivatives involves risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other traditional investments. These risks include (i) the risk that the counterparty to a derivative transaction may not fulfill its contractual obligations; (ii) the risk of mispricing or improper valuation; and (iii) the risk that changes in the value of a derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset or index. Derivative prices may be highly volatile at times and may fluctuate substantially during a short period of time. |
| ● | Active Management Risk. The adviser’s judgments about an investment may prove to be incorrect or fail to have the intended results, which could adversely impact the Fund’s performance. The adviser’s tail risk strategy may not fully protect the Fund from declines in the market and will not allow the Fund to fully participate in market upside. When the adviser selects out-of-the money call options, the Fund will not participate in equity market gains until they exceed the strike price of the call option. Lower interest rates or higher call option prices will tend to increase the cost of mitigating the risk posed by a decline in U.S. large capitalization equity markets. |
| ● | Equity Market Risk. The Fund invests in options that track the performance of U.S. large capitalization companies, which are made up of common stocks. Common stocks are susceptible to general stock market fluctuations and to volatile increases and decreases in value as market confidence in and perceptions of their issuers change. These investor perceptions are based on various and unpredictable factors including, expectations regarding government, economic, monetary and fiscal policies; inflation and interest rates; economic expansion or contraction; and global or regional political, economic and banking crises. |
| ● | Early Close/Trading Halt Risk. An exchange or market may close or issue trading halts on specific securities, or the ability to buy or sell certain securities or financial instruments may be restricted, which may prevent the Fund from buying or selling certain securities or financial instruments. In these circumstances, the Fund may be unable to rebalance its portfolio, may be unable to accurately price its investments and may incur substantial trading losses. |
3
| ● | ETF Structure Risks. The Fund is an ETF, and, as a result of an ETF’s structure, it is exposed to the following risks: |
| ○ | Authorized Participants ("APs"), Market Makers, and Liquidity Providers Concentration Risk. The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as APs. In addition, there may be a limited number of market makers and/or liquidity providers in the marketplace. To the extent either of the following events occur, Shares may trade at a material discount to NAV and possibly face delisting: (i) APs exit the business or otherwise become unable to process creation and/or redemption orders and no other APs step forward to perform these services, or (ii) market makers and/or liquidity providers exit the business or significantly reduce their business activities and no other entities step forward to perform their functions. |
| ○ | Costs of Buying or Selling Shares. Due to the costs of buying or selling Shares, including brokerage commissions imposed by brokers and bid-ask spreads, frequent trading of Shares may significantly reduce investment results and an investment in Shares may not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments. |
| ○ | Shares May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV. As with all ETFs, Shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. Although it is expected that the market price of Shares will approximate the Fund’s NAV, there may be times when the market price of Shares is more than the NAV intra-day (premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (discount) due to supply and demand of Shares or during periods of market volatility. This risk is heightened in times of market volatility, periods of steep market declines, and periods when there is limited trading activity for Shares in the secondary market, in which case such premiums or discounts may be significant. |
| ○ | Trading. Although Shares are listed for trading on Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc. (the “Exchange”) and may be traded on U.S. exchanges other than the Exchange, there can be no assurance that Shares will trade with any volume, or at all, on any stock exchange. In stressed market conditions, the liquidity of Shares may begin to mirror the liquidity of the Fund’s underlying portfolio holdings, which can be significantly less liquid than Shares, and this could lead to differences between the market price of the Shares and the underlying value of those Shares. |
| ● | Fixed Income Securities Risk. When the Fund invests in fixed income securities, the value of your investment in the Fund will fluctuate with changes in interest rates. Typically, a rise in interest rates causes a decline in the value of fixed income securities owned by the Fund. In general, the market price of fixed income securities with longer maturities will increase or decrease more in response to changes in interest rates than shorter-term securities. Other risk factors include credit risk (the debtor may default), extension risk (an issuer may exercise its right to repay principal on a fixed rate obligation held by the Fund later than expected), and prepayment risk (the debtor may pay its obligation early, reducing the amount of interest payments). These risks could affect the value of a particular investment by the Fund, possibly causing the Fund’s share price and total return to be reduced and fluctuate more than other types of investments. |
| ● | Limited History Risk. The Fund has a limited history of operations for investors to evaluate. Investors in the Fund bear the risk that the Fund may not be successful in implementing its investment strategies, may be unable to implement certain of its investment strategies or may fail to attract sufficient assets, any of which could result in the Fund being liquidated and terminated at any time without shareholder approval and at a time that may not be favorable for all shareholders. Such a liquidation could have negative tax consequences for shareholders and will cause shareholders to incur expenses of liquidation. |
| ● | Options Premium Tax Risk. The Fund’s investment strategy may limit its ability to distribute dividends eligible for treatment as qualified dividend income, which for non-corporate shareholders are subject to federal income tax at rates of up to 20%. The Fund’s investment strategy may also limit its ability to distribute dividends eligible for the dividends-received deduction for corporate shareholders. For these reasons, a significant portion of distributions received by Fund shareholders may be subject to tax at effective tax rates that are higher than the rates that would apply if the Fund were to engage in a different investment strategy. You should consult your tax advisor as to the tax consequences of acquiring, owning and disposing of Shares in the Fund. |
4
| ● | Turnover Rate Risk. The Fund may have portfolio turnover rates significantly in excess of 100%. Increased portfolio turnover causes the Fund to incur higher brokerage costs, which may adversely affect the Fund’s performance and may produce increased taxable distributions. |
| ● | U.S. Government Risk. U.S. Treasury obligations are backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. government and generally have negligible credit risk. Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies or authorities and U.S. government-sponsored instrumentalities or enterprises may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. |
Updated
performance information is available on the Fund’s website at
| Return | Quarter/Year | ||
| - |
1 Year |
Since
Inception | ||
| Returns before taxes | |||
| Returns after taxes on distributions | |||
| Returns after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares | |||
S&P
500 Total Return Index |
Management
| Adviser: | TrueMark Investments, LLC |
| Portfolio Manager: | Jeffrey Feldman, Portfolio Manager of TrueMark Investments, LLC and Quantitative Risk Manager of RiverNorth Capital Management, LLC, has served the Fund as portfolio manager since it commenced operations in June 2024. |
Purchase and Sale of Shares
Shares are listed on the Exchange, and individual Shares may only be bought and sold in the secondary market through brokers at market prices, rather than NAV. Because Shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, Shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount).
5
The Fund issues and redeems Shares at NAV only in large blocks known as “Creation Units,” which only APs (typically, broker-dealers) may purchase or redeem. The Fund generally issues and redeems Creation Units in exchange for a portfolio of securities and/ or a designated amount of U.S. cash.
Investors may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase Shares (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for Shares (ask) when buying or selling Shares in the secondary market (the “bid-ask spread”). Recent information about the Fund, including its NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads is available on the Fund’s website at www.True-Shares.com.
Tax Information
Fund distributions are generally taxable as ordinary income or capital gains (or a combination), unless your investment is in an IRA or other tax-advantaged account. Distributions on investments made through tax-deferred arrangements may be taxed later upon withdrawal of assets from those accounts.
Financial Intermediary Compensation
If you purchase Shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank) (an “Intermediary”), the adviser or its affiliates may pay Intermediaries for certain activities related to the Fund, including participation in activities that are designed to make Intermediaries more knowledgeable about exchange traded products, including the Fund, or for other activities, such as marketing, educational training or other initiatives related to the sale or promotion of Shares. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the Intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Any such arrangements do not result in increased Fund expenses. Ask your salesperson or visit the Intermediary’s website for more information.
6
The investment objective of TrueShares Quarterly Bear Hedge ETF (the “Fund”) is substantial protection of principal with total return.
The following table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund (“Shares”). You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table and Example below.
| Management Fees | |
| Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees | |
| Other Expenses | |
| Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses |
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your Shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. The Example does not take into account brokerage commissions that you may pay on your purchases and sales of Shares. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
| 1 Year | 3 Years | 5 Years | 10 Years |
| $ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
The
Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio).
A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Shares are held in
a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s
performance. For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2025, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was
TrueShares Quarterly Bear Hedge ETF
The Fund is an actively managed ETF that aims to provide substantial protection of principal and generation of interest income while maintaining the potential to create positive returns in the event of a decline in U.S. equity markets. The adviser’s strategy is designed to achieve the Fund’s goals, typically, over rolling three-month periods. This strategy potentially results in capital gains during high volatility environments. The Fund seeks to achieve these goals by combining: (1) an investment of substantially all its assets in a portfolio of short-term income-generating debt securities with (2) a modest investment in put options on securities or indexes that are representative of U.S. large capitalization companies. Over the long-term, the adviser expects income from the debt securities and capital gains from put options to combine to fulfill the “total return” aspect of the Fund’s investment objective.
Substantial Protection of Principal
The income component of the Fund’s portfolio is expected to represent at least 98% of its assets on a quarter-to-quarter basis, which the adviser believes will fulfil the “substantial protection of principal” aspect of the Fund’s investment objective. For example, even if a 2% put options component of the Fund’s portfolio expired worthless, the Fund would still have at least 98% of its value preserved by the high-quality short-term fixed income debt securities portfolio. Actual value preserved is expected to be somewhat higher than 98% because interest earned is expected to be higher than Fund expenses. The adviser believes that protection of at least 98% of principal on a quarter-to-quarter basis, even in adverse low-rate environments, would be considered substantial protection by most investors.
7
Income Component
The Fund seeks income through a strategy focused on high-quality short-term fixed income debt securities. The Fund anticipates a typical maturity of three months for its income portfolio but may invest in securities with a duration of one-year or less. The Fund invests without restriction as to issuer type but anticipates investing primarily in securities of the U.S. Government, its agencies, instrumentalities and sponsored enterprises; fixed-income ETFs; and corporations.
To generate higher income, the Fund may also employ an option box spread strategy. While gains from options are capital gains, this options strategy is commonly referred to as an income producer and, therefore, is included in the Fund’s income component description. A box spread is a four-part, same expiration date, option portfolio with a maturity payout that does not vary and is considered a form of synthetic money market instrument. For example, the four parts of a box spread could be composed of (i) a long $5 in-the-money call option position paired with (ii) a written $5 out-of-the-money call option position; and (iii) a long $5 in-the-money put option position paired with (iv) a written $5 out-of-the-money put option position. At expiration of the options, no matter what the price of the underlying reference asset is, the payout to the Fund will be $10. If the Fund can construct this portfolio for less than $10 it will be profitable at expiration.
The chart below illustrates the $10 payout that results from the example above. As the call leg increases in value, the put leg decreases in value such that, in total, the payoff is always $10.

When the put options and income-generating investments carry matching maturities, an amount equal to the yield from the income strategy, net of the Fund’s management fee, is deployed to trade put options. If the income-generating investments carry a duration longer than the put positions, the amount invested in put options will be an amount equal to annualized income utilized net of management fee and divided by the number of three-month segments remaining until maturity and capped at that amount for each rolling three-month period. At times, the presence of an extreme low-rate environment could make generating income more challenging. In these circumstances, the Fund may utilize a maximum of one percent (net of the Fund’s management fee) of portfolio principal per three-month rolling period to implement the put options strategy.
Put Options Component
The Fund invests a modest portion of its portfolio in standardized exchange-listed options or in exchange-traded FLexible EXchange Options® (“FLEX Options”), which are customized exchange-traded option contracts available through the Chicago Board Option Exchange (“Cboe”) that are guaranteed for settlement by The Options Clearing Corporation (“OCC”). The adviser selects options on securities, indexes, or ETFs that it believes are representative of the performance of U.S. large capitalization companies. The Fund defines large-capitalization companies as those with market capitalizations above $10 billion at the time of measurement, and defines U.S. companies as those organized in the U.S.; having a class of securities whose principal securities market is in the U.S.; or derives 50% or more of its total revenues or earnings from goods produced, sales made, or services provided in the U.S., or maintains 50% or more of its employees, assets, investments, operations, or other business activity in the U.S.
8
When the Fund purchases a put option, the Fund has the right, but not the obligation, to sell a reference asset at a specified price (strike price) within or at the end of a specific time period. In the event the reference asset declines in value, the value of a put option generally will increase. In the event the reference asset appreciates in value, the value of a put option generally will decrease and may become worthless. Under normal circumstances, the Fund anticipates trading options on rolling three-month periods (i.e., quarterly); however, the Fund may trade options with expiration dates that are modestly longer or shorter than three months for a number of reasons such as if market volatility renders them more cost-effective.
At the beginning of each three-month period, the Fund purchases out-of-the money (above current market price) or at-the-money put options. The adviser evaluates the relative prices of at-the-money and out-of-the money options and selects those with the highest expected return in light of then-recent U.S. large capitalization equity market volatility.
The Fund’s strategy is designed to benefit from meaningful declines in the domestic large cap equity market (sometimes referred to as “tail risk”). The Fund’s equity market risk is limited to the risk that the put options will expire worthless. If, however, the value of the reference asset falls below the put option’s strike price, the option finishes “in-the-money” and the option seller pays the Fund the difference between the strike price and the value of the reference asset. In such an instance, employing the put option strategy may generate a positive return. Because puts increase in value when the reference asset declines, the Fund benefits from a market decline. Using this strategy, based on recent market conditions, the adviser anticipates that the Fund could reap a positive benefit equal to 20% to 40% of U.S. large capitalization equity market declines on a quarter-to-quarter basis.
Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund
The
principal risks of investing in the Fund are summarized below. Each risk summarized below is considered a “principal risk”
of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears.
| ● | Options Risk. Buying and selling (writing) options are speculative activities and entail greater than ordinary investment risks. As the buyer of a put option, the Fund risks losing the entire premium invested in the option if the Fund does not exercise the option. |
| ● | FLEX Options Risk. The Fund may invest in FLEX Options issued and guaranteed for settlement by the OCC. The Fund bears the risk that the OCC will be unable or unwilling to perform its obligations under the FLEX Options contracts. Additionally, FLEX Options may become illiquid, and in such cases, the Fund may have difficulty closing out certain FLEX Options positions at desired times and prices. |
| ● | Derivatives Risk. Options are a derivative investment. The Fund’s use of derivatives involves risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other traditional investments. These risks include (i) the risk that the counterparty to a derivative transaction may not fulfill its contractual obligations; (ii) the risk of mispricing or improper valuation; and (iii) the risk that changes in the value of a derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset or index. Derivative prices may be highly volatile at times and may fluctuate substantially during a short period of time. |
| ● | Active Management Risk. The adviser’s judgments about an investment may prove to be incorrect or fail to have the intended results, which could adversely impact the Fund’s performance. The adviser’s tail risk strategy is not designed for upside participation in the markets and will underperform in rising equity markets relative to traditional long-only equity strategies. While the adviser’s strategy is designed to benefit from meaningful declines in the domestic large cap equity market, the Fund will not fully benefit from any given downswing in the market. When the adviser selects out-of-the money put options, the Fund will not participate in equity market declines until they exceed the strike price of the put option. Lower interest rates or higher put option prices will tend to increase the cost of attempting to benefit from meaningful declines in the U.S. large capitalization equity markets. |
| ● | Equity Market Risk. The Fund invests in options that track the performance of U.S. large capitalization companies, which are made up of common stocks. Common stocks are susceptible to general stock market fluctuations and to volatile increases and decreases in value as market confidence in and perceptions of their issuers change. These investor perceptions are based on various and unpredictable factors including, expectations regarding government, economic, monetary and fiscal policies; inflation and interest rates; economic expansion or contraction; and global or regional political, economic and banking crises. |
9
| ● | Early Close/Trading Halt Risk. An exchange or market may close or issue trading halts on specific securities, or the ability to buy or sell certain securities or financial instruments may be restricted, which may prevent the Fund from buying or selling certain securities or financial instruments. In these circumstances, the Fund may be unable to rebalance its portfolio, may be unable to accurately price its investments and may incur substantial trading losses. |
| ● | ETF Structure Risks. The Fund is an ETF and, as a result of an ETF’s structure, it is exposed to the following risks: |
| ○ | Authorized Participants ("APs"), Market Makers, and Liquidity Providers Concentration Risk. The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as APs. In addition, there may be a limited number of market makers and/or liquidity providers in the marketplace. To the extent either of the following events occur, Shares may trade at a material discount to NAV and possibly face delisting: (i) APs exit the business or otherwise become unable to process creation and/or redemption orders and no other APs step forward to perform these services, or (ii) market makers and/or liquidity providers exit the business or significantly reduce their business activities and no other entities step forward to perform their functions. |
| ○ | Costs of Buying or Selling Shares. Due to the costs of buying or selling Shares, including brokerage commissions imposed by brokers and bid-ask spreads, frequent trading of Shares may significantly reduce investment results and an investment in Shares may not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments. |
| ○ | Shares May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV. As with all ETFs, Shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. Although it is expected that the market price of Shares will approximate the Fund’s NAV, there may be times when the market price of Shares is more than the NAV intra-day (premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (discount) due to supply and demand of Shares or during periods of market volatility. This risk is heightened in times of market volatility, periods of steep market declines, and periods when there is limited trading activity for Shares in the secondary market, in which case such premiums or discounts may be significant. |
| ○ | Trading. Although Shares are listed for trading on Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc. (the “Exchange”) and may be traded on U.S. exchanges other than the Exchange, there can be no assurance that Shares will trade with any volume, or at all, on any stock exchange. In stressed market conditions, the liquidity of Shares may begin to mirror the liquidity of the Fund’s underlying portfolio holdings, which can be significantly less liquid than Shares, and this could lead to differences between the market price of the Shares and the underlying value of those Shares. |
| ● | Fixed Income Securities Risk. When the Fund invests in fixed income securities, the value of your investment in the Fund will fluctuate with changes in interest rates. Typically, a rise in interest rates causes a decline in the value of fixed income securities owned by the Fund. In general, the market price of fixed income securities with longer maturities will increase or decrease more in response to changes in interest rates than shorter-term securities. Other risk factors include credit risk (the debtor may default), extension risk (an issuer may exercise its right to repay principal on a fixed rate obligation held by the Fund later than expected), and prepayment risk (the debtor may pay its obligation early, reducing the amount of interest payments). These risks could affect the value of a particular investment by the Fund, possibly causing the Fund’s share price and total return to be reduced and fluctuate more than other types of investments. |
| ● | Limited History Risk. The Fund has a limited history of operations for investors to evaluate. Investors in the Fund bear the risk that the Fund may not be successful in implementing its investment strategies, may be unable to implement certain of its investment strategies or may fail to attract sufficient assets, any of which could result in the Fund being liquidated and terminated at any time without shareholder approval and at a time that may not be favorable for all shareholders. Such a liquidation could have negative tax consequences for shareholders and will cause shareholders to incur expenses of liquidation. |
| ● | Market and Geopolitical Risk. The increasing interconnectivity between global economies and financial markets increases the likelihood that events or conditions in one region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. Securities in the Fund’s portfolio may underperform due to inflation (or expectations for inflation), interest rates, global demand for particular products or resources, natural disasters, climate change and climate-related events, pandemics, epidemics, terrorism, international conflicts, regulatory events and governmental or quasi-governmental actions. The occurrence of global events similar to those in recent years may result in market volatility and may have long term effects on both the U.S. and global financial markets. |
| ● | Options Premium Tax Risk. The Fund’s investment strategy may limit its ability to distribute dividends eligible for treatment as qualified dividend income, which for non-corporate shareholders are subject to federal income tax at rates of up to 20%. The Fund’s investment strategy may also limit its ability to distribute dividends eligible for the dividends-received deduction for corporate shareholders. For these reasons, a significant portion of distributions received by Fund shareholders may be subject to tax at effective tax rates that are higher than the rates that would apply if the Fund were to engage in a different investment strategy. You should consult your tax advisor as to the tax consequences of acquiring, owning and disposing of Shares in the Fund. |
10
| ● | Turnover Rate Risk. The Fund may have portfolio turnover rates significantly in excess of 100%. Increased portfolio turnover causes the Fund to incur higher brokerage costs, which may adversely affect the Fund’s performance and may produce increased taxable distributions. |
| ● | U.S. Government Risk. U.S. Treasury obligations are backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. government and generally have negligible credit risk. Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies or authorities and U.S. government-sponsored instrumentalities or enterprises may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. |
Updated
performance information is available on the Fund’s website at
| Return | Quarter/Year | ||
| - |
1 Year |
Since
Inception | ||
| Returns before taxes | - |
- | |
| Returns after taxes on distributions | - |
- | |
| Returns after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares | - |
- | |
S&P
500 Total Return Index |
Management
| Adviser: | TrueMark Investments, LLC |
| Portfolio Manager: | Jeffrey Feldman, Portfolio Manager of TrueMark Investments, LLC and Quantitative Risk Manager of RiverNorth Capital Management, LLC, has served the Fund as portfolio manager since it commenced operations in June 2024. |
Purchase and Sale of Shares
Shares are listed on the Exchange, and individual Shares may only be bought and sold in the secondary market through brokers at market prices, rather than NAV. Because Shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, Shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount).
11
The Fund issues and redeems Shares at NAV only in large blocks known as “Creation Units,” which only APs (typically, broker-dealers) may purchase or redeem. The Fund generally issues and redeems Creation Units in exchange for a portfolio of securities and/ or a designated amount of U.S. cash.
Investors may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase Shares (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for Shares (ask) when buying or selling Shares in the secondary market (the “bid-ask spread”). Recent information about the Fund, including its NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads is available on the Fund’s website at www.True-Shares.com.
Tax Information
Fund distributions are generally taxable as ordinary income or capital gains (or a combination), unless your investment is in an IRA or other tax-advantaged account. Distributions on investments made through tax-deferred arrangements may be taxed later upon withdrawal of assets from those accounts.
Financial Intermediary Compensation
If you purchase Shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank) (an “Intermediary”), the adviser or its affiliates may pay Intermediaries for certain activities related to the Fund, including participation in activities that are designed to make Intermediaries more knowledgeable about exchange traded products, including the Fund, or for other activities, such as marketing, educational training or other initiatives related to the sale or promotion of Shares. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the Intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Any such arrangements do not result in increased Fund expenses. Ask your salesperson or visit the Intermediary’s website for more information.
12
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUNDS
Additional Information About Each Fund’s Investment Objective.
| Fund | Investment Objective | |
| TrueShares Quarterly Bull Hedge ETF | The investment objective of TrueShares Quarterly Bull Hedge ETF is total return with substantial protection of principal. | |
| TrueShares Quarterly Bear Hedge ETF | The investment objective of TrueShares Quarterly Bear Hedge ETF is substantial protection of principal with total return. |
Each Fund’s investment objective may be changed by the Board of Trustees of the Trust (the “Board”) upon written notice to shareholders.
Additional Information About Each Fund’s Investment Strategies.
TrueShares Quarterly Bull Hedge ETF
The Fund is an actively managed ETF that aims to provide the benefits of partial equity exposure while mitigating the risk posed by a decline in U.S. equity markets. The adviser’s strategy is designed to achieve the Fund’s goals, typically, over rolling three-month periods. This strategy potentially results in growth with lower volatility and mitigated downside equity market risk (sometimes referred to as “tail risk”). The Fund seeks to achieve this goal by combining: (1) an investment of substantially all its assets in a portfolio of short- term income-generating debt securities with (2) a modest investment in call options on securities or indexes that are representative of U.S. large capitalization companies. Over the long-term, the adviser expects income from the debt securities and capital gains from call options to combine to fulfill the “total return” aspect of the Fund’s investment objective.
Income Component
The Fund seeks income through a strategy focused on high-quality short-term fixed income securities. The Fund anticipates a typical maturity of three months for its income portfolio but may invest in securities with a duration of one-year or less. The Fund defines high- quality issuers as those with a short-term rating of P-1 or a long-term rating of at least A3 by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or equivalently rated by another nationally recognized statistical rating agency). The Fund invests without restriction as to issuer type but anticipates investing primarily in securities of the U.S. Government, its agencies, instrumentalities and sponsored enterprises; fixed- income ETFs; and corporations.
To generate higher income, the Fund may also employ an option box spread strategy. While gains from options are capital gains, this options strategy is commonly referred to as an income producer and, therefore, is included in the Fund’s income component description. A box spread is a four-part, same expiration date, option portfolio with a maturity payout that does not vary and is considered a form of synthetic money market instrument. For example, the four parts of a box spread could be composed of (i) a long $5 in-the-money call option position paired with (ii) a written $5 out-of-the-money call option position; and (iii) a long $5 in-the-money put option position paired with (iv) a written $5 out-of-the-money put option position. At expiration of the options, no matter what the price of the underlying reference asset is, the payout to the Fund will be $10. If the Fund can construct this portfolio for less than $10 it will be profitable at expiration.
13
The chart below illustrates the $10 payout that results from the example above. As the call leg increases in value, the put leg decreases in value such that, in total, the payoff is always $10.

When the call options and income-generating investments carry matching maturities, an amount equal to the yield from the income strategy, net of the Fund’s management fee, is deployed to trade call options. If the income-generating investments carry a duration longer than the call positions, the amount invested in call options will be an amount equal to annualized income net of management fee and divided by the number of three-month segments remaining until maturity and capped at that amount for each rolling three-month period. At times, the presence of an extreme low-rate environment could make generating income more challenging. In these circumstances, the Fund may utilize a maximum of one percent (net of the Fund’s management fee) of portfolio principal per three- month rolling period to implement the call options strategy.
Call Options Component
The Fund invests a modest portion of its portfolio in standardized exchange-listed options or in exchange-traded Flexible Exchange Options® (“FLEX Options”), which are customized exchange-traded option contracts available through the Chicago Board Option Exchange (“Cboe”) that are guaranteed for settlement by The Options Clearing Corporation (“OCC”). FLEX Options provide the Fund with the ability to customize exercise prices, exercise styles, and expiration dates, while avoiding the counterparty exposure of over-the- counter (“OTC”) options positions. The adviser selects options on securities, indices, or ETFs that it believes are representative of U.S. large capitalization companies. The Fund defines large-capitalization companies as those with market capitalizations above $10 billion at the time of measurement, and defines U.S. companies as those organized in the U.S.; having a class of securities whose principal securities market is in the U.S.; or derives 50% or more of its total revenues or earnings from goods produced, sales made, or services provided in the U.S., or maintains 50% or more of its employees, assets, investments, operations, or other business activity in the U.S.
A call option gives the owner the right, but not the obligation, to buy a reference asset at a specified price (strike price) within or at the end of a specific time period. In the event the reference asset declines in value, the value of a call option generally will decrease and may become worthless. In the event the reference asset appreciates in value, the value of a call option generally will increase. Under normal circumstances, the Fund anticipates trading options on rolling three-month periods (i.e., quarterly); however, the Fund may trade options with expiration dates that are modestly longer or shorter than three months for a number of reasons such as if market volatility renders them more cost-effective.
At the beginning of each three-month period, the Fund purchases out of the money (above current market price) or at-the-money call options. The adviser evaluates the relative prices of at-the-money and out-of-the money options and selects those with the highest expected return in light of then-recent U.S. large capitalization equity market volatility.
The call strategy is designed to partially capture upward trends in the domestic large cap equity market, thereby gaining large cap equity exposure while limiting the Fund’s risk to that of the options premium and the income-generating debt instruments. The amount of equity upside the Fund captures is dictated by the adviser’s strategy of targeting investments in call options to an amount approximately equal to the amount of income generated by the Fund’s portfolio. Using this strategy, based on recent market conditions, the adviser anticipates that the Fund will capture 20% to 40% of U.S. large capitalization equity market gains on a quarter-to-quarter basis.
14
Substantial Protection of Principal
The income component of the Fund’s portfolio is expected to represent at least 98% of its assets on a quarter-to-quarter basis, which the adviser believes will fulfil the “substantial protection of principal” aspect of the Fund’s investment objective. For example, even if a 2% call options component of the Fund’s portfolio expired worthless, the Fund would still have at least 98% of its value preserved by the high-quality short-term fixed income debt securities portfolio. Actual value preserved is expected to be somewhat higher than 98% because interest earned is expected to be higher than Fund expenses. The adviser believes that protection of at least 98% of principal on a quarter-to-quarter basis, even in adverse low-rate environments, would be considered substantial protection by most investors.
TrueShares Quarterly Bear Hedge ETF
The Fund is an actively managed ETF that aims to provide principal protection and generation of interest income while maintaining the potential to create positive returns in the event of a decline in U.S. equity markets. The adviser’s strategy is designed to achieve the Fund’s goals, typically, over rolling three-month periods. This strategy potentially results in capital gains during high volatility environments. The Fund seeks to achieve these goals by combining: (1) an investment of substantially all its assets in a portfolio of short-term income-generating debt securities with (2) a modest investment in put options on securities or indexes that are representative of U.S. large capitalization companies. Over the long-term, the adviser expects income from the debt securities and capital gains from put options to combine to fulfill the “total return” aspect of the Fund’s investment objective.
Substantial Protection of Principal
The income component of the Fund’s portfolio is expected to represent at least 98% of its assets on a quarter-to-quarter basis, which the adviser believes will fulfil the “substantial protection of principal” aspect of the Fund’s investment objective. For example, even if a 2% put options component of the Fund’s portfolio expired worthless, the Fund would still have at least 98% of its value preserved by the high-quality short-term fixed income debt securities portfolio. Actual value preserved is expected to be somewhat higher than 98% because interest earned is expected to be higher than Fund expenses. The adviser believes that protection of at least 98% of principal on a quarter-to-quarter basis, even in adverse low-rate environments, would be considered substantial protection by most investors.
Income Component
The Fund seeks income through a strategy focused on high-quality short-term fixed income securities. The Fund anticipates a typical maturity of three months for its income portfolio but may invest in securities with a duration of one-year or less. The Fund defines high- quality issuers as those with a short-term rating of P-1 or a long-term rating of at least A3 by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or equivalently rated by another nationally recognized statistical rating agency). The Fund invests without restriction as to issuer type but anticipates investing primarily in securities of the U.S. Government, its agencies, instrumentalities and sponsored enterprises; fixed- income ETFs; and corporations.
To generate higher income, the Fund may also employ an option box spread strategy. While gains from options are capital gains, this options strategy is commonly referred to as an income producer and, therefore, is included in the Fund’s income component description. A box spread is a four-part, same expiration date, option portfolio with a maturity payout that does not vary and is considered a form of synthetic money market instrument. For example, the four parts of a box spread could be composed of (i) a long $5 in-the-money call option position paired with (ii) a written $5 out-of-the-money call option position; and (iii) a long $5 in-the-money put option position paired with (iv) a written $5 out-of-the-money put option position. At expiration of the options, no matter what the price of the underlying reference asset is, the payout to the Fund will be $10. If the Fund can construct this portfolio for less than $10 it will be profitable at expiration.
15
The chart below illustrates the $10 payout that results from the example above. As the call leg increases in value, the put leg decreases in value such that, in total, the payoff is always $10.

When the put options and income-generating investments carry matching maturities, an amount equal to the yield from the income strategy, net of the Fund’s management fee, is deployed to trade put options. If the income-generating investments carry a duration longer than the put positions, the amount invested in put options will be an amount equal to annualized income net of management fee and divided by the number of three-month segments remaining until maturity and capped at that amount for each rolling three-month period. At times, the presence of an extreme low-rate environment could make generating income more challenging. In these circumstances, the Fund may utilize a maximum of one percent (net of the Fund’s management fee) of portfolio principal per three- month rolling period to implement the put options strategy.
Put Options Component
The Fund invests a modest portion of its portfolio in standardized exchange-listed options or in exchange-traded FLexible EXchange Options® (“FLEX Options”), which are customized exchange-traded option contracts available through the Chicago Board Option Exchange (“Cboe”) that are guaranteed for settlement by The Options Clearing Corporation (“OCC”). FLEX Options provide the Fund with the ability to customize exercise prices, exercise styles, and expiration dates, while avoiding the counterparty exposure of over-the- counter (“OTC”) options positions. The adviser selects options on securities, indexes, or ETFs that it believes are representative of the performance of U.S. large capitalization companies. The Fund defines large-capitalization companies as those with market capitalizations above $10 billion at the time of measurement, and defines U.S. companies as those organized in the U.S.; having a class of securities whose principal securities market is in the U.S.; or derives 50% or more of its total revenues or earnings from goods produced, sales made, or services provided in the U.S., or maintains 50% or more of its employees, assets, investments, operations, or other business activity in the U.S.
When the Fund purchases a put option, the Fund has the right, but not the obligation, to sell a reference asset at a specified price (strike price) within or at the end of a specific time period. In the event the reference asset declines in value, the value of a put option generally will increase. In the event the reference asset appreciates in value, the value of a put option generally will decrease and may become worthless. Under normal circumstances, the Fund anticipates trading options on rolling three-month periods (i.e., quarterly); however, the Fund may trade options with expiration dates that are modestly longer or shorter than three months for a number of reasons such as if market volatility renders them more cost-effective.
At the beginning of each three-month period, the Fund purchases out of the money (above current market price) or at-the-money put options. The adviser evaluates the relative prices of at-the-money and out-of-the money options and selects those with the highest expected return in light of then-recent U.S. large capitalization equity market volatility.
The Fund’s strategy is designed to benefit from meaningful declines in the domestic large cap equity market (sometimes referred to as “tail risk”). The Fund’s equity market risk is limited to the risk that the put options will expire worthless. If, however, the value of the reference asset falls below the put option’s strike price, the option finishes “in-the-money” and the option seller pays the Fund the difference between the strike price and the value of the reference asset. In such an instance, employing the put option strategy may generate a positive return. Because puts increase in value when the reference asset declines, the Fund benefits from a market decline. Using this strategy, based on recent market conditions, the adviser anticipates that the Fund could reap a positive benefit equal to 20% to 40% of U.S. large capitalization equity market declines on a quarter-to-quarter basis.
16
Additional Information About the Funds’ Principal Risks. This section provides additional information regarding the principal risks described in the Fund Summary sections. Each risk described below is considered a “principal risk” of investing in the Funds, regardless of the order in which it appears. Each of the risks described below could have a negative impact on the applicable Fund’s performance and trading prices.
| ● | Active Management Risk. Each Fund’s judgments about an investment may prove to be incorrect or fail to have the intended results, which could adversely impact the Fund’s performance and cause it to underperform relative to its benchmark, or not to achieve its investment goal. The TrueShares Quarterly Bull Hedge ETF may not provide full downside protection and will not allow the Fund to fully participate in market upside. While the TrueShares Quarterly Bear Hedge ETF is designed to benefit from meaningful declines in the domestic large cap equity market, it will not fully benefit from any given downswing in the market. |
| ● | Derivatives Risk. The use of derivative instruments involves risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other traditional investments. These risks include (i) the risk that the counterparty to a derivative transaction may not fulfill its contractual obligations; (ii) risk of mispricing or improper valuation; and (iii) the risk that changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset or index. Derivative prices are highly volatile and may fluctuate substantially during a short period of time. Such prices are influenced by numerous factors that affect the markets, including, but not limited to: changing supply and demand relationships; government programs and policies; national and international political and economic events, changes in interest rates, inflation and deflation and changes in supply and demand relationships. If the derivative is linked to the performance of an index, it will be subject to the risks associated with changes in that index. |
| ● | Early Close/Trading Halt Risk. An exchange or market may close or issue trading halts on specific securities, or the ability to buy or sell certain securities or financial instruments may be restricted, which may prevent the Funds from buying or selling certain securities or financial instruments. In these circumstances, the Funds may be unable to rebalance its portfolio, may be unable to accurately price its investments and may incur substantial trading losses. |
| ● | Equity Market Risk. Common stocks are susceptible to general stock market fluctuations and to volatile increases and decreases in value as market confidence in and perceptions of their issuers change. These investor perceptions are based on various and unpredictable factors including: expectations regarding government, economic, monetary and fiscal policies; inflation and interest rates; economic expansion or contraction; and global or regional political, economic, public health, and banking crises. If you held common stock, or common stock equivalents, of any given issuer, you would generally be exposed to greater risk than if you held preferred stocks and debt obligations of the issuer because common stockholders, or holders of equivalent interests, generally have inferior rights to receive payments from issuers in comparison with the rights of preferred stockholders, bondholders, and other creditors of such issuers. |
| ● | ETF Structure Risks. The Funds are ETFs, and, as a result of an ETF’s structure, are exposed to the following risks: |
| ○ | APs, Market Makers, and Liquidity Providers Concentration Risk. The Funds have a limited number of financial institutions that may act as APs. In addition, there may be a limited number of market makers and/or liquidity providers in the marketplace. To the extent either of the following events occur, Shares may trade at a material discount to NAV and possibly face delisting: (i) APs exit the business or otherwise become unable to process creation and/or redemption orders and no other APs step forward to perform these services, or (ii) market makers and/or liquidity providers exit the business or significantly reduce their business activities and no other entities step forward to perform their functions. |
| ○ | Costs of Buying or Selling Shares. Investors buying or selling Shares in the secondary market will pay brokerage commissions or other charges imposed by brokers, as determined by that broker. Brokerage commissions are often a fixed amount and may be a significant proportional cost for investors seeking to buy or sell relatively small amounts of Shares. In addition, secondary market investors will also incur the cost of the difference between the price at which an investor is willing to buy Shares (the “bid” price) and the price at which an investor is willing to sell Shares (the “ask” price). This difference in bid and ask prices is often referred to as the “spread” or “bid-ask spread.” The bid-ask spread varies over time for Shares based on trading volume and market liquidity, and the spread is generally lower if Shares have more trading volume and market liquidity and higher if Shares have little trading volume and market liquidity. Further, a relatively small investor base in the Funds, asset swings in the Funds, and/or increased market volatility may cause increased bid-ask spreads. Due to the costs of buying or selling Shares, including bid-ask spreads, frequent trading of Shares may significantly reduce investment results and an investment in Shares may not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments. |
17
| ○ | Shares May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV. As with all ETFs, Shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. Although it is expected that the market price of Shares will approximate a Fund’s NAV, there may be times when the market price of Shares is more than the NAV intra-day (premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (discount) due to supply and demand of Shares or during periods of market volatility. This risk is heightened in times of market volatility, periods of steep market declines, and periods when there is limited trading activity for Shares in the secondary market, in which case such premiums or discounts may be significant. |
| ○ | Trading. Although Shares are listed for trading on the Exchange and may be listed or traded on U.S. and non-U.S. stock exchanges other than the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for such Shares will develop or be maintained. Trading in Shares may be halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the Exchange, make trading in Shares inadvisable. In addition, trading in Shares on the Exchange is subject to trading halts caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant to Exchange “circuit breaker” rules, which temporarily halt trading on the Exchange when a decline in the S&P 500® Index during a single day reaches certain thresholds (e.g., 7%, 13%, and 20%). Additional rules applicable to the Exchange may halt trading in Shares when extraordinary volatility causes sudden, significant swings in the market price of Shares. There can be no assurance that Shares will trade with any volume, or at all, on any stock exchange. In stressed market conditions, the liquidity of Shares may begin to mirror the liquidity of a Fund’s underlying portfolio holdings, which can be significantly less liquid than Shares, and this could lead to differences between the market price of the Shares and the underlying value of those Shares. |
| ● | Fixed Income Securities Risk. Fixed income securities risk factors include credit risk (the debtor may default) and prepayment risk (the debtor may pay its obligation early or later than expected, potentially reducing the amount of interest payments or extending time to principal repayment). These risks could affect the value of a particular investment possibly causing a Fund’s share price and total return to be reduced and fluctuate more than other types of investments. When a Fund invests in fixed income securities the value of your investment in a Fund will fluctuate with changes in interest rates. Typically, a rise in interest rates causes a decline in the value of fixed income securities. In general, the market price of debt securities with longer maturities will increase or decrease more in response to changes in interest rates than shorter-term securities. If the U.S. Federal Reserve’s Federal Open Market Committee (“FOMC”) raises the federal funds interest rate target, interest rates across the U.S. financial system may rise. However, the magnitude of rate changes across maturities and borrower sectors is uncertain. Rising rates may decrease liquidity and increase volatility, which may make portfolio management more difficult and costly to a Fund and its shareholders. Additionally, default risk increases if issuers must borrow at higher rates. Generally, these changing market conditions may cause a Fund’s share price to fluctuate or decline more than other types of equity investments. |
| ● | FLEX Options Risk. The Funds will utilize FLEX options issued and guaranteed for settlement by the OCC. The Funds bear the risk that the OCC will be unable to, or unwilling to, perform their obligations under the contracts. In the unlikely event that the OCC cannot meet their obligations, the Funds could suffer significant losses. Additionally, FLEX options may become more illiquid than other securities, including traditional options. To the extent that the FLEX options may not be expected to experience regular trading, the FLEX options held by the Funds may be valued based on a price quotation or other equivalent indication of value supplied by a pricing service, rather than based on a price last traded on an exchange. In less liquid markets for FLEX options, the Funds may have difficulty entering into or closing out certain positions at designated times and/or prices. With the creation and redemption of Shares, to the extent market participants are not willing or able to enter into FLEX option transactions with a Fund at prices that reflect the market price of the Shares, the Fund’s net asset value (“NAV”) and, in turn the share price of the Fund, could suffer significant losses. The Funds may experience substantial downside from specific FLEX option positions, and some may expire worthless. As a FLEX option approaches the predetermined expiration date, its value typically moves in parallel with the value of its underlying reference asset. However, prior to such date, the value of the FLEX options may not increase or decrease at the same rate as the reference asset’s share price on a day-to-day basis. The value of the underlying FLEX options will be affected by many market factors, such as changes in the reference asset’s share price, interest rates, the volatility of the reference asset, and the remaining time to until the FLEX options expire. |
| ● | Limited History Risk. The Funds are new ETFs and have a limited history of operations for investors to evaluate. Investors in a Fund bear the risk that the Fund may not be successful in implementing its investment strategies, may be unable to implement certain of its investment strategies or may fail to attract sufficient assets, any of which could result in the Fund being liquidated and terminated at any time without shareholder approval and at a time that may not be favorable for all shareholders. Such a liquidation could have negative tax consequences for shareholders and will cause shareholders to incur expenses of liquidation. |
18
| ● | Market and Geopolitical Risk. The increasing interconnectivity between global economies and financial markets increases the likelihood that events or conditions in one region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. Securities in the Funds’ portfolio may underperform due to inflation (or expectations for inflation), interest rates, global demand for particular products or resources, natural disasters, climate change and climate-related events, pandemics, epidemics, terrorism, international conflicts, regulatory events and governmental or quasi-governmental actions. The occurrence of global events similar to those in recent years, such as terrorist attacks around the world, natural disasters, social and political discord or debt crises and downgrades, among others, may result in market volatility and may have long term effects on both the U.S. and global financial markets. It is difficult to predict when similar events affecting the U.S. or global financial markets may occur, the effects that such events may have and the duration of those effects. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Funds’ portfolios. Therefore, the Funds could lose money over short periods due to short-term market movements and over longer periods during more prolonged market downturns. During a general market downturn, multiple asset classes may be negatively affected. Changes in market conditions and interest rates can have the same impact on all types of securities and instruments. In times of severe market disruptions, you could lose your entire investment. |
| ● | Options Risk. The Funds may purchase and/or write call and put options on securities and indexes. A Fund may engage in these transactions to capture declines in the value of securities prices or an increase in the price of securities. |
| ○ | Put Options. When a Fund purchases a put option, it receives, in return for the premium it pays, the right to sell to the writer of the option the underlying security at a specified price at any time before the option expires or at expiration. A Fund purchases put options in anticipation of a decline in the market value of the underlying security. During the life of the put option, a Fund is able to sell the underlying security at the exercise price regardless of any decline in the market price of the underlying security. In order for a put option to result in a gain, the market price of the underlying security must decline, during the option period, below the exercise price enough to cover the premium and transaction costs. |
| ○ | Call Options. When a Fund purchases a call option, it receives, in return for the premium it pays, the right to buy from the writer of the option the underlying security at a specified price at any time before the option expires or at expiration. A Fund purchases call options in anticipation of an increase in the market value of securities. During the life of the call option, a Fund is able to buy the underlying security at the exercise price regardless of any increase in the market price of the underlying security. In order for a call option to result in a gain, the market price of the underlying security must exceed the sum of the exercise price, the premium paid, and transaction costs. |
| ● | Options Premium Tax Risk. Each Fund’s investment strategy may limit its ability to distribute dividends eligible for treatment as qualified dividend income, which for non-corporate shareholders are subject to federal income tax at rates of up to 20%. Each Fund’s investment strategy may also limit its ability to distribute dividends eligible for the dividends-received deduction for corporate shareholders. For these reasons, a significant portion of distributions received by Fund shareholders may be subject to tax at effective tax rates that are higher than the rates that would apply if the Funds were to engage in a different investment strategy. You should consult your tax advisor as to the tax consequences of acquiring, owning and disposing of Shares in the Funds. |
| ● | Turnover Rate Risk. A higher portfolio turnover will result in higher transactional and brokerage costs associated with the turnover, which may reduce a Fund’s return, unless the securities traded can be bought and sold without corresponding commission costs. Frequent trading of securities may also increase a Fund’s realized capital gains or losses, which may increase the taxes you pay as a Fund shareholder. The Funds are expected to have a high portfolio turnover rate. |
| ● | U.S. Government Risk. The U.S. Treasury market can be volatile, and the value of instruments correlated with these markets may fluctuate dramatically from day to day. U.S. Treasury obligations may provide relatively lower returns than those of other securities. Similar to other debt instruments, U.S. Treasury obligations are subject to debt instrument risk and interest rate risk. In addition, changes to the financial condition or credit rating of the U.S. Government may cause the value of U.S. Treasury obligations to decline. |
PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS INFORMATION
Information about the Funds’ daily portfolio holdings is available at True-shares.com. A description of each Fund’s policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Fund’s portfolio holdings is available in the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”).
19
MANAGEMENT
Investment Adviser
TrueMark Investments, LLC (“TrueMark”) serves as the investment adviser to each Fund. The adviser is a SEC registered investment adviser with approximately $1.251 billion in assets under management as of December 31, 2025. Its principal office is located at 433 W Van Buren, Suite 1100-D, Chicago, Illinois 60607. TrueMark is controlled by TrueMark Group, LLC which in turn is controlled by RiverNorth Strategic Holdings, LLC.
Pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement, each Fund pays the adviser a unitary management fee, which is calculated daily and paid monthly, at an annual rate of 0.79% of each Fund’s average daily net assets. For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2025, each Fund paid TrueMark Investments, LLC a fee equal to 0.79% of its average daily net assets.
Out of the unitary management fee, the adviser has agreed to pay substantially all expenses of the Funds, including the cost of transfer agency, custody, fund administration, securities lending and other non-distribution related services necessary for the Fund to operate, except for: the fee paid to the adviser pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement, interest charges on any borrowings, dividends and other expenses on securities sold short, taxes and related services, brokerage commissions and other expenses incurred in placing orders for the purchase and sale of securities and other investment instruments, acquired fund fees and expenses, accrued deferred tax liability, distribution fees and expenses paid by a Fund under any distribution plan adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, litigation expenses and other non-routine or extraordinary expenses.
The basis for the Board’s approval of the Funds’ Investment Advisory Agreement is available in the Funds’ annual Form N-CSR filing for the period ended October 31, 2025.
Manager of Managers Structure
Section 15(a) of the 1940 Act requires that all contracts pursuant to which persons serve as investment advisers to investment companies be approved by shareholders. This requirement also applies to the appointment of sub-advisers to a Fund. The Trust and the Adviser have received exemptive relief from the SEC (the “Order”), which permits the Adviser, subject to the approval of the Board, including the approval of the Trustees who are not interested persons of the Trust, as defined in the 1940 Act (the “Independent Trustees”), to hire, replace, and/or modify any existing or future sub-advisory agreement with sub-advisers (the “Manager- of-Managers Structure”). The Adviser, subject to the oversight of the Board, has the ultimate responsibility for overseeing a Fund’s sub- advisers and recommending their hiring, termination and replacement. The Order also provides relief from certain disclosure obligations with regard to sub-advisory fees paid by the Adviser (not the Funds). The Order is subject to various conditions, including that a Fund will notify shareholders and provide them with certain information required by the exemptive order within 90 days of hiring a new sub-adviser. The sole initial shareholder of each Fund has approved the applicable Fund’s operation under the Manager-of-Managers Structure as permitted by the Order.
The Manager-of-Managers Structure enables the Trust to operate with greater efficiency by not incurring the expense and delays associated with obtaining shareholder approvals for matters relating to sub-advisers or sub-advisory agreements. Operation of the Funds under the Manager-of-Managers Structure does not permit management fees paid by a Fund to the Adviser to be increased without shareholder approval. Shareholders will be notified of any changes made to a sub-adviser or material changes to sub-advisory agreements within 90 days of the change.
Portfolio Manager
The Funds are managed by the adviser’s portfolio manager. The individual responsible for the day-to-day management of the Funds’ portfolios is listed below.
Jeffrey Feldman. Mr. Feldman joined TrueMark Investments in 2024 and serves as a portfolio manager (the “Portfolio Manager”). He is a member of the investment management team and is responsible for analysis, trading, and hedging of Fund investments. Mr. Feldman is a dual-employee of TrueMark Investments and RiverNorth Capital Management, LLC, where he serves as Quantitative Risk Manager. He spent the past 23 years as a head trader with Wolverine Trading where he managed quoting, execution, clearing and positions in a variety of asset classes including equities, options, OTC derivatives, commodities, FX and bonds. He also developed pricing models and hedging algorithms, executed hedges for ETF and index products and built Wolverine’s low latency systematic trading equity book as well as its fixed income ETF algorithmic trading desk.
The Funds’ SAI provides additional information about the Portfolio Manager’s compensation structure, other accounts managed by the Portfolio Manager, and the Portfolio Manager’s ownership of Shares of the Funds.
HOW TO BUY AND SELL SHARES
The Funds issue and redeem Shares at NAV only in Creation Units. Only APs may acquire Shares directly from the Funds, and only APs may tender their Shares for redemption directly to the Funds, at NAV. APs must be a member or participant of a clearing agency registered with the SEC and must execute a Participant Agreement that has been agreed to by the Distributor (defined below), and that has been accepted by each Fund’s transfer agent, with respect to purchases and redemptions of Creation Units. Once created, Shares trade in the secondary market in quantities less than a Creation Unit.
20
Most investors buy and sell Shares in secondary market transactions through brokers. Shares are listed for trading on the secondary market on the Exchange and can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like other publicly traded securities.
When buying or selling Shares through a broker, you will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges, and you may pay some or all of the spread between the bid and the offer price in the secondary market on each leg of a round trip (purchase and sale) transaction. In addition, because secondary market transactions occur at market prices, you may pay more than NAV when you buy Shares and receive less than NAV when you sell those Shares.
Book Entry
Shares are held in book-entry form, which means that no stock certificates are issued. The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) or its nominee is the record owner of all outstanding Shares.
Investors owning Shares are beneficial owners as shown on the records of DTC or its participants. DTC serves as the securities depository for all Shares. DTC’s participants include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and other institutions that directly or indirectly maintain a custodial relationship with DTC. As a beneficial owner of Shares, you are not entitled to receive physical delivery of stock certificates or to have Shares registered in your name, and you are not considered a registered owner of Shares. Therefore, to exercise any right as an owner of Shares, you must rely upon the procedures of DTC and its participants. These procedures are the same as those that apply to any other securities that you hold in book entry or “street name” through your brokerage account.
Frequent Purchases and Redemptions of Shares
The Funds impose no restrictions on the frequency of purchases and redemptions of Shares. In determining not to approve a written, established policy, the Board evaluated the risks of market timing activities by Fund shareholders. Purchases and redemptions by APs, who are the only parties that may purchase or redeem Shares directly with the Funds, are an essential part of the ETF process and help keep Share trading prices in line with NAV. As such, the Funds accommodate frequent purchases and redemptions by APs. However, the Board has also determined that frequent purchases and redemptions for cash may increase tracking error and portfolio transaction costs and may lead to the realization of capital gains. To minimize these potential consequences of frequent purchases and redemptions, the Funds employ fair value pricing and may impose transaction fees on purchases and redemptions of Creation Units to cover the custodial and other costs incurred by the Funds in effecting trades. In addition, the Funds and the adviser reserve the right to reject any purchase order at any time.
Determination of NAV
Each Fund’s NAV is calculated as of the scheduled close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”), generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time, each day the NYSE is open for business. Each NAV for a Fund is calculated by dividing the applicable Fund’s net assets by its Shares outstanding.
In calculating its NAV, a Fund generally values its assets on the basis of market quotations, last sale prices, or estimates of value furnished by a pricing service or brokers who make markets in such instruments. If the foregoing information is not available for a security held by a Fund or is determined to be unreliable, the security will be valued at fair value estimates under guidelines established by the Board (as described below).
Fair Value Pricing
The adviser has been designated by the Board as the valuation designee for each Fund pursuant to Rule 2a-5 under the 1940 Act. In its capacity as valuation designee, the adviser has adopted procedures and methodologies to fair value Fund securities whose market prices are not “readily available” or are deemed to be unreliable. For example, such circumstances may arise when: (i) a security has been de- listed or has had its trading halted or suspended; (ii) a security’s primary pricing source is unable or unwilling to provide a price; (iii) a security’s primary trading market is closed during regular market hours; or (iv) a security’s value is materially affected by events occurring after the close of the security’s primary trading market.
Generally, when fair valuing a security held by a Fund, the adviser will take into account all reasonably available information that may be relevant to a particular valuation including, but not limited to, fundamental analytical data regarding the issuer, information relating to the issuer’s business, recent trades or offers of the security, general and/or specific market conditions and the specific facts giving rise to the need to fair value the security. Fair value determinations are made in good faith by the adviser and in accordance with the adviser’s fair value methodologies. Due to the subjective and variable nature of determining the fair value of a security or other investment, there can be no assurance that adviser’s fair value will match or closely correlate to any market quotation that subsequently becomes available or the price quoted or published by other sources. In addition, the adviser may not be able to obtain the fair value assigned to the security upon the sale of such security.
21
Delivery of Shareholder Documents – Householding
Householding is an option available to certain investors of the Funds. Householding is a method of delivery, based on the preference of the individual investor, in which a single copy of certain shareholder documents can be delivered to investors who share the same address, even if their accounts are registered under different names. Householding for the Funds is available through certain broker- dealers. If you are interested in enrolling in householding and receiving a single copy of prospectuses and other shareholder documents, please contact your broker-dealer. If you are currently enrolled in householding and wish to change your householding status, please contact your broker-dealer.
DIVIDENDS, DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAXES
Dividends and Distributions
The Funds intend to pay out dividends, if any, annually. The Funds intend to distribute any net realized capital gains to its shareholders at least annually. The Funds will declare and pay capital gain distributions, if any, in cash. Distributions in cash may be reinvested automatically in additional whole Shares only if the broker through whom you purchased Shares makes such option available. Your broker is responsible for distributing the income and capital gain distributions to you.
Taxes
The following discussion is a summary of some important U.S. federal income tax considerations generally applicable to investments in the Funds. Your investment in the Funds may have other tax implications. Please consult your tax advisor about the tax consequences of an investment in Shares, including the possible application of foreign, state, and local tax laws.
Each Fund has elected and intends to qualify each year for treatment as a regulated investment company (a “RIC”) within the meaning of Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). If it meets certain minimum distribution requirements, a RIC is not subject to tax at the fund level on income and gains from investments that are timely distributed to shareholders. However, a Fund’s failure to qualify as a RIC or to meet minimum distribution requirements would result (if certain relief provisions were not available) in fund-level taxation and, consequently, a reduction in income available for distribution to shareholders.
Unless your investment in Shares is made through a tax-exempt entity or tax-advantaged account, such as an IRA plan, you need to be aware of the possible tax consequences when the Funds make distributions, when you sell your Shares listed on the Exchange, and when you purchase or redeem Creation Units (APs only).
Taxes on Distributions
The Funds intend to distribute, at least annually, substantially all of its net investment income and net capital gains. For federal income tax purposes, distributions of investment income are generally taxable as ordinary income or qualified dividend income. Taxes on distributions of capital gains (if any) are determined by how long a Fund owned the investments that generated them, rather than how long a shareholder has owned his or her Shares. Sales of assets held by a Fund for more than one year generally result in long- term capital gains and losses, and sales of assets held by the Fund for one year or less generally result in short-term capital gains and losses. Distributions of a Fund’s net capital gain (the excess of net long-term capital gains over net short-term capital losses) that are reported by the Fund as capital gain dividends (“Capital Gain Dividends”) will be taxable as long-term capital gains, which for non- corporate shareholders are subject to tax at reduced rates of up to 20% (lower rates apply to individuals in lower tax brackets). Distributions of short-term capital gain will generally be taxable as ordinary income. Dividends and distributions are generally taxable to you whether you receive them in cash or reinvest them in additional Shares.
Distributions reported by the Funds as “qualified dividend income” are generally taxed to non-corporate shareholders at rates applicable to long-term capital gains, provided holding period and other requirements are met. “Qualified dividend income” generally is income derived from dividends paid by U.S. corporations or certain foreign corporations that are either incorporated in a U.S. possession or eligible for tax benefits under certain U.S. income tax treaties. In addition, dividends that the Funds received in respect of stock of certain foreign corporations may be qualified dividend income if that stock is readily tradable on an established U.S. securities market. Corporate shareholders may be entitled to a dividends received deduction for the portion of dividends they receive from a Fund that are attributable to dividends received by the Fund from U.S. corporations, subject to certain limitations.
Under recently issued final Treasury Regulations, a RIC that receives business interest income may pass through its net business interest income for purposes of the tax rules applicable to the interest expense limitations under Section 163(j) of the Code. A RIC’s total “Section 163(j) Interest Dividend” for a tax year is limited to the excess of the RIC’s business interest income over the sum of its business interest expense and its other deductions properly allocable to its business interest income. A RIC may, in its discretion, designate all or a portion of ordinary dividends as Section 163(j) Interest Dividends, which would allow the recipient shareholder to treat the designated portion of such dividends as interest income for purposes of determining such shareholder’s interest expense deduction limitation under Section 163(j). This can potentially increase the amount of a shareholder’s interest expense deductible under Section 163(j). In general, to be eligible to treat a Section 163(j) Interest Dividend as interest income, you must have held your shares in a Fund for more than 180 days during the 361-day period beginning on the date that is 180 days before the date on which the share becomes ex-dividend with respect to such dividend. Section 163(j) Interest Dividends, if so designated by a Fund, will be reported to your financial intermediary or otherwise in accordance with the requirements specified by the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”).
22
Shortly after the close of each calendar year, you will be informed of the amount and character of any distributions received from the Funds.
In general, your distributions are subject to federal income tax for the year in which they are paid. Certain distributions paid in January, however, may be treated as paid on December 31 of the prior year. Distributions are generally taxable even if they are paid from income or gains earned by the Funds before your investment (and thus were included in the Shares’ NAV when you purchased your Shares).
You may wish to avoid investing in the Funds shortly before a dividend or other distribution, because such a distribution will generally be taxable even though it may economically represent a return of a portion of your investment.
If you are neither a resident nor a citizen of the United States or if you are a foreign entity, distributions (other than Capital Gain Dividends) paid to you by the Funds will generally be subject to a U.S. withholding tax at the rate of 30%, unless a lower treaty rate applies. Gains from the sale or other disposition of your Shares generally are not subject to U.S. taxation, unless you are a nonresident alien individual who is physically present in the U.S. for 183 days or more per year. The Funds may, under certain circumstances, report all or a portion of a dividend as an “interest-related dividend” or a “short-term capital gain dividend,” which would generally be exempt from this 30% U.S. withholding tax, provided certain other requirements are met. Different tax consequences may result if you are a foreign shareholder engaged in a trade or business within the United States or if a tax treaty applies.
Under legislation generally known as “FATCA” (the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act), the Funds is required to withhold 30% of certain ordinary dividends it pays to shareholders that are foreign entities and that fail to meet prescribed information reporting or certification requirements.
The Funds (or a financial intermediary, such as a broker, through which a shareholder owns Shares) generally is required to withhold and remit to the U.S. Treasury a percentage of the taxable distributions and sale or redemption proceeds paid to any shareholder who fails to properly furnish a correct taxpayer identification number, who has underreported dividend or interest income, or who fails to certify that he, she or it is not subject to such withholding.
Taxes When Fund Shares are Sold on the Exchange
Any capital gain or loss realized upon a sale of Shares generally is treated as a long-term capital gain or loss if Shares have been held for more than one year and as a short-term capital gain or loss if Shares have been held for one year or less. However, any capital loss on a sale of Shares held for six months or less is treated as long-term capital loss to the extent of Capital Gain Dividends paid with respect to such Shares. Any loss realized on a sale will be disallowed to the extent Shares of a Fund are acquired, including through reinvestment of dividends, within a 61-day period beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the disposition of Shares. The ability to deduct capital losses may be limited.
The cost basis of Shares of the Funds acquired by purchase will generally be based on the amount paid for the Shares and then may be subsequently adjusted for other applicable transactions as required by the Code. The difference between the selling price and the cost basis of Shares generally determines the amount of the capital gain or loss realized on the sale or exchange of Shares. Contact the broker through whom you purchased your Shares to obtain information with respect to the available cost basis reporting methods and elections for your account.
Taxes on Purchases and Redemptions of Creation Units
An AP having the U.S. dollar as its functional currency for U.S. federal income tax purposes who exchanges securities for Creation Units generally recognizes a gain or a loss. The gain or loss will be equal to the difference between the value of the Creation Units at the time of the exchange and the exchanging AP’s aggregate basis in the securities delivered, plus the amount of any cash paid for the Creation Units. An AP who exchanges Creation Units for securities will generally recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the exchanging AP’s basis in the Creation Units and the aggregate U.S. dollar market value of the securities received, plus any cash received for such Creation Units. The IRS may assert, however, that a loss that is realized upon an exchange of securities for Creation Units may not be currently deducted under the rules governing “wash sales” (for an AP who does not mark-to-market their holdings), or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic position. APs exchanging securities should consult their own tax advisor with respect to whether wash sale rules apply and when a loss might be deductible.
Any gain or loss realized upon a creation or redemption of Creation Units will be treated as capital or ordinary gain or loss, depending on the circumstances. Any capital gain or loss realized upon redemption of Creation Units is generally treated as long-term capital gain or loss if Shares have been held for more than one year and as a short-term capital gain or loss if Shares have been held for one year or less.
The Funds may include a payment of cash in addition to, or in place of, the delivery of a basket of securities upon the redemption of Creation Units. The Funds may sell portfolio securities to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. This may cause the Funds to recognize investment income and/or capital gains or losses that it might not have recognized if it had completely satisfied the redemption in-kind. As a result, the Funds may be less tax efficient if it includes such a cash payment in the proceeds paid upon the redemption of Creation Units.
23
Net Investment Income Tax
U.S. individuals with income exceeding specified thresholds are subject to a 3.8% tax on all or a portion of their “net investment income,” which includes interest, dividends, and certain capital gains (generally including capital gains distributions and capital gains realized on the sale of Shares). This 3.8% tax also applies to all or a portion of the undistributed net investment income of certain shareholders that are estates and trusts.
The foregoing discussion summarizes some of the possible consequences under current federal tax law of an investment in the Funds. It is not a substitute for personal tax advice. You also may be subject to state and local tax on Fund distributions and sales of Shares. Consult your personal tax advisor about the potential tax consequences of an investment in Shares under all applicable tax laws. For more information, please see the section entitled “Federal Income Taxes” in the SAI.
DISTRIBUTION
Paralel Distributors LLC (the “Distributor”) serves as the Funds’ principal underwriter. The Distributor is a broker-dealer registered with the SEC. The Distributor distributes Creation Units for the Funds on an agency basis and does not maintain a secondary market in Shares. The Distributor has no role in determining the policies of the Funds or the securities that are purchased or sold by the Funds. The Distributor’s principal address is 1700 Broadway, Suite 2100, Denver, Colorado 80290.
PREMIUM/DISCOUNT INFORMATION
Information regarding how often Shares of the Funds trade on the Exchange at a price above (i.e., at a premium) or below (i.e., at a discount) the NAV of the Funds is available on the Funds’ website at True-shares.com.
OTHER INFORMATION AND ADDITIONAL NOTICES
Certain Conditions on Shareholder Legal Actions
Pursuant to the Trust’s primary governing document, the Second Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust, shareholders wishing to pursue a derivative action (a suit brought by a shareholder on behalf of a Fund) are subject to various conditions including that: (i) the Trustees must have a reasonable amount of time to assess the complaining shareholders’ request for action, (ii) at least 10% of shareholders of the Fund must participate in the action (except with respect to claims arising under federal securities laws), and (iii) complaining shareholders must undertake to pay the expenses of advisers that the Trustees engage in consideration of whether to bring an action in the event the Trustees determine not to bring an action (except with respect to claims arising under federal securities laws).
In addition, shareholders wishing to pursue a derivative action (except with respect to claims arising under federal securities law) must bring the compliant all shareholder legal complaints must be brought in the courts of the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware, or if such court does not have subject matter jurisdiction, any other court with appropriate subject matter jurisdiction in the State of Delaware. For non-federal securities laws claims, this requirement may be inconvenient for some shareholders and may cause such claims to be made in a less favorable forum than otherwise may have been made.
Additional Notices
Shares are not sponsored, endorsed, or promoted by the Exchange. The Exchange makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of the Shares. The Exchange is not responsible for, nor has it participated in, the determination of the timing of, prices of, or quantities of the Shares to be issued, nor in the determination or calculation of the equation by which the Shares are redeemable. The Exchange has no obligation or liability to owners of the Shares in connection with the administration, marketing, or trading of the Shares.
Without limiting any of the foregoing, in no event shall the Exchange have any liability for any lost profits or indirect, punitive, special, or consequential damages even if notified of the possibility thereof.
Neither the adviser nor the Funds make any representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of Shares or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in the Funds particularly.
24
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
The
financial highlights tables are intended to help you understand the Funds’ financial performance for each fiscal period
shown. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. The total returns in the table represent the rate
that an investor would have earned or lost on an investment in the respective Fund (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and
distributions). This information has been audited by Cohen & Company, Ltd. ("Cohen & Co") the Funds’ independent
registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the financial statements, are included in the Funds’ Form N-CSR
dated October 31, 2025, which is available upon request and free of charge by calling the Funds’ Distributor at 1.877.774.TRUE
(8783 ).
25
TrueShares Quarterly Bull Hedge ETF
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
| For the Period | ||||||||
| June 28, 2024 | ||||||||
| For the Year | (Commencement of | |||||||
| Ended | Operations) through | |||||||
| October 31, 2025 | October 31, 2024(a) | |||||||
| Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period | $ | 25.25 | $ | 25.00 | ||||
| INCOME FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS: | ||||||||
| Net investment income(b) | 0.88 | 0.37 | ||||||
| Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss) on investments | 0.54 | (0.12 | ) | |||||
| Total from Investment Operations | 1.42 | 0.25 | ||||||
| DISTRIBUTIONS: | ||||||||
| From distributable earnings | (0.45 | ) | – | |||||
| Total Distributions | (0.45 | ) | – | |||||
| Net Increase in net asset value | 0.97 | 0.25 | ||||||
| Net Asset Value - End of Period | $ | 26.22 | $ | 25.25 | ||||
| TOTAL RETURN(c) | 5.72 | % | 1.00 | % | ||||
| RATIOS AND SUPPLEMENTAL DATA: | ||||||||
| Net Assets, end of period (000s) | $ | 9,963 | $ | 46,965 | ||||
| Ratio of net operating expenses to average net assets | 0.79 | % | 0.79 | %(d) | ||||
| Ratio of net investment income to average net assets | 3.51 | % | 4.27 | %(d) | ||||
| Portfolio turnover rate(e)(f) | – | – | ||||||
| (a) | The net asset value at the beginning of the period represents the initial shares outstanding on June 28, 2024 (Commencement of Operations). |
| (b) | Calculated based on the average number of Fund shares outstanding during each fiscal period. |
| (c) | Total return is calculated assuming an initial investment made at the net asset value at the beginning of the period and redemption at the net asset value on the last day of the period and assuming all distributions are reinvested. Total return calculated for a period of less than one year is not annualized. |
| (d) | Annualized. |
| (e) | Portfolio turnover rate for periods less than one full year have not been annualized. |
| (f) | Excludes the impact of in-kind transactions. |
26
TrueShares Quarterly Bear Hedge ETF
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
| For the Period | ||||||||
| June 28, 2024 | ||||||||
| For the Year | (Commencement of | |||||||
| Ended | Operations) through | |||||||
| October 31, 2025 | October 31, 2024(a) | |||||||
| Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period | $ | 25.08 | $ | 25.00 | ||||
| INCOME FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS: | ||||||||
| Net investment income(b) | 0.86 | 0.36 | ||||||
| Net realized and unrealized loss on investments | (0.95 | ) | (0.28 | ) | ||||
| Total from Investment Operations | (0.09 | ) | 0.08 | |||||
| DISTRIBUTIONS: | ||||||||
| From distributable earnings | (0.33 | ) | – | |||||
| Total Distributions | (0.33 | ) | – | |||||
| Net Increase/(Decrease) in net asset value | (0.42 | ) | 0.08 | |||||
| Net Asset Value - End of Period | $ | 24.66 | $ | 25.08 | ||||
| TOTAL RETURN(c) | (0.34 | %) | 0.32 | % | ||||
| RATIOS AND SUPPLEMENTAL DATA: | ||||||||
| Net Assets, end of period (000s) | $ | 220,916 | $ | 80,504 | ||||
| Ratio of net operating expenses to average net assets | 0.79 | % | 0.79 | %(d) | ||||
| Ratio of net investment income to average net assets | 3.46 | % | 4.23 | %(d) | ||||
| Portfolio turnover rate(e)(f) | – | – | ||||||
| (a) | The net asset value at the beginning of the period represents the initial shares outstanding on June 28, 2024 (Commencement of Operations). |
| (b) | Calculated based on the average number of Fund shares outstanding during each fiscal period. |
| (c) | Total return is calculated assuming an initial investment made at the net asset value at the beginning of the period and redemption at the net asset value on the last day of the period and assuming all distributions are reinvested. Total return calculated for a period of less than one year is not annualized. |
| (d) | Annualized. |
| (e) | Portfolio turnover rate for periods less than one full year have not been annualized. |
| (f) | Excludes the impact of in-kind transactions. |
27
PRIVACY NOTICE
Privacy Statement
Pursuant to SEC Regulation S-P (Privacy of Consumer Financial Information) the Trustees of the Elevation Series Trust (the “Trust”) has established the following policy regarding information about the Trust’s shareholders. We consider all shareholder data to be private and confidential, and we hold ourselves to the highest standards in its safekeeping and use.
General Statement
The Trust may collect nonpublic information (e.g., your name, address, e mail address, Social Security Number, Trust holdings (collectively, “Personal Information”)) about shareholders from transactions in Trust shares. The Trust will not release Personal Information about current or former shareholders (except as permitted by law) unless one of the following conditions is met: we receive your prior written consent; (ii) we believe the recipient to be you or your authorized representative; (iii) to service or support the business functions of the Trust (as explained in more detail below), or (iv) we are required by law to release Personal Information to the recipient. The Trust have not and will not in the future give or sell Personal Information about their current or former shareholders to any company, individual, or group (except as per mitted by law) and as otherwise provided in this policy.
The Trust may make certain electronic services available to their shareholders and may solicit your email address and contact you by email, telephone or US mail regarding the availability of such services. The Trust may also contact shareholders by email, telephone or US mail in connection with these services, such as to confirm enrollment in electronic shareholder communications or to update your Personal Information. In no event will the Trust transmit your Personal Information via email without your consent.
Use of Personal Information
The Trust will only use Personal Information (i) as necessary to service or maintain shareholder accounts in the ordinary course of business and (ii) to support business functions of the Trust and their affiliated businesses. This means that the Trust may share certain Personal Information, only as per mitted by law, with affiliated businesses of the Trust, and that such information may be used for non-Trust-related solicitation. When Personal Information is shared with the Trust’s business affiliates, the Trust may do so without providing you the option of preventing these types of disclosures as permitted by law.
Safeguards Regarding Personal Information
Internally, we also restrict access to Personal Information to those who have a specific need for the records. We maintain physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards that comply with Federal standards to guard Personal Information. Any doubts about the confidentiality of Personal Information, as required by law, are resolved in favor of confidentiality.
28
| Adviser | TrueMark Investments, LLC | Distributor | Paralel Distributors LLC |
| 433 W. Van Buren, Suite 1100-D | 1700 Broadway, Suite 2100 | ||
| Chicago, Illinois 60607 | Denver, Colorado 80290 | ||
| Custodian, Transfer | State Street Bank & Trust | Fund Accountant | Paralel Technologies LLC |
| Agent | One Congress Street, Suite 1 | and Administrator | 1700 Broadway, Suite 2100 |
| Boston, Massachusetts 02114 | Denver, Colorado 80290 | ||
| Legal Counsel | Thompson Hine LLP | Independent | Cohen & Company, Ltd. |
| 41 S. High Street, Suite 1700 | Registered Public | 8101 East Prentice Ave., Suite 750 | |
| Columbus, Ohio 43215 | Accounting Firm | Greenwood Village, CO 80111 |
The Fund’s SAI provides additional details about the investments of the Funds and certain other additional information. A current SAI dated February 27, 2026 is on file with the SEC and is herein incorporated by reference into this Prospectus. It is legally considered a part of this Prospectus.
Annual/Semi-Annual Reports: Additional information about the Fund's investments will be available in the Fund's annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders, including annual and semi-annual tailored shareholder reports, and in Form N-CSR. In the annual tailored shareholder report you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund's performance.
To make shareholder inquiries, for more detailed information on a Fund, or to request the SAI, annual or semi-annual shareholder reports, or Form N-CSR free of charge, please call the Funds’ Distributor at 1.877.774.TRUE (8783). Free copies of a Fund’s shareholder reports, Prospectus and SAI are also available from our website at True-shares.com.
Shareholder reports and other information about the Funds are also available, free of charge, on the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov and copies of this information may be obtained, after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov.
No person is authorized to give any information or to make any representations about a Fund and its Shares not contained in this Prospectus and you should not rely on any other information. Read and keep this Prospectus for future reference.
SEC Investment Company Act File No. 811-23812
29
TrueShares Quarterly Bull Hedge ETF (QBUL)
TrueShares Quarterly Bear Hedge ETF (QBER)
Each a series of Elevation Series Trust
Listed on Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc.
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
February 27, 2026
This Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) is not a prospectus and should be read in conjunction with the prospectus dated February 27, 2026, as may be supplemented from time to time (“Prospectus”), of the TrueShares Quarterly Bull Hedge ETF and TrueShares Quarterly Bear Hedge ETF (each a “Fund”, collectively the “Funds”), each a series of Elevation Series Trust (the “Trust”). Capitalized terms used herein that are not defined have the same meaning as in the Prospectus, unless otherwise noted.
A copy of the Prospectus may be obtained, without charge by calling 1.877.774.TRUE (8783), visiting True-shares.com, or writing to Paralel Distributors LLC, 1700 Broadway Suite 2100, Denver, Colorado 80290.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST AND THE FUNDS
The Trust is an open-end management investment company, currently consisting of multiple investment series. This SAI relates to each Fund. The Trust was organized as a Delaware statutory trust on March 7, 2022. The Trust is registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (together with the rules and regulations adopted thereunder, as amended, the “1940 Act”), as an open-end management investment company, and the offering of each Fund’s shares (“Shares”) is registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). The Trust is governed by its Board of Trustees (the “Board”). TrueMark Investments, LLC (“TrueMark” or the “Adviser”) serves as investment adviser to the Funds. The investment objective of the TrueShares Quarterly Bull Hedge ETF is total return with substantial protection of principal. The investment objective of the TrueShares Quarterly Bear Hedge ETF is substantial protection of principal with total return.
Each Fund offers and issues Shares at its net asset value (“NAV”) only in aggregations of a specified number of Shares (each, a “Creation Unit”). The Funds generally offer and issue Shares in exchange for a basket of securities (“Deposit Securities”) together with the deposit of a specified cash payment (“Cash Component”). The Trust reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of a “cash in lieu” amount (“Deposit Cash”) to be added to the Cash Component to replace any Deposit Security. Shares are listed on the Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc. (the “Exchange”) and trade on the Exchange at market prices that may differ from the Shares’ NAV. Shares are also redeemable only in Creation Unit aggregations, primarily for a basket of Deposit Securities together with a Cash Component. A Creation Unit of the Funds generally consists of 10,000 Shares, though this may change from time to time. As a practical matter, only institutions or large investors purchase or redeem Creation Units. Except when aggregated in Creation Units, Shares are not redeemable securities.
Shares may be issued in advance of receipt of Deposit Securities subject to various conditions, including a requirement to maintain on deposit with the Trust cash at least equal to a specified percentage of the value of the missing Deposit Securities, as set forth in the Participant Agreement (as defined below). The Trust may impose a transaction fee for each creation or redemption. In all cases, such fees will be limited in accordance with the requirements of the SEC applicable to management investment companies offering redeemable securities. As in the case of other publicly traded securities, brokers’ commissions on transactions in the secondary market will be based on negotiated commission rates at customary levels.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES, POLICIES, AND RELATED RISKS
Each Fund’s investment objective and principal investment strategies are described in the Prospectus. The following information supplements, and should be read in conjunction with, the Prospectus. For a description of certain permitted investments, see “Description of Permitted Investments” in this SAI.
With respect to each Fund’s investments, unless otherwise noted, if a percentage limitation on investment is adhered to at the time of investment or contract, a subsequent increase or decrease as a result of market movement or redemption will not result in a violation of such investment limitation.
Diversification
Each Fund is “non-diversified” within the meaning of the 1940 Act, meaning it may invest in fewer companies than diversified investment companies. However, each Fund intends to satisfy the asset diversification requirements for qualification as a regulated investment company (“RIC”) under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). See “Federal Income Taxes” below for details.
General Risks
The value of the Funds’ portfolio securities may fluctuate with changes in the financial condition of an issuer or counterparty, changes in specific economic or political conditions that affect a particular security or issuer and changes in general economic or political conditions. An investor in the Funds could lose money over short or long periods of time.
There can be no guarantee that a liquid market for the securities held by the Funds will be maintained. The existence of a liquid trading market for certain securities may depend on whether dealers will make a market in such securities. There can be no assurance that a market will be made or maintained or that any such market will be or remain liquid. The price at which securities may be sold and the value of Shares will be adversely affected if trading markets for the Fund’s portfolio securities are limited or absent, or if bid-ask spreads are wide.
Cyber Security Risk. Investment companies, such as the Funds, and its service providers may be subject to operational and information security risks resulting from cyber attacks. Cyber attacks include, among other behaviors, stealing or corrupting data maintained online or digitally, denial of service attacks on websites, the unauthorized release of confidential information or various other forms of cyber security breaches. Cyber attacks affecting the Funds, the Adviser, custodian, transfer agent, intermediaries and other third-party service providers may adversely impact the Funds. For instance, cyber attacks may interfere with the processing of shareholder transactions, impact the Fund’s ability to calculate its NAV, cause the release of private shareholder information or confidential company information, impede trading, subject the Fund to regulatory fines or financial losses, and cause reputational damage. The Funds may also incur additional costs for cyber security risk management purposes. Similar types of cyber security risks are also present for issuers of securities in which each Fund invests, which could result in material adverse consequences for such issuers, and may cause the Funds’ investments in such portfolio companies to lose value.
1
Recent Market Events. U.S. and international markets have experienced and may continue to experience significant periods of volatility in recent years and months due to a number of economic, political and global macro factors including rising inflation, uncertainty regarding central banks’ interest rate increases, the possibility of a national or global recession, trade tensions, political events, the war between Russia and Ukraine and the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic. As a result of continuing political tensions and armed conflicts, including the war between Ukraine and Russia, the U.S. and the European Union imposed sanctions on certain Russian individuals and companies, including certain financial institutions, and have limited certain exports and imports to and from Russia. The war has contributed to recent market volatility and may continue to do so.
These developments, as well as other events, could result in further market volatility and negatively affect financial asset prices, the liquidity of certain securities and the normal operations of securities exchanges and other markets, despite government efforts to address market disruptions. As a result, the risk environment remains elevated. The Adviser will monitor developments and seek to manage the Funds in a manner consistent with achieving each Fund’s investment objective, but there can be no assurance that they will be successful in doing so.
DESCRIPTION OF PERMITTED INVESTMENTS
The following are descriptions of each Fund’s permitted investments and investment practices and the associated risk factors. The Funds will only invest in any of the following instruments or engage in any of the following investment practices if such investment or activity is consistent with each Fund’s investment objective and permitted by each Fund’s stated investment policies. Each of the permitted investments described below applies to the Funds unless otherwise noted.
Derivatives. Derivatives are financial instruments whose values are based on the value of one or more indicators, such as a security, asset, currency, interest rate, or index. Each Fund’s use of derivatives involves risks different from, and possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other more traditional investments. Moreover, although the value of a derivative is based on an underlying indicator, a derivative does not carry the same rights as would be the case if the Funds invested directly in the underlying securities.
The SEC adopted new regulations governing the use of derivatives by registered investment companies (“Rule 18f-4”). Rule 18f-4 imposes limits on the amount of derivatives the Funds can enter into, treats derivatives as senior securities, and if each Fund’s use of derivatives is more than a limited specified exposure amount, requires the Funds to establish and maintain a comprehensive derivatives risk management program and appoint a derivatives risk manager.
Equity Securities. Equity securities, such as the common stocks of an issuer, are subject to stock market fluctuations and therefore may experience volatile changes in value as market conditions, consumer sentiment or the financial condition of the issuers change. A decrease in value of the equity securities in the Fund’s portfolio may also cause the value of each Fund’s Shares to decline.
An investment in the Funds should be made with an understanding of the risks inherent in an investment in equity securities, including the risk that the financial condition of issuers may become impaired or that the general condition of the stock market may deteriorate (either of which may cause a decrease in the value of each Fund’s portfolio securities and therefore a decrease in the value of Shares). Common stocks are susceptible to general stock market fluctuations and to volatile increases and decreases in value as market confidence and perceptions change. These investor perceptions are based on various and unpredictable factors, including expectations regarding government, economic, monetary and fiscal policies; inflation and interest rates; economic expansion or contraction; and global or regional political, economic, public health, or banking crises.
Holders of common stocks incur more risk than holders of preferred stocks and debt obligations because common stockholders, as owners of the issuer, generally have inferior rights to receive payments from the issuer in comparison with the rights of creditors or holders of debt obligations or preferred stocks. Further, unlike debt securities, which typically have a stated principal amount payable at maturity (whose value, however, is subject to market fluctuations prior thereto), or preferred stocks, which typically have a liquidation preference and which may have stated optional or mandatory redemption provisions, common stocks have neither a fixed principal amount nor a maturity. Common stock values are subject to market fluctuations as long as the common stock remains outstanding.
When-Issued Securities: A when-issued security is one whose terms are available and for which a market exists, but which has not been issued. When the Funds engages in when-issued transactions, it relies on the other party to consummate the sale. If the other party fails to complete the sale, a Fund may miss the opportunity to obtain the security at a favorable price or yield.
When purchasing a security on a when-issued basis, the Funds assumes the rights and risks of ownership of the security, including the risk of price and yield changes. At the time of settlement, the value of the security may be more or less than the purchase price. The yield available in the market when the delivery takes place also may be higher than those obtained in the transaction itself. Because the Funds does not pay for the security until the delivery date, these risks are in addition to the risks associated with its other investments.
2
Decisions to enter into “when-issued” transactions will be considered on a case-by-case basis when necessary to maintain continuity in a company’s index membership. The Funds will segregate cash or liquid securities equal in value to commitments for the when-issued transactions. The Funds will segregate additional liquid assets daily so that the value of such assets is equal to the amount of the commitments.
Types of Equity Securities
Common Stocks — Common stocks represent units of ownership in a company. Common stocks usually carry voting rights and earn dividends. Unlike preferred stocks, which are described below, dividends on common stocks are not fixed but are declared at the discretion of the company’s board of directors.
Preferred Stocks — Preferred stocks are also units of ownership in a company. Preferred stocks normally have preference over common stock in the payment of dividends and the liquidation of the company. However, in all other respects, preferred stocks are subordinated to the liabilities of the issuer. Unlike common stocks, preferred stocks are generally not entitled to vote on corporate matters. Types of preferred stocks include adjustable-rate preferred stock, fixed dividend preferred stock, perpetual preferred stock, and sinking fund preferred stock.
Generally, the market values of preferred stock with a fixed dividend rate and no conversion element vary inversely with interest rates and perceived credit risk.
Rights and Warrants — A right is a privilege granted to existing shareholders of a corporation to subscribe to shares of a new issue of common stock before it is issued. Rights normally have a short life of usually two to four weeks, are freely transferable and entitle the holder to buy the new common stock at a lower price than the public offering price. Warrants are securities that are usually issued together with a debt security or preferred stock and that give the holder the right to buy proportionate amount of common stock at a specified price. Warrants are freely transferable and are traded on major exchanges. Unlike rights, warrants normally have a life that is measured in years and entitles the holder to buy common stock of a company at a price that is usually higher than the market price at the time the warrant is issued. Corporations often issue warrants to make the accompanying debt security more attractive.
An investment in warrants and rights may entail greater risks than certain other types of investments. Generally, rights and warrants do not carry the right to receive dividends or exercise voting rights with respect to the underlying securities, and they do not represent any rights in the assets of the issuer. In addition, their value does not necessarily change with the value of the underlying securities, and they cease to have value if they are not exercised on or before their expiration date. Investing in rights and warrants increases the potential profit or loss to be realized from the investment as compared with investing the same amount in the underlying securities.
Smaller Companies — The securities of small- and mid-capitalization companies may be more vulnerable to adverse issuer, market, political, or economic developments than securities of larger-capitalization companies. The securities of small- and mid-capitalization companies generally trade in lower volumes and are subject to greater and more unpredictable price changes than larger capitalization stocks or the stock market as a whole. Some small- or mid-capitalization companies have limited product lines, markets, and financial and managerial resources and tend to concentrate on fewer geographical markets relative to larger capitalization companies. There is typically less publicly available information concerning small- and mid-capitalization companies than for larger, more established companies. Small- and mid-capitalization companies also may be particularly sensitive to changes in interest rates, government regulation, borrowing costs, and earnings.
Exchange-Traded Funds (“ETFs”). The Funds may invest in shares of other investment companies (including ETFs). As the shareholder of another ETF, the Funds would bear, along with other shareholders, its pro rata portion of the other ETF’s expenses, including advisory fees. Such expenses are in addition to the expenses each Fund pays in connection with its own operations. The Funds’ investments in other ETFs may be limited by applicable law.
Disruptions in the markets for the securities underlying ETFs purchased or sold by the Funds could result in losses on investments in ETFs. ETFs also carry the risk that the price each Fund pays or receives may be higher or lower than the ETF’s NAV. ETFs are also subject to certain additional risks, including the risks of illiquidity and of possible trading halts due to market conditions or other reasons, based on the policies of the relevant exchange. ETFs and other investment companies in which the Funds may invest may be leveraged, which would increase the volatility of the Funds’ NAV.
Illiquid Investments. The Funds may invest up to an aggregate amount of 15% of its net assets in illiquid investments, as such term is defined by Rule 22e-4 under the 1940 Act. The Funds may not invest in illiquid investments if, as a result of such investment, more than 15% of each Fund’s net assets would be invested in illiquid investments. Illiquid investments include securities subject to contractual or other restrictions on resale and other instruments that lack readily available markets. The inability of the Funds to dispose of illiquid investments readily or at a reasonable price could impair each Fund’s ability to raise cash for redemptions or other purposes. The liquidity of securities purchased by the Funds that are eligible for resale pursuant to Rule 144A, except for certain 144A bonds, will be monitored by the Funds on an ongoing basis. In the event that more than 15% of each Fund’s net assets are invested in illiquid investments, the Funds, in accordance with Rule 22e-4(b)(1)(iv), will report the occurrence to both the Board and the SEC and seek to reduce its holdings of illiquid investments within a reasonable period of time.
3
Investment Company Securities. The Funds may invest in the securities of other investment companies, including ETFs and money market funds, subject to applicable limitations under Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act and the rules applicable thereunder (including Rule 12d1-4). Investing in another pooled vehicle exposes the Funds to all the risks of that pooled vehicle. Pursuant to Section 12(d)(1), the Fund may invest in the securities of another investment company (the “acquired company”) provided that the Funds, immediately after such purchase or acquisition, does not own in the aggregate: (i) more than 3% of the total outstanding voting stock of the acquired company; (ii) securities issued by the acquired company having an aggregate value in excess of 5% of the value of the total assets of such Fund; or (iii) securities issued by the acquired company and all other investment companies (other than treasury stock of such Fund) having an aggregate value in excess of 10% of the value of the total assets of each Fund. To the extent allowed by law or regulation, the Funds may invest its assets in securities of investment companies that are money market funds in excess of the limits discussed above.
If the Funds invests in and, thus, is a shareholder of, another investment company, each Fund’s shareholders will indirectly bear each Fund’s proportionate share of the fees and expenses paid by such other investment company, including advisory fees, in addition to both the management fees payable directly by the Funds to each Fund’s own investment adviser and the other expenses that the Funds bears directly in connection with each Fund’s own operations.
Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act restricts investments by registered investment companies in securities of other registered investment companies, including the Funds. The acquisition of each Fund’s Shares by registered investment companies is subject to the restrictions of Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act, except as may be permitted by exemptive rules under the 1940 Act that permits registered investment companies to invest in the Funds beyond the limits of Section 12(d)(1), subject to certain terms and conditions, including that the registered investment company enter into an agreement with the Funds regarding the terms of the investment.
The Funds may rely on Section 12(d)(1)(F) and Rule 12d1-3 of the 1940 Act, which provide an exemption from Section 12(d)(1) that allows the Funds to invest all of its assets in other registered funds, including ETFs, if, among other conditions: (a) the Funds, together with its affiliates, acquires no more than three percent of the outstanding voting stock of any acquired fund, and (b) the sales load charged on each Fund’s Shares is no greater than the limits set forth in Rule 2341 of the Rules of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”). Additionally, the Funds may rely on Rule 12d1-4 under the 1940 Act to invest in such other funds in excess of the limits of Section 12(d)(1) if the Funds comply with the terms and conditions of such rule.
Money Market Instruments. The Funds may invest a portion of its assets in high-quality money market instruments on an ongoing basis to provide liquidity or for other reasons. The instruments in which the Funds may invest include: (i) short-term obligations issued by the U.S. Government; (ii) negotiable certificates of deposit (“CDs”), fixed time deposits and bankers’ acceptances of U.S. and foreign banks and similar institutions; (iii) commercial paper rated at the date of purchase “Prime-1” by Moody’s or “A-1+” or “A-1” by S&P or, if unrated, of comparable quality as determined by the Funds; and (iv) repurchase agreements. CDs are short-term negotiable obligations of commercial banks. Time deposits are non-negotiable deposits maintained in banking institutions for specified periods of time at stated interest rates. Banker’s acceptances are time drafts drawn on commercial banks by borrowers, usually in connection with international transactions.
Options on Securities. The Funds may purchase and write (i.e., sell) put and call options. Such options may relate to particular securities or stock indices, and may or may not be listed on a domestic or foreign securities exchange and may or may not be issued by the Options Clearing Corporation. Options trading is a highly specialized activity that entails greater than ordinary investment risk. Options may be more volatile than the underlying instruments, and therefore, on a percentage basis, an investment in options may be subject to greater fluctuation than an investment in the underlying instruments themselves.
A call option for a particular security gives the purchaser of the option the right to buy, and the writer (seller) the obligation to sell, the underlying security at the stated exercise price at any time prior to the expiration of the option, regardless of the market price of the security. The premium paid to the writer is in consideration for undertaking the obligation under the option contract. A put option for a particular security gives the purchaser the right to sell the security at the stated exercise price at any time prior to the expiration date of the option, regardless of the market price of the security.
Stock index options are put options and call options on various stock indices. In most respects, they are identical to listed options on common stocks. The primary difference between stock options and index options occurs when index options are exercised. In the case of stock options, the underlying security, common stock, is delivered. However, upon the exercise of an index option, settlement does not occur by delivery of the securities comprising the index. The option holder who exercises the index option receives an amount of cash if the closing level of the stock index upon which the option is based is greater than, in the case of a call, or less than, in the case of a put, the exercise price of the option. This amount of cash is equal to the difference between the closing price of the stock index and the exercise price of the option expressed in dollars times a specified multiple. A stock index fluctuates with changes in the market value of the stocks included in the index. For example, some stock index options are based on a broad market index, such as the Standard & Poor’s 500® Index or the Value Line Composite Index or a narrower market index, such as the Standard & Poor’s 100®. Indices may also be based on an industry or market segment, such as the NYSE Arca Oil Index. Options on stock indices are currently traded on the Chicago Board Options Exchange, the New York Stock Exchange and the NASDAQ OMX PHLX.
4
Each Fund’s obligation to sell an instrument subject to a call option written by it, or to purchase an instrument subject to a put option written by it, may be terminated prior to the expiration date of the option by the Fund’s execution of a closing purchase transaction, which is effected by purchasing on an exchange an option of the same series (i.e., same underlying instrument, exercise price and expiration date) as the option previously written. A closing purchase transaction will ordinarily be effected to realize a profit on an outstanding option, to prevent an underlying instrument from being called, to permit the sale of the underlying instrument or to permit the writing of a new option containing different terms on such underlying instrument. The cost of such a liquidation purchase plus transactions costs may be greater than the premium received upon the original option, in which event the Funds will have paid a loss in the transaction. There is no assurance that a liquid secondary market will exist for any particular option. An option writer unable to effect a closing purchase transaction will not be able to sell the underlying instrument until the option expires or the optioned instrument is delivered upon exercise. In such circumstances, the writer will be subject to the risk of market decline or appreciation in the instrument during such period.
If an option purchased by the Funds expires unexercised, the Funds realizes a loss equal to the premium paid. If the Funds enters into a closing sale transaction on an option purchased by it, the Funds will realize a gain if the premium received by the Funds on the closing transaction is more than the premium paid to purchase the option, or a loss if it is less. If an option written by the Funds expires on the stipulated expiration date or if the Funds enters into a closing purchase transaction, it will realize a gain (or loss if the cost of a closing purchase transaction exceeds the net premium received when the option is sold). If an option written by the Funds is exercised, the proceeds of the sale will be increased by the net premium originally received and the Fund will realize a gain or loss.
Options on Stock Indexes. Each Fund’s purchase and sale of options on stock indexes will be subject to risks described below under “Transactions in Stock Options.” In addition, the distinctive characteristics of options on stock indexes create certain risks that are not present with stock options.
Since the value of a stock index option depends upon the movements in the level of the stock index, rather than the price of a particular stock, whether the Funds will realize a gain or loss on the purchase or sale of an option on a stock index depends upon movements in the level of stock prices in the stock market generally or in an industry or market segment rather than movements in the price of a particular stock. Accordingly, successful use by the Funds of options on stock indexes is subject to the advisor’s ability to correctly predict movements in the direction of the stock market generally or of a particular industry or market segment. This requires skills and techniques different from predicting changes in the price of individual stocks.
Stock index prices may be distorted if trading of certain stocks included in the stock index is interrupted. Trading in the stock index options also may be interrupted in certain circumstances, such as if trading were halted in a substantial number of stocks included in the stock index. If this occurred, the Funds would not be able to close out options that it had purchased or written and, if restrictions on exercise were imposed, might not be able to exercise an option that it was holding, which could result in substantial losses to the Funds. It is the policy of each Fund to purchase or write options only on stock indexes that include a number of stocks sufficient to minimize the likelihood of a trading halt in the stock index, for example, the S&P 100 or S&P 500 index option.
Although the markets for certain stock index option contracts have developed rapidly, the markets for other stock index options are still relatively illiquid. The ability to establish and close out positions on such options will be subject to the development and maintenance of a liquid secondary market. It is not certain that this market will develop in all stock index option contracts. The Funds will not purchase or sell stock index option contracts unless and until, in the advisor’s opinion, the market for such options has developed sufficiently that the risk in connection with these transactions is no greater than the risk in connection with options on stock.
OTC Options. Unlike exchange-traded options, which are standardized with respect to the underlying instrument, expiration date, contract size and strike price, the terms of OTC options (options not traded on exchanges) generally are established through negotiation with the other party to the option contract. While this type of arrangement allows the Funds great flexibility to tailor the option to its needs, OTC options generally involve greater risk than exchange-traded options, which are guaranteed by the clearing organization of the exchanges where they are traded.
REITs. The Funds may invest in securities of real estate investment trusts (“REITs”). REITs are publicly traded corporations or trusts that specialize in acquiring, holding and managing residential, commercial or industrial real estate. A REIT is not taxed at the entity level on income distributed to its shareholders or unitholders if it distributes to shareholders or unitholders at least 95% of its taxable income for each taxable year and complies with regulatory requirements relating to its organization, ownership, assets and income.
REITs generally can be classified as “Equity REITs,” “Mortgage REITs” and “Hybrid REITs.” An Equity REIT invests the majority of its assets directly in real property and derives its income primarily from rents and from capital gains on real estate appreciation which are realized through property sales. A Mortgage REIT invests the majority of its assets in real estate mortgage loans and services its income primarily from interest payments. A Hybrid REIT combines the characteristics of an Equity REIT and a Mortgage REIT. Although the Funds can invest in all three kinds of REITs, its emphasis is expected to be on investments in Equity REITs.
5
Investments in the real estate industry involve particular risks. The real estate industry has been subject to substantial fluctuations and declines on a local, regional and national basis in the past and may continue to be in the future. Real property values, and income from real property continue to be in the future. Real property values and income from real property may decline due to general and local economic conditions, overbuilding and increased competition, increases in property taxes and operating expenses, changes in zoning laws, casualty or condemnation losses, regulatory limitations on rents, changes in neighborhoods and in demographics, increases in market interest rates, or other factors. Factors such as these may adversely affect companies that own and operate real estate directly, companies that lend to such companies, and companies that service the real estate industry.
Direct investments in REITs also involve risks. Equity REITs will be affected by changes in the values of and income from the properties they own, while Mortgage REITs may be affected by the credit quality of the mortgage loans they hold. In addition, REITs are dependent on specialized management skills and on their ability to generate cash flow for operating purposes and to make distributions to shareholders or unitholders REITs may have limited diversification and are subject to risks associated with obtaining financing for real property, as well as to the risk of self-liquidation. REITs also can be adversely affected by their failure to qualify for tax-free pass- through treatment of their income under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or their failure to maintain an exemption from registration under the 1940 Act. By investing in REITs indirectly through the Funds, a shareholder bears not only a proportionate share of the expenses of the Funds, but also may indirectly bear similar expenses of some of the REITs in which it invests.
Repurchase Agreements. The Funds may invest in repurchase agreements with commercial banks, brokers or dealers to generate income from its excess cash balances and to invest securities lending cash collateral. A repurchase agreement is an agreement under which each Fund acquires a financial instrument (e.g., a security issued by the U.S. government or an agency thereof, a banker’s acceptance or a certificate of deposit) from a seller, subject to resale to the seller at an agreed upon price and date (normally, the next Business Day). A repurchase agreement may be considered a loan collateralized by securities. The resale price reflects an agreed upon interest rate effective for the period the instrument is held by the Fund and is unrelated to the interest rate on the underlying instrument.
In these repurchase agreement transactions, the securities acquired by the Funds (including accrued interest earned thereon) must have a total value in excess of the value of the repurchase agreement and are held by the Custodian until repurchased. No more than an aggregate of 15% of each Fund’s net assets will be invested in illiquid investments, including repurchase agreements having maturities longer than seven days and securities subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale, or for which there are no readily available market quotations.
The use of repurchase agreements involves certain risks. For example, if the other party to the agreement defaults on its obligation to repurchase the underlying security at a time when the value of the security has declined, the Funds may incur a loss upon disposition of the security. If the other party to the agreement becomes insolvent and subject to liquidation or reorganization under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code or other laws, a court may determine that the underlying security is collateral for a loan by the Funds not within the control of the Funds and, therefore, the Funds may not be able to substantiate its interest in the underlying security and may be deemed an unsecured creditor of the other party to the agreement.
Reverse Repurchase Agreements. The Funds may enter into reverse repurchase agreements, which involve the sale of securities held by the Funds subject to its agreement to repurchase the securities at an agreed-upon date or upon demand and at a price reflecting a market rate of interest. Reverse repurchase agreements are subject to each Fund’s limitation on borrowings and may be entered into only with banks or securities dealers or their affiliates. While a reverse repurchase agreement is outstanding, the Funds will maintain the segregation, either on its records or with the Trust’s custodian, of cash or other liquid securities, marked-to-market daily, in an amount at least equal to its obligations under the reverse repurchase agreement.
Reverse repurchase agreements involve the risk that the buyer of the securities sold by the Funds might be unable to deliver them when that Funds seeks to repurchase. If the buyer of securities under a reverse repurchase agreement files for bankruptcy or becomes insolvent, the buyer or trustee or receiver may receive an extension of time to determine whether to enforce each Fund’s obligation to repurchase the securities, and each Fund’s use of the proceeds of the reverse repurchase agreement may effectively be restricted pending such decision.
Securities Lending. The Funds may lend portfolio securities in an amount up to one-third of its total assets to brokers, dealers and other financial institutions. In a portfolio securities lending transaction, a Fund receives from the borrower an amount equal to the interest paid or the dividends declared on the loaned securities during the term of the loan as well as the interest on the collateral securities, less any fees (such as finders or administrative fees) the Funds pays in arranging the loan. The Funds may share the interest it receives on the collateral securities with the borrower. Loans are subject to termination at the option of the Funds or borrower at any time, and the borrowed securities must be returned when the loan is terminated. The Funds may pay fees to arrange for securities loans.
The SEC currently requires that the following conditions must be met whenever a Fund’s portfolio securities are loaned: (1) the Funds must receive at least 100% cash collateral from the borrower; (2) the borrower must increase such collateral whenever the market value of the securities rises above the level of such collateral; (3) the Fund must be able to terminate the loan at any time; (4) the Funds must receive reasonable interest on the loan, as well as any dividends, interest or other distributions on the loaned securities, and any increase in market value; (5) the Funds may pay only reasonable custodian fees approved by the Board in connection with the loan; (6) while voting rights on the loaned securities may pass to the borrower, the Board must terminate the loan and regain the right to vote the securities if a material event adversely affecting the investment occurs, and (7) the Funds may not loan its portfolio securities so that the value of the loaned securities is more than one-third of its total asset value, including collateral received from such loans. These conditions may be subject to future modification. Such loans will be terminable at any time upon specified notice. The Funds might experience the risk of loss if the institution with which it has engaged in a portfolio loan transaction breaches its agreement with the Funds. In addition, the Funds will not enter into any portfolio security lending arrangement having a duration of longer than one year. The principal risk of portfolio lending is potential default or insolvency of the borrower. In either of these cases, the Funds could experience delays in recovering securities or collateral or could lose all or part of the value of the loaned securities. As part of participating in a lending program, the Funds may be required to invest in collateralized debt or other securities that bear the risk of loss of principal. In addition, all investments made with the collateral received are subject to the risks associated with such investments. If such investments lose value, the Funds will have to cover the loss when repaying the collateral.
6
Any loans of portfolio securities are fully collateralized based on values that are marked-to-market daily. Any securities that the Funds may receive as collateral will not become part of each Fund’s investment portfolio at the time of the loan and, in the event of a default by the borrower, the Funds will, if permitted by law, dispose of such collateral except for such part thereof that is a security in which the Funds is permitted to invest. During the time securities are on loan, the borrower will pay the Funds any accrued income on those securities, and the Funds may invest the cash collateral and earn income or receive an agreed-upon fee from a borrower that has delivered cash-equivalent collateral.
Tax Risks. As with any investment, you should consider how your investment in Shares will be taxed. The tax information in the Prospectus and this SAI is provided as general information. You should consult your own tax professional about the tax consequences of an investment in Shares.
Unless your investment in Shares is made through a tax-exempt entity or tax-deferred retirement account, such as an individual retirement account, you need to be aware of the possible tax consequences when the Funds makes distributions or you sell Shares.
Transactions in Stock Options. Purchase and sales of options involves the risk that there will be no market in which to effect a closing transaction. An option position may be closed out only on an exchange that provides a secondary market for an option of the same series or if the transaction was an over-the-counter transaction, through the original broker-dealer. Although the Funds will generally buy and sell options for which there appears to be an active secondary market, there is no assurance that a liquid secondary market on an exchange will exist for any particular option, or at any particular time, and for some options no secondary market on an exchange may exist. If the Funds, as a covered call or put option writer, is unable to effect an offsetting closing transaction in a secondary market, it will, for a call option it has written, not be able to sell the underlying security until the call option expires and, for a put option it has written, not be able to avoid purchasing the underlying security until the put option expires.
U.S. Government Securities. The Funds may invest in U.S. government securities. Securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities include U.S. Treasury securities, which are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury and which differ only in their interest rates, maturities, and times of issuance. U.S. Treasury bills have initial maturities of one- year or less; U.S. Treasury notes have initial maturities of one to ten years; and U.S. Treasury bonds generally have initial maturities of greater than ten years. Certain U.S. government securities are issued or guaranteed by agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. government including, but not limited to, obligations of U.S. government agencies or instrumentalities such as the Federal National Mortgage Association (“Fannie Mae”), the Government National Mortgage Association (“Ginnie Mae”), the Small Business Administration, the Federal Farm Credit Administration, the Federal Home Loan Banks, Banks for Cooperatives (including the Central Bank for Cooperatives), the Federal Land Banks, the Federal Intermediate Credit Banks, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Export- Import Bank of the United States, the Commodity Credit Corporation, the Federal Financing Bank, the Student Loan Marketing Association, the National Credit Union Administration and the Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation (“Farmer Mac”).
Some obligations issued or guaranteed by U.S. government agencies and instrumentalities, including, for example, Ginnie Mae pass- through certificates, are supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury. Other obligations issued by or guaranteed by federal agencies, such as those securities issued by Fannie Mae, are supported by the discretionary authority of the U.S. government to purchase certain obligations of the federal agency, while other obligations issued by or guaranteed by federal agencies, such as those of the Federal Home Loan Banks, are supported by the right of the issuer to borrow from the U.S. Treasury, while the U.S. government provides financial support to such U.S. government-sponsored federal agencies, no assurance can be given that the U.S. government will always do so, since the U.S. government is not so obligated by law. U.S. Treasury notes and bonds typically pay coupon interest semi-annually and repay the principal at maturity.
Future Developments. The Board may, in the future, authorize the Funds to invest in securities contracts and investments other than those listed in this SAI and in the Funds’ Prospectus, provided they are consistent with each Fund’s investment objective and do not violate any investment restrictions or policies.
7
INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS
The Trust has adopted the following investment restrictions as fundamental policies with respect to the Funds. These restrictions cannot be changed with respect to the Funds without the approval of the holders of a majority of each Fund’s outstanding voting securities. For the purposes of the 1940 Act, a “majority of outstanding shares” means the vote of the lesser of: (1) 67% or more of the voting securities of the Funds present at the meeting if the holders of more than 50% of each Fund’s outstanding voting securities are present or represented by proxy; or (2) more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities of the Funds.
Except with the approval of a majority of the outstanding voting securities, the Funds may not:
| 1. | Purchase the securities of any issuer (other than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or any of its agencies or instrumentalities) if, as a result, more than 25% of the Fund’s total assets would be invested in the securities of companies whose principal business activities are in the same industry or group of industries. |
| 2. | Issue senior securities, except as permitted under the 1940 Act. |
| 3. | Borrow money, except as permitted under the 1940 Act. |
| 4. | Lend any security or make any other loan except as permitted under the 1940 Act. This means that no more than 331/3% of its total assets would be lent to other parties. This limitation does not apply to purchases of debt securities or to repurchase agreements, or to acquisitions of loans, loan participations or other forms of debt instruments, permissible under each Fund’s investment policies. |
| 5. | Purchase or sell real estate unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments (but this shall not prevent the Funds from investing in securities or other instruments backed by real estate, real estate investment trusts or securities of companies engaged in the real estate business). |
| 6. | Purchase or sell physical commodities unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments (but this shall not prevent the Funds from purchasing or selling options and futures contracts or from investing in securities or other instruments backed by physical commodities). |
| 7. | Act as an underwriter of another issuer’s securities, except to the extent that the Funds may be considered an underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act in the disposition of portfolio securities. |
If a percentage limitation is adhered to at the time of investment or contract, a later increase or decrease in percentage resulting from any change in value or total or net assets will not result in a violation of such restriction, except that the percentage limitation with respect to the borrowing of money will be observed continuously.
EXCHANGE LISTING AND TRADING
Shares are listed for trading and trade throughout the day on the Exchange.
There can be no assurance that the Funds will continue to meet the requirements of the Exchange necessary to maintain the listing of Shares. The Exchange will consider the suspension of trading in, and will initiate delisting proceedings of, the Shares if any of the requirements set forth in the Exchange rules, including compliance with Rule 6c-11(c) under the 1940 Act, are not continuously maintained or such other event shall occur or condition shall exist that, in the opinion of the Exchange, makes further dealings on the Exchange inadvisable. The Exchange will remove the Shares of the Funds from listing and trading upon termination of the Funds.
The Trust reserves the right to adjust the price levels of Shares in the future to help maintain convenient trading ranges for investors. Any adjustments would be accomplished through stock splits or reverse stock splits, which would have no effect on the net assets of the Funds.
MANAGEMENT OF THE TRUST
Board Responsibilities. The management and affairs of the Trust and its series are overseen by the Board, which elects the officers of the Trust who are responsible for administering the day-to-day operations of the Trust and the Funds. The Board has approved contracts, as described below, under which certain companies provide essential services to the Trust.
The day-to-day business of the Trust, including the management of risk, is performed by third-party service providers, such as the Adviser, the Distributor, and the Administrator. The Board is responsible for overseeing the Trust’s service providers and, thus, has oversight responsibility with respect to risk management performed by those service providers. Risk management seeks to identify and address risks, i.e., events or circumstances that could have material adverse effects on the business, operations, shareholder services, investment performance or reputation of the Funds. The Funds and its service providers employ a variety of processes, procedures and controls to identify such events or circumstances, to lessen the probability of their occurrence and/or to mitigate the effects of such events or circumstances if they do occur. Each service provider is responsible for one or more discrete aspects of the Trust’s business (e.g., the Adviser is responsible for the day-to-day management of each Fund’s portfolio investments) and, consequently, for managing the risks associated with that business. The Board has emphasized to the Funds’ service providers the importance of maintaining vigorous risk management.
8
The Board’s role in risk oversight begins before the inception of the Funds, at which time certain of the Funds’ service providers present the Board with information concerning the investment objective, strategies, and risks of the Fund as well as proposed investment limitations for the Fund. Additionally, the Adviser will provide the Board with an overview of, among other things, its investment philosophy, brokerage practices, and compliance infrastructure. Thereafter, the Board continues its oversight function as various personnel, including the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer and other service providers such as the Funds’ independent registered public accounting firm, make periodic reports to the Audit Committee or to the Board with respect to various aspects of risk management. The Board and the Audit Committee oversee efforts by management and service providers to manage risks to which each Fund may be exposed.
The Board is responsible for overseeing the nature, extent, and quality of the services provided to the Funds by the Adviser receives information about those services at its regular meetings. In addition, on an annual basis (following the initial two-year period), in connection with its consideration of whether to renew the Investment Advisory Agreement with the Adviser, the Board or its designee may meet with the Adviser to review such services. Among other things, the Board regularly considers the Adviser’s adherence to each Fund’s investment restrictions and compliance with various Fund policies and procedures and with applicable securities regulations. The Board also reviews information about each Fund’s performance and each Fund’s investments, including, for example, portfolio holdings schedules.
The Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer reports regularly to the Board to review and discuss compliance issues and Funds and Adviser risk assessments. At least annually, the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer provides the Board with a report reviewing the adequacy and effectiveness of the Trust’s policies and procedures and those of its service providers, including the Adviser. The report addresses the operation of the policies and procedures of the Trust and each service provider since the date of the last report; any material changes to the policies and procedures since the date of the last report; any recommendations for material changes to the policies and procedures; and any material compliance matters since the date of the last report.
The Board receives reports from each Fund’s service providers regarding operational risks and risks related to the valuation and liquidity of portfolio securities. Annually, each Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm reviews with the Audit Committee its audit of each Fund’s financial statements, focusing on major areas of risk encountered by the Funds and noting any significant deficiencies or material weaknesses in each Fund’s internal controls. Additionally, in connection with its oversight function, the Board oversees each Fund management’s implementation of disclosure controls and procedures, which are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Trust in its periodic reports with the SEC are recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the required time periods. The Board also oversees the Trust’s internal controls over financial reporting, which comprise policies and procedures designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of the Trust’s financial reporting and the preparation of the Trust’s financial statements.
From their review of these reports and discussions with the Adviser, the Chief Compliance Officer, independent registered public accounting firm and other service providers, the Board and the Audit Committee learn in detail about the material risks of the Funds, thereby facilitating a dialogue about how management and service providers identify and mitigate those risks.
The Board recognizes that not all risks that may affect the Funds can be identified and/or quantified, that it may not be practical or cost- effective to eliminate or mitigate certain risks, that it may be necessary to bear certain risks (such as investment-related risks) to achieve each Fund’s goals, and that the processes, procedures and controls employed to address certain risks may be limited in their effectiveness. Moreover, reports received by the Board as to risk management matters are typically summaries of the relevant information. Most of each Fund’s investment management and business affairs are carried out by or through the Adviser and other service providers, each of which has an independent interest in risk management but whose policies and the methods by which one or more risk management functions are carried out may differ from the Funds’ and each other’s in the setting of priorities, the resources available or the effectiveness of relevant controls. As a result of the foregoing and other factors, the Board’s ability to monitor and manage risk, as a practical matter, is subject to limitations.
Members of the Board. There are three members of the Board, two of whom are not interested persons of the Trust, as that term is defined in the 1940 Act (the “Independent Trustees”). Mr. Bradley Swenson serves as Chairman of the Board and is an interested person of the Trust and Mr. Steven Norgaard serves as the Trust’s Lead Independent Trustee. As Lead Independent Trustee, Mr. Norgaard acts as a spokesperson for the Independent Trustees in between meetings of the Board, serves as a liaison for the Independent Trustees with the Trust’s service providers, officers, and legal counsel to discuss ideas informally, and participates in setting the agenda for meetings of the Board and separate meetings or executive sessions of the Independent Trustees.
The Board is comprised of a super-majority (66.6 percent) of Independent Trustees. There is an Audit Committee of the Board that is chaired by an Independent Trustee and comprised solely of Independent Trustees. The Audit Committee chair presides at the Audit Committee meetings, participates in formulating agendas for Audit Committee meetings, and coordinates with management to serve as a liaison between the Independent Trustees and management on matters within the scope of responsibilities of the Audit Committee as set forth in its Board-approved charter. The Trust has determined its leadership structure is appropriate given the specific characteristics and circumstances of the Trust. The Trust made this determination in consideration of, among other things, the fact that the Independent Trustees of the Trust constitute a super-majority of the Board, the number of Independent Trustees that constitute the Board, the amount of assets under management in the Trust, and the number of funds overseen by the Board. The Board also believes that its leadership structure facilitates the orderly and efficient flow of information to the Independent Trustees from management.
9
Additional information about each Trustee of the Trust is set forth below. The address of each Trustee of the Trust is c/o Paralel Technologies LLC, 1700 Broadway, Suite 2100, Denver, Colorado 80290.
| Name and Year of Birth | Position Held with the Trust | Term of Office and Length of Time Served | Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years | Number of Portfolios in Fund Complex Overseen by Trustee(1) | Other Directorships Held by Trustee During Past 5 Years |
| Independent Trustees | |||||
| Kimberly
Storms Birth Year: 1972 |
Trustee | Since 2022 | Ms. Storms served at various roles at ALPS Fund Services, Inc. from 1998 through 2020, including as Senior Vice President - Director of Fund Administration (2004-2020) and Senior Vice President - Director of Fund Management (2020). During her tenure, Ms. Storms served as an officer to certain ETF, closed-end and open-end investment companies (1998-2020) and, within the past 5 years, Principal Financial Officer of ALPS Series Trust (2012-2020), Financial Investors Trust (2013-2020), Liberty All-Star Funds (2013-2020), and Cambria ETF Trust (2020). | 37 | Sterling Capital Funds (Since October 2022) |
| Steven Norgaard | Trustee | Since 2022 | Mr. Norgaard has been an attorney with Steven K. Norgaard, P.C. since 1994 | 38(2) | SRH U.S. Quality GARP ETF (since 2022); MFG Funds (formerly the Frontier Funds) (2 Funds) (since 2013); SRH Total Return Fund, Inc. (Since 2011) |
| Interested Trustees and Officers | |||||
| Bradley
J. Swenson Birth Year: 1972 |
Trustee, President | Since 2022 | Mr. Swenson is President of Paralel Distributors LLC (May 2022 to present) and Chief Compliance Officer of Paralel Technologies LLC (January 2023 to present). He previously served as President of TruePeak Consulting, LLC (August 2021 to December 2023). Mr. Swenson joined ALPS Fund Services, Inc. (“ALPS”) in 2004 and served as its President from June 2019 until June 2021. In this role, he served as an officer to certain other closed-end and open-end investment companies. He previously served as the Chief Operating Officer of ALPS (2015-2019). Mr. Swenson also previously served as Chief Compliance Officer to ALPS, its affiliated entities, and to certain ETF, closed-end and open-end investment companies (2004-2015). | 37 | ALPS Series Trust (March 2021 to March 2022) |
| (1) | The term “Fund Complex” means two or more registered investment companies that hold themselves out to investors as related companies for purposes of investment and investor services; or have a common investment adviser or that have an investment adviser that is an affiliated person of the investment adviser of any of the other registered investment companies. For the purposes of this table, all series of the Trust (37 funds, including the Funds) are included in the Fund Complex. |
| (2) | Mr. Norgaard also serves as a Director of the SRH Total Return Fund, Inc. whose investment adviser is the same as the investment adviser of SRH U.S. Quality GARP ETF and SRH REIT Covered Call ETF, two series of the Trust. |
10
Individual Trustee Qualifications. The Trust has concluded that each of the Trustees should serve on the Board because of their ability to review and understand information about the Funds provided to them by management, to identify and request other information they may deem relevant to the performance of their duties, to question management and other service providers regarding material factors bearing on the management and administration of the Funds, and to exercise their business judgment in a manner that serves the best interests of the Funds’ shareholders. The Trust has concluded that each of the Trustees should serve as a Trustee based on his or her own experience, qualifications, attributes and skills as described below.
Bradley Swenson. Mr. Swenson has more than 25 years experienced focused on compliance and distribution in the mutual fund industry. Prior to joining Paralel, he spent seventeen years at ALPS in various capacities including, but not limited to, Chief Compliance Officer, Chief Operating Officer and President of ALPS Fund Services and ALPS Distributors. In addition to those roles Mr. Swenson built and led the Fund CCO services division and served as Fund CCO and President to various closed-end, ETF and mutual fund trusts. Mr. Swenson also held various roles at Janus Capital Group and Oppenheimer Funds including Senior Audit Manager and Compliance Manager. Mr. Swenson graduated from the University of Minnesota-Duluth with a B.S. in Accounting. Mr. Swenson holds FINRA Series 3, 6, 7, 24, 26, and 27 licenses.
Steven K. Norgaard. Mr. Norgaard serves as the lead independent trustee of the Trust, bringing more than 30 years of integrated legal, financial, and regulatory expertise to the Trust. He is an attorney and has successfully passed the certified public accountants (CPA) exam. Since 1994, he has been the principal of the law firm Steven K. Norgaard, P.C., having previously practiced law at the international firm McDermott, Will & Schulte. He currently serves as the Chairman of the Board of Directors for the SRH Total Return Fund, Inc. and as the lead independent director for the MFG Funds (formerly the Frontier Funds). His extensive background in corporate governance includes nearly a decade of senior leadership at Attorneys' Title Guaranty Fund, Inc., where he served as Chairman of the Board of Directors. Additionally, he served on the Board of Directors of ATG Trust Company from 2007 to 2021. Prior to March 2015, Mr. Norgaard held independent directorships for the Boulder Total Return Fund, Inc., the Denali Fund, Inc., and the First Opportunity Fund, Inc., until their merger into the fund now known as SRH Total Return Fund, Inc.
Kimberly Storms. Ms. Storms is the chair of the Audit Committee of the Board of Trustees and is the Trust’s Audit Committee Financial Expert. Ms. Storms has more than 25 years of experience concentrated on mutual fund back office and accounting operations. Ms. Storms served in various roles at ALPS Fund Services from 1998 through 2020, including as Senior Vice President - Director of Fund Administration. She graduated with a B.S. in Finance from the University of Louisiana. Ms. Storms brings significant experience from her prior time serving as an executive officer of several large fund complexes, as well as her knowledge in the accounting, investment and regulatory fields.
In its periodic assessment of the effectiveness of the Board, the Board considers the complementary individual skills and experience of the individual Trustees primarily in the broader context of the Board’s overall composition so that the Board, as a body, possesses the appropriate (and appropriately diverse) skills and experience to oversee the business of the funds.
Board Committees. The Board has established the following standing committees of the Board:
Audit Committee. The Board has a standing Audit Committee that is composed of each of the Independent Trustees of the Trust. The Audit Committee operates under a written charter approved by the Board. The principal responsibilities of the Audit Committee include: recommending which firm to engage as the Funds’ independent registered public accounting firm and whether to terminate this relationship; reviewing the independent registered public accounting firm’s compensation, the proposed scope and terms of its engagement, and the firm’s independence; pre-approving audit and non-audit services provided by the Funds’ independent registered public accounting firm to the Trust and certain other affiliated entities; serving as a channel of communication between the independent registered public accounting firm and the Trustees; reviewing the results of each external audit, including any qualifications in the independent registered public accounting firm’s opinion, any related management letter, management’s responses to recommendations made by the independent registered public accounting firm in connection with the audit, reports submitted to the Committee by the internal auditing department of the Trust’s Administrator that are material to the Trust as a whole, if any, and management’s responses to any such reports; reviewing the Funds’ audited financial statements and considering any significant disputes between the Trust’s management and the independent registered public accounting firm that arose in connection with the preparation of those financial statements; considering, in consultation with the independent registered public accounting firm and the Trust’s senior internal accounting executive, if any, the independent registered public accounting firms’ report on the adequacy of the Trust’s internal financial controls; reviewing, in consultation with the Funds’ independent registered public accounting firm, major changes regarding auditing and accounting principles and practices to be followed when preparing the Funds’ financial statements; and other audit related matters.
11
The Audit Committee also serves as the Qualified Legal Compliance Committee (“QLCC”) for the Trust for the purpose of compliance with Rules 205.2(k) and 205.3(c) of the Code of Federal Regulations, regarding alternative reporting procedures for attorneys retained or employed by an issuer who appear and practice before the SEC on behalf of the issuer (the “issuer attorneys”). An issuer attorney who becomes aware of evidence of a material violation by the Trust, or by any officer, director, employee, or agent of the Trust, may report evidence of such material violation to the QLCC as an alternative to the reporting requirements of Rule 205.3(b) (which requires reporting to the chief legal officer and potentially “up the ladder” to other entities). During the past fiscal year, the Audit Committee met five times.
Nominating Committee. The Board has a standing Nominating Committee that is composed of each of the Independent Trustees of the Trust. The Nominating Committee operates under a written charter approved by the Board. The principal responsibility of the Nominating Committee is to consider, recommend and nominate candidates to fill vacancies on the Trust’s Board, if any. The Nominating Committee generally will not consider nominees recommended by shareholders. The Nominating Committee meets periodically, as necessary. During the past fiscal year, the Nominating Committee did not meet.
Principal Officers of the Trust
The officers of the Trust conduct and supervise its daily business. The address of each officer of the Trust is c/o Paralel Technologies LLC, 1700 Broadway, Suite 2100, Denver, Colorado 80290. Additional information about the Trust’s officers is as follows:
| Name and Year of Birth | Position(s) Held with the Trust | Term of Office and Length of Time Served |
Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years |
| Brenna
Fudjack Birth Year: 1986 |
Chief Compliance Officer | Indefinite
term; since 2023 |
Ms. Fudjack joined Paralel Technologies LLC as Deputy Chief Compliance Officer in 2023. Prior to her current role, Ms. Fudjack served as Manager, Risk & Financial Advisory for Deloitte & Touche LLP from 2022-2023; Director of Compliance for Perella Weinberg Partners Capital Management LP / Agility from 2018-2022; Compliance Officer for Shelton Capital Management from 2017-2018; and Compliance Manager among other compliance roles for ALPS Fund Services, Inc. from 2010-2017. |
| Nicholas
Austin Birth Year: 1981 |
Treasurer | Indefinite
term; since 2023 |
Mr. Austin joined Paralel Technologies, LLC as Senior Controller in 2022. Prior to his current role, Mr. Austin served as Vice President/Fund Controller for SS&C ALPS from 2018 until 2022, and as Chief Financial Officer of Champion Medical Center from 2016 until 2018. |
Nicholas Adams Birth Year: 1983 |
Secretary | Indefinite term; since 2025 |
Mr. Adams joined Paralel Technologies LLC as Investment Counsel in 2025. Prior to his current role, Mr. Adams served as Principal Legal Counsel for SS&C ALPS from 2022 -2024, and associate counsel for Arnold, Newbold, Sollars and Hollins, P.C. from 2020-2022 and Stanziola Estate Law from 2019-2020. |
Trustee Ownership of Shares. The Funds are required to show the dollar amount ranges of each Trustee’s “beneficial ownership” of Shares and each other series of the Trust as of the end of the most recently completed calendar year. Dollar amount ranges disclosed are established by the SEC. “Beneficial ownership” is determined in accordance with Rule 16a-1(a)(2) under the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”).
As of December 31, 2025, no Trustees owned Shares of the Funds.
Board Compensation. The Independent Trustees each receive a fee of $12,500 per quarter, a special meeting fee of $2,500, as well as reimbursement for reasonable travel, lodging and other expenses in connection with attendance at meetings. The Audit Committee Chair also receives a fee of $2000 per quarter. The Trust has no pension or retirement plan.
Independent Trustee fees are paid by the adviser of each series of the Trust through the applicable adviser’s unitary management fee, and not by the Funds. Trustee compensation does not include reimbursed out-of-pocket expenses in connection with attendance at meetings.
12
The following table shows the compensation earned by each Trustee during the past fiscal year of the Funds:
Name |
Aggregate Compensation From Funds |
Total Compensation From Fund Complex Paid to Trustees |
| Interested Trustees | ||
| Bradley J. Swenson | $0 | $0 |
| Independent Trustees | ||
| Kimberly Storms | $2,504 | $58,000 |
| Steven Norgaard | $2,504 | $50,000 |
PRINCIPAL SHAREHOLDERS, CONTROL PERSONS, AND MANAGEMENT OWNERSHIP
A principal shareholder is any person who owns of record or beneficially 5% or more of the outstanding Shares of a Fund. A control person is a shareholder that owns beneficially or through controlled companies more than 25% of the voting securities of a company or acknowledges the existence of control. Shareholders owning voting securities in excess of 25% may determine the outcome of any matter affecting and voted on by shareholders of a Fund.
The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) or its nominee is the record owner of all outstanding shares and is recognized as the owner of all shares for all purposes. Investors owning shares are beneficial owners as shown on the records of DTC or its participants.
CODES OF ETHICS
The Trust, the Adviser and the Distributor (as defined under “The Distributor”) have each adopted codes of ethics pursuant to Rule 17j- 1 of the 1940 Act. These codes of ethics are designed to prevent affiliated persons of the Trust, the Adviser and the Distributor from engaging in deceptive, manipulative or fraudulent activities in connection with securities held or to be acquired by the Funds (which may also be held by persons subject to the codes of ethics). Each Code of Ethics permits personnel subject to that Code of Ethics to invest in securities for their personal investment accounts, subject to certain limitations, including limitations related to securities that may be purchased or held by the Funds.
There can be no assurance that the codes of ethics will be effective in preventing such activities. Each code of ethics may be examined at the office of the SEC in Washington, D.C. or on the Internet at the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.
As of December 31, 2025, no Trustees and officers of the Trust owned Shares of the Funds.
PROXY VOTING POLICIES
The Funds have delegated proxy voting responsibilities to the Adviser, subject to the Board’s oversight. In delegating proxy responsibilities, the Board has directed that proxies be voted consistent with the Funds’ and their respective shareholders’ best interests and in compliance with all applicable proxy voting rules and regulations. The Adviser has adopted the Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. Proxy Voting Guidelines as part of the Adviser’s proxy voting policies for this purpose (“Proxy Voting Policies”) and to assist with voting proxies in a timely manner and making voting recommendations under guidelines adopted by the Adviser. A copy of the Adviser’s Proxy Voting Policies are set forth in Appendix A to this SAI. The Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer is responsible for monitoring the effectiveness of the Proxy Voting Policies. The Proxy Voting Policies have been approved by the Trust as the policies and procedures that the Adviser will use when voting proxies on behalf of a Fund.
The Proxy Voting Policies address, among other things, material conflicts of interest that may arise between the interests of the Funds and the interests of the Adviser. The Proxy Voting Policies will ensure that all issues brought to shareholders are analyzed in light of the Adviser’s fiduciary responsibilities.
Information on how the Funds voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 is available (1) without charge, upon request, by calling the Distributor at 1.877.774.TRUE (8783) and (2) on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
INVESTMENT ADVISER
Investment Adviser
TrueMark Investments LLC (“TrueMark”) serves as the investment adviser to the Funds. TrueMark is a SEC registered investment adviser with approximately $1.251 billion in managed assets under management as of December 31, 2025. TrueMark commenced operations as an SEC registered adviser in January 2020 and its principal office is located at 433 W Van Buren, Suite 1100-D, Chicago, Illinois 60607. TrueMark is controlled by TrueMark Group, LLC which in turn is controlled by RiverNorth Strategic Holdings, LLC.
13
Pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement, each Fund pays the adviser a unitary management fee, which is calculated daily and paid monthly, at an annual rate of 0.79% of each Fund’s average daily net assets. Out of the unitary management fee, the adviser has agreed to pay substantially all expenses of the Funds, including the cost of transfer agency, custody, fund administration, securities lending and other non-distribution related services necessary for the Funds to operate, except for: the fee paid to the adviser pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement, interest charges on any borrowings, dividends and other expenses on securities sold short, taxes, brokerage commissions and other expenses incurred in placing orders for the purchase and sale of securities and other investment instruments, acquired fund fees and expenses, accrued deferred tax liability, distribution fees and expenses paid by a Fund under any distribution plan adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, litigation expenses and other non-routine or extraordinary expenses.
The table below shows the advisory fees paid by the Funds for the fiscal periods ended October 31, as applicable to each Fund:
| Fund | 2025 | 2024* | 2023 |
| TrueShares Quarterly Bull Hedge ETF | $329,388 | $106,350 | N/A |
| TrueShares Quarterly Bear Hedge ETF | $1,201,873 | $150,458 | N/A |
* For the period June 28, 2024 (commencement of operations) through October 31, 2024.
The Investment Advisory Agreement with respect to the Funds will continue in force for an initial period of two years. Thereafter, the Investment Advisory Agreement will be renewable from year to year with respect to the Funds, so long as its continuance is approved at least annually (1) by the vote, cast in person at a meeting called for that purpose, of a majority of those Trustees who are not “interested persons” of the Adviser or the Trust; and (2) by the majority vote of either the full Board or the vote of a majority of the outstanding Shares of the Funds. The Investment Advisory Agreement automatically terminates on assignment and is terminable on a 60-day written notice either by the Trust or the Adviser.
The Adviser shall not be liable to the Trust or any shareholder for anything done or omitted by it, except acts or omissions involving willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties imposed upon it by its agreement with the Trust or for any losses that may be sustained in the purchase, holding or sale of any security.
PORTFOLIO MANAGER
Compensation
The Portfolio Manager receives a fixed base salary and a discretionary bonus that is not tied to the performance of the Funds.
Share Ownership
The Funds are required to show the dollar ranges of the portfolio managers’ “beneficial ownership” of Shares of the Funds as of the end of the most recently completed fiscal year or a more recent date for a new portfolio manager. Dollar amount ranges disclosed are established by the SEC. “Beneficial ownership” is determined in accordance with Rule 16a-1(a)(2) under the Exchange Act. As of October 31, 2025, the Portfolio Manager did not beneficially own any Shares of the Funds.
Other Accounts
In addition to the Funds, the Portfolio Manager managed the following other accounts as of October 31, 2025, none of which were subject to a performance fee:
| Registered Investment Companies | Other Pooled Investment Vehicles | Other Accounts | ||||
Portfolio Manager |
Number of Accounts |
Total Assets in the Accounts (in millions) | Number of Accounts |
Total Assets in the Accounts | Number of Accounts |
Total Assets in the Accounts |
| Jeffrey Feldman | 18 | $772 | 0 | $0 | 0 | $0 |
Conflicts of Interest
The Portfolio Manager’s management of “other accounts” may give rise to potential conflicts of interest in connection with their management of the Fund’s investments, on the one hand, and the investments of the other accounts, on the other. The other accounts may have the same investment objective as the Funds. Therefore, a potential conflict of interest may arise as a result of the identical investment objective, whereby the Portfolio Manager could favor one account over another. Another potential conflict could include the Portfolio Manager’s knowledge about the size, timing and possible market impact of Fund trades, whereby the Portfolio Manager could use this information to the advantage of other accounts and to the disadvantage of the Funds.
14
THE DISTRIBUTOR
The Trust and Paralel Distributors LLC (the “Distributor”) are parties to a distribution agreement (“Distribution Agreement”), whereby the Distributor acts as principal underwriter for each series of the Trust, including the Funds, and distributes Shares. Shares are continuously offered for sale by the Distributor only in Creation Units. The Distributor will not distribute Shares in amounts less than a Creation Unit and does not maintain a secondary market in Shares. The principal business address of the Distributor is 1700 Broadway, Suite 2100, Denver, CO 80290.
15
Under the Distribution Agreement, the Distributor, as agent for the Trust, will review orders for the purchase and redemption of Creation Units, provided that any subscriptions and orders will not be binding on the Trust until accepted by the Trust. The Distributor is a broker- dealer registered under the Exchange Act and a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”).
The Distributor may also enter into agreements with securities dealers (“Soliciting Dealers”) who will solicit purchases of Creation Units of Shares. Such Soliciting Dealers may also be Authorized Participants (as discussed in “Procedures for Purchase of Creation Units” below) or DTC participants (as defined below).
The Distribution Agreement will continue for two years from its effective date and is renewable annually thereafter. The continuance of the Distribution Agreement must be specifically approved at least annually (i) by the vote of the Trustees or by a vote of the shareholders of the Funds and (ii) by the vote of a majority of the Independent Trustees who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operations of the Distribution Agreement or any related agreement, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. The Distribution Agreement is terminable without penalty by the Trust on 60 days’ written notice when authorized either by majority vote of its outstanding voting Shares or by a vote of a majority of its Board (including a majority of the Independent Trustees), or by the Distributor on 60 days’ written notice, and will automatically terminate in the event of its assignment. The Distribution Agreement provides that in the absence of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on the part of the Distributor, or reckless disregard by it of its obligations thereunder, the Distributor shall not be liable for any action or failure to act in accordance with its duties thereunder.
Intermediary Compensation. The Adviser, or their affiliates, out of their own resources and not out of Fund assets (i.e., without additional cost to a Fund or its shareholders), may pay certain broker dealers, banks and other financial intermediaries (“Intermediaries”) for certain activities related to the Funds, including participation in activities that are designed to make Intermediaries more knowledgeable about exchange traded products, including the Funds, or for other activities, such as marketing and educational training or support. These arrangements are not financed by the Funds and, thus, do not result in increased Funds expenses. They are not reflected in the fees and expenses listed in the fees and expenses sections of the Funds’ Prospectus and they do not change the price paid by investors for the purchase of Shares or the amount received by a shareholder as proceeds from the redemption of Shares.
Such compensation may be paid to Intermediaries that provide services to the Funds, including marketing and education support (such as through conferences, webinars and printed communications). The Adviser periodically assess the advisability of continuing to make these payments. Payments to an Intermediary may be significant to the Intermediary, and amounts that Intermediaries pay to your adviser, broker or other investment professional, if any, may also be significant to such adviser, broker or investment professional. Because an Intermediary may make decisions about what investment options it will make available or recommend, and what services to provide in connection with various products, based on payments it receives or is eligible to receive, such payments create conflicts of interest between the Intermediary and its clients. For example, these financial incentives may cause the Intermediary to recommend the Funds over other investments. The same conflict of interest exists with respect to your financial adviser, broker or investment professional if he or she receives similar payments from his or her Intermediary firm.
Intermediary information is current only as of the date of this SAI. Please contact your adviser, broker, or other investment professional for more information regarding any payments his or her Intermediary firm may receive. Any payments made by the Adviser or their affiliates to an Intermediary may create the incentive for an Intermediary to encourage customers to buy Shares.
If you have any additional questions, please call 1.877.774.TRUE (8783).
THE ADMINISTRATOR, CUSTODIAN, AND TRANSFER AGENT
Paralel Technologies LLC (“PTL”), located at 1700 Broadway Suite 2100, Denver, Colorado 80290 serves as the Funds’ administrator and fund accountant. PTL is the parent company of Paralel Distributors LLC, the Fund’s Distributor.
Pursuant to an Administration and Fund Accounting Agreement between the Trust and PTL, PTL provides the Trust with administrative and management services (other than investment advisory services) and accounting services, including portfolio accounting services, tax accounting services and furnishing financial reports. In this capacity, PTL does not have any responsibility or authority for the management of the Funds, the determination of investment policy, or for any matter pertaining to the distribution of Shares. As compensation for the administration, accounting and management services, the Adviser pays PTL a fee based on the Funds’ average daily net assets, subject to a minimum annual fee. PTL also is entitled to certain out-of-pocket expenses for the services mentioned above.
Pursuant to a Custody Agreement, State Street Bank and Trust Company (the “Custodian” or “State Street”), serves as the Custodian of the Funds’ assets. The Custodian holds and administers the assets in each Fund’s portfolio. Pursuant to the Custody Agreement, the Custodian receives an annual fee from the Adviser based on the Funds’ total average daily net assets, subject to a minimum annual fee, and certain settlement charges. The Custodian also is entitled to certain out-of-pocket expenses.
Pursuant to a Transfer Agency Agreement, State Street (in such capacity, the “Transfer Agent”) serves as Transfer Agent for the Funds. Pursuant to the Transfer Agency Agreement, the Transfer Agent receives an annual fee from the Adviser.
The Funds do not pay PTL for their services. All amounts are paid by the Adviser.
16
LEGAL COUNSEL
Thompson Hine LLP, located at 41 South High Street, Suite 1700, Columbus, Ohio 43215 serves as legal counsel for the Trust.
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
Cohen & Company, Ltd., located at 8101 East Prentice Ave., Suite 750, Greenwood Village, CO 80111, serves as the independent registered public accounting firm for the Funds. Its services include auditing the Fund’s financial statements. Cohen & Co Advisory, LLC, an affiliate of Cohen & Company, Ltd., provides tax services as requested.
PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS DISCLOSURE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
The Board has adopted a policy regarding the disclosure of information about each Fund’s security holdings. Each Fund’s entire portfolio holdings are publicly disseminated each day each Fund is open for business and may be available through financial reporting and news services, including publicly available internet web sites. In addition, the composition of the Deposit Securities (as defined below) is publicly disseminated daily prior to the opening of the Exchange via the National Securities Clearing Corporation (“NSCC”).
DESCRIPTION OF SHARES
The Declaration of Trust authorizes the issuance of an unlimited number of funds and Shares. Each Share represents an equal proportionate interest in the Funds with each other Share. Shares are entitled upon liquidation to a pro rata share in the net assets of the Funds. Shareholders have no preemptive rights. The Declaration of Trust provides that the Trustees may create additional series or classes of Shares. All consideration received by the Trust for shares of any additional funds and all assets in which such consideration is invested would belong to that fund and would be subject to the liabilities related thereto. Share certificates representing Shares will not be issued. Shares, when issued, are fully paid and non-assessable.
Each Share has one vote with respect to matters upon which a shareholder vote is required, consistent with the requirements of the 1940 Act and the rules promulgated thereunder. Shares of all funds of the Trust vote together as a single class, except that if the matter being voted on affects only a particular fund it will be voted on only by that fund and if a matter affects a particular fund differently from other funds, that fund will vote separately on such matter. As a Delaware statutory trust, the Trust is not required, and does not intend, to hold annual meetings of shareholders. Approval of shareholders will be sought, however, for certain changes in the operation of the Trust and for the election of Trustees under certain circumstances. Upon the written request of shareholders owning at least 10% of the Trust’s Shares, the Trust will call for a meeting of shareholders to consider the removal of one or more Trustees and other certain matters. In the event that such a meeting is requested, the Trust will provide appropriate assistance and information to the shareholders requesting the meeting.
Under the Declaration of Trust, the Trustees have the power to liquidate the Funds without shareholder approval. While the Trustees have no present intention of exercising this power, they may do so if the Funds fail to reach a viable size within a reasonable amount of time or for such other reasons as may be determined by the Board.
LIMITATION OF TRUSTEE LIABILITY
The Second Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust (“Declaration of Trust”) provides that a Trustee shall be liable only for his or her own willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of the office of Trustee, and shall not be liable for errors of judgment or mistakes of fact or law. The Trustees shall not be responsible or liable in any event for any neglect or wrong-doing of any officer, agent, employee, adviser or principal underwriter of the Trust, nor shall any Trustee be responsible for the act or omission of any other Trustee. The Declaration of Trust also provides that the Trust shall indemnify each person who is, or has been, a Trustee, officer, employee or agent of the Trust, any person who is serving or has served at the Trust’s request as a Trustee, officer, trustee, employee or agent of another organization in which the Trust has any interest as a shareholder, creditor or otherwise to the extent and in the manner provided in the Amended and Restated By-laws. However, nothing in the Declaration of Trust shall protect or indemnify a Trustee against any liability for his or her willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of the office of Trustee. Nothing contained in this section attempts to disclaim a Trustee’s individual liability in any manner inconsistent with the federal securities laws.
BROKERAGE TRANSACTIONS
The policy of the Trust regarding purchases and sales of securities for the Funds is that primary consideration will be given to obtaining the most favorable prices and efficient executions of transactions. Consistent with this policy, when securities transactions are effected on a stock exchange, the Trust’s policy is to pay commissions which are considered fair and reasonable without necessarily determining that the lowest possible commissions are paid in all circumstances. The Trust believes that a requirement always to seek the lowest possible commission cost could impede effective portfolio management and preclude the Funds from obtaining a high quality of brokerage and research services. In seeking to determine the reasonableness of brokerage commissions paid in any transaction, the Adviser will rely upon its experience and knowledge regarding commissions generally charged by various brokers and on its judgment in evaluating the brokerage services received from the broker effecting the transaction. Such determinations are necessarily subjective and imprecise, as in most cases, an exact dollar value for those services is not ascertainable. The Trust has adopted policies and procedures that prohibit the consideration of sales of Shares as a factor in the selection of a broker or dealer to execute its portfolio transactions.
17
The Adviser owes a fiduciary duty to its clients to seek to provide best execution on trades effected. In selecting a broker-dealer for each specific transaction, the Adviser chooses the broker-dealer deemed most capable of providing the services necessary to obtain the most favorable execution. “Best execution” is generally understood to mean the most favorable cost or net proceeds reasonably obtainable under the circumstances. The full range of brokerage services applicable to a particular transaction may be considered when making this judgment, which may include, but is not limited to: liquidity, price, commission, timing, aggregated trades, capable floor brokers or traders, competent block trading coverage, ability to position, capital strength and stability, reliable and accurate communications and settlement processing, use of automation, knowledge of other buyers or sellers, arbitrage skills, administrative ability, underwriting and provision of information on a particular security or market in which the transaction is to occur. The specific criteria will vary depending upon the nature of the transaction, the market in which it is executed, and the extent to which it is possible to select from among multiple broker-dealers. The Adviser will also use electronic crossing networks (“ECNs”) when appropriate.
Subject to the foregoing policies, brokers or dealers selected to execute each Fund’s portfolio transactions may include the Funds’ Authorized Participants (as discussed in “Procedures for Purchase of Creation Units” below) or their affiliates. An Authorized Participant or its affiliates may be selected to execute each Fund’s portfolio transactions in conjunction with an all-cash creation unit order or an order including “cash-in-lieu” (as described below under “Purchase and Redemption of Shares in Creation Units”), so long as such selection is in keeping with the foregoing policies. As described below under “Purchase and Redemption of Shares in Creation Units— Creation Transaction Fee” and “Redemption Transaction Fee”, the Funds may determine to not charge a variable fee on certain orders when the Adviser has determined that doing so is in the best interests of the Funds shareholders, e.g., for creation orders that facilitate the rebalance of the Funds’ portfolio in a more tax efficient manner than could be achieved without such order, even if the decision to not charge a variable fee could be viewed as benefiting the Authorized Participant or its affiliate selected to execute the Funds’ portfolio transactions in connection with such orders.
The Adviser may use each Fund’s assets for, or participate in, third-party soft dollar arrangements, in addition to receiving proprietary research from various full-service brokers, the cost of which is bundled with the cost of the broker’s execution services. The Adviser does not “pay up” for the value of any such proprietary research. Section 28(e) of the Exchange Act permits the Adviser, under certain circumstances, to cause the Funds to pay a broker or dealer a commission for effecting a transaction in excess of the amount of commission another broker or dealer would have charged for effecting the transaction in recognition of the value of brokerage and research services provided by the broker or dealer. The Adviser may receive a variety of research services and information on many topics, which it can use in connection with its management responsibilities with respect to the various accounts over which it exercises investment discretion or otherwise provides investment advice. The research services may include qualifying order management systems, portfolio attribution and monitoring services and computer software and access charges which are directly related to investment research. Accordingly, the Funds may pay a broker commission higher than the lowest available in recognition of the broker’s provision of such services to the Adviser, but only if the Adviser determines the total commission (including the soft dollar benefit) is comparable to the best commission rate that could be expected to be received from other brokers. The amount of soft dollar benefits received depends on the amount of brokerage transactions effected with the brokers. A conflict of interest exists because there is an incentive to: 1) cause clients to pay a higher commission than the firm might otherwise be able to negotiate; 2) cause clients to engage in more securities transactions than would otherwise be optimal; and 3) only recommend brokers that provide soft dollar benefits.
The Adviser faces a potential conflict of interest when it uses client trades to obtain brokerage or research services. This conflict exists because the Adviser is able to use the brokerage or research services to manage client accounts without paying cash for such services, which reduces the Adviser’s expenses to the extent that the Adviser would have purchased such products had they not been provided by brokers. Section 28(e) permits the Adviser to use brokerage or research services for the benefit of any account it manages. Certain accounts managed by the Adviser may generate soft dollars used to purchase brokerage or research services that ultimately benefit other accounts managed by the Adviser, effectively cross subsidizing the other accounts managed by the Adviser that benefit directly from the product. The Adviser may not necessarily use all of the brokerage or research services in connection with managing a Fund whose trades generated the soft dollars used to purchase such products.
The Funds may deal with affiliates in principal transactions to the extent permitted by exemptive order or applicable rule or regulation.
Directed Brokerage. The Funds do not intend to direct brokerage transactions to a broker because of research services provided.
Brokerage with Fund Affiliates. The Funds may execute brokerage or other agency transactions through registered broker-dealer affiliates of the Fund, the Adviser or the Distributor for a commission in conformity with the 1940 Act, the Exchange Act and rules promulgated by the SEC. These rules require that commissions paid to the affiliate by the Funds for exchange transactions not exceed “usual and customary” brokerage commissions. The rules define “usual and customary” commissions to include amounts which are “reasonable and fair compared to the commission, fee or other remuneration received or to be received by other brokers in connection with comparable transactions involving similar securities being purchased or sold on a securities exchange during a comparable period of time.” The Trustees, including those who are not “interested persons” of the Fund, have adopted procedures for evaluating the reasonableness of commissions paid to affiliates and review these procedures periodically.
18
Securities of “Regular Broker-Dealers.” The Funds are required to identify any securities of its “regular brokers and dealers” (as such term is defined in the 1940 Act) that it may hold at the close of its most recent fiscal year. “Regular brokers or dealers” of the Funds are the ten brokers or dealers that, during the most recent fiscal year: (i) received the greatest dollar amounts of brokerage commissions from the Funds’ portfolio transactions; (ii) engaged as principal in the largest dollar amounts of portfolio transactions of the Funds; or (iii) sold the largest dollar amounts of Shares.
The Funds paid the following brokerage commissions for the period listed below:
| Fund | 2025 | 2024* | 2023 |
| TrueShares Quarterly Bull Hedge ETF | $5,485 | $2,554 | N/A |
| TrueShares Quarterly Bear Hedge ETF | $17,681 | $5,408 | N/A |
* For the period June 28, 2024 (commencement of operations) through October 31, 2024.
PORTFOLIO TURNOVER RATE
Portfolio turnover may vary from year to year, as well as within a year. High turnover rates are likely to result in comparatively greater brokerage expenses. The overall reasonableness of brokerage commissions is evaluated by the Adviser based upon its knowledge of available information as to the general level of commissions paid by other institutional investors for comparable services.
BOOK ENTRY ONLY SYSTEM
DTC acts as securities depositary for Shares. Shares are represented by securities registered in the name of DTC or its nominee, Cede & Co., and deposited with, or on behalf of, DTC. Except in limited circumstances set forth below, certificates will not be issued for Shares.
DTC is a limited-purpose trust company that was created to hold securities of its participants (the “DTC Participants”) and to facilitate the clearance and settlement of securities transactions among the DTC Participants in such securities through electronic book-entry changes in accounts of the DTC Participants, thereby eliminating the need for physical movement of securities certificates. DTC Participants include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and certain other organizations, some of whom (and/or their representatives) own DTC. More specifically, DTC is owned by a number of its DTC Participants and by the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) and FINRA. Access to the DTC system is also available to others such as banks, brokers, dealers, and trust companies that clear through or maintain a custodial relationship with a DTC Participant, either directly or indirectly (the “Indirect Participants”).
Beneficial ownership of Shares is limited to DTC Participants, Indirect Participants, and persons holding interests through DTC Participants and Indirect Participants. Ownership of beneficial interests in Shares (owners of such beneficial interests are referred to in this SAI as “Beneficial Owners”) is shown on, and the transfer of ownership is effected only through, records maintained by DTC (with respect to DTC Participants) and on the records of DTC Participants (with respect to Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners that are not DTC Participants). Beneficial Owners will receive from or through the DTC Participant a written confirmation relating to their purchase of Shares. The Trust recognizes DTC or its nominee as the record owner of all Shares for all purposes. Beneficial Owners of Shares are not entitled to have Shares registered in their names and will not receive or be entitled to physical delivery of Share certificates. Each Beneficial Owner must rely on the procedures of DTC and any DTC Participant and/or Indirect Participant through which such Beneficial Owner holds its interests, to exercise any rights of a holder of Shares.
Conveyance of all notices, statements, and other communications to Beneficial Owners is effected as follows. DTC will make available to the Trust upon request and for a fee a listing of Shares held by each DTC Participant. The Trust shall obtain from each such DTC Participant the number of Beneficial Owners holding Shares, directly or indirectly, through such DTC Participant. The Trust shall provide each such DTC Participant with copies of such notice, statement, or other communication, in such form, number and at such place as such DTC Participant may reasonably request, in order that such notice, statement or communication may be transmitted by such DTC Participant, directly or indirectly, to such Beneficial Owners. In addition, the Trust shall pay to each such DTC Participant a fair and reasonable amount as reimbursement for the expenses attendant to such transmittal, all subject to applicable statutory and regulatory requirements.
Share distributions shall be made to DTC or its nominee, Cede & Co., as the registered holder of all Shares. DTC or its nominee, upon receipt of any such distributions, shall credit immediately DTC Participants’ accounts with payments in amounts proportionate to their respective beneficial interests in the Funds as shown on the records of DTC or its nominee. Payments by DTC Participants to Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners of Shares held through such DTC Participants will be governed by standing instructions and customary practices, as is now the case with securities held for the accounts of customers in bearer form or registered in a “street name,” and will be the responsibility of such DTC Participants.
19
The Trust has no responsibility or liability for any aspect of the records relating to or notices to Beneficial Owners, or payments made on account of beneficial ownership interests in Shares, or for maintaining, supervising, or reviewing any records relating to such beneficial ownership interests, or for any other aspect of the relationship between DTC and the DTC Participants or the relationship between such DTC Participants and the Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners owning through such DTC Participants.
DTC may determine to discontinue providing its service with respect to the Funds at any time by giving reasonable notice to the Funds and discharging its responsibilities with respect thereto under applicable law. Under such circumstances, the Funds shall take action either to find a replacement for DTC to perform its functions at a comparable cost or, if such replacement is unavailable, to issue and deliver printed certificates representing ownership of Shares, unless the Trust makes other arrangements with respect thereto satisfactory to the Exchange.
20
PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION OF SHARES IN CREATION UNITS
The Trust issues and sells Shares only in Creation Units on a continuous basis through the Distributor, without a sales load (but subject to transaction fees, if applicable), at their NAV per share next determined after receipt of an order, on any Business Day, in proper form pursuant to the terms of the Authorized Participant Agreement (“Participant Agreement”). The NAV of Shares is calculated each Business Day as of the scheduled close of regular trading on the NYSE, generally 4:00 p.m., Eastern time. The Funds will not issue fractional Creation Units. A “Business Day” is any day on which the NYSE is open for business.
Fund Deposit. The consideration for purchase of a Creation Unit of the Funds generally consists of either (i) the in-kind deposit of a designated portfolio of securities (the “Deposit Securities”) per each Creation Unit and the Cash Component (defined below), computed as described below or (ii) the cash value of the Deposit Securities (“Deposit Cash”) and “Cash Component,” computed as described below. When accepting purchases of Creation Units for cash, the Funds may incur additional costs associated with the acquisition of Deposit Securities that would otherwise be provided by an in-kind purchaser.
Together, the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, and the Cash Component constitute the “Fund Deposit,” which represents the minimum initial and subsequent investment amount for a Creation Unit of the Funds. The “Cash Component” is an amount equal to the difference between the NAV of Shares (per Creation Unit) and the value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable. If the Cash Component is a positive number (i.e., the NAV per Creation Unit exceeds the value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable), the Cash Component shall be such positive amount. If the Cash Component is a negative number (i.e., the NAV per Creation Unit is less than the value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable), the Cash Component shall be such negative amount and the creator will be entitled to receive cash in an amount equal to the Cash Component. The Cash Component serves the function of compensating for any differences between the NAV per Creation Unit and the value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable. Computation of the Cash Component excludes any stamp duty or other similar fees and expenses payable upon transfer of beneficial ownership of the Deposit Securities, if applicable, which shall be the sole responsibility of the Authorized Participant (as defined below).
The Funds, through NSCC, makes available on each Business Day, prior to the opening of business on the Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m., Eastern time), the list of the names and the required number of Shares of each Deposit Security or the required amount of Deposit Cash, as applicable, to be included in the current Fund Deposit (based on information at the end of the previous Business Day) for the Funds. The Fund Deposit is subject to any applicable adjustments as described below, to effect purchases of Creation Units of the Funds until such time as the next-announced composition of the Deposit Securities or the required amount of Deposit Cash, as applicable, is made available.
The identity and number of Shares of the Deposit Securities or the amount of Deposit Cash, as applicable, required for the Fund Deposit for the Fund changes as rebalancing adjustments and corporate action events are reflected from time to time by the Adviser with a view to the investment objective of the Funds.
The Trust reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of Deposit Cash to replace any Deposit Security, which shall be added to the Cash Component, including, without limitation, in situations where the Deposit Security: (i) may not be available in sufficient quantity for delivery; (ii) may not be eligible for transfer through the systems of DTC for corporate securities and municipal securities; (iii) may not be eligible for trading by an Authorized Participant (as defined below) or the investor for which it is acting; (iv) would be restricted under the securities laws or where the delivery of the Deposit Security to the Authorized Participant would result in the disposition of the Deposit Security by the Authorized Participant becoming restricted under the securities laws; or (v) in certain other situations (collectively, “custom orders”). The Trust also reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of Deposit Securities in lieu of Deposit Cash. The adjustments described above will reflect changes, known to the Adviser on the date of announcement to be in effect by the time of delivery of the Fund Deposit, resulting from certain corporate actions.
Procedures for Purchase of Creation Units. To be eligible to place orders with the Distributor to purchase a Creation Unit of the Funds, an entity must be (i) a “Participating Party” (i.e., a broker-dealer or other participant in the clearing process through the Continuous Net Settlement System of the NSCC (the “Clearing Process”)), a clearing agency that is registered with the SEC; or (ii) a DTC Participant (see “Book Entry Only System”). In addition, each Participating Party or DTC Participant (each, an “Authorized Participant”) must execute a Participant Agreement that has been agreed to by the Distributor, and that has been accepted by the Transfer Agent, with respect to purchases and redemptions of Creation Units. Each Authorized Participant will agree, pursuant to the terms of a Participant Agreement, on behalf of itself or any investor on whose behalf it will act, to certain conditions, including that it will pay to the Trust, an amount of cash sufficient to pay the Cash Component together with the creation transaction fee (described below), if applicable, and any other applicable fees and taxes.
All orders to purchase Shares directly from the Funds must be placed for one or more Creation Units and in the manner and by the time set forth in the Participant Agreement and/or applicable order form. The order cut-off time for orders to purchase Creation Units is 4:00 p.m. Eastern time, which time may be modified by the Funds from time-to-time by amendment to the Participant Agreement and/or applicable order form. In the case of custom orders, the order must be received by the Distributor no later than 3:00 p.m. Eastern time and 12:00 p.m. Eastern time for the Funds, or such earlier time as may be designated by the Funds and disclosed to Authorized Participants. The date on which an order to purchase Creation Units (or an order to redeem Creation Units, as set forth below) is received and accepted is referred to as the “Order Placement Date.”
21
An Authorized Participant may require an investor to make certain representations or enter into agreements with respect to the order (e.g., to provide for payments of cash, when required). Investors should be aware that their particular broker may not have executed a Participant Agreement and that, therefore, orders to purchase Shares directly from the Funds in Creation Units have to be placed by the investor’s broker through an Authorized Participant that has executed a Participant Agreement. In such cases there may be additional charges to such investor. At any given time, there may be only a limited number of broker-dealers that have executed a Participant Agreement and only a small number of such Authorized Participants may have international capabilities.
On days when the Exchange closes earlier than normal, the Funds may require orders to create Creation Units to be placed earlier in the day. In addition, if a market or markets on which each Fund’s investments are primarily traded is closed, the Funds will also generally not accept orders on such day(s). Orders must be transmitted by an Authorized Participant by telephone or other transmission method acceptable to the Distributor pursuant to procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement and in accordance with the applicable order form. On behalf of the Funds, the Distributor will notify the Custodian of such order. The Custodian will then provide such information to the appropriate local sub-custodian(s). Those placing orders through an Authorized Participant should allow sufficient time to permit proper submission of the purchase order to the Distributor by the cut-off time on such Business Day. Economic or market disruptions or changes, or telephone or other communication failure may impede the ability to reach the Distributor or an Authorized Participant.
Fund Deposits must be delivered by an Authorized Participant through the Federal Reserve System (for cash) or through DTC (for corporate securities), through a sub-custody agent (for foreign securities) and/or through such other arrangements allowed by the Trust or its agents. With respect to foreign Deposit Securities, the Custodian shall cause the sub-custodian of the Funds to maintain an account into which the Authorized Participant shall deliver, on behalf of itself or the party on whose behalf it is acting, such Deposit Securities (or Deposit Cash for all or a part of such securities, as permitted or required), with any appropriate adjustments as advised by the Trust. Foreign Deposit Securities must be delivered to an account maintained at the applicable local sub-custodian. The Fund Deposit transfer must be ordered by the Authorized Participant in a timely fashion so as to ensure the delivery of the requisite number of Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, to the account of the Funds or its agents by no later than 12:00 p.m. Eastern time (or such other time as specified by the Trust) on the Settlement Date. If the Funds or its agents do not receive all of the Deposit Securities, or the required Deposit Cash in lieu thereof, by such time, then the order may be deemed rejected and the Authorized Participant shall be liable to the Funds for losses, if any, resulting therefrom. The “Settlement Date” for the Funds is generally the Business Day immediately after the Order Placement Date. All questions as to the number of Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash to be delivered, as applicable, and the validity, form and eligibility (including time of receipt) for the deposit of any tendered securities or cash, as applicable, will be determined by the Trust, whose determination shall be final and binding. The amount of cash represented by the Cash Component must be transferred directly to the Custodian through the Federal Reserve Bank wire transfer system in a timely manner so as to be received by the Custodian no later than the Settlement Date. If the Cash Component and the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, are not received by the Custodian in a timely manner by the Settlement Date, the creation order may be cancelled. Upon written notice to the Distributor, such canceled order may be resubmitted the following Business Day using the Fund Deposit as newly constituted to reflect the then current NAV of the Funds.
The order shall be deemed to be received on the Business Day on which the order is placed provided that the order is placed in proper form prior to the applicable cut-off time and the federal funds in the appropriate amount are deposited with the Custodian on the Settlement Date. If the order is not placed in proper form as required, or federal funds in the appropriate amount are not received on the Settlement Date, then the order may be deemed to be rejected and the Authorized Participant shall be liable to the Funds for losses, if any, resulting therefrom. A creation request is considered to be in “proper form” if all procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement, order form and this SAI are properly followed.
Issuance of a Creation Unit. Except as provided in this SAI, Creation Units will not be issued until the transfer of good title to the Trust of the Deposit Securities or payment of Deposit Cash, as applicable, and the payment of the Cash Component have been completed. When the sub-custodian has confirmed to the Custodian that the required Deposit Securities (or the cash value thereof) have been delivered to the account of the relevant sub-custodian or sub-custodians, the Distributor and the Adviser shall be notified of such delivery, and the Trust will issue and cause the delivery of the Creation Units. The delivery of Creation Units so created generally will occur no later than the Business Day immediately following the day on which the purchase order is deemed received by the Distributor. The Authorized Participant shall be liable to the Funds for losses, if any, resulting from unsettled orders.
Creation Units may be purchased in advance of receipt by the Trust of all or a portion of the applicable Deposit Securities as described below. In these circumstances, the initial deposit will have a value greater than the NAV of Shares on the date the order is placed in proper form since, in addition to available Deposit Securities, cash must be deposited in an amount equal to the sum of (i) the Cash Component, plus (ii) an additional amount of cash equal to a percentage of the value as set forth in the Participant Agreement, of the undelivered Deposit Securities (the “Additional Cash Deposit”), which shall be maintained in a separate non-interest bearing collateral account. The Authorized Participant must deposit with the Custodian the Additional Cash Deposit, as applicable, by 12:00 p.m. Eastern time (or such other time as specified by the Trust) on the Settlement Date. If the Funds or its agents do not receive the Additional Cash Deposit in the appropriate amount, by such time, then the order may be deemed rejected and the Authorized Participant shall be liable to the Funds for losses, if any, resulting therefrom. An additional amount of cash shall be required to be deposited with the Trust, pending delivery of the missing Deposit Securities to the extent necessary to maintain the Additional Cash Deposit with the Trust in an amount at least equal to the applicable percentage, as set forth in the Participant Agreement, of the daily market value of the missing Deposit Securities. The Participant Agreement will permit the Trust to buy the missing Deposit Securities at any time. Authorized Participants will be liable to the Trust for the costs incurred by the Trust in connection with any such purchases. These costs will be deemed to include the amount by which the actual purchase price of the Deposit Securities exceeds the value of such Deposit Securities on the day the purchase order was deemed received by the Distributor plus the brokerage and related transaction costs associated with such purchases. The Trust will return any unused portion of the Additional Cash Deposit once all of the missing Deposit Securities have been properly received by the Custodian or purchased by the Trust and deposited into the Trust. In addition, a transaction fee, as described below under “Creation Transaction Fee,” may be charged. The delivery of Creation Units so created generally will occur no later than the Settlement Date.
22
Acceptance of Orders of Creation Units. The Trust reserves the right to reject an order for Creation Units transmitted to it by the Distributor with respect to the Funds including, without limitation, if (a) the order is not in proper form; (b) the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, delivered by the Participant are not as disseminated through the facilities of the NSCC for that date by the Custodian; (c) the investor(s), upon obtaining Shares ordered, would own 80% or more of the currently outstanding Shares of the Funds; (d) the acceptance of the Fund Deposit would, in the opinion of counsel, be unlawful; (e) the acceptance or receipt of the order for a Creation Unit would, in the opinion of counsel to the Trust, be unlawful; or (f) in the event that circumstances outside the control of the Trust, the Custodian, the Transfer Agent and/or the Adviser make it for all practical purposes not feasible to process orders for Creation Units.
Examples of such circumstances include acts of God or public service or utility problems such as fires, floods, extreme weather conditions and power outages resulting in telephone, telecopy and computer failures; market conditions or activities causing trading halts; systems failures involving computer or other information systems affecting the Trust, the Distributor, the Custodian, a sub- custodian, the Transfer Agent, DTC, NSCC, Federal Reserve System, or any other participant in the creation process, and other extraordinary events. The Distributor shall notify a prospective creator of a Creation Unit and/or the Authorized Participant acting on behalf of the creator of a Creation Unit of its rejection of the order of such person. The Trust, the Transfer Agent, the Custodian, any sub-custodian and the Distributor are under no duty, however, to give notification of any defects or irregularities in the delivery of Fund Deposits nor shall either of them incur any liability for the failure to give any such notification. The Trust, the Transfer Agent, the Custodian and the Distributor shall not be liable for the rejection of any purchase order for Creation Units.
All questions as to the number of Shares of each security in the Deposit Securities and the validity, form, eligibility and acceptance for deposit of any securities to be delivered shall be determined by the Trust, and the Trust’s determination shall be final and binding.
Creation Transaction Fee. A fixed purchase (i.e., creation) transaction fee, payable to the Funds’ custodian, may be imposed for the transfer and other transaction costs associated with the purchase of Creation Units (“Creation Order Costs”). The standard fixed creation transaction fee for the Funds, regardless of the number of Creation Units created in the transaction, can be found in the table below. The Funds may adjust the standard fixed creation transaction fee from time to time. The fixed creation fee may be waived on certain orders if the Funds’ custodian has determined to waive some or all of the Creation Order Costs associated with the order or another party, such as the Adviser, has agreed to pay such fee.
In addition, a variable fee, payable to the Funds, of up to the maximum percentage listed in the table below of the value of the Creation Units subject to the transaction may be imposed for cash purchases, non-standard orders, or partial cash purchases of Creation Units. The variable charge is primarily designed to cover additional costs (e.g., brokerage, taxes, spreads, slippage costs) involved with buying the securities with cash. The Funds may determine to not charge a variable fee on certain orders when the Adviser has determined that doing so benefits the Funds and its shareholders (e.g., for creation orders that facilitate the rebalance of the Funds’ portfolio in a more tax efficient manner than could be achieved without such order).
| Name of Funds | Fixed
Creation Transaction Fee |
Fixed Creation Transaction Fee (Cash) | Maximum Variable Transaction Fee |
| TrueShares Quarterly Bull Hedge ETF | $300 | $100 | 0.02% |
| TrueShares Quarterly Bear Hedge ETF | $300 | $100 | 0.02% |
Investors who use the services of a broker or other such intermediary may be charged a fee for such services. Investors are responsible for the fixed costs of transferring the Fund Securities from the Trust to their account or on their order.
Risks of Purchasing Creation Units. There are certain legal risks unique to investors purchasing Creation Units directly from the Funds. Because Shares may be issued on an ongoing basis, a “distribution” of Shares could be occurring at any time. Certain activities that a shareholder performs as a dealer could, depending on the circumstances, result in the shareholder being deemed a participant in the distribution in a manner that could render the shareholder a statutory underwriter and subject to the prospectus delivery and liability provisions of the Securities Act. For example, a shareholder could be deemed a statutory underwriter if it purchases Creation Units from the Funds, breaks them down into the constituent Shares, and sells those Shares directly to customers, or if a shareholder chooses to couple the creation of a supply of new Shares with an active selling effort involving solicitation of secondary-market demand for Shares. Whether a person is an underwriter depends upon all of the facts and circumstances pertaining to that person’s activities, and the examples mentioned here should not be considered a complete description of all the activities that could cause you to be deemed an underwriter.
23
Dealers who are not “underwriters” but are participating in a distribution (as opposed to engaging in ordinary secondary-market transactions), and thus dealing with Shares as part of an “unsold allotment” within the meaning of Section 4(a)(3)(C) of the Securities Act, will be unable to take advantage of the prospectus delivery exemption provided by Section 4(a)(3) of the Securities Act.
Redemption. Shares may be redeemed only in Creation Units at their NAV next determined after receipt of a redemption request in proper form by the Funds through the Transfer Agent and only on a Business Day. EXCEPT UPON LIQUIDATION OF THE FUND, THE TRUST WILL NOT REDEEM SHARES IN AMOUNTS LESS THAN CREATION UNITS. Investors must accumulate enough Shares in the secondary market to constitute a Creation Unit to have such Shares redeemed by the Trust. There can be no assurance, however, that there will be sufficient liquidity in the public trading market at any time to permit assembly of a Creation Unit. Investors should expect to incur brokerage and other costs in connection with assembling a sufficient number of Shares to constitute a redeemable Creation Unit.
With respect to the Funds, the Custodian, through the NSCC, makes available prior to the opening of business on the Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m., Eastern time) on each Business Day, the list of the names and Share quantities of the Fund’s portfolio securities that will be applicable (subject to possible amendment or correction) to redemption requests received in proper form (as defined below) on that day (“Fund Securities”). Fund Securities received on redemption may not be identical to Deposit Securities.
Redemption proceeds for a Creation Unit are paid either in-kind or in cash, or combination thereof, as determined by the Trust. With respect to in-kind redemptions of the Funds, redemption proceeds for a Creation Unit will consist of Fund Securities—as announced by the Custodian on the Business Day of the request for redemption received in proper form plus cash in an amount equal to the difference between the NAV of Shares being redeemed, as next determined after a receipt of a request in proper form, and the value of the Fund Securities (the “Cash Redemption Amount”), less a fixed redemption transaction fee, as applicable, as set forth below. In the event that the Fund Securities have a value greater than the NAV of Shares, a compensating cash payment equal to the differential is required to be made by or through an Authorized Participant by the redeeming shareholder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, at the Trust’s discretion, an Authorized Participant may receive the corresponding cash value of the securities in lieu of the in-kind securities value representing one or more Fund Securities.
Redemption Transaction Fee. A fixed redemption transaction fee, payable to the Funds’ custodian, may be imposed for the transfer and other transaction costs associated with the redemption of Creation Units (“Redemption Order Costs”). The standard fixed redemption transaction fee for the Fund, regardless of the number of Creation Units redeemed in the transaction, can be found in the table below. The Funds may adjust the redemption transaction fee from time to time. The fixed redemption fee may be waived on certain orders if the Funds’ custodian has determined to waive some or all of the Redemption Order Costs associated with the order or another party, such as the Adviser, has agreed to pay such fee.
In addition, a variable fee, payable to the Funds, of up to the maximum percentage listed in the table below of the value of the Creation Units subject to the transaction may be imposed for cash redemptions, non-standard orders, or partial cash redemptions (when cash redemptions are available) of Creation Units. The variable charge is primarily designed to cover additional costs (e.g., brokerage, taxes, spreads, slippage costs) involved with selling portfolio securities to satisfy a cash redemption. The Funds may determine to not charge a variable fee on certain orders when the Adviser has determined that doing so benefits the Funds and its shareholders (e.g., for redemption orders that facilitate the rebalance of the Fund’s portfolio in a more tax efficient manner than could be achieved without such order).
| Name of Funds | Fixed
Redemption Transaction Fee |
Fixed Redemption Transaction Fee (Cash) | Maximum Variable Transaction Fee |
| TrueShares Quarterly Bull Hedge ETF | $300 | $100 | 0.02% |
| TrueShares Quarterly Bear Hedge ETF | $300 | $100 | 0.02% |
Investors who use the services of a broker or other such intermediary may be charged a fee for such services. Investors are responsible for the fixed costs of transferring the Fund Securities from the Trust to their account or on their order.
Procedures for Redemption of Creation Units.
Orders to redeem Creation Units of the Funds must be submitted in proper form to the Transfer Agent prior to 4:00 p.m. A redemption request is considered to be in “proper form” if (i) an Authorized Participant has transferred or caused to be transferred to the Trust’s Transfer Agent the Creation Unit(s) being redeemed through the book-entry system of DTC so as to be effective by the time as set forth in the Participant Agreement and (ii) a request in form satisfactory to the Trust is received by the Transfer Agent from the Authorized Participant on behalf of itself or another redeeming investor within the time periods specified in the Participant Agreement. If the Transfer Agent does not receive the investor’s Shares through DTC’s facilities by the times and pursuant to the other terms and conditions set forth in the Participant Agreement, the redemption request shall be rejected.
24
The Authorized Participant must transmit the request for redemption, in the form required by the Trust, to the Transfer Agent in accordance with procedures set forth in the Authorized Participant Agreement. Investors should be aware that their particular broker may not have executed an Authorized Participant Agreement, and that, therefore, requests to redeem Creation Units may have to be placed by the investor’s broker through an Authorized Participant who has executed an Authorized Participant Agreement. Investors making a redemption request should be aware that such request must be in the form specified by such Authorized Participant.
Investors making a request to redeem Creation Units should allow sufficient time to permit proper submission of the request by an Authorized Participant and transfer of the Shares to the Trust’s Transfer Agent; such investors should allow for the additional time that may be required to effect redemptions through their banks, brokers or other financial intermediaries if such intermediaries are not Authorized Participants.
Additional Redemption Procedures. In connection with taking delivery of Shares of Fund Securities upon redemption of Creation Units, a redeeming shareholder or Authorized Participant acting on behalf of such shareholder must maintain appropriate custody arrangements with a qualified broker-dealer, bank, or other custody providers in each jurisdiction in which any of the Fund Securities are customarily traded, to which account such Fund Securities will be delivered. Deliveries of redemption proceeds generally will be made within two business days of the trade date. However, due to the schedule of holidays in certain countries, the different treatment among foreign and U.S. markets of dividend record dates and dividend ex-dates (that is the last date the holder of a security can sell the security and still receive dividends payable on the security sold), and in certain other circumstances, the delivery of in-kind redemption proceeds may take longer than two Business Days after the day on which the redemption request is received in proper form. If neither the redeeming Shareholder nor the Authorized Participant acting on behalf of such redeeming Shareholder has appropriate arrangements to take delivery of the Fund Securities in the applicable foreign jurisdiction and it is not possible to make other such arrangements, or if it is not possible to effect deliveries of the Fund Securities in such jurisdiction, the Trust may, in its discretion, exercise its option to redeem such Shares in cash, and the redeeming Shareholders will be required to receive its redemption proceeds in cash.
In addition, an investor may request a redemption in cash that the Funds may, in its sole discretion, permit. In either case, the investor will receive a cash payment equal to the NAV of its Shares based on the NAV of Shares of the Fund next determined after the redemption request is received in proper form (minus a redemption transaction fee, if applicable, and additional charge for requested cash redemptions specified above, to offset the Trust’s brokerage and other transaction costs associated with the disposition of Fund Securities). The Funds may also, in its sole discretion, upon request of a shareholder, provide such redeemer a portfolio of securities that differs from the exact composition of the Fund Securities but does not differ in NAV.
Redemptions of Shares for Fund Securities will be subject to compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws and the Funds (whether or not it otherwise permits cash redemptions) reserve the right to redeem Creation Units for cash to the extent that the Trust could not lawfully deliver specific Fund Securities upon redemptions or could not do so without first registering the Fund Securities under such laws. An Authorized Participant or an investor for which it is acting subject to a legal restriction with respect to a particular security included in the Fund Securities applicable to the redemption of Creation Units may be paid an equivalent amount of cash. The Authorized Participant may request the redeeming investor of the Shares to complete an order form or to enter into agreements with respect to such matters as compensating cash payment. Further, an Authorized Participant that is not a “qualified institutional buyer,” (“QIB”) as such term is defined under Rule 144A of the Securities Act, will not be able to receive Fund Securities that are restricted securities eligible for resale under Rule 144A. An Authorized Participant may be required by the Trust to provide a written confirmation with respect to QIB status to receive Fund Securities.
Because the portfolio securities of the Funds may trade on other exchanges on days that the Exchange is closed or are otherwise not Business Days for such Fund, shareholders may not be able to redeem their Shares of the Funds, or to purchase or sell Shares of the Funds on the Exchange, on days when the NAV of the Funds could be significantly affecting by events in the relevant foreign markets.
The right of redemption may be suspended or the date of payment postponed with respect to the Funds (1) for any period during which the Exchange is closed (other than customary weekend and holiday closings); (2) for any period during which trading on the Exchange is suspended or restricted; (3) for any period during which an emergency exists as a result of which disposal of the Shares of the Fund or determination of the NAV of the Shares is not reasonably practicable; or (4) in such other circumstance as is permitted by the SEC.
DETERMINATION OF NAV
NAV per Share for the Funds is computed by dividing the value of the net assets of the Funds (i.e., the value of its total assets less total liabilities) by the total number of Shares outstanding, rounded to the nearest cent. Expenses and fees, including the management fees, are accrued daily and taken into account for purposes of determining NAV. The NAV of the Funds is calculated by PTL and determined at the scheduled close of the regular trading session on the NYSE (ordinarily 4:00 p.m., Eastern time) on each day that the NYSE is open, provided that fixed-income assets may be valued as of the announced closing time for trading in fixed-income instruments on any day that the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (“SIFMA”) announces an early closing time.
25
In calculating the Funds’ NAV per Share, the Funds’ investments are generally valued using market valuations. A market valuation generally means a valuation (i) obtained from an exchange, a pricing service, or a major market maker (or dealer), (ii) based on a price quotation or other equivalent indication of value supplied by an exchange, a pricing service, or a major market maker (or dealer) or (iii) based on amortized cost. In the case of shares of other funds that are not traded on an exchange, a market valuation means such fund’s published NAV per share. The Funds may use various pricing services, or discontinue the use of any pricing service, as approved by the Board from time to time. A price obtained from a pricing service based on such pricing service’s valuation matrix may be considered a market valuation.
DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS
The following information supplements and should be read in conjunction with the section in the Prospectus entitled “Dividends, Distributions and Taxes.”
General Policies. Dividends from net investment income, if any, are declared and paid at least annually by the Funds. Distributions of net realized securities gains, if any, generally are declared and paid once a year, but the Funds may make distributions on a more frequent basis to reduce or eliminate federal excise or income taxes or to comply with the distribution requirements of the Code, in all events in a manner consistent with the provisions of the 1940 Act.
Dividends and other distributions on Shares are distributed, as described below, on a pro rata basis to Beneficial Owners of such Shares. Dividend payments are made through DTC Participants and Indirect Participants to Beneficial Owners then of record with proceeds received from the Trust.
The Funds makes additional distributions to the extent necessary (i) to distribute the entire annual taxable income of the Funds, plus any net capital gains and (ii) to avoid imposition of the excise tax imposed by Section 4982 of the Code. Management of the Trust reserves the right to declare special dividends if, in its reasonable discretion, such action is necessary or advisable to preserve the Funds’ eligibility for treatment as a RIC or to avoid imposition of income or excise taxes on undistributed income.
Dividend Reinvestment Service. The Trust will not make the DTC book-entry dividend reinvestment service available for use by Beneficial Owners for reinvestment of their cash proceeds, but certain individual broker-dealers may make available the DTC book- entry Dividend Reinvestment Service for use by Beneficial Owners of the Funds through DTC Participants for reinvestment of their dividend distributions. Investors should contact their brokers to ascertain the availability and description of these services. Beneficial Owners should be aware that each broker may require investors to adhere to specific procedures and timetables to participate in the dividend reinvestment service and investors should ascertain from their brokers such necessary details. If this service is available and used, dividend distributions of both income and realized gains will be automatically reinvested in additional whole Shares issued by the Trust of the Funds at NAV per Share. Distributions reinvested in additional Shares will nevertheless be taxable to Beneficial Owners acquiring such additional Shares to the same extent as if such distributions had been received in cash.
FEDERAL INCOME TAXES
The following is only a summary of certain U.S. federal income tax considerations generally affecting the Funds and its shareholders that supplements the discussion in the Prospectus. No attempt is made to present a comprehensive explanation of the federal, state, local or foreign tax treatment of the Funds or its shareholders, and the discussion here and in the Prospectus is not intended to be a substitute for careful tax planning.
The following general discussion of certain U.S. federal income tax consequences is based on provisions of the Code and the regulations issued thereunder as in effect on the date of this SAI. New legislation, as well as administrative changes or court decisions, may significantly change the conclusions expressed herein, and may have a retroactive effect with respect to the transactions contemplated herein.
Shareholders are urged to consult their own tax advisers regarding the application of the provisions of tax law described in this SAI in light of the particular tax situations of the shareholders and regarding specific questions as to federal, state, foreign or local taxes.
Taxation of the Funds. The Funds elected and intends to continue to qualify each year to be treated as a separate RIC under the Code. As such, the Funds should not be subject to federal income taxes on their net investment income and capital gains, if any, to the extent that they timely distribute such income and capital gains to their shareholders. To qualify for treatment as a RIC, the Funds must distribute annually to its shareholders at least the sum of 90% of its net investment income (generally including the excess of net short- term capital gains over net long-term capital losses) and 90% of its net tax-exempt interest income, if any (the “Distribution Requirement”) and also must meet several additional requirements. Among these requirements are the following: (i) at least 90% of the Funds’ gross income each taxable year must be derived from dividends, interest, payments with respect to certain securities loans, gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities or foreign currencies, or other income derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock, securities or foreign currencies and net income derived from interests in qualified publicly traded partnerships (the “Qualifying Income Requirement”); and (ii) at the end of each quarter of the Funds’ taxable year, the Funds’ assets must be diversified so that (a) at least 50% of the value of the Fund’s total assets is represented by cash and cash items, U.S. government securities, securities of other RICs, and other securities, with such other securities limited, in respect to any one issuer, to an amount not greater in value than 5% of the value of the Funds’ total assets and to not more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer, including the equity securities of a qualified publicly traded partnership, and (b) not more than 25% of the value of its total assets is invested, including through corporations in which the Fund owns a 20% or more voting stock interest, in the securities (other than U.S. government securities or securities of other RICs) of any one issuer, the securities (other than securities of other RICs) of two or more issuers which the Funds controls and which are engaged in the same, similar, or related trades or businesses, or the securities of one or more qualified publicly traded partnerships (the “Diversification Requirement”).
26
To the extent the Funds makes investments that may generate income that is not qualifying income, including certain derivatives, the Funds will seek to restrict the resulting income from such investments so that the Funds’ non-qualifying income does not exceed 10% of its gross income.
Although the Funds intends to distribute substantially all of its net investment income and may distribute their capital gains for any taxable year, the Funds will be subject to federal income taxation to the extent any such income or gains are not distributed. The Funds is treated as a separate corporation for federal income tax purposes. The Funds therefore are considered to be a separate entity in determining its treatment under the rules for RICs described herein. The requirements (other than certain organizational requirements) for qualifying RIC status are determined at the fund level rather than at the Trust level.
If the Funds fails to satisfy the Qualifying Income Requirement or the Diversification Requirement in any taxable year, the Funds may be eligible for relief provisions if the failures are due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect and if a penalty tax is paid with respect to each failure to satisfy the applicable requirements. Additionally, relief is provided for certain de minimis failures of the Diversification Requirement where each Fund corrects the failure within a specified period of time. To be eligible for the relief provisions with respect to a failure to meet the Diversification Requirement, the Funds may be required to dispose of certain assets. If these relief provisions were not available to the Funds and it were to fail to qualify for treatment as a RIC for a taxable year, all of its taxable income would be subject to tax at the regular 21% corporate rate without any deduction for distributions to shareholders, and its distributions (including capital gains distributions) generally would be taxable to the shareholders of the Funds as ordinary income dividends, subject to the dividends received deduction for corporate shareholders and the lower tax rates on qualified dividend income received by non-corporate shareholders, subject to certain limitations. To requalify for treatment as a RIC in a subsequent taxable year, the Funds would be required to satisfy the RIC qualification requirements for that year and to distribute any earnings and profits from any year in which the Funds failed to qualify for tax treatment as a RIC. If the Funds failed to qualify as a RIC for a period greater than two taxable years, it would generally be required to pay a Fund-level tax on certain net built in gains recognized with respect to certain of its assets upon a disposition of such assets within five years of qualifying as a RIC in a subsequent year. The Board reserves the right not to maintain the qualification of the Funds for treatment as a RIC if it determines such course of action to be beneficial to shareholders. If the Funds determines that it will not qualify as a RIC, the Funds will establish procedures to reflect the anticipated tax liability in the Fund’s NAV.
The Funds may elect to treat part or all of any “qualified late year loss” as if it had been incurred in the succeeding taxable year in determining each Fund’s taxable income, net capital gain, net short-term capital gain, and earnings and profits. The effect of this election is to treat any such “qualified late year loss” as if it had been incurred in the succeeding taxable year in characterizing Fund distributions for any calendar year. A “qualified late year loss” generally includes net capital loss, net long-term capital loss, or net short-term capital loss incurred after October 31 of the current taxable year (commonly referred to as “post-October losses”) and certain other late-year losses.
Capital losses in excess of capital gains (“net capital losses”) are not permitted to be deducted against a RIC’s net investment income. Instead, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, potentially subject to certain limitations, the Funds may carry a net capital loss from any taxable year forward indefinitely to offset its capital gains, if any, in years following the year of the loss. To the extent subsequent capital gains are offset by such losses, they will not result in U.S. federal income tax liability to the Funds and may not be distributed as capital gains to its shareholders. Generally, the Funds may not carry forward any losses other than net capital losses. The carryover of capital losses may be limited under the general loss limitation rules if the Funds experience an ownership change as defined in the Code. As of October 31, 2025, the TrueShares Quarterly Bull Hedge ETF had $204,812 short-term and $0 long-term capital loss carry forwards, not subject to expiration and the TrueShares Quarterly Bear Hedge ETF had $5,241,385 short-term and $0 long-term capital loss carry forwards, not subject to expiration.
The Funds will be subject to a nondeductible 4% federal excise tax on certain undistributed income if it does not distribute to its shareholders in each calendar year an amount at least equal to 98% of its ordinary income for the calendar year plus 98.2% of its capital gain net income for the one-year period ending on October 31 of that year, subject to an increase for any shortfall in the prior year’s distribution. For this purpose, any ordinary income or capital gain net income retained by the Funds and subject to corporate income tax will be considered to have been distributed. The Funds intend to declare and distribute dividends and distributions in the amounts and at the times necessary to avoid the application of the excise tax, but can make no assurances that all such tax liability will be eliminated. The Funds may in certain circumstances be required to liquidate Fund investments in order to make sufficient distributions to avoid federal excise tax liability at a time when the investment adviser might not otherwise have chosen to do so, and liquidation of investments in such circumstances may affect the ability of the Funds to satisfy the requirement for qualification as a RIC.
If the Funds meet the Distribution Requirement but retains some or all of its income or gains, it will be subject to federal income tax to the extent any such income or gains are not distributed. The Funds may designate certain amounts retained as undistributed net capital gain in a notice to its shareholders, who (i) will be required to include in income for U.S. federal income tax purposes, as long-term capital gain, their proportionate shares of the undistributed amount so designated, (ii) will be entitled to credit their proportionate shares of the income tax paid by the Funds on that undistributed amount against their federal income tax liabilities and to claim refunds to the extent such credits exceed their tax liabilities, and (iii) will be entitled to increase their tax basis, for federal income tax purposes, in their Shares by an amount equal to the excess of the amount of undistributed net capital gain included in their respective income over their respective income tax credits.
27
Taxation of Shareholders – Distributions. The Funds intend to distribute annually to its shareholders substantially all of its investment company taxable income (computed without regard to the deduction for dividends paid), its net tax-exempt income, if any, and any net capital gain (net recognized long-term capital gains in excess of net recognized short-term capital losses, taking into account any capital loss carryforwards). The distribution of investment company taxable income (as so computed) and net realized capital gain will be taxable to Funds’ shareholders regardless of whether the shareholder receives these distributions in cash or reinvests them in additional Shares.
The Funds (or your broker) will report to shareholders annually the amounts of dividends paid from ordinary income, the amount of distributions of net capital gain, the portion of dividends which may qualify for the dividends-received deduction for corporations, and the portion of dividends which may qualify for treatment as qualified dividend income, which is taxable to non-corporate shareholders at rates of up to 20%.
Qualified dividend income includes, in general, subject to certain holding period and other requirements, dividend income from taxable domestic corporations and certain foreign corporations. Subject to certain limitations, eligible foreign corporations include those incorporated in possessions of the United States, those incorporated in certain countries with comprehensive tax treaties with the United States, and other foreign corporations if the stock with respect to which the dividends are paid is readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States. Dividends received by the Funds from an ETF, an underlying fund taxable as a RIC, or from a REIT may be treated as qualified dividend income generally only to the extent so reported by such ETF, underlying fund, or REIT, however, dividends received by the Fund from a REIT are generally not treated as qualified dividend income. If 95% or more of the Fund’s gross income (calculated without taking into account net capital gain derived from sales or other dispositions of stock or securities) consists of qualified dividend income, the Funds may report all distributions of such income as qualified dividend income.
Fund dividends will not be treated as qualified dividend income if the Fund does not meet holding period and other requirements with respect to dividend paying stocks in its portfolio, and the shareholder does not meet holding period and other requirements with respect to the Shares on which the dividends were paid.
Distributions by the Funds of its net short-term capital gains will be taxable as ordinary income. Distributions from the Funds’ net capital gain will be taxable to shareholders at long-term capital gains rates, regardless of how long shareholders have held their Shares. Distributions may be subject to state and local taxes.
In the case of corporate shareholders, certain dividends received by the Funds from U.S. corporations (generally, dividends received by the Funds in respect of any share of stock (1) with a tax holding period of at least 46 days during the 91-day period beginning on the date that is 45 days before the date on which the stock becomes ex-dividend as to that dividend and (2) that is held in an unleveraged position) and distributed and appropriately so reported by the Funds may be eligible for the 50% dividends received deduction. Certain preferred stock must have a holding period of at least 91 days during the 181-day period beginning on the date that is 90 days before the date on which the stock becomes ex-dividend as to that dividend to be eligible. Capital gain dividends distributed to the Funds from other RICs are not eligible for the dividends received deduction. To qualify for the deduction, corporate shareholders must meet the minimum holding period requirement stated above with respect to their Shares, taking into account any holding period reductions from certain hedging or other transactions or positions that diminish their risk of loss with respect to their Shares, and, if they borrow to acquire or otherwise incur debt attributable to Shares, they may be denied a portion of the dividends received deduction with respect to those Shares.
Under recently issued final Treasury Regulations, a RIC that receives business interest income may pass through its net business interest income for purposes of the tax rules applicable to the interest expense limitations under Section 163(j) of the Code. A RIC’s total “Section 163(j) Interest Dividend” for a tax year is limited to the excess of the RIC’s business interest income over the sum of its business interest expense and its other deductions properly allocable to its business interest income. A RIC may, in its discretion, designate all or a portion of ordinary dividends as Section 163(j) Interest Dividends, which would allow the recipient shareholder to treat the designated portion of such dividends as interest income for purposes of determining such shareholder’s interest expense deduction limitation under Section 163(j). This can potentially increase the amount of a shareholder’s interest expense deductible under Section 163(j). In general, to be eligible to treat a Section 163(j) Interest Dividend as interest income, you must have held your shares in the Funds for more than 180 days during the 361-day period beginning on the date that is 180 days before the date on which the share becomes ex-dividend with respect to such dividend. Section 163(j) Interest Dividends, if so designated by the Funds, will be reported to your financial intermediary or otherwise in accordance with the requirements specified by the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”).
Although dividends generally will be treated as distributed when paid, any dividend declared by the Funds in October, November or December and payable to shareholders of record in such a month that is paid during the following January will be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as received by shareholders on December 31 of the calendar year in which it was declared.
28
Shareholders who have not held Shares for a full year should be aware that the Funds may report and distribute, as ordinary dividends or capital gain dividends, a percentage of income that is not equal to the percentage of each Fund’s ordinary income or net capital gain, respectively, actually earned during the applicable shareholder’s period of investment in the Funds. A taxable shareholder may wish to avoid investing in the Funds shortly before a dividend or other distribution, because the distribution will generally be taxable even though it may economically represent a return of a portion of the shareholder’s investment.
29
To the extent that the Funds make a distribution of income received by the Funds in lieu of dividends (a “substitute payment”) with respect to securities on loan pursuant to a securities lending transaction, such income will not constitute qualified dividend income to individual shareholders and will not be eligible for the dividends received deduction for corporate shareholders.
If the Funds’ distributions exceed its earnings and profits, all or a portion of the distributions made for a taxable year may be recharacterized as a return of capital to shareholders. A return of capital distribution will generally not be taxable, but will reduce each shareholder’s cost basis in the Funds and result in a higher capital gain or lower capital loss when the Shares on which the distribution was received are sold. After a shareholder’s basis in the Shares has been reduced to zero, distributions in excess of earnings and profits will be treated as gain from the sale of the shareholder’s Shares.
Taxation of Shareholders – Sale, Redemption, or Exchange of Shares. A sale, redemption, or exchange of Shares may give rise to a gain or loss. For tax purposes, an exchange of your Fund shares of a different fund is the same as a sale. In general, any gain or loss realized upon a taxable disposition of Shares will be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if Shares have been held for more than 12 months. Otherwise, the gain or loss on the taxable disposition of Shares will generally be treated as short-term capital gain or loss. Any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of Shares held for six months or less will be treated as long-term capital loss, rather than short-term capital loss, to the extent of any amounts treated as distributions to the shareholder of long-term capital gain (including any amounts credited to the shareholder as undistributed capital gains). All or a portion of any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of Shares may be disallowed if substantially identical Shares are acquired (through the reinvestment of dividends or otherwise) within a 61-day period beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the disposition. In such a case, the basis of the newly acquired Shares will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss.
The cost basis of Shares acquired by purchase will generally be based on the amount paid for Shares and then may be subsequently adjusted for other applicable transactions as required by the Code. The difference between the selling price and the cost basis of Shares generally determines the amount of the capital gain or loss realized on the sale or exchange of Shares. Contact the broker through whom you purchased your Shares to obtain information with respect to the available cost basis reporting methods and elections for your account.
An Authorized Participant who exchanges securities for Creation Units generally will recognize a gain or a loss. The gain or loss will be equal to the difference between the market value of the Creation Units at the time and the sum of the exchanger’s aggregate basis in the securities surrendered plus the amount of cash paid for such Creation Units. A person who redeems Creation Units will generally recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the exchanger’s basis in the Creation Units and the sum of the aggregate market value of any securities received plus the amount of any cash received for such Creation Units. The ability of Authorized Participants to receive a full or partial cash redemption of Creation Units of the Funds may limit the tax efficiency of such Fund. The IRS, however, may assert that a loss realized upon an exchange of securities for Creation Units cannot currently be deducted under the rules governing “wash sales” (for a person who does not mark-to-market its portfolio) or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic position.
Any gain or loss realized upon a creation or redemption of Creation Units will be treated as capital or ordinary gain or loss, depending on the circumstances. Any capital gain or loss realized upon the creation of Creation Units will generally be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the securities exchanged for such Creation Units have been held for more than one year. Any capital gain or loss realized upon the redemption of Creation Units will generally be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if Shares comprising the Creation Units have been held for more than one year. Otherwise, such capital gains or losses will generally be treated as short-term capital gains or losses. Any capital loss upon a redemption of Creation Units held for six months or less may be treated as long-term capital loss to the extent of any amounts treated as distributions to the applicable Authorized Participant of long-term capital gain with respect to the Creation Units (including any amounts credited to the Authorized Participant as undistributed capital gains).
The Trust, on behalf of the Funds, has the right to reject an order for Creation Units if the purchaser (or a group of purchasers) would, upon obtaining the Creation Units so ordered, own 80% or more of the outstanding Shares and if, pursuant to Section 351 of the Code, the Funds would have a basis in the deposit securities different from the market value of such securities on the date of deposit. The Trust also has the right to require the provision of information necessary to determine beneficial Share ownership for purposes of the 80% determination. If the Funds does issue Creation Units to a purchaser (or a group of purchasers) that would, upon obtaining the Creation Units so ordered, own 80% or more of the outstanding Shares, the purchaser (or a group of purchasers) will not recognize gain or loss upon the exchange of securities for Creation Units.
Authorized Participants purchasing or redeeming Creation Units should consult their own tax advisers with respect to the tax treatment of any creation or redemption transaction and whether the wash sales rule applies and when a loss may be deductible.
Taxation of Shareholders – Net Investment Income Tax. U.S. individuals with adjusted gross income (subject to certain adjustments) exceeding certain threshold amounts ($250,000 if married filing jointly or if considered a “surviving spouse” for federal income tax purposes, $125,000 if married filing separately, and $200,000 in other cases) are subject to a 3.8% tax on all or a portion of their “net investment income,” which includes taxable interest, dividends, and certain capital gains (generally including capital gain distributions and capital gains realized on the sale of Shares). This 3.8% tax also applies to all or a portion of the undistributed net investment income of certain shareholders that are estates and trusts.
30
Taxation of Fund Investments. Certain of the Funds’ investments may be subject to complex provisions of the Code (including provisions relating to hedging transactions, straddles, integrated transactions, foreign currency contracts, forward foreign currency contracts, and notional principal contracts) that, among other things, may affect the Funds’ ability to qualify as a RIC, affect the character of gains and losses realized by the Funds (e.g., may affect whether gains or losses are ordinary or capital), accelerate recognition of income to the Funds and defer losses. These rules could therefore affect the character, amount and timing of distributions to shareholders. These provisions also may require the Funds to mark to market certain types of positions in its portfolio (i.e., treat them as if they were closed out) which may cause the Funds to recognize income without the Funds receiving cash with which to make distributions in amounts sufficient to enable the Funds to satisfy the RIC distribution requirements for avoiding income and excise taxes. The Funds intends to monitor its transactions, intends to make appropriate tax elections, and intends to make appropriate entries in its books and records in order to mitigate the effect of these rules and preserve the Funds’ qualification for treatment as a RIC. To the extent the Funds invests in an underlying fund that is taxable as a RIC, the rules applicable to the tax treatment of complex securities will also apply to the underlying funds that also invest in such complex securities and investments.
Backup Withholding. The Funds will be required in certain cases to withhold (as “backup withholding”) on amounts payable to any shareholder who (1) fails to provide a correct taxpayer identification number certified under penalty of perjury; (2) is subject to backup withholding by the IRS for failure to properly report all payments of interest or dividends; (3) fails to provide a certified statement that he or she is not subject to “backup withholding”; or (4) fails to provide a certified statement that he or she is a U.S. person (including a U.S. resident alien). The backup withholding rate is currently 24%. Backup withholding is not an additional tax and any amounts withheld may be credited against the shareholder’s ultimate U.S. tax liability. Backup withholding will not be applied to payments that have been subject to the 30% withholding tax on shareholders who are neither citizens nor permanent residents of the U.S.
Non-U.S. Shareholders. Any non-U.S. investors in the Funds may be subject to U.S. withholding and estate tax and are encouraged to consult their tax advisers prior to investing in the Funds. Foreign shareholders (i.e., nonresident alien individuals and foreign corporations, partnerships, trusts and estates) are generally subject to U.S. withholding tax at the rate of 30% (or a lower tax treaty rate) on distributions derived from taxable ordinary income. The Funds may, under certain circumstances, report all or a portion of a dividend as an “interest-related dividend” or a “short-term capital gain dividend,” which would generally be exempt from this 30% U.S. withholding tax, provided certain other requirements are met. Short-term capital gain dividends received by a nonresident alien individual who is present in the U.S. for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the taxable year are not exempt from this 30% withholding tax. Gains realized by foreign shareholders from the sale or other disposition of Shares generally are not subject to U.S. taxation, unless the recipient is an individual who is physically present in the U.S. for 183 days or more per year. Foreign shareholders who fail to provide an applicable IRS form may be subject to backup withholding on certain payments from the Funds. Backup withholding will not be applied to payments that are subject to the 30% (or lower applicable treaty rate) withholding tax described in this paragraph. Different tax consequences may result if the foreign shareholder is engaged in a trade or business within the United States. In addition, the tax consequences to a foreign shareholder entitled to claim the benefits of a tax treaty may be different than those described above.
Under legislation generally known as “FATCA” (the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act), the Funds are required to withhold 30% of certain ordinary dividends it pays to shareholders that fail to meet prescribed information reporting or certification requirements. In general, no such withholding will be required with respect to a U.S. person or non-U.S. person that timely provides the certifications required by a fund or its agent on a valid IRS Form W-9 or applicable series of IRS Form W-8, respectively. Shareholders potentially subject to withholding include foreign financial institutions (“FFIs”), such as non-U.S. investment funds, and non-financial foreign entities (“NFFEs”). To avoid withholding under FATCA, an FFI generally must enter into an information sharing agreement with the IRS in which it agrees to report certain identifying information (including name, address, and taxpayer identification number) with respect to its U.S. account holders (which, in the case of an entity shareholder, may include its direct and indirect U.S. owners), and an NFFE generally must identify and provide other required information to the Funds or other withholding agent regarding its U.S. owners, if any. Such non-U.S. shareholders also may fall into certain exempt, excepted or deemed compliant categories as established by regulations and other guidance. A non-U.S. shareholder resident or doing business in a country that has entered into an intergovernmental agreement with the United States to implement FATCA will be exempt from FATCA withholding provided that the shareholder and the applicable foreign government comply with the terms of the agreement.
A non-U.S. entity that invests in the Funds will need to provide the Funds with documentation properly certifying the entity’s status under FATCA in order to avoid FATCA withholding. Non-U.S. investors in the Funds should consult their tax advisors in this regard.
Tax-Exempt Shareholders. Certain tax-exempt shareholders, including qualified pension plans, individual retirement accounts, salary deferral arrangements, 401(k) plans, and other tax-exempt entities, generally are exempt from federal income taxation except with respect to their unrelated business taxable income (“UBTI”). Tax-exempt entities are not permitted to offset losses from one unrelated trade or business against the income or gain of another unrelated trade or business. Certain net losses incurred prior to January 1, 2018 are permitted to offset gain and income created by an unrelated trade or business, if otherwise available. Under current law, the Funds generally serves to block UBTI from being realized by its tax-exempt shareholders with respect to their shares of Fund income. However, notwithstanding the foregoing, tax-exempt shareholders could realize UBTI by virtue of their investment in the Funds if, for example, (i) the Funds invests in residual interests of Real Estate Mortgage Investment Conduits (“REMICs”), (ii) the Funds invests in a REIT that is a taxable mortgage pool (“TMP”) or that has a subsidiary that is a TMP or that invests in the residual interest of a REMIC, or (iii) Shares constitute debt-financed property in the hands of the tax-exempt shareholders within the meaning of section 514(b) of the Code. Charitable remainder trusts are subject to special rules and should consult their tax advisers. The IRS has issued guidance with respect to these issues and prospective shareholders, especially charitable remainder trusts, are strongly encouraged to consult with their tax advisers regarding these issues.
31
The Funds’ shares held in a tax-qualified retirement account will generally not be subject to federal taxation on income and capital gains distributions from the Funds until a shareholder begins receiving payments from their retirement account. Because each shareholder’s tax situation is different, shareholders should consult their tax advisors with specific reference to their own tax situations, including their state, local, and foreign tax liabilities.
Certain Potential Tax Reporting Requirements. Under U.S. Treasury regulations, if a shareholder recognizes a loss on disposition of Shares of $2 million or more for an individual shareholder or $10 million or more for a corporate shareholder (or certain greater amounts over a combination of years), the shareholder must file with the IRS a disclosure statement on IRS Form 8886. Direct shareholders of portfolio securities are in many cases excepted from this reporting requirement, but under current guidance, shareholders of a RIC are not excepted. Significant penalties may be imposed for the failure to comply with the reporting requirements. The fact that a loss is reportable under these regulations does not affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayer’s treatment of the loss is proper. Shareholders should consult their tax advisers to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances.
Other Issues. In those states which have income tax laws, the tax treatment of Funds and of Fund shareholders with respect to distributions by the Funds may differ from federal tax treatment.
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
The audited financial statements and report of the independent registered public accounting firm required to be included in this SAI are hereby incorporated by reference to the Funds’ Form N-CSR filed with the SEC for fiscal period ended October 31, 2025. You can obtain a copy of the Funds’ Form N-CSR without charge by calling the Funds at 1.877.774.TRUE (8783).
32
APPENDIX A
Proxy Voting Policies
Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures
TrueMark Investments, LLC (the “Firm” and “Advisor”)
General Proxy Voting Policies
The Firm understands and appreciates the importance of proxy voting. To the extent that Firm has discretion to vote the proxies of its registered investment company clients (“RIC Clients”), Firm will vote any such proxies in the best interests of its RIC Clients and in accordance with the policies of the Proxy Service Provider(s)1 (“Provider(s)”), as designated by the Firm, and the procedures outlined below.
Proxy Voting Procedures
| 1) | All proxies sent to the RIC Clients that are actually received by the Firm or recorded by the Provider(s) (to vote on behalf of the RIC Clients) will be provided to the Firm. |
| 2) | The Firm will instruct the Provider(s) to generally adhere to the following procedures (subject to limited exception): |
| a) | A written record of each proxy received by the Firm or recorded by the Provider(s) (on behalf of its RIC Clients) will be kept in Firm’s files; |
| b) | The Provider(s) and the Firm will determine which of Firm’s RIC Clients hold the security to which the proxy relates; |
| c) | The Firm will review the proxy and, based upon the advice/recommendation from the Provider(s), determine how to vote the proxy in question in accordance with the guidelines set forth herein. |
| d) | Prior to voting any proxies, the Firm will attempt to determine if there are any conflicts of interest related to the proxy in question. If a conflict is identified, the Chief Compliance Officer will be notified so a determination can be made as to whether the conflict is material or not. |
| i) | If no material conflict is identified pursuant to these procedures, the Firm will make a decision on how to vote the proxy in question. |
Handling Conflicts of Interest
| 1) | As stated above, in evaluating how to vote a proxy, the Firm will first determine whether there is a conflict of interest related to the proxy in question between Firm and its advisory clients. This examination will include (but will not be limited to) an evaluation of whether the Firm (or any affiliate of the Firm has any relationship with the company or an affiliate of the company) to which the proxy relates outside an investment in such company by a RIC Client of the Firm. |
| 2) | If a conflict is identified and deemed “material” by the Firm after consultation with the CCO, the Firm will determine whether voting in accordance with these proxy voting guidelines is in the best interests of affected RIC Clients. |
Voting Guidelines
In the absence of specific voting guidelines mandated by a particular RIC Client, the Firm will endeavor to vote proxies in the best interests of each RIC Client via the Provider(s) policy.
In some foreign markets where proxy voting demands fee payment for agent services, the Firm will balance the cost and benefit of proxy voting and may give up the proxy voting if the cost associated is greater than the benefits from voting.
| 1) | Although how proxies are voted is subject to the discretion of the Firm, the Firm is of the view that voting proxies in accordance with the following general guidelines is in the best interests of its RIC Clients: |
| a) | The Firm will generally vote in favor of routine corporate housekeeping proposals including, but not limited to, the following: |
| i) | Election of directors (where there are no related corporate governance issues); |
1 Before engaging a proxy provider and during the course of the relationship, the Firm will conduct appropriate due diligence/oversight. Records of this due diligence/oversight will be maintained in the Firm’s records.
| ii) | Selection or reappointment of auditors; or |
| iii) | Increasing or reclassification of common stock. |
| b) | The Firm will generally vote against proposals that: |
| i) | Make it more difficult to replace members of the issuer’s board of directors or board of managers; and |
| ii) | Introduce unequal voting rights (although there may be regulatory reasons that would make such a proposal favorable to certain RIC Clients of the Firm). |
| c) | The Firm will generally vote against proposals that make it more difficult for an issuer to be taken over by outsiders, and in favor of proposals to do the opposite. |
| d) | The Firm will generally vote in favor of proposals by management or shareholders concerning various compensation and stock option plans that will act to make management and employee compensation more dependent on long-term stock price performance. |
| e) | The Firm will generally vote against proposals to move the company to another state less favorable to shareholders’ interests, or to restructure classes of stock in such a way as to benefit one class of shareholders at the expense of another, such as dual classes (A and B shares) of stock. |
Disclosure of Procedures
For RIC Clients, the Firm will work with the RIC Clients to provide the necessary information for the Form N-PX and will review such information for accuracy.
Record-keeping Requirements
The Firm via the Provider(s) will be responsible for maintaining files relating to the Firm’s proxy voting procedures. Records will be maintained and preserved for five (5) years from the end of the fiscal year during which the last entry was made on a record, with records for the first two (2) years kept in the offices of the Firm. The Firm is permitted to maintain these records in electronic format. Records of the following will be included in the files:
| 1) | Copies of these proxy voting policies and procedures, and any amendments thereto; |
| 2) | A copy of each proxy statement that the Firm or the Provider(s) actually receives; provided, however, that the Firm may rely on obtaining a copy of proxy statements from the SEC’s EDGAR system for those proxy statements that are so available; |
| 3) | A record of each vote that the Firm via the Provider(s) casts; |
| 4) | A copy of any document that the Firm created that was material to making a decision how to vote the proxies, or memorializes that decision (if any); and |
| 5) | A copy of each written request for information on how the Firm voted such RIC Clients’ proxies and a copy of any written response to any request for information on how the Firm voted proxies on behalf of the RIC Clients. |
PROSPECTUS
February 27, 2026
TrueShares Seasonality Laddered Buffered ETF (ONEZ)
|
| Principal U.S. Listing Exchange: (Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc.) |
a series of Elevation Series Trust
This Prospectus provides important information about TRUESHARES SEASONALITY LADDERED BUFFERED ETF that you should know before investing. Please read it carefully and keep it for future reference.
THE U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION (“SEC”) HAS NOT APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED OF THESE SECURITIES OR PASSED UPON THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS PROSPECTUS. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
The investment objective of TrueShares Seasonality Laddered Buffered ETF (the “Fund”) is capital appreciation with the potential for lower volatility relative to the broader U.S. large cap equity market.
The following table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund (“Shares”). You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table and Example below.
| Management Fees | |
| Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees | |
| Other Expenses | |
| Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses1 | |
| Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses |
| 1 |
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then hold or sell all of your Shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. The Example does not take into account brokerage commissions that you may pay on your purchases and sales of Shares. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
| 1 Year | 3 Years | 5 Years | 10 Years |
| $ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
The
Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio).
A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Shares are held in
a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s
performance. For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2025, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was
1
The Fund is an actively managed exchange-traded fund (“ETF”) that seeks to achieve its investment objective by using a fund-of-funds approach. The Fund’s investment adviser, TrueMark Investments, LLC, invests in a portfolio of ETFs with returns (before fees and expenses) linked to a broad-based securities market price index representing 500 U.S. predominantly large capitalization companies (the “Index”) and ETFs with an investment strategy significantly exposed to securities or indexes that are representative of U.S. large capitalization companies. The Fund defines large-capitalization companies as those with market capitalizations above $10 billion at the time of investment. As of November 29, 2024, a significant portion of the Index is represented by securities of companies in the technology sector. The components of the Index are likely to change over time. The Index-linked ETFs employ a buffered strategy and the other ETFs employ a general hedging strategy.
Buffered refers to a strategy that uses options to seek to mitigate losses. The Buffered ETFs (defined below) selected by the adviser employ a “buffer protect” options strategy that uses options on the Index or an ETF that seeks to track the performance of the Index to seek to achieve exposure to the upside performance of the Index over a 12-month period (an “Investment Period”) (before fees and expenses) while seeking to protect against the first 8% to 12% of Index losses (before fees and expenses) over the duration of the Investment Period. However, the Buffered ETFs will bear all Index losses exceeding their respective buffer. The buffer is designed to provide the stated protection only if shares of a Buffered ETF are purchased on the first day of an Investment Period (an “Initial Investment Day”) and held until the last day of the Investment Period. The Buffered ETFs’ performance during an Investment Period may not provide the protection of the buffer. At the conclusion of each one-year Investment Period, a new one-year Investment Period begins and the buffer is reset. Due to the fees and expenses of the Buffered ETFs, and partially due to the cost of the options used by the Buffered ETFs, a Buffered ETF’s performance is expected to be less than that of the Index, and could be substantially less. Each Buffered ETF also invests in U.S. Treasury bills or money market funds that invest in U.S. Treasury bills, which contributes income and partial principal protection to each Buffered ETF’s return profile. Unlike the Buffered ETFs, the Fund itself does not pursue a buffered strategy. The buffer is only provided by the Buffered ETFs and the Fund itself does not provide any stated buffer against losses.
Laddered in the Fund’s name refers to the adviser’s selection of a portfolio of the Buffered ETFs that, in total, represent a reset in each of the 12 months, January through December. The adviser believes this time ladder approach will help reduce the risk of single-month unfavorable outcomes. It creates diversification of investment time periods compared to the risk of acquiring or disposing of any one Buffered ETF at any one time, which mitigates the risk of failing to benefit from the buffer of a single Buffered ETF due to the timing of investment in such Buffered ETF. Depending on when the Fund acquires shares of a Buffered ETF, even with a laddered approach, the buffer of a Buffered ETF may be exhausted and the Fund may receive no benefit from the buffer unless the Fund acquires shares of the Buffered ETF on an Initial Investment Day. The Fund does not typically buy shares on the Initial Investment Day nor sell shares at the end of an Investment Period. Because of the timing of the Fund’s purchases and sales of the Buffered ETFs, the Fund will likely not receive the full benefit of the Buffered ETFs’ buffers.
The Hedged ETFs (the TrueShares Quarterly Bull Hedge ETF (the “Bull ETF”) and the TrueShares Quarterly Bear Hedge ETF (the “Bear ETF”)) selected by the adviser employ a more general hedging strategy to protect against market losses, typically over rolling three-month periods. The Bull ETF aims to provide the benefits of partial equity exposure while mitigating the risk posed by a decline in U.S. equity markets and the Bear ETF aims to provide substantial protection of principal and generation of interest income while maintaining the potential to create positive returns in the event of a decline in U.S. equity markets. Each Hedged ETF seeks to achieve its goals by investing substantially all its assets in a portfolio of high quality short-term fixed-income income debt securities. The Hedged ETFs anticipate a typical maturity of three months for their income portfolio but may invest in securities with a duration of one-year or less. The Hedged ETFs also invest without restriction as to issuer type but anticipate investing primarily in securities of the U.S. Government, its agencies, instrumentalities and sponsored enterprises; fixed-income ETFs; and corporations. The Bull ETF combines this income component with a modest investment in call options on securities or indexes that are representative of U.S. large capitalization companies, whereas the Bear ETF combines the income component with a modest investment in put options on securities or indexes that are representative of U.S. large capitalization companies. The Hedged ETFs are designed to provide protection of at least 98% of principal on a quarter-to-quarter basis. The Hedged ETFs and Buffered ETFs are each an “Underlying ETF.”
2
The adviser adjusts the Fund’s portfolio monthly based upon its proprietary historical seasonality ratings scale, which incorporates the historical monthly performance tendencies of U.S. large cap equities beginning in 1927. This rating scale assigns each month an expected performance rank from 1 to 12. Based on a month’s expected performance, the adviser will adjust the Fund’s portfolio among the 14 constituent Underlying ETFs. The adviser considers the amount of equity upside each Underlying ETF is expected to capture in an attempt to optimize the expected gains of the Fund’s portfolio as a whole. For example, an Underlying ETF that had its buffer set when U.S. large cap equity prices were higher, would tend to rise less than U.S. large cap equity prices in general. That is, it would have less than one-for-one “upside sensitivity” to U.S. large cap equity prices. Each month, the adviser evaluates the upside sensitivity of each Underlying ETF and maximizes exposure for months with the highest expected performance rank, subject to certain minimum and maximum limits on each Underlying ETF. The Fund invests between 4.0% and 12.5% in each Buffered ETF and between 2.5% and 11.25% in each Hedged ETF. The Fund intends only to acquire shares of Underlying ETFs in the secondary market.
The buffered ETFs in which the Fund typically invests are the TrueShares Structured Outcome (January) ETF, TrueShares Structured Outcome (February) ETF, TrueShares Structured Outcome (March) ETF, TrueShares Structured Outcome (April) ETF, TrueShares Structured Outcome (May) ETF, TrueShares Structured Outcome (June) ETF, TrueShares Structured Outcome (July) ETF, TrueShares Structured Outcome (August) ETF, TrueShares Structured Outcome (September) ETF, TrueShares Structured Outcome (October) ETF, TrueShares Structured Outcome (November) ETF, and TrueShares Structured Outcome (December) ETF (each a “Buffered ETF” and collectively, the “Buffered ETFs”). The hedging ETFs in which the Fund invests are the Bull ETF and the Bear ETF (collectively, the “Hedged ETFs”). The adviser to the Fund also serves as the investment adviser to the Buffered ETFs and Hedged ETFs.
The Fund is classified as a “non-diversified” investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, which means that the Fund may invest a higher percentage of its assets in a fewer number of issuers than is permissible for a “diversified” fund.
The Fund may engage in frequent trading of the Underlying ETFs’ shares.
Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund
The
principal risks of investing in the Fund are summarized below. Each risk summarized below is considered a “principal risk”
of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears.
| ● | Active Management Risk. The adviser’s judgments about an investment may prove to be incorrect or fail to have the intended results, which could adversely impact the Fund’s performance. Allocations among Buffered ETFs and Hedged ETFs may not produce capital appreciation or lower volatility; and may not be effective in protecting against loss. |
| ● | Buffered Loss Risk. There can be no guarantee that a Buffered ETF will be successful in its strategy to provide buffer protection against Index losses if the Index decreases over the Investment Period by 8% to 12% or less. If the Index decreases over an Investment Period by more than 8% to 12%, the Fund may lose its entire investment in the Buffered ETF. Each Buffered ETF’s strategy seeks to deliver returns that track the Index (but will be less than that of the Index due to the Buffered ETFs’ operating expenses as reflected in the fee table, and partially due to the cost of the options used by a Buffered ETF), while limiting downside losses, if shares of the Buffered ETF are bought on its Initial Investment Day and held for the duration of the Investment Period. In the event the Fund purchases shares of the Buffer ETF after the Initial Investment Day or sells shares prior to the end of the Investment Period, the buffer that the Buffered ETF seeks to provide may not be available. A Buffered ETF does not provide full protection of principal and is only designed to protect against declines of less than 8% to 12% in the value of the Index. The Fund may experience significant losses on its investment, including the loss of its entire investment. |
3
| ● | Purchase and Sale Timing Risk. The Buffered ETFs are designed to protect against the first 8% to 12% decline (before fees and expenses and the small effect of the cost of the options) in the value of the Index and provide for participation in any gains (before fees and expenses and the small effect of the cost of the options) of the Index for an Investment Period. Because the options purchased and written by a Buffered ETF will expire on the next Initial Investment Day, if the Fund purchases or sell shares of a Buffered ETF on a date other than an Initial Investment Day or if the Fund holds shares for more or less than the duration of an Investment Period, the value of the Fund’s investment may not be protected against the first 8% to 12% (before fees and expenses and the small effect of the cost of the options) of Index losses and may not participate in any gain in the value of the Index. If the Fund purchases Buffered ETF shares during an Investment Period at a time when the Buffered ETF has decreased in value by 12% or more (before fees and expenses and the small effect of the cost of the options) from the value of the Buffered ETF on the Initial Investment Day, the Fund’s buffer with respect to that investment will essentially be zero (meaning the Fund can lose its entire investment). The value of the options purchased and written by a Buffered ETF is dependent on, among other factors, the value, implied volatility, and implied dividend rate of the Index and interest rates, any or all of which may vary, sometimes significantly, during the period from the most recent Initial Investment Day to the next Initial Investment Day. Consequently, the value of the Buffered ETF may not directly track changes in the value of the Index in between Initial Investment Days. |
●
|
FLEX Options Risk. The Underlying ETFs invest in FLEX Options issued and guaranteed for settlement by the OCC. The Underlying ETFs bear the risk that the OCC will be unable or unwilling to perform its obligations under the FLEX Options contracts. In the unlikely event that the OCC cannot meet its obligations, the Fund could suffer significant losses. Additionally, FLEX Options may be more illiquid than other securities, including traditional options. To the extent that the FLEX options may not be expected to experience regular trading, the FLEX options held by the Underlying ETFs may be valued based on a price quotation or other equivalent indication of value supplied by a pricing service, rather than based on a price last traded on an exchange. In less liquid markets for FLEX options, the Underlying ETFs may have difficulty entering into or closing out certain positions at designated times and/or prices. To the extent market participants are not willing or able to enter into FLEX option transactions with the Underlying ETFs at prices that reflect the market price of the shares, the Underlying ETF’s NAV and, in turn the share price of the Underlying ETF, could suffer significant losses. As a FLEX option approaches its predetermined expiration date, its value typically moves in parallel with the value of its underlying reference asset. However, prior to such date, the value of the FLEX options may not increase or decrease at the same rate as the reference asset’s share price on a day-to-day basis. The value of the underlying FLEX options will be affected by many market factors, such as changes in the reference asset’s share price, interest rates, the volatility of the reference asset, and the remaining time to until the FLEX options expire. |
| ● | Options Risk. Buying and selling (writing) options are speculative activities and entail greater than ordinary investment risks. As the buyer of a call option, an Underlying ETF risks losing the entire premium invested in the option if the Underlying ETF does not exercise the option. As the seller of a put option, the Underlying ETF will lose money if the value of the reference index or security falls below the strike price and the buyer exercise the option; however, such loss will be partially offset by any premium received from the sale of the option. |
| ● | Derivatives Risk. Options are a derivative investment. The Underlying ETFs’ use of derivatives involves risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other traditional investments. These risks include (i) the risk that the counterparty to a derivative transaction may not fulfill its contractual obligations; (ii) the risk of mispricing or improper valuation; and (iii) the risk that changes in the value of a derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset or index. Derivative prices may be highly volatile at times and may fluctuate substantially during a short period of time. |
| ● | Non-Diversification Risk. Because the Fund is non-diversified and may invest a greater portion of its assets in fewer issuers than a diversified fund, changes in the market value of a single portfolio holding could cause greater fluctuations in the Fund’s share price than would occur in a diversified fund. This may increase the Fund’s volatility and cause the performance of a single portfolio holding or a relatively small number of portfolio holdings to have a greater impact on the Fund’s performance. |
| ● | Underlying Funds Risk. The Fund, as a shareholder of the Underlying ETFs, indirectly bears its proportionate share of any investment management fees and other expenses of the Underlying ETFs. Further, due to the fees and expenses paid by the Fund, as well as variations in the Fund’s actual allocations to the Underlying ETFs, the performance and income distributions of the Fund will not be the same as the performance and income distributions of the Underlying ETFs. |
4
| ● | Sector Concentration Risk. The Underlying ETFs may focus their investments in securities of a particular sector or group of sectors. Economic, legislative or regulatory developments may occur that significantly affect such sector or group of sectors. This may cause the Underlying ETFs, and thereby the Fund’s, net asset value to fluctuate more than that of a fund that does not focus in a particular sector or group of sectors. The Underlying ETFs, and thereby the Fund, have significant exposure to the technology sector. Technology companies face intense competition and potentially rapid product obsolescence. Technology companies are heavily dependent on patent and intellectual property rights, the loss or impairment of which may adversely affect profitability. |
| ● | Early Close/Trading Halt Risk. An exchange or market may close or issue trading halts on specific securities, or the ability to buy or sell certain securities or financial instruments may be restricted, which may prevent the Fund from buying or selling certain securities or financial instruments. In these circumstances, the Fund may be unable to rebalance its portfolio, may be unable to accurately price its investments and may incur substantial trading losses. |
| ● | Equity Market Risk. The Underlying ETFs invest in options on the Index or ETFs with an investment strategy significantly exposed to the performance of the Index, which are made up of common stocks. Common stocks are susceptible to general stock market fluctuations and to volatile increases and decreases in value as market confidence in and perceptions of their issuers change. These investor perceptions are based on various and unpredictable factors including: expectations regarding government, economic, monetary and fiscal policies; inflation and interest rates; economic expansion or contraction; and global or regional political, economic, public health, and banking crises. If you held common stock, or common stock equivalents, of any given issuer, you would generally be exposed to greater risk than if you held preferred stocks and debt obligations of the issuer because common stockholders, or holders of equivalent interests, generally have inferior rights to receive payments from issuers in comparison with the rights of preferred stockholders, bondholders, and other creditors of such issuers. |
| ● | ETF Structure Risks. The Fund and the Underlying ETFs are ETFs, and, as a result of an ETF’s structure, the Fund and the Underlying ETFs are exposed to the following risks (for purposes of this risk factor, all references to “Fund” include the Fund and the Underlying ETFs): |
| ○ | Authorized Participants ("APs"), Market Makers, and Liquidity Providers Concentration Risk. The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as APs. In addition, there may be a limited number of market makers and/or liquidity providers in the marketplace. To the extent either of the following events occur, Shares may trade at a material discount to NAV and possibly face delisting: (i) APs exit the business or otherwise become unable to process creation and/or redemption orders and no other APs step forward to perform these services, or (ii) market makers and/or liquidity providers exit the business or significantly reduce their business activities and no other entities step forward to perform their functions. |
| ○ | Costs of Buying or Selling Shares. Due to the costs of buying or selling Shares, including brokerage commissions imposed by brokers and bid-ask spreads, frequent trading of Shares may significantly reduce investment results and an investment in Shares may not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments. |
| ○ | Shares May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV. As with all ETFs, Shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. Although it is expected that the market price of Shares will approximate the Fund’s NAV, there may be times when the market price of Shares is more than the NAV intra-day (premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (discount) due to supply and demand of Shares or during periods of market volatility. This risk is heightened in times of market volatility, periods of steep market declines, and periods when there is limited trading activity for Shares in the secondary market, in which case such premiums or discounts may be significant. |
| ○ | Trading. Although Shares are listed for trading on Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc. (the “Exchange”) and may be traded on U.S. exchanges other than the Exchange, there can be no assurance that Shares will trade with any volume, or at all, on any stock exchange. In stressed market conditions, the liquidity of Shares may begin to mirror the liquidity of the Fund’s underlying portfolio holdings, which can be significantly less liquid than Shares, and this could lead to differences between the market price of the Shares and the underlying value of those Shares. |
5
| ● | Fixed Income Securities Risk. When an Underlying ETF invests in fixed income securities, the value of the Fund’s investment in the Underlying ETF will fluctuate with changes in interest rates. Typically, a rise in interest rates causes a decline in the value of fixed income securities owned by the Underlying ETF. In general, the market price of fixed income securities with longer maturities will increase or decrease more in response to changes in interest rates than shorter-term securities. Other risk factors include credit risk (the debtor may default), extension risk (an issuer may exercise its right to repay principal on a fixed rate obligation held by the Underlying ETF later than expected), and prepayment risk (the debtor may pay its obligation early, reducing the amount of interest payments). These risks could affect the value of a particular investment by the Underlying ETF, possibly causing the Underlying ETF’s, and thereby the Fund’s, share price and total return to be reduced and fluctuate more than other types of investments. |
| ● | Large-Capitalization Investing Risk. The securities of large-capitalization companies may be relatively mature compared to smaller companies and therefore subject to slower growth during times of economic expansion. Large-capitalization companies may also be unable to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in technology and consumer tastes. |
| ● | Limited History Risk. The Fund has a limited history of operations for investors to evaluate. Investors in the Fund bear the risk that the Fund may not be successful in implementing its investment strategies, may be unable to implement certain of its investment strategies or may fail to attract sufficient assets, any of which could result in the Fund being liquidated and terminated at any time without shareholder approval and at a time that may not be favorable for all shareholders. Such a liquidation could have negative tax consequences for shareholders and will cause shareholders to incur expenses of liquidation. |
| ● | Options Tax Risk. An Underlying ETF’s investments in offsetting positions with respect to the Index may be considered “straddles” for U.S. federal income tax purposes. If positions held by an Underlying ETF were treated as “straddles” for federal income tax purposes, or the Underlying ETF’s risk of loss with respect to a position was otherwise diminished as set forth in Treasury regulations, dividends on stocks that are a part of such positions would not constitute qualified dividend income subject to such favorable income tax treatment. In addition, generally, straddles are subject to certain rules that may affect the amount, character and timing of the Underlying ETF’s gains and losses with respect to straddle positions.
|
| ● | Turnover Rate Risk. The Fund may have portfolio turnover rates significantly in excess of 100%. Increased portfolio turnover causes the Fund to incur higher brokerage costs, which may adversely affect the Fund’s performance and may produce increased taxable distributions. |
| ● | U.S. Government Risk. U.S. Treasury obligations are backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. government and generally have negligible credit risk. Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies or authorities and U.S. government-sponsored instrumentalities or enterprises may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. |
Management
| Adviser: | TrueMark Investments, LLC |
| Portfolio Manager: | Jeffrey Feldman, Portfolio Manager of TrueMark Investments, LLC and Quantitative Risk Manager of RiverNorth Capital Management, LLC, has served the Fund as portfolio manager since it commenced operations in January 2025. |
6
Purchase and Sale of Shares
Shares are listed on the Exchange, and individual Shares may only be bought and sold in the secondary market through brokers at market prices, rather than NAV. Because Shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, Shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount).
The Fund issues and redeems Shares at NAV only in large blocks known as “Creation Units,” which only APs (typically, broker-dealers) may purchase or redeem. The Fund generally issues and redeems Creation Units in exchange for a portfolio of securities and/ or a designated amount of U.S. cash.
Investors may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase Shares (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for Shares (ask) when buying or selling Shares in the secondary market (the “bid-ask spread”). Recent information about the Fund, including its NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads is available on the Fund’s website at www.True-Shares.com.
Tax Information
Fund distributions are generally taxable as ordinary income or capital gains (or a combination), unless your investment is in an IRA or other tax-advantaged account. Distributions on investments made through tax-deferred arrangements may be taxed later upon withdrawal of assets from those accounts.
Financial Intermediary Compensation
If you purchase Shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank) (an “Intermediary”), the adviser or its affiliates may pay Intermediaries for certain activities related to the Fund, including participation in activities that are designed to make Intermediaries more knowledgeable about exchange traded products, including the Fund, or for other activities, such as marketing, educational training or other initiatives related to the sale or promotion of Shares. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the Intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Any such arrangements do not result in increased Fund expenses. Ask your salesperson or visit the Intermediary’s website for more information.
Additional Information About the Fund
Additional Information About the Fund’s Investment Objective. The investment objective of TrueShares Seasonality Laddered Buffered ETF (the “Fund”) is capital appreciation with the potential for lower volatility relative to the broader U.S. large cap equity market.
The Fund’s investment objective may be changed by the Board of Trustees upon written notice to shareholders.
Additional Information About the Fund’s Investment Strategies.
The Fund is an actively managed exchange-traded fund (“ETF”) that seeks to achieve its investment objective by using a fund-of-funds approach. The Fund’s investment adviser, TrueMark Investments, LLC, invests in a portfolio of ETFs with returns (before fees and expenses) linked to a broad-based securities market price index representing 500 U.S. predominately large capitalization companies (the “Index”) and ETFs with an investment strategy significantly exposed to securities or indexes that are representative of U.S. large capitalization companies. As of November 29, 2024, a significant portion of the Index is represented by securities of companies in the technology sector. The components of the Index are likely to change over time. The Index-linked ETFs employ a buffered strategy and the other ETFs employ a general hedging strategy.
Buffered refers to a strategy that uses options to seek to mitigate losses. The buffered ETFs in which the Fund typically invests are the TrueShares Structured Outcome ETFs (the “Buffered ETFs”). The Buffered ETFs selected by the adviser are each designed to partially protect against the first 8% to 12% of Index losses over a 12-month period (an “Investment Period”) (before fees and expenses and the small effect of the cost of the options). However, the Buffered ETFs do not protect against losses larger than 8% to 12% and will bear all Index losses exceeding the buffer. The other ETFs selected by the adviser employ a more general hedging strategy to protect against market losses. These hedging ETFs are the TrueShares Quarterly Bull Hedge ETF (the “Bull ETF”) and TrueShares Quarterly Bear Hedge ETF (the “Bear ETF”) (collectively, the “Hedged ETFs”). The adviser also serves as the investment adviser to the Buffered ETFs and Hedged ETFs (collectively, the “Underlying ETFs”).
Under normal market conditions, the adviser anticipates that the Fund will invest 85%-90% of its assets in the Buffered ETFs and 10%-15% of its assets in the Hedged ETFs. The adviser believes that the Fund’s link to the Index will support the capital appreciation aspect of the Fund’s investment objective in rising markets, while the buffered and hedged dimension will support the lower volatility aspect of the Fund’s investment objective.
7
Laddered in the Fund’s name refers to the adviser’s selection of a portfolio of the Buffered ETFs that, in total, represent a reset in each of the 12 months, January through December. The adviser believes this time ladder approach will help reduce the risk of single-month unfavorable outcomes. It creates diversification of investment time periods compared to the risk of acquiring or disposing of any one Buffered ETF at any one time, which mitigates the risk of failing to benefit from the buffer of a single Buffered ETF due to the timing of investment in such Buffered ETF. Depending on when the Fund acquires shares of a Buffered ETF, even with a laddered approach, the buffer of a Buffered ETF may be exhausted, and the Fund may receive no benefit from the buffer unless the Fund acquires shares of the Buffered ETF on an Initial Investment Day. The Fund does not typically buy shares on the Initial Investment Day nor sell shares at the end of an Investment Period. Because of the timing of the Fund’s purchases and sales of the Buffered ETFs, the Fund will likely not receive the full benefit of the Buffered ETFs’ buffers.
The adviser adjusts the Fund’s portfolio monthly based upon its proprietary historical seasonality ratings scale, which incorporates the historical monthly performance tendencies of U.S. large cap equities beginning in 1927. This rating scale assigns each month an expected performance rank from 1 to 12. Based on a month’s expected performance, the adviser will adjust the Fund’s portfolio among the 14 constituent Underlying ETFs. The adviser also considers the amount of equity upside each Underlying ETF is expected to capture in an attempt to optimize the expected gains of the Fund’s portfolio as a whole. For example, an Underlying ETF that had its buffer set when U.S. large cap equity prices were higher, would tend to rise less than U.S. large cap equity prices in general. That is, it would have less than one-for-one “upside sensitivity” to U.S. large cap equity prices. Each month, the adviser evaluates the upside sensitivity of each Underlying ETF and maximizes exposure for months with the highest expected performance rank, subject to certain minimum and maximum limits on each Underlying ETF. The Fund invests between 4.0% and 12.5% in each Buffered ETF and between 2.5% and 11.25% in each Hedged ETF. The Fund intends only to acquire shares of Underlying ETFs in the secondary market. The Fund intends only to acquire shares of Underlying ETFs in the secondary market.
Buffered ETFs
The Buffered ETFs employ a “buffer protect” options strategy that uses options to seek to achieve exposure to the upside performance of the Index over an Investment Period (before fees and expenses and the small effect of the cost of the options) while seeking to protect against the first 8% to 12% of Index losses (before fees and expenses and the small effect of the cost of the options) over the duration of the Investment Period. The first day of an Investment Period is referred to as the “Initial Investment Day.”
The Buffered ETFs purchase call options and sell (i.e. write) put options on the Index or an ETF that seeks to track the performance of the Index (each, an “Index ETF”) on each Initial Investment Day with an expiration on the next Initial Investment Day. An option gives the purchaser of the option the right to purchase (for a call option) or sell (for a put option) the reference asset (or deliver cash equal to the value of the reference asset) at a specified price (“strike price”). In the event the reference asset declines in value, the value of a put option generally will increase and the value of a call option generally will decrease and may become worthless. In the event the reference asset appreciates in value, the value of a put option generally will decrease and become worthless and the value of a call option generally will increase.
On each Initial Investment Day, a Buffered ETF will sell (i.e. write) put options on the Index or an Index ETF with a strike price that is within a range of approximately 8% to 12% lower than the value of the Index or market price of an Index ETF.
Due to the fees and expenses of the Buffered ETFs, the correlation of a Buffered ETF’s performance is expected to be less than that of the Index , and could be substantially less. This means that if the Index experiences gains for an Investment Period, a Buffered ETF will not realize gains to the same extent.
Each Buffered ETF’s strategy also seeks to provide partial protection to investors from up to 8% to 12% of Index losses over an Investment Period (before fees and expenses and the small effect of the cost of the options). Each Buffered ETF sells puts on the Index or an Index ETF to create the buffer range. However, not all puts generate the same premium relative to the downside exposure of a Buffered ETF. Each Buffered ETF is not designed to protect against losses of more than 8% to 12% of the Index, and there can be no guarantee that a Buffered ETF will be successful in implementing the buffer protect options strategy to partially protect against the first 8% to 12% of Index losses. The Buffered ETFs will bear all Index losses exceeding their respective buffer. The buffer is designed to provide the stated protection only if shares a Buffered ETF are purchased on an Initial Investment Day and held until the last day of that Investment Period. The Buffered ETFs’ performance during an Investment Period may not provide the protection of the buffer. At the conclusion of each one-year Investment Period, a new one-year Investment Period begins, and the buffer is reset. Unlike the Buffered ETFs, the Fund itself does not pursue a buffered strategy. The buffer is only provided by the Buffered ETFs and the Fund itself does not provide any stated buffer against losses.
Each Buffered ETF invests in either standardized exchange-listed options or in exchange-traded FLexible EXchange Options® (“FLEX Options”). FLEX Options are customized exchange-traded option contracts available through the Chicago Board Option Exchange (“Cboe”) that are guaranteed for settlement by The Options Clearing Corporation (“OCC”). FLEX Options provide investors with the ability to customize exercise prices, exercise styles, and expiration dates, while achieving price discovery in competitive, transparent, auction markets and avoiding the counterparty exposure of over-the-counter (“OTC”) options positions. The Buffered ETFs invest in European-style FLEX Options (i.e., they can only be exercised at the expiration date of the option) based on the performance of the Index or an Index ETF and which have an expiration date that is the last day of the Investment Period only. In general, each Buffered ETF intends to invest to the greatest extent possible in FLEX Options, as these options provide the best combination of OCC guarantees, price discovery, customization, and European-style settlement that is ideal for the Buffered ETF. However, the Buffered ETFs may use listed options to provide an additional source of desired market exposure. Each Buffered ETF also invests in U.S. Treasury bills or money market funds that invest in U.S. Treasury bills, which contributes income and partial principal protection to each Buffered ETF’s return profile.
8
The table below describes, in conceptual terms, return outcomes of a Buffered ETF during each individual Investment Period, before fees and expenses. The Expected Returns would be lower if the fees and expenses of the Buffered ETF were included.
| Returns of the Index | Expected Returns of a Buffered ETF |
| Appreciates | Returns will appreciate to a similar extent as the Index |
| Declines between 0% and -8% | Approximately 0% |
| Declines between -8% and -12% (or more) | Declines
approximately 8% to 12% percentage points less than the Index (e.g., if the Index returns -35%, the Fund is designed to return -23% to -27% ) |
The chart below illustrates the hypothetical returns (before fees and expenses) that a Buffered ETF seeks to provide in certain illustrative scenarios for an investor that purchases its shares on the Initial Investment Day and holds them for the entire Investment Period. This chart does not take into account a Buffered ETF’s operating fees and expenses and assumes a buffer of 10%. There is no guarantee that a Buffered ETF will be successful in providing these investment outcomes for any Investment Period. The slight performance lag when compared to the Index, in the chart below, is attributable to the effect of the cost of the options.

Each Buffered ETF includes a mix of written (sold) put and purchased call options structured to seek to achieve the results described above. The Buffered ETFs are designed to seek to achieve the results described above for investments made on the Initial Investment Day and held until the last day of the Investment Period. Investments made on any day other than the Initial Investment Day may differ significantly, positively or negatively, from the results described above.
9
Hedged ETFs
While hedged ETFs can have a variety of investment return profiles, the adviser uses a quarterly bull hedge ETF (the Bull ETF) and a quarterly bear hedge ETF (the Bear ETF). The Bull ETF aims to provide the benefits of partial equity upside exposure while mitigating the risk posed by a decline in U.S. equity markets over rolling three-month periods. This strategy potentially results in growth with lower volatility and mitigated downside equity market risk (sometimes referred to as “tail risk”). The Bull ETF seeks to achieve its goals by combining: (1) an investment of substantially all its assets in a portfolio of short-term income-generating debt securities with (2) a modest investment in call options on securities or indexes that are representative of U.S. large capitalization companies. The Bear ETF aims to provide substantial protection of principal and generation of interest income while maintaining the potential to create positive returns in the event of a decline in U.S. equity markets over rolling three-month periods. This strategy potentially results in capital gains during high volatility environments. The Bear ETF seeks to achieve these goals by combining: (1) an investment of substantially all its assets in a portfolio of short-term income-generating debt securities with (2) a modest investment in put options on securities or indexes that are representative of U.S. large capitalization companies. The Hedged ETFs are designed to provide protection of at least 98% of principal on a quarter-to-quarter basis.
The table below lists the Underlying ETFs used by the Fund.
| # | Underlying ETF | Type |
| 1 | TrueShares Structured Outcome (January) ETF | Buffered |
| 2 | TrueShares Structured Outcome (February) ETF | Buffered |
| 3 | TrueShares Structured Outcome (March) ETF | Buffered |
| 4 | TrueShares Structured Outcome (April) ETF | Buffered |
| 5 | TrueShares Structured Outcome (May) ETF | Buffered |
| 6 | TrueShares Structured Outcome (June) ETF | Buffered |
| 7 | TrueShares Structured Outcome (July) ETF | Buffered |
| 8 | TrueShares Structured Outcome (August) ETF | Buffered |
| 9 | TrueShares Structured Outcome (September) ETF | Buffered |
| 10 | TrueShares Structured Outcome (October) ETF | Buffered |
| 11 | TrueShares Structured Outcome (November) ETF | Buffered |
| 12 | TrueShares Structured Outcome (December) ETF | Buffered |
| 13 | TrueShares Quarterly Bull Hedge ETF | Hedged |
| 14 | TrueShares Quarterly Bear Hedge ETF | Hedged |
The Fund is classified as a “non-diversified” investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, which means that the Fund may invest a higher percentage of its assets in a fewer number of issuers than is permissible for a “diversified” fund.
The Fund may engage in frequent trading of the Underlying ETFs’ shares.
Additional Information About the Fund’s Principal Risks. This section provides additional information regarding the principal risks described in the Fund Summary sections. Each risk described below is considered a “principal risk” of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears. Each of the risks described below could have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance and trading prices.
| ● | Active Management Risk. The Fund’s judgments about an investment may prove to be incorrect or fail to have the intended results, which could adversely impact the Fund’s performance and cause it to underperform relative to its benchmark, or not to achieve its investment goal. Allocations among Buffered ETFs and Hedged ETFS may not produce capital appreciation or lower volatility; and may not be effective in protecting against loss. |
| ● | Buffered Loss Risk. There can be no guarantee that a Buffered ETF will be successful in its strategy to provide buffer protection against Index losses if the Index decreases over the Investment Period by 8% to 12% or less. If the Index decreases over an Investment Period by more than 8% to 12%, the Fund may lose its entire investment in the Buffered ETF. The Fund may lose its entire investment in a Buffered ETF. Each Buffered ETF’s strategy seeks to deliver returns that track the Index (but will be less than that of the Index due to the Buffered ETFs’ operating expenses as reflected in the fee table; and the slight effect of the cost of the options used by a Buffered ETF), while limiting downside losses, if shares of the Buffered ETF are bought on its Initial Investment Day and held for the duration of the Investment Period. In the event the Fund purchases shares after the Initial Investment Day or sells shares prior to the end of the Investment Period, the buffer that a Buffered ETF seeks to provide may not be available. A Buffered ETF does not provide full protection of principal and is only designed to protect against declines of less than 8% to 12% in the value of the Index. The Fund may experience significant losses on its investment, including the loss of its entire investment. |
10
| ● | Purchase and Sale Timing Risk. The Buffered ETFs are designed to protect against the first 8% to 12% (before fees and expenses and the small effect of the cost of the options) decline in the value of the Index and provide for participation in gains (before fees and expenses and the small effect of the cost of the options) of the Index, for an Investment Period. Because the options purchased and written by a Buffered ETF will expire on the next Initial Investment Day, if the Fund purchases or sell shares of a Buffered ETF on a date other than the Initial Investment Day or if the Fund holds shares of a Buffered ETF for more or less than the duration of the Investment Period, the value of the Fund’s investment may not be protected against the first 8% to 12% (before fees and expenses and the small effect of the cost of the options) Index losses and may not participate in any gain in the value of the Index. If the Fund purchases Buffered ETF shares during an Investment Period at a time when the Buffered ETF has decreased in value by 12% or more (before fees and expenses and the small effect of the cost of the options) from the value of the Buffered ETF on the Initial Investment Day, the Fund’s buffer with respect to that investment will essentially be zero (meaning the Fund can lose its entire investment). The value of the options purchased and written by a Buffered ETF is dependent on, among other factors, the value, implied volatility, and implied dividend rate of the Index and interest rates, any or all of which may vary, sometimes significantly, during the period from the most recent Initial Investment Day to the next Initial Investment Day. Consequently, the value of the Buffered ETF may not directly track changes in the value of the Index in between Initial Investment Days. | |
| ● | Sector Concentration Risk. Concentration risk is the possibility that securities within the same sector or group of sectors will decline in price due to sector-specific market or economic developments. If an Underlying ETF invests more heavily in a particular sector or group of sectors, the value of its shares, and thereby the Fund’s shares, may be especially sensitive to factors and economic risks that specifically affect such sector or group of sectors. As a result, the Underlying ETFs’ and the Fund’s share price may fluctuate more widely than the value of shares of a fund that invests in a broader range of sectors. Additionally, some industries could be subject to greater government regulation than other industries. Therefore, changes in regulatory policies for those sectors may have a material effect on the value of securities issued by companies in those industries. |
| ● | Technology Sector Risk. Market or economic factors impacting technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technological advances could have a major effect on the value of the Underlying ETFs’ investments. The value of stocks of technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology are particularly vulnerable to rapid changes in technology product cycles, rapid product obsolescence, government regulation and competition, both domestically and internationally, including competition from foreign competitors with lower production costs. Stocks of technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology, especially those of smaller, less-seasoned companies, tend to be more volatile than the overall market. Technology companies are heavily dependent on patent and intellectual property rights, the loss or impairment of which may adversely affect profitability. Additionally, technology companies may face dramatic and often unpredictable changes in growth rates and competition. |
| ● | Derivatives Risk. The Underlying ETFs’ use of derivative instruments involves risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other traditional investments. These risks include (i) the risk that the counterparty to a derivative transaction may not fulfill its contractual obligations; (ii) risk of mispricing or improper valuation; and (iii) the risk that changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset or index. Derivative prices are highly volatile and may fluctuate substantially during a short period of time. Such prices are influenced by numerous factors that affect the markets, including, but not limited to: changing supply and demand relationships; government programs and policies; national and international political and economic events, changes in interest rates, inflation and deflation and changes in supply and demand relationships. If the derivative is linked to the performance of an index, it will be subject to the risks associated with changes in that index. |
| ● | Early Close/Trading Halt Risk. An exchange or market may close or issue trading halts on specific securities, or the ability to buy or sell certain securities or financial instruments may be restricted, which may prevent the Fund from buying or selling certain securities or financial instruments. In these circumstances, the Fund may be unable to rebalance its portfolio, may be unable to accurately price its investments and may incur substantial trading losses. |
11
| ● | Equity Market Risk. The Underlying ETFs invest in options on the Index or ETFs with an investment strategy significantly exposed to the performance of the Index, which are made up of common stocks. Common stocks are susceptible to general stock market fluctuations and to volatile increases and decreases in value as market confidence in and perceptions of their issuers change. These investor perceptions are based on various and unpredictable factors including: expectations regarding government, economic, monetary and fiscal policies; inflation and interest rates; economic expansion or contraction; and global or regional political, economic, public health, and banking crises. If you held common stock, or common stock equivalents, of any given issuer, you would generally be exposed to greater risk than if you held preferred stocks and debt obligations of the issuer because common stockholders, or holders of equivalent interests, generally have inferior rights to receive payments from issuers in comparison with the rights of preferred stockholders, bondholders, and other creditors of such issuers. |
| ● | ETF Structure Risks. The Fund and Underlying ETFs are ETFs, and, as a result of an ETF’s structure, the Fund and the Underlying ETFs are exposed to the following risks (for purposes of this risk factor, all references to “Fund” include the Fund and the Underlying ETFs): |
| ○ | APs, Market Makers, and Liquidity Providers Concentration Risk. The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as APs. In addition, there may be a limited number of market makers and/or liquidity providers in the marketplace. To the extent either of the following events occur, Shares may trade at a material discount to NAV and possibly face delisting: (i) APs exit the business or otherwise become unable to process creation and/or redemption orders and no other APs step forward to perform these services, or (ii) market makers and/or liquidity providers exit the business or significantly reduce their business activities and no other entities step forward to perform their functions. |
| ○ | Costs of Buying or Selling Shares. Investors buying or selling Shares in the secondary market will pay brokerage commissions or other charges imposed by brokers, as determined by that broker. Brokerage commissions are often a fixed amount and may be a significant proportional cost for investors seeking to buy or sell relatively small amounts of Shares. In addition, secondary market investors will also incur the cost of the difference between the price at which an investor is willing to buy Shares (the “bid” price) and the price at which an investor is willing to sell Shares (the “ask” price). This difference in bid and ask prices is often referred to as the “spread” or “bid-ask spread.” The bid-ask spread varies over time for Shares based on trading volume and market liquidity, and the spread is generally lower if Shares have more trading volume and market liquidity and higher if Shares have little trading volume and market liquidity. Further, a relatively small investor base in the Fund, asset swings in the Fund, and/or increased market volatility may cause increased bid-ask spreads. Due to the costs of buying or selling Shares, including bid-ask spreads, frequent trading of Shares may significantly reduce investment results and an investment in Shares may not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments. |
| ○ | Shares May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV. As with all ETFs, Shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. Although it is expected that the market price of Shares will approximate the Fund’s NAV, there may be times when the market price of Shares is more than the NAV intra-day (premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (discount) due to supply and demand of Shares or during periods of market volatility. This risk is heightened in times of market volatility, periods of steep market declines, and periods when there is limited trading activity for Shares in the secondary market, in which case such premiums or discounts may be significant. |
| ● | Fixed Income Securities Risk. Fixed income securities risk factors include credit risk (the debtor may default) and prepayment risk (the debtor may pay its obligation early or later than expected, potentially reducing the amount of interest payments or extending time to principal repayment). These risks could affect the value of a particular investment possibly causing an Underlying ETF’s share price and total return to be reduced and fluctuate more than other types of investments. When an Underlying ETF invests in fixed income securities the value of the Fund’s investment in the Underlying ETF will fluctuate with changes in interest rates. Typically, a rise in interest rates causes a decline in the value of fixed income securities. In general, the market price of debt securities with longer maturities will increase or decrease more in response to changes in interest rates than shorter-term securities. If the U.S. Federal Reserve’s Federal Open Market Committee (“FOMC”) raises the federal funds interest rate target, interest rates across the U.S. financial system may rise. However, the magnitude of rate changes across maturities and borrower sectors is uncertain. Rising rates may decrease liquidity and increase volatility, which may make portfolio management more difficult and costly to the Fund and its shareholders. Additionally, default risk increases if issuers must borrow at higher rates. Generally, these changing market conditions may cause an Underlying ETF’s share price to fluctuate or decline more than other types of equity investments.
|
| ● | FLEX Options Risk. The Underlying ETFs will utilize FLEX options issued and guaranteed for settlement by the OCC. The Underlying ETFs bear the risk that the OCC will be unable to, or unwilling to, perform its obligations under the contracts. In the unlikely event that the OCC cannot meet their obligations, the Underlying ETFs and in turn, the Fund, could suffer significant losses. Additionally, FLEX options may become more illiquid than other securities, including traditional options. To the extent that the FLEX options may not be expected to experience regular trading, the FLEX options held by an Underlying ETFs may be valued based on a price quotation or other equivalent indication of value supplied by a pricing service, rather than based on a price last traded on an exchange. In less liquid markets for FLEX options, the Underlying ETFs may have difficulty entering into or closing out certain positions at designated times and/or prices. To the extent market participants are not willing or able to enter into FLEX option transactions with the Underlying ETFs at prices that reflect the market price of the Shares, the Underlying ETFs’ net asset value (“NAV”) and, in turn the share price of the Fund, could suffer significant losses. The Underlying ETFs may experience substantial downside from specific FLEX option positions, and some may expire worthless. As a FLEX option approaches its predetermined expiration date, its value typically moves in parallel with the value of its underlying reference asset. However, prior to such date, the value of the FLEX options may not increase or decrease at the same rate as the reference asset’s share price on a day-to-day basis. The value of the underlying FLEX options will be affected by many market factors, such as changes in the reference asset’s share price, interest rates, the volatility of the reference asset, and the remaining time to until the FLEX options expire.
|
12
| ● | Large-Capitalization Investing Risk. The Buffered ETFs’ and the Fund’s performance may be adversely affected if securities of large cap companies underperform securities of smaller-capitalization companies or the market as a whole. The securities of large cap companies may be relatively mature compared to smaller companies and therefore subject to slower growth during times of economic expansion. Large-capitalization companies may also be unable to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in technology and consumer tastes. |
| ● | Limited History Risk. The Fund has a limited history of operations for investors to evaluate. Investors in the Fund bear the risk that the Fund may not be successful in implementing its investment strategies, may be unable to implement certain of its investment strategies or may fail to attract sufficient assets, any of which could result in the Fund being liquidated and terminated at any time without shareholder approval and at a time that may not be favorable for all shareholders. Such a liquidation could have negative tax consequences for shareholders and will cause shareholders to incur expenses of liquidation. |
| ● | Non-Diversification Risk. Because the Fund is non-diversified and may invest a greater portion of its assets in fewer issuers than a diversified fund, changes in the market value of a single portfolio holding could cause greater fluctuations in the Fund’s share price than would occur in a diversified fund. This may increase the Fund’s volatility and cause the performance of a single portfolio holding or a relatively small number of portfolio holdings to have a greater impact on the Fund’s performance. |
| ● | Options Risk. The Underlying ETFs primarily purchase call options and write (sell) put options on securities and indexes. The Underlying ETFs may engage in these transactions to capture declines in the value of securities prices or an increase in the price of securities. |
13
| Put Options. When an Underlying ETF sells (writes) a put option, it receives a premium and the buyer of the put option receives the right to sell to the Underlying ETF the reference asset on which the option was written at a specified price at any time before the option expires or at expiration. A seller (writer) of a put option will lose money if the reference asset on which the option was written decreases in value to a level below the strike price of the sold option less the premium received. The seller of a put option is limited to losing the difference between the strike price less premium received and $0 reflecting a full loss of all value for the reference asset. A seller of an option can be liquidated if the value of the reference asset declines enough given there are no offsetting positions or enough capital to offset the unrealized losses. In a liquidation event, one should expect material realized losses. | |
| Call Options. When an Underlying ETF purchases a call option, it receives, in return for the premium it pays, the right to buy from the writer of the option the underlying security at a specified price at any time before the option expires or at expiration. The Underlying ETF purchases call options in anticipation of an increase in the market value of securities. During the life of the call option, the Underlying ETF is able to buy the underlying security at the exercise price regardless of any increase in the market price of the underlying security. In order for a call option to result in a gain, the market price of the underlying security must exceed the sum of the exercise price, the premium paid, and transaction costs. |
| ● | Turnover Rate Risk. A higher portfolio turnover will result in higher transactional and brokerage costs associated with the turnover, which may reduce the Fund’s return, unless the securities traded can be bought and sold without corresponding commission costs. Frequent trading of securities may also increase the Fund’s realized capital gains or losses, which may increase the taxes you pay as the Fund shareholder. The Fund is expected to have a high portfolio turnover rate. |
| ● | Underlying Funds Risk. The Fund, as a shareholder of the Underlying ETFs, indirectly bears its proportionate share of any investment management fees and other expenses of the Underlying ETFs. Further, due to the fees and expenses paid by the Fund, as well as variations in the Fund’s actual allocations to the Underlying ETFs, the performance and income distributions of the Fund will not be the same as the performance and income distributions of the Underlying ETFs. |
| ● | U.S. Government Risk. The U.S. Treasury market can be volatile, and the value of instruments correlated with these markets may fluctuate dramatically from day to day. U.S. Treasury obligations may provide relatively lower returns than those of other securities. Similar to other debt instruments, U.S. Treasury obligations are subject to debt instrument risk and interest rate risk. In addition, changes to the financial condition or credit rating of the U.S. Government may cause the value of U.S. Treasury obligations to decline. |
Portfolio Holdings Information
Information about the Fund’s daily portfolio holdings is available at True-shares.com. A description of the Fund’s policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Fund’s portfolio holdings is available in the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”).
Management
Investment Adviser
TrueMark Investments, LLC (“TrueMark’) serves as the investment adviser to each Fund. The adviser is a SEC registered investment adviser with approximately $1.251 billion in assets under management as of December 31, 2025. Its principal office is located at 433 W Van Buren, Suite 1100-D, Chicago, Illinois 60607. TrueMark is controlled by TrueMark Group, LLC which in turn is controlled by RiverNorth Strategic Holdings, LLC.
Pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement, the Fund pays the adviser a unitary management fee, which is calculated daily and paid monthly, at an annual rate of 0.19% of the Fund’s average daily net assets. Out of the unitary management fee, the adviser has agreed to pay substantially all expenses of the Fund, including the cost of transfer agency, custody, fund administration, securities lending and other non-distribution related services necessary for the Fund to operate, except for: the fee paid to the adviser pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement, interest charges on any borrowings, dividends and other expenses on securities sold short, taxes and related services, brokerage commissions and other expenses incurred in placing orders for the purchase and sale of securities and other investment instruments, acquired fund fees and expenses, accrued deferred tax liability, distribution fees and expenses paid by the Fund under any distribution plan adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, litigation expenses and other non-routine or extraordinary expenses.
The basis for the Board’s approval of the Funds’ Investment Advisory Agreement is available in the Funds’ semi-annual N-CSR filing for the period ended April 30, 2025.
14
Manager of Managers Structure
Section 15(a) of the 1940 Act requires that all contracts pursuant to which persons serve as investment advisers to investment companies be approved by shareholders. This requirement also applies to the appointment of sub-advisers to the Fund. The Trust and the Adviser have received exemptive relief from the SEC (the “Order”), which permits the Adviser, subject to the approval of the Board of Trustees (“Board”), including the approval of the Trustees who are not interested persons of the Trust, as defined in the 1940 Act (the “Independent Trustees”), to hire, replace, and/or modify any existing or future sub-advisory agreement with sub-advisers (the “Manager-of-Managers Structure”). The Adviser, subject to the oversight of the Board, has the ultimate responsibility for overseeing the Fund’s sub-advisers and recommending their hiring, termination and replacement. It also provides relief from certain disclosure obligations with regard to sub-advisory fees paid by the Adviser (not the Fund). The Order is subject to various conditions, including that the Fund will notify shareholders and provide them with certain information required by the Order within 90 days of hiring a new sub-adviser. The sole initial shareholder of the Fund has approved the Fund’s operation under the Manager-of-Managers Structure as permitted by the Order.
The Manager-of-Managers Structure enables the Trust to operate with greater efficiency by not incurring the expense and delays associated with obtaining shareholder approvals for matters relating to sub-advisers or sub-advisory agreements. Operation of the Fund under the Manager-of-Managers Structure does not permit management fees paid by the Fund to the Adviser to be increased without shareholder approval. Shareholders will be notified of any changes made to a sub-adviser or material changes to sub-advisory agreements within 90 days of the change.
Portfolio Manager
The individual responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolios is listed below.
Jeffrey Feldman. Mr. Feldman joined TrueMark Investments in 2024 and serves as a portfolio manager ("Portfolio Manager"). He is a member of the investment management team and is responsible for analysis, trading, and hedging of Fund investments. Mr. Feldman is a dual-employee of TrueMark Investments and RiverNorth Capital Management, LLC, where he serves as Quantitative Risk Manager. He spent the past 23 years as a head trader with Wolverine Trading where he managed quoting, execution, clearing and positions in a variety of asset classes including equities, options, OTC derivatives, commodities, FX and bonds. He also developed pricing models and hedging algorithms, executed hedges for ETF and index products and built Wolverine's low latency systematic trading equity book as well as its fixed income ETF algorithmic trading desk.
The Fund’s SAI provides additional information about the Portfolio Manager’s compensation structure, other accounts managed by the Portfolio Manager, and the Portfolio Manager’s ownership of Shares of the Fund.
How to Buy and Sell Shares
The Fund issues and redeems Shares at NAV only in Creation Units. Only APs may acquire Shares directly from the Fund, and only APs may tender their Shares for redemption directly to the Fund, at NAV. APs must be a member or participant of a clearing agency registered with the SEC and must execute a Participant Agreement that has been agreed to by the Distributor (defined below), and that has been accepted by each Fund’s transfer agent, with respect to purchases and redemptions of Creation Units. Once created, Shares trade in the secondary market in quantities less than a Creation Unit.
Most investors buy and sell Shares in secondary market transactions through brokers. Shares are listed for trading on the secondary market on the Exchange and can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like other publicly traded securities.
When buying or selling Shares through a broker, you will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges, and you may pay some or all of the spread between the bid and the offer price in the secondary market on each leg of a round trip (purchase and sale) transaction. In addition, because secondary market transactions occur at market prices, you may pay more than NAV when you buy Shares and receive less than NAV when you sell those Shares.
15
Book Entry
Shares are held in book-entry form, which means that no stock certificates are issued. The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) or its nominee is the record owner of all outstanding Shares.
Investors owning Shares are beneficial owners as shown on the records of DTC or its participants. DTC serves as the securities depository for all Shares. DTC’s participants include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and other institutions that directly or indirectly maintain a custodial relationship with DTC. As a beneficial owner of Shares, you are not entitled to receive physical delivery of stock certificates or to have Shares registered in your name, and you are not considered a registered owner of Shares. Therefore, to exercise any right as an owner of Shares, you must rely upon the procedures of DTC and its participants. These procedures are the same as those that apply to any other securities that you hold in book entry or “street name” through your brokerage account.
Frequent Purchases and Redemptions of Shares
The Fund imposes no restrictions on the frequency of purchases and redemptions of Shares. In determining not to approve a written, established policy, the Board evaluated the risks of market timing activities by Fund shareholders. Purchases and redemptions by APs, who are the only parties that may purchase or redeem Shares directly with the Fund, are an essential part of the ETF process and help keep Share trading prices in line with NAV. As such, the Fund accommodate frequent purchases and redemptions by APs. However, the Board has also determined that frequent purchases and redemptions for cash may increase tracking error and portfolio transaction costs and may lead to the realization of capital gains. To minimize these potential consequences of frequent purchases and redemptions, the Fund employs fair value pricing and may impose transaction fees on purchases and redemptions of Creation Units to cover the custodial and other costs incurred by the Fund in effecting trades. In addition, the Fund and the adviser reserve the right to reject any purchase order at any time.
Determination of NAV
The Fund’s NAV is calculated as of the scheduled close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”), generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time, each day the NYSE is open for business. The NAV for the Fund is calculated by dividing the Fund’s net assets by its Shares outstanding.
In calculating its NAV, the Fund generally values its assets on the basis of market quotations, last sale prices, or estimates of value furnished by a pricing service or brokers who make markets in such instruments. If the foregoing information is not available for a security held by the Fund or is determined to be unreliable, the security will be valued at fair value estimates under guidelines established by the Board (as described below).
Fair Value Pricing
The adviser has been designated by the Board as the valuation designee for the Fund pursuant to Rule 2a-5 under the 1940 Act. In its capacity as valuation designee, the adviser has adopted procedures and methodologies to fair value Fund securities whose market prices are not “readily available” or are deemed to be unreliable. For example, such circumstances may arise when: (i) a security has been de-listed or has had its trading halted or suspended; (ii) a security’s primary pricing source is unable or unwilling to provide a price; (iii) a security’s primary trading market is closed during regular market hours; or (iv) a security’s value is materially affected by events occurring after the close of the security’s primary trading market.
Generally, when fair valuing a security held by the Fund, the adviser will take into account all reasonably available information that may be relevant to a particular valuation including, but not limited to, fundamental analytical data regarding the issuer, information relating to the issuer’s business, recent trades or offers of the security, general and/or specific market conditions and the specific facts giving rise to the need to fair value the security. Fair value determinations are made in good faith by the adviser and in accordance with the adviser’s fair value methodologies. Due to the subjective and variable nature of determining the fair value of a security or other investment, there can be no assurance that adviser’s fair value will match or closely correlate to any market quotation that subsequently becomes available or the price quoted or published by other sources. In addition, the adviser may not be able to obtain the fair value assigned to the security upon the sale of such security.
16
Delivery of Shareholder Documents – Householding
Householding is an option available to certain investors of the Fund. Householding is a method of delivery, based on the preference of the individual investor, in which a single copy of certain shareholder documents can be delivered to investors who share the same address, even if their accounts are registered under different names. Householding for the Fund is available through certain broker- dealers. If you are interested in enrolling in householding and receiving a single copy of prospectuses and other shareholder documents, please contact your broker-dealer. If you are currently enrolled in householding and wish to change your householding status, please contact your broker-dealer.
Dividends, Distributions and Taxes
Dividends and Distributions
The Fund intends to pay out dividends, if any, annually. The Fund intends to distribute any net realized capital gains to its shareholders at least annually. The Fund will declare and pay capital gain distributions, if any, in cash. Distributions in cash may be reinvested automatically in additional whole Shares only if the broker through whom you purchased Shares makes such option available. Your broker is responsible for distributing the income and capital gain distributions to you.
Taxes
The following discussion is a summary of some important U.S. federal income tax considerations generally applicable to investments in the Fund. Your investment in the Fund may have other tax implications. Please consult your tax advisor about the tax consequences of an investment in Shares, including the possible application of foreign, state, and local tax laws.
The Fund has elected and intends to qualify each year for treatment as a regulated investment company (a “RIC”) within the meaning of Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). If it meets certain minimum distribution requirements, a RIC is not subject to tax at the fund level on income and gains from investments that are timely distributed to shareholders. However, the Fund’s failure to qualify as a RIC or to meet minimum distribution requirements would result (if certain relief provisions were not available) in fund-level taxation and, consequently, a reduction in income available for distribution to shareholders.
Unless your investment in Shares is made through a tax-exempt entity or tax-advantaged account, such as an IRA plan, you need to be aware of the possible tax consequences when the Fund makes distributions, when you sell your Shares listed on the Exchange, and when you purchase or redeem Creation Units (APs only).
Taxes on Distributions
The Fund intends to distribute, at least annually, substantially all of its net investment income and net capital gains. For federal income tax purposes, distributions of investment income are generally taxable as ordinary income or qualified dividend income. Taxes on distributions of capital gains (if any) are determined by how long the Fund owned the investments that generated them, rather than how long a shareholder has owned his or her Shares. Sales of assets held by the Fund for more than one year generally result in long- term capital gains and losses, and sales of assets held by the Fund for one year or less generally result in short-term capital gains and losses. Distributions of the Fund’s net capital gain (the excess of net long-term capital gains over net short-term capital losses) that are reported by the Fund as capital gain dividends (“Capital Gain Dividends”) will be taxable as long-term capital gains, which for non- corporate shareholders are subject to tax at reduced rates of up to 20% (lower rates apply to individuals in lower tax brackets). Distributions of short-term capital gain will generally be taxable as ordinary income. Dividends and distributions are generally taxable to you whether you receive them in cash or reinvest them in additional Shares.
Distributions reported by the Fund as “qualified dividend income” are generally taxed to non-corporate shareholders at rates applicable to long-term capital gains, provided holding period and other requirements are met. “Qualified dividend income” generally is income derived from dividends paid by U.S. corporations or certain foreign corporations that are either incorporated in a U.S. possession or eligible for tax benefits under certain U.S. income tax treaties. In addition, dividends that the Fund received in respect of stock of certain foreign corporations may be qualified dividend income if that stock is readily tradable on an established U.S. securities market. Corporate shareholders may be entitled to a dividends received deduction for the portion of dividends they receive from the Fund that are attributable to dividends received by the Fund from U.S. corporations, subject to certain limitations.
17
Under recently issued final Treasury Regulations, a RIC that receives business interest income may pass through its net business interest income for purposes of the tax rules applicable to the interest expense limitations under Section 163(j) of the Code. A RIC’s total “Section 163(j) Interest Dividend” for a tax year is limited to the excess of the RIC’s business interest income over the sum of its business interest expense and its other deductions properly allocable to its business interest income. A RIC may, in its discretion, designate all or a portion of ordinary dividends as Section 163(j) Interest Dividends, which would allow the recipient shareholder to treat the designated portion of such dividends as interest income for purposes of determining such shareholder’s interest expense deduction limitation under Section 163(j). This can potentially increase the amount of a shareholder’s interest expense deductible under Section 163(j). In general, to be eligible to treat a Section 163(j) Interest Dividend as interest income, you must have held your shares in the Fund for more than 180 days during the 361-day period beginning on the date that is 180 days before the date on which the share becomes ex-dividend with respect to such dividend. Section 163(j) Interest Dividends, if so designated by the Fund, will be reported to your financial intermediary or otherwise in accordance with the requirements specified by the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”).
Shortly after the close of each calendar year, you will be informed of the amount and character of any distributions received from the Fund.
In general, your distributions are subject to federal income tax for the year in which they are paid. Certain distributions paid in January, however, may be treated as paid on December 31 of the prior year. Distributions are generally taxable even if they are paid from income or gains earned by the Fund before your investment (and thus were included in the Shares’ NAV when you purchased your Shares).
You may wish to avoid investing in the Fund shortly before a dividend or other distribution, because such a distribution will generally be taxable even though it may economically represent a return of a portion of your investment.
If you are neither a resident nor a citizen of the United States or if you are a foreign entity, distributions (other than Capital Gain Dividends) paid to you by the Fund will generally be subject to a U.S. withholding tax at the rate of 30%, unless a lower treaty rate applies. Gains from the sale or other disposition of your Shares generally are not subject to U.S. taxation, unless you are a nonresident alien individual who is physically present in the U.S. for 183 days or more per year. The Fund may, under certain circumstances, report all or a portion of a dividend as an “interest-related dividend” or a “short-term capital gain dividend,” which would generally be exempt from this 30% U.S. withholding tax, provided certain other requirements are met. Different tax consequences may result if you are a foreign shareholder engaged in a trade or business within the United States or if a tax treaty applies.
Under legislation generally known as “FATCA” (the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act), the Fund is required to withhold 30% of certain ordinary dividends it pays to shareholders that are foreign entities and that fail to meet prescribed information reporting or certification requirements.
The Fund (or a financial intermediary, such as a broker, through which a shareholder owns Shares) generally is required to withhold and remit to the U.S. Treasury a percentage of the taxable distributions and sale or redemption proceeds paid to any shareholder who fails to properly furnish a correct taxpayer identification number, who has underreported dividend or interest income, or who fails to certify that he, she or it is not subject to such withholding.
Taxes When Fund Shares are Sold on the Exchange
Any capital gain or loss realized upon a sale of Shares generally is treated as a long-term capital gain or loss if Shares have been held for more than one year and as a short-term capital gain or loss if Shares have been held for one year or less. However, any capital loss on a sale of Shares held for six months or less is treated as long-term capital loss to the extent of Capital Gain Dividends paid with respect to such Shares. Any loss realized on a sale will be disallowed to the extent Shares of the Fund are acquired, including through reinvestment of dividends, within a 61-day period beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the disposition of Shares. The ability to deduct capital losses may be limited.
The cost basis of Shares of the Fund acquired by purchase will generally be based on the amount paid for the Shares and then may be subsequently adjusted for other applicable transactions as required by the Code. The difference between the selling price and the cost basis of Shares generally determines the amount of the capital gain or loss realized on the sale or exchange of Shares. Contact the broker through whom you purchased your Shares to obtain information with respect to the available cost basis reporting methods and elections for your account.
18
Taxes on Purchases and Redemptions of Creation Units
An AP having the U.S. dollar as its functional currency for U.S. federal income tax purposes who exchanges securities for Creation Units generally recognizes a gain or a loss. The gain or loss will be equal to the difference between the value of the Creation Units at the time of the exchange and the exchanging AP’s aggregate basis in the securities delivered, plus the amount of any cash paid for the Creation Units. An AP who exchanges Creation Units for securities will generally recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the exchanging AP’s basis in the Creation Units and the aggregate U.S. dollar market value of the securities received, plus any cash received for such Creation Units. The IRS may assert, however, that a loss that is realized upon an exchange of securities for Creation Units may not be currently deducted under the rules governing “wash sales” (for an AP who does not mark-to-market their holdings), or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic position. APs exchanging securities should consult their own tax advisor with respect to whether wash sale rules apply and when a loss might be deductible. Any gain or loss realized upon a creation or redemption of Creation Units will be treated as capital or ordinary gain or loss, depending on the circumstances. Any capital gain or loss realized upon redemption of Creation Units is generally treated as long-term capital gain or loss if Shares have been held for more than one year and as a short-term capital gain or loss if Shares have been held for one year or less.
The Fund may include a payment of cash in addition to, or in place of, the delivery of a basket of securities upon the redemption of Creation Units. The Fund may sell portfolio securities to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. This may cause the Fund to recognize investment income and/or capital gains or losses that it might not have recognized if it had completely satisfied the redemption in-kind. As a result, the Fund may be less tax efficient if it includes such a cash payment in the proceeds paid upon the redemption of Creation Units.
Net Investment Income Tax
U.S. individuals with income exceeding specified thresholds are subject to a 3.8% tax on all or a portion of their “net investment income,” which includes interest, dividends, and certain capital gains (generally including capital gains distributions and capital gains realized on the sale of Shares). This 3.8% tax also applies to all or a portion of the undistributed net investment income of certain shareholders that are estates and trusts.
The foregoing discussion summarizes some of the possible consequences under current federal tax law of an investment in the Fund. It is not a substitute for personal tax advice. You also may be subject to state and local tax on Fund distributions and sales of Shares. Consult your personal tax advisor about the potential tax consequences of an investment in Shares under all applicable tax laws. For more information, please see the section entitled “Federal Income Taxes” in the SAI.
Distribution
Paralel Distributors LLC (the “Distributor”) serves as the Fund’s principal underwriter. The Distributor is a broker-dealer registered with the SEC. The Distributor distributes Creation Units for the Fund on an agency basis and does not maintain a secondary market in Shares. The Distributor has no role in determining the policies of the Fund or the securities that are purchased or sold by the Fund. The Distributor’s principal address is 1700 Broadway, Suite 2100, Denver, Colorado 80290.
Premium/Discount Information
Information regarding how often Shares of the Fund trades on the Exchange at a price above (i.e., at a premium) or below (i.e., at a discount) the NAV of the Fund is available on the Fund’s website at True-shares.com.
OTHER INFORMATION AND Additional Notices
Certain Conditions on Shareholder Legal Actions
Pursuant to the Trust’s primary governing document, the Second Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust, shareholders wishing to pursue a derivative action (a suit brought by a shareholder on behalf of the Fund) are subject to various conditions including that: (i) the Trustees must have a reasonable amount of time to assess the complaining shareholders’ request for action, (ii) at least 10% of shareholders of the Fund must participate in the action (except with respect to claims arising under federal securities laws), and (iii) complaining shareholders must undertake to pay the expenses of advisers that the Trustees engage in consideration of whether to bring an action in the event the Trustees determine not to bring an action (except with respect to claims arising under federal securities laws).
19
In addition, shareholders wishing to pursue a derivative action (except with respect to claims arising under federal securities law) must bring the compliant all shareholder legal complaints must be brought in the courts of the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware, or if such court does not have subject matter jurisdiction, any other court with appropriate subject matter jurisdiction in the State of Delaware. For non-federal securities laws claims, this requirement may be inconvenient for some shareholders and may cause such claims to be made in a less favorable forum than otherwise may have been made.
Additional Notices
Shares are not sponsored, endorsed, or promoted by the Exchange. The Exchange makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of the Shares. The Exchange is not responsible for, nor has it participated in, the determination of the timing of, prices of, or quantities of the Shares to be issued, nor in the determination or calculation of the equation by which the Shares are redeemable. The Exchange has no obligation or liability to owners of the Shares in connection with the administration, marketing, or trading of the Shares.
Without limiting any of the foregoing, in no event shall the Exchange have any liability for any lost profits or indirect, punitive, special, or consequential damages even if notified of the possibility thereof.
Neither the adviser nor the Fund make any representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of Shares or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in the Fund particularly.
20
Financial Highlights
The financial highlights tables are intended to help you understand the Funds’ financial performance for each fiscal period shown. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned or lost on an investment in the respective Fund (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions). This information has been audited by Cohen & Company, Ltd. ("Cohen & Co") the Funds’ independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the financial statements, are included in the Funds’ Form N-CSR dated October 31, 2025, which is available upon request and free of charge by calling the Funds’ Distributor at 1.877.774.TRUE (8783).
21
TrueShares Seasonality Laddered Buffered ETF
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
| For the Period | ||||
| January 24, 2025 | ||||
| (Commencement of | ||||
| Operations) through | ||||
| October 31, 2025(a) | ||||
| Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period | $ | 25.06 | ||
| INCOME FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS: | ||||
| Net investment loss(b) | (0.03 | ) | ||
| Net realized and unrealized gain on investments | 1.99 | |||
| Total from Investment Operations | 1.96 | |||
| Net Increase in net asset value | 1.96 | |||
| Net Asset Value - End of Period | $ | 27.02 | ||
| TOTAL RETURN(c) | 7.83 | % | ||
| RATIOS AND SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:(d) | ||||
| Net Assets, end of period (000s) | $ | 126,433 | ||
| Ratio of net operating expenses to average net assets | 0.19 | %(e) | ||
| Ratio of net investment (loss) to average net assets | (0.18 | %)(e) | ||
| Portfolio turnover rate(f)(g) | 136 | % | ||
| (a) | The net asset value at the beginning of the period represents initial shares outstanding on January 24, 2025 (Commencement of Operations). |
| (b) | Calculated based on the average number of Fund shares outstanding during each fiscal period. |
| (c) | Total return is calculated assuming an initial investment made at the net asset value at the beginning of the period and redemption at the net asset value on the last day of the period and assuming all distributions are reinvested. Total return calculated for a period of less than one year is not annualized. |
| (d) | The ratios exclude the impact of expenses of the underlying funds in which the Fund invests as represented on the Schedule of Investments. |
| (e) | Annualized. |
| (f) | Portfolio turnover rate for periods less than one full year have not been annualized. |
| (g) | Excludes the impact of in-kind transactions. |
22
PRIVACY NOTICE
Privacy Statement
Pursuant to SEC Regulation S-P (Privacy of Consumer Financial Information) the Trustees of the Elevation Series Trust (the “Trust”) has established the following policy regarding information about the Trust’s shareholders. We consider all shareholder data to be private and confidential, and we hold ourselves to the highest standards in its safekeeping and use.
General Statement
The Trust may collect nonpublic information (e.g., your name, address, e mail address, Social Security Number, Trust holdings (collectively, “Personal Information”)) about shareholders from transactions in Trust shares. The Trust will not release Personal Information about current or former shareholders (except as permitted by law) unless one of the following conditions is met: we receive your prior written consent; (ii) we believe the recipient to be you or your authorized representative; (iii) to service or support the business functions of the Trust (as explained in more detail below), or (iv) we are required by law to release Personal Information to the recipient. The Trust have not and will not in the future give or sell Personal Information about their current or former shareholders to any company, individual, or group (except as per mitted by law) and as otherwise provided in this policy.
The Trust may make certain electronic services available to their shareholders and may solicit your email address and contact you by email, telephone or US mail regarding the availability of such services. The Trust may also contact shareholders by email, telephone or US mail in connection with these services, such as to confirm enrollment in electronic shareholder communications or to update your Personal Information. In no event will the Trust transmit your Personal Information via email without your consent.
Use of Personal Information
The Trust will only use Personal Information (i) as necessary to service or maintain shareholder accounts in the ordinary course of business and (ii) to support business functions of the Trust and their affiliated businesses. This means that the Trust may share certain Personal Information, only as per mitted by law, with affiliated businesses of the Trust, and that such information may be used for non-Trust-related solicitation. When Personal Information is shared with the Trust’s business affiliates, the Trust may do so without providing you the option of preventing these types of disclosures as permitted by law.
Safeguards Regarding Personal Information
Internally, we also restrict access to Personal Information to those who have a specific need for the records. We maintain physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards that comply with Federal standards to guard Personal Information. Any doubts about the confidentiality of Personal Information, as required by law, are resolved in favor of confidentiality.
23
| Adviser | TrueMark Investments, LLC
433 W. Van Buren, Suite 1100-D
Chicago, Illinois 60607 |
Distributor | Paralel Distributors LLC
1700 Broadway, Suite 2100
Denver, Colorado 80290 |
| Custodian,
Transfer Agent |
State Street
One
Lincoln Street, Boston, |
Fund
Accountant and Administrator |
Paralel Technologies LLC
1700
Broadway, Suite 2100 |
| Legal Counsel | Thompson Hine LLP
41 S. High Street, Suite 1700
Columbus, Ohio 43215 |
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm | Cohen & Company, Ltd.
8101 East Prentice Ave., Suite 750
Greenwood Village, CO 80111 |
The Fund’s SAI provides additional details about the investments of the Fund and certain other additional information. A current SAI dated February 27, 2026 is on file with the SEC and is herein incorporated by reference into this Prospectus. It is legally considered a part of this Prospectus.
Annual/Semi-Annual Reports: Additional information about the Fund's investments will be available in the Fund's annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders, including annual and semi-annual tailored shareholder reports, and in Form N-CSR. In the annual tailored shareholder report you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund's performance.
To make shareholder inquiries, for more detailed information on the Fund, or to request the SAI, annual or semi-annual shareholder reports or Form N-CSR free of charge, please call the Fund’s Distributor at 1.877.774.TRUE (8783). Free copies of the Fund’s shareholder reports, Prospectus, and SAI are also available from our website at True-shares.com.
Shareholder reports and other information about the Fund is also available, free of charge, on the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov and copies of this information may be obtained, after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov.
No person is authorized to give any information or to make any representations about the Fund and its Shares not contained in this Prospectus and you should not rely on any other information. Read and keep this Prospectus for future reference.
SEC Investment Company Act File No. 811-23812
24
TrueShares Seasonality Laddered Buffered ETF
A series of Elevation Series Trust
Listed on Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc.
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
February 27, 2026
This Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) is not a prospectus and should be read in conjunction with the prospectus dated February 27, 2026, as may be supplemented from time to time (“Prospectus”), of TrueShares Seasonality Laddered Buffered ETF (the “Fund”), a series of Elevation Series Trust (the “Trust”). Capitalized terms used herein that are not defined have the same meaning as in the Prospectus, unless otherwise noted.
A copy of the Prospectus may be obtained, without charge by calling 1.877.875-TRUE (8783), visiting http://www.True-shares.com/ or writing to Paralel Distributors LLC, 1700 Broadway Suite 2100, Denver, Colorado 80290.
Table of Contents
GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST AND THE FUND
The Trust is an open-end management investment company, currently consisting of multiple investment series. This SAI relates to The TrueShares Seasonality Laddered Buffered ETF (the “Fund”). The Trust was organized as a Delaware statutory trust on March 7, 2022. The Trust is registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (together with the rules and regulations adopted thereunder, as amended, the “1940 Act”), as an open-end management investment company, and the offering of the Fund’s shares (“Shares”) is registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). The Trust is governed by its Board of Trustees (the “Board”). TrueMark Investments, LLC (the “Adviser”) serves as investment adviser to the Fund. The investment objective of the Fund is capital appreciation with the potential for lower volatility relative to the broader U.S. large cap equity market.
The Fund offers and issues Shares at its net asset value (“NAV”) only in aggregations of a specified number of Shares (each, a “Creation Unit”). The Fund generally offers and issues Shares in exchange for a basket of securities (“Deposit Securities”) together with the deposit of a specified cash payment (“Cash Component”). The Trust reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of a “cash in lieu” amount (“Deposit Cash”) to be added to the Cash Component to replace any Deposit Security. Shares are listed on the Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc. (the “Exchange”) and trade on the Exchange at market prices that may differ from the Shares’ NAV. Shares are also redeemable only in Creation Unit aggregations, primarily for a basket of Deposit Securities together with a Cash Component. A Creation Unit of the Fund generally consists of 10,000 Shares, though this may change from time to time. As a practical matter, only institutions or large investors purchase or redeem Creation Units. Except when aggregated in Creation Units, Shares are not redeemable securities.
Shares may be issued in advance of receipt of Deposit Securities subject to various conditions, including a requirement to maintain on deposit with the Trust cash at least equal to a specified percentage of the value of the missing Deposit Securities, as set forth in the Participant Agreement (as defined below). The Trust may impose a transaction fee for each creation or redemption. In all cases, such fees will be limited in accordance with the requirements of the SEC applicable to management investment companies offering redeemable securities. As in the case of other publicly traded securities, brokers’ commissions on transactions in the secondary market will be based on negotiated commission rates at customary levels.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE, POLICIES, AND RELATED RISKS
The Fund’s investment objective and principal investment strategies are described in the Prospectus. The following information supplements, and should be read in conjunction with, the Prospectus. For a description of certain permitted investments, see “Description of Permitted Investments” in this SAI.
With respect to the Fund’s investments, unless otherwise noted, if a percentage limitation on investment is adhered to at the time of investment or contract, a subsequent increase or decrease as a result of market movement or redemption will not result in a violation of such investment limitation.
Diversification
The Fund is “non-diversified” within the meaning of the 1940 Act, meaning it may invest in fewer companies than diversified investment companies. However, the Fund intends to satisfy the asset diversification requirements for qualification as a regulated investment company (“RIC”) under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). See “Federal Income Taxes” below for details.
General Risks
The value of the Fund’s portfolio securities may fluctuate with changes in the financial condition of an issuer or counterparty, changes in specific economic or political conditions that affect a particular security or issuer and changes in general economic or political conditions. An investor in the Fund could lose money over short or long periods of time.
There can be no guarantee that a liquid market for the securities held by the Fund will be maintained. The existence of a liquid trading market for certain securities may depend on whether dealers will make a market in such securities. There can be no assurance that a market will be made or maintained or that any such market will be or remain liquid. The price at which securities may be sold and the value of Shares will be adversely affected if trading markets for the Fund’s portfolio securities are limited or absent, or if bid-ask spreads are wide.
1
Cyber Security Risk. Investment companies, such as the Fund, and its service providers may be subject to operational and information security risks resulting from cyber attacks. Cyber attacks include, among other behaviors, stealing or corrupting data maintained online or digitally, denial of service attacks on websites, the unauthorized release of confidential information or various other forms of cyber security breaches. Cyber attacks affecting the Fund or the Adviser, custodian, transfer agent, intermediaries and other third-party service providers may adversely impact the Fund. For instance, cyber attacks may interfere with the processing of shareholder transactions, impact the Fund’s ability to calculate its NAV, cause the release of private shareholder information or confidential company information, impede trading, subject the Fund to regulatory fines or financial losses, and cause reputational damage. The Fund may also incur additional costs for cyber security risk management purposes. Similar types of cyber security risks are also present for issuers of securities in which the Fund invests, which could result in material adverse consequences for such issuers, and may cause the Fund’s investments in such portfolio companies to lose value.
Recent Market Events. U.S. and international markets have experienced and may continue to experience significant periods of volatility in recent years and months due to a number of economic, political and global macro factors including rising inflation, uncertainty regarding central banks’ interest rate increases, the possibility of a national or global recession, trade tensions, political events, and the war between Russia and Ukraine. As a result of continuing political tensions and armed conflicts, including the war between Ukraine and Russia, the U.S. and the European Union imposed sanctions on certain Russian individuals and companies, including certain financial institutions, and have limited certain exports and imports to and from Russia. The war has contributed to recent market volatility and may continue to do so.
These developments, as well as other events, could result in further market volatility and negatively affect financial asset prices, the liquidity of certain securities and the normal operations of securities exchanges and other markets, despite government efforts to address market disruptions. As a result, the risk environment remains elevated. The Adviser will monitor developments and seek to manage the Fund in a manner consistent with achieving the Fund’s investment objective, but there can be no assurance that they will be successful in doing so.
DESCRIPTION OF PERMITTED INVESTMENTS
The following are descriptions of the Fund’s permitted investments and investment practices and the associated risk factors. The Fund will only invest in any of the following instruments or engage in any of the following investment practices if such investment or activity is consistent with the Fund’s investment objective and permitted by the Fund’s stated investment policies. Each of the permitted investments described below applies to the Fund unless otherwise noted.
Business Development Companies. The Fund may invest in business development companies (“BDCs”), a special type of closed-end investment company that is required to invest at least 70% of its total assets in securities (typically debt) of private companies, thinly traded U.S. public companies, or short-term high quality debt securities. BDCs make available significant managerial assistance to those portfolio companies. BDCs are not required to register as investment companies under the 1940 Act. They are, however, required to register their securities under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
Depositary Receipts. To the extent the Fund invests in stocks of foreign corporations, the Fund’s investment in securities of foreign companies may be in the form of depositary receipts or other securities convertible into securities of foreign issuers. American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) are dollar-denominated receipts representing interests in the securities of a foreign issuer, which securities may not necessarily be denominated in the same currency as the securities into which they may be converted. ADRs are receipts typically issued by United States banks and trust companies which evidence ownership of underlying securities issued by a foreign corporation. Generally, ADRs in registered form are designed for use in domestic securities markets and are traded on exchanges or over-the-counter in the United States. Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”), European Depositary Receipts (“EDRs”), and International Depositary Receipts (“IDRs”) are similar to ADRs in that they are certificates evidencing ownership of shares of a foreign issuer, however, GDRs, EDRs, and IDRs may be issued in bearer form and denominated in other currencies, and are generally designed for use in specific or multiple securities markets outside the U.S. EDRs, for example, are designed for use in European securities markets, while GDRs are designed for use throughout the world. Depositary receipts will not necessarily be denominated in the same currency as their underlying securities.
Derivatives. Derivatives are financial instruments whose values are based on the value of one or more indicators, such as a security, asset, currency, interest rate, or index. The Fund’s use of derivatives involves risks different from, and possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other more traditional investments. Moreover, although the value of a derivative is based on an underlying indicator, a derivative does not carry the same rights as would be the case if the Fund invested directly in the underlying securities.
2
The SEC adopted new regulations governing the use of derivatives by registered investment companies (“Rule 18f-4”). Rule 18f-4 imposes limits on the amount of derivatives the Fund can enter into, treats derivatives as senior securities, and if the Fund’s use of derivatives is more than a limited specified exposure amount, requires the Fund to establish and maintain a comprehensive derivatives risk management program and appoint a derivatives risk manager.
Equity Securities. Equity securities, such as the common stocks of an issuer, are subject to stock market fluctuations and therefore may experience volatile changes in value as market conditions, consumer sentiment or the financial condition of the issuers change. A decrease in value of the equity securities in the Fund’s portfolio may also cause the value of the Fund’s Shares to decline.
An investment in the Fund should be made with an understanding of the risks inherent in an investment in equity securities, including the risk that the financial condition of issuers may become impaired or that the general condition of the stock market may deteriorate (either of which may cause a decrease in the value of the Fund’s portfolio securities and therefore a decrease in the value of Shares). Common stocks are susceptible to general stock market fluctuations and to volatile increases and decreases in value as market confidence and perceptions change. These investor perceptions are based on various and unpredictable factors, including expectations regarding government, economic, monetary and fiscal policies; inflation and interest rates; economic expansion or contraction; and global or regional political, economic, public health, or banking crises.
Holders of common stocks incur more risk than holders of preferred stocks and debt obligations because common stockholders, as owners of the issuer, generally have inferior rights to receive payments from the issuer in comparison with the rights of creditors or holders of debt obligations or preferred stocks. Further, unlike debt securities, which typically have a stated principal amount payable at maturity (whose value, however, is subject to market fluctuations prior thereto), or preferred stocks, which typically have a liquidation preference and which may have stated optional or mandatory redemption provisions, common stocks have neither a fixed principal amount nor a maturity. Common stock values are subject to market fluctuations as long as the common stock remains outstanding.
When-Issued Securities: A when-issued security is one whose terms are available and for which a market exists, but which has not been issued. When the Fund engages in when-issued transactions, it relies on the other party to consummate the sale. If the other party fails to complete the sale, the Fund may miss the opportunity to obtain the security at a favorable price or yield.
When purchasing a security on a when-issued basis, the Fund assumes the rights and risks of ownership of the security, including the risk of price and yield changes. At the time of settlement, the value of the security may be more or less than the purchase price. The yield available in the market when the delivery takes place also may be higher than those obtained in the transaction itself. Because the Fund does not pay for the security until the delivery date, these risks are in addition to the risks associated with its other investments.
Decisions to enter into “when-issued” transactions will be considered on a case-by-case basis when necessary to maintain continuity in a company’s index membership. The Fund will segregate cash or liquid securities equal in value to commitments for the when-issued transactions. The Fund will segregate additional liquid assets daily so that the value of such assets is equal to the amount of the commitments.
Types of Equity Securities:
Common Stocks — Common stocks represent units of ownership in a company. Common stocks usually carry voting rights and earn dividends. Unlike preferred stocks, which are described below, dividends on common stocks are not fixed but are declared at the discretion of the company’s board of directors.
Preferred Stocks — Preferred stocks are also units of ownership in a company. Preferred stocks normally have preference over common stock in the payment of dividends and the liquidation of the company. However, in all other respects, preferred stocks are subordinated to the liabilities of the issuer. Unlike common stocks, preferred stocks are generally not entitled to vote on corporate matters. Types of preferred stocks include adjustable-rate preferred stock, fixed dividend preferred stock, perpetual preferred stock, and sinking fund preferred stock.
Generally, the market values of preferred stock with a fixed dividend rate and no conversion element vary inversely with interest rates and perceived credit risk.
Rights and Warrants — A right is a privilege granted to existing shareholders of a corporation to subscribe to shares of a new issue of common stock before it is issued. Rights normally have a short life of usually two to four weeks, are freely transferable and entitle the holder to buy the new common stock at a lower price than the public offering price. Warrants are securities that are usually issued together with a debt security or preferred stock and that give the holder the right to buy proportionate amount of common stock at a specified price. Warrants are freely transferable and are traded on major exchanges. Unlike rights, warrants normally have a life that is measured in years and entitles the holder to buy common stock of a company at a price that is usually higher than the market price at the time the warrant is issued. Corporations often issue warrants to make the accompanying debt security more attractive.
3
An investment in warrants and rights may entail greater risks than certain other types of investments. Generally, rights and warrants do not carry the right to receive dividends or exercise voting rights with respect to the underlying securities, and they do not represent any rights in the assets of the issuer. In addition, their value does not necessarily change with the value of the underlying securities, and they cease to have value if they are not exercised on or before their expiration date. Investing in rights and warrants increases the potential profit or loss to be realized from the investment as compared with investing the same amount in the underlying securities.
Smaller Companies — The securities of small- and mid-capitalization companies may be more vulnerable to adverse issuer, market, political, or economic developments than securities of larger-capitalization companies. The securities of small- and mid-capitalization companies generally trade in lower volumes and are subject to greater and more unpredictable price changes than larger capitalization stocks or the stock market as a whole. Some small- or mid-capitalization companies have limited product lines, markets, and financial and managerial resources and tend to concentrate on fewer geographical markets relative to larger capitalization companies. There is typically less publicly available information concerning small- and mid-capitalization companies than for larger, more established companies. Small- and mid-capitalization companies also may be particularly sensitive to changes in interest rates, government regulation, borrowing costs, and earnings.
Exchange-Traded Funds (“ETFs”). The Fund may invest in shares of other investment companies (including ETFs). As the shareholder of another ETF, the Fund would bear, along with other shareholders, its pro rata portion of the other ETF’s expenses, including advisory fees. Such expenses are in addition to the expenses the Fund pays in connection with its own operations. The Fund’s investments in other ETFs may be limited by applicable law.
Disruptions in the markets for the securities underlying ETFs purchased or sold by the Fund could result in losses on investments in ETFs. ETFs also carry the risk that the price the Fund pays or receives may be higher or lower than the ETF’s NAV. ETFs are also subject to certain additional risks, including the risks of illiquidity and of possible trading halts due to market conditions or other reasons, based on the policies of the relevant exchange. ETFs and other investment companies in which the Fund may invest may be leveraged, which would increase the volatility of the Fund’s NAV.
Exchange-Traded Notes (“ETNs”). The Fund may invest in ETNs. ETNs generally are senior, unsecured, unsubordinated debt securities issued by a sponsor, such as an investment bank. ETNs are traded on exchanges and the returns are linked to the performance of market indexes. In addition to trading ETNs on exchanges, investors may redeem ETNs directly with the issuer on a periodic basis, typically in a minimum amount of 50,000 units, or hold the ETNs until maturity. The value of an ETN may be influenced by time to maturity, level of supply and demand for the ETN, volatility and lack of liquidity in the underlying market, changes in the applicable interest rates, and economic, legal, political or geographic events that affect the referenced market. Because ETNs are debt securities, they are subject to credit risk. If the issuer has financial difficulties or goes bankrupt, the Fund may not receive the return it was promised. If a rating agency lowers an issuer’s credit rating, the value of the ETN may decline and a lower credit rating reflects a greater risk that the issuer will default on its obligation. There may be restrictions on the Fund’s right to redeem its investment in an ETN. There are no periodic interest payments for ETNs, and principal is not protected. The Fund’s decision to sell its ETN holdings may be limited by the availability of a secondary market.
Illiquid Investments. The Fund may invest up to an aggregate amount of 15% of its net assets in illiquid investments, as such term is defined by Rule 22e-4 under the 1940 Act. The Fund may not invest in illiquid investments if, as a result of such investment, more than 15% of the Fund’s net assets would be invested in illiquid investments. Illiquid investments include securities subject to contractual or other restrictions on resale and other instruments that lack readily available markets. The inability of the Fund to dispose of illiquid investments readily or at a reasonable price could impair the Fund’s ability to raise cash for redemptions or other purposes. The liquidity of securities purchased by the Fund that are eligible for resale pursuant to Rule 144A, except for certain 144A bonds, will be monitored by the Fund on an ongoing basis. In the event that more than 15% of the Fund’s net assets are invested in illiquid investments, the Fund, in accordance with Rule 22e-4(b)(1)(iv), will report the occurrence to both the Board and the SEC and seek to reduce its holdings of illiquid investments within a reasonable period of time.
Investment Company Securities. The Fund invests in the securities of other investment companies, including ETFs, BDCs, and money market funds, subject to applicable limitations under Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act and the rules applicable thereunder (including Rule 12d1-4). Investing in another pooled vehicle exposes the Fund to all the risks of that pooled vehicle. Pursuant to Section 12(d)(1), the Fund may invest in the securities of another investment company (the “acquired company”) provided that the Fund, immediately after such purchase or acquisition, does not own in the aggregate: (i) more than 3% of the total outstanding voting stock of the acquired company; (ii) securities issued by the acquired company having an aggregate value in excess of 5% of the value of the total assets of such Fund; or (iii) securities issued by the acquired company and all other investment companies (other than treasury stock of such Fund) having an aggregate value in excess of 10% of the value of the total assets of the Fund. To the extent allowed by law or regulation, the Fund may invest its assets in securities of investment companies that are money market funds in excess of the limits discussed above.
4
If the Fund invests in and, thus, is a shareholder of, another investment company, the Fund’s shareholders will indirectly bear the Fund’s proportionate share of the fees and expenses paid by such other investment company, including advisory fees, in addition to both the management fees payable directly by the Fund to the Fund’s own investment adviser and the other expenses that the Fund bears directly in connection with the Fund’s own operations.
Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act restricts investments by registered investment companies in securities of other registered investment companies, including the Fund. The acquisition of the Fund’s Shares by registered investment companies is subject to the restrictions of Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act, except as may be permitted by exemptive rules under the 1940 Act that permits registered investment companies to invest in the Fund beyond the limits of Section 12(d)(1), subject to certain terms and conditions, including that the registered investment company enter into an agreement with the Fund regarding the terms of the investment.
The Fund may rely on Section 12(d)(1)(F) and Rule 12d1-3 of the 1940 Act, which provide an exemption from Section 12(d)(1) that allows the Fund to invest all of its assets in other registered funds, including ETFs, if, among other conditions: (a) the Fund, together with its affiliates, acquires no more than three percent of the outstanding voting stock of any acquired fund, and (b) the sales load charged on the Fund’s Shares is no greater than the limits set forth in Rule 2341 of the Rules of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”). Additionally, the Fund may rely on Rule 12d1-4 under the 1940 Act to invest in such other funds in excess of the limits of Section 12(d)(1) if the Fund complies with the terms and conditions of such rule.
Money Market Instruments. The Fund may invest a portion of its assets in high-quality money market instruments on an ongoing basis to provide liquidity or for other reasons. The instruments in which the Fund may invest include: (i) short-term obligations issued by the U.S. Government; (ii) negotiable certificates of deposit (“CDs”), fixed time deposits and bankers’ acceptances of U.S. and foreign banks and similar institutions; (iii) commercial paper rated at the date of purchase “Prime-1” by Moody’s or “A-1+” or “A-1” by S&P or, if unrated, of comparable quality as determined by the Fund; and (iv) repurchase agreements. CDs are short-term negotiable obligations of commercial banks. Time deposits are non-negotiable deposits maintained in banking institutions for specified periods of time at stated interest rates. Banker’s acceptances are time drafts drawn on commercial banks by borrowers, usually in connection with international transactions.
Options on Securities. The Fund may purchase and write (i.e., sell) put and call options. Such options may relate to particular securities or stock indices, and may or may not be listed on a domestic or foreign securities exchange and may or may not be issued by the Options Clearing Corporation. Options trading is a highly specialized activity that entails greater than ordinary investment risk. Options may be more volatile than the underlying instruments, and therefore, on a percentage basis, an investment in options may be subject to greater fluctuation than an investment in the underlying instruments themselves.
A call option for a particular security gives the purchaser of the option the right to buy, and the writer (seller) the obligation to sell, the underlying security at the stated exercise price at any time prior to the expiration of the option, regardless of the market price of the security. The premium paid to the writer is in consideration for undertaking the obligation under the option contract. A put option for a particular security gives the purchaser the right to sell the security at the stated exercise price at any time prior to the expiration date of the option, regardless of the market price of the security.
Stock index options are put options and call options on various stock indices. In most respects, they are identical to listed options on common stocks. The primary difference between stock options and index options occurs when index options are exercised. In the case of stock options, the underlying security, common stock, is delivered. However, upon the exercise of an index option, settlement does not occur by delivery of the securities comprising the index. The option holder who exercises the index option receives an amount of cash if the closing level of the stock index upon which the option is based is greater than, in the case of a call, or less than, in the case of a put, the exercise price of the option. This amount of cash is equal to the difference between the closing price of the stock index and the exercise price of the option expressed in dollars times a specified multiple. A stock index fluctuates with changes in the market value of the stocks included in the index. For example, some stock index options are based on a broad market index, such as the Standard & Poor’s 500® Index or the Value Line Composite Index or a narrower market index, such as the Standard & Poor’s 100®. Indices may also be based on an industry or market segment, such as the NYSE Arca Oil Index. Options on stock indices are currently traded on the Chicago Board Options Exchange, the New York Stock Exchange and the NASDAQ OMX PHLX.
5
The Fund’s obligation to sell an instrument subject to a call option written by it, or to purchase an instrument subject to a put option written by it, may be terminated prior to the expiration date of the option by the Fund’s execution of a closing purchase transaction, which is effected by purchasing on an exchange an option of the same series (i.e., same underlying instrument, exercise price and expiration date) as the option previously written. A closing purchase transaction will ordinarily be effected to realize a profit on an outstanding option, to prevent an underlying instrument from being called, to permit the sale of the underlying instrument or to permit the writing of a new option containing different terms on such underlying instrument. The cost of such a liquidation purchase plus transactions costs may be greater than the premium received upon the original option, in which event the Fund will have paid a loss in the transaction. There is no assurance that a liquid secondary market will exist for any particular option. An option writer unable to effect a closing purchase transaction will not be able to sell the underlying instrument until the option expires or the optioned instrument is delivered upon exercise. In such circumstances, the writer will be subject to the risk of market decline or appreciation in the instrument during such period.
If an option purchased by the Fund expires unexercised, the Fund realizes a loss equal to the premium paid. If the Fund enters into a closing sale transaction on an option purchased by it, the Fund will realize a gain if the premium received by the Fund on the closing transaction is more than the premium paid to purchase the option, or a loss if it is less. If an option written by the Fund expires on the stipulated expiration date or if the Fund enters into a closing purchase transaction, it will realize a gain (or loss if the cost of a closing purchase transaction exceeds the net premium received when the option is sold). If an option written by the Fund is exercised, the proceeds of the sale will be increased by the net premium originally received and the Fund will realize a gain or loss.
Options on Stock Indexes. The Fund’s purchase and sale of options on stock indexes will be subject to risks described below under “Transactions in Stock Options.” In addition, the distinctive characteristics of options on stock indexes create certain risks that are not present with stock options.
Since the value of a stock index option depends upon the movements in the level of the stock index, rather than the price of a particular stock, whether the Fund will realize a gain or loss on the purchase or sale of an option on a stock index depends upon movements in the level of stock prices in the stock market generally or in an industry or market segment rather than movements in the price of a particular stock. Accordingly, successful use by the Fund of options on stock indexes is subject to the advisor’s ability to correctly predict movements in the direction of the stock market generally or of a particular industry or market segment. This requires skills and techniques different from predicting changes in the price of individual stocks.
Stock index prices may be distorted if trading of certain stocks included in the stock index is interrupted. Trading in the stock index options also may be interrupted in certain circumstances, such as if trading were halted in a substantial number of stocks included in the stock index. If this occurred, the Fund would not be able to close out options that it had purchased or written and, if restrictions on exercise were imposed, might not be able to exercise an option that it was holding, which could result in substantial losses to the Fund.
Although the markets for certain stock index option contracts have developed rapidly, the markets for other stock index options are still relatively illiquid. The ability to establish and close out positions on such options will be subject to the development and maintenance of a liquid secondary market. It is not certain that this market will develop in all stock index option contracts. Fund will not purchase or sell stock index option contracts unless and until, in the advisor’s opinion, the market for such options has developed sufficiently that the risk in connection with these transactions is no greater than the risk in connection with options on stock.
OTC Options. Unlike exchange-traded options, which are standardized with respect to the underlying instrument, expiration date, contract size and strike price, the terms of OTC options (options not traded on exchanges) generally are established through negotiation with the other party to the option contract. While this type of arrangement allows the Fund great flexibility to tailor the option to its needs, OTC options generally involve greater risk than exchange-traded options, which are guaranteed by the clearing organization of the exchanges where they are traded.
REITs. The Fund may invest in securities of real estate investment trusts (“REITs”). REITs are publicly traded corporations or trusts that specialize in acquiring, holding and managing residential, commercial or industrial real estate. A REIT is not taxed at the entity level on income distributed to its shareholders or unitholders if it distributes to shareholders or unitholders at least 95% of its taxable income for each taxable year and complies with regulatory requirements relating to its organization, ownership, assets and income.
REITs generally can be classified as “Equity REITs,” “Mortgage REITs” and “Hybrid REITs.” An Equity REIT invests the majority of its assets directly in real property and derives its income primarily from rents and from capital gains on real estate appreciation which are realized through property sales. A Mortgage REIT invests the majority of its assets in real estate mortgage loans and services its income primarily from interest payments. A Hybrid REIT combines the characteristics of an Equity REIT and a Mortgage REIT. The Fund may invest in all three kinds of REITs.
6
Investments in the real estate industry involve particular risks. The real estate industry has been subject to substantial fluctuations and declines on a local, regional and national basis in the past and may continue to be in the future. Real property values, and income from real property continue to be in the future. Real property values and income from real property may decline due to general and local economic conditions, overbuilding and increased competition, increases in property taxes and operating expenses, changes in zoning laws, casualty or condemnation losses, regulatory limitations on rents, changes in neighborhoods and in demographics, increases in market interest rates, or other factors. Factors such as these may adversely affect companies that own and operate real estate directly, companies that lend to such companies, and companies that service the real estate industry.
Direct investments in REITs also involve risks. Equity REITs will be affected by changes in the values of and income from the properties they own, while Mortgage REITs may be affected by the credit quality of the mortgage loans they hold. In addition, REITs are dependent on specialized management skills and on their ability to generate cash flow for operating purposes and to make distributions to shareholders or unitholders REITs may have limited diversification and are subject to risks associated with obtaining financing for real property, as well as to the risk of self-liquidation. REITs also can be adversely affected by their failure to qualify for tax-free pass-through treatment of their income under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or their failure to maintain an exemption from registration under the 1940 Act. By investing in REITs indirectly through the Fund, a shareholder bears not only a proportionate share of the expenses of the Fund, but also may indirectly bear similar expenses of some of the REITs in which it invests.
Repurchase Agreements. The Fund may invest in repurchase agreements with commercial banks, brokers or dealers to generate income from its excess cash balances and to invest securities lending cash collateral. A repurchase agreement is an agreement under which the Fund acquires a financial instrument (e.g., a security issued by the U.S. government or an agency thereof, a banker’s acceptance or a certificate of deposit) from a seller, subject to resale to the seller at an agreed upon price and date (normally, the next Business Day). A repurchase agreement may be considered a loan collateralized by securities. The resale price reflects an agreed upon interest rate effective for the period the instrument is held by the Fund and is unrelated to the interest rate on the underlying instrument.
In these repurchase agreement transactions, the securities acquired by the Fund (including accrued interest earned thereon) must have a total value in excess of the value of the repurchase agreement and are held by the Custodian until repurchased. No more than an aggregate of 15% of the Fund’s net assets will be invested in illiquid investments, including repurchase agreements having maturities longer than seven days and securities subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale, or for which there are no readily available market quotations.
The use of repurchase agreements involves certain risks. For example, if the other party to the agreement defaults on its obligation to repurchase the underlying security at a time when the value of the security has declined, the Fund may incur a loss upon disposition of the security. If the other party to the agreement becomes insolvent and subject to liquidation or reorganization under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code or other laws, a court may determine that the underlying security is collateral for a loan by the Fund not within the control of the Fund and, therefore, the Fund may not be able to substantiate its interest in the underlying security and may be deemed an unsecured creditor of the other party to the agreement.
Reverse Repurchase Agreements. The Fund may enter into reverse repurchase agreements, which involve the sale of securities held by the Fund subject to its agreement to repurchase the securities at an agreed-upon date or upon demand and at a price reflecting a market rate of interest. Reverse repurchase agreements are subject to the Fund’s limitation on borrowings and may be entered into only with banks or securities dealers or their affiliates. While a reverse repurchase agreement is outstanding, the Fund will maintain the segregation, either on its records or with the Trust’s custodian, of cash or other liquid securities, marked-to-market daily, in an amount at least equal to its obligations under the reverse repurchase agreement.
Reverse repurchase agreements involve the risk that the buyer of the securities sold by the Fund might be unable to deliver them when that Fund seeks to repurchase. If the buyer of securities under a reverse repurchase agreement files for bankruptcy or becomes insolvent, the buyer or trustee or receiver may receive an extension of time to determine whether to enforce the Fund’s obligation to repurchase the securities, and the Fund’s use of the proceeds of the reverse repurchase agreement may effectively be restricted pending such decision.
Securities Lending. The Fund may lend portfolio securities in an amount up to one-third of its total assets to brokers, dealers and other financial institutions. In a portfolio securities lending transaction, the Fund receives from the borrower an amount equal to the interest paid or the dividends declared on the loaned securities during the term of the loan as well as the interest on the collateral securities, less any fees (such as finders or administrative fees) the Fund pays in arranging the loan. The Fund may share the interest it receives on the collateral securities with the borrower. Loans are subject to termination at the option of the Fund or borrower at any time, and the borrowed securities must be returned when the loan is terminated. The Fund may pay fees to arrange for securities loans.
7
The SEC currently requires that the following conditions must be met whenever the Fund’s portfolio securities are loaned: (1) the Fund must receive at least 100% cash collateral from the borrower; (2) the borrower must increase such collateral whenever the market value of the securities rises above the level of such collateral; (3) the Fund must be able to terminate the loan at any time; (4) the Fund must receive reasonable interest on the loan, as well as any dividends, interest or other distributions on the loaned securities, and any increase in market value; (5) the Fund may pay only reasonable custodian fees approved by the Board in connection with the loan; (6) while voting rights on the loaned securities may pass to the borrower, the Board must terminate the loan and regain the right to vote the securities if a material event adversely affecting the investment occurs, and (7) the Fund may not loan its portfolio securities so that the value of the loaned securities is more than one-third of its total asset value, including collateral received from such loans. These conditions may be subject to future modification. Such loans will be terminable at any time upon specified notice. The Fund might experience the risk of loss if the institution with which it has engaged in a portfolio loan transaction breaches its agreement with the Fund. In addition, the Fund will not enter into any portfolio security lending arrangement having a duration of longer than one year. The principal risk of portfolio lending is potential default or insolvency of the borrower. In either of these cases, the Fund could experience delays in recovering securities or collateral or could lose all or part of the value of the loaned securities. As part of participating in a lending program, the Fund may be required to invest in collateralized debt or other securities that bear the risk of loss of principal. In addition, all investments made with the collateral received are subject to the risks associated with such investments. If such investments lose value, the Fund will have to cover the loss when repaying the collateral.
Any loans of portfolio securities are fully collateralized based on values that are marked-to-market daily. Any securities that the Fund may receive as collateral will not become part of the Fund’s investment portfolio at the time of the loan and, in the event of a default by the borrower, the Fund will, if permitted by law, dispose of such collateral except for such part thereof that is a security in which the Fund is permitted to invest. During the time securities are on loan, the borrower will pay the Fund any accrued income on those securities, and the Fund may invest the cash collateral and earn income or receive an agreed-upon fee from a borrower that has delivered cash-equivalent collateral.
Stock Index Futures. The Fund may purchase and sell stock index futures contracts as a hedge against changes resulting from market conditions in the values of securities that are held in its portfolio or that it intends to purchase or when such purchase or sale is economically appropriate for the reduction of risks inherent in the ongoing management of the Fund. A stock index futures contract is an agreement in which one party agrees to deliver to the other an amount of cash equal to a specific dollar amount times the difference between the value of a specific stock index at the close of the last trading day of the contract and the price at which the agreement is made.
The Fund may hedge a portion of its portfolio by selling stock index futures contracts or purchasing puts on these contracts to limit exposure to an actual or anticipated market decline. This provides an alternative to liquidation of securities positions. Conversely, during a market advance or when the Adviser anticipates an advance, the Fund may hedge a portion of its portfolio by purchasing stock index futures, or options on these futures. This affords a hedge against the Fund not participating in a market advance when it is not fully invested and serves as a temporary substitute for the purchase of individual securities, which may later be purchased in a more advantageous manner.
The Fund’s successful use of stock index futures contracts depends upon the Adviser’s ability to predict the direction of the market and is subject to various additional risks. The correlation between movement in the price of the stock index future and the price of the securities being hedged is imperfect and the risk from imperfect correlation increases as the composition of the Fund’s portfolio diverges from the composition of the relevant index. In addition, if the Fund purchases futures to hedge against market advances before it can invest in common stock in an advantageous manner and the market declines, there may be a loss on the futures contracts. In addition, the ability of the Fund to close out a futures position or an option on futures depends on a liquid secondary market. There is no assurance that liquid secondary markets will exist for any particular futures contract or option on a futures contract at any particular time. The risk of loss to the Fund is theoretically unlimited when the Fund sells an uncovered futures contract because there is an obligation to make delivery unless the contract is closed out, regardless of fluctuations in the price of the underlying security.
Tax Risks. As with any investment, you should consider how your investment in Shares will be taxed. The tax information in the Prospectus and this SAI is provided as general information. You should consult your own tax professional about the tax consequences of an investment in Shares.
Unless your investment in Shares is made through a tax-exempt entity or tax-deferred retirement account, such as an individual retirement account, you need to be aware of the possible tax consequences when the Fund makes distributions or you sell Shares.
8
Transactions in Stock Options. Purchase and sales of options involves the risk that there will be no market in which to effect a closing transaction. An option position may be closed out only on an exchange that provides a secondary market for an option of the same series or if the transaction was an over-the-counter transaction, through the original broker-dealer. Although the Fund will generally buy and sell options for which there appears to be an active secondary market, there is no assurance that a liquid secondary market on an exchange will exist for any particular option, or at any particular time, and for some options no secondary market on an exchange may exist. If the Fund, as a covered call or put option writer, is unable to effect an offsetting closing transaction in a secondary market, it will, for a call option it has written, not be able to sell the underlying security until the call option expires and, for a put option it has written, not be able to avoid purchasing the underlying security until the put option expires.
U.S. Government Securities. The Fund may invest in U.S. government securities. Securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities include U.S. Treasury securities, which are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury and which differ only in their interest rates, maturities, and times of issuance. U.S. Treasury bills have initial maturities of one-year or less; U.S. Treasury notes have initial maturities of one to ten years; and U.S. Treasury bonds generally have initial maturities of greater than ten years. Certain U.S. government securities are issued or guaranteed by agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. government including, but not limited to, obligations of U.S. government agencies or instrumentalities such as the Federal National Mortgage Association (“Fannie Mae”), the Government National Mortgage Association (“Ginnie Mae”), the Small Business Administration, the Federal Farm Credit Administration, the Federal Home Loan Banks, Banks for Cooperatives (including the Central Bank for Cooperatives), the Federal Land Banks, the Federal Intermediate Credit Banks, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Export-Import Bank of the United States, the Commodity Credit Corporation, the Federal Financing Bank, the Student Loan Marketing Association, the National Credit Union Administration and the Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation (“Farmer Mac”).
Some obligations issued or guaranteed by U.S. government agencies and instrumentalities, including, for example, Ginnie Mae pass- through certificates, are supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury. Other obligations issued by or guaranteed by federal agencies, such as those securities issued by Fannie Mae, are supported by the discretionary authority of the U.S. government to purchase certain obligations of the federal agency, while other obligations issued by or guaranteed by federal agencies, such as those of the Federal Home Loan Banks, are supported by the right of the issuer to borrow from the U.S. Treasury, while the U.S. government provides financial support to such U.S. government-sponsored federal agencies, no assurance can be given that the U.S. government will always do so, since the U.S. government is not so obligated by law. U.S. Treasury notes and bonds typically pay coupon interest semi-annually and repay the principal at maturity.
Future Developments. The Board may, in the future, authorize the Fund to invest in securities contracts and investments other than those listed in this SAI and in the Fund’s Prospectus, provided they are consistent with the Fund’s investment objective and do not violate any investment restrictions or policies.
INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS
The Trust has adopted the following investment restrictions as fundamental policies with respect to the Fund. These restrictions cannot be changed with respect to the Fund without the approval of the holders of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities. For the purposes of the 1940 Act, a “majority of outstanding shares” means the vote of the lesser of: (1) 67% or more of the voting securities of the Fund present at the meeting if the holders of more than 50% of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities are present or represented by proxy; or (2) more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund.
Except with the approval of a majority of the outstanding voting securities, the Fund may not:
| 1. | Purchase the securities of any issuer (other than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or any of its agencies or instrumentalities) if, as a result, more than 25% of the Fund’s total assets would be invested in the securities of companies whose principal business activities are in the same industry. |
| 2. | Issue senior securities, except as permitted under the 1940 Act. |
| 3. | Borrow money, except as permitted under the 1940 Act. |
| 4. | Lend any security or make any other loan except as permitted under the 1940 Act. This means that no more than 33 1/3% of its total assets would be lent to other parties. This limitation does not apply to purchases of debt securities or to repurchase agreements, or to acquisitions of loans, loan participations or other forms of debt instruments, permissible under the Fund’s investment policies. |
9
| 5. | Purchase or sell real estate unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments (but this shall not prevent the Fund from investing in securities or other instruments backed by real estate, real estate investment trusts or securities of companies engaged in the real estate business). |
| 6. | Purchase or sell physical commodities unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments (but this shall not prevent the Fund from purchasing or selling options and futures contracts or from investing in securities or other instruments backed by physical commodities). |
| 7. | Act as an underwriter of another issuer’s securities, except to the extent that the Fund may be considered an underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act in the disposition of portfolio securities. |
If a percentage limitation is adhered to at the time of investment or contract, a later increase or decrease in percentage resulting from any change in value or total or net assets will not result in a violation of such restriction, except that the percentage limitation with respect to the borrowing of money will be observed continuously.
EXCHANGE LISTING AND TRADING
Shares are listed for trading and trade throughout the day on the Exchange.
There can be no assurance that the Fund will continue to meet the requirements of the Exchange necessary to maintain the listing of Shares. The Exchange will consider the suspension of trading in, and will initiate delisting proceedings of, the Shares if any of the requirements set forth in the Exchange rules, including compliance with Rule 6c-11(c) under the 1940 Act, are not continuously maintained or such other event shall occur or condition shall exist that, in the opinion of the Exchange, makes further dealings on the Exchange inadvisable. The Exchange will remove the Shares of the Fund from listing and trading upon termination of the Fund.
The Trust reserves the right to adjust the price levels of Shares in the future to help maintain convenient trading ranges for investors. Any adjustments would be accomplished through stock splits or reverse stock splits, which would have no effect on the net assets of the Fund.
MANAGEMENT OF THE TRUST
Board Responsibilities. The management and affairs of the Trust and its series are overseen by the Board, which elects the officers of the Trust who are responsible for administering the day-to-day operations of the Trust and the Fund. The Board has approved contracts, as described below, under which certain companies provide essential services to the Trust.
The day-to-day business of the Trust, including the management of risk, is performed by third-party service providers, such as the Adviser, the Distributor, and the Administrator. The Board is responsible for overseeing the Trust’s service providers and, thus, has oversight responsibility with respect to risk management performed by those service providers. Risk management seeks to identify and address risks, i.e., events or circumstances that could have material adverse effects on the business, operations, shareholder services, investment performance or reputation of the Fund. The Fund and its service providers employ a variety of processes, procedures and controls to identify such events or circumstances, to lessen the probability of their occurrence and/or to mitigate the effects of such events or circumstances if they do occur. Each service provider is responsible for one or more discrete aspects of the Trust’s business (e.g., the Adviser is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio investments) and, consequently, for managing the risks associated with that business. The Board has emphasized to the Fund’s service providers the importance of maintaining vigorous risk management.
The Board’s role in risk oversight begins before the inception of the Fund, at which time certain of the Fund’s service providers present the Board with information concerning the investment objective, strategies, and risks of the Fund as well as proposed investment limitations for the Fund. Additionally, the Adviser will provide the Board with an overview of, among other things, its investment philosophy, brokerage practices, and compliance infrastructure. Thereafter, the Board continues its oversight function as various personnel, including the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer, as well as personnel of the Adviser, and other service providers such as the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm, make periodic reports to the Audit Committee or to the Board with respect to various aspects of risk management. The Board and the Audit Committee oversee efforts by management and service providers to manage risks to which the Fund may be exposed.
The Board is responsible for overseeing the nature, extent, and quality of the services provided to the Fund by the Adviser and receives information about those services at its regular meetings. In addition, on an annual basis (following the initial two-year period), in connection with its consideration of whether to renew the Advisory Agreement with the Adviser (as defined below), the Board or its designee may meet with the Adviser to review such services. Among other things, the Board regularly considers the Adviser’s adherence to the Fund’s investment restrictions and compliance with various Fund policies and procedures and with applicable securities regulations. The Board also reviews information about the Fund’s performance and the Fund’s investments, including, for example, portfolio holdings schedules.
10
The Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer reports regularly to the Board to review and discuss compliance issues and Fund and Adviser risk assessments. At least annually, the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer provides the Board with a report reviewing the adequacy and effectiveness of the Trust’s policies and procedures and those of its service providers, including the Adviser. The report addresses the operation of the policies and procedures of the Trust and each service provider since the date of the last report; any material changes to the policies and procedures since the date of the last report; any recommendations for material changes to the policies and procedures; and any material compliance matters since the date of the last report.
The Board receives reports from the Fund’s service providers regarding operational risks and risks related to the valuation and liquidity of portfolio securities. Annually, the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm reviews with the Audit Committee its audit of the Fund’s financial statements, focusing on major areas of risk encountered by the Fund and noting any significant deficiencies or material weaknesses in the Fund’s internal controls. Additionally, in connection with its oversight function, the Board oversees Fund management’s implementation of disclosure controls and procedures, which are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Trust in its periodic reports with the SEC are recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the required time periods. The Board also oversees the Trust’s internal controls over financial reporting, which comprise policies and procedures designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of the Trust’s financial reporting and the preparation of the Trust’s financial statements.
From their review of these reports and discussions with the Adviser, the Chief Compliance Officer, independent registered public accounting firm and other service providers, the Board and the Audit Committee learn in detail about the material risks of the Fund, thereby facilitating a dialogue about how management and service providers identify and mitigate those risks.
The Board recognizes that not all risks that may affect the Fund can be identified and/or quantified, that it may not be practical or cost- effective to eliminate or mitigate certain risks, that it may be necessary to bear certain risks (such as investment-related risks) to achieve the Fund’s goals, and that the processes, procedures and controls employed to address certain risks may be limited in their effectiveness. Moreover, reports received by the Board as to risk management matters are typically summaries of the relevant information. Most of the Fund’s investment management and business affairs are carried out by or through the Adviser, and other service providers, each of which has an independent interest in risk management but whose policies and the methods by which one or more risk management functions are carried out may differ from the Fund’s and each other’s in the setting of priorities, the resources available or the effectiveness of relevant controls. As a result of the foregoing and other factors, the Board’s ability to monitor and manage risk, as a practical matter, is subject to limitations.
Members of the Board. There are three members of the Board, two of whom are not interested persons of the Trust, as that term is defined in the 1940 Act (the “Independent Trustees”). Mr. Bradley Swenson serves as Chairman of the Board and is an interested person of the Trust, and Mr. Steven Norgaard serves as the Trust’s Lead Independent Trustee. As Lead Independent Trustee, Mr. Norgaard acts as a spokesperson for the Independent Trustees in between meetings of the Board, serves as a liaison for the Independent Trustees with the Trust’s service providers, officers, and legal counsel to discuss ideas informally, and participates in setting the agenda for meetings of the Board and separate meetings or executive sessions of the Independent Trustees.
The Board is comprised of a super-majority (66.6 percent) of Independent Trustees. There is an Audit Committee of the Board that is chaired by an Independent Trustee and comprised solely of Independent Trustees. The Audit Committee chair presides at the Audit Committee meetings, participates in formulating agendas for Audit Committee meetings, and coordinates with management to serve as a liaison between the Independent Trustees and management on matters within the scope of responsibilities of the Audit Committee as set forth in its Board-approved charter. The Trust has determined its leadership structure is appropriate given the specific characteristics and circumstances of the Trust. The Trust made this determination in consideration of, among other things, the fact that the Independent Trustees of the Trust constitute a super-majority of the Board, the number of Independent Trustees that constitute the Board, the amount of assets under management in the Trust, and the number of funds overseen by the Board. The Board also believes that its leadership structure facilitates the orderly and efficient flow of information to the Independent Trustees from management.
11
Additional information about each Trustee of the Trust is set forth below. The address of each Trustee of the Trust is c/o Paralel Technologies LLC, 1700 Broadway, Suite 2100, Denver, Colorado 80290.
| Name
and Year of Birth |
Position
Held with the Trust |
Term of Office and Length of Time Served | Principal
Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years |
Number
of Portfolios in Fund Complex Overseen by Trustee (1) |
Other
Directorships Held by Trustee During Past 5 Years |
| Independent Trustees | |||||
Kimberly Storms Birth Year: 1972 |
Trustee | Since 2022 | Ms. Storms served at various roles at ALPS Fund Services, Inc. from 1998 through 2020, including as Senior Vice President - Director of Fund Administration (2004-2020) and Senior Vice President - Director of Fund Management (2020). During her tenure, Ms. Storms served as an officer to certain ETF, closed-end and open-end investment companies (1998-2020) and, within the past 5 years, Principal Financial Officer of ALPS Series Trust (2012-2020), Financial Investors Trust (2013-2020), Liberty All-Star Funds (2013-2020), and Cambria ETF Trust (2020). | 37 | Sterling Capital Funds (Since October 2022) |
Steven Norgaard Birth Year: 1964 |
Trustee | Since 2022 | Mr. Norgaard has been an attorney with Steven K. Norgaard, P.C. since 1994. | 38(2) | SRH U.S. Quality GARP ETF (since 2022); MFG Funds (formerly the Frontier Funds) (2 Funds) (since 2013); SRH Total Return Fund, Inc. (Since 2011) |
| Interested Trustees and Officers | |||||
Bradley J. Swenson Birth Year: 1972 |
Trustee and President | Since 2022 | Mr. Swenson is President of Paralel Distributors LLC (May 2022 to present) and Chief Compliance Officer of Paralel Technologies LLC (January 2023 to present). He previously served as President of TruePeak Consulting, LLC (August 2021 to December 2023). Prior to this Mr. Swenson joined ALPS Fund Services, Inc. (“ALPS”) in 2004 and served as its President from June 2019 until June 2021. In this role, he served as an officer to certain other closed-end and open-end investment companies. He previously served as the Chief Operating Officer of ALPS (2015-2019). Mr. Swenson also previously served as Chief Compliance Officer to ALPS, its affiliated entities, and to certain ETF, closed-end and open-end investment companies (2004-2015). | 37 | ALPS Series Trust (March 2021 to March 2022) |
| (1) | The term “Fund Complex” means two or more registered investment companies that hold themselves out to investors as related companies for purposes of investment and investor services; or have a common investment adviser or that have an investment adviser that is an affiliated person of the investment adviser of any of the other registered investment companies. For the purposes of this table, all series of the Trust (37 funds, including the Fund) are included in the Fund Complex. |
| (2) | Mr. Norgaard also serves as a Director of the SRH Total Return Fund, Inc. whose investment adviser is the same as the investment adviser of SRH U.S. Quality GARP ETF and SRH REIT Covered Call ETF, two series of the Trust. |
12
Individual Trustee Qualifications. The Trust has concluded that each of the Trustees should serve on the Board because of their ability to review and understand information about the Fund provided to them by management, to identify and request other information they may deem relevant to the performance of their duties, to question management and other service providers regarding material factors bearing on the management and administration of the Fund, and to exercise their business judgment in a manner that serves the best interests of the Fund’s shareholders. The Trust has concluded that each of the Trustees should serve as a Trustee based on his or her own experience, qualifications, attributes and skills as described below.
Bradley Swenson. Mr. Swenson has more than 25 years experienced focused on compliance and distribution in the mutual fund industry. Prior to joining Paralel, he spent seventeen years at ALPS in various capacities including, but not limited to, Chief Compliance Officer, Chief Operating Officer and President of ALPS Fund Services and ALPS Distributors. In addition to those roles Mr. Swenson built and led the Fund CCO services division and served as Fund CCO and President to various closed-end, ETF and mutual fund trusts. Mr. Swenson also held various roles at Janus Capital Group and Oppenheimer Funds including Senior Audit Manager and Compliance Manager. Mr. Swenson graduated from the University of Minnesota-Duluth with a B.S. in Accounting. Mr. Swenson holds FINRA Series 3, 6, 7, 24, 26, and 27 licenses.
Steven K. Norgaard. Mr. Norgaard serves as the lead independent trustee of the Trust, bringing more than 30 years of integrated legal, financial, and regulatory expertise to the Trust. He is an attorney and has successfully passed the certified public accountants (CPA) exam. Since 1994, he has been the principal of the law firm Steven K. Norgaard, P.C., having previously practiced law at the international firm McDermott, Will & Schulte. He currently serves as the Chairman of the Board of Directors for the SRH Total Return Fund, Inc. and as the lead independent director for the MFG Funds (formerly the Frontier Funds). His extensive background in corporate governance includes nearly a decade of senior leadership at Attorneys' Title Guaranty Fund, Inc., where he served as Chairman of the Board of Directors. Additionally, he served on the Board of Directors of ATG Trust Company from 2007 to 2021. Prior to March 2015, Mr. Norgaard held independent directorships for the Boulder Total Return Fund, Inc., the Denali Fund, Inc., and the First Opportunity Fund, Inc., until their merger into the fund now known as SRH Total Return Fund, Inc.
Kimberly Storms. Ms. Storms is the chair of the Audit Committee of the Board of Trustees and is the Trust’s Audit Committee Financial Expert. Ms. Storms has more than 25 years of experience concentrated on mutual fund back office and accounting operations. Ms. Storms served in various roles at ALPS Fund Services from 1998 through 2020, including as Senior Vice President - Director of Fund Administration. She graduated with a B.S. in Finance from the University of Louisiana. Ms. Storms brings significant experience from her prior time serving as an executive officer of several large fund complexes, as well as her knowledge in the accounting, investment and regulatory fields.
In its periodic assessment of the effectiveness of the Board, the Board considers the complementary individual skills and experience of the individual Trustees primarily in the broader context of the Board’s overall composition so that the Board, as a body, possesses the appropriate (and appropriately diverse) skills and experience to oversee the business of the Fund.
13
Board Committees. The Board has established the following standing committees of the Board:
Audit Committee. The Board has a standing Audit Committee that is composed of each of the Independent Trustees of the Trust. The Audit Committee operates under a written charter approved by the Board. The principal responsibilities of the Audit Committee include: recommending which firm to engage as the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm and whether to terminate this relationship; reviewing the independent registered public accounting firm’s compensation, the proposed scope and terms of its engagement, and the firm’s independence; pre-approving audit and non-audit services provided by the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm to the Trust and certain other affiliated entities; serving as a channel of communication between the independent registered public accounting firm and the Trustees; reviewing the results of each external audit, including any qualifications in the independent registered public accounting firm’s opinion, any related management letter, management’s responses to recommendations made by the independent registered public accounting firm in connection with the audit, reports submitted to the Committee by the internal auditing department of the Trust’s Administrator that are material to the Trust as a whole, if any, and management’s responses to any such reports; reviewing the Fund’s audited financial statements and considering any significant disputes between the Trust’s management and the independent registered public accounting firm that arose in connection with the preparation of those financial statements; considering, in consultation with the independent registered public accounting firm and the Trust’s senior internal accounting executive, if any, the independent registered public accounting firms’ report on the adequacy of the Trust’s internal financial controls; reviewing, in consultation with the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm, major changes regarding auditing and accounting principles and practices to be followed when preparing the Fund’s financial statements; and other audit related matters. During the past fiscal year, the Audit Committee met five times.
The Audit Committee also serves as the Qualified Legal Compliance Committee (“QLCC”) for the Trust for the purpose of compliance with Rules 205.2(k) and 205.3(c) of the Code of Federal Regulations, regarding alternative reporting procedures for attorneys retained or employed by an issuer who appear and practice before the SEC on behalf of the issuer (the “issuer attorneys”). An issuer attorney who becomes aware of evidence of a material violation by the Trust, or by any officer, director, employee, or agent of the Trust, may report evidence of such material violation to the QLCC as an alternative to the reporting requirements of Rule 205.3(b) (which requires reporting to the chief legal officer and potentially “up the ladder” to other entities).
Nominating Committee. The Board has a standing Nominating Committee that is composed of each of the Independent Trustees of the Trust. The Nominating Committee operates under a written charter approved by the Board. The principal responsibility of the Nominating Committee is to consider, recommend and nominate candidates to fill vacancies on the Trust’s Board, if any. The Nominating Committee generally will not consider nominees recommended by shareholders. The Nominating Committee meets periodically, as necessary. During the past fiscal year, the Nominating Committee did not meet.
14
Principal Officers of the Trust
The officers of the Trust conduct and supervise its daily business. The address of each officer of the Trust is c/o Paralel Technologies LLC, 1700 Broadway, Suite 1850, Denver, Colorado 80290. Additional information about the Trust’s officers is as follows:
| Name
and Year of Birth |
Position(s)
Held with the Trust |
Term of Office and Length of Time Served | Principal
Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years |
| Brenna Fudjack Birth Year: 1986 |
Chief Compliance Officer | Indefinite term; since 2023 |
Ms. Fudjack joined Paralel Technologies LLC as Deputy Chief Compliance Officer in 2023. Prior to her current role, Ms. Fudjack served as Manager, Risk & Financial Advisory for Deloitte & Touche LLP from 2022-2023; Director of Compliance for Perella Weinberg Partners Capital Management LP / Agility from 2018-2022; Compliance Officer for Shelton Capital Management from 2017-2018; and Compliance Manager among other compliance roles for ALPS Fund Services, Inc. from 2010-2017. |
| Nicholas
Austin Birth Year: 1981 |
Treasurer | Indefinite term; since 2023 |
Mr. Austin joined Paralel Technologies, LLC as Senior Controller in 2022. Prior to his current role, Mr. Austin served as Vice President/Fund Controller for SS&C ALPS from 2018 until 2022, and as Chief Financial Officer of Champion Medical Center from 2016 until 2018. |
Nicholas Adams Birth Year: 1983 |
Secretary | Indefinite
term; since 2025 |
Mr. Adams joined Paralel Technologies LLC as Investment Counsel in 2025. Prior to his current role, Mr. Adams served as Principal Legal Counsel for SS&C ALPS from 2022-2024, and associate counsel for Arnold, Newbold, Sollars and Hollins, P.C. from 2020-2022 and Stanziola Estate Law from 2019-2020. |
Trustee Ownership of Shares. The Fund is required to show the dollar amount ranges of each Trustee’s “beneficial ownership” of Shares and each other series of the Trust as of the end of the most recently completed calendar year. Dollar amount ranges disclosed are established by the SEC. “Beneficial ownership” is determined in accordance with Rule 16a-1(a)(2) under the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”).
As of December 31, 2025, no Trustees owned Shares of the Fund.
Board Compensation. The Independent Trustees each receive a fee of $12,500 per quarter, a special meeting fee of $2,500, as well as reimbursement for reasonable travel, lodging and other expenses in connection with attendance at meetings. The Audit Committee Chair also receives a fee of $2000 per quarter. The Trust has no pension or retirement plan.
Independent Trustee fees are paid by the adviser of each series of the Trust through the applicable adviser’s unitary management fee, and not by the Fund. Trustee compensation does not include reimbursed out-of-pocket expenses in connection with attendance at meetings.
15
The following table shows the compensation anticipated to be earned by each Trustee during the initial fiscal year of the Fund.
| Name | Aggregate Compensation From Fund* |
Total
Compensation From Fund Complex Paid to Trustees* |
| Interested Trustees | ||
| Bradley J. Swenson | $0 | $0 |
| Independent Trustees | ||
| Kimberly Storms | $1,030 | $58,000 |
| Steven Norgaard | $888 | $50,000 |
| * | Estimated for the current fiscal year of the Fund. |
PRINCIPAL SHAREHOLDERS, CONTROL PERSONS, AND MANAGEMENT OWNERSHIP
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 a shareholder that owns beneficially or through controlled companies more than 25% of the voting securities of a company or acknowledges the existence of control. Shareholders owning voting securities in excess of 25% may determine the outcome of any matter affecting and voted on by shareholders of the Fund.
The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) or its nominee is the record owner of all outstanding shares and is recognized as the owner of all shares for all purposes. Investors owning shares are beneficial owners as shown on the records of DTC or its participants. As of the date of this SAI, the Fund had not commenced operations.
As of December 31, 2025, no Trustees and officers of the Trust owned Shares of the Funds.
CODES OF ETHICS
The Trust, the Adviser, and the Distributor (as defined under “The Distributor”) have each adopted codes of ethics pursuant to Rule 17j-1 of the 1940 Act. These codes of ethics are designed to prevent affiliated persons of the Trust, the Adviser, and the Distributor from engaging in deceptive, manipulative or fraudulent activities in connection with securities held or to be acquired by the Fund (which may also be held by persons subject to the codes of ethics). Each Code of Ethics permits personnel subject to that Code of Ethics to invest in securities for their personal investment accounts, subject to certain limitations, including limitations related to securities that may be purchased or held by the Fund.
There can be no assurance that the codes of ethics will be effective in preventing such activities. Each code of ethics may be examined at the office of the SEC in Washington, D.C. or on the Internet at the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.
PROXY VOTING POLICIES
The Fund has delegated proxy voting responsibilities to the Adviser, subject to the Board’s oversight. In delegating proxy responsibilities, the Board has directed that proxies be voted consistent with the Fund’s and its shareholders’ best interests and in compliance with all applicable proxy voting rules and regulations. The Adviser has adopted the Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. Proxy Voting Guidelines as part of the Adviser’s proxy voting policies for this purpose (“Proxy Voting Policies”). A copy of the Adviser’s Proxy Voting Policies are set forth in Appendix A to this SAI. The Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer is responsible for monitoring the effectiveness of the Proxy Voting Policies. The Proxy Voting Policies have been approved by the Trust as the policies and procedures that the Adviser will use when voting proxies on behalf of the Fund.
The Proxy Voting Policies address, among other things, material conflicts of interest that may arise between the interests of the Fund and the interests of the Adviser. The Proxy Voting Policies will ensure that all issues brought to shareholders are analyzed in light of the Adviser’s fiduciary responsibilities.
Information on how the Fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 is available (1) without charge, upon request, by calling the Distributor at 1.877.875-TRUE (8783) and (2) on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
16
INVESTMENT ADVISER
Investment Adviser
TrueMark Investments LLC (“TrueMark”) serves as the investment adviser to the Fund. TrueMark is a SEC registered investment adviser with approximately $1.251 billion in assets under management as of December 31, 2025. TrueMark commenced operations as an SEC registered adviser in January 2020 and its principal office is located at 433 W Van Buren, Suite 1100-D, Chicago, Illinois 60607. TrueMark is controlled by TrueMark Group, LLC which in turn is controlled by RiverNorth Strategic Holdings, LLC.
Pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement between the Trust, on behalf of the Fund, and the Adviser (the “Advisory Agreement”), the Fund pays the Adviser a unitary management fee, which is calculated daily and paid monthly, at an annual rate of 0.19% based on a percentage of the Fund’s average daily net assets. Out of the unitary management fee, the Adviser has agreed to pay substantially all expenses of the Fund, including the cost of transfer agency, custody, fund administration, securities lending and other non-distribution related services necessary for the Fund to operate, except for: the fee paid to the Adviser pursuant to the Advisory Agreement, interest charges on any borrowings, dividends and other expenses on securities sold short, taxes, brokerage commissions and other expenses incurred in placing orders for the purchase and sale of securities and other investment instruments, acquired fund fees and expenses, accrued deferred tax liability, distribution fees and expenses paid by the Fund under any distribution plan adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, litigation expenses and other non-routine or extraordinary expenses.
The Advisory Agreement with respect to the Fund will continue in force for an initial period of two years. Thereafter, the Advisory Agreement will be renewable from year to year with respect to the Fund, so long as its continuance is approved at least annually (1) by the vote, cast in person at a meeting called for that purpose, of a majority of those Trustees who are not “interested persons” of the Adviser or the Trust; and (2) by the majority vote of either the full Board or the vote of a majority of the outstanding Shares of the Fund. The Advisory Agreement automatically terminates on assignment and is terminable on a 60-day written notice either by the Trust or the Adviser.
The Adviser shall not be liable to the Trust or any shareholder for anything done or omitted by it, except acts or omissions involving willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties imposed upon it by its agreement with the Trust or for any losses that may be sustained in the purchase, holding or sale of any security.
The table below shows the advisory fees paid by the Fund for the fiscal periods ended October 31:
| Fund | 2025* | 2024 | 2023 |
| TrueShares Seasonally Laddered Buffered ETF | $101,660 | N/A | N/A |
* For the period January 24, 2025 (commencement of operations) through October 31, 2025.
PORTFOLIO MANAGER
Compensation
The Portfolio Manager receives a fixed base salary and a discretionary bonus that is not tied to the performance of the Fund.
Share Ownership
The Fund is required to show the dollar ranges of the portfolio managers’ “beneficial ownership” of Shares of the Fund as of the end of the most recently completed fiscal year or a more recent date for a new portfolio manager. Dollar amount ranges disclosed are established by the SEC. “Beneficial ownership” is determined in accordance with Rule 16a-1(a)(2) under the Exchange Act. Set forth below is the dollar range of equity securities beneficially owned by the Portfolio Manager of the Fund as of October 31, 2025:
| Portfolio Manager | TrueShares Seasonally Laddered Buffered ETF |
| Jeff Feldman | $50,001 - $100,000 |
17
Other Accounts
In addition to the Fund, the portfolio manager managed the following other accounts as of December 31, 2025, none of which were subject to a performance fee:
Registered Investment Companies |
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles |
Other Accounts | ||||
Portfolio Manager |
Number of Accounts |
Total Assets in the Accounts (in millions) |
Number of Accounts |
Total Assets in the Accounts |
Number of Accounts |
Total Assets in the Accounts |
| Jeff Feldman | 18 | $772 | 0 | $0 | 0 | $0 |
Conflicts of Interest
The Portfolio Manager’s management of “other accounts” may give rise to potential conflicts of interest in connection with their 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 objective, whereby the Portfolio Manager could favor one account over another. Another potential conflict could include the Portfolio Manager’s knowledge about the size, timing and possible market impact of Fund trades, whereby the Portfolio Manager could use this information to the advantage of other accounts and to the disadvantage of the Fund.
THE DISTRIBUTOR
The Trust and Paralel Distributors LLC (the “Distributor”) are parties to a distribution agreement (“Distribution Agreement”), whereby the Distributor acts as principal underwriter for each series of the Trust, including the Fund, and distributes Shares. Shares are continuously offered for sale by the Distributor only in Creation Units. The Distributor will not distribute Shares in amounts less than a Creation Unit and does not maintain a secondary market in Shares. The principal business address of the Distributor is 1700 Broadway, Suite 2100, Denver, CO 80290.
Under the Distribution Agreement, the Distributor, as agent for the Trust, will review orders for the purchase and redemption of Creation Units, provided that any subscriptions and orders will not be binding on the Trust until accepted by the Trust. The Distributor is a broker-dealer registered under the Exchange Act and a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”).
The Distributor may also enter into agreements with securities dealers (“Soliciting Dealers”) who will solicit purchases of Creation Units of Shares. Such Soliciting Dealers may also be Authorized Participants (as discussed in “Procedures for Purchase of Creation Units” below) or DTC participants (as defined below).
The Distribution Agreement will continue for two years from its effective date and is renewable annually thereafter. The continuance of the Distribution Agreement must be specifically approved at least annually (i) by the vote of the Trustees or by a vote of the shareholders of the Fund and (ii) by the vote of a majority of the Independent Trustees who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operations of the Distribution Agreement or any related agreement, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. The Distribution Agreement is terminable without penalty by the Trust on 60 days’ written notice when authorized either by majority vote of its outstanding voting Shares or by a vote of a majority of its Board (including a majority of the Independent Trustees), or by the Distributor on 60 days’ written notice, and will automatically terminate in the event of its assignment. The Distribution Agreement provides that in the absence of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on the part of the Distributor, or reckless disregard by it of its obligations thereunder, the Distributor shall not be liable for any action or failure to act in accordance with its duties thereunder.
Intermediary Compensation. The Adviser, or their affiliates, out of their own resources and not out of Fund assets (i.e., without additional cost to the Fund or its shareholders), may pay certain broker dealers, banks and other financial intermediaries (“Intermediaries”) for certain activities related to the Fund, including participation in activities that are designed to make Intermediaries more knowledgeable about exchange traded products, including the Fund, or for other activities, such as marketing and educational training or support. These arrangements are not financed by the Fund and, thus, do not result in increased Fund expenses. They are not reflected in the fees and expenses listed in the fees and expenses sections of the Fund’s Prospectus and they do not change the price paid by investors for the purchase of Shares or the amount received by a shareholder as proceeds from the redemption of Shares.
18
Such compensation may be paid to Intermediaries that provide services to the Fund, including marketing and education support (such as through conferences, webinars and printed communications). The Adviser periodically assess the advisability of continuing to make these payments. Payments to an Intermediary may be significant to the Intermediary, and amounts that Intermediaries pay to your adviser, broker or other investment professional, if any, may also be significant to such adviser, broker or investment professional. Because an Intermediary may make decisions about what investment options it will make available or recommend, and what services to provide in connection with various products, based on payments it receives or is eligible to receive, such payments create conflicts of interest between the Intermediary and its clients. For example, these financial incentives may cause the Intermediary to recommend the Fund over other investments. The same conflict of interest exists with respect to your financial adviser, broker or investment professional if he or she receives similar payments from his or her Intermediary firm.
Intermediary information is current only as of the date of this SAI. Please contact your adviser, broker, or other investment professional for more information regarding any payments his or her Intermediary firm may receive. Any payments made by the Adviser, or their affiliates to an Intermediary may create the incentive for an Intermediary to encourage customers to buy Shares.
If you have any additional questions, please call 1.877.774.TRUE (8783).
THE ADMINISTRATOR, CUSTODIAN, AND TRANSFER AGENT
Paralel Technologies LLC (“PTL”), located at 1700 Broadway Suite 2100, Denver, Colorado 80290 serves as the Fund’s administrator and fund accountant. PTL is the parent company of Paralel Distributors LLC, the Fund’s Distributor.
Pursuant to an Administration and Fund Accounting Agreement between the Trust and PTL, PTL provides the Trust with administrative and management services (other than investment advisory services) and accounting services, including portfolio accounting services, tax accounting services and furnishing financial reports. In this capacity, PTL 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 Shares. As compensation for the administration, accounting and management services, the Adviser pays PTL a fee based on the Fund’s average daily net assets, subject to a minimum annual fee. PTL also is entitled to certain out-of-pocket expenses for the services mentioned above.
Pursuant to a Custody Agreement, State Street Bank and Trust Company (the “Custodian” or “State Street”), serves as the Custodian of the Fund’s assets. The Custodian holds and administers the assets in the Fund’s portfolio. Pursuant to the Custody Agreement, the Custodian receives an annual fee from the Adviser based on the Fund’s total average daily net assets, subject to a minimum annual fee, and certain settlement charges. The Custodian also is entitled to certain out-of-pocket expenses.
Pursuant to a Transfer Agency Agreement, State Street (in such capacity, the “Transfer Agent”) serves as Transfer Agent for the Fund. Pursuant to the Transfer Agency Agreement, the Transfer Agent receives an annual fee from the Adviser.
The Fund does not pay PTL for its services. All amounts are paid for by the Adviser.
LEGAL COUNSEL
Thompson Hine LLP, located at 41 South High Street, Suite 1700, Columbus, Ohio 43215 serves as legal counsel for the Trust.
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
Cohen & Company, Ltd., located at 8101 East Prentice Ave., Suite 750, Greenwood Village, CO 80111, serves as the independent registered public accounting firm for the Fund. Its services include auditing the Fund’s financial statements. Cohen & Co. Advisory, LLC, and affiliate of Cohen & Company, Ltd., provides tax services as requested.
PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS DISCLOSURE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
The Board has adopted a policy regarding the disclosure of information about the Fund’s security holdings. The Fund’s entire portfolio holdings are publicly disseminated each day the Fund is open for business and may be available through financial reporting and news services, including publicly available internet web sites. In addition, the composition of the Deposit Securities (as defined below) is publicly disseminated daily prior to the opening of the Exchange via the National Securities Clearing Corporation (“NSCC”).
19
DESCRIPTION OF SHARES
The Declaration of Trust authorizes the issuance of an unlimited number of funds and Shares. Each Share represents an equal proportionate interest in the Fund with each other Share. Shares are entitled upon liquidation to a pro rata share in the net assets of the Fund. Shareholders have no preemptive rights. The Declaration of Trust provides that the Trustees may create additional series or classes of Shares. All consideration received by the Trust for shares of any additional funds and all assets in which such consideration is invested would belong to that fund and would be subject to the liabilities related thereto. Share certificates representing Shares will not be issued. Shares, when issued, are fully paid and non-assessable.
Each Share has one vote with respect to matters upon which a shareholder vote is required, consistent with the requirements of the 1940 Act and the rules promulgated thereunder. Shares of all funds of the Trust vote together as a single class, except that if the matter being voted on affects only a particular fund it will be voted on only by that fund and if a matter affects a particular fund differently from other funds, that fund will vote separately on such matter. As a Delaware statutory trust, the Trust is not required, and does not intend, to hold annual meetings of shareholders. Approval of shareholders will be sought, however, for certain changes in the operation of the Trust and for the election of Trustees under certain circumstances. Upon the written request of shareholders owning at least 10% of the Trust’s Shares, the Trust will call for a meeting of shareholders to consider the removal of one or more Trustees and other certain matters. In the event that such a meeting is requested, the Trust will provide appropriate assistance and information to the shareholders requesting the meeting.
Under the Declaration of Trust, the Trustees have the power to liquidate the Fund without shareholder approval. While the Trustees have no present intention of exercising this power, they may do so if the Fund fails to reach a viable size within a reasonable amount of time or for such other reasons as may be determined by the Board.
LIMITATION OF TRUSTEE LIABILITY
The Second Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust (“Declaration of Trust”) provides that a Trustee shall be liable only for his or her own willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of the office of Trustee, and shall not be liable for errors of judgment or mistakes of fact or law. The Trustees shall not be responsible or liable in any event for any neglect or wrong-doing of any officer, agent, employee, adviser or principal underwriter of the Trust, nor shall any Trustee be responsible for the act or omission of any other Trustee. The Declaration of Trust also provides that the Trust shall indemnify each person who is, or has been, a Trustee, officer, employee or agent of the Trust, any person who is serving or has served at the Trust’s request as a Trustee, officer, trustee, employee or agent of another organization in which the Trust has any interest as a shareholder, creditor or otherwise to the extent and in the manner provided in the Amended and Restated By-laws. However, nothing in the Declaration of Trust shall protect or indemnify a Trustee against any liability for his or her willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of the office of Trustee. Nothing contained in this section attempts to disclaim a Trustee’s individual liability in any manner inconsistent with the federal securities laws.
BROKERAGE TRANSACTIONS
The policy of the Trust regarding purchases and sales of securities for the Fund is that primary consideration will be given to obtaining the most favorable prices and efficient executions of transactions. Consistent with this policy, when securities transactions are effected on a stock exchange, the Trust’s policy is to pay commissions which are considered fair and reasonable without necessarily determining that the lowest possible commissions are paid in all circumstances. The Trust believes that a requirement always to seek the lowest possible commission cost could impede effective portfolio management and preclude the Fund from obtaining a high quality of brokerage and research services. In seeking to determine the reasonableness of brokerage commissions paid in any transaction, the Adviser will rely upon its experience and knowledge regarding commissions generally charged by various brokers and on its judgment in evaluating the brokerage services received from the broker effecting the transaction. Such determinations are necessarily subjective and imprecise, as in most cases, an exact dollar value for those services is not ascertainable. The Trust has adopted policies and procedures that prohibit the consideration of sales of Shares as a factor in the selection of a broker or dealer to execute its portfolio transactions.
20
The Adviser owes a fiduciary duty to its clients to seek to provide best execution on trades effected. In selecting a broker-dealer for each specific transaction, the Adviser chooses the broker-dealer deemed most capable of providing the services necessary to obtain the most favorable execution. “Best execution” is generally understood to mean the most favorable cost or net proceeds reasonably obtainable under the circumstances. The full range of brokerage services applicable to a particular transaction may be considered when making this judgment, which may include, but is not limited to: liquidity, price, commission, timing, aggregated trades, capable floor brokers or traders, competent block trading coverage, ability to position, capital strength and stability, reliable and accurate communications and settlement processing, use of automation, knowledge of other buyers or sellers, arbitrage skills, administrative ability, underwriting and provision of information on a particular security or market in which the transaction is to occur. The specific criteria will vary depending upon the nature of the transaction, the market in which it is executed, and the extent to which it is possible to select from among multiple broker-dealers. The Adviser will also use electronic crossing networks (“ECNs”) when appropriate.
Subject to the foregoing policies, brokers or dealers selected to execute the Fund’s portfolio transactions may include the Fund’s Authorized Participants (as discussed in “Procedures for Purchase of Creation Units” below) or their affiliates. An Authorized Participant or its affiliates may be selected to execute the Fund’s portfolio transactions in conjunction with an all-cash creation unit order or an order including “cash-in-lieu” (as described below under “Purchase and Redemption of Shares in Creation Units”), so long as such selection is in keeping with the foregoing policies. As described below under “Purchase and Redemption of Shares in Creation Units—Creation Transaction Fee” and “Redemption Transaction Fee”, the Fund may determine to not charge a variable fee on certain orders when the Adviser has determined that doing so is in the best interests of Fund shareholders, e.g., for creation orders that facilitate the rebalance of the Fund’s portfolio in a more tax efficient manner than could be achieved without such order, even if the decision to not charge a variable fee could be viewed as benefiting the Authorized Participant or its affiliate selected to execute the Fund’s portfolio transactions in connection with such orders.
The Adviser may use the Fund’s assets for, or participate in, third-party soft dollar arrangements, in addition to receiving proprietary research from various full-service brokers, the cost of which is bundled with the cost of the broker’s execution services. The Adviser does not “pay up” for the value of any such proprietary research. Section 28(e) of the Exchange Act permits the Adviser, under certain circumstances, to cause the Fund to pay a broker or dealer a commission for effecting a transaction in excess of the amount of commission another broker or dealer would have charged for effecting the transaction in recognition of the value of brokerage and research services provided by the broker or dealer. The Adviser may receive a variety of research services and information on many topics, which it can use in connection with its management responsibilities with respect to the various accounts over which it exercises investment discretion or otherwise provides investment advice. The research services may include qualifying order management systems, portfolio attribution and monitoring services and computer software and access charges which are directly related to investment research. Accordingly, the Fund may pay a broker commission higher than the lowest available in recognition of the broker’s provision of such services to the Adviser, but only if the Adviser determines the total commission (including the soft dollar benefit) is comparable to the best commission rate that could be expected to be received from other brokers. The amount of soft dollar benefits received depends on the amount of brokerage transactions effected with the brokers. A conflict of interest exists because there is an incentive to: 1) cause clients to pay a higher commission than the firm might otherwise be able to negotiate; 2) cause clients to engage in more securities transactions than would otherwise be optimal; and 3) only recommend brokers that provide soft dollar benefits.
The Adviser faces a potential conflict of interest when it uses client trades to obtain brokerage or research services. This conflict exists because the Adviser is able to use the brokerage or research services to manage client accounts without paying cash for such services, which reduces the Adviser’s expenses to the extent that the Adviser would have purchased such products had they not been provided by brokers. Section 28(e) permits the Adviser to use brokerage or research services for the benefit of any account it manages. Certain accounts managed by the Adviser may generate soft dollars used to purchase brokerage or research services that ultimately benefit other accounts managed by the Adviser, effectively cross subsidizing the other accounts managed by the Adviser that benefit directly from the product. The Adviser may not necessarily use all of the brokerage or research services in connection with managing the Fund whose trades generated the soft dollars used to purchase such products.
The Fund may deal with affiliates in principal transactions to the extent permitted by exemptive order or applicable rule or regulation.
The Fund paid the following brokerage commissions for the fiscal periods ended October 31:
| Fund | 2025* | 2024 | 2023 |
| TrueShares Seasonality Laddered Buffered ETF | $55,764 | N/A | N/A |
* For the period January 24, 2025 (commencement of operations) through October 31, 2025.
Directed Brokerage. The Fund does not intend to direct brokerage transactions to a broker because of research services provided.
21
Brokerage with Fund Affiliates. The Fund may execute brokerage or other agency transactions through registered broker-dealer affiliates of the Fund, the Adviser, the Adviser or the Distributor for a commission in conformity with the 1940 Act, the Exchange Act and rules promulgated by the SEC. These rules require that commissions paid to the affiliate by the Fund for exchange transactions not exceed “usual and customary” brokerage commissions. The rules define “usual and customary” commissions to include amounts which are “reasonable and fair compared to the commission, fee or other remuneration received or to be received by other brokers in connection with comparable transactions involving similar securities being purchased or sold on a securities exchange during a comparable period of time.” The Trustees, including those who are not “interested persons” of the Fund, have adopted procedures for evaluating the reasonableness of commissions paid to affiliates and review these procedures periodically.
Securities of “Regular Broker-Dealers.” The Fund is required to identify any securities of its “regular brokers and dealers” (as such term is defined in the 1940 Act) that it may hold at the close of its most recent fiscal year. “Regular brokers or dealers” of the Fund are the ten brokers or dealers that, during the most recent fiscal year: (i) received the greatest dollar amounts of brokerage commissions from the Fund’s portfolio transactions; (ii) engaged as principal in the largest dollar amounts of portfolio transactions of the Fund; or (iii) sold the largest dollar amounts of Shares.
PORTFOLIO TURNOVER RATE
Portfolio turnover may vary from year to year, as well as within a year. High turnover rates are likely to result in comparatively greater brokerage expenses. The overall reasonableness of brokerage commissions is evaluated by the Adviser based upon its knowledge of available information as to the general level of commissions paid by other institutional investors for comparable services.
BOOK ENTRY ONLY SYSTEM
The DTC acts as securities depositary for Shares. Shares are represented by securities registered in the name of DTC or its nominee, Cede & Co., and deposited with, or on behalf of, DTC. Except in limited circumstances set forth below, certificates will not be issued for Shares.
DTC is a limited-purpose trust company that was created to hold securities of its participants (the “DTC Participants”) and to facilitate the clearance and settlement of securities transactions among the DTC Participants in such securities through electronic book-entry changes in accounts of the DTC Participants, thereby eliminating the need for physical movement of securities certificates. DTC Participants include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and certain other organizations, some of whom (and/or their representatives) own DTC. More specifically, DTC is owned by a number of its DTC Participants and by the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) and FINRA. Access to the DTC system is also available to others such as banks, brokers, dealers, and trust companies that clear through or maintain a custodial relationship with a DTC Participant, either directly or indirectly (the “Indirect Participants”).
Beneficial ownership of Shares is limited to DTC Participants, Indirect Participants, and persons holding interests through DTC Participants and Indirect Participants. Ownership of beneficial interests in Shares (owners of such beneficial interests are referred to in this SAI as “Beneficial Owners”) is shown on, and the transfer of ownership is effected only through, records maintained by DTC (with respect to DTC Participants) and on the records of DTC Participants (with respect to Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners that are not DTC Participants). Beneficial Owners will receive from or through the DTC Participant a written confirmation relating to their purchase of Shares. The Trust recognizes DTC or its nominee as the record owner of all Shares for all purposes. Beneficial Owners of Shares are not entitled to have Shares registered in their names and will not receive or be entitled to physical delivery of Share certificates. Each Beneficial Owner must rely on the procedures of DTC and any DTC Participant and/or Indirect Participant through which such Beneficial Owner holds its interests, to exercise any rights of a holder of Shares.
Conveyance of all notices, statements, and other communications to Beneficial Owners is effected as follows. DTC will make available to the Trust upon request and for a fee a listing of Shares held by each DTC Participant. The Trust shall obtain from each such DTC Participant the number of Beneficial Owners holding Shares, directly or indirectly, through such DTC Participant. The Trust shall provide each such DTC Participant with copies of such notice, statement, or other communication, in such form, number and at such place as such DTC Participant may reasonably request, in order that such notice, statement or communication may be transmitted by such DTC Participant, directly or indirectly, to such Beneficial Owners. In addition, the Trust shall pay to each such DTC Participant a fair and reasonable amount as reimbursement for the expenses attendant to such transmittal, all subject to applicable statutory and regulatory requirements.
22
Share distributions shall be made to DTC or its nominee, Cede & Co., as the registered holder of all Shares. DTC or its nominee, upon receipt of any such distributions, shall credit immediately DTC Participants’ accounts with payments in amounts proportionate to their respective beneficial interests in the Fund as shown on the records of DTC or its nominee. Payments by DTC Participants to Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners of Shares held through such DTC Participants will be governed by standing instructions and customary practices, as is now the case with securities held for the accounts of customers in bearer form or registered in a “street name,” and will be the responsibility of such DTC Participants.
The Trust has no responsibility or liability for any aspect of the records relating to or notices to Beneficial Owners, or payments made on account of beneficial ownership interests in Shares, or for maintaining, supervising, or reviewing any records relating to such beneficial ownership interests, or for any other aspect of the relationship between DTC and the DTC Participants or the relationship between such DTC Participants and the Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners owning through such DTC Participants.
DTC may determine to discontinue providing its service with respect to the Fund at any time by giving reasonable notice to the Fund and discharging its responsibilities with respect thereto under applicable law. Under such circumstances, the Fund shall take action either to find a replacement for DTC to perform its functions at a comparable cost or, if such replacement is unavailable, to issue and deliver printed certificates representing ownership of Shares, unless the Trust makes other arrangements with respect thereto satisfactory to the Exchange.
PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION OF SHARES IN CREATION UNITS
The Trust issues and sells Shares only in Creation Units on a continuous basis through the Distributor, without a sales load (but subject to transaction fees, if applicable), at their NAV per share next determined after receipt of an order, on any Business Day, in proper form pursuant to the terms of the Authorized Participant Agreement (“Participant Agreement”). The NAV of Shares is calculated each Business Day as of the scheduled close of regular trading on the NYSE, generally 4:00 p.m., Eastern time. The Fund will not issue fractional Creation Units. A “Business Day” is any day on which the NYSE is open for business.
Fund Deposit. The consideration for purchase of a Creation Unit of the Fund generally consists of either (i) the in-kind deposit of a designated portfolio of securities (the “Deposit Securities”) per each Creation Unit and the Cash Component (defined below), computed as described below or (ii) the cash value of the Deposit Securities (“Deposit Cash”) and “Cash Component,” computed as described below. When accepting purchases of Creation Units for cash, the Fund may incur additional costs associated with the acquisition of Deposit Securities that would otherwise be provided by an in-kind purchaser.
Together, the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, and the Cash Component constitute the “Fund Deposit,” which represents the minimum initial and subsequent investment amount for a Creation Unit of the Fund. The “Cash Component” is an amount equal to the difference between the NAV of Shares (per Creation Unit) and the value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable. If the Cash Component is a positive number (i.e., the NAV per Creation Unit exceeds the value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable), the Cash Component shall be such positive amount. If the Cash Component is a negative number (i.e., the NAV per Creation Unit is less than the value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable), the Cash Component shall be such negative amount and the creator will be entitled to receive cash in an amount equal to the Cash Component. The Cash Component serves the function of compensating for any differences between the NAV per Creation Unit and the value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable. Computation of the Cash Component excludes any stamp duty or other similar fees and expenses payable upon transfer of beneficial ownership of the Deposit Securities, if applicable, which shall be the sole responsibility of the Authorized Participant (as defined below).
The Fund, through NSCC, makes available on each Business Day, prior to the opening of business on the Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m., Eastern time), the list of the names and the required number of Shares of each Deposit Security or the required amount of Deposit Cash, as applicable, to be included in the current Fund Deposit (based on information at the end of the previous Business Day) for the Fund. The Fund Deposit is subject to any applicable adjustments as described below, to effect purchases of Creation Units of the Fund until such time as the next-announced composition of the Deposit Securities or the required amount of Deposit Cash, as applicable, is made available.
The identity and number of Shares of the Deposit Securities or the amount of Deposit Cash, as applicable, required for the Fund Deposit for the Fund changes as rebalancing adjustments and corporate action events are reflected from time to time by the Adviser with a view to the investment objective of the Fund.
The Trust reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of Deposit Cash to replace any Deposit Security, which shall be added to the Cash Component, including, without limitation, in situations where the Deposit Security: (i) may not be available in sufficient quantity for delivery; (ii) may not be eligible for transfer through the systems of DTC for corporate securities and municipal securities; (iii) may not be eligible for trading by an Authorized Participant (as defined below) or the investor for which it is acting; (iv) would be restricted under the securities laws or where the delivery of the Deposit Security to the Authorized Participant would result in the disposition of the Deposit Security by the Authorized Participant becoming restricted under the securities laws; or (v) in certain other situations (collectively, “custom orders”). The Trust also reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of Deposit Securities in lieu of Deposit Cash. The adjustments described above will reflect changes, known to the Adviser on the date of announcement to be in effect by the time of delivery of the Fund Deposit, resulting from certain corporate actions.
23
Procedures for Purchase of Creation Units. To be eligible to place orders with the Distributor to purchase a Creation Unit of the Fund, an entity must be (i) a “Participating Party” (i.e., a broker-dealer or other participant in the clearing process through the Continuous Net Settlement System of the NSCC (the “Clearing Process”)), a clearing agency that is registered with the SEC; or (ii) a DTC Participant (see “Book Entry Only System”). In addition, each Participating Party or DTC Participant (each, an “Authorized Participant”) must execute a Participant Agreement that has been agreed to by the Distributor, and that has been accepted by the Transfer Agent, with respect to purchases and redemptions of Creation Units. Each Authorized Participant will agree, pursuant to the terms of a Participant Agreement, on behalf of itself or any investor on whose behalf it will act, to certain conditions, including that it will pay to the Trust, an amount of cash sufficient to pay the Cash Component together with the creation transaction fee (described below), if applicable, and any other applicable fees and taxes.
All orders to purchase Shares directly from the Fund must be placed for one or more Creation Units and in the manner and by the time set forth in the Participant Agreement and/or applicable order form. The order cut-off time for orders to purchase Creation Units is 4:00 p.m. Eastern time, which time may be modified by the Fund from time-to-time by amendment to the Participant Agreement and/or applicable order form. In the case of custom orders, the order must be received by the Distributor no later than 3:00 p.m. Eastern time and 12:00 p.m. Eastern time for the Fund, or such earlier time as may be designated by the Fund and disclosed to Authorized Participants. The date on which an order to purchase Creation Units (or an order to redeem Creation Units, as set forth below) is received and accepted is referred to as the “Order Placement Date.”
An Authorized Participant may require an investor to make certain representations or enter into agreements with respect to the order (e.g., to provide for payments of cash, when required). Investors should be aware that their particular broker may not have executed a Participant Agreement and that, therefore, orders to purchase Shares directly from the Fund in Creation Units have to be placed by the investor’s broker through an Authorized Participant that has executed a Participant Agreement. In such cases there may be additional charges to such investor. At any given time, there may be only a limited number of broker-dealers that have executed a Participant Agreement and only a small number of such Authorized Participants may have international capabilities.
On days when the Exchange closes earlier than normal, the Fund may require orders to create Creation Units to be placed earlier in the day. In addition, if a market or markets on which the Fund’s investments are primarily traded is closed, the Fund will also generally not accept orders on such day(s). Orders must be transmitted by an Authorized Participant by telephone or other transmission method acceptable to the Distributor pursuant to procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement and in accordance with the applicable order form. On behalf of the Fund, the Distributor will notify the Custodian of such order. The Custodian will then provide such information to the appropriate local sub-custodian(s). Those placing orders through an Authorized Participant should allow sufficient time to permit proper submission of the purchase order to the Distributor by the cut-off time on such Business Day. Economic or market disruptions or changes, or telephone or other communication failure may impede the ability to reach the Distributor or an Authorized Participant.
Fund Deposits must be delivered by an Authorized Participant through the Federal Reserve System (for cash) or through DTC (for corporate securities), through a sub-custody agent (for foreign securities) and/or through such other arrangements allowed by the Trust or its agents. With respect to foreign Deposit Securities, the Custodian shall cause the sub-custodian of the Fund to maintain an account into which the Authorized Participant shall deliver, on behalf of itself or the party on whose behalf it is acting, such Deposit Securities (or Deposit Cash for all or a part of such securities, as permitted or required), with any appropriate adjustments as advised by the Trust. Foreign Deposit Securities must be delivered to an account maintained at the applicable local sub-custodian. The Fund Deposit transfer must be ordered by the Authorized Participant in a timely fashion so as to ensure the delivery of the requisite number of Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, to the account of the Fund or its agents by no later than 12:00 p.m. Eastern time (or such other time as specified by the Trust) on the Settlement Date. If the Fund or its agents do not receive all of the Deposit Securities, or the required Deposit Cash in lieu thereof, by such time, then the order may be deemed rejected and the Authorized Participant shall be liable to the Fund for losses, if any, resulting therefrom. The “Settlement Date” for the Fund is generally the Business Day immediately after the Order Placement Date. All questions as to the number of Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash to be delivered, as applicable, and the validity, form and eligibility (including time of receipt) for the deposit of any tendered securities or cash, as applicable, will be determined by the Trust, whose determination shall be final and binding. The amount of cash represented by the Cash Component must be transferred directly to the Custodian through the Federal Reserve Bank wire transfer system in a timely manner so as to be received by the Custodian no later than the Settlement Date. If the Cash Component and the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, are not received by the Custodian in a timely manner by the Settlement Date, the creation order may be cancelled. Upon written notice to the Distributor, such canceled order may be resubmitted the following Business Day using the Fund Deposit as newly constituted to reflect the then current NAV of the Fund.
24
The order shall be deemed to be received on the Business Day on which the order is placed provided that the order is placed in proper form prior to the applicable cut-off time and the federal funds in the appropriate amount are deposited with the Custodian on the Settlement Date. If the order is not placed in proper form as required, or federal funds in the appropriate amount are not received on the Settlement Date, then the order may be deemed to be rejected and the Authorized Participant shall be liable to the Fund for losses, if any, resulting therefrom. A creation request is considered to be in “proper form” if all procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement, order form and this SAI are properly followed.
Issuance of a Creation Unit. Except as provided in this SAI, Creation Units will not be issued until the transfer of good title to the Trust of the Deposit Securities or payment of Deposit Cash, as applicable, and the payment of the Cash Component have been completed. When the sub-custodian has confirmed to the Custodian that the required Deposit Securities (or the cash value thereof) have been delivered to the account of the relevant sub-custodian or sub-custodians, the Distributor and the Adviser shall be notified of such delivery, and the Trust will issue and cause the delivery of the Creation Units. The delivery of Creation Units so created generally will occur no later than the Business Day immediately following the day on which the purchase order is deemed received by the Distributor. The Authorized Participant shall be liable to the Fund for losses, if any, resulting from unsettled orders.
Creation Units may be purchased in advance of receipt by the Trust of all or a portion of the applicable Deposit Securities as described below. In these circumstances, the initial deposit will have a value greater than the NAV of Shares on the date the order is placed in proper form since, in addition to available Deposit Securities, cash must be deposited in an amount equal to the sum of (i) the Cash Component, plus (ii) an additional amount of cash equal to a percentage of the value as set forth in the Participant Agreement, of the undelivered Deposit Securities (the “Additional Cash Deposit”), which shall be maintained in a separate non-interest bearing collateral account. The Authorized Participant must deposit with the Custodian the Additional Cash Deposit, as applicable, by 12:00 p.m. Eastern time (or such other time as specified by the Trust) on the Settlement Date. If the Fund or its agents do not receive the Additional Cash Deposit in the appropriate amount, by such time, then the order may be deemed rejected and the Authorized Participant shall be liable to the Fund for losses, if any, resulting therefrom. An additional amount of cash shall be required to be deposited with the Trust, pending delivery of the missing Deposit Securities to the extent necessary to maintain the Additional Cash Deposit with the Trust in an amount at least equal to the applicable percentage, as set forth in the Participant Agreement, of the daily market value of the missing Deposit Securities. The Participant Agreement will permit the Trust to buy the missing Deposit Securities at any time. Authorized Participants will be liable to the Trust for the costs incurred by the Trust in connection with any such purchases. These costs will be deemed to include the amount by which the actual purchase price of the Deposit Securities exceeds the value of such Deposit Securities on the day the purchase order was deemed received by the Distributor plus the brokerage and related transaction costs associated with such purchases. The Trust will return any unused portion of the Additional Cash Deposit once all of the missing Deposit Securities have been properly received by the Custodian or purchased by the Trust and deposited into the Trust. In addition, a transaction fee, as described below under “Creation Transaction Fee,” may be charged. The delivery of Creation Units so created generally will occur no later than the Settlement Date.
Acceptance of Orders of Creation Units. The Trust reserves the right to reject an order for Creation Units transmitted to it by the Distributor with respect to the Fund including, without limitation, if (a) the order is not in proper form; (b) the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, delivered by the Participant are not as disseminated through the facilities of the NSCC for that date by the Custodian; (c) the investor(s), upon obtaining Shares ordered, would own 80% or more of the currently outstanding Shares of the Fund; (d) the acceptance of the Fund Deposit would, in the opinion of counsel, be unlawful; (e) the acceptance or receipt of the order for a Creation Unit would, in the opinion of counsel to the Trust, be unlawful; or (f) in the event that circumstances outside the control of the Trust, the Custodian, the Transfer Agent and/or the Adviser make it for all practical purposes not feasible to process orders for Creation Units.
Examples of such circumstances include acts of God or public service or utility problems such as fires, floods, extreme weather conditions and power outages resulting in telephone, telecopy and computer failures; market conditions or activities causing trading halts; systems failures involving computer or other information systems affecting the Trust, the Distributor, the Custodian, a sub- custodian, the Transfer Agent, DTC, NSCC, Federal Reserve System, or any other participant in the creation process, and other extraordinary events. The Distributor shall notify a prospective creator of a Creation Unit and/or the Authorized Participant acting on behalf of the creator of a Creation Unit of its rejection of the order of such person. The Trust, the Transfer Agent, the Custodian, any sub-custodian and the Distributor are under no duty, however, to give notification of any defects or irregularities in the delivery of Fund Deposits nor shall either of them incur any liability for the failure to give any such notification. The Trust, the Transfer Agent, the Custodian and the Distributor shall not be liable for the rejection of any purchase order for Creation Units.
All questions as to the number of Shares of each security in the Deposit Securities and the validity, form, eligibility and acceptance for deposit of any securities to be delivered shall be determined by the Trust, and the Trust’s determination shall be final and binding.
25
Creation Transaction Fee. A fixed purchase (i.e., creation) transaction fee, payable to the Fund’s custodian, may be imposed for the transfer and other transaction costs associated with the purchase of Creation Units (“Creation Order Costs”). The standard fixed creation transaction fee for the Fund, regardless of the number of Creation Units created in the transaction, can be found in the table below. The Fund may adjust the standard fixed creation transaction fee from time to time. The fixed creation fee may be waived on certain orders if the Fund’s custodian has determined to waive some or all of the Creation Order Costs associated with the order or another party, such as the Adviser, has agreed to pay such fee.
In addition, a variable fee, payable to the Fund, of up to the maximum percentage listed in the table below of the value of the Creation Units subject to the transaction may be imposed for cash purchases, non-standard orders, or partial cash purchases of Creation Units. The variable charge is primarily designed to cover additional costs (e.g., brokerage, taxes, spreads, slippage costs) involved with buying the securities with cash. The Fund may determine to not charge a variable fee on certain orders when the Adviser has determined that doing so benefits the Fund and its shareholders (e.g., for creation orders that facilitate the rebalance of the Fund’s portfolio in a more tax efficient manner than could be achieved without such order).
| Fixed Creation Transaction Fee (In-Kind) |
Fixed Creation Transaction Fee (Cash) |
Maximum Variable Transaction Fee |
| $150 | $100 | 0.02% |
Investors who use the services of a broker or other such intermediary may be charged a fee for such services. Investors are responsible for the fixed costs of transferring the Fund Securities from the Trust to their account or on their order.
Risks of Purchasing Creation Units. There are certain legal risks unique to investors purchasing Creation Units directly from the Fund. Because Shares may be issued on an ongoing basis, a “distribution” of Shares could be occurring at any time. Certain activities that a shareholder performs as a dealer could, depending on the circumstances, result in the shareholder being deemed a participant in the distribution in a manner that could render the shareholder a statutory underwriter and subject to the prospectus delivery and liability provisions of the Securities Act. For example, a shareholder could be deemed a statutory underwriter if it purchases Creation Units from the Fund, breaks them down into the constituent Shares, and sells those Shares directly to customers, or if a shareholder chooses to couple the creation of a supply of new Shares with an active selling effort involving solicitation of secondary-market demand for Shares. Whether a person is an underwriter depends upon all of the facts and circumstances pertaining to that person’s activities, and the examples mentioned here should not be considered a complete description of all the activities that could cause you to be deemed an underwriter.
Dealers who are not “underwriters” but are participating in a distribution (as opposed to engaging in ordinary secondary-market transactions), and thus dealing with Shares as part of an “unsold allotment” within the meaning of Section 4(a)(3)(C) of the Securities Act, will be unable to take advantage of the prospectus delivery exemption provided by Section 4(a)(3) of the Securities Act.
Redemption. Shares may be redeemed only in Creation Units at their NAV next determined after receipt of a redemption request in proper form by the Fund through the Transfer Agent and only on a Business Day. EXCEPT UPON LIQUIDATION OF THE FUND, THE TRUST WILL NOT REDEEM SHARES IN AMOUNTS LESS THAN CREATION UNITS. Investors must accumulate enough Shares in the secondary market to constitute a Creation Unit to have such Shares redeemed by the Trust. There can be no assurance, however, that there will be sufficient liquidity in the public trading market at any time to permit assembly of a Creation Unit. Investors should expect to incur brokerage and other costs in connection with assembling a sufficient number of Shares to constitute a redeemable Creation Unit.
With respect to the Fund, the Custodian, through the NSCC, makes available prior to the opening of business on the Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m., Eastern time) on each Business Day, the list of the names and Share quantities of the Fund’s portfolio securities that will be applicable (subject to possible amendment or correction) to redemption requests received in proper form (as defined below) on that day (“Fund Securities”). Fund Securities received on redemption may not be identical to Deposit Securities.
Redemption proceeds for a Creation Unit are paid either in-kind or in cash, or combination thereof, as determined by the Trust. With respect to in-kind redemptions of the Fund, redemption proceeds for a Creation Unit will consist of Fund Securities—as announced by the Custodian on the Business Day of the request for redemption received in proper form plus cash in an amount equal to the difference between the NAV of Shares being redeemed, as next determined after a receipt of a request in proper form, and the value of the Fund Securities (the “Cash Redemption Amount”), less a fixed redemption transaction fee, as applicable, as set forth below. In the event that the Fund Securities have a value greater than the NAV of Shares, a compensating cash payment equal to the differential is required to be made by or through an Authorized Participant by the redeeming shareholder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, at the Trust’s discretion, an Authorized Participant may receive the corresponding cash value of the securities in lieu of the in-kind securities value representing one or more Fund Securities.
26
Redemption Transaction Fee. A fixed redemption transaction fee, payable to the Fund’s custodian, may be imposed for the transfer and other transaction costs associated with the redemption of Creation Units (“Redemption Order Costs”). The standard fixed redemption transaction fee for the Fund, regardless of the number of Creation Units redeemed in the transaction, can be found in the table below. The Fund may adjust the redemption transaction fee from time to time. The fixed redemption fee may be waived on certain orders if the Fund’s custodian has determined to waive some or all of the Redemption Order Costs associated with the order or another party, such as the Adviser, has agreed to pay such fee.
In addition, a variable fee, payable to the Fund, of up to the maximum percentage listed in the table below of the value of the Creation Units subject to the transaction may be imposed for cash redemptions, non-standard orders, or partial cash redemptions (when cash redemptions are available) of Creation Units. The variable charge is primarily designed to cover additional costs (e.g., brokerage, taxes, spreads, slippage costs) involved with selling portfolio securities to satisfy a cash redemption. The Fund may determine to not charge a variable fee on certain orders when the Adviser has determined that doing so benefits the Fund and its shareholders (e.g., for redemption orders that facilitate the rebalance of the Fund’s portfolio in a more tax efficient manner than could be achieved without such order).
|
Fixed Redemption Transaction Fee (In-Kind) |
Fixed Redemption Transaction Fee (Cash) |
Maximum Variable Transaction Fee |
| $150 | $100 | 0.02% |
Investors who use the services of a broker or other such intermediary may be charged a fee for such services. Investors are responsible for the fixed costs of transferring the Fund Securities from the Trust to their account or on their order.
Procedures for Redemption of Creation Units.
Orders to redeem Creation Units of the Fund must be submitted in proper form to the Transfer Agent prior to 4:00 p.m. A redemption request is considered to be in “proper form” if (i) an Authorized Participant has transferred or caused to be transferred to the Trust’s Transfer Agent the Creation Unit(s) being redeemed through the book-entry system of DTC so as to be effective by the time as set forth in the Participant Agreement and (ii) a request in form satisfactory to the Trust is received by the Transfer Agent from the Authorized Participant on behalf of itself or another redeeming investor within the time periods specified in the Participant Agreement. If the Transfer Agent does not receive the investor’s Shares through DTC’s facilities by the times and pursuant to the other terms and conditions set forth in the Participant Agreement, the redemption request shall be rejected.
The Authorized Participant must transmit the request for redemption, in the form required by the Trust, to the Transfer Agent in accordance with procedures set forth in the Authorized Participant Agreement. Investors should be aware that their particular broker may not have executed an Authorized Participant Agreement, and that, therefore, requests to redeem Creation Units may have to be placed by the investor’s broker through an Authorized Participant who has executed an Authorized Participant Agreement. Investors making a redemption request should be aware that such request must be in the form specified by such Authorized Participant.
Investors making a request to redeem Creation Units should allow sufficient time to permit proper submission of the request by an Authorized Participant and transfer of the Shares to the Trust’s Transfer Agent; such investors should allow for the additional time that may be required to effect redemptions through their banks, brokers or other financial intermediaries if such intermediaries are not Authorized Participants.
Additional Redemption Procedures. In connection with taking delivery of Shares of Fund Securities upon redemption of Creation Units, a redeeming shareholder or Authorized Participant acting on behalf of such shareholder must maintain appropriate custody arrangements with a qualified broker-dealer, bank, or other custody providers in each jurisdiction in which any of the Fund Securities are customarily traded, to which account such Fund Securities will be delivered. Deliveries of redemption proceeds generally will be made within two business days of the trade date. However, due to the schedule of holidays in certain countries, the different treatment among foreign and U.S. markets of dividend record dates and dividend ex-dates (that is the last date the holder of a security can sell the security and still receive dividends payable on the security sold), and in certain other circumstances, the delivery of in-kind redemption proceeds may take longer than two Business Days after the day on which the redemption request is received in proper form. If neither the redeeming Shareholder nor the Authorized Participant acting on behalf of such redeeming Shareholder has appropriate arrangements to take delivery of the Fund Securities in the applicable foreign jurisdiction and it is not possible to make other such arrangements, or if it is not possible to effect deliveries of the Fund Securities in such jurisdiction, the Trust may, in its discretion, exercise its option to redeem such Shares in cash, and the redeeming Shareholders will be required to receive its redemption proceeds in cash.
In addition, an investor may request a redemption in cash that the Fund may, in its sole discretion, permit. In either case, the investor will receive a cash payment equal to the NAV of its Shares based on the NAV of Shares of the Fund next determined after the redemption request is received in proper form (minus a redemption transaction fee, if applicable, and additional charge for requested cash redemptions specified above, to offset the Trust’s brokerage and other transaction costs associated with the disposition of Fund Securities). The Fund may also, in its sole discretion, upon request of a shareholder, provide such redeemer a portfolio of securities that differs from the exact composition of the Fund Securities but does not differ in NAV.
27
Redemptions of Shares for Fund Securities will be subject to compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws and the Fund (whether or not it otherwise permits cash redemptions) reserves the right to redeem Creation Units for cash to the extent that the Trust could not lawfully deliver specific Fund Securities upon redemptions or could not do so without first registering the Fund Securities under such laws. An Authorized Participant or an investor for which it is acting subject to a legal restriction with respect to a particular security included in the Fund Securities applicable to the redemption of Creation Units may be paid an equivalent amount of cash. The Authorized Participant may request the redeeming investor of the Shares to complete an order form or to enter into agreements with respect to such matters as compensating cash payment. Further, an Authorized Participant that is not a “qualified institutional buyer,” (“QIB”) as such term is defined under Rule 144A of the Securities Act, will not be able to receive Fund Securities that are restricted securities eligible for resale under Rule 144A. An Authorized Participant may be required by the Trust to provide a written confirmation with respect to QIB status to receive Fund Securities.
Because the portfolio securities of the Fund may trade on other exchanges on days that the Exchange is closed or are otherwise not Business Days for such Fund, shareholders may not be able to redeem their Shares of the Fund, or to purchase or sell Shares of the Fund on the Exchange, on days when the NAV of the Fund could be significantly affecting by events in the relevant foreign markets.
The right of redemption may be suspended or the date of payment postponed with respect to the Fund (1) for any period during which the Exchange is closed (other than customary weekend and holiday closings); (2) for any period during which trading on the Exchange is suspended or restricted; (3) for any period during which an emergency exists as a result of which disposal of the Shares of the Fund or determination of the NAV of the Shares is not reasonably practicable; or (4) in such other circumstance as is permitted by the SEC.
DETERMINATION OF NAV
NAV per Share for the Fund is computed by dividing the value of the net assets of the Fund (i.e., the value of its total assets less total liabilities) by the total number of Shares outstanding, rounded to the nearest cent. Expenses and fees, including the management fees, are accrued daily and taken into account for purposes of determining NAV. The NAV of the Fund is calculated by PTL and determined at the scheduled close of the regular trading session on the NYSE (ordinarily 4:00 p.m., Eastern time) on each day that the NYSE is open, provided that fixed-income assets may be valued as of the announced closing time for trading in fixed-income instruments on any day that the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (“SIFMA”) announces an early closing time.
In calculating the Fund’s NAV per Share, the Fund’s investments are generally valued using market valuations. A market valuation generally means a valuation (i) obtained from an exchange, a pricing service, or a major market maker (or dealer), (ii) based on a price quotation or other equivalent indication of value supplied by an exchange, a pricing service, or a major market maker (or dealer) or (iii) based on amortized cost. In the case of shares of other funds that are not traded on an exchange, a market valuation means such fund’s published NAV per share. The Fund may use various pricing services, or discontinue the use of any pricing service, as approved by the Board from time to time. A price obtained from a pricing service based on such pricing service’s valuation matrix may be considered a market valuation.
DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS
The following information supplements and should be read in conjunction with the section in the Prospectus entitled “Dividends, Distributions and Taxes.”
General Policies. Dividends from net investment income, if any, are declared and paid at least annually by Fund. Distributions of net realized securities gains, if any, generally are declared and paid once a year, but the Fund may make distributions on a more frequent basis to reduce or eliminate federal excise or income taxes or to comply with the distribution requirements of the Code, in all events in a manner consistent with the provisions of the 1940 Act.
Dividends and other distributions on Shares are distributed, as described below, on a pro rata basis to Beneficial Owners of such Shares. Dividend payments are made through DTC Participants and Indirect Participants to Beneficial Owners then of record with proceeds received from the Trust.
The Fund makes additional distributions to the extent necessary (i) to distribute the entire annual taxable income of the Fund, plus any net capital gains and (ii) to avoid imposition of the excise tax imposed by Section 4982 of the Code. Management of the Trust reserves the right to declare special dividends if, in its reasonable discretion, such action is necessary or advisable to preserve the Fund’s eligibility for treatment as a RIC or to avoid imposition of income or excise taxes on undistributed income.
28
Dividend Reinvestment Service. The Trust will not make the DTC book-entry dividend reinvestment service available for use by Beneficial Owners for reinvestment of their cash proceeds, but certain individual broker-dealers may make available the DTC book- entry Dividend Reinvestment Service for use by Beneficial Owners of the Fund through DTC Participants for reinvestment of their dividend distributions. Investors should contact their brokers to ascertain the availability and description of these services. Beneficial Owners should be aware that each broker may require investors to adhere to specific procedures and timetables to participate in the dividend reinvestment service and investors should ascertain from their brokers such necessary details. If this service is available and used, dividend distributions of both income and realized gains will be automatically reinvested in additional whole Shares issued by the Trust of the Fund at NAV per Share. Distributions reinvested in additional Shares will nevertheless be taxable to Beneficial Owners acquiring such additional Shares to the same extent as if such distributions had been received in cash.
FEDERAL INCOME TAXES
The following is only a summary of certain U.S. federal income tax considerations generally affecting the Fund and its shareholders that supplements the discussion in the Prospectus. No attempt is made to present a comprehensive explanation of the federal, state, local or foreign tax treatment of the Fund or its shareholders, and the discussion here and in the Prospectus is not intended to be a substitute for careful tax planning.
The following general discussion of certain U.S. federal income tax consequences is based on provisions of the Code and the regulations issued thereunder as in effect on the date of this SAI. New legislation, as well as administrative changes or court decisions, may significantly change the conclusions expressed herein, and may have a retroactive effect with respect to the transactions contemplated herein.
Shareholders are urged to consult their own tax advisers regarding the application of the provisions of tax law described in this SAI in light of the particular tax situations of the shareholders and regarding specific questions as to federal, state, foreign or local taxes.
Taxation of the Fund. The Fund has elected and intends to continue to qualify each year to be treated as a separate RIC under the Code. As such, the Fund should not be subject to federal income taxes on their net investment income and capital gains, if any, to the extent that they timely distribute such income and capital gains to their shareholders. To qualify for treatment as a RIC, the Fund must distribute annually to its shareholders at least the sum of 90% of its net investment income (generally including the excess of net short- term capital gains over net long-term capital losses) and 90% of its net tax-exempt interest income, if any (the “Distribution Requirement”) and also must meet several additional requirements. Among these requirements are the following: (i) at least 90% of the Fund’s gross income each taxable year must be derived from dividends, interest, payments with respect to certain securities loans, gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities or foreign currencies, or other income derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock, securities or foreign currencies and net income derived from interests in qualified publicly traded partnerships (the “Qualifying Income Requirement”); and (ii) at the end of each quarter of the Fund’s taxable year, the Fund’s assets must be diversified so that (a) at least 50% of the value of the Fund’s total assets is represented by cash and cash items, U.S. government securities, securities of other RICs, and other securities, with such other securities limited, in respect to any one issuer, to an amount not greater in value than 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets and to not more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer, including the equity securities of a qualified publicly traded partnership, and (b) not more than 25% of the value of its total assets is invested, including through corporations in which the Fund owns a 20% or more voting stock interest, in the securities (other than U.S. government securities or securities of other RICs) of any one issuer, the securities (other than securities of other RICs) of two or more issuers which the Fund controls and which are engaged in the same, similar, or related trades or businesses, or the securities of one or more qualified publicly traded partnerships (the “Diversification Requirement”).
To the extent the Fund makes investments that may generate income that is not qualifying income, including certain derivatives, the Fund will seek to restrict the resulting income from such investments so that the Fund’s non-qualifying income does not exceed 10% of its gross income.
Although the Fund intends to distribute substantially all of its net investment income and may distribute their capital gains for any taxable year, the Fund will be subject to federal income taxation to the extent any such income or gains are not distributed. The Fund is treated as a separate corporation for federal income tax purposes. The Fund therefore is considered to be a separate entity in determining its treatment under the rules for RICs described herein. The requirements (other than certain organizational requirements) for qualifying RIC status are determined at the fund level rather than at the Trust level.
If the Fund fails to satisfy the Qualifying Income Requirement or the Diversification Requirement in any taxable year, the Fund may be eligible for relief provisions if the failures are due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect and if a penalty tax is paid with respect to each failure to satisfy the applicable requirements. Additionally, relief is provided for certain de minimis failures of the Diversification Requirement where the Fund corrects the failure within a specified period of time. To be eligible for the relief provisions with respect to a failure to meet the Diversification Requirement, the Fund may be required to dispose of certain assets. If these relief provisions were not available to the Fund and it were to fail to qualify for treatment as a RIC for a taxable year, all of its taxable income would be subject to tax at the regular 21% corporate rate without any deduction for distributions to shareholders, and its distributions (including capital gains distributions) generally would be taxable to the shareholders of the Fund as ordinary income dividends, subject to the dividends received deduction for corporate shareholders and the lower tax rates on qualified dividend income received by non-corporate shareholders, subject to certain limitations. To requalify for treatment as a RIC in a subsequent taxable year, the Fund would be required to satisfy the RIC qualification requirements for that year and to distribute any earnings and profits from any year in which the Fund failed to qualify for tax treatment as a RIC. If the Fund failed to qualify as a RIC for a period greater than two taxable years, it would generally be required to pay a Fund-level tax on certain net built in gains recognized with respect to certain of its assets upon a disposition of such assets within five years of qualifying as a RIC in a subsequent year. The Board reserves the right not to maintain the qualification of the Fund for treatment as a RIC if it determines such course of action to be beneficial to shareholders. If the Fund determines that it will not qualify as a RIC, the Fund will establish procedures to reflect the anticipated tax liability in the Fund’s NAV.
29
The Fund may elect to treat part or all of any “qualified late year loss” as if it had been incurred in the succeeding taxable year in determining the Fund’s taxable income, net capital gain, net short-term capital gain, and earnings and profits. The effect of this election is to treat any such “qualified late year loss” as if it had been incurred in the succeeding taxable year in characterizing Fund distributions for any calendar year. A “qualified late year loss” generally includes net capital loss, net long-term capital loss, or net short-term capital loss incurred after October 31 of the current taxable year (commonly referred to as “post-October losses”) and certain other late-year losses.
Capital losses in excess of capital gains (“net capital losses”) are not permitted to be deducted against a RIC’s net investment income. Instead, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, potentially subject to certain limitations, the Fund may carry a net capital loss from any taxable year forward indefinitely to offset its capital gains, if any, in years following the year of the loss. To the extent subsequent capital gains are offset by such losses, they will not result in U.S. federal income tax liability to the Fund and may not be distributed as capital gains to its shareholders. Generally, the Fund may not carry forward any losses other than net capital losses. The carryover of capital losses may be limited under the general loss limitation rules if the Fund experiences an ownership change as defined in the Code. As of October 31, 2025, the Fund had $0 short-term and $0 long-term capital loss carry forwards.
The Fund will be subject to a nondeductible 4% federal excise tax on certain undistributed income if it does not distribute to its shareholders in each calendar year an amount at least equal to 98% of its ordinary income for the calendar year plus 98.2% of its capital gain net income for the one-year period ending on October 31 of that year, subject to an increase for any shortfall in the prior year’s distribution. For this purpose, any ordinary income or capital gain net income retained by the Fund and subject to corporate income tax will be considered to have been distributed. The Fund intends to declare and distribute dividends and distributions in the amounts and at the times necessary to avoid the application of the excise tax, but can make no assurances that all such tax liability will be eliminated. The Fund may in certain circumstances be required to liquidate Fund investments in order to make sufficient distributions to avoid federal excise tax liability at a time when the investment adviser might not otherwise have chosen to do so, and liquidation of investments in such circumstances may affect the ability of the Fund to satisfy the requirement for qualification as a RIC.
If the Fund meets the Distribution Requirement but retains some or all of its income or gains, it will be subject to federal income tax to the extent any such income or gains are not distributed. The Fund may designate certain amounts retained as undistributed net capital gain in a notice to its shareholders, who (i) will be required to include in income for U.S. federal income tax purposes, as long-term capital gain, their proportionate shares of the undistributed amount so designated, (ii) will be entitled to credit their proportionate shares of the income tax paid by the Fund on that undistributed amount against their federal income tax liabilities and to claim refunds to the extent such credits exceed their tax liabilities, and (iii) will be entitled to increase their tax basis, for federal income tax purposes, in their Shares by an amount equal to the excess of the amount of undistributed net capital gain included in their respective income over their respective income tax credits.
Taxation of Shareholders – Distributions. The Fund intends to distribute annually to its shareholders substantially all of its investment company taxable income (computed without regard to the deduction for dividends paid), its net tax-exempt income, if any, and any net capital gain (net recognized long-term capital gains in excess of net recognized short-term capital losses, taking into account any capital loss carryforwards). The distribution of investment company taxable income (as so computed) and net realized capital gain will be taxable to Fund shareholders regardless of whether the shareholder receives these distributions in cash or reinvests them in additional Shares.
The Fund (or your broker) will report to shareholders annually the amounts of dividends paid from ordinary income, the amount of distributions of net capital gain, the portion of dividends which may qualify for the dividends-received deduction for corporations, and the portion of dividends which may qualify for treatment as qualified dividend income, which is taxable to non-corporate shareholders at rates of up to 20%.
30
Qualified dividend income includes, in general, subject to certain holding period and other requirements, dividend income from taxable domestic corporations and certain foreign corporations. Subject to certain limitations, eligible foreign corporations include those incorporated in possessions of the United States, those incorporated in certain countries with comprehensive tax treaties with the United States, and other foreign corporations if the stock with respect to which the dividends are paid is readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States. Dividends received by the Fund from an ETF, an underlying fund taxable as a RIC, or from a REIT may be treated as qualified dividend income generally only to the extent so reported by such ETF, underlying fund, or REIT, however, dividends received by the Fund from a REIT are generally not treated as qualified dividend income. If 95% or more of the Fund’s gross income (calculated without taking into account net capital gain derived from sales or other dispositions of stock or securities) consists of qualified dividend income, the Fund may report all distributions of such income as qualified dividend income.
Fund dividends will not be treated as qualified dividend income if the Fund does not meet holding period and other requirements with respect to dividend paying stocks in its portfolio, and the shareholder does not meet holding period and other requirements with respect to the Shares on which the dividends were paid.
Distributions by the Fund of its net short-term capital gains will be taxable as ordinary income. Distributions from the Fund’s net capital gain will be taxable to shareholders at long-term capital gains rates, regardless of how long shareholders have held their Shares. Distributions may be subject to state and local taxes.
In the case of corporate shareholders, certain dividends received by the Fund from U.S. corporations (generally, dividends received by the Fund in respect of any share of stock (1) with a tax holding period of at least 46 days during the 91-day period beginning on the date that is 45 days before the date on which the stock becomes ex-dividend as to that dividend and (2) that is held in an unleveraged position) and distributed and appropriately so reported by the Fund may be eligible for the 50% dividends received deduction. Certain preferred stock must have a holding period of at least 91 days during the 181-day period beginning on the date that is 90 days before the date on which the stock becomes ex-dividend as to that dividend to be eligible. Capital gain dividends distributed to the Fund from other RICs are not eligible for the dividends received deduction. To qualify for the deduction, corporate shareholders must meet the minimum holding period requirement stated above with respect to their Shares, taking into account any holding period reductions from certain hedging or other transactions or positions that diminish their risk of loss with respect to their Shares, and, if they borrow to acquire or otherwise incur debt attributable to Shares, they may be denied a portion of the dividends received deduction with respect to those Shares.
Under recently issued final Treasury Regulations, a RIC that receives business interest income may pass through its net business interest income for purposes of the tax rules applicable to the interest expense limitations under Section 163(j) of the Code. A RIC’s total “Section 163(j) Interest Dividend” for a tax year is limited to the excess of the RIC’s business interest income over the sum of its business interest expense and its other deductions properly allocable to its business interest income. A RIC may, in its discretion, designate all or a portion of ordinary dividends as Section 163(j) Interest Dividends, which would allow the recipient shareholder to treat the designated portion of such dividends as interest income for purposes of determining such shareholder’s interest expense deduction limitation under Section 163(j). This can potentially increase the amount of a shareholder’s interest expense deductible under Section 163(j). In general, to be eligible to treat a Section 163(j) Interest Dividend as interest income, you must have held your shares in the Fund for more than 180 days during the 361-day period beginning on the date that is 180 days before the date on which the share becomes ex-dividend with respect to such dividend. Section 163(j) Interest Dividends, if so designated by the Fund, will be reported to your financial intermediary or otherwise in accordance with the requirements specified by the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”).
Although dividends generally will be treated as distributed when paid, any dividend declared by the Fund in October, November or December and payable to shareholders of record in such a month that is paid during the following January will be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as received by shareholders on December 31 of the calendar year in which it was declared.
Shareholders who have not held Shares for a full year should be aware that the Fund may report and distribute, as ordinary dividends or capital gain dividends, a percentage of income that is not equal to the percentage of the Fund’s ordinary income or net capital gain, respectively, actually earned during the applicable shareholder’s period of investment in the Fund. A taxable shareholder may wish to avoid investing in the Fund shortly before a dividend or other distribution, because the distribution will generally be taxable even though it may economically represent a return of a portion of the shareholder’s investment.
To the extent that the Fund makes a distribution of income received by the Fund in lieu of dividends (a “substitute payment”) with respect to securities on loan pursuant to a securities lending transaction, such income will not constitute qualified dividend income to individual shareholders and will not be eligible for the dividends received deduction for corporate shareholders.
If the Fund’s distributions exceed its earnings and profits, all or a portion of the distributions made for a taxable year may be recharacterized as a return of capital to shareholders. A return of capital distribution will generally not be taxable, but will reduce each shareholder’s cost basis in the Fund and result in a higher capital gain or lower capital loss when the Shares on which the distribution was received are sold. After a shareholder’s basis in the Shares has been reduced to zero, distributions in excess of earnings and profits will be treated as gain from the sale of the shareholder’s Shares.
31
Taxation of Shareholders – Sale, Redemption, or Exchange of Shares. A sale, redemption, or exchange of Shares may give rise to a gain or loss. For tax purposes, an exchange of your Fund shares of a different fund is the same as a sale. In general, any gain or loss realized upon a taxable disposition of Shares will be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if Shares have been held for more than 12 months. Otherwise, the gain or loss on the taxable disposition of Shares will generally be treated as short-term capital gain or loss. Any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of Shares held for six months or less will be treated as long-term capital loss, rather than short-term capital loss, to the extent of any amounts treated as distributions to the shareholder of long-term capital gain (including any amounts credited to the shareholder as undistributed capital gains). All or a portion of any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of Shares may be disallowed if substantially identical Shares are acquired (through the reinvestment of dividends or otherwise) within a 61-day period beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the disposition. In such a case, the basis of the newly acquired Shares will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss.
The cost basis of Shares acquired by purchase will generally be based on the amount paid for Shares and then may be subsequently adjusted for other applicable transactions as required by the Code. The difference between the selling price and the cost basis of Shares generally determines the amount of the capital gain or loss realized on the sale or exchange of Shares. Contact the broker through whom you purchased your Shares to obtain information with respect to the available cost basis reporting methods and elections for your account.
An Authorized Participant who exchanges securities for Creation Units generally will recognize a gain or a loss. The gain or loss will be equal to the difference between the market value of the Creation Units at the time and the sum of the exchanger’s aggregate basis in the securities surrendered plus the amount of cash paid for such Creation Units. A person who redeems Creation Units will generally recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the exchanger’s basis in the Creation Units and the sum of the aggregate market value of any securities received plus the amount of any cash received for such Creation Units. The ability of Authorized Participants to receive a full or partial cash redemption of Creation Units of the Fund may limit the tax efficiency of such Fund. The IRS, however, may assert that a loss realized upon an exchange of securities for Creation Units cannot currently be deducted under the rules governing “wash sales” (for a person who does not mark-to-market its portfolio) or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic position.
Any gain or loss realized upon a creation or redemption of Creation Units will be treated as capital or ordinary gain or loss, depending on the circumstances. Any capital gain or loss realized upon the creation of Creation Units will generally be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the securities exchanged for such Creation Units have been held for more than one year. Any capital gain or loss realized upon the redemption of Creation Units will generally be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if Shares comprising the Creation Units have been held for more than one year. Otherwise, such capital gains or losses will generally be treated as short-term capital gains or losses. Any capital loss upon a redemption of Creation Units held for six months or less may be treated as long-term capital loss to the extent of any amounts treated as distributions to the applicable Authorized Participant of long-term capital gain with respect to the Creation Units (including any amounts credited to the Authorized Participant as undistributed capital gains).
The Trust, on behalf of the Fund, has the right to reject an order for Creation Units if the purchaser (or a group of purchasers) would, upon obtaining the Creation Units so ordered, own 80% or more of the outstanding Shares and if, pursuant to Section 351 of the Code, the Fund would have a basis in the deposit securities different from the market value of such securities on the date of deposit. The Trust also has the right to require the provision of information necessary to determine beneficial Share ownership for purposes of the 80% determination. If the Fund does issue Creation Units to a purchaser (or a group of purchasers) that would, upon obtaining the Creation Units so ordered, own 80% or more of the outstanding Shares, the purchaser (or a group of purchasers) will not recognize gain or loss upon the exchange of securities for Creation Units.
Authorized Participants purchasing or redeeming Creation Units should consult their own tax advisers with respect to the tax treatment of any creation or redemption transaction and whether the wash sales rule applies and when a loss may be deductible.
Taxation of Shareholders – Net Investment Income Tax. U.S. individuals with adjusted gross income (subject to certain adjustments) exceeding certain threshold amounts ($250,000 if married filing jointly or if considered a “surviving spouse” for federal income tax purposes, $125,000 if married filing separately, and $200,000 in other cases) are subject to a 3.8% tax on all or a portion of their “net investment income,” which includes taxable interest, dividends, and certain capital gains (generally including capital gain distributions and capital gains realized on the sale of Shares). This 3.8% tax also applies to all or a portion of the undistributed net investment income of certain shareholders that are estates and trusts.
Taxation of Fund Investments. Certain of the Fund’s investments may be subject to complex provisions of the Code (including provisions relating to hedging transactions, straddles, integrated transactions, foreign currency contracts, forward foreign currency contracts, and notional principal contracts) that, among other things, may affect the Fund’s ability to qualify as a RIC, affect the character of gains and losses realized by the Fund (e.g., may affect whether gains or losses are ordinary or capital), accelerate recognition of income to the Fund and defer losses. These rules could therefore affect the character, amount and timing of distributions to shareholders. These provisions also may require the Fund to mark to market certain types of positions in its portfolio (i.e., treat them as if they were closed out) which may cause the Fund to recognize income without the Fund receiving cash with which to make distributions in amounts sufficient to enable the Fund to satisfy the RIC distribution requirements for avoiding income and excise taxes. The Fund intends to monitor its transactions, intends to make appropriate tax elections, and intends to make appropriate entries in its books and records in order to mitigate the effect of these rules and preserve the Fund’s qualification for treatment as a RIC. To the extent the Fund invests in an underlying fund that is taxable as a RIC, the rules applicable to the tax treatment of complex securities will also apply to the underlying funds that also invest in such complex securities and investments.
32
Backup Withholding. The Fund will be required in certain cases to withhold (as “backup withholding”) on amounts payable to any shareholder who (1) fails to provide a correct taxpayer identification number certified under penalty of perjury; (2) is subject to backup withholding by the IRS for failure to properly report all payments of interest or dividends; (3) fails to provide a certified statement that he or she is not subject to “backup withholding”; or (4) fails to provide a certified statement that he or she is a U.S. person (including a U.S. resident alien). The backup withholding rate is currently 24%. Backup withholding is not an additional tax and any amounts withheld may be credited against the shareholder’s ultimate U.S. tax liability. Backup withholding will not be applied to payments that have been subject to the 30% withholding tax on shareholders who are neither citizens nor permanent residents of the U.S.
Non-U.S. Shareholders. Any non-U.S. investors in the Fund may be subject to U.S. withholding and estate tax and are encouraged to consult their tax advisers prior to investing in the Fund. Foreign shareholders (i.e., nonresident alien individuals and foreign corporations, partnerships, trusts and estates) are generally subject to U.S. withholding tax at the rate of 30% (or a lower tax treaty rate) on distributions derived from taxable ordinary income. The Fund may, under certain circumstances, report all or a portion of a dividend as an “interest-related dividend” or a “short-term capital gain dividend,” which would generally be exempt from this 30% U.S. withholding tax, provided certain other requirements are met. Short-term capital gain dividends received by a nonresident alien individual who is present in the U.S. for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the taxable year are not exempt from this 30% withholding tax. Gains realized by foreign shareholders from the sale or other disposition of Shares generally are not subject to U.S. taxation, unless the recipient is an individual who is physically present in the U.S. for 183 days or more per year. Foreign shareholders who fail to provide an applicable IRS form may be subject to backup withholding on certain payments from the Fund. Backup withholding will not be applied to payments that are subject to the 30% (or lower applicable treaty rate) withholding tax described in this paragraph. Different tax consequences may result if the foreign shareholder is engaged in a trade or business within the United States. In addition, the tax consequences to a foreign shareholder entitled to claim the benefits of a tax treaty may be different than those described above.
Under legislation generally known as “FATCA” (the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act), the Fund is required to withhold 30% of certain ordinary dividends it pays to shareholders that fail to meet prescribed information reporting or certification requirements. In general, no such withholding will be required with respect to a U.S. person or non-U.S. person that timely provides the certifications required by a fund or its agent on a valid IRS Form W-9 or applicable series of IRS Form W-8, respectively. Shareholders potentially subject to withholding include foreign financial institutions (“FFIs”), such as non-U.S. investment funds, and non-financial foreign entities (“NFFEs”). To avoid withholding under FATCA, an FFI generally must enter into an information sharing agreement with the IRS in which it agrees to report certain identifying information (including name, address, and taxpayer identification number) with respect to its U.S. account holders (which, in the case of an entity shareholder, may include its direct and indirect U.S. owners), and an NFFE generally must identify and provide other required information to the Fund or other withholding agent regarding its U.S. owners, if any. Such non-U.S. shareholders also may fall into certain exempt, excepted or deemed compliant categories as established by regulations and other guidance. A non-U.S. shareholder resident or doing business in a country that has entered into an intergovernmental agreement with the United States to implement FATCA will be exempt from FATCA withholding provided that the shareholder and the applicable foreign government comply with the terms of the agreement.
A non-U.S. entity that invests in the Fund will need to provide the Fund with documentation properly certifying the entity’s status under FATCA in order to avoid FATCA withholding. Non-U.S. investors in the Fund should consult their tax advisors in this regard.
Tax-Exempt Shareholders. Certain tax-exempt shareholders, including qualified pension plans, individual retirement accounts, salary deferral arrangements, 401(k) plans, and other tax-exempt entities, generally are exempt from federal income taxation except with respect to their unrelated business taxable income (“UBTI”). Tax-exempt entities are not permitted to offset losses from one unrelated trade or business against the income or gain of another unrelated trade or business. Certain net losses incurred prior to January 1, 2018 are permitted to offset gain and income created by an unrelated trade or business, if otherwise available. Under current law, the Fund generally serves to block UBTI from being realized by its tax-exempt shareholders with respect to their shares of Fund income. However, notwithstanding the foregoing, tax-exempt shareholders could realize UBTI by virtue of their investment in the Fund if, for example, (i) the Fund invests in residual interests of Real Estate Mortgage Investment Conduits (“REMICs”), (ii) the Fund invests in a REIT that is a taxable mortgage pool (“TMP”) or that has a subsidiary that is a TMP or that invests in the residual interest of a REMIC, or (iii) Shares constitute debt-financed property in the hands of the tax-exempt shareholders within the meaning of section 514(b) of the Code. Charitable remainder trusts are subject to special rules and should consult their tax advisers. The IRS has issued guidance with respect to these issues and prospective shareholders, especially charitable remainder trusts, are strongly encouraged to consult with their tax advisers regarding these issues.
33
The Fund’s shares held in a tax-qualified retirement account will generally not be subject to federal taxation on income and capital gains distributions from the Fund until a shareholder begins receiving payments from their retirement account. Because each shareholder’s tax situation is different, shareholders should consult their tax advisors with specific reference to their own tax situations, including their state, local, and foreign tax liabilities.
Certain Potential Tax Reporting Requirements. Under U.S. Treasury regulations, if a shareholder recognizes a loss on disposition of Shares of $2 million or more for an individual shareholder or $10 million or more for a corporate shareholder (or certain greater amounts over a combination of years), the shareholder must file with the IRS a disclosure statement on IRS Form 8886. Direct shareholders of portfolio securities are in many cases excepted from this reporting requirement, but under current guidance, shareholders of a RIC are not excepted. Significant penalties may be imposed for the failure to comply with the reporting requirements. The fact that a loss is reportable under these regulations does not affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayer’s treatment of the loss is proper. Shareholders should consult their tax advisers to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances.
Other Issues. In those states which have income tax laws, the tax treatment of Fund and of Fund shareholders with respect to distributions by the Fund may differ from federal tax treatment.
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
The audited financial statements and report of the independent registered public accounting firm required to be included in this SAI are hereby incorporated by reference to the Fund’s Form N-CSR filed with the SEC for the fiscal period ended October 31, 2025. You can obtain a copy of the Fund’s Form N-CSR without charge by calling the Fund at 1.877.774.TRUE (8783).
34
Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures
TrueMark Investments, LLC (the “Firm” and “Advisor”)
General Proxy Voting Policies
The Firm understands and appreciates the importance of proxy voting. To the extent that Firm has discretion to vote the proxies of its registered investment company clients (“RIC Clients”), Firm will vote any such proxies in the best interests of its RIC Clients and in accordance with the policies of the Proxy Service Provider(s)[1] (“Provider(s)”), as designated by the Firm, and the procedures outlined below.
Proxy Voting Procedures
| 1) | All proxies sent to the RIC Clients that are actually received by the Firm or recorded by the Provider(s) (to vote on behalf of the RIC Clients) will be provided to the Firm. |
| 2) | The Firm will instruct the Provider(s) to generally adhere to the following procedures (subject to limited exception): |
| a) | A written record of each proxy received by the Firm or recorded by the Provider(s) (on behalf of its RIC Clients) will be kept in Firm’s files; |
| b) | The Provider(s) and the Firm will determine which of Firm’s RIC Clients hold the security to which the proxy relates; |
| c) | The Firm will review the proxy and, based upon the advice/recommendation from the Provider(s), determine how to vote the proxy in question in accordance with the guidelines set forth herein. |
| d) | Prior to voting any proxies, the Firm will attempt to determine if there are any conflicts of interest related to the proxy in question. If a conflict is identified, the Chief Compliance Officer will be notified so a determination can be made as to whether the conflict is material or not. |
| i) | If no material conflict is identified pursuant to these procedures, the Firm will make a decision on how to vote the proxy in question. |
Handling Conflicts of Interest
| 1) | As stated above, in evaluating how to vote a proxy, the Firm will first determine whether there is a conflict of interest related to the proxy in question between Firm and its advisory clients. This examination will include (but will not be limited to) an evaluation of whether the Firm (or any affiliate of the Firm has any relationship with the company or an affiliate of the company) to which the proxy relates outside an investment in such company by a RIC Client of the Firm. |
| 2) | If a conflict is identified and deemed “material” by the Firm after consultation with the CCO, the Firm will determine whether voting in accordance with these proxy voting guidelines is in the best interests of affected RIC Clients. |
1 Before engaging a proxy provider and during the course of the relationship, the Firm will conduct appropriate due diligence/oversight. Records of this due diligence/oversight will be maintained in the Firm’s records.
|
| 1 l Page |
|
Voting Guidelines
In the absence of specific voting guidelines mandated by a particular RIC Client, the Firm will endeavor to vote proxies in the best interests of each RIC Client via the Provider(s) policy.
In some foreign markets where proxy voting demands fee payment for agent services, the Firm will balance the cost and benefit of proxy voting and may give up the proxy voting if the cost associated is greater than the benefits from voting.
| 1) | Although how proxies are voted is subject to the discretion of the Firm, the Firm is of the view that voting proxies in accordance with the following general guidelines is in the best interests of its RIC Clients: |
| a) | The Firm will generally vote in favor of routine corporate housekeeping proposals including, but not limited to, the following: |
| i) | Election of directors (where there are no related corporate governance issues); |
| ii) | Selection or reappointment of auditors; or |
| iii) | Increasing or reclassification of common stock. |
| b) | The Firm will generally vote against proposals that: |
| i) | Make it more difficult to replace members of the issuer’s board of directors or board of managers; and |
| ii) | Introduce unequal voting rights (although there may be regulatory reasons that would make such a proposal favorable to certain RIC Clients of the Firm). |
| c) | The Firm will generally vote against proposals that make it more difficult for an issuer to be taken over by outsiders, and in favor of proposals to do the opposite. |
| d) | The Firm will generally vote in favor of proposals by management or shareholders concerning various compensation and stock option plans that will act to make management and employee compensation more dependent on long-term stock price performance. |
| e) | The Firm will generally vote against proposals to move the company to another state less favorable to shareholders’ interests, or to restructure classes of stock in such a way as to benefit one class of shareholders at the expense of another, such as dual classes (A and B shares) of stock. |
Disclosure of Procedures
For RIC Clients, the Firm will work with the RIC Clients to provide the necessary information for the Form N-PX and will review such information for accuracy.
|
| 2 l Page |
|
Record-keeping Requirements
The Firm via the Provider(s) will be responsible for maintaining files relating to the Firm’s proxy voting procedures. Records will be maintained and preserved for five (5) years from the end of the fiscal year during which the last entry was made on a record, with records for the first two (2) years kept in the offices of the Firm. The Firm is permitted to maintain these records in electronic format. Records of the following will be included in the files:
| 1) | Copies of these proxy voting policies and procedures, and any amendments thereto; |
| 2) | A copy of each proxy statement that the Firm or the Provider(s) actually receives; provided, however, that the Firm may rely on obtaining a copy of proxy statements from the SEC’s EDGAR system for those proxy statements that are so available; |
| 3) | A record of each vote that the Firm via the Provider(s) casts; |
| 4) | A copy of any document that the Firm created that was material to making a decision how to vote the proxies, or memorializes that decision (if any); and |
| 5) | A copy of each written request for information on how the Firm voted such RIC Clients’ proxies and a copy of any written response to any request for information on how the Firm voted proxies on behalf of the RIC Clients. |
|
| 3 l Page |
PROSPECTUS
February 27, 2026
Polen International Dividend Income ETF (IDVZ) |
| Principal U.S. Listing Exchange: Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc. |
a series of Elevation Series Trust (the “Trust”)
This Prospectus provides important information about POLEN INTERNATIONAL DIVIDEND INCOME FUND that you should know before investing. Please read it carefully and keep it for future reference.
THE U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION (“SEC”) HAS NOT APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED OF THESE SECURITIES OR PASSED UPON THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS PROSPECTUS. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
The investment objective of the Polen International Dividend Income ETF (fka, The Opal International Dividend Income ETF) (the “Fund”) is to provide capital appreciation with lower volatility and a higher dividend yield compared to the MSCI ACWI ex USA High Dividend Yield Total Return Index.
The following table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund (“Shares”). You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table and Example below.
| Management Fees | |||
| Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees | |||
| Other Expenses | |||
| Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses |
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your Shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. The Example does not take into account brokerage commissions that you may pay on your purchases and sales of Shares. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
| 1 Year | 3 Years | 5 Years | 10 Years |
| $ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
The
Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio).
A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Shares are held in
a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s
performance. For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2025, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was
The Fund is an actively-managed ETF that seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its net assets, plus borrowings for investment purposes, in securities of dividend-paying companies.
The Fund’s portfolio typically consists of 40-60 companies that pay dividends and that the sub-adviser, Opal Capital LLC (“Opal”), expects will grow the dividends over time and are trading at attractive valuations at the time of the investment. The sub-adviser seeks companies that are established businesses with high cash flow, stable revenue streams, and disciplined capital reinvestment programs that may, as a result, experience lower volatility relative to the overall international equity market.
The Fund invests in non-U.S. companies with market capitalizations greater than $8 billion, but may include companies with market capitalizations of less than $8 billion if their dividend yields are above the market average. The Fund typically invests in non-U.S. companies through sponsored and/or unsponsored American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) and Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”) but may directly invest in such companies on foreign exchanges. The sub-adviser makes its initial identification of potential portfolio securities based on its assessment of a company’s ability and commitment to sustain and grow its dividends. The sub-adviser next identifies “high quality companies,” which are generally defined as companies with a sustainable competitive advantage, offering stable and growing free cash flows, and quality management teams that have the capital discipline to distribute dividends to shareholders. The sub-adviser then selects companies whose stock is trading at a valuation that it believes offers an opportunity to generate above average returns over time.
1
The MSCI ACWI ex USA High Dividend Yield Total Return Index (the “Index”) referenced in the objective of the Fund is designed to reflect the performance of equities in the MSCI ACWI ex USA (excluding REITs) with higher dividend income and quality characteristics than average dividend yields that are both sustainable and persistent. The Index also applies quality screens and reviews 12-month past performance to omit stocks with potentially deteriorating fundamentals that could force them to cut or reduce dividends.
The Fund is classified as a “non-diversified” investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, which means that the Fund may invest a higher percentage of its assets in a fewer number of issuers than is permissible for a “diversified” fund.
Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund
The
principal risks of investing in the Fund are summarized below. Each risk summarized below is considered a “principal risk”
of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears.
| ● | Active Management Risk. The portfolio manager’s judgment about an investment may prove to be incorrect because the portfolio manager applies poor judgment to otherwise effective investment techniques or relies on ineffective investment techniques and analyses. There is no guarantee that the portfolio manager’s judgment will produce the desired results. This could adversely impact the Fund’s performance and cause investors to lose money as a result.
|
| ● | Foreign Investment Risk. The Fund invests in securities of companies domiciled in countries outside the U.S. that may experience more rapid and extreme changes in value than a fund that invests exclusively in securities of U.S. companies. These companies may be subject to additional risks, including political and economic risks, civil conflicts and war, greater volatility, expropriation and nationalization risks, currency fluctuations, higher transaction costs, delayed settlement, and less stringent investor protection and disclosure standards than those of the U.S. market.
|
| ● | ADRs and GDRs Risk. ADRs and GDRs are receipts, issued by depository banks in the United States or elsewhere, for shares of a foreign-based company that entitle the holder to dividends and capital gains on the underlying security. ADRs and GDRs may be sponsored or unsponsored. In addition to the risks of investing in foreign securities, there is no guarantee that an ADR or GDR issuer will continue to offer a particular ADR or GDR. As a result, the Fund may have difficulty selling the ADRs or GDRs, or selling them quickly and efficiently at the prices at which they have been valued. The issuers of unsponsored ADRs or GDRs are not obligated to disclose information that is considered material in the U.S. and voting rights with respect to the deposited securities are not passed through. ADRs or GDRs may not track the prices of the underlying foreign securities on which they are based, and their values may change materially at times when U.S. markets are not open for trading. Certain ADRs or GDRs are not listed on an exchange and therefore may be less liquid than exchange traded securities.
|
●
|
Dividend Paying Risk. While the Fund may hold stocks of companies that have historically paid a high dividend yield, those companies may reduce or discontinue their dividends, reducing the yield of the Fund. Past dividend payments are not a guarantee of future dividend payments. Also, the market return of high dividend yield securities, in certain market conditions, may perform worse than other investment strategies or the overall stock market. The Fund’s emphasis on dividend-paying companies involves the risk that such companies may fall out of favor with investors and underperform the market. |
2
| ● | Equity Risk. The NAV of the Fund will fluctuate based on changes in the value of the equity securities held by the Fund. Equity prices can fall rapidly in response to developments affecting a specific company or industry, or to changing economic, political or market conditions. |
| ● | Non-Diversification Risk. Because the Fund is non-diversified and may invest a greater portion of its assets in fewer issuers than a diversified fund, changes in the market value of a single portfolio holding could cause greater fluctuations in the Fund’s share price than would occur in a diversified fund. This may increase the Fund’s volatility and cause the performance of a single portfolio holding or a relatively small number of portfolio holdings to have a greater impact on the Fund’s performance. |
| ● | Early Close/Trading Halt Risk. An exchange or market may close or issue trading halts on specific securities, or the ability to buy or sell certain securities or financial instruments may be restricted, which may prevent the Fund from buying or selling certain securities or financial instruments. In these circumstances, the Fund may be unable to rebalance its portfolio, may be unable to accurately price its investments and may incur substantial trading losses.
|
| ● | ETF Structure Risks. The Fund is an ETF and, as a result of an ETF’s structure, it is exposed to the following risks: |
| ○ | Authorized Participants (“APs”), Market Makers, and Liquidity Providers Concentration Risk. The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as APs. In addition, there may be a limited number of market makers and/or liquidity providers in the marketplace. To the extent either of the following events occur, Shares may trade at a material discount to NAV and possibly face delisting: (i) APs exit the business or otherwise become unable to process creation and/or redemption orders and no other APs step forward to perform these services, or (ii) market makers and/or liquidity providers exit the business or significantly reduce their business activities and no other entities step forward to perform their functions. |
| ○ | Costs of Buying or Selling Shares. Due to the costs of buying or selling Shares, including brokerage commissions imposed by brokers and bid-ask spreads, frequent trading of Shares may significantly reduce investment results and an investment in Shares may not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments. |
| ○ | Shares May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV. As with all ETFs, Shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. Although it is expected that the market price of Shares will approximate the Fund’s NAV, there may be times when the market price of Shares is more than the NAV intra-day (premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (discount) due to supply and demand of Shares or during periods of market volatility. This risk is heightened in times of market volatility, periods of steep market declines, and periods when there is limited trading activity for Shares in the secondary market, in which case such premiums or discounts may be significant. |
3
| ○ | Trading. Although Shares are listed for trading on Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc. (the “Exchange”) and may be traded on U.S. exchanges other than the Exchange, there can be no assurance that Shares will trade with any volume, or at all, on any stock exchange. In stressed market conditions, the liquidity of Shares may begin to mirror the liquidity of the Fund’s underlying portfolio holdings, which can be significantly less liquid than Shares, and this could lead to differences between the market price of the Shares and the underlying value of those Shares.
|
| ● | Foreign Exchanges Risk. Because some securities held by the Fund may trade on foreign exchanges that may be closed when the Fund’s primary listing exchange is open, there are likely to be deviations between the current price of a security and the security’s last quoted price from the closed foreign market. This may result in premiums and discounts that are greater than those experienced by domestic ETFs. If events materially affecting the value of a security in the Fund’s portfolio occur after the close of trading on a foreign market, an investor who purchases shares of the Fund on the secondary market before the Fund prices its shares to reflect the fair value of the security may have purchased such shares at a premium or discount to NAV (depending on whether the events were positive). |
| ● | Limited History Risk. The Fund has a limited history of operations for investors to evaluate. Investors in the Fund bear the risk that the Fund may not be successful in implementing its investment strategies, may be unable to implement certain of its investment strategies or may fail to attract sufficient assets, any of which could result in the Fund being liquidated and terminated at any time without shareholder approval and at a time that may not be favorable for all shareholders. Such a liquidation could have negative tax consequences for shareholders and will cause shareholders to incur expenses of liquidation.
|
| ● | Market and Geopolitical Risk. The increasing interconnectivity between global economies and financial markets increases the likelihood that events or conditions in one region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. Securities in the Fund’s portfolio may underperform due to inflation (or expectations for inflation), interest rates, global demand for particular products or resources, natural disasters, climate change and climate-related events, pandemics, epidemics, terrorism, international conflicts, regulatory events and governmental or quasi-governmental actions. The occurrence of global events similar to those in recent years may result in market volatility and may have long term effects on both the U.S. and global financial markets. |
| ● | Market Capitalization Risk. |
| ● | Large-Capitalization Investing. The Fund’s performance may be adversely affected if securities of large cap companies underperform securities of smaller-capitalization companies or the market as a whole. The securities of large cap companies may be relatively mature compared to smaller companies and therefore subject to slower growth during times of economic expansion. Large-capitalization companies may also be unable to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in technology and consumer tastes. |
| ● | Mid-Capitalization Investing. The Fund may invest in the securities of mid-capitalization companies. As a result, the Fund’s performance may be adversely affected if securities of mid-capitalization companies underperform securities of other capitalization ranges or the market as a whole. Securities of smaller companies are often more vulnerable to market volatility than securities of larger companies. |
| ● | Value Investing Risk. Because the Fund may utilize a value style of investing, the Fund could suffer losses or produce poor results relative to other funds, even in a rising market, if the adviser’s or sub-adviser’s assessment of a company’s value or prospects for exceeding earnings expectations or market conditions is incorrect. |
Updated
performance information is available on the Fund’s website at
4
| Return | Quarter/Year | |||
| |
1 Year |
Since
| |||
| Returns before taxes | ||||
| Returns after taxes on distributions | ||||
| Returns after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares | ||||
|
S&P
500 Total Return Index |
|||
Management
| Adviser: | TrueMark Investments, LLC |
| Sub-Adviser: | Opal Capital LLC |
| Portfolio Manager: | Austin Graff, CFA, Founder, Chief Executive Officer, and Chief Investment Officer of Opal Capital LLC, has served the Fund as portfolio manager since it commenced operations in December 2024. |
Purchase and Sale of Shares
Shares are listed on the Exchange, and individual Shares may only be bought and sold in the secondary market through brokers at market prices, rather than NAV. Because Shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, Shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount).
The Fund issues and redeems Shares at NAV only in large blocks known as “Creation Units,” which only APs (typically, broker-dealers) may purchase or redeem. The Fund generally issues and redeems Creation Units in exchange for a portfolio of securities and/ or a designated amount of U.S. cash.
Investors may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase Shares (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for Shares (ask) when buying or selling Shares in the secondary market (the “bid-ask spread”). Recent information about the Fund, including its NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads is available on the Fund’s website at www.True-Shares.com.
Tax Information
Fund distributions are generally taxable as ordinary income or capital gains (or a combination), unless your investment is in an IRA or other tax-advantaged account. Distributions on investments made through tax-deferred arrangements may be taxed later upon withdrawal of assets from those accounts.
Financial Intermediary Compensation
If you purchase Shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank) (an “Intermediary”), the adviser, sub-adviser, or their affiliates may pay Intermediaries for certain activities related to the Fund, including participation in activities that are designed to make Intermediaries more knowledgeable about exchange traded products, including the Fund, or for other activities, such as marketing, educational training or other initiatives related to the sale or promotion of Shares. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the Intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Any such arrangements do not result in increased Fund expenses. Ask your salesperson or visit the Intermediary’s website for more information.
5
Additional Information About the Fund
Additional Information About the Fund’s Investment Objective. The investment objective of the Fund is to provide capital appreciation with lower volatility and a higher dividend yield compared to the Index.
The Fund’s investment objective may be changed by the Board of Trustees of the Trust (the “Board”) upon sixty days written notice to shareholders.
Additional Information About the Fund’s Investment Strategies.
The Fund is an actively-managed ETF that seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its net assets (plus borrowings for investment purposes) in securities of dividend-paying companies.
The Fund’s portfolio typically consists of 40-60 companies that pay dividends and the sub-adviser, Opal expects will grow the dividends over time and are trading at attractive valuations at the time of the investment. The sub-adviser seeks to invest in such companies that are established businesses with high cash flow, stable revenue streams, and disciplined capital reinvestment programs that may, as a result, experience lower volatility relative to the overall international equity market.
The Fund invests in non-U.S. companies with market capitalizations greater than $8 billion, but may include companies with market capitalizations of less than $8 billion if their dividend yields are above the market average. The Fund invests at least 40% of its net assets in securities of companies that are economically tied to a country or countries outside the U.S., including emerging markets, meaning the company is: (i) is organized outside of the U.S.; (ii) has a class of securities whose principal securities market is outside of the U.S.; (iii) derives more than 50% of total revenues or earnings from goods produced, sales made, or services provided outside of the U.S.; or (iv) maintains more than 50% of its employees, assets, investments, operations, or other business activity outside of the U.S. The Fund typically invests in non-U.S. companies through sponsored and/or unsponsored ADRs and GDRs but may directly invest in such companies on foreign exchanges.
The sub-adviser selects companies for the Fund that, in the sub-adviser’s determination, provide the best combination of dividend yield with potential for dividend growth and are currently under-valued in the market.
The sub-adviser makes its initial identification of potential portfolio securities based on what it believes are “high quality companies,” which are generally defined as companies (i) having a sustainable competitive advantage relative to the broader market of dividend-paying companies, (ii) offering stable and growing free cash flows; and (iii) with quality management teams that possess the capital discipline to distribute dividends to shareholders. The sub-adviser seeks to identify such companies by utilizing a combination of quantitative and qualitative indicators of the company’s financial position, growth opportunities, historical payouts, and management commentary, as well as the competitive landscape. The quality of a management team is a subjective determination made by the sub-adviser regarding the likelihood that leadership will manage the company with the interests of shareholders in mind, which involves analyzing past actions of management and/or management commentary. This process leads to a list of companies the sub-adviser believes are able and committed to sustaining and growing their dividends.
The sub-adviser then reviews the current market valuation of these companies to determine which ones it believes are under-valued. . The sub-adviser selects companies whose stock is trading at a valuation that it believes offers an opportunity to generate above average returns over time. When valuing a company, the sub-adviser utilizes a variety of metrics including price compared to earnings ratio, price to tangible book value, price to book value, enterprise value to EBITDA, market capitalization compared to book value, and free cash flow yield. . The Fund invests in the companies that are attractively priced both in absolute terms and relative to their peers with a preference of companies with higher free cash flow.
The Index referenced in the objective of the Fund is designed to reflect the performance of equities in the MSCI ACWI ex USA (excluding REITs) with higher dividend income and quality characteristics than average dividend yields that are both sustainable and persistent. The Index also applies quality screens and reviews 12-month past performance to omit stocks with potentially deteriorating fundamentals that could force them to cut or reduce dividends.
The Fund is classified as a “non-diversified” investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, which means that the Fund may invest a higher percentage of its assets in a fewer number of issuers than is permissible for a “diversified” fund.
6
Temporary Defensive Positions
From time to time, the Fund may take temporary defensive positions, which are inconsistent with the Fund’s principal investment strategies, in attempting to respond to adverse market, economic, political, or other conditions. For example, the Fund may hold all or a portion of its assets in money market instruments, including cash, cash equivalents, U.S. government securities, other investment grade fixed income securities, certificates of deposit, bankers’ acceptances, commercial paper, money market funds and repurchase agreements. While the Fund is in a defensive position, the opportunity to achieve its investment objective will be limited. If the Fund invests in a money market fund, the shareholders of the Fund generally will be subject to duplicative management fees. Although the Fund would do this only in seeking to avoid losses, the Fund will be unable to pursue its investment objective during that time, and it could reduce the benefit from any upswing in the market.
Additional Information About the Fund’s Principal Risks. This section provides additional information regarding the principal risks described in the Fund Summary section. Each risk described below is considered a “principal risk” of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears. Each of the risks described below could have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance and trading prices.
| ● | Active Management Risk. The ability of the Fund to meet its investment objective is directly related to the sub-adviser’s investment process, and there is no guarantee that the process will achieve the Fund’s objective. The portfolio manager’s reliance on the Fund’s strategy or the portfolio manager’s judgement about the attractiveness, value, and potential appreciation of an investment may prove to be incorrect. The portfolio manager’s assessment of the relative value of securities, their attractiveness and potential appreciation of particular investments in which the Fund invests may prove to be incorrect or the portfolio manager may rely on ineffective investment techniques, analyses, and processes when assessing potential investments There can be no assurance that the securities selected by the sub-adviser will produce positive returns. As a result, you could lose money by investing in the Fund. |
7
| ● | ADRs and GDRs Risk. Sponsored and unsponsored ADRs are receipts issued by an American bank or trust company evidencing ownership of underlying securities issued by a foreign issuer. GDRs are certificates issued by an international bank that generally are traded and denominated in the currencies of countries other than the home country of the issuer of the underlying shares. ADRs, in sponsored form, are designed for use in U.S. securities markets. In a sponsored ADR arrangement, the foreign issuer assumes the obligation to pay some or all of the depositary’s transaction fees and provides financial information to the bank. Under an unsponsored ADR arrangement, the foreign issuer assumes no obligations and the depositary’s transaction fees are paid directly by the ADR holders. Because unsponsored ADR arrangements are organized independently and without the cooperation of the issuer of the underlying securities, available information concerning the foreign issuer may not be as current as for sponsored ADRs and voting rights with respect to the deposited securities are not passed through. One risk of investing in an ADR (sponsored or unsponsored) is the political risk of the home country. Instability in the home country increases the risk of investing in an ADR. Another risk is exchange rate risk. ADR and GDR shares track the shares in the home country. If a country’s currency is devalued, it will trickle down to the ADR. This can result in a significant loss, even if the company had been performing well. Another related risk is inflationary risk. Inflation is the rate at which the general level of prices for goods and services is rising and, subsequently, purchasing power is falling. Inflation can have a serious negative impact on business because the currency of a country with high inflation becomes less and less valuable each day. |
| ● | Dividend Paying Risk. While the Fund may hold securities of companies that have historically paid a high dividend yield, those companies may reduce or discontinue their dividends, reducing the yield of the Fund. Past dividend payments are not a guarantee of future dividend payments. Also, the market return of high dividend yield securities, in certain market conditions, may perform worse than other investment strategies or the overall stock market. The Fund’s emphasis on dividend-paying companies involves the risk that such companies may fall out of favor with investors and underperform the market. | |
| ● | Early Close/Trading Halt Risk. An exchange or market may close or issue trading halts on specific securities, or the ability to buy or sell certain securities or financial instruments may be restricted, which may prevent the Fund from buying or selling certain securities or financial instruments. In these circumstances, the Fund may be unable to rebalance its portfolio, may be unable to accurately price its investments and may incur substantial trading losses. |
8
| ● | Equity Risk. Common stocks are susceptible to general stock market fluctuations and to volatile increases and decreases in value as market confidence in and perceptions of their issuers change. These investor perceptions are based on various and unpredictable factors including: expectations regarding government, economic, monetary and fiscal policies; inflation and interest rates; economic expansion or contraction; and global or regional political, economic, public health, and banking crises. If you held common stock, or common stock equivalents, of any given issuer, you would generally be exposed to greater risk than if you held preferred stocks and debt obligations of the issuer because common stockholders, or holders of equivalent interests, generally have inferior rights to receive payments from issuers in comparison with the rights of preferred stockholders, bondholders, and other creditors of such issuers. |
| ● | ETF Structure Risks. The Fund is an ETF, and, as a result of an ETF’s structure, is exposed to the following risks: |
| ○ | APs, Market Makers, and Liquidity Providers Concentration Risk. The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as APs. In addition, there may be a limited number of market makers and/or liquidity providers in the marketplace. To the extent either of the following events occur, Shares may trade at a material discount to NAV and possibly face delisting: (i) APs exit the business or otherwise become unable to process creation and/or redemption orders and no other APs step forward to perform these services, or (ii) market makers and/or liquidity providers exit the business or significantly reduce their business activities and no other entities step forward to perform their functions. |
| ○ | Costs of Buying or Selling Shares. Investors buying or selling Shares in the secondary market will pay brokerage commissions or other charges imposed by brokers, as determined by that broker. Brokerage commissions are often a fixed amount and may be a significant proportional cost for investors seeking to buy or sell relatively small amounts of Shares. In addition, secondary market investors will also incur the cost of the difference between the price at which an investor is willing to buy Shares (the “bid” price) and the price at which an investor is willing to sell Shares (the “ask” price). This difference in bid and ask prices is often referred to as the “spread” or “bid-ask spread.” The bid-ask spread varies over time for Shares based on trading volume and market liquidity, and the spread is generally lower if Shares have more trading volume and market liquidity and higher if Shares have little trading volume and market liquidity. Further, a relatively small investor base in the Fund, asset swings in the Fund, and/or increased market volatility may cause increased bid-ask spreads. Due to the costs of buying or selling Shares, including bid-ask spreads, frequent trading of Shares may significantly reduce investment results and an investment in Shares may not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments. |
| ○ | Shares May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV. As with all ETFs, Shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. Although it is expected that the market price of Shares will approximate the Fund’s NAV, there may be times when the market price of Shares is more than the NAV intra-day (premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (discount) due to supply and demand of Shares or during periods of market volatility. This risk is heightened in times of market volatility, periods of steep market declines, and periods when there is limited trading activity for Shares in the secondary market, in which case such premiums or discounts may be significant.
|
| ○ | Trading. Although Shares are listed for trading on the Exchange and may be listed or traded on U.S. and non-U.S. stock exchanges other than the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for such Shares will develop or be maintained. Trading in Shares may be halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the Exchange, make trading in Shares inadvisable. In addition, trading in Shares on the Exchange is subject to trading halts caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant to Exchange “circuit breaker” rules, which temporarily halt trading on the Exchange when a decline in the S&P 500® Index during a single day reaches certain thresholds (e.g., 7%, 13%, and 20%). Additional rules applicable to the Exchange may halt trading in Shares when extraordinary volatility causes sudden, significant swings in the market price of Shares. There can be no assurance that Shares will trade with any volume, or at all, on any stock exchange. In stressed market conditions, the liquidity of Shares may begin to mirror the liquidity of the Fund’s underlying portfolio holdings, which can be significantly less liquid than Shares, and this could lead to differences between the market price of the Shares and the underlying value of those Shares. |
9
| ● | Foreign Exchanges Risk. Because some securities held by the Fund may trade on foreign exchanges that may be closed when the Fund’s primary listing exchange is open, there are likely to be deviations between the current price of a security and the security’s last quoted price from the closed foreign market. This may result in premiums and discounts that are greater than those experienced by domestic ETFs. If events materially affecting the value of a security in the Fund’s portfolio occur after the close of trading on a foreign market, an investor who purchases shares of the Fund on the secondary market before the Fund prices its shares to reflect the fair value of the security may have purchased such shares at a premium or discount to NAV (depending on whether the events were positive). |
| ● | Foreign Investment Risk. Investing in companies domiciled in countries outside the U.S. may experience more rapid and extreme changes in value than a fund that invests exclusively in securities of U.S. companies. These companies may be subject to additional risks, including political and economic risks, civil conflicts and war, greater volatility, expropriation and nationalization risks, currency fluctuations, higher transaction costs, delayed settlement, and less stringent investor protection and disclosure standards than those of U.S. markets. The potential departure of one or more other countries from the European Union could have significant political and financial consequences for global markets.
|
| ● | Limited History Risk. The Fund has a limited history of operations for investors to evaluate. Investors in the Fund bear the risk that the Fund may not be successful in implementing its investment strategies, may be unable to implement certain of its investment strategies or may fail to attract sufficient assets, any of which could result in the Fund being liquidated and terminated at any time without shareholder approval and at a time that may not be favorable for all shareholders. Such a liquidation could have negative tax consequences for shareholders and will cause shareholders to incur expenses of liquidation. |
| ● | Market and Geopolitical Risk. The increasing interconnectivity between global economies and financial markets increases the likelihood that events or conditions in one region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. Securities in the Fund’s portfolio may underperform due to inflation (or expectations for inflation), interest rates, global demand for particular products or resources, natural disasters, climate change and climate-related events, pandemics, epidemics, terrorism, international conflicts, regulatory events and governmental or quasi-governmental actions. The occurrence of global events similar to those in recent years, such as terrorist attacks around the world, natural disasters, social and political discord, the wars between Russia-Ukraine, Israel-Hamas, and Israel-Hezbollah, or debt crises and downgrades, among others, may result in market volatility and may have long term effects on both the U.S. and global financial markets. It is difficult to predict when similar events affecting the U.S. or global financial markets may occur, the effects that such events may have and the duration of those effects. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund’s portfolio. Therefore, the Fund could lose money over short periods due to short-term market movements and over longer periods during more prolonged market downturns. During a general market downturn, multiple asset classes may be negatively affected. Changes in market conditions and interest rates can have the same impact on all types of securities and instruments. In times of severe market disruptions, you could lose your entire investment. |
| ● | Market Capitalization Risk. |
| ○ | Large-Capitalization Investing. The securities of large-capitalization companies may be relatively mature compared to smaller companies and therefore subject to slower growth during times of economic expansion. Large-capitalization companies may also be unable to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in technology and consumer tastes. |
10
| ○ | Mid-Capitalization Investing. The securities of mid-capitalization companies may be more vulnerable to adverse issuer, market, political, or economic developments than securities of large- capitalization companies, but they may also be subject to slower growth than small-capitalization companies during times of economic expansion. The securities of mid-capitalization companies generally trade in lower volumes and are subject to greater and more unpredictable price changes than large capitalization stocks or the stock market as a whole, but they may also be nimbler and more responsive to new challenges than large-capitalization companies. Some mid-capitalization companies have limited product lines, markets, financial resources, and management personnel and tend to concentrate on fewer geographical markets relative to large-capitalization companies. |
| ● | Non-Diversification Risk. Because the Fund is non-diversified and may invest a greater portion of its assets in fewer issuers than a diversified fund, changes in the market value of a single portfolio holding could cause greater fluctuations in the Fund’s share price than would occur in a diversified fund. This may increase the Fund’s volatility and cause the performance of a single portfolio holding or a relatively small number of portfolio holdings to have a greater impact on the Fund’s performance.
|
| ● | Value Investing Risk. Value investing attempts to identify companies selling at a discount to their intrinsic value. Value investing is subject to the risk that a company’s intrinsic value may never be fully realized by the market or that a company judged by the Fund to be undervalued may actually be appropriately priced. The value investing style may fall out of favor, which may result in periods of underperformance. |
Portfolio Holdings Information
Information about the Fund’s daily portfolio holdings is available at True-shares.com. A description of the Fund’s policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Fund’s portfolio holdings is available in the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”).
Management
Investment Adviser
TrueMark Investments, LLC (“TrueMark”), serves as the investment adviser to the Fund. The adviser is a SEC registered investment adviser with approximately $1.251 billion in assets under management as of December 31, 2025. Its principal office is located at 433 W Van Buren, Suite 1100-D, Chicago, Illinois 60607. TrueMark is controlled by TrueMark Group, LLC which in turn is controlled by RiverNorth Strategic Holdings, LLC.
Pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement, the Fund pays the adviser a unitary management fee, which is calculated daily and paid monthly, at an annual rate of 0.75% of the Fund’s average daily net assets. Out of the unitary management fee, the adviser has agreed to pay substantially all expenses of the Fund, including the cost of transfer agency, custody, fund administration, securities lending and other non-distribution related services necessary for the Fund to operate, except for: the fee paid to the adviser pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement, interest charges on any borrowings, dividends and other expenses on securities sold short, taxes and related services, brokerage commissions and other expenses incurred in placing orders for the purchase and sale of securities and other investment instruments, acquired fund fees and expenses, accrued deferred tax liability, distribution fees and expenses paid by the Fund under any distribution plan adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, litigation expenses and other non-routine or extraordinary expenses.
The basis for the Board’s approval of the Fund’s Investment Advisory Agreement is available in the Fund’s semi-annual N-CSR filing for the period ending April 30, 2025.
Investment Sub-Adviser
Opal Capital LLC, a Florida limited liability company located at 5200 Town Center Circle, Suite 305, Boca Raton, Florida 33486, co-manages the day-to-day investment of the Fund’s assets, subject to the supervision of the adviser and the Board. The sub-adviser is an SEC-registered investment adviser formed in 2022. Opal is controlled by Austin Graff and Gery Sadzewicz.
The adviser is responsible for trading the Fund’s portfolio investments, including selecting broker-dealers to execute purchase and sale transactions, whereas the sub-adviser is responsible for security selection. For its services, sub-adviser is entitled to receive a sub-advisory fee paid by the adviser, not the Fund, at an annual rate of 0.65% of the Fund’s average daily net assets.
11
Manager of Managers Structure
Section 15(a) of the 1940 Act requires that all contracts pursuant to which persons serve as investment advisers to investment companies be approved by shareholders. This requirement also applies to the appointment of sub-advisers to the Fund. The Trust and the adviser have received exemptive relief from the SEC (the “Order”), which permits the adviser, subject to the approval of the Board, including the approval of the Trustees who are not interested persons of the Trust, as defined in the 1940 Act (the “Independent Trustees”), to hire, replace, and/or modify any existing or future sub-advisory agreement with sub-advisers (the “Manager-of-Managers Structure”). The adviser, subject to the oversight of the Board, has the ultimate responsibility for overseeing the Fund’s sub-advisers and recommending their hiring, termination and replacement. It also provides relief from certain disclosure obligations with regard to sub-advisory fees paid by the adviser (not the Fund). The Order is subject to various conditions, including that the Fund will notify shareholders and provide them with certain information required by the Order within 90 days of hiring a new sub-adviser. The sole initial shareholder of the Fund has approved the Fund’s operation under the Manager-of-Managers Structure as permitted by the Order.
The Manager-of-Managers Structure enables the Trust to operate with greater efficiency by not incurring the expense and delays associated with obtaining shareholder approvals for matters relating to sub-advisers or sub-advisory agreements. Operation of the Fund under the Manager-of-Managers Structure does not permit management fees paid by the Fund to the adviser to be increased without shareholder approval. Shareholders will be notified of any changes made to a sub-adviser or material changes to sub-advisory agreements within 90 days of the change.
Portfolio Manager
The individual responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolios is listed below.
Austin Graff. Austin Graff (the “Portfolio Manager”) is the Founder, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of Opal. He also serves as the Co-Chief Investment Officer at 49 Wealth Management. Mr. Graff was a senior vice president and portfolio manager at PIMCO where he co-managed a suite of global dividend strategies from 2012-2015. Before PIMCO, he was a vice president in investment banking at Goldman Sachs where he advised infrastructure, industrial, and financial institution clients on strategic transactions and restructuring deals totaling more than $40 billion. Mr. Graff started his career in finance as a financial analyst at the Indiana Finance Authority where he worked on multiple transformational projects, helping to finance key initiatives for state and local governments. He holds an MBA from the Krannert School of Management at Purdue University and a bachelor’s degree from Purdue University, and earned the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation in 2012.
The Fund’s SAI provides additional information about the Portfolio Manager’s compensation structure, other accounts managed by the Portfolio Manager, and the Portfolio Manager’s ownership of Shares of the Fund.
How to Buy and Sell Shares
The Fund issues and redeems Shares at NAV only in Creation Units. Only APs may acquire Shares directly from the Fund, and only APs may tender their Shares for redemption directly to the Fund, at NAV. APs must be a member or participant of a clearing agency registered with the SEC and must execute a Participant Agreement that has been agreed to by the Distributor (defined below), and that has been accepted by the Fund’s transfer agent, with respect to purchases and redemptions of Creation Units. Once created, Shares trade in the secondary market in quantities less than a Creation Unit.
Most investors buy and sell Shares in secondary market transactions through brokers. Shares are listed for trading on the secondary market on the Exchange and can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like other publicly traded securities.
When buying or selling Shares through a broker, you will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges, and you may pay some or all of the spread between the bid and the offer price in the secondary market on each leg of a round trip (purchase and sale) transaction. In addition, because secondary market transactions occur at market prices, you may pay more than NAV when you buy Shares and receive less than NAV when you sell those Shares.
Book Entry
Shares are held in book-entry form, which means that no stock certificates are issued. The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) or its nominee is the record owner of all outstanding Shares.
Investors owning Shares are beneficial owners as shown on the records of DTC or its participants. DTC serves as the securities depository for all Shares. DTC’s participants include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and other institutions that directly or indirectly maintain a custodial relationship with DTC. As a beneficial owner of Shares, you are not entitled to receive physical delivery of stock certificates or to have Shares registered in your name, and you are not considered a registered owner of Shares. Therefore, to exercise any right as an owner of Shares, you must rely upon the procedures of DTC and its participants. These procedures are the same as those that apply to any other securities that you hold in book entry or “street name” through your brokerage account.
12
Frequent Purchases and Redemptions of Shares
The Fund imposes no restrictions on the frequency of purchases and redemptions of Shares. In determining not to approve a written, established policy, the Board evaluated the risks of market timing activities by Fund shareholders. Purchases and redemptions by APs, who are the only parties that may purchase or redeem Shares directly with the Fund, are an essential part of the ETF process and help keep Share trading prices in line with NAV. As such, the Fund accommodate frequent purchases and redemptions by APs. However, the Board has also determined that frequent purchases and redemptions for cash may increase tracking error and portfolio transaction costs and may lead to the realization of capital gains. To minimize these potential consequences of frequent purchases and redemptions, the Fund employs fair value pricing and may impose transaction fees on purchases and redemptions of Creation Units to cover the custodial and other costs incurred by the Fund in effecting trades. In addition, the Fund and the adviser reserve the right to reject any purchase order at any time.
Determination of NAV
The Fund’s NAV is calculated as of the scheduled close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”), generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time, each day the NYSE is open for business. The NAV for the Fund is calculated by dividing the Fund’s net assets by its Shares outstanding.
In calculating its NAV, the Fund generally values its assets on the basis of market quotations, last sale prices, or estimates of value furnished by a pricing service or brokers who make markets in such instruments. If the foregoing information is not available for a security held by the Fund or is determined to be unreliable, the security will be valued at fair value estimates under guidelines established by the Board (as described below).
Fair Value Pricing
The adviser has been designated by the Board as the valuation designee for the Fund pursuant to Rule 2a-5 under the 1940 Act. In its capacity as valuation designee, the adviser has adopted procedures and methodologies to fair value Fund securities whose market prices are not “readily available” or are deemed to be unreliable. For example, such circumstances may arise when: (i) a security has been de-listed or has had its trading halted or suspended; (ii) a security’s primary pricing source is unable or unwilling to provide a price; (iii) a security’s primary trading market is closed during regular market hours; or (iv) a security’s value is materially affected by events occurring after the close of the security’s primary trading market.
Generally, when fair valuing a security held by the Fund, the adviser will take into account all reasonably available information that may be relevant to a particular valuation including, but not limited to, fundamental analytical data regarding the issuer, information relating to the issuer’s business, recent trades or offers of the security, general and/or specific market conditions and the specific facts giving rise to the need to fair value the security. Fair value determinations are made in good faith by the adviser and in accordance with the adviser’s fair value methodologies. Due to the subjective and variable nature of determining the fair value of a security or other investment, there can be no assurance that adviser’s fair value will match or closely correlate to any market quotation that subsequently becomes available or the price quoted or published by other sources. In addition, the adviser may not be able to obtain the fair value assigned to the security upon the sale of such security.
Delivery of Shareholder Documents – Householding
Householding is an option available to certain investors of the Fund. Householding is a method of delivery, based on the preference of the individual investor, in which a single copy of certain shareholder documents can be delivered to investors who share the same address, even if their accounts are registered under different names. Householding for the Fund is available through certain broker- dealers. If you are interested in enrolling in householding and receiving a single copy of prospectuses and other shareholder documents, please contact your broker-dealer. If you are currently enrolled in householding and wish to change your householding status, please contact your broker-dealer.
Dividends, Distributions and Taxes
Dividends and Distributions
The Fund intends to pay out dividends, if any, monthly. The Fund intends to distribute any net realized capital gains to its shareholders at least annually. The Fund will declare and pay capital gain distributions, if any, in cash. Distributions in cash may be reinvested automatically in additional whole Shares only if the broker through whom you purchased Shares makes such option available. Your broker is responsible for distributing the income and capital gain distributions to you.
13
Taxes
The following discussion is a summary of some important U.S. federal income tax considerations generally applicable to investments in the Fund. Your investment in the Fund may have other tax implications. Please consult your tax advisor about the tax consequences of an investment in Shares, including the possible application of foreign, state, and local tax laws.
The Fund has elected and intends to qualify each year for treatment as a regulated investment company (a “RIC”) within the meaning of Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). If it meets certain minimum distribution requirements, a RIC is not subject to tax at the fund level on income and gains from investments that are timely distributed to shareholders. However, the Fund’s failure to qualify as a RIC or to meet minimum distribution requirements would result (if certain relief provisions were not available) in fund-level taxation and, consequently, a reduction in income available for distribution to shareholders.
Unless your investment in Shares is made through a tax-exempt entity or tax-advantaged account, such as an IRA plan, you need to be aware of the possible tax consequences when the Fund makes distributions, when you sell your Shares listed on the Exchange, and when you purchase or redeem Creation Units (APs only).
Taxes on Distributions
The Fund intends to distribute substantially all of its net investment income as dividends on a monthly basis and any net capital gains at least annually. For federal income tax purposes, distributions of investment income are generally taxable as ordinary income or qualified dividend income. Taxes on distributions of capital gains (if any) are determined by how long the Fund owned the investments that generated them, rather than how long a shareholder has owned his or her Shares. Sales of assets held by the Fund for more than one year generally result in long- term capital gains and losses, and sales of assets held by the Fund for one year or less generally result in short-term capital gains and losses. Distributions of the Fund’s net capital gain (the excess of net long-term capital gains over net short-term capital losses) that are reported by the Fund as capital gain dividends (“Capital Gain Dividends”) will be taxable as long-term capital gains, which for non- corporate shareholders are subject to tax at reduced rates of up to 20% (lower rates apply to individuals in lower tax brackets). Distributions of short-term capital gain will generally be taxable as ordinary income. Dividends and distributions are generally taxable to you whether you receive them in cash or reinvest them in additional Shares.
Distributions reported by the Fund as “qualified dividend income” are generally taxed to non-corporate shareholders at rates applicable to long-term capital gains, provided holding period and other requirements are met. “Qualified dividend income” generally is income derived from dividends paid by U.S. corporations or certain foreign corporations that are either incorporated in a U.S. possession or eligible for tax benefits under certain U.S. income tax treaties. In addition, dividends that the Fund received in respect of stock of certain foreign corporations may be qualified dividend income if that stock is readily tradable on an established U.S. securities market. Corporate shareholders may be entitled to a dividends received deduction for the portion of dividends they receive from the Fund that are attributable to dividends received by the Fund from U.S. corporations, subject to certain limitations.
Under recently issued final Treasury Regulations, a RIC that receives business interest income may pass through its net business interest income for purposes of the tax rules applicable to the interest expense limitations under Section 163(j) of the Code. A RIC’s total “Section 163(j) Interest Dividend” for a tax year is limited to the excess of the RIC’s business interest income over the sum of its business interest expense and its other deductions properly allocable to its business interest income. A RIC may, in its discretion, designate all or a portion of ordinary dividends as Section 163(j) Interest Dividends, which would allow the recipient shareholder to treat the designated portion of such dividends as interest income for purposes of determining such shareholder’s interest expense deduction limitation under Section 163(j). This can potentially increase the amount of a shareholder’s interest expense deductible under Section 163(j). In general, to be eligible to treat a Section 163(j) Interest Dividend as interest income, you must have held your shares in the Fund for more than 180 days during the 361-day period beginning on the date that is 180 days before the date on which the share becomes ex-dividend with respect to such dividend. Section 163(j) Interest Dividends, if so designated by the Fund, will be reported to your financial intermediary or otherwise in accordance with the requirements specified by the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”).
Shortly after the close of each calendar year, you will be informed of the amount and character of any distributions received from the Fund.
In general, your distributions are subject to federal income tax for the year in which they are paid. Certain distributions paid in January, however, may be treated as paid on December 31 of the prior year. Distributions are generally taxable even if they are paid from income or gains earned by the Fund before your investment (and thus were included in the Shares’ NAV when you purchased your Shares).
14
You may wish to avoid investing in the Fund shortly before a dividend or other distribution, because such a distribution will generally be taxable even though it may economically represent a return of a portion of your investment.
If you are neither a resident nor a citizen of the United States or if you are a foreign entity, distributions (other than Capital Gain Dividends) paid to you by the Fund will generally be subject to a U.S. withholding tax at the rate of 30%, unless a lower treaty rate applies. Gains from the sale or other disposition of your Shares generally are not subject to U.S. taxation, unless you are a nonresident alien individual who is physically present in the U.S. for 183 days or more per year. The Fund may, under certain circumstances, report all or a portion of a dividend as an “interest-related dividend” or a “short-term capital gain dividend,” which would generally be exempt from this 30% U.S. withholding tax, provided certain other requirements are met. Different tax consequences may result if you are a foreign shareholder engaged in a trade or business within the United States or if a tax treaty applies.
Under legislation generally known as “FATCA” (the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act), the Fund is required to withhold 30% of certain ordinary dividends it pays to shareholders that are foreign entities and that fail to meet prescribed information reporting or certification requirements.
The Fund (or a financial intermediary, such as a broker, through which a shareholder owns Shares) generally is required to withhold and remit to the U.S. Treasury a percentage of the taxable distributions and sale or redemption proceeds paid to any shareholder who fails to properly furnish a correct taxpayer identification number, who has underreported dividend or interest income, or who fails to certify that he, she or it is not subject to such withholding.
Taxes When Fund Shares are Sold on the Exchange
Any capital gain or loss realized upon a sale of Shares generally is treated as a long-term capital gain or loss if Shares have been held for more than one year and as a short-term capital gain or loss if Shares have been held for one year or less. However, any capital loss on a sale of Shares held for six months or less is treated as long-term capital loss to the extent of Capital Gain Dividends paid with respect to such Shares. Any loss realized on a sale will be disallowed to the extent Shares of the Fund are acquired, including through reinvestment of dividends, within a 61-day period beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the disposition of Shares. The ability to deduct capital losses may be limited.
The cost basis of Shares of the Fund acquired by purchase will generally be based on the amount paid for the Shares and then may be subsequently adjusted for other applicable transactions as required by the Code. The difference between the selling price and the cost basis of Shares generally determines the amount of the capital gain or loss realized on the sale or exchange of Shares. Contact the broker through whom you purchased your Shares to obtain information with respect to the available cost basis reporting methods and elections for your account.
Taxes on Purchases and Redemptions of Creation Units
An AP having the U.S. dollar as its functional currency for U.S. federal income tax purposes who exchanges securities for Creation Units generally recognizes a gain or a loss. The gain or loss will be equal to the difference between the value of the Creation Units at the time of the exchange and the exchanging AP’s aggregate basis in the securities delivered, plus the amount of any cash paid for the Creation Units. An AP who exchanges Creation Units for securities will generally recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the exchanging AP’s basis in the Creation Units and the aggregate U.S. dollar market value of the securities received, plus any cash received for such Creation Units. The IRS may assert, however, that a loss that is realized upon an exchange of securities for Creation Units may not be currently deducted under the rules governing “wash sales” (for an AP who does not mark-to-market their holdings), or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic position. APs exchanging securities should consult their own tax advisor with respect to whether wash sale rules apply and when a loss might be deductible.
Any gain or loss realized upon a creation or redemption of Creation Units will be treated as capital or ordinary gain or loss, depending on the circumstances. Any capital gain or loss realized upon redemption of Creation Units is generally treated as long-term capital gain or loss if Shares have been held for more than one year and as a short-term capital gain or loss if Shares have been held for one year or less.
The Fund may include a payment of cash in addition to, or in place of, the delivery of a basket of securities upon the redemption of Creation Units. The Fund may sell portfolio securities to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. This may cause the Fund to recognize investment income and/or capital gains or losses that it might not have recognized if it had completely satisfied the redemption in-kind. As a result, the Fund may be less tax efficient if it includes such a cash payment in the proceeds paid upon the redemption of Creation Units.
15
Net Investment Income Tax
U.S. individuals with income exceeding specified thresholds are subject to a 3.8% tax on all or a portion of their “net investment income,” which includes interest, dividends, and certain capital gains (generally including capital gains distributions and capital gains realized on the sale of Shares). This 3.8% tax also applies to all or a portion of the undistributed net investment income of certain shareholders that are estates and trusts.
The foregoing discussion summarizes some of the possible consequences under current federal tax law of an investment in the Fund. It is not a substitute for personal tax advice. You also may be subject to state and local tax on Fund distributions and sales of Shares. Consult your personal tax advisor about the potential tax consequences of an investment in Shares under all applicable tax laws. For more information, please see the section entitled “Federal Income Taxes” in the SAI.
Distribution
Paralel Distributors LLC (the “Distributor”) serves as the Fund’s principal underwriter. The Distributor is a broker-dealer registered with the SEC. The Distributor distributes Creation Units for the Fund on an agency basis and does not maintain a secondary market in Shares. The Distributor has no role in determining the policies of the Fund or the securities that are purchased or sold by the Fund. The Distributor’s principal address is 1700 Broadway, Suite 2100, Denver, Colorado 80290.
Premium/Discount Information
Information regarding how often Shares of the Fund trades on the Exchange at a price above (i.e., at a premium) or below (i.e., at a discount) the NAV of the Fund is available on the Fund’s website at True-shares.com.
OTHER INFORMATION AND Additional Notices
Certain Conditions on Shareholder Legal Actions
Pursuant to the Trust’s primary governing document, the Second Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust, shareholders wishing to pursue a derivative action (a suit brought by a shareholder on behalf of the Fund) are subject to various conditions including that: (i) the Trustees must have a reasonable amount of time to assess the complaining shareholders’ request for action, (ii) at least 10% of shareholders of the Fund must participate in the action (except with respect to claims arising under federal securities laws), and (iii) complaining shareholders must undertake to pay the expenses of advisers that the Trustees engage in consideration of whether to bring an action in the event the Trustees determine not to bring an action (except with respect to claims arising under federal securities laws).
In addition, shareholders wishing to pursue a derivative action (except with respect to claims arising under federal securities law) must bring the compliant all shareholder legal complaints must be brought in the courts of the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware, or if such court does not have subject matter jurisdiction, any other court with appropriate subject matter jurisdiction in the State of Delaware. For non-federal securities laws claims, this requirement may be inconvenient for some shareholders and may cause such claims to be made in a less favorable forum than otherwise may have been made.
Additional Notices
Shares are not sponsored, endorsed, or promoted by the Exchange. The Exchange makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of the Shares. The Exchange is not responsible for, nor has it participated in, the determination of the timing of, prices of, or quantities of the Shares to be issued, nor in the determination or calculation of the equation by which the Shares are redeemable. The Exchange has no obligation or liability to owners of the Shares in connection with the administration, marketing, or trading of the Shares.
Without limiting any of the foregoing, in no event shall the Exchange have any liability for any lost profits or indirect, punitive, special, or consequential damages even if notified of the possibility thereof.
Neither the adviser, sub-adviser, nor the Fund make any representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of Shares or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in the Fund particularly.
16
Financial Highlights
The financial highlights tables are intended to help you understand the Funds’ financial performance for each fiscal period shown. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned or lost on an investment in the respective Fund (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions). This information has been audited by Cohen & Company, Ltd. ("Cohen & Co") the Funds’ independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the financial statements, are included in the Fund’s Form N-CSR dated October 31, 2025, which is available upon request and free of charge by calling the Funds’ Distributor at 1.877.774.TRUE (8783).
17
The Opal International Dividend Income ETF
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
| For the Period | ||||
| December 26, 2024 | ||||
| (Commencement of | ||||
| Operations) through | ||||
| October 31, 2025(a) | ||||
| Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period | $ | 25.00 | ||
| INCOME FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS: | ||||
| Net investment income(b) | 0.85 | |||
| Net realized and unrealized gain on investments | 5.39 | |||
| Total from Investment Operations | 6.24 | |||
| DISTRIBUTIONS: | ||||
| From distributable earnings | (0.78 | ) | ||
| Total Distributions | (0.78 | ) | ||
| Net Increase in net asset value | 5.46 | |||
| Net Asset Value - End of Period | $ | 30.46 | ||
| TOTAL RETURN(c) | 25.22 | % | ||
| RATIOS AND SUPPLEMENTAL DATA: | ||||
| Net Assets, end of period (000s) | $ | 111,499 | ||
| Ratio of net operating expenses to average net assets | 0.75 | %(d) | ||
| Ratio of net investment income to average net assets | 3.50 | %(d) | ||
| Portfolio turnover rate(e)(f) | 35 | % | ||
| (a) | The net asset value at the beginning of the period represents initial shares outstanding on December 26, 2024 (Commencement of Operations). |
| (b) | Calculated based on the average number of Fund shares outstanding during each fiscal period. |
| (c) | Total return is calculated assuming an initial investment made at the net asset value at the beginning of the period and redemption at the net asset value on the last day of the period and assuming all distributions are reinvested. Total return calculated for a period of less than one year is not annualized. |
| (d) | Annualized. |
| (e) | Portfolio turnover rate for periods less than one full year have not been annualized. |
| (f) | Excludes the impact of in-kind transactions. |
18
PRIVACY NOTICE
Privacy Statement
Pursuant to SEC Regulation S-P (Privacy of Consumer Financial Information) the Trustees of the Elevation Series Trust (the “Trust”) has established the following policy regarding information about the Trust’s shareholders. We consider all shareholder data to be private and confidential, and we hold ourselves to the highest standards in its safekeeping and use.
General Statement
The Trust may collect nonpublic information (e.g., your name, address, e mail address, Social Security Number, Trust holdings (collectively, “Personal Information”)) about shareholders from transactions in Trust shares. The Trust will not release Personal Information about current or former shareholders (except as permitted by law) unless one of the following conditions is met: we receive your prior written consent; (ii) we believe the recipient to be you or your authorized representative; (iii) to service or support the business functions of the Trust (as explained in more detail below), or (iv) we are required by law to release Personal Information to the recipient. The Trust have not and will not in the future give or sell Personal Information about their current or former shareholders to any company, individual, or group (except as per mitted by law) and as otherwise provided in this policy.
The Trust may make certain electronic services available to their shareholders and may solicit your email address and contact you by email, telephone or US mail regarding the availability of such services. The Trust may also contact shareholders by email, telephone or US mail in connection with these services, such as to confirm enrollment in electronic shareholder communications or to update your Personal Information. In no event will the Trust transmit your Personal Information via email without your consent.
Use of Personal Information
The Trust will only use Personal Information (i) as necessary to service or maintain shareholder accounts in the ordinary course of business and (ii) to support business functions of the Trust and their affiliated businesses. This means that the Trust may share certain Personal Information, only as per mitted by law, with affiliated businesses of the Trust, and that such information may be used for non-Trust-related solicitation. When Personal Information is shared with the Trust’s business affiliates, the Trust may do so without providing you the option of preventing these types of disclosures as permitted by law.
Safeguards Regarding Personal Information
Internally, we also restrict access to Personal Information to those who have a specific need for the records. We maintain physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards that comply with Federal standards to guard Personal Information. Any doubts about the confidentiality of Personal Information, as required by law, are resolved in favor of confidentiality.
19
| Adviser | TrueMark
Investments, LLC 433 W. Van Buren, Suite 1100-D Chicago, Illinois 60607 |
Sub-Adviser | Opal
Capital LLC 5200 Town Center Circle, Suite 305, Boca Raton, Florida 33486 |
| Custodian, Transfer Agent | State
Street One Lincoln Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02111 |
Distributor | Paralel
Distributors LLC 1700 Broadway, Suite 2100 Denver, Colorado 80290 |
| Legal Counsel | Thompson
Hine LLP 41 S. High Street, Suite 1700 Columbus, Ohio 43215 |
Fund Accountant and Administrator | Paralel
Technologies LLC 1700 Broadway, Suite 2100 Denver, Colorado 80290 |
| Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm | Cohen
& Company, Ltd. 8101 East Prentice Ave., Suite 750 Greenwood Village, CO 80111 |
The Fund’s SAI provides additional details about the investments of the Fund and certain other additional information. A current SAI dated February 27, 2026 is on file with the SEC and is herein incorporated by reference into this Prospectus. It is legally considered a part of this Prospectus.
Annual/Semi-Annual Reports: Additional information about the Fund's investments will be available in the Fund's annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders, including annual and semi-annual tailored shareholder reports, and in Form N-CSR. In the annual tailored shareholder report you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund's performance.
To make shareholder inquiries, for more detailed information on the Fund, or to request the SAI, annual or semi-annual shareholder reports or Form N-CSR free of charge, please call the Fund’s Distributor at 1.877.774.TRUE (8783). Free copies of the Fund’s shareholder reports, Prospectus, and SAI are also available from our website at True-shares.com.
Shareholder reports and other information about the Fund is also available, free of charge, on the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov and copies of this information may be obtained, after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov.
No person is authorized to give any information or to make any representations about the Fund and its Shares not contained in this Prospectus and you should not rely on any other information. Read and keep this Prospectus for future reference.
SEC Investment Company Act File No. 811-23812
20
Polen International Dividend Income ETF – IDVZ
A series of Elevation Series Trust
Listed on Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc.
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
February 27, 2026
This Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) is not a prospectus and should be read in conjunction with the prospectus dated February 27, 2026 as may be supplemented from time to time (“Prospectus”), of the Polen International Dividend Income ETF (the “Fund”), a series of Elevation Series Trust (the “Trust”). Capitalized terms used herein that are not defined have the same meaning as in the Prospectus, unless otherwise noted.
A copy of the Prospectus may be obtained, without charge by calling 1.877.774.TRUE (8783), visiting True-shares.com, or writing to Paralel Distributors LLC, 1700 Broadway Suite 2100, Denver, Colorado 80290.
Table of Contents
GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST AND THE FUND
The Trust is an open-end management investment company, currently consisting of multiple investment series. This SAI relates to Polen International Dividend Income ETF (the “Fund”). The Trust was organized as a Delaware statutory trust on March 7, 2022. The Trust is registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (together with the rules and regulations adopted thereunder, as amended, the “1940 Act”), as an open-end management investment company, and the offering of the Fund’s shares (“Shares”) is registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). The Trust is governed by its Board of Trustees (the “Board”). TrueMark Investments, LLC (the “Adviser”) serves as investment adviser to the Fund. Opal Capital LLC (the “Sub-Adviser”) serves as sub-adviser to the Fund. The investment objective of the Fund is to provide capital appreciation with lower volatility and a higher dividend yield compared to the MSCI ACWI ex USA High Dividend Yield Total Return Index.
The Fund offers and issues Shares at its net asset value (“NAV”) only in aggregations of a specified number of Shares (each, a “Creation Unit”). The Fund generally offers and issues Shares in exchange for a basket of securities (“Deposit Securities”) together with the deposit of a specified cash payment (“Cash Component”). The Trust reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of a “cash in lieu” amount (“Deposit Cash”) to be added to the Cash Component to replace any Deposit Security. Shares are listed on the Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc. (the “Exchange”) and trade on the Exchange at market prices that may differ from the Shares’ NAV. Shares are also redeemable only in Creation Unit aggregations, primarily for a basket of Deposit Securities together with a Cash Component. A Creation Unit of the Fund generally consists of 10,000 Shares, though this may change from time to time. As a practical matter, only institutions or large investors purchase or redeem Creation Units. Except when aggregated in Creation Units, Shares are not redeemable securities.
Shares may be issued in advance of receipt of Deposit Securities subject to various conditions, including a requirement to maintain on deposit with the Trust cash at least equal to a specified percentage of the value of the missing Deposit Securities, as set forth in the Participant Agreement (as defined below). The Trust may impose a transaction fee for each creation or redemption. In all cases, such fees will be limited in accordance with the requirements of the SEC applicable to management investment companies offering redeemable securities. As in the case of other publicly traded securities, brokers’ commissions on transactions in the secondary market will be based on negotiated commission rates at customary levels.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE, POLICIES, AND RELATED RISKS
The Fund’s investment objective and principal investment strategies are described in the Prospectus. The following information supplements, and should be read in conjunction with, the Prospectus. For a description of certain permitted investments, see “Description of Permitted Investments” in this SAI.
With respect to the Fund’s investments, unless otherwise noted, if a percentage limitation on investment is adhered to at the time of investment or contract, a subsequent increase or decrease as a result of market movement or redemption will not result in a violation of such investment limitation.
Diversification
The Fund is “non-diversified” within the meaning of the 1940 Act, meaning it may invest in fewer companies than diversified investment companies. However, the Fund intends to satisfy the asset diversification requirements for qualification as a regulated investment company (“RIC”) under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). See “Federal Income Taxes” below for details.
General Risks
The value of the Fund’s portfolio securities may fluctuate with changes in the financial condition of an issuer or counterparty, changes in specific economic or political conditions that affect a particular security or issuer and changes in general economic or political conditions. An investor in the Fund could lose money over short or long periods of time.
There can be no guarantee that a liquid market for the securities held by the Fund will be maintained. The existence of a liquid trading market for certain securities may depend on whether dealers will make a market in such securities. There can be no assurance that a market will be made or maintained or that any such market will be or remain liquid. The price at which securities may be sold and the value of Shares will be adversely affected if trading markets for the Fund’s portfolio securities are limited or absent, or if bid-ask spreads are wide.
1
Cyber Security Risk. Investment companies, such as the Fund, and its service providers may be subject to operational and information security risks resulting from cyber attacks. Cyber attacks include, among other behaviors, stealing or corrupting data maintained online or digitally, denial of service attacks on websites, the unauthorized release of confidential information or various other forms of cyber security breaches. Cyber attacks affecting the Fund or the Adviser, Sub-Adviser, custodian, transfer agent, intermediaries and other third-party service providers may adversely impact the Fund. For instance, cyber attacks may interfere with the processing of shareholder transactions, impact the Fund’s ability to calculate its NAV, cause the release of private shareholder information or confidential company information, impede trading, subject the Fund to regulatory fines or financial losses, and cause reputational damage. The Fund may also incur additional costs for cyber security risk management purposes. Similar types of cyber security risks are also present for issuers of securities in which the Fund invests, which could result in material adverse consequences for such issuers, and may cause the Fund’s investments in such portfolio companies to lose value.
Recent Market Events. U.S. and international markets have experienced and may continue to experience significant periods of volatility in recent years and months due to a number of economic, political and global macro factors including rising inflation, uncertainty regarding central banks’ interest rate increases, the possibility of a national or global recession, trade tensions, political events, the wars between Russia and Ukraine, Israel and Hamas, and Israel Hezbollah, and the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic. As a result of continuing political tensions and armed conflicts, including the war between Ukraine and Russia, the U.S. and the European Union imposed sanctions on certain Russian individuals and companies, including certain financial institutions, and have limited certain exports and imports to and from Russia. The war has contributed to recent market volatility and may continue to do so.
These developments, as well as other events, could result in further market volatility and negatively affect financial asset prices, the liquidity of certain securities and the normal operations of securities exchanges and other markets, despite government efforts to address market disruptions. As a result, the risk environment remains elevated. The Adviser and Sub-Adviser will monitor developments and seek to manage the Fund in a manner consistent with achieving the Fund’s investment objective, but there can be no assurance that they will be successful in doing so.
DESCRIPTION OF PERMITTED INVESTMENTS
The following are descriptions of the Fund’s permitted investments and investment practices and the associated risk factors. The Fund will only invest in any of the following instruments or engage in any of the following investment practices if such investment or activity is consistent with the Fund’s investment objective and permitted by the Fund’s stated investment policies. Each of the permitted investments described below applies to the Fund unless otherwise noted.
Business Development Companies. The Fund may invest in business development companies (“BDCs”), a special type of closed-end investment company that is required to invest at least 70% of its total assets in securities (typically debt) of private companies, thinly traded U.S. public companies, or short-term high quality debt securities. BDCs make available significant managerial assistance to those portfolio companies. BDCs are not required to register as investment companies under the 1940 Act. They are, however, required to register their securities under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
Depositary Receipts. To the extent the Fund invests in stocks of foreign corporations, the Fund’s investment in securities of foreign companies may be in the form of depositary receipts or other securities convertible into securities of foreign issuers. American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) are dollar-denominated receipts representing interests in the securities of a foreign issuer, which securities may not necessarily be denominated in the same currency as the securities into which they may be converted. ADRs are receipts typically issued by United States banks and trust companies which evidence ownership of underlying securities issued by a foreign corporation. Generally, ADRs in registered form are designed for use in domestic securities markets and are traded on exchanges or over-the-counter in the United States. Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”), European Depositary Receipts (“EDRs”), and International Depositary Receipts (“IDRs”) are similar to ADRs in that they are certificates evidencing ownership of shares of a foreign issuer, however, GDRs, EDRs, and IDRs may be issued in bearer form and denominated in other currencies, and are generally designed for use in specific or multiple securities markets outside the U.S. EDRs, for example, are designed for use in European securities markets, while GDRs are designed for use throughout the world. Depositary receipts will not necessarily be denominated in the same currency as their underlying securities.
Derivatives. Derivatives are financial instruments whose values are based on the value of one or more indicators, such as a security, asset, currency, interest rate, or index. The Fund’s use of derivatives involves risks different from, and possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other more traditional investments. Moreover, although the value of a derivative is based on an underlying indicator, a derivative does not carry the same rights as would be the case if the Fund invested directly in the underlying securities.
The SEC adopted new regulations governing the use of derivatives by registered investment companies (“Rule 18f-4”). Rule 18f-4 imposes limits on the amount of derivatives the Fund can enter into, treats derivatives as senior securities, and if the Fund’s use of derivatives is more than a limited specified exposure amount, requires the Fund to establish and maintain a comprehensive derivatives risk management program and appoint a derivatives risk manager.
2
Equity Securities. Equity securities, such as the common stocks of an issuer, are subject to stock market fluctuations and therefore may experience volatile changes in value as market conditions, consumer sentiment or the financial condition of the issuers change. A decrease in value of the equity securities in the Fund’s portfolio may also cause the value of the Fund’s Shares to decline.
An investment in the Fund should be made with an understanding of the risks inherent in an investment in equity securities, including the risk that the financial condition of issuers may become impaired or that the general condition of the stock market may deteriorate (either of which may cause a decrease in the value of the Fund’s portfolio securities and therefore a decrease in the value of Shares). Common stocks are susceptible to general stock market fluctuations and to volatile increases and decreases in value as market confidence and perceptions change. These investor perceptions are based on various and unpredictable factors, including expectations regarding government, economic, monetary and fiscal policies; inflation and interest rates; economic expansion or contraction; and global or regional political, economic, public health, or banking crises.
Holders of common stocks incur more risk than holders of preferred stocks and debt obligations because common stockholders, as owners of the issuer, generally have inferior rights to receive payments from the issuer in comparison with the rights of creditors or holders of debt obligations or preferred stocks. Further, unlike debt securities, which typically have a stated principal amount payable at maturity (whose value, however, is subject to market fluctuations prior thereto), or preferred stocks, which typically have a liquidation preference and which may have stated optional or mandatory redemption provisions, common stocks have neither a fixed principal amount nor a maturity. Common stock values are subject to market fluctuations as long as the common stock remains outstanding.
When-Issued Securities. A when-issued security is one whose terms are available and for which a market exists, but which has not been issued. When the Fund engages in when-issued transactions, it relies on the other party to consummate the sale. If the other party fails to complete the sale, the Fund may miss the opportunity to obtain the security at a favorable price or yield.
When purchasing a security on a when-issued basis, the Fund assumes the rights and risks of ownership of the security, including the risk of price and yield changes. At the time of settlement, the value of the security may be more or less than the purchase price. The yield available in the market when the delivery takes place also may be higher than those obtained in the transaction itself. Because the Fund does not pay for the security until the delivery date, these risks are in addition to the risks associated with its other investments.
Decisions to enter into “when-issued” transactions will be considered on a case-by-case basis when necessary to maintain continuity in a company’s index membership. The Fund will segregate cash or liquid securities equal in value to commitments for the when-issued transactions. The Fund will segregate additional liquid assets daily so that the value of such assets is equal to the amount of the commitments.
Types of Equity Securities:
Common Stocks — Common stocks represent units of ownership in a company. Common stocks usually carry voting rights and earn dividends. Unlike preferred stocks, which are described below, dividends on common stocks are not fixed but are declared at the discretion of the company’s board of directors.
Preferred Stocks — Preferred stocks are also units of ownership in a company. Preferred stocks normally have preference over common stock in the payment of dividends and the liquidation of the company. However, in all other respects, preferred stocks are subordinated to the liabilities of the issuer. Unlike common stocks, preferred stocks are generally not entitled to vote on corporate matters. Types of preferred stocks include adjustable-rate preferred stock, fixed dividend preferred stock, perpetual preferred stock, and sinking fund preferred stock.
Generally, the market values of preferred stock with a fixed dividend rate and no conversion element vary inversely with interest rates and perceived credit risk.
Rights and Warrants — A right is a privilege granted to existing shareholders of a corporation to subscribe to shares of a new issue of common stock before it is issued. Rights normally have a short life of usually two to four weeks, are freely transferable and entitle the holder to buy the new common stock at a lower price than the public offering price. Warrants are securities that are usually issued together with a debt security or preferred stock and that give the holder the right to buy proportionate amount of common stock at a specified price. Warrants are freely transferable and are traded on major exchanges. Unlike rights, warrants normally have a life that is measured in years and entitles the holder to buy common stock of a company at a price that is usually higher than the market price at the time the warrant is issued. Corporations often issue warrants to make the accompanying debt security more attractive.
An investment in warrants and rights may entail greater risks than certain other types of investments. Generally, rights and warrants do not carry the right to receive dividends or exercise voting rights with respect to the underlying securities, and they do not represent any rights in the assets of the issuer. In addition, their value does not necessarily change with the value of the underlying securities, and they cease to have value if they are not exercised on or before their expiration date. Investing in rights and warrants increases the potential profit or loss to be realized from the investment as compared with investing the same amount in the underlying securities.
3
Smaller Companies — The securities of small- and mid-capitalization companies may be more vulnerable to adverse issuer, market, political, or economic developments than securities of larger-capitalization companies. The securities of small- and mid-capitalization companies generally trade in lower volumes and are subject to greater and more unpredictable price changes than larger capitalization stocks or the stock market as a whole. Some small- or mid-capitalization companies have limited product lines, markets, and financial and managerial resources and tend to concentrate on fewer geographical markets relative to larger capitalization companies. There is typically less publicly available information concerning small- and mid-capitalization companies than for larger, more established companies. Small- and mid-capitalization companies also may be particularly sensitive to changes in interest rates, government regulation, borrowing costs, and earnings.
Exchange-Traded Funds (“ETFs”). The Fund may invest in shares of other investment companies (including ETFs). As the shareholder of another ETF, the Fund would bear, along with other shareholders, its pro rata portion of the other ETF’s expenses, including advisory fees. Such expenses are in addition to the expenses the Fund pays in connection with its own operations. The Fund’s investments in other ETFs may be limited by applicable law.
Disruptions in the markets for the securities underlying ETFs purchased or sold by the Fund could result in losses on investments in ETFs. ETFs also carry the risk that the price the Fund pays or receives may be higher or lower than the ETF’s NAV. ETFs are also subject to certain additional risks, including the risks of illiquidity and of possible trading halts due to market conditions or other reasons, based on the policies of the relevant exchange. ETFs and other investment companies in which the Fund may invest may be leveraged, which would increase the volatility of the Fund’s NAV.
Exchange-Traded Notes (“ETNs”). The Fund may invest in ETNs. ETNs generally are senior, unsecured, unsubordinated debt securities issued by a sponsor, such as an investment bank. ETNs are traded on exchanges and the returns are linked to the performance of market indexes. In addition to trading ETNs on exchanges, investors may redeem ETNs directly with the issuer on a periodic basis, typically in a minimum amount of 50,000 units, or hold the ETNs until maturity. The value of an ETN may be influenced by time to maturity, level of supply and demand for the ETN, volatility and lack of liquidity in the underlying market, changes in the applicable interest rates, and economic, legal, political or geographic events that affect the referenced market. Because ETNs are debt securities, they are subject to credit risk. If the issuer has financial difficulties or goes bankrupt, the Fund may not receive the return it was promised. If a rating agency lowers an issuer’s credit rating, the value of the ETN may decline and a lower credit rating reflects a greater risk that the issuer will default on its obligation. There may be restrictions on the Fund’s right to redeem its investment in an ETN. There are no periodic interest payments for ETNs, and principal is not protected. The Fund’s decision to sell its ETN holdings may be limited by the availability of a secondary market.
Illiquid Investments. The Fund may invest up to an aggregate amount of 15% of its net assets in illiquid investments, as such term is defined by Rule 22e-4 under the 1940 Act. The Fund may not invest in illiquid investments if, as a result of such investment, more than 15% of the Fund’s net assets would be invested in illiquid investments. Illiquid investments include securities subject to contractual or other restrictions on resale and other instruments that lack readily available markets. The inability of the Fund to dispose of illiquid investments readily or at a reasonable price could impair the Fund’s ability to raise cash for redemptions or other purposes. The liquidity of securities purchased by the Fund that are eligible for resale pursuant to Rule 144A, except for certain 144A bonds, will be monitored by the Fund on an ongoing basis. In the event that more than 15% of the Fund’s net assets are invested in illiquid investments, the Fund, in accordance with Rule 22e-4(b)(1)(iv), will report the occurrence to both the Board and the SEC and seek to reduce its holdings of illiquid investments within a reasonable period of time.
Investment Company Securities. The Fund may invest in the securities of other investment companies, including ETFs, BDCs, and money market funds, subject to applicable limitations under Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act and the rules applicable thereunder (including Rule 12d1-4). Investing in another pooled vehicle exposes the Fund to all the risks of that pooled vehicle. Pursuant to Section 12(d)(1), the Fund may invest in the securities of another investment company (the “acquired company”) provided that the Fund, immediately after such purchase or acquisition, does not own in the aggregate: (i) more than 3% of the total outstanding voting stock of the acquired company; (ii) securities issued by the acquired company having an aggregate value in excess of 5% of the value of the total assets of such Fund; or (iii) securities issued by the acquired company and all other investment companies (other than treasury stock of such Fund) having an aggregate value in excess of 10% of the value of the total assets of the Fund. To the extent allowed by law or regulation, the Fund may invest its assets in securities of investment companies that are money market funds in excess of the limits discussed above.
If the Fund invests in and, thus, is a shareholder of, another investment company, the Fund’s shareholders will indirectly bear the Fund’s proportionate share of the fees and expenses paid by such other investment company, including advisory fees, in addition to both the management fees payable directly by the Fund to the Fund’s own investment adviser and the other expenses that the Fund bears directly in connection with the Fund’s own operations.
4
Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act restricts investments by registered investment companies in securities of other registered investment companies, including the Fund. The acquisition of the Fund’s Shares by registered investment companies is subject to the restrictions of Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act, except as may be permitted by exemptive rules under the 1940 Act that permits registered investment companies to invest in the Fund beyond the limits of Section 12(d)(1), subject to certain terms and conditions, including that the registered investment company enter into an agreement with the Fund regarding the terms of the investment.
The Fund may rely on Section 12(d)(1)(F) and Rule 12d1-3 of the 1940 Act, which provide an exemption from Section 12(d)(1) that allows the Fund to invest all of its assets in other registered funds, including ETFs, if, among other conditions: (a) the Fund, together with its affiliates, acquires no more than three percent of the outstanding voting stock of any acquired fund, and (b) the sales load charged on the Fund’s Shares is no greater than the limits set forth in Rule 2341 of the Rules of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”). Additionally, the Fund may rely on Rule 12d1-4 under the 1940 Act to invest in such other funds in excess of the limits of Section 12(d)(1) if the Fund complies with the terms and conditions of such rule.
Money Market Instruments. The Fund may invest a portion of its assets in high-quality money market instruments on an ongoing basis to provide liquidity or for other reasons. The instruments in which the Fund may invest include: (i) short-term obligations issued by the U.S. Government; (ii) negotiable certificates of deposit (“CDs”), fixed time deposits and bankers’ acceptances of U.S. and foreign banks and similar institutions; (iii) commercial paper rated at the date of purchase “Prime-1” by Moody’s or “A-1+” or “A-1” by S&P or, if unrated, of comparable quality as determined by the Fund; and (iv) repurchase agreements. CDs are short-term negotiable obligations of commercial banks. Time deposits are non-negotiable deposits maintained in banking institutions for specified periods of time at stated interest rates. Banker’s acceptances are time drafts drawn on commercial banks by borrowers, usually in connection with international transactions.
Options on Securities. The Fund may purchase and write (i.e., sell) put and call options. Such options may relate to particular securities or stock indices, and may or may not be listed on a domestic or foreign securities exchange and may or may not be issued by the Options Clearing Corporation. Options trading is a highly specialized activity that entails greater than ordinary investment risk. Options may be more volatile than the underlying instruments, and therefore, on a percentage basis, an investment in options may be subject to greater fluctuation than an investment in the underlying instruments themselves.
A call option for a particular security gives the purchaser of the option the right to buy, and the writer (seller) the obligation to sell, the underlying security at the stated exercise price at any time prior to the expiration of the option, regardless of the market price of the security. The premium paid to the writer is in consideration for undertaking the obligation under the option contract. A put option for a particular security gives the purchaser the right to sell the security at the stated exercise price at any time prior to the expiration date of the option, regardless of the market price of the security.
Stock index options are put options and call options on various stock indices. In most respects, they are identical to listed options on common stocks. The primary difference between stock options and index options occurs when index options are exercised. In the case of stock options, the underlying security, common stock, is delivered. However, upon the exercise of an index option, settlement does not occur by delivery of the securities comprising the index. The option holder who exercises the index option receives an amount of cash if the closing level of the stock index upon which the option is based is greater than, in the case of a call, or less than, in the case of a put, the exercise price of the option. This amount of cash is equal to the difference between the closing price of the stock index and the exercise price of the option expressed in dollars times a specified multiple. A stock index fluctuates with changes in the market value of the stocks included in the index. For example, some stock index options are based on a broad market index, such as the Standard & Poor's 500® Index or the Value Line Composite Index or a narrower market index, such as the Standard & Poor's 100®. Indices may also be based on an industry or market segment, such as the NYSE Arca Oil Index. Options on stock indices are currently traded on the Chicago Board Options Exchange, the New York Stock Exchange and the NASDAQ OMX PHLX.
The Fund's obligation to sell an instrument subject to a call option written by it, or to purchase an instrument subject to a put option written by it, may be terminated prior to the expiration date of the option by the Fund's execution of a closing purchase transaction, which is effected by purchasing on an exchange an option of the same series (i.e., same underlying instrument, exercise price and expiration date) as the option previously written. A closing purchase transaction will ordinarily be effected to realize a profit on an outstanding option, to prevent an underlying instrument from being called, to permit the sale of the underlying instrument or to permit the writing of a new option containing different terms on such underlying instrument. The cost of such a liquidation purchase plus transactions costs may be greater than the premium received upon the original option, in which event the Fund will have paid a loss in the transaction. There is no assurance that a liquid secondary market will exist for any particular option. An option writer unable to effect a closing purchase transaction will not be able to sell the underlying instrument until the option expires or the optioned instrument is delivered upon exercise. In such circumstances, the writer will be subject to the risk of market decline or appreciation in the instrument during such period.
5
If an option purchased by the Fund expires unexercised, the Fund realizes a loss equal to the premium paid. If the Fund enters into a closing sale transaction on an option purchased by it, the Fund will realize a gain if the premium received by the Fund on the closing transaction is more than the premium paid to purchase the option, or a loss if it is less. If an option written by the Fund expires on the stipulated expiration date or if the Fund enters into a closing purchase transaction, it will realize a gain (or loss if the cost of a closing purchase transaction exceeds the net premium received when the option is sold). If an option written by the Fund is exercised, the proceeds of the sale will be increased by the net premium originally received and the Fund will realize a gain or loss.
Options on Stock Indexes. The Fund’s purchase and sale of options on stock indexes will be subject to risks described below under “Transactions in Stock Options.” In addition, the distinctive characteristics of options on stock indexes create certain risks that are not present with stock options.
Since the value of a stock index option depends upon the movements in the level of the stock index, rather than the price of a particular stock, whether the Fund will realize a gain or loss on the purchase or sale of an option on a stock index depends upon movements in the level of stock prices in the stock market generally or in an industry or market segment rather than movements in the price of a particular stock. Accordingly, successful use by the Fund of options on stock indexes is subject to the advisor’s ability to correctly predict movements in the direction of the stock market generally or of a particular industry or market segment. This requires skills and techniques different from predicting changes in the price of individual stocks.
Stock index prices may be distorted if trading of certain stocks included in the stock index is interrupted. Trading in the stock index options also may be interrupted in certain circumstances, such as if trading were halted in a substantial number of stocks included in the stock index. If this occurred, the Fund would not be able to close out options that it had purchased or written and, if restrictions on exercise were imposed, might not be able to exercise an option that it was holding, which could result in substantial losses to the Fund.
Although the markets for certain stock index option contracts have developed rapidly, the markets for other stock index options are still relatively illiquid. The ability to establish and close out positions on such options will be subject to the development and maintenance of a liquid secondary market. It is not certain that this market will develop in all stock index option contracts. Fund will not purchase or sell stock index option contracts unless and until, in the advisor’s opinion, the market for such options has developed sufficiently that the risk in connection with these transactions is no greater than the risk in connection with options on stock.
OTC Options. Unlike exchange-traded options, which are standardized with respect to the underlying instrument, expiration date, contract size and strike price, the terms of OTC options (options not traded on exchanges) generally are established through negotiation with the other party to the option contract. While this type of arrangement allows the Fund great flexibility to tailor the option to its needs, OTC options generally involve greater risk than exchange-traded options, which are guaranteed by the clearing organization of the exchanges where they are traded.
REITs. The Fund may invest in securities of real estate investment trusts (“REITs”). REITs are publicly traded corporations or trusts that specialize in acquiring, holding and managing residential, commercial or industrial real estate. A REIT is not taxed at the entity level on income distributed to its shareholders or unitholders if it distributes to shareholders or unitholders at least 95% of its taxable income for each taxable year and complies with regulatory requirements relating to its organization, ownership, assets and income.
REITs generally can be classified as “Equity REITs,” “Mortgage REITs” and “Hybrid REITs.” An Equity REIT invests the majority of its assets directly in real property and derives its income primarily from rents and from capital gains on real estate appreciation which are realized through property sales. A Mortgage REIT invests the majority of its assets in real estate mortgage loans and services its income primarily from interest payments. A Hybrid REIT combines the characteristics of an Equity REIT and a Mortgage REIT. The Fund may invest in all three kinds of REITs.
Investments in the real estate industry involve particular risks. The real estate industry has been subject to substantial fluctuations and declines on a local, regional and national basis in the past and may continue to be in the future. Real property values, and income from real property continue to be in the future. Real property values and income from real property may decline due to general and local economic conditions, overbuilding and increased competition, increases in property taxes and operating expenses, changes in zoning laws, casualty or condemnation losses, regulatory limitations on rents, changes in neighborhoods and in demographics, increases in market interest rates, or other factors. Factors such as these may adversely affect companies that own and operate real estate directly, companies that lend to such companies, and companies that service the real estate industry.
6
Direct investments in REITs also involve risks. Equity REITs will be affected by changes in the values of and income from the properties they own, while Mortgage REITs may be affected by the credit quality of the mortgage loans they hold. In addition, REITs are dependent on specialized management skills and on their ability to generate cash flow for operating purposes and to make distributions to shareholders or unitholders REITs may have limited diversification and are subject to risks associated with obtaining financing for real property, as well as to the risk of self-liquidation. REITs also can be adversely affected by their failure to qualify for tax-free pass-through treatment of their income under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or their failure to maintain an exemption from registration under the 1940 Act. By investing in REITs indirectly through the Fund, a shareholder bears not only a proportionate share of the expenses of the Fund, but also may indirectly bear similar expenses of some of the REITs in which it invests.
Repurchase Agreements. The Fund may invest in repurchase agreements with commercial banks, brokers or dealers to generate income from its excess cash balances and to invest securities lending cash collateral. A repurchase agreement is an agreement under which the Fund acquires a financial instrument (e.g., a security issued by the U.S. government or an agency thereof, a banker’s acceptance or a certificate of deposit) from a seller, subject to resale to the seller at an agreed upon price and date (normally, the next Business Day). A repurchase agreement may be considered a loan collateralized by securities. The resale price reflects an agreed upon interest rate effective for the period the instrument is held by the Fund and is unrelated to the interest rate on the underlying instrument.
In these repurchase agreement transactions, the securities acquired by the Fund (including accrued interest earned thereon) must have a total value in excess of the value of the repurchase agreement and are held by the Custodian until repurchased. No more than an aggregate of 15% of the Fund’s net assets will be invested in illiquid investments, including repurchase agreements having maturities longer than seven days and securities subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale, or for which there are no readily available market quotations.
The use of repurchase agreements involves certain risks. For example, if the other party to the agreement defaults on its obligation to repurchase the underlying security at a time when the value of the security has declined, the Fund may incur a loss upon disposition of the security. If the other party to the agreement becomes insolvent and subject to liquidation or reorganization under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code or other laws, a court may determine that the underlying security is collateral for a loan by the Fund not within the control of the Fund and, therefore, the Fund may not be able to substantiate its interest in the underlying security and may be deemed an unsecured creditor of the other party to the agreement.
Reverse Repurchase Agreements. The Fund may enter into reverse repurchase agreements, which involve the sale of securities held by the Fund subject to its agreement to repurchase the securities at an agreed-upon date or upon demand and at a price reflecting a market rate of interest. Reverse repurchase agreements are subject to the Fund’s limitation on borrowings and may be entered into only with banks or securities dealers or their affiliates. While a reverse repurchase agreement is outstanding, the Fund will maintain the segregation, either on its records or with the Trust’s custodian, of cash or other liquid securities, marked-to-market daily, in an amount at least equal to its obligations under the reverse repurchase agreement.
Reverse repurchase agreements involve the risk that the buyer of the securities sold by the Fund might be unable to deliver them when that Fund seeks to repurchase. If the buyer of securities under a reverse repurchase agreement files for bankruptcy or becomes insolvent, the buyer or trustee or receiver may receive an extension of time to determine whether to enforce the Fund’s obligation to repurchase the securities, and the Fund’s use of the proceeds of the reverse repurchase agreement may effectively be restricted pending such decision.
Securities Lending. The Fund may lend portfolio securities in an amount up to one-third of its total assets to brokers, dealers and other financial institutions. In a portfolio securities lending transaction, the Fund receives from the borrower an amount equal to the interest paid or the dividends declared on the loaned securities during the term of the loan as well as the interest on the collateral securities, less any fees (such as finders or administrative fees) the Fund pays in arranging the loan. The Fund may share the interest it receives on the collateral securities with the borrower. Loans are subject to termination at the option of the Fund or borrower at any time, and the borrowed securities must be returned when the loan is terminated. The Fund may pay fees to arrange for securities loans.
7
The SEC currently requires that the following conditions must be met whenever the Fund’s portfolio securities are loaned: (1) the Fund must receive at least 100% cash collateral from the borrower; (2) the borrower must increase such collateral whenever the market value of the securities rises above the level of such collateral; (3) the Fund must be able to terminate the loan at any time; (4) the Fund must receive reasonable interest on the loan, as well as any dividends, interest or other distributions on the loaned securities, and any increase in market value; (5) the Fund may pay only reasonable custodian fees approved by the Board in connection with the loan; (6) while voting rights on the loaned securities may pass to the borrower, the Board must terminate the loan and regain the right to vote the securities if a material event adversely affecting the investment occurs, and (7) the Fund may not loan its portfolio securities so that the value of the loaned securities is more than one-third of its total asset value, including collateral received from such loans. These conditions may be subject to future modification. Such loans will be terminable at any time upon specified notice. The Fund might experience the risk of loss if the institution with which it has engaged in a portfolio loan transaction breaches its agreement with the Fund. In addition, the Fund will not enter into any portfolio security lending arrangement having a duration of longer than one year. The principal risk of portfolio lending is potential default or insolvency of the borrower. In either of these cases, the Fund could experience delays in recovering securities or collateral or could lose all or part of the value of the loaned securities. As part of participating in a lending program, the Fund may be required to invest in collateralized debt or other securities that bear the risk of loss of principal. In addition, all investments made with the collateral received are subject to the risks associated with such investments. If such investments lose value, the Fund will have to cover the loss when repaying the collateral.
Any loans of portfolio securities are fully collateralized based on values that are marked-to-market daily. Any securities that the Fund may receive as collateral will not become part of the Fund’s investment portfolio at the time of the loan and, in the event of a default by the borrower, the Fund will, if permitted by law, dispose of such collateral except for such part thereof that is a security in which the Fund is permitted to invest. During the time securities are on loan, the borrower will pay the Fund any accrued income on those securities, and the Fund may invest the cash collateral and earn income or receive an agreed-upon fee from a borrower that has delivered cash-equivalent collateral.
Stock Index Futures. The Fund may purchase and sell stock index futures contracts as a hedge against changes resulting from market conditions in the values of securities that are held in its portfolio or that it intends to purchase or when such purchase or sale is economically appropriate for the reduction of risks inherent in the ongoing management of the Fund. A stock index futures contract is an agreement in which one party agrees to deliver to the other an amount of cash equal to a specific dollar amount times the difference between the value of a specific stock index at the close of the last trading day of the contract and the price at which the agreement is made.
The Fund may hedge a portion of its portfolio by selling stock index futures contracts or purchasing puts on these contracts to limit exposure to an actual or anticipated market decline. This provides an alternative to liquidation of securities positions. Conversely, during a market advance or when the Adviser anticipates an advance, the Fund may hedge a portion of its portfolio by purchasing stock index futures, or options on these futures. This affords a hedge against the Fund not participating in a market advance when it is not fully invested and serves as a temporary substitute for the purchase of individual securities, which may later be purchased in a more advantageous manner.
The Fund’s successful use of stock index futures contracts depends upon the Adviser’s ability to predict the direction of the market and is subject to various additional risks. The correlation between movement in the price of the stock index future and the price of the securities being hedged is imperfect and the risk from imperfect correlation increases as the composition of the Fund’s portfolio diverges from the composition of the relevant index. In addition, if the Fund purchases futures to hedge against market advances before it can invest in common stock in an advantageous manner and the market declines, there may be a loss on the futures contracts. In addition, the ability of the Fund to close out a futures position or an option on futures depends on a liquid secondary market. There is no assurance that liquid secondary markets will exist for any particular futures contract or option on a futures contract at any particular time. The risk of loss to the Fund is theoretically unlimited when the Fund sells an uncovered futures contract because there is an obligation to make delivery unless the contract is closed out, regardless of fluctuations in the price of the underlying security.
Tax Risks. As with any investment, you should consider how your investment in Shares will be taxed. The tax information in the Prospectus and this SAI is provided as general information. You should consult your own tax professional about the tax consequences of an investment in Shares.
Unless your investment in Shares is made through a tax-exempt entity or tax-deferred retirement account, such as an individual retirement account, you need to be aware of the possible tax consequences when the Fund makes distributions or you sell Shares.
8
Transactions in Stock Options. Purchase and sales of options involves the risk that there will be no market in which to effect a closing transaction. An option position may be closed out only on an exchange that provides a secondary market for an option of the same series or if the transaction was an over-the-counter transaction, through the original broker-dealer. Although the Fund will generally buy and sell options for which there appears to be an active secondary market, there is no assurance that a liquid secondary market on an exchange will exist for any particular option, or at any particular time, and for some options no secondary market on an exchange may exist. If the Fund, as a covered call or put option writer, is unable to effect an offsetting closing transaction in a secondary market, it will, for a call option it has written, not be able to sell the underlying security until the call option expires and, for a put option it has written, not be able to avoid purchasing the underlying security until the put option expires.
U.S. Government Securities. The Fund may invest in U.S. government securities. Securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities include U.S. Treasury securities, which are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury and which differ only in their interest rates, maturities, and times of issuance. U.S. Treasury bills have initial maturities of one-year or less; U.S. Treasury notes have initial maturities of one to ten years; and U.S. Treasury bonds generally have initial maturities of greater than ten years. Certain U.S. government securities are issued or guaranteed by agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. government including, but not limited to, obligations of U.S. government agencies or instrumentalities such as the Federal National Mortgage Association (“Fannie Mae”), the Government National Mortgage Association (“Ginnie Mae”), the Small Business Administration, the Federal Farm Credit Administration, the Federal Home Loan Banks, Banks for Cooperatives (including the Central Bank for Cooperatives), the Federal Land Banks, the Federal Intermediate Credit Banks, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Export-Import Bank of the United States, the Commodity Credit Corporation, the Federal Financing Bank, the Student Loan Marketing Association, the National Credit Union Administration and the Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation (“Farmer Mac”).
Some obligations issued or guaranteed by U.S. government agencies and instrumentalities, including, for example, Ginnie Mae pass- through certificates, are supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury. Other obligations issued by or guaranteed by federal agencies, such as those securities issued by Fannie Mae, are supported by the discretionary authority of the U.S. government to purchase certain obligations of the federal agency, while other obligations issued by or guaranteed by federal agencies, such as those of the Federal Home Loan Banks, are supported by the right of the issuer to borrow from the U.S. Treasury, while the U.S. government provides financial support to such U.S. government-sponsored federal agencies, no assurance can be given that the U.S. government will always do so, since the U.S. government is not so obligated by law. U.S. Treasury notes and bonds typically pay coupon interest semi-annually and repay the principal at maturity.
Future Developments. The Board may, in the future, authorize the Fund to invest in securities contracts and investments other than those listed in this SAI and in the Fund’s Prospectus, provided they are consistent with the Fund’s investment objective and do not violate any investment restrictions or policies.
INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS
The Trust has adopted the following investment restrictions as fundamental policies with respect to the Fund. These restrictions cannot be changed with respect to the Fund without the approval of the holders of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities. For the purposes of the 1940 Act, a “majority of outstanding shares” means the vote of the lesser of: (1) 67% or more of the voting securities of the Fund present at the meeting if the holders of more than 50% of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities are present or represented by proxy; or (2) more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund.
Except with the approval of a majority of the outstanding voting securities, the Fund may not:
| 1. | Purchase the securities of any issuer (other than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or any of its agencies or instrumentalities) if, as a result, more than 25% of the Fund’s total assets would be invested in the securities of companies whose principal business activities are in the same industry. |
| 2. | Issue senior securities, except as permitted under the 1940 Act. |
| 3. | Borrow money, except as permitted under the 1940 Act. |
| 4. | Lend any security or make any other loan except as permitted under the 1940 Act. This means that no more than 33 1/3% of its total assets would be lent to other parties. This limitation does not apply to purchases of debt securities or to repurchase agreements, or to acquisitions of loans, loan participations or other forms of debt instruments, permissible under the Fund’s investment policies. |
| 5. | Purchase or sell real estate unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments (but this shall not prevent the Fund from investing in securities or other instruments backed by real estate, real estate investment trusts or securities of companies engaged in the real estate business). |
9
|
|
6. | Purchase or sell physical commodities unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments (but this shall not prevent the Fund from purchasing or selling options and futures contracts or from investing in securities or other instruments backed by physical commodities). |
| 7. | Act as an underwriter of another issuer’s securities, except to the extent that the Fund may be considered an underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act in the disposition of portfolio securities. |
If a percentage limitation is adhered to at the time of investment or contract, a later increase or decrease in percentage resulting from any change in value or total or net assets will not result in a violation of such restriction, except that the percentage limitation with respect to the borrowing of money will be observed continuously.
EXCHANGE LISTING AND TRADING
Shares are listed for trading and trade throughout the day on the Exchange.
There can be no assurance that the Fund will continue to meet the requirements of the Exchange necessary to maintain the listing of Shares. The Exchange will consider the suspension of trading in, and will initiate delisting proceedings of, the Shares if any of the requirements set forth in the Exchange rules, including compliance with Rule 6c-11(c) under the 1940 Act, are not continuously maintained or such other event shall occur or condition shall exist that, in the opinion of the Exchange, makes further dealings on the Exchange inadvisable. The Exchange will remove the Shares of the Fund from listing and trading upon termination of the Fund.
The Trust reserves the right to adjust the price levels of Shares in the future to help maintain convenient trading ranges for investors. Any adjustments would be accomplished through stock splits or reverse stock splits, which would have no effect on the net assets of the Fund.
MANAGEMENT OF THE TRUST
Board Responsibilities. The management and affairs of the Trust and its series are overseen by the Board, which elects the officers of the Trust who are responsible for administering the day-to-day operations of the Trust and the Fund. The Board has approved contracts, as described below, under which certain companies provide essential services to the Trust.
The day-to-day business of the Trust, including the management of risk, is performed by third-party service providers, such as the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, the Distributor, and the Administrator. The Board is responsible for overseeing the Trust’s service providers and, thus, has oversight responsibility with respect to risk management performed by those service providers. Risk management seeks to identify and address risks, i.e., events or circumstances that could have material adverse effects on the business, operations, shareholder services, investment performance or reputation of the Fund. The Fund and its service providers employ a variety of processes, procedures and controls to identify such events or circumstances, to lessen the probability of their occurrence and/or to mitigate the effects of such events or circumstances if they do occur. Each service provider is responsible for one or more discrete aspects of the Trust’s business (e.g., the Sub-Adviser is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio investments) and, consequently, for managing the risks associated with that business. The Board has emphasized to the Fund’s service providers the importance of maintaining vigorous risk management.
The Board’s role in risk oversight begins before the inception of the Fund, at which time certain of the Fund’s service providers present the Board with information concerning the investment objective, strategies, and risks of the Fund as well as proposed investment limitations for the Fund. Additionally, the Adviser and Sub-Adviser will provide the Board with an overview of, among other things, its investment philosophy, brokerage practices, and compliance infrastructure. Thereafter, the Board continues its oversight function as various personnel, including the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer, as well as personnel of the Sub-Adviser, and other service providers such as the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm, make periodic reports to the Audit Committee or to the Board with respect to various aspects of risk management. The Board and the Audit Committee oversee efforts by management and service providers to manage risks to which the Fund may be exposed.
The Board is responsible for overseeing the nature, extent, and quality of the services provided to the Fund by the Adviser and the Sub-Adviser and receives information about those services at its regular meetings. In addition, on an annual basis (following the initial two-year period), in connection with its consideration of whether to renew the Advisory Agreement with the Adviser (as defined below), and Sub-Advisory Agreement with the Sub-Adviser (as defined below), the Board or its designee may meet with the Adviser and/or Sub-Adviser to review such services. Among other things, the Board regularly considers the Adviser’s and Sub-Adviser’s adherence to the Fund’s investment restrictions and compliance with various Fund policies and procedures and with applicable securities regulations. The Board also reviews information about the Fund’s performance and the Fund’s investments, including, for example, portfolio holdings schedules.
10
The Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer reports regularly to the Board to review and discuss compliance issues and Fund and Adviser or Sub-Adviser risk assessments. At least annually, the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer provides the Board with a report reviewing the adequacy and effectiveness of the Trust’s policies and procedures and those of its service providers, including the Adviser and the Sub-Adviser. The report addresses the operation of the policies and procedures of the Trust and each service provider since the date of the last report; any material changes to the policies and procedures since the date of the last report; any recommendations for material changes to the policies and procedures; and any material compliance matters since the date of the last report.
The Board receives reports from the Fund’s service providers regarding operational risks and risks related to the valuation and liquidity of portfolio securities. Annually, the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm reviews with the Audit Committee its audit of the Fund’s financial statements, focusing on major areas of risk encountered by the Fund and noting any significant deficiencies or material weaknesses in the Fund’s internal controls. Additionally, in connection with its oversight function, the Board oversees Fund management’s implementation of disclosure controls and procedures, which are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Trust in its periodic reports with the SEC are recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the required time periods. The Board also oversees the Trust’s internal controls over financial reporting, which comprise policies and procedures designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of the Trust’s financial reporting and the preparation of the Trust’s financial statements.
From their review of these reports and discussions with the Adviser and Sub-Adviser, the Chief Compliance Officer, independent registered public accounting firm and other service providers, the Board and the Audit Committee learn in detail about the material risks of the Fund, thereby facilitating a dialogue about how management and service providers identify and mitigate those risks.
The Board recognizes that not all risks that may affect the Fund can be identified and/or quantified, that it may not be practical or cost- effective to eliminate or mitigate certain risks, that it may be necessary to bear certain risks (such as investment-related risks) to achieve the Fund’s goals, and that the processes, procedures and controls employed to address certain risks may be limited in their effectiveness. Moreover, reports received by the Board as to risk management matters are typically summaries of the relevant information. Most of the Fund’s investment management and business affairs are carried out by or through the Adviser, Sub-Adviser, and other service providers, each of which has an independent interest in risk management but whose policies and the methods by which one or more risk management functions are carried out may differ from the Fund’s and each other’s in the setting of priorities, the resources available or the effectiveness of relevant controls. As a result of the foregoing and other factors, the Board’s ability to monitor and manage risk, as a practical matter, is subject to limitations.
Members of the Board. There are three members of the Board, two of whom are not interested persons of the Trust, as that term is defined in the 1940 Act (the “Independent Trustees”). Mr. Bradley Swenson serves as Chairman of the Board and is an interested person of the Trust, and Mr. Steven Norgaard serves as the Trust’s Lead Independent Trustee. As Lead Independent Trustee, Mr. Norgaard acts as a spokesperson for the Independent Trustees in between meetings of the Board, serves as a liaison for the Independent Trustees with the Trust’s service providers, officers, and legal counsel to discuss ideas informally, and participates in setting the agenda for meetings of the Board and separate meetings or executive sessions of the Independent Trustees.
The Board is comprised of a super-majority (66.6 percent) of Independent Trustees. There is an Audit Committee of the Board that is chaired by an Independent Trustee and comprised solely of Independent Trustees. The Audit Committee chair presides at the Audit Committee meetings, participates in formulating agendas for Audit Committee meetings, and coordinates with management to serve as a liaison between the Independent Trustees and management on matters within the scope of responsibilities of the Audit Committee as set forth in its Board-approved charter. The Trust has determined its leadership structure is appropriate given the specific characteristics and circumstances of the Trust. The Trust made this determination in consideration of, among other things, the fact that the Independent Trustees of the Trust constitute a super-majority of the Board, the number of Independent Trustees that constitute the Board, the amount of assets under management in the Trust, and the number of funds overseen by the Board. The Board also believes that its leadership structure facilitates the orderly and efficient flow of information to the Independent Trustees from management.
11
Additional information about each Trustee of the Trust is set forth below. The address of each Trustee of the Trust is c/o Paralel Technologies LLC, 1700 Broadway, Suite 2100, Denver, Colorado 80290.
| Name
and Year of Birth |
Position
Held with the Trust |
Term of Office and Length of Time Served | Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years | Number
of Portfolios in Fund Complex Overseen by Trustee (1) |
Other Directorships Held by Trustee During Past 5 Years |
| Independent Trustees | |||||
Kimberly Storms Birth Year: 1972
|
Trustee | Since 2022 | Ms. Storms served at various roles at ALPS Fund Services, Inc. from 1998 through 2020, including as Senior Vice President - Director of Fund Administration (2004-2020) and Senior Vice President - Director of Fund Management (2020). During her tenure, Ms. Storms served as an officer to certain ETF, closed-end and open-end investment companies (1998-2020) and, within the past 5 years, Principal Financial Officer of ALPS Series Trust (2012-2020), Financial Investors Trust (2013-2020), Liberty All-Star Funds (2013-2020), and Cambria ETF Trust (2020). | 37 | Sterling Capital Funds (Since October 2022) |
Steven Norgaard Birth Year: 1964
|
Trustee | Since 2022 | Mr. Norgaard has been an attorney with Steven K. Norgaard, P.C. since 1994. | 38(2) | SRH U.S. Quality GARP ETF (since 2022); MFG Funds (formerly the Frontier Funds) (2 Funds) (since 2013); SRH Total Return Fund, Inc. (Since 2011) |
| Interested Trustees and Officers | |||||
Bradley J. Swenson Birth Year: 1972
|
Trustee and President | Since 2022 | Mr. Swenson is President of Paralel Distributors LLC (May 2022 to present) and Chief Compliance Officer of Paralel Technologies LLC (January 2023 to present). He previously served as President of TruePeak Consulting, LLC (August 2021 to December 2023). Prior to this Mr. Swenson joined ALPS Fund Services, Inc. (“ALPS”) in 2004 and served as its President from June 2019 until June 2021. In this role, he served as an officer to certain other closed-end and open-end investment companies. He previously served as the Chief Operating Officer of ALPS (2015-2019). Mr. Swenson also previously served as Chief Compliance Officer to ALPS, its affiliated entities, and to certain ETF, closed-end and open-end investment companies (2004-2015). | 37 | ALPS Series Trust (March 2021 to March 2022) |
| (1) | The term “Fund Complex” means two or more registered investment companies that hold themselves out to investors as related companies for purposes of investment and investor services; or have a common investment adviser or that have an investment adviser that is an affiliated person of the investment adviser of any of the other registered investment companies. For the purposes of this table, all series of the Trust (37 funds, including the Fund) are included in the Fund Complex. |
| (2) | Mr. Norgaard also serves as a Director of the SRH Total Return Fund, Inc. whose investment adviser is the same as the investment adviser of SRH U.S. Quality GARP ETF and SRH REIT Covered Call ETF, two series of the Trust. |
12
Individual Trustee Qualifications. The Trust has concluded that each of the Trustees should serve on the Board because of their ability to review and understand information about the Fund provided to them by management, to identify and request other information they may deem relevant to the performance of their duties, to question management and other service providers regarding material factors bearing on the management and administration of the Fund, and to exercise their business judgment in a manner that serves the best interests of the Fund’s shareholders. The Trust has concluded that each of the Trustees should serve as a Trustee based on his or her own experience, qualifications, attributes and skills as described below.
Bradley Swenson. Mr. Swenson has more than 25 years experienced focused on compliance and distribution in the mutual fund industry. Prior to joining Paralel, he spent seventeen years at ALPS in various capacities including, but not limited to, Chief Compliance Officer, Chief Operating Officer and President of ALPS Fund Services and ALPS Distributors. In addition to those roles Mr. Swenson built and led the Fund CCO services division and served as Fund CCO and President to various closed-end, ETF and mutual fund trusts. Mr. Swenson also held various roles at Janus Capital Group and Oppenheimer Funds including Senior Audit Manager and Compliance Manager. Mr. Swenson graduated from the University of Minnesota-Duluth with a B.S. in Accounting. Mr. Swenson holds FINRA Series 3, 6, 7, 24, 26, and 27 licenses.
Steven K. Norgaard. Mr. Norgaard serves as the lead independent trustee of the Trust, bringing more than 30 years of integrated legal, financial, and regulatory expertise to the Trust. He is an attorney and has successfully passed the certified public accountants (CPA) exam. Since 1994, he has been the principal of the law firm Steven K. Norgaard, P.C., having previously practiced law at the international firm McDermott, Will & Schulte. He currently serves as the Chairman of the Board of Directors for the SRH Total Return Fund, Inc. and as the lead independent director for the MFG Funds (formerly the Frontier Funds). His extensive background in corporate governance includes nearly a decade of senior leadership at Attorneys' Title Guaranty Fund, Inc., where he served as Chairman of the Board of Directors. Additionally, he served on the Board of Directors of ATG Trust Company from 2007 to 2021. Prior to March 2015, Mr. Norgaard held independent directorships for the Boulder Total Return Fund, Inc., the Denali Fund, Inc., and the First Opportunity Fund, Inc., until their merger into the fund now known as SRH Total Return Fund, Inc.
Kimberly Storms. Ms. Storms is the chair of the Audit Committee of the Board of Trustees and is the Trust’s Audit Committee Financial Expert. Ms. Storms has more than 25 years of experience concentrated on mutual fund back office and accounting operations. Ms. Storms served in various roles at ALPS Fund Services from 1998 through 2020, including as Senior Vice President - Director of Fund Administration. She graduated with a B.S. in Finance from the University of Louisiana. Ms. Storms brings significant experience from her prior time serving as an executive officer of several large fund complexes, as well as her knowledge in the accounting, investment and regulatory fields.
In its periodic assessment of the effectiveness of the Board, the Board considers the complementary individual skills and experience of the individual Trustees primarily in the broader context of the Board’s overall composition so that the Board, as a body, possesses the appropriate (and appropriately diverse) skills and experience to oversee the business of the funds.
13
Board Committees. The Board has established the following standing committees of the Board:
Audit Committee. The Board has a standing Audit Committee that is composed of each of the Independent Trustees of the Trust. The Audit Committee operates under a written charter approved by the Board. The principal responsibilities of the Audit Committee include: recommending which firm to engage as the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm and whether to terminate this relationship; reviewing the independent registered public accounting firm’s compensation, the proposed scope and terms of its engagement, and the firm’s independence; pre-approving audit and non-audit services provided by the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm to the Trust and certain other affiliated entities; serving as a channel of communication between the independent registered public accounting firm and the Trustees; reviewing the results of each external audit, including any qualifications in the independent registered public accounting firm’s opinion, any related management letter, management’s responses to recommendations made by the independent registered public accounting firm in connection with the audit, reports submitted to the Committee by the internal auditing department of the Trust’s Administrator that are material to the Trust as a whole, if any, and management’s responses to any such reports; reviewing the Fund’s audited financial statements and considering any significant disputes between the Trust’s management and the independent registered public accounting firm that arose in connection with the preparation of those financial statements; considering, in consultation with the independent registered public accounting firm and the Trust’s senior internal accounting executive, if any, the independent registered public accounting firms’ report on the adequacy of the Trust’s internal financial controls; reviewing, in consultation with the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm, major changes regarding auditing and accounting principles and practices to be followed when preparing the Fund’s financial statements; and other audit related matters.
The Audit Committee also serves as the Qualified Legal Compliance Committee (“QLCC”) for the Trust for the purpose of compliance with Rules 205.2(k) and 205.3(c) of the Code of Federal Regulations, regarding alternative reporting procedures for attorneys retained or employed by an issuer who appear and practice before the SEC on behalf of the issuer (the “issuer attorneys”). An issuer attorney who becomes aware of evidence of a material violation by the Trust, or by any officer, director, employee, or agent of the Trust, may report evidence of such material violation to the QLCC as an alternative to the reporting requirements of Rule 205.3(b) (which requires reporting to the chief legal officer and potentially “up the ladder” to other entities). During the past fiscal year, the Audit Committee met five times.
Nominating Committee. The Board has a standing Nominating Committee that is composed of each of the Independent Trustees of the Trust. The Nominating Committee operates under a written charter approved by the Board. The principal responsibility of the Nominating Committee is to consider, recommend and nominate candidates to fill vacancies on the Trust’s Board, if any. The Nominating Committee generally will not consider nominees recommended by shareholders. The Nominating Committee meets periodically, as necessary. During the past fiscal year, the Nominating Committee did not meet.
Principal Officers of the Trust
The officers of the Trust conduct and supervise its daily business. The address of each officer of the Trust is c/o Paralel Technologies LLC, 1700 Broadway, Suite 2100, Denver, Colorado 80290. Additional information about the Trust’s officers is as follows:
| Name and Year of Birth | Position(s) Held with the Trust | Term of Office and Length of Time Served | Principal
Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years |
Brenna Fudjack Birth Year: 1986
|
Chief Compliance Officer | Indefinite term; since 2023 | Ms. Fudjack joined Paralel Technologies LLC as Deputy Chief Compliance officer in 2023. Prior to her current role, Ms. Fudjack served as Manager, Risk & Financial Advisory for Deloitte & Touche LLP from 2022-2023; Director of Compliance for Perella Weinberg Partners Capital Management LP / Agility from 2018-2022; Compliance Officer for Shelton Capital Management from 2017-2018; and Compliance Manager among other compliance roles for ALPS Fund Services, Inc. from 2010-2017. |
Nicholas Austin Birth Year: 1981
|
Treasurer | Indefinite term; since 2023 | Mr. Austin joined Paralel Technologies, LLC as Senior Controller in 2022. Prior to his current role, Mr. Austin served as Vice President/Fund Controller for SS&C ALPS from 2018 until 2022, and as Chief Financial Officer of Champion Medical Center from 2016 until 2018. |
14
| Name and Year of Birth | Position(s) Held with the Trust | Term of Office and Length of Time Served | Principal
Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years |
Nicholas Adams Birth Year: 1983
|
Secretary | Indefinite term; since 2025 | Mr. Adams joined Paralel Technologies LLC as Investment Counsel in 2025. Prior to his current role, Mr. Adams served as Principal Legal Counsel for SS&C ALPS from 2022 – 2024, and associate counsel for Arnold, Newbold, Sollars and Hollins, P.C. from 2020 – 2022 and Stanziola Estate Law from 2019-2020. |
Trustee Ownership of Shares. The Fund is required to show the dollar amount ranges of each Trustee’s “beneficial ownership” of Shares and each other series of the Trust as of the end of the most recently completed calendar year. Dollar amount ranges disclosed are established by the SEC. “Beneficial ownership” is determined in accordance with Rule 16a-1(a)(2) under the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”).
As of December 31, 2025, no Trustees owned Shares of the Fund.
Board Compensation. The Independent Trustees each receive a fee of $12,500 per quarter, a special meeting fee of $2,500, as well as reimbursement for reasonable travel, lodging and other expenses in connection with attendance at meetings. The Audit Committee Chair also receives a fee of $2000 per quarter. The Trust has no pension or retirement plan.
Independent Trustee fees are paid by the adviser of each series of the Trust through the applicable adviser’s unitary management fee, and not by the Fund. Trustee compensation does not include reimbursed out-of-pocket expenses in connection with attendance at meetings.
The following table shows the compensation earned by each Trustee during the past fiscal year of the Fund.
| Name | Aggregate Compensation From Fund* | Total Compensation From Fund Complex Paid to Trustees* |
| Interested Trustees | ||
| Bradley J. Swenson | $0 | $0 |
| Independent Trustees | ||
| Kimberly Storms | $1,604 | $58,000 |
| Steven Norgaard | $1,604 | $50,000 |
PRINCIPAL SHAREHOLDERS, CONTROL PERSONS, AND MANAGEMENT OWNERSHIP
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 a shareholder that owns beneficially or through controlled companies more than 25% of the voting securities of a company or acknowledges the existence of control. Shareholders owning voting securities in excess of 25% may determine the outcome of any matter affecting and voted on by shareholders of the Fund.
The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) or its nominee is the record owner of all outstanding shares and is recognized as the owner of all shares for all purposes. Investors owning shares are beneficial owners as shown on the records of DTC or its participants.
As of December 31, 2025, no Trustees and officers of the Trust owned Shares of the Funds.
CODES OF ETHICS
The Trust, the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, and the Distributor (as defined under “The Distributor”) have each adopted codes of ethics pursuant to Rule 17j-1 of the 1940 Act. These codes of ethics are designed to prevent affiliated persons of the Trust, the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser and the Distributor from engaging in deceptive, manipulative or fraudulent activities in connection with securities held or to be acquired by the Fund (which may also be held by persons subject to the codes of ethics). Each Code of Ethics permits personnel subject to that Code of Ethics to invest in securities for their personal investment accounts, subject to certain limitations, including limitations related to securities that may be purchased or held by the Fund.
15
There can be no assurance that the codes of ethics will be effective in preventing such activities. Each code of ethics may be examined at the office of the SEC in Washington, D.C. or on the Internet at the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.
PROXY VOTING POLICIES
The Fund has delegated proxy voting responsibilities to the Adviser, subject to the Board’s oversight. In delegating proxy responsibilities, the Board has directed that proxies be voted consistent with the Fund’s and its shareholders’ best interests and in compliance with all applicable proxy voting rules and regulations. The Adviser has adopted the Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. Proxy Voting Guidelines as part of the Adviser’s proxy voting policies for this purpose (“Proxy Voting Policies”) and may rely on the Sub-Adviser to assist with voting proxies in accordance with the Proxy Voting Policies. A copy of the Adviser’s Proxy Voting Policies are set forth in Appendix A to this SAI. The Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer is responsible for monitoring the effectiveness of the Proxy Voting Policies. The Proxy Voting Policies have been approved by the Trust as the policies and procedures that the Adviser will use when voting proxies on behalf of the Fund.
The Proxy Voting Policies address, among other things, material conflicts of interest that may arise between the interests of the Fund and the interests of the Adviser. The Proxy Voting Policies will ensure that all issues brought to shareholders are analyzed in light of the Adviser’s fiduciary responsibilities.
Information on how the Fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 is available (1) without charge, upon request, by calling the Distributor at 1.877.774.TRUE (8783) and (2) on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
INVESTMENT ADVISER AND SUB-ADVISER
Investment Adviser
TrueMark Investments LLC (“TrueMark”) serves as the investment adviser to the Fund. TrueMark is a SEC registered investment adviser with approximately $1.251 billion in managed assets under management as of December 31, 2025. TrueMark commenced operations as an SEC registered adviser in January 2020 and its principal office is located at 433 W Van Buren, Suite 1100-D, Chicago, Illinois 60607. TrueMark is controlled by TrueMark Group, LLC which in turn is controlled by RiverNorth Strategic Holdings, LLC.
Pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement between the Trust, on behalf of the Fund, and the Adviser (the “Advisory Agreement”), the Fund pays the Adviser a unitary management fee, which is calculated daily and paid monthly, at an annual rate of 0.75% based on a percentage of the Fund’s average daily net assets. Out of the unitary management fee, the Adviser has agreed to pay substantially all expenses of the Fund, including the cost of transfer agency, custody, fund administration, securities lending and other non-distribution related services necessary for the Fund to operate, except for: the fee paid to the Adviser pursuant to the Advisory Agreement, interest charges on any borrowings, dividends and other expenses on securities sold short, taxes, brokerage commissions and other expenses incurred in placing orders for the purchase and sale of securities and other investment instruments, acquired fund fees and expenses, accrued deferred tax liability, distribution fees and expenses paid by the Fund under any distribution plan adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, litigation expenses and other non-routine or extraordinary expenses. The Adviser, in turn, compensates the Sub-Adviser from the management fee the Adviser receives.
The Advisory Agreement with respect to the Fund will continue in force for an initial period of two years. Thereafter, the Advisory Agreement will be renewable from year to year with respect to the Fund, so long as its continuance is approved at least annually (1) by the vote, cast in person at a meeting called for that purpose, of a majority of those Trustees who are not “interested persons” of the Adviser or the Trust; and (2) by the majority vote of either the full Board or the vote of a majority of the outstanding Shares of the Fund. The Advisory Agreement automatically terminates on assignment and is terminable on a 60-day written notice either by the Trust or the Adviser.
The Adviser shall not be liable to the Trust or any shareholder for anything done or omitted by it, except acts or omissions involving willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties imposed upon it by its agreement with the Trust or for any losses that may be sustained in the purchase, holding or sale of any security.
The table below shows the advisory fees paid by the Fund for the fiscal periods ended October 31:
| Fund | 2025* | 2024 | 2023 |
| Polen International Dividend Income ETF | $469,296 | N/A | N/A |
* For the period December 26, 2024 (commencement of operations) through October 31, 2025.
16
Sub-Adviser
Opal Capital LLC, a Florida limited liability company located at 5200 Town Center Circle, Suite 305, Boca Raton, Florida 33486, serves as the sub-adviser to the Fund. The Sub-Adviser is an SEC-registered investment adviser formed in 2022. Pursuant to a sub-advisory agreement between the Trust, the Adviser and the Sub-Adviser (the “Sub-Advisory Agreement”), the Sub-Adviser is responsible for security selection, subject to the supervision of the Adviser and the Board. The Sub-Adviser is compensated by the Adviser from the management fees paid by the Fund to the Adviser. The Sub-Adviser is entitled to receive a fee at an annual rate of 0.65% of the Fund’s average daily net assets.
The Sub-Advisory Agreement will continue in force for an initial period of two years. Thereafter, the Sub-Advisory Agreement is renewable from year to year with respect to the Fund, so long as its continuance is approved at least annually (1) by the vote, cast in person at a meeting called for that purpose, of a majority of those Trustees who are not “interested persons” of the Trust; and (2) by the majority vote of either the full Board or the vote of a majority of the outstanding Shares of the Fund. The Sub-Advisory Agreement will terminate automatically in the event of its assignment, and is terminable at any time without penalty by the Board or, with respect to the Fund, by a majority of the outstanding Shares, or by the Adviser, in each case upon 60 days’ written notice to the Sub-Adviser, or by the Sub-Adviser on 90 days’ written notice to the Adviser and the Trust. The Sub-Advisory Agreement provides that the Sub-Adviser shall not be protected against any liability to the Trust or its shareholders by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on its part in the performance of its duties or from reckless disregard of its obligations or duties thereunder.
PORTFOLIO MANAGER
Compensation
The Portfolio Manager receives a base salary and is an equity holder in the Sub-Adviser. The Portfolio Manager receives a discretionary bonus based on firm and individual performance.
Share Ownership
The Fund is required to show the dollar ranges of the portfolio managers’ “beneficial ownership” of Shares of the Fund as of the end of the most recently completed fiscal year or a more recent date for a new portfolio manager. Dollar amount ranges disclosed are established by the SEC. “Beneficial ownership” is determined in accordance with Rule 16a-1(a)(2) under the Exchange Act. Set forth below is the dollar range of equity securities beneficially owned by the Portfolio Manager of the Fund as of October 31, 2025:
| Portfolio Manager | Polen International Dividend Income ETF |
| Austin Graff | $50,001 - $100,000 |
Other Accounts
In addition to the Fund, the portfolio manager managed the following other accounts as of October 31, 2025, none of which were subject to a performance fee:
Registered Investment Companies |
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles |
Other Accounts | ||||
Portfolio Manager |
Number of Accounts |
Total Assets in the Accounts |
Number of Accounts |
Total Assets in the Accounts |
Number of Accounts |
Total Assets in the Accounts |
| Austin Graff | 2 | $311,206,600.79 | 0 | $0 | 2 | $1,877,017.42 |
Conflicts of Interest
The Portfolio Manager’s management of “other accounts” may give rise to potential conflicts of interest in connection with their 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 objective, whereby the Portfolio Manager could favor one account over another. Another potential conflict could include the Portfolio Manager’s knowledge about the size, timing and possible market impact of Fund trades, whereby the Portfolio Manager could use this information to the advantage of other accounts and to the disadvantage of the Fund.
17
THE DISTRIBUTOR
The Trust and Paralel Distributors LLC (the “Distributor”) are parties to a distribution agreement (“Distribution Agreement”), whereby the Distributor acts as principal underwriter for each series of the Trust, including the Fund, and distributes Shares. Shares are continuously offered for sale by the Distributor only in Creation Units. The Distributor will not distribute Shares in amounts less than a Creation Unit and does not maintain a secondary market in Shares. The principal business address of the Distributor is 1700 Broadway, Suite 2100, Denver, CO 80290.
Under the Distribution Agreement, the Distributor, as agent for the Trust, will review orders for the purchase and redemption of Creation Units, provided that any subscriptions and orders will not be binding on the Trust until accepted by the Trust. The Distributor is a broker-dealer registered under the Exchange Act and a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”).
The Distributor may also enter into agreements with securities dealers (“Soliciting Dealers”) who will solicit purchases of Creation Units of Shares. Such Soliciting Dealers may also be Authorized Participants (as discussed in “Procedures for Purchase of Creation Units” below) or DTC participants (as defined below).
The Distribution Agreement will continue for two years from its effective date and is renewable annually thereafter. The continuance of the Distribution Agreement must be specifically approved at least annually (i) by the vote of the Trustees or by a vote of the shareholders of the Fund and (ii) by the vote of a majority of the Independent Trustees who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operations of the Distribution Agreement or any related agreement, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. The Distribution Agreement is terminable without penalty by the Trust on 60 days’ written notice when authorized either by majority vote of its outstanding voting Shares or by a vote of a majority of its Board (including a majority of the Independent Trustees), or by the Distributor on 60 days’ written notice, and will automatically terminate in the event of its assignment. The Distribution Agreement provides that in the absence of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on the part of the Distributor, or reckless disregard by it of its obligations thereunder, the Distributor shall not be liable for any action or failure to act in accordance with its duties thereunder.
Intermediary Compensation. The Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, or their affiliates, out of their own resources and not out of Fund assets (i.e., without additional cost to the Fund or its shareholders), may pay certain broker dealers, banks and other financial intermediaries (“Intermediaries”) for certain activities related to the Fund, including participation in activities that are designed to make Intermediaries more knowledgeable about exchange traded products, including the Fund, or for other activities, such as marketing and educational training or support. These arrangements are not financed by the Fund and, thus, do not result in increased Fund expenses. They are not reflected in the fees and expenses listed in the fees and expenses sections of the Fund’s Prospectus and they do not change the price paid by investors for the purchase of Shares or the amount received by a shareholder as proceeds from the redemption of Shares.
Such compensation may be paid to Intermediaries that provide services to the Fund, including marketing and education support (such as through conferences, webinars and printed communications). The Adviser and Sub-Adviser periodically assess the advisability of continuing to make these payments. Payments to an Intermediary may be significant to the Intermediary, and amounts that Intermediaries pay to your adviser, broker or other investment professional, if any, may also be significant to such adviser, broker or investment professional. Because an Intermediary may make decisions about what investment options it will make available or recommend, and what services to provide in connection with various products, based on payments it receives or is eligible to receive, such payments create conflicts of interest between the Intermediary and its clients. For example, these financial incentives may cause the Intermediary to recommend the Fund over other investments. The same conflict of interest exists with respect to your financial adviser, broker or investment professional if he or she receives similar payments from his or her Intermediary firm.
Intermediary information is current only as of the date of this SAI. Please contact your adviser, broker, or other investment professional for more information regarding any payments his or her Intermediary firm may receive. Any payments made by the Adviser, Sub-Adviser or their affiliates to an Intermediary may create the incentive for an Intermediary to encourage customers to buy Shares.
If you have any additional questions, please call 1.877.774.TRUE (8783).
THE ADMINISTRATOR, CUSTODIAN, AND TRANSFER AGENT
Paralel Technologies LLC (“PTL”), located at 1700 Broadway Suite 2100, Denver, Colorado 80290 serves as the Fund’s administrator and fund accountant. PTL is the parent company of Paralel Distributors LLC, the Fund’s Distributor.
Pursuant to an Administration and Fund Accounting Agreement between the Trust and PTL, PTL provides the Trust with administrative and management services (other than investment advisory services) and accounting services, including portfolio accounting services, tax accounting services and furnishing financial reports. In this capacity, PTL 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 Shares. As compensation for the administration, accounting and management services, the Adviser pays PTL a fee based on the Fund’s average daily net assets, subject to a minimum annual fee. PTL also is entitled to certain out-of-pocket expenses for the services mentioned above.
18
Pursuant to a Custody Agreement, State Street Bank and Trust Company (the “Custodian” or “State Street”), serves as the Custodian of the Fund’s assets. The Custodian holds and administers the assets in the Fund’s portfolio. Pursuant to the Custody Agreement, the Custodian receives an annual fee from the Adviser based on the Fund’s total average daily net assets, subject to a minimum annual fee, and certain settlement charges. The Custodian also is entitled to certain out-of-pocket expenses.
Pursuant to a Transfer Agency Agreement, State Street (in such capacity, the “Transfer Agent”) serves as Transfer Agent for the Fund. Pursuant to the Transfer Agency Agreement, the Transfer Agent receives an annual fee from the Adviser.
The Fund does not pay PTL for its services. All amounts are paid for by the Adviser.
LEGAL COUNSEL
Thompson Hine LLP, located at 41 South High Street, Suite 1700, Columbus, Ohio 43215 serves as legal counsel for the Trust.
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
Cohen & Company, Ltd., located at 8101 East Prentice Ave., Suite 750, Greenwood Village, CO 80111, serves as the independent registered public accounting firm for the Fund. Its services include auditing the Fund’s financial statements. Its services include auditing the Fund’s financial statements. Cohen & Co. Advisory, LLC, an affiliate of Cohen & Company, Ltd., provides tax services as requested.
PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS DISCLOSURE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
The Board has adopted a policy regarding the disclosure of information about the Fund’s security holdings. The Fund’s entire portfolio holdings are publicly disseminated each day the Fund is open for business and may be available through financial reporting and news services, including publicly available internet web sites. In addition, the composition of the Deposit Securities (as defined below) is publicly disseminated daily prior to the opening of the Exchange via the National Securities Clearing Corporation (“NSCC”).
DESCRIPTION OF SHARES
The Declaration of Trust authorizes the issuance of an unlimited number of funds and Shares. Each Share represents an equal proportionate interest in the Fund with each other Share. Shares are entitled upon liquidation to a pro rata share in the net assets of the Fund. Shareholders have no preemptive rights. The Declaration of Trust provides that the Trustees may create additional series or classes of Shares. All consideration received by the Trust for shares of any additional funds and all assets in which such consideration is invested would belong to that fund and would be subject to the liabilities related thereto. Share certificates representing Shares will not be issued. Shares, when issued, are fully paid and non-assessable.
Each Share has one vote with respect to matters upon which a shareholder vote is required, consistent with the requirements of the 1940 Act and the rules promulgated thereunder. Shares of all funds of the Trust vote together as a single class, except that if the matter being voted on affects only a particular fund it will be voted on only by that fund and if a matter affects a particular fund differently from other funds, that fund will vote separately on such matter. As a Delaware statutory trust, the Trust is not required, and does not intend, to hold annual meetings of shareholders. Approval of shareholders will be sought, however, for certain changes in the operation of the Trust and for the election of Trustees under certain circumstances. Upon the written request of shareholders owning at least 10% of the Trust’s Shares, the Trust will call for a meeting of shareholders to consider the removal of one or more Trustees and other certain matters. In the event that such a meeting is requested, the Trust will provide appropriate assistance and information to the shareholders requesting the meeting.
Under the Declaration of Trust, the Trustees have the power to liquidate the Fund without shareholder approval. While the Trustees have no present intention of exercising this power, they may do so if the Fund fails to reach a viable size within a reasonable amount of time or for such other reasons as may be determined by the Board.
LIMITATION OF TRUSTEE LIABILITY
The Second Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust (“Declaration of Trust”) provides that a Trustee shall be liable only for his or her own willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of the office of Trustee, and shall not be liable for errors of judgment or mistakes of fact or law. The Trustees shall not be responsible or liable in any event for any neglect or wrong-doing of any officer, agent, employee, adviser or principal underwriter of the Trust, nor shall any Trustee be responsible for the act or omission of any other Trustee. The Declaration of Trust also provides that the Trust shall indemnify each person who is, or has been, a Trustee, officer, employee or agent of the Trust, any person who is serving or has served at the Trust’s request as a Trustee, officer, trustee, employee or agent of another organization in which the Trust has any interest as a shareholder, creditor or otherwise to the extent and in the manner provided in the Amended and Restated By-laws. However, nothing in the Declaration of Trust shall protect or indemnify a Trustee against any liability for his or her willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of the office of Trustee. Nothing contained in this section attempts to disclaim a Trustee’s individual liability in any manner inconsistent with the federal securities laws.
19
BROKERAGE TRANSACTIONS
The policy of the Trust regarding purchases and sales of securities for the Fund is that primary consideration will be given to obtaining the most favorable prices and efficient executions of transactions. Consistent with this policy, when securities transactions are effected on a stock exchange, the Trust’s policy is to pay commissions which are considered fair and reasonable without necessarily determining that the lowest possible commissions are paid in all circumstances. The Trust believes that a requirement always to seek the lowest possible commission cost could impede effective portfolio management and preclude the Fund and the Sub-Adviser from obtaining a high quality of brokerage and research services. In seeking to determine the reasonableness of brokerage commissions paid in any transaction, the Sub-Adviser will rely upon its experience and knowledge regarding commissions generally charged by various brokers and on its judgment in evaluating the brokerage services received from the broker effecting the transaction. Such determinations are necessarily subjective and imprecise, as in most cases, an exact dollar value for those services is not ascertainable. The Trust has adopted policies and procedures that prohibit the consideration of sales of Shares as a factor in the selection of a broker or dealer to execute its portfolio transactions.
The Sub-Adviser owes a fiduciary duty to its clients to seek to provide best execution on trades effected. In selecting a broker-dealer for each specific transaction, the Sub-Adviser chooses the broker-dealer deemed most capable of providing the services necessary to obtain the most favorable execution. “Best execution” is generally understood to mean the most favorable cost or net proceeds reasonably obtainable under the circumstances. The full range of brokerage services applicable to a particular transaction may be considered when making this judgment, which may include, but is not limited to: liquidity, price, commission, timing, aggregated trades, capable floor brokers or traders, competent block trading coverage, ability to position, capital strength and stability, reliable and accurate communications and settlement processing, use of automation, knowledge of other buyers or sellers, arbitrage skills, administrative ability, underwriting and provision of information on a particular security or market in which the transaction is to occur. The specific criteria will vary depending upon the nature of the transaction, the market in which it is executed, and the extent to which it is possible to select from among multiple broker-dealers. The Sub-Adviser will also use electronic crossing networks (“ECNs”) when appropriate.
Subject to the foregoing policies, brokers or dealers selected to execute the Fund’s portfolio transactions may include the Fund’s Authorized Participants (as discussed in “Procedures for Purchase of Creation Units” below) or their affiliates. An Authorized Participant or its affiliates may be selected to execute the Fund’s portfolio transactions in conjunction with an all-cash creation unit order or an order including “cash-in-lieu” (as described below under “Purchase and Redemption of Shares in Creation Units”), so long as such selection is in keeping with the foregoing policies. As described below under “Purchase and Redemption of Shares in Creation Units—Creation Transaction Fee” and “Redemption Transaction Fee”, the Fund may determine to not charge a variable fee on certain orders when the Adviser has determined that doing so is in the best interests of Fund shareholders, e.g., for creation orders that facilitate the rebalance of the Fund’s portfolio in a more tax efficient manner than could be achieved without such order, even if the decision to not charge a variable fee could be viewed as benefiting the Authorized Participant or its affiliate selected to execute the Fund’s portfolio transactions in connection with such orders.
The Sub-Adviser may use the Fund’s assets for, or participate in, third-party soft dollar arrangements, in addition to receiving proprietary research from various full-service brokers, the cost of which is bundled with the cost of the broker’s execution services. The Sub-Adviser does not “pay up” for the value of any such proprietary research. Section 28(e) of the Exchange Act permits the Sub-Adviser, under certain circumstances, to cause the Fund to pay a broker or dealer a commission for effecting a transaction in excess of the amount of commission another broker or dealer would have charged for effecting the transaction in recognition of the value of brokerage and research services provided by the broker or dealer. The Sub-Adviser may receive a variety of research services and information on many topics, which it can use in connection with its management responsibilities with respect to the various accounts over which it exercises investment discretion or otherwise provides investment advice. The research services may include qualifying order management systems, portfolio attribution and monitoring services and computer software and access charges which are directly related to investment research. Accordingly, the Fund may pay a broker commission higher than the lowest available in recognition of the broker’s provision of such services to the Sub-Adviser, but only if the Sub-Adviser determines the total commission (including the soft dollar benefit) is comparable to the best commission rate that could be expected to be received from other brokers. The amount of soft dollar benefits received depends on the amount of brokerage transactions effected with the brokers. A conflict of interest exists because there is an incentive to: 1) cause clients to pay a higher commission than the firm might otherwise be able to negotiate; 2) cause clients to engage in more securities transactions than would otherwise be optimal; and 3) only recommend brokers that provide soft dollar benefits.
The Sub-Adviser faces a potential conflict of interest when it uses client trades to obtain brokerage or research services. This conflict exists because the Sub-Adviser is able to use the brokerage or research services to manage client accounts without paying cash for such services, which reduces the Sub-Adviser’s expenses to the extent that the Sub-Adviser would have purchased such products had they not been provided by brokers. Section 28(e) permits the Sub-Adviser to use brokerage or research services for the benefit of any account it manages. Certain accounts managed by the Sub-Adviser may generate soft dollars used to purchase brokerage or research services that ultimately benefit other accounts managed by the Sub-Adviser, effectively cross subsidizing the other accounts managed by the Sub-Adviser that benefit directly from the product. The Sub-Adviser may not necessarily use all of the brokerage or research services in connection with managing the Fund whose trades generated the soft dollars used to purchase such products.
20
The Fund may deal with affiliates in principal transactions to the extent permitted by exemptive order or applicable rule or regulation.
The Fund paid the following brokerage commissions for the fiscal periods ended October 31:
| Fund | 2025* | 2024 | 2023 |
| Polen International Dividend Income ETF | $37,695 | N/A | N/A |
* For the period December 26, 2024 (commencement of operations) through October 31, 2025.
Directed Brokerage. The Fund does not intend to direct brokerage transactions to a broker because of research services provided.
Brokerage with Fund Affiliates. The Fund may execute brokerage or other agency transactions through registered broker-dealer affiliates of the Fund, the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser or the Distributor for a commission in conformity with the 1940 Act, the Exchange Act and rules promulgated by the SEC. These rules require that commissions paid to the affiliate by the Fund for exchange transactions not exceed “usual and customary” brokerage commissions. The rules define “usual and customary” commissions to include amounts which are “reasonable and fair compared to the commission, fee or other remuneration received or to be received by other brokers in connection with comparable transactions involving similar securities being purchased or sold on a securities exchange during a comparable period of time.” The Trustees, including those who are not “interested persons” of the Fund, have adopted procedures for evaluating the reasonableness of commissions paid to affiliates and review these procedures periodically.
Securities of “Regular Broker-Dealers.” The Fund is required to identify any securities of its “regular brokers and dealers” (as such term is defined in the 1940 Act) that it may hold at the close of its most recent fiscal year. “Regular brokers or dealers” of the Fund are the ten brokers or dealers that, during the most recent fiscal year: (i) received the greatest dollar amounts of brokerage commissions from the Fund’s portfolio transactions; (ii) engaged as principal in the largest dollar amounts of portfolio transactions of the Fund; or (iii) sold the largest dollar amounts of Shares.
PORTFOLIO TURNOVER RATE
Portfolio turnover may vary from year to year, as well as within a year. High turnover rates are likely to result in comparatively greater brokerage expenses. The overall reasonableness of brokerage commissions is evaluated by the Sub-Adviser based upon its knowledge of available information as to the general level of commissions paid by other institutional investors for comparable services.
BOOK ENTRY ONLY SYSTEM
The DTC acts as securities depositary for Shares. Shares are represented by securities registered in the name of DTC or its nominee, Cede & Co., and deposited with, or on behalf of, DTC. Except in limited circumstances set forth below, certificates will not be issued for Shares.
DTC is a limited-purpose trust company that was created to hold securities of its participants (the “DTC Participants”) and to facilitate the clearance and settlement of securities transactions among the DTC Participants in such securities through electronic book-entry changes in accounts of the DTC Participants, thereby eliminating the need for physical movement of securities certificates. DTC Participants include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and certain other organizations, some of whom (and/or their representatives) own DTC. More specifically, DTC is owned by a number of its DTC Participants and by the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) and FINRA. Access to the DTC system is also available to others such as banks, brokers, dealers, and trust companies that clear through or maintain a custodial relationship with a DTC Participant, either directly or indirectly (the “Indirect Participants”).
Beneficial ownership of Shares is limited to DTC Participants, Indirect Participants, and persons holding interests through DTC Participants and Indirect Participants. Ownership of beneficial interests in Shares (owners of such beneficial interests are referred to in this SAI as “Beneficial Owners”) is shown on, and the transfer of ownership is effected only through, records maintained by DTC (with respect to DTC Participants) and on the records of DTC Participants (with respect to Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners that are not DTC Participants). Beneficial Owners will receive from or through the DTC Participant a written confirmation relating to their purchase of Shares. The Trust recognizes DTC or its nominee as the record owner of all Shares for all purposes. Beneficial Owners of Shares are not entitled to have Shares registered in their names and will not receive or be entitled to physical delivery of Share certificates. Each Beneficial Owner must rely on the procedures of DTC and any DTC Participant and/or Indirect Participant through which such Beneficial Owner holds its interests, to exercise any rights of a holder of Shares.
21
Conveyance of all notices, statements, and other communications to Beneficial Owners is effected as follows. DTC will make available to the Trust upon request and for a fee a listing of Shares held by each DTC Participant. The Trust shall obtain from each such DTC Participant the number of Beneficial Owners holding Shares, directly or indirectly, through such DTC Participant. The Trust shall provide each such DTC Participant with copies of such notice, statement, or other communication, in such form, number and at such place as such DTC Participant may reasonably request, in order that such notice, statement or communication may be transmitted by such DTC Participant, directly or indirectly, to such Beneficial Owners. In addition, the Trust shall pay to each such DTC Participant a fair and reasonable amount as reimbursement for the expenses attendant to such transmittal, all subject to applicable statutory and regulatory requirements.
Share distributions shall be made to DTC or its nominee, Cede & Co., as the registered holder of all Shares. DTC or its nominee, upon receipt of any such distributions, shall credit immediately DTC Participants’ accounts with payments in amounts proportionate to their respective beneficial interests in the Fund as shown on the records of DTC or its nominee. Payments by DTC Participants to Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners of Shares held through such DTC Participants will be governed by standing instructions and customary practices, as is now the case with securities held for the accounts of customers in bearer form or registered in a “street name,” and will be the responsibility of such DTC Participants.
The Trust has no responsibility or liability for any aspect of the records relating to or notices to Beneficial Owners, or payments made on account of beneficial ownership interests in Shares, or for maintaining, supervising, or reviewing any records relating to such beneficial ownership interests, or for any other aspect of the relationship between DTC and the DTC Participants or the relationship between such DTC Participants and the Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners owning through such DTC Participants.
DTC may determine to discontinue providing its service with respect to the Fund at any time by giving reasonable notice to the Fund and discharging its responsibilities with respect thereto under applicable law. Under such circumstances, the Fund shall take action either to find a replacement for DTC to perform its functions at a comparable cost or, if such replacement is unavailable, to issue and deliver printed certificates representing ownership of Shares, unless the Trust makes other arrangements with respect thereto satisfactory to the Exchange.
PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION OF SHARES IN CREATION UNITS
The Trust issues and sells Shares only in Creation Units on a continuous basis through the Distributor, without a sales load (but subject to transaction fees, if applicable), at their NAV per share next determined after receipt of an order, on any Business Day, in proper form pursuant to the terms of the Authorized Participant Agreement (“Participant Agreement”). The NAV of Shares is calculated each Business Day as of the scheduled close of regular trading on the NYSE, generally 4:00 p.m., Eastern time. The Fund will not issue fractional Creation Units. A “Business Day” is any day on which the NYSE is open for business.
Fund Deposit. The consideration for purchase of a Creation Unit of the Fund generally consists of either (i) the in-kind deposit of a designated portfolio of securities (the “Deposit Securities”) per each Creation Unit and the Cash Component (defined below), computed as described below or (ii) the cash value of the Deposit Securities (“Deposit Cash”) and “Cash Component,” computed as described below. When accepting purchases of Creation Units for cash, the Fund may incur additional costs associated with the acquisition of Deposit Securities that would otherwise be provided by an in-kind purchaser.
Together, the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, and the Cash Component constitute the “Fund Deposit,” which represents the minimum initial and subsequent investment amount for a Creation Unit of the Fund. The “Cash Component” is an amount equal to the difference between the NAV of Shares (per Creation Unit) and the value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable. If the Cash Component is a positive number (i.e., the NAV per Creation Unit exceeds the value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable), the Cash Component shall be such positive amount. If the Cash Component is a negative number (i.e., the NAV per Creation Unit is less than the value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable), the Cash Component shall be such negative amount and the creator will be entitled to receive cash in an amount equal to the Cash Component. The Cash Component serves the function of compensating for any differences between the NAV per Creation Unit and the value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable. Computation of the Cash Component excludes any stamp duty or other similar fees and expenses payable upon transfer of beneficial ownership of the Deposit Securities, if applicable, which shall be the sole responsibility of the Authorized Participant (as defined below).
22
The Fund, through NSCC, makes available on each Business Day, prior to the opening of business on the Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m., Eastern time), the list of the names and the required number of Shares of each Deposit Security or the required amount of Deposit Cash, as applicable, to be included in the current Fund Deposit (based on information at the end of the previous Business Day) for the Fund. The Fund Deposit is subject to any applicable adjustments as described below, to effect purchases of Creation Units of the Fund until such time as the next-announced composition of the Deposit Securities or the required amount of Deposit Cash, as applicable, is made available.
The identity and number of Shares of the Deposit Securities or the amount of Deposit Cash, as applicable, required for the Fund Deposit for the Fund changes as rebalancing adjustments and corporate action events are reflected from time to time by the Adviser with a view to the investment objective of the Fund.
23
The Trust reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of Deposit Cash to replace any Deposit Security, which shall be added to the Cash Component, including, without limitation, in situations where the Deposit Security: (i) may not be available in sufficient quantity for delivery; (ii) may not be eligible for transfer through the systems of DTC for corporate securities and municipal securities; (iii) may not be eligible for trading by an Authorized Participant (as defined below) or the investor for which it is acting; (iv) would be restricted under the securities laws or where the delivery of the Deposit Security to the Authorized Participant would result in the disposition of the Deposit Security by the Authorized Participant becoming restricted under the securities laws; or (v) in certain other situations (collectively, “custom orders”). The Trust also reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of Deposit Securities in lieu of Deposit Cash. The adjustments described above will reflect changes, known to the Adviser on the date of announcement to be in effect by the time of delivery of the Fund Deposit, resulting from certain corporate actions.
Procedures for Purchase of Creation Units. To be eligible to place orders with the Distributor to purchase a Creation Unit of the Fund, an entity must be (i) a “Participating Party” (i.e., a broker-dealer or other participant in the clearing process through the Continuous Net Settlement System of the NSCC (the “Clearing Process”)), a clearing agency that is registered with the SEC; or (ii) a DTC Participant (see “Book Entry Only System”). In addition, each Participating Party or DTC Participant (each, an “Authorized Participant”) must execute a Participant Agreement that has been agreed to by the Distributor, and that has been accepted by the Transfer Agent, with respect to purchases and redemptions of Creation Units. Each Authorized Participant will agree, pursuant to the terms of a Participant Agreement, on behalf of itself or any investor on whose behalf it will act, to certain conditions, including that it will pay to the Trust, an amount of cash sufficient to pay the Cash Component together with the creation transaction fee (described below), if applicable, and any other applicable fees and taxes.
All orders to purchase Shares directly from the Fund must be placed for one or more Creation Units and in the manner and by the time set forth in the Participant Agreement and/or applicable order form. The order cut-off time for orders to purchase Creation Units is 4:00 p.m. Eastern time, which time may be modified by the Fund from time-to-time by amendment to the Participant Agreement and/or applicable order form. In the case of custom orders, the order must be received by the Distributor no later than 3:00 p.m. Eastern time and 12:00 p.m. Eastern time for the Fund, or such earlier time as may be designated by the Fund and disclosed to Authorized Participants. The date on which an order to purchase Creation Units (or an order to redeem Creation Units, as set forth below) is received and accepted is referred to as the “Order Placement Date.”
An Authorized Participant may require an investor to make certain representations or enter into agreements with respect to the order (e.g., to provide for payments of cash, when required). Investors should be aware that their particular broker may not have executed a Participant Agreement and that, therefore, orders to purchase Shares directly from the Fund in Creation Units have to be placed by the investor’s broker through an Authorized Participant that has executed a Participant Agreement. In such cases there may be additional charges to such investor. At any given time, there may be only a limited number of broker-dealers that have executed a Participant Agreement and only a small number of such Authorized Participants may have international capabilities.
On days when the Exchange closes earlier than normal, the Fund may require orders to create Creation Units to be placed earlier in the day. In addition, if a market or markets on which the Fund’s investments are primarily traded is closed, the Fund will also generally not accept orders on such day(s). Orders must be transmitted by an Authorized Participant by telephone or other transmission method acceptable to the Distributor pursuant to procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement and in accordance with the applicable order form. On behalf of the Fund, the Distributor will notify the Custodian of such order. The Custodian will then provide such information to the appropriate local sub-custodian(s). Those placing orders through an Authorized Participant should allow sufficient time to permit proper submission of the purchase order to the Distributor by the cut-off time on such Business Day. Economic or market disruptions or changes, or telephone or other communication failure may impede the ability to reach the Distributor or an Authorized Participant.
Fund Deposits must be delivered by an Authorized Participant through the Federal Reserve System (for cash) or through DTC (for corporate securities), through a sub-custody agent (for foreign securities) and/or through such other arrangements allowed by the Trust or its agents. With respect to foreign Deposit Securities, the Custodian shall cause the sub-custodian of the Fund to maintain an account into which the Authorized Participant shall deliver, on behalf of itself or the party on whose behalf it is acting, such Deposit Securities (or Deposit Cash for all or a part of such securities, as permitted or required), with any appropriate adjustments as advised by the Trust. Foreign Deposit Securities must be delivered to an account maintained at the applicable local sub-custodian. The Fund Deposit transfer must be ordered by the Authorized Participant in a timely fashion so as to ensure the delivery of the requisite number of Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, to the account of the Fund or its agents by no later than 12:00 p.m. Eastern time (or such other time as specified by the Trust) on the Settlement Date. If the Fund or its agents do not receive all of the Deposit Securities, or the required Deposit Cash in lieu thereof, by such time, then the order may be deemed rejected and the Authorized Participant shall be liable to the Fund for losses, if any, resulting therefrom. The “Settlement Date” for the Fund is generally the Business Day immediately after the Order Placement Date. All questions as to the number of Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash to be delivered, as applicable, and the validity, form and eligibility (including time of receipt) for the deposit of any tendered securities or cash, as applicable, will be determined by the Trust, whose determination shall be final and binding. The amount of cash represented by the Cash Component must be transferred directly to the Custodian through the Federal Reserve Bank wire transfer system in a timely manner so as to be received by the Custodian no later than the Settlement Date. If the Cash Component and the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, are not received by the Custodian in a timely manner by the Settlement Date, the creation order may be cancelled. Upon written notice to the Distributor, such canceled order may be resubmitted the following Business Day using the Fund Deposit as newly constituted to reflect the then current NAV of the Fund.
24
The order shall be deemed to be received on the Business Day on which the order is placed provided that the order is placed in proper form prior to the applicable cut-off time and the federal funds in the appropriate amount are deposited with the Custodian on the Settlement Date. If the order is not placed in proper form as required, or federal funds in the appropriate amount are not received on the Settlement Date, then the order may be deemed to be rejected and the Authorized Participant shall be liable to the Fund for losses, if any, resulting therefrom. A creation request is considered to be in “proper form” if all procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement, order form and this SAI are properly followed.
Issuance of a Creation Unit. Except as provided in this SAI, Creation Units will not be issued until the transfer of good title to the Trust of the Deposit Securities or payment of Deposit Cash, as applicable, and the payment of the Cash Component have been completed. When the sub-custodian has confirmed to the Custodian that the required Deposit Securities (or the cash value thereof) have been delivered to the account of the relevant sub-custodian or sub-custodians, the Distributor and the Adviser shall be notified of such delivery, and the Trust will issue and cause the delivery of the Creation Units. The delivery of Creation Units so created generally will occur no later than the Business Day immediately following the day on which the purchase order is deemed received by the Distributor. The Authorized Participant shall be liable to the Fund for losses, if any, resulting from unsettled orders.
Creation Units may be purchased in advance of receipt by the Trust of all or a portion of the applicable Deposit Securities as described below. In these circumstances, the initial deposit will have a value greater than the NAV of Shares on the date the order is placed in proper form since, in addition to available Deposit Securities, cash must be deposited in an amount equal to the sum of (i) the Cash Component, plus (ii) an additional amount of cash equal to a percentage of the value as set forth in the Participant Agreement, of the undelivered Deposit Securities (the “Additional Cash Deposit”), which shall be maintained in a separate non-interest bearing collateral account. The Authorized Participant must deposit with the Custodian the Additional Cash Deposit, as applicable, by 12:00 p.m. Eastern time (or such other time as specified by the Trust) on the Settlement Date. If the Fund or its agents do not receive the Additional Cash Deposit in the appropriate amount, by such time, then the order may be deemed rejected and the Authorized Participant shall be liable to the Fund for losses, if any, resulting therefrom. An additional amount of cash shall be required to be deposited with the Trust, pending delivery of the missing Deposit Securities to the extent necessary to maintain the Additional Cash Deposit with the Trust in an amount at least equal to the applicable percentage, as set forth in the Participant Agreement, of the daily market value of the missing Deposit Securities. The Participant Agreement will permit the Trust to buy the missing Deposit Securities at any time. Authorized Participants will be liable to the Trust for the costs incurred by the Trust in connection with any such purchases. These costs will be deemed to include the amount by which the actual purchase price of the Deposit Securities exceeds the value of such Deposit Securities on the day the purchase order was deemed received by the Distributor plus the brokerage and related transaction costs associated with such purchases. The Trust will return any unused portion of the Additional Cash Deposit once all of the missing Deposit Securities have been properly received by the Custodian or purchased by the Trust and deposited into the Trust. In addition, a transaction fee, as described below under “Creation Transaction Fee,” may be charged. The delivery of Creation Units so created generally will occur no later than the Settlement Date.
Acceptance of Orders of Creation Units. The Trust reserves the right to reject an order for Creation Units transmitted to it by the Distributor with respect to the Fund including, without limitation, if (a) the order is not in proper form; (b) the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, delivered by the Participant are not as disseminated through the facilities of the NSCC for that date by the Custodian; (c) the investor(s), upon obtaining Shares ordered, would own 80% or more of the currently outstanding Shares of the Fund; (d) the acceptance of the Fund Deposit would, in the opinion of counsel, be unlawful; (e) the acceptance or receipt of the order for a Creation Unit would, in the opinion of counsel to the Trust, be unlawful; or (f) in the event that circumstances outside the control of the Trust, the Custodian, the Transfer Agent and/or the Adviser make it for all practical purposes not feasible to process orders for Creation Units.
Examples of such circumstances include acts of God or public service or utility problems such as fires, floods, extreme weather conditions and power outages resulting in telephone, telecopy and computer failures; market conditions or activities causing trading halts; systems failures involving computer or other information systems affecting the Trust, the Distributor, the Custodian, a sub- custodian, the Transfer Agent, DTC, NSCC, Federal Reserve System, or any other participant in the creation process, and other extraordinary events. The Distributor shall notify a prospective creator of a Creation Unit and/or the Authorized Participant acting on behalf of the creator of a Creation Unit of its rejection of the order of such person. The Trust, the Transfer Agent, the Custodian, any sub-custodian and the Distributor are under no duty, however, to give notification of any defects or irregularities in the delivery of Fund Deposits nor shall either of them incur any liability for the failure to give any such notification. The Trust, the Transfer Agent, the Custodian and the Distributor shall not be liable for the rejection of any purchase order for Creation Units.
All questions as to the number of Shares of each security in the Deposit Securities and the validity, form, eligibility and acceptance for deposit of any securities to be delivered shall be determined by the Trust, and the Trust’s determination shall be final and binding.
25
Creation Transaction Fee. A fixed purchase (i.e., creation) transaction fee, payable to the Fund’s custodian, may be imposed for the transfer and other transaction costs associated with the purchase of Creation Units (“Creation Order Costs”). The standard fixed creation transaction fee for the Fund, regardless of the number of Creation Units created in the transaction, can be found in the table below. The Fund may adjust the standard fixed creation transaction fee from time to time. The fixed creation fee may be waived on certain orders if the Fund’s custodian has determined to waive some or all of the Creation Order Costs associated with the order or another party, such as the Adviser, has agreed to pay such fee.
In addition, a variable fee, payable to the Fund, of up to the maximum percentage listed in the table below of the value of the Creation Units subject to the transaction may be imposed for cash purchases, non-standard orders, or partial cash purchases of Creation Units. The variable charge is primarily designed to cover additional costs (e.g., brokerage, taxes, spreads, slippage costs) involved with buying the securities with cash. The Fund may determine to not charge a variable fee on certain orders when the Adviser or Sub-Adviser has determined that doing so benefits the Fund and its shareholders (e.g., for creation orders that facilitate the rebalance of the Fund’s portfolio in a more tax efficient manner than could be achieved without such order).
| Fixed Creation Transaction Fee (In-Kind) | Fixed Creation Transaction Fee (Cash) |
Maximum Variable Transaction Fee |
| $300 | $100 | 0.02% |
Investors who use the services of a broker or other such intermediary may be charged a fee for such services. Investors are responsible for the fixed costs of transferring the Fund Securities from the Trust to their account or on their order.
Risks of Purchasing Creation Units. There are certain legal risks unique to investors purchasing Creation Units directly from the Fund. Because Shares may be issued on an ongoing basis, a “distribution” of Shares could be occurring at any time. Certain activities that a shareholder performs as a dealer could, depending on the circumstances, result in the shareholder being deemed a participant in the distribution in a manner that could render the shareholder a statutory underwriter and subject to the prospectus delivery and liability provisions of the Securities Act. For example, a shareholder could be deemed a statutory underwriter if it purchases Creation Units from the Fund, breaks them down into the constituent Shares, and sells those Shares directly to customers, or if a shareholder chooses to couple the creation of a supply of new Shares with an active selling effort involving solicitation of secondary-market demand for Shares. Whether a person is an underwriter depends upon all of the facts and circumstances pertaining to that person’s activities, and the examples mentioned here should not be considered a complete description of all the activities that could cause you to be deemed an underwriter.
Dealers who are not “underwriters” but are participating in a distribution (as opposed to engaging in ordinary secondary-market transactions), and thus dealing with Shares as part of an “unsold allotment” within the meaning of Section 4(a)(3)(C) of the Securities Act, will be unable to take advantage of the prospectus delivery exemption provided by Section 4(a)(3) of the Securities Act.
Redemption. Shares may be redeemed only in Creation Units at their NAV next determined after receipt of a redemption request in proper form by the Fund through the Transfer Agent and only on a Business Day. EXCEPT UPON LIQUIDATION OF THE FUND, THE TRUST WILL NOT REDEEM SHARES IN AMOUNTS LESS THAN CREATION UNITS. Investors must accumulate enough Shares in the secondary market to constitute a Creation Unit to have such Shares redeemed by the Trust. There can be no assurance, however, that there will be sufficient liquidity in the public trading market at any time to permit assembly of a Creation Unit. Investors should expect to incur brokerage and other costs in connection with assembling a sufficient number of Shares to constitute a redeemable Creation Unit.
With respect to the Fund, the Custodian, through the NSCC, makes available prior to the opening of business on the Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m., Eastern time) on each Business Day, the list of the names and Share quantities of the Fund’s portfolio securities that will be applicable (subject to possible amendment or correction) to redemption requests received in proper form (as defined below) on that day (“Fund Securities”). Fund Securities received on redemption may not be identical to Deposit Securities.
Redemption proceeds for a Creation Unit are paid either in-kind or in cash, or combination thereof, as determined by the Trust. With respect to in-kind redemptions of the Fund, redemption proceeds for a Creation Unit will consist of Fund Securities—as announced by the Custodian on the Business Day of the request for redemption received in proper form plus cash in an amount equal to the difference between the NAV of Shares being redeemed, as next determined after a receipt of a request in proper form, and the value of the Fund Securities (the “Cash Redemption Amount”), less a fixed redemption transaction fee, as applicable, as set forth below. In the event that the Fund Securities have a value greater than the NAV of Shares, a compensating cash payment equal to the differential is required to be made by or through an Authorized Participant by the redeeming shareholder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, at the Trust’s discretion, an Authorized Participant may receive the corresponding cash value of the securities in lieu of the in-kind securities value representing one or more Fund Securities.
26
Redemption Transaction Fee. A fixed redemption transaction fee, payable to the Fund’s custodian, may be imposed for the transfer and other transaction costs associated with the redemption of Creation Units (“Redemption Order Costs”). The standard fixed redemption transaction fee for the Fund, regardless of the number of Creation Units redeemed in the transaction, can be found in the table below. The Fund may adjust the redemption transaction fee from time to time. The fixed redemption fee may be waived on certain orders if the Fund’s custodian has determined to waive some or all of the Redemption Order Costs associated with the order or another party, such as the Adviser, has agreed to pay such fee.
In addition, a variable fee, payable to the Fund, of up to the maximum percentage listed in the table below of the value of the Creation Units subject to the transaction may be imposed for cash redemptions, non-standard orders, or partial cash redemptions (when cash redemptions are available) of Creation Units. The variable charge is primarily designed to cover additional costs (e.g., brokerage, taxes, spreads, slippage costs) involved with selling portfolio securities to satisfy a cash redemption. The Fund may determine to not charge a variable fee on certain orders when the Adviser or Sub-Adviser has determined that doing so benefits the Fund and its shareholders (e.g., for redemption orders that facilitate the rebalance of the Fund’s portfolio in a more tax efficient manner than could be achieved without such order).
| Fixed Redemption Transaction Fee (In-Kind) | Fixed Redemption Transaction Fee (Cash) | Maximum Variable Transaction Fee |
| $300 | $100 | 0.02% |
Investors who use the services of a broker or other such intermediary may be charged a fee for such services. Investors are responsible for the fixed costs of transferring the Fund Securities from the Trust to their account or on their order.
Procedures for Redemption of Creation Units.
Orders to redeem Creation Units of the Fund must be submitted in proper form to the Transfer Agent prior to 4:00 p.m. A redemption request is considered to be in “proper form” if (i) an Authorized Participant has transferred or caused to be transferred to the Trust’s Transfer Agent the Creation Unit(s) being redeemed through the book-entry system of DTC so as to be effective by the time as set forth in the Participant Agreement and (ii) a request in form satisfactory to the Trust is received by the Transfer Agent from the Authorized Participant on behalf of itself or another redeeming investor within the time periods specified in the Participant Agreement. If the Transfer Agent does not receive the investor’s Shares through DTC’s facilities by the times and pursuant to the other terms and conditions set forth in the Participant Agreement, the redemption request shall be rejected.
The Authorized Participant must transmit the request for redemption, in the form required by the Trust, to the Transfer Agent in accordance with procedures set forth in the Authorized Participant Agreement. Investors should be aware that their particular broker may not have executed an Authorized Participant Agreement, and that, therefore, requests to redeem Creation Units may have to be placed by the investor’s broker through an Authorized Participant who has executed an Authorized Participant Agreement. Investors making a redemption request should be aware that such request must be in the form specified by such Authorized Participant.
Investors making a request to redeem Creation Units should allow sufficient time to permit proper submission of the request by an Authorized Participant and transfer of the Shares to the Trust’s Transfer Agent; such investors should allow for the additional time that may be required to effect redemptions through their banks, brokers or other financial intermediaries if such intermediaries are not Authorized Participants.
Additional Redemption Procedures. In connection with taking delivery of Shares of Fund Securities upon redemption of Creation Units, a redeeming shareholder or Authorized Participant acting on behalf of such shareholder must maintain appropriate custody arrangements with a qualified broker-dealer, bank, or other custody providers in each jurisdiction in which any of the Fund Securities are customarily traded, to which account such Fund Securities will be delivered. Deliveries of redemption proceeds generally will be made within two business days of the trade date. However, due to the schedule of holidays in certain countries, the different treatment among foreign and U.S. markets of dividend record dates and dividend ex-dates (that is the last date the holder of a security can sell the security and still receive dividends payable on the security sold), and in certain other circumstances, the delivery of in-kind redemption proceeds may take longer than two Business Days after the day on which the redemption request is received in proper form. If neither the redeeming Shareholder nor the Authorized Participant acting on behalf of such redeeming Shareholder has appropriate arrangements to take delivery of the Fund Securities in the applicable foreign jurisdiction and it is not possible to make other such arrangements, or if it is not possible to effect deliveries of the Fund Securities in such jurisdiction, the Trust may, in its discretion, exercise its option to redeem such Shares in cash, and the redeeming Shareholders will be required to receive its redemption proceeds in cash.
27
In addition, an investor may request a redemption in cash that the Fund may, in its sole discretion, permit. In either case, the investor will receive a cash payment equal to the NAV of its Shares based on the NAV of Shares of the Fund next determined after the redemption request is received in proper form (minus a redemption transaction fee, if applicable, and additional charge for requested cash redemptions specified above, to offset the Trust’s brokerage and other transaction costs associated with the disposition of Fund Securities). The Fund may also, in its sole discretion, upon request of a shareholder, provide such redeemer a portfolio of securities that differs from the exact composition of the Fund Securities but does not differ in NAV.
Redemptions of Shares for Fund Securities will be subject to compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws and the Fund (whether or not it otherwise permits cash redemptions) reserves the right to redeem Creation Units for cash to the extent that the Trust could not lawfully deliver specific Fund Securities upon redemptions or could not do so without first registering the Fund Securities under such laws. An Authorized Participant or an investor for which it is acting subject to a legal restriction with respect to a particular security included in the Fund Securities applicable to the redemption of Creation Units may be paid an equivalent amount of cash. The Authorized Participant may request the redeeming investor of the Shares to complete an order form or to enter into agreements with respect to such matters as compensating cash payment. Further, an Authorized Participant that is not a “qualified institutional buyer,” (“QIB”) as such term is defined under Rule 144A of the Securities Act, will not be able to receive Fund Securities that are restricted securities eligible for resale under Rule 144A. An Authorized Participant may be required by the Trust to provide a written confirmation with respect to QIB status to receive Fund Securities.
Because the portfolio securities of the Fund may trade on other exchanges on days that the Exchange is closed or are otherwise not Business Days for such Fund, shareholders may not be able to redeem their Shares of the Fund, or to purchase or sell Shares of the Fund on the Exchange, on days when the NAV of the Fund could be significantly affecting by events in the relevant foreign markets.
The right of redemption may be suspended or the date of payment postponed with respect to the Fund (1) for any period during which the Exchange is closed (other than customary weekend and holiday closings); (2) for any period during which trading on the Exchange is suspended or restricted; (3) for any period during which an emergency exists as a result of which disposal of the Shares of the Fund or determination of the NAV of the Shares is not reasonably practicable; or (4) in such other circumstance as is permitted by the SEC.
DETERMINATION OF NAV
NAV per Share for the Fund is computed by dividing the value of the net assets of the Fund (i.e., the value of its total assets less total liabilities) by the total number of Shares outstanding, rounded to the nearest cent. Expenses and fees, including the management fees, are accrued daily and taken into account for purposes of determining NAV. The NAV of the Fund is calculated by PTL and determined at the scheduled close of the regular trading session on the NYSE (ordinarily 4:00 p.m., Eastern time) on each day that the NYSE is open, provided that fixed-income assets may be valued as of the announced closing time for trading in fixed-income instruments on any day that the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (“SIFMA”) announces an early closing time.
In calculating the Fund’s NAV per Share, the Fund’s investments are generally valued using market valuations. A market valuation generally means a valuation (i) obtained from an exchange, a pricing service, or a major market maker (or dealer), (ii) based on a price quotation or other equivalent indication of value supplied by an exchange, a pricing service, or a major market maker (or dealer) or (iii) based on amortized cost. In the case of shares of other funds that are not traded on an exchange, a market valuation means such fund’s published NAV per share. The Fund may use various pricing services, or discontinue the use of any pricing service, as approved by the Board from time to time. A price obtained from a pricing service based on such pricing service’s valuation matrix may be considered a market valuation.
DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS
The following information supplements and should be read in conjunction with the section in the Prospectus entitled “Dividends, Distributions and Taxes.”
General Policies. Dividends from net investment income, if any, are declared and paid at least monthly by the Fund. Distributions of net realized securities gains, if any, generally are declared and paid once a year, but the Fund may make distributions on a more frequent basis to reduce or eliminate federal excise or income taxes or to comply with the distribution requirements of the Code, in all events in a manner consistent with the provisions of the 1940 Act.
Dividends and other distributions on Shares are distributed, as described below, on a pro rata basis to Beneficial Owners of such Shares. Dividend payments are made through DTC Participants and Indirect Participants to Beneficial Owners then of record with proceeds received from the Trust.
28
The Fund makes additional distributions to the extent necessary (i) to distribute the entire annual taxable income of the Fund, plus any net capital gains and (ii) to avoid imposition of the excise tax imposed by Section 4982 of the Code. Management of the Trust reserves the right to declare special dividends if, in its reasonable discretion, such action is necessary or advisable to preserve the Fund’s eligibility for treatment as a RIC or to avoid imposition of income or excise taxes on undistributed income.
Dividend Reinvestment Service. The Trust will not make the DTC book-entry dividend reinvestment service available for use by Beneficial Owners for reinvestment of their cash proceeds, but certain individual broker-dealers may make available the DTC book- entry Dividend Reinvestment Service for use by Beneficial Owners of the Fund through DTC Participants for reinvestment of their dividend distributions. Investors should contact their brokers to ascertain the availability and description of these services. Beneficial Owners should be aware that each broker may require investors to adhere to specific procedures and timetables to participate in the dividend reinvestment service and investors should ascertain from their brokers such necessary details. If this service is available and used, dividend distributions of both income and realized gains will be automatically reinvested in additional whole Shares issued by the Trust of the Fund at NAV per Share. Distributions reinvested in additional Shares will nevertheless be taxable to Beneficial Owners acquiring such additional Shares to the same extent as if such distributions had been received in cash.
FEDERAL INCOME TAXES
The following is only a summary of certain U.S. federal income tax considerations generally affecting the Fund and its shareholders that supplements the discussion in the Prospectus. No attempt is made to present a comprehensive explanation of the federal, state, local or foreign tax treatment of the Fund or its shareholders, and the discussion here and in the Prospectus is not intended to be a substitute for careful tax planning.
The following general discussion of certain U.S. federal income tax consequences is based on provisions of the Code and the regulations issued thereunder as in effect on the date of this SAI. New legislation, as well as administrative changes or court decisions, may significantly change the conclusions expressed herein, and may have a retroactive effect with respect to the transactions contemplated herein.
Shareholders are urged to consult their own tax advisers regarding the application of the provisions of tax law described in this SAI in light of the particular tax situations of the shareholders and regarding specific questions as to federal, state, foreign or local taxes.
Taxation of the Fund. The Fund has elected and intends to continue to qualify each year to be treated as a separate RIC under the Code. As such, the Fund should not be subject to federal income taxes on their net investment income and capital gains, if any, to the extent that they timely distribute such income and capital gains to their shareholders. To qualify for treatment as a RIC, the Fund must distribute annually to its shareholders at least the sum of 90% of its net investment income (generally including the excess of net short- term capital gains over net long-term capital losses) and 90% of its net tax-exempt interest income, if any (the “Distribution Requirement”) and also must meet several additional requirements. Among these requirements are the following: (i) at least 90% of the Fund’s gross income each taxable year must be derived from dividends, interest, payments with respect to certain securities loans, gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities or foreign currencies, or other income derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock, securities or foreign currencies and net income derived from interests in qualified publicly traded partnerships (the “Qualifying Income Requirement”); and (ii) at the end of each quarter of the Fund’s taxable year, the Fund’s assets must be diversified so that (a) at least 50% of the value of the Fund’s total assets is represented by cash and cash items, U.S. government securities, securities of other RICs, and other securities, with such other securities limited, in respect to any one issuer, to an amount not greater in value than 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets and to not more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer, including the equity securities of a qualified publicly traded partnership, and (b) not more than 25% of the value of its total assets is invested, including through corporations in which the Fund owns a 20% or more voting stock interest, in the securities (other than U.S. government securities or securities of other RICs) of any one issuer, the securities (other than securities of other RICs) of two or more issuers which the Fund controls and which are engaged in the same, similar, or related trades or businesses, or the securities of one or more qualified publicly traded partnerships (the “Diversification Requirement”).
To the extent the Fund makes investments that may generate income that is not qualifying income, including certain derivatives, the Fund will seek to restrict the resulting income from such investments so that the Fund’s non-qualifying income does not exceed 10% of its gross income.
Although the Fund intends to distribute substantially all of its net investment income and may distribute their capital gains for any taxable year, the Fund will be subject to federal income taxation to the extent any such income or gains are not distributed. The Fund is treated as a separate corporation for federal income tax purposes. The Fund therefore is considered to be a separate entity in determining its treatment under the rules for RICs described herein. The requirements (other than certain organizational requirements) for qualifying RIC status are determined at the fund level rather than at the Trust level.
29
If the Fund fails to satisfy the Qualifying Income Requirement or the Diversification Requirement in any taxable year, the Fund may be eligible for relief provisions if the failures are due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect and if a penalty tax is paid with respect to each failure to satisfy the applicable requirements. Additionally, relief is provided for certain de minimis failures of the Diversification Requirement where the Fund corrects the failure within a specified period of time. To be eligible for the relief provisions with respect to a failure to meet the Diversification Requirement, the Fund may be required to dispose of certain assets. If these relief provisions were not available to the Fund and it were to fail to qualify for treatment as a RIC for a taxable year, all of its taxable income would be subject to tax at the regular 21% corporate rate without any deduction for distributions to shareholders, and its distributions (including capital gains distributions) generally would be taxable to the shareholders of the Fund as ordinary income dividends, subject to the dividends received deduction for corporate shareholders and the lower tax rates on qualified dividend income received by non-corporate shareholders, subject to certain limitations. To requalify for treatment as a RIC in a subsequent taxable year, the Fund would be required to satisfy the RIC qualification requirements for that year and to distribute any earnings and profits from any year in which the Fund failed to qualify for tax treatment as a RIC. If the Fund failed to qualify as a RIC for a period greater than two taxable years, it would generally be required to pay a Fund-level tax on certain net built in gains recognized with respect to certain of its assets upon a disposition of such assets within five years of qualifying as a RIC in a subsequent year. The Board reserves the right not to maintain the qualification of the Fund for treatment as a RIC if it determines such course of action to be beneficial to shareholders. If the Fund determines that it will not qualify as a RIC, the Fund will establish procedures to reflect the anticipated tax liability in the Fund’s NAV.
The Fund may elect to treat part or all of any “qualified late year loss” as if it had been incurred in the succeeding taxable year in determining the Fund’s taxable income, net capital gain, net short-term capital gain, and earnings and profits. The effect of this election is to treat any such “qualified late year loss” as if it had been incurred in the succeeding taxable year in characterizing Fund distributions for any calendar year. A “qualified late year loss” generally includes net capital loss, net long-term capital loss, or net short-term capital loss incurred after October 31 of the current taxable year (commonly referred to as “post-October losses”) and certain other late-year losses.
Capital losses in excess of capital gains (“net capital losses”) are not permitted to be deducted against a RIC’s net investment income. Instead, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, potentially subject to certain limitations, the Fund may carry a net capital loss from any taxable year forward indefinitely to offset its capital gains, if any, in years following the year of the loss. To the extent subsequent capital gains are offset by such losses, they will not result in U.S. federal income tax liability to the Fund and may not be distributed as capital gains to its shareholders. Generally, the Fund may not carry forward any losses other than net capital losses. The carryover of capital losses may be limited under the general loss limitation rules if the Fund experiences an ownership change as defined in the Code. As of October 31, 2025, the Fund had $510,643 short-term and $0 long-term capital loss carry forwards, not subject to expiration.
The Fund will be subject to a nondeductible 4% federal excise tax on certain undistributed income if it does not distribute to its shareholders in each calendar year an amount at least equal to 98% of its ordinary income for the calendar year plus 98.2% of its capital gain net income for the one-year period ending on October 31 of that year, subject to an increase for any shortfall in the prior year’s distribution. For this purpose, any ordinary income or capital gain net income retained by the Fund and subject to corporate income tax will be considered to have been distributed. The Fund intends to declare and distribute dividends and distributions in the amounts and at the times necessary to avoid the application of the excise tax, but can make no assurances that all such tax liability will be eliminated. The Fund may in certain circumstances be required to liquidate Fund investments in order to make sufficient distributions to avoid federal excise tax liability at a time when the investment adviser might not otherwise have chosen to do so, and liquidation of investments in such circumstances may affect the ability of the Fund to satisfy the requirement for qualification as a RIC.
If the Fund meets the Distribution Requirement but retains some or all of its income or gains, it will be subject to federal income tax to the extent any such income or gains are not distributed. The Fund may designate certain amounts retained as undistributed net capital gain in a notice to its shareholders, who (i) will be required to include in income for U.S. federal income tax purposes, as long-term capital gain, their proportionate shares of the undistributed amount so designated, (ii) will be entitled to credit their proportionate shares of the income tax paid by the Fund on that undistributed amount against their federal income tax liabilities and to claim refunds to the extent such credits exceed their tax liabilities, and (iii) will be entitled to increase their tax basis, for federal income tax purposes, in their Shares by an amount equal to the excess of the amount of undistributed net capital gain included in their respective income over their respective income tax credits.
Taxation of Shareholders – Distributions. The Fund intends to distribute substantially all of its net investment income as dividends on a monthly basis and any net capital gains at least annually. The distribution of investment company taxable income (as so computed) and net realized capital gain will be taxable to Fund shareholders regardless of whether the shareholder receives these distributions in cash or reinvests them in additional Shares.
The Fund (or your broker) will report to shareholders annually the amounts of dividends paid from ordinary income, the amount of distributions of net capital gain, the portion of dividends which may qualify for the dividends-received deduction for corporations, and the portion of dividends which may qualify for treatment as qualified dividend income, which is taxable to non-corporate shareholders at rates of up to 20%.
30
Qualified dividend income includes, in general, subject to certain holding period and other requirements, dividend income from taxable domestic corporations and certain foreign corporations. Subject to certain limitations, eligible foreign corporations include those incorporated in possessions of the United States, those incorporated in certain countries with comprehensive tax treaties with the United States, and other foreign corporations if the stock with respect to which the dividends are paid is readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States. Dividends received by the Fund from an ETF, an underlying fund taxable as a RIC, or from a REIT may be treated as qualified dividend income generally only to the extent so reported by such ETF, underlying fund, or REIT, however, dividends received by the Fund from a REIT are generally not treated as qualified dividend income. If 95% or more of the Fund’s gross income (calculated without taking into account net capital gain derived from sales or other dispositions of stock or securities) consists of qualified dividend income, the Fund may report all distributions of such income as qualified dividend income.
Fund dividends will not be treated as qualified dividend income if the Fund does not meet holding period and other requirements with respect to dividend paying stocks in its portfolio, and the shareholder does not meet holding period and other requirements with respect to the Shares on which the dividends were paid.
Distributions by the Fund of its net short-term capital gains will be taxable as ordinary income. Distributions from the Fund’s net capital gain will be taxable to shareholders at long-term capital gains rates, regardless of how long shareholders have held their Shares. Distributions may be subject to state and local taxes.
In the case of corporate shareholders, certain dividends received by the Fund from U.S. corporations (generally, dividends received by the Fund in respect of any share of stock (1) with a tax holding period of at least 46 days during the 91-day period beginning on the date that is 45 days before the date on which the stock becomes ex-dividend as to that dividend and (2) that is held in an unleveraged position) and distributed and appropriately so reported by the Fund may be eligible for the 50% dividends received deduction. Certain preferred stock must have a holding period of at least 91 days during the 181-day period beginning on the date that is 90 days before the date on which the stock becomes ex-dividend as to that dividend to be eligible. Capital gain dividends distributed to the Fund from other RICs are not eligible for the dividends received deduction. To qualify for the deduction, corporate shareholders must meet the minimum holding period requirement stated above with respect to their Shares, taking into account any holding period reductions from certain hedging or other transactions or positions that diminish their risk of loss with respect to their Shares, and, if they borrow to acquire or otherwise incur debt attributable to Shares, they may be denied a portion of the dividends received deduction with respect to those Shares.
Under recently issued final Treasury Regulations, a RIC that receives business interest income may pass through its net business interest income for purposes of the tax rules applicable to the interest expense limitations under Section 163(j) of the Code. A RIC’s total “Section 163(j) Interest Dividend” for a tax year is limited to the excess of the RIC’s business interest income over the sum of its business interest expense and its other deductions properly allocable to its business interest income. A RIC may, in its discretion, designate all or a portion of ordinary dividends as Section 163(j) Interest Dividends, which would allow the recipient shareholder to treat the designated portion of such dividends as interest income for purposes of determining such shareholder’s interest expense deduction limitation under Section 163(j). This can potentially increase the amount of a shareholder’s interest expense deductible under Section 163(j). In general, to be eligible to treat a Section 163(j) Interest Dividend as interest income, you must have held your shares in the Fund for more than 180 days during the 361-day period beginning on the date that is 180 days before the date on which the share becomes ex-dividend with respect to such dividend. Section 163(j) Interest Dividends, if so designated by the Fund, will be reported to your financial intermediary or otherwise in accordance with the requirements specified by the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”).
Although dividends generally will be treated as distributed when paid, any dividend declared by the Fund in October, November or December and payable to shareholders of record in such a month that is paid during the following January will be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as received by shareholders on December 31 of the calendar year in which it was declared.
Shareholders who have not held Shares for a full year should be aware that the Fund may report and distribute, as ordinary dividends or capital gain dividends, a percentage of income that is not equal to the percentage of the Fund’s ordinary income or net capital gain, respectively, actually earned during the applicable shareholder’s period of investment in the Fund. A taxable shareholder may wish to avoid investing in the Fund shortly before a dividend or other distribution, because the distribution will generally be taxable even though it may economically represent a return of a portion of the shareholder’s investment.
To the extent that the Fund makes a distribution of income received by the Fund in lieu of dividends (a “substitute payment”) with respect to securities on loan pursuant to a securities lending transaction, such income will not constitute qualified dividend income to individual shareholders and will not be eligible for the dividends received deduction for corporate shareholders.
If the Fund’s distributions exceed its earnings and profits, all or a portion of the distributions made for a taxable year may be recharacterized as a return of capital to shareholders. A return of capital distribution will generally not be taxable, but will reduce each shareholder’s cost basis in the Fund and result in a higher capital gain or lower capital loss when the Shares on which the distribution was received are sold. After a shareholder’s basis in the Shares has been reduced to zero, distributions in excess of earnings and profits will be treated as gain from the sale of the shareholder’s Shares.
31
Taxation of Shareholders – Sale, Redemption, or Exchange of Shares. A sale, redemption, or exchange of Shares may give rise to a gain or loss. For tax purposes, an exchange of your Fund shares of a different fund is the same as a sale. In general, any gain or loss realized upon a taxable disposition of Shares will be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if Shares have been held for more than 12 months. Otherwise, the gain or loss on the taxable disposition of Shares will generally be treated as short-term capital gain or loss. Any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of Shares held for six months or less will be treated as long-term capital loss, rather than short-term capital loss, to the extent of any amounts treated as distributions to the shareholder of long-term capital gain (including any amounts credited to the shareholder as undistributed capital gains). All or a portion of any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of Shares may be disallowed if substantially identical Shares are acquired (through the reinvestment of dividends or otherwise) within a 61-day period beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the disposition. In such a case, the basis of the newly acquired Shares will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss.
The cost basis of Shares acquired by purchase will generally be based on the amount paid for Shares and then may be subsequently adjusted for other applicable transactions as required by the Code. The difference between the selling price and the cost basis of Shares generally determines the amount of the capital gain or loss realized on the sale or exchange of Shares. Contact the broker through whom you purchased your Shares to obtain information with respect to the available cost basis reporting methods and elections for your account.
An Authorized Participant who exchanges securities for Creation Units generally will recognize a gain or a loss. The gain or loss will be equal to the difference between the market value of the Creation Units at the time and the sum of the exchanger’s aggregate basis in the securities surrendered plus the amount of cash paid for such Creation Units. A person who redeems Creation Units will generally recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the exchanger’s basis in the Creation Units and the sum of the aggregate market value of any securities received plus the amount of any cash received for such Creation Units. The ability of Authorized Participants to receive a full or partial cash redemption of Creation Units of the Fund may limit the tax efficiency of such Fund. The IRS, however, may assert that a loss realized upon an exchange of securities for Creation Units cannot currently be deducted under the rules governing “wash sales” (for a person who does not mark-to-market its portfolio) or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic position.
Any gain or loss realized upon a creation or redemption of Creation Units will be treated as capital or ordinary gain or loss, depending on the circumstances. Any capital gain or loss realized upon the creation of Creation Units will generally be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the securities exchanged for such Creation Units have been held for more than one year. Any capital gain or loss realized upon the redemption of Creation Units will generally be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if Shares comprising the Creation Units have been held for more than one year. Otherwise, such capital gains or losses will generally be treated as short-term capital gains or losses. Any capital loss upon a redemption of Creation Units held for six months or less may be treated as long-term capital loss to the extent of any amounts treated as distributions to the applicable Authorized Participant of long-term capital gain with respect to the Creation Units (including any amounts credited to the Authorized Participant as undistributed capital gains).
The Trust, on behalf of the Fund, has the right to reject an order for Creation Units if the purchaser (or a group of purchasers) would, upon obtaining the Creation Units so ordered, own 80% or more of the outstanding Shares and if, pursuant to Section 351 of the Code, the Fund would have a basis in the deposit securities different from the market value of such securities on the date of deposit. The Trust also has the right to require the provision of information necessary to determine beneficial Share ownership for purposes of the 80% determination. If the Fund does issue Creation Units to a purchaser (or a group of purchasers) that would, upon obtaining the Creation Units so ordered, own 80% or more of the outstanding Shares, the purchaser (or a group of purchasers) will not recognize gain or loss upon the exchange of securities for Creation Units.
Authorized Participants purchasing or redeeming Creation Units should consult their own tax advisers with respect to the tax treatment of any creation or redemption transaction and whether the wash sales rule applies and when a loss may be deductible.
Taxation of Shareholders – Net Investment Income Tax. U.S. individuals with adjusted gross income (subject to certain adjustments) exceeding certain threshold amounts ($250,000 if married filing jointly or if considered a “surviving spouse” for federal income tax purposes, $125,000 if married filing separately, and $200,000 in other cases) are subject to a 3.8% tax on all or a portion of their “net investment income,” which includes taxable interest, dividends, and certain capital gains (generally including capital gain distributions and capital gains realized on the sale of Shares). This 3.8% tax also applies to all or a portion of the undistributed net investment income of certain shareholders that are estates and trusts.
32
Taxation of Fund Investments. Certain of the Fund’s investments may be subject to complex provisions of the Code (including provisions relating to hedging transactions, straddles, integrated transactions, foreign currency contracts, forward foreign currency contracts, and notional principal contracts) that, among other things, may affect the Fund’s ability to qualify as a RIC, affect the character of gains and losses realized by the Fund (e.g., may affect whether gains or losses are ordinary or capital), accelerate recognition of income to the Fund and defer losses. These rules could therefore affect the character, amount and timing of distributions to shareholders. These provisions also may require the Fund to mark to market certain types of positions in its portfolio (i.e., treat them as if they were closed out) which may cause the Fund to recognize income without the Fund receiving cash with which to make distributions in amounts sufficient to enable the Fund to satisfy the RIC distribution requirements for avoiding income and excise taxes. The Fund intends to monitor its transactions, intends to make appropriate tax elections, and intends to make appropriate entries in its books and records in order to mitigate the effect of these rules and preserve the Fund’s qualification for treatment as a RIC. To the extent the Fund invests in an underlying fund that is taxable as a RIC, the rules applicable to the tax treatment of complex securities will also apply to the underlying funds that also invest in such complex securities and investments.
Backup Withholding. The Fund will be required in certain cases to withhold (as “backup withholding”) on amounts payable to any shareholder who (1) fails to provide a correct taxpayer identification number certified under penalty of perjury; (2) is subject to backup withholding by the IRS for failure to properly report all payments of interest or dividends; (3) fails to provide a certified statement that he or she is not subject to “backup withholding”; or (4) fails to provide a certified statement that he or she is a U.S. person (including a U.S. resident alien). The backup withholding rate is currently 24%. Backup withholding is not an additional tax and any amounts withheld may be credited against the shareholder’s ultimate U.S. tax liability. Backup withholding will not be applied to payments that have been subject to the 30% withholding tax on shareholders who are neither citizens nor permanent residents of the U.S.
Non-U.S. Shareholders. Any non-U.S. investors in the Fund may be subject to U.S. withholding and estate tax and are encouraged to consult their tax advisers prior to investing in the Fund. Foreign shareholders (i.e., nonresident alien individuals and foreign corporations, partnerships, trusts and estates) are generally subject to U.S. withholding tax at the rate of 30% (or a lower tax treaty rate) on distributions derived from taxable ordinary income. The Fund may, under certain circumstances, report all or a portion of a dividend as an “interest-related dividend” or a “short-term capital gain dividend,” which would generally be exempt from this 30% U.S. withholding tax, provided certain other requirements are met. Short-term capital gain dividends received by a nonresident alien individual who is present in the U.S. for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the taxable year are not exempt from this 30% withholding tax. Gains realized by foreign shareholders from the sale or other disposition of Shares generally are not subject to U.S. taxation, unless the recipient is an individual who is physically present in the U.S. for 183 days or more per year. Foreign shareholders who fail to provide an applicable IRS form may be subject to backup withholding on certain payments from the Fund. Backup withholding will not be applied to payments that are subject to the 30% (or lower applicable treaty rate) withholding tax described in this paragraph. Different tax consequences may result if the foreign shareholder is engaged in a trade or business within the United States. In addition, the tax consequences to a foreign shareholder entitled to claim the benefits of a tax treaty may be different than those described above.
Under legislation generally known as “FATCA” (the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act), the Fund is required to withhold 30% of certain ordinary dividends it pays to shareholders that fail to meet prescribed information reporting or certification requirements. In general, no such withholding will be required with respect to a U.S. person or non-U.S. person that timely provides the certifications required by a fund or its agent on a valid IRS Form W-9 or applicable series of IRS Form W-8, respectively. Shareholders potentially subject to withholding include foreign financial institutions (“FFIs”), such as non-U.S. investment funds, and non-financial foreign entities (“NFFEs”). To avoid withholding under FATCA, an FFI generally must enter into an information sharing agreement with the IRS in which it agrees to report certain identifying information (including name, address, and taxpayer identification number) with respect to its U.S. account holders (which, in the case of an entity shareholder, may include its direct and indirect U.S. owners), and an NFFE generally must identify and provide other required information to the Fund or other withholding agent regarding its U.S. owners, if any. Such non-U.S. shareholders also may fall into certain exempt, excepted or deemed compliant categories as established by regulations and other guidance. A non-U.S. shareholder resident or doing business in a country that has entered into an intergovernmental agreement with the United States to implement FATCA will be exempt from FATCA withholding provided that the shareholder and the applicable foreign government comply with the terms of the agreement.
A non-U.S. entity that invests in the Fund will need to provide the Fund with documentation properly certifying the entity’s status under FATCA in order to avoid FATCA withholding. Non-U.S. investors in the Fund should consult their tax advisors in this regard.
33
Tax-Exempt Shareholders. Certain tax-exempt shareholders, including qualified pension plans, individual retirement accounts, salary deferral arrangements, 401(k) plans, and other tax-exempt entities, generally are exempt from federal income taxation except with respect to their unrelated business taxable income (“UBTI”). Tax-exempt entities are not permitted to offset losses from one unrelated trade or business against the income or gain of another unrelated trade or business. Certain net losses incurred prior to January 1, 2018 are permitted to offset gain and income created by an unrelated trade or business, if otherwise available. Under current law, the Fund generally serves to block UBTI from being realized by its tax-exempt shareholders with respect to their shares of Fund income. However, notwithstanding the foregoing, tax-exempt shareholders could realize UBTI by virtue of their investment in the Fund if, for example, (i) the Fund invests in residual interests of Real Estate Mortgage Investment Conduits (“REMICs”), (ii) the Fund invests in a REIT that is a taxable mortgage pool (“TMP”) or that has a subsidiary that is a TMP or that invests in the residual interest of a REMIC, or (iii) Shares constitute debt-financed property in the hands of the tax-exempt shareholders within the meaning of section 514(b) of the Code. Charitable remainder trusts are subject to special rules and should consult their tax advisers. The IRS has issued guidance with respect to these issues and prospective shareholders, especially charitable remainder trusts, are strongly encouraged to consult with their tax advisers regarding these issues.
The Fund’s shares held in a tax-qualified retirement account will generally not be subject to federal taxation on income and capital gains distributions from the Fund until a shareholder begins receiving payments from their retirement account. Because each shareholder’s tax situation is different, shareholders should consult their tax advisors with specific reference to their own tax situations, including their state, local, and foreign tax liabilities.
Certain Potential Tax Reporting Requirements. Under U.S. Treasury regulations, if a shareholder recognizes a loss on disposition of Shares of $2 million or more for an individual shareholder or $10 million or more for a corporate shareholder (or certain greater amounts over a combination of years), the shareholder must file with the IRS a disclosure statement on IRS Form 8886. Direct shareholders of portfolio securities are in many cases excepted from this reporting requirement, but under current guidance, shareholders of a RIC are not excepted. Significant penalties may be imposed for the failure to comply with the reporting requirements. The fact that a loss is reportable under these regulations does not affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayer’s treatment of the loss is proper. Shareholders should consult their tax advisers to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances.
Other Issues. In those states which have income tax laws, the tax treatment of Fund and of Fund shareholders with respect to distributions by the Fund may differ from federal tax treatment.
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
The audited financial statements and report of the independent registered public accounting firm required to be included in this SAI are hereby incorporated by reference to the Fund’s Form N-CSR filed with the SEC for fiscal period ended October 31, 2025. You can obtain a copy of the Fund’s Form N-CSR without charge by calling the Fund at 1.877.774.TRUE (8783).
34
APPENDIX A
Proxy Voting Policies
Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures
TrueMark Investments, LLC (the “Firm” and “Advisor”)
General Proxy Voting Policies
The Firm understands and appreciates the importance of proxy voting. To the extent that Firm has discretion to vote the proxies of its registered investment company clients (“RIC Clients”), Firm will vote any such proxies in the best interests of its RIC Clients and in accordance with the policies of the Proxy Service Provider(s)1 (“Provider(s)”), as designated by the Firm, and the procedures outlined below.
Proxy Voting Procedures
| 1) | All proxies sent to the RIC Clients that are actually received by the Firm or recorded by the Provider(s) (to vote on behalf of the RIC Clients) will be provided to the Firm. |
| 2) | The Firm will instruct the Provider(s) to generally adhere to the following procedures (subject to limited exception): |
| a) | A written record of each proxy received by the Firm or recorded by the Provider(s) (on behalf of its RIC Clients) will be kept in Firm’s files; |
| b) | The Provider(s) and the Firm will determine which of Firm’s RIC Clients hold the security to which the proxy relates; |
| c) | The Firm will review the proxy and, based upon the advice/recommendation from the Provider(s), determine how to vote the proxy in question in accordance with the guidelines set forth herein. |
| d) | Prior to voting any proxies, the Firm will attempt to determine if there are any conflicts of interest related to the proxy in question. If a conflict is identified, the Chief Compliance Officer will be notified so a determination can be made as to whether the conflict is material or not. |
| i) | If no material conflict is identified pursuant to these procedures, the Firm will make a decision on how to vote the proxy in question. |
Handling Conflicts of Interest
| 1) | As stated above, in evaluating how to vote a proxy, the Firm will first determine whether there is a conflict of interest related to the proxy in question between Firm and its advisory clients. This examination will include (but will not be limited to) an evaluation of whether the Firm (or any affiliate of the Firm has any relationship with the company or an affiliate of the company) to which the proxy relates outside an investment in such company by a RIC Client of the Firm. |
| 2) | If a conflict is identified and deemed “material” by the Firm after consultation with the CCO, the Firm will determine whether voting in accordance with these proxy voting guidelines is in the best interests of affected RIC Clients. |
Voting Guidelines
In the absence of specific voting guidelines mandated by a particular RIC Client, the Firm will endeavor to vote proxies in the best interests of each RIC Client via the Provider(s) policy.
In some foreign markets where proxy voting demands fee payment for agent services, the Firm will balance the cost and benefit of proxy voting and may give up the proxy voting if the cost associated is greater than the benefits from voting.
| 1) | Although how proxies are voted is subject to the discretion of the Firm, the Firm is of the view that voting proxies in accordance with the following general guidelines is in the best interests of its RIC Clients: |
| a) | The Firm will generally vote in favor of routine corporate housekeeping proposals including, but not limited to, the following: |
1 Before engaging a proxy provider and during the course of the relationship, the Firm will conduct appropriate due diligence/oversight. Records of this due diligence/oversight will be maintained in the Firm’s records.
A-1
| i) | Election of directors (where there are no related corporate governance issues); |
| ii) | Selection or reappointment of auditors; or |
| iii) | Increasing or reclassification of common stock. |
| b) | The Firm will generally vote against proposals that: |
| i) | Make it more difficult to replace members of the issuer’s board of directors or board of managers; and |
| ii) | Introduce unequal voting rights (although there may be regulatory reasons that would make such a proposal favorable to certain RIC Clients of the Firm). |
| c) | The Firm will generally vote against proposals that make it more difficult for an issuer to be taken over by outsiders, and in favor of proposals to do the opposite. |
| d) | The Firm will generally vote in favor of proposals by management or shareholders concerning various compensation and stock option plans that will act to make management and employee compensation more dependent on long-term stock price performance. |
| e) | The Firm will generally vote against proposals to move the company to another state less favorable to shareholders’ interests, or to restructure classes of stock in such a way as to benefit one class of shareholders at the expense of another, such as dual classes (A and B shares) of stock. |
Disclosure of Procedures
For RIC Clients, the Firm will work with the RIC Clients to provide the necessary information for the Form N-PX and will review such information for accuracy.
Record-keeping Requirements
The Firm via the Provider(s) will be responsible for maintaining files relating to the Firm’s proxy voting procedures. Records will be maintained and preserved for five (5) years from the end of the fiscal year during which the last entry was made on a record, with records for the first two (2) years kept in the offices of the Firm. The Firm is permitted to maintain these records in electronic format. Records of the following will be included in the files:
| 1) | Copies of these proxy voting policies and procedures, and any amendments thereto; |
| 2) | A copy of each proxy statement that the Firm or the Provider(s) actually receives; provided, however, that the Firm may rely on obtaining a copy of proxy statements from the SEC’s EDGAR system for those proxy statements that are so available; |
| 3) | A record of each vote that the Firm via the Provider(s) casts; |
| 4) | A copy of any document that the Firm created that was material to making a decision how to vote the proxies, or memorializes that decision (if any); and |
| 5) | A copy of each written request for information on how the Firm voted such RIC Clients’ proxies and a copy of any written response to any request for information on how the Firm voted proxies on behalf of the RIC Clients. |
A-2
PROSPECTUS
February 27, 2026
|
TrueShares ConVequity ETF (PVEX) |
| Principal U.S. Listing Exchange: (Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc.) |
a series of Elevation Series Trust
This Prospectus provides important information about TRUESHARES CONVEQUITY ETF that you should know before investing. Please read it carefully and keep it for future reference.
THE U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION (“SEC”) HAS NOT APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED OF THESE SECURITIES OR PASSED UPON THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS PROSPECTUS. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
The investment objective of TrueShares ConVequity ETF (the “Fund”) is capital appreciation with the potential for lower volatility relative to the broader U.S. large cap equity market.
The following table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund (“Shares”). You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table and Example below.
| Management Fees | |
| Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees | |
| Other Expenses | |
| Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses1 | |
| Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses |
|
1
|
|
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then hold or sell all of your Shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. The Example does not take into account brokerage commissions that you may pay on your purchases and sales of Shares. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
| 1 Year | 3 Years | 5 Years | 10 Years |
| $ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
The Fund pays transaction costs, such
as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate
may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which
are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance. For the period June
27, 2025 through October 31, 2025, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was
The Fund is an actively managed exchange-traded fund (“ETF”) that aims to provide the benefits of partial U.S. large cap equity market exposure while mitigating a meaningful portion of the risk posed by a decline in U.S. large cap equity markets. The adviser’s strategy is designed to achieve the Fund’s goals, typically, through the use of annual (one-year) option positions laddered across rolling three-month periods. This strategy potentially results in capital appreciation with lower volatility and mitigated downside equity market risk. The Fund’s first “ladder” of options positions will have four sets of expiration dates set at approximately at one-quarter, two-quarters, three-quarters, and one-year from the date the Fund commences operations. Approximately one-fourth of the Fund’s option positions will expire quarterly and will be replaced with one-year options.
The Fund seeks to achieve these goals by combining: (1) an investment of substantially all its assets in a portfolio of income-generating securities with (2) an investment in a combination of written put options and purchased call options on securities or indexes that are representative of U.S. large capitalization companies. Additionally, “ConVequity” in the Fund’s name is a combination word reference to the expected accelerated (i.e. convex) returns from the Fund’s equity-linked call options portfolio. The adviser expects that the options portfolio will contribute to capital appreciation, but with lower volatility relative to the broader U.S. large cap equity market.
1
Income Component
The Fund seeks income through a strategy focused primarily on a variety of income-producing securities. The Fund invests primarily in: (i) U.S. Treasuries; (ii) U.S. government and corporate bonds; (iii) AAA rated tranches of collateralized loan obligations (“CLOs”); (iv) preferred stock; (v) pre-merger special purpose acquisition companies (“SPACs”); (vi) investment company debt; and (vii) income-producing ETFs. CLOs are a type of special purpose vehicle that issue securities generally backed by an asset or a pool of assets that serve as collateral. Most CLOs are issued in multiple tranches, offering investors various maturity and credit risk characteristics, often categorized as senior, mezzanine and subordinated/equity according to their degree of risk. The Fund invests in only the highest-rated AAA senior tranches of CLOs. A SPAC is a “blank check” company with no commercial operations that is designed to raise capital via an initial public offering for the purpose of engaging in a merger, acquisition, reorganization, or similar business combination with one or more operating companies. Pre-merger SPACs are SPACs that are either seeking a target for a business combination or have not yet completed a combination with an identified target. However, pre-merger SPACs do not typically pay dividends or other forms of income, rather they are purchased at a discount and accrue interest much like a zero coupon bond.
The Fund invests without restriction as to the maturity of any individual debt instrument, but anticipates a typical average maturity of less than five years for the debt instrument portion of its income portfolio. The Fund restricts credit quality to investment grade debt instruments, at the time of purchase. The Fund defines investment grade debt as that rated BBB- or higher by S&P Global Ratings (formerly known as Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services) or similarly by another nationally recognized statistical rating organization, or, if unrated, determined by the adviser to be of equivalent quality. Generally, the adviser constructs this portion of the Fund’s portfolio to maximize yield within the constraints described above. The adviser focuses on a buy and hold approach but may sell a security when a more attractive security becomes available.
To generate higher income, the Fund may also employ an option box spread strategy. While gains from options are capital gains, this options strategy is commonly referred to as an income producer and, therefore, is included in the Fund’s income component description. A box spread is a four-part, same expiration date, option portfolio with a maturity payout that does not vary and is considered a form of synthetic money market instrument. For example, the four parts of a box spread could be composed of (i) a long $5 in-the-money call option position paired with (ii) a written $5 out-of-the-money call option position; and (iii) a long $5 in-the-money put option position paired with (iv) a written $5 out-of-the-money put option position. At expiration of the options, no matter what the price of the underlying reference asset is, the payout to the Fund will be $10. If the Fund can construct this portfolio for less than $10 it will be profitable at expiration.
The chart below illustrates the $10 payout that results from the example above. As the call leg increases in value, the put leg decreases in value such that, in total, the payoff is always $10.

Options Component
The Fund seeks partial U.S. large cap equity exposure by investing in standardized exchange-listed options or in exchange-traded FLexible EXchange Options® (“FLEX Options”), which are customized exchange-traded option contracts available through the Chicago Board Option Exchange (“Cboe”) that are guaranteed for settlement by The Options Clearing Corporation (“OCC”). The adviser selects options on securities, indexes, or ETFs that it believes are representative of U.S. large capitalization companies. The Fund defines large-capitalization companies as those with market capitalizations above $10 billion at the time of measurement, and defines U.S. companies as those organized in the U.S.; having a class of securities whose principal securities market is in the U.S.; or derives 50% or more of its total revenues or earnings from goods produced, sales made, or services provided in the U.S., or maintains 50% or more of its employees, assets, investments, operations, or other business activity in the U.S.
2
A call option gives the owner the right, but not the obligation, to buy a reference asset at a specified price (strike price) within or at the end of a specific time period. In the event the reference asset declines in value, the value of a call option generally will decrease, whereas the value of a call option will generally increase if the reference asset appreciates in value. A put option gives the owner the right, but not the obligation, to sell a reference asset at a specified price (strike price) within or at the end of a specific time period. In the event the reference asset declines in value, the value of a put option generally will increase, whereas the value of a put option will generally decrease if the reference asset appreciates in value. Under normal circumstances, the Fund anticipates trading annual (one-year) options laddered across rolling three-month periods (i.e., quarterly); however, the Fund may trade options with expiration dates that are modestly longer or shorter for a number of reasons such as if market volatility renders them more cost-effective. “Laddered” in this context refers to the Fund trading one-year options positions at the beginning of each quarter so that the expiration dates of the overall options portfolio are staggered (i.e., three-months apart). The goal of this laddered approach is to mitigate timing risks associated with the entire options portfolio expiring at a time when the relative price of the reference asset is unfavorable.
To generate partial exposure to U.S. large capitalization companies, the Fund writes a put option that is modestly in-the-money (e.g. strike price of $104 when the reference asset is at $100); while also purchasing a modestly out-of-the-money call option (e.g. strike price of $106 when the reference asset is at $100). The Fund may also use a ladder of call options (i.e., purchasing call options with varying strike prices that are modestly out-of-the-money) when the adviser believes this is a more economically efficient means to capture U.S. large cap equity market gains. The Fund writes put options that collectively represent approximately 50% of notional portfolio exposure, while utilizing the call options (that collectively represent approximately 100% of notional portfolio exposure) to provide significant exposure to the U.S. large cap equity market. The adviser’s selection of option strike prices is dependent on an analysis of the complex interaction between strike price, interest rates, maturity, and volatility. By using this combination of options, the Fund intends to capture a significant portion of U.S. large cap equity market gains if the option strike price is breached while only exposing the Fund to approximately half of U.S. large cap equity market losses.
The Fund is classified as a “non-diversified” investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, which means that the Fund may invest a higher percentage of its assets in a fewer number of issuers than is permissible for a “diversified” fund.
Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund
The principal risks of investing in the
Fund are summarized below. Each risk summarized below is considered a “principal risk” of investing in the Fund, regardless
of the order in which it appears.
| ● | Options Risk. Buying and selling (writing) options are speculative activities and entail greater than ordinary investment risks. As the buyer of a call option, the Fund risks losing the entire premium invested in the option if the Fund does not exercise the option. As the writer of a put option the Fund risks significant losses if the reference asset price falls below the strike price. |
| ● | FLEX Options Risk. The Fund may invest in FLEX Options issued and guaranteed for settlement by the OCC. The Fund bears the risk that the OCC will be unable or unwilling to perform its obligations under the FLEX Options contracts. Additionally, FLEX Options may become illiquid, and in such cases, the Fund may have difficulty closing out certain FLEX Options positions at desired times and prices. |
| ● | Derivatives Risk. Options are a derivative investment. The Fund’s use of derivatives involves risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other traditional investments. These risks include (i) the risk that the counterparty to a derivative transaction may not fulfill its contractual obligations; (ii) the risk of mispricing or improper valuation; and (iii) the risk that changes in the value of a derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset or index. Derivative prices may be highly volatile at times and may fluctuate substantially during a short period of time. |
| ● | Active Management Risk. The adviser’s judgments about an investment may prove to be incorrect or fail to have the intended results, which could adversely impact the Fund’s performance. The adviser’s strategy will not fully protect the Fund from declines in the U.S. large cap equity market and will not allow the Fund to fully participate in U.S. large cap market upside. When the adviser selects out-of-the-money call options, the Fund will not participate in U.S. large cap equity market gains until they exceed the strike price of the call option. Higher call option prices in relation to put option prices will tend to increase the cost of the Fund’s strategy. |
| ● | Equity Market Risk. The Fund invests in options that track the performance of U.S. large capitalization companies, which are made up of common stocks. Common stocks are susceptible to general stock market fluctuations and to volatile increases and decreases in value as market confidence in and perceptions of their issuers change. These investor perceptions are based on various and unpredictable factors including, expectations regarding government, economic, monetary and fiscal policies; inflation and interest rates; economic expansion or contraction; and global or regional political, economic and banking crises. The Fund also may invest in preferred stocks, which are subject to both fixed income risk and common stock risk. The value of preferred stocks will fluctuate with changes in interest rates. Typically, a rise in interest rates causes a decline in the value of preferred stock. Preferred stocks are also subject to credit risk, which is the possibility that an issuer of preferred stock will fail to make its dividend payments. Preferred stock prices tend to move more slowly upwards than common stock prices. |
3
| ● | Large-Capitalization Companies Risk. The securities of large-capitalization companies may be relatively mature compared to smaller companies and therefore subject to slower growth during times of economic expansion. Large-capitalization companies may also be unable to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in technology and consumer tastes. |
| ● | Non-Diversification Risk. Because the Fund is non-diversified and may invest a greater portion of its assets in fewer issuers than a diversified fund, changes in the market value of a single portfolio holding could cause greater fluctuations in the Fund’s share price than would occur in a diversified fund. This may increase the Fund’s volatility and cause the performance of a single portfolio holding or a relatively small number of portfolio holdings to have a greater impact on the Fund’s performance. |
| ● | Fixed Income Securities Risk. When the Fund invests in fixed income securities, the value of your investment in the Fund will fluctuate with changes in interest rates. Typically, a rise in interest rates causes a decline in the value of fixed income securities owned by the Fund. In general, the market price of fixed income securities with longer maturities will increase or decrease more in response to changes in interest rates than shorter-term securities. Other risk factors include credit risk (the debtor may default), extension risk (an issuer may exercise its right to repay principal on a fixed rate obligation held by the Fund later than expected), and prepayment risk (the debtor may pay its obligation early, reducing the amount of interest payments). These risks could affect the value of a particular investment by the Fund, possibly causing the Fund’s share price and total return to be reduced and fluctuate more than other types of investments. |
| ● | Limited History Risk. The Fund has a limited history of operations for investors to evaluate. Investors in the Fund bear the risk that the Fund may not be successful in implementing its investment strategies, may be unable to implement certain of its investment strategies or may fail to attract sufficient assets, any of which could result in the Fund being liquidated and terminated at any time without shareholder approval and at a time that may not be favorable for all shareholders. Such a liquidation could have negative tax consequences for shareholders and will cause shareholders to incur expenses of liquidation. |
| ● | Market and Geopolitical Risk. The increasing interconnectivity between global economies and financial markets increases the likelihood that events or conditions in one region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. Securities in the Fund’s portfolio may underperform due to inflation (or expectations for inflation), interest rates, global demand for particular products or resources, natural disasters, climate change and climate-related events, pandemics, epidemics, terrorism, international conflicts, regulatory events and governmental or quasi-governmental actions. The occurrence of global events similar to those in recent years may result in market volatility and may have long term effects on both the U.S. and global financial markets. |
| ● | Options Premium Tax Risk. The Fund’s investment strategy may limit its ability to distribute dividends eligible for treatment as qualified dividend income, which for non-corporate shareholders are subject to federal income tax at rates of up to 20%. The Fund’s investment strategy may also limit its ability to distribute dividends eligible for the dividends-received deduction for corporate shareholders. For these reasons, a significant portion of distributions received by Fund shareholders may be subject to tax at effective tax rates that are higher than the rates that would apply if the Fund were to engage in a different investment strategy. You should consult your tax advisor as to the tax consequences of acquiring, owning and disposing of Shares in the Fund. |
| ● | U.S. Government Risk. U.S. Treasury obligations are backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. government and generally have negligible credit risk. Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies or authorities and U.S. government-sponsored instrumentalities or enterprises may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. |
| ● | CLO Risk. The Fund and other investors in CLO securities ultimately bear the credit risk of the underlying collateral held by the CLO. If default rates are higher than expected, the collateral cushion supporting a AAA senior tranche will erode, may result in a credit downgrade and decrease the value of the AAA tranche. |
| ● | Pre-Merger SPAC Risk. Unless and until a business combination is completed, a SPAC generally invests its assets in U.S. government securities, money market securities, and cash. Because SPACs have no operating history or ongoing business other than seeking business combinations, the value of their securities is particularly dependent on the ability of the entity’s management to identify and complete a profitable business combination. |
4
| ● | Underlying Funds Risk. The Fund, as a shareholder of the underlying income-producing ETFs, indirectly bears its proportionate share of any investment management fees and other expenses of the underlying income-producing ETFs. Further, due to the fees and expenses paid by the Fund, as well as variations in the Fund’s actual allocations to the underlying income-producing ETFs, the performance and income distributions of the Fund will not be the same as the performance and income distributions of the underlying income-producing ETFs. |
| ● | Sector Concentration Risk. U.S. large capitalization companies may be focused in a particular sector or group of sectors. Economic, legislative or regulatory developments may occur that significantly affect such sector or group of sectors. This may cause the Fund’s net asset value to fluctuate more than that of a fund that does not focus in a particular sector or group of sectors. U.S. large capitalization companies, and thereby the Fund, have significant exposure to the technology sector. Technology companies face intense competition and potentially rapid product obsolescence. Technology companies are heavily dependent on patent and intellectual property rights, the loss or impairment of which may adversely affect profitability. |
| ● | Early Close/Trading Halt Risk. An exchange or market may close or issue trading halts on specific securities, or the ability to buy or sell certain securities or financial instruments may be restricted, which may prevent the Fund from buying or selling certain securities or financial instruments. In these circumstances, the Fund may be unable to rebalance its portfolio, may be unable to accurately price its investments and may incur substantial trading losses. |
| ● | ETF Structure Risks. The Fund is an ETF, and, as a result of an ETF’s structure, it is exposed to the following risks: |
| ○ | Authorized Participants (“APs”), Market Makers, and Liquidity Providers Concentration Risk. The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as Aps. In addition, there may be a limited number of market makers and/or liquidity providers in the marketplace. To the extent either of the following events occur, Shares may trade at a material discount to NAV and possibly face delisting: (i) APs exit the business or otherwise become unable to process creation and/or redemption orders and no other APs step forward to perform these services, or (ii) market makers and/or liquidity providers exit the business or significantly reduce their business activities and no other entities step forward to perform their functions. |
| ○ | Costs of Buying or Selling Shares. Due to the costs of buying or selling Shares, including brokerage commissions imposed by brokers and bid-ask spreads, frequent trading of Shares may significantly reduce investment results and an investment in Shares may not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments. |
| ○ | Shares May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV. As with all ETFs, Shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. Although it is expected that the market price of Shares will approximate the Fund’s NAV, there may be times when the market price of Shares is more than the NAV intra-day (premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (discount) due to supply and demand of Shares or during periods of market volatility. This risk is heightened in times of market volatility, periods of steep market declines, and periods when there is limited trading activity for Shares in the secondary market, in which case such premiums or discounts may be significant. |
| ○ | Trading. Although Shares are listed for trading on Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc. (the “Exchange”) and may be traded on U.S. exchanges other than the Exchange, there can be no assurance that Shares will trade with any volume, or at all, on any stock exchange. In stressed market conditions, the liquidity of Shares may begin to mirror the liquidity of the Fund’s underlying portfolio holdings, which can be significantly less liquid than Shares, and this could lead to differences between the market price of the Shares and the underlying value of those Shares. |
| ● | Cybersecurity Risk. Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to Fund assets or proprietary information, or cause the Fund, the adviser, and/or other service providers (including custodians and financial intermediaries) to suffer data breaches or data corruption. Additionally, cybersecurity failures or breaches of the electronic systems of the Fund, the adviser, the Fund’s other service providers, market makers, APs, the Exchange, or the issuers of securities in which the Fund invests have the ability to disrupt and negatively affect the Fund’s business operations, including the ability to purchase and sell Shares, potentially resulting in financial losses to the Fund and its shareholders. |
5
Management
| Adviser: | TrueMark Investments, LLC |
| Portfolio Manager: | Jeffrey Feldman, Portfolio Manager of TrueMark Investments, LLC and Quantitative Risk Manager of RiverNorth Capital Management, LLC, has served the Fund as portfolio manager since it commenced operations in 2025. |
Purchase and Sale of Shares
Shares are listed on the Exchange, and individual Shares may only be bought and sold in the secondary market through brokers at market prices, rather than NAV. Because Shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, Shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount).
The Fund issues and redeems Shares at NAV only in large blocks known as “Creation Units,” which only APs (typically, broker-dealers) may purchase or redeem. The Fund generally issues and redeems Creation Units in exchange for a portfolio of securities and/ or a designated amount of U.S. cash.
Investors may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase Shares (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for Shares (ask) when buying or selling Shares in the secondary market (the “bid-ask spread”). Recent information about the Fund, including its NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads is available on the Fund’s website at www.True-Shares.com.
Tax Information
Fund distributions are generally taxable as ordinary income or capital gains (or a combination), unless your investment is in an IRA or other tax-advantaged account. Distributions on investments made through tax-deferred arrangements may be taxed later upon withdrawal of assets from those accounts.
Financial Intermediary Compensation
If you purchase Shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank) (an “Intermediary”), the adviser or its affiliates may pay Intermediaries for certain activities related to the Fund, including participation in activities that are designed to make Intermediaries more knowledgeable about exchange traded products, including the Fund, or for other activities, such as marketing, educational training or other initiatives related to the sale or promotion of Shares. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the Intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Any such arrangements do not result in increased Fund expenses. Ask your salesperson or visit the Intermediary’s website for more information.
Additional Information About the Fund
Additional Information About the Fund’s Investment Objective.
The investment objective of TrueShares ConVequity ETF is capital appreciation with the potential for lower volatility relative to the broader U.S. large cap equity market. The Fund’s investment objective may be changed by the Board of Trustees of the Trust (the “Board”) upon written notice to shareholders.
Additional Information About the Fund’s Investment Strategies.
The Fund is an actively managed ETF that aims to provide the benefits of partial U.S. large cap equity market exposure while mitigating a meaningful portion of the risk posed by a decline in U.S. large cap equity markets. The adviser’s strategy is designed to achieve the Fund’s goals, typically, through the use of annual (one-year) option positions laddered across rolling three-month periods. This strategy potentially results in capital appreciation with lower volatility and mitigated downside equity market risk. The Fund’s first “ladder” of options positions will have four sets of expiration dates set at approximately at one-quarter, two-quarters, three-quarters, and one-year from the date the Fund commences operations. Approximately one-fourth of the Fund’s option positions will expire quarterly and will be replaced with one-year options.
The Fund seeks to achieve these goals by combining: (1) an investment of substantially all its assets in a portfolio of income-generating securities with (2) an investment in a combination of written put options and purchased call options on securities or indexes that are representative of U.S. large capitalization companies. Additionally, ConVequity in the Fund’s name is a combination word reference to the expected accelerated (i.e. convex) returns from the Fund’s equity-linked call options portfolio . The adviser expects that the options portfolio will contribute to capital appreciation, but with lower volatility relative to the broader U.S. large cap equity market.
6
Income Component
The Fund seeks income through a strategy focused primarily on a variety of income-producing securities. The Fund invests primarily in: (i) U.S. Treasuries; (ii) U.S. government and corporate bonds; (iii) AAA rated tranches of collateralized loan obligations (“CLOs”); (iv) preferred stock; (v) pre-merger special purpose acquisition companies (“SPACs”); (vi) investment company debt; and (vii) income-producing ETFs. CLOs are a type of special purpose vehicle that issue securities generally backed by an asset or a pool of assets that serve as collateral. Most CLOs are issued in multiple tranches, offering investors various maturity and credit risk characteristics, often categorized as senior, mezzanine and subordinated/equity according to their degree of risk. CLOs typically invest in loans that have shorter maturities than the CLO and therefore the CLO operates with a significant reinvestment period. The Fund invests in only the highest-rated AAA senior tranches of CLOs. A SPAC is a “blank check” company with no commercial operations that is designed to raise capital via an initial public offering for the purpose of engaging in a merger, acquisition, reorganization, or similar business combination with one or more operating companies. Sponsors of SPACs typically pay the SPAC’s offering costs and underwriting fees and contribute all or a portion of its working capital in exchange for participation in the common stock and derivatives (such as warrants and rights) of the SPAC. The capital raised in the IPO is typically placed into a trust. The proceeds of the IPO may be used only to consummate a business combination and for other limited purposes such as paying taxes owed by the SPAC. Pre-merger SPACs are SPACs that are either seeking a target for a business combination or have not yet completed a combination with an identified target. However, pre-merger SPACs do not typically pay dividends or other forms of income, rather they are purchased at a discount and accrue interest much like a zero coupon bond. Pre-merger SPACs often have predetermined time frames within which to consummate a business combination (typically two years) or the SPAC will seek to extend the time frame or liquidate.
The Fund invests without restriction as to the maturity of any individual debt instrument but anticipates a typical average maturity of less than five years for the debt instrument portion of its income portfolio. The Fund restricts credit quality to investment grade debt instruments, at the time of purchase. The Fund defines investment grade debt as that rated BBB- or higher by S&P Global Ratings (formerly known as Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services) or similarly by another nationally recognized statistical rating organization, or, if unrated, determined by the adviser to be of equivalent quality. Generally, the adviser constructs this portion of the Fund’s portfolio to maximize yield within the constraints described above. The adviser focuses on a buy and hold approach but may sell a security when a more attractive security becomes available.
To generate higher income, the Fund may also employ an option box spread strategy. While gains from options are capital gains, this options strategy is commonly referred to as an income producer and, therefore, is included in the Fund’s income component description. A box spread is a four-part, same expiration date, option portfolio with a maturity payout that does not vary and is considered a form of synthetic money market instrument. For example, the four parts of a box spread could be composed of (i) a long $5 in-the-money call option position paired with (ii) a written $5 out-of-the-money call option position; and (iii) a long $5 in-the-money put option position paired with (iv) a written $5 out-of-the-money put option position. At expiration of the options, no matter what the price of the underlying reference asset is, the payout to the Fund will be $10. If the Fund can construct this portfolio for less than $10 it will be profitable at expiration.
The chart below illustrates the $10 payout that results from the example above. As the call leg increases in value, the put leg decreases in value such that, in total, the payoff is always $10.

Options Component
The Fund seeks partial U.S. large cap equity exposure by investing in standardized exchange-listed options or in exchange-traded FLexible EXchange Options® (“FLEX Options”), which are customized exchange-traded option contracts available through the Chicago Board Option Exchange (“Cboe”) that are guaranteed for settlement by The Options Clearing Corporation (“OCC”). The adviser selects options on securities, indexes, or ETFs that it believes are representative of U.S. large capitalization companies. The Fund defines large-capitalization companies as those with market capitalizations above $10 billion at the time of measurement, and defines U.S. companies as those organized in the U.S.; having a class of securities whose principal securities market is in the U.S.; or derives 50% or more of its total revenues or earnings from goods produced, sales made, or services provided in the U.S., or maintains 50% or more of its employees, assets, investments, operations, or other business activity in the U.S.
7
A call option gives the owner the right, but not the obligation, to buy a reference asset at a specified price (strike price) within or at the end of a specific time period. In the event the reference asset declines in value, the value of a call option generally will decrease, whereas the value of a call option will generally increase if the reference asset appreciates in value. A put option gives the owner the right, but not the obligation, to sell a reference asset at a specified price (strike price) within or at the end of a specific time period. In the event the reference asset declines in value, the value of a put option generally will increase, whereas the value of a put option will generally decrease if the reference asset appreciates in value. Under normal circumstances, the Fund anticipates trading annual (one-year) option positions laddered across rolling three-month periods (i.e., quarterly); however, the Fund may trade options with expiration dates that are modestly longer or shorter for a number of reasons such as if market volatility renders them more cost-effective. “Laddered” in this context refers to the Fund trading one-year options positions at the beginning of each quarter so that the expiration dates of the overall options portfolio are staggered (i.e., three-months apart). The goal of this laddered approach is to mitigate timing risks associated with the entire options portfolio expiring at a time when the relative price of the reference asset is unfavorable.
To generate partial exposure to U.S. large capitalization companies, the Fund writes a put option that is modestly in-the-money (e.g. strike price of $103.5 when the reference asset is at $100); while also purchasing a modestly out-of-the-money call option (e.g. strike price of $106 when the reference asset is at $100). The Fund may also use a ladder of call options (i.e., purchasing call options with varying strike prices that are modestly out-of-the money) when the adviser believes this is a more economically efficient means to capture U.S. large cap equity market gains. The Fund writes put options that collectively represent approximately 50% of notional portfolio exposure, while utilizing the call options (that collectively represent approximately 100% of notional portfolio exposure) to provide significant exposure to the U.S. large cap equity market. The adviser’s selection of option strike prices is dependent on an analysis of the complex interaction between strike price, interest rates, maturity, and volatility. By using this combination of options, the Fund intends to capture a significant portion of U.S. large cap equity market gains if the option strike price is breached while only exposing the Fund to approximately half of U.S. large cap equity market losses.
The Fund is classified as a “non-diversified” investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, which means that the Fund may invest a higher percentage of its assets in a fewer number of issuers than is permissible for a “diversified” fund.
The table below describes, in conceptual terms, sample hypothetical return outcomes of the Fund during a quarter, before fees and expenses, assuming 50% total notional portfolio exposure through a written put with a $103.5 put strike price; and assuming 100% total notional portfolio exposure through a purchased call option with a $106 call strike price. Estimated option prices are based upon the Black-Scholes option pricing model using recent financial market conditions. The expected returns would be lower if the fees and expenses of the Fund were included. This example is intended to provide a conceptual illustration and not that of the Fund’s returns over time. The Fund’s notional put exposure and notional call exposure will change over time. Additionally, the Fund may use a ladder of call options with various strike prices, which is not illustrated in this example.
| U.S. Large Cap Equity Market Returns | Expected Returns of the Fund During a Quarter |
| Appreciates more than 6% | Once U.S. large cap equity market returns exceed the 6% hurdle, the Fund will participate in a majority of the gains |
| Zero | Approximately 0-1% |
| Declines approximately 10% | Declines approximately 5% |
| Declines approximately 20% | Declines approximately 10% |
The graph below illustrates the hypothetical portfolio return outcomes (before fees and expenses) that the Fund seeks to provide in the illustrative scenario similar to that described above, except that the graph assumes greater than 100% total notional portfolio exposure through purchased call options. This graph assumes approximately 4% returns from the income component of the Fund’s strategy and does not take into account operating fees and expenses. There is no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in providing these investment outcomes for any investment period. The Fund’s non-linear performance when compared to the U.S. large cap equity market, in the graph below, is largely attributable to the effect of the cost of the options, the strike price of the options, and the effective convexity from the Fund’s equity-linked call options portfolio.
8

Additional Information About the Fund’s Principal Risks. This section provides additional information regarding the principal risks described in the Fund Summary sections. Each risk described below is considered a “principal risk” of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears. Each of the risks described below could have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance and trading prices.
| ● | Active Management Risk. The adviser’s judgments about an investment may prove to be incorrect or fail to have the intended results, which could adversely impact the Fund’s performance and cause it to underperform or not to achieve its investment goal. The Fund will not fully participate in market upside and will not provide full downside protection. |
| ● | CLO Risk. The Fund and other investors in CLO securities ultimately bear the credit risk of the underlying collateral held by the CLO. If default rates are higher than expected, the collateral cushion supporting a AAA senior tranche will erode, may result in a credit downgrade and decrease the value of the AAA tranche. Lower reinvestment rates could reduce returns. |
| ● | Derivatives Risk. The use of derivative instruments involves risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other traditional investments. These risks include (i) the risk that the counterparty to a derivative transaction may not fulfill its contractual obligations; (ii) risk of mispricing or improper valuation; and (iii) the risk that changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset or index. Derivative prices are highly volatile and may fluctuate substantially during a short period of time. Such prices are influenced by numerous factors that affect the markets, including, but not limited to: changing supply and demand relationships; government programs and policies; national and international political and economic events, changes in interest rates, inflation and deflation and changes in supply and demand relationships. If the derivative is linked to the performance of an index, it will be subject to the risks associated with changes in that index. |
| ● | Early Close/Trading Halt Risk. An exchange or market may close or issue trading halts on specific securities, or the ability to buy or sell certain securities or financial instruments may be restricted, which may prevent the Fund from buying or selling certain securities or financial instruments. In these circumstances, the Fund may be unable to rebalance its portfolio, may be unable to accurately price its investments and may incur substantial trading losses. |
| ● | ETF Structure Risks. The Fund is an ETF, and, as a result of an ETF’s structure, is exposed to the following risks: |
| ○ | APs, Market Makers, and Liquidity Providers Concentration Risk. The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as APs. In addition, there may be a limited number of market makers and/or liquidity providers in the marketplace. To the extent either of the following events occur, Shares may trade at a material discount to NAV and possibly face delisting: (i) APs exit the business or otherwise become unable to process creation and/or redemption orders and no other APs step forward to perform these services, or (ii) market makers and/or liquidity providers exit the business or significantly reduce their business activities and no other entities step forward to perform their functions. |
9
| ○ | Costs of Buying or Selling Shares. Investors buying or selling Shares in the secondary market will pay brokerage commissions or other charges imposed by brokers, as determined by that broker. Brokerage commissions are often a fixed amount and may be a significant proportional cost for investors seeking to buy or sell relatively small amounts of Shares. In addition, secondary market investors will also incur the cost of the difference between the price at which an investor is willing to buy Shares (the “bid” price) and the price at which an investor is willing to sell Shares (the “ask” price). This difference in bid and ask prices is often referred to as the “spread” or “bid-ask spread.” The bid-ask spread varies over time for Shares based on trading volume and market liquidity, and the spread is generally lower if Shares have more trading volume and market liquidity and higher if Shares have little trading volume and market liquidity. Further, a relatively small investor base in the Fund, asset swings in the Fund, and/or increased market volatility may cause increased bid-ask spreads. Due to the costs of buying or selling Shares, including bid-ask spreads, frequent trading of Shares may significantly reduce investment results and an investment in Shares may not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments. |
| ○ | Shares May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV. As with all ETFs, Shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. Although it is expected that the market price of Shares will approximate the Fund’s NAV, there may be times when the market price of Shares is more than the NAV intra-day (premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (discount) due to supply and demand of Shares or during periods of market volatility. This risk is heightened in times of market volatility, periods of steep market declines, and periods when there is limited trading activity for Shares in the secondary market, in which case such premiums or discounts may be significant. |
| ○ | Trading. Although Shares are listed for trading on the Exchange and may be listed or traded on U.S. and non-U.S. stock exchanges other than the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for such Shares will develop or be maintained. Trading in Shares may be halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the Exchange, make trading in Shares inadvisable. In addition, trading in Shares on the Exchange is subject to trading halts caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant to Exchange “circuit breaker” rules, which temporarily halt trading on the Exchange when a decline in the S&P 500® Index during a single day reaches certain thresholds (e.g., 7%, 13%, and 20%). Additional rules applicable to the Exchange may halt trading in Shares when extraordinary volatility causes sudden, significant swings in the market price of Shares. There can be no assurance that Shares will trade with any volume, or at all, on any stock exchange. In stressed market conditions, the liquidity of Shares may begin to mirror the liquidity of the Fund’s underlying portfolio holdings, which can be significantly less liquid than Shares, and this could lead to differences between the market price of the Shares and the underlying value of those Shares. |
| ● | Equity Market Risk. The Fund invests in options that track the performance of U.S. large capitalization companies, which are made up of common stocks. Common stocks are susceptible to general stock market fluctuations and to volatile increases and decreases in value as market confidence in and perceptions of their issuers change. These investor perceptions are based on various and unpredictable factors including: expectations regarding government, economic, monetary and fiscal policies; inflation and interest rates; economic expansion or contraction; and global or regional political, economic, public health, and banking crises. If you held common stock, or common stock equivalents, of any given issuer, you would generally be exposed to greater risk than if you held preferred stocks and debt obligations of the issuer because common stockholders, or holders of equivalent interests, generally have inferior rights to receive payments from issuers in comparison with the rights of preferred stockholders, bondholders, and other creditors of such issuers. The Fund also may invest in preferred stocks, which are subject to both fixed income risk and common stock risk. The value of preferred stocks will fluctuate with changes in interest rates. Typically, a rise in interest rates causes a decline in the value of preferred stock. Preferred stocks are also subject to credit risk, which is the possibility that an issuer of preferred stock will fail to make its dividend payments. Preferred stock prices tend to move more slowly upwards than common stock prices. |
| ● | Fixed Income Securities Risk. Fixed income securities risk factors include credit risk (the debtor may default) and prepayment risk (the debtor may pay its obligation early or later than expected, potentially reducing the amount of interest payments or extending time to principal repayment). These risks could affect the value of a particular investment possibly causing the Fund’s share price and total return to be reduced and fluctuate more than other types of investments. When the Fund invests in fixed income securities the value of your investment in the Fund will fluctuate with changes in interest rates. Typically, a rise in interest rates causes a decline in the value of fixed income securities. In general, the market price of debt securities with longer maturities will increase or decrease more in response to changes in interest rates than shorter-term securities. If the U.S. Federal Reserve’s Federal Open Market Committee (“FOMC”) raises the federal funds interest rate target, interest rates across the U.S. financial system may rise. However, the magnitude of rate changes across maturities and borrower sectors is uncertain. Rising rates may decrease liquidity and increase volatility, which may make portfolio management more difficult and costly to the Fund and its shareholders. Additionally, default risk increases if issuers must borrow at higher rates. Generally, these changing market conditions may cause the Fund’s share price to fluctuate or decline more than other types of equity investments. |
10
| ● | FLEX Options Risk. The Fund will utilize FLEX options issued and guaranteed for settlement by the OCC. The Fund bears the risk that the OCC will be unable to, or unwilling to, perform their obligations under the contracts. In the unlikely event that the OCC cannot meet their obligations, the Fund could suffer significant losses. Additionally, FLEX options may become more illiquid than other securities, including traditional options. To the extent that the FLEX options may not be expected to experience regular trading, the FLEX options held by the Fund may be valued based on a price quotation or other equivalent indication of value supplied by a pricing service, rather than based on a price last traded on an exchange. In less liquid markets for FLEX options, the Fund may have difficulty entering into or closing out certain positions at designated times and/or prices. With the creation and redemption of Shares, to the extent market participants are not willing or able to enter into FLEX option transactions with the Fund at prices that reflect the market price of the Shares, the Fund’s NAV and, in turn the share price of the Fund, could suffer significant losses. The Fund may experience substantial downside from specific FLEX option positions, and some may expire worthless. As a FLEX option approaches the predetermined expiration date, its value typically moves in parallel with the value of its underlying reference asset. However, prior to such date, the value of the FLEX options may not increase or decrease at the same rate as the reference asset’s share price on a day-to-day basis. The value of the underlying FLEX options will be affected by many market factors, such as changes in the reference asset’s share price, interest rates, the volatility of the reference asset, and the remaining time to until the FLEX options expire. |
| ● | Large-Capitalization Companies Risk. The securities of large-capitalization companies may be relatively mature compared to smaller companies and therefore subject to slower growth during times of economic expansion. Large-capitalization companies may also be unable to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in technology and consumer tastes. |
| ● | Limited History Risk. The Fund has a limited history of operations for investors to evaluate. Investors in the Fund bear the risk that the Fund may not be successful in implementing its investment strategies, may be unable to implement certain of its investment strategies or may fail to attract sufficient assets, any of which could result in the Fund being liquidated and terminated at any time without shareholder approval and at a time that may not be favorable for all shareholders. Such a liquidation could have negative tax consequences for shareholders and will cause shareholders to incur expenses of liquidation. |
| ● | Market and Geopolitical Risk. The increasing interconnectivity between global economies and financial markets increases the likelihood that events or conditions in one region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. Securities in the Fund’s portfolio may underperform due to inflation (or expectations for inflation), interest rates, global demand for particular products or resources, natural disasters, climate change and climate-related events, pandemics, epidemics, terrorism, international conflicts, regulatory events and governmental or quasi-governmental actions. The occurrence of global events similar to those in recent years, such as terrorist attacks around the world, natural disasters, social and political discord or debt crises and downgrades, among others, may result in market volatility and may have long term effects on both the U.S. and global financial markets. It is difficult to predict when similar events affecting the U.S. or global financial markets may occur, the effects that such events may have and the duration of those effects. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund’s portfolio. Therefore, the Fund could lose money over short periods due to short-term market movements and over longer periods during more prolonged market downturns. During a general market downturn, multiple asset classes may be negatively affected. Changes in market conditions and interest rates can have the same impact on all types of securities and instruments. In times of severe market disruptions, you could lose your entire investment. |
| ● | Non-Diversification Risk. Because the Fund is non-diversified and may invest a greater portion of its assets in fewer issuers than a diversified fund, changes in the market value of a single portfolio holding could cause greater fluctuations in the Fund’s share price than would occur in a diversified fund. This may increase the Fund’s volatility and cause the performance of a single portfolio holding or a relatively small number of portfolio holdings to have a greater impact on the Fund’s performance. |
| ● | Options Risk. The Fund may purchase call options and sell (write) put options on securities and indexes. The Fund may engage in these transactions to capture premium payments for assuming the risk of declines in the value of securities prices or to capture an increase in the price of securities. |
| ○ | Put Options. When the Fund sells (writes) a put option, it receives a premium and the buyer of the put option receives the right to sell to the reference asset on which the option was written at a specified price at any time before the option expires or at expiration. A seller (writer) of a put option will lose money if the reference asset on which the option was written decreases in value to a level below the strike price of the sold option less the premium received. The seller of a put option is limited to losing the difference between the strike price less premium received and $0 reflecting a full loss of all value for the reference asset. A seller of an option can be liquidated if the value of the reference asset declines enough given there are no offsetting positions or enough capital to offset the unrealized losses. In a liquidation event, one should expect material realized losses. |
11
| ○ | Call Options. When the Fund purchases a call option, it receives, in return for the premium it pays, the right to buy from the writer of the option the underlying reference asset at a specified price at any time before the option expires or at expiration. The Fund purchases call options in anticipation of an increase in the market value of securities. During the life of the call option, the Fund is able to buy the underlying reference asset at the exercise price regardless of any increase in the market price of the reference asset. In order for a call option to result in a gain, the market price of the reference asset must exceed the sum of the exercise price, the premium paid, and transaction costs. |
| ● | Options Premium Tax Risk. The Fund’s investment strategy may limit its ability to distribute dividends eligible for treatment as qualified dividend income, which for non-corporate shareholders are subject to federal income tax at rates of up to 20%. The Fund’s investment strategy may also limit its ability to distribute dividends eligible for the dividends-received deduction for corporate shareholders. For these reasons, a significant portion of distributions received by Fund shareholders may be subject to tax at effective tax rates that are higher than the rates that would apply if the Fund were to engage in a different investment strategy. You should consult your tax advisor as to the tax consequences of acquiring, owning and disposing of Shares in the Fund. |
| ● | Pre-Merger SPAC Risk. Unless and until a business combination is completed, a SPAC generally invests its assets in U.S. government securities, money market securities, and cash. Because SPACs have no operating history or ongoing business other than seeking business combinations, the value of their securities is particularly dependent on the ability of the entity’s management to identify and complete a profitable business combination. There is no guarantee that a SPAC will complete a business combination or that it will be profitable. A SPAC may liquidate if it is unable to complete a business combination. |
| ● | Sector Concentration Risk. Concentration risk is the possibility that securities within the same sector or group of sectors will decline in price due to sector-specific market or economic developments. If the Fund invests more heavily in a particular sector or group of sectors, the value of its shares, and thereby the Fund’s shares, may be especially sensitive to factors and economic risks that specifically affect such sector or group of sectors. As a result, the Fund’s share price may fluctuate more widely than the value of shares of a fund that invests in a broader range of sectors. Additionally, some industries could be subject to greater government regulation than other industries. Therefore, changes in regulatory policies for those sectors may have a material effect on the value of securities issued by companies in those industries. |
| ○ | Technology Sector Risk. Market or economic factors impacting technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technological advances could have a major effect on the value of the Fund’s call option investments. The value of stocks of technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology are particularly vulnerable to rapid changes in technology product cycles, rapid product obsolescence, government regulation and competition, both domestically and internationally, including competition from foreign competitors with lower production costs. Stocks of technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology, especially those of smaller, less-seasoned companies, tend to be more volatile than the overall market. Technology companies are heavily dependent on patent and intellectual property rights, the loss or impairment of which may adversely affect profitability. Additionally, technology companies may face dramatic and often unpredictable changes in growth rates and competition. |
| ● | Underlying Funds Risk. The Fund, as a shareholder of the underlying income-producing ETFs, indirectly bears its proportionate share of any investment management fees and other expenses of the underlying income-producing ETFs. Further, due to the fees and expenses paid by the Fund, as well as variations in the Fund’s actual allocations to the underlying income-producing ETFs, the performance and income distributions of the Fund will not be the same as the performance and income distributions of the underlying income-producing ETFs. |
| ● | U.S. Government Risk. The U.S. Treasury market can be volatile, and the value of instruments correlated with these markets may fluctuate dramatically from day to day. U.S. Treasury obligations may provide relatively lower returns than those of other securities. Similar to other debt instruments, U.S. Treasury obligations are subject to debt instrument risk and interest rate risk. In addition, changes to the financial condition or credit rating of the U.S. Government may cause the value of U.S. Treasury obligations to decline. |
Portfolio Holdings Information
Information about the Fund’s daily portfolio holdings is available at True-shares.com. A description of the Fund’s policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Fund’s portfolio holdings is available in the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”).
12
Management
Investment Adviser
TrueMark Investments, LLC serves as the investment adviser to the Fund. The adviser is a SEC registered investment adviser with approximately $1.251 billion in assets under management as of December 31, 2025. Its principal office is located at 433 W Van Buren, Suite 1100-D, Chicago, Illinois 60607. TrueMark is controlled by TrueMark Group, LLC which in turn is controlled by RiverNorth Strategic Holdings, LLC.
Pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement, the Fund pays the adviser a unitary management fee, which is calculated daily and paid monthly, at an annual rate of 0.79% of the Fund’s average daily net assets. For the period June 27, 2025 (commencement of operations) through October 31, 2025, the Fund paid TrueMark Investments, LLC a fee equal to 0.79% of its average daily net assets.
Out of the unitary management fee, the adviser has agreed to pay substantially all expenses of the Fund, including the cost of transfer agency, custody, fund administration, securities lending and other non-distribution related services necessary for the Fund to operate, except for: the fee paid to the adviser pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement, interest charges on any borrowings, dividends and other expenses on securities sold short, taxes and related services, brokerage commissions and other expenses incurred in placing orders for the purchase and sale of securities and other investment instruments, acquired fund fees and expenses, accrued deferred tax liability, distribution fees and expenses paid by the Fund under any distribution plan adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, litigation expenses and other non-routine or extraordinary expenses.
The basis for the Board’s approval of the Fund’s Investment Advisory Agreement is available in the Fund’s annual Form N-CSR for the period ended October 31, 2025.
Manager of Managers Structure
Section 15(a) of the 1940 Act requires that all contracts pursuant to which persons serve as investment advisers to investment companies be approved by shareholders. This requirement also applies to the appointment of sub-advisers to the Fund. The Trust and the adviser have received exemptive relief from the SEC (the “Order”), which permits the adviser, subject to the approval of the Board of Trustees (“Board”), including the approval of the Trustees who are not interested persons of the Trust, as defined in the 1940 Act (the “Independent Trustees”), to hire, replace, and/or modify any existing or future sub-advisory agreement with sub-advisers (the “Manager-of-Managers Structure”). The adviser, subject to the oversight of the Board, has the ultimate responsibility for overseeing the Fund’s sub-advisers and recommending their hiring, termination and replacement. It also provides relief from certain disclosure obligations with regard to sub-advisory fees paid by the adviser (not the Fund). The Order is subject to various conditions, including that the Fund will notify shareholders and provide them with certain information required by the Order within 90 days of hiring a new sub-adviser. The sole initial shareholder of the Fund has approved the Fund’s operation under the Manager-of-Managers Structure as permitted by the Order.
The Manager-of-Managers Structure enables the Trust to operate with greater efficiency by not incurring the expense and delays associated with obtaining shareholder approvals for matters relating to sub-advisers or sub-advisory agreements. Operation of the Fund under the Manager-of-Managers Structure does not permit management fees paid by the Fund to the adviser to be increased without shareholder approval. Shareholders will be notified of any changes made to a sub-adviser or material changes to sub-advisory agreements within 90 days of the change.
Portfolio Manager
The individual responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolios is listed below.
Jeffrey Feldman. Mr. Feldman joined TrueMark Investments in 2024 and serves as a portfolio manager (“Portfolio Manager”). He is a member of the investment management team and is responsible for analysis, trading, and hedging of Fund investments. Mr. Feldman is a dual-employee of TrueMark Investments and RiverNorth Capital Management, LLC, where he serves as Quantitative Risk Manager. He spent the past 23 years as a head trader with Wolverine Trading where he managed quoting, execution, clearing and positions in a variety of asset classes including equities, options, OTC derivatives, commodities, FX and bonds. He also developed pricing models and hedging algorithms, executed hedges for ETF and index products and built Wolverine’s low latency systematic trading equity book as well as its fixed income ETF algorithmic trading desk.
The Fund’s SAI provides additional information about the Portfolio Manager’s compensation structure, other accounts managed by the Portfolio Manager, and the Portfolio Manager’s ownership of Shares of the Fund.
How to Buy and Sell Shares
The Fund issues and redeems Shares at NAV only in Creation Units. Only APs may acquire Shares directly from the Fund, and only APs may tender their Shares for redemption directly to the Fund, at NAV. APs must be a member or participant of a clearing agency registered with the SEC and must execute a Participant Agreement that has been agreed to by the Distributor (defined below), and that has been accepted by the Fund’s transfer agent, with respect to purchases and redemptions of Creation Units. Once created, Shares trade in the secondary market in quantities less than a Creation Unit.
13
Most investors buy and sell Shares in secondary market transactions through brokers. Shares are listed for trading on the secondary market on the Exchange and can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like other publicly traded securities.
When buying or selling Shares through a broker, you will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges, and you may pay some or all of the spread between the bid and the offer price in the secondary market on each leg of a round trip (purchase and sale) transaction. In addition, because secondary market transactions occur at market prices, you may pay more than NAV when you buy Shares and receive less than NAV when you sell those Shares.
Book Entry
Shares are held in book-entry form, which means that no stock certificates are issued. The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) or its nominee is the record owner of all outstanding Shares.
Investors owning Shares are beneficial owners as shown on the records of DTC or its participants. DTC serves as the securities depository for all Shares. DTC’s participants include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and other institutions that directly or indirectly maintain a custodial relationship with DTC. As a beneficial owner of Shares, you are not entitled to receive physical delivery of stock certificates or to have Shares registered in your name, and you are not considered a registered owner of Shares. Therefore, to exercise any right as an owner of Shares, you must rely upon the procedures of DTC and its participants. These procedures are the same as those that apply to any other securities that you hold in book entry or “street name” through your brokerage account.
Frequent Purchases and Redemptions of Shares
The Fund imposes no restrictions on the frequency of purchases and redemptions of Shares. In determining not to approve a written, established policy, the Board evaluated the risks of market timing activities by Fund shareholders. Purchases and redemptions by APs, who are the only parties that may purchase or redeem Shares directly with the Fund, are an essential part of the ETF process and help keep Share trading prices in line with NAV. As such, the Fund accommodate frequent purchases and redemptions by APs. However, the Board has also determined that frequent purchases and redemptions for cash may increase tracking error and portfolio transaction costs and may lead to the realization of capital gains. To minimize these potential consequences of frequent purchases and redemptions, the Fund employs fair value pricing and may impose transaction fees on purchases and redemptions of Creation Units to cover the custodial and other costs incurred by the Fund in effecting trades. In addition, the Fund and the adviser reserve the right to reject any purchase order at any time.
Determination of NAV
The Fund’s NAV is calculated as of the scheduled close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”), generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time, each day the NYSE is open for business. The NAV for the Fund is calculated by dividing the Fund’s net assets by its Shares outstanding.
In calculating its NAV, the Fund generally values its assets on the basis of market quotations, last sale prices, or estimates of value furnished by a pricing service or brokers who make markets in such instruments. If the foregoing information is not available for a security held by the Fund or is determined to be unreliable, the security will be valued at fair value estimates under guidelines established by the Board (as described below).
Fair Value Pricing
The adviser has been designated by the Board as the valuation designee for the Fund pursuant to Rule 2a-5 under the 1940 Act. In its capacity as valuation designee, the adviser has adopted procedures and methodologies to fair value Fund securities whose market prices are not “readily available” or are deemed to be unreliable. For example, such circumstances may arise when: (i) a security has been de-listed or has had its trading halted or suspended; (ii) a security’s primary pricing source is unable or unwilling to provide a price; (iii) a security’s primary trading market is closed during regular market hours; or (iv) a security’s value is materially affected by events occurring after the close of the security’s primary trading market.
Generally, when fair valuing a security held by the Fund, the adviser will take into account all reasonably available information that may be relevant to a particular valuation including, but not limited to, fundamental analytical data regarding the issuer, information relating to the issuer’s business, recent trades or offers of the security, general and/or specific market conditions and the specific facts giving rise to the need to fair value the security. Fair value determinations are made in good faith by the adviser and in accordance with the adviser’s fair value methodologies.
14
Due to the subjective and variable nature of determining the fair value of a security or other investment, there can be no assurance that adviser’s fair value will match or closely correlate to any market quotation that subsequently becomes available or the price quoted or published by other sources. In addition, the adviser may not be able to obtain the fair value assigned to the security upon the sale of such security.
Delivery of Shareholder Documents – Householding
Householding is an option available to certain investors of the Fund. Householding is a method of delivery, based on the preference of the individual investor, in which a single copy of certain shareholder documents can be delivered to investors who share the same address, even if their accounts are registered under different names. Householding for the Fund is available through certain broker- dealers. If you are interested in enrolling in householding and receiving a single copy of prospectuses and other shareholder documents, please contact your broker-dealer. If you are currently enrolled in householding and wish to change your householding status, please contact your broker-dealer.
Dividends, Distributions and Taxes
Dividends and Distributions
The Fund intends to pay out dividends, if any, at least annually. The Fund intends to distribute any net realized capital gains to its shareholders at least annually. The Fund will declare and pay capital gain distributions, if any, in cash. Distributions in cash may be reinvested automatically in additional whole Shares only if the broker through whom you purchased Shares makes such option available. Your broker is responsible for distributing the income and capital gain distributions to you.
Taxes
The following discussion is a summary of some important U.S. federal income tax considerations generally applicable to investments in the Fund. Your investment in the Fund may have other tax implications. Please consult your tax advisor about the tax consequences of an investment in Shares, including the possible application of foreign, state, and local tax laws.
The Fund has elected and intends to qualify each year for treatment as a regulated investment company (a “RIC”) within the meaning of Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). If it meets certain minimum distribution requirements, a RIC is not subject to tax at the fund level on income and gains from investments that are timely distributed to shareholders. However, the Fund’s failure to qualify as a RIC or to meet minimum distribution requirements would result (if certain relief provisions were not available) in fund-level taxation and, consequently, a reduction in income available for distribution to shareholders.
Unless your investment in Shares is made through a tax-exempt entity or tax-advantaged account, such as an IRA plan, you need to be aware of the possible tax consequences when the Fund makes distributions, when you sell your Shares listed on the Exchange, and when you purchase or redeem Creation Units (APs only).
Taxes on Distributions
The Fund intends to distribute, at least annually, substantially all of its net investment income and net capital gains. For federal income tax purposes, distributions of investment income are generally taxable as ordinary income or qualified dividend income. Taxes on distributions of capital gains (if any) are determined by how long the Fund owned the investments that generated them, rather than how long a shareholder has owned his or her Shares. Sales of assets held by the Fund for more than one year generally result in long- term capital gains and losses, and sales of assets held by the Fund for one year or less generally result in short-term capital gains and losses. Distributions of the Fund’s net capital gain (the excess of net long-term capital gains over net short-term capital losses) that are reported by the Fund as capital gain dividends (“Capital Gain Dividends”) will be taxable as long-term capital gains, which for non- corporate shareholders are subject to tax at reduced rates of up to 20% (lower rates apply to individuals in lower tax brackets). Distributions of short-term capital gain will generally be taxable as ordinary income. Dividends and distributions are generally taxable to you whether you receive them in cash or reinvest them in additional Shares.
Distributions reported by the Fund as “qualified dividend income” are generally taxed to non-corporate shareholders at rates applicable to long-term capital gains, provided holding period and other requirements are met. “Qualified dividend income” generally is income derived from dividends paid by U.S. corporations or certain foreign corporations that are either incorporated in a U.S. possession or eligible for tax benefits under certain U.S. income tax treaties. In addition, dividends that the Fund received in respect of stock of certain foreign corporations may be qualified dividend income if that stock is readily tradable on an established U.S. securities market. Corporate shareholders may be entitled to a dividends received deduction for the portion of dividends they receive from the Fund that are attributable to dividends received by the Fund from U.S. corporations, subject to certain limitations.
Under recently issued final Treasury Regulations, a RIC that receives business interest income may pass through its net business interest income for purposes of the tax rules applicable to the interest expense limitations under Section 163(j) of the Code. A RIC’s total “Section 163(j) Interest Dividend” for a tax year is limited to the excess of the RIC’s business interest income over the sum of its business interest expense and its other deductions properly allocable to its business interest income. A RIC may, in its discretion, designate all or a portion of ordinary dividends as Section 163(j) Interest Dividends, which would allow the recipient shareholder to treat the designated portion of such dividends as interest income for purposes of determining such shareholder’s interest expense deduction limitation under Section 163(j). This can potentially increase the amount of a shareholder’s interest expense deductible under Section 163(j). In general, to be eligible to treat a Section 163(j) Interest Dividend as interest income, you must have held your shares in the Fund for more than 180 days during the 361-day period beginning on the date that is 180 days before the date on which the share becomes ex-dividend with respect to such dividend. Section 163(j) Interest Dividends, if so designated by the Fund, will be reported to your financial intermediary or otherwise in accordance with the requirements specified by the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”).
15
Shortly after the close of each calendar year, you will be informed of the amount and character of any distributions received from the Fund.
In general, your distributions are subject to federal income tax for the year in which they are paid. Certain distributions paid in January, however, may be treated as paid on December 31 of the prior year. Distributions are generally taxable even if they are paid from income or gains earned by the Fund before your investment (and thus were included in the Shares’ NAV when you purchased your Shares).
You may wish to avoid investing in the Fund shortly before a dividend or other distribution, because such a distribution will generally be taxable even though it may economically represent a return of a portion of your investment.
If you are neither a resident nor a citizen of the United States or if you are a foreign entity, distributions (other than Capital Gain Dividends) paid to you by the Fund will generally be subject to a U.S. withholding tax at the rate of 30%, unless a lower treaty rate applies. Gains from the sale or other disposition of your Shares generally are not subject to U.S. taxation, unless you are a nonresident alien individual who is physically present in the U.S. for 183 days or more per year. The Fund may, under certain circumstances, report all or a portion of a dividend as an “interest-related dividend” or a “short-term capital gain dividend,” which would generally be exempt from this 30% U.S. withholding tax, provided certain other requirements are met. Different tax consequences may result if you are a foreign shareholder engaged in a trade or business within the United States or if a tax treaty applies.
Under legislation generally known as “FATCA” (the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act), the Fund is required to withhold 30% of certain ordinary dividends it pays to shareholders that are foreign entities and that fail to meet prescribed information reporting or certification requirements.
The Fund (or a financial intermediary, such as a broker, through which a shareholder owns Shares) generally is required to withhold and remit to the U.S. Treasury a percentage of the taxable distributions and sale or redemption proceeds paid to any shareholder who fails to properly furnish a correct taxpayer identification number, who has underreported dividend or interest income, or who fails to certify that he, she or it is not subject to such withholding.
Taxes When Fund Shares are Sold on the Exchange
Any capital gain or loss realized upon a sale of Shares generally is treated as a long-term capital gain or loss if Shares have been held for more than one year and as a short-term capital gain or loss if Shares have been held for one year or less. However, any capital loss on a sale of Shares held for six months or less is treated as long-term capital loss to the extent of Capital Gain Dividends paid with respect to such Shares. Any loss realized on a sale will be disallowed to the extent Shares of the Fund are acquired, including through reinvestment of dividends, within a 61-day period beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the disposition of Shares. The ability to deduct capital losses may be limited.
The cost basis of Shares of the Fund acquired by purchase will generally be based on the amount paid for the Shares and then may be subsequently adjusted for other applicable transactions as required by the Code. The difference between the selling price and the cost basis of Shares generally determines the amount of the capital gain or loss realized on the sale or exchange of Shares. Contact the broker through whom you purchased your Shares to obtain information with respect to the available cost basis reporting methods and elections for your account.
Taxes on Purchases and Redemptions of Creation Units
An AP having the U.S. dollar as its functional currency for U.S. federal income tax purposes who exchanges securities for Creation Units generally recognizes a gain or a loss. The gain or loss will be equal to the difference between the value of the Creation Units at the time of the exchange and the exchanging AP’s aggregate basis in the securities delivered, plus the amount of any cash paid for the Creation Units. An AP who exchanges Creation Units for securities will generally recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the exchanging AP’s basis in the Creation Units and the aggregate U.S. dollar market value of the securities received, plus any cash received for such Creation Units. The IRS may assert, however, that a loss that is realized upon an exchange of securities for Creation Units may not be currently deducted under the rules governing “wash sales” (for an AP who does not mark-to-market their holdings), or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic position. APs exchanging securities should consult their own tax advisor with respect to whether wash sale rules apply and when a loss might be deductible.
16
Any gain or loss realized upon a creation or redemption of Creation Units will be treated as capital or ordinary gain or loss, depending on the circumstances. Any capital gain or loss realized upon redemption of Creation Units is generally treated as long-term capital gain or loss if Shares have been held for more than one year and as a short-term capital gain or loss if Shares have been held for one year or less.
The Fund may include a payment of cash in addition to, or in place of, the delivery of a basket of securities upon the redemption of Creation Units. The Fund may sell portfolio securities to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. This may cause the Fund to recognize investment income and/or capital gains or losses that it might not have recognized if it had completely satisfied the redemption in-kind. As a result, the Fund may be less tax efficient if it includes such a cash payment in the proceeds paid upon the redemption of Creation Units.
Net Investment Income Tax
U.S. individuals with income exceeding specified thresholds are subject to a 3.8% tax on all or a portion of their “net investment income,” which includes interest, dividends, and certain capital gains (generally including capital gains distributions and capital gains realized on the sale of Shares). This 3.8% tax also applies to all or a portion of the undistributed net investment income of certain shareholders that are estates and trusts.
The foregoing discussion summarizes some of the possible consequences under current federal tax law of an investment in the Fund. It is not a substitute for personal tax advice. You also may be subject to state and local tax on Fund distributions and sales of Shares. Consult your personal tax advisor about the potential tax consequences of an investment in Shares under all applicable tax laws. For more information, please see the section entitled “Federal Income Taxes” in the SAI.
Distribution
Paralel Distributors LLC (the “Distributor”) serves as the Fund’s principal underwriter. The Distributor is a broker-dealer registered with the SEC. The Distributor distributes Creation Units for the Fund on an agency basis and does not maintain a secondary market in Shares. The Distributor has no role in determining the policies of the Fund or the securities that are purchased or sold by the Fund. The Distributor’s principal address is 1700 Broadway, Suite 2100, Denver, Colorado 80290.
Premium/Discount Information
Information regarding how often Shares of the Fund trades on the Exchange at a price above (i.e., at a premium) or below (i.e., at a discount) the NAV of the Fund is available on the Fund’s website at True-shares.com.
OTHER INFORMATION AND Additional Notices
Certain Conditions on Shareholder Legal Actions
Pursuant to the Trust’s primary governing document, the Second Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust, shareholders wishing to pursue a derivative action (a suit brought by a shareholder on behalf of the Fund) are subject to various conditions including that: (i) the Trustees must have a reasonable amount of time to assess the complaining shareholders’ request for action, (ii) at least 10% of shareholders of the Fund must participate in the action (except with respect to claims arising under federal securities laws), and (iii) complaining shareholders must undertake to pay the expenses of advisers that the Trustees engage in consideration of whether to bring an action in the event the Trustees determine not to bring an action (except with respect to claims arising under federal securities laws).
In addition, shareholders wishing to pursue a derivative action (except with respect to claims arising under federal securities law) must bring the compliant all shareholder legal complaints must be brought in the courts of the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware, or if such court does not have subject matter jurisdiction, any other court with appropriate subject matter jurisdiction in the State of Delaware. For non-federal securities laws claims, this requirement may be inconvenient for some shareholders and may cause such claims to be made in a less favorable forum than otherwise may have been made.
Additional Notices
Shares are not sponsored, endorsed, or promoted by the Exchange. The Exchange makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of the Shares. The Exchange is not responsible for, nor has it participated in, the determination of the timing of, prices of, or quantities of the Shares to be issued, nor in the determination or calculation of the equation by which the Shares are redeemable. The Exchange has no obligation or liability to owners of the Shares in connection with the administration, marketing, or trading of the Shares.
Without limiting any of the foregoing, in no event shall the Exchange have any liability for any lost profits or indirect, punitive, special, or consequential damages even if notified of the possibility thereof.
Neither the adviser nor the Fund make any representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of Shares or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in the Fund particularly.
17
Financial Highlights
The financial highlights tables are intended to help you understand the Fun’s’ financial performance for each fiscal period shown. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned or lost on an investment in the Fund (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions). This information has been audited by Cohen & Company, Ltd. ("Cohen & Co") the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the financial statements, are included in the Fund’s Form N-CSR dated October 31, 2025, which is available upon request and free of charge by calling the Fund’s Distributor at 1.877.774.TRUE (8783).
18
TrueShares ConVex Protect ETF
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
| For the Period | ||||
| June 27, 2025 | ||||
| (Commencement of | ||||
| Operations) through | ||||
| October 31, 2025(a) | ||||
| Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period | $ | 25.00 | ||
| INCOME FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS: | ||||
| Net investment income(b) | 0.25 | |||
| Net realized and unrealized gain on investments | 3.60 | |||
| Total from Investment Operations | 3.85 | |||
| Net Increase in net asset value | 3.85 | |||
| Net Asset Value - End of Period | $ | 28.85 | ||
| TOTAL RETURN(c) | 15.40 | % | ||
| RATIOS AND SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:(d) | ||||
| Net Assets, end of period (000s) | $ | 3,173 | ||
| Ratio of net operating expenses to average net assets | 0.79 | %(e) | ||
| Ratio of net investment income to average net assets | 2.70 | %(e) | ||
| Portfolio turnover rate(f)(g) | 15 | % | ||
| (a) | The net asset value at the beginning of the period represents initial shares outstanding on June 27, 2025 (Commencement of Operations). |
| (b) | Calculated based on the average number of Fund shares outstanding during each fiscal period. |
| (c) | Total return is calculated assuming an initial investment made at the net asset value at the beginning of the period and redemption at the net asset value on the last day of the period and assuming all distributions are reinvested. Total return calculated for a period of less than one year is not annualized. |
| (d) | The ratios exclude the impact of expenses of the underlying funds in which the Fund invests as represented on the Schedule of Investments. |
| (e) | Annualized. |
| (f) | Portfolio turnover rate for periods less than one full year have not been annualized. |
| (g) | Excludes the impact of in-kind transactions. |
19
PRIVACY NOTICE
Privacy Statement
Pursuant to SEC Regulation S-P (Privacy of Consumer Financial Information) the Trustees of the Elevation Series Trust (the “Trust”) has established the following policy regarding information about the Trust’s shareholders. We consider all shareholder data to be private and confidential, and we hold ourselves to the highest standards in its safekeeping and use.
General Statement
The Trust may collect nonpublic information (e.g., your name, address, e mail address, Social Security Number, Trust holdings (collectively, “Personal Information”)) about shareholders from transactions in Trust shares. The Trust will not release Personal Information about current or former shareholders (except as permitted by law) unless one of the following conditions is met: we receive your prior written consent; (ii) we believe the recipient to be you or your authorized representative; (iii) to service or support the business functions of the Trust (as explained in more detail below), or (iv) we are required by law to release Personal Information to the recipient. The Trust have not and will not in the future give or sell Personal Information about their current or former shareholders to any company, individual, or group (except as per mitted by law) and as otherwise provided in this policy.
The Trust may make certain electronic services available to their shareholders and may solicit your email address and contact you by email, telephone or US mail regarding the availability of such services. The Trust may also contact shareholders by email, telephone or US mail in connection with these services, such as to confirm enrollment in electronic shareholder communications or to update your Personal Information. In no event will the Trust transmit your Personal Information via email without your consent.
Use of Personal Information
The Trust will only use Personal Information (i) as necessary to service or maintain shareholder accounts in the ordinary course of business and (ii) to support business functions of the Trust and their affiliated businesses. This means that the Trust may share certain Personal Information, only as per mitted by law, with affiliated businesses of the Trust, and that such information may be used for non-Trust-related solicitation. When Personal Information is shared with the Trust’s business affiliates, the Trust may do so without providing you the option of preventing these types of disclosures as permitted by law.
Safeguards Regarding Personal Information
Internally, we also restrict access to Personal Information to those who have a specific need for the records. We maintain physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards that comply with Federal standards to guard Personal Information. Any doubts about the confidentiality of Personal Information, as required by law, are resolved in favor of confidentiality.
20
| Adviser | TrueMark Investments, LLC 433 W. Van Buren, Suite 1100-D Chicago, Illinois 60607 |
Distributor | Paralel Distributors LLC 1700 Broadway Suite 2100 Denver, Colorado 80290 |
| Custodian and Transfer Agent | State Street 1 Congress St. |
Fund Accountant and Administrator | Paralel Technologies LLC 1700 Broadway
Suite 2100 |
| Legal Counsel | Thompson Hine LLP 41 S. High Street Suite 1700 Columbus, Ohio 43215 |
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm | Cohen & Company, Ltd. 8101 East Prentice Ave., Suite 750 Greenwood Village, CO 80111 |
The Fund’s SAI provides additional details about the investments of the Fund and certain other additional information. A current SAI dated February 27, 2026 is on file with the SEC and is herein incorporated by reference into this Prospectus. It is legally considered a part of this Prospectus.
Annual/Semi-Annual Reports: Additional information about the Fund’s investments will be available in the Fund’s annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders, including annual and semi-annual tailored shareholder reports, and in Form N-CSR. In the annual tailored shareholder report you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance.
To make shareholder inquiries, for more detailed information on the Fund, or to request the SAI, annual or semi-annual shareholder reports, or Form N-CSR free of charge, please call the Fund’s Distributor at 1.877.774.TRUE (8783). Free copies of the Fund’s shareholder reports, Prospectus, and SAI are also available from our website at True-shares.com.
Shareholder reports and other information about the Fund is also available, free of charge, on the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov and copies of this information may be obtained, after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov.
No person is authorized to give any information or to make any representations about the Fund and its Shares not contained in this Prospectus and you should not rely on any other information. Read and keep this Prospectus for future reference.
SEC Investment Company Act File No. 811-23812
21
TrueShares ConVequity ETF
A series of Elevation Series Trust
Listed on Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc.
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
February 27, 2026
This Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) is not a prospectus and should be read in conjunction with the prospectus dated February 27, 2026, as may be supplemented from time to time (“Prospectus”), of TrueShares ConVequity ETF (the “Fund”), a series of Elevation Series Trust (the “Trust”). Capitalized terms used herein that are not defined have the same meaning as in the Prospectus, unless otherwise noted.
A copy of the Prospectus may be obtained, without charge by calling 1.877.774.TRUE (8783), visiting http://www.True-shares.com/ or writing to Paralel Distributors LLC, 1700 Broadway Suite 2100, Denver, Colorado 80290.
Table of Contents
GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST AND THE FUND
The Trust is an open-end management investment company, currently consisting of multiple investment series. This SAI relates to the TrueShares ConVequity ETF (the “Fund”). The Trust was organized as a Delaware statutory trust on March 7, 2022. The Trust is registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (together with the rules and regulations adopted thereunder, as amended, the “1940 Act”), as an open-end management investment company, and the offering of the Fund’s shares (“Shares”) is registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). The Trust is governed by its Board of Trustees (the “Board”). TrueMark Investments, LLC (the “Adviser”) serves as investment adviser to the Fund. The investment objective of the Fund capital appreciation with the potential for lower volatility relative to the broader U.S. large cap equity market.
The Fund offers and issues Shares at its net asset value (“NAV”) only in aggregations of a specified number of Shares (each, a “Creation Unit”). The Fund generally offers and issues Shares in exchange for a basket of securities (“Deposit Securities”) together with the deposit of a specified cash payment (“Cash Component”). The Trust reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of a “cash in lieu” amount (“Deposit Cash”) to be added to the Cash Component to replace any Deposit Security. Shares are listed on Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc. (the “Exchange”) and trade on the Exchange at market prices that may differ from the Shares’ NAV. Shares are also redeemable only in Creation Unit aggregations, primarily for a basket of Deposit Securities together with a Cash Component. A Creation Unit of the Fund generally consists of 10,000 Shares, though this may change from time to time. As a practical matter, only institutions or large investors purchase or redeem Creation Units. Except when aggregated in Creation Units, Shares are not redeemable securities.
Shares may be issued in advance of receipt of Deposit Securities subject to various conditions, including a requirement to maintain on deposit with the Trust cash at least equal to a specified percentage of the value of the missing Deposit Securities, as set forth in the Participant Agreement (as defined below). The Trust may impose a transaction fee for each creation or redemption. In all cases, such fees will be limited in accordance with the requirements of the SEC applicable to management investment companies offering redeemable securities. As in the case of other publicly traded securities, brokers’ commissions on transactions in the secondary market will be based on negotiated commission rates at customary levels.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE, POLICIES, AND RELATED RISKS
The Fund’s investment objective and principal investment strategies are described in the Prospectus. The following information supplements, and should be read in conjunction with, the Prospectus. For a description of certain permitted investments, see “Description of Permitted Investments” in this SAI.
With respect to the Fund’s investments, unless otherwise noted, if a percentage limitation on investment is adhered to at the time of investment or contract, a subsequent increase or decrease as a result of market movement or redemption will not result in a violation of such investment limitation.
Diversification
The Fund is “non-diversified” within the meaning of the 1940 Act, meaning it may invest in fewer companies than diversified investment companies. However, the Fund intends to satisfy the asset diversification requirements for qualification as a regulated investment company (“RIC”) under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). See “Federal Income Taxes” below for details.
General Risks
The value of the Fund’s portfolio securities may fluctuate with changes in the financial condition of an issuer or counterparty, changes in specific economic or political conditions that affect a particular security or issuer and changes in general economic or political conditions. An investor in the Fund could lose money over short or long periods of time.
There can be no guarantee that a liquid market for the securities held by the Fund will be maintained. The existence of a liquid trading market for certain securities may depend on whether dealers will make a market in such securities. There can be no assurance that a market will be made or maintained or that any such market will be or remain liquid. The price at which securities may be sold and the value of Shares will be adversely affected if trading markets for the Fund’s portfolio securities are limited or absent, or if bid-ask spreads are wide.
Cyber Security Risk. Investment companies, such as the Fund, and its service providers may be subject to operational and information security risks resulting from cyberattacks. Cyberattacks include, among other behaviors, stealing or corrupting data maintained online or digitally, denial of service attacks on websites, the unauthorized release of confidential information or various other forms of cyber security breaches. Cyberattacks affecting the Fund or the Adviser, custodian, transfer agent, intermediaries and other third-party service providers may adversely impact the Fund. For instance, cyberattacks may interfere with the processing of shareholder transactions, impact the Fund’s ability to calculate its NAV, cause the release of private shareholder information or confidential company information, impede trading, subject the Fund to regulatory fines or financial losses, and cause reputational damage. The Fund may also incur additional costs for cyber security risk management purposes. Similar types of cyber security risks are also present for issuers of securities in which the Fund invests, which could result in material adverse consequences for such issuers, and may cause the Fund’s investments in such portfolio companies to lose value.
1
Recent Market Events. U.S. and international markets have experienced and may continue to experience significant periods of volatility in recent years and months due to a number of economic, political and global macro factors including rising inflation, uncertainty regarding central banks’ interest rate increases, the possibility of a national or global recession, trade tensions, political events, the war between Russia and Ukraine and the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic. As a result of continuing political tensions and armed conflicts, including the war between Ukraine and Russia, the U.S. and the European Union imposed sanctions on certain Russian individuals and companies, including certain financial institutions, and have limited certain exports and imports to and from Russia. The war has contributed to recent market volatility and may continue to do so.
These developments, as well as other events, could result in further market volatility and negatively affect financial asset prices, the liquidity of certain securities and the normal operations of securities exchanges and other markets, despite government efforts to address market disruptions. As a result, the risk environment remains elevated. The Adviser will monitor developments and seek to manage the Fund in a manner consistent with achieving the Fund’s investment objective, but there can be no assurance that they will be successful in doing so.
DESCRIPTION OF PERMITTED INVESTMENTS
The following are descriptions of the Fund’s permitted investments and investment practices and the associated risk factors. The Fund will only invest in any of the following instruments or engage in any of the following investment practices if such investment or activity is consistent with the Fund’s investment objective and permitted by the Fund’s stated investment policies. Each of the permitted investments described below applies to the Fund unless otherwise noted.
Business Development Companies. The Fund may invest in business development companies (“BDCs”), a special type of closed-end investment company that is required to invest at least 70% of its total assets in securities (typically debt) of private companies, thinly traded U.S. public companies, or short-term high quality debt securities. BDCs make available significant managerial assistance to those portfolio companies. BDCs are not required to register as investment companies under the 1940 Act. They are, however, required to register their securities under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
Depositary Receipts. To the extent the Fund invests in stocks of foreign corporations, the Fund’s investment in securities of foreign companies may be in the form of depositary receipts or other securities convertible into securities of foreign issuers. American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) are dollar-denominated receipts representing interests in the securities of a foreign issuer, which securities may not necessarily be denominated in the same currency as the securities into which they may be converted. ADRs are receipts typically issued by United States banks and trust companies which evidence ownership of underlying securities issued by a foreign corporation. Generally, ADRs in registered form are designed for use in domestic securities markets and are traded on exchanges or over-the-counter in the United States.
Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”), European Depositary Receipts (“EDRs”), and International Depositary Receipts (“IDRs”) are similar to ADRs in that they are certificates evidencing ownership of shares of a foreign issuer, however, GDRs, EDRs, and IDRs may be issued in bearer form and denominated in other currencies, and are generally designed for use in specific or multiple securities markets outside the U.S. EDRs, for example, are designed for use in European securities markets, while GDRs are designed for use throughout the world. Depositary receipts will not necessarily be denominated in the same currency as their underlying securities.
Derivatives. Derivatives are financial instruments whose values are based on the value of one or more indicators, such as a security, asset, currency, interest rate, or index. The Fund’s use of derivatives involves risks different from, and possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other more traditional investments. Moreover, although the value of a derivative is based on an underlying indicator, a derivative does not carry the same rights as would be the case if the Fund invested directly in the underlying securities.
The SEC adopted new regulations governing the use of derivatives by registered investment companies (“Rule 18f-4”). Rule 18f-4 imposes limits on the amount of derivatives the Fund can enter into, treats derivatives as senior securities, and if the Fund’s use of derivatives is more than a limited specified exposure amount, requires the Fund to establish and maintain a comprehensive derivatives risk management program and appoint a derivatives risk manager.
Equity Securities. Equity securities, such as the common stocks of an issuer, are subject to stock market fluctuations and therefore may experience volatile changes in value as market conditions, consumer sentiment or the financial condition of the issuers change. A decrease in value of the equity securities in the Fund’s portfolio may also cause the value of the Fund’s Shares to decline.
An investment in the Fund should be made with an understanding of the risks inherent in an investment in equity securities, including the risk that the financial condition of issuers may become impaired or that the general condition of the stock market may deteriorate (either of which may cause a decrease in the value of the Fund’s portfolio securities and therefore a decrease in the value of Shares). Common stocks are susceptible to general stock market fluctuations and to volatile increases and decreases in value as market confidence and perceptions change. These investor perceptions are based on various and unpredictable factors, including expectations regarding government, economic, monetary and fiscal policies; inflation and interest rates; economic expansion or contraction; and global or regional political, economic, public health, or banking crises.
Holders of common stocks incur more risk than holders of preferred stocks and debt obligations because common stockholders, as owners of the issuer, generally have inferior rights to receive payments from the issuer in comparison with the rights of creditors or holders of debt obligations or preferred stocks. Further, unlike debt securities, which typically have a stated principal amount payable at maturity (whose value, however, is subject to market fluctuations prior thereto), or preferred stocks, which typically have a liquidation preference and which may have stated optional or mandatory redemption provisions, common stocks have neither a fixed principal amount nor a maturity. Common stock values are subject to market fluctuations as long as the common stock remains outstanding.
2
When-Issued Securities: A when-issued security is one whose terms are available and for which a market exists, but which has not been issued. When the Fund engages in when-issued transactions, it relies on the other party to consummate the sale. If the other party fails to complete the sale, the Fund may miss the opportunity to obtain the security at a favorable price or yield.
When purchasing a security on a when-issued basis, the Fund assumes the rights and risks of ownership of the security, including the risk of price and yield changes. At the time of settlement, the value of the security may be more or less than the purchase price. The yield available in the market when the delivery takes place also may be higher than those obtained in the transaction itself. Because the Fund does not pay for the security until the delivery date, these risks are in addition to the risks associated with its other investments.
Decisions to enter into “when-issued” transactions will be considered on a case-by-case basis when necessary to maintain continuity in a company’s index membership. The Fund will segregate cash or liquid securities equal in value to commitments for the when-issued transactions. The Fund will segregate additional liquid assets daily so that the value of such assets is equal to the amount of the commitments.
Types of Equity Securities:
Common Stocks — Common stocks represent units of ownership in a company. Common stocks usually carry voting rights and earn dividends. Unlike preferred stocks, which are described below, dividends on common stocks are not fixed but are declared at the discretion of the company’s board of directors.
Preferred Stocks — Preferred stocks are also units of ownership in a company. Preferred stocks normally have preference over common stock in the payment of dividends and the liquidation of the company. However, in all other respects, preferred stocks are subordinated to the liabilities of the issuer. Unlike common stocks, preferred stocks are generally not entitled to vote on corporate matters. Types of preferred stocks include adjustable-rate preferred stock, fixed dividend preferred stock, perpetual preferred stock, and sinking fund preferred stock.
Generally, the market values of preferred stock with a fixed dividend rate and no conversion element vary inversely with interest rates and perceived credit risk.
Rights and Warrants — A right is a privilege granted to existing shareholders of a corporation to subscribe to shares of a new issue of common stock before it is issued. Rights normally have a short life of usually two to four weeks, are freely transferable and entitle the holder to buy the new common stock at a lower price than the public offering price. Warrants are securities that are usually issued together with a debt security or preferred stock and that give the holder the right to buy proportionate amount of common stock at a specified price. Warrants are freely transferable and are traded on major exchanges. Unlike rights, warrants normally have a life that is measured in years and entitles the holder to buy common stock of a company at a price that is usually higher than the market price at the time the warrant is issued. Corporations often issue warrants to make the accompanying debt security more attractive.
An investment in warrants and rights may entail greater risks than certain other types of investments. Generally, rights and warrants do not carry the right to receive dividends or exercise voting rights with respect to the underlying securities, and they do not represent any rights in the assets of the issuer. In addition, their value does not necessarily change with the value of the underlying securities, and they cease to have value if they are not exercised on or before their expiration date. Investing in rights and warrants increases the potential profit or loss to be realized from the investment as compared with investing the same amount in the underlying securities.
Smaller Companies — The securities of small- and mid-capitalization companies may be more vulnerable to adverse issuer, market, political, or economic developments than securities of larger-capitalization companies. The securities of small- and mid-capitalization companies generally trade in lower volumes and are subject to greater and more unpredictable price changes than larger capitalization stocks or the stock market as a whole. Some small- or mid-capitalization companies have limited product lines, markets, and financial and managerial resources and tend to concentrate on fewer geographical markets relative to larger capitalization companies. There is typically less publicly available information concerning small- and mid-capitalization companies than for larger, more established companies. Small- and mid-capitalization companies also may be particularly sensitive to changes in interest rates, government regulation, borrowing costs, and earnings.
Exchange-Traded Funds (“ETFs”). The Fund may invest in shares of other investment companies (including ETFs). As the shareholder of another ETF, the Fund would bear, along with other shareholders, its pro rata portion of the other ETF’s expenses, including advisory fees. Such expenses are in addition to the expenses the Fund pays in connection with its own operations. The Fund’s investments in other ETFs may be limited by applicable law.
Disruptions in the markets for the securities underlying ETFs purchased or sold by the Fund could result in losses on investments in ETFs. ETFs also carry the risk that the price the Fund pays or receives may be higher or lower than the ETF’s NAV. ETFs are also subject to certain additional risks, including the risks of illiquidity and of possible trading halts due to market conditions or other reasons, based on the policies of the relevant exchange. ETFs and other investment companies in which the Fund may invest may be leveraged, which would increase the volatility of the Fund’s NAV.
3
Exchange-Traded Notes (“ETNs”). The Fund may invest in ETNs. ETNs generally are senior, unsecured, unsubordinated debt securities issued by a sponsor, such as an investment bank. ETNs are traded on exchanges and the returns are linked to the performance of market indexes. In addition to trading ETNs on exchanges, investors may redeem ETNs directly with the issuer on a periodic basis, typically in a minimum amount of 50,000 units, or hold the ETNs until maturity. The value of an ETN may be influenced by time to maturity, level of supply and demand for the ETN, volatility and lack of liquidity in the underlying market, changes in the applicable interest rates, and economic, legal, political or geographic events that affect the referenced market. Because ETNs are debt securities, they are subject to credit risk. If the issuer has financial difficulties or goes bankrupt, the Fund may not receive the return it was promised. If a rating agency lowers an issuer’s credit rating, the value of the ETN may decline and a lower credit rating reflects a greater risk that the issuer will default on its obligation. There may be restrictions on the Fund’s right to redeem its investment in an ETN. There are no periodic interest payments for ETNs, and principal is not protected. The Fund’s decision to sell its ETN holdings may be limited by the availability of a secondary market.
Illiquid Investments. The Fund may invest up to an aggregate amount of 15% of its net assets in illiquid investments, as such term is defined by Rule 22e-4 under the 1940 Act. The Fund may not invest in illiquid investments if, as a result of such investment, more than 15% of the Fund’s net assets would be invested in illiquid investments. Illiquid investments include securities subject to contractual or other restrictions on resale and other instruments that lack readily available markets. The inability of the Fund to dispose of illiquid investments readily or at a reasonable price could impair the Fund’s ability to raise cash for redemptions or other purposes. The liquidity of securities purchased by the Fund that are eligible for resale pursuant to Rule 144A, except for certain 144A bonds, will be monitored by the Fund on an ongoing basis. In the event that more than 15% of the Fund’s net assets are invested in illiquid investments, the Fund, in accordance with Rule 22e-4(b)(1)(iv), will report the occurrence to both the Board and the SEC and seek to reduce its holdings of illiquid investments within a reasonable period of time.
Investment Company Securities. The Fund invests in the securities of other investment companies, including ETFs, BDCs, and money market funds, subject to applicable limitations under Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act and the rules applicable thereunder (including Rule 12d1-4). Investing in another pooled vehicle exposes the Fund to all the risks of that pooled vehicle. Pursuant to Section 12(d)(1), the Fund may invest in the securities of another investment company (the “acquired company”) provided that the Fund, immediately after such purchase or acquisition, does not own in the aggregate: (i) more than 3% of the total outstanding voting stock of the acquired company; (ii) securities issued by the acquired company having an aggregate value in excess of 5% of the value of the total assets of such Fund; or (iii) securities issued by the acquired company and all other investment companies (other than treasury stock of such Fund) having an aggregate value in excess of 10% of the value of the total assets of the Fund. To the extent allowed by law or regulation, the Fund may invest its assets in securities of investment companies that are money market funds in excess of the limits discussed above.
If the Fund invests in and, thus, is a shareholder of, another investment company, the Fund’s shareholders will indirectly bear the Fund’s proportionate share of the fees and expenses paid by such other investment company, including advisory fees, in addition to both the management fees payable directly by the Fund to the Fund’s own investment adviser and the other expenses that the Fund bears directly in connection with the Fund’s own operations.
Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act restricts investments by registered investment companies in securities of other registered investment companies, including the Fund. The acquisition of the Fund’s Shares by registered investment companies is subject to the restrictions of Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act, except as may be permitted by exemptive rules under the 1940 Act that permits registered investment companies to invest in the Fund beyond the limits of Section 12(d)(1), subject to certain terms and conditions, including that the registered investment company enter into an agreement with the Fund regarding the terms of the investment.
The Fund may rely on Section 12(d)(1)(F) and Rule 12d1-3 of the 1940 Act, which provide an exemption from Section 12(d)(1) that allows the Fund to invest all of its assets in other registered funds, including ETFs, if, among other conditions: (a) the Fund, together with its affiliates, acquires no more than three percent of the outstanding voting stock of any acquired fund, and (b) the sales load charged on the Fund’s Shares is no greater than the limits set forth in Rule 2341 of the Rules of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”). Additionally, the Fund may rely on Rule 12d1-4 under the 1940 Act to invest in such other funds in excess of the limits of Section 12(d)(1) if the Fund complies with the terms and conditions of such rule.
Money Market Instruments. The Fund may invest a portion of its assets in high-quality money market instruments on an ongoing basis to provide liquidity or for other reasons. The instruments in which the Fund may invest include: (i) short-term obligations issued by the U.S. Government; (ii) negotiable certificates of deposit (“CDs”), fixed time deposits and bankers’ acceptances of U.S. and foreign banks and similar institutions; (iii) commercial paper rated at the date of purchase “Prime-1” by Moody’s or “A-1+” or “A-1” by S&P or, if unrated, of comparable quality as determined by the Fund; and (iv) repurchase agreements. CDs are short-term negotiable obligations of commercial banks. Time deposits are non-negotiable deposits maintained in banking institutions for specified periods of time at stated interest rates. Banker’s acceptances are time drafts drawn on commercial banks by borrowers, usually in connection with international transactions.
Options on Securities. The Fund may purchase and write (i.e., sell) put and call options. Such options may relate to particular securities or stock indices, and may or may not be listed on a domestic or foreign securities exchange and may or may not be issued by the Options Clearing Corporation. Options trading is a highly specialized activity that entails greater than ordinary investment risk. Options may be more volatile than the underlying instruments, and therefore, on a percentage basis, an investment in options may be subject to greater fluctuation than an investment in the underlying instruments themselves.
4
A call option for a particular security gives the purchaser of the option the right to buy, and the writer (seller) the obligation to sell, the underlying security at the stated exercise price at any time prior to the expiration of the option, regardless of the market price of the security. The premium paid to the writer is in consideration for undertaking the obligation under the option contract. A put option for a particular security gives the purchaser the right to sell the security at the stated exercise price at any time prior to the expiration date of the option, regardless of the market price of the security.
Stock index options are put options and call options on various stock indices. In most respects, they are identical to listed options on common stocks. The primary difference between stock options and index options occurs when index options are exercised. In the case of stock options, the underlying security, common stock, is delivered. However, upon the exercise of an index option, settlement does not occur by delivery of the securities comprising the index. The option holder who exercises the index option receives an amount of cash if the closing level of the stock index upon which the option is based is greater than, in the case of a call, or less than, in the case of a put, the exercise price of the option. This amount of cash is equal to the difference between the closing price of the stock index and the exercise price of the option expressed in dollars times a specified multiple. A stock index fluctuates with changes in the market value of the stocks included in the index. For example, some stock index options are based on a broad market index, such as the Standard & Poor’s 500® Index or the Value Line Composite Index or a narrower market index, such as the Standard & Poor’s 100®. Indices may also be based on an industry or market segment, such as the NYSE Arca Oil Index. Options on stock indices are currently traded on the Chicago Board Options Exchange, the New York Stock Exchange and the NASDAQ OMX PHLX.
The Fund’s obligation to sell an instrument subject to a call option written by it, or to purchase an instrument subject to a put option written by it, may be terminated prior to the expiration date of the option by the Fund’s execution of a closing purchase transaction, which is effected by purchasing on an exchange an option of the same series (i.e., same underlying instrument, exercise price and expiration date) as the option previously written. A closing purchase transaction will ordinarily be effected to realize a profit on an outstanding option, to prevent an underlying instrument from being called, to permit the sale of the underlying instrument or to permit the writing of a new option containing different terms on such underlying instrument. The cost of such a liquidation purchase plus transactions costs may be greater than the premium received upon the original option, in which event the Fund will have paid a loss in the transaction. There is no assurance that a liquid secondary market will exist for any particular option. An option writer unable to effect a closing purchase transaction will not be able to sell the underlying instrument until the option expires or the optioned instrument is delivered upon exercise. In such circumstances, the writer will be subject to the risk of market decline or appreciation in the instrument during such period.
If an option purchased by the Fund expires unexercised, the Fund realizes a loss equal to the premium paid. If the Fund enters into a closing sale transaction on an option purchased by it, the Fund will realize a gain if the premium received by the Fund on the closing transaction is more than the premium paid to purchase the option, or a loss if it is less. If an option written by the Fund expires on the stipulated expiration date or if the Fund enters into a closing purchase transaction, it will realize a gain (or loss if the cost of a closing purchase transaction exceeds the net premium received when the option is sold). If an option written by the Fund is exercised, the proceeds of the sale will be increased by the net premium originally received and the Fund will realize a gain or loss.
Options on Stock Indexes. The Fund’s purchase and sale of options on stock indexes will be subject to risks described below under “Transactions in Stock Options.” In addition, the distinctive characteristics of options on stock indexes create certain risks that are not present with stock options.
Since the value of a stock index option depends upon the movements in the level of the stock index, rather than the price of a particular stock, whether the Fund will realize a gain or loss on the purchase or sale of an option on a stock index depends upon movements in the level of stock prices in the stock market generally or in an industry or market segment rather than movements in the price of a particular stock. Accordingly, successful use by the Fund of options on stock indexes is subject to the advisor’s ability to correctly predict movements in the direction of the stock market generally or of a particular industry or market segment. This requires skills and techniques different from predicting changes in the price of individual stocks.
Stock index prices may be distorted if trading of certain stocks included in the stock index is interrupted. Trading in the stock index options also may be interrupted in certain circumstances, such as if trading were halted in a substantial number of stocks included in the stock index. If this occurred, the Fund would not be able to close out options that it had purchased or written and, if restrictions on exercise were imposed, might not be able to exercise an option that it was holding, which could result in substantial losses to the Fund.
Although the markets for certain stock index option contracts have developed rapidly, the markets for other stock index options are still relatively illiquid. The ability to establish and close out positions on such options will be subject to the development and maintenance of a liquid secondary market. It is not certain that this market will develop in all stock index option contracts. Fund will not purchase or sell stock index option contracts unless and until, in the advisor’s opinion, the market for such options has developed sufficiently that the risk in connection with these transactions is no greater than the risk in connection with options on stock.
OTC Options. Unlike exchange-traded options, which are standardized with respect to the underlying instrument, expiration date, contract size and strike price, the terms of OTC options (options not traded on exchanges) generally are established through negotiation with the other party to the option contract. While this type of arrangement allows the Fund great flexibility to tailor the option to its needs, OTC options generally involve greater risk than exchange-traded options, which are guaranteed by the clearing organization of the exchanges where they are traded.
5
REITs. The Fund may invest in securities of real estate investment trusts (“REITs”). REITs are publicly traded corporations or trusts that specialize in acquiring, holding and managing residential, commercial or industrial real estate. A REIT is not taxed at the entity level on income distributed to its shareholders or unitholders if it distributes to shareholders or unitholders at least 95% of its taxable income for each taxable year and complies with regulatory requirements relating to its organization, ownership, assets and income.
REITs generally can be classified as “Equity REITs,” “Mortgage REITs” and “Hybrid REITs.” An Equity REIT invests the majority of its assets directly in real property and derives its income primarily from rents and from capital gains on real estate appreciation which are realized through property sales. A Mortgage REIT invests the majority of its assets in real estate mortgage loans and services its income primarily from interest payments. A Hybrid REIT combines the characteristics of an Equity REIT and a Mortgage REIT. The Fund may invest in all three kinds of REITs.
Investments in the real estate industry involve particular risks. The real estate industry has been subject to substantial fluctuations and declines on a local, regional and national basis in the past and may continue to be in the future. Real property values, and income from real property continue to be in the future. Real property values and income from real property may decline due to general and local economic conditions, overbuilding and increased competition, increases in property taxes and operating expenses, changes in zoning laws, casualty or condemnation losses, regulatory limitations on rents, changes in neighborhoods and in demographics, increases in market interest rates, or other factors. Factors such as these may adversely affect companies that own and operate real estate directly, companies that lend to such companies, and companies that service the real estate industry.
Direct investments in REITs also involve risks. Equity REITs will be affected by changes in the values of and income from the properties they own, while Mortgage REITs may be affected by the credit quality of the mortgage loans they hold. In addition, REITs are dependent on specialized management skills and on their ability to generate cash flow for operating purposes and to make distributions to shareholders or unitholders REITs may have limited diversification and are subject to risks associated with obtaining financing for real property, as well as to the risk of self-liquidation. REITs also can be adversely affected by their failure to qualify for tax-free pass-through treatment of their income under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or their failure to maintain an exemption from registration under the 1940 Act. By investing in REITs indirectly through the Fund, a shareholder bears not only a proportionate share of the expenses of the Fund, but also may indirectly bear similar expenses of some of the REITs in which it invests.
Repurchase Agreements. The Fund may invest in repurchase agreements with commercial banks, brokers or dealers to generate income from its excess cash balances and to invest securities lending cash collateral. A repurchase agreement is an agreement under which the Fund acquires a financial instrument (e.g., a security issued by the U.S. government or an agency thereof, a banker’s acceptance or a certificate of deposit) from a seller, subject to resale to the seller at an agreed upon price and date (normally, the next Business Day). A repurchase agreement may be considered a loan collateralized by securities. The resale price reflects an agreed upon interest rate effective for the period the instrument is held by the Fund and is unrelated to the interest rate on the underlying instrument.
In these repurchase agreement transactions, the securities acquired by the Fund (including accrued interest earned thereon) must have a total value in excess of the value of the repurchase agreement and are held by the Custodian until repurchased. No more than an aggregate of 15% of the Fund’s net assets will be invested in illiquid investments, including repurchase agreements having maturities longer than seven days and securities subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale, or for which there are no readily available market quotations.
The use of repurchase agreements involves certain risks. For example, if the other party to the agreement defaults on its obligation to repurchase the underlying security at a time when the value of the security has declined, the Fund may incur a loss upon disposition of the security. If the other party to the agreement becomes insolvent and subject to liquidation or reorganization under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code or other laws, a court may determine that the underlying security is collateral for a loan by the Fund not within the control of the Fund and, therefore, the Fund may not be able to substantiate its interest in the underlying security and may be deemed an unsecured creditor of the other party to the agreement.
Reverse Repurchase Agreements. The Fund may enter into reverse repurchase agreements, which involve the sale of securities held by the Fund subject to its agreement to repurchase the securities at an agreed-upon date or upon demand and at a price reflecting a market rate of interest. Reverse repurchase agreements are subject to the Fund’s limitation on borrowings and may be entered into only with banks or securities dealers or their affiliates. While a reverse repurchase agreement is outstanding, the Fund will maintain the segregation, either on its records or with the Trust’s custodian, of cash or other liquid securities, marked-to-market daily, in an amount at least equal to its obligations under the reverse repurchase agreement.
Reverse repurchase agreements involve the risk that the buyer of the securities sold by the Fund might be unable to deliver them when that Fund seeks to repurchase. If the buyer of securities under a reverse repurchase agreement files for bankruptcy or becomes insolvent, the buyer or trustee or receiver may receive an extension of time to determine whether to enforce the Fund’s obligation to repurchase the securities, and the Fund’s use of the proceeds of the reverse repurchase agreement may effectively be restricted pending such decision.
Securities Lending. The Fund may lend portfolio securities in an amount up to one-third of its total assets to brokers, dealers and other financial institutions. In a portfolio securities lending transaction, the Fund receives from the borrower an amount equal to the interest paid or the dividends declared on the loaned securities during the term of the loan as well as the interest on the collateral securities, less any fees (such as finders or administrative fees) the Fund pays in arranging the loan. The Fund may share the interest it receives on the collateral securities with the borrower. Loans are subject to termination at the option of the Fund or borrower at any time, and the borrowed securities must be returned when the loan is terminated. The Fund may pay fees to arrange for securities loans.
6
The SEC currently requires that the following conditions must be met whenever the Fund’s portfolio securities are loaned: (1) the Fund must receive at least 100% cash collateral from the borrower; (2) the borrower must increase such collateral whenever the market value of the securities rises above the level of such collateral; (3) the Fund must be able to terminate the loan at any time; (4) the Fund must receive reasonable interest on the loan, as well as any dividends, interest or other distributions on the loaned securities, and any increase in market value; (5) the Fund may pay only reasonable custodian fees approved by the Board in connection with the loan; (6) while voting rights on the loaned securities may pass to the borrower, the Board must terminate the loan and regain the right to vote the securities if a material event adversely affecting the investment occurs, and (7) the Fund may not loan its portfolio securities so that the value of the loaned securities is more than one-third of its total asset value, including collateral received from such loans. These conditions may be subject to future modification. Such loans will be terminable at any time upon specified notice. The Fund might experience the risk of loss if the institution with which it has engaged in a portfolio loan transaction breaches its agreement with the Fund. In addition, the Fund will not enter into any portfolio security lending arrangement having a duration of longer than one year. The principal risk of portfolio lending is potential default or insolvency of the borrower. In either of these cases, the Fund could experience delays in recovering securities or collateral or could lose all or part of the value of the loaned securities. As part of participating in a lending program, the Fund may be required to invest in collateralized debt or other securities that bear the risk of loss of principal. In addition, all investments made with the collateral received are subject to the risks associated with such investments. If such investments lose value, the Fund will have to cover the loss when repaying the collateral.
Any loans of portfolio securities are fully collateralized based on values that are marked-to-market daily. Any securities that the Fund may receive as collateral will not become part of the Fund’s investment portfolio at the time of the loan and, in the event of a default by the borrower, the Fund will, if permitted by law, dispose of such collateral except for such part thereof that is a security in which the Fund is permitted to invest. During the time securities are on loan, the borrower will pay the Fund any accrued income on those securities, and the Fund may invest the cash collateral and earn income or receive an agreed-upon fee from a borrower that has delivered cash-equivalent collateral.
Stock Index Futures. The Fund may purchase and sell stock index futures contracts as a hedge against changes resulting from market conditions in the values of securities that are held in its portfolio or that it intends to purchase or when such purchase or sale is economically appropriate for the reduction of risks inherent in the ongoing management of the Fund. A stock index futures contract is an agreement in which one party agrees to deliver to the other an amount of cash equal to a specific dollar amount times the difference between the value of a specific stock index at the close of the last trading day of the contract and the price at which the agreement is made.
The Fund may hedge a portion of its portfolio by selling stock index futures contracts or purchasing puts on these contracts to limit exposure to an actual or anticipated market decline. This provides an alternative to liquidation of securities positions. Conversely, during a market advance or when the Adviser anticipates an advance, the Fund may hedge a portion of its portfolio by purchasing stock index futures, or options on these futures. This affords a hedge against the Fund not participating in a market advance when it is not fully invested and serves as a temporary substitute for the purchase of individual securities, which may later be purchased in a more advantageous manner.
The Fund’s successful use of stock index futures contracts depends upon the Adviser’s ability to predict the direction of the market and is subject to various additional risks. The correlation between movement in the price of the stock index future and the price of the securities being hedged is imperfect and the risk from imperfect correlation increases as the composition of the Fund’s portfolio diverges from the composition of the relevant index. In addition, if the Fund purchases futures to hedge against market advances before it can invest in common stock in an advantageous manner and the market declines, there may be a loss on the futures contracts. In addition, the ability of the Fund to close out a futures position or an option on futures depends on a liquid secondary market. There is no assurance that liquid secondary markets will exist for any particular futures contract or option on a futures contract at any particular time. The risk of loss to the Fund is theoretically unlimited when the Fund sells an uncovered futures contract because there is an obligation to make delivery unless the contract is closed out, regardless of fluctuations in the price of the underlying security.
Tax Risks. As with any investment, you should consider how your investment in Shares will be taxed. The tax information in the Prospectus and this SAI is provided as general information. You should consult your own tax professional about the tax consequences of an investment in Shares.
Unless your investment in Shares is made through a tax-exempt entity or tax-deferred retirement account, such as an individual retirement account, you need to be aware of the possible tax consequences when the Fund makes distributions or you sell Shares.
Transactions in Stock Options. Purchase and sales of options involves the risk that there will be no market in which to effect a closing transaction. An option position may be closed out only on an exchange that provides a secondary market for an option of the same series or if the transaction was an over-the-counter transaction, through the original broker-dealer. Although the Fund will generally buy and sell options for which there appears to be an active secondary market, there is no assurance that a liquid secondary market on an exchange will exist for any particular option, or at any particular time, and for some options no secondary market on an exchange may exist. If the Fund, as a covered call or put option writer, is unable to effect an offsetting closing transaction in a secondary market, it will, for a call option it has written, not be able to sell the underlying security until the call option expires and, for a put option it has written, not be able to avoid purchasing the underlying security until the put option expires.
7
U.S. Government Securities. The Fund may invest in U.S. government securities. Securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities include U.S. Treasury securities, which are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury and which differ only in their interest rates, maturities, and times of issuance. U.S. Treasury bills have initial maturities of one-year or less; U.S. Treasury notes have initial maturities of one to ten years; and U.S. Treasury bonds generally have initial maturities of greater than ten years. Certain U.S. government securities are issued or guaranteed by agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. government including, but not limited to, obligations of U.S. government agencies or instrumentalities such as the Federal National Mortgage Association (“Fannie Mae”), the Government National Mortgage Association (“Ginnie Mae”), the Small Business Administration, the Federal Farm Credit Administration, the Federal Home Loan Banks, Banks for Cooperatives (including the Central Bank for Cooperatives), the Federal Land Banks, the Federal Intermediate Credit Banks, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Export-Import Bank of the United States, the Commodity Credit Corporation, the Federal Financing Bank, the Student Loan Marketing Association, the National Credit Union Administration and the Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation (“Farmer Mac”).
Some obligations issued or guaranteed by U.S. government agencies and instrumentalities, including, for example, Ginnie Mae pass- through certificates, are supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury. Other obligations issued by or guaranteed by federal agencies, such as those securities issued by Fannie Mae, are supported by the discretionary authority of the U.S. government to purchase certain obligations of the federal agency, while other obligations issued by or guaranteed by federal agencies, such as those of the Federal Home Loan Banks, are supported by the right of the issuer to borrow from the U.S. Treasury, while the U.S. government provides financial support to such U.S. government-sponsored federal agencies, no assurance can be given that the U.S. government will always do so, since the U.S. government is not so obligated by law. U.S. Treasury notes and bonds typically pay coupon interest semi-annually and repay the principal at maturity.
Future Developments. The Board may, in the future, authorize the Fund to invest in securities contracts and investments other than those listed in this SAI and in the Fund’s Prospectus, provided they are consistent with the Fund’s investment objective and do not violate any investment restrictions or policies.
INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS
The Trust has adopted the following investment restrictions as fundamental policies with respect to the Fund. These restrictions cannot be changed with respect to the Fund without the approval of the holders of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities. For the purposes of the 1940 Act, a “majority of outstanding shares” means the vote of the lesser of: (1) 67% or more of the voting securities of the Fund present at the meeting if the holders of more than 50% of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities are present or represented by proxy; or (2) more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund.
Except with the approval of a majority of the outstanding voting securities, the Fund may not:
| 1. | Purchase the securities of any issuer (other than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or any of its agencies or instrumentalities) if, as a result, more than 25% of the Fund’s total assets would be invested in the securities of companies whose principal business activities are in the same industry. |
| 2. | Issue senior securities, except as permitted under the 1940 Act. |
| 3. | Borrow money, except as permitted under the 1940 Act. |
| 4. | Lend any security or make any other loan except as permitted under the 1940 Act. This means that no more than 331/3% of its total assets would be lent to other parties. This limitation does not apply to purchases of debt securities or to repurchase agreements, or to acquisitions of loans, loan participations or other forms of debt instruments, permissible under the Fund’s investment policies. |
| 5. | Purchase or sell real estate unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments (but this shall not prevent the Fund from investing in securities or other instruments backed by real estate, real estate investment trusts or securities of companies engaged in the real estate business). |
| 6. | Purchase or sell physical commodities unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments (but this shall not prevent the Fund from purchasing or selling options and futures contracts or from investing in securities or other instruments backed by physical commodities). |
| 7. | Act as an underwriter of another issuer’s securities, except to the extent that the Fund may be considered an underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act in the disposition of portfolio securities. |
8
If a percentage limitation is adhered to at the time of investment or contract, a later increase or decrease in percentage resulting from any change in value or total or net assets will not result in a violation of such restriction, except that the percentage limitation with respect to the borrowing of money will be observed continuously.
EXCHANGE LISTING AND TRADING
Shares are listed for trading and trade throughout the day on the Exchange.
There can be no assurance that the Fund will continue to meet the requirements of the Exchange necessary to maintain the listing of Shares. The Exchange will consider the suspension of trading in, and will initiate delisting proceedings of, the Shares if any of the requirements set forth in the Exchange rules, including compliance with Rule 6c-11(c) under the 1940 Act, are not continuously maintained or such other event shall occur or condition shall exist that, in the opinion of the Exchange, makes further dealings on the Exchange inadvisable. The Exchange will remove the Shares of the Fund from listing and trading upon termination of the Fund.
The Trust reserves the right to adjust the price levels of Shares in the future to help maintain convenient trading ranges for investors. Any adjustments would be accomplished through stock splits or reverse stock splits, which would have no effect on the net assets of the Fund.
MANAGEMENT OF THE TRUST
Board Responsibilities. The management and affairs of the Trust and its series are overseen by the Board, which elects the officers of the Trust who are responsible for administering the day-to-day operations of the Trust and the Fund. The Board has approved contracts, as described below, under which certain companies provide essential services to the Trust.
The day-to-day business of the Trust, including the management of risk, is performed by third-party service providers, such as the Adviser, the Distributor, and the Administrator. The Board is responsible for overseeing the Trust’s service providers and, thus, has oversight responsibility with respect to risk management performed by those service providers. Risk management seeks to identify and address risks, i.e., events or circumstances that could have material adverse effects on the business, operations, shareholder services, investment performance or reputation of the Fund. The Fund and its service providers employ a variety of processes, procedures and controls to identify such events or circumstances, to lessen the probability of their occurrence and/or to mitigate the effects of such events or circumstances if they do occur. Each service provider is responsible for one or more discrete aspects of the Trust’s business (e.g., the Adviser is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio investments) and, consequently, for managing the risks associated with that business. The Board has emphasized to the Fund’s service providers the importance of maintaining vigorous risk management.
The Board’s role in risk oversight begins before the inception of the Fund, at which time certain of the Fund’s service providers present the Board with information concerning the investment objective, strategies, and risks of the Fund as well as proposed investment limitations for the Fund. Additionally, the Adviser will provide the Board with an overview of, among other things, its investment philosophy, brokerage practices, and compliance infrastructure. Thereafter, the Board continues its oversight function as various personnel, including the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer, as well as personnel of the Adviser, and other service providers such as the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm, make periodic reports to the Audit Committee or to the Board with respect to various aspects of risk management. The Board and the Audit Committee oversee efforts by management and service providers to manage risks to which the Fund may be exposed.
The Board is responsible for overseeing the nature, extent, and quality of the services provided to the Fund by the Adviser and receives information about those services at its regular meetings. In addition, on an annual basis (following the initial two-year period), in connection with its consideration of whether to renew the Advisory Agreement with the Adviser (as defined below), the Board or its designee may meet with the Adviser to review such services. Among other things, the Board regularly considers the Adviser’s adherence to the Fund’s investment restrictions and compliance with various Fund policies and procedures and with applicable securities regulations. The Board also reviews information about the Fund’s performance and the Fund’s investments, including, for example, portfolio holdings schedules.
The Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer reports regularly to the Board to review and discuss compliance issues and Fund and Adviser risk assessments. At least annually, the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer provides the Board with a report reviewing the adequacy and effectiveness of the Trust’s policies and procedures and those of its service providers, including the Adviser. The report addresses the operation of the policies and procedures of the Trust and each service provider since the date of the last report; any material changes to the policies and procedures since the date of the last report; any recommendations for material changes to the policies and procedures; and any material compliance matters since the date of the last report.
The Board receives reports from the Fund’s service providers regarding operational risks and risks related to the valuation and liquidity of portfolio securities. Annually, the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm reviews with the Audit Committee its audit of the Fund’s financial statements, focusing on major areas of risk encountered by the Fund and noting any significant deficiencies or material weaknesses in the Fund’s internal controls. Additionally, in connection with its oversight function, the Board oversees Fund management’s implementation of disclosure controls and procedures, which are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Trust in its periodic reports with the SEC are recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the required time periods. The Board also oversees the Trust’s internal controls over financial reporting, which comprise policies and procedures designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of the Trust’s financial reporting and the preparation of the Trust’s financial statements.
9
From their review of these reports and discussions with the Adviser, the Chief Compliance Officer, independent registered public accounting firm and other service providers, the Board and the Audit Committee learn in detail about the material risks of the Fund, thereby facilitating a dialogue about how management and service providers identify and mitigate those risks.
The Board recognizes that not all risks that may affect the Fund can be identified and/or quantified, that it may not be practical or cost-effective to eliminate or mitigate certain risks, that it may be necessary to bear certain risks (such as investment-related risks) to achieve the Fund’s goals, and that the processes, procedures and controls employed to address certain risks may be limited in their effectiveness. Moreover, reports received by the Board as to risk management matters are typically summaries of the relevant information. Most of the Fund’s investment management and business affairs are carried out by or through the Adviser, and other service providers, each of which has an independent interest in risk management but whose policies and the methods by which one or more risk management functions are carried out may differ from the Fund’s and each other’s in the setting of priorities, the resources available or the effectiveness of relevant controls. As a result of the foregoing and other factors, the Board’s ability to monitor and manage risk, as a practical matter, is subject to limitations.
Members of the Board. There are three members of the Board, two of whom are not interested persons of the Trust, as that term is defined in the 1940 Act (the “Independent Trustees”). Mr. Bradley Swenson serves as Chairman of the Board and is an interested person of the Trust, and Mr. Steven Norgaard serves as the Trust’s Lead Independent Trustee. As Lead Independent Trustee, Mr. Norgaard acts as a spokesperson for the Independent Trustees in between meetings of the Board, serves as a liaison for the Independent Trustees with the Trust’s service providers, officers, and legal counsel to discuss ideas informally, and participates in setting the agenda for meetings of the Board and separate meetings or executive sessions of the Independent Trustees.
The Board is comprised of a super-majority (66.6 percent) of Independent Trustees. There is an Audit Committee of the Board that is chaired by an Independent Trustee and comprised solely of Independent Trustees. The Audit Committee chair presides at the Audit Committee meetings, participates in formulating agendas for Audit Committee meetings, and coordinates with management to serve as a liaison between the Independent Trustees and management on matters within the scope of responsibilities of the Audit Committee as set forth in its Board-approved charter. The Trust has determined its leadership structure is appropriate given the specific characteristics and circumstances of the Trust. The Trust made this determination in consideration of, among other things, the fact that the Independent Trustees of the Trust constitute a super-majority of the Board, the number of Independent Trustees that constitute the Board, the amount of assets under management in the Trust, and the number of funds overseen by the Board. The Board also believes that its leadership structure facilitates the orderly and efficient flow of information to the Independent Trustees from management.
10
Additional information about each Trustee of the Trust is set forth below. The address of each Trustee of the Trust is c/o Paralel Technologies LLC, 1700 Broadway, Suite 2100, Denver, Colorado 80290.
| Name
and Year of Birth |
Position
Held with the Trust |
Term of Office and Length of Time Served | Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years | Number
of Portfolios in Fund Complex Overseen by Trustee(1) |
Other Directorships Held by Trustee During Past 5 Years |
| Independent Trustees | |||||
Kimberly Storms
Birth Year: 1972
|
Trustee | Since 2022 | Ms. Storms served at various roles at ALPS Fund Services, Inc. from 1998 through 2020, including as Senior Vice President - Director of Fund Administration (2004-2020) and Senior Vice President - Director of Fund Management (2020). During her tenure, Ms. Storms served as an officer to certain ETF, closed-end and open-end investment companies (1998-2020) and, within the past 5 years, Principal Financial Officer of ALPS Series Trust (2012-2020), Financial Investors Trust (2013-2020), Liberty All-Star Funds (2013-2020), and Cambria ETF Trust (2020). | 37 | Sterling Capital Funds (Since October 2022) |
Steven Norgaard
Birth Year: 1964
|
Trustee | Since 2022 | Mr. Norgaard has been an attorney with Steven K. Norgaard, P.C. since 1994. | 38(2) | SRH U.S. Quality GARP ETF (since 2022); MFG Funds (formerly Frontier Funds) (2 Funds) (since 2013); SRH Total Return Fund, Inc. (Since 2011) |
| Interested Trustees and Officers | |||||
Bradley J. Swenson
Birth Year: 1972
|
Trustee and President | Since 2022 | Mr. Swenson is President of Paralel Distributors LLC (May 2022 to present) and Chief Compliance Officer of Paralel Technologies LLC (January 2023 to present). He previously served as President of TruePeak Consulting, LLC (August 2021 to December 2023). Prior to this, Mr. Swenson joined ALPS Fund Services, Inc. (“ALPS”) in 2004 and served as its President from June 2019 until June 2021. In this role, he served as an officer to certain other closed-end and open-end investment companies. He previously served as the Chief Operating Officer of ALPS (2015-2019). Mr. Swenson also previously served as Chief Compliance Officer to ALPS, its affiliated entities, and to certain ETF, closed-end and open-end investment companies (2004-2015). | 37 | ALPS Series Trust (March 2021 to March 2022) |
| (1) | The term “Fund Complex” means two or more registered investment companies that hold themselves out to investors as related companies for purposes of investment and investor services; or have a common investment adviser or that have an investment adviser that is an affiliated person of the investment adviser of any of the other registered investment companies. For the purposes of this table, all series of the Trust (37 funds, including the Fund) are included in the Fund Complex. |
| (2) | Mr. Norgaard also serves as a Director of the SRH Total Return Fund, Inc. whose investment adviser is the same as the investment adviser of SRH U.S. Quality GARP ETF and SRH REIT Covered Call ETF, two series of the Trust. |
11
Individual Trustee Qualifications. The Trust has concluded that each of the Trustees should serve on the Board because of their ability to review and understand information about the Fund provided to them by management, to identify and request other information they may deem relevant to the performance of their duties, to question management and other service providers regarding material factors bearing on the management and administration of the Fund, and to exercise their business judgment in a manner that serves the best interests of the Fund’s shareholders. The Trust has concluded that each of the Trustees should serve as a Trustee based on his or her own experience, qualifications, attributes and skills as described below.
Bradley Swenson. Mr. Swenson has more than 25 years experienced focused on compliance and distribution in the mutual fund industry. Prior to joining Paralel, he spent seventeen years at ALPS in various capacities including, but not limited to, Chief Compliance Officer, Chief Operating Officer and President of ALPS Fund Services and ALPS Distributors. In addition to those roles Mr. Swenson built and led the Fund CCO services division and served as Fund CCO and President to various closed-end, ETF and mutual fund trusts. Mr. Swenson also held various roles at Janus Capital Group and Oppenheimer Funds including Senior Audit Manager and Compliance Manager. Mr. Swenson graduated from the University of Minnesota-Duluth with a B.S. in Accounting. Mr. Swenson holds FINRA Series 3, 6, 7, 24, 26, and 27 licenses.
Steven K. Norgaard. Mr. Norgaard serves as the lead independent trustee of the Trust, bringing more than 30 years of integrated legal, financial, and regulatory expertise to the Trust. He is an attorney and has successfully passed the certified public accountants (CPA) exam. Since 1994, he has been the principal of the law firm Steven K. Norgaard, P.C., having previously practiced law at the international firm McDermott, Will & Schulte. He currently serves as the Chairman of the Board of Directors for the SRH Total Return Fund, Inc. and as the lead independent director for the MFG Funds (formerly the Frontier Funds). His extensive background in corporate governance includes nearly a decade of senior leadership at Attorneys' Title Guaranty Fund, Inc., where he served as Chairman of the Board of Directors. Additionally, he served on the Board of Directors of ATG Trust Company from 2007 to 2021. Prior to March 2015, Mr. Norgaard held independent directorships for the Boulder Total Return Fund, Inc., the Denali Fund, Inc., and the First Opportunity Fund, Inc., until their merger into the fund now known as SRH Total Return Fund, Inc.
Kimberly Storms. Ms. Storms is the chair of the Audit Committee of the Board of Trustees and is the Trust’s Audit Committee Financial Expert. Ms. Storms has more than 25 years of experience concentrated on mutual fund back office and accounting operations. Ms. Storms served in various roles at ALPS Fund Services from 1998 through 2020, including as Senior Vice President - Director of Fund Administration. She graduated with a B.S. in Finance from the University of Louisiana. Ms. Storms brings significant experience from her prior time serving as an executive officer of several large fund complexes, as well as her knowledge in the accounting, investment and regulatory fields.
In its periodic assessment of the effectiveness of the Board, the Board considers the complementary individual skills and experience of the individual Trustees primarily in the broader context of the Board’s overall composition so that the Board, as a body, possesses the appropriate (and appropriately diverse) skills and experience to oversee the business of the Fund.
Board Committees. The Board has established the following standing committees of the Board:
Audit Committee. The Board has a standing Audit Committee that is composed of each of the Independent Trustees of the Trust. The Audit Committee operates under a written charter approved by the Board. The principal responsibilities of the Audit Committee include: recommending which firm to engage as the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm and whether to terminate this relationship; reviewing the independent registered public accounting firm’s compensation, the proposed scope and terms of its engagement, and the firm’s independence; pre-approving audit and non-audit services provided by the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm to the Trust and certain other affiliated entities; serving as a channel of communication between the independent registered public accounting firm and the Trustees; reviewing the results of each external audit, including any qualifications in the independent registered public accounting firm’s opinion, any related management letter, management’s responses to recommendations made by the independent registered public accounting firm in connection with the audit, reports submitted to the Committee by the internal auditing department of the Trust’s Administrator that are material to the Trust as a whole, if any, and management’s responses to any such reports; reviewing the Fund’s audited financial statements and considering any significant disputes between the Trust’s management and the independent registered public accounting firm that arose in connection with the preparation of those financial statements; considering, in consultation with the independent registered public accounting firm and the Trust’s senior internal accounting executive, if any, the independent registered public accounting firms’ report on the adequacy of the Trust’s internal financial controls; reviewing, in consultation with the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm, major changes regarding auditing and accounting principles and practices to be followed when preparing the Fund’s financial statements; and other audit related matters.
12
The Audit Committee also serves as the Qualified Legal Compliance Committee (“QLCC”) for the Trust for the purpose of compliance with Rules 205.2(k) and 205.3(c) of the Code of Federal Regulations, regarding alternative reporting procedures for attorneys retained or employed by an issuer who appear and practice before the SEC on behalf of the issuer (the “issuer attorneys”). An issuer attorney who becomes aware of evidence of a material violation by the Trust, or by any officer, director, employee, or agent of the Trust, may report evidence of such material violation to the QLCC as an alternative to the reporting requirements of Rule 205.3(b) (which requires reporting to the chief legal officer and potentially “up the ladder” to other entities). During the period June 27, 2025 (commencement of operations) through October 31, 2025, the Audit Committee met two times.
Nominating Committee. The Board has a standing Nominating Committee that is composed of each of the Independent Trustees of the Trust. The Nominating Committee operates under a written charter approved by the Board. The principal responsibility of the Nominating Committee is to consider, recommend and nominate candidates to fill vacancies on the Trust’s Board, if any. The Nominating Committee generally will not consider nominees recommended by shareholders. The Nominating Committee meets periodically, as necessary. During the period June 27, 2025 (commencement of operations) through October 31, 2025, the Nominating Committee did not meet.
Principal Officers of the Trust
The officers of the Trust conduct and supervise its daily business. The address of each officer of the Trust is c/o Paralel Technologies LLC, 1700 Broadway, Suite 2100, Denver, Colorado 80290. Additional information about the Trust’s officers is as follows:
| Name and Year of Birth | Position(s) Held with the Trust | Term of Office and Length of Time Served | Principal
Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years |
Brenna Fudjack
Birth Year: 1986
|
Chief Compliance Officer | Indefinite term; since 2023 | Ms. Fudjack joined Paralel Technologies LLC as Deputy Chief Compliance officer in 2023. Prior to her current role, Ms. Fudjack served as Manager, Risk & Financial Advisory for Deloitte & Touche LLP from 2022-2023; Director of Compliance for Perella Weinberg Partners Capital Management LP / Agility from 2018-2022; Compliance Officer for Shelton Capital Management from 2017-2018; and Compliance Manager among other compliance roles for ALPS Fund Services, Inc. from 2010-2017. |
Nicholas Austin
Birth Year: 1981
|
Treasurer | Indefinite term; since 2023 | Mr. Austin joined Paralel Technologies, LLC as Senior Controller in 2022. Prior to his current role, Mr. Austin served as Vice President/Fund Controller for SS&C ALPS from 2018 until 2022, and as Chief Financial Officer of Champion Medical Center from 2016 until 2018. |
Nicholas Adams
Birth Year: 1983
|
Secretary | Indefinite term; since 2025 | Mr. Adams joined Paralel Technologies LLC as Investment Counsel in 2025. Prior to his current role, Mr. Adams served as Principal Legal Counsel for SS&C ALPS from 2022 – 2024, and associate counsel for Arnold, Newbold, Sollars and Hollins, P.C. from 2020-2022 and Stanziola Estate Law from 2019-2020. |
Trustee Ownership of Shares. The Fund is required to show the dollar amount ranges of each Trustee’s “beneficial ownership” of Shares and each other series of the Trust as of the end of the most recently completed calendar year. Dollar amount ranges disclosed are established by the SEC. “Beneficial ownership” is determined in accordance with Rule 16a-1(a)(2) under the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”).
As of the December 31, 2025, no Trustees owned Shares of the Fund.
Board Compensation. The Independent Trustees each receive a fee of $12,500 per quarter, a special meeting fee of $2,500, as well as reimbursement for reasonable travel, lodging and other expenses in connection with attendance at meetings. The Audit Committee Chair also receives a fee of $2000 per quarter. The Trust has no pension or retirement plan.
Independent Trustee fees are paid by the adviser of each series of the Trust through the applicable adviser’s unitary management fee, and not by the Fund. Trustee compensation does not include reimbursed out-of-pocket expenses in connection with attendance at meetings.
13
The following table shows the compensation anticipated to be earned by each Trustee during the first full fiscal year of the Fund:
| Name | Aggregate Compensation From Fund* | Total Compensation From Fund Complex Paid to Trustees* |
| Interested Trustees | ||
| Bradley J. Swenson | $0 | $0 |
| Independent Trustees | ||
| Kimberly Storms | $1,030 | $58,000 |
| Steven Norgaard | $ 888 | $50,000 |
* Estimated for a full fiscal year, using information for the fiscal period-ended October 31, 2025.
PRINCIPAL SHAREHOLDERS, CONTROL PERSONS, AND MANAGEMENT OWNERSHIP
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 a shareholder that owns beneficially or through controlled companies more than 25% of the voting securities of a company or acknowledges the existence of control. Shareholders owning voting securities in excess of 25% may determine the outcome of any matter affecting and voted on by shareholders of the Fund.
The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) or its nominee is the record owner of all outstanding shares and is recognized as the owner of all shares for all purposes. Investors owning shares are beneficial owners as shown on the records of DTC or its participants.
As of the December 31, 2025 no Trustees and officers of the Trust owned Shares of the Fund.
CODES OF ETHICS
The Trust, the Adviser, and the Distributor (as defined under “The Distributor”) have each adopted codes of ethics pursuant to Rule 17j-1 of the 1940 Act. These codes of ethics are designed to prevent affiliated persons of the Trust, the Adviser, and the Distributor from engaging in deceptive, manipulative or fraudulent activities in connection with securities held or to be acquired by the Fund (which may also be held by persons subject to the codes of ethics). Each Code of Ethics permits personnel subject to that Code of Ethics to invest in securities for their personal investment accounts, subject to certain limitations, including limitations related to securities that may be purchased or held by the Fund.
There can be no assurance that the codes of ethics will be effective in preventing such activities. Each code of ethics may be examined at the office of the SEC in Washington, D.C. or on the Internet at the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.
PROXY VOTING POLICIES
The Fund has delegated proxy voting responsibilities to the Adviser, subject to the Board’s oversight. In delegating proxy responsibilities, the Board has directed that proxies be voted consistent with the Fund’s and its shareholders’ best interests and in compliance with all applicable proxy voting rules and regulations. The Adviser has adopted the Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. Proxy Voting Guidelines as part of the Adviser’s proxy voting policies for this purpose (“Proxy Voting Policies”). A copy of the Adviser’s Proxy Voting Policies are set forth in Appendix A to this SAI. The Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer is responsible for monitoring the effectiveness of the Proxy Voting Policies. The Proxy Voting Policies have been approved by the Trust as the policies and procedures that the Adviser will use when voting proxies on behalf of the Fund.
The Proxy Voting Policies address, among other things, material conflicts of interest that may arise between the interests of the Fund and the interests of the Adviser. The Proxy Voting Policies will ensure that all issues brought to shareholders are analyzed in light of the Adviser’s fiduciary responsibilities.
Information on how the Fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 is available (1) without charge, upon request, by calling the Distributor at 1.877.774.TRUE (8783) and (2) on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
INVESTMENT ADVISER
Investment Adviser
TrueMark Investments LLC (“TrueMark”) serves as the investment adviser to the Fund. TrueMark is a SEC registered investment adviser with approximately $1.251 billion in assets under management as of December 31, 2025. TrueMark commenced operations as an SEC registered adviser in January 2020 and its principal office is located at 433 W Van Buren, Suite 1100-D, Chicago, Illinois 60607. TrueMark is controlled by TrueMark Group, LLC which in turn is controlled by RiverNorth Strategic Holdings, LLC.
Pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement between the Trust, on behalf of the Fund, and the Adviser (the “Advisory Agreement”), the Fund pays the Adviser a unitary management fee, which is calculated daily and paid monthly, at an annual rate of 0.79% based on a percentage of the Fund’s average daily net assets. Out of the unitary management fee, the Adviser has agreed to pay substantially all expenses of the Fund, including the cost of transfer agency, custody, fund administration, securities lending and other non-distribution related services necessary for the Fund to operate, except for: the fee paid to the Adviser pursuant to the Advisory Agreement, interest charges on any borrowings, dividends and other expenses on securities sold short, taxes, brokerage commissions and other expenses incurred in placing orders for the purchase and sale of securities and other investment instruments, acquired fund fees and expenses, accrued deferred tax liability, distribution fees and expenses paid by the Fund under any distribution plan adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, litigation expenses and other non-routine or extraordinary expenses.
14
The table below shows the advisory fees paid by the Fund for the fiscal periods ended October 31:
| Fund | 2025* | 2024 | 2023 |
| TrueShares ConVequity ETF | $4,438 | N/A | N/A |
* For the period June 27, 2025 (commencement of operations) through October 31, 2025.
The Advisory Agreement with respect to the Fund will continue in force for an initial period of two years. Thereafter, the Advisory Agreement will be renewable from year to year with respect to the Fund, so long as its continuance is approved at least annually (1) by the vote, cast in person at a meeting called for that purpose, of a majority of those Trustees who are not “interested persons” of the Adviser or the Trust; and (2) by the majority vote of either the full Board or the vote of a majority of the outstanding Shares of the Fund. The Advisory Agreement automatically terminates on assignment and is terminable on a 60-day written notice either by the Trust or the Adviser.
The Adviser shall not be liable to the Trust or any shareholder for anything done or omitted by it, except acts or omissions involving willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties imposed upon it by its agreement with the Trust or for any losses that may be sustained in the purchase, holding or sale of any security.
PORTFOLIO MANAGER
Compensation
The Portfolio Manager receives a fixed base salary and a discretionary bonus that is not tied to the performance of the Fund.
Share Ownership
The Fund is required to show the dollar ranges of the portfolio managers’ “beneficial ownership” of Shares of the Fund as of the end of the most recently completed fiscal year or a more recent date for a new portfolio manager. Dollar amount ranges disclosed are established by the SEC. “Beneficial ownership” is determined in accordance with Rule 16a-1(a)(2) under the Exchange Act. As of October 31, 2025, the Portfolio Manager did not beneficially own any Shares of the Fund.
Other Accounts
In addition to the Fund, the portfolio manager managed the following other accounts as of October 31, 2025, none of which were subject to a performance fee:
| Registered
Investment Companies |
Other
Pooled Investment Vehicles |
Other Accounts | ||||
Portfolio Manager |
Number
of Accounts |
Total
Assets in the Accounts (in millions) |
Number
of Accounts |
Total
Assets in the Accounts |
Number
of Accounts |
Total
Assets in the Accounts |
| Jeff Feldman | 18 | $772 | 0 | $0 | 0 | $0 |
Conflicts of Interest
The Portfolio Manager’s management of “other accounts” may give rise to potential conflicts of interest in connection with their 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 objective, whereby the Portfolio Manager could favor one account over another. Another potential conflict could include the Portfolio Manager’s knowledge about the size, timing and possible market impact of Fund trades, whereby the Portfolio Manager could use this information to the advantage of other accounts and to the disadvantage of the Fund. However, the Adviser has established policies and procedures to ensure that the purchase and sale of securities among all accounts the Adviser manages are fairly and equitably allocated.
15
THE DISTRIBUTOR
The Trust and Paralel Distributors LLC (the “Distributor”) are parties to a distribution agreement (“Distribution Agreement”), whereby the Distributor acts as principal underwriter for each series of the Trust, including the Fund, and distributes Shares. Shares are continuously offered for sale by the Distributor only in Creation Units. The Distributor will not distribute Shares in amounts less than a Creation Unit and does not maintain a secondary market in Shares. The principal business address of the Distributor is 1700 Broadway, Suite 2100, Denver, CO 80290.
Under the Distribution Agreement, the Distributor, as agent for the Trust, will review orders for the purchase and redemption of Creation Units, provided that any subscriptions and orders will not be binding on the Trust until accepted by the Trust. The Distributor is a broker-dealer registered under the Exchange Act and a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”).
The Distributor may also enter into agreements with securities dealers (“Soliciting Dealers”) who will solicit purchases of Creation Units of Shares. Such Soliciting Dealers may also be Authorized Participants (as discussed in “Procedures for Purchase of Creation Units” below) or DTC participants (as defined below).
The Distribution Agreement will continue for two years from its effective date and is renewable annually thereafter. The continuance of the Distribution Agreement must be specifically approved at least annually (i) by the vote of the Trustees or by a vote of the shareholders of the Fund and (ii) by the vote of a majority of the Independent Trustees who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operations of the Distribution Agreement or any related agreement, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. The Distribution Agreement is terminable without penalty by the Trust on 60 days’ written notice when authorized either by majority vote of its outstanding voting Shares or by a vote of a majority of its Board (including a majority of the Independent Trustees), or by the Distributor on 60 days’ written notice, and will automatically terminate in the event of its assignment. The Distribution Agreement provides that in the absence of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on the part of the Distributor, or reckless disregard by it of its obligations thereunder, the Distributor shall not be liable for any action or failure to act in accordance with its duties thereunder.
Intermediary Compensation. The Adviser, or its affiliates, out of their own resources and not out of Fund assets (i.e., without additional cost to the Fund or its shareholders), may pay certain broker dealers, banks and other financial intermediaries (“Intermediaries”) for certain activities related to the Fund, including participation in activities that are designed to make Intermediaries more knowledgeable about exchange traded products, including the Fund, or for other activities, such as marketing and educational training or support. These arrangements are not financed by the Fund and, thus, do not result in increased Fund expenses. They are not reflected in the fees and expenses listed in the fees and expenses sections of the Fund’s Prospectus and they do not change the price paid by investors for the purchase of Shares or the amount received by a shareholder as proceeds from the redemption of Shares.
Such compensation may be paid to Intermediaries that provide services to the Fund, including marketing and education support (such as through conferences, webinars and printed communications). The Adviser periodically assess the advisability of continuing to make these payments. Payments to an Intermediary may be significant to the Intermediary, and amounts that Intermediaries pay to your adviser, broker or other investment professional, if any, may also be significant to such adviser, broker or investment professional. Because an Intermediary may make decisions about what investment options it will make available or recommend, and what services to provide in connection with various products, based on payments it receives or is eligible to receive, such payments create conflicts of interest between the Intermediary and its clients. For example, these financial incentives may cause the Intermediary to recommend the Fund over other investments. The same conflict of interest exists with respect to your financial adviser, broker or investment professional if he or she receives similar payments from his or her Intermediary firm.
Intermediary information is current only as of the date of this SAI. Please contact your adviser, broker, or other investment professional for more information regarding any payments his or her Intermediary firm may receive. Any payments made by the Adviser, or their affiliates to an Intermediary may create the incentive for an Intermediary to encourage customers to buy Shares.
If you have any additional questions, please call 1.877.774.TRUE (8783).
THE ADMINISTRATOR, CUSTODIAN, AND TRANSFER AGENT
Paralel Technologies LLC (“PTL”), located at 1700 Broadway Suite 2100, Denver, Colorado 80290 serves as the Fund’s administrator and fund accountant. PTL is the parent company of Paralel Distributors LLC, the Fund’s Distributor.
Pursuant to an Administration and Fund Accounting Agreement between the Trust and PTL, PTL provides the Trust with administrative and management services (other than investment advisory services) and accounting services, including portfolio accounting services, tax accounting services and furnishing financial reports. In this capacity, PTL 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 Shares. As compensation for the administration, accounting and management services, the Adviser pays PTL a fee based on the Fund’s average daily net assets, subject to a minimum annual fee. PTL also is entitled to certain out-of-pocket expenses for the services mentioned above.
16
Pursuant to a Custody Agreement, State Street Bank and Trust Company (the “Custodian” or “State Street”), serves as the Custodian of the Fund’s assets. The Custodian holds and administers the assets in the Fund’s portfolio. Pursuant to the Custody Agreement, the Custodian receives an annual fee from the Adviser based on the Fund’s total average daily net assets, subject to a minimum annual fee, and certain settlement charges. The Custodian also is entitled to certain out-of-pocket expenses.
Pursuant to a Transfer Agency Agreement, State Street (in such capacity, the “Transfer Agent”) serves as Transfer Agent for the Fund. Pursuant to the Transfer Agency Agreement, the Transfer Agent receives an annual fee from the Adviser.
The Fund does not pay PTL for its services. All amounts are paid for by the Adviser.
LEGAL COUNSEL
Thompson Hine LLP, located at 41 South High Street, Suite 1700, Columbus, Ohio 43215 serves as legal counsel for the Trust.
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
Cohen & Company, Ltd., located at 8101 East Prentice Ave., Suite 750, Greenwood Village, CO 80111, serves as the independent registered public accounting firm for the Fund. Its services include auditing the Fund’s financial statements. Cohen & Co Advisory, LLC, an affiliate of Cohen & Company, Ltd., provides tax services as requested.
PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS DISCLOSURE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
The Board has adopted a policy regarding the disclosure of information about the Fund’s security holdings. The Fund’s entire portfolio holdings are publicly disseminated each day the Fund is open for business and may be available through financial reporting and news services, including publicly available internet web sites. In addition, the composition of the Deposit Securities (as defined below) is publicly disseminated daily prior to the opening of the Exchange via the National Securities Clearing Corporation (“NSCC”).
DESCRIPTION OF SHARES
The Declaration of Trust authorizes the issuance of an unlimited number of funds and Shares. Each Share represents an equal proportionate interest in the Fund with each other Share. Shares are entitled upon liquidation to a pro rata share in the net assets of the Fund. Shareholders have no preemptive rights. The Declaration of Trust provides that the Trustees may create additional series or classes of Shares. All consideration received by the Trust for shares of any additional funds and all assets in which such consideration is invested would belong to that fund and would be subject to the liabilities related thereto. Share certificates representing Shares will not be issued. Shares, when issued, are fully paid and non-assessable.
Each Share has one vote with respect to matters upon which a shareholder vote is required, consistent with the requirements of the 1940 Act and the rules promulgated thereunder. Shares of all funds of the Trust vote together as a single class, except that if the matter being voted on affects only a particular fund it will be voted on only by that fund and if a matter affects a particular fund differently from other funds, that fund will vote separately on such matter. As a Delaware statutory trust, the Trust is not required, and does not intend, to hold annual meetings of shareholders. Approval of shareholders will be sought, however, for certain changes in the operation of the Trust and for the election of Trustees under certain circumstances. Upon the written request of shareholders owning at least 10% of the Trust’s Shares, the Trust will call for a meeting of shareholders to consider the removal of one or more Trustees and other certain matters. In the event that such a meeting is requested, the Trust will provide appropriate assistance and information to the shareholders requesting the meeting.
Under the Declaration of Trust, the Trustees have the power to liquidate the Fund without shareholder approval. While the Trustees have no present intention of exercising this power, they may do so if the Fund fails to reach a viable size within a reasonable amount of time or for such other reasons as may be determined by the Board.
LIMITATION OF TRUSTEE LIABILITY
The Second Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust (“Declaration of Trust”) provides that a Trustee shall be liable only for his or her own willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of the office of Trustee, and shall not be liable for errors of judgment or mistakes of fact or law. The Trustees shall not be responsible or liable in any event for any neglect or wrong-doing of any officer, agent, employee, adviser or principal underwriter of the Trust, nor shall any Trustee be responsible for the act or omission of any other Trustee. The Declaration of Trust also provides that the Trust shall indemnify each person who is, or has been, a Trustee, officer, employee or agent of the Trust, any person who is serving or has served at the Trust’s request as a Trustee, officer, trustee, employee or agent of another organization in which the Trust has any interest as a shareholder, creditor or otherwise to the extent and in the manner provided in the Amended and Restated By-laws. However, nothing in the Declaration of Trust shall protect or indemnify a Trustee against any liability for his or her willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of the office of Trustee. Nothing contained in this section attempts to disclaim a Trustee’s individual liability in any manner inconsistent with the federal securities laws.
17
BROKERAGE TRANSACTIONS
The policy of the Trust regarding purchases and sales of securities for the Fund is that primary consideration will be given to obtaining the most favorable prices and efficient executions of transactions. Consistent with this policy, when securities transactions are effected on a stock exchange, the Trust’s policy is to pay commissions which are considered fair and reasonable without necessarily determining that the lowest possible commissions are paid in all circumstances. The Trust believes that a requirement always to seek the lowest possible commission cost could impede effective portfolio management and preclude the Fund from obtaining a high quality of brokerage and research services. In seeking to determine the reasonableness of brokerage commissions paid in any transaction, the Adviser will rely upon its experience and knowledge regarding commissions generally charged by various brokers and on its judgment in evaluating the brokerage services received from the broker effecting the transaction. Such determinations are necessarily subjective and imprecise, as in most cases, an exact dollar value for those services is not ascertainable. The Trust has adopted policies and procedures that prohibit the consideration of sales of Shares as a factor in the selection of a broker or dealer to execute its portfolio transactions.
The Adviser owes a fiduciary duty to its clients to seek to provide best execution on trades effected. In selecting a broker-dealer for each specific transaction, the Adviser chooses the broker-dealer deemed most capable of providing the services necessary to obtain the most favorable execution. “Best execution” is generally understood to mean the most favorable cost or net proceeds reasonably obtainable under the circumstances. The full range of brokerage services applicable to a particular transaction may be considered when making this judgment, which may include, but is not limited to: liquidity, price, commission, timing, aggregated trades, capable floor brokers or traders, competent block trading coverage, ability to position, capital strength and stability, reliable and accurate communications and settlement processing, use of automation, knowledge of other buyers or sellers, arbitrage skills, administrative ability, underwriting and provision of information on a particular security or market in which the transaction is to occur. The specific criteria will vary depending upon the nature of the transaction, the market in which it is executed, and the extent to which it is possible to select from among multiple broker-dealers. The Adviser will also use electronic crossing networks (“ECNs”) when appropriate.
Subject to the foregoing policies, brokers or dealers selected to execute the Fund’s portfolio transactions may include the Fund’s Authorized Participants (as discussed in “Procedures for Purchase of Creation Units” below) or their affiliates. An Authorized Participant or its affiliates may be selected to execute the Fund’s portfolio transactions in conjunction with an all-cash creation unit order or an order including “cash-in-lieu” (as described below under “Purchase and Redemption of Shares in Creation Units”), so long as such selection is in keeping with the foregoing policies. As described below under “Purchase and Redemption of Shares in Creation Units—Creation Transaction Fee” and “Redemption Transaction Fee”, the Fund may determine to not charge a variable fee on certain orders when the Adviser has determined that doing so is in the best interests of Fund shareholders, e.g., for creation orders that facilitate the rebalance of the Fund’s portfolio in a more tax efficient manner than could be achieved without such order, even if the decision to not charge a variable fee could be viewed as benefiting the Authorized Participant or its affiliate selected to execute the Fund’s portfolio transactions in connection with such orders.
The Adviser may use the Fund’s assets for, or participate in, third-party soft dollar arrangements, in addition to receiving proprietary research from various full-service brokers, the cost of which is bundled with the cost of the broker’s execution services. The Adviser does not “pay up” for the value of any such proprietary research. Section 28I of the Exchange Act permits the Adviser, under certain circumstances, to cause the Fund to pay a broker or dealer a commission for effecting a transaction in excess of the amount of commission another broker or dealer would have charged for effecting the transaction in recognition of the value of brokerage and research services provided by the broker or dealer. The Adviser may receive a variety of research services and information on many topics, which it can use in connection with its management responsibilities with respect to the various accounts over which it exercises investment discretion or otherwise provides investment advice. The research services may include qualifying order management systems, portfolio attribution and monitoring services and computer software and access charges which are directly related to investment research. Accordingly, the Fund may pay a broker commission higher than the lowest available in recognition of the broker’s provision of such services to the Adviser, but only if the Adviser determines the total commission (including the soft dollar benefit) is comparable to the best commission rate that could be expected to be received from other brokers. The amount of soft dollar benefits received depends on the amount of brokerage transactions effected with the brokers. A conflict of interest exists because there is an incentive to: 1) cause clients to pay a higher commission than the firm might otherwise be able to negotiate; 2) cause clients to engage in more securities transactions than would otherwise be optimal; and 3) only recommend brokers that provide soft dollar benefits.
The Adviser faces a potential conflict of interest when it uses client trades to obtain brokerage or research services. This conflict exists because the Adviser is able to use the brokerage or research services to manage client accounts without paying cash for such services, which reduces the Adviser’s expenses to the extent that the Adviser would have purchased such products had they not been provided by brokers. Section 28I permits the Adviser to use brokerage or research services for the benefit of any account it manages. Certain accounts managed by the Adviser may generate soft dollars used to purchase brokerage or research services that ultimately benefit other accounts managed by the Adviser, effectively cross subsidizing the other accounts managed by the Adviser that benefit directly from the product. The Adviser may not necessarily use all of the brokerage or research services in connection with managing the Fund whose trades generated the soft dollars used to purchase such products.
The Fund may deal with affiliates in principal transactions to the extent permitted by exemptive order or applicable rule or regulation.
Directed Brokerage. The Fund does not intend to direct brokerage transactions to a broker because of research services provided.
18
Brokerage with Fund Affiliates. The Fund may execute brokerage or other agency transactions through registered broker-dealer affiliates of the Fund, the Adviser, the Adviser or the Distributor for a commission in conformity with the 1940 Act, the Exchange Act and rules promulgated by the SEC. These rules require that commissions paid to the affiliate by the Fund for exchange transactions not exceed “usual and customary” brokerage commissions. The rules define “usual and customary” commissions to include amounts which are “reasonable and fair compared to the commission, fee or other remuneration received or to be received by other brokers in connection with comparable transactions involving similar securities being purchased or sold on a securities exchange during a comparable period of time.” The Trustees, including those who are not “interested persons” of the Fund, have adopted procedures for evaluating the reasonableness of commissions paid to affiliates and review these procedures periodically.
Securities of “Regular Broker-Dealers.” The Fund is required to identify any securities of its “regular brokers and dealers” (as such term is defined in the 1940 Act) that it may hold at the close of its most recent fiscal year. “Regular brokers or dealers” of the Fund are the ten brokers or dealers that, during the most recent fiscal year: (i) received the greatest dollar amounts of brokerage commissions from the Fund’s portfolio transactions; (ii) engaged as principal in the largest dollar amounts of portfolio transactions of the Fund; or (iii) sold the largest dollar amounts of Shares.
The Fund paid the following brokerage commissions for the period listed below:
| Fund | 2025* | 2024 | 2023 |
| TrueShares ConVequity ETF | $805 | N/A | N/A |
* For the period June 27, 2025 (commencement of operations) through October 31, 2025.
PORTFOLIO TURNOVER RATE
Portfolio turnover may vary from year to year, as well as within a year. High turnover rates are likely to result in comparatively greater brokerage expenses. The overall reasonableness of brokerage commissions is evaluated by the Adviser based upon its knowledge of available information as to the general level of commissions paid by other institutional investors for comparable services.
BOOK ENTRY ONLY SYSTEM
The DTC acts as securities depositary for Shares. Shares are represented by securities registered in the name of DTC or its nominee, Cede & Co., and deposited with, or on behalf of, DTC. Except in limited circumstances set forth below, certificates will not be issued for Shares.
DTC is a limited-purpose trust company that was created to hold securities of its participants (the “DTC Participants”) and to facilitate the clearance and settlement of securities transactions among the DTC Participants in such securities through electronic book-entry changes in accounts of the DTC Participants, thereby eliminating the need for physical movement of securities certificates. DTC Participants include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and certain other organizations, some of whom (and/or their representatives) own DTC. More specifically, DTC is owned by a number of its DTC Participants and by the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) and FINRA. Access to the DTC system is also available to others such as banks, brokers, dealers, and trust companies that clear through or maintain a custodial relationship with a DTC Participant, either directly or indirectly (the “Indirect Participants”).
Beneficial ownership of Shares is limited to DTC Participants, Indirect Participants, and persons holding interests through DTC Participants and Indirect Participants. Ownership of beneficial interests in Shares (owners of such beneficial interests are referred to in this SAI as “Beneficial Owners”) is shown on, and the transfer of ownership is effected only through, records maintained by DTC (with respect to DTC Participants) and on the records of DTC Participants (with respect to Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners that are not DTC Participants). Beneficial Owners will receive from or through the DTC Participant a written confirmation relating to their purchase of Shares. The Trust recognizes DTC or its nominee as the record owner of all Shares for all purposes. Beneficial Owners of Shares are not entitled to have Shares registered in their names and will not receive or be entitled to physical delivery of Share certificates. Each Beneficial Owner must rely on the procedures of DTC and any DTC Participant and/or Indirect Participant through which such Beneficial Owner holds its interests, to exercise any rights of a holder of Shares.
19
Conveyance of all notices, statements, and other communications to Beneficial Owners is effected as follows. DTC will make available to the Trust upon request and for a fee a listing of Shares held by each DTC Participant. The Trust shall obtain from each such DTC Participant the number of Beneficial Owners holding Shares, directly or indirectly, through such DTC Participant. The Trust shall provide each such DTC Participant with copies of such notice, statement, or other communication, in such form, number and at such place as such DTC Participant may reasonably request, in order that such notice, statement or communication may be transmitted by such DTC Participant, directly or indirectly, to such Beneficial Owners. In addition, the Trust shall pay to each such DTC Participant a fair and reasonable amount as reimbursement for the expenses attendant to such transmittal, all subject to applicable statutory and regulatory requirements.
Share distributions shall be made to DTC or its nominee, Cede & Co., as the registered holder of all Shares. DTC or its nominee, upon receipt of any such distributions, shall credit immediately DTC Participants’ accounts with payments in amounts proportionate to their respective beneficial interests in the Fund as shown on the records of DTC or its nominee. Payments by DTC Participants to Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners of Shares held through such DTC Participants will be governed by standing instructions and customary practices, as is now the case with securities held for the accounts of customers in bearer form or registered in a “street name,” and will be the responsibility of such DTC Participants.
The Trust has no responsibility or liability for any aspect of the records relating to or notices to Beneficial Owners, or payments made on account of beneficial ownership interests in Shares, or for maintaining, supervising, or reviewing any records relating to such beneficial ownership interests, or for any other aspect of the relationship between DTC and the DTC Participants or the relationship between such DTC Participants and the Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners owning through such DTC Participants.
DTC may determine to discontinue providing its service with respect to the Fund at any time by giving reasonable notice to the Fund and discharging its responsibilities with respect thereto under applicable law. Under such circumstances, the Fund shall take action either to find a replacement for DTC to perform its functions at a comparable cost or, if such replacement is unavailable, to issue and deliver printed certificates representing ownership of Shares, unless the Trust makes other arrangements with respect thereto satisfactory to the Exchange.
PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION OF SHARES IN CREATION UNITS
The Trust issues and sells Shares only in Creation Units on a continuous basis through the Distributor, without a sales load (but subject to transaction fees, if applicable), at their NAV per share next determined after receipt of an order, on any Business Day, in proper form pursuant to the terms of the Authorized Participant Agreement (“Participant Agreement”). The NAV of Shares is calculated each Business Day as of the scheduled close of regular trading on the NYSE, generally 4:00 p.m., Eastern time. The Fund will not issue fractional Creation Units. A “Business Day” is any day on which the NYSE is open for business.
Fund Deposit. The consideration for purchase of a Creation Unit of the Fund generally consists of either (i) the in-kind deposit of a designated portfolio of securities (the “Deposit Securities”) per each Creation Unit and the Cash Component (defined below), computed as described below or (ii) the cash value of the Deposit Securities (“Deposit Cash”) and “Cash Component,” computed as described below. When accepting purchases of Creation Units for cash, the Fund may incur additional costs associated with the acquisition of Deposit Securities that would otherwise be provided by an in-kind purchaser.
Together, the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, and the Cash Component constitute the “Fund Deposit,” which represents the minimum initial and subsequent investment amount for a Creation Unit of the Fund. The “Cash Component” is an amount equal to the difference between the NAV of Shares (per Creation Unit) and the value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable. If the Cash Component is a positive number (i.e., the NAV per Creation Unit exceeds the value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable), the Cash Component shall be such positive amount. If the Cash Component is a negative number (i.e., the NAV per Creation Unit is less than the value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable), the Cash Component shall be such negative amount and the creator will be entitled to receive cash in an amount equal to the Cash Component. The Cash Component serves the function of compensating for any differences between the NAV per Creation Unit and the value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable. Computation of the Cash Component excludes any stamp duty or other similar fees and expenses payable upon transfer of beneficial ownership of the Deposit Securities, if applicable, which shall be the sole responsibility of the Authorized Participant (as defined below).
The Fund, through NSCC, makes available on each Business Day, prior to the opening of business on the Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m., Eastern time), the list of the names and the required number of Shares of each Deposit Security or the required amount of Deposit Cash, as applicable, to be included in the current Fund Deposit (based on information at the end of the previous Business Day) for the Fund. The Fund Deposit is subject to any applicable adjustments as described below, to effect purchases of Creation Units of the Fund until such time as the next-announced composition of the Deposit Securities or the required amount of Deposit Cash, as applicable, is made available.
The identity and number of Shares of the Deposit Securities or the amount of Deposit Cash, as applicable, required for the Fund Deposit for the Fund changes as rebalancing adjustments and corporate action events are reflected from time to time by the Adviser with a view to the investment objective of the Fund.
The Trust reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of Deposit Cash to replace any Deposit Security, which shall be added to the Cash Component, including, without limitation, in situations where the Deposit Security: (i) may not be available in sufficient quantity for delivery; (ii) may not be eligible for transfer through the systems of DTC for corporate securities and municipal securities; (iii) may not be eligible for trading by an Authorized Participant (as defined below) or the investor for which it is acting; (iv) would be restricted under the securities laws or where the delivery of the Deposit Security to the Authorized Participant would result in the disposition of the Deposit Security by the Authorized Participant becoming restricted under the securities laws; or (v) in certain other situations (collectively, “custom orders”). The Trust also reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of Deposit Securities in lieu of Deposit Cash. The adjustments described above will reflect changes, known to the Adviser on the date of announcement to be in effect by the time of delivery of the Fund Deposit, resulting from certain corporate actions.
20
Procedures for Purchase of Creation Units. To be eligible to place orders with the Distributor to purchase a Creation Unit of the Fund, an entity must be (i) a “Participating Party” (i.e., a broker-dealer or other participant in the clearing process through the Continuous Net Settlement System of the NSCC (the “Clearing Process”)), a clearing agency that is registered with the SEC; or (ii) a DTC Participant (see “Book Entry Only System”). In addition, each Participating Party or DTC Participant (each, an “Authorized Participant”) must execute a Participant Agreement that has been agreed to by the Distributor, and that has been accepted by the Transfer Agent, with respect to purchases and redemptions of Creation Units. Each Authorized Participant will agree, pursuant to the terms of a Participant Agreement, on behalf of itself or any investor on whose behalf it will act, to certain conditions, including that it will pay to the Trust, an amount of cash sufficient to pay the Cash Component together with the creation transaction fee (described below), if applicable, and any other applicable fees and taxes.
All orders to purchase Shares directly from the Fund must be placed for one or more Creation Units and in the manner and by the time set forth in the Participant Agreement and/or applicable order form. The order cut-off time for orders to purchase Creation Units is 4:00 p.m. Eastern time, which time may be modified by the Fund from time-to-time by amendment to the Participant Agreement and/or applicable order form. In the case of custom orders, the order must be received by the Distributor no later than 3:00 p.m. Eastern time and 12:00 p.m. Eastern time for the Fund, or such earlier time as may be designated by the Fund and disclosed to Authorized Participants. The date on which an order to purchase Creation Units (or an order to redeem Creation Units, as set forth below) is received and accepted is referred to as the “Order Placement Date.”
An Authorized Participant may require an investor to make certain representations or enter into agreements with respect to the order (e.g., to provide for payments of cash, when required). Investors should be aware that their particular broker may not have executed a Participant Agreement and that, therefore, orders to purchase Shares directly from the Fund in Creation Units have to be placed by the investor’s broker through an Authorized Participant that has executed a Participant Agreement. In such cases there may be additional charges to such investor. At any given time, there may be only a limited number of broker-dealers that have executed a Participant Agreement and only a small number of such Authorized Participants may have international capabilities.
On days when the Exchange closes earlier than normal, the Fund may require orders to create Creation Units to be placed earlier in the day. In addition, if a market or markets on which the Fund’s investments are primarily traded is closed, the Fund will also generally not accept orders on such day(s). Orders must be transmitted by an Authorized Participant by telephone or other transmission method acceptable to the Distributor pursuant to procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement and in accordance with the applicable order form. On behalf of the Fund, the Distributor will notify the Custodian of such order. The Custodian will then provide such information to the appropriate local sub-custodian(s). Those placing orders through an Authorized Participant should allow sufficient time to permit proper submission of the purchase order to the Distributor by the cut-off time on such Business Day. Economic or market disruptions or changes, or telephone or other communication failure may impede the ability to reach the Distributor or an Authorized Participant.
Fund Deposits must be delivered by an Authorized Participant through the Federal Reserve System (for cash) or through DTC (for corporate securities), through a sub-custody agent (for foreign securities) and/or through such other arrangements allowed by the Trust or its agents. With respect to foreign Deposit Securities, the Custodian shall cause the sub-custodian of the Fund to maintain an account into which the Authorized Participant shall deliver, on behalf of itself or the party on whose behalf it is acting, such Deposit Securities (or Deposit Cash for all or a part of such securities, as permitted or required), with any appropriate adjustments as advised by the Trust. Foreign Deposit Securities must be delivered to an account maintained at the applicable local sub-custodian. The Fund Deposit transfer must be ordered by the Authorized Participant in a timely fashion so as to ensure the delivery of the requisite number of Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, to the account of the Fund or its agents by no later than 12:00 p.m. Eastern time (or such other time as specified by the Trust) on the Settlement Date. If the Fund or its agents do not receive all of the Deposit Securities, or the required Deposit Cash in lieu thereof, by such time, then the order may be deemed rejected and the Authorized Participant shall be liable to the Fund for losses, if any, resulting therefrom. The “Settlement Date” for the Fund is generally the Business Day immediately after the Order Placement Date. All questions as to the number of Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash to be delivered, as applicable, and the validity, form and eligibility (including time of receipt) for the deposit of any tendered securities or cash, as applicable, will be determined by the Trust, whose determination shall be final and binding. The amount of cash represented by the Cash Component must be transferred directly to the Custodian through the Federal Reserve Bank wire transfer system in a timely manner so as to be received by the Custodian no later than the Settlement Date. If the Cash Component and the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, are not received by the Custodian in a timely manner by the Settlement Date, the creation order may be cancelled. Upon written notice to the Distributor, such canceled order may be resubmitted the following Business Day using the Fund Deposit as newly constituted to reflect the then current NAV of the Fund.
The order shall be deemed to be received on the Business Day on which the order is placed provided that the order is placed in proper form prior to the applicable cut-off time and the federal funds in the appropriate amount are deposited with the Custodian on the Settlement Date. If the order is not placed in proper form as required, or federal funds in the appropriate amount are not received on the Settlement Date, then the order may be deemed to be rejected and the Authorized Participant shall be liable to the Fund for losses, if any, resulting therefrom. A creation request is considered to be in “proper form” if all procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement, order form and this SAI are properly followed.
21
Issuance of a Creation Unit. Except as provided in this SAI, Creation Units will not be issued until the transfer of good title to the Trust of the Deposit Securities or payment of Deposit Cash, as applicable, and the payment of the Cash Component have been completed. When the sub-custodian has confirmed to the Custodian that the required Deposit Securities (or the cash value thereof) have been delivered to the account of the relevant sub-custodian or sub-custodians, the Distributor and the Adviser shall be notified of such delivery, and the Trust will issue and cause the delivery of the Creation Units. The delivery of Creation Units so created generally will occur no later than the Business Day immediately following the day on which the purchase order is deemed received by the Distributor. The Authorized Participant shall be liable to the Fund for losses, if any, resulting from unsettled orders.
Creation Units may be purchased in advance of receipt by the Trust of all or a portion of the applicable Deposit Securities as described below. In these circumstances, the initial deposit will have a value greater than the NAV of Shares on the date the order is placed in proper form since, in addition to available Deposit Securities, cash must be deposited in an amount equal to the sum of (i) the Cash Component, plus (ii) an additional amount of cash equal to a percentage of the value as set forth in the Participant Agreement, of the undelivered Deposit Securities (the “Additional Cash Deposit”), which shall be maintained in a separate non-interest bearing collateral account. The Authorized Participant must deposit with the Custodian the Additional Cash Deposit, as applicable, by 12:00 p.m. Eastern time (or such other time as specified by the Trust) on the Settlement Date. If the Fund or its agents do not receive the Additional Cash Deposit in the appropriate amount, by such time, then the order may be deemed rejected and the Authorized Participant shall be liable to the Fund for losses, if any, resulting therefrom. An additional amount of cash shall be required to be deposited with the Trust, pending delivery of the missing Deposit Securities to the extent necessary to maintain the Additional Cash Deposit with the Trust in an amount at least equal to the applicable percentage, as set forth in the Participant Agreement, of the daily market value of the missing Deposit Securities. The Participant Agreement will permit the Trust to buy the missing Deposit Securities at any time. Authorized Participants will be liable to the Trust for the costs incurred by the Trust in connection with any such purchases. These costs will be deemed to include the amount by which the actual purchase price of the Deposit Securities exceeds the value of such Deposit Securities on the day the purchase order was deemed received by the Distributor plus the brokerage and related transaction costs associated with such purchases. The Trust will return any unused portion of the Additional Cash Deposit once all of the missing Deposit Securities have been properly received by the Custodian or purchased by the Trust and deposited into the Trust. In addition, a transaction fee, as described below under “Creation Transaction Fee,” may be charged. The delivery of Creation Units so created generally will occur no later than the Settlement Date.
Acceptance of Orders of Creation Units. The Trust reserves the right to reject an order for Creation Units transmitted to it by the Distributor with respect to the Fund including, without limitation, if (a) the order is not in proper form; (b) the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, delivered by the Participant are not as disseminated through the facilities of the NSCC for that date by the Custodian; (c) the investor(s), upon obtaining Shares ordered, would own 80% or more of the currently outstanding Shares of the Fund; (d) the acceptance of the Fund Deposit would, in the opinion of counsel, be unlawful; I the acceptance or receipt of the order for a Creation Unit would, in the opinion of counsel to the Trust, be unlawful; or (f) in the event that circumstances outside the control of the Trust, the Custodian, the Transfer Agent and/or the Adviser make it for all practical purposes not feasible to process orders for Creation Units.
Examples of such circumstances include acts of God or public service or utility problems such as fires, floods, extreme weather conditions and power outages resulting in telephone, telecopy and computer failures; market conditions or activities causing trading halts; systems failures involving computer or other information systems affecting the Trust, the Distributor, the Custodian, a sub- custodian, the Transfer Agent, DTC, NSCC, Federal Reserve System, or any other participant in the creation process, and other extraordinary events. The Distributor shall notify a prospective creator of a Creation Unit and/or the Authorized Participant acting on behalf of the creator of a Creation Unit of its rejection of the order of such person. The Trust, the Transfer Agent, the Custodian, any sub-custodian and the Distributor are under no duty, however, to give notification of any defects or irregularities in the delivery of Fund Deposits nor shall either of them incur any liability for the failure to give any such notification. The Trust, the Transfer Agent, the Custodian and the Distributor shall not be liable for the rejection of any purchase order for creation Units.
All questions as to the number of Shares of each security in the Deposit Securities and the validity, form, eligibility and acceptance for deposit of any securities to be delivered shall be determined by the Trust, and the Trust’s determination shall be final and binding.
Creation Transaction Fee. A fixed purchase (i.e., creation) transaction fee, payable to the Fund’s custodian, may be imposed for the transfer and other transaction costs associated with the purchase of Creation Units (“Creation Order Costs”). The standard fixed creation transaction fee for the Fund, regardless of the number of Creation Units created in the transaction, can be found in the table below. The Fund may adjust the standard fixed creation transaction fee from time to time. The fixed creation fee may be waived on certain orders if the Fund’s custodian has determined to waive some or all of the Creation Order Costs associated with the order or another party, such as the Adviser, has agreed to pay such fee.
22
In addition, a variable fee, payable to the Fund, of up to the maximum percentage listed in the table below of the value of the Creation Units subject to the transaction may be imposed for cash purchases, non-standard orders, or partial cash purchases of Creation Units. The variable charge is primarily designed to cover additional costs (e.g., brokerage, taxes, spreads, slippage costs) involved with buying the securities with cash. The Fund may determine to not charge a variable fee on certain orders when the Adviser has determined that doing so benefits the Fund and its shareholders (e.g., for creation orders that facilitate the rebalance of the Fund’s portfolio in a more tax efficient manner than could be achieved without such order).
| Fixed
Creation Transaction Fee (In-Kind) |
Fixed
Creation Transaction Fee (Cash) |
Maximum
Variable Transaction Fee |
| $150 | $100 | 0.02% |
Investors who use the services of a broker or other such intermediary may be charged a fee for such services. Investors are responsible for the fixed costs of transferring the Fund Securities from the Trust to their account or on their order.
Risks of Purchasing Creation Units. There are certain legal risks unique to investors purchasing Creation Units directly from the Fund. Because Shares may be issued on an ongoing basis, a “distribution” of Shares could be occurring at any time. Certain activities that a shareholder performs as a dealer could, depending on the circumstances, result in the shareholder being deemed a participant in the distribution in a manner that could render the shareholder a statutory underwriter and subject to the prospectus delivery and liability provisions of the Securities Act. For example, a shareholder could be deemed a statutory underwriter if it purchases Creation Units from the Fund, breaks them down into the constituent Shares, and sells those Shares directly to customers, or if a shareholder chooses to couple the creation of a supply of new Shares with an active selling effort involving solicitation of secondary-market demand for Shares. Whether a person is an underwriter depends upon all of the facts and circumstances pertaining to that person’s activities, and the examples mentioned here should not be considered a complete description of all the activities that could cause you to be deemed an underwriter.
Dealers who are not “underwriters” but are participating in a distribution (as opposed to engaging in ordinary secondary-market transactions), and thus dealing with Shares as part of an “unsold allotment” within the meaning of Section 4(a)(3)(C) of the Securities Act, will be unable to take advantage of the prospectus delivery exemption provided by Section 4(a)(3) of the Securities Act.
Redemption. Shares may be redeemed only in Creation Units at their NAV next determined after receipt of a redemption request in proper form by the Fund through the Transfer Agent and only on a Business Day. EXCEPT UPON LIQUIDATION OF THE FUND, THE TRUST WILL NOT REDEEM SHARES IN AMOUNTS LESS THAN CREATION UNITS. Investors must accumulate enough Shares in the secondary market to constitute a Creation Unit to have such Shares redeemed by the Trust. There can be no assurance, however, that there will be sufficient liquidity in the public trading market at any time to permit assembly of a Creation Unit. Investors should expect to incur brokerage and other costs in connection with assembling a sufficient number of Shares to constitute a redeemable Creation Unit.
With respect to the Fund, the Custodian, through the NSCC, makes available prior to the opening of business on the Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m., Eastern time) on each Business Day, the list of the names and Share quantities of the Fund’s portfolio securities that will be applicable (subject to possible amendment or correction) to redemption requests received in proper form (as defined below) on that day (“Fund Securities”). Fund Securities received on redemption may not be identical to Deposit Securities.
Redemption proceeds for a Creation Unit are paid either in-kind or in cash, or combination thereof, as determined by the Trust. With respect to in-kind redemptions of the Fund, redemption proceeds for a Creation Unit will consist of Fund Securities—as announced by the Custodian on the Business Day of the request for redemption received in proper form plus cash in an amount equal to the difference between the NAV of Shares being redeemed, as next determined after a receipt of a request in proper form, and the value of the Fund Securities (the “Cash Redemption Amount”), less a fixed redemption transaction fee, as applicable, as set forth below. In the event that the Fund Securities have a value greater than the NAV of Shares, a compensating cash payment equal to the differential is required to be made by or through an Authorized Participant by the redeeming shareholder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, at the Trust’s discretion, an Authorized Participant may receive the corresponding cash value of the securities in lieu of the in-kind securities value representing one or more Fund Securities.
Redemption Transaction Fee. A fixed redemption transaction fee, payable to the Fund’s custodian, may be imposed for the transfer and other transaction costs associated with the redemption of Creation Units (“Redemption Order Costs”). The standard fixed redemption transaction fee for the Fund, regardless of the number of Creation Units redeemed in the transaction, can be found in the table below. The Fund may adjust the redemption transaction fee from time to time. The fixed redemption fee may be waived on certain orders if the Fund’s custodian has determined to waive some or all of the Redemption Order Costs associated with the order or another party, such as the Adviser, has agreed to pay such fee.
In addition, a variable fee, payable to the Fund, of up to the maximum percentage listed in the table below of the value of the Creation Units subject to the transaction may be imposed for cash redemptions, non-standard orders, or partial cash redemptions (when cash redemptions are available) of Creation Units. The variable charge is primarily designed to cover additional costs (e.g., brokerage, taxes, spreads, slippage costs) involved with selling portfolio securities to satisfy a cash redemption. The Fund may determine to not charge a variable fee on certain orders when the Adviser has determined that doing so benefits the Fund and its shareholders (e.g., for redemption orders that facilitate the rebalance of the Fund’s portfolio in a more tax efficient manner than could be achieved without such order).
23
| Fixed
Redemption Transaction Fee (In-Kind) |
Fixed
Redemption Transaction Fee (Cash) |
Maximum
Variable Transaction Fee |
| $150 | $100 | 0.02% |
Investors who use the services of a broker or other such intermediary may be charged a fee for such services. Investors are responsible for the fixed costs of transferring the Fund Securities from the Trust to their account or on their order.
Procedures for Redemption of Creation Units.
Orders to redeem Creation Units of the Fund must be submitted in proper form to the Transfer Agent prior to 4:00 p.m. A redemption request is considered to be in “proper form” if (i) an Authorized Participant has transferred or caused to be transferred to the Trust’s Transfer Agent the Creation Unit(s) being redeemed through the book-entry system of DTC so as to be effective by the time as set forth in the Participant Agreement and (ii) a request in form satisfactory to the Trust is received by the Transfer Agent from the Authorized Participant on behalf of itself or another redeeming investor within the time periods specified in the Participant Agreement. If the Transfer Agent does not receive the investor’s Shares through DTC’s facilities by the times and pursuant to the other terms and conditions set forth in the Participant Agreement, the request shall be rejected.
The Authorized Participant must transmit the request for redemption, in the form required by the Trust, to the Transfer Agent in accordance with procedures set forth in the Authorized Participant Agreement. Investors should be aware that their particular broker may not have executed an Authorized Participant Agreement, and that, therefore, requests to redeem Creation Units may have to be placed by the investor’s broker through an Authorized Participant who has executed an Authorized Participant Agreement. Investors making a redemption request should be aware that such request must be in the form specified by such Authorized Participant.
Investors making a request to redeem Creation Units should allow sufficient time to permit proper submission of the request by an Authorized Participant and transfer of the Shares to the Trust’s Transfer Agent; such investors should allow for the additional time that may be required to effect redemptions through their banks, brokers or other financial intermediaries if such intermediaries are not Authorized Participants.
Additional Redemption Procedures. In connection with taking delivery of Shares of Fund Securities upon redemption of Creation Units, a redeeming shareholder or Authorized Participant acting on behalf of such shareholder must maintain appropriate custody arrangements with a qualified broker-dealer, bank, or other custody providers in each jurisdiction in which any of the Fund Securities are customarily traded, to which account such Fund Securities will be delivered. Deliveries of redemption proceeds generally will be made within one Business Day of the trade date. However, due to the schedule of holidays in certain countries, the different treatment among foreign and U.S. markets of dividend record dates and dividend ex-dates (that is the last date the holder of a security can sell the security and still receive dividends payable on the security sold), and in certain other circumstances, the delivery of in-kind redemption proceeds may take longer than one Business Day after the day on which the redemption request is received in proper form. If neither the redeeming Shareholder nor the Authorized Participant acting on behalf of such redeeming Shareholder has appropriate arrangements to take delivery of the Fund Securities in the applicable foreign jurisdiction and it is not possible to make other such arrangements, or if it is not possible to effect deliveries of the Fund Securities in such jurisdiction, the Trust may, in its discretion, exercise its option to redeem such Shares in cash, and the redeeming Shareholders will be required to receive its redemption proceeds in cash.
In addition, an investor may request a redemption in cash that the Fund may, in its sole discretion, permit. In either case, the investor will receive a cash payment equal to the NAV of its Shares based on the NAV of Shares of the Fund next determined after the redemption request is received in proper form (minus a redemption transaction fee, if applicable, and additional charge for requested cash redemptions specified above, to offset the Trust’s brokerage and other transaction costs associated with the disposition of Fund Securities). The Fund may also, in its sole discretion, upon request of a shareholder, provide such redeemer a portfolio of securities that differs from the exact composition of the Fund Securities but does not differ in NAV.
Redemptions of Shares for Fund Securities will be subject to compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws and the Fund (whether or not it otherwise permits cash redemptions) reserves the right to redeem Creation Units for cash to the extent that the Trust could not lawfully deliver specific Fund Securities upon redemptions or could not do so without first registering the Fund Securities under such laws. An Authorized Participant or an investor for which it is acting subject to a legal restriction with respect to a particular security included in the Fund Securities applicable to the redemption of Creation Units may be paid an equivalent amount of cash. The Authorized Participant may request the redeeming investor of the Shares to complete an order form or to enter into agreements with respect to such matters as compensating cash payment. Further, an Authorized Participant that is not a “qualified institutional buyer,” (“QIB”) as such term is defined under Rule 144A of the Securities Act, will not be able to receive Fund Securities that are restricted securities eligible for resale under Rule 144A. An Authorized Participant may be required by the Trust to provide a written confirmation with respect to QIB status to receive Fund Securities.
Because the portfolio securities of the Fund may trade on other exchanges on days that the Exchange is closed or are otherwise not Business Days for the Fund, shareholders may not be able to redeem their Shares of the Fund, or to purchase or sell Shares of the Fund on the Exchange, on days when the NAV of the Fund could be significantly affecting by events in the relevant foreign markets.
24
The right of redemption may be suspended or the date of payment postponed with respect to the Fund (1) for any period during which the Exchange is closed (other than customary weekend and holiday closings); (2) for any period during which trading on the Exchange is suspended or restricted; (3) for any period during which an emergency exists as a result of which disposal of the Shares of the Fund or determination of the NAV of the Shares is not reasonably practicable; or (4) in such other circumstance as is permitted by the SEC.
DETERMINATION OF NAV
NAV per Share for the Fund is computed by dividing the value of the net assets of the Fund (i.e., the value of its total assets less total liabilities) by the total number of Shares outstanding, rounded to the nearest cent. Expenses and fees, including the management fees, are accrued daily and taken into account for purposes of determining NAV. The NAV of the Fund is calculated by PTL and determined at the scheduled close of the regular trading session on the NYSE (ordinarily 4:00 p.m., Eastern time) on each day that the NYSE is open, provided that fixed-income assets may be valued as of the announced closing time for trading in fixed-income instruments on any day that the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (“SIFMA”) announces an early closing time.
In calculating the Fund’s NAV per Share, the Fund’s investments are generally valued using market valuations. A market valuation generally means a valuation (i) obtained from an exchange, a pricing service, or a major market maker (or dealer), (ii) based on a price quotation or other equivalent indication of value supplied by an exchange, a pricing service, or a major market maker (or dealer) or (iii) based on amortized cost. In the case of shares of other funds that are not traded on an exchange, a market valuation means such fund’s published NAV per share. The Fund may use various pricing services, or discontinue the use of any pricing service, as approved by the Board from time to time. A price obtained from a pricing service based on such pricing service’s valuation matrix may be considered a market valuation.
DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS
The following information supplements and should be read in conjunction with the section in the Prospectus entitled “Dividends, Distributions and Taxes.”
General Policies. Dividends from net investment income, if any, are declared and paid at least annually by Fund. Distributions of net realized securities gains, if any, generally are declared and paid once a year, but the Fund may make distributions on a more frequent basis to reduce or eliminate federal excise or income taxes or to comply with the distribution requirements of the Code, in all events in a manner consistent with the provisions of the 1940 Act.
Dividends and other distributions on Shares are distributed, as described below, on a pro rata basis to Beneficial Owners of such Shares. Dividend payments are made through DTC Participants and Indirect Participants to Beneficial Owners then of record with proceeds received from the Trust.
The Fund makes additional distributions to the extent necessary (i) to distribute the entire annual taxable income of the Fund, plus any net capital gains and (ii) to avoid imposition of the excise tax imposed by Section 4982 of the Code. Management of the Trust reserves the right to declare special dividends if, in its reasonable discretion, such action is necessary or advisable to preserve the Fund’s eligibility for treatment as a RIC or to avoid imposition of income or excise taxes on undistributed income.
Dividend Reinvestment Service. The Trust will not make the DTC book-entry dividend reinvestment service available for use by Beneficial Owners for reinvestment of their cash proceeds, but certain individual broker-dealers may make available the DTC book- entry Dividend Reinvestment Service for use by Beneficial Owners of the Fund through DTC Participants for reinvestment of their dividend distributions. Investors should contact their brokers to ascertain the availability and description of these services. Beneficial Owners should be aware that each broker may require investors to adhere to specific procedures and timetables to participate in the dividend reinvestment service and investors should ascertain from their brokers such necessary details. If this service is available and used, dividend distributions of both income and realized gains will be automatically reinvested in additional whole Shares issued by the Trust of the Fund at NAV per Share. Distributions reinvested in additional Shares will nevertheless be taxable to Beneficial Owners acquiring such additional Shares to the same extent as if such distributions had been received in cash.
FEDERAL INCOME TAXES
The following is only a summary of certain U.S. federal income tax considerations generally affecting the Fund and its shareholders that supplements the discussion in the Prospectus. No attempt is made to present a comprehensive explanation of the federal, state, local or foreign tax treatment of the Fund or its shareholders, and the discussion here and in the Prospectus is not intended to be a substitute for careful tax planning.
The following general discussion of certain U.S. federal income tax consequences is based on provisions of the Code and the regulations issued thereunder as in effect on the date of this SAI. New legislation, as well as administrative changes or court decisions, may significantly change the conclusions expressed herein, and may have a retroactive effect with respect to the transactions contemplated herein.
Shareholders are urged to consult their own tax advisers regarding the application of the provisions of tax law described in this SAI in light of the particular tax situations of the shareholders and regarding specific questions as to federal, state, foreign or local taxes.
25
Taxation of the Fund. The Fund has elected and intends to continue to qualify each year to be treated as a separate RIC under the Code. As such, the Fund should not be subject to federal income taxes on their net investment income and capital gains, if any, to the extent that they timely distribute such income and capital gains to their shareholders. To qualify for treatment as a RIC, the Fund must distribute annually to its shareholders at least the sum of 90% of its net investment income (generally including the excess of net short-term capital gains over net long-term capital losses) and 90% of its net tax-exempt interest income, if any (the “Distribution Requirement”) and also must meet several additional requirements. Among these requirements are the following: (i) at least 90% of the Fund’s gross income each taxable year must be derived from dividends, interest, payments with respect to certain securities loans, gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities or foreign currencies, or other income derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock, securities or foreign currencies and net income derived from interests in qualified publicly traded partnerships (the “Qualifying Income Requirement”); and (ii) at the end of each quarter of the Fund’s taxable year, the Fund’s assets must be diversified so that (a) at least 50% of the value of the Fund’s total assets is represented by cash and cash items, U.S. government securities, securities of other RICs, and other securities, with such other securities limited, in respect to any one issuer, to an amount not greater in value than 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets and to not more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer, including the equity securities of a qualified publicly traded partnership, and (b) not more than 25% of the value of its total assets is invested, including through corporations in which the Fund owns a 20% or more voting stock interest, in the securities (other than U.S. government securities or securities of other RICs) of any one issuer, the securities (other than securities of other RICs) of two or more issuers which the Fund controls and which are engaged in the same, similar, or related trades or businesses, or the securities of one or more qualified publicly traded partnerships (the “Diversification Requirement”).
To the extent the Fund makes investments that may generate income that is not qualifying income, including certain derivatives, the Fund will seek to restrict the resulting income from such investments so that the Fund’s non-qualifying income does not exceed 10% of its gross income.
Although the Fund intends to distribute substantially all of its net investment income and may distribute their capital gains for any taxable year, the Fund will be subject to federal income taxation to the extent any such income or gains are not distributed. The Fund is treated as a separate corporation for federal income tax purposes. The Fund therefore is considered to be a separate entity in determining its treatment under the rules for RICs described herein. The requirements (other than certain organizational requirements) for qualifying RIC status are determined at the fund level rather than at the Trust level.
If the Fund fails to satisfy the Qualifying Income Requirement or the Diversification Requirement in any taxable year, the Fund may be eligible for relief provisions if the failures are due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect and if a penalty tax is paid with respect to each failure to satisfy the applicable requirements. Additionally, relief is provided for certain de minimis failures of the Diversification Requirement where the Fund corrects the failure within a specified period of time. To be eligible for the relief provisions with respect to a failure to meet the Diversification Requirement, the Fund may be required to dispose of certain assets. If these relief provisions were not available to the Fund and it were to fail to qualify for treatment as a RIC for a taxable year, all of its taxable income would be subject to tax at the regular 21% corporate rate without any deduction for distributions to shareholders, and its distributions (including capital gains distributions) generally would be taxable to the shareholders of the Fund as ordinary income dividends, subject to the dividends received deduction for corporate shareholders and the lower tax rates on qualified dividend income received by non-corporate shareholders, subject to certain limitations. To requalify for treatment as a RIC in a subsequent taxable year, the Fund would be required to satisfy the RIC qualification requirements for that year and to distribute any earnings and profits from any year in which the Fund failed to qualify for tax treatment as a RIC. If the Fund failed to qualify as a RIC for a period greater than two taxable years, it would generally be required to pay a Fund-level tax on certain net built in gains recognized with respect to certain of its assets upon a disposition of such assets within five years of qualifying as a RIC in a subsequent year. The Board reserves the right not to maintain the qualification of the Fund for treatment as a RIC if it determines such course of action to be beneficial to shareholders. If the Fund determines that it will not qualify as a RIC, the Fund will establish procedures to reflect the anticipated tax liability in the Fund’s NAV.
The Fund may elect to treat part or all of any “qualified late year loss” as if it had been incurred in the succeeding taxable year in determining the Fund’s taxable income, net capital gain, net short-term capital gain, and earnings and profits. The effect of this election is to treat any such “qualified late year loss” as if it had been incurred in the succeeding taxable year in characterizing Fund distributions for any calendar year. A “qualified late year loss” generally includes net capital loss, net long-term capital loss, or net short-term capital loss incurred after October 31 of the current taxable year (commonly referred to as “post-October losses”) and certain other late-year losses.
Capital losses in excess of capital gains (“net capital losses”) are not permitted to be deducted against a RIC’s net investment income. Instead, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, potentially subject to certain limitations, the Fund may carry a net capital loss from any taxable year forward indefinitely to offset its capital gains, if any, in years following the year of the loss. To the extent subsequent capital gains are offset by such losses, they will not result in U.S. federal income tax liability to the Fund and may not be distributed as capital gains to its shareholders. Generally, the Fund may not carry forward any losses other than net capital losses. The carryover of capital losses may be limited under the general loss limitation rules if the Fund experiences an ownership change as defined in the Code. As of October 31, 2025, the Fund had $0 short-term and $0 long-term capital loss carry forwards.
26
The Fund will be subject to a nondeductible 4% federal excise tax on certain undistributed income if it does not distribute to its shareholders in each calendar year an amount at least equal to 98% of its ordinary income for the calendar year plus 98.2% of its capital gain net income for the one-year period ending on October 31 of that year, subject to an increase for any shortfall in the prior year’s distribution. For this purpose, any ordinary income or capital gain net income retained by the Fund and subject to corporate income tax will be considered to have been distributed. The Fund intends to declare and distribute dividends and distributions in the amounts and at the times necessary to avoid the application of the excise tax, but can make no assurances that all such tax liability will be eliminated. The Fund may in certain circumstances be required to liquidate Fund investments in order to make sufficient distributions to avoid federal excise tax liability at a time when the investment adviser might not otherwise have chosen to do so, and liquidation of investments in such circumstances may affect the ability of the Fund to satisfy the requirement for qualification as a RIC.
If the Fund meets the Distribution Requirement but retains some or all of its income or gains, it will be subject to federal income tax to the extent any such income or gains are not distributed. The Fund may designate certain amounts retained as undistributed net capital gain in a notice to its shareholders, who (i) will be required to include in income for U.S. federal income tax purposes, as long-term capital gain, their proportionate shares of the undistributed amount so designated, (ii) will be entitled to credit their proportionate shares of the income tax paid by the Fund on that undistributed amount against their federal income tax liabilities and to claim refunds to the extent such credits exceed their tax liabilities, and (iii) will be entitled to increase their tax basis, for federal income tax purposes, in their Shares by an amount equal to the excess of the amount of undistributed net capital gain included in their respective income over their respective income tax credits.
Taxation of Shareholders – Distributions. The Fund intends to distribute annually to its shareholders substantially all of its investment company taxable income (computed without regard to the deduction for dividends paid), its net tax-exempt income, if any, and any net capital gain (net recognized long-term capital gains in excess of net recognized short-term capital losses, taking into account any capital loss carryforwards). The distribution of investment company taxable income (as so computed) and net realized capital gain will be taxable to Fund shareholders regardless of whether the shareholder receives these distributions in cash or reinvests them in additional Shares.
The Fund (or your broker) will report to shareholders annually the amounts of dividends paid from ordinary income, the amount of distributions of net capital gain, the portion of dividends which may qualify for the dividends-received deduction for corporations, and the portion of dividends which may qualify for treatment as qualified dividend income, which is taxable to non-corporate shareholders at rates of up to 20%.
Qualified dividend income includes, in general, subject to certain holding period and other requirements, dividend income from taxable domestic corporations and certain foreign corporations. Subject to certain limitations, eligible foreign corporations include those incorporated in possessions of the United States, those incorporated in certain countries with comprehensive tax treaties with the United States, and other foreign corporations if the stock with respect to which the dividends are paid is readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States. Dividends received by the Fund from an ETF, an underlying fund taxable as a RIC, or from a REIT may be treated as qualified dividend income generally only to the extent so reported by such ETF, underlying fund, or REIT, however, dividends received by the Fund from a REIT are generally not treated as qualified dividend income. If 95% or more of the Fund’s gross income (calculated without taking into account net capital gain derived from sales or other dispositions of stock or securities) consists of qualified dividend income, the Fund may report all distributions of such income as qualified dividend income.
Fund dividends will not be treated as qualified dividend income if the Fund does not meet holding period and other requirements with respect to dividend paying stocks in its portfolio, and the shareholder does not meet holding period and other requirements with respect to the Shares on which the dividends were paid.
Distributions by the Fund of its net short-term capital gains will be taxable as ordinary income. Distributions from the Fund’s net capital gain will be taxable to shareholders at long-term capital gains rates, regardless of how long shareholders have held their Shares. Distributions may be subject to state and local taxes.
In the case of corporate shareholders, certain dividends received by the Fund from U.S. corporations (generally, dividends received by the Fund in respect of any share of stock (1) with a tax holding period of at least 46 days during the 91-day period beginning on the date that is 45 days before the date on which the stock becomes ex-dividend as to that dividend and (2) that is held in an unleveraged position) and distributed and appropriately so reported by the Fund may be eligible for the 50% dividends received deduction. Certain preferred stock must have a holding period of at least 91 days during the 181-day period beginning on the date that is 90 days before the date on which the stock becomes ex-dividend as to that dividend to be eligible. Capital gain dividends distributed to the Fund from other RICs are not eligible for the dividends received deduction. To qualify for the deduction, corporate shareholders must meet the minimum holding period requirement stated above with respect to their Shares, taking into account any holding period reductions from certain hedging or other transactions or positions that diminish their risk of loss with respect to their Shares, and, if they borrow to acquire or otherwise incur debt attributable to Shares, they may be denied a portion of the dividends received deduction with respect to those Shares.
Under recently issued final Treasury Regulations, a RIC that receives business interest income may pass through its net business interest income for purposes of the tax rules applicable to the interest expense limitations under Section 163(j) of the Code. A RIC’s total “Section 163(j) Interest Dividend” for a tax year is limited to the excess of the RIC’s business interest income over the sum of its business interest expense and its other deductions properly allocable to its business interest income. A RIC may, in its discretion, designate all or a portion of ordinary dividends as Section 163(j) Interest Dividends, which would allow the recipient shareholder to treat the designated portion of such dividends as interest income for purposes of determining such shareholder’s interest expense deduction limitation under Section 163(j). This can potentially increase the amount of a shareholder’s interest expense deductible under Section 163(j). In general, to be eligible to treat a Section 163(j) Interest Dividend as interest income, you must have held your shares in the Fund for more than 180 days during the 361-day period beginning on the date that is 180 days before the date on which the share becomes ex-dividend with respect to such dividend. Section 163(j) Interest Dividends, if so designated by the Fund, will be reported to your financial intermediary or otherwise in accordance with the requirements specified by the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”).
27
Although dividends generally will be treated as distributed when paid, any dividend declared by the Fund in October, November or December and payable to shareholders of record in such a month that is paid during the following January will be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as received by shareholders on December 31 of the calendar year in which it was declared.
Shareholders who have not held Shares for a full year should be aware that the Fund may report and distribute, as ordinary dividends or capital gain dividends, a percentage of income that is not equal to the percentage of the Fund’s ordinary income or net capital gain, respectively, actually earned during the applicable shareholder’s period of investment in the Fund. A taxable shareholder may wish to avoid investing in the Fund shortly before a dividend or other distribution, because the distribution will generally be taxable even though it may economically represent a return of a portion of the shareholder’s investment.
To the extent that the Fund makes a distribution of income received by the Fund in lieu of dividends (a “substitute payment”) with respect to securities on loan pursuant to a securities lending transaction, such income will not constitute qualified dividend income to individual shareholders and will not be eligible for the dividends received deduction for corporate shareholders.
If the Fund’s distributions exceed its earnings and profits, all or a portion of the distributions made for a taxable year may be recharacterized as a return of capital to shareholders. A return of capital distribution will generally not be taxable, but will reduce each shareholder’s cost basis in the Fund and result in a higher capital gain or lower capital loss when the Shares on which the distribution was received are sold. After a shareholder’s basis in the Shares has been reduced to zero, distributions in excess of earnings and profits will be treated as gain from the sale of the shareholder’s Shares.
Taxation of Shareholders – Sale, Redemption, or Exchange of Shares. A sale, redemption, or exchange of Shares may give rise to a gain or loss. For tax purposes, an exchange of your Fund shares of a different fund is the same as a sale. In general, any gain or loss realized upon a taxable disposition of Shares will be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if Shares have been held for more than 12 months. Otherwise, the gain or loss on the taxable disposition of Shares will generally be treated as short-term capital gain or loss. Any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of Shares held for six months or less will be treated as long-term capital loss, rather than short-term capital loss, to the extent of any amounts treated as distributions to the shareholder of long-term capital gain (including any amounts credited to the shareholder as undistributed capital gains). All or a portion of any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of Shares may be disallowed if substantially identical Shares are acquired (through the reinvestment of dividends or otherwise) within a 61-day period beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the disposition. In such a case, the basis of the newly acquired Shares will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss.
The cost basis of Shares acquired by purchase will generally be based on the amount paid for Shares and then may be subsequently adjusted for other applicable transactions as required by the Code. The difference between the selling price and the cost basis of Shares generally determines the amount of the capital gain or loss realized on the sale or exchange of Shares. Contact the broker through whom you purchased your Shares to obtain information with respect to the available cost basis reporting methods and elections for your account.
An Authorized Participant who exchanges securities for Creation Units generally will recognize a gain or a loss. The gain or loss will be equal to the difference between the market value of the Creation Units at the time and the sum of the exchanger’s aggregate basis in the securities surrendered plus the amount of cash paid for such Creation Units. A person who redeems Creation Units will generally recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the exchanger’s basis in the Creation Units and the sum of the aggregate market value of any securities received plus the amount of any cash received for such Creation Units. The ability of Authorized Participants to receive a full or partial cash redemption of Creation Units of the Fund may limit the tax efficiency of such Fund. The IRS, however, may assert that a loss realized upon an exchange of securities for Creation Units cannot currently be deducted under the rules governing “wash sales” (for a person who does not mark-to-market its portfolio) or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic position.
Any gain or loss realized upon a creation or redemption of Creation Units will be treated as capital or ordinary gain or loss, depending on the circumstances. Any capital gain or loss realized upon the creation of Creation Units will generally be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the securities exchanged for such Creation Units have been held for more than one year. Any capital gain or loss realized upon the redemption of Creation Units will generally be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if Shares comprising the Creation Units have been held for more than one year. Otherwise, such capital gains or losses will generally be treated as short-term capital gains or losses. Any capital loss upon a redemption of Creation Units held for six months or less may be treated as long-term capital loss to the extent of any amounts treated as distributions to the applicable Authorized Participant of long-term capital gain with respect to the Creation Units (including any amounts credited to the Authorized Participant as undistributed capital gains).
The Trust, on behalf of the Fund, has the right to reject an order for Creation Units if the purchaser (or a group of purchasers) would, upon obtaining the Creation Units so ordered, own 80% or more of the outstanding Shares and if, pursuant to Section 351 of the Code, the Fund would have a basis in the deposit securities different from the market value of such securities on the date of deposit. The Trust also has the right to require the provision of information necessary to determine beneficial Share ownership for purposes of the 80% determination. If the Fund does issue Creation Units to a purchaser (or a group of purchasers) that would, upon obtaining the Creation Units so ordered, own 80% or more of the outstanding Shares, the purchaser (or a group of purchasers) will not recognize gain or loss upon the exchange of securities for Creation Units.
28
Authorized Participants purchasing or redeeming Creation Units should consult their own tax advisers with respect to the tax treatment of any creation or redemption transaction and whether the wash sales rule applies and when a loss may be deductible.
Taxation of Shareholders – Net Investment Income Tax. U.S. individuals with adjusted gross income (subject to certain adjustments) exceeding certain threshold amounts ($250,000 if married filing jointly or if considered a “surviving spouse” for federal income tax purposes, $125,000 if married filing separately, and $200,000 in other cases) are subject to a 3.8% tax on all or a portion of their “net investment income,” which includes taxable interest, dividends, and certain capital gains (generally including capital gain distributions and capital gains realized on the sale of Shares). This 3.8% tax also applies to all or a portion of the undistributed net investment income of certain shareholders that are estates and trusts.
Taxation of Fund Investments. Certain of the Fund’s investments may be subject to complex provisions of the Code (including provisions relating to hedging transactions, straddles, integrated transactions, foreign currency contracts, forward foreign currency contracts, and notional principal contracts) that, among other things, may affect the Fund’s ability to qualify as a RIC, affect the character of gains and losses realized by the Fund (e.g., may affect whether gains or losses are ordinary or capital), accelerate recognition of income to the Fund and defer losses. These rules could therefore affect the character, amount and timing of distributions to shareholders. These provisions also may require the Fund to mark to market certain types of positions in its portfolio (i.e., treat them as if they were closed out) which may cause the Fund to recognize income without the Fund receiving cash with which to make distributions in amounts sufficient to enable the Fund to satisfy the RIC distribution requirements for avoiding income and excise taxes. The Fund intends to monitor its transactions, intends to make appropriate tax elections, and intends to make appropriate entries in its books and records in order to mitigate the effect of these rules and preserve the Fund’s qualification for treatment as a RIC. To the extent the Fund invests in an underlying fund that is taxable as a RIC, the rules applicable to the tax treatment of complex securities will also apply to the underlying funds that also invest in such complex securities and investments.
Backup Withholding. The Fund will be required in certain cases to withhold (as “backup withholding”) on amounts payable to any shareholder who (1) fails to provide a correct taxpayer identification number certified under penalty of perjury; (2) is subject to backup withholding by the IRS for failure to properly report all payments of interest or dividends; (3) fails to provide a certified statement that he or she is not subject to “backup withholding”; or (4) fails to provide a certified statement that he or she is a U.S. person (including a U.S. resident alien). The backup withholding rate is currently 24%. Backup withholding is not an additional tax and any amounts withheld may be credited against the shareholder’s ultimate U.S. tax liability. Backup withholding will not be applied to payments that have been subject to the 30% withholding tax on shareholders who are neither citizens nor permanent residents of the U.S.
Non-U.S. Shareholders. Any non-U.S. investors in the Fund may be subject to U.S. withholding and estate tax and are encouraged to consult their tax advisers prior to investing in the Fund. Foreign shareholders (i.e., nonresident alien individuals and foreign corporations, partnerships, trusts and estates) are generally subject to U.S. withholding tax at the rate of 30% (or a lower tax treaty rate) on distributions derived from taxable ordinary income. The Fund may, under certain circumstances, report all or a portion of a dividend as an “interest-related dividend” or a “short-term capital gain dividend,” which would generally be exempt from this 30% U.S. withholding tax, provided certain other requirements are met. Short-term capital gain dividends received by a nonresident alien individual who is present in the U.S. for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the taxable year are not exempt from this 30% withholding tax. Gains realized by foreign shareholders from the sale or other disposition of Shares generally are not subject to U.S. taxation, unless the recipient is an individual who is physically present in the U.S. for 183 days or more per year. Foreign shareholders who fail to provide an applicable IRS form may be subject to backup withholding on certain payments from the Fund. Backup withholding will not be applied to payments that are subject to the 30% (or lower applicable treaty rate) withholding tax described in this paragraph. Different tax consequences may result if the foreign shareholder is engaged in a trade or business within the United States. In addition, the tax consequences to a foreign shareholder entitled to claim the benefits of a tax treaty may be different than those described above.
Under legislation generally known as “FATCA” (the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act), the Fund is required to withhold 30% of certain ordinary dividends it pays to shareholders that fail to meet prescribed information reporting or certification requirements. In general, no such withholding will be required with respect to a U.S. person or non-U.S. person that timely provides the certifications required by a fund or its agent on a valid IRS Form W-9 or applicable series of IRS Form W-8, respectively. Shareholders potentially subject to withholding include foreign financial institutions (“FFIs”), such as non-U.S. investment funds, and non-financial foreign entities (“NFFEs”). To avoid withholding under FATCA, an FFI generally must enter into an information sharing agreement with the IRS in which it agrees to report certain identifying information (including name, address, and taxpayer identification number) with respect to its U.S. account holders (which, in the case of an entity shareholder, may include its direct and indirect U.S. owners), and an NFFE generally must identify and provide other required information to the Fund or other withholding agent regarding its U.S. owners, if any. Such non-U.S. shareholders also may fall into certain exempt, excepted or deemed compliant categories as established by regulations and other guidance. A non-U.S. shareholder resident or doing business in a country that has entered into an intergovernmental agreement with the United States to implement FATCA will be exempt from FATCA withholding provided that the shareholder and the applicable foreign government comply with the terms of the agreement.
29
A non-U.S. entity that invests in the Fund will need to provide the Fund with documentation properly certifying the entity’s status under FATCA in order to avoid FATCA withholding. Non-U.S. investors in the Fund should consult their tax advisors in this regard.
Tax-Exempt Shareholders. Certain tax-exempt shareholders, including qualified pension plans, individual retirement accounts, salary deferral arrangements, 401(k) plans, and other tax-exempt entities, generally are exempt from federal income taxation except with respect to their unrelated business taxable income (“UBTI”). Tax-exempt entities are not permitted to offset losses from one unrelated trade or business against the income or gain of another unrelated trade or business. Certain net losses incurred prior to January 1, 2018 are permitted to offset gain and income created by an unrelated trade or business, if otherwise available. Under current law, the Fund generally serves to block UBTI from being realized by its tax-exempt shareholders with respect to their shares of Fund income. However, notwithstanding the foregoing, tax-exempt shareholders could realize UBTI by virtue of their investment in the Fund if, for example, (i) the Fund invests in residual interests of Real Estate Mortgage Investment Conduits (“REMICs”), (ii) the Fund invests in a REIT that is a taxable mortgage pool (“TMP”) or that has a subsidiary that is a TMP or that invests in the residual interest of a REMIC, or (iii) Shares constitute debt-financed property in the hands of the tax-exempt shareholders within the meaning of section 514(b) of the Code. Charitable remainder trusts are subject to special rules and should consult their tax advisers. The IRS has issued guidance with respect to these issues and prospective shareholders, especially charitable remainder trusts, are strongly encouraged to consult with their tax advisers regarding these issues.
The Fund’s shares held in a tax-qualified retirement account will generally not be subject to federal taxation on income and capital gains distributions from the Fund until a shareholder begins receiving payments from their retirement account. Because each shareholder’s tax situation is different, shareholders should consult their tax advisors with specific reference to their own tax situations, including their state, local, and foreign tax liabilities.
Certain Potential Tax Reporting Requirements. Under U.S. Treasury regulations, if a shareholder recognizes a loss on disposition of Shares of $2 million or more for an individual shareholder or $10 million or more for a corporate shareholder (or certain greater amounts over a combination of years), the shareholder must file with the IRS a disclosure statement on IRS Form 8886. Direct shareholders of portfolio securities are in many cases excepted from this reporting requirement, but under current guidance, shareholders of a RIC are not excepted. Significant penalties may be imposed for the failure to comply with the reporting requirements. The fact that a loss is reportable under these regulations does not affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayer’s treatment of the loss is proper. Shareholders should consult their tax advisers to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances.
Other Issues. In those states which have income tax laws, the tax treatment of Fund and of Fund shareholders with respect to distributions by the Fund may differ from federal tax treatment.
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
The audited financial statements and report of the independent registered public accounting firm required to be included in this SAI are hereby incorporated by reference to the Fund’s Form N-CSR filed with the SEC for fiscal period ended October 31, 2025. You can obtain a copy of the Fund’s Form N-CSR without charge by calling the Fund at 1.877.774.TRUE (8783).
30
APPENDIX A
Proxy Voting Policies
Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures
TrueMark Investments, LLC (the “Firm” and “Advisor”)
General Proxy Voting Policies
The Firm understands and appreciates the importance of proxy voting. To the extent that Firm has discretion to vote the proxies of its registered investment company clients (“RIC Clients”), Firm will vote any such proxies in the best interests of its RIC Clients and in accordance with the policies of the Proxy Service Provider(s)1 (“Provider(s)”), as designated by the Firm, and the procedures outlined below.
Proxy Voting Procedures
| 1) | All proxies sent to the RIC Clients that are actually received by the Firm or recorded by the Provider(s) (to vote on behalf of the RIC Clients) will be provided to the Firm. |
| 2) | The Firm will instruct the Provider(s) to generally adhere to the following procedures (subject to limited exception): |
| a) | A written record of each proxy received by the Firm or recorded by the Provider(s) (on behalf of its RIC Clients) will be kept in Firm’s files; |
| b) | The Provider(s) and the Firm will determine which of Firm’s RIC Clients hold the security to which the proxy relates; |
| c) | The Firm will review the proxy and, based upon the advice/recommendation from the Provider(s), determine how to vote the proxy in question in accordance with the guidelines set forth herein. |
| d) | Prior to voting any proxies, the Firm will attempt to determine if there are any conflicts of interest related to the proxy in question. If a conflict is identified, the Chief Compliance Officer will be notified so a determination can be made as to whether the conflict is material or not. |
| i) | If no material conflict is identified pursuant to these procedures, the Firm will make a decision on how to vote the proxy in question. |
Handling Conflicts of Interest
| 1) | As stated above, in evaluating how to vote a proxy, the Firm will first determine whether there is a conflict of interest related to the proxy in question between Firm and its advisory clients. This examination will include (but will not be limited to) an evaluation of whether the Firm (or any affiliate of the Firm has any relationship with the company or an affiliate of the company) to which the proxy relates outside an investment in such company by a RIC Client of the Firm. |
| 2) | If a conflict is identified and deemed “material” by the Firm after consultation with the CCO, the Firm will determine whether voting in accordance with these proxy voting guidelines is in the best interests of affected RIC Clients. |
_________________
1 Before engaging a proxy provider and during the course of the relationship, the Firm will conduct appropriate due diligence/oversight. Records of this due diligence/oversight will be maintained in the Firm’s records.
A-1
Voting Guidelines
In the absence of specific voting guidelines mandated by a particular RIC Client, the Firm will endeavor to vote proxies in the best interests of each RIC Client via the Provider(s) policy.
In some foreign markets where proxy voting demands fee payment for agent services, the Firm will balance the cost and benefit of proxy voting and may give up the proxy voting if the cost associated is greater than the benefits from voting.
| 1) | Although how proxies are voted is subject to the discretion of the Firm, the Firm is of the view that voting proxies in accordance with the following general guidelines is in the best interests of its RIC Clients: |
| a) | The Firm will generally vote in favor of routine corporate housekeeping proposals including, but not limited to, the following: |
| i) | Election of directors (where there are no related corporate governance issues); |
| ii) | Selection or reappointment of auditors; or |
| iii) | Increasing or reclassification of common stock. |
| b) | The Firm will generally vote against proposals that: |
| i) | Make it more difficult to replace members of the issuer’s board of directors or board of managers; and |
| ii) | Introduce unequal voting rights (although there may be regulatory reasons that would make such a proposal favorable to certain RIC Clients of the Firm). |
| c) | The Firm will generally vote against proposals that make it more difficult for an issuer to be taken over by outsiders, and in favor of proposals to do the opposite. |
| d) | The Firm will generally vote in favor of proposals by management or shareholders concerning various compensation and stock option plans that will act to make management and employee compensation more dependent on long-term stock price performance. |
| e) | The Firm will generally vote against proposals to move the company to another state less favorable to shareholders’ interests, or to restructure classes of stock in such a way as to benefit one class of shareholders at the expense of another, such as dual classes (A and B shares) of stock. |
Disclosure of Procedures
For RIC Clients, the Firm will work with the RIC Clients to provide the necessary information for the Form N-PX and will review such information for accuracy.
A-2
Record-keeping Requirements
The Firm via the Provider(s) will be responsible for maintaining files relating to the Firm’s proxy voting procedures. Records will be maintained and preserved for five (5) years from the end of the fiscal year during which the last entry was made on a record, with records for the first two (2) years kept in the offices of the Firm. The Firm is permitted to maintain these records in electronic format. Records of the following will be included in the files:
| 1) | Copies of these proxy voting policies and procedures, and any amendments thereto; |
| 2) | A copy of each proxy statement that the Firm or the Provider(s) actually receives; provided, however, that the Firm may rely on obtaining a copy of proxy statements from the SEC’s EDGAR system for those proxy statements that are so available; |
| 3) | A record of each vote that the Firm via the Provider(s) casts; |
| 4) | A copy of any document that the Firm created that was material to making a decision how to vote the proxies, or memorializes that decision (if any); and |
| 5) | A copy of each written request for information on how the Firm voted such RIC Clients’ proxies and a copy of any written response to any request for information on how the Firm voted proxies on behalf of the RIC Clients. |
A-3
PROSPECTUS
February 27, 2026
CLOUGH HEDGED EQUITY ETF – CBLS
CLOUGH SELECT EQUITY ETF - CBSE
Principal U.S. Listing Exchange: NYSE Arca, Inc.
THE U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION (“SEC”) HAS NOT APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED OF
THESE SECURITIES OR PASSED UPON THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS PROSPECTUS. ANY
REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.
1
TABLE OF CONTENTS
2
CLOUGH HEDGED EQUITY ETF – CBLS
SUMMARY
The Clough Hedged Equity ETF (the “Fund”) seeks long-term capital appreciation while minimizing volatility.
The following table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund (“Shares”). You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table and Example below.
| Management Fees | |
| Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees2 | |
| Other Expenses1 | |
| Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses |
| 1 |
| 2 |
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your Shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. The Example does not take into account brokerage commissions that you may pay on your purchases and sales of Shares. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
| 1 Year: $ |
3 Years: $ |
5 Years: $ |
10 Years: $ |
The
Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio).
A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Shares are held in
a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in the Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect
the Fund’s performance. For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2025, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was
The Fund is an actively managed exchange-traded fund (“ETF”) that seeks to achieve its investment objective by purchasing securities that Clough Capital Partners L.P. (the “Adviser”), the Fund’s investment adviser, believes:
| ● | have above-average financial characteristics such as return on invested capital, profit margins, debt-to-equity ratio, or revenue and earnings growth as identified in financial statements, relative to the broader equity market; |
| ● | are undervalued based on valuation metrics such as (i) enterprise value to sales, (ii) enterprise value to earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization, or (iii) price to earnings ratios; or |
| ● | have higher growth potential as indicated by sales growth, earnings growth, or free cash flow growth. |
3
The Fund primarily invests in U.S.-listed equity securities and sponsored depositary receipts, including American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”), European Depositary Receipts (“EDRs”) and Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”). While the Fund’s equity exposure strategy focuses on investments in U.S. equity securities, the Fund’s strategy also includes investments in companies organized in the U.S. but deriving revenue from international markets, including emerging markets. The Fund makes investments in emerging markets using U.S.-listed securities of companies domiciled in emerging market countries. The Fund defines emerging markets as countries experiencing rapid economic growth, increasing per capita income, developing financial systems, and potential for high growth. A short sale is a transaction in which the Fund sells a security it does not own, typically in anticipation of a decline in the market price of that security based on an analysis of market expectations, valuation multiples, or the likelihood of a contraction in the stock’s valuation multiple. While the Adviser seeks companies it believes will outperform over a full market cycle (typically 5-11 years), the Fund may experience higher portfolio turnover in the short term as the Fund responds to changing market conditions or when the Adviser identifies new opportunities. The Adviser seeks to manage the Fund in a tax-aware manner in order to enhance after tax returns without compromising the duty to maximize risk-adjusted returns.
The Adviser's investment process is built on seeking to identify and capitalize on industry or economic trends that other investors have not yet recognized, while maintaining overall portfolio volatility that is lower than that experienced by the broader market. The Fund views the Bloomberg World All-Cap Equal Weight TR Index (“WLSEQT”) as a representation of the broader market because WLSEQT includes a broad spectrum of global equity securities across various market capitalizations. The Adviser believes that it can identify industry or economic trends by analyzing industry and economic related information such as capital flows that effect natural resource scarcity, technological innovations which have the potential to disrupt traditional industries, impacts of demographic shifts, and changes in profit or credit cycles. The Adviser then interprets the information analyzed to identify emerging patterns or changes in various sectors of the economy and develops a strategy for the Fund to allocate its capital into investible securities.
The Adviser identifies investible securities through rigorous research, including analysis of public company filings, customer preferences, relevant supply chains, and additional publicly available company information. The investment process focuses on a number of significant global investment themes identified by the Adviser through its research process. Global investment themes include industry or economic trends that the Adviser believes will significantly impact multiple sectors or regions of the global economy. The Adviser believes that the Fund can invest in companies affected by an attractive global investment theme which the Adviser anticipates will result in positive investment returns. For instance, an attractive global investment theme could be the emergence of artificial intelligence (“AI”) as a transformative technology. The Adviser might identify this theme by observing increased investment in AI research and development, analyzing the growing demand for advanced semiconductor chips, and studying the proliferation of AI-powered applications across various industries. This theme could result in far-reaching implications for semiconductor manufacturers, companies throughout the semiconductor supply chain, consumer electronics producers, software developers, and numerous other sectors that stand to benefit from or be negatively impacted by AI technology.
When such a theme is identified, the Adviser then conducts bottom-up research to find specific companies that are well-positioned to benefit from this trend. In the AI example, this research might uncover potential investments in leading chip designers, manufacturers of specialized AI hardware, cloud computing providers offering AI services, or software companies developing innovative AI applications. This approach allows the Fund to invest in the global trends identified by selecting individual securities that the Adviser believes will offer the best potential for positive returns.
Individual security positions are selected after an evaluation of various company characteristics, such as an assessment of a company’s market position compared to its competitors, which would involve analyzing company specific factors including market share, product differentiation, and brand strength. The Adviser also evaluates the quality of company management by examining its track record, strategic decisions, and ability to execute business plans effectively. The company selection assessment also includes analyzing a company’s financial performance metrics, reviewing a company’s public statements and interviews, and evaluating a company’s reputation within its industry. The Adviser also analyzes a company’s earnings, cash flow, and balance sheet to assess its financial stability and potential for positive investment returns. In addition, the Adviser evaluates whether a company’s market share, profitability and market valuation is justified and likely to persist over time, compared to both its own and peer historical metrics. The evaluation process involves analysis of various financial ratios and metrics, including price-to-earnings, earnings per share, return on equity, and debt-to-equity ratios, to determine if a company’s stock price accurately reflects its fundamental value and growth potential.
The Adviser employs a tax-aware approach to managing investments across three dimensions. First, the Fund’s ETF structure provides inherent tax efficiency through in-kind creation/redemption mechanisms that defer capital gains. Second, the long/short strategy can create natural tax efficiency, as market advances may generate gains in the long positions and corresponding losses in the short positions, while market declines may produce gains in the short positions and offsetting losses in the long positions, allowing these net realized results to partially offset each other and may reduce net taxable gains while maintaining targeted exposure. Finally, the Adviser employs systematic monthly monitoring of gains and losses to identify offset opportunities, and use of tax-lot accounting, to strategically harvest losses when consistent with investment objectives. These tax-aware procedures are intended to enhance after-tax returns without compromising the primary duty to maximize risk-adjusted returns, which the Adviser believes makes the Fund suitable for both taxable and tax-advantaged accounts.
4
The
Fund’s portfolio construction is driven by the Adviser’s bottom-up research process, which seeks to identify the most compelling
investment opportunities across various sectors. The Fund’s equity stock position concentrations will be higher in sectors such
as energy, technology, consumer, industrial, and healthcare at times, and the Fund does not adhere to strict sector weighting parameters.
This approach allows the Fund to invest in companies that have the greatest potential for returns, regardless of sector. The Fund typically
maintains a diversified portfolio of 30 to 50 long positions and 10 to 50 short positions. This range allows for meaningful exposure
to high-conviction ideas while maintaining a level of diversification to manage overall portfolio risk.
The Fund employs a hedging strategy that utilizes options and index futures to manage risk and enhance returns. The Fund generally maintains a net long exposure of between 30%-70% of its net assets. The Fund buys put options or write (sell) call options on securities it believes are overvalued, aiming to profit from potential price declines or to protect existing long positions. Conversely, the Fund buys call options or writes put options on securities identified through the Adviser’s research process as undervalued, seeking to benefit from potential price appreciation or to gain exposure to attractive investments at a lower initial cost. In addition to options, the Fund uses futures contracts on stock indices, which allow the Fund to invest in one instrument to gain exposure to a group of companies that a futures contract represents, rather than investing in each individual company. The Fund also uses futures contracts to hedge portfolio risks, such as buying or selling an index future when the broader market appears to be overbought based on evaluation of historical valuation metrics. Investments in options and futures allow the Fund to respond to changing market conditions or to implement investment views without directly buying or selling the underlying securities. The Adviser employs a flexible approach to determine the optimal duration for each option or futures instrument that the Fund invests in, and option or futures position durations are generally less than two years. The duration decision is based on careful evaluation of several factors, including transaction costs, the timing of potential catalysts that may alter the broader markets stock prices, and other relevant considerations typical in derivative transactions. The Fund’s goal of investing in options and futures is to strike a balance between hedging portfolio risks or capturing desired market exposure and managing the costs and risks associated with such instruments. This flexible approach allows the Fund to adapt its derivative strategy to changing market conditions and specific investment opportunities.
The use of options and futures strategies are used to hedge and enhance the returns of the Fund’s core equity portfolio, and such strategies are not used to replace the core equity portfolio.
Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund
The
principal risks of investing in the Fund are summarized below. The principal risks are presented in alphabetical order to facilitate
finding particular risks and comparing them with the risks of other funds. Each risk summarized below is considered a “principal
risk” of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears.
| ● | Equity Market Risk. The equity securities held in the Fund’s portfolio may experience sudden, unpredictable drops in value or long periods of decline in value. This may occur because of factors that affect securities markets generally or factors affecting specific issuers, industries, sectors or companies in which the Fund invests. Common stocks are generally exposed to greater risk than other types of securities, such as preferred stocks and debt obligations, because common stockholders generally have inferior rights to receive payment from issuers. |
| ● | Investment Themes Risk. The Fund’s investment program depends on the Adviser’s identification and development of global or regional investment themes, and the Fund’s performance may suffer if such themes, which can be inherently challenging to identify, are not well identified, or do not unfold as anticipated. Failure to correctly identify or develop the themes that will guide the Fund’s portfolio investments, or the failure of a theme to unfold in the way the Adviser anticipates, may result from many causes, including the following: governments or others may decide to oppose or delay certain economic, social or political developments that are the basis of investment themes; demographic or economic data necessary to understand correctly the way in which certain themes may unfold in some countries may be incorrect or incomplete; development of themes and their longevity may require attention to subtle cultural factors not always apparent to outside observers; or social and political changes or natural disasters in some parts of the world may alter the underlying conditions or affect the availability of natural resources necessary to an emerging theme. |
| ● | Security Selection Risk. The success of the Fund’s investment strategies depends, in part, on the effectiveness and implementation of the Adviser’s analysis and methodology with respect to security selection. The securities in the Fund’s portfolio may decline in value. The Adviser’s analysis and portfolio management practices may not achieve the desired results. |
5
| ● | Counterparty Risk. A financial institution or other counterparty with whom the Fund does business, or that underwrites, distributes, or guarantees any investments or contracts that the Fund owns or is otherwise exposed to, including the counterparty to an OTC derivatives contract, may decline in financial health and become unable to honor its commitments. This could cause losses for the Fund or could delay the return or delivery of collateral or other assets to the Fund. |
| ● | Depositary Receipts Risk. The Fund may hold the securities of non-U.S. companies in the form of depository receipts, including ADRs, EDRs and GDRs. ADRs are negotiable certificates issued by a U.S. financial institution that represent a specified number of shares in a foreign stock and trade on a U.S. national securities exchange, such as the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”). ADRs are U.S. dollar denominated. EDRs and GDRs are similar to ADRs, but are shares of foreign based corporations generally issued by international banks in one or more markets around the world. EDRs and GDRs are typically U.S. dollar denominated but may be denominated in a foreign currency. Depositary receipts may be unregistered and unlisted. Depositary receipts involve risks similar to those associated with investments in foreign securities, such as changes in political or economic conditions of other countries, changes in the exchange rates of foreign currencies, and, because the underlying securities of depositary receipts trade on foreign exchanges at times when the U.S. markets are not open for trading, the value of the securities underlying the depositary receipts may change materially at times when the U.S. markets are not open for trading, regardless of whether there is an active U.S. market for shares. |
| ● | Derivatives Risk. The Fund’s use of derivatives, including options, may reduce the Fund’s returns and/or increase the volatility of the Fund’s net asset value. Derivatives may be difficult to value and may at times be highly illiquid, and the Fund may not be able to close out or sell a derivative position at a particular time or at an anticipated price. Derivative investments will typically increase the Fund’s exposure to principal risks to which it is otherwise exposed, and may expose the Fund to additional risks, including liquidity risk, interest rate risk, counterparty risk, equity market risk, credit risk and management risk. |
| ● | Emerging Markets Risk. Emerging markets are subject to greater market volatility, lower trading volume, political and economic instability, uncertainty regarding the existence of trading markets and more governmental limitations on foreign investment than more developed markets. In addition, securities in emerging markets may be subject to greater price fluctuations than securities in more developed markets. Differences in regulatory, accounting, auditing, and financial reporting and recordkeeping standards could impede the Adviser’s ability to evaluate local companies and impact the Fund’s performance. Foreign markets ADRs and ETFs involve risks similar to those associated with investments in foreign securities, such as changes in political or economic conditions of other countries, changes in the exchange rates of foreign currencies, and, because the underlying securities of ADRs and ETFs trade on foreign exchanges at times when the U.S. markets are not open for trading, the value of the securities underlying the ADRs and ETFs may change materially at times when the U.S. markets are not open for trading, regardless of whether there is an active U.S. market for shares. |
| ● | ETF Risks. The Fund is an ETF and, as a result of its structure, it is exposed to the following risks: |
| ○ | Authorized Participants, Market Makers, and Liquidity Providers Concentration Risk. The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as Authorized Participants (“APs”). In addition, there may be a limited number of market makers and/or liquidity providers in the marketplace. To the extent either of the following events occur, Shares may trade at a material discount to NAV and possibly face delisting: (i) APs exit the business or otherwise become unable to process creation and/or redemption orders and no other APs step forward to perform these services, or (ii) market makers and/or liquidity providers exit the business or significantly reduce their business activities and no other entities step forward to perform their functions. |
| ○ | Costs of Buying or Selling Shares Risk. Due to the costs of buying or selling Shares, including brokerage commissions imposed by brokers and bid/ask spreads, frequent trading of Shares may significantly reduce investment results and an investment in Shares may not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments. |
| ○ | Shares May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV Risk. As with all ETFs, Shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. Although it is expected that the market price of Shares will approximate the Fund’s NAV, there may be times when the market price of Shares is more than the NAV intra-day (premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (discount) due to supply and demand of Shares or during periods of market volatility. This risk is heightened in times of market volatility, periods of steep market declines, and periods when there is limited trading activity for Shares in the secondary market, in which case such premiums or discounts may be significant. |
| ○ | Trading Risk. Although Shares are listed for trading on the NYSE Arca, Inc. (the “Exchange”) and may be traded on U.S. exchanges other than the Exchange, there can be no assurance that Shares will trade with any volume, or at all, on any stock exchange. In stressed market conditions, the liquidity of Shares may begin to mirror the liquidity of the Fund’s underlying portfolio holdings, which can be significantly less liquid than the Shares. |
6
| ● | Foreign Markets Risk. Investments in ADRs and ETFs that provide exposure to non-U.S. securities involve certain risks that may not be present with investments in U.S. securities. For example, the value of non-U.S. securities may be subject to risk of decline due to foreign currency fluctuations or to political or economic instability. Investments in ADRs also may be subject to withholding or other taxes and may be indirectly subject to additional trading, settlement, custodial, and operational risks. These and other factors can make investments in the Fund more volatile and potentially less liquid than other types of investments. Foreign markets ADRs and ETFs involve risks similar to those associated with investments in foreign securities, such as changes in political or economic conditions of other countries, changes in the exchange rates of foreign currencies, and, because the underlying securities of ADRs and ETFs trade on foreign exchanges at times when the U.S. markets are not open for trading, the value of the securities underlying the ADRs and ETFs may change materially at times when the U.S. markets are not open for trading, regardless of whether there is an active U.S. market for shares. This, in turn, could lead to differences in the market price of the ETF's and ADR shares and the underlying value of those shares. |
| ● | Growth Investing Risk. Growth stocks can be volatile for several reasons. Since those companies usually invest a high portion of earnings in their businesses, they may lack the dividends of value stocks that can cushion stock prices in a falling market. The prices of growth stocks are based largely on projections of the issuer’s future earnings and revenues. If a company’s earnings or revenues fall short of expectations, its stock price may fall dramatically. |
| ● | Hedging Risk. Options used by the Fund to reduce volatility and generate returns may not perform as intended. There can be no assurance that the Fund’s option strategy will be effective. It may expose the Fund to losses, e.g., option premiums, to which it would not have otherwise been exposed. Further, the option strategy may not fully protect the Fund against declines in the value of its portfolio securities. |
| ● | Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk refers to the possibility that the Fund may not be able to buy or sell a security at a favorable price or time. Consequently, the Fund may have to accept a lower price to sell a security, sell other securities to raise cash, or decline an investment opportunity, any of which could have a negative effect on the Fund’s performance. Infrequent trading of securities also may lead to an increase in their price volatility. |
| ● | Long/Short Risk. The Fund seeks long exposure to certain securities and short exposure to certain other securities. There is no guarantee that the returns on the Fund’s long or short positions will produce positive returns, and the Fund could lose money if either or both the Fund’s long and short positions produce negative returns. |
| ● | Management Risk. The Adviser continuously evaluates the Fund’s holdings, purchases and sales with a view to achieving the Fund’s investment objective. However, achievement of the stated investment objective cannot be guaranteed. The Adviser’s judgment about the markets, the economy, or companies may not anticipate actual market movements, economic conditions or company performance, and these factors may affect the return on your investment. |
| ● | Market Capitalization Risk. |
| ○ | Large-Capitalization Investing. The securities of large-capitalization companies may be relatively mature compared to smaller companies and therefore subject to slower growth during times of economic expansion. Large-capitalization companies may also be unable to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in technology and consumer tastes. | |
| ○ | Mid-Capitalization Investing. The securities of mid-capitalization companies may be more vulnerable to adverse issuer, market, political, or economic developments than securities of large-capitalization companies. The securities of midcapitalization companies generally trade in lower volumes and are subject to greater and more unpredictable price changes than large-capitalization stocks or the stock market as a whole. | |
| ○ | Small-Capitalization Investing. The securities of small-capitalization companies may be more vulnerable to adverse issuer, market, political, or economic developments than securities of large- or mid-capitalization companies. The securities of small-capitalization companies generally trade in lower volumes and are subject to greater and more unpredictable price changes than large- or mid-capitalization stocks or the stock market as a whole. There is typically less publicly available information concerning smaller-capitalization companies than for larger, more established companies. |
| ● | Options Risk. The prices of options may change rapidly over time and do not necessarily move in tandem with the price of the underlying securities. Selling call options reduces the Fund’s ability to profit from increases in the value of the Fund’s equity portfolio, and purchasing put options may result in the Fund’s loss of premiums paid in the event that the put options expire unexercised. To the extent that the Fund reduces its put option holdings relative to the number of call options sold by the Fund, the Fund’s ability to mitigate losses in the event of a market decline will be reduced. |
| ● | Portfolio Turnover Risk. Because the Fund may “turn over” some or all of its portfolio frequently, the Fund may incur high levels of transaction costs, performance that is lower than expected and potentially greater tax exposure. |
7
| ● | Sector Risk. To the extent the Fund invests more heavily in particular sectors of the economy, its performance will be especially sensitive to developments that significantly affect those sectors. The Fund may invest a significant portion of its assets in the following sectors and, therefore, the performance of the Fund could be negatively impacted by events affecting each of these sectors. |
| ○ | Consumer Sectors Risk. The success of consumer product manufacturers and retailers is tied closely to the performance of domestic and international economies, interest rates, exchange rates, competition, consumer confidence, changes in demographics and consumer preferences. Companies in the Consumer Staples Sector, such as companies that produce or sell food, beverage, and drug retail or other household items, may be adversely impacted by changes in global and economic conditions, rising energy prices, and changes in the supply or price of commodities. Companies in the Consumer Discretionary Sector, such as automobile, textile, retail, and media companies, depend heavily on disposable household income and consumer spending, and may be strongly affected by social trends and marketing campaigns. These companies may be subject to severe competition, which may have an adverse impact on their profitability. | |
| ○ | Energy Sector Risk. The Energy Sector includes companies operating in the exploration and production, refining and marketing, and storage and transportation of oil and gas and coal and consumable fuels. It also includes companies that offer oil and gas equipment and related services. The Fund is subject to the risk that the securities of such issuers will underperform the market as a whole due to legislative or regulatory changes, adverse market conditions and/or increased competition affecting the Energy Sector. The performance of companies operating in the Energy Sector is closely tied to the price and supply of energy fuels and international political events. | |
| ○ | Health Care Sector Risk. Companies in the Health Care Sector are subject to extensive government regulation and their profitability can be significantly affected by restrictions on government reimbursement for medical expenses, rising costs of medical products and services, pricing pressure (including price discounting), limited product lines, an increased emphasis on the delivery of healthcare through outpatient services, loss or impairment of intellectual property rights and litigation regarding product or service liability. | |
| ○ | Industrials Sector Risk. Issuers in the Industrials Sector are affected by supply and demand, both for their specific product or service and for Industrials Sector products in general. The products of such issuers may face obsolescence due to rapid technological developments and frequent new product introduction. Government regulations, world events, economic conditions and exchange rates affect the performance of companies in the Industrials Sector. Issuers in the Industrials Sector may be adversely affected by liability for environmental damage, product liability claims and exchange rates. The Industrials Sector may also be adversely affected by changes or trends in commodity prices, which may be influenced by unpredictable factors. | |
| ○ | Information Technology Sector Risk. Market or economic factors impacting information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technological advances could have a significant effect on the value of the Fund’s investments. The value of stocks of information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology is particularly vulnerable to rapid changes in technology product cycles, rapid product obsolescence, government regulation and competition, both domestically and internationally, including competition from foreign competitors with lower production costs. Stocks of information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology, especially those of smaller, less-seasoned companies, tend to be more volatile than the overall market. Information technology companies are heavily dependent on patent and intellectual property rights, the loss or impairment of which may adversely affect profitability. |
| ● | Short Selling Risk. Short selling involves the sale of securities borrowed from a third party. The short seller profits if the borrowed security’s price declines. If a shorted security increases in value, a higher price must be paid to buy the stock back to cover the short sale, resulting in a loss. The Fund may incur expenses related to short selling, including compensation, interest or dividends, and transaction costs payable to the security lender, whether the price of the shorted security increases or decreases. The amount the Fund could lose on a short sale is theoretically unlimited. Short selling also involves counterparty risk – the risk associated with the third-party ceasing operations or failing to sell the security back. |
| ● | Tax Risk. The writing of options by the Fund may significantly reduce or eliminate its ability to make distributions eligible to be treated as qualified dividend income. Options entered into by the Fund may also be subject to the federal tax rules applicable to straddles under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). If positions held by the Fund were treated as “straddles” for federal income tax purposes, or the Fund’s risk of loss with respect to a position was otherwise diminished as set forth in Treasury regulations, dividends on stocks that are a part of such positions would not constitute qualified dividend income subject to such favorable income tax treatment in the hands of non-corporate shareholders or eligible for the dividends received deduction for corporate shareholders. In addition, generally, straddles are subject to certain rules that may affect the amount, character, and timing of the Fund’s recognition of gains and losses with respect to straddle positions. |
| ● | Value Investing Risk. Because the Fund may utilize a value style of investing, the Fund could suffer losses or produce poor results relative to other funds, even in a rising market, if the Adviser’s assessment of a company’s value or prospects for exceeding earnings expectations or market conditions is incorrect. |
8
The Fund acquired all of the assets and liabilities of the Clough Hedged Equity ETF, a series of Listed Funds Trust (the “Predecessor Fund”), in a tax-free reorganization on January 17, 2025. In connection with this acquisition, shares of the Predecessor Fund were exchanged for shares of the Fund. The Predecessor Fund had an investment objective and strategies that were, in all material respects, the same as those of the Fund, and was managed in a manner that, in all material respects, complied with the investment guidelines and restrictions of the Fund. The Fund is a continuation of the Predecessor Fund, and therefore, the performance information includes the performance of the Predecessor Fund.

During
the period shown in the bar chart, the
| One Year | Five Years | Since Inception | |
| Return Before Taxes | |||
| Return After Taxes on Distributions | |||
| Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares | |||
Bloomberg World All-Cap Equal Weight TR Index1 |
|||
Bloomberg World All-Cap Equal Weight/UST 0-1 Yr 50/50 Index1 (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses, or taxes) |
| 1 |
9
Management
| Adviser: | Clough Capital Partners L.P. |
| Portfolio Manager: | Vincent Lorusso is the Fund’s portfolio manager and is primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio. Mr. Lorusso has been the portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception in November 2020. |
Purchase and Sale of Shares
The Fund issues and redeems Shares at NAV only in large blocks known as “Creation Units,” which only APs (typically, broker dealers) may purchase or redeem. The Fund generally issues and redeems Creation Units in exchange for a portfolio of securities and/or a designated amount of U.S. cash.
Shares are listed on the Exchange, and individual Shares may only be bought and sold in the secondary market through a broker or dealer at market prices, rather than NAV. Because Shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, Shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount).
An investor may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase Shares (the “bid” price) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for Shares (the “ask” price) when buying or selling Shares in the secondary market. The difference in the bid and ask prices is referred to as the “bid-ask spread.”
Recent information regarding the Fund’s NAV, market price, how often Shares traded on the Exchange at a premium or discount, and bid-ask spreads can be found on the Fund’s website at www.cloughcapital.com/cbls.
Tax Information
The Fund’s distributions are generally taxable as ordinary income, qualified dividend income, or capital gains (or a combination), unless your investment is held in an IRA or other tax-advantaged account. Distributions on investments made through tax-deferred arrangements may be taxed later upon withdrawal of assets from those accounts. See “Dividends, Distributions, and Taxes – Dividends and Distributions” for more information.
Financial Intermediary Compensation
If you purchase Shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank) (an “Intermediary”), the adviser or its affiliates may pay Intermediaries for certain activities related to the Fund, including participation in activities that are designed to make Intermediaries more knowledgeable about exchange traded products, including the Fund, or for other activities, such as marketing, educational training or other initiatives related to the sale or promotion of Shares. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the Intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Any such arrangements do not result in increased Fund expenses. Ask your salesperson or visit the Intermediary’s website for more information.
10
CLOUGH SELECT EQUITY ETF - CBSE
SUMMARY
The Clough Select Equity ETF (the “Fund”) seeks capital appreciation and lower volatility than the broader market.
The following table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund (“Shares”). You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table and Example below.
| Management Fees | |
| Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees1 | |
| Other Expenses | |
| Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses |
| 1 |
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your Shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. The Example does not take into account brokerage commissions that you may pay on your purchases and sales of Shares. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
| 1
Year: $ |
3 Years: $ |
5 Years:
$ |
10 Years:
$ |
The
Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio).
A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Shares are held in
a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in the Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect
the Fund’s performance. For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2025, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was
The Fund is an actively managed exchange-traded fund (“ETF”) that seeks to achieve its investment objective by purchasing securities that Clough Capital Partners L.P. (the “Adviser”), the Fund’s investment adviser, believes:
| ● | have above-average financial characteristics such as return on invested capital, profit margins, debt-to-equity ratio, or revenue and earnings growth as identified in financial statements, relative to the broader equity market; |
| ● | are undervalued based on valuation metrics such as (i) enterprise value to sales, (ii) enterprise value to earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization, or (iii) price to earnings ratios; or |
| ● | have higher growth potential as indicated by sales growth, earnings growth, or free cash flow growth. |
11
The Fund primarily invests in U.S.-listed equity securities and sponsored depositary receipts, including American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”), European Depositary Receipts (“EDRs”) and Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”). While the Fund’s equity exposure strategy focuses on investments in U.S. equity securities, the Fund’s strategy also includes investments in companies organized in the U.S. but deriving revenue from international markets, including emerging markets. The Fund will make investments in emerging markets using U.S.-listed securities of companies domiciled in emerging market countries. The Fund defines emerging markets as countries experiencing rapid economic growth, increasing per capita income, developing financial systems, and potential for high growth. While the Adviser seeks companies it believes will outperform over a full market cycle (typically 5-11 years), the Fund may experience higher portfolio turnover in the short term as the Fund responds to changing market conditions or when the Adviser identifies new opportunities. The Adviser seeks to manage the Fund in a tax-aware manner in order to enhance after tax returns without compromising the duty to maximize risk-adjusted returns.
The Adviser’s investment process is built on seeking to identify and capitalize on industry or economic trends that other investors have not yet recognized. The Adviser believes that it can identify industry or economic trends by analyzing industry and economic related information such as capital flows that effect natural resource scarcity, technological innovations which have the potential to disrupt traditional industries, impacts of demographic shifts, and changes in profit or credit cycles. The Adviser then interprets the information analyzed to identify emerging patterns or changes in various sectors of the economy and develops a strategy for the Fund to allocate its capital into investible securities.
The Adviser identifies investible securities through rigorous research, including analysis of public company filings, customer preferences, relevant supply chains, and additional publicly available company information. The investment process focuses on a number of significant global investment themes identified by the Adviser through its research process. Global investment themes include industry or economic trends that the Adviser believes will significantly impact multiple sectors or regions of the global economy. The Adviser believes that the Fund can invest in companies affected by an attractive global investment theme which the Adviser anticipates will result in positive investment returns. For instance, an attractive global investment theme could be the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) as a transformative technology. The Adviser might identify this theme by observing increased investment in AI research and development, analyzing the growing demand for advanced semiconductor chips, and studying the proliferation of AI-powered applications across various industries. This theme could result in far-reaching implications for semiconductor manufacturers, companies throughout the semiconductor supply chain, consumer electronics producers, software developers, and numerous other sectors that stand to benefit from or be negatively impacted by AI technology.
When such a theme is identified, the Adviser then conducts bottom-up research to find specific companies that are well-positioned to benefit from this trend. In the AI example, this research might uncover potential investments in leading chip designers, manufacturers of specialized AI hardware, cloud computing providers offering AI services, or software companies developing innovative AI applications. This approach allows the Fund to invest in the global trends identified by selecting individual securities that the Adviser believes will offer the best potential for positive returns. Individual security positions are selected after an evaluation of various company characteristics, such as an assessment of a company's market position compared to its competitors, which would involve analyzing company specific factors including market share, product differentiation, and brand strength. The Adviser also evaluates the quality of company management by examining its track record, strategic decisions, and ability to execute business plans effectively. The company selection assessment also includes analyzing a company’s financial performance metrics, reviewing a company’s public statements and interviews, and evaluating a company’s reputation within its industry. The Adviser also analyzes a company’s earnings, cash flow, and balance sheet to assess its financial stability and potential for positive investment returns. In addition, the Adviser evaluates whether a company’s market share, profitability and market valuation is justified and likely to persist over time, compared to both its own and peer historical metrics. The evaluation process involves analysis of various financial ratios and metrics, including price-to-earnings, earnings per share, return on equity, and debt-to-equity ratios, to determine if a company’s stock price accurately reflects its fundamental value and growth potential.
The Adviser employs a tax-aware approach to managing investments across two dimensions. First, the Fund’s ETF structure provides inherent tax efficiency through in-kind creation/redemption mechanisms that defer capital gains. Second, the Adviser employs systematic monthly monitoring of gains and losses to identify offset opportunities, and use of tax-lot accounting, to strategically harvest losses when consistent with investment objectives. These tax-aware procedures are intended to enhance after-tax returns without compromising the primary duty to maximize risk-adjusted returns, which the Adviser believes makes the Fund suitable for both taxable and tax-advantaged accounts.
The
Fund’s portfolio construction is driven by the Adviser’s bottom-up research process, which seeks to identify the most compelling
investment opportunities across various sectors. The Fund’s equity stock position concentrations will be higher in sectors such
as energy, technology, consumer, industrial, and healthcare at times, and the Fund does not adhere to strict sector weighting parameters.
This approach allows the Fund to invest in companies that have the greatest potential for returns, regardless of sector. The Fund will
typically maintain a diversified portfolio of 20-40 positions. This range allows for meaningful exposure to high-conviction ideas while
maintaining a level of diversification to manage overall portfolio risk.
12
Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund
The
principal risks of investing in the Fund are summarized below. The principal risks are presented in alphabetical order to facilitate
finding particular risks and comparing them with the risks of other funds. Each risk summarized below is considered a “principal
risk” of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears.
| ● | Equity Market Risk. The equity securities held in the Fund’s portfolio may experience sudden, unpredictable drops in value or long periods of decline in value. This may occur because of factors that affect securities markets generally or factors affecting specific issuers, industries, sectors or companies in which the Fund invests. Common stocks are generally exposed to greater risk than other types of securities, such as preferred stocks and debt obligations, because common stockholders generally have inferior rights to receive payment from issuers. |
| ● | Investment Themes Risk. The Fund’s investment program depends on the Adviser’s identification and development of global or regional investment themes, and the Fund’s performance may suffer if such themes, which can be inherently challenging to identify, are not well identified, or do not unfold as anticipated. Failure to correctly identify or develop the themes that will guide the Fund’s portfolio investments, or the failure of a theme to unfold in the way the Adviser anticipates, may result from many causes, including the following: governments or others may decide to oppose or delay certain economic, social or political developments that are the basis of investment themes; demographic or economic data necessary to understand correctly the way in which certain themes may unfold in some countries may be incorrect or incomplete; development of themes and their longevity may require attention to subtle cultural factors not always apparent to outside observers; or social and political changes or natural disasters in some parts of the world may alter the underlying conditions or affect the availability of natural resources necessary to an emerging theme. |
| ● | Security Selection Risk. The success of the Fund’s investment strategies depends, in part, on the effectiveness and implementation of the Adviser’s analysis and methodology with respect to security selection. The securities in the Fund’s portfolio may decline in value. The Adviser’s analysis and portfolio management practices may not achieve the desired results. |
| ● | Depositary Receipts Risk. The Fund may hold the securities of non-U.S. companies in the form of depository receipts, including ADRs, EDRs and GDRs. ADRs are negotiable certificates issued by a U.S. financial institution that represent a specified number of shares in a foreign stock and trade on a U.S. national securities exchange, such as the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”). ADRs are U.S. dollar denominated. EDRs and GDRs are similar to ADRs, but are shares of foreign- based corporations generally issued by international banks in one or more markets around the world. EDRs and GDRs are typically U.S. dollar denominated but may be denominated in a foreign currency. Depositary receipts may be unregistered and unlisted. Depositary receipts involve risks similar to those associated with investments in foreign securities, such as changes in political or economic conditions of other countries, changes in the exchange rates of foreign currencies , and, because the underlying securities of depositary receipts trade on foreign exchanges at times when the U.S. markets are not open for trading, the value of the securities underlying the depositary receipts may change materially at times when the U.S. markets are not open for trading, regardless of whether there is an active U.S. market for shares. |
| ● | Emerging Markets Risk. Emerging markets are subject to greater market volatility, lower trading volume, political and economic instability, uncertainty regarding the existence of trading markets and more governmental limitations on foreign investment than more developed markets. In addition, securities in emerging markets may be subject to greater price fluctuations than securities in more developed markets. Differences in regulatory, accounting, auditing, and financial reporting and recordkeeping standards could impede the Adviser’s ability to evaluate local companies and impact the Fund’s performance. Foreign markets ADRs and ETFs involve risks similar to those associated with investments in foreign securities, such as changes in political or economic conditions of other countries, changes in the exchange rates of foreign currencies, and, because the underlying securities of ADRs and ETFs trade on foreign exchanges at times when the U.S. markets are not open for trading, the value of the securities underlying the ADRs and ETFs may change materially at times when the U.S. markets are not open for trading, regardless of whether there is an active U.S. market for shares. |
| ● | ETF Risks. The Fund is an ETF and, as a result of its structure, it is exposed to the following risks: | |
| ○ | Authorized Participants, Market Makers, and Liquidity Providers Concentration Risk. The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as Authorized Participants (“APs”). In addition, there may be a limited number of market makers and/or liquidity providers in the marketplace. To the extent either of the following events occur, Shares may trade at a material discount to NAV and possibly face delisting: (i) APs exit the business or otherwise become unable to process creation and/or redemption orders and no other APs step forward to perform these services, or (ii) market makers and/or liquidity providers exit the business or significantly reduce their business activities and no other entities step forward to perform their functions. |
13
| ○ | Costs of Buying or Selling Shares Risk. Due to the costs of buying or selling Shares, including brokerage commissions imposed by brokers and bid/ask spreads, frequent trading of Shares may significantly reduce investment results and an investment in Shares may not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments. | |
| ○ | Shares May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV Risk. As with all ETFs, Shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. Although it is expected that the market price of Shares will approximate the Fund’s NAV, there may be times when the market price of Shares is more than the NAV intra-day (premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (discount) due to supply and demand of Shares or during periods of market volatility. This risk is heightened in times of market volatility, periods of steep market declines, and periods when there is limited trading activity for Shares in the secondary market, in which case such premiums or discounts may be significant. | |
| ○ | Trading Risk. Although Shares are listed for trading on the NYSE Arca, Inc. (the “Exchange”) and may be traded on U.S. exchanges other than the Exchange, there can be no assurance that Shares will trade with any volume, or at all, on any stock exchange. In stressed market conditions, the liquidity of Shares may begin to mirror the liquidity of the Fund’s underlying portfolio holdings, which can be significantly less liquid than the Shares. |
| ● | Foreign Markets Risk. Investments in ADRs and ETFs that provide exposure to non-U.S. securities involve certain risks that may not be present with investments in U.S. securities. For example, the value of non-U.S. securities may be subject to risk of decline due to foreign currency fluctuations or to political or economic instability. Investments in ADRs also may be subject to withholding or other taxes and may be indirectly subject to additional trading, settlement, custodial, and operational risks. These and other factors can make investments in the Fund more volatile and potentially less liquid than other types of investments. Foreign markets ADRs and ETFs involve risks similar to those associated with investments in foreign securities, such as changes in political or economic conditions of other countries, changes in the exchange rates of foreign currencies, and, because the underlying securities of ADRs and ETFs trade on foreign exchanges at times when the U.S. markets are not open for trading, the value of the securities underlying the ADRs and ETFs may change materially at times when the U.S. markets are not open for trading, regardless of whether there is an active U.S. market for shares. This, in turn, could lead to differences in the market price of the ETF’s and ADR shares and the underlying value of those shares. |
| ● | Growth Investing Risk. Growth stocks can be volatile for several reasons. Since those companies usually invest a high portion of earnings in their businesses, they may lack the dividends of value stocks that can cushion stock prices in a falling market. The prices of growth stocks are based largely on projections of the issuer’s future earnings and revenues. If a company’s earnings or revenues fall short of expectations, its stock price may fall dramatically. |
| ● | Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk refers to the possibility that the Fund may not be able to buy or sell a security at a favorable price or time. Consequently, the Fund may have to accept a lower price to sell a security, sell other securities to raise cash, or decline an investment opportunity, any of which could have a negative effect on the Fund’s performance. Infrequent trading of securities also may lead to an increase in their price volatility. |
| ● | Management Risk. The Adviser continuously evaluates the Fund’s holdings, purchases and sales with a view to achieving the Fund’s investment objective. However, achievement of the stated investment objective cannot be guaranteed. The Adviser’s judgment about the markets, the economy, or companies may not anticipate actual market movements, economic conditions or company performance, and these factors may affect the return on your investment. |
| ● | Market Capitalization Risk. | |
| ○ | Large-Capitalization Investing. The securities of large-capitalization companies may be relatively mature compared to smaller companies and therefore subject to slower growth during times of economic expansion. Large-capitalization companies may also be unable to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in technology and consumer tastes. | |
| ○ | Mid-Capitalization Investing. The securities of mid-capitalization companies may be more vulnerable to adverse issuer, market, political, or economic developments than securities of large-capitalization companies. The securities of mid-capitalization companies generally trade in lower volumes and are subject to greater and more unpredictable price changes than large-capitalization stocks or the stock market as a whole. | |
| ○ | Small-Capitalization Investing. The securities of small-capitalization companies may be more vulnerable to adverse issuer, market, political, or economic developments than securities of large- or mid-capitalization companies. The securities of small-capitalization companies generally trade in lower volumes and are subject to greater and more unpredictable price changes than large- or mid-capitalization stocks or the stock market as a whole. There is typically less publicly available information concerning smaller-capitalization companies than for larger, more established companies. |
| ● | Portfolio Turnover Risk. Because the Fund may “turn over” some or all of its portfolio frequently, the Fund may incur high levels of transaction costs, performance that is lower than expected and potentially greater tax exposure. |
14
| ● | Sector Risk. To the extent the Fund invests more heavily in particular sectors of the economy, its performance will be especially sensitive to developments that significantly affect those sectors. The Fund may invest a significant portion of its assets in the following sectors and, therefore, the performance of the Fund could be negatively impacted by events affecting each of these sectors. | |
| ○ | Consumer Sectors Risk. The success of consumer product manufacturers and retailers is tied closely to the performance of domestic and international economies, interest rates, exchange rates, competition, consumer confidence, changes in demographics and consumer preferences. Companies in the Consumer Staples Sector, such as companies that produce or sell food, beverage, and drug retail or other household items, may be adversely impacted by changes in global and economic conditions, rising energy prices, and changes in the supply or price of commodities. Companies in the Consumer Discretionary Sector, such as automobile, textile, retail, and media companies, depend heavily on disposable household income and consumer spending, and may be strongly affected by social trends and marketing campaigns. These companies may be subject to severe competition, which may have an adverse impact on their profitability. | |
| ○ | Energy Sector Risk. The Energy Sector includes companies operating in the exploration and production, refining and marketing, and storage and transportation of oil and gas and coal and consumable fuels. It also includes companies that offer oil and gas equipment and related services. The Fund is subject to the risk that the securities of such issuers will underperform the market as a whole due to legislative or regulatory changes, adverse market conditions and/or increased competition affecting the Energy Sector. The performance of companies operating in the Energy Sector is closely tied to the price and supply of energy fuels and international political events. | |
| ○ | Health Care Sector Risk. Companies in the Health Care Sector are subject to extensive government regulation and their profitability can be significantly affected by restrictions on government reimbursement for medical expenses, rising costs of medical products and services, pricing pressure (including price discounting), limited product lines, an increased emphasis on the delivery of healthcare through outpatient services, loss or impairment of intellectual property rights and litigation regarding product or service liability. | |
| ○ | Industrials Sector Risk. Issuers in the Industrials Sector are affected by supply and demand, both for their specific product or service and for Industrials Sector products in general. The products of such issuers may face obsolescence due to rapid technological developments and frequent new product introduction. Government regulations, world events, economic conditions and exchange rates affect the performance of companies in the Industrials Sector. Issuers in the Industrials Sector may be adversely affected by liability for environmental damage, product liability claims and exchange rates. The Industrials Sector may also be adversely affected by changes or trends in commodity prices, which may be influenced by unpredictable factors. | |
| ○ | Information Technology Sector Risk. Market or economic factors impacting information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technological advances could have a significant effect on the value of the Fund’s investments. The value of stocks of information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology is particularly vulnerable to rapid changes in technology product cycles, rapid product obsolescence, government regulation and competition, both domestically and internationally, including competition from foreign competitors with lower production costs. Stocks of information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology, especially those of smaller, less-seasoned companies, tend to be more volatile than the overall market. Information technology companies are heavily dependent on patent and intellectual property rights, the loss or impairment of which may adversely affect profitability. |
| ● | Value Investing Risk. Because the Fund may utilize a value style of investing, the Fund could suffer losses or produce poor results relative to other funds, even in a rising market, if the Adviser’s assessment of a company’s value or prospects for exceeding earnings expectations or market conditions is incorrect. |
The Fund acquired all of the assets and liabilities of the Clough Select Equity ETF, a series of Listed Funds Trust (the “Predecessor Fund”), in a tax-free reorganization on January 17, 2025. In connection with this acquisition, shares of the Predecessor Fund were exchanged for shares of the Fund. The Predecessor Fund had an investment objective and strategies that were, in all material respects, the same as those of the Fund, and was managed in a manner that, in all material respects, complied with the investment guidelines and restrictions of the Fund. The Fund is a continuation of the Predecessor Fund, and therefore, the performance information includes the performance of the Predecessor Fund.
15

During
the period shown in the bar chart, the
One Year |
Five Years |
Since Inception ( | |
| Return Before Taxes | |||
| Return After Taxes on Distributions | |||
| Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares | |||
Bloomberg World All-Cap Equal Weight TR Index1 |
|
|
|
| 1 |
Management
| Adviser: | Clough Capital Partners L.P. |
| Portfolio Manager: | Vincent Lorusso is the Fund’s portfolio manager and is primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio. Mr. Lorusso has been the portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception in November 2020. |
Purchase and Sale of Shares
The Fund issues and redeems Shares at NAV only in large blocks known as “Creation Units,” which only APs (typically, broker-dealers) may purchase or redeem. The Fund generally issues and redeems Creation Units in exchange for a portfolio of securities and/ or a designated amount of U.S. cash.
16
Shares are listed on the Exchange, and individual Shares may only be bought and sold in the secondary market through a broker or dealer at market prices, rather than NAV. Because Shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, Shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount).
An investor may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase Shares (the “bid” price) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for Shares (the “ask” price) when buying or selling Shares in the secondary market. The difference in the bid and ask prices is referred to as the “bid-ask spread.”
Recent information regarding the Fund’s NAV, market price, how often Shares traded on the Exchange at a premium or discount, and bid-ask spreads can be found on the Fund’s website at www.cloughcapital.com/cbse.
Tax Information
The Fund’s distributions are generally taxable as ordinary income, qualified dividend income, or capital gains (or a combination), unless your investment is held in an IRA or other tax-advantaged account. Distributions on investments made through tax-deferred arrangements may be taxed later upon withdrawal of assets from those accounts. See “Dividends, Distributions, and Taxes - Dividends and Distributions” for more information.
Financial Intermediary Compensation
If you purchase Shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank) (an “Intermediary”), the adviser or its affiliates may pay Intermediaries for certain activities related to the Fund, including participation in activities that are designed to make Intermediaries more knowledgeable about exchange traded products, including the Fund, or for other activities, such as marketing, educational training or other initiatives related to the sale or promotion of Shares. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the Intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Any such arrangements do not result in increased Fund expenses. Ask your salesperson or visit the Intermediary’s website for more information.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUNDS
Additional Information About Each Fund’s Investment Objective.
| Investment Objective | |
| Clough Hedged Equity ETF | The Clough Hedged Equity ETF seeks long-term capital appreciation while minimizing volatility. |
| Clough Select Equity ETF | The Clough Select Equity ETF seeks capital appreciation and lower volatility than the broader market. |
Each Fund’s investment objective may be changed by the Board of Trustees (the “Board”) of the Elevation Series Trust (the “Trust”) without shareholder approval upon written notice to shareholders.
Additional Information About Each Fund’s Investment Strategies.
Principal Investment Strategies
Each Fund has adopted a policy, as described below, to comply with Rule 35d-1 under the 1940 Act. Each such policy has been adopted as a non-fundamental investment policy and may be changed without shareholder approval upon 60 days’ written notice to shareholders.
Under normal circumstances, each Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities, including common stocks and depositary receipts.
The Clough Hedged Equity ETF intends to engage in short sales. To effect a short sale, the Fund arranges through a broker to borrow the security it does not own to be delivered to a buyer of such security. In borrowing the security to be delivered to the buyer, the Fund will become obligated to replace the security borrowed at the time of replacement, regardless of the market price at that time. A short sale results in a gain when the price of the securities sold short declines between the date of the short sale and the date on which a security is purchased to replace the borrowed security. Conversely, a short sale will result in a loss if the price of the security sold short increases. When the Fund makes a short sale, the broker effecting the short sale typically holds the proceeds as part of the collateral securing the Fund’s obligation to cover the short position.
17
Non-Principal Investment Strategies
The Clough Select Equity ETF may also purchase or sell (write) exchange-traded put or call options on stocks or stock indices for any purpose consistent with its investment objective, such as for hedging or obtaining market exposure. A put option gives the owner of the put the right, but not the obligation, to sell a security at a stated price within a specific timeframe, and a call option gives the owner of the call the right, but not the obligation, to buy a security at a stated price within a specific timeframe.
Additional Information About the Funds’ Principal Risks. An investment in a Fund entails risks. A Fund could lose money, or its performance could trail that of other investment alternatives. The following provides additional information about each Fund’s principal risks. It is important that investors closely review and understand these risks before making an investment in a Fund. Each risk applies to each Fund unless otherwise specified. Just as in each Fund’s summary section, the principal risks below are presented in alphabetical order to facilitate finding particular risks and comparing them with those of other funds. Each risk summarized below is considered a “principal risk” of investing in the applicable Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears.
| ● | Counterparty Risk (Clough Hedged Equity ETF only). Investing in derivatives involves entering into contracts with third parties (i.e., counterparties). The use of derivatives involves risks that are different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. The Fund will be subject to credit risk (i.e., the risk that a counterparty is or is perceived to be unwilling or unable to make timely payments or otherwise meet its contractual obligations) with respect to the amount it expects to receive from counterparties to derivatives entered into by the Fund. If a counterparty becomes bankrupt or fails to perform its obligations, or if any collateral posted by the counterparty for the benefit of the Fund is insufficient or there are delays in the Fund’s ability to access such collateral, the value of an investment in such Fund may decline. The Fund also seeks to mitigate risks by generally requiring that the counterparties agree to post collateral for the benefit of the Fund, marked to market daily, in an amount approximately equal to what the counterparty owes the Fund, subject to certain minimum thresholds. To the extent any such collateral is insufficient or there are delays in accessing the collateral, the Fund will be exposed to the risks described above, including possible delays in recovering amounts as a result of bankruptcy proceedings. |
| ● | Depositary Receipts Risk. The Funds may hold the securities of non-U.S. companies in the form of depository receipts, including ADRs, EDRs and GDRs. ADRs are negotiable certificates issued by a U.S. financial institution that represent a specified number of shares in a foreign stock and trade on a U.S. national securities exchange, such as the NYSE. ADRs are U.S. dollar denominated. EDRs and GDRs are similar to ADRs, but are shares of foreign-based corporations generally issued by international banks in one or more markets around the world. EDRs and GDRs are typically U.S. dollar denominated but may be denominated in a foreign currency. As a result, changes in foreign currency exchange rates may affect the value of a Fund’s portfolio. Depositary receipts in which the Fund invests are “sponsored” and may be unregistered and unlisted. Sponsored depositary receipts are established jointly by a depositary and the underlying issuer, whereas unsponsored depositary receipts may be established by a depositary without participation by the underlying issuer. In addition, because the underlying securities of depositary receipts trade on foreign exchanges at times when the U.S. markets are not open for trading, the value of the securities underlying the depositary receipts may change materially at times when the U.S. markets are not open for trading, regardless of whether there is an active U.S. market for shares. |
| ● | Derivatives Risk (Clough Hedged Equity ETF only). Derivatives are financial instruments that have a value which depends upon, or is derived from, a reference asset, such as one or more underlying securities, pools of securities, indices, rates or currencies. Derivatives may result in investment exposures that are greater than their cost would suggest; in other words, a small investment in a derivative may have a large impact on Fund performance. The successful use of derivatives generally depends on the ability to predict market movements. The use of these instruments requires special skills and knowledge of investment techniques that are different than those normally required for purchasing and selling securities. If the Adviser uses a derivative instrument at the wrong time or judges market conditions incorrectly, or if the derivative instrument does not perform as expected, these strategies may significantly reduce the Fund’s return. The Fund could also experience losses if it is unable to close out a position because the market for an instrument or position is or becomes illiquid. Derivatives, including options, are subject to a number of risks, some of which are described elsewhere in this Prospectus. The use of derivatives may entail risks greater than, or possibly different from, such risks to which the Fund is exposed. Certain of the different risks to which the Fund might be exposed due to the use of derivatives include the following: |
| ○ | Correlation Risk is the risk that derivative instruments may be mispriced or improperly valued and that changes in the value of the derivatives may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset or security. |
| ○ | Hedging Risk is the risk that derivative instruments used to hedge against an opposite position may offset losses, but they also may offset gains. |
| ○ | Segregation Risk is the risk associated with any requirement which may be imposed to segregate assets or enter into offsetting positions in connection with investments in derivatives. Such segregation will not limit exposure to loss, and the Fund may be exposed to investment risk with respect to the segregated assets to the extent that, but for the applicable segregation requirement, the segregated assets would be sold. |
18
| ○ | Volatility Risk is the risk that, because some derivatives involve economic leverage, this economic leverage will increase the volatility of the derivative instruments, as they may increase or decrease in value more quickly than the underlying currency, security, interest rate or other economic variable. |
| ● | Emerging Markets Risk. Emerging markets are subject to greater market volatility, lower trading volume, political and economic instability, uncertainty regarding the existence of trading markets and more governmental limitations on foreign investment than more developed markets. In addition, securities in emerging markets may be subject to greater price fluctuations than securities in more developed markets. Differences in regulatory, accounting, auditing, and financial reporting and recordkeeping standards could impede the Adviser’s ability to evaluate local companies and impact a Fund’s performance. There also may be limitations on the rights and remedies available to investors in emerging market companies compared to those associated with U.S. companies. In addition, brokerage and other transaction costs on foreign securities exchanges are often higher than in the U.S. and there is generally less government supervision and regulation of exchanges, brokers and issuers in foreign countries. Foreign markets ADRs and ETFs involve risks similar to those associated with investments in foreign securities, such as changes in political or economic conditions of other countries, changes in the exchange rates of foreign currencies, and, because the underlying securities of ADRs and ETFs trade on foreign exchanges at times when the U.S. markets are not open for trading, the value of the securities underlying the ADRs and ETFs may change materially at times when the U.S. markets are not open for trading, regardless of whether there is an active U.S. market for shares. |
| ● | Equity Market Risk. Common stocks are susceptible to general stock market fluctuations and to volatile increases and decreases in value as market confidence in and perceptions of their issuers change. These investor perceptions are based on various and unpredictable factors including: expectations regarding government, economic, monetary and fiscal policies; inflation and interest rates; economic expansion or contraction; pandemics; and global or regional political, economic and banking crises. If you held common stock, or common stock equivalents, of any given issuer, you would generally be exposed to greater risk than if you held preferred stocks and debt obligations of the issuer because common stockholders, or holders of equivalent interests, generally have inferior rights to receive payments from issuers in comparison with the rights of preferred stockholders, bondholders, and other creditors of such issuers. |
| ● | ETF Risks. Each Fund is an ETF and, as a result of its structure, is exposed to the following risks: |
| ○ | Authorized Participants, Market Makers, and Liquidity Providers Concentration Risk. A Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as APs. In addition, there may be a limited number of market makers and/or liquidity providers in the marketplace. Shares may trade at a material discount to NAV and possibly face delisting if either: (i) APs exit the business or otherwise become unable to process creation and/or redemption orders and no other APs step forward to perform these services, or (ii) market makers and/or liquidity providers exit the business or significantly reduce their business activities and no other entities step forward to perform their functions. |
| ○ | Costs of Buying or Selling Shares Risk. Investors buying or selling Shares in the secondary market will pay brokerage commissions or other charges imposed by brokers, as determined by that broker. Brokerage commissions are often a fixed amount and may be a significant proportional cost for investors seeking to buy or sell relatively small amounts of Shares. In addition, secondary market investors also will incur the cost of the difference between the price at which an investor is willing to buy Shares (the “bid” price) and the price at which an investor is willing to sell Shares (the “ask” price). This difference in bid and ask prices is often referred to as the “spread” or “bid/ask spread.” The bid/ask spread varies over time for Shares based on trading volume and market liquidity and is generally lower if Shares have more trading volume and market liquidity and higher if Shares have little trading volume and market liquidity. Further, a relatively small investor base in a Fund, asset swings in a Fund and/or increased market volatility may cause increased bid/ask spreads. Due to the costs of buying or selling Shares, including bid/ask spreads, frequent trading of Shares may significantly reduce investment results and an investment in Shares may not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments. |
| ○ | Shares May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV Risk. As with all ETFs, Shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. Although it is expected that the market price of Shares will approximate a Fund’s NAV, there may be times when the market price of Shares is more than the NAV intra-day (premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (discount) due to supply and demand of Shares or during periods of market volatility. This risk is heightened in times of market volatility or periods of steep market declines and periods when there is limited trading activity for Shares in the secondary market, in which case such premiums or discounts may be significant. The market price of Shares during the trading day, like the price of any exchange-traded security, includes a “bid/ask” spread charged by the exchange specialist, market makers or other participants that trade Shares. In times of severe market disruption, the bid/ask spread can increase significantly. At those times, Shares are most likely to be traded at a discount to NAV, and the discount is likely to be greatest when the price of Shares is falling fastest, which may be the time that you most want to sell your Shares. The Adviser believes that, under normal market conditions, large market price discounts or premiums to NAV will not be sustained because of arbitrage opportunities. |
19
| ○ | Trading Risk. Although Shares are listed for trading on the Exchange and may be listed or traded on U.S. and non-U.S. stock exchanges other than the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for such Shares will develop or be maintained. Trading in Shares may be halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the Exchange, make trading in Shares inadvisable. In addition, trading in Shares on the Exchange is subject to trading halts caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant to Exchange “circuit breaker” rules, which temporarily halt trading on the Exchange when a decline in the S&P 500® Index during a single day reaches certain thresholds (e.g., 7%, 13%, and 20%). Additional rules applicable to the Exchange may halt trading in Shares when extraordinary volatility causes sudden, significant swings in the market price of Shares. There can be no assurance that Shares will trade with any volume, or at all, on any stock exchange. In stressed market conditions, the liquidity of Shares may begin to mirror the liquidity of a Fund’s underlying portfolio holdings, which can be significantly less liquid than Shares. |
| ● | Foreign Markets Risk. Investments in ADRs and ETFs that provide exposure to non-U.S. companies involve certain risks that may not be present with investments in U.S. companies. For example, investments in non-U.S. companies may be subject to risk of loss due to foreign currency fluctuations or to political or economic instability. There may be less information publicly available about a non-U.S. issuer than a U.S. issuer. Securities of non-U.S. companies may be subject to different accounting, auditing, financial reporting and investor protection standards than those of U.S. companies. Investments tied to non-U.S. companies may be subject to withholding or other taxes and may be subject to additional trading, settlement, custodial, and operational risks. Because legal systems differ, there also is the possibility that it will be difficult to obtain or enforce legal judgments in certain countries. Since foreign exchanges may be open on days when a Fund does not price its Shares, the value of the securities in the Fund’s portfolio may change on days when shareholders will not be able to purchase or sell Shares. Conversely, Shares may trade on days when foreign exchanges are closed. Each of these factors can make investments in a Fund more volatile and potentially less liquid than other types of investments. Foreign markets ADRs and ETFs involve risks similar to those associated with investments in foreign securities, such as changes in political or economic conditions of other countries, changes in the exchange rates of foreign currencies, and, because the underlying securities of ADRs and ETFs trade on foreign exchanges at times when the U.S. markets are not open for trading, the value of the securities underlying the ADRs and ETFs may change materially at times when the U.S. markets are not open for trading, regardless of whether there is an active U.S. market for shares. This, in turn, could lead to differences in the market price of the ETF's and ADR shares and the underlying value of those shares. |
| ● | Growth Investing Risk. Growth stocks can be volatile for several reasons. Since those companies usually invest a high portion of earnings in their businesses, they may lack the dividends of value stocks that can cushion stock prices in a falling market. The prices of growth stocks are based largely on projections of the issuer’s future earnings and revenues. If a company’s earnings or revenues fall short of expectations, its stock price may fall dramatically. |
| ● | Hedging Risk (Clough Hedged Equity ETF only). Options used by the Fund to reduce volatility may not perform as intended. There can be no assurance that the Fund’s option strategy will be effective. It may expose the Fund to losses, e.g., option premiums, to which it would not have otherwise been exposed if it only invested in stocks. Further, the option strategy may not fully protect the Fund against declines in the value of its portfolio securities. |
| ● | Investment Themes Risk. Each Fund’s investment program depends on the Adviser’s identification and development of global or regional investment themes, and a Fund’s performance may suffer if such themes, which can be inherently challenging to identify, are not well identified, or do not unfold as anticipated. Failure to correctly identify or develop the themes that will guide a Fund’s portfolio investments, or the failure of a theme to unfold in the way the Adviser anticipates, may result from many causes, including the following: governments or others may decide to oppose or delay certain economic, social or political developments that are the basis of investment themes; demographic or economic data necessary to understand correctly the way in which certain themes may unfold in some countries may be incorrect or incomplete; development of themes and their longevity may require attention to subtle cultural factors not always apparent to outside observers; or social and political changes or natural disasters in some parts of the world may alter the underlying conditions or affect the availability of natural resources necessary to an emerging theme. |
| ● | Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk refers to the possibility that the Fund may not be able to buy or sell a security at a favorable price or time. Consequently, the Fund may have to accept a lower price to sell a security, sell other securities to raise cash, or decline an investment opportunity, any of which could have a negative effect on the Fund’s performance. Infrequent trading of securities also may lead to an increase in their price volatility. |
| ● | Long/Short Risk (Clough Hedged Equity ETF only). The Fund seeks long exposure to certain securities and short exposure to certain other securities. There is no guarantee that the returns on the Fund’s long or short positions will produce positive returns, and the Fund could lose money if either or both the Fund’s long and short positions produce negative returns. |
20
| ● | Management Risk. The Adviser continuously evaluates each Fund’s holdings, purchases and sales with a view to achieving each Fund’s investment objective. However, achievement of the stated investment objective cannot be guaranteed. The Adviser’s judgment about the markets, the economy, or companies may not anticipate actual market movements, economic conditions or company performance, and these factors may affect the return on your investment. In fact, no matter how good a job the Adviser does, you could lose money on your investment in a Fund, just as you could with other investments. If the Adviser is incorrect in its assessment of the income, growth or price realization potential of a Fund’s holdings or incorrect in its assessment of general market or economic conditions, then the value of each Fund’s shares may decline. |
| ● | Market Capitalization Risk. |
| ○ | Large-Capitalization Investing Risk. The securities of large-capitalization companies may be relatively mature compared to smaller companies and, therefore, subject to slower growth during times of economic expansion. Large-capitalization companies also may be unable to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in technology and consumer tastes. |
| ○ | Mid-Capitalization Investing Risk. The securities of mid-capitalization companies may be more vulnerable to adverse issuer, market, political, or economic developments than securities of large-capitalization companies. The securities of midcapitalization companies generally trade in lower volumes and are subject to greater and more unpredictable price changes than large-capitalization stocks or the stock market as a whole. Some mid-capitalization companies have limited product lines, markets, financial resources, and management personnel and tend to concentrate on fewer geographical markets relative to large- capitalization companies. |
| ○ | Small-Capitalization Investing Risk. The securities of small-capitalization companies may be more vulnerable to adverse issuer, market, political, or economic developments than securities of large- or mid- capitalization companies. The securities of small-capitalization companies generally trade in lower volumes and are subject to greater and more unpredictable price changes than large- or mid-capitalization stocks or the stock market as a whole. There is typically less publicly available information concerning smaller- capitalization companies than for larger, more established companies. |
| ● | Options Risk (Clough Hedged Equity ETF only). Options are subject to correlation risk because there may be an imperfect correlation between the prices of options and movements in the price of the underlying securities. Options may expire unexercised, causing the Fund to lose the premium paid for them. The success of the Fund’s investment in options depends upon many factors, such as the price of the options which is a function of various factors that may change rapidly over time. If a counterparty defaults, the Fund’s only recourse will be to pursue contractual remedies against the counterparty, and the Fund may be unsuccessful in its pursuit. The Fund thus assumes the risk that it may be delayed in or prevented from obtaining payments owed to it pursuant to an over-the-counter options transaction. |
Exchange traded index options give the holder of the option the right to buy (or to sell) a position in an index of securities to the writer of the option, at a certain price. Selling index call options reduces the Fund’s ability to profit from increases in the value of the Fund’s equity portfolio, and purchasing put options may result in the Fund’s loss of premiums paid in the event that the put options expire unexercised. To the extent that the Fund reduces its put option holdings relative to the number of call options sold by the Fund, the Fund’s ability to mitigate losses in the event of a market decline will be reduced.
When the Fund sells an option, it gains the amount of the premium it receives, but also incurs a liability representing the value of the option it has sold until the option is either exercised and finishes “in the money,” meaning it has value and can be sold, or the option expires worthless, or the expiration of the option is “rolled,” or extended forward. The value of the options in which the Fund invests is based partly on the volatility used by market participants to price such options (i.e., implied volatility). Accordingly, increases in the implied volatility of such options will cause the value of such options to increase (even if the prices of the options’ underlying stocks do not change), which will result in a corresponding increase in the liabilities of the Fund under such options and thus decrease the Fund’s NAV.
| ● | Portfolio Turnover Risk. Each Fund’s strategy may frequently involve buying and selling securities, which may lead to relatively high portfolio turnover. Higher portfolio turnover may result in a Fund paying increased transaction costs and generating greater tax liabilities for shareholders. Higher portfolio turnover also may cause a Fund’s performance to be less than you expect. |
21
| ● | Sector Risk. Each Fund’s investing approach may result in an emphasis on certain sectors, industries, or sub-industries of the market at any given time. To the extent a Fund invests more heavily in one sector or sub-industry of the market, it thereby presents a more concentrated risk and its performance will be especially sensitive to developments that significantly affect those sectors, industries, or sub-industries. In addition, the value of a Fund’s shares may change at different rates compared to the value of shares of a fund with investments in a more diversified mix of sectors and industries. An individual sector, industry, or subindustry of the market may have above-average performance during particular periods but may also move up and down more than the broader market. The several industries that constitute a sector may all react in the same way to economic, political or regulatory events. A Fund’s performance could also be affected if the sectors, industries, or sub-industries do not perform as expected. Alternatively, the lack of exposure to one or more sectors, industries, or sub-industries may adversely affect performance. If such sectors underperform relative to the broader equity market, or if the sectors to which a Fund has less exposure relative to the broader equity market outperform relative to the broader equity market, the Fund’s performance may lag that of the broader equity market. Each Fund may have significant exposure to the following sectors: |
| ○ | Consumer Sectors Risk. The success of consumer product manufacturers and retailers is tied closely to the performance of domestic and international economies, interest rates, exchange rates, competition, consumer confidence, tariffs and trade barriers, changes in demographics, and consumer preferences. Companies in consumer-oriented sectors depend heavily on disposable household income and consumer spending and may be strongly affected by social trends and marketing campaigns. These companies may be subject to severe competition, which may have an adverse impact on their profitability. |
| ○ | Energy Sector Risk. The energy sector includes companies operating in the exploration and production, refining and marketing, and storage and transportation of oil and gas and coal and consumable fuels. It also includes companies that offer oil and gas equipment and related services. The Fund is subject to the risk that the securities of such issuers will underperform the market as a whole due to legislative or regulatory changes, adverse market conditions and/or increased competition affecting the energy sector. The performance of companies operating in the energy sector is closely tied to the price and supply of energy fuels and international political events. |
| ○ | Health Care Sector Risk. Companies in the Health Care Sector are subject to extensive government regulation and their profitability can be significantly affected by restrictions on government reimbursement for medical expenses, rising costs of medical products and services, pricing pressure (including price discounting), limited product lines and an increased emphasis on the delivery of healthcare through outpatient services. Companies in the Health Care Sector are heavily dependent on obtaining and defending patents, which may be time consuming and costly, and the expiration of patents may also adversely affect the profitability of these companies. Health care companies are also subject to extensive litigation based on product liability and similar claims. In addition, their products can become obsolete due to industry innovation, changes in technologies or other market developments. Many new products in the Health Care Sector require significant research and development and may be subject to regulatory approvals, all of which may be time consuming and costly with no guarantee that any product will come to market. |
| ○ | Industrials Sector Risk. Issuers in the Industrials Sector are affected by supply and demand, both for their specific product or service and for Industrials Sector products in general. The products of such issuers may face obsolescence due to rapid technological developments and frequent new product introduction. Government regulations, world events, economic conditions and exchange rates affect the performance of companies in the Industrials Sector. Issuers in the Industrials Sector may be adversely affected by liability for environmental damage, product liability claims and exchange rates. The Industrials Sector may also be adversely affected by changes or trends in commodity prices, which may be influenced by unpredictable factors. |
| ○ | Information Technology Sector Risk. Market or economic factors impacting information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technological advances could have a significant effect on the value of the Funds’ investments. The value of stocks of information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology is particularly vulnerable to rapid changes in technology product cycles, rapid product obsolescence, government regulation and competition, both domestically and internationally, including competition from foreign competitors with lower production costs. Stocks of information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology, especially those of smaller, less- seasoned companies, tend to be more volatile than the overall market. Information technology companies are heavily dependent on patent and intellectual property rights, the loss or impairment of which may adversely affect profitability. Additionally, companies in the technology sector may face dramatic and often unpredictable changes in growth rates and competition for the services of qualified personnel. |
| ● | Security Selection Risk. The securities in each Fund’s portfolio may decline in value. The Adviser’s analysis and portfolio management practices may not achieve the desired results. |
22
| ● | Short Selling Risk (Clough Hedged Equity ETF only). Short selling involves the sale of securities borrowed from a third party. The short seller profits if the borrowed security’s price declines. If a shorted security increases in value, a higher price must be paid to buy the stock back to cover the short sale, resulting in a loss. The Fund may incur expenses related to short selling, including compensation, interest or dividends, and transaction costs payable to the security lender, whether the price of the shorted security increases or decreases. The amount the Fund could lose on a short sale is theoretically unlimited. Short selling also involves counterparty risk – the risk associated with the third-party ceasing operations or failing to sell the security back. |
| ● | Tax Risk (Clough Hedged Equity ETF only). The writing of call options by the Fund may significantly reduce or eliminate its ability to make distributions eligible to be treated as qualified dividend income. Covered call options may also be subject to the federal tax rules applicable to straddles under the Code. If positions held by the Fund were treated as “straddles” for federal income tax purposes, or the Fund’s risk of loss with respect to a position was otherwise diminished as set forth in Treasury regulations, dividends on stocks that are a part of such positions would not constitute qualified dividend income subject to such favorable income tax treatment in the hands of non-corporate shareholders or eligible for the dividends received deduction for corporate shareholders. In addition, generally, straddles are subject to certain rules that may affect the amount, character and timing of the Fund’s recognition of gains and losses with respect to straddle positions by requiring, among other things, that: (1) any loss realized on disposition of one position of a straddle may not be recognized to the extent that the Fund has unrealized gains with respect to the other position in such straddle; (2) the Fund’s holding period in straddle positions be suspended while the straddle exists (possibly resulting in a gain being treated as short-term capital gain rather than long-term capital gain); (3) the losses recognized with respect to certain straddle positions that are part of a mixed straddle and that are not subject to Section 1256 of the Internal Revenue Code be treated as 60% long-term and 40% short-term capital loss; (4) losses recognized with respect to certain straddle positions that would otherwise constitute short-term capital losses be treated as long-term capital losses; and (5) the deduction of interest and carrying charges attributable to certain straddle positions may be deferred. |
| ● | Value Investing Risk. Because the Fund may utilize a value style of investing, the Fund could suffer losses or produce poor results relative to other funds, even in a rising market, if the Adviser’s assessment of a company’s value or prospects for exceeding earnings expectations or market conditions is incorrect. |
PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS INFORMATION
Information about each Fund’s daily portfolio holdings is available at www.cloughcapital.com/etfs. A complete description of the Funds’ policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Funds’ portfolio holdings is available in the Funds’ Statement of Additional Information (the “SAI”).
MANAGEMENT
Investment Adviser
Clough Capital Partners L.P. (the “Adviser”) serves as the investment adviser for each Fund. The Adviser is a SEC registered investment adviser with approximately $1.4 billion in assets under management as of December 31, 2025. Its principal office is located at 53 State Street, Floor 27, Boston, MA 02109. Previously, from each Fund’s inception to August 28, 2023, the Funds were advised by Changebridge Capital, LLC.
Pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement, each Fund pays the Adviser a unitary management fee, which is calculated daily and paid monthly, at an annual rate based on each Fund’s average daily net assets as set forth in the table below.
| Fund | Management Fee |
| Clough Hedged Equity ETF | 1.35%* |
| Clough Select Equity ETF | 0.85% |
* The management fee for the Predecessor Fund decreased from 1.70% to 1.35% effective February 29, 2024.
Out of the unitary management fee, the Adviser has agreed to pay substantially all expenses of each Fund, including the cost of transfer agency, custody, fund administration, securities lending and other non-distribution related services necessary for each Fund to operate, except for: the fee paid to the Adviser pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement, interest charges on any borrowings, dividends and other expenses on securities sold short, taxes and related services, brokerage commissions and other expenses incurred in placing orders for the purchase and sale of securities and other investment instruments, acquired fund fees and expenses, accrued deferred tax liability, and extraordinary expenses and distribution fees and expenses paid by the Trust, if any, under the distribution plan adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act.
23
The basis for the Board’s approval of the Funds’ Investment Advisory Agreement is available in the Funds’ semi-annual N-CSR filing for the period ended April 30, 2025.
Portfolio Manager
Vincent Lorusso is primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of each Fund’s portfolio.
Mr. Lorusso has been a portfolio manager of each Fund since its inception. He has more than 26 years of industry experience. Prior to re-joining the Adviser in 2023 as President and Chief Executive Officer, Partner, and Portfolio Manager, Mr. Lorusso was a Founder and Portfolio Manager of Changebridge Capital, LLC since 2020. Previously, he served as Partner and Portfolio Manager at the Adviser, where he worked for 16 years. Prior to that, Mr. Lorusso was a Senior Investment Consultant with Natixis Asset Management. With a global perspective, he has analyzed and invested in a broad range of equity securities over the course of his career. Mr. Lorusso holds an MS in Finance and a BS in Finance & English, both from Boston College.
The SAI provides additional information about the portfolio manager’s compensation structure, other accounts managed by the portfolio manager and the portfolio manager’s ownership of Shares of the Funds.
HOW TO BUY AND SELL SHARES
Each Fund issues and redeems Shares only in Creation Units at the NAV per share next determined after receipt of an order from an AP. Only APs may acquire Shares directly from a Fund, and only APs may tender their Shares for redemption directly to a Fund, at NAV. APs must be a member or participant of a clearing agency registered with the SEC and must execute a Participant Agreement that has been agreed to by the Distributor, and that has been accepted by the Funds’ transfer agent, with respect to purchases and redemptions of Creation Units. Once created, Shares trade in the secondary market in quantities less than a Creation Unit.
Most investors buy and sell Shares in secondary market transactions through brokers. Individual Shares are listed for trading on the secondary market on the Exchange and can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like other publicly traded securities.
When buying or selling Shares through a broker, you will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges, and you may pay some or all of the spread between the bid and the offer price in the secondary market on each leg of a round trip (purchase and sale) transaction. In addition, because secondary market transactions occur at market prices, you may pay more than NAV when you buy Shares and receive less than NAV when you sell those Shares.
Book Entry
Shares are held in book-entry form, which means that no stock certificates are issued. The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) or its nominee is the record owner of all outstanding Shares.
Investors owning Shares are beneficial owners as shown on the records of DTC or its participants. DTC serves as the securities depository for all Shares. DTC’s participants include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and other institutions that directly or indirectly maintain a custodial relationship with DTC. As a beneficial owner of Shares, you are not entitled to receive physical delivery of stock certificates or to have Shares registered in your name, and you are not considered a registered owner of Shares. Therefore, to exercise any right as an owner of Shares, you must rely upon the procedures of DTC and its participants. These procedures are the same as those that apply to any other securities that you hold in book entry or “street name” through your brokerage account.
Frequent Purchases and Redemptions of Shares
The Funds impose no restrictions on the frequency of purchases and redemptions of Shares. In determining not to approve a written, established policy, the Board evaluated the risks of market timing activities by Fund shareholders. Purchases and redemptions by APs, who are the only parties that may purchase or redeem Shares directly from the Funds, are an essential part of the ETF process and help keep Share trading prices in line with NAV. As such, the Funds accommodate frequent purchases and redemptions by APs. However, frequent purchases and redemptions for cash may increase tracking error and portfolio transaction costs and lead to the realization of capital gains. The Funds’ fair valuation of their holdings consistent with the 1940 Act and Rule 2a-5 thereunder and their ability to impose transaction fees on purchases and redemptions of Creation Units to cover the custodial and other costs incurred by the Funds in effecting trades help to minimize the potential adverse consequences of frequent purchases and redemptions.
24
Determination of NAV
Each Fund’s NAV is calculated as of the scheduled close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”), generally 4:00p.m. Eastern time, each day the NYSE is open for business. Each NAV for a Fund is calculated by dividing the applicable Fund’s net assets by its Shares outstanding.
In calculating its NAV, a Fund generally values its assets on the basis of market quotations, last sale prices, or estimates of value furnished by a pricing service or brokers who make markets in such instruments. If the foregoing information is not available for a security held by a Fund or is determined to be unreliable, the security will be valued at fair value estimates under guidelines established by the Board (as described below).
Fair Value Pricing
The Adviser has been designated by the Board as the valuation designee for the Funds pursuant to Rule 2a-5 under the 1940 Act. In its capacity as valuation designee, the Adviser has adopted procedures and methodologies to fair value Fund investments whose market prices are not “readily available” or are deemed to be unreliable. For example, such circumstances may arise when: (i) an investment has been de-listed or has had its trading halted or suspended; (ii) an investment’s primary pricing source is unable or unwilling to provide a price; (iii) an investment’s primary trading market is closed during regular market hours; or (iv) an investment’s value is materially affected by events occurring after the close of the investment’s primary trading market. Generally, when fair valuing an investment held by a Fund, the Adviser will take into account all reasonably available information that may be relevant to a particular valuation including, but not limited to, fundamental analytical data regarding the issuer, information relating to the issuer’s business, recent trades or offers of the investment, general and/or specific market conditions and the specific facts giving rise to the need to fair value the investment. Fair value determinations are made in good faith and in accordance with the fair value methodologies established by the Adviser. Due to the subjective and variable nature of determining the fair value of a security or other investment, there can be no assurance that the Adviser’s determined fair value will match or closely correlate to any market quotation that subsequently becomes available or the price quoted or published by other sources. In addition, a Fund may not be able to obtain the fair value assigned to an investment if the Fund were to sell such investment at or near the time its fair value is determined.
Investments by Registered Investment Companies
Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act and the rules thereunder limit investments by registered investment companies in the securities of other investment companies. Registered investment companies are permitted to invest in a Fund beyond the limits set forth in section 12(d)(1), subject to certain terms and conditions, including that such investment companies enter into an agreement with such Fund.
Delivery of Shareholder Documents – Householding
Householding is an option available to certain investors of the Funds. Householding is a method of delivery, based on the preference of the individual investor, in which a single copy of certain shareholder documents can be delivered to investors who share the same address, even if their accounts are registered under different names. Householding for the Funds is available through certain broker- dealers. If you are interested in enrolling in householding and receiving a single copy of prospectuses and other shareholder documents, please contact your broker-dealer. If you are currently enrolled in householding and wish to change your householding status, please contact your broker-dealer.
DIVIDENDS, DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAXES
Dividends and Distributions
Each Fund intends to pay out dividends in cash, if any, and distribute any net realized capital gains to its shareholders at least annually. Each Fund will declare and pay capital gain distributions in cash, if any. Distributions in cash may be reinvested automatically in additional whole Shares only if the broker through whom you purchased Shares makes such option available. Your broker is responsible for distributing the income and capital gain distributions to you.
Taxes
The following discussion is a summary of certain important U.S. federal income tax considerations generally applicable to investments in the Funds. Your investment in a Fund may have other tax implications. Please consult your tax advisor about the tax consequences of an investment in Shares, including the possible application of foreign, state, and local tax laws. This summary does not apply to Shares held in an IRA or other tax-qualified plans, which are generally not subject to current tax. Transactions relating to Shares held in such accounts may, however, be taxable at some time in the future. This summary is based on current tax laws, which may change.
25
Each Fund intends to qualify each year for treatment as a regulated investment company (a “RIC”) under Subchapter M of the Code. If it meets certain minimum distribution requirements, a RIC is not subject to tax at the fund level on income and gains from investments that are timely distributed to shareholders. However, a Fund’s failure to qualify as a RIC or to meet minimum distribution requirements would result (if certain relief provisions were not available) in fund-level taxation and, consequently, a reduction in income available for distribution to shareholders.
Unless your investment in Shares is made through a tax-exempt entity or tax-advantaged account, such as an IRA, you need to be aware of the possible tax consequences when a Fund makes distributions, when you sell your Shares listed on the Exchange, and when you purchase or redeem Creation Units (APs only).
Taxes on Distributions
Each Fund intends to distribute, at least annually, substantially all of its net investment income and net capital gains. The distributions you receive may be subject to federal, state, and local taxation, depending on your tax situation. For federal income tax purposes, distributions of investment income are generally taxable as ordinary income or qualified dividend income. Taxes on distributions of capital gains (if any) are determined by how long a Fund owned the investments that generated them, rather than how long a shareholder has owned his or her Shares. Sales of assets held by a Fund for more than one year generally result in long-term capital gains and losses, and sales of assets held by a Fund for one year or less generally result in short-term capital gains and losses. Distributions of a Fund’s net capital gain (the excess of net long-term capital gains over net short-term capital losses) that are reported by such Fund as capital gain dividends (“Capital Gain Dividends”) will be taxable as long-term capital gains, which for non-corporate shareholders are subject to tax at reduced rates of up to 20% (lower rates apply to individuals in lower tax brackets). Distributions of short-term capital gain will generally be taxable as ordinary income. Dividends and distributions are generally taxable to you whether you receive them in cash or reinvest them in additional Shares.
Distributions reported by a Fund as “qualified dividend income” are generally taxed to non-corporate shareholders at rates applicable to long-term capital gains. For such dividends to be taxed as qualified dividend income to a non-corporate shareholder, a Fund must satisfy certain holding period requirements with respect to the underlying stock and the non-corporate shareholder must satisfy holding period requirements with respect to his or her ownership of such Fund’s Shares. Holding periods may be suspended for these purposes for stock that is hedged. “Qualified dividend income” generally is income derived from dividends paid by U.S. corporations or certain foreign corporations that are either incorporated in a U.S. possession or eligible for tax benefits under certain U.S. income tax treaties. In addition, dividends that a Fund receives in respect of stock of certain foreign corporations may be qualified dividend income if that stock is readily tradable on an established U.S. securities market. Corporate shareholders may be entitled to a dividends received deduction for the portion of dividends they receive from a Fund that are attributable to dividends received by such Fund from U.S. corporations, subject to certain limitations. Certain of the Funds’ investment strategies may limit their ability to distribute dividends eligible to be treated as qualified dividend income or for the dividends received deduction applicable to corporate shareholders.
Shortly after the close of each calendar year, you will be informed of the amount and character of any distributions received from a Fund.
In general, your distributions are subject to federal income tax for the year in which they are paid. Certain distributions paid in January, however, may be treated as paid on December 31 of the prior year. Distributions are generally taxable even if they are paid from income or gains earned by a Fund before your investment (and thus were included in the Shares’ NAV when you purchased your Shares).
You may wish to avoid investing in a Fund shortly before a dividend or other distribution, because such a distribution will generally be taxable even though it may economically represent a return of a portion of your investment.
If you are neither a resident nor a citizen of the United States or if you are a foreign entity, distributions (other than Capital Gain Dividends) paid to you by a Fund will generally be subject to a U.S. withholding tax at the rate of 30%, unless a lower treaty rate applies. Gains from the sale or other disposition of your Shares from non-U.S. shareholders generally are not subject to U.S. taxation, unless you are a nonresident alien individual who is physically present in the U.S. for 183 days or more per year. A Fund may, under certain circumstances, report all or a portion of a dividend as an “interest-related dividend” or a “short-term capital gain dividend,” which would generally be exempt from this 30% U.S. withholding tax, provided certain other requirements are met. Different tax consequences may result if you are a foreign shareholder engaged in a trade or business within the United States or if a tax treaty applies.
A Fund (or a financial intermediary, such as a broker, through which a shareholder owns Shares) generally is required to withhold and remit to the U.S. Treasury a percentage (currently 24%) of the taxable distributions and sale proceeds paid to any shareholder who fails to properly furnish a correct taxpayer identification number, who has underreported dividend or interest income, or who fails to certify that the shareholder is not subject to such withholding.
26
Taxes When Fund Shares are Sold on the Exchange
Provided that a shareholder holds Shares as capital assets, any capital gain or loss realized upon a sale or exchange of Shares generally is treated as a long-term capital gain or loss if Shares have been held for more than one year and as a short-term capital gain or loss if Shares have been held for one year or less. However, any capital loss on a sale of Shares held for six months or less is treated as long- term capital loss to the extent of Capital Gain Dividends paid with respect to such Shares. Any loss realized on a sale will be disallowed to the extent Shares are acquired, including through reinvestment of dividends, within a 61-day period beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the disposition of Shares. The ability to deduct capital losses may be limited.
The cost basis of Shares acquired by purchase will generally be based on the amount paid for the Shares and then may be subsequently adjusted for other applicable transactions as required by the Code. The difference between the selling price and the cost basis of Shares generally determines the amount of the capital gain or loss realized on the sale or exchange of Shares. Contact the broker through whom you purchased your Shares to obtain information with respect to the available cost basis reporting methods and elections for your account.
Taxes on Purchases and Redemptions of Creation Units
An AP having the U.S. dollar as its functional currency for U.S. federal income tax purposes who exchanges securities for Creation Units generally recognizes a gain or a loss. The gain or loss will be equal to the difference between the value of the Creation Units at the time of the exchange and the exchanging AP’s aggregate basis in the securities delivered plus the amount of any cash paid for the Creation Units. An AP who exchanges Creation Units for securities will generally recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the exchanging AP’s basis in the Creation Units and the aggregate U.S. dollar market value of the securities received, plus any cash received for such Creation Units. The Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) may assert, however, that a loss that is realized upon an exchange of securities for Creation Units may not be currently deducted under the rules governing “wash sales” (for an AP who does not mark-to-market their holdings) or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic position. APs exchanging securities should consult their own tax advisor with respect to whether wash sale rules apply and when a loss might be deductible.
A Fund may include a payment of cash in addition to, or in place of, the delivery of a basket of securities upon the redemption of Creation Units. A Fund may sell portfolio securities to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. This may cause a Fund to recognize investment income and/or capital gains or losses that it might not have recognized if it had completely satisfied the redemption in-kind. As a result, a Fund may be less tax efficient if it includes such a cash payment in the proceeds paid upon the redemption of Creation Units.
Net Investment Income Tax
U.S. individuals with income exceeding specified thresholds are subject to a 3.8% tax on all or a portion of their “net investment income,” which includes interest, dividends, and certain capital gains (generally including capital gains distributions and capital gains realized on the sale of Shares). This 3.8% tax also applies to all or a portion of the undistributed net investment income of certain shareholders that are estates and trusts.
Taxation of Fund Investments
If positions held by a Fund were treated as “straddles” for federal income tax purposes, or a Fund’s risk of loss with respect to a position was otherwise diminished as set forth in Treasury Regulations, dividends on stocks that are a part of such positions would not constitute qualified dividend income subject to such favorable income tax treatment and would not be eligible for the dividends-dividends received deduction for corporate shareholders. In addition, straddles are generally subject to certain rules that may affect the amount, character and timing of a Fund’s gains and losses with respect to straddle positions by requiring, among other things, that: (1) any loss realized on disposition of one position of a straddle may not be recognized to the extent that such Fund has unrealized gains with respect to the other position in such straddle; (2) such Fund’s holding period in straddle positions be suspended while the straddle exists (possibly resulting in a gain being treated as short-term capital gain rather than long-term capital gain); (3) the losses recognized with respect to certain straddle positions that are part of a mixed straddle and that are not subject to Code Section 1256 be treated as 60% long-term and 40% short-term capital loss; (4) losses recognized with respect to certain straddle positions that would otherwise constitute short- term capital losses be treated as long-term capital losses; and (5) the deduction of interest and carrying charges attributable to certain straddle positions may be deferred.
Foreign Investments by a Fund
The Funds invest in foreign securities. Interest and other income received by a Fund with respect to foreign securities may give rise to withholding and other taxes imposed by foreign countries. Tax conventions between certain countries and the United States may reduce or eliminate such taxes. If as of the close of a taxable year more than 50% of the value of a Fund’s assets consists of certain foreign stock or securities, each such Fund will be eligible to elect to “pass through” to investors the amount of foreign income and similar taxes (including withholding taxes) paid by such Fund during that taxable year. This means that investors would be considered to have received as additional income their respective shares of such foreign taxes but may be entitled to either a corresponding tax deduction in calculating taxable income, or, subject to certain limitations, a credit in calculating federal income tax. If a Fund does not so elect, each such Fund will be entitled to claim a deduction for certain foreign taxes incurred by such Fund. A Fund (or a financial intermediary, such as a broker, through which a shareholder owns Shares) will notify you if it makes such an election and provide you with the information necessary to reflect foreign taxes paid on your income tax return.
27
Foreign tax credits, if any, received by a Fund as a result of an investment in another RIC (including an ETF which is taxable as a RIC) will not be passed through to you unless the Fund qualifies as a “qualified fund-of-funds” under the Code. If a Fund is a “qualified fund- of-funds” it will be eligible to file an election with the IRS that will enable the Fund to pass along these foreign tax credits to its shareholders. A Fund will be treated as a “qualified fund-of-funds” under the Code if at least 50% of the value of the Fund’s total assets (at the close of each quarter of the Fund’s taxable year) is represented by interests in other RICs.
The foregoing discussion summarizes some of the possible consequences under current federal tax law of an investment in each Fund. It is not a substitute for personal tax advice. You also may be subject to state and local tax on Fund distributions and sales of Shares. Consult your personal tax advisor about the potential tax consequences of an investment in Shares under all applicable tax laws. For more information, please see the section entitled “Federal Income Taxes” in the SAI.
DISTRIBUTION
Paralel Distributors LLC (the “Distributor”) serves as the Funds’ principal underwriter. The Distributor is a broker-dealer registered with the SEC. The Distributor distributes Creation Units for the Funds on an agency basis and does not maintain a secondary market in Shares. The Distributor has no role in determining the policies of the Funds or the securities that are purchased or sold by the Funds. The Distributor’s principal address is 1700 Broadway, Suite 2100, Denver, Colorado 80290.
The Board has adopted a Distribution and Service Plan (the “Plan”) pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. In accordance with the Plan, each Fund is authorized to pay an amount up to 0.25% of its average daily net assets each year for certain distribution-related activities and shareholder services.
No Rule 12b-1 fees are currently paid by the Funds, and there are no plans to impose these fees. However, in the event Rule 12b-1 fees are charged in the future, because the fees are paid out of Fund assets, over time these fees will increase the cost of your investment and may cost you more than certain other types of sales charges.
PREMIUM/DISCOUNT INFORMATION
Information regarding how often each Fund’s Shares traded on the Exchange at a price above (i.e., at a premium) or below (i.e., at a discount) its NAV is available on the Funds’ website at www.cloughcapital.com/etfs.
OTHER INFORMATION AND ADDITIONAL NOTICES
Certain Conditions on Shareholder Legal Actions
Pursuant to the Trust’s primary governing document, the Second Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust, shareholders wishing to pursue a derivative action (a suit brought by a shareholder on behalf of a Fund) are subject to various conditions including that: (i) the Trustees must have a reasonable amount of time to assess the complaining shareholders’ request for action, (ii) at least 10% of shareholders of the Fund must participate in the action (except with respect to claims arising under federal securities laws), and (iii) complaining shareholders must undertake to pay the expenses of advisers that the Trustees engage in consideration of whether to bring an action in the event the Trustees determine not to bring an action (except with respect to claims arising under federal securities laws).
In addition, shareholders wishing to pursue a derivative action (except with respect to claims arising under federal securities law) must bring the compliant in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware, or if such court does not have subject matter jurisdiction, any other court with appropriate subject matter jurisdiction in the State of Delaware. For non-federal securities laws claims, this requirement may be inconvenient for some shareholders and may cause such claims to be made in a less favorable forum than otherwise may have been made.
Additional Notices
Shares are not sponsored, endorsed, or promoted by the Exchange. The Exchange is not responsible for, nor has it participated in the determination of, the timing, prices, or quantities of the Funds’ Shares to be issued, nor in the determination or calculation of the equation by which Shares are redeemable. The Exchange has no obligation or liability to owners of the Funds’ Shares in connection with the administration, marketing, or trading of the Funds’ Shares.
Without limiting any of the foregoing, in no event shall the Exchange have any liability for any lost profits or indirect, punitive, special, or consequential damages even if notified of the possibility thereof.
28
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
The financial highlights table below shows the financial performance information for each Fund’s five most recent fiscal years (or the life of a Fund, if shorter). Certain information reflects financial results for a single share of a Fund. The financial highlights for the periods from each Fund’s inception to October 31, 2023 represent the periods during which the Funds were advised by Changebridge Capital, LLC, which is no longer the adviser to the Funds effective August 29, 2023. The total returns in the table represent the rate that you would have earned or lost on an investment in a Fund (assuming you reinvested all distributions). The information through October 31, 2025 has been audited by Cohen & Company, Ltd., the independent registered public accounting firm of the Funds, whose report, along with each Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Funds’ Form N-CSR dated October 31, 2025, which is available upon request.
29
Clough Hedged Equity ETF
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
| For the Year Ended October 31, 2025(a) | For the Year Ended October 31, 2024(a) | For the Year Ended October 31, 2023(a) | For the Year Ended October 31, 2022(a) | For the Period Ended October 31, 2021(a)(b) | ||||||||||||||||
| PER SHARE OPERATING PERFORMANCE: | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Net Asset Value - Beginning of Period | $ | 25.22 | $ | 18.80 | $ | 23.34 | $ | 26.21 | $ | 20.00 | ||||||||||
| INCOME FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS: | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Net investment income/(loss)(c) | 0.22 | 0.26 | 0.04 | (0.41 | ) | (0.39 | ) | |||||||||||||
| Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss) on investments | 3.10 | 6.25 | (4.58 | ) | (2.46 | ) | 6.60 | |||||||||||||
| Total from Investment Operations | 3.32 | 6.51 | (4.54 | ) | (2.87 | ) | 6.21 | |||||||||||||
| DISTRIBUTIONS FROM: | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Distributable earnings | (0.19 | ) | (0.09 | ) | – | – | – | |||||||||||||
| Total Distributions | (0.19 | ) | (0.09 | ) | – | – | – | |||||||||||||
| Net Increase/(Decrease) in net asset value | 3.13 | 6.42 | (4.54 | ) | (2.87 | ) | 6.21 | |||||||||||||
| Net Asset Value - End of Period | $ | 28.35 | $ | 25.22 | $ | 18.80 | $ | 23.34 | $ | 26.21 | ||||||||||
| Total Return - Net Asset Value(d) | 13.21 | % | 34.77 | % | (19.46 | %) | (10.95 | %) | 31.06 | % | ||||||||||
| RATIOS AND SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:(e) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Net Assets, end of period (000s) | $ | 41,391 | $ | 35,056 | $ | 6,767 | $ | 5,602 | $ | 7,863 | ||||||||||
| Total expense ratio | 1.89 | % | 1.94 | % | 2.93 | % | 2.48 | % | 2.14 | %(f) | ||||||||||
| Ratio of dividends, interest and borrowing expense on securities sold short | 0.54 | % | 0.54 | % | 1.23 | % | 0.78 | % | 0.44 | %(f) | ||||||||||
| Expense ratio excluding dividends, interest, and borrowing expense on securities sold short | 1.35 | % | 1.40 | %(g) | 1.70 | % | 1.70 | % | 1.70 | %(f) | ||||||||||
| Ratio of net investment income/(loss) | 0.80 | % | 1.08 | % | 0.19 | % | (1.80 | %) | (1.58 | %)(f) | ||||||||||
| Portfolio turnover rate(h)(i) | 719 | %(j) | 509 | % | 784 | %(j) | 379 | % | 160 | % | ||||||||||
| (a) | The ETF acquired all of the assets and liabilities of Clough Hedged Equity ETF, a series of Listed Funds Trust (the “Predecessor ETF”), in a tax free reorganization that occurred as of the close of business on January 17, 2025. Performance and financial history of the Predecessor ETF has been adopted by the ETF and will be used going forward. As a result, the information for the periods prior to the close of business on January 17, 2025, reflects that of the Predecessor ETF, which ceased operations as of the date of the reorganization. |
| (b) | The Predecessor ETF commenced operations on November 12, 2020. |
| (c) | Calculated based on the average number of Fund shares outstanding during each fiscal period. |
| (d) | Total return is calculated assuming an initial investment made at the net asset value at the beginning of the period and redemption at the net asset value on the last day of the period and assuming all distributions are reinvested. Total return calculated for a period of less than one year is not annualized. |
| (e) | The ratios exclude the impact of expenses of the underlying funds in which the ETF invests as represented on the Schedule of Investments. |
| (f) | Annualized. |
| (g) | Effective February 29, 2024, the Predecessor ETF’s advisory fee was reduced from 1.70% of the Predecessor ETF’s average daily net assets to 1.35% of the Predecessor ETF’s average daily net assets. |
| (h) | Portfolio turnover rate for periods less than one full year have not been annualized. |
| (i) | Portfolio turnover rate excludes in-kind transactions. |
| (j) | The change in portfolio turnover is related to the trade activity executed during the ETF’s and Predecessor ETF’s fiscal years. |
30
Clough Select Equity ETF
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
| For the Year Ended October 31, 2025(a) | For the Year Ended October 31, 2024(a) | For the Year Ended October 31, 2023(a) | For the Year Ended October 31, 2022(a) | For the Period Ended October 31, 2021(a)(b) | ||||||||||||||||
| PER SHARE OPERATING PERFORMANCE: | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Net Asset Value - Beginning of Period | $ | 31.08 | $ | 21.14 | $ | 23.94 | $ | 29.54 | $ | 20.00 | ||||||||||
| INCOME FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS: | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Net investment income/(loss)(c) | 0.05 | 0.16 | 0.17 | (0.05 | ) | (0.07 | ) | |||||||||||||
| Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss) on investments | 9.32 | 10.16 | (2.86 | ) | (5.55 | ) | 9.61 | |||||||||||||
| Total from Investment Operations | 9.37 | 10.32 | (2.69 | ) | (5.60 | ) | 9.54 | |||||||||||||
| DISTRIBUTIONS FROM: | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Distributable earnings | (0.12 | ) | (0.38 | ) | (0.11 | ) | – | – | ||||||||||||
| Total Distributions | (0.12 | ) | (0.38 | ) | (0.11 | ) | – | – | ||||||||||||
| Net Increase/(Decrease) in net asset value | 9.25 | 9.94 | (2.80 | ) | (5.60 | ) | 9.54 | |||||||||||||
| Net Asset Value - End of Period | $ | 40.33 | $ | 31.08 | $ | 21.14 | $ | 23.94 | $ | 29.54 | ||||||||||
| Total Return - Net Asset Value(d) | 30.15 | % | 49.28 | % | (11.25 | %) | (18.97 | %) | 47.72 | % | ||||||||||
| RATIOS AND SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:(e) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Net Assets, end of period (000s) | $ | 33,876 | $ | 18,961 | $ | 5,496 | $ | 6,465 | $ | 10,045 | ||||||||||
| Total expense ratio | 0.85 | % | 0.85 | % | 0.85 | % | 0.85 | % | 0.85 | %(f) | ||||||||||
| Ratio of net investment income/(loss) | 0.15 | % | 0.56 | % | 0.74 | % | (0.20 | %) | (0.25 | %)(f) | ||||||||||
| Portfolio turnover rate(g)(h) | 767 | %(i) | 428 | % | 465 | %(i) | 222 | % | 105 | % | ||||||||||
| (a) | The ETF acquired all of the assets and liabilities of Clough Select Equity ETF, a series of Listed Funds Trust (the “Predecessor ETF”), in a tax free reorganization that occurred as of the close of business on January 17, 2025. Performance and financial history of the Predecessor ETF has been adopted by the ETF and will be used going forward. As a result, the information for the periods prior to the close of business on January 17, 2025, reflects that of the Predecessor ETF, which ceased operations as of the date of the reorganization. |
| (b) | The Predecessor ETF commenced operations on November 12, 2020. |
| (c) | Calculated based on the average number of Fund shares outstanding during each fiscal period. |
| (d) | Total return is calculated assuming an initial investment made at the net asset value at the beginning of the period and redemption at the net asset value on the last day of the period and assuming all distributions are reinvested. Total return calculated for a period of less than one year is not annualized. |
| (e) | The ratios exclude the impact of expenses of the underlying funds in which the ETF invests as represented on the Schedule of Investments. |
| (f) | Annualized. |
| (g) | Portfolio turnover rate for periods less than one full year have not been annualized. |
| (h) | Portfolio turnover rate excludes in-kind transactions. |
| (i) | The change in portfolio turnover is related to the trade activity executed during the ETF’s and Predecessor ETF’s fiscal years. |
31
PRIVACY NOTICE
Privacy Statement
Pursuant to SEC Regulation S-P (Privacy of Consumer Financial Information) the Trustees of the Elevation Series Trust (the “Trust”) has established the following policy regarding information about the Trust’s shareholders. We consider all shareholder data to be private and confidential, and we hold ourselves to the highest standards in its safekeeping and use.
General Statement
The Trust may collect nonpublic information (e.g., your name, address, e-mail address, Social Security Number, Trust holdings (collectively, “Personal Information”)) about shareholders from transactions in Trust shares. The Trust will not release Personal Information about current or former shareholders (except as permitted by law) unless one of the following conditions is met: we receive your prior written consent; (ii) we believe the recipient to be you or your authorized representative; (iii) to service or support the business functions of the Trust (as explained in more detail below), or (iv) we are required by law to release Personal Information to the recipient. The Trust have not and will not in the future give or sell Personal Information about their current or former shareholders to any company, individual, or group (except as per mitted by law) and as otherwise provided in this policy.
The Trust may make certain electronic services available to their shareholders and may solicit your email address and contact you by email, telephone or US mail regarding the availability of such services. The Trust may also contact shareholders by email, telephone or US mail in connection with these services, such as to confirm enrollment in electronic shareholder communications or to update your Personal Information. In no event will the Trust transmit your Personal Information via email without your consent.
Use of Personal Information
The Trust will only use Personal Information (i) as necessary to service or maintain shareholder accounts in the ordinary course of business and (ii) to support business functions of the Trust and their affiliated businesses. This means that the Trust may share certain Personal Information, only as per mitted by law, with affiliated businesses of the Trust, and that such information may be used for non- Trust-related solicitation. When Personal Information is shared with the Trust’s business affiliates, the Trust may do so without providing you the option of preventing these types of disclosures as permitted by law.
Safeguards Regarding Personal Information
Internally, we also restrict access to Personal Information to those who have a specific need for the records. We maintain physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards that comply with Federal standards to guard Personal Information. Any doubts about the confidentiality of Personal Information, as required by law, are resolved in favor of confidentiality.
32
| Adviser | Clough Capital Partners L.P.
53 State Street, Floor 27 Boston, Massachusetts 02109 |
Distributor | Paralel Distributors LLC
1700 Broadway, Suite 2100 Denver, Colorado 80290 |
| Custodian, Transfer Agent | State Street
One Lincoln Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02111 |
Fund Accountant and Administrator | Paralel Technologies LLC
1700 Broadway, Suite 2100 Denver, Colorado 80290 |
| Legal Counsel | Thompson Hine LLP
41 S. High Street, Suite 1700 Columbus, Ohio 43215 |
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm | Cohen & Company, Ltd.
8101 East Prentice Ave., Suite 750 Greenwood Village, CO 80111 |
The Fund’s SAI provides additional details about the investments of the Funds and certain other additional information. A current SAI dated February 27, 2026 is on file with the SEC and is herein incorporated by reference into this Prospectus. It is legally considered a part of this Prospectus.
Annual/Semi-Annual Reports: Additional information about each Fund’s investments will be available in the applicable Fund’s annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders and in Form N-CSR, where you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected each Fund’s performance.
To make shareholder inquiries, for more detailed information on a Fund, or to request the SAI or annual or semi-annual shareholder reports or Form N-CSR free of charge, please call the Funds’ Distributor at 1.855.393.0559. Free copies of a Fund’s shareholder reports, Prospectus, and the SAI are also available from our website at www.cloughcapital.com/etfs.
Shareholder reports and other information about the Funds are also available, free of charge, on the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov and copies of this information may be obtained, after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov.
No person is authorized to give any information or to make any representations about a Fund and its Shares not contained in this Prospectus and you should not rely on any other information. Read and keep this Prospectus for future reference.
SEC Investment Company Act File No. 811-23812
33
Clough Hedged Equity ETF (CBLS)
Clough Select Equity ETF (CBSE)
Each a series of Elevation Series Trust
Listed on NYSE Arca, Inc.
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
February 27, 2026
This Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) is not a prospectus and should be read in conjunction with the prospectus dated February 27, 2026, as may be supplemented from time to time (“Prospectus”), of the Clough Hedged Equity ETF and the Clough Select Equity ETF (each a “Fund”, collectively the “Funds”), each a series of Elevation Series Trust (the “Trust”). Capitalized terms used herein that are not defined have the same meaning as in the Prospectus, unless otherwise noted.
A copy of the Prospectus may be obtained, without charge by calling 1.855.393.0559, visiting www.cloughcapital.com/etfs, or writing to Paralel Distributors LLC, 1700 Broadway Suite 2100, Denver, Colorado 80290.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
i
GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST AND THE FUNDS
The Trust is an open-end management investment company, currently consisting of seven investment series. This SAI relates only to the Funds. The Trust was organized as a Delaware statutory trust on March 7, 2022. The Trust is registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (together with the rules and regulations adopted thereunder, as amended, the “1940 Act”), as an open-end management investment company, and the offering of each Fund’s shares (“Shares”) is registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). The Trust is governed by its Board of Trustees (the “Board”). Clough Capital Partners L.P., (“Clough” or the “Adviser”) serves as investment adviser to the Funds. The investment objective of the Clough Hedged Equity ETF is long-term capital appreciation while minimizing volatility. The investment objective of the Clough Select Equity ETF is capital appreciation and lower volatility than the broader market.
Each Fund offers and issues Shares at its net asset value (“NAV”) only in aggregations of a specified number of Shares (each, a “Creation Unit”). The Funds generally offer and issue Shares in exchange for a basket of securities (“Deposit Securities”) together with the deposit of a specified cash payment (“Cash Component”). The Trust reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of a “cash in lieu” amount (“Deposit Cash”) to be added to the Cash Component to replace any Deposit Security. Shares are listed on the NYSE Arca, Inc. (the “Exchange”) and trade on the Exchange at market prices that may differ from the Shares’ NAV. Shares are also redeemable only in Creation Unit aggregations, primarily for a basket of Deposit Securities together with a Cash Component. A Creation Unit of the Funds generally consists of 10,000 Shares, though this may change from time to time. As a practical matter, only institutions or large investors purchase or redeem Creation Units. Except when aggregated in Creation Units, Shares are not redeemable securities.
Shares may be issued in advance of receipt of Deposit Securities subject to various conditions, including a requirement to maintain on deposit with the Trust cash at least equal to a specified percentage of the value of the missing Deposit Securities, as set forth in the Participant Agreement (as defined below). The Trust may impose a transaction fee for each creation or redemption. In all cases, such fees will be limited in accordance with the requirements of the SEC applicable to management investment companies offering redeemable securities. As in the case of other publicly traded securities, brokers’ commissions on transactions in the secondary market will be based on negotiated commission rates at customary levels.
The Funds acquired all of the assets and liabilities of Clough Hedged Equity ETF and Clough Select Equity ETF, each a series of Listed Funds Trust (the “Predecessor Funds”), in a tax-free reorganization on January 17, 2025 (the “Reorganization”). Each of the Predecessor Funds had the same investment objectives, strategies and policies as the corresponding Fund at the time of the Reorganization.
Each Fund is advised by Clough Capital Partners, L.P., (the “Adviser”). The Adviser was also the investment adviser to the Predecessor Funds.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES, POLICIES, AND RELATED RISKS
Each Fund’s investment objective and principal investment strategies are described in the Prospectus. The following information supplements, and should be read in conjunction with, the Prospectus. For a description of certain permitted investments, see “Description of Permitted Investments” in this SAI.
With respect to each Fund’s investments, unless otherwise noted, if a percentage limitation on investment is adhered to at the time of investment or contract, a subsequent increase or decrease as a result of market movement or redemption will not result in a violation of such investment limitation.
Diversification
Each Fund is “diversified” within the meaning of the 1940 Act. Under applicable federal laws, to qualify as a diversified fund, each 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, other than investments in cash and cash items (including receivables), U.S. government securities, and securities of other investment companies. The remaining 25% of a 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 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 fewer issuers.
1
General Risks
The value of the Funds’ portfolio securities may fluctuate with changes in the financial condition of an issuer or counterparty, changes in specific economic or political conditions that affect a particular security or issuer and changes in general economic or political conditions. An investor in the Funds could lose money over short or long periods of time.
There can be no guarantee that a liquid market for the securities held by the Funds will be maintained. The existence of a liquid trading market for certain securities may depend on whether dealers will make a market in such securities. There can be no assurance that a market will be made or maintained or that any such market will be or remain liquid. The price at which securities may be sold and the value of Shares will be adversely affected if trading markets for the Fund’s portfolio securities are limited or absent, or if bid-ask spreads are wide.
Cyber Security Risk. Investment companies, such as the Funds, and its service providers may be subject to operational and information security risks resulting from cyber attacks. Cyber attacks include, among other behaviors, stealing or corrupting data maintained online or digitally, denial of service attacks on websites, the unauthorized release of confidential information or various other forms of cyber security breaches. Cyber attacks affecting the Funds, the Adviser, custodian, transfer agent, intermediaries and other third-party service providers may adversely impact the Funds. For instance, cyber attacks may interfere with the processing of shareholder transactions, impact the Fund’s ability to calculate its NAV, cause the release of private shareholder information or confidential company information, impede trading, subject the Fund to regulatory fines or financial losses, and cause reputational damage. The Funds may also incur additional costs for cyber security risk management purposes. Similar types of cyber security risks are also present for issuers of securities in which each Fund invests, which could result in material adverse consequences for such issuers and may cause the Funds’ investments in such portfolio companies to lose value.
Recent Market Events. U.S. and international markets have experienced and may continue to experience significant periods of volatility in recent years and months due to a number of economic, political and global macro factors including rising inflation, uncertainty regarding central banks’ interest rate increases, the possibility of a national or global recession, trade tensions, political events, the war between Russia and Ukraine and the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic. As a result of continuing political tensions and armed conflicts, including the war between Ukraine and Russia, the U.S. and the European Union imposed sanctions on certain Russian individuals and companies, including certain financial institutions, and have limited certain exports and imports to and from Russia. The war has contributed to recent market volatility and may continue to do so.
These developments, as well as other events, could result in further market volatility and negatively affect financial asset prices, the liquidity of certain securities and the normal operations of securities exchanges and other markets, despite government efforts to address market disruptions. As a result, the risk environment remains elevated. The Adviser will monitor developments and seek to manage the Funds in a manner consistent with achieving each Fund’s investment objective, but there can be no assurance that they will be successful in doing so.
DESCRIPTION OF PERMITTED INVESTMENTS
The following are descriptions of each Fund’s permitted investments and investment practices and the associated risk factors. The Funds will only invest in any of the following instruments or engage in any of the following investment practices if such investment or activity is consistent with each Fund’s investment objective and permitted by each Fund’s stated investment policies. Each of the permitted investments described below applies to the Funds unless otherwise noted.
Borrowing
Although the Funds do not intend to borrow money, a Fund may do so to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act. Under the 1940 Act, a Fund may borrow up to one-third (1/3) of its total assets. A Fund will borrow money only for short-term or emergency purposes. Such borrowing is not for investment purposes and will be repaid by the borrowing Fund promptly. Borrowing will tend to exaggerate the effect on NAV of any increase or decrease in the market value of the borrowing Funds’ portfolio. Money borrowed will be subject to interest costs that may or may not be recovered by earnings on the securities purchased. A Fund also may be required to maintain minimum average balances in connection with a borrowing or to pay a commitment or other fee to maintain a line of credit; either of these requirements would increase the cost of borrowing over the stated interest rate.
2
Closed-End Funds
Closed-end funds are investment companies registered with the SEC that issue a fixed number of shares through an initial public offering, after which shares will typically be traded on an exchange such as the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) or the Nasdaq National Market System. Unlike open-end investment companies, shares of closed-end funds are not redeemable with the fund on a daily basis. The Adviser seeks to select closed-end funds for a Fund’s portfolio whose shares are trading at a discount or premium relative to their underlying net asset values (NAV).
Depositary Receipts
To the extent a Fund invests in stocks of foreign corporations, such Fund’s investment in securities of foreign companies may be in the form of depositary receipts or other securities convertible into securities of foreign issuers. American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) are dollar-denominated receipts representing interests in the securities of a foreign issuer, which securities may not necessarily be denominated in the same currency as the securities into which they may be converted. ADRs are receipts typically issued by U.S. banks and trust companies which evidence ownership of underlying securities issued by a foreign corporation. Generally, ADRs in registered form are designed for use in domestic securities markets and are traded on exchanges or over-the-counter in the United States.
Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”), European Depositary Receipts (“EDRs”), and International Depositary Receipts (“IDRs”) are similar to ADRs in that they are certificates evidencing ownership of shares of a foreign issuer; however, GDRs, EDRs, and IDRs may be issued in bearer form and denominated in other currencies and are generally designed for use in specific or multiple securities markets outside the U.S. EDRs, for example, are designed for use in European securities markets, while GDRs are designed for use throughout the world. Depositary receipts will not necessarily be denominated in the same currency as their underlying securities.
The Funds will not invest in any unlisted depositary receipts or any depositary receipt that the Adviser deems to be illiquid or for which pricing information is not readily available. In addition, all depositary receipts generally must be sponsored. However, a Fund may invest in unsponsored depositary receipts under certain limited circumstances. The issuers of unsponsored depositary receipts are not obligated to disclose material information in the United States and, therefore, there may be less information available regarding such issuers and there may not be a correlation between such information and the value of the depositary receipts.
Derivative Instruments
Derivatives are financial instruments whose values are based on the value of one or more indicators, such as a security, asset, currency, interest rate, or index. Examples of derivative instruments include forward contracts, currency and interest rate swaps, currency options, futures contracts, options on futures contracts, and swap agreements. Each Fund’s use of derivatives involves risks different from, and possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other more traditional investments. Moreover, although the value of a derivative is based on an underlying indicator, a derivative does not carry the same rights as would be the case if the Funds invested directly in the underlying securities.
The SEC adopted new regulations governing the use of derivatives by registered investment companies (“Rule 18f-4”). Rule 18f-4 imposes limits on the amount of derivatives the Funds can enter into, treats derivatives as senior securities, and if each Fund’s use of derivatives is more than a limited specified exposure amount, requires the Funds to establish and maintain a comprehensive derivatives risk management program and appoint a derivatives risk manager.
Derivative instruments may be used for “hedging,” which means that they may be used when the Adviser seeks to protect the Fund’s investments from a decline in value resulting from changes to interest rates, market prices, currency fluctuations or other market factors. Derivative instruments may also be used for other purposes, including to seek to increase liquidity, provide efficient portfolio management, broaden investment opportunities (including taking short or negative positions), implement a tax or cash management strategy, gain exposure to a particular security or segment of the market, modify the effective duration of the Fund’s portfolio investments and/or enhance total return. However derivative instruments are used, their successful use is not assured and will depend upon, among other factors, the Adviser’s ability to gauge relevant market movements.
Derivative instruments may be used for the purpose of direct hedging. Direct hedging means that the transaction must be intended to reduce a specific risk exposure of a portfolio security or its denominated currency and must also be directly related to such security or currency. A Fund’s use of derivative instruments may be limited from time to time by policies adopted by the Board or the Adviser.
3
Options. An option is a contract that gives the purchaser of the option, in return for the premium paid, the right to buy an underlying reference instrument, such as a specified security, currency, index, or other instrument, from the writer of the option (in the case of a call option), or to sell a specified reference instrument to the writer of the option (in the case of a put option) at a designated price during the term of the option. The premium paid by the buyer of an option will reflect, among other things, the relationship of the exercise price to the market price and the volatility of the underlying reference instrument, the remaining term of the option, supply, demand, interest rates and/or currency exchange rates. An American style put or call option may be exercised at any time during the option period while a European style put or call option may be exercised only upon expiration or during a fixed period prior thereto. Put and call options are traded on national securities exchanges and in the OTC market.
Options traded on national securities exchanges are within the jurisdiction of the SEC or other appropriate national securities regulator, as are securities traded on such exchanges. As a result, many of the protections provided to traders on organized exchanges will be available with respect to such transactions. In particular, all option positions entered into on a national securities exchange in the United States are cleared and guaranteed by the Options Clearing Corporation, thereby reducing the risk of counterparty default. Furthermore, a liquid secondary market in options traded on a national securities exchange may be more readily available than in the OTC market, potentially permitting a Fund to liquidate open positions at a profit prior to exercise or expiration, or to limit losses in the event of adverse market movements. There is no assurance, however, that higher than anticipated trading activity or other unforeseen events might not temporarily render the capabilities of the Options Clearing Corporation inadequate, and thereby result in the exchange instituting special procedures which may interfere with the timely execution of a Fund’s orders to close out open options positions.
Purchasing call and put options. As the buyer of a call option, a Fund has a right to buy the underlying reference instrument (e.g., a currency or security) at the exercise price at any time during the option period (for American style options). A Fund may enter into closing sale transactions with respect to call options, exercise them, or permit them to expire. For example, a Fund may buy call options on underlying reference instruments that it intends to buy with the goal of limiting the risk of a substantial increase in their market price before the purchase is effected. Unless the price of the underlying reference instrument changes sufficiently, a call option purchased by a Fund may expire without any value to the Fund, in which case the Fund would experience a loss to the extent of the premium paid for the option plus related transaction costs.
As the buyer of a put option, a Fund has the right to sell the underlying reference instrument at the exercise price at any time during the option period (for American style options). Like a call option, a Fund may enter into closing sale transactions with respect to put options, exercise them or permit them to expire. A Fund may buy a put option on an underlying reference instrument owned by the Fund (a protective put) as a hedging technique in an attempt to protect against an anticipated decline in the market value of the underlying reference instrument. Such hedge protection is provided only during the life of the put option when a Fund, as the buyer of the put option, is able to sell the underlying reference instrument at the put exercise price, regardless of any decline in the underlying instrument’s market price. A Fund may also seek to offset a decline in the value of the underlying reference instrument through appreciation in the value of the put option. A put option may also be purchased with the intent of protecting unrealized appreciation of an instrument when the Adviser deems it desirable to continue to hold the instrument because of tax or other considerations. The premium paid for the put option and any transaction costs would reduce any short-term capital gain that may be available for distribution when the instrument is eventually sold. Buying put options at a time when the buyer does not own the underlying reference instrument allows the buyer to benefit from a decline in the market price of the underlying reference instrument, which generally increases the value of the put option.
If a put option was not terminated in a closing sale transaction when it has remaining value, and if the market price of the underlying reference instrument remains equal to or greater than the exercise price during the life of the put option, the buyer would not make any gain upon exercise of the option and would experience a loss to the extent of the premium paid for the option plus related transaction costs. In order for the purchase of a put option to be profitable, the market price of the underlying reference instrument must decline sufficiently below the exercise price to cover the premium and transaction costs.
Writing call and put options. Writing options may permit the writer to generate additional income in the form of the premium received for writing the option. The writer of an option may have no control over when the underlying reference instruments must be sold (in the case of a call option) or purchased (in the case of a put option) because the writer may be notified of exercise at any time prior to the expiration of the option (for American style options). In general, though, options are infrequently exercised prior to expiration. Whether or not an option expires unexercised, the writer retains the amount of the premium. Writing “covered” call options means that the writer owns the underlying reference instrument that is subject to the call option. Call options may also be written on reference instruments that the writer does not own.
4
If a Fund writes a covered call option, any underlying reference instruments that are held by the Fund and are subject to the call option will be earmarked on the books of the Fund as segregated to satisfy its obligations under the option. A Fund will be unable to sell the underlying reference instruments that are subject to the written call option until it either effects a closing transaction with respect to the written call, or otherwise satisfies the conditions for release of the underlying reference instruments from segregation. As the writer of a covered call option, a Fund gives up the potential for capital appreciation above the exercise price of the option should the underlying reference instrument rise in value. If the value of the underlying reference instrument rises above the exercise price of the call option, the reference instrument will likely be “called away,” requiring a Fund to sell the underlying instrument at the exercise price. In that case, the Fund will sell the underlying reference instrument to the option buyer for less than its market value, and the Fund will experience a loss (which will be offset by the premium received by the Fund as the writer of such option). If a call option expires unexercised, a Fund will realize a gain in the amount of the premium received. If the market price of the underlying reference instrument decreases, the call option will not be exercised, and the Fund will be able to use the amount of the premium received to hedge against the loss in value of the underlying reference instrument. The exercise price of a call option will be chosen based upon the expected price movement of the underlying reference instrument. The exercise price of a call option may be below, equal to (at-the-money), or above the current value of the underlying reference instrument at the time the option is written.
As the writer of a put option, a Fund has a risk of loss should the underlying reference instrument decline in value. If the value of the underlying reference instrument declines below the exercise price of the put option and the put option is exercised, the Fund, as the writer of the put option, will be required to buy the instrument at the exercise price, which will exceed the market value of the underlying reference instrument at that time. A Fund will incur a loss to the extent that the current market value of the underlying reference instrument is less than the exercise price of the put option. However, the loss will be offset in part by the premium received from the buyer of the put. If a put option written by a Fund expires unexercised, the Fund will realize a gain in the amount of the premium received.
Closing out options (exchange-traded options). If the writer of an option wants to terminate its obligation, the writer may effect a “closing purchase transaction” by buying an option of the same series as the option previously written. The effect of the purchase is that the clearing corporation will cancel the option writer’s position. However, a writer may not effect a closing purchase transaction after being notified of the exercise of an option. Likewise, the buyer of an option may recover all or a portion of the premium that it paid by effecting a “closing sale transaction” by selling an option of the same series as the option previously purchased and receiving a premium on the sale. There is no guarantee that either a closing purchase or a closing sale transaction may be made at a time desired by a Fund. Closing transactions allow a Fund to terminate its positions in written and purchased options. A Fund will realize a profit from a closing transaction if the price of the transaction is less than the premium received from writing the original option (in the case of written options) or is more than the premium paid by the Fund to buy the option (in the case of purchased options). For example, increases in the market price of a call option sold by the Fund will generally reflect increases in the market price of the underlying reference instrument. As a result, any loss resulting from a closing transaction on a written call option is likely to be offset in whole or in part by appreciation of the underlying instrument owned by the Fund.
Risks of options. A Fund’s options investments involve certain risks, including general risks related to derivative instruments. There can be no assurance that a liquid secondary market on an exchange will exist for any particular option, or at any particular time, and a Fund may have difficulty effecting closing transactions in particular options. Therefore, a Fund would have to exercise the options it purchased in order to realize any profit, thus taking or making delivery of the underlying reference instrument when not desired. The Fund could then incur transaction costs upon the sale of the underlying reference instruments. Similarly, when a Fund cannot effect a closing transaction with respect to a put option it wrote, and the buyer exercises, the Fund would be required to take delivery and would incur transaction costs upon the sale of the underlying reference instruments purchased. If a Fund, as a covered call option writer, is unable to effect a closing purchase transaction in a secondary market, it will not be able to sell the underlying reference instrument until the option expires, or it delivers the underlying instrument upon exercise. When trading options on non-U.S. exchanges or in the OTC market, many of the protections afforded to exchange participants will not be available. For example, there may be no daily price fluctuation limits, and adverse market movements could therefore continue to an unlimited extent over an indefinite period of time.
The effectiveness of an options strategy for hedging depends on the degree to which price movements in the underlying reference instruments correlate with price movements in the relevant portion of a Fund’s portfolio that is being hedged. In addition, a Fund bears the risk that the prices of its portfolio investments will not move in the same amount as the option it has purchased or sold for hedging purposes, or that there may be a negative correlation that would result in a loss on both the investments and the option. If the Adviser is not successful in using options in managing the Fund’s investments, a Fund’s performance will be worse than if the Adviser did not employ such strategies.
5
Developing government regulation of derivatives. The regulation of certain derivatives is a rapidly changing area of law and is subject to modification by government and judicial action. In addition, the SEC, 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.
It is not possible to predict fully the effects of current or future regulation. However, it is possible that developments in government regulation of various types of derivative instruments, such as speculative position limits on certain types of derivatives, or limits or restrictions on the counterparties with which a Fund engages in derivative transactions, may limit or prevent the Fund from using or limit the Fund’s use of these instruments effectively as a part of its investment strategy, and could adversely affect the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment goal(s). The Adviser will continue to monitor developments in the area, particularly to the extent regulatory changes affect a Fund’s ability to enter into desired swap agreements. New requirements, even if not directly applicable to a Fund, may increase the cost of a Fund’s investments and cost of doing business.
Equity Securities
Equity securities, such as the common stock of an issuer, are subject to stock market fluctuations and therefore may experience volatile changes in value as market conditions, consumer sentiment or the financial condition of the issuers change. A decrease in value of the equity securities in a Fund’s portfolio also may cause the value of such Fund’s Shares to decline.
An investment in the Funds should be made with an understanding of the risks inherent in an investment in equity securities, including the risk that the financial condition of issuers may become impaired or that the general condition of the stock market may deteriorate (either of which may cause a decrease in the value of a Fund’s portfolio securities and therefore a decrease in the value of Shares). Common stocks are susceptible to general stock market fluctuations and to volatile increases and decreases in value as market confidence and perceptions change. These investor perceptions are based on various and unpredictable factors, including expectations regarding government, economic, monetary and fiscal policies; inflation and interest rates; economic expansion or contraction; and global or regional political, economic or banking crises.
Holders of common stocks incur more risk than holders of preferred stocks and debt obligations because common stockholders, as owners of the issuer, generally have inferior rights to receive payments from the issuer in comparison with the rights of creditors or holders of debt obligations or preferred stocks. Further, unlike debt securities, which typically have a stated principal amount payable at maturity (whose value, however, is subject to market fluctuations prior thereto), or preferred stocks, which typically have a liquidation preference and which may have stated optional or mandatory redemption provisions, common stocks have neither a fixed principal amount nor a maturity. Common stock values are subject to market fluctuations as long as the common stock remains outstanding.
When-Issued Securities - A when-issued security is one whose terms are available and for which a market exists, but which has not been issued. When a Fund engages in when-issued transactions, it relies on the other party to consummate the sale. If the other party fails to complete the sale, a Fund may miss the opportunity to obtain the security at a favorable price or yield.
When purchasing a security on a when-issued basis, a Fund assumes the rights and risks of ownership of the security, including the risk of price and yield changes. At the time of settlement, the value of the security may be more or less than the purchase price. The yield available in the market when the delivery takes place also may be higher than those obtained in the transaction itself. Because a Fund does not pay for the security until the delivery date, these risks are in addition to the risks associated with its other investments.
Decisions to enter into “when-issued” transactions will be considered on a case-by-case basis when necessary to maintain continuity in a company’s index membership.
Types of Equity Securities:
Common Stocks — Common stocks represent units of ownership in a company. Common stocks usually carry voting rights and earn dividends. Unlike preferred stocks, which are described below, dividends on common stocks are not fixed but are declared at the discretion of the company’s board of directors.
Preferred Stocks — Preferred stocks also are units of ownership in a company. Preferred stocks normally have preference over common stock in the payment of dividends and the liquidation of the company. However, in all other respects, preferred stocks are subordinated to the liabilities of the issuer. Unlike common stocks, preferred stocks are generally not entitled to vote on corporate matters. Types of preferred stocks include adjustable-rate preferred stock, fixed dividend preferred stock, perpetual preferred stock, and sinking fund preferred stock.
6
Generally, the market values of preferred stock with a fixed dividend rate and no conversion element vary inversely with interest rates and perceived credit risk.
Rights and Warrants — A right is a privilege granted to existing shareholders of a corporation to subscribe to shares of a new issue of common stock before it is issued. Rights normally have a short life of usually two to four weeks, are freely transferable and entitle the holder to buy the new common stock at a lower price than the public offering price. Warrants are securities that are usually issued together with a debt security or preferred stock and that give the holder the right to buy proportionate amount of common stock at a specified price. Warrants are freely transferable and are traded on major exchanges. Unlike rights, warrants normally have a life that is measured in years and entitles the holder to buy common stock of a company at a price that is usually higher than the market price at the time the warrant is issued. Corporations often issue warrants to make the accompanying debt security more attractive.
An investment in warrants and rights may entail greater risks than certain other types of investments. Generally, rights and warrants do not carry the right to receive dividends or exercise voting rights with respect to the underlying securities, and they do not represent any rights in the assets of the issuer. In addition, their value does not necessarily change with the value of the underlying securities, and they cease to have value if they are not exercised on or before their expiration date. Investing in rights and warrants increases the potential profit or loss to be realized from the investment as compared with investing the same amount in the underlying securities.
Medium-Sized Companies — Investors in medium-sized companies typically take on greater risk and price volatility than they would by investing in larger, more established companies. This increased risk may be due to the greater business risks of their medium size, limited markets and financial resources, narrow product lines and frequent lack of management depth. The securities of medium-sized companies are often traded in the over-the-counter market and might not be traded in volumes typical of securities traded on a national securities exchange. Thus, the securities of medium capitalization companies are likely to be less liquid, and subject to more abrupt or erratic market movements, than securities of larger, more established companies.
Smaller Companies — The securities of small- and mid-capitalization companies may be more vulnerable to adverse issuer, market, political, or economic developments than securities of larger-capitalization companies. The securities of small- and mid-capitalization companies generally trade in lower volumes and are subject to greater and more unpredictable price changes than larger capitalization stocks or the stock market as a whole. Some small- or mid-capitalization companies have limited product lines, markets, and financial and managerial resources and tend to concentrate on fewer geographical markets relative to larger capitalization companies. There is typically less publicly available information concerning small- and mid-capitalization companies than for larger, more established companies. Small- and mid-capitalization companies also may be particularly sensitive to changes in interest rates, government regulation, borrowing costs, and earnings.
Tracking Stocks — A tracking stock is a separate class of common stock whose value is linked to a specific business unit or operating division within a larger company, and which is designed to “track” the performance of such business unit or division. The tracking stock may pay dividends to shareholders independent of the parent company. The parent company, rather than the business unit or division, generally is the issuer of tracking stock. However, holders of the tracking stock may not have the same rights as holders of the company’s common stock.
Exchange-Traded Funds
The Funds will invest in shares of other investment companies (including exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”)). As the shareholder of another ETF, a Fund would bear, along with other shareholders, its pro rata portion of the other ETF’s expenses, including advisory fees. Such expenses are in addition to the expenses each Fund pays in connection with its own operations. A Fund’s investments in other ETFs may be limited by applicable law.
Disruptions in the markets for the securities underlying ETFs purchased or sold by a Fund could result in losses on investments in ETFs. ETFs also carry the risk that the price a Fund pays or receives may be higher or lower than the ETF’s NAV. ETFs are also subject to certain additional risks, including the risks of illiquidity and of possible trading halts due to market conditions or other reasons, based on the policies of the relevant exchange. ETFs and other investment companies in which the Fund may invest may be leveraged, which would increase the volatility of a Fund’s NAV. The Funds also may invest in ETFs and other investment companies that seek to return the inverse of the performance of an underlying index on a daily, monthly, or other basis, including inverse leveraged ETFs.
7
Inverse and leveraged ETFs are subject to additional risks not generally associated with traditional ETFs. To the extent that a Fund invests in inverse ETFs, the value of the Fund’s investments will decrease when the index underlying the ETF’s benchmark rises, a result that is the opposite from traditional equity or bond funds. The NAV and market price of leveraged or inverse ETFs are usually more volatile than the value of the tracked index or of other ETFs that do not use leverage. This is because inverse and leveraged ETFs use investment techniques and financial instruments that may be considered aggressive, including the use of derivative transactions and short selling techniques. The use of these techniques may cause the inverse or leveraged ETFs to lose more money in market environments that are adverse to their investment strategies than other funds that do not use such techniques.
Illiquid Investments
The Funds may invest up to an aggregate amount of 15% of its net assets in illiquid investments, as such term is defined by Rule 22e-4 under the 1940 Act. The Funds may not invest in illiquid investments if, as a result of such investment, more than 15% of each Fund’s net assets would be invested in illiquid investments. Illiquid investments include securities subject to contractual or other restrictions on resale and other instruments that lack readily available markets. The inability of the Funds to dispose of illiquid investments readily or at a reasonable price could impair each Fund’s ability to raise cash for redemptions or other purposes. The liquidity of securities purchased by the Funds that are eligible for resale pursuant to Rule 144A, except for certain 144A bonds, will be monitored by the Funds on an ongoing basis. In the event that more than 15% of each Fund’s net assets are invested in illiquid investments, the Funds, in accordance with Rule 22e-4(b)(1)(iv), will report the occurrence to both the Board and the SEC and seek to reduce its holdings of illiquid investments within a reasonable period of time.
Investment Company Securities
The Funds intend to invest in the securities of other investment companies, including ETFs and money market funds, subject to applicable limitations under Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act and the rules thereunder. Pursuant to Section 12(d)(1), a Fund may invest in the securities of another investment company (the “acquired company”) provided that such Fund, immediately after such purchase or acquisition, does not own in the aggregate: (i) more than 3% of the total outstanding voting stock of the acquired company; (ii) securities issued by the acquired company having an aggregate value in excess of 5% of the value of the total assets of such Fund; or (iii) securities issued by the acquired company and all other investment companies (other than treasury stock of such Fund) having an aggregate value in excess of 10% of the value of the total assets of the applicable Fund. Under certain circumstances, including in compliance with Rule 12d1-4 under the 1940 Act, the Funds may invest its assets in securities of investment companies, including money market funds, in excess of the limits discussed above.
Investing in another pooled vehicle exposes a Fund to all the risks of that pooled vehicle. In addition, if a Fund invests in and, thus, is a shareholder of, another investment company, the Fund’s shareholders will indirectly bear the Fund’s proportionate share of the fees and expenses paid by such other investment company, including advisory fees, in addition to both the management fees payable directly by the Fund to the Fund’s own investment adviser and the other expenses that the Fund bears directly in connection with the Fund’s own operations.
Money Market Instruments
Each Fund may invest a portion of its assets in high-quality money market instruments on an ongoing basis to provide liquidity or for other reasons. The instruments in which a Fund may invest include: (i) short-term obligations issued by the U.S. government; (ii) negotiable certificates of deposit (“CDs”), fixed time deposits and bankers’ acceptances of U.S. and foreign banks and similar institutions; (iii) commercial paper rated at the date of purchase “Prime-1” by Moody’s or “A-1+” or “A-1” by Standard & Poor’s (“S&P”) or, if unrated, of comparable quality as determined by the Fund; and (iv) repurchase agreements. CDs are short-term negotiable obligations of commercial banks. Time deposits are non-negotiable deposits maintained in banking institutions for specified periods of time at stated interest rates. Banker’s acceptances are time drafts drawn on commercial banks by borrowers, usually in connection with international transactions.
Other Short-Term Instruments
The Funds may invest in short-term instruments, including money market instruments, on an ongoing basis to provide liquidity or for other reasons. Money market instruments are generally short-term investments that may include but are not limited to: (i) shares of money market funds; (ii) obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities (including government-sponsored enterprises); (iii) negotiable certificates of deposit (“CDs”), bankers’ acceptances, fixed time deposits and other obligations of U.S. and foreign banks (including foreign branches) and similar institutions; (iv) commercial paper rated at the date of purchase “Prime-1” by Moody’s or “A-1” by S&P or, if unrated, of comparable quality as determined by the Adviser; (v) non-convertible corporate debt securities (e.g., bonds and debentures) with remaining maturities at the date of purchase of not more than 397 days and that satisfy the rating requirements set forth in Rule 2a-7 under the 1940 Act; and (vi) short-term U.S. dollar-denominated obligations of foreign banks (including U.S. branches) that, in the opinion of the Adviser, are of comparable quality to obligations of U.S. banks which may be purchased by a Fund. Any of these instruments may be purchased on a current or a forward-settled basis. Money market instruments also include shares of money market funds. Time deposits are non-negotiable deposits maintained in banking institutions for specified periods of time at stated interest rates. Bankers’ acceptances are time drafts drawn on commercial banks by borrowers, usually in connection with international transactions.
8
Real Estate Investment Trusts (“REITs”)
A U.S. REIT is a corporation or business trust (that would otherwise be taxed as a corporation) which meets the definitional requirements of the Code. The Code permits a qualifying REIT to deduct from taxable income the dividends paid, thereby effectively eliminating corporate level federal income tax. To meet the definitional requirements of the Code, a REIT must, among other things: invest substantially all of its assets in interests in real estate (including mortgages and other REITs), cash and government securities; derive most of its income from rents from real property or interest on loans secured by mortgages on real property; and, in general, distribute annually 90% or more of its taxable income (other than net capital gains) to shareholders.
REITs are sometimes informally characterized as Equity REITs and Mortgage REITs. An Equity REIT invests primarily in the fee ownership or leasehold ownership of land and buildings (e.g., commercial equity REITs and residential equity REITs); a Mortgage REIT invests primarily in mortgages on real property, which may secure construction, development or long-term loans.
REITs may be affected by changes in underlying real estate values, which may have an exaggerated effect to the extent that REITs in which a Fund invests may concentrate investments in particular geographic regions or property types. Additionally, rising interest rates may cause investors in REITs to demand a higher annual yield from future distributions, which may in turn decrease market prices for equity securities issued by REITs. Rising interest rates also generally increase the costs of obtaining financing, which could cause the value of a Fund’s investments to decline. During periods of declining interest rates, certain Mortgage REITs may hold mortgages that the mortgagors elect to prepay, which prepayment may diminish the yield on securities issued by such Mortgage REITs. In addition, Mortgage REITs may be affected by the ability of borrowers to repay when due the debt extended by the REIT and Equity REITs may be affected by the ability of tenants to pay rent.
Certain REITs have relatively small market capitalization, which may tend to increase the volatility of the market price of securities issued by such REITs. Furthermore, REITs are dependent upon specialized management skills, have limited diversification and are, therefore, subject to risks inherent in operating and financing a limited number of projects. By investing in REITs indirectly through a Fund, a shareholder will bear not only his or her proportionate share of the expenses of the Fund, but also, indirectly, similar expenses of the REITs. REITs depend generally on their ability to generate cash flow to make distributions to shareholders.
In addition to these risks, Equity REITs may be affected by changes in the value of the underlying property owned by the trusts, while Mortgage REITs may be affected by the quality of any credit extended. Further, Equity and Mortgage REITs are dependent upon management skills and generally may not be diversified. Equity and Mortgage REITs are also subject to heavy cash flow dependency defaults by borrowers and self-liquidation. In addition, Equity and Mortgage REITs could possibly fail to qualify for the favorable U.S. federal income tax treatment generally available to REITs under the Code or fail to maintain their exemptions from registration under the 1940 Act. The above factors also may adversely affect a borrower’s or a lessee’s ability to meet its obligations to the REIT. In the event of default by a borrower or lessee, the REIT may experience delays in enforcing its rights as a mortgagee or lessor and may incur substantial costs associated with protecting its investments.
Repurchase Agreements
Each Fund may invest in repurchase agreements with commercial banks, brokers, or dealers to generate income from its excess cash balances and to invest in securities lending cash collateral. A repurchase agreement is an agreement under which a Fund acquires a financial instrument (e.g., a security issued by the U.S. government or an agency thereof, a banker’s acceptance or a certificate of deposit) from a seller, subject to resale to the seller at an agreed upon price and date (normally, the next Business Day). A repurchase agreement may be considered a loan collateralized by securities. The resale price reflects an agreed upon interest rate effective for the period the instrument is held by the applicable Fund and is unrelated to the interest rate on the underlying instrument.
In these repurchase agreement transactions, the securities acquired by a Fund (including accrued interest earned thereon) must have a total value in excess of the value of the repurchase agreement and are held by the Custodian until repurchased. No more than an aggregate of 15% of a Fund’s net assets will be invested in illiquid investments, including repurchase agreements having maturities longer than seven days and securities subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale, or for which there are no readily available market quotations.
The use of repurchase agreements involves certain risks. For example, if the other party to the agreement defaults on its obligation to repurchase the underlying security at a time when the value of the security has declined, a Fund may incur a loss upon disposition of the security. If the other party to the agreement becomes insolvent and subject to liquidation or reorganization under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code or other laws, a court may determine that the underlying security is collateral for a loan by a Fund not within the control of the Fund and, therefore, the Fund may not be able to substantiate its interest in the underlying security and may be deemed an unsecured creditor of the other party to the agreement.
9
Securities Lending
Each Fund may lend portfolio securities in an amount up to one-third of its total assets to brokers, dealers and other financial institutions. In a portfolio securities lending transaction, a Fund receives from the borrower an amount equal to the interest paid or the dividends declared on the loaned securities during the term of the loan as well as the interest on the collateral securities, less any fees (such as finders or administrative fees) the Fund pays in arranging the loan. A Fund may share the interest it receives on the collateral securities with the borrower. The terms of each Fund’s loans permit it to reacquire loaned securities on five business days’ notice or in time to vote on any important matter. Loans are subject to termination at the option of the applicable Fund or borrower at any time, and the borrowed securities must be returned when the loan is terminated. The Funds may pay fees to arrange for securities loans.
The SEC currently requires that the following conditions must be met whenever a Fund’s portfolio securities are loaned: (1) the Fund must receive at least 100% cash collateral from the borrower; (2) the borrower must increase such collateral whenever the market value of the securities rises above the level of such collateral; (3) the Fund must be able to terminate the loan at any time; (4) the Fund must receive reasonable interest on the loan, as well as any dividends, interest or other distributions on the loaned securities, and any increase in market value; (5) the Fund may pay only reasonable custodian fees approved by the Board in connection with the loan; (6) while voting rights on the loaned securities may pass to the borrower, the Board must terminate the loan and regain the right to vote the securities if a material event adversely affecting the investment occurs, and (7) the Fund may not loan its portfolio securities so that the value of the loaned securities is more than one-third of its total asset value, including collateral received from such loans. These conditions may be subject to future modification. Such loans will be terminable at any time upon specified notice. A Fund might experience the risk of loss if the institution with which it has engaged in a portfolio loan transaction breaches its agreement with the Fund. In addition, the Funds will not enter into any portfolio security lending arrangement having a duration of longer than one year. The principal risk of portfolio lending is potential default or insolvency of the borrower. In either of these cases, a Fund could experience delays in recovering securities or collateral or could lose all or part of the value of the loaned securities. As part of participating in a lending program, the applicable Fund may be required to invest in collateralized debt or other securities that bear the risk of loss of principal. In addition, all investments made with the collateral received are subject to the risks associated with such investments. If such investments lose value, a Fund will have to cover the loss when repaying the collateral.
Any loans of portfolio securities are fully collateralized based on values that are marked-to-market daily. Any securities that a Fund may receive as collateral will not become part of a Fund’s investment portfolio at the time of the loan and, in the event of a default by the borrower, the Fund will, if permitted by law, dispose of such collateral except for such part thereof that is a security in which the Fund is permitted to invest. During the time securities are on loan, the borrower will pay a Fund any accrued income on those securities, and the Fund may invest the cash collateral and earn income or receive an agreed-upon fee from a borrower that has delivered cash-equivalent collateral.
Short Sales
The Clough Hedged Equity ETF intends to, and the Clough Select Equity ETF may engage in short sales. Short sales are transactions in which a Fund sells an instrument it does not own in anticipation of a decline in the market value of that instrument. To complete a short sale transaction, a Fund must borrow the instrument to make delivery to the buyer. The Fund then is obligated to replace the instrument borrowed by purchasing it at the market price at the time of replacement. The price at such time may be more or less than the price at which the instrument was sold by the Fund. Until the instrument is replaced, the Fund is required to pay to the lender amounts equal to any interest or dividends which accrue during the period of the loan. To borrow the instrument, the Fund also may be required to pay a premium, which would increase the cost of the instrument sold. There will also be other costs associated with short sales.
A Fund will incur a loss as a result of the short sale if the price of the instrument increases between the date of the short sale and the date on which the Fund replaces the borrowed instrument. Unlike taking a long position in an instrument by purchasing the instrument, where potential losses are limited to the purchase price, short sales have no cap on maximum loss. A Fund will realize a gain if the instrument declines in price between those dates. This result is the opposite of what one would expect from a cash purchase of a long position in an instrument.
Until a Fund replaces a borrowed instrument in connection with a short sale, the Fund will (a) designate on its records as collateral cash or liquid assets at such a level that the designated assets plus any amount deposited with the broker as collateral will equal the current value of the instrument sold short or (b) otherwise cover its short position in accordance with applicable law. The amount designated on the Fund’s records will be marked to market daily. This may limit the Fund’s investment flexibility, as well as its ability to meet redemption requests or other current obligations.
10
There is no guarantee that a Fund will be able to close out a short position at any particular time or at an acceptable price. During the time that a Fund is short an instrument, it is subject to the risk that the lender of the instrument will terminate the loan at a time when the Fund is unable to borrow the same instrument from another lender. If that occurs, the Fund may be “bought in” at the price required to purchase the instrument needed to close out the short position, which may be a disadvantageous price. Thus, there is a risk that the Fund may be unable to fully implement its investment strategy due to a lack of available instruments or for some other reason. It is possible that the market value of the instruments a Fund holds in long positions will decline at the same time that the market value of the instruments the Fund has sold short increases, thereby increasing the Fund’s potential volatility. Short sales also involve other costs. A Fund must normally repay to the lender an amount equal to any dividends or interest that accrues while the loan is outstanding. In addition, to borrow the instrument, a Fund may be required to pay a premium. A Fund also will incur transaction costs in effecting short sales. The amount of any ultimate gain for a Fund resulting from a short sale will be decreased, and the amount of any ultimate loss will be increased, by the amount of premiums, dividends, interest or expenses the Fund may be required to pay in connection with the short sale.
U.S. Government Securities
Each Fund may invest in U.S. government securities. Securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities include U.S. Treasury securities, which are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury and which differ only in their interest rates, maturities, and times of issuance. U.S. Treasury bills have initial maturities of one-year or less; U.S. Treasury notes have initial maturities of one to ten years; and U.S. Treasury bonds generally have initial maturities of greater than ten years. Certain U.S. government securities are issued or guaranteed by agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. government including, but not limited to, obligations of U.S. government agencies or instrumentalities such as the Federal National Mortgage Association (“Fannie Mae”), the Government National Mortgage Association (“Ginnie Mae”), the Small Business Administration, the Federal Farm Credit Administration, the Federal Home Loan Banks, Banks for Cooperatives (including the Central Bank for Cooperatives), the Federal Land Banks, the Federal Intermediate Credit Banks, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Export-Import Bank of the United States, the Commodity Credit Corporation, the Federal Financing Bank, the Student Loan Marketing Association, the National Credit Union Administration and the Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation (“Farmer Mac”).
Some obligations issued or guaranteed by U.S. government agencies and instrumentalities, including, for example, Ginnie Mae pass-through certificates, are supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury. Other obligations issued by or guaranteed by federal agencies, such as those securities issued by Fannie Mae, are supported by the discretionary authority of the U.S. government to purchase certain obligations of the federal agency, while other obligations issued by or guaranteed by federal agencies, such as those of the Federal Home Loan Banks, are supported by the right of the issuer to borrow from the U.S. Treasury, while the U.S. government provides financial support to such U.S. government-sponsored federal agencies, no assurance can be given that the U.S. government will always do so, since the U.S. government is not so obligated by law. U.S. Treasury notes and bonds typically pay coupon interest semi- annually and repay the principal at maturity.
INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS
The Trust has adopted the following investment restrictions as fundamental policies with respect to the Funds. These restrictions cannot be changed with respect to the Funds without the approval of the holders of a majority of each Fund’s outstanding voting securities. For the purposes of the 1940 Act, a “majority of outstanding shares” means the vote of the lesser of: (1) 67% or more of the voting securities of the Funds present at the meeting if the holders of more than 50% of each Fund’s outstanding voting securities are present or represented by proxy; or (2) more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities of the Funds.
Except with the approval of a majority of the outstanding voting securities, the Funds may not:
| 1. | Purchase the securities of any issuer (other than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or any of its agencies or instrumentalities) if, as a result, more than 25% of the Fund’s total assets would be invested in the securities of companies whose principal business activities are in the same industry or group of industries. |
| 2. | Issue senior securities, except as permitted under the 1940 Act. |
| 3. | Borrow money, except as permitted under the 1940 Act. |
| 4. | Lend any security or make any other loan except as permitted under the 1940 Act. This means that no more than 33 ⅓% of its total assets would be lent to other parties. This limitation does not apply to purchases of debt securities or to repurchase agreements, or to acquisitions of loans, loan participations or other forms of debt instruments, permissible under each Fund’s investment policies. |
| 5. | Purchase or sell real estate unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments (but this shall not prevent the Funds from investing in securities or other instruments backed by real estate, real estate investment trusts or securities of companies engaged in the real estate business). |
11
| 6. | Purchase or sell physical commodities unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments (but this shall not prevent the Funds from purchasing or selling options and futures contracts or from investing in securities or other instruments backed by physical commodities). |
| 7. | Act as an underwriter of another issuer’s securities, except to the extent that the Funds may be considered an underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act in the disposition of portfolio securities. |
If a percentage limitation is adhered to at the time of investment or contract, a later increase or decrease in percentage resulting from any change in value or total or net assets will not result in a violation of such restriction, except that the percentage limitation with respect to the borrowing of money will be observed continuously.
EXCHANGE LISTING AND TRADING
Shares are listed for trading and trade throughout the day on the Exchange.
There can be no assurance that the Funds will continue to meet the requirements of the Exchange necessary to maintain the listing of Shares. The Exchange will consider the suspension of trading in, and will initiate delisting proceedings of, the Shares if any of the requirements set forth in the Exchange rules, including compliance with Rule 6c-11(c) under the 1940 Act, are not continuously maintained or such other event shall occur or condition shall exist that, in the opinion of the Exchange, makes further dealings on the Exchange inadvisable. The Exchange will remove the Shares of the Funds from listing and trading upon termination of the Funds.
The Trust reserves the right to adjust the price levels of Shares in the future to help maintain convenient trading ranges for investors. Any adjustments would be accomplished through stock splits or reverse stock splits, which would have no effect on the net assets of the Funds.
MANAGEMENT OF THE TRUST
Board Responsibilities. The management and affairs of the Trust and its series are overseen by the Board, which elects the officers of the Trust who are responsible for administering the day-to-day operations of the Trust and the Funds. The Board has approved contracts, as described below, under which certain companies provide essential services to the Trust.
The day-to-day business of the Trust, including the management of risk, is performed by third-party service providers, such as the Adviser, the Distributor, and the Administrator. The Board is responsible for overseeing the Trust’s service providers and, thus, has oversight responsibility with respect to risk management performed by those service providers. Risk management seeks to identify and address risks, i.e., events or circumstances that could have material adverse effects on the business, operations, shareholder services, investment performance or reputation of the Funds. The Funds and its service providers employ a variety of processes, procedures and controls to identify such events or circumstances, to lessen the probability of their occurrence and/or to mitigate the effects of such events or circumstances if they do occur. Each service provider is responsible for one or more discrete aspects of the Trust’s business (e.g., the Adviser is responsible for the day-to-day management of each Fund’s portfolio investments) and, consequently, for managing the risks associated with that business. The Board has emphasized to the Funds’ service providers the importance of maintaining vigorous risk management.
The Board’s role in risk oversight begins before the inception of the Funds, at which time certain of the Funds’ service providers present the Board with information concerning the investment objective, strategies, and risks of the Fund as well as proposed investment limitations for the Fund. Additionally, the Adviser will provide the Board with an overview of, among other things, its investment philosophy, brokerage practices, and compliance infrastructure. Thereafter, the Board continues its oversight function as various personnel, including the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer and other service providers such as the Funds’ independent registered public accounting firm, make periodic reports to the Audit Committee or to the Board with respect to various aspects of risk management. The Board and the Audit Committee oversee efforts by management and service providers to manage risks to which each Fund may be exposed.
The Board is responsible for overseeing the nature, extent, and quality of the services provided to the Funds by the Adviser receives information about those services at its regular meetings. In addition, on an annual basis (following the initial two-year period), in connection with its consideration of whether to renew the Investment Advisory Agreement with the Adviser, the Board or its designee may meet with the Adviser to review such services. Among other things, the Board regularly considers the Adviser’s adherence to each Fund’s investment restrictions and compliance with various Fund policies and procedures and with applicable securities regulations. The Board also reviews information about each Fund’s performance and each Fund’s investments, including, for example, portfolio holdings schedules.
12
The Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer reports regularly to the Board to review and discuss compliance issues and Funds and Adviser risk assessments. At least annually, the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer provides the Board with a report reviewing the adequacy and effectiveness of the Trust’s policies and procedures and those of its service providers, including the Adviser. The report addresses the operation of the policies and procedures of the Trust and each service provider since the date of the last report; any material changes to the policies and procedures since the date of the last report; any recommendations for material changes to the policies and procedures; and any material compliance matters since the date of the last report.
The Board receives reports from each Fund’s service providers regarding operational risks and risks related to the valuation and liquidity of portfolio securities. Annually, each Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm reviews with the Audit Committee its audit of each Fund’s financial statements, focusing on major areas of risk encountered by the Funds and noting any significant deficiencies or material weaknesses in each Fund’s internal controls. Additionally, in connection with its oversight function, the Board oversees each Fund management’s implementation of disclosure controls and procedures, which are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Trust in its periodic reports with the SEC are recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the required time periods. The Board also oversees the Trust’s internal controls over financial reporting, which comprise policies and procedures designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of the Trust’s financial reporting and the preparation of the Trust’s financial statements.
From their review of these reports and discussions with the Adviser, the Chief Compliance Officer, independent registered public accounting firm and other service providers, the Board and the Audit Committee learn in detail about the material risks of the Funds, thereby facilitating a dialogue about how management and service providers identify and mitigate those risks.
The Board recognizes that not all risks that may affect the Funds can be identified and/or quantified, that it may not be practical or cost-effective to eliminate or mitigate certain risks, that it may be necessary to bear certain risks (such as investment-related risks) to achieve each Fund’s goals, and that the processes, procedures and controls employed to address certain risks may be limited in their effectiveness. Moreover, reports received by the Board as to risk management matters are typically summaries of the relevant information. Most of each Fund’s investment management and business affairs are carried out by or through the Adviser and other service providers, each of which has an independent interest in risk management but whose policies and the methods by which one or more risk management functions are carried out may differ from the Funds’ and each other’s in the setting of priorities, the resources available or the effectiveness of relevant controls. As a result of the foregoing and other factors, the Board’s ability to monitor and manage risk, as a practical matter, is subject to limitations.
Members of the Board. There are three members of the Board, two of whom are not interested persons of the Trust, as that term is defined in the 1940 Act (the “Independent Trustees”). Mr. Bradley Swenson serves as Chairman of the Board and is an interested person of the Trust and Mr. Steven Norgaard serves as the Trust’s Lead Independent Trustee. As Lead Independent Trustee, Mr. Norgaard acts as a spokesperson for the Independent Trustees in between meetings of the Board, serves as a liaison for the Independent Trustees with the Trust’s service providers, officers, and legal counsel to discuss ideas informally, and participates in setting the agenda for meetings of the Board and separate meetings or executive sessions of the Independent Trustees.
The Board is comprised of a super-majority (66.6 percent) of Independent Trustees. There is an Audit Committee of the Board that is chaired by an Independent Trustee and comprised solely of Independent Trustees. The Audit Committee chair presides at the Audit Committee meetings, participates in formulating agendas for Audit Committee meetings, and coordinates with management to serve as a liaison between the Independent Trustees and management on matters within the scope of responsibilities of the Audit Committee as set forth in its Board-approved charter. The Trust has determined its leadership structure is appropriate given the specific characteristics and circumstances of the Trust. The Trust made this determination in consideration of, among other things, the fact that the Independent Trustees of the Trust constitute a super-majority of the Board, the number of Independent Trustees that constitute the Board, the amount of assets under management in the Trust, and the number of funds overseen by the Board. The Board also believes that its leadership structure facilitates the orderly and efficient flow of information to the Independent Trustees from management.
Additional information about each Trustee of the Trust is set forth below. The address of each Trustee of the Trust is c/o Paralel Technologies LLC, 1700 Broadway, Suite 2100, Denver, Colorado 80290.
13
Name and Year of Birth |
Position Held with the Trust |
Term of Office and Length of Time Served |
Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years |
Number of Portfolios in Fund Complex Overseen by Trustee(1) | Other Directorships Held by Trustee During Past 5 Years |
| Independent Trustees | |||||
| Kimberly Storms | Trustee | Since 2022 | Ms. Storms served at various roles at ALPS | 37 | Sterling Capital |
| Birth Year: 1972 | Fund Services, Inc. from 1998 through | Funds (Since | |||
| 2020, including as Senior Vice President - | October 2022) | ||||
| Director of Fund Administration (2004- | |||||
| 2020) and Senior Vice President - Director | |||||
| of Fund Management (2020). During her | |||||
| tenure, Ms. Storms served as an officer to | |||||
| certain ETF, closed-end and open-end | |||||
| investment companies (1998-2020) and, | |||||
| within the past 5 years, Principal Financial | |||||
| Officer of ALPS Series Trust (2012-2020), | |||||
| Financial Investors Trust (2013-2020), | |||||
| Liberty All-Star Funds | |||||
| (2013-2020), and Cambria ETF | |||||
| Trust (2020). | |||||
| Steven Norgaard | Trustee | Since 2022 | Mr. Norgaard has been an attorney with | 38(2) | MFG Funds (fka |
| Birth Year: 1964 | Steven K. Norgaard, P.C. since 1994. | Frontier Funds (2 | |||
| Funds) (since | |||||
| 2013); SRH Total | |||||
| Return Fund, Inc. | |||||
| (Since 2011) | |||||
| Interested Trustees and Officers | |||||
| Bradley J. Swenson | Trustee, | Since 2022 | Mr. Swenson is President of Paralel | 37 | ALPS Series Trust |
| Birth Year: 1972 | President | Distributors LLC (May 2022 to present) and | (March 2021 to | ||
| Chief Compliance Officer of Paralel | March 2022) | ||||
| Technologies LLC (January 2023 to | |||||
| present). He previously served as President | |||||
| of TruePeak Consulting, LLC (August 2021 | |||||
| to December 2023). Mr. Swenson joined | |||||
| ALPS Fund Services, Inc. (“ALPS”) in | |||||
| 2004 and served as its President from June | |||||
| 2019 until June 2021. In this role, he served | |||||
| as an office to certain other closed-end and | |||||
| open-end investment companies. He | |||||
| previously served as the Chief Operating | |||||
| Officer of ALPS (2015-2019). Mr. Swenson | |||||
| also previously served as Chief Compliance | |||||
| Officer to ALPS, its affiliated entities, and | |||||
| to certain ETF, closed-end and open-end | |||||
| investment companies (2004-2015). | |||||
| (1) | The term “Fund Complex” means two or more registered investment companies that hold themselves out to investors as related companies for purposes of investment and investor services; or have a common investment adviser or that have an investment adviser that is an affiliated person of the investment adviser of any of the other registered investment companies. For the purposes of this table, all series of the Trust (37 funds, including the Funds) are included in the Fund Complex. |
| (2) | Mr. Norgaard also serves as a Director of the SRH Total Return Fund, Inc. whose investment adviser is the same as the investment adviser of SRH U.S. Quality GARP ETF and SRH REIT Covered Call ETF, two series of the Trust. |
14
Individual Trustee Qualifications. The Trust has concluded that each of the Trustees should serve on the Board because of their ability to review and understand information about the Funds provided to them by management, to identify and request other information they may deem relevant to the performance of their duties, to question management and other service providers regarding material factors bearing on the management and administration of the Funds, and to exercise their business judgment in a manner that serves the best interests of the Funds’ shareholders. The Trust has concluded that each of the Trustees should serve as a Trustee based on his or her own experience, qualifications, attributes and skills as described below.
Bradley Swenson. Mr. Swenson has more than 25 years experienced focused on compliance and distribution in the mutual fund industry. Prior to joining Paralel, he spent seventeen years at ALPS in various capacities including, but not limited to, Chief Compliance Officer, Chief Operating Officer and President of ALPS Fund Services and ALPS Distributors. In addition to those roles Mr. Swenson built and led the Fund CCO services division and served as Fund CCO and President to various closed-end, ETF and mutual fund trusts. Mr. Swenson also held various roles at Janus Capital Group and Oppenheimer Funds including Senior Audit Manager and Compliance Manager. Mr. Swenson graduated from the University of Minnesota-Duluth with a B.S. in Accounting. Mr. Swenson holds FINRA Series 3, 6, 7, 24, 26, and 27 licenses.
Steven K. Norgaard. Mr. Norgaard serves as the lead independent trustee of the Trust, bringing more than 30 years of integrated legal, financial, and regulatory expertise to the Trust. He is an attorney and has successfully passed the certified public accountants (CPA) exam. Since 1994, he has been the principal of the law firm Steven K. Norgaard, P.C., having previously practiced law at the international firm McDermott, Will & Schulte. He currently serves as the Chairman of the Board of Directors for the SRH Total Return Fund, Inc. and as the lead independent director for the MFG Funds (formerly the Frontier Funds). His extensive background in corporate governance includes nearly a decade of senior leadership at Attorneys’ Title Guaranty Fund, Inc., where he served as Chairman of the Board of Directors. Additionally, he served on the Board of Directors of ATG Trust Company from 2007 to 2021. Prior to March 2015, Mr. Norgaard held independent directorships for the Boulder Total Return Fund, Inc., the Denali Fund, Inc., and the First Opportunity Fund, Inc., until their merger into the fund now known as SRH Total Return Fund, Inc.
Kimberly Storms. Ms. Storms is the chair of the Audit Committee of the Board of Trustees and is the Trust’s Audit Committee Financial Expert. Ms. Storms has more than 25 years of experience concentrated on mutual fund back office and accounting operations. Ms. Storms served in various roles at ALPS Fund Services from 1998 through 2020, including as Senior Vice President - Director of Fund Administration. She graduated with a B.S. in Finance from the University of Louisiana. Ms. Storms brings significant experience from her prior time serving as an executive officer of several large fund complexes, as well as her knowledge in the accounting, investment and regulatory fields.
In its periodic assessment of the effectiveness of the Board, the Board considers the complementary individual skills and experience of the individual Trustees primarily in the broader context of the Board’s overall composition so that the Board, as a body, possesses the appropriate (and appropriately diverse) skills and experience to oversee the business of the funds.
Board Committees. The Board has established the following standing committees of the Board:
Audit Committee. The Board has a standing Audit Committee that is composed of each of the Independent Trustees of the Trust. The Audit Committee operates under a written charter approved by the Board. The principal responsibilities of the Audit Committee include: recommending which firm to engage as the Funds’ independent registered public accounting firm and whether to terminate this relationship; reviewing the independent registered public accounting firm’s compensation, the proposed scope and terms of its engagement, and the firm’s independence; pre-approving audit and non-audit services provided by the Funds’ independent registered public accounting firm to the Trust and certain other affiliated entities; serving as a channel of communication between the independent registered public accounting firm and the Trustees; reviewing the results of each external audit, including any qualifications in the independent registered public accounting firm’s opinion, any related management letter, management’s responses to recommendations made by the independent registered public accounting firm in connection with the audit, reports submitted to the Committee by the internal auditing department of the Trust’s Administrator that are material to the Trust as a whole, if any, and management’s responses to any such reports; reviewing the Funds’ audited financial statements and considering any significant disputes between the Trust’s management and the independent registered public accounting firm that arose in connection with the preparation of those financial statements; considering, in consultation with the independent registered public accounting firm and the Trust’s senior internal accounting executive, if any, the independent registered public accounting firms’ report on the adequacy of the Trust’s internal financial controls; reviewing, in consultation with the Funds’ independent registered public accounting firm, major changes regarding auditing and accounting principles and practices to be followed when preparing the Funds’ financial statements; and other audit related matters.
15
The Audit Committee also serves as the Qualified Legal Compliance Committee (“QLCC”) for the Trust for the purpose of compliance with Rules 205.2(k) and 205.3(c) of the Code of Federal Regulations, regarding alternative reporting procedures for attorneys retained or employed by an issuer who appear and practice before the SEC on behalf of the issuer (the “issuer attorneys”). An issuer attorney who becomes aware of evidence of a material violation by the Trust, or by any officer, director, employee, or agent of the Trust, may report evidence of such material violation to the QLCC as an alternative to the reporting requirements of Rule 205.3(b) (which requires reporting to the chief legal officer and potentially “up the ladder” to other entities). During the past fiscal year, the Audit Committee met five times.
Nominating Committee. The Board has a standing Nominating Committee that is composed of each of the Independent Trustees of the Trust. The Nominating Committee operates under a written charter approved by the Board. The principal responsibility of the Nominating Committee is to consider, recommend and nominate candidates to fill vacancies on the Trust’s Board, if any. The Nominating Committee generally will not consider nominees recommended by shareholders. The Nominating Committee meets periodically, as necessary. During the past fiscal year, the Nominating Committee did not meet.
Principal Officers of the Trust
The officers of the Trust conduct and supervise its daily business. The address of each officer of the Trust is c/o Paralel Technologies LLC, 1700 Broadway, Suite 2100, Denver, Colorado 80290. Additional information about the Trust’s officers is as follows:
Name and Year of Birth |
Position(s) Held with the Trust |
Term of Office and Length of Time Served | Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years |
Brenna Fudjack, Birth Year:1986 |
Chief Compliance Officer |
Indefinite term; since 2023 |
Ms. Fudjack joined Paralel Technologies LLC as Deputy Chief Compliance officer in 2023. Prior to her current role, Ms. Fudjack served as Manager, Risk & Financial Advisory for Deloitte & Touche LLP from 2022-2023; Director of Compliance for Perella Weinberg Partners Capital Management LP / Agility from 2018-2022; Compliance Officer for Shelton Capital Management from 2017-2018; and Compliance Manager among other compliance roles for ALPS Fund Services, Inc. from 2010-2017. |
Nicholas Austin, Birth Year: 1981 |
Treasurer | Indefinite term; since 2023 | Mr. Austin joined Paralel Technologies, LLC as Senior Controller in 2022. Prior to his current role, Mr. Austin served as Vice President/Fund Controller for SS&C ALPS from 2018 until 2022, and as Chief Financial Officer of Champion Medical Center from 2016 until 2018. |
Nicholas Adams Birth Year: 1983 |
Secretary | Indefinite term; since 2025 | Mr. Adams joined Paralel Technologies LLC as Investment Counsel in 2025. Prior to his current role, Mr. Adams served as Principal Legal Counsel for SS&C ALPS from 2022-2024, and associate counsel for Arnold, Newbold, Sollars and Hollins, P.C. from 2020-2022 and Stanziola Estate Law from 2019-2020. |
16
Trustee Ownership of Shares. The Funds are required to show the dollar amount ranges of each Trustee’s “beneficial ownership” of Shares and each other series of the Trust as of the end of the most recently completed calendar year. Dollar amount ranges disclosed are established by the SEC. “Beneficial ownership” is determined in accordance with Rule 16a-1(a)(2) under the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”).
As of December 31, 2025, no Trustees owned Shares of the Funds.
Board Compensation. The Independent Trustees each receive a fee of $12,500 per quarter, a special meeting fee of $2,500, as well as reimbursement for reasonable travel, lodging and other expenses in connection with attendance at meetings. The Audit Committee chair also receives a fee of $2,000 per quarter. The Trust has no pension or retirement plan.
Independent Trustee fees are paid by the adviser of each series of the Trust through the applicable adviser’s unitary management fee, and not by the Funds. Trustee compensation does not include reimbursed out-of-pocket expenses in connection with attendance at meetings.
The following table shows the compensation earned by each Trustee during the past fiscal year of the Fund:
Name |
Aggregate Compensation From Funds |
Total Compensation From Fund Complex Paid to Trustees |
| Interested Trustees | ||
| Bradley J. Swenson | $0 | $0 |
| Independent Trustees | ||
| Kimberly Storms | $2,064 | $58,000 |
| Steven Norgaard | $2,064 | $50,000 |
PRINCIPAL SHAREHOLDERS, CONTROL PERSONS, AND MANAGEMENT OWNERSHIP
A principal shareholder is any person who owns of record or beneficially 5% or more of the outstanding Shares of a Fund. A control person is a shareholder that owns beneficially or through controlled companies more than 25% of the voting securities of a company or acknowledges the existence of control. Shareholders owning voting securities in excess of 25% may determine the outcome of any matter affecting and voted on by shareholders of a Fund.
The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) or its nominee is the record owner of all outstanding shares and is recognized as the owner of all shares for all purposes. Investors owning shares are beneficial owners as shown on the records of DTC or its participants.
As of December 31, 2025, no Trustees and officers of the Trust owned Shares of the Funds.
CODES OF ETHICS
The Trust, the Adviser and the Distributor (as defined under “The Distributor”) have each adopted codes of ethics pursuant to Rule 17j-1 of the 1940 Act. These codes of ethics are designed to prevent affiliated persons of the Trust, the Adviser and the Distributor from engaging in deceptive, manipulative or fraudulent activities in connection with securities held or to be acquired by the Funds (which may also be held by persons subject to the codes of ethics). Each Code of Ethics permits personnel subject to that Code of Ethics to invest in securities for their personal investment accounts, subject to certain limitations, including limitations related to securities that may be purchased or held by the Funds.
There can be no assurance that the codes of ethics will be effective in preventing such activities. Each code of ethics may be examined at the office of the SEC in Washington, D.C. or on the Internet at the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.
17
PROXY VOTING POLICIES
The Funds have delegated proxy voting responsibilities to the Adviser, subject to the Board’s oversight. In delegating proxy responsibilities, the Board has directed that proxies be voted consistent with the Funds’ and their respective shareholders’ best interests and in compliance with all applicable proxy voting rules and regulations. The Adviser has adopted the Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. Proxy Voting Guidelines as part of the Adviser’s proxy voting policies for this purpose (“Proxy Voting Policies”) and to assist with voting proxies in a timely manner and making voting recommendations under guidelines adopted by the Adviser. A copy of the Adviser’s Proxy Voting Policies are set forth in Appendix A to this SAI. The Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer is responsible for monitoring the effectiveness of the Proxy Voting Policies. The Proxy Voting Policies have been approved by the Trust as the policies and procedures that the Adviser will use when voting proxies on behalf of a Fund.
The Proxy Voting Policies address, among other things, material conflicts of interest that may arise between the interests of the Funds and the interests of the Adviser. The Proxy Voting Policies will ensure that all issues brought to shareholders are analyzed in light of the Adviser’s fiduciary responsibilities.
Information on how the Funds voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 is available (1) without charge, upon request, by calling the Distributor at 1.855.393.0559 and (2) on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
INVESTMENT ADVISER
Investment Adviser
Clough Capital Partners, L.P. a Delaware limited partnership located at 53 State Street, 27th Floor, Boston, Massachusetts 02109, is an SEC registered investment adviser. The Adviser is controlled by Chuck Clough, Chairman, CIO, Partner, and Portfolio Manager through several estate planning entities.
Pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement, each Fund pays the adviser a unitary management fee, which is calculated daily and paid monthly, at an annual rate of each Fund’s average daily net assets as set forth below. Out of the unitary management fee, the Adviser has agreed to pay substantially all expenses of the Funds, including the cost of transfer agency, custody, fund administration, securities lending and other non-distribution related services necessary for the Funds to operate, except for: the fee paid to the Adviser pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement, interest charges on any borrowings, dividends and other expenses on securities sold short, taxes, brokerage commissions and other expenses incurred in placing orders for the purchase and sale of securities and other investment instruments, acquired fund fees and expenses, accrued deferred tax liability, distribution fees and expenses paid by a Fund under any distribution plan adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, litigation expenses and other non-routine or extraordinary expenses.
| Fund | Management Fee |
| Clough Hedged Equity ETF | 1.35%* |
| Clough Select Equity ETF | 0.85% |
* The management fee for the Predecessor Fund decreased from 1.70% to 1.35% effective February 29, 2024.
The table below shows the advisory fees paid by the Funds for the fiscal periods ended October 31, as applicable to each Fund:
| Fund | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
| Predecessor Clough Hedged Equity ETF | $574,977 | $277,582 | $90,798 |
| Predecessor Clough Select Equity ETF | $219,663 | $111,772 | $50,855 |
18
The Investment Advisory Agreement with respect to the Funds will continue in force for an initial period of two years. Thereafter, the Investment Advisory Agreement will be renewable from year to year with respect to the Funds, so long as its continuance is approved at least annually (1) by the vote, cast in person at a meeting called for that purpose, of a majority of those Trustees who are not “interested persons” of the Adviser or the Trust; and (2) by the majority vote of either the full Board or the vote of a majority of the outstanding Shares of the Funds. The Investment Advisory Agreement automatically terminates on assignment and is terminable on a 60-day written notice either by the Trust or the Adviser.
The Adviser shall not be liable to the Trust or any shareholder for anything done or omitted by it, except acts or omissions involving willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties imposed upon it by its agreement with the Trust or for any losses that may be sustained in the purchase, holding or sale of any security.
PORTFOLIO MANAGER
Each Fund is managed by Vincent Lorusso, President, CEO, Partner and Portfolio Manager (the “Portfolio Manager”). This section includes information about the Portfolio Manager, including information about compensation, other accounts managed, and the dollar range of Shares owned.
Compensation
The Portfolio Manager receives a fixed base salary and a discretionary bonus that are not tied to the performance of the Funds.
Share Ownership
The Funds are required to show the dollar ranges of the Portfolio Manager’s “beneficial ownership” of Shares as of the end of the most recently completed fiscal year or a more recent date for a new portfolio manager. Dollar amount ranges disclosed are established by the SEC. “Beneficial ownership” is determined in accordance with Rule 16a-1(a)(2) under the 1934 Act. The following reflects the level of investment by the Portfolio Manager in the Funds.
| Dollar Value of Shares Owned Beneficially as of October 31, 2025 | ||
| Portfolio Manager | Clough Hedged Equity ETF | Clough Select Equity ETF |
| Vincent Lorusso | $1,566,506 | $680,042 |
Other Accounts
In addition to the Funds, the Portfolio Manager managed the following other accounts as of October 31, 2025, none of which were subject to a performance fee:
Portfolio Manager
| Registered Investment Companies | Other Pooled Investment Vehicles | Other Accounts | ||||
Portfolio Manager |
Number of Accounts |
Total Assets in the Accounts (in millions) | Number of Accounts |
Total Assets in the Accounts | Number of Accounts |
Total Assets in the Accounts |
| Vincent Lorusso | 0 | $0 | 0 | $0 | 0 | $0 |
19
THE DISTRIBUTOR
The Trust and Paralel Distributors LLC (the “Distributor”) are parties to a distribution agreement (“Distribution Agreement”), whereby the Distributor acts as principal underwriter for each series of the Trust, including the Funds, and distributes Shares. Shares are continuously offered for sale by the Distributor only in Creation Units. The Distributor will not distribute Shares in amounts less than a Creation Unit and does not maintain a secondary market in Shares. The principal business address of the Distributor is 1700 Broadway, Suite 2100, Denver, CO 80290.
Under the Distribution Agreement, the Distributor, as agent for the Trust, will review orders for the purchase and redemption of Creation Units, provided that any subscriptions and orders will not be binding on the Trust until accepted by the Trust. The Distributor is a broker-dealer registered under the Exchange Act and a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”).
The Distributor may also enter into agreements with securities dealers (“Soliciting Dealers”) who will solicit purchases of Creation Units of Shares. Such Soliciting Dealers may also be Authorized Participants (as discussed in “Procedures for Purchase of Creation Units” below) or DTC participants (as defined below).
The Distribution Agreement will continue for two years from its effective date and is renewable annually thereafter. The continuance of the Distribution Agreement must be specifically approved at least annually (i) by the vote of the Trustees or by a vote of the shareholders of the Funds and (ii) by the vote of a majority of the Independent Trustees who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operations of the Distribution Agreement or any related agreement, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. The Distribution Agreement is terminable without penalty by the Trust on 60 days’ written notice when authorized either by majority vote of its outstanding voting Shares or by a vote of a majority of its Board (including a majority of the Independent Trustees), or by the Distributor on 60 days’ written notice, and will automatically terminate in the event of its assignment. The Distribution Agreement provides that in the absence of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on the part of the Distributor, or reckless disregard by it of its obligations thereunder, the Distributor shall not be liable for any action or failure to act in accordance with its duties thereunder.
Intermediary Compensation. The Adviser, or their affiliates, out of their own resources and not out of Fund assets (i.e., without additional cost to a Fund or its shareholders), may pay certain broker dealers, banks and other financial intermediaries (“Intermediaries”) for certain activities related to the Funds, including participation in activities that are designed to make Intermediaries more knowledgeable about exchange traded products, including the Funds, or for other activities, such as marketing and educational training or support. These arrangements are not financed by the Funds and, thus, do not result in increased Funds expenses. They are not reflected in the fees and expenses listed in the fees and expenses sections of the Funds’ Prospectus and they do not change the price paid by investors for the purchase of Shares or the amount received by a shareholder as proceeds from the redemption of Shares.
Such compensation may be paid to Intermediaries that provide services to the Funds, including marketing and education support (such as through conferences, webinars and printed communications). The Adviser periodically assess the advisability of continuing to make these payments. Payments to an Intermediary may be significant to the Intermediary, and amounts that Intermediaries pay to your adviser, broker or other investment professional, if any, may also be significant to such adviser, broker or investment professional. Because an Intermediary may make decisions about what investment options it will make available or recommend, and what services to provide in connection with various products, based on payments it receives or is eligible to receive, such payments create conflicts of interest between the Intermediary and its clients. For example, these financial incentives may cause the Intermediary to recommend the Funds over other investments. The same conflict of interest exists with respect to your financial adviser, broker or investment professional if he or she receives similar payments from his or her Intermediary firm.
Intermediary information is current only as of the date of this SAI. Please contact your adviser, broker, or other investment professional for more information regarding any payments his or her Intermediary firm may receive. Any payments made by the Adviser or their affiliates to an Intermediary may create the incentive for an Intermediary to encourage customers to buy Shares.
If you have any additional questions, please call 1.855.393.0559.
THE ADMINISTRATOR, CUSTODIAN, AND TRANSFER AGENT
Paralel Technologies LLC (“PTL”), located at 1700 Broadway Suite 2100, Denver, Colorado 80290 serves as the Funds’ administrator and fund accountant. PTL is the parent company of Paralel Distributors LLC, the Fund’s Distributor.
20
Pursuant to an Administration and Fund Accounting Agreement between the Trust and PTL, PTL provides the Trust with administrative and management services (other than investment advisory services) and accounting services, including portfolio accounting services, tax accounting services and furnishing financial reports. In this capacity, PTL does not have any responsibility or authority for the management of the Funds, the determination of investment policy, or for any matter pertaining to the distribution of Shares. As compensation for the administration, accounting and management services, the Adviser pays PTL a fee based on the Funds’ average daily net assets, subject to a minimum annual fee. PTL also is entitled to certain out-of-pocket expenses for the services mentioned above.
Pursuant to a Custody Agreement, State Street Bank and Trust Company (the “Custodian” or “State Street”), serves as the Custodian of the Funds’ assets. The Custodian holds and administers the assets in each Fund’s portfolio. Pursuant to the Custody Agreement, the Custodian receives an annual fee from the Adviser based on the Funds’ total average daily net assets, subject to a minimum annual fee, and certain settlement charges. The Custodian also is entitled to certain out-of-pocket expenses.
Pursuant to a Transfer Agency Agreement, State Street (in such capacity, the “Transfer Agent”) serves as Transfer Agent for the Funds. Pursuant to the Transfer Agency Agreement, the Transfer Agent receives an annual fee from the Adviser.
LEGAL COUNSEL
Thompson Hine LLP, located at 41 South High Street, Suite 1700, Columbus, Ohio 43215 serves as legal counsel for the Trust.
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
Cohen & Company, Ltd., located at 8101 East Prentice Ave., Suite 750, Greenwood Village, CO 80111, serves as the independent registered public accounting firm for the Funds. Its services include auditing the Fund’s financial statements. Cohen & Co Advisory, LLC, an affiliate of Cohen & Company, Ltd., provides tax services as requested.
PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS DISCLOSURE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
The Board has adopted a policy regarding the disclosure of information about each Fund’s security holdings. Each Fund’s entire portfolio holdings are publicly disseminated each day each Fund is open for business and may be available through financial reporting and news services, including publicly available internet web sites. In addition, the composition of the Deposit Securities (as defined below) is publicly disseminated daily prior to the opening of the Exchange via the National Securities Clearing Corporation (“NSCC”).
21
DESCRIPTION OF SHARES
The Declaration of Trust authorizes the issuance of an unlimited number of funds and Shares. Each Share represents an equal proportionate interest in the Funds with each other Share. Shares are entitled upon liquidation to a pro rata share in the net assets of the Funds. Shareholders have no preemptive rights. The Declaration of Trust provides that the Trustees may create additional series or classes of Shares. All consideration received by the Trust for shares of any additional funds and all assets in which such consideration is invested would belong to that fund and would be subject to the liabilities related thereto. Share certificates representing Shares will not be issued. Shares, when issued, are fully paid and non-assessable.
Each Share has one vote with respect to matters upon which a shareholder vote is required, consistent with the requirements of the 1940 Act and the rules promulgated thereunder. Shares of all funds of the Trust vote together as a single class, except that if the matter being voted on affects only a particular fund it will be voted on only by that fund and if a matter affects a particular fund differently from other funds, that fund will vote separately on such matter. As a Delaware statutory trust, the Trust is not required, and does not intend, to hold annual meetings of shareholders. Approval of shareholders will be sought, however, for certain changes in the operation of the Trust and for the election of Trustees under certain circumstances. Upon the written request of shareholders owning at least 10% of the Trust’s Shares, the Trust will call for a meeting of shareholders to consider the removal of one or more Trustees and other certain matters. In the event that such a meeting is requested, the Trust will provide appropriate assistance and information to the shareholders requesting the meeting.
Under the Declaration of Trust, the Trustees have the power to liquidate the Funds without shareholder approval. While the Trustees have no present intention of exercising this power, they may do so if the Funds fail to reach a viable size within a reasonable amount of time or for such other reasons as may be determined by the Board.
LIMITATION OF TRUSTEE LIABILITY
The Second Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust (“Declaration of Trust”) provides that a Trustee shall be liable only for his or her own willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of the office of Trustee, and shall not be liable for errors of judgment or mistakes of fact or law. The Trustees shall not be responsible or liable in any event for any neglect or wrong-doing of any officer, agent, employee, adviser or principal underwriter of the Trust, nor shall any Trustee be responsible for the act or omission of any other Trustee. The Declaration of Trust also provides that the Trust shall indemnify each person who is, or has been, a Trustee, officer, employee or agent of the Trust, any person who is serving or has served at the Trust’s request as a Trustee, officer, trustee, employee or agent of another organization in which the Trust has any interest as a shareholder, creditor or otherwise to the extent and in the manner provided in the Amended and Restated By-laws. However, nothing in the Declaration of Trust shall protect or indemnify a Trustee against any liability for his or her willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of the office of Trustee. Nothing contained in this section attempts to disclaim a Trustee’s individual liability in any manner inconsistent with the federal securities laws.
BROKERAGE TRANSACTIONS
The policy of the Trust regarding purchases and sales of securities for the Funds is that primary consideration will be given to obtaining the most favorable prices and efficient executions of transactions. Consistent with this policy, when securities transactions are effected on a stock exchange, the Trust’s policy is to pay commissions which are considered fair and reasonable without necessarily determining that the lowest possible commissions are paid in all circumstances. The Trust believes that a requirement always to seek the lowest possible commission cost could impede effective portfolio management and preclude the Funds from obtaining a high quality of brokerage and research services. In seeking to determine the reasonableness of brokerage commissions paid in any transaction, the Adviser will rely upon its experience and knowledge regarding commissions generally charged by various brokers and on its judgment in evaluating the brokerage services received from the broker effecting the transaction. Such determinations are necessarily subjective and imprecise, as in most cases, an exact dollar value for those services is not ascertainable. The Trust has adopted policies and procedures that prohibit the consideration of sales of Shares as a factor in the selection of a broker or dealer to execute its portfolio transactions.
The Adviser owes a fiduciary duty to its clients to seek to provide best execution on trades effected. In selecting a broker-dealer for each specific transaction, the Adviser chooses the broker-dealer deemed most capable of providing the services necessary to obtain the most favorable execution. “Best execution” is generally understood to mean the most favorable cost or net proceeds reasonably obtainable under the circumstances. The full range of brokerage services applicable to a particular transaction may be considered when making this judgment, which may include, but is not limited to: liquidity, price, commission, timing, aggregated trades, capable floor brokers or traders, competent block trading coverage, ability to position, capital strength and stability, reliable and accurate communications and settlement processing, use of automation, knowledge of other buyers or sellers, arbitrage skills, administrative ability, underwriting and provision of information on a particular security or market in which the transaction is to occur. The specific criteria will vary depending upon the nature of the transaction, the market in which it is executed, and the extent to which it is possible to select from among multiple broker-dealers. The Adviser will also use electronic crossing networks (“ECNs”) when appropriate.
22
Subject to the foregoing policies, brokers or dealers selected to execute each Fund’s portfolio transactions may include the Funds’ Authorized Participants (as discussed in “Procedures for Purchase of Creation Units” below) or their affiliates. An Authorized Participant or its affiliates may be selected to execute each Fund’s portfolio transactions in conjunction with an all-cash creation unit order or an order including “cash-in-lieu” (as described below under “Purchase and Redemption of Shares in Creation Units”), so long as such selection is in keeping with the foregoing policies. As described below under “Purchase and Redemption of Shares in Creation Units—Creation Transaction Fee” and “Redemption Transaction Fee”, the Funds may determine to not charge a variable fee on certain orders when the Adviser has determined that doing so is in the best interests of the Funds shareholders, e.g., for creation orders that facilitate the rebalance of the Funds’ portfolio in a more tax efficient manner than could be achieved without such order, even if the decision to not charge a variable fee could be viewed as benefiting the Authorized Participant or its affiliate selected to execute the Funds’ portfolio transactions in connection with such orders.
The Adviser may use each Fund’s assets for, or participate in, third-party soft dollar arrangements, in addition to receiving proprietary research from various full-service brokers, the cost of which is bundled with the cost of the broker’s execution services. The Adviser does not “pay up” for the value of any such proprietary research. Section 28(e) of the Exchange Act permits the Adviser, under certain circumstances, to cause the Funds to pay a broker or dealer a commission for effecting a transaction in excess of the amount of commission another broker or dealer would have charged for effecting the transaction in recognition of the value of brokerage and research services provided by the broker or dealer. The Adviser may receive a variety of research services and information on many topics, which it can use in connection with its management responsibilities with respect to the various accounts over which it exercises investment discretion or otherwise provides investment advice. The research services may include qualifying order management systems, portfolio attribution and monitoring services and computer software and access charges which are directly related to investment research. Accordingly, the Funds may pay a broker commission higher than the lowest available in recognition of the broker’s provision of such services to the Adviser, but only if the Adviser determines the total commission (including the soft dollar benefit) is comparable to the best commission rate that could be expected to be received from other brokers. The amount of soft dollar benefits received depends on the amount of brokerage transactions effected with the brokers. A conflict of interest exists because there is an incentive to: 1) cause clients to pay a higher commission than the firm might otherwise be able to negotiate; 2) cause clients to engage in more securities transactions than would otherwise be optimal; and 3) only recommend brokers that provide soft dollar benefits.
The Adviser faces a potential conflict of interest when it uses client trades to obtain brokerage or research services. This conflict exists because the Adviser is able to use the brokerage or research services to manage client accounts without paying cash for such services, which reduces the Adviser’s expenses to the extent that the Adviser would have purchased such products had they not been provided by brokers. Section 28(e) permits the Adviser to use brokerage or research services for the benefit of any account it manages. Certain accounts managed by the Adviser may generate soft dollars used to purchase brokerage or research services that ultimately benefit other accounts managed by the Adviser, effectively cross subsidizing the other accounts managed by the Adviser that benefit directly from the product. The Adviser may not necessarily use all of the brokerage or research services in connection with managing a Fund whose trades generated the soft dollars used to purchase such products.
The Funds may deal with affiliates in principal transactions to the extent permitted by exemptive order or applicable rule or regulation.
The table below shows the aggregate brokerage commissions paid by the Predecessor Funds for the fiscal periods ended October 31:
| Fund | 2024 | 2023 |
| Predecessor Clough Hedged Equity ETF | $360,738 | $114,353 |
| Predecessor Clough Select Equity ETF | $165,544 | $80,628 |
The table below shows the aggregate brokerage commissions paid by the Funds for the fiscal period ended October 31:
| Fund | 2025 |
| Clough Hedged Equity ETF | $545,407 |
| Clough Select Equity ETF | $313,511 |
The aggregate brokerage commissions paid by the Clough Hedged Equity ETF and the Clough Select Equity ETF increased significantly during the fiscal years ended October 31, 2024 and October 31, 2025, due to increased market volatility, evolving portfolio construction considerations, and ongoing analysis at the security level, which contributed to higher portfolio turnover during the period.
23
Directed Brokerage. Each Fund is also required to identify any brokerage transactions during its most recent fiscal year that were directed to a broker because of research services provided, along with the amount of any such transactions and any related commissions paid by the Funds. The following table shows the amount of any such transactions and related commissions paid by the Funds for research services for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2025:
| Fund | Commissions | Transactions |
| Clough Hedged Equity ETF | $108,315 | $206,015,755 |
| Clough Select Equity ETF | $59,279 | $69,715,741 |
Securities of “Regular Broker-Dealers.” The Funds are required to identify any securities of its “regular brokers and dealers” (as such term is defined in the 1940 Act) that it may hold at the close of its most recent fiscal year. “Regular brokers or dealers” of the Funds are the ten brokers or dealers that, during the most recent fiscal year: (i) received the greatest dollar amounts of brokerage commissions from the Funds’ portfolio transactions; (ii) engaged as principal in the largest dollar amounts of portfolio transactions of the Funds; or (iii) sold the largest dollar amounts of Shares.
PORTFOLIO TURNOVER RATE
Portfolio turnover may vary from year to year, as well as within a year. High turnover rates are likely to result in comparatively greater brokerage expenses. The overall reasonableness of brokerage commissions is evaluated by the Adviser based upon its knowledge of available information as to the general level of commissions paid by other institutional investors for comparable services.
For the fiscal periods ended October 31, the Predecessor Funds’ portfolio turnover rates were:
| Fund | 2024 |
| Predecessor Clough Hedged Equity ETF | 509% |
| Predecessor Clough Select Equity ETF | 428% |
For the fiscal periods ended October 31, the Funds’ portfolio turnover rates were:
| Fund | 2025 |
| Clough Hedged Equity ETF | 719% |
| Clough Select Equity ETF | 767% |
The increase in each Fund’s portfolio turnover from 2024 to 2025 was due to the global financial markets experiencing significant volatility, driven by a variety of factors including geopolitical tensions, pandemic-related disruptions, and shifts in monetary policy by central banks worldwide. These conditions necessitated a more active trading strategy to mitigate risks and capitalize on the rapidly changing market dynamics.
BOOK ENTRY ONLY SYSTEM
DTC acts as securities depositary for Shares. Shares are represented by securities registered in the name of DTC or its nominee, Cede & Co., and deposited with, or on behalf of, DTC. Except in limited circumstances set forth below, certificates will not be issued for Shares.
24
DTC is a limited-purpose trust company that was created to hold securities of its participants (the “DTC Participants”) and to facilitate the clearance and settlement of securities transactions among the DTC Participants in such securities through electronic book-entry changes in accounts of the DTC Participants, thereby eliminating the need for physical movement of securities certificates. DTC Participants include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and certain other organizations, some of whom (and/or their representatives) own DTC. More specifically, DTC is owned by a number of its DTC Participants and by the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) and FINRA. Access to the DTC system is also available to others such as banks, brokers, dealers, and trust companies that clear through or maintain a custodial relationship with a DTC Participant, either directly or indirectly (the “Indirect Participants”).
Beneficial ownership of Shares is limited to DTC Participants, Indirect Participants, and persons holding interests through DTC Participants and Indirect Participants. Ownership of beneficial interests in Shares (owners of such beneficial interests are referred to in this SAI as “Beneficial Owners”) is shown on, and the transfer of ownership is effected only through, records maintained by DTC (with respect to DTC Participants) and on the records of DTC Participants (with respect to Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners that are not DTC Participants). Beneficial Owners will receive from or through the DTC Participant a written confirmation relating to their purchase of Shares. The Trust recognizes DTC or its nominee as the record owner of all Shares for all purposes. Beneficial Owners of Shares are not entitled to have Shares registered in their names and will not receive or be entitled to physical delivery of Share certificates. Each Beneficial Owner must rely on the procedures of DTC and any DTC Participant and/or Indirect Participant through which such Beneficial Owner holds its interests, to exercise any rights of a holder of Shares.
Conveyance of all notices, statements, and other communications to Beneficial Owners is effected as follows. DTC will make available to the Trust upon request and for a fee a listing of Shares held by each DTC Participant. The Trust shall obtain from each such DTC Participant the number of Beneficial Owners holding Shares, directly or indirectly, through such DTC Participant. The Trust shall provide each such DTC Participant with copies of such notice, statement, or other communication, in such form, number and at such place as such DTC Participant may reasonably request, in order that such notice, statement or communication may be transmitted by such DTC Participant, directly or indirectly, to such Beneficial Owners. In addition, the Trust shall pay to each such DTC Participant a fair and reasonable amount as reimbursement for the expenses attendant to such transmittal, all subject to applicable statutory and regulatory requirements.
Share distributions shall be made to DTC or its nominee, Cede & Co., as the registered holder of all Shares. DTC or its nominee, upon receipt of any such distributions, shall credit immediately DTC Participants’ accounts with payments in amounts proportionate to their respective beneficial interests in the Funds as shown on the records of DTC or its nominee. Payments by DTC Participants to Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners of Shares held through such DTC Participants will be governed by standing instructions and customary practices, as is now the case with securities held for the accounts of customers in bearer form or registered in a “street name,” and will be the responsibility of such DTC Participants.
The Trust has no responsibility or liability for any aspect of the records relating to or notices to Beneficial Owners, or payments made on account of beneficial ownership interests in Shares, or for maintaining, supervising, or reviewing any records relating to such beneficial ownership interests, or for any other aspect of the relationship between DTC and the DTC Participants or the relationship between such DTC Participants and the Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners owning through such DTC Participants.
DTC may determine to discontinue providing its service with respect to the Funds at any time by giving reasonable notice to the Funds and discharging its responsibilities with respect thereto under applicable law. Under such circumstances, the Funds shall take action either to find a replacement for DTC to perform its functions at a comparable cost or, if such replacement is unavailable, to issue and deliver printed certificates representing ownership of Shares, unless the Trust makes other arrangements with respect thereto satisfactory to the Exchange.
PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION OF SHARES IN CREATION UNITS
The Trust issues and sells Shares only in Creation Units on a continuous basis through the Distributor, without a sales load (but subject to transaction fees, if applicable), at their NAV per share next determined after receipt of an order, on any Business Day, in proper form pursuant to the terms of the Authorized Participant Agreement (“Participant Agreement”). The NAV of Shares is calculated each Business Day as of the scheduled close of regular trading on the NYSE, generally 4:00 p.m., Eastern time. The Funds will not issue fractional Creation Units. A “Business Day” is any day on which the NYSE is open for business.
25
Fund Deposit. The consideration for purchase of a Creation Unit of the Funds generally consists of either (i) the in-kind deposit of a designated portfolio of securities (the “Deposit Securities”) per each Creation Unit and the Cash Component (defined below), computed as described below or (ii) the cash value of the Deposit Securities (“Deposit Cash”) and “Cash Component,” computed as described below. When accepting purchases of Creation Units for cash, the Funds may incur additional costs associated with the acquisition of Deposit Securities that would otherwise be provided by an in-kind purchaser.
Together, the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, and the Cash Component constitute the “Fund Deposit,” which represents the minimum initial and subsequent investment amount for a Creation Unit of the Funds. The “Cash Component” is an amount equal to the difference between the NAV of Shares (per Creation Unit) and the value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable. If the Cash Component is a positive number (i.e., the NAV per Creation Unit exceeds the value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable), the Cash Component shall be such positive amount. If the Cash Component is a negative number (i.e., the NAV per Creation Unit is less than the value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable), the Cash Component shall be such negative amount and the creator will be entitled to receive cash in an amount equal to the Cash Component. The Cash Component serves the function of compensating for any differences between the NAV per Creation Unit and the value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable. Computation of the Cash Component excludes any stamp duty or other similar fees and expenses payable upon transfer of beneficial ownership of the Deposit Securities, if applicable, which shall be the sole responsibility of the Authorized Participant (as defined below).
The Funds, through NSCC, makes available on each Business Day, prior to the opening of business on the Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m., Eastern time), the list of the names and the required number of Shares of each Deposit Security or the required amount of Deposit Cash, as applicable, to be included in the current Fund Deposit (based on information at the end of the previous Business Day) for the Funds. The Fund Deposit is subject to any applicable adjustments as described below, to effect purchases of Creation Units of the Funds until such time as the next-announced composition of the Deposit Securities or the required amount of Deposit Cash, as applicable, is made available.
The identity and number of Shares of the Deposit Securities or the amount of Deposit Cash, as applicable, required for the Fund Deposit for the Fund changes as rebalancing adjustments and corporate action events are reflected from time to time by the Adviser with a view to the investment objective of the Funds.
The Trust reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of Deposit Cash to replace any Deposit Security, which shall be added to the Cash Component, including, without limitation, in situations where the Deposit Security: (i) may not be available in sufficient quantity for delivery; (ii) may not be eligible for transfer through the systems of DTC for corporate securities and municipal securities; (iii) may not be eligible for trading by an Authorized Participant (as defined below) or the investor for which it is acting; (iv) would be restricted under the securities laws or where the delivery of the Deposit Security to the Authorized Participant would result in the disposition of the Deposit Security by the Authorized Participant becoming restricted under the securities laws; or (v) in certain other situations (collectively, “custom orders”). The Trust also reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of Deposit Securities in lieu of Deposit Cash. The adjustments described above will reflect changes, known to the Adviser on the date of announcement to be in effect by the time of delivery of the Fund Deposit, resulting from certain corporate actions.
Procedures for Purchase of Creation Units. To be eligible to place orders with the Distributor to purchase a Creation Unit of the Funds, an entity must be (i) a “Participating Party” (i.e., a broker-dealer or other participant in the clearing process through the Continuous Net Settlement System of the NSCC (the “Clearing Process”)), a clearing agency that is registered with the SEC; or (ii) a DTC Participant (see “Book Entry Only System”). In addition, each Participating Party or DTC Participant (each, an “Authorized Participant”) must execute a Participant Agreement that has been agreed to by the Distributor, and that has been accepted by the Transfer Agent, with respect to purchases and redemptions of Creation Units. Each Authorized Participant will agree, pursuant to the terms of a Participant Agreement, on behalf of itself or any investor on whose behalf it will act, to certain conditions, including that it will pay to the Trust, an amount of cash sufficient to pay the Cash Component together with the creation transaction fee (described below), if applicable, and any other applicable fees and taxes.
All orders to purchase Shares directly from the Funds must be placed for one or more Creation Units and in the manner and by the time set forth in the Participant Agreement and/or applicable order form. The order cut-off time for orders to purchase Creation Units is 4:00p.m. Eastern time, which time may be modified by the Funds from time-to-time by amendment to the Participant Agreement and/or applicable order form. In the case of custom orders, the order must be received by the Distributor no later than 3:00 p.m. Eastern time and 12:00 p.m. Eastern time for the Funds, or such earlier time as may be designated by the Funds and disclosed to Authorized Participants. The date on which an order to purchase Creation Units (or an order to redeem Creation Units, as set forth below) is received and accepted is referred to as the “Order Placement Date.”
26
An Authorized Participant may require an investor to make certain representations or enter into agreements with respect to the order (e.g., to provide for payments of cash, when required). Investors should be aware that their particular broker may not have executed a Participant Agreement and that, therefore, orders to purchase Shares directly from the Funds in Creation Units have to be placed by the investor’s broker through an Authorized Participant that has executed a Participant Agreement. In such cases there may be additional charges to such investor. At any given time, there may be only a limited number of broker-dealers that have executed a Participant Agreement and only a small number of such Authorized Participants may have international capabilities.
On days when the Exchange closes earlier than normal, the Funds may require orders to create Creation Units to be placed earlier in the day. In addition, if a market or markets on which each Fund’s investments are primarily traded is closed, the Funds will also generally not accept orders on such day(s). Orders must be transmitted by an Authorized Participant by telephone or other transmission method acceptable to the Distributor pursuant to procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement and in accordance with the applicable order form. On behalf of the Funds, the Distributor will notify the Custodian of such order. The Custodian will then provide such information to the appropriate local sub-custodian(s). Those placing orders through an Authorized Participant should allow sufficient time to permit proper submission of the purchase order to the Distributor by the cut-off time on such Business Day. Economic or market disruptions or changes, or telephone or other communication failure may impede the ability to reach the Distributor or an Authorized Participant.
Fund Deposits must be delivered by an Authorized Participant through the Federal Reserve System (for cash) or through DTC (for corporate securities), through a sub-custody agent (for foreign securities) and/or through such other arrangements allowed by the Trust or its agents. With respect to foreign Deposit Securities, the Custodian shall cause the sub-custodian of the Funds to maintain an account into which the Authorized Participant shall deliver, on behalf of itself or the party on whose behalf it is acting, such Deposit Securities (or Deposit Cash for all or a part of such securities, as permitted or required), with any appropriate adjustments as advised by the Trust. Foreign Deposit Securities must be delivered to an account maintained at the applicable local sub-custodian. The Fund Deposit transfer must be ordered by the Authorized Participant in a timely fashion so as to ensure the delivery of the requisite number of Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, to the account of the Funds or its agents by no later than 12:00 p.m. Eastern time (or such other time as specified by the Trust) on the Settlement Date. If the Funds or its agents do not receive all of the Deposit Securities, or the required Deposit Cash in lieu thereof, by such time, then the order may be deemed rejected and the Authorized Participant shall be liable to the Funds for losses, if any, resulting therefrom. The “Settlement Date” for the Funds is generally the Business Day immediately after the Order Placement Date. All questions as to the number of Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash to be delivered, as applicable, and the validity, form and eligibility (including time of receipt) for the deposit of any tendered securities or cash, as applicable, will be determined by the Trust, whose determination shall be final and binding. The amount of cash represented by the Cash Component must be transferred directly to the Custodian through the Federal Reserve Bank wire transfer system in a timely manner so as to be received by the Custodian no later than the Settlement Date. If the Cash Component and the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, are not received by the Custodian in a timely manner by the Settlement Date, the creation order may be cancelled. Upon written notice to the Distributor, such canceled order may be resubmitted the following Business Day using the Fund Deposit as newly constituted to reflect the then current NAV of the Funds.
The order shall be deemed to be received on the Business Day on which the order is placed provided that the order is placed in proper form prior to the applicable cut-off time and the federal funds in the appropriate amount are deposited with the Custodian on the Settlement Date. If the order is not placed in proper form as required, or federal funds in the appropriate amount are not received on the Settlement Date, then the order may be deemed to be rejected and the Authorized Participant shall be liable to the Funds for losses, if any, resulting therefrom. A creation request is considered to be in “proper form” if all procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement, order form and this SAI are properly followed.
Issuance of a Creation Unit. Except as provided in this SAI, Creation Units will not be issued until the transfer of good title to the Trust of the Deposit Securities or payment of Deposit Cash, as applicable, and the payment of the Cash Component have been completed. When the sub-custodian has confirmed to the Custodian that the required Deposit Securities (or the cash value thereof) have been delivered to the account of the relevant sub-custodian or sub-custodians, the Distributor and the Adviser shall be notified of such delivery, and the Trust will issue and cause the delivery of the Creation Units. The delivery of Creation Units so created generally will occur no later than the Business Day immediately following the day on which the purchase order is deemed received by the Distributor. The Authorized Participant shall be liable to the Funds for losses, if any, resulting from unsettled orders.
27
Creation Units may be purchased in advance of receipt by the Trust of all or a portion of the applicable Deposit Securities as described below. In these circumstances, the initial deposit will have a value greater than the NAV of Shares on the date the order is placed in proper form since, in addition to available Deposit Securities, cash must be deposited in an amount equal to the sum of (i) the Cash Component, plus (ii) an additional amount of cash equal to a percentage of the value as set forth in the Participant Agreement, of the undelivered Deposit Securities (the “Additional Cash Deposit”), which shall be maintained in a separate non-interest bearing collateral account. The Authorized Participant must deposit with the Custodian the Additional Cash Deposit, as applicable, by 12:00 p.m. Eastern time (or such other time as specified by the Trust) on the Settlement Date. If the Funds or its agents do not receive the Additional Cash Deposit in the appropriate amount, by such time, then the order may be deemed rejected and the Authorized Participant shall be liable to the Funds for losses, if any, resulting therefrom. An additional amount of cash shall be required to be deposited with the Trust, pending delivery of the missing Deposit Securities to the extent necessary to maintain the Additional Cash Deposit with the Trust in an amount at least equal to the applicable percentage, as set forth in the Participant Agreement, of the daily market value of the missing Deposit Securities. The Participant Agreement will permit the Trust to buy the missing Deposit Securities at any time. Authorized Participants will be liable to the Trust for the costs incurred by the Trust in connection with any such purchases. These costs will be deemed to include the amount by which the actual purchase price of the Deposit Securities exceeds the value of such Deposit Securities on the day the purchase order was deemed received by the Distributor plus the brokerage and related transaction costs associated with such purchases. The Trust will return any unused portion of the Additional Cash Deposit once all of the missing Deposit Securities have been properly received by the Custodian or purchased by the Trust and deposited into the Trust. In addition, a transaction fee, as described below under “Creation Transaction Fee,” may be charged. The delivery of Creation Units so created generally will occur no later than the Settlement Date.
Acceptance of Orders of Creation Units. The Trust reserves the right to reject an order for Creation Units transmitted to it by the Distributor with respect to the Funds including, without limitation, if (a) the order is not in proper form; (b) the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, delivered by the Participant are not as disseminated through the facilities of the NSCC for that date by the Custodian; (c) the investor(s), upon obtaining Shares ordered, would own 80% or more of the currently outstanding Shares of the Funds; (d) the acceptance of the Fund Deposit would, in the opinion of counsel, be unlawful; (e) the acceptance or receipt of the order for a Creation Unit would, in the opinion of counsel to the Trust, be unlawful; or (f) in the event that circumstances outside the control of the Trust, the Custodian, the Transfer Agent and/or the Adviser make it for all practical purposes not feasible to process orders for Creation Units.
Examples of such circumstances include acts of God or public service or utility problems such as fires, floods, extreme weather conditions and power outages resulting in telephone, telecopy and computer failures; market conditions or activities causing trading halts; systems failures involving computer or other information systems affecting the Trust, the Distributor, the Custodian, a sub-custodian, the Transfer Agent, DTC, NSCC, Federal Reserve System, or any other participant in the creation process, and other extraordinary events. The Distributor shall notify a prospective creator of a Creation Unit and/or the Authorized Participant acting on behalf of the creator of a Creation Unit of its rejection of the order of such person. The Trust, the Transfer Agent, the Custodian, any sub-custodian and the Distributor are under no duty, however, to give notification of any defects or irregularities in the delivery of Fund Deposits nor shall either of them incur any liability for the failure to give any such notification. The Trust, the Transfer Agent, the Custodian and the Distributor shall not be liable for the rejection of any purchase order for Creation Units.
All questions as to the number of Shares of each security in the Deposit Securities and the validity, form, eligibility and acceptance for deposit of any securities to be delivered shall be determined by the Trust, and the Trust’s determination shall be final and binding.
Creation Transaction Fee. A fixed purchase (i.e., creation) transaction fee, payable to the Funds’ custodian, may be imposed for the transfer and other transaction costs associated with the purchase of Creation Units (“Creation Order Costs”). The standard fixed creation transaction fee for the Funds, regardless of the number of Creation Units created in the transaction, can be found in the table below. The Funds may adjust the standard fixed creation transaction fee from time to time. The fixed creation fee may be waived on certain orders if the Funds’ custodian has determined to waive some or all of the Creation Order Costs associated with the order or another party, such as the Adviser, has agreed to pay such fee.
28
In addition, a variable fee, payable to the Funds, of up to the maximum percentage listed in the table below of the value of the Creation Units subject to the transaction may be imposed for cash purchases, non-standard orders, or partial cash purchases of Creation Units. The variable charge is primarily designed to cover additional costs (e.g., brokerage, taxes, spreads, slippage costs) involved with buying the securities with cash. The Funds may determine to not charge a variable fee on certain orders when the Adviser has determined that doing so benefits the Funds and its shareholders (e.g., for creation orders that facilitate the rebalance of the Funds’ portfolio in a more tax efficient manner than could be achieved without such order).
| Name of Funds | Fixed Creation Transaction Fee (In-Kind) | Fixed Creation Transaction Fee (Cash) | Maximum Variable Transaction Fee |
| Clough Hedged Equity ETF | $150 | $100 | 0.02% |
| Clough Select Equity ETF | $150 | $100 | 0.02% |
Investors who use the services of a broker or other such intermediary may be charged a fee for such services. Investors are responsible for the fixed costs of transferring the Fund Securities from the Trust to their account or on their order.
Risks of Purchasing Creation Units. There are certain legal risks unique to investors purchasing Creation Units directly from the Funds. Because Shares may be issued on an ongoing basis, a “distribution” of Shares could be occurring at any time. Certain activities that a shareholder performs as a dealer could, depending on the circumstances, result in the shareholder being deemed a participant in the distribution in a manner that could render the shareholder a statutory underwriter and subject to the prospectus delivery and liability provisions of the Securities Act. For example, a shareholder could be deemed a statutory underwriter if it purchases Creation Units from the Funds, breaks them down into the constituent Shares, and sells those Shares directly to customers, or if a shareholder chooses to couple the creation of a supply of new Shares with an active selling effort involving solicitation of secondary-market demand for Shares. Whether a person is an underwriter depends upon all of the facts and circumstances pertaining to that person’s activities, and the examples mentioned here should not be considered a complete description of all the activities that could cause you to be deemed an underwriter.
Dealers who are not “underwriters” but are participating in a distribution (as opposed to engaging in ordinary secondary-market transactions), and thus dealing with Shares as part of an “unsold allotment” within the meaning of Section 4(a)(3)(C) of the Securities Act, will be unable to take advantage of the prospectus delivery exemption provided by Section 4(a)(3) of the Securities Act.
Redemption. Shares may be redeemed only in Creation Units at their NAV next determined after receipt of a redemption request in proper form by the Funds through the Transfer Agent and only on a Business Day. EXCEPT UPON LIQUIDATION OF THE FUND, THE TRUST WILL NOT REDEEM SHARES IN AMOUNTS LESS THAN CREATION UNITS. Investors must accumulate enough Shares in the secondary market to constitute a Creation Unit to have such Shares redeemed by the Trust. There can be no assurance, however, that there will be sufficient liquidity in the public trading market at any time to permit assembly of a Creation Unit. Investors should expect to incur brokerage and other costs in connection with assembling a sufficient number of Shares to constitute a redeemable Creation Unit.
With respect to the Funds, the Custodian, through the NSCC, makes available prior to the opening of business on the Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m., Eastern time) on each Business Day, the list of the names and Share quantities of the Fund’s portfolio securities that will be applicable (subject to possible amendment or correction) to redemption requests received in proper form (as defined below) on that day (“Fund Securities”). Fund Securities received on redemption may not be identical to Deposit Securities.
Redemption proceeds for a Creation Unit are paid either in-kind or in cash, or combination thereof, as determined by the Trust. With respect to in-kind redemptions of the Funds, redemption proceeds for a Creation Unit will consist of Fund Securities—as announced by the Custodian on the Business Day of the request for redemption received in proper form plus cash in an amount equal to the difference between the NAV of Shares being redeemed, as next determined after a receipt of a request in proper form, and the value of the Fund Securities (the “Cash Redemption Amount”), less a fixed redemption transaction fee, as applicable, as set forth below. In the event that the Fund Securities have a value greater than the NAV of Shares, a compensating cash payment equal to the differential is required to be made by or through an Authorized Participant by the redeeming shareholder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, at the Trust’s discretion, an Authorized Participant may receive the corresponding cash value of the securities in lieu of the in-kind securities value representing one or more Fund Securities.
Redemption Transaction Fee. A fixed redemption transaction fee, payable to the Funds’ custodian, may be imposed for the transfer and other transaction costs associated with the redemption of Creation Units (“Redemption Order Costs”). The standard fixed redemption transaction fee for the Fund, regardless of the number of Creation Units redeemed in the transaction, can be found in the table below. The Funds may adjust the redemption transaction fee from time to time. The fixed redemption fee may be waived on certain orders if the Funds’ custodian has determined to waive some or all of the Redemption Order Costs associated with the order or another party, such as the Adviser, has agreed to pay such fee.
29
In addition, a variable fee, payable to the Funds, of up to the maximum percentage listed in the table below of the value of the Creation Units subject to the transaction may be imposed for cash redemptions, non-standard orders, or partial cash redemptions (when cash redemptions are available) of Creation Units. The variable charge is primarily designed to cover additional costs (e.g., brokerage, taxes, spreads, slippage costs) involved with selling portfolio securities to satisfy a cash redemption. The Funds may determine to not charge a variable fee on certain orders when the Adviser has determined that doing so benefits the Funds and its shareholders (e.g., for redemption orders that facilitate the rebalance of the Fund’s portfolio in a more tax efficient manner than could be achieved without such order).
| Name of Funds | Fixed Redemption Transaction Fee (In-Kind) | Fixed Redemption Transaction Fee (Cash) | Maximum Variable Transaction Fee |
| Clough Hedged Equity ETF | $150 | $100 | 0.02% |
| Clough Select Equity ETF | $150 | $100 | 0.02% |
Investors who use the services of a broker or other such intermediary may be charged a fee for such services. Investors are responsible for the fixed costs of transferring the Fund Securities from the Trust to their account or on their order.
Procedures for Redemption of Creation Units.
Orders to redeem Creation Units of the Funds must be submitted in proper form to the Transfer Agent prior to 4:00 p.m. A redemption request is considered to be in “proper form” if (i) an Authorized Participant has transferred or caused to be transferred to the Trust’s Transfer Agent the Creation Unit(s) being redeemed through the book-entry system of DTC so as to be effective by the time as set forth in the Participant Agreement and (ii) a request in form satisfactory to the Trust is received by the Transfer Agent from the Authorized Participant on behalf of itself or another redeeming investor within the time periods specified in the Participant Agreement. If the Transfer Agent does not receive the investor’s Shares through DTC’s facilities by the times and pursuant to the other terms and conditions set forth in the Participant Agreement, the redemption request shall be rejected.
The Authorized Participant must transmit the request for redemption, in the form required by the Trust, to the Transfer Agent in accordance with procedures set forth in the Authorized Participant Agreement. Investors should be aware that their particular broker may not have executed an Authorized Participant Agreement, and that, therefore, requests to redeem Creation Units may have to be placed by the investor’s broker through an Authorized Participant who has executed an Authorized Participant Agreement. Investors making a redemption request should be aware that such request must be in the form specified by such Authorized Participant.
Investors making a request to redeem Creation Units should allow sufficient time to permit proper submission of the request by an Authorized Participant and transfer of the Shares to the Trust’s Transfer Agent; such investors should allow for the additional time that may be required to effect redemptions through their banks, brokers or other financial intermediaries if such intermediaries are not Authorized Participants.
Additional Redemption Procedures. In connection with taking delivery of Shares of Fund Securities upon redemption of Creation Units, a redeeming shareholder or Authorized Participant acting on behalf of such shareholder must maintain appropriate custody arrangements with a qualified broker-dealer, bank, or other custody providers in each jurisdiction in which any of the Fund Securities are customarily traded, to which account such Fund Securities will be delivered. Deliveries of redemption proceeds generally will be made within two business days of the trade date. However, due to the schedule of holidays in certain countries, the different treatment among foreign and U.S. markets of dividend record dates and dividend ex-dates (that is the last date the holder of a security can sell the security and still receive dividends payable on the security sold), and in certain other circumstances, the delivery of in-kind redemption proceeds may take longer than two Business Days after the day on which the redemption request is received in proper form. If neither the redeeming Shareholder nor the Authorized Participant acting on behalf of such redeeming Shareholder has appropriate arrangements to take delivery of the Fund Securities in the applicable foreign jurisdiction and it is not possible to make other such arrangements, or if it is not possible to effect deliveries of the Fund Securities in such jurisdiction, the Trust may, in its discretion, exercise its option to redeem such Shares in cash, and the redeeming Shareholders will be required to receive its redemption proceeds in cash.
30
In addition, an investor may request a redemption in cash that the Funds may, in its sole discretion, permit. In either case, the investor will receive a cash payment equal to the NAV of its Shares based on the NAV of Shares of the Fund next determined after the redemption request is received in proper form (minus a redemption transaction fee, if applicable, and additional charge for requested cash redemptions specified above, to offset the Trust’s brokerage and other transaction costs associated with the disposition of Fund Securities). The Funds may also, in its sole discretion, upon request of a shareholder, provide such redeemer a portfolio of securities that differs from the exact composition of the Fund Securities but does not differ in NAV.
Redemptions of Shares for Fund Securities will be subject to compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws and the Funds (whether or not it otherwise permits cash redemptions) reserve the right to redeem Creation Units for cash to the extent that the Trust could not lawfully deliver specific Fund Securities upon redemptions or could not do so without first registering the Fund Securities under such laws. An Authorized Participant or an investor for which it is acting subject to a legal restriction with respect to a particular security included in the Fund Securities applicable to the redemption of Creation Units may be paid an equivalent amount of cash. The Authorized Participant may request the redeeming investor of the Shares to complete an order form or to enter into agreements with respect to such matters as compensating cash payment. Further, an Authorized Participant that is not a “qualified institutional buyer,” (“QIB”) as such term is defined under Rule 144A of the Securities Act, will not be able to receive Fund Securities that are restricted securities eligible for resale under Rule 144A. An Authorized Participant may be required by the Trust to provide a written confirmation with respect to QIB status to receive Fund Securities.
Because the portfolio securities of the Funds may trade on other exchanges on days that the Exchange is closed or are otherwise not Business Days for such Fund, shareholders may not be able to redeem their Shares of the Funds, or to purchase or sell Shares of the Funds on the Exchange, on days when the NAV of the Funds could be significantly affecting by events in the relevant foreign markets.
The right of redemption may be suspended or the date of payment postponed with respect to the Funds (1) for any period during which the Exchange is closed (other than customary weekend and holiday closings); (2) for any period during which trading on the Exchange is suspended or restricted; (3) for any period during which an emergency exists as a result of which disposal of the Shares of the Fund or determination of the NAV of the Shares is not reasonably practicable; or (4) in such other circumstance as is permitted by the SEC.
DETERMINATION OF NAV
NAV per Share for the Funds is computed by dividing the value of the net assets of the Funds (i.e., the value of its total assets less total liabilities) by the total number of Shares outstanding, rounded to the nearest cent. Expenses and fees, including the management fees, are accrued daily and taken into account for purposes of determining NAV. The NAV of the Funds is calculated by PTL and determined at the scheduled close of the regular trading session on the NYSE (ordinarily 4:00 p.m., Eastern time) on each day that the NYSE is open, provided that fixed-income assets may be valued as of the announced closing time for trading in fixed-income instruments on any day that the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (“SIFMA”) announces an early closing time.
In calculating the Funds’ NAV per Share, the Funds’ investments are generally valued using market valuations. A market valuation generally means a valuation (i) obtained from an exchange, a pricing service, or a major market maker (or dealer), (ii) based on a price quotation or other equivalent indication of value supplied by an exchange, a pricing service, or a major market maker (or dealer) or (iii) based on amortized cost. In the case of shares of other funds that are not traded on an exchange, a market valuation means such fund’s published NAV per share. The Funds may use various pricing services, or discontinue the use of any pricing service, as approved by the Board from time to time. A price obtained from a pricing service based on such pricing service’s valuation matrix may be considered a market valuation.
DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS
The following information supplements and should be read in conjunction with the section in the Prospectus entitled “Dividends, Distributions and Taxes.”
General Policies. Dividends from net investment income, if any, are declared and paid at least annually by the Funds. Distributions of net realized securities gains, if any, generally are declared and paid once a year, but the Funds may make distributions on a more frequent basis to reduce or eliminate federal excise or income taxes or to comply with the distribution requirements of the Code, in all events in a manner consistent with the provisions of the 1940 Act.
Dividends and other distributions on Shares are distributed, as described below, on a pro rata basis to Beneficial Owners of such Shares. Dividend payments are made through DTC Participants and Indirect Participants to Beneficial Owners then of record with proceeds received from the Trust.
The Funds makes additional distributions to the extent necessary (i) to distribute the entire annual taxable income of the Funds, plus any net capital gains and (ii) to avoid imposition of the excise tax imposed by Section 4982 of the Code. Management of the Trust reserves the right to declare special dividends if, in its reasonable discretion, such action is necessary or advisable to preserve the Funds’ eligibility for treatment as a RIC or to avoid imposition of income or excise taxes on undistributed income.
31
Dividend Reinvestment Service. The Trust will not make the DTC book-entry dividend reinvestment service available for use by Beneficial Owners for reinvestment of their cash proceeds, but certain individual broker-dealers may make available the DTC book-entry Dividend Reinvestment Service for use by Beneficial Owners of the Funds through DTC Participants for reinvestment of their dividend distributions. Investors should contact their brokers to ascertain the availability and description of these services. Beneficial Owners should be aware that each broker may require investors to adhere to specific procedures and timetables to participate in the dividend reinvestment service and investors should ascertain from their brokers such necessary details. If this service is available and used, dividend distributions of both income and realized gains will be automatically reinvested in additional whole Shares issued by the Trust of the Funds at NAV per Share. Distributions reinvested in additional Shares will nevertheless be taxable to Beneficial Owners acquiring such additional Shares to the same extent as if such distributions had been received in cash.
FEDERAL INCOME TAXES
The following is only a summary of certain U.S. federal income tax considerations generally affecting the Funds and its shareholders that supplements the discussion in the Prospectus. No attempt is made to present a comprehensive explanation of the federal, state, local or foreign tax treatment of the Funds or its shareholders, and the discussion here and in the Prospectus is not intended to be a substitute for careful tax planning.
The following general discussion of certain U.S. federal income tax consequences is based on provisions of the Code and the regulations issued thereunder as in effect on the date of this SAI. New legislation, as well as administrative changes or court decisions, may significantly change the conclusions expressed herein, and may have a retroactive effect with respect to the transactions contemplated herein.
Shareholders are urged to consult their own tax advisers regarding the application of the provisions of tax law described in this SAI in light of the particular tax situations of the shareholders and regarding specific questions as to federal, state, foreign or local taxes.
Taxation of the Funds. The Funds elected and intends to continue to qualify each year to be treated as a separate RIC under the Code. As such, the Funds should not be subject to federal income taxes on their net investment income and capital gains, if any, to the extent that they timely distribute such income and capital gains to their shareholders. To qualify for treatment as a RIC, the Funds must distribute annually to its shareholders at least the sum of 90% of its net investment income (generally including the excess of net short-term capital gains over net long-term capital losses) and 90% of its net tax-exempt interest income, if any (the “Distribution Requirement”) and also must meet several additional requirements. Among these requirements are the following: (i) at least 90% of the Funds’ gross income each taxable year must be derived from dividends, interest, payments with respect to certain securities loans, gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities or foreign currencies, or other income derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock, securities or foreign currencies and net income derived from interests in qualified publicly traded partnerships (the “Qualifying Income Requirement”); and (ii) at the end of each quarter of the Funds’ taxable year, the Funds’ assets must be diversified so that (a) at least 50% of the value of the Fund’s total assets is represented by cash and cash items, U.S. government securities, securities of other RICs, and other securities, with such other securities limited, in respect to any one issuer, to an amount not greater in value than 5% of the value of the Funds’ total assets and to not more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer, including the equity securities of a qualified publicly traded partnership, and (b) not more than 25% of the value of its total assets is invested, including through corporations in which the Fund owns a 20% or more voting stock interest, in the securities (other than U.S. government securities or securities of other RICs) of any one issuer, the securities (other than securities of other RICs) of two or more issuers which the Funds controls and which are engaged in the same, similar, or related trades or businesses, or the securities of one or more qualified publicly traded partnerships (the “Diversification Requirement”).
To the extent the Funds makes investments that may generate income that is not qualifying income, including certain derivatives, the Funds will seek to restrict the resulting income from such investments so that the Funds’ non-qualifying income does not exceed 10% of its gross income.
Although the Funds intends to distribute substantially all of its net investment income and may distribute their capital gains for any taxable year, the Funds will be subject to federal income taxation to the extent any such income or gains are not distributed. The Funds is treated as a separate corporation for federal income tax purposes. The Funds therefore are considered to be a separate entity in determining its treatment under the rules for RICs described herein. The requirements (other than certain organizational requirements) for qualifying RIC status are determined at the fund level rather than at the Trust level.
32
If the Funds fails to satisfy the Qualifying Income Requirement or the Diversification Requirement in any taxable year, the Funds may be eligible for relief provisions if the failures are due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect and if a penalty tax is paid with respect to each failure to satisfy the applicable requirements. Additionally, relief is provided for certain de minimis failures of the Diversification Requirement where each Fund corrects the failure within a specified period of time. To be eligible for the relief provisions with respect to a failure to meet the Diversification Requirement, the Funds may be required to dispose of certain assets. If these relief provisions were not available to the Funds and it were to fail to qualify for treatment as a RIC for a taxable year, all of its taxable income would be subject to tax at the regular 21% corporate rate without any deduction for distributions to shareholders, and its distributions (including capital gains distributions) generally would be taxable to the shareholders of the Funds as ordinary income dividends, subject to the dividends received deduction for corporate shareholders and the lower tax rates on qualified dividend income received by non-corporate shareholders, subject to certain limitations. To requalify for treatment as a RIC in a subsequent taxable year, the Funds would be required to satisfy the RIC qualification requirements for that year and to distribute any earnings and profits from any year in which the Funds failed to qualify for tax treatment as a RIC. If the Funds failed to qualify as a RIC for a period greater than two taxable years, it would generally be required to pay a Fund-level tax on certain net built in gains recognized with respect to certain of its assets upon a disposition of such assets within five years of qualifying as a RIC in a subsequent year. The Board reserves the right not to maintain the qualification of the Funds for treatment as a RIC if it determines such course of action to be beneficial to shareholders. If the Funds determines that it will not qualify as a RIC, the Funds will establish procedures to reflect the anticipated tax liability in the Fund’s NAV.
The Funds may elect to treat part or all of any “qualified late year loss” as if it had been incurred in the succeeding taxable year in determining each Fund’s taxable income, net capital gain, net short-term capital gain, and earnings and profits. The effect of this election is to treat any such “qualified late year loss” as if it had been incurred in the succeeding taxable year in characterizing Fund distributions for any calendar year. A “qualified late year loss” generally includes net capital loss, net long-term capital loss, or net short-term capital loss incurred after October 31 of the current taxable year (commonly referred to as “post-October losses”) and certain other late-year losses.
Capital losses in excess of capital gains (“net capital losses”) are not permitted to be deducted against a RIC’s net investment income. Instead, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, potentially subject to certain limitations, the Funds may carry a net capital loss from any taxable year forward indefinitely to offset its capital gains, if any, in years following the year of the loss. To the extent subsequent capital gains are offset by such losses, they will not result in U.S. federal income tax liability to the Funds and may not be distributed as capital gains to its shareholders. Generally, the Funds may not carry forward any losses other than net capital losses. The carryover of capital losses may be limited under the general loss limitation rules if the Funds experience an ownership change as defined in the Code. As of October 31, 2025, the Clough Hedged Equity ETF had $3,584,872 short-term capital loss carry forwards and Clough Select Equity ETF had $856,506 short-term capital loss carry forwards, not subject to expiration.
The Funds will be subject to a nondeductible 4% federal excise tax on certain undistributed income if it does not distribute to its shareholders in each calendar year an amount at least equal to 98% of its ordinary income for the calendar year plus 98.2% of its capital gain net income for the one-year period ending on October 31 of that year, subject to an increase for any shortfall in the prior year’s distribution. For this purpose, any ordinary income or capital gain net income retained by the Funds and subject to corporate income tax will be considered to have been distributed. The Funds intend to declare and distribute dividends and distributions in the amounts and at the times necessary to avoid the application of the excise tax, but can make no assurances that all such tax liability will be eliminated. The Funds may in certain circumstances be required to liquidate Fund investments in order to make sufficient distributions to avoid federal excise tax liability at a time when the investment adviser might not otherwise have chosen to do so, and liquidation of investments in such circumstances may affect the ability of the Funds to satisfy the requirement for qualification as a RIC.
If the Funds meet the Distribution Requirement but retains some or all of its income or gains, it will be subject to federal income tax to the extent any such income or gains are not distributed. The Funds may designate certain amounts retained as undistributed net capital gain in a notice to its shareholders, who (i) will be required to include in income for U.S. federal income tax purposes, as long-term capital gain, their proportionate shares of the undistributed amount so designated, (ii) will be entitled to credit their proportionate shares of the income tax paid by the Funds on that undistributed amount against their federal income tax liabilities and to claim refunds to the extent such credits exceed their tax liabilities, and (iii) will be entitled to increase their tax basis, for federal income tax purposes, in their Shares by an amount equal to the excess of the amount of undistributed net capital gain included in their respective income over their respective income tax credits.
Taxation of Shareholders – Distributions. The Funds intend to distribute annually to its shareholders substantially all of its investment company taxable income (computed without regard to the deduction for dividends paid), its net tax-exempt income, if any, and any net capital gain (net recognized long-term capital gains in excess of net recognized short-term capital losses, taking into account any capital loss carryforwards). The distribution of investment company taxable income (as so computed) and net realized capital gain will be taxable to Funds’ shareholders regardless of whether the shareholder receives these distributions in cash or reinvests them in additional Shares.
The Funds (or your broker) will report to shareholders annually the amounts of dividends paid from ordinary income, the amount of distributions of net capital gain, the portion of dividends which may qualify for the dividends-received deduction for corporations, and the portion of dividends which may qualify for treatment as qualified dividend income, which is taxable to non-corporate shareholders at rates of up to 20%.
33
Qualified dividend income includes, in general, subject to certain holding period and other requirements, dividend income from taxable domestic corporations and certain foreign corporations. Subject to certain limitations, eligible foreign corporations include those incorporated in possessions of the United States, those incorporated in certain countries with comprehensive tax treaties with the United States, and other foreign corporations if the stock with respect to which the dividends are paid is readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States. Dividends received by the Funds from an ETF, an underlying fund taxable as a RIC, or from a REIT may be treated as qualified dividend income generally only to the extent so reported by such ETF, underlying fund, or REIT, however, dividends received by the Fund from a REIT are generally not treated as qualified dividend income. If 95% or more of the Fund’s gross income (calculated without taking into account net capital gain derived from sales or other dispositions of stock or securities) consists of qualified dividend income, the Funds may report all distributions of such income as qualified dividend income.
Fund dividends will not be treated as qualified dividend income if the Fund does not meet holding period and other requirements with respect to dividend paying stocks in its portfolio, and the shareholder does not meet holding period and other requirements with respect to the Shares on which the dividends were paid.
Distributions by the Funds of its net short-term capital gains will be taxable as ordinary income. Distributions from the Funds’ net capital gain will be taxable to shareholders at long-term capital gains rates, regardless of how long shareholders have held their Shares. Distributions may be subject to state and local taxes.
In the case of corporate shareholders, certain dividends received by the Funds from U.S. corporations (generally, dividends received by the Funds in respect of any share of stock (1) with a tax holding period of at least 46 days during the 91-day period beginning on the date that is 45 days before the date on which the stock becomes ex-dividend as to that dividend and (2) that is held in an unleveraged position) and distributed and appropriately so reported by the Funds may be eligible for the 50% dividends received deduction. Certain preferred stock must have a holding period of at least 91 days during the 181-day period beginning on the date that is 90 days before the date on which the stock becomes ex-dividend as to that dividend to be eligible. Capital gain dividends distributed to the Funds from other RICs are not eligible for the dividends received deduction. To qualify for the deduction, corporate shareholders must meet the minimum holding period requirement stated above with respect to their Shares, taking into account any holding period reductions from certain hedging or other transactions or positions that diminish their risk of loss with respect to their Shares, and, if they borrow to acquire or otherwise incur debt attributable to Shares, they may be denied a portion of the dividends received deduction with respect to those Shares.
Under recently issued final Treasury Regulations, a RIC that receives business interest income may pass through its net business interest income for purposes of the tax rules applicable to the interest expense limitations under Section 163(j) of the Code. A RIC’s total “Section 163(j) Interest Dividend” for a tax year is limited to the excess of the RIC’s business interest income over the sum of its business interest expense and its other deductions properly allocable to its business interest income. A RIC may, in its discretion, designate all or a portion of ordinary dividends as Section 163(j) Interest Dividends, which would allow the recipient shareholder to treat the designated portion of such dividends as interest income for purposes of determining such shareholder’s interest expense deduction limitation under Section 163(j). This can potentially increase the amount of a shareholder’s interest expense deductible under Section 163(j). In general, to be eligible to treat a Section 163(j) Interest Dividend as interest income, you must have held your shares in the Funds for more than 180 days during the 361-day period beginning on the date that is 180 days before the date on which the share becomes ex-dividend with respect to such dividend. Section 163(j) Interest Dividends, if so designated by the Funds, will be reported to your financial intermediary or otherwise in accordance with the requirements specified by the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”).
Although dividends generally will be treated as distributed when paid, any dividend declared by the Funds in October, November or December and payable to shareholders of record in such a month that is paid during the following January will be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as received by shareholders on December 31 of the calendar year in which it was declared.
Shareholders who have not held Shares for a full year should be aware that the Funds may report and distribute, as ordinary dividends or capital gain dividends, a percentage of income that is not equal to the percentage of each Fund’s ordinary income or net capital gain, respectively, actually earned during the applicable shareholder’s period of investment in the Funds. A taxable shareholder may wish to avoid investing in the Funds shortly before a dividend or other distribution, because the distribution will generally be taxable even though it may economically represent a return of a portion of the shareholder’s investment.
To the extent that the Funds make a distribution of income received by the Funds in lieu of dividends (a “substitute payment”) with respect to securities on loan pursuant to a securities lending transaction, such income will not constitute qualified dividend income to individual shareholders and will not be eligible for the dividends received deduction for corporate shareholders.
If the Funds’ distributions exceed its earnings and profits, all or a portion of the distributions made for a taxable year may be recharacterized as a return of capital to shareholders. A return of capital distribution will generally not be taxable, but will reduce each shareholder’s cost basis in the Funds and result in a higher capital gain or lower capital loss when the Shares on which the distribution was received are sold. After a shareholder’s basis in the Shares has been reduced to zero, distributions in excess of earnings and profits will be treated as gain from the sale of the shareholder’s Shares.
34
Taxation of Shareholders – Sale, Redemption, or Exchange of Shares. A sale, redemption, or exchange of Shares may give rise to a gain or loss. For tax purposes, an exchange of your Fund shares of a different fund is the same as a sale. In general, any gain or loss realized upon a taxable disposition of Shares will be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if Shares have been held for more than 12 months. Otherwise, the gain or loss on the taxable disposition of Shares will generally be treated as short-term capital gain or loss. Any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of Shares held for six months or less will be treated as long-term capital loss, rather than short-term capital loss, to the extent of any amounts treated as distributions to the shareholder of long-term capital gain (including any amounts credited to the shareholder as undistributed capital gains). All or a portion of any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of Shares may be disallowed if substantially identical Shares are acquired (through the reinvestment of dividends or otherwise) within a 61-day period beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the disposition. In such a case, the basis of the newly acquired Shares will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss.
The cost basis of Shares acquired by purchase will generally be based on the amount paid for Shares and then may be subsequently adjusted for other applicable transactions as required by the Code. The difference between the selling price and the cost basis of Shares generally determines the amount of the capital gain or loss realized on the sale or exchange of Shares. Contact the broker through whom you purchased your Shares to obtain information with respect to the available cost basis reporting methods and elections for your account.
An Authorized Participant who exchanges securities for Creation Units generally will recognize a gain or a loss. The gain or loss will be equal to the difference between the market value of the Creation Units at the time and the sum of the exchanger’s aggregate basis in the securities surrendered plus the amount of cash paid for such Creation Units. A person who redeems Creation Units will generally recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the exchanger’s basis in the Creation Units and the sum of the aggregate market value of any securities received plus the amount of any cash received for such Creation Units. The ability of Authorized Participants to receive a full or partial cash redemption of Creation Units of the Funds may limit the tax efficiency of such Fund. The IRS, however, may assert that a loss realized upon an exchange of securities for Creation Units cannot currently be deducted under the rules governing “wash sales” (for a person who does not mark-to-market its portfolio) or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic position.
Any gain or loss realized upon a creation or redemption of Creation Units will be treated as capital or ordinary gain or loss, depending on the circumstances. Any capital gain or loss realized upon the creation of Creation Units will generally be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the securities exchanged for such Creation Units have been held for more than one year. Any capital gain or loss realized upon the redemption of Creation Units will generally be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if Shares comprising the Creation Units have been held for more than one year. Otherwise, such capital gains or losses will generally be treated as short-term capital gains or losses. Any capital loss upon a redemption of Creation Units held for six months or less may be treated as long-term capital loss to the extent of any amounts treated as distributions to the applicable Authorized Participant of long-term capital gain with respect to the Creation Units (including any amounts credited to the Authorized Participant as undistributed capital gains).
The Trust, on behalf of the Funds, has the right to reject an order for Creation Units if the purchaser (or a group of purchasers) would, upon obtaining the Creation Units so ordered, own 80% or more of the outstanding Shares and if, pursuant to Section 351 of the Code, the Funds would have a basis in the deposit securities different from the market value of such securities on the date of deposit. The Trust also has the right to require the provision of information necessary to determine beneficial Share ownership for purposes of the 80% determination. If the Funds does issue Creation Units to a purchaser (or a group of purchasers) that would, upon obtaining the Creation Units so ordered, own 80% or more of the outstanding Shares, the purchaser (or a group of purchasers) will not recognize gain or loss upon the exchange of securities for Creation Units.
Authorized Participants purchasing or redeeming Creation Units should consult their own tax advisers with respect to the tax treatment of any creation or redemption transaction and whether the wash sales rule applies and when a loss may be deductible.
Taxation of Shareholders – Net Investment Income Tax. U.S. individuals with adjusted gross income (subject to certain adjustments) exceeding certain threshold amounts ($250,000 if married filing jointly or if considered a “surviving spouse” for federal income tax purposes, $125,000 if married filing separately, and $200,000 in other cases) are subject to a 3.8% tax on all or a portion of their “net investment income,” which includes taxable interest, dividends, and certain capital gains (generally including capital gain distributions and capital gains realized on the sale of Shares). This 3.8% tax also applies to all or a portion of the undistributed net investment income of certain shareholders that are estates and trusts.
Taxation of Fund Investments. Certain of the Funds’ investments may be subject to complex provisions of the Code (including provisions relating to hedging transactions, straddles, integrated transactions, foreign currency contracts, forward foreign currency contracts, and notional principal contracts) that, among other things, may affect the Funds’ ability to qualify as a RIC, affect the character of gains and losses realized by the Funds (e.g., may affect whether gains or losses are ordinary or capital), accelerate recognition of income to the Funds and defer losses. These rules could therefore affect the character, amount and timing of distributions to shareholders. These provisions also may require the Funds to mark to market certain types of positions in its portfolio (i.e., treat them as if they were closed out) which may cause the Funds to recognize income without the Funds receiving cash with which to make distributions in amounts sufficient to enable the Funds to satisfy the RIC distribution requirements for avoiding income and excise taxes. The Funds intends to monitor its transactions, intends to make appropriate tax elections, and intends to make appropriate entries in its books and records in order to mitigate the effect of these rules and preserve the Funds’ qualification for treatment as a RIC. To the extent the Funds invests in an underlying fund that is taxable as a RIC, the rules applicable to the tax treatment of complex securities will also apply to the underlying funds that also invest in such complex securities and investments.
35
Backup Withholding. The Funds will be required in certain cases to withhold (as “backup withholding”) on amounts payable to any shareholder who (1) fails to provide a correct taxpayer identification number certified under penalty of perjury; (2) is subject to backup withholding by the IRS for failure to properly report all payments of interest or dividends; (3) fails to provide a certified statement that he or she is not subject to “backup withholding”; or (4) fails to provide a certified statement that he or she is a U.S. person (including a U.S. resident alien). The backup withholding rate is currently 24%. Backup withholding is not an additional tax and any amounts withheld may be credited against the shareholder’s ultimate U.S. tax liability. Backup withholding will not be applied to payments that have been subject to the 30% withholding tax on shareholders who are neither citizens nor permanent residents of the U.S.
Non-U.S. Shareholders. Any non-U.S. investors in the Funds may be subject to U.S. withholding and estate tax and are encouraged to consult their tax advisers prior to investing in the Funds. Foreign shareholders (i.e., nonresident alien individuals and foreign corporations, partnerships, trusts and estates) are generally subject to U.S. withholding tax at the rate of 30% (or a lower tax treaty rate) on distributions derived from taxable ordinary income. The Funds may, under certain circumstances, report all or a portion of a dividend as an “interest-related dividend” or a “short-term capital gain dividend,” which would generally be exempt from this 30% U.S. withholding tax, provided certain other requirements are met. Short-term capital gain dividends received by a nonresident alien individual who is present in the U.S. for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the taxable year are not exempt from this 30% withholding tax. Gains realized by foreign shareholders from the sale or other disposition of Shares generally are not subject to U.S. taxation, unless the recipient is an individual who is physically present in the U.S. for 183 days or more per year. Foreign shareholders who fail to provide an applicable IRS form may be subject to backup withholding on certain payments from the Funds. Backup withholding will not be applied to payments that are subject to the 30% (or lower applicable treaty rate) withholding tax described in this paragraph. Different tax consequences may result if the foreign shareholder is engaged in a trade or business within the United States. In addition, the tax consequences to a foreign shareholder entitled to claim the benefits of a tax treaty may be different than those described above.
Under legislation generally known as “FATCA” (the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act), the Funds are required to withhold 30% of certain ordinary dividends it pays to shareholders that fail to meet prescribed information reporting or certification requirements. In general, no such withholding will be required with respect to a U.S. person or non-U.S. person that timely provides the certifications required by a fund or its agent on a valid IRS Form W-9 or applicable series of IRS Form W-8, respectively. Shareholders potentially subject to withholding include foreign financial institutions (“FFIs”), such as non-U.S. investment funds, and non-financial foreign entities (“NFFEs”). To avoid withholding under FATCA, an FFI generally must enter into an information sharing agreement with the IRS in which it agrees to report certain identifying information (including name, address, and taxpayer identification number) with respect to its U.S. account holders (which, in the case of an entity shareholder, may include its direct and indirect U.S. owners), and an NFFE generally must identify and provide other required information to the Funds or other withholding agent regarding its U.S. owners, if any. Such non-U.S. shareholders also may fall into certain exempt, excepted or deemed compliant categories as established by regulations and other guidance. A non-U.S. shareholder resident or doing business in a country that has entered into an intergovernmental agreement with the United States to implement FATCA will be exempt from FATCA withholding provided that the shareholder and the applicable foreign government comply with the terms of the agreement.
A non-U.S. entity that invests in the Funds will need to provide the Funds with documentation properly certifying the entity’s status under FATCA in order to avoid FATCA withholding. Non-U.S. investors in the Funds should consult their tax advisors in this regard.
Tax-Exempt Shareholders. Certain tax-exempt shareholders, including qualified pension plans, individual retirement accounts, salary deferral arrangements, 401(k) plans, and other tax-exempt entities, generally are exempt from federal income taxation except with respect to their unrelated business taxable income (“UBTI”). Tax-exempt entities are not permitted to offset losses from one unrelated trade or business against the income or gain of another unrelated trade or business. Certain net losses incurred prior to January 1, 2018 are permitted to offset gain and income created by an unrelated trade or business, if otherwise available. Under current law, the Funds generally serves to block UBTI from being realized by its tax-exempt shareholders with respect to their shares of Fund income. However, notwithstanding the foregoing, tax-exempt shareholders could realize UBTI by virtue of their investment in the Funds if, for example, (i) the Funds invests in residual interests of Real Estate Mortgage Investment Conduits (“REMICs”), (ii) the Funds invests in a REIT that is a taxable mortgage pool (“TMP”) or that has a subsidiary that is a TMP or that invests in the residual interest of a REMIC, or (iii) Shares constitute debt-financed property in the hands of the tax-exempt shareholders within the meaning of section 514(b) of the Code. Charitable remainder trusts are subject to special rules and should consult their tax advisers. The IRS has issued guidance with respect to these issues and prospective shareholders, especially charitable remainder trusts, are strongly encouraged to consult with their tax advisers regarding these issues.
The Funds’ shares held in a tax-qualified retirement account will generally not be subject to federal taxation on income and capital gains distributions from the Funds until a shareholder begins receiving payments from their retirement account. Because each shareholder’s tax situation is different, shareholders should consult their tax advisors with specific reference to their own tax situations, including their state, local, and foreign tax liabilities.
36
Certain Potential Tax Reporting Requirements. Under U.S. Treasury regulations, if a shareholder recognizes a loss on disposition of Shares of $2 million or more for an individual shareholder or $10 million or more for a corporate shareholder (or certain greater amounts over a combination of years), the shareholder must file with the IRS a disclosure statement on IRS Form 8886. Direct shareholders of portfolio securities are in many cases excepted from this reporting requirement, but under current guidance, shareholders of a RIC are not excepted. Significant penalties may be imposed for the failure to comply with the reporting requirements. The fact that a loss is reportable under these regulations does not affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayer’s treatment of the loss is proper. Shareholders should consult their tax advisers to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances.
Other Issues. In those states which have income tax laws, the tax treatment of Funds and of Fund shareholders with respect to distributions by the Funds may differ from federal tax treatment.
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
The audited financial statements and report of the independent registered public accounting firm required to be included in this SAI are hereby incorporated by reference to the Funds’ Form N-CSR filed with the SEC for fiscal period ended October 31, 2025. You can obtain a copy of the Funds’ Form N-CSR without charge by calling the Funds at 1.855.393.0559.
37
APPENDIX A
![]() |
Procedures |
Procedure
|
Proxy Voting Procedures & Proxy Voting Guidelines
|
Related Policy: |
Proxy Voting |
Effective Date
|
June 15, 2004, revised August 19, 2025
|
| Responsible
Person: |
Proxy Voting Administrator
|
Detailed
|
1.0 Proxy Voting in General
Proxy votes for client accounts of Clough Capital will be handled by the Proxy Voting Administrator (the “Administrator”) who will coordinate all required proxy votes through ProxyEdge, a Broadridge Financial Solutions product (“Broadridge”). ProxyEdge will be used to vote proxies according to the attached guidelines (Appendix A). Proxy Disclosure, another Broadridge product, will be used to prepare the information required in order for Paralel to make the required filings for the closed-end funds (“Clough CEFs”) using an xml format which is required by the SEC to file in EDGAR, and then store the records for the required period of time. For the exchange-traded funds (the “Clough ETFs”) Paralel will make the required filings, also using Proxy Disclosure. Finally, proxy voting on say-on-pay and other compensation-related votes, as well as environmental, social, or governance (“ESG”) proposals for Clough Capital’s private funds and separately managed funds will also be prepared using Proxy Disclosure. For issues not addressed by the Proxy Voting Guidelines, or for those issues where a determination is made by one of the persons listed in section 4.0 that a vote according to the established Guidelines would not be in the economic interest of a client account, the Administrator will refer the matter to the Compliance Committee for resolution.
1.1 Use of Proxy Edge for Voting
ProxyEdge is an electronic voting service that helps simplify the management of proxies. The system manages the process of meeting notifications, voting, tracking, reporting, and record maintenance. ProxyEdge allows Clough Capital to manage, track, reconcile and report proxy voting through electronic delivery of ballots, online voting, and integrated reporting and recordkeeping to help satisfy SEC requirements. ProxyEdge provides proxy information through an automated electronic interface based on share positions provided directly to Broadridge by the client’s custodian, bank or broker-dealer.
|
1
![]() |
Procedures |
2.0 Proxy Voting Administrator
The duties of the Administrator will include the following: ● For new client accounts, confirm that Clough Capital will be voting proxies on the client’s behalf, then contact Broadridge to coordinate an electronic feed of securities holdings from the client’s custodian to ProxyEdge ● Gather any physical proxies, if any, sent to Clough Capital for each of the securities held by a client account or fund and double check that they have been voted in ProxyEdge ● Log on to the Proxy Edge system (www.proxyedge.com) to vote the proxies if they have not been voted ● Submit proxies that are not addressed in the Guidelines to PM’s/Analysts for their opinion ● Run a proxy voting record for votes cast for the Clough CEFs on a quarterly basis to send to Paralel Fund Compliance ● Run a proxy voting report for votes cast by the Clough ETFs on a quarterly basis to send to Paralel Fund Compliance ● Request that the Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”) run a full year report in xml format from Proxy Disclosure for the Clough CEFs & Clough ETFs at end of each proxy year (July 1st to June 30th) and send to Paralel to complete the Form N-PX for filing with SEC by August 31st (this may also be done by the Director of Compliance and Risk)
3.0 Proxy Voting Record Required
The following information must be recorded and saved by ProxyEdge for each proxy vote of each security: ● Name of the issuer of the portfolio security ● Exchange ticker symbol of the portfolio security ● CUSIP for the portfolio security (if available) ● Shareholder meeting date ● Brief identification of matter voted on ● Whether the matter is proposed by issuer or a security holder ● Whether fund cast its vote on the matter ● How the fund cast its vote (for/against/abstain) ● Whether fund cast its vote for or against the management position on the issue
|
2
![]() |
Procedures |
This information is required to be filed with the SEC electronically via Form N-PX for all registered investment companies (mutual funds) no later than August 31 for the most recent 12-month period ended June 30. This will be done by the fund’s administrator, Paralel, for the closed-end funds and the ETFs sponsored by Clough Capital, but Paralel will need this information from Clough through Proxy Disclosure. The information also needs to be sent to Paralel to post to the appropriate CEF or ETF website so it is available upon request by shareholders.
4.0 Contradiction to Proxy Voting Guidelines
For the proxy issues outlined in the attached Proxy Voting Guidelines, the Clough Capital voting position will generally be as listed, and these will be the default votes in ProxyEdge, unless an analyst, trader, or portfolio manager of the firm believes that voting a particular proxy in accordance with the stated guideline would not be in the best economic interests of a client account, in which case that person should bring the matter to the attention of the Administrator. The Administrator will then refer the matter to the Compliance Committee for resolution, at which time the Administrator can log on to ProxyEdge and over-ride the default voting option, if necessary. Votes in contradiction to the established Proxy Voting Guidelines will be documented in an appropriate memo to file by the Chief Compliance Officer (the “CCO”).
4.1 Votes on Issues not listed in the Proxy Voting Guidelines
If a proxy vote is received and the Administrator cannot find the particular issue to be voted on the Proxy Voting Guidelines, then the Administrator must summarize the issue and then bring it to the attention of the analyst covering that industry and the relevant portfolio manager for consideration. Once there has been a determination made as to how to vote the issue, the Administrator should update the Proxy Voting Guidelines for guidance on future, similar issues.
5.0 Proxy Disclosure
Proxy Disclosure is a Broadridge application that takes proxy voting records from Proxy Edge and organizes and formats them in xml for filing with the SEC on EDGAR. The SEC now requires mutual funds (open-end, closed-end, and exchange-traded funds) to report proxies based on certain categories, including compensation-based (so-called say-on-pay votes) and ESG proposals. Investment advisers to private funds and separately managed accounts for which they have been given proxy voting authority must also file reports showing how the adviser voted on these issues.
|
3
![]() |
Procedures |
| 6.0 Record Keeping Requirements
Clough Capital must keep accurate books and records, including those relating to proxy voting. The records that must be maintained in accordance with the Record Keeping Policy are listed under Records Produced below. The Administrator will be responsible for ensuring that the records listed are maintained.
| |
Records Produced:
|
● Proxy statements received regarding client securities ● Records of votes cast on behalf of clients (Reports from ProxyEdge) ● Information gathered for the filing of Form N-PX using an xml format ● Form N-PX filed by August 31st of each year for preceding year ended June 30th ● Records of client requests for proxy voting information, if any are sent to Clough Capital ● Any documents prepared by Clough Capital that were material to making a decision how to vote or that memorialized the basis for the decision
|
Evidence of Supervision:
|
On a quarterly basis, the CCO will examine the proxy voting records in ProxyEdge and ensure that all proxies were voted in accordance with the Policy and documented accordingly, including any votes that presented a potential or actual conflict of interest. This information will be supplied to the Fund CCO as part of the Quarterly Compliance Certification.
|
Record Keeping: |
Records will be maintained for 2 years on site and 3 years offsite, except for records for registered mutual funds, which will be maintained for 2 years on site and 4 years offsite. |
4
![]() |
Procedures |
Appendix A
Proxy Voting Guidelines
For the following proxy issues, the Clough Capital voting position will generally be as listed, unless an analyst, trader, or portfolio manager of the firm believes that voting a particular proxy in accordance with the stated guideline would not be in the best economic interests of a client account, in which case that person should bring the matter to the attention of the Proxy Voting Administrator. The Administrator will then refer the matter to the Compliance Committee for resolution as outlined in the Proxy Voting Procedures.
Category of Issue |
Issue | Clough Position | Rationale/Reasoning |
| Board of Directors | Election of Directors | Support Management Recommendations | Where no corporate governance issues are implicated |
| Changes in Board of Directors (removals of directors; filling of vacancies; fixing size of board) | Support Management Recommendations | Management in best position to know if best for company | |
| Other Issues (e.g. Classified Board; Liability of Board; Qualification of Directors) | Generally Support Management Recommendations | So long as in best economic interests of clients | |
| Capital Structure | Increase in common stock | Support Management Recommendations | Management in best position to know if best for company |
| Reclassification of common stock | Support Management Recommendations | Management in best position to know if best for company | |
| Other Issues (e.g. Additional Shares; Stock Splits; Repurchases, etc.) | Generally Support Management Recommendations | So long as in best economic interests of clients | |
| Corporate Governance | Addition or amendment of indemnification provisions in company’s charter or by-laws | Support Management Recommendations | Management in best position to know if best for company |
| Other issues (e.g. Confidential Voting; Cumulative Voting; Supermajority Requirements) | Generally Support Management Recommendations | So long as in best economic interests of clients | |
| Compensation | Compensation of Outside Directors | Support Management Recommendations | Management in best position to know if best for company |
| Other Issues (e.g. Executive/Director stock option plans; Employee Stock Option Plans; Option Expensing) | Generally Support Management Recommendations | So long as in best economic interests of clients |
5
![]() |
Procedures |
| Anti-Takeover Provisions | Shareholder rights plans (“Poison Pills”) (shareholder approval of or ratification of these types of plans) | Generally Support Management Recommendations | So long as in best economic interests of clients |
| Other Issues (e.g. Reincorporation plans; Fair-Price Proposals, etc.) | Generally Support Management Recommendations | So long as in best economic interests of clients | |
| Mergers & Acquisitions | Special corporate transactions (takeovers; spin-offs; sales of assets; reorganizations; restructurings; recapitalizations) | Generally Support Management Recommendations | So long as in best economic interests of clients |
| Social & Political Issues | Labor & human rights (global codes of conduct; workplace standards) | Generally Support Management Recommendations | Generally best not to impose these issues from the outside |
| Other Issues (e.g. Environmental issues; Diversity & Equality; Health & Safety; Government/Military) | Support Management Recommendation | Generally best not to impose these issues from the outside | |
| Miscellaneous Items | Selection of Independent Auditors | Support Management recommendation | Management in best position to know if best for company |
| Other Issues (e.g. Limitation of non-audit services provided by independent auditors; Audit Firm Rotation; Bundled Proposals, etc.) | Generally Support Management Recommendations | So long as in best economic interests of clients | |
6
PART C
OTHER INFORMATION
Item 28. Exhibits
C-1
C-2
| (2) | Letter Agreement adding the Sovereign’s Capital Flourish Fund to the Custody Agreement between Elevation Series Trust and State Street Bank and Trust Company3 | |
C-3
| (9) | Letter Agreement adding the TrueShares ConVequity ETF (fka TrueShares ConVex Protect ETF) to the TA Agreement13 | |
C-4
| 1 | Incorporated by reference to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (1933 Act File No. 333-265972) filed on July 1, 2022. |
| 2 | Incorporated by reference to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (1933 Act File No. 333-265972) filed on September 30, 2022. |
| 3 | Incorporated by reference to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (1933 Act File No. 333-265972) filed on September 26, 2023. |
| 4 | Incorporated by reference to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (1933 Act File No. 333-265972) filed on October 24, 2023. |
| 5 | Incorporated by reference to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (1933 Act File No. 333-265972) filed on June 26, 2024. |
C-5
| 6 | Incorporated by reference to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (1933 Act File No. 333-265972) filed on November 27, 2024. |
| 7 | Incorporated by reference to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (1933 Act File No. 333-265972) filed on December 13, 2024. |
| 8 | Incorporated by reference to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (1933 Act File No. 333-265972) filed on December 26, 2024. |
|
9 |
Incorporated by reference to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (1933 Act File No. 333-265972) filed on January 16, 2025. |
| 10 | Incorporated by reference to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (1933 Act File No. 333-265972) filed on January 17, 2025. |
| 11 | Incorporated by reference to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (1933 Act File No. 333-265972) filed on February 28, 2025. |
| 12 | Incorporated by reference to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (1933 Act File No. 333-265972) filed on June 10, 2025. |
| 13 | Incorporated by reference to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (1933 Act File No. 333-265972) filed on June 25, 2025. |
| 14 | Incorporated by reference to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (1933 Act File No. 333-265972) filed on July 09, 2025. |
| 15 | Incorporated by reference to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (1933 Act File No. 333-265972) filed on July 29, 2025. |
| 16 | Incorporated by reference to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (1933 Act File No. 333-265972) filed on August 5, 2025. |
| 17 | Incorporated by reference to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (1933 Act File No. 333-265972) filed on September 3, 2025. |
| 18 | Incorporated by reference to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (1933 Act File No. 333-265972) filed on September 11, 2025. |
| 19 | Incorporated by reference to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (1933 Act File No. 333-265972) filed on September 19, 2025. |
| 20 | Incorporated by reference to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (1933 Act File No. 333-265972) filed on December 23, 2025. |
| 21 | Incorporated by reference to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (1933 Act File No. 333-265972) filed on December 29, 2025. |
| 22 | Incorporated by reference to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (1933 Act File No. 333-265972) filed on January 8, 2026. |
Item 29. Persons Controlled by or Under Common Control with Registrant.
The Registrant is not controlled by and does not control any other entity or person.
Item 30. Indemnification.
As permitted by Section 17(h) and (i) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act), and pursuant to Article X of the Registrant’s Declaration of Trust (Exhibit (a)(2) to the Registration Statement) and Section 6 of the Distribution Agreement (Exhibit (e)(1)) to the Registration Statement), officers, trustees, employees and agents of the Registrant will not be liable to the Registrant, any shareholder, officer, trustee, employee, agent or other control person for any action or failure to act, except for bad faith, willful misfeasance, gross negligence or reckless disregard of duties, and those individuals may be indemnified against liabilities in connection with the Registrant, subject to the same exceptions.
C-6
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act), may be permitted to trustees, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant understands that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a trustee, officer or controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such trustee, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
The Registrant has purchased an insurance policy insuring its officers and trustees against liabilities, and certain costs of defending claims against such officers and trustees, to the extent such officers and trustees are not found to have committed conduct constituting willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard in the performance of their duties. The insurance policy also insures the Registrant against the cost of indemnification payments to officers under certain circumstances.
The Registrant hereby undertakes that it will apply the indemnification provisions of its Declaration of Trust and Distribution Agreement in a manner consistent with Release No. 11330 of the Securities and Exchange Commission under the 1940 Act so long as the interpretations of Section 17(h) and 17(i) of such Act remain in effect and are consistently applied.
Item 31. Business and Other Connections of Investment Advisers
This Item 31 incorporated by reference each investment adviser’s Uniform Application for Investment Adviser Registration (“Form ADV”) on file with the SEC, as listed below. Each Form ADV may be obtained, free of charge, at the SEC’s website at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov. Additional information as to any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature engaged in by each officer and director of the below-listed investment advisers is included in the Trust’s Statement of Additional Information.
| Investment Adviser | SEC File No. |
| Paralel Advisors LLC | 801-122468 |
| Vident Advisory, LLC | 801-114538 |
| Rocky Mountain Advisers, LLC | 801-70202 |
| Sovereign’s Capital Management, LLC | 801-126307 |
| TrueMark Investments, LLC | 801-117961 |
| Clough Capital Partners L.P. | 801-21583 |
| Opal Capital LLC | 801-126398 |
| Vulcan Value Partners, LLC | 801-70739 |
| RiverNorth Capital Management, LLC | 801-61533 |
| Black Hill Capital Partners, LLC | 801-118997 |
| Wealth Builder Funds, LLC | 801-129063 |
| Eagle Global Advisors, LLC | 801-53294 |
| Disciplined Growth Investors, Inc. | 801-53297 |
Norris Perné and French LLP d/b/a NPF Investment Advisors |
801-3475 |
| CresAlta Investment Management, Inc. | None |
Item 32. Principal Underwriters.
| (a) | Paralel Distributors LLC acts as the distributor for the Registrant. |
As of the date of this Registration Statement, in addition to each series of the Trust, Paralel Distributors LLC also acts as the underwriter for:
Cullen Funds (6 series), Collaborative Investment Series Trust (8 series), Reaves Utility Income Fund (ATM Offering), Coller Secondaries Private Equity Opportunities Fund, Coller Private Credit Secondaries Fund, HarbourVest Private Investments Fund, Octagon XAI CLO Income Fund, XAI Octagon Floating Rate & Alternative Income Trust (ATM Offering), Shelton Equity Premium Income ETF, Corgi ETF Trust I (2 series), The Pre-IPO and Growth Fund, Wisdom Short Duration Income ETF and Wisdom Short Term Government Fund.
C-7
| (b) | To the best of Registrant’s knowledge, the directors and executive officers of the distributor are as follows: |
Paralel Distributors LLC
| Name* | Position with Underwriter | Positions with Trust |
| Bradley Swenson | President, Chief Compliance Officer and FINOP | President, Chairman and Interested Trustee |
| Jeremy May | Chief Executive Officer | None |
| Christopher Moore | General Counsel | None |
*Except as otherwise noted, the principal business address for each of the above directors and executive officers is 1700 Broadway, Suite 2100, Denver, CO 80290.
| (c) | Not applicable. |
Item 33. Location of Accounts and Records
| (a) | The Registrant maintains accounts, books and other documents required by Section 31(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 and the rules thereunder (collectively, “Records”) at its offices at 1700 Broadway, Suite 2100, Denver, CO 80290. |
| (b) | Paralel Advisors LLC maintains all Records relating to its services as investment adviser to the Registrant at 1700 Broadway, Suite 2100, Denver, CO 80290. |
| (c) | Paralel Technologies LLC maintains all Records relating to its services as administrator, accounting and transfer agent of the Registrant at 1700 Broadway, Suite 2100, Denver, CO 80290. |
| (d) | Paralel Distributors LLC maintains all Records relating to its services as Distributor of the Registrant at 1700 Broadway, Suite 2100, Denver, CO 80290. |
| (e) | Vident Advisory, LLC maintains all Records relating to its services as sub-adviser to the Registrant at 1125 Sanctuary Parkway, Suite 515, Alpharetta, Georgia 30009. |
| (f) | State Street Bank and Trust Company maintains all Records relating to its services as Custodian of the Registrant at One Congress Street, Suite 1, Boston, Massachusetts 02114. |
| (g) | Rocky Mountain Advisers, LLC maintains all Records relating to its services as sub-adviser to the Registrant at 2121 E. Crawford Place, Salina, KS 67401. |
| (h) | Sovereign’s Capital Management, LLC maintains all Records relating to its services as adviser to the Registrant at 310 S. West Street, Suite 100, Raleigh, North Carolina, 27603. |
| (i) | TrueMark Investments, LLC maintains all Records relating to its services as adviser to the Registrant at 433 W Van Buren, Suite 1100-D, Chicago, Illinois 60607. |
| (j) | Clough Capital Partners L.P. maintains all Records relating to its services as adviser to the Registrant at 53 State Street, Floor 27, Boston, Massachusetts 02109. |
| (k) | Opal Capital LLC maintains all Records relating to its services as sub-adviser to the Registrant at 5200 Town Center Circle, Suite 305, Boca Raton, Florida 33486. |
| (l) | Vulcan Value Partners, LLC maintains all Records relating to its services as adviser to the Registrant at Three Protective Center, 2801 Highway 280 South, Suite 300, Birmingham, AL 35223. |
| (m) | RiverNorth Capital Management, LLC maintains all Records relating to its services as adviser to the Registrant at 360 South Rosemary Avenue, Suite 1420, West Palm Beach, Florida 33401. |
| (n) | Black Hill Capital Partners, LLC maintains all Records relating to its services as adviser to the Registrant at 101 California Street, San Francisco, California 94111. |
| (o) | Wealth Builder Funds, LLC maintains all Records relating to its services as adviser to the Registrant at 117 West Main Street, Cary, Illinois 60013. |
C-8
| (p) | Eagle Global Advisors, LLC maintains all Records relating to its services as adviser to the Registrant at 1330 Post Oak Boulevard, Suite 3000, Houston, Texas 77056. |
| (q) | Disciplined Growth Investors, Inc. maintains all Records relating to its services as adviser to the Registrant at Fifth Street Towers, 150 South Fifth Street, Suite 2550, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402. |
| (r) | Norris Perné and French LLP d/b/a NPF Investment Advisors maintains all Records relating to its services as adviser to the Registrant at 40 Pearl Street NW, Suite 500, Grand Rapids, MI 49503. |
| (s) | CresAlta Investment Management, Inc. maintains all Records relating to its services as adviser to the Registrant at 6295 Greenwood Plaza Blvd., Greenwood Village, CO 80111. |
Item 34. Management Services Not Discussed in Parts A and B.
Not applicable.
Item 35. Undertakings.
Not applicable.
C-9
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Registrant certifies that it meets all of the requirements for effectiveness of this registration statement under rule 485(b) under the Securities Act and the Registrant has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, duly authorized, in the City of Denver and the State of Colorado, on the 27th day of February, 2026.
| ELEVATION SERIES TRUST | |||
| By: | /s/ Bradley Swenson | ||
| Bradley Swenson | |||
| President | |||
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities indicated.
| Signature | Title | Date | ||
| /s/ Bradley Swenson | President, Principal Executive Officer and Trustee | February 27, 2026 | ||
| Bradley Swenson | ||||
| /s/ Nicholas Austin | Treasurer and Principal Financial Officer | February 27, 2026 | ||
| Nicholas Austin | (Principal Accounting Officer) | |||
| /s/ Steve Norgaard* | Trustee | |||
| Steve Norgaard | ||||
| /s/ Kimberly Storms* | Trustee | |||
| Kimberly Storms |
| * By: | /s/ Nicholas Adams | |
| Name: | Nicholas Adams | |
| Title: | Attorney-in-fact | |
| Date: | February 27, 2026 |
* Attorney -in-Fact pursuant to Powers of Attorney, as previously filed on June 10, 2025.
C-10
Exhibit Index
C-11